Calling all creators of comic books and graphic novels!

COMICS MASTERMIND™ 2019 TRAINING PROGRAM

 Comics Mastermind™ is delighted to roll out the first stage of its 2019 short course program for aspiring and emerging comics creators, as well as cartoonists, authors and illustrators who want to cross mediums and learn more about writing comic books and graphic novels.

THE MECHANICS OF VISUAL STORYTELLING: Mastering the Comic Book and Graphic Novel Script

DATE: Tuesday 26 March and Tuesday 2 April 2019

TIME: 6:30 to 8.00pm (AEST – Sydney / Melbourne time)

DURATION: 1.5 hours x 2 weeks (3 hours)

PRESENTER: Jason Franks

This short course for beginners will provide you with the tools for getting started in comics, and give you insights into:

• Understanding visual narrative (the “comics” medium), as well as its genres, styles and publishing categories (including graphic novels!)

• Becoming acquainted with comics jargon

• Understanding the writing process from outline to page / panel breakdown to FULL script… and how to communicate ideas clearly and concisely to your artist and publisher

• Utilising visual storytelling tools appropriately to serve the narrative and the character journey

• Translating story structure into comics formats

• Controlling pacing through your story

• Establishing panel points of view (AKA shots) effectively

• Understanding the fundamentals of dialogue

• And other important rules of visual storytelling.

For more information please visit: https://www.comicsmastermind.com/short-courses/the-mechanics-of-visual-storytelling/

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VISUAL STORYTELLING SUCCESS SYSTEM: How to Write Comic Books and Graphic Novels

DATE: Tuesday 9 April to Tuesday 28 May 2019 

TIME: 6:30 to 8.00pm (AEST – Sydney / Melbourne time)

DURATION: 1.5 hours x 8 weeks (12 hours)

PRESENTER: Julie Ditrich

This short course provides you with a step-by-step system that will get you started as a visual storyteller, and will give you insights into:

• Visual Narrative Techniques

• Characterisation

• Story Structure

• Plotting and Dialogue

• Show and Don’t Tell

• And other important aspects of graphic narrative.

For more information please visit: https://www.comicsmastermind.com/short-courses/visual-storytelling-success-system/

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The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a partner organisation, and members qualify for special discounts off the short courses program.

Online Comics Mastermind™ Program 2017—Summer Season

Comics Mastermind™ is delighted to roll out the Summer season in its 2017 Masterclass and Short Course Program. There are three options available for aspiring and emerging comics creators, as well as authors and illustrators who want to cross mediums and learn more about writing comic books, graphic novels and comic strips.

THE MECHANICS OF VISUAL STORYTELLING™: Mastering the Comic Book and Graphic Novel

Script Presenter: Jason Franks

Wednesday 1 February 2017 from 6:30pm to 9:00pm (Online)

There is a steep learning curve for the beginning writer of comics and graphic novels. Publishers and artists will rarely read a script if it is laid out poorly and does not provide clear storytelling across the pages and panels appropriate to the format of the book. This masterclass provides beginner practitioners with the skills to write full scripts correctly and to employ the tools of visual storytelling to serve the narrative, character and story structure.

More information: http://www.comicsmastermind.com/training/masterclasses/the-mechanics-of-visual-storytelling/

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COMICS STRIPPED BARE™ SERIES – Swamp

Presenter: Gary Clark

Saturday 18 February 2017 from 10:00am to 12:00pm (Online)

Multi-award winning cartoonist Gary Clark talks about his daily comic strip Swamp, which has been syndicated across Australia and Europe since the 1980s. In this masterclass he will dissect 12 hand-picked comic strips – panel by panel – from a 35 strip serial he produced as an experiment in form. Gary will discuss the creative decision-making process behind the serial, and compare and contrast it with his self-contained, stand alone gag strips. He will not only focus on WHAT has been written and illustrated in each panel, but WHY, paying special attention to scripting, his cast of characters within the Swamp universe (The Aviators, Swamp Dwellers, Fringe Dwellers, and The Establishment), art style, colour palette, layouts and panel points of view (AKA shots), gags and pay offs, emotional resonance, and more.

More information: http://www.comicsmastermind.com/training/comics-stripped-bare-series/comics-stripped-bare-series-with-gary-clark/

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Comics Mastermind™ will also host a FREE online BREAKOUT SESSION with founder and CEO Julie Ditrich on 25 January 2017 from 6:30 to 7:30pm (Online). A breakout session helps aspiring and emerging comics creators discover ways they can utilise the Comics Mastermind™ professional development services to help them move towards achieving their publishing ambitions and goals. 

For more information: http://www.comicsmastermind.com/about/breakout-sessions/

SCBWI is a partner organisation, and members qualify for a special discount of $77 off the masterclasses, which is a saving of $20 off the full fee.

For more information on Comics Mastermind™ please visit: http://www.comicsmastermind.com/

Masterclass for Comics Creators, Authors and Illustrators (Melbourne)

 

UNBLOCK YOUR CREATIVE BLOCK: How To Access Your Infinite Imagination and Free Your Creativity — A Masterclass for Comics Creators, Authors and Illustrators (Melbourne)

Does any of this sound familiar?

• You sit down to begin writing, and many hours later you’re still staring at a blank screen or page.
• You pull out your sketchbook to rough out some illustrations or sequential art, but start focusing on the housework instead.
• Every time you finish a creative project you feel a sense of dread in the pit of your stomach, wondering when (or if) you’re ever going to write or illustrate again.
• You’ve received praise for your first published book, but enter a state of inertia because you have absolutely NO idea what your second one is going to be about.
• You’ve been prolific in a particular niche or genre and now want to break out and experiment, but your fear of entering your “discomfort” zone has paralysed you.

If this sounds like you, then know you’re not alone. In fact, MANY writers, artists and comics creators struggle with these very same issues. And that’s because there is a common thread running thro ugh all of these problems—

They don’t understand how their greater subconscious mind—the seat of their creativity—operates, or indeed how to access this free flowing inspirational state over and over again with ease.

So how do you make friends with your creativity?

All will be answered within this 2.5 hour masterclass, presented by writer / editor, and ex clinical hypnotherapist, Julie Ditrich, in MELBOURNE on Saturday 22 October 2016 at The Wheeler Centre. When you register for this masterclass you’re going to discover a simple proven 5-step system that will help you banish creative blocks, so you can truly find your creative voice and focus on achieving the writing or illustration career of your dreams.

SCBWI is a partner organisation, and members qualify for a special discount of $77, which is a saving of $20 off the full fee.

For more information go to: http://www.comicsmastermind.com/training/masterclasses/unblock-your-creative-block/