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Lesson 3 Assignment
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MODULE EIGHT LESSON THREE
FRAN’S ANTICIPATORY DIALOGUE
WHAT I LEARNED: We should always this uppermost in our minds when we write dialogue. What will intrigue our audiences the most. What will draw in our viewer the best, keep them hooked?
MY VISION: I want to write great movies. Movies that are magical, movies that move people and tell the truth. I want to write movies that stars will want to be in.
Sharing three
1. Number one –When Czar Nicholas presents the necklace to Olga as a young girl. He flashes back, remembers a prophecy told to him and Alexandra by an old woman when Olga was born. She will not live to see her twenty-fourth birthday. Nicholas remembers, reflects, becomes unnerved by his remembering it—and knowing in his heart the woman is right.
2. Number nine—Olga and her mother Alexandra argue over her keeping Rasputin around to help and heal Alexei. She argues he will ruin her reputation. He is not a good man. She must send him away. Alexandra will not listen. All she wants is for Alexei to live. He is the heir to the throne. She will pay whatever price is demanded of her. It gets heated.
3. Number 6—Valentina tries to shield Olga from the wrath of the head nurse at the military hospital. Olga is not wanting to be a nurse and ordered around. She screws up and the head nurse puts her on a desk until further notice. Valentina tries to smooth it all over for her, and tries to teach her how to placate, get around the head nurse to make her life there a whole lot easier while her family must be there.
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Subject: Monica’s Anticipatory Dialogue
Vision: I will continue to learn everything I can through all different media to apply what I learn to become the best screenwriter I can be. To be successful in getting my movies made and to win awards in the process.
What I learned from doing this assignment is the different ways to write anticipatory dialogue.
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I apologize for being behind. I had to quickly rewrite another script for competition. Here is this completed lesson.
Vision: I will continue to learn everything I can through all different media to apply what I learn to become the best screenwriter I can be. To be successful in getting my movies made and to win awards in the process.
What I learned from doing this assignment is the different ways to write anticipatory dialogue.
Your goal: Have at least one anticipatory dialogue line in every other scene. That way, you are constantly pointing the mind of the audience toward the future of the story.
1. Direct prediction. –
Scene 1 – Conall’s wife predicts that nothing good can come from Conall
knowing Harry.2. Indirect prediction. –
Scene 2 – Harry mutters – we’ll see about that after Conall turns him down
for the job.3. Countdown. Scene 20 –
Jay explains that the past is only mutable to an extent and then it
becomes set. He says they only have days to recover the artefact and find
the event that needs to be changed.4. Imply consequences.
Scene 4 – Harry implies consequences to Conall’s reputation and livelihood
if he fails to recover the artefact.5. Imply hopelessness.
Scene 4 – Conall has lost his family so he says to Harry basically give it
your best shot what does it matter if I have a business when everything
that mattered is gone.6. Shield from
consequences in advance. Scene 30 – Jay the Alien explains he’s only
authorized to make changes to one timeline and then lets Conall know, that
even that might not be enough to right the timeline.7. Warnings. Scene 12 –
Conall issues a warning to Jay the Alien about either helping him or, Jay
answers, you’ll kill me?8. Create reputation for
the villain. Scene 2 – references Harry’s reputation by saying “a man of
your reputation”.9. Confront someone
hiding from a future consequence. Scene 31 – Jay confronts Conall about
his trying to change the timeline to bring his family back. May or may not
be possible.10. A challenge issued.
Throughout Jay the Alien challenges Conall’s belief system with his
superior intelligence and technology.11. Silence at a strange
time. Throughout Jay the Alien is silent. At the beginning, because he
doesn’t want to reveal all his superior skills and later when him and
Conall work together to thwart Harry.
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LESSON 3, ANTICIPATORY DIALOGUE
VIC VALLEAU 1/19/23
What I learned: Looking from POV of audience for what’s next to expect frees me up. Key is to push anticipatory dialogue as early as possible so A/D acts as a context of what to expect.
Vision: My writing is gold to producers, highly sought after.
