Kim Michael
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K. Michael “MIKE” McCarthy is a retired professional senior television pre & postproduction skilled position technician / artist, specializing in live news & sports, working as an A-1 audio engineer & sound mixer, ENG photojournalist, on-line video editor, as well as an Avid TV segment editor, for top tier production outfits such as News 12 CT., Yankee Entertainment & Sports (YES NETWORK), ESPN, Martha Stewart Living Television and Home Shopping Network.
He has earned a media arts degree from Mattatuck Community College, Waterbury, CT., where he was awarded the ‘President’s Award’, the highest honor for a graduating student for his outstanding achievement in scholastics, theater & film arts.
Mr. McCarthy earned a master’s class certification from Future Media Concerts / AVID Editing, NYC. He has studied undergrad courses in Film and Video from University of Bridgeport, news journalism from NYU and has earned a Video Production Certification from Fairfield University, CT.
He is a lifetime member in Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theater Honor Society, and is a selected member in Who’s Who Among Students in American Jr. Colleges, for his academic and Theater Arts achievements.
MIKE is recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as a five-time National Daytime Emmy nominee and 4-time award winner, as a staff contributor for Best Show, for the CBS syndicated Martha Stewart Living Television series from 1999-2004.
Currently retired from the television industry, Mr. McCarthy lives near a southeastern Florida island, where he enjoys all outdoor activities, dinning, live theater & the Caribbean style Atlantic Ocean with a hint of the Jimmy Buffet lifestyle.
Now, about Hal & this course:
I took the 30-day screenwriting course last fall. I worked through half of the course in which I made good progress & it did create juice for me to FINISH my 1st draft in time for the final deadline for the contest, 9/30/21, of my entry of my 1st screenwriting contest.
My work concept & a very rough handwritten “all over the place”, final class project, & my 2nd screenwriting class at university, which I started in back 1997, now saw my 1st draft professionally formatted/typed, due to Ha’s 30-day screenwriting class, which allowed me to enter my 1st draft of my animation screenplay in the contest.
I did not place or win out of thousands of scripts. OK… fine for my 1st attempted contest using only a 1st draft, which we all know, is not the ideal way to have a chance to place or win. But that’s OK, that experience led me to here… this re-write class.
I paid the contest organizers extra for an EMMY winning screenwriter in my genre (feature animation for kids of all ages… think Lion King, Finding Nemo) to consult & provide notes which I received @ years end of 2021.
I know this rewrite class will move me forward to finish my 2nd draft using the lay out & the pro screenwriter’s consultation/notes.
Then on to the 3rd draft & continue clarify & improving all the aspects that go into a marketable creation/screenplay. 🙂
Best wishes everyone, for sucess with your dreams.
K. Michael “MIKE” McCarthy
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Kim Michael McCarthy KEY SCENE 4:
TURNING POINT 2 — MIDPOINT EVERYTHING CHANGE
What I learned: Keep writing @ 20 % OK… the rest could be CRAP! Who cares at this point, write with the structure of Beginning Middle, End, then build your scene from there: 😊
Act 2 SCENE 3 Not only does their plan fail, but…
Beginning:
EXT. METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT – NIGHT METALBAUM orders his crew to dam up the mountain river for the much-needed water that is to wash the gold for processing, after the mountain is exploded by dynamite.
Middle: The next morning all the oasis pond creatures awake to a mostly dried up muddy pond. Panic take place. All the creatures are covered in or stuck mud. DUCK #1 flies to the SCORPIO DEN and tells SAM, WILLAIM, TANNER and AADYA what has happened. All of them head to the oasis pond to see for themselves.
Note TURTLE WITH OUT THE h2o I’LL OVERHEAT
FISH WITH OUT THE WATER WE CAN’T BREATHE!
Loud blasts are heard from the summit of GOLD MOUNTAIN. Everyone is scared except WILLIAM and SAM. WIILIAM bravely goes up to the summit encampment to see what is going on. SAM wants to go too. Her mother won’t let her. During the accent WILLIAM keeps scratching an itch in his beard.
End: WIILIAM climbs up to the mountain summit and gets to METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT at dusk. He observers the mining crew digging and setting up more dynamite charges. He sees that the dam the is blocking the mountain river from flowing down to the oasis pond. He quietly sneaks around back of the dam that METALBAUM’S crew built. WILLIAM ties break the structure by butting it. Nothing moves.
CHUBBY who is in the chuck wagon looking for something to eat hears WILLIAM. WILLIAM then tries to pry wooden boards that are crisscrossed holding back the water. CHUBBY appears behind WILLIAM with a large steak knife he has in his belt. CHUBBY throws it at WILLIAM as WILLIAM’S back it to CHUBBY. SAM who has been hiding in WILLIAM’S beard sees CHUBBY throw the knife at WILLIAM. SAM takes her claw pincers and squeezes one of WILLIAM’S ears as hard as she can. WILLIAM JERKS his head sideways in pain, see the knife coming at him and ducks just in time missing him and sticking into the crisscrossed wood. WILLIAM laches a counterattack at CHUUBY and sends him flying into the dam water pool with a splash. WILLIAM and SAM duck in behind brushes, feet away.
CHUBBY starts screaming. “HELP, I CAN’T SWIM” several times.
Several men including METALBAUM coming running to see what the excitement is about. They arrive at the dammed water pool, all laughing at CHUUBY as he flays around in the water.
CHUBBY sinks under the water only his hat floats on top. METALBAUM reaches in grabs CHUUBY pulls him over to the containment wall. METALBAUM yells ‘What are you doing in there?”
CHUBBY holding on for life. CHUBBY’S out of breath, thanks METALBAUM for saving him. Tells everyone there that he saw a mountain goat ramming the pool and the goat attacked him. All laugh.
METALBAUM orders CHUBBY to “stand up you idiot, the pool is only 4 ft deep”. METALBAUM grabs CHUBBY’S hat and slams it full of water on CHUBBY’S head.
SAM whispers to WILLIAM, “We are outnumbered, let’s get out of here”. They quietly disappear into the now darkness and head back down to the desert.
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KIM MICHAEL MCCARTHY LESSON 14 Act 2 Middle Scenes 2 & 3
I learned to just use the beginning, middle and end structure to build the beats for each scene of my first draft.
Key Scene 2: Protagonist takes on a plan and executes it.
What I learned is write fast, fix it later. Use PLACEHOLDERS if the scene that you wrote just isn’t a WOW scene, fix it later.
EXT. DESERT OASIS – MORNING
BEGINNING: SAM is asleep under WILLIAM goatee. Tanner is next to his Mother AADYA. SAM wakes up WILLIAM and wants to play. WILLIAM still exhausted from his ordeal and tragic loss of his mother is reluctant, but gives in. SAM suggests heading over to the oasis pond and meet some of her friends, WILLIAM tags along.
MIDDLE: SAM is welcomed by all her friends, the beavers, fish, turtle, ducks and cranes. She introduces them to WILLIAM. Never seeing a mountain goat before in the desert, they all get along and play. Everyone loves it when WILLIAM makes a toot sound of joy when playing. They all think that it is so cool, that he can do that. WILLIAM feels accepted in this new world of the desert. WILLIAM is the new guy on the block and a big man on campus. WILLIAM happiness and feeling loved by everyone make WILLIAM be free to be himself, special, gifted and begins to grow more secure, which adds strengths to his character.
END: SAM and WILLIAM get back home from a morning of fun times and play.
AADYA is happy that SAM has a new playmate but is concerned about WILLIAM being out of place. (PLACEHOLDER?)
TANNER is indifferent to the entire situation. (PLACEHOLDER?)
WILLIAM decides to stay with the SCORPIONS as his new family (PLACECARD?)
Act 2 SCENE 3 Not only does their plan fail, but…
Beginning:
EXT. METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT – NIGHT
METALBAUM orders his crew to dam up the mountain river for the much-needed water that is to wash the gold for processing, after the mountain is exploded by dynamite.
Middle: The next morning all the oasis pond creatures awake to a mostly dried up muddy pond. Panic takes place. All the creature are covered in or stuck mud. DUCK #1 flies to the SCORPIO DEN and tells SAM, WILLAIM, TANNER and AADYA what has happened. All of them head to the oasis pond to see for themselves. Loud blasts are heard from the summit of GOLD MOUNTAIN. Everyone is scared except WILLIAM and SAM. WIILIAM bravely goes up to the summit encampment to see what is going on. SAM wants to go too. Her mother won’t let her. WILLIAM keeps scratching an itch in his beard, during the accent to the summit encampment.
End: WIILIAM climbs up to the mountain summit and gets to METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT at dusk. He observers the mining crew digging and setting up more dynamite charges. He sees that the dam the is blocking the mountain river from flowing down to the oasis pond. He quietly sneaks around back of the dam. WILLIAM ties to break the structure by butting it. Nothing moves. CHUBBY who is in the chuck wagon looking for something to eat, hears the noise. WILLIAM then tries to pry wooden boards that are crisscrossed holding back the water. CHUBBY appears behind WILLIAM with a large steak knife he has in his belt. CHUBBY throws it at WILLIAM. WILLIAM’S back is to CHUBBY. SAM who has been hiding in WILLIAM’S beard without WILLIAM knowing it, and defied her mother, sees CHUBBY throw the knife at WILLIAM. SAM takes her claw pincers and squeezes one of WILLIAM’S ears as hard as she can. WILLIAM jerks his head sideways in pain, sees the knife coming at him and ducks just in time, missing him and the knife sticks into the crisscrossed wood. WILLIAM launches a counterattack at CHUUBY and sends him flying into the dam water pool with a splash. WILLIAM and SAM duck in behind brushes, feet away. CHUBBY starts screaming. “HELP, I CAN’T SWIM” several times. Several men including METALBAUM coming running to see what the excitement is about. They arrive at the dammed water pool, all laughing at CHUUBY as he flays around in the water. CHUBBY sinks under the water, only his hat floats on top. METALBAUM reaches in, grabs CHUUBY, and pulls him over to the containment wall. METALBAUM yells, What are you doing in there?
CHUBBY holding on for life. CHUBBY’S out of breath, thanks METALBAUM for saving him. Tells everyone there that he saw a mountain goat ramming the pool and the goat attacked him. All laugh.
METALBAUM orders CHUBBY to stand up you idiot, the pool is only 4 feet deep. METALBAUM grabs CHUBBY’S hat and slams it full of water on CHUBBY’S head.
SAM whispers to WILLIAM, We are outnumbered, let’s get out of here. They quietly disappear into the now darkness and head back down to the desert.
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Kim Michael McCarthy LESSON 14 Act 2 M.S. 2 & 3
Key Scene 2: Protagonist takes on a plan and executes it.
What I learned is to write fast, fix it later. Use PLACEHOLDERS if the scene that you wrote just isn’t a WOW scene, fix it later.
EXT. DESERT OAIS – MORNING
BEGINNING: SAM is asleep under WILLIAM goatee. Tanner is next to his Mother AADYA. SAM wakes up WILLIAM and wants to play. WILLIAM still exhausted from his ordeal and tragic loss of his mother is reluctant, but gives in. SAM suggests heading over to the oasis pond and meet some of her friends, WILLIAM tags along.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>MIDDLE: SAM is welcomed by all her friends, the beavers, fish, turtle, ducks and cranes. She introduces them to WILLIAM. Never having seen a mountain goat in the desert, they all get along and play. WILLIAMS forward facing head horn is not unusual to any of them. Don’t all mountain goats look that way and make trumpet sounds ?
Everyone loves when WILLIAM makes a toot sound of joy when playing. They all think that it is so cool that he can do that. WILLIAM feels accepted in this new world of the desert. WILLIAM is the new guy on the block and a big man on campus.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>END: SAM and WILLIAM get back home from a morning of fun times and play.
AADYA is happy that SAM has a new playmate but concerned about WILLIAM being out of place. (PLACEHOLDER?)
TANNER is indifferent to the entire situation. (PLACEHOLDER?)
WILLIAM decides to stay with the SCORPIONS as his new family (PLACECARD?)
Key Scene 3: Not only does their plan fail, but…
Not there yet.
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KIM MICHAEL MCCARTHY Lesson 13 Act 2 Reaction to TP 1
Act 2, Key Scene 1: Reaction to the Turning Point. The Old Ways are not enough.
