[Mark Lynch]

Marc’s Scene Requirements.

My Vision: To win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the black list.
What I learned: The Scene requirements give a full robust body to the scene. Supported by a clean, well defined structure.

ACT 1 <div>

INT. ANDY’S OFFICE – DAY Andy Beal, an A-type personality Billionaire, is having a mid-life crisis and needs to challenge himself to “High Risk” stimulating endeavors. He shuffles a deck of cards.

Scene Arc: Andy watches financial news report on TV. He unwraps a new deck of cards. Angry, frustrated, he shuffles the deck, real fast. Essence: Andy is frustrated and fed-up with the financial banking industry. He is looking for a new challenge.

Conflict: Internal. Andy needs to decide on his new challenge.

Subtext: Andy feels the banking industry are “dumb asses” and he wants out.

Hope/Fear: We fear Andy will go back into the banking industry. We hope shuffling the deck of cards will push him into the next real adventure.

INT. BELLAGIO CASINO BAR – DAY

Bob Brunson strikes up a conversation with Andy at the Bellagio casino bar. He invites Andy to a friendly game of low stakes poker. Andy accepts.</div><div>

Scene Arc: Bob Brunson sees Andy in the bar flashing money. He invites Andy to a friendly game of poker. Andy accepts. They leave the bar and head to the poker tables.

Essence: Andy is anxious and venerable and wants to play his first poker game.

Conflict: Bob Brunson is a stranger to Andy and he us trying to get courage to move forward.

Subtext: Bob Brunson is scheming Andy by pretending he is an amateur, just like Andy. Andy feels comfortable and accepts the invitation.

Hope/Fear: We hope Bob Brunson is friendly. We fear Andy will be taken advantage of his amateur experience.

INT. CASINO TABLE – DAY Andy, an amateur poker player, loses a low stakes poker game to Bob Brunson, a member of the Corporation, a group of Las Vegas professional poker players.</div><div>

Scene Arc: The games starts. Money and chips are layed on the table. Andy loses. Andy loses all of his money.

Essence: Andy is an amateur and doesn’t know what he is doing.

Conflict: Andy struggles to win against a professional poker player.

Subtext: Bob Brunson gives Andy an education on how to beat an amateur player.

Hope/Fear: We hope Andy gets out alive. We fear it is a losing battle. We can see it in Andy’s face as he loses his money.

INT. DOLE BRUNSON’S OFFICE – DAY

Bob Brunson, informs his Father Dole Brunson (AJ-A) He just beat a new “mark”

And he is sure he can play him for more money.

Scene Arc: Bob explains to his Father how he met Andy. Then, strategy how to get Andy to play poker again.

Essence: Should the Corporation move forward with a new enticement to play Andy again.

Conflict: They debate: small low stake or high stake games.

Subtext: Bob is hungry to show he is the “best” player in the Corporation and wants to play Andy again.

Hope/Fear: We fear the Corporation will wipe Andy out all of his money. We hope Andy has learned his lesson, forget about poker and go home.

INT. ANDY’S HOTEL ROOM – DAY

Humiliated, with a need to recoup his losses, he challenges the leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, to a series of high stakes poker games. Andy and Dole agree to terms.

Scene Arc: Dole Brunson meets Andy. Discuss a High stake marathon. Terms agreed.

Essence: Dole wants to get a sense who is Andy Beal. How money does Andy really have to play.

Conflict: What are the money stakes. How long should the games last.

Subtext: Andy wants to know who all the Corporation players are. Dole keeps it a secret.

Hope/Fear: We hope Andy gets to recoup his money. We fear he is too inexperienced.

EXT. PARKING LOT – DAY Andy consults with a private investigator. They are searching for his former business partner who embezzled a fortune from him, and he thinks a poker player in the Corporation is related to the embezzler.</div><div>

Scene Arc: Andy meets private investigator. Reviews photos. Discuss strategy. Andy goes back to hotel room.

Essence: Which poker player is the embezzler’s brother.

Conflict: How to go about an entrapment.

Subtext: Andy questions the PI if she has the right information and is she working hard enough.

Hope/Fear: Andy gets the results he wants. Fear he is going down a dead end.

INT. ANDY’S MANSION – DAY Andy’s PJ: Andy returns to Dallas, Texas to access the situation in Las Vegas and what he can do to recoup his money. Andy tasks his secretary to get 25 of the best books on poker. Andy speed reads all of them.</div><div>

Scene Arc: Andy contacts and tasks his secretary to bring 25 books on poker. Books delivered. Andy speed reads books.

Essence: How can Andy gain new knowledge on the poker game.

Conflict: Which knowledge book is the best.

Subtext: Andy wants revenge on the Corporation players.

Hope/Fear: Andy gets a knowledge breakthrough. Fear he won’t get the right information in time.

ACT 2:</div><div>

INT. ANDY’S COMPUTER ROOM – DAY

Andy brainstorms and creates a computer program algorithm with the help of his son.

Andy is not satisfied with what he read in the poker books. Andy, a “fish out of water” realizes he is no match for the Corporation and gets his son to create a computer program algorithm to give him an advantage. They role play the computer program.

Scene Arc: Andy approaches his son. They design the computer program. They examine the finished product.

Essence: How to get an advantage over the Corporation players.

Conflict: What is the best information to input into the program.

Subtext: The son: “how can I get credit for helping.”

Hope/Fear: They how it works. Andy and Son don’t know enough about poker.

INT. BELLIGIAO CASINO – POKER TABLE – DAY Andy plays the first round of poker games. He starts winning and gets very “cocky.”

Scene Arc: New game. Algorithm knowledge kicks in. Andy beats the Corporation first time.

Essence: Andy is getting much better at poker games.

Conflict: The Corporation can sense Andy is better at poker. They step up their game.

Subtext: Andy is not a “chump.” He’s got this.

Hope/Fear: Hope Andy continues to win. Fear he may get to cocky and slip up.

EXT. ANDY’S RENTAL CAR – DAY To celebrate Andy rents a car and drives in the poor neighborhood and throws money out of his car window to the street, homeless people.

Scene Arc: Andy enters rental car with black garbage bag. Drives through homeless streets. He throws money out of driver’s side window. People pick money off the ground.

Essence: Andy happy he is finally winning at poker. He gives back to the poor.

Conflict: Street people fight over money.

Subtext: Andy feels he has a handle on poker playing and he can beat the Corporation.

Hope/Fear: Hope Andy doesn’t get to cock and continue to play well against the Corporation. Fear Andy is getting to cocky.

INT. BELLIGIAO CASINO – DAY

Dole is forced to recruit more players into the Corporation and pool their money to keep the challenge going. Dole renegotiates new terms of the games and recruits a new round of players.

Scene Arc: Dole approaches new players into the Corporation. New terms. New Players commit to playing Andy.

Essence: Dole wants to beat Andy and recoup his losses.

Conflict: The terms of the new deal.

Subtext: Dole has real power over the Corporation players.

Hope/Fear: Hope Dole can convince the new players. Fear the players will rebel against Dole.

EXT. PARKING LOT – DAY Andy meets again with the female private investigator. hired by Andy has tracked the embezzler to the Corporation poker player, who is his brother, agent/manager. The private investigator is not sure if the poker player is fully related to the embezzler. Andy gets depressed.</div><div>

Scene Arc: Andy meets PI. PI found the poker player. They leave.

Essence: Progress on the Poker player

Conflict: When will the last piece of information be presented.

Subtext: Lets get this done and finalized.

Hope/Fear: Hope Andy wins. Fear the poker player could be the wrong person.

Act 3:</div><div>

INT. BELLIAGIO CASINO – DAY

Dole’s recruits are losing to Andy and dropping out, one by one.

Scene Arc: Andy is winning. Players losing. Corporation funds are busted.

Essence: Andy knows what he is doing.

Conflict: How can Dole find new player to go against Andy.

Subtext: The Corporation is losing its reputation.

Hope/Fear: Hope more players can come forward. Fear: Andy may not play the embezzler’s brother.

INT. DOLE BRUNSON’S OFFICE – NIGHT

Dole calls up and recruits Phil Ivey, the best poker player in the world, for a one-on-one challenge with Andy Beal.

Scene Arc: Dole calls Phil Ivey. Discuss Andy’s game.

Essence Dole needs a master player to beat Andy.

Conflict The terms of the deal

Subtext: Bring Phil out from under a previous scandal.

Hope/Fear: Phil accepts. Fear/ Andy may not agree to terms.

INT. BELLIGIAO CASINO – POKER TABLE – DAY Andy wins all the Corporations money, including the embezzler’s brother. He wants to leave Las Vegas but Dole temps him with one more last game with the Master” Phil Ivey.

Scene Arc: Dole meets with Andy and convinces him to play Phil Ivey. Andy accepts.

Essence: A new adventure and challenge for Andy.

Conflict: Andy wants time to research Phil.

Subtext: Andy could have bragging rights by playing Phil Ivey

Hope/Fear: Andy rises to the challenge. Andy will let fear take over.

INT. PHIL IVEY’S SUITE – DAY Dole Brunson: Dole meets with Phil Ivey and briefs him on Andy’s playing style.

Scene Arc: Detailed discussion on Andy Beal.

Essence: Get Phil excited about playing Andy.

Conflict: How soon can the game start

Subtext: Phil can he be the true king of high stakes poker

Hope/Fear Dole hopes Phil can win. Andy may have an “ace” up his sleeve.

INT. ANDY’S HOTEL ROOM – NIGHT Andy tasks his secretary to fast forward all the information on Phil Ivey.

Scene Arc: Andy contact secretary for Phil Ivey research. Andy speed reads.

Essence Andy to gain confidence to play Phil.

Conflict: Internal: Is Andy good enough.

Subtext: How can Andy gain courage to play a real master poker player.

Hope/Fear Andy gains courage. Andy will falterer and not try to win.

Act 4</div><div>

INT. BELLIAGIO GRAND POKER ROOM – DAY

Phil Ivey plays one final game and beats Andy Beal and recoups the Corporation’s winnings.

Scene Arc: Game starts. Game drama. Game ends

Essence: View the strategy of each player.

Conflict: Internal for both players.

Subtext: Can I win.

Hope/Fear Hope Andy applies what he has learned. Fear Andy loses his concentration.

INT. ANDY’S MANSION HOME – DAY

Andy returns home to Dallas, Texas. He researches and finds a new “High” risk challenge.

Scene Arc: Andy watches financial news on TV. Tosses a deck of cards in the trash can.

Essence: Andy conquered poker

Conflict: Internal:

Subtext: What challenge will Andy choose next.

Hope/Fear: Hope Andy goes to the next challenge. Fear: Andy will return to banking.

</div>

[Mark Lynch]

Marc’s Intriguing Moments

WIM Module 4 – Intriguing Moments – Lesson 8

What I learned: It’s a powerful technique to keep the viewer engaged and “guessing” who is who and what happens next.

