Jon Scheide
Forum Replies Created
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<font color=”#202020″>Greetings all~</font>
<font color=”#202020″>I’m an award winning filmmaker with over three decades of experience in features, television, journalism, fiction and new media who came up through the ranks from production, </font>having worked in 26 states and a dozen countries.<font color=”#202020″ style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”> I’ve managed </font>mutiple high-profile projects from concept to completion, combining creative storytelling with budgetary and logistical considerations.
<font color=”#202020″ style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>But now, my focus now is really on writing,</font> includes scriptwriting, story analysis, creative development, although I’ll still sling a radio when need be.
Currently operating out Cape Town and the UK.
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Jon C. Scheide
“I agree to the terms of this release form.”
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.
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Jon Scheide Phone Pitch
<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif” size=”2″>What I learned from this lesson is… value of prepping for different types of calls</font>
1. On a cold call I would lead with credibility. On a referral or relationship call I would start with title.
2. Phone call pitches
Cold Call: Hello my name is Jon Scheide, I’m a produced writer / director with more that two decades of production experience. I have a modern Detective / Thriller screenplay called Off The Grid. May I have a minute to tell you about it?
Referral: Hello xxx, thanks for taking the call. I wanted to tell you about my modern detective / thriller Off The Grid.
Both:
After a former MP turned private detective reluctantly agrees to protect the supermodel wife of an abusive football star he uncovers more than a celebrity divorce. It soon becomes obvious that if he wants to keep her alive he needs to teach her how to disappear, even from him.
After safely dropping off the grid, and using the tricks he taught her she sends him a one way ticket. He too can have a future if he’s willing to walk away from his past.
Biz:
Both the leads; The Detective and The Supermodel, are strong modern characters with smart, snappy dialogue.
The Football Player husband is a great role for an emerging actor/athlete and the Detective’s Uncle Kevin, a corrupt cop, is perfect for a veteran cameo.
The script is 113 pages, currently set in Chicago, but could easily move. The budget would be in the mid-range, depending on casting.
The script has only gone out for coverage, no production companies or producers have seen it.
I know your company produced xyz and I think this would fit that same audience.
Ultimately, in the end, our detective decides to take a chance on love. He wraps up his current life and gets on the plane with a one way ticket hoping that the woman is who’s waiting on the other end.
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Jon Scheide Pitch Fest Pitch
What I learned is… pitch tight and shut up
Hello, I’m Jon. I’m a produced screenwriter and filmmaker.
My script is a Detective / Thriller, it’s called Off The Grid
A private detective realizes that in order to protect the woman he’s fallen in love with he must teach her how to disappear, even from him.
Questions:
What is the budget range?<div>
Mid, depending on cast
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What actors do you like for the lead roles?
Brandon Sklenar, or Sam Rockwell for Marty, the Detective
Margot Robbie for Claire, the abused wife
John Cena for Julian, the abusive pro football playing husband.
Michael Shannon or Neal McDonough for Uncle Kevin, the corrupt cop
The Acts.
Act One: Marty, decorated MP, turned Cop who took a fall to protect his family, is now a P.I. with a bad reputation, reluctantly agrees to take on Claire, a former super-model who’s divorcing her abusive pro football playing husband.
Act Two: Marty learns that this is more than just a celebrity divorce. Claire knows about her husband’s illegal gambling and his partners don’t like the idea of her walking around, free to testify. Marty also learns that Claire is one smart, tough lady, she tells him “You’re not here to save me, you’re here to teach me to save myself”.
Act Three: When Marty’s Uncle, the dirty cop that forced him to take the fall, tries to pressure him to walk away, for everyone’s sake, Marty realizes that Claire has to disappears, even from him, if she’s to survive. After a crazy chase Claire slips away, cutting ties with her past, her family and even a shot at true love.
How does it end?
After Claire drops off the grid, Julian is forced to hire the best detective in town, Marty. Julian makes the connection and Marty catches an NFL size beating, but doesn’t break. Word reaches Claire and she realizes that Marty loves her. A mysterious plane ticket shows up, and as Marty boards the plane he knows that it’s one way.
