Workshops at FilmArche

https://workshops.filmarche.de/event/260502_charactersanddialog

This two-day workshop will explore two essential elements of great fiction: character and dialogue. Together, we’ll first consider (and challenge) some ideas of more traditional storytelling; this is so we can then look at other, more unexpected ways to craft a vivid and undeniable narrative. We’ll discuss a range of techniques for creating characters who’re worthy of audience investment—characters who continually grow more known yet also more mysterious:

• What exactly makes a character “interesting” to audiences?
• What distinguishes a character arc that’s confusing from one that’s compelling?
• What’re common pitfalls or out-of-date formulas for creating characters?
• How can you elevate character development from basic level existence to magnetic presence?

We’ll also focus on dialogue—one of the most evocative as well as most difficult-to-wield tools in a writer’s toolbox. So we want to demystify why it challenges so many writers. In class we’ll read examples of contemporary fiction writers—like George Saunders, Joy Williams, and Richard Price—who’ve cracked the dialogue code in uniquely spellbinding ways. And we’ll apply some of their techniques to our own creative work. Besides serving as a method for character development, dialogue can also act as a powerful force by which to create conflict, escalate tension, and galvanize a plot’s pacing. Together, we’ll break down some of dialogue’s seemingly more elusive principles, including:

• What distinct challenges does dialogue present to writers?
• What qualities do we tend to find in or use to describe the better kinds of dialogue?
• How do we organically and clearly distinguish different characters’ voices from each other?
• What’re some techniques to avoid writing dialogue that sounds one-dimensional or perfunctory?

By the end of this workshop, you’ll come away with a greater grasp of how to craft exciting characters, write engaging dialogue, and overcome several unique challenges in storytelling.

Workshop Location and Dates
This event takes place over the course of two days (Saturday May 2nd from 10:00 - 18:00, Sunday May 3rd from 10:00 - 18:00) at the filmArche campus in Berlin Neukölln.

About the Instructor
Alexander Lumans is a fiction writer based in Berlin. He’s been awarded fellowships to The Arctic Circle Residency in 2015 and 2025, a 2018 U.S. National Endowment for the Arts Grant in Fiction, and the Philip Roth Residency at Bucknell University. His writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading, Guernica, PolarLit, Off Assignment, American Short Fiction, and others. And he’s won fiction contest prizes from The Sycamore Review, The Yalobusha Review, and Gulf Coast. He received his MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He currently teaches for the Berlin Writers’ Workshop. And he’s currently at work on a novel set in the contemporary High Arctic of Svalbard, Norway.

### *To Register for the Event/Purchase a Ticket

PLEASE READ!
Tickets cost between 80 - 120 euros. In order to register and pay for the event, you must visit this website and register there:
https://workshops.filmarche.de/event/260502_charactersanddialog
Please click the link above to register and send your proof of payment to the email provided.

We look forward to seeing you there!

https://workshops.filmarche.de/event/260516_PitchingwithWillB

In this workshop, students will learn how to take the next steps toward getting their TV series ideas off the page and onto the screen. They can expect to hone their pitch, develop pitch materials producers want to read, and leave with a better understanding of how to get their series made.

Students will be guided into the world of professional TV writing by a working screenwriter, learning some basics, such as how to identify their series’ story engine and tell a never-ending story. The main focus will be a detailed look at the craft of pitching, including how to develop industry standard materials such as

1. the log line
2. elevator pitch
3. one-pager
4. series bible.

Please be prepared to submit 1-2 series ideas before the course begins. You can email your idea directly to the instructor at dfwbuckingham@gmail.com All fiction genres and formats are welcome. If you’ve already written a whole pilot or more, even better!

This workshop is designed for aspiring screenwriters looking to take the first steps toward a professional career.

Location and Time
This course takes place over two days, Saturday the 16th of May (10:00 - 18:00) and Sunday the 17th of May (10am - 18:00). Both days will be hosted at the FilmArche building at Lahnstraße 25, 12055 Berlin.

About the Instructor
Will Buckingham has worked in the international entertainment industry for over 10 years. He has written made-for-TV movies that have aired around the world on Lifetime Channel, Hallmark, SkyTV, Prime, TF1, M6, Antena3, and more. He has developed series with DARK co-creator Jantje Friese, and optioned original TV & film projects to Germany’s Network-Movie and 2Pilots Filmproduction. He was a participant in the 2023 CANNESERIES Talent Unlimited Residency, sponsored by Canal+. He also worked as a Hollywood script analyst for clients including CAA, Miramax, and Indian Paintbrush (HENRY SUGAR, ASTEROID CITY).Will graduated from NYU-Tisch School of the Arts Asia with an MFA in Dramatic Writing, and participated in Serial Eyes, Europe’s premier postgraduate training program for television writers. His experience and insight will help prepare students to write and pitch their series in the real world.

To Register for the Event/Purchase a Ticket
PLEASE READ!
Tickets cost between 80 - 120 euros. In order to register and pay for the event, you must visit this website and register there:

https://workshops.filmarche.de/event/260516_PitchingwithWillB
Please click the link above to register and send your proof of payment to the email provided.
We look forward to seeing you there!