Got a story that’s stuck? A plot that won’t click? A world that’s just not coming to life?
Whether you’re dreaming up a film, a game, a series, a speech—or simply curious about how stories work—this online course is your creative toolkit.
Narration and Dramaturgy for Film, TV, Games, and More is not your average screenwriting class. It’s a deep dive into the ancient craft of storytelling, powered by more than 2000 years of performative wisdom—and adapted for today’s creative industries.
Think of dramaturgy as the behind-the-scenes magic: the structure, the rhythm, the "why" behind what makes a story stick. Whether you're a writer, designer, curator, or just obsessed with good stories, this course will give you the tools to build, fix, and finish your ideas—with clarity and confidence. And here’s the twist: courses like this are rare. Globally rare. And most aren’t open to curious outsiders. This one is.
So, if you’ve got a project in progress—or just want to see how deep the storytelling rabbit hole goes—join us. No jargon, no gatekeeping. Just centuries of narrative know-how, shared with today’s creators.
What is covered in the course?
The course outline is delivered through eight 2-hour sessions, once per week over 8 weeks, as follows:
Session 1: Introduction a. What is Dramaturgy/basic rules, and how does this support narration b. Introduction to explicit and implicit dramaturgy c. Linear-causal storytelling, also known as “new Hollywood form”
Session 2: Structures of Storytelling a. Deeper understanding of hero driven storytelling b. 3 act structure, known as US or Hollywood Narrative c. 5 act structures, which is the European tradition d. Further possible hero-driven structures
Session 3: Perspective, Point of View and Character Design a. Dramaturgical aspects to establish Perspective and point of view b. Relevance and dramaturgical specifics to the Chronotope, which is the time/space relation of the narrative c. Character design
Session 4: Open Form, “Puzzle Film”, Poetic Storytelling a. Non-linear storytelling, multi-perspective and poetic narratives b. Epic and episodic structures
Session 5: Spatial aspects of Mimesis, audio-visual dramaturgy a. Activation of Space as core element of open form dramaturgy b. Visual dramaturgy c. Implicit dramaturgy and referentiality
Session 6: Specifics of Characters and Ensemble in Open Form Narratives a. Character and Ensemble in open form dramaturgy b. Non-Heroic Protagonists, also known as Anti-heroes c. Non-human figures
Session 7: Introduction to Sound and Music Dramaturgy
Session 8: Introduction to Postmodern or Referential Narrations
Entry requirements
There are no specific entry requirements, this short course is suitable for anyone working on a film, a game, a series, a speech—or simply curious about how stories work.
Dates
Running for 2 hours each week over 8 weeks between 12 March 2026 to 30 April 2026
How you'll be taught and assessed
Delivery will be online.
There will be two assessment points on the course, both designed to support practical application and reflective learning. The two assignments are broken down as follows: 1. An analytical task focused on the dramaturgical structure of an existing narrative, and 2. A creative or practice-based task applying dramaturgical principles to their own storytelling project. Individual, constructive feedback is provided for each submission.
Award
A certificate of completion will be provided at the end of the course for those attending all 8 sessions
Cost
£300 including VAT
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