Bio:
Jon is a award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter who currently has one optioned screenplay and a graphic novel series in publication. He also has over two decades of production experience in features, television, journalism, fiction and new media.
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<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>Jon C. Scheide </font> Query Letter
<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>What I learned doing this assignment is…how to tighten and tighten and tighten</font>
Title: OFF THE GRID
Written by: Jon C. Scheide
Genre: Detective / Thriller
No good deed goes unpunished.
Feeling good about himself after dropping a subpoena on a dead-beat-dad, Marty, a private investigator decides to help a stranger, which puts him on a collision course with a whip-smart former supermodel, her abusive pro-football player husband, his corrupt bookie partners and shady cops, some of which may be family.
Of course, Marty ultimately takes the case.
It’s a simple gig, safeguard Claire while she finalizes her celebrity divorce and sets up a new quiet life. But after the wife-beating husband gets physical, the goon squad puts pressure on Claire’s family, and Marty’s own Uncle tells him it’s better if he just walks away, (which is what cost him his career as a cop), Marty knows what he has to do.
Teach Claire how to truly disappear and live off the grid.
Before the ink dries on her divorce papers Claire and Marty make their move, switching cars, slipping on and off subways, confusing the husband and escaping the hitmen sent to make sure what Claire knows disappears with her. In the last moments Claire hopes that Marty will join her, but no…
<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>Marty too, realizes he has fallen in love and to best protect her, Claire must disappear, even from him.</font>
Some time later a one way ticket arrives, a second chance, if Marty’s willing to take it.
There’s only one choice…
Thanks for your time, if you’d like to read Off The Grid, I’m happy to send over a copy.
BIO:
Jon is a produced indie filmmaker and screenwriter with over two decades of experience in features, television, journalism, fiction and new media. He currently has one optioned screenplay and a graphic novel series in publication.
<font face=”Arial”>Jon C. SCHEIDE</font>
jscheide@mac.com +1 323.314.1974
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Jon C. Scheide Synopsis Hooks
“What I learned doing this assignment is…” a new way to construct a very tight, hook driven synopsis.
Title: OFF THE GRID
Genre: Detective / Thriller
No good deed goes unpunished.
Feeling good about himself after dropping a subpoena on a dead-beat-dad, Marty, a private investigator decides to help a stranger, which puts him on a collision course with a whip-smart former supermodel, her abusive pro-football player husband, his corrupt bookie partners and shady cops, some of which may be family.
Of course, Marty ultimately takes the case.
It’s simple, safeguard Claire while she finalizes her celebrity divorce and sets up a new quiet life. But after the wife-beating husband gets physical, the goon squad puts pressure on Claire’s family, and Marty’s own Uncle tells him it’s better if he just walks away… which is what cost him his career as a cop, Marty knows what he has to do.
Teach Claire how to truly disappear and live off the grid.
Before the ink dries on her divorce papers Claire and Marty make their move, switching cars, slipping on and off subways, confusing the husband and escaping the hitmen sent to make sure what she knows disappears with her. In the last moment Claire hopes that Marty will join her, but no …
Marty too, realizes he has fallen in love and to protect her, Claire must disappear, even from him.
Some time later.
A one way ticket arrives, a second chance, if Marty’s willing to take it. There’s only one choice.
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Jon C. Scheide’s High Concept/Elevator Pitch
“What I learned doing this assignment is…” how to better define a high concept and hook.
The big picture explanation of your lead character’s journey is.
Marty, the Detective is searching for family, for love, he finds it in the person he is teaching how to disappear.
How can you tell it in the most interesting way possible?
I think using Dilemma is the best choice. Falling in love, he would want to keep her close, but objectively the detective / cop in him knows that she will be safer on her own, away from him.
What is your Elevator Pitch?
A private detective realizes that in order to protect the woman he has fallen in love with he must teach her how to disappear, even from him.
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Jon C. Scheide 10 Most Interesting Things
“What I learned doing this assignment is…” the hidden marketable elements that were already in the story, but I had not yet identified.
