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Day 15 Assignments
Post your Day 15 assignment here.
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Frank Jordan’s Day 15 Assignment #1 (Height of the Emotion)
What I learned doing this assignment is that profound dialogue is most effective if it’s delivered at the “height of the emotion” and, if possible, spread over multiple experiences.
1. Setup: We are several weeks into training camp. Sgt. Heller is instructing the platoon in hand-to-hand combat techniques with rifles and scabbard-covered bayonets. Up to this point, Freddie has taken the brunt of Sgt. Heller’s verbal and physical abuse, and the rest of the platoon are aware. Sgt. Heller has already taken a couple men down. We close on Freddie, lost in thought. SGT. HELLER (O.S.) “I want y’all to focus!” PEARL (Freddie’s wife) (V.O.) “You can do anythin’ you set your mind on. You hear me? Anythin’.” SGT. HELLER (O.S.) “Next up!” JONAH (O.S.) “Go on, Freddie.” MOSES “Stick ’em, Freddie.” Freddie snaps out of his daze. Sgt. Heller prods him. SGT. HELLER “Show me what you got.” Freddie glances around. The platoon encourages him. SOLDIER (O.S.) “Go on.” SUGAR FOOT “You can do this.” Freddie summons his courage and pent-up frustration and lunges at Sgt. Heller, who blocks the oncoming bayonet. Sgt. Heller tries to fend Freddie off, but Freddie locks on and they struggle. Freddie eventually gets his foot behind Sgt. Heller’s leg and flips him onto his back. The men cheer and glance at one another in amazement. Freddie quickly points his scabbard-covered bayonet at Sgt. Heller’s throat. FREDDIE “That how you do it, sergeant?” SUGAR FOOT “We in deep shit now.”
Emotion: Elation. Freddie overcomes Sgt. Heller’s verbal and physical abuse.
Meaning of Scene: Freddie gains the confidence he needs to survive.
2. Setup: After arrival in the Meuse-Argonne sector of the Western Front, the 371st Infantry learns they have been loaned to the French army. Late one night, Freddie’s platoon polish off their first French Army wine ration. Freddie has had more than his share. He and his pals are rolling dice. FREDDIE “Y’all don’t feel betrayed?” SUGAR FOOT “You just gettin’ worked up for nothin’.” Moses picks up the dice and hands them to Sugar Foot. FREDDIE “Nothin? Where’s your dignity?” SUGAR FOOT (shaking dice) “What you talkin’?” MOSES “We all need to settle down.” Freddie takes a swig of wine. SUGAR FOOT “Come on, Lucky Lady. Let’s dance.” Sugar Foot rolls his dice. SUGAR FOOT “Shit.” JONAH “Look like you dancin’ by yourself, Suga.” SUGAR FOOT “Story a my life.” Freddie takes another swig of wine. Sugar Foot picks up the dice and offers them to Freddie. Freddie whacks the dice out of Sugar Foot’s hand. SUGAR FOOT “How that gonna help anythin’?” Freddie grabs the wine bottle and stands. FREDDIE “Nigga ain’t good enough to fight with the white man army! (louder) We ever gonna get respect?” Freddie now has the entire platoon’s attention. SUGAR FOOT “Who say we ain’t good enough?” Freddie takes another swig of wine. MOSES “Best go easy on that wine. You gonna have a big head in the mornin’.” JONAH “Don’t get no wine in the American army.” Freddie polishes off his cup. SUGAR FOOT “It don’t matter. American Army, French Army. We all fightin’ the same enemy.” FREDDIE (loud) “Are we?” The men ponder that thought. Freddie hurls his empty cup against the wall.
Emotion: Betrayal.
Meaning of Scene: Still dealing with home-grown prejudices (in France).
