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Lesson 3 Assignment
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Paul’s Beat Sheet – Draft 1.
4. Vision of success from this program: I want to write scripts that become movies that change people’s lives.
5. What I learned from this assignment is that it made me aware of how many elements have to be in place before drafting a line of dialogue. It particularly highlighted for me the importance of having clearly defined protagonist and antagonist journeys before going any further.
2. Beat Sheet
ACT ONE: Lilia (Protagonist), a loving, caring single-mother, working hard to help her daughter escape poverty.
PJ 1: Starts as a hard-working mother, living in poverty. When she faces up to Mexican soldiers and police we see her strength of character, sense of justice and fighting spirit. Determines to get revenge for death of daughter.
AJ: Mark (Antagonist). A Senator defending his son against accusations of taking drugs. Scheming: tells son to blame the dead Mexican girl for importing the drugs that killed her at his son’s drug-fueled party.
Deeper level: Questioning the drug war and how it impacts ordinary Mexicans.
Inciting incident: Lilia’s daughter dies of drug overdose while a scholarship student in the US.
ACT TWO: Senator’s son kidnapped and brought to Culiacán.
PJ: Now going to an extreme in search for justice and revenge.
AJ: Goes very low profile to return to Mexico to seek out his son. Realizes he can’t make false accusations that go unpunished.
Deeper Level: Lilia is not just up against the man who killed her daughter, but the whole system that maintains the drug war.
Inciting incident: Senator uses his DEA contacts to arrange a clandestine return to Culiacán to find his son.
ACT THREE: Lilia finds herself up against the DEA and the Sinaloa Cartel as she campaigns on social media for an end to drug war.
PJ: Lilia goes from anonymity to high profile as she becomes an “influencer” on social media.
AJ: Wakes up to the hypocrisy of the drug war that goes after suppliers but not consumers.
Deeper level: the relationship between Protagonist and Antagonist comes back to haunt them. There are forces at play (including the United Nations Organization) that do not approve of Lilia’s campaign.
Inciting incident: Lilia begins to receive anonymous death threats
ACT FOUR: Lilia is murdered by DEA/Sinaloa Cartel working together. Antagonist returns to US with his freed son.
PJ: Even after her death, Lilia continues to influence. She becomes the Mahsa Amini (the Iranian woman murdered for not wearing the hijab) of the campaign to end the dictatorship of the drug war.
AJ: Transformation complete, from drug-war hawk to campaigner for decriminalizing drugs.
Deeper level: The struggle continues.
END.
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Madeleine’s Beat Sheet – Draft 1
Vision: I am going to do whatever it takes for me to be a writer of amazing stories with meaning who can move the audience and change the world resulting in financial, critical and audience success.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: What I learned is that I still have the tendency to have it “perfect” before I submit the assignment. It’s hard to get over that concept but I try to practice it more.
ACT 1 – 1.1 Opening: Alex teaches and loses it with Mirai who asks a critical question.
Deeper layer: Alex is irritable because he is in a new life stage.
AJ 1 – Beginning: Corrie is bored and wants a new life.
AJ 2 – Inciting Incident: Corrie offers Alex a new garden house to start a new life at home.
Deeper layer: Alex hates his birthday present because he wants more career time next year.
1.2 Inciting Incident: Alex wants to become dean.
1.3 Turning Point 1: Alex wants to apply but is tired.
ACT 2 – Genre convention Alex: Doc tells Alex that he is menopausal and has to take it easy.
AJ 3 – Turning Point 1: Corrie worries about Alex and talks to Luke.
Genre convention Alex: Luke wants Alex to prove that he is fit for the job.
AJ 4 – Act 2: Corrie looks for a new professional challenge.
2.1 New Plan: Alex checks what students want so he gets their support.
Genre convention Alex: Mirai demands a workshop in order to get the students’ support.
2.2 Plan in action: Alex self-medicates
AJ 5 – Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: Corrie finds Alex medication and thinks he has an affair.
2.3 Midpoint: Alex suffers heart attack
Genre convention Alex: Flavia becomes interim dean because Luke passed away.
AJ 6 – Act 3: Corrie has a job and starts an affair.
ACT 3 – 3.1 Rethinking: Alex moves to the garden
Genre convention Alex: Flavia reduces Alex’ working hours.
3.2 New Plan: Alex becomes self-sufficient
AJ 7 – Turning Point 3: Corrie hates Alex’s new lifestyle (poverty trauma) and moves out.
