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Day 6 Assignment
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Cameron Martin’s Favorite Movie Outline
What I learned doing this assignment is…Holy Crap! ALIENS is scary! I haven’t been able to watch it in years since the birth of my son, and I’ve forgotten how truly terrifying James Cameron’s movie is. In all seriousness, it was fun to slow it down and piece by piece put together how this movie works. It moves pretty fast because the scenes turn rapidly. There’s a lot going on in each scene, but the general rules used here are to take away as much as possible from our heroes while escalating the stakes as much as reasonable. This happens on a consistent basis throughout the movie. Only Ripley is built up, and it’s just enough to get by in the end. Meanwhile, everyone else is placed in worse and worse predicaments. What starts out as an optimistic war movie quickly turns into absolute horror when step by step the colonial marines have the odds stacked against them until the audience is absolutely sure of the terrible outcome to befall our heroes moments before it actually happens. From a surface view, the strategies are pretty ingenious and help keep this from being a run-of-the-mill shoot-‘em-up, and instead elevate it to the pinnacle of the Action/Horror genre. Also, the use of subtle motifs, like dreams, nightmares, and sleep, is an amazing tool to guide the audience through the story and leave them satisfied in the end.
Dramatic Question: Can Ripley end both the psychological and physical nightmare of the aliens.
Main Conflict: The full onslaught of the alien hive along with corporate greed
Dilemma: To save others and put herself in harm’s way (facing the nightmare head on) or abandoning others and running to safety (allowing the nightmare to persist)
Theme(s): Motherhood, corporate greed kills (continued from the first movie). The message the movie appears to support is that the love of a mother will overcome the worst imaginable obstacles.
EXT. SPACE – SPACESHIP
Establish tone and setting.
INT/EXT SPACE SHIP
Show that we’re picking up where we left off. Ice on everything implies time has passed, and the combination of a computer message and a larger docking vessel with a crew shows Ripley has been found.
Side note – Scanner design being reminiscent of a gun further establishes tone as different from its predecessor. This is going to be a WAR MOVIE, and the humans will be fully armed this time around.
EXT. SPACE STATION – EARTH
This is far in the future, if you’re new to this franchise. Space is the new frontier.
INT. SPACE STATION – MEDICAL BAY
Two things: One, Ripley’s fine but has been in space for 57 years, making this a soft reboot from Ridley Scott’s film. Two, Ripley’s haunted by the events that preceded this film, and she will struggle with and have to overcome the horrors she’s faced.
INT. BOARD ROOM
Ripley has no allies. No one believes her account of the events of the previous film, and one of her biggest enemies, just like in the previous film, is going to be the beuqacratic BS that allows the aliens to inflict harm in the first place.
INT. RIPLEY’S APARTMENT
“Call to Adventure” – Ripley is asked to return to the original site of the alien because contact with the colonists that have been there for 20 years has been lost. “Refusal of the Call” – Ripley understandably doesn’t want to go and relive the horror she narrowly escaped from, the same horror that still gives her nightmares.
INT. RIPLEY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
“Acceptance of the Call” – Ripley decides the only way to absolve herself from the nightmare is to help the Colonial Marines get rid of the aliens once and for all.
Side note – The use of sleep and dreams as a narrative tool is fantastic as an eventual bookend to this story.
EXT. BOMB-ASS SPACE SHIP
Further establish the tone of this movie – The marines are here to kick the alien’s asses, riding to the planet aboard a space ship that looks like an assault rifle.
INT. CRYO CHAMBER
It’s been a long flight; let’s meet the new crew that’s going to face the aliens!
INT. MESS HALL
The marines are a completely different group of people than the ones we’ve seen before: a bunch of overconfident meatheads (this is not going to go well…). Also, Ripley has a distrust of androids (again understandable) that will add further tension to the following scenes.
INT. HANGER BAY
Where to start? Lieutenant doesn’t know his crew (he’s very new), the marines are out of their league, and Ripley has earned zero respect for what she’s been through.
INT. HANGER BAY – LATER
Ripley is skilled with a loader (this may come in handy later. Wink, wink). Also, we get to see more of Ripley’s character as a pragmatist and someone who takes initiative with a quiet confidence, compared to the bravado of the marines.
INT/EXT. HANGER BAY / LOCKERS / DROP SHIP
Second Act Start: Lock and load! Let’s get some! We’re about to watch some certified bad asses do what they do best!! Right? Right??
Side note: Hudson – “We’re on the express elevator to hell!” (Foreshadowing)
Also, Wow! The lieutenant is BRAND NEW, fresh out the academy, and is a huge freaking liability with his lack of experience.
INT/EXT. SPACE COLONY COMPLEX
Marines in action at a site that should be bustling with activity, but not a soul is in sight (something’s not right). Damage and water dripping is a nice touch that screams “something bad and very violent happened here.” Also, the lack of activity or anything appearing on radar adds to the tension. We know people are dead, but where are the killers?
INT. SPACE COLONY – “SECURED”
Getting Ripley inside. Add to the mystery of what happened here – Why are face-huggers being studied? Wait, one’s still alive!? (set up for later)
INT. HALLWAYS
Something on radar…shit, shit, shit…SHIT! There’s a survivor, Newt.
INT. CUBICLES
Thousand yard stare from Newt – she knows what happened, and it was bad enough that it psychologically damaged her. Ripley’s motherly instincts make her the only one who has a chance to connect with her.
Side note – The extended cut establishes Ripley was a mother in the previous film, but the 57 year time jump means she missed out on raising her daughter. Newt is both a second chance for her, and a way for the theme of motherhood to be set up.
Newt not feeling safe with the marines (“It won’t make any difference”) tells the audience the marines are the underdogs, not the other way around. Nobody’s ass is getting kicked, and we’re about to see for ourselves what happened to the colonists.
Side note – This is what efficient writing looks like. So much is set up with one exchange between Ripley and Newt.
INT. LAB
Bishop studying a face-hugger. Makes us suspicious of Bishop, adding further tension to every scene he’s in.
INT. CUBICLES
Found the colonists…and probably where the action’s going to be.
INT. ROVER
Heading to the action. More character development from Newt – reassuring her doll is a coping mechanism.
Side note – It’s haunting to see a little girl reassure her doll, almost as if she’s reassuring the audience…
INT. FACTORY HALLS
Marines in action, heading into unfamiliar territory – an alien hive.
INT. ALIEN HIVE
We’ve long left Kansas behind. Explains some of how the alien’s work – excreting resin to build a nest out of the factory.
INT. ROVER
Lieutenant being ill-equipped for this job pays off in a horrible way: Marines use a standard issue weapon that is a liability under a nuclear reactor, which means the lieutenant orders his men to go headlong into the core of the alien hive with virtually no offense. The underdogs have now been crippled.
INT. HIVE
Side note – Hicks – “I like to keep this handy for close encounters.” Solid reference joke to lighten the tension before shit hits the fan, so that the audience isn’t burnt out by the time the action kicks in.
Found the colonists, and it’s worse than imagined. The tension is rising fast with the discovery of open egg shells, dead face-huggers, dead colonists, and a chest-bursted that tears out of the only living colonist left.
INT. HIVE – FOLLOWING
The aliens reveal themselves, and it’s an absolute slaughter. This isn’t the war movie we were promised, it’s a full-blown horror movie with the only goal being escape.
INT. ROVER
Lieutenant is paralyzed. Ripley’s initiative drives her to save the marines where the lieutenant’s inexperience can’t.
INT. FACTORY HALLS
Marines get the hell out, but with several casualties. They’re lucky to be alive.
INT/EXT. ROVER
Ripley tries to escape from the aliens pursuing her. She barely makes it.
INT. ROVER
Let’s explore options and conflicts (debrief what the hell just happened). Marines are justifiably pissed with their lieutenant, some of their squad mates are alive, but as Ripley points out they’re being served up on a silver platter to more face-huggers (Marines and audience can’t help but imagine the gruesome death the sergeant and others are in for). The next course of action is to “nuke the site from orbit,” against the wishes of the corporate goon.
EXT. PLANET
Wait for rendezvous with drop ship.
INT. DROP SHIP
Slime means the aliens have boarded the ship. More importantly, the aliens aren’t limited to the reactor, and there is nowhere to hide.
INT. COCKPIT
Alien kills the pilot.
EXT. ALIEN PLANET
“Midpoint” – Drop ship crashes, marooning the marines, Ripley, Newt, and the corporate goon on a planet with no escape. The plot of the film has now fully shifted from “Seek and destroy the nest” to “Just get out alive.”
INT. “HOME BASE”
Debrief – establish what we have and what we’re up against. No help is coming, you don’t have enough weapons to fight your way out, so you need to gather intel on what the new plan should be.
INT. “HOME BASE” – FOLLOWING
Further debrief – Next course of action…seal the tunnels to prolong efforts of survival. Hicks and Ripley’s relationship deepens slightly.
INT. MEDICAL BAY – NIGHT
Ripley and Newt’s relationship deepens, along with setting up a way to find Newt if (come on, this is foreshadowing) she gets lost.
INT. MEDICAL BAY – DAY
More debrief/exposition – What has Bishop found out about the aliens? “Who’s laying the eggs” sets up an antagonist we haven’t seen yet, probably worse than what we’ve already witnessed (stakes keep getting raised).
INT. CUBICLES
Ripley interrogates Burke. The same bureaucratic BS and greediness from the last film shows its face once again in this one, and is directly responsible (once again) for the deaths of many, many people.
INT. “HOME BASE”
Set up the “ticking clock,” which both raises the stakes even further and provides a solution to wiping out the hive…and our band of survivors with it. Create an escape plan that relies on Bishop, an android we’ve been lead to not trust based on previous interactions (the tension felt when this plan goes into action is thick. Good work James Cameron!).
INT. “HOME BASE” – FOLLOWING
Relationship between Ripley and Hicks deepens, and Ripley is taught how to use a weapon (this is going to payoff in some way, I’m sure).
Side note – Checklist on what’s been set up for Ripley so far: She knows how to drive a loader, has a deep connection with Newt, and now knows how to handle an assault rifle…and the third act is coming up soon…
INT. MEDICAL BAY
Lieutenant is awake and humbled. Ripley ain’t got time for dat though…
INT. MEDICAL BAY – FOLLOWING
Ripley goes to check on Newt and comforts her as both go to sleep.
EXT. REACTOR
Bishop works on the remote transmission to the group’s only way off world.
INT. SPACESHIP
The plan appears successful so far. They might actually survive this! Good news!
INT. MEDICAL BAY – NIGHT
Bad news! Ripley and Newt wake up to the horrifying realization that two face-huggers have been set loose in their room…and their locked inside!
INT. CONTROL ROOM
Burke is behind this! He turns off the monitor showing Ripley and Newt calling for help. Ripley and Newt are on their own.
INT. MEDICAL BAY
Glass not breaking adds to the tension. Ripley sets off the fire alarm, finding a way to call for help.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
Help is on the way!
INT. MEDICAL BAY
Where is it…where is it…SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!
Marines come just in the nick of time, just barely saving Ripley and Newt.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
Burke in interrogated (corporate greed is put on the same scale as murderous aliens). Time’s up: The aliens cut the power and they’re on their way.
INT. HALLWAYS
They’re everywhere but we don’t see anything. They’re coming and we don’t know how they’re getting in.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
We find out too late, as they enter the room and swarm our survivors. We see Ripley handle a gun in live action. Fight for your life!
INT. HALLWAYS
It’s now down to Hicks, Ripley, Newt, Vasquez, and the Lieutenant escaping, as we watch Burke and Hudson die.
INT. VENTS
Ripley, Hicks, and Newt escape. Meanwhile, Vasquez and the Lieutenant die protecting the rear.
Side note – In every scene where we see the aliens (not including the face-huggers) people die really quickly…like…in a matter of mere moments. This helps set up the stakes for the third act to keep us on the edge of our seats. With that said, it was good decision to remove the scene where auto turrets hold back the aliens from the compound.
INT. VENT TURBINE
Newt gets separated! Hicks and Ripley go after her.
INT. SEWER/HALLWAYS
Hicks and Ripley track down Newt and try to get her out, but the aliens beat them to her!
INT. ELEVATOR
Hicks gets Ripley out of the complex, but after getting sprayed with acid, he’s out of commission.
EXT. COMPLEX / DROP SHIP
Bishop comes through with the drop ship landing just in time. The Third Act begins with the new plan to save Newt, the ticking clock in full force with both face-huggers and a thermonuclear meltdown.
INT. DROP SHIP
It’s go time as Ripley prepares herself for her greatest challenge yet. The stakes are raised to their near max (19 minutes before explosion), and it’s up to Ripley going into the core of the Alien hive ALONE to save her surrogate daughter, Newt.
INT. REACTOR / ALIEN HIVE
We follow Ripley into her worst nightmare (and it’s f***ing scary!).
Side Note: Newt is lost —> Newt is about to be impregnated by a face-hugger —> Ripley saves her in the nick of time. A rollercoaster of emotions through the action.
INT. QUEEN’S LAIR
Mother versus Mother, Round 1. Ripley and Newt face down the most horrifying villain yet, The Alien Queen, and barely escape with the Queen hot on their tails.
INT. REACTOR / ALIEN HIVE
Ripley and Newt run from the Alien Queen, who’s chasing them down. Ripley uses the last of her ammo to buy time.
EXT. LAUNCH PAD
After being lead to believe Bishop abandoned Ripley and Newt, with the Alien Queen moments from killing the two, Bishop arrives just in time to save the two. “Punch it, Bishop!”
EXT. DROP SHIP
They escape, with the reactor blowing up behind them.
INT. DROP SHIP
Soft music and “I knew you’d come” says we’re out of the nightmare. All is safe, right?
INT. HANGER BAY
The Alien Queen is on the ship with them (All is not safe!)! Mother versus Mother, Round 2, as Ripley battles a creature even worse than the one she defeated in the previous film…and wins against all odds!
Side note: Once again, James Cameron sends us on an emotional roller coaster, complete with a one liner, “Get away from her you bitch!” and ending with Newt embracing Ripley as “Mommy!”Just saying, the man knows action and how to tug on heart strings.
INT. CRYO CHAMBER
A mother’s goodnight kiss. The nightmare is over, and our heroes can sleep peacefully once again.
Side note – Like I said earlier, there’s that sleep and dreams motif to close us out of the movie, much the same way it started. Perfect bookend.
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Matthew Frendo’s Favorite Movie Outline
What I learned doing this assignment was how to use another movie’s outline to understand better how to create our own. It made me notice different things. I noticed that I needed an outside agency in my film, to make it more dynamic. I also realized that the dilemma wasn’t very immediate and that I need to make sure mine hits harder. So, I learned from both the movie’s strength and its weaknesses. Very interesting.
FILM: THE RUNNING MAN
Dramatic Question: Can Richards survive the Running Man?
Main Conflict: Richards and his team vs. Host and his stalkers
Dilemma: Should Richards risk his life to show the world the truth or escape to safety?
Theme: TV is dangerous because it can manipulate a populace to believe falsities and do what they are told, while making people more violent.
INTRO
Crawl explaining world.
INT. / EXT. HELICOPTER – NIGHT
Army group in helicopter finds food riot, with no one armed. They order them to kill the crowd, but Richards refuses. So they tell the second in command to take over and detain Richards.
EXT./INT. DETENTION ZONE – DAY
Richards is doing prison labor in a rough, toxic environment. The guards talk about watching the Running Man while letting prisoners die like it’s nothing. The prisoners stage a riot and escape.
EXT. LOS ANGELES – NIGHT
The prisoners find someone to take off their explosive headsets. Discuss taking over TV frequency to show the world the truth about the world. They realize Richards was a cop, but he convinces them he’s not their enemy.
EXT. LOS ANGELES – DAY
Richards leaves the rest, saying he doesn’t care about their cause and just wants to survive.
EXT. PRODUCTION CENTER – DAY
Host comes out to big applause.
INT. PRODUCTION CENTER – DAY
Host shows himself to be a douche as he worries about ratings.
INT. APARTMENT – DAY
Richards looks for his brother, but finds the place empty.
INT. PRODUCTION CENTER – DAY
Host is trying to figure out what to do for this weeks show.
INT. APARTMENT – DAY
Woman working out watches a news report that shows Richards and claims he killed the civilians during the food riot. Then he shows up and asks who the woman is, since this is his brother’s apartment. Finds out brother was taken for reeducation and this is her place now.
INT. PRODUCTION CENTER – DAY
Looking for contestants. The host sees Richards with prison escape tape and decides he wants him to be on the Running Man.
INT. APARTMENT – DAY
Richards gets money and travel pass from girl and forces her to go with him out of town.
INT. AIRPORT – DAY
Walk through airport, until girl purposefully blows their cover. Cops run after Richards and finally catch him.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – NIGHT
Host forces Richards to join Running Man by kidnapping and threatening his prisoner friends.
INT. MEDICAL AREA – DAY
They give Richards injections and throw him in a hole, knocking him out until showtime.
INT. APARTMENT – DAY
Amber sees news report and realizes they are framing Richards by saying he killed men at airport earlier, when she knows he didn’t.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – DAY
Richards’ court appointed theatrical agent gets him and tells him it’s time.
MONTAGE – crowds all over get ready for Running Man as intro to show starts to play everywhere. “Stalkers” walk around and violently please the crowd, as fans dance and cheer.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – NIGHT
Amber sees Richards in the hall and realizes that nothing stopped him from hurting her when they were alone.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Host gives opening to Running Man and gives a fake background on Richards to make him look like a killer to the masses, calling him the “Butcher of Bakersfield.” Find out contestants get a trial or pardon or suspended sentence if they make it through.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – NIGHT
Amber starts to snoop around.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
They put Richards’ friends in Running Man, after promising him they’d be safe if he volunteered. They explain game: runners have 3 hours to get through the arena while being chased by stalkers who want to kill them. Then they start the show.
INT. TUNNELS – NIGHT
Prisoners go fast through tunnels to get to arena.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – NIGHT
Amber finds raw footage of Richards in Bakersfield before an unknown person catches her.
INT. SHOW / EXT. STREETS – NIGHT
Crowd bets on the show as they let an audience member pick the first stalker, Sub Zero.
EXT. / INT. ARENA – NIGHT
Crowd watches runners get into first quadrant. Sub Zero attacks with nifty weapons, but Richards kills him. Crowd is silenced as Richards taunts the host.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – NIGHT
Host defends stalkers death on phone, saying it was bound to happen one day.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Host lets guest pick two stalkers, Buzzsaw and Dynamo.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – NIGHT
Host is happy as ratings are up. He finds out about Amber being found looking for the Bakersfield video and is pleased.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
They introduce Buzzsaw and Dynamo. They make Amber a “mystery contestant,” and tell a fake story about her to the masses so they hate her, then send her into the game.
EXT. ARENA – NIGHT
Richards’ friend realizes he can jam the network because of the way the cameras are positioned. Richards wants to escape instead, but the other two insist on jamming the network first.
