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Lesson 1
Reply to post your assignment.
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24 Replies
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My Vision: I am going to work as hard as I can to be a writer who is sought-after for both spec scripts and writing assignments, because people in the industry know the scripts I write will be entertaining, thought-provoking, and emotionally satisfying.
What I learned from doing this assignment is:
That the first step in creating an outline is to choose the Character Structure, which is basically how the main characters relate to each other and determines the type of story that is going to be told.
The script I’m going to write for this class is:
Concept: What if a socially awkward college freshman’s daydreams of being an international spy turned out to be real?
Title: LICENSE TO DREAM
The Character Structure I have chosen is Protagonist versus Antagonist.
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I love the international espionage world and I’m looking forward to seeing where your story goes as well. I have written one that I am trying to move further along the process as well. It’s on Coverfly’s red list right now, but not sure what that is actually worth 🙂
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My Vision:
To create commercial studio size films that move people. To create characters that can live forever and bring electrifying memories to those that have watched one of my films.
What I learned from doing this assignment – Very excited to begin learning to create an in-depth Outline and set up the story/characters/etc. at the beginning, before writing an entire draft.
- Title: Descendants: Key to the Past
- Character Structure: Protagonist v. Antagonist
- Genre: Action/Thriller
- High Concept: Descendants of Mythical Gods throughout the world secretly live among us today and fight behind the scenes to save mankind from itself.
- Major Story Hook: A Columbia University student is the unknowing descendant of Zeus, and she possesses an ancient key that will unlock the past and cause the world to end if its power ends up in the wrong hands.
What makes Unique/Different (realize not part of this assignment, just a little more background on concept):
- Unique spin on Super Hero, making them super “human” heroes. Ethan Hunt or Lara Croft even further, but not “unbelievable.”
- Not just Greek/Roman Gods, but from many cultures (ie Japan, Mayan, Egyptian)
- Power of Nature v. Power of Man
- Not “fantasy” but “possible.”
- Look, feel, higher thinking (IQ) of DaVinci Code, with Batmanesque (more recent films) action/look. A little darker, not so “bright” as most Marvel films.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by jeffrey jeff glatz glatz.
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I love this concept, Jeff!
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Thank you. I’m looking forward to watching your story grow as well. Cheers.
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That’s a very rich concept with lots of possibilities, Jeff. Will enjoy seeing where you take this story!
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Sorry I meant to reply to another forum module.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by Anna Maganini. Reason: I put this in wrong forum module
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by
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Vision statement: I want to see my scripts optioned and turned into movies this year.
What
I learned from doing this assignment is … now I can write my outline understanding the story revolves around the three main characters instead of wasting time going down plot rabbit holes.2. Post your Title, and Concept to claim ownership of it.
Title: (I’m still waffling on this) Genre: Horror 1. Invisible 2. Forbidden Pass 3. Inside the Shadow
Concept: An epileptic toddler vanishes from her rural home, and the racist Sheriff goes after the town drunk, an Indian tracker. Now it’s up to him to find the real culprit: a Native legend enraged by the local loggers.
High concept: sometimes we don’t want to see the obvious monster when we have someone else to blame.
3. Tell us the Character Structure you’ve chosen.
Dramatic Triangle: The Mother, The Sheriff and the Tracker.
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Sounds like an emotion-filled story, Heather. Good start!
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MY VISION – To write cutting edge, unique, human, soul-inspiring, Oscar-winning scripts that have commercial success and that producers line up to buy and make into multi-million dollar movies with me in important leading or supporting roles. I’m a Force in the Hollywood Entertainment industry -as a writer, actor, producer, and director/filmmaker.
What have I learned doing this assignment – First, I am a bit trepidacious about sharing my stuff on a public forum like this. Not sure if I will continue doing it. So I am taking a brave leap of faith and trust in doing it. Also, for this assignment we had not too much to do and I wanted to do more. I keep wanting to do more, but then what if I jump ahead and cheat myself of this WIM experience and the lessons in it? So I am trying not to jump ahead, but I wished we would have done more in this lesson.
Drama-Thriller –
TITLE-Mama’s Games// Mama’s Dungeon// Mean Mama – (I can’t decide – any thoughts?)
HIGH CONCEPT – A shrink who’s a ‘mama’s boy’ kidnaps a woman to play cruel mind tricks that his mom uses on him. But the victim uses the guy’s mommy issues to outwit him and plan her escape. MAJOR STORY HOOK – The prey outwits the predator.
CHARACTER STRUCTURE – Protagonist vs Antagonist
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I like Mean Mama. I looked it up on IMDb and it’s not taken.
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Sounds like the makings of an intense thriller. I would go with Mama’s Games.
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My Vision: I will win the Nicholl Fellowship award and receive a “10” rating on my Blacklist submission.
What I learned: Having a character structure connected to the concept keeps me focused and guides me to an effective outline.
Title: The Corporation versus Andy Beal
High Concept: Based on a true story… A Billionaire amateur poker player challenges a notorious group of Las Vegas professionals, known as the Corporation, to high-stakes winnings and bragging rights over a period of six years.
Character Structure: Ensemble Cast versus the Protagonist.
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Looks like lots of opportunities for escalating and high-stakes, so this should be fun to work with!
