Film Production: From Script to Screen

This subject is not offered in 2014.

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Admission to the Master of Arts and Cultural Management (Moving Image)

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject will focus on the theoretical and practical elements involved in the production of film through advanced research, professional insight and contemporary practice. Students will explore complex issues in film production, distribution and exhibition. Students will gain specialised theoretical and practical grounding in the life cycle of cinema including: the ‘pitch’; script development; funding and support; the various stages of the production process; avenues for distribution and expanded sites for exhibition. This subject will also examine the various modes of film production in national cinemas with an emphasis on Australian and Pacific Rim cultures. Other areas under investigation include: the role of key organisations in film production; support for emerging filmmakers; new forms of marketing and promotion; censorship and the impact of new media on cinema. Film Production: From Script to Screen will examine the history and theory of each of these stages of production and the state of contemporary practice.

Students who undertake this subject will:

• develop an advanced understanding of the nature of scriptwriting and the relationship between script and film;
• encourage a strong appreciation of the practicalities of film production in relation to the stages of script writing;
• gain a strong understanding of the role of key film culture bodies in the funding and exhibition of film;
• learn about the relationship between industry bodies and public perception of these bodies;
• be able to understand the historical, cultural and theoretical context of film production, think creatively about the artistic process, develop advanced skills of communication and public speaking and demonstrate a comprehension and an advanced capacity for research;
• be able to understand the varied and complex stages in the production and exhibition of a film, including script development, direction, editing, production, marketing, exhibition, censorship and film criticism; and
• develop an understanding of the complex relationship between public debates surrounding the philosophical and ethical issues of exhibition and the constraints of funding and government policy.

A 2000 word folio 40% (due mid-semester), and a 3000 word essay 60% (due in the examination period). Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% (or 10 out of 12) classes in order to qualify to have their written work assessed. Any student who fails to meet this hurdle without valid reason will not be eligible to pass the subject. All required written work must be submitted in order to pass the subject. Essays submitted after the due date without an extension will be penalised 2% per day. Essays submitted after two weeks of the assessment due date without a formally approved application for special consideration or an extension will only be marked on a pass/fail basis if accepted.

A subject reader will be available.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• be able to demonstrate an advanced development of research skills;
• be able to define areas of inquiry and create relevant methods of research in the preparation of essays;
• be able to conceptualise theoretical problems, form judgements and arguments and communicate critically, creatively and theoretically through essay writing, tutorial discussion and presentations;
• be able to demonstrate highly developed skills in multimedia presentations;
• to be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and seminar discussion; and
• be able to participate productively in team work through involvement in syndicate groups and group discussions.