The Soul of Story: Mythic Approaches to Storytelling for the Screen

Thousands of years ago, human beings huddled around campfires to listen to stories. Since that time, we’ve moved indoors and the campfires that we once hovered around have become digital screens. However, stories remain a vital part of the human experience. It’s been said that those that can offer the most compelling story in a society have an edge in advancing their ideas in the world. Our culture has never had more avenues for telling our stories, though few of us have much understanding about what makes one story enchanting and another forgettable.
In this 6 week course, John Bucher, mythologist, Hollywood story consultant and Executive Director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, will guide you through the craft of creating a story for the screen. Special attention is given to creating characters from a depth psychological perspective. Exploring the fundamentals of storytelling, the course will also provide insights on mythic motifs such as the Hero’s Journey, the Heroine’s Journey, the Collective Heroic Journey and other frameworks. The course will include talks and instruction on creating visual stories, the form and format of telling stories for the screen, and opportunities to workshop your own stories with the instructor and other participants. Surprise guest speakers from the world of storytelling will join the class in various sessions offering insights for better storytelling.