What I learned is: WASH (Write Quick) … RINSE (use scene structure. e.g. Beginning, Middle, End for all the BEATS which moves the protagonist forward to the climax) and REPEAT. 😊
ACT 2 Scene l
Beginning: WILLIAM is grieving the death of his mother. Feeling that it is his fault.
Middle: WILLIAMS grief turns into anger for METALBAUM and his crew. WILLIAM RE-ACTS, loses control, displaying violent destructive behavior and vows revenge.
END: WILLIAM is exhausted from his rant and violent behavior. WILLIAM is out of energy, sulks into the night alone, sad and broken.
ACT 2 SCENCE ll
EXT. DESERT OASIS – NIGHT FULL MOON STARLIGHT
BEGINNING: WILLIAM collapses from exhaustion and grief. WILLIAM weeps. He slobs on the desert near a pile of rocks and a cactus tree.
MIDDLE: WILLIAM lays his head down between his front outstretched legs. He weeps tears again. His flow of tears creates a pool of water under his head.
TWIN SCORPIONS (a young boy, TANNER wearing a blue baseball cap and a young girl SAMANTHA wearing a pink baseball cap sideways, emerge from the pool of tears covered in ‘mud’. The girl is elated to be covered in wet desert sand. The boy can’t wait to rid himself from it, spitting out mud and “dusting” himself off saying “what is this horrible nasty stuff?”
They see WILLIAM, a mountain goat, never having seen one before. They are amazed and excited for this discovery. TANNER acts cautious. SAMANTHA the TWIN girl, who likes to be called SAM, a biblical name meaning “from the creator”, sees WILLIAM’S goatee and climbs up, grabs it with both claw pincer and yells out as if she were Tarzan swing from trees.
TANNER ducks under the pool of mud for safety. Only his eyes are visible. WILLAIM reacts in shock that something has grabbed him. He jumps to his feet. His eyes pop wide open, an alarm trumpet sound comes from his head horn. He quickly backs up, directly into the caucus tree needles, piercing his butt. He rears up, more stick in his back and neck. He shakes his head from side to side trying to shake off this uninvited goatee rider. SAM elates with joyous screams and delight with every shake of WILLIAM’S head. The scorpion mom hears the ruckus and emerges from under her rock home. She thinks her kids are in danger. She rushes over to protect them. She confronts WILLIAM standing high on her hind legs, claws and pinches at the ready and her poisonous tail ready to strike at WILLIAM.
WILLIAM hops up into the air on all fours. SAM gives out one more laughing TARAZN yell, and release her grip on WILLIAM’S goat goatee, landing in the arms of her mother. SAM laughs uncontrollably with joy.
END: SAM disarms her mother saying that she is just having FUN with her new playmate and that he means no harm. In fact, he is covered with cactus spines that sting, and could use some of our special secret desert care, (HA HA) which is pulling all the needles out, one at a time, with their claw pincers… Ouch!
TANNER emerges from his hiding spot. He boldly walks over to his mother and sister, now that his mother is near for his protection.
WILLIAM apologizes to the three SCOPIONS for any trouble. Explains why he is in the desert and not on the mountain where he belongs. Mom SCORPION and her TWINS listen and emphasize about WILLIAM’S tragedy. They console WILLIAM and offer him a safe place to sleep and some food. All fall asleep as the full moon fades into the starlight night.
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Kim Michael McCarthy Finished Act 1 WILLIAM’S MOTHER IS KILLED
What I learned is to just write something as the story line evolves. FIX IT LATER.
Beginning of ACT 2 BEATS
The desert scene / B Story / the love scene starts on pg. 30
EXT. DESERT OASIS – NIGHT
Beginning: WILLIAM sees the rockslide kill his mother caused by the test dynamite charges exploded by METALBAUM’S crew. WILLIAM descends to the desert floor to aid his mother who doesn’t know yet that she is dead.
Middle: WILLIAM on the desert floor kneeing next to his mother’s lifeless body, talks to her telling her how much he loves her and that she will be fine she just had a nasty fall and will get well soon. WILLIAM now believes that it is all his fault which caused this tragedy because he ran away from home. He tries to get her to “wake up”. Realizing that she is gone, WILLIAM is uncontrollably weeping. WILLIAM cries so much that a pool of tear drops forms on the desert ground between his two front legs where his head is lying. His head horn is sounding a low melancholy drone.
END: Two tiny twins (one boy and one girl) Scorpios appear from the pool of water on the desert floor caused by WILLIAMS uncontrollable sobbing. The young twins are complete opposites in personalities. The boy a pristine, a neat freak, a bit on the conservative upper crust side. The girl a fun-loving tom boy ready to get down and dirty with everyone but real street wise and whip smart. The twins are having fun in what is a rarity, water in the desert, and the sight of an animal they have never seen before a mountain goat. WILLIAM doesn’t know what to make of it. He becomes distracted in amazement of these two new creates. The girl Scorpio is all over WILLIAM wanting to play, the boy more reserve and cautious ready to defend himself with a string. The mother Scorpio arrives hearing the commotion of her daughter wanting to engage WILLIAM whose head horn is now tooting out sounds of wonderment and a little bit of joy jousting with his two new playmates. The mother scorpion calls her kids to get over here, not sure if this mountain goat is a danger. WILLIAM assure her that he is not a danger, is in grief and not sure where he is, the desert that he has never seen or has been to before. The four begin to form a bond of trust feeling WILLIAMS lose of his mother. The mother Scorpio realizing WIILIAMS pain and loss, and that he is not a threat to the Scorpios offers WILLIAM comfort at their rock hideaway burrow home. All four-fall asleep that twinkling starlight night (WILLIAM’S mother watching over him from the heavens above) with the twins clinging to WILLIAM’ two head horns as a new place to hang out. A LOVE INTEREST BETWEEN THE FOUR OF THEM BEGINS.
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Kim Michael McCarthy LESSON 11 KEY SCENE 4: TURNING POINT #1
What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
I learned that… I’m way ahead of these exercises because I have already written 65 plus page of my first draft. I have discovered that I have some overlapping scenes, which I have to correct after I finish my entire first draft.
ACT 1 OUTLINE
INT. GOATS DEN – DAY
BEGINNING: WILLIAM wakes up from a dream where he is being teased by his playmates / friends while playing a game of tag. His mother asks him to do a chore get hay for dinner from the mountain plateau.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN – DAY
MIDDLE: While doing the chore, the bear family tricks WILLIAM into helping them get honey from an out of reach beehive promising WILLIAM that if he helps them, he will get some honey to bring home for dinner along with the hay / grass and surprise his mom.
END: WILLIAM helps the bear family, and they take off from the scene with all the honey.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN – DAY
BEGINNING: WILLIAM feels betrayed by the bear family.
MIDDLE: WILLIAM feeling sad and worthless is too late to go home for dinner.
END: WILLIAM runs away from home.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Kim Michael McCarthy.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Kim Michael McCarthy.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by
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Kim Michael McCarthy Lesson 10: Act 1 Inciting Incident
What I learned is that if you have not done these types of exercises BEFORE writing a first draft while creating a screenplay story concept from just an idea, then it is a quick way to FLUSH OUT the building blocks of your story to get you started, with initial basic parts and structure of your story which are necessary for a good entertaining screenplay that moves forward with a beginning, middle and end. Since I have already done that stuff intuitively months ago, I’m just going to post my first draft manuscript up to the fist 10 minutes of the my feature animation. 😊
WILLIAM
Ma, you know they really aren’t my friends. Except for SUREFOOT and maybe BERRY.
WILLIAMINA
Well then, after your chores play time can be all planned out.
WILLIAM
Why did it have to be me?
A TRUMPET toot toot sound comes from WILLIAM.
WILLIAMINA
Now William. You know better than that. You have a special gift.
The other kids are a little envious. Wishing they all had a special gift like yours.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAN PLATEAU HIGH GRASSLANDS – MIDDAY
The heard is meeting. Chatter and discussions take place. BUCK calls the meeting to order by stamping his right leg three times.
BUCK
Alright. Alright. Settle down everyone. Let’s get started. Is there any old business?
The herd murmurs to each other shaking their heads. Some say no, no.
BUCK
Ok then, who wants to be recognized for any new business?
Several front legs get raised in the group.
BIG HORN HEARD MEMBER #1
As the family that lives furthest out on the platue, I feel it is my duty to inform the heard that a group of wagons…
Another heard member quickly interrupts.
HEARD MEMBER #2
Now slow down, BIG HORN. You know it’s the Calvary preparing for a training exercise. Don’t be an alarmist.
BIG HORN
These wagons are similar. Only thing is there are no US Cavalry markings on the wagons.
Some gasp and others laugh in disbelief.
BUCK
Order, order. Come to order!
BUCK pounds his right leg/hoof several times until the group becomes silent, PAUSE
BUCK
(BUCK is calmly stern)
I make a motion to investigate what BIG HORN said he saw. Does anyone second it?
Several heard members say “Aye.”
BUCK
The motion is adopted. I’ll put together some of us to take a look. Meeting adjourned.
BUCK gavels down his right front leg/hoof.
INT. GOATS DEN EATING AREA – MIDDAY
WILLIAMINA
Thanks for helping me WILLIAM.
WILLIAM
I love to help you Ma.
WILLIAM smiles with adoring eyes and his tail wages in excitement.
WILLIAMINA
We’re going to need more grass. On your way home from playing, stop by the valley and bring home as much as you can get, please.
WILLIAM
Sure mom. No problem.
WILLIAMINA
William, you are such a good boy. Don’t you ever forget that.
WILLIAM looks at his MOM with the most loving eyes as he tears up.
WILLIAM
I love you so much Mom.
WILLIAMINA
I love you too son. Now get going, so you have as much time as you want to play with your friends.
EXT. PLATEAU GRASSLANDS – MIDDAY
WILLIAM is frolicking in the lust tall grass, humming, barely seen. Butterflies and grasshoppers are abundant. Birds are flying about chirping their songs. A beautiful butterfly lands on WILLIAMS nose. The wings gently spread then close.
WILLIAM is pleasantly surprised.
WILLIAM
Hello. How nice to see you. Are you looking for a sweet grass to eat?
The Butterfly flaps it wings twice as if to say yes.
WILLIAM
Come with me. I know a secret spot.
WILLIAM with the butterfly on his nose walk through the tall green grass AS WILLIAM hums a pleasant tune.
As WILLIAM and the BUTTERLY enter the thickest part of the grass a swam of grasshoppers are jumping through engulf WILLIAM and the BUTTERFLY, covering his head. WILLIAM screams out in fright.
Panicked WILLIAM jumps up and down frantically. The BUTTERFLY zoom’s away disappearing. WILLIAM realizes jumping isn’t working to rid the swam. He rolls on his back kicking his legs all about. Aggressively twisting his head side to side, WILLIAM’S trumpet sounding head horn shriek’s out loud high-pitched sounds. The swam scatters all but one, who is buried in WILLIAM’S bushy mane on his head.
WILLIAM
You guys better watch out where you are going. I was walking here.
GRASSHOPER
We’re grasshoppers. Where would we go?
WILLIAM
Be more careful. Watch out for the other guy.
GRASSHOPER
That works both ways you know.
WILLIAM
Well, you scared my friend off. That’s not nice.
GRASSHOPER
How do you know he was your friend? Could have been hitchhiker.
WILLIAM
Do you mind getting off my head? I have errands to do. My Mother is expecting me to bring home dinner soon.
GRASSHOPER
Here I am, making conversation and you want me to leave. That’s a funny way to make friends.
The GRASSHOPPER crawls down from the top of WILLIAM’S bushy head mane and hangs upside down looking into WILLIAM’S sparkling blue eyes.
WILLIAM
Your right. I’m sorry. It’s just that you scared me, jumping out of nowhere.
GRASSHOPPER
That’s what we do.
WILLIAM
(WILLIAM looks puzzled.)
Say what’s that stuff on your legs?
GRASSHOPPER
Ya see, we were hopping around looking for a good place to rest. All of a sudden, from nowhere, wagons rumble though. We hopped aboard for the ride. Boy, were they in a hurry! When they stopped all our legs where covered. Don’t know what it is, but it sure looks nice.
Proudly shows off his gold covered legs as if it were bright jewelry.
WILLIAM
It certainly dazzles the eye. I wonder what it is!
GRASSHOPPER
I’m not sure but those wagons were cover in it. Time to get hopping along. I hear there is a large flower garden not far from here, so me and the boys are dining out. I have to hop to it so I don’t lose my place at the dinner table.
