Scenario-Driven Scriptwriting Pedagogy: A Design Framework for Practice-Oriented Film Production Education

Abstract

In contemporary higher education, particularly within practice-oriented film production programs—such as cinematography, directing, and screen production—scriptwriting courses grapple with a persistent and fundamental challenge: a systemic disconnection between theoretical knowledge and practical, executable application. Students often achieve proficiency in reciting narrative theories, such as the Three-Act Structure or the Hero's Journey, yet consistently fail to translate this abstract knowledge into the creation of visually compelling, budget-conscious, and production-ready screenplays. To effectively address this critical pedagogical gap, this paper proposes and constructs a novel instructional design model: the Scenario-Driven Pedagogy (SDP) for scriptwriting instruction. The aim of this design study is not to report empirical findings, but rather to articulate a robust theoretical framework and detailed implementation blueprint. The SDP model rigorously integrates the key principles of three foundational educational theories: Constructivism, Situated Learning Theory, and Experiential Learning. The core innovation of SDP lies in its mandate to embed all writing tasks within highly authentic, constrained, and collaborative production scenarios, thereby compelling students to adopt the cognitive and professional identity of a filmmaker first, rather than a mere writer. This paper meticulously elaborates the four guiding principles that govern the SDP framework—authenticity, integration, iteration, and scaffolding—and presents a comprehensive typology of three distinct scenario designs (Constraint-Based, Role-Based, and Visual-Prompt). Furthermore, it outlines a four-phase implementation blueprint adaptable to semester-long curricula. It is argued that SDP offers a rigorous, transformative pedagogical approach capable of effectively bridging the gap between abstract narrative theory and concrete production practice, establishing a solid foundation for cultivating professional film students equipped with both acute narrative competence and essential visual and logistical production literacy.