WHAT IS IT?

Story Arc.  We are all familiar with the term, but the crafting of one can seem daunting. 

Study JOURNEY and learn the building blocks of screenplay structure, one step at a time.

The Technique™ thinks of screenplay structure as a roller coaster ride through a truth. No story moves in a predictable straight line, it has rises and falls and loop de loops. Unexplained stops and diversions, and where it ends up, might just be somewhere you never expected.

In this Lab, you will learn how to: 

  1. Learn how to craft a story arc. 
  2. Find the structure that is unique and delivers what you want to say in a creative, compelling, utterly authentic way.  
  3. Discover what’s beyond the "Hero’s Journey".


You will gain an understanding of the transformative journey that has been central to Joan's work on films and television shows such as Transparent, Beginners, Arbitrage, Snow White and the Huntsman, Little Miss Sunshine, and Whale Rider. Now, you can experience The Technique™ to instantly connect you to the feeling, emotional depth, and rhythm of your work. 

Day 1: What's the Journey?

The first night of the Lab lays the groundwork for thinking about Story Structure in a different way. Learn the paradigm shifting philosophy behind The Technique™, and start thinking beyond the Hero's Journey.

Investigate the concepts of:

  1. The Roller Coaster Ride through a Truth
  2. State of Being
  3. Moving through a Mountain


Day 2: Sketching the Map

Learn the tools of Emotional Logic (aka the 5 Point Journey), and begin to sketch the emotional map of your story.

The Tools covered:

  1. First line....Last line
  2. Looking Under the Hood of the Car
  3. The Map Exercise
  4. Plot Point!


Day 3: Making it Move

Take what you learned in Day 2 a step further by using a scene written by a Lab Participant as a case study. Learn how to track the emotional logic of the Journey by using Script Analysis tools demonstrated by Joan.

Day 4: Online Q&A!

After the weekend intensive, a Monday night Q & A via Zoom allows you to slow down and integrate the learning. This lively night is always full of surprises as you connect with yourselves, each other and the work! 


WHEN:

JOURNEY: Oct 20-23, 2023

  1. Friday 10/20 - 7:00pm-10:00pm PT
  2. Saturday 10/21 - 1:00pm-7:00pm PT
  3. Sunday 10/22 - 1:00pm-7:00pm PT
  4. Monday 10/23 - 7:00pm-9:00pm PT - Online Q & A


WHERE:

  1. Live - Hands On: Join Joan in-person for an intimate, hands on experience in Los Angeles! (Limited class size)
  2. Live - Online: Join the Lab via Zoom and participate remotely from anywhere in the world! Find out more about the Live - Online experience here.


LOCATION:

MiMoDa Studio

5774 W. Pico Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 9001

Maplink: Click Here


TUITION:

The course is designed for professionals who wish to bring their skills to the next level.

The Tuition per participant is:

  1. Live - Hands On: $2660
  2. Live - Online: $1825


We love teams and groups that want to take the Lab together! Should you choose to study with your team, please note the tuition price is per participant, not per group. 

  1. You may pay by credit card.
  2. Payment Plans are available.
  3. Feel free to email us with questions!


APPLY & REGISTER:

  1. New Students: complete the Application Form at the bottom of the page.
  2. JSFL Alum: complete the Registration Form at the bottom of the page.
  3. Class size is limited.
  4. You will be placed on a waitlist should the Lab be at capacity. 

 

REFUND/CANCELLATION/MAKE-UP POLICY:

  1. There are no cancellations or refunds after booking.
  2. Students are responsible for payment in full whether or not they chose to attend all class sessions.
  3. Students who sign up for Live - Online, or Live - Hands On and are unable to attend live, may make up the classes they miss via media links. Media links are available for two weeks after the lab. 
  4. Extender passes are available should you wish to access media links longer than two weeks.

 

MEDIA LINK ACCESS:

  1. Participants benefit from extended access to the course via media links for two weeks after the Lab ends. This allows you to review and process the material at your own pace.
  2. Media links will be uploaded to Thinkific and available for two weeks.


 JSFL ALUMNI HUB:

  1. By attending a Lab, you receive access to our exclusive, curated community of incredibly talented JFSL Alumni.
  2. Find creative connections and support with like-minded artists from the Lab via Slack, Happy Hours, Ongoing Classes/Generators, and Alumni Meetups (both on Zoom and in-person.)
  3. Dynamic, personalized, interactive experiences with your colleagues allow you to practice the tools you are learning, and apply them to your own work.


