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Day 5 Assignments
Reply to post assignment.
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11 Replies
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Bob Rowen’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is a process for drafting a storyline framework.
Give us the following:
- Concept – A nuclear control technician, Virgil Prater, publicly reveals the nuclear industry’s betrayal of the public trust. However, whistleblowing can be a treacherous enterprise.
- Main Conflict – Virgil goes from being naïve and trusting to aware and confrontational. He goes from believing nuclear power is a panacea to the emerging crisis to becoming a whistleblower.
- Old Ways – Virgil has blind faith in the Powers That Be (government and corporate America}; he is a black and white thinker, a headstrong patriotic former Marine, and believes PGE’s Big Lie that nuclear power is safe, clean, and economical.
- New Ways – Virgil is no longer trusting of the Powers That Be; he now views the world for the many shades of grey that make it up; he is aware of corporate and political self-serving motives, recognizes what people are willing to do to get ahead, drastically changed his Marine Corps way of viewing the world, and is now willing to confront the POWERS THAT BE.
Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now:
Act 1:
- Opening – Virgil convinces PGE’s personnel manager that he believes nuclear energy is the power source of the future it. After serving two years in the line department, Virgil accepts an apprentice instrument repairman position at the Humboldt Bay Power Plant. There he meets Forrest Williams who tells Virgil that nuclear power really isn’t the power source of the future. Virgil disagrees. Virgil’s wife, Kathryn, agrees with Forrest and feels Virgil should forget about working in the nuclear unit. Virgil ignores Kathryn.
- Inciting Incident – Virgil is accepted into the nuclear unit workforce as an apprentice nuclear control technician. His tenacious effort to get into the nuclear workforce finally pays off.
- Turning Point – Virgil becomes a journeyman nuclear control tech. He is now confronted with the Company’s systematic and philosophical disregard for radiation safety.
Act 2:
- Reaction – Virgil now has too much invested in becoming a nuclear control technician to do anything but try and change the Company’s radiation protection philosophy.
- The Plan – Virgil researches the biological effects of radiation exposure and presents his findings to plant management and the employees.
- Midpoint Turning Point – The forces working against Virgil’s efforts get ugly.
Act 3:
- Rethink everything – PGE’s Humboldt Nuke becomes the dirtiest nuclear plant in the Country; Virgil decides to document PGE’s numerous violations of radiation safety.
- Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – Virgil and Forrest present their concerns at an official PGE safety meeting. The Company responds by firing both of them and making them national security risks in a secret law enforcement document provided to the FBI.
Act 4:
- Climax / Ultimate expression of the conflict – Virgil is advised by one of his University professors to go public as quickly and in as many different ways as possible.
- Resolution – Virgil prevails in a California Unemployment Appeals Board Hearing and testifies before the grand jury.
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Subject: Arial Burnz’s 4-Act Transformational Structure
1. Give us the following:
- Concept: After a young woman is betrayed by her best friend, she is imprisoned and spends fifteen years escaping and developing her skills to become a powerful sorceress and seek vengeance.
- Main Conflict: Aylen’s best friend Kylantha (aka Key) wants Aylen out of the way so she can wed Dillon, and uses manipulation and her father’s connections to have Aylen thrown in prison for a crime she didn’t commit.
- Aylen’s Old Ways:
- ○ Old Identity: Poor tavern girl
- ○ Shy, meek doormat living in fear
- ○ Cannot wield magic and ignorant of the craft
- Aylen’s New Ways:
- ○ New Identity: Wealthy sorceress with a title
- ○ Strong independent woman
- ○ Becomes a powerful yet responsible wielder of magic
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening: Subjected to racial persecution (she’s a half-elf) and abuse growing up, Aylen lives under the emotional and physical protection of her friends and family, too afraid to defend or protect herself. Her hopes are to start a new life with her boyfriend, Dillon, and leave with him to travel the world.
Inciting Incident: Aylen is set up and betrayed by Key and arrested.
Turning Point: Aylen escapes before she can be taken to prison, but when she seeks shelter with Key, her best friend reveals she is the one who betrayed her and turns Aylen in to the authorities
Act 2:
Reaction: Aylen is sent to the Fortress of Valna – aka Anguish Island – and falls into despair. She learns this will be her home for the rest of her life and she will have no contact with anyone, including other cellmates.
New plan: Aylen meets Syndra, an older fellow prisoner who has mistakenly dug her way into Aylen’s cell trying to escape. Syndra is well educated and Aylen makes a deal with her – educate her and she will help Syndra escape.
