Story/Script Building Methods

[billy]

Greetings LBHFS members.

Having never tried the various softwares available, I can't say for sure, but I'd bet this type of thing is built into them, however, for what it's worth, this is the "Fill in the blanks" sheet that I use.

It may not work for everyone, but for those that want to get started, yet feel lost, I'd say it can't hurt.

I will follow this blank by posts containing filled in examples.

-Billy-


PITCH–SHORT–EPISODE-MOW-FEATURE-ANIMATED:
GENRE:
PAGES:
BUDGET:
LIST + or – BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS:
THE ONLY LOCATIONS YOU CAN USE ARE:

WHAT VERSES WHAT (IN 3 WORDS):
TELL STORY (IN ONE SENTENCE OR LESS):
TELL STORY PLUS A TWIST (WITH ONE COMMA OR LESS):
TITLE:
YOUR COMMERCIAL TAG IN ONE SENTENCE:

NAME A CHARACTER TOO BUSY TO KNOW YOUR STORY:
AGE:
BACKGROUND:
INTELLIGENCE LEVEL:
SOCIAL/TEAM/STORY POSITION:
APPEARANCE:
DEMEANOR:
NICKNAME:
EXAMPLE OF SPEECH:
THIS CHARACTER IS UP AGAINST:
DESCRIBE CHARACTER TO ACTORS IN ONE SENTENCE:


TALK YOURSELF THROUGH THE STORY IN TEXT: (1)
PREFACE:
PART 1:
COMPLICATE BY MAIN STORY:
PART 2:
COMPLICATE BY MAIN STORY:
PART 3:
COMPLICATE BY MAIN STORY:
PART 4:
COMPLICATE BY MAIN STORY:
RUIN EVERYTHING:
MAKE A PLAN:
THE CONFRONTATION:
THE BATTLE:
THE RESOLVE:
WHO IS THE MAIN CHARACTER NOW:


TALK YOURSELF THROUGH THE STORY IN TEXT: (2)
(ACT 1)
1.WHERE DOES THE STORY TAKE PLACE:
MEET:
2.THERE’S A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE:
MEET:
3.WHERE/WHO/HOW/ IS YOUR HERO?
MEET:
4.COMMIT THE HERO TO THE PROBLEM:
(ACT 2)
5.WHAT IS THE GOAL?
6.GO FOR IT:
7.REVERSAL (CHANGE THE GOAL):
(ACT 3)
8. GO FOR IT.
9.THE ENDING:

[billy]

WHAT VERSES WHAT (IN 3 WORDS):
Man vs. Man

TELL STORY (IN ONE SENTENCE OR LESS):
A female cop must stop a doctor of death.

TELL STORY PLUS A TWIST (WITH ONE COMMA OR LESS):
The explosive tale of a deranged gynecologist, a female cop and a wide spread reign of terror.

TITLE:
IU-DOA

YOUR COMMERCIAL TAG IN ONE SENTENCE: (OPTIONAL)
“The one you bang might be the bomb! – IU-DOA.”
In theaters everywhere Dec. 9th

FORMAT: PITCH–SHORT–EPISODE-MOW-FEATURE-ANIMATED
Short

GENRE:
Gore Thriller

PAGES:
10

BUDGET: Micro-Low-Medium-High
Low

LIST + or – BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS:
Special effects -
Few locations and speaking roles +

THE ONLY LOCATIONS YOU CAN USE ARE:(OPTIONAL)
Blank


A CHARACTER TOO BUSY IN LIFE TO KNOW YOUR STORY:
Detective Diana Browning

AGE:
36

INTELLIGENCE LEVEL:
Average to High

SOCIAL/TEAM/STORY POSITION:
Female protagonist Cop

APPEARANCE:
Dark hair, fit attractive smile, stunning green eyes. 5’6

DEMEANOR:
No non-sense all non-sense

NICKNAME:
None

EXAMPLE OF SPEECH:
“Jus’’cus I can’t finish my sandwich doesn’t mean I can’t break your F***ing nose with it Charlie!”

THIS CHARACTER IS UP AGAINST:
A killer– Her job– Being female- The world.

DESCRIBE CHARACTER IN ONE SENTENCE (OR LESS):
An attractive dark haired female cop with a hard edge.



TALK YOURSELF THROUGH THE STORY IN TEXT (1)

PREFACE: (OPTIONAL)
In an Eastside dance club (night)
A woman explodes.

