Coursework conducted within a small group (typically of 3) equivalent to 2500 words per person and comprising:
A treatment for the adaptation of a short story into a 10 minute film or television drama (L.O. 4);
A draft script for a 10 minute film (L.O. 2)
A production folder based on research into the contribution of two craft trades to a projected finished product (L.O. 1, 3 & 4);
individual evaluations of the group process (L.O. 1).

This module explores how various craft trades of the film and television production process combine in the making of the finished product. You will learn about the relationships between scriptwriting, cinematography and lighting, set design, costume design, computer generation of images, sound design and casting and carry out a detailed investigation of how two of these might contribute to the stylistic realisation of a treatment of a particular script idea.

Lectures and screenings early in the module will introduce ways of examining the distinctive contribution of film production roles, including that of the scriptwriter, and analysing how they influence the meanings picked up by audiences. In a series of workshops you will work in small groups to develop a treatment for adapting a short story for film or television and compare and discuss stylistic approaches in class presentations, before going on to develop a draft script. This forms the basis for your group to research the contribution of two trade crafts in the creation of style and meaning within your chosen medium. Your progress will be discussed in workshops and group supervision.

Library resources, including published CDs/tapes
OHP / PowerPoint and audio / video playback facilities

Bach, S. 1999 Final Cut: Art, Money, and Ego in the Making of Heaven's Gate, the Film That Sank United Artists New York: Newmarket Press
Lumet, S. 1995 Making Movies London: Bloomsbury
Portnoy, K. 1996 Script Adaptation London: Sage
Sayles, J. 1987 Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie Matewan New York: Mariner Books