Act 1

Intrigue:

Who is Bob Brunson and why does he agree to play Andy Beal in his first game of poker?

Covert Agenda:

Andy appears as an “A” type personality looking for a challenge. But he really wants to find the poker player brother who embezzled money from his business.

Act 2

Scheme:

Andy and his son create a computer algorithm program to give him an advantage over the professional Corporation players.

Act 3

Conspiracy:

Andy and the private investigator exchange notes on how to find the embezzler,

Mystery:

Dole Brunson recruits Phil Ivey to play Andy.

Act 4

Superior Position:

Andy did his research on Phil Ivey. But he doesn’t know how deep Phil’s skills and playing strategy. The viewer knows because Dole Brunson revealed this information through a discussion with Phil.

Andy realizes this after Phil beats him in the final game.

[Mark Lynch]

Marc’s Emotional Moments

WIM Module 4 – Emotional Moments – Lesson 7
My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Blacklist.<o:p></o:p>

What I learned: Emotional moments along with Setup and Reveals keeps the viewer engaged in the story and actively “guessing” the outcome.

Act 1

POS: Andy is a Billionaire but an amateur poker player. He musters up the COURAGE and goes to Las Vegas to try his hand at high stakes poker.<o:p></o:p>

NEG: Andy LOOSES his first game of poker to a member of the Corporation. He challenges the Corporation to a series of High stakes poker games over a period of six years.<o:p></o:p>

Act 2

POS: Andy is EXCITED to create a computer algorithm with his son to give him an advantage over the Corporation professionals.

NEG: Andy’s hidden agenda. Andy was ripped off by a former business partner. He has a WOUND from the loss. He thinks one of the poker players is the brother of his former business partner.

Act 3

POS: Andy BONDS with the private investigator and gets closer which of the players is related to his former business partner.

NEG: Andy beat the Corporation. But he is DISTRESSED he is has to play Phil Ivey.<o:p></o:p>

ACT 4

POS: Andy is excited to finally test himself against the Phil Ivey. The best poker player in the world.<o:p></o:p>

NEG: Andy lost to Phil Ivey.

[Mark Lynch]

<div>Marc’s Setup and Reveal</div>

WIM Module 4-Setup and Reveal – Lesson 6

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Black List.

What I learned: Setups and Reveals are important to keep the viewer engaged with the story.

Genre: Drama/Thriller

<div><o:p></o:p>

ACT 1

<o:p></o:p> BEGINNING:

Andy Beal, an A-type personality Billionaire, is having a mid-life crisis and needs to challenge himself to “High Risk” stimulating endeavors.<o:p></o:p> Andy’s dream is to play the best poker players in the world. He decides to go to Las Vegas. Andy is a Billionaire, but he is an amateur poker player.<o:p></o:p>

SETUP:

Bob Brunson strikes up a conversation with Andy at the Bellagio casino bar. He invites Andy to a friendly game a low stakes poker. Andy accepts. Andy flashes lots of money in front of Bob. Bob Brunson sees Andy as an easy mark. An amateur rookie just asking to be taken.

<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>REVEAL:

Inciting Incident: Andy, an amateur poker player, loses a low stakes poker game to Bob Brunson , a member of the Corporation, a group of Las Vegas professional poker players.<o:p></o:p>

SETUP:

Bob Brunson, Informs his Father Dole Brunson (AJ-A) He just beat a new “mark” and he is sure that he has more money to bet.

<o:p></o:p>Turning Point 1:

Humiliated, with a need to recoup his losses, he challenges the leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, to a series of high stakes poker games. The games last over a period of six years. Andy and Dole agree to terms.

<o:p></o:p>REVEAL:

Andy consults with a private investigator. They are searching for his former business partner who embezzled a fortune from him, and he thinks a poker player in the Corporation is related to the embezzler.

<o:p></o:p>SETUP:

Andy’s PJ: Andy returns to Dallas, Texas to access the situation in Las Vegas and what he can do to recoup his money. Andy tasks his secretary to get 25 of the best books on poker. Andy speed reads all of them.

<o:p></o:p>ACT 2

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>Reveal:

Andy is not satisfied with what he read in the poker books. Andy, a “fish out of water” realizes he is no match for the Corporation and gets his son to create a computer program algorithm to give him an advantage.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>SETUP:

Andy and his son, role play on the computer algorithm. Andy leaves Texas for Las Vegas.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>DEEPER LAYER:

Andy feels he is in the right place to find the embezzler’s brother.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>Turning Point 2 / Midpoint:

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>Reveal:

Andy starts winning and gets very “cocky.”

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>SETUP:

To celebrate, Andy rents a car and drives in the poor neighborhood and throws money out of his car window to the street, homeless people.<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p> Dole is forced to recruit more players into the Corporation and pool their money to keep the challenge going.<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>Dole Brunson renegotiates the terms of the games and recruits a new round of players.<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>

REVEAL:

A female private investigator, hired by Andy has tracked the embezzler to the Corporation poker player, who is his brother, agent/manager. The private investigator is not sure if the poker player is fully related to the embezzler. Andy gets depressed.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>Act 3

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>Dole’s recruits are losing to Andy and dropping out, one by one.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>SETUP:

Andy demands from Dole Brunson, the antagonist of the Corporation, that he play the brother of the embezzler.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>REVEAL:

The player keeps losing and he is secretly forced to get more money from his embezzling brother to keep him in the game.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>Turning Point 3:

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>SETUP:

Dole calls up and recruits Phil Ivey, the best poker player in the world, for a one-on-one challenge with Andy Beal.<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>Photos and conversations with the private investigator as to why Andy is player poker and trying to do his own con game with the Corporation. Andy wins all the Corporations money, including the embezzler’s brother.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>REVEAL:

He wants to leave Las Vegas but Dole temps him with one more last game with the Master” Phil Ivey.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>SETUP:

Dole Brunson: Dole meets with Phil Ivey and briefs him on Andy’s playing style.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>REVEAL:

Andy tasks his secretary to fast forward all the information on Phil Ivey.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p><o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”> </o:p>Act 4

Climax:

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>SETUP:

Phil Ivey beats Andy Beal and recoups the Corporation’s winnings.

<o:p style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”></o:p>REVEAL: Andy lost all his winning by losing to Phil Ivey. Satisfied, he got his money back from the embezzler, but he ultimately played and lost to the best poker player in the world.

<o:p></o:p>

Resolution:

Andy returns home to Dallas, Texas. He researches and finds a new “High” risk challenge. <o:p></o:p>

</div>

[Mark Lynch]

Marc’s Character Action Tracks

My Vision: To win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Black list.

WIM Module 4-Character Action Track- Lesson 5

Genre: Drama/Thriller The Corporation versus Andy Beal.

ACT 1 Beginning: Andy Beal, an A-type personality Billionaire, is having a mid-life crisis and needs to challenge himself to “High Risk” stimulating endeavors. Andy’s dream is to play with the best poker players in the world. He decides to go to Las Vegas. Andy is a Billionaire, but he is an amateur poker player.

PP: Andy meets a stranger in a bar-Bob Brunson, a member of the Corporation-and agrees to set with him for a “friendly” low stakes game of poker. PP: Andy and Bob find a special table and play. The game begins. Andy flashes a wad of cash-100’s. Bob Brunson sees Andy’s money.

PP: Inciting Incident: Andy, an amateur poker player, loses a low stakes poker game to a member of the Corporation, a group of Las Vegas professional poker players.

CAT Rageful: Andy goes to the previous bar, where he was nice but now he abuses the bartender because he lost the first game.

PP: Bob Brunson tells his father, Dole Brunson, that he just bet Andy in a low stakes game. He has lots of money and thinks they can get more of it.

PP: Turning Point 1: Humiliated, with a need to recoup his losses, he challenges the leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, to a series of high stakes poker games. The games last over a period of six years. Dole and Andy Agree to terms.

CAT Condescending: Andy thinks the Corporation players are a bunch of hick, so he talks “down” to them.<div>

<div>

PP: Dole Brunson. Recruits and organizes the Corporation players, one by one. PP: Andy returns to Dallas to prepare for the challenge. He get his secretary to purchase 25 of the best books on poker. Andy speed reads all of them.

ACT 2: Andy Beal arrives to Las Vegas at the Bellagio.PP: Andy, a “fish out of water” realizes he is no match for the Corporation, and he loses most of his money.

CAT Belligerent: Andy goes to the “owner” of the casino and complains that he is being cheated by the Corporation.

PP: Andy recruits his son, to help create a computer program algorithm to give him an advantage over the skills of the Corporation.

PP: Andy and his son, role play and test out the algorithm.Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: Andy starts winning and gets very “cocky.”

CAT Ecstatic: Andy drives through a Black neighborhood and throughs out handfuls of dollar bills to homeless and street people.

PP: Dole is forced to recruit more players into the Corporation and pool their money to keep the challenge going.

Act 3: Dole’s recruits are losing to Andy and dropping out, one by one. Turning Point 3: Dole calls up and recruits Phil Ivey, the best poker player in the world, for a one-on-one challenge with Andy Beal.

PP: Andy does extensive research on Phil Ivey and prepares for the final game.

CAT Envy: Andy curses out his secretary over the photo because she is giving him the wrong research on Phil Ivey.

Act 4 Climax: Phil Ivey beats Andy Beal and recoups the Corporation’s winnings.

Resolution: Andy returns home to Dallas, Texas. He researches and finds a new “High” risk challenge.

Beginning: Dole Brunson, cruises the Casino looking at the new prospects.Inciting Incident: Dole’s son tells his father about a new prospect, Andy Beal, he just beat and is sure they can take all of his money.

CAT Calculation: Dole checks the Corporation’s coffers and who he can recruit to play Andy.

Turning Point 1: Dole accepts Andy’s challenge and one by one gathers resources to start the games.

Act 2: Dole and the Corporation recruits beat Andy. Andy leaves Las Vegas to regroup.

CAT Joyful: Dole and the Corporation party and gloat after beating Andy.

Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: Andy returns with new strengths starts winning. Dole, humiliated and almost broke, regroups with a new plan.</div>

Act 3: Dole’s new recruits are dropping out and exhausted.

CAT Bully: Dole bullies the remaining Corporation players.

Turning Point 3: Dole consults with Phil Ivey and negotiates a new challenge with Phil and Andy.

Act 4 Climax: The Corporation and the entire Casino watch Phil Ivey beat Andy Beal.

Resolution: Dole pays out the winning to the Corporation and looks for a new poker tables to play.

</div>

[Mark Lynch]

Marc’s New Outline Beats

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Black list.
What I learned: Don’t strive to be perfect in this exercise. Do the basics and fill in the details later. The roadmap is much clearer this way.

