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FIL-30033 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

FIL-30033 - Extended Screenwriting Project
Coordinator: Neil Archer Tel: +44 1782 7 33202
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

Students MUST have successfully passed the level 5 module Screenwriting: Principles and Practices as a precondition for taking this Extended Project

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26


Aims
This Project enables students to undertake a significant creative work in Film Studies and Creative writing as a final-year project. It brings together the theoretical ideas explored across the Film Studies course with the practical work undertaken across the various screenwriting modules Students will have the opportunity to develop either an extended piece of feature-length screenplay work, a fully-realised short film script, or the treatment for an adaptation of an existing text. Alongside this, students will prepare a commentary essay outlining the theoretical contexts supporting their creative work and reflecting on their own practice.

Intended Learning Outcomes

execute an extended piece of creative writing in feature-film screenwriting, short-film writing, or adaptation: 1
undertake detailed research into the theoretical frameworks informing creative writing or adaptation, and produce a commentary on their own creative practice: 1
identify historical and contemporary trends in film screenwriting and situate their own work in relation to these: 1
identify key aspects of best and innovative practice in the composition of creative cinematic work: 1

Study hours

Workshops 8x1 hour = 8 hours
Supervision 12x1 = 12 hours
Research 220 hours
Writing 64 hours

School Rules

Students MUST have successfully passed the level 5 module Screenwriting: Principles and Practices as a precondition for taking this Extended Project

Description of Module Assessment

1: Creative Brief weighted 100%
Creative Project
The total project length will be 8000 words. Students can choose from three options, the final choice to be coordinated between the student and the supervisor: 1) A treatment for a proposed original feature-length screenplay, or pilot for a TV show, including a detailed structural breakdown and selected scenes or: 2) A treatment for a proposed film adaptation of an existing text (eg, novel, short story, non-fiction book, comic, videogame). This should comprise of a detailed structural breakdown and selected scenes or: 3) A full length outline and script for a short film (which can be an original script, or adaptation of an existing source, as per the guidelines above), approximately 30 minutes in length These treatments should be approximately 4000 words in total length. In conjunction with this creative component, students will produce a Commentary of the same length (4000 words), reflecting on their creative choices, drawing on theoretical work in screenwriting and (where appropriate) adaptation studies, and situating their own project within a contemporary cinematic landscape.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025