A series of lectures and seminars introduce students to the language, concepts and skills commonly used in the development of projects for the screen whether in film or television, drama or documentary, or any of the various new media and interactive forms.You will examine the key elements, skills and terminology of dramatic screenwriting (premise, pitch, character, structure, theme, visual style, genre, dialogue, etc) and review the key documents generated in the development and commissioning process (idea, concept, premise, outline, proposal, detailed proposal, treatment, first draft, revised draft, etc.). There is a critical exploration of the role and importance of research in screen project development – research as it relates to the project content of the project (e.g documentary, adaptation, historical drama) but also research relating to the market potential of the project itself. The module aims to develop the critical and practical abilities needed in screen project development: an understanding of the language and terminology; personal and interpersonal skills; a critical understanding of the various roles in the creative and industrial process; a sense of the market place across the various forms and formats. Crucially, the critical, analytical and inter-personal skills required key personnel in the development process (writers, producers, script-editors, developers, and financiers) are examined and then developed and tested in a series of exercises, including the module’s major pieces of assessment – the Story Report and Script Report. Students also develop an understanding of the various jobs, roles and career opportunities across the film, television and interactive/new media industries. Subject to available resources, students across the Screen Academy programmes may attend a series of talks and seminars given by visiting speakers as part of the Professional Practice programme, e.g. composers, editors, writers, producers, distributors, games developers, literary and casting agents, etc. Lecture content is interwoven with seminars, workshops, screenings and exercises which encourage students to reflect on how they might practice and apply these tools, concepts and skills to their own work and live projects: this work is carried across into the more practical Script Workshop and Project Workshop modules. This module is a core element of the MA Screenwriting programme and is offered as an option to MA Film students, encouraging the development of collaborative skills across the creative disciplines and providing an opportunity to form creative teams.