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

[Monica Arisman]

Subject: Monica’s Genre Conventions

VISION: I am a very successful screenwriter who has had multiple movies made.

What I learned doing this assignment is to take the time to think about how the conventions could show up in the outline.

As you saw in the example above, build the genre conventions into your 4-Act structure.

2. Tell us the following:

• Title: AN AUTHOR’S REVELATION
• Concept: When a writer on the brink of despair survives a near-death experience, she discovers a hidden library filled with forgotten tales, sparking both inspiration and peril.
• Main Conflict: Haunted by the specter of her mortality, Emily faces an impossible choice: embrace the power of the hidden library and risk losing herself in its depths; or, turn her back on the stories that could reshape the world as she knows it.

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

Drama:

• PURPOSE: To explore stories with emotional and interpersonal high stakes for their characters.
• CHARACTER-DRIVEN JOURNEY: We always need to care about the characters in a Drama, and their internal journey drives the film’s events and progression.
• HIGH STAKES COME FROM WITHIN: Whether the story’s events are relatively mundane or intense, the struggles, obstacles, and stakes come from within the characters more than from external pressures.
• EMOTIONALLY RESONATES: Drama audiences want to feel and be moved by the character’s emotions and how they experience the events.
• CHALLENGING, EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED SITUATIONS: Characters get challenged to their core by the emotional situations and struggles that they run into.
• REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS: Drama stories are grounded in reality.

4. Brainstorm ways to deliver the conventions more effectively and build those parts into your 4-Act Structure.

5. List your structure from Lesson 5 along with the improvements that come from the Genre Conventions, like I did above.

Act 1:
• Opening:
It’s Christmas. Emily Davis is introduced as a struggling writer as she battles writer’s block and financial struggles while attempting to write her novel, which she hopes will be her big break. She’s trapped working odd jobs to make ends meet but they’re draining her spirit. Emily decides to end it all as the struggle has become overwhelming. On Christmas Eve she sets down a bottle of vodka and a bottle of painkillers.

• Inciting Incident:
But instead of dying, she has a near-death experience. In the After-Life she meets God who shows her a mysterious library filled with ancient typewriters and books. This is God’s library and Emily has been chosen to re-ignite spirituality on Earth through her writing. (NTO: God whispers something in her ear, just before she returns – this is the surprise!) But there’s a catch…God can’t seem to get rid of the Guardian, Donahue.

• Turning Point:
Emily wakes up in the hospital, her distraught brother by her side. He takes her home where she starts experiencing strange phenomena and meets the Guardian Donahue. Now she really believes she’s going crazy.

Act 2:
• New plan:
Emily reluctantly agrees to write a piece outlined by Donahue, despite doubts and interference from Azazel. Donahue explains that this “God” is an office that is held. A superior supreme being for sure, but one that is responsible for humanity. When this God gets tired, humanity suffers its “extinction”. And, it’s closer than you think. Ever wonder why so many past civilizations rose and fell – that’s because the God in charge got tired. Emily is this God’s last hope. But what Emily doesn’t know is Donahue and Azazel want to install themselves in this God’s place after they get rid of him!

• Plan in action:
Emily explores the library and meets forgotten characters, feeling a sense of belonging. Emily learns these are the Akashic records and if the Akashic records are lost, all the souls are lost. Poof! Returns to the stardust from whence they came. That’s why this God cannot get rid of Donahue.
She delves deeper into her writing but faces doubts about her abilities and the true intentions of Donahue and Azazel.

• Midpoint Turning Point:
Emily struggles with the task and grapples with doubts, torn between fulfilling Donahue’s instructions and the temptations offered by Azazel.

Act 3:

Re-think Everything:
Emily faces increasing pressure from Donahue and realizes the dangerous price of unlocking the library’s secrets. She confronts Azazel and rejects his temptations (NTO: Azazel makes sexual overtures to Emily.), and realizes Donahue and Azazel are both in it together.

New Plan:
Emily must make a life-altering choice to determine the outcome of the cosmic battle. She confronts both Donahue and Azazel and introduces the magic of the library which is the stories that have been suppressed come to life to protect Emily and help her outwit them.

Turning Point: Huge failure/Major shift:
Azazel subverts Emily’s written piece, twisting its message to serve his own agenda and sow chaos among humanity. Emily is devastated but instead of letting it crush her, she resolves to beat them at their own game.

Act 4:

New Plan:
Emily confronts both Donahue and Azazel in a climactic showdown, using her storytelling abilities to protect the hidden realm and humanity.

Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict:
Emily emerges victorious but changed, having embraced her role as a storyteller and found purpose in her writing. She witnesses the consequences of Donahue and Azazel’s manipulation and continues her journey toward enlightenment, ready to face future challenges.

Resolution:
God revisits Emily and thanks her for her service. Gives her a hug and a kiss to continue writing, tipping the scales in favor of the Divine. Emily continues her journey with newfound determination and understanding.

[Janeen Johnson]

Vision: I strive for collaborative success in screenwriting, aiming for financial stability and recognition across diverse genres, supported by travel and a capable manager.

What I learned from this assignment is that the AI generated structure violates the rules of a RomCom by having them admit their attraction for each other — in essence, what should be the climax/resolution — at the Midpoint. I'll be going back to my own way of writing a RomCom's romantic development. Also, this Romance seems to be built on attraction only, not what is required for a lasting love. I wouldn't rely on the current conventions for a RomCom.

Concept: A man and woman with the same last name adopt identical puppies and share the only available rental that allows only one dog per household.
Can they hide the extra pup and their mutual attraction from their landlord who believes them to be siblings?

**Act 1:**

– **Opening:** Madison and Daniel, both single and struggling to find affordable housing, meet while viewing an apartment. There's an instant spark, but they quickly realize they're competing for the same rental.

– **Inciting Incident:** In a desperate move to secure the apartment, they spontaneously decide to pose as siblings, rationalizing that it's the only way they can afford it with the landlord's strict one-dog policy.

– **Turning Point:** Despite their initial hesitation, they decide to go through with the plan and sign the lease, beginning their unusual cohabitation as "brother and sister."

**Act 2:**

– **New Plan:** Madison and Daniel attempt to navigate their newfound living situation, awkwardly adjusting to sharing space while maintaining their sibling facade.

– **Plan in Action:** As they settle into their charade, comedic situations arise as they juggle hiding their puppies and navigating their personal lives. Their bond deepens as they share intimate details and support each other through challenges.

– **Midpoint Turning Point:** During a particularly chaotic day, they accidentally reveal their true feelings for each other in a moment of vulnerability, setting the stage for romantic tension.

**Act 3:**

– **Rethink Everything:** Their landlord, Arsenio, becomes suspicious of their supposed sibling relationship, leading to a series of near-misses and comedic misunderstandings.

– **New Plan:** With their deception on the brink of exposure, Madison and Daniel are forced to confront their growing attraction and the consequences of their lies. They realize they can't keep pretending and must find a way to be together authentically.

– **Turning Point:** Just as they're about to confess their feelings, their secret is accidentally revealed, leading to a dramatic confrontation with Arsenio. Their living arrangement is jeopardized, and they face the possibility of losing each other.

**Act 4:**

– **Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict:** In a heart-to-heart with Arsenio, Madison and Daniel come clean about their feelings for each other, risking everything for love. Arsenio, touched by their honesty, surprises them by offering a compromise that allows them to keep the apartment and their relationship intact.

– **Resolution:** Madison and Daniel embrace their love openly, declaring their commitment to each other. With their puppies by their side, they embark on a new chapter of their lives together, ready to face whatever challenges come their way with humor and love.

[Renee Miller]

Renee’s Genre Conventions

My Vision: I will be in the top 1% of screenwriters and be known in the industry as an A-list screenwriter who is easy to work with, gets the job done, and never has to worry about the next job.

What I learned from this assignment is how to build the genre conventions into your outline to ensure you give the audience what they expect. I am stepping outside my comfort zone and working on a dark comedy, so this was a nice lesson to revisit.

Title: Killer Support
Concept:
Genre: Dark Comedy

Comedy Conventions:

Purpose: to entertain the audience with laughter-inducing moments.
Incongruence: a support group for serial killers with the therapist being a reformed serial killer.
Mechanics of Comedy: setups/punchline, fish out of water set up, absurd situations,
Comedic protagonist: She plays the ‘straight man’ during the amusing situations.
Strong Story: it’s a story about redemption that just happens to be about serial killers.

Act 1: Setup and Rising Suspicion

Opening (Cold Open Murder Sequence):
Comedy Convention: Begin with a darkly comic tone by showing the killer meticulously trying to recreate a historical crime, only to be comically interrupted by modern inconveniences like a smartphone ringing or a curious pizza delivery person.

Inciting Incident:
Comedy Convention: When the murder is discovered, instead of horror, the group’s reaction is absurdly analytical, critiquing the murder style as if reviewing a piece of art or a wine tasting, blending dark humor with the macabre.

Turning Point:
Comedy Convention: As Hope begins her investigation, she might use humorously inappropriate CSI-like techniques, using kitchen gadgets or consulting cheesy detective novels as guides, showcasing her incongruent approach to detective work.

Act 2: Deepening Mystery and Misdirection

New Plan:
Comedy Convention: Hope could try to use a sophisticated drone for surveillance, only for it to be hilariously inept—crashing into walls, startling cats, and eventually being swatted down by an annoyed group member.

Plan in Action:
Comedy Convention: Each new murder, while grim, is discovered in increasingly bizarre circumstances (e.g., during a group trust fall exercise), playing up the incongruity of trying to bond while being potential murderers.

Midpoint Turning Point:
Comedy Convention: The murder of Marcus, initially suspected, is revealed in a comically dramatic fashion, perhaps during a live vlog session Marcus was recording, making it a viral sensation.

Act 3: Rethinking Everything

Rethink Everything:
Comedy Convention: Hope’s self-doubt leads to absurd existential questioning in front of a mirror, parodying famous monologues from classic films.

New Plan:
Comedy Convention: Sharing past crimes turns into a bizarre show-and-tell, where members humorously one-up each other with increasingly petty confessions, like stealing a famous dog or accidentally inventing a notorious internet meme.
Turning Point:
Comedy Convention: The irony that another murder happens despite the new, open approach could be underscored by a murder occurring in the background during a group hug.

Act 4: Climax and Resolution

Climax:
Comedy Convention: In the climactic session, as Hope confronts Felix, she might accidentally psychoanalyze herself instead, leading to self-revelations and accidental confessions that are embarrassingly off-point but hilarious.

Resolution:
Comedy Convention: Felix attempts to escape on what he thinks is a speedy electric scooter, but it turns out to be a hilariously slow children’s toy. The chase becomes a slow-motion pursuit down a busy sidewalk with Felix desperately trying to speed up.

[LJ (Lawrence John) Seliski]

LJ’s Genre Conventions
My vision is to write incredible high-concept screenplays that are made into popular, financially successful movies.

What I learned from doing this assignment is that knowing and utilizing the Conventions for a specific Genre can enrich a screenplay written in that Genre.

Title: Defiant Allies
Concept: An eighteen-year-old woman who was abused as a foster child rescues a gifted, exiled alien princess who's in the form of a twelve-year-old girl and agrees to help her avoid capture by an alien adversary who wants to misuse her gift and is involved in a conspiracy that threatens both humanity and alienkind.
Genre: Sci-Fi

Genre conventions for a Sci-Fi film:
1. Extraterrestrial Elements: Ensure the alien princess, Ariael, and her world are richly detailed with unique technologies, cultures, and customs. Integrate elements like advanced spacecraft, otherworldly landscapes, and futuristic gadgets to immerse the audience in the sci-fi setting.

2. Technological Advancements: Showcase futuristic technology throughout the story, from advanced weaponry used by Zarael's forces to futuristic gadgets that aid Mia and Ariael in their journey. This can include holographic displays, neural implants, or even genetic modifications.

3. Worldbuilding: Expand on the universe beyond Earth by providing glimpses into the politics, history, and societal structures of both human and alien civilizations. Show how these different worlds interact and how their histories have shaped their current conflicts.

4. Themes of Otherness and Identity: Explore themes of identity and belonging through the characters of Mia and Ariael. Mia grapples with her identity as a survivor of abuse and a foster child, while Ariael struggles with her identity as an alien princess exiled from her home. Use their relationship to delve into the complexities of being an outsider.

5. High Stakes and Grand Scale: Amplify the sense of urgency and danger by emphasizing the high stakes involved in the conspiracy threatening both humanity and alienkind. Incorporate large-scale action sequences, epic battles, and moments of peril to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

6. Exploration of Morality and Ethics: Delve into moral dilemmas surrounding power, responsibility, and the consequences of one's actions. Explore the ethical implications of using Ariael's gift for either good or evil purposes, and the choices Mia must make as she navigates this morally complex world.

7. Visual Spectacle: Take advantage of the visual medium of film to create stunning visuals that showcase the wonders of the sci-fi universe. Utilize CGI, practical effects, and imaginative production design to bring the world of the film to life in a visually captivating way.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  LJ (Lawrence John) Seliski.

[Karen Haas]

Subject line: Karen’s Genre Conventions

My one sentence vision: I am a creative writer who can dream up something new and then write it better than I’d imagined keeping my writing life always fun and satisfying.

What I learned doing this assignment: I learned that incorporating opportunities for humor into the structure of my screenplay will make writing this comedy easier. Also, I noticed that alot of what AI recommends will have to wait until I start writing, I think… the groundwork is there however and it should be able to work

Structure = Opening – 1939- The Witch of East, after getting hit by Dorothy’s house, coerces Doctors and Coroner into claiming she is dead. She watches and waits on the sidelines, instead. After her sister witch, the Witch of West, is liquidated, and the Wizard leaves on hot air balloon, the witch of the East takes over Oz, and the flying monkeys pledge allegiance to her. Life is good for the Witch.

Inciting Incident: 2024: A twister hits Oz and Witch lands in modern day Kansas, picked up by paramedics and brought to an emergency room, where upon, having no insurance and no money, and no flying broom, she is abruptly discharged, now homeless, without power.

Turning Point: She meets another homeless person, and they wind up in a school gym that has been converted to a temporary shelter to house recent disaster victims. She befriends janitor and borrows his broom but it doesn't work for her. She tries to make another broom with straw and store bought twine but but the new twine is not right. Homeless comrades ask her why she needs a broom and why not just order from Amazon? Meanwhile, she sees a baby with a pair of stripes socks with fake red shoes at the feet that make fun of her iconic style and celebrates Dorothy, the one who killed her sister witch and tried to kill her … She soon discovers a whole industry run by a powerful real estate magnate, the actual Wizard/ Con Man originally from Oz, who now makes gobs of money off her, and venerates her shoes which a local museum claims it now has on display. Moreover, she recognizes the old man’s cane…it is the stick part of her sister witch’s old broomstick! Sadly, adding insult to injury, she also learns the great granddaughter of Dorothy is the con man’s sidekick, an obscenely rich young woman with no direction in life who lives off the royalties of her great-grandmother’s adventures that the con man generates, poor little rich girl.

Act 2:
New plan: Fellow homeless folks advise her to hire a lawyer to sue for a piece of the action.
Plan in action: Find a lawyer who will work on contingency.
Midpoint Turning Point: With the help of her homeless friends, she interviews multiple eccentric, offbeat lawyers who specialize in unusual cases. The absurdity of the legal system shines as the witch attempts to navigate the complexities of her lawsuit against the Wizard/Con Man.
Eventually she lucks out and finds a fabulous lawyer, Dot, but unbeknownst to her, Dot is the great granddaughter of Dorothy and is really working in cahoots with the Wizard/Con man. From his big impressive home, the Wizard advises Dot, to “catch and kill,” the lawsuit against him.

Act 3:
Rethink everything: After initially befriending Witch, Lawyer Dot finally admits she can’t actually go to court with the Witch because she has “a conflict,” but advises her to settle, or as Witch sees it, give up and be satisfied with a small pittance of what she thinks she deserves.
New plan: Double down and demand more… but not just for herself; Witch demands homes for her homeless friends. She decides to represent herself in court and starts a chant “There’s no place like home!” that resonates with her homeless friends and invigorates them with new found purpose. They crowd the courtroom and create a media sensation.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Judge rules against her because she cannot provide proof of who she is, and her antics backfire as the judge unexpectedly sends her to jail for threatening the Wizard/Con Man.

Act 4: With help of homeless friends, she is let out on bail and steals old twine from underside of the Giant Ball of Twine, a Kansas roadside attraction, and creates a sad new broom which works, barely. She uses it to try to retrieve her shoes from the museum… but she can’t find the shoes there… Ultimately she finds them, now painted gold and turned into sneakers at the Wizard Con/Mans big house, whereupon she regains her power, now able to prove who she is, and attempts to bring justice to her homeless friends.

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Back in the courtroom, she takes his cane, completes her powerful broom, uses it as a fighting stick and trounces Wizard/Con Man, proving her claim…but before she sweeps him away, Dot intervenes and convinces Witch that she will create a new foundation to build tiny home for the homeless and begs the witch to have mercy.

Resolution: With everything she wanted in hand, Witch agrees, but vows to return and wreak havoc if nothing improves for her friends. and leaves in a gust of Kansas wind, creating a tornado which destroys the big impressive home of the Wizard /Con Man, but provides a large piece of property on which to build tiny houses, which she designates with a sign, “the future home of Munchkinland.”

From AI:
To enhance the comedy genre conventions and strengthen the structure of your screenplay, here are some detailed and specific adjustments:

Incongruence:
Emphasize the incongruent pairing of the powerful, intimidating Wicked Witch of the East with the modern-day setting of Kansas. Her struggles to adapt to the mundane aspects of everyday life, such as navigating the healthcare system or interacting with contemporary technology, can provide ample comedic opportunities.

Mechanics of Comedy:
Utilize various comedic devices throughout the screenplay, including setup/punchline jokes, running gags, sight gags, and prop humor. Incorporate humorous situations such as the witch's attempts to fashion a new broom or her encounters with modern conveniences that bewilder her.

Comedic Protagonist:
Showcase the Wicked Witch of the East as the comedic protagonist whose incongruent perspectives and reactions to events trigger countless amusing situations. Balance her moments of absurdity with moments of vulnerability and growth as she navigates the challenges of modern life and learns valuable lessons along the way.

Strong Story:
Strengthen the narrative arc by ensuring that the comedic elements enhance, rather than detract from, the overall story. Maintain audience engagement by weaving humor into the plot in a way that feels organic and serves to propel the story forward.

Structure Adjustments:

Act 2 – New Plan:
Inject humor into the witch's quest for legal representation by introducing eccentric, offbeat lawyers who specialize in unusual cases. Explore the absurdity of the legal system as the witch navigates the complexities of her lawsuit against the Wizard/Con Man.

Act 3 – Turning Point: Huge Failure/Major Shift:
Heighten the comedic tension as the witch's courtroom antics backfire spectacularly, leading to her unexpected incarceration. Lean into the absurdity of the situation as the witch finds herself in increasingly ludicrous predicaments while attempting to prove her identity and seek justice for her homeless friends.

Act 4 – Climax/Resolution:
Infuse the climax with slapstick humor and physical comedy as the witch confronts the Wizard/Con Man in a hilarious showdown. Incorporate sight gags and comedic set pieces as the witch uses her newfound power and resourcefulness to outwit her adversary and secure justice for herself and her friends.

By incorporating these adjustments, your screenplay will effectively utilize comedy genre conventions to deliver a story that entertains audiences with laughter-inducing moments while maintaining a strong narrative foundation.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Karen Haas.

[jim ramsay]

RAMSAY – Genre Conventions
My Vision: Creating worlds for my characters. Producing my films will be my ultimate gratification.
Structure:
Act 1: Introduction to Mic and her Obsession:
• Use dynamic visuals and flashbacks to establish Mic’s traumatic past and her relentless pursuit of vengeance against Carlito Bonito.
• Showcase Mic’s skills as a competent federal agent, but also her inner turmoil and emotional scars from her sister’s death.
• The act ends with Mic’s reckless actions during an undercover operation, which lead to her demotion to the human trafficking division, setting the stage for her journey.
The Catalyst:
• The inciting incident of Hannah’s abduction forces Mic to reevaluate her priorities.
• Mic returns to the agency to use human trafficking resources to help find Hannah, and her return leads Mic to an unexpected alliance with David, the godly vigilante saving kids.
Act 2: Alliances and Conflict:
• Explore Mic and David’s burgeoning partnership as they delve deeper into the world of child trafficking and the cartel’s involvement.
• Highlight the conflicts and obstacles they face, including resistance from Mic’s former colleagues and dangerous encounters with cartel members.
Escalating Tensions:
• Raise the stakes as Mic uncovers the man who killed her sister; Carlito is the cartel boss running a criminal empire and his connections to influential government figures.
• Show Mic’s increasing isolation because of betrayals within her agency that shake her trust and force her to rely on her own instincts and act alone.
Act 3: Internal Struggles:
• Dive into Mic’s internal conflict as she grapples with her desire for revenge against Carlito and her competing moral obligation to save Hannah and stop the fentanyl deal.
• Explore Mic’s wavering faith and her struggle to reconcile her personal vendetta.
Race Against Time:
• Amp up the tension as Mic races against the clock to rescue Hannah and thwart Carlito’s plans, facing insurmountable odds and deadly adversaries.
• Build anticipation for the climactic showdown between Mic and Carlito, where Mic must make a fateful choice that will determine her future.
Act 4: Final Confrontation:
• Stage an intense and gripping final confrontation between Mic and Carlito, filled with pulse-pounding action, emotional catharsis, and miracles that interdict.
• Force Mic to confront her inner demons and realize that God has been helping her as she makes a decisive choice that tests her convictions and defines her character.
Resolution:
• Provide closure as Mic achieves all of her goals: saving Hannah, stopping the fentanyl deal, bringing Carlito to justice, and renewing her faith in God.
• Show Mic’s growth and transformation as she finds forgiveness, redemption, and a renewed sense of purpose after her harrowing journey.
Epilogue:
• Offer Mic a reflective and introspective moment as she contemplates her journey and looks toward the future with hope and resilience.
• Leave the audience with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, knowing that Mic has overcome her past and has emerged a much stronger person.

[Harry Rankin]

Harry’s Genre Conventions

My vision for success from this program is:
To create scripts freely when working with producers, directors and cast, and sell award-winning work to create a lifestyle confident of financial freedom.

What I learned from doing this assignment is: My AI assistant is working overtime. I’m getting great, mind-jogging feedback. Gonna have to think of a name to call it…!

Title: Genesis
Concept: Against a backdrop of worldwide civil unrest and climate danger, a couple consummate their love off planet at the International Launch Project. When disaster strikes, leaving them alone and isolated in space, they become the focus of the world’s attention as they deal with their biggest challenge yet: childbirth orbit.
Genre: Comedy, Drama

New Plan:

Act 1:
Opening: Introduce Suli and Jon in a hilariously awkward training scenario, where they're both struggling with zero-gravity maneuvers, but sparks fly between them nonetheless.
Inciting Incident: Their passionate love affair off-planet is filled with comedic mishaps, like navigating intimate moments in a cramped space or dealing with zero-gravity hijinks.
Turning Point: As they embark on their mission, their comedic banter and chemistry keep the audience engaged, setting the stage for the drama to come.
Act 2:
New Plan: Suli's reveal of her 4 month pregnancy leads to a series of comedic misunderstandings and attempts to hide the news from their colleagues, resulting in humorous situations.
Plan in Action: Their attempts to maintain normalcy while dealing with Suli's pregnancy onboard the ILP (International Launch Project) are rife with comedic moments, like trying to hide morning sickness or navigating weightlessness with a growing belly.
Midpoint Turning Point: The crash of the delivery drone shuttle becomes a darkly comedic moment, as they're left stranded and isolated in space, with the absurdity of their situation contrasting with the seriousness of their predicament.
Act 3:
Rethink Everything: Suli and Jon's existential crisis is punctuated by comedic moments of absurdity as they grapple with the reality of their situation, such as trying to change diapers in zero gravity or attempting to create makeshift baby supplies from space station equipment.
New Plan: Their comedic resilience shines through as they devise increasingly ridiculous plans to survive and return home, using their ingenuity to overcome obstacles in unexpected ways.
Turning Point: A comedic yet poignant moment of failure forces them to confront the gravity of their situation and reassess their priorities, leading to moments of vulnerability and introspection amidst the chaos.
Act 4: New Ways:
Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: Suli's comedic yet empowering childbirth in orbit becomes a symbol of hope and new beginnings, as they navigate the challenges of parenthood in space with humor and grace.
Resolution: Through their comedic and dramatic journey, Suli and Jon undergo a profound transformation, with Suli evolving from impulsive to thoughtful, embracing her role as a mother and leader with humor and heart. Their return home is met with a mix of laughter and tears, as they're celebrated for their resilience and courage in the face of absurdity and adversity.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Harry Rankin.

[Edward Lusk]

Ed’s Genre Conventions.
MY VISION is to be a bankable, reputable, and industry go-to writer who’s demonstrated how to entertain and hold an audience’s attention through unforgettable characters and stories that are as enjoyable to write as they are to watch.
What I learned doing this assigment is by adding the conventions the story changes from just a generalized version of the genre to one that will meet expectations and supply a high level of entertainment.
GENRE; CHRISTMAS ROM-COM
TITLE: ELFSTRUCK
CONCEPT: A reluctant Christmas visit to his grandparents’ manor unravels for a heartbroken gay man when he finds an unexpected romance with a stranded magical elf whose mysterious mishap threatens Christmas.
Act 1: Introduction to the Old Ways
Opening
Howie's Christmas retail meltdown. It’s Christmas chaos at the fragrance counter. Impatient customers, outrages expectations, understaffing and a wanky Christmas tree leaves Howie on the verge of a meltdown.

Inciting Incident
Howie’s public breakup. Amid the chaos “The Boyfriend” shows up declaring Howie and he are NOT going away for Christmas and The Boyfriend they are finished. (Is there a fragrance for that?)
The loud argument gets the attention of an elf working with Santa at the store’s photo North Pole castle.

Turning Point
The "cute-meet" with Jasper. The elf (Jasper) purchases a favorite fragrance from Howie and assures Howie that “The ExBoyfriend” was on the naughty list anyway. Howie is smitten by Jasper’s charms as Jasper is enchanted by Howie’s pessimism. When Howie’s distracted Jasper performs a little Christmas magic at the fragrance counter then disappears in the crowd before Howie can react.

Act 2: Exploration and New Challenges
New Plan
Uncovering Jasper's secrets. Howie and Jesús arrive at Grandparents manor only to discover Jasper is there are the caregiver. Howie and Jesús scheme on ways to find out if Jasper is gay or not. Our trio set out in parodies of Hallmark Christmas moments both disastrous, comedic, and insightful.

