WIM+AI – Module 2 -Lesson 6: Build In The Genre Conventions

[Frank Gaide]

FRANK’S GENRE CONVENTIONS

I can see myself writing two great, marketable screenplays every year going forward and teaming up with a manager/friend. Short term, I imagine a very difficult but valuable and rewarding six months going balls to the wall in this class.
Completing this assignment, I discovered the time and commitment needed to apply the Genre Convention list: the elements helped me brainstorm… for the better. I have a problem with my genre: dark comedy: it is not straight comedy. So, I will run my AI structure version of a dark comedy through the AI prompt asking it to evaluate the story as a thriller and review the results. What I learned most was how many potential scenes came to mind while concentrating strictly on the structure. It was very difficult to ignore. But I do have a growing list of possible scenes now.

TITLE: The Cake Did It!
CONCEPT: A bride’s wedding plan is hijacked by her bitterly divorced parents’ feud, so she decides to give them a push—into killing each other.
GENRE: Dark Comedy

COMEDY CONVENTIONS:
Purpose: To entertain the audience with a story packed with laughter-inducing moments.
Incongruence: Some aspects of the journey, world, characters, or perspective are incongruent in a way that causes the audience to laugh. The unconventional way of pairing 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, devices like toppers, running gags, site and prop humor. This also includes comedic situations like “Fish Out 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

GENRE IMPROVEMENTS: Ways I built comedy conventions into my structure.
1. Over-the-top absurdity of what a green wedding looks like versus a traditional wedding.
2. The serious traditional policeman reacting to this visually weird wedding while interviewing Gerald, the groom, who thinks it’s all normal.
3. Hilarious “green wedding” props and their purpose.
4. Humorous cutting sarcasm between the parents is funny but underscores their criticism of Lucy, their daughter, that is not funny.
5. Funny setups and punchlines delivered by the parents and guests poke fun at Lucy’s wedding theme.
6. Farcical running gags and physical pranks between everyone.
7. Outlandish satirical cause of the parents’ death that is expected but totally surprising.
8. Running gags, toppers, and punchlines from injured wedding guests hint at who to blame. Blame it on the cake!
NEW STRUCTURE WITH GENRE IMPROVEMENTS: The Cake Did It…!
ACT 1
OPENING:
A chaotically absurd lakeside campground scene: overturned tables, wedding guests dazed, a cake-smeared brawl zone, and over-the-top paramedics treating injuries as though it’s a war zone. The local police interview Gerald, the groom, who’s nervously explaining the series of unfortunate events. The bodies of Lucy’s parents, Vivian and Frankie, lie on the grass next to the crushed wedding cake, their faces covered in icing, which almost makes their deaths look ridiculous.
Gerald, with comedic exasperation, narrates how the whole catastrophe started.
Flashbacks start:
Frankie cheated on Vivian, prompting her to deface his SUV with obscenities like “Cheater Mc Loser” in neon green spray paint. He fled to Florida. Lucy then moved to Cape Cod to work in green energy. Lucy’s idealistic protest deforestation ends with her falling out of a tree. Her quirky yet self-righteous personality emerges as she lectures the media on the value of “saving the trees,” despite being injured in the process.
INCITING INCIDENT:
Vivian, flipping through Lucy’s wedding invitation at her hair salon, sarcastically narrates her outrage to her clients. Lucy’s insistence on an eco-friendly, “green wedding” irks Vivian. She calls Lucy, lambasting her for not choosing the Ritz and scoffing at her idealism. Lucy is literally in a tree protesting during this call, showcasing her absurd commitment to saving the environment. When Vivian throws down the challenge for Lucy to call her father for help, she does so just to prove her mother wrong.
Surprisingly, Frankie jumps at the chance to return, eager to spite Vivian and alleviate his guilt. This sets up the return of the long-absent, clumsy, carefree father who could care less about the environment.
TURNING POINT:
Frankie’s arrival at the train station is comically awkward. He’s carrying a ridiculous amount of luggage, much of it in plastic bags, blatantly ignoring Lucy’s eco-values. Their reunion is stilted but forced with humor as Lucy tries to stay positive. Frankie, oblivious, praises her for “becoming a tree-hugger,” unknowingly offending her.
When they arrive at the campground, Vivian’s entrance is explosively dramatic. Dressed to the nines, she sneers at everything green and proceeds to belittle Frankie, launching into comically passive-aggressive insults. This sets the tone for their continuous warfare.
ACT 2
NEW PLAN:
Lucy’s naïve optimism leads her to attempt to rekindle an old friendship between her parents. She imagines they’ll set aside their differences for the greater cause: her perfect eco-wedding. She envisions them helping with biodegradable decorations and guilt-ridden speeches about love and unity. However, this plan fails in a series of hilarious mishaps. Vivian refuses to touch anything eco-friendly, calling it “garbage with extra steps.” Frankie, meanwhile, is bumbling and clueless, causing accidents, knocking over the eco-friendly flower arrangements, and setting compostable plates on fire.
PLAN OF ACTION:
Lucy now insists her parents work together, assigning them comical tasks like figuring out how to set up solar-powered decorations and making “eco-friendly wedding favors” from recycled materials. Every attempt leads to greater disaster. Their sabotage escalates comedically: Vivian pours vinegar into Frankie’s organic wine, while Frankie fills her gluten-free cupcakes with laxatives. Lucy’s dream of a perfect wedding starts falling apart in absurdly hilarious ways.
MIDPOINT TURNING POINT:
Gerald arrives, his calm, deadpan humor balancing out the chaos. He witnesses the embarrassing display of Lucy’s forced diplomacy. She’s practically groveling for her parents to behave, but they only mock her earnestness. He pulls her aside, suggesting they keep her parents comically separated for the rest of the wedding preparations. They begin a series of elaborate attempts to juggle the two combatants, involving absurdly timed entrances/exits and communication through third parties like the perpetually confused best man. Despite this, their outlandish pranks continue escalating.
ACT 3
RETHINK EVERYTHING:
After a series of disastrous attempts to separate them, Lucy’s frustration reaches a boiling point. Her parents have turned the wedding into a personal battleground, and now guests are gossiping about the growing feud. Lucy and Gerald’s efforts to mediate are laughably futile. Pranks evolve into actual attempts to sabotage key wedding moments: Vivian puts a tarantula in Frankie’s suit jacket, while Frankie hires a Mariachi band to drown out Vivian’s toast. Lucy watches her green wedding dream morph into a circus, and she realizes that nothing short of drastic action will save it.
A NEW PLAN:

