As a longtime fan of Emmanuel Oberg’s Screenwriting Unchained book, taking the online course was a game-changer for me. Diving deeper into tools like Story-Type and Genre, the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, and the fractal nature of story structure made complex concepts practical and actionable. What stood out most was applying these tools directly to my current project. Concepts like managing conflict, crafting a satisfying ending, and the nuanced use of planting and payoff started to click in new ways, yielding immediate results.

The hands-on approach transformed my creative process, and I’m already seeing how these techniques elevate my storytelling. I can’t wait for the Hands-On Rewrite Workshop next week to refine it further.

Emmanuel possesses a remarkable ability to make complex concepts comprehensible and digestible. Beginning your first screenplay can be intimidating, and navigating the murkiness of a rewrite can often seem impossible. However, his process transforms these challenges into an approachable and even invigorating journey. After much procrastination, I am genuinely inspired and eager to dive in and bring my story to life.

This course was a huge eye opener for me. Emmanuel approaches the development process with a whole new perspective that allows writers to either re-write existing projects or take a whole new idea through the Story Type method and develop it to a screenplay. The use of Maslow to explain parts of the process as well as the “Fractal” aspect of storytelling were both immensely interesting and useful to me. Do yourself a favour, do the course, you won’t regret it!!

An excellent communicator and educator – Emmanuel cuts through the theory with candour and simplicity. The course fuels a drive to get back to the keyboard with confidence, knowing his tangible tools will act as a guiding light.

Advanced Development is the second course I have done with Emmanuel, and as with Writing a Successful TV Series, it was focused, sharp, and relevant.

Emmanuel structures his courses so there’s no time wasted, and if you’re serious about progressing your project and career, you’ll want to put the same commitment into it. You’ll come away with an understanding of industry expectations, the tools to apply high standards, and the confidence to meet the challenge.

I’m already looking forward to the next course.

Emmanuel’s Story Type Method has been eye-opening, confidence-building, and truly inspirational. It has given me a toolbox packed to the brim with ideas and processes to assess and develop scripts in a bespoke manner for each script and scriptwriter. Often, when working on my own work or with other writers, I need to try multiple entry points before cracking the right way to start work on a project. This method cuts through so much of the trial and error by identifying specific types of stories, and how to best harness their unique qualities to bring out the writer’s voice, talent, and preferred way of working. I feel like I’ve only just begun with this work and can’t wait to continue learning and applying it. The course itself is delivered in a way that is very easy to understand, entertaining, and fun and I look forward to the next one.

The course was perfect for me. It made me really think about plot development and the character’s journey. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who wants to advance their script to be the best it can be. A huge thanks to Emmanuel for his wise and considered teaching. It was a pleasure.

I love this approach. It’s very clear and it gives you the freedom to design the best story for your project. Thank you Emmanuel

I found extremely helpful the information on story structure, juxtaposing logistical and dramatic acts, with flexibility as one of the factors. The same should be said regarding the difference between plot-led and character-led stories, as well as the original approach of the Maslow pyramid as an instrument for reaching a wider target audience. Thanks a lot for your knowledge.

To sum it up in one word, INSPIRING! The content was on point and helped make it easy for me to categorize and break down a story that I was struggling to tell. When I get stuck at a certain point, be it treatment or bible, I search high and low for a spark or key to unlock the issue so that I can move on. I now feel like the janitor walking about with a master key, no longer intimidated by the daunting task of holistically bringing everything together in a single document. That’s a powerful tool to have in anyone’s arsenal.

I am blown away by the attention to detail and care that was shown by Emmanuel in constructing this course. I have never been on a writing course that is so meticulously designed to make every bit of information comprehensible and enjoyable. It took one week with Emmanuel for me to understand story design, character and structure at an in-depth level I didn’t think was possible to attain in such a short time. I can’t wait to get stuck into my TV pilot knowing I have all the tools and material I need to make a compelling show.