The GRASSHOPPER hops away in two big bounds leaving WILLIAM still puzzled about the “gold colored stuff” on the GRASSHOPPERS legs.
WILLIAM realizes he is far behind on his chore of gathering fresh grass to bring home to his mother for dinner. He quickly begins to “rake-up” as much grass as his head horns will hold, piling it in a clearing.
EXT. TALL TREE ON RIVERBANK – AFTERNOON
The BEAR FAMILY has arrived at a spot that there is a large beehive hanging high off the tree’s limb.
BULLY BEAR
There it is just like last spring. Ready for the taking.
HONEY BEAR
Well it sure is here. I think it is much higher up than last year.
WOOLY
It sure looks like a long way up Dad. How are you going to get it?
BULLY BEAR
Don’t worry son. Just stand on my shoulders. Go ahead climb up. There you go.
WOLLY climbs on BULLY’S shoulders wobbling from side to side.
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COOL. My screenplay story concept is already copywrite. GOLD MOUNTAIN LOVE c WGA WEST 2020. If anyone wants to steal it… that is fine with me, as long as they SELL IT for lot’s of cash & cut me in as… Created by… Story by… they can have it. 🙂 LOL
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Kim Michael McCarthy Lesson 9: Act 1: Opening Scenes
Opening & Character Introductions
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
Not too much… because I’m not creating my story / screenplay from scratch, which is what HAL is teaching and that is OK for writers who don’t already have their story flushed out in beats. I DO and have done the building of “beats thing” over a year ago!
I have already written 60 plus pages of my first draft in Final Draft months ago. I KNOW my story from FADE-IN to FADE-OUT. But that does not mean that I won’t make revisions, improvements, edits and corrections in my futures drafts sooner than later. 😊
1. Go to your Beat Sheet and find the opening scene and a second lead character introduction. Create a simple outline those scenes for those two scenes.
Act 1:
INT. GOATS DEN – MORNING
· Opening Scene Outline:
Beginning: WILLIAM awakes from a dream in which he is teased by his playmates while playing tag. WILLIAM is sent on an errand by his mother to gather grass for dinner.
TE 1) WILLIAM dreams that he is teased by his playmates for his appearance (a forward-facing head horn that make trumpet sounds) while playing a game of tag with them.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN PLATEAU – DAY
Middle: While doing his errand, the nearby bear family promises WILLIAM honey from an out of reach beehive, if he helps them get it. He does. The bear family tricks WILLIAM and they do not give him any honey.
END: WILLIAM runs away from home feeling sad and that he is worthless. WILLAM fails to finish his errand and does not get the honey that he was promised.
2. Write your Opening scene that introduces a lead character; either your Protagonist or Antagonist.
GOLD MOUNTAIN LOVE c WGA WEST 2020
FADE IN:
EXT.PINE TREE PLATAUE OF GOLD MOUNTAIN – NIGHT
HOOT
A majestic Great Horned Owl
VO: HELLO. My name is HOOT. I have a story to tell you. It happened like this.
HOOT gradually appears from the dark. We see only his wide round eyes at first, he is preached and nestled high into the tallest whispery pine tree on GOLD MOUNTAIN’s plateau.
HOOT blinks his eyes. The darkest center of his all-black eyes is our focal point.
Loud claps of thunder echoing, fade in the distance. Bright bolts of lightning flash. The brightness illuminates the summit of GOLD MOUNTAIN creating sparkle effects from the GOLD which is encased on the snow-white capped summit mountain top. It is as if we see a gigantic sparkler illuminating the entire mountain and platue.
EXT. RISING SUN SIDE OF GOLD MOUNTAIN – DAY BREAK
The rising sun illuminates GOLD MOUNTAIN’S valley covered with lush tall green grass blowing in the gentle breeze.
A cascading sparkling blue river flows from its snow-covered mountain summit. Flowers of all colors cover the plateaus on the sunny side of GOLD MOUNTAIN.
HOOT flies out of where his is perched, a tall whispery pine tree, hovering over the long wispy green grasses, gently swaying from side to side in a rhythm of nature’s goodness in in a gentle breeze.
Hoot soars into the sunlight sky. He majestically glides us on a sky-high tour, which is covered with a dozen teepees billowing smoke from the GOLD MOUNTAIN Native American encampment on the plateau, jutting from the side of Gold Mountain.
HOOT soars in circles around the encampment.
Hoot’s POV
Below are children playing hop sack. Dogs fetching bones. Senior women cleaning corn and gain. Little girls jumping rope and hop scotching with squares of small pebbles as makers. Younger women with long tree branch rods slapping the dust out of brightly colored decorative blankets, rhythmically striking them. The gently breeze blowing the dust, form magical shapes. Young brave boys practicing wrestling, throwing tomahawks at moving targets. Many are practicing shooting with a bow and arrow, targeting bales of hay decorated to look like the animals that they hunt for food and clothing.
HOOT hovers over a large teepee on the far side of the plateau with smoke billowing out of the tepee’s crown in puffy white columns.
WIDE TO PUSH IN: THE LARGEST TEPEE ON THE SUN LIT EDGE OF THE PLATEAU.
POV: The front flap opens from the inside out. A young brave walks out.
HOOT turns and ‘drive bombs. HOOT flies into the front entrance of the largest tepee. We follow him into the smoke-filled tepee. HOOT flies onto a tripod of decorative Indians staffs.
HOOT settles down on top of the perch, blinks his large round black eyes, turns his head toward the CHIEF who is wearing a decorative feathered full head dress and buckskin shirt and trousers with long fringes adorn the multicolored ensemble. The CHIEF sits cross legged in a circle of four other elders. The CHIEF is the center of attention and reverence.
CHIEF, a large stoic looking man. Broad shoulders. His face has a chiseled chin with high cheek bones. His hair is silky silver, long and full. He stares with open eyes but is blind. His hearing and touch are all that he needs to “see” everything.
The CHIEF cocks his head toward HOOT.
CHIEF
Welcomed wise bird.
HOOT acknowledges the welcome with a long HOOT. Blinks his eyes twice as he raises up his head high, expands his chest out and flaps his wings in a proud manner. Settles down on the tripod of decorative staffs as his perch.
The CHIEF takes a long inhale on peace pipe and then passes it to one of the other four elders sitting cross legged around the center fire of the tepee. The CHIEF exhales. The smoke twirls up joining the smoke column of the fire. The two columns of smoke twirl as one and exit through the crown of the tepee.
POV: We follow the smoke to the top of the tepee as it exits the crown opening. Smoke dissipates. A panoramic view of the snowcapped and glistening GOLD MOUNTAIN summit appears.
EXT. SNOW CAPPED SUMMIT GOLD MOUNTAIN – SUNRISE DAYBREAK PANARAMIC VIEW
INT. GOAT’S DEN – SUNRISE
WILLIAM’S ‘fever dream’ sequence as he sleeps on a bed of hay. Dream clouds encircle William’s head then dissipate into the next scene.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN PLATEAU – DAY
A group of mountain animals, a young boy bear named WOOLY, a young cute girl mountain goat named SUREFOOT, a mountain squirrel name BERRY and a LOUD black crow named SHUTUP are playing tag. WILLIAM, a young adventurous but shy insecure mountain goat who has a forward facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds when air blows through it and brown colored socks on all fours, is watching from the side lines.
SUREFOOT
(friendly)
WILLIAM come play with us!
WILLIAM
(Uncomfortable, knowing it’s not true.)
Augh, thanks SUREFOOT. I got to get going. I promised I’ll help my mom.
WOOLY
WILLIAM? You mean Billy Billy… he’s so silly. With a horn that goes toot. Hey SHUTUP… your it!
SHUTUP
Look at Billy with his dirty boots cause he steps in poop. I thought BERRY was it?
BERRY
(To WILLIAM)
Hey don’t mind them. Let’s play.
SUREFOOT
(Kind encouragement)
WILLIAM come on. I know you are the fasted among us. You’re bound to win.
WOOLY
WILLIAM is a mommy’s boy.
SHUTUP
Momma’s boy. Momma boy. Afraid to play. Go away. Caw, Caw.
BERRY
Shutup, SHUTUP!
WILLIAM
I’ll see you later SHURFOOT. Maybe?
SUREFOOT
WILLIAM please don’t go. Don’t go.
VO: Repeated echoes of SUREFOOT’S “don’t go, don’t go” in WILLIAM’S head of HIS fear dream.
INT. GOATS DEN – DAY EARLY MORNING
WILLAMINA is gathering hay and grass with her hoofs forming three piles. She is preparing “breakfast” for her family… her husband BUCK and her son WILLIAM.
WILLIAMINA
WILLIAM’S loving and devoted Mother.
WILLIAM. Honey wake up. Come have breakfast.
BUCK
WILLIAM’S proud Father.
What’s for breakfast sweetheart? There is a meeting with the rest of the herd. Wagons spotted on the grass lands. Got to get going.
WILLIAMINA
WILLIAM is waking up. He so loves to see you every morning. It will just be a moment.
BUCK
I can wait. I’ll be late. I have responsibilities to the herd.
WILLIAMINA
And to your son. WILLIAM please come to breakfast now. Your Father is leaving.
William slowly wakes up from his fear dream. Groans several times. Rolls over. He is covered with pieces of straw. He shakes his head. Straw flies everywhere and two low sounding trumpet notes come from his forward-facing head horn.
BUCK
There’s the boy now.
WILLIAM
Moring Mom, Dad.
WILLIAM’S head slung low and groggy quietly sits and starts eating breakfast.
BUCK
Moring Son. Got to go.
WILLIAM
Bye Dad. Love you.
WILLIAMINA
How’d you sleep dear?
WILLIAM
OK. I guess?
WILLIAMINA
Well William, you must have had a good sleep. We didn’t hear your horn blow once all night. That’s a good night’s sleep for all of us. Now, don’t forget William, I have some chores for you to help me with.
WILLIAM
Augh, Ma, do I have too?
WILLIAMINA
Yes, William. It’s good to learn responsibility. Want to be like Dad? Responsible for the heard? Won’t take too long. Then you can play the rest of the day with your friends.
WILLIAM
Ma, you know they really aren’t my friends. Except for SUREFOOT and maybe BERRY.
WILLIAMINA
Well then, after your chores play time can be all planned out.
WILLIAM
Why did it have to be me?
A TRUMPET toot toot sound comes from WILLIAM.
WILLIAMINA
Now William. You know better than that. You have a special gift.
The other kids are a little envious. Wishing they all had a special gift like yours.
2. Write the scene that introduces the other lead character.
See above. The 1 first draft OPENING 5 minutes of my story.
GOLD MOUNTAIN LOVE c WGA WEST 2020
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This reply was modified 3 years, 12 months ago by Kim Michael McCarthy.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 12 months ago by
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Kim Michael McCarthy Lesson 8 Beat Sheet Draft 2
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
I learned that building my story fast at first and a small section at a time makes good sense. 😊
Pass 1: Interweave theme throughout the beat sheet.
Pass 2: Build in the Antagonist Journey.
Themes in GOLD MOUNTAIN LOVE
Finding self-love, regret over lost love, sacrificing for love, power/strength of family/friendship.
What is this story about?
My shy, solitaire, unconfident Protagonist loses the love of his life, his mother, and seeks revenge toward the Protagonist, who killed her. This revenge turns to becoming self-confidence, loving himself, and receiving the love of everyone else too.
What is the real issue I want to explore?
I you do not feel loved can you love yourself or anyone else?
What is the meaning of all this?
Is love the answer?
The theme shows up in three stages:
It is introduced lightly near the beginning.
It is explored throughout the story.
It evolves into the message that is delivered at the END.
High Speed Beat 2
1. Listen to the Empowerment Audio.
https://30dayscript.s3.amazonaws.com/Empowerment+Audio.m4a
DONE / CHECK
Protagonist: WILLIAM, a young adventurous mountain goat with a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds.
Antagonist: MR. BURNISH SISROW METALBAUM, an unscrupulous and greedy gold mining company owner/boss, who will evilly destroy an ancient sacred mountain to steal its gold, if he is not stopped.
Keep in mind that your Antagonist will operate in one of these three versions:
A. Have a plan in motion before the movie started. They were already in action on their plan and the Protagonist stepped into it, often without knowing.
