[Peter]

Peter’s Right Characters!

What I learned through this assignment is that character complexity helps fill out the multiple aspects of thoughts, desires and individual interest within the characters which shows their humanity and flaws and make them relateable to the audience.

The concept of tightening things down to 3 characters really defines whether you have an actual story that can be told. Confinement becomes the exercise to heighten the creative process and practicing this can quickly lead to decisions of continuing the story or drop and start something else. It’s a massive time saver!

[Peter]

Peter’s Great Hook

A. How did this process work for you?

It was a great exercise in flexing creativity quickly. Enjoyed it!

B. What did you learn doing this assignment?

I learned how to cycle through ideas quicker than I knew before. I can increease speed of development using this technique. Really beneficial. Cheers!

[Peter]

5 Contained concepts

Idea 1: Title-Backwoods Fryers

A. Contained Environment: Isolated cabin in the woods

B. Contained Characters: 3 males, 4 females, local woodsman, redneck hunters

C. Difficult Situation: maintain mental stamina as thin veil of society collapses around them and becomes chaotic, try to get out of woods to known authority

D. Reason for the Containment: plague breakout during camping trip keeps them limited on options to escape the woods and return to safety.

Idea 2: Title-The Transfer Station

A. Contained Environment: Country Roadside Motel

B. Contained Characters: 3 college girls on spring break, motel owner, motel maid, motel handyman, drug dealer, human trafficker, girl being traded, next-level handler, Jewish mechanic

C. Difficult Situation: Caught in the middle of a known drug/human trafficking transfer location, the two college students must try to avoid becoming property as the day escalates

D. Reason for the Containment: Car breakdown Saturday and they need to wait out the Saturday Sabbath for the Jewish Mechanic for repair

Idea 3:

A. Contained Environment: Mansion with pool, office location

B. Contained Characters: 2 burglars, homeowner’s son, girlfriend, delivery man, home owner,

C. Difficult Situation: Burglars must decide next steps after simple break-in becomes increasingly more complex

D. Reason for the Containment: Burglary turns home invasion then kidnapping for ransom

Idea 4:

A. Contained Environment: Camping site within private park

B. Contained Characters: park owners, 4 guests, local ranger, maintenance person

C. Difficult Situation: Park owners are part of a community of opportunistic cannibals

D. Reason for the Containment: Park gets locked at night

Idea 5:

A. Contained Environment: local dive bar & cellar

B. Contained Characters: long-time patron/butcher, bartender, bouncer, 3 regular patrons/delivery persons , 2 new patrons-(body parts providers)

C. Difficult Situation: After taking a break from the road, two passing by patrons awake to find themselves locked in a cellar and must recount the night’s activities to try and understand how another watering hole stop turned to lock-down

D. Reason for the Containment: Locked in cellar for use as illegal human organ sales

[Peter]

Peter Ferguson’s Guidelines for Billy Jack

What I learned doing this assignment is by tightening up locations, cast and crew, an opportunity appears to increase the tension levels of interaction, create opportunity for actors to enhance characters’ responses, expressions, etc. within the contained parameters, and involve new conflict opportunities between characters.

TITLE: Billy Jack

AS THEY DID IT:

A. People: Indigenous/native school students, native school administrator, half-native korean war vet, wealthy businessman, sheriff, deputy, indulgent son of wealthy businessman,

B. Stunts: fighting, car chases, gun shooting, car actions, road blocks, stand-offs

C. Extras: huge crowds, townsfolk, range hands, police/swat teams, classroom members, courthouse witnesses, buses filled with students, extensive locations, etc.

D. Wardrobe: native clothing, police uniforms, malt shop uniforms, establishment styled clothing, judge / courtroom professional clothing styles, youth styled clothing

E. Hair and Make Up: various sixties styles, long hairs, short hair, native hair styles basic

F. Kids and Animals: multiple horses, kids, dogs, farm animals

G. Quarantine zero

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

A. People native school administrator, half-native korean war vet, wealthy businessman, sheriff, school janitor, one-two students, FBI officier on remote communication

B. Stunts handgun of businessman, hand-to-hand combat within admistrator’s office of vet and businessman, office products incorporated in fight/tussle scene, phone call/web-based negiotiations

C. Extras everything happens within the school, one location use of

administrator office, hallway, entry, second room as FBI office

D. Wardrobe all modern, current attire, possible indigenous jewelry use

E. Hair and Make Up basic, current make-up style minimal

F. Kids and Animals elimated

G. Quarantine Can easily meet guidelines to contain the essence of the movie and increase the psychological narrative to make-up for the multiple action

scenes, higher tension regarding loss of school to development proposal,

[Peter]

I, Peter Ferguson, agree to the terms of this release form.

GROUP RELEASE FORM

As a member of this group, I agree to the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

[Peter]

Hi everyone,

My Name is Peter Ferguson and I’m located in a small community just east of Toronto, Canada. This is my first class with Hal but I have been listening to the Friday short sessions for the past year. I have learned a lot from the knowledge Hal has freely shared and the concept of writing a contained screenplay is just what I need during these new times to move my goals forward.

I have spent most of my life as a College educator and now that I have finished my professional career in that field, I am now able to engage my passion for film-making, story-telling and screenplay writing to work and finish my first script.

I have been writing in many other venues for years and have an established support group for writing locally, some of whom have award winning screenplays.

Something unique about me about me is that I gave my wife a second engagement ring before we actually married since she sold the first one! We have been together now for 17 years and are happier than the first day we met.

Cheers all and much success in your endeavors!