Film Studies: Genres for Screenwriters, Directors, and Filmmakers
Future directors, screenwriters, and film fans will go over the common tropes for popular movie genres, learn about audience expectations, pick a film to watch each week, and come up with their own movie ideas.
Angelia Derrick (she/her)
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5.0
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What's included
8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
2-4 hours per week. Homework is only required if the student wants a grade. Students will watch genre movies of their choice and analyze them for genre elements. Student will come up with an idea each week (picking one of the two genres focused on that day) and write up a short description (paragraph to single page).Grading
A letter grade can be provided at parent request. Grading will be based on posting their story ideas and thoughts on the movie they watched that week. Doing everything - A, missing one or two items - B, missing several items - C.Class Experience
✨New to Outschool? Use code OUTAngelia20 to save $20 on any class! ✨ genre - a category of artistic composition characterized by similarities in tone, form, style, or subject matter This class is for anyone who loves and/or wants to make movies. We'll go over various genres and what the audience expects of that genre when they go to the movies. Knowing the expectations of each genre helps you to understand your audiences' expectations. You need to know the rules before you make the conscious decision to break them if you are looking to subvert audience expectations. Genres examined in the class will be: Coming-of-Age, Fish-Out-of-Water, Horror, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Romantic Comedy, Buddy Comedy, Western, Historical, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Disaster, War, Comedy, and Drama. It is recommended for the student to watch a genre film each week and post their thoughts on it. The student will come up with a script idea for each genre and turn in to the instructor. The idea can be a simple paragraph. The instructor/class will give feedback on their idea. These two items are not required to participate in the class unless the learner needs a grade issued--though I recommend watching a genre film after a lesson to practice identifying genre elements. There are NO live meetings for this course. There will be a weekly post which will include: Nearpod video lessons for that week's genres, prompts for their own movie ideas, and their thoughts on the movie that they decided to watch that week. If you are using this class to help fulfill a US Film Studies High School/Secondary School Elective, the following hour chart can be applied. Class & Homework (not watching a movie) - 12 hours Class, Homework, and 1 genre movie per week - 28 hours Class, Homework, and 2 genre movies per week - 44 hours
Learning Goals
Students will understand what elements are required to write in the various genres.
Syllabus
8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
Coming-of-Age and Fish-Out-of-Water
Learn about the two genres: coming-of-age and fish-out-of-water. We'll watch and analyze film clips from the following movies: My Girl, Love Simon, Legally Blonde, City Slickers, Crocodile Dundee, and Back to the Future. Watch a film from one of the genres and come up with your own movie idea. Nearpod Lessons: 47 min 2 assignments
Lesson 2:
Horror and Thriller
Learn about the two genres: horror and thriller. We'll watch and analyze film clips from the following movies: Get Out, Scream, A Quiet Place, Panic Room, Along Came a Spider, and Runaway Jury. Watch a film from one of the genres and come up with your own movie idea. Nearpod Lessons: 36 min 2 assignments
Lesson 3:
Action and Adventure
Learn about the two genres: action and adventure. We'll watch and analyze film clips from the following movies: Die Hard, Atomic Blonde, Batman Begins, The Mummy, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and The Princess Bride. Watch a film from one of the genres and come up with your own movie idea. Nearpod Lessons: 44 min 2 assignments
Lesson 4:
Romantic Comedy and Buddy Comedy
Learn about the two genres: romantic comedy and buddy comedy. We'll watch and analyze film clips from the following movies: While You Were Sleeping, Fever Pitch, 50 First Dates, The Heat, Dumb and Dumber, and Zootopia. Watch a film from one of the genres and come up with your own movie idea. Nearpod Lessons: 46 min 2 assignments
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Some genres will focus on PG-13 or R rated movies which might include violence, foul language or sexual content as part of the storytelling. Some of the clips that we watch may contain cinematic violence and/or foul language.
We will watch film clips from the following films: My Girl, Love Simon, Legally Blonde, City Slickers, Crocodile Dundee, Back to the Future, Get Out, Scream (1996), A Quiet Place, Panic Room, Along Came a Spider, Runaway Jury, Die Hard, Atomic Blonde, Batman Begins, The Mummy (1999), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, The Princess Bride, While You Were Sleeping, Fever Pitch (2005), 50 First Dates, The Heat, Dumb and Dumber, Zootopia, The Magnificent Seven (2016), Young Guns, True Grit (2010), Hidden Figures, Gladiator, The Book Thief, The Martian, Arrival, Rogue One, Penelope, Enchanted, Legend, Twister, The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, War Horse, Behind Enemy Lines, Clueless, Spaceballs, Home Again, Little Women (2019), Steel Magnolias (1989), and Eat Pray Love.
Supply List
Students will need to have access to places to watch and/or rent/stream films.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined May, 2020
5.0
170reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Film/Cinema/Video Studies from California State University, Fullerton
Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Charter Oak State College
Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Bachelor of Arts in Applied Arts: Creative Writing
Certificates from Institute of Children's Literature
Certificates from Institute for Writers
Writing young adult fantasy and space opera under the pen name Angelia Almos. Reviews
Self-Paced Class
$15
weekly or $120 for all content8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content
Completed by 11 learners
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Ages: 11-18
