BWTV-AI Mod 3 – Lesson 11: Outline Requirements

• 

  Lenore

  Member

  March 2, 2024 at 7:55 pm

  Replying to Margaret because it’s the only way I can post.

  BWTV Mod 3 – Lesson 11

  Lenore Bechtel’s Scene Requirements

  What I learned from this assignment: Tackling my project this way made me rethink the order I’d planned for some scenes. This was a valuable assignment.

  CONCEPT: Lilly must navigate the chaos of Hypnotist Joshua’s zany methods and the antics of his new-hire Sally while keeping scandal reporter Quinten at bay.

  TURNING POINT: Joshua hypnotizes Timothy to believe he and Dr. Dan can also be invisible.

  A STORY: Lilly arranges for Joshua’s unorthodox treatments for Timothy and Tyrell.

  B STORY: Timothy who thinks he’s invisible has trouble adjusting to visibility.

  C STORY: Shay, the son Lilly gave up for adoption, comes to investigate his birth mother.

  BEAT SHEET:

  TEASER.

  INT. KARMA KLUB – NIGHT

  Start: Several tiered rows of occupied tables face the stage, where Joshua performs a hypnosis show.

  Challenging situation: Will Joshua get all on stage with him to do as he wants?

  Conflict: Lilly’s stern face and Quinten’s evil smiling one contrast with the highly appreciative audience.

  Action: Joshua quickly hypnotizes six people six ways, then puts Sally under his arm and walks gloatingly around. On stage, dialogue between Joshua and Sally result in him hiring her to work in his office

  Finish: Quinten smirks and takes notes. Lillly tells Joshua these shows diminish his reputation and says he’d better be joking about hiring Sally. He’s not, and Lilly’s distraught.

  ACT 1

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – DAY

  The room has a receptionist desk with a complicated telephone, two tall filing cabinets, a medical-type scale, a reclining chair next to a CD player with headphones, and six chairs for waiting clients.

  An archway nead the middle leads to the group room and the CD/TV maintenance room. A door on one side leads to Joshua’s office. Two doors on the opposite side lead to Lilly’s office and the 11th floor hallway of Tulsa Towers.

  Start: Lilly paces, impatiently waiting for Joshua who is behind closed doors.

  Challening Situation: Lilly tells Vicki that they need to keep Quinten from finding out about Joshua’s weird treatments for weird patients.

  Conflict: Vicki, reading National Intrigue, admires Quinten for putting so many bad people out of business.

  Action: Sally shows a picture Quinten took last night at the show.

  Finish: Vicki says Joshua is being briefed by Dr. Dan about a new patient he’s referring.

  INT. JOSHUA’S PRIVATE OFFICE – SIMULTANEOUSLY

  Joshua’s desk and chair, plus two reclining chairs, dominate the room’s amusing, masculine decor.

  Start: Dr. Dan admits he’s referring Timothy before his insurance runs out.

  Challenging situation: Dr. Dan hasn’t helped Timothy, who thinks he’s invisible, but can Joshua?

  Conflict: Dr. Dan believes long term psychotherapy more benefiicial than short-term hypnotherpy

  Action: Joshua throws Dr. Dan’s lengthy referral into his “to file” box, finding the only thing interesting being Timothy’s distrust of banks.

  Finish: Dr. Dan agrees to participate in anything Joshua plans to help Timothy.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – LATER

  Start: Sally reports she’s ruined Joshua’s master CDs, but Joshua forgives her.

  Challenging situation: Tyrell gets free appointment, but Joshua won’t tell why.

  Conflict: Lilly was waiting to talk to Joshua and doesn’t like it when he sees Tyrell first.

  Action: Joshua’s happy-go-lucky attitude changes as he take Tyrell into his office.

  Finish: Lilly storms into her office, but restrains herself from slamming the door.

  LILLY’S PRIVATE OFFICE – LATER

  The cluttered desk, big computer monitor, filing cabinet with one drawer half opened, and pictureless walls reflect its occupant’s no-nonsense get-down-to-business attitude.

  Start: Joshua comes to Lilly’s office.

  Challenging situation: Lilly reports that Quinten is coming to uncover a scandal.

  Conflict: Joshua laughs that this office is the place to find one.

  Action: Joshua massages Lilly’’s shoulders, gives her five $100 bills, and asks her to set up a fake bank robbery.

  Finish: Lilly gets on the phone with Tulsa Tower’s bank manager.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – LATER

  Start: Timothy creeps into the office and startles Vicki.

  Challenging situation: Vicki seats him and puts earphones on him.

  Conflict: Timothy rebels when Vicki touches him.

  Finish: He settles down and listens to Joshua’s pre-conditioning CD.

  INT. JOSHUA’S PRIVATE OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Vicki leads Timothy into Joshua’s office.

  Challenging situation: Joshua pretends he can’t see him.

  Conflict: Timothy argues that Joshua is lying to him about he and Dr. Dan also being invisible.

  Finish: Joshua hypnotizes Timothy and sets him up to believe he and Dr. Dan can be invisible too.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Timothy bursts out of Joshua’s office.

  Challenging situation: Vicki and Lilly don’t know how Joshua wants them to react.

  Conflict: Timothy exits, screaming that Joshua is crazy

  Finish: Joshua smiles and says, “He’ll be back.”

  ACT 2

  INT. LILLY’S PRIVATE OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Joshua confirms that Lilly has the bank robbery set up.

  Challenging situation: They argtue about Sally ineptness.

  Conflict: Lilly explodes when Joshua says Sally will each exercise classes.

  Finish: Vicki buzzes to let Lilly know a woman named Kathy wants to see her and that Timothy is back in Joshua’s office. Lilly grabs Kathy and they exit quickly to take the $500 to the bank.

  INT. JOSHUA’S PRIVATE OFFICE – DAY

  Start: Timothy’s eyes close as Joshua talks to him.

  Challenging situation: He frowns as Joshua tells him he and Dr. Dan are going to be invisible too.

  Conflict: He smiles when Joshua tells him he’s going to steal back the money the bank stole from him.

  Finish: He looks confident as Joshua tells him how easy their escapade will be.

  INT. ELEVATOR – LATER

  One of the advertisements scattered among mirrors on the elevator walls features Joshua’s weight control TV show.

  Start: Joshua hypnotizes Timothy and Dr. Dan catches him.

  Challenging situation: Dr. Dan is not happy with what they’re about to do.

  Conflct: Dr. Dan argues that Joshua should be able to hypnotize Timothy to believe he’s visible.

  Finish: Joshua gives Dr. Dan the option to opt out.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – SIMULTANEOUSLY

  Start: Quinten enters and announces who he is.

  Challenging situation: Lilly bursts from her office to keep Quinten at bay.

  Conflict: Quinten is not intereted in seeing a Joshua TV show, as Lilly suggets.

  Finish: To Lilly’s relief, He’s intereted in letting Sally show him some CDs. .

  INT. BANK – MOMENTS LATER

  The small bank has only two teller stations, an alcove with the manager’s desk, and a chair at the entrance where a guard sometimes sits.

  Start: Timothy, Dr. Dan, and Joshua walk boldly into the bank.

  Challenging situation: Timothy stops and shivers in front of a bank guard who pretends not to see him.

  Conflict: Not able to use language and spoil the invisible illusion, Joshua physically pushes Timothy to the spot where a bank teller is counting out $20.

  MONTAGE: Timothy repeatedly pulls out one $20 bill at a time.

  Finish: The teller looks up and screams. Timothy, Joshua, and Dr. Dan run. .

  INT. ENCLOSED STAIRWAY – MOMENTS LATER

  Concrete stairs lead up then back to each floor of the 16 story building.

  Start: Joshua, Dr. Dan, and Timothy start the ascent from first floor to the eleventh.

  Challenging situation: Timothy is so happy about being seen, he keeps stopping and jumping up and down.

  Conflict: Joshua wants them to keep running, but out-of-breath Dr. Dan prefers taking breaks and listening to Timothy’s delight.

  Finish: They finally make it to the eleventh floor.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: The three run in to the reception room where Bernadine is having a breakthrough, witness by Lilly, Maudie, Sally, Vicki, and Quinten.

  Challenging situation: Dr. Dan bumps into Bernadine, who is having a breakthrough. He’s immediately fascinated by her.

  Conflict: Timothy bumps into Maudie, exposing her fat disguise. Sally reveals to Quinten the Maudie was the subject of the last TV show, but Lilly assures him the show will be re-shot with a new subject.

  Finish: To Lilly’s dismay, Sally leads Quinten toward the CD room to see the bad Maudie show.

  ACT 3

  INT. JOSHUA’S PRIVATE OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Joshua finds out that Maudie pretended to be fat because of a suggestion he gave her at a Chamber of Commerce show.

  Challenging situation: He has set her up to enjoy helping him on stage.

  Conflict: She had not taken the suggestion when he told her it was for one night only.

  Finish: He tells her she’s now a confident person, not needing to be around anyone else to feel good about herself. Just the opposite, she will now always be bold, aggressive, and happy all by herself.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Joshua introduces Timothy to Maudie who lures him out for coffee.

  Challenging situation: Shay, who says he’s there to research hypnosis for a term paper, begs Joshua for some of his time.

  Conflict: Vicki tells Joshua that Tyrell called and is coming back.

  Finish: Joshua takes Shay into his office.

  INT. JOSHUA’S PRIVATE OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Joshua asks Shay if he’d like to be hypnotized.

  Challenging sitatuioon: Shay says he doubt he could be, but starts nodding off when Joshua lowers his voice.

  Conflict: Joshua recognizes that Shay is lying to him.

  Finish: Shay tells him the truth: He wants a chance to investigate Lilly, his birth mother.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: As Joshua and Shay enter, Vicki tells Joshua that Tyrell is listening to a pre-conditioning CD.. Then she flirts with Shay.

  Challenging situation: Sally slinks and Quinten smirks as he tells Joshua he’s seen the bad Maudie show. Lilly rushes from her office with a schedule for filming a new one.

  Conflict: Joshua announces he’s hired Shay to handle CD reproduction, and Vicki will teach him. Lilly protests they don’t need more employees.

  Finish: Joshua leads Lilly aside and tells her to find a safe that can’t be opened for part of Tyrell’s treatment.

  MONTAGE INT. JOSHUA’S PRIVATE OFFICE JOSHUA GRINNING AS HE GIVES SUGGESTIONS TO A HYPNOTIZED TYRELL.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – LATER

  Start: Vicki cleans up her desk, getting ready to leave for the day.

  Challenging situation: Also getting ready to leave, Lilly announces she’s on her way to pick up what’s needed for Tyrell’s treatment and she might come in late tomorrow.

  Conflict: Entering from the CD room with Sally, Quinten announces he’s well on his way to putting Joshua out of business. Sally asks Lilly to make it by 9 tomorrow for her exercise class.

  Finish: Kathy comes in, embarrassing Lilly—dismayed—by inviting her out to dinner and more.

  ACT 4

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – NEXT DAY

  Start: Sally moves chairs closer to the wall in preparation for her exercise class.

  Challenging situation: Lilly arrives, is glad to find Maudie and Vicki as Sally’s only participants, and says they should cancel the class.

  Conflict: Ruining Lilly’s planned cancellation, Dr. Dan arrives, doing a favor for a buddy by exercising with Sally who leads them in a routine she calls “Six with Sally.”

  Finish: Joshua joins the exercisers and announces “Six with Sally” will now become a segment on his TV show. Lilly nearly collapses.

  INT. DR. DAN’S RECEPTION ROOM – LATE MORNING

  A receptionist desk sits in front of a wall of filing cabinets and ten chairs flank the walls, covered with modern art of various shrunken heads. A silver door leads to Dr. Dan’s office.

  Start: Lilly pulls a safe into Dr. Dan’s reception room.

  Challenging situation: Receptionist Dixie tries to get her to leave because the office closes for lunch.

  Conflict: Lilly pushes past her and opens door to Dr. Dan’s private office.

  Finish: Dr. Dan asks, “Haven’t I done enough for my buddy today?”

  INT. DR. DAN’S PRIVATE OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

  A barrel chair sits next to a reclining chaise across from an ornate desk in this flamboyant room with touches of silver throughout. Dr. Dan’s safe is behind what appears to be a regular cabinet door.

  Start: Lilly explains that Joshua needs this unopenable safe in his office for a treatment for Tyrell.

  Challenging situation: They have trouble moving Dr. Dan’s actual safe into his private bathroom as they discuss who Tyrell truly might be.

  Conflict: With the fake safe in its spot, Dr. Dan has apprehensions about the scheme, afraid Tyrell might steal something else when he finds he can’t open the safe.

  Finish: Lilly persuades him that Joshua will be with Tyrell and will not let that happen.

  INT. TULSA TOWER CAFETERIA – LUNCH HOUR

  Booths flank two walls and tables for six fill the center of this room at the end of the cafeteria line.

  Start: Lilly and Kathy talk seriously as they eat lunch in a corner booth.

  Challenging situation: Quinten eavesdrops and gleefully takes notes on their conversation.

  Conflict: Quinten snaps a picture of them, thanking Lilly for spicing up his Joshua story.

  Finish: Lilly tells Kathy she’ll give her an answer at Bernadine’s show opening tonight.

  MONTAGE: JOSHUA AND TYRELL GO UP ELEVATOR, THEN DOWN HALL, AND JOSHUA USES A KEY TO SNEAK THROUGH DR. DAN’S RECEPTION ROOM TO HIS OFFICE.

  INT. DR. DAN’S PRIVATE OFFICE—MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Joshua stands guard as Tyrell repeatedly fails to open the safe.

  Challenging situation: Joshua has to talk Tyrell out of using the bathrooom.

  Conflict: Tyrell opens Dr. Dan’s desk drawers, finds a petty cash envelope, and he and Joshua argue about what to do with it.

  Finish: They leave to go back to Joshua’s office to continue Tyrell’s treatment.

  INT. JOSHUA’S PRIVATE OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Tyrell reclines in the chair closest to Joshua’s desk.

  Challenging situation: Tyrell looks very tempted when Joshua drops Dr. Dan’s office key on his desk.

  Conflict: Tyrell says he doesn’t want to be hypnotized and doesn’t realize he already is.

  Finish: Joshua says, “When you wake up, you won’t remember a thing I told you but you’ll do exactly what I’m going to tell you to do.”

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – LATER

  Start: Dr. Dan and Timothy—in crisis—lumber in, their repartee bringing Lilly right out of her office.

  Challlenging situation: Timothy is plagued with guilt about stealing $500 and wants to take it back.

  Conflict: Joshua is in session with a stop smoking group being watched by Quinten.

  Finish: Lilly steers Dr. Dan and Timothy into his office to wait.

  INT. LILLY’S OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Lilly phones the bank manager and explains the situation.

  Challenging situation: The bank has lots of customers.

  Conflict: Lilly tells the bank manager Joshua will have to cancel the two remaining appointments needed to maintain her 15-year-old son’s cure from thumb sucking unless she helps him with this one.

  Finish: The bank manager says when Lilly calls that they’re on their way, she’ll tell all customers what’s going on.

  MONTAGE OF SMOKING GROUP ONE BY ONE SHAKING JOSHUA’S HAND AND THEN INHALING AND EXHALING BIG BREATHS.

  INT. JOSHUA’S PRIVATE OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: Timothy says he needs to return the money he stole.

  Challenging situation: He’s already spent 88 of the 500 dollars.

  Conflict: Dr. Dan seethes as Joshua explains how that happens to be the exact amount of rebate Dr. Dan owes Timothy for his last two appointments. $44 each.

  Finish: Lilly opens Joshua’s office door, looks at Joshua, nods, and Joshua nods back.

  MONTAGE OF CUSTOMERS WATCHING IN AMAZEMENT AS JOSHUA, DR. DAN, AND TIMOTHY STRIDE CONFIDENTLY INTO THE BANK AND TIMOTHY PUTS BILLS BACK ON A STACK THE TELLER COUNTS.

  INT. BANK – CONTINUOUS

  Start: Timothy puts the last bill in the stack the teller counts.

  Challenging situatiion: The teller screams and customers scream.

  Conflict: The bank guard pretends to try to catch Timothy.

  Finish: The three escape to the stairwell.

  INT. STAIRWALL – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: As they start the climb up, Timothy feels his body, and complains that he can’t stay invisible anymore.

  Challenging situation: Dr. Dan, painfully huffing, complains that invisibility is too strenuous.

  Conflict: Timothy regrets that he no longer will be able to have invisible adventures with Joshua and Dr. Dan.

  Finish: Dr. Dan insist they go up only to the second floor, then get out to take the elevator.

  INT. JOSHUA’S RECEPTION ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

  Start: The Three enter and stop immediately to watch Bernadine who is having a breakthrough being observed by Lilly, Vicki, Sally, Shay, and Quinten.

  Challenging situation: Bernadine recognizes Timothy from a previous life and invites him to her opening tonight. He says he already has a date. She says to bring her.

  Conflict: Sally gives Timothy two CDs ordered by Joshua: Overcome Shyness and Enjoy Sexual Pleasure. Dr. Dan scolds Joshua for Timothy’s treatment—too much too soon.

  Finish: Quinten confronts Lilly about Kathy, and Lilly tells him Kathy was a man when the two were married. Joshua and Shay hear her confession—Shay with horror, Joshua with delight—maybe pretended, maybe not. Vicki is stunned and Sally loves it.

  ACT 5

  INT. KARMA KLUB – NIGHT

  Start: Dr. Dan, with his wife Gina, sit at the front table with Joshua, Vicki, Shay, and Sally. Lilly and Kathy sit at a dark corner booth.

  Challenging situation: Just as lights are lowered, Maudie drags timid Timothy in, and they semi-hide at a back booth, inconspicuous among the weirdly dressed crowd.

  Conflict: Bernadine finishes the first song of her act with a reprimand to Quinten for snapping pictures of all of the above.

  Finish: Bernadine begins a let-go-and-let-love meditation to restore the audience’s serentiy.

  INT. DR. DAN’S PRIVATE OFFICE – SIMULTANEOUSLY

  Start: Tyrell tries repeatedly and unsuccessfuly to open the unopenable safe.

  Challenging situation: Hearing someone come into the reception room, Tyrell hides under the desk.

  Conflict: Two police barge in, handcuff him, and read him his rights.

  Finish: Tyrell tells them Joshua hypnotized him to commit this crime.

  INT. KARMA KLUB – CONTINUOUS

  Start: Bernardine sings and drums to song about reincarnation.

  Challenging situation: As she takes her bow, two police barge in, pulling Tyrell.

  Conflict: They confront Joshua and tell him Tyrell blamed for his failed safecracking attempt.

  Action: Bernardine jumps into a breakthrough, gets Tyrell on stage, and entices his accusations against Joshua.

  Lilly weeps and collapses in Kathy’s arms.

  Timothy weeps and collapses into Maudie’s arms.

  Vicki tries to collapse into Shay’s, but he resists.

  Gina gives a perplexed look to Dr. Dan who slumps as if trying not to be noticed.

  Both policemen blow shrill whistles, and a hush falls over the nightclub.

  Finish: The police ask Joshua, “Are you responsible for this man’s attempted safecracking tonight?” Joshua smiles and says “yes.” Quinten gleefully films it all.

  BLACKOUT

  The teaser for Episode 2 will have Tyrell playing piano on stage, with Bernadine singing and playing her frame drum. Joshua had not only set Tyrell up for a second safecracking failure, he’d set up the police to catch him, make him confess Joshua’s involvement, and bring him to the Karma Klub where he could have his musical talent appreciated.
  • 

    Sunil Pappu

    Member

    March 2, 2024 at 8:14 pm

    Sunil Pappu’s Scene Requirements

    “What I learned doing this assignment is… to create a compelling scene arc with action, conflict and challenging situations that challenge the needs, goals, values etc. of the main characters.”

