SCWR 377 Stand-Up Comedy
Summary
In this course, students will study and analyze stand-up comedy as a route to success in Film and Television. Students will learn about the history of stand up comedy and the comedians who parlayed success on the stage into success in television and films. Students will study the process of how comedians first created their material and honed/perfected it on stages around the world. Finally, students will mine their own lives for funny stories, creating original stand-up comedy routines (5 minutes), work-shopping them in class and eventually performing these routines at the world famous Zanies comedy Club
Grading
Class attendance and Assignments 41%
Midterm 29%
Final Project 30%
Mid-Terms and Final exams MUST be acheived to pass the class.
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.
Course Objective
In the service of the learning about the history of stand-up comedy, the process of writing and performing their own, students will become better and more confident when speaking in front of others. With this objective, students will learn but not be limited to the art of story telling. Students will learn how to make fun of themselves in a way that makes them relatable to their peers. Students will learn the usage of analogies to help illustrate their point of view. Students will learn various writing techniques to generate material for their final exam. Students will work in group settings which will allow them to offer and accept critiques and suggestions in the creation of their comedic sets
Attendance
Each week’s class consists of lectures, screenings; and readings. Attendance is critical. For the purposes of this class an absence is defined as not showing up for class or showing up 15 minutes (or more) late for a class without the approval of the professor. Unexcused absences will result in a reduction of the attendance/participation grade. More than 2 unexcused absences will result in a failure.If you have 3 unexcused absences, I will NOT let you perform the final exam.
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