Lucy and Gerald craft an elaborate scheme to push her parents into going too far. In a surreal twist of logic, she reasons that they won’t stop until one of them is truly defeated. The absurdity of her plan reflects her descent into dark comedic territory. She concocts increasingly dangerous situations under the guise of wedding traditions, leading to increasingly risky pranks. The guests are oblivious to the stakes, enjoying the escalating drama like a reality show.
TURNING POINT: HUGE FAILURE/MAJOR SHIFT:
Lucy hits rock bottom after a particularly dangerous prank backfires. Her self-disgust at how far she’s gone makes her realize she’s become just as toxic as her parents. However, instead of retreating, this dark moment pushes her to fully embrace her new, more selfish, and ruthless side. She now decides, with Gerald’s encouragement, to push them to literally kill each other.
ACT 4
CLIMAX/ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE CONFLICT:
The Wedding Day arrives, complete with unpredictable rain showers. The tension between her parents reaches its peak during the cake-cutting ceremony. Guests are watching eagerly as the parents, egged on by Lucy’s provocations, start a comically vicious shoving match. Cake flies, and chaos ensues. In the ensuing brawl, Frankie and Vivian escalate their pranks into actual violence—slipping on cake, getting tangled in eco-friendly decorations, and hilariously bashing each other with chairs.
RESOLUTION:
Back to the present. Gerald finishes his account to the police. Lucy’s parents lie dead, their faces still smeared with cake, with a touch of absurdity and poetic justice. The police, bewildered by the absurd circumstances, chalk it up to “a series of unfortunate accidents.” Gerald exits, joining Lucy by the lake. As he comforts her, we see him subtly discard the vial of poison, confirming he was behind their deaths, but it’s delivered with a wink and nod to the audience, adding to the dark humor. The final image of the sun breaking through the clouds suggests that, ironically, the day is finally perfect.