    Title: Hawala Heist

    Format/Genre: One-Hour Heist Thriller Series

    Show Concept: A rookie RAW agent joins a crew of international thieves to penetrate an underground banking network to retrieve a ledger that can crash the financial world.

    Pilot Concept: Rookie agent, Priya joins a heist team to decode messages to stop a terror attack that is used as a distraction for the sale of a ledger on the Hawala market.

    Inciting Incident: Priya is forced to join the heist team to stop a terror attack when her class project turns into a real covert operation.

    A Story: The covert operation

    B Story: The Hawala network

    C Story: Heist team secrets

    Mystery 1: Who is the mole in the heist team who gave away their plan

    Mystery 2: What is the ghost ledger and how do you steal it?

    Impossible Goal: To steal the elusive ledger and bring down the powerful underground banking network of hawala

    Major Conflict: Priya and the heist team have a mole that is working with the Hawala network they are trying to bring down by stealing the ghost ledger.

    BEAT SHEET WITH ESSENCE

    Teaser

    EXT. BACK ALLEYS / FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS (MUMBAI) – EVENING

    PRIYA RAO (AKA Rookie) weaves through the back alleys of Mumbai on a motorcycle and through the jam-packed streets with festive revelers in the pouring rain as she tries to lose the ominous figures tracking her to arrive at the safe house.

    • Start: Priya is on a motorbike weaving through back alleys

    • Challenging Situation: a thunderstorm and pouring rain and the streets jammed with festival revelers.

    • Conflict: ominous figures are tracking her

    • Action: The chase.

    • Finish: she loses her tail and arrives at a safe house.

    EXT/INT. SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT

    Narrowly escaping, she arrives at a safe house, revealing a ledger from her backpack. The heist team including ARJUN NAIR (AN), MEERA VERMA (MV), SOFIA PETROVNA (SP), MANDEEP SINGH (MS), LINA CHEN (LC), question the ledger’s authenticity when heavily armed military trucks show up outside. They scurry into the woods to watch from a safe distance while the safe house is raided by RAW agents. Priya notices that the ledger is blank beyond the first few pages… The team is shocked—the real ledger is still out there, and they’ve been betrayed by one of their own.

    • Start: Priya reveals a ledger from her backpack

    • Challenging Situation: need to be trusted by the team

    • Conflict: the ledger is counterfeit, and the raid points to a mole in the team

    • Action: heavily armed military trucks surround the safe house

    • Finish: the team escapes into the woods

    INT. DINER – DAY

    Priya dejected for letting down the team and exhausted from the chase waits for her order when she discovers a secret compartment in her backpack. She finds a cryptic message in a book that reminds her of her childhood. The message triggers memories of her father’s mysterious gatherings and she leaves abruptly.

    • Start: Priya exhausted from the chase orders food

    • Challenging Situation: she feels dejected for letting down the team.

    • Action: finds a cryptic message in a secret compartment of her backpack

    • Conflict: the message reminds her of a puzzle from her childhood

    • Finish: she leaves abruptly as the message triggers memories of her father’s mysterious gatherings.

    Act 1:

    INT. UNIVERSITY LAWNS – DAY

    Priya traces patterns in the air as she tries to solve a math problem, she created from watching a group of students playing on the lawns. She ignores her CLASSMATES who are having fun at her expense and declines their invitation to go out for drinks.

    • Start: Priya is solving a math problem watching a group of students playing on the lawns

    • Challenging Situation: She is awkward in her interactions with her classmates

    • Conflict: she ignores her classmates who are having fun at her expense

    • Action: she traces patterns in the air as she solves her problem

    • Finish: she declines her classmate’s invitation to go out with them for drinks

    INT. PRIYA’S HOME – EVENING

    Priya is scribbling equations on the huge whiteboard in her room when a bell rings – her ailing FATHER is calling for her – interrupting her flow. She cares for her sick father, but her mind is preoccupied. She ignores a message from her classmates who post a picture of them having fun at a club. She tucks her father in and reads a book of puzzles to him and gets a brainwave that helps her crack her problem.

    • Start: Priya scribbles equations on the huge whiteboard in her room

    • Challenging Situation: her ailing father calls out to her and interrupts her flow.

    • Conflict: she cares for her sick father, but her mind is preoccupied

    • Action: she ignores a message from her classmates who post a picture of them having fun at a club

    • Finish: she tucks her father in and reads a book of puzzles to him and gets a brainwave that helps her crack her problem.

    INT. NIGHT CLUB – NIGHT

    HARSH MEHTA (AKA The Cobra) watches the crowd from his perch scanning for any threats. Priya’s classmates are a riot on the floor. SOFIA PETROVNA (AKA Chameleon) in disguise watches over the group and makes eye contact with Harsh. Sofia gets rattled and tries to shake it off in the bathroom and speaks into her earpiece that she’s been made. Harsh enters the dungeon where they are holding a man bruised and tied to a chair, he breaks off his finger and walks away.

    • Start: Harsh watches the crowd from his perch scanning for any threats

    • Challenging Situation: Priya’s classmates are a riot on the floor

    • Conflict: SOFIA PETROVNA in disguise watches over the group and makes eye contact with Harsh

    • Action: Sofia gets rattled and tries to shake it off in the bathroom, communicates into her earpiece that she’s been made.

    • Finish: Harsh enters the dungeon where they are holding a man bruised and tied to a chair, he breaks off his finger and walks away.

    INT. PRIYA’S HOME – NIGHT

    Priya is in a strange recurring dream involving symbols and numbers that she doesn’t understand, hinting at her hidden lineage and her mind’s mysterious workings. She screams as she is plunged into the abyss. She wakes up from her nightmare shaken. She scribbles down some of the numbers and symbols. She sneaks into her father’s room and takes the couch holding her book close to her chest as she tries to fall back asleep.

    • Start: Priya is in a strange recurring dream involving symbols and numbers

    • Challenging Situation: she screams as she is plunged into the abyss

    • Conflict: she wakes up from her nightmare shaken

    • Action: she scribbles down some of the numbers and symbols

    • Finish: she sneaks into her father’s room and takes the couch

    INT. LECTURE HALL – DAY

    Priya and her classmates are given a problem in class by the PROFESSOR. Priya’s talent in pattern recognition and cryptanalysis shines during the project but she catches a classmate trying to steal her work. Priya is publicly accused by her professor of stealing another student’s work, a plot to test her reactions under pressure. Priya’s professor apologizes and commends her work after everyone leaves.

    • Start: Priya and her classmates are given a problem in class

    • Action: Priya’s talent in pattern recognition and cryptanalysis shines during a class project, she catches a classmate trying to steal her work

    • Conflict: Priya is publicly accused by a professor of stealing another student’s work, a plot to test her reactions under pressure.

    • Challenging Situation: She recalls how her father hounded the media and was driven into hiding by false accusations of theft that led to his current ill health.

    • Finish: Priya’s professor apologizes and commends her work after everyone leaves.

    INT. PRIYA’S HOME – EVENING

    Priya sees a complex puzzle left by someone in her book. It has symbols similar to ones from her recurring dream. Priya tries to solve the puzzle with a distinctive pattern in her cryptanalysis work. She doesn’t know who left it for her or even if there is a right answer. Priya shows her work to her father who tears up.

    • Start: Priya sees a complex puzzle left by her father in her book

    • Conflict: It is similar to the symbols from her recurring dreams

    • Action: Priya tries to solve the puzzle with a distinctive pattern in her cryptanalysis work

    • Challenging Situation: She doesn’t know who left it for her or even if there is a right answer

    • Finish: Priya shows her work to her father who tears up

    INT. DINER – EVENING

    Priya takes her father out to the diner to get some fresh air and clear her mind. Her father’s memory is fuzzy, and he cannot answer Priya’s questions about her childhood. Her professor bumps into them and questions her father about the Hawala network. Her father gets agitated and Priya tells her professor off.

    • Start: Priya takes her father out to the diner to get some fresh air and clear her mind

    • Challenging Situation: Her father’s memory is fuzzy, and he cannot answer Priya’s questions about her childhood

    • Conflict: Her professor bumps into them and questions her father about the Hawala network

    • Action:

    • Finish: Her father gets agitated, and Priya tells her professor off

    EXT. CLUB – NIGHT

    Priya’s classmate leaves the club carrying her class project in her backpack. She is drunk and finds herself on a deserted lane. Someone is following her. She speeds up her pace but the boots catch up with her as she hits a dead-end.

    • Start: Priya’s classmate leaves the club carrying her class project in her backpack.

    • Challenging Situation: She is drunk and finds herself on a deserted lane

    • Conflict: someone is following her

    • Action: she speeds up her pace

    • Finish: the boots catch up with her as she hits a dead-end

    INT. UNIVERSITY HALLWAY – DAY

    Lina bumps into Priya in the hallway and flashes a badge. There’s a fleeting look of recognition or guilt that she quickly masks pretending to be a RAW agent. She questions Priya about the murder of her classmate and her missing class project file. Lina reacts with a subtle but noticeable discomfort when Priya talks about her father, hinting at a shared history. She leaves her contact if she needs a friend. Priya walks away in tears as she is now being accused of murder.

    • Start: Lina bumps into Priya in the hallway and flashes a badge

    • Challenging Situation: There’s a fleeting look of recognition or guilt that she quickly masks pretending to be a RAW agent.

    • Conflict: She questions Priya about the murder of her classmate and her missing class project file.

    • Action: Lina reacts with a subtle but noticeable discomfort when Priya talks about her father, hinting at a shared history. Leaves her contact if she needs a friend.

    • Finish: Priya walks away in tears as she is now being accused of murder.

    INT. CLASSROOM – DAY

    Priya is in class still shaken from her interaction in the hallway. Real RAW agents shuffle into the back row during the lecture. Professor abruptly ends his lecture. Priya’s professor is suddenly detained by intelligence agents in the middle of a lecture. Priya is handed a classified dossier by a RAW agent.

    • Start: Priya is in class still shaken from her interaction in the hallway

    • Challenging Situation: real RAW agents shuffle into the back row during the lecture

    • Action: Professor abruptly ends his lecture

    • Conflict: Priya’s professor is suddenly detained by intelligence agents in the middle of a lecture

    • Finish: Priya is handed a classified dossier by a RAW agent

    INT. PROFESSOR’S OFFICE – DAY

    Priya is seated across from the RAW agent going through the dossier. It reveals that the unsanctioned ops is a personal agenda of her professor. They question her about the professor and his covert operation and threaten to dig up her father’s past. The agent holds her down in the chair and gives her a choice – walk away or become an accomplice and face the wrath of the RAW agency. Priya takes the classified dossier and leaves.

    • Start: Priya is seated across from the RAW agent going through the dossier

    • Challenging Situation: It reveals that the unsanctioned ops is a personal agenda of her professor.

    • Conflict: They question her about the professor and his covert operation and threaten to dig up her father’s past

    • Action: The agent holds her down in the chair and gives her a choice – walk away or become an accomplice and face the wrath of the RAW agency.

    • Finish: Priya takes the classified dossier and leaves

    INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT

    Priya on her computer looks for clues. She digs into the classified dossier to find a much larger conspiracy. Her professor is playing a role that’s more than academic. Priya has to decide what to do. A symbol that she’s seen before on the class project stops her in her tracks.

    • Start: Priya on her computer looks for clues

    • Action: She digs into the classified dossier to find a much larger conspiracy

    • Conflict: Her professor is playing a role that’s more than academic

    • Challenging Situation: Priya has to decide what to do.

    • Finish: A symbol that she’s seen before on the class project stops her in her tracks.

    INT. PRIYA’S HOME – NIGHT

    Priya unlocks her secret locker that has her class project file. Priya deciphers an encrypted message that reveals a terror threat. She has an impossible choice to make that can sacrifice her father and her own safety. She checks on her father who is unaware of her secret life. Priya contacts Lina who she thinks can help her.

    • Start: Priya unlocks her secret locker that has her class project file

    • Action: Priya deciphers an encrypted message that reveals a terror threat

    • Conflict: She has an impossible choice to make that can sacrifice her father and her own safety

    • Challenging Situation: She checks on her father who is unaware of her secret life.

    • Finish: Priya contacts Lina who she thinks can help her.

    EXT. SURVEILLANCE VAN – DAY

    Priya reaches the university lawns when a surveillance van approaches her. Two masked men jump out, throw a bag over her head and drag her into the van. Priya tries to resist but she is bound and gagged. Priya is thrown into the back and the van drives away. She lets out a muffled scream as she looks out through the burlap sack. Priya is now part of the covert team as a cipher.

    • Start: Priya reaches the university lawns when a surveillance van approaches her

    • Challenging Situation: Two masked men jump out, throw a bag over her head and drag her into the van

    • Conflict: Priya tries to resist but she is bound and gagged

    • Action: Priya is thrown into the back and the van drives away

    • Finish: She lets out a muffled scream as she looks out through the burlap sack. Priya is now part of the covert team as a cipher.

    Act 2:

    INT. SECRET DEN – DAY

    Priya’s blindfolds are taken off and she’s now in a secret den of master thieves. Priya must earn the trust of the team. She must navigate the complex chemistry of her companions – Arjun’s vendetta, Meera’s ghosts, Sofia’s missing pieces, Mandeep’s shadows, and Lina’s penance. Priya punches Mandeep for her chaffed hands. Lina breaks up the fight and drags her away.

    • Start: Priya’s blindfolds are taken off and she’s now in a secret den of master thieves

    • Challenging Situation: Priya must earn the trust of the team

    • Conflict: Priya must navigate the complex chemistry of her companions – Arjun’s vendetta, Meera’s ghosts, Sofia’s missing pieces, Mandeep’s shadows, and Lina’s penance.

    • Action: Priya punches Mandeep for her chaffed hands

    • Finish: Lina breaks up the fight and drags her away

    INT. PLANNING ROOM – EVENING

    The professor, Arjun codenamed “Raven, shows his true self and introduces everyone to Priya. Arjun reveals his meticulous plan to infiltrate the Hawala network. Priya interrupts him to reveal the message that points to an imminent terror attack. The heist team doesn’t believe her and sees no threat. Arjun backs Priya for now.

    • Start: The professor, Arjun codenamed “Raven, shows his true self and introduces everyone to Priya.

    • Challenging Situation: Arjun reveals his meticulous plan to infiltrate the Hawala network

    • Action: Priya interrupts him to reveal the message that points to an imminent terror attack

    • Conflict: the heist team doesn’t believe her and sees no threat

    • Finish: Arjun backs Priya for now

    EXT. SECRET DEN – NIGHT

    Arjun looks at the encrypted message and recalls his sister. Arjun’s flashback takes him to his failed attempt to stop a terror attack that killed his sister. Arjun suffers from PTSD but he masks it with his stoic demeanour. He is seen on the phone in rage with fists flying and the team is worried about his erratic behavior.

    • Start: Arjun looks at the encrypted message and recalls his sister

    • Action: Arjun’s flashback takes him to his failed attempt to stop a terror attack

    • Conflict: Arjun lost his sister to the terror attack

    • Challenging Situation: Arjun suffers from PTSD but he masks it with his stoic demenaour

    • Finish: Arjun is seen on the phone in rage with fists flying and the team is worried about his erratic behavior

    INT. CONTROL ROOM – NIGHT

    Meera (AKA Ghost) navigates the digital world with unequalled skill. Her computer pings with the message, and she quickly closes it before anyone can see it. She receives a cryptic message that visibly disturbs her, but she dismisses it when questioned by Priya. She is haunted by a past she seeks to obliterate. Meera closes the chat window on her secret online romance.

    • Start: Meera (AKA Ghost) navigating the digital world with unequaled skill

    • Action: Meera’s computer pings with the message, and she quickly closes it before anyone can see.

    • Challenging Situation: She receives a cryptic message that visibly disturbs her, but she dismisses it when questioned by Priya

    • Conflict: she is haunted by a past she seeks to obliterate

    • Finish: Meera closes the chat window on her secret online romance

    INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT

    Sofia (AKA Chameleon) is drinking with music blaring as she tries on various disguises. Sofia sees her sister’s shadow every time she looks in the mirror. She wants to find her missing sister. She pulls out a burner phone, types a coded message and hides it in her makeup bag. Sofia throws her drink at the mirror and cracks it.

    • Start: Sofia (AKA Chameleon) is drinking with music blaring as she tries on various disguises

    • Challenging Situation: Sofia sees her sister’s shadow every time she looks in the mirror

    • Conflict: Sofia wants to find her missing sister

    • Action: She pulls out a burner phone types a coded message and hides it in her makeup bag

    • Finish: Sofia throws her drink at the mirror and cracks it.

    INT. MANDEEP’S ROOM – NIGHT

    Mandeep opens his laptop and starts to change his soiled clothes. His laptop shows surveillance cameras installed in all the private rooms. Mandeep is secretly watching the team. Mandeep zooms in on Sofia’s room and sees her undress. He continues to watch when she disappears. He hears a knock on his door and quickly hides his surveillance equipment to open the door. Sofia wades in with a drink.

    • Start: Mandeep opens his laptop and starts to change his soiled clothes

    • Challenging Situation: Madeep’s laptop shows surveillance cameras installed in all the private rooms

    • Conflict: Mandeep is secretly watching the team

    • Action: Mandeep zooms in on Sofia’s room and sees her undress. He continues to watch when she disappears.

    • Finish: He hears a knock on his door and quickly hides his surveillance equipment to open the door. Sofia wades in with a drink.

    INT. PLANNING ROOM – DAY

    Priya looks through the “Oracle, ”Lina’s financial flow charts in awe. Lina watches her from the door and smiles. She approaches her with a familiarity almost as if she’s known her from before. Priya is caught off guard. Lina feels guilty for her past actions. She tells Priya this is her atonement for her past misdeeds.

    • Start: Priya looks through Lina’s financial flow charts in awe

    • Action: Lina watches her from the door and smiles. She approaches her with a familiarity almost as if she’s known her from before.

    • Challenging Situation: Priya is caught off guard

    • Conflict: Lina feels guilty for her past actions

    • Finish: She tells Priya this is her atonement for her past misdeeds.

    INT. BATHROOM – DAY

    Priya is in a bathroom stall when she hears voices. She pulls herself onto the seat when Meera checks to see if the stalls are empty. Priya overhears a cryptic conversation between two team members (Meera & Sofia). The toilet roll drops and they stop talking to investigate. Meera kicks open the stall door and finds it empty. They leave in a hurry. Priya drops onto the floor her arms hurting from balancing in the air spread eagle against the walls.

    • Start: Priya is in a bathroom stall when she hears voices.

    • Action: Priya pulls herself onto the seat when Meera checks to see if the stalls are empty

    • Conflict: Priya overhears a cryptic conversation between two team members (Meera & Sofia)

    • Challenging Situation: The toilet roll drops and they stop talking to investigate. Meera kicks open the stall door and finds it empty. They leave in a hurry.

    • Finish: Priya drops onto the floor her arms hurting from balancing in the air spread eagle against the walls

    INT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – DAY

    Raghav (AKA The Hyena), the charismatic leader of the Hawala Network has a peculiar ritual or superstition he follows religiously, believing it’s the source of his success. The ledger he keeps goes against the rules of doing Hawala business and becomes the Achilles’ heel exploited by the heist team. Raghav secures the ledger in a high-security vault that he boasts is impenetrable.

    • Start: Raghav (AKA The Hyena), the charismatic leader of the Hawala Network

    • Action: with a peculiar ritual or superstition he follows religiously, believing it’s the source of his success

    • Challenging Situation: The ledger he keeps goes against the rules of doing Hawala business.