Plan in Action
Jesús feeling sidelined. Howie and Jasper grow closer with every failed Christmas parody, raising questions about the nature of their relationship and what secrets are they hiding.

Jesús, the third wheel, sabotages Howie’s efforts to form a relationship with Jasper while conniving to win over Howie and advance from being just friends.

Midpoint Turning Point
Jasper's revelation as an elf. Jasper comes out – as an elf. Of course he is “gay” because he’s an elf – leaving double entendre hanging over everyone. Howie’s confused, stakes are raised, when Jasper explains his secret situation and circumstances around the broken magical chimney.

Act 3: Reevaluation and Conflict
Rethink Everything
The significance of the chimney. It is a portal that requires true Christmas spirit to function. It also provides a metaphor for Howie's inner transformation requirement. Howie must devise a plan to fix it, even though if successful Jasper will go back to the North Pole – forever.

Turning Point
The failure of the chimney repair. Despite a genuine group effort by Howie, Jesús, and Jasper the chimney repair fails dramtically and Christmas Eve is here. There’s finger pointing and hurt feelings all around as mistrust and secret motives come into play as Christmas hangs in the balance.

Act 4: Climax and Resolution
Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict
Howie's act to repair the chimney. Howie reconciles a deep rift with his parents achieving a newfound belief in the Christmas spirit and love's empowerment. Jasper is sent back to the North Pole saving Christmas and Jesús disappears leaving Howie alone but grateful.

Resolution
Jasper appearing as a human. Howie’s working the returns counter and hidden behind a big gift wrapped box is – Jasper. Jesús agreed to change places with Jasper allowing him to return to be with Howie. Jesús get’s his Christmas wish – being a North Pole Elf.

[Linda Kish]

Linda’s Genre Conventions
My Vision is: I will do whatever it takes to be a sought-after profound writer who has many successful movies produced and an Oscar on the mantel.
What I learned from doing this assignment is I don’t have enough thriller elements in my 4-act structure or my plan for the script. Continue to work on this and keep it in focus as I move forward with the structure and outline.

Title: Cartel Kings
Genre: Action Thriller
Concept: When a dying kingpin launches a savage contest for his succession, a peaceful man's family is endangered, forcing him to battle for control of the cartel to save them and destroy it from within.

Action Genre Conventions:
• Purpose: Adrenaline-stirring / fast paced:
• Demand for Action:
• Mission:
• Escalating Action:
• Highly Skilled Hero that brings with a unique skill or talent to the fight:
• Clearly Evil Antagonist that requires action to defeat:

Thriller Genre Conventions
o Purpose: Thrill with high stakes, plot twists and suspense that never let’s up
o Life and Death Situations:
o Mystery/Intrigue/Suspense:
o Unknowing or Unwitting Hero:
o Devious and Unrelenting Villain:
o Main Emotions: Suspense, tension, anticipation, uncertainty and surprise.

Revised 4 Act Structure:
Act 1:
• Opening: Joaquin, a scout for the cartel, despises the violence and corruption around him. He dreams of leaving the cartel but feels trapped due to his familial ties and fear of reprisal. Joaquin alerts the drug lab workers the police are coming then stands by while Dante, the kingpin's right-hand man, kills his friend for tipping the police off.
• Inciting Incident: Joaquin and his family are summoned to the cartel compound where Rodrigo, the dying kingpin announces a savage competition for his succession.
• Turning Point: Joaquin’s family is threatened by an anonymous competitor.
Act 2:
• New plan: Joaquin blows up a rival drug lab and joins the competition. The anonymous competitor, who remains largely unseen, sends cryptic threats and starts to anticipate Joaquin’s moves.
• Plan in action: He tries to earn points while keeping his morals intact, but everything fails and now he is stuck in the competition so it is win or be killed. He sneaks into Dante’s lair and plants surveillance equipment. Believing Arturo is the one threatening their family, Joaquin’s daughter follows him and is killed.
• Midpoint Turning Point: Joaquin kills the police officer who killed his daughter.
Act 3:
• Rethink everything: Joaquin must go on the offensive and put his morals aside if he wants to win.
• New plan: To “kill” the US Director of Border Control who killed Rodrigo's son years ago.
• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Joaquin is captured by US immigration and his wife thinks he’s dead, which Arturo uses to trap her into getting back in bed with him.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Joaquin brings evidence he killed the US Director and wins the competition, then guns down all of his competitors, taking full power and control of the cartel. The warehouse, pre-rigged with various traps and escape routes, becomes the arena for a final, all-out battle. Joaquin uses the environment to his advantage, picking off his rivals one by one in a suspenseful and strategically orchestrated series of confrontations that demonstrate his mastery of guerrilla warfare and his readiness to end the cartel violence once and for all.
• Resolution: He didn’t kill the US director, he enlisted her to help him and they faked her death. Now the two of them are going after the rival cartel.

Improvements:
Action – Instead of a typical gun battle as the climax, Joaquin has pre-rigged the announcement area w/traps, explosives, etc. to give himself an advantage and add to the action elements of the story. Also added Joaquin using his surveillance techniques to spy on his competitors, making for tense actions scenes where he almost gets caught doing it.
Thriller – Add an anonymous competitor who sends Joaquin cryptic threats and starts to anticipate his every move.

[Kathryn Gould]

I choose to be a highly creative and energized writer who makes big movies and loves her life working with the most creative people in the world.

What I learned: Thinking about the genre conventions and putting them into AI was a really great way to pack my outline with story elements that will make the script great and hit all the right notes. This is really going to elevate my story.

• Title: The Enhancement Protocol

• Concept: When a team of young biohackers uncovers a global conspiracy to control the world through a network of biohacked sleeper agents, their mentor’s lethal solution to the problem will force them to choose between saving millions of lives and saving themselves.

• Genre: Scifi Thriller
3. Go to this Genre Conventions link and make a list of the conventions for your chosen genre, like this:

CONVENTIONS OF SCI-FI
PURPOSE: To explore the implications of technological change, alternative
worlds, and/or probable futures that could come from the changes in
science. To cause us to think outside of our own world. – I am exploring the implications of changes in medical technology, and how they could exacerbate the problems in our current society.

FANTASTIC WORLDS: The world of the story is dramatically different from
our current world, in one or more major ways. It could be our world with
some major shift. – It is our world pushed to the extreme because of one particular technological advancement.

SCIENCE: The circumstances and world are based more out of science and
what it might possibly accomplish in the future (or in an alternate
past/species/world/etc), rather than whimsical dreams and fairy tales. – Yes, the inspiration for this story came from an article in a science magazine about possible advances in medical technology in the near future.

INCREDIBLE VISUALS: In exploring the fantastic world of the story, we see
things alien and bizarre compared to our current lives.- There will be two worlds explored in the story – the upper world will look a lot like the nicest, most upper class sections of our current world. The Dregs will be a gritty, ugly, grey version of our worst third world slums.

SOCIAL COMMENTARY: Because we are in a different time, place, and
experience, it is possible to explore current-day social issues, sometimes
going as far as making moral statements. It often contains idealistic hope
or dire warnings. – Yes, this is the most important aspect of the subject for me. I am exploring and commenting on our failing healthcare system and the misuse of technology to control people.

SUB-GENRE: The World/Science is the environment. The sub-genre gives
us the story. – My subgenre is Thriller.

CONVENTIONS OF THRILLERS

PURPOSE: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and
suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax. – In the inciting incident their discovery should be very active, they don’t just see code, one of them starts doing everything the others say. They think it’s funny until someone tells him to go jump off the roof – and he starts to obey. Then they realize how dangerous this tech is – and immediately realize that their lives are in danger for knowing about it. Or maybe it’s Alice who makes them think of this.

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

MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE: There’s a mystery that must be solved in
order to survive. Intrigue is the underhanded and covert Villain’s plan.
Suspense comes from the danger the Hero faces. – the movie starts with them discovering something huge, and then at the midpoint they discover something even bigger.

HERO: Unknowing, unwitting, but resourceful hero – hero is just a kid trying to survive, but has serious skills

VILLAIN: Dangerous, devious, and unrelenting. Committed to destroy
anyone who gets in their way. Our villain is a radicalized terrorist totally committed to her cause. I think I could even play with the fact that she is a doctor – can be a comment on the current healthcare system that’s supposed to save lives but is all about profit.
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.

Act 1:

• Opening – A group of young biohackers, led by 22-yr-old Japheth Bridges, enhance their genetic talents, guided by their mentor, Dr. Alice Bennett. For Japheth’s younger sister, Nell, simply being able to run and jump is a blessing, as she was born with spina bifida. For the others, they experiment with giving themselves super strength and speed, demonstrating their new skills with harrowing stunts.

• Inciting Incident – In attempting to fix some problems with Nell’s nanotech, Japheth stumbles upon unsettling anomalies within the nanotechnology supplied by Medinano, a globally dominant medical tech firm. Nell starts doing everything Japheth and his friends say – until one of them tells her to jump off the roof, and she almost does. They go to Dr. Bennett for help.

• Turning Point – Their investigation reveals that parts of Medinano’s latest nanotech programming is not designed for healing but for controlling human behavior globally via sleeper agents in key societal roles. Dr. Bennett tells them to go home and forget they ever heard of any of this—this knowledge could get them killed.

Act 2:

• New plan – After arguing over what to do all night, while terrified that every sound is someone coming to arrest them, they go back to Dr. Bennett’s office the next day to try to convince her to go public with the discovery, but they encounter Medinano’s investigators. Dr. Bennett has disappeared, and they have been framed for industrial espionage.

• Plan in action – They are forced to flee, using their enhancements to evade Medinano’s forces. Instead of going public with Medinano’s abuses, they find their own images, edited to look like they’re the aggressors, broadcast all over the world as they are labelled dangerous biohacking terrorists.

• Midpoint Turning Point – In an attempt to exonerate themselves, they hunt down Dr. Bennett, believing that she is working with Medinano and set them up because of their discovery. But when they do find her, they find that the truth is even more chilling: her plan is to release a virus that will eliminate all individuals enhanced with Medinano nanotech, aiming to thwart Medinano’s control but sacrificing millions of lives. Her operatives, who are also enhanced, attempt to capture them. They barely escape.

Act 3:

• Rethink everything – Shaken by the discovery of Dr. Bennett’s plan, Japheth reevaluates his goals and methods, questioning his mentor’s teachings and his own motivations. At first, Japheth is tempted to allow Dr. Bennett’s plan to proceed. It is Nell who reminds him of his humanity.

• New plan – Now hunted by both Medinano’s forces and Dr. Bennett’s operatives and faced with the dual threat of global manipulation and a biological catastrophe, the group decides to go where no one expects them to go—they will attempt to infiltrate Medinano’s main facility and expose both plots to the world.

• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – In a fight with Medinano’s forces, they lose one of their members and are taken captive.

Act 4:

• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – As they are about to be taken in to have all their enhancements taken away, including Nell’s ability to walk, Dr. Bennett begins her attack. This gives them the opportunity to escape, but they choose to stay and use their knowledge of Dr. Bennett’s methods to help the Medinano authorities stop the virus. In the process, they are able to broadcast the truth during a live global event. Despite being detained, the massive public outcry prompts their release and sparks an intense global dialogue on bioethics.

• Resolution – Although wary of mainstream society, the biohackers commit to vigilantly protecting humanity from future technological misuses, while working toward a more equitable future and seeing their former mentor as well as those who masterminded the global conspiracy brought to justice.

6. List your structure from Lesson 6 along with the improvements that come from the Genre Conventions, like I did above.

Act 1:

• Opening – (A mysterious scientist makes his way stealthily through Medinano’s lab, clearly stealing something. As he exits he slips something into the pocket of someone in front of him, and is able to sneak out in the confusion. The person is brutally arrested.) A group of young biohackers, led by 22-yr-old Japheth Bridges, enhance their genetic talents, guided by their mentor, Dr. Alice Bennett. For Japheth’s younger sister, Nell, simply being able to run and jump is a blessing, as she was born with spina bifida. For the others, they experiment with giving themselves super strength and speed, (demonstrating their new skills with harrowing stunts).

• Inciting Incident – In attempting to fix some problems with Nell’s nanotech, Japheth stumbles upon unsettling anomalies within the nanotechnology supplied by Medinano, a globally dominant medical tech firm. (Nell starts doing everything Japheth and his friends say – until one of them tells her to jump off the roof, and she almost does. They go to Dr. Bennett for help. Meanwhile we see on the news that a terrorist is being hunted by Medinano – considered very dangerous, etc.)

• Turning Point – Their investigation reveals that parts of Medinano’s latest nanotech programming is not designed for healing but for controlling human behavior globally via sleeper agents in key societal roles. (Dr. Bennett tells them to go home and forget they ever heard of any of this—this knowledge could get them killed. They get a glimpse of someone who has come to visit Dr. Bennett, but can’t tell who it is).

Act 2:

• New plan – (After arguing over what to do all night, while terrified that every sound is someone coming to arrest them, they go back to Dr. Bennett’s office the next day to try to convince her to go public with the discovery, but they encounter Medinano’s investigators.) Dr. Bennett has disappeared, and they have been framed for industrial espionage.

• Plan in action – They are forced to flee, using their enhancements to evade Medinano’s forces. (Instead of going public with Medinano’s abuses, they find their own images, edited to look like they’re the aggressors, broadcast all over the world as they are labelled dangerous biohacking terrorists.)

• Midpoint Turning Point – In an attempt to exonerate themselves, they hunt down Dr. Bennett, (believing that she is working with Medinano and set them up because of their discovery.) But when they do find her, they find that the truth is even more chilling: (they finally recognize the guys who was visiting her as the terrorist Medinano was hunting) her plan is to release a virus that will eliminate all individuals enhanced with Medinano nanotech, aiming to thwart Medinano’s control but sacrificing millions of lives. (Her operatives, who are also enhanced, attempt to capture them.) They barely escape.

Act 3:

• Rethink everything – Shaken by the discovery of Dr. Bennett’s plan, Japheth reevaluates his goals and methods, questioning his mentor’s teachings and his own motivations. At first, Japheth is tempted to allow Dr. Bennett’s plan to proceed. It is Nell who reminds him of his humanity.

• New plan – Now hunted by both Medinano’s forces and Dr. Bennett’s operatives and faced with the dual threat of global manipulation and a biological catastrophe, the group decides to go where no one expects them to go—they will attempt to infiltrate Medinano’s main facility and expose both plots to the world.

• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – In a fight with Medinano’s forces, they (realize that one of their members has betrayed them in exchange for technology to save his mother’s life). Another of the team members dies; they are taken captive.

Act 4:

• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – As they are about to be taken in to have all their enhancements taken away, including Nell’s ability to walk, Dr. Bennett begins her attack. This gives them the opportunity to escape (and they hack into Medinano’s system and start using their own technology against them), but ultimately they choose to stay and use their knowledge of Dr. Bennett’s methods to help the Medinano authorities stop the virus. In the process, they are able to broadcast the truth during a live global event. Despite being detained, the massive public outcry prompts their release and sparks an intense global dialogue on bioethics.

• Resolution – Although wary of mainstream society, the biohackers commit to vigilantly protecting humanity from future technological misuses, while working toward a more equitable future and seeing their former mentor as well as those who masterminded the global conspiracy brought to justice.

[Kathryn Gould]

Just want y’all to know that I went through after copying and pasting and added in carriage returns after every single paragraph. It didn’t keep a single one. I don’t know what else to do. Sorry for anyone who wants to read it.

[Christopher Confer]

Chris' Genre Conventions for RETALIA NATION
My Vision:
When people watch the trailer for my movie, they have to watch the movie.

What I learned from doing this assignment is keep moving quickly, it does not have to be perfect.

Tell us the following:
Title: RETALIA NATION
Concept: As retail stores unite into Retalia Nation, imposing death for theft, a cunning thief must innovate or die, transforming shoplifting into a deadly art.
Genre: Crime / Thriller

Make a list of the conventions for your chosen genre, like this:
Conventions of thrillers:
PURPOSE: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.
LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS. They face danger at every step — either physically, emotionally, or mentally. The hero needs to either be in danger or there is the implication of future danger.
MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE: There's a mystery that must be solved in order to survive. Intrigue is the underhanded and covert Villain’s plan.
Suspense comes from the danger the Hero faces.
HERO: Unknowing, unwitting, but resourceful hero
VILLAIN: Dangerous, devious, and unrelenting. Committed to destroy anyone who gets in their way.
MAIN EMOTIONS: Suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation, uncertainty, and surprise

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

Act 1:
Opening: Holly walks out of a department store jewelry department with a whole tray of rings by telling the naive, young employee she is from a security firm and needs to take the tray to the office to verify them. She says it with such authority that the girl believes her.
IMPROVEMENT: Have the store manager come out and talk to the employee at the jewelry counter, nearly scaring off Holly from following through with stealing a whole tray of diamond rings.
Inciting Incident: Her protege is caught and executed under the new Retalia Nation's laws.
IMPROVEMENT: Holly witnesses this in the "trial and execution room" of the mall where only adults are allowed to see the sentences carried out. Her protege is guillotined and it is graphic, causing her nightmares later in the movie.
IMPROVEMENT: There is a mystery person following her around the mall dressed in a well tailored, brown suit. He follows her to the trial and execution room. He pops up later in the story too.
Turning Point: Holly herself narrowly escapes capture during another high-stakes theft.

Act 2:
New plan: Heist the bank that is located in the mall via access to the top of the vault through a panel in a service closet, just cuts through drywall.
IMPROVEMENT: There is a mole in her group creating paranoia and mistrust.
Plan in action: Day of the heist, the mall has reinforced the wall.
IMPROVEMENT: As they discover the reinforced wall, security team members are after them forcing the team to escape via tunnels under the mall that involves evading high-tech security measures like a sonic alarm that causes people to become instantly incontinent but Holly has special ear plugs for that but one of her team does not.
Midpoint Turning Point: Another protege, angry about no bank heist, is caught shoplifting three TVs and almost executed but Holly saves her.
IMPROVEMENT: Holly feels guilty her protege almost got executed. Holly goes over to her protege's house to check on her that night to see how her nerves are.

Act 3:
New plan: Holly decides that to effectively strike a significant blow against Retalia Nation, she needs to infiltrate their inner circle. Her plan involves getting close to a high-ranking official within Retalia who is known for his lavish parties and connections. Holly plans to gather incriminating evidence against this official to blackmail him into sabotaging Retalia’s operations from within.
IMPROVEMENT: Holly notices this official slightly winces when she is talking to him as if he suspects her motives of approaching him.
Turning Point: As Holly begins to execute her plan, she successfully gains the trust of the official and starts to gather the needed evidence. However, just as she is about to leverage this information, she discovers that the official is one step ahead of her. The official reveals that he had been suspicious of her motives from the start and was using her to flush out dissent within his ranks. Holly finds herself surrounded by Retalia security, barely escaping capture.
Major Shift: This betrayal forces Holly to reconsider her lone wolf approach. Realizing she cannot take down Retalia Nation alone, she reaches out to a network of other small-time criminals and former victims of Retalia’s tyranny. This pivot sets up a coalition against Retalia, shifting from a personal vendetta to a collective uprising.
IMPROVEMENT: The mistrust among the thieves causes Holly to work on a plan to create a magic sauce to entice the group to come together as a coherent force. Maybe a bonus that can't be collected until the work of taking down RETALIA NATION is done.

Act 4:
Climax: Holly organizes a major strike, using the information and resources gathered through her alliance. This involves simultaneous attacks on several key facilities to stretch Retalia's defenses thin.
The Final Confrontation: Holly leads a direct attack on the main control center, where she plans not only to disable Retalia's operations but to broadcast the corruption (some of the executed did nothing wrong and were executed just to discourage shoplifting) and tyranny of its leaders to the world. As Holly and her team infiltrate the facility, they encounter heavy resistance.

Turning Point: As they reach the central broadcasting room, Holly confronts the head of Retalia Nation. Amidst a tense standoff, she reveals the evidence of their atrocities, including the execution of her best friend's daughter. The confrontation ends with Holly overpowering the Retalia leader, securing the broadcast to expose the organization's deeds.
IMPROVEMENT: The clock is ticking. Holly must expose the evidence of atrocities before the computer system shuts down and then they cannot broadcast it.

Resolution: Following the successful exposure of Retalia Nation, there's widespread public outrage. Law enforcement and other governmental bodies move in, leading to arrests and dismantling of the organization. Holly's role is acknowledged, but she remains wary of her own legal standing. Holly's Decision: Realizing the cost of her lifestyle, especially the loss of her best friend's daughter,
Holly decides to abandon her life of crime.
IMPROVEMENT: Scene where Holly must face legal consequences, deal with the loss of her friend's daughter, and her moral contemplation about whether her ends justified her means. Perhaps in going totally legit, she ironically opens a company that makes store shelves into vending machines. Every 5 feet of shelves on an aisle is a vending machine-almost like in a Tokyo subway station.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Christopher Confer. Reason: I had my lesson 6 properly formatted and the website decided to make it one giant block of text. Not sure why it does that but I don't have time to fix it right now

[David Wickenden]

Assignment #6 Genre Conventions
Vision: I become a writer that the industry respects and wants to work with and it offers me challenges that helps me to continue to grow and be successful.
“What I learned from doing this assignment is…?”
I learned how genre conventions can really pump up the script to make it appealing to audiences.
• State: I’m completely confident…
• Activity: …building genre conventions into my structure.
2. Tell us the following:
• Title: The Witch’s Legacy
• Concept: The family encounters hostile ghosts of murdered witches from the 1700s, only to find that a cult is using them to steal supernatural powers from the dead.
• Genre: Horror/Thriller

3. CONVENTIONS OF THRILLERS PURPOSE: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.
LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS
MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE
HERO
VILLAIN
MAIN EMOTIONS
CONVENTIONS OF HORROR PURPOSE: To create the experience of horror for your audience by taking your characters to the point of hysteria.
ISOLATION
DEATH
MONSTER/VILLAIN
HIGH TENSION
DEPARTURE FROM REALITY
MORAL STATEMENT

4. Act 1:
• Opening
During a ritual, a cult battles with ghosts. A massive snake consumes one of the cultist. The Cult leader cuts the snake, killing a ghost that assumed it’s form. A ghost possesses a cultist and kills two other cultists before he is cut down by another. The cult required the sacrifice of descendant to gain the upper hand.
• Inciting Incident
The Blackwood siblings inherited the family estate. Crows attacked them as they arrived, and they sought shelter in the house. They are cut and bleeding, unsure of what has just happened. They explore the ancient building. Ghosts soon attacked them, which were driven back by the cult leader and his people.
• Turning Point
The Blackwoods agree to help the cult destroy the ghosts.
Act 2:
• New plan
Eliza tries to use logic to find her way, researching the family history. Her siblings must protect her while she researches the documents.
• Plan in action
The siblings try to use modern religious relics to stop the evil of the ghosts. A ghost posses the brother and only after being knocked out does it free him, but not after near killing Eliza’s sister.
• Midpoint Turning Point
Eliza discovers the witches are her ancestors who were murdered hundreds of years prior by the same cult that still hounds them.
Act 3:
• Rethink everything
Eliza tries to do a quick study of the spells she has uncovered. The spell backfires and she comes close to being consumed.
• New plan
She will confront the cult leader and refuse him entry to the estate. Her spell fails as the Cult leader is must stronger. One of the cultists fights her siblings and manages to push her sister into the void that Eliza has summoned.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
A ghost possesses Eliza and shows her the secret to the magic – Blood. She also shows what happened in the 1700s and how the cult has been after their power ever since, sacrificing Eliza’s ancestors each generation. The spells do not work because they are missing a final ingredient – blood from one of the ancestors. Her brother is struck down and he and Eliza’s sister has been sucked into a void.
Eliza offers her own blood to the spell and gains the power of the witches.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Using the power of her ancestors, Eliza, with the help of the ghosts, fight and defeats the cult, killing them off or banishing them from the realm of mortals.
• Resolution
Eliza has won and the ghosts are free to move on to the afterlife, but Eliza must learn more to search for her brother and sister, who are stuck in another realm.
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Eliza enters the portal into the void and must fight the lead demon and his minions. She brings her memories and love for siblings to give her strength and bashes the demons aside, while freeing her brother and sister. One of the minions is the dead cult leader, now a demon.
• Resolution
Eliza returns with her siblings through the portal. Before it closes the cult leader/demon rushes her but is pulled back by a large demonic hand from the void.
5. AI Response
To enhance your screenplay's effectiveness as a horror/thriller, let's integrate the genre conventions you've provided into your structure:
Act 1:
• Opening: The ritual should be intense and visually striking, setting a tone of horror and supernatural power. Emphasize the cult's desperation and the sinister nature of the ghosts.
• Inciting Incident: The attack by crows should be unnerving and violent, establishing the isolation of the family and their vulnerability.
• Turning Point: The agreement to help the cult should be portrayed with a sense of dread and foreboding, hinting at the dangers to come.
Act 2:
• New plan: Eliza's research should uncover dark and disturbing secrets, increasing the mystery and danger surrounding their family history.
• Plan in action: The use of modern religious relics should bring temporary relief but also escalate the threat, showing that the evil forces are not easily defeated.
• Midpoint Turning Point: Eliza's discovery should be a shocking revelation, deepening the family's entanglement in the cult's sinister past.
Act 3:
• Rethink everything: Eliza's attempt at a spell should be a moment of high tension, highlighting the consequences of failure and the escalating danger.
• New plan: The confrontation with the cult leader should be a climactic showdown, with the stakes at their highest and the danger palpable.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The final battle should be epic and terrifying, with Eliza harnessing the full power of the witches and the ghosts to overcome the cult.
• Resolution: Eliza's victory should be bittersweet, with the ghosts finding peace but Eliza's personal journey far from over, leaving the audience with a sense of lingering dread.
Integrating these conventions will help amplify the horror and thriller elements of your screenplay, creating a more immersive and chilling experience for the audience.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  David Wickenden.

[Bob Creager]

Bob Creager’s Genre Conventions

VISION: As a screenwriter, I aspire to craft highly unique, high-concept stories that intrigue from the first glance and reach an A-list storytelling level at my own pace.

What I learned: I learned so much about genre conventions, especially Horror and researching Christmas that it made the 4-act structure so much more valuable than previous efforts.

Genre = Christmas horror

The Christmas-specific conventions are:

HOLIDAY SPIRIT: The story should capture the essence of the Christmas season, with themes of generosity, love, and goodwill prevailing even in the face of adversity.

