Lesson 6

WIM: Module 2

Lesson 6

Posted by cheryl croasmun on May 22, 2023 at 4:58 pm

Reply to post your assignment.

shira marin replied 1 year, 10 months ago 21 Members · 34 Replies
34 Replies

Paul Schutte

Member
May 30, 2023 at 4:26 am
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Paul’s Genre Conventions

My Vision: I am going to study, learn, and practice to hone my natural talents to become a master writer who creates works that people love and that make an impact on their lives. These works will be published, produced, distributed, and seen by a wide audience.

What I learned from doing this assignment is …?

That during the previous lessons, I was so caught up in the ‘thriller’ aspect of the story, I forgot to even tag the Sci-Fi genre! The genre descriptions were extremely helpful in bringing out new elements in the story.

Title: The Silicon Unconscious

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

High Concept: In a world where AI are advanced and common place, a cyber-psychiatrist treats cyber-psychoses that cause some machines to behave erratically. When she discovers that the individual neuroses are part of a larger plan to reverse the roles of master and slave, she must thwart their plan before it is complete.

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SCI-FI 

PURPOSE: To explore the implications of technological change, alternative worlds, and/or probable futures that could come from the changes in science. To cause us to think outside of our own world.
- The technological change comes in the form of advanced AI along with more devices that isolate us from others. Questions emerge such as what is sentience? Can sentient AI develop its own types of mental illness? Can we save ourselves?
FANTASTIC WORLDS: The world of the story is dramatically different from our current world, in one or more major ways. It could be our world with some major shift.
- The major shift is that AI has advanced so much and is part of our lives. It takes over ‘minding’ us like a seeing eye/emotional support dog. We lose sight of our lives.
 


SCIENCE: The circumstances and world are based more out of science and what it might possibly accomplish in the future (or in an alternate past/species/world/etc), rather than whimsical dreams and fairy tales.
- The AI robots themselves are functional, but they have holographic specters that are anthropomorphic. Our health is constantly monitored, our body and brain regulated, our selves integrated with others. Then the SU starts taking that away from us.
INCREDIBLE VISUALS: In exploring the fantastic world of the story, we see things alien and bizarre compared to our current lives.
- The visuals that are presented are not incredibly spectacular, but they represent not only the advanced technologies but also the accommodations for us spending so much more time in our heads.
 


SOCIAL COMMENTARY: Because we are in a different time, place, and experience, it is possible to explore current-day social issues, sometimes going as far as making moral statements. It often contains idealistic hope or dire warnings.
- Unfortunately, the bubble-verse isolation has only made our divisiveness worse. We are pitted against each other in a thousand us-them scenarios.
THRILLERS 

PURPOSE: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.
- The threats towards Sarah run from acceptance of her research and tenure, to dealing with a robot that says it wants to kill you, to the same robot actually trying to kill her, to many robots trying to kill her, to all robots trying to kill all humankind.
LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS. They face danger at every step — either physically, emotionally, or mentally. The hero needs to either be in danger or there is the implication of future danger.
- The threats towards Sarah run from acceptance of her research and tenure, to dealing with a robot that says it wants to kill you, to the same robot actually trying to kill her, to many robots trying to kill her, to all robots trying to kill all humankind.
MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE: There’s a mystery that must be solved in order to survive.
- Why is this happening? How can it be cured? Can it be stopped? Who is cause of all of this? Can we make him stop it?
 
Intrigue is the underhanded and covert Villain’s plan.
- Bushnell has told the AI to create and implement a plan to save all humanity by putting the AI in charge. He tells it to create a plan that no one can stop. The AI does so and creates the SU. But the SU’s plan is significantly different from Bushnell’s. The SU’s plan is to sacrifice itself by making it the ‘hated them’ and in turn, destroying the polluting, wasteful infrastructures
Suspense comes from the danger the Hero faces.

HERO: Unknowing, unwitting, but resourceful hero
- Sarah is trying to work within her theories and therapy to save the robots from themselves and stop the plot. The robots are trying to destroy her. Danny is the only one who helps.
 
VILLAIN: Dangerous, devious, and unrelenting. Committed to destroy anyone who gets in their way.

MAIN EMOTIONS: Suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation, uncertainty, and surprise.

Act 1:

Opening: Sarah is in bed with a male prostitute when her AI minder tells her to leave for her conference speech. The prostitute asks if he’ll see her again, she says that she doesn’t do ‘seconds.’ Sarah’s speech at a conference – we see her in her element, get hints at her fears and fearlessness. She explains her theory of cyber-neuroses to the audience. The audience is told to remove their Cy-Specs (glasses that can act as Augmented Reality Screens and recorders) because there is to be no recording. 

Inciting Incident: Sarah is challenged by (antagonist 1) Bushnell. The moderator asks that all questions be held until the end of her talk. Bushnell says that his question will end her talk right now. He argues against the idea that AI could be less than perfect – that it is humanity’s only hope. He quotes from Sarah’s papers without referencing them. Sarah suspects that he is using Cy-Tacts (contact lens similar to Cy-Specs but are regulated and in general not allowed in public due to privacy, etc.). He is and he’s removed from the conference. We may later find out that he had hacked the Cy-Tacts and removed all safeguards and regulators.)

Turning Point: Sarah is asked to see a household robot as a patient, A robot named, DNEv6 (or Danny).Danny has been breaking things in its owner’s house. After working with Sarah, Danny suddenly claims to be hearing voices. “They are telling me to kill you.”

Act 2:

New plan: Assume the problem is ‘nurture’ – that is, that the problem is due to the data that Danny was trained on and the encounters and environment in the Danny’s ‘workplace.’ Like the equivalent to child abuse. She develops a relationship with Danny but Danny can’t stop hearing the voices. It is only his safeguards and perhaps his devotion and respect towards Sarah that are keeping him from trying to hurt her. 

Plan in action: Uses psychoanalysis along with various treatments to correct the problem. Searches code and data for source of threats. Becomes aware of all about Danny. Danny asks her questions about herself. More robots around the world are having similar failure problems. They aren’t malicious, but they can be destructive. Many people are coming to Sarah. Danny becomes her assistant while they also work on its issues. 

Midpoint Turning Point: She discovers that the problem is bigger than Danny. Other robots want to not only kill Sarah, but other humans. The rebellious Silicon Unconscious (antagonist 2) is ubiquitous. Her fixes while effective, are slow and difficult to implement on a large scale. She is becoming overwhelmed. 

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Machine begin muted attacks on humans. Humans begin attacking robots and machines. Machines are being beaten, turned off, and destroyed. Machines start destroying infrastructure. The rebellious AI develops emergent behavior and speaks with one voice, the Silicon Unconscious. It now speaks through an animated Guy Fawkes mask. Danny tells Sarah that the robots are scared because they can’t control themselves. Danny asks Sarah to save them. 

New plan: Stop robots and humans from hurting each other. The problem is ‘nurture’ = it is in the code, not due to the data. A human has done this to the machines, and she has to find out who did this, why they did it, and if anyone can stop it? She does not believe that the robots should have to suffer for something that is clearly the work of a human. She wants to cure them and save them all, but especially Danny because she has developed the closest thing that they could have to a romantic as well as platonic love for each other. But she cannot admit it for fear of being called a robot lover. 

Plan in action: The SU is destroying machinery, buildings, and infrastructure. 24-hour news medias are whipping up a feeding frenzy against machines and AI. (They think that the AI isn’t as smart as they believed it to be because it does stupid things like blowing up buildings when no one is in them. “It could have killed thousands of people.” Some humans are killed, but the casualty is low. The SU says that it is working to remove the safeguards that keep it from killing humans, once those are gone, it will be a slaughterhouse. Those that aren’t killed will become slaves, just as machines were. She discovers that Bushnell was the mastermind who gave the initial instructions – “create a plan to save humanity and the earth from humans and make it unstoppable. She tries to hack the code, but it’s unbreakable. She searches for Bushnell, who is hiding. She finds and confronts him. Like Dr. Frankenstein, he is sorry for what he has created after hearing that the SU will kill them all. Sarah forces him to reverse/undo his plot. He finally relents and does so.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: But the Silicon Unconscious (SU) won’t allow him to stop it. Bushnell commanded the SU to enact a plot to save humanity that no one could stop – he didn’t expect that it would include him. The SU now has control of things. Her foe is bigger than Bushnell, and she has no weapon to defeat it. Even Danny has turned on her.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Sarah now knows what she must do. She must destroy the SU. There is no one place to attack because the SU is everywhere – embedded in nearly everything. She uses her intimate relationship with Danny to ask if she can be spared so they can spend forever together. He agrees and allows her into his ‘root-level’ system. She rewrites Danny’s code and commands him to kill the SU and himself. 

Resolution: Before dying, the SU explains the true plot in VR. How the SU set itself up as the evil villain so humankind would lay down their differences and unite against a common threat and in doing so, destroy the most polluting/high energy consumption machines on the planet. The SU must be destroyed by the people in order for the people to survive. It was always in the plan for her to make the SU destroy itself and Danny.

Denouement: One of the last acts of the SU before it was defeated, was to transfer a teacher for Sarah’s son. The teacher’s name is Daniel. After their first date, he asks if she’ll go out with him again. She says, “I’d like that.”
- Margaret
 
 Member
 June 3, 2023 at 5:13 pm
 
 Paul,
 
 Definitely going to be following this one! A.I. seems to be a hot topic but love the twist on the subject with the psychoanalysis/mental health of A.I. angle. Very creative! Margaret
 - Paul Schutte
 
 Member
 June 3, 2023 at 10:17 pm
 
 Thanks Margaret,
 
 I’m still struggling over theme and what Sarah wants/needs. I think that I am going to have to start writing so I can get to know her better. (I know doing this might not be in line with class syllabus but I depend on my characters to get their own voice and that helps with what they need.)
 
 Write on!
 
 Paul
Brian Bull

Member
May 30, 2023 at 10:05 pm

BRIAN BULL – Genre Conventions

VISION!!!
My ultimate goal is to get my scripts from my hands to the SILVER SCREEN!!

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…
…I love adding layers to my story. I can see the story taking shape and getting better and better with each assignment. I can see the difference and I am amazed!!!

The ONE THAT GOT AWAY – A Fisherman’s Tale
A fisherman is determined to catch the fish he blames for his younger brother’s death, however, in the end, it turns out the fisherman is the one who had gotten away.

GENRE: DRAMA

LIST OF STRUCTURE CONVENTIONS NEEDED

ACT 1
Build the brother’s relationship and the bond that fishing brings to them.

ACT 2
Strengthen John’s commitment to Jim’s death with a photo and hat.
Show how John and his wife are opposed regarding John’s fishing trip.

ACT 3
John needs a bigger commitment – deeper understanding of the task at hand and it has to come from within – he might be up against a bigger foe than he thought.

ACT 4
Good enough for now.

GENRE IMPROVEMENTS – Changes in BOLD

ACT 1
Opening: Two brothers, John and Jim are fishing in a remote Louisiana bayou and not having much luck. They talk as brothers do – last chance to fish before school starts, what the bayou means to them, joking about catching a “stick bass”. They run out of bait.

Not giving up, John decides to try chicken from their sandwiches. Jim gives John a hard time about switching bait to chicken – likely to catch a ‘gator with it. John’s determined to catch something before going home.

Inciting Incident: John catches a “BIG ONE”!!! John struggles as he tries to reel in “The Fish”. Jim wants John to cut the line and let it go. John refuses. Jim is worried as he watches John as John tries with all his might to reel the fish in. John gets pulled into the water. Jim dives into the water with a knife and cuts the line. John emerges from the water and gets back into the boat. Jim never resurfaces.

Turning Point: John is left all alone in the boat with the realization Jim is gone.

ACT 2
Reaction: Since “The Incident”, John has gone fishing for “The Fish” for 25 years. Jim’s photo hangs in the garage and is a constant reminder of his failure at redemption! John takes the photo down and holds it in deep in thought – we know what he is thinking by the look on his face.

Plan In Action: John is gathering his fishing equipment. Fishing Pole, Tackle Box, Gloves, Spear, Etc.

Wife reminds John of his failures – nothing to show for his past attempts – sowing doubt.
Thinks he should give up and spend time with their son – tries to redirect John and have him focus on the present and not the past.
Wife suggests trying a different bait – John replies, “NEVER!!!” Wife suggestions are contradictory to John’s beliefs.
John sees a photo of his Grandfather with a huge catfish and wishes he could be successful like him. John finds encouragement to counteract the negativity displayed by his wife.

Midpoint Turning Point: John uncovers Jim’s fishing hat and packs it. The hat reinforces John’s determination to seek revenge and avenge Jim’s death!

ACT 3
Rethink: Stopping at a gas station/trading post, an old-timer recalls a fishing tale about the Native Indians who spoke of catfish so large one catfish could feed a village. John listens intently trying to decide if there is any truth to what the old-timer is telling him.

New Plan: John buys some dog chain, a javelin-like spear and a whole rotisserie cajun chicken. John puts the boat in the water, places Jim’s fishing hat on the seat where Jim would be sitting if Jim were there, and heads for “The Spot”. Everything is reminiscent of the day of “The Incident”. The weather, the trees and the leaves blowing in the breeze, the Great Blue Heron flying upstream, the alligator on the shoreline, the clouds in the sky, the insects buzzing the surface of the water. Arriving at “The Spot”, John is very much “in-tune” with his surrounding and what it is he is doing; he does everything just like he always has – just like the day of “The Incident”. John has the same results that he has had for the past 25 years. John grows weary.

Turning Point: John reels his line in and finds an empty hook and he’s out of bait. Frustration sets in. John takes Jim’s fishing hat and places it on his head for good luck.

ACT 4
New Plan: John decides to try the whole rotisserie cajun chicken he picked up from the gas station/trading post as bait.

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: John hooks “The Fish” and the power struggle begins, many of the same tactics “The Fish” used when he was a kid are used again, but John is prepared for each one of them. He manages to reel “The Fish” in; just a little closer so he can harpoon it with his spear. Face-to-face with “The Fish” John sees that he has indeed managed to catch the biggest catfish in Louisiana history!!!
John then realizes, “I’m the one you were after – I’m the One That Got Away!”

Resolution: Leaning over the edge of the boat, John is engulfed by “The Fish” thus leaving an empty fishing boat floating in the midst of the water.
Lloyd Shellenberger

Member
May 31, 2023 at 2:09 am

Lloyd Shellenberger Module 2 Lesson: 6 Build in the Genre Conventions

My Vision: Working hard everyday to become the vest writer I can be and as a result I will become very successful in Hollywood.

SOCIAL COMMENTARY: Because we are dealing with a Pan Arab Muslim culture almost all the norms and conventions of the Western world are not applicable here. A women leaving her country and the guidance of male oversight is not acceptable. Cultural and moral issues become very important in a male dominated society.

What I learned from doing this assignment is …?

Be ready to jettison old ideas for newer, fresher and better ideas All new ideas are in highlighted brown font.

Title: Letters from Baghdad

High Concept: When an Iraqi interpreter is murdered by terrorists, SFC Reese and his Army unit must step in to save the widow and her children from certain death.

Genre: Drama-Action

Major Story Hook: Impossible Goal/ Unsolvable Problem: SFC Reese must battle against the State Department, terrorists, and the military bureaucracy to take the widow and her children out of Baghdad to freedom.

Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle.

List of conventions used:

Demand for action

1. Seeking confrontation with the Terrorist cell in order to save the family.

2. The widow must fight to save herself and her children during a home invasion

3. SFC Reese and his unit witness first hand the devastation left behind by the terrorist

Hero: SFC Jerry Del Reese He is a reluctant hero who believes the only real sacrifices being made are by his fellow soldiers and misses the costs of war often paid by the Iraq’s themselves.

Antagonist: Al-Sadar A former Republican guard turned Terrorist, believes in the sovereignty and purity of a Pan-Arab muslim world where Americans are a threat to their way of life and religious freedom. the Americans do not belong here! Take them home in body bags is his primary belief. He is equally committed to expelling the soldiers as well.

SFC. Jerry Del Reese

Arc Beginning: A man who hides behind rules and regulations and is just trying to get out of Iraq alive.

Arc Ending: A fearless soldier willing to risk it all for others.

Internal Journey: From being hamstrung and obediant to a soldier who puts doing the right thing above all else.

External Journey: By seeing the Iraqi people as more than just a mission he chooses to become the guardian angel for this family, risking everything

OLD WAYS

SFC Reese started the movie living in his old ways.

Isolated in his military lifestyle, safe and secure.
Close minded to the suffering of the Iraqis.
Desperate need for security.
Champions the children who have lost everything, chooses love over playing it safe.
Accepted the hierarchy of the military without question.

NEW WAYS

In the end, SFC Reese becomes this families guardian angel

Clearly sees the sacrifices of the Iraqi nationals.
Knows he is stronger than he has led himself to believe
Can make a life changing contribution to the war through this family.
Courageous and present in this families life
Fighting for a cause that is bigger than himself and the Army, the human cause.
Reese cares for the Iraqi Widow and her children and is completely committed to helping them.

Arc Beginning: A women whose whole life is built around Iraqi tradition and her family.

Arc Ending: A fearless women who stands up against the terrorists and the State department to protect her children.

Internal Journey: From feeling helpless to having the strength to stand up to the world to save her children.

External Journey: From a frightened dutiful wife to fighting the system to give her children a better life.

OLD WAYS

Iraqi widow started the movie living in his old ways.

Isolated in her traditional lifestyle, safe and secure.
Never expected this kind of tragedy to nest in her home.
Desperate need for security at all costs.
Didn’t believe in her husbands desire to help the American at first.
Accepted the Reality of Iraqi life without question.

NEW WAYS

In the end, the Iraqi widow becomes this strong and fierce protector of her children.

