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Day 1 Assignments
Reply to post your assignment.
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11 Replies
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Subject: Dalisia’s Guidelines for Gladiator
What I learned from this assignment was that the spine of a story can be executed in many ways at various budget levels. My favorite movie is Gladiator, which has many sets, characters, and stunts. But if I strip it down to the bare essentials that still convey the story, I only need a few characters who are contained in the gladiator holding area under the arena. The entire story can play out right there in only a couple of rooms and a training area/courtyard.
ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Select Your Project
1. Go through your five ideas and determine which of them can easily fit the Covid-19 guidelines. For the moment, don’t list the ideas. Just tell us your experience of evaluating them based upon the guidelines.
A. It can be done as a contained story.
B. You can write a pitch in one or two sentences.
C. There is something unique about it.POST: I haven’t written a script this way before. My previous scripts were written primarily for me to learn how to write screenplays, with little regard for their marketability. Now it’s time for me to write for managers, agents, and producers—as well as the audience! I can already tell how this challenge will elevate my character development, dialogue and conflict. Without all the distractions of setting up complex scenes and set pieces, all I can really give is a great story and great characters. I found it easy to generate ideas for contained stories, but it’s easy to fall into cliches. I wrote a 1-sentence pitch for each of the ideas just to get my head around what each was about. I found that easy, although I didn’t try to perfect them. There was something unique about each idea, but it wasn’t necessarily called out in the four parts we listed for each idea. So I’ll have to think about that a bit more (how to have a unique twist and not give it away too soon).
ASSIGNMENT PART 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines
2. Pick a movie that is outside the Covid Guidelines and give us your thoughts on how they could make it in the current production environment.
TITLE: GLADIATOR
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People: Lots of characters, extras, stunt doubles
B. Stunts: a lot of stunts inside and outside of the arena
C. Extras: Yep, tons of people in the crowds, the palace, etc.
D. Wardrobe: Costume changes for the entire crew except the poor people
E. Hair and Make Up: Not excessive, but a lot of moulage (blood and injuries)
F. Kids and Animals: a few kids plus large animals in the arena
G. Quarantine: Definitely not Covid compliant
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People: Maximus, Commodus, Lucilla, Juba, Proximo, Hagen, Tigris
B. Stunts: Limited to one gladiator fight that turns on Commodus
C. Extras: None
D. Wardrobe: No changes except adding armor weapons
E. Hair and Make Up: Only adding blood and moulage for injuries
F. Kids and Animals: None
G. Quarantine: Easy to follow Covid guidelines
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M.M.’s Guidelines for Titanic
What I learned in this assignment is to cut to the heart of the movie with just main characters, and a limited cast and crew. The revised version is only 2 locations and doesn’t cost $100 million!
SELECT PROJECT:
A. It can be done as a contained
story: I changed one story to
eliminate the young child, and focus solely on the adults. Another I
changed from 2 lead actresses to one playing twins. They were all set in a
contained location — an isolated cabin, a government office building, an
abandoned warehouse, a restaurant, and a law office.B. You can write a pitch in one
or two sentences: Easier to write a short pitch about any of them by
honing in on the main concept, but I really like the one I chose.C. There is something unique
about it: It was easier to find the
hook and what is so different from anything else by focusing on the essence
of the story – dramatic characters.ADJUST A PRODUCED MOVIE TO COVID GUIDELINES:
TITLE: TITANIC
AS THEY DID IT:
Locations: Many, built ship in canal in Mexico for some water scenes; prior to ship sailing; dining rooms, dancing scenes, shipboard deck – multiples; diving ship; underwater scenes, lifeboats, etc.
A. People – boarding ship, crew everywhere, dock filled with people boarding and saying goodbyes, inside big dining room scenes (first and second class), upper and lower deck scenes, family quarters
B. Stunts – Many – jumping from ship, landing in lifeboats, swimming underwater, climbing when ship is sinking, dying in the water, etc.