3. Setup: Freddie is promoted to corporal. He and his squad get the night off and stroll over to the next town, home of Regimental Headquarters. They are celebrating in a cafe with another black squad. Drinking, conversing, and dancing with the local women, mostly white. Suddenly, the front door is kicked open and a handful of white American MP’s burst in, wielding clubs, and break up the fun. Piano music stops, women scream, tables are kicked over, and several black soldiers are shoved about. Eventually all the black troops are shoved out onto the street. Moses stops in the middle of the street and glares back. SUGAR FOOT “C’mon.” MOSES “Where’s Freddie?” The last small group, including Freddie and Jonah, are shoved out the door and onto the street. MP#1 “Get outta here! And don’t come back!” Meanwhile, Sgt. Heller and is walking along the street. His attention is drawn to the commotion. He sees MP#1 whack Freddie on the back with his club, knocking him to the ground. Moses and Sugar Foot approach Freddie and Jonah. They help Freddie to his feet. FREDDIE “Son-of-a-bitch.” Outraged, Sgt. Heller quickly approaches and confronts MP#1. SGT. HELLER “Hey! Hey! What the hell you doin?” Before MP#1 can respond, Sgt. Heller slugs him. The MP falls. SGT. HELLER “These are my men! These are Americans!”
Emotion: Anger. Freddie beaten for color of skin.
Meaning of Scene: Sgt. Heller is a man of honor.
4. Setup: The 371st Infantry have spent three months in the trenches, followed by a brief leave in which Freddie, Moses, and Sugar Foot enjoy in Paris. The regiment is now back near the front, on the eve of battle. Freddie’s platoon are resting on a hillside, awaiting orders. Most of the men are sleeping. Freddie is lying on his back, gazing at the stars. Lt. Heller is sitting next to Freddie, drinking coffee. FREDDIE “Lieutenant, you scared?” LT. HELLER “Honestly, I don’t feel good about this one.” Freddie reflects for a moment. FREDDIE “Most folk will never see what we see. Know what we know. The guilt. Sense a purpose. Brotherhood.” Lt. Heller listens intently. FREDDIE “My whole life, I been lookin’ over my shoulder. Livin’ in fear. No more. People fight for what they want in this life. Make sacrifices.” LT. HELLER “It’s all right to be scared.” FREDDIE “I never been more at peace.”
Emotion: Coming to grips with own mortality.
Meaning of Scene: Finding inner peace.
5. Setup: The battle for Hill 188 is won. But for a few distant shell bursts, all is calm, peaceful. Moses cradles Freddie in his arms. He wipes a tear. MOSES ” Look at you.” Moses pulls Freddie’s Bible from his breast pocket. He opens the Bible and gazes at Pearl’s letter-envelope (that Freddie had stuck there prior to the battle). MOSES “How’m I ever gonna explain this?” Moses sets the envelope back in its place and sticks the Bible in his own breast pocket. Looking at Freddie, Moses spots a piece of American flag protruding from the top of his tunic. (This is the same flag Freddie removed from Lt. Heller when he was killed early in the battle.) Moses unbuttons a few of Freddie’s buttons and pulls the blood-soaked flag out. Moses clenches the flag with both hands, SCREAMS, then gently drapes it over Freddie and tries to smooth it out. Moses wipes another tear and pans No Man’s Land. Dozens of dead comrades lie scattered about. MOSES (O.S.) “Freddie, we done our duty.” Moses gazes at Freddie and wipes another tear. MOSES (softer) “We done our duty.”
Emotion: Loss. Moses loses his lifelong friend.
Meaning of Scene: Freddie performed his “duty” (above and beyond), but at what cost?
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Frank Jordan’s Day 15 Assignment #2 (Build Meaning Over Multiple Experiences)
What I learned doing this assignment is the same as in #1 above.
Since my script is already written, I will need to give this particular assignment more thought and brainstorm if and where to inject/use profound dialogue over multiple scenes.
“Duty” is certainly a common theme and can perhaps be utilized to create greater/deeper meaning.
Also, “Shattered hopes and dreams” is another theme that pops up a few times.
I understand the exercise, and certainly “Here’s looking at you kid” is an awesome example.