    • Conflict: The ledger becomes the Achilles’ heel exploited by the heist team

    • Finish: Raghav secures the ledger in a high-security vault that he boasts is impenetrable.

    EXT/INT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – DAY

    The heist team takes position to breach the Hawala headquarters. Meera discovers real-time surveillance feeds that were previously undetected, indicating they have walked into a trap. Armed men detect the team and exchange gunfire. The heist team retaliates and aborts their mission to fall back when some of them sustain injuries. Arjun grabs a Hawala operative as they make their escape.

    • Start: The heist team takes position to breach the Hawala headquarters

    • Challenging Situation: Meera discovers real-time surveillance feeds that were previously undetected, indicating they have walked into a trap

    • Conflict: Armed men detect the team and exchange gunfire.

    • Action: The heist team retaliates and aborts their mission to fall back when some of them sustain injuries

    • Finish: Arjun grabs a Hawala operative as they make their escape.

    INT. SECRET DEN – DAY

    Arjun is in a heated argument with a superior at RAW who warns Arjun to stand down or be hunted down by RAW agents. Arjun is driven by his vendetta to stop going after the Hawala network. Arjun enters the basement to torture the Hawala operative. Mandeep suggests they let the Hawala operative go but Arjun lashes out at him

    • Start: Arjun is in a heated argument with a superior at RAW

    • Challenging Situation: The superior at RAW warns Arjun to stand down or be hunted down by RAW agents.

    • Conflict: Arjun is driven by his vendetta to stop going after the Hawala network

    • Action: Arjun enters the basement to torture the Hawala operative

    • Finish: Mandeep suggests they let the Hawala operative go but Arjun lashes out at him

    INT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – EVENING

    Raghav examines a complex financial chart indicating a drastic plan. He hides the plan when Harsh approaches him to report on the missing operative. Raghav casually mentions a “game-changing move” during a phone call, with a ledger in the background. Initiating the sale of a secret ledger will have global implications. Raghav hides the ledger in the vault. It is a fake because the real one is in the briefcase when he gets into his rooftop chopper.

    • Start: Raghav examines a complex financial chart indicating a drastic plan.

    • Challenging Situation: He hides the plan when Harsh approaches him to report on the missing operative

    • Action: Raghav casually mentions a “game-changing move” during a phone call, with a ledger in the background

    • Conflict: Initiating the sale of a secret ledger will have global implications

    • Finish: Raghav hides the ledger in the vault. It is a fake because the real one is in the briefcase when he gets into his rooftop chopper.

    INT. CASH ROOM/HAWALA EXCHANGE – EVENING

    Harsh is counting out cash and dumping them into a duffel bag. One of the Hawala operatives is bleeding out in the corner. Harsh is looting cash from his own cash room. He loads the bag into a truck which has a terrorist flag on it. He orchestrates a shoot-out to make it look like a burglary and shoots the dying operative in his head.

    • Start: Harsh is counting out cash and dumping them into a duffel bag

    • Challenging Situation: One of the Hawala operatives is bleeding out in the corner.

    • Conflict: Harsh is looting cash from his own cash room

    • Action: Harsh loads the bag into a truck which has a terrorist flag on it.

    • Finish: Harsh orchestras a shoot-out and makes it look like a burglary and shoots the dying operative in his head.

    EXT. HAWALA EXCHANGE – NIGHT

    Sofia walks into the Hawala Exchange and notices that something is amiss when no one stops her. She talks into her embedded earpiece, but Arjun hears only static in the sewers. He sees a light ahead and races to catch up. Harsh comes up behind Arjun and puts a gun to his head. Sofia sees the dead operative and freaks out. Arjun and Harsh get into a fistfight. Arjun’s secret vendetta comes to light. Sofia is held at gunpoint. Arjun surrenders when Harsh’s men confirm it on the walkie. Police sirens save them from Harsh and his men but now they are trapped. Arjun and Sofia narrowly escape through an opening in the sewers.

    • Start: Sofia walks into the Hawala Exchange and notices that something is amiss when no one stops her.

    • Challenging Situation: Sofia talks into her embedded earpiece, but Arjun hears only static in the sewers. He sees a light ahead and races to catch up.

    • Conflict: Harsh comes up behind Arjun and puts a gun to his head. Sofia sees the dead operative and freaks out.

    • Action: Arjun and Harsh get into a fistfight. Arjun’s secret vendetta comes to light.

    • Finish: Sofia is held at gunpoint. Arjun surrenders when Harsh’s men confirm it on the walkie. Police sirens save them from Harsh and his men but now they are trapped. Arjun and Sofia narrowly escape through an opening in the sewers.

    INT. CONTROL ROOM – NIGHT

    Priya watches the body cam footage from Sofia and notices a message which she decodes. However, it points to a hidden ledger implicating her father, casting doubts on her loyalty. Priya smashes the TV screen and runs off. Priya rides her motorbike dangerously back into the city.

    • Start: Priya watches the body cam footage from Sofia and notices a message

    • Challenging Situation: Priya decodes the message

    • Conflict: However, it points to a hidden ledger implicating her father, casting doubts on her loyalty.

    • Action: Priya smashes the TV screen and runs off

    • Finish: Priya rides her motorbike dangerously back into the city

    INT. PRIYA’S HOME – NIGHT

    Priya paces up and down as she sees her father’s name flash on the message. She is torn between proving her father’s innocence and stopping a terror attack. She will have to sacrifice her father’s safety. Priya writes a note for her father and leaves without saying her goodbyes. Priya back on her motorbike, her father reads the note and weeps.

    • Start: Priya paces up and down as she sees her father’s name flash on the message.

    • Challenging Situation: she is torn between proving her father’s innocence and stopping a terror attack

    • Conflict: She will have to sacrifice her father’s safety

    • Action: Priya writes a note for her father and leaves without saying her goodbyes

    • Finish: Priya back on her motorbike, her father reads the note and weeps.

    Act 3:

    INT. SECRET DEN – DAY

    Arjun redraws plans to find the hidden ledger. Priya is missing and she is the suspected mole in the team. The team needs to find the hidden ledger and Priya’s father is their best bet. Arjun proposes taking him hostage but Lina protests. He questions their captive Hawala operative on the ledger.

    • Start: Arjun redraws plans to find the hidden ledger.

    • Challenging Situation: Priya is missing and she is the suspected mole in the team

    • Conflict: The team needs to find the hidden ledger and Priya’s father is their best bet.

    • Action: Arjun proposes taking him hostage but Lina protests.

    • Finish: Arjun questions their captive Hawala operative on the ledger.

    INT. ABANDONED MANSION – DAY

    Priya goes through her father’s library for clues. Cut-off from her the team, she starts her own investigation to prove her father’s innocence. She clears out the basement to create her own suspect board and pins up pictures, symbols, messages to start her investigation.

    • Start: Priya goes through her father’s library for clues

    • Challenging Situation: Priya starts her own investigation cut off from her the team

    • Conflict: Priya needs to prove her father’s innocence

    • Action: Priya clears out the basement to create her own suspect board.

    • Finish: Priya pins up pictures, symbols, messages to start her investigation

    INT. BEDROOM/ABANDONED MANSION – NIGHT

    Priya sees glimpses into the ledger’s contents. She decrypts messages that point to a financial crash. She grapples with the devastating consequences if it falls into the wrong hands. Priya packs her backpack with the decrypted messages and rides out in the dead of night blindfolded.

    • Start: Priya sees glimpses into the ledger’s contents

    • Challenging Situation: She decrypts messages that point to a financial crash

    • Conflict: Priya grapples with the devastating consequences if it falls into the wrong hands.

    • Action: Priya packs her backpack with the decrypted messages

    • Finish: Priya rides out in the dead of night blindfolded.

    EXT/INT. SECRET DEN – NIGHT

    Priya on the bike counts a turn and ends up on a dirt road. Arjun in the control room, watches surveillance cameras that show him the main road and the captive operative in the dungeon. Steps away from the cameras. Priya takes off her blindfold as she sneaks closer to the den. Arjun steps outside for a smoke and hears rustling. He goes to take a closer look. Priya sneaks inside and gets into the control room. Sees Arjun on the monitor. She rummages through the files and notices the captive on screen. Arjun closes the screen door as he gets back in. Priya blocks out the dungeon camera and shows the ledger to the captive. Arjun comes out of the washroom and looks at the cameras. He sees everything is clear. Priya uses the blind spots to get away.

    • Start: Priya on the bike counts a turn and ends up on a dirt road. Arjun in the control room, watches surveillance cameras that show him the main road and the captive operative in the dungeon. Steps away from the cameras.

    • Challenging Situation: Priya takes off her blindfold as she sneaks closer to the den

    • Conflict: Arjun steps outside for a smoke and hears rustling. He goes to take a closer look.

    • Action: Priya sneaks inside and gets into the control room. Sees Arjun on the monitor. She rummages through the files and notices the captive on screen. Arjun closes the screen door as he gets back in. Priya blocks out the dungeon camera and shows the ledger to the captive.

    • Finish: Arjun comes out of the washroom and looks at the cameras. He sees everything is clear. Priya uses the blind spots to get away.

    INT. PLANNING ROOM – DAY

    Arjun is looking for the fake ledger and makes a mess. He is agitated that there is a leak. Mandeep rewinds the surveillance and sees Priya enter the dungeon. Arjun approaches the suspect board and pierces a knife through Priya’s photo on the board. He bursts into the dungeon to question the captive who screams for help.

    • Start: Arjun is looking for the fake ledger and makes a mess.

    • Challenging Situation: Arjun is agitated that there is a leak

    • Conflict: Mandeep rewinds the surveillance and sees Priya enter the dungeon

    • Action: Arjun approaches the suspect board and pierces a knife through Priya’s photo on the board

    • Finish: Arjun bursts into the dungeon to question the captive who screams for help.

    INT. CONTROL ROOM – NIGHT

    Meera has digital traces running on her computer. A security breach alert pops on her screen and she tries to override it but it backfires. Meera’s photo from her past association dances on her screen as a screensaver. She frantically starts to unplug her system. She has been hacked and now it’s a looming threat to the team. Meera dumps her hard disks and fries them in the microwave.

    • Start: Meera has digital traces running on her computer.

    • Challenging Situation: A security breach alert pops on her screen and she tries to override it but it backfires.

    • Action: Meera’s photo from her past association dances on her screen as a screensaver. She frantically starts to unplug her system

    • Conflict: She has been hacked and now it’s a looming threat to the team

    • Finish: Meera dumps her hard disks and fries them in the microwave

    INT. NIGHT CLUB – NIGHT

    Sofia in disguise gets drunk and pushes Mandeep away. He gets out before his cover is blown. Sofia stumbles into the basement and seduces a guard to get past the door knocking him unconscious. She turns on the lights to see a man dead on the floor. She turns away to go back out before she notices a picture of her sister on the floor where the blood has run off.

    • Start: Sofia in disguise gets drunk and pushes Mandeep away

    • Challenging Situation: Mandeep gets out before his cover is blown

    • Action: Sofia stumbles into the basement and seduces a guard to get past the door knocking him unconscious.

    • Conflict: Sofia turns on the lights to see a man dead on the floor.

    • Finish: She turns away to go back out before she notices a picture of her sister on the floor where the blood has run off.

    EXT. NIGHT CLUB – NIGHT

    Mandeep pulls out a photo from his pocket that he stole from the club. The photo shows a young Sofia with Arjun and Harsh. He grapples with suspicion and loyalty as he takes a call. The person on the other line reminds him of his mission and asks if he found the mole yet. He folds the photo and puts it away before he answers.

    • Start: Mandeep pulls out a photo from his pocket that he stole from the club.

    • Challenging Situation: The photo shows a young Sofia with Arjun and Harsh.

    • Conflict: Mandeep grapples with suspicion and loyalty as he takes a call

    • Action: The person on the other line reminds him of his mission and asks if he found the mole yet.

    • Finish: Mandeep folds the photo and puts it away before he answers.

    INT. CONTROL ROOM – DAY

    Mandeep and Arjun have a private conversation. He shows signs of genuine respect and camaraderie, which conflicts with his earlier suspicion. Mandeep questions his suspicion of Arjun being the mole. Arjun tears up as he relates his story about his sister. He consoles Arjun.

    • Start: Mandeep and Arjun have a private conversation

    • Challenging Situation: He shows signs of genuine respect and camaraderie, which conflicts with his earlier suspicion.

    • Conflict: Mandeep questions his suspicion of Arjun being the mole.

    • Action: Arjun tears up as he relates his story about his sister

    • Finish: Mandeep consoles Arjun

    INT. MOBILE REPAIR SHOP – DAY

    Lina waits to walk into a mobile repair shop and asks for a top-up. The owner nods and leads her through a false door into the back. She pulls out bungles of cash and sets them on the table. The old Hawala operative behind the counter recognizes her. The owner walks out to close the shutters. The operative takes the money, pulls out two shot glasses and smiles as he pours a drink. Lina dips her finger to taste it and then smiles to toast like old friends.

    • Start: Lina waits to walk into a mobile repair shop and asks for a top up.

    • Challenging Situation: The owner nods and leads her through a false door into the back.

    • Conflict: Lina pulls out bungles of cash and sets them on the table. The old Hawala operative behind the counter recognizes her. The owner walks out to close the shutters.

    • Action: The operative takes the money, pulls out two shot glasses and smiles as he pours a drink.

    • Finish: Lina dips her finger to taste it and then smiles to toast like old friends.

    INT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – DAY

    Raghav is on a video call with heads of state and dictators. He finishes going through his entire portfolio before the stock market opens every day and resets his vault to the market opening digits. He keeps everyone on hold as they are frustrated with the delay. Raghav tells them to get on with his plan or he will crash the market and release their secrets. Raghav demonstrates the ticking clock that coincides with the stock market clock and how they will change their fortunes by the end of the day in 48 hours.

    • Start: Raghav is on a video call with heads of state and dictators.

    • Action: He finishes going through his entire portfolio before the stock market opens every day and resets his vault to the market opening digits

    • Challenging Situation: He keeps everyone on hold as they are frustrated with the delay.

    • Conflict: Raghav tells them to get on with his plan or he will crash the market and release their secrets.

    • Finish: Raghav demonstrates the ticking clock that coincides with the stock market clock and how they will change their fortunes by the end of the day in 48 hours.

    INT. SERVER ROOM/HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – EVENING

    Priya disguised as a technician shows her badge at the gate. Priya evades the guards and slips into the basement with an access card she swiped from a guard to access the server room. She unlocks the server room and searches for the video cables. She hacks into the video feed to Raghav’s control room. She sees the video on her phone and records it before she hears someone at the door. She sneaks back out and dumps her card and clothes as she races off on her bike.

    • Start: Priya disguised as a technician shows her badge at the gate.

    • Challenging Situation: Priya evades the guards and slips into the basement with an access card she swiped from a guard to access the server room.

    • Action: She unlocks the server room and searches for the video cables.

    • Conflict: She hacks into the video feed to Raghav’s control room

    • Finish: She sees the video on her phone and records it before she hears someone at the door. She sneaks back out and dumps her card and clothes as she races off on her bike.

    INT. CONTROL ROOM – NIGHT

    Priya drives in on the surveillance cameras. Mandeep grabs his sidearm, but Arjun stops him. She walks back into the den with all the team members waiting for her. Everyone thinks she is the mole and wants to grab her. Priya with her raised hands pulls out her phone and plugs it into the big screen to play Raghav’s video feed. She tells them there is a ledger that is going to be auctioned for sale in 48 hours that has a list of sleeper agents, and the terror attack is a coverup. She believes her father was being framed to take the fall.

    • Start: Priya drives in on the surveillance cameras. Mandeep grabs his sidearm, but Arjun stops him.

    • Challenging Situation: Priya walks back into the den with all the team members waiting for her.

    • Conflict: Everyone thinks she is the mole and wants to grab her.

    • Action: Priya with her raised hands pulls out her phone and plugs it into the big screen to play Raghav’s video feed

    • Finish: Priya tells them there is a ledger that is going to be auctioned for sale in 48 hours that has a list of sleeper agents, and the terror attack is the coverup. Her father was being framed.

    Act 4:

    INT. PLANNING ROOM – DAY

    Lina confirms the sale and backs Priya up. They work together to pinpoint the terror plot. Arjun and the rest of the team need to find the ledger and stop its sale. The team splits into two – Lina and Priya work on the terror plot while Meera, Arjun, Sofia and Mandeep go into the field to locate the ledger. Priya wants to prove her father’s innocence and keeps digging into the ledger’s origins.

    • Start: Lina confirms the sale and backs Priya up

    • Challenging Situation: Lina and Priya work together to pinpoint the terror plot

    • Conflict: Arjun and the rest of the team need to find the ledger and stop its sale

    • Action: The team splits into two – Lina and Priya work on the terror plot while Meera, Arjun, Sofia and Mandeep go into the field to locate the ledger

    • Finish: Priya wants to prove her father’s innocence and keeps digging into the ledger’s origins.

    INT. PRIYA’S HOME – DAY

    Priya digs into the father’s files. She discovers a past alias of her father that connects him to the Hawala network. Priya questions her father about his connections, but he draws a blank. RAW agents enter their home catching her off guard. Priya is knocked unconscious and tied up.

    • Start: Priya digs into the father’s files

    • Challenging Situation: She discovers a past alias of her father that connects him to the Hawala network.

    • Action: Priya questions her father about his connections, but he draws a blank

    • Conflict: RAW agents enter their home catching Priya off guard

    • Finish: Priya is knocked unconscious and tied up

    INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – EVENING

    Priya is tied to a chair when she comes to. She is interrogated by the RAW agent. He forces her to reveal her secret agenda and threatens her father’s safety. Another agent shows her a video of her father in captivity. Priya crumbles and shares her discovery of her father’s connection.

    • Start: Priya is tied to a chair when she comes to

    • Challenging Situation: Priya is interrogated by the RAW agent

    • Conflict: RAW agent forces her to reveal her secret agenda and threatens her father’s safety

    • Action: Another agent shows her a video of her father captive

    • Finish: Priya crumbles and shares her discovery of her father’s connection

    EXT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE – NIGHT

    Arjun waits in his unmarked van when a car pulls up. RAW agents get out and hold him at gunpoint to step out. He is shown Priya and her father in captivity and threatened to drop his unsanctioned op or lose one of his teammates. Arjun fights the RAW agents and extractions the location of Priya’s captivity. He takes a hostage and rides out.

    • Start: Arjun waits in his unmarked van when a car pulls up

    • Challenging Situation: RAW agents get out and hold him at gunpoint to step out

    • Conflict: Arjun is shown Priya and her father in captivity and threatened to drop his unsanctioned op or lose one of his teammates

    • Action: Arjun fights the RAW agents and extractions the location of Priya’s captivity

    • Finish: Arjun takes a hostage and rides out.

    EXT/INT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – NIGHT

    Meera talks to Sofia and Mandeep through the surveillance at the Hawala Headquarters. Her workstation lights up with a flood of incriminating evidence planted against her. She uses her hacking skills in real-time to unmask an old associate from her dark past who has infiltrated their system. Meera is cornered and with a gun to her head, has to choose between saving her own life or risking everything to help the team. Meera outsmarts the old rival and hacks into their network instead; pinpointing the location of the ledger that she shares with Sofia. She takes a bullet before she kills the gunman.

    • Start: Meera talks to Sofia and Mandeep through the surveillance at the Hawala Headquarters.

    • Challenging Situation: Meera’s workstation lights up with a flood of incriminating evidence planted against her.

    • Conflict: Meera uses her hacking skills in real-time to unmask an old associate from her dark past who has infiltrated their system.

    • Action: Meera is cornered and with a gun to her head, has to choose between saving her own life or risking everything to help the team.

