Walter Stewart
Forum Replies Created
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I Walter K Stewart 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.
WKS
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Hi my name is Walter Stewart. Retired AF and disabled veteran.
I hope to be considered a professional one day once I publish my first book this year.
I have one completed feature screenplay and an animation dialog ready for story boarding. I hope this course will facilitate my decision to pivot from the feature into a TV series.
WKS
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Walter K Stewart – Marketing Campaign
What I learned doing this assignment is that you know your stuff! I am a beginner all over again and knew I was limited in my approach to this process but now I feel confident in my path forward. Excellent Course!!!
MARKETING CAMPAIGN #7: Building Your Network
– Build a Network of Fans for Your Writing
o Plan of Action:
§ Step 1) Complete Book: God’s Prescription for Overcoming Depression and Suicidal Thoughts (Ideations)
§ Step 2) Finish the editing and photo images.
§ Step 3) Approve Final Draft
o Actions to Take
§ Step 1) Create an online presence.
§ Step 2) Create an online course for overcoming mental pain.
§ Step 3) Create an app for government grant: Zero Suicide
o Readiness
A. Follower base exceeding 5- 10 million
B. Book Sales: > $1 million (year 1)
C. Relaunch: B4WEDO.com & B4WEDO.io
D. Confirming Data to LAUNCH Marketing Campaign!!!
E. Estimate Date: January 1st, 2024
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Walter K Stewart, Query Letter
My name is Walter Stewart, I also grew up in Chicago during the 1980s when Flash Dance hit the screens. It was a fantastic movie and growing up on the Southside we all admired your work. I am a writer, and my first book is scheduled to be published this year with Author’s House.
I have a melodrama titled Shytown. It’s a period piece set in the 1980s in Chicagoland with house music being the backdrop.
It’s a rag to riches story about a guy (Jason Tyler) who fails at everything as a child later to discover he’s chosen by God to deliver a message.
With music being his motivation and God being the inspiration Jason sets out early in life clearly understanding that he was going to be someone very special in life. Despite being poor and not too smart he navigates a party life in Chicago during the 1980s house music craze.
TITLE: Shytown
LOGLINE: While on a business trip in Chicago, the philanthropist Jason Tyler is shot on a commuter train during a robbery and later pronounced dead in the emergency room. After an out of body experience, he miraculous wakes up alive and alone in the hospital emergency room having one mission. Save the guy who killed him.
GENRE: DRAMA & MUSIC
Budget: $15 million to $30 million
I see Austin Butler (protagonist) being perfect for this role because he is a great dancer as demonstrated in Elvis. Additionally, he’s young enough and delivers a great character arc.
Shytown period piece set in the 1980s in Chicagoland with the backdrop of the party-music scene featuring House Music. It’s a feel-good movie with lots of emotion and drama with a happy ending.
Please reach out, if you are interested in chatting or viewing the script.
Walter K Stewart
(708)261-6729
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Walter Stewart.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Walter Stewart.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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Walter Stewart : SHYTOWN
What I learned doing this assignment is that you have to be intentional in creating your pitch package.
TITLE: Shytown
LOGLINE: While on a business trip in Chicago, the philanthropist Jason Tyler is shot on a commuter train during a robbery and later pronounced dead in the emergency room. After an out of body experience, he miraculous wakes up alive and alone in the hospital emergency room having one mission. Save the guy who killed him.
GENRE: DRAMA & MUSIC
1. Five Types of Similar Movies:
a) The Blues Brothers
b) Purple Rain
c) The Breakfast Club
d) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
e) Forrest Gump
f) Friday
2. Producer List
– Jennifer Beals
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Walter Stewart.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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Walter Stewart – Phone Pitch
What I learned by doing this assignment is that you have 1 -2 minutes to peak the assistants interest.
Title: Walter Stewart – Phone Pitch
Great Title: Shytown
Pitch:
Hello, my name is Walter Stewart, I have a melodrama titled Shytown. Period piece set in the 1980s in Chicagoland with the backdrop of the party-music scene featuring House Music.
Budget: $15 million to $30 million
I see Austin Butler (protagonist) being perfect for this role because he was a great dancer in Elvis. Additionally, he’s young enough and delivers a great character arc. I believe that Common would be a perfect fit for this movie because he acted with great range. We would have to work on the makeup but they are both musically inclined. Additionally, he’s from Chicago and a good friend with my ex-girlfriend. It’s a feel-good movie with lots of drama and a happy ending.
WKS
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Walter Stewart.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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Walter Stewart – Pitch Fest Pitch
What I learned is that pitching should be an outline of organized information.
CREDIBILITY: Hello my name is Walter Stewart and I am a seasoned professional and an aspiring writer. Currently, in the final edit stage of publishing my first book with Author’s House called God’s Prescription for Overcoming Depression and Suicidal Thoughts.