MIRACULOUS OCCURRENCES: Introduce elements of magic or miracles, where seemingly impossible events occur, reinforcing the belief in the magic of Christmas.

FAMILY REUNION: Emphasize the importance of family bonding and reconciliation, often with estranged family members coming together and resolving their differences during the holiday.

THE POWER OF BELIEF: Explore the idea that believing in the spirit of Christmas can overcome obstacles and bring about positive change, whether it’s reviving lost hope or defeating a villain.

WINTER WONDERLAND SETTING: Utilize the cozy and picturesque backdrop of a snowy Christmas village or a festive city adorned with holiday decorations to create a visually enchanting atmosphere.

CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: Incorporate a central event or moment that serves as a catalyst for transformation or resolution, symbolizing the miraculous nature of the season.

REDEMPTION AND SECOND CHANCES: Offer characters opportunities for redemption and personal growth, often through acts of kindness or selflessness that lead to forgiveness and reconciliation.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT: Showcase the importance of community and camaraderie during the holidays, with neighbors coming together to support one another and spread cheer.

THE MAGIC OF SANTA: Introduce the figure of Santa Claus or a Santa-like character who embodies the spirit of giving and spreads joy to those in need, often playing a pivotal role in the story’s resolution.

LOVE AND ROMANCE: Incorporate romantic subplots or themes of love and romance, with characters finding or rekindling love amidst the festive backdrop of Christmas.

Merged Christmas and Horror Conventions:

HOLIDAY SPIRIT / PURPOSE: Despite the festive atmosphere, the purpose of the story remains to create a sense of horror for the audience by taking characters to the point of hysteria, juxtaposing the joyful holiday setting with terrifying events.

MIRACULOUS OCCURRENCES / ISOLATION: Introduce elements of magic or miracles that become twisted and sinister, isolating characters in a setting where they feel powerless against the malevolent forces at play, despite the holiday cheer surrounding them.

FAMILY REUNION / DEATH: Emphasize the importance of family bonding and reconciliation while threatening characters with awful, violent, and torturous deaths, creating a stark contrast between the warmth of family gatherings and the horrors they face.

THE POWER OF BELIEF / MONSTER/VILLAIN: Explore the idea that believing in the spirit of Christmas can overcome obstacles, while facing off against a monstrous villain or entity that inflicts endless terror and violence, challenging the characters’ beliefs and resolve.

WINTER WONDERLAND SETTING / HIGH TENSION: Utilize the cozy and picturesque backdrop of a snowy Christmas village or city to heighten tension, putting characters in sinister situations that escalate to the point of hysteria amidst the holiday festivities.

CHRISTMAS MIRACLE / DEPARTURE FROM REALITY: Incorporate a central event or moment that serves as a catalyst for transformation or resolution, but twist it into a horrifying revelation that shatters the characters’ sense of reality, plunging them deeper into the nightmare of the holiday horror.

REDEMPTION AND SECOND CHANCES / MORAL STATEMENT: Offer characters opportunities for redemption and personal growth, but underscore the consequences of crossing moral lines during the holiday season, where those who violate values are punished in a bad way, serving as a cautionary tale amidst the horror.

The new 4-act structure:

Act 1: Old Ways
• Opening: We meet Nicholas Samichlaus, the charming but reclusive Santa Claus figure who hides a dark secret – he is a centuries-old vampire tormented by an insatiable bloodlust. Christmas Day, which kicks off the 12 Days of Christmas, intensifies his cravings because the arduous task of delivering toys around the world drains his energy and life force, forcing him to binge feed on blood to restore himself (Monster/Villain, Departure from Reality).

• Inciting Incident: Interpol agent Isabella Clarke arrives in the remote, snow-covered village to investigate a string of grisly “12 Days of Christmas” vampire attacks (High Tension). The attacks are not always fatal, as Nicholas’ “Santa” persona sometimes overwhelms his vampiric urges (Moral Statement).

• Turning Point: Nicholas and Isabella meet, an undeniable romantic spark complicating matters (Love and Romance). He fears his monstrous nature being exposed to the woman he’s becoming enamored with as she closes in on the truth (Isolation).

Act 2: Embracing the Old Ways

• New Plan: Eirlys, an elf who has helped guide Santa’s conscience and minimize harm over the centuries, warns Nicholas his bloodthirsty path will only lead to tragedy (Moral Statement). But he refuses to fully listen, doubling down on deception.

• Plan in Action: Leaning into his Santa persona, Nicholas manipulates festive events and crime scenes while concealing his vampirism from the woman he’s falling for (Miraculous Occurrences). Christmas villagescapes provide ominous backdrops (Winter Wonderland Setting).

• Midpoint Turning Point: Just as Nicholas and Isabella’s feelings deepen, the ancient vampire Kozlov ensures she gains access to evidence implicating Nicholas in the murders (Death). Shockingly, Isabella reveals her orders are not to arrest the vampire, but to eliminate him (High Tension, Departure from Reality).

Act 3: Transition

• Rethink Everything: With Isabella duty-bound to destroy him and his Santa identity crumbling, Nicholas is forced to reckon with the fallout of his lies and bloodlust (Moral Statement).

• New Plan: Desperate to salvage what humanity remains, Nicholas decides to risk revealing his true vampiric nature to Isabella before it’s too late (Departure from Reality).

• Turning Point: Before Nicholas can come clean, Kozlov exposes him as a monstrous vampire to a horrified Isabella, seemingly shattering any hope of redemption (Death, High Tension).

Act 4: New Ways

• Climax: As the “12 Days of Christmas” rage towards their conclusion on Epiphany Eve/January 5th, an epic supernatural battle ensues between Nicholas and Kozlov, who first cursed his Santa bloodline (Miraculous Occurrences). Channeling familial love for Isabella and the spirit of the season, Nicholas unleashes festive Christmas magic fused with vampiric abilities (Winter Wonderland Setting).

• Resolution: Mustering his humanity, Nicholas performs an ancient ritual to break Kozlov’s curse, ending the 12 Days (Christmas Miracle). The magic purges his vampirism, cementing his calling as the new Santa and human protector. With his torment behind him, Nicholas can embrace Isabella and his sacred duty (Redemption).

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Bob Creager.

[Lee Tidball]

Lee's GENRE CONVENTIONS

My Vision: I am a writer who is excellent, recognized as such by people in the industry, and has several projects sold for WGA-type fees and some of those produced and successful in the theater and/or on a major streamer.

What I learned doing this lesson is…that adding genre conventions does indeed enhance the story, but also gives me bullet points to use in pitching the project as well.

Title – Tough Assignment
High Concept = An ex-Green Beret turned teacher at a Sierra Nevada outdoor school faces her most challenging mission ever when a radical militia group, using an old mining town as headquarters for a nationwide cyber attack, takes her students hostage, including her own nephew, while they’re on a nature hike nearby.

Major Story Hook =When all else fails, the teacher must not only rescue her students, but foil the plot of the militia group to bring down huge sections of the nation’s power grid, using just her wits, her training, her tactical knife, and an old sniper rifle she was gifted upon retirement, that has no ammunition.

Genre – Action/thriller

1. CONVENTIONS OF ACTION
PURPOSE: To excite your audience with an adrenaline-stirring, fast-paced,
big-event story.
DEMAND FOR ACTION: There is a problem or goal that the only solution is
a high level of action (Intense fighting, running, escaping, and/or
competing). Plot, character, and situations are all designed to demand
Action!
MISSION: There is a stated or implied mission. The Hero must take down
the antagonistic force, defend against overwhelming odds, or escape the
inescapable.
ESCALATING ACTION: Overcoming the problem requires greater and
greater heights of action (and involving higher stakes) as the story
progresses.
HERO: Highly capable and skilled. Often, they bring a unique skill or talent
to the fight that has them stand out from other heroes in the genre.
ANTAGONISTS: Clearly evil / corrupt / malicious, necessitating decisive and
expedient action to deal with them.

CONVENTIONS OF THRILLERS
PURPOSE: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and
suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.
LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS. They face danger at every step — either
physically, emotionally, or mentally. The hero needs to either be in danger
or there is the implication of future danger.
MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE: There's a mystery that must be solved in
order to survive. Intrigue is the underhanded and covert Villain’s plan.
Suspense comes from the danger the Hero faces.
HERO: Unknowing, unwitting, but resourceful hero
VILLAIN: Dangerous, devious, and unrelenting. Committed to destroy
anyone who gets in their way.
MAIN EMOTIONS: Suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation,
uncertainty, and surprise.

Brainstorming ways to integrate was to make conventions more powerful.

BIG EVENT STORY – Include scene in Afghanistan at the beginning. Shows who Kellen is and what she can do, also sets up internal conflict.

SITUATIONS THAT DEMAND ACTION – Add scene with SWAT team, Kellen trying to get kids out in the confusion, when her comrades show up, etc.

MISSION, ESCALATING ACTION – Kellen has to save her class, plus stop a nationwide cyber-terrorist attack. More and more action is required when all else fails.

HERO – is an ex-Green Beret, with all the skills that come with that kind of soldier.

ANTAGONISTS – Are a radical militia group intent on causing nationwide mayhem to bring down the system.

Thriller Conventions worked in

One Hero, Jesse, is a novice who has no skills at all when it comes to fighting, killing, etc. but is resourceful and sharp.

Life and Death Situations are there constantly, especially for Jesse and the kids, as they are being held hostage.

Intrigue: Kellen, Jesse, and the kids figure out the real extent of the plan of these wildcat miners turned domestic terrorists.

NEW 4-ACT STRUCTURE

4-Act Transformational Structure:
Old Ways:
Kellen Hamilton is haunted by her past as a Green Beret sniper, carrying the guilt of civilian casualties. She has shifted her focus to teaching and preserving the Sierra Nevada, avoiding any connection to her military skills which she associates with violence and pain.

Act 1: Setup
* Opening: Kellen snaps out of a horrible dream of her days as an Army Green Beret unable to rescue Afghan friends as her helicopter leaves without them. She’s in her cabin at an Outdoor Education camp. Later, she leads her students on a day-long nature hike, emphasizing lessons in environmental science and survival skills. It ends at an old mining ghost town. Disturbingly, it’s not a ghost town anymore
* Inciting Incident: It’s occupied by a group of wildcat miners. Kellen notes sophisticated electronics hidden under tarps, and a student sees an assault rifle. Kellen tries to quietly leave with her students, but things erupt into a furious hand-to-hand fight as Kellen tells the students to run, but they’re trapped. They become hostages.
* Turning Point: Despite the situation, Kellen manages to secretly send a distress signal to the Outdoor School before all communications are jammed by the militia.

Act 2: Escalation
* New Plan: As Kellen waits for the county sheriffs, she quietly takes pics of things she sees, suspicious stuff. She also gets Jesse, tells him he’ll be in charge if she can escape.
* Plan in Action: A sheriff’s SWAT team shows up, surrounds the town, and negotiations begin to release Kellen’s class. From inside the old mine they’re in Kellen sees many things that don’t add up—satellite dishes, communications equipment, shoulder-fired missiles, etc. all the while regaining bits of her old confidence and tactical acumen. She snaps pics of everything she sees with a phone she always keeps hidden.
* Midpoint Turning Point: Suddenly, shots are fired. The militia and the SWAT team are engaged. As the furious battle rages, Kellen overpowers the class’s confused guards. Kellen sees a way out, but just as they’re leaving, the shooting stops. The SWAT team has been slaughtered, and the leader of the militia, Gabriel Knox, sees what’s about to happen. Kellen tells Jesse to run the kids back to the mine and keep them safe—she’ll escape and be back with help.

Act 3: Deepening Complications and Inner Conflict
* Rethink Everything: Kellen calls her old friend Mara, a cybersecurity expert and former Green Beret. From Kellen’s pictures and descriptions, she deduces that these are domestic terrorists about to launch some kind of major cyber attack, perhaps anywhere or everywhere in the country.
* New Plan: After realizing the depth of the threat, Kellen comes up with a plan involving some former comrades who are called in to help. They head back to the mining town, certain that they’ll be able to break in and rescue the kids.
* Turning Point: Huge Failure/Major Shift: However, the militia is well-armed and skilled, and everything Kellen and her team tries, fails. And when she finally breaks through, Gabriel Knox orders all his men to grab a kid and use them as a personal human shield while they go about their business. Kellen is faced with the situation that, once again, she’s free, but those she loves and are responsible for are trapped.

Act 4: Climax and Resolution
* Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: Kellen and friends regroup. With her sniper rifle and tactical knife, Kellen quietly picks off outlying militia and frees their kid. As this happens, they get closer and closer to the old mine, where the last of the kids are and Knox is readying his cyber attack—a virus that will be inserted into electrical grids all over the nation. As Kellen’s rifle destroys Knox’s communications, Jesse and the remaining kids escape. Then Kellen and Knox fight it out, and he’s killed after a vicious hand to hand battle.
* Resolution: There are no casualties in Kellen’s class, and the authorities haul off the few survivors of the militia. Kellen's actions not only save her students but also redefine her relationship with Jesse, strengthening their bond. She reconciles her past and present, recognizing that her military skills, when guided by her values, can lead to redemption and peace.

New Ways:
By the film's conclusion, Kellen has transformed her view of her military past from a source of guilt to a foundation for courageous and ethical leadership. She integrates her combat skills with her commitment to teaching and conservation, achieving a harmonious balance that aligns with her new identity as both a protector and educator.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Lee Tidball.

[Pat Fitzgerald]

Pat Fitzgerald's Genre Conventions

My vision is to complete this class with a contest winning script that will establish me as a courageous and original writer.
What I learned is that I needed to modify the comedy conventions to fit a dark comedy genre. I sometimes replaced “laughter” with “diabolical.” I also saw the benefit of using comedic situations such as Fish Out of Water, Absurd Situation and Misinterpretation. I continue to enjoy the fluidity of not needing to be perfect. Remaining open-minded allows me to continue getting closer to perfection, but there is no need to worry over not being there yet.
Title: Retirement Pillage
Concept: When your friends endlessly complain over hating old age, what's wrong with putting them out of their misery?
Genre: Dark Comedy

Comedy Conventions that I used:
Purpose: To entertain the audience with a story packed with diabolical and entertaining moments.
Incongruence. Unconventional pairings of people or situations in a way that causes diabolical reactions.
Mechanics of Comedy: Fish Out Of Water, Absurd situation, Misinterpretation.
Improved Structure:
Opening: While commiserating with friends at her husband’s funeral Myra covers her face and runs from the room. Once by herself she laughs with relief – it’s finally over. He’s dead.
Inciting Incident: Myra moves into a retirement village to discover her clingy and annoying so-called best friend from high school, Julie Hargrove, lives there also.
Turning Point: Bored with card playing, crafts and constantly hearing complaints about hating old age, Myra “accidentally” pushes an elderly man down a flight of stairs, not realizing that Julie observed from a window.
Act Two:
New Plan: Amazed at her propensity for murder, Myra enlists Julie to survey residents with chronic illnesses under the guise of spreading cheer. Julie plays along, but for her own diabolical reasons.
Plan in Action: Julie orchestrates the death of a resident’s pet and reports to Myra that the owner is so distraught that he might be suicidal.
Midpoint Myra resolves to take out the pet owner with booze and pills. But in a rollicking drunken scene the owner confesses he was happy his infirmed pet dies. Now he can live without that burden. And he drops dead from a heart attack.
Act Three:
Rethink everything: Myra rethinks her “angel of mercy” idea, wants out of the killing business. But Julie wants in and blackmails Myra over the death of the man who fell down the stairs.
New Plan: Myra suggests that Julie end the life of a woman who is overwrought because he husband is cheating on her and Julie gleefully obliges.
Turning Point: Myra learns that she has terminal cancer and is fearful if Julie finds out, Myra’s life is in danger.
Act Four:
Ultimate Climax/Expression of Conflict: Myra decides she will only live if she takes out Julie’s life. A duel between the two commences – who will kill who first?
Resolution: Myra and Julie both die is a car accident, orchestrated by other village residents who have been secretly watching these two all along.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Pat Fitzgerald.

[Vernall Ritchey]

Vision: To captivate audiences by writing, producing, and directing smart, well-written, blockbuster scripts.
What I learned from doing this assignment: is how the story is becoming clearer.
Subject Line: WIM – Vernall Ritchey’s – Genre Conventions
Act 1:
Opening: Introduce Kyla in her caregiving role, portraying her as compassionate and dedicated. Inciting Incident: The failed exorcism of Father Gill, revealing the presence of demonic forces. Turning Point 1: Kyla’s initial denial of her demonic nature, clinging to her identity as a caring nun despite the unsettling events.
Act 2:
New Plan: Kyla grapples with her emerging demonic urges while attempting to maintain her facade of normalcy. Plan in Action: Kyla’s internal struggle intensifies as she becomes increasingly paranoid and manipulative, resorting to extreme measures to suppress her demonic nature. Midpoint Turning Point: The revelation of Kyla’s true demonic identity, shattering her illusions and forcing her to confront the reality of her existence.
Act 3:
Rethink Everything: Kyla faces the consequences of her actions and must come to terms with her true nature, leading to a crisis of faith and identity. New Plan: Kyla fully embraces her demonic nature and unleashes her powers, initiating a final confrontation with Father Gill. Turning Point 2: Kyla’s demonic nature is fully revealed, culminating in a climactic battle with Father Gill that results in a major shift in the story’s dynamics.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate Expression of Conflict: The final showdown between Kyla and Father Gill, where Kyla’s demonic powers are unleashed in a terrifying display of violence and manipulation. Resolution: The aftermath of the confrontation, with Kyla embracing her demonic identity and embracing her newfound power, while Father Gill’s fate hangs in the balance.

[Sunil Pappu]

Sunil Pappu’s Genre Conventions
My Vision: I’m a successful produced writer who specializes in female-led thrillers.
“What I learned doing this assignment is… to build genre conventions into my transformational structure.”

Title: The Sinking Line

High Concept: What if a female radio operator trained as a British spy is enlisted to intercept a top-secret cable between the US and Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war?

Genre: War Thriller

VERSION 1: 4-Act Transformational Structure

Act 1: Old Ways – Skepticism and Independence
• Opening: Ria Sarkar is introduced as a skilled but emotionally scarred radio operator, overshadowed by her father's dishonor. She works in the shadows of R&AW, defined by her father's alleged betrayal.
• Inciting Incident: She's selected for a high-risk operation to tap into Pakistan's naval communications off the eastern coast, presenting a chance at redemption and proving her competence in a male-dominated field.
• Turning Point: Ria misses a crucial communication, resulting in the loss of rebel lives. Captain Anirudh doubts her suitability for the rough seas and high-stakes environment.
Act 2: New Plan – Trial and Error
• New Plan: Gaining a small victory, Ria intercepts her first crucial message. However, the success is tarnished by tensions with Commander Vikram and Rehman's reckless behavior.
• Plan in Action: An emergency diving drill is called by Captain Anirudh, challenging Ria to overcome her fear of water. Rehman supports her, helping her face her trauma.
• Midpoint Turning Point: A dive led by Vikram results in Rehman's death and Ria being accused of negligence. This incident plants seeds of distrust within the crew and pushes Ria to the brink even as she manages to intercept crucial intel about "Operation Chengiz Khan."
Act 3: Rethink Everything – Unraveling Truths
• Rethink Everything: Ria's standing on the team becomes fragile as doubts about her innocence arise. The team dynamic fractures, escalating her internal and external battles.
• New Plan: In desperation, Ria feeds false intelligence to test her suspicions, which tragically results in civilian casualties on both sides of the border.
• Turning Point: Major Shift: Ria's relentless pursuit of the truth leads her to evidence of Vikram's betrayal and the fabrication of her father’s dishonor by her mentor, Secy. Verma. This discovery challenges her understanding of loyalty and leadership.
Act 4: New Ways – Triumph and Transformation
• Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: An underwater showdown between Ria and Vikram occurs. Carrying the weight of Rehman’s death and her own tarnished reputation, Ria emerges victorious, proving her worth and clearing her name.
• Resolution: Intercepted cables reveal US support for Pakistan, legitimizing India's backing of East Pakistani rebels. Ria's victory is bittersweet as she mourns Rehman, restores her father's legacy, and gains Captain Anirudh's respect, who offers to make amends.

Action Conventions:

Purpose: adrenaline-stirring, fast-paced, big-event story
Demand for Action: there is a problem or goal that the only solution is high level of action. Plot, character, situations designed to demand action
Mission: There is a stated or implied mission. Hero must take down the antagonistic force, defend against overwhelming odds, or escape the inescapable
Escalating Action: Overcoming the problem requires greater and greater heights of action (and involves higher stakes) as story progresses
Hero: Highly capable and skilled. Often, they bring a unique skill or talent to fight that has them stand out from other heroes in the genre
Antagonists: clearly evil / corrupt / malicilous, necessitating decisive and expedient action to deal with them.

Thriller Conventions:

Purpose: high stakes, plot twists, and suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax
Life and Death Situations: they face danger at every step – either physically, emotionally, or mentally. The hero needs to either be in danger or there is the implication of future danger.
Mystery/Intrigue/Suspense: there is a mystery that must be solved in order to survive. Intrigue is the underhanded and covert villain’s plan. Suspense comes from the danger the hero faces.
Hero: Unknowing, unwitting but resourceful hero
Villain: dangerous, devious and unrelenting. Committed to destroy anyone who gets in the way.
Main Emotions: suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation, uncertainty and surprise.

Brainstorming ideas to build genre conventions into the structure:

1. Open with action – a failed spy mission by Ria puts her on the backburner at RAW.
2. Inciting Incident: She’s given a mission that no one wants and other agents believe a punishment posting – an impossible mission that’s guaranteed to fail.
3. At Mid-point: Ria intercepts a communication meant for Commander Vikram and learns that he was sent as a trojan horse – he didn’t abandon his ship like the rest of his crew willingly to fight with the rebels. His mission is to eliminate Ria and the rebel crew.
4. Act 3 Turning Point: Their ship is sabotaged and now Ria must decode the message before they sink underwater.
5. Climax: underwater while she fights Vikram and reconnects the cable to intercept a crucial message. Capt Anirudh and his crew fight Pakistani frogmen and save the ship from going under.

Incorporating these into my structure:

VERSION 2: 4-Act Transformational Structure:

Act 1: Old Ways – Skepticism and Independence
• Opening: A failed spy mission by Ria puts her on the backburner at RAW. Ria Sarkar is introduced as a skilled but emotionally scarred radio operator, overshadowed by her father's dishonor. She works in the shadows of R&AW, defined by her father's alleged betrayal.
6. Inciting Incident: She's selected for a high-risk operation to tap into Pakistan's naval communications off the eastern coast, presenting a chance at redemption and proving her competence in a male-dominated field. Fellow agents believe it’s a punishment posting – an impossible mission that’s guaranteed to fail.
• Turning Point: Ria misses a crucial communication, resulting in the loss of rebel lives. Captain Anirudh doubts her suitability for the rough seas and high-stakes environment.
Act 2: New Plan – Trial and Error
• New Plan: Gaining a small victory, Ria intercepts her first crucial message. However, the success is tarnished by tensions with Commander Vikram and Rehman's reckless behavior.
• Plan in Action: An emergency diving drill is called by Captain Anirudh, challenging Ria to overcome her fear of water. Rehman supports her, helping her face her trauma.
7. Midpoint Turning Point: A dive led by Vikram results in Rehman's death and Ria being accused of negligence. This incident plants seeds of distrust within the crew and pushes Ria to the brink. Ria intercepts a communication meant for Commander Vikram and learns that he was sent as a trojan horse – he didn’t abandon his ship like the rest of his crew willingly to fight with the rebels. His mission is to eliminate Ria and the rebel crew.
Act 3: Rethink Everything – Unraveling Truths
• Rethink Everything: Ria's standing on the team becomes fragile as doubts about her innocence arise. The team dynamic fractures, escalating her internal and external battles.
• New Plan: In desperation, Ria feeds false intelligence to test her suspicions, which tragically results in civilian casualties on both sides of the border.
8. Turning Point: Major Shift: Ria's relentless pursuit of the truth leads her to evidence of Vikram's betrayal and the fabrication of her father’s dishonor by her mentor, Secy. Verma. Their ship is sabotaged and now Ria must decode the message before they sink underwater.
Act 4: New Ways – Triumph and Transformation
9. Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: An underwater showdown between Ria and Vikram occurs. Carrying the weight of Rehman’s death and her own tarnished reputation, underwater while she fights Vikram and reconnects the cable to intercept a crucial message. Capt Anirudh and his crew fight Pakistani frogmen and save the ship from going under.
• Resolution: Intercepted cables reveal US support for Pakistan, legitimizing India's backing of East Pakistani rebels. Ria's victory is bittersweet as she mourns Rehman, restores her father's legacy, and gains Captain Anirudh's respect, who offers to make amends.

AI RESPONSE:

Action Thriller Conventions Integrated:

Act 1: Old Ways – Skepticism and Independence
• Purpose and Demand for Action: Ria's failed initial mission and subsequent selection for a high-risk operation immediately sets the tone for a story driven by high-stakes action. This scenario demands that she proves herself in a male-dominated field, setting up a continuous flow of action-packed sequences.
• Mission: Her mission to intercept crucial communications is not just a redemption arc but a defensive strategy against external threats, embodying the 'mission' convention.
Act 2: New Plan – Trial and Error
• Escalating Action: The diving drill and subsequent underwater crises with the sabotage of their ship escalate the action consistently, heightening stakes and showcasing Ria’s unique skills as a spy and her development as an action hero.
• Hero and Antagonist Development: The emergence of Commander Vikram as a Trojan horse introduces a clear antagonist whose objectives are diametrically opposed to Ria's, heightening the narrative tension and necessitating decisive action from Ria.
Act 3: Rethink Everything – Unraveling Truths
• Life and Death Situations: The fracturing team dynamics and the sabotage event put Ria in constant physical, emotional, and mental danger, emphasizing the thriller elements of high stakes and suspense.
• Mystery/Intrigue/Suspense: The revelations about Vikram and the conspiracies surrounding her father’s dishonor inject mystery and intrigue, driving the narrative forward as Ria uncovers layers of betrayal.
Act 4: New Ways – Triumph and Transformation
• Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: The underwater showdown is the culmination of the action and thriller elements, blending intense physical conflict with the high stakes of international espionage.
• Resolution: The intercepted cables not only provide a solution to the geopolitical conflict but also restore Ria's personal and professional reputation, aligning with the classic resolution patterns of action thrillers.