B. Ongoing back and forth with the Protagonist — Attack/Counterattack.
C. My ANTAGONIST MR. METALBAUM is doing this:
Plan beneath the plan: This one looks like Attack/Counterattack, but there is something deeper going on under the surface as the Antagonist carries out a covert plan of attack which is HE WAS NEVER LOVED growing up.
Act 1:
INT. GOATS DEN – MORNING
· Opening: WILLIAM awakes from a dream in which he is teased by his playmates while playing tag. WILLIAM is sent on an errand by his mother to gather grass for dinner.
TE 1) WILLIAM dreams that he is teased by his playmates for his appearance (a forward-facing head horn that make trumpet sounds) while playing a game of tag with them.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN PLATEAU – DAY
While doing his errand, the nearby bear family promises WILLIAM honey from an out of reach beehive, if he helps them get it. He does. The bear family tricks WILLIAM and they do not give him any honey. WILLAM fails to finish his errand and does not get the honey that he was promised. WILLIAM runs away from home feeling sad and that he is worthless.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN SUMMIT – DAY
TE 2) WILLIAM failed to finish his chore. WILLIAM is tricked by the bear family. WILLIAM runs away from home.
Inciting Incident: WILLIAM’S mother is worried that he did
not come home. She goes out looking for him. She is killed by a rockslide caused by a dynamite blast order by METALBAUM. WILLIAM wants revenge for his mother’s death. WILLIAM must stop Mr. METALBAUM and his work crew from
destroying the sacred mountain… before it is too late.PLACEHOLDER: MR. METALBAUM only loves the power of gold and will do anything to get it.
EXT. RIVER HEAD TRAIL – DUSK
TE 3) While WILLIAM’S mom is searching for him, because he did not come home from his chore, WILLIAM sees his beloved mother get killed.
· Turning Point: WILLIAM searching for a way to get METALBAUM’S miners to leave the sacred mountain, gets shot, by a stray bullet, meant for mountain lions prowling around the encampment. WILLIAM, injured and sacred, retreats down to the desert.
PLACEHOLDER: MR. METALBAUM shoots at a pride of prowling mountain lions in his mining encampment. METALBAUM’S ricocheted bullet hits WILLIAM in the front shoulder.
EXT. METALBAUM’S EMCAMPMENT – NIGHT
TE 4) WILLIAM is hurt from the gun shot. He retreats to the desert sacred, lonely, and defeated.
Act 2:
New plan: WILLIAM is ready to give up
meets, a Scorpion Mom and her twins while nursing his bullet wounds at the desert that he retreated to. They form an alliance, become true friends of WILLIAM, and offer to help him get rid of METALBAUM and his mining crew.EXT. DESERT – SUNRISE
TE 5) WILLIAM meets the SCOPION MOM and her TWINS when he retreats to the desert. The SCOPION mom nurses WILLIAM back to health. A love interest ensures. WILLIAM gains strength and confidence.
· Plan in action: The alliance, WILLIAM, the SCOPION Mom and her TWINS, head up to the encampment at the mountain’s river head. The TWINS are holding onto WILLIAMS head horns one TWIN on each head horn. the SCORPIO MOM is riding on top of WILLIAM’S head. Once there, the alliance realize that they are outnumbered.
TE 6) METALBAUM is building a mountain river dam for water that he needs for his mining operation. He sees the alliance sneaking around AND throws rocks at WILLIAM. A softball size rock bounced off WILLIAM’S head horn and hits MR. METALBAUM square in the groin. He doubles up, falls to his knees groaning in pain. The alliance escapes to safety back to the desert oasis pond.
PLACEHOLDER: MR. METALBAUM angerly forces his men to work extra hard if they want to eat their grub from the chuck wagon. HE then promises them a treat (whiskey for everyone) if they finish setting the dynamite charges in one day’s time normally a two-day job, if done safely. He cares less for their safety. He just wants to steal the gold quickly before the US Cavalry returns to check on his progress.
Midpoint Turning Point: WILLIAM, The SCORPOIN Mom and her TWINS (The Alliance) adopt WILLIAM has their best buds. WILLIAM feels safe with them. They have never seen a mountain goat before, and WILLIAM’S head horn that makes trumpet sounds, is not odd to the SCORPION Mom or her TWINS. They think all goats head horns look and sound that way. The SCORPION Mom likes WILLIAM a lot.
WILLIAM heals from his gunshot wound while being his nursed by the SCORPION Mom. WILLIAM becomes confident in himself. A love interest insures. WILLIAM delights in his new family and living in the desert.
The alliance goes for a day of fun at the desert oasis pond. There they get to meet and have fun with the beavers, the fish, the turtles, and the ducks. All get along. Life is sweet. Everyone plays water games together.
EXT. DESERT – DAY
TE 7) WILLIAM make best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. All think WILLIAM is so cool when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: WILLIAM loose interest in revenge.
EXT. DESERT OASIS – DAY
TE 8) WILLIAM gets “comfortable” in his new desert home and life. He loses interest in revenge.
New plan: WILLIAM wants to become a happy and loved “desert goat”.
TE 9) WILLIAM make best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. All think WILLIAM is so cool when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.
Turning Point: METALBAUM’S dam stops the mountain river head from flowing to the desert oasis pond. The pond begins to dry
up. Everything depends on the water and is in danger of dying.EXT. METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT – DAY
TE 10) METALBAUM dams the sacred mountain river head. Water stops flowing down the mountain to the desert oasis. All are in peril of dying without water.
PLACEHOLDER: MR. METALBAUM’S greed of having lots of gold, feels that gold gives him love, which he does not have and desperately wants. (Plan beneath a plan?)
· Huge failure / Major shift
WILLIAM and his new family and all who live at the desert oasis are in danger of dying without water which METALBAUM has dammed up. The sacred mountain WILLIAM’S old home and all who live there are still in danger also. With a strength and confidence of WILLIAM’S newfound love (the SCORPION Mom and her TWINS) WILLIAM plans an attack on METALBAUM’S encampment, aided by and together with all the desert pond oasis creatures.
Act 4:
· Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The plan is in place, designed by WILLAIM, who knows the mountain area better than anyone. An attack from land and air is executed.
EXT. DESERT OASIS – NIGHT
TE 11) Everyone on the desert oasis pond looks to WILLIAM to do something, since he knows the mountain so well. WILLIAM bravely and smartly leads a ‘WAR PARTY’ of pond creatures to get MEATLBAUM’S crew from destroying the desert and the sacred mountain.
· Resolution: WIILIAM leads all his pals from his new home the desert, to save his old home, the sacred mountain. A battle ensues. Teaming up under WILLIAMS direction, a fierce battle ensues. The encampment is destroyed by WILLIAM and his desert friends. METALBAUM and his work crew abandon the mountain. They retreat to place far away.
EXT. MEALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT – NIGHT
TE 12) A fierce battle ensues, WILLAIM gets captured and is scheduled to be killed and cooked for crew grub. WILLIAM frees himself. WIILIAM sets the encampment supply wagons a blaze. WILLIAM pushes the dynamite charges into the dammed water. The NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE join in the battle. Victory is secured and METALBAUM’S crew retreat off the mountain to parts unknown. WILLIAM’S heroics save the ancient sacred mountain and the desert oasis. WILLIAM is the HERO. Everyone loves WILLAIM.
PLACEHOLDER: MR METALBAUM is defeated and loses his chance at stealing / getting all the gold from the ancient sacred mountain. He loses his business and is shunned by all. He has an epiphany and becomes a BILBLE SALESMAN wandering the desert preaching the GOOD BOOK and LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.
Ext. GOLD MOUNTAIN SUMMIT – DAY
WILLIAM saves the sacred mountain and the desert oasis from METALBAUM’S greed and destruction. WILLIAM is the HERO and takes a leadership role of the protector and defender of the sacred mountain and desert. Everyone LOVE’s WILLIAM the Hero and saving GOLD MOUNTAIN.
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Kim Michael McCarthy Lesson 7 High Speed Beat
When you post this assignment, make a commitment to the group that you are going to use these High-Speed Writing Rules to get your script done at record speed.
COMMITMENT to MYSELF and my fellow writers.
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to all the High-Speed Writing Rules and my country and to obey the HAL’S LAW: 1<sup>st</sup> drafts are crap (so what just write) and write fast
To always help other people;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. 😊1. Organize your Structure and Transformational Events. 2. Enter slugs 3. Place cards.
Protagonist: WILLIAM, a young adventures mountain goat with a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds.
Act 1:
INT. GOATS DEN – MORNING
· Opening: WILLIAM awakes from a dream in which he is teased by his playmates while playing tag. WILLIAM is sent on an errand by his mother to gather grass for dinner.
TE 1) WILLIAM dreams that he is teased by his playmates for his appearance (a forward-facing head horn that make trumpet sounds) while playing a game of tag with them.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN PLATEAU – DAY
While doing his errand, the nearby bear family promises WILLIAM honey from an out of reach beehive, if he helps them get it. He does. The bear family tricks WILLIAM and they do not give him any honey. WILLAM fails to finish his errand and does not get the honey that he was promised. WILLIAM runs away from home feeling sad and that he is worthless.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN SUMMIT – DAY
TE 2) WILLIAM failed to finish his chore. WILLIAM is tricked by the bear family. WILLIAM runs away from home.
Inciting
Incident: WILLIAM’S mother is worried that he did
not come home. She goes out looking for him. She is killed by a rockslide
caused by a dynamite blast order by METALBAUM. WILLIAM wants revenge for
his mother’s death. WILLIAM must stop Mr. METALBAUM and his work crew from
destroying the sacred mountain… before it is too late.EXT. RIVER HEAD TRAIL – DUSK
TE 3) While WILLIAM’S mom is searching for him, because he did not come home from his chore, WILLIAM sees his beloved mother get killed.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”> Turning Point: WILLIAM searching for a way to get METALBAUM’S miners to leave the sacred mountain, gets shot, by a stray bullet, meant for mountain lions prowling around the encampment. WILLIAM, injured and sacred, retreats down to the desert.
EXT. METALBAUM’S EMCAMPMENT – NIGHT
TE 4) WILLIAM is hurt from the gun shot. He retreats to the desert sacred, lonely, and defeated.
Act 2:
New
plan: WILLIAM is ready to give up
meets, a Scorpion Mom and her twins while nursing his bullet wounds at the
desert that he retreated to. They form an alliance, become true friends of
WILLIAM, and offer to help him get rid of METALBAUM and his mining crew.EXT. DESERT – SUNRISE
TE 5) WILLIAM meets the SCOPION MOM and her TWINS when he retreats to the desert. The SCOPION mom nurses WILLIAM back to health. A love interest ensures. WILLIAM gains strength and confidence.
· Plan in action: The alliance, WILLIAM, the SCOPION Mom and her TWINS, head up to the encampment at the mountain’s river head. The TWINS are holding onto WILLIAMS head horns one TWIN on each head horn. the SCORPIO MOM is riding on top of WILLIAM’S head. Once there, the alliance realize that they are outnumbered. METALBAUM is building a mountain river dam for water that he needs for his mining operation. He sees the alliance sneaking around AND throws rocks at WILLIAM. A softball size rock bounced off WILLIAM’S head horn and hits MR. METALBAUM square in the groin. He doubles up, falls to his knees groaning in pain. The alliance escapes to safety back to the desert oasis pond.
Midpoint
Turning Point: WILLIAM, The
SCORPOIN Mom and her TWINS (The Alliance) adopt WILLIAM has their best
buds. WILLIAM feels safe with them. They have never seen a mountain goat
before, and WILLIAM’S head horn that makes trumpet sounds, is not odd to the
SCORPION Mom or her TWINS. They think all goats head horns look and sound
that way. The SCORPION Mom likes WILLIAM a lot. WILLIAM heals from his
gunshot wound while being his nursed by the SCORPION Mom. WILLIAM becomes
confident in himself. A love interest insures. WILLIAM delights in his new
family and living in the desert. The alliance goes for a day of fun at the
desert oasis pond. There they get to meet and have fun with the beavers,
the fish, the turtles, and the ducks. All get along. Life is sweet.
Everyone plays water games together.EXT. DESERT – DAY
TE 6) WILLIAM make best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. All think WILLIAM is so cool when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: WILLIAM loose interest in revenge.
EXT. DESERT OASIS – DAY
TE 7) WILLIAM gets “comfortable” in his new desert home and life. He loses interest in revenge.