EXT. RITZ HOTEL – LATER
Laura enters hotel spied on and followed by Mia and Bob.
MIA
I owe you. I have a room here. Its a large bed.
Confusing Bob, Mia teases.
MIA
Sex between us can happen but who cares, its fun!
Bob indicates his teeth hurt.
BOB
I will sleep on the floor.
MIA
In the morning, I’ll make a scene, then break her up with him.
BOB
Please don’t make a scene!
MIA
Bob, I never understood you.
INT. HOTEL ROOM – NIGHT
Mia lays on bed seductively, almost naked. Gingerly sitting on her bed, Bob fidgets.
She teases him.
MIA
Is this fun Bob? Remember our college days of our silly joke of almost sex? I love being turned on by you.
BOB
I remember. We almost had sex on Sunday, we almost had sex on Monday, through the week. If Wylie comes in that door, he will almost beat me to a bloody pulp.
MIA
That’s what’s exciting and the door’s unlocked. I had your donated sperm, that’s our connection, why we are close..
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Lynn loves Anticipatory Dialogue
VISION: I am determined to become a great screenwriter capable of getting my screenplays in various genres produced into movies that inspire vast audiences to mitigate climate change.
THE PITCH: WEATHERING IT (Rom-Com) is about two college students who struggle to overcome family fights about global warming, then try to get married during the worst ever Texas freeze.
I LEARNED that I can use most of these 11 techniques to amp up my anticipatory dialogue.
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Have amped up some scenes & dialogue with these anticipatory dialogue techniques:
In my 2nd scene friend Mack warns Jim about Ellie & I reworked the dialogue. At first Mack encourages Jim re lots of foxy babes on campus. Jim looks back at Ellie and friend Luz, who are handing out eco flyers, and says, “Yeh, Mack. Just spotted one,” to which Mack replies, “No, man. They’ll eat you.” I had Jim reply, but replaced it with silence at a strange time as Jim with a smile herds Mack back toward the girls.
Mack at the end of the same scene makes a direct prediction that protag Jim won’t be able to get Ellie in bed and warning —
…..“Jim! It looks complicated, man, like climbing Mount Everest. I’ll bet you twenty you freeze to death before reaching summit.” The wager is a <u style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>challenge.I’ve added reference to that in a couple more places, and in the last scene in freezing cold Gulf waters Jim gives Mack a twenty saying “You win, Mack.” Prompting Ellie to ask what’s that about, and Jim to answer, “Tell you later. Maybe after Little Layo’s [they plan to name their 1st son after Uncle Layo] daughter, Ellie, is born. (beat) But I was thinking if we get out of this alive, we could do some mountain climbing… to Mamita’s village.” Indicating he is now healing over the loss of his father, who met and married Gabby in a Peruvian mountain village. Mamita (Mom) Gabby is there with them and she smiles.
Added Mack warning Jim about getting serious about Ellie — “Just don’t swerve into serious territory. It’d be a trainwreck considering your career path.” And put this just before Jen says to Jim, “I warn you, don’t dabble with Ellie’s heart,” and goes on to explain Ellie’s uncle is their pastor, leaving him with 2 contradictory warnings and playful boy Jim gut-slugged serious.
Added/reworded dialogue re predictions and warnings that Layo and Fred (their two uncles) will ruin their wedding (also implying consequences).
Ellie expressed hopelessness (in eco-despair) up to nearly the end, while Jim is happy-go-lucky positive (added reckless). In the end Jim is the hopeless one (re eco-doom and marrying Ellie), and Ellie has become hopeful in a mature way. Fixed some dialogue to make this clearer.
RE countdown, I don’t have much, but near the end their wedding is in 3 days and there’s a statewide power cut. Their wedding venue with her Uncle Rudy is booked solid ’til spring, so Ellie has to scramble to try and get cantankerous Uncle Layo to host it on his off-grid ranch — after they have shafted him in various ways and NOT INVITED HIM.
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Marcus loves Anticipatory Dialogue
My Vision: Get my script made into a movie.
