September 24th – November 2nd 2007
The first part of the Course is focused on helping students find their own unique creative voice or story teller within. Utilizing the theme of story telling through the ages and the Art Treasures of Florence students will take a walk through time drawing inspiration from paintings, frescos, sculptures and other art created during the Renaissance by the great artists and poets such as Dante, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Giotto.
This second part of the course is designed to instruct and inspire students in the creative process of story telling. This is a works in progress laboratory where we will examine the basic craft of solid story structure taken from Jungian archetypes, mythic and fable story structure and the past literary masters who have carved our concepts of literature. We will view excerpts from films showcasing story structure, character development and dialogue. This class will help students look objectively at their creative writing projects and determine where their plot, characters and themes are weak and how to improve them. Students will utilize both hemispheres of the brain in a nurturing and supportive environment. Exercises in creative visualization and meditation will also be employed to help students move through blocks and access a more profound and creative part of themselves.
Characterization Workshop:
The second part of the course will delve into character development . This portion is of the class focuses on helping students to create deep, realistic characters that breath life and motivation into their story. The ability to conduct an depth internal analysis and a willingness to explore and bolding go where no one has ever gone before is key in this portion of the program.
Morphing the Ancient Art of Story Telling:
In the Final part of the course we will focus on morphing or transcending the current models employed by writers throughout the ages, in both film and literature. Students will be encouraged to recreate their own unique heroes, plots and visions into a more expanded foundation for humanity. Students will use past writers as an inspiration to recreate a new modality for the human spirit and begin to uncover their unique writing style and voice enabling them to carve a niche for themselves in the new emerging markets. Students will leave the class with a completed script for their film short.