This is the module that can make you rich! Television is allegedly the second highest paid industry in the country (working in oil is more lucrative - but very uncomfortable). A reliable route to creative success and untold wealth in television now is the drama series. Mainstay of both terrestrial and digital channels, the returning series is TV's holy grail - pulling audiences back for episode after episode, season after season, box set after box set. It can be a goldmine.
Taught by two highly experienced TV professionals, this module will consider how a returning drama series is conceived and constructed. You are introduced to concepts of dramatic structure and story-lining, using case studies of successful US and British models, together with practical exercises on serialisation and script writing. Working from concept to storyline to script, you will develop your own original drama series (or comedy), and undertake research into the current broadcasting landscape - its channels, schedules and market imperatives. The final assessment is an industry-standard pitch accompanied by a short script sample, aimed at UK television. You will demonstrate your research and a knowledge of social and commercial context in a supplementary market evaluation.
This module isn't just for would-be writers: it's for anyone keen to understand contemporary broadcasting, refine their communication skills, and learn how to present their work and themselves in a professional context. At the end of this stimulating and entertaining course, you will have created your own drama series and (potentially) your own industry calling card.
The module will be taught in a weekly 3 hour lecture/workshop combining theory and analysis with practical exercises demonstrating a variety of approaches. Students will work on individual and group writing exercises, for example producing plot outlines, making pitches and writing scripts.
Students will also undertake individual research and development projects leading to the portfolios they submit for final assessment. In the concluding weeks of the module, students are offered individual tutorials to support them in the development of this portfolio.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Lecture/seminars | 33 hours |
| Guided independent study | 267 hours | |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
The assessment for this module is a pitch for an original drama series or sitcom (3500 words) to include:
Market evaluation (300 words) to show where your project fits in the current TV schedules; whether it is multi-platform and/interactive; channel and target audience; why this project is viable.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| An understanding of the economic and institutional restraints to the writing of television drama | Assessed summatively through the pitch and formatively through in class discussion. |
| An understanding of specific tele-visual conventions in the construction and delivery of television drama | Assessed summatively through the pitch and formatively through in class discussion |
| Practical experience in the creation and delivery of a short piece of dramatic writing for television | Assessed summatively through the pitch and formatively through in class discussion |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Pitch for an original drama series or sitcom | 100 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
McKee R (199) Story, Methuen Film
Field, S (2005) Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting: A Step by Step Guide From Concept to Finished Script, Delta.
Bibliography will be provided on each individual module descriptor.