C. Extras – So many, though some looked like CGI
D. Wardrobe – extravagant, especially the hats, lots of expensive costume changes,
E. Hair and Make Up – a lot for the elite, not so much for second class
F. Kids and Animals – none
G. Quarantine – huge cast and crew.
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
Locations: only 2
A. People – Eliminate opening and closing scenes on the diving boat. Focus on the drama of the 2 main characters, Jack and Rose, with intermittent scenes with mother Ruth and fiancé Cal, and the investigator when the necklace goes missing; action in 2 locations – first class cabin where Jack enters carrying Rose to Ruth and Cal and explains she nearly fell and fainted; and water with him next to her on the floating debris. No need for big ballroom or dancing or dining scenes.
B. Stunts – None. Use main characters in the final water scene that can be done in a swimming pool at a hotel with a luxury hotel suite doubling for the ship first class cabin.
C. Extras – reduce large crowd scenes; start when family boards and does not participate in the goodbye waves on deck, stick to the elite suite of cabins
D. Wardrobe – Only need one set of clothes for the period in the first class cabin.
E. Hair and Make Up – keep to only the 2 main characters, Kate and Leo, with the boyfriend and the parents and the investigator
F. Kids and Animals – none
G. Quarantine – only a handful of actors needed; small crew; contained in the first class suite.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Michele Le Blanc.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by
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ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Select Your Project
1. Go through your five ideas and determine which of them can easily fit the Covid-19 guidelines. For the moment, don’t list the ideas. Just tell us your experience of evaluating them based upon the guidelines.
Yes it can be done as a contained story.
Yes a pitch can be written in one or two sentences.
Yes There is something unique about it.
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1. Go through your five ideas and determine which can easily fit into Covid-19 guidelines. For a moment, do not list the ideas.
Tell of experience of evaluating them based upon guidelines.
Can it be don’t as a contained story?
Yes, I have between 5-10 stories that fit the contained movie.
Can a pitch be written in two (2) sentences?
Still working on developing the pitches.
Is there something unique about it?
I believe there is something unique about them, yes.
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Andre’s guidelines for Car Wash (1976).
What I learned doing this assignment is:
a. to look into each scene deeper.
b. Technology changes and upgrades reduces number of employees needed.
c. Not all covid guidelines are applicable to change from original.
Adjust a produced movie to Covid guidelines, and give my thoughts on how they could make it in the current production environment.
As They did it- Car Wash (1976)
a. People: Numerous actors in locker room, assembly line, and offices. Many locations. Many actors.
b. Stunts: Few stunts.
c. Extras: Many. Car Wash employees and Customers.
d. Wardrobe: Many. Car Wash employees and Customers.
e. Hair and Makeup: Yes. Main characters.
f. Quarantine: None. No quarantine.
Covid Guideline Version
a. People: Fewer. Sign in, and contactless.
b. Stunts: None needed.
c. Extras: Drivers, could be same actor, different wardrobe and makeup.
d. Wardrobe: Simple, Main characters.
e. Hair and Makeup: Simple, Main characters.
f. Kids and Animals: None.
Quarantine: Automation and
machine requires fewer workers. -
Assignment Part 1.
It was good and eye opening experience when I elaborated my idea. It was challenging in a good way to make it fit into guidelines below.
A. Only 4 or fewer characters in one location.
B. A pitch can be written in one sentence.
C. The 4 characters are definitely in an unique position.
Part 2.
Title: Training Day
As they did it
A. People: Many characters
B. Stunts: Not many stunts
C. Extras: A lot of Extras
D. Wardrobe: They weren’t any unusual costumes in the movie so I would say wardrobe was moderate.
E. Hair and Make up: Since 2 main characters were male, there haven’t been extensive make up as far as I can tell.
F. Kids and Animals: One kid
G. Quarantine: Not covid-19 compliant
Covid Guideline Version
A. People: Only bare minimum characters. Enough to tell the story.
B. Stunts: No stunts
C. Extras: No extras
D. Wardrobe: No change of clothes.
E. Hair and Make up: No hair and make up. Actresses can bring their own make up
F. Kids and Animals: No animals and no kids. Denzel’s kid is only talked about.
G. Quarantine: Covid guideline is easily followed.
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ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Select Your Project
1. Go through your five ideas and determine which of them can easily fit the Covid-19 guidelines. For the moment, don’t list the ideas. Just tell us your experience of evaluating them based upon the guidelines.
