[Clive Morris]

Clive Morris – Action Track (6)

What I Learned Doing This Assignment Is…
That action works best when it reveals character, raises stakes, and evolves with the story. It’s not just cool sequences—it’s about watching Rick reclaim his strength, dignity, and purpose, step by painful step. Overcoming Jos drug problem and lack of self esteem – through the actions sequences. Building the action around emotional growth gave each scene weight and meaning, especially when balancing physical fights with internal battles and complex relationships. I was worried about the dual antagonists, but I think this lesson showed me how dual antagonists can create layered tension by escalating the hero’s journey from survival to revolution.

1. ACTION QUESTIONS
A. What action could naturally show up in this movie?
* Fistfights, improvised combat, and MMA-style takedowns (Rick’s specialty)
* Brutal close-range shootouts (Hank’s domain)
* Tactical escapes through rural or urban terrain
* Cabin ambushes, betrayal, vehicle chases, last-minute rescues
* Final siege into a corrupt stronghold, with Rick weaponizing his training and resolve
*
B. Considering the Mission and Villain Tracks, what action fits this track?
* Escape from the first gang attack
* Cabin ambush after being tracked
* Urban assault on Jax’s hideout
* Infiltration and full-blown assault on Keller’s base
* Final hand-to-hand battle to reclaim self and justice
*
C. How can the action start well, build in the 2nd act, and escalate to a climax?
* Start: Rick defends Hank with raw instincts (messy but heroic)
* Middle: Rick regains his edge—mounts strategic, emotionally charged attacks
* End: Rick stages full assault on enemy ground, combining MMA with firearms under Hank’s training

2. TYPES OF ACTION USED
✔ A. Chase/Pursuit
✔ B. Fight /MMA type as well as normal 
✔ C. Shootout
✔ D. Rescue
✔ E. Escape/Evade
✔ G. Dangerous Situations
✔ H. Interrogation
✔ I. Torture (psychological & threat-based more than graphic)

3. SEQUENCE OF ACTION SCENES + PURPOSE
1. Pharmacy Break-In (Escape/Evade)
Rick and Dez rob a pharmacy. They barely escape when police respond.
Purpose: Show Rick’s desperation, criminal lifestyle, and lack of control.

2. Retirement Home Parking Lot Fight (Fight)
Rick defends Hank from gang attackers. Brutal, untrained, MMA instinct kicks in.
Purpose: Reignites Rick’s fighter instinct; reveals Hank is being hunted.

3. Escape to the Cabin (Escape/Evade / Chase)
Rick, Hank, and Marge flee the city. They avoid a roadblock and ditch a tail.
Purpose: Establish trust among trio; show Keller’s growing reach.

4. Gun Training Sequence (Competition / Dangerous Situation)
Hank teaches Rick to shoot better. Rick has military training- but is rusty and Hank is an expert. Tense moment of failure, breakthrough, then connection.
Purpose: Show Rick learning to control violence; father-son healing begins.

5. Cabin Ambush (Shootout / Fight / Dangerous Situation)
The gang attacks. Rick uses new skills, traps. Hank is wounded.
Purpose: Test of growth. Rick saves lives but fails to stop Jax. Stakes rise.

6. Julia’s Kidnapping (Off-Screen Threat)
Julia is abducted and used as leverage. Rick sees video threat.
Purpose: Push Rick to his moral breaking point. Fuel Act III mission.

7. Rick vs. Jax Mendoza (Fight / Interrogation)
Rick invades Jax’s hideout. One-on-one brutal MMA fight. Rick wins.
Purpose: Closure of personal vendetta. Rick reclaims identity.

8. Infiltration of Keller’s Compound (Escape/Evade / Shootout / Rescue)
Rick and Dez sneak in. Marge snipes from afar. Rick finds Julia, plants live feed.
Purpose: Combo of physical/moral action. Turning point for public exposure.

9. Final Confrontation: Rick vs. Keller (Fight / Shootout)
Keller tries to kill Rick. They fight. Keller is shot by Hank.
Purpose: Justice delivered. System exposed. Rick finally wins without losing his soul.

10. Epilogue – Rick Walks Into the Gym (Symbolic Competition)
Rick returns to MMA gym—this time, not to fight but to coach. Help kids defend themselves.
Purpose: Resolution. New purpose. Quiet victory.

[Clive Morris]

Clive Morris – Villain Track

WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT IS…
That giving the villains distinct motivations, shifting tactics, and escalating decisions makes the story far more intense and believable. Each step they take forces the hero to evolve, and by building their plans with intelligence and menace, the villains become worthy obstacles to Rick’s redemption. Importantly, I learned that when the system itself is part of the villainy (as with Keller), the hero’s fight becomes about more than survival — it becomes moral.