WIM Module 4 — Lesson 4 – Basic Plotting

Genre:
Drama/Thriller The Corporation
versus Andy Beal.

ACT
1

Beginning: Andy Beal, an A-type
personality Billionaire, is having a mid-life crisis and needs to
challenge himself to “High Risk” stimulating endeavors.
Andy’s dream is to play with the best
poker players in the world. He decides to go to Las Vegas. Andy is a Billionaire,
but he is an amateur poker player.

PP:
Andy meets a stranger in a bar-Bob Brunson, a member of the
Corporation-and agrees to set with him for a “friendly” low-stakes game of
poker.

PP:
Andy and Bob find a special table and play. The game begins. Andy flashes a wad of cash-100s. Bob
Brunson sees Andy’s money.

PP: Inciting
Incident:

Andy, an amateur poker player, loses a low-stakes poker game to
a member of the Corporation, a group of Las Vegas professional poker
players.

PP:
Bob Brunson tells his father, Dole Brunson, that he just bet on Andy in a low-stakes game. He has lots of money and thinks they can get more of it.

PP: Turning
Point 1:

Humiliated, with a need to recoup his losses, he challenges the
leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, to a series of high-stakes poker
games. The games last over a period of six years. Dole and Andy Agree to the terms.

PP: Dole
Brunson. Recruits and organizes the Corporation players, one by one.

PP: Andy returns to Dallas to prepare for
the challenge. He gets his secretary to purchase 25 of the best books on
poker. Andy speed-reads all of them.

ACT 2

PP: Andy Beal arrives in Las Vegas at the Bellagio.

PP: Andy, a “fish out of water” realizes he
is no match for the Corporation, and he loses most of his money.

PP:
Andy recruits his son, to help create a computer program algorithm to give
him an advantage over the skills of the Corporation.

PP:
Andy and his son, role-play and test out the algorithm.

Turning
Point 2 / Midpoint:

Andy starts winning and gets very “cocky.” He celebrates with casino “patrons.”

PP: Dole
is forced to recruit more players into the Corporation and pool their
money to keep the challenge going.

Act 3

PP: Dole’s recruits are losing to Andy and dropping out, one by one.

Turning Point 3

Dole calls up and
recruits Phil Ivey, the best poker player in the world, for a one-on-one
challenge with Andy Beal.

PP:
Andy does extensive research on Phil Ivey and prepares for the final game.

Act 4
Climax

Phil Ivey beats Andy Beal and recoups the Corporation’s winnings.

Resolution:
Andy returns home to Dallas, Texas. He researches and finds a new “High”
risk challenge.

[Mark Lynch]

Marc’s Beat Sheet–Lesson 3–Beat sheet Part 1

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Black List
What I learned: If I have the “big picture” in terms of the beats, then I can manage the journeys much better.
WIM Module 4–Lesson 3: Bea Sheet Part 1

Genre: Drama / Thriller
Title: The Corporation versus Andy Beal

Genre:
Drama/Thriller

ACT
1 Beginning: Andy Beal, an A-type
personality Billionaire, is having a mid-life crisis and needs to
challenge himself to “High Risk” stimulating endeavors.

Andy’s
PJ: Andy’s dream is to play the
best poker player in the world. He decides to go to Las Vegas. Andy is a Billionaire,
but he is an amateur poker player.

Bob Brunson: AJ-B: Bob Brunson strikes up a conversation
with Andy at the casino bar. He invites Andy to a friendly game of low-stakes poker. Andy accepts. Andy flashes lots of money in front of Bob.

DEEPER LAYER: Bob Brunson sees Andy as an easy mark. An amateur rookie
just asking to be taken.

Inciting
Incident: Andy, an amateur poker player, loses a low-stakes poker game to
a member of the Corporation, a group of Las Vegas professional poker
players.

Bob
Brunson AJ-B: Informs his Father Dole Brunson (AJ-A) He just beat a new “mark”
and he is sure that he has more money to bet.

Turning
Point 1: Humiliated, with a need to recoup his losses, he challenges the
leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, to a series of high-stakes poker
games. The games last over a period of six years.

DEEPER
LAYER: Andy is searching for his former business partner who embezzled a
fortune from him and he thinks a poker player in the Corporation is
related to the embezzler.

Andy’s PJ: Andy returns to Dallas, Texas to access the
situation in Las Vegas and what he can do to recoup his money.

ACT 2:
Andy’s PJ: Andy, a “fish out of
water” realizes he is no match for the Corporation and gets his son, to
create a computer program algorithm to give him an advantage.

DEEPER
LAYER: Andy feels he is in the right place to find the embezzler’s
brother.

Turning
Point 2 / Midpoint: Andy starts winning and gets very “cocky.” Dole is
forced to recruit more players into the Corporation and pool their money
to keep the challenge going.

Dole
Brunson AJ: Dole renegotiates the terms of the games and recruits a new
round of players.

Andy’s
PJ: MAJOR REVEAL: A female private investigator, hired by Andy has tracked
the embezzler to the Corporation poker player, who is his brother,
agent/manager.

Act 3:
Dole’s recruits are losing to Andy and dropping out, one by one.

Andy’s
PJ: INFLUENCES SURFACE STORY: Andy demands from Dole Brunson, the
antagonist of the Corporation, that he plays the brother of the embezzler.
The player keeps losing and he is forced to get more money from his
embezzling brother to keep him in the game.

Dole
Brunson PJ: Turning Point 3: Dole calls up and recruits Phil Ivey, the
best poker player in the world, for a one-on-one challenge with Andy Beal.

Andy’s
PJ: DEEPER LAYER / HINTS: Photos and conversations with the private investigator as to
why Andy is playing poker and trying to do his own con game with the
Corporation. Andy wins all the Corporations money, including the
embezzler’s brother. He wants to leave Las Vegas but Dole temps him with
one more last game.

Dole
Brunson: AJ: Dole meets with Phil Ivey and briefs him on Andy’s playing
style.

Act 4
Climax: Phil Ivey beats Andy Beal and recoups the Corporation’s winnings

CHANGES
REALITY: Andy lost all his winning by losing to Phil Ivey. Satisfied, he
got his money back from the embezzler but he ultimately played and lost to
the best poker player in the world.

Andy’s
PJ: Resolution: Andy returns home to Dallas, Texas. He researches and
finds a new “High” risk challenge.

[Mark Lynch]

Marc’s Deeper Layers

WIM Module 4-Lesson 2

My Vision: Win a Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating with the Black List

What I learned: The deeper layers make the story and viewing experience more intriguing and exciting to watch.

Beginning:

Andy Beal, an A-type personality Billionaire, is having a mid-life crisis
and needs to challenge himself to “High Risk” stimulating endeavors.

SURFACE:
Andy Beal travels to Las Vegas and arrives at the Bellagio looking for a
poker game.

Inciting
Incident:

Andy, an amateur poker player, loses a low-stakes poker game to
a member of the Corporation, a group of Las Vegas professional poker players.

Turning
Point 1:

Humiliated, with a need to recoup his losses, he challenges the
leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, to a series of high-stakes poker
games. The games last over a period of six years.

DEEPER
LEVEL: Andy is searching for his former business partner who embezzled a
fortune from him and he thinks a poker player in the Corporation is
related to the embezzler.

Act 2:

Andy, a “fish out of water” realizes he is no match for the Corporation
and gets his son, to create a computer program algorithm to give him an
advantage.

Turning
Point 2 / Midpoint:

Andy starts winning and gets very “cocky.” Dole is
forced to recruit more players into the Corporation and pool their money
to keep the challenge going.

MAJOR
REVEAL: A female private investigator, hired by Andy has tracked the embezzler
to the Corporation poker player, who is his brother, agent, and manager.

Act 3:

Dole’s recruits are losing to Andy and dropping out, one by one.

INFLUENCES
SURFACE STORY: Andy demands from Dole Brunson, the Antagonist of the
Corporation, that he play the brother of the embezzler. The player keeps
losing and he is forced to get more money from his embezzling brother to
keep him in the game.

Turning
Point 3:

Dole calls up and recruits Phil Ivey, the best poker player in
the world, for a one-on-one challenge with Andy Beal.

HINTS:
Photos and conversations with the private investigator as to why Andy is
playing poker and trying to do his own con game with the Corporation. Andy
wins all the Corporations money, including the embezzler’s brother. He wants
to leave Las Vegas but Dole temps him with one more last game.

Act 4
Climax:

Phil Ivey beats Andy Beal and recoups the Corporation’s winnings.

CHANGES
REALITY: Andy lost all his winning by losing to Phil Ivey. Satisfied, he got
his money back from the embezzler but he ultimately played and lost to the
best poker player in the world.

Resolution:

Andy returns home to Dallas, Texas. He researches and finds a new “High”
risk challenge.

[Mark Lynch]

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Blacklist.

What I learned: Starting with a general outlay of the outline gives me the best place to see what works. I can also put in details later.

WIM Module 4 – Lesson 1

Marc’s Character Structure

Andy Beal – Protagonist

Beginning:

Andy Beal, an A-type personality Billionaire, is having a mid-life crisis
and needs to challenge himself to “High Risk” stimulating endeavors.

Inciting
Incident:

Andy, an amateur poker player, loses a low-stakes poker game to
a member of the Corporation, a group of Las Vegas professional poker players.

Turning
Point 1:

Humiliated, with a need to recoup his losses, he challenges the
leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, to a series of high-stakes poker
games. The games last over a period of six years.

Act 2:

Andy, a “fish out of water” realizes he is no match for the Corporation
and gets his son, to create a computer program algorithm to give him an
advantage.

Turning
Point 2 / Midpoint:

Andy starts winning and gets very “cocky.” Dole is
forced to recruit more players into the Corporation and pool their money
to keep the challenge going.

Act 3:

Dole’s recruits are losing to Andy and dropping out, one by one.

Turning
Point 3:

Dole calls up and recruits Phil Ivey, the best poker player in
the world, for a one-on-one challenge with Andy Beal.

Act 4
Climax:

Phil Ivey beats Andy Beal and recoups the Corporation’s winnings.

Resolution:

Andy returns home to Dallas, Texas. He researches and finds a new “High”
risk challenge.

Dole Brunson – Antagonist

Beginning:

Dole Brunson, cruises the
Casino looking at the new prospects.

Inciting
Incident:

Dole’s son tells him about a new prospect, Andy Beal, he just beat and is sure they can take
all of his money.

Turning
Point 1:

Dole accepts Andy’s challenge and one by one gathers players and resources to
start the game.

Act 2:

Dole and the Corporation recruits beat Andy. Andy leaves Las Vegas to regroup.

Turning
Point 2 / Midpoint:

Andy returns with new strengths from his computer algorithm and starts winning. Dole humiliated
and almost broke, regroups with a new plan.