A. It can be done as a contained story. YES
B. You can write a pitch in one or two sentences. YES
C. There is something unique about it. YES -
ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Select Your Project
1. Go through your five ideas and determine which of them can easily fit the Covid-19 guidelines. For the moment, don’t list the ideas. Just tell us your experience of evaluating them based upon the guidelines.
A. It can be done as a contained story.<div>
B. You can write a pitch in one or two sentences.
C. There is something unique about it.
As I worked through each of the five scenarios I created, I realized each followed the guidelines quite closely. I kept primary actor numbers to two at most. I tried to incorporate a unique angle in each story to provide suspense. The key to a pitch would be to highlight the predicament of the main character and its tension.
ASSIGNMENT PART 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines
What I learned doing this assignment is that even a contained movie (like Debug) can be tightened up significantly. By analyzing each element (number of actors, set environment, CGI requirements, etc) a movie can significantly make cuts and keep the core story.
Pick a movie that is outside the Covid Guidelines and give us your thoughts on how they could make it in the current production environment.
TITLE: Debug
Setting: A large space ship
The story line is about a crew of seven people, 6 criminal computer hackers plus a supervisor, who are sent to an abandoned “freighter” (actually a prison ship) in outer space. Their mission is to repair computer code and eliminate “rogue” programs. However, the ship, with seven decks (conveniently one per person), has been taken over by “bioware,” an evil, sadistic computer entity that kills people and absorbs their persona. By the end, six are killed in various ways, including one who sacrifices herself so as to destroy the bioware.
There is a mix of exterior shots, to simulate outer space and two ships involved, and numerous, somewhat elaborate interior shots (presumably to give it a futuristic look) to provide places to kill each crew member in a different way and to have them run around in corridors.
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People: seven + the computer entity which manifests itself in screen displays and avatar form.
B. Stunts: none
C. Extras: One (back on earth)
D. Wardrobe: basic jumpsuits + spacesuits
E. Hair and Make Up: minimal
F. Kids and Animals: one
G. Quarantine: there is some group actions and interactions in pairs. So quarantine would be advisable. Eight actors at least.
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
I would reduce the number of crew to one plus the evil entity and reduce the “size” of the ship so there would be lower costs. I’d reduce the exterior shots as some seemed superfluous. I would heighten suspense and tension between the entity, making it more of a psychological thriller compared to the original movie which relied a fair bit of gore and chase scenes trying to avoid a crewman-turned killer and to escape via a shuttle.
A. People: one crew member + evil entity
B. Stunts: none
C. Extras: none (it was one element that could be cut from the original)
D. Wardrobe: no change
E. Hair and Make Up: no change
F. Kids and Animals: reduce by one
G. Quarantine: Still require some group and interpersonal interaction.
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Mary’s Assignment Part 1 and <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Mary’s guidelines for Same Time next year
What I learned doing this assignment – it was helpful to go back and evaluate ideas based on multiple criteria. While this form creates some more constraints, I’m looking forward to the challenge and see it as another form…like writing a certain type of poetry. Haiku as opposed to a sonnet.
1. Go through your five ideas and determine which of them can easily fit the Covid-19 guidelines. For the moment, don’t list the ideas. Just tell us your experience of evaluating them based upon the guidelines.
A. It can be done as a contained story.B. You can write a pitch in one or two sentences.C. There is something unique about it.