Recommendations for Enhancement:
• Introduce a MacGuffin: Something that everyone in the story is seeking, which could be a special piece of intelligence or a device that is crucial to national security. This will add an additional layer of suspense and urgency to the narrative.
• Increase the Antagonist's Presence: To heighten suspense and challenge the protagonist further, consider giving more screen time to the antagonist's planning and moves, which Ria must counteract.
• Use of Set Pieces: Design each major action sequence around unique locations or set pieces that elevate the visual and adrenaline-pumping quotient of your screenplay, like an intense chase scene through a crowded market or a stealth mission in a highly secure facility.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Sunil Pappu.

[Michael Collado]

Mike’s Genre Conventions

My Vision is to write an original screenplay, make a couple of calls to pitch it, to start a bidding war.

From this lesson, I learned to trust my first instinct in the last lesson and then, let the AI Prompt answer influence the script which has done here and how it flipped my first instinct to turn it into humor. So, I guess I learned to be open minded. Notice the changes in red and/or underlined.

**Act 1: Setting the Stage (Comedic Introduction with Dramatic Undertones)**

– *Theme foreshadowing*: The opening scene introduces Jocinda "Coach Jo" suspended from the force due to a controversial case, highlighting the sexism she faces. This scene plays out with comedic elements, such as the reactions of her fellow officers and Jo's exaggerated frustrations, but it also lays the groundwork for the deeper dramatic conflict she's facing.

– *Introducing the team*: As Jo reluctantly agrees to coach her goddaughter Ava's baseball team, the quirky nature of the team members and their oddball personalities are played for laughs, but beneath the surface, we see hints of their vulnerabilities and insecurities, setting the stage for character development.

– *Inciting Incident*: Jo's agreement to coach the team serves as the inciting incident, presented in a humorous light as she grapples with her own lack of knowledge about baseball and her initial attempts to apply her old-fashioned detective skills to coaching, resulting in comical mishaps.

**Act 2: Embracing the Unconventional (Comedic Escapades with Dramatic Undercurrents)**

– *New Plan*: Jo enlists the help of a quirky science teacher or a nerdy inventor to incorporate scientific principles into baseball, leading to absurd and hilarious training sessions as the team learns to play the game using math, physics, and unconventional tactics. The comedic moments arise from the misfit team's struggles to grasp these concepts and apply them on the field, while the underlying drama emerges as Jo begins to question her own rigid approach to coaching and life.

– *Plan in Action*: As Jo's unconventional coaching methods start to yield surprising results, rival teams react with confusion and suspicion, leading to comedic confrontations and escalating tensions on and off the field.

– *Midpoint Turning Point*: The discovery of the opposing team's getting better at the game without practice, suspicious behavior (eye and finger twitches seen only in the players that are getting better) injects a sense of urgency and mystery into the story, blending comedic intrigue with genuine suspense as Jo and her team investigate the strange occurrences.

**Act 3: Unraveling the Mystery (Balancing Humor with Emotional Depth)**

– *Rethink Everything*: Jo's realization that the other teams are using performance-enhancing substances triggers a shift in tone, as she grapples with the ethical implications of her discovery and wrestles with her own moral compass. This introspective moment is punctuated by comedic beats as Jo attempts to piece together the puzzle in her makeshift RV headquarters.

– *New Plan*: With the help of her sister a senior detective and a couple of other fellow detectives wanting to prover her wrong, Jo formulates a plan to expose the corporate conspiracy, blending moments of levity with genuine suspense as they gather evidence and confront the villains behind the scheme.

– *Turning Point*: The revelation of the corporate sponsor's nefarious intentions marks a major shift in the story, culminating in a climactic showdown between Jo and the forces of corporate greed. This scene balances comedic banter with high-stakes drama as Jo fights to protect her team and uphold justice.

**Act 4: Redemption and Resolution (Heartfelt Moments Amidst the Laughter)**

– *Climax*: The climactic confrontation between Jo and the corporate sponsor plays out with comedic twists and turns, but beneath the humor lies a deeper emotional resonance as Jo confronts the demons of her past and fights to redeem herself in the eyes of her peers and her community.

– *Resolution*: As the truth is revealed and justice prevails, Jo finds redemption not only in her reinstatement to the force but also in her newfound purpose as a mentor and role model for her team. This resolution strikes a balance between humor and heartfelt emotion, as Jo's journey comes full circle, and she embraces her role as a catalyst for change in her community.

By blending the genre conventions of comedy and drama, your screenplay can offer a rich and multi-layered storytelling experience, engaging audiences with its humor, heart, and humanity.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Michael Collado.

[Elle Tracy]

ET’s Genre Convention Built Into the Four-act Struccture
TITLE: Senior STEAM
GENRE: Drama
HIGH CONCEPT: A 55+ community struggles with their neighbors: a middle school of STEAM students.
Four Act Structure that includes elements required for DRAMA
Act 1:
• Opening: Introduce the Senior Community and the STEAM school, showcasing the mutual distaste between them due to noise and aging disabilities. Bee Finch is mocked by STEAM students as she walks with hesitation, led to Tyler Wilson III..

• Inciting Incident: Municipality outreach for a recycle-based art project for a public park. Bee struggles to find a few seniors interested in brainstorming ideas. Bee still carries wounds from being fired and blackballed from a local robotics factory. The brainstorming session is rewarding to her.

• Turning Point: Seniors decide to build a Rube Goldberg machine from recycled materials. Some of Bee’s fellow seniors scoff at the idea of this community producing anything but aches and pains. Bee’s enthusiasm click in and she bows her head in passionate pursuit of this chance to regain her stature as a competent professional.
•
Act 2:
• New Plan: Bee enrolls enthusiastic seniors in developing and building the machine, overcoming community disdain. Bee begins to regain confidence in her leadership skills and mechanical engineering expertise, as her neighbors comment on her positive energy and enthusiasm for the project

• Plan in Action: Seniors start building the machine while STEAM students visually engage but resist physically engaging. Tyler Wilson III is especially interested, watching Bee use mechanical engineering tools
• Midpoint Turning Point: Tyler Wilson III introduces himself to Bee and expresses interest in mechanical engineering, forming a connection. Hearing his name, Bee instantly realizes that his grandfather is the man who fired her and blackballed her, ending her career. She withholds this fact from him.
Act 3:
• Rethink Everything: Bee and Tyler find flaws in the machine’s design, which they correct with the help of STEAM students. Other seniors help Bee and the students make progress on the machine.
• New Plan: Adjust the machine building and materials to make it work. Together they move the machine onto the median in the street between them. Tyler’s grandfather warns him to stay away from that woman: she cost me millions!
• Turning Point: Huge Failure/Major Shift: The machine is destroyed by a nighttime windstorm, and Tyler’s grandfather admits to blackballing Bee. Bee has a minor stroke and is taken away to hospital.

Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: Tyler and Bee work together to resolve the misunderstanding between Bee and Tyler’s grandfather. They confront the past and find a way to collaborate.
• Resolution: Seniors and STEAM students collaborate to build a simpler machine. Tyler and Bee design a winning robot for Tyler’s state-wide robotics contest, showcasing their newfound partnership and mutual respect.

Thanks for reading this far!

[Jan Westbrook]

Jan’s Genre Conventions

My Vision: I am a talented and strong writer with a unique voice, recognized by the movie industry with multiple screenplays produced.

What I learned from this assignment was that using the genre conventions added depth to the world and the characters. It made me think of where their backstories would fit in for motivation and how their interrelationships could work.

Title: Eveandor’s Numinous Amulet
Concept: If the halo-moon cycle ends before her pixie alliance restores Eveandor’s shattered numinous amulet, Emberleaf will be magicless, lose her queendom, and be forever vulnerable and defenseless.
Main Conflict: M’ranth-Jix must prevent Emberleaf, and her pixie alliance, from restoring the shattered numinous amulet, regaining her magic, and reclaiming her queendom of Eveandor.

Conventions of Fantasy
PURPOSE: To explore different worlds and scenarios, pursue alternate decisions and actions to offer escape and adventure.

WORLD BUILDING: May consist of parallel worlds with magical portals, universes, future, or imaginary worlds consistent with the story and characters who inhabit it. Are typically distinguished from Science Fiction and Horror with the absence of science and macabre themes.

SOCIAL COMMENTARY: in a fantastical world of dragons, wizards, and other non-worldly environments, can be a mirror to current events and social issues. These commentaries can also be timeless.

QUEST OR JOURNEY: A stepped series of adventures initiated by the hero and companions starting with the simplest encounters escalating through increasingly more perilous confrontations.

EMOTIONALLY RESONATES: We always need to care about the characters in a Fantasy, and their internal journey drives the film’s events and progression. Needs to connect with intense emotional experiences of hero.

HERO: Imperfect with the willingness to undertake a challenging mission against crushing adversity with courage.

VILLAIN: cunning and devious, challenges and is a threat to the hero, moves the story forward.

SUB-GENRE: (not an exhaustive list) High/Epic, Fables, Magical Realism, Fairy Tales, Portal, Grimdark, Comic….

Act 1: Old Ways

Opening:
Rolling, vibrant hills, luscious landscapes, beautifully twisted flora, enchanting fauna, and fluid shaped buildings make up the quaint ward that is Eveandor.
The Halo-moon is waning in the sky, signaling the end of another growing cycle and, also nullifies the magic of the numinous amulet from the full setting of the halo-moon until the pantox-sun waxes, which is 1 star cycle. This signals the beginning of another growing cycle and the return of the magic to the numinous amulet.
Queen Emberleaf the hesitant and naïve queen of Eveandor, burdened by leadership is faced with ruling on whether to exile M’ranth-Jix from Eveandor for practicing dark arts magic.
Inciting Incident:
Lightthistle mentors Emberleaf that she make the difficult decision to exile her former friend, M’ranth-Jix, to the land of the forgotten forest.
M’ranth-Jix, megalomaniacal, attempts to steal the numinous amulet. He and Emberleaf wage a magical battle, losing the numinous amulet to M’ranth-Jix, and her magic are drained in the process.
Turning Point:
Lightthistle uses powerful magic and shatters the numinous amulet, scattering the pieces into different wards of the land, weakening Emberleaf even more, to the verge of mortality. She then uses her magic to exile M’ranth-Jix.
Act 2: Transitioning to New Ways
4. New Plan:

Lightthistle tells Emberleaf she must collect all the pieces before the Pantox-sun waxes, or lose her powers and perish as a result.
Emberleaf reluctantly forms the pixie alliance, made up of Thornwhisper, Willowbreeze, and Nightshade, to protect her as they embark on their quest to retrieve the shattered amulet pieces.
Unknown to the others, Nightshade is a mentee of M’ranth-Jix, and uses this opportunity to rescue his mentor by working to gather the pieces of the numinous amulet, until it is whole and bringing to M’ranth-Jix.
The halo-moon nears the horizon.
The group faces perilous trials that challenge their own personal wounds and experiences, through dangerous haunted and sacred forests, and confront beasts and allies in phantastic and mesmerizing wards to find the numinous amulet pieces.
The alliance forges bonds and Emberleaf starts to embrace empathy and teamwork, shifting away from her being burdened by leadership.
Plan in Action:
As they progress, Emberleaf’s magic slowly returns and she becomes more decisive with each recovered fragment, bolstering her confidence.
Tensions rise within the group, particularly with Nightshade’s suspicious behavior.
Nightshade finds a piece of the numinous amulet and takes, doesn’t tell the others
Midpoint Turning Point:
Lightthistle warns Emberleaf that Nightshade cannot be trusted any longer and she ignores her, as Nightshade was her strongest protector.
Willowbreeze exposes Nightshade’s betrayal, him colluding with M’ranth-Jix when he gives him a piece of the numinous amulet.
The halo-moon is at the horizon, the darkening of the star cycle.
Emberleaf’s hesitancy returns and only when Lightthistle appears does she kick out Nightshade from the alliance with conviction, highlighting her gradual transformation to a more confident leader.
When the alliance attempts a recon mission to get the piece back, Nightshade captures Emberleaf.
Act 3: New Ways
7. Rethink Everything:

The alliance is fractured and defeated when M’ranth-Jix takes the nearly restored numinous amulet from Emberleaf, her magic vanishes and she is weaker and more vulnerable against everything.
Thornwhisper and Willowbreeze barely escape.
They find the last piece of the numinous amulet in a vengeful forest inhabited by multi-eyed horrific creatures. They cannot touch it, its power will permanently drain their magic. They guard it with their life while they contemplate their next move.
Nightshade learns from Emberleaf that M’ranth-Jix will not keep his promise to him, and is caught trying to steal the numinous amulet, but he escapes.
Nightshade finds Thornwhisper and Willowbreeze. They battle Nightshade to prevent him from collecting the piece. Thornwhisper is killed, and Willowbreeze is on the edge of death. Nightshade battles a multi-eyed creatures through the vengeful forest, and takes the numinous amulet piece, barely making it out alive.
M’ranth-Jix shows up, and reveals he let Nightshade go because he could not collect the last piece of the numinous amulet from the ward because of a curse laid upon him by the vengeful forest. M’ranth-Jix prevents Nightshade from throwing the piece back into the vengeful forest ward and takes it from them, now the numinous amulet is restored.
The halo-moon sets and the star cycle begins its swift race across the sky.
Nightshade revives Thornwhisper, and the three reluctantly reunite to steal the numinous amulet back from M’ranth-Jix while the star cycle drains the numinous amulet of most of its magic.

Turning Point/Major Shift:
Emberleaf is breathing in death, her demise is nigh.
M’ranth-Jix is now the tyrannical king wielding depraved, merciless power, and brings ominous darkness to Eveandor, and exiles Lightthistle.
Thornwhisper, Willowbreeze, and Nightshade launch a selfless and suicidally daring mission to save Emberleaf and retrieve the numinous amulet, but are caught and imprisoned along with Emberleaf.

New Plan:
Lightthistle councils Emberleaf how to free herself.
Emberleaf barely frees Thornwhisper, Willowbreeze, and Nightshade, using up the last of her fading magic.
The star-cycle is at its nadir, the pantox-sun’s dawn approaches.
Emberleaf perishes.

Act 4: Ultimate Expression of New Ways
10. Climax:

Thornwhisper, Willowbreeze, Nightshade and Lightthistle confront M’ranth-Jix and Lightthistle gives her life to get the numinous amulet to Emberleaf, but she is not revived.
The star cycle is waning, the pantox-sun rises, brightening the ruined landscape.
Nightshade wields dark magic and brings Emberleaf back from the dead, enough so the numinous amulet will revive her and her magic.
The pantox-sun has risen, ending the star cycle, returning the magic back to the numinous amulet
Thornwhisper, Willowbreeze, Nightshade, and Emberleaf, now with the amulet, alive and with her magic returned, defeat M’ranth-Jix in a climactic battle.

Resolution:

Emberleaf exiles M’ranth-Jix to the vengeful forest. Emberleaf grants Nightshade leniency, showing her transformation to a more empathetic and confident queen. Eveandor, with Nightshade’s help, returns Eveandor to its fantastical land of enchantment.
The pantox-sun gives new life to Eveandor, encouraging the pixies to repair the damage M’ranth-Jix inflicted upon their ward.
Thornwhisper finds redemption, Willowbreeze learns to trust again, and are now part of Emberleaf’s royal court.
The restored numinous amulet symbolizes Emberleaf’s newly found resilience and strength, shining brightly as a testament to her transformation.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Jan Westbrook.

[Mary Spiers]

Mary’s Genre Conventions
My vision is to be a leading creator of family-friendly stories that use psychological insights to develop diverse, dimensional characters who entertain and transform.

Title: Symphony in Color
Genre: Drama with fantasy elements
Concept: After being struck by lightning, her synesthetic brain rewiring leads a musician to search for a musical healing secret in the wilderness to break a generational curse.

I learned that although I had general genre conventions in mind, this helped me to specifically target and enhance the specifics of Drama.

Genre Conventions
CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA
PURPOSE: To explore stories with emotional and interpersonal high stakes
for their characters.
I’ve increased the emotional stakes for Ava

CHARACTER-DRIVEN JOURNEY: We always need to care about the
characters in a Drama, and their internal journey drives the film's events
and progression.
•I’ve focused more on the the relationship bond between Ava and Diana, who she finds out is her grandmother.

HIGH STAKES COME FROM WITHIN: Whether the story's events are
relatively mundane or intense, the struggles, obstacles, and stakes comes
from within the characters more than from external pressures.
Ava’s struggle with her identity and powers, and her desire to save Diana and restore the natural balance, provide the core emotional stakes.

EMOTIONALLY RESONATES: Drama audiences want to feel and be moved by the characters' emotions and how they experience the events.
CHALLENGING, EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED SITUATIONS: Characters get
challenged to their core by the emotional situations and struggles that they
run into.
•Ava has to deal with her new synesthetic experiences, which fundamentally change how she sees the world.
•She has to overcome deceptions by Diana (her grandmother) and Thorn.

REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS: Drama stories are grounded in reality.

Act 1: Discovery and Departure
Opening: Ava's emotional disconnect from the world and herself sets the stage, using her on-stage performance juxtaposed with the storm to symbolize her inner turmoil. Onstage Disconnection: Ava performs a complex violin solo on stage while a storm rages outside. She focuses almost entirely on sound (doesn’t care about visual ). She’s a great technician, but doesn’t have a lot of emotional musical depth… Immediately after concert, Ava bypasses celebrating with fellow musicians and instead sits alone in the dressing room, staring at her violin case while a storm rages outside.

Inciting Incident: Ava walks home silenced from the outside world by earphones. She is struck by lightning on her way home, altering her senses to perceive sounds as vivid colors. She wakes up in a hospital, seeing the beeping monitors and bustling nurses as a symphony of colors and shapes, realizing something profound has changed within her.

Turning Point: Ava decides to get away to recuperate at a wilderness retreat, where she meets Diana Wildroot. Ava’s lack of wilderness skills is immediately evident, and she struggles with basic survival tasks, highlighting her "fish out of water" status. Diana introduces the quest for the "Special Note," hinting at deeper familial connections yet unrevealed. Ava’s initial ineptitude in the wilderness, compounded by her synesthetic perceptions, deepens her personal and emotional crisis, making her journey not just about survival but about understanding her new self in a real-world context.
2: Mastery and Deception
New Plan: Diana begins teaching Ava to control her synesthetic perceptions, using natural elements like the sound of a creek or the rustling leaves to create visual-aural maps. Their bond deepens as Diana imparts survival skills alongside lessons on the "Special Note."
Plan in Action: Ava’s growing competence in the wilderness mirrors her increasing trust and reliance on Diana. She starts to shed her urban biases and embraces the slower, attuned pace of nature. Their relationship deepens, with Diana becoming more than a mentor; she becomes a confidante.
Midpoint Turning Point: Ava’s perceived mastery of the "Special Note" and her comfort in the wilderness are both shattered by the revelation that her success is an illusion orchestrated by Silas Thorn, who then captures Diana. This betrayal forces Ava to reassess her adaptability and reliance on Diana and reevaluate her own strengths and weaknesses in a challenging situation.
Act 3: Descent and Redetermination
Rethink Everything: In her quest to rescue Diana, Ava learns of Diana’s true identity as her grandmother. This revelation transforms their relationship, infusing it with new meaning and responsibility and Ava's commitment to their shared legacy pushing her to internalize her role within her family’s history
New Plan: With personal stakes heightened, Ava integrates her newfound wilderness skills with her synesthetic abilities to devise a plan to rescue Diana and confront Thorn, now fully understanding the depth of his deceit and her own role in their legacy.
Turning Point: An initial failed attempt to confront Thorn emphasizes the need for Ava to fully embrace both her wilderness adaptability and the lessons from Diana, highlighting the synthesis of her dual growth—personal and environmental. This failure tests the strength of Ava and Diana’s relationship, compelling them to trust each other more deeply and collaborate more closely.
4: Climax and Resolution
Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: Ava, now fully at home in the wilderness and in tune with her "Special Note," faces Thorn in a showdown that tests all her skills. She uses her deep connection to nature and the lessons from Diana to overcome Thorn’s manipulations.
Resolution: Ava rescues Diana and defeats Thorn. The healing sanctuary is restored, symbolizing the healing of the land and Ava herself. She embraces her synesthesia and her place in the wilderness, alongside her deep bond with Diana.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Mary Spiers.

[Margaret]

Margaret’s Genre Conventions
My vision: To write profound faith-based screenplays that are produced.
What I learned: Genre conventions for Drama
New Structure with Genre conventions in place:

Act 1: 25-30 pages – Set up and See Old Ways
Opening:
• Describe the prophetic dream of the bear attack (Bear attacked the baby three times. The third time help came from heaven and the Bear left, never to return). The dream brings with it fear and uncertainty for the family.
• Introduce Jabin, his family, and the initial events leading up to the discovery of his illness with visit to family at Christmas and onset of back pain.
• Show Jabin’s old way of control and planning his life. Family dynamics reveal support for his dreams & aspirations, jealousy of cousins.
Inciting Incident: Headed to ER with relentless pain. Fear and loneliness accompany him, as he is there alone, with no family or girlfriend present.
Turning Point: Cancer Diagnosis, Discovery of masses and the diagnosis of Testicular Choriocarcinoma. Jabin has initial disbelief, family is devastated.
Act 2: 20-30 pages – Challenge the old ways.
• Wrestling with doubt, will God save? Fear, anger, resignation to his fate, faith shaken, struggles to find meaning in suffering.
New Plan: Jabin’s entry into the cancer house, chemo, laser surgery.
Plan in Action:
• Family prays for healing.
• Jabin enters cancer house. Jabin, a college student accustomed to the routines of campus life, finds himself thrust into the unfamiliar world of hospitals and medical procedures. His first reaction, “This is where I die.”
• Jabin’s determination to graduate despite health challenges.
• Jabin’s birthday and discovery of sterility. Fights depression.
• Jabin meets Becca and establishes a relationship. Jabin initially conceals his true feelings for Becca, afraid of getting hurt again after their past history of rejection. He struggles to maintain control in the relationship.
• Appears chemo worked. Plan a celebration cruise. house hunting, new job with Raytheon to start in June.
Midpoint Turning Point (page 50-55) Positive cancer test – Cancer has returned, cruise cancelled. News of reoccurrence shakes Jabin’s newfound sense of hope and security.
ACT 3: Embrace the new ways. Profound moments give us new ways. 20-30 pages.
Rethink everything: The shocking news of cancer’s return.
New Plan: Stem Cell transplant
Plan in Action:
• Raytheon extends offer of job start to 4 months later.
• As relationship with Becca deepens and Jabin’s condition worsens, he realizes the importance of being honest about his emotions.
• COVID hits before stem cell transplant. Will this threaten the timeline for his new job.
• Jabin’s realization of his purpose and the vision he experiences to be light in the darkness, no matter what trials he encounters.
• Expecting a positive outcome from Stem Cell, Jabin proposes to Becca and she accepts. His action illustrates his growth and willingness to be vulnerable.
• Struggle through stem cell transplant. Dr. Morgan struggles to come to terms with his own limitations as a physician, hiding his doubts and insecurities behind a facade of confidence.
• Wedding plans for December despite the uncertainty of his future reveals Jabin’s growth in trusting God for his future.
Act 3 Turning Point: Return of the Cancer. What Jabin thought was the solution didn’t work. Will Becca cancel the wedding? Should Jabin tie a bride to short-lived marriage?
ACT 4: 25 pages – Test the change in this character! Prove new ways!
• The confirmation of cancer’s return and pneumothorax.
• Life and Death decision: fly to wedding with risk of sudden respiratory arrest. Will Jabin make it to the wedding?
• Newlywed, Jabin works at Raytheon with cancer. New oncologist, looking for new therapy.
• All is Lost: Diagnosis 6 months to live. Nothing more they can do. Oral chemo.
• New Plan: Jabin embraces life, accepting his death, decides to live each day fully in the face of mortality.
CLIMAX: Jabin accepts his fate, symbolizing the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.

[Brandi Hoffman]

Vision: I want the creative freedom to attract an audience that is passionate about my films, and regularly deliver films that are commercially successful and leave my audience thrilled and eager for the next.

What I learned from this lesson: AI doesn’t mind if you ask it to redo the prompt. You can type Again and it will recalculate. And also, you can pick and choose from its responses because you’ll never be totally happy with just one.

Incongruence:

Mei, a struggling magician, is the protagonist who triggers countless amusing situations through her incongruent perspectives and constant lies.
The unconventional pairing of a murder mystery with comedy adds an extra layer of incongruence, creating a unique and entertaining story.

Mechanics of Comedy:

Setup/Punchline: Mei’s constant lying and the absurd situations she finds herself in provide ample opportunities for setup and punchline humor.
Toppers/Running Gags: Running gags involving Mei’s lies and her failed attempts at using magic add to the comedic elements of the story.
Fish out of Water: Mei, a novice magician, is thrust into the world of murder investigation, creating numerous hilarious situations as she navigates this unfamiliar territory.

Comedic Protagonist:

Mei, the comedic protagonist, triggers laughter through her incongruent perspectives, choices, and reactions to the events around her.
Her constant lying and bumbling attempts at investigation provide endless comedic fodder, making her a memorable and entertaining character.

[Kristin Donnan]

KRISTIN’S GENRE CONVENTIONS

VISION: “I envision writing so well and consistently that I’m in demand, cherry-picking projects, selling beyond my wildest dreams, collaborating with people I admire and truly care about, and speaking my soul—on a big scale—so that I enjoy professional freedom, financial freedom, and joy.”

WHAT I LEARNED FROM DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT: I’ve always realized that a script can “read” one way and “feel” another—depending on a bunch of elements or perspectives. Fargo is a perfect example. On the page, it doesn’t read as funny. In the last 2 projects I’ve worked on, I’ve grappled with this problem, and so this particular assignment is helpful, and the AI was strangely “supportive” in understanding my problem. However…I still get stuck between “not writing a bunch of scenes” or examples in such a brief outline while trying to put in bits that illustrate the genre conventions. A lot of the humor remains in my head, so I’m torn between DESCRIBING and just LABELING, frustrated the whole time that what I “know is funny” isn’t “looking funny.” Anyway, I gave it my best shot—also incorporating the idea of not ruminating or being too fussy. Keep going forward!!

TITLE: SHOOT, SHOVEL & SHUT UP
CONCEPT: When a dead woman is discovered on his property, a reclusive rancher is forced into a highly publicized murder investigation, and he must untangle a labyrinth of crimes before his family’s secrets are exposed.
GENRE: Black Comedy

COMEDY CONVENTIONS / APPLIED TO THIS STORY:
• Purpose: entertain with laughter-inducing moments:
• Incongruence: a loner, socially inappropriate rancher has to wade through the chaos of media and law enforcement in his rural, solitary world.
• Mechanics: Mostly fish-out-of-water, incongruent pairings, and absurd situations.
• Comedic protagonist(s): John is a witty thinker, but he also has to dig into situations with a broad range of unusual people.
• Strong story: This is a deep story about family relationships, betrayal, dashed hopes, and personal risk—with a black comedy twist.