Act 3:

Dole’s new recruits are dropping out and exhausted.

Turning
Point 3:

Dole consults with Phil Ivey and negotiates a new challenge with Phil
and Andy.

Act 4
Climax:

The Corporation and the entire Casino watch Phil Ivey beat Andy
Beal.

Resolution:

Dole pays out the winnings to the Corporation and looks for new poker tables to play.

[Mark Lynch]

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and get a 10 rating on the Blacklist.

Subject: Marc’s Subtext Characters

Movie Title: The Corporation versus Andy Beal

Andy Beal: Protagonist

Subtext Identity: A Billionaire amateur poker player obsessed with wining at high stakes poker with the players from The Corporation.

Subtext Traits: Manipulative, Scheming, Conniving.

Subtext logline: Andy is a Billionaire corporate financial banker, looking for a new “high” and he has found it in high stakes poker even though he is a fish out of water amateur.

Possible areas of Subtext: He is constantly scheming and manipulating the Corporation to play “one more game” even though his is losing his money.

Dole Brunson: Antagonist

Subtext Identity: A professional poker player and primary leader of The Corporation.

Subtext Traits: Concealing, Crafty, Slippery, Evasive

Subtext Logline: Dole recruits six players to meet Andy’s challenge to systematically take all of his money.

Possible areas of Subtext: Dole constantly tricks Andy to keep trying to beat the Corporation and reminding him he will be labeled a “loser” if he gives up.

[Mark Lynch]

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Blacklist.

What I learned: A-list and upcoming actors are always looking for the next great role. Craft your story and characters in such a way that gives them a reason to sign on.

Marc’s Actor attractors for the movie: The Corporation vs Andy Beal

Movie Title: The Corporation vs Andy Beal

Lead Character Name: Andy Beal (Protagonist)

Genre: Drama/Thriller

1. Why would an actor want to be known for this roll?

It’s an opportunity to portray the mindset and lifestyle of the post – modern Billionaire. A uber educated family man. A vindictive auto-didact . A winner at all cost. His motto: Greed is good. Stick it to the other guy before they stick it to you.

2. What makes the character the most interesting character in the movie.

Extreme fearlessness. An amateur poker player who is a fish out of water.

3. What are the most interesting actions the lead takes in the movie.

a. He challenges Dole Brunson, the leader of the Corporation to a series of high stakes poker games.

b. He creates a computer algorithm to give himself an advantage of the Corporation professionals.

c. He scraps the computer program and decides to use his own “brain” to beat the professional poker players.

4. How is the Character introduced that could sell it to an actor.

A vulture fly’s in the sky and lands on the roof of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Then, we see Andy in the middle of a final high stakes poker game with the great Phil Ivey.

5. What is the Character’s emotional range.

From calm, to anger, to vindictive revenge.

6. What subtext can the character play.

Scheming, Lying, Bluffing.

7. What is the most interesting relationship the character has.

Dole Brunson, the leader and mastermind of the Corporation.

8. How is the character’s unique voice presented.

The obnoxious, a type personality demands that he makes on the Corporation and the Bellagio management

9. What makes the character special and unique.

The unwavering belief in himself and his ability to not take “no” as an answer from anyone.

[Mark Lynch]

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Blacklist.

What I learned: The character should really be matched with the genre story and also what are the conventions of the genre that make is functional.

Marc’s Actor attractors for the movie: Argo

Movie Title: Argo

Lead Character Name: Tony Mendez. (Ben Affleck)

Genre: Drama/Thriller

1. Why would an actor want to be known for this roll?

He is a “Hero” with real world experience who knows how to think outside the box to solve difficult problems.

2. What makes the character the most interesting character in the movie.

He can come up with workable ideas very quickly to solve complex problems and he knows how to “follow” through and execute.

3. What are the most interesting actions the lead takes in the movie.

a. He convinces the government to approve the “fake” movie idea to release the six hostages from the Canadian Embassy.

b. He goes to Hollywood and finds a make up artist to produce the fake movie called Argo.

c. He convinces the six hostages that his plan can work.

4. How is the Character introduced that could sell it to an actor.

After a brief history of the power shift in Iran and the insurrection at the American Embassy of the six missing hostages, Tony Mendez is woke up in the early morning, at home, after having slept in his clothes, he gets the call to immediately to CIA headquarters to be briefed on the hostage situation.

5. What is the Character’s emotional range.

From calm to extremely calm.

6. What subtext can the character play.

Scheming and lying to the Iran authorities about producing the “fake” Argo movie.

7. What is the most interesting relationship the character has.

The Make-up artist and the movie producer.

8. How is the character’s unique voice presented.

He is calm, persuasive, and always the voice of reason.

9. What makes the character special and unique.

He is an expert on the history and cultural nature of foreign countries.

[Mark Lynch]

Subject: Marc’s Genre Conventions

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Black list.
What I learned: The genre conventions help to support the expectations of the viewer.

Title: The Corporation versus Andy Beal: Based on a True Story

High Concept: After a Billionaire, amateur poker player, loses a low-stakes game to a member of a notorious group of Las Vegas professionals known as the Corporation, he challenges them to high-stakes money game winnings over a period of six years.

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Drama:

Emotional/Interpersonal high stakes

Character Driven Internal journey

Intense Emotions

Story grounded in reality

Thriller:
High-stakes plot twist and suspense

Emotional danger

Intrigue by the covert villains’ plan

Resourceful hero

Villain committed to destroying the hero

Main Emotions: Suspense, intrigue, tension, surprise

Main Conflict: The leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, recruits six professional players to accept the Billionaire’s challenge. The Billionaire returns back to the Bellagio casino to avenge his previous losses.

Old ways: The Billionaire knows he is a “fish out of water amateur” but he feels the Corporation players are “hicks” and he can outsmart them because he is “educated.”

New ways: The Billionaire, after haven been beaten, unmercifully by the professionals has gained a newfound respect for them and keeps returning to the poker tables to learn their secrets. He is no longer arrogant but has a new spiritual appreciation for the game.

Act 1:

Opening: A vulture flies through the sky and lands on top of the Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

Setup: Phil Ivey versus the Billionaire Andy Beal. This is the last game of the six-year challenge. (Thriller Suspense-Who will win the last game after six years of the challenge)
(Drama-Intense emotions from the Billionaire)

FLASHBACK

Inciting Incident: Unbeknownst to the Billionaire, he loses a low-stakes game to Todd Brunson the son of the Corporation leader. He leaves Las Vegas and returns later to challenge the Corporation to avenge his losses.

Turning Point: The Billionaire contacts the leader of the Corporation and lays down the rules of the challenge. The challenge is on and everyone accepts. The Billionaire speed reads twenty-five books on poker.

Act 2:

New Plan: The Corporation puts up its best players against the Billionaire and he quickly realizes he is out of his element and his knowledge is no match for them. He designs a computer program algorithm to give him an advantage.

Plan in action: The Billionaire creates and studies his computer program and returns back to Las Vegas to continue the challenge.

Midpoint/Turning Point: The Billionaire is winning big. The Corporation brings in its best players and beast the Billionaire out of his new winnings. (Thriller: Villian committed to destroying the Billionaire and taking all of his money)

(Drama: Intense emotions from the Billionaire)

Act 3:

Rethink Everything: The Billionaire seeks a newfound motivation to continue the challenge.

New Plan: He consults a spiritual advisor to tap into a different side of his mental capacity to figure out how the Corporation is beating him.

Turning Point/Lost Point Huge Failure/Major Shift: The Billionaire has lost a large sum of his fortune. His business and family are in jeopardy.

(Thriller-Plot twist for the Billionaire-He has to get more money to complete the challenge)

(Drama- Interpersonal: The Billionaire has to think and be completely introspective to go back to Las Vegas to face the Corporation. )

Act 4:

Climax: Payoff: The Corporation puts up its best player: Phil Ivey vs The Billionaire Andy Beal. The winner takes all. The Billionaire loses the challenge.

Resolution: The Billionaire has transitioned from a fish out of water mature to a professional poker player and reflects on his next ultimate challenge.

[Mark Lynch]

Subject: Marc’s 4 Act Transformational Structure

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship and receive a 10 rating on the Black list.

Title: The Corporation versus Andy Beal: Based on a True Story

High Concept: After a Billionaire, amateur poker player, loses a low stakes game to a member of a notorious group of Las Vegas professionals known as the Corporation, he challenges them too high stakes money game winnings over a period of six years.

Main Conflict: The leader of the Corporation, Dole Brunson, recruits six professional players to accept the Billionaire’s challenge. The Billionaire returns back to the Belliagio casino to avenge his previous losses.

Old ways: The Billionaire knows he is a “fish out of water amateur” but he feels the Corporation players are “hicks” and he can outsmart them because he is “educated.”

New ways: The Billionaire, after haven been beaten, unmercifully by the professionals has gained a new found respect for then and keeps returning to the poker tables to learn their secrets. He is no longer arrogant but has a new spiritual appreciation for the game.

Act 1:

Opening: A vulture flys through the sky and lands on top of the Belliago Hotel & Casino.

Setup: Phil Ivey versus the Billionaire Andy Beal. This is the last game of the six year challenge.

FLASHBACK

Inciting Incident: Unbeknownst to the Billionaire, he loses a low stakes game to Todd Brunson the son of the Corporation leader. He leave Las Vegas and returns later to challenge the Corporation to avenge his loses.

Turning Point: The Billionaire contacts the leader of the Corporation and lays down the rules of the challenge. The challenge is on and everyone accepts. The Billionaire speed reads twenty five books on poker.

Act 2:

New Plan: The Corporation puts up its best players against the Billionaire and he quickly realizes he is out of his element and his knowledge is no match for them. He designs a computer program algorithm to give him an advantage.

Plan in action: The Billionaire creates and studies his computer program and returns back to Las Vegas to continue the challenge.

Midpoint/Turning Point: The Billionaire is winning big. The Corporation brings in their best players and beast the Billionaire out of his new winnings.

Act 3:

Rethink Everything: The Billionaire seeks a new found motivation to continue the challenge.

New Plan: He consult a spiritual advisor to tap into a different side of his mental capacity to figure out how the Corporation is beating him.

Turning Point/Lost Point Huge Failure/Major Shift: The Billionaire has lost a large sum of his fortune. His business and family are in jeopardy.

Act 4:

Climax: Payoff: The Corporation puts up their best player: Phil Ivey vs The Billionaire Andy Beal. The winner takes all. The Billionaire loses the challenge.

Resolution: The Billionaire has transitions from a fish out of water mature to professional poker player and reflects on his next ultimate challenge.

[Mark Lynch]

Subject: Marc’s Subtexts Plots

My Vision: Win the Nicholl Fellowship contest and score a 10 rating on the Black List.

What I learned: A variety of subtext plots makes for a more interesting story and keeps the viewer completely engaged.

