TRF-655 - Syracuse University

TRF-655 

Screenwriting & Production Workshop 

“Storytelling reveals meaning without 

committing the error of defining it.” 

Political Theorist Hannah Arendt 

“The destiny of the world is 

determined less by the battles that are 

lost and won than by the stories it 

loves and believes in.” Literary 

Historian Harold Goddard 

Instructor: Professor Peter Moller 

Office: Newhouse 3, room 450 

Email: pkmoller@syr.edu 

Office Hours: By appointment 

Class meeting times: Section one, 8:15-‐ 

10:00 Monday-‐Thursday 

Section two, 10:15-‐12:00 Monday-‐ 

Thursday 

Teaching Assistants: Joe Blum 

(jeblum01.syr.edu), Jamie de Pould (jdepould@syr.edu), Yi Jasmine Wang 

(ywang121@syr.edu) 

This course is about telling stories with images and sound. Telling these stories 

involves writing, designing, planning, capturing, editing and presenting the finished 

work on a screen. The screen may be the one at the multiplex or it may be the one 

on your iPhone or every size and type of screen in between. 

By the end of this course you should have gained a basic technical competency in 

camera operation, video editing, lighting, sound-‐picture relationship and visual 

design. More importantly, you should have demonstrated your ability to translate 

words on a page into effective stories for the screen. You should have sharpened 

your critical skills and learned to work as a constructive member of a collaborative 

team. Throughout the course, I will encourage you to work as a professional: the 

work you do is meant for a specific audience and eventually (sooner than later) you 

expect to be paid for your knowledge and expertise in multimedia storytelling. 

There are three writing and production projects. You will work as a member of a 

three person production team. The details of each project are covered in assignment 

sheets you will receive in advance of the first due date. For these projects you, will 

be graded on (1) the quality of your writing, (2) the thoroughness of your 

production planning (3) your effectiveness as a team member, (4) the effectiveness 

of your completed/screened story.



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CLASS: 

Class time is for demonstration, discussion, 

proposal presentation, production 

meetings and the critical analysis of 

screenings. Some class periods will be used 

for story/script conferences. 

I expect you to attend all classes and arrive 

on time. You cannot be an effective 

member of your production team if you 

miss class or show up late. If you miss class 

or consistently come late, it will be 

reflected in the Participation component of 

your grade. 

READING: 

Some reading assignments may not be 

explicitly covered in class. It will be 

assumed you’ve done the reading. You are 

responsible for all reading assignments on 

quizzes and the final exam. 

• In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch. 

• Final Cut Pro Tutorial by Bruce Strong. [Available on BlackBoard] 

• Overview of the Production Process by Peter Moller. [Available on BlackBoard] 

• The Writer’s Journey…Screenwriters by Christopher Vogle. 

• Selected readings assigned in class. 

WRITTEN WORK REQUIREMENTS: 

• Must be handed in on the due date. Late work will be penalized 5% for each 

day past the due date and time. No exceptions. (If you have a dog that tends 

to eat your work, buy a muzzle. If you have a computer or printer that 

conveniently misbehaves just before an assignment is due, plan ahead and 

use any of the thousands of computers/printers in open labs on campus. If 

you are the kind of person who doesn’t bother to make note of due dates and 

all that boring stuff, this might not be the profession you want to pursue.) 

• Must have a cover page with your name and the name of the assignment. 

• Must be typed neatly, without copy edits, spelling errors or grammatical 

errors. 

• Each page of the assignment must be numbered in the top right hand corner. 

(The cover page does not count as page #1.)



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• The pages should be stapled 

together; do not use paper clips, 

pins, scotch tape, etc. Understand 

that for all sorts of reasons, I do not 

walk around with a stapler in my 

pocket. Nor are there staplers in 

classrooms. Plan ahead. Staple well 

in advance. 

• Use only a Times Roman or Courier 

font, 12 point. 

• I take off one point for each error in 

spelling and/or grammar. You 

should carefully edit, rewrite and 

proofread everything you hand in. I 

will not accept any work that 

appears to be a first draft. 

QUIZ AND EXAM: 

• July 21. Multiple-‐choice and fill-‐in-‐the-‐blank quiz on camera, editing, visual 

language, etc. 

• August 13. Final Exam. A comprehensive essay exam on the course and 

readings. Note: This is a Friday. Don’t make plans to leave Syracuse before 

this date. 

PARTICIPATION: 

• Participation in and contribution to class discussions/critiques. 

