-
Day 1 Assignments
Reply to post your assignments.
-
31 Replies
-
CJ’s First scene!
Vision: I am a confident and empowered writer who embraces challenges and changes and writes highly sought-after projects with fresh and exciting ideas. I will be produced and hired to write projects that get produced.
WIL: The scene flows must easier and faster when you have an idea of where to start, what you want to include and how the scene ends!
Title: MEMORY HUNTERS
Concept:
In a future with technology to retrieve memories, a Memory Retrevalist, caught in the mind of a psychopath struggles to find a way out before he destroys her mind and kills her.
ASSIGNMENT:
Tell us how the process went for you:
Great having the beginning, middle and end of the scene already there made it easy to fill in the rest!
-
Jeffrey Alan Chase’s First Scene
My vision: I am an “A” list writer who is known for high concept ideas, great execution, a string of successful movies and is always ready to share his knowledge and do what he can to help another writer on the way up.
Title: Shards
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Logline: A woman with no childhood memory is involved in a cat and mouse game with a cunning hypnotist not knowing the man is responsible for both her amnesia and the death of her treasure hunter father.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: Enjoying how much fun it is to be doing the actual writing. The outlining tools that I have learned – and in some cases re-learned – in this class and other SU classes have helped to clearly lay out my roadmap. Looking forward to where this goes!
-
Tom’s First Scene
Vision: When improving a project with producers and/or managers, I quickly suggest interesting, viable ideas.
Using this process, I found it easier than I thought possible to write quickly.
Title: ET SEEDS
Genre: Drama with Thriller elements
Logline: Extraterrestrial seeds upgrade the DNA of people living in a small Idaho town with mixed results.
During this assignment, I learned the more I follow this procedure the easier it is to write fast.
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Tom Wilson.
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
-
Terrie’s First Scene
Vision:
I get paid to write screenplays that get made into crowd pleasing successful films using a process that allows me to keep up my equestrian hobby.I think the most valuable part of the outlining module, for me, was adding the beginning middle and end to each scene. With that in the outline, it was very easy to write my first scene. I also had an idea on how to elevate my opening, that’s in a new file.
-
Pat’s First Scene
Vision: I have the courage, conviction and talent to create contest winning screenplays and will go on to have my scripts optioned and produced.
Title: The Home Strip
Genre: Rom Com
Logline: Planning to bilk a geezer out of his money an aging stripper takes her act into an assisted living home, where instead of finding fortune she discovers true love.
What I learned: Following the outline will be an efficient way to speed through my first draft, providing I have the discipline to stick to the outline and not stray off on a tangent. It’s also been fun to flesh out my scene and I’m looking forward to continuing the process – while sticking to my outline!
-
ROBERT SMITH’s FIRST SCENE
My vision for success after this program:
I want to become a great writer who delivers entertaining, informative, and uplifting
scripts that sell and get produced.
What I learned from doing this assignment is…?
To relax and follow the process outline to scene and hold back my proclivity to
go on a tangent.
How did the process go for me?
I found myself second guessing myself: I wasn’t always sure when fleshing out the outline for a scene wasn’t going off on a tangent. So, I’m flagging ideas for a later draft.
I do find myself wondering that since I am writing a screen adaptation of my stage play how much large chunks of dialogue and action are already scripted. Should I change them or not? I would if I found a better way to do it.
-
Bobby’s First Scene:
MY VISION: A writing life that is mine to do with as I please. Independently wealthy, always creatively engaged, sought after, and utterly fulfilled.
Title: JASON VS THE ZOMBIES
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Concept: A tortured, aspiring serial killer has to join forces with the bullies that were his intended victims when the cabin they’re partying in is attacked by zombies from a nearby Civil War graveyard.
HOW IT WENT: Great! Having the shape of each scene laid out made it incredibly easy to write. Even though I hadn’t included dialogue in my outline, just thinking through the shape of it, and what Interest Techniques to use, made it flow very easily. (And, love writing badly!)
-
ASSIGNMENT
Leona Heraty’s First Scene
My Vision: To be the best family comedy screenwriter in the industry where my screenplays are produced into fabulous movies, making audiences laugh a lot and making me independently wealthy!
What I learned from doing this assignment is…as long as I stick to the outline, it’s easy to write the scenes. The key is to keep it simple and not add new ideas on the first draft!