Title: The Corporation versus Andy Beal
High Concept: A Billionaire, amateur poker player, challenges a notorious group of Las Vegas professionals known as the Corporation, to high-stakes winnings and bragging rights over a period of six years.

1. Fish out of Water: Andy Beal is completely out of his element. He is comfortable in the world of corporate banking and finance but he has no clue what he is doing in the world of high-stakes poker.

2. Superior Position: Andy Beal creates a computer program algorithm to give him an advantage over professional players. Suddenly, Andy starts winning and the professionals can’t figure out how he is doing it.

3. Competitive Agendas: The Corporation feels Andy is a fool and an easy mark to take all of his money. Andy feels the professional players are a bunch of “hicks” and are not as smart as him. On the surface, they are civil in their manner and tone but underneath they are trying to destroy each other.

[Mark Lynch]

Subject: Marc’s Transformational Journey

My Vision: My vision is to win the Nicholl Fellowship and get a recommended “10” rating on the Black List.

What I learned: The “broad” strokes of this exercise gave me a clear view of where I’m going in the story and how the “small” details will fit in between.

Character Arc for Protagonist: Andy Beal

Arc Beginning: Egotistical, amateur, poker player.
Arc Ending: Achieve mastery of high-stakes poker.

Internal Journey: Insecure self-doubt to total transparency of his higher self.
External Journey: Egotistical, combative, amateur poker player to a peaceful, zen “buddha” type.

Old Ways:
He looked down with condescension at the Las Vegas pros as “hicks.”
Self-doubt.
Created a computer algorithm program to give him a winning advantage.
He thought his “Billionions” made him better than everyone else and it would make a difference.

New Ways:
He learned to respect the social and cultural differences in the Las Vegas “hick” poker players.
He Learned the game “organically” without the aid of a computer program.
Learned to meditate like a “buddha.”
Winning and bragging rights became irrelevant. The journey became all-important.

[Mark Lynch]

My Vision: I will win the Nicholl Fellowship award and receive a “10” rating on my Blacklist submission.

What I learned: Having a character structure connected to the concept keeps me focused and guides me to an effective outline.

Title: The Corporation versus Andy Beal

High Concept: Based on a true story… A Billionaire amateur poker player challenges a notorious group of Las Vegas professionals, known as the Corporation, to high-stakes winnings and bragging rights over a period of six years.

Character Structure: Ensemble Cast versus the Protagonist.

[Mark Lynch]

Wow, Hal’s opening audio is great.
What I learned and what I took away from all of the presentations, out of all of the topics was the page on EMPOWERMENT.

Everything in that presentation, I could relate too. Hal gave me a way to confront my empowerment issue head-on.

Thanks,

Marc

[Mark Lynch]

Hi Everyone,
I thought I already posted this assignment, so I will post it again.

1. Marc Lynch

2. I’ve written three feature screenplays and two shorts.

3. I hope to meet some interesting writers and l learn the process of creating professional screenplays and restart my journey to becoming a professional writer.

4. I’m an intermediate, community theatre, a theatrical performer with twenty-five plays to my credit in Albuquerque/Santa Fe. New Mexico.

[Mark Lynch]

Marc Lynch

I agree to the terms of this release form.

[Mark Lynch]

1. Marc Lynch
2. Three features and two shorts
3. A more sophisticated and comprehensive process for writing effective screenplays.
4. I reside in Albuquerque/Santa Fe., New Mexico.

[Mark Lynch]

Hello, Contained Outline Team.

I’m ready to exchange.

I have a Drama/Adventure story: Flight of the Hawk Balloon.

Marc Lynch

marcabq@hotmail.com

[Mark Lynch]

Marc Lynch’s Outline Part 2

What I learned doing this assignment: The more components added to the outline the more interest and intrigue is added to the story.

Title: Flight of the Hawk Balloon

LOGLINE:

While a lethal mountain lion terrorizes peaceful hikers in the Sandia mountain wilderness, a depressive teenager, searches for medical assistance for her father, a hot air balloon pilot, after their balloon crashes during a test flight in New Mexico.

GENRE: Drama/Adventure

Main Conflict: The mountain lion, “El Lion,” terrorizes and kills anyone who enters the mountainside.

Act 1: Introduce the characters and set up a conflict

Opening:

EXT. MOUNTAIN – DAY

Three youthful mountain hikers are killed by a vicious mountain lion: “El Leon.”

HOPE: The three hikers can have a pleasant hike overlooking the mountain valley.(Unpredictability/Not sure what or who the real threat is)
FEAR: The hikers see a dead, half-eaten animal on the hiking trail. But they keep walking. How was the animal killed and will the hikers run into the same fate? (Dangerous Environment)

SET UP: The three hikers walk a mountain trail and find a lunch spot.
PAYOFF: El Leon kills all three hikers

EXT. SCHOOLYARD – DAY

Helen is fist fighting the school bully in the schoolyard. The principal breaks up the fight and takes Helen to his office.

HOPE: I hope Helen survives the fight and wins. (Unpredictability/Out of control situation)
FEAR: What kind of punishment will Helen get from the principal. (Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen)

CHARACTER JOURNEY: Beginning: Helen has a fistfight in her schoolyard with the school bully.

Internal Conflict: Helen is a depressed teenager due to the divorce of her parents. Her mother blames Helen for the divorce.

Subtext :

Wound: No respect from her mother. She blames Helen for the divorce.

Motivation:
Dilemma:
Intrigue:

Secret Identity:

Hidden Agenda :

Hidden Character History:
Character layers:

INT. HELEN’S HOME – DAY

CHARACTER JOURNEY TURNING POINT 1:

After Helen is expelled from her school, her mother sends her to live with her father, a hot air balloon pilot, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Internal Conflict:

Subtext:

Wound:

Motivation: Helen wants to make her father proud of her and do good in her new home with her new “step” family.

Dilemma:

Intrigue:

Secret Identity: Helen is a naturalist.

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character: Helen is an “A” student but lazy with very little self esteem.

History
Character layers

Character Layers: Helen

Layers Surface: A loner and a self-destructive teenager/Layers Beneath: An A student but lazy/Layers Beneath that: A real fighter and not “quitter.” Very self-reliant.

How revealed: A conversation she has with her father on the drive from the airport to her new home.

Also, how she reacts to adversity in the desert wilderness.

Internal Conflict
Subtext
Wound
Motivation
Dilemma
Intrigue
Secret Identity
Hidden Agenda
Hidden Character History
Character layers

EXT. SANDIA MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Inciting Indecent: Their hot air balloon, with Helen and her father, the pilot, crashes in the New Mexico Wilderness.

HOPE: After her father passes out in the balloon. Helen gets instructions from the crew chief on how to fly and navigate the balloon. (Unpredictability/ Person on the edge)
FEAR: What if Helen loses control and can’t fly the balloon. (Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen.)

Internal Conflict: Helen lost control of the balloon while trying to recover it in mid-flight. Can she prove to herself and her family that she can get out of this situation.

Subtext:

Wound :

Motivation: Can she save her father and find medical assistance in the wilderness.

Dilemma:

Intrigue:

Secret Identity:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character History:

Character layers :

Plot Layers:

Surface: Helen is sent by her mother to live with her father after being expelled from school/Beneath: Helen goes on a hot air balloon test run with her father days before the balloon festival is to begin/ Beneath that: Her father blacks out from a medical condition during the test run. Helen cannot fly the balloon and crashes it in the mountain wilderness.

How revealed: Helen survives the balloon crash but realizes her father has lost consciousness. Helen starts to walk into the wilderness looking for help.

HOPE: After the balloon crashes, she sees hikers and asks them for help. (Isolation/Alone)
Fear: Helen is alone in the wilderness with nowhere to turn for help.Until Little Joe Begay arrives and advises her to find Fatu. (Increasing Tension/Ticking Clock)

Internal Conflict :

Subtext:

Wound:

Motivation: To save her father while E Leon terrorizes the mountainside.

Dilemma:

Intrigue: Secret Identity:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character:

History
Character layers

SETUP: Helen passes out in the balloon during the test flight.
PAYOFF: Helen can’t fly the balloon by the radio instruction from the crew chief and the balloon crashes in the mountain side.

EXT. SANDIA MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Turning Point 1: Helen meets Little Joe Begay, a Navajo Indian. Little Joe is a spiritual shapeshifter. He gives her food and water. He warns her to beware of “El Leon.” He removes his facial bandana and shows her the facial scars give to him by “El Leon.” He tells Helen to find Fatu and she can help her with medical assistance for her father.

Finally, Little Joe Begay gives Helen “an herb” to help her cope with the desert wilderness. She falls asleep. When she wakes Little Joe has disappeared. Helen walks into the desert wilderness searching for Fatu.

Internal Conflict: Doubts about trusting Little Joe Begay

Subtext: Little Joy Begay and Helen. Trust.

Wound:

Motivation: Helen is desperate to get out of this situation.

Dilemma: Helen either trusts the advice of a stranger: Little Joe Begay or let her father die.

Intrigue :

Secret Identity: Little Joe is a spiritual shapeshifter.

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character:

History
Character layers :

Act 2: Challenge the reality of the characters

EXT. DESERT WILDERNESS – DAY

New Plan: Helen walks into the desert wilderness. Crows fly overhead up in the sky. Helen follows them into the desert.

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

EXT. DESERT WILDERNESS – DAY

Helen walks into the wilderness looking for help.

Plan of Action: As Helen walks into the desert, she meets several hikers coming down the mountain. They warn Helen of the destructive force of “El Leon,” and advise her to turn around and not go any further. Helen asks each group of hikers she meets to help her but each group refuses.

HOPE: Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen.

FEAR: (Unpredictability/ Could attack at any moment) El Leon.

Internal Conflict: Helen is learning as she travels to find Fatu, the hikers offer no real help and only want to leave the mountainside in fear of El Leon.

Subtext:

Wound:

Motivation: Time is running out to save her father.

Dilemma:

Intrigue:

Secret Identity:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character:

History
Character layers:

EXT. DESERT WILDERNESS – DAY

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

Midpoint turning Point: The herb that Little Joe Begay gave Helen starts to have an effect on her and the tone of the story changes in the desert from realism to magical realism. Birds, animals, trees, plants, talk to Helen and she walks through the desert mountainside. This is designed to express Helen’s insecurities and explore her internal conflict.

Location Layers:

Surface: The New Mexico Wilderness is peaceful and natural/Beneath: A vicious mountain lion terrorizes all humans who enter her territory/Beneath that: When Helen arrives into the New Mexico wilderness it changes the tone of the story changes from “realism” to “magical realism.” How revealed: As Helen walks the wilderness looking for medical assistance for her injured Father, animals, trees, cactus talk to Helen. This technique helps expose Helen’s internal conflict.