• On-‐time attendance to every class 

• Constructive participation in and contribution to group projects



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GRADING: 

Each project you complete during the 

semester is worth a certain number of 

points. When you complete the different 

stages of each project, you will receive 

points for that part of the assignment. At 

the end of the semester, the total number 

of points you accumulate will be a 

percentage of the total number of points 

for all projects and exams. That percentage 

will determine your grade. (90-‐100%=A; 

80-‐89%=B; etc.) 

• Project one: 60 second film based 

on a theme…………50 points 

• Project two: telling a non-‐fiction 

story……………….….125 points 

• Project three: telling a fiction 

story………………………..150 points 

• Quiz……………………………………………………………………….25 points 

• Final Examination………………………………….……………..100 points 

• Attendance and Participation……………..…………………150 points 

• TOTAL……………………………………………..………………..600 points



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USING BLACKBOARD: 

During the semester you will use an 

Internet site called "BlackBoard" to access 

course assignments/materials and 

communicate with me and other students 

in the class. You must use BlackBoard if 

you want to read assignment sheets, 

required texts, supplemental materials, etc. 

Signing on to Blackboard is simple: 

1. Once you are on the Web, type in the 

following address: blackboard.syr.edu. 

Press Enter. 

2. Click on Login. 

3. Type in your user id, which is your CMS 

Syracuse University user id. (The first part of your Syracuse University email 

account.) For example, for me it would be pkmoller. 

4. Type in your CMSI password. 

5. Press Enter or click on Login. 

6. You'll click on the link for “TRF-‐655 merged”. 

Once you're into the TRF-‐655 course main page, you'll see along the left side the 

buttons that will help you navigate "Blackboard." You can view announcements 

(that I might post in between classes), assignments, lecture material, send email to 

others in the class, etc. 

When finished, be sure to click on the Logout button to assure no one but you uses 

the system. 

Note: Do not attempt to use another account (yahoo or hotmail or doodoo) for 

BlackBoard. You can only use BlackBoard with your SU account. Any communication 

I send to you (that you might want to receive) will only come to you through your 

SU account. This is important because often during the semester I will need to send 

notifications about special events, due dates, your income tax, etc. that you’ll want to 

be aware of.



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NEWHOUSE SCHOOL POLICY ON 

PUBLICLY FILMED PERFORMANCES: 

Registration in this class implies that the 

student understands and accepts the 

following policies concerning the taping or 

filming of class projects on the streets of 

the City of Syracuse, or Syracuse University 

Property. 

1. Syracuse University has very strict 

policies about the possession and use of 

weapons. Occasionally, students will devise 

scripts that involve "prop" weapons. 

Because of repeated failures to avoid 

dangerous incidents with filmed weapons, 

the Newhouse School cannot permit the 

use of weapons in films made by its 

students for any reason under any 

circumstances. 

This is particularly necessary given how sensitive the public is now about violence 

and terrorism. Student filmmakers are advised to devise scripts that don't rely on 

violent acts that require the use of prop weapons. This should be considered a test 

of the writer's imagination. 

2. Syracuse University also has very strict policies against the possession and use of 

drugs and alcohol. Any scenes involving scripted alcohol or drugs must be props, 

NOT the real thing. If you have any questions on how to deal with such props, please 

ask your instructor.



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TRF-655, Summer 2011 

Project #1, Shooting and 

Editing (50 points) 

Your objective for this project is to write, 

design, shoot and edit a film that is exactly 

one minute in length. There will be no sync 

sound but music and/or sound effects 

should be used. 

The assets you gather to tell your story will 

be edited and mixed by one of your 

teammates. 

If you complete all steps of the process on 

time, you will receive all the possible 

points. 

The objectives of this exercise are to: 

assure you can tell a simple story for the screen 

encourage you to think, plan and design as a filmmaker 

assure you can write a short proposal and create story boards 

assure you know how and why to slate a shot 

assure you understand the basic operation of the camera 

assure you can make an effective visual composition 

assure you can perform a simple edit 

assure you understand the basics of digital video/audio editing 

encourage you to experiment with the sound-‐picture relationship 

assure you understand how to manage digital assets 

 

Your story and film should deal with one of the following themes: 

Teams A, B, E, F, I: “Art Imitates Life” 

Teams C, D, G, H, K: “Life Imitates Art” 

PART A, PLANNING. Due Friday, July 9 in class. (25 points) 

Write a paragraph proposal that describes the story (not the plot) you want to tell. 

Also prepare storyboards of every shot in your film (storyboard forms are available 

on BlackBoard). Be sure to read standards for written work in the syllabus.



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PART B, SHOOTING Due Tuesday, July 

13 in class. (5 points) 

Each of you will shoot raw footage 

composed of the different set-‐ups required 

to fulfill your storyboards. You can have as 

many takes of each shot as needed. 

While you’re shooting, the others on the 

team will serve as the grips, actors, 

servants, etc. 