    • Finish: Meera outsmarts the old rival and hacks into their network instead; pinpointing the location of the ledger that she shares with Sofia. She takes a bullet before she kills the gunman.

    INT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – NIGHT

    Mandeep’s flawless execution of tasks is compromised when his emotions for Sofia cloud his judgment, especially as he stumbles upon clues that suggest she might be involved with the mole.

    • Start: Sofia approaches a guard in disguise

    • Action: Mandeep slips into the airduct while Sofia distracts the guard

    • Challenging Situation: Sofia wipes card to the secret vault

    • Conflict: Mandeep crosses the corridor and hears a voice to see Sofia’s sister who looks just like her.

    • Finish: Mandeep reaches the vault room, but it is protected by a passcode.

    INT. LOWER LEVEL/HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – NIGHT

    One of the Hawala operatives recognizes Sofia. She is startled and plays along to accompany the operative until she slips away in time as her sister emerges. She hears her sister’s voice and hides. She ducks into a bathroom and throws up. Sofia looks at the mirror and sees her twin sister’s face staring back at her.

    • Start: One of the Hawala operatives recognizes Sofia.

    • Challenging Situation: Sofia is startled and plays along to accompany the operative until she slips away in time as her sister emerges.

    • Conflict: Sofia hears her sister’s voice and hides.

    • Action: Sofia ducks into a bathroom and throws up.

    • Finish: Sofia looks at the mirror unable to recognize all her various identities until she sees her twin sister’s face staring back at her.

    INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

    Sofia stares at a photo of her twin sister. RAW agent (younger Mandeep) asks her if she is she was kidnapped. She hesitates before answering. She is not sure if she needs to rescue her sister or not. Sofia’s memory flashes to her playing with her sister, her sister playing with puzzles then taking a hand and walking away with a twinkle in her eyes. Sofia nods as the RAW agent assures her, they will find her sister.

    • Start: Sofia stares at a photo of her twin sister

    • Challenging Situation: The RAW agent (younger Mandeep) asks her if she is she was kidnapped. She hesitates before answering.

    • Conflict: Sofia is not sure if she needs to rescue her sister or not

    • Action: Sofia’s memory flashes to her playing with her sister, her sister playing with puzzles then taking a hand and walking away with a twinkle in her eyes.

    • Finish: Sofia nods as the RAW agent assures her they will find her sister.

    EXT/INT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – NIGHT

    Mandeep can’t get Sofia’s sister out of his head when his earpiece crackles. Meera is bleeding, but she communicates the passcode before passing out. Mandeep enters the passcode and unlocks the vault to find a ledger. Secret alarms go off and armed men rush to the vault; Mandeep grabs the ledger and shoots his way out while Sofia heads out to help Meera. Mandeep jumps into the unmarked van as they take fire and speed off.

    • Start: Mandeep can’t get Sofia’s sister out of his head when his earpiece crackles.

    • Challenging Situation: Meera is bleeding, but she communicates the passcode before passing out

    • Action: Mandeep enters the passcode and unlocks the vault to find a ledger.

    • Conflict: Secret alarms go off and armed men rush to the vault; Mandeep grabs the ledger and shoots his way out while Sofia heads out to help Meera

    • Finish: Mandeep jumps into the unmarked van as they take fire and speed off.

    EXT. FINANCIAL DISTRICT – DAY

    Lina enters the financial district. A shadowy figure follows her as she tries to lose her tail. Lina slips in and out of shops and ends up in an alley. Lina is thrust against the wall from behind and slipped a note. Lina recovers to find her surroundings empty and puts her hands into her pocket to pull out the note that gives her a location and time.

    • Start: Lina enters the financial district

    • Challenging Situation: a shadowy figure follows her as she tries to lose her tail

    • Action: Lina slips in and out of shops and ends up in an alley

    • Conflict: Lina is thrust against the wall from behind and slipped a note

    • Finish: Lina recovers to find her surroundings empty and puts her hands into her pocket to pull out the note that gives her a location and time.

    EXT/INT. SECRET DEN – NIGHT

    Lina goes over her files and hesitates over a specific name – Priya’s father’s alias. An old photograph falls out of depicting Lina with Priya’s father. Lina wants no one to see this file, especially Priya. Lina takes out the contents of the file and replaces it with bogus papers and changes the name. Lina burns the file and watches the photo get eaten by the flames.

    • Start: Lina goes over her files and hesitates over a specific name – Priya’s father’s alias.

    • Challenging Situation: An old photograph falls out of depicting Lina with Priya’s father.

    • Conflict: Lina wants no one to see this file, especially Priya

    • Action: Lina takes out the contents of the file and replaces it with bogus papers and changes the name

    • Finish: Lina burns the file and watches the photo get eaten by the flames.

    INT. RAW SAFEHOUSE – NIGHT

    Arjun unties Priya’s hands and rescues her. He tells her the house is rigged to blow and Priya wants to know if her father is okay. Arjun tells her she was chosen for the mission due to her father. Priya slaps Arjun for playing games with her. Arjun drags her to safety before the safehouse explodes in a fire.

    • Start: Arjun unties Priya’s hands and rescues her

    • Challenging Situation: Arjun tells her the house is rigged to blow and Priya wants to know if her father is okay

    • Conflict: Arjun tells her she was chosen for the mission due to her father

    • Action: Priya slaps Arjun for playing games with her

    • Finish: Arjun drags her to safety before the safehouse explodes in a fire.

    INT. PRIVATE ROOM / NIGHT CLUB – NIGHT

    Harsh pushes away a whiskey bottle and shatters it. He takes out a worn out picture of a young girl (Arjun’s sister) from his wallet and traces a pendant. He pulls out his necklace to hold the same pendant in his palms and kisses it gently. Harsh is remorseful but he needs to toughen up to do his job. He wipes away his tears before putting photo away and picks up his sidearm.

    • Start: Harsh pushes away a whiskey bottle and shatters it

    • Challenging Situation: He takes out a worn out picture of a young girl (Arjun’s sister) from his wallet and traces a pendant.

    • Action: He pulls out his necklace to hold the same pendant in his palms and kisses it gently

    • Conflict: Harsh is remorseful but he needs to toughen up to do his job

    • Finish: He wipes away his tears before putting photo away and picks up his sidearm.

    EXT. RAW SAFEHOUSE – DAY

    Priya is hiding in the bushes with Arjun watching the emergency firefighters go through the rubble. A charred body comes out in a gurney. Priya wants to rush out, but Arjun muffles her scream and holds her down. She wants to see her father’s body, but she cannot be seen by the agents. She wipes away her tears and runs off with Arjun chasing after her.

    • Start: Priya is hiding in the bushes with Arjun watching the emergency fire fighters go through the rubble

    • Challenging Situation: A charred body comes out in a gurney

    • Action: Priya wants to rush out but Arjun muffles her scream and hold her down

    • Conflict: Priya wants to see her father’s body but she cannot be seen by the agents

    • Finish: Priya wipes away her tears and runs off with Arjun chasing after her.

    Act 5:

    INT. SECRET DEN – EVENING

    Arjun debriefs the team. The ledger Mandeep secured is a fake. Meera with a sling, Priya is wounded from losing her father, and Mandeep is mistrustful of Sofia. Lina lays out the plan for the terror attack on the Bombay Stock Exchange and a secret high-security vault room that holds the ghost ledger. Arjun reminds them of the ticking clock when the stock market bell rings.

    • Start: Arjun debriefs the team

    • Conflict: The ledger Mandeep secured is a fake

    • Challenging Situation: Meera with a sling, Priya is wounded from losing her father, and Mandeep is mistrustful of Sofia.

    • Action: Lina lays out the plan for the terror attack on the Bombay Stock Exchange and a secret high-security vault room that holds the ghost ledger

    • Finish: Arjun reminds them of the ticking clock when the stock market bell rings

    INT. BOMBAY STOCK EXCHANGE (BSE) BUILDING – DAY

    The stock market bell rings and the clock ticks. Sofia in disguise enters with Amandeep to join the brokers, Arjun and Priya enter the sewers, and Lina and Meera monitor from the surveillance van parked down the street. Priya and Arjun have to get past the armed guards to the high-security vault; Mandeep and Sofia need to identify the terrorists and overpower them, Meera and Lina need to crack the multi-level passwords for the vault. Terrorists take hostages on the market floor but trading is not suspended as the indices show a downward trend; Sofia and Mandeep are taken hostage and they secure the hostages; Arjun meets a terrorist and triggers his PTSD. Priya is taken hostage and joins Sofia. Arjun recovers but now he has to fight the terrorists before securing the vault.

    • Start: The stock market bell rings and the clock ticks

    • Challenging Situation: Sofia in disguise enters with Amandeep to join the brokers,

    • Arjun and Priya enter the sewers, and Lina and Meera monitor from the surveillance van parked down the street.

    • Conflict: Priya and Arjun have to get past the armed guards to the high-security vault; Mandeep and Sofia need to identify the terrorists and overpower them, Meera and Lina need to crack the multi-level passwords for the vault

    • Action: Terrorists take hostages on the market floor but trading is not suspended as the indices show a downward trend; Sofia and Mandeep are taken hostage and they secure the hostages; Arjun meets a terrorist and triggers his PTSD. Priya is taken hostage and joins Sofia.

    • Finish: Arjun recovers but now he has to fight the terrorists before securing the vault.

    INT. UPPER FLOOR / BSE BUILDING – DAY

    Harsh forces the Chairman and other exchange officers to suspend online trading but keep the floor trading open. Armed men force the CEO to write down the vault passwords. Harsh shoots an officer as he tries to trigger an alarm. Illegal trading drives the stock market down. Harsh holds the key officers locked in the Chairman’s office with armed men guarding them.

    • Start: Harsh forces the Chairman and other exchange officers to suspend online trading but keep the floor trading open.

    • Challenging Situation: Armed men force the CEO to write down the vault passwords.

    • Action: Harsh shoots an officer as he tries to trigger an alarm

    • Conflict: Illegal trading drives the stock market down

    • Finish: Harsh holds the key officers locked in the Chairman’s office with armed men guarding them.

    INT. HOSTAGE ROOM / BSE BUILDING – DAY

    Harsh confronts a terrorist as he takes a girl away to a room. Harsh warns the terrorist that he wants no harm to come to the hostages. The terrorist points his weapon at Harsh and gets his brains blown out. Harsh walks away as hostages are terrified and shocked. He touches his pendant and slides his necklace back under his shirt as he walks out to see traders calling out stock prices at gunpoint.

    • Start: Harsh confronts a terrorist as he takes a girl away to a room

    • Challenging Situation: Harsh warns the terrorist that he wants no harm to come to the hostages.

    • Conflict: Terrorist points his weapon at Harsh and gets his brains blown out

    • Action: Harsh walks away as hostages are terrified and shocked

    • Finish: Harsh touches his pendant and slides his necklace back under his shirt as he walks out to see traders calling out stock prices at gunpoint.

    EXT/INT. BSG BUILDING – EVENING

    Arjun makes his way into the building and locates the hostages. Armed terrorists guard the hostages. He fights the terrorists, and his team joins to overpower them. Priya slips away to locate the vault and Mandeep joins Arjun to take down the terrorists. Sofia bumps into Harsh in the corridor. She questions him about her sister, but he laughs and tells her she doesn’t know her sister at all.

    • Start: Arjun makes his way into the building and locates the hostages

    • Challenging Situation: Armed terrorists guard the hostages

    • Conflict: Arjun fights the terrorists and his team joins to overpower them

    • Action: Priya slips away to locate the vault and Mandeep joins Arjun to take down the terrorists

    • Finish: Sofia bumps into Harsh in the corridor. She questions him about her sister but he laughs and tells her she doesn’t know her sister at all.

    INT. SURVEILLANCE VAN – EVENING

    Meera has the passwords but its incomplete. The rest of the codes are with the Chairman but someone has to get them before the trading clock runs out. Lina has worked in the building and knows it well, so she jumps out of the van to find the Chairman. Lina will have to get past the guards and make the chairman divulge his codes but she’s too old for this. Lina enters the building through a secret service door.

    • Start: Meera has the passwords but its incomplete

    • Challenging Situation: The rest of the codes are with the Chairman but someone has to get them before the trading clock runs out.

    • Action: Lina has worked in the building and knows it well so she jumps out of the van to find the Chairman

    • Conflict: Lina will have to get past the guards and make the chairman divulge his codes but she’s too old for this.

    • Finish: Lina enters the building through a secret service door.

    INT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – EVENING

    Raghav is watching the hostage situation in a luxurious yet antiquated office. He has bidders for the ledger but still doesn’t have it in his possession. He bluffs the bidders with a fake ledger while he sees Harsh and his team unable to break into the vault. He wants to sell the ledger to the highest bidder even if they are dictators to secure his legacy. Raghav sees the stock market indices crash on the screen.

    • Start: Raghav is watching the hostage situation in a luxurious yet antiquated office.

    • Challenging Situation: He has bidders for the ledger but still doesn’t have it in his possession

    • Action: Raghav bluffs the bidders with a fake ledger while he sees Harsh and his team unable to break into the vault

    • Conflict: Raghav wants to sell the ledger to the highest bidder even if they are dictators to secure his legacy

    • Finish: Raghav sees the stock market indices crash on the screen

    INT. CHAIRMAN’S OFFICE – EVENING

    Lina takes a terrorist mask for a dead terrorist on the floor. Armed guards bar the doors to the Chairman’s office. Lina breaks a fire extinguisher and opens the nozzle to spray it at an armed guard. The armed guard fires his weapon but Lina kicks him down and snatches the weapon, hearing the thud the door opens as more armed men come out cautiously. Lina tackles them with surprisingly agile martial arts moves and knocks them out. Lina enters the room and greets the Chairman taking off her mask. He recognizes her.

    • Start: Lina takes a terrorist mask for a dead terrorist on the floor

    • Challenging Situation: Armed guards bar the doors to the Chairman’s office

    • Action: Lina breaks a fire extinguisher and opens the nozzle to spray it at an armed guard

    • Conflict: The armed guard fires his weapon but Lina kicks him down and snatches the weapon, hearing the thud the door opens as more armed men come out cautiously. Lina tackles them with surprisingly agile martial arts moves and knocks them out.

    • Finish: Lina enters the room and greets the Chairman taking off her mask. He recognizes her.

    INT. SECRET VAULT/BSE BUILDING – NIGHT

    Priya is outside the vault when Harsh walks into the antechamber with Sofia. Priya is caught in the middle and needs to make a choice. She tries various passwords that don’t work, Harsh is almost at the vault, Lina gets on the comms and gives her the password. Harsh enters the vault and sees it locked; Sofia pushes him against the door and they get into a fistfight. She overpowers him and questions him about her sister while punching him repeatedly until he falls unconscious. The vault door opens when the room is filled with Sofia’s heavy breathing. Priya steps out with the ledger. Raghav watches her on his camera feed.

    • Start: Priya is outside the vault when Harsh walks into the antechamber with Sofia

    • Challenging Situation: Priya is caught in the middle and needs to make a choice

    • Action: Priya tries various passwords that don’t work, Harsh is almost at the vault, Lina gets on the comps and gives her the password

    • Conflict: Harsh enters the vault and sees it locked; Sofia pushes him against the door and they get into a fistfight. She overpowers him and questions him about her sister while punching him repeatedly until he falls unconscious

    • Finish: The vault door opens when the room is filled with Sofia’s heavy breathing. Priya steps out with the ledger. Raghav watches her on his camera.

    EXT. BACK ALLEYS / FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS (MUMBAI) – EVENING

    Priya weaves through the back alleys of Mumbai on a motorcycle and through the jam-packed streets with festive revelers in the pouring rain as she tries to lose Sofia’s sister tracking her.

    • Start: Priya is on a motorbike weaving through back alleys

    • Challenging Situation: a thunderstorm and pouring rain and the streets jammed with festival revelers.

    • Conflict: ominous figures are tracking her

    • Action: The chase.

    • Finish: she loses her tail.

    INT. SURVEILLANCE ROOM – NIGHT

    Mandeep sees Priya get off her bike in the pouring rain. He spots a grainy image of a figure who watches her. Mandeep captures the image and zooms in on the face, he enhances the grainy image to see Sofia’s sister. Mandeep mistakes the twin her for Sofia and suspects her to be the mole. Mandeep rewinds the tape a few times to confirm its Sofia. Arjun and Sofia walk in when Mandeep finishes erasing the tape.

    • Start: Mandeep sees Priya get off her bike in the pouring rain

    • Challenging Situation: He spots a grainy image of a figure who watches her

    • Action: Mandeep captures the image and zooms in on the face, he enhances the grainy image to see Sofia’s sister

    • Conflict: Mandeep mistakes the twin her for Sofia and suspects her to be the mole

    • Finish: Mandeep rewinds the tape a few times to confirm its Sofia. Arjun and Sofia walk in when Mandeep finishes erasing the tape.

    EXT/INT. ABANDONED MANSION – NIGHT

    Priya leaves the diner abruptly after discovering the cryptic message in a secret compartment in her backpack and rashly rides her motorbike to reach the mansion. She pulls out the message and uses the book to decode it. She stumbles upon a bizarre code in the ledger that doesn’t match traditional bookkeeping. Priya maps the code to a digital vault. She calls Arjun to tell him the pages are blank because the rest of the code is on digital crypto files.

    • Start: Priya leaves the diner abruptly after discovering the cryptic message a secret compartment in her backpack rashly rides her motorbike to reach the mansion

    • Challenging Situation: Priya pulls out the message and uses the book to decode it

    • Conflict: Priya stumbles upon a bizarre code in the ledger that doesn’t match traditional bookkeeping.

    • Action: Priya maps the code to a digital vault

    • Finish: Priya calls Arjun to tell him the pages are blank because the rest of the code is on digital crypto files.

    EXT. HAWALA HEADQUARTERS – NIGHT

    Raghav is looking at the digital ledger on the screen. The ledger has a list of sleeper RAW agents detailed profiles and last known missions. lt is not just transactions but holds dangerous secrets that can decimate countries. Raghav checks the stock market and sets his new code to the closing indices. Sofia’s sister walks in and pours herself a drink before telling him it’s done.

    • Start: Raghav is looking at the digital ledger on the screen

    • Challenging Situation: the ledger has a list of sleeper RAW agents detailed profiles and last known missions

    • Conflict: the ledger is not just transactions but holds dangerous secrets that can decimate countries

    • Action: Raghav checks the stock market and sets his new code to the closing indices

    • Finish: Sofia’s sister walks in and pours herself a drink before telling him it’s done.

    INT. ABANDONED MANSION – NIGHT

    Priya goes through her father’s things and packs them up. She grieves for her father. She wants to avenge him and find out who he really is. She finds a familiar symbol on the wall behind the bookshelf and runs her finds around the grove. She pushes the pendent in her necklace to match the grove in the wall and opens a secret vault. Priya enters.

    • Start: Priya goes through her father’s things and packs them up

    • Challenging Situation: She grieves for her father

    • Conflict: Priya wants to avenge him and find out who he really is.

    • Action: Priya finds a familiar symbol on the wall behind the bookshelf and runs her finds around the grove.

    • Finish: Priya pushes the pendent in her necklace to match the grove in the wall and opens a hidden vault. Priya enters.

    EXT. RAW SITUATION ROOM – NIGHT

    RAW agents track a safe house on their surveillance monitors. The phone rings to tell the receiver that he’s just triggered a bomb. RAW agents watch as a safe house gets blown up. Two figures escape (Arjun and Priya) while the RAW agents scramble. Raghav calls someone to say that a file has been closed (taking Priya’s father’s alias).

