Although your novel is made up of individual scenes, in truth those scenes are not individual at all, but part of an escalating internal and external cause-and-effect trajectory. Each scene is made up of myriad layers, and performs multiple tasks: they move subplots forward, give the reader insight into the protagonist, develop secondary characters, ratchet up what’s at stake, foreshadow what’s to come, and trigger changes that will ripple throughout the novel.

Wow, that’s a lot! How do you keep track of it? And how do you get it onto the page so that all those layers merge to create what reads as a seamless whole? That’s exactly what we’ll unravel, giving you a clear, concise, and concrete method of making sure that every scene you write not only serves the story you’re telling but rivets the reader.

Never again will you face that frustrating struggle, wondering if the scene you’re contemplating is relevant or not. You’ll learn how to identify and create each layer in every scene, bringing your story to life and creating the irresistible sense of reality that hijacks the reader’s brain.

In this session you’ll learn:

- What makes a scene work, and what every scene must do in order to be relevant and riveting.

- Maddeningly common mistakes writers make when writing scenes and how to deftly avoid them.

- How to keep track of every layer in your story – scene-by-scene -- from beginning to end.

- Why you should never write scenes out of order.

No matter how beautiful your work is, it won’t sell if it’s not presented in a polished, professional way. In Design, Print, and Build Your Own Portfolio, Bonnie Christine will take you through the complete portfolio design process, so you’ll feel confident about showing your work.

Bonnie Christine is a surface pattern designer and mother hen of the Roost Tribe, an inspirational community for creatives. 

In this class she’ll teach you how to:
 

- Design your portfolio and develop your pages

- Print, build and bind your portfolio

- Stand out from the crowd and contact companies

Designers, photographers, and artists will all learn about what belongs in a portfolio and what to leave out. Bonnie will help you design a portfolio that reflects your true style and helps you attract the kind of clients you really want to work with.

If you’ve been putting off putting together your portfolio, this class will help you get motivated to assemble a portfolio that showcases your work and demonstrates exactly how talented you really are.

It is common to be intimidated by math and money, but managing your business’s finances doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Bookkeeping for Crafters with Lauren Venell will give you the confidence and skills you need to start and maintain your own small business ledger.

Lauren is an artist and educator committed to making financial solvency accessible to independent entrepreneurs. In Bookkeeping for Crafters, you’ll learn the basics of managing your money and how doing it yourself can reveal important opportunities for your business.

You’ll learn about managing different types of income and expense accounts and how to painlessly prepare for tax time. Lauren will make predicting fluctuations in your cash flow straightforward and easy while helping you develop a system that is right for you – even if you prefer pen and paper over spreadsheets.

If you are ready to change your relationship to money and manage a ledger that is customized to the way you do business – this is the class for you.

Be sure to check out Lauren's other course Bookkeeping for Etsy Sellers.

To get the best portrait straight out of the camera you need to control your light. Family and Newborn Photographer, Sandra Coan, walks through how easy it is to use lights with your film camera for the most control over how your image ultimately looks. In this course, Sandra will talk about how to approach your photoshoot by thinking about not only your subject but also the film and the light you want to create.

You’ll learn:

- How to sync the flash with your film camera

- How to meter for your subject and the light you’re adding to the image

- How to choose the best film based on what you’d like the final image to look like

Throughout history, photographers have been using flash with film cameras. In this course, Sandra will cover everything to give you the knowledge to start taking portraits with your camera and strobes.

When starting out in Sports Photography it’s difficult to begin finding your creative style. Going out and practicing with friends or local athletes is the best way to start building your portfolio. But what happens when you want to take your images to the next level?

Join Red Bull Photographer Dustin Snipes, as he takes you on a journey through the creative process behind photographing 3 sports at 5 locations with 5 athletes. He'll be working with students to show the best ways to communicate and inspire the athletes he's photographing, as well as how to maximize time spent with them. Dustin takes students through the challenges of photographing in direct sunlight, at public locations, in parks with mixed light, and in water.

Dustin teaches:

- How to photograph basketball athletes, triathletes, and a fencer

- The pros and cons to working outside in direct sunlight

- How to communicate with and work with professional athletes and non-pros

- Working through unique challenges of on-location shoots

- Lighting techniques to capture the athlete

- On-location portraits

- Freeze motion and capture water to get that hero shot

- How to use motion blur to capture a moving bicycle

- The importance of being flexible on location to maximize your surroundings

Do you dream of taking professional athlete’s portraits? Do you want to have your images on the covers of magazines? Then join Dustin Snipes as he teaches you his secrets to maximizing locations in short periods of time, communicating with athletes to get the most out of their movements, and lighting a scene to capture the frame you want. 

