Concept 87 and 88 Brainstormers

Concept 87
#3:
I would love to be an explorer.  My quest would be along the lines of Indiana Jones-type adventure.  Begin a journey to find a random ancient relic or heirloom that would make me either great/wealthy.  Fight global terrorist organizations and be enlisted by powerful governments to help find these legendary treasures.

Concept 88
#1:
The most controversial subject at our school is drug use.  My documentary would be with repeated offenders, school advisors/staff, and how normal kids feel about drug use at our school.

Concept 85 and 86 Brainstormers

#2:
I think it is much better to have loved and lost than to have loved at all.  Being able to experience loving or to be loved is such a moving and influential event in your life.  To never have loved at all is a shame, but not everyone has an opportunity to make it happen.

#3:
If I were Bourne, I would try every outlet possible to figure out who I am.  But since I am on a 24-hour time limit, there is no chance to attempt to find out personally which ones are closest.  I would begin to track the closest source and go from there.

Concepts 83/84 Brainstormers

#2:
I think it would be harder to sustain a magical person within a world of normal humans.  With a mortal living in an enchanted realm, the mortal would be able to experience new things often enough for the script to feel refreshing and not stale.  With a supernatural person, there is only so much you can do with a normal world.

#3:
When I was much younger, "It" was a very scary movie for me.  The elements that terrified me was when the clown would come out of unthinkable places, such as the shower scene where he came out of the shower drain.  These fears had no relationship to experiences I had beforehand.

Italian Neorealism and Independent Cinema

Brick's Elements:
Brick's characters are more complex, mainly the antagonists.  The main character has some unknown motives.  Brick also relied a lot on the dialogue to get the story moving forward.  Even during any action or tense sequences, there was a good amount of dialogue put in.  It also uses multi-strand narratives.  The whole of the movie was about visions of underground society and what happens in the background.

Do the Right Thing's Elements:
DRT has an ambiguous ending.  The characters are stereotypical and straightforward for the most part.  It is usually in favor of narrative drama.  DRT has an even balance of dialogue and tense action.  It makes it aware that the audience is watching a film by all the unorthodox camera angles.

Italian Neorealism:
1. Political involvement
2. Not always a happy ending
3. Emphasis on realism and factual events

I think that Italian Neorealism has had a great influence on American Independent films, since Italian Neorealism is mostly known for its ambiguous and sad endings, much like indie films.

Concept 80 Brainstormer

#2:
The most upsetting experience I have gone through in recent years (about 4-5) was my grandfather passing away.  He was diagnosed with lung cancer after several decades of smoking cigarettes.  This changed my outlook on smokers that are even "casual smokers", if that is a thing.  I think it may have biased my perspective on people I did not know, but it has been more of a help than hurt so far.

Concept 79 Brainstormer

#3:
I think Hollywood loves comedies that have happy endings or end with a last laugh.  There were 5 films I named or know of that were on the list.

Concept 78 Brainstormer

#3:

In my script, I would not take long for the audience to start to catch on.  From the very beginning, the story slowly exposes who the characters are in the story and then moves on.  The setting itself can tell a lot about what will happen.  From there, the Western aspect of the story would be shown immediately but the suspense would not be there until the first encounter with the bandits/natives.

Concept 77 Brainstormer

#2:
In my Western-Suspense script, I would keep the dialogue true to the time period while being short and concise.  The settings would not have to be far and wide, I would easily be able to find suitable areas and locations for filming somewhere in the Midwest of the United States.  The characters would be non-professional to keep the costs much lower than hiring some big-name celebrity.  All of these combined would be a cheap project that could reap the rewards of a small budget.

The Princess Bride Genres

Adventure - A hero and his journey, a damsel in distress, big evil do-ers.

Comedy - Laughs, funny dialogue, unique and wacky characters.

Family - Underlying messages that promote happiness, love and other traits attributed to family lifestyle.

Concept 75 Brainstormer

#3:
My favorite teen-oriented weekly program is Freaks and Geeks.  It shows the typical stereotypes and cliques teens hang out in in school.  The underlying message is that there are so many tempting things in high school, but some can make it out from the pressure.