Title: Tara vs. the Termo-Lytes
Genre: Comedy (Sci-fi)
Concept: A teenage tour guide with no sense of direction and an extreme fear of bugs takes a wrong turn and leads her group to an abandoned country club overrun by giant mutant termites.How the process went for me: Writing the first scene was easy because I basically copied and pasted my outline, and I didn’t make any changes. I wrote it as concisely as possible. Also, I did the empowerment exercise before I wrote the scene and this really helps!
-
Claudia’s First Scene
Vision: To become such an excellent writer that I know every script I write will be well received by the industry, that my scripts will sell and be produced, and I’ll live the life of my dreams. To also become so empowered that fear is to be laughed at, instead I relish and look forward to pitching, meetings and much more.
Concept: After her father has a heart attack, a germaphobe organizational expert must take over the family cleaning business and meets the love of her life, not knowing he’s a borderline hoarder.
What I’ve Learned Doing This Assignment: It was so much easier to write the first scene having the outline completely laid out… copy, paste, fill in the details!
-
Andrew Kelm’s SCENE 1
Vision: I am going to do whatever it takes to be a great writer of TV and movies who is sought after by people I respect within the industry and has multiple successful TV series produced.
What I learned doing this assignment is… to reign in my judgment on the first pass through a scene.
-
Rebecca’s First Scene
Vision: My success in this program will lead me to be the go-to writer for producers looking for incredible scripts for successful movies enjoyed by a vast viewing audience.
I learned from this assignment that using the contents in my outline as a guide made it easy to write the scene and add dialog and action. Anything not evident in the original became apparent with the addition of sparse dialogue.
This process worked extremely well and the scene pratically wrote itself. Thank you, Hal.
-
Eclipse Neilson
My Vision: I want to be a great award-winning successful writer, known for her genre, who creates the most beautiful films that inspire others to feel deeply, pause, and ponder ways to make the world a better place
What I learned from doing this assignment is…The first scene was easy. Mostly visuals.
Title: THE NUN AND THE WITCH
Genre: (Sci-fi)
Concept: A dedicated nun destined to become a saint, bonds with a witch to achieve a sacred task to battle the evils of hatred consuming the heart of humanity, only to find out that time is running out.
How the process went for me: I pasted my outline and have worked scene by scene. Sometimes it is easy and flows sometimes it is harder and I needed to stop to do some research for a few historical facts.
-
Veronica Turowski’s First Scene
What I learned from doing this assignment is writing the outline makes writing the dialogue easier. I don’t have to think about the next scene since it’s already thought out.
My Vision: I want to be a successful writer who writes several scripts a year and sells them to producers who are eager to make my vision a reality by bringing my scripts to completion so everyone can watch my movies on the big screen.
How this Process Worked for Me: Having a complete outline made writing the first scene easy. I know what each scene entails and filling in the dialogue is the exciting part.
-
Peter’s First scene!
Vision: I am a prolific screenwriter with a reputation for writing successful horror movies that terrifies the audience long after they leave the theater.
WIL: With the basic elements already present in the outline, the scene was fast and easy to write. No writer’s block. I’m giving myself permission to write the 30% draft.
Title: MEAT WAGON
Concept: When a reformed gangster gets trapped inside a possessed hearse on the Highway to Hell, he discovers that the body in the coffin is his own.
ASSIGNMENT:
The outline is essential to help you speed race – assignment went smooth and flowed.
Tell us how the process went for you:
I am really rusty. I’ve been stuck in a state of perfectionism for a long time. This is a major breakthrough. I wrote fast and left the mistakes on the page.
-
Micki’s First Scene.
My vision: Be recognized as a writer that will work with the industry and would do what it takes to be that WRITER.
What I learned from doing this assignment is that following the outline is much simpler than I thought it will be. My writing is more focused than before. Excited to write the script.
-
KRISTIN’S FIRST SCENE
VISION: “I want the personal, professional, and financial freedom and joy that come from writing so well that I’m in demand, selling beyond my wildest dreams, and making worthy projects—on a big scale and with my active, collegial participation.”
WHAT I LEARNED in this assignment: I already know how scene architecture works, so what I learned in this particular process is the difference between the “outline version” of the scene description and the “draft” of the scene itself. My feedback has been that the genre of the story was not evident in my outline—which I assumed (hoped?) had to do with tone and approach. That is, it’s meant to be a Coen-brothers’ style comedy, which could “read” as serious or dark in outline form. (Consider the plot of Fargo, for example.) In the writing of the actual scene, however, the story’s personality is coming through!