Understanding how your camera functions is a start, but in order to capture the best images, you need to know more than what buttons to push.  Julia Kelleher will walk you through some likely beginner photographer scenarios to show how to work in multiple situations, compose your image and get the most from your subjects. Whether you purchased your camera to take photos of your children, your friends or even products you are hoping to sell, Julia will show you how to feel comfortable in any environment.

In this class Julia will show you: 

- Taking pictures of children: how to work with energetic subjects, what compositions are safest as well as poses and ideas to keep them engaged 

- Taking pictures of groups: be it your friends, coworkers or clients- learn the best approaches for group photos so you can capture people looking their best 

- Products: If you’re starting a business or selling your belongings online, a great picture goes a long way in helping a buyer choose your product 

- Headshots or banner photos: learn techniques to get professional headshots or captivating banner photos for your social media or website 

- How to work with natural light and control it in your favor, as well as inexpensive options to help improve your lighting quality 

If you’re new to working with a professional camera, this class will give you the confidence to capture an image in any scenario with your expensive purchase. Make the most out of every situation by learning to compose, pose, direct and light your subjects.  

Creative Studio Lighting is part of our special bundle Lighting Toolkit.

Join award-winning photographer Lindsay Adler for an introduction to the essentials of creating high-impact studio lighting with minimal fuss or expense.

Drawing on years of experience, Lindsay will introduce you to the basics of studio lighting and give you strategies to apply these basics in creative ways. Along the way, you’ll explore unusual light modifiers, crafty ways for working with limited gear, tips for ensuring that light is flattering, and more!

This course will inspire anyone ready to take their work to the next level, whether you’re a veteran photographer or just starting out.

The most overwhelming, yet critical step for the screenwriter is the first draft. Staring at a blank sheet of paper can induce "writer's block" faster than any other challenge facing a screenwriter. Screenwriting: The Art of the First Draft will equip you with a roadmap for tackling your initial draft and guide you to the next steps on the scriptwriting journey. 

In this class, Hal Ackerman will teach you how to jumpstart the writing process and complete a written first draft of your screenplay.

You’ll learn how to:

- Organize your ideas into scenes and acts

- Approach character development and dialogue

- Take next steps after the first draft is complete

Hal has been teaching screenwriting to students at UCLA since 1985. He has sold material to all the broadcast networks and authored well-known books on the art of screenplay writing and selling In this class, he’ll offer actionable insights on developing your concepts and turning your ideas into a compelling and complete script.

Screenwriting: The Art of the First Draft is your opportunity to learn how to conquer one of screenwriting’s greatest challenges and get your ideas developed and down on paper. 

Check out our complete collection of filmmaking classes here. 

Get off your computer and play! Drawing the Everyday Every Day is your guide to exploring your creativity and integrating a drawing habit into your daily routine.

In this class, you’ll learn:

- How to develop themes for your drawings

- Options for presenting your content: zines, prints, Instagram, etc.

- Ways to add color to black and white drawings using Photoshop

Kate will inspire you to explore the everyday by simply drawing what's around you. It is okay if it is completely about your own experiences – in the particular lies the universal.

It doesn’t matter whether you think you “can draw” or not, everyone has a story to tell and you can learn how to tell yours and get drawing inspiration from Kate Bingaman-Burt in Drawing the Everyday Every Day. 

Sometimes, the best light in photography is free. In this 90-minute class, learn how to manipulate ambient lighting into studio-like lighting conditions. From window light to working outdoors, learn to harness available light to create a variety of styles, from soft, flattering portraits to dramatic directional light. Go behind the scenes of a live natural light shoot with artist Sue Bryce to bounce light, bend light, soften the light, and create drama with intense light.

While natural light is beautiful, it's also affordable. Work with inexpensive accessories like $35 V-flats and a $15 homemade scrim to turn a single-window into several lighting patterns using different techniques. Discover how to use modifiers to turn bad light into the kind of light that flatters anyone. Then in the final lesson, learn how to replicate natural light with studio lighting gear for beautiful light at any time.

WHO THIS CLASS IS FOR:

- Beginning photographers eager to learn simple lighting

- Intermediate photographers ready to expand lighting skills

- Photographers struggling to manipulate natural light

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:

Portrait artist Sue Bryce built a career using natural light. Her lighting style helps create contemporary, fashion-inspired portraiture without expensive studio gear. Awarded the Portrait Photographer of the Year -- twice -- Sue is a master portrait photographer specializing in a style of portraiture that helps women recognize their own beauty.