Looking for "Real Time" Films

[rayw]

Alternate ACT III:

Execution

ACT III

SECOND CONSTRAINT, Solution! The last terrorist standing departs the garage to deliver the bomb.
SECOND CHALLENGE - Dan's gotta get the bomb to the event (festival/parade/ball game/whatever)
Build to Outcome - Dan loads up mortally wounded Cole into the passenger's seat, departs
Build to Outcome - ???
Outcome Achieved! The bomb fails to detonate (Cole's fault), Dan's too injured to fix it, Dan and Cole agree to forgive each other, both die friends again.​

​

'Acceptable Alternative' ending.
They didn't get what they thought they wanted (the bomb detonating), but perhaps they got something else better (die as friends instead of enemies).


2012 04 02 07:40 UPDATE
I think after the rest of the terrorist crew and situation have been identified last member will be infiltrator BATF Ben in the house's bathroom desperately trying to get his microphone transmitter wire to work.
He's calling for the BATF team to come in, assault the compound immediately, his sabotage of the truck has been discovered, a fix is on the way, and the bomb will be delivered in less than two hours.

Later, his sabotage of the bomb is discovered and it's element removal, after a big argument vs. cancelling the event, is what leads to Al's death.
I'm considering introducing a little estrogen into the equation. While assisting Al in removing the element charge to the back yard she is also blown up.


2012 04 02 07:45 UPDATE
Ben's calling for the BATF team to come in, assault the compound immediately, his sabotage of the truck has been discovered, a fix is on the way, and the bomb will be delivered in less than two hours, target's unknown!


2012 04 02 10:45 UPDATE
I'm trying to think of roles Al, Ben, Cole, and Dan have within their organization.
Cole is the sort of strong arm organizational leader.
Dan the sympathetic technician with bomb making duties.
Al is the martyr without a clue with mechanic duties + original driver.
Ben... I'm having difficulty with. Maybe just muscle, but that seems rather flaccid. I'd prefer a more critical role.
Fia/Fi will be the team's spiritual source, a guy's girl, everyone's and no one's. Her loss from the explosion is... less pragmatic than Al's loss.

Without a driver Ben volunteers, but Cole chooses Dan.

ACT I, Here's the Situation
- Al and Ben return to the house where Cole, Dan, and Fi announce that due to changes in circumstances plans have been changed, the target will be changed (the three are still debating the new one) and the time frame has been moved up to today; in less than two hours, actually.
- Ben realizes both all the scope out work his BATF partners have been engaged in are now wasted, he has no idea of what the new target is, and that his transmitter may not be working because all of this wasn't supposed to happen today and no one is ready or in place - the mic is just supposed to be recording today! But maybe someone is listening.
ACT I, It Just Got Worse
- Ben breaks off the battery lead to the minivan's battery terminal while Al was checking under the hood and others moving bomb parts into the minivan; this is his first sabotage.
ACT II, First Lesson
- Cole gives Al a hard time about not being thorough mechanically inspecting the van, there's no room for this kind of error.
- Al can't explain how he missed it, figures Dan's bomb rigging skills broke it off. This will be a blue collar vs. white collar argument. Fi mediates.
ACT II, Second Lesson
- A) While hauling the removed component out back Al tells Fi that he suspects someone in the group...
- Ben excuses himself to the bathroom, again.
- B) While rewiring the bomb Dan suspects someone is tampering with the van and bomb, he get's Cole's attention...
- Ben's desperately trying to get the microphone transmitter to work.
- A) ... is deliberately tampering with the van and bomb.
- B) ... but before Dan can express his concern with Cole...
- A) ... the component detonates.
ACT II, Third Lesson
- While finishing up the bomb and rechecking everything Cole asks what was it Dan was about to say before the explosion?
- I don't know if Ben getting severely injured should be a pure accident or deliberate because Cole and Dan figured out it was Cole sabotaging the van and bomb. I really want them to accidentally discover that Ben's a spy/mole for the government while assisting him with his severe injuries. The irony being that while trying to help the guy that's trying to get them caught they find a reason to kill him. Hmm...


2012 04 02 10:53 UPDATE
I'm thinking I want it to be Cole that accidentally injures Ben. The irony being that minutes earlier Cole was berating Al about being careful and now he's just accidentally done something bad himself.
Ha-ha-ha. Shut up, mutherf#cker! Cast the first stone and all.

ACT II, Third Lesson
- Cole and Dan come to the conclusion that it was Al who was messing things up. The irony being despite all the evidence pointing in one direction the truth is sometimes in another.


2012 04 02 10:56 UPDATE
And I'm going to change the replacement driver for Al from Dan back to Ben. THEN Ben gets injured, then dead. Back to you, Dan! Ha!