    • Start: RAW agents track a safe house on their surveillance

    • Action: The phone rings to tell the receiver that he’s just triggered a bomb

    • Challenging Situation: RAW agents watch as a safe house gets blown up

    • Conflict: Two figures escape (Arjun and Priya) while the RAW agents scramble

    • Finish: Raghav calls someone to say that a file has been closed (taking Priya’s father’s alias)

    EXT. HIDDEN VAULT – NIGHT

    Priya recalls her mother abandoning her father after a heated fight. Priya past comes to her in flashes. Priya recognizes her father’s friend who looks like a young Lina. A woman she called mama helps her solve bizarre puzzles. She can’t recall her face. Priya goes through the vault to learns of a secret society that has been manipulating the financial markets for generations.

    • Start: Priya recalls her mother abandoning her father after a heated fight

    • Challenging Situation: Priya past comes to her in flashes

    • Conflict: Priya recognizes her father’s friend who looks like a young Lina

    • Action: A woman she called mama helps her solve bizarre puzzles. She can’t recall her face.

    • Finish: Priya goes through the vault to learns of a secret society that has been manipulating the financial markets for generations.

    INT. HAWALA CONTROL ROOM – NIGHT

    Priya as she exits the BSE vault kisses her pendant and the video freezes. Someone is watching a video feed on a big screen and gasps. The person has a similar pendant that she holds up to match that on the screen. Who is this and what does she want with Priya. The unknown character exhibits a mannerism that is just like that of Priya.

    • Start: Priya as she exits the BSE vault kisses her pendant and the video freezes

    • Action: Someone is watching a video feed on a big screen and gasps

    • Challenging Situation: The person has a similar pendant that she holds up to match that on the screen

    • Conflict: Who is this and what does she want with Priya

    • Finish: The unknown character exhibits a mannerism that is just like that of Priya.

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by  Sunil Pappu.
    • 

      Jerry Robbins

      Member

      March 3, 2024 at 5:23 am

      Jerry Robbins Scene Requirement

      What I learned from this assignment is to make sure the scene has everything it needs to further the story.

      Title: Cipher’s Heart

      One Hour Serialized Science Fiction Thriller

      Show Concept: In the year 2045, scientists have perfected robots controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons. Now, these beings want their civil rights.

      Stories:

      A – The Robob’s War of Rebellion

      B – Alexia and Cipher

      C – The scientists, the billionaire, and Robob leaders

      Inciting Incident: After a body is found in an alley, Alexia tracks down a killer, while exploring the dark underworld where Robobs clash with their human owners at AmaTech.

      Fade In:

      on planet Earth. TEASER

      EXT. WEALTHY DISTRICT – NIGHT

      ALEXIA secretly watches as a party of AmaTech employees breaks up and covertly follows a scientist, DR. EVERETT MONTGOMERY, as he leaves the party.

      Start: Alexia watches the AmaTech party leave the building

      Challenging Situation: She’s concealing her actions

      Conflict: why is she watching?

      Action: Watching people leave the party

      Finish: She’s watching one man.

      EXT. ALLEY – NIGHT

      Montgomery heads into an alley and doesn’t come out. Finally, Alexia drives into the alley and finds an executive’s dead body with waves pulsating around it. She discovers a small box near the body and pockets it before calling the police.

      Start: Alexia sees Montgomery go into the alley

      Challenging Situation: she finds a dead man in the alley

      Conflict: what is the bizarre phenomenon around the body

      Action: she picks up a small box

      Finish: she pockets the box

      EXT. DOWNTOWN HOLONETWORK CITY – NIGHT

      CIPHER, a Robob leader, is downtown, where police are distracted by a RoBob Civil Rights Demonstration that turns into a riot thanks to FINN O’CONNELL and IRIS CHEN, RoBob

      Start: Cipher watches the demonstration

      Challenging Situation: what’s his stake in it?

      Conflict: participating versus watching

      Action: Cipher just watches

      Finish: we wonder at Cipher’s role in the impending conflict of Robob versus human

      ACT 1

      INT. POLICE DEPT – NIGHT

      POLICE question Alexia. They have identified the body as that of Dr. Benjamin Moreno, an executive at AmaTech. Ben’s son, GABE MORENO, comes to identify the body, just as ARIA NOVAK and some other RoBob demonstrators are brought in.

      Start: Alexia questioned by police

      Challenging Situation: questioned

      Conflict: why doesn’t she say anything about the little box

      Action: The victim’s son arrives, and one of the rioters, Aria, is arrested

      Finish: sense of building tension

      INT. ALEXIA’S APARTMENT – DAY

      Alexia examines the box, which contains cut-up pieces of hologram pictures from many years ago. The phone rings – it’s her office, saying she is needed. She slides the pieces into a small safe.

      Start: Alexia examines contents of box

      Challenging Situation: It contains cut sections of hologram

      Conflict: They’re old and she can’t read them

      Action: She puts them in her safe when she gets a phone call

      Finish: she gets a phone call from her office and leaves

      INT. ALEXIA’S OFFICE – DAY

      Alexia is told that there was a call from someone from AmaTech, saying it’s important and inviting Alexia to meet the CEO of AmaTech.

      Start: Alexia is told AmaTech called for her to meet with them

      Challenging Situation: Does she want to go?

      Conflict: She was once fired from AmaTech

      Action: She decides to go.

      Finish: She decides to find out what they want

      INT. MARA’S AMATECH OFFICE – DAY

      MARA VOSSHEIMER, AmaTech’s CEO, invites Alexia into her “inner sanctum.” Mara explains she has a project for Alexia – find the killer of the AmaTech employee. Mara says she knows Alexia’s work – and her past. Mara makes it clear to Alexia that she will work only for Mara, not AmaTech or anyone else.

      Start: Alexia enters Mara’s inner sanctum

      Challenging Situation: Mara knows everything about her past

      Conflict: Mara wants her to investigate the executive’s death

      Action: Alexia takes the job

      Finish: The catch is, she works only for Mara, not AmaTech

      INT. LUKA’S SHOP – DAY

      Alexia takes the box of holograms to LUKA REINHARDT, hoping he can match the pieces. He tells her he doesn’t have to – each piece records the whole picture. In the back of his shop, he sets up some old equipment. They examine the pieces, which turn out to be early plans for the RoBobs.

      Start: Alexia brings the hologram pieces to Luka

      Challenging Situation: Figure out what’s so important about them

      Conflict: the pieces have to do with the early RoBob diagrams

      Action: Alexia and Luka view the holograms

      Finish: the mystery deepens

      ACT 2

      INT. ALEXIA’S OFFICE – DAY

      Alexia does some due diligence, researching Ben Moreno’s background. She receives a call from Iris Chen, the activist, requesting a meeting about “what happened to the man in the alley.”

      Start: Alexia looks into Ben Moreno’s background

      Challenging Situation: she looks for motives for his murder

      Conflict: what connections might he have that she’s missing?

      Action: She researches Moreno’s background

      Finish: She leaves to meet Iris Chen, one of the activists

      EXT. SMALL ROOM – DAY

      Alexia talks with Iris Chen and Finn O’Connell, who are concerned because the News Media have connected them with the murder in the alley. They won’t reveal how they know she is working on the case – for that she will have to talk to Cipher.

      Start: Alexia meets two Robob Civil Rights activists

      Challenging Situation: gaining their trust without compromising her investigation

      Conflict: they won’t reveal their sources

      Action: she listens to their concerns

      Finish: she has more questions than answers; they point her to Cipher

      EXT. ALLEY – NIGHT

      Alexia meets with Cipher in the shadows of buildings. He hints that he has intelligence about a wider anti-RoBob conspiracy that the murder in the alley may be tied to. He says he can show her proof and asks her to go with him.

      Start: Alexia meets Cipher

      Challenging Situation: trusting Cipher

      Conflict: Cipher reveals information about a broader conspiracy involving AmaTech

      Action: Cipher asks her to join him in uncovering the truth

      Finish: the two are nearly caught by Mara’s Security Forces

      INT. UNDERGROUND DATA VAULT – NIGHT

      Cipher shows Alexia some digital files that link AmaTech to plans to undermine the Robob’s Civil Rights movement so that the RoBob’s will be forcefully recalled for “adjustments.” The two are nearly caught by Mara’s Security Forces headed by VINCE HOLLOWAY, but Aria Novak, who has escaped police custody, rescues them.

      Start: they visit underground data vault

      Challenging Situation: She realizes AmaTech’s role in undermining RoBob rights

      Conflict: Mara’s Security forces arrive, led by Vince Holloway

      Action: Aria Novak’s timely intervention saves them

      Finish: they flee the underground data vault

      INT. LUKA’S SHOP – DAY

      As they discuss the holograms, Luka says he opposes Alexia’s plan to bring Mara Vossheimer’s scheme into the open and warns her that Cipher can’t be trusted. Just then, she gets a call from Iris Chen – the rebel group is launching a major coordinated offensive to attack the AmaTech research center. If Alexia wants the answer to her riddle, it will be here. Alexia hurries off; Luka follows her.

      Start: Alexia discusses the holograms with Luka

      Challenging Situation: she faces Luka’s disapproval

      Conflict: Luka warns her that Cipher shouldn’t be trusted.

      Action: Alexia argues with Luka, then receives a call from Iris Chen

      Finish: She leaves and Luka follows her

      ACT 3

      INT. AMATECH RESEARCH SITE – NIGHT

      Alexia follows Iris Chen as she records the attack on the center. The RoBobs battle security forces led by Vince Holloway. Alexia and Iris are trapped in a crossfire, and Luka shows up to rescue the two women only to be caught himself. Alexia is forced to choose between saving Luka and following Cipher’s plan to retrieve the secret data.

      Start: the rebel Robobs attack AmaTech’s research center

      Challenging Situation: they battle AmaTech’s Security forces; Alexia and Iris are caught in a crossfire

      Conflict: Luka arrives to save Alexia and is himself caught

      Action: Alexia must choose between rescuing Luka or following Cipher

      Finish: Alexia chooses to rescue Luka

      INT. AMATECH RESEARCH SITE – ALMOST DAYBREAK

      Alexia chooses Luka, nearly sacrificing herself to get him to safety. As she hugs Luka, passion takes over and they share an intense kiss amid the chaos. Cipher appears in time to see the kiss. He is staring at them as Aria arrives and says they need to go. Finn protects their getaway.

      Start: Alexia sacrifices the opportunity to retrieve secret data by saving Luka

      Challenging Situation: fight with the Security Forces

      Conflict: Alexia’s feelings for Luka intensify, despite his views on Cipher

      Action: As the battle ends, Alexia and Luka kiss

      Finish: Finn covers their escape

      INT. ALEXIA’S OFFICE – DAY

      Alexia goes over security footage from the night of the murder, revealing Dr. Everett Montgomery entering the alley and standing over the body of Ben Moreno. She can’t find any footage of the murder taking place in the alley, only the body strangely materializing.

      Start: Alexia reviews security footage revealing Montgomery’s presence in the ally

      Challenging Situation: she cannot find footage of the murder itself

      Conflict: the mystery around Moreno’s murder raises questions about the murder

      Action: Alexia reviews the security footage, searching for missing pieces

      Finish: She realizes there are more questions than answers about the murder

      EXT. OUTSIDE ALEXIA’S OFFICE – DAY

      Alexia brings Cipher up to date on the murder and confesses a secret – Dr. Everett Montgomery is her father. He abandoned her and her mother and after her mother died when Alexia was four, she was raised by her grandparents, the Blacks. She sees he is staring at her with a strange intensity and wonders why. Cipher asks her to let him take her someplace from his past.

      Start: Cipher is waiting for Alexia when she leaves

      Challenging Situation: Alexia reveals a personal secret – that Montgomery is her father

      Conflict: Cipher is prompted to ask Alexia to go with him to a place from his past

      Action: After her admission, she is willing to learn more about Cipher’s origins

      Finish: Alexia goes with Cipher on a mission to confront Montgomery

      INT. AMATECH’S SERVER FARM – NIGHT

      Cipher recaptures data that shows that Montgomery has not only been following Cipher but keeping tabs on Alexia also. Cipher says this is part of the original facility that Dr. Montgomery worked in, where Cipher was “born” as the prototype. They head off to confront Dr. Montgomery.

      Start: Cipher recaptures data from the server

      Challenging Situation: Cipher finds data revealing Montgomery’s surveillance of both of them

      Conflict: They decide to confront Montgomery, since the feeds are live

      Action: they get the data

      Finish: they head off to confront Montgomery

      ACT 4

      INT. ABANDONED UNDERGROUND LAB – NIGHT

      Dr. Montgomery is expecting them. He confesses his actions in abandoning Alexia were harsh, driven by his desire to create a perfect human-robot hybrid in a race to achieve singularity. The man who created the first living robot now has a greater cause – to create a self-replicating successor to the RoBob.

      Start: Montgomery anticipates their arrival and greets them

      Challenging Situation: Montgomery reveals his greater cause

      Conflict: What Montgomery wants and what they want

      Action: Montgomery puts his plan into motion

      Finish: Robobs are called in the contain Cipher and keep Alexia tied up while Montgomery works

      INT. ABANDONED UNDERGROUND LAB – NIGHT

      Cipher instinctively lunges toward Dr. Montgomery, but two Security RoBobs appear and block him. “Tie her down,” Montgomery orders two more Robobs, who grab Alexia and fasten her to a reclining chair. “It’s time to upload your consciousness into a new body, one that merges biology and technology beyond anything ever seen before – the Alexia model.”

      Start: Cipher lunges for Mongomery

      Challenging Situation: the Security Robobs burst in to help Montgomery

      Conflict: Montgomery wants to upload Alexai’s consciousness into a new body

      Action: Montgomery and Cipher fight over his wanting to transform Alexia

      Finish: Montgomery is ready to upload as the robobs contain Cipher and Alexia.

      EXT. ABANDONED UNDERGROUND LAB – NIGHT

      Aria and Luka, along with Iris and Finn, who have been trailing Cipher and Alexia, burst in. They free Cipher and while Iris unties Alexia, the others battle the Security Robobs. Dr. Montgomery flees through a secret passageway. They regroup and leave before more Security RoBobs arrive.

      Start: Finn, Luka, Aria and Iris arrive

      Challenging Situation: they face the Security Robobs

      Conflict: Montgomery flees the scene

      Action: the four teammates rescue Cipher and Alexia

      Finish: they regroup and escape, knowing Montgomery won’t give up

      INT. ALEXIA’S APARTMENT – NIGHT

      Alexia is torn by having been betrayed by flesh and blood. As Luka comforts her, they make love. Luka begs her to get out while she can, forget her father, forget Cipher and his gang, and leave town with him to make a new life. But Alexia can’t stop now. She promised Mara to find the killer even if it’s her father, who she witnessed going into the alley that night.

      Start: Alexia grapples with her feelings of betrayal.

      Challenging Situation: Luka comforts Alexia and they share an intimate time

      Conflict: Luka wants to leave town and start anew, but she wants to continue the investigation

      Action: Alexia shares an intimate moment with Luka, but disagrees with him

      Finish: Alexia is torn between her personal desires, and professional duty.

      INT. ALEXIA’S OFFICE – DAY

      Gabe Moreno visits and shows Alexia and Cipher his father’s files. The top brass at AmaTech were secretly stirring up the RoBobs to riot, so they could recall them and correct defective issues, Moreno says. He explains that Montgomery stole the design for the RoBob from Alexia’s uncle, Adrian Black, who had secretly installed a flaw that allowed the RoBobs to make mistakes – just like humans, and to learn from those mistakes. Moreno thinks Mara or Dr. Montgomery is behind his father’s murder.

      Start: Gabe Moreno visits Alexia, bringing his father’s files

      Challenging Situation: The files reveal more of the conspiracies

      Conflict: Gave suspects either Mara or Montgomery, or both as being behind the murder

      Action: Alexia and Cipher process the new information

      Finish: Alexia and Cipher contemplate their next move.

      ACT 5

      INT. VINCE HOLLOWAY’S OFFICE – DAY

      Alexia is politely ushered in. Vince’s office is plain, everything neat and in its place. Vince offers her a can of pop and she explains her theory that Ben Moreno was about to expose Mara’s plan. She asks if Holloway carried out the murder. He calmly says she wouldn’t be here if she thought he had. If anyone had a part in it, it would be her favorite actor, Dr. Everett Montgomery. He warns her not to step on Mara’s toes. Montgomery is her problem.

      Start: Alexia meets with Vince

      Challenging Situation: She presents her theory about Moreno exposing Mara’s plan for the Robobs

      Conflict: She questions Vince about his involvement in the murder

      Action: Vince carefully words a warning to her not to get involved in Mara’s plans

      Finish: Alexia leaves with the uncertainty of how to handle Mara and her father.

      INT. SMALL PARK – DAY

      Alexia tries to sort things out, comforted by the greenery around her. A couple of AmaTech security RoBobs enter the park and pause next to her. As she looks up, startled, they grab her. One opens a packet and shoves a tissue over her nose. She goes woozy. In the background, across from the park, Vince Holloway watches rather sadly as the RoBobs shove her into a Security vehicle.

      Start: Alexia attempts to sort things out

      Challenging Situation: AmaTech Security Robarbs grab her

      Conflict: Vince Holloway watches from across the street

      Action: The AmaTech Security Robobs incapacitate Alexia

      Finish: The Security Robobs shove her into their vehicle

      INT. DR. MONTGOMERY’S LAB – DAY

      Dr. Montgomery reveals that this was his plan all along. “Was it your plan to kill Ben Moreno?” she asks. He smiles and tells her the RoBobs were programmed for that. Then, with just a cyber-transition, the body rematerialized in the ally – no mess, no getaway, and no clues for the police. Alexia catches a glimpse of Mara Vossheimer perched high above them on a balcony overlooking the lab. “Alexia, you should know better than to think you can outsmart me,” Mara smirks down at her.

      Start: Montgomery reveals more of his grand plan

      Challenging Situation: Alexia asks if it was his plan to kill Moreno

      Conflict: He blames the Robobs but he was the one who “re-materialized” the body in the alley

      Action: As they talk, Mara looks down from the balcony above

      Finish: She draws Alexia’s attention away from Montgomery

      INT. DR. MONTGOMERY’S LAB – DAY

      Dr. Montgomery jabs a needle into Alexia’s arm, saying it’s time for the next phase of his experiment. “Is that all I was to you? An experiment?” she cries as the sedative takes effect. “All life is an experiment,” he says. “Every choice, every decision.” He lifts her into the chair and ties her down. “Join me, my daughter, in my life’s work of transcending the limits of carbon’s footprint into a new era of post-human evolution.”

      Start: Montgomery sticks a needle in Alexia’s arm to start his “experiment.”

      Challenging Situation: Alexia asks if she’s always been just an experiment to him.

      Conflict: His belief is that all life is “just an experiment.”

      Action: As the sedative takes effect, he talks about her joining him in his life’s work.

      Finish: He reveals his aim to “transcend the limits of carbon’s footprint.”

      INT. DR. MONTGOMERY’S LAB – DAY

      Cipher appears next to Mara on the balcony. He yells down for Montgomery to stop what he’s doing, as Alexia screams in defiance as Montgomery’s digital grasp envelops her in a searing, blinding flash of light.

      Start: Cipher appears on the balcony.

      Challenging Situation: He yells for Montgomery to stop what he’s doing.

      Conflict: Montgomery isn’t going to listen.

      Action: Alexia screams in defiance.

      Finish: She is enveloped in a searing, blinding flash of light.

      TAG

      INT. ALEXIA’S APARTMENT – DAY

      Cipher cares for Alexia as she recovers. She wonders who and what she is now. He asks if he can take her hand, as that is often comforting to humans. She says it’s okay. As they hold hands, she asks if he feels any emotion. To have human-type feelings, he tells her, he would need a heart, as emotions don’t just arise in the brain, they come from messages from the heart. She smiles and says, “We’ll get you a heart.” From the window comes a golden ray of sunshine – a new day has dawned on planet Earth.