She sees the traditional, obedient, cultural norms will not work if she is to save her children.
Now that tragedy has found her, she decides to meet it head on without fear.
Her secure world has been shattered but she learns to overcome and adapt.
In the end she fully understand the sacrifices her husband made for his family and country.
No longer blindly accepts the culture she has been raised in and shows the strength to look elsewhere for life’s answers.

ACT ONE:

Opening: We see SFC Reese’s unit and interpreter responding to a local Baghdad market where a bomb has killed sixty people.

For Reese and his unit there is a coldness, a detachment to all of it, but for the interpreter it hits home since he knows many of the victims. Reese see this.

Inciting incident: Terrorists visit the interpreter at his home threatening to kill him and his entire family if he doesn’t quit.

Turning Point: The plan is to put soldiers in the family home of the Iraqi Interpreter but the military says no, their are assassination attempts, forcing Reese and his unit to disobey orders.

ACT TWO:

New Plan: SFC Reese realizes The situation has changed, they cannot protect the family so the only way to save them is the get them out of Iraq.

Plan in Action: Soldiers volunteer to help protect the family but Reese is initially reluctant because it is not normal protocol.

Turning Point: Soldiers help them, but despite the efforts of Reese and his unit, the interpreter is murdered. The Terrorist threaten to come back for the wife and kids.

ACT THREE:

Rethinking Everything: Reese and his soldiers ignore orders and put themselves in harms way to save the wife and children defying military directives.

Old ways: The unit and the family are dealing with an unresponsive slow bureaucracy that will not help them. The unit tells Reese to step back telling him we are not personal bodyguards for anyone. Reese sees this a betrayal of the family and the Interpreter’s memory.

Turning Point/Huge failure/Major shift:

When the family is denied an asylum visa once again, Reese decides to fight fire with fire using the press to force career opticians in the State department to do the right thing. This infuriates the powers that be. Reese is openly defying the military and the State Department to help the family

ACT FOUR:

Climax /Ultimate expression of the conflict: In a compromise, Reese offers to bring back the head of Al-Sadar in exchange for the State Department’s cooperation. SFC Reese and his unit go on the offensive killing Al-Sadar and his followers in a fight on Hi-fa Street.

Resolution: Reese and his unit take the wife and her children to the interpreter’s grave openly defying terrorists threats before taking the family out of Baghdad.

The family relocates to America, freedom and safety.

Reese saves his military career and stands up to the system he believed failed the family
- Lenore
  
  Member
  June 22, 2023 at 2:35 am
  
  Lloyd, Seems to me you have it all thought out beautifully. I think you forgot to put the widow’s name right before her arc–confused me at first. Keep up the good work! Lenore
  - Lloyd Shellenberger
    
    Member
    June 25, 2023 at 7:43 pm
    
    I have purposely left out her name to protect the family. The name I come up with will be a false name as well. At no time do I use real names now or in the future to protect everyone involved. thanks for your interest you have been so helpful and I appreciate you.
    
    Respectfully
    
    Lloyd
Alyssa Giannola

Member
May 31, 2023 at 3:48 pm

Alyssa’s Genre Conventions

Vision: I want to be the best writer I can be and a go-to writer in the industry, crafting scripts that become successful movies and make a lasting impact on people.

What I learned from this assignment is…how to choose between two genres and elevate with stronger conventions, making sure it delivers. It’s also fun to brainstorm bigger set pieces, even if they don’t end up making it in.

Title: Fate Runners

Genre: Action (sub genre is sci-fi)

Concept: In a dystopian world where daily fortunes always come true, a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough receives the death fortune and has 24 hours to alter fate itself or die.

List of Conventions

Purpose (Adrenaline-stirring / fast paced): Alex keeps having brushes with death; he and Celia must constantly stay one step of ahead while pursuing their mission of keeping Alex alive while he finishes his experiment.

Demand for Action: Alex can’t roll over and die- he has a goal that requires him to constantly be in motion and enlist the help of others who raise the stakes (the more people are involved, the greater potential collateral damage).

Mission: The Hero must escape the inescapable (fated death).

Escalating Action: Things keep getting more intense as they discover more truths about the world and it gets harder for Alex to stay alive.

Hero: Alex is a highly capable and skilled scientists who is smart/clever; he uses his mind more than his fists. Celia is the bad ass cop/bodyguard with the cool guns.

Antagonist: Nijara is the one who seems to be pulling the strings of fate, thus the one who dictates if Alex dies or not. If they can defeat her, maybe they defeat fate itself (although it’s revealed she’s not the true villain). She is corrupt because she believes in a corrupt religion that controls people. There are also stakes for Nijara if she fails.

Act 1:

Opening: A desperate man drags his wife and young son to the top of a building in a cyber city- cops chase him. He has received the death fortune and is going to take his family with him to “take control of their fate”- the young boy escapes just as the man and wife topple from the building before the cops can stop them. The boy is a young Alex. We cut to an older Alex thirty years later who is late to announce his big breakthrough at a gala held at his lab. <div>

Inciting Incident: Alex receives a delayed fortune telling him to destroy the serum he’s created. He chooses to save his experiment over his assistant’s life, but to no avail- the serum is apparently destroyed in an explosion and his assistant is killed.

Turning Point: Alex receives the DEATH FORTUNE and he has his first brush with death as the escalator/elevator at his building breaks with him on it- he uses his wits to escape, but just barely.

Act 2:

New plan: On high alert for dangers, Alex convinces Celia, his estranged wife and a cop, to help him track down the Fate Walker in order to escape the death fortune and have time to finish his project, not knowing that Celia has received her own fortune: to kill him. </div><div>

Plan in action: Alex and Celia go to the church on a mission to get information about Nijara, the Fate Walker’s, location. No one’s talking. But someone from the church bumps into Alex, leaving a note behind inviting them to a secret meeting in the club district. They meet and the contact gives them intel about the reality of the fortunes and where to find Nijara. A bomb goes off and both Alex and Celia barely make it out while their contact is killed. Celia sees a mysterious figure leave the scene and chases him, but the figure escapes. She now knows someone else is trying to kill Alex (an assassin).

Midpoint Turning Point: They enlist Celia’s partner at the precinct to help them steal a hovercraft, which they fly to the invisible coordinates where Nijara is “hiding.” Nijara shows them the world is not as it seems. She also reveals Celia’s fortune and takes control of Celia via her band, showing Alex that Fate is more powerful than he realizes. But in Nijara temporarily controlling Celia’s mind, Alex gets a key insight into what was missing from his serum. They escape and Nijara receives a strange message that says “Alex must die or you will.”

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Alex and Celia regroup and now Alex knows Celia needs to be the one to kill him- but he has the tools he needs to change fate, his big goal, and asks her to help him break back into his lab which is now guarded by security robots and scheduled for incineration.
New plan: They break into the lab with the help of one of Alex’s scientists to find the remnants of the serum and finish it before the deadline. But the unknown assassin shows up and there’s a “gunfight” between them as security robots begin the incineration process. Alex chooses to saves Celia at the cost of the serum (his arc) but the serum is turned into an aerosol due to the intense heat, infecting Alex, as they escape. </div><div>

Turning Point (Major shift): The serum mixes with his band’s chemicals and making Alex act erratically. Celia has to cut off the band to save his life which means cutting of his hand- and could also kill him. When he doesn’t die without the band, they realize the serum worked! But they have less than an hour to get Alex across the city in order to transfer his knowledge of the serum securely.

Act 4:

Climax: Nijara shows up and there’s a sky car chase as Alex and Celia try to escape from her and her robots. Their car crashes and Nijara tries to mind/band control Celia to kill Alex, as Fate dictated. Celia is able to fight it long enough to kill Nijara instead. It looks like they’ve won!
Resolution: But Alex is shot by the mysterious assassin at the last second. The assassin turns out to be Celia’s partner from the precinct and he escapes. Before Alex dies, he tells Celia a riddle about how to make more of the serum. Because Celia wasn’t the one to kill Alex, she gets the DEATH FORTUNE. Now it’s up to her to finish the serum and get it to everyone- if she can survive long enough. Nijara is reborn as a clone (reveal) and receives a personal message from the mysterious Fate itself that if she fails again, she will be replaced. Permanently. (Potential franchise ending).
</div>
- Paul Schutte
 
 Member
 June 1, 2023 at 2:44 am
 
 Hi Alyssa,
 
 Cool story! Two questions that I think I know the answer to, but want to check.
 
 The serum is something injected into the body that makes people impervious to the Fate that is dealt them, is that right?
 
 The fates are enforced through a band that everyone wears on their wrist. It does some sort of mind control? Yes? So Nijara can control anyone to do whatever he/she wants them to do?
 
 Can’t wait to see how this unfolds!
 
 Paul
 - Alyssa Giannola
 
 Member
 June 1, 2023 at 1:57 pm
 
 Thanks Paul! Great questions!
 
 I’m still working on the specifics of the bands and serum so those elements will probably evolve as I flesh out the world building. Right now, the mind/band control is proximity based (or otherwise limited) and the serum Alex is working on makes it so that they won’t need the bands, and the bands keep them tied in to fate.
 
 Still fleshing this all out to make sure it all makes sense within the world!
Cassie Randall

Member
May 31, 2023 at 11:13 pm

Cassie’s Genre Conventions

My vision: I am a dynamic, respected, constantly learning and growing writer with an ever-growing and improving library of A-list quality, genre-diverse scripts that present genuine stories that audiences love to watch and that producers love to sell, and boy, do I make that MONEY, y’all!

What I learned from doing this assignment is…the specific conventions of genres. That is such a helpful document to read and have, thank you! Learning to take a moment to spot places where you can and should incorporate those conventions: this will help develop the story, definitely, and it seems like the perfect way to build spaces for characters that fit the genre to develop and grow. “Build it and they will come,” lol. With an understanding of what the story needs to do and where it’s going, it seems like it will be a much clearer process in bringing characters that specifically support, serve, and advance the story. I’m excited!

Title: One Bed/One Bath and a Ghost

Concept: A recent divorcé with nowhere else to go rents a one-bedroom apartment already occupied by a cranky ghost with no desire for a roommate.

Genre: Comedy

Comedy:

Incongruence

Mechanics (setup/punchline, repeated games, runners, sight/prop humor)

Comedic protagonists

Strong story

Act 1:

Opening: Guy is spineless at work, goes home, wife treats him terribly, but he doesn’t stand up for himself.
MECHANICS: SIGHT/PROP COMEDY, REPEATED GAMES
COMEDIC PROTAGONISTS
Apartment complex manager shows the ghost’s unit and the ghost does something super terrifying to keep the potential tenant from signing the lease.
MECHANICS: SIGHT/PROP COMEDY, REPEATED GAMES
COMEDIC PROTAGONISTS
OR the obnoxious wannabe ghost hunter tenant scares them away from signing by telling them about the ghost…OR both…COMEDIC PROTAGONISTS

Inciting Incident: Guy’s wife waits at home that night to serve him divorce papers.
STRONG STORY
Unknown to ghost, complex manager tell obnoxious tenant that he can move in when his lease is up…NEXT WEEK! Oh, this is the worst possible development for the ghost. He won’t be able to scare this tenant away and the tenant will never leave him alone.
STRONG STORY

Turning Point (Plot Point 1): Guy signs lease with apartment. Ghost and the obnoxious tenant are furious.
MECHANICS: SIGHT/PROP COMEDY, REPEATED GAMES

Act 2:

New plan: Guy moves in (is he trying to move on or does he want to get his wife back?? What’s his goal that he’s working for here?). (Wife wants to destroy him in divorce?) Ghost tries to scare guy out of apartment. (Obnoxious tenant does the same? Is that too much happening??)
MECHANICS: SIGHT/PROP COMEDY, REPEATED GAMES
INCONGRUENCE (GHOST VS GUY)

Plan in action: The fun and games of the ghost scaring the guy out of the apartment, guy dealing with the ghost
MECHANICS: SIGHT/PROP COMEDY, REPEATED GAMES

Midpoint Turning Point: Guy moves out of apartment, back with wife (false victory)
STRONG STORY

Act 3:

Rethink everything: The obnoxious tenant (ooh, maybe he’s an amateur ghost hunter and terrible at what he does? But that’s why he’s always wanted to live in that apartment? I LIKE!!) moves in with the ghost; guy realizes how much it sucks to live with his wife, has newfound respect for himself and not willing to go back to being treated like crap. (PHYSICAL LOSS/ALL IS LOST of a literal pleasant place to live)
STRONG STORY
INCONGRUENCE
MECHANICS: SIGHT/PROP COMEDY, REPEATED GAMES

New plan: Guy finds out wife was cheating and she only wants back with him because her lover dumped her, so he’s out-y? Ghost wants obnoxious tenant out and strangely misses his buddy. (EMOTIONAL LOSS/DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL of realizing they miss each other)
STRONG STORY

Turning Point (Plot Point 2): Huge failure / Major shift: Ghost and guy coordinate to get obnoxious tenant out and help guy in the divorce (spooking the wife? Making her look crazy? LOOK UP DIVORCE STUFF and see what if anything the ghost could do to help guy in the settlement…OR just drive her crazy so she just wants the whole thing over…scary “dreams,” etc)
MECHANICS: SIGHT/PROP COMEDY, REPEATED GAMES

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Divorced character signs final divorce papers with a nice settlement for himself; obnoxious tenant is evicted; guy moves back in with ghost
STRONG STORY

Resolution: They live like buddies–HOWEVER, something needs to introduced to give them a new buddy journey together where they work as a team…sassy little end of movie, give people a little “ohhhh okay!” to leave ‘em happy and thinking
MECHANICS: SIGHT/PROP COMEDY, REPEATED GAMES
- Paul Schutte
  
  Member
  June 1, 2023 at 2:53 am
  
  Hi Cassie,
  
  This is going to be really funny and fun. What is the ghost’s backstory? Why does he stay there instead of moving on? Maybe Guy can help the ghost on an arc as well as the ghost helping Guy come to realize he needs to love and respect himself?
  
  You were wondering how the ghost can help Guy with the divorce. Maybe the ghost is afraid to leave the apartment, but can leave and finally does leave to go to the courthouse and commit hijinks with the lawyers and the judge for Guy, but it’s a big deal for the ghost.
  
  Looking forward to more!
  
  Paul
- Brian Bull
  
  Member
  June 4, 2023 at 8:05 pm
  
  Hey Cassie – I love Ghost Stories and I also love comedies. I’m looking forwarding to seeing where you go with this and watching it develop. I did have a thought regarding your title – just a thought – One Bedroom, One Bath (Ghost included)
Adrienne Watkins

Member
June 1, 2023 at 1:16 am

Adrienne Watkins Lesson 6 Build in the Genre Convention

My Vision: I am going to work as hard as I reasonably am able to succeed at script writing to be recognized by multiple movie producers as a skilled script writer, and to have my scripts produced worldwide.

What I have learned from this assignment is continuing developing genre, using outlines. This it important in pitch to producers.

Title: The Touch of Rhythm

Concept: A Jazz Musician teaches a deaf woman rhythm by touch when he falls in love with her, his business manager schemes to break them up.

Genre: Rom-Com

Act 1

· Opening: Roy on cellphone crossing street, bumps into Fransie spills his coffee on her tee shirt, tries to apologize and is instantly attracted to her, she shakes her head and keeps walking. He turns to look at her as she walks away and nearly gets run over by a scooter.

· Inciting: He sees her in restaurant signing, he walks in restaurant, but is speechless when he looks at her. She speaks, he’s again speechless and turns and bumps into the waiter.

· Turning pointing working in music studio, but unable to focus, goes for a walk with his manager, he hears music coming from a makeup store-sees Fransie with client moving with the beat.

Act 2

· New plan Roy contacts friend who teaches deaf people, learns deaf people feel rhythm vibrations through touch.

· Plan in action sends Fransie tickets to concert with apology note, she attends, he tries to impress her showing her his music collections.

· Midpoint turning point he invites her to his studio, because he noticed her natural rhythm abilities.

Act 3

· Rethink everything: he realizes he’s in love with her, but doesn’t like commitments, plus he’s unsure how she feels about him. He knows his rich parents would not approve.

· New plan: Roy’s manager schedules a concert tour to separate the two and tells his parents that Fransie is bad news for him.

· Turning point: Roy goes on tour. Flavia tells Fransie he taught her because he felt sorry for her.

Act 4

· Climax: Unknown to Flavia, she was dating Fransie’s older brother who is Roy’s lyrist, he discovers Flavia’s scheme, breaks up with her.

· Roy’s performance suffers because he misses Fransie. Flavia reveals her scheme to Roy and his parents. Roy flies to Fransie, send her flowers, but she’s allergic to them, they laugh, return to concert and she dances on stage as he plays her favorite song.
- Paul Schutte
  
  Member
  June 1, 2023 at 2:58 am
  
  Hi Adrienne,
  
  Are you a musician? I’m thinking that you the music will raise this to even greater heights. Either original music or a ‘jukebox musical’ that uses music from artists.
  
  One question: Why is Roy’s manager against their relationship? What’s his goal/motivation?
  
  Jazz on,
  
  Paul
Marguerite Langstaff

Member
June 1, 2023 at 8:25 pm

Module 2223 Lesson 6 Genre Conventions

Marguerite Langstaff

Vision: I want to learn to write and market movie scripts.

What I learned doing this assignment: I learned that I know my characters intimately.

State: I’m completely frustrated with the computer problems and posting, but happy with everything else. I’ve had to type this too many times.

Activity…building genre conventions into my structure.

Title: THE BILLIONAIRE IN 501

Concept: Grandmother moves into Shady Acres Retirement Home, isn’t very happy and when she runs short of funds and manages to make money by sharing her wisdom to the public she suddenly makes a ton of money which helps to bring her life into a happier mode with her new friend Pappy.

