41996 - Writing for the Cinema and Television (1)

Course contents

Structures which want to be other structures
(P.P.Pasolini)

 

The course provides some basic skills necessary to write television and cinematographic screenplays.
A cultural proficiency which allows to know those basic elements essential to locate the narrative text structure starting from its visualization on the screen and its own practice.
Therefore, the course attendance is useful for those who are interested in a screenplay studio in the professional prospective of film critics and author of cinema and audiovisual media.
The course focuses on writing for the cinematic and television fiction. Through the analysis of film which will take place during the lessons, examples will be shown related to the connection between Cinema and Television starting from the evolution of Television.
As is common knowledge, Cinema influenced the first television programs in order to educate the spectator. This is evident in Roberto Rossellini's works.
Several questions may arise by the individuation of assumptions that orient Cinema and Television writing and these questions will be discussed starting from the analysis of "Boris".
The practical aspect of this course consists in writing the script of a short film and its realization. This project is financed by Augusta Pini Foundation and involve a collaboration with Faculty of Education Sciences (Pedagogical consultancy Prof. Luigi Guerra and Dr. Laura Corazza) and Department of Music and Spectacle of University of Bologna.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory Bibliography

1) D. Parent-Altier, (1997) trad.it., Introduzione alla sceneggiatura, Lindau, Torino, 2007.

2) A. Aprà, In viaggio con Rossellini, Edizioni Falsopiano, Alessandria, 2007 (Chapters useful for exam will be available on professor's website).

3) F. Di Chio, L'illusione difficile. Cinema e serie TV nell'età della disillusione, Bompiani, Milano, 2011.

Filmography

Roberto Rossellini: from cinema to television

* La presa del potere da parte di Luigi XIV (1966)

* Socrate (1971

* Blaise Pascal (1972)

* Cartesius (1974)

R. Ferretti: from television to cinema.

* Boris, (2007-2010) (three episodes a choise)

* Boris film (2011)

One film a choise among the following:

* Concerto per Michelangelo (1977)

* L'età di Cosimo de Medici (mini-serie, 1972-1973).

* Agostino d'Ippona (1972)

* Rice University (1971)

* La lotta dell'uomo per la sua sopravvivenza (serie, 1970)

* Atti degli apostoli (mini-serie - 1969)

* Idea di un'isola (1967)

* L'età del ferro (serie - 1965)

* Torino nei cent'anni (1961)

* L'India vista da Rossellini (Mini-serie, 1959)

Optional books useful for further informations:

Robert McKee, Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, ReganBooks, New York, 1997.

Syd Field, La sceneggiatura. Il film sulla carta, Lupetti Editore, Milano, 1991.

Age, Scriviamo un film. Manuale di sceneggiatura, Il Saggiatore, Milano, 2009.

Ugo Pirro, Per scrivere un film, Lindau, Torino, 2001.

Luca Aimeri, Manuale di sceneggiatura cinematografica. Teoria e pratica, Utet, Torino, 2007.

Linda Seger, Come scrivere una grande sceneggiatura, Dino Audino Editore, Roma, 2004.

David Howard, Edward Mabley, Gli strumenti dello sceneggiatore, Dino Audino Editore, Roma, 1999.

Luca Bandirali, Enrico Terrone, Il sistema sceneggiatura, Lindau, Torino, 2009.

Anne Huet, La sceneggiatura. Teorie, regole, modelli, Lindau, Torino, 2007.

F. di Chio , G.P. Parenti, Manuale del telespettatore, Milano, Bompiani , 2003.

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- I. Pezzini, Uno sguardo trasversale sulla fiction italiana. Il caso Boris, in M. P. Pozzato e G. Grignaffini (curated by), Mondi seriali. Percorsi semiotici nella fiction, Milano, R.T.I., 2008,

-M. Brogna e M. Loi, Boris, la ‘fuoriserie italiana', in AAVV,  - La differenza seriale. Perché il racconto televisivo è oggi più avanti di quello cinematografico”, AUDINO Editore, 2009.

- S. Polese e I. Russo, La logica della distinzione fra vincoli e opportunità. Le sitcom del satellite, in Milly Buonanno (curated by), ZONE 10. La posta in gioco. La fiction italiana, l'Italia nella fiction. Anno diciannovesimo, Rai-Eri, 2008.

- L. Bandirali e E. Terrone, Segno Serie Tv - Boris prima stagione, in AAVV, Segnocinema n° 153, Edizioni Cineforum di Vicenza, settembre-ottobre 2008.

Assessment methods

Examinees are kindly requested to consult the last update of this program during the exam preparation.
The examination of "Writing for the Cinema and Television" is managed by oral discussion only through a talk with the professor based on the knowledge of the compulsory filmography and bibliography.
It is important that students show the ability to apply the concepts which they've learned from books (or from in-depth analysis during classes) to the movies themselves. Knowledge of a book chosen from reference bibliography will be required to non-attending students.
*Candidates for a degree can agree with the professor before final exam about a specific program to enrich their curricula.
It's possible to contact the professor by phone after a specific request by e-mail (loretta.guerrini@unibo.it).

Teaching tools

*Lessons avail itself with contributions of sector specialist: Prof. Pietro Favari, Prof. Stefano Barnaba, Dr. Sara Iommi.

*A Seminary about Shoah representation and writing will be conducted by Dr. Amaroli Alessandra.

Office hours

See the website of Loretta Guerrini