In addition to writing and directing, Aaron is happy to offer a variety of workshops and intensives. These trainings include techniques and learning opportunities previously presented at Pixar, LucasFilm, and more!
Wordstrut
ONE-ON-ONE
Aaron is available for manuscript reading, script development and consultation. In these meetings, your questions will be addressed directly, giving you specific guidance as
you go forward with your writing. A variety of packages are available, from single sessions to ongoing dramaturgical services, to meet your needs.
photo courtesy of theatre dybbuk - "Cave..." development
"In a writing emergency, grab this book!" - Tom Jacobson, Playwright
"Both lighthearted and thoughtful, the book's goal is to help each of us find our play by asking the right questions of ourselves and of the world." - Oliver Mayer, Associate Professor of Dramatic Writing, USC
"Ingeniously uses exercises to end-run the enemies of creative freedom (intellectual over-analysis, fear, self-doubt, a tendency to get stuck in familiar patterns) and open the heart and mind of the artist to fresh, imaginative possibilities" - Michael Michetti, Co-Artistic Director, The Theatre @ Boston Court
ONE DAY INTENSIVES
A series of writing workshops which can be brought to your theatre or production company.
These experiences are also great for writers' groups!
> Creating Scenes that speak clearly
This 3-hour writing workshop will help all participants craft scenes that contain dialogue which is filled with personality and actions that speak louder than words. We will look at the different ways one can approach scene creation and find what methods are most effective for moving the story forward. Each participant will write pages of new material during the session.
> What Lies Beneath: Dreams, Nightmares, Fantasies and Desires
This 3 hour class helps a storyteller get under the skin of a character and find out what lurks there. A character will be presented with a dilemma. All participants will then explore the interior landscape of their character's process for dealing with this problem. The character may float off into space and have a conversation with a planet or she might have a boxing match with her mother. After that exploration, the character will return to the dilemma and offer a resolution. The character and the beats of his or her process will have been exposed.
> Action as Character and Characters in Action
This 4 hour session allows all participants to craft a scene in multiple ways. First, a scene will be written using only dialogue. Then, that same scene will be written using only action/screen direction. Lastly, the scene will be imagined using elements from both. This process of creation allows the storyteller to see all the options and to choose from them in a way that allows for all of a story's beats to be precise in their communication.
TALKS
These 1 to 2 hour seminars can help to get your students and collaborators thinking in new ways about their writing.
> Story vs. Plot
How does one tie together the themes, character arcs and meanings inside your screenplay with the important information and turns of the plot? How can one make sure that exposition is kept to a minimum and dramatic action leads the way?
> Staying true to the theme
How do you discover and stay true to the main theme of your piece? How do you make sure that you leave the story, and thus the audience, where you intend?
> Getting to know your characters
How do you discover who your characters are and how they operate? How do characters not just become pawns in a plot but the ones who, from their own perspectives, move the piece forward?
> Dialogue as action
How can we create dialogue that feels true and authentic? How do we decide what must be said and what can remain unspoken? How do we use dialogue to keep the story in motion?
To learn more, contact Aaron.
photo courtesy of L.A. Contemporary Dance Co.