EXT. ARENA – OTHER PART – NIGHT
Amber is let into games and is running from the crowd.
EXT. ARENA – NIGHT
Amber finds Richards and his team. Dynamo and Buzzsaw find them, and they all run. Weiss and Amber look to disrupt the program, with the other two go the other way.
INT. ARENA – NIGHT
Buzzsaw and Richards fight. Richards kills Buzzsaw, with the crowd shocked into silence.
INT. OTHER PART OF ARENA – NIGHT
Dynamo finds Weiss and Amber just as Weiss got the code. Amber screams as he kills Weiss.
EXT. ARENA – NIGHT
Richards runs to help Amber, but Dynamo hurts her before he gets there. Dynamo follows him as he leads him away from Amber. Richards outsmarts Dynamo and traps him in his car. Richards refuses to kill a trapped human being and leaves Dynamo alive.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Crowd is unhappy with Richards letting Dynamo live. Show decides to send in Fireball after them.
INT. ARENA – NIGHT
Richards’ friend dies from earlier injuries with Buzzsaw. Find out Amber still has code Weiss got. Makes Richards finish the job of disrupting the network. Since the man saved his life, Richards figures he now has to do it.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE / ARENA – NIGHT
Host gets on private line with Richards and asks him to be a stalker, for good pay. Richards refuses and threatens him. Host gets call from Attorney General.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
They introduce Fireball to cheering crowd. They ask crowd member who will get the next kill and she chooses Richards, which no one has done before (picking a contestant instead of a stalker).
EXT. CITY – NIGHT
People start betting on Richards to make next kill.
EXT. ARENA – NIGHT
They are trying to do the deed, when Fireball finds them. Richards and Amber get separated.
INT. ARENA – NIGHT
Amber finds last season’s winners of the Running Man, who were supposed to be free, dead in the arena. Fireball finds her. Richards shows up and kills Fireball.
EXT. CITY – NIGHT
Crowd cheers Richards last kill.
INT. PARTY – NIGHT
They call an old stalker, Captain Freedom, out, and make him do it their way to appease the crowd. Host is now losing it as people are betting on Richards.
EXT. ARENA – NIGHT
Richards and Amber look for broadcast center, but then get trapped.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – NIGHT
The film crew starts to doctor footage.
INT. PEOPLE’S NETWORK – NIGHT
Rebels who were friends with Richards’ friends pull Richard and Amber into their base. Amber reveals she still has the code.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Film crew doctors footage with Captain Freedom to make it seem like he killed Amber and Richards in arena. Crowd cheers.
INT. PEOPLES NETWORK – NIGHT
Richards realizes they won’t let them leave alive.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Host plays up Richards’ death to crowd and is happy with doctored footage.
INT. PEOPLE’S NETWORK – NIGHT
They send out their team to start their plan. Amber reveals she has the unedited footage of Bakersfield and they decide to upload it to the world. Richards and the rest of the team move out.
INT. HALLS – NIGHT
Richards and team move forward.
INT. PEOPLE’S NETWORK – NIGHT
They start the upload process.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Show is still celebrating Richards’ “death.”
INT. HALLS – NIGHT
Richards and Amber split up to do the mission.
INT. PEOPLE’S NETWORK – NIGHT
They hack the system and play the video exposing the truth about the host and the lies that were told.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Host is flummoxed as truth about Bakersfield plays.
INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE – NIGHT
Show producers try to figure out where the signal is coming from, then people’s network rebels take over room.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Host tries to appease angry crowd when Richards and team enter. Gunfight ensues.
INT. HALL – NIGHT
Amber kills a man, then is confronted by an angry Dynamo. She fights back.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Crowd watches gunfight.
INT. HALL – NIGHT
Amber shoots sprinkler system during battle, electrocuting Dynamo to death.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Richards and host confront each other while crowd watches. Host gives speech about TV and how it tells people what to do and how they give them what they want with violence and sports. Richards sends host into arena through tunnels. The host’s pod flies through tunnels and then explodes into a sign.
EXT. – STREETS / MONTAGE
Crowd cheers death of host and for Richards.
INT. SHOW – NIGHT
Richards and Amber kiss and walk off together.
EXT. – CITY – NIGHT
Big TV on building goes from Running Man to “Stand By.”
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This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by Matthew Frendo.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by
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Matthew Iott’s Favorite Movie Outline
What I learned doing this assignment is that structure is everything. The bones of a script are essential to a cohesive and entertaining story.
Dramatic Question: Will Carl bounce back from being humiliated and find his true purpose?
Main Conflict: A massively influential food critic versus a talented and prideful chef.
Dilemma: Carl has to choose between what’s more important, his role as a chef or as a father.
Theme: Not getting the thing that we thought was going to make us happy often leads us to the thing that’s going to make us truly happy.
Outline of Chef
INT. Galoises Restaurant Kitchen. Day
Carl is in his kitchen prepping food. Clearly a professional at work. Martin brings in the pig which they carve up.
EXT. Parking lot. Day
Carl wakes up a hungover Tony in his car. “We got the pig”
EXT/INT. Carl’s Car. Day
Carl picks up his son Percy. He’s late. They talk about going to the farmers’ market.
EXT. Farmers Market. Day
Carl picks up vegetables. Percy wants kettle korn. Carl tells him to eat an orange.
EXT. Farmers Market. Day.
They eat kettle korn and Carl talks about reviewers and how they have it out for him because of his early success.
EXT. Sausage stand. Day.
Carl and Percy eat huge sausage sandwiches. They talk about going to New Orleans. Percy suggests going.
INT. Galoises Restaurant Kitchen. Day
Controlled chaos. 1 hour to open. Carl gets everyone ready to do a new menu. Molly the hostess tells Carl that “Riva is here”.
INT. Galoises Restaurant Kitchen. Day. Continuous.
Riva the restaurant owner comes into the kitchen. He asks Carl if he’s going to change the menu. Carl asks for space. Riva asks to speak with him privately. It’s tense.
INT. Galoises Restaurant Kitchen. Day. Continuous.
Riva emphasizes that the biggest critic in the city is coming that night. This is no time to take chances. Carl wants to be more creative.
INT. Galoises Restaurant Dining Room.
Carl gives in and tells the staff that they are going with the usual menu. Tony and Martin are bummed.
EXT. Third Street Santa Monica. Day.
Carl is with Percy. He’s distracted by a busker puppeteer of a skeleton. Clearly, Carl is not happy.
INT. Local Bar. Night.
The staff does tequila shots and Carl reads out loud the review from the critic. It’s a brutal pan of his food. Critic even goes after him personally.
EXT. Outside of Bar. Night.
Carl and Molly share a joint and talk about the review. Molly tells him he’s the best chef she’s ever worked with. They have a moment. He offers to cook her food.
INT. Carl’s Apartment. Night.
Carl cooks for Molly. It’s amazing looking food. Sensual experience for her.
EXT. Carl’s car outside of Inez’s house. Day
Percy comes to the window and tells him that Inez, his ex-wife, wants to talk to him.
INT. Inez’s House. Day.
Carl talks with Inez about the review. She tells him that Percy misses him. He was late. She’s concerned.
Montage.
Carl and Percy go to a movie and the amusement park.
INT. Galoises Restaurant Kitchen. Day into Night
Carl goes to work and starts to make the most delicious looking food. Martin and Tony come in, tastes his food. They tell him it’s insanely good. They both tell him to not pay attention to Twitter.
INT. Carl’s Apartment. Night.
Carl makes his famous grilled cheese for Percy. Percy teaches him about Twitter. Percy wants him to move back home.
INT. Carl’s Apartment. Later that Night.
While Percy sleeps, Carl scrolls through Twitter. He messages Ramsey the critic and nasty rebuttal.
INT. Carl’s Apartment. Day.
Next morning while Carl makes breakfast for him and Percy, Percy sees that the message that Carl sent went viral. Percy reads Ramsey’s response.
INT. Galoises Kitchen. Day
Tony, Martin and Carl discuss the twitter controversy. Against their wishes he invites Ramsey back for another meal and he’s going to cook the menu he wanted to cook the night before.
INT. Carl’s car. Day.
Percy wants to go to the restaurant with Carl. He drops Percy off at Inez’s house instead. Inez suggests that he speak with her publicist.
INT. Inez’s kitchen. Day
Inez brings up the idea of a food truck with him again. He doesn’t want to do it.
INT. Galoises Kitchen. Night.
Molly tells Carl that they’re overbooked. Carl says he’s doing the new menu. Riva comes in and says they’re doing the regular menu. He gives him an ultimatum. Carl quits. Tony stays.
INT. Carl’s Apartment. Night.
Carl comes in with groceries and makes the menu just for himself.
Intercut with what’s happening at Galoises.
INT. Galoises Dining Room. Night.
Molly seats Ramsey. In a series of shots, he sees that he’s getting the same menu he got the previous night. Ramsey asks to speak with Carl. Riva tells him he’s gone.
INT. Galoises Dining Room. Night.
Ramsey tweets out his disappointment.
INT. Galoises Kitchen. Night.
Molly is on the phone with Carl. Carl says he’s coming in.
INT. Galoises Dining Room. Night
Carl melts down in front of Ramsey. He loses it about the molten lava cake. The entire restaurant has their phones out recording everything.
INT. Carl’s Apartment. Day.
Carl is on the phone with Inez’s publicist. She tells him that there’s no going back. She offers him a reality show instead.
INT. Carl’s Apartment/Inez’s Apartment. Day.
Carl and Inez talk on the phone about the publicist. He tells Percy that they can’t go to New Orleans.
INT. Local Bar. Night.
Martin and Tony and Carl drink and talk about what happened. Tony tells him he’s sorry for staying.
EXT. Outside of Local Bar. Night.
Carl and Molly share another joint. She tells him he’s miserable and it’s time for him to get real particularly about Percy.
INT. Inez’s house. Morning.
Carl comes to see Percy. Inez asks him to come to Miami with them to see her father.
INT. Miami Hotel. Day.
Inez tells Carl and Percy that they’re going to Hoy como Ayer in Little Havana.
EXT. Hoy Como Ayer. Night
The three of them enter the club. Inez tells Percy this is where she grew up.
INT. Hoy Como Ayer. Night.
Inez’s father plays Cubano music. Carl and Inez get Percy to dance.
INT. Versailles Restaurant. Night.
After the show, Inez’s father, Carl, Percy and Inez order Cuban sandwiches. Grandpa tells Carl he’s gained weight. Percy falls asleep. Carl tells Inez that he’ll talk to Marvin.
INT. Marvin’s Warehouse office. Day.
Percy comes to talk to Marvin about the food truck. Marvin asks him to select a swatch for the carpet he wants to install.
EXT. Marvin’s Warehouse. Day.
The food truck is brought out to Carl. It’s a hunk of junk. He’s on the phone with Martin telling him his plan. Martin is at Galoises, got promoted to Sous.
EXT. Marvin’s Warehouse. Day. Continuous.
Inez and Percy come by to see the truck. Carl asks Inez if she slept with Marvin while they were together.
EXT. Marvin’s Warehouse. Day.
Carl and Percy clean the truck. It’s gross and smelly. There’s a dead rat in a hotel pan. Percy refuses to clean it and runs off.
INT. Marvin’s Warehouse Garage. Day.
Carl apologizes to Percy for yelling at him.
INT. Restaurant Supply Store. Day.
Carl and Percy shop for equipment for the truck.
EXT. Restaurant Supply Loading Dock. Day.
Martin arrives by cab. He wants to join them. Martin speaks Spanish to a group of workers to get them to help get refrigeration unit into the truck.
INT./ EXT. Food Truck. Day.
Martin tells him he’s going to cook the workers the best sandwich they’ve ever had.
INT. Outdoor Market. Day.
Carl and Percy shop.
INT. Food Truck. Day.
Martin preps the pork for the sandwiches.
INT. Food Truck. Day.
They all taste test the pork Martin and Carl tease Percy.
INT. Food Truck. Day.
Martin and Carl teach Percy how to make the perfect Cubano. They taste their first sandwich. It’s on baby!
INT./EXT. Food Truck. Day.
They serve sandwiches all the local workers. Happy faces all the way around. Percy burns a sandwich. Carl has a heart to heart with Percy and teaches a lesson.
EXT. Marvin’s Warehouse. Night.
Martin, Percy and Carl sit outside the truck and discuss the menu for the truck and the route they’re going to take back to LA. Percy tries his first beer.
EXT. Streets of Miami. Day.
Martin has taken the truck to his cousin’s to get it repainted. It looks incredible. Percy tweets out the Chef Carl Casper is back! Gives location of the truck near the beach.
EXT. Miami Beach. Day.
The truck is immediately swamped with hungry beach goers. The trio crush it. Percy loves it. People tweet all over the place.
EXT. Miami Beach. Day.
A cop shows up. Asks for permit. Tells him to move along a couple blocks. The cop recognizes Carl from the Galoises meltdown. Asks for a picture of him and Carl.
EXT./INT. Montage. Day.
Percy checks and works on the twitter page for Carl. They travel and cook. Percy tells him they should stop in New Orleans.
INT. Food Truck. Night.
Martin is driving. Percy sees him put corn starch down his pants to ease the crotch rot from the humidity.
EXT. New Orleans Street. Day.
The guys arrive in New Orleans. Carl takes Percy to the French Quarter to get beignets.
EXT. French Quarter. Day.
Percy and Carl walk and munch their beignets.
EXT. Food Truck on Street. Day.
Carl and Percy arrive back and discover that because of Percy going on Twitter, there’s a huge line outside wanting Cubanos.
EXT. Food Truck. Day.
The guys are slammed.
INT. Food Truck. Day.
After New Orleans, the guys head to Texas. Percy continues to Tweet. Carl is happy.
INT. Frankie’s BBQ. Day.
Carl stops at world famous Frankie’s to get four briskets.
EXT. Frankie’s BBQ back yard. Day
The guys eat and add the brisket to the menu.
EXT. Austin Street. Day.
Food truck is parked and they serve a long line of people while a Texas blues band plays. Percy answers the phone. It’s Inez. Carl says everything is great and that Percy is a cook now! Carl and Inez kinda sorta say “I love you”.
EXT. Austin Street. Night.
Percy and Carl sit on top of the truck listening to music. Carl tells Percy how hard he’s worked but that things are still going to be the same back in LA.
EXT. Inez’s House. Day
Carl drops Percy off. They embrace for a while.
INT. Carl’s Apartment. Day.
Carl checks his phone. Percy watches the 1 second/day video he made. Carl calls Percy and offers him a job on the truck.
EXT. Venice. Night.
On Abbot Kinney all the trucks are lined up. Inez is helping now. They’re killing it. Ramsey shows up and asks to speak with Carl.
EXT. Venice. Night. Continuous.
Carl and Ramsey talk about what happened. Ramsey tells him how much he believes in him. He says he’s got an open space and he’d like to bankroll Carl and he can cook whatever he wants.
INT. El Jefe Restaurant. Night.
6 months later. The new place is opened. Carl and Inez get remarried. It’s a wedding feast. Grandpa comes from Miami and plays. Everyone dances.
-
Subject: (June Fortunato) Favorite Movie Outline (a similar style of movie)
5. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” While the structure of
When Harry Met Sally is not the same as my work, nor is it of the same era/writing style, the
tone is similar. The on again, off again plot is the reason I studied this movie. It’s always a
helpful exercise to analyze movies.
Dramatic Question: When will these two realize they were meant to be together and will they.
Main Conflict: They’re so honest with each other that they feel they can’t be in a
boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. They’re committed to be best buddies.
Dilemma: Both are so attached to each other that they resent when others are interested (in the
other) and yet they feel that if they get together as a romantic couple they’ll ruin everything.
Theme: What is real love? and Companionship.
Essence: Harry and Sally become best friends after they decide that a woman and man can
actually be friends without the complication of sexual drive getting in the way. They share
everything. Finally, they do have sex and break it off, only to realize that they dearly love each
other, have known each other for 11 years, and they get married.
6. Add the subject line to the top and post your assignment on the ProSeries 50 forums at
http://Screenwriting…orums/index.php
Deadline: 48 hours
and put that at the top of the page.
—————————-
When Harry Met Sally Scene Outline
DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE
An older couple, ala “Modern Family” style. How they met & decided to get married.
EXT. U OF CHICAGO CAMPUS – DAY
TEN YEARS AGO
HARRY and AMANDA kiss, lovey dovey goodbye. SALLY, Amanda’s friend, drives up to pick
up Harry- they’re carsharing a trip back home.
EXT. CHICAGO STREET – DAY
The freeway is up ahead.
INT. CAR – DAY
Awkward start. 18 hours drive ahead. Sally has everything scheduled, Harry, more casual, asks
Sally the story of her life and questions “what if none of it” ever happens. Who is this guy Sally
is stuck with for 18 hours???
INT. CAR -TRAVELING SHOT – DAY
They banter about how Sally’s a happy person and Harry plans for death, so Sally states that the
fact that he has a law degree is good because he can do wills and explain to people that they’re
going to die.
INT. CAR – DAY
Pretty scenery as the car moves along. Sally calls “time” they pull over, Harry takes the wheel.
EXT. CAR- HIGHWAY – LATE AFTERNOON
Differing relationship -man/woman -opinions on why Bogart puts Ingrid on the plane at the end
of Casablanca while they head to a diner. Harry thinks Ingrid should’ve stayed for the great sex,
Sally believes that being the first lady of Czechoslovakia is the right thing to do.
INT. DINER
Harry questions if Sally’s ever had great sex and Harry wants to know who with- and makes fun
of the guy’s name, “What is a Sheldon?- an accountant, a endodontist.” Sally very complex
explanations for her order. Sheldon and Sally broke up because her day of the week underwear
didn’t have Sunday. They discuss their number of sexual partners.
INT. DINER
Finishing meal, Sally precise about what they owe. When Harry tells Sally that she’s attractive,
she protests because he’s “coming on to her” and that Amanda is her friend. She says to let it lie,
he asks if she wants to spend the night in a motel, Sally states that they’re JUST GOING TO BE
FRIENDS..
INT. CAR – NIGHT
Harry states that they can NEVER BE FRIENDS. The sex part always gets in the way and
dooms a friendship.
EXT. NEW YORK SKYLINE – DAWN
GW Bridge on a beautiful day.
EXT. NEW YORK STREET CORNER – DAY
Goodbye, have a nice life.
DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE
Another older couple on a love seat & high school sweethearts. He’d moved away- 34 years later
they ran into each other and stayed together since.
INT. LA GUARDIA AIRPORT – DAY
FIVE YEARS LATER
Sally kisses JOE goodbye at airport Harry walks by and peers at them, then unexpectedly, says hi
to Joe. He remembers Sally’s face but doesn’t remember who she is.
INT. AIRPLANE – DAY
In flight, Harry switches seats with a man and Harry and Sally remember their long ride together.
Harry’s getting married, Sally’s astonished and he explains that he got tired of the dating thing in
a really funny, jaded way.