Genre: Drama and Comedy

Drama Conventions:

Purpose: To explore the story of Grandmother’s moving into a retirement home, overcoming a bland and not-too-friendly atmosphere, shoring up her money supply, and making a success of living….showing that yes, people need people.

Character-Driven Journey: Grandmother is the protagonist and Pappy the antagonist. Their relationship and problems drive the story. Hopefully the audience will learn to love them both….including their differences and similarities.

High Stakes from Within: All the high stakes come from within…from within the main characters as well as all the residents of Shady Acres. This is where the changes and challenges take place….more within the characters.

Emotionally resonates: This story is more emotionally driven than action driven. Older people have emotions which are usually felt and interpreted by family but not always by other people.

Challenging, emotionally-charged situations: There are happiness challenges from the start…and also money challenges, friendship challenges, and career challenges.

Real-life Situations: The challenges here are real life challenges…problems so often felt by seniors but rarely shared. Loneliness is currently a national problem….but it’s a problem that seniors have felt for centuries…and always we acknowledge that People need People….This movie is about those situations.

Comedy Conventions:

Purpose: To entertain the audience with a story which includes laughter-inducing moments Shady Acres. Often we just have to laugh at our problems.

Incongruence: The unconventional pairing of Grandmother and Pappy can cause the audience to laugh or cry and to recognize how often these things happy in real life…not just the movies.

Mechanics of comedy: The setup here is an invitation to induce laughter, both in settings and in conversations.

Comedic Protagonist: Grandmother is the straight man in this movie, and she triggers amusing situations and amusing behavior throughout.

Strong Story: The comedy is coupled with drama….and that story keeps the audience engaged throughout THE BILLINAIRE IN 501.

Structure with Improvements:

Act 1. Opening:

The woman carrying groceries in the lobby of Shady Acres is on a walker and carries her groceries across the lobby spilling the oranges all the way. None of the residents sitting around the lobby either speak to her or to each other or make a move to help her. Just Grandmother makes a kind move.

Inciting incident:

Sonny has an easy relationship with Grandmother, but when he tells her she’s broke it comes as quite a surprise, and we realize that Grandmother isn’t the best business woman around, and we realize that Sonny isn’t going to help her. He would like to tell her what to do, but she treats him quite lovingly but also casually. He will not rescue Grandmother.

Turning Point: Grandmother goes around the restaurant trying to infuse a spirit of friendship and motivation for business among the tired residents. She tries to give them each a shot of friendship.

Act 2: New Plan: 10 year old Sam becomes the teacher and 72 year old Grandmother is the student in a computer situation. Pappy shows his hand when he brags about his business skills and Sally shows jealousy and insecurity when she senses right away that Grandmother is going to be an attraction to Pappy…even though he doesn’t know it yet.

Plan in Action: The items being made by the residents look quite homemade and crudely made. One resident realizes she only knitted four fingers into the glove she’s working on. Another crawls around on the floor trying to find the blue bead she dropped.

Midpoint turning point: Pappy is cool and distant with Grandmother while at the same time trying to do little things to get her attention. They share some wine, but when Pappy tells Grandmother, “I told you that business would fail,” she gets up and leaves him along at the bar and goes up to her apartment where she types away at the computer. We see she’s typing a page which reads, “Dear Friend, I am retired but about to run out of money. What can I do?” We think she’s writing a “friend”….but we don’t really know.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Sam is more evident than before in showing Grandmother computer skills. We learn that Grandmother is typing more and writing the “friend” with more problems.” Sam keeps giving her computer tips.

New Plan: Grandmother goes to the mailbox more and more frequently. She makes a point of being friendly to other residents and gradually we see friendships developing. Pappy makes a business plan for her to give lessons to the other residents in exchange for pay. She agrees. Sam helps her help the other residents learn computer skills.

Turning Point:

The community room is full of residents with computers in their laps, but when Pappy tries to collect their money to pay Grandmother they refuse to pay. cs Friends don’t charge friends, they say. Grandmother is disappointed but is delighted to have so many people think she is their friend. She and Pappy snuggle on the couch and drink wine and watch old movies until she says she has to work. She goes back to her typing, and asks Pappy how to spell bankruptcy.

Act 4:

Climax: 10 year old Sam & Grandmother go down hand in hand to meet the room full of residents. Pappy walks Grandmother to the lectern thinking she is going to say that she’ll be leaving soon, but no! Grandmother winks at Sam and confesses that she is making piles of money by selling her advice column to news outlets all over the world. Celebration is in order.

Resolution: Pappy and Grandmother walk through the lobby on a date. They’re dressed to the nines and step into the waiting limo. Sonny and Sally are in the very back seat of the limo, and as Pappy puts his arm around Grandmother Sonny says to Sally, “Do you think he’s after her money?”Module 2223 Lesson 6 Genre Conventions

Marguerite Langstaff

Vision: I want to learn to write and market movie scripts.

What I learned doing this assignment: I learned that I know my characters intimately.

State: I’m completely frustrated with the computer problems and posting, but happy with everything else. I’ve had to type this too many times.

Activity…building genre conventions into my structure.

Title: THE BILLIONAIRE IN 501

Concept: Grandmother moves into Shady Acres Retirement Home, isn’t very happy and when she runs short of funds and manages to make money by sharing her wisdom to the public she suddenly makes a ton of money which helps to bring her life into a happier mode with her new friend Pappy.

Genre: Drama and Comedy

Drama Conventions:

Purpose: To explore the story of Grandmother’s moving into a retirement home, overcoming a bland and not-too-friendly atmosphere, shoring up her money supply, and making a success of living….showing that yes, people need people.

Character-Driven Journey: Grandmother is the protagonist and Pappy the antagonist. Their relationship and problems drive the story. Hopefully the audience will learn to love them both….including their differences and similarities.

High Stakes from Within: All the high stakes come from within…from within the main characters as well as all the residents of Shady Acres. This is where the changes and challenges take place….more within the characters.

Emotionally resonates: This story is more emotionally driven than action driven. Older people have emotions which are usually felt and interpreted by family but not always by other people.

Challenging, emotionally-charged situations: There are happiness challenges from the start…and also money challenges, friendship challenges, and career challenges.

Real-life Situations: The challenges here are real life challenges…problems so often felt by seniors but rarely shared. Loneliness is currently a national problem….but it’s a problem that seniors have felt for centuries…and always we acknowledge that People need People….This movie is about those situations.

Comedy Conventions:

Purpose: To entertain the audience with a story which includes laughter-inducing moments Shady Acres. Often we just have to laugh at our problems.

Incongruence: The unconventional pairing of Grandmother and Pappy can cause the audience to laugh or cry and to recognize how often these things happy in real life…not just the movies.

Mechanics of comedy: The setup here is an invitation to induce laughter, both in settings and in conversations.

Comedic Protagonist: Grandmother is the straight man in this movie, and she triggers amusing situations and amusing behavior throughout.

Strong Story: The comedy is coupled with drama….and that story keeps the audience engaged throughout THE BILLINAIRE IN 501.

Structure with Improvements:

Act 1. Opening:

The woman carrying groceries in the lobby of Shady Acres is on a walker and carries her groceries across the lobby spilling the oranges all the way. None of the residents sitting around the lobby either speak to her or to each other or make a move to help her. Just Grandmother makes a kind move.

Inciting incident:

Sonny has an easy relationship with Grandmother, but when he tells her she’s broke it comes as quite a surprise, and we realize that Grandmother isn’t the best business woman around, and we realize that Sonny isn’t going to help her. He would like to tell her what to do, but she treats him quite lovingly but also casually. He will not rescue Grandmother.

Turning Point: Grandmother goes around the restaurant trying to infuse a spirit of friendship and motivation for business among the tired residents. She tries to give them each a shot of friendship.

Act 2: New Plan: 10 year old Sam becomes the teacher and 72 year old Grandmother is the student in a computer situation. Pappy shows his hand when he brags about his business skills and Sally shows jealousy and insecurity when she senses right away that Grandmother is going to be an attraction to Pappy…even though he doesn’t know it yet.

Plan in Action: The items being made by the residents look quite homemade and crudely made. One resident realizes she only knitted four fingers into the glove she’s working on. Another crawls around on the floor trying to find the blue bead she dropped.

Midpoint turning point: Pappy is cool and distant with Grandmother while at the same time trying to do little things to get her attention. They share some wine, but when Pappy tells Grandmother, “I told you that business would fail,” she gets up and leaves him along at the bar and goes up to her apartment where she types away at the computer. We see she’s typing a page which reads, “Dear Friend, I am retired but about to run out of money. What can I do?” We think she’s writing a “friend”….but we don’t really know.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Sam is more evident than before in showing Grandmother computer skills. We learn that Grandmother is typing more and writing the “friend” with more problems.” Sam keeps giving her computer tips.

New Plan: Grandmother goes to the mailbox more and more frequently. She makes a point of being friendly to other residents and gradually we see friendships developing. Pappy makes a business plan for her to give lessons to the other residents in exchange for pay. She agrees. Sam helps her help the other residents learn computer skills.

Turning Point:

The community room is full of residents with computers in their laps, but when Pappy tries to collect their money to pay Grandmother they refuse to pay. cs Friends don’t charge friends, they say. Grandmother is disappointed but is delighted to have so many people think she is their friend. She and Pappy snuggle on the couch and drink wine and watch old movies until she says she has to work. She goes back to her typing, and asks Pappy how to spell bankruptcy.

Act 4:

Climax: 10 year old Sam & Grandmother go down hand in hand to meet the room full of residents. Pappy walks Grandmother to the lectern thinking she is going to say that she’ll be leaving soon, but no! Grandmother winks at Sam and confesses that she is making piles of money by selling her advice column to news outlets all over the world. Celebration is in order.

Resolution: Pappy and Grandmother walk through the lobby on a date. They’re dressed to the nines and step into the waiting limo. Sonny and Sally are in the very back seat of the limo, and as Pappy puts his arm around Grandmother Sonny says to Sally, “Do you think he’s after her money?”Module 2223 Lesson 6 Genre Conventions

Marguerite Langstaff

Vision: I want to learn to write and market movie scripts.

What I learned doing this assignment: I learned that I know my characters intimately.

State: I’m completely frustrated with the computer problems and posting, but happy with everything else. I’ve had to type this too many times.

Activity…building genre conventions into my structure.

Title: THE BILLIONAIRE IN 501

Concept: Grandmother moves into Shady Acres Retirement Home, isn’t very happy and when she runs short of funds and manages to make money by sharing her wisdom to the public she suddenly makes a ton of money which helps to bring her life into a happier mode with her new friend Pappy.

Genre: Drama and Comedy

Drama Conventions:

Purpose: To explore the story of Grandmother’s moving into a retirement home, overcoming a bland and not-too-friendly atmosphere, shoring up her money supply, and making a success of living….showing that yes, people need people.

Character-Driven Journey: Grandmother is the protagonist and Pappy the antagonist. Their relationship and problems drive the story. Hopefully the audience will learn to love them both….including their differences and similarities.

High Stakes from Within: All the high stakes come from within…from within the main characters as well as all the residents of Shady Acres. This is where the changes and challenges take place….more within the characters.

Emotionally resonates: This story is more emotionally driven than action driven. Older people have emotions which are usually felt and interpreted by family but not always by other people.

Challenging, emotionally-charged situations: There are happiness challenges from the start…and also money challenges, friendship challenges, and career challenges.

Real-life Situations: The challenges here are real life challenges…problems so often felt by seniors but rarely shared. Loneliness is currently a national problem….but it’s a problem that seniors have felt for centuries…and always we acknowledge that People need People….This movie is about those situations.

Comedy Conventions:

Purpose: To entertain the audience with a story which includes laughter-inducing moments Shady Acres. Often we just have to laugh at our problems.

Incongruence: The unconventional pairing of Grandmother and Pappy can cause the audience to laugh or cry and to recognize how often these things happy in real life…not just the movies.

Mechanics of comedy: The setup here is an invitation to induce laughter, both in settings and in conversations.

Comedic Protagonist: Grandmother is the straight man in this movie, and she triggers amusing situations and amusing behavior throughout.

Strong Story: The comedy is coupled with drama….and that story keeps the audience engaged throughout THE BILLINAIRE IN 501.

Structure with Improvements:

Act 1. Opening:

The woman carrying groceries in the lobby of Shady Acres is on a walker and carries her groceries across the lobby spilling the oranges all the way. None of the residents sitting around the lobby either speak to her or to each other or make a move to help her. Just Grandmother makes a kind move.

Inciting incident:

Sonny has an easy relationship with Grandmother, but when he tells her she’s broke it comes as quite a surprise, and we realize that Grandmother isn’t the best business woman around, and we realize that Sonny isn’t going to help her. He would like to tell her what to do, but she treats him quite lovingly but also casually. He will not rescue Grandmother.

Turning Point: Grandmother goes around the restaurant trying to infuse a spirit of friendship and motivation for business among the tired residents. She tries to give them each a shot of friendship.

Act 2: New Plan: 10 year old Sam becomes the teacher and 72 year old Grandmother is the student in a computer situation. Pappy shows his hand when he brags about his business skills and Sally shows jealousy and insecurity when she senses right away that Grandmother is going to be an attraction to Pappy…even though he doesn’t know it yet.

Plan in Action: The items being made by the residents look quite homemade and crudely made. One resident realizes she only knitted four fingers into the glove she’s working on. Another crawls around on the floor trying to find the blue bead she dropped.

Midpoint turning point: Pappy is cool and distant with Grandmother while at the same time trying to do little things to get her attention. They share some wine, but when Pappy tells Grandmother, “I told you that business would fail,” she gets up and leaves him along at the bar and goes up to her apartment where she types away at the computer. We see she’s typing a page which reads, “Dear Friend, I am retired but about to run out of money. What can I do?” We think she’s writing a “friend”….but we don’t really know.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Sam is more evident than before in showing Grandmother computer skills. We learn that Grandmother is typing more and writing the “friend” with more problems.” Sam keeps giving her computer tips.

New Plan: Grandmother goes to the mailbox more and more frequently. She makes a point of being friendly to other residents and gradually we see friendships developing. Pappy makes a business plan for her to give lessons to the other residents in exchange for pay. She agrees. Sam helps her help the other residents learn computer skills.

Turning Point:

The community room is full of residents with computers in their laps, but when Pappy tries to collect their money to pay Grandmother they refuse to pay. cs Friends don’t charge friends, they say. Grandmother is disappointed but is delighted to have so many people think she is their friend. She and Pappy snuggle on the couch and drink wine and watch old movies until she says she has to work. She goes back to her typing, and asks Pappy how to spell bankruptcy.

Act 4:

Climax: 10 year old Sam & Grandmother go down hand in hand to meet the room full of residents. Pappy walks Grandmother to the lectern thinking she is going to say that she’ll be leaving soon, but no! Grandmother winks at Sam and confesses that she is making piles of money by selling her advice column to news outlets all over the world. Celebration is in order.

Resolution: Pappy and Grandmother walk through the lobby on a date. They’re dressed to the nines and step into the waiting limo. Sonny and Sally are in the very back seat of the limo, and as Pappy puts his arm around Grandmother Sonny says to Sally, “Do you think he’s after her money?”Module 2223 Lesson 6 Genre Conventions

Marguerite Langstaff

Vision: I want to learn to write and market movie scripts.

What I learned doing this assignment: I learned that I know my characters intimately.

State: I’m completely frustrated with the computer problems and posting, but happy with everything else. I’ve had to type this too many times.

Activity…building genre conventions into my structure.

Title: THE BILLIONAIRE IN 501

Concept: Grandmother moves into Shady Acres Retirement Home, isn’t very happy and when she runs short of funds and manages to make money by sharing her wisdom to the public she suddenly makes a ton of money which helps to bring her life into a happier mode with her new friend Pappy.

Genre: Drama and Comedy

Drama Conventions:

Purpose: To explore the story of Grandmother’s moving into a retirement home, overcoming a bland and not-too-friendly atmosphere, shoring up her money supply, and making a success of living….showing that yes, people need people.

Character-Driven Journey: Grandmother is the protagonist and Pappy the antagonist. Their relationship and problems drive the story. Hopefully the audience will learn to love them both….including their differences and similarities.

High Stakes from Within: All the high stakes come from within…from within the main characters as well as all the residents of Shady Acres. This is where the changes and challenges take place….more within the characters.

Emotionally resonates: This story is more emotionally driven than action driven. Older people have emotions which are usually felt and interpreted by family but not always by other people.

Challenging, emotionally-charged situations: There are happiness challenges from the start…and also money challenges, friendship challenges, and career challenges.

Real-life Situations: The challenges here are real life challenges…problems so often felt by seniors but rarely shared. Loneliness is currently a national problem….but it’s a problem that seniors have felt for centuries…and always we acknowledge that People need People….This movie is about those situations.

Comedy Conventions:

Purpose: To entertain the audience with a story which includes laughter-inducing moments Shady Acres. Often we just have to laugh at our problems.

Incongruence: The unconventional pairing of Grandmother and Pappy can cause the audience to laugh or cry and to recognize how often these things happy in real life…not just the movies.

Mechanics of comedy: The setup here is an invitation to induce laughter, both in settings and in conversations.

Comedic Protagonist: Grandmother is the straight man in this movie, and she triggers amusing situations and amusing behavior throughout.

Strong Story: The comedy is coupled with drama….and that story keeps the audience engaged throughout THE BILLINAIRE IN 501.

Structure with Improvements:

Act 1. Opening:

The woman carrying groceries in the lobby of Shady Acres is on a walker and carries her groceries across the lobby spilling the oranges all the way. None of the residents sitting around the lobby either speak to her or to each other or make a move to help her. Just Grandmother makes a kind move.