[Brian Bull]

BRIAN BULL – GENRE CONVENTIONS

My Vision: I’m a writer that producers want to work with and can’t wait for my next script!!!

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…?” I need to follow the conventions and stay the course.

ASSIGNMENT

2. Tell us the following:
Title: SHADOW ISLAND

Concept: A birdwatching excursion from a luxury cruise turns into a deadly fight for survival when tourists stumble upon a cartel’s covert operation on a remote Caribbean island.

Genre: THRILLER

3. Go to this Genre Conventions link and make a list of the conventions for your chosen genre, PURPOSE:
High Stakes = Tom / Sarah witness the Cartel’s covert operation and they are discovered along with the other tourists and everyone’s lives are at stake.
Plot Twists = Maria (El Jefe’s assassin) is plotting to kill El Jefe so she can be the El Jefe.
Suspense = Will Tom/Sarah escape the Cartel?
Will Tom/Sarah save the tourists/hostages from the Cartel?
Will Tom’s “traps” work on the Cartel?
LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS
Physically = Tom / Sarah being pursued by the Cartel
The other tourists/ hostages
Emotionally = Tom / Sarah’s marriage
Sarah’s pregnancy
Mentally = Tom’s skills / ability to save everyone from the cartel
MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE
Mystery = What is the Cartel doing on this island?
Intrigue = Who is this mysterious man that is interested in Sarah?
Will this mysterious man be the deciding factor in Tom / Sarah marriage?
Will Tom fight to save their marriage?
Will Sarah tell Tom about the pregnancy?
Suspense = The cartel chasing Tom / Sarah through the jungle?
The cartel closing in on Tom as he is trying to send out a distress signal.
Sarah getting captured by the cartel.
Sarah’s pregnancy is a concern.
The group dwindles as the day progresses.
HERO = Tom becomes more resourceful and takes on a more protective role when with Sarah.
VILLAIN = El Jefe orders his men to track down the tourists.
El Jefe orders the assassination of a tourist.
El Jefe is rough with Sarah and threatens Maria.
MAIN EMOTIONS = Suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation, uncertainty, and surprise.

4. Brainstorm ways to deliver the conventions more effectively and build those parts into your 4-Act Structure.
Old Ways:
Tom Walker starts as hesitant, stressed, and withdrawn, both in his role as a Prop Master and in his marriage. He must rise to meet the threats on the island and reconnect with Sarah under life-threatening pressure.

Act 1: The Setup
Opening:
Tom and Sarah Walker, aiming to repair their marriage, board a luxury Caribbean cruise ship. The tourists they meet add a light-hearted atmosphere, hiding the danger ahead. A mysterious man shows interest in Sarah and mentions a birdwatching excursion.

Inciting Incident:
The group eagerly follows their local guide, Carlos, through the island’s lush landscape in search of rare birds. During a quiet moment, Tom and Sarah use binoculars to scan the area and, to their horror, spot members of a Mexican cartel, led by the fearsome El Jefe, unloading illegal cargo in a secluded clearing. Just as they realize the danger, Sarah is stung by a bee and lets out an involuntary yelp, alerting the cartel to their presence.

Turning Point:
Chaos ensues as the cartel members, now aware of the tourists, seize several members of the group to ensure there are no witnesses. El Jefe coldly orders one of them to be executed, setting off a deadly chain of events. Tom and Sarah, and a few others, including a doctor, flee into the jungle as they’re forced to rely on each other to survive. This terrifying ordeal pushes them to confront their inner struggles while witnessing the brutal realities of survival.

Act 2: Confrontation and Discovery
New Plan:
The remaining tourists, including Tom and Sarah, take refuge in an abandoned radio tower. Here, Tom's Eagle Scout background starts to emerge as he tinkers with the radio equipment – all those years he spent doing HAM RADIO. Sarah also learns she's pregnant but decides not to tell Tom to keep him focused.
Plan in Action:
Tom manages to send a distress signal, giving them a glimmer of hope. He and Sarah develop makeshift defenses, using whatever resources they can find, and Tom steps into a leadership role, gaining newfound confidence and skill.
Midpoint Turning Point:
The cartel finds them at the radio tower. In the ensuing fight, several remaining survivors are killed, but Tom and Sarah escape. Tom faces off with Maria, El Jefe's assassin, where Maria hesitates—a hint at her inner conflict. This moment leaves Tom and Sarah as prime targets and deepens Tom’s sense of responsibility for Sarah’s survival.

