Day 12 Assignments

[Lois Wickstrom]

Binge Worthy Mod 3 Lesson 12 homework

Lois’ Outline With Intrigue

What I learned – This is combining Lesson 9 with Lessons 10 and 11. We should have been building on Lesson 9 from the get-go. Not doing new lessons and combining them later.

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.”

Start: Kamali drives through Skunk Hollow

Mystery: What is going on with this town and all the Skunky Establishments?

Challenging Situation: It’s a new and totally strange town

Mystery: Why did Kamali come here?

Conflict: She’s supposed to steal a rock

Empathy / Distress: Why is she sneaking onto the Skunk Farm? Why does her boss want her to steal a rock? From here? Is she an honest person? How big a deal is stealing this rock?

Action: She steals the rock

payoff: – hey it’s just a rock. An ordinary boring-looking rock. What’s the big deal?

Finish: She delivers the rock to her boss.

Setup: Boss drops bits of the rock into a vial labelled “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.

Start: Meff goofing off – walking on his hands to the batter’s mound

Mystery: Why is Meff goofing off?

Challenging Situation: Coach blocks him

Mystery: Why does Coach get so angry at a minor prank?

Conflict: Coach puts him on garbage duty, so he’ll be late to his own birthday party

Empathy/ Distress: He’s going to be late to his own birthday party.

Action: He’s almost done, almost home, when he gets sprayed by a skunk / his aunt

Empathy / Distress: Now he’s stinky.

Finish: He becomes a skunk. His aunt congratulates him. “Today you have become a skunk.”

Setup: What is going on here?

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.

Start: Meff is unhappy about being a skunk and missing his birthday party

payoff: This is really happening – he’s a skunk now. His world has drastically changed.

Challenging Situation: His aunt offers him a skunk-party to replace his birthday party

Mystery: What is a Skunk Party? Do they have better presents than Birthday parties?

Conflict: Owl swoops down on him

Payoff: So that’s the owl the boss was making! Is it the boss, himself?

Action: Meff runs to the hen house.

Empathy / Distress: Meff is a skunk. An owl wants to eat him. Is he safe anywhere?

Finish: He sees his mom tell his sister Polly to leave rotten eggs in the nests.

Setup: Why would anybody want rotten eggs in a henhouse?

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.

Start: Meff’s sister Polly picks him up and starts petting him. She loves skunks.

Empathy / Distress: What boy wants his sister to pet him?

Challenging Situation: Meff tries to tell her “hands off” but all she hears is squeaks.

Payoff: Meff does NOT want to be petted.

Conflict: Meff finds himself loving being petted and embarrassed at the same time.

Empathy / Distress: Meff is emotionally confused. He shouldn’t like this, but he does.

Action: The more she pets him, the more he loves it.

Mystery: Just as he finds himself enjoying the petting, he smells something interesting – the rotten eggs.

Finish: He gives in to enjoyment.

Payoff: Polly knows just where to dig her hands in. He relaxes into the petting.

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.

Start: Uncle Milton / skunk enters the hen house and takes a rotten egg.

Mystery: Who is this skunk? Why is he here? There’s an owl outside. What was worth risking his life?

Challenging Situation: Milton brings the egg to Meff

Mystery: Meff gave up on those eggs. Why is Milton bringing him one?

Conflict: Meff is grossed out about eating a rotten egg, but it smells good.

Empathy / Distress: Should he / Will he eat it? What will happen if he does?

Action: Polly tries to keep him from getting it, but he succeeds

Mystery: Why does Polly care if he eats the rotten egg?

Finish: He eats the rotten egg and becomes a boy again. He stinks. And he has yucky-tasting rotten egg on his lips.

Payoff: So, that was the big deal!

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.

Start: Dad explains that some of the family are were-skunks. Everybody congratulates Meff.

Payoff: So this is what’s been happening. Now, what’s going to happen to Meff?

Challenging Situation: Meff learns that from now on – if he ever gets sprayed by a skunk, he will become a skunk.

Open Loop: We know he’s going to be sprayed again, and every time it happens, he’ll be in danger.

Conflict:He decides to work in the skunk-supply shop, so he won’t get sprayed.

Setup: Meff is trying to stay safe. We know that can’t work.

Action: A customer accidentally sprays him with skunk-spray-for-hunters. He’s a skunk again.

Payoff: Of course it didn’t work. But the shop is a pretty safe place for a skunk, isn’t it?

Finish: Polly sells him to Kamali, who came in to buy a pet. She says she’s going to enter him in the Skunk Beauty Pageant.

Setup: Now what will happen?

[Lisa Molenda]

Lisa’s outline with intrigue

What I learned doing his assignment is how to identify the individual parts of a script as intrigue, setup, etc.

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: INTRIGUING WORLD

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/ open loop: Jane gets hit by a slaughterhouse truck and lies on the ground, motionless and bleeding.

ACT 1:

EXT. Jane’s house- day: INTRIGUING WORLD

Essence: (J opening) Jane 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: INTRUGUING WORLD

SETUP: 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: HIDDEN LAYER

OPEN LOOP: 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: IMMINENT THREAT

MYSTERY: POV MARC, watching Jane from outside her house as she rushes out to her car.