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ASSIGNMENT 1
Chris Cornelius’ Height of the Emotion.
What I learned doing this assignment is: I have various lines in my script that will be remembered; And they are used throughout; but I also have visual symbols and sounds running through the course of the story (hawk feathers and little boys’ laughter) that the audience will feel.
Make a list of the 5 most
emotional moments in your screenplay.1) At the end-when Trish takes out her old motorcycle gear and goes through the lengthy (moving) ritual of putting on her leathers in front of a full length mirror in the attic.
2) She doesn’t say anything at that most emotional moment. It is visual; but it all leads up to her final VO.
3) Donning her old gear she reconnects with her past, regains her confidence,
becomes stronger, and renews her spirit.
Trish pulls a slip of paper out of the jacket’s pocket. “Tom… 601-243-0140… Call whenever.”
Remembering, Trish looks into the mirror and slowly zips her jacket over her body as Tom had.
When she rides off on her new motorcycle in the end we can only guess where she’s going.
TRISH’s VO Motorcycling has been many things to me; stranger than fiction adventure, therapy, a cleansing–always romantic. It has now advanced to a spiritual phase, a higher realm of biking, with all of its passion and rituals, and moments for reflection and healing.
1) Reaching the Pacific. From sea to shining sea.
2) Life’s a journey, not a guided tour.
3) Trish has arrived at the West Coast. She hurls some water up into the air and it sparkles all around her. She’s wearing the Great Spirits T-shirt and immediately sits down to write a letter to Nella-her grandmother that crossed the Atlantic to America from the old country and made this venture possible.
She’s hit by the frisbee of some bored LA boys that say she’s got all the luck.
TRISH – Luck? Ha… more like desire, planning and endurance.
When she turns away from them they read the back of her t-shirt.
“Life’s an odyssey, not a guided tour.”
1) Stranded in the Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge looking out at a dramatic storm.
2) Dream Lofty Dreams and as you dream so shall you become.
Man learns by suffering and from bliss.
Dreamers are Saviors of the World
3) Trish’s campsite is a distance away. The sun is setting and it is storming at the Rim. Other people are stranded in the great observation room. Trish starts reading the book. ‘As a Man Thinketh’ given to her by Aspen Matt.
TRISH – My dream is to squeeze all the juice out of life and someday be a wise old woman with tales to tell.
Dream Lofty Dreams
1) Dehydrated and sun-poisoned, Trish, has collapsed at a gas station in Aspen. Naturist Matt helps her.
2) Trish flashes back to her depression struggles: It was like waiting out a storm that was in my own head.
And why she’s so modest. Male/female relations were becoming so complex.
For dessert Matt and company were doing drugs. I was doing life.
3) Matt has taken Trish to his cabin in the woods outside Aspen. He’s always naked in nature so after some serious soul searching Trish tries it; only to be thwarted when Matt’s former girlfriend (a stripper) and his best friend arrive.
They’re all really into Matt’s cocaine so they indulge in it in Matt’s camper that night. Trish stays outside enjoying the night stars.
I was doing life.
1) Trish meets and falls in love with Tom in Natchez.
2) I am not naïve… but I am positive enough to hope for the best.
Relax Patricia… Relax.
He’s settled down with a need for adventure and I’m adventurous with a need to settle down.
When traveling leave your heart at home.
My trip sabotaged by my heart.
If only my brains would get ahead of my heart and clear the way
3) Trish a law-abiding, career minded, Northern city girl, falls in love with a Southern country boy mechanic with children on a pot farm in Mississippi.
He’s settled down with a need for adventure and I’m adventurous with a need to settle down.
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ASSIGNMENT 2
Christine Cornelius’ Meaning Over Multiple Experiences.
What I learned doing this assignment is this script has a lot of repeat phrases, many of which Trish says to herself (VOs) like “Where are your brains girl?” And “Relax Patricia… Relax.”
