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Day 1 Assignment
Reply to post your assignment.
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7 Replies
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Assignment #1
Edward Gillow Finds the Essence
Learned that Essence is what are you trying to accomplish in the scene.
Script I choose: Dr. Zhivago
Scene 1 Location: EXT. Gromeko Street. Day
Logline: On a tram, Yuri and Lara enter each other’s life, but indirectly.
Essence: You never know when you will meet someone who will change your life.
Scene 2 Location: EXT. Gromeko Street-Poor Section.Day
Logline: Pasha wants his revolution and Lara, too.
Essence: The paths of two people in love will branch off for now.
Scene 3 Location: EXT. Gromeko Street. Night
Logline: Komarovsky rapes Lara, Dragoons violently quell Pasha’s demonstration as Yuri observes the slaughter in horror.
Essence: Show the brutality of man against other men and how others want to help those in need.
Scene 4 Location: INT. Dressmaking Establishment- Studio. Night
Logline: Yuri finally meets Lara when she tries to commit suicide.
Essence: How people’s lives intersect under difficult circumstances.
Scene 5 Location: INT. Tram. Day
Logline: Older Yuri (on tram) sees Lara walking on street and tries to get to her and suffers heart attack in process
Essence: The hardships both Yuri and Lara had to endure to be together
My selection for most profound essence:
The essence of this scene is: The hardships both Yuri and Lara had to endure to be together
Why is it the most profound? Throughout this classic movie, it was a love story between two people who met against impossible odds, fell in love, and how their lives wove in and out as they tried to stay together. In this scene, Yuri sees Lara (after many years of being apart) and tries to get to her but suffers a heart attack while she is unaware of what happens behind her. I remember vividly the emotions I felt while watching this scene. Totally profound.
PS: Hal and Cheryl. Unfortunately, the script i download for Dr. Zhivago was shooting script and wouldn’t allow me to copy the scene and post it here. I have a word document of this assignment that contains the scene but don’t see where I can attach a doc to the assignment page. Any suggestions?
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This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Edward Gillow. Reason: Was confused on what was required by location of scene we selected
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This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by
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George Petersen – Find the Essence
What I learned is that every scene has an essence, a main purpose, a core connection to the plot. If it doesn’t, it’s not a scene.
Chinatown:
Scene 1
Location: EXT. MULWRAY HOME – DUSK
by the pond, cigarette smoke drifts INTO SHOT. A car pulls up. In a moment Cross can be SEEN, looking TOWARD CAMERA.
Logline: Gittes presents evidence, the glasses, which proves that Cross is guilty of murder.
Essence: Gittes proving Cross’ guilt is the essence, but it’s always been a problem scene for me because it presents Gittes as not that smart: why was it necessary to present the evidence to Cross in person and what did Gittes think Cross was going to do when faced with prison? Nothing? Mulvihill walking into the scene at the end seems too easy. Makes me wonder if this scene was inserted or modified to satisfy the director’s ending.
Scene 2
Location: EXT. BUNGALOW-HOUSE – ADELAIDE DRIVE
Gittes pulls up in Mulwray’s Buick. He hurries to the front door, pounds on it. The Chinese servant answers the door.
Logline: Evelyn tells Gittes that Katherine is her sister and daughter.
Essence: Evelyn tells Gittes that the glasses were not Hollis’ shifting the ownership to Cross, which makes him guilty of murder
Scene 3
Location: INT. MULWRAY BEDROOM – TELEPHONE
on a nightstand, city lights visible through the open window behind it. It is RINGING.
Logline: Evelyn gets a call to come to Katherine’s assistance, now.
Essence: Gittes can now kick out the taillight and follow Evelyn to Katherine.
Scene 4
Location: INT. GITTES’ OFFICE
Gittes comes bursting in, slapping a newspapers on his thigh.Logline: Evelyn asks Gittes if he’s ever seen her before.
Essence: Evelyn’s attorney hands the summons to Gittes. He’s getting sued. Stakes raised.
Scene 5
Location: EXT. COURTYARD VERANDA – GITTES & CROSS AT BREAKFAST
Logline: Cross hires Gittes to find Katherine
Essence: Cross plants the misdirection that Katherine is Hollis’ girlfriend.
Most profound essence: Scene 2
Logline: Evelyn tells Gittes that Katherine is her sister and daughter.
Essence: Evelyn tells Gittes that the glasses were not Hollis’ shifting the ownership to Cross, which makes him guilty of murder.
Although the incestuous relationship is a shock after the delivered misdirection from Cross, I believe the essence of the scene is the revelation that Hollis didn’t wear bifocals as that immediately pinned the murder on Cross without saying it in the dialogue.