Plan in action: While the two women dig their way out of the fortress, Aylen is learning to read, write, fight and practice magic – academically and in theory since the prison is warded to nullify magic. They are almost caught on one occasion, and even dig their way free, but the sea serpents living in the Draconian Sea surrounding the island are in the middle of mating season and have infested the waters. They must wait until their population has decreased before attempting an escape.
Midpoint Turning Point: Their escape plan is about to be revealed! They cannot wait for the serpent population to wane and must chance escaping through the field of creatures. Although Syndra is finally able to use magic – now that they are no longer inside the ward of the fortress – using magic triggers a magical booby trap planted inside her by the person who imprisoned her. Syndra is going to die.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: Syndra reveals the location of a great treasure she discovered, for which she was imprisoned. Syndra makes Aylen the sole heir to her estate and title before the magical trap claims her life.
New plan: Aylen is off to the Lyceum of Magical Arts & Sciences in Havencrest to earn her degree in magic, as was Syndra’s last wish. Once she obtains her degree, she returns to her home city of Radario to catch up on what’s happened since she was imprisoned so she can discover her enemies weaknesses and lay down her traps.
New insights: Aylen discovers that the man who had Syndra imprisoned was the Baron of Elion…Kylantha’s father! Aylen’s revenge upon this family is not just for her, now. She will avenge Syndra as well as herself.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – Although Syndra learns her final life’s lesson upon her deathbed – vengeance cannot change the past – and although she tries to pass this lesson on to Aylen, this new information about the baron only serves to fuel Aylen’s anger and quest for justice. She is going to destroy the von Abels for what they’ve done and begins to put her plan for revenge into action.
Act 4:
New Plan: Aylen learns what really happened in the conspiracy to put her in prison, why it happened, and exactly who was responsible, and it wasn’t just Key. But she also learns her mother died shortly after Aylen was arrested, Dillon only married Key because he thought Aylen was dead, and her uncle and aunt passed away sick and homeless. As Aylen ensnares each person who wronged her, she reveals to them who she really is and justice is served.
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The last person she must face is Kylantha, but she has become a powerful mage herself and has had many years of practice, where Aylen has only a few. The two duel and it appears Kylantha will win, but Aylen will pull upon her final lesson from Syndra (still need to refine this) and triumph over Kylantha. (I was hoping to include a single magical relic/item the baron was after from Syndra, and I want that item to be the key to Kylantha’s undoing, but I also want Aylen’s abilities to contribute to her victory. The personal lesson learned will somehow be connected to the use of the item, which will give her the ability to triumph.)
Resolution: Aylen is reunited with Dillon and she takes her place as Aylen Ara’Elcaryn, the Sorceress of Amon Fae, with him at her side and they set off to travel around the world and have a family of their own.
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Rob Springfield’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment are the detailed steps for outlining a screenplay.
Concept: A 14-year-old troublemaker acquires an extraordinary app and uses it to protect his family from a host of villains.
Main Conflict: Mark has to safely get a billion dollar app into the right hands, but his old teacher is determined to seize control of it even if it kills Mark…and his family.
Mark’s Old Ways:
1. Argumentative with family members.
2. Always throwing objects at anything that he could to get attention.
3. Constantly doing things to annoy his father.
4. Never having any constructive interests, since he goofs off frequently.
Mark’s New Ways:
1. Wants to make sure his family stays safe at all times.
2. Starts behaving maturely because he wants his father to be proud of him.
3. His focus is on designing and coding state of the art apps.
4. Develops a fearless demeanor when dealing with the enemy.
ACT 1:
Opening: (3 years prior) at a baseball game, Mark’s drunken father, Jeff, humiliates a 11-year-old Mark. He makes him do push-ups on the pitcher’s mound in front of a crowd of people because he did not pitch a shutout during the game. Jeff’s boss finally steps forward to make him stop. Next, fast forward to 3 years later, Mark is constantly getting into trouble at school, at home, in the neighborhood. He’s repeatedly throwing objects at school and everywhere else. He constantly argues with his dad and/or the entire family. His only interest seems to be goofing around with apps to follow his dad or pull pranks.
Inciting Incident: Mark breaks a car windshield and winds up doing community service at a software laboratory where he meets his mentor.
Turning Point: Mark falls into possession of a billion dollar app before his mentor’s enemies can steal it by force. They know Mark has it and makes plans to kill to get it. Just in the nick of time Mark and his family dodge gunfire and torture from a slew of killers.
ACT 2:
New Plan: To dodge the killers, Mark and his family board a train headed out west. Mark wants to keep the app safe and get it into the right hands, his dad Jeff feels that if they go to Vegas he can win some money that owes to some dangerous hustlers. On the train the family argues the whole time and constantly slams Mark about every little thing as usual.
