Regent University Mission Statement:
Regent University serves as a center of Christian thought and action to provide excellent
education through a Biblical perspective and global context equipping Christian leaders to
change the world.
School of Communication & the Arts Mission Statement:
To prepare emerging and established Christian leaders to inspire, enrich and transform the
media, the arts, and the academy through excellence and innovation in scholarship and practice.
COURSE SYLLABUS
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION & THE ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF CINEMA-TELEVISION
SSW 512
WRITING THE SHORT FILM
SSW 614
TOPICS IN SSW: THE HOLLYWOOD EXPERIENCE
SUMMER 2014
COURSE TYPE: CAMPUS
M EETING LOCATION: HOLLYWOOD
M EETING TIME: DAILY
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: SEAN GAFFNEY
All students are required to read and have a thorough understanding of the
syllabus. Any questions or concerns need to be addressed to the instructor.
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SECTION 1 – COURSE OVERVIEW
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Instructor: Sean Gaffney
Telephone757-352-4134
E-mail: sgaffney@regent.edu
In the subject line of your email, please include the course number (e.g. SSW 512) and have your
full name in your email signature. Note: All students are required to keep their mailing address, email address, and telephone numbers up to date in GENISYS to facilitate communication
between instructors and students.
Office Hours: By appointment
Office Location: Com 256
Best time to contact me: Any time by e-mail.
Greetings.
God has blessed a good number of His children with talent and abilities, and allowed them to use those
gifts in the story telling world of Hollywood. The Regent Hollywood Experience is a chance for us to rub
shoulders with some of those artists, and to dig into the craft, the business and the spiritual side of film
and television. Our brothers and sisters in the industry are paving the way for you – the next generation.
Here is our chance to glean from their mistakes and successes, and prep ourselves for the next step in
our journey.
-Sean Gaffney
SHORT BIO
Sean Gaffney is a playwright, screenwriter, director, teacher and producer. He was the Story
Administrator for Warner Bros. Features, editor of Drama Ministry Magazine, the Managing Director of
Taproot Theatre (Seattle) and General Manager of Lamb’s Theatre Company (New York). He has
authored twenty-nine produced plays, four commissioned television pilots, two published books, as well
as seventy plus produced videos, animation projects and short films (including for Big Idea, SuperBook,
Yake Films and Globalstage). He served for over a decade as writer, actor and director for his church’s
drama ministry, the Bel Air Drama Department. He has been the Master Teacher for Act One: Writing for
Hollywood, director of the theatre program for the Masterworks Festival, adjunct faculty at Biola University,
and speaker/teacher at writing and drama conferences throughout the United States. He received his
BFA from Drake University, his MFA from Columbia University, and studied with Act One: Writing for
Hollywood.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Our study program will provide Regent graduate and undergraduate students and SCA alumni with a twoweek total immersion experience in the professional world of Hollywood screenwriting. During this course,
students will work in a studio writer's atmosphere under the guidance of industry experts, developing a
short film script. Students will study the various aspects of screenwriting under the tutelage of the faculty
and guest speakers.
Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus
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Theme Scripture:
Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to
proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim
freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…”
INTEGRATION OF FAITH
I Peter 2:11-12 encourages us with these words: “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to
abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans
that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day
he visits us.” Isaiah says this: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed
me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom
for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” Hollywood is a tough place to live and
work, but also a place in need of a message of Good News. This immersion course will address the
challenges of being an exile in a strange land, as well as equip the student with both the artistic and
spiritual means to bring light and hope into the industry and the craft.
SECTION 2 – COURSE EXPECTATIONS
COURSE OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Analyze the basic elements of screenwriting, and assess those elements in screenplays and films.
2. Apply short film writing techniques and principles to script writing, and create a viable, commercial
short film
3. Articulate and be able to implement how personal faith impacts creativity and deepens the writing
process.
4. Understand the entertainment industry, including breaking in, the business side of development,
and an overview of the market.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Students are responsible for acquiring the following books and materials for this course before the first
class meeting:
•
•
•
Writing Short Films: Structure and Content for Screenwriters Paperback by Linda J.
Cowgill
Getting through the First Draft of Your Life by Kris Young (provided by instructor)
Final Draft or other scriptwriting software (all script assignments must be in proper format
AND in PDF)
Note: The School has partnered with the Regent Bookstore to have textbooks available for
purchase for all students, including distance students. Items may be ordered using the secured
online catalog found at www.regentbookstore.net.
•
Daily access to the Internet and email
•
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) version 2007 or later.
