1st Class, Ba Economics and Philosophy, University College London (UCL)
CASE STUDY
This is an outline for a bespoke 1:1 tuition programme suitable for English Literature, Language, Creative Writing, Film, Television or Drama applicants.
The syllabus will be based largely around the student’s personal tastes as well some important classics. We will analyse why the texts they like work so well and how they can apply this to their own practice. The student will also gain an understanding of the history and evolution of dramatic writing.
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What is Drama?
(3 hours)
What do Aeschylus’s Oresteia and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight have in common? In this module we’ll look at the age-old building blocks of dramatic writing. The student will read Aristotle’s Poetics and learn to apply Aristotle's principles to modern theatre, film, and television. We’ll look at how stories are driven by characters’ intentions, obstacles and tactics.
The student will then begin developing a pair of characters and writing a selection of scenes between them, using different tactics each time.
Episodic
Storytelling
(3 hours)
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In this module, we’ll look at some of the best television programs of the last 10 years and analyse how writers build stories that work on both an episode-by-episode basis and contribute to longer arc. We’ll explore the difference between story-of-the-week and serialised structures, how the sitcom is constructed differently to the drama, and how a show’s Pilot sets up it’s characters, conflicts and world. The student will prepare a pitch for their very own television drama.
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This will give the student an understanding of how the ancient rules of drama are applied to this most popular and current of art forms will give the student a cutting-edge point of view that helps them stand out.
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European Theatre
(2 hours)
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In this module, the student will do a whistle stop tour through a series of significant European theatre movements. Starting with the Ancient Greeks and going all the way through to the present day we will spend each session studying a different movement in European theatre. These may include Greek tragedy, Shakespeare and the renaissance, late 19th century naturalism, theatre of the absurd, post-dramatic theatre. The specific syllabus will be tailored to compliment the student’s tastes and in-curricular studies. These sessions will be a taught through a mixture of analysis and creative response.
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This module offers a degree-level understanding of how drama has developed over the last 2500 years shows breadth of reading and understanding.
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Genre
(3 hours)
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In the 'Genre' section of the programme, we'll look at genre conventions in cinema - how they can be both useful and restrictive. We’ll look at horror, sci-fi, romantic comedy and coming-of-age stories, pick out their signature elements, and look at film’s that use these generic traits in surprising ways.
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This will give the student a strong understanding of conventions allowing them to analyse what texts are doing and when they are diverging from an audience’s expectations.
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Storytelling in Pictures
(2.5 hours)
In this module we will look at how screenwriters and directors use pictures, rather than dialogue, to tell dramatic stories. We’ll look at films including Pixar’s WALL-E and Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood and examine how images and actions are used to build three-dimensional characters and detailed cinematic worlds. The student will then conceive and write a short script completely without dialogue.
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This module will help develop a good understanding of how dramatic writing can adapt to new mediums will help make the student stand out in interviews.
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Final Project &
Personal Statement
(1.5 hours)
In this final module, the student will work closely with the tutor to come up with an idea for a short script. They will write a draft of the script and then, together, go through and discuss its merits and space for improvement with reference to the materials we’ve looked at throughout the course.
We will then integrate some of the student’s new degree-level understanding of the history and evolution of dramatic writing into their personal statement with direct reference to their own active, creative practice.
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All of our programmes​ are entirely bespoke: what you saw above was just an example.
Our tutors will speak to you to understand your precise needs, and build a programme that feels right and is exciting.
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Please enquire to find out more.
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Scheduling
the hours you need
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Built around
your degree choice​
Studying topics
you love​
HAVE YOUR OWN PROGRAMME CREATED FOR YOU