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Lesson 1 Assignments
Post your Day 1 Assignments here.
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12 Replies
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Part 1
Ideas 1-4 can be done as a contained story, with a pitch in one or two sentences but 1 and 4 feel like they could have been done before. Idea 2 is based on an amazing true story but could require too much crew, and idea 3 doesn’t really excite me after coming back to it.
Idea 5 hits the mark on all fronts.
Part 2
PHONE BOOTH
AS THEY DID IT:
A. PEOPLE – a lot of actors plus bit parts and huge number of extras
B. STUNTS – fight with pimp, pimp down, Stu shot
C. EXTRAS – street performers, cops, EMTs, media, pedestrians, onlookers etc
D. WARDROBE – plainclothes outfits for lead and secondary characters, uniforms for emergency responders
E. HAIR AND MAKEUP – wife, girlfriend, office workers, hookers, pimp, cops etc etc
F. KIDS AND ANIMALS – none
G. QUARANTINE – large amount of actors and extras
COVID VERSION:
A. PEOPLE – have just one ultra-persistent hooker and her pimp, live feed to wife, girlfriend and public, limited cop response (big emergency elsewhere?)
B. STUNTS – fine as is
C. EXTRAS – cut the number of emergency responders, media and onlookers
D. WARDROBE – reduce by cutting extras
E. HAIR AND MAKEUP – reduce by cutting extras
F. KIDS AND ANIMALS – none
G. QUARANTINE – set up character via Zoom etc, reduce number of secondary characters and bit parts, change location to smaller town
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ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Select Your Project
Of the five ideas, I feel that I have been able to keep all five contained, but there are two that would require larger budgets since they are Sci-Fi. I’m leaning towards something that has a lower budget to make it more likely to be produced. I’ve been able to write two pitches, but the others need more work. There is one that really excited me.
ASSIGNMENT PART 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines
TITLE: Marriage Story
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People: Two main actors, two lawyers, and many supporting roles.
B. Stunts: none
C. Extras: many extras (court room, theatre company actors, restaurant, subway, etc.)
D. Wardrobe: a lot of different wardrobe in various locations.
E. Hair and Make Up: Negligible
F. Kids and Animals: Kids, yes.
G. Quarantine: A large number of actors, extras, and crew to quarantine.
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People: Husband and wife, two lawyers, two-three supporting roles. Show passage of time in relationship without the various locations, say, in two locations (before and after the marriage fell apart), plus two law offices, or the lawyer scenes can be via Zoom. The supporting roles can appear in the two locations. Move the location outside of a big city, more spread out, somewhere on the country side. What matters is that it’s a story of a marriage that fell apart.
B. Stunts: None.
C. Extras: None.
D. Wardrobe: Negligible
E. Hair and Make Up: Negligible
F. Kids and Animals: None. We don’t see their child who could be in a summer camp or in school in the flashback scenes, and the scenes in the present can be about the custody battle without the child.
G. Quarantine: About seven actors to quarantine and a small crew.
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ASSIGNMENT PART 1: Select Your Project
1. Yes, I feel my 5 ideas can be executed as contained stories, and the 1 or 2 I’m weighing for this class can be written succinctly into 1 to 2 sentence pitches/loglines. I feel I’m on the cusp of unique elements to familiar stories, but I would like to discover that extra hook to rein people in. I’m sure adding layers will make them that much more marketable.
ASSIGNMENT PART 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines
2. TITLE: THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)
(I chose an easier one. $7M budget, made $143M at the box office.)
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People: 6 main cast, plus a plethora of cops, medical personnel, minor characters and extras
B. Stunts: fight scenes, esp. with cops in hospital
C. Extras: large background of extras in architect office, restaurant, smattering in hospital, plus
D. Wardrobe: cop and medical uniforms; 1 fancy dress for lead
E. Hair and Make Up: two dress-up scenes for lead, otherwise negligible
F. Kids and Animals: 1 dog, Zeus
G. Quarantine – large amount of actors and extras
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People: 5-6 main need to stay, though the daughter character could be written out, maybe 1 primary medical professional for those struggles
B. Stunts: remove the hospital scene with all the cops getting blown away and doing stunts; other struggles can stay
C. Extras: lot of those extra scenes could be rewritten to get the core point across; main characters can be witnesses
D. Wardrobe: Fine as-is. Lose all the extra personnel.
E. Hair and Make Up: Fine as-is.
F. Kids and Animals: Lose the dog. Nice touch, but the story can move along with him.
G. Quarantine: The main cast and maybe 1-2 others. This story could be told in reduced settings and with mostly the primaries.