New
plan: WILLIAM wants to become a
happy and loved “desert goat”.TE 8) WILLIAM make best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. All think WILLIAM is so cool when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.
Turning
Point: METALBAUM’S dam stops the
mountain river head from flowing to the desert oasis pond. The pond dries
up. Everything that depends on it is in danger of dying.EXT. METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT – DAY
TE 9) METALBAUM dams the sacred mountain river head. Water stops flowing down the mountain to the desert oasis. All are in peril of dying without water.
· Huge failure / Major shift: WILLIAM and his new family and all who live at the desert oasis are in danger of dying without water which METALBAUM has dammed up. The sacred mountain WILLIAM’S old home and all who live there are still in danger also. With a strength and confidence of WILLIAM’S newfound love (the SCORPION Mom and her TWINS) WILLIAM plans an attack on METALBAUM’S encampment, aided by and together with all the desert pond oasis creatures.
Act 4:
· Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The plan is in place, designed by WILLAIM who knows the mountain area better than anyone. An attack from land and air is executed.
EXT. DESERT OASIS – NIGHT
TE 10) Everyone on the desert oasis pond looks to WILLIAM to do something, since he knows the mountain so well. WILLIAM bravely and smartly leads a ‘WAR PARTY’ of pond creatures to get MEATLBAUM’S crew from destroying the desert and the sacred mountain.
· Resolution: WIILIAM leads all his pals from his new home the desert, to save his old home, the sacred mountain. A battle ensues. Teaming up under WILLIAMS direction, a fierce battle ensues. The encampment is destroyed by WILLIAM and his desert friends. METALBAUM and his work crew abandon the mountain. They retreat to place far away. WILLIAM saves the sacred mountain and the desert oasis from METALBAUM’S greed and destruction. WILLIAM is the HERO and takes a leadership role of the protector and defender of the sacred mountain and desert. Everyone LOVE’s WILLIAM the Hero and saving GOLD MOUNTAIN.
EXT. MEALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT – NIGHT
TE 11) A fierce battle ensues, WILLAIM gets captured and is scheduled to be killed and cooked for crew grub. WILLIAM frees himself. WIILIAM sets the encampment supply wagons a blaze. WILLIAM pushes the dynamite charges into the dammed water. The NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE join in the battle. Victory is secured and METALBAUM’S crew retreat off the mountain to parts unknown. WILLIAM’S heroics save the ancient sacred mountain and the desert oasis. WILLIAM is the HERO. Everyone loves WILLAIM.
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Kim Michael McCarthy Lesson 7 High Speed Beat
When you post this assignment, make a commitment to the group that you are going to use these High-Speed Writing Rules to get your script done at record speed.
COMMITMENT to MYSELF and my fellow writers.
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to all the High-Speed Writing Rules and my country and to obey the HAL’S LAW. first drafts are crap (so what just write) and write fast
To always help other people;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. 😊1. Listen to the Empowerment Audio.
https://30dayscript.s3.amazonaws.com/Empowerment+Audio.m4a
DONE / CHECK
Pass 1,2 & 3: Organize your Structure and Transformational Events. Insert slug and place holders.
Protagonist: WILLIAM, a young adventurous mountain goat with a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds.
Act 1:
INT. GOATS DEN – MORNING
· Opening: WILLIAM awakes from a dream in which he is teased by his playmates while playing tag. WILLIAM is sent on an errand by his mother to gather grass for dinner.
TE 1) WILLIAM dreams that he is teased by his playmates for his appearance (a forward-facing head horn that make trumpet sounds) while playing a game of tag with them.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN PLATEAU – DAY
While doing his errand, the nearby bear family promises WILLIAM honey from an out of reach beehive, if he helps them get it. He does. The bear family tricks WILLIAM and they do not give him any honey. WILLAM fails to finish his errand and does not get the honey that he was promised. WILLIAM runs away from home feeling sad and that he is worthless.
EXT. GOLD MOUNTAIN SUMMIT – DAY
TE 2) WILLIAM failed to finish his chore. WILLIAM is tricked by the bear family. WILLIAM runs away from home.
Inciting
Incident: WILLIAM’S mother is worried that he did
not come home. She goes out looking for him. She is killed by a rockslide
caused by a dynamite blast order by METALBAUM. WILLIAM wants revenge for
his mother’s death. WILLIAM must stop Mr. METALBAUM and his work crew from
destroying the sacred mountain… before it is too late.EXT. RIVER HEAD TRAIL – DUSK
TE 3) While WILLIAM’S mom is searching for him, because he did not come home from his chore, WILLIAM sees his beloved mother get killed.
· Turning Point: WILLIAM searching for a way to get METALBAUM’S miners to leave the sacred mountain, gets shot, by a stray bullet, meant for mountain lions prowling around the encampment. WILLIAM, injured and sacred, retreats down to the desert.
EXT. METALBAUM’S EMCAMPMENT – NIGHT
TE 4) WILLIAM is hurt from the gun shot. He retreats to the desert sacred, lonely, and defeated.
Act 2:
New
plan: WILLIAM is ready to give up
meets, a Scorpion Mom and her twins while nursing his bullet wounds at the
desert that he retreated to. They form an alliance, become true friends of
WILLIAM, and offer to help him get rid of METALBAUM and his mining crew.EXT. DESERT – SUNRISE
TE 5) WILLIAM meets the SCOPION MOM and her TWINS when he retreats to the desert. The SCOPION mom nurses WILLIAM back to health. A love interest ensures. WILLIAM gains strength and confidence.
· Plan in action: The alliance, WILLIAM, the SCOPION Mom and her TWINS, head up to the encampment at the mountain’s river head. The TWINS are holding onto WILLIAMS head horns one TWIN on each head horn. the SCORPIO MOM is riding on top of WILLIAM’S head. Once there, the alliance realize that they are outnumbered. METALBAUM is building a mountain river dam for water that he needs for his mining operation. He sees the alliance sneaking around AND throws rocks at WILLIAM. A softball size rock bounced off WILLIAM’S head horn and hits MR. METALBAUM square in the groin. He doubles up, falls to his knees groaning in pain. The alliance escapes to safety back to the desert oasis pond.
Midpoint
Turning Point: WILLIAM, The
SCORPOIN Mom and her TWINS (The Alliance) adopt WILLIAM has their best
buds. WILLIAM feels safe with them. They have never seen a mountain goat
before, and WILLIAM’S head horn that makes trumpet sounds, is not odd to the
SCORPION Mom or her TWINS. They think all goats head horns look and sound
that way. The SCORPION Mom likes WILLIAM a lot. WILLIAM heals from his
gunshot wound while being his nursed by the SCORPION Mom. WILLIAM becomes
confident in himself. A love interest insures. WILLIAM delights in his new
family and living in the desert. The alliance goes for a day of fun at the
desert oasis pond. There they get to meet and have fun with the beavers,
the fish, the turtles, and the ducks. All get along. Life is sweet.
Everyone plays water games together.EXT. DESERT – DAY
TE 6) WILLIAM make best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. All think WILLIAM is so cool when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: WILLIAM loose interest in revenge.
EXT. DESERT OASIS – DAY
TE 7) WILLIAM gets “comfortable” in his new desert home and life. He loses interest in revenge.
New
plan: WILLIAM wants to become a
happy and loved “desert goat”.TE 8) WILLIAM make best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. All think WILLIAM is so cool when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.
Turning
Point: METALBAUM’S dam stops the
mountain river head from flowing to the desert oasis pond. The pond dries
up. Everything that depends on it is in danger of dying.EXT. METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT – DAY
TE 9) METALBAUM dams the sacred mountain river head. Water stops flowing down the mountain to the desert oasis. All are in peril of dying without water.
· Huge failure / Major shift
WILLIAM and his new family and all who live at the desert oasis are in danger of dying without water which METALBAUM has dammed up. The sacred mountain WILLIAM’S old home and all who live there are still in danger also. With a strength and confidence of WILLIAM’S newfound love (the SCORPION Mom and her TWINS) WILLIAM plans an attack on METALBAUM’S encampment, aided by and together with all the desert pond oasis creatures.
Act 4:
· Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The plan is in place, designed by WILLAIM who knows the mountain area better than anyone. An attack from land and air is executed.
EXT. DESERT OASIS – NIGHT
TE 10) Everyone on the desert oasis pond looks to WILLIAM to do something, since he knows the mountain so well. WILLIAM bravely and smartly leads a ‘WAR PARTY’ of pond creatures to get MEATLBAUM’S crew from destroying the desert and the sacred mountain.
· Resolution: WIILIAM leads all his pals from his new home the desert, to save his old home, the sacred mountain. A battle ensues. Teaming up under WILLIAMS direction, a fierce battle ensues. The encampment is destroyed by WILLIAM and his desert friends. METALBAUM and his work crew abandon the mountain. They retreat to place far away. WILLIAM saves the sacred mountain and the desert oasis from METALBAUM’S greed and destruction. WILLIAM is the HERO and takes a leadership role of the protector and defender of the sacred mountain and desert. Everyone LOVE’s WILLIAM the Hero and saving GOLD MOUNTAIN.
EXT. MEALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT – NIGHT
TE 11) A fierce battle ensues, WILLAIM gets captured and is scheduled to be killed and cooked for crew grub. WILLIAM frees himself. WIILIAM sets the encampment supply wagons a blaze. WILLIAM pushes the dynamite charges into the dammed water. The NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE join in the battle. Victory is secured and METALBAUM’S crew retreat off the mountain to parts unknown. WILLIAM’S heroics save the ancient sacred mountain and the desert oasis. WILLIAM is the HERO. Everyone loves WILLAIM.
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This reply was modified 4 years ago by Kim Michael McCarthy.
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This reply was modified 4 years ago by
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I think you GOT IT! Your formatting is sooo clean. Are you using WORD PRESS?
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Kim Michael McCarthy Lesson 6: Transformational Events
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
I initially thought this lesson would be easy to do. I am glad that I had to think about what the chronical transformational events of my screenplay / story are. Using Hal’s examples, and knowing in screenplay writing that LESS IS MORE (clear and concise). Therefore, one sentence transformational event statements are the best, and then build from there. I’ll have to go back sooner than later the pair them down to make them short concise, easily understandable and dramatic, in an UP or DOWN emotional way for WILLIAM, so that my audience gets its money’s worth for their admission… an entertaining story filled with thrills and spills while the eating their popcorn.
1. Listen to the Empowerment Audio. DONE / CHECK
2. Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.
WILLIAM starts out shy, unsure, isolated, and solitary, and ends up as the HERO, love by all, while bravely saving GOLD MOUNTAIN from being destroyed by METALBAUM’S unscrupulous and greedy mining company.
OLD WAYS:
WILLIAM starts the movie in his old ways.
· Self-conscience of being “different”.
· Shy and insecure with his special gift.
· Unsure.
· Does not stand up for himself.
· Retreats to isolation.
NEW WAYS
In the end WILLIAM becomes “Everyone’s Hero”.
· Believes in himself.
· Realizes that he is SPECIAL.
· Brave and fearless.
· Gives his ALL to save everything from being destroyed.
3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).
Protagonist: WILLIAM, a young adventures mountain goat with a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds.
1) WILLIAM is tease by his playmates for his appearance (a forward-facing head horn that make trumpet sounds) while playing a game of tag with them.
2) WILLIAM runs away from home feeling sad and worthless because he feels that he failed finishing a chore his mother asked him to do, get a stack of hay for dinner from the tall grass plateau of GOLD MOUNTAIN.
3) WILLIAM sees his beloved mother, the love of his life, get killed, while she was searching for him, near the river head tail of GOLD MOUNTAIN. She was worried for him because he did not come home from doing his chore before dark.
4) WILLIAM tries but fails to act on his wanting revenge from MR. METALBAUM (Antagonist) for his mother being killed when METALBAUM ordered the sacred GOLD MOUNTAIN dynamited to destroy GOLD MOUNTAIN and steal all the gold.
5) WILLIAM hiding at METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT, looks to get revenge for his mother being killed by METALBAUM. WILLIAM is shot in the leg by a ricochet bullet, meant for dangerous and hungry mountain lion pride, who are prowling around METABAUMS’ mining encampment.
6) WILLIAM is hurt from the gun shot. He retreats to the desert sacred, lonely, and defeated.
7) WILLIAM meets the SCOPION MOM and her TWINS when he retreats to the desert. The SCOPION mom nurses WILLIAM back to health. A love interest ensures. WILLIAM gains strength and confidence.