      Start: Cipher cares for Alexia as she recovers.

      Challenging Situation: Cipher isn’t sure how damaged Alexia is or exactly what to do for her.

      Conflict: There is still a wide gulf between the human Alexia and the RoBob Cipher.

      Action: In trying to comfort her, Cipher realizes he has more to learn about human emotions, and for that he will need a heart, as it channels many emotions to the brain.

      Finish: We’ll get you a heart, Alexia promises as the sun’s rays light the room.
    • 

      Lenore

      Member

      March 4, 2024 at 11:19 pm

      Did you take Hal’s class this past Saturday and know that he wants us to exchange outlines for feedback this week? I hope you’ll be interested in exchanging with me. If so send yours to lenorebechtel33@gmail.com. Once I have your email address, I’ll send mine. Thanks! Lenore Bechtel
    • 

      Joan Macbeth

      Member

      March 7, 2024 at 7:16 pm

      Hi Sunil,

      We were in MSC together. Wondering if you’d like to trade feedback? I like heists!

      I’m hoping to be ready soon. Meanwhile, since I can’t get my Assignments to post properly on the Forum, I’m posting it as a reply here.

      Cheers,

      Joan Macbeth

      ASSIGNMENT 11 – MODULE 3

      Joan Macbeth’s Scene Requirements

      What I learned doing this assignment is… Just to work on what comes easily for now and power through it. I discovered a few new scenes to add when it felt like a couple of my Acts were too short, and came up with some big improvements! Also got started with transferring the outline to Final Draft.

      Too messy yet to post the whole thing here, but I’m feeling close to being ready to write the script. Yay!

Jeff Chase

Member

March 6, 2024 at 7:45 pm

Jeffrey Alan Chase’s Scene Requirements

What I learned doing this assignment is how well everything is coming together. I finally finished a rough draft of my outline. Several new scenes have been added and numerous new ideas incorporated.

Title: THE BACKPACK

One-Hour Serialized Christian Thriller

Show Concept: When he finds a battered backpack, a homeless veteran’s life takes a spiritual turn as the supernatural contents of it alter both his destiny and the lives of people in crisis he encounters.

Inciting Incident: Noah discovers a battered backpack in an abandoned warehouse.

A Story: Noah’s relationship with God and people in crisis.

B Story: Kane, James, Mary, Catherine, and Father Zeke.

C Story: The “fake” media, politicians, law and Army officers and others under Satan’s influence.

FADE IN:

TEASER

EXT. AFGHANISTAN – KABUL NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY

An Army Humvee patrols a dust-choked street. NOAH ADAMS in

turret, mocks God, blasphemes Jesus. His buddy at the wheel,

ABEL KANE agrees. Two other soldiers hear, look uneasy.

EXT. AFGHANISTAN – KABUL SLUMS – DAY

Sniper fire rings out, Noah returns fire, kills sniper but —

Humvee swerves, Noah unintentionally rakes apartment, kills

innocent family. In shock, Noah locks eyes with Abel —

The Humvee rolls over an IED. BOOM! Everyone dead except Noah

with severe head wound. He begs Jesus to help him — faints.

Start: A normal patrol, 4 soldiers, normal blaspheming banter

Challenging Situation: death may be around every corner

Conflict: sniper fire

Action: return fire but accidentally kill civilians

Finish: death to all except Noah

EXT. ARMY COURTS-MARTIAL – WASHINGTON D.C. – DAY

Lightning, THUNDER. A bland government building.

INT. ARMY COURTS-MARTIAL – HALLWAY

Noah sits with scar on forehead and vacant look on a bench

guarded by two uniformed men, exposition about Noah’s charges

and banter about the soon-to-be-rendered decision.

Set up Noah battles some kind of evil supernatural force, he

feels ill, goes to bathroom, power goes off, a woman screams,

a guard enters bathroom where Noah pukes, both guards run to

help woman. Noah now suddenly feels okay, walks to freedom.

Start: Noah awaits verdict for war crime charges.

Challenging Situation: Might go to prison for life.

Conflict: He claims he is innocent, couldn’t control his aim

on the target because Abel, the Humvee driver —

Action: Power goes out. Does God intercede on Noah’s behalf?

Finish: Noah walks to freedom.

EXT. ARMY CID HEADQUARTERS – QUANTICO, VA – DAY

Criminal Investigation Division. A bland government building.

INT. ARMY CID HEADQUARTERS – KANE’S OFFICE – DAY

Major SETH KANE, looks with sadness at a desk photo of, Abel,

his twin brother and himself as kids. A Lieutenant enters.

Kane reveals dad’s naming joke, set up his pain about loss of

Abel, also his belief the system will work to convict Noah.

A corporal enters, upset, reveals Noah escaped custody. Kane

sighs, then has a seizure, recovers. Asks the men to leave.

They wonder if he’s okay. He SCREAMS for them to get out.

Kane resists what’s happening to him — but can’t, whines —

KANE

Yes, yes…I understand.

Start: Kane is a professional soldier, cool as a cucumber.

Challenging Situation: Learns his brother’s “killer” escaped.

Conflict: believes in the system, but now isn’t sure.

Action: Suffers a strange “seizure”, in pain can’t fight it.

Finish: Kane is changed; a grim, determined look in his eyes.

ACT ONE

EXT. NASHVILLE – LOWER BROADWAY AVENUE – DAY

Music. Tourists. Homeless people. One is NOAH ADAMS, now

heavily bearded, scar on his forehead. The name on his ragged

Army jacket reads, “TAYLOR”. He seems confused, begs change.

POV from on the street nearby — someone clocks Noah.

Start: Noah, now bearded, trying to stay under the radar.

Challenging Situation: He’s homeless, hungry, broke.

Conflict: Everyone he meets might turn him in.

Action: He wanders aimlessly.

Finish: Someone is very interested in where he goes.

EXT. NASHVILLE – ALLEY – DAY

Noah talks to several people, we learn more about him, he

checks unlocked back doors, gets chased away from one, “you

bum”. THUNDER. It starts to rain hard.

POV from somewhere close – someone watches Noah.

EXT. NASHVILLE – WAREHOUSE DISTRICT – NIGHT

It’s raining. Noah slogs through puddles, exhausted, hungry.

He disappears around the corner of an old, vacant building.

The company name, the letters painted long ago, now badly

faded, unreadable in the darkness, wind and rain.

POV from somewhere nearby – someone follows after Noah.

EXT. VACANT WAREHOUSE – NIGHT

Noah peeks through a broken window, climbs inside.

INT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT

Noah explores, nothing of value. Checks refrigerator, several

items spoiled, except one can of soda. He drinks, remembers —

INSERT COURTHOUSE FOOTAGE

Noah left alone by guards, he remembers fighting against

“something” — but he wond and walked from the courthouse.

BACK TO SCENE

Noah sarcastic, “I’m free. Thanks a lot, God”. Noah notices

something hidden under a bench, a battered backpack, checks

it out. Worthless junk inside, except a small cross, “God

Loves You” on it. Maybe he can sell the mess for a few bucks.

A MAN steps from shadows, gun drawn, confronts Noah. It is

SETH KANE, Abel’s twin. Noah reacts like he’s seeing a ghost.

Kane looks conflicted, a major internal battle is going on.

He aims at Noah — Noah jumps out the window with backpack.

Start: Noah homeless on the street.

Challenging Situation: Noah seeks shelter.

Conflict: Finds no food, nothing to ease his pain.

Action: Discovers backpack.

Finish: A ghost from Noah’s past shows up, tries to kill him,

Noah escapes through broken window.

EXT. DOWNTOWN CITY STREET – DAY

Noah walks, anxious. Tries to sell backpack. No takers.

EXT. ANOTHER CITY STREET – DAY

Noah is fed up with carrying the worthless backpack.

EXT. OFFICE BUILDING DUMPSTER – DAY

Noah is about to trash the backpack — horns HONK.

A WOMAN in heavy traffic, arms open wide. Suicide in

progress. Noah can’t stand by. He runs, pulls her to safety.

EXT. DUMPSTER – DAY

Set up woman’s dilemma, feels unworthy. Noah mutters he feels

like her, unworthy. He’s embarrassed. She tries to go back

into traffic. He stops her, says she is worthy “in God’s

eyes.” She laughs.

Noah pulls cross from backpack, offers it and kind words. A

change comes over her, is reborn. Thanks Noah. He’s stunned.

Start: Noah starts to trash the backpack.

Challenging Situation: Woman needs to be rescued.

Conflict: Noah must volunteer to help her.

Action: Pulls her from traffic, remembers childhood religion.

Finish: He saves her life. Now is in even worse conflict.

EXT. CITY STREET – DAY

Noah wanders aimlessly, more confused than ever. Can’t decide

what to do with the backpack. He’s hungry.

EXT. TRUCK STOP – DAY

Noah sits outside restaurant, unsure what to do.

JAMES JOHN, exits 18-wheel, passes Noah, enters restaurant.

INT. RESTAURANT – CONTINUOUS

James double checks himself, then triple checks. Has to hold

the counter to steady himself. Makes a hard decision —

EXT. RESTAURANT – CONTINUOUS

James exits, asks if Noah’s hungry. He begrudgingly accepts.

Start: James doesn’t have a care in the world.

Challenging Situation: Do I go back and talk to Noah or not?

Conflict: Whatever James does will bring up old memories.

Action: James chooses to help Noah and face his memories.

Finish: James is on a revitalized mission.

ACT TWO

INT. RESTAURANT – LATER

They eat. We learn about James. And Noah, who mentions he saw

the ghost of his friend Abel who was killed in Afghanistan.

Noah reveals the Army might be after him. Reenlistment? No.

James suspects Noah is on the lam, asks why he’s wearing an

Army coat. It fit and was free. James gives him his own coat.

JAMES

Make you a tad less obvious, dude.

Set up James’s relationship with the backpack but we get the

feeling he’s holding back on what he knows.

INSERT MONTAGE OF JAMES’S FAMILY BEING KILLED

– James is a devil-may-car successful drug dealer.

– James has a happy home life, wife and young son.

– The “competition” murders James’s family, James devastated.

– “Someone” — possibly the previous caretaker of the

backpack, gives James something that eases his pain.

BACK TO SCENE

James mentions and he has a load, needs to go to Memphis.

Would Noah want to ride along? They could talk more.

Start: James doesn’t want anything to do with Noah.

Challenging Situation: The backpack is tied to James’s past.

Conflict: James is confronted by memories of past mistakes.

Action: He would rather avoid Noah — but begs his company.

Finish: James feels compelled to help Noah do what he must.

EXT./INT. JAMES’S 18-WHEELER – DAY

Trucking on I-40. They talk. James kicked drugs, fears back

sliding. Hesitant, he asks about backpack, what’s in it? Just

useless crap — Noah pulls a torn page from the backpack.

The truck SCREECHES to a stop on the shoulder. James reveals

“someone” with a backpack once saved his life with a Gideon

bible and the most important page — is the one Noah holds.

James believes Noah is chosen to spread the Gospel of Christ.

Noah won’t hear any more. He angrily exits truck. James

offers a half-eaten bag of potato chips. Noah SLAMS the door.

Start: James is afraid of what he might remember.

Challenging Situation: Noah forces him to deal with himself.

Conflict: James wants to avoid his Christian life.

Action: James sees an “omen” in the page Noah holds.

Finish: James is ready to rededicate himself to Christ, and

feels that Noah has an important job to do.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD – NIGHT

Noah hitchhikes but no one stops. He’s pissed off, doesn’t

want the backpack or any frigging job from God.

EXT. RAILROAD OVERPASS – NIGHT

Noah stares at track below. His stomach RUMBLES, he eats a

chip. WHINE from a stray dog, hungry. Noah tosses a chip. Dog

wants another.

NOAH

Can’t eat a fifty, can you, boy?

MONOLOGUE to the dog: we learn about his pain, all the times

he’s volunteered and gotten stung for it. Noah finds the $50

bill in the bag. Gives all the chips to the dog.

TRAIN approaches. Dog runs off. Headlight reminds Noah of

light above him in surgery…and IED…Abel’s face flashes.

Noah rips the backpack off his shoulder, throws it at the

train, turns to walk away —

Backpack BANGS off locomotive windshield, ricochets and SLAMS

Noah’s back, knocked off his feet, face down in the road.

Start: Noah at a low point but finds a friend.

Challenging Situation: Weight of the world crashing on him.

Conflict: Internal: membories, external: the backpack

Action: he throws backpack away.

Finish: The backpack has a mind of its own, won’t stay gone.

ACT THREE

Tires SCREECH, car stops inches from Noah face down in road.

CATHERINE exits her car, helps Noah up. The dog WHINES.

CATHERINE

She yours?

NOAH

He’s a she?

INT. CATHERINE’S CAR – NIGHT

They get to know each other. She’s a nurse and amateur

archeologist obsessed with her family’s genealogy. He laughs,

that he is, “on a mission from God.” Dog is in back seat.

We learn Noah had a wife but she divorced him, or rather her

father made her do it, when he was convicted of…war crimes.

We also learn that Noah has been diagnosed with PTSD.

When Catherine’s husband passed away, she wasn’t there. And

also didn’t attend his funeral. She won’t explain.

He wants to pay her. Reaches into backpack, laughs because he

knows there’s no money in it, pulls out small piece of

pottery. Catherine realizes it may be from the time of

Christ. Could Noah be the messenger in her family’s folklore?

His speech becomes slurred. She realizes he’s in diabetic

shock. She must choose — injects him with insulin, gives him

a small supply. It won’t last forever. How will he get more?

Start: Catherine on her way to her next job.

Challenging Situation: Pick up an unwanted hitchhiker. Inject

him with insulin w/o prescription?

Conflict: Catherine breaks own rule about helping hitchhiker.

Action: She takes in both Noah and his dog.

Finish: Noah puts Catherine in a position of having to help

him and confront her family and obsession with genealogy back

to time of Christ. Catherine picks up hitchhiker AND does

something highly unethical: giving Noah insulin.

EXT. MEMPHIS CITY STREET – NIGHT

Noah exits Catherine’s car. Walks. The dog follows. Noah

shoos her away, goes up an alley, looks for a place to sleep.

EXT. ALLEY – NIGHT

GINO sits in his locked Camry, argues with himself. Noah

appears, curious, but keeps walking. He stops, returns.

EXT. ALLEY – LATER

They talk. We learn about Gino and his emotional problems.

Why did Noah stop, help to him? Seemed like the thing to do.

Gino asks about Noah’s “Taylor” name tag. Noah won’t reveal

his real name, but tells Gino about Abel dying, then seeing

Kane with the gun, he had some “issues” with the Army about

what happened in Afghanistan. Gino is remembering it all —

EXT. ALLEY – DAWN IS BREAKING

Gino needs to get home, offers cash, Noah won’t take it —

doesn’t want to give God ideas he’s gonna keep doing this.

Noah challenges God, reaches in backpack, pulls out fistful.

NOAH

See? Just a bunch of crap.

A string dangles from the “crap” —

The string stuns Gino, he realizes that, thanks to Noah, he

has a lifeline to Christ, ties string on his rearview.

Noah looks at the string with a mixture of pique and wonder.

Start: Gino at the bottom, emotionally. Noah confused.

Challenging Situation: Get Gino stabilized.

Conflict: Noah puts himself in danger revealing info to Gino.

Action: String pulled from backpack. Gino ties it on mirror.

Finish: Gino is okay, wants to help Noah.

Noah looks heavenward, even more confused.

EXT. ROOF OF TALL BUILDING – DAY

Kane stands edge of the roof, atop a wall, in terror, argues

with the demon who possesses him. We hear KANE only.

Kane is “forced” to walk along the wall. 30 stories down.

Kane agrees to do the demon’s bidding. Will try harder…

Start: Kane looks crazy walking on a roof.

Challenging Situation: Something/someone is forcing him.

Conflict: Kane is not in total control of his body/mind.

Action: Kane tries to break the demon’s control.

Finish: Kane agrees to do the demon’s bidding.

EXT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT

Establishing shots.

INT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT

Gino is welcomed by people who know him. Some don’t like him.

INT. POLICE STATION – LATER

Gino begs a computer analyst to pull up st…

Phyllis Strong

Member

March 11, 2024 at 3:19 pm

Phyllis’ Scene Requirements

I learned from this assignment that the scene requirements were crucial in turning my beat sheet into an outline.

Teaser

INT. HIGH-TECH LAB – NIGHT

Scientists attach electrodes to the shaved heads of: Older Diana (75), Older Peter (68), Older Mark (81) and Older Suzanne (87) They’re lying unconscious. Meanwhile, doctors attach electrodes to four comatose individuals in their 30’s who are connected to life support machines. Monitors show brain activity normal for the elderly and dark for the younger people.

Head scientist Lily (50’s) taps her futuristic touchpad. Electricity arcs from the elderly to the young. Then the elderly convulse and collapse. Each of their monitors flatline. They’re dead.

Start: Four elderly individuals hooked up to four brain-dead 30 something bodies on life support.

Challenging Situation: A dangerous experiment.

Conflict: A moral conflict for the elderly and the scientists: should they be conducting this experiment?

Action: Electricity arcs from old brain to young. The elderly convulse. Monitors flatline.

Finish: The elderly are dead.

Act One

INT. RETIREMENT COMMUNITY – DAY (3 MONTHS EARLIER)

Former neuroscientist Older Diana frostily welcomes Older Peter, her tech mogul boss who forced her into retirement 10 years ago. He’s desperate to acquire her patent; otherwise, she could block the procedure he’s developing. And he’s in a hurry. Which gives her the power.

She’ll assign him the patent if he reinstates her on the project—and makes her a test subject. He agrees to the first, but points out she doesn’t have the money to pay for the second. She tells him he can take care of that.

Start: Older Diana is polite to Older Peter, nothing more.

Challenging Situation: Older Peter needs patent from Older Diana.

Conflict: Older Diana wants to be a test subject; Older Peter objects.

Action: When Older Peter grimaces from pain, he lies that his arthritis is acting up.

Finish: Older Peter agrees to Older Diana’s demand.

EXT. GOLF COURSE – DAY

Older Mark (81), a Senator, golfs with his old friend, the head of the Independent Party. They’re on the putting green when Older Mark argues that he wants to run for another term. His companion points out he’s had a 40-year run. Why not go out on top and write a memoir?

Older Mark pushes until the Party Chief retorts that he’s too old and they’ve got a younger candidate in mind. Older Mark drives a golf ball hard to express his frustration.

Start: Older Mark eases into the conversation of his interest in returning to the Senate.

Challenging Situation: Older Mark needs his Party’s endorsement.

Conflict: Older Mark wants to run while the Party wants someone else.

Action: Older Mark drives a golf ball a long way to indicate his frustration.

Finish: Older Mark can’t run for Senate.

INT. VOGUE MAGAZINE OFFICES – DAY

Older Suzanne (87), a cosmetics tycoon, is with the Editor-In-Chief, going over the upcoming issue’s layout so she can approve the placement for her cosmetics ads. She has taste and is firm with her opinions.

Her son Adam (59) bursts in to announce she has no authority to speak for the company, humiliating Older Suzanne. The Editor-In-Chief defuses the situation, claiming she asked for Older Suzanne’s help as a personal favor.

Start: Older Suzanne with Editor-in-Chief reviewing ad layout.

Challenging Situation: Her son undermines her in humiliating fashion.

Conflict: Older Suzanne vs. her son.

Action: Show Older Suzanne’s competence through reviewing the ads.

Finish: Editor-in-Chief defuses the situation so Older Suzanne isn’t totally humiliated.