2012 04 02 14:14 UPDATE
LOL! Watching 'Mirror, Mirror' with my daughter home from school with illness, and I can't help but to rethink this horrible tale in much the same way as Tarsem Singh has: A dramedy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_Mirror_(film)
The obvious route to go with this would be the cliché working poor environment, but what if it went the opposite direction?
A very nice estate home, charming dialog, and fabulous wardrobe!
PG13?
Could this be a PG film?


2012 04 02 15:33 UPDATE
Title it 'Terror! Terror!'


2012 04 02 17:33 UPDATE
I'm also strongly considering do-si-do-ing Fi and Cole's roles.
It'll keep the male/female thing running longer, however it's very difficult to maintain a non-sexual male/female relationship.
Sometimes the audience gets p!ssed that they DON'T become a couple.
Sometimes the audience just wants a good male/male buddy movie.
A male/female buddy movie is about impossible to pull off.

I might have to rotate the Al+Fi explosion to the 'Oh, No!' spot, but that creates a ton of other structural flow problems just to keep the female aspect running longer.
Much easier to rotate roles than story points.

 

[rayw]

I HATE getting all snuggy in bed, fix the pillow just the right way, brain starts going a million miles an hour, THEN think of something worth getting back outta bed for!


Definitely swapping Fi for Cole.
Haven't figured out all the particulars just yet, but... done deal.
Dan and Fi are going to be in that minivan at the end.

Trick is to not make it a sappy ending. Just... something cool. Adult cool. Not kid cool. Kids are effing idiots. Adult cool.
Somehow the audience has find some sliver of any redeeming quality in these two freak-cakes.

Anywho... that's ACT III to fry later.
Getting there is the tough part.

Meanwhile, back to ACT II, Part II, 'Total Loss! Story's Done'...


Fi and Dan have gotta be mortally wounded before getting into the minivan at ACT III.
If they're fighting and shooting each other that very well won't be too conducive towards any sensible come-to-Jesus moment between them in a short time span of about twenty minutes when the story's about wrapped with a bow.

Fighting and arguing between two people is one thing.
Shooting each other is another.

SO... !


I've also gotta dosado the Police Officer Pam with the Ben injury.
Police Officer Pam becomes the 'Oh, No!', not only does that make for a great tension scene between Ben/Pam hope issue disaster, but she still gets tossed into the minivan near dead.
Blah, blah, blah, 'It's All Okay, Now.'
Ben gets injured, then his microphone/transmitter are discovered, then he's tortured to find out how much he's disclosed to the authorities.
The screaming and yelling between Dan, Fi, and Ben arouses the near comatose Police Officer Pam to pull her pistol and shoot both Dan and Fi, a la 'Reservoir Dogs'.
Perhaps it's her action that results in Ben's actual death. Hmm... I like it!
Wahlah! 'Total Loss. Story's Done!'

1. Al the driver is dead.
2. Cole is dead.
3. Ben the new driver is dead. (Cop's fault!)
4. Cop's dead.
5. Dan & Fi are shot to sh!t.
6. Dan's back to driving the van.

Of course, Dan was being the hero and took one for Fi, not that it matters, she's still toast - but that action sets up a conversational opportunity near the conclusion of ACT III to attain the 'Acceptable Alternative' ending: Dan and Fi die friends not enemies.

 

[rayw]

Apparently this small domestic terrorist group is part of a much larger organization.
In ACT I bomb technician Dan gets word from leader Fi that after this rigging assignment his next deployment will be in another state for a premium showcase target and an opportunity to work with some of the best equipment in the biz. Cheers all around!
Basically a bomb maker's dream.
Assuming this one assignment goes well, which of course, it will. Right?

He's almost out of this small potatoes biz.
All he has to do is get this big pig out the door and he's off to his dream job.

Also, in ACT II, Part I when Al and Cole remove and accidentally detonate the component I'm going to have Al not die immediately.
Fi and Dan will rescue their mutilated driver from the blast site, drag him into the garage, they'll put in a heroic effort to save him, but to no avail.

And I'll have Cole put in a heroic dive to save Al from the blast, too.

Again, I really want this to be a f#cked up story of a bunch of really nice people working very hard towards achieving a f#cked up goal.
I want the audience to really not know how to feel about these people.

I'm debating on if I want to complicate the story/budget with a pair of door to door evangelists.
The need to answer the door and argue with these people overrides the better sense to just STFU and not even answer the door.
Ben is commanded to answer the door by Fi while she points a pistol at them through the door or adjacent window curtain.
It's a sort of time filler scene likely to end up on the cutting room floor, being cut primarily for final running time and pacing.

