What: Want to get a first hand look at what filmmakers do to adapt literature into film? Award-winning film director Chet Pancake (Queer Genius, Black Diamonds) welcomes you to participate in a free collaborative scene analysis workshop for his new short film Me and My Daddy based on the short story by award-winning writer Ann Pancake.

In the workshop, we will read scenes from the original short story and review the scenes in screenplay form.  Chet will lead the group through narrative fictional scene analysis exercises to bring the scene to life crafting character elements, motivations, and actions.  Participants will gain basic skills and experience with the technical craft of dramatic scene-building for fiction films.  Each participant will bring their own personal stories, history, and experiences to the work. Participants will craft the world of the scene together beginning with a character they most relate to and working through the character that is the least like them.  The result will be a rich and complex understanding of the scene and story from the perspective of those with lived experience in Appalachian culture.  

Why:  We will have a lot of fun! The workshop will open up new avenues for anyone to think about how we experience literature and film. If you are a writer, filmmaker, or theater practitioner this is a great chance to offer your thoughts and insights to the process. Past workshop participants have said that the workshop has deepened their appreciation and understanding of how dramatic stories are crafted. The feedback from the Collaborative Workshops will assist Chet in building authentic and complex characters from an Appalachian frame of mind.  The goal of the workshop is to promote fictional filmmaking in Appalachia to increase and improve the visibility of authentic stories and characters.

Who: Anyone who loves Appalachian stories, literature, films, and music.  The workshop might be particularly helpful to those who are looking to gain more skills for adapting literature or creating their own fictional film / movie work from an Appalachian perspective.

Cost: Free and refreshments will be provided.

What do I bring?:  Just yourself and a notepad for writing.