3-day Online Programme
2025 DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
They make up every act, every episode, every season, every moment of every great drama. A scene is the smallest divisible element of a screenplay. Its structure is replicated by a sequence, an act, an episode, a whole film. It’s the DNA of any narrative, and as such – a detailed look at what scenes are, how they work and what you can do with them – is the very best way to understand all narrative structure
In six 90 minute sessions, John takes us through scene structure, scene history, scenes as building blocks, and scenes as chains of cause and effect. How they work, how to write them, how to cut from one to another, how to use them to create pace, how to use them to define character, how to make them utterly compelling
From how to structure them, to how to use them as Mise-en-Scene, how they appear in beat sheets, synopsis and treatments, everything you need to know about advanced story structure is here
COURSE OUTLINE
WHAT IS A SCENE?
Basic definitions, where they come from, and how you link them together to form beat sheets, treatments, and synopses
HOW ARE SCENES STRUCTURED?
Detailed dive into the DNA of scenes – how they are put together and what they can teach you
Periodic Structure – what is it, and what can it teach you
Subversion of Expectation
How good scene structure can completely change the emotional power of a script
The Character’s Perspective
How to approach scenes from a character’s point of view. How that can revolutionise your story
Mise – en – Scene
Scene and image – the vital link
Non-linear scenes
Fighting traditional structure
Creating Propulsive Drive
How to assemble scenes to give story a whole new level of power
Scene Transitions
How to cut from one scene to another to create an armoury of narrative effects.
“J Cuts and L Cuts”. Bringing the language of cinema to your script
The Language of Scene Description
How the way you write a scene down can transform your work
Scene Logistics
How you tie writing and production together to create a system of mutual support. Recap and final exercise
Who is this for?
Writers, Script Editors, Story Editors, Development Executives, Executive Producers, Commissioners
Dates:
Email [email protected]
Times:
11am – 12:30pm UK time
3:30pm – 5pm UK time
Standard Fee:
£450 (plus VAT if applicable)
Venue:
Zoom
Please review our Terms and Conditions, which includes advice about our Data Protection and Privacy Policy.
For more details contact: [email protected]
All Online Programmes will be conducted in English
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
“This is a marvellous analysis of screenwriting and, with any luck, should help a great many people achieve their dreams“
Julian Fellowes
Creator of DOWNTON ABBEY
“Probably the most accessible, inspiring take on story that I’ve attended. We came home with a clearer and deeper understanding of our work, and with a common set of vocabulary, which is key to good teamwork.”
THOMAS GIERTSEN
FOUNDER, FEELGOOD
NORWAY
