storytelling
Dorothea Braemer: Tapping Your Inner Narrator
DATE: Saturday, September 13 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM
In this our 25th anniversary year we are pleased to welcome back former Scribe Program Coordinator, instructor, Street Movies!
Sonia Sanchez: Where Writing Comes From
DATES: Tuesdays, July 29, August 5, 12 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM
We are honored that the distinguished poet and playwright Sonia Sanchez will conduct a workshop this summer on writing audio monologues. Over three sessions, Sanchez will help participants find their voice through the process of creating a performance monologue. A soliloquy or monologue, told simply and directly, is what most thrills us about radio, theater and often film. The audio monologue is the essence of storytelling. Workshop participants are invited to come with an idea, an image or experience that they would like to explore and write about.
Making Radio Documentaries
DATES: Mondays, July 14, 21, 28 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Do you have an idea for a short radio documentary about a person, place or happening in West Philadelphia?
8-Week High Definition Production Workshop
DATES: Tuesdays, July 15 22, 29, August 5, 12, 19, 26, September 2 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM & Saturdays, July 19, 26, August 2, 9, 16, 23, no class 8/30, September 6 from 10:00 AM to noon
This workshop will cover all major aspects of scripting and shooting a short non-fiction film in High Definition video. Over the 8 weeks participants will refine their idea and shoot it using Scribe’s Sony ZIU HD Camera. The class includes instruction in scriptwriting, production planning, HD camera operation, lighting for HD and sound recording. Projects can not be longer than 10 minutes and those exploring personal visions, social issues and/or community life are encouraged. Participants will work together as crew on each others’ projects.
The Good Story: Intro to Scriptwriting
DATES: Thursdays, July 17, 24, 31, August 7, 14, 21 from 7:00-9:00 PM
This workshop is an introduction to the primary elements of story telling - passion for the idea, characters worth meeting, a message with meaning – as they relate to screenwriting. This workshop is designed for writer/producers with short fiction projects (under 30 minutes.) The workshop is designed to explore your personal voice and encourage a regular writing practice. Participants will be expected to do weekly writing assignments and should have a story idea that they are working on.
Planning a Low-Budget Documentary
DATES: Wednesdays, August 13, 20, 27, September 3, 10 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Have an idea for a video documentary project? This intensive workshop is designed for people who want to work in small-format video (DV and miniDV). We will focus on how to creatively develop and break down your idea into a one-page treatment and introduce materials to create project production schedules and a sample budget. This is the ideal workshop for first-time videomakers at the start of their projects.
Visualizing a Black Cinema

Saturday, April 26 from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
As a cinematographer Arthur Jafa has lensed striking images for Julie Dash, John Akomfrah and Spike Lee to name but a few. He is known for his longterm quest for an "authentic" black cinema. In his words “the idea(s) is obvious, the implementation is not.”
Writing Radio Drama
Thursdays, April 17, 24, May 1, 8 from 7:00-9:00 PM
Character, plot, story, description, soundscape, dialogue, these and more are the elements that combine in the author controlled medium of dramatic radio. This radio scriptwriting workshop will guide workshop participants through the process of creating short radio plays for WPEB. Participants should come to this workshop with a story idea on a topic or issue relevant to their community, and be prepared to get dramatic!
The Good Story: Intro to Scriptwriting
Tuesdays, April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20, 27 7:00-9:00
This workshop is an introduction to the primary elements of story telling - passion for the idea, characters worth meeting, a message with meaning – as they relate to screenwriting. The workshop is designed to explore your personal voice and encourage a regular writing practice. Participants will be expected to do weekly writing assignments and should have a story idea that they are working on.
Shooting and Preparing Video for the Web
Thursdays, April 17, 24, 1, 8
Video on the web is every where but good video on the web is harder to find. This workshop will introduce participants to ways of shooting video specifically destined for the web and then prepare your media to be uploaded for the world to see. Participants will learn new media concepts and best practices, as well as practical and hands on techniques on how to shoot, compress, encode, upload and distribute your video and audio on the internet. The workshop will cover working with the major media formats such as Windows, QuickTime, Realplayer, and Flash.