Screenwriting (11116.1)

Please note these are the 2022 details for this unit
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Screenwriting
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Online self-paced
On-campus
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Arts And Design
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
School Of Arts And Communications Level 2 - Undergraduate Intermediate Unit Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
This unit introduces students to writing for the ear and eye as a screenplay rather than writing to be read as prose. It concentrates on the principles and practicalities of dramatic writing for the screen with specific application to writing short film. The approach to this is three-pronged: analysis of the theories and principles of narrative drama and how they are applied in screenwriting; screenwriting techniques and practice; and criticism of students' own work and analysis exercises in tutorial workshops.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Analyse and deconstruct screen dramas in terms of structure, character and narrative principles;
2. Apply these principles when creating original dramatic texts for the screen;
3. Use industry production conventions and formats in creating dramatic texts for the screen; and
4. Evaluate and edit their own and others' work.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Skills development

  1. UC graduates are professional:

- communicate effectively 
- display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload 
- use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems 
- work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict 
 

  1.  UC graduates are global citizens:

    - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives 

 

  1.  UC graduates are lifelong learners:

    - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas 
    - be self-aware 
    - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development 
    - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development 


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

8150 Introduction to Screenwriting AND 6879 Scriptwriting 1.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 Online self-paced Mr Paul Bissett
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 On-campus Mr Paul Bissett
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 Online self-paced Mr Paul Bissett
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 On-campus Mr Paul Bissett
Not available

Required texts

All texts available on Canvas. 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Artificial intelligence

Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit.

GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:

  1. the Unit Convener has authorised GenAI use for that assessment
  2. the student uses GenAI in the way that the assessment instructions allow
  3. the student fully acknowledges their use of GenAI, with proper citations, references and a GenAI Acknowledgement Statement in line with the assessment instructions.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not permitted for that assessment. Students must still provide the required GenAI Acknowledgement Statement to indicate whether GenAI has or has not been used in the preparation of the assessment. If unsure, students should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

The GenAI for StudentsLinks to an external site. Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

It is anticipated that, in order to be able to pass this unit, students will need to engage with 80% of the online materials, including readings, viewings and particularly the lectures. Students attending/engaging less than this amount are likely to have difficulty passing this unit.

Required IT skills

In-unit costs

Since the required films and texts are available from the canvas site and/or the UC Library, there need not be any further cost to the student. However, you may prefer to rent the required or recommended films from commercial outlets and to purchase some of the recommended reading texts.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None