This assignment taught me yet another way to elevate my dialog and in turn, elevate the script. Having that list of 11 methods really helped in getting through another draft of the script.
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WIM2 Module 8 Lesson 3 – Anticipatory Dialogue
Lisa Long Loves Anticipatory Dialogue
My Vision: I will do whatever it takes to be comfortable saying that I am a writer by creating impactful stories with amazing characters in order to sell my scripts.
What I learned from this assignment is that the anticipatory dialogue becomes part of the structure of the story.
I went through every scene and found that for except scene 42, I had used anticipatory dialogue throughout the script. I added anticipatory dialogue to scene 42.
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WIM2 – Dana Loves Anticipatory Dialogue
My Vision: I intend to perfect my skills to become a successful screenwriter, scripting acclaimed and profitable films, recognized by my peers, and living an adventurous life.
What I learned from doing this assignment?
I scoured my entire script to find as much anticipatory dialogue I could find. My story is a kidnap thriller, and in that, much of my dialogue is anticipatory. Do this or else. I studied every line, and found I could increase the tension by removing responsive dialogue or remarks and adding predictions, consequences and warnings.
I rewrote my protagonist and her antagonist sister’s dialogue, creating anticipation and consequences to improve their motivations.
I improved my secondary villain dialogue, creating a more villainous character.
And I created silence at a strange time to increase the tension between the protagonist and her kidnapper, who never speaks.
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Dave loves anticipatory dialogue
My vision: I would like to be a successful writer in Hollywood, with a number of successful movies to my credit that put forward a core belief about environmental, political, or personal values.
What I learned from this lesson is that anticipatory dialogue really adds interest and energy to scenes and is not difficult to add to a completed scene.
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Erin Ziccarelli loves Anticipatory Dialogue
Vision: I am creating profound scripts that leave audiences remembering my movies and leave me excited to keep writing and moving up in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: Eleven ways to create anticipatory dialogue. I’ve been looking forward to this part of the module because I like to create intrigue with my dialogue. Step 9 (confront someone hiding from a future consequence) is my most-used technique because my three lead characters are hiding from their pasts.
2. Skim each scene and ask these two questions:
A. Do I have any anticipatory
dialogue here?
B. Can I add a line that
creates anticipation for some future event?3. For any scenes that don’t have anticipatory dialogue, use one of these methods to rewrite or add a line.
1. Direct prediction: Alex and Kitty’s
love scene – foreshadowing to Ted’s death.
2. Indirect prediction: opening
poker scene, Demi and Will’s conversation about the families coming
together.
3. Countdown: Richard and Nathanial’s
feuding scene.
4. Imply consequences: Ted and Alex’s
tense dialogue when they meet 20 years later.
5. Imply hopelessness: Kitty watches
as Alex is arrested.
6. Shield from consequences in
advance: Alex telling Collin, Darren, and Patrick to get out “before it’s
too late” – it will be too late for him.
7. Warnings: Roger’s warning to Alex
about his life choices.
8. Create reputation for the villain:
we’re eager to see what Richard’s next move will be.
9. Confront someone hiding from a
future consequence.
10. A challenge issued: testing each
other’s poker-playing skills
11. Silence at a strange time: Alex
and Roger’s silence in the interrogation room.4. Continue through the entire script, adding anticipatory dialogue to any scenes you can.
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Joyce’s Anticipatory dialogue.
WIL this is an excellent lesson to vary the dialogue that creates the conflict and suspense.
I want to create movies that are memorable and actors want to perform.
The scenes with the secondary antagonists are stronger and the protagonist has a journey filled with unexpected danger.
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WIM: Joel Stern loves Anticipatory Dialogue
Module 8 Lesson 3
Thriller: “Death Voice”.
My Vision: To write eight screenplays that eventually become blockbusters (and to get a speaking line in at least one).