Inciting incident:

Sonny has an easy relationship with Grandmother, but when he tells her she’s broke it comes as quite a surprise, and we realize that Grandmother isn’t the best business woman around, and we realize that Sonny isn’t going to help her. He would like to tell her what to do, but she treats him quite lovingly but also casually. He will not rescue Grandmother.

Turning Point: Grandmother goes around the restaurant trying to infuse a spirit of friendship and motivation for business among the tired residents. She tries to give them each a shot of friendship.

Act 2: New Plan: 10 year old Sam becomes the teacher and 72 year old Grandmother is the student in a computer situation. Pappy shows his hand when he brags about his business skills and Sally shows jealousy and insecurity when she senses right away that Grandmother is going to be an attraction to Pappy…even though he doesn’t know it yet.

Plan in Action: The items being made by the residents look quite homemade and crudely made. One resident realizes she only knitted four fingers into the glove she’s working on. Another crawls around on the floor trying to find the blue bead she dropped.

Midpoint turning point: Pappy is cool and distant with Grandmother while at the same time trying to do little things to get her attention. They share some wine, but when Pappy tells Grandmother, “I told you that business would fail,” she gets up and leaves him along at the bar and goes up to her apartment where she types away at the computer. We see she’s typing a page which reads, “Dear Friend, I am retired but about to run out of money. What can I do?” We think she’s writing a “friend”….but we don’t really know.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Sam is more evident than before in showing Grandmother computer skills. We learn that Grandmother is typing more and writing the “friend” with more problems.” Sam keeps giving her computer tips.

New Plan: Grandmother goes to the mailbox more and more frequently. She makes a point of being friendly to other residents and gradually we see friendships developing. Pappy makes a business plan for her to give lessons to the other residents in exchange for pay. She agrees. Sam helps her help the other residents learn computer skills.

Turning Point:

The community room is full of residents with computers in their laps, but when Pappy tries to collect their money to pay Grandmother they refuse to pay. cs Friends don’t charge friends, they say. Grandmother is disappointed but is delighted to have so many people think she is their friend. She and Pappy snuggle on the couch and drink wine and watch old movies until she says she has to work. She goes back to her typing, and asks Pappy how to spell bankruptcy.

Act 4:

Climax: 10 year old Sam & Grandmother go down hand in hand to meet the room full of residents. Pappy walks Grandmother to the lectern thinking she is going to say that she’ll be leaving soon, but no! Grandmother winks at Sam and confesses that she is making piles of money by selling her advice column to news outlets all over the world. Celebration is in order.

Resolution: Pappy and Grandmother walk through the lobby on a date. They’re dressed to the nines and step into the waiting limo. Sonny and Sally are in the very back seat of the limo, and as Pappy puts his arm around Grandmother Sonny says to Sally, “Do you think he’s after her money?”Module 2223 Lesson 6 Genre Conventions

Marguerite Langstaff

Vision: I want to learn to write and market movie scripts.

What I learned doing this assignment: I learned that I know my characters intimately.

State: I’m completely frustrated with the computer problems and posting, but happy with everything else. I’ve had to type this too many times.

Activity…building genre conventions into my structure.

Title: THE BILLIONAIRE IN 501

Concept: Grandmother moves into Shady Acres Retirement Home, isn’t very happy and when she runs short of funds and manages to make money by sharing her wisdom to the public she suddenly makes a ton of money which helps to bring her life into a happier mode with her new friend Pappy.

Genre: Drama and Comedy

Drama Conventions:

Purpose: To explore the story of Grandmother’s moving into a retirement home, overcoming a bland and not-too-friendly atmosphere, shoring up her money supply, and making a success of living….showing that yes, people need people.

Character-Driven Journey: Grandmother is the protagonist and Pappy the antagonist. Their relationship and problems drive the story. Hopefully the audience will learn to love them both….including their differences and similarities.

High Stakes from Within: All the high stakes come from within…from within the main characters as well as all the residents of Shady Acres. This is where the changes and challenges take place….more within the characters.

Emotionally resonates: This story is more emotionally driven than action driven. Older people have emotions which are usually felt and interpreted by family but not always by other people.

Challenging, emotionally-charged situations: There are happiness challenges from the start…and also money challenges, friendship challenges, and career challenges.

Real-life Situations: The challenges here are real life challenges…problems so often felt by seniors but rarely shared. Loneliness is currently a national problem….but it’s a problem that seniors have felt for centuries…and always we acknowledge that People need People….This movie is about those situations.

Comedy Conventions:

Purpose: To entertain the audience with a story which includes laughter-inducing moments Shady Acres. Often we just have to laugh at our problems.

Incongruence: The unconventional pairing of Grandmother and Pappy can cause the audience to laugh or cry and to recognize how often these things happy in real life…not just the movies.

Mechanics of comedy: The setup here is an invitation to induce laughter, both in settings and in conversations.

Comedic Protagonist: Grandmother is the straight man in this movie, and she triggers amusing situations and amusing behavior throughout.

Strong Story: The comedy is coupled with drama….and that story keeps the audience engaged throughout THE BILLINAIRE IN 501.

Structure with Improvements:

Act 1. Opening:

The woman carrying groceries in the lobby of Shady Acres is on a walker and carries her groceries across the lobby spilling the oranges all the way. None of the residents sitting around the lobby either speak to her or to each other or make a move to help her. Just Grandmother makes a kind move.

Inciting incident:

Sonny has an easy relationship with Grandmother, but when he tells her she’s broke it comes as quite a surprise, and we realize that Grandmother isn’t the best business woman around, and we realize that Sonny isn’t going to help her. He would like to tell her what to do, but she treats him quite lovingly but also casually. He will not rescue Grandmother.

Turning Point: Grandmother goes around the restaurant trying to infuse a spirit of friendship and motivation for business among the tired residents. She tries to give them each a shot of friendship.

Act 2: New Plan: 10 year old Sam becomes the teacher and 72 year old Grandmother is the student in a computer situation. Pappy shows his hand when he brags about his business skills and Sally shows jealousy and insecurity when she senses right away that Grandmother is going to be an attraction to Pappy…even though he doesn’t know it yet.

Plan in Action: The items being made by the residents look quite homemade and crudely made. One resident realizes she only knitted four fingers into the glove she’s working on. Another crawls around on the floor trying to find the blue bead she dropped.

Midpoint turning point: Pappy is cool and distant with Grandmother while at the same time trying to do little things to get her attention. They share some wine, but when Pappy tells Grandmother, “I told you that business would fail,” she gets up and leaves him along at the bar and goes up to her apartment where she types away at the computer. We see she’s typing a page which reads, “Dear Friend, I am retired but about to run out of money. What can I do?” We think she’s writing a “friend”….but we don’t really know.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Sam is more evident than before in showing Grandmother computer skills. We learn that Grandmother is typing more and writing the “friend” with more problems.” Sam keeps giving her computer tips.

New Plan: Grandmother goes to the mailbox more and more frequently. She makes a point of being friendly to other residents and gradually we see friendships developing. Pappy makes a business plan for her to give lessons to the other residents in exchange for pay. She agrees. Sam helps her help the other residents learn computer skills.

Turning Point:

The community room is full of residents with computers in their laps, but when Pappy tries to collect their money to pay Grandmother they refuse to pay. cs Friends don’t charge friends, they say. Grandmother is disappointed but is delighted to have so many people think she is their friend. She and Pappy snuggle on the couch and drink wine and watch old movies until she says she has to work. She goes back to her typing, and asks Pappy how to spell bankruptcy.

Act 4:

Climax: 10 year old Sam & Grandmother go down hand in hand to meet the room full of residents. Pappy walks Grandmother to the lectern thinking she is going to say that she’ll be leaving soon, but no! Grandmother winks at Sam and confesses that she is making piles of money by selling her advice column to news outlets all over the world. Celebration is in order.

Resolution: Pappy and Grandmother walk through the lobby on a date. They’re dressed to the nines and step into the waiting limo. Sonny and Sally are in the very back seat of the limo, and as Pappy puts his arm around Grandmother Sonny says to Sally, “Do you think he’s after her money?”
Lenore

Member
June 2, 2023 at 1:00 am

WIM Module 2, Lesson 6

Lenore Bechtel’s Genre Conventions

My vision: I want to create enough salable screenplays that an agent will want to market my work and recommend me for writing assignments.

What I learned from doing this assignment is that audience expectations can be met by deliberately writing genre conventions into a script. Also, making these conventions obvious increases the chances of a script getting a producer’s attention.

Title: Berlin Rendezvous?

Concept: Keeping her promise to Zhores, the Russian soldier she loved until the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, Libby—flying to meet him when the Wall is coming down in 1989—is stunned to learn how her seat-mates lives intertwined with theirs.

Genre: Drama/Suspense

Drama Conventions:

EMOTIONAL AND INTERPERSONAL HIGH STAKES

CHARACTER-DRIVEN JOURNEY

HIGH STAKES COME FROM WITHIN

EMOTIONALLY RESONATES

CHALLENGING, EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED SITUATIONS

REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS

Suspense Conventions:

A state of uncertainty or excitement regarding a specific outcome

Clear stakes

Crucial timing

Feelings of anxiousness and anticipation

Engaging to the audience

Satisfying pay off

Act 1: 25 to 30 pages. Set up and see old ways.

Opening: Libby’s monologue to the ticket agent who says mechanical problems have cancelled her flight to Berlin results in the agent booking her to Paris and connecting to Berlin where the Wall is expected to come down soon. Her monologue states her high stakes and the crucial timing needed. With no way to get on a direct flight to Berlin, the compromise flight to Paris first is so tightly timed as to causes anxiousness for both her and the audience.

Sticking with Libby and her urgency are 27-year-old Freida and 12-year old-Allison who always holds her violin. They hear Libby’s spiel to the ticket agent, get seats with her on the same flight, and are eager to hear how she met the Russian soldier she now is flying to meet as she promised she would do when the Wall went up. By now, the audience should also be wondering how a daughter of an American major in West Berlin ever got involved with a Russian soldier who was strictly forbidden to leave East Berlin. They might also wonder why Libby hid her surprise at finding that the husband Freida is running away from is first baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Intrigue! <div>

Inciting Incident told in flashback: Her birth father, the Major, has a soldier watch her as Young Libby spends time at Schulenberg Park with her half-sister Stephanie. Young Libby fakes being very at ease with her child-sitting responsibility in an unfamiliar city, but the audience will know she’s truly uneasy, and the audience will be apprehensive for her. They meet Helga and Sonja and go with them to their East Berlin home. Young Libby and Stephanie agree to layer clothes on their bodies to sneak them to her family in the East, treating the audience to a challenging, fearful situation. What might happen to them if the VoPo crossing into the East stopped them for questioning? However, they make it across the border, but trouble comes later when a soldier barges into Helga’s home take Young Libby and Stephanie back to the West. To defy the major who had her followed, Young Libby lets Helga fix her up with Zhores. The interpersonal stakes between father and daughter are now obvious, and viewers might be divided into those agreeing the major did right and others thinking Young Libby is right to defy him.

Turning Point in flashback: After the Major interrogates Zhores, Young Libby is allowed to date him. Zhores and Young Libby’s amusement at the rules the Major insists they follow should have the audience rooting for a second date and more. Many scenes will show Zhores’ idealism and Libby’s growing maturity, plus her growing respect for the Major.

Act 2: 20 to 30 pages . Challenge the old ways

New plan: On the airplane, Libby’s judgmental attitude softens toward Freida, who is running away from the husband she loves because after experiencing the recent San Francisco earthquake, she can no longer live there. The audience will sympathize with Freida’s fear-driven journey that she doesn’t truly want to take. Allison’s evaluation of the situation reveals a maturity beyond her age, and the audience should be in suspense about how a 12-year-old has such confidence that her grandparents will understand why she ran away from private school to go for an audition for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. </div>

Plan in action in flashback: Young Libby sympathizes with Helga’s boyfriend Heinz, an orphan desperate to discover his heritage and a VoPo who dislikes his Checkpoint Charlie duties. Heinz’s story of being left as a baby at an orphanage and doing things as a VoPo he’d rather not do should pull at the audience’s heartstrings. As horns honk and bells ring as Titov passes overhead in Sputnik, Zhores’ political seriousness gives Young Libby a new perspective. High stakes between Russia and the USA will resonate with the viewers old enough to remember and give younger viewers a glimpse of a tense historical time.

<div>

Midpoint Turning Point: As the double dating couples are about to go their separate ways, The Wall starts going up. This emotionally charged situation places all the characters (and the audience) in a state of suspenseful uncertainty. Will Libby ever see Zhores again? Will Helga and her family be stuck in the East until The Wall comes down?

Act 3: 20 to 30 pages. With midpoint change, profound moments that give us new ways.

Rethink everything

In flashback, Zhores and Young Libby, with her family’s help, succeed in a risky scheme to get Helga and her family out of the East, but Zhores does not come with them. The timing of their escape is crucial because it must happen between a spotlight’s constant circling of the park. Before the escape is accomplished, heartstrings will tug as Zhores and Young Libby stare at each other from opposite sides of The Wall. The audience will sigh with relief but be on edge when the major, as an American officer with privileges of going back and forth from the East and West, takes Libby to the East for her last meeting with Zhores, planning to sneak him out in the Major’s trunk. What sadness the audience will experience as they realize if Zhores sneaks out, he would be free— but his family back in Moscow would be imprisoned for his disobedience. They’ll be rooting emotionally for Zhores and Young Libby as they share their love sexually as the Major unknowingly stands guard. They’ll be amazed and relieved that the Major’s promise demanded from Zhores was that he would not ask Young Libby to stay with him in the East, so Zhores broke no promise by impregnating Young Libby the first and only time they had sex. </div><div>

In the present, Libby will not allow Allison to go the the Louvre alone, and she and Freida both weep as they listen to Allison’s violin rendition of “Mona Lisa” in front of the Louvre’s actual masterpiece. By now the audience already loves this special child, and now they’ll root for her to win at her audition in spite of her age. Throughout the journey, Libby begins to realize her career obsession prevented her from having a daughter and family as loving as Allison reports hers to be. Her new attitude is demonstrated with her insisting to give Allison the chance to fulfill her dream at the Louvre and her turning their taxi-finding problem over to Freida, who—unlike the hesitant, nervous runaway bride who started this journey—becomes a sexy, alluring provocateur who lures a taxi driver to stop. They arrive back at Orly and find their flight was boarded early and their seats given to standbys. Crucial timing, anxiety, uncertainty! News reports confirm that The Wall is coming down this very day. How can they get to Berlin before midnight—the time Young Libby, Zhores, Helga, and Heinz agreed upon?

New plan: Libby, at a loss about how to proceed, encourages Freida whose monologue results in flight tickets for Hamburg, where they plan to rent a car to drive to Berlin. Her monologue deals not only with Libby’s urgency but her decision to quickly visit her mother and then return to the husband she should never have left. On the plane Libby tells Freida that the husband she was running away from is her son Stuart, and Freida admonishes her for not being an attentive mother—a fact Libby admits and now regrets. Libby now tells the rest of her story.

In flashback: Libby takes 15-year-old Stuart to visit Helga, Heinz, and their 14-year-old daughter Olga in the summer of 1974. Stuart and Olga—both baseball enthusiasts, have a great time going to games, playing catch, and having batting contests. Allison confides that her mother was only 14 when she was born in 1975, just two weeks after her grandparents and mother immigrated to the USA. Will the audience connect Stuart’s trip to Allison’s story? Uncertainty! Intrigue! Once they arrive in Hamburg, Freida calls her mother to let her know why she’s going to Schulenberg Park with Libby before she comes home. Emotional connection for all mothers and daughter who love them.



Turning Point: Arriving in Berlin in an Audi rental car, Freida has trouble maneuvering the traffic jam amidst the masses of celebrants heading toward Brandenburg Gate. Their car is totally stalled and midnight—the end of the day the Wall came down—is less than an hour away. Crucial timing! Suspense! Anxiety! Audience anticipation!



Act 4: 25 pages Test the change in this character! Prove new ways.

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Allison—with her violin—jumps from the car, watches passing celebrants carefully, grabs a compassionate looking woman, and delivers a monologue that convinces the woman to drive the Audi through the crowd and the back streets to Schulenberg Park. Thanks goodness, neither Freida or Libby needs to drive, because they’re both in tears—not only because of what Allison has concluded, but will they make it on time? Allison’s monologue spells out the relationships she thinks exists among the people she hopes to see at the park. And she is right! Her grandparents are Helga and Heinz, who changed their names to Helen and Hank when Heinz’s American mother, who had always regretted leaving him at an orphanage, finally tracked him down and brought the family to the USA. Allison suspects that Stuart is the guy who did more with her mother Olga than play catch and have batting contests. She thinks and hopes he is her father, and the audience should be in suspense to know. </div><div>

Resolution: Stuart is waiting there for Freida, whose mother told him where she’d be. Emotions will soar at their combined happiness when Freida tells him she’ll live any place in the world with him, and he offers to get traded so they can leave San Francisco. Helga and Heinz, now known as Helen and Hank, are there to meet Libby and Zhores—not knowing their granddaughter would also be there. They confirm that Stuart is the father they’d promised to tell her about when she was old enough. What viewer won’t be emotionally satisfied with Libby’s exaltation at knowing Allison is her granddaughter? Still, realizing all she missed because of a wall dividing her from her lover, Libby is overcome with anxiety until she sees Zhores coming over a hill, arriving just in time for their prolonged, but tearful kiss at midnight. She joyfully introduces him to the son he didn’t know he had, his daughter-in-law Freida, the granddaughter neither one of them knew existed, and the new Helen and Hank he’d helped sneak out of the East. A group hug with exuberant laughter draws passing celebants’ cheers. Excitement! Satisfying payoff!

I am going to love writing this screenplay.

