Lesson 11

[Jan Lloyd]

Jan’s Turning Point 1 Scenes
ACT 1 BEAT SHEET (PN Series)
INT. COURTROOM – DAY
The twins have just received their sentence. They will be attending URU in New Mexico, a school they have never heard of. Ms. Markum tells them, she has heard great things about URU and they will be challenged, which is a good thing.
INT. COURTROOM – DAY
The twins are picked up by the Ens. They will stay the night at the Ens. They are told what to expect at URU. No tablets, online InSite web. They will be on camera to keep them out of trouble. Yet, the news seems harsh. They will not get to stay in the same dorm with each other. The Ens seem very nice though. The twins have a great evening with them and secretively with the Ens could adopt them and they wouldn’t have to go to this what seems like a prison school.
INT. THE ENS APPARTMENT – NIGHT
The Ens (Lynn prepares a delicious meal) The Ens ask them pointed questions even thought they are nice. After the meal, they watch a movie and talk further. Mr. En shows them a hidden room of his building and animals. Ms. En’s paints all the miniature animals in the animal hospital. One of the animals looks like Stinky and they even see a small octopus in one of the rooms that resembles Freckles. Freckles and Stinky both come out and the Ens like the animals and tell them they can keep them at URU and explain about shadow animals there.
The twins begin to trust the Ens then.
…becomes…
ACT 1 OUTLINE (PN series)
INT. AIRPORT – DAY
BEGINNING: They all take off in a plane for Albuquerque where they will be meeting other kids who have met a similar fate.
MIDDLE: The twins are trying to think of ways they can see each other at the new school, although they don’t know much about it.
END: The twins touch down in Albuquerque
INT. ABQ AIRPORT – DAY
BEGINNING: The twins meet the other students who will be travelling with them by van to the new school
MIDDLE: On the road to PNs place. Crazy things happen.
END: Reach PNs
INT. PN RANCH – EVENING
BEGINNING: They visit with the other students and learn a bit of their background
MIDDLE: The accidently find a cave.
END: The cave is awesome.

[Kenneth Johnson]

Kenneth Johnson – Turning Point 1 Scenes

What I learned is that my characters need a little more time to get to know each other so the audience can believe they have known each other for over 40 years,

OUTLINE – Turning Point

Beginning – Michael explains to Lee that he want to write his Korean War story and make a script out it. Lee is not on board with this, but doesn’t know how to stop Michael who is very enthusiastic about this.

Middle – Michael sets up his digital recorder and microphone at Lee’s kitchen table and tries to start the interview.

End – Lee shuts Michael down and flatly refuses to have his story told as a script or any other way. Lee then tells a story to explain why he doesn’t want his story told.

INT. LEE’S HOUSE – KITCHEN – DAY

Lee let’s Michael in the front door. Lee is older and much more crotchety, but glad to see Michael.

MICHAEL
Hi Dad. I’ve got great news.

LEE
Oh?

They walk through to the kitchen. There is a pot of tea on the table. Lee grabs another cup for Michael and they sit down at the table.

MICHAEL
It’s your story. I’m going to write your story.

LEE
What are you talking about?

MICHAEL
It’s perfect, Dad. They had the piece on the Tuskegee Airmen, and the one about the Civil War troops, you know, “Glory.” Now we can do a movie about the 24th Infantry Regiment, the last all-Black unit in the United States Army!

LEE
Aah, nobody needs to know that story.

Michael keeps ploughing ahead as if Lee said nothing.

MICHAEL
It’s history. And the climax is full of drama. We will have audiences on the edge of their seats.

LEE
Nobody cares about the Korean War, boy. Nobody even remembers it. They care even less about the folks who fought it. Just let it be. Leave it alone.

Michael has opened his backpack and places an expensive looking digital recorder on the table, plugs in a microphone on a stand and places it in front of Lee. Lee testily sips his tea while Michael carefully adjusts the microphone. He taps the microphone and watches the two channel meters on the recorder bounce.

MICHAEL
I put together a few questions. These are open-ended questions that are just meant to get you going.

Michael hands a sheet of paper to Lee. Lee sees that there are 20 questions. He sees that the questions are focused on his experience under fire in Korea. Lee crumples the sheet of questions and drops it on the table.

Michael has been in motion this whole time. He freezes.

MICHAEL
What are you doing?

LEE
I don’t want to. I’m not going to. You can’t make me.

MICHAEL
Why not?

LEE
There’s so much. Too much. My life was good before all of this. All of this mess. Yeah, it was hard times, but it was still good for us.

MICHAEL

FLASHBACK

EXT. WOODS – MORNING

It is the 1950s and Lee is a young man on a deer hunt with his father, LOUIS. They both carry rifles as they move carefully through the brush until Louis sights a 10 point buck and guides Lee through taking the shot.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
Pocatello, Idaho was surrounded by forest. I would get out there with your grandfather and bring down a buck that would feed my brothers and sisters for a good two months. There was plenty of game and fishing and that stretched Pop’s paycheck. Those were good days.

EXT. LAKE – MORNING

Lee and Louis sit quietly in a small skiff with their poles over opposite side, sipping coffee and taking in the stillness and the grandeur of the forested mountains on all sides.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
The last day of my good life was fishin’ with pop. The last day I was really happy.

INT. JONES FAMILY HOME – KITCHEN – DAY

Lee and Louis enter with their poles and the trout they caught. With trepidation, Lee’s mother, Mae, hands him a letter from the Department of War. Lee opens it to find a draft notice.

LEE
(V.O. Narration)
And then everything just went to hell.

END FLASHBACK