Plan in Action: In the meantime, Mark learns more about how to use the app to defend his family. He starts to have fun with it and annoy others on the train. All seems calm and safe.
Midpoint Turning Point: The killers find out their location and board the train. As soon as they board, Mark and Jeff discover it instantly. The killers grab Mark’s mom and sister to torture them until Jeff siphons money from an account. However, they craftily rescue Julie and Ann and elude the killers. Mark uses the app and they barely escape from the train. Next, they slip on a plane unnoticed or so they think. But, the killers are already waiting for them. They capture all of them and take them to a lower cabin for torture, Jeff gets stabbed. They are about to finish him. But Mark uses the app and they escape the torture and the force the pilot to land the plane. Now the family knows that Mark is their “go to,” and sees him in a different light.
ACT: 3
Rethink everything: Immediately they see motorcycles, and take off to Vegas, with the killers on their heels. After dodging bullets and wrecks, they make it to the casino strip. Mark comes up with a good idea in the hotel to avoid the killers.
New plan: Mark will use his mom and sister as a distraction to the killers by use of the app. What’s more, Jeff can gamble and win the money that he owes and Mark can make plans to get the app in the right hands. Jeff starts to win big, he is close to winning all the money everything seems okay.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major Shift: The killers devise a slick way to flush Mark and his family out so they can seize them without making a scene. Mark continues to use the app changing identities like crazy as his dad reaches his payback amount. Due to constant bickering about he and Mark they get their wires crossed and mistakenly expose their whereabouts. The killers capture the family. Mark completely hates his dad. They blame each other for everything that has gone wrong. The killers steal the money that Jeff has won leaving him to have given in to their demands of embezzling money from his job, 50 million dollars. The killers find a way to hack Mark’s phone, download the app and delete it from his phone. Mark tries one last attempt to get the money and app back, but nothing seems to work. The killers hold all the cards, it’s lights out for Mark and his family. Mark and Jeff have no idea of what to do as they are being tied up and put into metal containers. The killers plan to sneak the family out of the casino to a remote place to whack and bury them alive.
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: To save the family from death and knowing the head killer will bet on anything. They challenge him in front of his woman and others that Mark can hit any target from any distance. This bet is only for them not to be killed, not to get back the app.
Resolution: If Mark can hit a bullseye from fifty feet out, the killers will let his family go free. No one believes Mark can do it. It catches the attention of some of the big high rollers of Vegas who can’t resist and bet big bucks on Mark’s behalf. He draws back and…BAM…he hits the target with ease. Suddenly, Mark remembers that his mentor put in 24-hour safeguarding mechanism on the app against hackers that will erase it from all devices it wasn’t originally loaded on. Mark also discovers that the mentor hid the app on his smart watch in an email attachment. The app is put in the right hands and Mark’s dad is able to pay off the debt.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Robert Springfield.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Robert Springfield.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Robert Springfield.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by
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Monica’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned from this assignment is my story points need to be explicitly shown on the page in order for the story to play out successfully. I need to be diligent about ensuring actions are motivated and goals as well as opposition and conflicts are clear and singular throughout
LULU
Concept – Lulu wants to break out of the family mold by dropping out of school to go far from home and be a writer instead of taking over the family business Main Conflict – she wants a creative life away from family but dad blew up both the business and the family and now she’s stuck trying to fix it Old Ways – Lulu is insecure, belongs nowhere, feels no acceptance New Ways – Lulu embraces her family and caring for them and takes over the family business with love and confidence, feeling love and belonging
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening – Lulu striving for her dream unbeknownst to parents Inciting Incident – Parents find out Lulu lied to them about being in school and does not plan to come back home and JOIN (not take over) the family business Turning Point – instead of releasing college fund, dad forces her to stay home for a year and prove she can adult by running the business
Act 2:
New plan – she’ll agree to stay but quickly self sabotage so dad intentionally releases her from the commitment (fires her) Plan in action – she actively tries to be the worst store manager ever and ACTIVELY cause the business to lose customers money Midpoint Turning Point – She discovers the store is in much worse financial shape than dad had let on, and she can no longer sabotage it in good conscience
Act 3:
Rethink everything: Lulu now has to do a 180 and do everything she can to make the business healthy again New plan – go hard after customers and against the competition PLUS she HAS TO team up with least likely ally, her dad’s GF Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – she learns dad has mismanaged the store so badly that he’s blown through her college fund and it no longer exists. The carrot he was holding out was a lie. AND she has no money for her dream
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – under pressure she discovers that she has what it takes to rescue her family and actually enjoys it Resolution – even as things go from bad to worse, she has a NEW MOTIVATION to stay and win this fight (what is that new motivation? What changes her perspective?)
