Introducing Graft

Written by Sam Estabrooks

Introducing GRAFT.

Graft is Avarice’s legal expert/lobbyist/public relations person. She has worked to ensure that the Elites stayed in the good graces of the governments of the world, usually through highly unethical means. Most of the laws and procedures that governments have that benefit wealthy individuals and corporations are largely a result of Graft’s efforts. When the Florida fortress is overrun, she is the only one of the Elites’ leaders to escape capture. Due to her legal expertise and persuasive skills, as well as her ability to fast-talk her way out of any situation, she is chosen to defend the Elites in their trial. She should be portrayed as a slim, well-dressed, professional lawyer who is attractive in a superficial, heavily made-up way.

Scene: Graft Meets With Avarice (This should come before the trial scenes.)

(AVARICE’s prison cell. Despite his wrongdoings, AVARICE has been given a small but comfortable-looking cell in which to await his trial. He has been cleaned up and given a new suit since his capture. He should be pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. The cell has a bed, an armchair, a table, and a small shelf of books, among other furnishings. On the table should be a chessboard, as if a game has been in progress. Black should be in a near-hopeless position, vastly outnumbered, with the king surrounded by enemies. The king should not be mated, but it should seem like it’s only a matter of turns. AVARICE pauses to consider the situation on the board, showing a shot of the board for a few seconds. Suddenly, the cell door opens, and a GUARD comes in with GRAFT.)

NOTE: One thing we could do, building off one of the earlier scenes I wrote, is to include chessboards as a visual motif throughout the screenplay. With black as the Elites and white as the people, they can reflect the current situation with the war.

GUARD

Visitor for you, sir.

AVARICE

Excellent. Wait outside. I should like to speak with her in private.

(GUARD exits, closing the door behind him.)

Graft! It is good to see you. And you’re still free, too!

(When AVARICE talks to GRAFT, he should show none of the condescension that he used with GREED. Instead, the two of them should speak with a certain familiarity, as though each regards the other as an equal. There is a certain appreciation between them, although they aren’t quite lovers, as AVARICE only cares for himself and GRAFT is usually too focused on her work at the exclusion of any other interests.)

GRAFT

Of course. I wasn’t in the Florida fortress when it fell. I didn’t need it’s protection. People don’t know me like they know you, so I had no reason to be afraid. Instead, I lived incognito among them while the war was going on. Other than my brief visits to the fortress, of course. I figured I was safer when nobody knew where to look for me.

AVARICE

This is the first good news I’ve heard since the fortress fell. Have you seen Greed yet?

GRAFT

He’s dead. Justice killed him when they took the fortress.

AVARICE

(Slightly dismayed.) Ah. I see. Well, he’d served his purpose, and at least he died fighting.
(Pause)

Not that it did me much good. I eventually came face to face with Justice anyway.

GRAFT

So I’ve heard. It’s been all over the news. A momentous clash, an epic struggle. Two foes meeting in glorious battle to settle the score once and for all.

AVARICE

(laughs) What do they know? They weren’t there. The dirt, the muck, the grime, the bruises… certainly not very glorious. And nothing’s been settled. Not yet.

GRAFT

It doesn’t seem that way. The fortresses destroyed, Greed is dead, you and so many others captured, all our power and influence gone… We look pretty defeated to me.

AVARICE

We’ve lost on the battlefield, true. But we can still fight it out in the court of law. (Pauses, favors her with a slight smile.) Which is why you’re here, of course.

GRAFT

(Returns the smile) Of course.

AVARICE

So. Tell me. How, exactly, are our chances looking?

GRAFT

Well, Justice seems convinced that it’s an open-and-shut case. The public opinion is overwhelmingly on his side, and they’ve already voted to convict us once, in the online trial. Public opinion is a funny thing, though. They’re against us right now, but these things change quickly. All we need to do is get the public back on our side.

AVARICE

And the chances of that?