ACT III I'm kind of drawing a big compelling blank on.
I want it to be more than Dan and Fi drag themselves into the minivan, drive down the road bleeding and groaning, arrive at the soft target site, bomb fails, they kiss and make up.
Nope.
It needs more than that.
I just don't know what, yet.

 

[rayw]

Current state of development.

FIRST CONSTRAINT - Get the disabled minivan to become operational.
SECOND CONSTRAINT - Deliver the bomb to the new soft target.

Planning

ACT I

Here's the Situation - Terrorists Al (mechanic & driver), Ben (muscle/BATF informant), Cole (house host & back up driver), Dan (bomb technician), and Fi (leader) are going to deliver a ANFO bomb in a stolen minivan to a hard target.
- Good news: Fi informs Dan after this rigging assignment his next deployment will be in another state for a premium showcase target and an opportunity to work with some of the best equipment in the biz.
- Cheers all around! Basically a bomb maker's dream. Assuming this one assignment goes well, which of course it will. Right?

It Just Got Worse - Bad news: Hard target is compromised, (building closed down for asbestos removal?)
- An unknown new target being chosen by higher organizational leadership week ahead of schedule, today, in <2hrs.
- Ben (BATF infiltrator) is pretty sure no one at BATF command is actively listening on his hidden microphone transmitter (wire).
- Ben improvises a delay, disables the van by breaking off a battery cable clamp.
- Fi gives Al a hard time about not thoroughly inspecting the van mechanically, there's no room for this kind of error, re the battery cable.
- Al can't explain how he missed it, figures Dan's bomb rigging skills broke it off.
- Al and Dan get into a blue collar vs. white collar argument while Fi mediates to an impasse.

FIRST CHALLENGE - Acquire a replacement battery cable.

Hope - Fi and Cole distract the neighbor while Al and Ben (of the group members, Ben has taken a real liking to Al, even though he's going to put him away) steal a battery lead from their vehicle.

Might Lose It... - Wrong lead/cable type.
- Fi and Cole running out of things to distract with.
- Homeowner getting suspicious/antsy.

FIRST CONSTRAINT, Got it! - Get battery cable off the boat engine.​

ACT II, Part I

First Lesson - While Al replaces the battery cable Dan discovers a bomb part is missing/damaged.
- Running out of time to fix it Dan makes the decision to remove the affected component.
- Now Fi starts giving Dan a hard time about not being thorough inspecting his bomb, there's no room for this kind of error, if this bomb doesn't work he won't get that next assignment.
- Dan makes the "fail-safe argument" that if he catches the problem then there is no problem.
- Fi responds that you sure weren't defending Al with that same point!
- Dan "So, you're acknowledging that I'm right, right?!" Sh!t, they're mad.

Second Lesson - Dan and Al (still pissed as h3ll at each other) (silently) remove the component from minivan, then Al and Cole move it to back yard.
- A) While they haul the removed component out back Al tells Cole that he suspects someone in the group...
- B) Ben excuses himself to the bathroom, again.
- C) While he rewires the bomb Dan suspects someone has tampered with the van and bomb, he get's Fi's attention...
- A) ... has tampered with both the van and bomb.
- B) Ben tries to get the microphone transmitter to work.
- C) ... but before Dan can express his concern with Fi...
- A) ... the component sparks and fizzles, Al drops his end, Cole makes a heroic leap to protect Al from the detonation.

Third Lesson - Cole's fatal heroism = Al suffers mortal injury and doesn't die immediately.
- Fi and Dan rescue their mutilated driver from the blast site, drag him into the garage, put in a heroic effort to save him, but to no avail.
- Ben feels terrible he got Al and Cole both killed.
- Without a driver and Cole dead, with reluctance, Fi appoints Ben (the BATF infiltrator) to be the new driver. Ben's relieved because he can now just drive the bomb van somewhere safe.​

ACT II, Part II

Last Lesson Leads to... - Fi and Ben carry Al's body inside the house to lay him in the bed.
- Fi says a brief & sincere prayer for him and Cole. Amen. A genuine pain of loss for Fi and Ben both.
- While finishing up the bomb and rechecking everything Fi asks what was it Dan was about to say before the explosion?
- Fi and Dan come to the conclusion that it was Cole who was messing things up. The irony being despite all the evidence pointing in one direction the truth is sometimes in another.

