Screenwriting

I'm taking a class on Tuesday nights at the Benton Center in Corvallis on screenwriting. The instructors are Linda and Gary Hamner. This is part of the Linn-Benton Community College. The assignment last Tuesday was to bring a 5 minute scene in an elevator. Here's part of mine entitled FACE YOUR NEMESIS. The man in the scene is a composite of about five people. I'm changing the formatting due to the limitations of this blog.

A middle-aged man and woman in their late 50's walk into an elevator in a large building and the door shuts. Immediately the elevator halts and the door jams.

GREAT ARBITRATOR (booming, echoing, haunting voice over loudspeaker)
You are on the new reality FOX show FACE YOUR NEMESIS from the producers of Survivor.
(audience CLAPS)

GILT E. MANN
What's going on? I didn't sign up for this?

GREAT ARBITRATOR
Oh, yes, GILT E. MANN....You were both selected by the producers to be on the show.

GILT E. MANN
We'll see about this. I'll call my attorney. I was expecting to meet a client.

GREAT ARBITRATOR
Your attorney and wife have already agreed on paper to this alternative, in lieu of costly court litigation and a possible jail sentence.

GILT E. MANN
How dare you! Let me out of here! I didn't do anything!

GILT E. MANN leans over to grab CELESTE L. REIN around the neck and a plexiglass breathable shield covers CELESTE as a protective barrier from harm.

CELESTE L. REIN
You're going to listen to me.

GREAT ARBITRATOR
You're not going anywhere GILT E. MANN. You are here until the door opens.

GILT E. MANN
Outrageous! I've never heard of such a thing.

GREAT ARBITRATOR
At the end of two hours or however long this takes, you both have the choice of a spa vacation at a premier resort at a Caribbean location, a seven-day cruise on Cosmos Cruise Lines, a new wardrobe or room make-over, $50,000 cash, or a brand new Mustang convertible.

GILT E. MANN
This is a horror show!

GREAT ARBITRATOR
You are both on camera with microphones. (audience CLAPS) CELESTE L. REIN has at her disposal the buttons of torment, the Guilt-O-Meter, and a full range of sound, smell with visual and motion effects to alter your reality.

The elevator shakes, vibrates, and starts to drop. The lights go out and lights flash as if there is no ceiling and lightening could almost touch both participants. One side of the elevator becomes a video screen. Both back away to the other side of the elevator. The side of the building seems to disappear with no railing for safety giving the illusion that they could both fall hundreds of feet. CELESTE pushes buttons at random bringing rain, heat, and wind in rapid succession.

CELESTE L. REIN
I think I'm going to like this.

CELESTE L. REIN presses more buttons that change the video screen giving the illusion that an airplane is going to crash into the elevator within seconds, then switching to under water with great white sharks swarming. Next the illusion of snakes coming out from every corner of the elevator quickly changed to STENCH from garbage and rats appearing on the floor.

GREAT ARBITRATOR
There are a few rules. CELESTE L. REIN has the choice to select buttons of torment for effect that bring no harm for the purpose of soliciting a public apology, retribution, and commitment for change leading to a signed contract for a settlement. Guilt has already been determined by our army of criminal attorneys and a federal judge on the basis of written documents and undercover investigation.

GILT E. MANN
You can't get away with this! I didn't do anything wrong.

CELESTE L. REIN
Yeah! Saint on Sunday. Criminal and thief during the week.

GILT E. MANN
This is baseless slander.

GREAT ARBITRATOR
The time has come for you, CELESTE L. REIN, to FACE YOUR NEMESIS. Confront GILT E. MANN who has been predetermined to have hurt you most in the world so you can heal, rediscover yourself, and move forward with your life. A documentary will display on the EVIDENCE WALL. Relax, lean against the back of the wall and view your lives in conflict.

A documentary on the EVIDENCE WALL showed signed documents of illegal activity outlining criminal behavior and video of GILT E. MANN conspiring against CELESTE L. REIN causing her to lose home, bank account, friends, opportunities, and good name.

CELESTE L. REIN
See how you have hurt me! You used your power to silence me. I lost everything because of you.

GREAT ARBITRATOR
Now for the demonstration of the Guilt-O-Meter. This devise was invented by a genius who was awarded the Valor of Honor by the CIA. This sensitive instrument is able to detect the slightest weakness and gives an instant readout on the hand-held scanner with suggestions for the best ways to take advantage of weakness.

This is almost three minutes or three pages of the script. Lots more in my head where this came from.........................So many scripts to write...........so little time.................