Lesson 4

[Scott Billings]

10 most interesting things…

A hurricane ruins Ben and Claire’s honeymoon plans
The only motel room they can get has a dead body in it.
Claire finds Ben lost his job and is heavily in debt
Ben finds out Claire slept with her ex-husband recently.
A predatory sex addict turns out to be the state governor.
A clown/psychiatrist turns out to be a serial killer
Claire and Ben are kidnapped by the serial killer
Ben and Claire discuss their marital problems with the serial killer
They escape by going outside into the hurricane.
The night clerk saves Ben and Claire from the serial killer.

What I learned: helps you focus on the real hooks in the story.

[Sandy Nichols]

Sandy Nichols – 10 Most Interesting things
1)Opening Hook – Deaf drivers / traffic jam
2) Animal give back
3) Diverse cast from various racial & ethic backgrounds
4) Current event topics
5) Relatable
6) Interesting for ages 18-80
7) characters are gay, straight and somewhere in between
8) Characters are "colorful" and sassy
9) Based on real life
10) Beautiful high end building

What I learned – some of my interesting points run together. Might need to spice up some of the points or add additional ones!

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.

[Diane Keranen]

Diane’s 10 Most Interesting Things

What I learned doing this assignment is that my image of the villain and hero was too indistinct for my writing. While I thought I had a clear idea of them in my mind, effective wording was difficult to find. The next level of this problem was working to define more clearly the concepts in order to communicate them to producers and thereby avoiding feeling the need to add too many story details. Great assignment!

1. The script is a timely and unique, high-concept, veteran story – there isn’t a magical fix at the end.
2. The major hook at the beginning. A ten-year-old boy is traumatized when he shoots and kills a rabbit.
3. One major twist is that the villain respects the veteran, the villain harms the veteran, and the villain knows harm is being imposed.
4. Profound experience for the audience.
5. Strong emotional dilemmas for the veterans.
6. Suicide becomes an option.
7. Great roles for actors.
8. Wide audience appeal.
9. While not a true story, it is true to life.
10. Budget friendly.