•
The latest version of a web browser compatible with Blackboard and media players. For
assistance, visit the links provided in the Helpful Resources section of the course in Blackboard
or contact IT Helpdesk via their website, phone at 757-352-4076, or email helpdesk@regent.edu.
•
Additional materials (e.g., PowerPoint files, quizzes, media, and the like) may be provided via
Blackboard. Students are responsible for the information and materials distributed in class and
on Blackboard (see “Use of Blackboard” below for more information).
Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus
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•
Understand and adhere to the Regent Honor Code found in the Student Handbook. A persistent
link can also be found in Blackboard’s “RU Resources” tab.
Recommended Course Materials:
• Final Draft or other scriptwriting program
•
Other resources such as writing style guides, Blackboard tutorials, University policies, IT
Helpdesk, and information may be accessed via the “RU” and “Helpful Resources” tabs in
Blackboard as well as in the Helpful Resources section of this course.
USE OF BLACKBOARD
Blackboard will be used to aid communication and delivery of extemporaneous and other content as the
semester progresses. We may also utilize the Discussion Board to extend our in-class discussions.
Participation in Blackboard does not supplant course requirements for attendance or class participation.
Therefore, while access to and use of Blackboard is required for this course, it should not be seen as a
surrogate for class attendance or other course requirements. Also, please keep the following in mind:
•
All discussion posts should be scholarly in nature and respectful of colleagues.
•
Students are expected to check the Announcements section of Blackboard each week beginning
one week before the start of the course.
•
Students must keep their e-mail address current in Genisys in order to receive communications
from Blackboard and the instructor. Students are expected to check their Regent e-mail daily to
ensure timely receipt of messages from the professor.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Attendance is required in order to complete this course. Students failing to attend a minimum number
of campus class meetings will automatically fail the course unless arrangement is made with the
professor to take an “Incomplete” grade in order to complete the course at a later date in accordance with
University policy (see student handbook for more information about withdrawing from a course or the
University or for incomplete grades). To prevent automatic failure of a course, the minimum class
attendance is as follows:
• For a 16 week course: Must attend at least 9 weeks of campus class meetings.
• For a 10 week course: Must attend at least 6 weeks of campus class meetings.
• For a 5 day Modular (Intensive) course: Must attend all 5 days of campus class meetings.
Note: International students should consult the Office of International Student Services for how
immigration status may be impacted if you fail to meet attendance requirements for this course. All
students should consult the Financial Aid office for information on how their funding may be impacted
as well. International students should consult the Office of International Student Services before
registering for a Distance or Modular course.
In addition, the following attendance requirement applies to this course:
To reinforce the above: all students must attend all sessions; missing a single session is grounds for
automatic failure.
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for Regent University to suspend normal operations.
During this time, Regent University may opt to continue delivery of traditional classroom instruction using
the Blackboard Course Management System. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor the course
Blackboard site in the event of campus closure.
Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus
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SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS
Unless otherwise instructed, all assignments for this course must be submitted via the “Assignment Link”
found in Blackboard. All files should be submitted using the following naming convention:
YourName_AssignmentName (e.g. John Smith_Essay 1)
•
Papers should be in MS Word format (.docx) compliant with the MLA writing style guide.
•
Scripts should be in PDF software format.
Please note that all scripts must be formatted properly. If using a software such as Final Draft, be sure to
choose from the television drama templates. Assignments of rewrites should be done in “revision mode” –
marking the revised lines.
Unless otherwise stated in Blackboard, no assignment will be accepted if submitted via any
method other than Blackboard. Assignments are due no later than 9:00 AM .It is recommended that
students give themselves a buffer of time before the deadline to allow for trouble-shooting should your
upload attempt fail. Students should look at the assignment submission page to verify that the submission
was successful.
Late Assignments
Students must complete all assignments on time; lateness will result in 50% penalty per day.
NOTE: Technical difficulties when submitting to Blackboard will not be accepted unless
documented by the IT Help Desk. The IT Help Desk is your first point of contact for problems with
Blackboard. Deadline extensions will be allowed only when a system issue occurring on Blackboard’s
side is documented by Regent University IT department.
