Goucher College 2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalogue 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
Goucher College 2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalogue PLEASE NOTE: This is an archived catalog. Programs are subject to change each academic year.

WRT 317 - Literature and Film: Screenplay Adaptation (4 Cr)

(formerly WRT 217) (GCR Arts area)
Writing for a visual medium poses a set of unique challenges, especially in the adaptation process. This course guides participants through the elements of film writing and the methods of transforming the literary narrative into a feature film script. Students analyze award-winning adaptations of novels and short stories in order to understand cinematic language and its unique method of communication, the demands of its particular form of narrative design, and the importance of advanced structural planning for the medium. Students then are shepherded through the complex screenwriting adaptation process, going through several related projects and approval stages to ensure that their semester project reaches full potential. Students examine storyline and structure from concept to synopsis to script, with particular attention to dialogue, adaptation techniques, characterization, plot development, pacing, subtext, and visual storytelling. The class also features a roundtable workshop format in a demanding environment where students participate as both artist and critic, providing analyses of each other’s work. The course allows each student the opportunity to complete a large-scale project in a fully realized workshop environment. Prerequisite: WRT 181  or FYS 100W  or CWP or sophomore standing. Fall semester. U’Ren.