The Workshops
90 minutes each - $40 or 4 for $150
Sitka Stage & Screen
2683 Moray Ave Unit 5, Courtenay BC
7 Steps to Profound Dialogue
with Michael B. Adams
Workshop #1 - 10:00-11:30am
In excellent screen stories, we can remove all the dialogue and still completely understand the story through the way the visual images are composed in compliment with the sounds we hear on the soundtrack. We also know that humans try, often quite badly, to communicate almost everything through speaking. Dialogue, then, when we strip away the unnecessary, becomes the poetry, the icing on the story cake, the subtext layered word missives our characters send to each other in communication. Participants will work through a seven-step process designed to identify what truly needs to be communicated between characters, eliminate needless exposition, use visual and aural subtext, and write with advanced dialogue techniques to create deep underlying meaning.
Michael Bruce Adams
Screenwriter, Filmmaker, Instructor
Michael Bruce Adams is a produced writer with over 25 years of film and television production experience. Michael has written 37 feature film and television scripts and is a Script Consultant for feature films, documentaries and television series with clients in Canada, the US, China, Malaysia, Ghana, England and Spain.
As an educator, Michael began teaching story seminars with Peter D. Marshall’s Action, Cut, Print film directing programs. Michael then spent two years in China as senior writing instructor for Shanghai Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television Program returning in 2018 to teach select classes at the Vancouver Film School. As a filmmaking mentor, Michael served as story and production consultant on hundreds of produced student film projects. Michael continues educating internationally through workshops and seminars based on his ‘Story Courage’ theory work.
Directing Actors; an Insider’s Guide
with Allyson Leet
Workshop #2 - 11:45-1:15pm
Building trust through collaboration. An acting workshop designed for directors and filmmakers who want to solidify their collaboration process with actors.
Led by an actor, you will gain insight into the type of director-actor relationship that actors are hoping for, and Allyson will share tips and tricks for working more effectively with actors on set as well as in pre-production.
You will be led through some acting exercises during the workshop. We will look at scripts from an actors perspective and how actors break them down, make acting choices, the rehearsal process and how they bring their characters to set ready to go!
Attendees will gain a deeper understanding on how to work with actors in ways that work for their craft, resulting in great performances. .
Allyson Leet
Actor, Filmmaker, Teacher
Allyson Leet is a Comox Valley local, an actor and studio owner (Sitka Stage & Screen). She began acting in community theatre, where she developed her craft and gained valuable experience on stage.
After attending the University of Victoria's Theatre program and the Vancouver Film School for Acting, Allyson expanded her skills to include film and television, having worked on numerous short films and high budget productions for Hallmark and AMC.
Allyson is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with others, and is a valuable resource for filmmakers looking to work with actors to create compelling performances on screen.
Three Point Lighting Made Easy
with Michael B. Adams
Workshop #3 - 2:00-3:30pm
Introduction to 3 Point Lighting for Film, Television and Online Content
A working knowledge of basic 3-point lighting will help ensure your captured images tell the story you want to tell. Far too often new cinematographers and independent content creators are sacrificing the quality of their images due to not really understanding what lighting can do for them. Budget, space and equipment constraints can sometimes overwhelm our execution and creativity. This workshop is designed to give participants an immersive, walk-through lighting experience that will guide them through basic lighting set ups, how to adjust for story and how work to with constraints to unleash creativity.
Michael Bruce Adams
Screenwriter, Filmmaker, Instructor
Michael Bruce Adams is a produced writer with over 25 years of film and television production experience. Michael has written 37 feature film and television scripts and is a Script Consultant for feature films, documentaries and television series with clients in Canada, the US, China, Malaysia, Ghana, England and Spain.
As an educator, Michael began teaching story seminars with Peter D. Marshall’s Action, Cut, Print film directing programs. Michael then spent two years in China as senior writing instructor for Shanghai Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television Program returning in 2018 to teach select classes at the Vancouver Film School. As a filmmaking mentor, Michael served as story and production consultant on hundreds of produced student film projects. Michael continues educating internationally through workshops and seminars based on his ‘Story Courage’ theory work.
