From Final Draft to Final Cut module (EN42033)

"A film is born three times. First in the writing of the script, once again in the shooting, and finally in the editing."

This aphorism by the great French filmmaker, Robert Bresson, underscores the equal importance of the three key stages of filmmaking: pre-production (writing and funding), production (filming), and post-production (editing, sound editing, scoring, printing). Film Studies, however, tends to devote the bulk of its critical and theoretical attention, as well as its teaching to the central production stage, examining the authorial claims of the director and actors, at the expense of the two that bracket it.

In this module you will have an opportunity to fully assess the contributions of screenwriters and editors to the filmmaking process. Working with a substantial archive of shooting scripts you will learn about the craft practices of screenwriting: formatting rules, techniques, and theoretical approaches to structure and form. Scripts will then be compared to the final cut of the film, allowing you to assess the editor's role in shaping the final version. You will also study the rules and techniques of film editing, and how these can be played with. You will also be given the opportunity to put some of what they have learned into practice in your assessment.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• problematise director-led models of film authorship by assessing the authorial contributions of screenwriters and editors
• learn about industry conventions of screenwriting and film editing
• learn about the role the soundtrack (words, music, sounds, silence), as well as the image track, in cinematic storytelling
• learn to use industry standard screenwriting and editing software

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

• easily understand and apply industry-specific language and terminology in regard to screenwriting and editing
• discuss and write about the complex audio-visual aspects of film in a sophisticated, informed manner
• write or edit a short creative piece

Assignments / assessment

• close reading exercise 2,000 words (40%)
  • due in week 6
  • you will be given three excerpts from different films, each lasting around five minutes, and the corresponding pages in the shooting script. You will then choose one and write a comparison of the script and the finished version.
• final assessment; research essay OR practice-based assessment (60%)
  • due after Easter exam diet
  • research essay option: 4,000 word essay on a topic agreed between you and the tutor
  • practice-based option: writing a section of a screenplay OR editing and narrating a video essay about a chosen subject

Teaching methods / timetable

• one weekly lecture (1 hour)
• two weekly screenings
• one weekly seminar (2 hours)
• one workshop (2 hours) introducing you to relevant editing software