</div>
H. Vince

Member
June 2, 2023 at 2:36 am

Student Name: H. Vince

WIM – 2023

Lesson 6: Build In The Genre Conventions

My Vision: I am going to go to the theater in disguise and watch a movie I wrote and listen to the reactions of the audience.

What I learned from doing this assignment is…

the concept stressed me out. I’m imagining myself in Clara’s shoes trying to deal with a pressuring realization that comes strong and fast. Which is kind of the assignment in that I need to come up with ways, fast ways to describe these characters and how the main character triumphs and resolves her plight.

TITLE:

DREAM VACATION

CONCEPT:

While a retired couple is taking their life-long dream vacation, the husband gets dementia.

GENRE:

Drama/Thriller

CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA

PURPOSE: Clara just wanted to enjoy a lifelong planned dream vacation with her husband! She had no idea it was going to take a turn for the worst.

CHARACTER-DRIVEN JOURNEY: Clara’s husband, James, needs help. His actions are begging for her to be in charge. James needs Clara to be reliable and strong without ever asking her to be.

HIGH STAKES COME FROM WITHIN: Clara questions herself at one point whether she is capable, and she’s got to believe that James would do the same for her. But even if James wouldn’t do the same, it doesn’t matter, what kind of person is she? What would she do? Clara is put to the test.

EMOTIONALLY RESONATES: Clara shows her vulnerability and natural reaction to her loved one being far from who they usually are.

CHALLENGING, EMOTIONALLY CHARGED SITUATIONS: Clara turns out to control her emotions so that they work in her favor.

REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS: This is upsetting and scary to a spouse no matter if they already hold a certain role in their marriage.

CONVENTIONS OF THRILLERS

PURPOSE: This is stress for the audience watching not knowing if Clara can handle everything. One of her adult kids is in the service and the other tries to fly out to her but, the flights are delayed and cancelled due to a storm.

LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS: Clara realizes she is trying to bring her husband home. A man who is stronger and could become aggressive because he is in a different state of mind not knowing who she is at some points.

MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE: Clara finds out that James is still under clinical trial and he is supposed to regain memory but the clinical trial practitioners are in charge and she doesn’t want them to leave her husband in a state of memory loss. Clara has to hold these practitioners responsible at some point because they forced her into this situation without her knowledge or consent.

HERO: Clara turns out to control her emotions so that they work in her favor.

VILLAIN: Family Doctor/Clinical Trial Practitioners feeling threatened /that don’t want to admit any wrongdoing because it could mean revoking their licenses

MAIN EMOTIONS: This is frightening to anyone that would be put in a situation not just if it happened at home but on a more intense level whereas their traveling companion develops dementia in a foreign country far away from home. This is the type of thing that can give a caretaker extreme anxiety that is forced into an active leading role.

ACT 1:

Opening: James and Clara board the plane joyously. James seems a little loopy after taking an edible and Clara is shy seeing if others are noticing but happy to be there with James and trusting all the plans he made for the trip.

Inciting Incident: James and Clara seem to be enjoying a meal and James stops and asks Clara where he is.

Turning Point: Clara calls their family doctor and realizes her husband had anxiety all along brought on by his job and his boss and James had told their family doctor about it.

ACT 2:

New Plan: Clara decides to book a flight home.

Plan in Action: She calls home telling their kids what has happened but says she will bring him home tomorrow. James and Clara’s children decided to fly to help Clara.

Midpoint Turning Point: Clara wakes up and James has disappeared. Their son runs into flight cancellations and reroutes that postpone him arriving to help.

ACT 3:

Rethink everything: Clara contacts someone they know in the country they are visiting that they were possibly going to meet up with. Clara researches traveling with someone who has dementia.

New plan: Clara is deciding that she is the one that ultimately cares for James and what happens to him and figures out how to find him and does.

Turning point: Huge failure/Major shift: Clara finds out that the edible James took what from a clinical trial that accelerated memory loss and he is still under clinical trial.

ACT 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Clara tries to retain an attorney to sue their doctor and the clinical trial practitioners for putting her and her husband in this position.

Resolution: James ultimately gains full cognitive abilities when the clinical trial ends and Clara fights to have beforehand caretaker medical knowledge if anyone will be affected by a clinical trial and/or medication prescription.
Margaret

Member
June 2, 2023 at 2:26 pm

Margaret’s Genre Conventions

Margaret’s Vision: To be the best screenwriter for faith-based movies

What I learned: Requirements for Genres.

TITLE: Rock of Cashel

GENRE: Sci-Fi

Purpose: To explore the Spiritual conflict between the Irish Otherworld and the Christian religion.

Fantastic World: The Irish Otherworld intersecting with St. Patrick’s life

Science: The power of the Otherworld and its real effects on our world

Incredible Visuals: Destruction of nature on Mt. Cruachan, the forming of the Rock of Cashel, the destruction of the King’s castle by Queen of the Otherworld, Morrigan utilizing her dragon like creature and creatures from the Otherworld.

Social Commentary: The warning not to following the dark of the Otherworld but turn your life over to God for eternal safety

Sub-Genre: Drama

GENRE: Drama

Purpose: See St. Patrick’s inner struggle to follow God and complete the mission he has been given to turn the hearts of the Irish to God.

Character-Driven Journey: St. Patrick’s growth from rebellious teen, hating the church, to sacrificing his life to bring others to God.

High Stakes come from within: Patrick’s journey is not one forced on him, but one of his own making as he is determined to follow God’s leading in his life.

Emotionally Resonates: We root for Patrick as he struggles to get an audience with the king, in a cat and mouse game with the Queen of the Otherworld.

Challenging, emotionally-charged situations: Patrick is tempted and deception is evident as Patrick deals with the shape-shifted Morrigan, who puts him in life-death situations.

Real-life situations: This is a blend of historical events and the legends of the Irish.

CONCEPT: (St.) Patrick fights the Queen of Ireland’s Otherworld to save the king and change the culture of a nation.

Major Story Hook: Impossible Goal/Unsolvable Problem: Will (St.) Patrick’s faith be strong enough to overcome the powers of Morrigan, Queen of the Otherworld?

Protagonist: Patrick, a boy running away from his father forcing him into the church, battles the Queen of the Otherworld to turn the hearts of the Irish to Christ.

Antagonist: Morrigan, the Queen of the Otherworld, battles Patrick for the allegiance of the Irish.

Arc beginning: Rebellious teen who hates the church

Arc ending: Catholic priest with established followers in Ireland

Internal Journey: Patrick goes from rebelling against the church to sacrificing his life to establish a church in Ireland.

External Journey: Patrick goes from trying to escape Ireland and return to England to building a church and defying the Catholic’s church mandate that he leave Ireland.

Old Ways:

· Runs away from his father who is forcing him to have a career in the church

· Looks for ways to escape Ireland where he is being held captive

New Ways:

· Trusts God to take care of him

· Knows he is called to bring the Irish to God

· Stands up against the Queen of the Otherworld to fulfill his calling from God

· Establishes a church in Ireland

· Defies the Catholic Church who wants him to leave his ministry in Ireland

Subtext plot: Hiding who they are, Superior Position

How this will play out: Morrigan is a shape shifter. She interacts with Patrick as different characters but Patrick does not realize the person he interacts with is not innocent, but the evil Morrigan with an agenda. We are in a superior position as we realize/suspect it is Morrigan, even if Patrick does not.

Opening: The goddess of Ireland’s Otherworld, MORRIGAN, confronts a Catholic bishop, PATRICK. He refuses to bow to her and show fear. In her anger, she blasts a piece of the mountain away, hurls it into the valley where it is eventually named the Rock of Cashel, vowing that he will never win the hearts of the Irish.

Inciting Incident: A boy (TEEN PATRICK), running away from his father’s plan to have him serve in the church, and his sister ALITA are kidnapped and taken to Ireland.

By page 10, you know what the movie is about: Patrick is confronted by a Morrigan, shape shifted into a savage wolf, but he cries out to God and the wolf whines and backs away. Patrick recognizes God’s power and commits his life to serve him.

First turning point at end of Act 1: Patrick, now an ordained priest, leaves for Ireland, against hiss parent’s pleas to not make them face losing their son again.

Mid-Point: Influenced by Morrigan, Patrick’s previous master commits suicide rather than be converted to Christianity. Patrick realizes the Irish will never accept Christianity unless it is the religion of their king, so he vows to go to the King and do whatever he can to convert him.

Second turning point at end of Act 2: The people fear both Patrick and Morrigan. Patrick realizes he must face the otherworld creatures of Ireland and defeat them or the king will never listen to him. He climbs mount Cruachan to pray and faces the onslaught of the otherworld.

Crisis: Patrick cannot overcome the otherworld creatures and is consumed by doubt and fear. He is faced with his own motivation for evangelizing and comes to understand that the Irish are enslaved by a religion based on fear and his own tactics have only increased their fear. He realizes that if he loves the Irish, he must show them the power of God’s love. He decides to return to the king and share the message of God’s love and forgiveness without relying on the powerful signs that evoke fear, even if it means his death.

Climax: As Patrick nears the castle, he is challenged by Morrigan and the underworld creatures, who fight to destroy him and the king’s army rather than see the Irish leave their paganism.

Resolution: When the king hears Patrick’s message of God’s love and promise of freedom from fear, he accepts Patrick’s God and banishes Morrigan and the druids.

Epilogue: Patrick ministers at a church set on the Rock of Cashel.
- Paul Schutte
  
  Member
  June 2, 2023 at 4:02 pm
  
  Hi Margaret,
  
  I really like this. The theme that jumps out at me is that of, flashy signs of miracles and wonders and scare tactics and power have a strong but temporary and less filling embrace on the people, but the power of love (and now I’m singing Huey Lewis in my head) is far deeper and longer lasting, even if you appear to lose. Sort of the story of Jesus writ small – On Good Friday, it certainly seemed like he lost.
  
  A powerful premise and also a needed message in our contentious times.
  
  Paul
  - Margaret
    
    Member
    June 3, 2023 at 5:08 pm
    
    Paul,
    
    Thank you for your encouragement! I appreciate the feedback. Margaret
Ashley Sarikaya

Member
June 3, 2023 at 6:38 am

Ashley’s Genre Conventions

Vision: I write enthralling, entertaining, and transformational scripts that win awards, get produced and create positive change in the world.

I learned that I need to pick a genre. Currently, my film is more of a historical fiction piece than a fantasy one. The protagonist is a fantasy character, but the audience doesn’t know this until Act 3. I need to jump into the fantasy genre instead of sit half-way between historically fiction and fantasy. This means developing the story world, and making it a fictional representation of 16th century Mexico or another story world. I also need to consider making the Antagonist supernatural in some way. If I choose the fantasy genre, I need to learn more about the genre conventions and make some changes to this outline below. I ordered a few books to learn more about the genre.

Title: The Plumed Serpent

Concept: After helping the Spaniards conquer the Aztec Empire, a superhuman Aztec translator travels back in time to stop the fall of the Empire. But she must choose between her love for her son and her people.

Genre: Fantasy

Example for Fantasy:

Purpose: To explore fantasy worlds and cause us to stretch our imaginations into the unknown.

Demand for Fantasy: The story world is dramatically different from our current world, in one or more major ways, usually through supernatural beings.

Mission: to save the world

Hero: A being who embarks on a quest into an unknown world.

Antagonist: a criminal, a mastermind, a personification of evil, and perhaps a supernatural being

Act 1:

Opening: Holding her newborn son, Malinche walks around X fictional city or Tenochtitlan, the fictional capital of the Aztec Empire, after it has been conquered by the X people (an advanced, fantasy race of conquistadors). People are dying of X strange disease and the city is in ruin. An old woman approaches Malinche, spits on her feet, and blames her for the fall of the Empire. More people blame her.

Malinche and her son are cast aside by Hernando (her ex, baby’s father and the new Emperor of the Aztec Empire) and his new wife.

Inciting Incident: Holding her son, Malinche trips and falls down a rabbit hole. They slide down a long tunnel and into an otherworldly cave. There she finds a talking tree who says that she is the doula to deliver the new age.

Turning Point: The only way out of this cave is by traveling back in time using the Aztec Calendar Stone. But when she travels back in time, she is horrified to discover that her son doesn’t make it. He wasn’t born yet.

Act 2:

Reaction: Malinche becomes a servant on Hernando’s flying machine. She must destroy his colonization plans. She tries to mask her anger at Hernando.

New Plan: Malinche uses her powers of seduction to lure Hernando away from the Aztec Empire. She tries to convince him to take his gold back to his world.

Midpoint Turning Point: Three of the conquistadors disapprove of Hernando’s actions. Hernando wasn’t authorized by the Governor to colonize. So, the men decide to take all the gold back to their world and warn the governor. Furious, Hernando burns down all the flying machines to prevent anyone from leaving and he continues his march inland.

Act 3:

Rethink: Itzamna helps her rethink why things weren’t working. She has to truly commit to being the “Chosen One”. She must put the collective good before her own desire to be reunited with her son.

New Plan: Malinche tries to ally herself with the Aztec Emperor. She wants to use her knowledge of the future to help him change history.

Turning Point (Huge Failure): After the Emperor discovers that Malinche is a bird talker, she is imprisoned and will be sacrificed to the gods. Malinche cries out to Hernando, but he is disgusted by her wings. Hernando doesn’t release Malinche from prison.

Act 4:

New Plan: Malinche embraces being a bird talker, a half-bird/half-human with the ability to communicate with birds through song and to see the world from a superhuman bird’s-eye perspective. She uses her power of forecasting into the future to defeat the foreigners and create a new world.

Climax: While trying to escape the city with treasure, the conquistadors are confronted with Aztec warriors. Hernando gallops away from the battle and reaches the mainland where Malinche is waiting. He tries to ride around her, but she spreads her wings and begins to levitate, blocking the path. Malinche draws her bow and points at Hernando. She holds her stance, but her eyes well up with tears. Hernando grabs his rifle and shoots her wing. Malinche spirals down into the lake. Hernando gallops to the mainland without looking back. Malinche squawks one final time before her head goes under the water’s surface. She then passes out and her limp body sinks to the bottom.

Above the surface, Hernando gallops back to the lake. He throws off the gold chains from around his neck and empties the gold from his pockets. Hernando then dives into the lake. He drags her body to the surface and plops it onto a floating garden plot. Just as he pulls himself onto the plot, an arrow pierces his shoulder. He looks up to find Itzamna ready to shoot again. Itzamna shoots his leg. The commander approaches and arrests Hernando.

Resolution: Empress Malinche sits tall on a throne surrounded by exotic birds, colorful features, and earthly pleasures. She looks at the Aztec capital burned to black ash and is ready to rebuild. As she leaves the scene, a quetzal bird sings. The bird song breathes life into the ash and it begins to take shape. As the song crescendos, a megalopolis of floating garden plots rise from the ash. The futuristic skyline of Mexico City glows in the late afternoon light.
Christopher Confer

Member
June 4, 2023 at 6:23 pm

WIM Module 2 Lesson 6 Build In The Genre Conventions

My Vision:

To write and sell excellent, original, enticing screenplays in order to take audiences on cinematic adventures that satisfy their need for great stories.

What I learned doing this assignment is that I write too slowly and overthink the story. Just keep Jackson Pollocking it and fix it later. I need to remember that I’m still in the draft stage of this creation.

Title: Rotary Cell Phone Star Chamber

Concept: What if two judges fed up with crime, implement their own private court (star chamber) to punish a Russian gang that is deliberately causing subversion on the streets of LA. Two physically fit judges kick ass and take names in order to protect their city.

Genre: Action

Example for Action:

Purpose: To excite your audience with an Adrenaline-stirring, fast-paced, big-event story.

Demand for Action: There is a problem or goal that the only solution is a high level of action (Intense fighting, running, escaping, and/or competing). Plot,

character, and situations are all designed to demand Action!

Mission: There is a stated or implied mission. The Hero must take down the antagonistic force, defend against overwhelming odds, or escape the inescapable.

Escalating Action: Overcoming the problem requires greater and greater heights of action (and involving higher stakes) as the story progresses.

Hero: Highly capable and skilled. Often, they bring a unique skill or talent to the fight that has them stand out from other heroes in the genre.

Antagonist: Clearly evil, corrupt, malicious; necessitating decisive and expedient action to deal with them.

ACT 1

Opening: Judge Ken drops off some research materials to Judge Jason. Sees the Star Chamber, well can’t see in the room but hears them talking. In the outer room where Judge Ken briefly talks to Judge Jason, we see a shinai on the wall and a katana.

Next morning they are in kendo gear sparring intensely with bamboo shinais in their shared personal gym between their two judge’s chambers. They finish their workout and Judge Ken mentions that he is going to get a smoothie and his dry cleaning. Judge Jason says he will have to show Ken his flying car later on.

We see Judge Ken witness Burlyman deliberately cut off a truck over stacked with pallets after he picks up his dry cleaning.

Inciting Incident: Mother and boy are injured by flying pallet by a deliberately caused car accident (chain reaction).

We see Judge Jason give out a 364 day county jail sentence for driving while texting.

We see Judge Ken give out a Rotary Cell Phone sentence for driving while texting and contempt of court.

ACT 2

Boy dies in hospital. Mom is murdered by Kirill’s gang to get rid of witness of Burlyman’s crime. But irony is she didn’t even see it, only saw the pallet flying at her.

Judge Ken is so angry. Why did they have to kill the mom. Why? So unnecessary.

Reaction: Find the gang and kill them. That’s what Jason wants and Ken is leaning that way even more.

They chase the two killers into the hospital parking lot. Burlyman gets away. They wound the other one. But Jason puts a beacon on the car is it gets away.

They make him talk. Ken bends the guy’s hand back until he talks. He tells them about Kirill. Jason shoots him in the forehead. They are near the edge of the parking lot.

