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Day 4 Assignments
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10 Replies
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Dev Ross – KICK ASS ENDINGS
What I learned doing this assignment is that once trying it on, it – like so many of the other exercises – gave me a much broader sense of how I can accomplish the end of my story. I was sure I wouldn’t change my original ending and now I’m not so sure! And, of course, each new ending adds new layers to characters.
1. THE ULTIMATE CONFRONTATION would have to work by me effectively treating the Caine/Able connection as a more psychological one – where one personality would finally win out over the other, much like in stories of people with multiple personalities. To do that, Lincoln Able would win the gun fight with Caine but not after being horribly wounded, look like he’s going to die, and then having an almost miraculous revival. Think MATRIX after Neo is overcome in his fight with all the agents. Lincoln would have to draw energy from his other personality and use it to fuel his comeback in order to ultimately kill his other half. Think Matrix
2. RETURN HOME, ONLY it is Different would be an extension of the above. After killing Clay, Lincoln would go back to his world and lead his followers even more effectively because he had killed the hate residing deep within himself. I could show this by him finally accompanying his wife to church. He would no longer have his strong aversion to it and be able to support his wife in going. Think first Star Wars.
3. END WITH A FUTURE – here I would have Caine return home, reject his white supremacy and turn himself in. IN JAIL, I’d have him work with other haters to get them to see the light. Think Doc on hate.
4. MAJOR LAYER UNCOVERED is where I’m going now with my ending. Revealing the two characters are really the opposite side of each other existing in a parallel world. With their truth revealed and destroyed, their revenge/hate/self-righteous cycle is removed and the two worlds re-invent one another. The twist comes when one is loving, the other is hateful. Each one completely so. THINK Likely Suspects
5. GOOD GUY WINS AFTER MUCH PAIN AND RISK – this would also greatly change the meaning of my story. This would take on: there is a good and bad wolf in each of us. It’s who we feed. If Lincoln’s side of the personality is always losing ground – meaning his work, his family, and his self-esteem, the last fight would have to be a doozy. It would be Caine tracking him to the plant. Lincoln’s come back would be brutal but successful by a hair. WIZARD OF OZ
6. GREAT PROTAGONIST STRATEGY – I would have Lincoln beaten down, losing all support from others and belief in himself. When he sees Caine randomly shooting black people, it no longer is about him but others. To this end, I’d have him offer himself up to Caine, trading himself so that Caine stops killing other black people I’d also have him finally understand what’s happening as in “Shining Girls.” This way he would have a jump on his pursuer. When Caine is ready to kill him – of course with having his say about why – Lincoln could ask if he could explain his POV. Caine, being basically a fair man just so damaged, would agree. Lincoln would explain what’s happening and how they are both intertwined. Caine would see it for a moment but then reject it. In Caine’s moment of shock and upset, Lincoln could pull out a hidden weapon or use a skill he had learned earlier, and kill Caine. SHINING GIRLS
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Cameron Martin’s Kick Ass Endings!
What I learned doing this assignment is…I need to go back and change one of the introductory scenes involving Sully. Looking through and applying each ending gave me a better understanding and appreciation for my story’s themes and what drives Sully’s character, because I had to find different ways for them to apply in different contexts. While the Protagonist Strategy helped me to flesh out a little more of what I’m going for, the endings that I had no interest in applying for this story were monumental in giving me a better understanding his character. This is also a great exercise for one day having to meet producer’s needs. If the producer wants a different type of ending, I know I can satisfy that request while keeping what makes my story special.
