This course is two full days of immersion in the world of imagination and storytelling. It provides stimulation and ideas for anyone interested in telling stories through pictures. Award-winning filmmaker Laurence Henson’s love of film and his experience and understanding of his subject matter makes this a very interesting weekend.

He uses many good examples to illustrate his points. The references are wide-ranging from Aristotle to recent TV programs and Ads. Even if you haven’t read that book or seen that film his explanations are very clear. He also uses video to demonstrate how every line of dialogue and every image used are essential to telling the story.

He explains plot development and shows how character drives the plot. He talks about ‘protagonist’ and ‘antagonist’ and how the story weaves around them and, when well done, seems to produce the inevitable but not glaringly obvious conclusion.

He shows familiar examples of screenwriting devices, such as ‘audience superior position’ where the audience knows more than the characters and, as he does, we are reminded of the pleasure of watching a well-made film. It is his expert deconstruction of the film making process that so enhances one’s understanding of cinema. Looking out for the things he shows us deepens one’s appreciation of the screenwriter’s craft.

This course does what it says it does. At €195 for two full days of tuition it is very good value for money. To finish off he gives each participant a book of additional ‘Course Notes’ that supplement the copious notes you are encouraged to make during the two days. All in all this course is entertaining, interesting and fun. It is also very good value for money, and for these reasons is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED