Lesson 7

[Caitlin Stryker]

Caitlin Stryker’s beat sheet in 3 passes: What I learned doing this assignment is that having a time crunch and committing to getting the ideas down forces me to not self edit.

Pass 1: Organize your structure and transformational events.

ACT 1

INT. NIGHT Sam’s bedroom

OPENING: Carla reading “Where the Wild Things Are” to her son Sam for his bedtime story.

INT. NIGHT Carla and Mark’s bedroom

TE 1: Carla talks to her husband Mark on the phone. He is away for work. They talk about her needing to find a job to help with the bills. She talks about feeling unwanted.

INT. NIGHT Carla and Mark’s bedroom

INCITING INCIDENT: Carla cries in bed silently at 3 am. She rolls over and we see a flutter of a curtain like a presence was there…

SCENE getting Sam to school. We see the other Moms. Some say Hi to Carla and she shyly walks away.

EXT. DAY Abbott Kinney sidewalk

TE 2: Carla bumps into Harriet, her childhood best friend who moved away, on the sidewalk out front of the coffee shop. Let’s get you out girl and put some color back into your life. Carla says no, it’s a school night and Mark is away.

ACT 2

INT. DAY Carla’s Living Room

New plan: Carla gets home, looks around and decides yes, she’s gonna go out tonight!

INT. DAY Apt

TE 3: Carla has to find a sitter. (She texts for sitter ideas the “mom chain” she rarely interacts with bc they are cooler and more togethr than her.) Carla has to figure out what to wear?

SCENE Carla leaving for the night out with the sitter there.

EXT. NIGHT The Brig Club Exterior

Plan in action: Carla is out at night and in line for the club Harriet told her to meet at! It’s a long line and where is Harriet?

EXT. NIGHT The Brig Club Exterior

TE 4: Harriet comes out of the club and yells to Carla to get to the front of the line and just come in! She knows the bouncer it’s no big deal. Carla hesitates and then says fuck it. SHe goes up to bouncer Ron and gets in using the “Myr friend is in there line” which never works but bouncer Ron is a gem he can read ppl.

INT. NIGHT The Brig Club

Scene: Having a great time in the club.

INT. NIGHT The Brig Club at the bar

TE 5: Carla bumps into her old boss in the club. Carla’s old boss, Jennica, is an intimidating girl boss type who is 5 years younger than Carla and told Carla that she was screwing her career when she decided to leave to get married and have a child. Now that Carla needs to get back to work for real (being a part-time sub is not cutting it) she must reach out to Jennica and work on her portfolio and put herself out into the work world.

SCENE Walking home from the bar. Carla talks to Harriet about seeing Jennica and her need for work.

INT. NIGHT Kitchen

Midpoint Turning Point: Harriet comes over for dinner. Carla finds out that Harriet is imaginary. Carla covers that Harriet is imaginary by making it look like she just didn’t show, but Mark senses something weird is up.

Act 3:

EXT. DAY Venice Beach Boardwalk

Rethink everything: Carla asks Harriet why she left in middle school. Carla wonders if she’s crazy, but decides she is not and that Harriet is her superpower.

SCENE The Moms from school

INT. DAY Carla’s Living Room

TE 6: Carla discovers incriminating evidence of cheating on Mark’s phone. She tells Harriet and Harriet insists she confront Mark.

INT. DAY Carla’s bedroom

Transformational Event E: Does Carla want to leave Mark? Does she even have that option? She realizes that she doesn’t

EXT. DAY Abbott Kinney sidewalk

New plan: Use me to help you get unstuck. Everyone needs help and I can help you build your business and yourself.

SCENE Carla coming up with her business plan.

SCENE Carla talking to the MOMs about work at school pick up

INT. NIGHT Kitchen

TE 7: Carla confronts Mark and Mark suggests couples therapy. He’s been worried that Carla is depressed anyway.

INT. DAY Therapist Office

Scene: therapy session. Harriet is there but Carla tries to be cool. It’s an okay session, there is love between Mark and Carla.

SCENE Carla needs a girls night out and the MOMs are all in

INT. NIGHT The Brig Club
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Viral video of things too wild out on the town and Carla looking crazy talking to herself and winding up in the drunk tank. Harriet reveals to Carla that she wishes she were real and how lucky Carla is to be human.

• TE 8 (all part of the turning point/huge failure/major shift): Carla goes out again with the girls. This time the moms from school are there too. Carla drinks way to much, makes out with a 25yr old, gets thrown in the drunk tank and Mark has to bail her out. The next day there is a viral video of her coyote ugly bar top dancing and falling off with a nip slip. And Harriet is revealed to all to be imaginary–the reason the video is viral is partly because Carla is obviously talking to herself.
• SCENE Carla getting carted off to the drunk tank. The other MOMs look on.

Act 4:

EXT. NIGHT Police Station

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Mark wants to commit Carla, unless she gives up Harriet.

INT. DAY Therapist Office

TE 9: Now therapy takes a different turn. The therapist and Mark turn on Carla. Will she be able to talk them out of having her committed?
“You want to have me committed? Where? Didn’t they shut all those places down?” “We’ll start with medication.” “No! No. I do not need to be medicated. I’m leaving. You can’t force this on me.”

SCENE with the MOMs about what went down in therapy. They all admit to some form of alter ego at some point in their lives or to wanting one. Everyone loves Harriet she has clearly been good for Carla.

EXT. DAY Sidewalk in front of therapist office

Mark and Carla have it out

TE 10: Carla can’t hide any part of herself anymore; she will have to own her “crazy” if she wants to fully love herself and bring her whole self to all aspects of her life. This means Harriet stays but as a part of Carla, as her “alter ego” and as a part of herself she brings to the forefront. Which means in a way Harriet gets to be real too! (Like Sasha Fierce and Beyonce. Like Elliot P Dowd and Harvey.)

SCENE the moms back Carla up in front of Mark. A mom comes through big with a work contract for Carla’s copywriting.

Resolution: Everyone realizes, especially Mark, that Harriet is an important part of Carla.

4. I commit to the High Speed Writing Rules!
5. What I learned doing this assignment is that having a time crunch and committing to getting the ideas down forces me to not self edit.

[mark.napier2022@gmail.com napier]

I am going to redo this Beat Sheet as I was not sure what I was doing. I probably still do not but will try when time allows.

I finally understand the Beat Sheet now after reviewing again lesson #7. The Beat Sheet highlights the scenes (sorta like a table of content of a book) that compose that portion of the ACT in question of the Four ACT Structure. The Outline highlights what to expect from the compositions of each of the scenes beginning, middle and end. The Dialog is a breakdown of each scene. The end state is to program verify that the Dialog, Outline and Beat Sheet are all in sync pushing the same message or story line as depicted and sought after in the Four Act Structure. Transition Events, Turning Points, Inciting Incidents and Place Holders help to fine tune the finished product that hopefully makes the 4 Act Structure worth reading in the first place.

