COURSE
STORY ARTIST: FOUNDATIONS
INSTRUCTOR: Jed Diffenderfer
DURATION: 15 weeks
LEVEL: College, Studio, Professionals
AVAILABILITY: On-Demand, 24/7
NEXT LIVE CLASSES: TBD.
*Future Live feedback and workshop classes will will require completion of, or active enrollment in the course.
■ THIS COURSE IS FOR...
Visual storytellers of all kinds - this is for you!
✔️ ASPIRING STORY ARTISTS
- College/Art School Students
- TV Storyboard Artists eyeing feature jobs
- Other depts interested in the Story Dept
- An alternative to story internships
✔️ FILMMAKERS & SCREENWRITERS
- Directors seeking clearer direction tools
- Screenwriters expanding their skillset
- Comedians who write and sketch
- Youtube & indie filmmakers
✔️ NEW MEDIA PIPELINES
- Narrative Designers wanting more clarity
- Webcomic artists
- Visual Authors
- Producers improving their story pipelines
■WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
✔️ A balance of foundational skills used by Story Artists (story, screenwriting, filmmaking, acting, and storyboarding) at leading feature animation studios.
✔️ Industry-standard workflows and methods (and the unspoken ones as well) so you can think, create, and collaborate like a pro with the best people out there.
✔️ The best from 25 years of hard won story insights and experience, proven repeatedly at top feature animation studios on many hit films and franchises.
■WHAT YOU WILL DO
✔️ Learn by creating three portfolio scenes with the range you'll need for a solid foundation as a story artist.
✔️ Support exercises and quizzes throughout lessons to ensure you comprehend, and can actually apply the concepts.
✔️ Assignments offer experience with a range of actual work expected of Story Artists at major studios.
CHOOSE YOUR TIER
Tiers allow you to choose the level of feedback that's right for you! Compare plans at the link below!
MORE ON THE WAY!
Get updates on the next openings for live classes you can add to the course for feedback, new courses, free content and more!
First openings to any live classes and workshops are reserved for anyone who's already completed, or is currently enrolled in the course.
*Don't forget to click 'confirm' in your email after you sign up!
SYLLABUS
STORY ARTIST: Foundations
A 15-week, hands-on professional course designed to build the foundational skills needed of a new story artist at a major feature animation studio. You’ll gain practical experience with timeless skills while gaining the tools, techniques, and mindset to thrive in a professional, feature film story department.
- Core principles of story, screenwriting, filmmaking, acting, and storyboarding as applied in Story Departments of feature animation studios.
- How to think like a filmmaker and pitch like a pro.
- Industry-standard workflows and methods (and the actual unspoken ones as well).
- Assignments are a range of actual work expected of Story Artists at major studios.
- Learn by creating three portfolio scenes with the solid range you'll need for a solid foundation.
- Warp zone through 25 years of hard won insights and experience in all the various story roles!
- Each week's Topic (what) contains a range of lessons within its subheadings of Concept (why), Techniques (how), and Assignment (do it).
◼︎ Weeks 1-5 | Comedy
1: CHARACTER & PERSONAS
2: STRUCTURE & ARCS
3: CINEMATOGRAPHY
4: NARRATIVE & PACING
5: AUDIENCE & PITCHES
– Scene One Complete –
◼︎ Weeks 6-10 | Drama
6: CONFLICT & CUT
7: SUBTEXT & DIALOGUE
8: SHOTS & SETUPS
9: TONE & LIGHTING
10: THEME & WORLD
– Scene Two Complete –
◼︎ Weeks 11-15 | Action
11: GENRE & SETS
12: CINEMA & SOUND
13: CHOREO & BLOCKING
14:ACTION & MOVING CAMS
15: CRAFT vs CAREER
– Scene Three Complete –
Week Zero
Orientation
A quick overview of the class framework, and resources to get you ready so you can focus on the class.
- Concepts | What is Story?
- Techniques | What is a Story Artist?
- Assignment | Gear up!
Week One
Character & Personas
You know it's important, what what actually is it? Furthermore, why do we even care?
- Concepts | Character Driven Storytelling
- Techniques | Character Layers & Performance
- Assignment | Character Development
Week Two
Structure & Arcs
Three Acts. Five Acts. No Acts. Why have any of it at all?!
- Concepts | Story Anatomy
- Techniques | Beats & Scope
- Assignment | Beat Boarding
Week Three
Cinematography
Visual Storytelling is more than lens choices and composition.
- Concepts | Cinematic Mediums
- Techniques | Elements of Visual Structure
- Assignment | Scene One: Thumbnail Outline
Week Four
Narrative & Pacing
But, it worked on paper! Why don't they get it?
- Concepts | StoryTELLING
- Techniques | The Canvas of Time
- Assignment | Scene One: First Pass
Week Five
Audience & Pitching
This isn't 'Mom's fridge'. Know your audience.
- Concepts | Experiential Communication
- Techniques | Pitching Tactics & Techniques
- Assignment | Scene One: Final Pitch
Week Six
Conflict & Cuts
Obviously you need it, but how to keep it from just being annoying, and stressful?
- Concepts | Conflict & Affinity
- Techniques | Narrative Blades
- Assignment | Relationship Development
Week Seven
Subtext & Dialogue
A picture says 1000 words. So, let it.
- Concepts | Spoken Silence & Words Unspoken
- Techniques | Dialogue as Design
- Assignment | Script Analysis & Breakdown
Week Eight
Shots & Setups
With near infinite choices of shots, which one is the 'right' one?!
- Concepts | Perspectives & POV's
- Techniques | Cinematic Palettes
- Assignment | Scene Two: Thumbnail Outline
Week Nine
Tone & Lighting
Comedy. Drama. Everything in between. As essential to story as values to a painting.
- Concepts | Tonal Control
- Techniques | Painting with Light
- Assignment | Scene Two: First Pass
Week Ten
Theme & World
But why THIS world for THIS story though?
- Concepts | Who cares?!
- Techniques | Story and Design
- Assignment | Scene Two: Final Pitch
Week Eleven
Genre & Sets
Of tropes and nopes. Great expectations and greater innovations.
- Concepts | Harnessing Genre
- Techniques | Production Design Basics
- Assignment | Set & Scene Design
Week Twelve
Cinema & Sound
"Make it more cinematic!" So often said, so rarely understood.
- Concepts | Story Cinematic Storytelling
- Techniques | Making it 'Cinematic'
- Assignment | Tentpole Moments
Week Thirteen
Choreography & Blocking
The one-inch punch of storytelling.
- Concepts | Dancing through Time
- Techniques | Orchestra of Story
- Assignment | Scene 3: Thumbnail Outline
Week Fourteen
Action & Moving Cameras
Anyone who says action has no story, has never been in a real fight.
- Concepts | Action as Story
- Techniques | Framing Controlled Chaos
- Assignment | Scene 3: First Pass
Week Fifteen
Craft vs Career
Or, how to avoid planting seeds in cement.
- Concepts | Story as an Art
- Techniques | Story as a Trade
- Assignment | Scene 3: Final Pitch
- GRAND FINALE | Pitch of Choice to Guest Director
- ACCESS | Story Arts Alumni Network