Exhausted. Helen drinks water from a mountain stream. A snake appears and talks to her in the form of her mother. It bites Helen in the face and swims off.

Fatu appears standing over Helen. She sucks the poison from Helen’s face and carries her out of the desert.

Hope: Can Helen overcome her internal conflicts. (Isolation/Psychological Issues)
FEAR: Increasing Tension/What is the character afraid of.

Internal Conflict: Helen is turning delusional from the walking and heat and has serious doubts she can save her father and find Fatu.

Subtext:

Wound:

Motivation: Save her father

Dilemma: Quit searching for Fatu or Let her father die.

Intrigue:

Secret Identity:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character:

History
Character layers

Act 3: With Mid-Point change, everything must change

INT. FATU’S STAW BALE MOUNTAIN HOUSE – DAY

Rethink everything: Helen has finally found Fatu. She pleads her case to help with medical assistance. Fatu agrees due to her own conflict with “El Leon.” He kills her favorite dog and bit off part of her hand while trying to save her dog.

She now wants her own revenge on “El Leon.”

HOPE: Incompatibility/Forced to deal with each other

FEAR: Incompatibility/ Opposing Needs and desires.

Internal Conflict:

Subtext:

Wound:

Motivation: To finally get medical help for her father.

Dilemma: Either follow the rules and agenda Fatu set up or let her father die alone.

Intrigue:

Secret Identity: Fatu was once in the military and know how to use weapons and navigate the mountains.

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character:

History
Character layers:

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

EXT. FATU’S BACKYARD – DAY

New Plan: Fatu and Helen practice using weapons to fight El Leon. They also go over strategies on the best approach to win the fight.

INT. FATU’S STRAWBALE HOUSE – NIGHT

They sleep on it and go out the next day. Helen’s dreams what the battle with El Leon might turn out to be.

HOPE: Will Helen and Fatu’s new plan work. (Increasing Tension/How many things could go wrong.

FEAR: Incompatibility/Triggering each other.

Internal Conflict
Subtext
Wound
Motivation
Dilemma
Intrigue
Secret Identity
Hidden Agenda
Hidden Character History
Character layers

EXT. MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Major shift: Fatu and Helen come face to face with El Leon. El Leon defeats and kills Fatu. El Leon runs off after the kill. Helen is left alone again in the wilderness.

HOPE: Can Helen now get inspiration from Fatu’s death to continue to look for help. (Isolation/Loss of Companion)
FEAR: Where is El Leon hiding. (Unpredictability/Danger/Could attack at any moment)

Internal Conflict: Can Helen continue to look for help and face the final battle alone with El Leon.

Subtext:

Wound:

Motivation

Dilemma:

Intrigue:

Secret Identity:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character

History
Character layers

Act 4: Test the change in the character

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

EXT. MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Final Plan: Take off parts of Fatu’s bloody clothes. Walk in the wilderness and leave Fatu’s scent to a location when El Leon will follow and be vulnerable to an attack and final battle

Climax: Final battle between Helen and El Leon.

HOPE: What method will Helen use to defeat El Leon. (Unpredictability/Out of control situation)
FEAR: Danger/Threat/Attack

Internal Conflict

Subtext:

Wound:

Motivation:

Dilemma:

Intrigue: The battle between Helen and El Leon.

Secret Identity:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character:

History
Character layers

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

EXT. MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Resolution: A helicopter Search and Rescue team, which has been looking for Helen all through the story, has finally found her. The leader puts Helen in the helicopter to take her home.

INT. HELICOPTER – DAY

While in the helicopter, Helen has a vision and asks the pilot to go to Fatu’s house. A cloud of crows circles Fatu’s house overhead. Helen sees her father at the doorstep of Fatu’s house.

HOPE: Will Helen Father turn out to be okay.

Fear: Is Helen’s father dead.

Internal Conflict: No internal conflict.

Subtext :

Wound

Motivation:

Dilemma:

Intrigue:

Secret Identity:

Hidden Agenda:

Hidden Character:

History
Character layers:

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Mark Lynch. Reason: I hit enter by accident when the assignment wasn't completed
• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Mark Lynch. Reason: I hit enter by accident when the assignment wasn't completed

[Mark Lynch]

Marc Lynch’s Outline Pass Part 1

Title: Flight of the Hawk Balloon

LOGLINE:

While a lethal mountain lion terrorizes peaceful hikers in the Sandia mountain wilderness, a depressive teenager, searches for medical assistance for her father, a hot air balloon pilot, after their balloon crashes during a test flight in New Mexico.

GENRE: Action/Adventure

Main Conflict: The mountain lion, “El Lion,” terrorizes and kills anyone who enters the mountainside.

Act 1: Introduce the characters and set up a conflict

Opening:

EXT. MOUNTAIN – DAY

Three youthful mountain hikers are killed by a vicious mountain lion: “El Leon.”

HOPE: The three hikers can have a pleasant hike overlooking the mountain valley.(Unpredictability/Not sure what or who the real threat is)
FEAR: The hikers see a dead, half-eaten animal on the hiking trail. But they keep walking. How was the animal killed and will the hikers run into the same fate? (Dangerous Environment)

EXT. SCHOOLYARD – DAY

Helen is fist fighting the school bully in the schoolyard. The principal breaks up the fight and takes Helen to his office.

HOPE: I hope Helen survives the fight and wins. (Unpredictability/Out of control situation)
FEAR: What kind of punishment will Helen get from the principal. (Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen)

CHARACTER JOURNEY: Beginning: Helen has a fistfight in her schoolyard with the school bully.
INT. HELEN’S HOME – DAY

CHARACTER JOURNEY TURNING POINT 1:

After Helen is expelled from her school, her mother sends her to live with her father, a hot air balloon pilot, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Character Layers: Helen

Layers Surface: A loner and a self-destructive teenager/Layers Beneath: An A student but lazy/Layers Beneath that: A real fighter and not “quitter.” Very self-reliant.

How revealed: A conversation she has with her father on the drive from the airport to her new home.

Also, how she reacts to adversity in the desert wilderness.

EXT. SANDIA MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Inciting Indecent: Their hot air balloon, with Helen and her father, the pilot, crashes in the New Mexico Wilderness.

HOPE: After her father passes out in the balloon. Helen gets instructions from the crew chief on how to fly and navigate the balloon. (Unpredictability/ Person on the edge)
FEAR: What if Helen loses control and can’t fly the balloon. (Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen.)

Plot Layers:

Surface: Helen is sent by her mother to live with her father after being expelled from school/Beneath: Helen goes on a hot air balloon test run with her father days before the balloon festival is to begin/ Beneath that: Her father blacks out from a medical condition during the test run. Helen cannot fly the balloon and crashes it in the mountain wilderness.

How revealed: Helen survives the balloon crash but realizes her father has lost consciousness. Helen starts to walk into the wilderness looking for help.

HOPE: After the balloon crashes, she sees hikers and asks them for help. (Isolation/Alone)
Fear: Helen is alone in the wilderness with nowhere to turn for help.Until Little Joe Begay arrives and advises her to find Fatu. (Increasing Tension/Ticking Clock)

EXT. SANDIA MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Turning Point 1: Helen meets Little Joe Begay, a Navajo Indian. Little Joe is a spiritual shapeshifter. He gives her food and water. He warns her to beware of “El Leon.” He removes his facial bandana and shows her the facial scars give to him by “El Leon.” He tells Helen to find Fatu and she can help her with medical assistance for her father.

Finally, Little Joe Begay gives Helen “an herb” to help her cope with the desert wilderness. She falls asleep. When she wakes Little Joe has disappeared. Helen walks into the desert wilderness searching for Fatu.

Act 2: Challenge the reality of the characters

EXT. DESERT WILDERNESS – DAY

New Plan: Helen walks into the desert wilderness. Crows fly overhead up in the sky. Helen follows them into the desert.

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

EXT. DESERT WILDERNESS – DAY

Helen walks into the wilderness looking for help.

Plan of Action: As Helen walks into the desert, she meets several hikers coming down the mountain. They warn Helen of the destructive force of “El Leon,” and advise her to turn around and not go any further. Helen asks each group of hikers she meets to help her but each group refuses.

HOPE: Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen.

FEAR: (Unpredictability/ Could attack at any moment) El Leon.

EXT. DESERT WILDERNESS – DAY

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

Midpoint turning Point: The herb that Little Joe Begay gave Helen starts to have an effect on her and the tone of the story changes in the desert from realism to magical realism. Birds, animals, trees, plants, talk to Helen and she walks through the desert mountainside. This is designed to express Helen’s insecurities and explore her internal conflict.

Location Layers:

Surface: The New Mexico Wilderness is peaceful and natural/Beneath: A vicious mountain lion terrorizes all humans who enter her territory/Beneath that: When Helen arrives into the New Mexico wilderness it changes the tone of the story changes from “realism” to “magical realism.” How revealed: As Helen walks the wilderness looking for medical assistance for her injured Father, animals, trees, cactus talk to Helen. This technique helps expose Helen’s internal conflict.

Exhausted. Helen drinks water from a mountain stream. A snake appears and talks to her in the form of her mother. It bites Helen in the face and swims off.

Fatu appears standing over Helen. She sucks the poison from Helen’s face and carries her out of the desert.

Hope: Can Helen overcome her internal conflicts. (Isolation/Psychological Issues)
FEAR: Increasing Tension/What is the character afraid of.

Act 3: With Mid-Point change, everything must change

INT. FATU’S STAW BALE MOUNTAIN HOUSE – DAY

Rethink everything: Helen has finally found Fatu. She pleads her case to help with medical assistance. Fatu agrees due to her own conflict with “El Leon.” He kills her favorite dog and bit off part of her hand while trying to save her dog.

She now wants her own revenge on “El Leon.”

HOPE: Incompatibility/Forced to deal with each other

FEAR: Incompatibility/ Opposing Needs and desires.

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

EXT. FATU’S BACKYARD – DAY

New Plan: Fatu and Helen practice using weapons to fight El Leon. They also go over strategies on the best approach to win the fight.

INT. FATU’S STRAWBALE HOUSE – NIGHT

They sleep on it and go out the next day. Helen’s dreams what the battle with El Leon might turn out to be.

HOPE: Will Helen and Fatu’s new plan work. (Increasing Tension/How many things could go wrong.

FEAR: Incompatibility/Triggering each other.

EXT. MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Major shift: Fatu and Helen come face to face with El Leon. El Leon defeats and kills Fatu. El Leon runs off after the kill. Helen is left alone again in the wilderness.

HOPE: Can Helen now get inspiration from Fatu’s death to continue to look for help. (Isolation/Loss of Companion)
FEAR: Where is El Leon hiding. (Unpredictability/Danger/Could attack at any moment)

Act 4: Test the change in the character

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

EXT. MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Final Plan: Take off parts of Fatu’s bloody clothes. Walk in the wilderness and leave Fatu’s scent to a location when El Leon will follow and be vulnerable to an attack and final battle

Climax: Final battle between Helen and El Leon.