SUBJECT: Mark Napier’s High Speed Beat Sheet

What did I learn from this assignment? I believe I am building the framework of scenes. I am getting confused to the format actually. I took both 4 Act Structure and combines with the Transitional Events then added SLUG Lines, etc. I am trying to go fast but my story is based on true events covering a 15 year time span that I know at some point I have to shave off. I am starting to feel hosed …lol.

1. Give us the following:

-Concept: When a CIA Whistleblower becomes a victim of injustice, he is left chronically homeless and forced to become an abandonment of self to survive, while fighting to restore honor over strong desires for suicide.

-Main Conflict: A protagonist’s report of a mismanaged investigation reveals a crime involving child pornography on two CIA Top Secret computers. Egos are bruised by embarrassed senior CIA officials who botched the investigation and decide to turn ‘the system’ against the protagonist.

-Old Ways: Others and country first (military values), does not trust his own gut instinct, helpless (when ambushed), not assertive, and follows rules/orders without questioning.

-New Ways: Take care of #1 (me, myself and I), trust his own gut instinct, perseverance and fortitude, assertive, and make own rules (question everything)

2. Fill in each of these answers you have right now.

ACT 1.

-Opening: Protagonist who has served 16 years with the CIA agrees to a one year tour in Iraq. Soon he finds himself with Station’s Chief of Security flying on a CIA clandestine helicopter after midnight from Baghdad to Tikrit, Iraq. The protagonist has already survived one near mid air disaster in Iraq during the day, let alone does he want another mishap at night. However, The protagonist follows his orders without question from the ‘Acting’ Chief of Station. His mission is to disarm, secure and escort a staff employee to the flight line for expulsion from the country for allegedly threatening a contractor with a knife during an argument. At the flight line the employee pleads with the protagonist to call the home office at CIA Headquarters in Washington, DC area to find out the details of what he reported.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Station (DCOS/COM office), Baghdad, Iraq–Night

DESC.: Acting COS storms out of office saying: “I am going to throw that son-of-a-bitch in prison. Hero is working late outside Acting COS’ office and is told he and Station’s Chief of Security have a mission to perform.

–SLUG: EXT–Baghdad, Iraq–Night

DESC.: Flying in a helicopter, Hero and Station Chief of Security executes order and Hero is hoping to not have another inflight near disaster as he did last month.

–PLACEHOLDER: Flashback of helicopter engine failure that nearly causes crash.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Military Support Cell colocated w/ Division HQ, Tikrit, Iraq–Night

DESC.: Accused confronted under pretense of using a knife to threaten a contractor. Accused pleads with the Chief of Security to read his report, but the Chief refuses.

–SLUG: EXT–CIA Flight Line–Baghdad–Night

DESC.: Chief of Security directs Hero to stay with the accused until he is expelled from the country and departs back to CIA Station.

-Inciting Incident: The protagonist learns that the employee was chewing ass on the contractor for downloading child pornography onto two CIA Top Secret computers. The protagonist returns to Station to a short lived Hero’s welcome to write a cable back to CIA Headquarters of the egregious mistake by Station that jumped to conclusions in a half ass investigation. The protagonist also reveals to Station that the contractor in question has a documented history involving child porn. [CIA apparently chooses not to prosecute such cases due to the accused’s sensitive access.]

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero should confront threat and trust instincts, but does not.

–SLUG: EXT-CIA Flight Line–Baghdad–Day

DESC.: Accused then pleads with Hero to read his report and request Hero to call CIA Headquarters’ home office (Office of Military Affairs-OMA) who both work for. Hero learns the truth of what transpired. The accused is successfully deported from the country.

–PLACEHOLDER: Flashback showing the accused with ‘no knife’ was actually admonishing the contractor for downloading Child Pornography onto two CIA Top Secret computers.

–SLUG: INT-CIA Station, Baghdad–Day

DESC.: Hero returns 2 days later by Helicopter to Station coincidently with the contractor in question onboard to a warm welcome from Acting COS who slaps the Hero on the back. Then after an hour has passed he asks Hero to write a cable back to CIA HQ. Hero believes by now Station and HQ have discussed the matter, but that is not the case.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Station, Baghdad–Day

DESC.: Hero has conversation with Station’s Chief of Communications who has known the contractor in question for 20 years who retired from the CIA. Chief of Commo. makes a remark that “I’ve not seen him act this way, since the time he downloaded porn…….”….his word drops off and not completed. “Is that what it’s about?” Hero nods his head yes. Chief of Commo quietly and slowly turns around shaking his head in disbelief and does not say another word.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Station (DCOS/COM office), Baghdad–Day

DESC.: Acting COS and Station Chief of Security suddenly silent after Hero’s cable report back to Washington is released.

-Turning Point #1: Iraq Station COS and DCOS were out of country at the time of the incident, but a hostile work environment was already being fostered against the protagonist. The protagonist had previously revealed through a senior DCI representative visit that CIA and Station lacked the interest or effort to support US military conventional Warfighters on the ground and basically were just going through the motions. This caused friction. Tossing in the latest report the protagonist predicted that the tempers of Station will “blow the shit house door off a tuna boat.’ Hence, he is done for and decides to cut his one year tour short as he is not interested in enduring further hostilities. He leaves Iraq three months into the tour without a word.

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero should confront threat and trust instincts, but does not.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Headquarters (OMA), WDC–Day

DESC.: Hero was sent to run CIA’s four Military Liaison Cells because of Dept of Defense complaints that during 1990 Operation Desert Storm the CIA lacked its support to US conventional forces. Hero starts experiencing same issues again unfolding in Iraq 15 years later during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Contractors are assigned to support OMA’s mission who have military experience, but no CIA experience or training on operating Agency systems. In one case the contractor has never used a computer in his life and others have never used the CIA network. Hero is forced to train them 2 to 3 days before sending them down range causing hostilities with a colocated Agency employee who does not know what’s going on.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Station (COS office), Baghdad, Iraq–Day

DESC.: With the Hero and DCOS in the room, COS says he will only meet with the National Guard Division commander unless he provides a military helicopter to pick him up, despite COS having his own fleet of covert helicopters at his disposal. He says “I am not a GS4, I am a SIS4. GS4s get jerked around, SIS4s do not.” Hero picks up the phone and contacts his Military Cell representative and directs them to cancel the meeting because the COS is a pompous ass with a typical chip on his shoulders that Case Officers have. COS often refers to the 3rd Infantry Division commanding general in Baghdad as “Jackass.”

–SLUG: INT–CIA Headquarters (DCI’s office), Washington DC–Day

DESC.: Executive Director to OMA briefs CIA Director on his recent trip to Iraq, where Hero escorted him in country to the four different US military command elements for a debriefing. CIA Director is told that the US military is unsatisfied with the support they are receiving and notes that the CIA Station does not permit its people to exit the Green Zone, but the 3rd Infantry Division commander leaves it twice a day to lead by example with his troops.