EXT. NATIONAL AIRPORT (DC) – DAY
The plane lands.
INT. NATIONAL AIRPORT – DAY
Harry asks Sally if she’d like to join him for dinner but in a convoluted reasoning, realizes that
even if you’re attached a man and a woman can’t be just friends.
DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE
Older couple loveseat- they were married and divorced. He married a few different women,
serially, then they got married again 45 years later.
EXT. NEW YORK STREET – DAY
FIVE YEARS LATER
Sally walks.
EXT. NEW YORK RESTAURANT WITH VIEW- DAY
Sally enters, joins two friends, MARIE (losing 2 year affair with a married man) and ALICE
(married). Sally states that she and Joe broke up. Marie, rolodex, tries to convince Sally that the
right man might be out there and she’d better grab him before he marries someone else or dies.
EXT. SHEA STADIUM – DAY
Harry and his male friend, JESS. Harry’s wife wants out of the marriage & moves in with
someone else. He’s crushed.
INT. SHAKESPEARE & CO. – DAY
Marie (still having an affair with a married man) and Sally in a bookstore. Harry is there, peering
at Sally. Marie quotes a movie that has the plot: when you hate a man you fall madly in love with
him. Marie leaves them alone. They learn that both of their relationships are done.
INT. RESTAURANT – DAY
Sally’s in denial that she’s crushed about her breakup with Joe.
EXT. 77TH STREET WALK – DUSK
Harry and Sally decide that they like each other. They decide that they can be friends.
DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE
Older couple. Man states what his wife wore at their wedding.
INT. HARRY’S OFFICE – DAY
He calls Sally. You sleeping? They watch Casablanca together/simultaneously.
INT. HARRY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Harry and Sally on phone as he hangs a picture. Another discussion of Casablanca.
INT. HARRY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Harry, sick, and Sally speak on the phone.
Montage:
Sally in office, Sally shopping, Sally tap dancing, Sally grocery shopping, Sally fixing
dinner.
INT. SALLY’S APARTMENT & INT. HARRY’S APARTMENT
They talk on the phone while she cooks and they both watch ESPN.
EXT. MOVIE THEATRE
Harry and Sally. Harry admits he still misses Helen.
INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT – NIGHT
Sally denies missing Joe.
EXT. STREET – DAY
Harry and Sally walk and she discloses looking for books about how to deal with a broken heart.
INT. SALLY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Sally on phone watching Casablanca and talking to
INT. HARRY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Harry, who also watches Casablanca. He seems something of a hypochondriac.
EXT. LINCOLN CENTER -DAY
Harry tells Sally about his dream making love in the olympics and how his mother low scores
him.
EXT. CENTRAL PARK ARBOR – DAY
Harry and Sally share a pretzel. Sally tells Harry about her recurring sex dream that doesn’t go
anywhere except clothes off.
INT. METROPOLITAN MUSEUM – DUSK
They talk in silly voices. He asks her to go to a movie that night but she has a date, and he’s
taken aback. He tells her she should wear a skirt- she looks good in skirts.
INT. HARRY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Sally helps Harry unroll a new rug. They both had horrific first dates with others. He had a panic
attack but still had sex with his date.
INT. BATTING CAGE IN QUEEENS- DAY
Harry and his male friend, Jess, who can’t understand why he isn’t with Sally. He explains that he
doesn’t have to lie with Sally and he can’t do that with other women.
EXT. CARNEGIE DELI – DAY
INT. CARNEGIE DELI – DAY
Harry and Sally about to eat. She questions Harry about how he treats his dates and she’s upset
by the way he has sex and jumps up to leave and bitches him out for it. To prove that the women
are faking orgasms, she fakes an orgasm loudly in the restaurant and Harry is taken aback.
EXT. 96TH STREET – CHRISTMAS TREE STAND – DAY
Harry and Sally carry the tree to Sally’s apartment.
INT. SALLY’S KITCHEN – DAY
Sally decorates cookies with her friend Alice and Alice’s daughter, Amy. Sally talks about her
horrific first date with a Raymond. Sally manicures Amy’s nails and writes Harry’s name on a
cookie. Alice doesn’t understand why Sally isn’t with Harry.
INT. NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY – NIGHT
Harry and Sally promise that if they don’t have dates the following year, they’ll be together on
NYE next year, too. Harry suggests that they stop being friends, go home and make love.
DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE
Cuts between five older couples. Each couple tells how they were set up to meet their spouses.
EXT. WEST BROADWAY, NEAR RESTAURANT- EARLY EVENING
Sally walks with Marie. Sally and Marie meet with Harry and Jess- a double date to introduce
Harry to Marie and Jess to Sally. Harry’s description of Sally isn’t just physical and he clearly
loves her by the way he talks about her. Marie and Jess are the ones who hit it off.
EXT. WEST BROADWAY – NIGHT
Marie asks if Sally’s interested in Jess, because if not, Marie is attracted to him. Jess has the same
conversation with Harry about Marie. Jess promises to be discrete, but when a cab comes by,
Jess hops into the cab and Marie hops in after him. Harry and Sally keep walking and confer on
where to get an ice cream.
DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE
Older couple. They didn’t like each other the first time they met but six months later, they did.
INT. SHARPER IMAGE – DAY
They get very silly with a karaoke machine, when Harry’s ex, Helen walks in with her
accountant. Harry feels faint.
EXT. PLANT SHOP – DAY
Sally pays for a plant, Harry is still affected.
INT. JESS AND MARIE’S APARTMENT- DAY
Newly moved into J and M are in a dispute when Harry and Sally arrive with the plant. Harry is
really upset and storms out the door. Sally follows to console him. He accuses her of not feeling
anything after Joe left her. She gets Harry’s rampage into control and they reenter J and M
apartment.
INT. JESS AND MARIE’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Furnished now. Harry and Sally, Jess and Marie, Alice and Gary, Sally’s date Julian, Harry’s date
Emily. They’re playing a game. Sally & Marie alone as Sally questions how appropriate Emily is
for Harry. Harry and Jess alone as Harry questions how tall Julian is.
INT. HARRY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Harry reads, the phone rings, it’s Sally. She asks him to come over. She’s upset- Joe is getting
married.
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE OF SALLY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
She’s a wreck and Harry puts his arms around her and holds her. They enter her apartment.
INT. SALLY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
He holds her and kisses her, and remembers to break away but she asks him to hold her.
INT. SALLY’S BEDROOM – LATER
They’ve made love. (page 91) Sally’s happy. Harry’s freaked.
INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT
Sally happy.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
Harry is petrified.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
Harry looks through Sally’s index cards of video tapes. Awkward. They’re both stunned.
INT. BEDROOM – THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
Sally asleep. Harry stares at the clock.
INT. BEDROOM – ALMOST DAWN
Harry’s getting dressed but he asks if she wants to go to dinner after work.
INT. JESS AND MARIE’S BEDROOM – MORNING
Marie’s phone rings. It’s Sally. Jess’ phone rings. It’s Harry. Both Marie and Jess tell them they
were praying for it and cheer them on for it. After they hang up Marie asks Jess to never make
her ‘be out there’ again.
INT. SALLY’S BATHROOM – DAY
Sally decides to say they made a mistake.
INT. HARRY’S BATHROOM – DAY
Harry decides to tell Sally it was a mistake.
INT. SALLY’S BATHROOM – DAY
She hopes to say it first.
INT. HARRY’S BATHROOM – DAY
Harry hopes Sally will say it first.
INT. RESTAURANT – NIGHT
Harry and Sally drink. Sally says it was a mistake. They are awkward.
DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE
Older couple. How they got together.
INT. CENTRAL PARK – BETHESDA FOUNTAIN – DAY
Harry and Jess walk quickly. Harry thinks, maybe it’s too late in the relationship to have sex.
INT. DEPARTMENT STORE DRESSING ROOM- DAY
Marie and Sally and Marie tries on wedding gowns and Sally cries.
INT. PUCK BUILDING – THE WEDDING- AFTERNOON
Sally’s Marie’s maid of honor, Harry watches Sally walk down the aisle and Sally looks away.
INT. PUCK BUILDING – WEDDING RECEPTION, ENTRANCE AND KITCHEN –
AFTERNOON
Harry approaches Sally. Rough going, they start arguing, end up in the kitchen arguing he
implies that he took pity on her and she slaps him and storms out.
INT. PUCK BUILDING WEDDING RECEPTION – DAY
Jess proposes a toast to Harry and Sally. Marie forces tossing her bouquet to Sally, who catches
it.
EXT. CHRISTMAS IN NY
Happy lights and decorations
EXT. 96TH STREET – CHRISTMAS TREE STAND – DAY
Sally buys a tree and hauls it home alone. Harry leaves a message on her phone machine and
asks for forgiveness and asks her to call him.
INT. SALLY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Sally listens as Harry leaves another message.
INT. HARRY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Harry tries to convince himself that she’s not home.
INT. SALLY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Sally overhears but does not pick up.
EXT. STREET – HOT DOG STAND – DAY
Harry and Jess. Harry I’m making a schmuck of myself.
INT. HARRY’S APARTMENT -DAY
Harry sings onto Sally’s phone machine- romantic. Call me.
INT. SALLY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Sally overhears.
INT. HARRY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Harry continues the song, “call me”
INT. SALLY’S APARTMENT – DAY
OS Harry “give me a call” Sally picks up the phone. Harry asks if they can be together for NYE
at a particular party. She says no.
EXT. TIMES SQUARE – NIGHT
DICK CLARK
INT. HARRY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Dick Clark on TV, Harry watches and tries to convince himself that it’s ok.
FLASHBACK A year earlier.
Harry and Sally dance. Recalls when he asked her to make love.
INT. HARRY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
He needs to get air.
INT. NYE PARTY – NIGHT
Sally dances with a tall man. Terrible. Marie dances with Jess.
EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET – NIGHT
Harry walks. He sees a couple.
FLASHBACK
Harry and Sally laugh. He tells her she looks good in skirts.
EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET- NIGHT
Harry is agitated and walks into an ice cream store.
INT. NYE PARTY – NIGHT
Sally pretends to have a good time and can’t wait to go home.
EXT. WASHINGTON SQUARE -NIGHT
Harry walks upset dumps his ice cream
FLASHBACK
Eleven years ago when Sally dropped him off in Washington Square.
EXT. WASHINGTON SQUARE – NIGHT
He starts running.
INT. NYE PARTY – NIGHT
Sally’s leaving. She doesn’t want to be there and not get kissed.
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Harry runs.
INT. PARTY – NIGHT
Sally gets her coat.
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Harry runs.
INT. PARTY- NIGHT
Sally kisses Jess and Marie goodbye. She turns. Harry is there. Harry slowly approaches her and
declares his love for her. Incredibly romantic speech, he tells all the ways and reasons why he
loves her and wants to be with her, starting right now. They kiss.
A COUPLE ON A LOVESEAT
It’s Harry and Sally, same kind of footage as the documentary footage- that they got married two
months later.
-
[PS#81] Day 6: Let’s See How Hollywood Does It.
Lisa Long
What I learned from doing this assignment is…that I can freeform write and then go back and cut, cut, cut. I learned how each scene is needed to move the story along.
Dramatic Question: Can the Kranks really skip Christmas?
Main Conflict: The Kranks will disappoint everyone, but they really want to go away.
Dilemma: Should they go on the cruise or disappoint everyone?
Theme: Family overall.
Outline of Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
1. INT- BEDROOM – DAY
Luther and Nora Krank are in bed and alarm goes off. They have a big day.
2. INT-AIRPORT – DAY
Luther and Nora Krank say goodbye to daughter Blair as she leaves for South America.
3. INT-CAR – EVENING
Nora replays the video on her phone of Blair leaving. They are worried about whether Blair will be okay in the jungle of Peru with the Peace Corps.
4. EXT-CAR – NIGHT (Pouring Rain)
Outside a small supermarket, Nora gives Luther a list of groceries she needs. They argue because they forgot to bring an umbrella and Luther doesn’t want to go into the store.
5. EXT-CAR-NIGHT (Pouring Rain)
Luther gives in and runs across the street in the rain. A Santa tries to give him an umbrella, but he declines the umbrella.
6. INT-CAR-NIGHT
Nora looks in a mirror and wipes away tears
7. EXT-CAR-NIGHT
Luther runs back across the street with a plastic grocery bag.
8. INT-CAR-NIGHT
Nora looks in the bag and tells Luther that he got the wrong kind of chocolate, and he should have talked to the butcher. He gets out of the car again.
9. EXT-CAR-NIGHT
Luther runs across the street and the Santa tries to give him an umbrella again.
10. EXT-STREET-NIGHT (Pouring rain)
Santa says that Luther really needs an umbrella. The awning full of water falls on him. Luther sees a poster of a cruise ship in a nearby window and ponders on it.
11. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther uses an adding machine to add up how much Christmas will cost this year.
12. INT-DINING ROOM-NIGHT
Luther shows Nora the ledger and a brochure for a 10-day luxury cruise. The catch: we skip Christmas. When Nora can’t give $600 bucks to her charities, she’s not in.
13. INT-BEDROOM-NIGHT
Luther gives in and says they can give to charity what they gave last year and no more.
14. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther drafts a memo stating that he won’t be celebrating Christmas this year and passes them out to his colleagues.
15. EXT-STREET-DAY
The owner of the stationary store runs after Nora and says he’s worried she hasn’t ordered her Christmas cards yet. Nora says they aren’t ordering cards this year.
16. INT-RESTAURANT-DAY
Nora is talking with 2 friends. Stationary owner comes in and asks if she needs to order her invitations. She says they aren’t having a Christmas eve party this year.
17. EXT-HOUSE-DUSK
The cub scout and father come to offer the same type of tree they ordered the previous year. Luther says they aren’t buying a tree because they’re going away for Christmas.
18. INT-LIVING ROOM-DUSK
Nora and Luther hide behind the curtains and talk about how Fromyer oversees the street.
19. EXT-STREET-DAY
Scout master tells Walt and Vic Fromyer that Luther stiffed the scouts on a tree.
20. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
Fromyer asks about Blair and says his family is putting up lights. Not going to be the same without Blair. Fromyer gives him a flyer to put up Frosty on his roof.
21. INT-LIVING ROOM-DAY
Nora says it’s a tradition, why won’t you put up Frosty?
22. EXT-PORCH-DAY
Walt comes over. Beth comes over with the cat that Luther has just stepped on. How is Beth feeling? Good day. Walt calls Luther ‘old man’.
23. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Everyone in the office gives Luther a bad time about not celebrating Christmas.
24. EXT-HOUSE-DAY
Fromyer and the neighborhood kids are on the lawn, and he shouts We’re here for Frosty!
25. INT-BEDROOM-DAY
Nora sits by the window and calls Luther on the phone. They’re here and want Frosty.
26. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther says they can’t have it.
27. INT-HALLWAY-DAY
Nora says to Luther that they will put him up.
28. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther says absolutely not.
29. INT-HALLWAY-DAY
Nora pleads with Luther.
30. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther says NO.
31. EXT-LAWN-DAY
Fromyer says we’ll come back later. Spike says and Frosty better be here.
32. INT-BEDROOM-DAY
Nora hides under the covers on the bed
33. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther says you’re scared in a locked house. It’s a ridiculous 7 ft snowman.
34. INT-BEDROOM-DAY
Nora says you are miles away in your office.
35. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther Yeah, well.
36. INT-BEDROOM-DAY
Nora still under covers. I’m here, I am the one dealing with this.
37. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther says I agree. Maybe it’s time you left the neighbors.
38. INT-BEDROOM-DAY
Nora, how do you think I’m going to do that? The neighbors are blocking the street.
39. INT-OFFICE-DAY
Luther maybe you go to the garage and get in the car and drive away. Go to the mall and I’ll meet you at O’Leary’s.
40. INT-BEDROOM-DAY
See Nora, hear Luther on phone say Do it now, you can do this. Nora runs to the garage.
41. INT-GARAGE-DAY
Nora opens the garage door. The street is full of people. Nora drives out of the garage with the hood of her coat up.
42. EXT-STREET-DAY
Fromyer grabs onto Nora’s down car window and hangs on. Nora rolls up the window on Fromyer’s hands and he falls; his gloves are stuck on the window.
43. INT-RESTAURANT-NIGHT
Nora says she is the one on the frontline & must deal with everything. Luther has a surprise for her. It’s a bikini and he a speedo. These aren’t for the cruise.
44. INT-MALL-DAY
Luther says he’s not going to eat fish tacos at an Irish pub.
45. INT-TANNING SALON-DAY
Follow me and don’t mention her eyes. Nora doesn’t want to do it. Isn’t the point to get a tan on the cruise? Look at our skin. You look like a corpse.
46. INT-TANNING ROOM-DAY
Nora gets in tanning bed. A man comes in and Nora hits her head.
47. INT-TANNING SALON LOBBY-DAY
Father Sabrisky sees Nora in her bikini. Her head is bleeding. Father upset they’re not observing Christmas this year. Luther comes out to lobby in his speedo to see if she’s okay.
48. INT-BEDROOM-DAY
In the local newspaper is a photo of them in their bathing suits. It says they are “Skipping Christmas; the Kranks are preparing for a cruise. They are selfish.” Nora goes off.
49. INT-SOUP KITCHEN-DAY
Nora and friends are serving meals. Beth’s cancer is back and has spread. This could be her last Christmas.
50. EXT-STREET-DAY
Luther steps on the cat. Luther asks Walt how the photographer climbed on his roof for the newspaper photo. Stop calling me old man! Nora says, I just heard about Beth.
51. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
All the houses are decorated with lights except the Kranks. Walt is outside working on putting lights on his bushes.
52. INT-KITCHEN-NIGHT
Luther and Nora are cooking when the doorbell rings. They’re here for Frosty. Nora says no she’s not answering. Rings again. Luther gives in.
53. INT-FOYER-NIGHT
Two policemen are at the door and say it’s that time of year again for our calendar that is our big money maker. Luther says we don’t need a calendar this year.
54. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
Police tell Walt that the Kranks said they didn’t need a calendar this year. St. Maria’s church choir comes by, and Walt says I think some Christmas cheer will do them good!
55. INT-DINING ROOM-NIGHT
Luther and Nora hide and sneak to the window to see carolers. They pull the curtains. Not too late to buy a calendar.
56. EXT-LAWN-NIGHT
More carolers join in including Vic Fromyer and his son, Spike. They sing faster and faster and faster.
57. INT-LIVING ROOM-NIGHT
Suddenly, carolers appear at the window singing loudly and scaring Nora.
58. EXT-LAWN-NIGHT
A large crowd are on the lawn still singing.
59. INT-BASEMENT-NIGHT
Luther and Nora go to the basement to hide under the stairs. Nora turns and sees Frosty in the corner staring at them.
60. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Looking out the curtains, a group of kids are shouting Free Frosty!
61. EXT-LAWN-DAY
Spike Fromyer kid puts a sign on their lawn saying Free Frosty. Luther comes out and takes it into the house.