PART 1:
In a Westside police station (day)
DIANA BROWNING, An attractive brunette cop types.
Her new Partner with a fat lip MAUREEN is on the phone.
MAUREEN-“I had it taken care of Tim!”, she hangs up.
Diana & Maureen get to know one another and discuss Ex’s.
Diana says nothing of the fat lip but notices it.

COMPLICATE BY MAIN STORY:
In Diana’s apartment (night.)
The PHONE RINGS.
Diana wakes, answers it and listens.
DIANA- “I’ll be right there.”

PART 2:
In the state medical examiner’s (night.)
Diana walks through the building.
PETE REMPELLER, a freaky coroner walks with her.
He always hits on her and even quickly asks her out.
They arrive at an examine room.
PETE-“It’s explosives, but.. I don’t know what is”
Diana lifts a sheet which covers a victim’s remains.

COMPLICATE BY MAIN STORY:
DIANA-“I know what it is.”
Pete tilts his head interested.
DIANA-“It’s my New Ex Partner Maureen!”
Darkened windows of an apartment building (night)
BED SPRINGS SQUEAK
HEAVY BREATHING
A BANG and flash beyond the drapes.

PART 3:
In the Police station (chief’s office) (day.)
THE CHIEF-“Your case is going to the feds Browning!”
DIANA-“But it was MY partner!”
CHIEF-“It’s my beat, my ulcer and my call!”
Diana takes out her service revolver.
The Chief eye’s go wide.
THE CHIEF-“I’m not saying don’t sniff around!”
She places the gun on his desk with her badge and waits.
CHIEF-“Okay 72 hours,but I want evidence this time!”


COMPLICATE BY MAIN STORY:
Outside of a Funeral home (day)
Diana meets Tim, Maureen’s Ex.
She asks with force why he gave Maureen a fat lip.
He admits it was an argument an abortion.
Now Diana has a clue.

PART 4:
Police station records dept. (day)
Diana sneaks through medical files at the station.
She see’s documentation Maureen had an abortion by Dr.X

COMPLICATE BY MAIN STORY:
She access a computer.
She finds out ALL the victims had the same Doctor!

RUIN EVERYTHING:
News of another victim.
The Chief sends it to the feds.
Diana is off the case.

MAKE A PLAN:
Diana calls Pete Rempeller.
DIANA-“So how would you like to get that date?”
Diana’s apartment day.
From the shower, Diana dresses quickly.
She takes a lock box from a shelf.
From it she removes her gun, she thinks a moment.
She puts the gun back.

THE CONFRONTATION:
In a doctors examination room. (day)
Diana sits on a table in only a gown.
Dr.X enters.
Diana asks questions.
He gets nervous.
She asks more questions almost accusing him.
He admits he did it.

THE BATTLE:
He snaps and pulls a scalpel out.
He says he intends to kill her now too.
DIANA-“I didn’t come alone.”
He laughs.
He throws open the door.
Pete Rempeller is there.
Pete jabs a syringe into Dr.X’s neck.
Everything goes black.


RESOLVE:
In an alley (night)
Dr.X wakes and struggles to his feet.
He’s dressed in a skirt and blouse.
He notices and rips the shirt open.
He’s been given breast implants!
He pulls up the skirt and looks down.
DR.X– “Nooooooooo!”
BANG
The back of the skirt explodes.
He falls to the ground dead.

Down the alley an unmarked police sedan starts.
Inside of it Diana is on a cell phone.
DIANA- “Listen Chief I’m glad you called,
tell the Fed guy’s I think it may be
triggered by cell phones somehow..
Well I know it’s not my case anymore
What? A serial rapist! I’ll be right there!”

WHO IS THE MAIN CHARACTER NOW:
Diana Browning is a female cop who lost a partner and a case, but saw that justice was served.

THE END

[billy]

TALK YOURSELF THROUGH THE STORY IN TEXT (2)

(ACT 1)
1.WHERE DOES THE STORY TAKE PLACE:
A nice neighborhood, mailman waves, dogs bark kids play.

MEET:
KATIE & TOMMY.
Katie is babysitting Tommy for the holiday weekend.
Tommy ISN’T a baby AND he lost his frog!
If Tommy is good they’ll go to the big parade.
In the distance a mountain.

2.THERE’S A PROBLEM SOMEWHERE:
On the Mountain.
A missile sits aimed at Katie & Tommy’s town below.