1. The Ultimate Confrontation
This is a little tricky for this story, considering the crux of it leans into the father/son relationship between Sully and Isaiah and their capacity to work together. I would need a character set up earlier in the story that could serve as a foil to this relationship. The worms are the obvious antagonist to lean into here, though a “Queen” alien should be avoided so as to avoid further ALIENS comparisons. Another component of this story is Kitchen Sink Sci-Fi with an emphasis, similar to STAR WARS in some respects or THE MARTIAN, of problem solving using supplies on hand. There’s no “magic button” that saves the day. However, since the worms’ severe weakness to strong alkalines has already been set up, a final confrontation could come in the form of wiping out the colony by using the sprinkler system to spread bleach or lye throughout the complex. The issue there, of course, is that you would have to have enough of the the concentrated chemicals to spread throughout the colony without diluting it via water. That doesn’t seem very believable. So what else? “Nuking the site from orbit?” No, that’s still ALIENS. I could go with an alien host. While that leans into ALIEN 3’s gimmick, it does provide more options for scares in addition to the alien worms and the human hosts that are already present. It could also set up more visibly how the parasitic worms could breach the colony walls, if a large alien life form was inhabited by a worm and tore into the complex. The themes and what most interest me about this story stays intact, while offering a new take on the minotaur trope of a character being trapped in a labyrinth with a large creature. It also sets up a choice for Isaiah. Much like Sully has to sacrifice his need to be in total control, Isaiah would have to sacrifice his desire to protect the aliens in favor of killing the most dangerous one to save his dad. My only concern with this ending is the budget of designing and animating a large monster, versus worms and zombies that shouldn’t need near as much work. But with the right budget, this ending could still work on a number of levels.2. Return Home, Only it is Different
I’m going with the metaphorical home for this one. Using the “Up Ending” from the previous assignment, this ending involves Sully saving Isaiah after asking him to take charge, followed by the Hegemony sparing the two in exchange for Isaiah’s notes. New protocols are set to mitigate the disaster of another outbreak of alien worms, while Sully and Isaiah return to life as it was before on a new colony, except this time they’re shown to have a healthier respect for each other and their relationship. There could also be a couple lines that allude to Sully dating again, a sign that he’s chosen to finally move on from the death of his wife prior to the events of the film.
3. End with a Future
This is pretty much the way the original “Ironic Ending” works. Sully asks Isaiah to take charge and get them to the Medical Bay aboard the passenger vessel so that Sully can extract the eggs from Isaiah’s lungs. Afterward, Sully uncovers Jude’s recordings and notes to the conscripted exterminators: a last ditch attempt to save his son. It works and incites a revolt, with an earlier character, Markus, leading the charge and getting both Sully and Isaiah to an escape ship, demanding they expose the Hegemony to the rest of humanity in space. This leaves the end with a future, where the two survived their ordeal with the alien worms, only be set on a new path against an even greater threat. Also, in keeping with a horror genre trope, as the different escape ships are boarded and launched, one of the infected boards an escape ship, setting up the monster for a sequel.
4. Major Layer Uncovered
I had an earlier version of this concept that relied on this ending, with one of the characters being set up initially as a smuggler, but being revealed as a Hegemony Loyalist and assassin. But, just like I established earlier, what most interests me is the father/son relationship, and in order for this kind of ending to have a major impact anyway, some new layer has to be uncovered from THAT relationship. One option is that Isaiah was infected from the beginning, prior to the events of the story, and it’s this moment of infection that set him on a path to understanding everything about the worms that he could, all in an effort to save his life. This changes every line he has from being quirky and obsessive to being desperate. The ending could carry out similarly, but it’s borderline unbelievable and nixes the whole ticking clock component if I don’t set up this ending right by changing some of the rules regarding the worms.
5. Good Guy Wins after Much Pain and Risk
This is also pretty much my “Ironic Ending” or “Up Ending.” A FEW GOOD MEN is the standard to me, and I grew up watching MY COUSIN VINNY as a family movie. Before the events of my story, Sully had a moment where he couldn’t save both his son and his wife, and had to choose to save one or the other. He chose to save his son, and the guilt of that action weighs on him throughout this story and has created a wedge between him and his son. Now the same thing responsible for his wife’s death is threatening his son again. He doesn’t make it to the bunker, has to kill someone who helped him and his son survive before she turns, accidentally gets his son infected anyway, all the while releasing a hundred alien hosts upon the entire colony, just as conscripted exterminators arrive to kill everything and everyone not inside the bunker. Can’t get much worse than to survive what he couldn’t survive on his own before, with the addition of an army out to kill him as well, and his son threatening to mother and give birth to hostile alien worms. The only way he’s getting out of this is to put faith in something other than himself.
