Previous Seminar and Workshop Offerings
If your organization would like to offer one of the below seminars from previous years, please get in touch!
"Hell Hath No Fury: Elevating Women in Horror Writing" - Women Making Waves Conference, WIFT-At - 2020
Since the advent of the horror genre, audiences have been thrilled, titillated shocked and horrified - but when it comes to the depiction of women in these films, we've also been let down. From gratuitous violence against women, to the fact that the horror genre has almost no iconic female slashers, the roles of female victim-heros and villains in horror has left much to be desired. However, as the horror genre continues to elevate in terms of tackling socially relevant subject matter, there's also room to elevate the quality of the female villains and heroes in the horror screenplay.
In this 90 minute session, writer and story editor Nikki Saltz Saltz will approach the question of how to write better, scarier, and more captivating women in horror. Using Jungian Archetypes and Joseph Campbell’s approach to The Hero's Journey, Saltz will lay out the key questions that horror writers should ask themselves as they create characters and plot horror films . This session, designed for writers and creatives, will provide a number of strategies designed to shine a light on writing nuanced women in a genre that's been under-serving them. Finally, Saltz will provide audiences with the opportunity to watch a live story hacking session that uses the principles of the lecture to assist a writer working on a horror script.
Into the Labyrinth: How Understanding the Underworld Can Save Your Story- TIFF Writers Studio - 2019
In this two hour workshop, story editor Nikki Saltz will lay out a framework for using underworld journeys from ancient mythology like Thesus and the Minotaur and to serve as a useful tool for structuring and working with their own screenplays.
Writing the Treatment - From Our Dark Side Women in Horror - Vancouver International Women in Film Festival - 2019
In this session, Nikki Saltz will explain what makes a strong, prescient treatment, and how to write one that still tells a great story before there’s a screenplay in existence. Writers will learn how to write prosaically, but for the screen, and how to ensure they’re hitting the most important story beats when writing treatments that need to secure funding, financing, or talent.
Micki Moore Screenwriting Resident, Nikki Saltz talks the power of mythology Drake Hotel, Prince Edward County - 2019
Award-winning story editor and writing instructor, Nikki Saltz, examines the deep connections between ancient underworld myths and genre films of today. Nikki delves into the Greek concept of katabasis (the journey to the underworld), and explains how archetypes from underworld myths across time, cultures and geography continue to appear in the most successful screenwriting of today.
Mythology, Genre films and Journeys to the Underworld - Vancouver International Women in Film Festival - 2018
In this one hour lecture, story editor & writing instructor, Nikki Saltz, examines the deep connections between ancient underworld myths from Greece, Kenya, Rome and India and genre films of today. Nikki will delve into the Greek concept of Katabasis (the journey to the underworld), and explain how archetypes from underworld myths across time, cultures and geography continue to appear in the most successful genre writing of today. Followed by a 1 hour Q&A, this session will be of particular value to writers working on horror, thriller, crime or sci-fi projects.
Working with Archetypes - Live Story Hacking Workshop - TIFF Writers Studio - 2018
In this session, Nikki Saltz will hear problems presented by writers working on feature films, and explain how and why the archetypes being used in the stories are functioning well, or whether they’re in need of clarifying. Saltz will show clips from famous works to explain the patterns and frameworks of common archetypes, and give writers a window into how a better understanding of the concept can elevate their work, and help them solve story problems.