1. The story revolves around celebrity crime, sports betting and corrupt cops.
2. The Detective HERO is perceived as having fallen from grace, but is actually honest and honorable. While the pro football player VILLAIN is perceived as honorable and heroic but is actually corrupt<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif” size=”2″>.</font>
3. The female characters are strong, smart and capable
4. Marty, the detective, a decorated MP, disgraced cop now turned PI, opens by serving a subpoena on a dead-beat dad that has just had a vasectomy.
5. Claire, the HEROINE, is not only the victim of Spousal Abuse but also a threat to the crooked gamblers manipulating her husband.
6. Even though Marty was a “stand up guy” took the fall for his cop family, he realizes that they are never going to have his back and that he is on his own.
7. Marty’s own reputation for helping people disappear backfires when the football player husband tries to hire him, but then realizes that Marty was the one who helped his wife in the first place.\
8. Claire begins to wonder if she is falling for with Marty, but she knows the smart move is to choose safety over love.
9. Marty knows that he has fallen for Claire, but helps her disappear because, to him, her safety is more important that his happiness.
10. When a mysterious plane ticket arrives Marty knows, in his gut, that it’s a one time offer, one way and maybe his one chance a true love, he just has to walk away from everything else.+1 -
Jon C. Scheide Producer/Manager
1. How will you present yourself and your project to the producer?
I would pitch Off the Grid as an updated take on the classic detective drama.
It has all the key elements of the genre…
A. Detective with a rough sarcastic exterior and a murky past, but with a solid morale core. Someone who has been shoved out onto his own, but really wants to belong, to be part of something (a team, a family, a couple).
B. A Femme Fatale, that is both beautiful and smart, who doesn’t trust anyone, but learns she’s need to trust in order to survive.
C. A selection of Sexy Bad Guys and Obstacles that our team not only must overcome, but brings them closer together, establishing a potential love story and a “will they/won’t they” elements
It also has characters are modern, sophisticated, smart.
Especially the heroine and the female supporting cast. The Femme Fatale even states to the Detective… “I’m not asking you to save me, I’m asking you to teach me how to save myself.”
Plus there are great supporting roles and cameos.
The Detective’s “Uncle Kevin” would be a great for a Sam Elliot or Pierce Brosnan
The Abusive Football Playing Husband who’s connected to illegal gambling would perfect for Channing Tatum (or whoever the next Channing Tatum is)
I believe actors will want to play these characters.
Additionally, I would pitch that Off The Grid has a tight thriller plot, with contained action and a great final chase scene and romantic payoff.
It weaves the topics of domestic violence, celebrity crimes and internet privacy into the story of someone who just want to be free to move on with their life without fear or intimidation.
2. How will you present yourself and your project to the manager?
After writing and working on countless indie projects I wanted to write something that was main stream, classic Hollywood. Something targeted at a mini-major or actor driven production company. Off The Grid was developed from my love of gritty, grind-house detective fiction and my extensive production experience, especially with stunts and action.
Because the script has a strong through line, complex characters, plus smart and witty dialogue the film could, if casting warranted it, step up a budget notch, from mid to large. Or, if the producers needed to downsize the action it could become more menacing and intimate.
Additionally, the final chase is set in around Chicago, which I know well, but that may have to and could easily change.
Lastly, I would add, to a manager; think of Off The Grid as a writing sample.
3. “What I learned today is”… the benefit of taking the time to write out each pitch and clearly define each of the project’s strong points, depending on who will be “buying.”
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Jon C. Scheide Marketable Components
“What I learned doing this assignment is”… process. Go through the steps, one by one, answer the questions. It’s amazing what you will discover.
Current Logline.
When a former cop turned private detective gets entangled with the supermodel wife of a corrupt and abusive football player he quickly learns there’s more than at stake than just a celebrity divorce as local gangsters and dirty cops try to stop her from disappearing.
2. Pick one or two Components of Marketability that have the most potential for selling this script.
A. Unique N/A
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B. Great Title: “Off The Grid” Modern, Punchy, alludes to what many people fantasize about… walking away and starting over.