6. Great Protagonist Strategy
This might be the final component in my original ending I’m missing. What exactly does Isaiah come up with that gets himself and his dad to the Medical Bay where his dad can save him. Sure, one element of the strategy may involve gathering Jude’s evidence as a hail mary. However, a shot in the dark is still a shot in the dark, and that’s not what a great strategy is about. A Great Strategy is about the protagonist outsmarting his/her opponent. Looking at Isaiah, he’s already set up as a very smart kid: He has knowledge of the worms on par with the spy whose job it was to cover up said knowledge, and he has an intuitive interest and understanding of basic mechanics. Giving him a third “superpower” risks not feeling earned. I know I originally set up this ending to give him a passion and interest in escape routes and exporting them, and this was supposed to be in some way connected with the way the worms navigate the compound. But, again, it’s difficult to EARN this this late in the film. Therefore, the “Great Strategy” (separate from Sully’s in performing a bronchoscopy to rid Isaiah of the eggs in his lungs) has to rely on Isaiah’s two loves – simple machines and alien fauna. For now, I’m going go with simple machines to get inside the walls of the compound, so that Isaiah and Sully can make their way to the ship under cover, while using a massage gun to create powerful vibrations in the walls, thus drawing the worms to them, which help to cover for their escape. It’s something simple, uses tools that could be on hand (no science fantasy here), and is supported by what’s already set up in earlier scenes.
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PS81 – Dana’s Kick-Ass Endings
What I learned Doing This Assignment
Developing multiple endings enabled me to see my script from different perspectives. My character motivations changed, as did my story’s direction, allowing me to take elements from each ending to create the most satisfying climax and resolution that I hadn’t originally considered.
KICK ASS ENDINGS:
ULTIMATE CONFRONTATION
Ellen successfully draws William, Jason’s suicidal personality, from the darkness to confront Ryan, the psychotic personality, and save her daughters. Ellen pressures William, pushing his frailty, working his conscience to saver her daughter. She threatens that he will be locked in the darkness, never to escape again, with the others whispering and conspiring against him as he fears, blaming him for their plight, for his not stopping Ryan.
Ryan intercedes, ever-present, and grabs Ellen’s eldest daughter, threatening to killer her if Ellen doesn’t stop pressuring William. But she continues to push William, until the two personalities collide, fighting for dominance until a gun goes off. For a silent moment, nothing is heard, the call drops. Ellen in a panic. Det. Sorensen burst into the on-air studio to tell her Jason (William) killed himself and her daughters are saved.
Ellen leaves for the hospital to be with her daughters, and Sorensen visits the crime scene to tie up the loose ends about the case.
Months later, Ellen has returned to private practice where she belongs.
RETURN HOME, ONLY IT IS DIFFERENT
Jason has been killed –
Months later, Ellen has returned to private practice where she belongs. She no longer treats adults and has deals strictly with children who have suffered traumatic events. After a session, she receives a phone call from someone who, at first, does not respond.
Ryan then says, “Hello again, Dr. Ellen. I was a long-time listener. And a first-time caller.”
End.
END WITH A FUTURE
Months after Jason has been killed –
Ellen meets Sorensen to thank him for his help. Ellen has fully recovered and is leaving San Francisco to start a new life. A small town with a new practice. She invites him to visit one day, and he accepts. Ellen gets in her car and drives off with Sorensen heading in the opposite direction.
MAJOR LAYER UNCOVERED
Jason has been killed –
Sorensen sends Ellen to the hospital to be with her daughters and returns to the police station to a hero’s welcome. He and the team tie up loose ends, but things don’t quite fit. He’s told to forget it. Jason was insane.
Sorensen receives a phone call from a local psychiatrist who explains Jason was being held at his clinic for two-week observation under a different name, another personality, and was released that morning after Ellen’s family was kidnapped. Sorensen investigates to discover Ryan was different person.
