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Lesson 9
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Ira Drower’s Favorite Twists
I learned that you can spice up the story/script by including various types of twists and misdirections. These come in various forms and can be smaller in nature such as going from danger to safety or major plot points such as betrayal or trap/escape.
From Act 1:
Unexpected Support: Frank adopts a local pack of wolves he uses to guard a cave and back entrance to the prison. He considers them family and treats them as such.
New Threat: Frank discovers blood and microchips in the restricted closed base and secret Alien prison known as Area 54 identifying two missing local hunters from town.
It Just Got Worse: Frank is forced to bring a military inspector to Area 54 to inspect for toxic material when the Bureau of Land Management leased land next to the site to a cattle rancher.
Deceived: The military inspector is a phony in search of a lost gold shipment. Frank shows him very little.
Identity Exposed: The Military Inspector tells Frank’s girlfriend about Frank who was a vicious tank battalion leader known as ‘rôdeur mortel’, the Death Stalker.
Deceived: The warden tells Frank he will receive a full pardon for capturing the Alien but he doesn’t tell Frank any details about the Alien Predator.
Protected: The wolf pack assists Frank in tracking and hunting the Alien Predator.
From Act 2:
Danger: An Alien Spy from the Universal Planetary Council arrives to eliminate the Alien Predator.
Plan Succeeds: Frank and Prof. Warner’s assistant Rick track the Alien Spy and capture it believing it is the one they seek.
Danger: An Alien Bounty Hunter picks up a communication from the Warden to the Universal Planetary Council alerting them of an unauthorized Alien Predator at Area 54.
It Just Got Worse: The Bounty Hunter takes over the body and mind of the military inspector and insists on a return visit to Area 54. When Frank hesitates to show the Bounty Hunter/inspector any details he decides to take the prison by force.
New Threat: The Bounty Hunter rounds up a group of mercenaries that the military inspector knew were locals and attacks Frank at the prison site.
Plan Fails: Frank and his wolf pack respond with brutal force killing all the mercs except one who escapes with the Bounty Hunter.
Unexpected Support: The Alien Predator kills the escaping mercenary near Area 54.
Unexpected Weapon: The Alien Spy uses its powers of suggestion to influence Rick at the prison within Area 54.
Betrayal: Under strong suggestions from the Alien spy, Rick knocks out Frank and straps him to an examination table.
Attacked: The actual Alien Predator attempts to break into the facility while Frank is strapped to a table.
It Just Got Worse: The Alien Predator has a host of advanced weaponry as well as cloaking capabilities, is powerful, and stands 7 feet plus.
Unexpected Support: Frank’s wolf pack counter-attacks the Alien Predator at the cave preventing it from breaching the entrance.
New Threat: Still under the influence of the Alien spy, Rick begins to shoot at the Alien Predator. If he kills it Frank will not get his pardon.
Escape: Frank manages to free himself from the restraints and disarms the Bounty Hunter. The Bounty Hunter knocks Frank back into the cave as it makes its retreat. The Alien Predator also escapes into the nearby forest.
Unexpected Weapon: The Bounty hunter’s weapon is an advanced laser blaster which Frank now posesses.
Plan Fails: Tracking the Predator, Frank and his wolf pack can not locate it when cloaked.
Reversal: The Alien Predator does what it does best. It now hunts Frank and his wolf pack.
My 5 favorite twists are the Betrayal, It Just Got Worse, New Threat, Unexpected Support, and Attacked.
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Bob Rowen’s Favorite Twists.
What I learned doing this assignment is the role twists can play to keep the audience engaged in the movie and how to develop them.
Several Twists from my Draft Scrip:
Deceived: Nuclear plant employees are misled by Edgar and his nuclear task force regarding radiation exposure.
Deceived: Edgar assures Prater that the radioactive contamination from the Minus 66 accident “is not a problem” but “just a nuisance”.
Surprising Truth: Prater provides solid evidence contrary to the company’s claim that occupational radiation exposure limits are safe.
It Just Got Worse: Prater is forced off the road and crashes.
Attacked: Following a rousing and acrimonious safety meeting, a large number of Edgar’s company men engage Prater and his few supporters in a barroom fight.