TITLE & GENRE: Shytown (Melodrama)
HOOK: Pronounced dead by the hospital doctor Jason Tyler is transported through Space to Purgatory where he loses a fight with his childhood friend who recently died by suicide. He loses the battle and awakens on the emergency room table only to discover he’s chosen by God to deliver an important message to his assailant.
A. BUDGET RANGE: Middle budget $15 million to $30 million
B. LEAD ACTOR: Austin Butler
C. ACTS
I. After a fundraising event, Jason Tyler is shot during a robbery on a commuter train in Chicago and dies in the hospital emergency. Simultaneously his police officer friend Gerald commits suicide. They are now enemies and fight in Purgatory where Jason loses the battle and miraculously awakens on the emergency room table.
II. Jason visits his assailant in prison. Tyrone is Gerald’s neglected son. He is there to convince him that God has a plan for his life. 1980s – 2000s Backstory: Jason and Gerald are neighbors. Jason is honest, friendly and loves to dance and party to House Music. Gerald is a diabolical bully and a thief who has anger management issues. Jason leaves Chicago joins the Air Force and moves to California. Ironically, Gerald becomes a small-town police officer after saving the police chief’s life during a choking incident in a restaurant.
III. The School Board authorizes Jason’s philanthropic organization to purchase his childhood abandoned elementary school. Tyrone is acquitted from murder and learns to run the philanthropy’s national charter schools.
Ending: Tyrone feeds Jason in the nursing home.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Walter Stewart.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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QUERY LETTER
What I learned most about this assignment is the importance of the “Continuous Hook.”
Do you remember the story about the eagle who grows up in the chicken coup?
He believes that God talks to him in his dreams and has chosen him to help make the world a better place. It’s all in his mind, or is it?
With music being his motivation and God being the inspiration Jason sets out early in life clearly understanding that he was going to be someone very special in life. Despite being poor and not too smart he navigates a party life in Chicago during the 1980s house music craze.
We open with Jason being a successful philanthropist being shot on a commuter train during a robbery and later pronounced dead in the emergency room. His childhood friend commits suicide at the same exact time. The battle in Purgatory is all that’s needed to reveal the revelation that he needs to continue his life’s mission.
Jason wakes up alive and alone in the hospital emergency room and has one mission from God. Save the guy who killed him.
If you would like to hear more about Shytown please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Walter K Stewart
847 Ash Rd Oceanside, CA 92058
(708)261-6729
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Title: SHYTOWN
Written by Walter K Stewart
Genre: Melodrama (Feel Good – Emotional Roller Coaster Ride)
What I learned doing this assignment is the hook can be subtle and intriguing.
With music being his motivation and God being the inspiration Jason sets out early in life clearly understanding that he was going to be someone very special in life. Despite being poor and not too smart he navigates a party life in Chicago during the 1980s house music craze.
He believes that God talks to him in his dreams and has chosen him to help make the world a better place. It’s all in his mind, or is it?
We open with Jason being a successful philanthropist being shot on a commuter train during a robbery and later pronounced dead in the emergency room. Gerald his childhood friend commits suicide at the same exact time. The battle in Purgatory is all that’s needed to reveal the revelation that he needs to continue his life’s mission.
Jason wakes up alive and alone in the hospital emergency room and has a mission from God.
Save the guy who killed him.
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Walter Stewart (High Concept & Elevator Pitch)
What I learned doing this assignment is to take my time to truly understand the questions being asked. I also learned to dig a little deeper to help bring the main character to life.
High Concept – Motivated by music and inspired by God.
Elevator Pitch – I’m working on a True rags to riches story about a guy who fails at everything as a child later to discover he’s chosen by God to deliver a message. <div>
Goal/Unique Opposition – Ridicuded and expected to fail but discovers Gods love, wealth, and true happiness.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Walter Stewart.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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Walter Stewart – 10 Most Interesting Things
Shytown is about a young boy who discovers God while growing up on the Southside of Chicago during the 1980s. It’s a feel good story and a musical journey of love.
A. Both the hero and villan are friends and despise each other. One is loving and kind and the other is an insecure bully who beats up his girlfriend.
B. In the first ten pages both the hero and villan die. The hero is shot on a commuter train and the villan commits suicide.
C. The turning point happens when they both meet in purgatory while dead. There’s a battle and the hero loses. The hero regains life and is alive in the hospital emergency room.
D. The twist happens when the hero visits the assailant in prison and discovers he’s the villans son.
E. There are several reversals in Act 2 with with the hero being broken hearted and joining the Air Force. The villan saves the police chief’s life when he was choking on some food. He later becomes a police officer.
F. The hero has sex with the villans girl friend.
G. The hero loves music and is a great dancer.
I’m learning about structure and the technical aspects of writing.
WKS
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Walter Stewart – Producer/Manager
Producer- I think it’s important to conduct a little research about the Producer first, to gain some perspective of their prior work. I would also talk about my passion for writing, formal education and discuss my projects budget and marketability.
