Workshops
Where-Performing Arts Center - PCC Sylvania, Portland, Oregon
12000 SW 49th Ave, Portland, OR 97219
Workshops are FREE but your registration for each workshop is required as seating is limited.
Event Date-Thursday, October 8, 2026
Time-5:00PM-5:45PM
The Romance of Film Editing Dustin Morrow
A successful editor named Ralph Rosenblum (The Producers, Annie Hall) once said, “The best compliment one can pay an editor is to tell him his editing is invisible: an editing job is considered successful when it goes unnoticed on the screen. Ironically, an editor invests weeks or months of intensive work to achieve the impression that he has done nothing at all.” In this presentation, Prof. Morrow takes this invisible art and makes it visible. He explores the history and psychology of editing, drawing upon years of experience as a professional editor in Hollywood. He also illuminates the relationship between time and editing, and the inherent romance and beauty of this mysterious art form.
Event Date-Thursday, October 8, 2026
Time-6:00PM-6:45PM
The Actor's Journey, from Script to Screen Scott Bernard Nelson and Karen Maseng
We recognize a great performance when it moves us or makes us forget we’re watching fiction. But what goes into bringing a powerful performance to the screen?
Actor Scott Bernard Nelson and acting coach Karen Maseng will explore how words on the page become a living, compelling presence on screen. In this interactive workshop they will discuss script breakdown, character development, preparation, working with scene partners and discovering aspects of yourself you may not have known were there.
Drawing on their years of working together, Scott and Karen will offer an inside look at the actor-coach process and answer questions from the audience.
Event Date-Friday, October 9, 2026
Time-5:00PM-5:45PM
The Script: From Idea to Reality Simon King
This fun workshop is for anyone interested in writing their own screenplay or just learning how a screenplay helps a director and actor tell the complete story. From the basics of plot structure, and genre dependent considerations, to an understanding of the industry-specific requirements of script formatting, Simon will lead a discussion that invites audience participation to build a short screenplay. A screenplay is an entirely different beast than a novel, essay, or poem. Whereas each of those is a finished work of art, a screenplay is there to provide guidance for the final product: a film. That said, a screenplay still requires artistry and dedication to the craft. There are strict industry-specific expectations that have been passed down since the beginning of narrative storytelling on celluloid.
Event Date-Friday, October 9, 2026
Time-6:00PM-6:45PM
Anatomy of a Scene Randolph Sellers
In this workshop, we will begin by viewing scenes from well-known feature films. But rather than the passive viewing we’re all used to, we will be focused on practicing deep film analysis. We will be observing and analyzing all the noteworthy components of a particular scene: studying the various choices made by the filmmakers involving writing, acting, directing, production design, cinematography, editing, etc. Through repeated viewings, I’ll be encouraging participants to notice every significant detail possible and speculate on why the filmmakers and their collaborators made the creative decisions they did. Did those decisions work for the viewer or not? Active discussion of attendee’s observations and opinions will be highly encouraged but not required.