GRAFT

Pretty good, I’d say. So long as we give it to them properly. Whether they admit it or not, people are inherently greedy. They like the opportunity to accumulate wealth that capitalism offered them, even if it can’t happen for everyone. They’ll come around.

AVARICE

You seem confident. Is this the beginning of a brilliant legal strategy?

GRAFT

(Smiles) Leave that to me.

Sam Scene 3

Scene "The Last Standoff"

(JUSTICE’s tent, late afternoon. He is standing outside his tent, pacing back and forth, deep in thought. NOTE: You can have him having a conversation with another character before this part of the scene instead, if you would like. A SOLDIER enters.)

SOLDIER

"We found Avarice, sir."

(JUSTICE stops pacing and turns to face SOLDIER.)

JUSTICE

"Was he captured?"

SOLDIER

"No, sir. We found him in a cave about a mile from here. We have the cave surrounded, but in a space that small, we cannot use our numbers to our advantage, and he won’t come out. We’ve sent several men in to capture him, but he killed them all. I was sent to get your orders before we proceed with anything. Shall we smoke him out? Call for an airstrike?"

JUSTICE

"No need. Order the men to stand back. I’ll take care of this myself."

SOLDIER

"Sir. Is that--"

JUSTICE

"Wise? Perhaps not. Still, some things need to be done."

(Outside a cave high on a cliffside. The sun has begun to set. JUSTICE stands outside, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. Cut to the mouth of the cave as AVARICE emerges. He stays in the cave’s mouth for a moment and looks around, making sure that he is not walking into a trap. Finally, he comes out. He is dressed in rags and smeared with dirt, but still maintains a bearing of dignity. When he speaks, he still maintains most of his usual cool, collected tone, but hints of anger and fear are now present as well.)

AVARICE

"I figured you’d come alone."

JUSTICE

"You’ve fallen a long way, Avarice. How does it feel to be hungry, dressed in rags, and living in squalor? You’re finally experiencing the same poverty that millions were forced into because of your greed."

AVARICE

(Angry now.) "You fool. You truly believe that this society that you’ve created can last?"

JUSTICE

"We’re all equal before God. It’s about time that society reflected that."

AVARICE

"If God believes in equality so much, then why did he create us to be unequal? Face it. Some people are simply better than others, and it’s the natural order of things that those people should rise to the top."

JUSTICE

"Then they should use their power for the benefit of all people. Not to make themselves wealthy."

AVARICE

(Laughs bitterly.) "People are always thinking only of themselves. It’s human nature. What you have wrought may be a nice dream, but it’s unnatural and thus will never last. Sooner or later, the same system you fought to destroy will be rebuilt, and all the death and destruction you’ve caused will be for naught."

JUSTICE

"That may be. I’ve fought to give the people of the world true equality, for the first time in history. Something they’ve yearned for for a long time. Something many of them never even thought was possible. Ultimately, though, my part is over. Now, it is up to the people to make this new system last. If they don’t value what they’ve been given and won’t work to keep it, then no, it won’t last. Still, at least I’ve given them the chance to live in a world where all human beings are valued equally and nobody has to slave their lives away to satisfy the greed of bastards like you, and I have complete faith that they can and will fight to sustain that. True equality for all people. (Brief pause.) The era of greed has come to its end. Lay down your weapons and surrender yourself to me."

AVARICE

"Not likely. We may have been defeated for now, but this war is far from finished."

JUSTICE

(Laughs.) "Don’t delude yourself. The people have spoken. Your forces have been defeated. My men have your cave surrounded. You have nowhere to run. It’s over, Avarice."

AVARICE

(Quietly) "You’re wrong. Some things can never end."