True value for money. Well-suited for advancing and advanced screenwriters, including successful ones and those who think they have heard or read it all before. Don’t expect a gospel from a preacher or a showman. Oberg is a modest man who clearly resists becoming the next screenplay guru. Yet he delivers an amazing, almost complete and very thorough understanding of the inner workings of our craft, guaranteed to spark fresh thoughts that will benefit your next project, no matter how experienced you are. And there is a big bonus. The screenplay business is a fickle mistress that can often leave you frustrated. Oberg makes you remember why you fell in love with her in the first place and he makes you fall in love all over again. [Advanced Development Workshop for the Netherlands Film Fund]

I had the pleasure of doing both Emmanuel’s online course and then experience the rewrite course in person. His online course is by far the most succinct, clear and easy to follow guide to help you in planning/developing or writing a TV series that I have ever completed. It’s also broken down in neat sections so you are not overwhelmed, and you have the slides as a take away so that you can refer to them in the future. In person he has a clear understanding and passion for TV series and he delivers his patented 12 steps in an entertaining, patient and concise fashion. I would highly recommend for people working in development and TV writers to take his course, a lot of the information is stuff you probably know on a subconscious level, but his course clarifies all of that into simple useful tools. I would say if you are stuck writing a TV series and something is not working, his 12 steps will be hugely beneficial, and you will take away methods you can use forever. If you are going to do one TV writing course, do his, it covers everything and will leave you with everything you need to move forward, or to go plan a new TV series. Happy writing.

I took the Screenwriting Unchained-course as a live course at the Swedish Film Institute a few years ago. It was a great (and intense 3-day) experience. Not to say a revelation. After the Hero’s Journey, Truby and McKee with 9, 12 or 20-whatever steps (not bad at all and very useful – but still) it was very liberating.
The TV Series-course takes the same thoughts and applies them on ideas and stories (and storylines) that are meant to last for a whole season (or in some cases several seasons). So far I haven’t come across a take on story structure that has been as helpful and useful as this one. (Ok, Aristotle, but that’s where we all start.)

Alexander Pope wrote:
“True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,
As those move easiest who have learn’d to dance.”
It remains to be seen if I will be a good writer after this course, but Emmanuel Oberg has certainly shared some nifty moves (NB tools, not rules) that I am sure will offer, if not “true ease in writing” then certainly a better understanding of the craft.
Thank you.

I read the book Screenwriting Unchained and I found the title very appropriate as it unshackled me from the logistical dramatic approach that I always found restricting. The follow up course [on TV Series] was intense and demanding but rewarding and more than worth the effort. Thank you Emmanuel and looking forward to the course in early May in Galway. Mícheál Ó Meallaigh

Emmanuel’s approach is comprehensive, insightful and gives you the tools to design, test and troubleshoot your scripts or any Story writing project you undertake. The course is intensive and you really need to cover the material – not only the minimum trailers and first episodes or seasons but also preferably the full Series of the case studies to get a complete appreciation of the principles involved. It has given me food for thought, ideas on how to approach my projects and I’m looking forward to troubleshooting the projects that need rewriting. Thank you Emmanuel!

The structure of the TV show you aspire to write – broken down for you, by a professional. That’s what this course achieves. It is extremely well researched, and uses very up-to-date references as examples of each story type. The tone of the live training is informal, humorous but practical and straightforward. Emmanuel Oberg is a professional in screenwriting who knows his subject inside out, explains it in great detail, and he also uses visual diagrams to represent some of the more complex elements. I left this course excited about my project and would thoroughly recommend that anyone who aspires to TV screenwriting take these workshops.

I had high hopes for this course, that I would gain certain insights on how to progress my own project and learn what approach to take with different types of stories . This online course surpassed my expectations. I found it interesting and full of worthwhile information that I can use in a practical way going forward. I would certainly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the area.

An excellent experience. Emmanuel doesn’t preach a magic formula for writing success, instead he presents a flexible set of dramatic tools that can be applied to any genre, format or process and which are far, far more helpful than any rigid creative doctrine. The course was both enjoyable in its own right and insightful on its topics. I would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of your position in the screen sector.

‘Writing a Successful TV Series’ is a superb online course. The story-type method is a refreshing approach, driven by dramatic conflict rooted in causality and understandable character action, reaction and evolution. It is a welcome alternative to the plethora of other structural analyses out there that often appear to strive for adherence to time-based units of progression without prioritising the internal dramatic engine. I absolutely agree with the idea of the fractal aspect of storytelling at season, series, episode, sequence and scene level – nature is built on fractals so it makes complete sense that drama that resonates with us is too. I would thoroughly recommend the course for any aspiring and indeed many experienced writers.

For a total novice, only started in TV writing and intimidated by the gargantuan task ahead of me, I really needed a course like this.

Emmanuel broke down the elements into fresh, manageable parts, posed all the right questions, explained their importance and challenged me to think more deeply about the ultimate question‘ – What’s really at stake ?. It really opened my eyes to both the flaws and opportunities in my project.