HOPE: What method will Helen use to defeat El Leon. (Unpredictability/Out of control situation)
FEAR: Danger/Threat/Attack

CHARACTER JOURNEY:

EXT. MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS – DAY

Resolution: A helicopter Search and Rescue team, which has been looking for Helen all through the story, has finally found her. The leader puts Helen in the helicopter to take her home.

INT. HELICOPTER – DAY

While in the helicopter, Helen has a vision and asks the pilot to go to Fatu’s house. A cloud of crows circles Fatu’s house overhead. Helen sees her father at the doorstep of Fatu’s house.

[Mark Lynch]

What I learned from doing this assignment: It is a good policy to be aware of how a producer thinks in terms of budget, if you are writing a contained story. The story outline should keep all of the variables in mind first.

Marc Lynch’s Budget: Current Budget 11 MIllion.

Decrease Budget

MAIN VARIABLES

A. Number of Locations: I would keep all my locations in the Wilderness. Daytime Exterior. I would decrease locations for the Search & Rescue Team, Balloon Festival Headquarters, the Pilot’s house, Doctors Office.

B. Expensive Locations: Limit the amount of space for all scenes in the Wilderness.

C. Number of Character: Limit the Balloon chase crew and the Search & rescue crew.

D. Special Effects: N/A

E. Number of pages: 120 to 100 pages.

F. Crowd Scene. I would use stock footage of crowds at the balloon festival.

G. Stunts, Chase and Fight scenes. I would keep the stunt of the balloon crashing and the final battle between Helen and El Leon. The balloon crash could be an SFX, then just show the balloon on the ground.

H. Special sets. Use a straw bale house already built and rent it out.

SECONDARY VARIABLES

I. Rights to Music, Brands, Books. N/A

J. Green Screen. N/A

K. Explosions. N/A

L. Firearms. N/A

M. Kids. Reduce the number of kids watching the schoolyard fight between Helen and the school bully.

N. Animals. The mountain lion is the antagonist.

O. Weather. Daytime exterior/interior. Good weather.

P. Water and Underwater scenes. N/A

Q. Night scenes. Have the story take place in one 24 hour period.

R. Helicopters, Drones. One Search and Rescue helicopter. A drone for aerial shots.

S. Special Make-Up. N/A

INCREASE BUDGET

I would increase the number of actors on the Search and Rescue crew, add an animal wrangler for the trained Mountain Lion, special fight training for Helen, a special stunt crew for the balloon crash, hire extras and news reporter broadcasting the balloon festival, add the Search and Rescue helicopter and drones, a make-up artist for the pilot, little Joe Begay, and Fatu.

[Mark Lynch]

What I learned from doing this assignment: The hope and fear method keeps constant tension and total involvement in the story.

Hopes and Fears

Marc Lynch Writes Great Hopes and Fears

Concept: After their hot air balloon crashed during a test run, a self-destructive teenager searches the New Mexico Wilderness for medical assistance for her father, while a vicious mountain lion terrorizes everyone who enters the mountainside.

Main Conflict: The mountain lion, “El Lion,” terrorizes and kills anyone who enters the mountainside.

Act 1: Introduce the characters and set up a conflict

Opening: Three youthful mountain hikers are killed by a vicious mountain lion: “El Leon.”ca

HOPE: The three hikers can have a pleasant hike overlooking the mountain valley.(Unpredictability/Not sure what or who the real threat is)
FEAR: The hikers see a dead, half-eaten animal on the hiking trail. But they keep walking. How was the animal killed and will the hikers run into the same fate. (Dangerous Environment)

Helen is fist fighting the school bully in the schoolyard. The principal breaks up the fight and takes Helen to his office.

HOPE: I hope Helen survives the fight and wins. (Unpredictability/Out of control situation)
FEAR: What kind of punishment will Helen get from the principal. (Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen)

Inciting Indecent: Their hot air balloon, with Helen and her father, the pilot, crashes in the New Mexico Wilderness.

HOPE: After her father passes out in the balloon. Helen gets instructions from the crew chief on how to fly and navigate the balloon. (Unpredictability/ Person on the edge)
FEAR: What if Helen loses control and can’t fly the balloon. (Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen.)

Turning Point 1: Helen meets Little Joe Begay, a Navajo Indian. Little Joe is a spiritual shapeshifter. He gives her food and water. He warns her to beware of “El Leon.” He removes his facial bandana and shows her the facial scars give to him by “El Leon.” He tells Helen to find Fatu and she can help her with medical assistance for her father.

Finally, Little Joe Begay gives Helen “an herb” to help her cope with the desert wilderness. She falls asleep. When she wakes Little Joe has disappeared. Helen walks into the desert wilderness searching for Fatu.

HOPE: After the balloon crashes, she sees hikers and asks them for help. (Isolation/Alone)
Fear: Helen is alone in the wilderness with nowhere to turn for help.Until Little Joe Begay arrives and advises her to find Fatu. (Increasing Tension/Ticking Clock)

Act 2: Challenge the reality of the characters

New Plan: Helen walks into the desert wilderness. Crows fly overhead up in the sky. Helen follows them into the desert.

HOPE: Increasing Tension/What’s the worst that can happen.

FEAR: (Unpredictability/ Could attack at any moment) El Leon.

Plan of Action: As Helen walks into the desert, she meets several hikers coming down the mountain. They warn Helen of the destructive force of “El Leon,” and advise her to turn around and not go any further. Helen asks each group of hikers she meets to help her but each group refuses.

HOPE: Incompatibility/Forced to deal with each other.
FEAR: Incompatibility/ Opposing Needs and Desires

Midpoint turning Point: The herb that Little Joe Begay gave Helen starts to have an effect on her and the tone of the story changes in the desert from realism to magical realism. Birds, animals, trees, plants, talk to Helen and she walks through the desert mountainside. This is designed to express Helen’s insecurities and explore her internal conflict.
Exhausted. Helen drinks water from a mountain stream. A snake appears and talks to her in the form of her mother. It bites Helen in the face and swims off.

Fatu appears standing over Helen. She sucks the poison from Helen’s face and carries her out of the desert.

Hope: Can Helen overcome her internal conflicts. (Isolation/Psychological Issues)
FEAR: Increasing Tension/What is the character afraid of.

Act 3: With Mid-Point change, everything must change

Rethink everything: Helen has finally found Fatu. She pleads her case to help with medical assistance. Fatu agrees due to her own conflict with “El Leon.” He kills her favorite dog and bit off part of her hand while trying to save her dog.

She now wants her own revenge on “El Leon.”

HOPE: Incompatibility/Forced to deal with each other

FEAR: Incompatibility/ Opposing Needs and desires.

New Plan: Fatu and Helen practice using weapons to fight El Leon. They also go over strategies on the best approach to win the fight. They sleep on it and go out the next day.

HOPE: Will Helen and Fatu’s new plan work. (Increasing Tension/How many things could go wrong.

FEAR: Incompatibility/Triggering each other.

Major shift: Fatu and Helen come face to face with El Leon. El Leon defeats and kills Fatu. El Leon runs off after the kill. Helen is left alone again in the wilderness.

HOPE: Can Helen now get inspiration from Fatu’s death to continue to look for help. (Isolation/Loss of Companion)
FEAR: Where is El Leon hiding. (Unpredictability/Danger/Could attach at any moment)

Act 4: Test the change in the character

Final Plan: Take off parts of Fatu’s bloody clothes. Walk in the wilderness and leave Fatu’s scent to a location when El Leon will follow and be vulnerable to an attack and final battle

HOPE: Unpredictability/ Person on the edge
Fear: Increasing Tension/ Impending Doom

Climax: Final battle between Helen and El Leon.

HOPE: What method will Helen use to defeat El Leon. (Unpredictability/Out of control situation)
FEAR: Danger/Threat/Attack

Resolution: A helicopter Search and Rescue team, which has been looking for Helen all through the story, has finally found her. The leader puts Helen in the helicopter to take her home.

While in the helicopter, Helen has a vision and asks the pilot to go to Fatu’s house. A cloud of crows circles Fatu’s house overhead. Helen sees her father at the doorstep of Fatu’s house.

[Mark Lynch]

What I learned from doing this assignment: This structure is more “natural” than the traditional 3 act structure. It has a pattern of how the viewer participates in the storytelling process.

Marc Lynch 4 Act Structure

Concept: After their hot air balloon crashed during a test run, a self-destructive teenager searches the New Mexico Wilderness for medical assistance for her father, while a vicious mountain lion terrorizes everyone who enters the mountainside.

Main Conflict: The mountain lion, “El Lion,” terrorizes and kills anyone who enters the mountainside.

Act 1: Introduce the characters and set up a conflict

Opening: Three youthful mountain hikers are killed by a vicious mountain lion: “El Leon.”

Helen is fist fighting the school bully in the schoolyard. The principal breaks up the fight and takes Helen to his office.

Inciting Indecent: Their hot air balloon, with Helen and her father, the pilot, crashes in the New Mexico Wilderness.

Turning Point 1: Helen meets Little Joe Begay, a Navajo Indian. Little Joe is a spiritual shapeshifter. He gives her food and water. He warns her to beware of “El Leon.” He removes his facial bandana and shows her the facial scars give to him by “El Leon.” He tells Helen to find Fatu and she can help her with medical assistance for her father.

Finally, Little Joe Begay gives Helen “an herb” to help her cope with the desert wilderness. She falls asleep. When she wakes Little Joe has disappeared. Helen walks into the desert wilderness searching for Fatu.

Act 2: Challenge the reality of the characters

New Plan: Helen walks into the desert wilderness. Crows fly overhead up in the sky. Helen follows them into the desert.

Plan of Action: As Helen walks into the desert, she meets several hikers coming down the mountain. They warn Helen of the destructive force of “El Leon,” and advise her to turn around and not go any further. Helen asks each group of hikers she meets to help her but each group refuses.

Midpoint turning Point: The herb that Little Joe Begay gave Helen starts to have an effect on her and the tone of the story changes in the desert from realism to magical realism. Birds, animals, trees, plants, talk to Helen and she walks through the desert mountainside. This is designed to express Helen’s insecurities and explore her internal conflict.
Exhausted. Helen drinks water from a mountain stream. A snake appears and talks to her in the form of her mother. It bites Helen in the face and swims off.

Fatu appears standing over Helen. She sucks the poison from Helen’s face and carries her out of the desert.

Act 3: With Mid-Point change, everything must change

Rethink everything: Helen has finally found Fatu. She pleads her case to help with medical assistance. Fatu agrees due to her own conflict with “El Leon.” He kills her favorite dog and bit off part of her hand while trying to save her dog.

