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SYLLABUS and General Guide
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I. COURSE TITLE: JMC 336, Scriptwriting, 3 Credit Hours
Instructor, Bob Lochte, 116b Wilson Hall
Phone: 270 762 3172 FAX 270 436 2301
E Mail bob.lochte@murraystate.edu
Home Page - Click Here
Office Hours - Click here
II. CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Theory and practice of writing copy for radio and teleplays and dramatic scripts; documentaries; as well as the practices of script outlining and development. Prerequisites: ENG 101 with a grade of "C" or better; the ability to type; JMC 168.
III. PURPOSE OF THE COURSE: To introduce students to the conventions and professional standards of modern script writing. To develop the student's appreciation of the goals and practices of writing for American radio and television, including a primer on script marketing.
IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES: The student will learn to write basic scripts in a variety of formats for electronic and film media.
V. CLASS SCHEDULE and CONTENT OUTLINE: The Schedule of Topics and Instructional Activities, including DUE DATES for the writing assignments, appears on this linked page.
VI. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES: Writing lab, revisions, and background reading. You should expect to spend at least 8 hours per week completing the writing requirements for this course plus 30 hours over the semester working on the readings, exam, and revisions. See also How to Complete Assignments.
VII. FIELD AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCES: None.
VIII. REFERENCES and RESOURCES: Resources will include the textbook and materials e-mailed to students from the instructor. See also: Other Recommended Resources
IV. GRADING PROCEDURES: In order to do well in this class, you must
write something every week, revise your work, and help other students revise
theirs. That's the only way to learn how to write well. You will
also have to begin thinking about who might buy your scripts and how to market
them effectively. There are 10 short writing assignments, five revisions,
one exam, and a final project in three phases. Grades are assigned as follows
for each item.
| 10 writing assignments @ 50 points each | 500 points |
| 5 revisions @ 10 points each | 50 points |
| Exam | 100 points |
| Final Project | 350 points |
| Total | 1000 points |
A= 900-1000; B= 800-899; C=700-799; D=600-699; E=below 600
It is expected that all work will meet deadlines established in the schedule and will be completed in a way consistent with university level work. Work that is unreadable, either because of failures of grammar and syntax, or because of physical presentation, will not be accepted. Student work may be assigned the grade of "E" (zero points) when the student does not follow instructions for the writing assignment. This is because not following instructions means that the "client/employer" cannot use the script and because not following instructions is indicative of poor professional attitude.
There is no provision for "extra credit" in this course. The grade of "I" (Incomplete) will only be assigned in cases of proven extenuating circumstances keeping the student from completing assignments and some relatively small part of the term's work remains undone (see MSU Undergraduate Bulletin).
X. ATTENDANCE POLICY: As this is a web course, attendance is not required. Deadlines, however, must be met.
XI. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic Dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will not be tolerated. This includes the unauthorized copying of examinations or assignments, or the presentation of unacknowledged material as if it were the student's own work. Faculty reserve the right to invalidate (grade of 0) any examination or other evaluative measures if substantial evidence exists that the integrity of the measurement has been compromised (see "Academic Dishonesty" in MSU Undergraduate Bulletin).
XII. TEXT: Writing for Visual Media by Anthony Friedmann (Focal Press/Butterworth-Heinemann: Woburn, MA, 2001, ISBN 0-240-80387-6)
XIII. PREREQUISITES: JMC 168; ability to type ("keyboarding"); basic
competency in computer word processing, e-mail, and World Wide Web access.