(AVARICE turns away as if to retreat back into the cave, but then spins around suddenly, drawing a knife as he does so, and goes to attack JUSTICE. JUSTICE is caught off guard but manages to get his arm up just in time to block it. Then his knife is out as well. They both take a couple steps back and circle each other for a few seconds. Then they are upon each other, fighting brutally, throwing punches and kicks as well as stabbing with the knives. The fight goes on for some time before JUSTICE grabs the wrist of AVARICE’s knife hand and slams it against a rock. The knife falls from AVARICE’s fingers. JUSTICE holds his knife to AVARICE’s throat, keeping his grip on his wrist.)

AVARICE

(Defiantly.) "I suppose you’ll kill me now. Go ahead. I’m not afraid."

JUSTICE

No. I’m not like you, to dispose of my enemies as suits my whim. You’ll stand trial before the people to determine your fate.

(JUSTICE removes the knife from AVARICE’s throat and gestures to his men, who rush into view.)

JUSTICE

"Bind him tightly and bring him back to the helicopter."

(AVARICE’s hands are bound behind his back. He is escorted off screen with a SOLDIER at each arm. JUSTICE follows close behind.)

End of Scene

Conversation 1

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:42:14 PM): hey, how goes the screenplay project?

Dave Jericho (4:42:29 PM): good

Dave Jericho (4:42:35 PM): have you seen the new trailers?

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:42:52 PM): yeah

Dave Jericho (4:43:44 PM): both of them?

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:44:01 PM): yup

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:44:30 PM): i think the second one was better because of the pictures/voiceover

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:47:03 PM): although on both, the text went a lot more slowly than i read

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:47:19 PM): are you planning to do another one once you start filming and have actual footage to work with?

Dave Jericho (4:48:26 PM): oh yeah

Dave Jericho (4:48:34 PM): i am going to make lots of those

Dave Jericho (4:48:41 PM): i am just getting started

Dave Jericho (4:48:46 PM): i have just leanred how to do it

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:48:53 PM): cool

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:50:13 PM): have you done any more writing or had any new ideas?

Dave Jericho (4:50:42 PM): oh yeah

Dave Jericho (4:51:05 PM): i have started drawing pictures as concepts for some of the big battle scenes

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:51:13 PM): hmm

Dave Jericho (4:51:25 PM): i am not sure how they are going to translate on to screen thou

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:51:41 PM): yeah, i was actually thinking about that a bit the other day

Dave Jericho (4:51:50 PM): yeah

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:52:02 PM): i came up with a couple ways you could approach it

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:53:40 PM): one is that you could use small scale models to illustrate what's happening

Dave Jericho (4:53:56 PM): that is cool

Dave Jericho (4:54:06 PM): i was thinking about some kind of animation

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:54:35 PM): second, you could not actually show much of the actual battles, but rather cut back and forth between the enemy camps as they find out what's going on and show the things they say to each other and the plans they make

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:54:57 PM): i think they used the second approach in Rome on HBO since they didn't have enough of a budget to film actual battles

Dave Jericho (4:58:32 PM): that is good

A New Tomorrow 7 (4:58:43 PM): or, of course, a mix of both

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:06:10 PM): also, i was thinking that you might want to reorganize the continuity... right now you have the aftermath of the war in Act I, the things that led up to the war in Act II, and the actual events of the war in Act V... it might be better to do it in chronological order

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:06:43 PM): although it might still work to start it off with the meeting with the general after the war and then go back to show how it all happened

Dave Jericho (5:08:30 PM): now are you talking just for reading the screenplay or for the actual movie it's self

Dave Jericho (5:09:17 PM): i think that you are right, the reading of the screenplay should be in order, but for the final production on screen, i like the mixed order

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:09:37 PM): really?

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:09:43 PM): i was talking about the final project

Dave Jericho (5:10:36 PM): that is an issue that we can deal with after it is filmed

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:10:59 PM): well, see, the biggest thing is that Act I tells the reader a lot of what happens in Acts II and V

Dave Jericho (5:11:02 PM): i agree that i should change it for reading purposes just to make it easier to understand

Dave Jericho (5:11:37 PM): so should it go Act II, Act V, Act I?