1) Great spirits often encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds.
2) Great spirits – Trish just doesn’t fit a mold. She always finds herself on a road less traveled. And this is not by choice. It is just what’s natural to her. She can’t do anything else.
Often encounter violent opposition – People say she can’t or shouldn’t do what she wants or is trying to do.
From mediocre minds – Mainly ‘uninspired’ minds. People who have always tried to fit the mold and/or seccumbed to peer pressure.
3&4) This line first appears when the grandmother, who is a great spirit, gives Trish the embroidered T-shirt at the intervention. This is to show Trish support for taking the trip in opposition to all those who are discouraging her.
3&4) It appears when the little dog steals Trish’s dirty laundry from her tent and distributes it around the campground. The dog is the great spirit that is doing something ‘out of the ordinary’ and Trish is the mediocre mind-that’s sick and coping to deal with enough already.
3&4) It appears in the attic when she is going through the remembrances of her travels. It reminds her of her great spirit that has been dashed over the years and it helps her begin to heal so that she can continue on to collect more stories to tell.
1) Life is an odyssey not a guided tour.
2) Life – one’s being through time
Is an odyssey – has its twists and turns, ups and downs, joys and sorrows, anything can happen
Not a guided tour – not predictable or planned
3&4) This line first appears when the foreign born grandmother, who is a great spirit, gives Trish the Great Spirits T-shirt at the intervention. It is printed on the back.
It shows the grandmother’s support for Trish’s odyssey that is possible due to all the sacrifices she made to come to this country.
3&4) It appears when Trish reaches the Pacific and tells the bored LA boys that life is what you make it.
3&4) It appears in the attic along with the other remembrances of her travels and reminds her that the depressed period she’s going through is just part of the odyssey and it’s up to her to renew and move on.
1) He’s settled down with a need for adventure and she’s adventurous with a need to settle down.
2) He’s settled down — Tom is being a responsible single parent, keeping a nice home for his children.
With a need for adventure – The illegal marijuana business is filling his need for adventure.
She’s adventurous – Trish is a free spirit enjoying her travels after many years of hard work.
With a need to settle down – She learns in this trip, by the fact that she is so drawn to Tom and his family, that at age 26 settling down lies ahead.
3&4) At the intervention Trish’s Aunt says – “Working at Harvard, couldn’t you just meet a nice professor and settle down?”
A bit of a premonition (regarding Tom) and statement about the old world expectations of Trish at this stage in her life.
3&4) Trish VO’s this line when she’s holding Tom asleep in her arms in the back yard after the barbecue.
TRISH – How could I let this happen? How could I stop it?
3&4) This line appears in the final VO for the 1979 trip’s storyline after Trish has torn herself away from the Mississippi family and is heading back home. She’s summarizing the events of that trip.
TRISH – What started a sightseeing trip, endedn a 15,000 mile celebration of life, and served to bridge my youth to my adulthood.
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DAY 15 ASSIGNMENT – PROFOUND DIALOGUE
Joshua Doerksen’s Height of the Emotion!
WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT:
Poignant dialogue enhances profound storytelling through creation of maximum emotion.
EMOTIONAL MOMENTS
1.) BILL BISHOP ADMONISHES HIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bill attends a meeting of the Board of Directors with an agenda to strategize significant change within the operation. A discussion becomes escalated with passionate pleas from the executive group to reopen an advanced technology project that Bill has closed.
Bill is facing his own mortality, concerned with leaving behind a legacy of value. Amid this struggle he grapples with fear, guilt, remorse, loss, and failure.
BILL
Many years ago, one man had a dream.
One man made a promise to himself.
One man stood in the face of fire.
One man built a legacy.
That legacy will not die as a bunch of zeros sitting in a bank account somewhere!
(beat)
One man, gentlemen –
One man can change the world.
2.) BILL REALIZES COURAGE AND CONVICTION DRIVEN BY COMPASSION
At the Sanitarium, Bill is enthralled with the beautiful young Doctor Cynthia Pratt. He is intrigued by her perseverance and resolve.
