Students receive weekly feedback from the instructor on all assignments, and are welcome to "meet" with Laurie in the E-script chat room at the end of the course.

WEEK 1: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Return Student Information ASAP. LECTURE TOPIC: COURSE INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW. Begin to formulate your idea and identify your Genre, Outline, Ending, and Logline (brief description.) ASSIGNMENT: Completed Genre, Outline and Logline. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: List of Genres, sample Outlines and Loglines.

WEEK 2: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Your Genre, Outline and Logline. LECTURE TOPIC: WHAT MAKES A GOOD CHARACTER? A discussion of characters and how they are born. ASSIGNMENT: Complete at least two to four character bios. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: Character Bios

WEEK 3: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Your character bios. LECTURE TOPIC: STRUCTURING ACT I. The first 25 pages of any screenplay have to have the elements that will capture the Industry reader’s eye. A discussion of these elements along with Basic Formatting points will be provided. ASSIGNMENT: Write your story in Synopsis form (three paragraphs reflecting Act I, II, and III) plus the elements of your story that are provided within the first 25 pages. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: List of Basic Formatting Items.

WEEK 4: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Your story synopsis and elements provided between pages 1 to 25. LECTURE TOPIC: THE MIDPOINT AND ACT II. This is the part of the script that often becomes bogged down and heavy with uncertainty. A discussion regarding story building will be provided. ASSIGNMENT: Continue to revise your story in Synopsis form and revise Outline for the First and Second Acts. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: Ways to make sure your story doesn’t sag in the middle.

WEEK 5: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Outline for Acts I and II and revised Story Synopsis. LECTURE TOPIC: ACT III, THE PAYOFF. Tying up loose ends, making sure your characters develop completely and telling the story are discussed. ASSIGNMENT: Complete your story Synopsis as if it were a marketing tool. Outline should be complete and ready to be written. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: An Act III checklist.

WEEK 6: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Complete Synopsis and Outline. LECTURE TOPIC: SCENE BREAKDOWN. Each scene leads to the next scene and has a purpose - if it doesn’t have a purpose, it doesn’t belong there. A thorough discussion of necessary scenes will take place. ASSIGNMENT: Complete your scene breakdown, scene by scene. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: Scene breakdown sample.

WEEK 7: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Complete your scene breakdown. LECTURE TOPIC: DIALOGUE AND USE OF SOUND EFFECTS. Discussion of dialogue scenes - how to make your dialogue more effective. ASSIGNMENT: Write two scenes heavy with dialogue - which one is more challenging? Begin writing the first pages of the script. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: Dialogue checklist.

WEEK 8: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Dialogue scenes. LECTURE TOPIC: RESTRUCTURING THE SCRIPT. Articulating the commercial hook - understanding the climate of the Industry and a discussion on current genres. ASSIGNMENT: Before spending time writing your script, rethink the idea - will it fit into the marketplace in the next six months to a year? Construct a basic marketing strategy. Continue writing first pages of the script. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: Box Office Winners and Losers

WEEK 9: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Basic marketing strategy. LECTURE TOPIC: MAKING CHANGES DUE TO OUTSIDE PRESSURE. Think about Starpower/How to get an agent/Pitching your idea. ASSIGNMENT: Prepare a brief pitch to sell your idea. Continue writing first pages of the script. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: Pitch example. Starpower power list.

WEEK 10: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Screenplay pages 1-10 or up to 25 pages (Act I). LECTURE TOPIC: THE GREAT AMERICAN SCREENPLAY:YOUR LIFE AS A SCREENWRITER. Continue writing your screenplay.
END OF CLASS

WEEK 1: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Return Student Information ASAP. LECTURE TOPIC: COURSE INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW. Begin to formulate your idea and identify your Genre, Outline, Ending, and Logline (brief description.) ASSIGNMENT: Completed Genre, Outline and Logline. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: List of Genres, sample Outlines and Loglines.

WEEK 2: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Your Genre, Outline and Logline. LECTURE TOPIC: WHAT MAKES A GOOD CHARACTER? A discussion of characters and how they are born. ASSIGNMENT: Complete at least two to four character bios. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: Character Bios

WEEK 3: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Your character bios. LECTURE TOPIC: STRUCTURING ACT I. The first 25 pages of any screenplay have to have the elements that will capture the Industry reader’s eye. A discussion of these elements along with Basic Formatting points will be provided. ASSIGNMENT: Write your story in Synopsis form (three paragraphs reflecting Act I, II, and III) plus the elements of your story that are provided within the first 25 pages. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: List of Basic Formatting Items.

WEEK 4: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Your story synopsis and elements provided between pages 1 to 25. LECTURE TOPIC: THE MIDPOINT AND ACT II. This is the part of the script that often becomes bogged down and heavy with uncertainty. A discussion regarding story building will be provided. ASSIGNMENT: Continue to revise your story in Synopsis form and revise Outline for the First and Second Acts. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: Ways to make sure your story doesn’t sag in the middle.

WEEK 5: ASSIGNMENT DUE: Outline for Acts I and II and revised Story Synopsis. LECTURE TOPIC: ACT III, THE PAYOFF. Tying up loose ends, making sure your characters develop completely and telling the story are discussed. ASSIGNMENT: Complete your story Synopsis as if it were a marketing tool. Outline should be complete and ready to be written. E-MAIL HANDOUTS: An Act III checklist.

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