C. True. N/A
D. Timely: Yes, in that it does deal with modern times, lack of privacy, internet tracking, spousal abuse.
E. It’s a first N/A
F. Ultimate N/A
G. Wide audience appeal: Yes, Good action, tight thriller plot
H. Adapted from a popular book N/A
I. Similarity to a box-office success: Yes. In the vein of Drive, or Prisoners
J. A great role for a bankable actor.
Marty: Smart, quick-witted and heroic lead
Claire: Strong willed, self-sufficient and capable co-lead
Erica: Marty’s whip smart “Girl Friday” who ends up taking over the company.
Uncle Kevin: Great Older Male cameo; family patriarch who is also corrupt cop
3. Ways to elevate those two components for this script and tell us how you might pitch the script through the two components.
I would lean into the timely aspects of the plot. The search for privacy and security, the un-acceptable and often un-reported crime of spousal abuse, especially when ‘condoned’ in a minsogynst culture. Then I would point to the two lead characters, written with sharp humor, a la classic noir films, who are ultimately attracted to each other because they are smart, independent and willing to commit 100% (which is what it requires if one goes Off The Grid).
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Jon’s Key Business Decisions<div>
What I learned doing this assignment is…
I’m pretty good at production side of things, but looking at the characters and asking how they could be better crafted to attract cast is a new and helpful tool
Genre: Drama (Crime)
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Title: Off The Grid
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Concept: A decorated MP turned Private Eye gets entangled in the seedy underbelly of Sports betting when the supermodel wife of an abusive pro football star fears for her life and needs to disappear. While teaching her to cover her tracks they fall in love and he must to decide if he’s willing let her go, or join her Off The Grid.
Audience: M/F Adult
Budget: $30 Mil +/-
Lead Characters: Detective, Wife, Abusive Husband
Journey / Character Arc:
Detective: Jaded about the business, frustrated and angry at the raw deal he has gotten from his own family, his brotherhood of cops. In the beginning he believes that his duty to his family outweighs his own happiness, by the end he knows he deserves happiness, but sacrifices it for the woman he loves’ personal safety.
Wife: in the beginning she thinks that she’ll have to always be alone to be safe. She can’t really trust anyone, thinking that they’re all out for themselves. And even thought there is a physical attraction, only once she learns that the Detective does not give her up, that his integrity is a s strong as his love, does she realize that he has put the power to move their relationship forward in her hands.
Husband: He does not view his behavior as “wrong” and he believes that the various charity works that he does conunter balance his “abuses”. Once his wife is gone and his partners begin to push him to contain the risk, he leans in even harder to his bad behaviour.
Opening / Ending
the opening sets up the Detective in a fun darkly funny stand-alone incident that works for character and tone.
the ending is a call happy-ever-after call back that is flipped on it’s head as it’s the woman who has the power of the set up and drives the beat. The man (Detective) has to be at a place, at a time, with his passport… no other info. He (and the audience) can only hope that it’s the woman who shows up and that they can drive, or maybe fly off into the sunset.
I think I need to go through the abusive husband’s story line and do some work, he is hard to describe, so I think he might not be clear enough.
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Jon’s Speciality – Drama
“What I learned doing this assignment”
If you’d asked me a week ago what I wrote best, I would have flopped about… bit towards “thriller” or maybe “action / crime.” Searching all the various titles and seeing where they land, and then considering that there are really only an oscars for Drama, not best action, or best thriller, or best dark comedy, etc., I came to realize most of the films (scripts) that I really like and have gone back to, time and time again fit in the Drama category.
For me the line between Action Drama, Thriller Drama and Straight Drama tends to run though the origins of the drivng pressure. All “Drama” is a crisis brought on by the manifestation of an external pressure applied to an internal crisis. So, both Top Gun: Maverick and Locke are “Dramas”… Mav leaning hard into the Action end of the line and Locke parked at the far end in Cerebral-ville.
So while “Drama” seems a super broad category, hardly a speciality, it is where I write best. Interesting characters, smart dialogue, tight bullet-proof plots.
Movie #2
Man On Fire – Drama (Crime Thriller)
Okay, I might come off a bit fan-boy on this but Tony Scott’s version is practically film school in a can. Given that the source material was a best selling novel the plotting and the character subtext should be rock solid and it is. I grew up in the book business, so I read this along the other Creasy novels, and I saw the Scott Glen version, which was a bit for faithful to the book.