4-ACT STRUCTURE CHANGES
ACT 1:
WAYS TO ADD BLACK COMEDY CONVENTIONS:
• In opening sequences, introduce “incongruent pairings” via antagonist / brother Zeke—highlighting the significant difference in size (John much smaller), and how Zeke is intimidated.
• In TP, when the dead woman is discovered, John’s “fish out of water” / brusque / offensive way of dealing with the cops and situation adds humor.

NEW VERSION
• Opening: Introduce John, a middle-aged, small-statured, oppositional rancher, who desires solitude on his family's homestead.
• His favorite brother, Zeke, arrives—6’5”, ex-military—and announces that they have stuff to discuss. They exhibit an obvious, long-term history with inside jokes and camaraderie.
• Inciting Incident: When Zeke announces his intention to take the ranch for himself, at first John doesn’t believe it. But when the plan is clear, they have a fight—which (former boxer) John wins. He’s amazingly strong, and the big man is obviously intimidated by him.
• Turning Point: The discovery of a dead woman on the property that afternoon distracts John from his family troubles and thrusts him into a modern world of media scrutiny and a murder investigation. John handles it with his usual brashness and political incorrectness…at the same time, he knows that the woman had a past relationship with Zeke.

ACT 2:
WAYS TO ADD BLACK COMEDY CONVENTIONS:
• Continue comedic situations as John stumbles through the law enforcement / media relationships—from misinterpretations to fish out of water.
• As he decides to “go undercover” to beat the cops at the investigative game, his close associations with the locals / intimate understanding of rural life offer lots of opportunity for his being “inappropriate.”
• Similarly, as the 8 siblings get involved, chaos ensues.
• At the Midpoint, bumbly brother T-bone unearths a human skull “yonder way,” which confuses things even further.

NEW VERSION
• New Plan: John must adapt to the intrusion of law enforcement and media attention—he’s brusque to the media, stonewalls the cops, and helps the family of the deceased, following the rural code of survival.
• Meanwhile, he goes undercover “in plain sight,” secretly confronting the implications of his brother's involvement in the murder. No matter what, at this point he’s willing to cover for him, even though his bombastic brother—and most of their 8 siblings—make things worse.
• Plan in Action: John faces the daunting task of uncovering the truth about the murder—which involves hilarious conversations with townsfolk. Even funnier are the rabbit holes involved in connecting the murder to his brother’s past—with help from colorful elders and one not-very-smart brother, T-bone.
• Midpoint Turning Point: When more human skeletons turn up, John suspects his family's involvement in an old underworld cover-up—much more involved than his dad’s old stories about the “Norwegian mafia.” The stakes around the murder investigation just got higher, and the cops are hot on the trail.

ACT 3:
WAYS TO ADD BLACK COMEDY CONVENTIONS:
• Comedic relationships develop with the elder generation, who ran prostitutes and alcohol—all kinds of things John didn’t expect.
• The relationship between John and Sis allows for incongruent perspectives—since she’s the “straight man” of the family, trying to rein him in. And protect him.
• At the TP, John’s incongruent ability to “investigate” allows him to see all the angles. And to adjust his focus.

NEW VERSION
• Rethink Everything: John grapples with the realization that he “believed the lie,” and that he’s the one hanging out in the breeze—defending his family's "code." His good name, his stature in the community—that’s what is shielding a history of criminal activities. So much for “honor”—especially as his brother pressures him for protection and other siblings insist that he stay silent.
• New Plan: With the help of one devoted sister and a neighbor, John embarks on a journey to uncover the real truth behind his family's past, regardless of what might surface. This is where he learns about the bordello, whiskey running thanks to the alcohol inspector, and his dad’s first job as a “head-buster.”
• Turning Point: John and Sis figure out the big cover-up—which causes him to confront the destructive nature of the family code. When John resolves to live by his own principles instead, Zeke’s secrets are endangered; he threatens John’s life.

ACT 4:
WAYS TO ADD BLACK COMEDY CONVENTIONS:
• The “big match” between John and Zeke is something the whole family has been trying to avoid; because of their different sizes and approaches, this can be both funny and frightening.
• In the resolution, John’s unique way of being has its own cast on the dark comedy ending.

NEW VERSION
• Climax/Ultimate Expression of Conflict: The dreaded, titanic fight happens between John and Zeke—a desperate attempt by Zeke to “be a man,” punctuated by John’s hilarious insults and his deftness. Despite his smaller stature, the formidable John has taken sides and will expose the truth about the murder and his family's past, risking his family’s reputation for justice.
• Resolution: Despite the fallout from his actions, John finds a sense of integrity and self-acceptance, choosing to forge a new path outside the confines of his family's code.

[James Hernandez]

James’ Genre Conventions
My Vision: I am a great writer who is recognized by the industry as an exceptional collaborator able to elevate any project into production and have maximum success.
What I learned from doing this assignment is…I have more set pieces than originally thought which were brought out after building in the genre conventions. This not only adds more pertinent scenes, but focuses the storylines better. Character motivations and their subtext are becoming more apparent; the story is revealing itself.

• Title: My Valentine’s Day Algorithm
• Concept: An aging bachelor starts to fall for the computer genius who’s hired to help him find his love match through an algorithm by Valentine’s Day.
• Genre: Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy Genre Conventions:
PURPOSE: To have the audience experience falling in love again.
THE JOURNEY OF LOVE: Two people go from their “cute-meet” to denial of
love to overwhelming attraction to breaking up over differences to finally
reuniting and experiencing the love of their life.
RELATIONSHIP SET-UP: From the moment of the “cute-meet." we see the
romantic future for the couple, even if they refuse to believe it.
ISSUES: Each person has an internal personal issue that must be resolved
for them to truly be together. This requires personal growth for them to
become a couple.
SEPARATION: Either physically or because of a specific situation,
something keeps this couple apart. It is this separation that causes the
audience to yearn for them to come together.
COMEDY: Relationship and personal issues are dealt with through humor.
Act 1:
• Opening: Ethan's unsuccessful attempts at love are highlighted through a series of humorous and relatable dating mishaps, endearing him to the audience.
• Inciting Incident: Ethan's family, concerned for his love life, stages an intervention by creating an exaggerated online dating profile for him, leading to an influx of comically unsuitable suitors.
• Turning Point: Frustrated by the chaos, Ethan reluctantly hires Joey, a quirky and brilliant tech genius, to streamline his online dating experience, setting the stage for their unconventional partnership.
Act 2:
• New Plan: Ethan and Joey embark on a comedic journey to revamp Ethan's online presence, employing various strategies ranging from quirky profile pictures to humorous taglines.
• Plan in Action: Ethan's interactions with potential matches, including the quirky and endearing Lily, provide comedic relief and hint at genuine connections amidst the chaos.
• Midpoint Turning Point: Max, the mischievous internet troll and Lily's ex, launches a series of comically disastrous schemes to sabotage Ethan's online reputation, leading to hilarious misunderstandings and escalating tensions.
Act 3:
• Rethink Everything: Ethan's world is turned upside down when Max's identity is revealed, forcing him to confront the truth behind the chaos in his love life and the authenticity of his feelings for Lily.
• New Plan: Ethan, with Joey's unwavering support, devises a daring plan to expose Max's deceit and win back Lily's trust, leading to a series of comedic misadventures and unexpected revelations.
• Turning Point: Lily, caught in the crossfire of Ethan and Max's antics, grapples with her feelings as she confronts Ethan, leading to a heartfelt and humorous confrontation that tests the true nature of their connection.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate Expression of Conflict: Ethan confronts Max in a hilariously chaotic showdown, revealing his true intentions and laying bare his vulnerability in a last-ditch effort to win Lily's heart.
• Resolution: In a heartwarming and humorous finale, Ethan and Lily reconcile, embracing the messiness of love and the joy of finding genuine connection amidst the chaos of modern romance, setting the stage for a promising future together.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  James Hernandez.

[jim ramsay]

RAMSAY – Module 3 – Lesson 4: Character Intrigue 5.2.24
Vision: Creating worlds for my characters. Producing my films will be my ultimate gratification.
State: I love discovering…the intrigue of my characters!
Brainstorm more Intrigue items that might apply to each of your main characters.
Character One Name: Michaela
• Role: Protagonist
• Hidden agendas: Seeking freedom from her guilt
• Competition: Herself
• Conspiracies: wants to show up suits that fired her
• Secrets: Killed Carlito’s brother/Carlito doesn’t know
• Deception: Not vulnerable
• Unspoken Wound: vulnerability
• Secret Identity: Dragon Slayer
Character Two Name: Carlito
• Role: Antagonist – Cartel Boss
• Hidden agendas: Power over all
• Competition: besting other Cartel bosses
• Conspiracies:
• Secrets: Brutally beaten by his father
• Deception: That he is fair
• Unspoken Wound: Brutally beaten by his father
• Secret Identity: Satan’s Dragon
Character Three Name: David
• Role: Triangle
• Hidden agendas: Turning Mic back to God
• Competition: Besting Traffickers
• Conspiracies: none
• Secrets: He was trafficked as a child
• Deception: He never doubts God
• Unspoken Wound: Powerless as an abused child
• Secret Identity: Good Samaritan
Character Three Name: Hannah
• Role: Triangle – Mic’s neighbor
• Hidden agendas: Wants Mic to be her new mother
• Competition: The love of a mother
• Conspiracies: none
• Secrets: She fears dying like her mom
• Deception: She is tough
• Unspoken Wound: Losing those she loves
• Secret Identity: Wants to be Joan of Arc-type

[Deni sher]

Deni B. Sher’s Genre Conventions

I’m completely confident that I can build all the required genre conventions into my horror/thriller script to become an A-list writer, who is respected in the industry and in high demand by producers for the quality of my work.

I LEARNED a ton doing this assignment. I went from a Thriller Horror to writing a Thriller Comedy. I read it out loud to two female friends who know nothing about screenwriting and they continued to laugh and said it’s a thriller comedy, but since there is murdering and gore it is a dark comedy. Knowing the conventions of a thriller really helped me in forming the story. This is definitely a break through moment for me.

Title: GROUNDS FOR MURDER
Concept: What if drinking coffee mixed with cremation ashes of a killer drives you to commit murder?
Genre: THRILLER DARK COMEDY
Brainstorm ways to deliver the conventions more effectively and build those parts into your 4-Act Structure.
ACT 1: Old ways and Inciting Incident
Opening: Introduction to LENA (40) who lives a tranquil, happy life, married to JOEY (40) and together with their son, BEN (18) run their small-town, successful coffee shop called, Cuppa Joe.
The Priest (VILLAIN) comes in for coffee and talks with Ben about his decision to go into Priesthood and how supportive Lena and Joseph are of his decision.
Friends and customers get coffee and everyone knows everyone. All pay respect to FATHER O’CONNELL.
Inciting Incident: That night, while closing the coffee shop alone ISOLATION, JOEY is shot by an unknown assailant as he attempts to lock up. DEATH His body is thrown on the floor inside the café. As the murderer cuts off JOEY’S right hand at the wrist, HORROR we see it is FATHER O’CONNELL. He tells dead Joseph that he knows cutting off the right hand was your M.O., but now, it’s mine INTRIGUE and that he told him to stay out of his territory, and that he’ll never kill one of his targets again. (Audience now knows the Priest is a killer). Priest puts hand in plastic bag and takes it with him.
Later that night we hear Joey’s cell ring and ring. Finally, Lena and Ben arrive to the café and find Joey’’s body with missing hand. Lena goes hysterical. Ben comforts Lena and calls the police, then calls FATHER O’CONNELL to give him his last rights. SUSPENSE DETECTIVE PETERSON arrives and Priest arrives shortly after.
Cuppa Joe is closed down for ten days while Lena and Ben recover from Joey’s murder.
When Joey’s ashes are picked up, Lena and Ben bring them to the café. Lena opens the container and accidentally spills some of Joey’s ashes into her coffee grinder and they get ground into the beans.

Turning Point: Lena consumes the coffee in front of her son before café opens. While drinking, GUIDO CAPONE arrives with trays of pastries and delivers them at door to Ben and lets him know he’s sorry about the loss of his dad, but that he was never a friend of the family. Lena immediately pulls a knife from a drawer and viciously attacks Guido from behind, VIOLENCE stabbing him multiple times, telling him he knows Guido set up his kill. Then, HIGH TENSION Lena cuts Guido’s hand off. Ben, shocked to see what his mother is doing, shoves her in the car and tells her to go home, tossing the knife and the bloody hand in the car. GORE Ben checks GUIDO for a pulse, but he is dead. Ben calls the Police and tells them an unknown man attacked Guido as he was delivering pastry.

ACT 2: Initial Descent
New plan: Ben returns home with Joey’s ashes and coffee from the brew. Lena, now herself, has no recollection of what happened. The knife has been cleaned and is drying by sink. When Ben arrives, she questions why she had blood all over her, a bloody knife and a hand she put in the freezer… and what happened. Ben puts the knife in a drawer. When Ben tells her, she refuses to believe him, takes the coffee pot, JOEY’S ashes and goes to her bed as a sweet woman. Joey goes out to clean the car.
Later, there is banging on the door. SUSPENSE It is GUIDO’S brother, FRANKIE CAPONE. Do they answer or not? Lena stays in bed while Ben answers door. As Frankie starts to threaten Ben, Lena drinks more coffee, becomes JOEY and attacks Frankie, bludgeoning him to death with a nearby iron.
Together, Lena and Ben drag Frankie’s body down to the lake and toss him into the water, but not before Lena cuts his right hand off and puts it in a bag and in her outside freezer. By the time they clean up any evidence, Lena is back to being Lena and has no recollection of killing Frankie.
The next day, Ben encourages Lena to go to work and NOT to drink any more of JOEY’S ashes. The PRIEST goes into the Cafe for coffee and tells Ben and Lena they found Frankie’s body floating in the lake with his hand right cut off, inferring it must be the same murderer. Lena passes out in shock, but Ben catches her before she hits the ground. PRIEST buddies up to Ben more about becoming a Priest.

Plan in action: Lena’s attempts at normal life fail as she unwittingly begins a murder spree.
Ben is kidnapped by MIKEY CAPONE because they know Joey always cut right hands off after a hit, so now they suspect Ben has replaced Joey as a murderer.
Lena, who was out of sight, overhears their conversation, now unable to control herself, she drinks coffee with JOEY’S ashes, goes to a safe, knows combination and pulls out a gun with a silencer, puts bullets in and handles gun like a pro. She grabs a knife in its jacket, takes off on foot, jumps in their docked boat on the lake and heads across the dark lake, where she anchors behind the CAPONE FAMILY HOME and hides by the driveway. ANTICIPATION As time passes, two other CAPONES exit the house SUSPENSE and take off in a car, passing the other Capone’s car with Ben.
TENSION. As soon as Ben is taken out of the car, hands tied with rope, Lena SHOOTS the CAPONE, cuts Bens hands free and severs off the right hand of the CAPONE before Ben can stop her. They run to their boat and head back to their home. Ben tosses the bloody hand into the lake. UNCERTAINTY
Ben is now glad Lena drank more coffee, but the coffee wears off and Lana doesn’t remember doing the killing or cutting off of the hand. However, she does have the pistol and knife, so when Ben tells her what she did, she’s starting to believe him and does remember drinking the coffee in an attempt to save Ben.

Midpoint Turning Point: Lena’s realization that she cannot stop the transformation and her old ways are ineffective.
Lena accepts that she turns into a murderer when she drinks Joey’s ashes and with Ben’s help they realize that JOEY was a hit-man, but that someone else killed him. But who? Lena decides to invite Detective Peterson over for dinner to see pick his brain about the murders and if they have any suspects. While at dinner, Lena and Detective Peterson start flirting and seeing how much they have in common and discuss the great times they had together in high school.
Detective Peterson tells Lena the murders all seem mob related and he is shocked that the mob would kill Joey. Wants to know if Lena had any idea that Joey was involved. Of course, she didn’t. Maybe killing Joey was a mistake? I want to create intrigue/mystery and tension in this scene.

ACT 3: Spiral and Desperation
Rethink everything: Lena’s recognition of her profound change and struggle with the murders she’s committing.
Lena and Ben discuss the fact that Joey was a hit-man and that Lena can’t drink any more of the coffee with his ashes. They go to sleep that night and like an addict, Lena awakens and gulps down the coffee, gets the guns, knife and bullets, then sneaks out of the house with additional container of coffee. Goes on a killing spree. VIOLENT, TORTUROUS DEATHS.
While she is out killing, she spots FATHER O’Connell, but doesn’t realize it’s him. He too is out doing hits for the mob.
New Plan: Lena seeks to understand and stop the influence of her husband’s spirit.
By the time night turns to dawn, Lena finds herself on the doorstep of the Catholic church, weapons and coffee concealed in her large purse. Lena is back to being Lena.

Turning Point: A huge failure as she attempts to confess to her Priest ISOLATION that when she drinks coffee with Joey’s ashes, she becomes a murderer. Priest has an aha moment but conceals it from Lena and tells her it is impossible and that she is having a mental breakdown. Priest considers killing Lena at that moment SUSPENSE but hears others enter church. He tells her to do her hail Mary’s and donate to the church and he’s sure any sins she has committed will be forgiven. He makes plans with her to visit her house when Ben is there.
On Lena’s way out she runs into Detective Peterson, who tells her about the other murders and wants to protect her. She invites him to dinner with the Priest. ANTICIPATION
At dinner, FATHER O’CONNEL accidentally on purpose, lets Detective Peterson know about Lena’s confession about Joey taking over her body and that she thinks she is a killer. Father O'Connell has a pistol in his pocket, at the ready. Ben covers for his mom. Detective Peterson questions the Priest’s motives as what is told to a Priest is confident and that he is doing an investigation into all the local hits where one person claims they saw you, FATHER at the scene of the crime. No longer able to contain herself, Lena runs into her bedroom, downs coffee, turns into JOEY.

ACT 4: New Ways and Resolution
Lena runs out with a gun, points it at FATHER O’CONNEL. As Joey, she confesses to Detective O’Connell that both he and FATHER O’Connell are hit-men and that Father O’Connell wanted him out of his territory, so he killed me. He wants O’Connell to confess, but instead he fires a few shots at Lean, then runs out of the house. Lena and Detective chase after him. Lena aims to shoot PRIEST, but before she can, lightning strikes him dead.
Lena as Joey, confesses that she might have murdered some of the Capones, but it was when she was Joey. Detective holds Lena in his arms as she cries and eventually becomes Lena again. Lena promises to never drink anymore of Joey’s ashes and buries Joey’s urn in a ceremony.
Detective and Lena fall in love and when they are making love one night, a small urn that matches the large one sits next to the bed and suddenly Lena stabs Detective to death out of a fit of jealousy.

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The confrontation with the Priest, who we learn killed Joseph as both were/are hitmen and the Priest’s near attempt to kill Lena, but is stopped by divine intervention when he is struck dead with lightening.
Resolution: Detective Peterson’s attraction to Lena comes to fruition as they have an affair and he doesn’t believe Lena was or is capable to committing any crimes. She too acts free of Joseph… until they make love and Lena murders Detective, completing her transformation from a gentle soul to a mass murderer.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Deni sher.

[Robin Fellows]

WIM+AI – Module 2 -Lesson 6

Robin’s Build In The Genre Conventions
MY VISION: I aim to make my writing flow naturally, like second nature, crafting stories that resonate globally and leave a mark, backed by a supportive team who really get what I'm about.
I love these conventions. They really help to boost the genre to the highest level and combining elements gives the audience a big bang for their buck.
Title: Memory Alpha
Concept: In 2057 Los Angeles, a detective battles addiction and corruption while unraveling a murder conspiracy tied to the Dominion Syndicate with the help of a witness and a team entrenched in the city's dark underbelly.
Genre: Neo-Noir Mystery
To infuse the Neo-Noir Mystery genre conventions and align with the specified structure and concept, here are the enhancements:
Genre Conventions of Neo-Noir Mystery:
Fantastic Worlds and Social Commentary:
The year 2057 Los Angeles is depicted as a dystopian metropolis, where technological advancements have reshaped society but also deepened its divides. The city is characterized by towering skyscrapers, neon-lit streets, and a pervasive sense of decay and corruption. Through this futuristic lens, the film explores themes of addiction, corruption, and the consequences of unchecked power.
Science and Incredible Visuals:
Technological innovations like advanced surveillance systems, cybernetic enhancements, and virtual reality interfaces are seamlessly integrated into everyday life, creating a visually stunning yet unsettling landscape. Scenes depicting futuristic crime scenes, cybernetic enhancements, and high-tech surveillance add to the film's visual spectacle.
Sub-Genre – Thriller:
The film is driven by a fast-paced, suspenseful narrative that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. As Jake and his team delve deeper into the conspiracy, they encounter life-and-death situations at every turn, heightening the stakes and ratcheting up the tension.
Main Emotions:
The audience experiences a rollercoaster of emotions, including suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation, uncertainty, and surprise, as they are drawn into the labyrinthine plot and shadowy underworld of 2057 Los Angeles.
Enhanced Structure with Genre Conventions:
Act 1:
Jake's investigation begins, plunging him into the dark underbelly of 2057 Los Angeles, where addiction and corruption run rampant.
Maya and Adrian, with their respective expertise in data analysis and hacking, join Jake's investigation, uncovering a tangled web of deceit and conspiracy.
Jake confronts Captain Carla Rodriguez, revealing her complicity in the corrupt power structures that grip the city.
Act 2:
Jake and his team devise a new plan to gather evidence against the corrupt elites, navigating through the labyrinth of deceit and danger.
The team's investigation leads them to confrontations with ruthless enforcers of the Dominion Syndicate, culminating in a tense standoff.
Shockwaves reverberate through the team when Adrian is exposed as a mole for the Syndicate, endangering their mission and their lives.

Act 3:
Jake, reeling from the betrayal, must reevaluate his approach and rally his team for a final push against the forces of corruption.
Despite setbacks and personal demons, Jake and his team formulate a daring new plan to expose the Syndicate's grip on the city.
A devastating setback forces Jake to confront his addiction head-on, pushing him to the brink as the city teeters on the edge of chaos.
Act 4:
In a heart-pounding climax, Jake and his team launch a daring raid on the Syndicate's stronghold, risking everything to bring the truth to light.
The truth is unveiled in a shocking revelation, exposing the corrupt figures and igniting a city-wide reckoning.
As justice prevails and the city begins to heal, Jake finds redemption in confronting his addiction and embracing his role as a force for change in the dark heart of 2057 Los Angeles.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Robin Fellows.

[Michael Katz]

Michael E. Katz’s Genre Conventions

Vision: I want to sell a script for $1,000,000.

Genre: Drama Comedy

High Concept: What if the only way for a divorcee to truly move on is to move out of the dream home she built with her ex…and burn it down?

Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle.
Kirsten (newly divorced) is the Protagonist
Jesse (her ex-husband) is the Antagonist who causes her psychological angst
Hallworth (the interior designer) is the Obstacle Character who facilitates change for Kirsten.

Story Hook: Determined to erase every trace of her ex-husband from their dream home, the divorcee’s redecoration escalates to breaking every item ever associated with him.

4-Act Structure with both Drama and Comedy genre conventions incorporated:

Act 1:
Opening: Kirsten, a wealthy and seemingly put-together divorcee, wins the lavish mansion in the settlement. Despite the house’s grandiose beauty, she feels suffocated by the memories it holds, struggling to imagine a future within its walls. Her internal turmoil and the house’s symbolic representation of her failed marriage set the stage for a deeply emotional journey, peppered with moments of comedic incongruence as she navigates her new reality.

Inciting Incident: Against her previous designer’s advice to sell and move on, Kirsten impulsively decides to redecorate the mansion to make it her own, believing that transforming the space will help her heal and reclaim her identity. This decision showcases her inner struggle and sets the stage for her character-driven journey of self-discovery and emotional healing, while also introducing the potential for amusing situations as she embarks on this unconventional path.

Turning Point: Kirsten hires Hallworth, a charismatic, flamboyant, and insightful designer who has recently gone through a painful breakup himself. Their shared experience of heartbreak creates an instant connection, hinting at the profound emotional challenges they will face together as Kirsten confronts her past and redefines her future. The incongruent pairing of the prim and proper Kirsten with the eccentric Hallworth sets the stage for comedic interactions and witty banter.

Act 2:
New Plan: Kirsten and Hallworth collaborate on the redecoration, with Hallworth gently pushing Kirsten to step outside her comfort zone and make bolder choices. As they work together, Kirsten begins to open up about her emotional pain, revealing the depth of her attachment to the house and the memories it holds. Their conversations are sprinkled with humorous anecdotes and lighthearted moments, balancing the emotional weight of Kirsten’s journey.

Plan in Action: During their field trips to find the perfect decorations, Kirsten and Hallworth engage in heartfelt conversations about love, loss, and the challenges of moving on. Each carefully selected item becomes a symbol of Kirsten’s emotional journey, reflecting her gradual transformation and the shedding of her past. The beautifully redecorated house serves as a tangible representation of her progress. Along the way, they encounter amusing situations and eccentric characters that provide comedic relief and showcase the incongruence of Kirsten’s posh lifestyle with the often chaotic and unpredictable world of interior design.

Midpoint Turning Point: Jesse’s unexpected visit and comment about the unchanged fireplace shatters Kirsten’s illusion of progress, forcing her to confront the painful reality that cosmetic changes alone cannot erase the deep-seated emotional scars left by her failed marriage. This realization marks a turning point in her journey, setting the stage for a more profound and painful process of self-discovery. The awkwardness of the encounter and Kirsten’s reaction provide a touch of dark humor, underscoring the absurdity of her situation.

Act 3:
Rethink Everything: Determined to fully eradicate Jesse’s presence, Kirsten decides to pursue a gut renovation. As the demolition begins, she is forced to confront the raw emotions and buried memories that resurface with each shattered piece of her past life. Hallworth supports her through this emotionally charged process, helping her navigate the complex feelings of grief, anger, and fear that emerge. The destruction of the house serves as a metaphor for Kirsten’s emotional catharsis, with moments of physical comedy and witty one-liners from Hallworth providing levity amidst the chaos.