INT. CLASSROOM- DAY: MYSTERY

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

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

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

INT. DR. BERKWOOD’S OFFICE- DAY: STRANGE BEHAVIOR

MYSTERY: 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 the program. 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: WOUND

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: 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: HIDDEN AGENDA

MYSTERY/SETUP: 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.

PLACEHOLDER: VEGAN MEETING

Dr berkwood leads a meeting for the pig vigil/ activism in frint of a group of vegans.

EXT. SCHOOL COURTYARD- DAY: INTRIGUING WORLD

OPEN LOOP: 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. EMPATHY/DISTRESS: Heather is going to Ammo’s show instead of the animal rights protest.

INT. JANE’S HOUSE- NIGHT: WOUND

EMPATHY/DISTRES: 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: MYSTERY

OPEN LOOP: 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. SLAUGHTERHOUSE- NIGHT: IMMINENT THREAT

WOUND: 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”

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

SETUP: 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.

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: 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.

EXT. FARMER JOHN’S- NIGHT: MYSTERY

Start: a van pulls up to a location in the dark, and opens the door.

Empathy/distress:Challenging Situation: The houselesss people are told they will have housing and jobs, but it’s at a slaughterhouse.

Conflict: Protestors are outside holding signs about animal rights. Cop cars are at the scene.

OPEN LOOP: Action: one of the protestors is telling an officer that they saw someone get run over by the slaughterhouse truck.

MYSTERY: Finish: cops try to locate a body, but there isn’t one, only remnants of blood. The cops try to block the crime scene from the protestors and new employees.

INT. CLASSROOM-DAY: MYSTERY

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: 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: SECRET IDENTITY

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

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: 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: MYSTERY

OPEN LOOP/SETUP, EMPAATHY/DISTRESS: 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: DECEPTION

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: Dr Berkwood arrives home and finds that her husband took the kids to get kids meals with meat.

PAYOFF: Her husband comes home late and tells her he wants a divorce.

ACT 4:

INT. BOARD ROOM- DAY: INTRIGUING WORLD

MYSTERY: 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: CONSPIRACY

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: 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.

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

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

ACT 5:

INT. JANE’S HOUSE- DAY: STRANGE BEHAVIOR

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: 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:

EMPATHY/ DISTRESS: 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: SECRET IDENTITY

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: 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.

OPEN LOOP: J ending: Jane feeds on Ammo

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

[Brenda Clarke]

OUTLINE WITH INTRIGUE

adding the main intrigue for each scene will help when it comes to the actual writing of the episode, together with the added components makes a perfect outline to follow.

TEASER:

INT: BLACKSMITHS WORKSHOP – DAY: INTRIGUING WORLD

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.

SET UP:Start: Harriet walks into Mr X’s dark workshop.
Situation: She must get information from him regarding the girls whereabouts.

Conflict: Mr X. reluctant to give away information for nothing, He wants something in return, to have Harriet perform a crime in order for him to trust her. She refuses.

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: Action: MrX. hammers away on the anvil, he grabs Harriets hand tries to force it into the flames of the fire.

PAY OFF: Finish: Harriet eventually agrees to his terms.

ACT 1.

INT. MRS. WRIGHTS BEDROOM – MORNING: MYSTERY
SET UP: Mrs Wright awakes, rings bell for maid, she doesn’t appear. EXT. STABLES – MORNING: INTRIGUING WORLD
SET UP:Harriet Wright attending to her horses.
INT. BEDROOM – SAME TIME: STRANGE BEHAVIOUR

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

OPEN LOOP: Rosie’s bed not been slept in.

ACT 2.

INT. MOLLY HOUSE/ Bedroom – NIGHT: STRANGE BEHAVIOUR

SECRET:Elliot & Richard making love

EXT. POV BUSHES – NEXT MORNING: SECRET IDENTITY

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

INT. MOLLY HOUSE/BEDROOM – MORNING: IMMINENT THREAT

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

EXT. PATH – DAY;MYSTERY

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

OPEN LOOP?Eventually she finds out that they headed across the road to the coach house.

ACT 3.

INT. KITCHEN/Large Manor/Estate- MORNING: DECEPTION

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: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; ELLIOT’S BEDROOM, Later- WOUND

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

INT. COACH HOUSE/OFFICE – DAY: STRANGE BEHAVIOUR

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

ACT 4.

INT. KITCHEN/ MRS WRIGHTS HOME – DAY: STRANGE BEHAVIOUR

EMPATHY/DISTRESS: 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. ELLIOTS BEDROOM – LATER: WOUND

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

EXT. STABLES – DAY: MYSTERY

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

ACT 5.

INT. ELLIOT’S BEDROOM – NEXT DAY: CONSPIRACY

MYSTERY: 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: MYSTERY

MYSTERY: 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. BRISTOL STREET – DAY:SECRET

Harriet crosses road to local pub.

INT. PUB – MOMENTS LATER: HIDDEN LAYER

OPEN LOOP: 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. ROOM AT PUB – LATER: SUSPICION Harriet exhausted falls asleep on bed.

DREAM SEQUENCE:
INT. STABLE – EARLY EVENING: SET UP
PAY OFF: Flashback: Rosie comes into the stables and seduces Harriet.

EXT. STREET OF BRISTOL. MORNING: STRANGE BEHAVIOUR

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