Following week, Ryan calls another radio station, compliments the host of the show, and tells him he’s a “long time listener. And a first-time caller.” And we begin again.
GOOD GUY WINS AFTER MUCH PAIN AND RISK
Ellen successfully draws William, Jason’s suicidal personality, from the darkness to confront Ryan, the psychotic personality, and save her daughters. But she quickly discovers William is no longer suicidal, and he throws in with Ryan to assume control of Jason.
Ellen targets William’s ego, picking at him that he was a footnote in a book about Jason, arguing the same will happen to him again, returned to the darkness while Ryan receives the attention. She turns William against Ryan until the two egos collide, righting for dominance until a gun goes off. For a silent moment, nothing is heard, the call drops. Ellen in a panic. Det. Sorensen burst into the on-air studio to tell her Jason (William) killed himself and her daughters are saved.
Ellen leaves for the hospital to be with her daughters, and Sorensen visits the crime scene to tie up the loose ends about the case.
Months later, Ellen has returned to private practice where she belongs.
GREAT PROTAGONIST STRATEGY
Ellen successfully draws William, Jason’s suicidal personality, from the darkness to confront Ryan, the psychotic personality, and save her daughters. Ellen delves into William’s psyche, convincing him that he’s stronger than Ryan, that he can take the gun and protect his daughters.
Ryan intercedes, ever-present, and grabs Ellen’s eldest daughter, threatening to killer her if Ellen doesn’t stop pressuring William. Ellen continues to push William to be strong and step up, save her daughters. Ryan laughs at Ellen’s attempt, mocking William and threatening Ellen’s daughter.
Ellen then tells Ryan she knows something about William that he doesn’t. “And what’s that?” William was a member of Special Forces who suffers from PTSD, and that she knows Ryan isn’t not one of Jason’s personalities. He’s a separate person. She’s known from the beginning and tricked Ryan into letter her bring William forward. She then turns William loose on Ryan, who kills Ryan and savers her daughters and Jason, her patient, from Ryan.
Months later, Ellen has returned to private practice where she belongs.
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June Fortunato’s Kick Ass Endings for Retirement Day 4
What I learned– I discovered a few things to incorporate as I finish my screenplay.
1. The Ultimate Confrontation
Earlier, Kim reported her demon brother, Brian, and his satanic wife, Ingrid, to the SEC, FCC and bank officials as embezzlers and identity thieves. Kim has slipped away from Roy once again, but this time, she goes to the cottage and catches them as they try to escape to South America. As they drag their suitcases to a waiting UBER, Roy, and law enforcement arrive and nab the two. Kim has proven that Brian and Ingrid forged her name, defamed her character, stole her inheritance- so she now has sole ownership of her home. Roy pleads that they need each other, gets onto one knee, and asks her to be his forever girl.
2. Return Home, Only it is Different
After the Ultimate Confrontation and time has passed. Furniture on the lawn, “FREE” – Inside the house, walls are removed, and the place is empty of the gilded items Brian and Ingrid owned. Kim and Roy renovate the house. One thing that’s already happened? The garden is in full bloom and Marilyn’s dogs, Woofie and Ludwig romp inside.
3. End with a Future
Kim plays piano at the little theatre, only this time, there’s a full and adoring audience. Roy, in the wings, tells everybody, “That’s my girl”
4. Major Layer Uncovered
Roy fell for a girl in VietNam, and she got pregnant. When Roy and his best friend have one day left- will leave the next day- Roy’s girl and another approach. Roy’s has left-over chocolate and tries to give it to his girl. She has a bomb wired to herself- she explodes, and takes him out. Then the other girl is pushed toward Roy’s buddy. She too, has a bomb attached. She’s about to explode the bomb, when Roy’s buddy takes cover and kills her. After that, Roy really is dead, and his buddy takes Roy’s name and identity, but informs authorities that he’s dead.