62. EXT-STREET-DAY
Nora is walking down the street of downtown. Little girls say Merry Christmas Mrs. Krank. She turns and looks at them sweetly.
63. EXT-LAWN-NIGHT
Luther is watering the walk outside his house to form ice.
64. EXT-LAWN-DAY
The mailman walks across the lawn and slips on the ice. Luther sees this from the window and celebrates.
65. EXT-LAWN-NIGHT
A group of carolers walk up the lawn and all fall on the ice. Nora comes out to help and slides all the way down the walk on her stomach. Walt’s cat is frozen in the ice.
66. INT-HOSPITAL ROOM-DAY
Nora is reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas to sick children. Luther comes in and checks himself out in a mirror. Nora wonders what is wrong with him.
67. INT-RESTAURANT-NIGHT
Nora says your face is frozen. Luther got Botox and his eyebrows are high and he can’t eat. Everyone is talking behind our backs. You’re just consumed with yourself.
68. INT-BEDROOM-DAY
Luther and Nora are packing for their cruise. Blair calls. She’s coming home with her fiancé Enrique. Blair will never know about your stupid scheme to skip Christmas.
69. EXT-CHRISTMAS TREE LOT-DAY
Luther tries to get a Christmas tree, but they only have a bare twig of a tree left. They give Luther a hard time about not buying earlier.
70. EXT-STREET-DAY
Luther asks neighbor Wes for his tree while they’re gone for Christmas. Luther makes a deal with Spike to help him get the Christmas tree from Wes’s house to his house.
71. EXT-GROCERY STORE-DAY
Nora drives up and runs into the store.
Luther and Spike plan to put the delicate ornaments on the sofa.
73. INT-NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE-DAY
Neighbor Ned is watching them from his house with binoculars.
74. INT-WES’S HOUSE-DAY
Spike breaks an ornament.
75. INT-WALT’S HOUSE-DAY
Walt answers the phone and Ned tells Walt that Luther is stealing Wes’s Christmas tree. Walt looks out the window.
76. INT-GROCERY STORE-DAY
Nora races an older lady to the hams but gets hit by a cart and smashes into a display. The other woman gets the last Hickory Honey ham.
77. INT-WES’S HOUSE-DAY
Luther puts the Christmas tree on Spike’s wagon.
78. INT-GROCERY STORE-DAY
Nora sees a man with a Hickory Honey ham at checkout and begs to buy the ham.
79. EXT-STREET-DAY
The tree runs away across the street as two policemen ask him where he’s going with that tree. Luther says they were moving it to his house. Spike runs away.
80. EXT-GROCERY STORE-DAY
Nora has the ham, but she drops it, and it spins through the parking lot. It goes under a truck and out onto the street where a Semi runs over it. Nora throws a fit on the ground.
81. INT-POLICE CAR-DAY
Luther is in the back seat of the cruiser. Spike knocks on the window of the car and tells the policemen that it’s not a burglary and gives them the key.
82. EXT-STREET-DAY
The police let Luther go and he has the key. Luther and Spike go to finish moving the tree.
83. INT-LIVING ROOM-DAY
Blair calls from ATL. Nora rambles off what she needs as she leaves for the store. Luther is to put up Frosty. Then he is to call all the neighbors and invite them to the party.
84. EXT-STREET-DAY
Nora tears out of the driveway.
85. EXT-HOUSE-DUSK
Frosty is in a noose and Luther is hauling him up to the roof.
86. INT-LIQUOR STORE-EVENING
An older man in a cap says Merry Christmas, Nora. She doesn’t recognize him. He knows Blair. Nora invites him to the party.
87. EXT-ROOF-NIGHT
Luther is still pulling Frosty up to the roof.
88. INT-FROMYER HOUSE-NIGHT
Vic is watching Luther with his binoculars struggling to put up Frosty. He tells the kids and they all run over to watch Luther.
89. EXT-ROOF-NIGHT
Luther gets Frosty up on the roof. Fromyer asks if he needs help as a crowd gathers. Luther and Frosty slide down the roof.
90. EXT-YARD-NIGHT
Frosty hits the ground. Luther is hanging off the roof. Fromyer rallies the crowd to help with the party for Blair, not Luther. He tells the police to go to the airport and pick up Blair.
91. EXT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Fromyer and others hoist Frosty up the side of the house. It starts to snow.
92. INT- HOUSE-NIGHT
People are helping decorate. Nora opens the door. Neighbors stream in with food.
93. EXT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Fromyer is watching over the firemen hanging Christmas lights on the bushes outside.
94. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Montage of Luther, Nora, and different people putting up decorations. Blair calls and they landed 5 minutes early. Fromyer whispers in Spike’s ear and Spike runs out.
95. INT-AIRPORT-NIGHT
Blair and Enrique are looking for Luther and Nora. The cops are there with signs that say “Blair & N. Reeky”.
96. INT-KITCHEN-NIGHT
Everyone is decorating snowmen cookies frantically.
97. EXT-AIRPORT PARKING LOT-NIGHT
Police put the luggage in the trunk of the cruiser.
98. INT-POLICE CAR-NIGHT
Spike calls the police and tells the cops to stall that they aren’t ready for Blair yet.
99. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Luther answers the doorbell and it’s the man in the cap from the liquor store. He calls Luther by name and gives him a Hickory Honey ham.
100. EXT-CITY STREET-NIGHT
It’s snowing as police drive very slowly down the street.
101. INT-POLICE CAR-NIGHT
Second cop asks why driving so slowly? Icy roads.
102. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
People are still decorating. Luther tells Nora that no one knows the guy with the hat. He knows them Nora says.
103. EXT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Fromyer is ordering the firemen to check the string of lights. Randy plugs in the lights and it blows all the lights on the block.
104. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Lights go out.
105. EXT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Fromyer says Oops! Randy says Sweet.
106. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Luther says it’s just the lights and he’ll check the breaker.
107. EXT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Fromyer says he’ll go help Luther.
108. INT-BASEMENT-NIGHT
Luther and Fromyer check the breaker box. Luther asks Fromyer if he knows anyone at ConEd. Fromyer answers yes.
109. INT-POLICE CAR-NIGHT
Spike calls cops to say they need more time. First cop makes up a fake domestic violence crime. Blair and Enrique look worried.
110. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
ConEd worker on pole at end of street turns a switch, but nothing happens.
111. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Nora has candles around and she’s ordering people where to place things.
112. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
ConEd worker on pole flips the switch again. Nothing happens.
113. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Again, Nora is ordering people where to place items.
114. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
ConEd worker flips the switch again.
115. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Nora tells Luther there’s a box downstairs.
116. EXT-HOUSE-NIGHT
ConEd worker hits the switch with a hammer.
117. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Lights come on the block. Everyone can see how great the house is decorated now. They’ll be here any minute.
118. EXT-CITY STREET-NIGHT
Two policemen have parked the car and are walking down the street. First cop tells second cop that they must stall until the party starts.
119. INT-POLICE CAR-NIGHT
Blair reassures Enrique that it will be fine.
120. EXT-CITY STREET-NIGHT
Cops pretend to investigate something by a door.
121. INT-BEDROOM-NIGHT
Nora has tried powder on Luther to try to hide his tan.
122. EXT-CITY STREET-NIGHT
Cops hear a crash that sounds like a break in, but they got a party to go to. Second cop goes up fire escape but falls and hits his head. Thief falls into a trash bin and rolls out of it.
123. INT-POLICE CAR-NIGHT
Blair and Enrique are watching from the car.
124. EXT-CITY STREET-NIGHT
Thief is on the ground. Second cop runs after him towards the police car.
125. INT-POLICE CAR-NIGHT
Blair and Enrique are watching this happen from the car.
126. EXT-CITY STREET-NIGHT
Cop tackles the thief right next to Blair’s side of the police car.
127. INT-POLICE CAR-NIGHT
Blair and Enrique lean toward the window with their mouths open. Thief pops up with his face against the glass and they scream.
128. INT-BEDROOM-NIGHT
Nora and Luther are getting ready. Luther questions whether he looks like a mafioso in the black turtleneck. Nora says that Blair is never to know about the cruise!
129. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
Spike uses a walkie-talkie to let Fromyer know that they’re coming. Fromyer calls up to Ned on the roof as he puts up Frosty. Fromyer tells him to hide!
130. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
Spike rides his bike ahead of the police cruiser and another boy follows the cruiser on his bike.
131. INT-BEDROOM-NIGHT
Nora looks out window and yells they’re here! Luther asks what if we don’t like him? They see Blair get out of the police car. Nora screams to everyone, she’s here!
132. EXT-DRIVEWAY-NIGHT
Fromyer says hello to Blair and Enrique. Didn’t Luther do a great job on the house?
133. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Blair mentions the tans. The cops bring in Blair’s bags. Fromyer enters smiling and pleased.
134. EXT-DRIVEWAY-NIGHT
Thief talks Spike into taking off his handcuffs and letting him go to the party. Spike gives him 20minutes; thief swears on his kids’ lives.
135. INT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Spike and criminal enter house. Man in the cap introduces himself as Marty. The Thief goes upstairs. Nora makes a toast. Everyone looks at Luther. “Same goes for me double.”
136. INT-KITCHEN-NIGHT
Nora is upset because Luther can’t put others first. Front door is open, and Luther can see out the door to Walt and Beth. He has an idea and sees the ham on the counter.
137. INT-LIVING ROOM-NIGHT
Blair and Enrique are enjoying the music. Everyone claps as Blue Christmas is done.
138. EXT-STREET-NIGHT
Luther hears someone call Luther and looks up to see Frosty. Luther gives Walt and Beth the ham. Luther leaves and gets halfway across the street. He goes back and rings the doorbell again.
139. INT-WALT’S HOUSE- NIGHT
Luther gives Walt and Beth the cruise. He offers to take the cat. Luther gives Beth a hug. Luther leaves.
140. EXT-WALT’S HOUSE-NIGHT
Walt follows Luther out and shakes his hand. They decide they still don’t have to be nice to each other as they smile.
141. EXT-KRANK’S HOUSE-NIGHT
As Luther approaches, he looks up and sees Ned frozen behind Frosty. He says he’ll get him down.
142. INT-BEDROOM-NIGHT
Upstairs the thief takes jewelry and puts it in a pillowcase. Spike catches him in the act; the Thief jumps out the bathroom window.
143. EXT-HOUSE-NIGHT
Thief falls off roof and Marty dressed as Santa, hits the man over the head with an umbrella. Luther and Nora hug on the lawn. Reindeer pull Santa’s old VW bug, and it flies off with a Merry Christmas!
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[PS81] Dev Ross – Outlining
What did I learn from this lesson? I’m still thinking on that…. I’ve done quite a few of beat outlines and outlines through-out my career so I kept asking myself how doing one for a movie I know would reveal something new to me or give me an “aha” moment. What I saw in watching my movie was less about the bones of the story and, for me, more how they so brilliantly laid in layers of textures that told the story through light, shadow, water, even window cleaners. I checked the script and they were all there written in as filmed. These things are the flesh you put on the bones to tell your story on a more subconscious level. But, of course, none of that matters unless you have the bones. And just like bones fitting together in our bodies, each beat of the outline has to adhere to the next beat to advance the story pearl by pearl.
Dramatic Question: Is Neo the One?
What is the main conflict of the story? Neo’s disbelief in fate and that anyone or thing guides one’s destiny.
What is the dilemma of the story: Matrix Agents are trying to destroy Neo before he can expose the Matrix.
What is the theme of the story: Truth will set you free.
MATRIX – OUTLINE
BLACK COMPUTER SCREEN
Phone conversation establishes someone being watched by others to see if he is the ONE.
EXT. HEART OF THE CITY HOTEL – NIGHT
Cops and Agents converge on hotel try to arrest Trinity who performs miraculous fetes to escape.
INT. BACK STAIRWELL – NIGHT
Trinity is hurt. Uses mind over matter. Gets up, continues escape.
EXT. CITY STREET – PHONE BOOTH – NIGHT
Trinity races Agent Smith, who drives a semi toward the booth. She makes it in time. Agent Smith tells other agent they have a bead on ‘the One.’
INT. NEO’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Neo is contacted by an anonymous source. He follows the rabbit.
INT. ANOTHER APARTMENT – NIGHT
Neo meets Trinity who challenges him to ask the question: What is the Matrix?
INT. NEO’S APARTMENT – MORNING
Neo wakes up late. Again.
INT. HIGH RISE OFFICE – DAY
Neo gets job warning.
INT. NEO’S CUBICLE
The Resistance calls him and warns that the Agents are after him. Resistance Leader Morpheus guides him to escape.
EXT. BUILDING – OUTSIDE WINDOW
Neo is too frightened to continue his escape.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – DAY
Agent Smith warns him that he must chose between his two lives – one legal, one illegal. Neo tells him to fuck off. Agent Smith causes Neo’s mouth to grow over with skin and they plant a bug in him. As he freaks…
INT. NEO’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Morpheus calls him, tells Neo he’s the “one.” They plan to meet.
EXT. UNDER THE BRIDGE – NIGHT
Trinity pulls bug out of him.
INT. OLD HOTEL – NIGHT
Neo meets Morpheus. Neo takes the red pill to seek the truth.
INT. MATRIX POD CENTER – NIGHT
Neo wakes up in mod, is expelled.
INT. WASTE LINE
He’s propelled down it.
INT. SEWER MAIN
He falls into water and begins to drown when rescued by Resistance Ship.
INT. HOVER CRAFT SHIP – NIGHT
The Resistant fighters rescue him.
INT. HOVER CRAFT INFIRMARY
Neo wakes to see an angelic looking Morpheus. Neo thinks he might be dead. Morpheus assures him he’s not.
INT. NEO’S ROOM
He wakes up and freaks out. Where is he? What’s happening? Morpheus gives him the reality lowdown.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Morpheus gives him tour of ship, introduces crew. Shows him how they hack into the Matrix. Hooks Neo up to see for himself how it works.
INT. CONSTRUCT
Morpheus shows Neo the real world.
INT. FETUS FIELD
How babies are created to grow into adults who power the Matrix.
INT. POWER PLANT
The dead are liquified to feed the newborns.
INT. CONSTRUCT
Morpheus answers “What is the Matrix.” Neo can’t handle it. Wants out.
INT. SHIP – MAIN DECK
Neo is sickened by what he sees. Passes out.
INT. NEO’S ROOM
Realizes he can’t go back. Morpheus explains the prophecy.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Morning is feigned by a light going on. Otherwise, all would always be dark.
INT. NEO’S ROOM
Tanks awakens him. Tells Neo how he and his brother were freeborn in the human underground city of Zion.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank downloads Neo with fight training.
INT. DOJO
Morpheus tests what Neo has learned in combat.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank monitors their fight. Neo’s heartrate is all over the place. Morpheus’s rate is calm.
INT. MESS HALL
Mouse gets everyone to watch the fight.
INT. DOJO
Fight continues while Morpheus coaches that none of it is real.
INT. MESS HALL
Everyone is impressed with Neo.
INT. DOJO
Morpheus finally gets through to Neo.
INT. MESS HALL
They all witness Neo’s ability.
INT. DOJO
Neo is still skeptical.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Tank uploads a disc that will up the ante.
EXT. ROOFTOP
Neo is tested.
INT. MAINDECK
Crew, and especially Trinity, root for Neo.
EXT. ROOFTOP
Neo doesn’t make the jump but knows why he failed. He didn’t believe he would.
INT. MAINDECK
Trinity is hounded by Cypher. Neo learns that the mind – even if things aren’t real – will still let you die. Mind can’t tell the difference.
INT. NEO’S ROOM
Trinity brings food to Neo, who is sleeping. We see she’s in love with him.
INT. HALL
Cypher expresses his jealousy of Neo to Trinity. She blows him off.
EXT. CITY STREETS – TRAINING PROGRAM
Neo learns about the sentient agents – sentient programs – and how they function. Neo learns what is expected of him.
EXT. SEWER MAIN
Their craft prepares for trouble.
INT. COCKPIT
Neo learns about sentinels that track them.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank takes them into a sewer line to hide. Turn off all power so they are not detected.
INT. COCKPIT
Neo sees his first sentinel. They are able to avoid detection.
INT. HALL
All sleep.
INT. MAIN DECK
Neo drinks with Cypher who plants doubt in Neo’s mind about Morpheus and his quest.
INT. FINE DINING RESTAURANT – NIGHT
Cypher eats dinner with Agent Smith. Cypher negotiates a deal for what he wants for giving up Morpheus.
INT. MESS HALL
Gross food shared with crew members. Morpheus announces that Neo is going to see the Oracle.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank sends small group back into Matrix.
EXT. HOTEL LAFEYETTE – DAY
Cypher sets up a trap for Neo and others.
INT. CAR
Neo is off to see the Oracle. Trinity has been there before and knows a secret.
INT. ELEVATOR
Neo is nervous about meeting the Oracle. Morpheus says she told him he would find the ONE.
EXT. DOORWAY
Neo admits he believes not in fate, none of it. Morpheus admits he’s been wrong five times before but now – as his sixth choice has been made – he knows he’s right.
INT. ORACLE’S APARTMENT
Oracle confirms Neo’s suspicions that he’s not the one. She tells him Morpheus will sacrifice his life for Neo because he believes in him so strongly.
INT. CAR
The cookie the Oracle gave Neo is already doing its work. He’s feeling ‘right as rain.’
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PS81 – Dana’s Basic Instinct Outline
What I learned during this assignment:
Outlining a movie scene by scene made me see every scene, short and small, that I may have missed by just watching. It made me realize the intricacies of a thriller and how detailed my outline must be before I begin writing the script..
Dramatic Question:
Did Catherine Tramell murder her lover in cold blood with an ice pick?
Main Conflict:
Detective Nick Curren must play a psychological game of cat and mouse with Catherine to determine if she killed her lover or if she’s being framed by another person.
Dilemma:
Will Nick’s obsession for Catherine prevent him from finding the truth or will he allow his obsession for her let her escape?
Theme:
Obsession can blind you from the truth.
OUTLINE: BASIC INSTINCT
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
Two people making love. The woman pulls an ice pick and ruthlessly kills her partner.
EXT. BROWNSTONE – DAY
SF detective’s car zooms up to the brownstone. Detectives Nick Curren and Gus Moran head inside.
INT. ENTRY
Nick and Gus head upstairs to the bedroom. They discuss victim, Johnny Boz.
INT. BEDROOM
Nick and Gus join the investigation team. The captain is also there. It’s political. They learn Catherine Tramell was last seen with the victim.
INT. STAIRWELL
Nick and Gus heading down. The lieutenant tells him to keep his 3 o’clock appointment, They argue. Nick agrees.
EXT. CATHERINE TRAMELL’S MANSION – DAY
Nick and Gus ring the doorbell. Introduce themselves to the maid. They want to speak to Catherine. She lets them in.