3.3. Huge Failure: Alex destroy home after Corrie moves out
Deeper layer: Alex discovers Eve’s garden house with the flying bonsais.
Deeper layer: Flavia tells Alex that Luke was worried about him and wanted her to be dean.
ACT 4 – 4.1 Climax: Alex invites Corrie for birthday
AJ 8 – Act 4 Climax: Corrie comes for birthday to discuss divorce.
AJ 9 – Resolution: Corrie makes a birthday party, starts her career and a new family life.
4.2 Resolution: Alex and Corrie live a new family life.
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VISION – To write touching, entertaining family stories that have a message to teach and entertain audiences at the same time.
What I learned doing this assignment is doing the beat-sheet below:
ACT 1: Tina wants to replace her double-crossing boyfriend with a better man
PJ: Tina discovers that her current boyfriend has been unfaithful and lied about having a job when he’s really unemployed. She kicks him out of her home and begins looking for another man. She receives a bitter prophecy that the wrong man will present himself and cause her to look within.
AJ: Barry has just been fired as an assistant pastor at a church for inappropriate text messages with a minor. He attends Tina’s church and scopes out the kids in the Sunday School area. Tina introduces herself to him.
Deeper Layer: Barry is looking for a single woman with young daughters to prey upon
INCITING INCIDENT: Barry asks Tina out once he learns that a pretty young girl he admires is actually Tina’s daughter
ACT 2: Tina introduces her kids to Barry
AJ: Barry buys Tina’s kids expensive gifts and bonds with them by attending their games, playing with them and helping them with their schoolwork
Deeper Layer: Barry is “grooming” Tina’s daughter
PJ: Tina announces that she’s finally met the right man
INCITING INCIDENT: Tina moves Barry into her home
ACT 3: Barry places hidden cameras in Tina’s daughter’s room
PJ: Tina notices that Barry is very affectionate with her daughter but thinks he’s just being a father figure to her
AJ: Barry tries to get Tina’s daughter alone by suggesting they spend father/daughter time together
Deeper Layer: Barry is preying upon Tina’s daughter
INCITING INCIDENT: Barry places hidden cameras in Tina’s daughter’s room
ACT 4: Tina discovers the hidden cameras in her daughter’s bedroom
PJ: Tina confronts Barry about the cameras, and he gas lights her by saying she’s accusing him of being a bad man. She kicks him out and begins looking for another man.
AJ: Barry leaves but tells Tina’s daughter that her mom is doesn’t love him anymore and he can no longer be her daddy
Deeper Layer: Barry is making Tina look like the bad one to lure her daughter
INCITING INCIDENT: Tina’s daughter hates Tina for kicking Barry out and runs away from home to be with him, she wants her “daddy” back. Now Tina must search high and low to find her daughter and look within as to why she allowed Barry into her life in the first place
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Raquel’s Beat Sheet-Draft 1
Vision: I want to go deeper into my writing to create screenplays where characters of depth are placed in compelling journeys with a fresh voice that Hollywood producers as well as independent film companies know they must make!
What I learned from doing this assignment is that the first act has ant-semitism as the antagonist when 2 young men enter Miri’s music club to beat up a Jewish patron. She does not encounter the main antagonist of the screenplay- Officer Heinrich until Act 2. He is the antagonist until Act 4.
Genre: Action/Drama
Act 1
P.J. Miri right before the war is a rising blues violinist. She cherishes her freedom. She has casual affairs with men. Her music career is above family and friends.
Inciting incident: A.J. -2 anti-semitic thugs attack patron at music club.
Deeper Layer Miri tries to maintain life as usual. Turns downs marriage proposal later that evening. Determined to live her free life.
Turning Point 1: P.J -Miri is now confined in the Jewish quarter of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Deeper Level: Miri faces her own death. She befriends other musicians for support to survive.
Act 2: P.J. Miri is teaching singing to classes of children. One boy (Jacob) asks for violin lessons as he already knows how to play from his father who is too busy to teach him. Miri refuses until she learns that he is pretending that his father is still alive.
Deeper Level: Years before Miri delayed going home to play at a gig when her younger brother was ill. To her shock when she returned home he had died. She avoids emotional/love relationships.
Turning point 2: Midpoint: P.J. Miri practices classical music to tryout for the ghetto orchestra.
Deeper level: Miri’s main purpose to play in orchestra is for the greater access to food which she will bering to her young music students.
A.J. Officer Heinrich hears Miri practice and starts a conversation about the great German composers.He forces a kiss which she rebuffs. He is aware of her now close relationship with Jacob. She will be his mistress or he will send Jacob to Treblinka.