5. Good Guy Wins after Much Pain and Risk
In the last scene, Roy is on top of Kim’s cottage. He has set up smoke bombs throughout the house. As Brian and Ingrid run from the smoke, Kim catches them in front with Denny, and Law enforcement- to take them away. Denny tells Kim the house is officially all yours. How did that happen? Roy gave me copies of your paperwork. Then Roy, on the roof shouts down, “I’m in love with you. Be mine!”
6. Great Protagonist Strategy
Kim has mailed proof that Brian is embezzling from the bank, that Brian and Ingrid have stolen Kim’s identity and taken her inheritance, have defamed her character. But it’s when Roy gets Denny involved that their fates are sealed. Brian and Ingrid will serve time and owe money to Kim. Kim has sole ownership of the house and invites Roy to be there forever with her. They also get Marilyn’s dogs.
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<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Anna Harper’s Kick-Ass Endings
What I learned; If I haven’t got a magical ending, the movie will fall flat. The endings I have turned in are OK, but I am not feeling the jazz entirely with any of them yet. Maybe with more detail, it will help. I have used the concept of doing the ending first before, and it did work and helped me get through writer’s block.
The Ultimate Confrontation
Sandy (Antagonist) has asked his friend, a Mason and a lawyer, to represent him in court to assert his claim to half of James’s legacy.
If he wins, the farm and the training center, housing for street youth, will be lost. Sandy vehemently opposes the use of the farm in this way. And he wants the legacy money.
He must be stopped at all costs as additionally, he dislikes Pirate (the reason for the legacy/inheritance.
Unknown to either Sandy or his friend, the sitting judge has been changed. The new judge is a Grand Master Mason, who does not approve of the challenge to the will, which cannot be supported in law, and dismisses the case. The whole community is there to support Sophie’s claim as are the youth in her care.
Pirate is in court and barks his approval.Return Home, Only It’s Different
Sophie has allowed Sandy to come and experience a week at the farm. The subtext is, can their relationship work?
Sandy spends his week trying his hand at everything and to his surprise enjoys himself, and the teenagers. Pirate is still a challenge to him, but life seems very different and happy on the farm and Sandy is glad to be back with Sophie.
Sophis is not so sure. She keeps her distance and decides she has changed too much to live with stuffy Sandy. There is no chemistry there for Sophie.
At the end of the week, Sophie says it will not work and sends Sandy packing. He returns to his old cottage, everything is beige. The T.V. is still in the same place. The ticking of the clock. And realizes that he has changed and does not want to be there. We observe him arranging a for sale sign and taking off in a sailboat.
End With A future
Simon, the retired cynical policeman who actually means well, has been won over by Sophie’s successes at the Farm.
Sophie is facing lots of complications with machinery not working quite right, trying to teach the boys to drive, and generally juggling things she is not familiar with and needs help with. Simon has been making himself useful.
Simon suggests he moves in, and they live as a couple
Sophie tells him that you don’t get all the benefits in a new job on the first day. She tells him to move into the farm manager’s cottage, and she will decide if he is working out to her satisfaction
Major Layer Uncovered
Pirate and Alfie have been reunited for a visit. All the boys and Sophie are at the beach. One of the boys nearly drowns and Alfie and Pirate go out and successfully rescue the boy. All the while the other boys are watching (they are Townie boys and resistant to swimming).
The rescue makes them all revisit the working nature of the dogs. They realize hanging out at the farm is not enough. It is decided to take the dogs for a training course so they can be community rescue/support dogs.
Final scene a big sign is erected at the front of the farm announcing the farm is the home of the local hero Pirate.
Good Guy Wins After Much Pain and Risk
Who is the good guy? The dog Pirate, the new romantic interest Colin, or Sophie?
Colin has been through a great deal trying to win over Sophie. He hangs out with the teenagers who initially rebuff him. He wins them over with guitar playing and teaching them self-defense Sophie is still not won over.
Colin fixes things on the farm, he knows how to take a tractor apart in the pouring rain and make it work.
When one of the boys gets into trouble, crusty old Colin stands up for the boy and gets him a second chance. Sophie is impressed, but not entirely.