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Natalia Filson’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is that even though I had no clear idea of what the plot or even the story of my script will be, this exercise pushed me to come up with what eventually could be structured into a coherent story.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
1. Give us the following:
• Concept: Timid Cassie has a series of out-of-body experiences where her desired “self” acts as she wishes she would act in the real world, however eventually she gets disillusioned with the “dark” side of herself.
• Main Conflict: Velda keeps pushing Cassie to act as Cassie wishes was natural to her. It turns out that going against one’s nature is not a good way for self-improvement. Instead, Cassie learns how to “stand in her own truth”
• Old Ways: Shyness and self-doubt. Kindness and focus on others to the point of self-neglect.
• New Ways: Quiet introversion but full self-acceptance. Realizing her own boundaries and new ability to stand up for herself.
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
• Opening: Show Cassie interacting with others – her shyness, insecurities and also her kindness and compassion towards others.
• Inciting Incident: Cassie becomes a victim of a prank – her picture is used in “what she thinks she looks like/what she really looks like” meme.
• Turning Point: Cassie is hurt to the point where she considers ending her life, but has an out-of-body experience instead.
Act 2:
• New plan: Cassie realizes she can operate in the real world as Velda, where she is omnipotent.
• Plan in action: Velda/Cassie decide to “save the planet” and enjoy all the attention.
• Midpoint Turning Point: The novelty of the new-found attention starts to wear out and Cassie realizes that being Velda is not as pleasant as to be herself. Velda, if left unchecked, could be quite harmful and destructive.
Act 3:
• Rethink everything: Cassie grows tired of living double life
• New plan: to accept the notion that some of Velda’s traits are already present in Cassie, and some are simply not her.
• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift. Velda does something that would be totally out of character for Cassie.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: at the critical event Cassie does not allow Velda to “come out”, and attends the even as herself, performing way below audience’s expectation, but not completely failing.
• Resolution: Cassie realizes that she is capable to act and not allow others to “get under her skin”
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Concept: A lingerie-bar waitress is swept up and into the world of a brash and controlling rockabilly televangelist, only to find that he is bilking his followers out of cash to support a non-existent orphanage in Mexico.
Protagonist conflict: When she learns about her husband’s crimes, she must overcome her own inner demons and self-doubt to take down this arrogant, self-professed man of god who is hooked up at all but the highest level.
Protagonist’s Old Ways: Obedient observer: she watches events passively, but with increasing suspicion; role player: content to follow the rules (for the most part) and live in her husband’s shadow in exchange for material comfort; hides her rebellions, which are small … but increasingly empowering
Protagonist’s New Ways: Actor: she takes control of her fate; risks everything to break free—then sees to be truly free she’ll have to return and take him down; truth seeker/teller: finds the truth and speaks out, taking him down and standing up for those w/o a voice
2. Act 1: 25 to 30 pages — Set up and see Old Ways.
Opening: We’re in the middle of a TV news show interview with the Reverend Jesse Jonas (RJ2; antagonist) and his wife, Mrs. RJ2 (protagonist) and we learn about her sanitized, holier “story” about their meeting … which is contrasted with a flashback about how it really went down.
Inciting Incident: Main is in at her daily escape to Best Buy to watch an empowering Oprah-esqu Show, when she hears two girls talking; she peers around the corner to see that one of them is the ragged, sorrowful cover girl for her husband’s orphanage brochure. She asks and the girl is like: Dude, what? You ever heard of modeling?
Turning Point: She goes home, totally confused. She asks RJ2. He charmingly shuts her down, and then issues a not so veiled threat for her to stay sweet & know her place. This infuriates her… so she investigates… and finds out: It’s a scam. A very lucrative one.
3. Act 2: 20 to 30 pages — Challenge the Old Ways.
Reaction: She is trying not to be bugged by this… it must be a misunderstanding as she’s finally “safe” in this luxe world & doesn’t want to lose it. RJ2 is suddenly a bit more attentive; he gives her a $5,000 online shopping spree and hints that maybe her own car is next.
New Plan: All this sounds good, so she plays along… but also can’t help but investigate when he’s not around and also try to change the situation through subtle suggestions.
Plan in Action: When her plan starts to falter, she decides to escape, but then chickens out. Then the magazine article comes out and it turns out: people LOVE her. RJ2 capitalizes on this by bringing her into the ministry, where he convinces her to use her own rags-to-riches story to “inspire” people (i.e., in his plan: get them to donate even more money). It works and she’s horrified and totally dispirited.