Trick: Prater cleverly tricks Edgar into testifying truthfully.
Reversal: After Edgar fires Prater, he sings a different tune about radiation exposure.
It Just Got Better: Dr. Kasun tells Prater to go public as quickly and in as many different ways as possible.
Surprising Alliance: A deputy sheriff comes to Prater’s aid.
It Just Got Worse: Kathryn is the teller during a bank robbery; Kathryn’s name is aired on the radio, the robber is at large, and the police won’t protect Prater’s family.
Surprising Truth: It’s eventually revealed at one of Prater’s book signings that Edgar developed terminal cancer and committed suicide.
My Favorite Twists So Far (actually, I like them all):
Deceived: Nuclear plant employees are misled by Edgar and his nuclear task force regarding radiation exposure.
Surprising Truth: Prater provides solid evidence contrary to the company’s claim that occupational radiation exposure limits are safe.
It Just Got Worse: Prater is forced off the road and crashes.
Attacked: Following a rousing and acrimonious safety meeting, a large number of Edgar’s men engage Prater and his few supporters in a barroom fight.
Trick: Prater cleverly tricks Edgar into testifying truthfully.
Reversal: After Edgar fires Prater, he sings a different tune about radiation exposure.
Surprising Truth: It’s eventually revealed at one of Prater’s book signings that Edgar developed terminal cancer and committed suicide.
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Gary Holland – Favorite Twists
Unexpected Threat – Out of nowhere an alien spacecraft crashes and burns at a farm field in 1947.
Plan Succeeds – Mistaken for a plane crash, a farmer drives to the inferno in search of survivors.
Danger – When he realizes it’s something much different, he grabs his shotgun and approaches.
It just got worse – The farmer peers into the torn open entrance and is torn apart by what looks like a sharp edged beam.
Plan Succeeds – Ten years later, Area – 51 was established… the contents of that crash was delivered to a scientist there.
PRESENT DAY –
Plan Succeeds – That same scientist looks at his creation… a one of a kind jet fighter constructed from the alien crash fragments.
Plan Fails – When an artifact is installed in the fighter, it transmits an activation signal into deep space… no one is aware.
Plan Succeeds – The computer on board the fighter excepts a pilot to interact with it… the hero.
Danger – On a test run of the fighter, six alien craft arrive to the sheer confusion of people on the ground… another craft de-cloaks… it’s enormous.
It just got worse – A battle between the craft ensues… the enormous craft wins and approaches Earth
New Threat – The captain of the ship is a criminal with an eye for the artifact… he launches ten space fighters.
Unexpected Support – A good Galactic Policeman makes himself known.
Plan Succeeds – The Earth fighter is battling the space fighters and winning.
Plan Fails – The good cop engages in his fighter… destroys one craft and damages the other… it crashes into a hotel in Las Vegas… an OVERLOAD ensues and destroys the entire city.
It just got worse – Enemy fighters remain and send a signal through the artifact and activates a black energy into the hero’s cockpit.
Danger – The black energy threatens to overtake the hero.
It just got better – A young female scientist on board activates an untested program that forces the artifact from its receptacle… the black energy fades away.
Unknown Danger – The untested program compromises the artifact… to what degree is not known.
Plan Succeeds – The hero goes into hiding at a safe house.
It Might Get Better – During the wait at the safe house, the young scientist constructs a fake artifact.
TO BE CONTINUED:
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Frances Williams Favorite Twists,
What I learned doing this Assignment is how to add plots and twists to your story.
Danger – Alexis and her daughter are sitting on the platform waiting for the Train, when the train is approaching and two men jumps off the train and attacks them.
Unsuspected Support – a passerby is witnesses the attack and comes to aide them.
Identity Exposed/Deceived,
Alexis is sleeping in her apartment, when the phone rings, it is Victor, the head Mob Boss telling her he knows her secret
Surprising Attack,
Alexis is sleeping in her apartment, when she hears noises coming from downstairs, when she goes to investigate she is ambushed.
Protected:
Alex wakes up in a Hospital surrounded by men in Black suits, armed with automatic weapons, it is the CIA.
Unequaled Weapons;
She is confronted with Assassin’s carrying M16 rifles.