Manager – This is tough because I never really considered a professional career in writing.
This lesson taught me the differences between producers and managers and their specific needs.
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Subject Line: Marketable Components – Great Title and Wide Audience Appeal
Logline: While on a business trip in Chicago, the philanthropist Jason Tyler is shot on a commuter train during a robbery and later pronounced dead in the emergency room. After an out of body experience he miraculously regains life after receiving spiritual guidance on how to help his assailant discover God and a reason for overturning his murder conviction.
Marketable Components: (B) Great Title & (G) Wide Audience Appeal
– (B) Great Title: ShyTown’s title is a homonym for the commonly used word ChiTown. The spelling of ChiTown is native slang for the great midwestern city named Chicago. The use of the word “Shy” also implies a personality trait as it relates to the main character: Jason Tyler
– (G) Wide Audience Appeal: ShyTown is a story about the Midwest culture, race, the ability to overcome social constructs, economic status and family expectations. It’s also a story about unifying power of house music. Since emerging in Chicago in the 1980s, house music has become a global phenomenon. House emerged in the city of Chicago in the early 1980s. Millions of people who lived in Chicago during the 1980s were partying peacefully to house music when the East and West coasts were beginning their obsession’s with Hip-hop’s violent overtones. Most importantly it’s a story about young Jason Tyler discovering God’s purpose for his life.
I learned to say what you mean and mean what you say using as few words as possible while conveying a meaningful message.
WKS
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Melodrama (multigenre)
Title: ShyTown (Copyright: PAU003666381)
Similar to the childhood story about the baby eagle who grows up in a chicken coop and fails to fly after multiple attempts, finally reaches success only after understanding the keys to life. (Mini Series)
2. During the 1980s, Jason Tyler as a child has several supernatural experiences with God where he discovers his life’s purpose. He discovers a new purpose for his life after being shot during a robbery on a Chicago commuter train. He is rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead in the ER but miraculously regains life later after having an out of body experience. Jason’s new life’s mission is to help his assailant understand his life’s purpose.
3. My TARGETS are:
– Westbrook Studios (Overbrook Entertainment): A well written Shytown could be a project “monument piece” where Will and Jada Smith could continue legacy their artistic work with their three adult children. 1) Will commits suicide, 2) Jada stabs her boyfriend to death, 3) Jaden is the gunman on the train who shoots Jason, 4) Willow is Jason’s mixed race sister, and Trey is the antagonist who is a thief, liar, high school dropout, and a bully who beats his girlfriends.
– Streaming Services (Netflix and Amazon). The word on the street is there is a shortage of great “Binge Worthy” content. Streaming services are great production and distribution efforts under one umbrella.
– Other “short list of producers and directors” Ryan Coolger, Denzel Washington, The Hugh’s Brothers, and Quentin Tarantino.
4. What I learned today is that “Knowledge is powerful but organized information is superior.”
WKS
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AGREE,
1. Walter K Stewart
2. The words “I agree to the terms of this release form.”
3. Please leave the entire text below to confirm what you agree to.
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
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Greets Everyone and Happy New Year!!!!!
1. My name is Walter K Stewart (WKS)
2. 2 scripts written: Biblical Animation & Mellowdrama
3. Hope to excite producers with my pitch, logline, treatment, and of course the story and it’s amazing characters.
4. Purchased my round-trip airline ticket to South Africa.
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Cassie,
Thank you for the feedback.
Agreed on the editing. I’m only pitching one movie Shytown. One protagonist, Austin would be the actor playing Jason Tyler.
Its a drama with the main character living throughout different periods of his life.
And you nailed both premises: From rags to riches to murder and redemption.
WKS
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Wow! That’s impressive. I hope everything goes well for you. I considered this option to be the most powerful, but will require a lot of time and effort. I admire that.
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Hi Cody,
I like everything below your introduction: We’ve never met….
Its a good hook but I think you are saying too much… Probably nothing wrong with it.
I would enjoy watching this movie with a box of popcorn.
WKS
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I was hooked. Good topic, story and query letter.
WKS
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Hi Cassie,
In a previous assignment you dropped the “Black” Santa but reintroduced it here?
As a fellow African American, the hook doesn’t lure me into the story. Not sure if it resonates with others but maybe not with my demographics – A mid-fifties black guy. Honestly, I’m not sure.
My story had a similar challenge but I overcame it with being more descriptive where the ethnicity wouldn’t matter.
I think I’ve recently seen a similar movie before on Netflix with yours having a minor twist. I would like to hear what makes this character more interesting beyond race.
Overall, I like your positive energy being translated through your query letter. I think it’s good. Consider redeveloping the hook ending.
I hope that my opinion is well received in good spirits. Please do comment on Shytown as your opinion matters too.
WKS
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I really like this story because it reminds me of the closeness I once shared with my childhood friends. Love to see it.
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Beautiful and funny.