ClassInfo

DC 306 Writing the Half-Hour Series

Winter 2018-2019
Class number: 25768
Section number: 201
M 1:00PM - 4:15PM
LEVAN 00305 Lincoln Park Campus

Summary

Along with creating an original half-hour sitcom pilot script suitable for submission to either a literary agent, an TV executive producer and/or a network executive?the student will also create the supplemental materials as well: 1) The three aspects of a TREATMENT: the Log Line - a 25-word (or less), deftly written, description of the series; the Paragraph - 5-to-7 sentences that continue describing the series generally, but highlight the main character as well as his or her ensemble; the Page - 5-to-7 paragraphs, which describe in practical terms, the financial advantage to both producing the proposed pilot and series, as well as the marketing techniques that might be employed to first convince a ?buyer,? and then acquire an audience. 2) CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS: A slightly more involved description of the main character, as well as his or her ensemble, incorporating the three aspects of a good pitch?information, humor and the student?s personal enthusiasm for the idea. 3) EPISODE SCENARIOS - Six descriptions of various episodes, not including the scenario for the pilot, that further illustrates the potential of the series. 4) PROMOS - Two two-minute promos of the pilot and the series; the first as if the student had an unlimited budget and the second as if the student had no budget. 5) PILOT SCRIPT - A pilot script that not only embodies everything discussed in the before mentioned elements (Treatments, Character Descriptions, Episode Scenarios, and Promos), but will also includes both the processes of outlining?Page-by-Page, Classic?and rewriting?First Draft, Second Draft, and Final Draft.



Texts

None. The instructor will email students a comprehensive handout the night before each class owing to the ever-changing nature of the process of creating a TV pilot.


Grading

Out of a possible 1000 points: CLASS ONE, Monday, January 7, 2019, 1st DAY OF CLASS. CLASS TWO, Monday, January 14, 2019; TREATMENTS due: 100 points CLASS THREE, Monday, January 21, 2019; CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS due: 100 points CLASS FOUR, Monday, January 28, 2019; EPISODE SCENARIOS due: 100 points CLASS FIVE, Monday, February 4, 2019; PROMOS due: 100 points CLASS SIX, Monday, February 11, 2019: 1st HALF, 1st DRAFT due: 100 points CLASS SEVEN, Monday, February 18, 2019: 2nd HALF, 1st DRAFT due: 100 points CLASS EIGHT, Monday, February 25, 2019: CRITIQUE WEEK due: 100 points CLASS NINE, Monday, March 4, 2019: 2nd DRAFT due: 100 points CLASS TEN, Monday, March 11, 2019: PHONE CONFERENCE due: 100 points CLASS ELEVEN, Monday, March 17, 2019: TV PILOT PRESENTATION due: 200 points A= 100-93, A-=92-90, B+=89-88, B=87-83, B-=82-80, C+=79-78, C=77-73, C-=72-70, D+=69-68, D=67-63, D-=62-60, F=59-0. A indicates excellence, B indicates good work, C indicates satisfactory work, D work is unsatisfactory in some respect, F is substantially unsatisfactory work.


Prerequisites

DC-101, DC-201


Desire 2 Learn

You will be using D2L extensively in this course. To log on, go to: https://login.depaul.edu/cas/login?service=https://d2l.depaul.edu/d2l/orgtools/CAS/Default.aspx and enter using your campus connect logon and password. Once you are logged on, click on the course number link and you will find links to the syllabus, course outline, video lectures, discussion forums, weekly assignments, etc.


Attendance

Attendance and participation are mandatory. An absence, which is defined as not showing up to class, arriving more than 10 minutes late to class or departing before class is formally dismissed will constitute a reduction in your overall grade. Absent students will be required to participate in a D2L lecture discussion forum where they will respond to a specific topic posted by the instructor.


?Introduction, Treatments?

ASSIGNMENT: ART: The student will concern his or herself with the articulating (AKA pitching) of his or her idea in a three separate statements. First, the student will write and rewrite a log line of twenty-five or less that accurately describes the series that he or she hopes to create. Second, the student will expand said log line into a paragraph of between five-to-seven sentences that continues to elucidate the overall concept of the show, but focuses mostly on the main character and the show?s proposed ensemble. Third, the student will expand said ?character? paragraph into a page of between five-to-seven paragraphs, which will continue to expand the student?s description of the overall series but will mostly focus on the marketing of said series, so that even the most casual reader can understand what the student is attempting. For example, the student might employ something along the lines of this current TV show meets this other current TV show?in essence answering the question, why would somebody in charge take the risk of giving the student money in order to produce his or her idea. COMMERCE: Explore and examine both the Writers Guild of America, West?s website, based in Los Angeles at www.wga.org; as well as the Writers Guild of America, East?s website, based in New York at www.wgaeast.org paying special attention to any and all information concerning the current categories of both sitcoms and sitcom pilots.

