Film MFA: Television as a Dramatic Medium

This class looks at television series—hour-long and half hour—in terms of dramatic structure, themes, character development, etc. This approach to the study of television is the study of the creative processes of that art form. Television is now at a watershed of its artistic development as a medium. The Writer/Executive Producer has a new artistic autonomy; and the medium has been drawing on artists—writers, directors, and actors—from other media, especially film and theatre. The medium is also experimenting with new formats, and new production techniques. The course  explores the creative choices that are made in this highly collaborative medium by focusing on the work of individual Writer/Executive Producers.