Act 3: Escalation and Transformation
Rethink Everything:
Fleeing deeper into the jungle, Tom and Sarah are isolated. Sarah’s pregnancy weighs on her mind, heightening her vulnerability. Tom realizes he can no longer rely on his old, uncertain ways and must fully commit to becoming the protector Sarah needs.
New Plan:
Tom, now embracing his role as a leader, decides to face the cartel head-on. Using his Eagle Scout and Prop Master skills, he designs traps and strategies, turning the island into a weaponized landscape. He commits to protecting Sarah at any cost.
Turning Point (Huge Failure / Major Shift):
Tom’s carefully laid plans backfire when Maria captures Sarah, revealing her secret agenda to kill El Jefe. Tom must now adjust his focus to rescuing Sarah and eliminating both El Jefe and Maria if they are to survive.

Act 4: Resolution and New Ways
Climax:
In a brutal showdown on the island’s edge, Tom confronts El Jefe in hand-to-hand combat. Meanwhile, Sarah breaks free and faces Maria, whose inner conflict has reached its peak. In a desperate move, Sarah kills Maria, ending the threat and her divided loyalties.
Resolution:
With the cartel defeated, Tom and Sarah, physically and emotionally scarred, reach the shore as a rescue helicopter arrives. They embrace, with Tom now transformed into a protective, decisive leader. As they leave the island behind, both are ready for the challenges awaiting them, including Sarah’s pregnancy.

New Ways:
Tom Walker emerges as a confident, resourceful protector, no longer the insecure Prop Master but a leader who has proven his worth. The ordeal strengthens his relationship with Sarah, who now sees him as a capable husband ready to face whatever lies ahead.

5. Use this prompt to brainstorm other ways to deliver on the conventions:
Old Ways:
Tom Walker starts as hesitant, stressed, and withdrawn, both in his role as a Prop Master and in his marriage. He must rise to meet the threats on the island and reconnect with Sarah under life-threatening pressure.

Act 1: The Setup
Opening:
Tom and Sarah Walker, aiming to repair their marriage, board a luxury Caribbean cruise ship. The tourists they meet add a light-hearted atmosphere, hiding the danger ahead. A mysterious man shows interest in Sarah and mentions a birdwatching excursion.
Inciting Incident:
The group eagerly follows their local guide, Carlos, through the island’s lush landscape in search of rare birds. During a quiet moment, Tom and Sarah use binoculars to scan the area and, to their horror, spot members of a Mexican cartel, led by the fearsome El Jefe, unloading illegal cargo in a secluded clearing. Just as they realize the danger, Sarah is stung by a bee and lets out an involuntary yelp, alerting the cartel to their presence.

Turning Point:
Chaos ensues as the cartel members, now aware of the tourists, seize several members of the group to ensure there are no witnesses. El Jefe coldly orders their execution, setting off a deadly chain of events. Tom and Sarah, and a few others including a doctor, flee into the jungle as they’re forced to rely on each other to survive. This terrifying ordeal pushes them to confront their inner struggles while witnessing the brutal realities of survival.

Act 2: Confrontation and Discovery
New Plan:
The remaining tourists, including Tom and Sarah, take refuge in an abandoned radio tower. Here, Tom's Eagle Scout background starts to emerge as he tinkers with the radio equipment – all those years he spent doing HAM RADIO. Sarah also learns she's pregnant but decides not to tell Tom to keep him focused.
Plan in Action:
Tom manages to send a distress signal, giving them a glimmer of hope. He and Sarah develop makeshift defenses, using whatever resources they can find, and Tom steps into a leadership role, gaining newfound confidence and skill.
Midpoint Turning Point:
The cartel finds them at the radio tower. In the ensuing fight, several remaining survivors are killed, but Tom and Sarah escape. Tom faces off with Maria, El Jefe's assassin, where Maria hesitates—a hint at her inner conflict. This moment leaves Tom and Sarah as prime targets and deepens Tom’s sense of responsibility for Sarah’s survival.

