Day 6 Assignments

[Eric Humble]

Eric Humble’s Delivering Multiple Layers!

What I learned doing this assignment is: that I can generate a wealth of plot and character material from just a few characters simply by developing the characters for depth, then creating reveal structures to reveal each layer. I was apprehensive going into this class with the concept I had because I felt it was a little too thin to sustain an entire screenplay, much less a thriller that would have to have a lot of twists, turns, mystery, intrigue, and suspense. But after this lesson, I feel like I have plenty to sustain a feature script, and I’m starting to really get comfortable doing more with less!

Surface Layer: Markway has been awarded multiple awards for his crusade to bridge the race divide and promote trust between the neighborhood and police… including weekly outreach events at the Youth Foundation.

Beneath That: Markway is actually creating the opioid epidemic by supplying dealers with impounded uncut heroin.

How Revealed: Markway goes into anaphylaxis and Robert opens a safe beneath the Youth Foundation, which is supposed to be reserved for epipens – only to discover the bricks of heroin.

Surface Layer: D’Quan breaks into the clinic with Standish to get the supplies needed to treat him.

Beneath That: D’Quan is trying to get into the medical records system to delete the prescription note that proves he prescribed his brother opioids to feed his addiction.

How Revealed: Intrigue – D’Quan allows Standish to bleed out a bit, bypasses the bandages and goes to the computer system, where he types in code to get into the back-end of the charting program… but runs into a security screen blocking him.

Surface Layer: D’Quan’s brother had enemies – any which of them could have killed him.

Beneath That: Markway killed D’Quan’s brother.

How Revealed: The scuff marks on the floor come from a pair of brown workman’s boots. Markway skids while chasing D’Quan and makes the same marks… and Robert realizes he was the third man.

Surface Layer: Corrupt DEA agents stole the heroin from the evidence locker. IA has been investigating them.

Beneath That: Markway stole the heroin from the evidence locker.

How Revealed: The same software conglomerate makes the clinic’s system and the police system. Once D’Quan gets through the backdoor to change his note, Robert has him look up the evidence locker checkins… and sees that Markway was in the locker when the heroin was brought in and didn’t swipe out until after it had disappeared.

Surface Layer: D’Quan is a poor street punk who murdered his brother over money and drugs.

Beneath That: D’Quan is a respected MD, worth $300,000 per year and has a history of helping addicts kick the habit; his reason for being there that night must be different

How Revealed: A call comes in to the Youth Center after hours asking to be transferred to the clinic next door – it’s another doctor from the hospital, a White woman, following up on a patient they both see.

Surface Layer: The heroin was seized by a group of detectives on the narcotics squad and the DEA in a joint operation.

Beneath That: Markway was on the team that recovered the heroin – and his old partner was the one in charge of the evidence locker the night it all disappeared

How Revealed: Markway slips up in his story, first talking about it as if it’s hearsay; then changes the names of the cops to include a few guys from Vice. Robert knows one them – he’s been in Vice for the past year. You said it was the Narcotics Bureau there that night? Markway shrugs it off – it doesn’t matter, the DEA are the ones who stole it. But Robert is suspicious.

Surface Layer: Markway is an antiracist, stalwart cop who lives up to his legendary reputation.

Beneath That: Markway has an unreported track record of shooting unarmed Black men

How Revealed: Standish tells D’Quan that’s what he’s investigating him for… including D’Quan’s brother.

Surface Layer: Robert is giving into the temptation – Markway is buying him onto his side, and he’s ready to give up D’Quan for execution staged to look like self-defense.

Beneath That: Robert is trying to goad Markway into admitting everything – into a phone with Standish hearing and recording it

How Revealed: Markway gets wise, kicks the phone away from him and stamps it until it’s smashed… while Standish recoils at the dropped call from another vantage.

Surface Layer: Markway is incorruptible and has no connections outside the police force or the Youth Foundation.

Beneath That: Markway is in the pocket of a major real estate conglomerate

How Revealed: The conglomerate’s CEO is on the Board of the Youth Center, alongside Markway. The members of the board have gotten huge bonuses from the conglomerate… especially Markway. Robert talks to a whistleblower who was silenced and run out, someone from accounting.

Surface Layer: Standish is just a Black guy from the community.

Beneath That: Standish is actually a cop.

How Revealed: Standish escapes from D’Quan and makes it to a phone… and tries to call it in, only to reveal the line is dead, the phone disconnected. It’s an area still being set up.

Surface Layer: Standish is an ordinary cop.

Beneath That: Standish is IA and is investigating Markway

How Revealed: D’Quan doesn’t buy Standish’s claim he’s a cop – if he was a cop, Robert would have recognized him. D’Quan thinks he’s running a game on him, and won’t treat his wound until he knows the truth. Standish admits he’s IA.

Surface Layer: Accidentally shooting Standish is the only error Robert has made – and the only thing he’s done that could be construed as racist.

Beneath That: Robert has one blemish on his career – he beat up a Black kid as a nineteen-year-old and sent him to the hospital; had rage issues he mostly has under control now that he’s a family man

How Revealed: Markway confesses a racist act he once made, the one that opened his eyes and turned him around to become an antiracist. Robert confesses his dark secret, too, thinking he can trust Markway.

Surface Layer: Markway gives Robert a tour, proudly showing him how The Youth Center protects at-risk youths from the streets where they can fall prey to drug dealers.

Beneath That: The youth center introduces the kids to known drug dealers.

How Revealed: Someone Robert busted as a uniform cop is on the security videos and the entry logs.

Surface Layer: Crime scene shows just two people were there— D’Quan and his brother.

Beneath That: The crime scene proves there was a third person there.

How Revealed: Scuff marks, a different set of rubber, this one brown. Work boots.

Surface Layer: The Youth Center has just recreational and social services.

Beneath That: There’s a basement area that’s The Shoot-Up Club – a place where the hardcore addicts can go to get stoned… and is equipped with freezers to keep the bodies of those who OD until they can be dumped on the streets or into the river.

How Revealed: They find a frozen body in a makeshift morgue in the clinic. A video therapy session of the victim is open on the computer – the kid talks about going to the shoot-up club, in the sub-basement – and is cut off by the counselor. Robert goes to investigate when he’s searching for D’Quan and finds the sub-basement door.