–SLUG: EXT–CIA Flght Line, Baghdad, Iraq–Day

DESC.: Hero with no notice, gets on an aircraft bound for Washington, DC and giving Station “the bird.” Hero knows his story is in official channels, but who knows what COM tells the DCOS.

–BIG PICTURE POINT: Need to address the antagonist’s moment of exploding after learning what transpired and being so pissed as he was after the 9/11 attacks and treating the protagonist with great disdain, hatred and wanted vengeance. SLUG: INT–CIA Station, (DCOS/COM office), Baghdad, Iraq–Day

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero should confront threat and trust instincts, but does not.

ACT 2.

-New Plan: The protagonist reports back to CIA Headquarters to brief Office of Security

Investigators who nod in agreement that a retaliation is anticipated as its the cultural

norm of the Agency. The protagonist agrees to be redeployed back into the Combat Zone to serve as the CIA’s Deputy Chief of Base of Bagram, Afghanistan to support countrywide counterterrorism operations for 17 months.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Headquarters (Office of Security, office) Washington, DC–Day

DESC.: Hero is briefing Security Investigator on case who agrees a retaliation by COS, DCOS and COM is likely. Hero use to work in Office of Security for 6 years. The investigator is aware of the electronic trail Hero leaves behind regarding communications back to OMA.

The antagonists as expected try two attempts to retaliate against the protagonist

during his tour. The first attempt came as an influence operation by the antagonists to try and get the protagonist’s home office to fire him. The second attempt came when the antagonists tried to accuse the protagonist of overcharging the Agency $14,000–a felony had it been true. Security investigators never bother to question, investigate, charge, nor prosecute and pretty much ignored the allegation. However, the protagonist was not assertive and should have put his foot down. Instead, the protagonist ignored the accusation and continued to focus on the Counterterrorism mission. This decision proved to be fatal later on.

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero should confront threat and trust instincts, but does not.

–BIG PICTURE POINT: Need to address the antagonist fabricating a ‘felony’ ruse in collaboration with COS and COM Iraq and the cell directly under him is another point to address and expand.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Heaquarters (OMA), Washington, DC–Day

DESC.: OMA Branch Chief defends Hero’s actions when DCOS tries to influence OMA Director to dismiss Hero and the fabricated ruse.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Heaquarters (Security–Investigator), Washington, DC–Day

DESC.: Dismisses fabricated ruse as retaliation and Hero is never questioned, investigated, charged nor prosecuted in the 4 years that followed. CIA has a profound history of prosecuting offenders who embezzle or overcharge the Agency.

The protagonist has many memorable moments that included being directed to stay behind with nine others to defend Station while hundreds of personnel were evacuated to Kabul airfield during anticipated civil unrest, coordinating with the US Secret Service for the Presidential visit of George Bush, telling the DoD Liaison Officer for Presidential Visit to get lost when he tried to toss his title around, rendering the Silent Salute to 23 Fallen Heroes–including SFC Travis Nixon who had special meaning to the protagonist, hearing from the Presidential Surgeon on what really transpired when Dick Cheyney accidentally shot his hunting partner, to comforting a 14 year old boy that had 3 limbs blown off at a CIA firing range in Asadabad, to being accidentally exposed to radioactive material for nearly 3 hours from 12 crates of Mig Fighter air-to-air missile that were retrieved from an Afghan warlord.

–PLACEHOLDER: Film footage of Bagram, Airbase, President George Bush’s visit, Dick Cheney hunting mishap, Silent Salute to ‘Fallen Heroes’ at Bagram Airbase, to include SFC Travis Nixon–His platoon leader was the son of CIA officer in Iraq who calls Hero for assistance. Hero asks the platoon leader to fly a flag on the spot Nixon was killed and has held onto the flag to pass to family for the last 19 years with no success in contacting family.

–PLACEHOLDER: 14 year old boy gets three limbs blown off at CIA Asadabad Base while collecting brass to sell from firing range. He picks up M203 grenade.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Base, Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan–Day

DESC.: Hero called upon by Asadabase PSYOP officer to give complete attention to the boy as his father is a very influential tribal elder in their area of operation. Hero does as requested and comes to grow fond of the boy and the feeling was mutual as was with the hospital staff after 30 days of care. All cried when the boy had to leave for further treatment at a German hospital.

The protagonist facilitated the recovery of Stinger missile and British Blowpipe surface to air missile components, and discovery the US military was have radar systems to Apache Hellfire missiles being stolen as they were shipped through Pakistan into country. The protagonist recalls his second near mid air disaster involving an exploding engine and a hard crash landing for the J-Lo flight, as well as a disaster relief flight for earthquake victims where the Bagram air traffic control tower in error directed the Russian made cargo aircraft to flow inside the mountain range where it met its fate slamming into the mountain side just above an Afghan village.

–SLUG: EXT–CIA Base, Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan–Day

DESC.: Hero and Chief of Base purchase a Stinger grip stock for $10,000 (a whole Stinger was worth $150,000). Hero aslo assisted the British MI-6 in acquiring over 80 of their Blowpipes that were just as effective as the US Stinger surface to air missile. Ironically, Hero runs across a mobile US Army radar system and Apache gunship Hellfire missile that were stolen off US Army shipments coming through Pakistan.

–Placeholder: CIA provided 2,000 Stingers to the Mujahadeen during the Soviet invasion in the 1980s. They were stored in a cave that had the misfortune of blowing up.

-Plan in Action: The protagonist completes his tour and is reassigned two plus years

(including 3 months in Kabul) along the Afghan/Pak border at Falcon Base north of Naray village to carry out the Counterterrorism mission of psychological warfare and hiding the hand of the US Government. The protagonist has found his calling and has many successes. His most memorable moments include facilitating the defection of 14 Taliban commanders, two suicide bombers and 120 fighting age males. He decreased combat effectiveness of the Taliban, insurgent and Al Qaeda forces that saved American soldiers’ lives. He uncovered a Counterintelligence security issue at Station that involved a very prominent asset that was clandestinely meeting with a hostile foreign intelligence service who was responsible for shooting down a US military aircraft in the 90s.

–PLACEHOLDER: Photograph and film footage of CIA Station Hotel Ariana and video of Afghanis, Taliban leaders and fighters.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Station, Kabul, Afghanistan–Day

DESC.: Hero carries on foot from Station to President Karzai’s Palace two satchels with $300,000 to pay to the National Security Council staff once a month for 3 months with no security. The Hero was making ‘the Milkman Run.’