Act 3: Escalation and Transformation
Rethink Everything:
Fleeing deeper into the jungle, Tom and Sarah are isolated. Sarah’s pregnancy weighs on her mind, heightening her vulnerability. Tom realizes he can no longer rely on his old, uncertain ways and must fully commit to becoming the protector Sarah needs.
New Plan:
Tom, now embracing his role as a leader, decides to face the cartel head-on. Using his Eagle Scout and Prop Master skills, he designs traps and strategies, turning the island into a weaponized landscape. He commits to protecting Sarah at any cost.
Turning Point (Huge Failure / Major Shift):
Tom’s carefully laid plans backfire when Maria captures Sarah, revealing her secret agenda to kill El Jefe. Tom must now adjust his focus to rescuing Sarah and eliminating both El Jefe and Maria if they are to survive.

Act 4: Resolution and New Ways
Climax:
In a brutal showdown on the island’s edge, Tom confronts El Jefe in hand-to-hand combat. Meanwhile, Sarah breaks free and faces Maria, whose inner conflict has reached its peak. In a desperate move, Sarah kills Maria, ending the threat and her divided loyalties.
Resolution:
With the cartel defeated, Tom and Sarah, physically and emotionally scarred, reach the shore as a rescue helicopter arrives. They embrace, with Tom now transformed into a protective, decisive leader. As they leave the island behind, both are ready for the challenges awaiting them, including Sarah’s pregnancy.

New Ways:
Tom Walker emerges as a confident, resourceful protector, no longer the insecure Prop Master but a leader who has proven his worth. The ordeal strengthens his relationship with Sarah, who now sees him as a capable husband ready to face whatever lies ahead.

This 4-Act Structure emphasizes Tom’s transformation from passive and uncertain to resilient and proactive, adding depth to his internal and external growth through each act.

6. List your structure from Lesson 6 along with the improvements that come from the Genre Conventions, like I did above.
ACT 1
Opening: Tom and Sarah board a cruise ship and start socializing with the other passengers.
Tom /Sarah sign-up for the Bird Excursion on Shadow Island.
Sarah is approached by a mysterious man.
The following day they go on the excursion.
Inciting Incident: Tom and Sarah see the cartel and then Sarah is stung by a bee, the cartel are alerted their activities are now seen.
Turning Point: Tom / Sarah witness El Jefe execute one of the passengers.

ACT 2
New Plan: Tom /Sarah head to a radio tower and Tom puts his HAM radio experience to use.
Plan in Action: Tom might have gotten a distress signal out before the cartel show up.
Midpoint Turning Point: Tom and Sarah ar forced back

• This reply was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by  Brian Bull.

[Demethress Davis]

Deme’s Genre Conventions
Is it me or does everyone have to keep added spaces between the sections even after entering many spaces between the sections?

MY VISION: I am a EGOT writer who is very successful and revered by the industry for writing amazing stories that will live on in history.

What I learned from doing this assignment is I am forever grateful to ScreenwritingU's fantastic teaching. Your teaching has evolved and has always been innovative, fresh and eye opening. I am excited about this course and so looking forward to becoming a better writer who is not afraid to be successful.

Title: The Devil’s PunchBowl
Concept: A Black man passing as White in a small Southern town secretly run by a White supremacist who plays a cat and mouse game which will expose his true identity. When he discovers she is hiding her own Black heritage, exposing her secret risks exposing his own.
Genre: Psychological Thriller

Examples of a Thriller:
PURPOSE: To show how the protagonist struggles to keep his true identity a secret and expose the antagonist true identity.

LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS: Protagonist is set up to fail when he goes into the attic to do repairs and falls through ceiling. An eye is taken but he only broke an arm. He investigates the sound of cries for help and almost gets killed. He is tortured but escapes

MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE:

HERO: Starts out weak, guilt-ridden, lacking self-esteem, fearful of being discovered. Ends owning his heritage, feeling unafraid, courageous, embolden he faces the antagonist head on in a fight to the death.

