Jackson Wild is proud to present a Narration Writing Masterclass - an opportunity for Jackson Wild Collective members to take their narration writing skills to the next level in crafting more impactful stories. Is there anything worse than bad narration? Led by Carol L. Fleisher an award-winning writer, producer and director with over 40 years of experience in the natural history/documentary industry, this 7-week (4 sessions) online interactive masterclass will offer practical tips from some of the best writers and insightful network commissioners in the natural history field. You will have a hands-on narration project that you will refine throughout the length of the course. This Masterclass will benefit a writer who has a beginner to intermediate understanding of the craft. This masterclass will be fully conducted in English, and proficient English writing skills are essential.
The Writing Masterclass will take place on Zoom every other Wednesday for 7 weeks, starting at 10am MDT / 12pm EDT / 6pm CEST / 9:30pm IST and lasting for 90-minutes to two hours. Participants will also be expected to commit 3-5 hours on their own to prepare for each week's session. The first session will be on June 15, and the last on July 27. The Narration Writing Masterclass will accept 10 Fellows for hands-on experience/critique, in addition to an extended group of view-only session participants.
Participants will need to have reliable internet access. If prohibitive data costs will be incurred to take part in the course, please reach out to angelica@jacksonwild.org, as a data stipend may be provided.
Free of charge, this Masterclass is made possible by the generous contributions of Carol L. Fleisher / fleisherfilm, Love Nature, and the Jackson Wild Collective.
The Writing Masterclass will take place on Zoom every other Wednesday for 7 weeks, starting at 10am MDT / 12pm EDT / 6pm CEST / 9:30pm IST and lasting for 90-minutes to two hours. Participants will also be expected to commit 3-5 hours on their own to prepare for each week's session. The first session will be on June 15, and the last on July 27. The Narration Writing Masterclass will accept 10 Fellows for hands-on experience/critique, in addition to an extended group of view-only session participants.
Participants will need to have reliable internet access. If prohibitive data costs will be incurred to take part in the course, please reach out to angelica@jacksonwild.org, as a data stipend may be provided.
Free of charge, this Masterclass is made possible by the generous contributions of Carol L. Fleisher / fleisherfilm, Love Nature, and the Jackson Wild Collective.
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Application Deadline: May 23, 2022
Questions? Email angelica@jacksonwild.org
Questions? Email angelica@jacksonwild.org
Timeline
April 28: Applications Open
May 23: Applications Close
June 1: Applicants Notified
June 15: 1st Session
June 29: 2nd Session
July 13: 3rd Session
July 27: 4th Session
April 28: Applications Open
May 23: Applications Close
June 1: Applicants Notified
June 15: 1st Session
June 29: 2nd Session
July 13: 3rd Session
July 27: 4th Session
Curriculum
The Narration Writing Masterclass will take place on Zoom every other Wednesday for 7 weeks, starting at 12pm EDT / 10am MDT / 6pm SAST and lasting for 90-minutes to two hours.
Before the first session, we will distribute 5 clips (approximately 5-7 minutes each). Required viewing - but with narration stripped out. Carol will also share 3 great writing examples (full shows) - required viewing prior to the first session.
Week 1: June 15
ASSIGNMENT: Write narration for one of the five pre-selected clips.
Break: June 22
No seminar this week, this time will be used for participants to work on their individual projects.
Week 2: June 29
HOMEWORK: Continue working on script for selected clip.
Break: July 6
No seminar this week, this time will be used for participants to work on their scripts.
Week 3: July 13
ASSIGNMENT: Re-write / re-cut as necessary
Break: July 20
No seminar this week, this time will be used for participants to work on their individual projects.
Week 4: July 27
Week 1: June 15
- Pre-written narration intro of selves
- Intros and Overview
- Guest Speakers: Allison Argo, Hashem Al-Ghaili
- Clips stripped of narration and music
- You will research and write narration
- Choose music
- Notes from Carol along the way
- How to approach narration
- Index cards
- Normal story development vs. 5 minute clip
- CMX vs. seamless
- Research
- Does the narrator have a POV or personality?
- Philosophically (vocabulary inclusive of audience vs. “teaching” / poetry vs. just clear info / how “airy?”)