BRINGING A PROJECT:

  1. There is no need to bring a project. 
  2. Although specific material is not necessary for the Lab Series, students sometimes like to bring in specific projects to refer to as Joan goes through the exercises.


DRESS TO MOVE:

  1. Sweats, yoga clothes (no jeans), and sneakers as if you were going to the gym
  2. No belts, earrings, or jewelry please. We want you to protect your bodies during floor work!
  3. Please note the lab is physical. You are free to observe at your comfort level. Please be respectful of your body and do not participate in the physical work if you have any physical injuries, illness, are on any medications, or are pregnant.

 

CLASS LEVEL:

  1. These are advanced classes for professional artists interested in exploring new practices, pushing their boundaries, and going deep.
  2. The Labs are physical.
  3. The work is feeling-based.
  4. Please note you may find the work to be uncomfortable. 
  5. There will be a mix of lectures and active exercises designed to investigate the meaning, structure, and emotional core of your project.
  6. You are welcome to observe or participate according to your comfort level. You will get just as much out of observing as participating.


WHO GOES? 

Whether you are Directing, Writing, Acting, or Producing, The Technique™ is essential in taking your career to the next level! The Lab Series is designed for film, episodic, commercial, and all content creators. It may be attended individually or by the entire team.

  1. Directors
  2. Writers 
  3. Actors 
  4. Producers 
  5. Executives
  6. Production 
  7. Designers
  8. Cinematographers
  9. Editors
  10. Brand Directors
  11. Any creatives who are interested in story!


WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE?

The Technique™ is the first, and only, entirely new approach to dramatic craft to be developed since The Method. A paradigm shifting approach to writing, directing and acting, The Technique™ throws out conflict as the source of story - and instead puts Meaning at the core.

The Technique™ is now the most influential craft utilized in Hollywood, impacting scores of groundbreaking films and tv shows, including Whale Rider, Little Miss Sunshine, Beginners and Transparent. Joan created the tools of The Technique through her own search for meaning in story, and evolved them by working closely on 84 features with first time or early career writer/directors. 

ABOUT JOAN:

Writer/Director/Producer/Teacher Joan Scheckel is the internationally-renowned creator of The Technique™, the most influential new approach to writing, directing, and filmmaking craft in Hollywood today. Joan is known as the “director’s guru” and a master teacher in the tradition of Stanislavski, Strasberg, and Joseph Campbell. Joan’s groundbreaking work challenges our cultural addiction to conflict and calls for a new storytelling paradigm that embraces feeling and meaning. Her innovations inform every level of the Mise-en-scène, from writing, acting, and directing to visual style.

Joan trains and then teams with directors to develop, workshop, write, direct and produce material from the ground up. Including such iconic hits as: Niki Caro’s Oscar Nominee Whale Rider, Dayton/Faris’s Oscar Winner Little Miss Sunshine, Mike Mills’s Oscar Winner Beginners (Executive Producer), Joey Soloway’s Emmy Winner Transparent (Consulting Producer), Joey Soloway’s Golden Globe Nominee I Love Dick (Producer), Sarah Shapiro’s Peabody Award Winner UnREAL, Rupert Sanders’s Oscar Nominee Snow White and the Huntsman, Nick Jarecki’s Golden Globe Nominee Arbitrage, Sacha Gervasi’s Spirit Award Winner Anvil Story of Anvil, Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation, Mark Romanek’s One Hour Photo, Miranda July’s The Future, (New Yorker Magazine Best of the Decade List), Liz Feldman’s Emmy Award Winner, Dead To Me, Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski’s Unorthodox, and many, many more.

Joan was also co-writer on The Vintner’s Luck, directed by Niki Caro (Mulan), starring Jeremie Renier and Vera Farmiga.

Overall, Joan has worked on 84 feature films and television shows. 74 came to her with unfinished drafts, no financing or cast, and with first-time or early-career writers/directors at the helm. 83 have been released, earning over 800 nominations and 406 wins including major category nods at the Oscars, Spirits, Golden Globes, Sundance, Cannes, Bafta, Emmys, PGA, DGA, etc. 

Joan has been profiled and featured for her work and her influence on a generation of directors in many articles and publications such as: NYTimes, LA Times, Marie Claire, Deadline, Indiewire, Vox, IF Magazine, California Sunday, The New York Observer, and more.

Now, Joan is poised to create a slate of books, films, labs (live and online), podcasts, and apps.

New Students Apply Here:

Alumni Register Here:

Questions?

Check out our FAQ page!