Colin tries to be romantic. He cooks special meals for Sophie and takes her out to local events. She is still not ready to get serious. Though she is fully aware of what a great guy he is.
One night, two of the boys have been sneaking a smoke in the barn. Everyone turns in to sleep. Pirate starts barking Colin investigates. There is a fire, in the barn, Colin rescues the horses from the conflagration at great risk to himself. Sophie is won over.
Great Protagonist Strategy
Sophie is the protagonist. She takes the bull by the horns and meets objections every step of the way as she develops the farm into a going concern providing housing and training for troubled youth.
The authorities do not think the farmhouse is suitable, so she uses some of the inheritance money to build a bunk house for the boys. Some of the locals object to the building application.
The neighbors complain about having troubled youth in the vicinity. Sophie holds a meeting and addresses all of their concerns. She gains support when some of the parents talk about their parenting challenges.
Sophie takes in Chris, recovering from septicemia, a recovering drug addict. She gives him a responsible job. It works out.
Sophie finds out one of the boys is part of the drug-running scheme called ‘County Lines’ ( a real problem in the UK) with Colin’s help, they rescue the mother from the thugs and break up the local criminal gang. All’s well that ends well. This gives the farm lots of positive publicity, putting to rest any remaining negativity.
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Kate’s Kick Ass endings!
What I learned doing this assignment is there are some great germs of ideas that might work given time and weaving back, that only come out of doing what seems completely unrelated to these characters and context. ALSO I need to strength the physical expression of the conflict between Nia and Darrogh, now it is very emotional and cerebral. Some endings are naturally there however…
1. The Ultimate Confrontation
Ni and Darrogh – the play in public, with the epilogue.
2. Return Home, Only it is Different
Nia goes back to the theatre world with a business-like, practical approach.
3. End with a Future
Nia leaving on the bus, snuggled with Shaunn, reading the letter from Luciana where she says she’ll take care of Darrogh and to go and live free.
4. Major Layer Uncovered
A. A key component of the story that can be hidden throughout the story.
– Nia has her Mother’s diary in which she says Darrogh isn’t a bad guy just lonely and needy and underneath afraid and he will need forgiveness. After her grandparents died she was given the letter and has tracked him down. She went there to find him – secretly.
B. It needs to be directly connected to the main conflict of the story.
– Her conflict – wanting the perfect Dad, recognizing the reality of the one she has.
C. It needs to somehow be responsible for much of what has happened in the story
– It is hard for Nia to see who he really is because this letter is from her Mother and she wants to do what she asked.
5. Good Guy Wins after Much Pain and Risk
• confusion about who Luciana is – good or bad person?
• The Con Attempt fails 2x
• finally hears the truth of her Mother’s death
• first fight with her Father when she experiences the nasty side of him
• next fight – thrown out of Darrogh’s house
• Darrogh’s development is starting
• They meet again – he pulls a big emotional blackmail on him
• she has to keep the secret of the Con.
6. Great Protagonist Strategy
A. A great strategy for the Protagonist to use.
•As Nia learns more about him she also learns she must never show him her true self.
The play idea = to reveal the Con – but it is not enough.
SO she decides on the Othello scene – personal
B. Covert setups to make the strategy viable.
• rehearsal secretly
• moves back into his house
• convinces him to go to the show
C. Overt setups to convince the audience the Protagonist won’t succeed.
• he immediately starts working on her again
• produces Amahla’s farewell letter to him about their daughter
• a storm comes the morning of the show
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DAY 4 – SIX KICK-ASS ENDINGS
Lisa’s Kick Ass Endings
What I learned is try on different endings to see what sticks.
1. The Ultimate Confrontation –
Mary dressed as Santa confronts Peter on the roof of a house he’s trying to burglar. Mary appears to get shot when she jumps in front of Peter.
2. Return Home, Only it is Different –
Mary decides to stay in Seneca Falls, only she decides to not marry again, but take over the IAWL festival permanently. Or she does what she’s been fighting against all through the movie and marry Joseph and stay in town.
