Jacobs & Herzberg · Story Coaching · Script Doctoring · Story Development · Worldwide
For storytellers, writers, screenwriters, playwrights, theatre makers, filmmakers and multidisciplinary creatives who want to uncover the beating heart of their story and shape it with greater emotional truth, structural clarity and artistic precision.
Whether you are at the beginning of an idea, deep inside a draft, or trying to understand why a story is not yet landing, this is a space for rigorous insight, honest reflection and careful development — so the story can become more alive, more exact, and more fully itself.
Two perspectives. One story. Deeper clarity.
Jacobs & Herzberg Story Coaching
Iris Jacobs and Jonathan Herzberg bring together intuition, emotional intelligence, cinematic insight, structural clarity and exacting narrative care.
Together, they help uncover what your work is truly carrying beneath the surface — and shape it into a more coherent, resonant and compelling whole.
Ways to work together
A first introduction
20–30 minutes · Complimentary · Online
A first conversation to hear where you are in your process, what the project needs, and what kind of support would serve the work best.
A short conversation is often enough to understand where the story is, what it needs, and which kind of support would be useful.
01 · Understanding where you are
45 minutes
A focused conversation to explore where you stand with your script and the deeper truth taking shape within it.
Together, we look at what is already present on the page, what you understand about your story, and what you may be sensing but haven’t yet found words for.
02 · One focused deep dive
90 minutes · Tailored feedback
A focused deep dive into your script, play, treatment, concept, film or project in progress, with close attention to emotional truth, structure, character and tone.
03 · Support over time
Multi-session · Bespoke support
A more sustained process for stories that need continuity, depth, accountability and careful development over time.
Not sure what you need? Start with a discovery call ↗
The starting point
Form becomes clearer when you understand what the story is truly about, why it needs to be told, and what emotional necessity is driving it.
A closer look
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Close creative guidance for uncovering urgency, emotional truth, hidden stakes, rhythm and deeper narrative necessity.
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Focused work on structure, scene design, character movement, dialogue, dramatic architecture and precision.
03
Development of the project as a whole — from early concept and treatment through structure, rewrites and evolving drafts.
04
Finding the emotional core, subtext, necessity and deeper meaning that give the work its real weight.
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For writers who want to move beyond plot and connect more deeply to voice, structure, emotional logic and narrative purpose.
02
For performance-based storytellers shaping scene flow, rhythm, dialogue, embodiment, theatrical language and dramatic tension.
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For creatives developing treatments, scripts, visual story worlds, tonal coherence and the deeper pulse of a moving-image project.
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For those working across form who need support translating instinct into structure and inner material into meaningful artistic expression.
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We begin by identifying what is essential: why this story matters, what it is carrying, and where its deepest emotional energy lives.
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Together we examine stakes, subtext, chronology, tone, character movement and dramatic focus to understand what the story truly needs.
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We explore what wants to grow, shift, deepen or disappear, helping the work evolve without losing what makes it singular.
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We refine pacing, structure, language and scene design so the form serves the emotional core with greater clarity and force.
Story development · Script doctoring · Emotional core work · Character clarity · Structure and pacing · Chronology · Scene selection · Dialogue refinement · Thematic deepening · Tonal coherence · Feedback on works-in-progress · Treatment development · Bespoke guidance shaped around your process, project and artistic voice
Why Jacobs & Herzberg
Iris brings a strong instinct for rhythm, emotional resonance, atmosphere and artistic truth. Jonathan brings rigorous narrative thinking, structural intelligence and a sharp eye for what makes a story land.
This is not generic feedback. It is close attention, real artistic dialogue and thoughtful, tailored support for the writer and the work.
Testimonials
Story coaching for writers, filmmakers, journalists, artists and makers who want sharper structure, deeper purpose and stronger emotional clarity.
“One of the most important elements in Jonathan’s classes is that you need to find out why you want to tell your story before you’re ready to tell it properly. He teaches you how what you want to say determines how you say it — and helps you find form to strengthen your content.”
“Each time we meet, I learn more than just technical scriptwriting, I learn what it means to be an artist. His feedback taught me how to identify a piece’s subtext and the emotional touchstones I did not even realise I was working on.”
“Delivered excellent work! Definitely a professional. Highly recommended!”
“Working with her was a pleasure once again. She is accurate, reliable and professional.”
Jacobs & Herzberg Story Coaching
Let’s find it.
Worldwide · Online & selected in-person sessions info@studioirisjacobs.com
A little more clarity
Every story finds its own way. Here are a few practical answers to help you find yours.
We work with stories across forms: feature films, short films, series, plays, novels and other creative projects. Whether you are developing an early idea, working on a draft or finding your way through a rewrite, we help you discover what is at the heart of the work and give it a form that feels true to your vision.
Story coaching is for emerging and established writers, screenwriters, playwrights, filmmakers, theatre makers and multidisciplinary creatives. You might feel stuck, want a fresh perspective or sense that there is something deeper in your work that you have not quite found yet. We also work with creative teams and artistic duos.
Story coaching creates space to explore the deeper questions behind your work: what the story is really about, why it matters to you and what gives it emotional life. Script doctoring focuses more closely on the craft of the draft, including structure, scenes, character, pacing and dialogue. Depending on your project, we may draw on both approaches.
Not at all. You can come to us with an early idea, a treatment, a work in progress or a completed draft. We begin wherever you are and shape the conversation around what your story needs at this stage.
Curious, honest and collaborative. We listen closely to what is already present in your work and ask questions that help you see it more clearly. Our aim is to support your voice and vision, while bringing emotional insight and narrative craft to the process.
That depends on your project and the kind of support you are looking for. You can begin with a 45-minute story exploration, choose a 90-minute deep story session or work with us over a series of sessions. We can discuss the most useful approach during your discovery call.
We work online with storytellers worldwide and offer selected in-person sessions. Get in touch to discuss what works best for you and your project.
We offer different ways to work together, from a focused single session to ongoing support. Tell us a little about your project and your budget, and we can discuss which option might be most useful for you.
We bring two complementary perspectives to your story. Iris brings an instinct for emotional resonance, atmosphere and artistic truth; Jonathan brings rigorous narrative thinking and a sharp eye for structure. Together, we look for the beating heart of your story and help you develop it with clarity and care.
Send us a short introduction to yourself and your project. We can arrange a complimentary 20–30 minute online discovery call to hear where you are, answer your questions and explore what kind of support might be right for you.
Arrange a discovery call