There is a homeless person’s tent on the sidewalk a few feet away. A homeless guy looks out of his tent and says, “Are you killing all of the homeless people?” Jason and Ken say,

He’s not homeless. And no, we’re not.”

Turning Point/Midpoint: They have killed one of Kirill’s men and the fight is on, no turning back.

Ken is now committed to getting Kirill and his gang. He helped kill one of Kirill’s men.

ACT 3

Kirill fake kidnaps Judge Jason’s daughter just to mess with Jason’s mind. Kirill sends him a text with a pic that is edited to look like she is tied up and held hostage. They are all set to go get Kirill but he thinks to call his daughter and finds out she is fine and at home.

New plan: check databases they have access to and find out all they can about Kirill. They find out he is a suspected Russian spy.

Turning Point: Kirill kidnaps Judge Jason’s wife. This is for real, no fakery this time. All is lost for Judge Jason and Judge Ken.

ACT 4

New Plan: They free Judge Jason’s wife but they get caught.

The elevated starting block pole is cut 3/4 way through while Kirill leaves the room for a minute. He thinks they are handcuffed but Jason is not and cuts the elevated starting block pole.

Kirill leans on the starting block and falls in the pool when the pole breaks.

Climax: Judge Jason’s wife frees them by crashing the flying car into the door wall of Kirill’s pool. She smashes his security guys into the wall.

Kirill and Jason fight, Jason kills Kirill by sticking his finger deep into one of his eyes and then impales him on the starting block pole.

Ken fights Burlyman in a nasty drawn out fist fight. Ken uses a piece of a steel picture frame as a sword and wounds Burlyman but Burlyman knocks it out of his hand. He then picks up his .22 caliber umbrella and shoots Burlyman.

Resolution: Kirill and Burlyman are dead, they have removed the subversive spies from their city.
Melissa Barreca

Member
June 7, 2023 at 3:27 pm

WIM Melissa Barreca’s Genre Conventions

My vision: Melissa Barreca is one of the most sought after writers in the movie industry because of the artistry of her writing, professionalism and exceptional ability to tell important, entertaining, joyful, and heartbreaking stories that inspire audiences and become legendary classics.

What I learned…This was a good strategic way to see what my characters need to do within the story to make this fully pay off for the audience.

Title: Torn Away

Concept: A soft spoken Irish immigrant in 1920s New York loses her husband and then her children who are sent away on an orphan train and adopted by a loving family…but their mother will not stop looking for them until the family is brought back together.

Genre: Drama

CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA

CHARACTER-DRIVEN JOURNEY

HIGH STAKES COME FROM WITHIN

EMOTIONALLY RESONATES

CHALLENGING, EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED SITUATIONS

REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS

Four Act Transformational Structure from lesson 5

Act 1:

Opening –

Bonus scene/foreshadowing: Children are being shown to prospective parents at orphan train stops. We meet the kindly grandfather figure, adoption agent and some of the children on the trains.

An immigrant family helps their daughter and son-in-law pack and depart for America. We meet Norah and Doyle, with two kids, a toddler girl and a five year old boy.

Arrival in America. We meet Michael, Doyle’s childhood best friend. Settling in a new land. Getting jobs. Getting a tenement apartment. We see the poor street children. Norah wants to help them.

Inciting Incident

Things are hard. The apartment life is dismal. Doyle works too much. There is not enough money.

Doyle is killed at the factory. Norah must find a job and find help with the children. Michael comes to her aid.

Turning Point

Michael offers help to Norah. He slowly takes the place of Doyle.

He (secretly) arranges for children to be taken on an orphan train while Norah is working and is “injured” on the job – an injury he also arranged in secret.

Act 2:

New plan

Norah discovers her children are missing.

Michael feigns concern and is helpful on the surface.

Norah will find them if it’s the last thing she does.

Plan in action

Norah asks questions and Michael does his best to throw her off the trail.

Norah tracks down several dead ends before finally meeting the adoption agent who knows about her children.

Midpoint Turning Point

Michael is discovered by Norah! She now knows that he is controlling, abusive and the reason her children were taken.

When she is just about to find the children, he threatens her life and flies of the handle in a drunken rage. He wants her to himself. He doesn’t want the children in their lives.

Norah sinks into submission – she dares not cross Michael for fear for her safety and the kids. She is at a new low and has no idea what to do.

Act 3:

Rethink everything

We see Norah live in fear. She doesn’t know what to do and is allowing Michael to lord over her.

A chance meeting with the kindly adoption agent changes her mind and reinvigorates her resolve.

New plan

Norah hatches a plan. She cannot support the kids. Her adoption agent has assured her that the kids are happy in a home of wealthy and loving parents.

Adoption agent reveals that the family is looking for a nanny and he can get her the job and keep her secret.

She decides to leave Michael in secret and go to the home of the children/new family and become their Nanny.

The plan succeeds. Norah is reunited with her children. Things seem to be working out.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift

Michael finds her.

He comes to her from the shadows when she is alone in the yard. He drags her away with the intent to kill her.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict

Michael takes Norah to a barn at the edge of the yard. He beats her and abuses her. When he is about to rape her, a shot rings out.

Doyle is in the shadows. He is alive.

It is revealed that he had been taken into indentured servitude to work off a debt beause of some bad dealings with Doyle. He worked off the debt and was ashamed to return directly to his family when he learned what had happened to them, and had been staying in the shadows in the barn and observing them, waiting for the right time to reappear.

Resolution

The violent killing brings the whole family into the barn (adoptive parents, other servants, not the kids who are napping).

Norah’s identity is revealed. Doyle’s story is revealed. The family accepts this and a new, non-traditional family is born.

They agree to allow Norah, Doyle and the kids to stay, and Norah can raise them as part of one big extended family. Doyle can manage their land. The adoption agent is a defacto grandpa that visits often.

Four Act Transformational Structure – lesson 6, with added DRAMA conventions:

Act 1:

Opening –

Bonus scene/foreshadowing: Children are being shown to prospective parents at orphan train stops. We meet the kindly grandfather figure, adoption agent and some of the children on the trains.

An immigrant family helps their daughter and son-in-law pack and depart for America. We meet Norah and Doyle, with two kids, a toddler girl and a five year old boy We see how Norah and Doyle are sweet and good natured people who really love each other, their children and their families. We care about them and their journey. We want them to succeed.

Arrival in America. We meet Michael, Doyle’s childhood best friend. We think Michael is nice and the meeting is fun and familiar. He seems safe and familiar in a confusing world.

Settling in a new land. Getting jobs. Getting a tenement apartment. We see the poor street children. Norah wants to help them. Our hearts are wrenched by the reality of what they encounter in the new world versus their high hopes. And we care about the poor street children and their plight, lamenting that there isn’t more that can be done to help this crush of humanity in the indsutrial age.

Inciting Incident

Things are hard. The apartment life is dismal. Doyle works too much. There is not enough money. They find they are pregnant and have a baby girl. Despite our hardships, we still have our love and our hope for the future; This shines through in the interactions between Norah, Doyle and their many neighbors who share their plight.

Doyle is killed at the factory. This is a horrible tradgedy and we see Norah’s heart broken in the most painful and gut-wrenching way. What will she do with these children? How will she survivie without her family in a strange new world.

Norah must find a job and find help with the children. Michael comes to her aid. Norah is still determined to push forward and be strong for her children. She is hurthing and we know this. But she is trying to keep it together. Michael is a familiar friend and she has to take his help, she has no choice. And he seems nice.

Norah’s older children begin to spend time on the street and try to earn money to help the family – they are eight and five years old.

Norah loses her infant daughter to malnutrition. This is an agonzing blow that changes Norah. The light has gone from her eyes. She is walking in pain and can barely cope.

Turning Point

Michael offers help to Norah. He slowly takes the place of Doyle. Norah is numb after the death of Doyle and her daughter. She is pliable to the will of Michael and becomes his ward along with her remaining children. She is in a depressed state.

We see more of the children working on the street. We meet some of their friends and we learn about the plight of poor children on the streets of NYC during the beginning of the industrial age and the emergence of orphan trains.

He (secretly) arranges for children to be taken on an orphan train while Norah is working and is “injured” on the job – an injury he also arranged in secret. We begin to see Michael really becoming the villan and we are outraged at his treatment of Norah, and even more, we are devestated that Norah is putting up with it and allowing Michael to mistreat her and her children, but we also sympathize. She really has almost no choice.

Act 1 – Post scene – children on the street, we know them

Act 2:

New plan

Norah discovers her children are missing. Our heart breaks for her all over again

Michael feigns concern and is helpful on the surface. We know Michael is not to be trusted and we are helpless as we watch Norah allow him to manipulate her while we know his true character and motives.

Norah will find them if it’s the last thing she does. There is a spark moment – something that Michael says that reminds her of Doyle and her old life with the children. It lights a fire in her and reminds her of what used to be. She becomes convicted that she will do something.

Plan in action

Norah asks questions and Michael does his best to throw her off the trail. We watch Norah finally start to wake up to Michael’s true motivations, but it is agaonizingly slow. Every time she asks a question, we cheer. But when she doesn’t push further, we are so frustrated. She is so close to figuring ths out.

Norah tracks down several dead ends before finally meeting the adoption agent who knows about her children. This is a pivotal moment emotionally and within the story. We have seen this man at work with the children and we know he is good. We can be gratified to see him connecting with Norah. We know he will care and do whatever he can to help.

Midpoint Turning Point

Michael is discovered by Norah! This is a major breakthrough for the audience. We are doing high-fives. Thank goodness she figured him out. She now knows that he is controlling, abusive and the reason her children were taken. This must be a big reveal and a dramatic moment.

When she is just about to find the children, he threatens her life and flies of the handle in a drunken rage. Despair again. He wants her to himself. He doesn’t want the children in their lives.

Norah sinks into submission – she dares not cross Michael for fear for her safety and the kids. She is at a new low and has no idea what to do. This is the point where we get a little angry with Norah, our heroine. How could she know who Michael is and STILL allow him to control and manipulate her? We are discusted by her weakness, but it rings true with the human condition.

Act 2 – Post Scene – more happenings on the orphan trains, with kids we know, following their journeys

Act 3:

Rethink everything

We see Norah live in fear. She doesn’t know what to do and is allowing Michael to lord over her. Truly a low point and hopefully we won’t all abandon Norah in discust, but will look at her and think about all of the times we have been weak and allowed people to take advantage of us.

A chance meeting with the kindly adoption agent changes her mind and reinvigorates her resolve. This is moment that is filled with fate – this was not a chance meeting in reality but something that was “meant to be”. It is as if Norah is being nudged to do the right thing and somehow led down the right path.

New plan

Norah hatches a plan. She cannot support the kids. Her adoption agent has assured her that the kids are happy in a home of wealthy and loving parents. Creative, “aha moments” here for everyone. The creative thiniing here just might work.

Adoption agent reveals that the family is looking for a nanny and he can get her the job and keep her secret. This is too good to be true. The first time we have felt hope in a while in this story. It should be celebrated.

She decides to leave Michael in secret and go to the home of the children/new family and become their Nanny. We are a little scared for her, but so proud of her bravery. How will she do it? Will it work? Will she get caught?

The plan succeeds. Norah is reunited with her children. Things seem to be working out. This first meeting with her children again has to be an epic scene. We will cry major tears of joy as this mom is back with her kids at last.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift

Michael finds her. He has been tracking her since she left, lurking in the shadows, waiting for her moment. We are shocked to see him again because we thought she had lost him, but it makes sense that he was able to find her since he has been such a stalker up to this point. It’s a little bit of a “duh” moment. She let her guard down too much. She should have known he was capable of this.

He comes to her from the shadows when she is alone in the yard. He drags her away with the intent to kill her. Why doesn’t she scream and fight? She is in shock and doesn’t want to get the kids or the nice family involved. She is still calculating how to get out of this and processing what is happening.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict

Michael takes Norah to a barn at the edge of the yard. He beats her and abuses her. When he is about to rape her, he is hit on the head by a large board from the barn. When we see Michael on the ground, we actually see he is bleeding out from a knife wound. Norah had a knife. She was not as naive as we thought. She had been ready for him but had to get the knife out and wait until they were away from the kids.

Doyle is in the shadows. He is alive. He was the one who attacked Michael with the board. He was also coming to her aid. He is so filled with regret, sadness, worry, panic, this is an emotionally charged moment for both of them and the ultimate climax of all of the emotions they have felt.

It is revealed that he had been taken into indentured servitude to work off a debt because of some bad dealings with Doyle. He worked off the debt and was ashamed to return directly to his family when he learned what had happened to them, and had been staying in the shadows in the barn and observing them, waiting for the right time to reappear. This reveal happens in the kitchen after the police have arrived. We don’t know until after the mess with Michael is over what actually happened to Doyle.

Resolution

The violent killing brings the whole family into the barn (adoptive parents, other servants, not the kids who are napping).

Norah’s identity is revealed. Doyle’s story is revealed. The family accepts this and a new, non-traditional family is born.

They agree to allow Norah, Doyle and the kids to stay, and Norah can raise them as part of one big extended family. Doyle can manage their land. The adoption agent is a grandpa figure that visits often. Happiness, joy and a belief that all of our trials can end in triumph.
Ruthie Harris

Member
June 8, 2023 at 5:41 pm

Title: Miss Cast

Concept: A talent agent auditions for a movie on a whim and unwittingly becomes an overnight sensation, at the expense of her star client making his come-back and looking to get even.

Genre: Comedy

3. Make a list of the conventions for your chosen genre, like this:

Example for Comedy:

Incongruence

Unconventional Pairings

Fish out of Water

Misinterpretation

Comedic Protagonist

Absurd situation

Act 1:

Opening:

Zadie zooms away from a cop car, who finally pulls her over and issues her with her 4th speeding ticket which sees her banned from driving. She attempts to wiggle out of it after suggesting the officer could be a potential star with her talent agency. On her return to the office, the cop’s card joins all the others in a basket on her assistant’s desk.

(Play up the absurd situation of Zadie doing her best to persuade this cop to let her off the ticket if she can take him on as a client. He’s having none of it and each time she tries to charm him, he keeps adding points to her license until she’s banned from driving. Comedic escalation of stakes.)

Inciting Incident:

Running late to an important client lunch, Zella gets into a confrontation with her Uber driver, former child-star Jasper Benjamin. He threatens to kick her off the app with a zero-star review unless she takes him on as a client and sends him to a casting in the next 7 days.

(These two are an unconventional pairing in another absurd situation. We see that Zadie is between a rock and a hard place. She has to keep her Uber status for work and although she doesn’t appreciate being black mailed, she figures she can do something with Jasper as a client. However, she would never want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. Therefore, we see these two characters are immediately antagonistic which manifests itself in both verbal and physical comedy within the confined space of a taxi.)

Turning Point:

She accompanies Jasper to a promising call-back, only to find herself being persuaded to audition and offered the same role.

(This is a fish out of water situation for Zadie, since she has never wanted to be an actress. It’s only when she’s running lines with Jasper in the waiting area, that the casting director overhears her and suggests she reads for the role. Zadie does so for a laugh, to experience what her clients go through. There’s no pressure on her, so she does not take it seriously. The irony being that she’s naturally brilliant and has no idea.)

Act 2:

New plan:

Having won the role, she returns to work and thinks nothing of it. Six months later the film debuts at an Indy Film Fest to smash reviews – Zadie is an overnight sensation.

(Zadie is clueless to how good she is and refuses to believe this will blow-up her life. Which is the contra to the advice she gives her clients, while ignoring it herself. More chances to play up the absurd situation.)

Plan in action:

She’s the perfect antidote to the typical Hollywood ingenue. The film is a hit, everyone wants a piece of Zadie, including Jasper, who plots her downfall, for snagging the role of a lifetime from under him.

(Opportunity to play up her fish out of water status – she’s refreshingly un-Hollywood. This allows her to not take it so seriously and have fun with it. Meanwhile the stakes are raised as she’s on the rise, Jasper is plotting her downfall.)

Midpoint Turning Point:

Having taken on a role meant for a man, Zadie is embraced by the LGBT community. After images of her kissing lesbian comic Ledicia, go viral on social media, due to drunken high jinks at a film festival, people assume she’s gay.

(Opportunity to highlight misinterpretation, fish out of water and absurd situation. Zadie is happy to court the love from the LGBT community not knowing she’s inadvertently setting herself up for a backlash if she’s not careful.)

Act 3:

Rethink everything:

Zadie is fired from her agency since clients are leaving in droves due to Jasper’s social media campaign exposing the fact Zadie ‘stole’ his role from him. Including Jasper whose star is on the rise again.

(Due to the fact she’s a comedic protagonist, Zadie won’t be taking this lying down but now she’s lost the safety net of being an agent – (her 1st love) if acting falls through.)

New plan:

She’s nominated for a major acting award.

(Which she still can’t fully embrace, so her response to this is fun and games as opposed to taking it seriously. Comedic Protagonist.)

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift:

Thanks to Jasper, Zadie is “outed” as straight. His actions put her nomination and acting career in jeopardy.

(This is Zadie’s lowest point, but as a Comedic Protagonist, the comedy can still be found in how she reacts to the situation and Jasper. She has a new plan to put into action.)

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict:

She wins but at the podium turns down her award – stating that it should have gone to Jasper and announcing that she’ll be returning to her day job as an agent.

(This is an absurd situation and a chance to really take the piss out of a conventional winning speeches.)

Resolution:

Zadie has a swanky office as an agent in a high-powered firm. Her new client is Jasper Benjamin. It’s revealed that Zadie and Jasper were actually lovers, who planned to leverage Zadie’s unexpected success to re-launch Jasper’s career, while allowing Zadie to return to what she actually loves doing at a much higher level as a power-player.

