Ideas Exercise

Brainstorm building blocks to a story, then link the parts into a plot for the story later.

Start with ridiculous, impossible, extreme and interesting situations.  Don't try to connect a storyline until you have a few good ones.

Example from one of my favorite TV shows "Touch":

A sculpture made from found items by a homeless man casts a shadow exactly when he meets the main character, at exactly the right time of day when the sun crests the horizon.  The shadow is a perfect portrait of her missing daughter.  They have never met, she doesn't know that this homeless man is the father of the man she has just helped (in a different sub plot in the same episode), and he doesn't know her or her daughter.

Try this formula:

Guy/Girl + Ridiculous Action/Situation + Ridiculous Location + Ridiculous Wardrobe

Examples:

Guy + Terminal velocity, holding on to metal briefcase + Falling through the sky + Tuxedo

Girl + Shooting a laser across the courtyard + From the hallway upstairs Shawnee, into the photo room, bouncing off a series of mirrors to the tv studio + Ninja

Copy and paste the text on this page to a new Google Doc, name it "Lastname Short Film" then come up with 25 examples of your own.  Share with bpistone@gmail.com.

First 20 minutes of brainstorm should be SILENT and you should get at least 15 examples.  The rest of the period may be collaborative, but you must get 25 each.  If you do not finish it is for homework.  If you do not finish for homework it is a 0.  (25 points).