Turning Point 2: She’s at Best Buy, at an all-time low. But her show inspires her to do something big. She’s determined. When she’s in the parking lot, RJ2 calls and has FOUND OUT something; he is awful and controlling and … she notices the side door of the van next to her car is open a crack; she hangs up on him, climbs in and hides; then the driver arrives and drives away.
4. Act 3: 20 to 30 pages — With Midpoint change, Profound moments that give us new ways.
New Plan: After seeing that RJ2 is capitalizing on her supposed “kidnapping,” she hatches a plan with VAN MAN to take RJ2 down. She returns to the parsonage, takes her place in the RJ2 world and “plays along” while assembling team, making a take-down plan, executing on it.
Turning Point: RJ2 and The Publicist discover the plot and something really bad happens! No idea what.
5. Act 4: 25 pages — Test the change in this character! Prove New Ways!
Climax: The Protagonist’s only hope is to use her new found voice & power to present the evidence and sway the congregation on live tv during the telethon for the fake orphanage, while also “preaching” her own brand of empowerment e.g., “You don’t these people. You don’t need me. Everything you need is inside you!”
Resolution: RJ2 and The Publicist are taken to jail, awaiting trial on fraud and money-laundering charges, along with IRS violations. Lead takes over the ministry, changing the name, changing everything. No tithing, no mediation w/higher powers. No dress code. Just: sharing, supporting, doing what they can for the community.
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Chris Blanchett’s Four-Act Transformational Structure
What I learned from this assignment is the necessity of having a strong enough grasp of your story to be able to convey the key turning points in a few word. Spoiler alert… I’m not there yet… ; )
Concept
Jaded advertising executive Ryan Frederics reverts to adolescent antics in attempts to rekindle a romance with his high-school sweetheart (Lindsey) the night of their reunion. Essentially, a classic teen-sex comedy with all middle-aged characters.
Main Conflict
Ryan is convinced rectifying his relationship with Lindsey will symbolically represent rectifying all the mistakes of his past and give him a fresh start. Paul Stiles, Lindsey’s mega tycoon husband and Ryan’s high school nemesis, wants to thwart Ryan’s attempts to achieve rapprochement with Lindsey.
Old Ways
Ryan is overworked and underappreciated at work. Allows others to take credit for his work. Victim of office politics. Fails to champion his ideas and insights. Hasn’t gotten over his divorce, wallowing in the past.
New Ways
Ryan is dynamic and valued contributor. Gets full credit for his contributions. Deftly handles political challenges. Successfully champions his ideas and insights. Focused on the present and future.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Act 1:
Opening
Agency creative director takes credit for a spot Ryan created. Client wants to go in a new direction. Ryan needs to work all weekend on new approach; can’t attend high-school reunion weekend events as he had planned.
Inciting Incident
Ryan’s friends convince Ryan to forego work and attend the reunion opening night reception.
Turning Point
At the reunion-reception Ryan talks with his old girlfriend Lindsey for first time since they broke up junior year. Lindsey is married to mega-tycoon Paul Stiles, Ryan’s high-school nemesis. Spark between Ryan and Lindsey still there.
Plot-point: We establish there will be a ceremony the next day where two extremely ornate and expensive handcrafted Italian urns – donated to the school by Paul Stiles – will be unveiled in their new home gracing the entranceway to the school.
Act 2:
New plan
After the reception Ryan and friends eat mushrooms (old times sake) and Ryan has the hallucinogen-fueled revelation that achieve rapprochement with Lindsey will symbolically represent rectifying all the mistakes of his past and give him a fresh start.
Plot-point: We establish Lindsey cannot abide dishonesty. We learn the urns Stiles donated to the school are replacing two cast-iron Lions stolen from campus decades ago by local fraternity.
Plan in action
Ryan and his friends go to swank hotel where Lindsey and Stiles are staying. Ryan’s friends keep Stiles occupied. Ryan surreptitiously makes plan to meet Lindsey on high school campus later.
Plot-point: Stiles learns they are on mushrooms.
Midpoint Turning Point
Ryan and Lindsey meet at high school campus and walk the athletic track as they did when dating in high school. Ryan apologizes for infidelity which caused their break-up. Lindsey forgives him. Confides that Stiles recently confessed to an affair and their marriage is in a precarious spot. Ryan is genuinely sympathetic. Lindsey Is taken by his empathy and openness, somewhat jokingly asks if he’s drunk. Ryan assures her he’s completely sincere, not drunk…doesn’t mention mushrooms. Lindsey kisses Ryan on the cheek, says she often wonders what might have been, leaves.
