Referring to what screenwriter William Goldman says, “screenplays are structure,” the course will adopt a structural approach as the key frameworks to analyse a number of screenplays of the notable Hollywood and Chinese-language movies from 1970s to 2010s. The analysis will pivot on the screenwriting theories and ideas such as the three-act structure, Syd Field’s Paradigm, Frank Daniel’s the sequence approach, and non-linear narrative. Considering screenplay is a unique literary form, this course will investigate how a screenplay stresses on the literal and visual dimensions of a story whereas thoughts and emotions of characters are evoked through subtext, action, and symbolism. In addition, it will explore how components like technical jargon, tight prose are used in describing stage directions. By examining the screenplay texts from various cinemas, the course will also provide a brief scrutiny on how the screenwriters may systematize the goals, structure, and techniques of writing a script in different cinematic systems.