Gittes looks at her — then takes the handkerchief out Of his breast pocket — unfolds it on a coffee table, revealing the bifocal glasses, one lens still intact.
Evelyn stares dumbly at them.
GITTES
I found these in your backyard —in your fish pond. They belonged to your husband, didn’t they?… didn’t they?
EVELYN
I don’t know. I mean yes, probably.GITTES
— yes positively. That’s where hewas drowned…
EVELYN
What are you saying?
GITTES
There’s no time for you to be shocked
by the truth, Mrs. Mulwray. The coroner’s report proves he was killed in salt water. Just take my word for it. Now I want to know how it happened and why. I want to know before Escobar gets here because I want to hang
onto my license.EVELYN
— I don’t know what you’re talkingabout. This is the most insane… the craziest thing I ever…
Gittes has been in a state of near frenzy himself. gets up, shakes her.
Stop it!
GITTES
(MORE)
110.
Evelyn is
GITTES (CONT’D)
– I’ll make it easy. –You werejealous, you fought, he fell, hit his head — it was an accident — but his girl is a witness. You’ve had to pay her off. You don’t have the stomach to harm her, but you’ve got the money to shut her up. Yes or no?
EVELYN
… no…
GITTES
Who is she? And don’t give me that
crap about it being your sister. You don’t have a sister.
trembling.
EVELYN
I’ll tell you the truth…Gittes smiles.
GITTES
That’s good. Now what’s her name?EVELYN — Katherine.
GITTES Katherine?… Katherine who?
EVELYN — she’s my daughter.
Gittes stares at her. He’s been charged with anger and when Evelyn says this it explodes. He hits her full in the face. Evelyn stares back at him. The blow has forced tears from her eyes, but she makes no move, not even to defend herself.
GITTES
I said the truth!
EVELYN
— she’s my sister —Gittes slaps her again.
EVELYN
(continuing)
— she’s my daughter. Gittes slaps her again.
111.
EVELYN
(continuing)
— my sister. He hits her again.
EVELYN
(continuing)
My daughter, my sister —
He belts her finally, knocking her into a cheap Chinese vase which shatters and she collapses on the sofa, sobbing.
Kyo comes
GITTES
I said I want the truth.EVELYN
(almost screaming it)
She’s my sister and my daughter! running down the stairs.
EVELYN
(continuing; in Chinese)
For God’s sake, Kyo, keep her
upstairs, go back!
Kyo turns after staring at Gittes for a moment then goes back upstairs.
EVELYN
(continuing)
— my father and I, understand, or is it too tough for you?
Gittes doesn’t answer.
She nods.
EVELYN
(continuing)
… he had a breakdown… the dam broke… my mother died… he became a little boy… I was fifteen…
he’d ask me what to eat for breakfast, what clothes to wear!… It happened… then I ran away…GITTES to Mexico…
112.
EVELYN
Hollis came and took… care of me…after she was born… he said… he took care of her… I couldn’t see her… I wanted to but I couldn’t… I just want to see her once in a while… take care of her… that’s all… but I don’t want her to know… I don’t want her to know…
GITTES
… so that’s why you hate him…Evelyn looks slowly up at Gittes.
EVELYN
— no… for turning his back on meafter it happened! He couldn’t face it…
(weeping) I hate him.
Gittes suddenly feels the need to loosen his tie.
GITTES
— yeah… where are you taking hernow?
EVELYN Back to Mexico.
GITTES
You can’t go by train. Escobar’ll belooking for you everywhere.
EVELYN
How about a plane?
GITTES
That’s worse… Just get out of here —walk out, leave everything.
EVELYN
I have to go home and get my things —GITTES
— I’ll take care of it.EVELYN
Where can we go?
GITTES …where does Kyo live?
— with us.
EVELYN
113.
GITTES
On his day off. Get the exact address.EVELYN
— okay… She stops suddenly.
EVELYN
Those didn’t belong to Hollis.For a moment Gittes doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Then he follows her gaze to the glasses lying on his handkerchief.
GITTES
How do you know?
EVELYN
He didn’t wear bifocals.Gittes picks up the glasses, stares at the lens, is momentarily lost in them.
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Denice Finds the Essence
What I learned from this assignment is how important it is to know the information and emotional response you want before writing the scene.
Script I choose: LETHAL WEAPON
Scene 1 Location: CITY OF ANGELS – NIGHT
Logline: A whacked-out teen on drugs jumps ten floors to her death.
