[Joanna Kagal]

Joanna’s Right Characters!

What I learned doing this assignment:

I learned that characters can make or break the suspense built into the script. If they are too capable, the story is not interesting. I personally love flawed anti-heroes. For my ideas, my main characters have their own agendas that run parallel to the main conflict.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Joanna Kagal.

[Joanna Kagal]

Joanna’s Great hook

A: How did this process work for you?

This process was really eye opening for me! Especially when faced with the question “Having to do with_________, what haven’t we seen before?” It drove me to think of more unique factors to make my pre-ideas more interesting.

B: What did you learn doing this assignment?

I learned that just because I fall in love with one idea, that doesn’t make my movie idea unique or provide a great hook. However by going through the Key Components in a Hook, I discovered that some of my other ideas can become something interesting and compelling.

I also have new tools that I would apply to any script I plan to write, contained or not.

[Joanna Kagal]

Joanna’s Guidelines for “Unstoppable” Assignment

What I learned from doing this assignment:

I learned that there are a lot of extra people involved than I ever imagined. I also learned that a good script doesn’t need extra bells and whistles. Suspense can be conveyed in other ways through the writing and the acting.

Part 1:

A. Each of my five ideas can be made into contained stories.

B. They can be pitched in one or two sentences.

C. I have some struggle trying to find something unique about them. However, one of my stronger ideas does not require stunts but can invite good set ups, pay offs and twists.

Assignment Part 2:

I picked the movie “Unstoppable”.

AS THEY DID IT:

A. People: there were several groups of people in different locations. Two are on a train, two more are in a control room, several are in a board room, a few more are in a staff room watching the news unfold.

B. Stunts: Plenty of stunts, including people landing on the train from a helicopter, and people hopping on and off the train from a car. Train goes by narrow bridges knocking down large objects and flattening some cars.

C. Extras: There were crowds drawn around the train tracks watching the runaway train, there were extra cops and cruisers, there were children aboard a nearby train and crowds congratulating the heroes at the end of the movie.

D. Wardrobe: Not outrageous, regular clothes and some safety uniforms.

E. Hair and Make Up: Not much special attention to hair, but make up was needed to show burns and scars and blood.

F. Kids and Animals: As mentioned earlier there was a scene with a class field trip on a nearby train that briefly passed the runaway train. Also a horse was on the loose that had to be removed from the train tracks. The horse was anxious and needed calming down in order to move to safety.

G. Quarantine: None needed at the time, Unstoppable was filmed several years before Covid started.

Covid Guideline Version

A. People: I would lose the people in the staffroom and the crowds at the tracks. I would keep my focus on the two main characters aboard the train and the two in the control room.

B. Stunts: The characters could display their reactions to the people using the helicopter to lower a man to the train or just get rid of the scene altogether. The movie is still suspenseful without that scene. Stunt people may still be needed to climb on and off the moving train.

C. Extras: The movie can still be interesting without the people standing by the tracks looking on at the train. Also the field trip of kids is not necessary.

D. Wardrobe: Leave as is. No extra attention needed.

E. Hair and Make Up: Leave as is. The blood was not entirely on the actor’s face anyhow, it was his foot that got mangled. It can continue to be wrapped in bandages.

F. Kids and Animals: Lose the horse and the field trip. Those scenes added extra interest, not they are not necessary.

G. Quarantine: The make up artist and stunt actors would need to quarantine.

[Joanna Kagal]

Hi everyone,

I’m Joanna Kagal.

I’m new to this industry and willing to learn. When I’m not taking Hal’s courses, I’m teaching full time.

I hope to elevate my writing as I’m interesting in writing T.V dramas and contained scripts.

I’ve learned a lot from Hal in the past.

[Joanna Kagal]

Joanna Kagal

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