- When to shut the f*$%^ up
- How much contextualizing - Fred Kaufman
- ORIGINALITY - important?Thanks for this, Tina!
- Choosing between NARRATION VS. TEXT/GRAPHICS
- Which comes first - images vs. words?
- BIGGEST CRIME A NARRATION WRITER CAN COMMIT???
- Rules: avoid these 10 mistakes
- ALWAYS READ OUT LOUD
- Choose a scratch music track (sometimes editor, producer or director will) to enhance emotional content (vs. just information)
- Motivating action in the audience (is seeing a solution enough? shame vs. inspiration)
- Talk about assigned clips and the differences amongst them - how to approach each
- Deadlines & practicalities
ASSIGNMENT: Write narration for one of the five pre-selected clips.
Break: June 22
No seminar this week, this time will be used for participants to work on their individual projects.
Week 2: June 29
- Guest Speakers: Candice Odgers, Jorge Bolado & Miguel Labastida
- Working with an editor
- Cut to music or not?
- Global perspectives
- Dealing with numbers for international audiences
- Poetry vs. prose
- Q&A with panel for specific follow-up
HOMEWORK: Continue working on script for selected clip.
Break: July 6
No seminar this week, this time will be used for participants to work on their scripts.
Week 3: July 13
- Playback - new cuts
- 11 Fellows will present their cuts to a panel of Executive Producers, who will provide live feedback
- EPs: Beth Hoppe, Jorge Franzini, and Tria Thalman
ASSIGNMENT: Re-write / re-cut as necessary
Break: July 20
No seminar this week, this time will be used for participants to work on their individual projects.
Week 4: July 27
- FINAL SCREENINGS
- Carol, Diana El-Osta, and James Manfull provide notes and panel/Q&A
Meet Carol
Carol L. Fleisher
fleisherfilm
Carol L. Fleisher has spent the last four decades making documentaries for television. She is the proud recipient of the Writers’ Guild of America Award for her film, THE SECRET WHITE HOUSE TAPES (co-written by William Doyle). Carol’s six-hour telling of THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, narrated by Charles Kuralt, won the CableACE Award for Best Documentary Series. She is one of only two documentary filmmakers to be honored with the prestigious Humanitas Prize for two consecutive years. Her work has also garnered eight Cine Golden Eagles, a Golden Globe, a Golden Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival, a Gold Award from the Houston Film Festival, two Genesis Awards and two Emmy Awards.
One of Carol’s projects, the Emmy-Award-winning WHY DOGS SMILE & CHIMPANZEES CRY, premiered on The Discovery Channel to rave reviews and outstanding ratings. While this film is on the subject of animal emotions, her CHASING EL NINO was a scientific adventure for PBS’s NOVA series. NAVY SEALs: Their Untold Stories – the first authorized documentary on the history of the storied teams – was one of PBS’s highest rated programs when it premiered. “I like that I’ve been able to avoid being ‘pigeon-holed’ in my career. I’ve made films on everything from prisoners of war to singing cowboys... from stolen children to Mother Teresa. I love my job.”
fleisherfilm
Carol L. Fleisher has spent the last four decades making documentaries for television. She is the proud recipient of the Writers’ Guild of America Award for her film, THE SECRET WHITE HOUSE TAPES (co-written by William Doyle). Carol’s six-hour telling of THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, narrated by Charles Kuralt, won the CableACE Award for Best Documentary Series. She is one of only two documentary filmmakers to be honored with the prestigious Humanitas Prize for two consecutive years. Her work has also garnered eight Cine Golden Eagles, a Golden Globe, a Golden Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival, a Gold Award from the Houston Film Festival, two Genesis Awards and two Emmy Awards.
One of Carol’s projects, the Emmy-Award-winning WHY DOGS SMILE & CHIMPANZEES CRY, premiered on The Discovery Channel to rave reviews and outstanding ratings. While this film is on the subject of animal emotions, her CHASING EL NINO was a scientific adventure for PBS’s NOVA series. NAVY SEALs: Their Untold Stories – the first authorized documentary on the history of the storied teams – was one of PBS’s highest rated programs when it premiered. “I like that I’ve been able to avoid being ‘pigeon-holed’ in my career. I’ve made films on everything from prisoners of war to singing cowboys... from stolen children to Mother Teresa. I love my job.”