Surprising Responses.
Seraph An Ex Colleague and Russian Spy bursts into the room with guns blazing and shoots and kills all 12 men.
My favorite Twists are Attacked/Protected, Unexpected Weapon/Surprising Responses/Trap Trick/ Escape.
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Beth Zurkowski Favorite twists! What I learned from this assignment is How to add more twists.
Go through your outline and rethink it as a series of twists. Add in any twists that you feel will improve it.
1. Choose any scene that needs a twist or two:
2. Brainstorm ways to use one or more of these twists:
<div>
X Danger
========================= Safety</div><div>X New
Threat ====================== Unexpected SupportPlan Fails ========================Plan Succeeds
Identity or Plan Exposed ============ Identity Hidden
X Deceived
====================== Surprising TruthX Betrayal
======================= Surprising AllianceAttacked ====================== Protected
Lost Resources ================= New Resources
It Just Got Worse ============== It Just Got Better
Unexpected Weapon ============= Surprising Response
X Trap/Trick
===================== EscapeReversal ====================== Reverse the Reversal
</div>
3. Select the twists you’ll use and build them into your scene.
4. Do #1 to #3 with as many scenes in your outline as you can.
5. Tell us your FIVE favorite twists listed as Setup/Twist.
1. Opening: We see two in a forbidden relationship. Naya announces she’s pregnant to Darsh, her boyfriend.
At Velda’s Dojo she is well liked by her students. After teaching and day is over. Velda and her husband go out to eat at a bar with friends.
Naya and Darsh find out neighbor is a doctor while mowing the lawn. Darsh has a bloated tick on his scalp and the doctor over-hears their concern. Velda and her husband help them remove the insect.
(A-1)Naya’s father tells her she is promised to an older man in an arraigned marriage. Naya argues she won’t marry him that she loves someone else.(A-2)(V-1) Older man forces his way on her and finds out she’s not a virgin like Father said she was.
(M-1)Naya and Darsh decide to elope.(V-2)(A-3) But Naya gets into fight with father, mother and two older brothers. It’s an honor killing.
(M-2)(A-4)Naya is left for dead, but she crawls to the neighbors house for help and safety.(M-3)(A-5) Velda and her doctor husband help her, but she loses the baby.
2.Inciting incident:(A-6) Velda is debating helping Naya and her boyfriend, Darsh.(V-3) Meanwhile, Naya’s family noticed her body was not on the garage floor and went out looking for her.
3.First Turning Point at end of Act 1:(M-4)(A-7) Flash back on Velda’s military career as a Marine and we show she is cautious in helping because she was raped while overseas.(M-5) Velda soon excepts the challenge. Gabe the other instructor of the dojo tells Velda he supports her if she wants to help Naya. Turns out he lied and he helps Naya’s father fight Velda. (A-8) Chase scene.(A-9)(M-5) Velda works with police and gets Naya and Darsh to safety.(A-10)(M-6) Velda fights Naya’s tresspassing relatives and wins.
4.Mid-Point:(A-11) (V-4)Father gets away and puts a bounty on Velda’s head at son’s gym. (A-12)(V-5) He hires street fighters from the gym to take on Velda.(V-6)(A-13) She gets captured, tortured and escapes. (A-14) (V-7)Father gets Velda’s wallet and begins to ruin her credit and reputation.
5.Second Turning Point: at end of Act 2 (M-7) Velda stops at a MMA and talks to the sword fighters there.
6.Crisis: (V-8) Father finds Naya and holds her hostage.(V-9) He lets Velda know Naya’s death is on Velda’s hands. (M-8) Velda searches for Nata’s family.
7.Climax: (A-15) (M-9)Velda tries to take on every family member and street fighter and Gabe’s students who betray her trust.(A-16)(M-10) But just when she’s about to collapse from exhaustion the MMA fighters find her and help her out.(A-17)(M-11) She gets up her final reserves and fights on. (A-18) (M-12) Velda wins and gets Naya back.(A-19)(M-13) Velda chops off the father’s head with a sword.
8.Resolution: (M-14)Velda and her husband are invited to Naya’s and Darsh’s wedding. Naya carries a brand new baby.
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