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Day 2 Assignments
Reply to post your assignment.
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23 Replies
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Renee’s Great Hook
A. How did this process work for you?
The process was pretty simple, but I have already gone through the process with the MSC and the ProSeries.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?”
I didn’t really learn anything new with this assignment, but it is always nice going through the process again to find a high concept idea.
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Don’s Great Hook
A. How did this process work for me? I find it challenging to answers questions about a screenplay I haven’t written. I’m not sure if it works for me.
B. What did I learn doing thus assignment? The exchanging components exercise taught me that there is an unlimited number of ideas that I can generate by putting in new characters, settings, difficulties, or reasons for being contained to one location.
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Auguste’s Great Hook!
A. The process made me think about what I was doing. It was difficult, but when I found something original, I found that I was more in control of what I was doing. And I liked that.
B. I learned that writing a contained script is a planned piece of work.
I used the movie, Psycho, to brainstorm a unique villain story, and came up with my hook story idea – The Zero Girl.
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I banged around on this computer till I invaded this site. I cannot get into the forum as it closes me out. But I was grateful to get here. So, I will add my two cents while I can. Concepts can be difficult. Like many writers, I find writing easier than dredging up concepts defining the screenplay. So, starting with specifics highlight my focus. And that leads to clarity, which leads to a better result in what I am writing. I may not succeed with each concept, but if I can find a diamond among the dross; to some degree, I have already succeeded. And one success leads to another, no matter the size. But for me, the writing is what moves me; what keeps me writing in the wee hours when everyone else is sleeping, unable to hear the music that leads to the dance, that begins with the concept and leads to the Fade out…
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Josh’s Great Hook
How did this process work for you?
Well, honestly I sort of had a lot my concept figured out, but still wanted to do the assignment on my chosen project. It was just sort of difficult in that, I already had decisions made in my head for some (but not all) of the components.
What did you learn doing this assignment?
That I have a pretty good concept that I’m excited about and this only made me more excited for it. Also, the exercise, minus the “High Concept Question,” helped to see through a different lens exactly what I’m dealing with. The question I was able to answer without much thought so I’m not sure if that’s good or bad but I suppose I’m going to find out.
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Sean’s Great Hook
A. How did this process work for you?
It helped me to think more about what needs to be included in the story. I have 5 of the 6 techniques figured out.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?
I learned more about how my original idea is evolving when thinking about your techniques.
Thanks!
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Sean Benson.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by
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Jay’s Great Hook
How did this process work for you?
Coming into the class, I had already decided to work on an existing script. Even through this was the case, the process was interesting and helped to confirm a number of items.
What did you learn doing this assignment?
It was interesting to step through and complete the process, and I learned a lot. I believe it helped confirm my story is high concept and that it has a strong hook.
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Peter’s Great Hook
A. How did this process work for you?
It was a great exercise in flexing creativity quickly. Enjoyed it!
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?
I learned how to cycle through ideas quicker than I knew before. I can increease speed of development using this technique. Really beneficial. Cheers!
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Jason’s Great Hook
A. How did this process work for you?
It helps to have a structure/prompts to aid in coming up with hooks, as they are not always right in front of you. Being pushed to brainstorm keeps me from accepting the first thing that comes to mind, which is generally not the best idea I can come up with. I’m not completely decided on which concept to move forward with, but I have a couple of solid options, I believe.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?
Exchanging components can help bring that extra sauce to a concept, something out of the ordinary or an additional layer of story or intrigue.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Jason Nave.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by
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Heather’s Great Hook
A. How did this process work for you?
This process was very helpful. Knowing the components of the high concept makes me feel like I have organization for my thoughts and pushes me to think through the story in a new meaningful light.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?
I feel like of my 5 concepts, I have the least difficulty brainstorming with the one that hits closest to home. Truth is much stranger than fiction!
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What I learned from this process is that I have several ideas but I’m still searching for that unique hook which means I’m still figuring out which of my 5 ideas I’m going to follow through on.
Idea 1 in a Textile Mill – searching for a hook and high concept questions
Idea 1:
• A. Contained Environment: An Abandoned Textile Mill in the middle of nowhere.
• B. Contained Characters: Amateur Ghost Hunters making a movie.
• C. Difficult Situation: They must find the ghosts, otherwise they give back the money they already spent.
• D. Reason for the Containment: Their Producer locked them in after they took his money: now he wants the footage.
Idea 1:
• 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 – still brainstorming.
• A. Intriguing Contained Setting: A Textile Mill rumoured to be haunted.
• B. Unique Device: Producer has locked them in for 24 hours.
• C. Unique Monster/Villain: The Foreman.
• D. Mystery: Where is little Jack?
• E. Impossible goal/Unsolvable problem: To film a real ghost.