Act 3:
Rethink everything
Ryan learns from one of his friends that back in high school Stiles had written the anonymous note letting Lindsey know about Ryan’s infidelity.
New plan
Ryan knows that given Stiles’ recent affair, and Lindsey’s intolerance of duplicity, if Lindsey learned Stiles wrote the anonymous letter, it would mean the end their marriage.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
Stiles revealed to Lindsey that Ryan and his friends were on mushrooms. Lindsey calls Ryan. The fact he was again duplicitous negates any rapprochement. They are more estranged than ever. Ryan decides if nothing else, for once he is going to best Stiles by upstaging the next day’s urn dedication ceremony. Ryan and his friends drive to the frat which stole the Lions decades ago.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Ryan takes charge of the situation and he and his friends distract the fraternity brothers and steal the lions. The next day the lions are unveiled in place of the urns. Alum and board members are delighted. Ryan has (finally) upstaged Stiles. Lindsey says she overreacted to mushroom news – that she has to learn to be more forgiving, referring both to Ryan and Stiles. Ryan has opportunity to let Lindsey know Stiles wrote the letter, but chooses not to. Stiles realizes the ramifications of Ryan not telling Lindsey and thanks Ryan privately.
Resolution
Monday at work Ryan convinces the client that the original spot is the way to go. The client is impressed with Ryan’s assertiveness and puts him in sole charge of the account. Ryan also wins new business from one of Stiles’ companies. And he pursues a new romantic interest.
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ML Palidofska Lesson 5:
What I learned doing this assignment…Trying to keep all the turning points interesting
1. Concept
Protagonist Margaret Strong and Everett James (antagonist) are on vacation in a remote mountain resort with a few others. Huge blizzard traps them all in the hotel. Antagonist was assigned by government to investigate Margaret. She belonged to a writers group where one of the members leaked government secrets in their novel. They suspect she may do likewise. Other guests at the hotel have issues with the government like being an illegal alien and not paying their taxes and owing the government a considerable amount of money.
The antagonist, Everett James, the G-man is being followed by an ex-convict who was recently paroled and wants revenge. He is totally unaware of this though he was informed by his boss that the criminal was paroled.
Old ways: Investigating Margaret and friends at the hotel.
New ways: Margaret and the friends at the hotel turn it around and capture the convict before he kills Everett.
Act I.
Opening
Everett is in government office with boss being given assignment.
Next door neighbor to Margaret gives her the prepaid round trip ticket and hotel room to the Snowbank Hotel. Neighbor can’t go as she has to go to a funeral.
Everett and Margaret sit next to each other on the plane. In the seat behind them is the ex-convict.
Everyone meeting in hotel lobby and intro to other characters. There’s a big dinner in the dining room where everyone is introduced.
Inciting Incident:
They all find out Everett is an investigator and wonder if he is after them.
THE SNOWSTORM HITS!!
Act II.
New plan:
They find out he is there to investigate Margaret.
Plan in action:
Everett circles in on Margaret. He finds nothing.
Act III.
The lights go out. Generator is busted.
New Plan:
Uncle Stash calls the village and gets someone to fix generator.
Turning Point:
Ex-con shows up acting as the repair man.
Act IV.
Climax:
Fight in Everett’s room. Margaret picks up gun in Everett’s suitcase and shoots convict.
Resolution:
She kills him. The real repair man shows up and fixes generator. They’re helicoptered out of the hotel. She volunteers to take care of Everett at her condo as the con beat him up pretty badly.
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Harley’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is that I might actually see the makings of a movie.
Concept – After her safe house is destroyed, Priyanka must fight to keep her daughter safe and gain control of her family business.
Main Conflict – Rohan wants Priyanka dead, his daughter back, and control of the business.
Old Ways – Priyanka did not want anything to do with her family of gun smugglers. She wanted a safe, quiet life for her and her daughter after her ex-husband went to jail.
New Ways – Priyanks realizes the only way to keep her daughter safe is to become an outlaw.
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening – Priyanka is putting her daughter Sia to sleep when hitmen invade Priyanka’s home in the middle of the night.
Inciting Incident – The invaders want to take Priyanka’s daughter on behalf of her ex-husband Rohan who is getting out of jail soon.
Turning Point – While tied up in her kitchen, Priyanka slips free of her captor and uses his gun again all the invaders. She grabs guns from her own secret arsenal and heads out under cover of the night. Then, Priyanka goes to her closest friend Rick’s place and leaves her daughter Sia with best friend.