Dr. Pratt is largely reticent to the challenges amongst piers and patients alike, yet fiercely resilient in her mission of helping others. Bill happens on a heated exchange between Dr. Pratt and her superior Dr. Wilhelm where Cynthia is abhorred over the use of electroshock therapy on a troubled patient. The emotion is evident, and the stakes are high for Cynthia. The Oppenheimer quip hearkens back to Bill’s remorse over his involvement with the Manhattan Project.
DR. PRATT
Shock the mind and torture the soul, that’s your cure?
Conformity?
(forcefully hands over electrical leads)
Now YOU are become death…
3.) EDWARD DEFENDS BILL TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
In a special conclave meeting of the Board of Directors a motion is set for a vote on Bill Bishop’s capacity to remain as CEO. As Senior Director, and Bill’s “right-hand man”, Edward carries some clout in this decision but also poses considerable threat to those opposed.
Although the decision is clear for Edward; he is a loyalist and has always placed principle over pride, there is an ominous tone in the Board that bothers him tremendously. Essentially, the dreams and hopes of Bill Bishop are being exploited to maneuver a coup d’état.
EDWARD
My fellow Directors, I believe we all know why I am called to speak now. This Board hears not my words, rather compels my decision. You seek formality.
(stands up from the table)
The only choice my friends, is within your hearts.
4.) BILL EXPLORES HIS PAST WITH DR. PRATT
Bill has not fully participated in therapy throughout the observation period, and he well knows that his “assessment” is largely predetermined. Bill did not expect, however, to become so enthralled with Dr. Pratt, and takes advantage of a rare private moment while she is on her afternoon rounds.
Bill is desperate to impart his own compassionate soul and love for people to his benefactors and is struggling to accomplish the feat in spite of his legacy. His conversation with Dr. Pratt turns to altruism.
BILL
I think we meet heroes every day and almost always never know.
5.) BILL ACCEPTS DEFEAT
Bill receives news from the lawyer that the Board has offered a settlement in the 11<sup>th</sup> hour before the Circuit Court renders its looming decision on Bishop Enterprises.
The choice for Bill to walk away quietly with control of his project and shareholder wealth is at odds with his ego, which compels him to fight for all that he has built in preserving a Bishop legacy.
BILL
I suppose the fight of the dog is not measured by bones alone. The greatest victory is won without war.
(quietly)
Beware the Dog.
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DAY 15 ASSIGNMENT #2 – PROFOUND DIALOGUE
Joshua Doerksen Builds Meaning with Dialogue!
WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT:
Profound dialogue itself is enhanced with its own separate arc and bolsters the profound truth of the story.
EMOTIONAL DIALOGUE – STORY ARC
1.) ONE MAN CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.
a.) Bill and Edward are in WWII Sweden where they have crashed their plane on a O.S.S. recon mission to secure intel on the Nordsk Heavy Water Plant. The young Brit Edward argues with Bill to stay put for rescue instead of infiltrating the Nazi guard to sabotage the plant and secure more significant info. Bill says the line and runs off toward the plant. Edward follows and they blow up the facility.
b.) Bill attends a meeting of the Board of Directors with an agenda to strategize significant change within the operation. A discussion becomes heated. Bill gives a speech and says the line. He wants to make a change in himself and his legacy.
2.) NOW I AM BECOME DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
a.) Working on the Manhattan Project, Bill looks on the Trinity experiment from the safety of a bunker. We see a brilliant flash of light dissolve into a giant mushroom cloud in the reflection of thick green goggles. The goggles are removed from the man’s face as he hangs his head in somber thought and we hear the voice of Robert Oppenheimer O.S.: “Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds.”.
b.) A heated exchange between Dr. Pratt and her superior Dr. Wilhelm transpires where Cynthia is abhorred over the use of electroshock therapy on a troubled patient. The emotion is evident, and Cynthia retorts with the Oppenheimer quip for maximum impact, personalizing the quote with “YOU ARE”.
c.) Bill and Edward look over the construction site of the Bishop Foundation. Prior to Edward’s response of: “An old friend once told me “One Man Can Change the World””, Bill leaves Edward with his dying wish, a mandate that is to become the very mission of the Foundation itself. In explaining the enormous scope of the task, Bill says: “For you I give enormous challenge when I am become death, destroyer of worlds then will seek YOU.”. With this line Bill is passing the baton to Edward.
