[Gabriel Oliva]

Hi Everyone! I’m ready to exchange feedback on our outlines when ready. Send me an email if you’d like to partner up: gabriel@gabrieloliva.com

[Gabriel Oliva]

Gabriel’s Brudget

What I learned from this assignment was that the budget can go up or down, but the hook of the story still remains.

To bring down the budget:

-Shoot only in one room of the retirement home

-Only have 3 or 4 vampires as opposed to 10-15.

-Minimal fight sequences. Keep it very realistic and awkward a la Pineapple Express.

To increase the budget:

-Use the entire retirement home: corridors, rooms, reception, basement, roof, backyard.

-Have several humans trapped, not just the main couple. Also bring in a horde of vampires, 30-40.

-When killed, vampires could erupt into flame, explode in a puddle of blood. The humans that are killed can also have more gruesome deaths.

-More choreographed fight scenes. Stunt fighters can be in full body suits to act as old people.

-Use popular music in a diegetic AND non-diegetic format. Sync up fight sequences to these songs.

-Use guns when fighting vampires.

-Have it rain outside.

-Extensive practical make-up for vampires.

[Gabriel Oliva]

Gabriel’s great hook.

A. This process was both rewarding and frustrating. Rewarding because it allowed me to add depth and come up with even more than one hook to a single concept. Frustrating because many of my concept’s elements are intertwined, so it’s difficult to separate them when doing the exercise.

B. I learned that sometimes having a completely blank slate at the beginning can help. In the future, I’d like to mix and match elements until something interesting percolates instead of putting the pressure of coming up with a great hook right off the bat.

[Gabriel Oliva]

Hi All!

I’m Gabriel, based in LA. I’ve written 4 pilots, 3 features and countless shorts. I hope learn how to make my writing more produceable in regards to budget. I think contained movies are especially difficult, but if you can manage engage a reader without changing locations, that says a lot about the skills of the writer. That’s what I’d like to do.

Aside from writing, I’m a jazz vocalist and just released my latest single.

[Gabriel Oliva]

PART 1

My 5 ideas can all be done as a contained story and pitched in one or two sentences. However, the uniqueness is hard to gauge. I personally haven’t seen anything like these projects before, but doesn’t mean they’re original.

PART 2

What I learned doing this assignment is that you can remove large locations and extras while keeping the premise of the story intact.

Gabriel’s Guidelines for Parasite (2019)

TITLE: Parasite

AS THEY DID IT:

A. People – 9 principal actors. 4 of main family, 3 of secondary family, 2 of underground family

B. Stunts – minimal stunts. Falling down stairs.

C. Extras – Extras for neighborhoods, streets, car dealership, birthday party

D. Wardrobe – Casual. No specific needs

E. Hair and Make Up – Casual. No specific needs.

F. Kids and Animals – 1 child.

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

A. People – 9 characters. Keep them all.

B. Stunts – cut all stunts. No falling down stairs.

C. Extras – no extras. Keep only the principal cast.

D. Wardrobe – N/A

E. Hair and Make Up – N/A

F. Kids and Animals – Remove child and replace with teenager that can be played by 18+

G. Quarantine – Keep the entire movie located at the house.