CINE 786 Writing – Network/Cable Movie

This course explores the various television genres as they relate to the changing landscape of made-for-TV movies. Students will examine the uniqueness and differences between the feature film script and the television drama. Key points of study will include the use of act breaks, cliffhangers, genre specific writing, and worldview. Each student will create and write a complete synopsis for a television script and draft one complete outline for a television movie.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Writing for television has changed dramatically in the way movies are exhibited. Theatrical box office releases are now often considered less financially viable than a national cable or network release due to the amount of home viewers via cable, web, and other multimedia. As these various avenues continue to emerge, the screenwriter has more opportunities for professional work than ever before.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete 4 discussions in this course. Each student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be at least 500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 300 words. While no scholarly citations are required, if sources are cited, including Scripture, they must align with current MLA formatting. Acceptable scholarly sources include journal articles, the textbook, and the Bible.

Why Do You Want to Write for Screen Assignment

The student will address a series of questions pertaining to why the student wants to write, what his/her inspiration is, what his/her goals are, and how his/her writing will glorify the Lord. This assignment should be 1000-1200 words and should be written as a first person narrative. No minimum sources are required.

Write Your Story Concept Assignment

For this assignment, the student will develop a brief synopsis that speaks to what their story is about and the direction that it will take. When finished, they should have a general concept of what their story is about and where it is heading. This assignment should be 1000 – 1200 words and should be written as a first-person narrative.

The Protagonist vs Antagonist Assignment

The student will envision the story they intend to write and the characters who will bring it to life. Then, they will imagine placing their protagonist and antagonist together in a confined space, locked in a room or cell, where they must confront each other, work through their differences, and ultimately seek a path to freedom.

For this assignment, the student will write a 1,000–1,200-word narrative (first-person style, in their own words) capturing the interaction between their protagonist and antagonist in this forced setting. The assignment should discuss who these 2 characters are and what they represent, what internal or external stakes are present, how their forced interaction reveal deeper truths about their motives or past, and how this scene might shape the journey ahead for the protagonist.

The Logline Assignment

The student will write a 1-2 sentence log line that clearly and compellingly summarizes the student’s story. Included in the 1-2 sentences should be information about the main character and their goal, the central conflict, and what is at stake. The log line should hint at the tone or genre of the student’s project.

The Screenplay Outline Assignment

In this assignment, the student will create a detailed outline for their screenplay, covering all three acts. This will include their title page and follow current MLA formatting, and must clearly identify the rising action, inciting incident, climax. The student should focus on structure, pacing, and character development. This blueprint will guide the story and prepare them for full draft writing.

The Rising Action – Act 1 Assignment

In this assignment, the student will write their screenplay up to the inciting incident by developing scenes that build tension and deepen conflict. Following industry formatting, the student will include the title page and maintain clear structure throughout. Key characters must be introduced effectively, and it must be ensured that each moment raises stakes, challenges the protagonist, and moves the story toward its turning point.

The Climax – Act 2 Assignment

In this assignment, the student will develop Act Two of their screenplay, where the story deepens, stakes rise, and characters are tested. This is the heart of the narrative—the place where conflict intensifies, and the protagonist is forced to make bold, often irreversible choices. Act two should introduce complications, obstacles, and twists that challenge the protagonist and expand on the central conflict, include the midpoint that shifts the story’s direction or reveals crucial information, and begin leading towards the solution to the central conflict. 

The Falling Action – Act 3 Assignment

In this assignment, the student will complete their screenplay with a powerful and satisfying final act. Act Three is where all story threads converge, choices are made, and consequences unfold. This is the moment the characters—and the audience—have been moving toward. Act three should include a point of no return that drives the story toward resolution of the central conflict introduced in act one and escalated in act two. The protagonist must make a defining choice, whether triumph, tragedy, or transformation, that presents a clear and meaningful outcome and echoes the story’s theme or emotional journey.

The Final Draft Assignment

The student will bring together their 3 acts—rising action, climax, and falling action—into 1 cohesive and compelling screenplay. The assignment should not exceed 40 pages and should be submitted as a PDF or properly formatted script file with a correctly formatted title page.

Quiz: Final

After reviewing all that he/she has learned in the course, the student will take a final quiz. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes and will contain 4 multiple-choice, 4 short answer, and 1 essay question. The quiz will allow for 1 attempt and have no time limit.