INT. ENTRY
Nick and Gus enter. A woman comes downstairs they assume is Catherine. When they question her, she tells them she’s Roxy, Catherine’s friend. She sends them to find Catherine.
EXT. SHORELINE ROAD – DAY
Nick and Gus driving along the road.
INT. DETECTIVE CAR – DAY
Nick and Gus driving up a narrow road at Stinson Beach.
EXT. CATHERINE’S HOME – DAY
Nick and Gus pull into the driveway. Two Lotuses are parked in front of the home. One black. One White. The two men get out and knock on the door. Nick notices a path around the house
EXT. BACK YARD
Nick and Gus walk around to the back. It’s a large ocean front estate on the cliffs. They spy Catherine sitting on a lookout.
EXT. LOOKOUT
Nick and Gus introduce themselves. Catherine’s coy admits her relationship to the victim but very suspicious. She obviously likes Nick. She tires and finally asks them to leave.
INT./EXT. DETECTIVE CAR – DAY
Nick and Gus driving way.
INT. POLICE HALLWAY – DAY
Nick gets off the elevator and head into Elisabeth Garner’s office.
INT. ELISABETH GARNER’S OFFICE – DAY
Nick enters. Finds Elisabeth. They have a session about his live. They discuss their past relationship. She still misses him.
INT. HOMICIDE BUREAU– DAY
Nick enters and meets Gus. The team is waiting in the lieutenant’s office.
INT. LIEUTENANT’S OFFICE
The investigation team is waiting for Nick, including the captain again. They discuss Catherine Tramell. She’s rich, degree in psychology, and an author. She wrote a book like the murder.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Nick is reading Catherine’s book. He calls Gus and discusses the book.
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY
The investigation team sits around the table. Elisabeth introduces a psychiatrist to explain the psychology and the sickness of the murderer. They suspect Catherine based on her book.
INT. HALLWAY – DAY
The DA burst from his office arguing with Gus they have no evidence to arrest Catherine. The team follows. They debate bringing her in for questioning. Nick agrees to go get her. The captain hints that she’s as crazy as Nick.
EXT. CATHERINE’S BEACH HOME
Nick and Gus pull up in their car. They knock on the door and ask Catherine to come in for questioning.
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY
Catherine goes to change. Nick notices an old newspaper on a table with an article about him shooting a tourist. He then sees Catherine changing in her bedroom. He watches. They leave.
INT. DETECTIVE CAR – DAY
Catherine toys with Nick. Gus questions her about another book she writing. She tells them she’s writing a new book about a detective who falls for the wrong woman.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – DAY
Catherine enters the room. The DA and lead team members are waiting. They question her about her relationship to Johnny Boz. She plays with them, teasing them.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – LATER
She starts playing deliberately with Nick, making the team suspicious of him. She agrees to take a lie detector test.
INT. OBSERVATION ROOM
They watch Catherine take the test on remote TV. The examiner enters, states she passed the test. Nick doesn’t believe it.
INT. HALLWAY
Catherine asks Nick for a ride home.
INT. DETECTIVE CAR – NIGHT
It’s raining. Nick is driving Catherine home. Catherine asks him about his shooting innocent people. Nick’s suspicious that she knows too much about him.
INT. BAR – NIGHT
Nick enters. He joins the lieutenant and Gus at a table. He orders a drink and Gus is concerned. They think Nick knows Catherine from before. He doesn’t. Nick thinks Catherine is a suspect. They don’t.
IA Nilsen steps in and begins to ride Nick. He and Nick get into it. Elisabeth interrupts the fight. Nick and Elisabeth leave together.
INT. ELISABETH’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Nick and Elisabeth make love. Nick is rough with her. Afterward, Elisabeth tells him she went to school with Catherine. They argue over his being rough. She tells him to leave.
INT. HOMICIDE BUREAU– DAY
Nick joins the team in lieutenant’s office. They discuss a similar murder years before at Berkeley when Catherine was a student. NIck is ordered to follow Catherine.
EXT. CATHERINE’S OCEAN HOME – DAY
Nick is watching Catherine. She gets into her black Lotus and takes off.
EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD – DAY
Catherine races along the road, leading Nick on a chase around blind curves, in and out of traffic until Nick almost crashes.
EXT. ROAD – DAY
Nick drives into a small town.
EXT. DETECTIVE CAR – DAY
Nick drives through the small residential town until he spies the black Lotus parked outside a house.
EXT. HOUSE – DAY
Nick opens the mailbox and reads the mail. It’s addressed to a woman named Hazel Dobkins.
EXT. DETECTIVE CAR – NIGHT
Nick is staking out the house.
EXT. HOUSE – NIGHT
Hazel Dobkins walks Catherine out to her car. They say goodbye and Catherine takes off.
EXT. DETECTIVE CAR – NIGHT
Nick takes off, following Catherine.
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
The Lotus takes off, weaving through traffic to get away from Nick. At the intersection, the Lotus runs the light leaving Nick behind. He lost her.
EXT. CATHERINE’S OCEAN HOME – NIGHT
Nick parks and walks through an open gate to the pool. He spies Catherine through her bedroom window. Catherine takes off her clothes, getting ready for bed. Nick watches until she turns off the lights, then leaves.
INT. HOMICIDE BUREAU– NIGHT
Nick on the computer investigating Hazel Dobkins. Gus sits down next to him. He tells Nick about the murdered professor at Berkeley. Catherine not a suspect. Gus also remembers Hazel and that she killed her husband and children for no reason.
EXT. CATHERINE’S OCEAN HOME – DAY
Nick walks up to the back door. Catherine invites him inside.
INT. OFFICE – DAY
Nick notices old newspaper clipping of about him. She tells him she’s using him as the character in her new book.
INT. LOUNGE – DAY
She offers him a drink and uses an ice pick to break the ice. They play mind games with each other, tempting him sexually. Roxy arrives, and Nick leaves, pissed.
INT. ELISABETH GARNER’S OFFICE
Nick barges in and demand to know who has access to his psych file. She admits she showed it to Nilsen.
INT. INTERNAL AFFAIRS – DAY
Nick goes after Nilsen for selling his file to Catherine. They throw him out at gunpoinr.
EXT. PARKING LOT – DAY
Nick storms to his car chased by Gus. Gus questions what Catherine and Nick have between them. Something, but Nick doesn’t know. He drives off.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Nick watching TV, depressed. Elisabeth lets herself in with her key. They have a violent argument. Elisabeth apologizes for giving Nilsen Nick’s file.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT – LATER
Nick gets a phone call.
INT. NICK’S CAR – NIGHT
Nick drives through a police barricade and parks.
EXT. ALLEY – NIGHT
Nick walks up the alley passed cops, his lieutenant and Gus to find Nilsen shot dead in his car. They suspect Nick.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM – NIGHT
Nick is questions by IA about Nilsen. Elisabeth enters to observe. Nick admits to his fight with Nilsen. Elisabeth provides him an alibi for the time of the murder. But’s he’s suspended.
INT. HALLWAY
Nick runs to catch up to Elisabeth and thanks her for helping him. They discuss Catherine. Elisabeth barely knew her.
EXT. PARKING LOT
Nick walks Elisabeth to her car. They kiss and say goodbye. He thanks her again, and apologizes for the fight.
INT. HOMICIDE BUREAU– DAY
Nick packs his bag to leave. He asks Sam what he learned about Catherine’s parents. They died in a boating accident. Nick tells the lieutenant that Catherine killed Nilsen. No-one believe it.
EXT. NICK’S APARTMENT – DAY
Nick drives up to find Catherine waiting. She heard about Nilsen. He invites her in for a drink.
INT. STAIRWELL – DAY
They head upstairs. They play minds games with each other.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT – DAY
He fixes her a drink, using an ice pick to break the ice. She takes the ice pick from him to demonstrate. He starts smoking again after he quit. He asks about Nilsen. She never answers. She gives him a book that describes her parents’ death.
INT. STAIRWELL
Nick walks her out. She tells him she’ll be at Johnny Boz’s club at midnight. She says hello to Gus as he enters, shocked that she’s there.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT
Gus brought pizza. He’s upset Nick is seeing Catherine. Nick is willing to play to catch her.
INT. JOHNNY BOZ’S CLUB – NIGHT
A warehouse of people. Very chic. Dancing. Music. Flashing lights. Nick moves through the sea of dancers. He spies Roxy dancing. He follows her toward the Men’s room.
INT. MEN’S ROOM
Nick follows her in. It’s a big room, lots of people doing drugs. Roxy joins Catherine in one of the stalls. She’s doing coke with a dealer. Roxy sits in her lap. Catherine spies Nick watching and clams the stall door in his face.
INT. JOHNNY BOZ’S CLUB
Roxy is dancing with Catherine. Nick, drinking, slides up to Catherine and she leaves Roxy to dance with him. They’re very sexual with each other, teasing Roxy who storms off.
INT. CATHERINE’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Nick and Catherine make love. Catherine ties him up the way Johnny Boz was ties up. It panics him, but he allows it until they both climax
INT. CATHERINE’S BEDROOM – LATER
Catherine is asleep. Nick wakes up and goes into the batheroom
INT. BATHROOM
Nick finds Roxy has been watching them. Catherine likes her to watch. Nick pushes her jealousy until she threatens him.
INT. CATHERINE’S BEDROOM – DAY
Nick wakes up to a note telling him Catherine is at the beach house.
EXT. BEACH HOUSE – DAY
Nick races up in her car.
EXT. BEACH HOUSE – BACK YARD
Nick walks down the path, passing Roxy on her way out. He meets with Catherine to talk about last night and Roxy. Catherine not phased by anything.
EXT. STAIRWAY TO BEACH
Nick keeps questioning Catherine about Roxy and Boz.
EXT. BEACH HOUSE
Catherine warns him not to play the game. He tells her he’s in love with her, but he’s going to nail her anyway.
INT. COWBOY BAR – NIGHT
Nick joins Gus at the bar. He tells Gus he was with Catherine. Pissed, Gus storms out.
EXT. COWBOYS BAR – NIGHT
Nick and Gus head across the parking lot to a diner.
INT. DINER – NIGHT
Gus can’t believe Nick slept with Catherine. Nick tells Gus he’s not afraid of her. Gus tells Nick what they learned about Nilsen.
EXT. DINER
Nick walks Gus to his car. Nick then walks to his car stalked by a black Lutus. The Lotus runs Nick over. He jumps in his car and chases after the Lotus.
INT. NICK’S CAR
Shaking off his injuries, he guns after the Lotus.
EXT. AN ALLEY
The Lotus races wild through the alley followed by Nick.
INT. NICK’S CAR
Nick driving wild to catch the Lotus.
EXT. STREET
The Lotus turns into another alley. Nick follows right behind.
EXT. ALLEY
Nick chasing after the Lotus.
INT./EXT. NICK’S CAR
Nick bouncing down the alley.
EXT. STREET
The Lotus swings out of the alley, way ahead of Nick.
INT./EXT. NICK’S CAR
The car bounces through the alley.
EXT. STREET
The Lotus is racing away.
INT./EXT. NICK’S CAR
He reaches the street. A street sweeper in his way. He drives up the sidewalk, crashing into planters and bouncing up the steps to the next street.
EXT. LOTUS
The car racing away.
INT./EXT. NICK’S CAR
Nick reaches the top of the hill, around the street sweeper, street, but is now behind the Lotus.
EXT. STREET
Nick’s car comes sailing over the hill, airborne, landing hard.
INT./EXT. NICK’S CAR
Nick swings onto the next street, nearly out of control
EXT. STREET
The Lotus spins at the corner, drifting through the turn.
INT./EXT. NICK’S CAR
Nick’s car swings at the corner. He’s now face to face with the Lotus coming in the opposite direction.
EXT. STREET
Nick plays chicken with the Lotus, dodging and weaving until the Lotus, out of control, sails into a construction site.
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE
The Lotus crashes at the bottom.
Nick jumps from his car and races down the embankment to the Lotus. He find Roxy dead.
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE
Rescue teams hoist Roxy to an ambulance. The lieutenant and IA question Nick. He refuses to tell them everything and gets suspended.
INT. CONFERERROGATION ROOM – DAY
Elisabeth and two psychiatrists wait for Nick to conduct a psychiatric evaluation. He gets angry at their questions and storms out.
INT. CORRIDOR
Elizabeth chasing after Nick. They have a huge argument over his relationship with Catherine. She’s obviously jealous.
INT./EXT. NICK’S CAR
He drives the road to Catherine’s beach house.
INT. LIVING ROOM
Nick finds Catherine weeping over Roxy. He kisses her to calm her down.
INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
They’ve made love. Catherine tells Nick about an obsessed girlfriend from college. Lisa Obermann.
INT. ANOTHER POLICE STATION – DAY
The sergeant tells Nick and Gus that Roxy murdered two boys when she was sixteen. An impulse killing.
INT. ENTRY
Gus and Nick get coffee and discuss Roxy and Hazel Dobkins.
EXT. POLICE STATION
Nick and Gus argue over Catherine. Nick doesn’t think she kills Johnny Boz.
INT. REGISTRAR’S OFFICE
Nick questions a young woman about Lisa Obermann. They can’t find her in their records.
INT./EXT. NICK’S CAR
Diving up the street to Catherine’s SF home.
EXT. CATHERINE’S HOME
Catherine and Hazel are walking to Catherine’s car when Nick confronts Catherine about Lisa Obermann. Catherine is angry Nick is checking up on her. She tells him it wasn’t Obermann but Hobermann.
EXT. PHONE BOOTH – NIGHT
Nick on the phone with registrar’s office. They have a Lisa Hobermann on record.
INT. HOMICIDE BUREAU– NIGHT
Sam searches DMV files for Nick to find Lisa Hobermann. Lisa Hobermann is actually Elizabeth Garner.
INT. ELISABETH’S APARTMENT
Nick confronts Elisabeth about Catherine. She admits to having an affair with her school. Elisabeth lays out how Catherine is setting her up.
EXT. NICK’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Nick drives up and walks into his place.
INT. ENTRY – NIGHT
Catherine is waiting for Nick. She says she filed a complaint against Lisa Hobermann. She leaves angry.
INT. RECORDS ROOM – DAY
A records cop finds the file Catherine filed. But the record is missing. It was checked out by Nilsen.
EXT. PIER – NIGHT
Nick and Gus talk about Elisabeth and Catherine. Gus suspects Catherine. Nick suspects Elisabeth, which angers Gus. They leave angry.
INT. STAIRWELL – NICK’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Nick finds the door open.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Catherine is waiting inside. She takes off her clothes and seduces him.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT – LATER
They’re sitting in the window. They discuss her new book and the ending. The detective has to die.
EXT. SALINAS MEDICAL CLINIC – DAY
Nick drives up in his car.
INT. NURSES STATION – DAY
Nick asks about Dr. Garner, looking for Elisabeth’s ex-husband. He was shot years ago.
EXT. SALINAS POLICE STATION – DAY
Officer washing a car tells Nick about Dr. Garner’s murder. Killed in a drive-by with a .38 revolver. No suspects. Rumors his wife had a girlfriend. Nilsen was asking questions, too.
INT. CATHERINE’S OFFICE
Nick comes in shouting for her. Nick reads the pages printing from the printer. Catherine’s book. She’s finished and dumps him now that her book is finished. He’s furious.
EXT. PARKING LOT – NIGHT
Nick leaning against his car, depressed, smoking. Gus drives up and Nick gets in.
INT. GUS’ CAR – NIGHT
Gus has found Catherine’s school roommate who knows about Lisa Hobermann and Catherine. He’s headed to meet her. He also learned Elisabeth Garner share an office with Johnny Boz’s psychiatrist.
EXT. OFFICE BUILDING – NIGHT
They drive up. Gus gets out, leaves Nick behind. He reminds Nick he’s on leave.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING – ELEVATORS
Gus rings for the elevator.
INT. ELEVATOR
Gus steps in and the elevator begins to rise. The doors open on the second floor. Nobody waiting. Gus checks. Suspicious. He steps back inside. The elevator opens on the third floor. Nobody again.
INT. GUS’ CAR
Nick suddenly realizes something. The ending to Catherine’s book. Gus is now in danger. He runs to save him.
INT. ELEVATOR
The doors open on the fourth floor. Gus steps out and is stabbed mercilessly with an ice pick by someone in a black raincoat.
INT. LOBBY
Nicks burst in. Sees the elevator on the fourth floor and runs up the stairs.
INT. HALLWAY – FORUTH FLOOR
Nick bursts onto the floor. Gus dying. Nick hears someone and pulls his pistol. Elisabeth is there. He aims his pistol at her. She doesn’t cooperate, angry. She reaches for something in her pocket. He fires, killing her. Nick finds car keys in her pocket. He collapses in anguish.
INT. HALLWAY – LATER
The investigation team is there. The lieutenant questions Nick. Nick can’t answer. Sam calls everyone into the stairwell. They find a blonde wig, ice pick and a police raincoat.
INT. ELISABETH’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
The team searches her apartment. They find a .38 revolver. Articles and pictures of Catherine.
INT. HOMICIDE SQUAD – NIGHT
The aftermath. All the evidence points to Elisabeth Garner. The captain congratulates Nick for the job.
EXT. NICK’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Nick drives up and heads inside.
INT. STAIRWELL – NIGHT
Nick walks up slowly, depressed.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT
Catherine is waiting for him again. She admits to loving him, but it scares her. She loses everybody.
INT. NICK’S BEDROOM
Nick and Catherine make love.
INT. NICK’S APARTMENT – MOMENTS LATER
After sex, they discuss their future. Catherine lays on the side of the bed. Is she reaching for something? They look at one another, both suspicious. Catherine whips over and grabs him. They make love again.
ANGLE DOWN – UNDER THE BED
An ice pick lays on the floor.
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PLOTTING AND OUTLINING DAY 6
Anna’s favorite movie in Drama/Love/Theme: Dogs
A Dog’s Purpose
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>What I learned from this exercise; How to carry a strong theme forward through twists and turns for a movie that was very long, by always remembering that the dog and his mission was the key element that ties it together through most of the scenes.
Dramatic Question: What is the purpose of a dog’s life. What is the purpose of a human’s life?
Main Conflict: BAILEY’s purpose is to protect C.G. through various life traumas. To accomplish this he incarnates several times to help resolve difficult situations in C.J’s life.
Dilemma; C.J’s life is complex, she is vulnerable and Bailey/Molly./Big Dog/Max has his limitations in what he can do as a dog to resolve dramas. He has to find a way through each of the difficult life passages to reunite with CJ each time he reincarnates in order to help her.
Theme; The main theme is the love of a dog as a family member and how that dog’s love can do everything from saving a baby from an angry horse to bringing together star-crossed lovers, and comforting the dying Ethan (grandfather.) Bailey’s work done he finally reincarnates with Ethan in heaven.
A DOG’S PURPOSE
EXT.FARM/DAY
Bailey (dog and (Ethan farmer) are playing with a ball. Both the dog and Ethan are aging and having some issues playing ball and doing chores.
