Day 8 Assignments

[Lynn Vincentnathan]

Lynn Vincentnathan’s Intriguing Moments

VISION: I am determined to become a great screenwriter capable of getting my screenplays in various genres produced into movies that inspire vast audiences to mitigate climate change.

I LEARNED the importance of intrigue and various types, and due to all the previous work was able to ID these in the outline and elevate a few, though Act 3 seems a little short on intrigue — need to beef it up a bit. I also figured out the difference between MYSTERY (re something that already happened, but not revealed, like a wound) and INTRIGUE (something important going on and where it leads we don’t know).

HIGH CONCEPT: WEATHERING IT (Rom-Com) is about two college students who try to overcome family fights about global warming and get married during the worst ever Texas freeze.

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ACT 1: Ellie and Jim meet and are attracted to each other, issues regarding their uncles arise.

MYSTERY 1: Why does Ellie despair of getting married/involved, seems to go deeper than her eco-despair.

MYSTERY 2: Why is Ellie hesitant to present to Jim’s class?

INTRIGUE 1: What does Jim really want by getting involved with Ellie — a difficult sex conquest or ? What kind of guy is he anyway? Is his interest in turtle trip smooth-talk or genuine? Will Jim get Ellie into a relationship with him?

INTRIGUE 2: Why does Ellie think she won’t be able to arrange the off-grid ranch trip?

INTRIGUE/MYSTERY 3: Does that previous severe Texas freeze disprove global warming? Ellie can’t answer that. Will it happen again, and will that definitely disprove global warming?

MYSTERY 3: What’s wrong with Ely, beyond upset over last year’s trip? Like Ellie he wants to “save the earth,” but being a bitter recluse is not really doing much aside from reducing his own eco-footprint.

SECRET/SUPERIOR POSITION 1: Ellie is planning to live on Ely’s ranch and help him with his projects after college, which may be at least one reason she’s not planning to marry. This is keep secret from Jim until mid-point breakup.

INTRIGUE/MYSTERY 3 again: Does the previous severe Texas freeze disprove global warming? The host doesn’t answer, but goes into how that cold affected the turtles.

MYSTERY 4: Ellie seems to have affection for Gecko, but his aspergers is not the reason she didn’t get involved with him. What is the reason?

INTRIGUE/MYSTERY: Jim jokingly says he needed Ellie’s protection, but he was somewhat serious. Why does he need it?

MYSTERY: Why has Ellie given up praying, religion?

INTRIGUE/MYSTERY: Ellie seems attracted to Jim, but what about her resolve not to get involved? Is their relationship going to work?

TURNING POINT 1 (Ellie’s Denial of Love):

SECRET 1 kept up: Ellie gives Jim some general idea about her future plans, failing to mention her plans with Ely.

SECRET/SUPERIOR POSITION 2a: Jim has a big obligation to his Uncle Fred, which he keeps secret from Ellie. Audience doesn’t know the exact obligation now.

MYSTERY/INTRIGUE: Why does Ely hate Fred Higson? Will this bode ill for Jim and Ellie’s relationship?

COVER UP/HIDDEN IDENTITY: Jim covers up from Ely that he is closely related to Fred and that he’s obligated to him. Ellie sort of knows his relationship to Fred, but not his obligation.

SECRET/SUPERIOR POSITION 2b: Jim’s obligation to work in Houston after college for Fred’s Oil Engineering Consultancy is laid bare to the audience, who will worry more about Jim and Ellie’s relationship.

CONSPIRACY 1: Ellie “conspires” with (tells) Ely about Jim’s engineering and business background and how that could really help with Ely’s project if she were to marry him; nevertheless Ely opposes the idea of her marrying but begrudgingly mentions there’s plenty of space for another house on the land.

CONSPIRACY 2 (minor): Jim conspires with (enlists) Rudy in his plan to get Ellie to marry him.

END OF ACT 2 – MIDPOINT (Break up over differences): Planning the wedding, break up over guest list.

ACT 3: Knowing they are in love, they try to work it out.

CONSPIRACY/COVERUP/HIDDEN IDENTITY 3: Ellie and Jim plan not to tell Fred about Ellie being an eco-activist while in Houston, just as Jim has to avoid speaking of his interest in alt energy and environmentalism.

CONSPIRACY 3: They plan not to tell Ely that they’re getting married and plan not to invite him — Ellie now realizing that Jim loves her Uncle Ely and it is also a sacrifice for him.

ACT 4 CLIMAX: A severe freeze and power cut throughout Texas makes it impossible for them to wed.

CONSPIRACY: Ellie with Jim sort of onboard plans to get Ely to have the wedding in his barn.

COVER UP: Ellies doesn’t tell Ely that Fred will be coming to the wedding.

INTRIGUE: Will they be able to pull of the wedding with both Ely and Fred present? Jim doesn’t think so, Ellie isn’t sure.

INTRIGUE: Now that the 2 uncles are okay and deep into discussion about developing an alt energy project, will the wedding happen before they lose power?

[Monica Arisman]

Subject: Monica Intriguing Moments

Vision: I will continue to learn everything I can through all different media to apply what I learn to become the best screenwriter I can be. To be successful in getting my movies made and to win awards in the process.

What I learned from doing this assignment is, I remember back in one of the master classes I took, I vaguely remember Hal saying that every scene should have an interest technique and so finally, that’s what I’m doing!

2. Give us a one sentence explanation of the intriguing moments in each Act of your project. Like the example above.

ACT 1 – Intriguing Moments

Conspiracy – Harry wants Conall to basically commit a crime without all the details.

Secret/Superior Position– Harry had his minions set the fire.

Scheme – Harry wants only Conall to steal the artefact – why?

Covert Agenda – Conall doesn’t really know what the device is for and believes Harry is lying.

Scheme – Harry seems to know all about Conall and his background and will use it against him to get what Harry wants.

Mystery – why does Conall accept the mission with all his reservations about Harry and gang?

Hidden Identity – who is this person and what is he/she doing.

Mystery – why would Jay steal the artefact to keep away from Harry?

Secret Identity/Superior Position – who the hell is Jay – he looks like a normal human but where did he get all this tech?

Intrigue – something more is going on than what Conall bargained for.

Covert agenda – why does CERN need this artefact if it is supposed to be for helping humanity?

Twist – the artefact is stolen.

ACT 2 – Intriguing Moments

Secret – Conall knows who stole the artefact but doesn’t want Harry to know.

Surprise – the cuff bracelet is a technological wonder.

Something unseen – who also wants the artefact, and why?

Put in a more interesting setting – CERN is pretty interesting.

Suspense – just because they have technology, will they be able to recover the artefact and survive?

Hope/Fear throughout Act 2 – Harry is mentally unstable and what will happen to the present if they manipulate the timelines?

Dilemma – what to do about Harry now that Conall knows his agenda?

Betrayal – Harry is about to betray Conall again by having Conall killed.

Dilemma for Jay – he needs the artefact to change the timeline but must save himself and Conall to complete his mission.

Betrayal by Jay and Conall against Harry.

ACT 3 – Intriguing Moments

Betrayal by the Elite’s against Harry.

Surprise – Harry is the hacker – he wants it all!

Mystery why is the artefact acting strangely.

Twist – Jay built it so it shouldn’t be acting strangely.

Dilemma – what to do about Harry?

Hope/Fear – what will the new timeline bring?

ACT 4 – Intriguing Moments

Something Unseen – what is causing this?

Cliffhanger – Harry has the answer will he kill Conall and Jay and destroy civilization?

Hope/Fear – throughout Act 4 – it could go either way!

Surprise – Jay manipulates the timeline to give Conall his family back.

Uncomfortable Moment – But with this manipulation – what else has changed?

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[Ron Chepesiuk]

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Ron’s Intriguing Moments

VISION: I want the success and recognition of being an in demand, A-list screenwriter who writes successful films that are financially profitable, award winning and of enduring quality.

“What I learned from doing this assignment Is that each of these lessons build on each other, and if you do them faithfully, slowly but surely, you will eventually have a solid out line for the script. ”

2. Give us a one sentence explanation of the intriguing moments in each Act of your project. Like the example above.

Intrigue
Secret
Covert agenda
Hidden identity
Conspiracy
Scheme
Superior position
Cover up
Mystery

Act 1:

Intrigue The godfather and wife are ambushed; wife dies. Who is responsible for the assassination?

Intrigue A devastated Godfather is intrigued by a picture he sees of a woman on a mail order bride site who reminds him of his late dead wife

Scheme:The son is willing to undercut his father as an act of revenge for humiliation of being taken off heading his security control

Secret: We see a bruised Lucia using the Internet. She hides the fact that she is being abused by boyfriend

Cover up: Lucia accidently kills abusive boyfriend and Godfather helps cover it up, thus avoiding a murder charge

ACT 2

Covert agenda: Not fully accepted by the Godfather’s mob, Lucia must learn to maneuver in a criminal jungle. Superior position: The mob underestimates her

Covert agenda: Godfather’s son seduces Lucia. While she thinks its love, it’s actually a plot by son to recruit her to kill husband, the godfather.

Mystery: Lucia agrees to help son kill his father. Will she be clever enough to figure out god son’s plan?

Cover up: Lucia sabotages son’s plan to kill father, the godfather, as she melts to godfather’s killing her with kindness

Act 3

Scheme: Son becomes suspicious of Lucia who keeps putting off son about killing godfather and, enraged, decides to kill her

Intrigue: Mother overhears son’s plan to kill Lucia and warns Lucia

Covert agenda: Godfather has a stroke, which makes her plans to hide godfather from son difficult, but somehow she does with the help of godfather’s mother.