3.) THE ONLY CHOICE MY FRIENDS, IS IN YOUR HEARTS.
a.) In an R.A.F. briefing, Edward sits with his squadron who are indifferent to the mission parameters. There is commotion as pilots erupt over the danger being imposed by United States intelligence under the guidance of Bill Bishop. The Commander yells to gain control of the crowd and Bill informs the group that he will be flying also, assuming the same risk as them. Immediately, the Commander reminds Bill of specific orders to remain on ground. Bill swiftly disregards and addresses the squadron: “The only choice my friends, is within your hearts.”.
b.) In a special conclave meeting of the Board of Directors a motion is set for a vote on Bill Bishop’s capacity to remain as CEO. Edward has the power to take control as Senior Director, though a betrayal to Bill Bishop in its very message. Edward shows us his true character and leaves the meeting with an open call to morality: “The only choice my friends, is within your hearts.”.
c.) When faced with the decision to agree to settlement with the Board or risk all in legal challenge, Bill poses a question to his soon to be benefactors of responsibility and says the line. The question itself is a call to arms and acceptance of duty, and represents for Bill, victory in the face of defeat.
4.) I THINK WE MEET HEROES EVERY DAY AND NEVER KNOW.
a.) Returning home from war, Bill is summoned to Washington where he is debriefed by General Groves who exclaims: “Look at you son, you’re an American Hero!”. Bill, who was never comfortable with his contributions to the war effort but seen it as a necessary means to an end, and who knew that he could exploit his contributions for gain both financially and politically if he so desired, shows true character and resolve by renouncing accolades of any sort when he retorts: “I think we meet heroes every day and never know. I’m nothing of the sort Leslie. We did a job. Plain and simple. The heroes won’t be coming home. Honor them.”.
b.) Touring one of his manufacturing plants, Bill meets with some front-line workers. The Executive group is largely unimpressed with the function of hourly staff, but Bill has always been fond of the blue-collar men and women who work with their hands. He addresses a small group of workers on the assembly line who are eager to resume production. Bill offers them a small pep-talk thank you while standing near a visibly pregnant employee and says the line while putting his arm around her shoulder. The appreciation and respect Bill shows in this scene is indicative of his character roots and also lends depth to the guilt he carries over leaving his struggling family on the farm so at a young age.
c.) Bill has not fully participated in therapy throughout the observation period, though intrigued by Dr. Pratt, and takes advantage of a private moment while she is on her afternoon rounds.
Bill is desperate to impart his own compassionate soul and love for people, and in a very rare introspective delve into his psyche his conversation with Dr. Pratt turns to altruism. Bill eludes to the people he has admired in his past and then focuses in on Dr. Pratt herself: “I think we meet heroes every day and never know.”.
5.) BEWARE THE DOG – CAVE CANEM
a.) Climbing aboard the fighter plane with Bill, pilot Edward remarks about the mission briefing and how quickly Bill was able to change the mindset of the squadron from that of a suicide mission to a general enthusiasm of a viable offensive strike. Bill responds with a short quip about the fall of the Roman Empire. He delivers the line: “Even the most imposing armies have chinks in the armor; the fight you awaken in a man’s heart will expose them. Cave Canem.”. Edward quietly repeats the Latin phrase to himself and translates as he straps into his seat: “Beware the Dog.”.
b.) Looking on as Dr. Pratt and Dr. Wilhelm exchange a heated dialogue, Bill remarks to himself: “Cave Canem.”, which essentially aligns Cynthia to his own character and arc – Fight the Good Fight.
c.) Bill chooses to accept a settlement the Board has offered in the 11<sup>th </sup>hour. The choice for Bill to walk away is at odds with his ego which compels him always to fight. He gives the small speech before signing the offer, ending it with the line “Beware the Dog.”. Here we see Bill’s final transition, he has accepted loss and found victory in defeat. Also, it is a foreshadow to the Bishop Foundation and a new legacy – the fight of Bill Bishop endures.