She now wants her own revenge on “El Leon.”

New Plan: Fatu and Helen practice using weapons to fight El Leon. They also go over strategies on the best approach to win the fight. They sleep on it and go out the next day.

Major shift: Fatu and Helen come face to face with El Leon. El Leon defeats and kills Fatu. El Leon runs off after the kill. Helen is left alone again in the wilderness.

Act 4: Test the change in the character

Final Plan: Take off parts of Fatu’s bloody clothes. Walk in the wilderness and leave Fatu’s scent to a location when El Leon will follow and be vulnerable to an attack and final battle

Climax: Final battle between Helen and El Leon.

Resolution: A helicopter Search and Rescue team, which has been looking for Helen all through the story, has finally found her. The leader puts Helen in the helicopter to take her home.

While in the helicopter, Helen has a vision and asks the pilot to go to Fatu’s house. A cloud of crows circles Fatu’s house overhead. Helen sees her father at the doorstep of Fatu’s house.

[Mark Lynch]

What I learned doing this assignment: It makes the story more complex and dynamic.

Marc Lynch Delivering Multiple Layers

Character Layers: Helen

Surface: A loner and a self-destructive teenager.

Beneath: An A student but lazy

Beneath that: A real fighter and not “quitter.” Very self-reliant.

How revealed: A conversation she has with her father on the drive from the airport to her new home.

Also, how she reacts to adversity in the desert wilderness.

Location Layers:

Surface: The New Mexico Wilderness is peaceful and natural.

Beneath: A vicious mountain lion terrorizes all humans who enter her territory.

Beneath that: When Helen arrives into the New Mexico wilderness it changes the tone of the story changes from “realism” to “magical realism.”

How revealed: As Helen walks the wilderness looking for medical assistance for her injured Father, animals, trees, cactus talk to Helen. This technique helps expose Helen’s internal conflict.

Plot Layers:

Surface: Helen is sent by her mother to live with her father after being expelled from school.

Beneath: Helen goes on a hot air balloon test run with her father days before the balloon festival is to begin.

Beneath that: Her father blacks out from a medical condition during the test run. Helen cannot fly the balloon and crashes it in the mountain wilderness.

How revealed: Helen survives the balloon crash but realizes her father has lost consciousness. Helen starts to walk into the wilderness looking for help.

[Mark Lynch]

What I learned doing this assignment: The journey road map helps to keep suspense and intrigue clear at all times.

Marc Lynch Character Journey

Concept Hook: Lost in the New Mexico Sandia Mountain wilderness to find a medical assistant for her injured Father.

Act Journey for Helen.

Beginning: Helen has a fistfight in her schoolyard with the school bully.

Turning Point 1: Helen sent by her mother to live with her Father( a hot air balloon pilot) in New Mexico.

MidPoint: Fatu, a naturalist, finds Helen passed out in the mountains. Beverly, Helen’s mother, and her Father’s mother visit New Mexico and are angry at the lack of effort by Search & Rescue to find Helen.

Dilemma: Help Fatu search and kill ” El Lion” or continue on, alone, to find medical assistance for her injured Father.

Turning Point: 2 “El Lion attacks and kills Fata. Helen is left alone to walk the wilderness trying to find help.

Act Climax: Helen does Battle with “El Lion.” The search and Rescue team assist her in the kill.

Ending: Search and Rescue team and Helen load into the helicopter. Helen has a vision and demands the helicopter go back to Fatu’s house. She finds her father walking to the house.

[Mark Lynch]

What I learned from doing this assignment: My first impressions on my characters are okay but the brainstorming process opened me up to new possibilities

Marc Lynch: Discovering Character Depth

Helen’s Profile:
After their hot air balloon crashes in the New Mexico Wilderness, alone, Helen has to find medical assistance for her injured Father.

INTERNAL: Helen

Motivation: To prove she can make the transition from a “bratty” teenager to an introspective and responsible young woman.

Secret: She lied to her parents about all of her “delinquent” antics at her school, which subsequently got her expelled.

Wound: The divorce of her parents and her mother unfairly blaming Helen for the divorce.

Subtext: Helen has difficulty distinguishing between the truth and reality.

Layers: While walking and searching in the wildness, Helen “talks” to the elements: cactus, birds, etc, etc, (Magical Realism) exposing her internal conflict about herself in relation to her family.

Character to Character

Helen and Fatu

Conflict: What is the best way to go down the mountain into the valley back to the balloon crash and how to do it if “El Lion” appears.

Hidden Agenda: Helen needs to save her father to prove to him and her family that she has finally grown up. Fatu secretly wants to kill “El Lion” because of the death of her favorite dog and her left arm is paralyzed due to a previous battle with “El Lion.”

Conspiracy: Helen and Fatu plan a strategy and agree to go back into the valley where at the crash site.

Intrigue: Fatu goes through the motions to help Helen but she really wants revenge on “El Lion.

SITUATION

Dilemma: Helen has to decide to go with Fatu’s plan or continue to wonder the wilderness leaving her father in jeopardy.

Secret Identity:

Fatu’s Profile

Fatu, a naturalist finds Helen passed out on a mountainside. She agrees to help Helen rescue her father at the crash site, in exchange for her help to kill “El Lion.”

Fatu Internal:

Motivation: To help Helen and to kill El Lion

Secret: She was once in the Military but got a dishonorable discharge.

Wound: She caught her ex-husband in bed with another woman and swore off men forever.

Subtext: El Lion is a symbol to her of all the evil in her life

Layers: Fatu’s trama that leads up to her dishonorable discharge.

Character to Character

Conflict: The best plan to rescue Helen’s father from the crash site.

Hidden Agenda: Fatu will help Helen but really is waiting to kill El Lion.

Conspiracy: Fatu agrees with Helen to go back down the mountain to rescue her injured
father.

Intrigue: Fatu really needs Helen’s help in killing El Lion and changes her agreement once El Lion is spotted.

Situation:

Dilemma: Fatu needs Helen to help kill “El Lion” But she has to agree to rescue Helen’s Father first.

Secret Identity: Fatu was in the military and knows how to pursue prey and use weapons.

[Mark Lynch]

Marc Lynch’s Right Characters

What I learned doing this assignment: The main characters should be a reflection of each other and bring out the essence of the hook.

Contained setting: The New Mexico Sandia mountains wilderness.
Concept Hook: After their hot air balloon crashes in the New Mexico wilderness, how does Helen survive, alone, long enough to find medical assistance for her dying father, the balloon pilot, while a lethal mountain lion terrorizes the mountainside.
Main Characters:
Helen, the daughter of the balloon pilot.
Fatu, a naturalist, lives alone in the mountains, off the grid, away from civilization.

Enhanced Conflict:
Helen has been warned by hikers leaving the mountainside that “El Lion” is attacking everyone in sight. But she meets up with a native American Indian who also warns her about “El Lion”. He also points her in the right direction to “find Fatu.”

Fatu also knows about “El Lion” who killed her favorite dog and did damage to her right hand by chewing it off. She knows the power of “El Lion” and does not want to help Helen by leaving her mountain home and going down into the valley to help Helen revive her father.

Their conflict comes when they disagree on how to avoid “El Lion” and get back to the spot where the balloon crashed.

These characters are the right ones for this story because they are a reflection of each other in terms of temperament, personality, and interest in nature.

[Mark Lynch]

A. How did this process work for you? B. What did you learn doing this assignment?”

The process gave me an opportunity to really consider other thoughts on how to make the story unique, instead of always going with my first choices. I learned how to think from the point of view of a producer.

Marc Lynch: Great Hooks

STEP 1 BRAINSTORM KEY COMPONENTS SEARCHING FOR A HOOK

1. Unique Contained Setting: The Sandia Mountain New Mexico Wilderness

2. Unique Device: The main character has to find medical assistance for her Father, a hot air balloon pilot, after the balloon crashes in the Sandia Mountains.

3. Unique Villian: A lethal mountain lion who is attacking everyone, hikers, tourists, and site seekers.

4. Will a search and rescue team find the main character and her father or will the mountain lion kill them first.

5. Impossible goals/Unsolvable problems: How will the main character find medical assistance in the vast open wilderness.

6. Unique Layers: Search & Rescue Team. The family of the balloon pilot. The main
character’s internal conflict. The start of the balloon festival. Story tone switch between realism and magical realism.

STEP 2 <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>ASK THE HIGH CONCEPT QUESTION

Having to do with a Search & Rescue Adventure story__________what haven’t we seen before?
1. A switch in tone from realism to magical realism.

2. Hot air balloon flight.

3. A mountain lion as the antagonist.

Step 3 EXCHANGING COMPONENTS

My Current Components

A. Hot air balloon crash
B. New Mexico Wilderness
C. The main character, alone in the wilderness looking for help.
D. Mountain lion.

Component Alternative

A. Airplane, Helicopter, Hand Glider. Parachute
B. Lake, Tall Building, Highway,
C. An Ensemble of characters
D. A pack of wild dogs,

[Mark Lynch]

What I learned doing this assignment:
Thoughtful, creative solutions can overcome any obstacles.

Marc Lynch Guidelines for The Expendables

Marc Lynch Assignment Part 1: Select Your Project

A. It can be done as a contained story.
All of my ideas can be done as a contained story. However, except for one, there are too many secondary characters. I would have to find a way to scale them down so as to not be too much of an ensemble.

B. Can I write a pitch in one or two sentences.
This has always been a problem for me but I will have to work smarter to achieve that goal.

C. There is something unique about it.
I tend to pick “unusual off the wall” projects but I think I have one that is set in a unique environment and competing tones to match.

Marc Lynch Assignment Part 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines.

Title: The Expendables

AS THEY DID IT:

A. Large Ensemble cast
B. Elaborate stunts with lots of explosions, gunplay, and car chases.
C. No Extras in the traditional sense (walking in the background) but there were lots of adversaries, minions working for the antagonist.
D. Lots of matching wardrobe for the minions. The ensemble cast wore simple military tattered clothes.
E. Hair and Makeup to a bare minimum literally an all-male cast.

F. No Kids or Animals
G. The Ensemble cast would have their own trailers. The minions would be housed in an in/outdoor base camp.

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

A. The large ensemble cast, of established actor “stars” is part of the pitch. However, the cast of ten could have been taken down to five. Or film the cast in different sections of the shooting schedule for Covid protection.
B. The shooting schedule for all stunts would be done at the beginning of the project.
C. The minions working for the antagonist: say 20 real-life actors and the rest to make it look like 100 could be CGI.
D. Ensemble cast can do their own wardrobe. The minions would have minimum care due to the CGI for all the other minions.
E. The entire cast would do their own hair and makeup and only to have a final check by the department head.
G. All personal do Covid testing. The ensemble cast have separate trailers. Minions stay six feet apart at base camp with masks.