Deeper level: He considers himself a cultured member of the Aryan race who has the right to control a Jewish prisoner.
Act 3: P.J – Miri uses her time at her “rehearsals” at a Nazi officers club outside the ghetto to sneak over to the Aryan side – pass as a non-Jew and meet with resistance members in order to smuggle weapons into the ghetto.
Deeper Level: Miri now uses her music skills to aid and save others while she puts her own life in jeopardy having changed from the time music was a selfish pursuit.
Turning pt. 3: A.J>. Heinrich becomes suspicious of her absences and also hears she has a Jewish lover (Avi).
Deeper Level: He is enraged that Miri would dare not be under his thumb.
P.J.: Miri is worried for Jacob and helps hide him to escape from the ghetto. Her lover is killed aiding this escape.
Deeper Level: Miri is devastated that Avi died protecting Jacob. She stays alive to continue to smuggle weapons for the cause.
Act 4: Climax: A.J. Drunk Heinrich catches Miri with a potato sack filled with weapons. He lifts his weapon.
Deeper level: He drinks to numb himself against the killing he is part of.
Act 4: Climax: P.J. Miri raises a gun and kills Heinrich.
Deeper Level: It is the first time she has killed anyone and she shakes and cries.
P.J. Miri is helped to escape the ghetto so she will not be killed in retribution.
Resolution: The war is over. P.J. Miri hears that Jacob is alive. She searches for him and finds him at a Jewish orphanage. They are reunited but she has to say goodbye. He is being sent to relatives in Palestine.
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KZ’s BEAT SHEET – DRAFT 1
Vision: To create quotable, memorable screenplays (like the ones I love), and help them get made into successful movies.
What I learned from doing this assignment is… that I was veering off into the desire for perfection, or at least quality, or wanting all the answers up front. Then I listened to Hal’s audio session and decided to follow his advice of filling in the blanks even if they’re not perfect. That’s difficult for me. So I’m moving on to the next lesson with the idea that I’ll be able to fill in the blanks of the Beat Sheet as I move farther into the process.
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Act 1: Wendy and Darwin find out they’ll be facing each other in an upcoming negotiation. They have each been chosen for their cutthroat, scorched earth, merciless desire to win.
Wendy PJ1
We see Wendy negotiating in a low-stakes situation as though her life depended on it. When Myra says there’s no room in the class, she brings down the hammer until she gets her way, leaving Myra feeling a bit shaken. In the class, she notices Darwin, who is as gorgeous as an Indian prince.
Darwin AJ1
Darwin comes off a high-stakes hostage situation where he negotiated a surrender. But then he gets a call from his mother who insists he come home for dinner to meet a young woman she wants him to marry. He reluctantly obeys. He can negotiate anything, but he can’t ever win against his mother.
PJ 2 / AJ 2
Wendy attends a Negotiators conference where she is a guest speaker… and so is Darwin. They are asked to give a demonstration negotiation. They each try to psych out the other. Darwin asks her to get him coffee. She (having overheard him on the phone with his mother) mocks him for being a mama’s boy. They’re both tough at the negotiation table and the demo is deemed a draw.
PJ3 / AJ3
Afterwards, Wendy and Darwin are invited to a party, which winds up in a game of strip poker. The others have all lost their clothes, but Wendy and Darwin are left fully clothed as others go off to enjoy their nakedness.
PJ4 / AJ4
Wendy and Darwin can’t come to terms about how lovemaking will be conducted. Who will be dominant. Whose needs will be met first. Darwin reveals a sad side: women want to use him like a boy toy, but don’t get to know the real him. So they wind up back in their own rooms, alone.
PJ5 / Wendy’s boss assigns her to an upcoming negotiation where he needs “a killer.” She’ll be facing off with Darwin, who will represent the opposition.
PJ 6
In meditation class, Wendy informs Darwin that they’re going to be facing off in a negotiation and that he shouldn’t count on her being soft because of their mutual attraction.AJ 5
Darwin lets her know that he manipulated it so that he would be facing off with her, and that he let her win the negotiation at the conference because he knows he can win against her. And that he’s not attracted to her.
TURNING POINT: Wendy, Darwin and Myra all “ace” the recording of the guided meditation where they “observe the observer,” and they all three wind up on the train to Nirvana.
Act 2: Myra wants to stay in Nirvana. Darwin and Wendy want to leave.