ACT 4

Covert agenda: Lucia sets trap for her ex lover and saves godfather

While he recovers Godfather puts Lucia in charge of the mob. He reveals to her that he knew she was planning to kill him, but had faith in her that she wouldn’t.

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[Deleted User]

Module 4/8: Intriguing Moments:

I am great at discovering and creating intriguing moments.

My vision is to become a stronger writer.

What I learned: To weigh and measure all of these variables against each act, to see if they validate story. It’s like diagramming sentences to define what each word is, for example, which is the subject, the verb, direct object, indirect object, modifier, etc.

Give a one-sentence explanation of the intriguing moments in each act of your project:

Act 1: Solo Act

Intrigue: Did a mad wolf kill the protag’s (Shadow) sister, or has another hyena saved her, and why?

Secret: Ivy’s young, female cub, Surus, is alive and well, after being grappled from her den by the African wolf, Mortimer. She has been taken and is under the care/training of the matriarch of the clan, Silla, after she ran off the wolf. Something no one knows except Silla and her offspring.

Covert agenda: The protag, (Shadow) is determined to kill the wolf, (Mortimer- antagonist) He also plans to get even with Silla, the Matriarch, for ousting him, though Shadow is young and woefully unprepared.

Hidden identity: We watch Shadow cope with life and death issues as a cub, believing he is a coward, without him realizing he is a survivor, even in the midst of terror.

Surus is another hyena that has lost her identity. She lives under a pseudo-name, not knowing who she really is.

Conspiracy: Silla keeps the cub, Surus, and lets Shadow and Brimsley think their sister has been killed by Mortimer, the African wolf.

Scheme: Silla disrespects Ivy and all submissives. She uses Surus to keep the females in subjection, but suspects Surus shall someday meet her real mom, Ivy. Will Ivy recognize her own cub, believing she is dead, or perhaps despise her, because of her dominance over her, not realizing she is her own offspring?

Superior Position: Silla is the matriarch of the clan. The audience is aware, she has stolen a cub, not just to take her away from the jars of Mortimer, but wants her for her own. The audience knows of her treachery. Something fellow hyenas are not aware of.

Cover up: The fact that Ivy’s offspring, Surus, covers up unknowingly, that Ivy is her mom, and that Silla’s willing to test the cover up to see if Ivy recognizes her and can rightfully claim her as her daughter, in spite of the fact she believes her offspring is dead, even though she’s standing right in front of her.

ACT 2: Solo Act

Intrigue: Can Shadow, the ousted hyena, survive long enough to win the Olympic Hyena Howling Contest that awards admittance into the largest clan allowing safety and food for its members?

Secret: Shadow questions who is the dominant hunting with Silla who moves like his mom, but isn’t her?

Covert agenda: Silla’s offspring, Hilly, knows about Surus, probably taking her place. She is jealous of the attention/training her mom is giving to a hyena not family or of hierarchy.

Hidden Identity: Surus, is flourishing under a hidden identity known only to Silla, the matriarch, and her offspring, Hilly.

Conspiracy: Hilly reveals to Surus who she really is, but Silla denies it.

Scheme: Ivy faces Surus about the truth; finally, Silla admits she’s not her mom.

Superior Position: The audience knows Surus is Ivy’s stolen cub, even though the clan does not.

Cover up: Surus connects with Ivy and Brimsley, (their brother) and decides to hunt down Shadow to reunite as family and make plans to start a new clan.

Act 3: Solo Act:

Intrigue: While Shadow follows his old clan as they hunt, a mad wolf shows up and kills a Maasai female who just gave birth.

Secret: Shadow Meets his family and realizes Surus is alive.

Covert Agenda: As Shadow follows his old clan back to their dens, he meets Brimsly, Ivy and Surus, amazed she is alive and well, and full of plans for the future.

Hidden identity: Days later, Shadow hunts and spies Mortimer at the Maasai graveyards; he becomes the same terrified cub again; one curled up in a ball.

Conspiracy: Maasai warriors track Mortimer, after Mortmer kills a Massai mother and newborn.

Scheme: Mortimer hides, watching, waiting for the warriors to surface, aware they are coming for him.

Superior Position: As Mortimer licks his wounds, the audience already knows Mortimer is waiting for the warriors so he can ambush them.

Coverup: The warriors are annihilated and when Shadow views Mortimer’s carnage, he knows he can never survive an attack.

Act 4: Solo Act:

Intrigue: Silla drags a zebra into the brush as Shadow trots their path following their movements.

Secret: Shadow watches as Silla and her offspring, Hilly, work together as family surviving, just like Shadow and his family, that soon plan on starting a new clan away from this territory.

Covert Agenda: Mortimer is on the move, searching for lunch.

Hidden identity: Shadow loses his courage when watching Mortimer, becoming that little cub that Mortimer almost has for lunch.

Shadow watches as the clan trots back to their dens after the hunt, but Shadow doesn’t see his mom.

Conspiracy: Silla commands her clan to leave Ivy behind, open to predators, as she suspicions Ivy is taking Surus away forever.

Scheme: The clan leaves Ivy behind when they get a scent of Mortimer.

Superior position: Shadow hears his mom’s howl and recognizes her frenzied pleas for help.

Cover up: Everyone denies seeing Ivy when Surus asks where she is.

[ROBERT Ingalls]

Module 4, Lesson 8 – Depth – Intriguing Moments

Subject: Rob Ingalls’ Intriguing Moments

MY VISION:

To be a Talented writer that delivers quality fast, with the film industry seeking me out.

WIL: Many ways to enhance each Act and each Scene.

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ACT-1

Intrigue: Numerous thieves stealing a variety of goods (jews, cash, planes, boats, gold, paintings)

Mystery: Trophey with Simon’s name – Harris upset (long history?)

Covert Agenda: Harris fantasizes breaking glass case holding trophey/replacing

Intrigue: Simon at kids cancer ward, does magic tricks. Why?

ACT-2

Intrigue: Harris hacks into database and changes ratings on various experts so Simon builds the Wrong team.

Intrigue: Simon sucks at basic theif skills. Why? He’s considered the best.

Covert Agenda: Harris throws obstacles in Simon’s way, making it impossible to do challenge.

ACT-3

Scheme: Harris collapses tunnel that Simon built. Notifies police.

Mystery: Why is Harris sabotaging Simon’s efforts? Just for a trophy? What is their history?

ACT-4

Mystery: How will Simon pull off grand heist of stealing the gold without anyone noticing?

Superior Position: Harris makes Simon’s efforts wasted. Harris wants to be recognized as superior to Simon.

[Dana Abbott]

WIM2 – Dana’s Intriguing Moments

My Vision: I intend to perfect my skills to become a successful screenwriter, scripting acclaimed and profitable films, recognized by my peers, and living an adventurous life.

What I learned during this assignment:

I learned I needed to increase the intrigue in the third and fourth acts of my script. The second half of my script was more action that needed to be elevated emotionally.

GENRE: Thriller

Protagonist: Ruth Griffin

Antagonist: The Custodian

ACT 1

Intrigue: Ruth has been kidnapped for ransom by a masked serial kidnapper named the Custodian

Scheme: The Custodian is blackmailing her husband for the ransom.

Hidden Identity: The Custodian never reveals his identity.

Mystery: Why does the Custodian use an abandoned steel mill to hold Ruth hostage?

Mystery: Why does he tell her to be silent, that she’s not alone? Who else is there?

ACT 2

Superior Position/Conspiracy: Ruth’s husband is involved in the kidnapping.

Intrigue: Why does he want her dead?

Scheme: The husband tries to renegotiate the deal. Can only get half the money.

Mystery: Ruth was having an affair, compromising her husband’s political career.

ACT 3

Intrigue: Hearing the Custodian leave to collect the ransom; Ruth executes a plan to escape.

Scheme: The Custodian discovers Ruth has escaped and decides to kill her himself.

Intrigue: Having found the keys to a car, Ruth sneaks through the mill to steal the car and escape.

Intrigue: Being hunted by the Custodian, will Ruth be able to evade and escape death?

ACT 4

Superior Position: After Ruth kills the Custodian, she conceals his phone and keeps it for herself.

Scheme: When her husband arrives at the scene, Ruth shows him the phone, revealing that she knows about his conspiracy to kidnap her.

Intrigue: The Custodian isn’t dead. He vanishes.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by  Dana Abbott.

[Renee Miller]

Renee’s Intriguing Moments

My Vision: I will work hard to become a well-respected writer who gets my movies produced and has enough work to keep me busy and keep the lights on.

What I learned from doing this assignment is the importance of making sure that you have enough intriguing moments in each act to keep the audience engaged with the story.

ACT 1:

Mystery: What could have taken the girl

Secret: Marc knows it’s Bigfoot.

Intrigue: What is Marc up to? Why does he want the creature brought back alive.

Intrigue: What happened between Claire and her sister.

Cover up: Claire doesn’t want her sister to know she is there because of community service.

Covert Agenda: Marc wants the creature brought back alive.

Mystery: Why did Lexi and Claire have a falling out?

Secret: Claire is an alcoholic

Conspiracy: three members of the search team are working with Marc to bring the creature back alive.

ACT 2:

Scheme: Adam is working with Marc.

Secret: Claire doesn’t want anyone to know her struggles.

Secret: Adam doesn’t tell Claire about his agenda to bring the creature back alive.

Hidden Identity: Adam doesn’t want anyone to know about his past.

Mystery: What is taking and killing the volunteers.

ACT 3:

Intrigue: Why is Claire so determined to find her niece/daughter.

Superior Position: We know Claire left camp to find the creature on her own.

Secret: Marc doesn’t care about anything but getting revenge on the creature.

Secret: The missing girl is really Claire’s daughter.