–SLUG: INT–CIA Station, Kabul, Afghanistan (Conference room)–Night

DESC.: Hero meets with a high level asset that CIA Station’s Chief of Operations recruited. This asset is so important he is normally met in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and is a PSYOP asset. Unfortunately, the asset tries to ignore $200,000 in funds he needs to account for and is egotistical enough to think he can bambuzal the Hero enough to dismiss. To the asset’s misfortune, Hero learns that not only did the asset embezzle the money to support his influential business in Kabul, but Hero tracks down the building the asset bought with the money. The hero also discovers that the ethnicity and origin of the asset’s last name is Iranian. The hero finds Iranian literature in the building that was purchased and discovers the asset is in contact clandestinely with a very senior Iranian intelligence officer who is responsible for terrorist activities against the US. The Case Officer who recruited the asset ironically claims this asset was anti-Iranian and often took the asset to CIA Headquarters for lunch with the asset’s girlfriend (who is also of Iranian heritage) when in the US. Of course, the asset’s Australian wife was not aware.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Station, Kabul, Afghanistan (PSYOP office)–Day

DESC.: Case Officer who use to be Delta Force Qualified, approaches Hero to support his operation to have 14 Taliban commanders defect along with two suicide bombers later on from Hekmatyar group. Case Officer seeks funding for a safe house in Kabul. CIA CTC is eager to comply as this opportunity would be similar to the Marine Corp ‘Kit Carson scouts’ of the Vietnam era.

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero is forward to deployed to CIA Falcon Base, Kunar Province

The protagonist with 2 weeks on the ground cleaned up a Navy S.E.A.L. operation that not only went bad, but kicked off a blood feud forcing the protagonist to jump through his ass to conduct a night letter operation that made it look like the Al Qaeda facilitator was trying to defect, forcing him to flee in terror. The protagonist put a stop to two additional missions trying to kill that Al Qaeda facilitator because the Navy S.E.A.L.s were mistaking the terrorist brother for the target.

–SLUG: INT–Dokalam, Afghanistan (school)–Day

DESC.: Three Navy S.E.A.L. snipers and a member of the CIA Ground Branch carry out what was supposed to be a ‘clandestine’ 460 meter cross border shot into Arandu, Pakistan to take out an Al Qaeda facilitator using 300 Winchester magnum rifles equipped with large optic scopes. On that day two of the three snipers did not have silencers and turned a covert action into a duck hunt and could not hit water if they fell out of a boat in the middle of the Atlantic. They hit everything else. It was the Ground Branch guy who was a former Marine sniper who blew a hole in the target’s left shoulder.

–PLACEHOLDER: How snipers sat up in the school who the Hero had recently recruited its school master and the sniper team’s exit from the village

–PLACEHOLDER: How the sniper element rejoiced and was excited from the hunt but soon bummed out when they found out they missed the target during the Base staff meeting.

–PLACEHOLDER: How the Hero was called upon by the COS to ‘hide the hand of the US government’ from the botched operation and how the hero had to take immediate action to save the life of the school master who happened to be a prominent and very respectable tribal elder in the region using night letter operation. What courses of action the hero had to take–PTS program, area familiarity of terrain, course of actions taken by sniper element on the ground during the operation, what the tribal elder did to cover their presence (MREs and broken glass).

–PLACEHOLDER: How the Navy S.E.A.L.s tried two more times to go after the same target that happened to actually be the older brother.

–PLACEHOLDER: Video of bridge being blown, refugee camps and munitions being destroyed

–PLACEHOLDER: After having the ANP and one base worker simultaneously identify ingress and egress routes used by the Mujahideen and now Taliban, Al Qaeda and insurgents to move forces and supplies into Falcon Base sphere of influence the Hero started sabotaging the bridges to interrupt their supply chain with the help of the NDS Chief who he had strong ties with and proven track record.

The protagonist carried out successful sabotage operations targeting key nodes used by the terrorists to support supply chains and their ingress and egress into Falcon Base’s sphere of influence. Additionally, the protagonist targeted refugee camps on the Pakistan side of the border to undermine recruitment efforts for suicide bombers. The protagonist also made an effort to acquire mortars and other explosives to prevent their use in IEDs. The protagonist was Falcon Base’s lead representative in dealing with political figures, law enforcement, villagers, shuras, jirgas and tribesmen and used this opportunity to acquire agents of influence and access.

–PLACEHOLDER: Video footage of refugee camps, meetings with tribal elders, government officials.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Falcon Base, Kunar, Afghanistan–Night

DESC.: A visit sponsored by Falcon base’s Navy S.E.A.L.s of the new Afghan CJSOTF commander–a lieutenant general–highlights protagonist’s presence as a reputable operator in the region to solicit military assistance in setting up counter-ambushes to undermine terrorists’ efforts who are attacking US Military and CIA supply lines. The base’s Case Officers’ are infuriated when they are not addressed during the meeting and begin to undermine protagonist’s assets and credibility.The results of the protagonist’s initiative result in killing over 100 terrorists. The protagonist then planted seeds of betrayal in his meeting with the village elders thanking those who alerted our forces to set up the counterambushes that resulted in distrust amongst the villages and the terrorist transiting the area fearing an ambush.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Falcon Base, Kunar, Afghanistan–Day

DESC.: The protagonist even got to brief a Democrat Congressional Delegation to the base for 1 hour briefings each from base officers. Upon asking the protagonist: “What makes your operations so successful?” The protagonists simply replied: “I took a page out of former President Bill Clinton’s Democratic rule book where he once said…When selling foreign and domestic policies to the American people, I would rather have a pinch full of convincing lies than a handful of truth!” With that the representative laughed and thanked the protagonist for the briefing that lasted 30 seconds.

–SLUG: INT–CIA Falcon Base, Kunar Province, Afghanistan–Night

DESC.: During the protagonist’s two plus years along the border, he survived rockets, mortars, and an IED attempt, but the most effective weapon was from the antagonists who wielded their title, positions and authority like a weapon of mass destruction. A few months before the protagonist’s tour was to end, the antagonist from Iraq arrives at the base for briefings and introduces himself as the new Chief of Station. As the protagonist’s time drew to a close two months out, suddenly he experienced a catastrophic failure of all of his assets who were identified by Headquarters to be untrustworthy to include the NDS Chief, despite program verifications, some being polygraphed and two owing their lives to the protagonist. Soon after, a hostile work environment began to ensue targeting the protagonist. The protagonist did not want to believe his instincts that something was amiss and continued to not assert himself because he was an independent contractor and followed the rules.

–SLUG: EXT–Kunar River–Night

DESC.: During a NAVY S.E.A.L. mission prep (training) directly supported by Hero, a Chief Petty Officer Joshua Harris (twin to Hollywood celebrity Kikki Harris) died during the river crossing. The soldier lost his footing and the thin twine around his waist broke. He was quickly pulled under from the turbulent water. His death was listed as died in action versus a training accident. Hero holds to this day the flag flown over Falcon Base in his honor in hopes of passing to family. The hero has held onto the flag for Sixteen years and no success in reaching out to the family.