VILLIAN: Starts off vicious, cunning, secretive and unaware ends up surprised, shaken, crushed and in denial of her true heritage. She is Black.

MAIN EMOTIONS: Fear, guilt, suspense, intrigue mystery, tension, uncertainty, surprise, anticipation.

Act 1:
* Opening: Black Accountant enjoys family life with his wife and son. On the birthday of his son (7 yrs) he mixes cocaine and alcohol and gets into a car accident. Wife dies and son is in a coma. He loses his job; is shamed by his father; leaves NY and arrives in a small Southern town. Homeless, he passes as White and is taken in by a Good Samaritan.

* Inciting Incident: Protagonist helps around the Antagonist house, hears cries in the night and when he investigates, discovers a pit where someone is being tossed into by people in White hoods and robs. He thinks he hears the voice of the Antagonist, he makes noise and gets away in time not to be found.

* Turning Point: The Antagonist probes him about his family and gets closer to exposing his true identity as a Black man. He tries his best to evade the questions and is somewhat successful art hiding his identity…so he thinks. He witnesses the death of a Black man and believes it was the Antagonist who ordered it.

Act 2:
* New plan: Protagonist must find a way to expose to the outside world that the Antagonist is on a killing spree but every attempt fails and little by little the Antagonist gets closer and closer to exposing his real identity. He confides in a neighbor; tells his story of how his father hates him and thinks he’s a waste. He enlists the help of the neighbor to expose the Antagonist as a White supremacist.

* Plan in action: While working in the attic, the Protagonist discovers the birth certificate of the Antagonist: Her mother is Black. The neighbor is a White Supremacist loyal to the Antagonist. Neighbor is fearful of the Antagonist.

* Midpoint Turning Point: The Protagonist falls through the floor of the attic and looses an eye; when he realizes his eye was removed as a means of making him be loyal to the Antagonist; he tells the Antagonist he knows she her secret. Antagonist plots to kill Protagonist in a horrible way.

Act 3:
* Rethink everything: After losing his eye, the Protagonist finds the courage to confront the Antagonist about her true heritage, which is a surprise to her!

* New plan: Now tables are turned and the Protagonist has the upper hand over the Antagonist.

* Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: The Protagonist is kidnapped and tortured by followers of the White Supremacist Antagonist. He confronts them with the fact of the Antagonist’s birth heritage.

Act 4:
* Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The Protagonist returns to The Devil’s PunchBowl, the pit he first heard the cries of someone at the start of the movie. He sets out to save those who are buried alive and is confronted by the Antagonist. A fight ensues; he is aided by the neighbor who has newfound courage and he is victorious.

* Resolution: The Protagonist returns to NYC; reconciles with his father; has regain his self-esteem, love of self and courage; his son is out of the coma and he embraces his blackness; brings his son’s favorite Action Figure: the Black Panther.

The Chatpbt Prompt :
Memory updated
To enhance your psychological thriller and align it with genre conventions, I'll weave in the essential thriller elements—such as escalating tension, suspense, deception, and character-driven fear—while fine-tuning the structure. This will strengthen the cat-and-mouse dynamics and provide deeper psychological stakes. Let’s break it down.

ACT 1:
Opening:
* Start with an idyllic family scene to set up the protagonist’s fall from grace. The protagonist (Black accountant, passing as white) is devoted to his family. A birthday celebration for his son (7 years old) shows his role as a caring father, contrasting sharply with what happens next.
* His cocaine and alcohol binge builds tension. Intercut moments of reckless driving and blurred vision before the crash to heighten suspense. When his wife dies and his son slips into a coma, make the sequence disorienting and tragic.
* He leaves New York, broken and guilt-ridden, haunted by flashbacks of the accident. Arriving in the Southern town, his isolation begins to feel ominous. He hides his Black identity out of shame and fear, keeping his internal conflict present in his actions.
* Enter the "Good Samaritan" (the antagonist), whose kindness feels almost too good to be true. Build an atmosphere of dread in the town, with people staring, whispered racism, and veiled hostility toward outsiders, making the audience uneasy.

