Teaching Transformation Fellowship Project Annoucnement
Joe Schuster
Dept Chair/ Assoc Prof
Communications and Journalism Department
MEDC 1050 Intro to Media Writing
SCPT 3500 Writing Screenplays for film
Teaching Transformation Fellowship
Joseph M. Schuster
Abstract:
Using technology, I will be enhancing two required courses in the Department
of Communications and Journalism, Introduction to Media Writing, MEDC
1050, and Writing Screenplays for Film, SCPT 3500.
For the former, I will be trying to develop a more interactive approach to peer critique of the articles, reviews and scripts the students produce in the course, primarily through the use of on-line response and virtual writing/editing teams.
For the latter, I will be developing two resources for our use in the classroom, and for the students to use outside of the classroom:
• On DVD, I will be trying to develop catalogues of film clips which compare and contrast techniques for film writing, including the effective development of exposition (how do successful films efficiently and engagingly introduce important characters and narrative threads), suspense and tension (how do films pique and sustain audience curiosity), and emotional involvement (using structure, how do films manipulate an audience's response to the characters and events in the film.
• I will also be trying to develop an on-line resource of short scripts for my students; while there are a number of good sources for feature scripts, there appear to be no ready collections of short screenplays. As part of my project, then, I will be contacting writers of successful short films and acquiring their scripts, and their permission, to make them available to my students on-line.
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