INT.KITCHEN/DAY
Gloria, an irresponsible mother to her baby C.G. is living with Ethan and Hannah, the baby’s grandparents following the death of her husband. It is a toxic situation.
EXT.FARM/DAY
Gloria is on the phone, not watching her toddler who wanders into the menage where an angry horse is acting up. Bailey saves the child. Grandfather reprimands Gloria who brushes of the serious incident.
INT..KITCHEN/DAY
Dysfunctional dynamics escalate with Gloria reminding them that the baby is hers, not theirs.
EXT.FARM/DAY
Gloria is absent from the farm while Bailey and C.J. (toddler) play in a paddling pool. Gloria comes home and is hostile about the child being with a dirty dog.
INT.ETHAN AND HANNAH’S BEDROOM/NIGHT
Ethan discovers a lump on Bailey.
INT.KITCHEN/DAY
More conflict when C.J. wants to be with her nana, not her mother, Gloria is annoyed when the toddler does not call her mother and removes baby from the kitchen. Bailey is distressed by the family conflict
INT.KITCHEN/DAY
The dog is not eating, going downhill.
INT/BARN/DAY
Ethan discovers Bailey lying in pain and calls the vet. Very sad Ethan and Hannah putting Bailey down. Ethan tells Bailey as he is dying that he must come back to take care of C.J.
EXT.HEAVEN/DAY
Bailey enjoys himself running through heavenly fields., wakes up as a puppy, (Molly) she is aware that she was Bailey. All of her littermates leave for other homes and Molly runs off to find a home with a now older C.G. who wants a dog badly. C.J. and her neighbor Trent who also owns a littermate collude to keep the rambunctious Molly a secret from the now alcoholic Gloria
EXT.PARK/DAY
C.J. and Trent attempt to train their puppies. Molly understands what her role is to protect and comfort C.J. who is growing up in a dysfunctional home.
INT.BEDROOM/DAY Molly is comforting C.J., (now a teenager) her mother is bringing another boyfriend home, and Gloria continues to drink. Molly confronts Gloria about her parenting and asserts her right to keep the dog.
EXT.STREET/DAY
Trent and C.J. have an intense discussion about her dead father and her singing career dream. She confides that she is going to use the inheritance her father gave her to move to New York.
EXT.PARK/DAY
Trent bumps into C.J. who has not been in touch with him as usual. She is with Shane, a bad boy. Shane insults Trent. Trent encourages C.J. to go and sing at a talent show. Shane discourages her from participating. Molly is hostile to Shane, she knows he is dangerous to C.J.
INT.PARTY HOUSE/NIGHT
C.J. realizes that she is in a bad place, booze and drugs are flowing. She wants to leave, Shane says no. Molly is with C.J. as the cops arrive and arrest C.J. Molly is taken to the pound.
leaving C.J. frantic.
EXT.POUND/DAY
Trent rescues Molly and takes her home to C.J. who confides she has to do 100 hours of community service in a facility training sniffer dogs to detect cancer.
EXT.CLINIC/day
C.J. is cleaning poo and washing dog bowls.
INT.CLINIC/DAY
Molly observes that other dogs get treats when the signal a unique smell, Molly shows she knows what to do and the clinic wants to work with Molly.
EXT.GLORIA’S HOUSE/DAY
Ethan and Hannah show up and want to see their granddaughter. Gloria forbids it and accuses them of wanting to steal C.J.’s inheritance. Ethan sees Molly and recognizes him as Bailey and tells him to take care of C.J.
INT.CLINIC/DAY
Shane shows up and makes a nuisance of himself, and attacks C.J. Molly bites him.
INT. GLORIA’S HOUSE/DAY
Gloria is drinking, C.J. tells her she was attacked, the mother does not care and accuses C>J> of being at fault. C.J. tells her she is a terrible mother and decides she is going to leave. The mother reveals she has spent all of C.J.’s inheritance so she can’t go. C.J. leaves anyway taking the car.
INT.C.Js CAR/NIGHT
Shane drives his truck in an aggressive way behind C.J. and causes a big crash. Molly is O.K. but Molly is dying and seeing the golden fields of heaven. Shane sees C.J. hanging upside down in the car and abandons her.
INT.GARAGE/DAY
Molly has reincarnated as a huge dog, Big Dog, he is happy living with Joe the owner in the house of snacks. C.J. comes to the garage on her way to New York to buy some snacks, Big Dog (formerly Baily, then Molly)Loves her. Bailey does not have much money, she buys a scratch ticket and wins a much needed 50 dollars, and leaves. Big Dog runs after her but fails to catch up as he is getting older, understands hr is dying. and is off the golden fields with no fear, yet he yearns to continue his journey and purpose with C.J.
EXT.ADOPTION EVENT/DAY
Another incarnation, Max is due to be put down;C.G. adopts him, takes him home to her new boyfriend who is neither supportive of the dog nor her singing career, exits C.G.
INT.FRIEND”S APARTMENT/DAY
C,G, has no money and beginning weeks of couch surfing to survive
EXT.STREET/DAY
C.G. runs into Trent of the street, she moves in with him. While living at the apartment Max recognizes a smell from his training in a previous incarnation, as cancer. C.G. insists Trent attends a doctor’s clinic. Test positive. C.G. nurses him back to health as his girlfriend deserts him.
EXT.PARK/DAY
Gloria has arranged to meet with C.G. Reluctantly C.G. shows up at the park and is gifted her deceased father’s letters (Ethan). Max recognizes the smell of the paper as Ethan. Trent and C.G. plan a trip to the farm.
INT.FARMHOUSE/DAY
The family answers questions re why C.G.’s mother left the farmhouse. A reunification takes place. Ethan demonstrates what he instinctively knows, that Max is Baily reincarnated and explains the dog’s role to C.G.
INT.BEDROOM?DAY
Max lies on the bed while Ethan is passing.
INT.C.J.’s APARTMENT BEDROOM/DAY
Max is dying and reflecting on his many lives and understanding his continuous role of love and belonging and understanding that the reward is loving people.
EXT/HEAVEN/DAY
All of the incarnations of Bailey converge and run towards Ethan where they are reunited and enjoy being together in heaven. Get out the kleenex.
.
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PS81 Anita Gomez’s Favorite Movie (Sixth Sense) Outline
5. What I learned doing this assignment is: How to be concise in giving the outline of a story.
4. Above the outline, tell us the answers to these questions:
Dramatic Question: Can a Child Psychologist redeem a past failure?
Main Conflict: Does a Child Psychologist believe this child actually sees ghosts?
Dilemma: How to help this child, who is so like the man who shot him.
Theme: Is the Paranormal real?
3. Make an outline:
INT. BASEMENT – NIGHT
Woman in basement selecting wine gets creeped out.
INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT, CONTINUOUS
Wife meets husband to celebrate an award in child psychology. She is proud of him.
INT. BEDROOM – CONT.
They go up to the bedroom and find broken window. Intruder is a former patient (Vincent) and shoots Dr. Malcolm and then himself.
EXT. PHILADELPHIA ROW HOUSES – DAY
The doctor (Malcolm) is outside Cole’s house, who comes out and runs away as the doctor pursues and Cole disappears into a church.
INT. CHURCH – DAY
Cole is praying in Latin and the doctor introduces himself. There are obvious clues that Cole is an odd troubled kid.
INT. DR. MALCOLM’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Malcolm comes home and his wife is asleep. He tries the basement door which is locked but then he goes down and researches his Latin translating Cole’s prayer: “Out of the depths I cry to you oh Lord”
INT. COLE’S KITCHEN – DAY
Mom gets coal his breakfast and finds all the cabinet doors open freaking her out.
EXT. ST. ANTHONY’S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – DAY
Cole hesitates going into Saint Anthony’s school… old building.
INT. COLE’S LIVING ROOM – DAY
Dr. Malcolm is listening as Cole and his mom connect. Malcolm tries to connect with Cole but finds it difficult although we learn more about his troubled mind.
INT. RESTAURANT – NIGHT
Dr. Malcolm meets up with his wife Annie, late for their anniversary and she is not speaking to him as he one-sidedly tries to puzzle-out this new child client. She pays the bill and leaves.
EXT. STREET – DAY
Walking on street Cole tells the doctor he’s a freak. Dr. Disagrees.
INT. COLE’S HOUSE – DAY
Mom studies pictures of Cole and notices there’s always a strange light nearby him.
INT. COLE’S LIVING ROOM – DAY
Dr. Malcolm continues to try and connect with Cole and mom finds Cole’s “automatic writing” talking about killing etc. Cole tells the doctor “I don’t want to be scared anymore“
INT. BASEMENT – DAY
Malcolm hears a man asking his wife out.
INT.SCHOOL – DAY
Cole has a breakdown in the classroom when the teacher does not believe he knows the history of the school building and the teacher calls him a freak.
INT. SCHOOL LIBRARY – DAY
Dr. Malcolm sits with a miserable Cole trying to cheer him up with a magic trick.
INT. MALCOLM’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
The doctor comes home and sees his wedding video playing and reinforcing the love he and his wife shared. He notices his wife is on antidepressants. He goes to the basement door and it is locked again.
INT. HOUSE – DAY
Kid’s birthday party where Cole tries out the magic trick and bombs. He follows a balloon upstairs and hears a disembodied voice from a small door. Two mean kids shove him in and Cole freaks out. His mom rushes to free him and finds Cole is unconscious.
INT. PEDIATRICIAN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Mom is told by the pediatrician Cole is fine and to go home. She is suspected of child abuse.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – NIGHT
Dr. Malcolm visits Cole in the hospital where he opens up to Cole and so Cole finally opens up to the doctor. “I see dead people — but they don’t know they’re dead”
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Doc talks into his recorder saying he doesn’t believe Cole.
INT. COLE’S BEDROOM – LATER
Mom sees a large cut in his clothes and then his skin. Cole wakes up and needs the bathroom but is obviously afraid and the temperature goes cold as he senses a presence and finds a dead woman in the kitchen and runs to his fort in his room as a safe space.
INT. AUDITORIUM – DAY
Dr. Malcolm watches a school play and Cole sees three dead people hanging by nooses in the building. “Please make them leave“.
INT. COLE’S KITCHEN – NIGHT
It’s very cold in the house and the mom accuses Cole of taking her bee pendant which he denies but she doesn’t believe him. Cole sees another dead person in his room, this time a boy. But he still won’t tell his mom anything.
INT. ANTIQUE STORE – DAY
Anna tells customer she believes things like a ring can be infused with the essence of previous owner. Then Anna gives a coworker a gift and just as they get close the glass door shatters and we see Malcolm striding away in anger outside.
INT. COLE’S HOUSE – DAY
Malcolm tries to stop seeing Cole but Cole says “don’t give up on me”.
INT. BASEMENT – NIGHT
The doctor revisits Vincent’s old sessions and hears similarities with Cole and realizes the recording has picked up paranormal activity.
INT.CHURCH – DAY
Malcolm finds Cole and says now he believes him. Dr Malcolm suggests the way to not be afraid is to help these ghosts, even if they seem scary.
INT. COLE’S ROOM – NIGHT
After being awakened by his mother’s nightmare he feels icy cold and runs back to his bedroom fort and sees a dead girl. He finally gets brave enough and asks “do you want to tell me something“.
EXT. CITY – DAY
Call takes a bus with Dr. Malcolm to a suburban funeral – a wake for the little girl Cole saw
INT. GIRL’S ROOM – DAY
Cole enters the dead girl’s room. The dead girl gives him a small wooden box which he gives to the father and inside is a VHS tape that reveals the mother has been poisoning the child’s food.
INT. SCHOOL THEATER – DAY
Cole is making peace with another dead person in the theater green room about to be in a play and has the part of King Arthur. He’s like a regular kid now and as Dr. Malcolm watches he realizes Cole is better. They say their goodbyes.
EXT. CITY STREET – SAME DAY
Cars are lined up because of an accident. Cole sees the dead accident victim and admits this to his mother and then relays information about her mother that makes his mom believe Cole.
INT. MALCOLM’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Malcolm sees Anna asleep in front of their wedding video. They have a conversation while she sleeps and his wedding ring drops from her hand and he sees it is not on his finger as we hear Cole’s words as a voiceover: “I see dead people“. Malcolm realizes HE is dead — bringing him back to the moment of being shot. He tells Anna “I think I can go now.” END.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Anita Gomez.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by
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Alice’s Favorite Movie Outline
What I learned doing this assignment is
I watched DUNE. It is such a classic.
I was voice recording, stopping film. Then I edited names with Wiki.
I chose Dune because it is new movie, based on a novel.
Dramatic Question: Can Paul help Planet Arrakis?
Main Conflict: In between of Harkonnens, Arrakis natives, and now House Atreides.
Dilemma: Is he (Paul) the One? Would he become?
Theme: Hidden Power of the Desert
DUNE
EXT. PLANET ARRAKIS – DAY
This Planet is beautiful at Sunset.
EXT. PLANET ARRAKIS – NIGHT
They harvest spice at night, to avoid heat.
EXT. FIGHT – DAY
They’ve been invaded by Harkonnens, and they became especially rich there by growing spice
Fight between tribal and invaders. Tribal cannot beat them up, till they leave upon Emperor’s indication, questions why?
EXT. PALACE OF AR – DAY
Pau Atreides and his mother Lady Jessica are having breakfast. They discuss one of his powers, the Voice. And him dreaming of girl from Arrakis. They are before ceremony.
INT. PAUL’S ROOM – DAY
Paul is reading about Planet Arrakis. What is told of tribal folks down there, they are dangerous. Spice is halucinogen, believed by them be extremely good for health, and other people use it for spacecraft to navigate safely amid stars throughout of Universe, space being very expensive.
Body of spacecraft above, going down, as it is watched by Paul Atreides.
EXT. SPACECRAFT LANDING – DAY
Delegation comes, announcing Emperors order that Leto Atreides would take control of Planet Arrakis, and bring peace to that. They agree and seal document down.
EXT./INT. SPACECRAFT WAREHOUSE – DAY
Paul persuades Duncan take him to Arrakis and of his dream, where he sees Duncan dying in a battle. Says, if he would be present down there, that might not happen. But Duncan disagrees.
Paul addresses his father about leaving on Arrakis with Duncan, but Leto says, he is going to go with all of them in a couple of weeks. He speaks of political danger they trap into if they take upon themselves Arrakis. And that they must cultivate desert power down there, as they cultivate sea power here, on their Planet. Paul says, he doubts he IS future of their house, but Leto says, he didn’t want that either. That one is called, and he just answers.
INT. TRAINING ROOM – DAY
Paul get’s trained by Gurney, and can’t beat him up. They use technology, shielding themselves they fight with blades. And gurney says how it is huge danger they getting under, because Harkonnens where digging spice thirty years, and went very wealthy.
INT. SPACESHIP OF HARKONNENS – NIGHT
Annoyed Ruben comes. Vladimir assures, they didn’t lose Arrakis. That it wasn’t just a gift of the Emperor.
INT. PAUL’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Paul is awakened by his mother to get dressed to go to see her teacher she studied under. His doctor secretly whispers to him that he must beware of it. And mom speaks with him in a sign language, obviously preparing him for meeting.
INT. MEETING ROOM – NIGHT
Paul has a meeting with Reverend Mother, examining him, testing him on pain, because Jessica trained him in The Way. She uses Voice on him. He passes a test. She tells him, he has double birth rights, because he’s his mother’s son.
INT. CORRIDORS – NIGHT
Reverend Mother is followed by Jessica, speaking of how they wanted from her only girls, but she bore a male, on whom powers are wasted. And that they hope he would do what is expected from him on Arrakis, where they prepared his ways for him.
EXT. LANDING PLACE – NIGHT
Paul encounters his mother. He heard them talk. He asks, what that means, if he could be The One. She explains, they’ve been carefully crisscrossing bloodlines, trying to bring a MIND, who would cross Space and Time, Past and Future, and many people believe, he’s close.
EXT. LANDING PLACE – DAY
House of Atreides has arrived with soldiers. And as they move to their dragonfly helicopter, they are welcomed by female crowd, chanting, pointing fingers at Paul, and this means Voice from Another World, which means Messiah. They discuss this with his mother in helicopter.
INT. CITY – DAY
They arrive in the city, and watch landscapes. There is a spice plant, and … They must especially guard.
INT. PALACE ROOM – DAY
His mother Lady Jessica chooses housekeeper, and receives from her a gift, crisknife, made in a dessert. Because she believes, Paul is the One.
EXT. PALACE YARD – DAY
As it’s heats up, Paul carelessly takes his walk in a yard, meeting a Gardener, who cares for twenty date palm trees, feeding them water, and they drink like five men a day. They are sacred.
INT. PAUL’S ROOM – DAY
As Paul is watching vid on what is it Planet Arrakis, like sandworms, and the way Fremen do sand walk, imitating natural rhythm of dessert, and plants they cultivate. He comes over to see close, and notices how from the wall comes insect-like mechanism. He hide behind hologram image, but mechanism finds him out, and comes straight forward to him. Door opens to let in house holder, Paul quickly moves, and kills insect. He says, operator must be close.
INT. PALACE – DAY
It appears to be a Harkonnen spy, who hidden in thw walls, now killed. Security head asks for resignation, but is not granted it.
INT. SPACESHIP – COSMIC NIGHT
Reverend mother comes to house Harkonnen, to bring him a message in silence that Emperor would help him with another army of Sardaukar. And asks him he kills Leto, but would not kill Jessica and her son, as they are under their protection. And he promises this, but when she leaves, he tells how he believes them to be dead, be destroyed by desert. And that DUNE is his!
INT. BOARD MEETING ROOM – DAY
They disscuss how it happened that Harkenens left them no equipment, and that they won’t make as much of solaris (money), as them.
EXT. NEAR SPICE FARM – DAY
Encounter
INT. MEETING ROOM – DAY
Duncan relates how he being in desert came upon sitches with millions of Fremen, he could never notice them. And he brings with himself their leader. They almost ruin thing, as they don’t understand his behavior as positive or negative, and they discuss it. Promise, they won’t touch Fremen, even if they go in the Desert. As he turns to leave, he says to Paul “I recognize you!”
INT. MILITARY COMPARTMENT – DAY
Duncan shows a couple of instruments, very ingenious, that Fremen constructed and use, gifting to Paul compass.
EXT. HELICOPTER LANDING – DAY
They meet female doctor, who show them how to use suites, and mentions how Paul arranged his shoes they way it has to be doe, even though that is his first time.
EXT. HELICOPTER – DAY
They are on a flight over spice fields in their dragonfly vehicles. Huge machine bellow, harvesting spice. Sandworm coming. They need to take machine in the air, but hook gets jammed. Leto proposes to come down and grab a crew of this harvesting machine. But they don’t even want to go away. And Paul nearly escapes, losing himself amid sand. They go away at last moment.
EXT. SPACECRAFT WAREHOUSE – DAY
Leto complains that equipment left for them is broken, and they won’t be able to harvest spice, but doctor says she doesn’t care of it.
