Cartoon Class at Second City, begins April 5!

Many thanks to The Second City, Chicago, for offering Introduction to Cartoon Storytelling — 4 weeks of intense cartooning starting April 5. Get those pencils ready and sign up here.

Details:

Learn the art of cartoon storytelling, effective communication techniques, and develop personal expression. This course explores story breakdown, character development, page layout, and studies from life. Students will create original characters and an original story based on personal experiences. No previous drawing experience required—if you can create a stick figure, you can succeed in this course!3 hours, 4 weeks starting April 5, 2017.

About the instructor: Steven Fischer is a two-time Emmy nominated filmmaker and cartoonist. His credits include the Steve & Bluey cartoon series, the acclaimed animated documentary Freedom Dance (2007) with Mariska Hargitay, and Old School New School (2011) a personal study on creativity with celebrated actor Brian Cox and jazz legend McCoy Tyner among many other internationally acclaimed artists. Steven’s commissioned work includes projects for Maryland Public Television/PBS, TV Asia, Nextel, Bill Melendez Productions, and Screen Arts Animation. Steven is a Fulbright recipient and sought internationally to speak on creativity.

Cartoonist and animation filmmaker Steven Fischer presents Cartoon Storytelling at The Second City in Chicago. Photo by Alicia Haywood.

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Video Editing, Acting, and Cartoons at Northwestern University!

Between January and February 2017 Steven Fischer will present a video editing class, an acting class, and a cartoon storytelling workshop at Northwestern University’s Norris Center. Join the fun!

Digital Video Editing

6:00-7:30, Mondays, January 23 – February 27

Fee: $101 NU / $111 Public

Learn the basics of video editing from a two-time Emmy nominated filmmaker! This course introduces students to the role of the editor as storyteller, the history of cinema editing, and the fundamentals of editing in effective communication. This course involves hands-on Premiere Pro work. You’ll be editing, a lot!

Acting and Character Creation

Steven Fischer works with acting students at Northwestern University. Photo by Dywaine Betts

6:00-7:30PM, Thursdays, January 19 – February 23

Fee: $81 NU/ $91 Public

This interactive course is an introduction to acting, taught by a two-time Emmy nominated instructor in film and television! Animation and live action directors will experience the fundamentals of acting to generate performance ideas they can use to help bring on-screen characters to life.

Introduction to Cartoon Storytelling

Steven Fischer’s popular Cartoon Storytelling workshop. Photo by Alicia Haywood.

Tuesday, February 7, 6:00-9:00PM

Fee: $30

Learn the art of cartoon storytelling, effective communication techniques, and develop personal expression. This workshop will touch upon story breakdown, character development, page layout, and studies from life. Students will begin to create an original story. No previous drawing experience required – if you can create a stick figure, you can succeed!

Second City Cartoon Workshop!

Many thanks to Tom Rosenak for these photos from my 2D Guide to Creating 3D Characters workshop at The Second City! And thanks so much to all in attendance. Your enthusiasm, openness to new ideas, and all-around-greatness made the day a real pleasure. (And thanks to Andy Eninger and Sheena Laird at Second City for the chance to collaborate on another adventure.)

Cartoonist and filmmaker Steven Fischer presents character creation workshop at Second City, Chicago. Sept. 17, 2016. Photo by Tom Rosenak.

Cartoonist and filmmaker Steven Fischer presents character creation workshop at Second City, Chicago. Sept. 17, 2016. Photo by Tom Rosenak.

Cartoonist and filmmaker Steven Fischer presents character creation workshop at Second City, Chicago. Sept. 17, 2016. Photo by Tom Rosenak.

 

Cartoon Storytelling comes back to Second City!

I am proud to announce that Second City, famed school of comedy, home to John Candy, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and many more comedy legends, is offering my Cartoon Storytelling class starting this July.

Sign up, sharpen your pencils, and join the fun!

Details:

Bring your story ideas to life in cartoon format, no experience necessary. Explore narrative, character development and format. In-class writing and drawing exercises help you discover new possibilities in expressing your ideas and point of view. You’ll try your hand at several formats (comic book, comic strip, single panel) as you build your own original personal story in cartoon form. If you can make a stick figure, you can get started!

Tuesday nights,  JULY 5 – AUGUST 9, 2016 ….. 7pm – 10pm

About the instructor: Steven Fischer is a two-time Emmy® nominated writer/producer/digital cinematographer of fiction, non-fiction, and animated stories. His credits include the films Freedom Dance (2007) featuring Mariska Hargitay and Old School New School (2010) with Brian Cox. His commissioned work includes Martin Scorsese’s NEH Jefferson Lecture, Keep the Promise with Margaret Cho and Tavis Smiley, and Bill Cosby Live at The Kennedy Center among various films for Maryland Public Television/PBS, Romanian Television Network, TV Asia, Nextel, DuPont, Nalco/Ecolabs, Department of Defense, AmeriCorps, Hollywood Stars II, and National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

Fischer is a Fulbright recipient and speaks internationally on storytelling.

Sign up: http://www.secondcity.com/classes/chicago/cartooning-a-2d-guide-to-3d-characters-copy/

Thank you, Second City!

A big thank you to Sheena Laird, Rawson Vint and Andy Eninger at Second City Training Center for hosting Thursday’s workshop on cartoons and creativity! (In 3-hours we looked at the philosophy of creativity, worked the creative process, brought new characters to life, studied narrative structure, exercised some basic drawing fundamentals, and drew a bunch of cartoons. Whew!)

An extra big thank you to the participants! You guys were great, and I look forward to seeing the results of your creative efforts.  Thanks also for showing so much interest in my cartoon work, and in The Wonderful, Happy, Cartoony World of Steve & Bluey — click here for the details.
For those who missed the fun, keep your eyes open at Second City — there just might be a cartoon course debuting in June! (Wink, wink; nudge, nudge.)

A very special thank you to Alicia Haywood for capturing the night in photos!

Steven Fischer presents A 2D Guide to 3D Characters at Second City, Chicago. April 20, 2016. Photo by Alicia Haywood.

Steven Fischer presents A 2D Guide to 3D Characters at Second City, Chicago! April 2016. Photo: Alicia Haywood

Steven Fischer works with cartoon and creativity workshop participants at Second City, Chicago. April 2016. Photo by Alicia Haywood.

Steven Fischer presents A 2D Guide to 3D Characters at Second City, Chicago! April 2016. Photo: Alicia Haywood

Steven Fischer presents A 2D Guide to 3D Characters at Second City, Chicago! April 2016. Photo: Alicia Haywood

Steven Fischer presents A 2D Guide to 3D Characters at Second City, Chicago! April 2016. Photo: Alicia Haywood

Character Creation Workshop at Second City!

Join Steven Fischer at Second City on Saturday, February 28, 2015, for a cartoon character creation workshop!

Create original characters and personal stories for theater, radio, TV, or literature in this unique storytelling workshop. Participants exercise the creative process to develop original characters and stories through the art of cartooning. Cartoonist and two-time Emmy Award nominated writer/producer Steven Fischer leads participants through writing and drawing exercises that help develop well-rounded characters, locations, stories, and themes. Along the way, explore the philosophy and psychology of inspiration, creativity and storytelling. No drawing experience is necessary.

For details and registration click here!