Do the Right Thing Reflection

The movie was very eye-opening to the racial violence and problems that still plague America to this day.  This was a good representation of a certain type of scenario (Italians vs. Blacks).  I wish this did not happen, but people can never get along.

Concept 69, 70, 71, 72, 73 Brainstormers

69 #1:
The Australian would compare him to an ankle biter (a small or young child) that does no work and lays about, gee-whiz (unbelievable) that they do not do any serious work.  An American will call him lazy, a bum, and useless.

70 #1:
Red Riding Hood: Her feelings and emotions, how she felt confronting the wolf and contemplating what happened to the grandmother.
Wolf: His attacks.
Grandmother: She would talk about how the wolf came into the house and her final moments.
Woodsman: He would technically be a third-person perspective.

71 #1:
My favorite historical figure is Albert Einstein.  The most significant thing about his life is all his discoveries about physics and mathematics.  I would start with how he began his life-long works.

72 #:
The most recent I have watched is Seinfeld. Jerry's car is stolen and everybody tries to get it back.

73 #:
My favorite film hero is Luke Skywalker.  My favorite villain is Voldemort.  The plot would be a mash-up of both the Star Wars universe and Harry Potter's.  Luke would emerge the victor, as having the villain win is not as fun.

74 #:
I like films that give a sense of epic proportions, laugh and have a heart-warming feeling.  I like these feelings the most because they are related to the type of genres I like.

74 #:

Character Concept Summary

#16: Relatable characters give a story to audience
Empathy/Sympathy
Common traits with the audience between characters

#17: Relatable characters come from everywhere
Use people you have met
Not imaginary, characters from experience
Combine personalities/aspects together

#35: When Losing Isn't An Option
Villains start with advantage
Heroes have more to lose than villains
Villains usually lose due to their greediness
Characters MUST achieve their goal, consequences of losing it are too high
Heroes engage in high risks in order to win
Villains only have to maintain their internal status quo
Heroes are not usually aggressors or have the power base to launch an offensive.

#38: Characters Enhance Conflict
Conflict fueled by traits
Foil characters, ones who make conflict

#39
Characters change minds/decisions
Characters change because of conflict

#40
Way a character surpasses a challenge is more interesting than the challenge itself (HERO'S JOURNEY)

Concept 68 Brainstormer

#1:
1. I dont' have the money. - A man is being extorted to pay for protection.
2. This is bad. - There is water seeping into the hull of the ship and the men down there notice it.
3. We have to do something. - Someone got shot, and bystanders are watching the action unfold.
4. It can't be true. - A woman is discovering that she is pregnant.
5. That train has left the station. - A tourist just missed his station and is now stuck in the middle of a foreign country.
6. What can I do for you? - A barkeeper is wiping down his counter in his empty bar while a person walks in.
7. I don't want this. - A mafia stand-off and one of the gangs throws down a briefcase, the rival refuses.
8. Is this what I think it is? - Two guys are looking into the back of the trunk, and one of them has just escaped from prison.
9. Do you mind? - In the movie theater there is a loud couple and someone in the front turns around and asks them politely to be quiet.
10. Can I trust you? - An agent is giving an important package to a "random" person.

African-American Representation

African-Americans represented in movies and television today fill more and more roles of being successful businessmen or leading figures in law enforcement.  They also are put into more educated roles, such as doctors in House M.D.  African-Americans are still discriminated against to refer back to the roots of their culture and how it affects the people around them.  The representation of African-Americans has improved over time as the genres began to change themselves.  The movies and shows I have seen depicted most African-Americans as being dumb, meat-headed or living in the ghettos and being gangsters.

Suspense Techniques

Dialogue Means Nothing:
Use facial expressions, have on character not listening to another, dialogue can be a lie.

Keep the Story Simple:
Linear and streamlined, repeated plots in dialogue, single or few settings, story simple - character complex

Characters Must Break Cliché:
Unpredictable characters, realistic characters, ironies in characteristics

Use Humor to Add Tension:
Characters in ironic situations, dialogue that serves two purposes

Two Things Happening at Once:
Distract audience, fit more into screen-time,

Suspense is Information:
Constant reminder of danger, music, focus on antagonist's actions,

Surprise and Twist:
Expected outcome surprises  audience with twist,

Warning May Cause MacGuffin:
Something that is unknown but wanted by many of the characters, drives the story, may be something little or mind-blowing,

Part II: Confrontation Scene in Rear Window
Characters Must Break Cliché: Thorwald is crazed and mad but was previously seen as level-headed and cool under pressure.