INT. BEDROOM – DAY
Paul is checked by a doctor. He says, it’s reaction on spice, which evokes hallucination. But Paul says to his mother about his visions. He says someone would gift him crisknife, and that Jessica is now pregnant, to her disbelieve.
EXT. SOLUNAS SECUNDUS – DAY
Planet of imperial guard. Their army is anointed with blood, as they are to go to fight together with Harkonnens on the imperial order.
INT. LETO’S PLACE – DAY
Leto asks Jessica to protect Paul, if anything happens, predicting his death.
INT. PALACE – NIGHT
Guards gets killed, and security shield deactivated. Leto notices something strange, and gets out of his bedroom to find that security won’t answer him and house maid knived down. He activates shield protection, but someone targets him, shield protection gets broken. Leto killed. Doctor approaches him. Is he a murderer?
INT. PALACE – NIGHT
Gurney is awakened by soldiers about deactivation of the shields. Army is alarmed.
EXT. CITY – NIGHT
Attack from above destroys their spacecraft. Gurney leads his worriers against invaders.
INT. PALACE – NIGHT
They fight to protect the palace.
Doctor awakes Leto to explain that Harkonnems kidnapped his wife, so he made this bargain. Doctor gives Leto a tooth, which if crashed, would poison air so that he would die, but also those around of him, including Baron.
Meanwhile Duncan is fighting inside of palace, killing invaders, and goes looking for Paul and Jessica, but they are gone…
EXT. THOPER – NIGHT
Kidnapped by Harkonnens who get them into flying machine to be thrown down into dessert. So that they would die there with sandworms.
EXT. CITY GROUND – NIGHT
Duncan keeps fighting soldiers, and gets to thoper, flying machine.
EXT. THOPER – NIGHT
Paul and Jessica use voice to escape. But their thoper gets dissabled. They must head for desert.
INT. PALACE – NIGHT
Leto is captured by Harkonnen, awakes, lying, almost dead. As Baron keeps eating. Dr.Yueh gets killed by Baron, and obviously his wife was killed also, so his betrayal was for nothing.
EXT. DESERT – NIGHT
Paul finds backpack prepared by Dr. Yueh, with stuff to be used in desert, looking for Fremen.
INT. PALACE – NIGHT
Leto kills Baron by crashing tooth and breathing poison out.
EXT. DESERT – NIGHT
Paul uncovers his father’s ring. Now they know, Leto is gone.
EXT. DESERT – DAY
Duncan meets Kaynes, saying they been subjected to this by Emperor.
INT. PALACE – DAY
It appears, Baron is alive, by flying up to the seiling, and keeping there.
EXT. DESERT – DAY
They put tent in a sand. There is spice, which Paul inhales, sees his vision again. Of Holy War, done in his name. He freaks out, but affirms, his wearing his father’s ring.
INT. SAND TENT – NIGHT
They drink recycled water from their tears. Then shed sand to get away.
EXT. DESERT – DAY
Small animal, sand mouse, coming, sweating down. Paul and Jessica get out from under the sand, scaring animal away. They are found by Duncan with his flying machine. He bids his allegiance to Paul, calling him his Duke.
INT. ECOLOGICAL STATION – NIGHT
Kaynes takes Paul, Jessica, and Duncan to spend time there, as storm is advancing. This station was meant to release waters from under the sand, but they found out about spice, and they stopped wishing desert would go away.
Paul persuades Dr. Kaynes that she would witness Emperor moved against them. If they would believe her, war would ensure in between of Houses and the Emperor, but he says, he would plead for a throne, because Emperor has no sons, only daughters, he could marry one. They call him Voice from Another World. That he could do as an Emperor a Paradise from Arrakis.
EXT. DESERT AROUND ECOLOGICAL STATION – DAY
Sardukens army descends from above.
INT. UNDERGROUND ON ECOLOGICAL STATION – DAY
Tey hear advancement of Sardaukars. Duncan locks doors behind himself, and fights Sardaukars. He get wounded. Paul, Jessica, and Kaynes are to run away by secret door, as Sardaukars work the doors with laser. Duncan awakes and kills number of them, but then gets destroyed, but they have time to run away by secret door.
INT. UNDERGROUND CORRIDORS – DAY
They separate. Kaynes goes to another station to report, fearing not a desert. And Paul and Jessica mount thoper. Kaynes tells them how to go over the storm to pass it, and go find Fremen.
EXT. SAND DESERT OUTSIDE OF ECOLOGICAL STATION – DAY
Kaynes sees how Paul and Jessica flow away on Thoper, and is preparing to fight a sand worm, but is knifed down by Sardaukars, who make a statement, she went against Emperor. She says that serves only one master, taps rhythmically on sand, and they sucked down by the sand worm.
EXT. AROUND DESERT – DAY
Paul and Jessica are followed by a number of thopers and are fired down. Paul has a vision, which gives him insight to go with a flow on a thoper, as he is inside of the storm.
INT. HARKONNEN’S PLACE – DAY
Rabban reports to Baron, as that one takes his blood bath that they forced them into storm and they shan’t survive it. And they are to sell spice again, to make income to cover their loses for the war.
EXT. DESERT – DAY
Paul and Jessica get out of the storm above it, but their engine lost energy. So they can only float on top. Their thoper loses its wings, and they crash onto sand, get out amid rocks, and dress into suits.
Paul again has visions. They have to cross dessert acros sand worm territory, where they see there is a sitch where Duncan was staying with Fremen. They have to cross at night.
EXT. DESERT – NIGHT
Crossing it they have to run away from sandworm to rocks. Someone sets the tamper at night.
EXT. DESSERT – NIGHT
They find Fremen, who are willing to accept Paul, but don’t want Jessica. They fight them, Jessica fights and captures Stilgar. They are off to go. One of Fremen refuses to accept them, and they are to fight with Paul as a champion of Jessica. There is also this girl he keeps seeing in dreams, called Chani. Paul has a vision. “When you take a life, you take your own!’ Chani says, she doesn’t believe Paul is Al Gaib, but wishes him to die with honor, and gifts him criskife. Fight insures, and Paul is winning, but he is afraid to kill. But must, so he kills Jamies.
Paul says, his road leads to Desert. For they came for desert power.
“This is just upstart” says Chani.
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[PS81] Antonio Flores’ Favorite Movie Outline
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”
As a scriptwriter, Bruce Lee tried to convey a message deeper than what most people in the audience saw. He also integrated ideas about the martial arts that were unknown to western (and some Asian) audiences in the 1970s. His superb performance eclipsed the dilemma and theme of his narrative. It makes me wonder how to reconcile the “profound” with the “flashy” cinematic. If I wrote the 2020s version of Enter the Dragon, what would I keep/change?
ASSIGNMENT:
———————-
Create an outline of your favorite movie and gain insights into outlining your own script.
Movie:
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Logline: To avenge his sister’s death, a Shaolin monk becomes a secret agent and fights to destroy an opium lord’s empire, while saving the day in a deadly martial arts tournament.
Dramatic plot: Revenge
The hero has a moral justification for vengeance and seeks retaliation against the antagonist.
Dramatic Question:
Will Lee be able to avenge his sister, stop Han, and destroy his criminal empire?
Main Conflict:
Han, a renegade Shaolin monk turned into opium lord, is responsible for the murder of many women, including Lee’s sister; he has also dishonored the Shaolin Temple, where Lee belongs.
Dilemma:
Han lives in his private island’s fortress where no guns are allowed. As a renegade Shaolin monk, Han is too strong of an opponent for anyone to fight… except for another Shaolin monk. Although Lee is the strongest Shaolin monk of this generation, he holds a highly ethical life philosophy and family morals. To succeed in this mission, he would have to betray his values as a Shaolin monk, as a son, and as a good man.
Theme:
Evil will triumph when good men do nothing.
Story Logic Web
1. Opening
EXT. SHAOLIN TEMPLE – TOURNAMENT GROUND – DAY
Two groups of Buddhist warrior monks cross-legged sit around a square fighting area. They are Shaolin Temple martial arts disciples. In the center of the square, their champion instructors are ready to fight. Their style includes a wide range of techniques: punching, kicking, throwing, acrobatics, and grappling. LEE, orange cloak team instructor, wins by submission.
EXT. SHAOLIN TEMPLE – TERRACE – DAY
BRAITHWAITE, British intelligence chief, looks for Mr. Lee to speak about the tournament organized by Mr. Han. He wants him to attend.
Lee. interrupts the conversation to teach a young disciple. Lee requires emotion in performance and clarifies he does not mean ANGER! Before the lesson ends, he requires the disciple to reflect upon the lesson, but he stresses: Don’t think. FEEL. His martial art is not based on blind obedience or servitude.
INT. BRAITHWAITE’S OFFICE – DAY
Braithwaite introduces the problem to Lee: Han, a former Shaolin monk, now a renegade has established a crime empire. Han’s island is a fortress with uncertain nationality. Han lives like a king and his only contact with the outside world is his tournament which he holds every three years. The authorities know everything about Han’s criminal activities but can prove nothing. They need Lee to infiltrate the island and get evidence. Two months earlier, they managed to place a female operative on the island, but lost contact. Her name is Mei Ling.
2. Inciting Incident
INT. HONG KONG – OLD MAN’S HOUSE – DAY
Lee pays a visit to an old man. Three years ago, the old man was in the city with SU LIN, Lee’s sister. At that time Han’s men had come in from the island, they were everywhere. Lee’s sister gets attacked by OHARA, Han’s bodyguard, and some other Han’s men. Su Lin is a skillful martial artist. She fights back using the environment to her advantage. She cuts Ohara’s face with a piece of knife-shape broken glass from a window. She is outnumbered. There’s no way out. She uses the knife-shape piece of broken glass to commit suicide.
4. First turning point at end of Act 1
EXT. HONG KONG – CEMETERY – DAY
Lee kneels down in front the graves of her mother and sister. Lee begs for forgiveness. “You will not agree with what I’m going to do. It is contrary to all that you have taught me, and all that Su Lin believed. I must leave.”
EXT. UNITED STATES – GOLF COURSE – DAY
ROPER, a broken business man, a gambler, ex-military, a martial arts expert. He plays golf when debt collectors carrying baseball bats try to give him a lesson. Roper uses his martial arts skill to defend himself. ROPER orders his assistant to confirm his flight to Hong Kong. He is joining Han’s tournament.
INT. UNITED STATES – A KARATE DOJO – NIGHT
A group of African-American people drill over Karate skills. They follow the counting of an advanced instructor. WILLIAMS, Karate black belt, ex-military, shakes hands with MASTER SENSEI, who bids him farewell and good luck in Han’s tournament.
EXT. UNITED STATES – STREET NEARBY KARATE DOJO – NIGHT
Williams leaves the dojo. Walks down the street. A police car commands him to stop. White cops get down the car. Search Williams’ backpack. Body-check him for weapons. They find a plane ticket to Hong Kong in his bag. In a hate action, the white cops attack Williams. He knocks them out with ease and flies the scene.
3. By page 10, you know what the movie is about.
EXT. HONG KONG – FERRY BOAT – DAY
On board of a ferry, Roper and Williams meet again. They fought in Vietnam six years before.
EXT. HONG KONG – FERRY BOAT – LATER
A group of local men amuse themselves watching mantis fight. Roper wants to bet, but the locals do not speak English. Lee takes Roper on his bet and wins. PARSONS a New Zealand boxer provokes Lee to fight. He asks Lee what’s his style. As he learns it is “The art of fighting without fighting”, Parsons insists on Lee to show him. Lee tricks Parsons to get on a boat then, he releases the lines that hold the boat to the ferry. Lee jerks the line. The little boat swings. Some children get amused at the sight of Parson being defeated without fighting.
EXT. FERRY BOAT – NEARBY HAN’S ISLAND – DAY
Roper and Williams gaze at a group of attractive Asian women that wait at the harbor for the ferry passengers to arrive. TANIA, a European beauty, leads the welcome delegation.
EXT. HAN’S ISLAND – DAY
The contestants disembark. The island is a martial arts fortress. Hundreds of people engage in martial arts drills.
INT. HAN’S PALACE – BANQUET HALL – NIGHT
The palace displays extreme luxury. The ambiance created by Chinese festive music accompanies the competitors. There are endless food choices and spectacular circus style entertainment. All contestants are dressed in silk Chinese style robes. Lee, Roper, and Williams sit together. Han addresses all the participants. At the end of his speech, he throws an apple to the air. ONE OF THE GIRLS from his entourage pulls a dart that was concealed as a hair-pin and throws it at the apple on the air. She gets the target with unbelievable accuracy. She is MEI LING, the agent that Braithwaite told Lee about.
INT. WILLIAMS’ ROOM – NIGHT
Tania enters the room. She brings along a group of girls for Williams to choose one.
INT. MR. LEE’S ROOM – NIGHT
Tania invites Lee to choose an escort. Lee produces the dart that he collected from the apple and requests that girl to be sent to him.
INT. ROPER’S ROOM – NIGHT
Tania enters the room and invites Roper to choose an escort. Roper picks Tania.
INT. MR. LEE’S ROOM – NIGHT
Mei Ling exchange notes with Lee in his room. She admits knowing nothing, except that people disappear.
INT. MR. LEE’S ROOM – LATER
Lee practices leg skills. Ohara sticks his head in the room. He informs Lee that he must attend the morning ritual in uniform. Lee considers the scar on his face and asks him to leave.
EXT. HAN’S ISLAND TOURNAMENT – FIGHTING ARENA
Lee attends the morning activities wearing Chinese attire instead of the “Hanfu” Karate style uniform provided by the host. He is about to be reprimanded, but the officer steps back when Lee glances at him with restrained fury. Han declares the tournament inaugurated. Roper fights and wins in the first event.
INT. LEE’S ROOM – NIGHT
Lee wears dark color skin-tight tracksuit. He carries a rope and nunchaku in a bag. He goes out through his room balcony to spy.
INT. ROPER’S ROOM – NIGHT
Tania massages Roper’s back. She invites him to stay in the island.
INT. WILLIAMS’ ROOM – NIGHT
Williams goes out of his room. His escorts warn him it is forbidden to go out. He ignores them.
EXT. HAN’S ISLAND – PALACE SURROUNDINGS – NIGHT
A DOG chained to a fence barks at Lee. The noise attracts the attention of some guards. Lee knocks them out with flashy punches. He flies the scene.
EXT. OUTSIDE WILLIAMS’ ROOM – NIGHT
Williams perceives the presence of a “human fly” moving in the shadows. It is Lee!
5. Mid-Point
EXT. HAN’S ISLAND TOURNAMENT – FIGHTING ARENA – NEXT DAY
Han regrets that one of his guest broke the rules the previous night. He orders BOLO, a bulky fighter, to kill the guards. The tournament resumes. The next fight is Lee versus Ohara. Lee demonstrates a much superior technique than the bodyguard. Ohara feels humiliated and wants to kill Lee, but the Shaolin monk is far more skillful and kills Ohara. Han suspects Williams was the guest who broke the rules. Williams is summoned to Han’s study.
INT. HAN’S STUDY – LATER
Han confronts Williams about attacking the guards the previous night, which Williams deny. Han’s men fight Williams, but he easily defeats them.
6. Second turning point at end of Act 2
INT. HAN’S MUSEUM / POWER PLANT / DUNGEONS – LATER
Roper learns about Han’s operation. Han investment is in corruption. He invites Roper to be his representative in the United States. Roper realizes that the tournament is just a set up to recruit new talent. In the dungeon, Han keeps harbor homeless and drunkards as prisoners. He performs experiments on them. Han shows Roper the body of Williams hanging lifeless and suggests that there should be no misunderstandings in their relationship.
7. Crisis
INT. ISLAND DUNGEONS / RADIO ROOM – NIGHT
Lee breaks into the radio room and sends out a message. The alarm rings. Guards come to the area. Lee fights with the guards using his nunchaku and then, other instruments that he grabs from the guards. The guards use the underground passages fire-gates to imprison Lee.
INT. BRAITHWAITE’S BEDROOM – DAY
Braithwaite receives a note about Lee’s radio transmission along with his breakfast tray. He regrets the delay, scolds his staff and immediately contacts the authorities.
EXT. HAN’S ISLAND TOURNAMENT ARENA – DAY
The tournament resumes. Lee’s hands are tied up. When Roper arrives, Han orders him to fight with Lee and kill him. Roper refuses. Han orders Bolo to kill Lee, but Roper nudges Lee aside and fights Bolo. Roper kills Bolo. Enraged, Han orders his men to kill Lee and Roper.
INT. HAN’S ISLAND DUNGEONS – SAME TIME
Mei Ling secures the keys of the dungeon and releases all the prisoners, instructing them to fight for their freedom.
EXT. HAN’S ISLAND TOURNAMENT ARENA – LATER
The mob joins Lee and Roper against Han’s men. Han flies the scene.
8. Climax
INT. HAN’S MUSEUM – LATER
Lee chases Han into the museum. Lee pronounces: “You have offended my family, and you have offended the Shaolin Temple.” An epic battle begins.
INT. MIRRORS MAZE – LATER
The misleading reality of the mirrors confuses Lee’s mind. He shatters several mirrors until the image of the real Han is easy to spot. Lee impales Han on a spear.
9. Resolution
EXT. HAN’S ISLAND TOURNAMENT ARENA – LATER
The mob killed most of Han’s men and just plays around with the remaining guards. Roper discovers the body of Tania laying lifeless on the ground. Then, he observes how Lee emerges triumphant from the palace. This time, military helicopters finally arrive on the island. Lee shakes his heads.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by
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Justina Mitchell’s Favorite Movie Outline
What I learned doing this assignment is that a good movie flows easily from one scene to another; repeatedly I had to rewind because the film had gone through two or three scenes without my noting them. I also learned that the answers to the necessary questions aren’t always easy to pin down.
Title: Overboard – 1987 Version
Dramatic Question:
Will Dean and Joanna end up as a couple or will he end up in trouble for tricking her?
Main Conflict:
Dean is using Joanna, but she senses that she doesn’t belong in his family’s life and keeps looking for the truth.
Dilemma:
Dean can be honest with Joanna to clear his conscience or keep the free childcare that he desperately needs.
Theme:
Love can change a person’s world.