In terms of the online course. As someone with patchy or no WiFi during the days allocated to the workshops with Emmanuel, I had to speed watch whenever I got a chance. I found it overwhelming so I would recommend taking your time with his excellent video instructions and rewatching the videos again and again before taking the tests.

I would strongly recommend that you buy his book Screenwriting Unchained. It compliments the course and helps you to make sense of the large body information provided online.

“Writing A Successful TV Series” online course, provides a fabulous insight into the structure of TV series and how to troubleshoot your project. Emmanuel covers everything from story structure to constructing your own series bible, using great examples and case studies of some successful TV shows along the way. The blend of self led modules and online workshops and Q&As is an excellent way for everyone to work at their own pace. Highly recommend this for anyone looking to learn more about structure and design.

Emmanuel breaks down story structure in a fresh way that really opens up the process of writing without hindering you with set rules and page numbers. His deep dive into case studies made his concepts immensely easy to grasp and use in relation to your own work. I highly recommend his courses to really get that extra personal level he brings to the live lectures and Q&A’s.

Emmanuel’s passion for storytelling throughout the course was infectious from the get go. Having such an engaging tutor was a huge help to me in bringing my own stories to life.
Sign up for his course today; you won’t regret it.

I really enjoyed this course and think it will change forever how I approach writing and watching TV and film. I’ve read a lot of screenwriting books and almost all point to a narrow and often contrived approach to writing which never really sat right with me. Now, I understand why. There’s a lot to unpack and I’ll be digesting the information for a long time to come, but overall I am coming away with permission to be more creative, while meeting the constraints required for screenwriting production. Thank you!

Emmanuel’s Story-Type method as explained in the [Screenwriting Unchained] course makes creative sense and deals with the real tasks and issues involved in developing a script/screenplay. The whole process has become more clear to me from following this course and I intend to wring every bit of wisdom and technique I can out of the full course over the next few weeks. Thank you Emmanuel for de-mystifying and clarifying the concepts!

I found the ‘Writing a Successful TV Series’ hugely informative, thought provoking and practical in terms of giving you an additional ‘toolset’ for the development of stories. The case studies are excellent, and feature a forensic level of analysis of dramatic structure in hit TV serials. Highly recommended!

It was a great self-learning experience that was really flexible to get done because of the videos provided which allowed for watching in your own pace and time schedule. I enjoyed the course taught by Emmanuel Oberg a lot and feel that I can use the tools provided very well for current and future projects in series but definitely also feature films. Highly recommended as a course to learn about strategic approaches to creating and checking the stories you work on – also as a producer!

I did this course online and loved it from start to finish. I think it gives writers a very clear understanding of some really useful tools which can be used to design a story/storylines or to diagnose why a story might not be working and how to fix it. I loved having the ability to pause and rewind and take notes at my own pace. I also found the quizzes at the end of each module and the feedback on right/wrong answers super useful. I think I will come back again and again to all I’ve learned here.

“Emmanuel’s course is like a deep dive into story structure. You think you’ve got it mastered and then you realise how much more there is to learn. I feel so much more equipped as a screenwriter and script reader after this course.”

Excellent course for those who work with story – writers, directors and producers. Goes direct to the fundamentals which can get lost in ‘development jargon’. Can help kickstart a project revision or inspire a new one. Emmanuel is an engaging and insightful teacher.

TV Series is a wonderful aid for writers and producers working together. Since completing the ADW in 2018, and the TV Series course in 2020, I’ve come back again and again to Emmanuel’s methods when troubleshooting my own work or steering others in development. Recently, along a group of writers I’m working with, I completed the latest online TV Series course. It has created a common language with which to discuss story issues and character development that has been invaluable in shortcutting how we communicate. The course is thorough and well presented, with clips and case studies that make it easier to put these gems of writing wisdom into practice. Emmanuel’s methods put the audience at the heart, helping the writer to amplify their message and maximise the chances of getting their story out into the world.

I was a novice writer coming into this course with a head busting full of ideas. This course helped to focus my ideas and give them direction, steering me away from wasting my time. It’s a brilliant and comprehensive one stop shop that cuts through all the excess and illuminates the path to writing your best script. Emmanuel is very easy to listen to and makes the journey of learning that good bit more enjoyable. Cúrsa den scoth! Nár laga Dia a lámh.

