Screenwriting Mastery › Forums › The 30 Day Screenplay › 30 Day Screenplay 15 › Lesson 19
-
Lesson 19
Posted by cheryl croasmun on September 18, 2023 at 4:05 amReply to post your assignment.
Steve Jones replied 1 year, 7 months ago 3 Members · 2 Replies -
2 Replies
-
Subject line: Stephen Maynard Act 3 Turning Point
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” I must rethink this because I present this SINGLE scene as the culmination and realization that ALL IS LOST after several scenes in which the heroes failed. My protagonists face their lowest low AFTER having gone through several scenes in which they come out losers. Having realized that they have hit bottom, they must now change their ways and do something drastic.
Outline Key Scene 4 – Turning Point 3.
BEGINNING: They mope and wallow in their incompetence and repeated failures.
MIDDLE: Evaluating their current position, they conclude that all is lost.
END: Pearl cheers them up and expresses her optimism giving them the will to attempt one last improbable thing.
Write Turning Point 3 – The protagonist faces their lowest low.
EXT. GREYSTONE HOUSE – BACKYARD – DAY
Johnny and Stevie sit on lawn furniture, clutching half-full Mason jars and moping, as sunset turns to twilight.
Pearl arrives carrying a pitcher full of ice cubes and tea and fills their jars.
STEVIE
Nothing left to be done —
JOHNNY
Having screwed up everything royally.
PEARL
Don’t worry, boys. We’ve got carrots in the
ground and oranges to harvest come
November. We’ll get by.
STEVIE
I’m not sure you understand Miss Pearl.
The money’s gone. Nothing we can do to
stop the foreclosure.
Pearl hands Stevie the pitcher, lifts her apron, and wipes her teary eyes
PEARL
No one could ask for better sons. And don’t
you fret my lovely boys, the hero always
gets the girl.
She takes the pitcher and heads for the house.
The moping continues.
Chuey appears with a rolled-up newspaper in his mouth and goes to Johnny.
Johnny takes the paper, listlessly pets the puppy, and tosses the paper to the ground.
Chuey takes the newspaper in his mouth, goes to Stevie, and stands on his hind legs, wagging his tail.
Stevie pets the puppy, takes the newspaper, unrolls it, scans the first page, and opens the paper.
He pages through, eyes lingering on the various headlines before turning to the next.
Something grabs his attention. He sits up in his chair.
STEVIE
Check it out.
(reading)
The Pacific Classic is an American thoroughbred
horse race run annually on the second day of
September at the racetrack in Del Mar, California.
They look at the puppy
JOHNNY
(to Chuey)
What’d you know about horses?
-
Steve Jones Act 3 turning point
BEGINNING: Harry is trapped on Earth and has given up
MIDDLE: Carina tries to persuade him he can still bring down Worple.
END: Harry must return to Mars illegally.
INT. BAR ON EARTH – NIGHT
Harry is drunk when Carina walks in.
CARINA
What’cha doing?
HARRY
Getting drunk. What are you doing?
CARINA
Saving people’s lives.
HARRY
That’s a noble cause.
CARINA
Wanna help?
HARRY
Can’t. Some shit tickler stole my passport.
CARINA
I know someone who can get you to Mars.
HARRY
What do I have to do? Blow his stoat?
CARINA
Goat. No, just show up.
Harry looks at Carina like she’s grown a penis on her forehead.
HARRY
You want me to go back illegally?
CARINA
Do you want to go back?
HARRY
Yes, but…
CARINA
Do you want to get your job back?
HARRY
Yes, but…
CARINA
Do you want to get Worple?
HARRY
Yes, but…
CARINA
But what?
HARRY
Fuck.
Log in to reply.