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Day 10 Assignments
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Sunil Pappu’s Level 1 Action Emotions
“What I learned doing this assignment is…to get really good at creating fear and anxiety for the hero. I also learnt the importance of relief to heighten the fear and anxiety.”
OUTLINE OF MY OPENING SCENE:
Anxiety: The Emcee makes a joke as he reads the names of the next two fighters at the illegal prison fight club. Svetlana, lean and scrunched up in her corner, is laughed at, and some of the inmates make sexist and rude passes at her. A heavyweight opponent rips off his shirt to reveal his sweaty underwear and pounds onto the makeshift arena as the other inmates cheer him on. Svetlana bandages her fists with cloth strips. An Israeli fighter in her corner helps her. He tells her this is her last chance to back out, but she pushes him away. Her opponent pounds his chest, stares into her eyes and shakes his head. The Israeli fighter makes a bet and gets mocked for wasting his rations on a girl!
Fear: The fight begins, and her opponent swings at her and catches her in the face and knocks her back. She is pushed into a corner, and her blows don’t seem to make a dent. The Israeli fighter in her corner signals her to go now.
Relief: Svetlana makes her move and knocks the fighter to the ground and sits on his face. The fighter groans as she cracks his leg. The crowd goes silent! There is an uproar as she remains unbeaten. The Israeli fighter lifts her onto his shoulders and grabs his winnings before escaping the arena.
INT. PRISON DINING AREA. FIGHT CLUB – MIDNIGHT
The dining area looks like a WWE arena with the table joined in the centre for a makeshift ring. Inmates crowd around it on chairs and benches. The names of the fighters are on the blackboard where the daily menu is written. EMCEE, a lean man with a limp, takes bets in the corner. Prison supplies are the only currency here.
EMCEE
Any more bets?
A sinister-looking inmate bangs his fists on a table.
EMCEE
Comrade Ivan? Do you have any items to bet…
SINISTER INMATE lifts a bench he is sitting on and smashes it onto the ground splintering off its legs.
SINISTER INMATE
On Vlad…
EMCEE
Comrade Ivan this is not valid …
Sinister inmate grabs a few packets of chips from his SIDEKICK and thumps them down in the corner.
SINISTER INMATE
(growls)
Now I better win!
Emcee pushes the bets into place and gets onto a bench.
EMCEE
Right! Now lets hear it for our next fighter…Lana? Are you sure, dear… this is not the featherweight category!
Svetlana, lean and short, shakes her head as she climbs onto the ring.
SINISTER INMATE
Huh! Should I take my loot already?
Inmates laugh and jeer at her. ISRAELI FIGHTER walks up to Svetlana…
ISRAELI FIGHTER
You don’t have to prove anything… this is going to draw attention.
SVETLANA
That’s the point, Yosef. Go get me some snacks!
The Israeli fighter helps her wrap her fists with cloth strips. He goes up to place his bet and pulls out some chocolates from under his shirt.
SINISTER INMATE
You, jews are really smart!
His sidekicks laugh…
SINISTER INMATE
Do you think that little girl can beat Vlad the terrible? (Laughs)
Israeli fighter smiles. Places the chocolates in the corner.
EMCEE
And now… Vlad the terrible!
VLAD, a heavyweight inmate rips off his shirt to reveal his sweaty underwear and pounds onto the makeshift arena as the other inmates cheer him on.
Svetlana’s scrunched up in her corner alone and looks at the enormous figure looming in front of her.
SINISTER INMATE
Break her neck!…Yeah!
The emcee calls the fighters to the centre. They circle each other…
EMCEE
Let the fight commence!
Vlad swings at her and catches her in the face, and knocks her back. She is pushed into a corner, and her blows don’t seem to make a dent. She is like a tiny fly trying to bite a huge monster.
SINISTER INMATE
Vlad the terrible! Vlad! Vlad!
The inmates start to chant his name… Svetlana is on the ground taking a pounding…
Israeli fighter in Svetlana’s corner signals her to go now.
ISRAELI FIGHTER
Lana! Now!
Svetlana makes her move and knocks the fighter to the ground, and sits on his face. The fighter groans as she cracks his leg. The crowd goes silent! Another clean break! Crowd moans!
EMCEE
And 3..2..1.. We have a new winner!
The crowd goes into an uproar! She rises and kicks Vlad in his groin. Israeli fighter climbs on stage, lifts her onto his shoulders and grabs his winnings before escaping the arena.