Oh, No! - Police officer Pam comes to nose about the property due to explosion report by neighbors
- Ben's distraught because her presence complicates a plan that a moment ago was very simple: Just drive away with the bomb.
- Fi directs Ben to meet the officer at the door where Fi points a pistol at the officer from a hidden POV.
- Ben's trying to get the officer to leave but citing probable cause due to the smoke + the report she insists on an inspection of the back yard

It's All Okay, Now - Fi shoots Pam, Ben feels yet another personal responsibilty for loss of life, and a fellow officer of the law.
- Pam's discovered to be almost dead
- Fi directs Ben to shoot her if he wants to, they've got a deadline in minutes and they're all out of here in a few minutes anyway
- Ben says he doesn't want to kill her, she's going to die anyway, just throw her in the minivan, she can die in the bomb blast.
- Fi and Ben put her in the back of the minivan.
- Ben whispers to Pam to hang in there, he's with the BATF, he's going to drive her to a hospital in just a few minutes.

Total Loss. Story's Done, Unless.. - Fi accidentally gets Ben critically injured, (cuts his fingers off?).
- While helping Ben, Fi and Dan discover his microphone/transmitter wire.
- Fi and Dan torture Ben to find out how much he's disclosed to the authorities.
- The screaming and yelling between Dan, Fi, and Ben arouses the near comatose Police Officer Pam to pull her pistol and shoot both Dan and Fi, a la 'Reservoir Dogs'.
- Dan blocks a second kill shot for Fi, saving her, but mortally wounding him as well.
- Pam's action results in Ben's actual death.
→ Al the original driver is dead.
→ Cole the back up driver is dead.
→ Ben the new driver is dead. (Cop's fault!)
→ Cop's dead.
→ Dan & Fi are shot to sh!t, especially Fi (eyes injured?).
→ Dan's now driving the van.​

Execution

ACT III

SECOND CONSTRAINT, Solution! The last terrorist standing departs the garage to deliver the bomb.

SECOND CHALLENGE - Dan's gotta get the bomb to the event (festival/parade/ball game/whatever)

Build to Outcome - Mortally wounded Dan helps the mortally wounded and blind Fi into the minivan
- And off they go to their new target, a festival/parade/populous sporting event/whatever.

Build to Outcome -

Outcome Achieved! - Dan and Fi get to their destination

- The bomb fails to detonate.
- Dan's too injured to fix it.
- Dan and Fi converse while they bleed to death about why Dan saved Fi from that second kill shot.
- Acceptable Alternative They didn't get what they thought they wanted (the bomb detonating), but perhaps they got something else better (die as friends instead of enemies).​

​

Note: No door-to-door evangelists or LDSs will be harmed in this story. Unless I need to fill in some time.


2012 04 05 10:20 UPDATE
With simple name and genré changes a dramatic thriller becomes a romantic comedy: 'Terry & Teri: An Explosive Love Story'


2012 04 05 15:42 UPDATE
Now I gotta cross reference Pixar's 22 rules to add that extra layer of debauchery to this li'l project!
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=46988

PIXAR's 22 rules of storytelling

1. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
2. You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.
3. Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about til you're at the end of it. Now rewrite.
4. Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
5. Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
6. What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
7. Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
8. Finish your story, let go even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
9. When you're stuck, make a list of what WOULDN'T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
10. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you've got to recognize it before you can use it.
11. Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.
12. Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
13. Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it's poison to the audience.
14. Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it.
15. If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
16. What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don't succeed? Stack the odds against.
17. No work is ever wasted. If it's not working, let go and move on - it'll come back around to be useful later.
18. You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
19. Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
20. Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d'you rearrange them into what you DO like?
21. You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can't just write ‘cool'. What would make YOU act that way?
22. What's the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

 

[rayw]

(somewhat) Interesting article about the complimentary film genré: The Single/One Location Film
http://microbudgetfeatures.com/a-look-at-one-location-films/

("Yes", I'm working up a list and analysis of those, too! Shocker, eh?!)

(Goodness! The list is longer than I thought it'd be, allowing for a few introductory/closing scene cheats.)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsBznn8D13zOdFBOY2Q3RGlva0pDMWJ0anhKa214VGc#gid=2

620​

The author's takeaways from a micro-budget perspective are also worthy a once over.
http://microbudgetfeatures.com/reflections-on-micro-budget-features/

Although very rarely do micro-budget films have an allotted budget for marketing, none of these films would have tipped the radar if they did not have some sort of plan for the after life of their production. By understanding the film from the beginning and all its possible outlets a producer can make a valiant attempt to get their film seen by as many viewers as possible.

• Understand your target audience
• Use the internet wisely and accurately
• Get into as many festivals as possible and push for the audience award
• The festivals is where you find distributors for independent films
• Accept the micro-budget status of the film and run with it, people love the underdog
• Create a product that is fresh, and understand all promotional elements of the film
• Attach solid independent musicians to the film that will help with promotion
• Create a tour for your crew to promote the film
• The more people that see your film the better because word of mouth is the ultimate driving force.

​

Blast from the past!: http://www.indietalk.com/archive/index.php/t-4570.html