emotional structure

emotional structure

School of the Arts and Writers’ Program

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the power of
EMOTIONAL STRUCTURE
in film and television drama

We are all familiar with the motion picture or TV drama whose plot falls nicely into place like pieces of a puzzle, logical in every way, yet unmoving; its meaning unexpressed; its promise unfulfilled. Why does this happen?

Clearly, understanding plot is not the same as understanding writing.

Cinema makes demands on the screenwriter that are uniquely challenging, and go far beyond the simplicity of a “beginning, middle, and end.” Big screen or small, these creative problems can be as hard to pin down as they are to solve, and always reside in the story simmering beneath the plot. This is what Emmy Award-winning instructor Peter Dunne calls "Emotional Structure," and without it a script can feel empty and superficial, and fail to convey the essence of what is trying to be said.

This workshop covers the key craft issues of plot, story, characters, and theme, with a concentration on the emotional current beneath the plot as the connective tissue and driving force of your ideas. The goal is to clearly define, develop, and articulate your story's dramatic depth, and to map its structure as you write your script’s outline.

The Emotional Structure course is designed to make you a better writer.
Classes meet one evening a week for ten weeks at the UCLA Westwood Campus.
Learn a lot. Have fun. Work hard. Get results.

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RECENT FORMER STUDENT EVALUATIONS:
~ Best prof at UCLA Extension that I've had.
~ Peter is a passionate teacher who constantly tries to motivate us not as students but as partner artists.
~ Peter is a stellar instructor. The depth of his teaching may be a little above the heads of the average student, but I appreciated and valued his insights immensely.
~ Peter makes you honestly think about your characters, who they are and what they need. He encourages every student to be brave; to write from our hearts.
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FOR ENROLLMENT INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Chae Ko, Program Representative
UCLA Extension Writers’ Program ~ Screenwriting
cko@uclaextension.edu
310.206.2612