ACT 4:

Secret: Adam has changed his allegiance and is working against Marc.

Hidden Identity: Claire is much stronger than she thought, both physically and mentally.

Mystery: Will Claire and her sister reconcile and will she get her daughter back?

[Andrew Boyd]

Andrew Boyd’s Intriguing Moments

My Vision:

For Hitler’s Choirboys to be such a compelling screenplay that Steven Spielberg and Mel Gibson will battle it out to produce their best WW2 blockbuster since Hacksaw Ridge or Schindler’s List. That this screenplay will confront racism as everybody’s problem and show that there is no human being who doesn’t need mercy.

What I learned from this assignment:

The importance of turning drama into intrigue by raising questions rather than stating answers.

Genre: Drama / True Story

Act 1

Mystery: Whose body is being hauled away and buried by Joel and Fuller?

Intrigue: Why does Fuller say he hates Henry?

Mystery: Why does Fuller buck the system and distrust authority?

Covert agenda: Will Fuller follow through on his pledge to kill the Nazis? [Add a line making that pledge.]

Mystery: Why is Fuller willing to risk everything to kill a teenage Nazi POW? What drives him to risk his life for this?

Unsolvable problem: How will Henry overcome his realisation that he could hate enough to kill?

Intrigue: Will both men be able to overcome the anger that could derail them from their task and destroy them?

Unsolvable problem: Fuller has to go to Nuremberg against his will. How will he keep his hustle?

Act 2

Unsolvable problem: Even a brilliant chaplain like Henry is utterly outgunned and out of his depth with these scheming top Nazis.

Unsolvable problem: How can Henry square his military assignment with his calling as a chaplain?

Intrigue: What drives these Nazis? What missteps did these men take to end up here – and what can turn them around?

Intrigue: Can an innocent abroad like Henry break the Nazi legend?

Intrigue: The Nazis have sold their souls. Are they still men – or have they become monsters?

Intrigue / secret: Does the Catholic chaplain have a war wound he’s not letting on to? Why won’t he talk about it?

Covert agenda: Is the Jewish psychologist covering up the truth about the Nazis’ fitness to stand trial because he is determined to see them hang?

Intrigue: Will Goering turn Henry with his charm and manipulation?

Intrigue: Henry chose Nuremberg over his wife. Will he lose Alma to his love rival back home?

Hidden identity: Is Henry as naïve as he seems? Or is he a master at playing the long game?

Intrigue / Covert agenda: Fuller’s hatred of the Nazis is stoked by their racist taunting of him. Will he get revenge? And if so, how?

Intrigue: The Nazis have split Fuller away from Henry. Can that relationship be restored?

Irony: Goering has been weaned off drugs and put on a diet. He’s back at his scheming, manipulative best – and is running rings round the prosecution.

Intrigue / Superior position: Will Goering win? How can he fail?

Intrigue / Superior position: Will Goering persuade Henry and the Allies to keep the war going against the Russians? Should he have succeeded?

Intrigue: What fuels Goering’s colossal vanity?

Intrigue: Why is Henry soft-pedalling on the Nazis? Is he a Nazi sympathiser?

Intrigue: How can Henry get these Nazis to see what they have done and take responsibility for it?

Intrigue: Can Henry overcome his fear of humiliating others and learn how to stand up to these bullies?

Intrigue: Will Sergeant Brannigan make good his vow to get even with Fuller?

Intrigue: Why is Fuller acting like a man with a death wish?

Intrigue: Will Alma disown Henry because his mission in Nuremberg that he set before his marriage is poised to fail?

Act 3

Intrigue: Why is the chaplain so afraid of losing his temper?

Dilemma: Will Henry break his moral code and spy on the Nazis in order to stay in Nuremberg?

Intrigue: Will the chaplain’s new tough line get through to the Nazis, or will it destroy all his good work?

Intrigue: Will Goering’s defences be lowered by his little daughter’s painting?

Covert agenda / Superior position: Will the Werwolves come to Goering’s rescue? Why not?

Unsolvable problem: Will Fuller be able to pay the sergeant back, and will he survive to do so?

Intrigue: How will the Nazis respond to the chaplains’ message as they are led to their deaths? Will their work have made any difference?

Intrigue: Henry and Sixtus come close to heart attacks as they lead these men to the gallows. Will the chaplains survive the ordeal?

Act 4

Intrigue: Where did Goering get his cyanide capsule? [Need to show him being strip searched earlier and the smug expression on his face.]

Intrigue: Why did an experienced hangman botch the executions?

Intrigue: Fuller has lost his bet and can’t pay back his sergeant. Will Brannigan make good his vow to kill him? [Develop Brannigan’s threat.]

Intrigue: Why does Fuller spare Brannigan? [Break this scene into two parts to set up the reveal]

Intrigue: Will Fuller find peace with himself and be released from jail? And why is he demanding to be released immediately?

Intrigue: How will the Parole Board respond to Fuller’s revelation that he got the hangman to botch the executions?

Intrigue: Where are all the key players today?

Thank you!

[David Holloway]

Dave Holloway’s Intriguing Moments

My vision: I would like to be a successful writer in Hollywood, with a number of successful movies to my credit that put forward a core belief about environmental, political or personal values.

What I learned from this exercise is the crucial role of intrigue in increasing audience interest and improving the depth and quality of a drama.

Act 1

Intrigue: Nigel tells co-workers his wife is in a military state and hasn’t communicated with him or her employer for three days.

Cover-up: Trask, the warden of the military state’s prison reads Livia Williamson’s articles detailing that the state kills political prisoners and orders her execution.

Scheme: During a SKYPE call with Nigel, Livia is arrested by Shiloh police.

Cover-up: Nigel calls Shiloh and the person he talks to stonewalls him as to whether Livia has been arrested, on what grounds, and how to have her released.

Intrigue: An English government official tells Nigel that military states like Shiloh try to prevent the truth from being presented, and their criminal trials are often shams.

Scheme: Trask orders an agent to meet Nigel’s plane in New York and plant a tracking device on him.

Act 2

Scheme: A crew-cut man places a tracking device in Nigel’s luggage.

Scheme: Trask wants the name of persons she talked to in Shiloh who are against the government. When she refuses, he threatens her life.

Scheme: Livia tells Nigel that Shiloh plans to execute her soon.

Covert agenda: The three, including the young pilot, Amelia, are detained in El Dorado, and are informed of the tracking device in Nigel’s shoe, and that it comes from Shiloh.

Scheme: Trask, realizing the tracking device won’t help them any longer, orders increased security at the Shiloh border, to detect Nigel if he tries to enter.

Secret/Scheme: Livia is told by another prisoner that almost all the prisoners she’s surrounded by will be executed.

Act 3

Scheme/Cover up: Trask asks Livia to give him the name of one person who opposes Shiloh. She refuses.

Secret/Covert agenda: Livia tells a prison guard, June, she hopes to escape, and the guard promises to help her. Livia tells June she can come with them if she chooses.

Scheme: Aware Nigel is drawing near, Trask schedules Livia’s execution in three days, hoping to capture Nigel and have him witness it.

Act 4

Covert agenda: Nigel, Roger and Amelia fly into Shiloh under its radar and land in a field 20 miles from the capital where Livia is held. Nigel stops a car, threatens the driver, and the three drive to the capital.

Covert agenda: They sleep in a park and hide out for a day.

Covert agenda: Nigel purposely gets himself arrested and brought to Trask.

Scheme: Nigel and Roger see their names and photos displayed on large screens along the streets of the capital.

Secret/Covert agenda: Amelia and Roger receive a communication from Livia, given to them by June, telling the name and address of a pilot who flies people out of Shiloh if they’re wanted and subject to execution. They go to the rebellion group and convince the pilot to fly them out of the state.

Covert agenda: Nigel goads Trask into a fight and kills him.

Covert agenda: Nigel and June free Livia from her cell, and Nigel dons the maintenance worker’s uniform June gives him and walks out of the prison.

Covert agenda: Roger bribes a cab driver, paying him enough to let him borrow his cab for two hours.

Covert agenda: Roger meets Amelia, June, Livia and Nigel at the appointed place, drives them to the field where the plane is, and the pilot flies them out of Shiloh.

[victor Valleau]

WIM Vic Valleau Mod 4: Lesson 8: Depth-Intriguing Moments

VISION: As a writer, I am an alchemist, turning the ordinary into gold, and in high demand by buyers, producers, and other industry professionals.

What I learned from doing this assignment is: Intrigue is lurking inside dramatic moments.

One sentence description from each act for these elements:

ACT 1 Bob’s Grand Entrance Fizzles

Intrigue: Something underhanded is going on with Bob’s lying, pretend job, pretend girlfriend, pretend importance. And we must discover what it is

Secret Done He lies to everyone, mostly not successful.

Covert Agenda: Bob’s hidden plan that is being enacted is for Bob is donating again.

Hidden identity: A character is either lying or unaware of what his or her true identity is

Conspiracy: An agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other act without disclosing who they are.

Scheme: An underhanded plot or plan against another.

Superior position: The audience knows something that one or more of the characters don’t know.

Cover up: The act of concealing or preventing investigation or exposure.

Mystery: A key part of the story that has been hidden and we must discover what really happened.

ACT 2 Bob’s complicated Donor job.

Intrigue: Bob promises always friends to Mia but lying since Samantha owns Bob.

Secret Done: Bob knows Wyle’s and Sams affair.

Covert Agenda: Promises Sam secret is safe but not really.

Hidden identity: Bob is unaware of his weakness.

Conspiracy: Bob and Sam’s agreement fails because of Bob’s weakness. .

Scheme: An underhanded plot to lie to Mia about Wyle’s affair with Sam is a plot against another character.