HOW THE PROCESS WENT: I have been diligent in not “working ahead” on any of the assignments—not writing any scenes, etc. So my “feeling” or “sense” of the story has been in my bones. It was fun to have the characters begin talking. Also, while I did stick to my outline, I also realized that the movement of the characters was not fully lined out in the outline. So there was some freedom in how I could describe what was happening. It was fun!
-
Sandra’s Lesson 1
Vision: I am doing what I love to do as a writer with several successful produced movies.
What I learned is that having the beginning, middle and end made it easier to write the first scene.
-
Erik’s First (actually second) Scene
My vision is to achieve true excellence as a
screenwriter which causes me to be a consistently working writer, with actual
movies made from some of my scripts, and to become wealthy as a screenwriter,
develop relationships in the movie industry where I am recognized as a truly
original writer, and to become indispensable in the market in which I want to
write.What I learned doing this assignment… It feels pretty liberating to write at a high speed, knowing that perfection ( or something close to perfection) is not the goal here! In order to keep up the high speed and not be distracted by perfection thinking, it requires a lot of mental and physical discipline! Module 4 was great for building an outline, let me tell you!
Well it was pretty thrilling to finally start writing this thing, and going only from the outline onto the page felt good, a sort of sense of assuredness. It clearly brought out to the open how the detailed and careful work put into the outline pays off once the writing begins. I had to use some discipline in order to maintain speed and not give in to the temptation to slow down to re-think if something could be written better. This process worked well for me, and I feel pretty comfortable with it.
-
Farrin Rosenthal’s First Scene
Farrin’s Vision: To do what it takes to become a highly paid A-List Hollywood writer whose produced movies will entertain audiences around the world.
What I learned doing this assignment is how not to get stuck early on when we don’t have all the answers. If a first draft is only 30% quality, then we are free to just write and not worry about perfection. That comes last. My first scene sets up my story, acts as a teaser, so it is very important. I struggled a little bit because of how crucial it is, and for me, starting a first draft from page one is the hardest part. But I allowed myself to just write it and not worry how good it is. Drafts two, three, and four will improve every scene we write now in the first draft, so just do it and move forward!
-
Joe McGloin’s first scene
Vision: I am a talented, highly regarded, efficient, relaxed, happy, WGA screenwriter
Title: Will This Angel?
Genre: RomCom
Concept: A future female vice president has a guardian angel who abandons his mission when he falls in love with her.
:
How the assignment went for me: I wanted to add to the scene that is a bit thin and vague, but I stuck with it and ended up with an ok version, probably 30% of what it can be eventually.
What I learned from doing this assignment: In the future I will add to the outline more of the elements covered in the lessons and get very specific as to events, rather than assume I can take generalities from the outline and fill in the specifics in later drafts. I imagine my first draft will be short as a result.
-
Lori Lance’s First Scene
Vision: I want to be a professional screenwriter recognized by the industry as the go-to for family-friendly scripts and have multiple successful movies produced.
What I learned: I can be empowered to write despite some hard things going on in my life by giving myself the freedom to do just 10-15 minutes of writing if that’s all I can find and by not worrying about if it’s perfect right now. I was happy that I was able to start and finish scene one.
-
Jane’s First Scene
MY VISION: I will make my living as a screenwriter by selling my own narrative scripts and successfully fulfilling writing assignments.
By doing this assignment I felt like I really have a good handle on these characters and the journey they will take. I have more confidence in my project and myself.
-
Gisele Frazeur’s First Scene
My vision: I am going to work diligently to become a brilliant, reliable screenwriter who is sought after, regularly produced, highly paid, and awarded. Artistic fulfillment and financial freedom will result from the achievement of this goal!
What I learned doing this assignment is: The outline prepares us well to begin the first draft.
Title: On the Scent
Genre: Thriller
-
JACQUELINE MURPHY’s FIRST SCENE
MY Vision: To empower myself to be an A+ List writer, actress, producer whose scripts are optioned, sought after and made into TV shows & Film Feature films that inspire, receive critical acclaim, awards and are financially successful and emotional satisfying.
