Date:
6th & 7th November, 2024
Morning Session
11am – 12:30pm BST (London, UK time)
Afternoon Session
3:30pm – 5pm (London, UK time)
Venue:
Online – Zoom LIVE
Standard Fee:
£275 – (VAT applied if applicable)
Who is this for?
For mid level and advanced Writers, Script Editors, Story Editors, Development Executives, Executive Producers, Commissioners
Transform your craft in storytelling and improve your development and writing skills
Please review our Terms and Conditions, which includes advice about our Data Protection and Privacy Policy.
For more details :
[email protected]
The difference between a good drama and a great drama lies in a writer’s ability to keep the viewer utterly gripped from start to finish
The minute that chain gets broken everything falls apart
In two days John explores every technique at a writers’ disposal to create utterly compelling narrative drive.
– What are the key craft skills?
– How do you deploy them? And how do you reshape your story to take it to the very highest level?
From Dramatic and Tragic Irony to Suspense and Surprise, the course is both an exploration of those who have created compelling narratives, and a manual on how to apply the oldest and newest techniques of Storytelling. What happens when you switch Point of View? What are the pros and cons of a non-linear time scheme?
With numerous illustrations and examples, the course is the definitive guide to illustrating EM Forster’s essential question: “There’s only one important question in Story – What Happens Next?”
COURSE OUTLINE
Keeping an Audience Watching
– The control of suspense, the importance of Plot. How storytelling through the ages has tighten its grip on audiences
The Manipulation of Time and Point Of View
– From This Is Us to Memento to Godfather 2 – how narrative drive depends on key other factors of storytelling
Suspense and Surprise, Tragic and Dramatic Irony
– How each can be used to turbocharge storytelling. From Titanic to Tik Tok – a plethora of examples and case sturdies
The Subversion of Expectation and its effect on dynamic storytelling
– How understanding deep structure can massively enhance your story’s grip
An army of other techniques
– From Retardation to Projection, Jeopardy to Foreshadowing – every technique at your disposal to enhance audience involvement
John Yorke will include various exercises and video clips examples
ABOUT JOHN YORKE
John is a drama producer, author and teacher who has spent 30 years studying our insatiable appetite for stories. His long career in TV drama has given him the tools to identify the underlying shape common to all successful narratives – from drama to political speeches
He is the author of the UK’s bestselling book on narrative structure – Into The Woods – How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them.
As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has shaped stories that have attracted some of the biggest audiences for drama in UK TV history
He has overseen some of the UK’s most enduring and popular programmes, from Shameless and Life On Mars to East Enders and Holby City, alongside award-winners like Bodies and the internationally acclaimed Wolf Hall. John has worked with a vast array of talent, from Paul Greengrass and Paul Abbott to Debbie Horsfield and Jimmy McGovern, making him uniquely placed to watch, learn and analyse the work of the finest writers in television