Essence: Waste and sadness of the fate of a beautiful girl sets the reason for the story.
Scene 2 Location: EXT. BUILDING – DAY – the end of the scene
Logline: Riggs leaps off a building handcuffed to a man wanting to commit suicide. Furious, Murtaugh confronts Riggs.
Essence: Murgaugh learns that his partner has a death wish when Riggs starts to pull the trigger on the gun under his chin and Murtaugh stops him.
Scene 3 Location: MURTAUGH’S DRIVEWAY – BOAT – NIGHT
Logline; Murtaugh shows Riggs his boat while they discuss the girl’s death.
Essence: Growing trust between the two detectives reveals Riggs’s acute awareness of his surroundings and that he’s registered as a lethal weapon because he’s good at killing.
Scene 4 Location: INT. DINGY BACK ROOM – NIGHT
Logline: Riggs fakes his death by electrocution, kills his torturer, and bursts in to save Murtaugh and his daughter.
Essence: To see what kind of killer Riggs really is when he takes out a room full of mercs.
Scene 5 Location: INT./EXT. MURAUGH’S HOME – NIGHT
Logline: Riggs and Joshua, two killing machines, face off in hand-to-hand combat to prove who’s the best.
Essence: Riggs is unbeatable, no matter his pain.
My selection for most profound essence:
It’s the fifth scene that shows us the true nature of Riggs as a lethal weapon – the measure of this man’s confidence in himself to take whatever punishment necessary to be unstoppable and unbeatable.
Until I can get an answer to why I can’t paste my assignments here, I’m not going to copy the long fight scene word-by-word. I’m sorry.
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Assignment 1
Robert Kerr Finds the Essence
What I have learned: Committing to the purpose of a scene provides great flexibility in all aspects of the script. This dedication to essence creates high entertainment value.
Script I choose: The Last Samurai
Scene 1: 65: Ext. Katsumoto’s Compound
Logline: Captain Algren experiences the value of a “good conversation” from an enemy he realizes he doesn’t understand.
Essence: Quick judgement of people and places we do not appreciate are often misguided
Scene 2 : 75: Ext. Samurai Village
Logline: Captain Algren starts a journal revealing his growing fascination and admiration of the samurai and the peop0le of their world.
Essence: Algren takes the time to reflect deeply about what he is experiencing with the samurai.
Scene 3 : 89: Ext. Samurai Village
Logline: Captain Algren experiences a breakthrough when he allows himself to accept and trust the wisdom of what he is being taught and applies it to the combat training he is experiencing.
Essence: Allowing new knowledge creates a sense of peace and harmony for Captain Algren making him more aligned with the intent of his life.
Scene 4: 117: Ext. Rotenburo Baths
Logline: Captain Algren and Taka exchange a moment of deep attraction and promise of desire for the first time.
Essence: Finding the grace to accept new love as opposed to conquest.
Scene 5: 133 Ext: Yokohama Harbor
Logline: Captain Algren rejects the expectation that he will return to his old life back in the states, comp0lete with financial rewards, to return to the harmony and purpose of the samurai life.
Essence: Captain Algren evolves into a new identity and loyalty to his former captors.
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Alfred Travis Finds The Essence
Script I Choose: Undiscovered
I have been searching for this script to buy, but it is not available. It is the only movie that influences me!
I can’t do the assignment on any script. So I’ll have to move on to the next assignment as the script I choose I haven’t been able to find a copy.
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What I've learned doing this assignment is that a good scene is a combination of action at extreme point and its content aka Essence, corresponding with theme of a story.
Apocalypse NowLogline: Crew deteriorates. Machine gun peasful Vietnamese on a boat.
Essence: War Hysteria, were all values are missplaced. WILLARD starts seeing background of it.
EXT. RIVER - PBR - DAY
The crew are all on the PBR. Clean is at the back attempting to shave. Chef is sitting in back busy cooking up one of his specialties on top of the engine, giving Clean a hard time about the girls. The Chief is at the helm, a little sore at what's happening to his crew.
CHEF
(to Clean)
Well, I didn't know you never got
no pussy!
CLEAN
Shut the fuck up!
CHEF
Sure sorry about that. If I had
known, I would have taken you to
New Orleans. Teach you some of
the moves.
CHIEF
Lay off, Chef!
Willard studies the shadowy photo of Kurtz we saw earlier, as Chef teases Clean in the background.
CHEF
Cherry boy, Cherry boy.
CLEAN
You're fucking dumb!
CHEF
We'll go to New Orleans. I'll get
you fixed up, you prick.
CHIEF
Lay off, Chef.
