[Michael Fitzer]

Thank you both for your comments. I am doing you a disservice, having had no time to review your work. I am deep into my MFA studies and barely able to keep up with the daily assignments. I do promise I will review your work and I;’m happy to trade email addresses if you care to continue critiquing outside of the course as well.

[Michael Fitzer]

I suppose I’ll just wait until everyone is on the same page so we can all do it together. I’m getting ready to start the next semester in my MFA so it’s likely I’ll start lagging behind on these anyway.
TRight now I’m on Mod 3 Lesson 4.

[Michael Fitzer]

Anyone able to access the forums for module 3? I’m completing the assignments but have no way of posting them.

[Michael Fitzer]

Mod 2 Lesson 5
Michael Fitzer’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
My Vision: I am a great writer who is respected by my peers, writes scripts that sell and teaches future filmmakers how to succeed.
What I learned from this assignment is: This is a tough but crucial exercise which is never really "finished." I found through this that my protagonist needs to be more active and better defined in the first act.

CONCEPT: A modern-day vampire gets himself purposely sentenced to an underground maximum-security prison so he can feed on the endless supply of fellow inmates, forcing rival gangs, and a small band of prison guards to work together to defeat him.

Main Conflict: Damon Gabriel Alister is a vampire who, after being sentenced to an underground maximum-security prison, begins feeding on the population of inmates and staff. To protect themselves, inmates and staff, led by K9 officer Katie Mendoza, must band together to defeat him.

Katie Mendoza Old Ways:

1) Katie is a wounded war vet who carries her past failures and haunting visions with her.
2) She wants to protect the men on her watch, her co-workers and her dog.
3) She’s seen as capable but doesn’t see herself that way.
4) She’s afraid of failing.

Katie Mendoza New Ways:

1) ?
2) ?
3) ?
4) ?

ACT 1: 25-to-30 pages – Set Up and SEE old Ways

Opening: Katie in Afghanistan where she is wounded, fails to protect her partner, her dog and the POWs. She first sees a vampire… or does she?

As a guard, we see Katie’s desire to treat everyone with respect and we meet the men she’s charged with guarding in Dorm A.

We meet A.W. Hemenez, Sheldon, Katie’s new Doberman, Valentina, and some of the other guards.

Inciting Incident: We also meet Damon when he is brought to the prison and see he is not like the other prisoners underground. He’s not a criminal because of his upbringing or surroundings. He’s a criminal because he loves it. There is something not right about him.

Turning Point: The first prisoner winds up dead, leading Katie to suspect something is off.
TAT FACE sees it happen, reports what he sees, and Katie is the only one who believes him.
Katie is triggered.

ACT 2: 20-to-30 pages – Challenge the Old Ways

Reaction: Old memories are stirred for Katie. She must confront the fact that what she saw was real.

The Plan: She investigates with only the help of another prisoner (who everyone hates). Her trainee, Sheldon, thinks she’s nuts and tries to subvert her experience and authority.

Turning Point 2: More prisoners die, and others begin to see the real danger. More people believe Katie but the situation is now more dire and extreme.

ACT 3: 20 to 30 pages — With Midpoint change, Profound moments that give us new ways.
Midpoint (rethink): Katie and prisoners discover the only way to survive is to band together.
A) They see staff and gang affiliations are getting them killed.
B) They must overcome petty rivalries to survive.
NEW PLAN: Katie and prisoners develop a sort of army company to combat the vampire (is this the turning point?).
All is lost moment: One of Katie’s most trusted allies is killed, and Valentina is injured (or missing). AND… A.W., Hememez is revealed as a Familiar.

Act 4: 25 pages — Test the change in this character! Prove New Ways!
With Turning Point 3: Katie EMBRACES the New Way:
Katie and prisoners become a fighting unit, finally trusting, relying, and even making sacrifices for one another.
Climax: THE TEST: Face-to-Face with the Vampire. The Vampire wants blood / the inmates test the bonds of blood, Katie discovers her real strength and that she is a fighter, not just a survivor.
Resolution: The small unit survives; the Vampire is defeated and Valentina lives. Katie gets her day off (need to build in a more active want for Katie).