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vision I WANT TO BE REQUESTED AS A WRITER FOR IDEAS BELONGING TO OTHERS AND MY OWN IDEAS TURNED INTO SCRIPTS. I WANT MY WRITING TO BE RESPECTED BY THE INDUSTRY SO THAT I EARN THE CREDIBILITY TO BE CONSIDERED A SKILLED WRITER.
Bent’s title, concept and character structure!
what I learned doing this assignment is this ……. I am committing to the choices I have made for this script.
TITLE SANTA vs KRAMPUS
genre – action thriller
CONCEPT– AS SANTA AND HIS ELVES DELIVER PRESENTS, THEY COME UNDER ATTACK FROM KRAMPUS. THE PROTECTING GENERAL OF THE NORTH POLE LEAVES SANTA AT THE MERCY OF THE DEMON. WITH SANTA GONE, MORE OIL DRILLING FROM PAYING COUNTRIES WILL HELP BUILD THE NORTH POLE.
PROTAGONIST VS ANTAGONIST
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This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by Bent Hanlen.
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That concept has a lot of potential. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by
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Cameron Martin’s Title, Concept, and Character Structure!
Vision: To write a story that connects with audiences on a deep spiritual level, regardless of background, while prioritizing quality time with my family.
What I learned doing from this assignment is…I actually worked on this during the ProSeries when I was attempting to write three scripts at the same time (had to give that up after the outlining module). I’ll continue to go back over and see how I might change things, knowing what I know now. Still, a dramatic triangle structure makes the most sense for this story. The complicated mess I’ll get into will be maintaining that three-character structure. I’ll need to analyze STAR WARS, based on Hal’s interpretation, and see how the first and second films deftly handle an ensemble cast with a dramatic triangle as the anchor point of the story. There’re other concepts that would be far less complicated than this story, and perhaps I’ll manage to simplify it, yet, to get it to that true “High Concept.” But I promised my wife I’d take another crack at this one, and it’s something I haven’t really gotten out of my head since I first tried writing it years ago. I guess if there’s anything else I’ve learned, it’s how to think about story structure as which characters are anchoring it, and how that delivers on the concept. This would be helpful for brainstorming and reducing the number of actors needed (budget). For example, could I write this concept as a contained script and a protagonist/antagonist structure? Would it still deliver on the concept? Character structure would be the first place to look when considering a complete re-write due to budget concerns. As another note, when looking back at my ProSeries script, I effectively had two different stories going on that connected in the end. It worked for EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and was an easy method of keeping the pace up. But, it could also be seen as a deviation from the concept, and it was critiqued heavily due to how unsatisfying one character’s story became versus the others’. If I were to do a rewrite and change the character structure or more closely adhere to it, it may fix some of those gripes.
Title: ALL GODS BLEED
Concept: A sci-fi retelling of Dante’s Inferno, where an android quests to raise someone she murdered back to life, but her copy acting as her conscience wants to kill and replace her as an act of justice.
Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle
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Sounds intriguing!
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Yes, this sounds really interesting, Cameron. Keep pushing on!
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(Revised)
Title: AFTERKNIFE
Concept: A young woman wakes up in a techno-purgatory and to the fight of her life against a perfect copy of herself that knows the dark secret of why they’re there – To escape, she uses a new cybernetic enhancement to perform “mech-judo,” taking apart and controlling killer robots from their insides.
Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle
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My Vision: Professional. Produced. Prolific. Popular.
What I learned: That I am already “failing” (accepting the learning experience). My waffling (on which story, title, et al) is costing me time and forward momentum. Not satisfied with me. Just moving forward by putting repeat concepts into a blender.
Title: Staking Claims
Concept: Divorcing couple find themselves trying to claim an inheritance in Transylvania.
Character Structure: Rom-Com
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I get it. I have the same challenge sometimes. Can’t decide….can’t decide… it kept me from ‘moving forward’ a bit. But as a compromise, I have decided on two of the ideas… one for the class assignments, and the second one to do the assignments on when I have time and have finished my first assignment. Of course, when we get to outlining, which is more time consuming, I will probably have to just focus on the first one. I am also waffling between doing the assignments publicly on the forum or privately…. Can’t decide…
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A rom-com in Transylvania? Awesome!
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I’m on the course that started May 1, 2023. I’m behind in working through the modules, catching up steadily. Is anyone else part of that intake as I was looking forward to reading and giving feedback on others’ work and getting feedback on my own assignments too? Thanks!
Assignment:
Title: Minding Mike
Concept: When Mike’s memory is wiped in an accident, his cleaner has to decide if it’s better for him to have good memories that are fake or bad memories that are true.
Character structure: RomCom
My Vision: I live a wonderfully happy life writing, collaborating and producing multiple Oscar and BAFTA-winning movies with more than enough money for two light and bright homes, each with its own indoor lap pool (heated using eco-friendly technology).
What I learned from doing this assignment: I did revisit the high concept hook and the main story hook for each of my shortlisted projects a number of times. The two hooks tend to be quite similar and I’m working on them to focus on the purpose of each type of hook and to refine the two hooks for each project. I’ve chosen the project for which I feel the most energy at the moment.
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