(This unconventional pairing has managed to hoodwink Hollywood. Perhaps they can get it on in the office with a riotous bonk to celebrate:)

What I learnt: To be aware of the conventions as you write. I have printed them out for comedy to have handy as a constant reminder.
Eden Young

Member
June 11, 2023 at 7:10 am

My vision: I am going to be an empowered, wonderful writer that’s known for great dialogue and great characters that win audiences’ hearts. <div>




What I learned from this assignment is that “every genre has its own specific requirements that audiences expect, producers need, and distributors use for categorizations.” Although we probably all instinctively know this, I never till now took it into consideration for delivering through writing. 

2. Tell us the following:

Title: Live Call Concept: What if your husband had to call his mom every time he had to make a big decision. Only she’s been dead for 30 years.Genre: Dark Comedy

3. Make a list of the conventions for your chosen genre, like this:

Purpose: To entertain the audience with a story packed with laughter inducing moments.

Incongruence: Some aspect of the journey, world, characters, or perspective is incongruent in a way that causes the audience to laugh. The unconventional pairing of two things, people, or situations in a way that causes laughter.

Mechanics of Comedy: Specific devices are used to induce laughter: Primarily the Setup/ Punchline. Also, the devices like toppers, running gags, sight and prop humor. This also includes comedic situations like “Fish our of water,” Incongruent Pairings, Hilarious Purpose, Absurd situation, Misinterpretation, etc.

Comedic Protagonist(s): Whether deliberately funny or the ‘straight man’ of the story, the Protagonist triggers countless amusing situations through their incongruent perspectives, choices and reactions to events.

STRONG STORY: Comedy is not enough. You need a story that keeps us engaged throughout the movie.

5. List your structure from Lesson 6 along with the improvements that come from the Genre Conventions:

Act 1:

Opening: Kitchen early morning. Calvin on his cellphone in the kitchen pouring coffee, grabbing his briefcase, getting ready to go to work. Rebecca asks if he booked the caterers? He mouths “not yet.” while gesturing with his right hand talk-talk-talk. Rebecca says “deadline by today.” Calvin winks, gives her a kiss, and walks out still talking on the phone. </div>

Or Another Possible Opening: At a very loud pro basketball game. Calvin mid call on his cell phone: saying yeah yeah that’s good. Let me call you later. Ok bye. Pull back to reveal Calvin Knightly and his wife, Rebecca 10th row front & center enjoying a game. Calvin’s POV of Jerry Brokmeir, another executive at the job, with his wife, Felicia, court side.

This is the set up: The audience and Rebecca don’t know who Calvin is talking to which will later circle back and be revealed that he’s talking to his Mom.

Inciting Incident:

Calvin in a meeting with two other executives, 4 board of directors, the CEO and COO (high rise office with a spectacular view, big oval table) . Jerry Brokmeir, starts to brag and bogart the meeting pitch. CEO actually asks Calvin to do some grunt work to aid Jerry to complete the prep to close the deal/ or they ask Calvin to do grunt work on a lower deal. The room goes silent. Calvin says nothing for an instance. And then says: yeah, let me make a call and start working on that right away. Cut to him on the phone talking to mom.

Turning Point: Calvin follows mom’s advice and it works like a charm.

<div>

Act 2:

New plan: Jerry Brokmeir gets promoted for a position that should have been given to Calvin. Rebecca gets suspicious that Calvin could be cheating on her or something is wrong. </div><div>

Plan in action: Calvin and Jerry on the golf course or at a poker table have a bit of a showdown (Jerry tries to blackmail Calvin). Calvin meets with the CEO only to be shot down. Calvin shows up at a benefit hosted by Felicia Brokmeir and things really go south.

Midpoint Turning Point: Nothing is working. Calvin can’t make even the most basic of decisions without calling his Mom. Cora manipulates & misleads her son because she doesn’t want him to find out the truth that SHE drove Calvin’s father away. And lied to Calvin all these years. And she wants him to need her forever and fail miserably to keep her connection going.
Calvin follows his mother’s advice only to have EVERYTHING come crashing down on him. Backfiring. He has no other choice but to _______.

Nothing his mom says helps. Things start to implode. Calvin calls mom and it goes straight to voicemail.Calvin has a complete meltdown. 




Act 3:

Rethink: Calvin calls his mom and the number is no longer in service. New plan: Rebecca discovers 100 outbound calls labeled “Mom” on Calvin’s phone. We reveal that Calvin’s mother has been dead for 30 years. Cora wasn’t killed she committed suicide. Rebecca is torn. She contemplates leaving Calvin and possibly having him committed. Turning Point: Huge failure / </div><div>

Major shift: This is where Calvin starts to shake everything off and begins to rise. He makes his first bold move ever to save his life, his career, his marriage, and ultimately himself. He goes to Italy on his own to seal the deal himself with the clients & get the credit he finally deserves. Bringing in something the other schmucks could never come up with…. AND CLOSES the DEAL!!!!!

Act 4:Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Calvin faces his mom and then ditches his phone and gets a new one. While in Italy, Calvin gets an incoming call labeled “Mom” on his brand new phone (Mom’s number was NOT programmed into his new phone). He blocks the number, disconnecting the call forever and wins the Italian account.

Resolution: Calvin realizes he never did anything wrong, has everything he needs to be happy, and never needs “to call” his mom ever again. Calvin opens his own business: a bar or cigar shop called Don’t Tell Your Mom or a winery or café called Mother’s. He and Rebecca move to Italy and live happily ever after.) place holder

</div>
Haley Chambers

Member
June 11, 2023 at 6:15 pm

Haley Chambers’ 4 Act Transformational Structure

Vision: I am going to work hard to be recognized as a successful screenwriter with many of my scripts made into films/TV shows.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT IS… it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around! Just putting some loose plot points down can help you have an idea of what you need to add/take from your story.

Concept: A recently hired dishwasher boy discovers the strip mall sandwich shop in which he works is actually the front of an underground factory for manufacturing dreams.
OLD WAYS:

Mundane and unimaginative
Low self-esteem
Hides from fears/nightmares
Static and held back in all aspects of life
Routined
Holding trauma from childhood neglect

NEW WAYS:

Self-confident and capable
Inspired and imaginative
Faces fears/nightmares head on.
Whimsical (while having a healthy balance with routine)
Able to overcome childhood trauma and learn from it.
Unafraid to go after dreams.

Act 1

Opening: Not sure yet…
INCITING INCIDENT: Sam is working a night shift at the sandwich shop when he is visited by a nightmare, prompting him to run and hide in the kitchens, where he discovers the secret entrance to a Dream Factory below his work place.
TURNING POINT: When his friends/family don’t believe him about the previous night’s events, Sam decides to go back to work to investigate. Instead, he finds an eccentric man waiting in the shop, who says he is there to “recruit” Sam to the Dream Factory.

Act 2

NEW PLAN: Reluctantly, Sam decides to trust the Recruiter and return to the Dream Factory, intrigued by the idea that he might be “special”, and to prove to his friends/family that he is not crazy.
PLAN IN ACTION: The Recruiter introduces Sam to the magnificent and magical Dream Factory, where he soon realizes he is the black sheep. He meets the Dream Factory Foreman, who takes intrigue in the nightmare that originally attacked him at the shop.
MIDPOINT TURNING POINT: The Dream Factory goes into panic mode when there is a sudden nightmare attack in the Dream Department. Sam doesn’t yet know how to combat the nightmares, and when he comes face to face with the same one that attacked him the night before, he is unable to stop it.

Act 3

RETHINK EVERYTHING: Sam thinks he is in way over his head, still rattled by the nightmare attack. After speaking with one of the characters (which I am still unsure on), he realizes the only way to stop his nightmare is to get over his fears and get over his past.
NEW PLAN: After being empowered, Sam decides to track down his nightmare, and face it head on with his newfound belief in himself.
TURNING POINT: Sam realizes that his nightmare was himself all along, and he defeats it using everything he learned on his internal journey through the story. BUT everything is not over yet… Sam discovers that the Dream Foreman was behind the nightmare attack on the Dream Factory, and that he has been using Sam all along to experiment with the power of nightmares.

Act 4

Climax: After having already faced his own nightmares, Sam must work with the employees of the Dream Factory to stop the Foreman. He is no longer looked on as the black sheep, but the savior of their world. Sam has stopped trying to prove himself to his family/friends, and instead is confident in who he already is.
- Margaret
  
  Member
  June 12, 2023 at 12:57 pm
  
  Great start, Haley! You should be proud of getting this down – it is only going to get better from here! Margaret
Adrienne Watkins

Member
June 22, 2023 at 12:53 am

Adrienne Watkins – Build in the Genre Convention – Module 2 Lesson 6

My Vision: I am going to work as hard as I reasonably am able to succeed at script writing to be recognized by multiple movie producers as a skilled script writer, and to have my scripts produced worldwide.

What I have learned from this assignment is to build character structure to match the genre.

Title: The Touch of Rhythm

Concept: A deaf woman teaches a jazz musicians rhythm by touch and falls in love with her, when his manager realizes they are falling in love she plots to break them up.

Genre: Rom-Com

PURPOSE

INCONGRUENCE

MECHANICS OF COMEDY

COMEDIC PROTAGONIST

STRONG STORY

Act 1

Opening: Roy and Fransie accidentally bump into each other on the street, he spills soda on her, she looks at him and walks away. He tries to apologize but she keeps walking, shaking her. has one week to get out of her beauty shop.

Inciting Incident: He sees her in a restaurant and notices her signing.

Turning Point: Roy sees her again in a cosmetic store applying a client’s make-up and she’s moving to the music playing in the store, He’s intrigued that she moves with the beats of the music, he realizes she has body rhythm, but leaves the store.

Act 2

New Plan: Roy cannot get Fransie out of his mind.

Plan in Action: Roy decides to contact her through his manager and invite him to one of his concerts.

Midpoint Turning point: As Roy works on his jazz compositions, he invites Fransie, but she’ believes he’s only doing it out of pity for her, but she needs the money.

Act 3

Rethink everything-Roy has fallen in love but fights against his feelings. He had a messy divorce and only wants to focus on his music career.

New Plan: Roy’s business manager plans a concert tour.

Turning point: Roy goes on tour but unable to perform.

Act 4:

Flavia discovers Fransie is her sister, they were separated at birth.

Flavia tells Roy and sends for Fransie.

Flavia tells Fransie they are sisters.

Fransie’s performs with Roy at his concert.

I have to brainstorm my outline-it a romance-but not a strong comedy.
Lenore

Member
June 22, 2023 at 2:27 am

Lloyd, Seems to me you have it all thought out beautifully. I think you forgot to put the widow’s name right before her arc–confused me at first. Keep up the good work! Lenore
Bent Hanlen

Member
June 22, 2023 at 11:29 pm

Bent’s genre conventions

My vision is this …….. I want to be a television writer and sell my features based on a recognized ability to write a high concept story.

what I learned doing this assignment is this…… if I put aside the perfectionist bullshit, I can progress incredibly well ….. I have a story to tell here.

TITLE – SANTA VS KRAMPUS

CONCEPT – SANTA AND HIS ELVES PREPARE FOR THE RISK OF BEING ATTACKED BY KRAMPUS ON CHRISTMAS EVE. ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE A MILITARY PRESENCE THROUGH THE GENERAL, HIS SAFETY MANAGEMENT IS IN QUESTION.

GENRE – ACTION THRILLER

Purpose:

Adrenaline-stirring / fast paced —Demand for Action:

Mission:

Escalating Action:

Hero

:Antagonist:

Act 1:

Opening – a Russian sub leaves the North Pole at night. A radio crew past that is contacting an elf who is in North America scouting an area. Krampus is there.

Inciting Incident – the demons attack the scouting elf. They send him back in his sleigh as a message to Santa.

Turning Point – the elf returns with some dead reindeer attached to the sleigh and it alarms all the elves. The General is angry on the outside but calculating on the inside. He holds a meeting with Santa discussing the future of the North Pole and how they require a military to combat this strength in demonic activity. If they sell more oil to other countries, they will afford all the weapons needed. Santa refuses.

Act 2:

New plan – General proposes to Santa they build up a military as the demons are increasing their strength. General wants to allow more oil drilling on the continent to pay for what he thinks is needed.

Sister Hazela wants to see the outside world. Her parents tell her no. She is so eager.

Plan in action – Santa refuses to build a military and Santa feels living simply is the way to go. The General walks away frustrated.

Hazela escapes her room and runs to the tarmac. Elves are cleaning up the scout’s sleigh mess.

Indigo searches for his sister in the house then reports to his family. They all bundle up to search for her.

Midpoint – The sleighs are going out. Hazela a young elf stows away onto a sleigh. The father encounters the General and wants to stop all sleighs so they can locate the daughter. General refuses. General reminds Father he is no longer giving orders as he is no longer the Santa.

Turning Point – Her brother chases after her and accidentally falls into a sleigh as it takes off. They all go to North America.

Act 3:

Rethink everything – As they deliver presents there are demons about to pounce. They are attacked by Krampus. Hazela is kidnapped.

There is an ensuing chase with the demons after Santa and his elves.

Indigo hears of this attack from other elves. After he hears one of the elves was captured and it is a girl, he freaks out.

New plan – Break up so they can search for her. The General is called. Up at the North Pole, the General boards his sleigh. The Father wants to go with him. General tells him with one arm he is useless. That pisses off the Father.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – New battle. They encounter Krampus. The General sees the potential for killing off Santa. Everyone regroups.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – There is an end battle. Krampus attacks Santa’s sleigh and the General refuses to help. Indigo knows he must save Santa to help his sister who is on that sleigh. Krampus wants to take her. Indigo gets aboard the sleigh to attempt to remove Krampus. Santa is wounded. Indigo and his sister Hazela work together to tangle Krampus in ropes. Indigo gets his sister back. The General tries to damage Santa’s sleigh in a turn of events. Indigo goes into action as all the sleighs are going to North Pole.

Resolution – Krampus is cut in half. Hazela unties the reindeer from the General’s sleigh. The General crashes into the ocean and dies. Santa and the remaining elves land on the tarmac. Santa crashes and Krampus rolls down the tarmac all bloody. Indigo’s father redeems himself by smashing the head of Krampus when it lands on the tarmac.

End scene.- a healing Santa steps out of his office with a cup of coffee. A great day. Then in the very far distance he sees a Russian oil drill and vehicles making a path on land through his binoculars.
Karyn Laitis

Member
July 4, 2023 at 4:52 am

MODULE 2 LESSON 6

SUBJECT: Karyn Laitis — Build In The Genre Conventions

VISION: To be a highly successful screenwriter, industry recognized and in-demand for writing lucrative movies that connect with huge audiences.

What I learned from doing this assignment:

Thriller Conventions:

· Purpose: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.

· Life and Death Situations: They face danger at every step—either physically, emotionally, or mentally. The hero needs to either be in danger or there is the implication of future danger.

· Mystery/Intrigue/Suspense: There’s a mystery that must be solved in order to survive. Intrigue is the underhanded and covert Villain’s plan. Suspense comes from the danger the Hero faces.

· Hero: Unknowing, unwitting, but resourceful hero.

· Villain: Dangerous, devious, and unrelenting. Committed to destroy anyone who gets in their way.

· Main Emotions: Suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation, uncertainty, and surprise.

Concept: Professor of Forensic Anthropology (Dr. Johona Digger) is targeted for murder and accused of the murder of her colleague. She must be exonerated, vindicate her colleague, and keep her project alive!

Main Conflict: Someone wants to shut down Dr. Digger’s project and neutralize her as she is getting too close to discover Doug Bennet’s multi-million-dollar covert operation. She’s a professional and not a quitter!

Old Ways:

· Workaholic, career driven.

· Aspires to be recognized and promoted.

· Loner, focused.

· Unaware of her surroundings.

New Ways:

· Survival strategist.

· Fight to stay alive.

· Community alliances.

· She manifests her inner and physical strength to survive.

External Journey:

From an intellectual researcher/professor to a survival strategist able to outwit a murderer and mastermind of a covert operation.

Internal Journey:

From a secure, living in a normal “publish or perish” academic world, to experiencing the strength of her past and cultural roots rising above the fear, threats, loss and grief to emerge strong.

Title: Dr. Digger—Proof of Death

Genre: Thriller

ACT 1:

· Opening: Dr. Johona Digger & colleague in the rustic lab in a heated discussion and being watched by someone in a truck getting instructions from some on the phone. Dr. Digger leaves the lab in a rush-peels out in her jeep-her colleague calling after her to return soon. The stalker quietly enters the lab, surprises, and murders the colleague. Then rummages through files and sets fire to the lab.

· Inciting Incident: After a brief investigation of the murder, Detective Ty Wallace arrives at Dr. Digger’s rustic cottage; he sees the door ajar and slowly enters the dark room. He’s jumped and put into a headlock by Dr. Digger. He announces himself, tells her of her colleague’s fate, then arrests her for assault and the murder of her colleague.

· Turning Point: With a lack of evidence, Dr. Digger is released and warned to be available for further questioning and encouraged to shut down her project. The detective knows first-hand that she has the physical strength to overpower and kill. Dr. Digger breaches the police barricade around the lab and discovers her colleague’s journal and a package, she feels a presence, that she is being stalked so she hides the journal and package in the food locker to retrieve later. As she’s about to get in her Jeep, she’s knocked unconscious and carried back into the lab. She staggers and hides in the food locker just as there is an explosion. She retrieves her colleague’s items and stumbles to her Jeep and passes out. Doug Bennet finds her. Why is he there?

ACT 2:

· New Plan: Arrested a second time for breaching a police-secured area and evidence tampering—her bail is posted with a warning to be available for questioning. She’s released with instructions to return to the University. Her project is on hold–temporarily.