What elevates Tony Scott’s Man On Fire is the camera work as a character development tool. The choice of lenses, the angles and prespective, the hand cranking all play into the development of emotional state and story tension.
In brief:
Creasy is a former special ops soldier turned private contractor cum drunken bum, debilitated by all his internal demons and emotional baggage. He gets offered an easy job by an old friend in Mexico City; bodyguard for a young girl. He takes it, more or less on auto pilot as on his first night on the job he tries to commit suicide, but the bullet misfires… based on his mantra “a bullet never lies” he actually turns a corner, or maybe hit bottom and begins to float back up.
Pita, his “principal” starved for affection from her own, rich distant, jet setting parents pour all of her shear tonnage of love into Creasy and breaks through. Through her he finds a reason to live, the potential for love.
And theneven though Creasy spots it unfolding, even though he has primed her for this eventuality, even though he takes out most of the kidnappers, Pita is kidnapped.
Creasy ends up in hospital, considered by the cops a suspect, though he’s shot to shit.
There is a ransom call, there is a money drop, it goes bad. One of the kin of the kidnappers is killed, the parents are told, too bad, Pita’s life is forfeit.
Creasy is smuggled out by his old friend, he makes contacts with a reporter and with the special crimes, anti-kidnapping unit. He finds out about Pita, his heart which she had begun to melt freezes over and an even darker, more leathal killer is born.
… The “anyone can be an artist” speech by Christopher Walken is as fine a mash up of writing/directing/preforming as any other 2 minutes ever shot.
At first Creasy is simply hell bent on revenge, partly to assuage is gilt, excercise his demons, simply stomp out the evil that took his Pita, but then he discovers that Pita is still alive.
He discovers that it was in part a scam, that the father was in on the kidnapping, along with his lawyer and a group of dirty cops. Creasy goes next level, engaging in a level a violence that is even more frightening for its overt casualness.
He confronts the father, then offers him the very bullet that wouldn’t fire for him. He stuff a charger loaded with c4 into the ass of a corrupt police captain and talk to him about the regrets of not having enough time. He shoots and burns and beats information out of people with no external remorse because noe of their pain is even close to what he’s forced to carry.
Eventually he gets takes the brother of the top bad guy “the Voice” who explains that it’s just business and sets an exchange for Pita, “a life for a life” (this is one of only a couple places where I feel the script made a mis-step, but alas…).
Shot up and knowing that he is bleeding out, Creay sends Pita off with her mother and then rides off with the bad guys, life ebbing away. The cops finish the job, killing “the Voice” as he tries to resist arrest.
How it delivered on the genre conventions:
PURPOSE: tons of personal / inter-personal connections. The Creasy /Pita connection is the driving heart of the story.
CHARACTER-DRIVEN JOURNEY: Creasy’s journey towards life, forced relapse to darkness, and them embracing of the darkness as his tool of redemption… 100%
HIGH STAKES COME FROM WITHIN: Again… the internal versus external pressure question is always tricky. Huge internal battle for Creasy at the outset; his “ability to love”, but the external “high stakes” do drive his decision making opportunities. Those external elements; kidnapping, lies, deceit, and corruption are the things that force an introspective evaluation and determination of where his own moral line is drawn, and the resulting action.
EMOTIONALLY RESONATES: if this movie doesn’t move you… see a therapist.
CHALLENGING, EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED SITUATIONS: Even the joyus moments early on, the beats where Creasy is opening up, where Pita is begins to crack his shell are underpinned by levels of tension as you just know that something bad, very bad is coming.
REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS: If there were more Creasy’s in the world there would be less of a kidnapping business.
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<div>Jon’s Speciality — Drama
</div>What I learned doing this assignment is
Drama (Crime): White Sands
A New Mexico sheriff gets caught up in a series of double crosses and mysteries within mysteries when he impersonates a dead person inorder to try to find the killer. This leads him down a path where he too is in jepordy and where the opportunity to cross the line is close.