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero should confront threat and trust instincts, but does not.

–BIG PICTURE POINT: Expanding on the antagonist discovery that the protagonist is alive and well in Afghanistan that kicks off the hostile work environment, the catastrophic failure of all PSYOP programs, theft of luggage and Blacklisting can be expanded.

–TE:#5

–INCITING INCIDENT:

–SLUG: INT–CIA Headquarters (CTC Home Office)–Day

DESC.: Narrated by voice over

-Midpoint Turning Point #2: After the tour, the protagonist took a 4 month R&R before he

was scheduled to return to Afghanistan. The protagonist arrived at Headquarters and

spent 3 days for mission preparations. It was not until the last day that his home office

advised him that they were not prepared to send him down range after all and that they

were closing down that PSYOP program at Falcon Base and that the protagonist would

be redirected elsewhere in country, but in the meantime he should return home to

Florida. The protagonist had a very bad deep down gut feeling that something was

terribly wrong, particularly after he had seen the antagonist in the Agency cafeteria, but

he refused to accept what his instincts were telling him. The protagonist was asked for his passport and told that an upcoming assignment was pending and sent on his way.

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero should confront threat and trust instincts, but does not.

–SLUG: INT–Washington-Dulles International Airport, Northern Virginia–Day

DESC.: After checking in his luggage at Washington-Dulles International Airport where the CIA has a colocated facility that was widely known to support the War on Terror, the protagonist flew back to his home state, but his gear and 4 years of tax information that were a treasure trove for identity theft had simply disappeared. It would take a week before the protagonist would learn that his luggage was stolen. Another three weeks would pass before the protagonist reached out to his home office who continued to conduct delay tactics before the protagonist had finally realized that he was being Blacklisted. Shock and surprise overwhelmed him and he felt helpless, but as he started to regroup hoping for the best he was trying to see what course of action he should take.

–PLACEHOLDER: Show luggage checked in and someone clandestinely removing the back after it’s on conveyor belt.

–SLUG: INT–Home, Viera, Florida–Day

DESC.: Suddenly the protagonist started to fall ill. As time went on the illness got worse and he dismissed it as mononucleosis brought on by stress. He had it twice before, but this time it lasted 5 months and this time, unbeknownst to him, it was not mono. The protagonist decided to go back on active duty for his Army Reserve unit and had to do a physical. Two more months would pass before his unit surgeon would call screaming at him over the phone that he had contracted HIV and would be medically discharged.

ACT 3.

-Rethink Everything: Shocked, protagonist grabs a 44 magnum and tries to commit

suicide, but fails as the chambers are empty. Soon severe depression, shock, and PTSD

take root as protagonist feels the full weight of the world crashing down on him as

protagonist rapidly loses the trust of most family, friends, colleagues and a nation that

turns away because of the stigma and false ruse only to discard and forget protagonist’s

existence. The Army eventually flies protagonist to Camden, New Jersey and forces

protagonist to road march to Ft Dix, New Jersey 32 miles away. Before they would pick

him up at the airport. Once protagonist arrives at the base at 1:30 am, protagonist is

forced to try and sleep on a park bench, but spends his night contemplating suicide by

hanging. Protagonist feels his country has figuratively handed him an epitaph that reads:

“For Outstanding Service and Loyalty to Country

Stigmatized and Slandered

Betrayed and Dishonored

Impoverished and Homeless

Discarded and Forgotten

Blacklisted by a Grateful Nation”

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero loses family, friends, country.

–TE:#6

INCITING INCIDENT:

-New Plan: Despite protagonist’s desperate search for employment, jobs are

non-existent during the Great Recession of 2009. Perspective employers seek to send the protagonist back to the CIA where he has been Blacklisted. Others tell the protagonist that he has so much experience that they cannot afford him. Soon, the protagonist sees all his work for nearly 30 years start to fade as he loses his home, furnishings and money. As a final straw, the Internal Revenue Service takes the protagonist’s last $600 and forces him into the streets penniless. Nowhere to turn, the protagonist is forced to pursue the profession of a stripper at Gay bars for the sake of survival for him and his companion dog (Sheila – a one year old 8 lb miniature pinscher).

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero loses family, friends, and country.

–PLACEHOLDER: Hero loses faith in himself and God.

–TE:#1

INCITING INCIDENT:

-Turning Point #3: Huge failure / Major shift: Protagonist’s only hope is to turn his tragedy

into an opportunity for success by exploiting the fact he looks 12 years younger than he is, that he has core strength (in comparison to the “Twinkies” half his age) enabling him to perform hard stunts on free spinning and stationary poles. Protagonist, too, has global experience that enables him to engage customers beyond the typical Twinky conversation…”I’m Aries, what’s your sign?” As time goes on, however, the protagonist dissolves into further depression as he becomes an ‘abandonment of self’ joining the ranks of the “Walking Dead” (675,000 homeless) who are forced into the streets following the recession. Not just bankrupt financially, the protagonist is bankrupt physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Protagonist will pursue four attempts to commit suicide to remove his pain as a complete failure in life.

–TE: #3c

–INCITING INCIDENT:

During the four years as a stripper, the much younger dancers (30% who are homeless)

seek protagonist’s protection from sex traffickers, desperate women, and porn directors

who seek to exploit them. Not a day goes by that protagonist seeks to commit suicide

and on two additional occasions during his time on the streets he nearly succeeds, but

there always seems to be a glimmer of hope. It is not until protagonist’s 4th year on the

streets that he engages in the use of crystal meth (tina) to escape the Hell he is in.

––PLACEHOLDER: Accepts self.

ACT 4.

-Climax /Ultimate Expression of the conflict: However, protagonist decides to pull himself

off the drug at the end of his fourth year and moves to Colorado where he lives off the land he owns for a year like a mountain man. Protagonist befriends a man in 2011 who is a fellow veteran and guides the protagonist into the Veterans Affairs network for assistance. Both over time become great true friends and the protagonist proceeds to sum up to friend his circumstances as simply…

”In life, most of us like to get kissed before we get F###ed! I just got F###ed! Not even a draw off the cigarette was offered.”

––PLACEHOLDER: Accepts self.

––PLACEHOLDER: Pull self off streets.

–TE: #2

–INCITING INCIDENT:

–TE: #3a

–INCITING INCIDENT:

-Resolution: After a year of living off the land in Colorado, including being subjected to

minus 22 degrees (F) below zero and even experiencing two UFO sightings of interest that caught the attention of the now new Pentagon AARO office in Washington, protagonist moves back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2014. Protagonist would then meet his second dearest friend who gave him someone to love and care for the last four months on the streets. Protagonist is lucky to rent a small studio on an estate formerly owned by the gangster Al Capone. Now an elderly woman who resides at the former ‘Speakeasy’ house lives out her final years to the age of 96 in 2016. The protagonist’s role is to simply provide security for her peace of mind, but for the protagonist’s mindset he does more to take care of the estate itself. As it turns out the woman is Countess and related to the last king of Poland. Her son is a former arms dealer and currently works for U.S. Homeland Security setting up sting operations.

