I’ve been posting a series of checklists that can be used to get students focused on completing their Individual Project. You can check the one I use for the first term here and the Performance checklist here.
Similar to what I mentioned in my post the other day, this list below for scriptwriting follows on from the one from Term 1. So if there is anything from Term 1 that the student hasn’t completed, get them to complete those things first before moving on to the next list.
It’s taken me a long time to feel as though I have refined my scaffolding of scriptwriting tasks into something that is both helpful to the student as well as myself. Writing is such a unique process for every writer so sometimes I find it difficult to have a one size fits all approach. Often I have this list but may jumble up the order in which things are completed. In the end everything on the list will need to be done. As long as the student gets there in the end that’s all that matters. How that happens is all part of the process. Flexibility as a teacher with this project is also one of the per-requisites of getting through it!
Hopefully, you find this list helpful. I’m keen to know what other strategies are being used to help students who do a scriptwriting project or unit of work. Please share your thoughts in the comments.
CONSULTATION SCHEDULE – Stick this new schedule in for this term and ensure you are committing to your meeting time each week. After each consultation you should write a logbook entry. Date everything.
LOGBOOK CHECKLIST – Stick this in and tick off items when completed. Date and sign when each item is done.
LOOK AT EXAMPLES OF OLD PROJECTS & LOGBOOKS – There are a selection of projects and examples in the Resource Room. Write a logbook entry. Date it. Start collecting examples of work that you might like to model your script on.
RESEARCH – Find information on the following:
· The issues, themes, ideas that you want to explore in your play.
· The style of play (realism, absurdist, musical etc.)
· Plays that use that particular performance style or themes, issues, ideas and how are they shown on stage.
Write a logbook entry that considers how the research that you have done has stimulated your own ideas and how you might like to incorporate them into your script to develop your idea. How might some of this be incorporated in your characters?
SYNOPSIS – Write an explanation of the storyline and action in about ten lines . If you have several synopsis ideas do the same for those. Discuss these ideas with your teacher and redraft your synopsis if necessary.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS – Using the guide given to you by your teacher, complete all the questions as though you are in role. Condense this down into one short paragraph of key information. Condense this down further into a single sentence.
CREATE A FRAMEWORK – Using the guide given to you by your teacher, map out a rough scene/act guide for your play. Write a single sentence explaining the main objective of each scene for each of the characters. You might like to give each scene a title or simply number them.
THE WORLD OF THE PLAY – Decide on a stage spacethat you are going to use. Consider a particular theatre company and the space that would best suit the world of the play. Compile a vision board of set and costume ideas for your characters. Find pictures of lighting, images, symbols, music, colours, motifs that you might like to use throughout your play, particularly when transitioning between space and time. Consider the practicality of the space for the play’s purpose: how will scene and costume changes happen, entrances and exits etc. Write a paragraph that describes the world of the play as the audience would see itfor the first time at the beginning of the play. Do the same for any other key moments in the play.
DIRECTOR’S CONCEPT (DRAFT) – Using the scaffold provided, write a draft rationale/director’s concept of 300 words about your script.
LOGBOOK CHECK – This will be in Week 7, 9 and 10. We will have a group feedback session at the beginning of our Thursday lesson (Wk 7A) in this week to tell each other what we have been doing.
DRAMA PANEL #2 – Present your draft rationale/director’s concept to the panel. Provide a working title for your script. Discuss any challenges faced and how they were overcome. Ask any questions of the panel as you see fit at this point in your project.
WRITING DIALOGUE & BEGINNING TO DRAFT – At the direction of your teacher, begin writing dialogue for the opening scene. Show this to your teacher and analyse how well it:
· Moves the story forward
· Communicates information to the audience
· Reveals character and relationships
· Reveals the emotional states of the characters
· Comment on the action
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