METHOD OF EVALUATION
The final grade for the course will reflect mastery of course content and quality of thought as expressed
in:
Participation in class and Devotional:
Creative exercises
Short film exercises
Essays
st
nd
Final Short Film (outline, 1 and 2 draft)
Pop assignments:
20%
15%
15%
15%
30%
5%
Grading Rubric
Each assignment will be apportioned a letter grade congruent with the following:
The following grading scale will be used:
Grade
Percentage
Score
Quality
Points
A
96-100
4.00
A-
93-95
3.67
B+
90-92
3.33
Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus
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B
85-89
3.00
B-
81-84
2.67
C+
78-80
2.33
C
75-77
2.00
C-
71-75
1.67
D+
68-70
1.33
D
65-68
1.00
D-
60-65
0.07
F
0-59
0.00
SECTION 3 – SCHEDULE AND EVALUATION
COURSE SCHEDULE
The schedule below includes the due dates for all assignments in this course. It is recommended that
you place this Course Schedule in a convenient place and refer to it each week of the course. You need
to follow it closely, as late assignments may be subject to a grade reduction.
Every aspect of the schedule is subject to change! All assignments will be detailed in Blackboard.
Unless otherwise stated in Blackboard, assignments for each day must be submitted no later than
9:00 am (Pacific time) of each day.
Day 1: May 10
• Class introduction
•
Assignment: READ Writing Short Films (WSF) Chapters 1 & 2 (Due by class, May 12)
Day 1.5: Sunday, May 11
• No class obligation
Day 2: Monday, May 12
• 2pm The Film Idea, by Bill Marsilii
• 4pm Fade In, by Dean Batali
• 7pm Short Film Class #1: The Short Film, by Sean Gaffney
•
•
For Next Session:
Exercise #1: 10 Ideas (Due May 14, 9am)
Day 3: Tuesday, May 13
• 10am: Travel to Warner Bros.
• 11am: Meet with Teresa Wayne, SVP Feature Story
• Noon: WB Tour and lunch
• 7pm: Krogzilla and the Art of Short Film, by Cory Edwards
•
•
•
For Next Session:
READ: WSF Ch. 4 & 5 (Due by class, May 14)
ESSAY #1: Response (Due May 15, 9am)
Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus
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Day 4: Wednesday, May 14
• 2pm: Writing for the Studios, by Clare Sera
• 4pm: Short Film Class #2: Structure, by Sean Gaffney
• 7pm: Significance, by Rev. Kim Dorr-Tilley
•
•
•
For Next Session:
EXERCISE #2: The Five Sentence Story (Due May 16, 9am)
ESSAY #2: Significance (Due May 17, 9am)
Day 5: Thursday, May 15
• Afternoon: Field Trip: Mom’s Night Out
• 7pm: The Low Budget Feature, by Andrea Nasfell
•
•
•
Day 6:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Day 7:
•
•
•
•
•
•
For Next Session:
READ: WSF Ch 3 (Due by class, May 16)
VIEW: Before class on May 16, please have viewed RED ROCK WEST and PSYCHO
Friday, May 16
2pm: Writing Dialogue, by Monica Macer
4pm: Short Film Class #3: Character, by Sean Gaffney
7pm: Disclosure of Information, by Tom Provost
For Next Session:
EXERCISE #3: Want & Need (Due May 18, 9am)
SHORT #1: Reveal (Due May 19, 9am)
Saturday, May 17
10am: TV Panel, with VJ Boyd, Kara Lee Burk, Valentina Garza, Melissa Glenn, Jessica Grasl
1pm: The “Other” panel with Nicole Baer, Cory Edwards and Joel McCrary
3pm: Executive Panel with Charlie Jordan Brookins, DeVon Franklin and Seanne Winslow
7pm: TBD
For Next Session:
OUTLINE (Due May 20, 9am)
Day 8: Sunday, May 18
• 5pm Alumni Dinner
Day 9: Monday, May 19
• 2pm: The TV Movie, by Sheryl Anderson
• 4pm: Depart for Covell’s
• 5pm: The Hollywood Tribe, by Karen Covell
• 7pm: Hollywood Ministry Meet & Greet, with Hollywood Prayer Network, Premise, Act One,
Beacon and the Greenhouse
•
•
•
•
For Next Session:
READ: WSF Ch. 6 & 7 & 8
ESSAY #3: Response (Due May 21, 9am)
VIEW: Before class on May 20, have viewed DÉJÀ VU
Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus
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Day 10: Tuesday, May 20
• 2pm: The Mechanics of Theme, by Bill Marsilii
• 4pm: Short Film Class #4: Digging Deeper, by Sean Gaffney
• 7pm: TBD
•
•
•
For Next Session:
SHORT #2: Visual Reveal (Due May 22, 9am)
1ST DRAFT (Due May 23, 9am)
Day 11: Wednesday, May 21
• 10am: Depart for CBS Radford
• 11am: CBS Radford Tour and Lunch
• 7pm: Anatomy of an Episode, by Brian Davidson
•
•
For Next Session:
READ: WSF Ch. 9 (Due by class May 22)
Day 12: Thursday, May 22
• 2pm: The Rewrite, by Sheryl Anderson
• 4pm: Commercial Success, by Kevin Willson
• 7pm: Short Film Class #5: Dialogue, by Sean Gaffney
•
•
•
For Next Session:
READ: WSF Ch. 10 & 11 (Due by class May 23)
SHORT #3: Secrets (Due May 24, 9am)
Day 13: Friday, May 23
• 2pm: Short Film Class #6: Scene Work, by Sean Gaffney
• 4pm: From Idea to Screen, by Ken Wales
• 7pm: TBD
Day 14: Saturday, May 24
• 10am: Regent Alumni Panel, with Chris Panneck, Cheryl McKay-Price and Todd Sommer
• 1pm: The Writer’s Journey, with Sheryl Anderson, Janet Batchler and Lee Batchler
• 3pm: What Should We Then Write, by Dean Batali
• 7pm: Dinner and wrap up
•
2nd DRAFT (Due by June 2, 9am)
SECTION 4 – PROGRAM GOALS
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND THE ARTS MISSION STATEMENT
To prepare emerging and established Christian leaders to inspire, enrich and transform the media, the
arts, and the academy through excellence and innovation in scholarship and practice.
