First, please read the following: Chapters 1 & 2 (pp. 15-42) ofScreenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, by Syd Field.

Pages 23-35 ofScreenwriting Updated, by Linda Aronson. (Please find this reading as a PDF in the Table of Contents.)

By this point, you have likely read enough about the process of story-making as it pertains to film and movies (first, through the lens of Aristotle'sPoeticsas distilled by a screenwriter, and then from the perspective of an expert on American film) that you have begun to think about film stories YOU would like to tell. For this assignment, you will make TWO o n e -page summaries of potential films that you have an interest in writing.

Before you begin, a few ground rules:

All good films depend for their success on the human element, the degree to which they offer the audience a satisfying imitation of human experience. That is true for realistic dramas, for wacky comedies, for super-hero movies, for science fiction and fantasy epics, for fables about animals -- for every genre. That said, you may choose to work in whatever genre you please. But remember: your protagonist, and other characters, as well, must exhibit realistic human impulses, needs, fears, desires, hopes, strengths, flaws, and limitations. Choosing a genre that may feel removed from ordinary life -- fantasy, fable, or sci-fi -- does not excuse you from grounding your vision in the basic realities of the human condition.

For the sake of this course, you must choose subjects which are original to you; that is, you may not choose to write the latest Marvel sequel or prequel, or the sequel or prequel to any other movie. The task of writers -- whether novelists, playwrights, or screenwriters -- is to present their own personal vision. As you begin to learn the rudiments of this genre, scriptwriting, it is essential that you not lean on characters developed by other artists. That said, I hasten to add that it is nearly impossible to avoid the influence of those who for millennia have been plying the sea of human stories. If you wish to work within the archetype of a Greek myth or a Shakespearean play or a parable from a religious text, that is acceptable, even encouraged. (Much more about this in the Aronson reading.) Such a choice offers some help in determining the shape and direction of your narrative. But again, your task is to write your OWN story that explores a character of your OWN making.

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT:

Identify TWO ideas for screenplays. For each, make a one-page (2 5 0 - word) summary. Don't write more than (250) words. Consider the "action-idea summaries" you wrote earlier about films you have seen. But please go beyond that brief description for these ideas. You have more leeway here, which allows you to describe your protagonist in greater detail and to begin thinking in more depth about the story's trajectory. I suggest that you re-read Field's Chapter 2 on Subject before you attempt this assignment. (At the end of that chapter, he suggests an exercise very similar to this one.)

Please include both one-page summaries in a single Word document and upload it into the appropriate assignment page (drop box), under 'Assessments.' Thank you!