Making a scene

Course details

A two day workshop to heighten awareness of the skills behind successful storytelling on screen. We propose to examine the techniques used by film-makers to create memorable moments that engage audiences. These techniques can be applied to advertising work or appreciated in their own right.

Structure and Content of the Course:

Both days are a mixture of lecture and active participation.  (We begin with a brief summary of the areas of structure covered in the July 2013 course: it will not be necessary for participants to have attended that course)  We will focus on scenes, the smallest unit of dramatic tension. Over the course of the two days we will demonstrate how to identify different types of scenes:

• scenes of decision;
• scenes of preparation and aftermath;
• scenes of orientation
• scenes of illumination
• scenes of a creative lie

We will show how each of these scenes have a specific structure and purpose. We will share the understanding of how to write and rewrite these scenes for maximum impact.

We will look in particular at the feature films The Sting and Catch Me If You Can. We will also look at the screenwriting in television productions The Bridge; Modern Family and Episodes.

Participants will write their own scenes (with and without dialogue) which will be workshopped in small groups. The same method will be used as during the summer course but the scene writing exercises will be new to all attendees.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the two days all attendees will have been given a thorough grounding in the grammar of cinema including:

• a new and energising way of clarifying their stories
• a repeatable and objective method of interrogating creative work
• a clearer understanding of the effect of creative choices on audience
• a new way of playing