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Michael Fitzer.

[Michael Fitzer]

Mod 2 Lesson 4
Michael Fitzer’s Subtext Plot
My Vision: I am a great writer who is respected by my peers, writes scripts that sell and teaches future filmmakers how to succeed.

What I learned from this assignment is: Through creating believable subtext, characters I may have considered minor in my first exploration of them can grow and reveal themselves as essential to the overall plot / theme. This gives the script extra weight and worth.

CONCEPT: A modern-day vampire gets himself purposely sentenced to an underground maximum-security prison so he can feed on the endless supply of fellow inmates, forcing rival gangs, and a small band of prison guards to work together to defeat him.

I know the assignment was for two subplots, but I have three right now.

SUBTEXT PLOT 1: Scheme and Investigation:
– Damon, the vampire, is scheming to feed (maybe create a new army of vampires… but I’m not sure if that is a good direction to take this).
– Mendoza (prison guard) is investigating her suspicions that Damon is a Vampire.
– Rival Gangs are scheming against one another but must ultimately fight for one another against the greater threat.
– Asst. Warden Hemenez schemed to get Damon into the underground facility. He is Damon’s “Familiar.”

SUBTEXT PLOT 2: Someone Hides Who They Are:
– Damon Hides that he is a vampire (for a while at least)
– A.W. Hemenez hides that he is a “Familiar”

SUBTEXT PLOT 3: A Major Cover-Up:
– A.W. Hemenez’s plan to expand the hotly debated underground prison is really a cover-up just to provide his master with an endless supply of food.
– Still exploring if another cover-up could be to create an army of vampires but I’m not sure about this direction just yet.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Michael Fitzer.

[Michael Fitzer]

Michael Fitzer’s Transformational Journey

My Vision: I am a great writer who is respected by my peers, writes scripts that sell and teaches future filmmakers how to succeed.

What I learned from this assignment is: Even if this changes over time, laying out a clear beginning and end to my protagonist’s arc with inform the what and how of her predicaments. I thought I had a clear idea of what she was struggling for/against but this exercise made me rethink that and how I approach her character. It even made me rethink the opening of the script.

Protagonist: KATIE MENDOZA
Arc Beginning: Former military MP turned prison officer who blames herself for the death of her former charges in Afghanistan.
Arc Ending: She exhibits bravery in the face of death to save her charges.
Internal Journey: From weak and afraid to strong and fearless.
External Journey: From a fearful ex MP searching for redemption to a trusted protector of those left in her care.

Old Ways:
• Stuck in a cycle.
• No clear path to self-forgiveness.
• Struggles to find balance.
• Struggles with her own humanity.
New Ways:
• Can put her code to the test and win.
• Can stand up to death.
• Courageous.
• Fighting for humanity.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Michael Fitzer.
• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Michael Fitzer.

[Michael Fitzer]

Michael Fitzer – Intentional Lead Characters

My Vision:
I am a great writer who is respected by my peers, writes scripts that sell and teaches future filmmakers how to succeed.

What I learned from this assignment is: that while developing characters, thinking through even some of the basics and putting that down on paper (rather than just letting it float around in my head) is a concrete way to stay on target and develop deeper characters, even if their unique traits change over time.

Module 2 -Lesson 2: Intentional Lead Characters

• My protagonist is:
– Character: Katie Mendoza
– Logline: A female prison sergeant who fights to keep her prisoners safe from a vampire.
– Unique: Former Afghanistan MP whose father was a convict. She has a sense of justice and sees her wards as people, not prey.

• My Antagonist is:
– Character: Gabriel Damon Aliester
– Logline: A Vampire who wants to use the prison as his personal buffet.
– Unique: He is a soulless, devious, egotistical, and blood-thirsty vampire who enjoys playing with his victims before he feeds.

• My Triangle Characters are the prisoners and prison staff who band together to save their own lives and ultimately protect each other. The main ones are:
– Character 1: Dante Pareja
– Logline: Head of the Guerreros Santos Prison Gang
– Unique: Calm, calculated but brutal when he needs to be. He respects Mendoza because she respects him. Highly religious.

