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).
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 | 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
ENROLL NOW
LIVE seats (tiers 2 and 3) are limited - claim yours while available!
Tier 1 | Story Artist Video Course
15 week course of video lectures, exercises, and assignments designed around creation of 3 main story sequences (Comedy, Drama, Action) to build your foundation. Access to alumni network. AVAILABLE ANYTIME
$1,000 USD
Tier 2 | + LIVE Weekly Story Class
*LIMITED SEATS | All of Tier One PLUS: The full 'story class' experience of weekly, Live zoom classes with your instructor and team for pitches, feedback, and lecture Q&A's. ENROLLMENT ENDS 8/30/25
$2,600 USD
Tier 3 | ++ Premium Personal Direction
*VERY LIMITED SEATS | Premium Tier including all of Tier One and Two PLUS: Weekly personalized feedback and direction on each assignment via video critique & draw overs. ENROLLMENT ENDS 8/30/25