Wendy and Darwin team up to defeat Myra, double-cross each other, and win what they have been told is the one seat back to reality.
PJ – Wendy double crosses Darwin, he double crosses Wendy, they wind up in a lucid dream where they each believe they have gotten the better of the other and arrive at the negotiation with the secret that will give them victory. Darwin notices the documents aren’t readable and breaks the news to Wendy. They’re dreaming.
TURNING POINT: Wendy and Darwin realize that they’ll have to work for a win/win or they’ll never get out of here. And that means helping Myra get what she wants, rather than constantly opposing her. In helping Myra, they help themselves.
Deeper Layer: They’ll be stuck in limbo until they learn to work together.
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Brandyn Cross’ Beat Sheet: Draft 1
My vision for success in this program is to develop and hone my skills to the extent that my screenplays will be produced and widely viewed.
What I learned from this assignment is the beginning of the story’s organizational structure.
ACT 1
Opening: Alex drinks at a grave during a snow storm, shown from the side, so we don’t see a name on the headstone. Alex is then driving in the snow. Despondent over his failing career, Alex intentionally crashes his car into an overpass pylon in a suicide attempt. A few cars pull over, and a few men run to help. We are led to believe that Alex survived the crash, but is left disabled. As he awakens in hospital, a news report in the background reports on the crash, claiming it involved several vehicles and that there were multiple fatalities, but he is seemingly oblivious to the report. As Alex rehabilitates, we see him as depressed, despondent and self-absorbed, filled with negativity and concerned only with how his misfortunes have made him a perpetual victim.
AJ Beginning: Sandy died and has been waiting to be reunited with his father when his time comes.
AJ Inciting Incident: He learns that his father has never gotten over Sandy’s death, and his life has spiraled downhill, culminating in his suicide. Because of all this baggage he still carries, he is not able to join Sandy in heaven.
Inciting Incident: Alex is visited by Sandy, a child ghost, who tells him he has the power to help other grieving parents, and help their departed children cross over to eternity.
AJ Turning Point 1: Sandy is told that his father can join him if he is able to be redeemed by helping some other ghosts who are in turmoil, and in need of closure. Not unrelated is that these ghosts are some kids whose forgiveness Alex needs to bring about his own redemption.
Turning Point: Alex is initially not interested, more absorbed with reviving his career, and ignores his psychic connections, but is haunted by his abilities, which he can’t get out of his mind.
Turning Point 1: Alex initially wants to connect with his own departed son, the details about whom he has very little recollection, but discovers his psychic abilities only allow him to connect with the ghosts of other departed children.
Alex remembers being at a grave, showing a little more of the headstone, but still no name. He also remembers being at the crash as the drivers who pulled over fight to get him out of the car. From there, he is able to psychically see the first ghost child Sandy told him about, and his family, who are grieving over his death.
ACT 2
AJ Act 2: Sandy contacts Alex to convince him to do what he needs to do so he and Sandy can be reunited, but Alex refuses. Sandy is not allowed to reveal his true identity to Alex.
New Plan: Alex still has no interest in using his powers to assist others rather than himself, and tries to ignore these powers. But he discovers he is unable to suppress these powers, and is unable to ignore an internal need to bring these dead children and their parents together to help them achieve closure. Alex sees a kid gets out of one of the cars at his accident scene. He starts running across the highway, but stops cold, looking down the road, terrified.
Plan in Action: Alex writes a book about the first child Sandy connected him with. He then contacts the child’s family to get the book to them, insisting their departed child compelled him to write it. They are skeptical and want nothing to do with Alex.
AJ Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: After a lot of effort, Sandy convinces Alex to write books for the ghost children Sandy has introduced him to.
Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: Unable to suppress his psychic powers, Alex writes Rorie’s story, but the family isn’t responsive to him. Alex discovers that, in writing Rorie’s story, he has gained a greater recollection of his own son. But, with the family’s rejection of him, he begins losing that newfound recollection and realizes that, for his own sake, he must succeed in bringing the family and their departed child together.
Midpoint Turning Point: Initially Alex doesn’t care about the family’s dismissal of him and his claims, feeling he can chalk it off to having done everything he can, and then forget about it. He then remembers being at the grave again, camera a little more to the front. This connects him to the feelings this family feels, and he decides he must succeed in bringing the family and their departed child together. At this point, Sandy introduces him to other child ghosts, and shows them their families as well.
ACT 3
Rethink Everything: Somehow, Alex feels connected to the grief of the family as if he, himself, has lost a child himself. He begins to understand that all life is connected, and that he must develop an honest empathy for others going through the grief process.
