FILM 1196 From Short Story to Short Film

What makes a short story compelling, and what happens when these ideas are translated to film? This course examines the relationship between literary and cinematic storytelling through short fiction and short films. Of particular focus will be how writers build character and atmosphere through omission and momentum, and how filmmakers create similar effects through writing, directing, and editing. We will also scrutinize the demands of the short form: how quickly a story builds its world, what it leaves unsaid, how it controls information, and how an ending can transform the entire narrative. Readings by Jorge Luis Borges, Flannery OConnor, Langston Hughes, Mark Twain, Isaac Babel, and Alice Munro, combined with short films from various periods and traditions. Through writing exercises and critical analysis, students will develop their own short-film ideas, with the goal of bridging the gap between language and interiority to images and sound. The final project will be either an original short screenplay or an adaptation of a public-domain short story. No prior experience in screenwriting or creative writing is necessary.