Gary Holland
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Gary Holland – Great Action Set Piece
Setup – The criminal sends ten space fighters to go after the artifact inside the Earth fighter.
Pre Action – The hero and scientist are pleased with the performance of their new fighter… unaware of the danger that looms.
Action – The enemy fighters come out of nowhere and pursues the hero… they are lead to a remote area of Nevada. The aerial assault is intense… main weapon, ENERGY SPHERES. The hero evades at ground level, spewing debris in their wake… close combat through mountain peaks and other trickery to pick the enemy off one by one… until one unfortunate turn sets the stage for the destruction of Las Vegas. After the devastation, the hero must confront the dreaded BLACK ENERGY in the cockpit.
Post Action – They manage to escape death, but compromise the artifact along the way. The scientists talk and actions lead the hero to believe that she knew this was coming.
The scientist admits that the artifact transmitted an activation signal into deep space and they couldn’t stop it. The hero cuts her some slack, because she just saved them from a gruesome death… they must regroup and head to the safe house.
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Gary Holland – Action Emotion
SETUP – The strategic command are aware of a convoy of ships headed toward Earth… the ships suddenly go dark. The Russians and Chinese are invited to the party but give no response. The colonel responds:
COLONEL:
Activate the Raptor.
SURPRISE – The Raptor is a weapons platform the enemy doesn’t know about.
Suddenly, a Galactic Police Cruiser comes out of nowhere… another twenty six ships are protected behind.
SUSPENSE – The colonel is not fazed when the captain of the cruiser comes on screen. Their conversation rises to the point:
CAPTAIN:
We know your defensive capabilities… your lasers are no match… surrender now.
COLONEL:
Not gonna happen.
The Raptor crests the back side of Earth and unleashes its PARTICLE PLASMA BEAM… the cruiser is obliterated.
SURPRISE :
A Russian platform comes into view… three times larger and ten times as old as Raptor… there is a bungling crew aboard.
DANGER:
Enemy fighters stream from cargo ships… forty powerful lasers, “COUGARS” fire from Earth orbit, cutting the fighters to pieces.
Another police cruiser flanks them and fires an energy draining beam at Raptor… its power dropping rapidly.
SURPRISE –
The Chinese step up and de-cloak two spinning star shaped weapons. They destroy four enemy ships before they self destruct.
DANGER-
The entire enemy fleet launch thousands of fighters.
ADRENALINE-
The cougars fire wide angle bursts to keep them at bay… the Raptor all but gone… the Russians are a dud… the Chinese manage two more star shaped weapons… BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH.
Damaged enemy fighters run a kamikaze on the cougars and take out every one.
FEAR-
What’s left of the convoy approaches… a raggedy commander comes on screen.
COMMANDER:
Surrender now…
RELIEF –
The President has a bluff up his sleeve.
PRESIDENT:
We got nothing to lose… but we do got 32,000 nuclear weapons, that would love to say hello.
THE CONVOY BACKS OFF… GIVING THE HERO TIME TO DO HIS THING.
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Gary Holland – Level – 2 Action Emotion
At safe house Tango Charley and after securing the fake artifact, the woman for hire is thrown out of a hanger one hundred yards by the caretaker.
SURPRISE:
She hears the SQUEAL of an incoming projectile… it pummels the ground but does not detonate. She walks toward it snickering.
WOMAN FOR HIRE
The damn thing’s a dud.
She spots the words “GALACTIC POLICE” on the body.
WOMAN FOR HIRE
Ya forgot to arm it boys.
SHOCK
Suddenly a HUM rings out and intensifies quickly… she eyes a screen… the word “OVERLOAD” flashes.
SUSPENSE
In desperation, the hanger lower level is her only option.
Running in that direction and toward her rivals, she is caught in the Earth fighter’s jet blast and thrust away from the hanger.
In flight, her whip elongates toward the hanger… attaches to a support and yanks her into the hanger.
TO THE LOWER LEVEL SHE GOES…
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Gary Holland – Level 1 – Action Emotion
Using your creativity, Anxiety, Fear and Relief is a snap.
Anxiety – The visitors arrive… especially the criminal’s enormous ship.
Fear – The attack of ten space fighters and destruction of Las Vegas.
More Fear – The invasion of the black energy into the hero’s cockpit.
Relief – They survive and go into hiding at the safe house.
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Gary Holland – Favorite Twists
Unexpected Threat – Out of nowhere an alien spacecraft crashes and burns at a farm field in 1947.
Plan Succeeds – Mistaken for a plane crash, a farmer drives to the inferno in search of survivors.
Danger – When he realizes it’s something much different, he grabs his shotgun and approaches.
It just got worse – The farmer peers into the torn open entrance and is torn apart by what looks like a sharp edged beam.
Plan Succeeds – Ten years later, Area – 51 was established… the contents of that crash was delivered to a scientist there.
PRESENT DAY –
Plan Succeeds – That same scientist looks at his creation… a one of a kind jet fighter constructed from the alien crash fragments.
Plan Fails – When an artifact is installed in the fighter, it transmits an activation signal into deep space… no one is aware.
Plan Succeeds – The computer on board the fighter excepts a pilot to interact with it… the hero.
Danger – On a test run of the fighter, six alien craft arrive to the sheer confusion of people on the ground… another craft de-cloaks… it’s enormous.
It just got worse – A battle between the craft ensues… the enormous craft wins and approaches Earth
New Threat – The captain of the ship is a criminal with an eye for the artifact… he launches ten space fighters.
Unexpected Support – A good Galactic Policeman makes himself known.
Plan Succeeds – The Earth fighter is battling the space fighters and winning.
Plan Fails – The good cop engages in his fighter… destroys one craft and damages the other… it crashes into a hotel in Las Vegas… an OVERLOAD ensues and destroys the entire city.
