Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)

The BFA (Screenwriting) provides an immersive and experiential studio-based education, focusing on the origination and development of stories for the screen. There is a strong emphasis on developing the student’s individual creative voice, while underlining the need to speak effectively and freshly to an audience. The course provides training in writing for different screen-based mediums and genres, as well as the creative adaptation of work originated in other literary genres.

Housed in the School of Film and Television, this degree lives alongside the school’s other degrees in directing and producing for live-action fiction, animation and documentary. This provides screenwriting students with the unique opportunity to develop professional-practice collaboration skills. This happens while developing creative concepts with directing and producing students, while being on-set during productions, and during the all-important stage of evaluating audience responses.

Undertaking elective subjects offered by other VCA schools, or by the wider University community, gives the student the opportunity to investigate the generation of original creative work in other arts disciplines, or the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of current issues and debates in non-arts based fields.

The BFA Screenwriting graduates complete a deeply personal, artistically transformational, and highly professional course of development. With their creative, collaborative and technical skills they are optimally placed to make significant impact in the national and international creative industries.

BFA Screenwriting graduates may also elect to undertake a 4 th year of study in the honours programme, or 2 years of further study towards a Masters degree.

The BFA (Screenwriting) is designed to train highly skilled arts practitioners who can work independently or in ensemble in a wide range of careers and performance or production opportunities. They will be well-trained and knowledgeable in their own and related fields, and committed to continuous learning and production in their discipline; they will also have a local and international perspective on their own arts practice. As well as excellence in practising their own art form, BFA (Screenwriting) graduates will have good academic literacy skills in expression, argument and research and be proficient in the use of appropriate modern technologies.

The course structure for the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting) is outlined below.

First Year Subjects

Students must also undertake one 12.5 point level one elective in winter or second semester only.

Second Year Subjects

Students must also undertake one 12.5 point level two elective.

Screenwriting Practices 2A 25 Compulsory

Writing the New Media 12.5 Compulsory

Writing the Youth Market 12.5 Compulsory

Screenwriting Practices 2B 25 Compulsory

Screen Culture and Aesthetics 1 12.5 Compulsory

Third Year Subjects

Screenwriting Practices 3A 25 Compulsory

Research Project 12.5 Compulsory

Adaptation 12.5 Compulsory

Screenwriting Practices 3B 25 Compulsory

Business of Screenwriting 12.5 Compulsory

Major Project 12.5 Compulsory

VCA Electives

First Year

Second Year

Screenwriting Practices 3A 25 Compulsory

Research Project 12.5 Compulsory

Adaption 12.5 Compulsory

Screenwriting Practices 3B 25 Compulsory

Business of Screenwriting 12.5 Compulsory

Major Project 12.5 Compulsory

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Qualified graduates may progress to an additional year to qualify for Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting) (Degree with Honours), and/or to a range of master degrees leading to research programs.

• Artistically excellent:
• demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to the national and international challenges for the professional artist/practitioner in the 21 Century
• have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of artistic practices and scholarship
• have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s)
• reach a high level of achievement in artistic practice, writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
• be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
• be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies

• Knowledgeable across disciplines:
• examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a range of disciplines
• expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
• have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
• have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment

• Leaders in communities:
• initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces
• have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of personal strengths and limitations
• mentor future generations of learners
• engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs

• Attuned to cultural diversity:
• value different cultures and their cultural forms of practice
• be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
• have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community
• respect indigenous knowledge, cultures and values

• Active global citizens:
• understand their relationship with and responsibility to their cultural environment and society
• accept social and civic responsibilities
• be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
• have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equity and ethics.