Act 2:
New plan – Priyanka decides that the only way to stop Rohan is to go to her estranged brother Raj for help.
Plan in action – Priyanka meets up with Raj and tries to establish a way to stop Rohan by shutting down the family business.
Midpoint Turning Point: Raj and Rohan are in business together. Priyanka has messed up by telling Raj where Sia is in hiding. Raj drugs her.
Rohan gets out of jail and Raj picks him up.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: Priyanka wakes up to her phone ringing. It’s Rick telling her that Raj came by to take Sia for lunch.
New plan: Priyanka knows that instead of shutting down the gun smuggling company she must take it over. She asks Rick to come out of retirement and train her for battle.
Turning Point: Priyanka finds Raj and Sia. They fight. Priyanka kills Raj, but Rohan shows up. Rohan kills Ricks and mortally wounds Priyanka. Rohan leaves Priyanka for dead, takes Sia, and takes off with a truck of guns and ammo.
Act 4:
Priyanka goes to Rick’s place to get the rest of his armor and weapons.
She knows that Rohan has taken Sia to her childhood home. A place that Rohan grew up admiring. It is protected with fortified walls, armed guards, and only one entrance.
However, Priyanka’s mom taught her how to sneak out and in when her father used to get drunk and abusive.
Priyanka uses an unknown passage to enter. Shoots all of the guards. Then, it’s a one-on-one fight to the between her and Rohan. In the end, Rohan grabs Sia as a hostage. Priyanka puts her weapon down. Just as all looks lost, Sia pretends like she is going to kiss Rohan and instead stabs him in the eye with a fork. Rohan releases her in pain, Priyanka picks up her gun and kills Rohan.
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Terry Drayer’s Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is that, while still not perfect, the story is coming together nicely.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
1. Give us the following:
· Concept
A 12-year-old girl escapes from the marriage into which she has been sold, to survive alone in the Atlas Mountains.· Main Conflict
Yousef, the younger son of the tribal chief wants everything his father has, including Sabreena. In a culture where women are to blame, even in cases of rape, Sabreena must protect herself at all costs.· Old Ways
· Obedient child who feels she has no choice or control of her own life.
· Her compliance is based on fear.
· Desperate to be rescued but losing hope
· New Way
· Driven to escape and survive on her own.
· Learns she’s more capable than she imagined.
· Determined to survive her captors and the mountains she climbs.
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
• Opening
Sabreena works around the hut when her father and brothers come in for
their mid-day meal. There is only enough food for three, so she is sent to fetch water while her brothers eat.• Inciting Incident
When Sabreena returns from the village well, her father is counting money and the tribal chief takes her away.
• Turning Point
She realizes what just happened and runs back to the house, pleading. Her father goes into the hut and closes the door. The brothers look out the window but offer no help.
Act 2:
• New plan
Sabreena makes several attempts to escape and gets caught every time.
• Plan in action
She pleads with an old friend of her mother’s to take her in, but the woman fears for her own family’s safety if she does so. Sabreena returns to her father’s house, begs him to take her back. Her father threatens to kill her himself if she runs away again. Back in the chief’s house, she tries to stay out of sight of her new masters, but it seems they are everywhere, always watching her. She’s terrified.
• Midpoint Turning Point
The tribal chief prepares to leave town. He threatens to put her in chains “to ensure her safety” unless she agrees not to attempt escape again. He expects to be gone three days, and the “marriage” he paid for will happen when he returns. He tells his sons to watch her, not realizing the plan his younger son, Yousef, has already set in motion. Sabreena is alone in the world and at the mercy of her “husband’s” sons.
Act 3:
• Rethink everything
Protecting herself from Yousef’s unwanted attentions, Sabreena wraps her body in whatever cloth she can find no matter how uncomfortable. She accepts every task with quiet obedience, while she keeps careful watch of the brothers comings and goings.
• New plan
Sabreena convinces the brothers that if she is to be married in 3 days, she needs to go into the hills to find the herbs and flowers she needs for her ritual bath. The brother’s assign a woman from the village to accompany her. Sabreena uses her mother’s knowledge of plants to put the woman to sleep as they sit by a stream. As she slips away, she spots Yousef paying a group of men and taking his father’s bloody robe from them as proof of his death.
• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
In the hills, Sabreena meets a group of climbers, and they agree to help her escape. But Yousef tracks her down and shoves one of the climbers off the mountain to his death. He drags Sabreena back to the village in chains.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Yousef, after successfully ridding himself of his father, now poisons his brother to be rid of him, too. Sabreena recognizes the sickness and offers to save him if Yousef will spare her life. Her efforts seem to be too late and the older brother dies. In despair, Sabreena agrees to go through with the sham marriage to Yousef.
