Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling
I am excited to reprise this 1-week Screenwriting Master Class course as it has given me the opportunity to dig into the films and creative culture of Pixar. As anyone who has visited this blog for even a few months knows, I am fascinated by Pixar. 13 movies, 13 #1 hits. Unprecedented. But it’s more than just their success with critics and at the box office, it’s about their absolute commitment to the craft of storytelling.
So I have been going through years of articles, research and notes, screened all their movies one more time, and discerned six key dynamics present in almost all of their films that contribute directly to the success of their stories.
And here’s the thing: Whether you write for children, teens, or adults, screenplays, plays, or novels, you can use these same dynamics in developing and crafting your own stories.
Included in the class lectures is content from an exclusive interview I did with Mary Coleman, head of Pixar’s story department.
The 1-week online course is called Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling and it begins next Monday, July 30. It is one of the most popular classes I teach, so if you are interested in enrolling, act sooner rather than later.
I honestly believe film historians will look back at the period between 1995 (Toy Story) and 2014 (Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Into The Mind) as the “Pixar decades” because no filmmakers have ever done what they will have accomplished in their 16 films during that period of time.
This course is a great way to learn from the master storytellers at Pixar.
For more information and to enroll, go here.
As you may recall, I promised every person who submitted a logline for “The Quest” a free Core or Craft class. Obviously I wasn’t expecting 1500+ entrants, but I’m a man of my word. So to kick off those complimentary classes, here are two choices:
* The first five people to post a request in comments here, then respond to me via email can take the upcoming Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling course for free. I will make the same offer for each of the Core and Craft courses as they come up on the schedule through the end of the year.
* If you don’t want to wait around for a class or if you would prefer, I can send the seven Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling lectures to any other “Quest” entrants. Just email me with your request and that will act as an equivalent of your complimentary class.
To reiterate: In order to be considered for free class membership or free course lectures, you had to have submitted at least one logline for “The Quest”.
The free classes are only Core and Craft, not Prep or Pages.
Finally I hope to be rolling out some 90-minute webinars in August, condensed versions of Core and Craft classes that can accommodate 100 people at one time to help expedite the free course offer.
I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
UPDATE: I will be analyzing the movie Brave as part of next week’s class.
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