Alternative Screenwriting

Alternative Screenwriting for Short Films and
Documentaries

In the first part of the course we will analyze
different short films ("An Andalusian Dog",
"Blackrider", "At Land", "The Street and the
Ball") and their original screenplays discovering
how the scripts help the filmmaker focus the
story, and how it acts as a blueprint for the
creative team. The students will then delve into
how to develop an idea into a story (linear or
non-linear, documentary, visual, etc. ) that will
be the basis for their script. Writing a script
for a short film, documentary or experimental
fictional short form needs specific attention to
exposition and timing. Therefore the students
will learn how to structure their film idea by
defining their unique point of view while
considering what the audience will experience on
the screen. How does one write a script for a
documentary? Aren't they real stories about real
people? In the course we will also look at how
researching and defining scenes pre-shooting can
help construct a film out of real experiences.
This course will provide some methodologies and
techniques that combine experimentation with
practical application, assisting the students in
defining and developing their own perspectives
while thinking about how they transmit their film
ideas to an audience.