Lesson 1

[Lynn Vincentnathan]

Lynn’s Guidelines for PSYCHO (2023)

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s actually difficult to come up with contained screenplay ideas that also meet the Covid guidelines (though I’ve read those more relaxed guidelines will expire in December).

PART 1: I found that most of my ideas can be squeezed into the contained structure and pitched in 1-2 sentences, but also meeting Covid made that more difficult. However, doing so actually reduced costs (fewer characters, etc).

PART 2:

TITLE: PSYCHO (1960) into my 2023 remake

This version cuts out all the early scenes up to visibly nervous Mary driving on the highway. Difference is she calls her sister on the phone to tell she’s going to visit Sam, her boyfriend and won’t be home for a while (giving backstory about her job, the big cash deposit she was supposed to make ??, & relationship with Sam, etc). As in original, a patrolman stops her, but for a broken taillight, and is suspicious at her fear & guilt, takes down her license & plates, etc.

Bates Motel/spooky house scenes: Mary decides to pull off the highway as it gets dark…. Continue as in original script until Mary gets to her room. She gets a call Sam on her cell, we see him in his hardware shop. He tells her he’s ready to marry her despite financial problems. She tells him she made a terrible mistake today (without details) and needs to clear that up first. Rest as in original, Norman arguing with his mother O.S., stabs her to death.

Arbogast shows up at Sam’s…. and goes to Bates, gets killed. Sam goes there, no luck, contacts the police, gets connected to patrol man….

Much of this is over the phone.

AS THEY DID IT:

A. People: 36 cast members

B. Stunts – no stunts to no stunts

C. Extras – some city pedestrians and moving cars

D. Wardrobe – regular

E. Hair and Make Up – regular make up, except for Norman in drag

F. Kids and Animals – no kids and animals

G. Quarantine – difficult with so many cast members and extras

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

A. People – 5 (Mary (1st victim), Sam (boyfriend), Norman (psycho), Arbogast (detective, 2nd victim); patrolman/sheriff

B. Stunts – no stunts

C. Extras – no extras (except unseen in a few cars passing by on the highway)

D. Wardrobe – own regular clothes (actors’ own clothes); Norman in regular clothes and old lady drag.

E. Hair and Make Up – each actor with their own kit, Norma character learning to put on his own drag hair & make up.

F. Kids and Animals – no kids and animals

G. Quarantine – 5 cast members, and crew for 3 settings (road where the patrolman stops Mary’s car for broke taillight (including interior car driving); and the motel/spooky house and pond setting; and Sam’s place)

[Stacey Johnson]

Subject line: Stacey’s Guidelines for Now You See Me

What I learned doing this assignment is a reminder of how easy it is to incorporate big elements in a script but it’s harder to trim it down to just the essentials. Just because you eliminate certain scenes doesn’t necessarily mean you are sacrificing quality.

Part 1: My story idea is contained but it involves a family, so it has kids. I have cut down on other areas of containment, but I am brainstorming stunt alternatives.

Part 2: TITLE: Now You See Me (2013)

AS THEY DID IT:

A. People: Four magicians known as “The 4 Horsemen,” along with 1 billionaire bad guy, 6 agents, 1 French Interpol agent, and 1 former magician with an assistant, expose the Horsemen’s tricks.

B. Stunts: Illusions involving explosions, wind machines, water tanks, car chases, a car crash, and jumping off of buildings.

C. Extras: Thousands of audience members in a Las Vegas arena, attendees in outside magic acts, etc.

D. Wardrobe – Modern. Black suits without the tie.

E. Hair and Makeup – Stylish but not overdone.

F. Kids and Animals – Kids – None. Animals – One white rabbit used in a magic trick.

G. Quarantine – Large amounts of people are everywhere typical of Las Vegas, New York, and New Orleans settings.

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

A. People – If absolutely necessary, cut down the number of horsemen to two and have them compete against each other for seniority. The former magician doesn’t need an assistant. The number of agents could be reduced by radioing in results or speaking on a monitor.

B. Stunts – Fine as is. Illusions in Vegas deserve to be big.

C. Extras – Instead of large size audiences in a Las Vegas arena, put the focus on the illusion. Put the horsemen in a dark room where you only see silhouettes of audience members and the sounds of them cheering. It could be overwhelming enough to fill the performers.