– Character 2: Zac Morgan
– Logline: Head of the Aryan Kings Prison Gang
– Unique: Intelligent, vicious, fearless.

– Character 3: Sheldon Smith
– Logline: New Prison Guard who has just started at KUFP
– Unique: Eager and easily influenced but determined to make a name for himself.

– Character 4: Ornell Cherry
– Logline: Head of the Black 502 Prison Gang
– Unique: Angry and mistrustful of everyone that isn’t in his circle. He shows everyone but his gang the minimum requirement of respect.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Michael Fitzer.

[Michael Fitzer]

Michael Fitzer: The Blood Collection – Concept & Character Structure

Vision Statement: I am a great writer who is respected by my peers, writes scripts that sell and teaches future filmmakers how to succeed.

What I learned from this assignment is: that even the basics of an outline will add structure to the writing process. I have never been one to outline, simply because I didn't have a solid process for doing it. Just starting this process has already allowed me to see my intended script more clearly.

Title: The Blood Collection

Concept: A modern-day vampire gets himself purposely sentenced to an underground ultra-max-security prison so he can feed on the endless supply of fellow inmates, forcing rival gangs, and a small band of prison guards to work together to defeat him.

Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Michael Fitzer.

[Michael Fitzer]

Is the forum open to start submitting work for Module 2?

I tried copying and pasting the forum address listed in Mod 2 Lesson 1 and it won’t connect. It just times out.

Thanks.

[Michael Fitzer]

My name is Michael Fitzer.

I have written three feature scripts and one short.

From the class I’m hoping to get a better grasp on how to navigate the business side of writing (as well as improve my overall skill as a writer).

I have worked in the film industry for nearly 30 years, first as a camera assistant, operator and for the last 15 years as a cinematographer. My work has appeared theatrically as well as on Apple iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, PBS, the Doc Channel and more. I am also currently working on my MFA in creative writing.

[Michael Fitzer]

Michael Fitzer

I agree to the terms of this release form:

1. I will keep the class processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models confidential. I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

2. Each writer’s work here is copyrighted, and the writer is the sole owner. That includes this program, which Hal Croasmun copyrights. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.

I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or discuss this information with anyone outside this group.

3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes. Occasionally, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.

4. If I have an idea that is the same or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea before the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.

5. If you don’t prove to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who offered them. You will not write or market another group member’s ideas.

6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a public manner and/or prevent me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios, or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.

[Michael Fitzer]

I did for mod 2, which seems to be working just fine. No forum for mod 3 yet but I have access to the lessons and I’m getting email prompts to complete the lessons.

[Michael Fitzer]

Brilliant suggestion! Forrest through the trees, eh?

[Michael Fitzer]

Thank you Susan. I posted Mod 2 Lesson 1 yesterday… I think. I had to post it as a reply to the first posting. Couldn’t find any other way to do it.

[Michael Fitzer]

Thank you Carole! I really like yours as well. I love time travel stories!
Brevity is something I have struggled with for a long time. I’m currently working on my MFA in screenwriting. Part of that process is reading a ton of screenplays. The more I study other’s high end work, the better I have become at omitting needless words. A few really great screenplays I recommend include “Misanthrope (To Catch a Killer)” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” “Misanthrope” didn’t end up being a great film (it was basically “Silence of the Lambs” redux) but the action descriptions are short and powerful!

Looking forward to reading your work!

[Michael Fitzer]

Hey Susan,

Yeah, I’m following all those protocols, clicking complete, etc. I received a new assignment email this morning with a link to the forums. Still doesn’t work. I’m not going to sweat it too much since I believe I’m ahead by a few assignments but I do hope this gets rectified.

Talk soon!

[Michael Fitzer]

I started on Module 2 about 5 days ago. I assume I’m a little ahead and maybe that is the problem however, I stopped receiving emails re: new assignments. They were coming nearly every day and now… nothing for the last 5 days.
I contacted Support on Saturday and then again today. For now I’ll assume this is operator (me) error. If I hear anything from them I’ll let you know.

[Michael Fitzer]

Support hasn’t responded and I’ve stopped receiving assignment emails. Anyone have a clue as to what is going on?