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PART 1
My 5 ideas can all be done as a contained story and pitched in one or two sentences. However, the uniqueness is hard to gauge. I personally haven’t seen anything like these projects before, but doesn’t mean they’re original.
PART 2
What I learned doing this assignment is that you can remove large locations and extras while keeping the premise of the story intact.
Gabriel’s Guidelines for Parasite (2019)
TITLE: Parasite
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People – 9 principal actors. 4 of main family, 3 of secondary family, 2 of underground family
B. Stunts – minimal stunts. Falling down stairs.
C. Extras – Extras for neighborhoods, streets, car dealership, birthday party
D. Wardrobe – Casual. No specific needs
E. Hair and Make Up – Casual. No specific needs.
F. Kids and Animals – 1 child.
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People – 9 characters. Keep them all.
B. Stunts – cut all stunts. No falling down stairs.
C. Extras – no extras. Keep only the principal cast.
D. Wardrobe – N/A
E. Hair and Make Up – N/A
F. Kids and Animals – Remove child and replace with teenager that can be played by 18+
G. Quarantine – Keep the entire movie located at the house.
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What I learned doing this assignment is that close scrutiny of a movie can reveal excellent opportunities for reducing costs
My five concepts can reach be pitched in one sentence. The settings for my five ideas (eg. Prison, ship, airplane are unique, but Covid could be a factor.
TITLE: Redemption
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People tow main actors, London UK lots of crowded scenes
B. Stunts A few chase scenes, nothing spectacular
C. Extras Lots of people in bars, restaurants, streets
D. Wardrobe Nothing special
E. Hair and Make U: Nothing special
F. Kids and Animals A young girls in opening scene. Not much else
G. Quarantine: Lots of people in bars, establishments and in the street
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People Have stars meet in more intimate settings.
B. Stunts: No change
C. Extras: Shoot scenes at times when less people around
D. Wardrobe Fine as is.
E. Hair and Make Up Fine as is.
F. Kids and Animals Cut young girl in opening scene
G. Quarantine: Reduce number of scenes with lots of people to more intimate settings.
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What I learned: specific things to consider when trying to be more cost-conscious and ‘contained’ in script writing. Very helpful.
Part 1: 5 ideas, one frankly silly. All can be pitched in 1-2 sentences. 2 more unique than the others. All need to be better flushed out.
Part 2: <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;”>Stand By Me:
As they did: relatively airborne-infectious disease-friendly in that it was filmed mostly outside. Also minimal wardrobe/hair/make-up, stunts (aside from the pie-eating story scene and two involving trains). Kids were ensemble main characters and one dog was used in one scene.
COVID Guideline Version:
Consider cutting the gang to 2-3 older boys, using V.O. for woman yelling about the gun shot and/or the junkyard guy. To eliminate the dog, write a scene with some alternative scrotal threat (e.g. the gun shot earlier is a near-miss), although the dog is pretty awesome. You’re stuck with kids, but could eliminate the flashback deceased-brother scenes, and incorporate those narrative details in ‘story-telling’ dialogue, which might also further build the ‘developing a future-novelist’ plot-line. The man in a truck dropping off Chris isn’t necessary. The pie-eating scene could be cut. Parts of the (same or changed) story could be enacted by the ensemble around the fire for dramatic effect, maybe with ridiculous food that the boys have brought or bought.
The few scenes inside homes/shops could be moved outside (e.g. opening: start as he exits through the store’s front door and use only one older boy reveal scene (outside).
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Gayle’s Guidelines for THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE
What I learned doing this assignment was…
The contained location and minimal characters are not the only consideration in writing a contained script. Even the Sci-Fi contained movies have a basis in reality and are not so grandiose which makes it easier to follow the Covid guidelines.