D. Wardrobe – Fine as is.

E. Hair and Makeup – Fine as is.

F. Kids and Animals – Kids – N/A, Animals – Can probably do without the rabbit since other tricks are upscale.

G. Quarantine – Some venues could have green screen footage to increase crowd sizes.

[Susan Willard]

Ultimate Contained Movie Script ASSIGNMENT Lesson 1

Susan A. Willard’s Guidelines for THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980)

What I learned doing this assignment is that by choosing to do this exercise using the movie (1980) THE BLUES BROTHERS, I now believe that any movie can be reimagined using the COVID Guidelines. However, it may dramatically change actions and attributes of the story presentation, while keeping the story the same.

ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Select Your Project

1. Go through your five ideas and determine which of them can easily fit the Covid-19 guidelines.

A. I brainstormed seven ideas for my project.

· Two ideas put on hold due to requirement for children and mature actors.

· One idea put on hold due to requirement for the requirement of close contact with others.

· One idea put on hold uses animation or computer-generated characters.

· One idea put on hold because it may be too hackneyed, needs more concept work.

· One idea put on hold because I had already worked on it, and I want to start from nothing.

· One idea left to work on is promising.

B. I can write a pitch in one or two sentences.

C. There is something unique about it.

ASSIGNMENT PART 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines

2. Pick a movie that is outside the Covid Guidelines and give us your thoughts on how they could make it in the current production environment.

TITLE: THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980)

I picked THE BLUES BROTHERS movie from 1980 because I love the movie, but it has always seemed to have a bit of fluff.

AS THEY DID IT:

A. People: An inner circle of 20 to 25, with hundreds of others in 16 + crowd scenes.

B. Stunts: One or more stunts in the 16+ crowd scenes, and more with main actors

only.

C. Extras: Hundreds or more. (less if same extras used in multiple scenes).

D. Wardrobe: Each scene, especially the 16+ crowd scenes, need specific outfits for

specific scenes were required, main characters are dressed in repetitive.

costumes.

E. Hair and Make Up: Tremendous amount of hair and make used.

F. Kids and Animals: Children, older people and animals used.

G. Quarantine: Would have been too expensive and impossible.

H. Miscellaneous: Obviously had no limits in production or creativity.

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

To be COVID compliant, the concept of the story needs major rethinks to the story presentation, such as POV, or perspective, or timelines, or different manifestations of the difficulties that they experienced along the journey, are needed.

A. People: Use the Band Members only, with one or two secondary characters.

B. Stunts: Using reflective methods, the stunts represented by still pictures,

Drawn pictures, Band Members telling portions or discussing the stunts.

C. Extras: None needed.

D. Wardrobe: Only the simple Band Members outfits, for other routine character outfits.

E. Hair and Make Up: The actors can do their own hair, makeup – and costumes.

F. Kids and Animals: None needed.

G. Quarantine: Maybe, depending upon if the scenes are set with individuals or small

groups.

H. Miscellaneous: I knew THE BLUES BROTHERS would be challenging, but after spending time rethinking how to tell the story, I think it would be work.

[Tristan Griffin]

Tristan’s Guidelines for CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (2013)

What I learned from this assignment is this must be what it feels like to be a producer. Having to adhere to the COVID guidelines made me realize that this must be what producers do when they have to adhere to a film’s budget.

PART 1:

– My story idea is very contained as it’s set in one location.

– It can be pitched into one to two sentences as long as I find the right story for my main character.

– There is something unique about this story.

PART 2:

TITLE: Captain Phillips

AS THEY DID IT:

A. People: Captain Phillips, First Officer, Four pirates including Captain, USS Commander, Another Commander, Translator, 2 Medics

B. Stunts: Pirates go after the cargo ship twice, Emergency boat falls off ship into water, Capt. Phillips escapes emergency boat by jumping in the water, Final shootout between US Navy and pirates.

C. Extras: Villagers, Navy Seals, Ship Crew Members

D. Wardrobe: Regular clothes, tanktops, Proper Naval Attire

E. Hair and Make Up: Not heavily detailed.

F. Kids and Animals: None

G. Quarantine: Too difficult.

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

A. People: Captain Phillips, First Officer, Two crewmen, Four pirates including Muse, maybe 2 Medics. (Naval roles could be VO and visuals based on the equipment in the cargo ship)

B. Stunts: None. Since this is already a thriller, the action set pieces could be told through strong visuals. IE The two pirate boats approaching Captain Phillips’s boat on a radar.

C. Extras: This would have to involve cutting setup scenes that introduce the protagonist and antagonist. Captain Phillips is driving to the airport talking with his wife. And Muse is in a village recruiting pirates to hijack a cargo ship.

D. Wardrobe: Cast could bring their own.

E. Hair and Make Up: As is.

F. Kids and Animals: None

G. Quarantine: Just the main cast. Everyone else shooting that day could test negative the day before.