INT. OLDER PETER’S EXECUTIVE OFFICE – DAY

Older Peter tells his CFO to put down the $20 million to be paid to Diana’s host family as a legal expense. The CFO is hesitant, but Older Peter will take responsibility. Older Peter has a pain attack that he explains as the result of a heavy breakfast.

After the CFO leaves Older Peter calls a realtor about selling or mortgaging his properties.

Start: Older Peter tells CFO to do something shady.

Challenging Situation: Older Peter needs more funds for his project.

Conflict: Older Peter is at odds with his Board of Directors.

Action: Older Peter can’t hide the pain in his belly but blames it on a heavy breakfast.

Finish: Older Peter is willing to sell properties to keep going.

INT. DINER – DAY

A remote downscale diner that Older Peter uses when he wants to conduct confidential business. He and his doctor are having lunch, but Older Peter has no appetite. The doctor tells him, as his oncologist, that he still recommends chemotherapy to extend his life beyond a few months.

Older Peter says he can’t be sidelined now. He just needs to control the pain. The oncologist has brought him oxycontin. No problem if he gets addicted.

Start: Older Peter meets with doctor in out-of-the-way place.

Challenging Situation: Older Peter is dying of cancer.

Conflict: Older Peter is trying to hide his situation from others.

Action: Eating at diner. Older Peter with little appetite.

Finish: Doctor gives Older Peter opioids for the pain.

INT. HI-TECH LAB – DAY

Older Peter has come to view a power test to determine the optimal amount of energy needed for the transfer procedure. Two test dummies are strapped into adjacent beds with conductive coils connecting their electrodes. Lily asks an engineer for the level of gigawatts, then works her touchpad.

The electricity running through fries the electrodes, sets the dummy heads on fire, and ruptures the conductive coils. An utter failure. Older Peter tells Lily to hold this report until after his board meeting this evening.

Start: Older Peter attends a test of the procedure equipment.

Challenging Situation: He needs the procedure to work.

Conflict: Older Peter vs. His Board.

Action: The test fries the heads of test dummies and shorts out system.

Finish: The test is a failure. Older Peter wants it covered up for now.

INT. BOARDROOM – NIGHT

Older Peter explains how they can sell this procedure to people of all ages, who will put a deposit down and use it when they grow old. He’s only bounded by the number of suitable candidates. 26,000 people a year suffer brain death and they need a fraction of that for these projections (on screen).

A Board Member rises to interrupt the presentation and accuses Older Peter of failing to notify them of the spiraling costs of this procedure. He calls for a vote and The Board votes to suspend operation, for now.

Start: Older Peter paints a rosy set of projections for the Board.

Challenging Situation: Older Peter must convince Board to keep project alive.

Conflict: Older Peter vs. the Board.

Action: Board Member stands and interrupts Older Peter.

Finish: Peter loses. Board shuts down the project.

INT. HIGH-TECH AUDITORIUM – TWO DAYS LATER

Older Peter holds a slick product launch press conference to introduce the consciousness transfer procedure. He introduces his fellow test subjects, and mentions that Older Diana came up with the breakthrough theory that makes the whole thing possible. The auditorium is full and mesmerized.

Afterwards, journalists shout out questions. One asks Older Diana how she came up with her breakthrough. She deflects, saying it was over 40 years ago. Two hours later, Older Peter learns that the company’s stock price is rising. The Chairman of the Board calls to say the project is back on.

Start: Older Peter pitches the consciousness transfer procedure and its benefits.

Challenging Situation: Older Peter has to keep his project alive.

Conflict: Older Peter vs. The Board.

Action: Older Peter on stage, captivating the crowd (like Steve Jobs).

Finish: The stock price goes up. The Board allows him to proceed.

Act Two

INT. HIGH-TECH LAB – OBSERVATION GALLERY – DAY

The test subjects now have time to settle their affairs before the scheduled procedure. Especially with their families. Older Diana has no living relatives to deal with. Older Peter broke up with his last girlfriend. Older Diana asks him about his daughter.

Older Peter hasn’t seen his estranged daughter in 25 years. Older Diana encourages him to contact her, but he’s afraid of a face-to-face rejection.

Start: Older Diana and Older Peter watch the activity below.

Challenging Situation: Older Peter has an estranged daughter.

Conflict: Older Peter’s internal conflict about contacting his daughter.

Action: Scientists and techs working on equipment down below in lab.

Finish: Older Peter decides not to contact his daughter.

INT. HIGH-TECH LAB – DAY

Older Peter tells Lily that Older Diana is now a new member of the scientific team. Lily comments that she thought she was in charge of selecting the team. She also notes, in a catty manner, that Older Diana’s been out of the loop for 10 years, a lifetime in science.

Older Diana coldly replies that’s she’s kept up to speed during her retirement. There’s no love lost between these two women.

Start: Older Diana introduced as new member of project team.

Challenging Situation: Older Diana has to fit in where she’s not wanted.

Conflict: Older Diana vs. Lily.

Action: Lily is working and doesn’t respond right away.

Finish: The two women are competitive and frosty with each other.

INT. DINING ROOM – NIGHT

Older Mark eats dinner with his wife Sylvia (74) whom he married for political reasons. They’ve had a long, loveless marriage which he has strayed from, regularly. They are cordial with each other, but their body language betrays their anger.

Older Mark wants a divorce. Sylvia threatens to air all their dirty laundry to sabotage his re-election bid. He’ll just have to stick to mistresses.

Start: Older Mark and wife eating dinner.

Challenging Situation: He wants a divorce to start over.

Conflict: He wants a divorce and she doesn’t.

Action: Their body language betrays their cordial demeanor.

Finish: Wife threatens to reveal scandalous secrets if they divorce.

INT. LAVISH TOWNHOUSE – DAY

Older Suzanne has come to see Adam to tell him the news. She tries to make her son see that she deserves a do-over in life. The way his father died, the way she was never there for him or his sisters—she has so many regrets.

All Adam cares about is her resigning from her Emeritus post at the company and never again pursue a role there. And he wants it in writing. Disappointed, she leaves without signing the contract he’d already drawn up.

Start: Older Suzanne explains she wants a do-over on her personal life.

Challenging Situation: She wants to reassure him she won’t compete with him in the business.

Conflict: Older Suzanne vs. her son.

Action: Her son has a contract ready for her to sign.

Finish: Suzanne refuses to sign and leaves.

INT. CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OFFICE – DAY

Older Mark visits his beloved daughter Sarah (46), a Congresswoman. They have always been close and she’s followed in his footsteps. When he explains he’s going to become young again to compete for his Senate seat, she accuses him of robbing her of the family political legacy. He should just stand aside.

Start: Older Mark visits his beloved Congresswoman daughter.

Challenging Situation: He wants her approval for his choice to undergo the procedure.

Conflict: Daughter doesn’t want him to run for Senate. It’s her turn.

Action: Congressional office activity, Daughter interrupted a lot.

Finish: Daughter thinks he’s robbing her of her political legacy.

INT. TEST SUBJECT PREP ROOM – NIGHT

The four test subjects are preparing for the procedure by having their heads shaved so the electrodes can be placed. To cover up the distinct possibility that they will die, all four keep the mood light. They talk about the first thing they’ll do in their rejuvenated bodies.

Older Diana wants to climb mountain peaks the way she did in her 30’s. Older Peter wants to do yoga and tai chi the way he used to. Older Mark wants to play basketball—it’s been 17 years. Older Suzanne wants to eat a pint of blackberry chocolate chip ice cream in one sitting.

A knock on the door: they’re ready for them.

Start: The four test subjects are in jumpsuits having their heads shaved for the procedure.

Challenging Situation: This experiment may kill them.

Conflict: Each test subject has an internal conflict: am I doing the right thing?

Action: The test subjects are having their heads shaved.

Finish: The test subjects are resolute. They’re ready.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – NIGHT

Quick cuts of each host family’s final goodbye. The husband of Older Diana’s host refuses to let go of his wife’s hand as she’s wheeled out until Med Techs intervene. The husband of Older Mark’s host hugs the body and dissolves into tears. The parents of Older Suzanne’s host hold each other by her bedside.

In contrast, the wife of Older Peter’s host doesn’t look upset to see her husband go.

Start: The families of the hosts are all heartbroken, except for Older Peter’s wife, who looks relieved.

Challenging Situation: The families have to say goodbye forever to their loved ones.

Conflict: The families have internal conflicts over whether they’re doing the right thing.

Action: The host family’s various final goodbyes.

Finish: All the bodies on compact life support systems are taken.

INT. HI-TECH LAB – NIGHT

A slightly expanded version of the Teaser. The test subjects enter and lie down on their beds. They’re given anesthesia as scientists attach electrodes. The hosts (also with heads shaved), on portable life support units, have their electrodes attached. Then an engineer connects a test subject to a host with conductive coils.

The procedure starts. Same convulsion and death. The test subjects’ monitors all flatline. But this time we go further and see the host bodies open their eyes. And monitors show that the hosts’ brain activity is normal.

Start: Techs cover the test subjects’ scalps with electrodes and doctors give them anesthesia. Connect them to electrodes on hosts’ shaved skulls.

Challenging Situation: The test subjects may die.

Conflict: All have internal conflicts over whether they’re doing the right thing.

Action: The prep, then power goes through the system and the test subjects convulse. Monitors flat line.

Finish: The hosts open their eyes and monitors show normal brain activity.

Act Three

INT. PETER’S COMPANY GYM – DAY (6 MONTHS LATER)

The test subjects are working out with trainers in their now fit host bodies. They’re pushing themselves because a photographer is there, shooting video for publicity. Lily and the Chief Doctor enter to inform them that they’ll be released in a week, and have to do follow ups every month.

Lily cautions them that their faces are as known as the influencers on social media and the reality stars on TV. They should be prepared for looks and selfie requests, or worse. A protest movement has sprung up against those who can pay millions for a literal fountain of youth.

Start: Test subjects in their host bodies are working out.

Challenging Situation: They’re about to be released into the world.

Conflict: Test subjects vs. those who disapprove of wealthy elders buying their youth for exorbitant sums.

Action: Working out. Photographer shooting video.

Finish: Lily and Chief Doctor warn them of what they’ll face when they leave the company compound.

INT. PETER’S EXECUTIVE OFFICE – DAY

Peter is on a video call pitching to middle-aged near-billionaires. His CFO interrupts to tell him their sales numbers are going through the roof. Peter warns his targets that they better reserve their spots soon.

Security calls: protesters are blocking the main entry gate. They send the footage to his screen. He freeze-frames the ringleader. A look of recognition crosses his face. He tells security he’ll speak with her.

Start: Peter’s selling the procedure to billionaires when security interrupts him.

Challenging Situation: Recognizes the ringleader is his estranged daughter.

Conflict: Peter vs. his estranged daughter.

Action: Security footage sent to Peter’s screen.

Finish: Peter agrees to speak with his estranged daughter.

EXT. COMPANY CAMPUS – DAY

Peter heads toward a designated spot in the center of the company campus. Two security officers follow at a discreet distance. The ringleader stands and waits, flanked by a security team. No one is taking any chances. When Peter arrives, he waves away all the security. The ringleader says “Hi, Dad.” She is Emma (35), his estranged daughter.

Emma notes, ironically, that they’re the same age now. She’s come with a proposal. Her national group wants a lottery system with a low-priced ticket. Peter rejects it, contending that a lottery hurts the lower classes, who spend more of their income than they should on tickets.

Start: Peter meets with the ringleader of the protest.

Challenging Situation: The ringleader of the protest is his estranged daughter.

Conflict: Peter vs. His Estranged Daughter.

Action: Peter is flanked by security at a discreet distance.

Finish: Peter rejects his estranged daughter’s demands.

EXT. PARK BASKETBALL COURT – DAY

Mark is playing one-on-one basketball against a campaign intern. A hot campaign manager, Eli (36) comes to interview. Mark has them both shoot baskets while he interviews him. Definite chemistry. And, despite his youth, Eli has a stellar record of waging successful campaigns. He’s hired.

Start: Mark playing one-on-one against campaign intern when Eli comes to interview to be his campaign manager.

Challenging Situation: Mark’s goal depends on Eli being the right guy to get him to the Senate.

Conflict: Mark and Eli are interviewing each other.

Action: Playing basketball. Shooting baskets.

Finish: Mark hires Eli.

EXT. CEMETERY – DAY

Suzanne brings flowers to a gravesite that’s part of a wealthy family’s burial plot. She bends to trace the engraved name with her finger, then stands. She removes from her purse a photograph taken in 1971 of a young man (25) playing a guitar. The handwritten name under it is “Alan.”

As Suzanne stares at the photograph, it stirs memories…

Start: Suzanne brings flowers to a gravesite.

Challenging Situation: She’s at the grave of her first love.

Conflict: An internal conflict: should she have regrets about giving him up?

Action: Bringing flowers to gravesite and looking at photograph.

Finish: The photograph stirs her memories.

INT. LAVISH TOWNHOUSE – NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

Suzanne flashes back to herself at 45, having a horrible fight with her husband, Don (40’s) over his reckless use of drugs. Don’s always wallowing in self-pity about how she outshines him everywhere they go. They throw and smash objects. She blurts out that she should have stayed with Alan.

Start: Suzanne and her husband fight about his drug use.

Challenging Situation: She’s fighting with her spouse.

Conflict: Suzanne vs. her husband.

Action: Objects are thrown and smashed.

Finish: Suzanne blurts out that she should have stayed with Alan.

INT. HOTEL SUITE – NIGHT

Suzanne does a search and finds Alan’s obituary. He died at 73. Suzanne reads the names of the surviving family members and starts searching social media for them. Amid all the cyberstalking, she finds a grandson, Austin (30), who will be performing at a bar in Los Angeles tomorrow night.

Start: Suzanne is cyberstalking the family name from the gravesite.

Challenging Situation: Suzanne desperately wants to find a connection to her first love.

Conflict: Mildly conflicted about the cyberstalking.

Action: She is pulling up images on the computer.

Finish: She finds out where the grandson will be the next night.

INT. LOS ANGELES BAR – NEXT NIGHT

Austin, playing acoustic guitar, finishes up the last song in his set. Suzanne is at the bar, dressed in the Gen Z version of a killer outfit. As she approaches him, he recognizes her as one of the famous test subjects. She flirts with him and learns he’s in his family’s real estate business. They have chemistry.

Start: Austin finishes playing, Suzanne flirts with him.

Challenging Situation: Suzanne is trying to attract Austin.

Conflict: Suzanne’s inner conflict: is this foolish?

Action: Guitar playing.

Finish: Suzanne and Austin have chemistry.

INT. MARK’S CAMPAIGN OFFICE – NIGHT

An attractive female polling expert tells Mark he needs to take a position on consciousness transfer—should it be left to the free market, or should it be regulated? As she talks about polling voters, she flirts with him.

For a man who was reputedly a Senate Lothario, Mark is strangely not interested. But he’s noticed through the half-glass wall of Eli’s office that his campaign manager is changing clothes. Mark is mesmerized by his body.

Start: Attractive female polling expert flirts with Mark.

Challenging Situation: Mark’s sexual orientation is changing.

Conflict: Mark’s inner conflict: is this real or am I imagining it?

Action: Eli changes clothes in his half glass-enclosed office.

Finish: Mark is attracted viscerally to Eli.

INT. HIGH-TECH LAB – DAY

Diana has commandeered a team of analysts to go over test subject and host data because she wants to probe for problems before moving forward. Lily is furious because she plans on devoting all their resources to meeting Peter’s goal: performing the next set of transfer procedures in 6 months.

Diana and Lily argue over the split of resources. Ultimately, Diana gets two data scientists, while Lily takes the rest of the staff. Lily’s won this round.

Start: Lily wants to charge ahead to meet Peter’s timetable.

Challenging Situation: Diana fights for resources for her goal.

Conflict: Diana vs. Lily.

Action: Lily literally pulls Diana’s team from her.

Finish: Diana gets only two data scientists.

INT. MEDICAL LAB – DAY

Peter and Mark are hooked up to a set of monitors generating scans of their brains and their bodies. Mark tells Peter he has to take a position on consciousness transfer, and he’s leaning toward putting in guardrails. Peter’s shocked: Mark is a test subject because as a Senator he protected this tech from government interference.

But now that the tech works, Mark is worried about national security. What if bad actors emerge? Peter, deadly calm, says he might have to reconsider whom to support in the Senate race.

Start: Mark starts a discussion about guardrails on this technology.

Challenging Situation: He is challenging Peter’s goal of making money.

Conflict: Mark vs. Peter.

Action: Machines are scanning Mark and Peter.

Finish: Peter threatens Mark with withholding his support for Mark’s candidacy.

INT. HIGH-TECH LAB/CORRIDOR/DIANA’S ROOM – NIGHT

Diana exits the High-Tech Lab into a corridor that leads to her sleeping quarters. She sleeps at work. In bed, Diana pores over her host’s data. She also sees a bio of her host’s husband and takes note of the photo.

For an unknown reason, she feels compelled to find photos and video of this man. She scours social media, unable to stop. She reacts to the sky lightening outside her window as dawn approaches. What the fuck is she doing?

Start: Diana pores over her host’s bio and physical data

Challenging Situation: She is acting out of character, and she knows it.

Conflict: Diana’s inner conflict: why does she feel compelled to seek out images of her host’s husband?

Action: Diana is manipulating her screen, magnifying photos.

Finish: Diana stays up till dawn investigating her host’s husband.

Act Four

INT. COMPANY YOGA ROOM – EARLY MORNING.

Peter is alone, doing a series of yoga poses. Diana, having been up all night, knows she can find him here at 6 am. She enters, starts doing yoga poses, too. In an off-hand way, she mentions that the protests seem to be growing in size and frequency.

She suggests that it might be good publicity to visit the host families and then have them confirm that they are happy with the outcome.

Start: Diana finds Peter doing yoga poses.

Challenging Situation: Convincing Peter to follow her suggestion.

Conflict: Diana vs. Peter.

Action: Peter and Diana do yoga.

Finish: Diana proposes visiting the host families.

INT. JOSH’S APARTMENT – DAY

Upon meeting Josh (35), her host’s husband, Diana feels compelled to throw her arms around him, but he beats her to it. She hugs back. Josh is emotional seeing “his wife” living and breathing again. She was his soulmate and today he feels like she’s somehow found her way back to him.

Diana asks if he’s still okay with his decision. Josh nods, then asks why she wanted to be young again. Feeling (strangely) comfortable in his presence, she confesses that her mother had Alzheimer’s and it was in her genes and she couldn’t live like that. Did she leave someone special behind? No, Diana never found love, but she was fine with that.

Start: Diana meets Josh, her host’s husband.

Challenging Situation: Handling Josh’s emotions because she looks exactly like his late wife.

Conflict: Diana’s inner conflict: feels compelled to be with Josh but doesn’t want to hurt him.

Action: Josh hugs her and she responds.

Finish: Diana confesses things to Josh she never tells anyone.

INT. THEO’S SUBURBAN HOUSE – DAY

Mark is reminded that his host was gay when he meets his husband Theo (40). Theo has no real regrets because the $20 million enabled him to buy this house and devote all his time to raising his 7-year-old daughter, Lucy. But he doesn’t want his daughter confused, so he sent her on a playdate.

Unfortunately, the friend’s mother returns Lucy, who goes running into Mark’s arms shouting “Daddy.” Mark replies that he just looks like him. Lucy asks what his favorite ice cream flavor is. When Mark responds with the wrong flavor, Lucy starts to cry. He’s not her Daddy. Mark feels terrible.

Start: Mark meets his host’s husband and daughter.

Challenging Situation: Mark doesn’t want to amplify their grief.

