- Docente: Fabio Bonifacci
- Credits: 6
- SSD: L-ART/06
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Cinema, Television and Multimedia Production (cod. 0966)
Learning outcomes
he course, with its practical approach, has the aim to provide theoretical tools and useful basics to the construction of a screenplay. At the end of the course students will have methodological tools to face the writing process and evaluate the quality of their own work.
Course contents
The course is characterized by a strong pragmatic approach about the "know how" of the screenplay-writing. At the end, the students will acquire methodological instruments and theories in order to face the writing process, to try their own experiments and evaluate their work.
The corse is divided in two parts
1. Theories and methodologies for writing a screenplay:
in this preparatory part students will acquire not "pure" theories but operative and concrete instruments that are employed in the writing process. Particular attention will be drawn on the following points:
- the fundamentals of a story and the difference between a story and a non-story
- the network "desire-obstacle-conflict"
- the incident and its conformation
- the complexity of the character and his relationship with the conflict
2. Practice:
it consists of collective simulations of "creating a story" and other practical exercises, where students will have the possibility to test their own ability and competence in the application of the theoretical tools learned in the part 1.
The course will also provide evidences on what does it mean being a screenwriter today in Italy and on his work.
Readings/Bibliography
For students who attend the course:
McKee Robert, Story, Contenuti, struttura, stile, principi della sceneggiatura per il cinema e la fiction tv, International Forum Edizioni, Roma 2000 (or newer editions).
- Volger Chris, Il viaggio dell'eroe. La struttura del mito ad uso di scrittori di narrativa e di cinema, Dino Audino Editore, Roma, 1992.
- Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 from blog www.bonifacci.it
For students who don't attend the course:
-McKee Robert, Story, Contenuti, struttura, stile, principi della sceneggiatura per il cinema e la fiction tv, International Forum Edizioni, Roma, 2000 (or newer editions).
- Seger Linda, Come scrivere una grande sceneggiatura, Dino Audino, Roma, 1997.
- Volger Chris, Il viaggio dell'eroe. La struttura del mito ad uso di scrittori di narrativa e di cinema, Dino Audino Editore, Roma, 1992.
- Howard David, Lezioni di sceneggiatura, Volume I e Volume II, Dino Audino, Roma, 2013.
-Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 from the blog www.bonifacci.it
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons.
Assessment methods
The Assessment is via oral examination.
During the exam, the candidate have to demonstrate his proficiency in the "theoretical" elements he has learned either by attending the course, either by reading the texts in the bibliography.
It may also be asked to apply the theoretical tools in a practical exercise (related to well-known movies or tv series) to be held orally.
The goal of the exam is to verify that the candidate possesses the following skills:
- the capacity to expose, with adequate language and conceptual skills, the content of the books in the bibliography.
- the capacity to re-elaborate theories and methodologies in a practical application.
ONLY for the students who will attend the course:
Students who so wish will have the possibility to write a screenplay (specifics will be given during the course) based on the theoretical rules learned in class an through selected readings from the bibliography, which will be evaluate by the professor. The exam will consist on an oral discussion on there written work.
Office hours
See the website of Fabio Bonifacci