Overview

Students will investigate the art of visual storytelling and explore a range of techniques for the creation of story elements such as structure, character, dialogue, adaptation and layout. The unit also explores how cultural and critical theories offer frameworks for understanding film, television and multimedia.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Study Period 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
01-September-2025
30-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
14-September-2025
Census date
22-September-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
17-October-2025
Results released date
23-December-2025
Study Period 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
01-September-2025
30-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
14-September-2025
Census date
22-September-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
17-October-2025
Results released date
23-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Assess and critically reflect on a range of scriptwriting platforms, forms, and genres for stage and screen, and also investigate theoretical approaches to scriptwriting
  • Demonstrate high level creative and practical skills in the production of their scripts, specifically in relation to the writerly elements of plot, character, dialogue, and structure, and apply complex critical and creative theories related to the practice of scriptwriting to their own work and the work of others
  • Generate a section of script from plan to final draft and create both industry standard supporting documentation and complex reflexive theorisations about their practice and project, and the practice and projects of others

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Learning activities		3.00 12 weeks 36
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning		9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Online Discussion ThreadsIndividual 40% 1,2,3 
Outline, script sample, pitchIndividual 60% 1,2,3 

Content

  • What makes a good scripted story
  • Building the plotline, including backstory, core story, forward story
  • Characterisation and dialogue
  • Setting
  • Serialisation
  • Writing for stage
  • Adaptation
  • The pitch and outline
  • Professional layout
  • Graduate Attribute: Communication Skills - Communicating using different media
  • Graduate Attribute: Teamwork Skills - Collaboration and negotiation
  • Graduate Attribute: Digital Literacies  - Information literacy
     

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.