• F. Unique layers: The writer, the DOP, and the Producer have hidden intentions.
2. Ask the High Concept Question.
• Having to do with ___Fake it to you make it until you can no longer fake it.
Ideas 2 and 3 in a Castle – searching for a hook and high concept questions
Idea 2:
• A. Contained Environment: A Castle.
• B. Contained Characters: A group of Students.
• C. Difficult Situation: The Castle is rumoured to be haunted, and they can’t get out without triggering an alarm call to the Police.
• D. Reason for the Containment: A bet to prove the Castle is haunted.
Idea 2:
• 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 – still brainstorming.
Idea 3:
• A. Contained Environment: A Castle.
• B. Contained Characters: A group of Tourists.
• C. Difficult Situation: Someone is reenacting historical clan rivalries with brutal consequences.
• D. Reason for the Containment: A bet to hide in the castle overnight.
Idea 3:
• 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 – still brainstorming.
• A. Intriguing Contained Setting: A Castle full of ghosts.
• B. Unique Device: Has been hired for 24 hours (by a party of tourists) or duration of the warrant or experiment (if a detective and/or a group of researchers)
• C. Unique Monster/Villain: The Prisoner; The Piper Boy; Lady Mary, Drummer Girl.
• D. Mystery: Where is Jake?
• E. Impossible goal/Unsolvable problem: To get a confession while staying alive, surviving.
• F. Unique layers: A friend takes his friends to the castle with hidden intentions; A detective trying to solve a case takes the prisoner to the castle in a bid to get him to confess. Prisoner is afraid of ghosts.
2. Ask the High Concept Question.
• Having to do with ___When using someone’s biggest fear to elicit a confession turns you from hero to villain.
Idea 4 in a Tunnel – searching for a hook and high concept questions
Idea 4:
• A. Contained Environment: A remote tunnel.
• B. Contained Characters: A family or the father or the mother.
• C. Difficult Situation: If the animals see, hear or smell them they die – this may just be an obstacle or taken out if it no longer fits.
• D. Reason for the Containment: Injured after a car accident.
Idea 4:
• 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 – still brainstorming.
• A. Intriguing Contained Setting: A remote tunnel next to a nuclear power station.
• B. Unique Device: Waste water containing nuclear waste is flushed through the tunnel three times a day.
• C. Unique Monster/Villain: The Corporation.
• D. Mystery: Why did Bill suddenly leave?
• E. Impossible goal/Unsolvable problem: To escape the tunnel alive.
• F. Unique layers: Bill and June have uncovered safety violations at their employer’s nuclear plant and must warn people.
Idea 5 on a Bridge – searching for a hook and high concept questions
Idea 5:
• A. Contained Environment: A bridge.
• B. Contained Characters: A nuclear waste convoy.
• C. Difficult Situation: If radioactive material escapes it will instantly kill everyone and everything within a 10 km (down from 1,000 km) radius.
• D. Reason for the Containment: The bridge collapses as they are crossing it.
Idea 5:
• 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 – needs more work.
• A. Intriguing Contained Setting: A Bridge.
• B. Unique Device: The bridge could collapse at any minute.
• C. Unique Monster/Villain: The Corporation.
• D. Mystery: Why did this convey leave the nuclear plant?
• E. Impossible goal/Unsolvable problem: To stop a nuclear explosion.
• F. Unique layers: There are two convoy’s on the
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Joanna’s Great hook
A: How did this process work for you?
This process was really eye opening for me! Especially when faced with the question “Having to do with_________, what haven’t we seen before?” It drove me to think of more unique factors to make my pre-ideas more interesting.
B: What did you learn doing this assignment?
I learned that just because I fall in love with one idea, that doesn’t make my movie idea unique or provide a great hook. However by going through the Key Components in a Hook, I discovered that some of my other ideas can become something interesting and compelling.
I also have new tools that I would apply to any script I plan to write, contained or not.
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DAY 2 ASSIGNMENT – BEVO BEAVEN’S GREAT HOOK
INTERSTATE 60
A. HOW DID THIS PROCESS WORK FOR ME?
Well, it was difficult and a bit tedious, but it worked well. I ran all 6 concepts through the “exchanging components” process and came up with at least one or two better ideas or components for all of the story concepts. I eliminated two afterward – one needed at its core to star two 10-year-olds, so that was out for Covid reasons. The other story just felt too familiar, already been done in one form or another. So that left 4 concepts. I worked on the high concept hooks swapping out locations, people, unique ideas, until I had the new hooks written. Read those to my wife (she has different taste in movies from mine much of the time, but we do happen to like a lot of the same things—Ozark and Yellowstone).
