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Lesson 1
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6 Replies
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Karl’s Conventions!
What I learned doing this assignment is: I think the movie that Hal hated by an independent director who blends too many genres is TENET.
Concept: After a vigilante YouTuber exposes and shuts down a scammer call center, he’s suddenly labeled a domestic terrorist and must uncover the powerful forces behind the scammers while staying on the run in order to clear his name and reclaim his life.
Hero: A smug, hi-tech savvy cybersecurity freelance contractor
Mission: Find out who’s behind the sophisticated scam center to clear his name.
Demand for Action: He must evade local law enforcement & FBI while trying to figure out who’s behind his terrorist label.
Antagonist: Lon Krain, the POTUS chief of staff is pulling the strings.
Escalation: The smug YouTuber first gets threats from the IRS, then his website is shut down, then local law enforcement are after him, and then the FBI and Secret Service. Not to mention fake news!!
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CJ’s Conventions:
What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of choosing specific “upfront” details for the audience to focus on, then fill in all the vast “scenery” of the background.
Concept:
A Pittsburgh FBI agent travels to Mardi Gras to hunt the Russian Bratva responsible for her husband’s murder and is forced to put her trust in a motley team of outsiders, a trust that is tested when her daughter is taken hostage by the ruthless Bratva leader.
Conventions
Hero: Pittsburgh FBI Special Agent Lucy Guardino
Demand For Action: after her investigation gets too close, the Bratva murders her husband to warn her off, leaving Lucy to raise her daughter alone and sacrifice her career as a field agent
Mission: BUT Lucy hasn’t quit, has been pursuing an off-the-books investigation into the Bratva as they attempt to create a drug pipeline in the US. After she foiled their plan in Pittsburgh, she suspects they’ll use the Mississippi River, so she accepts an invite from a friend to visit New Orleans with her daughter only to find the Bratva are already there, targeting Mardi Gras for “terrorist” attacks designed to hide the Bratva’s real mission: infiltrate the DOJ’s computer network, giving them intel they need to move freely throughout the heartland and avoid capture.
Antagonist: Alex, leader of the Morozov Bratva
Escalating Action: small diversionary attacks creating chaos in the French Quarter escalate to bombing of the 911 communications center and an attack on FBI headquarters, leaving Lucy and her small crew the only ones able to stop the Bratva, but the Bratva turns the tables, kidnapping Lucy’s daughter, forcing her into an impossible choice: save her daughter or save the city.
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What I learned doing this assignment: Hal’s anecdote re: how the movie THE AMERICAN was wrongly-promoted as an Action movie resonated with me. I don’t think my concept actually qualifies as an Action movie either — and I ultimately will not promote it as such (It’s a Comedy/Thriller).
But, I do want to make my action scenes as exciting as possible, and will be taking all of the steps necessary.
Concept:
When a top Hollywood hairstylist witnesses the murder of his A-list client, he’s relocated to rural Vermont where he works incognito as a dog groomer to evade a dangerous hitman.
Conventions:
Highly-skilled Hero: One of Hollywood’s top hairstylists
Demand for Action: While the hitman is at large, he will stop at nothing to find our hero, including tracking down his loved ones for clues.
Mission: To find out who was behind the hit — and have them apprehended — before he gets hit as well!
Antagonist(s): A ruthless hitman/master of disguise, as well as the unknown person who hired him.
Escalating Action: After our hero witnesses the murder (and is seen), there’s an initial chase and escape. This leads him to his faux life, where he watches his back as tries to blend in. As he searches for answers, family and friends are threatened. The stakes are raised further by a shocking betrayal, new determination, and a fight to the finish when the Bad Guys close in.
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What I learned from this assignment is the opening scene should drop little nuggets to surprises and secrets in later scenes. It is an opportunity to explore higher concepts and more action packed concepts.
An irresponsible bounty hunter stumbles across a secret that threatens the very existence of life on Earth
Highly Skilled Hero: Retired street fighter turned bounty hunter
Demand for Action: turn over the 4leaf clover before his wife and son are killed
Mission: stop the aliens from getting the 4 leaf clover to prevent the aliens from taking over the planet
Antagonist: Crimelord Racketeer inhabited\shadowed by an alien
Escalating Action: avoid getting killed by hitmen squad and save his wife and child
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Deb’s Conventions!
What I learned doing this assignment is… Dusting off an old idea can be fun. Knowing that I don’t have to have all the answers up front – and giving myself an opportunity to follow the steps – gives me courage and excitement to write this script. It’s going to be great.
PS – a little late to the game – but I’m going to work hard to catch up with everyone else.
Concept: To save his family, a foreign super-spy goes dark and hides out on a Hollywood movie set, posing as his doppelganger; an action-hero movie star.
Conventions:
Hero: Titan Benoit – a foreign undercover agent
Demand For Action: His latest assignment puts his own family in danger. He turns it down and goes dark. His agency goes after him.
Mission: To remain undetected while undermining his agency’s commission
Antagonist: The head of his organization and their henchmen (his former co-workers)
Escalating Action: escape turns to hiding on a movie set where he must “fake” fight. He then must fight his ex-coworkers and eventually take on his old boss.
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Hero: A woman’s self defense instructor who doesn’t know of her husband’s real job.
Mission: To kill her husband who has put a hit out on her.
Demand for Action: Her husband convince gang members to kill her.
Antagonist: Her husband, an upcoming gang member who is so close to replacing the retiring gang leader.
Escalating Action: She has to survive every encounter and form allies to get avenge herself.
High Concept: To prove her innocence of setting up a high profile gang member, a wife must kill her husband and his gang, before they kill her.
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