The reason David S. Freeman's "Beyond Structure" has grown to be the most popular screenwriting, development, and fiction workshop in Los Angeles is not just because of his high energy, the warmth and humor he brings to his teaching, or his caring attitude about those who attend.

The above are just the icing on the cake. The cake itself, however, are the over 200 powerful techniques David has created or distilled. These techniques vastly expand a writer's, director's, or producer's skill in creating imaginative and emotionally layered characters, dialogue, plots and scenes.

In fact David continues, as he has since the first day "Beyond Structure" was offered, to insist that if these writing and development techniques don't radically expand your writing or development skills by the end of the first day, then you can have all your money back, no questions asked.

These techniques handle the most difficult challenges of writing and story development.

The best way to understand is to get a tiny taste of the over 200 techniques you'll learn if you come to "Beyond Structure." So here are a few samples...

Three examples of the same "Scene Deepening Technique" in Cameron Crowe's "JERRY MAGUIRE"

Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), recovering from unconsciousness on the football field, finally gets the adulation of the crowd -- the expression of love he's waited long to hear. Afterward, brimming with appreciation, he hugs his agent Jerry (Tom Cruise) -- the expression of love Jerry's waited long to hear. Jerry then speeds to his wife Dorothy (Renee Zellweger) and tells her he loves her -- the expression of love she's waited long to hear.

This technique gives a scene depth -- it's a "Scene Deepening Technique." Here we see that, in quick succession, this technique is used three times. Because an audience is so immersed in the film, though, they're unlikely to notice the same technique being used repeatedly. How does one get the audience that immersed? The answer is: the artful use of many different character, dialogue, scene and plot techniques.

In "Beyond Structure," you'll learn 28 different "Scene Deepening Techniques" -- brought to life in a wide range of film clips. And you'll have a chance to practice them in class, to make sure you master them.

Two "Rooting Interest Techniques" (techniques which make us root for / like / identify with a character) in Eric Roth's script (based on Winston Groom's book), "FORREST GUMP"

It's easy to make an audience identify with a character if they're a cookie-cutter courageous hero.

But how do you make an audience identify with a character who is far from a cookie-cutter hero -- like a killer (John Travolta in "PULP FICTION;" Clint Eastwood in "UNFORGIVEN") or a simpleton (Tom Hanks in "FORREST GUMP")? You need to artfully layer on "Rooting Interest Techniques."

Forest Gump has 14. Here are two: He goes his own way in the world (he feels like running for years and he does) and he has emotional sufferings we can identify with, when Jenny (Robin Wright) rejects his love. In "Beyond Structure" you'll learn 36 of these techniques.

Two "Character Deepening Techniques" in Alan Ball's script, "AMERICAN BEAUTY"

Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) is the teen with an almost Zen-like view of the beauty behind all things -- or so it seems. But real Zen masters don't sell drugs, they don't allow themselves to be beaten to a pulp by their fathers, they don't insist on staying detached from the world (viewing everything though a camera), they don't avoid touching their girlfriends (except in one scene), and they don't get fascinated by death and speak about it frequently.

In fact, Ricky's supposed serenity covers his real emotion: an apathy deeper even than grief (thus his fascination with death). This apathy stems back to when he was wrongly put in a mental institution and drugged.

When a character has a false emotion (in this case, serenity) which covers a real emotion (in this case, apathy), this gives the character depth. It's a "Character Deepening Technique."

Alan Ball uses 15 different "Character Deepening Techniques" in his script. Here's another one: though Ricky's serenity is false, this doesn't negate his eloquent insights into the beauty behind all things. When a character is artistic, or has real aesthetic awareness, as Ricky does, that's another "Character Deepening Technique."

In "Beyond Structure," you'll learn 37 great "Character Deepening Techniques," with many film clips to illustrate them and exercises to practice using them to make sure you've got them under your command.