1. VILLAIN TRACK QUESTIONS (my story has two villains)
A. What is the Villain’s plan to accomplish an evil outcome or annihilate the hero?
JAX MENDOZA’s plan:
* Sent by Keller to kill or retrieve Hank and destroy any evidence.
* Mendoza escapes prison with help from Keller, reassembles his old crew, and launches a targeted campaign to eliminate Hank, then Rick for Keller.
* Once Rick begins interfering and making him look incompetent in front of Keller, Jax makes it personal.
CHIEF KELLER’s plan:
* Remain hidden behind Jax and the gang violence.
* If Jax fails, use the police system and leverage (like capturing Julia) to silence Rick and recover the drive.
* Keller’s backup plan: destroy all loose ends and pin it on a “rogue gang.” – Frame Rick and Hank.

B. How many ways can the Villain attack or destroy the hero?
* Jax Mendoza:
* Sends gang members to kill Hank at the retirement home
* Ambush at the cabin
* Kidnaps Julia to force Rick to comply
* Sends waves of armed men to the final safe house
* Psychological torment: reveals Rick was the reason Hank never exposed Keller
* Chief Keller:
* Uses police intel to track Rick and Hank
* Freezes resources, frames Rick as a wanted junkie – He has picks from Ricks arrests for drugs
* Threatens Marge, has Julia abducted
* Publicly spins narrative as “Rick attacks police in drug-fueled rampage”
* Sends professional assassins, (cops) not just gangsters

C. What advantage does the Villain have and how can they exploit it?
* Jax Mendoza:
* Physically dominant, gang loyalty, military-style tactics
* Knows how to stay off-grid, tracks Rick with ex-con connections
* Has nothing to lose and no moral compass
* Chief Keller:
* Total institutional power — controls police comms, legal system, city media
* Reputation as a “hero cop” – No one would believe he is dirty
* Publicly untouchable
* Can act clean while others get dirty. (Need a weak spot for him – Maybe he has a daughter?)

D. What would be a “fitting end” for this Villain where they pay for what they’ve done?
* Jax Mendoza:
A brutal, bare-knuckle fight where Rick refuses to kill him with a gun. Instead, Rick reclaims his honor by defeating him with fists — the same tool that caused his original downfall. Rick leaves Mendoza broken and exposed before police arrive. (Maybe Keller kills Jax for failing him??)
* Chief Keller:
After Rick publicly exposes the footage, Keller tries to kill him anyway. Hank shoots him from a distance — poetic justice . The image of Keller, bleeding out in his crisp white shirt, exposed to the world, is a final unmasking of institutional rot.

2. VILLAIN PLAN STEPS — JAX MENDOZA & CHIEF KELLER
Villain: Jax Mendoza (Phase 1 Villain)
Label Set: ESCAPE – TARGET – DOMINATE – CRUMBLE
1. ESCAPE – Mendoza breaks out with Keller’s help. Kills two guards, rejoins his old crew.
2. TARGET – Tracks down Hank. Sends men to retirement home. Rick intervenes.
3. DOMINATE – Tracks Hank to the cabin. Ambushes. Wounds Hank. Julia kidnapped. Forces Rick to act.
4. CRUMBLE – Rick kills Mendoza in an MMA-style showdown. Bloody, personal, poetic.

Villain: Chief Keller (Phase 2 Villain)
Label Set: MANIPULATE – ESCALATE – COVER – DIE EXPOSED
1. MANIPULATE – Orchestrates Mendoza’s escape. Uses him as a deniable asset to silence Hank.
2. ESCALATE – After Mendoza fails, Keller orders Julia’s execution and frames Rick for multiple crimes.
3. COVER – Tries to destroy the flash drive, pressure Marge, and “suicide” Hank.
4. DIE EXPOSED – Rick live-streams the evidence. Keller shoots at Rick. Hank shoots Keller. His reputation dies before his body does.

• This reply was modified 5 days, 11 hours ago by  Clive Morris.

[Clive Morris]

Clive Morris – Hero’s mission track
What I learned doing this assignment:
When a hero has nothing left to lose—and finds something worth saving—he can become unstoppable. Also, how to get more action into the movie – which I probably would not have noticed before – and how to keep escalating things.
1. Mission Track Questions
A. What is it about this Hero that will have them go straight into the face of overwhelming odds?
Rick is a broken MMA fighter, once feared and now forgotten, riddled with guilt over the injury he caused his best friend in the ring. When his father is threatened and later captured, something primal wakes up. He fights not to prove he’s still strong—but to finally be useful again, to redeem the man he became.
B. What is the mission that would be an impossible goal?
To take on a heavily armed escaped prison gang and a corrupt police chief and his men, with few allies, while recovering from addiction, and save both his estranged father and ex-girlfriend—all while trying not to become the monster he used to be in the cage.
C. What strong internal and external motivation could drive the hero?
* Internal: Guilt. Wanting to prove to himself he’s not the man with the uncontrollable temper who walked away from everyone and then became a petty thief and slob .
* External: Protecting his father. Saving his ex-girlfriend, Julia. Exposing the corrupt police chief – Keller.
* Symbolic: Reclaiming his name—not as a champion, but as a man worth trusting.
D. What could naturally happen if this hero went on this mission against this villain?
He would be outnumbered, overwhelmed, and forced to train, rebuild, and fight smarter. He would lose people. He would come close to relapse. He would uncover secrets about his father. In the end, he’d have to make a brutal choice between saving the person he loves or exposing a system that ruins lives.