Every take of each shot should be slated 

with your name, date, shot and take 

number. 

The tape you use should be labeled clearly 

with your name and the contents of the 

tape. 

This part of the project should be 

completed in time to show what you 

consider your best shot in class on 

Tuesday, July 13. Be prepared to talk about the choices you made in terms of 

composition and angle; tell us how this shot relates to your story. 

NB: Bring your tape to class cued to the exact spot where you want to begin. If 

you don’t do this, we don’t screen your footage. It wastes valuable class time to 

search through your tape looking for one shot. 

PART C, SILENT CUT Due Thursday, July 19. (5 points): 

Before you begin this part of the assignment, make sure you’ve read: 

• Final Cut Pro Tutorial. (BlackBoard in the Documents area) 

• In The Blink of an Eye. 

• 

You will edit the footage shot by one of your teammates. Your edit should follow the 

sense and spirit of the story as suggested in the original proposal and storyboards 

your teammate will give you with his/her footage. 

PART D, COMPLETED FILM Due Thursday, July 22. (15 points): 

After creating the silent cut, you will add a sound track and graphics (title, credits, 

etc). The completed video should be exactly :60 seconds long and tell a simple story 

without dialogue. It should have ten seconds of black at the beginning (not part of 

the total run time) and five seconds of black after the last image/sound (not part of 

the total run time).



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TRF-655, Summer 2011 

Project #2, 

Nonfiction/documentary 

film (125 points) 

“In feature films the director is God; in 

documentary films God is the 

director.”Director Alfred Hitchcock 

“Every cut is a lie. It’s never that way. 

Those two shots were never next to each 

other in time that way. But you’re telling a 

lie in order to tell the truth.” Documentary 

filmmaker Wolf Koenig 

A non-‐fiction story is rooted in reality. The 

basis of the story exists regardless whether 

someone is there to record and tell it. An 

important principle in quantum physics, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, says 

that the act of observing something inevitably changes that which is observed. This 

is generally true in non-‐fiction storytelling. In non-‐fiction (stories that might be 

labeled “journalism”) storytellers work hard to minimize their personal impact on 

the story. In less journalistic pieces, the storytellers may even become part of the 

tale. But in all cases, the basis of the story itself pre-‐exists the arrival of the 

storytellers. Examples will be shown in class. 

Assume that MOLLER MAMMOTH MEDIA, inc. ltd. has put up the money for this film. 

I am the executive producer. The finished 3-‐5 minute film will be on the MMM web 

site for all the world to see. So, it is important it have an audience beyond this class. 

Before beginning this project, read on BlackBoard: 

Murch Article; Overview of the Production Process 

Select one of the following general themes on which to base your proposal: 

Diversity 

Living Green 

Limits on Freedom 

Lost in Time 

Mangled Media 

Technology 

Commerce and Culture 

What is New is Old



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There are five stages to this project: 

PART A, PLANNING. Due Thursday, July 

15 in class. (70 points) 

Each person will write a proposal that 

describes the story (not the plot) you want 

to tell. Include the proposed title and log 

line for the film. Also prepare an outline of 

how you think the film will be structured 

and what is its content. On BlackBoard, 

under DOCUMENTS you will find an 

example of such a proposal and outline. 

On July 15 you will pitch your film to the 

other members of your team. Your team 

will then select one of the team’s proposals 

to produce. 

PART B, CAPTURING ASSETS. 

Once your team has committed to one of 

the proposals/outlines, you will each 

assume one of these positions to complete the design and execution of the film. 

Producer: This person wrote the original proposal. She/he is responsible for 

creating a consistent visualization of the project. The Producer makes sure that 

all necessary elements of the story have been recorded or photographed. While 

shooting the project, this person keeps a tape log of each shot. The Producer is 

responsible for assembling all the required elements in the production book. 

Director of Photography: This person shoots the interviews and scenes as 

directed by the Producer. This person is also in charge of audio recording, 

monitoring audio as it is recorded, and keeping a log of which tracks are suitable 

for the final production and which are not. 

Editor and Designer: Once the sound and image assets have been gathered, this 

person will edit the first and final cuts of the story. He/she will create an edit 

decision list before starting to edit. Graphic design and sound production are also 

the responsibilities of this person. In consultation with the Producer, he/she 

makes decisions about the graphic look of the project (titles, credits, lower thirds 

if any) and what music, location sound and/or sound effects might be used. 

Preplanning all of these elements is essential to the success of the story. 

PART C, ROUGH CUT DUE Monday, July 26 (25 points): 

Edit the footage to tell the story outlined in your proposal and detailed in your 

outline. We will screen and critique your rough cut in class.



