Module: DRA5106-20 Writing for TV and Radio

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Silva Semerciyan

Module Tutor Contact Details: S.Semerciyan@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

This module introduces you to the fundamentals of writing for TV and radio and the industry conditions in which this content is developed.  You will create your own short piece, drawing upon the aspects of the writer’s craft intrinsic to all dramatic writing.    

 The module aims to provide you with:

• An understanding of the links between media, form and genre

• Development of your skills in the key elements of dramatic writing

• The ability to present your ideas and prepare industry materials for this purpose  

• The ability to format and tailor scripts according to industry standards of TV and radio  

• An appreciation of the collaborative dimension to work in this field and the ability to consider this when developing your own work.

2. Outline syllabus: 

You will undertake a series of writing exercises that will inform the development and submission of your short TV or radio Script. This includes exploration around the relationship between the writer, the creative team and the audience. Process will be interrogated through a series of workshops, discussions panels and rehearsed readings.

The module will culminate in scratch readings or performances of your work as part of Live Wire in Bath Spa University’s TV studio. 

3. Teaching and learning activities: 

Seminar discussion and practical workshops build on the ideas introduced in the lectures and critical readings and gives you an opportunity to explore your writing and develop your works-in-progress. A sequence of smaller writing tasks related to the development of your short plays scripts will be set over the course of the module. These will be evaluated through practical workshops, individual tutorials, and mediated group discussion and feedback.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Pitch Presentation

• % Weighting: 10%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Treatment

• % Weighting: 30%

Assessment Item 3:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: A short TV or radio script

• % Weighting: 60%