I recently completed the on-line course “Writing a Successful TV series” by Emmanuel Oberg. I found the course to be really comprehensive and practical. Emmanuel’s application and teaching of the ‘Story Type Method’ can be applied to every possible type of TV series genre including Hybrids. In fact it could be applied to nearly all screenplays as a very effective means of addressing problems in the script that might not be apparent to the Writer. Many thanks.

With a background in documentary and podcast making for the BBC, I have always wanted to take some of the skills I have acquired over the years and learn how they might translate into visual storytelling. But I didn’t know where to begin. Then I did Emmanuel’s course and that soon changed. This course provides focus around the practical matters of how to go about developing your ideas for the screen; the different trends when it comes to writing a TV series, the importance of a strong bible, how to identify the type of story you have and what that means for how you go about telling your story. No stone is left unturned. The use of samples such as Stranger Things and Big Little Lies to further detail the points he was making was fantastic. I love the tone Emmanuel has by not coming across preachy but that he really wants your stories to be the best they can be. Emmanuel was engaging throughout and his passion for storytelling has definitely encouraged me to put pen to paper.

Emmanuel Oberg organised for our FAMU production students an amazing short session from his workshop. An introduction to his method, including a group work, “What’s Your Type?” was great and followed with personal Q&A afterwards that gave our students a wonderful opportunity to dig into the subject. We decided to buy a few copies of Emmanuel’s books for our department as students are interested to know more after this experience. Thank you, dear Emmanuel, for making it happen for us within the limitations we had! [Introduction to the Story-Type Method Online Course, November 2020]

Emmanuel Oberg’s workshop offers an insightful and comprehensive way to approach tv series narrative and structure. His method is simple but very clarifying, a useful tool when dealing with episodes, pilots, bibles, strands, seasons, cliffhangers, franchise and all sorts of often confusing concepts even for the experienced film producer. It is also fun and I really enjoyed taking it. I can say that I feel much better equipped now to face the development of my series project.

Emmanuel’s approach to dramaturgical structure is the right mix between craftsmanship and the knowledge that each project is individual. He gives you a great tool box to find your own approach.

Of all the many international workshops I have done, I have rarely experienced one that offered such a steep learning curve. Thanks, Emmanuel.

I took the screenwriting unchained course. It was very informative. It helped me understand story in a clearer way than I’ve ever understood it. It focuses on tools to help you create great stories, rather than logistical beats that you need to fit your story into. Emmanuel is really great.

If you want to dig deep and even deeper: this is the way to go. It is explained well, every step of the way, so you can apply what is thought.

I had the pleasure to attend two of Emmanuel’s workshops. His knowledge about the different screenwriting approaches is impressive and enables him to recombine and rethink them to a new approach. I highly appreciate his work no matter if you already know a lot about screenplays or not.

I cannot thank you enough for such an extraordinary course full of so much wisdom mixed with a rare humility and delivered with real passion. The practical tools will be tremendously useful and the resources a huge bonus. [Advanced Development Workshop for Screen West Midlands]

Emmanuel is the right kind of teacher for inherently creative people. He does not instruct, or impose, or prescribe. He displays and explains a box of first-class tools, and encourages the writer to use the ones that suit the work in hand. In this way the work is improved, and the writer gains confidence at the same time, which in turn leads to even better work. Emmanuel is very tall, but he never talks down to you. [Advanced Development Workshop for Cologne Intl Film School]

Many, many thanks for such a stimulating and inspiring course. The tools are already coming in extremely useful and I hope will transform my approach to any new project from now on. [Advanced Development Workshop for Ealing Studios]

Every once in a while, we need an update; whether it’s a software update for our phones or laptops, or an attempt to re-paint the kitchen cabinets.

This is the update for story on screen. If you are a writer, an editor, a producer or a commissioner, you need to do this course. Every project you work on will be better – fact!

I’ve been writing and editing for ten years, and I’ve done lots of different courses over the last decade, but this has completely revolutionized the way I think about my writing and the structure of story.

Not only is the Story Type Method enlightening, it’s as creative and fluid as the writing process itself. And it puts the audience at the heart of the discussion. Not in a slavish way that suggests pandering to the market or duplicating previously successful formulas, but in showing the best way to make the story you want to tell enjoyable for the different audiences that are out there.

I found this course inspiring and encouraging. Gone is the sense of dread that can accompany sitting down to tackle a scene or a treatment – I’m itching to write. I can think of no higher praise. [Advanced Development Workshop for Creative Europe Galway]