
How to Develop Dynamic Characters
Live online course
Live online course
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What do Get Out, Breaking Bad, Pulp Fiction, and Friends have in common? Each of these stories has memorable, multi-dimensional, and dynamic characters. You might have an unforgettable story with a compelling hook, but you also need to build complex characters and relationships that audiences connect with and invest in.
In this four-week course, you will take a deep dive into the inner workings of your characters with exercises designed to help bring them to life - from their backstory to their behavior and dialogue. Whether you are writing a feature-length screenplay or a television series, this course will provide you with tools to flesh out your cast of primary and secondary characters, which will ultimately help strengthen your story.
What you bring to the course:
- An interest in learning how to create characters from the ground up.
- A character, screenplay, or episodic idea that you would like to develop (you do not need to have a screenplay or pilot to participate).
What you’ll get from the course:
- An understanding of what makes a well-developed character
- Approaches to develop your characters and create turning points in their journey
- Exercises to give characters a life of their own through behavior and dialogue
This course will:
- Provide tools and techniques to apply to any project.
- Connect you with other creators via a discussion board where you can discuss core concepts and share your work.
- Highlight successful screenplays with dynamic characters
For an additional fee of $150, you may elect to meet with your Instructor for a 45-minute 1-1 session during the course term. You would submit work in advance and then in this 1-1 session, your Instructor would provide feedback on one of the following documents:
- A character breakdown (no more than three pages)
- A synopsis of your story (no more than three pages)
- A selected scene from your work (no more than five pages)
A limited number of need-based scholarships are available and are considered on a rolling basis as they are received. Those who apply earlier will have a greater chance of getting support. To apply for a scholarship, please complete the registration form and follow the instructions on the left side to fill out a scholarship application.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.
Have questions? View our FAQ section or contact us anytime at collab_courses@sundance.org.
Tuesday, November 12
- 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (PT)
Wednesday, November 13
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT)
Wednesday, November 20
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT)
Tuesday, November 26
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT)
NO CLASS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Wednesday, December 4
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT)
Wednesday, December 11
- 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT)
Have questions? View our FAQ section or contact us anytime at collab_courses@sundance.org.
In Sundance Collab’s Live Online courses, participants attend live, virtual class sessions on the same day and time for a specified period. These sessions are led by an instructor and in some cases, supported by a team of advisors. In some courses, you are given assignments with submission deadlines to help you take the next step with your work.
- Each week you will be able to attend live lectures via Zoom video and ask questions of your instructor.
- In some courses, you will receive individualized feedback from your course advisor on elements of your work.
- In some courses, you will have the opportunity to have a 45-minute one-on-one session with your advisor.
All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register for Sundance Collab courses. Please review the course description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the course is a good fit. If you have any questions about a course, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Note that space is limited. If the registration window is open, you will see a “Register” button on the course page. If there is an application, applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the course is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first.
We do not allow creative partners to do our live online courses as a team. However, both creators can individually register for the course.
Some of Sundance Collab’s courses involve teaching teams. In these cases, each class is led by an Instructor and they are accompanied by additional course advisors. This allows us to keep an intimate ratio of participants to advisors and to provide a diversity of voices and approaches to the course content.
We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship,complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button and selecting the option to apply for a scholarship, if available.
Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course. In this case, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.
Yes, we offer two or three-part payment plans for Live Online courses, depending on the length of the course. In all cases, the first payment is due at the point of registration. The remaining payment(s) are spread out throughout the course term. For specific payment plan dates for a course, please reach out to our team at: collab_courses@sundance.org.
Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online course even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each class session are available online by the following day so you can keep up with the course lectures. For courses that include a one-on-one session with an advisor, the meeting with your advisor is scheduled according to your (and their) availability. There is also a private class discussion board where you can communicate with fellow participants outside of class hours.
All sessions are recorded and usually made available within 24 hours. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the class session, viewable in the video playbar.
Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last class session.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.
You can find any courses that you are enrolled in or have already completed in the profile section of your Sundance Collab account under “Courses.”
You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our live, online courses are conducted via Zoom.
Download and set up the Zoom software (https://zoom.us/download) and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:
- Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page
- Join a Live Training from Zoom
If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.
Have other questions? We would be happy to answer them. Contact us anytime at collab_courses@sundance.org.