• Resolution
During the marriage ceremony, Sabreena pours tea and offers it to Yousef. As the poison takes effect, Yousef lunges at Sabreena. When his older brother comes in, wearing his father’s bloody robe, Yousef knows he has failed and dies. The older brother releases Sabreena. He offers her a new life with him, or an opportunity to leave the village forever.
As Sabreena ponders her choices, she envisions herself on a mountain top staring out at the vastness of the world around her.
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Robin’s 4-Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is that using this structure creates a roadmap for the journey about which I am writing and makes it easier to see the path I must take.
Concept
After being kidnapped by an international criminal cartel, The Metasynthesizer converts his small-time hacking hobby into a cyber jihad that takes out the entire cartel and saves the world from tyranny.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Main Conflict
Cartel caporegime General Bentley Garfield wants complete control of The Metasynthesizer or he will destroy him.
Old Ways:
· The Metasynthesizer is a standard hacker tweaking security and surveillance systems for fun.
· He’s doing it because he can.
· He is a serious pilot and poker player, not so serious about anything else.
New Ways
· New identity: Ubermensch
· He groks noblesse oblige in its fullness: He knows that with great power comes great responsibility.
· He takes seriously his responsibility to surpass man and save the world.
Act 1:
Opening
The Metasynthesizer is playing poker with his friends when the project is seized by a hostile commando force led by General Bentley Garfield on behalf of the United Nations International Security Assistance Force (UNISAF) now occupying the USA.
Inciting Incident
Bentley Garfield demands that the Raven Project change focus and tighten its deadlines, thereby endangering the project, careers, and lives of the Raven team, including The Metasynthesizer.
Turning Point
Cathy is physically attacked while mountain biking with Doctor An to take her out of the picture. The effort fails but Cathy is injured.
Act 2:
Reaction
The Metasynthesizer and his team realize how deadly dangerous Bentley Garfield’s mission is, not just to them and to their project but to the whole world.
New plan
The Metasynthesizer and his team decide to passive-aggressively thwart Bentley Garfield’s ambitions and evil plans. Complications ensue. It begins when Wali the Geek tries to access The Metasynthesizer’s secrets and the Metasynthesizer shuts him down, thus marking the next phase in the fight for control – and survival.
Turning Point/Midpoint
An explosion rips through the Raven when the laser boost system fails during an orbital flight test because the timeline was pushed too much and something got missed. The lives of Cathy and The Metasynthesizer both hang in the balance.
Act 3
New Plan
Cathy and The Metasynthesizer survive intact but team realizes it can’t continue with its passive-aggressive resistance or somebody WILL get killed They decide to confront Bentley Garfield more directly.
New Insights
Wali realizes that all along The Metasynthesizer was the formidable hacker they were trying to find. He reports this to Bentley Garfield.
Turning Point 3
Bentley Garfield yanks Cathy from the cockpit and puts in Darkman. Cathy is taken by McCauley and put somewhere for “safe keeping.”
Act 4:
Climax:
Chuck terrorizes Darkman during their first flight and turns him to jelly. Cathy is rescued – by McCauley!
She jumps into the Raven and off to space they go.. Garfield takes the team hostage to get The Metasynthesizer to come back, banking per Wali on The Metasynthesizer’s “humanity” to protect his friends from harm even if it causes his own destruction
Then they do the scene as written BUT in the background, without Cathy even knowing, Chuck does exactly what the cover mission was gonna do – launch missiles – just to targets they weren’t planning on! launch missiles either from orbit or hack into satellites or whatever but chuck goes medieval on their asses… darkman was just a prelude… The Metasynthesizer hacks launch systems and sends missiles etc into the targets– cuts to stuff happening – EXACTLY like the final scene of the godfather… yes, chuck even quotes Corleone… all family business taken care of…
When they land, both mccauley and wali have turned, darkman is killed trying to kill cathy but he kills slammer in the process. BEntley Garfield is taken captive and then allowed to live. etc etc
Resolution
In the aftermath, The Metasynthesizer admits he is the hacker – and reveals some even greater powers than anyone imagined. And as a final act, he releases everyone from the jail at the beginning of the movie thereby creating the circle and a metaphor for what his cyber and kinetic actions have achieved. Comic relief with the warden… eyes bugging out at the release order…
Coyotes sing, tumbleweeds roll AWAY from the jail, raven soars
Sound of native american drums and flute, from a long way off, growing louder, morphing into “Fly me to the moon” by Sinatra as Meurlen and Chuck take off together toward the full moon.
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