It just got worse – Enemy fighters remain and send a signal through the artifact and activates a black energy into the hero’s cockpit.
Danger – The black energy threatens to overtake the hero.
It just got better – A young female scientist on board activates an untested program that forces the artifact from its receptacle… the black energy fades away.
Unknown Danger – The untested program compromises the artifact… to what degree is not known.
Plan Succeeds – The hero goes into hiding at a safe house.
It Might Get Better – During the wait at the safe house, the young scientist constructs a fake artifact.
TO BE CONTINUED:
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Gary Holland’s Action tracks.
What I learned was putting this track on paper gives insight on what I have and what I need to add.
Discovery – An alien ship crashes on Earth in 1947… the artifact is found. Many years later, using the crash fragments, a scientist constructs a one of a kind fighter jet… the artifact in control.
Purpose – Give insight on how the artifact shows up and what was done with it.
Fight – The hero is chosen to test fly the fighter when all hell breaks loose… the arrival of the visitors.
Purpose – Gives insight on the sheer confusion… the hero takes over the best he can but the artifact is in complete control.
Fight/Evade – They must fight ten high tech alien fighters and evade an outside force that causes the destruction of Las Vegas… then deal with a black energy that invades their cockpit to force them to land.
Purpose – It shows the aliens are not playing around.
Escape – A scientist is in the rear seat on the test flight. She uses an untested program to force the artifact from the receptacle…… it works… the black energy fades away, but the artifact is now compromised.
Purpose – The hero and the scientist.
The order – The hero goes into hiding at a safe house until orders come… his girlfriend delivers the orders.
Purpose – It brings the girlfriend into the mix.
Ambush – The woman for hire finds them at the safe house and attacks the girlfriend only to show mercy for a pregnant opponent.
Purpose – Insight that the woman for hire has a conscience.
Discovery – A fake artifact pops up, courtesy of the scientist… this is vital to the mission.
What action could take place – Aerial assault… hand to hand combat… alien weapons play.
Action start – The arrival of the visitors.
2nt Act – The destruction of the safe house, forcing the hero, his friends and the woman for hire into the lower levels… where the fun begins.
Climax – The full out attack on the alien planet… save the girl… finish the mission and get the hell out of there.
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Gary Holland – Villain track
Mistake – When the villain is caught in a feed back loop and turns bad.
Dilemma – The villain wants the artifact for a completely different reason now and will kill anyone who stands in his way.
Intent to harm psychologically – The villain takes possession of what he thinks is the real artifact… takes the girl in front of an incapacitated hero and tells him he’s going to pimp her out on a distant planet.
Reacquire/ Plan – When the villain finds out that the hero is on his planet, he gives him free rein to come to the command center… not a fun place.
The Command Center – The woman for hire plants a seed in the villain’s head and he wants answers from the hero before killing him… little did he know, the command center is just where the hero needs to be.
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Gary Holland – Hero’s Mission Track
Clear Mission – To save the girl, save Earth and destroy the villain.
Motivation – It’s not just to save the girl, but to also save his unborn child and he wants a planet that child can go back to.
Inciting Incident – When they find out the artifact has been compromised and who it will effect.
First Action – When a cop…a criminal… and a woman for hire arrive in search for the artifact.
Obstacle – A force of ten space fighters attack a one of a kind Earth fighter… the artifact in control.
Escalation – An intense air battle ensues… culminating with the complete destruction of Las Vegas.
Overwhelming odds – At this point the people of Earth are unprepared.
New Plan – Hide the artifact until things become clear.
Twist – The hero must work with the woman for hire to stand a chance at a full out attack, but he is betrayed… or has he.
Full Out Attack – The hero and woman for hire track the villain to his father’s planet where he fights his way to find the girl… run into obstacles… and confronts the villain to the death.
Success – When the artifact is in the right place and the good guy’s get the hell out of there… but the hero’s fate is unclear.
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Gar Holland – Hero and Villain
What I learned is that things can change at the drop of a hat in a screenplay.
Concept –
Morally Right – The hero’s military way must protect the alien artifact at all cost.
Morally Wrong – The villain wants the artifact to rule the universe.
Hero –
Skill set – Military procedures and tactics… an expert marksmen and fighter.
Motivation – Save his girlfriend… save Earth.
Secret – The artifact has been compromised… only the hero and one other know to what degree.
Villain – A good cop turned bad… instead of fighting his criminal father, he joins him.
Unbeatable – He must rely on his father’s vast criminal network.
Impossible Mission – The hero must battle heavily armed men… find the girl… and finish his mission.
Hero in action –
In stealth mode (invisible), he quietly subdues the guards on the landing pads and thinks he has it made.
Demands beyond best –
A dampening field, just off the pads takes his invisibility and now he’s on his own.
Extrapolate –
If the hero has a superior intellect the villain can only rely on brute force.
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Gary Holland’s conventions
I learned the conventions is a good way to get started.
Hero – Air Force test pilot.
Demand for action – If the hero doesn’t confront the antagonist, his pregnant girlfriend will be forced into galactic prostitution.
Mission – Protect an alien artifact.
Antagonist – A good galactic cop turns bad by forces beyond his control.
Escalating action – On his way to save his girlfriend, the hero finds out he has to save Earth in the process… can he do one, or the other… or both.
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Gary Holland
I agree to the terms of this release form.
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My name is Gary Holland
Written two scripts… the first was garbage, been working off and on with the other for about four years… life just keeps getting in the way.
This script is full of action and I want every advantage I can get to nail the action sequences.
Oh yeah, I’m crazy… creativity oozes out of me… I have the drive and passion for writing and I’ll bet you can’t guess how old I am.