New Plan: The remodeling takes on a cathartic and destructive turn as Kirsten finds solace in breaking the items that once defined her marriage. Each shattered object represents a piece of her past that she must let go of to truly heal and move forward. Hallworth encourages her to embrace the transformative power of this painful but necessary process. The act of breaking objects becomes a source of dark humor, with Kirsten finding unexpected joy in the destruction and Hallworth providing amusing commentary on the therapeutic benefits of smashing expensive vases.

Turning Point: Despite the stunning remodel, Kirsten is haunted by the persistent feeling of Jesse’s presence lingering in the house. She reaches an emotional low point, feeling trapped and unsure of how to move forward. The weight of her failed marriage and the memories tied to the house leave her feeling hopeless and stuck, desperate for a way to break free from the past. In a moment of comedic despair, Kirsten dramatically collapses on a newly upholstered chaise lounge, lamenting her predicament to an amused but sympathetic Hallworth.

Act 4:
Pre-Climax: In a last-ditch effort to start anew, Kirsten decides to demolish the mansion completely and rebuild a new home from scratch on the same property. She believes that by erasing every physical trace of the house she shared with Jesse, she can finally move on and create a life untethered to her painful memories. The absurdity of her plan and the shocked reactions of those around her provide moments of situational comedy, as Kirsten becomes increasingly determined to eradicate her past.

Climax: As the bulldozer and wrecking ball arrive, ready to destroy the house, Hallworth intervenes in a comedic, yet poignant scene. In a moment of clarity, he helps Kirsten realize that Jesse’s presence is inextricably linked to the property itself, and that no amount of physical demolition or rebuilding can erase the profound impact of their shared history. This realization leads to a profound emotional breakthrough for Kirsten, as she finally understands the true nature of moving on – that it requires not just a change of space, but a change of place. The absurdity of the situation and the juxtaposition of the heartfelt moment with the looming presence of the demolition crew creates a blend of humor and emotional depth.

With newfound clarity, Kirsten makes the heart-wrenching decision to sell the property altogether. She recognizes that her emotional well-being depends on starting fresh in a new location, free from the shadows of her past. As a final act of liberation and symbolic cleansing, Kirsten sets fire to the mansion, watching as the flames consume the last remnants of her painful memories. The visual of Kirsten walking off the property as the mansion blazes behind her, a determined look on her face, provides a darkly comedic and triumphant moment of release.

Resolution: Flash forward. Empowered by her decision to let go, Kirsten now lives in a new home in a location untainted by her past. Settled into her new life, she experiences a profound sense of peace, contentment, and self-discovery. The journey has been one of intense emotional challenges and personal growth, but through the support of Hallworth and her own determination, Kirsten has emerged stronger, wiser, and ready to embrace a future filled with possibilities. She has learned that true healing comes from within and that sometimes, the bravest act of all is to leave the past behind and start anew. In a final comedic moment, Kirsten and Hallworth share a laugh as they toast to new beginnings, their friendship a testament to the transformative power of humor and shared experiences.

[Madeleind Gentinetta]

ASSIGNMENT
Madeleine’s Genre Conventions
Vision: I am going to do whatever it takes for me to be a writer of original, emotionally rich stories, recognized for depth, humor, and enduring impact, resulting in financial, critical and audience success.

What I learned from doing this assignment is: This is the moment where I have to continue with the process although I’m not really satisfied with the result yet. This is difficult to do for me, but I leave my perfectionism behind and move forward.

1. Act 1: The “Old” Mary
Opening Scene: At her last concert before summer break, Mary is in the limelight announcing the next program “Marlene”. After a moment backstage where she confronts her vulnerability, she returns to the stage and requests a drink, denied by the bar owner. This sets up the thematic question about authenticity versus facade.
Inciting Incident: Mary reaches out for a drink from the audience, stumbles, and falls off the stage, suffering a hip fracture. This incident starts her journey of transformation.
Turning Point: Post-operation, the doctor informs Mary that she requires intensive rehab at an elderly home, signaling a permanent change from her old life.

2. Act 2: Mary Tries to Return to the “Old” Mary
Reaction: Mary reluctantly participates in the Book Buddies program, reading to Sophie, initially resisting change.
New Plan: Mary tries to infuse stage ambiance into her rehab sessions, leading to a conflict with Placid who enforces strict rules and stops the rehearsals.
Turning Point: After a failed attempt to perform in her old style that Vince witnesses, he begins searching for her replacement, highlighting her fear of becoming obsolete.

3. Act 3: The Wrong “New” Mary
Rethink: Facing no return to her former stage, Mary stages an open event with kids and elderly people, struggling through a role she never meant to play.
New Plan: Under her maiden name, Mary draws unexpected public and personal attention, leading to a reunion with her estranged son.
Turning Point: Her son’s offer to leave the elderly home and join his family pressures Mary to reconsider her desires deeply.

4. Act 4: The “Real” Encore Mary
New Plan: Mary contemplates living with her son’s family but feels unfulfilled.
Climax: On stage, Vince prepares everything in the old way. Mary, in a defiant move, strips away more than just her physical makeup—she exposes her genuine self, rejecting the scripted role.
Resolution: Mary’s transformation is celebrated not just for her stage persona but for her spirit and genuine acceptance of life’s realities, affirming her personal growth.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Madeleind Gentinetta.

[Hope McPherson]

Hopes’ Genre Conventions

My vision: To be a full-time respected screenwriter whose work brings joy to viewers and creates work for others in the industry, including actors and crew.

What I learned: I appreciated AI taking some of the additions I made to the next level. I decided to throw caution to the wind and see what would happen if I go for a slapstick comedy. I learned that at this point, nothing is too out there to try: Be brave, be daring, have fun.

Title: Novel Nuptials

Concept: A bride’s wedding day unravels when her own fictional creations hijack the festivities, turning her special day into a chaotic battle of wills.

Genre: Comedy

Comedy conventions to use:

• Fish out of water
• Absurd situations
• Hilarious purpose
• Misinterpretations
• Sight and prop humor

Four-Act structure, with genre conventions added:

Act 1:

• Opening: Marta begins her wedding day, and hyper-analyzes and over-corrects everything and everyone, including the uneven blades of grass in the lawn. She worries that she should postpone the wedding to get her manuscript in but hopes the wedding will jumpstart her creativity. She admits to avoiding her publisher at all costs throughout the day.
• Inciting Incident: Her fictional character, Lily, and her manuscript’s cunning antagonist, Vincent Black swoop in before guest begin to arrive. Dressed in 19th-century garb, both demand Marta change their characters to their liking and specifications.
• Turning Point: Marta doesn’t believe them and Lily and Vincent go on a crazy “editing” quest to change things: catering, decorations, flowers, seating arrangements, etc. Marta’s publisher crashes the wedding because Marta has been avoiding her calls. The publisher tells her of a plagiarism charge leveled against her. The publisher is dropping Marta and halting publication of upcoming book to sort this out. Vincent tells the publisher Marta is making the character of Vincent into the hero and Lily from cook to princess.

Act 2:

• New plan: Marta tries to get rid of Vincent and Lily. She calls the cops, but the cop who shows up is a minor character from her book!
• Rival author, Royal Brighton, offers to help and throws out the “cop.” He commiserates about her plagiarism coming out now at such a bad time … Marta suspects a very human plot behind the mayhem. Unbeknownst to Marta, Royal, fueled by jealousy and potential financial gain, has hired actors to portray her characters and disrupt the festivities. Marta’s publisher and Royal are chummy.
• Plan in action: As the stakes escalate and the hired actors continue to wreak havoc, Marta continues to try to control things. Lily alters Marta’s dress. Marta tries to fix it and makes it worse. Vincent and Lily crash the wedding photo shoot. Royal tells groom Marcus about the plagiarism charges. Vincent calls the officiant to say both bride and groom have COVID, so the officiant leaves. Amidst the chaos, groom Marcus, swayed by Royal’s lies, accuses Marta of plagiarism, and threatens to postpone the wedding until.
• Midpoint Turning Point: In front of Royal, Marta accuses Vincent and Lily of being impostors and demands to know why they are trying to destroy her and Marcus’ wedding day. In reply, Vincent edits out Marcus, and Marcus disappears in a huge puff of smoke. Guests begin to arrive and see Marta attack Vincent. Real cops arrive to arrest Marta.

Act 3:

• Rethink everything: The ceremony is only an hour away, and Marta is taken to the police station. Royal bails her out but recommends she call off the wedding and quit writing to stave off disastrous PR. Marta now suspects Royal’s involvement. She rushes back to the venue but disasters pile up: still-MIA groom, decorations aflame, catering gone awry. All the flowers are dead. Marta fights to salvage her special day and prove her innocence. Her publisher, citing the day’s chaos, tells her they will be promoting Royal at the upcoming book expo instead of her.

Act 4:

• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: She makes a deal with Vincent and Lily, agreeing to all their “editorial wedding changes” if they will help her salvage the wedding and bring back Marcus. Royal tries to prevent them from helping, reminding them who’s paying them. Oops! Now Marta knows who was behind everything. Vincent and Lily agree to help. Vincent makes Marcus reappear in a huge poof of smoke. He admits to being an out-of-work magician. Marta uncovers Royal’s unfounded plagiarism plot against her – and exposes Royal’s plagiarism of a 1935 book.
• Resolution: Vincent officiates the wedding. Guests love the wedding “edits” and the wedding comes off as a creative smash hit that breaks the internet with likes and shares. Vincent and Lily gain new jobs as wedding planners. Impressed, the publisher again backs Marta for the upcoming Book Expo. Royal is dropped by the publisher and decides to raise llamas.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Hope McPherson.

[Sandra Nelles]

Sandra’s Genre Conventions

My Vision: I am recognized in the industry as a great writer with several successful produced movies.
What I learned doing this assignment is that AI had a few good suggestions, and I was able to make improvements to each Act.
Title: Kissmas Cruise
Concept: What if two strangers fall in love while trying to break up their parent’s romance on a holiday cruise?
Genre: Rom-Com
Structure with Genre Improvements
Act 1:
• Opening: Erin and John (daughter and father) decide to take a cruise for the holidays. Carlos and Maria (son and mother), professional dance instructors prepare students to go on a holiday cruise.
• Inciting Incident: Carlos bumps into Erin while waiting in line to board the ship, sparking an immediate dislike for each other.
• Turning Point: Against Erin’s protests, John signs them up for dance lessons where he dances with Maria, and Erin is awkwardly forced to dance with Carlos.
Act 2:
• New plan: Disapproving of the romance developing between John and Maria, Erin and Carlos reluctantly team up.
• Plan in action: Erin and Carlos create elaborate and uncomfortable plans to break up their parents.
• Midpoint Turning Point: The ship’s activities director asks Carlos and Maria to help with the New Year’s Eve entertainment.
Act 3:
• Rethink everything: John and Maria grow closer with each activity that Erin and Carlos created to break them up.
• New plan: Erin and Carlos finally succeed at breaking their parents up.
• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Erin feels guilty about breaking their parents up. Carlos disagrees with how Erin carried out the last scheme and wants nothing to do with any more of Erin’s schemes.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Erin and Carlos realize their mistake. They decide to make amends by apologizing and reunite John and Maria.
• Resolution: The parents get back together on New Year’s Eve. Carlos forgives Erin, and they recognize their feelings for each other just before the clock strikes mid-night. Both couples kiss beneath fireworks.

[Pam Ewing]

Pam’s Genre Conventions

Vision: Become a Writing Athlete

What I've learned: testing, picking and choosing, and planning moments of surprise for the more horrific

Title: The Last Resort

Concept: Ousted CEO goes to resort spa with friend only to discover it euthanizes “guests”

Genre: Dark/Black Comedy

Genre Conventions Comedy and Horror

Comedy

• PURPOSE: Maia is a Fish Out of water after her humiliating company ousting and stuck in a resort spa with her ditzy friend, Ollie.

• INCONGRUENCE: Ollie causes no end of brain-frying suggestions so Maia tries to go it alone on some treatments that end up not being as advertised. Along the way she meets a few people who don’t seem to belong but seem intent on staying.

• MECHANICS OF COMEDY: Maia’s every avenue turns into disaster even when trying to flirt with the handsome Dr. Jeremy who seemed to robotically reject her. Perhaps her problems allow her to see the evil that pervades and threatens everyone’s mortality. All roads lead to Dr. Kari.

• COMEDIC PROTAGONIST(S): Ever the straight-ma, Maia tries to convince Ollie to leave and finds her friend has been brainwashed.

• STRONG STORY: Maia uses business acumen to reverse engineer the evil production of dead bodies that feed Dr. Kari’s tissue empire.

Horror

• PURPOSE: Will Maia be able to escape, rescue Ollie and maybe get Dr. Jeremy to help?

• ISOLATION: Finding no way to communicate with the outside world, Maia is face to face with Dr. Kari but pretends to be brainwashed and in the wrong therapeutic area. Dr. Kari seems to buy it but both are on alert to the other.

• DEATH: Maia takes precautions against Dr. Kari who has sabotaged her spa therapies to kill her.

• MONSTER / VILLAIN: Dr. Kari is fascinated with how cadaver tissue can rejuvenate and has a list of people who don’t ask questions in need of her products.

• HIGH TENSION: Ollie even tries to kill Maia. Dr. Jeremy tries to kill Maia. But she has an annoying howl that is able to break through the brain fog – or some other ability to escape.

• DEPARTURE FROM REALITY: The whole spa is idyllic and set on a clifftop. One of the therapies is virtual reality simulations to help people cure their past. Although Maia stumbles into someone else’s simulation and comically tries to play along.

• MORAL STATEMENT: One of the issues is should we take our life when we are tired of life’s issues? Should our bodies be ours to dispose of or used to rejuvenate who we choose? Is the financial motivation to take a life to be exploited?

Genre conventions = Horror and Comedy

Structure = Act 1:

• Opening – Maia dreams of being awarded as CEO overseeing a successful acquisition

• Inciting Incident – but instead ends in public humiliation and banishment then she’s awaken by Ollie

• Turning Point – Ollie is whisking her defeated friend off to a secretive spa that promises to fulfill your every last desire

Act 2:

• New plan – after seeing promising Dr. Jeremy and the lux accommodations, Maia plans to embrace spa-ness life

• Plan in action – she attempts different therapies and meeting other guests but things just don’t add up and she seems to constantly mess up relaxation

• Midpoint Turning Point – she realizes the Ollie and others are being brainwashed to die

Act 3:

• Rethink everything – Maia tries to alert Ollie and another guest without success while avoiding the now suspicious Dr. Jeremy and spa owner, Dr. Kari

• New plan – break out but Ollie wants to stay and Dr. Jeremy is on Dr. Kari’s evil side

• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – breakout failure creates impending demise and confrontation with Dr. Kari

Act 4:

• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Dr. Jeremy seeks to help but gets knocked out. Ollie becomes surprisingly resourceful but ultimately Maia faces off against Dr. Kari

• Resolution – Maia is the owner of the spa which is revamped as a new hotspot that promises celebrity youthfulness thanks to Dr. Jeremy

[David Zelitzky]

David Z's Genre Conventions
VISION: I am an interesting, dependable, successful writer that people love to work with.
WHAT I LEARNED: MORE CLARITY ON GENRE CONVENTIONS. ADDING ELEMENTS TO HIGHLIGHT THEM.

ISOLATION:
DEATH:
MONSTER/VILLAIN:
HIGH TENSION:
DEPARTURE FROM REALITY:
MORAL STATEMENT
Act 1:
Opening: Coming in from a run, drinking a shake. Her brother Chris – flamboyant, sensitive, smoking pot.
FRIENDS PLANNING HER 21ST BIRTHDAY PARTY WHILE MICK DEALS DRUGS TO A HOMELESS GUY WHO HAS A VIOLENT REACTION, DISAPPEARING INTO A BRICK WALL.
TESSA WALKS TO WORK, SURE SHE IS BEING WATCHED UNTIL A FIGURE JUMPS OUT AT HER. SHE KNOWS HIM AS HE BEGS FOR MONEY BUT SHE STILL FEELS EYES ON HER.
Inciting Incident: Birthday party shows how empty and trapped she is.
Turning Point; AS CHRIS GOES OUT TO HAVE A CIGARETTE Her brother is CHARMED BY MICK WHO FLIRST SHAMELESSLY to do Devil Dust and BECOMES unresponsive. IS HE DEAD?
Act 2:
New plan: Try reviving Chris. Call Paramedics. They are brutally murdered.
Plan in action. She hears Chris. She realizes she has to follow him and get him back – the only way.
Midpoint Turning Point: Mick says he 'found' what he used and she lets him shoot her up.
HER COWORKER IS SCARED TO DEATH AND RUNS OUTSIDE. BRUTALLY MURDERED. NO ONE LEAVES HERE!!
Act 3:
As she lies lifeless next to Chris she enters his realm. HALLUCINDATING – SHE SEES her reflection. Skeletal. Pulls a nail out. Hair is falling out.
Rethink everything: She calls. Zombies come. NO ONE LETS HER GET TO CHRIS AS HE CRIES FOR HELP. WHEN SHE FINDS HIM HE DOESN'T WANT TO LEAVE. HE INSULTS HER. SAYS UNSPEAKABLE THINGS. IT'S NOT HIM BUT SHE HAS TO WONDER. DOES HE REALLY THINK ALL THIS? She has to fight them off. she is being battered and bloodied on the floor of the diner. They throw water on her. Wake her up. She's furious TO COME BACK. THE OWNER OF THE DINER THREATENS. SHE FIGHTS HIM OFF. THROWS BOILING OIL FROM THE FRYER. HE SLIPS AND SKEWERS HIMSELF. DEAD. SHE HAS TO FIND CHRIS. AT ANY COST.
New plan… do it again and don't fall for the hallucinations
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – She can't drag Chris back. They're stuck. It's been too long.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Fights with all the drugged, trapped people who don't want anyone to leave. THE ONE IN CHARGE OF THE TRAPPED TORTURES HER. CHRIS SITS BY HIS SIDE. SHE HAS TO DECIDE TO DIE TO SAVE HIM.
WHEN THEY GET BACK, BATTERED AND EXHAUSTED MICK REVEALS HIMSELF AS THE PUSHER WHO HAS TO GET THEM TO OVERDOSE FOR HIS CAREER. HE FINDS HIS FRIEND, THEY FIGHT AND MICK JABS THE NEEDLE DEEP INTO HIS NECK KILLING HIM.
Resolution: MICK PREPARES A MASSIVE DOSE FOR TESSA. HE ALMOST HITS HIS MARK BUT SHE GRABS HE NEEDLE. SCREAMING HE KNOWS IT'S THE END. CHRIS HAS VISIONS. HE CAN CONTROL MICK WHO IS FORCED TO SHOOT UP, DYING. THEY'RE DYING EVERYWHERE FROM THIS PUSHER. THE LIMO DRIVES SLOWLY PAST, LOOKING AT WHO HAS SURVIVED.
MICK DROVE HER CAR TO WORK SO TESSA AND CHRIS DRIVE OFF TO FIND WHERE THE NEXT FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL WILL BE.
CHAT GPT
• Mick emerges as the primary villain, embodying the monstrous nature of addiction and exploitation. His manipulation and control over Tessa and Chris add layers of terror to the story.
• The users under Mick's influence become monstrous figures, driven by their addiction to inflict harm on others.
• Mick emerges as the primary villain, embodying the monstrous nature of addiction and exploitation. His manipulation and control over Tessa and Chris add layers of terror to the story.
• The users under Mick's influence become monstrous figures, driven by their addiction to inflict harm on others.
• Mick emerges as the primary villain, embodying the monstrous nature of addiction and exploitation. His manipulation and control over Tessa and Chris add layers of terror to the story.
• The users under Mick's influence become monstrous figures, driven by their addiction to inflict harm on others.
• The screenplay grapples with moral dilemmas surrounding addiction, sacrifice, and the lengths one will go to save a loved one.
• Tessa's journey becomes a reflection of the moral ambiguity inherent in confronting the monstrous forces of addiction and exploitation.
• By integrating these genre conventions, your screenplay becomes a chilling tale of survival and sacrifice in the face of unimaginable horror.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  David Zelitzky.

[Andrew Foerster]

Drew’s Genre Conventions
My Vision: I am doing all that is needed to create a future where I am a well-respected Hollywood writer and have the freedom to choose the projects I put my time towards as well as working with amazing producers, directors actors, and agents/managers.
What I learned from doing this assignment is… Knowing the rules of the game for each genre gives a great framework to brainstorm the best possible ideas for your characters and story, keeping you on track to develop a script that is successful within it genre.
Title: STAR CROSSED
Concept: Two strangers (Matthew and Emma) meet after they are abducted by aliens and dumped into a field in the middle of nowhere after the aliens are done with them. They try to go back to their old lives on opposite sides of the country but discover they share a unique psychic connection which pulls them towards each other no matter how they fight it.
Genre: ROM COM (with Sci-Fi elements)
CONVENTIONS

PURPOSE: To have the audience experience falling in love again.

THE JOURNEY OF LOVE: Two people go from their “cute-meet” to denial of love to overwhelming attraction to breaking up over differences to finally reuniting and experiencing the love of their life. The journey of love take them all over from a field in Kansas, to the desert in AZ to Las Vegas for a UFO convention to an alien spacecraft in outerspace.

RELATIONSHIP SET-UP: From the moment of the “cute-meet." we see the romantic future for the couple, even if they refuse to believe it. The couple wakes up next together touching three of their fingers together. The finish each other’s sentences. They know what the other is thinking. They are physically attracted to each other right from the start.

ISSUES: Each person has an internal personal issue that must be resolved for them to truly be together. This requires personal growth for them to become a couple. Trust issues. Finding someone they feel comfortable with. Emma needs to believe in true love and find someone she feels safe with (she feels a weird sense of safety around Matthew). Matthew needs to feel worthy of love and self-confidence (something he instantly feels when he’s with Emma.

SEPARATION: Either physically or because of a specific situation, something keeps this couple apart. It is this separation that causes the audience to yearn for them to come together. They live in Portland and Chicago so geographically they are apart. They are kept apart by their respective lovers. At one point one of them is abducted again and disappears for a few days. Their fears of blowing up their old life keeps them apart.

COMEDY: Relationship and personal issues are dealt with through humor. As we laugh at the embarrassing moments on the screen, the audience feels better about their relationships. The fact that they know what each other is thinking causes funny issues. The fact they have similar dreams at night can be funny. What if your spouse or lover knew what you were thinking all the time? What if you felt the same things your lover feels. How would you act if you were in a meeting and your lover stubbed their toe or got sick to their stomach or farted??
4-ACT STRUCTURE
Act 1:
• Opening – Matthew works in IT in Portland and is engaged to a woman who isn’t right for him. Emma works in advertising in Chicago and has a casual boyfriend who she doesn’t trust.
• Inciting Incident – Emma and Matthew are abducted and then dropped in a field in the middle of nowhere in Kansas and that’s where they first meet. They have no idea how they got there. And when people suggest that they were abducted, they both deny it. As they attempt to return to their ordinary lives, they discover the inexplicable bond that draws them together.
• Turning Point – They feel a mind connection and often think the same things and feel what the other is feeling even though they are a half a country apart. They start experiencing vivid dreams of a mysterious location they've never been to. Unknown to the other, they both take a trip to this place in the desert and find each other there.
Act 2:
• New plan – Denying the significance of this encounter, Emma and Matthew try to resume their old lives. However, news of similar abductions worldwide and their growing online relationship challenge their skepticism.
• Plan in action – As they delve deeper into understanding their psychic connection. They agree to meet at a UFO convention.
• Midpoint Turning Point – Matt and Emma fall for each other instantly and kiss. But they find out that they were an experiment in bonding humans through alien psychic energy and have been abducted since they were kids.
Act 3:

• Rethink everything – This leads to doubts about their feelings and the authenticity of their love.
• New plan – They try to ignore their love and go back to their lives. But they just can’t they have to know the truth. They beg the aliens to abduct them again.
• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – They are abducted.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – The aliens remove their chip and take away their psychic bond and drop them back on earth. They discover they are still in love.
• Resolution – Six month later they get married in the same field in the middle of a crop circle.

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Andrew Foerster.

[Terrie Shaft]

Terrie’s Genre Conventions
Vision: I am paid to write screenplays that become successful movies. My process is so solid I can enjoy my equestrian hobby while exceeding expectations with my writing.
Concept: An alien crashes into an off-the-grid hippie’s house and they accidentally swap bodies.
What I learned from this assignment:
1. I went back to my notes for my 3 referent movies and dug deep to develop conventions for my narrow genre which helped me flesh out parts of the story and determine where certain things need to occur.
2. I really am getting frustrated that my AI results do not look anything like Hal’s – I spend so much time trying to make sure I’m using the prompts correctly and falling further and further behind.
My current 4 act structure:
Act 1:
• Opening – Bill is flying in his spaceship. Breaks the spaceship toilet which causes a series of malfunctions. Meanwhile, Misa gets into a heated argument with a customer at the farmer’s market over environmental concerns. Deputy Rhoades tells her to calm down go home, maybe drink some herbal tea.
• Inciting Incident – Bill crashes into Misa’s outhouse. Misa thinks it’s all a hallucination goes along with trying to fix the toilet with her blow torch. Bill is terrified of her because of her nonchalant attitude.
• Turning Point – In the process of trying to fix the spaceship toilet they trigger a device, which emits a beam that bounces off the outhouse’s broken mirror and they swap bodies. Misa dismisses it as part of her hallucination. Bill panics.
Act 2:
• New plan – The next morning, still in each other’s bodies, freaks out and realize they need to unswap bodies. The plan: figure out what caused the swap.
• Plan in action – They struggle comically with their swapped bodies’ quirks. Bill has no mechanical aptitude and doesn’t seem to understand his ship. Bill lets it slip he had gone rogue. No one is coming to find him. Misa’s is angry with Bill how could he be so irresponsible! Bigger freak out without help how can they unswap bodies?
• Midpoint Turning Point – Bill (Misa’s body) and Misa (Bill’s body) go to the farmer’s market to earn money. Bill’s (in Misa’s body) is actually a good, even if goofy, salesman.Bill’s body). Misa (Bill’s body) wears a Big Foot costume as a disguise which causes hilarious confusion at the farmer’s market. Misa (Bill’s body) is angry that Bill (Misa’s body) is better at selling her products. Deputy Rhoades sees Bill (Misa’s body) acting odd accuses her of doing hard drugs offers compassion. Misa (Bill’s body) Bill (Misa’s body) surmise’s people care about Misa but they notice she’s being nice and it threatens to blow their cover. Bill shares that his body can’t live long on Earth – too much sun, too much vitamin D the bones in his body will start to fuse.

