Screenwriting: NarrativeRumble

Screenwriting: NarrativeRumble-Eclectic
Approaches to Storytelling

This course is a series of eclectic, short term
(maximum 2 to 3 weeks) writing workshops taught
by a rotation of different artists. The
instructors use a variety of themes and prompt to
spark adventurous storytelling. While the
emphasis is cinema, the course will allow
students to unleash their ideas in a variety of
narrative expressions not limited to words, but
perhaps drawn or photographed (still or moving
images). Specific themes for each session are yet
to be finalized but the following list offers a
sense of the potential. Screaming in Your
Dreams: The Horror, Suspense, Thriller Genre and
its application to heightened emotional
expression. Love, Hate and Other Stories: Mine
the depth of human emotions by sitting in
memories of heartbreak, passion or lust (real or
imagined). Students will grapple with filial,
paternal or maternal love, celebrity worship and
many other forms of intense emotions. Threading
Stories from Historical Dress and Fashion:
Utilizing the forms of fashion silhouettes from a
variety of eras, students will develop characters
and their backstories or histories from the
shapes of celebrated clothing and accessories.
Cheap and Cheesy: By making "terrible" scripts,
we learn what elements are needed to create
emotionally true, sophisticated, or dynamically
inventive ones. Students examine cheesy 1-hour
movie of the week scripts, telenovelas and
American Soap operas among other genre driven
"product" in order to tease out personal,
original work.