Inciting Incident:
* The protagonist becomes suspicious of the town's hidden darkness. At night, hearing screams and seeing a ritual involving people in white hoods, he witnesses a body thrown into a pit. The eerie, shadowy visuals, along with disjointed sound design (whispers, chants), should evoke a sense of horror.
* He recognizes the voice of the Good Samaritan among the figures, but when he makes a noise, the pursuit begins. The tension builds with a narrow escape, leaving him terrified but unsure if anyone saw him.

Turning Point:
* As the antagonist subtly probes him about his past, the psychological tension ramps up. She pretends to be friendly, but her questions feel invasive, as if she knows more than she lets on.
* He starts to feel suffocated by the walls closing in. Witnessing the murder of a Black man—perhaps in a ritualistic killing—makes him realize that she could be responsible for the town’s systematic violence. The scene should be stark and brutal, pulling the audience into his growing paranoia and fear.

ACT 2:
New Plan:
* He begins covertly investigating the town's secrets, trying to expose the antagonist's involvement in the murders. However, every time he attempts to contact the outside world, he's blocked or watched. The growing isolation mirrors his increasing desperation.
* He confides in a neighbor, hoping for an ally. But the neighbor's initial sympathy masks underlying fear of the antagonist, creating unease about whom the protagonist can trust.
* As he shares his family history and how his father shamed him for his failures, the themes of identity and self-worth deepen. The neighbor seems understanding but subtly questions his racial identity, planting more seeds of suspicion.

Plan in Action:
* Discovering the birth certificate is a pivotal moment. As he realizes the antagonist is of mixed race, the psychological horror deepens. The truth that she is hiding her own Black heritage becomes a dangerous secret, one that connects them both yet increases the stakes for exposing her.
* The neighbor reveals their loyalty to the antagonist, intensifying the protagonist’s sense of betrayal. The tension escalates as the protagonist realizes that everyone is watching, waiting for him to slip up.

Midpoint Turning Point:
* The attic scene, where the protagonist falls through the floor, becomes a moment of physical and emotional breaking. Losing his eye is symbolic—he is literally and metaphorically scarred by his discoveries. The pain and mutilation are a way to control him, a tactic from the antagonist to assert her power over him.
* When he confronts the antagonist about her heritage, the revelation is explosive, but she reacts with cold calculation. She manipulates him by implying that if he exposes her, he’ll also expose himself, creating a chilling, psychological deadlock.

ACT 3:
Rethink Everything:
* With the upper hand gained through his knowledge of the antagonist’s heritage, the protagonist must re-evaluate his approach. The audience should feel the weight of this dangerous game, where the antagonist holds all the physical power, but he now holds the key to her undoing.
* The psychological tension ramps up as he realizes she will kill him unless he strikes first. This act is about the mental chess game, where one false move can lead to death.

New Plan:
* The protagonist decides to weaponize the truth, using the birth certificate and the town’s history to pit the antagonist against her own followers. But before he can act, he is captured, leading to a harrowing scene of torture.
* The torture scene is both physical and psychological—her followers demean him, taunting him about his identity, making him question his choices. He tries to stay strong, but the relentless questioning, threats, and beatings push him to the brink.

Turning Point (Major Shift):
* In his darkest moment, when it seems like he will break, the protagonist reveals the antagonist’s true heritage to the cult-like followers. The shock ripples through them, creating division, confusion, and anger.
* The psychological horror shifts as the antagonist's control begins to unravel. Now, she is no longer seen as untouchable, and the cracks in her façade become visible.

ACT 4:
Climax:
* Returning to the Devil’s PunchBowl, the pit symbolizes all the horrors the town has buried—both literally and figuratively. The fight here is brutal, visceral, and desperate. The protagonist, half-blinded and injured, fights for survival while trying to free those still trapped in the pit.
* The neighbor’s turn to help the protagonist is a pivotal moment of redemption. The protagonist's journey to reclaim his self-worth is mirrored in the neighbor’s courage to defy the antagonist.

Resolution:
* Back in New York, the protagonist’s reconciliation with his father and the emotional reunion with his son, now out of the coma, bring the film full circle. He accepts his Blackness, no longer hiding behind the false identity that shielded him from shame.
* The final image of him giving his son a Black Panther action figure symbolizes his embrace of his heritage and his restored self-esteem.