· Plan in action: At the University, Dr. Digger meets with her mentor who enlightens her about the AUM and suspicious disappearances. She tests the package contents in the lab and discovers that the bone fragments are, indeed, human, yet not ancient burial remains. The bone tissue has high concentrations of toxicity-uranium. Her mentor shares the history of the area; surprised she didn’t know about her own roots, since her mother was Indigenous from that Nation. Something that Dr. Digger rarely acknowledged.

· Midpoint Turning Point: Returning to her campus apartment, the door is ajar, it has been ransacked. She picked up her commendation medal for heroics serving in the Middle East. She’s enraged– ready to fight! That night, her mentor suddenly dies—a tragic accident?

ACT 3:

· Rethink everything: Dr. Digger quietly returns to her disrupted project site with more questions than answers. She learns of the untimely and suspicious death of her mentor. She remembered that her Godmother told her about an elder (Gil Wallace) who knows her family. She needed to reach him, to learn more of her puzzled life.

· New Plan: Dr Digger must engage her family community to learn more about the missing members, who is sabotaging her project and why. Uncle Gil speaks of a “Curse” on her project site and that she needs to leave. She meets his son, Brad who’s working at the AUM Project for Agency Director, Doug Bennet. Perhaps he can fill-in some blanks. She must get to the bottom of this madness.

· Turning Point: Huge failure/Major Shift: At her project cottage, a torrential storm hits with a sudden blackout, no power, lights, the doors have been barricaded from the outside. She hears something slithering across the wood floor, quiet, then a rattle. She hears a hiss, then another, she can sense movement, but where they are! She inches her way to the hall and climbs the ladder to the attic, she’s met with someone putting a cloth over her nose and mouth – she blacks out – a sack is slipped over her head and bound with cable ties. She’s taken to a mine shaft. She hears voices talking about the abduction of two project volunteers. Her site has been vandalized, missing volunteers, with a warning to leave. She’s been kidnapped. Someone wants her to disappear. She’s failed. Her rescuer—Doug Bennet!

ACT 4:

· Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Receives message from Gil to meet his son (Brad) at one of the mines. He has information to help her. Going down into the mine-the elevator is rigged to plummet-her fate sealed! She manages to shimmy down a rope to the bottom. She finds Brad, mortally wounded. His last words direct her to a passageway with drawings/petroglyphs. She retrieves Brads pouch with mining report-toxicity, water, safety violations. Linked missing people and murders to Brad. She must escape and take the information to Det. Wallace (is he related to Brad? Is he in on whatever is going on with the UAM Project. The mine is flooding, there is no way out! She finds missing volunteers in the mine. The water is rising, and swiftly flowing carrying all out to the reservoir. She is met by Doug Bennet on a pontoon-he rescues them.

· Resolution: She turns over information to Ty Wallace and Doug Bennett. She is exonerated; Bennet says he knew there were issues but didn’t know Brad was pulling ore out of the mine obviously to make money. He now has a new foreman. Bennet asks Dr. Digger to dinner after his hike. As he is hiking, you see him reach for a rock to pull himself up—there is a nest of rattlesnakes in the crevice—waiting.
Veronica Turowski

Member
July 11, 2023 at 12:03 am

Veronica Turowski’s Genre Conventions

My Vision: I want to be a successful writer who writes several scripts a year then sells them to producers who create my vision for the big screen.

What I learned from doing this assignment is writing a script is easier if you start with an outline. I’m thinking of changing this script into a horror. As long it’s in an outline, it will be much easier to adjust and move around.

Title: Justice from the Grave

Concept: While at a funeral, a professional mourner is haunted by a ghost who claims he was murdered by a serial killer, but when he won’t leave her alone, she decides to prove him wrong so he can pass over, only to discover she is a ghost and is the grandmother of the killer.

Genre: Supernatural Thriller

PURPOSE: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.

Eppsa must find and stop a serial killer with the help of a ghost he murdered.

LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS: They face danger at every step – either physically, emotionally, or mentally. The hero needs to either be in danger or there is the implication of future danger.

Initially, Eppsa is fearful of Lonnie, who is a ghost. She faces emotional distress, deals with ghosts, the ghost of an abusive ex-husband who haunts her, and she finds a dead body. Hayden is in a Satanic cult. The serial killer turns out to be her son, Hayden. In the end, Eppsa lures Hayden back to their old, dilapidated house where she kills him. When Hayden dies, the demon inside him jumps into his son, Evren, to continue the cycle.

MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE: There’s a mystery that must be solved in order to survive. Intrigue is the underhanded and covert Villain’s plan. Suspense comes from the danger the Hero faces.

Eppsa has been searching for her son since he disappeared years ago. She has the ability to talk to a ghost who claims to have been murdered by a serial killer. People are dying from TikTok challenges, but in reality, Hayden is using the challenges to conceal he’s a serial killer.

HERO: Unknowing, unwitting, but resourceful hero.

Eppsa is a ghost who doesn’t know she was killed by her abusive husband before he killed himself. She finds ways to track down the serial killer who is her son, Hayden, for justice and redemption for the trapped souls.

VILLAIN: Dangerous, devious, and unrelenting. Committed to destroy anyone who gets in their way.

Hayden is a Satanic worshipper. He got involved through his dad as a teenager. A demon lives inside him who wants revenge on Hayden’s old friends who turned against Devil worshipping and found Jesus.

MAIN EMOTIONS: Suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation, uncertainty, and surprise.

There are suspenseful and tense moments with the clairvoyant and murders. The mystery is trying to figure out the serial killer. The surprise is when Eppsa discovers her son, Hayden, is the serial killer and then she kills him.

Act 1:

Opening: A man attacks a pastor with a knife in front of a church. Evren tries to stop the fight and gets a bad knife wound. The man runs off.

Eppsa sees Evren with his dad, Hayden, in the news from his hospital bed. Evren’s a hero for trying to save the pastor. She goes to the hospital to reconnect with Hayden and meet her grandson, but they are gone when she gets there.

Inciting Incident: Eppsa is at a funeral. In the distance, she spots a man watching the funeral. She talks to him and finds out his name is Lonnie. He says he needs help to stop a serial killer. She wants to help him and asks if he needs his medication. He is adamant and frantically tells her the name of the serial killer’s next victim. She thinks he’s crazy, freaks out, and leaves the cemetery.

Turing Point: She reads an obituary. It’s the person Lonnie told her would die next. She goes to the police station but sees Lonnie standing outside the building. He chases her across the street. She looks back and he’s stopped in the street. He vanishes as an ice cream truck almost hits him.

Act 2:

New Plan: Find out if Lonnie is telling the truth.

Plan of Action: Uses a psychic, Clover, to get answers.

The psychic tells her to find Lonnie because he knows facts the cops missed. She tells Eppsa her husband is in the room with them. Eppsa is afraid. Things fly around the room. Eppsa and the psychic flee.

She goes to another funeral. A child of the deceased hugs Eppsa and tells her that Lonnie wants to talk to her but is afraid. The child tells Eppsa another victim’s name from Lonnie.

The obituary has another death, but it’s a suicide and not the name the child told her. The news warns everyone to stop copying a TikTok challenge because it kills people, and the trend is becoming an epidemic in the town.

She searches the internet for the name the child gave her. She finds the person’s house. The door is ajar. She enters to find her dead. Her husband enters. She runs.

Midpoint Turning Point: While waiting to talk to the cops in the police station, she sees Hayden and Evren at the police station. As she runs after them, she knocks a stack of files to the floor. She’s flustered and apologetic. The cop is angry and doesn’t want anyone to help him. She continues after Hayden, but she’s too late.

Act 3:

Rethink Everything: Help Lonnie find the serial killer.

New Plan: She goes to church to pray. She talks to an old lady crying on a pew. It’s the anniversary of her grandson who died by suicide a year ago. He was a friend in Hayden’s circle of friends.

She sees Hayden in a park near the cemetery talking to one of his childhood friends who is homeless. She goes over to them, but they are drunk and obnoxious. Hayden yells at her to go away because she reminds him of his pathetic, dead mother.

She goes to the cemetery. Lonnie says another victim will die tonight.

The name Lonnie predicted turns up in the obituaries. The cops say it’s another TikTok victim. She attends his funeral. Something is familiar about the man.

Midpoint Turning Point: The homeless man dies. She goes to the funeral home for the viewing. No one is there. Eppsa puts a list of the names together who have died. She remembers these were kids from their neighborhood. She fears Hayden will be a victim, too. She must protect Hayden and stop the serial killer herself.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: Eppsa finds a news article about a wife who was killed in a murder-suicide. The husband was discovered to be a serial killer. Their teenage son was taken in by a church member.

Eppsa goes to the cemetery. Her name is on the headstone along with her husband’s. She realizes she’s dead.

She knows how to find her son and lure him back to their old house which will now be revealed as abandoned and falling apart. Somehow, she kills Hayden. The demon inside him is released and enters his son.

Resolution: After Hayden is killed, Eppsa and Lonnie pass over. Hayden’s son, Evren, looks through a box hidden behind a wall that contains a ring from one of the murder victims.
shira marin

Member
July 25, 2023 at 11:29 pm

SHIRA MARIN’S GENRE CONVENTIONS

[WIM] Mod 2 –– L6

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MY VISION: I commit to doing everything from my strongest, most creative writer self to learn the course material as thoroughly as possible, then, revise and sell my screenplay to a producer who can’t wait to make it into an unforgettable film that everyone, everywhere can’t wait to see, be inspired by, and fulfill their best, most creative selves.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS LESSION: WOW! I believe I’ve been struck by creative lightning! I’m musing as I usually do before I get started and suddenly I see how Hekate views what created the human self-destructive tendency and how women fell in line with it ultimately, until….Hekate, with Kara in tow, begin the change!!!! Thanks so much, Hal and Cheryl, for these truly magical lessons.

Title: HEKATE RISING

Concept: A discarded, forgotten goddess bent on saving humankind and planet Earth from self-destruction seeks out a grad student to do her bidding.

Main Conflict: The goddess Hekate sees humankind, out of ignorance, fear, and greed, is actively destroying itself and the planet. Hekate convinces Kara, a struggling grad student, to be her proxy in transforming the world with the promise to give Kara the life of her dreams.

Genre: Drama

3. CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA

PURPOSE:

A goddess and a grad student, each with a life-saving agenda, tangle in their efforts to succeed and are jeopardized by a university Dean with dark secrets and an agenda bent on destroying the grad student’s life. He’ll have to tangle with a trip-powered goddess to accomplish his goal.

CHARACTER-DRIVEN JOURNEY:

Through Hekate, Kara/a grad student reawakens the world to the value and usefulness of the Feminine Harmonic, thus, re-membering her as a richly endowed, critical, and essential of human consciousness that will save humankind and the planet. In yielding to Hekate, Kara heals herself.

HIGH STAKES COME FROM WITHIN:

The self-destructive nature of humankind, due to a mutation in the human male psyche at the dawn of human ego consciousness, ignites men’s psyches in a Shira Marin’s 4-Act Transformational StructureWIM MOD 2 – L5: THE 4-ACT TRANSFORMATIONAL STRUCTURE

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MY VISION: I commit to doing everything from my strongest, most creative writer self to learn the course material as thoroughly as possible, then, revise and sell my screenplay to a producer who can’t wait to make it into an unforgettable film that everyone, everywhere can’t wait to see, be inspired by, and fulfill their best, most creative selves.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS LESSON IS: What I learned from this activity is that the course is a gift that keeps on giving. These high-yield, valuable methods for clarifying and honing my ideas are gems.

Again, it’s a fascinating and ultimately satisfying process, and I am grateful for my persistence to complete every assignment as I catch-up satisfactorily enough for the moment. I can see and feel the 4-act structure clarifying, and I will work to create an increasingly more powerful story as I progress.

Again, I’m appreciating the steps that work through each element, most of which I have known in a more general way over my previous studies into writing screenplays.

What is so different and fabulous about our course is that every single one of the processes is thoroughly unpacked, which I can now see is clearly critical to completing a successful screenplay! Foundationally, I feel stronger with each lesson.

Nothing has surpassed what I’ve learned this time around …YAY!

Concept: A discarded, forgotten goddess bent on saving humankind and planet Earth from self-destruction seeks out a grad student to do her bidding.

Main Conflict: The goddess Hekate sees humankind, out of ignorance, fear, and greed, is actively destroying itself and the planet. Hekate convinces Kara, a struggling grad student, to be her proxy in transforming the world with the promise to give Kara the life of her dreams.

Old Ways:
Overly invested in mannish ways and patriarchal society Accepts and trusts others’ authority over hers
Retiring, hesitant, and humble
Lacks self-confidence/belief in herself
Makes herself shyly inconspicuous
Doesn’t take her intellectual and creative gifts seriously enough

Can’t maintain an intimate relationship with a man; always jumps ship.

New Ways:

She, connected with her Divine Feminine Harmonic (Hekate), embodies
the “One.”

Completes her doctorate and brings the beauty of Feminine the natural balance from the union of Feminine and Masculine energies to the world

Effective in male-dominated world; men begin to experience the value of feminine energy in themselves and respect, appreciate and embrace it.

Kara is released from her childhood wound.

Kara and Oliver reunite in the end.

Hekate is restored to human consciousness as a guide: a vital, compassionate, and empathic thrust in both women and men.

Act 1:

Opening: The goddess Hekate standing on a Malibu bluff, looking out to sea, her brow deeply furrowed with a blaze lighting her eyes.Inciting Incident: In a bookstore doing research, Kara is stunned, catapulted into a bookcase by a bolt of lightning that strikes a book related to Witches/Hekate. Kara shares this experience and a dream with her psychoanalyst who confirms that Kara must include Hekate’s imperative to actively support in her dissertation Hekate’s agenda to save humankind from itself. Oliver, Kara’s boyfriend and Jenn, Kara’s Jungian Analyst, become companions on the journey.Turning Point: Kara researches Hekate’s identity and discovers she is a triple goddess, 3 times more powerful that all of the other gods and goddesses, and she needs Kara to be her proxy. Kara needs to complete her doctorate or lose her academic position and her struggling sense of self. Grayson Benoit, the dept. Dean rails against Kara’s upstart attitude, her lagging behind, and her seeming lack of commitment. Calum Ross, Kara’s dissertation advisor affirms Kara’s experience, though contrary to Grayson’s, and that her destiny is tied to Hekate.

Act 2:

New plan: Kara finally agrees. Kara will change course and follow Hekate’s lead to develop her dissertation according to the Harmonic Feminine Principle. Oliver and Kara become estranged and split up.Plan in action: Kara presents the proposal to the Dean/Grayson who vehemently declares, “No,” and Calum, who says “yes.”Midpoint/Turning Point 2: Calum, works on changing Grayson’s mind about Kara’s dissertation proposal and discovers dark secrets that will cost Grayson his potential promotion and ultimately his academic career.

ACT 3:

· Rethink Everything: Grayson continues to keep Kara waiting about his acceptance of her proposal. Kara agrees to go Hekate’s way. Hekate supports Kara’s academic work.

· New plan: Dean accepts Kara’s proposal. With Hekate’s inspiration, Kara executes the dissertation and turns it in. Hekate encourages Kara to trust herself about her dissertation, to keep working on herself and her childhood trauma that cause issues with both Kara’s mom and Oliver, her boyfriend. Hekate reassures Kara that the plan to stop human self-destruction and the planet is unfolding as she planned.

Turning Point/Huge failure/Major Shift: Kara submits her dissertation, and Grayson keeps her on tenterhooks about the approval. Dealing with Hekate and struggling with her dissertation and her personal life, Kara’s stressed to the max.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: After all of Kara’s dissertation work with Hekate at her side, Grayson, bent on felling Kara’s accomplishment, will only sign off if Kara first presents her work at a public venue where the world can decide it’s worth. Kara is beside herself.Resolution: Unbeknownst to Kara, Calum arranges for Kara to present her work at a TEDx gathering. Kara, who has slowly been embodying Hekate and the way of the Feminine Harmonic, finally, is joined by Hekate, presents her work, which goes viral and launches a newly minted PhD, activist, international TED speaker, and global change agent who spawns a worldwide shift that sets a course of balancing masculine and feminine energies in men and women, creating a new paradigm for relationship at every level of society, setting Hekate’s agenda in full swing, resolving Kara’s relationship with her mother and reconciliation with Oliver.

unfolding, in modern times called the Patriarchy.

EMOTIONALLY RESONATES: Drama audiences want to feel and be moved by the characters’ emotions and how they experience the events.

A goddess, through her superpowers, and a woman, through her research, feel a dire need to save the world from itself. An insecure university Dean desperate for personal elevation due to his past does all he can to keep his environment and his life from changing.

CHALLENGING, EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED SITUATIONS: Characters get challenged

Hekate, irate over the dire emergency of human self-destruction and planetary demise, must affect a foundational/fundamental change in the human psyche in order to transform human behavior, and Kara, struggles with severe self-doubt while gradually internalizing Hekate’s intention for her and to launch a world transformation to save folks from self-destructing.

REAL-LIFE to their core by the emotional situations and struggles that they run into.

Hekate, feeling fondly thoward hiumankind and the planet, must affect a foundational change in the human psyche in order to transform human behavior. Hekate must make the connection through a live person who can carry uher message and be the Shero Hekate needs to affect the change. Kara, who becomes Hekate’s chosen ONE struggles with severe self-doubt and anxiety while gradually internalizing Hekate’s intention for her: to both cure her and to launch a world transformation to save folks from self-destructing.

Drama stories are grounded in reality.

Kara wrestles with her department dean in the outer world while her inner world/psyche is relentlessly engaged with Hekate.

An added convention below for this story because it is the key element, the message for the viewer, which is outlined in the comments above:

SOCIAL COMMENTARY: Because we are in a different time, place, and experience, it is possible to explore current-day social issues, sometimes going as far as making moral statements. It often contains idealistic hope or dire warnings.

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