[Justin Justin Sabestinas Sabestinas]

I have not seen either of these movies yet, and I want to watch Get Out all the way through before watching clips, so I’ll just share my insights on Bridesmaids. It was interesting watching a major turning point without any context other than a basic idea of what the movie is about.

The scene has three simple but major beats: 1. A surprise trip to Paris. 2. Annie’s blowup as a response to this surprise. 3. Lillian’s angered response to Annie’s blowup which culminates in her dis-inviting Annie to the wedding.

The point of no return is initiated by Annie’s over-the-top attempted destruction of the party cookie and chocolate fountain. She’s trying to burn a bridge with Lillian and possibly with all the other bridesmaids.

<font face=”inherit”>Even though this film is nothing like what I’m writing, here’s what I’m taking away from it: I have often thought of “turning points” and especially midpoint “point-of-no-return” beats as external and obstacle-driven. I still believe those most often should be, but this </font>scene<font face=”inherit”> is a great example of how a turning point can be internal and relational. Two characters’ feelings about each </font>other<font face=”inherit”> have reached an absolute breaking point, and the relationship cannot be the same moving forward without some major form of reconciliation. I’ll keep </font>chewing on this and see where it might apply to my script.

[Justin Justin Sabestinas Sabestinas]

A inciting incident is about balance. You spend the large part of Act 1 establishing an equilibrium for the protagonist and their story world. Then you create an inciting incident to throw that equilibrium off balance, either in a subtle way that cascades into an avalanche, or like a lightning bolt shattering the status quo to oblivion. This movie chooses the pebble tossed into the pond approach. One man with a few doubts decides not to raise his hand and launches all twelve of them on a journey of stripping away the artifice of “swift justice” to expose the true thoughts and attitudes behind their decision to throw a man’s life away.

This scene is masterful in that it not only throws that pebble, but it gives the audience a preview of exactly how the ripples are going to unfold. Is this going to be about one man trying to convince eleven others they’re wrong? No, that man has already stated his position. The burden of proof is on those saying “guilty,” and we are going to hear each in turn express their own thoughts and attitudes on the matter. We also get glimpses of some of the prevalent attitudes within the room that will come to bear on the final decision.

The inciting incident in my script is a bit of both. There’s a catastrophe that destroys the status quo, but there are also ripple effects from the initial “lightning strike.” I think I can do a better job at pointing the audience in the direction the ripple effects are going to be taking us and setting up the core conflict that will need to be resolved.

[Justin Justin Sabestinas Sabestinas]

Hey I’m Justin. I have a degree in creative writing and screenwriting from Eastern Washington University, and I took the ProSeries back in 2012. (I never finished that script because life threw a third child at me—a most enjoyable surprise that took up all my extra writing time outside my day job.) Now that the third (and then the fourth) child have grown up a bit, this past year I’ve finally taken my writing more seriously and have started doing part-time work for a filmmaker developing several films. That work is paying well enough that I can start paring back the hours I have to put in at my day job. I’m also continuing work on scripts I’ve drafted in the past to start shopping around. I’m taking this class both to elevate those drafts of my own work and to strengthen the work I’m doing for this filmmaker. I have spent a lot of time working on structure and concept, and I’m realizing that when it comes to scene-crafting, I feel weak. I hope that will change by the end of this course.

I’ve written four screenplays, two of them adaptations. <font face=”inherit”>I’m drawn to sci-fi, contained films, quirky comedic dramas, and historical fiction. I </font>also<font face=”inherit”> have begun dabbling in scripting graphic novels. </font>

[Justin Justin Sabestinas Sabestinas]

As a member of this group, I, Justin Sabestinas, 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.

[Justin Justin Sabestinas Sabestinas]

I found it interesting that this movie opens with an exploration of the antagonist rather than the protagonist. It’s helpful that this is a sequel, but it would have worked just as well if it were a standalone movie. In starting with questions and rumors about the antagonist while also coloring it in with a picture of the powerful mob this antagonist is attacking, we see how formidable and dangerous are the enemies Batman (the protagonist) will be facing. Rather than try to show the climber’s skills, show the impossible mountain he needs to climb, so to speak.

<font face=”inherit”>My opening currently focuses on introducing the protagonist, but it gives little sense of the dangers and challenges this character faces on a daily basis. I will try to include some </font>dialogue<font face=”inherit”> and imagery that starts pointing toward the “mountain” she needs to climb even before the inciting incident. I think that will elevate the hook of the whole film. </font>