Scripts & Notes for 9/25 Class
Hey class!
I have some notes for y’all in preparation for our class tomorrow. I'll go over some of this briefly in class, but this is a heads up for things down the pipeline.
Workshop Group #1 Scripts
Attached to this email are the 3 scripts from Aly, Zach, and Emma that we will be workshopping in class tomorrow. These are a reference for y’all. If you’d like to view them on your laptops/tablets in class, you may. (More about the Laptop Policy change below.) Also, if you know you’re quiet in class, I encourage you to view them before class and take a few notes on them so you might provide written feedback to your peers so you can still earn participation credit. (More about Participation grades below.)
Laptop Policy Change
The current policy about laptops is that I’d rather not have laptops in class because I don’t want them to be a source of distraction, especially since we have the TV monitor in class. However, based on the last two classes and the layout of the classroom, I’ve decided to change this. If you’d like to bring your laptops/tablets in order to view the scripts better during our table readings, please feel free to bring them. But should laptops become a distraction and I suspect Facebook usage or Amazon shopping, you’ll be asked to put them away. My goal is to make these table reads as smooth as possible, so bring them if you so desire.
Participation Grades
Now that we’re moving into workshops where participation on all our parts is crucial, I will now be keeping track of how everyone chooses to contribute to the class. The first two weeks I gave everyone their 1 point per week for showing up and listening since I had a lot to lecture about, but I gave some extra credit to those who contributed extra those first two classes.
I recognize that participation is not strictly oral and that there is a variety of ways to participate. Some—but not all—ways you can earn participation points include:
•showing up to class on time
•vocalizing thoughtful commentary during the feedback portion of workshop
•volunteering to be an enthusiastic cast member during table reads
•providing workshoppers written feedback on their work
•sharing a brief writing process self-reflection with the class
•visiting office hours
•sharing with the class an industry article or helpful lesson from additional reading
•attending special relevant guest lecture events at BU or around Boston
•and other actions/activities that contribute to the class's knowledge and experience
Because of the nature of workshops, individual and group participation is critical. Five individual participatory actions per week can earn you 1 participation point for that week; there are 13 classes and thus potential to earn up to 13 participation points. And it's through participation you have the potential to earn up to 3 extra credit points toward your final participation grade. But you must have at least 5 participatory actions for a single week to get that week’s point; any surplus participation actions will be pooled together toward extra credit.
This is straight from the syllabus. If you’re not a big talker in class, that’s fine. But it’s your responsibility to find other ways to contribute to this class experience if you want to earn participation points. If you don’t want to speak up during class for feedback on your peers’ work, an option is to jot down some notes on a piece of paper while we're table reading then hand it to me so I can bring up your ideas with the class. I don’t mind acting as the middle man—you give me the article you want to share with the class or you give me the written feedback on your peers to share with them or what have you. Everyone has a unique perspective and makes a unique contribution to this class and this planet, and I don’t want any of us to miss out on that.
A participation rubric is attached and is also on the website to give you an idea of how I'm tracking this.
Script Coverage Assignment
This a reminder that your first Coverage Assignment is due Monday, October 9th at Noon via email to me. Your options are posted on the class website. They are early drafts of Serendipity (an indie romcom), $3,000 (Pretty Woman) (a drama), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (a sci-fi drama), and Spanglish (a romcom).
These movies have been produced and feature major directors, writers, and/or actors. But these are early drafts that have significant alterations (in tone, genre, structure, content, etc.) from their final produced films. Don’t expect to just be able to watch the movie and do this assignment; it won’t work. BUT if you do decide to watch the movie you do coverage on, you have the opportunity to earn extra credit if you discuss some of the script-to-film differences and why they may have been made. (This would be in addition to the one page of coverage analysis.)
If none of these films appeal to your sensibilities, you may request to do a different script. But you must provide me a PDF copy of your chosen script no later than 1 week before the due date. And it will be at my discretion whether it is approved.
Please provide one page of comments, single-spaced, 12 pt. font. Comments should identify the protagonist, their main desire, and the major actions they take over the course of the script to achieve this desire. Please include your reactions to the script and discuss topics covered in lecture (i.e., character, story and structure, dialogue, and writing style).
This is not a personal response to the script, but an attempt to judge the success or failure of the script as objectively as possible based on the storytelling tools and tactics discussed in class. The scripts and rubric are located on the class website at rsemik.wixsite.com/ft310workshop/assignments.
Office Hours
I’m still available for office hours for those handful of people who still need to schedule their first one-on-one with me by the end of the week. I’m really flexible. Listed on the website at rsemik.wixsite.com/ft310workshop/calendar below the calendar is a list of times I’m unavailable so if there’s a time that works for you outside of those blocks, there’s a good chance I can meet with you then.
Cowgill Readings
Hopefully, you all will have read up through the end of Chapter 8 by class time tomorrow. The book is a great asset for this class. The readings are listed in your lecture syllabus for Professor Thompson, but I’ve also added them to our workshop syllabus and the class web calendar for your convenience.
If you've made it to the end of this long email, thanks! Hope everyone's weekend was great. See y'all in class! And as always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Rebecca