Script Analysis

Course Description

Whether you are a writer, a director, or a producer, an understanding of story structure and dramatic principles is essential. In-depth analysis of a screenplay's storyline, characters, dialogue, images, and theme reveals a wide range of narrative techniques and storytelling styles, from Hollywood to independent and everything in between. Students view successful films and analyze their scripts, learning how essential information is conveyed, how story elements are communicated through visual means, how dramatic momentum is built with cause and effect, and what makes a character credible and complex. Students end the term with the ability to analyze any film script and apply that knowledge to their own screenwriting. This class is required of all students interested in pursuing the screenwriting sequence and must be taken prior to Screenwriting 1 (NSRW 3810) .