Conflict: Mark’s internal conflict: should he have agreed to the visit?

Action: His host’s daughter runs into his arms.

Finish: The daughter realizes Mark is not her dad and runs off crying. Mark feels terrible.

INT. MANSION – DAY

The mansion recently purchased by Suzanne’s host’s parents is decorated in a flashy, over the top style. When Suzanne meets Patti and Chris (both early 60’s), they’re overcome with excitement about a celebrity cosmetics tycoon in the family. They hope they can spend some time with her. Maybe some free samples from her company, too?

Suzanne hides her distaste as she asks if they regret the choice they made. Are you kidding—it paid for this house and everything in it. They hate to say it, but their daughter left for good after college, and it was a relief because she was obsessive and vindictive. They didn’t see her until after the accident.

Start: Suzanne meets her host’s parents (she was single).

Challenging Situation: Suzanne has to keep them from absorbing her into their life.

Conflict: Suzanne’s inner conflict: she wants nothing to do with these people, but doesn’t want to be harsh.

Action: A gaudily decorated mansion reveals character.

Finish: Suzanne learns her host’s parents were effectively estranged from their daughter.

INT. ANNA’S APARTMENT – DAY

Peter meets his host’s wife, Anna (33). His host physically abused her, but the wounds have long ago healed. All Peter picks up is her nervous disposition. After asking if she has any regrets, she answers that her husband wasn’t supposed to return.

Peter is confused for a beat, then realizes that she’s convinced that he’s her late husband. He tries to dissuade her, but when he moves closer, she turns and grabs a hidden gun. Pointing it at him, she says she won’t let him hurt another woman. Instinctively, Peter grabs the gun and disarms her. He nearly pistol-whips her, but stops himself.

Start: Peter meets his host’s abused wife.

Challenging Situation: His host’s wife thinks Peter is really her husband, and will hurt her.

Conflict: Peter vs. his host’s wife.

Action: She pulls a gun on him and he instinctively disarms her.

Finish: Peter is full of rage and nearly pistol-whips his host’s wife.

INT. DINER – NIGHT

An upset Peter prefers to be here to talk to Diana. After hearing his story, she strongly suspects his rage came from how his host body is wired. She believes the same is true of her attraction to Josh. They have to fix this defect before they try the procedure again. Diana advocates for transparency to avoid scandal if the protesters find out. Peter disagrees, fearing his clients will pull out and his company will go bankrupt.

Both Diana and Peter know how to push each other’s buttons, hinting at a previous relationship. At one point, an enraged Peter slams his drinking glass so forcefully on to the table that it cracks. Finally, he threatens to reveal a secret that will ruin Diana’s scientific reputation.

Start: Peter asks Diana to diagnose his uncharacteristic rage.

Challenging Situation: Diana has to convince a volatile boss to go against his self-interest.

Conflict: Diana vs. Peter.

Action: Peter bangs his drinking glass on the table so forcefully, it cracks.

Finish: Peter wins. Diana will stay quiet.

INT. DIANA’S ROOM – NIGHT

Still shaken by her encounter with Peter, Diana is on her bed, arms around her knees—a position that denotes vulnerability. Diana asks her AI assistant for information on Dr. Arjun Chakrabarti. Is he connected to the secret Peter alluded to? She’s informed Chakrabarti died in NY on 9/11.

Start: Diana asks about a Dr. Chakrabarti’s whereabouts.

Challenging Situation: Diana is trying to find the scientist she stole the breakthrough theory from 40 years ago.

Conflict: Diana vs. Peter over her vulnerability to his threat.

Action: Diana is on her bed, arms around her knees, in a position that denotes vulnerability.

Finish: Diana is informed Dr. Chakrabarti died in the 9/11 attack.

Act Five

INT. PETER’S EXECUTIVE OFFICE – DAY

After the altercation in the diner, Diana is keeping her distance from Peter. He insists on keeping Mark and Suzanne in the dark, so they can’t accidentally reveal the side-effects to outsiders.

The first step in counteracting the mysterious influences on their emotions is to find out everything they can about the hosts. Peter admits he farmed out procurement to a firm that investigates potential hires.

Start: Peter and Diana strategizing about what to do next.

Challenging Situation: They need to find a way to counteract the influences of their hosts on their emotions.

Conflict: Peter and Diana jockey for control on next steps.

Action: Diana keeps her distance from Peter.

Finish: They decide to visit the firm that vetted the hosts.

EXT. 40-FOOT YACHT – DAY

Suzanne treats Austin to a ride on a friend’s yacht. As they knife through the water, Suzanne goes up to the captain and takes over the helm. Austin is impressed. Then she lets him steer the boat. Suddenly, she gets an alert about her company; she hasn’t let that go yet. It turns out her son Adam is expanding the business into fashion.

Austin reminds her that she wants to let go of her work side. Diana takes this opportunity to give him a special gift: a vintage acoustic guitar that belonged to James Taylor, Austin’s favorite musician because his grandfather used to play the records. He gives her a passionate kiss.

Start: A yacht with Suzanne and Austin aboard knifes through the water.

Challenging Situation: Suzanne is making herself vulnerable to rejection.

Conflict: Suzanne’s inner conflict: her drive for business vs. her burgeoning relationship with Austin.

Action: Suzanne takes the helm, impresses Austin. Then she gives him the helm of the yacht.

Finish: She gives him a rare guitar and he kisses her passionately.

EXT./INT. VETTING COMPANY – DAY

As Diana and Peter exit from a car, Diana reports to Peter that the host records had no reference to anyone having violent tendencies.

When Diana and Peter first meet the CEO, he’s defensive: he put his best teams on their project. Eventually, the CEO gleans from his files that the selected hosts were all vetted by a married couple. They happened to die in a car accident, sometime between the press conference and the transfer.

Start: Diana and Peter question the vetting company.

Challenging Situation: Diana and Peter need to find the truth with little to go on.

Conflict: Diana and Peter vs. defensive vetting company CEO.

Action: Arriving by chauffeured towncar. Contrast Diana and Peter casual Silicon Valley attire with button-down corporate attire.

Finish: They learn the investigators died in a car accident.

INT. CAMPAIGN OFFICE – NIGHT

Mark and Eli are the only ones there, working late. Eli informs Mark that the polling data he asked for, about how people in his state feel about gay and lesbian issues, should arrive in a few days. Eli guesses correctly that the question is a proxy for how people feel about gay politicians.

Then Eli makes a pass at Mark, who responds, despite the fact that an affair with a subordinate would be a career-ender. The two of then end up on the couch in Mark’s office. Mark swears Eli to secrecy, but can he trust him?

Start: Mark and Eli are alone, working late.

Challenging Situation: Eli is clearly interested in Mark, but the consequences are career-ending if they’re found out.

Conflict: Mark’s inner conflict: should he have an affair with someone who works for him, which will be the real career-ender.

Action: Eli kisses Mark and he responds. They make out on the couch in Mark’s office.

Finish: Mark swears Eli to secrecy. Can he trust him?

INT. PETER’S EXECUTIVE OFFICE – DAY

Peter and Diana have done their own research and are going over what they’ve discovered. While the married investigators were vetting the hosts, they put a down payment on a new house, bought expensive E-Cars, and opened a Swiss Bank account.

On a video call, they try to pry account information from an officious Swiss banker, but no dice. Still, they’ve made progress. But they still have no clue who paid them to falsify their vetting results and then had them killed.

Start: Diana and Peter find new clues.

Challenging Situation: The puzzle of who is behind procuring the hosts for this experiment, and what that means.

Conflict: Diana and Peter vs. an unknown entity.

Action: Video call with Swiss banker, notoriously circumspect.

Finish: Diana and Peter have made some progress.

INT. UNDERGROUND BUNKER – DAY

The entire bunker is set up as a high-tech lab, with scientists all over. The head scientist is in the middle of briefing General Barnes (60’s) on their progress. They can’t make the leap to imitate Peter’s company until they know more about what they’ve done.

They’re interrupted by a call for Barnes: his guest is waiting in his office.

Start: General Barnes surveys the high-tech lab.

Challenging Situation: Barnes has to oversee a covert operation.

Conflict: Barnes vs. Peter (although he doesn’t know it).

Action: Scientists at work in high-tech lab.

Finish: Barnes gets a call that his guest has arrived.

INT. GENERAL BARNES PENTAGON OFFICE – DAY

Mark is there and his expression is grim. He asks if Barnes is willing to help persuade the administration to endorse him for the Senate. The General doesn’t think that will be a problem.

Mark says okay, he’ll do it. Barnes assures him that as a mole he’ll be doing the right thing: protecting national security.

Start: Mark is in the office waiting for Barnes.

Challenging Situation: Mark is betraying Peter.

Conflict: Mark’s inner conflict: does he stay loyal to Peter or his country.

Action: Mark is visibly hesitant about what he’s about to do.

Finish: Barnes assures Mark that he’s making the right choice.

Gayla Betts

Member

March 12, 2024 at 5:16 pm

Gayla Betts Scene Requirements

What I learned doing this assignment is this is a great exercise for getting to the heart of the scene and see what’s missing.

Teaser:

Essence: Jess stands in front of the portal – it is glowing and churning – ready to transport, as she is ready to bolt.

Lilah and Gabriel appeal her not to use it – for many reasons, plus it is unknown if she will live through the journey as a human going into the celestial world, even if she is half-Sidereal. They accuse each other of betrayal. Jess breaks down into tears.

Turning Point: Will she or won’t she?

INT. STARLIGHT CAFÉ – NIGHT

Start: Jess stands in front of the portal – ready to bolt.

Challenging Situation: Lilah & Gabriel beg her not to use it – for many reasons, including her own safety.
Conflict: She is betraying them.
Action: Argument and on the verge of going.
Finish: Will she or won’t she go?

ACT 1:

EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS – DAY

Jess and her roommate, LISA, walk out of a class building, discussing Jess’ birthday plans with her father that night. Her secret service agent, RAIF, is not far behind.

Jess thinks she sees a thread of starlight.

Start: Jess and Lisa walk out of a class building discussing her b’day plans.

Challenging Situation: They are interrupted by another friend who disagrees with Jess’ answer to a question in class.
Conflict: They have an argument.
Action: Jess pauses when she thinks she sees something.
Finish: Her SS agent, Raif, observes, noticing she is behaving differently.

PLACEHOLDER SCENE – Someone discussing Jess.

Start:

Challenging Situation:
Conflict:
Action:
Finish:

EXT. RESTAURANT – NIGHT

Secret Service agents discuss security for the birthday dinner.

Start: Secret Service agents discuss security.

Challenging Situation: They disagree on best way to protect president feeling Jess brings exposure.
Conflict: Who has the better plan?
Action: The senior agent makes the decision.
Finish: They go through their security checklist.

INT. RESTAURANT – NIGHT

JESS HARPER celebrates her birthday with her SAMUEL HARPER father, the PRESIDENT of the United States, which has been closed to the public. Secret Service agents mill about at a distance. Jess thinks she sees a thread of starlight.

A WAITER attends to them.

Start: Jess and her father enjoy her birthday meal.

Challenging Situation: She wants to know more about her mother, he doesn’t want to share.
Conflict: It is awkward to talk even with the ss agents in the distance.
Action: Jess presses her father.
Finish: She does stop talking in front of the waiter.

INT. RESTAURANT – KITCHEN – NIGHT

PLACEHOLDER – The cook looks suspicious/says something to the waiter.

Start:

Challenging Situation:
Conflict:
Action:
Finish:

INT. RESTAURANT – NIGHT

The president presents a gift to Jess – a silver bracelet. The conversation becomes heated. The agents perk up.

The waiter approaches – notices the bracelet. Looks back toward the kitchen.

Start: Jess’ dad gives her a gift.

Challenging Situation: The gift brings up her mother.
Conflict: Her father won’t tell her what she wants to know about her mother.
Action: Jess gets angry.
Finish: The agents notice.

INT. RESTAURANT – KITCHEN – NIGHT

The cook is on the phone. He stuffs it when an agent walks in.

Start: The cook is on the phone.

Challenging Situation: He’s trying to hide his conversation from the agent.
Conflict: He’s hiding his actions.
Action: Talking.
Finish: He hides the phone.

INT. RESTAURANT – NIGHT

Jess has not put on the bracelet, as their conversation has turned into an argument.
The whiz of a silent shot – then the president slumps over.
When Jess realizes, TIME STANDS STILL. SILENCE. A WOMAN’S VOICE speaks to Jess.
She reaches out to her father and touches his wound – horrified. I
n a vacuum, he opens his eyes and speaks to her. She’s confused.
TIME RESUMES. THE WORLD CRASHES BACK IN as agents rush to her father.
In the few seconds before Raif gets to her, the waiter snaps the bracelet on her wrist. As she turns to him, he tells her she needs to keep the bracelet on. She notices a thread of stardust near him.
By the time Raif arrives, he’s gone.
Ambulance sirens are heard in the distance.

Start: Jess is still arguing with her father.

Challenging Situation: Her father is attacked.
Conflict: Jess’ guilty she was arguing when the attack happens.
Action: The attack on her father, the waiter snaps the bracelet on her.
Finish: Agents rush in to help.

ACT 2:

INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM – NIGHT

Jess sits in a chair. Secret Service agents are everywhere. CAROLINE JACKSON, the Vice President’s wife, enters. Hugs Jess. Tells her the VP is on his way. Seems to care.
Asks an AGENT for a report. There’s not much.

The DOCTOR comes in. He doesn’t know how, but the President has survived – almost as if someone moved the bullet enough to save him. He’s in a coma for a unknown period of time.

Jess wants to see her father.

Start: Everyone waits to find out the president’s condition.

Challenging Situation: He might die.
Conflict: Jess wants to see her father but is not allowed.
Action: The VP arrives, everyone seems to report to her.
Finish: The president is in a coma.

INT. HOSPITAL ICU ROOM – NIGHT

Under the watchful agents, the doctor and a nurse, Jess grabs her dad’s hand, babbling that she’s wearing the bracelet – “see”. She leans in and says something to him. He doesn’t respond. She begs him to wake up.

Caroline enters and coaxes her away. Says Jess is coming home with her.

Jess agrees but needs to go to her apartment and get some things. Raif and other agents will take her.

Start: Jess visits her unconscious father.

Challenging Situation: She wants to talk to him.
Conflict: She’s hiding her feelings from Caroline.
Action: Jess agrees to get her things and go to the vp’s home.
Finish: The agents escort her away.

INT. JESS’ APARTMENT LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Placeholder She uses her powers to get away.

EXT. STREET – NIGHT

Jess runs hard. Thinks she sees stardust threads and tries to follow them.

Start: Jess runs away from the agent.

Challenging Situation: She tries to follow the stardust threads she sees.
Conflict: She has run away and doesn’t want to get caught.
Action: Running and hiding.
Finish: Still running.

EXT. STREET – NIGHT

Time has passed. Jess sees a light ahead. As she gets closer, she sees the Starlight Café. It’ surrounded by threads of stardust. She enters the door.

Start: Jess is still looking for the stardust café.

Challenging Situation: She finds it, but doesn’t know what to expect.
Conflict: She has no idea what she is up against.
Action: She enters the café.
Finish: She enters the café.

INT. STARLIGHT CAFÉ – NIGHT

Everyone in the café stops talking and stare at Jess. GABRIEL, surrounded by adoring women, breaks free and moves toward Jess.

As soon as she gets her bearings, Jess sees the BARTENDER – who is the waiter from dinner – and lunges at him, demanding answers. When Gabriel intervenes, the bartender runs away in a panic.
Gabriel points to Jess’ bracelet, and gets her attention by mentioning her mother.

Start: Jess doesn’t know what to expect.

Challenging Situation: She hopes to get answers.
Conflict: She doesn’t know what she should disclose.
Action: She asserts herself.
Finish: Jess finds someone who knew her mother.

ACT 3:

PLACEHOLDER SCENE

INT. STARLIGHT CAFÉ – BOOTH – NIGHT

Gabriel looks over the bracelet – which Jess cannot remove.
He explains the Sidereal world to Jess, who is in disbelief.

Start: Jess has found someone who knew her mother.

Challenging Situation: She hears something she has a hard time believing.
Conflict: Can she trust this person?
Action: Fight or flight?
Finish: Jess has a link she can pursue?

EXT. STARLIGHT CAFÉ – NIGHT

Raif watches the café door – makes a call on his cell.

Start: Raif has followed Jess.

Challenging Situation: She doesn’t know it.
Conflict: Is he on her side or reporting to someone else?
Action: He makes a call.
Finish: He looks guilty of working for someone else.

INT. STARLIGHT CAFÉ – BOOTH – NIGHT

LILAH, the owner, joins Gabriel and Jess. She cautions Gabriel. Too late.
Jess wants answers from her. Because of the bracelet, Lilah is shaken. She wants Jess out of the café now – before it’s too late.

Gabriel volunteers to take her out the back. He accidentally lets her see the portal, but brushes it off.

Start: Lilah notices Jess.

Challenging Situation: She doesn’t want anything to do with Jess and is mad at Gabriel.
Conflict: She and Gabriel are at odds.
Action: Gabriel takes Jess away.
Finish: Jess sees the portal.

Act 4:

EXT. PARK – NIGHT

Gabriel shows Jess parts of the sky explains the danger she’s in, which she doesn’t believe.
Jess has been getting calls/texts – gets another. She needs to go back to the hospital to see her father.
Gabriel warns her not to go. He has an idea. He offers to tutor her and walk her back to the hospital. Tries to warn her. He explains the sidereals cannot use powers on earth without a catalyst – her. But it also goes another way – she can use the sidereals in their world – so the ancient prophecy goes.

Start: Gabriel tries to explain another world to Jess.

Challenging Situation: She is in disbelief though she wants answers.
Conflict: Her mother cannot be in another world.
Action: Jess keeps getting calls.
Finish: Jess needs to go back to the hospital, possibly putting herself in danger.

PLACEHOLDER.

Start:

Challenging Situation:
Conflict:
Action:
Finish:

INT. HOSPITAL – NIGHT

When Jess enters the hospital, unseen so far, she overhears a conversation about her father being braindead and need her permission to let him go. In shock, she flees.

Start: Jess is at the hospital.

Challenging Situation: Her father is considered braindead.
Conflict: “They” want her to ok pulling the plug.
Action: Pressured to make a decision, she runs away.
Finish: Jess doesn’t make a decision.

PLACEHOLDER.

Start:

Challenging Situation:
Conflict:
Action:
Finish:

Act 5

INT. WHITE HOUSE – DAY

Jess enters – and is able to search the vice president’s office – only to run into Caroline.

Caroline tries to make a deal – but Jess sees through her. She agrees to meet her at the hospital later.

Start: Jess looks for information.

Challenging Situation: She gets caught looking.
Conflict: She and Caroline are on opposite ends.
Action: Jess has been caught ransacking the VP’s office.
Finish: She agrees to meet Caroline later.

PLACEHOLDER(S)

INT. STARLIGHT CAFÉ – Jess sneaks into the café – thinks she does – and has a confrontation with Lilah – Gabriel already told her about her secret husband. Jess slips into the portal before Lilah can stop her.

Start:

Challenging Situation:
Conflict:
Action:
Finish:

PLACEHOLDER SCENES to add IN – Heart to heart with Lilah, Ophiuchus to some extent. Flashes Jess gets. More demos of her powers.

Start:

Challenging Situation:
Conflict:
Action:
Finish:

INT. STARLIGHT CAFÉ – NIGHT

Start: Jess stands in front of the portal – ready to bolt.

Challenging Situation: Lilah & Gabriel beg her not to use it – for many reasons, including her own safety.
Conflict: She is betraying them.
Action: Argument and on the verge of going.

Finish: Will she or won’t she go?

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