Day 10 Assignments

[Lois Wickstrom]

Lois’ Beat Sheet

What I learned – I really need a beta reader. I can never see my own plot holes.

Teaser

Ext – Skunk Hollow Main Street Kamali Parker drives down Main Street of Skunk Hollow showing all the skunky-stores and signs

Ext – Kamali Parker gets out of her car, rushes onto the Skunk Farm, talks sweetly to skunks who seem curious about her, grabs a red-and-black rock, drives off.

Int – Mann Pharmaceuticals – Kamali Parker hands the rock to Howland Mann, who grins evilly and pounds the rock with pestle and mortar. A vial nearby is marked “owl.”

Act 1

Ext – school baseball field – Meff Polecat walks on his hands up to the batter’s position. Team mates laugh and joke. Coach grabs Meff, insults him for not showing team spirit. Tells him he must pick up garbage after school. Meff says its his birthday and he’ll be late to his party.

Ext – skunk farm – Meff walks along streambed picking up garbage. He comes to a sign reading Skunk Farm. He smiles up at it. He’s home. A skunk comes out to greet him. It’s Aunt Abigail. She sprays him.

Ext – in the bushes at the edge of Skunk Farm – Meff grows fur. He shrinks. He drops his garbage bag and garbage picker. He is now a spotted skunk. Note: Aunt Abigail is a striped skunk. He talks but it sounds like squeaks.

Act 2

Ext – in the bushes at the edge of Skunk Farm – Meff complains that he’s missing his birthday party. Aunt Abigail invites Meff to a skunk party in the cave. He can meet his cousins. Meff and Abigail scamper up the hill toward the cave. Meff stops to sniff something interesting. Abigail smiles. Then she sees an owl swooping toward them. “Run!” She runs up the hill. Meff runs to the hen house. Owl pursues Meff. He dashes under potting benches and a picnic table. Makes it to safety.

Int – hen house – Polly Polecat is gathering eggs. Mom Polecat is milking a goat. Polly finds rotten eggs. Mom says to leave them there. Polly thinks that’s crazy.

Act 3

Int – hen house – Polly notices Meff / skunk. She picks him up, puts him in her lap and pets him.

Meff tries to tell her to keep her hands off him, but all she hears are squeaks. The more she pets, the more he loves it. But – his sister is petting him But – it feels wonderful.

Act 4

Int – hen house by the nests – Uncle Milton / skunk grabs a rotten egg and brings it to Meff. Polly tries to shoo him away. Again, Meff is of two minds. Rotten egg – Yuck. But Uncle Milton insists and he loves Uncle Milton. Besides it doesn’t smell that bad. The more he sniffs, the better it smells. He eats it. He becomes a boy again.

Int – hen house – both Polly and Meff ask Mom what’s going on here. Mom hugs them both and tells them all will be explained at dinner. But now, Meff needs to shower with skunk-away soap. He stinks.

Act 5

Int – night – Polecat dining room – dinner time. Family is celebrating far more than Meff’s 11th birthday. “Today you have become a skunk.” As dad is explaining that some of the family are were-skunks, Aunt Abigail / skunk comes in, eats a rotten egg, and morphs into a woman about Dad’s age, wearing an old flower-print dress. She explains that she has chosen to live her life as a skunk while Dad has chosen to live his life as a human. Meff is still freaking out about that owl. He wants a place to stay safe while he thinks about it. Anywhere he goes on the skunk farm he might get sprayed. And eaten by that owl.

Int – night – skunk farm souvenir and supply shop – lots of silly t-shirts and mugs – a hunter is buying a vial of skunk spray to disguise his scent when he goes hunting. Hunter tests spray bottle and accidentally sprays Meff. He’s a skunk again. Kamali Parker comes into the shop to buy a pet skunk. Polly comes to the register in a bad mood. She sees Meff as a skunk hiding behind the counter. She sells him to Kamali, who just loves her Meffikins.

[Lisa Molenda]

Lisa’s Beat Sheet

What I learned doing this assignment is that I need to let of trying to be perfect and just do it instead of overthinking. I know I still need to add some things and move stuff around, but I at least finished the assignment.

Show concept: Jane, a vegan activist is turned into a vampire.

Inciting incident: Jane is hit by a slaughterhouse truck and Marc, a vampire gives her some of his blood so she doesn’t die. She has to decide if she wants to survive by drinking human blood, or die.

A Story: Jane’s activism and taking care of her mom

B story: Marc following Jane and working at the farm, Jane and her colleagues

C story: Dr Berkwood’s school and home life

Teaser:

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE- NIGHT

Essence: Jane leads a pig vigil at a slaughterhouse with other fellow vegans. She gives a pig water and he nuzzles her. She cries and the pig seems to comfort her.