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Danielle Legrand’s Level 1 Action Emotions.
What I learned doing this assignement is controlling the audience’s emotions.
INT. THE PRESIDENT’s DRAWING-ROOM. EVENING
ANDREW, the PRESIDENT stops talking and closes his eyes. His face is twisted with pain and he presses his fingers against his temples. He gives a small cry of pain.
HEATHER, the PRESIDENT’S wife
What’s wrong, honey ? Did you hurt yourself ?
ANDREW breathes heavily in and out three times.
ANDREW
No, it’s nothing … Just these damned high-pitched hissing noises in my ear !
HEATHER watches him with a concerned look.
HEATHER
May be MICKAËL should examine you tonight ? You know that besides being your friend and a brilliant scientist, he is also a good doctor.
ANDREW
It’s O.K. honey. Don’t worry about it.
He forces himself to smile
ANDREW
Are you ready for dinner Cutie pie ?
A discreet knock at the door and Aaron the PRESIDENT’s PERSONAL ASSISTANT introduces MICKAEL, into the drawing-room and closes the door behind him. He greets ANDREW and HEATHER with a smile and takes the drink ANDREW is holding out to him. Suddenly he frowns.
MICKAEL
He raises a finger near his own ear. Can you hear that ? I don’t know if it’s just me but since I have entered the RESIDENCE I am hearing strange and disturbing sounds in my left ear. I don’t understand. It looks like I am the only one to hear that …
ANDREW
No, you’re not. I am wondering …
HEATHER stands up from the couch and exclaims.
HEATHER
Oh, my God ! May be we have been infected with the micro-wave energy weapon the RUSSIANS used against the Ambassador !
The President’s telephone rings. They all look at each other as struck down with paralysis.
Slowly, ANDREW picks up the phone and engages the loudspeaker
GAVIN, the GENERAL SECRETARYs voice off
Please, Mister PRESIDENT excuse my intruding into your private moments, but in order to eliminate any new acoustic attack threat we just had to try a simulation software. Now everything is under control. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for the inconveniences. Have a niceevening Mister PRESIDENT.
ANDREW
He heaves a sign relief.
Thank you for your good work, Gavin.
Have a nice evening, too.
He hangs up the phone.
After all it is not the first time my ears are ringing !
MICKAEL laughs up his sleeve. whereas HEATHER cracks a joke after taking a glance at her watch
HEATHER, with a mischievous smile
I guess the SENATE session has just begun …
They all clink their glasses
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What I learned during this exercise was to try and build all three emotions anxiety, fear, and relief into one scene but also across several scenes that follow each other..
EXT. ROOFTOP, HOTEL PSYCHO – TWILIGHT
RACHEL’S BARRETT SCOPE POV: Rachel is watching Edwards’ table when out of the corner of her eye she notices a MAN wearing a red backpack enter the patio.
She ZOOMS IN: CHINESE AGENT #1 sits down at a table near the bar’s entrance/exit then scans the adjacent rooftops
RACHEL
Edwards, incoming red backpack your four o’clock copy.
Rachel follows his gaze until she spots CHINESE SNIPER #2 in dark clothing with a .338-LAPUA-MAGNUM crouched on the Ali Baba rooftop.
Rachel ducks down as a bullet richochets past her shoulder.
A second bullet hits her left shoulder. She flinches, checks the wound: she’s bleeding, but leaves it. She quickly takes aim and fires.
RACHEL’S BARRETT SCOPE POV: Chinese Sniper #2 is hit in the chest and he slumps over dead.
Rachel remains calm, grabs a handkerchief from her pocket and quickly wrapping it around her bleeding shoulder before repositioning her NR.1-BARRETT-M82 for a LINE OF SIGHT of Chinese Agent #1.
RACHEL’S BARRETT SCOPE POV: A WOMAN wearing a red backpack CHINESE AGENT #2 sits at a nearby table drinking coffee.
RACHEL
Second red backpack, your nine o’clock, copy.
BACK TO:
EXT. BIERGARTEN – TWILIGHT
Edwards earpiece crackles, he frowns and fiddles with it, then leans forward. Pulls out his smartphone and holds it up.
EDWARDS
I’m calling my boss now.
Ivanov’s smartphone suddenly rings. He recognizes the number, but rejects the call.
IVANOV
They’re here.
RACHEL (V.O.)
