DC 400 Writing the Television Spec Script
Summary
Whether you know it or not; whether you believe it or not; whether you accept it or not, the creative currency of exchange among the ?suits? of television is a situation comedy spec script, no if, ands or buts.
If you are hoping to get an agent interested in representing you, write a good situation comedy script on speculation that he or she can use as a means to getting you a meeting when staffing season rolls around.
You can debate endlessly about wanting to write for ?Saturday Night Live? or for film or be a staff writer on ?The Tonight Show,? but the first domino at the moment is still the sitcom spec. Write a good one, secure an agent, then go after the specifics. With that line of thinking understood, let?s begin.
Throughout the course of the next eleven weeks, we?ll be examining the intrinsic qualities of both a half-hour sitcom spec and a one-hour drama spec, and their intended audience, which is a very small, very sophisticated audience: literary agents, network executives and executive producers. Shall I break it down?
WEEK ONE: Tuesday, January 6, 2015
?Introduction and Pitching?
WEEK TWO: Tuesday, January 13, 2015
?The Best Of Six?
WEEK THREE: Tuesday, January 20, 2015
?Page-by-Page Outline?
WEEK FOUR: Tuesday, January 27, 2015
?Classic Outline?
WEEK FIVE: Tuesday, February 3, 2015
?First Half: First Draft?
WEEK SIX: Tuesday, February 10, 2015
?Second Half: First Draft?
WEEK SEVEN: Tuesday, February 17, 2015
?Second Draft?
WEEK EIGHT: Tuesday, February 24, 2015
?Five Different Takes?
WEEK NINE: Tuesday, March 3, 2015
?Staging A Reading, Six Questions?
WEEK TEN: Tuesday, March 10, 2015
?Rewrites, Final Draft?
WEEK ELEVEN: Tuesday, March 17, 2015
?Hard Copy Due?
Texts
No textbook, but each night before class I will email a handout to all students with all relevant information: theory, commentary, and examples.
Grading
Tuesday, February 3rd CLASSIC OUTLINE DUE, 20% of grade
Tuesday, February 24th SECOND DRAFT OF SCRIPT DUE, 60% of grade
Tuesday, March 17th FINAL DRAFT DUE; LETTER TO AGENT, 20% of grade
Introduction and pitching, Tuesday, January 6th
The best of six, Tuesday, January 13th
Page-by-page outline, Tuesday, January 20th
Classic outline, Tuesday, January 27th
First half, first draft, Tuesday, February 3rd
Classic outline due, 20 % of grade
Second half, first draft, Tuesday, February 10th
Second Draft, Tuesday, February 17th
Criticism, Tuesday, February 24th
Second draft due, 60% of grade
Staging a reading, six questions
Rewrites and final draft
Final draft due; letter to agent, Tuesday, March 17th 20% of grade
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The
evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely
separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.
Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that
you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296