Creative Writing
 Theatre: Plays and Playwright
This class focused primarily on the script and playwriting aspect of live theater. We first
read and discussed historical plays, like Hamlet and Oedipus Rex, and their significance
on today’s playwrights. We then learned of the structure of plays and how to criticize
them analytically. At the end, we had to write our own short play (influenced by one of
the plays that we studied earlier) and we had to breakdown and analyze every aspect of a
longer play that was assigned to us.
 Scriptwriting
In this Scriptwriting class, we studied the basics of film scripts and how the film industry
works. We studied the structure and basic steps needed to write an effective script.
Beyond that we analyzed different scripts looked at why they’re so effective. We watched
The Fighter, Barton Fink, and The Player as examples of goods scripts. Throughout the
year we had to make several scripts and workshop them periodically based on what we
learned in class. At the end of the year, we had to create our own five-minute movie
script.
Media Studies
 Understanding Media
Understanding Media was a pretty free-range class where we studied a wide array of
topics, primarily focusing on corporate advertising and its ethics. We discussed historical
and current advertising and its effect on popular culture. We watched several
documentaries on this topic. We used what we learned in class on two final projects: one
in which we had to brand a innovative idea or new object using the advertising
techniques we learn and another where we exposed a corporation on their unethical
behavior.
 Images and Sounds
Images and Sounds was a very free form class where learned the basics of visual art and
storytelling through different mediums. We learned to creatively express ourselves
through different forms of writing and we had to tell stories using only pictures and
another time using sounds that we personally had to produce. Beyond that, we studied the
basics of cinematography in films. Much of the class was also devoted to the discussion
of current events.
 Video Workshop
Video Workshop consisted of focusing on the very basics of filmmaking. We learned
how to film using Panasonic camcorders and make basic edits on Final Cut. Throughout
the year we had to work on a documentary with in a group forcing us to learn how to
work as a team.

Film and Social Issues
In Film and Social Issues, we learned about how social issues are reflected in film, taking
a past to present approach to do so. We watched movies from the 30s till now and
critically analyzed the different aspects of each movie (like the dialogue, characterization,
mise-en-scene, cinematography, etc.) and look how they represented the filmmaker’s
opinion of the time’s most relevant social issue. Throughout the year we had to do a
scene analysis of every film we viewed in class.
 Media Production
Media Production was the proceeding class to Video Workshop. We furthered our basic
editing skills and learned the intricacies of using more high-tech equipment and how to
increase our production value. I made a documentary on Dawson’s Club Spaces.
 Multimedia Production
In Multimedia Production, we learned the basics of photo and sound editing and studied
how to properly analyze visual art.
 Film Theory and Criticism
In Film Theory and Criticism, we watched films with a critical eye and learned to analyze
the history and technicalities of filmmaking.
Journalism
 Alternative Media
In Alternative Media, we studied the history of journalism and the different mediums it’s
been transcribed to (including the newspaper, radio, television and the internet). We
learned about the different forms of journalism that were employed throughout its history
(like Authoritarian and Libertarian forms of journalism and the Social Responsibility that
came along with the birth of the internet). We watched numerous memorable
documentaries on different subjects (including Anybody’s Son Will Do, and episodes of
the Fifth Estate). At the end of every class we had to write a journal on what was
discussed during class and argue why we agree/disagree with what was said.
 Feature Writing
This class taught us the ins and outs of written features. We started by differentiating
between feature articles, news articles, and opinion pieces. From there, we broke down
how a feature story works (from the lead and nut graph to the development and closing)
and the different styles needed for the different types of stories. We also learned about
interviewing techniques, quoting properly, and how to edit. Our final project consisted of
writing a long feature along with completing all the prior steps (like research, interviews,
quotes, outline, and drafts).
 E-Journalism
In E-Journalism, we explored the different mediums that a journalist can express
him/herself in. We wrote online blogs consisting of news articles, opinion pieces and
features, along with conducting audio interviews and analyzing photo-essays.
My studies at Dawson can be summarized in the following three catagories:
Creative Writing
The Cinema, Video and Communication department being an arts program required me
to develop a strong ability to write creatively, especially when it came to writing scripts.
In two of my classes (Scriptwriting and Theatre: Play and Playwrights) we devoted every
class to critically breaking down and analyzing the content and structure of various
scripts and looking at what made them so effective. Some of the works we looked at
included famous movie scripts like The Fighter, Barton Fink and The Player and also
included famous plays like Oedipus Rex and Hamlet. I developed the ability to watch
both recorded film and live theatre and systematically breakdown its scripts, helping me
understand the screenwriter/playwright’s craft and intentions. Once I acquired this skill, I
leaned to hone in on and further develop my own creative writing abilities, which helped
me produce some pretty successful scripts of my own. Beyond that, we had literary
assignments in my Images and Sounds class in which we had to present a single story in
various ways and all in differing chronological orders, forms and styles, teaching me to
draw inspiration for my literature in different ways.
Available Works:
 2 minute script
 5 minute script
 Final script
 Theatre project
Media Studies
The Media Studies aspect of the program encompassed a lot of theoretical practice as
well a lot of longer and larger hands-on projects. In terms of theoretical work, we had to
understand and critically analyze practically all forms of visual and auditory mediums,
including films, soundscapes, photo-art and advertising. In Film and Social Issues and
Film Theory and Criticism, we learned both the technical and analytical aspects of
professional filmmaking. We studied the different ways films can be interpreted, be it
through the plot, dialogue, characters, setting or mise-en-scene and the different modes
and styles these films are presented in. Beyond that, we looked at the social implications
and greater meaning of films with respect to the current events taking place during their
era. I now understand how to breakdown and look at a film critically. In terms of photoart and sound, we focused on how to express oneself through these mediums by studying
both classical and contemporary examples of famous paintings, photographs and
soundscapes. We then produced our own soundscapes and photo-essays from what we
learned. We also learned about the cause, effects and social significance of corporate
advertising and studied the ethics behind it by viewing several expository documentaries
on the subject and creating our own ads, as well as exposing unethical corporations.
Finally, I put all my theoretical knowledge to use when producing documentaries for
filmmaking classes and produced documentaries on the Occupy movement and Dawson’s
Club Spaces.
Works:
 BlackWater
 Dawson’s Club Space
 Occupy Montreal
 Godzilla Essay
Journalism
The preliminary journalism classes offered at Dawson were very broad and covered a
wide array of subjects on the topic, but it became more and more focused as I continued
on in the profile. In my first journalism class, we studied the history of journalism and the
different ideologies that encompassed it and how it evolved over time from an
authoritarian form of propaganda to a libertarian way of disseminating truthful
information and the great social responsibility that comes with it, especially today in the
Internet Age. We also discussed current events and analyzed the unfortunate state of
corporate-owned mainstream media by critiquing an important story of our choosing that
was published in a well-known paper. Later on, in my feature writing class, we learned
all the ins and outs on writing a successful feature. Firstly, we differentiated between
features, news articles and opinion pieces and then went on to further understand the
different types of features and their appropriate structures, styles and tones. We wrote
various features throughout the semester, the last of which was our final project and had
to be thoroughly investigated, researched, quoted and properly edited. Finally, in my final
journalism class, E-Journalism, we explored the various platforms of proper journalism.
We learned how stories can be narrated in print, online, through pictures, film and sound.
We wrote online blogs consisting of news articles, opinion pieces and features, along
with conducting audio interviews and analyzing photo-essays. These studies have made
me well rounded in the art of journalism.
Works:
 Final Feature
 Online Blog (E-Journalism)
 7 days of news
 other features