Anyway she said “no” immediately to all my favorite concepts, but she liked one that I was actually kind of neutral to – however, she said she liked it but it felt pretty similar to other things already done in movies and TV series and so I used the “exchanging components” process on it again and came up with a totally new story and hook (using the same main character and a similar situation that happened to the main character in the prior iteration, but the details in the new version verge toward being a unique combination and they work much better to further the tension and mystery aspects of a story written intentionally to be in a contained format). Retitled INTERSTATE 60.
B. WHAT DID I LEARN DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT?
I learned that it really pays dividends to run ideas, concepts or “hooks” by someone you trust. With intense concentration for hours on the page of words describing and developing these concepts, I learned that I can’t trust myself to pick what might be best one, working alone in a vacuum. After a certain point of screen-staring, the words become a commodity. With my wife’s external input I zeroed in on one of the 6 concepts and swapped a couple of the components to made it a much better contained movie concept and a better story. (I do still like the other 5 concepts!)
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Russ’s Great Hook
A. How did this process work for you?
A little forced. but then I’m not really in the headspace for working on a new script right now. I’m developing 5 ideas I had archived for the purposes of taking the class. As I said in my introduction, I jumped on the opportunity for this course at the price, though the timing is poor with other things I am working on.
All that said, it’s an interesting exercise.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?
Good methodology for honing a contained script idea.
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Matthew Frendo’s Great Hook!
This process worked well for me. I had a concept I loved and was able to add more to it without much work.
What I learned doing this assignment was how to enhance a good idea and find new ideas to serve the concept. I learned how to make a concept better.
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Diana’s Great Hook
A: I loved changing components. I thought I had a decent concept, but it got way better by doing this exercise.
B: I learned to not be wedded to concepts and to be open to taking them in any direction to elevate them.
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The process helped me by learning a systematic approach to developing movie ideas. Most importantly, how to let go of ones that can’t sell.
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A & B. How did this process work for you and what I learned going through this process?
A bit confusing at first. It helped me to put a systematic approach to the development of movie ideas that sell. More importantly, how to let go of ones that don’t.
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Julie’s Great Hook
The process was interesting to me because I thought I had chosen the subject for my contained script, but in doing the assignment I came up with a better one!
What I learned from this assignment: I had a difficult time getting into the Forums, so I learned persistence, and also the value of being flexible about my ideas.
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Stacy’s Great Hook!
A. How did this process work for you? These classes are truly an exercise of “trust the process”. I like being able to break a concept down into manageable pieces, and giving myself permission to just focus on one component at a time.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?-I am learning to brainstorm and to refine each piece of the puzzle as I go. Breaking the concept down lets me see where the weak parts are and allows me to discover new possabilities. I even thought of a great title for the script while brainstorming! -
Julie’s plot layers
What I learned doing this assignment: I’m still having trouble posting to forums, so I learned persistence.
1. Brainstorm potential plot layers.
• Major scheme revealed: DJ sells drugs during rave
• Mystery revealed: Anna is part of his cult that sells drugs.
• Thought it was one thing, but it is another: Anna is his daughter. Jim is anti-drug CIA agent.
• Major shift in Meaning: Anna and Jim fall for each other.
• Hidden history: DJ is wanted for sex crimes.
• Hidden plan: DJ plans to use drugs to recruit girls to his cult.
2.. Brainstorm potential character layers.
• Secret identity: Jim is spy for Cia.
• Intrigue layers: Jim is sent secretly to put an end to drug trade through Switzerland.
• Hidden relationships and conspiracies: Jim and Annal fall for each other despite working for different groups.
• Hidden Character history: Jim is CIA plant. Anna wants to escape her father’s cult.
. Brainstorm potential location layers.
• Hidden operation: Drug manufacturing operation deep inside mountain bunker
• Deeper meaning: Plan to infiltrate Europe starting with Swiss government.
• Trap to draw prey: Through Raves.
• Unique sub-world: Hidden Nazi group from WW II.
4. Tell us about the layers you’ve chosen. Use this format with each of them:
• Surface Layer: Illegal Rave inside mountain bunker in Switzerland led by DJ, who sells drugs using his daughter Anna.
• Beneath That: Anna wants to escape from his evil ways and thinks American Jim is the answer.
• How Revealed: Jim is CIA agent.
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Jon’s Great Hook
A. How did this process work for you?
I found the structure of the different types of hooks to be extremely helpful in trying to shape hooks from within my premises.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?”
I learned that you don’t necessarily need to start with the hook as the idea in order to have a hook. That it’s possible to have a broader idea or topic and discover a hook within it.
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Day 2 Assignment, Linda’s Great Hook
“A. How did this process work for you? Made me get more specific about the basic components that would create compelling drama.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?”
Concluded I hadn’t seen this before in a movie or play about the Iraq war
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