The purpose of this unit is to provide students with a foundation in the creative craft of writing for screen. Students will be required to write an original 5-7 minute (or 3 x 2 mins) script for a short film or a web series, and in so doing develop their knowledge and skills of narrative structure, character and plot development, of the relationship between dialogue and image, and of writing techniques appropriate to a specific genre.   

Class activities include creative workshops; script analyses; idea generation and evaluation; writing for different genres; using image, word and sound to develop plot and character; writing, refining, editing and proofing; table readings; and writing using industry-standard templates.  

Sound is an important tool for conveying ideas, story and/or emotion. The skills and knowledge gained in this unit will prepare students for their screen productions at JMC Academy and beyond. The purpose of this unit is to explore sound, its properties, how it is captured and manipulated, and its relationship to the screen. Students will be introduced to the fundamental principles of sound and investigate the techniques necessary to record sound in the field or studio, using portable field mixers for film and television productions.   

To demonstrate their grasp of the fundamental principles of sound, students will be required to record sound in the studio and on location. Recordings will incorporate dialogue, background and pieces for their foley library.  

The purpose of this unit is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of directing drama.  

These skills and knowledge of a dramaturg can be applied in a diverse range of genre, including short films, feature films, scripted TV shows, documentary, and reality television, TVC’s and Music Videos. The role of the Director as a ‘creative’ is explored in the context of communicating and working with actors and production personnel while maintaining a healthy and safe workplace. 

Documentaries (non-fiction films) hold an important place in contemporary media culture. They are often about how people can be connected to the world and help make sense of specific phenomena. Consequently, a documentary filmmaker has an obligation to consider the ethics of their practice, particularly the nature of their relationship with their subjects and their audience. Against this background, students are given the opportunity to explore the principles and techniques of documentary film making as they research, pitch, and produce their own 5—7 minutes documentary, as well as participate in the making of their peers’ work. 

This unit equips students with the skills and knowledge required to pitch and produce their own short documentary. There will be a range of in class activities to train the students in story development, research techniques, interviewing techniques, sound recording skills, documentary shooting, lighting techniques, and green screen compositing. Many of these skills and techniques will be utilised and then assessed in the final productions. Research, planning, and communication skills are crucial to documentary production and students will need to be prepared to crew on each other’s productions and interact with individuals and organisations outside of JMC Academy as their subjects.