TITLE: SORCERESS OF HOLLYWOOD
CONCEPT: A wannabe actress makes a deal with a Devil to “time travel” to 1940’s Hollywood and be the glamorous Hollywood movie star she dreams of only to be hurtled in a web of desire, danger, fame and power whilst discovering the father she never knew passed on a unique genetic trait that allows her to have magical powers, time travel and that her true “role” may be to make a change in the past that is seen in the future that her family set in motion.
GENRE: SUPERNATURAL DRAMA
What I learned & how the process went for me: I wrote the first scene in my outline and it was a huge relief to get it done. I was behind a week and after listening in to Hal’s Saturday call where we used a 5 min timer I actually wrote the WHOLE scene! Of course it needs lots of work but it’s done and dusted and I’m moving ahead. Thank you Hal!
State to Activity empowerment process- State: I am excited Activity: to write this first draft!
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Jacqueline Murphy.
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Jacqueline Murphy.
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
-
Linda’s First Scene!
My Vision is: I will do whatever it takes to be a sought-after profound writer with many successful movies produced and an Oscar on my mantel.
The process worked much better than I anticipated. I knew I had a few questions about the scene I started with so I had low expectations that I’d be able to crank a decent scene out quickly, but I did. And I solved my issues with it in the process.
What I learned doing this assignment is just putting words on paper and getting the mind flowing can help solve issues and spark creativity.
-
Valeriya’s First Scene
My Vision: I am a masterful, ahead-of-the-game, and outside-the-box writer full of ideas and creative energy. My writing is fresh, impactful, iconic, beautiful, and effortless. My projects deliver outstanding commercial and artistic success. I am on the leading edge. I create a lot, it’s fun, quick, and easy. My whole life is that way. I love it.
I am excited to write this first draft!
What I learned from doing this assignment is…
– Just writing is a lot of fun.
– I want to master the skill of fast writing and I’m excited about it.
– The answers come as I go, It’s even logical that they can’t all come before I start moving, writing, and asking more questions.
BOO WHO HOO
Horror Thriller
A woman terrorized by the monster under her bed asks it to leave but it comes out with its own plans for her life.
SPARES
Sci-Fi Thriller
During Dehumanization Era when robots get recycled for being too human, a girl brought up by a robot is hard-pressed to prove she isn’t one.
How it went for me:
It was so great to feel the idea turning into screen reality! I loved to see the script format, it made the project feel so real and underway. It was easy. I caught myself once on the thought of leaving the scene unfinished, but I just kept going until it was all done at about 10-30% of its full potential.
-
amie MOD 5 Lesson 1
VISION: To sell my script or limited series with future spin-offs to a great producer. And made!
WITHOUT RECOURSE
Having to rewrite the character and change the story in ways I didn’t anticipate because it is now “Inspired by” set me back but I’ve gone forward in spite of the issue, Mod 4 is critical as is Mod 4 which I wish I could work on but just can’t at the moment. I am going ahead with what I have and just run with it. It might be all over the page but for now that’s what it is. I am going back and work with the other MOD”S because they work and I love how everything unfolds in this class into a great outline. Right now mine is shit but that’s ok, I have a direction.
I’ve learned a lot for my error of “life rights”.
-
VISION
I am going to be in the top 1% of action/comedy writers in the industry who writes major action films.
What I learned from doing this assignment is following the outline is easy, and doing one scene felt like an easy task too.The process went well for me. Empowerment felt good. Breaking this into small chunks and not thinking about the entire story makes this feel less daunting.
-
MODULE 5 – LESSON 1: Basic Formatting, Description, and Dialogue
Jack P. First Scene
MY VISION: I will do whatever it takes to write a produced script that is recognized by the industry and leads to multiple successful movies.
I am excited to write this first draft!
What I learned: I had
already completed the first scene before this lesson, so I used this as an
opportunity to rewrite and refine – so I’m into the second draft of the first act. -
ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 1:
John’s First Scene
Vision: to become a reliable box office success and entertain audiences all over the place.
What I learned doing this assignment is that acknowledging a basic requirement for a script, in this case a good opening scene, created an opportunity to grab the reader’s attention that sets the stage for what’s to come. I wrote this last because I wanted to come up with something a little different from the rest of the scenes.
EXT. THEATER DISTRICT – NIGHT
Phil and Grace stroll along the riverfront, a picturesque couple in formal attire. Grace carries a playbill.
Phil emulates her British accent, a sort of homage to the love of his life.
GRACE
I should think that it will do well with Frankie Sears on the bill.
