Prescott Film Festival Workshop with Alan Dean Foster

Photo: Alan Dean Foster

Author and long time Prescott resident Alan Dean Foster gave a most interesting presentation of how to create characters in an animated way and how to move your story forward workshop at the Hazeltine Theater in downtown Prescott.

Foster is a writer and producer known for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, four of the Alien films, Sagramanda, and Welcome to Paradox. His fiction includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and westerns. He has produced the novelizations of many films including Star Wars, Alien, Aliens, Aliens 3, and Alien Covenant.

Photo: Foster took many questions from a curious audience

Foster said, “They asked me to talk about character development. Characters are the most important part of any literary creation because if your characters are not interesting then nobody really cares about much of anything else. It’s a big problem particularly with science fiction and fantasy films where Hollywood producers think everything is great special effects and don’t have to worry about the rest, it will take care of itself, but it doesn’t.

Some people come to me and they say they have a great idea, and sometimes they do, but they don’t know how to develop it. They brought out lines in the story but don’t know how to populate it with people.

Actually you learn a few tricks and it is easier than you might think, so I am going to pass those along to the people.

I don’t particularly like doing presentations, I would much rather be writing, but this is one of things I feel I have to do. I used to travel around the states and Europe doing this, but now I will only do this locally. I am ok doing this here because this is my hometown for 44 years and if I get asked and I have the time I am happy to do it.”

Those who attended were able to enjoy stories about one of his biggest accomplishments, as the ghost writer to Star Wars. Foster said to the group, “It was really neat when the space ship went across the screen and when the Death Star blew up, but people after seeing the film were talking about the characters.”

The Prescott Film Festival continues at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center located at Yavapai College in Prescott today through Sunday.

Passes and single tickets are on sale now at ycpac.com or by calling the Ticket Office at 928-776-2000. Student and OLLI discounts are available in person at the Ticket Office with ID. All-Access Platinum Pass Experience passes are $305 and include meals from Barry Barbe, SWAG bags and other surprises! All Film Passes are $155 and include the Silent Symphony screening at The Elks Theatre and Performing Arts Center on July 20.