CLEAN
You're the only prick I see around
here. If I wanna play with a prick,
I'll play with my own.
CHEF
You wouldn't know what to do with
it!
VIEW ON LANCE
Ignoring all this. He is painting his face with brown and green camouflage greasepaint. It is quite ornate-almost psychedelic. He holds a compact in his hand.
CHIEF
Chef, I said lay off! Knock it
off! Give him a break! What do
you think I said? And give your
jaws a rest. And this ain't the
army! You are a sailor. So get
out of that frizzly army-looking
shirt and stop smoking that dope,
you hear me?
He looks back to Lance.
CHIEF
Lance, what's with all the green
paint?
LANCE
Camouflage.
CHIEF
How's that?
LANCE
So they can't see you. They're
everywhere. Chief.
The Chief reacts...what the hell can he say.
CHIEF
Uh-huh. I want you to stay awake
up there, man. You got a job to
do.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. THE PBR - DAY
The Chief steers the PBR up river and around a bend. He sees something ahead, shouts to the crew.
CHIEF
Sampan off the port bow. Sampan
off the port bow. Let's take a
look.
POV VIEW
A SAMPAN, heading down-river, riding low in the water.
BACK TO PBR CREW
Everybody on the crew has reacted, as the Chief continues to bark orders.
CHIEF
Lance, bring them in. Clean, on
the 60. Chef, get a 16. Clean,
get on that 60!
Lance jumps up from his hammock, grabs his M16. Clean shuts off his radio, jumps up and moves to the M60 machine gun. By this time Willard has moved up next to the Chief, wondering what the hell is going on.
WILLARD
What's up, Chief?
CHIEF
A junk boat, Captain. We're gonna
take a routine check.
WILLARD
Let's forget routine now, and let
them go.
CHIEF
These boats are running supplies
in this delta, Captain. I'm gonna
take a look.
WILLARD
Chief, my mission's got priority
here. Hell, you wouldn't even be
in this part of the river, if it
wasn't for me.
CHIEF
Until we reach your destination,
Captain, you're just on for the
ride.
Willard realizes that this is a ploy by the Chief to establish his authority. Nothing is going to stop him.
ANOTHER ANGLE-TO INCLUDE SAMPAN AND PBR
The PBR slides alongside the sampan. THREE NERVOUS VIETNAMESE MEN and ONE YOUNG WOMAN look up from the baskets of rice, mangoes, fish, etc.
CHIEF
All right, come on, let's bring it
over. Look in that forward hooch.
Bring the people out of there.
By this time the third man has crossed forward and joined the others.
CHEF
Hurry up, motherfuckers! Move it!
Can couc!
They hand their ID cards to Chef.
CHIEF
Keep your eyes open, Clean.
CLEAN
(on the machine gun)
I got you Chief.
Willard just sits down, resigned to this show of the Chief's authority.
Chef looks at them and nods his approval. He hands them to Chief.
CHIEF
Board it and search it.
CHEF
There ain't nothing on it, Chief.
CHIEF
Board it and search it.
CHEF
Just baskets and ducks. Bananas.
There ain't nothing on it.
CHIEF
Go on it and search it.
CHEF
Just a goat. Some fish. Bunch of
fucking vegetables.
The Chief finally gets pissed off, he turns and screams at Chef:
CHIEF
Get on that boat!
CHEF
There's nothing on it, man!
CHIEF
Get on that boat!
Chef starts down into the Vietnamese sampan. He is really pissed off. He shoves the Vietnamese men out of the way.
CHEF
(to man)
Move it, asshole.
The Chief watches as Chef goes through the routine of examining the sampan and what it carries. He is very nervous as he looks in all the baskets.
CHEF
Pigs! Mangoes! What's in the
rice bag? Fucking rice!
CHIEF
Well, look in there, Chef!
CHEF
Fucking fish! More coconuts.
Rice. Here's rice.
CHIEF
What's in that vegetable basket?
Chef moves deeper into the sampan. He looks at the Vietnamese girl that is sitting on a yellow can.
CHEF
(to girl)
Can couc! Come on! Get out of
there.
He grabs her and finally pulls her out of the interior of the cabin. He moves it and starts looking around.
CHIEF
Check that vegetable basket.
CHEF
All right!
One of the Vietnamese men starts to protest.
CLEAN
Shut up, slope!
CHEF
There ain't nothing in here.
CHIEF
What's in the boxes? Look in that
tin can. That rusty can.
CHEF
Just fucking rice, that's all!
There ain't nothing in it!
CHIEF
Check that yellow can. She was
sitting on it. What's in it?
