Library resources. Screenplays available online; online newspapers and arts articles.
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available (where relevant) to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.

1 item of Assessment: A Portfolio, weighted at 100%, consisting of:

A. A Research File, containing a detailed synopsis/outline of both the film being studied and also of its primary source material (whether novel, historical/factual material, biography, journalistic work, etc); an introduction and rationale for the choice of film being studied, setting out clearly the line of enquiry - the narrative of the article - and the principal players in the story; a summary of sources (1000 words)

B. The Article: a feature article, displaying rigorous research, narrative drive and with an emphasis on polished writing and entertainment value, accompanied by extracts from the work or works to illustrate items of interest and support main arguments; visual presentational material as necessary. (3000 - 4000 words)

C. An Evaluation of the process, describing the research journey undertaken, with details of all research sources and reading. (500 - 750 words)
[Learning Outcomes 1-5]

Key Infomation Set:
Assessments: 100% Coursework

Auiler, Dan: `Hitchcock's secret Notebooks¿ (Bloomsbury, 1999)
Eberts, Jake; Ilott, Terry: 'My Indecision is Final' (Faber & Faber, 1992)
Froug, William: `The New Screenwriter Looks at the New Screenwriter¿ (Silman-James Press, 1992)
Holmsten, Brian; Lubertozzi, Alex: The Complete War of the Worlds (Roundhouse Publications, 2001)
Hughes, David: 'The Complete Kubrick' (2001)
Lumet, Sidney: Making Movies (1996)
Mackendrick, Alexander: `On Film-making¿ (2005)
Magazines: 'Sight & Sound'; 'Scriptwriter'; 'Empire'; 'Broadcast'; 'Screen International'.
Mamet, David: On Directing Film (1992)
Robert Evans: 'The Kid Stays in the Picture' (Faber & Faber, 2004)
Schickel, Richard: 'Converstaions with Scorcese' (2011)
Sundance and the Rise of Independent Film' (Bloomsbury, 2004)
Suskind, Peter: 'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls' (Bloomsbury, 1999); 'Gods and Monsters' (Bloomsbury, 2005); 'Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax,
Tibbetts, John C.; Welsh, James M.: 'Novels into Film' (Facts On File Inc, 1999)

Following an initial seminar session, students will work alone, devising their own study plan and organising their own time, under the guidance of a supervisor.

Key Information Set:
Learning & Teaching: 3% scheduled activities, 97% guided independent learning.

This module provides an opportunity for in-depth research into the background to an internationally successful feature film, with an emphasis on its source material/s and the development of the screenplay, also examining its themes, their relevance and social impact and the critical and public reaction to it. This is an exercise in independent thinking and useful in the development of a student's ability to put across abstract ideas in clear and well-constructed prose. Students are expected to design their own research schedule, come up with their own ideas and construct an article aimed at the general reader, with a view to providing an informative as well as an entertaining read. In doing this, the student gains a greater understanding of the creative and practical processes at work in the preparation of a professional media product and an appreciation of the common problems that arise due to the collaborative nature of media production. It also introduces students, through self-directed study, to the predominant ideas and language of cultural discourse.

By the end of the course students will have developed a deeper understanding of the realities of the film industry, of the role of writers in pre-production, as well as an improved ability to research, appraise and present material.