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PART D, COMPLETED FILM AND 

PRODUCTION BOOK DUE Thursday, July 

29. (25 points): 

After the critique session of your rough cut, 

you will have two days to respond to 

comments and complete the film. We will 

screen it in class. 

The Production book is handed in with the 

finished film. (It is worth 10 points). It 

should be a professional looking 

presentation that includes: revised 

proposal and outline, tape log, edit decision 

list and releases. 

PART E, CONFIDENTIAL TEAM 

EVALUATION DUE Thursday, July 29 (5 

points): 

This form is available for you to download 

from BlackBoard, DOCUMENTS. 

MMM WILL EVALUATE YOUR FILM BY THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA. (BE SURE 

TO READ BEFORE YOU START WORK): 

• Is the finished film true to the concepts of the proposal? 

• Is the finished film of a high enough quality to inform and entertain a 

larger audience than this class? 

• Do the shot compositions support and complement the story? 

• Does the sound design support and complement the story? 

• Does the editing create a sense of pace/rhythm that helps tell the 

story? 

• Do the graphics (titles, credits, etc.) complement and support the 

story? 

• 

Did the production team control all aspects of the visual language in the 

frame to complement and support the story? 

• Did the production team work collaboratively and professionally? 

• Did the production team take responsibility for their technical and 

artistic choices?



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TRF-655, Summer 2011, 

Project #3 

Fiction narrative, 150 points 

“The difference between fiction and 

reality? Fiction has to make sense.” 

Novelist Tom Clancy 

“Fiction reveals truth that reality 

obscures.” 

Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Stories that are fictions are scripted and 

designed realities. They represent the 

constructed reality of their writers and 

directors. The process of turning ideas in 

the script into sound-picture representations on the screen is dictated more by 

economics than the natural course of the story itself. Fiction stories take full 

advantage of the plasticity of the visual language; they guiltlessly expand and 

contract time and space, exploit multiple points of view (POV) and move 

effortlessly through past, present and future moments of characters’ lives. The 

Great Ape King Kong may never have walked the earth, but don’t tell that to the 

people screaming in terror watching the movie. 

For this project, each team will write, design and produce a short (three to five 

minutes) fiction film that would be suitable for broadcast or the Internet. The goal 

of the finished video is to tell a compelling story. It will be important to create 

believable characters, each with an arc that shows clearly how they have 

changed as a result of the experience(s) they have in the story. 

For this assignment read the following pieces under READING ASSIGNMENTS 

on BLACKBOARD: 

“Mise en Scene” 

“Precursor to the Cinema” (You may want to use this short story as an 

inspiration for your script.) 

STEP A. SYNOPSIS AND FIRST DRAFT OF SCRIPT. DUE MONDAY 

AUGUST 2 IN CLASS. 25 POINTS:



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Everyone in the class will submit and 

pitch an idea for this film in the following 

form: 

— a paragraph synopsis that summarizes 

your story 

— a first draft master scene of your script 

using the proper film script format (see 

template for this on BlackBoard). 

Teams will be formed around four or five 

of these scripts that survive the pitch. 

STEP B. FINAL SCRIPT AND DESIGN 

DOCUMENTS. DUE WEDNESDAY, 

AUGUST 4 IN CLASS. 15 POINTS: 

After the team has chosen one of the 

draft scripts to produce, each member of 

the team will write one of the following 

documents: 

1. Writer: A final draft of the master scene script. This person will serve as 

Videographer in the Production phase. 

2. Director: A shot by shot director’s script based on the writer’s master 

scene script. (see BlackBoard for template of a director’s script). 

3. Designer: a description and if necessary sketches of sound, light, 

costume and set design. This person will become the Editor in the 

Production phase. 

4. Production Manager: a production script that details the schedule for 

shooting each shot and the production elements required for each shot 

(sets, lights, microphones, camera(s), costumes, props, settings/locations, 

special effects, etc.) This person will become the Producer in the 

Production phase and will assemble the final production book. 

STEP C. COMPLETED VIDEO. DUE THURSDAY, AUGUST 12 IN CLASS. 90 

POINTS: 

Rough cut: Tuesday, August 10 

PRODUCTION BOOK. DUE August 12 IN CLASS. 10 POINTS:



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The person designated as the Producer is 

responsible for assembling the production 

book that will contain: production 

schedule, tape log, edit decision list, 

scripts (director’s and writer’s), story 

boards, design documents/sketches, 

technical story boards, releases. 

Each member of the team will hand in 

a completed production team 

evaluation (worth 10 points) on August 

13. 

NOTE: Be sure all written work for this 

assignment conforms to the requirements 

specified in the course syllabus.

TRF-655 - Syracuse University

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