8) WILLIAM get “comfortable” in his new desert home and life. He loses interest in revenge. The SCOPION mom and her TWINS become WILLIAM’S new family.
9) WILLIAM make best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. All think WILLIAM is so cool when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.
10) METALBAUM dams the sacred mountain river head. Water stops flowing down the mountain to the desert oasis. All are in peril of dying without water.
11) Everyone on the desert oasis pond looks to WILLIAM to do something, since he knows the mountain so well. WILLIAM bravely and smartly leads a ‘WAR PARTY’ of pond creatures to get MEATLBAUM’S crew from destroying the desert and the sacred mountain.
12) A fierce battle ensues, WILLAIM spear heads the charge, get captured by METALBAUMS’S crew and is scheduled to be killed and cooked for crew grub. WILLIAM frees himself as all seems to be lost. WIILIAM strategically sets the encampment supply wagons a blaze. The dynamite charges are pushed into the dammed water by WILLIAM, ruining them. The NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE join in the battle. Victory is secured and METALBAUM’S crew retreat off the mountain to parts unknown. WILLIAM’S heroics save the ancient sacred mountain and the desert oasis. WILLIAM is the HERO. Everyone loves WILLAIM.
4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes.
5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.
6. Add these transformational events to your four-act structure.
**** Still to be done asap ****
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Kim Michael
McCarthy Lesson 6: Transformational Events“What
I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your
work.I initially thought
this lesson would be easy to do. I am glad that I had to think about what the
chronical transformational events of my screenplay / story are. Using Hal’s
examples, and knowing in screenplay writing that LESS IS MORE (clear and
concise). Therefore, one sentence transformational event statements are the
best, and then build from there. I’ll have to go back sooner than later then pair them down to make them short concise, easily understandable and dramatic,
in an UP or DOWN emotional way for WILLIAM, so that my audience gets its money’s
worth for their price of admission… an entertaining story filled with thrills and spills
while the eating their popcorn.1. Listen to the Empowerment Audio. DONE / CHECK
2. Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.
WILLIAM starts out shy, unsure, isolated, and solitary, and ends up as the HERO, love by all, while bravely saving GOLD MOUNTAIN from being destroyed by METALBAUM’S unscrupulous and greedy mining company.
OLD WAYS:
WILLIAM starts the movie in his old ways.
· Self-conscience of being “different”.
· Shy and insecure with his special gift.
· Unsure.
· Does not stand up for himself.
· Retreats to isolation.
NEW WAYS
In the end WILLIAM becomes “Everyone’s Hero”.
· Believes in himself.
· Realizes that he is SPECIAL.
· Brave and fearless.
· Gives his ALL to save everything from being destroyed.
3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).
Protagonist: WILLIAM, a young adventures mountain goat with a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds.
1) WILLIAM is tease by his playmates for his appearance (a forward-facing head horn that make trumpet sounds) while playing a game of tag with them.
2) WILLIAM runs away from home feeling sad and worthless because he feels that he failed finishing a chore his mother asked him to do, get a stack of hay for dinner from the tall grass plateau of GOLD MOUNTAIN.
3) WILLIAM sees his beloved mother, the love of his life, get killed, while she was searching for him, near the river head tail of GOLD MOUNTAIN. She was worried for him because he did not come home from doing his chore before dark.
4) WILLIAM tries but fails to act on his wanting revenge from MR. METALBAUM (Antagonist) for his mother being killed when METALBAUM ordered the sacred GOLD MOUNTAIN dynamited to destroy GOLD MOUNTAIN and steal all the gold.
5) WILLIAM hiding at METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT, looks to get revenge for his mother being killed by METALBAUM. WILLIAM is shot in the leg by a ricochet bullet, meant for dangerous and hungry mountain lion pride, who are prowling around METABAUMS’ mining encampment.
6) WILLIAM is hurt from the gun shot. He retreats to the desert sacred, lonely, and defeated.
7) WILLIAM meets the SCOPION MOM and her TWINS when he retreats to the desert. The SCOPION mom nurses WILLIAM back to health. A love interest ensures. WILLIAM gains strength and confidence.
8) WILLIAM get “comfortable” in his new desert home and life. He loses interest in revenge. The SCOPION mom and her TWINS become WILLIAM’S new family.
9) WILLIAM makes new best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. (beavers, fish, turtles, ducks, and cranes) All of WILLIAM’S new desert oasis friends think that he is so cool, when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.
10) METALBAUM dams the sacred mountain river head. Water stops flowing down the mountain to the desert oasis. All are in peril of dying without water.
11) Everyone on the desert oasis pond look to WILLIAM to do something, since he knows the mountain so well. WILLIAM bravely and smartly leads a ‘WAR PARTY’ of pond creatures to get MEATLBAUM’S crew from destroying the desert and the sacred mountain.
12) A fierce battle ensues, WILLAIM spear heads the charge, gets captured by METALBAUMS’S crew and is scheduled to be killed and cooked for crew grub. WILLIAM frees himself, as all seems to be lost. WIILIAM strategically sets the encampment supply wagons a blaze. The dynamite charges are pushed into the dammed water by WILLIAM, ruining them. The NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE join in the battle. Victory is secured and METALBAUM’S crew retreats off the mountain to parts unknown. WILLIAM’S heroics save the ancient sacred mountain and the desert oasis. WILLIAM is the HERO. Everyone loves WILLAIM.
4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes. DONE / CHECK
5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character. DONE / CHECK
6. Add these transformational events to your four act structure. Will do asap.
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Kim Michael McCarthy LESSON 5 Four-Act Transformational Structure
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
Holy Cow! I feel the process working. This exercise was fulfilling in that it flushed out a structured blueprint / synopsis for my screenplay / story. That is what I learned today… HOW TO BUILD A STUCTURED BLUE PRINT for my screenplay / story.😊
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
1. Give us the following for: GOLD MOUNTAIN LOVE (Working Title) c WGA WEST 2020
Concept:(Protagonist) After WILLIAM’S Mother, the love of his life, is killed by a rockslide
caused by a dynamite blast from an unscrupulous and greedy gold mining
company, WILLIAM vows revenge, saving GOLD MOUNTAIN from destruction.Main Conflict: WILLIAM
sees his mother get killed by the rockslide caused by dynamite blast ordered
by Mr. METALBAUM. WILLIAM wants revenge and to save his home, an ancient sacred
mountain from destruction. METALBAUM, is intent on destroying the mountain
and stealing all the gold for his own greed.WILLIAM’S OLD WAYS
1. Old Identity: Avoids conflict.
2. Shy, introvert.
3. Unsure of his gifts and power.
WILLIAM’S New Ways
1. New Identity: Brave.
2. Self-confident.
3. Leader, saving GOLD MOUNTAIN.
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening: WILLIAM
is sent on an errand by his mother. While doing his errand, the bear
family promises WILLIAM honey from an out of reach bee’s nest, if he helps
them get it. The bear family tricks
WILLIAM and they do not give him any honey. WILLAM fails to finish his errand
and does not get the honey that he was promised. WILLIAM runs away from home
feeling sad and that he is worthless.Inciting Incident: WILLIAM’S mother is worried that he did not come home. She goes out
looking for him. She is killed by a rockslide caused by a dynamite blast order
by METALBAUM. WILLIAM wants revenge for his mother’s death. WILLIAM must
stop Mr. METALBAUM and his work crew from destroying the sacred mountain… before
it is too late.Turning Point: WILLIAM
searching for a way to get METALBAUM’S miners to leave the sacred mountain,
gets shot, by a stray bullet, meant for mountain lions prowling around the
encampment. WILLIAM, injured and sacred, retreats down to the desert.Act 2:
New plan: WILLIAM is ready give up. He meets, a Scorpion
Mom and her TWINS, while nursing his bullet wounds at the desert that he retreated
to. They form an alliance, become true friends of WILLIAM, and offer to
help him get rid of METALBAUM and his mining crew.Plan in action: The alliance, WILLIAM, the SCOPION Mom and her TWINS, head up to
the encampment at the mountain’s river head. Once there, the alliance realize
that they are outnumbered. METALBAUM is building a mountain river dam for water
that he needs for his mining operation. He sees the alliance sneaking
around and shoots at them. The alliance escapes to safety at the desert oasis
pond.Midpoint Turning Point: WILLIAM, The SCORPOIN Mom and her TWINS
(The Alliance) adopt WILLIAM has their best buds. WILLIAM feels safe and loved with
them. They have never seen a mountain goat before, and WILLIAM’S head horn which makes trumpet sounds, is not odd to the SCORPION Mom or her TWINS. They
think all goats head horns look and sound that way. The SCORPION Mom likes
WILLIAM a lot. WILLIAM heals from his gunshot wound while being his nursed
by the SCORPION Mom. WILLIAM becomes confident in himself. A love interest
insures. WILLIAM delights in his new family and living in the desert. The alliance
goes for a day of fun at the desert oasis pond. They meet and
have fun with the beavers, the fish, the turtles, and the ducks. All get
along. Life is sweet. Everyone plays water games together.Act 3:
Rethink everything: WILLIAM looses interest in revenge.
New plan: WILLIAM
wants to become a happy, loved “desert goat”.Turning Point: METALBAUM’S
dam stops the mountain river head from flowing to the desert oasis pond. The
pond dries up. Everything that depends on the water is in danger of dying.Huge failure / Major shift
WILLIAM and his new family and all who live at the desert oasis are in danger of dying without water, which METALBAUM has dammed up. The sacred mountain WILLIAM’S old home and all who live there are still in danger also. With a strength and confidence of WILLIAM’S newfound love (the SCORPION Mom and her TWINS) WILLIAM plans an attack on METALBAUM’S encampment, aided by and together with all the desert oasis creatures.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The plan is in place, designed by
WILLAIM who knows the mountain area better than anyone. An attack from
land and air is executed.Resolution: WIILIAM
leads all his pals from his new home the desert, to save his old home, the
sacred mountain. A battle ensues. Teaming up, under WILLIAMS direction, a fierce
battle ensues. The encampment is destroyed by WILLIAM and his desert
friends. METALBAUM and his work crew abandon the mountain. They retreat to
place far away.WILLIAM saves the sacred mountain and the desert oasis from METALBAUM’S greed and destruction. WILLIAM is the HERO and takes a leadership role of protector and defender of the sacred mountain and desert. Everyone LOVE’S WILLIAM, the HERO, for saving GOLD MOUNTAIN.
4. Once you have created the 4-Act Structure for your Protagonist, go back over it to see if there are any big picture points you need to add to represent your Antagonist. Nothing at this time.
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Subject line: Kim Michael McCarthy Character Interviews
5. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
I learned I can type out “stuff” about my characters. Good, bad or indifferent. Hopefully, these exercises will make a great difference in achieving my end goal (have a professionally written, edited, and marketable screenplay) in 30 days’ time. 😊
June 10 2021 Assignment 4
Questions for my PROTAGONIST – WILLIAM
1. Tell me about
yourself.I’m a young mountain goat born on a sacred mountain filled with gold. My neighbors are other mountain wildlife and a Native American tribe who have shared this sacred mountain in New Mexico for centuries.
I live with my mom & Dad high up on the snowcapped mountain summit. My Dad is the leader of our herd. He is strong and smart. My Mom is so loving to me that I can almost not leave her side. I guess, I’m a Momma’s boy.
I was born with a special gift my Mom tells me. I believe her, but sometimes I wish I did not have it because my so-called friends make fun and tease me about it. I have a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds. I’m still young but I’m very strong like my Dad and much faster than any one on the mountain. When I grow up, I want to be like my Dad, leader of the herd.
2. Why do you
think you were called to this journey?I’m really not sure but I do love this place and everything about it, as much as I love my Mom.
2.A Why you?
Not sure; but I think I would do almost anything to protect my perfect home. I have a deep respect and loyalty to this sacred home of ours.
3. You are up
against.Well you see, this gold mining company moved in and started to blast for gold and began destroying our sacred mountain for their greed and power. They dynamited the mountain side and one of the blasts killed my Mom, who was out looking for me late one night. I sort of ran away from home for a while. She was worried that I did not come home before dark. She sent me on a chore earlier that day to gather hay for our meals. Things went sideways from there.
3.A What is it about them that makes this journey even more difficult for you?
They are people. I’m a young goat. They have bad intentions and dynamite and guns and there are a lot of them all working to steal the gold from our sacred mountain. What chance do I have of stopping them?