What I learned from this assignment: To create anticipation by viewers in each scene. Here is one at the beginning of my script:
It’s June, 1945. Decorated WWII hero Jim “Ace” McCarthy is on a troop train less than a mile from home — moments away from reuniting with his wife and young son. Jim flashes back…
SUPER: “METZ, FRANCE JULY, 1944”
EXT. MEDIEVAL CHURCH – DAY
It’s stood for four hundred years. It survived two World Wars and this torrential downpour won’t destroy it.
Not so for two GI’s bleeding to death at the door step.
Twenty yards away:
EXT. BUSHES – CONTINUOUS
Through binoculars nerdy Sergeant J.T. NUBLY (George Costanza-like) watches two NUNS (32,35) about to enter.
EXT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
The nuns look at the wounded men by the door. One shakes her head “no” to the other. They enter the church.
EXT. BUSHES – CONTINUOUS
Nubly lowers his binoculars revealing fogged up Coke bottle-thick glasses. Can he really see through those things?
Over deafening gunfire:
J.T.
(yells)
Ace — get in that Holy Fuckin’ house ‘a God and kill those two Krauts!
Bullets kick up dirt. Private Jim wipes his bloody choir boy face with his sleeve.
JIM
(yells)
Go fuck yourself! They’re nuns — sir.
J.T.
(rubs eyes)
Nuns my cotton pickin’ asshole, I know what I saw! Now get in there before they blow the whole damn village and I shoot you in the face! That’s a direct order!
Jim turns with his rifle pointing at Nubly. Nubly slowly unholsters his sidearm…
J.T.
Remember Wilson?
Jim backs down. BOOM! Debris rains down. Jim crawls… THUD. A POTATO MASHER lands a foot away… a dud.
EXT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
Jim snakes his way to the door where two bloody GI’s are knocking on the Pearly Gates.
Bullets ricochet off the stone entrance.
Jim gives one GI a morphine shot. As he’s about to inject TED, (24), bullets stitch the door. Jim hugs the ground.
JIM FLASHBACK:
EXT. BASEBALL FIELD, HOME PLATE – DAY
Home. Simple, happier times. 19-year old Jim fouls out: God, I want to do that again…
RETURN TO SCENE:
EXT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
Fuck it, he’s coming home. He injects Ted with Morphine.
JIM
You owe me too much money to die on me now.
Jim crawls into the church.
INT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
BOINK…BOINK. Dripping water. A rustling sound.
VOICE
(echoing male voice)
Stirb ihr amerikanischen Schweine!
(die you American pigs!)
Jim dives under the last pew: Sarge was right… He pulls the pin on a grenade and rolls it under the pews.
BOOM! The nuns explode. Debris, body parts rain down.
He shuts his eyes: God please forgive me.
A German SOLDIER, (25) with explosives — the one who called out — lies still in a pew unseen by Jim.
EXT. CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
Rapid gun fire; BOOM!
J.T.
Cover ‘em!
GI’s open up on three Germans in a ditch. Jim frantically wraps Ted’s midsection and drags both to safety.
EXT. BUSHES – MOMENTS LATER
Ted grips Jim’s arm.
JIM
No need Ted.
TED
(weak)
You killed those nuns, didn’t you…
Jim eyes Nubly.
JIM
Just following orders.
TED
Just wait and see what’s next for you.
Ted’s eyes close.
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Renee Loves Anticipatory Dialogue
Vision: To become a well-respected writer who has my movies produced and have enough work to keep me busy and keep the lights on.
What I learned from this assignment is that my script automatically lends itself to anticipatory dialogue. Most of my scenes already had a least one of the 11 forms of anticipatory dialogue and the ones that didn’t I found it easy to add them in.
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WIM Module 8, Lesson 3, Andrew Boyd’s Anticipatory Dialogue
Vision: For Hitler’s Choirboys to be such a compelling screenplay that Spielberg and Gibson will battle it out to produce their most powerful WW2 drama since Hacksaw Ridge or Schindler’s List.
What I learned from doing this assignment: I certainly see the value of foreshadowing, whether through dialogue or events. I had incorporated plenty of this already, but going through, looking for this specifically, I have been able to add more. A helpful exercise.
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