3. End with a Future –
Mary moves with her daughters to Albany after the festival as planned. She has a new city, a new house…and a new man.
4. Major Layer Uncovered –
Mary has already sold her old Victorian house and bought a new place in Albany. She doesn’t want to run the IAWL festival anymore and gives her blessing to Violet to take over for their mom. Mary decides she’s an independent woman and wants to take her daughters on the adventures she never experienced as a child. She doesn’t end up with either Joseph or Peter. Violet ends up with Joseph and Peter stays with Tilly.
5. Good Guy Wins after Much Pain and Risk –
After divorcing, dealing with Peter’s PTSD, her mom dying, her dad changing after her mom died, and being forced to take over the festival, Mary gets back with Peter, (who is a good guy too) in the end and they live in Seneca Falls happily ever after.
6. Great Protagonist Strategy –
Mary thwarts the ultimate confrontation by being dressed as Santa and switching places with him. And she gets the idea to give Peter the festival money from IAWL. She also convinces Joseph to foot the bill the next year…and it works!
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Day 4 – Six Kick-Ass Endings – Assignment
Mike O – Kick Ass Endings
What did I learn from doing this… that the creation and recreation hinges on how you write your ending. I will always review my endings after the first draft and recreate it if I find a better ending or combination of endings. For me, it has become a great tool for beginning my review of a first draft.
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[I] Try on each of these structures for your ending. To do that: One at a time, brainstorm ways to use each Kick Ass ending for your story.
1. The Ultimate Confrontation
2. Return Home, Only it is Different
3. End with a Future
4. Major Layer Uncovered
5. Good Guy Wins after Much Pain and Risk
6. Great Protagonist Strategy———————————————————————
[II] Write a brief paragraph or two showing how you might use each of the possible endings.
(1) Ultimate Confrontation – Brooklyn (protagonist) has a face-to-face with Richard (antagonist) about him burning down the art gallery. He believes he got away with it and is presenting Brooklyn with the updated insurance policy. Brooklyn has a series of photographs showing Richard committing the arson. Brooklyn has set up the meeting: she has the sheriff waiting and her best friend, Carolyn walking in as she delivers Richard the photographs.
(2) Return Home, Only it’s Different – Brooklyn returns to Chicago after being in Wintergreen, CO., for only a week. She feels different, the place does not feel like home. It feels as if she’s an outsider.
(3) End with a Future – Brooklyn has Christmas morning at her cabin: everyone is there. Tarek proposes to her, their life together is officially off to a roaring start.
(4) Major Layer uncovered – I don’t have one in this script. It is a Holiday feel-good script.
(5) Good Guy Wins After Much Pain – minor amount of that: the set backs and back-stabbing that Richard pulls par for the villian’s MO. His burning down her gallery is the most noteworthy evil, he pull.
(6) Great Protagonist Strategy – Brooklyn doesn’t have a strategy. She just paints with passion and is a workaholic believing hard work will win out in the end.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
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PS81 Day 4 (Writing Great Endings) Anita’s Kick Ass Endings!
What I learned: I see these points and this exercise not so much as useful for this particular screenplay (because I have already set my characters on fairly irretrievable paths) but I am sure to find this brainstorming assignment an excellent tool for the future. I think if this assignment had been introduced as an earlier module I could have seen more clearly how my characters could have developed in different ways.
ASSIGNMENT
Try on each of these structures for your ending.
1. The Ultimate Confrontation
I think I already have this… it is between Danica (mother / Protagonist) and Harley (daughter / Antagonist). The final scene in the hospital is the first time mother and daughter meet since mother abandoned baby Harley at a Fire Station 20 years ago. Danica has idealized motherhood thru her sister’s eyes and wants a relationship after all these years. The viewers have seen Harley grow more twisted over the years – harming animals; having an abortion without a second thought; then ultimately killing Cyrus, her birth father. But I don’t think the viewer will see this final ultimate act coming. Danica certainly doesn’t. And in the final ironic twist Harley has arranged Danica to receive the transplanted kidney she needs from – Cyrus.