How it delivered on the genre conventions:
All of the key characters, The Sheriff, The Rogue FBI Agents, the Real FBI agents, The gun running CIA agent and the Morally Ambiguous Heiress all had overlapping connections as well as competing agendas.
White Sands was a character driven journey. Our hero, the Small Town Sheriff got into a bad place, for a good reason. it was obvious from the beginning that he was out of his depth, but the driving question became will he maintain his honesty and integrity or will be be seduced by the other, daarker opportunities and agendas.
As far as internal High stakes, versus external, it would be a near thing. There are very high stakes external events, the money, illegals gun smuggling, murders… but it’s the internal struggle of the sheriff that determines the turning points, the winners and losers. Can he, will he, in the end stay a cop or become a criminal?
I think even the villians and side characters deliver excellent emotional reasoning for why they are doing what they do.
Most of the situations that the hero finds himself in force him further and futher down a path that put him, his career and possibly his life at greater risk. Most of the decisions are between bad and worse.
The Story was very grounded in reality, though there were a few situations, such as the Sheriff not speaking with his boss before going undercover and then using his own car (which could be identified), but nothing that blew me outa the movie.
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Jon’s Credibility is Going Up!
Things I learned: I need to stay current on my digital footprint and I need to make sure that I expand my pool of contacts, especially in the directions that I want my career to move.
2 or 3 steps you’ll take in the next 30 days to increase your credibility
1. Adjust my IMDB Pro bio / credits
2. Update and tailor my Linked In page ( maybe take that free month they’ve been offering me for years)
3. Revise and expand my contacts specific to writing and script polilshing.
JON’S CREDIBILITY CHECKLIST
1. Your Writing Sample (Off the Grid)
‘Recommend’ from Coverage: Yes
Delivers on the genre: Yes
Delivers on business decisions: Yes
2. Screenwriting Accomplishments
Contest wins: yes
Smaller Deals: Re-writes & Polishes (Yes)
Larger Deals: Full Script w/ Revisions ($3.5 ~ 5Mil) Yes
Movies Produced: Micro-Budgeted (Writer/Director)
3. The Google factor
Google your name. The top five postings are all “Industry” related,
4. Your Network
How many producers are in your network? Dozen+
How many Connections do you have who are connected to producers? Many
5. Education specific to screenwriting
Degree in Film or Screenwriting
BFA / NYU TSOA, Guest Playwrites Program @ Royal Court Theater, UCLA Professional Screenwriting Program
Master Screenwriter Certificate program at ScreenwritingU
6. Borrowed Credibility
Represented by an agent or manager (only for international AD/Line Producing Work)
Working with a Producer(s): Yes
Connected to a Star: Can I call famous people, Yes. Will they do anything, No
Connected to a funding source: If only!
7. IMDB CREDITS
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0770573/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
What credits show up there for you? 2 Dir / 20 Producing / 112 Assistant Director
8. Other forms of credibility that is related to screenwriting:
Novels published: Graphic Novel Series (Co Author),
Producer or director experience: Yes
Experience working with agencies, production companies, film festivals, etc.: Yes, Yes & Yes
#2 Linked In Profile
doin’ it
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Jon’s Projects and Insights
Here are my two projects~
Completed Script: Off The Grid
A decorated MP turned Private Eye gets entangled in the seedy underbelly of Sports betting, when the supermodel wife of an abusive pro football star fears for her life and says she needs to disappear. While teaching her to cover her tracks they fall in love and he must to decide if he’s willing let her go, or join her Off The Grid.
$25 Million
New Concept: Tribute
Set in the world of tibute bands. About a nearly destitute, newly sober, reclusive ROCKSTAR who joins a Tribute Band (dedicated to his old band), incognito. With him as the frontman, the band soon tops the tribute circuit , the rockstar reconnects with what was great abiout makaing music and falls in love, all under an alias. When the Tribute band gets invited to perform for the remaining members of the real band, the truth will out and he risks losing it all again.
$30 ~ $50 million
My takeaways from the intro recording:
As I have done a few different paid writing gigs I am familiar with most of the info that was shared. I did like hearing and getting focused on the writer/producer relationship from the position of being a hired writer and the idea of picking one genre to become a specialist in.