PHIL
I quite agree, his performance was nothing short of brilliant.
GRACE
Yes, but Olivia set him up.
PHIL
You think? I thought it the other way round.
Grace chuckles.
GRACE
Oh, Philly, you sound more like a bloke than ever!
They don’t notice the man shadowing them from a distance.
PHIL
I prefer English gent, a hint of royalty.
GRACE
Royalty? And why, may I ask, would you seek such an honor?
PHIL
Because I’m in the presence of a queen.
Grace grabs his arm and squeezes.
GRACE
My knight in shining armor.
Just then, Grace frowns, stops.
PHIL
What is it?
GRACE
Something’s not right.
PHIL
Your intuition again.
GRACE
Oh dear. No matter what happens, I’ll always love you.
PHIL
Now you’re scaring me.
MAN
Hey, buddy, can ya spare a few bills?
The man is right behind him. Grace looks with fateful eyes at his torn coat and grimy hands.
PHIL
Ah, sure.
Phil nervously pulls out his wallet and grabs a wad of cash, hands it over. The man stuffs it in his coat pocked, never taking his eyes off Grace.
MAN
Pretty lil thing.
The man turns and walks away. They watch him leave until he’s a good fifty yards away.
PHIL
See, end of problem. We good?
Still concerned, Grace nods and they continue their stroll. Phil looks back and the man has vanished.
PHIL
Doesnt’ your empowerment guru say you can change the future by merely thinking it?
GRACE
Yes, he does, indeed.
She smiles at the thought, her teeth shining in a lamppost near a turn-of-the-century metal bench.
PHIL
Well, there ya go. I’m thinking of our immediate future tonight.
Grace’s smile fades. She turns around–
And the man is on top of them, wielding a sizeable hunting knife.
MAN
So quick to share. What about her?
PHIL
No. Back off, pal.
MAN
She strips for me, I’ll let cha go, Philly.
PHIL
No, I gave you everything I have, get lost.
MAN
Not everything.
GRACE
Watch out!
The man slashes at Phil. He dodges just in time, pushing Grace away, She falls, bangs her head on the metal bench arm, knocked unconscious. Phil doesn’t know whether to attend to his wife or fend off a deadly attack. The man swings the blade, forcing the decision.
Phil jumps out of the way, totally helpless, moved away form the bench. The man knees down next to Grace, goes to work quickly on her dress, cutting the straps and pulling down on the dress. Phil tries to jump him but is met with another slash, this one leaving a deep gash in his pants leg.
MAN
You want her to live, you stay put.
Phil doesn’t stay put. He moves behind the man, forcing the man to follow his move.
MAN
Next time she gets it, Philly.
PHIL
She’s my wife, please don’t hurt her.
MAN
(mockingly)
Please don’t hurt her.
Wildly swings the knife in a slashing move.
MAN
Stay the fuck back. Stand over that tree.
Phil moves in a circle towards the tree. Halfway there, he stops, tries a different tack.
PHIL
Know what you are, you’re a coward who picks on defenseless women. Why don’t you take me on, asshole. Or are you afraid I’ll use the knife on you.
MAN
You’re filling my head, Philly. Careful, now.
Just then, Grace comes to. SCREAMS. The man puts the knife to her throat.
MAN
Ah, missy. Don’t spoil the moment.
He quickly cuts off the middle of her bra, gazes.
Phil pounces pulling him off. They go tumbling, the man’s hand smashing into the bench, knife goes spinng. Both of them race for the knife but Grace gets there first. The man charges her, grabs her hand, plunging the blade into her chest.
PHIL
NOOOOOOOO.
He crawls to his wife.
PHIL
Oh, Gracie, Gracie, Gracie.
Grace chokes, weazily.
GRACE
Punctured a lung is all. I’ll be alright.
The man takes off, turns back briefly.
MAN
Shuda listened, Philly.
-
Joaquin “Ibn Gray’s” First Scene
My vision is that I will be an A plus screen writer who writes screenplays that are produced into profitable films which I will cash large checks from.
<font face=”inherit”>I learned how an outline is applied to a script, when you don’t </font>deviate from<font face=”inherit”> it. </font>
<font face=”inherit”>Because I was rusty writing, I found myself becoming distracted a few times. The process was simple, stating action with not much, if any </font>description at all. Doing the outline was clutch because it was plug in play as I wrote.
Joaquin “Ibn Gray”
Log in to reply.