4. To survive or accomplish this, you are going to have to step way outside of your box. What changes do you expect to make and which of them will be the most difficult?
I’ll have to be real smart but also strong. Being shy and an introvert happier when I’m alone, I’ll have to break free of that and I have to ask others for help. Asking for others to help me will be most difficult, as a goat we are by nature solitary beings.
5. What habits
or ways of thinking do you think will be the most difficult to let go of?Being unsure of myself, that my special gift is a power for me to use, for my good and the good of all that I love.
6. What fears,
insecurities and wounds have held you back?My fear of failure and not being loved. My forward-facing head horn is very visible and make my feel that I’m different and NOT special. After my Mom was killed by the gold mining company and I lost the love of my life and that really hurt deep inside. I didn’t know if I could go on without her.
7. What skills,
background or expertise makes you well-suited to face this conflict or
antagonist?I know this mountain better than they do. I can climb higher quicker that they can. I’m nimble on these dangerous mountainsides and rocks so I have the advantage of surprise to attack them where they least expect it.
8. What are you
hiding from the other characters?My insecurities.
9. What don’t you want them to know?
That I get sacred at times without my Mom. I really miss her. Some already make fun of my appearance so I don’t want them to have more stuff to make fun of me.
10. What do you think of?
My Mom
11. Tell me your side of this whole conflict/story.
My side is that the mining company has no right to steal the gold and destroy our sacred home and they need to go away. They killed my Mon and I want them to pay dearly for that… Revenge!
12. What does it do for your life if you succeed here?
It’s not just my life but the lives of all that call this sacred mountain home. We can all go back to living in harmony with each other in joy and peace. Live happily ever after.
Ask any other questions about their character profile
that will help you.I have no more questions currently.
QUESTIONS FOR YOUR ANTAGONIS
Mr. Burnish Sisrow Metalbaum – Gold mining company owner/boss
1. Tell me about
yourself.I’m a mean Mr. Grinch. I love gold and the power that comes with having it. Lots of it. I lie, cheat and con to get what I want, no matter the cost. I own a gold mining company that I won by cheating in a card game. My crew are helpless with out me. They need me; I don’t need them. I was raised poor and that why I love being rich. No one can or nothing can stop me in getting what I want.
2. Having to do
with this journey, what are your strengths and weaknesses?Strengths: I’m a con man. I have the power to manipulate circumstances and people by having lots of gold that I steal through my enterprise… a gold mining company.
Weaknesses: I’m lonely and afraid to love anyone or thing. I don’t like loud noises they scare me. I need to impress to feel valued. I’m hard noised toward everything to gain an advantage. I’m impatient and want what I want asap.
3. Why are you committed to making the Protagonist fail?
If anyone gets in my way of getting what I want (THE GOLD) I’ll destroy them.
4. What do you
get out of winning this fight / succeeding in your plan / taking down your
competition?Power of gold. prestige, fame, fortune.
5. What drives
you toward your mission / agenda, even in the face of danger, ruin, or
death?Power is my way of feeling secure and happy.
6. What secrets
must you keep succeeding?Not sure what this Question means?
6.A What other secrets do you keep out of fear / insecurity?
Without my gold I am nothing but a lonely unloved man.
7. Compared to
other people like you, what makes you special?No Guilt for what I do and how I do it. I con, steal, and cheat without a guilty feeling whatsoever.
8. What do you
think of?The amazing power of gold and how it makes me feel wanted and loved.
9. Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.
I conned the US Calvary to grant me permission to dynamite for gold on this sacred mountain, they were thinking that they would get all the gold, to further their war chest in taming the wild west for white settlers and US government land expansion. I was told by the Calvary that the natural habitant should not be destroyed and the Native American undisturbed since they were a peaceful tribe and had a treaty with the US Cavalry.
That plan is too expensive for my mining company to do and would leave little to no profit for me.
Destruction of the sacred mountain and all who lived there was the only way to get all the gold for me.
Destroy all of it, to get the most gold possible and give only a small fraction of the gold to the US Calvary saying that the sacred mountain was dry. When along comes this goat from the snowcapped summit who has amazing powers and ability to stop from destroying the sacred mountain stealing all the gold, in our tracks. We did capture him and were going to cook him but some how he escaped and with the help of his all his scared mountain friends destroying our entire operation saving gold mountain forcing us to abandon our operation and losing my entire business. I was dead flat broke again.
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Kim Michael McCarthy Character Profile Part 2
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
If these exercises boil down beats or specific points of interest for my main characters as I think is the plan, then it I a good way to be CLEAR & CONSICE. Just what every good screenplay / movie needs. These exercises are a better way of being specific and clear about who your story is about, so you DON’T look at a blank page for days when beginning your screenplay. Baby steps, (these exercises) at first, gets you to the finish line… in BIG BOY or GIRL shoes!
1. Listen to the 3-minute Empowerment Audio.
https://30dayscript.s3.amazonaws.com/Empowerment+Audio.m4a DONE/CHECK
2. Fill in Part 2 of the character profile for your two lead characters.
What draws us to this character?
(Protagonist) WILLIAM a young adventurous mountain goat who has a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds.
WILLIAM’S ability to love everyone and everything. Discovering that his special gift is the power to free himself from self-doubt. Underdog at first, who grows into a superhero. Finding ways by always trying his best, to overcome his short comings. Defeating all the obstacles in his path by believing that he can do it, even when the odds are stacked against him.
Traits: Loving, shy, optimistic, questions, stubborn, physically strong, believes in the good for all, not just some.
· Subtext: Does not like conflict but learns how to win “the war” to save all that he loves.
· Flaw: His self-doubt.
· Values: Honesty, loyalty, bravery.
· Irony: WILLIAM avoids conflict but is drawn in when his mother is killed by the Antagonist feeling he must avenge her death.
· What makes this the right character for this role?
WILLIAM is the only “kid / son” of the goat herd’s leader, his father, hence WILLIAM is the only one who believes that his mother’s memory and honor, must be accounted for by the antagonist who killed her.
(ANTAGONIST) Mr. BURNISH SISROW METALBAUM – Owner/Boss of a gold mining company.
What draws us to this character?
He is unscrupulous, greedy, self-absorbed and an evil mean con man, only out for himself at everyone else’s peril. He is easily willing to destroy others for his lust for gold and power. A white-collar BAD GUY.
·Traits: Arrogant, deception, dishonesty, greed, selfishness.
· Subtext: Deep down he knows he is doing wrong by dynamiting for gold from the sacred mountain.
· Flaw: Thinking that having lots of gold will make him more important than others.
· Values: Power, prestige, being looked at as important, getting ahead at any cost.
· Irony: He is not respected by his work crew or others. He is afraid of loud noises, like dynamite explosion blasts.
· What makes this the right character for this role?
Mr. BURNISH SISROW METALBAUM Owner/Boss of a gold mining company is a character with “no character”. (PUN) LOL 😊 He lies, cheats, and steals from others to gain for only himself.
3. Make any improvements you think of to your Part 1 profile and bring the two parts together.
I ADDED two more Minor CHARACTER’S that I forgot. A GRASSHOPER & BUTTERFLY.
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Kim Michael McCarthy Character Profile Part 2
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
If these exercises boil down beats or specific points of interest for my main characters as I think is the plan, then it is a good way to be CLEAR & CONSICE. Just what every good screenplay / movie needs. These exercises are a better way of being specific and clear about who your story is about, so you DON’T look at a blank page for days when beginning your screenplay. Baby steps, (these exercises) at first, gets you to the finish line… in BIG BOY or GIRL shoes!
1. Listen to the 3-minute Empowerment Audio.
https://30dayscript.s3.amazonaws.com/Empowerment+Audio.m4a DONE/CHECK
2. Fill in Part 2 of the character profile for your two lead characters.
What draws us to this character?
(Protagonist) WILLIAM a young adventurous mountain goat who has a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S ability to love everyone and everything. Discovering that his special gift is the power to free himself from self-doubt. Underdog at first, who grows into a superhero. Finding ways by always trying his best, to overcome his short comings. Defeating all the obstacles in his path by believing that he can do it, even when the odds are stacked against him.
Traits: Loving, shy, optimistic, questions, stubborn, physically strong, believes in the good for all, not just some.<div><div>
· Subtext: Does not like conflict but learns how to win “the war” to save all that he loves.
· Flaw: His self-doubt.
· Values: Honesty, loyalty, bravery.
· Irony: WILLIAM avoids conflict but is drawn in when his mother is killed by the Antagonist feeling he must avenge her death.
· What makes this the right character for this role?
WILLIAM is the only “kid / son” of the goat herd’s leader, his father, hence WILLIAM is the only one who believes that his mother’s memory and honor, must be accounted for by the antagonist who killed her.
(Antagonist) Mr. BURNISH SISROW METALBAUM – Owner/Boss of a gold mining company.
What draws us to this character?
He is unscrupulous, greedy, self-absorbed and an evil mean con man, only out for himself at everyone else’s peril. He is easily willing to destroy others for his lust for gold and power. A white-collar BAD GUY.
·Traits: Arrogant, deception, dishonesty, greed, selfishness.
· Subtext: Deep down he knows he is doing wrong by dynamiting for gold from the sacred mountain.
· Flaw: Thinking that having lots of gold will make him more important than others.
· Values: Power, prestige, being looked at as important, getting ahead at any cost.
· Irony: He is not respected by his work crew or others. He is afraid of loud noises, like dynamite explosion blasts.
· What makes this the right character for this role?
(ANTAGONIST) Mr. BURNISH SISROW METALBAUM Owner/Boss of a gold mining company is a character with “no character”. (PUN) LOL 😊 He lies, cheats, and steals from others to gain for only himself.
3. Make any improvements you think of to your Part 1 profile and bring the two parts together.
I ADDED two more Minor CHARACTER’S that I forgot. A GRASSHOPER & BUTTERFLY.
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Kim Michael McCarthy Character Profile Part 2
1. Listen to the 3-minute Empowerment Audio.
https://30dayscript.s3.amazonaws.com/Empowerment+Audio.m4a DONE/CHECK
2. Fill in Part 2 of the character Profile for your two lead characters.
What draws us to this character?
WILLIAM / Protagonist (a young adventurous mountain goat who has a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds)
His ability to love everyone and everything. Discovering that his special gift is the power to free himself from self-doubt. Underdog at first, who grows into a superhero. Finding ways by always trying his best, to overcome his short comings. Defeating all the obstacles in his path by believing that he can do it, even when the odds are stacked against him.
Traits:
Loving, shy, optimistic, questions, stubborn, physically strong, believes in the good for all, not just some.
· Subtext:
Does not like conflict but learns how to win “the war” to save all that he loves.
· Flaw:
His self-doubt.
· Values:
Honesty, loyalty, bravery.
· Irony:
WILLIAM avoids conflict but is drawn in when his mother is killed by the Antagonist feeling he must avenge her death.
· What makes this the right character for this role?
WILLIAM is the only “kid / son” of the goat herd’s leader, his father, hence WILLIAM is the only one who believes that his mother’s memory and honor, must be accounted for by the Protagonist who killed her.
Mr. BURNISH SISROW METALBAUM (Protagonist)
Owner/Boss of a gold mining company.
What draws us to this character?
He is unscrupulous, greedy, self-absorbed and an evil mean con man, only out for himself at everyone else’s peril. He is easily willing to destroy others for his lust for gold and power. A white-collar BAD GUY.
Traits:
Arrogant, deception, dishonesty, greed,
selfishness.
· Subtext:
Deep down he knows he is doing wrong by dynamiting for gold from the sacred mountain.
· Flaw:
Thinking that having lots of gold will make him more important than others.
· Values:
Power, prestige, being looked at as important, getting ahead at any cost.
· Irony:
He is not respected by his work crew or others. He is afraid of loud noises, like dynamite explosion blasts.
· What makes this the right character for this role?
Mr. BURNISH SISROW METALBAUM (Protagonist) Owner/Boss of a gold mining company is character with “no character”.(PUN) LOL 😊 He lies, cheats, and steals from others to gain for only himself.
3. Make any improvements you think of to your Part 1 profile and bring the two parts together.
ADDED two more CHARACTER’S I forgot. GRASSHOPER & BUTTERFLY.
