Shapeshifting: Creating Authentic Characters with Randall Jahnson

Meets Tues/Thurs 11am-12:30pm | Aug 11, Aug 13, Aug 18, Aug 20

To create believable characters, all successful artists, writers, directors, animators, and performers employ a unique ability that allows them to crawl into someone else’s skin, inhabit it, and express what it’s like to be that individual. We call this “shapeshifting.” This workshop will focus on how to use shapeshifting to make characters come alive in any medium. First, you will create a mindset, complete with complexity and a range of traits and emotions. Next, you’ll conjure a physical form, an appearance, a look. Then you’ll build an environment for your character, followed by the world itself, and the context for a story. Choose from writing and sketching to photography and film to render your creation. The end goal is an authentic, three-dimensional character that has a story to tell.

Randall Jahnson has 35 years of experience as a professional screenwriter. His credits include the punk rock western Dudes, The Doors, The Mask of Zorro, Sunset Strip, and episodes of Tales from the Crypt. Most recently, Jahnson penned two episodes of Narcos vs. Zombies, an Amazon Studios Spanish-language sci-fi-horror series. In addition, he has directed music videos for Henry Rollins, Black Flag, Stan Ridgway, and the Minutemen.

The Bodecker Foundation is pleased to announce our full schedule of FREE virtual workshops for high school students. Led by professional artists, musicians, writers, educators, and designers, our multidisciplinary creative workshops meet via Zoom and include a mix of online group activities and offline individual project work. Registration is open to rising 9th graders through Class of 2020 graduating seniors. Class size is generally limited to 12 students.

To sign up, please complete the following registration form and return to: workshops@bodeckerfound.org