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Jon Scheide
I agree to the terms of this release form.
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.
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Jon’s Subtext Plot
Vision: I’m going to develop my process and professionalism in writing so that I can become represented as a writer for hire and writer/director.
What I Learned: taking the time to break down subplots and themes generates lots of additional ideas.
Blacktop Diamonds is a thriller road movie.
A young American couple gets talked into doing a diamond run, from the restricted areas of the northern cape down to Cape Town. The Boyfriend sees it as a bit of adventure, harmless and easy money. The Girlfriend is quite pissed when she finds out what she been dragged into. Their Buddy, who set up the deal, has his own agenda and when the Mining Company’s mysterious Head of Security learns their identity the scenic drive along the coast becomes a race for survival.
Primarily this will be Competitive Agendas as the characters’ allegiances shift along the journey (internal & external). There will also be Superior Position once the Head of Security joins the chase as he (and the audience) will know more than the protagonist. Additionally, there will be a small element of Fish Out of Water, as the couple are American’s in South Africa, Whites in a Black culture, Rookies in an experienced Crime World.
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Jon’s Transformational Journey
My Vision: I’m going to develop my process and professionalism in writing so that I can become represented as a writer for hire and writer/director.
What I Learned: how to clearly breakdown and define the transformation
The Boyfriend
Arc Beginning: Easily manipulated, a follower, wanting to be liked
Arc Ending: Strong in Self, able to love and be loved
Internal Journey: His value system places importance on things; wealth, power, prestige
External Journey<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>: From follower to leader, from blaming others to taking responsibility.
Old Ways: easiest path, not worried about how it impacts others, who it might hurt
New Ways: do what’s right, do what’s fair, even if it hurts
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Jon’s Intentional Lead Characters
My Vision: I am going to take everything I’ve learned from thirty years of filmmaking and focus on creating and crafting scripts that readers can’t put down. I’m going to develop my process and professionalism in writing so that I can become represented as a writer for hire and writer/director.
What I learned: writing a premise for each character is very revealing.
Protagonist: Boyfriend
Logline: The boyfriend agrees to smuggle diamonds convinced it will impress his girlfriend.
Unique: The boyfriend is very superficial, style over substance, willing to risk it all for a big reward.
Protagonist: Girlfriend
Logline: the Girlfriend refuses to be part of the plan
Unique: The Girlfriend doesn’t value diamonds or money as much as love, honor and honesty.
Triangle: Head of Security
Logline: The Head of Security has never had a major theft, he’s not gonna let these amateurs get away with it.
Unique: The Head of Security is less concerned with the value of the stones as much as he is protecting the myth and mystery, and his record
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Jon’s Title, Concept & Character Structure
My Vision: I am going to take everything I’ve learned from thirty years of filmmaking and focus on creating and crafting scripts that readers can’t put down. I’m going to develop my process and professionalism in writing so that I can become represented as a writer for hire and writer/director.
What I Learned: making foundation decisions at this stage is easier
Title: Blacktop Diamonds
Concept: An American couple<font face=”inherit”> meets a young South African boy who smuggles diamonds using carrier pigeons. They are pursuaded to become rookie diamond couriers while on holiday, but when their </font>identities are discovered,<font face=”inherit”> it becomes a life or death race back to Cape Town, pursued by the diamond mine’s notorious head of security</font>.
Structure: Dramatic Triangle
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Greetings all,
I’m Jon, though I generally respond to my last name “Scheide” because there are always so many Jons, Johnathans and Johnnys on film sets (not to mention the rest of the planet).
I’ve written a few scripts, both for myself and as works for hire, but I’m always looking to up my game, so I’m here to focus on one project, elevate it, and get it made.
Adding up front, I’m on location in Tessaloniki, and I literally start shooting tomorrow, plus it’s 10hr ahead, so I won’t always be on the calls, but I’m around and I will do my best to contribute to the group (and don’t get too jelly~ Thessi is kinda the Cleveland of Greece).
~Scheide
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Hey James…
thanks for your service brother.
Former Army Helicopter Crewchief myself, 2ID (South Korea), & 3rd Signal Corp @ Ft. Hood
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