Confessions From The Edit Suite
with Fred Thorsen
Workshop #4 - 3:45-5:15pm
"How To Keep Your Editor From Yelling At The Screen”
Ensuring that the editor has enough material to work with during post-production is critical; while a continuous take that captures the entire scene in one shot might seem exciting, it limits the potential of finding nuances or creating unscripted variations in the scene. When possible, different camera angles, shot sizes, and perspectives ensure that you have flexibility and options for constructing scenes in the edit.
Join us as we walk through the editing of a sample scene to uncover challenges and possibilities in raw footage. We will also highlight problems that can slip through production into the edit suite—such as poor slating, poor sound (and its true consequences), the dangers of temp music, badly organized projects, and many, many more. We also explore the creative power of the lined script in the edit suite as provided by the editor’s on-set ally, the script supervisor.
For aspiring filmmakers, first-time directors... and experienced directors who wonder why their editors keep yelling at the screen.
Fredrik Thorsen
Editor, Filmmaker, Instructor
Are you overwhelmed by the countless courses and books that make screenwriting seem formal, regimented, and overly structured? Does the idea of even starting a screenplay seem almost impossible?
Join us as we demystify story structure by getting to the core of what all those books and courses are talking about. Through a deep simplification of the three act structure, you will discover how you can start gathering ideas and shaping your screenplays today.
Once you discover the simplicity of the basics, all those books and courses will make much more sense. You’ll be able to cherrypick their lessons and add to your writing process, rather than being overwhelmed. You will also discover the healing potential of screenwriting, as you discover how to tap into personal and universal themes in your stories.
Cultivate confidence and embrace the power of your unique voice. Leave inspired and ready to embark on your screenwriting odyssey with newfound clarity and purpose.
Fredrik Thorsen is a writer, director, and editor. His first film, Wake Linda, a half-hour drama, won 1numuerous awards at international film festivals, including; the Palme d'Or (Grande Prize) at Huy World Festival of Short Films in Belgium, and the Best Fiction Film (short film category) at the Montreal World Film Festival. As an editor he as worked on feature films, television pilots, and feature length documentaries winning the Leo Award for Best Editing on a Feature Length Drama for Stone Of Destiny, director Charles Martin Smith.
Fredrick is a self-taught entrepreneur who founded Comet Post Production Inc., a post-production facility which provided state-of-the-art editing services for the local and international film & television industry for over 10 years.
Since 2009, Fredrik Thorsen has used his success as a filmmaker and editor to inspire hundreds of vulnerable youth in the downtown Eastside as key instructor at a non-profit charitable organization founded by the late William Vince, an Oscar-nominated Vancouver filmmaker and advocate for youth at risk.
Fredrik enjoys inspiring vulnerable young adults to overcome barriers and follow their filmmaking dreams. He believes that storytelling is at the heart of a thriving community, and that everyone should be able to tell their story and share it with the world.
Screenwriting Demystified
with Fred Thorsen
Workshop #5 5:30-7:00pm
Fredrik Thorsen
Editor, Filmmaker, Instructor
Fredrik Thorsen is a writer, director, and editor. His first film, Wake Linda, a half-hour drama, won 1numuerous awards at international film festivals, including; the Palme d'Or (Grande Prize) at Huy World Festival of Short Films in Belgium, and the Best Fiction Film (short film category) at the Montreal World Film Festival. As an editor he as worked on feature films, television pilots, and feature length documentaries winning the Leo Award for Best Editing on a Feature Length Drama for Stone Of Destiny, director Charles Martin Smith.
Fredrick is a self-taught entrepreneur who founded Comet Post Production Inc., a post-production facility which provided state-of-the-art editing services for the local and international film & television industry for over 10 years.
Since 2009, Fredrik Thorsen has used his success as a filmmaker and editor to inspire hundreds of vulnerable youth in the downtown Eastside as key instructor at a non-profit charitable organization founded by the late William Vince, an Oscar-nominated Vancouver filmmaker and advocate for youth at risk.
Fredrik enjoys inspiring vulnerable young adults to overcome barriers and follow their filmmaking dreams. He believes that storytelling is at the heart of a thriving community, and that everyone should be able to tell their story and share it with the world.