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carl marshall

Member

May 28, 2025 at 2:50 pm in reply to: Day 3 Assignment

Carl marshall
Logline: A face-to-face standoff where the good guy must get certain info from the bad guy before the fight start
ESSENCE: Who hired you to torch the clinic

INT. ABANDONED FACTORY – NIGHT

JOHN (40s), steps into view — his boots crunching over broken glass.His hand rests on the butt of his holstered gun, but he doesn’t draw.

NICK (30s), slick, confident, sits casually on a steel crate, spinning a coin. He smiles — the grin of a man who’s always five moves ahead.

NICK
You’re late.

JOHN
I waited to see if you’d bring backup.

NICK
I did. But they got bored. Left when they realized you weren’t dumb enough to walk into a trap.

JOHN
Just dumb enough to think you’d talk.

Nick flips the coin. It clatters on the concrete.

NICK
What do you want, John? Closure? A confession?

JOHN
The name. Who hired you to torch the clinic.

NICK chuckles, leans forward, elbows on knees.

NICK
Still playing hero. The kids were already gone.
You lost nothing but a lie you liked believing.

JOHN
The nurse died. She was pregnant.

Nick’s grin flickers — just briefly.

NICK
Collateral. You think anyone cares? The world’s not split into villains and saints. We’re all just players.
JOHN
Then play careful. You’ve got five minutes
before I stop asking.

John steps closer. Tension coils between them like a wire pulled taut. Nick slowly stands.

NICK
You always thought pain got you answers.
But you’re not that guy anymore. You’re soft now.

JOHN
Try me.

Nick paces slowly, drawing a folded paper from his pocket — dangling it between two fingers.

NICK
You want the name? Fine. But let’s trade.
You answer one question.

JOHN
Not a game I play.

NICK
Then you don’t want it bad enough.

John stares — measuring him. Finally:

JOHN
Ask.

NICK
Why did you leave her?

John’s shoulders tense. Nick watches like a hawk.

JOHN
Because I knew what I’d become if I stayed.

NICK
That’s the best lie you’ve ever told.

Nick tosses the paper. It flutters to the ground. John doesn’t look at it.

NICK (CONT’D)
Now you have your name. But here’s the real trick —
it won’t help you. They’re three steps ahead. Always.

JOHN
Then I’ll take six.

John snatches the paper, backs toward the exit.

JOHN (CONT’D)
You were right about one thing. I’m not soft.

Nick smiles again — wider now, darker.

NICK
I’m counting on it.

John vanishes into the shadows. Nick stays in the flickering light, flipping his coin.

FADE OUT.

carl marshall

Member

May 26, 2025 at 6:09 pm in reply to: Confidentiality Agreement

Carl Marshall.

. The words “I agree to the terms of this release form.

carl marshall

Member

May 26, 2025 at 6:04 pm in reply to: Confidentiality Agreement

carl marshall

Member

May 26, 2025 at 10:37 am in reply to: Lesson 7

Logline: Fight in the Cigar Lounge
ESSENCE: One character is lured into a back room where he is beat up
CARL MARSHALL QE 1
INT. PRIVATE CIGAR LOUNGE – NIGHT
Rritzy social club. Jazz hums from old brass speakers. Cigar smoke curls through a gold-tinted chandelier. Leather chairs, single malt on side tables. The room screams power.
AT CENTER: ROBERT (40s), grinning, a silk shirt open at the chest, holding court. He puffs confidently on a cigar, basking in attention. Around him: LAUGHTER, CHEERS, A TOAST.

ROBERT [to everyone]
To the man of the hour — Trent, the closest thing
I’ve ever seen to a walking Forbes list!
He gestures to a smug, well-tailored TRENT (30s), hair slicked, watch obnoxiously big. He raises his glass modestly but loves the spotlight.
TRENT
And to Robert — nobody spins a story like this guy.
If Wall Street ever collapses, he’ll sell the fall as performance art.
(LAUGHTER. CLINKING GLASSES.)

INT. LOUNGE – LATER
The crowd has thinned. Jazz is low. Robert refills his drink. Trent sidles up.
TRENT
You remember that investment guy I was talking about?
ROBERT
(chuckling)
The Swiss ghost with a Cayman address?
TRENT
Yeah. He’s here. In the back. Wants to talk.
ROBERT
Tonight? …..Yeah let’s talk
TRENT
He’s old school. Doesn’t come out often. Trust me — you’re gonna want to hear this.
A beat. Robert hesitates — he lives for secrets.
ROBERT
(leans in, intrigued)
Let’s meet your phantom financier.
INT. BACK ROOM – MOMENTS LATER
A shadowed room behind a secret sliding door in the cigar lounge. dim light overhead.
No one is inside. Robert steps in first, then turns — slightly confused.
ROBERT
Where’s our money man?
The door SLAMS behind him. Locks. Trent stays by the door, his entire demeanor shifts — no longer flashy and friendly. Now cold. Precise.
TRENT
He doesn’t exist. But something else does. Gossip.
ROBERT
(frozen) What are you—
TRENT
You started it, Robert. The story about me defaulting on the beach property. The one that scared off Northbridge Capital. You knew it wasn’t true.
ROBERT
(casually defensive)
I heard it from three different people. I never said it was definitely you. Gossip is currency, Trent, I just—
TRENT
(firm, stepping closer)
—Cashed out. On me.
A tense silence. Then:
ROBERT
It was nothing personal.
TRENT
That’s the problem. It never is. Until it is.
A sudden SHIFT — Two LARGE MEN emerge from the shadows behind Robert. Before he can turn — they GRAB him.
ROBERT
Whoa, hey—Hey! Trent!
TRENT
This is personal now.
Robert STRUGGLES, but the goons pin his arms. Trent watches as a punch lands deep into Robert’s gut. Robert gasps, dropping to his knees. Another hit. To the gut .
TRENT
You gave people permission to doubt me.
ROBERT
(choking, blood in his mouth)
You’re overreacting—
TRENT
overreacting, overreacting.
Trent kneels beside him,
TRENT
Tell the next lie carefully,
Trent rises, snaps his fingers. The goons DROP Robert. He slumps to the floor, gasping.
TRENT (CONT’D)
Let this room be what it always was — the place
where truths are… clarified.
He walks out. The door closes behind him, leaving Robert alone, broken, in gloom.

carl marshall

Member

October 5, 2024 at 8:29 pm in reply to: Confidentiality Agreement

i AGREE TO THE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT.
CARL MARSHALL
As a member of this group, I agree to the following:
1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.
2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.
I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.
3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.
4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.
5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.
6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.
This completes the Group Release Form for the class.