–PLACEHOLDER: Accepting self.

–TE: #2

–INCITING INCIDENT:

After the Countess’ death, the protagonist would be asked to remain in the service of the

family to assist the niece (Isabelle Harrison) until her death in 2023. Isabelle, Bill and

Ricky would prove to be the three pillars that help the protagonist restore his self esteem

over a period of 7 years. The protagonist begins to open up more and pursues a letter writing campaign to no avail.

–PLACEHOLDER: Confront Threat.

–TE: #3B

–INCITING INCIDENT:

Despite the protagonist’s efforts to seek justice by contesting the CIA’s action in 2009,

2010, 2012, and 2015, protagonist once again begins a more aggressive campaign in 2021, but is again ignored by the Agency. However, this time the protagonist targets 80 plus members of Congress including his own representatives, thirteen Congressional Committees, the Director of National Intelligence, and the White House Office of Special Counsel which draws the attention of the DNI who responds that they have taken the information under advisement. The protagonist’s efforts apparently lights a fire under the CIA who behind closed doors looks into the protagonist’s report that has been so widely dispersed. Worse yet, the CIA learns of the protagonist’s intent to run for US Congress and his press releases published in Washington are placing the Agency in a negative spotlight. In addition, the protagonist is in contact with an independent reporter (Andrei Tapalaga) who pursued a 10 year endeavor to force the Agency before a Washington, District of Columbia Federal Judge to disclose that the Agency has not prosecuted 9 out of 10 Child Pornography cases it chose to disclose because of their access to sensitive material. Ironically, the protagonist’s case is not one of the cases released, suggesting the CIA deliberately blew off the federal judge and that the organization will only disclose what it desires is in its best interest. The public revelation of the news is an embarrassment coupled with the protagonist’s mass mailings that forces the hand of the CIA to change policy.

–PLACEHOLDER: Confront Threat.

Protagonist becomes the first candidate in U.S. history to qualify for office using “In-Kind” contributions, a feat that even the Office of General Counsel for the Federal Elections Commission is intrigued to be asked such a question. The protagonist’s campaign was about representing the ‘Discarded and Forgotten’ as a real Independent candidate for Florida District 23. Unfortunately, the protagonist’s real world national level experience and homelessness proved to be a great threat to the Democrat candidate, so much so that the liberal media in South Florida goes out of their way to suppress his campaign from the public. Nonetheless, the protagonist clandestinely succeeds in changing CIA policy in holding employees and contractors engaged in child pornography accountable.

As for the antagonist, the protagonist still daydreams of vengeance to this day of using the Crusades method of the ‘Vertical Impalement’ on the antagonist for street justice.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  mark.napier2022@gmail.com napier.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  mark.napier2022@gmail.com napier.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  mark.napier2022@gmail.com napier.

[Michael Montiel]

Dr. Robert’s Beat Sheet:

*******What I learned from this assignment: To keep going. Some of my “beats” were clear in my mind, other’s i just placed “placeholders” to revisit. Other themes started to come , but i’ll have to figure that out later. This was difficult, and I could’ve written faster. With more practice I will stay consistent and move with rapidity. Again quantity NOT quality for now!

ACT ONE:

INT – NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY TELESCOPE-DAY

Opening: Robert is at celebration party for his protege SARAH (20s) who’s been hired by private corporation and will be making lots of money.

Transformational Event: Robert is naturally envious; his smile is forced. Someone makes a snide comment. WHERE IS HIS LIFE GOING? RESOLVES TO TAKE ACTION.

INT – EX-WIFE’S HOUSE – NIGHT

TE: Arrives late and drunk. his daughter is already in Bed. His ex-wife tears him a new one for bringing left over cake for his daughters birthday. He “forgot” to get present: Ex-wife inflicts revives deep wounds: “for never making enough money, failing as a husband, husband,father, as a Man. He sees his daughter watching the fight. He runs out of the house humiliated even more. Daughter yells out for him to stay:”Daddy.”

I/E – GRANDPA’S HACIENDA – FRONT PORCH – DAY – FLASHBACK

PLACEHOLDER [Background on Robert: he was raised by his grandfather: He is loved and Grandfather tells him how smart he is, how good his english is: someday he’ll be best Astronomer]

PLACEHOLDER: WE LEARN OF MAYAN CALENDAR/CIVILIZATION AND MAYAN ASTRONOMERS?

INT. – NM STATE UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY – LATER

Inciting Incident: ROBERT goes through boxes of his junk, finds article he published:

TE: Gets motivated (hears what his grandfather says like Obi Wan Kenobi) to present his paper on time travel/communicating with intelligent life in outer space. He’s a changed/motivated man.

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>INT. – COLORADO CONFERENCE – DAY

TE: sees colleagues from previous jobs/university, Robert corrects them on an overlooked detail that could mess up their calculations. Robert really knows his stuff he’s top of his game!

– At Conference, he presents his paper but is booed and jeered by Dr. Peter Rosinski leading the chorus of dissatisfaction with Robert’s presentation. His colleagues, which he corrected earlier–and are now drunk–heckle him as well:”Who’s the asshole now Robert!”

– At the end of lecture, US military General Portman talks to humiliated Robert.

INT. – GENERAL PORTMAN’S HOME – NIGHT

– General invites him back to his house, OFFERS him top position for new job at secret government facility.

INT. – SECRET GOV FACILITY – DAY

Turning Point : Robert is taken aback when he encounters the very same Dr. Rosinski who was heckling him the previous day. Dr. Rosinski confesses that he had to shut him up as Robert was indeed on to something and risked endangering sharing Government info about “Aliens” in outer Space.

-Dr. Rosinski shows him new super quantum computer that can do trillions of calculations in seconds! Never before have scientists had a tool like this for Astronomy; this is a game changer!

ACT TWO PART ONE:

INT. – SECRET LABORATORY – DAY

NEW PLAN:

TE: ROBERT regains his confidence. he demonstrates he’s up for the job. Shows fellow scientists what he knows [VISUALS AND ROBERT’S LECTURE ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE EXPLAINING DETAILSOF DISCOVERY/MISSION IN COSMOS/ LIMITS OF OUR KNOWLEDGE/TIME SLOTS FOR USING CURRENT WEBB TELESCOPE IN OUTER SPACE]

INT. – WHITE HOUSE OVAL OFFICE – DAY

PLAN IN ACTION-Robert SPEAKS to US President with General Portman, to brief him about “Aliens” and why they need exclusive control of Webb Telescope.

TE: He demonstrates he’s the man for the job,[placeholder: Although he’s being set up to fail by Rosinski, He was just a tool to get US President to agree to exclusive use of telescope].