Edwards, copy. Your four and nine o’clock. Red backpacks. Get Dr. Steel’s location and a description then leave.
Edwards scans the cafe and spots the Chinese agents, then back at Ivanov.
IVANOV
We’re surrounded.
Edwards POV: Chinese Agent #2 is approaching. She knocks on the table, discreetly flashes her gun.
CHINESE AGENT #2
Last orders, Serge.
Chinese Agent #2 steps away.
Edwards grabs Ivanov and drags him away from the table in the opposite direction.
The Chinese Agents #1 and #2 follow them out of the Biergarten.
EXT. ROOFTOP, HOTEL PSYCHO – TWILIGHT
Rachel quickly packs her NR.1-BARRETT-M82 into the blue violin case.
BACK TO:
EXT. BOOMERANG RIDE – TWILIGHT
Edwards has locked arms with Ivanov and marches him through the crowd.
The Chinese Agents follow joined by CHINESE AGENTS #3 & #4. They follow and spread out to cut Edwards and Ivanov off.
EXT. ROOFTOP, HOTEL PSYCHO – TWILIGHT
Rachel is getting ready to leave when Edwards comes across her headphones.
EDWARDS (V.O.)
We need somewhere to hide.
She opens up her black backpack and takes out her binoculars.
RACHEL’S BINOCULARS POV: Ivanov and Edwards push their way through the crowd the Chinese Agents three bodies behind them.
RACHEL
Take a left at the Ejection Seat. That side of the park is dark,empty. Wait in the Große Geisterbahn until I give the all clear. You can head back to the Safehouse from there.
EDWARDS (V.O.)
Copy that.
Rachel picks up her binoculars POV: scans the Große Geisterbahn and stops on a MALE, black baseball cap, white tee-shirt and jeans, smartphone clasped to his ear, has just stepped out of a doorway and is now following Edwards and Ivanov.
Rachel activates facial recognition FLASHES: “Insufficient data try again”.
EDWARDS (V.O.)
Did we lose them?
RACHEL
I think so. But there’s someone else following you. Your five o’clock. Black baseball cap, white tee-shirt, and jeans. He just stepped into a doorway.
EDWARDS(V.O.)
I don’t see him.
A MAN comes into focus. Facial recognition flashes “Steven Gilroy”. She looks closely.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
(quietly to self)
Dad?
Rachel, surprised, angry, swaps her binoculars for the digital camera in her backpack and starts snapping.
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Jan’s Level 1 Action Emotions
WIL ?: It seems every scene has a similar 3 act structure like the whole story. Is that about right?
Log: Kitty is attacked on a parking lot after buying home accessories and kitchen appliances.
Scene Outline :
Anxiety: Parking Lot IKEA Malta. A SUV enters the parking lot, being instructed by DARK per voice over where to look for the woman that most probably is one of the tattooed ones. The car passes by the exit of the warehouse when Kitty and Paul leave the shop with a cart full of stuff. One goon reports that they might have seen the right girl. Kitty sends Paul to the car, she will just pick up the office chair at the bulky stuff counter and follow suit. When they split DARK directs the goons to follow Paul.
Fear: Kitty wheels the chair towards Paul’s car and is surprised by Dark’s goons, one holding a knife to Paul’s throat, one approaching her, telling her that she should do nothing just follow their instructions and nothing will happen to her boy friend. Kitty tells them Paul is not her boy friend and to go ahead, uses the split second of their irritation to grab a lamp post from the cart and fight the goons. She hits the first one who holds Paul and kicks him out of the way, which allows goon 2 to grab her which she fights with a smart move backwards through his legs to have both in reach and hit them against each other and then into the their car’s door. Kitty uses all appliances she founds on her cart. Paul groans and watches stunned. Kitty ties them up, sees their ear pieces, rips them out of their ears, shouts into the mike „not good enough“ and whistles on two fingers into it.
Relief: Kitty helps Paul to get up and tells him they need to go back to the store cause she broke the office chair and the lamp post. Turns to the goons laying in their SUV, searches them, takes cash and credit cards beats him up for the pin and shuts the sliding door.
EXT. PARKING LOT IKEA – DAY
A SUV enters the parking lot, slowly passing empty parking spaces, cruising.
DARK
(O.S.)
She is close. She maybe changed her look but she’s close. You’re near the entrance? copy.
GOON DRIVER 1
Copy that, we’re closing in on entrance. And exit.