ASSIGNMENT pt. 1:
Coming up the ideas wasn’t the hard thing. Even keeping the location to one predominant area was not too difficult. The hardest thing is giving consideration to the Hair & Make-up, Stunts and Wardrobe Depts. The idea of quarantining and keeping a limited make-up station is vexing. I am finding I may require a great deal of CGI which would increase the budget and defeat the lowest cost purpose.
ASSIGNMENT pt. 2:
THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People – A large family; members of Parliament; Royal staff and Hospital staff
B. Stunts – Physical exercise – running across fields; light grappling
C. Extras – at court; at the hospital; in Parliament; crowds in the street
D. Wardrobe – late 18<sup>th</sup> century from all walks of life in England
E. Hair and Make Up – Extravagant wigs both male and female
F. Kids and Animals – both for the family
G. Quarantine – huge cast and crew
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People – keep the major players in the family and only two MPs and the Doctor
B. Stunts – remove all physical activity
C. Extras – cut the crowd scenes at court; focus hospital and Parliament scenes on private conversations or from characters POV so to allude but not see crowds
D. Wardrobe – Will need 1 dresser to assist
E. Hair and Make Up – Will need 1 to assist
F. Kids and Animals – cut – only include oldest two sons
G. Quarantine – cutting extras limits need
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Beth Bonness’ Guidelines for What Lies Beneath
What I learned doing this assignment is it’s easy to modify and keep the essence of the movie with a little effort.
Part 1
Overall each of the ideas were in contained spaces. Ages were changed because of kids. They could all be pitched in a couple sentences and were unique, although several were permutations.
Part 2
TITLE: What Lies Beneath
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People: only a couple main ones, but lots at college
B. Stunts: yes with chase over bridge and in lake
C. Extras: lots during the college events & in the lab
D. Wardrobe: nothing exceptional
E. Hair and Make Up: minimal
F. Kids and Animals: college daughter & dog
G. Quarantine: easier for main characters, but not for extras
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People: reduce people in the lab, make party smaller & change public venue to smaller private event
B. Stunts: use tension vs showing the body moving around a moving boat & car; use tighter shots for the drowned college student vs a body floating
C. Extras: eliminate at parties and public by making private smaller event
D. Wardrobe: minimal
E. Hair and Make Up: minimal
F. Kids and Animals: skip the dog
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Renee’s Guidelines
What I learned… what a fun project. Really got me thinking and moving forward.
ASSIGNMENT PART 1: My Project
A. It can be done as a contained story. Yes
B. You can write a pitch in one or two sentences. Yes
C. There is something unique about it. Yes
ASSIGNMENT PART 2: AS THEY DID – TITLE: formerly Kindergarten Cop to …
A. People – a lot of people
B. Stunts – some fist fights, a car chase scene
C. Extras – mall crowds – school full of students – class of kindergarteners
D. Wardrobe – takes place over many many days – big wardrobe
E. Hair and Make Up – it’s Arnold, plus many women and it was the trail end of ‘big hair 80’s’
F. Kids and Animals – lots of kids and a ferret
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION: Summer School Math Balls (not to be another Breakfast Club)
A. People – 3 students but Arnold will be played by a Senior Citizen/Retired Cop
B. Stunts – maybe a driving lesson in the parking lot and a couple of fender benders
C. Extras – hmmm a couple of office staff, an EMT and a Security Guard
D. Wardrobe – Nope, he’s old and they’re small town high school kids.
E. Hair and Make Up – Nope – see wardrobe
F. Kids and Animals – Nope
G. Quarantine – not a problem
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I just realized my assignment may be late, so I apologize.
What I learned in this assignment is that you don’t need a lot of characters and locations to tell a great story. You can use SOUND to increase tension and fear between actors.
PART I:
All of my ideas can be considered contained stories and can be pitched in 1 sentence. I’m still trying to figure out what is unique about them.
PART II: Claudia’s Guidelines for The Horde.
TITLE: The HORDE
AS THEY DID IT:
A. People – It’s a zombie movie, using a large group of actors running from a horde of zombies, walking together, trapped in one or two rooms.