PROGRAM GOALS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CINEMA-TELEVISION.
MFA in Cinema-Television:
1. Christian Worldview Students will demonstrate the ability to integrate & apply the Christian
faith & biblical principles to the study & practices of mediated communication.
Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus
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2. Professional Artistry Students will articulate their personal artistic “voice” and mastery of the
production process as evidenced by excellence in their creative works.
3. Techniques (within majors):
o
Producing: Students will demonstrate mastery of cinema and television
producing, which includes the development of leadership and stewardship skills
within a spiritual, social, cultural, and global framework.
o
Directing: Students will demonstrate mastery of cinema and television directing, in
storytelling, pre-visualization, production design, casting & performance,
cinematography, audio, post-production, and the application of Christian leadership
skills to the directing process.
o
Script and Screenwriting: Incorporate applied film and television theories and
aesthetics into multiple categories of scripts, Produce quality projects from
conception to script in a breadth of contemporary media formats.
MA in Communication:
1. Christian World-View Students will demonstrate the ability to integrate & apply the Christian
faith & biblical principles to the study & practices of mediated communication.
2. Academics Students will demonstrate knowledge of relevant communication theories related to
the study of film & television.
3. Artistic Practice (within concentrations) Students will demonstrate proficiency and excellence in
the rigorous exploration and application within their chosen artistic concentration:
o
Producing: In the logistics of a film/TV production, including story and production
development, pre-production, scheduling & budgeting, legal issues & business
development, post-production, distribution, and the application of Christian leadership to
the producing process.
o
Directing: In storytelling, pre-visualization, production design, casting & performance,
cinematography, audio, post-production, and the application of Christian leadership skills
to the directing process.
o
Scriptwriting: Articulate the process and elements needed for the various aspects of
writing for media, which includes development, research, scriptwriting, character
development, scene analysis, and storyline development; incorporate applied film and
television theories and aesthetics into scripts.
SECTION 5 – UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Students should become familiar with all university policies as outlined in the Student Handbook
including:
Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus
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•
Disability services (Note: Requests for accommodation must first be submitted through Disability
Services).
•
Regent Honor Code (as an academic and Christian community, Regent University takes seriously
the call for integrity and penalizes breaches of academic integrity.)
•
Withdrawing from a course or the University
•
Discipline policies
A link to the Student Handbook can also be found in Blackboard’s “RU Resources” tab along with links to
University Library, Student Services, University Bookstore, academic writing assistance resources, and
more.
Blackboard’s “Help” tab provides additional resources including:
•
Blackboard tutorials
•
IT Help Desk contact information
STUDENT COURSE EVALUATION
Students have the opportunity to provide feedback throughout the course through e-mail, telephone, and
on-campus appointments. Near the end of the course, students will complete an anonymous online
course evaluation form. Since the results contribute to improving course design and presentation, it is
important that students be honest and constructive in their evaluations. Students will receive an e-mail
reminder from the University when it is time to complete these evaluations. Please take time to provide
this input. Students can access the online evaluation system at:
http://eval.regent.edu/regent/survey/students.cfm
If you have questions about the online evaluation please contact evaluation@regent.edu.
This syllabus is subject to change without notice.
Last updated: 4/26/2014
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Phone (888) 718-1222
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Regent University, SSW 514 Course Syllabus