DARK
(O.S.)
All eyes focus, I want her, now.
The car passes by the exit of the warehouse when KITTY and PAUL leave the shop with a cart full of interior stuff.
GOON DRIVER 1
Copy that, we have eyes on object. She’s leaving the building, with stuff.
DARK
(O.S.)
What stuff? Turn your body cam.
GOON 2 turns his upper body in Kitty’s direction. Kitty and Paul stop.
Kitty looking around where to follow the signs.
KITTY
Why don’t you pack the stuff and I’ll get the chair at the bulky counter?
PAUL
Sounds like a plan
And pushes the cart toward the parking lot. Kitty walks the other direction.
DARK
(O.S.)
Follow him, to the car.
GOON DRIVER
Copy that.
LITTLE LATER
Kitty pushes a wrapped office chair towards the parked car. She looks for Paul.
Coming around the car Kitty sees Paul hold by his neck, a knife to his throat.
FEAR
Goon Driver walks towards Kitty.
GOON DRIVER
Can we do this cool? You follow me and your boy friend walks unhurt?
KITTY
Ok, can we talk?
GOON DRIVER
No or he gets hurt.
KITTY
But this guy is not my boy friend.
GOON DRIVER
He is not?
KITTY
No.
Goon Driver looks back to Goon 2, he’s a bit out of comfort zone. Kitty uses this split second. She pushes the office chair into his legs and attacks.
Fight sequence: Kitty grabs a lamp post from the cart and fight the goons.
She hits the first one who holds Paul and kicks him out of the way, Goon 2 hits Paul on his head pushes him away goes for Kitty to grab her. Kitty fights with a smart move backwards through his legs to have both in reach and hit them against each other and then into the sliding door of their SUV.
Paul groans and watches stunned.
KITTY
Was that cool enough?
Kitty ties them up with their own neckties, sees their body cams and ear pieces, rips them out of their ears.
KITTY
Oh we’re on hidden camera
Shouts into the mike
KITTY
Not good enough!
and whistles on two fingers into it.
KITTY
(sharp hissing sound)
INTERCUT
INT. HEADQUARTER DARK – DAY
GEORGIE and two other operating assistants react to the hissing sound on their head sets. DARK in front of monitors rips his in-ear-buds out.
DARK
Gosh!
INTERCUT
Relief: Kitty helps Paul to get up
KITTY
Are you ok? Sorry for that.
PAUL
For being not your boy friend?
KITTY
Can you be not such a pussy? I didn’t say toy boy.
Kitty stamps on the body cams and earpieces, looks at the destroyed office chair and accessories.
KITTY
(tongue in cheek)
Bad news is we need to go back in and buy the stuff again.
PAUL
Really?
Kitty turns to the goons
KITTY
Help me please.
Paul and Kitty lift the goons through the sliding door of the SUV
KITTY
And know who is going to pay for it?
Kitty searches Goon Driver, takes his credit cards and cash.
KITTY
PIN?
Goon Driver doesn’t answer. Kitty grabs his arm and puts it on the slider where the car door closes.
KITTY
The PIN please
Kitty grabs the door handle and starts to close the sliding door.
Goon Driver looks dumb at Kitty.
KITTY
Ok.
She slides the door wide open to take it back to his hands
GOON DRIVER
Wait. …4321
KITTY
Very cooperative. Bye.
Kitty shoves his arm in and pushes the button for auto closing.
Kitty and Paul walks towards the warehouse, she presses the lock button on the remote and throws it into a garbage can.
INT. HEADQUARTER DARK – DAY
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INT./EXT. CAR/HOUSE – DAWN
Rachel pulls into the driveway, cringing at the sight of Evan’s car.
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
Evan distracted flips through the mail pile. He looks up as Rachel enters, his brow wrinkling as his tired mind tries to compute why she would be out this early.
EVAN
Where have you been?
She turns her back to him as she eases the door shut.
RACHEL
I had to run to the store.
EVAN
This early?
She laughs nervously.
RACHEL
Cut myself trying to get the stupid Keurig to work. Needed bandaids.
EVAN
You alright?
RACHEL
Just a tiny cut.
She avoids his eyes and pours water into the Keurig. She inserts a new pod and crunches the lid into it. The machine roars.
RACHEL
Silly me, it’s working fine now. Want coffee?
EVAN
Gotta shower.