<u style=”font-weight: bold;”>ACT TWO PART TWO:

INT. – SECRET GOV FACILITY – DAY

MID-POINT/TURNING POINT:

-GENERAL PORTMAN demotes Rosinski from his post after an argument???[placeholder scene: Robert and Rosinski have major public fight] Re-assigns Robert to head the project:

TE: he insists Robert is THE right man and only man for the job! Robert is on top of the world ! finally a some respect rightfully deserved!

-Rosinski agrees to let Robert point satellite in direction he wants [secret sabotage by Rosinski?]

– Quantum computer is now connected to Webb Telescope

– At first, new images come in:Computer quickly does math and and works out “Fermi Paradox” and lists planets that are viable for intelligent life.

-Computer is overwhelmed: an explosion and fire follow. The billion dollar computer melts!

INT. – CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY

–Robert is blamed for meltdown

-enraged US president fires him on the spot.

-Project is shut down on orders of the president

INT. – ROBERT’S MOM’S HOUSE – DAY

TE: ??he’s humiliated ; setback re-opens old wounds??; he is transformed to NOT be so hard on himself?? And keep going

– HIS mother consoles him; tells him stuff about his father???[i’m grabbing at straws here]

[placeholder-flashback to mayans??][flashback to Grandpa?]

-Robert licks his wounds and decides to move forward; to not give up.

ACT THREE

INT. – SECRET GOV FACILITY – DAY

RETHINK EVERYTHING: DR. Rosinski consoles Robert, Blames him for disaster, Tells Robert that he will now lead the project, should they get a second chance.

-[They fix computer?]

-TE: Robert catches Rosinski in a lie. Robert is no longer so naive and gullible. Keeps his mouth shut about Rosinski’s connivance.

NEW PLAN: TO HIS SURPRISE: He sees his old colleague and old love interest??, Sarah, and she’s been hired to work directly with Rosinski.

INT. ROSINSKI’S HOME – NIGHT

– They[SARAH AND ROSINSKI] get private funding for project unbeknownst to US President–it’s no longer A department of defense project. General Portman has been let go.

INT. – SECRET GOV FACILITY – DAY

TURNING POINT: Huge failures/major shift: Robert notices there are huge mistakes in the calculations!

-Rosinski and Sarah have huge fight about calculations.

-Robert gets fired for good.

INT. – ROBERT’S EX-WIFE’S HOUSE – DAY

-TE: his daughter talks to him: has new insight! [mayan flashback again?] gets new insight: he’s the leader he was born to be: he doesn’t need quantum computer–he knows which way to point the satellite!

-Daughter tells him : He’s got fellow astronomy enthusiasts and crowdfunding to help him build his own computer!

INT. – SARAH’S HOUSE – NIGHT

-He runs to tell Sarah ABOUT CROWDFUNDING IDEA; HE CAN BUILD HIS OWN QUANTUM COMPUTER WITH GLOBAL USE OF IPHONES AND CONNECT TO SATELLITE; HE CAN GET IMAGES FROM ALL DIRECTIONS OF THE PLANET [his love interest] not to sell out!

– AT first she’s compassionate : romantic interlude goes south real quick: she tells him to fuck off! –the money is good! Profit over science, over people.They’re going to make profit by sharing knowledge with the Russians! Sarah tells him what a fool and failure he is:

TE: Robert’s deepest wound is ignited[sarah at first is understanding put she patronizes Robert]: failure as a man? What a bitch!

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>ACT FOUR: CLIMAX/ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE CONFLICT:

INT. GENERAL PORTMAN’S HOME- NIGHT

TE: ROBERT takes the lead! He’s organized like never before:

-Robert Recruits Astronomers around the world; he sets up “lab” at the General’s home: Robert links iPhones – computers- And AI from research facilities around the World! [Connections to Chile hear??]

-He will hack the James Webb Telescope Satellite (JWST)

– Images are downloaded and shared all over the world: Times Square, Piccadilly Circus Billboards, in Tokyo and other great cities of the world!

–They assume Dr. Robert Amador is the leader of this species on this planet: they want to speak directly with him! let messages in somewhat sloppy grammar come in: “people if earth: we than you and you’re leader Robert Amador: by now we assume your language has progressed to a Subject-Verb-Object language for post of humanity!” the secret is that collective you can work together! that you must maximize the energy potential of your planet, sun, and solar system : little by little you will begin to colonize your galaxy and the rest of space !”

-“ALIEN Feed” is shut down

INT. – EX-WIFE’S HOME – DAY

FBI/CIA clamp down on home: “What have you done?”

-Rosinski blames him for another disaster! “You’re a fuck-up Robert! YOU’VE PUT NATIONAL SECURITY AT RISK

-General Portman comes to his rescue: NO ROBERT IS NOT A FUCK UP BUT A HERO OF THE NATION AND THE WORLD.

-General Portman Arrests Rosinski! “You’re the fuck up!”

-TVs resume broadcast: “Learn from us, if you’re getting this message, you are now in a dangerous position to destroy yourselves and civilization; you have under 200 years to fix your planet and make it green, in this way your species buys 200,000 years of time or 200 generations ; with this added time, you will colonize the rest of space ; for now we say goodbye as we’ve already crossed the event horizon and have moved beyond actual reachability and visibility; what you’ve seen are the lights of our star system just reaching you now. goodbye forever!”

RESOLUTION :

EXT. – WHITE HOUSE LAWN- DAY

TE: Dr. Robert Amador, Astrophysicist of the Century , receives medal of honor from the President!

-Robert is an international hero! NO LONGER AN UNCONFIDENT BOOKIS PROFESSOR BUT A SAVIOR OF HUMANITY: He is seen on tv around the world: his mother in Chile sees image of Professor picking up his daughter!

-Robert is appointed leader of the ENSURING FUTURE OF HUMANITY PROJECT!

EXT. EASTER ISLAND – DAY

–Close on Easter Island, Pacific ocean:

THEN

-SPACESHIP swirls by: it’s Planet Earth 200 YEARS LATER:

MONTAGE of all the worlds great cities! A utopian world at last!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  Michael Montiel.

[Trish]

Trish’s High-Speed Beat Sheet

What I learned doing this assignment is that my definition of when I’m done with the assignment doesn’t fit the high-speed writing process (of 20% quality for the 1^st draft). Seems like a low bar! I’m not aiming for perfection, just a more complete version. However, since slowness has been a barrier for me, I commit to the group to use the High Speed Writing Rules to get my script done at record speed.