2. Return Home, Only it is Different
If I wrote this story for mother/daughter to reconcile it would be an entirely different screenplay than the one I have designed. For instance, what if Danica’s health is restored thru an anonymous kidney donation allowing mother and daughter to forge a bond. It might be the type of satisfying ‘happy ending’ that people who only want happy endings would gladly receive – but it isn’t for this story.
3. End with a Future
I would need to rewrite the script along the lines above. Harley could not be an irredeemable character. Or, maybe Harley gets put into a psychiatric ward (or some other device where she is taken out of the picture) and then Danica and Cyrus get back together, now that Karen (Cyrus’ wife) is no longer with him. But then I would have to rewrite Cyrus as a completely different character – not so narcissistic or hypocritical so it would be believable that Danica would want him. My trio of characters are not on paths of reconciliation, but rather, explosive collision.
4. Major Layer Uncovered
Hopefully, I have achieved this via the devices described under #1.
5. Good Guy Wins after Much Pain and Risk
I could have Danica win her case for women and against the state that is trying to make abortions illegal. She already goes through much pain and suffering both personally and professionally on the issue. However, I reject this upbeat ending because it is not (unfortunately) the reality we are currently living with in the real world.
6. Great Protagonist Strategy
Danica ALMOST saves the day in her court battle. In the end her pro-choice arguments are strong and logical. But her health (failing kidney disease) brings her down at the last minute. If I don’t have her health fail at this critical moment and allow Danica’s strategy to prevail, the audience might feel relief (unless the viewer is anti-abortion) – but to me it feels contrived. I have attempted to construct the layers of this story to look at the issue of abortion not so much as a win/ lose or a right/wrong – but through the prism of many perspectives: religion, the legal system, parents, youth, the consequence of affairs, adoptive parents, and the abandoned adoptee. Danica doesn’t have so much a life strategy as life happens to her.
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Matthew Frendo’s Kick Ass endings!
WHAT I LEARNED: I learned the six endings that work wonderfully for movies and how to properly create them. This will help me write scripts that an audience and actor will love and make my work that much stronger.
1. The Ultimate Confrontation
(note: this is basically the ending I already have) Alicia’s dad is released into games as bioenhanced monster. He mocks her while fighting her in House of Mirrors, bringing up the trauma she had from his past abuse.
She is about to die, when she remembers something he taught her…and uses it as a way to beat him.
2. Return Home, Only it is Different
At the end of the games, Alicia is forced to fight her father’s bioenhanced monster alone. But when she does, she’s not fighting like the loner she used to be.
Now that she has friends who back her and confidence in herself, she is able to fight him back this time, defeating him in the process.
3. End with a Future
Alicia talks over and over about wanting to be free from their society with her son. Her and the other players are fighting in the hunt, when they hear about a way out to escape.
They all escape with Alicia’s son…to live their lives somewhere far away from this society.
4. Major Layer Uncovered
The players are all fighting monsters and win. The game is about to be over when…Alicia kills them all.
We then find out she was in on it with the Host since their meeting. And now, she will live the life of riches and glamour she always dreamed of…
5. Good Guy Wins after Much Pain and Risk
During the interviews, Alicia watches the government take her child away after the truth about his birth comes out. Alicia and her players then fight the monsters, with Alicia watching each friend die horrifyingly.
Just when it’s about to be over, they let in the last monster…Alicia’s abusive father bioenhanced. She goes through a emotionally and physically abusive battle against him. She wins at the end, and gets her son back.
6. Great Protagonist Strategy
Alicia and her friends are losing against the last monsters. Then they release Alicia’s abusive father in the game as a bioenhanced monster.
Alicia remembers the abusive “lessons” he taught her and uses them to make her team victorious against all the monsters they are facing.
(alternate) same first paragraph. Then Alicia remembers the “lessons” the Host told her when giving her a warning…and uses the Host’s own plans against him to win and help her friends survive.
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