Cover up: Sam interrupts Bob’s date with Mia, concealing or preventing investigation or exposure.

Mystery: A key part of the story is motivation and back stories of Bob, Wyle and Mia. That has been hidden and we must discover what really happened.

ACT 3 Bob, Mia, Sam, Wyle screw up and repent, kinda.

Intrigue: Something underhanded is going on under the surface and we must discover what it is

Secret Done, made, or conducted without the knowledge of others.

Covert Agenda: Bob realizes his donation is covering up his real selfish reasons and problems.

Hidden identity: A character is either lying or unaware. Wyle loves Mia

.

Scheme: An underhanded plot or plan against another. Bob helps Wyle get back with Mia.

Superior position: ectopic pregnancy. Sam knows something that Mia had an ectopic pregnancy smothered the fetus requiring an abortion, Wyle would have opposed.

Cover up: Mia fearful of Wyle, hides this concealing or preventing exposure.

Mystery: A key part of the story that has been hidden and we must discover what really happened. Why does Bob lie about getting fired and janitor job?

Bob sneaks records seeing it was his ectopic baby Mia lost. What is backstory of Mia and Bob? Nothing but sperm donor. Mia blames Bob but he doesn’t know he’s father.

Scheme: An underhanded plot or plan against another: Bob against Wyle and Wyle against Bob.

ACT 4 Redemption (recover)

Intrigue: Something underhanded is going on with Bob and 1. Mia, 2. Sam or 3.whoever.

Covert Agenda: Mia surrenders to Wyle, planned by Bob and Samantha

Conspiracy: An agreement or confession by Bob with Mia or Sam or others act without

Wyle’s knowledge.

Superior position: The audience knows/ suspects something that Bob can’t admit that he just wants to be called “Daddy” Is his bogus cover up for wanting and needing love.

Cover up: Denied earlier, Wyle passes tests for potency, can father Mia’s child.

Mystery: Daddy moment with little girl almost gets Bob arrested because he sneaked Wyle’s classified info.

Thank you.

[Amy Falkofske]

Amy’s Intriguing Moments

Vision: I want to become known as an expert in the family-friendly genre and make a full-time living as a screenwriter

What I learned from doing this assignment is I have a fair amount of drama in my first two acts, but then it fizzles out.

Act 1

Hidden identity: Stephanie throws a fit when the staff discover a glitch in her schedule. She is not the picture of dignified royalty that you would expect.

Covert agenda/Hidden identity: Prince Jack disguises himself behind a mask and pretends not to know who she is while also trying to woo her.

Mystery: A historian informs the palace that he’s looking into whether the royal family is really royal.

Conspiracy/Cover up: The historian informs the family that they are not royal but agrees not to tell the press right away.

Covert agenda: Stephanie visits her father’s grave and vows to him that she will never give up her position as the princess.

Scheme: The historian goes to the press anyway.

Mystery: The historian identifies the rightful princess, but no one knows anything about her or where she is.

Scheme: Jack offers to help Stephanie learn how to exist as a commoner.

Covert agenda: Jack confides in his friend that he’s going to try to make Stephanie fall in love with him just a challenge.

Act: 2

Scheme: Jack and Stephanie set out to transform Stephanie into a commoner.

Covert agenda/Secret: Stephanie is in contact with a private investigator who is investigating the historian.

Superior position: Unbeknownst to Jack and everyone else, Stephanie is looking for a way to not have to give up being the princess

Secret: After Stephanie gets bad press from her foray into the world of commoners, Stephanie hides out at Jack’s castle.

Secret/Superior position: Stephanie sneaks out of the castle one night and comes upon an orphanage, a single father working two jobs and the woman who is the rightful princess.

Cover up: Stephanie doesn’t tell anyone she’s located the rightful princess.

Secret: Jack continues to help Stephanie in secret despite his father demanding that he not have anything to do with her because she is pad PR for his royal family.

Act 3

Secret: Jack tells his friend he is going to win Stephanie over for real.

Covert agenda/Secret: Stephanie continues to work with the private investigator. He is now investigating the woman Stephanie identified as the rightful princess.

Superior position: Stephanie has forgotten about wanting to help the orphanage and has gotten caught up in all the attention that it is bringing to her. It’s become obvious to everyone but her.

Hidden identity: It turns out that Stephanie was more interested in the favorable publicity from helping the orphanage than actually helping the orphanage.

Act 4

Secret: Stephanie seeks out the homeless woman without anyone else’s knowledge and gets her a makeover, a new wardrobe and educates her on how to be a royal.

Superior position: Stephanie plans to present the homeless woman to her country in a televised speech.

[JOEL STERN]

Module 4 Lesson 8 Turning Drama Into
Intrigue

My vision: To write eight screenplays
that become Hollywood blockbusters and to have a speaking line in at
least one of them.

What I learned from this assignment:
How to create intrigue in each Act.

Act 1:

Cover up: Jim’s flashback: With wounded
buddies lying near the front door, Jim fires into a French church
killing who he thinks are four German soldiers – teens in civilian
clothes – who he believes are about to blow up the church. He
carries his wounded pals back to safety. Later, one wounded buddy
testifies to the brass that Jim’s action was heroic. But not the
other.

Mystery: Is Jim a legitimate war hero
or a war criminal?

Scheme: After the war Ted, the other wounded buddy saved by Jim
just happens to “bump into him”. Ted, now a born again Christian
threatens Jim saying the truth will come out about his war crime.

Covert Agenda: Ted notifies the FBI with information about Jim’s
WWII incident.

Hidden Identity/Bonding: Jim meets
Carol Newhouse “by chance” at a diner when she drops change at
the cash register. She claims to be a local investigative newspaper
reporter.

Secret: Jim sneaks off to a local
casino and loses big at poker. Jane has no idea he’s gambling.

Intrigue: “Sal”, a local Vegas
crime boss calls Jim to collect Jim’s large gambling debt. He gives
Jim ten days to pay or Jim will be covering news reports about his
dead family members.

Intrigue: Sal somehow knows too much
about Jim’s life history.

Hidden Identity: Is Sal really who he
says he is?

Act 2:

Secret: Jane develops a nasty cough but
tells Jim it’s nothing. She visits a doctor on her own and discovers
she has terminal cancer but doesn’t tell Jim.

Secret: Shortly after Jane dies Jim
discovers paperwork she hid about his war past. Did Ted give it to
her? How long did she know?

Hidden Identity: Although Jim is now a
popular TV Crime reporter in his Las Vegas hometown, the pay’s
lousy. He wears a disguise and moonlights at a gas station.

Mystery: Jim’s new News Director boss
quits, replaced by no-nonsense Carl, a German/American. Not a good
situation for Jim who has deep animosity from the war.

Intrigue: Jim asks Carol for help
uncovering Sal’s identity. Will she?

Act 3:

Scheme: Losing his wife, his gambling
debts and Sal’s threatening phone calls has Jim on the brink of
suicide. Jim — a crack shot in the army — offers to meet Sal in
person and offer his services as a hit man to pay off his gambling
debt. But Jim is really meeting him to kill him.

Mystery: Sal doesn’t show up at their
meeting. Why?

Hidden Identity: Carol is really an FBI
agent investigating Jim’s Medal of Honor incident in France.

Mystery: Carl sends Jim to cover a
murder story. At the crime scene the victim is Jim’s father!

Act 4:

Covert Agenda: Jim and Carol’s business
relationship is now a full blown affair. Jim demands answers about
what she found out about Sal. Instead, she’s close to uncovering the
truth behind Jim’s possible war crime.

Mystery: Jim’s sent on another murder
story. The victim this time is his boss Carl!

Surprise/Hidden Identity/Betrayal: At
Jim’s hospital bedside Carol reveals who she really is – an FBI
agent investigating Jim’s church shooting incident. He was setup.
Jim learns “Sal” was really a ruthless mobster but died twenty
years earlier. Sal’s threatening phone calls were a figment of Jim’s
imagination. So where the murders of his father and
his boss Carl when he was on news assignments. He killed them
thinking they were German officers. Carol tells Jim that his church
shooting incident was indeed justified and the teens he shot were in
fact young German soldiers.

[Joyce Davidson]

<strong style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Joyce’s Intriguing Moments

Vision: to create memorable movie scripts that actors want to perform.

WIL: A complex plot is nothing without intriguing moments.

Cardenio Lost

<strong style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>ACT ONE

Professor reads a tattered page from “Cardenio”, an old play script with notations in the margins, that he says is his proudest possession for the play, one of four Shakespeare’s late ones, was never published,

The professor announces that he has written a book and the manuscript is ready for publication about the real authorship of Shakespearean plays and sonnets.

He wants Colin to be his assistant, but Colin doesn’t have the same beliefs.

Colin goes inside the rare books rooms and finds Delaney gasping and Professor, unconscious, He calls for help.

Colin draws the short straw and is sent to follow clues for the impaired professor.

Delaney is related to royalty far back to William the Conqueror and wants justice., so she is belligerent in class and devious.

ACT TWO

Delaney insists she will go with Colin to Europe to search for clues revealed in Cardenio, leading to the stolen manuscript, so neither will take the graduate finals or write dissertations.

Police question Colin.

Their passports are revoked, so they book berths on a barge to Europe .

Police wait for them at their destination, and they swim to shore in Spain.

Delaney without glasses and severe hair style, dries out, and Colin considers her very attractive. She weakens her dislike.

Clues are found, and yet they can’t decipher them.

People who had ancestors who acted in Cardenio centuries before this hand them other pages of the play script.

Someone is following them.

Colin discovers Delaney has betrayed him to Bragg.

Bragg kidnaps her.

