Lesson 1

[jeffrey jeff glatz glatz]

Jeff Glatz Structure Solutions

What I learned from doing this assignment is – I found the grid very helpful in reviewing the script. The challenge I find myself in is the idea of “self-critique.” As I developed all the turning points, layers, etc I think they are pretty strong, so maybe they really are not as strong as I think they may be and the grid helps point to areas of improvement. I did not keep a list of specific changes, but did a lot of massaging.

I look forward to completing draft 2.

[Anna Maganini]

MY VISION – To write cutting edge, unique, human, soul-inspiring, Oscar-winning scripts that have commercial success and producers line up to buy to make into multi-million dollar movies. Which makes me a Force in the Hollywood Entertainment industry -as a writer, actor, producer, and director.

What have I learned doing this assignment – I did not enjoy this lesson so much. Some of the bullet points, esp. 1 and 2 and 4, seemed redundant if you had followed all the lessons in former modules and done them and followed your outline. But I went ahead and went through the whole script looking for these points. And it took hours without getting much done. I found it tedious and unnecessary. I got into bullet point 3 much more, the one about conflict, and found a lot of places where conflict could be punched up. So this one was exciting. I enjoyed doing that one. But the lesson never gave us a chance to work on the last six points on the list (!!!). (Although some of those points also seemed redundant so I may not need to redo them).

I still have a problem in the end of Act 4 I haven’t brainstormed or worked out to my satisfaction. And I got too carried away with following the points in the lesson to brainstorm on it enough.

But the bullet point on conflict was great and it helped me to up the stakes and conflict even in Act 1, but definitely there were several scenes in Act 2 and 3 where I intensified the conflict, so that was satisfying.

Ironically, in Act 4, where I had really thought I could intensify the conflict, I didn’t find much to intensify. And I wonder two things – either it’s perfect which I doubt, since I am not fully satisfied with it. Or – I am not allowing myself to think outside the box, because I don’t want to mess up the ending. But that Act has gotten better.

[Pam Ewing]

Structure Solutions – Pam Ewing

Vision: Professional. Produced. Prolific. Popular (as in my writing is popular – not expecting to be more likeable!)

Learned: how unwieldy my script is without fixing the holes.

The first act is a snooze so I jazzed it up but it will need more. I figured out a better action scene toward the end.