2. Mission Steps
Clear Mission:
Save his dad, Hank, from the gang and expose Chief Keller’s corruption.

Motivation:
Rick’s life is a wreck. But when the man who abandoned him turns out to have always been protecting him—and now needs his protection—Rick finds something worth fighting for.

Inciting Incident:
Hank is attacked outside his retirement home. Rick intervenes, kills one attacker, and they both flee. Hank reveals he’s holding incriminating evidence that powerful men want destroyed.

First Action:
Rick brings Hank to a remote cabin (owned by Henk’s girlfriend – Marge). He begins physical and mental training to reclaim his strength, get off drugs – while Hank reveals the full truth about why these guys are after him.

Obstacle:
The gang tracks them down and attacks. Beating drugs is more difficult than he thought – Hank is wounded. They escap

Escalation:
Rick Gathers weapons. Calls in his petty thief buddy. Learns that Julia is being held as leverage. The gang wants the evidence. Keller wants everyone dead.

Overwhelming Odds:
Rick goes up against an army of gangsters and crooked cops—outgunned, outmanned, alone except for his wounded father, unreliable buddy and Marge, in her 70’s .

New Plan:
Instead of handing over the evidence, Rick decides to broadcast it publicly. He creates a diversion, storms the hideout, and goes after the gang leader and Keller directly.

Full-Out Attack:
Rick launches a one-man siege on Keller’s compound. Brutal MMA-style hand-to-hand combat with gang and their leader. Marge takes out gunmen from a distance. HIs buddy blows something up or distracts Keller’s men with a stolen vehicle.

Success:
Rick kills Gang leader and others and some run, wounds Keller, and uploads the video live. Police arrive. Julia and Hank survive. Rick finally stands up—not as a fighter, but as a man with something to live for.

[Clive Morris]

Hero & Villain
“What I learned doing this assignment – The hero and the villain have to both grow and become more dangerous to keep the action tight. Concept:
• Hero Morally Right: He wants to protect his dad
• Villain Morally Wrong: he wants to kill hero’s dad because he knows too much about him.
Hero
• A. Unique Skill Set – Ex MMA fighter – dad (ex cop) has taught him to use guns –
• B. Motivation – Save his father
• C. Secret or Wound – He killed his best friend in a fight, is depressed and lacks confidence – Let himself go.
Villain
• A. Unbeatable- Escapes Prison with 5 aggressive strong men who have gang power behind them
• B. Plan/Goal – Kill the old man and then our hero .
• C. What they lose if Hero survives – Their secret is out – Top cop and his corrupt cronies exposed
Impossible Mission
• A. Puts Hero in Action – Has to go get his dad
• B. Demands They Go Beyond Their Best: He is up against escaped convicts – the gang and finally the corrupt cops on the force.
• C. Destroy the Villain – Get the gang killed but then get through corrupt copts to the top cop –
2. If he doesn’t get himself fit again and regain his confidence, then how might he save his father?

[Clive Morris]

Clive Morris
Convention!

What I learned – That one has to let go of perfectionism on the first rounds and just let the story flow – and grow. Amazing how doing that leads to so much more story developing.

Concept – An ex MMA champion who gave up fighting because he killed his best friend in a fight, becomes depressed, a loser, puts on weight and is now a slob. When his father, a retired cop, lands up in trouble after a vicious gang leader he put away years ago is escapes from prison with six vicious inmates, comes after him, and our hero has to get himself back in shape to protect his father. He will later find out who is behind the prison escape and the reason they are after his father.

Conventions

Hero: An out of shape ex MMA champion who has to regain his confidence, rebuild his body and mind to protect and then save his father.
Mission: To save his father when an imprisoned gang leader escapes and comes after him with six inmates with nothing to lose.
Demand for action: Protecting his father when he is attacked and then having to go and save his father when he is kidnapped by the gang.
Antagonist: The escaped gang leader – but the ante will go up when we realise that there is a corrupt top cop involved who is behind the escape and the attack on his dad.
Escalating Action: His father is kidnapped and our hero has to go in and save him, realizing too late that a top crooked cop is behind the escape and the kidnapping – and the twist comes when we find out that his dad is took something that that the cop and gang leader want back. Now he has the gang and a bunch of corrupt cops after him and is father

[Clive Morris]

agreed

[Clive Morris]

Hi, My name is Clive. Joining from South Africa

[Clive Morris]

Clive Morris

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