MES 163 — Animation Screenwriting
Animation Screenwriting for films/series combines three-act structure narrative with creative visual writing. Notable animated films and series episodes with their screenplays and teleplays will be used as case study research. Using this inspiration, students will imaginatively invent their own animated universe and tell a story within it. The course covers a progressive and scaffolded aesthetic, technical and cultural impact approach to writing an animation screenplay with accompanying storyboards and pre-visualization. Students will brainstorm, outline, world-build, design characters, create unique dialogue, plot narrative design and revise multiple screenplay drafts in order to storyboard and record previs. An industry standard 11-page screenplay/teleplay will serve as the Mid-Term Project, and an accompanying storyboard with character design, background design, dialogue/narration and music/sound effects previs will be the Final Exam Project.