ACT 1
INT. HOTEL LOBBY – DAY
Opening: Emma checks into the hotel.
She meets Sam, the aged bellhop and Richard, the hotel manager.
She meets Olivia (a doctor) in the lounge
They see Lucas (former journalist) across the room.
(T.E.) Olivia, an extroverted friendly person, pursues a friendship with Emma, even though Emma rebuffs her repeatedly.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
Inciting Incident: Emma has a nightmare of a fight with her ex. She dismisses it as stress-induced.
Richard’s plan is in motion for this new batch of guests.
INT. HOTEL SITTING AREA – MORNING
Turning Point: Emma tells Olivia about her dream and she says, she had one too about a former patient. They don’t get into details.
Emma brushes it all off.
EXT. LAKE PATH – DAY
Lucas and Emma pass each other. He starts up a conversation. She talks for a bit. He shares some about his past, but Emma doesn’t want to really get into details about anything.
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Through intercom system, Richard reminds everyone about the calming music/water sounds they offer to listen to as they fall asleep (It has subliminal messaging that causes the nightmares). The music is also in the hallways and throughout the hotel.
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Sam makes cryptic comments to Emma. She ignores him.
Placeholder: Emma keeps hearing that guests are having nightmares and they seems really disturbed by them. This goes on for a few days. She observes their suffering. She suffers too from her own nightmares.
INT. HOTEL – DAY
(T.E.) Emma realizes that the nightmares are based on real events in the people’s lives, which means the people are being targeted and manipulated.
INT. RICHARD’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Richard intensifies the messaging for the guests to increase their fear.

ACT 2A
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Placeholder: Seeing the guests suffer, compels Emma to investigate. Emma suspects the hotel staff are behind the nightmares, but she doesn’t know who or how.
INT. HOTEL DINING AREA – DAY
She sees a therapy dog wincing where gentle music is playing. That leads her to consider the music.
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Placeholder: Emma questions people, both staff and guests. She’s gauging who she can trust.
(T.E.) Emma will have to get personal with the guests in her investigation into the dreams. This will make her and them uncomfortable. It builds empathy in her.
INT. RICHARD’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Richard ups the intensity on Emma’s dreams, as he suspects she suspects something.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
(T.E.) Emma’s own nightmares cause her anguish and grief and self-reflection. She journals about it.
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Lucas does his own investigation. He tries to loop Emma in, but she doesn’t trust him. (need reason for this – maybe he said something suspicious or there was a misunderstanding)
INT. HOTEL – DAY
The guests are dealing with their nightmares in various ways.
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Olivia is spiraling.
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Richard is very empathetic to the suffering guests, offering free spa treatments.
INT. RICHARD’S OFFICE – NIGHT
We see/hear him suggesting suicide as a way out of the situation (into the computer program where the messages come from), but we don’t know who that message is for.
INT. HOTEL ROOM – DAY
Midpoint Turning Point and T.E.: Olivia tells Emma the truth about killing a patient.
INT. HOTEL ROOM – NIGHT
Olivia kills herself by overdosing on pills.
INT. HOTEL ROOM – MORNING
Olivia’s husband can’t wake her up. He calls the hotel doctor. They can’t revive her.
Placeholder: News spreads. Richard is pleased. Emma is now 100% committed to seeing this through.
ACT 2B
EXT. HOTEL ROOM – DAY
(T.E.) Desperation forces Emma to trust Lucas. She’s at his room to discuss partnering up. They have to trust each other and share info. They have to tread carefully but also work quickly.
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Richard spies on Lucas and Emma.
INT. RICHARD’S OFFICE – NIGHT
He digs up more dirt on them.
INT. HOTEL ROOM – NIGHT
Placeholder: Emma and Lucas discover Richard is exploiting the guests and manipulating them via subliminal messaging in the music. (She knew it was the music a while ago. Maybe she figures out what program he’s using or something.) They have to figure out how to stop him.
INT. HOTEL LOBBY – DAY
Turning Point – Huge failure: Olivia’s husband bribes Richard to keep Olivia’s secret and let him leave with her body. (How does he know her secret? Does Richard tell him?)
INT. HOTEL ROOM – NIGHT
A different guest tries to kill their partner (after learning their secret), but only maims them. (do they hit them over the head?)
The hotel doctor treats them. Richard offers blackmail as a way out.
Placeholder: more guests face death or blackmail
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Emma and Lucas have to work fast and maybe they don’t have time to do all the investigating that they’d like (before taking action).
Emma and Lucas confront Richard directly with what proof they have, thinking it’s enough. They know he’s blackmailing and manipulating the guests and they know how, but don’t know still how to stop him. (Can they take over the messages? Is it something they have to hack into? Does Sam know how it works?)
Richard doesn’t care about their proof, because he has dirt on them too and now they’re lives are in danger (more so than before). (Maybe the dirt on Emma is someone else in her life.)
ACT 3
INT. HOTEL ROOM – DAY
Placeholder: Climax and (T.E.): Emma and Lucas have to rectify their past situations so that the dirt Richard has on them doesn’t apply anymore. [need to keep working on this].
INT. HOTEL – DAY
Placeholder: large set piece with life or death hanging in the balance.
Emma and Lucas figure out that Richard was blocking access to the full internet and has a cell phone jammer. They remove whatever was blocking the whole internet and disable the jammer.
INT. HOTEL – NIGHT
Placeholder: (T.E.) Emma calls the authorities for help and somehow physically restrains Richard (maybe kills him in self-defense or tricks him to go into a room she can lock, to wait for the police.
EXT. HOTEL – NIGHT
Police arrive. Richard is hauled away (dead or alive).
EXT. LAKE PATH – DAY
Resolution: Lucas releases his guilt over his work thing. (does this happen in the climax? Or did he have to literally do something?)
The other guests are relieved and free, like people shaken from a stupor.
INT. HOTEL ROOM – DAY
Emma forgives herself and her ex and she cries for all she’s lost (in life and Olivia dying). She realizes how helpful it was to partner with Lucas on this mission, but not in a romantic way. Maybe she reconsiders her job or career because of this.
Emma reconnects with her dad and makes plans to see him. She calls her ex and apologizes for her part in their breakup. Maybe they consider giving it another go.
Sam, the bellhop, is free to retire.
INT. HOTEL SITTING AREA – DAY
(T.E.) The gratitude from the remaining guests for what Emma did overwhelms her in a good way.
EXT. HOTEL – DAY
The hotel is shut down and everyone leaves, but a haunting lingers in the air, as if what happened there won’t be forgotten.

*****************

Things to add about Emma: her old ways of blaming others, being estranged from her dad and stepmom, divorce, working too much, why is she obsessed with her job?, driven to succeed, believes in the good of others though she keeps them away and doesn’t trust easily, important job but worried about being laid off, burnout, relationships aren’t worth it, has never been able to depend on anyone else, she’s lonely even though she’s rarely alone, she can be loud and put others off. She wears earplugs or headphones to block out the messages.
Things to add about Richard: his general personality, his motives, his dad’s secret
General things: race against time, Emma’s investigation, Richard thwarting her, climax set piece, more on the supporting characters – especially Lucas, need to keep audience guessing as to what’s real or not, hotel setting increases claustrophobia, add symbolic images in decor,