Colin rescues her and she confesses that her ancestors are on the lists of would-be authors of Shakespeare’s plays, and she will prove it.

Bragg attacks Colin.

Brag offers Colin’s life in exchange for the manuscripts.

Instead, Delaney unfastens them and throws them from the mountain gondola into the valley.

Bragg climbs out to retrieve pages and Colin struggles to save him, but Bragg falls.

ACT FOUR

Colin and Delaney sneak back into the country.

They report to the Professor.

Laurel found her calling is to care for the ailing man.

Colin insists that no life is worth losing to save the manuscripts because the men and women involved are dead.

Professor convinces both of them to search for three other plays never published.

[Frances Emerson]

MODULE LESSON EIGHT

FRAN’S INTRIGUING MOMENTS

WHAT I LEARNED: Think about your characters as real people. What would they do, how would they act? Make them real in your head first.

MY VISION: I want to write great movies. Movies that are magical, movies that move people and tell the truth. I want to write movies that stars will want to be in.

ACT I

Intrigue: Meredith goes against her husband Jerome’s wishes and buys the old diary anyway.

Secret: She doesn’t want him to find out just yet, so she hides her new purchase in her purse before leaving the shop.

Covert Agenda: She looks for a way to escape the abusive relationships she has with Jerome. She finds a new way to feed and promote her own career without him and without his knowing.

Intrigue: Olga’s story. She falls in love with a man/soldier who serves in her father’s guard. He is beneath her station and so it can never be.

Secret: Olga hides her infatuation until her sister discovers it in her diary.

Covert Agenda: The young soldier winds up marrying a lady in waiting in the Romanov’s court. Olga doesn’t discover it until the wedding.

ACT II

Intrigue: Meredith works with her agent to get her a new job and a new partnership.

Secret: She gets her new assignment. She doesn’t know who her new partner is until the day of their meeting. It’s an old flame she turned down long ago for Jerome—and he is also Jerome’s old nemesis. Jerome’s financial distress is also a big part of his motivation behind his behavior.

Covert Agenda: Jerome finds out who Meredith’s new project business partner is. Jerome says he has no problem, but he secretly works to undermine the new relationship right from the very beginning.

Intrigue: Olga’s story. Olga falls in love with Dmitri a distant cousin. They are madly in love. They plan to get married. But Dmitri gets caught up in the plan to assassinate Rasputin, who’s been a thorn in everyone’s side since his arrival.

Secret: The plot is a secret, but Alexandra, Olga’s mother, finds out who’s responsible and banishes Dmitri from court and forbid him to marry Olga.

Covert Agenda: Betrayal. Olga cannot forgive her mother. She turns to her father until the family is taken hostage and taken to a military installation turned hospital to tend to the wounded soldiers. World War I has begun, and so has the Russian Revolution.

ACT III

Intrigue: Meredith asks for a divorce. A court battle ensues. Litigation gets nasty.

Secret: Jerome’s financial situation comes out in the open.

Covert Agenda: Betrayal. Jerome is not a nice person. He makes fun of Meredith’s ambitions, her work. He belittles her to her friends. He tries to persuade Alex, their daughter, to take his side in the matter.

Intrigue: Olga’s story. At the hospital Olga falls in love with another soldier, also named Dmitri. They start of a relationship that seems on the up and up.

Secret: But Dmitri number two is really not a very nice person. He hides it from Olga to get into her good graces.

Covert Agenda: Olga writes love letters to Dmitri which he shows to his soldier friends. They immediately proceed to make fun of her, put her down, belittle her.

ACT IV

Intrigue: Meredith’s hard work and her revitalized relationship with her old flame is finally paying off, her script is a hit. She receives Kudos, and a nomination for an Oscar for best screenplay.

Secret: Jerome. Hides his failure. His work is not well accepted at the film festivals or by audiences. It’s a flop. He doesn’t tell Meredith until he absolutely has to.

Covert Agenda: Jerome tries to sabotage her chance to win the Oscar.

Intrigue: Ola’s family is taken away by the Bolsheviks to a new location. They are not told where.

Secret: They are hidden away for many days, telling no one where they are or what they are about to do to them.

Covert Agenda: The Bolsheviks keep it hidden until they day of their assassination. And then no one escapes. They are all killed and their bodies left in their prison.

[Lisa Paris Long]

Module 4 – Lesson 8 Intriguing Moments

Lisa Long’s Intriguing Moments

My Vision: I will do whatever it takes to be comfortable saying that I am a writer by creating impactful stories with amazing characters in order to sell my scripts.

What I learned from this assignment is that intrigue can be added to all types of stories. And you can add intrigue in the outline phase before you even write the script.

Title: Chesapeake Girl

Genre: Drama

ACT 1 – Intriguing Moments

Secret – April has arranged with Ed to drop off Molly. Molly didn’t know that April was planning this all along.

Hidden Identity – April doesn’t tell Molly that Ed is her father, just that he’s agreed to take care of her.

Mystery – Why would a stranger take Molly in?

Superior Position – Ed is the boss and Molly rejects his authority over her.

ACT 2 – Intriguing Moments

Covert Agenda/Scheme – Mars and Molly team up to get Molly to NYC for an audition without anyone knowing.

Intrigue – Why is Ed so against Mars? Is it because he’s gay or black? Or just because dance destroyed his relationship with April?

ACT 3 – Intriguing Moments

Intrigue – Molly gets into a boat that is caught in a storm. How will she get out of this? Who will save her?

Intrigue – Molly and Mars go to NYC so she can dance in the Nutcracker and Ed follows them with the police. What will happen?

Covert Agenda – April “accidentally” runs into Ed in NYC to feel him out about moving back to the Bay with him and Molly.

ACT 4 – Intriguing Moments

Intrigue – Will Ed allow April to return to him and Molly? How will Molly respond?

Hidden Identity – Ed is actually a softy and expresses his love for Molly. His grumpy old man act was a façade he used to keep anyone from seeing his emotions.

Intrigue – Mars returns to NYC to regain his career in choreography. Will he and Molly see each other again?

Secret – Ed has known for some time that he is ill. That is why he agreed to take Molly. He wanted to get to know his daughter before he passed.

[David Penn]

David’s Intriguing Moments

My vision is to increase my skills to become an A list writer

What I learned from this assignment is the value of creating intrigue in every act of your script- not just the beginning and end.

ACT 1:

Intrigue: Why is collector guy harassing Chas?

Secret: Chas owes almost 500k in student loans:

Covert agenda: Keith’s gonna track him down

Hidden identity: Chas lies to his parents and friends about his dire situation

Scheme: Keith’s gonna get Chas to cough up money and save his foreclosed house

Superior position: We know Chas’ past as he interviews for job

Cover up: Chas lies to his dad and says he’s interviewing for job at a bank- it’s a sperm bank

Mystery: Why did Keith get fired from collection job?

ACT 2

Intrigue: Chas pretends to be a rich doctor while Keith hunts him down

Secret: Lies to Christie, says he’s doctor

Covert agenda: Make her fall in love with him before telling truth

Hidden identity: Pretends to be doctor

Conspiracy: RJ lets him have car and apartment, abetting the scheme

Scheme: Chas pretends to be rich doctor

Superior position: We know who Chas really is

ACT 3

Intrigue: Chas feels guilty, breaks it off with Christie before the truth comes out; Chas gets kicked off boat

Secret: Why Chas taking out medical books?

Covert agenda: Keith realizes he’s on a fools mission- Chas has no money

Scheme: Chas and Keith both end their schemes

Superior position: We knew all along Chas has no money

Mystery: Why is Chas smilingh when he gets kicked off boat?

ACT 4

Intrigue: Keith tracks down Chas, hog ties and makes him call his dad; Chas has to finally tell the truth to his dad

Secret: Chas’ hidden reality is exposed in front of Christie’s family and friends; Chas plans to go to medical school

Covert agenda; Chas throws party for Christie, hoping to win her back

Scheme: Keith blackmails Chas’ dad into sending him 10k so he can save his home

Superior position: We know all along what’s going on

Mystery: Who’s living on Chas’ boat? Where did he go?

[Marcus Wolf]

Marcus’ Intriguing Moments

My Vision: I have well-founded confidence that what I write is excellent and will be acknowledged as excellent by everyone who reads it.

This assignment taught me to pay particular attention to intriguing moments and to elevate them where possible. Intrigue is something I’ve always included in my work, but I’ve never really looked at it as something to pay particular attention to and to specifically work on.

Movie Title: “Beyond the Faded Trail”

ACT 1:

Hidden Identity: Charlotte is not Jake Barnet’s wife, but a prostitute.

Scheme: Jake thinks he can change Charlotte’s mind by obtaining her contract to work as a prostitute. (It doesn’t work.)

Intrigue: Building Foreman Isaac Castle is only hiring experienced gunmen – who are poor carpenters – to work as builders.

Mystery: Someone burns all his lumber, stopping work on his project. Although he blames rivals, there’s no evidence that any of them did it.

Hidden Identity: Holland Whitaker, former criminal and former town mayor, poses as Isaac Castle, master builder and foreman.

Hidden Identity/Conspiracy: Lucien Rickey, road agent and robber, is actually on a crusade to hurt the rail company. He believes his men are part of his plan.

ACT 2:

Hidden Identity: Jake demonstrates in dramatic fashion that he was once a cavalry officer in the army.

Hidden identity: Most of Jake’s men were also in the army and have at least some criminal backgrounds. And little experience with carpentry.

Mystery/Cover up: Why did Isaac choose these men over experienced carpenters?

Mystery: Why is the saloon in an abandoned town fully stocked and in good condition?

Secret/Mystery: Barnet figures out that it was probably Isaac that burned the lumber. But why?

