Bringing Your Characters to Life

SCRIPT X 464.2E

Employ powerful acting techniques to help you develop and refine characters from your projects.

READ MORE ABOUT THIS COURSE
In Person
Starting at $720.00
As few as 12 weeks
3.0

What you can learn.

  • Learn how actors approach building characters to help you write vibrant roles in your work
  • Get tips that will help you refine pitches and pilot ideas
  • Engage in improvisational exercises and monologue performances to understand how character and performance relate
  • Leave class with several original characters you’ve deepened through these techniques

About this course:

It’s been proven that by using acting techniques including scene study and improvisation, the writer can go deeper into character and story development. This course teaches the writer how to approach the creation of a character from the vantage point of the actor. Since characters are the most important component to any script, learning to use the tools employed by actors to capture their roles will pave the way for the writer to create the most well-defined character for his story. In addition, it can enhance the writing of the script and is a great tool for fine-tuning the writer’s pitch for episodic and pilot ideas. We cover the basic principles of character exploration. Where is the character’s dominating center of energy? Class members participate in improvisational exercises and act in the monologues, sketches and scenes they have written. By the end of the term, each writer creates several original characters for a pilot or episodic story concept grown out of class work.

Winter 2025 Schedule

Date & Time
Details
Format
 
-
Monday 7:00PM - 10:00PM PT
Canceled
See Details
Instructor: Barry Vigon
401037
Fee:
$720.00
In Personformat icon
Location: UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
Notes

No meeting January 20 and February 17.

Enrollment limited to 15 students; early enrollment advised. Visitors not permitted. Internet access required.

This course meets in person at the designated class meeting time and location. Students must be present at the course meeting time as each student’s final grade may include scores for participation. Please inform your instructor if you will miss a class meeting. You are responsible for any class information you missed. We suggest you arrange with a fellow classmate to share their notes when feasible.

Refund Deadline
No refunds after January 20, 2025
Course Requirements
Internet access required to retrieve course materials.
TV WRITERS WORKBOOK by SANDLER, ELLEN
INSIDE THE ROOM : WRITING TELEVISION WITH THE PROS AT UCLA EXTENSION WRITERS' PROGRAM by VENIS, LINDA
(Optional) IMPROVISATION FOR THE THEATER : A HANDBOOK OF TEACHING AND DIRECTING TECHNIQUES by SPOLIN, VIOLA
Schedule
Type
Date
Time
Location
Discussion
Mon Jan 6, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Discussion
Mon Jan 13, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Online
Mon Jan 27, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Online
Mon Feb 3, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Online
Mon Feb 10, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Discussion
Mon Feb 24, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Discussion
Mon Mar 3, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Discussion
Mon Mar 10, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Discussion
Mon Mar 17, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Discussion
Mon Mar 24, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center

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