Outline
Slugline:
EXT – ESTABLISHING SHOTS – OCEAN/SEASIDE TOWN/ELABORATE PRIVATE YACHT – DAY
Essence:
This film will take place in a seaside community, Elk Cove, Oregon, and on a large private yacht, The Immaculata.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
The opulent, frivolous lifestyle of the boat owners begins to be established. The distant, placating nature of the owner’s marriage is also established. Dean Proffitt is introduced as a congenial handyman on assignment to work on the yacht.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA LIVING ROOM & BEDROOM – DAY
Essence:
Joanna, the wife, is revealed to have an unappreciative, excessively smug, unfriendly, suspicious personality. The excessive opulence of Joanna’s lifestyle is also firmly established.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Joanna’s excessive wealth is established when she instructs a bid for $1.7 million for a painting. Dean overhears this from inside. Grant, the husband, is annoying and ignoring Joanna when she ask him to be quiet as he is shooting skeet.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA BEDROOM – DAY
Essence:
While Dean is taking a break, Joanna comes in to the room, and he sees a birthmark high on her buttocks because of her high-cut bathing suit.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Grant is target practicing with suction cup arrows, (a possible symbolism that frustration with his sex life has driven him to often shoot other projectiles). Joanna says that Dean is listening to their conversation.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA BEDROOM CLOSET – DAY
Essence:
Although Dean created a great solution for Joanna’s closet, she is unappreciative because it isn’t made of cedar, even though she didn’t ask for cedar. He confirms to her that he overheard her demeaning remarks about him while she was on the deck.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Showdown between Joanna and Dean. He enthusiastically tells her that her life is frivolous and empty.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA ENGINE ROOM & KITCHEN – DAY
Essence:
The yacht’s crew overhears Dean’s tirade at Joanna and applauds.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
The end of the showdown between Joanna and Dean. She thinks he is going to sexually assault her, and when he says he is not interested in doing that, she literally throws him and his tools overboard.
Slugline:
EXT – BILLY PRATT’S HANDYMAN SERVICE – DAY
Essence:
Dean confirms he lost all his tools and that he needs a steady job. There is also mention of a miniature golf course dream.
Slugline:
INT – EDITH MINTZ’S NEW YORK BEDROOM & IMMACULATA BEDROOM – DAY
Essence:
Joanna is on the phone telling her mother, Edith Mintz, about Dean’s tirade. She also tells her that Grant wants a baby. We see that Edith is the archetype that Joanna is emulating in the way of opulent self-centeredness.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Dean arrives home to find that the school principle has met his four unsupervised, monster sons. She threatens to call child protective services if Dean doesn’t get them supervision.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA BEDROOM – NIGHT
Essence:
Joanna and Grant’s marriage bed is a cold one. When she notices that she left her wedding ring on deck, he refuses to go get it for her. She goes to get I herself.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – NIGHT
Essence:
Joanna, in high heel slippers, attempts to pick up her ring, but because the man at the wheel is asleep, the boat is unsteady and she falls overboard. Although she screams the two men that barely hear her, disregard the sound of her shrill voice – they hear it too often.
Slugline:
INT – KRAB NEWS STUDIO – DAY
Essence:
The news anchor is reporting on the discovery of a mystery woman with amnesia that was picked up by a garbage scow.
Slugline:
EXT – GARBAGE SCOW – DAY
Essence:
Rose, a reporter and wife of the anchor man, interviews the garbage scow captain.
Slugline:
INT – JOANNA’S IMMACULATA BEDROOM – DAY
Essence:
The news report on the television awakens Grant. He sees that the amnesic woman is Joanna.
Slugline:
INT – ELK COVE HOSPITAL – DAY
Essence:
Grant goes to retrieve Joanna from the hospital, and then decides not to as she is showing her usual unpleasant personality. She is put in the psyche ward.
Slugline:
INT – BOWLING ALLEY – DAY
Essence:
Dean is working at the bowling alley when he sees the news report about Joanna and her husband leaving her in the hospital. He gets a crazy idea, and enlists Billy to help him carry it out.
Slugline:
INT – ELK COVE HOSPITAL – DAY
Essence:
Dean claims Joanna, who he now calls Annie, as his wife. He verifies their intimate relationship by telling them all about her birthmark that he saw on the boat.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S PICK UP TRUCK – DAY
Essence:
Dean is taking Joanna/Annie to his home. She sits in the back while the dogs are inside the cab.
Slugline:
EXT/INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Dean introduces Annie to the house and their four monster boys. Annie faints. After she recovers, he tells her distressing things about her personal and family history.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – NIGHT
Essence:
Annie tries to cook dinner with disastrous results. Dean leaves her alone with the children which she dreads.
Slugline:
INT – BOWLING ALLEY – NIGHT
Essence:
Dean tells Billy that he intends to keep Annie for just over a month to pay off the money she owes him, but that he won’t sleep with her.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – NIGHT
Essence:
Dean has fun with Annie then sends her to sleep on the couch where she has a terrible night sleep.
Slugline:
INT/EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – MONTAGE – DAY
Essence:
After everyone leaves for the day, Annie tackles her domestic duties in a variety of ways and is very bad at them.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Annie nearly has a mental break because of the strain. She demands photographic evidence she belongs there. She has a flash of memory of Dean on the yacht. He distracts her but looks worried.
Slugline:
EXT – BILLY PRATT’S HANDYMAN SERVICE – NIGHT
Essence:
Dean ask Billy to make fake photographic evidence for Annie.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Dean goes over the photographic evidence with Annie; her mug shots from the day she was rescued “photo-shopped” into Dean’s photos of him and his wife. Given the evidence, she reluctantly accepts that she belongs.
Slugline:
EXT/INT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA & EDITH MINTZ’S NEW YORK HOME – DAY
Essence:
Grant is living decadently when Edith calls for Joanna; she is brushed off.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
The home reflects better housekeeping, and Annie is trying to make the most of her lot. After the boys play two tricks on her, Annie calls out Dean for being a bad parent. She later stands up for herself by spraying everyone with water; she has changed into one of them.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Annie is starting to be accepted by the boys as she takes on motherly duties better.
Slugline:
INT – ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – DAY
Essence:
The boys are disciplined for being inattentive during placement tests. Annie arrives and upon realizing the boys are suffering from poison oak, she rips into the principle for her attitude toward the family. Dean eavesdrops to hear all of this from the hallway.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – NIGHT
Essence:
Annie treats the boys’ rashes and finds out the youngest can’t read. She calls out Dean on his lack of parenting again. He leaves, and when he returns, he realizes she has done a lot to improve their home and tells her so. They share a tender moment together where they both start seeing each other in a slightly romantic way.
Slugline:
EXT – PARK – DAY
Essence:
The family is spending time with friends and considering what theme to use for the miniature golf course they want to build. Annie provides the theme of the Wonders of the World. She also discovers she knows how to speak French, but justifies it as part of her fictional history that Dean told her.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Annie is drawing up pictures of the Wonders of the World. She finds out from the boys that Dean lied about where he has been going at night.
Slugline:
EXT/INT – BOWLING ALLEY/FISH PLANT – NIGHT
Essence:
Annie has gone in search of Dean and finds him working at the fish plant, doing grunt work.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Annie tenderly sends Dean off to his meeting with the investors.
Slugline:
INT – CRABS R US RESTAURANT – NIGHT
Essence:
Dean and Billy present their idea for the miniature golf course to the investors.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – NIGHT
Essence:
Dean tells Annie that they got the investment money and they hug enthusiastically.
Slugline:
INT/EXT – MONTAGE – DAY
Essence:
Scenes of Dean building the miniature golf course, and Annie being a supportive wife and mother.
Slugline:
EXT – MINATURE GOLF COURSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION – DAY
Essence:
Dean tells Billy he wants to confess the truth to Annie.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Dean comes home to find a scene of domestic tranquility. He attempts to confess to Annie the truth, but ends up telling her that he forgot her birthday.
Slugline:
INT/EXT – DANCE BAR – NIGHT
Essence:
Dean and Annie have fun dancing at the bar to celebrate her birthday. He tells her the romantic story of why the fishermen honk three times when returning to port. They kiss passionately.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – NIGHT/MORNING
Essence:
Dean and Annie make love. Dean has her woken up to find that he has bought her a new washing machine.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA & EDITH MINTZ’S NEW YORK HOME – DAY
Essence:
A phone conversation between Grant and Edith while Grant is living his decadent lifestyle, and Edith is having her portrait painted. What Edith says inspires Grant to return to Elk Cove to retrieve Joanna.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
The family is getting ready to go to the opening of the miniature golf course.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S PICK-UP TRUCK – DAY
Essence:
While straightening the cab of the pick-up, Annie finds her panties from when she was picked up by the garbage scow, but thinks they belong to another woman.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Annie accuses Dean of being unfaithful to her. He confesses the truth to her about who she is, but she doesn’t believe him. He asks the kids to back him up, but they refuse to. Billy also refuses to back him up.
Slugline:
EXT – COMPLETED MINIATURE GOLF COURSE – DAY
Essence:
The grand opening of the miniature golf course is in full-swing, and everyone is enjoying it.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Andrew, the butler, is trying to obtain a limousine in Elk Cove; they will be arriving soon.
Slugline:
EXT – MINIATURE GOLF COURSE – DAY
Essence:
Dean publicly declares his love for Annie, and gives her a “replacement” wedding ring.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S PICK-UP TRUCK – DAY
Essence:
Happiness and contentment reign in the cab as the family comes home from the grand opening.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Upon arriving home, the family finds Grant in a limousine there. Annie/Joanna’s memory suddenly comes back. At first she is elated but then she is devastated that Dean lied to her.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Annie comes into the house, which is much improved because of her, looks around sadly then exits.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME – DAY
Essence:
Dean thanks Annie and she leaves with Grant. The boys run after and pound on the limousine trying to get Joanna to stay. Dean and the children go into the house heartbroken.
Slugline:
INT – LIMOUSINE – DAY
Essence:
Inside the limousine it is clear to see that Annie is heartbroken and not actually “with” Grant at all.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – EVENING
Essence:
Joanna looks all put together in her expensive attire but still heartbroken as the yacht pulls away from Elk Cove.
Slugline:
EXT – DOCK AREA – EVENING
Essence:
Dean looks out to sea as he misses Annie.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA – NIGHT
Essence:
Grant and Edith have Dr. Korman onboard, Joanna’s high-priced psychologist, and ask him about Joanna’s ability to return to her old self. A roll of the eyes indicates that Grant would prefer that she doesn’t return to her old self. Joanna enters looking like a softer version of her old self, but doesn’t act like her old self much at all.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S RAMSHACKLE HOME/SHED – NIGHT
Essence:
The boys want to go get Joanna back, but Dean assures them that she isn’t coming back.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA – NIGHT
Essence:
Grant is drunkenly missing his decadent lifestyle. Joanna connects with and apologizes to the staff. Words of wisdom she receives from Andrew inspire her to turn the yacht back around to return to Elk Cove, Dean, and the boys.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Grant awakens to see that the yacht has turned around and he swears he will correct it.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Grant confronts Joanna and she tells him she wants Dean instead of him.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Grant takes control of the yacht and turns it about.
Slugline:
INT – DEAN’S PICK-UP TRUCK – DAY
Essence:
Dean supposedly sees the Immaculata offshore.
Slugline:
EXT – DEAN’S SHED – DAY
Essence:
Dean tells the boys they are going to go get Joanna back with the help of the coast guard.
Slugline:
EXT – COAST GUARD VESSEL – DAY
Essence:
Dean and the boys are topside looking for the Immaculata. The officers onboard are trying to justify this errand of love.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Joanna tells Grant she is leaving him. Grant accidentally lets her know that he left her in the psych ward in Elk Cove. Although doctor Korman was called up by Grant to deal with Joanna, she gets him to occupy Grant instead. Below deck, Joanna stops the boat then becomes aware that Dean has come to get her as she hears a ship’s horn blow three times.
Slugline:
INT – COAST GUARD VESSEL – DAY
Essence:
The boys use the loud speaker to announce their arrival to get their mom back.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA & THE COAST GUARD VESSEL – DAY
Essence:
Joanna and the family make visual contact through binoculars.
Slugline:
INT – IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Joanna grabs her macaroni necklace that Joey gave her and honks the yacht’s horn to reply to Dean.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Joanna goes out on deck to prepare for the family’s arrival. Andrew tries to assist her.
Slugline:
EXT – COAST GUARD VESSEL – DAY
Essence:
The officers receive news that trumps their current mission and they turn the boat around just before it gets to the yacht. Dean dives off the vessel. The vessel has to come about to pick him up.
Slugline:
EXT – DECK OF THE IMMACULATA – DAY
Essence:
Joanna goes to jump in the water, but Andrew stops her to get her in a life-jacket. Joanna jumps into the ocean. Grant goes to shoot her with a suction cup arrow, but Andrew pushes Grant overboard.
Slugline:
EXT – OCEAN – DAY
Essence:
Dean and Annie swim to each other on the open ocean, embrace, declare their love, and kiss. Grant is pulled onboard the Immaculata. Dean and Annie are retrieved by the coast guard rescue boat. Annie reveals to Dean that the wealth is hers.
Slugline:
EXT – COAST GUARD VESSEL – DAY
Essence:
After a loving reunion with the boys, Dean asks Annie what could he ever give her that she doesn’t already have. She replies, “A little girl,” thus indicating she is in this relationship forever.
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DAY SIX – LETS SEE HOW HOLLYWOOD DOES IT – ASSIGNMENT
What I learned doing this assignment is Slug-lines are a great way to begin an outline. I used to just dive right in and do a traditional outline. This makes me more cognizant of the scenes from the very start. I love this process and have already started it with my Christmas Script, “Christmas Trimmings”
Answer the following questions:
Dramatic Question: Will Ellen recognize true love when she is comes face to face with it
Main Conflict: Ellen has to shed her old ways, see her fiancé for what he is and move forward.
Dilemma: Will Ellen let her old life win out, or will she embrace what she has found in snowfalls.
Theme: Friendship and love are the most important aspects in a person’s life.
Watch your favorite movie from the genre of the script you are writing in the Pro-Series. Christmas Movie: “Christmas Inheritance”
Make an outline that follows this format:
1. Slug line: EXT. CITY SCAPE – NIGHT
1. Essence: Establishing shot, credit roll, lot of Christmas decorations and lighting on trees.
2. Slug line: INT. BUILDING – NIGHT
2. Essence: Fancy party taking place. A company-sponsored Christmas gala.
3. Slug line: Protagonist is taking shots, does gymnast stunts and crashes into the Xmas tree.
3. Essence: Protagonist is a spoiled, out-of-control socialite.
4. Slug line: INSERT – NEWSPAPER HEADLINE
4. Essence: Shows protagonist (Ellen) as a drunk, party girl lying in the Xmas tree.
5. Slug line: Traveling Shot – Man with that newspaper walking down an office hallway
5. Essence: It is Ellen’s father, company’s CEO. He is none too pleased.
6. Slug line: INT. CONFERENE ROOM – CONTINUOUS
6. Essence: Father and daughter talk. He tells her she can do better, that she cannot behave like that.
7. Slug line: INT. FATHER (CEO) OFFICE – CONTINUOUS
7. Essence: talks w/ trusted employee re: daughter’s behavior. He also has to write the ‘Xmas letter’
8. Slug line: INT. RESTAURANT – LATER
8. Essence: Ellen & dad talk re: how she can make it right. He tells her she has to learn about the people who buy their gifts. He sends her on a business trip, to deliver the Xmas letters to an uncle.
9. Slug line: INT. PENTHOUSE – LATER
9. Essence: Ellen tells her fiancé about her business trip. He only wants to go to Maui. She tells him she has to go there, deliver the letter and do it all on one hundred dollars. No one can know who she is.
10. Slug line: INT. BUS TERMINAL – LATER
10. Essence: Ellen has to take the bus to the small town where the uncle & business partner lives.
11. Slug line: INT. BUS – NIGHT
11. Essence: Ellen learns what a bus ride entails and doesn’t entail.
12. Slug line: EXT. BUS DEPOT – DAY
12. Essence: Ellen has suitcase get run over by a car, argues with driver. Clearly an attraction.
13. Slug line: TRAVELING SHOT – CAB ride across the tiny mountain town.
13. Essence: She tries small talk w/ cabbie, they are from different worlds.
14. Slug line: INT. HOTEL – CONTINUOUS
14. Essence: She checks in, wants to meet w/ Uncle. He is gone. Ellen is upset.
15. Slug line: INT. CORP. OFFICE – DAY
15. Essence: Ellen calls her dad; he laughs off her predicament. She has to wait for Uncle.
16. Slug line: INT. HOTEL ROOM – CONTINUOUS
16. Essence: Ellen learns there is no room service, walks over w/ manager (Jake) to café.
17. Slug line: TRAVELING SHOT – NIGHT
17. Essence: Ellen and Jake walk and talk to café. Jake gives $ to homeless guy.
18. Slug line: INT. CAFÉ – CONTINUOUS
18. Essence: Ellen and Jake talk; learn about each other. She’s lying as she can’t reveal herself.
19. Slug line: INT. HOTEL – DAY
19. Essence: Ellen is out of $, takes a job as a maid to pay for the room until her Uncle shows up.
20. Slug line: INT. HOTEL ROOM – CONTINUOUS
20. Essence: Ellen ruins the room: disaster everywhere. She lies and says she is a baker.
21. Slug line: INT. CAFÉ KITCHEN – CONTINUOUS
21. Essence: Ellen doesn’t know a thing; the café owner teaches her how to bake.
22. Slug line: EXT/INT. HOTEL – NIGHT
22. Essence: blizzard hits, homes lose power. Jake takes people in so they don’t freeze.
23. Slug line: EXT. HOTEL – CONTINUOUS
23. Essence: Ellen goes and brings a homeless man into the inn to warm up. She’s learning compassion.
24. Slug line: INT. ELLEN’S HOTEL ROOM – CONTINUOUS
24. Essence: Ellen gives up her room for stranded mother and two young kids.
25. Slug line: INT. HOTEL SUPPLY ROOM – LATER
25. Essence: Ellen finds Jake down there drawing, they bond. Talk about getting stuff for silent auction.
26. Slug line: EXT. HOTEL – LATER
26. Essence: Jake shows Ellen his ice sculptures, they almost kiss, then freak out as she has a finance.
27. Slug line: EXT. TOWN – DAY
27. Essence: Ellen goes to the local businesses and gets them to donate goods for the silent auction.
28. Slug line: EXT. HOTEL – LATER
28. Essence: Ellen shows up with tons of goods for the silent auction.
29. Slug line: EXT. HOTEL – CONTINUOUS
29. Essence: Ellen’s fiancé shows up, is a condescending ass
30. Slug line: INT. HOTEL ROOM – LATER
30. Essence: Ellen reads the old letters in the Letter’s box from her dad to Uncle Zeke.
31. Slug line: INT. LOCAL BAR – LATER
31. Essence: Jake runs into the fiancé, he tells Jake who Ellen really is; he didn’t know.
32. Slug line: INT. HOTEL FRONT DESK – DAY
32. Essence: Jake tells Ellen he knows who she is; he’s pissed. She lied. He rips her a new one. She leaves
33. Slug line: INT. CAR – CONTINUOUS
34. Essence: In car w/ ass-hat boyfriend, they argue.
34. Slug line: EXT. GAS STATION – CONTINUOUS
34. Essence: They stop for gas; she tells her fiancé, goodbye. Gives back his engagement ring.
35. Slug line: INT. TOWN HALL – LATER
36. Essence: Ellen returns to snow falls, goes to the silent auction. Finds her uncle and dad there. She makes up with Jake and her dad announces she is the company’s new CEO
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