Use Humor to Add Tension: Stella speaks in her last line a double-standard and realizes what she says after the fact.  Detectives suggest taking a boat down the river and touring it for the body parts.

Two Things Happening at Once: The battle between Jeff and Thorwald while in the background Lisa, Stella, Coyne, and detectives search Thorwald's apartment.  Jeff is pushed out onto the ledge and the fight between them still happens as his rescuers attempt to stop Thorwald and save Jeff from falling.

Surprise and Twist:  Thorwald attempts to throw Jeff out the window.  The head was in the flower bed all along until Thorwald murdered the dog and dug it out of the ground.

Hitchcock's Techniques for Suspense

Technique #1:
Dialogue Means Nothing - This means that the dialogue scenes are not plainly just talking, the characters are interacting with each other or are distracted by something else.  This is evident in the various scenes where the main character is using the camera while talking to his associates.

Technique #2:
Characters Must Break Cliché - Stereotypical characters are given new characteristics and break the cliché that they are usually accompanied with.  This happens when Lisa becomes more and more involved in the crime and brings in information that helps solving the case.

Technique #3:
Surprise And Twist - Keep the audience thinking one way, then pull the rug from underneath them.  This technique is shown more towards the middle and the characters are beginning to question if it was really a murder or the sickly wife is just on a vacation.

Concept 67 Brainstormer

#1:

Sitcoms perpetuate stereotypes more than T.V. dramas.

1. Freaks and Geeks
2. The Office
3. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide

Concept 66 Brainstormer

#2:

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Shooter

The main characters lived in the forest, away from civilization and urban growth.

Concept 63 and 64 Brainstormers

63)
1.
Suburban community.  I would use easy listening to convey the feeling of easy life and a quiet neighborhood, nothing too loud.  The scenes would consist of overhead shots of the neighborhood to show the size of the community itself and what kind of population inhabits it.

64)
3.
Having a Big Speech would depend on who the person was and the setting the story takes place in.  If it was in some kind of prison breakout scene or a battlefield scene it would be appropriate, but really small places with barely anyone to listen to the speech would feel drawn out and unnecessary.

Twilight Zone Reflection

The writers created suspense by having the main character's face never being shown.  The lighting also plays a huge part in the suspense because we never see anyone else's faces.  The characters also talk about her predicament and how sad a case it is, and how the patient is so distressed over her dilemma.

Concept 62 Brainstormer

#2:

I have dreams where it seems like it's a normal day and actually go to sleep in the dream.  I then wake up and see the date is the exact same but then the day plays out exactly like it did in my dream.  My script would have multiple scenarios of these days.

Concept 61 Brainstormer

#1:
3 Voice over movies:
1. Memento
2. Bladerunner (The Original)
3. A Christmas Story

Concept 55 Brainstormer

#1:

I strongly believe that there are people in this world who do things for the good of the people, not just for self gain.  This belief has been around since I was little and I got this belief by the kinds of things I was taught by my elders.  This was challenged by one of my uncles who I don't really talk to anymore.  He thinks that everyone is out for themselves, but there are those who do things for the sole purpose of being friendly and giving.

Concept 54 Brainstormer

#1:
Harry Potter
Cowboys and Aliens
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

They would have shots of characters staring off into the distance with a quizzical look on their faces.  They would slowly reveal things bit by bit that we could piece together but the characters already know exactly what it is.

Concept 53 Brainstormers

#1:
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

They would cut between scenes to show where one event is happening while the main characters have no idea as to what is in progress.

#2:
Secret - A girl has a crush on him.
Hints - Ask him if he knows the girl, if he likes her at all, what he would did if he found out that she has a crush on him, etc.

#3:
(1) Usually in horror movies, they will have the main characters oblivious to what is about to happen to them.  I would do that in different genres.