He tosses the mail and pulls off his tie as he heads down the hall. Hardly breathing, she can hear him rummaging around in a drawer.
EVAN (O.C.)
Rachel, there’s a whole box right here.
RACHEL
Not sure how I missed that.
She listens for a response. Nothing. And then the water kicks in and she can hear the water splashing off Evan’s tired body. She breathes with relief.
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Nick’s Level 1 Action Emotions
What I learned: Put my character in as much fear and anxiety as possible and make it nearly impossible for him to survive.
OVER BLACK
THE SOUNDS OF BATTLE–explosions, rattling gunfire, pinging metal. BOMB and ROCKET BLASTS. Sounds of debris raining down. The WOUNDED WHIRRING of a helicopter going down.
VOICE
May Day…May Day. Hit. Can’t pull up. Going down fast. Coordinates…
The SOUND OF A HEAVY THUMP and SCREECHING METAL. Then quiet.
A distant infant WAILING breaks the brief silence.
FADE IN:
EXT. AFGHAN TOWN STREET – DAY
Our eyes are suddenly opened to the aftermath of what our ears just heard: Piles of smoking brick, twisted metal, burning vehicles, and bloody, dead bodies litter the street.
U.S. Army Medic Sergeant JUAN DIAZ (30s) weaves his way through the ruins and bullets as he races towards us.
He runs up to the smoking helicopter. The pouring sweat glistens on his wide-alert, hot face. He’s breathing fast and is scared shitless. He stands and fires his M4 at a swarm of TALIBAN WARRIORS intent on killing him.
He drops two, then quickly turns his attention to the helicopter pilots still in their seatbelts and obviously dead. He checks for a pulse anyway.
His attention now turns to a baby SCREAMING ahead, in the distance, but not seen.
He dashes over to a tipped burning truck, gets behind it, bullets zipping around him. He sidles along the undercarriage, peeks around to SEE a WOMAN in a black burka crumpled in the middle of a street intersection, an INFANT covered in blood sits forlornly beside her, WAILING.
Juan ducks his head back in, his face beaded with sweat and fear. He edges a look at the baby again and ducks back in. He closes his eyes briefly, mumbles something to himself to muster courage, makes the Sign of the Cross, then:
He dashes into the street. GUNFIRE. Bullets SPLASHING the dirt around him. He grabs up the child and runs back and dives behind the truck.
He quickly checks the baby over.
JUAN
You’re okay, baby. I’m going to get you out of here. Just hang on tight.
He cradles the infant firmly in one arm and pulls out his .45 pistol with the other.
TALIBAN WARRIOR #1 skips over the truck and dives at Juan with knife in hand. Juan sees his shadow and ducks as the Taliban hits the ground rolling, then springs up and charges at Juan. Juan shoots him dead.
TALIBAN #2 charges at him. Juan swiftly round kicks him in the jaw with his foot, then drives his pistol into his groin and fires.
Taliban #3 charges at Juan with a knife. Juan squeezes the trigger. Nothing happens. Jammed. Juan drops low, still holding the child firmly in one arm, and sweeps his leg into the side of the Taliban’s knee.
The Taliban goes down. Juan finishes him off with a roundkick to the head. Juan takes off on a dead run, zig-zagging his way around debris under fire.
On the top of a building, Taliban #4 takes aim at Juan as he runs below him. A hole suddenly appears in his head as he topples over and crashes in front of Juan.
Juan stops and looks off across the street. An American soldier gestures at Juan as to say “I got your back.”
Juan races across an open, unprotected fifty yards towards the sniper and safety.
CLOSE ON the glint of buried metal indicating top of a IED land mine as Juan’s foot steps on it, then
KABOOM! DUST, FIRE, BLOOD fill the screen. Then BLACKNESS.
SUPER: “Six Months Later”
EXT. MIAMI AIRPORT – DAY
A jet airliner lands.
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WAYNE HAZLE – LEVEL 10 – ACTION EMOTIONS
What I learned doing this assignment is that the emotions create far more excitement than chases and fights.
ANXIETY: Janine walks toward the building where the girls are being held. She holds up her press pass. Not sure if they will attack her. She gets invited in. Not sure what will happen.
FEAR:
One of the men gets a phone call. Janine can sense the man is talking about her to someone. Janine knows she is in trouble now.
RELIEF: Just when it seems they are trapped. One of the militia guys has a heart. And shows them a path to escape.
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