Master the Craft1

What is a story? Why do stories exist? 

Your mind is made from narrative. Life events are narrative. Everything you know only has meaning in a narrative context. In this first series of videos, using entertaining examples from stories and film clips, we get to understand linguistics and how stories trigger the mental reflexes we use to make memories. 

If you happen to be in advertising or politics you will learn how stories can be crafted in slightly more insidious ways to plant memories we didn't know we had, too...

You will understand in simple, intuitive terms why and how stories are made from evolutionary basics.

Master the Craft2

Knowledge Gaps and Subtext

Using clips and short films, we learn the basic substance of story and how to use it. The author encodes knowledge gaps into the narrative. Gaps in knowledge are an evolutionary alarm signal for risk, so we become engaged and take ownership of the narrative the moment there is a gap to fill. The receiver decodes by providing the knowledge that goes into the gap from their own knowledge and experience. 

Did you instinctively create a narrative progression from the static image, below? This is what we do. All the time.

Using clips, short films and interactive examples, the light begin to shine on the critical role that narrative plays in how our mind works, and exactly how every story gets its power to make you love it, take ownership and feel gripped.  

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Common Story Dynamics

To make our understanding of the substance of every story clear, we now look at the knowledge gap characteristics of the most common story dynamics. Conflict, Morality, The Major Dramatic Arc, Comedy, Aristotle's Principles and much more. All become clear and usable through clips, examples and interactive exercises. 

Master the Craft4

Character Actions

Characters are, of course, central to everything in story. You HAVE to understand character to understand story. This set of videos focusses on motivation, protagonism, antagonism, morality, meaningful conflict, inner and outer arcs, character growth and the six questions you should ask of each of your characters. 

 We also find out how it is that plot and character... follow me carefully now... are one and the same thing... Once you understand that, your story takes on a whole new dimension.

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Ultimate Power - The Storification Dynamic

The author frames and orientates the audience, the characters take their actions in real-time in the story world, the receiver interprets a narrative, fills the gaps with subtext and creates meaning in mind through storification. 

Storification is the secret. It sounds complicated, but by using childrens' stories, short films and lots of well-known story examples you will fully understand how it works. From here we start to think about using this ultimate power dynamic to make a story development process based on genuine knowledge of where the power in any particular story lies.  

Note how this differs from traditional story theory. Instead of talking about key questions and turning points and spirit guides, we are recognising that the power of a story lies in what it means to the receiver. The psychology in the conversation between an author and a receiver. That is a story's real powerbase... and it is crafted into place by the skill of the author. 

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From Story Seed to Silver Screen

Follow the documented creation of my film story, Bella, I take you on the full story development process, from the first seed of the idea to the final glorious production. You will see the original idea, the development of the step outline, the final script coming to life. You will gain EXCLUSIVE access to the finished film itself and you will get a FREE book containing the step outline and developers' notes.

I will be doing the same thing for further projects, including writing a novel online and developing a feature film, entitled Mayakin, from first principles to a London Premiere on the silver screen. You will get to ride along the whole way and you may even be able to contribute or win a prize, such as to be an extra in the film or attend the premiere. Exciting stuff, right?! 

Master the Craft7

Wearing the Salesman's Hat

Creatives are notoriously bad at selling themselves and their products. In this session, we will use our superpower - storytelling - and our knowledge of where the power of a story lies, to create powerful marketing capability in the way we package and sell ourselves and our products. 

You. Are turning pro. 

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We're in This Together

There will be opportunities to get involved in real-time sessions of various types. For example:

Each month you will have the opportunity to join me on a live Q&A to discuss all things story and writing. I look forward to getting to know you and answering any questions you have. 

There will be giveaways and competitions with prizes including seats a a premiere, visits to a film set, free books and resources, and much more. 

I look forward to welcoming you to my inner circle, and to developing your career together.

let's get you and your stories on to that red carpet.

David