Act 3:
• Rethink everything – with Deputy Rhoades concern, and Bill’s body not be able to handle earthy, they have to fix the space ship. They brainstorm and plan what they can try, how to get parts.
• New plan – They need an expensive part to try to fix the ship and the only chance for the money is to win best product at the upcoming Earth Day festival. They have to work together to finalize the items for the Earth Day festival. Bill (in Misa’s body) gains a newfound appreciation for nature and environmental activism, while Misa (in Bill’s body) learns about the challenges of space travel. Instead of constantly fighting, Bill and Misa start to work together. Misa (Bill’s body) attends in the Big Foot costume. As usual she gets mad about the environmental impact of the festival – don’t these people care about Earth?
• Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – Due to Bill (in Misa’s body) trying to explain the products, they don’t win best product. Bill’s body is starting to hurt. However, a major retailer (that Misa’s hates of course) that has a representative at the Earth Day festival wants to stock her products and provide the needed money.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Deputy Rhoades, noticing Bill’s odd behavior (in Misa’s body), suspects drug use and suggests rehab. It worked for him! Bill and Misa work together to convince Rhoades otherwise. Deputy Rhoades sees Bill’s actual body and freaks out. They convince him it’s from stress.
• Resolution – They fix the spaceship with the newfound funds and expertise. Bill agrees to stay in Misa’s body and let Misa in his body leaves rather than have her die from Earth’s harmful effects. However, just as they’re about to part ways, a final comedic twist occurs: Misa (in Bill’s body) tests the repaired spaceship toilet, causing sparks that reverse the swap. Bill returns home intent on making amends for going rogue and earning his place on the space team. He promises to lie and keep other aliens away from Earth. Misa recommits to working with others to save her beloved planet.

• This reply was modified 12 months ago by  Terrie Shaft.

[Charles Jessen]

Chuck’s Genre Conventions

My Vision: I am a writer/director known for a particular brand of storytelling, in both comedies and dramas, that greatly appeal to their respective markets. I have Studios, Producers, and Actors wanting to work with me.

What I learned from this assignment: AI can get corny with comedy but it does point me in a few directions and reinforces a couple of gags that I already had in my notes file. Overall, I’m learning to push the boundaries in all directions.

Genre = Comedy
Concept = When a bizarre virus from feral cats turns a town’s residents into subservient humans with cat-like behavior, two estranged scientists, former lovers, must race against time to avert a global pandemic.
Genre conventions = incongruent pairings, hilarious purpose, sight and prop humor, misinterpretation, absurd purpose, toppers, running gags, incongruent perspectives, set up/punchline, “fish out of water” situations, odd behavior

Structure =
Act 1: Introduction and Crisis Opening: The town of Limestone Springs is struck by a mysterious virus originating from cats, turning residents into subservient, cat-like beings.

Inciting Incident: The sudden murder of a Catholic priest, presumably by cats, escalates the situation, leading to the formation of a local Crisis Command Center. Tom, the local veterinarian is called to join the team. In walks Dr. Kathryn Wells, a world renown virologist and his former lover who he has not seen since graduate school and hoped to never see again. They are put together and told to work together as a team since Tom knows the local area well.

Running Gag: Residents increasingly exhibit cat-like behaviors, like purring during conversations, hissing at dogs, or getting distracted by laser pointers during serious meetings.

Incongruent Pairings: Kathryn is a serious yet vain, fame-seeking virologist, while Tom, her former lover, is a laid-back, small-town veterinarian. Their conflicting approaches to the crisis inject humor into the chaos.

Turning Point: Tom and Kathryn, after some preliminary investigations, return to the Command Center to find that the other team mates have been affected by the virus and are acting like cats. Now, as the only unaffected team members, they must find a way to work together to solve the mysterious virus.

Act 2: Deepening Mystery and Initial Confrontation New Plan:
Tom informs Katheryn that a retired (disgraced) professor they both once studied under, Dr. Klaus Von Furbol, is a recluse, living in the woods nearby. They decide to seek his opinion and advice. Dr. Furbol pretends to be helpful but directs their focus in the wrong direction. Tom and Kathryn seek out alternative sources, such as Cleo, the Cat Whisperer. Plan in Action: They discover the underground labyrinth beneath the cat food factory, leading them closer to the conspiracy’s heart. Midpoint Turning Point: Tom and Kathryn are captured and learn from Dr. Furbol about the global domination plot, marking a critical realization and heightening stakes.

Act 3: Escalation and Desperation Rethink Everything: In captivity, Tom and Kathryn reassess their strategies and personal feelings, realizing they need each other to escape and foil the plot.
New Plan and Huge Failure: During their first escape, Tom uses a cat-toy swinging-pendulum technique to distract guards. The escape briefly, but are captured again.

Act 4: Climax and Resolution Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: Using the antidote and their scientific and local knowledge, Tom and Kathryn manage to administer it through the town’s water supply, effectively saving the townspeople and disrupting the global plot. Resolution: The town is restored, and Tom and Kathryn’s bond is renewed. They emerge not just as heroes but as a couple prepared to face the future together, acknowledging their past mistakes and embracing their new roles in life and with each other.

Absurd Purpose: The entire virus situation is handled with an undercurrent of dark, absurd humor, highlighting the ridiculousness of the scenario and the over-the-top reactions of the townspeople.

[Diane Denham]

Bonnie’s Genre Conventions
Vision for the future: I see myself becoming a 200% better writer and having at least one script produced within the year 2024-2025.
What I learned doing this assignment is how to pull out the nuggets from AI's responses regarding genre conventions and then integrating what works into the structure.
Title: ALIENS ON A PLANE
Genre: Sci-Fi Comedy
4-Act Structure = Act 1:
• Opening: Three rival extraterrestrial travel agents prepare their tourists for launching vacations via Teleportation, Time Travel, and Multidimensional journeys. On future Earth, Xiola prepares to be transported into the past on a secret mission.
• Inciting Incident: A malfunction occurs, transporting the agents and tourists onto a commercial airline mid-flight. A whole new kettle of fish-out-of-water!
• Turning Point: Xiola materializes on the plane amidst the confusion, where she has a comic encounter with a quirky ET called Quarky, then clashes with charismatic ET, Zartuuf, igniting feelings of repulsion and sexual attraction.
Act 2:
• New plan: The group realizes they must adapt to their new surroundings and devises a plan to blend in while investigating the malfunction.
• Plan in action: Disguised as flight crew and passengers, they search for clues while facing humorous challenges, cultural misunderstandings and glitches in spacetime.
• Midpoint Turning Point: Xiola and Zartuuf continue their investigation in the hold of the plane, where Zartuuf’s tiny ET pet goes missing. In the cramped space, things heat up and they have sex.
Act 3:
• Rethink everything: Xiola and Zartuuf agree to cool down their emotions, refocus their energy on the investigation, and try to mitigate the growing suspicion among the passengers.
• New plan: They recruit Quarky, the other agents and tourists to search discreetly for clues, but their unusual behavior and devices raise suspicions, leading to misunderstandings and their cover is blown.
• Turning Point: Bizarre, often humorous consequences from the multidimensional malfunction escalate, exposing the group's true identities and intentions. Busted!
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Xiola, Zartuuf, and Quarky uncover evidence of a grand conspiracy involving monopolizing powerful secret multidimensional technologies orchestrated by Xiola’s organization and an extraterrestrial conglomerate.
• Resolution: Xiola rallies Zartuuf, Quarky, and the passengers to use their unique skills to defeat the conspirators. This leads to a series of comedic confrontations, showcasing the bizarre abilities and traits of each character. Finally, The Cosmic Federation opens the technology for the free use of the public. Xiola, Zartuuf and Quarky become its Ambassadors.

[Farrin Rosenthal]

Farrin Rosenthal’s Genre Conventions

Farrin’s Vision: To do what it takes to become a highly paid A-List Hollywood writer whose produced movies will entertain audiences around the world.

What I learned doing this assignment is how to add genre conventions to my 4-act transformational structure. Each of the main genres have conventions the audience expects to see and experience. My story is an Action Western, so I need to make sure to include action conventions within a wild west setting. I've included two structures below. The second adds some genre conventions. It is just a working example. I'm still working on the outline and story, but it gives me a lot to think about, and reminds me to make every genre convention as strong as possible.

Title: Shadows of Justice

Genre: Action Western

Concept: Devastated by her father’s brutal murder at the hands of a ruthless outlaw gang, a refined 19th-century college student joins her sorority sisters to form the “Shadows of Justice.” Together, they blend their unique skills and diverse backgrounds to pursue vengeance, justice, and redemption across the Wild West. To save the town, the three young women of the “Shadows of Justice” face the impossible goal of defeating 100 heavily-armed outlaws.

Lesson 6 Structure:
Act 1: Old Ways

Opening: Introduce Eleanor “Rose” Turner, a refined college student living a sheltered life in the city.
Inciting Incident: Rose’s father, the Sheriff of a mining town, is brutally murdered by Calvin Stone and his outlaw gang.
Turning Point: Rose, devastated by her father’s death, decides to take action and seek justice.

Act 2: New Plan

New Plan: Rose joins forces with her college friends Dakota “Red Cloud” Davis and Lillian “Lily” Monroe to form the “Shadows of Justice” and pursue vengeance.
Plan in Action: They train under Professor Cassidy Kane, learning the skills needed to survive and fight in the Wild West.
Midpoint Turning Point: The Shadows of Justice set out on their mission to save the town, facing initial challenges and obstacles.

Act 3: Rethink Everything

Rethink Everything: As they encounter setbacks and difficulties, Rose begins to question her initial approach and leadership.
New Plan: The group reevaluates their strategy and strengthens their resolve to take down Calvin Stone and his gang.
Turning Point: Huge Failure/Major Shift: Despite their efforts, the Shadows of Justice suffer a major setback, forcing Rose to confront her doubts and fears.

Act 4: Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict

Climax: The Shadows of Justice engage in an epic showdown with Calvin Stone and his heavily-armed outlaw gang, culminating in a tense and action-packed confrontation.
Resolution: Rose emerges victorious, defeating the outlaws and saving the town. She assumes the role of the new Sheriff, embodying the transformation from a sheltered college student to a fierce leader and protector of justice in the Wild West.

New Structure with added genre conventions:
Act 1: Old Ways

Opening: As Rose navigates the bustling streets of the city, we see glimpses of her sheltered life juxtaposed with the rugged, untamed landscapes of the Wild West through fleeting newspaper headlines and posters.
Inciting Incident: Calvin Stone's outlaw gang storms into the mining town with guns blazing, causing chaos and destruction as they ruthlessly execute Rose's father in a tense standoff. The scene is punctuated by the thunderous sound of gunfire and the sight of billowing dust clouds.
Turning Point: Rose witnesses her father's murder and is forced to confront the harsh realities of the frontier. Her resolve hardens as she vows to seek vengeance against those responsible, setting the stage for her transformation from a sheltered city dweller to a formidable force in the Wild West.

Act 2: New Plan

New Plan: Rose, Dakota, and Lily embark on a perilous journey across the unforgiving terrain of the Wild West, evading pursuit and honing their survival skills as they prepare to confront Calvin Stone and his gang. Along the way, they encounter hostile Native American tribes, treacherous outlaws, and the harsh elements of the wilderness.
Plan in Action: Under the grizzled guidance of Professor Cassidy Kane, the Shadows of Justice undergo rigorous training sessions that include intense horseback riding, marksmanship drills, and hand-to-hand combat techniques. Each member harnesses their unique abilities, with Dakota showcasing her expertise in tracking and wilderness survival, and Lily demonstrating her proficiency with firearms and strategic planning.
Midpoint Turning Point: In a pulse-pounding shootout at a remote outpost, the Shadows of Justice face off against a small faction of Calvin Stone's gang, showcasing their newfound skills and resourcefulness in a thrilling display of action and firepower.

Act 3: Rethink Everything

Rethink Everything: As tensions escalate and alliances are tested, Rose grapples with doubts about her ability to lead the Shadows of Justice and doubts whether they can truly overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against them. Amidst the chaos, she finds solace in the wisdom of Professor Kane, who imparts the hard-earned lessons of his outlaw past.
New Plan: With renewed determination, the Shadows of Justice regroup and devise a daring plan to infiltrate Calvin Stone's fortified stronghold, navigating a labyrinth of underground tunnels and secret passages while evading detection by his watchful sentries.
Turning Point: Their plan goes awry when they fall into a trap set by Calvin Stone, leading to a harrowing showdown in the heart of his lair. Surrounded on all sides by Stone's heavily armed henchmen, Rose must confront her deepest fears and summon the courage to face her nemesis head-on.

Act 4: Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict

Climax: The final showdown between the Shadows of Justice and Calvin Stone's gang erupts into a ferocious battle royale, with bullets flying, fists flying, and explosions rocking the landscape. The air is thick with smoke and the deafening roar of gunfire as the two sides clash in a desperate bid for survival.
Resolution: In a climactic showdown atop a rocky cliff overlooking the town, Rose confronts Calvin Stone in a tense standoff that culminates in a heart-stopping duel. As the sun sets on the horizon, she emerges victorious, standing tall as the new Sheriff of the town and a symbol of hope for a brighter future in the Wild West.

[hari messer]

Hari's Genre Conventions

My Vision: I want to write screenplays that enable me to work with like minded creative people in the industry to produce profound movies that will have a long lasting positive effect on the world.

What I learned… Using Genre Conventions tightens up the script and keeps it on point

Act 1:
Opening: As Colt McBride drives into Jefferson, the visuals emphasize the stark contrast between the bustling, technologically advanced big city he's leaving behind and the quiet, seemingly idyllic small town of Jefferson. Advanced alien technology subtly integrated into everyday life hints at the fantastic world hidden beneath the surface.

Inciting Incident: When Colt discovers the morphing body in the lake, the scene is crafted to evoke a sense of wonder and dread. The creature's transformation is accompanied by eerie visual and sound effects, emphasizing the otherworldly nature of the threat Colt has stumbled upon.

Turning Point: Sheriff Del Beck's confrontation with Colt crackles with tension and foreshadows the life-and-death stakes to come. Beck's ironclad control of Jefferson is depicted through subtle visual cues, such as surveillance cameras and alien technology hidden in plain sight.

Act 2:
New Plan: Colt's partnership with Mayor Hal Burton and his team underscores the social commentary aspect of the story. Burton's desire to challenge Beck's authority reflects the town's simmering discontent and sets the stage for the power struggle to come.

Plan in Action: As Colt delves deeper into the conspiracy, the mystery, intrigue, and suspense intensify. The water company's unscrupulous dealings are revealed through a series of tense confrontations and narrow escapes, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

Midpoint Turning Point: Colt's burgeoning romance with Jamaica Daly takes on added significance as he grapples with the revelation of her alien heritage. The scene where she morphs into reptilian form is a visually stunning and emotionally charged turning point, heightening the suspense and deepening Colt's personal stakes in the conflict.

Act 3:
Rethink Everything: The revelation of Jamaica's true identity adds a new layer of complexity to the story, allowing for deeper exploration of themes such as identity, belonging, and betrayal. Evelyn's decision to reveal the aliens' sinister plans sets the stage for the climactic showdown.

New Plan: As the tension mounts, Colt and Jamaica devise a daring plan to expose the alien presence at the 4th of July celebration. Their race against time to thwart Beck's machinations and keep Jamaica safe drives the narrative towards its explosive climax.

Turning Point: Beck's betrayal and Hal Burton's true nature as the alien in charge deliver a gut-wrenching twist that raises the stakes to their highest point yet. Colt's desperate struggle to save Jamaica and stop the alien invasion propels the story towards its thrilling conclusion.

Act 4:
Climax: The climactic showdown at the 4th of July celebration is a visual and emotional tour de force, with Colt's heroic sacrifice and Jamaica's shocking transformation leading to a heart-stopping moment of reckoning. Colt's final confrontation with Hal Burton is a pulse-pounding battle of wills that culminates in a breathtaking revelation that changes everything.

Resolution: As humanity unites to defeat the alien threat, Colt's journey comes full circle as he faces the unknown future with newfound courage and resolve. The final scene, as he and Jake ride off into the sunset, hints at new adventures yet to come in the fantastic world of "Morph."

• This reply was modified 11 months ago by  hari messer.

[John Trimbach]

John’s Genre Conventions

Vision: sell or option 2 scripts and hire a manager – this year!

What I learned is that AI came up with a few additional ways to honor the Thriller genre.

Title: Be Still

Concept: A new sheriff is hired to solve mysterious murders in a small desert town but he doesn’t know that the family he abandoned 15 years ago is setting him up as the killer.

Genre: Thriller
Thriller conventions: plot twists, high stakes, suspense derived from the danger, life and death, villain intrigue, hero is unknowing, unwitting, and resourceful, lots of tension, anticipation, uncertainty, and surprise.
ACT I

FB – Younger Walter, a 36-year-old sailor, after a 14-year absence, stops for a 1-night stand before making his way home. He’s shocked to find out his wife has remarried and had a son and his daughter has run off. Walter leaves, angry and depressed.

Present Day (15 Years Later)
Opening
The new Sheriff, Walter Egan, 51, is in hot pursuit of car thieves. He follows them at breakneck speed but backs off when he sees a sharp turn up ahead. But the car races ahead flips over and explodes into flames.

Walter calls in the crash to his deputy, Clare. She sends fire and rescue. Walter tells her the crash is near the turnoff to the old Brown house, the site of unsolved murders. Walter is on the news.

• Morris plants false evidence to frame Walter:
1. Coincidental Evidence: Morris arranges for items from Walter's past, such as an old sailor's knife with his initials, to be found near the crime scenes.
2. Misleading Clues: He leaves personal items of Walter at the scene, such as a handkerchief with Walter's initials.
3. Falsified Letters: Morris creates letters that suggest Walter had a motive for the murders, such as blackmail threats.
4. Planted Witnesses: Morris bribes or coerces individuals to testify that they saw Walter near the old brown house around the time of the murders.
5. Tampered Footage: Morris manipulates surveillance footage to show Walter in suspicious locations at critical times.

MORRIS TRACKS DOWN ONE OF WALTER’S OLD SHIPMATES WHO TELLS HIM HOW WALTER FREED THE MEN FROM A PIRATE’S PRISON BY CUTTING THE THROATS OF 3 GUARDS.

Inciting incident
A mysterious couple tries to lure Walter to his death by speeding by him. He gives chase but backs off, loses them. THE PEOPLE AT THE DINER SEEM UNSETTLED, APREHENSIVE ABOUT THEIR NEW SHERIFF. THE WHOLE TOWN IS UNDER TENSION.

TP
Near the Brown House – Night
A couple of squatters are attacked, one sliced and diced, the other escapes. The mysterious killer has returned.

ACT II

New Plan:

Walter responds to the anonymous call along with an FBI agent. Perhaps now the murders can be solved. AN ANONYMOUS CALLER IMPLICATES WALTER IS INVOLVED IN THE MURDER. CLARE IS CURIOUS.

Plan in action:

Walter takes the bait this time tails the couple to the Brown house. He sees them take off on foot. Deputy Clare is on here way for backup. SHE TELLS WALTER THAT THE OWNER’S NAME HAS BEEN TRACKED DOWN BY THE FBI – IT’S WALTER’S NAME!

Mdpt TP

Deputy Clare is mauled to death at the Brown House. Walter and the FBI investigate. Walter is now a suspect. WALTER PURSUES THE COUPLE ON FOOT AND TEARS HIS SHIRT OF BRAMBLES, LEAVING A BLOOD STAIN. THEY FIND HER BODY CLAWED TO DEATH IN A THICKET OF BRAMBLES. FBI AGENT NOTICES THAT CLARE NEVER UNHOLSTERED HER WEAPON. HE BEGINS TO SUSPECT WALTER.

ACT III

Rethink everything.
Walter must quickly solve the case in order to absolve himself. He returns to the Brown house, gets knocked out. He comes to, tied to a chair.

New Plan: Escape the interrogation death tribunal by a man and woman, Morris and Mara.

TP: Huge Failure/Major Shift
Mara tells Walter he’s her father and that’s why he’s responsible for everything. Then she reveals her dark secret. Walter is overcome with regret.

ACT IV

Final Plan

Walter gets free and tries to escape, caught by Morris. Mara stops him from hitting Morris by producing her crazy sister, the killer. And then she reveals her secret. Walter is overcome with regret.

Climax

Morris comes to, poised to kill Walter. Fight begins, fire starts. Morris tries to rescue the sister but both get caught in the flames. Brown house burns down. Walter and Mara narrowly escape.

Resolution:
Walter and Margaret leave arm in arm, reunited.

Version 2 With More Thriller Elements:

ACT I

FB – Younger Walter, a 36-year-old sailor, after a 14-year absence, stops for a 1-night stand before making his way home. He’s shocked to find out his wife has remarried and had a son and his daughter has run off. Walter leaves, angry and depressed.

Present Day (15 Years Later)

Opening
The new Sheriff, Walter Egan, 51, is in hot pursuit of car thieves. He follows them at breakneck speed but backs off when he sees a sharp turn up ahead. But the car races ahead flips over and explodes into flames.

Walter calls in the crash to his deputy, Clare. She sends fire and rescue. Walter tells her the crash is near the turnoff to the old Brown house, the site of unsolved murders. Walter is on the news.

Inciting incident
A mysterious couple tries to lure Walter to his death by speeding by him. He gives chase but backs off, loses them.

TP
Near the Brown House – Night
A couple of squatters are attacked, one sliced and diced, the other escapes. The mysterious killer has returned.

ACT II

New Plan:
Walter responds to the anonymous call along with an FBI agent. Perhaps now the murders can be solved.

Plan in action:
Walter takes the bait this time tails the couple to the Brown house. He sees them take off on foot. Deputy Clare is on her way for backup.

Mdpt TP
. Deputy Clare is mauled to death NEAR the Brown House. Walter and the FBI AGENT investigate.

ACT III

Rethink everything.
Walter’s Struggle:
• Walter becomes increasingly isolated as the townspeople begin to turn against him. He starts to piece together his troubled history about his family but the full picture remains elusive.

Walter must quickly solve the case in order to absolve himself. He returns to the Brown house, gets knocked out. He comes to, tied to a chair.

New Plan: Escape the interrogation death tribunal by a man and woman, Morris and Mara. MORRIS BRAGS ABOUT ALL THE WAYS HE’S SET HIM UP TO TAKE THE FALL.

TP: Huge Failure/Major Shift

Mara tells Walter he’s her father and that’s why he’s responsible for everything. Then she reveals her dark secret. Walter is overcome with regret.

ACT IV
Final Plan

Walter gets free and tries to escape, caught by Morris. Mara stops him from hitting Morris by producing her crazy sister, the killer. And then she reveals her DARK secret. Walter is overcome with regret.

Climax
Morris comes to, poised to kill Walter. Fight begins, LAMP KNOCKED OVER, fire starts. Morris tries to rescue the sister but both get caught in the flames. Brown house burns down. Walter and Mara narrowly escape.

Resolution:
Walter and Margaret leave arm in arm, reunited AND RECONCILED.

Other AI ideas:FBI AGENT FINDS WALTER’S FINGERPRINTS INSIDE THE HOUSE.
Enhancements:
• Character Depth: Develop deeper backstories for Walter, Mara, and Morris to enhance their motivations and emotional arcs.
• Suspenseful Moments: Include scenes that build suspense through close calls, red herrings, and unexpected twists.
• Visual Tension: Use the desolate desert setting to create a sense of isolation and danger, heightening the thriller elements.

• This reply was modified 11 months ago by  John Trimbach.

[Tom Wilson]

Tom’s Genre Conventions
My vision to be capable of learning and writing the producer’s vision of the script he wants to do.
Doing this assignment, I confirmed I get better brainstorming ideas when I use AI.
Genre = Thriller
Title = Terrible Swift Sword
Concept = What if a U.S. general abruptly orders all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan so he can run for President? Here’s the twist: he must blackmail a popular Afghan scientist to marry him so voters will forget he let the Afghans fall into the hands of the bloodthirsty Taliban.

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

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

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

HERO: Unknowing, unwitting, but resourceful hero

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

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

4 Act Transformational Structure:
Act 1:
Opening:
• Teaser: To get a PhD to help Sara find a cure for the disease afflicting her people including her mother, she must marry Ratkin and help him get elected. Sara is devastated because she must break up with her true love, Matt, who gets wounded and evacuated to a military hospital. Reluctantly, she boards Ratkin’s plane with her brother Zeno whom Ratkin kicks off the plane because he’s a “queer.” Zeno chases the plane, waves a sword, screams he will kill Ratkin.
Act One:
• Introduce Sara Amed, brilliant, popular Afghan scientist who’s in a secret love affair with Matt.
• General Ratkin is introduced as a powerful, ambitious U.S. general eyeing the presidency.
• Establish the political tension, with U.S. troops still present but rumors of an abrupt withdrawal.
Inciting Incident:
• General Ratkin announces the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, destabilizing the region.
• Reluctantly, she boards Ratkin’s plane with her brother Zeno whom Ratkin kicks off the plane because he’s a “queer.” Zeno chases the plane, waves a sword, screams he will kill Ratkin.
• Taliban quickly moves in, escalating danger for Sara and her loved ones.
Turning Point: Sara accompanies Ratkin to the U.S. She starts her PhD program at Berkeley. By days, she teaches med students. By night, she conducts her research.
Act 2:
New Plan:
• When they arrive in the U.S., at a press conference Ratkin announces his engagement to Sara.
• Sara gets on her PhD path at Berkeley. By day, she teaches med students. By night, she does her research under constant surveillance to find a cure to the disease.
• Plan in Action:
• Sara marries Ratkin and moves to the U.S., starting her research under constant surveillance.
• She begins to covertly investigate Ratkin, using her scientific knowledge and connections.
Midpoint Turning Point:
• Because his party won’t nominate Ratkin because he betrayed her people, he demands the very popular Sara marry him so voters will overlook his baggage. Sara says, Hell, no! In response, Ratkin tells the FBI Sara is the terrorist rumored to be planning to kill Ratkin.
• FBI agents confront Sara in her classroom. Students block them. Sara flees.
Midpoint Turning Point:
• Sara returns to Afghanistan to find the real terrorist so she can clear her name.

Act 3:
Rethink Everything:
• Her mother Fazela condition is worse, she is hospitalized.
• Her brother Zeno joined the Taliban and plans to kill Ratkin. Zeno is the real terrorist!
• The Vice President, who’s next in line to be President, is caught in a sting operation selling top secrets to an undercover agent posing as an Iranian spy. But the VP is an unindictable coconspirator!
• The party chairman finds Ratkin’s the only alternative Presidential.