B. Stunts – A lot of running and close up fighting.
C. Extras – Large number of extras to play zombies chasing them.
D. Wardrobe – a lot of blood and torn clothes
E. Hair and Make Up – zombie, bloody make-up
F. Kids and Animals – None
G. Quarantine – Many actors and extras all in one location.
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:
A. People – Minimize the number of actors will give them more space.
B. Stunts – minimize them number of zombies in chase scenes, add tension by using SOUND instead.
C. Extras – minimize zombies to a small group instead of a horde (some of which may special effects).
D. Wardrobe – as is if the limit the number of zombies.
E. Hair and Make Up – as is.
F. Kids and Animals – don’t use any.
G. Quarantine – Removing the large number of zombies and make a small group. Use SOUND behind walls and roof instead of visuals to add to tension of invading zombies. Minimize the number of actors to carry the story.
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LESSON 1 Keys to a Great Contained Movie
Deanne’s Guidelines for THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS
What I learned = Elements of a movie I never paid much attention to before can have an impact on COVID guideline compatibility. While designing the movie it’s important to keep in mind how many people will be involved in the production of each scene, including cast, crew, specialists (stunts/animal wranglers/explosives experts/fight choreographers/stand-ins/dialect coaches, etc.)
1. a. Select Project From Ideas: (All of above, in that order.)
b. Report on experience of evaluating them re COVID guidelines:
All are contained in one way or another, but the “all in one room” settings seem like they’d create a claustrophobic, “talky” atmosphere. Good for crucibles, but low on opportunity for expansive action. All can be accomplished with a limited number of (or no) extras, though some may require slight-of-hand in some scenes to create the illusion of a larger population. The recent new episodes of cop shows on TV give some ideas how that can be done. Of my five concepts, two would be stunt heavy. One would employ the claustrophobic setting to enhance plot, but this one gives me the vibe of a stage play that’s dialogue heavy.
2. Adjust a produced movie to make it contained.
Title = THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS
AS THEY DID IT
a. people – three leads, one sidekick
b. stunts – dog on roller skates, “Abby” on roller skates, clumsy ogler on bike
c. extras – sound booth, dept store, photo studio, bar/restaurants, office building/elevator, sidewalk, park, movie set
d. wardrobe – casual for leads except Noelle on movie set, business people in suits (extras)
e. hair and makeup – average, nothing particularly notable
f. kids and animals – one child in one scene (lines), one well-trained dog that does tricks, two cats, turtle
g. quarantine – extras used to create atmosphere of city but no dense crowds outside of elevator.
COVID GUIDELINE VERSION
a. people – cut sound booth crew to one, put two people instead of ten in elevator that closes before Abby gets there and have her take the stairs instead,
b. stunts – cut out the bike stunt
c. extras – reduce number in all scenes, relocate make-up counter so extras aren’t needed in background, have leads meet in less populated areas (juice bar instead of night club?), have Jamie Foxx bring turtle for his daughter and eliminate scenes with kid,
d. wardrobe okay except for Noelle on movie set (change that scene to her trailer as she’s applying her own makeup)
e. okay as is
f. kids and animals: eliminate the kid.
g. quarantine – relocate scenes in bars/restaurants, eliminate elevator, reduce number of extras on sidewalks
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What I learned from this assignment: Reducing the number of actors and crew can be accomplished by using technology to better effect. Scenes with many extras can be suggested by using only a few. This can be done without sacrificing suspense.
Part 1
My five ideas can be pitched in one sentence, and all can be produced as contained movies; but two aren’t that unique. I have one that I like enough to work on.
Part 2
The movie I would adapt to a contained format is COPYCAT, about an agoraphobic criminal psychologist.
As they did it:
A. People – two main actors but 5 leads
B. Stunts – shootings, hangings
C. Extras – many extras
D. Wardrobe – modern casual and business
E. Hair and make-up – special make-up for murder victims
F. Kids and animals – none
G. Quarantine – A large number of actors and crew
COVID Guidelines version:
A. People – three main actors
B. Stunts – none
C. Extras – four
D. Wardrobe – modern casual
E. Hair and make-up – 1 scene with special make-up
F. Kids and animals – none
G. Quarantine – three actors, minimal crew
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