In further remember his crash, he sees the child in the street, paralyzed in fear as a truck goes out of control as it approaches the crash scene. He remembers more of being at the grave, even further to the front of the headstone, but still unable to see the name.
New Plan: Alex now realizes he must succeed in getting these other families to believe in his ability to connect them with their departed children. He is now unwilling to accept failure, and becomes absorbed in helping these other families to move beyond their paralyzing grief.
AJ Act 3: Sandy helps Alex writes Rorie’s story. They are initially unreceptive, but Sandy helps Alex convince them. It ultimately works out, and Sandy is optimistic that this is going to work, and he will be able to be reunited with his father properly in heaven.
Turning Point: Huge Failure / Major Shift: The mother of one of these other departed kids commits suicide, unable to continue in life without her child, even with the assurance of gaining closure. Instead, she is resolute on joining her child in the afterlife. Devastated and now believing his is doing more harm than good in connecting these departed kids with their families, Alex tells Sandy he wants nothing more to do with these kids, and will no longer use his connection to these kids to do so. At this point, Alex sees the truck crash through the cars pulled over to help at his accident, further convincing him he wants nothing to do with this.
AJ Turning Point 3: Beth’s mother commits suicide, unable to continue in life without her child even with the assurance of gaining closure. Devastated and now believing his is doing more harm than good in connecting these departed kids with their families, Alex tells Sandy he wants nothing more to do with these kids, and will no longer use his connection to these kids to do so.
AJ Turning Point 3: Sandy’s hopes are dashed when Rose, the mother of Beth, the second ghost child, commits suicide after Alex delivers Beth’s book to the family. Alex refuses to continue working on any other books, and tells Sandy to leave him alone.
ACT 4
Climax / Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: Sandy shows Alex that this woman’s suicide was unavoidable but, without Alex’s intervention in connecting her with her departed child, her suicide would have been an act of despair rather than a misguided act of hope, and would have taken the rest of her family with her, including her other kids. Alex is convinced to continue to bring the remaining departed kids together with their families to bring them all to a point of acceptance and closure.
AJ Act 4 Climax: Sandy shows Alex that Rose’s suicide was unavoidable but, without Alex’s intervention in connecting her with her departed child, her suicide would have been an act of despair rather than a misguided act of hope, and would have taken the rest of her family with her.
AJ Act 4 Climax: Sandy and Beth’s dad, Tony, help Alex realize that Rose’s suicide was inevitable and that, without his help, things would have turned out much worse. This convinces him to continue his work, and he writes Kody’s book.
AJ Resolution: Alex discovers that Kody’s book was necessary to help Kody come to terms with his death so he could cross over and be reunited with his mother, Angel, who had died earlier and had been waiting for her reunion with Kody. With his redemption completed, Alex recalls and comes to terms with his suicide, and is able to recognize Sandy for who he is, at which point they are reunited in heaven.
Resolution: As Alex accomplishes the task, he sees himself full at the grave, where the name Alexander “Sandy” is on the headstone. He realizes that Sandy is, in fact, his son, who had died previously and led to his isolation and loss of interest in living. He also sees the accident scene clearly. He then sees himself in his car as the rescuers realize that he is dead. Just then, the truck plows through the cars, he sees the ghosts of the children Sandy showed him in the cars, with the other being the kid in the street, all of whom are killed in the crash.
Alex realizes that he has been dead throughout the story. This whole journey has, in reality, been about his own reclamation and redemption, which he must undergo before being allowed to join his son in the eternities. He also realizes that the children he has connected with are kids who died as an indirect result of his own suicide. As he has helped connect the child ghosts and their families, and helping all of them come to terms, they forgive him and, more importantly, he is able to forgive himself. His redemption complete, he is allowed to cross over himself, and join Sandy in the afterlife.
AJ Resolution: As Alex accomplishes the task, his recollections of his son and suicide attempt improve, and he realizes that Sandy is, in fact, his son, and that Alex himself had died, and has been dead throughout the story. This whole journey has, in reality, been about his own reclamation and redemption, which he must undergo before being allowed to join Sandy in the eternities. He also discovers that the children he has connected with are kids who died as an indirect result of his own suicide. Several cars had stopped to assist in the crash, and a truck had accidentally plowed through a few of the cars, killing 3 kids left in the cars as their parents tried to save Alex. His redemption complete, he is allowed to cross over and join Sandy in the afterlife.
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