Concept 51 Brainstormer

#2:

My superhero name would be Crystal Scar.  I would have a scar from some kind of crystalline extraterrestrial monster that would imbue power into my blood stream that would allow me to turn parts of my body into crystals that are as hard as diamonds (maybe even harder since it's alien).  It would tell the world my basis of power and the way I would have gotten it.

Concept 49 + 50 Brainstormers

#3:
Jay - 23-years old, born in Arizona, very athletic and works as a sports trainer.
Yoo - 22-years old, born in southern California, likes to eat pizza and seafood, college student.  
Tee - 23-years old, born in a small town on the border of Arizona and New Mexico, employed at his father's workshop.
Kei - 24-years old, born in Idaho, Asian, likes sushi and other asian things, works at a sushi restaurant
Gi - 22-years old, born in Utah, Mormon, does not like spiders, employed at family business.
Cea - 21-years old, born in Oregon, not really known other than he hates heights.

#3:
Where I Live: A good sized house with multiple bedrooms, on Luneta Drive, near Carson Elementary School, very nice neighborhood, across from Lucky's.

Bedroom: Very cozy, medium sized and the main colors are green and beige, huge comfy bed.

Self-Description: Asian, amazing hair, above lean weight, pretty tall and smart.

Concept 48 Brainstormer

#2:

Eddie and Tracie are being set up a on blind date by a mutual classmate, Dennis, that believes that they would be a perfect match for each other.  Dennis would think that their personalities mesh nicely, but when Eddie and Tracie meet that's not entirely the case.  Eddie and Tracie have conflicting ethical and political views and the normal chit-chat on blind dates turn into debates and arguments.

Concept 47 Brainstormer

#3:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Captain Barbossa returns from the dead to help save Captain Jack Sparrow in the next film

2. War Horse - A grandfather comes and buys the horse with more money than anyone else

3. Forrest Gump - I didn't expect Jenny to have a child.

Concept 46 Brainstormer

#1:

1. The Pacifier
2. The Bourne Identity
3. Superman Returns

Rio Bravo Reflection

1. Yes, there was a sheriff, a temptress, a shanty town and the stand-off.

2. When Burdette comes and wants his brother Joe from the jail.  There is no refusal and John, Dude, Stumpy, and Colorado have to defend against the onslaught of mercenaries Burdette sends at them.

3. John T. Chance - Tough sheriff, doesn't back down and has wise remarks
Dude  - The local drunk who ends up sober, first deputy
Stumpy -  The cripple who stays in the jail but ends up going outside, second deputy
Colorado - The new guy who is young and was part of Wheeler's crew, third deputy
Feathers - Temptress to John
Carlos - Owner of the local hotel and John's close friend.
Joe - The person in jail whose imprisonment means trouble for the whole town.
Burdette - Joe's brother who has a lot of money

4. The beginning might have felt slow for some people, but I thought it was a good exposition of the characters and the second half was fast-paced and full of action.

5. The action sequences were furious and fast.  They usually ended quickly except for the stand-off at the end.  A lot of tension before and during the shootouts.

Concept 45 Brainstormer

#1:

Eragon, The Green Mask, Monsters Inc.

Concept 44 Brainstormer

#2:

In the Green Hornet, the Green Hornet's sidekick is Kato.  Kato serves as a back-up and conscience to the Green Hornet.  When they are not their crime-fighting forms, Green Hornet is a wealthy businessman and Kato is his butler.

Concept 43 Brainstormer

#2:

I very much dislike how my mother likes to beat around the bush when she wants to say something or ask a question.  This trait evolved primarily because of my brother, my dad and I when we speak to her.  We usually ask a lot of questions or get things done incorrectly.

Concept 42 Brainstormer

#1:

Thor

Thor changes his beliefs and ways of life from Valhalla after being sent to Earth without any powers or his hammer.  He must learn to adapt to normal life and falls in love with an Earth girl.  She is able to change Thor into a semi-normal person over time.

Concept 41 Brainstormer

#3:

My protagonist's point of no return would be the first destination he/she would travel to.  Be it a far away land or just a few miles away, it would be similar to moving to a different dimension.  If he/she does not commit, there would be almost no consequences except for the emotions and thoughts of the protagonist and their decisions.  If he/she is traveling in a group, it may affect the other members because they know that the protagonist does not want to be there or is afraid of the outcome.