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
If these exercises boil down beats or specific points of interest for my main characters as I think is the plan, then it I a good way to be CLEAR & CONSICE. Just what every good screenplay / movie needs. These exercises are a better way of being specific and clear about who your story is about, so you DON’T look at a blank page for days when beginning your screenplay. Baby steps, (these exercises) at first, gets you to the finish line… in BIG BOY or GIRL shoes!
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testing account
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Subject line: Kim Michael McCarthy Character Profiles Part 1
7. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
WOW! I learned that I had the power to finish it… and on time. I have already written 60 plus pages of my first draft and had intuitively or had been coached by reading the top screen writing “how to books” last year, to “fill in the blanks”, on many of these points, which are written long hand on pages of a notebook sitting on my desk. I trust that these daily exercises will keep all these thoughts of the lesson plan of this course… as a cohesive building block of completed story. 😊
2021 Tuesday Lesson for June 8 2021
Choose your Protagonist and Antagonist.
Select your Genre.
Create Part 1 of your Character Profiles.ASSIGNMENT
1. Listen to the 3 minute Empowerment Audio FIRST.
https://30dayscript.s3.amazonaws.com/Empowerment+Audio.m4a DONE/CHECK
2. Pick the type of role your Protagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
Dreamer / Hero who transforms his self-doubt belief
about himself into a courageous defender of his mountain home after the
love of his life, his mother, is killed.3. Pick the type of role your Antagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
Villain who unscrupulously dynamites a mountain of gold
for greed and power on the sacred home of ancient, revered mountain goats
and a Native American tribe who live in harmony with nature.4. What other characters might be necessary?
Supporting characters:
The Protagonist’s Mom and Dad.
The wise owl.
The Native American tribe.
The Scorpion Mother and her twins.
The bear family.Minor roles:
Protagonist’s play mates, a girl goat his age, a squirrel,
a crow.
The mountain goat herd members.
The foreman and the mountain gold mining crew.
The mountain lion pride.Background characters:
· The beaver, fish, turtles, and ducks living in the mountain river basin.
5. Pick your genre.
Animation
6. Fill in whatever answers come to you about your lead character profiles.
Role in the story:
Protagonist: a specially gifted young mountain goat.
Antagonist: an unscrupulous, greedy mining company owner.
Age range and Description:
Protagonist: Young adventurous male mountain goat with a forward-facing head horn, that makes trumpet sounds.
Antagonist: Male, mid 50’s, short, plump, wears a bad fitting blond toupee, smokes a cigar.
· Internal Journey:
Protagonist: Shy and self-doubting which turns into becoming a courageous hero, while discovering everlasting love and saving the day.
Antagonist: Arrogant, self-absorbed, greedy mining company owner who wants the power of gold.
· External Journey:
Protagonist: Transforms from a shy, self-doubting special gifted young mountain goat, into a courageous protector hero leader of his heard saving the sacred mountain from destruction.
Antagonist: Changes from a powerful, greedy, unscrupulous mountain mining company owner into a bible salesman preaching the ‘good word’ traveling the desert plains.
· Motivation:
Protagonist: Fear of losing everything that he loves.
Antagonist: Power for his self-esteem.
Wound:
Protagonist: The killing of his beloved Mother.
Antagonist: Born into a poor unloving family.
· Mission/Agenda:
Protagonist: To save his mountain home from destruction.
Antagonist: To be more powerful and rich.
Secret:
Protagonist: That his special gift (a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds) is his power for freedom to be who he really is.
Antagonist: Thinking being rich makes you special or being poor makes you less than.
What makes them special?
Protagonist: His physical appearance (a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds).
Antagonist: His ability to con his mountain mining crew into thinking they are doing a good thing by dynamiting and destroying the sacred mountain for gold.
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1. Name?
KIM Michael “MIKE” McCarthy
2. How many scripts you’ve written? Zero so far.
3. What you hope to get out of the class? Have a completed fully edited (all drafts done) professional script by the end of class.
4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you?
Unique: I have the most years on this planet of anyone else in the class @ 70 years young! LOL
Special: I have been awarded several Daytime EMMY‘s as a contributor for “BEST SHOW”, working for Martha Stewart Living Television. ‘99 –’04.
Strange: I LOVE being a CREATIVE of MEDIA ARTS. I’m a LONE WOLF. 😊
Unusual: I’m a Dolphin @ HEART & a Lover of the Oceans.
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Mike McCarthy Transformational
JourneyAnswer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”
ANSWER: I’M NOT SURE? However, when one breaks down the “bigger picture” of my protagonist into small more manageable parts, or beats, a CLEAR PICTURE and easy to understand path of the Protagonist does emerge! 🙂
ASSIGNMENT Monday June 7, 2021
You send a Hero on a journey that the audience gets to live.
1. Listen to the 3 minute Empowerment Audio FIRST.
https://30dayscript.s3.amazonaws.com/Empowerment+Audio.m4a DONE/CHECK
2. Who is your Hero and what is their Character Arc that represents a transformation?
Internal Journey: Shy, different but SPECIAL, teased and
bullied for being that way… TO being self-confident, a LEADER, full of strength
and wisdom. The one that everyone looks up to when times get impossible,
and someone who steps up to save the day, before everything is destroyed.External Journey: From being a shy, self-conscience introvert
to being confident leader loved by all who saves the day.3. What are the Old Ways and New Ways?
OLD WAYS:
WILLIAM starts the movie in his old ways.
· Self-conscience of being “different”.
· Shy and insecure with his special gift.
· Unsure.
· Doesn’t stand up for himself.
· Retreats to isolation.
NEW WAYS
In the end WILLIAM becomes “Everyone’s Hero”.
· Believes in himself.
· Realizes that he is SPECIAL.
· Brave and fearless.
. Gives his ALL to save
everything from being destroyed.-
This reply was modified 4 years ago by Kim Michael McCarthy.
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This reply was modified 4 years ago by
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I LOVE to DANCE!
Official video David Bowie’s LET’S DANCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbD_kBJc_gI
I’m looking for a muse who is a natural in film making screenwriting, and television, creating artistic valued content for the marketplace.
If you have interest in joining with me to be an important reader consultant for my feature animation screenplay GOLD MOUNTAIN LOVE and me for yours… LET’S DANCE!
Thank you in advance for any interest and input.
Sincerely,
KMM
Mr. K. Michael “MIKE” McCarthy is a retired professional senior television pre & postproduction skilled position technician artist, specializing in live news & sports, working as an A-1 audio engineer & sound mixer, ENG photojournalist, on-line video editor, as well as an Avid TV segment editor, for top tier production outfits such as News 12 CT., Yankee Entertainment & Sports (YES NETWORK), ESPN, Martha Stewart Living Television and Home Shopping Network.
He has earned a media arts degree from Mattatuck Community College, Waterbury, CT., where he was awarded the ‘President’s Award’, the highest honor for a graduating student for his outstanding achievement in scholastics, theater & film arts.
Mr. McCarthy earned a master’s class certification from Future Media Concerts / AVID Editing, NYC. He has studied undergrad courses in Film and Video from University of Bridgeport, news journalism from NYU and has earned a Video Production Certification from Fairfield University, CT.
He is a lifetime member in Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theater Honor Society, and is a selected member in Who’s Who Among Students in American Jr. Colleges, for his academic and Theater Arts achievements.
Kim is recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as a five-time National Daytime Emmy nominee and 4-time award winner, as a staff contributor for Best Show, for the CBS syndicated Martha Stewart Living Television series from 1999-2004.
Currently retired from the television industry, Mr. McCarthy lives near a southeastern Florida island, where he enjoys all outdoor activities, dinning, live theater & the Caribbean style Atlantic Ocean, with a hint of the Jimmy Buffet lifestyle.
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Hi Neil,
Thank you for your invitation.
Frankly, I’m looking to align myself with an already published and established screenwriter, who has legs in the book or movie industry, as a study partner of my feature animation screenplay.
I wish you the best in all that you do.
Sincerely,
Mike McCarthy.
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Hi Angie,
My name is Mike McCarthy.
Below is my professional bio of mine, having worked in the tri state area at the highest level in broadcast television, as a TV studio and remote technical equipment operator, a news photojournalist & TV segment editor, for all of Martha Stewart’s TV programing at our Westport, CT. studios.
I listened to Hal’s audio recording on our first day, yesterday, of our rewrite class.
He made an important point at the end of his one hour recording for each of us to ask someone in our group to be a sounding board with constructive suggestions and questions as we work to improve our second draft screenplay.
I would be honorred to have you as my extra eyes and mind as a learning partner and vice versa during our 10-week rewrite class.
Thank-you in advance and I look forward to your input and interest in Hal’s very important process in how to rewrite a screenplay while greatly improving our work.
Sincerely, K. Michael “MIKE” McCarthy
BIO BELOW
K. Michael “MIKE” McCarthy is a retired professional senior television pre & postproduction skilled position technician / artist, specializing in live news & sports, working as an A-1 audio engineer & sound mixer, ENG photojournalist, on-line video editor, as well as an Avid TV segment editor, for top tier production outfits such as News 12 CT., Yankee Entertainment & Sports (YES NETWORK), ESPN, Martha Stewart Living Television and Home Shopping Network.
He has earned a media arts degree from Mattatuck Community College, Waterbury, CT., where he was awarded the ‘President’s Award’, the highest honor for a graduating student for his outstanding achievement in scholastics, theater & film arts.
Mr. McCarthy earned a master’s class certification from Future Media Concerts / AVID Editing, NYC. He has studied undergrad courses in Film and Video from University of Bridgeport, news journalism from NYU and has earned a Video Production Certification from Fairfield University, CT.
He is a lifetime member in Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theater Honor Society, and is a selected member in Who’s Who Among Students in American Jr. Colleges, for his academic and Theater Arts achievements.
MIKE is recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as a five-time National Daytime Emmy nominee and 4-time award winner, as a staff contributor for Best Show, for the CBS syndicated Martha Stewart Living Television series from 1999-2004.
Currently retired from the television industry, Mr. McCarthy lives near a southeastern Florida island, where he enjoys all outdoor activities, dinning, live theater & the Caribbean style Atlantic Ocean with a hint of the Jimmy Buffet lifestyle.
Now, about Hal & this course:
I took the 30-day screenwriting course last fall. I worked through half of the course in which I made good progress & it did create juice for me to FINISH my 1st draft in time for the final deadline for the contest, 9/30/21, of my entry of my 1st screenwriting contest.
My work concept & a very rough handwritten “all over the place”, final class project, & my 2nd screenwriting class at university, which I started in back 1997, now saw my 1st draft professionally formatted/typed, due to Ha’s 30-day screenwriting class, which allowed me to enter my 1st draft of my animation screenplay in the contest.
I did not place or win out of thousands of scripts. OK… fine for my 1st attempted contest using only a 1st draft, which we all know, is not the ideal way to have a chance to place or win. But that’s OK, that experience led me to here… this re-write class.
I paid the contest organizers extra for an EMMY winning screenwriter in my genre (feature animation for kids of all ages… think Lion King, Finding Nemo) to consult & provide notes which I received @ years end of 2021.
I know this rewrite class will move me forward to finish my 2nd draft using the lay out & the pro screenwriter’s consultation/notes.
Then on to the 3rd draft & continue clarify & improving all the aspects that go into a marketable creation/screenplay. 🙂
Best wishes everyone, for sucess with your dreams.
K. Michael “MIKE” McCarthy
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Hello,
My name is MIKE.
I worked for 6 years as a news photojournalist for the Dolan’s of Long Island, owners of News 12 @ their Norwalk, NEWS 12 CT. satellite cable station.
Then I went on to working with Martha Stewart @ our Westport, CT. TV studios as a TV segment editor for all of her TV content, including her 1-hour daily CBS show, her FOOD NETWORK & her 2 HGTV shows, as well as a PET KEEPING show featuring a LI pet keeping expert, Marc Morrone.
I also knew George Lee Lutz of the AMITYVILLE HORRORS book & movie, & I spent time @ his home in El Paso, TX. while on a cross county trip from CT. to LA.
After listening to Hal’s first day audio class yesterday, Hal strongly suggested at the end of his 1-hour audio clip, that we look for a member of our rewrite class to share notes/comments/observations for new/different eyes & views of our work.
Kerriann Bosky would you have interest in sharing our progress as we move through this 10-week course?
Thank-you in advance for your input & thoughts.
Sincerely,
K. Michael ‘MIKE’ McCarthy
PS: My class intro & bio are listed in our ‘forms’ for your review.