Hidden Identity: Isaac was once mayor of this abandoned town. Then he became the partner of the outlaw Lucien Rickey.

ACT3:

Secret: Lucien has hidden the bulk of the gang’s loot in a secret place they don’t know about. Only Isaac knows where.

Hidden Identity: Lucien was once the Sheriff of this town and wants to be again.

Hidden Identity: Isaac was once the mayor of this town, Holland Whitaker.

ACT 4:

Conspiracy: Lucien’s surviving men call for his death after the gunfight.

Hidden Identity: Holland Whitaker will now forever be Isaac Castle.

Conspiracy: All the men are sworn to secrecy about Castle’s identity.

Superior Position: Jake secretly took the money stash and uses it to pay his debts and to finance charitable works, like a new schoolhouse or the like.

[Joe Donato]

Joe Donato’s Intriguing moments:

My vision is to persevere and stay the course of building steady daily routine, and disciplines that produce consistent writing of exceptional quality. Ultimately, the fruit of those habits and disciplines will be a track record of great marketable scripts that will make other successful talented pros seek me out.

What I learned: Initially, a lot of these looked like nitpicking-overlap, but as I worked to specify which intrigue was which type, it really helped to define more clearly what’s going on for each character. For example, the difference between “conspiracy” and “covert agenda”. At first, i thought, “what’s the difference” but then I realized that the covert agenda of my two main characters is not a conspiracy because its not evil, which makes us like them, and root for them. But the Landlord’s many hidden agendas ARE conspiracies because they are ill-fated for his tenants. I also added another level of their marriage, by making them initially keep it a secret from their students and clients; and thus, the landlord as well. I see how those simple, yet significant tweaks really make this thing feel like real-life scenarios, as opposed to just contrived plot devices.

Act 1:

Coverup/Mystery/Secret: Why did the landlord tell Emily to stay away from the 3rd floor?

Hidden identity: Who is right, Lorenzo or Landlord? they can’t both be right about the other one.

Scheme: If Lorenzo is right, Landlord is going to royally screw Emily over.

ACT 2:

Mystery/Hidden identity: After eating Lorenzo’s soup, Emily wonders: if he is so good at making wholesome food, why is he slinging pizza to teenagers?

Scheme: Emily is going to figure out who’s telling the truth: Lorenzo or Landlord.

Conspiracy: Emily discovers that landlord has a major health violation on the 3rd floor that he’s covering up.

Covert agenda: Emily and Lorenzo decide to work together to expose landlord (but as far as the landlord is concerned, they both still don’t talk to each other)

Cover up: Emily can’t admit she’s feeling something for Lorenzo. She won’t even admit it to herself!

Superior Position: What’s it gonna take for these two to see they should work together?

ACT 3

Scheme: Those punk kids can’t be trusted! They’re going to rob the store now that Lorenzo is stuck in the elevator!

Scheme: Lorenzo is going to sell the pizza place and move back to Italy.

Scheme: Landlord offers Emily the bottom floor and says he’s going to evict Lorenzo

Cover up: Lorenzo doesn’t tell Emily that he’s leaving for Italy.

Cover up: Emily doesn’t let Lorenzo know that she doesn’t want him to leave.

Superior Position: We are all thinking “are these two gonna see that they are perfect for each other?

Act 4:

Cover up: When Emily doesn’t sign the lease, she lets the landlord think she’s still mulling it over. She never tells him she’s already decided not to sign it the way it is, which makes him stew/grovel/plot.

Cover up/Scheme: Landlord is suddenly suspiciously nice t0 Emily while the studio goes into unsigned-lease, month-to-month payment. Weird. Shouldn’t he be bugging her about signing the lease?

Secret/Conspiracy: Neither Lorenzo or Emily tell their students, customers or the landlord that they are married and living in Italy.

Secret/Covert Agenda: Lorenzo’s uncle puts a clause in his will that goes against the family tradition, and will totally allow Lorenzo and Emily to move back to America.

[Alan Wood]

Alan’s Intriguing Moments

My Vision:

I do whatever it takes for me to be a true wordsmith that spins wildly original and entertaining screenplays that are passionately sought out by top industry professionals who turn them into critically and publicly acclaimed major motion pictures distributed by the top studios in Hollywood, all while writing from wherever I may be leisurely traveling the world at the moment.

===================================================================

What I learned: It pays to take the time to search for intrigue in your outline.

===================================================================

Title: Ninja Burgers

Genre: Action/Comedy

Concept: A down on his luck, nineteen-year-old fast food employee finds a high tech bracelet that turns him into the world’s deadliest super soldier.

===================================================================

Act I

Mystery: Why is Tiberius late for work? What’s wrong with his father?

Homeless man startles him at the dumpster: Mystery: Who is this guy? Is Tiberius in danger?

Shadow shows up at restaurant, big scary guy: Intrigue: Who is this guy? Is he dangerous?

Weird metal bracelet fuses itself to Tiberius’ wrist! Intrigue: What the heck is that thing? Hidden Identity: Tiberius doesn’t know that his body is being rewired to become a super soldier.

Black SUVs show up and take Tiberius away! Covert agenda/Intrigue/Secret.

Act II

Tiberius at training facility: Intrigue and Covert agenda.

Death of the team: Cover up/Mystery/Intrigue

Act III

How will Tiberius avenge his team? Intrigue/Mystery

Addison reveal: Scheme/Conspiracy/Hidden Identity/Cover Up

Act IV

Crypto’s dream and Tiberius’ decision: Hidden agenda/Secret/Intrigue

Resolution: Reveal of secret agenda

[Mary Lynn]

Mary Lynn Mabray Module 4 Lesson 3 Beat Sheet – Draft 1

Vision: Write in demand high concept scripts/writing assignments

What I Learned: The elements of a beat sheet

The Second Mrs. Claus

Act 1

1). Helen Hunt wraps up production of her Christmas dessert cooking show. Signs off with her tagline … “Remember, all you have to do is believe”. She is glad to have a break. Tells everyone on set to have a Merry Christmas. She is off to a much needed Caribbean holiday.

Deeper Layer: Helen isn’t sure she will; but tells daughter Muffy they will have fun. Helen dreads the explosion.

2). Stuart McCall cell glued to his ear. Yelling into the phone. People tip toe past his office.

Deeper Layer: He’s made a deal. We don’t know what kind.

He has to be drug out of his office by his children – Alexann and Will to the waiting limo. Helen and Muffy already in limo. Clear it is a family trip. Stuart doesn’t have time for this trip.

Deeper layer – Muffy doesn’t like the way Stuart is staring at Helen. She knows he is up to something.

3) Helen has not told Stuart or the family she is retiring from television to focus on her own life, for a change. Being a widow isn’t fun.

4) North Pole

Ralph fiddles with heating system. Something is wrong. The HV system rattles and spews dust. The dust glistens. Wilbur sits glued to the latest Christmas cookie cooking show. It’s Helen’s show. In hand her latest dessert cookbook just came in by snail mail for Mrs. Claus.

Ralph races to talk to Wilbur in the toy factory. Glistening dust is everywhere. Ralph and Wilbur bump into each other. Wilbur sees all the glistening dust. Ralph tells him there’s a big problem.

5)A plump Mrs. Claus happily bakes and sings a Christmas song. She is a little too cheery. Smile plastered on her face.

6) Rudolph rolls in and can’t see anything there is so much glistening dust in the air. He immediately begins to levitate and fly around the room and Bang…right into Mrs. Claus.

7) Ralph and Wilbur race into the kitchen and immediately fly into air.

8) Santa Claus checks his watch. Cookie time. Next thing he knows, he is floating in air outside the toy factory. He sees Mrs. Claus doing amazing gymnastics flips. Everything is floating, elves, toys, reindeer. Cookies… Boom! Everyone hits the ground. Santa calls for Mrs. Claus. Her head rolls right into his hands. Another loud Boom!

Inciting Incident 1)

9) Santa is in his bed. Covers over his head. He refuses to come out. Ralph and Wilbur do their best…they look a bit disheveled. Together they yank off the blankets. Santa tries to cover his hotter than hot body! He’s a hunk of burning love…Says he is so…ugly…Children will never trust….Ralph and Wilbur agree. Oh, yeah…he looks really bad…Like Rip Wheeler bad. Only one thing to cure his depression. Road trip!

Inciting Incident 2)

10) Helen, children, muffy and Stuart hit the beach. Something streaks through the air and plunges into the ocean.

11) glub, glub…Nick can’t swim. Wilbur, Ralph reindeer…swim for the shore.

12) Helen sees a man flailing in the water. She hopes on a jet ski and rescues Nick. Gives him Mouth to mouth…Nick comes around…sees Helen’s gorgeous face and wants more…a lot more. Before Helen knows it, she and Nick are enthralled right in front of a shocked crowd.

13) Helen is a nervous wreck…changes clothes five times. Muffy comes in with a stunning sundress…Helen puts it on. She is totally transformed into one hot babe.

14) Nick picks Helen up for dinner. He is so in love. They dance the night away. Mambo, Tango, Rumba, Cha-Cha, finally a lovey waltz.

15) Nick walks Helen to the front door. She suddenly grabs him and really lays one on him. It’s a match made in heaven. Ralph and Wilbur have been spying in the bushes. They high five. Helen asks about Nick’s plans for the future. He is a bit vague; but tells her he hopes she will be in his plans.

16) Stuart signs Helen up to teach a Christmas cookie class at the resort, without her permission. Tickets sell like wildfire.

Act Two

1). Helen and Nick spend an inordinate amount of time, together. Muffy asks what is going on between them. Stuart says she has to stop this romance. She’s in all the tabloids. She’s ruining her All American woman image running around with a man young enough to be her son. Sparkles of magic dust float in the air around Nick.