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Scott Richards’ Height of Emotion
What I learned doing this assignment is that there are more than one way to deliver a profound line, and that by brainstorming, it is more likely the line you settle on will give deeper meaning to a scene.
1 – Guilt – my protag tries to enlist the aid of another to help her escape and that person is murdered for it. “When you pour liquor it covers more than the ice, the bottom and sides of the glass. It covers everyone around you. Your mother, your father, your lover. You killed them all with your drinking.”
2 – unrequited love – the protag receives a call from someone who is in love with her as she is being held prisoner. The smart tech prevents her from asking for help. All she can do is watch and listen. “It doesn’t matter if it’s me, or any part of your past, I know you’re struggling to be free. Free from your mother, free from yourself, and you don’t want anyone keeping you trapped. I wish I could give you that freedom. But I’m just another guy, and you don’t need just another guy. Your stronger than that. Even if you don’t see it, I do.”
3 – embarrassment – the smart tech is about to upload compromising videos of the protag to all her social media accounts. “Let me show you the cast of freedom.”
4 – guilt – coming close to a way free, the protag appears to be about to take the upper hand, when the smart tech shows her an old ultrasound picture of the baby she lost due to alcoholism. “Here is a picture of your destruction. You love alcohol more than life.”
5 – Love – deep in a dilemma whether to kill the antag or not, the protag is confronted with a choice of purpose.
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Brenda Lynn’s Height of the Emotion
What I learned doing this assignment is how to utilize the big emotional moments of the story to create memorable dialogue. These lines add depth and add to the gradient profound change that takes place in the story.
ASSIGNMENT 1: Height of the Emotion
When David finds out that he is not going to fulfill his dream of going to Lascaux, but ends up assigned to Tikal instead.
“Jungle, Tikal, the Maya—do you good.”
His brother makes David feel that no matter what he does, he will always come in second.
“Where you are end in the race is a position. How you take the journey is the true measurement.”
David first experience with the Maya Fire Ceremony.
“Life from afar is fascinating. But even with the pain, life from within is exhilarating.”
David finds out that his spiritual guide, Appo, is not long for this world.
“Life is an empty vessel. Only you can choose what to put inside.”
David must choose between his old dreams and his new destiny.
“A man has many dreams in life, but only one destiny.”
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Brenda Lynn Builds Meaning with Dialogue
ASSIGNMENT 2: Build Meaning Over Multiple Experiences
What I learned from this experience is how to create setups and payoffs for lines of dialogue. This can be such an satisfying experience for an audience and deepens the profound journey of the story. Great tool for the toolbox. When I first started this assignment, I didn’t think it would be possible. But it is an amazing process when it is achieved.
1. “What goes around comes around.”
Frank says it to David when confronted about the Lascaux switch.
Father Sean reminds David that his actions will have consequences.
Appo uses it to explain that what is sent out into the cosmos will someday return into your life.
2. “Look outward. You will be amazed at what you discover inside.”
Father Sean says it to David when he tells him that he is going to Tikal instead of Lascaux.
When Appo sees David wrapped up in his technology gadgets.
When David experiences his vision quest.
3. “Life is an empty vessel. What are you going to put inside?”
Father Sean says it to David when he sends him to Tikal instead of France.
Father Sean says it to David when he wants to leave Tikal.
Father Sean says it again when David tells him that he is going to stay in Tikal to become a Maya priest.
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