Turning Point: Jane gets hit by a slaughterhouse truck and lies on the ground, motionless and bleeding.

ACT 1:

EXT. Jane’s house- day

Essence: (J opening) Jane is a kind and loving person. She feeds the animals outside. The squirrels eat out of her hands and the birds chirp at her as if thanking her.

INT. JANE’S HOUSE- DAY

Jane takes care of her sick mother. She makes her breakfast and realizes she’s running late for school, and hurries out the door.

INT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE-DAY

M opening- Marc is seen at a slaughterhouse supervising. Every time the line backs up, someone says, “number ______ isn’t producing anymore. Let’s 86 it” A slicing sound is heard. Blood is seen flowing down the drain.

EXT. JANE’S HOUSE- DAY

POV MARC, watching Jane from outside her house as she rusn out to her car.

INT. CLASSROOM- DAY

DB opening: Dr Berkwood is covering for Jane teaching her class since Jane is not there yet.

Jane rushes through the door, thanks Dr. Berkwood and takes her place, lecturing the class.

M, J &DB TP1- Marc comes into Jane’s classroom looking for DB. Jaen directs him to her office.

INT. DR. BERKWOOD’S OFFICE- DAY

Marc tries to compel Dr. Berkwood to allow him to enroll in the program with Jane, even though it’s past the deadline to enroll in class. She looks at him like he’s crazy and tells him it’s past the deadline and he needs to go to the registrar like everyone else.

INT. CLASSROOM- DAY

Class has ended and Dr. Berkwood talks to Jane about being late and says she can get time off from school to care for her mother if needed.

EXT. HALLWAY- DAY

Jane exits the classroom and runs into MARC, dropping her and his books. Marc helps her pick up her things. A flyer for a pig vigil falls from Marc’s things and they talk about going to the Pig Vigil that night.

EXT. SCHOOL COURTYARD- DAY

Jane has a stupid conversation with HEATHER at lunch. Heather made a new piece of art that’s a vampire, but she says it has deeper meaning. Heather is going to Ammo’s show instead of the animal rights protest.

INT. JANE’S HOUSE- NIGHT

Jane conflict: Jane’s mom’s caretaker calls out for the night and there is no one to replace her, so she gets her brother as a last resort to stay with her while she goes to a pig vigil.

ACT 2

EXT. CITY STREET- NIGHT

A COP pulls up to a group of houseless people camped out under a bridge. A bus arrives behind him. He tells the people to pack their things and get on the bus.

EXT. SLAUGHTEHOUSE- NIGHT

Vagrants are being dropped off at factory farm. They are told that they will have a job and a place to stay.

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE- NIGHT

People are lined up with signs, saying things like “Animals feel pain, too,” and gruesome photos of animals being slaughtered, with signs saying “they don’t want to die”

There’s a woman in a pig mask wearing a “vegans taste better” shirt

Marc turning pint 2, Lucy intro: Lucy takes off the mask and Marc recognizes her. He approaches her, angrily and asks why she’s there. She says she’s making sure he’s doing his job.

Intrigue: Jane has lots of followers at the protest and she seems to be leading it.

M&J midpoint: The driver of the truck angrily drives into the crowd of people to get into the building. Most of them move out of the way, but Jane is struck. Dr. Berkwood sees it happen, but most people are oblivious, Marc turns around to see that Jane is under the truck. Lucy grins and walks away. Dr. Berkwood yells at the driver that someone’s been hit. He backs up the truck, but no one is there.

INT. CLASSROOM-DAY

DB Major Conflict: Dr Berkwood is worried about Jane and stressed about her work and home life.

Dr. Berkwood calls Jane, but there’s no answer and her mailbox is full. People start coming into class. Dr. Berkwood starts teaching.

ACT 3

INT. MARC HOUSE- DAY

M&J TP2: Jane wakes up on Marc’s couch. He tells her who is and what happened. He tries to give her a bag of blood, but she won’t take it because it’s not vegan.

Turning Point: Jane learns that she’s undead, and has to choose whether she wants to feed on blood to survive, or die.

Jane leaves to go check on her mom.

INT. RESTAURANT- DAY

Intro Dr. Berkwood’s husband: He is rejected by a younger woman on a date. She thinks he is seeking an arrangement and turns him down because he’s too old. He is angry and upset.

DR. BERKWOOD’S HOUSE- DAY

Dr Berkwood arrives home and finds that her husband took the kids to get kids meals with meat. Her husband comes home late and tells her he wants a divorce.

Act 4:

INT. BOARD ROOM- DAY

There’s a meeting with the elite vampires and Marc. Lucy asks if “it’s done” to Marc. He says yes. Marc leaves the meeting and goes down to the farm where he’s supervising. Vlad says that they have issues with control, but he is shut down by the leader, who isn’t shown.