2) The kids think it the romance between Nick and Helen is cool. Will remarks on the big dog with the red nose..reminds him of Rudolph. He is always around Nick and who are those two short guys? Alexann says Nick has rosy cheeks and asks Will where they have seen that before?

3) Helen discovers that Stuart has signed her up to teach a cookie class. She is livid.

Muffy sees glistening dust in the air…when Helen walks. Under the mistletoe, the dust increases. Stuart remarks that it must be special effects of some kind. Afterall they are not living in a Disney movie.

Helen gets into it with Stuart over the class. How could he? Is money the only thing he thinks about. Muffy and Helen leave together. Muffy tells Stuart his priorities are in the wrong place and he better get his act together or else. Muffy stalks out. Stuart is oblivious. Will and Alexann want to know what Muffy meant. Divorce?

4) Helen gives in and teaches the class. There are several older men in the class who flirt with Helen. Helen breaks off the date with Nick. He is devastated. Ralph and Wilbur try to find out what changed. They see Helen with the older man. In the BG, a photographer takes photos. Helen and the older man go to dinner. Helen goes through the motions but there is no spark.

5) Next day, Nick, Wilbur, Ralph and Rudolph are in the class. Helen begins to see magic dust float around Nick. When it touches him, he immediately ages, every so slightly. Helen thinks she is seeing things.

6). She sees Ralph and Wilbur nudge Nick and finally he asks about her cookies. Will she share the recipe? What is the secret to that zing in the cookies. Helen doesn’t divulge a bit of info. Now, she is somewhat suspicious. Stuart pulls her aside and lies to Helen that he has discovered Nick is a competitor’s apprentice.

7) Helen is surprised to see the older gentleman, Alfred Peabody at dinner. Stuart and Alfred are in deep conversation about something but when Alfred sees Helen, he immediately abandons Stuart. Nick arrives. He is surprised to see Alfred, especially with his arm around Helen. Will and Alexann don’t like what they see. Neither does Muffy. She gives Stuart a piece of her mind.

8) Dinner with family. Alfred and Nick compete for a chair next to Helen. Nick loses. Helen asks Nick how he likes working for Jaime Cooksalot. Nick has no idea what she is talking about. Alfred mentions he published a dessert cookbook of Jaime Cooksalot last year. The jig is up. Helen asks Stuart why he would enter a publishing contract without her approval. Alfred Peabody is astounded that Helen does not know. Everyone else wants to know, too. Stuart tries to explain. Helen grabs Nick’s hand and they leave. Peabody tells Stuart he will sue him for breach of contract.

9) Helen and Nick walk hand in hand on the beach. Nick confesses his love for Helen. All of Helen’s fears leave. Nick asks Helen if she likes cold weather. Not really. She couldn’t be happier until she spots the big dog and Ralph and Wilbur in the foliage. She demands an answer, and for the first time, Nick tries to tell her he is Santa Claus. Helen doesn’t believe him and leaves.

10) From another vantage point, Alexann and Will watch and run down to the beach to talk to Nick and beg him to stay. Rudolph agrees. Suddenly, Rudolph’s antlers appear and his red nose blinks. Alexann

and Will realize Nick really is Santa Claus. They suspected it all along. They are ecstatic. They want to tell Helen who they call Mimi. Nick say no way. He has to earn her trust and make her believe, again.

11) Nick arrives late to Helen’s Christmas cookie class. Are Nick and Helen imagining things or are there bits of glittering dust around them both. No one else in the class has or can see the particles. Helen tries to shoo hers away and they go straight to Nick.

Will and Alexann can see the magic dust. They try to tell Helen that Nick is who he says he is..she says you can’t believe everything you think you see. They are upset because she has always taught them to believe in things you can and cannot see.

12 Nick decides to go all in and calls Stuart to ask for his help. Nick and Stuart meet in the jungle. Stuart wants to know what meaning of this meeting is.

13) Nick introduces him to Prancer, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. Stuart says he has better things to do than to meet with a lunatic and nine crazy dogs and two short fat guys in the middle of a jungle and turns to leave. Rudolph stands in his way. Turns on his red nose, lets his antlers show. Stuart turns around and all eight big dogs turn into reindeer. Stuart’s mouth falls open. Nick says…I tried to tell you. We need your help. Stuart says, “ I thought you were married”… About that.

14). Nick, Stuart, Ralph and Wilbur, parlay. Everyone talks at the same time about the explosion and the demise of Mrs. Claus. Stuart’s head is exploding, and he is counting the money and talking about filming from the North Pole.

15) Where’s the sleigh…it appears but it so low on magic dust that it sputters and spins to ground.

15. Blitzen says they are hungry and need magic dust. Helen can bake the cookies because she has magic dust all around her. Stuart says that is because she loves what she does. It dawns on Nick that it is love that creates the magic dust.

16) Stuart feels awful that he has turned Helen against Nick and most of all his children.

17) Alexann and Will pop up from hiding in the sleigh. Tell Stuart they always believed whether he did or not.

18) Nick says he has less than a week to convince Helen that he really loves her, return to his old self…Ralph and Wilbur think he looks pretty hot and should stay the way he is. Alexann and will ask who is going save Christmas?

Act Three

1) Helen will not even speak to Nick and less so now that Stuart is involved. Nick is heartbroken. Alexann and Will are, too.

2) Stuart parlays with Muffy. Tells her Nick really is Santa Claus. Muffy is astounded but mostly because she and Stuart are now on the same page. She says, she knows how to convince Helen. Stuart is all ears.

3) Everything is set for the next cooking lesson only there are no guests just the family, the nine big dogs, the sleigh in the bg., Ralph and Wilbur in their elf outfits feeding cookies to the dogs and putting cookies in the fuel tank of the sleigh.

4) Helen is not happy. Tells Stuart she is retiring and that she is tired. Stuart doesn’t argue. Just asks for her patience. Fine. Nick shows up. Helen says she is leaving.

4) The sleigh levitates, and the dogs turn into reindeer. Helen is astounded. Turns to Nick…he shrugs, and she runs to him.

Resolution:

1) There’s a film crew, Stuart directing. The back drop looks like the North Pole kitchen and snow…Nick and Helen welcome everyone to the North Pole and asks if they are ready for Christmas. Nick looks Helen’s age and is still hot…Nick and Helen kiss and magic dust flies everywhere. Alexann and Will bicker about who is going to help Nick.

2) Ralph and Wilbur are still in their beach wear…walk out the studio to the beach…

3) The North Pole has been moved to the beach. It is filled with activity…Nick and Helen…walk out of the studio…survey the new North Pole. Nick says…welcome home, Mrs. Claus.

4) Stuart sits in the fully loaded sleigh dress like Santa Claus. Nick and Helen shake their heads, no. Stuart says…”too soon”?

5) Magic dust swirls everywhere and the North Pole disappears behind the veil. Ralph says to Wilbur…”I think am gonna like this change. They bicker between them who will like living in a tropical paradise more.

6) Helen says…”we will…arthritis is just a creak away”

The End

[Mary Lynn]

Cheryl-I finally got everything to work. Not sure this the the right place for the beat sheet but here it is. Yay me. I will get to work on the exchange material. 😊

[George Petersen]

George Petersen INTRIGUING MOMENTS

My Vision is to direct one of my screenplays as a low-budge indie feature

What I learned doing this assignment is that appears spontaneous but actually needs to be plotted out.

The Summer of Haight

ACT 1

Intrigue – Jonathan designates a hippie as the sole beneficiary of his estate

Secret – Jonathan won’t tell Longfellow anything about Youngblood

Covert agenda – Longfellow decides to follow Youngblood on one of his escapades into the Haight-Ashbury

Hidden identity – Jonathan makes certain that Youngblood’s true identity is kept hidden

Conspiracy – Longfellow asks Maggie, a police detective, for help

Scheme – Longfellow will discover what Youngblood is up to, then reveal all to Jonathan

Superior position – Youngblood doesn’t know he’s being followed

Cover up – Jonathan covers up anything negative about Youngblood

Mystery – Why won’t Jonathan reveal anything about the hippie?

ACT 2

Intrigue – Jonathan disappears

Secret – Jonathan keeps his intentions secret from Longfellow despite their deep friendship

Covert agenda – Longfellow investigates Youngblood, follows him

Hidden identity – Youngblood is an expression of Jonathan’s dark side

Conspiracy – Jonathan works solo, so no conspiracy, only scheme

Scheme – Jonathan makes Youngblood the beneficiary of his estate to protect his wealth in case he can’t make it back

Superior position – Youngblood doesn’t know that Longfellow follows him through the Haight

Cover up – Youngblood covers up any explanation of Jonathan’s disappearance

Mystery – Why is this happening? What makes the hippie Youngblood so special? Why does he inherit the estate?

ACT 3

Intrigue – Longfellow thinks he can prove Youngblood killed Jonathan

Secret – Hubie presents secret evidence that suggests Youngblood is a murderer

Covert agenda – Longfellow yearns to put Youngblood in jail

Hidden identity – Longfellow dresses up as a hippie

Conspiracy – Longfellow conspires with Hubie to trap Youngblood

Scheme – to follow Youngblood and photograph him in the act of murder

Superior position – Youngblood doesn’t know he’s being followed — or does he?

Cover up – Longfellow tries to cover up Jonathan’s relationship with the drug dealer, Cowboy

Mystery – did Youngblood kill Jonathan in order to inherit his wealth? Did Youngblood know he was the only beneficiary in Jonathan’s will?

ACT 4

Intrigue – will Youngblood be at the Be-In?