Chef starts for it. All of a sudden, the girl moves. Clean opens up with the M60. She is blown apart, falling back on the deck.
In an instant, THEY ALL OPEN FIRE. One of the Vietnamese men is blown apart into the water, and the others are gunned down in their tracks.
All of them continue to fire their rifles and guns widly, yelling obscenities. Willard has his .45 out but does not shoot.
CLEAN
Motherfuckers!
CHEF
(weeping)
Let's kill them all!
LANCE
Fucking cocksucker motherfuckers!
Finally the Chief calls out to them.
CHIEF
Hold it! Hold it!
They all stop firing, but Chef, Lance, and Clean are mumbling hysterically.
CHEF
Let's kill all the assholes!
CHIEF
Chef, hold it! Hold it!
CHEF
(hysterically)
...why not?
CHIEF
Clean?
CLEAN
I'm good.
CHIEF
You okay, Lance?
LANCE
Shit! Fuck!
CHIEF
Chef?
Chef has moved to the yellow can that the Vietnamese girl was sitting on. He opens the lid and checks what she had hidden.
CHEF
Look what she was hiding. She
what she was running for?
He reaches inside of the can, and pulls out a PUPPY. They all react.
CHEF
A fucking puppy! A puppy.
LANCE
Gimme that dog! Gimme that dog!
CHEF
No, you're not gonna get it!
LANCE
Give me the fucking dog, asshole!
Lance grabs the dog from him, kicking Chef back. Chef throws a mango at him.
CHEF
Fuck you! Fucking mango, too!
You want that?
The Vietnamese girl, still alive and bleeding, moves behind Chef.
CHIEF
Chef, she's moving behind you.
She's alive. Check her out.
Chef turns and bends down to her.
CHEF
Come on, Clean, goddamnit, give me
a hand!
Clean jumps down into the sampan. He and Chef pick up the girl and carry her to the edge of the boat.
CHEF
She's not dead. She's moving.
(to group)
Let's take it easy. Take it easy.
Slow down and take it easy.
CLEAN
Bring her up.
CHIEF
Is she breathing, Chef?
CHEF
She's hurt. She's bleeding.
CHIEF
Bring her onboard. We're taking
her to an ARVN.
ANOTHER ANGLE ON TO INCLUDE WILLARD
Willard looks at the girl and then to Chief.
WILLARD
What are you talking about?
CHIEF
We're taking her to some friendlies.
She's wounded, she's not dead.
Willard hold his .45. Looks down at Chef nd the girl.
WILLARD
Get out of there, Chef.
CHIEF
The book says, Captain-
Before anybody can react, Willard aims and SHOOTS THE GIRL DEAD with his .45. She falls dead in Chef's arms.
CHEF
Fuck you. Fuck them.
Willard turns and looks at the Chief.
WILLARD
I told you not to stop. Now let's
go.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
EXT. THE RIVER - PBR
The boat moves up the river.
WILLARD (V.O.)
It was a way we had over here of
living with ourselves. We'd cut
them in half with a machine gun,
and give them a Band-Aid. It was
a lie. And the more I saw of them,
the more I hated liars. Those
boys were never gonna look at me
the same way again, but I felt
like I knew one or two things about
Kurtz, that weren't in the dossier.
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Script – FORREST GUMP – ACT 1
There should be a strong underling meaning to all the scenes
Zev Ledman Finds the Essence
Scene 1 – Mrs. Gump meets with Principal to attend High School.
Logline – Mrs. Gump wants Forrest to attend a normal High School.
Essence – Mrs. Gump will do anything to make sure her low IQ son attends a normal High School.
Scene 2 – Forrest tries to find a seat on the bus.
Logline –Forrest meets Jenny on the school bus for the first time.
Essence – Other than his mother, Jenny is the dearest person to Forrest.
Scene 3 Forrest goes to college.
Logline – A football coach sees Forrest’s ability to run and gets him on the university team.
Essence – A football coach will overlook any person’s deficiencies to win games.
Scene 4 – U of Alabama integrates.
Logline – Gov Wallace and demonstrators try to prevent their university from integrating as an oblivious Forrest unknowingly helps the black girl enter the university.
Essence – Forrest has no racial prejudices and is oblivious to the seriousness of the situation and unknowingly assists the black girl showing she’s no different from any other girl.
Scene 4 – Forrest waits for Jenny to return from her date at college.
Logline – Forrest mistakenly tries to save Jenny and expresses his deep love for her, but doesn’t really understand love.
Essence – Forrest truly loves Jenny even though he doesn’t really understand physical love, but will do anything to protect her.
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