I went through my five ideas and then also looked at seeds and concepts I had written in the past for another of Hal’s classes. Interestingly some of them contained similar elements. The contained setting, so far has been the easiest part, but we’ll see how that plays out. I looked at my ideas for aspects of potentially interesting characters and difficult situations and also asked myself about what I saw as the fascinating core as well as what I felt most drawn to work on. I have two ideas that are vying for contention, but one that seems more unique in terms of characters. They could either be dramas or lean towards comedy.
ASSIGNMENT PART 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines
2. Pick a movie that is outside the Covid Guidelines and give us your thoughts on how they could make it in the current production environment.
TITLE: Same Time Next Year
I picked an easy one because it is already largely contained.
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People 2 main actors plus 1 supporting, minor – airport scene
B. Stunts none, but cars from different decades.
C. Extras a number in the dining room scenes
D. Wardrobe
E. Hair and Make Up to show different decades of life
F. Kids and Animals none
G. Quarantine – for extras in dining scenes
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People : same as is, remove airport scene and show by George coming and going.
B. Stunts none, cars from different decades ok if budget allows
C. Extras : remove people in dining room and focus on their table
D. Wardrobe: generally seems ok as is
E. Hair and Make Up: generally seems ok as is…major part of movie
F. Kids and Animals none
G. Quarantine : removing most extras decreases need for this… as this point could handle this by covid testing all people.
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PART I
All five of my ideas are high tension, high drama. Most are based on actual experiences. A sixth idea takes place in a horse barn during a massive wildfire. It only requires a couple wranglers and one set to save the animals. It’s based on my husband’s experience as a horse rescue guy, and how the horses had to be driven over the ridge in the Woolsey fire, so they could run downhill to the beaches. A lot of threat, danger, loss, and a happy ending. Outdoor shooting works for Covid – socially distanced, fresh air.
PART II
I chose Don’t Look Up, even though it came out during COVID. I liked the satire, and the allegory for climate breakdown.
The film has seven lead characters, but much of it takes place in an observatory setting.
There are several subplot stories and characters that show how communities will be affected by annihilation – even when it’s expected. These include press and media, talk show guests, politicians, several interior sets and shots. Many of the scenes are done with 2-3 characters at a time. Exterior shots of crowd scenes waiting for the natural disaster can be minimized.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by Connie Hood.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by
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Erin Ziccarelli’s Guidelines for Silhouette of a Woman
What I learned from doing this assignment is: Ways to make a movie “covid friendly.” The importance of the three business decisions – high concept hook, great characters, and compelling journey. These will help increase the chances my film will be shot at the conclusion of the pandemic.
Part 1: Select Your Project
Silhouette of a Woman…
· Can be done as a contained story: yes – radio room, stairwell, basement room/living area, lighthouse exterior
· You can write a pitch in one or two sentences: see PP notes
· There is something unique about it: young widow. Unique setting.
Part 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines
Pick a movie outside the Covid Guidelines and give us your thoughts on how they could make it in the current production environment.
Casablanca as they did it:
· People: ensemble cast
· Stunts: shooting, nighttime chase
· Extras: extras in town/Rick’s/Blue Parrot Saloon, the whole German/Vichy armies
· Wardrobe: Ilsa and Yvonne’s outfits, army uniforms, dinner/fancy dress
· Hair and Make Up: unique hair and makeup for different cultures
· Kids and Animals: animals in the market scene, no kids
Casablanca w/ Covid Guideline version:
· People: Ilsa, Rick, Victor, Yvonne, Major Strasse, Captain Renault, all in different combinations in the various rooms of Rick’s.
· Extras: cut the outdoor market, street scenes, and limit the number of guests in Rick’s.
· Wardrobe: the movie takes place over the course of a night, everyone wears the same outfits for that night.
· Hair and Make Up: Fine as-is.
· Kids and Animals: None needed.
· Quarantine: The whole film takes place in Rick’s office, the central area, and the poker room. Guests are in the film for the first half, and then leave by the midpoint.
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