MEET:
A BIKER GANG – THE GANG’S 2ND IN COMMAND AND GOV. DAVIS.
2nd in command shows Davis the missile and smacks him.
The Gang laugh.
2nd says release their leader from prison or else.

3.WHERE/WHO/HOW/ IS YOUR HERO?
A mountain stream,water rushes, fish jump, birds sing.

MEET:
JACK GIBBONS
He fly fishes.
He attempts casts.
He hooks his hat.
He gets tangled.
He gets it right.
He catches one!
He slips
He falls in.
He loses the fish.
He loses the pole.
He loses the hat.
He is done fly fishing.
His cell phone rings.

4.COMMIT YOUR HERO TO THE PROBLEM:
Davis, still hostage to the gang sneaks a call.
DAVIS-Jack I’m in trouble, where are you?
Davis takes a look to see if he remains undetected.
JACK-Here relaxing by the stream waiting for YOU!
DAVIS-I’m about 3 miles UP stream ON the mountain.
JACK-You ARE in trouble, you can’t catch a fish there!
DAVIS-They have a missile aimed right my house!
Jack runs to his car.
JACK-How many are there?
CLICK

(ACT 2)
5.WHAT IS THE GOAL?
Save the Governor and the Town– Defeat the gang.

6. GO FOR IT:
Jack now in camo and pistol does warm up excersies.
He sets off jogging to save his friend The Gov.
Bikers from all over begin to arrive at the mountain.
Davis sits with a gun to his head on a phone.
DAVIS-Well it’s kind of urgent Gracie, FIND the judge.
Davis shrugs.
2nd hits him in the head with the phone.
2ND-He’s not free by sundown that missile flys!
Still running towards the mountain Jack calls Katie.
JACK– “Hello Katie this is uncle Jack, what you up to?”
KATIE–“I’m kind of busy trying to find Tommy’s d**n frog”
JACK-“Well, I need a favor, quietly evacuate the town.”
Katie turns and sees the door open, Tommy has run off.
Davis tries an escape, the gang shoot him in the leg.
Jack calls a War Chum, says bring people to the mountain.
Jack crosses the stream but is swept away in the rapids.
Katie can’t find Tommy outside.
Katie tells town gossip not to tell anyone to evacuate.
Katie see’s Tommy talking to men in a van with a frog.
The men are gang members, Katie and Tommy are kidnapped.
Davis speaks to a judge, the leader is set to be freed.
Jack climbs out of the stream, he sees dozens of bikes.
One is approaching from down the road, Jack hides.
A Prison– a judge walks with guards to unlock the leader.
On the mountain– the gang parties, other bikers arrive.
Jack is disguised as one of them.
Davis sits weak and bleeding from being shot.
A tarp now lays over the missile.
2ND in command is drunk, he announces a surprise.
Missile is uncovered, Katie and Tommy are chained to it
2ND IN COMMAND– “This town is gonna remember us!”
Davis tries to crawl to Katie and Tommy, he’s kicked.
Prison– A helicopter piloted by gang members arrives.

7. REVERSE (CHANGE THE GOAL):
Jack must diffuse the missile and save Katie and Tommy.

8. GO FOR IT.
Jack pushes a biker whose back is turned.
The biker thinks someone else pushed him.
A massive fight starts between the bikers.
Jack checks on Davis, he’s weak but still alive.
Suddenly the bikers see Jack is a fraud.
Before they can react there’s a GUNSHOT.
One of the bikes gas tanks explode.
The Old War Chum sits alone in a tree some distance away.
The Old War Chum has a bullhorn and a rifle.
OLD WAR CHUM– We got 36 men here and all a dead shot!
A biker moves towards his bike.
Another GUNSHOT and that bike explodes.
On the ground the 2nd in command yells out laughing:
2ND– The missile is on a timer, it can’t be stopped.
2Nd is about to throw the key that will unlock Katie & Tommy.
Jack dives on him they fight.
On the missile a timer counts down.
Sirens begin to approach as does a helicopter.

9.THE ENDING:
Jack gets the key, unlocks Tommy & Katie.
The town sits below.
The Timer keeps counting.
Jack struggles to push the missile away from the town.
The leader’s helicopter is seen.
The Timer.
Jack gives it a final push, it falls.
The Timer.
Jack dives for cover.
The missile takes off.
It hits the leaders helicopter.
The police and ambulance arrive to arrest and help.
TOMMY– Look!
His frog hops in the grass.


THE END


-Billy-