INT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE- DAY

Essence: people are lined up in chairs, but from ports in their necks with metal connectors sticking out. Bags, being filled really fast and being mixed in huge tanks

Turning Point: Someone’s port clogs and the staff complains that they’re holding up the line. The person with the port is scared, and is dragged through a steel door.

M ending: Marc is there. He looks away when they are killed.

Marc conflict: Marc works in a business she would not agree with.

Act 5:

INT. JANE’S HOUSE- DAY

Jane major conflict: Jane goes home to tend to her mother. Her brother is angry and tells her he will never do that again. She nearly wants to feed on him, but tells him to leave.

Jane calls out from school and teaching in the lab. The animals are now scared of her.

INT. DR. BERKWOOD’S HOUSE- DAY

D B major conflict: She is stressed about work and home life and worried about Jane. She tells Ammo to go check on her.

EXT. JANE’S HOUSE- DAY

Ammo stops by Jane’s house to check on her. He taunts Jane and asks her where she gets her protein from, which triggers her.

J ending: Jane feeds on Ammo

Dilemma: Did Jane kill Ammo? How will Jane maintain her vegan ethics as a vampire?

[Brenda Clarke]

Beat Sheet

This is a great exercise to master for ease of use further down the track. Just going with the flow at present. I do however, have some suggestions of “dialogue” in my outline as a hint of where I want to go.

SHOW CONCEPT: Chasing after Love

INCITING INCIDENT: Household maid suddenly goes missing

A STORY: Tracking Down ones love (LGBTQ 1830’s)

B STORY: Harriet and Rosie relationship/FAMILY Elliot and Richard relationship/FAMILY

C STORY: Criminals/Lawyers/Judges/Sailors

TEASER:

INT: day. BlackSmiths Workshop, dark creepy place.

Harriet confronted by Criminal Underworld Boss, strongly suggests she perform a crime in order for her to be trusted. Before he divulges any information regarding the missing girls.

ACT 1.

INT. Morning. Mrs. Wrights bedroom.

Mrs Wright awakes, rings bell for maid, she doesn’t appear.

EXT. Morning. STABLES,Harriet Wright attending to her horses.

INT. Morning, Bedroom, same time.

Mrs. Wright, gets out of bed and calls for Rosie. Harriet goes inside to see what is going on.

Rosie’s bed not been slept in.

ACT 2.

INT. Night. Molly House, Bedroom

Elliot & Richard making love

EXT. next morning POV Bushes

pair of hands spreads bushes apart to see the early morning raid of the Authorities on Molly House.

INT. Bedroom Molly House

Richard, quickly assists Elliot escape through window as Authorities break door in and grab Richard.

EXT. Path. Day

Harriet rides her horse into town, makes enquiries regarding her maid.

Eventually she finds out that they headed across the road to the couch house.

ACT 3.

INT. Kitchen. Large Manor/Estate

Elliot arrives home with a cracked rib and cut to his left shoulder. He lies to his servants and says he was drunk and fell off his horse.

INT. Elliots Bedroom Later

Elliot’s Father Sir Oswald Edwards, bangs on the door. Elliot doesn’t want to come out. Father furious, wants an explanation.

INT. Office Coach House. Day

Harriet makes enquiries regarding Rosie and older sister Tilly, they went to Bristol. No return ticket.

ACT 4.

INT. Kitchen. Afternoon Mrs. Wrights home

Harriet informs mother that she is off to the city of Bristol to find Rosie. Mother can’t understand her daughters sudden urge to find their maid and neglect of her animals/work.

INT. Elliot’s Bedroom. later.

Elliot pours a large whiskey and knocks it back. Afraid, distraught.

EXT. Day. Stables

Harriet has a fresh horse, packed ready to ride to Bristol.

ACT 5.

INT. Elliots Bedroom next day.

Elliot suspicious, were they set up? He takes out Richards invitation to the Molly House, date/time/location etc.

Servant comes to door with breakfast, not interested.

INT. Police Station. Bristol, Afternoon

Harriet makes enquiries about girls, any arrests in the last day. Not of women but Constable informs him there are several police stations throughout the city. Perhaps they might know something.

EXT. Day. Later

Harriet crosses road to local pub.

INT. Pub.

Bar tender can’t remember girls but nearby drinker says he knows Tilly and has connections with the criminal underworld.

Harriet asks for a room, pays and goes upstairs.

INT. PUB Room

Harriet exhausted falls asleep on bed.

DREAM SEQUENCE:

INT. STABLE. Early Evening.

Flashback: Rosie comes into the stables and seduces Harriet.

EXT. Afternoon. Streets of Bristol

SHOT of Rosie and Tilly thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, which then heads down the cobble stone road.