New Plan:
• Recovered from his wounds, Matt signs up with Ratkin’s security detail so he can protect Sara.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift:
• Zeno sneaks into the U.S. and practices firing a Sword missile in the desert.
• The plan goes awry when Ratkin discovers the leak attempt and retaliates violently, putting Sara and her allies in grave danger.
• Sara faces a moment of despair but finds a renewed determination to bring Ratkin down.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict:
• Sara orchestrates a high-stakes confrontation with Ratkin during a major public event, risking everything to expose him.
• In a thrilling sequence, she manages to unveil Ratkin’s corruption live, using her scientific evidence and the help of her allies.
Resolution:
• Ratkin is a real loser as President.
• Sara is transformed into a courageous and resourceful hero who has navigated immense personal and political turmoil. She has learned to balance her personal sacrifices with her duty to a greater cause, emerging stronger and more determined than ever.

Genre Conventions Detailed
• High Stakes: The potential collapse of Afghanistan, the blackmailing marriage, and the political ramifications of Ratkin’s ambitions.
• Life and Death Situations: Constant threats from the Taliban, Ratkin’s retaliation, and the danger to Sara’s loved ones.
• Mystery/Intrigue/Suspense: The covert investigation into Ratkin’s activities, the hidden motives, and the suspense of Sara’s every move being monitored.
• Unknowing, Unwitting, but Resourceful Hero: Sara starts as an unsuspecting scientist but becomes a determined investigator and whistleblower.
• Dangerous, Devious, and Unrelenting Villain: Ratkin embodies the ruthless antagonist, using his power to manipulate and destroy.
• Main Emotions: The screenplay is packed with suspense, intrigue, mystery, and tension, keeping the audience on edge with constant anticipation and surprise.

[Dawn C Crouch]

Dawn Crouch’s Genre Conventions

My vision is that I want to learn and write better, more marketable scripts.

What I learned from this assignment is to keep moving forward.

Title – On The Half Shell – 4-Act Structure – Version 1:

Genre – Drama

Concept – A hot-shot corporate lawyer, James Fontenot, returns to the Louisiana Bayou to defend his estranged father, Enes Xavier’s oyster bed from an oil company’s encroachment and uncovers secrets about his father’s past life as a renowned chef and sabotage that threatens the future of his father’s legacy.

1. Act 1:

Opening: James returns to Louisiana to defend his father’s oyster bed.

Inciting Incident: Discovery of sabotage and bribery; meets Odette.

Act I Turning Point: Enes’s revelation of his past as a renowned chef.

Act 2:

New Plan: Investigates sabotage and corporate conspiracy.

Plan in Action: Finds evidence and allies among the local fishermen.

Act II Midpoint Turning Point: Learns about Odette’s manipulation and blackmail regarding Enes’s past.

Act 3:

Rethink Everything: James reevaluates his relationships and beliefs.

New Plan: James organizes a community dinner to showcase Enes’s culinary heritage.

Act III Turning Point: Major Shift: Partial success at the dinner; discovers Enes’s hidden culinary achievements.

Act 4:

Climax: Courtroom showdown against the oil company.

Resolution: Victory in court, community support, and family reconciliation.

Denouement: James stays in the bayou, combining his legal skills with his new passion for his cultural heritage.

Version 2: With Genre Improvements:

Act 1:

• Opening:
Setting the Scene: James Fontenot, a high-powered corporate lawyer in New York, is introduced through scenes emphasizing his detachment and material success.

He receives a call about the legal threat to his father’s oyster bed.

Return to Bayou: James’s return to Louisiana is depicted as a stark contrast to his New York life—lush, untamed bayou scenery versus the concrete jungle. His discomfort is palpable, both with the setting and the people, highlighting his emotional and cultural disconnect.

Estranged Father: James’s awkward reunion with Enes is laced with unspoken tension and unresolved issues. Enes is as reluctant to accept James’s help as James is to give it.

• Inciting Incident:

Discovery of Sabotage: James stumbles upon evidence of tampering with the oyster beds—dead oysters, oily residues, and subtle signs of intrusion.

Meeting Odette: Enter Odette, the charming yet tough lawyer for the oil company. Sparks fly, but they are clearly on opposite sides of the fight. Their initial encounters are tense and filled with professional posturing but underlying personal intrigue.

• Act 1 Turning Point:

Enes’s Revelation: During a heated argument, Enes accidentally reveals his past as a renowned chef. This is a shock to James, who only knew his father as a rough oyster fisherman.

• Act 2:

New Plan:
Investigating Sabotage: James investigates the sabotage, working through layers of local resistance and mistrust.

Building Bridges: James starts interacting more with the local fishermen and community members, slowly earning their trust.

• Plan in Action:
Collecting Evidence: Scenes of James out on the water, gathering samples, and visiting local businesses to piece together evidence… in a vulnerable and unfamiliar environment.

Allies Among Locals: James finds unexpected allies in the local fishermen who have suspicions about the oil company and corrupt local officials who want to control the bayou.

• Midpoint Turning Point:
Odette's Manipulation: James learns that Odette is blackmailing Enes with the knowledge of the tragic incident where two people died from paralytic shellfish toxin, which drove him from his culinary career.

Act 3:
• Rethink Everything:
Emotional Confrontation: James and Enes have a cathartic confrontation about their past, Enes’s shame, and the reasons behind their estrangement.

Odette’s Role: James also confronts his feelings for Odette, torn between their growing personal connection and her role in the oil company’s plans.

• New Plan:

Community Dinner: Inspired by Enes’s culinary legacy, James organizes a community dinner using oysters from the threatened beds.

Preparation Scenes: The scenes of James and Enes working together in the kitchen highlight their emotional bonding and James’s discovery of his latent passion for his father’s craft.

• Turning Point: Major Shift:

Partial Success: The community dinner draws a large crowd, including local media and supporters. However, when the oil company representatives learn oysters are on the menu, they refuse to eat, casting doubt on the safety and quality of the oysters. Despite this, the event successfully rallies the community, spotlighting Enes’s culinary talents.

Hidden Achievements: James discovers old awards and recipes among Enes’s belongings, revealing the depth of his father’s culinary excellence and the pride he once took in his work.

Act 4: Resolution and Rebirth

• Climax:

Courtroom Showdown: James, fully committed to his father and the community, uses his legal prowess and the evidence gathered to challenge the oil company’s encroachment.

Personal and Public Victory: The judge rules in favor of Enes and the local community, acknowledging their rights and the evidence of foul play.

• Resolution:

Community Support: The courtroom victory galvanizes the community, which rallies around Enes and James. The oil company is forced to back down, and plans are made to restore and protect the oyster beds.

Family Reconciliation: James and Enes share a heartfelt moment. James’s transformation is complete; he’s no longer a detached corporate lawyer but a man who understands and values his roots and community.

• Denouement:

James’s New Path: James stays in the bayou, integrating his legal skills with his newfound passion for his cultural heritage. He works with the community on future projects and opens a small restaurant that honors his father’s culinary legacy and the bayou’s traditions.

Symbolic Closure: The film closes with a scene of James, Enes, and the community enjoying a meal together, signifying unity, renewal, and the enduring spirit of the bayou.

• This reply was modified 10 months, 2 weeks ago by  Dawn C Crouch.

[Rebecca Smith]

Becky’s Build in the Genre Conventions
Vision: I am an extraordinary writer – prolific, produced, profound, joyful, and well-paid – who writes stories that entertain and inspire.

Title: GOLDSTRIKE
GENRE: Action Thriller with supernatural elements
What I learned doing this assignment is it’s great to use AI when I get stuck to help me keep moving forward and give me a starting point for crafting the story. Running my four act structure through AI for the Action Genre Convention did’t change it all that much. When I added Thriller Genre, that upped the game a bit. AI created an opening scene I preferred and cut out a lot of extra detail I did not need at this point.

Act 1: Setup
Purpose: Introduce the protagonist, the setting, and the central conflict, establishing the stakes and setting up the action.
Opening Image: Start with a stunning aerial shot of the scenic, touristy mountain community with the abandoned gold mine in the background. Establish the tranquility and beauty of the place.
Protagonist Introduction: Daytona Levesque returns home: Daytona, a former Navy SEAL suffering from PTSD, comes back to his hometown seeking peace and recovery during the Christmas season. He is tense, keeping his distance from his estranged father despite the warm reception from his loyal dog, Nugget.
Daytona's emotional journey: Daytona visits the local library, hoping to find Linda, but instead he admires the Miwok hand-woven baskets on display. He then visits his mother’s grave, which has a tombstone with a similar pattern, sitting in silence, reflecting on his past and loss.
Antagonist Introduction: Introduce Joe, the obsessed treasure hunter. Show his determination and obsession with finding gold. Maybe he's poring over old maps and documents in a makeshift office.
Introduction of the secondary characters and subplots:
Linda Esperanza: Linda, the town librarian and historian, encounters Joe Turner, her ex, at the Emerald Mine State Park. Joe's suggestive remarks about hunting treasure make Linda uneasy. She rejects his dinner invitation, reminding him of his responsibilities towards their son, Ethan, who is now a high school student.
Joe's ambition: Joe inspects The Secret Room in the park, revealing a detailed model of the mine with its extensive underground passages running deep beneath the town. His obsession with finding the legendary treasure is evident.
Inciting Incident:
Joe's plan revealed: Linda and Daytona discover Joe's purchase of the mineral rights to the mine. Alarmed, they notify the townspeople and initiate a petition against the reopening. Linda's son, Ethan, helps spread the word through social media.
Turning Point:
Town meeting scheduled: The city council schedules a meeting on Christmas Eve to address the issue. The entire town shows up to protest, forcing Joe to move to Plan B.
Act 2: Confrontation
New Plan:
Mercenaries arrive: Joe calls in his mercenaries to forcibly open the mine. The town is thrown into chaos as armed men begin to take control.
Research and realization: Daytona and Linda dig deeper into Joe's motives. They discover that Joe is not just after gold but a legendary treasure, increasing the stakes and the danger to the town.
Plan in Action:
Cursed treasure: As Daytona and Linda uncover more about the treasure, they learn it is cursed, adding a supernatural element to the threat.
Midpoint Turning Point:
Dangerous conditions: Joe has falsified documents declaring the mine safe. In reality, the mine's infrastructure is severely compromised, with rusted supports and flooded shafts posing serious risks. Confrontations between townspeople and mercenaries escalate.
Act 3: Crisis
Rethink Everything:
Mercenaries go rogue: Tensions rise as mercenaries take hostages. Joe, driven by greed, leads the charge, strategizing how to leverage the hostages.
Mine shaft collapse: A major mine shaft collapses, trapping Joe, the mercenaries, and the hostages. Daytona and Nugget begin a desperate search for an alternate entrance to rescue them.
New Plan:
Daytona’s training and intuition: Guided by his SEAL training and land spirits, Daytona navigates the booby-trapped tunnels. The remaining mercenaries hunt Daytona and the rescue team, intensifying the conflict.
Turning Point:
Race against time: Daytona uses his skills and spiritual guidance to avoid traps and find the hostages. The danger from both the collapsing mine and the mercenaries peaks, creating a tense, high-stakes environment.
Act 4: Climax and Resolution
Climax:
Cat and mouse: Daytona confronts Joe in a final showdown, overcoming his PTSD to save the hostages. The ghosts of miners aid Daytona, while Nugget assists by detecting traps and leading the way.
Battle for the treasure: Both sides fight fiercely over the treasure. As Joe reaches for it, Nugget intervenes, and Daytona and the townspeople work together to push the chest into the flooded shaft, rendering it unretrievable.
Resolution:
Escape and justice: Daytona and the survivors find an exit with Nugget's help. The police arrest Joe and his mercenaries. The town council officially denies the mine's reopening, and Daytona reconciles with his father and embraces his heritage.
New beginning: Daytona, now more open and trusting, balances his dual identities and leads his community, using his unique skills to protect and guide them.

This detailed breakdown incorporates the conventions of the Action Thriller genre, ensuring a fast-paced, adrenaline-filled narrative with escalating action, a capable and skilled hero, clearly malicious antagonists, and high stakes throughout the story.
Incorporating Thriller Conventions
Purpose: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and suspense that never lets up until the adrenaline-packed climax.
Life and Death Situations:
Constant danger: Throughout the story, Daytona, Linda, and the townspeople face continuous threats from the mercenaries, the unstable mine, and the curse of the treasure. Each step presents physical, emotional, or mental danger, maintaining high tension.
Plot Twists:
Joe's real target: The revelation that Joe is after a legendary, cursed treasure, not just gold, introduces a significant twist, heightening suspense and stakes.
Cursed treasure: The curse on the treasure adds an unpredictable supernatural element, complicating the characters' actions and increasing the danger.
Mine collapse: The collapse of the mine and the entrapment of key characters create a major twist, pushing Daytona to use all his skills and intuition to navigate the perilous situation.
Escalating Tension:
Mercenaries’ increasing aggression: As the mercenaries become more desperate and rogue, their actions escalate, leading to more violent confrontations.
Hostage situation: The taking of hostages by the mercenaries intensifies the urgency and danger, forcing Daytona and the townspeople to take decisive action.
Final showdown: The climactic battle in the mine tunnels, with supernatural elements and life-threatening obstacles, ensures a thrilling and adrenaline-packed conclusion.
This structure ensures a compelling narrative that aligns with both Action and Thriller conventions, keeping the audience engaged with continuous suspense, high stakes, and escalating action.

[Sylvia Krawczyk]

WIM+AI – Module 2 -Lesson 6: Build In The Genre Conventions
Sylvia’s Genre Conventions
My vision from this program is to challenge myself in my writing genre and write my most amazing script to date.
What I learned doing this assignment is…it’s interesting how many ideas come to mind in how this can go. It is best at this point to ignore them and let the main picture points grow. The details and twists are non-ending depending on the main points.
ASSIGNMENT
Title: Identity Crises
Concept: An artist's unexpected reunion with her first love reveals mutual passion that turns to sinister betrayal leading to a crises that unravels her life.
Genre: Romantic Thriller
List of the conventions for your chosen genre:
Thriller:
PURPOSE: To thrill your audience with high stakes, plot twists, and suspense that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.
LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS. They face danger at every step — either physically, emotionally, or mentally. The hero needs to either be in danger or there is the implication of future danger.
MYSTERY/INTRIGUE/SUSPENSE: There's a mystery that must be solved in order to survive. Intrigue is the underhanded and covert Villain’s plan. Suspense comes from the danger the Hero faces.
HERO: Unknowing, unwitting, but resourceful hero
VILLAIN: Dangerous, devious, and unrelenting. Committed to destroy anyone who gets in their way.
MAIN EMOTIONS: Suspense, intrigue, mystery, tension, anticipation, uncertainty, and surprise.

Brainstorm ways to deliver the conventions more effectively and build those parts into your
4-Act Structure.

Act 1:
Opening:
Hope Harwood, a successful artist, is emotionally disconnected from her life, her marriage to Will, and her creative process. At her art exhibit featuring older, successful works, she feels trapped in her past achievements and a loveless marriage suppressing her true desires.

Inciting Incident:
A fire breaks out at the gallery, damaging some of Hope’s older works. An art dealer presses her to create new art to cover the damages, forcing her to confront her creative stagnation and self-doubt.

Turning Point:
Hope discovers that Will is having an affair with her brother, Michael. This deepens her emotional crisis. Amid this personal chaos, she runs into Joy, her first love, reigniting unresolved feelings and intensifying her internal conflict. Hope, feeling lost, sees Joy as a potential way out of her stagnant life. Her passion is reignited with unresolved feelings and complicating her already fragile emotional state.

Act 2:
New Plan:
Joy encourages Hope to create new work and revive her art career, offering support and seduction. Hope, smitten and inspired, begins to focus on her art again, using Joy's validation as fuel to escape her emotional turmoil. Hope sees Joy as a savior, offering her a chance to revive her creativity and escape her troubled marriage. Will is emotionally unavailable. He lets Hope do as she wishes and remains passive.

Plan in Action:
Hope creates new art and finds herself creatively rejuvenated. Her relationship with Joy becomes romantic, deepening her connection to the past and fueling her creativity. Will remains absent, avoiding any confrontation with Hope. However, Joy begins taking subtle credit for Hope’s work, positioning herself as the visionary behind Hope’s artistic success. This professional power dynamic begins to shift, as Joy becomes the face of their collaboration.

Midpoint Turning Point:
The tension escalates when Hope catches Will and Michael together, confirming her worst fears. At the same time, Joy reveals her financial troubles and convinces Hope to allow her to use some of Hope’s artwork under Joy’s name to boost her career exploiting Hope's emotions to serve her own agenda. This marks the moment when Hope is both emotionally and professionally manipulated by the two people closest to her—Will and Joy.

Act 3:
Rethink Everything:
Joy’s manipulation grows more aggressive. Hope starts to see through Joy’s manipulations. Joy’s rise to fame, built on Hope’s work, becomes more blatant, and Hope realizes that her own identity and creative legacy are being stolen. Hope begins to feel used and betrayed. She realizes that Joy is not the person she thought she was, but confronting this truth feels overwhelming. Hope is further sidelined in the art world as Joy's star rises. Meanwhile, Will moves forward with divorce proceedings. His passive-aggressive opposition becomes more evident as he seeks to capitalize on the divorce, further complicating Hope’s already fragile life.

New Plan:
Hope tries to reclaim her art and identity but feels trapped and powerless by Joy’s growing influence and Will’s legal claims. Will, now emboldened by his relationship with Michael, files for divorce, taking a substantial portion of Hope’s assets. The art world, enamored by Joy, largely dismisses Hope, who is seen as yesterday’s news. Faced with personal and professional ruin, she contemplates walking away from everything but knows she must fight back to regain her life and career.

Turning Point: Huge Failure / Major Shift:
Hope’s worst fears are realized when Joy fully eclipses her in the art world. Joy takes over Hope’s artistic identity and her persona. Hope is sidelined, her name and contributions erased. Will’s divorce proceedings leave Hope financially devastated, and she is on the brink of losing everything—her art, her marriage, and her reputation. Will’s divorce proceedings will leave Hope with almost nothing, both emotionally and financially. She hits rock bottom.

Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict:
Determined to fight back, Hope hires a lawyer and takes Joy to court. She exposes Joy’s theft using forensic evidence that reveals Hope’s hidden signature under the layers of paint on every piece Joy claimed as her own. Joy, in a last-ditch effort, uses her connections and influence to discredit Hope, accusing her of lying and trying to destroy her career out of jealousy. The courtroom battle intensifies as Joy’s manipulations and lies come to light, but she loses ground as the evidence mounts against her.

In this final battle, Hope publicly reclaims her identity as the true artist behind the work. This public confrontation is cathartic, as Hope reclaims her identity, both as an artist and as a person. Joy’s deception is revealed, and her career collapses. Will, seeing that he cannot manipulate Hope anymore retreats defeated. He agrees to a divorce settlement that allows Hope to retain her assets.

Resolution:
With her name and reputation restored, Hope triumphs in court and reclaims her assets. She divorces Will and severs ties with Joy completely. Empowered by her victory, Hope leaves the city to start fresh, embracing her artistic rebirth and newfound emotional freedom. Free from the toxic relationships that once defined her, she embarks on a new chapter in life, creatively and personally liberated. Hope experiences a creative resurgence, this time unburdened by the emotional baggage of her past.

FINALLY, List your structure from Lesson 5 along with the improvements that come from the Genre Conventions, like I did above.
**Act 1:**
**Opening:**
Hope Harwood, a successful artist, is numb and emotionally disconnected from her work and marriage to Will. Her latest art exhibit, full of older works, symbolizes her creative stagnation and entrapment. The cold, distant nature of her marriage to Will subtly suggests something is wrong, but she’s too emotionally drained to confront it. A growing sense of unease underscores her life.

**Inciting Incident:**
A mysterious fire breaks out at the gallery, damaging some of Hope’s older works. The fire appears accidental, but there’s a lingering suspicion— it seems too perfectly timed to push her into action. An art dealer presses Hope to create new art to cover the damages, adding pressure to her already stagnant creativity. She starts questioning the strange circumstances of the fire. Is someone deliberately trying to ruin her? Unbeknownst to her, Will and Joy are working together behind the scenes, manipulating this situation for their own purposes.

**Turning Point:**
Amid this tension, Hope discovers Will’s affair with her brother, Michael. This revelation shatters her emotionally, driving her into a crisis. During this time, she reconnects with Joy, her first love, who offers Hope comfort and understanding. The chemistry between them reignites instantly rekindling unresolved feelings and passion, pulling Hope back into unresolved passions from her past and deeper into a web of deceit. As Hope’s life unravels, she sees Joy as her escape from her failing marriage, though danger lurks beneath the surface of their reunion. In reality, Joy and Will are conspiring to exploit Hope’s emotional vulnerability and her art for their own gain.

**Act 2:**
**New Plan:**
Joy begins encouraging Hope to create new work, offering emotional support and fueling Hope’s romantic feelings. However, Joy’s influence over Hope begins to grow subtly insidious. Joy encourages Hope to break free from her doubts and embrace her creative potential, but Hope is blind to the fact that Joy is manipulating her emotions for her own gain. Will, detached, is deliberately avoiding confrontation, but there’s a lurking sense of his ulterior motives, adding suspense to the marital dynamic. Joy and Will are secretly plotting to control Hope’s career and assets. Will remains passive, but he and Joy subtly manipulate Hope’s insecurities, isolating her emotionally and financially.

**Plan in Action:**
As Hope begins to create again, she and Joy grow closer—personally and professionally. Their relationship deepens into a romantic affair, but the lines between love and manipulation blur. Joy starts to position herself as more than just a muse—she wants credit for Hope’s work. Unbeknownst to Hope, Joy begins a takeover, subtly crediting herself for Hope’s creativity, while positioning Hope as emotionally unstable. This deceit sets the stage for future betrayals. Joy begins taking credit for Hope’s artistic vision while positioning herself as a rising star in the art world. Will, though emotionally distant, helps Joy from behind the scenes, orchestrating events that further destabilize Hope’s confidence. Hope remains unaware that the two closest people in her life are conspiring against her.

**Midpoint Turning Point:**
Hope catches Will and Michael in bed together, confirming her suspicions and deepening her despair. Around this time, Joy reveals that she’s facing financial ruin and pressures Hope to let her take credit for some of Hope’s newer works to boost Joy’s reputation. Feeling guilty and confused, Hope agrees. The stakes rise as Joy continues to emotionally manipulate Hope, pushing her toward isolation. This marks the turning point where Hope is trapped between two betrayals—Will’s infidelity and Joy’s exploitation. Meanwhile, Will and Joy’s secret partnership becomes clearer to the audience—Will is financially tied to Joy’s success, and they both stand to gain from Hope’s downfall.

**Act 3:**
**Rethink Everything:**
The tension escalates as Joy’s manipulations become more overt. Hope begins to see through the deception, realizing Joy is using her for both emotional and professional gain. She doesn’t yet know Will is also involved. Joy’s rise in the art world intensifies, with the media praising her as a visionary. Joy continues to exploit Hope’s creativity, presenting herself as the genius behind the work while subtly discrediting Hope. Will, emboldened by his secret alliance with Joy and his affair with Michael, moves forward with divorce proceedings, aiming to strip Hope of her assets, including her artwork. Meanwhile, Hope is sidelined, struggling to maintain her own identity. Will begins divorce proceedings, seeking to take control of their shared assets, including her artwork, increasing Hope’s desperation.

**New Plan:**
Desperate to regain control, Hope attempts to reclaim her art and identity. But Joy’s influence and control over her career, combined with Will’s legal tactics, leaves her feeling trapped. Hope feels powerless. Her attempts to take back her work are thwarted by Joy’s web of lies and manipulations. Will’s legal attack also weakens Hope’s position, as he manipulates their lives situation to his advantage. Hope finds herself on the verge of losing everything—her creative legacy, her financial security, and her personal freedom. Tension mounts as Hope realizes the full scope of their betrayal but struggles to find a way out. Faced with financial ruin and artistic erasure, Hope must decide whether to give up or fight back.

**Turning Point (Huge Failure/Major Shift):**
Hope’s world collapses as Joy takes full credit for her latest series of works, becoming a star in the art world. At the same time, Will’s divorce proceedings drain her emotionally and financially. She hits rock bottom as Joy publicly assumes Hope’s artistic identity. Hope realizes she has lost everything—her marriage, her reputation, and her creative legacy. The betrayal becomes complete when Hope learns that Joy orchestrated the gallery fire to force Hope back into the spotlight, but under Joy’s control.
**Act 4:**
**Climax (Ultimate Expression of Conflict):**
Determined to reclaim her identity, Hope gathers evidence of Joy’s theft. She hires a lawyer and sues Joy for copyright infringement and fraud. The courtroom becomes a battleground of tension, with forensic art analysis revealing Hope’s hidden signatures beneath the paint layers on each piece Joy claimed as her own. Joy, feeling cornered, tries to discredit Hope, painting her as mentally unstable and vindictive, using personal details from their romantic past against her.

The courtroom drama reaches a fever pitch as Joy’s lies begin to unravel under cross-examination. Tension builds as Joy tries one last desperate attempt to manipulate the narrative, but Hope’s resolve holds firm. With mounting evidence, including testimony from gallery insiders and art experts, Hope triumphs in court, exposing Joy as a fraud.

The situation takes a sharp turn when Hope learns the devastating truth: Will and Joy have been working together from the start. This revelation shatters her emotionally, but it also leads to the beginning of their downfall. In a thrilling courtroom showdown, Joy and Will’s partnership crumbles as they begin blaming each other to avoid personal ruin. The truth of their manipulations comes to light—Joy’s theft of Hope’s work and Will’s financial betrayal. As their alliance disintegrates, they each try to save themselves, but the evidence against them is overwhelming. Joy, growing greedy, starts positioning herself to cut Will out of the picture, seeking to claim everything for herself. The tension between them grows as they realize there isn’t enough to share between them. The partnership fractures, and the two begin turning against each other, each trying to outmaneuver the other. As their alliance disintegrates, they each try to save themselves, but the evidence against them is overwhelming.

**Resolution:**
Hope wins her legal battle, reclaiming her name, legacy, her art, and her financial security. She divorces Will, retains her assets, and severs ties with both Joy and the toxic elements of her past. Joy’s career is destroyed, and Will is left with nothing after their toxic partnership implodes. Michael is out of the picture as he helps his sister. She leaves the city to reinvent herself in a new life, free from the emotional and creative oppression she endured. Empowered by her victory, Hope experiences a creative rebirth, inspiration and peace ready to begin anew on her own terms. Free from betrayal and manipulation, she is ready to embrace her true artistic potential.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by  Sylvia Krawczyk.