?Character Descriptions? ASSIGNMENT: ART: The student moves from the general ?pitch? of the series to the more specific task of describing the main character and the ensemble surrounding that main character. Keep in mind that it?s always somebody?s show?that when push comes to shove, even a subtle main character provides a kind of horizon line regarding the pilot and future episodes. Also be ready to constantly change and update these pitches and descriptions in order to accommodate better ideas. Keep the treatment stage, the character stage and even next week?s episode stage all dynamic and ever-evolving. If possible, the student should learn to celebrate the moment when he or she might have to throw out everything in favor of a better idea. Once you?re satisfied to some degree with the description of your ensemble, update the three aspects of your treatment so they blend. COMMERCE: Go to the homepage of the WGA, West?s website: www.wga.org; at the top of the page, click on the 2nd drop down menu from the left, ?Employers & Agents?; then click on the 3rd item from the left, ?Agencies?; then click on the first item, ?Signatory Agency List.? and print the entire list! Don?t just study it, but actually print it out and begin to refer to it. ?Episode Scenarios? ASSIGNMENT: ART: The student will present six separate pitches for hypothetical future episodes of the series (not including the student?s pilot premise), recalling the three aspects of a standard pitch: information, humor and the student?s personal enthusiasm for a given idea. As was the case with both the treatments and the character descriptions, the audience?s understanding of the entire series should grow as these characters emerge. Along with displaying the series? originality, each of the episode scenarios will further elucidate deeper aspects of the show via situations that test characters? resolve. Don?t forget to update the treatments and the character descriptions upon discovering something new so it all dovetails nicely. COMMERCE: Create a list of ten personal contacts who might be of some help with regard to building your career, and renew your relationship with each. Don?t ask them for a favor?simply say, ?hi.? If the student elects to stage a reading of his or her pilot, and if it feels appropriate, the student might consider inviting some these personal contacts. ?Promos? ASSIGNMENT: ART: After a three-week campaign of focused clarity with regard to the students? evolving TV Pilot Presentation, not to mention bouncing back and forth from treatments, character descriptions and episode scenarios in an attempt to blend each new detail into the series itself?the student switches gears a bit and scripts two, two-minute promos based upon his or her emerging idea: the first as if the student had a huge budget and could do anything, hire anyone, etc? And the second, a more humble and realistic approach, as if the student had a very small budget. The student is encouraged to review the wealth and variety of film and TV trailers on YouTube.com in the hope that it might provide ideas! COMMERCE: Begin a generic letter to an agent, by writing a single paragraph of three sentences that addresses the general theme of ?Who are you?? Two things the student might consider including: the exact town that he or she is from and a brief description of the moment that the student went from passive consumer of entertainment, to actively wanting to create content. ?Page-By-Page Outline? ASSIGNMENT: ART: If the student returns to the third aspect of the treatment, he or she will discover some similar comparison of one current show meeting another current show with similar narrative intent. Search out one of those pilot scripts and make a list of what?s occurring on each page. Study it! How are the creators of this pilot script accomplishing their results? That said, it should be used only as a loose guide as to how the student?s narrative might play out. Upon completion, the student can attempt an expanded version of this tentative list of story events, into a more concrete roadmap of the script that has yet to come. COMMERCE: The student will construct a second paragraph for his or her generic letter to an agent of no more than three sentences that addresses the general theme of ?What do I want?? ?Classic Outline? ASSIGNMENT: ART: Regarding the classic outline itself, the student starts with a standard banner in caps, indicating exterior/interior, slight description of locale, time of day and/or amount of time that has elapsed since the last scene. In the line under the banner, list the cast of characters who are in the scene. It?s helpful to the student?s growth if he or she can begin to shift from a dependency on just creating dialogue in order to figure out the direction of a given scene, to an enthusiasm toward creating a good classic outline. It seems like a paradox, but it does save a huge amount of time. And was said before, the student should think of each description of each scene as a kind of quick pitch containing information, humor and the student?s personal enthusiasm for the scene itself. COMMERCE: The student will construct a third paragraph of his or her generic letter to an agent of no more than three sentences that has as its theme, ?Here?s how you can help me?? For this paragraph the student should be prepared to do a little research. Depending upon what show he or she might want to work for, the student should mention the exact person to whom the script should be sent. ?First Half, First Draft? ASSIGNMENT: ART: After creating two progressive versions of the pilot outline and in so doing effectively trouble shooting in advance a string to narrative problems prior to one word of dialogue, the student is now ready to begin writing the first draft of his or her pilot. This is the stage of the process that the ?South Park? guys, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, call ?the dog shit draft? meaning they intentionally don?t over think it. They just race to complete some version of the first draft that will obviously be rewritten. COMMERCE: Pick an agent. The student will ask him or herself four questions: What?s your favorite show? What?s your favorite episode? Who wrote your favorite episode? Who represents the writer who wrote your favorite episode? In order to answer that last question, join imdb.com/pro. ?Second Half, First Draft? ASSIGNMENT: ART: The student will finish the second half of his or her pilot script without too much over thinking. He or she will adhere as strictly as possible to the outline, created in CLASS SIX, knowing full well that after completion of the first draft, with a more objective perspective of the whole, there will be several opportunities for addressing problem areas. COMMERCE: Using the student?s generic letter to an agent as a template, written over the course of three separate class sessions?four, five and six?said student will fashion a specific letter to a specific agent, ideally the person found by completing the assignment in CLASS SEVEN. ?Critique Week? ASSIGNMENT: ART: The student will come to class with a hard copy of the first draft and will hand it over to the person sitting to the student?s left in order to receive their ?critique.? This person?s notes will be coming from someone who is most aware of the process, owing to the fact that they?re also at the same exact stage as the student. The student will also email a copy of the same pilot script to his or her most honest friend. Both persons? notes should aid the student in the rewriting of the second draft of his or her pilot script. COMMERCE: The student considers mailing the specific letter to his or her specific agent, in an effort to begin to establish a relationship with said agent, so that in the future the student will be invited to send along his or her pilot at the agent?s request. ?Phone Conference? ASSIGNMENT: ART: The student and the instructor will schedule a phone conference, where both will go over the student?s second draft, the results of which are based upon the completion of CLASS NINE?s assignment. Regarding the phone conference itself, just prior to the pre-arranged time, the student will email the instructor the second draft and the instructor will read all stage directions and the student will read all dialogue; and the instructor will give notes immediately enabling the student to begin his or her final draft. COMMERCE: None.

School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

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.

Online Course Evaluations

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.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

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.

Academic Policies

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 with Disabilities

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