By focusing on psychological tension, identity conflict, and the cat-and-mouse dynamic, this structure taps into the core conventions of a psychological thriller. The stakes are personal, tied to both survival and the protagonist's internal battle with his racial identity. The antagonist, with her hidden heritage, becomes a mirror of his struggles, elevating the psychological complexity of the story.

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Demethress Davis.

[David Mailman]

Mailman’s Genre Conventions
GENRE: Feature – Dramatic Triangle.

TITLE: Greenvale Plantation.

LOGLINE: Two children, one a Black slave and the other the White plantation owner's son, are raised together until the Civil War separates them. Decades later, the now successful Black businessman reunites with the White son, but their past rekindles a deadly rivalry.
PROTAGONIST: Plato, a slave bought as a child to be the companion and protector of the Greenvale Plantation owners’ young son, Leon, is freed after the Civil War. He returns to Greenvale decades later to resolve secret issues between them.

ANTAGONIST: Leon, now owner of the failing Greenvale plantation, resents Plato’s success but needs him to save the plantation. That resentment of Plato drives Leon insane.

TRIANGLE CHARACTER: Sybelle , a voodoo priestess, is raped by Leon and Plato as teenagers. to reaffirm their feelings of manhood after they became lovers.
The additions or modifications below are added to the previous Structure Assignment to increase drama.
Act 1:
Plato arrives in a wagon chained to his mother during a storm. A brutal overseer drags the crying Plato away from his sobbing mother and into the house. Leon, 4, a cute child, rides a rocking horse on the porch and gives Plato a toy as he passes.
Leon, selfishly and to assert mastery,demands Plato climb a tree to get him an apple while he lays down. Plato sees a slave being whipped at a whipping post (he’d never seen this before) .
Leon demands Plato tell him stories so he can sleep. Plato tells stories he heard from his mother and other slaves that illustrate independence in Africa. And thirst for freedom.
Black tutor secretly gives Plato lesson while Leon sleeps. Plato uses scraps of paper and a slate. Plato begins to see he is superior to Leon but doesn’t see he has agency.
Leon orders Plato to wash the blood from his shirt.
Leon’s sister taunts Plato by pretending to cry “rape” and makes him crawl.
Leon touches Plato as he thinks about leaving. Leon’s father suspects the sex between them and screams at Leon to whip Plato. Leon resists but then whips him mercilessly. Leon, sobbing, throws the whip at a prostrate bleeding Plato and walks away. In Act 2, the whip hangs on the wall of Plato’s office.
Plato disappears into the crowd of departing slaves.
Act 2:
Plato fights or his position. His lessons from Leon’s tutoring prepare him. He is haunted by memories of Greenvale.
Leon’s fields are going to ruins. Only a few sharecroppers work them.
Leon staggers through the empty rooms of Greenvale giving orders to nonexistent slaves.
Leon’s sister does a provocative dance before the soldier’s campfire. Leon is horrified and disgraced.
Plato must choose his ethics or give into the White power structure. Plato’s business is burned by a racist crowd. He is almost killed. He is ruined.
Leon/Plato, desperate, goes to the other’s house. The wife looks uneasy.
Plato visits Greenvale to buy it for Black sharecroppers. Leon and Plato have dinner with barely concealed hostility. Both present their memories of the past, challenging each other. Their exchanges grow tense. Leon blames Sybelle’s curse for his ruin. Plato responds, “your family built the curse with their own hands”.
Plato announces his tentative purchase of Greenvale at a local meeting. Leon enrages the locals and Plato is almost killed.
Act 3:
Plato wanders through the plantation and encounters scenes from the past (blood-stained walls, chains and whips, branding irons. beds for sex with slaves) that trigger repressed memories. Slave grave covered with trash.
Leon attacks Plato in the fields. Sybelle appears from the shadows and drags a bloodied Plato to her cabin.
Act 4:
Alt. Leon writes a letter to Plato apologizing for his role but may not mail it.
Alt. Plato finalizes the purchase of Greenvale and converts the land into a school for freed slaves. The final image is Black school children running in the old cotton fields.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  David Mailman.