Secret – that Jonathan lives in Youngblood

Covert agenda – Longfellow’s wish to kill Youngblood

Hidden identity – Longfellow dresses up as a hippie again

Conspiracy – the whole police force goes undercover in hippie garb to trap Youngblood

Scheme – to capture Youngblood in the act of murder

Superior position – Youngblood is unaware of the trap that has been set at the Be-In.

Cover up – Longfellow covers up the true relationship between Jonathan and Youngblood

Mystery – Longfellow is forced to face the truth: in killing Youngblood, he has killed his best friend

[Paul Dees]

Paul Dees’ Intriguing Moments

My Vision: I am a writer/director/producer that writes and makes films of all kinds, and I am recognized by the industry as both a highly successful filmmaker and as a person that’s easy to work with.

What I learned from doing this assignment is how to constantly engage the audience by creating intriguing moments throughout the screenplay.

Act 1:

Mystery: Special Agent Rick O’Brien is in charge of a hostage situation. The hostage and his partner are killed, and the kidnapper escapes.

Intrigue/Cover Up: A woman plants a bomb in a building and leaves. It goes off just as she walks outside. Her face shimmers, and a mask falls to the ground. The woman, whose face looks different from the mask she was wearing, runs off in terror.

Mystery: Rick and his new partner, Sean Gray, investigate the bomb site. They find residue from the bomb, and the mask the woman left behind.

Intrigue/ Cover Up: A second terrorist attack occurs at an office building in a different part of town. This time a 60 year-old man plants the bomb. He emerges just as the woman did, and his face shimmers and a mask falls to the ground.

Act 2:

Intrigue: Back at the Field Office, Sean analyzes the mask they found at the first crime scene, and discovers it controls the mind of the subject who puts it on. He demonstrates, and it takes two agents to remove it from his face.

Secret: Rick and Sean investigate a lead on a possible suspect. They track his activities and find evidence that proves he’s the bomber.

Act 3:

Intrigue: Rick has Sean over for dinner to meet his family, and Sean reveals his parents were killed in the 9/11 attacks, which is why he became an FBI agent.

Intrigue/Cover Up: Three weeks later, another bombing occurs, with an innocent perpetrator carrying it out.

Scheme: Rick and Sean receive a flash drive at the office. It has a video with the bomber in it, who tells them they caught the wrong person, that he set him up to show them how incompetent the FBI is, and that there will be more bombings in the near future.

Intrigue/Cover Up: Five more buildings are bombed, just the like the other two.

Act 4:

Mystery: Rick runs fingerprint and background checks on all of the people working at the field office, as he suspects the bomber could be one of their own.

Hidden Identity: Rick discovers that Sean is the bomber.

[Wynona Bice-Stephens]

Bice-Stephens’ Intriguing Moments

What I learned: my intriguing moments needed balance.

Act 1

Unsolvable problem: Brandy is mentally disturbed.

Hidden identity: she is the daughter of a murderer.

Intrigue: she appears totally normal.

Mystery: how did she get so screwed up?

Intrigue: how will she manipulate Alex?

Act 2

Covert agenda: Brandy fakes pregnancy.

Intrigue: can she really fool everyone?

Scheme: Brandy has a plan to trap Alex.

Cover-up: Brandy appears to be getting ready for motherhood.

Intrigue: what lengths will she go to in order to pull this charade off?

Act 3

Hidden identity: Brandy is receiving child support for 3 children.

Covert agenda: milk the system, trap the guys.

Intrigue: where are other kids?

Covert agenda: Brandy looks for a baby to kidnap.

Scheme: how to find a baby and get it home.

Intrigue: how will she get away with kidnapping?

Act 4

Cover up: Brandy lies Yo Alex about being the father.

Mystery: Alex doesn’t remember hooking up with Brandy.

Intrigue: where did baby come from?

Secret: what made baby sick enough to almost die?

Cover up: what makes Alex keep passing out?

Intrigue: will Alex live long enough to take the fall for kidnapping?

[Nancy Meyer]

Module #4 Lesson 8 Intriguing Moments:

My Vision: To create a polished portfolio and do whatever it takes to get a manager, and then sell multiple TV and or feature scripts.

Act 1:

Hidden Agenda: Freya acts lost when she follows her boss into restroom. She is there to advance her career.

Mystery: Media mogul has killed himself at his own birthday party. Why?

Hidden Identity: Freya is a cheater, dives into career to avoid the truth – she doesn’t know if she loves husband/wants a family.

Hidden Identity: Noah believes he overheard “treasure seekers” making plans to visit island/dig up buried money. They are actually IRS investigators.

Intrigue: Why is Freya drawn to this assignment and willing to jeopardize marriage for it?

Secret: Freya was pregnant with someone else’s baby.

Mystery: What is the story behind Lisbeth’s murder and why wasn’t it ever solved?

Act 2:

Covert Agenda: Freya will use the assignment/trip to launch her into serious journalism – by uncovering the mystery about Lisbeth.

Secret: She was abandoned as a child, feels abandoned when left alone. She is also deathly afraid of the water. This is a residual past life wound when she drowned as Lisbeth.

Scheme: Noah stalks Freya to scare her off the island – he believes she could tell people where he’s hiding.

Intrigue: Is she alone on the island? Is someone stalking her, or is she struggling with her own reality?

Mystery: Why was Lisbeth’s estate left abandoned after her death?

Hidden Identity: When Noah confronts Freya he hides who he really is (the caretaker of the estate that witnessed the murder and has been in hiding ever since, he’s a marked fugitive). Pretends to be a new caretaker.

Act 3:

Hidden Identity: Noah knows Freya is the reincarnation of Lisbeth.

Secret: Noah sent the postcards from the island over the years to see if he could prove she was Lisbeth.

Intrigue: Will Noah let Freya free?

Cover-up: Freya discovers that her boss covered up the details of Lisbeth’s death, and she has the power to reveal the truth/destroy him and family.

Act 4:

Intrigue: Will Freya & Noah survive the storm?

Covert Agenda: Freya plans to blackmail her boss to confess.

Mystery: Where did Noah disappear to?

Mystery: Is Freya in time to save her marriage?

Hidden Identity: Noah is a soul that needed forgiveness from Freya before her could pass over.

[Erin Ziccarelli]

Erin Ziccarelli Intriguing Moments

Vision: I am going to create profound scripts that leave audiences remembering my movies and leave me excited to keep writing and moving up in the industry.

What I learned from doing this assignment is: the interest techniques help me break down the intrigue already in my outline and find new areas for adding intrigue. This reminds me of Lesson 4 from Module 3. I also had no idea how much intrigue is in Good Will Hunting!

Give us a one sentence explanation of the intriguing moments in each Act of your project. Like the example above. For any Acts that don’t have at least two intriguing moments, brainstorm how you could create more for that Act. Use Process 2 above to turn drama into intrigue.

Act I:

· Intrigue: Why did Nathanial Caden leave Alex Donovan his estate? We know they are from rival families and Alex has been in prison since 1973 – what could be their connection?

· Hidden identity: Roger lies about his past – he lets on that he was in jail once but not why he went to jail or where he’s from

· Secret: Alex beats Ted up. In his last moments, Ted Brennan reveal to Alex that she is Kitty and Alex’s daughter.

· Cover up: Alex conceals his true reason for accepting the inheritance and for going to rehab.

Act II:

· Cover-up: Alex keeping the details on his beneficiary a secret from Jack, Sean, and Roger. The only two people that know are Demi and Will.

· Superior position: the audience knows of Alex and Scarlett’s connection. Scarlett has no idea. We know that Alex knows.

· Scheme: Roger secretly and illegally finds out who the conservatee is. He begins his own investigation into the will. Contacts the judge that sentenced him over 30 years ago for more information.

· Mystery: What is Scarlett’s role in the whole counterfeiting scheme? Are she and Joe the future of the Brennans? Will the Cadens maintain their influence?

· Covert agenda: Alex hires Scarlett. Looks like he’s simply offering her a better job and higher pay. He’s just using her for the money – he needs her signature and a reason to start distributing her share of the money.

· Mystery: Why does Alex reject the offer to return? Is he committed to his new way of life? Why is Patrick so intent on him returning?

Act III:

· Conspiracy: Patrick can’t get Alex back. Saoirse Donovan will be their next leader. She’s not willing to take on the responsibility and wants Alex back.

· Superior position: Roger now knows something that Scarlett doesn’t and Alex doesn’t know that he knows. It’s getting harder and harder to keep it all from Scarlett.

· Cover up: The business is burned. Alex has a good idea of who’s behind it. He doesn’t tell Scarlett anything. The next morning, he covers for Jack and Sean even when pressed by Roger.

· Covert agenda: Roger wants for Scarlett to return to the business. It’s not because he cares about Scarlett finishing the job, it’s because he wants to bring Scarlett and Alex together – for him, it’s reason to believe that there is hope for ending the family feud.

· Mystery: Why does Roger care so much about Scarlett? Why is he helping her, even when she has nothing to do with his case?

· Conspiracy: Scarlett and Alex both make agreements with their own people to move forward on the counterfeiting deals.

· Intrigue: The deal is going to move forward. Both sides think they have it. Who will claim the deal? Who will be the next leader of the families? Will anyone get caught?

Act IV:

· Intrigue: Will the dealer trust Alex? Will he be able to buy the cocaine for his counterfeit bills?

· Mystery: Roger’s identity is finally revealed. He was a Walsh once upon a time. He has left behind the life of counterfeiting and crime. He’s helped Alex, and Alex trusts him.

· Scheme: Alex subverts the counterfeit deal. He’s ready to confront both sides and reject their way of life. He’s not going to be a part of it.

· Intrigue: Will they let Alex go? Will Scarlett accept him and want to leave?