Dave Jericho (5:11:55 PM): Act 2, 5, 1, 3, 4

Dave Jericho (5:12:00 PM): or

Dave Jericho (5:12:12 PM): Act 2, 3, 4, 5, 1

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:12:56 PM): well, i think it would be okay to start off with parts of Act I, like the interview with Justice and maybe Avarice... but other parts, like the part where Charity and Justice are discussing what to do with the prisoners should come at the end, I think

Dave Jericho (5:13:43 PM): ok, very good

Dave Jericho (5:13:49 PM): oh i have good news for you

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:14:04 PM): yeah?

Dave Jericho (5:15:33 PM): i read somewhere that in a screenplay, the writer should let the bad guy tell portions of the main plot, this builds a better stronger story, so i am going to give Avarice more sceens very soon, I have also given him a new counterpart...

Dave Jericho (5:16:00 PM): Admiral Greed, second in command and comanding officer of the battleships

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:16:05 PM): ah, cool

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:16:40 PM): henchmen are nice to have

Dave Jericho (5:16:46 PM): he also leads all battles, because Avarice is too impoprtant to risk his life going onto the battlefield

Dave Jericho (5:17:51 PM): Avarice is a gentleman, only acting behind the lines, masterminding all the plans, but never actually fighting

Dave Jericho (5:18:18 PM): he will of course find himself in a fight one on one with justice at the end

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:18:28 PM): ah, cool

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:18:34 PM): that should be fun

Dave Jericho (5:18:56 PM): in which he does have to kick some butt because he did get to where he is by kicking ass

Dave Jericho (5:19:20 PM): but he loses the battle with justice and is taken prisoner

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:19:41 PM): yeah, one of those guys who can hold his own in a fight if he has to... but why risk it, unless he's forced into it?

Dave Jericho (5:20:09 PM): that is the very end of the play, and the begginning of the sequal

Dave Jericho (5:20:17 PM): yes yes

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:20:56 PM): i actually have a friend of mine who we might be able to cast as Greed... he and I have acted together before, and I think we play off each other well

Dave Jericho (5:21:21 PM): i feel the need to tell you, i am going to save our AIM converstaion because they provide very good material for writing

Dave Jericho (5:21:29 PM): ok, that would be very good

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:21:42 PM): alright, yeah

Dave Jericho (5:21:55 PM): i was thinking about making greed fat, but i am not sure

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:22:13 PM): i'm actually looking at it right now and thinking about how things could be done

Dave Jericho (5:22:18 PM): he is weak thou, always fearful of not being accepted as an Elite

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:22:31 PM): well, my friend isn't quite fat, but he has a heavier build

Dave Jericho (5:22:55 PM): it doesn;'t matter\

Dave Jericho (5:23:00 PM): we can figure it out

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:23:16 PM): yeah

Dave Jericho (5:23:15 PM): tell him to join the facebook group

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:23:21 PM): alright

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:23:31 PM): oh, another thing i was thinking about

Dave Jericho (5:23:32 PM): tell anyone that is interested in actually working on the play

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:23:59 PM): you have this scene where Jack is interviewing the General and having him read the statement of purpose

Dave Jericho (5:24:23 PM): yeah

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:26:01 PM): instead, what if you have either Justice or the Professor read it out loud to a delegation/group... i think you talk in here about how there was a meeting on campus about what should be done about inequality in the world, and you can have them think and talk about it for a few days, and then have this declaration as the culmination of their deliberations, to be met with general applause by the audience

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:26:13 PM): i think that could be a powerful scene, in a cinematic sense

Dave Jericho (5:26:56 PM): very good idea

Dave Jericho (5:27:06 PM): i like it it

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:29:52 PM): and that could be the culmination of Act II... you show the people gathered here, give them a chance to air their grievances and discuss what should be done, and then read the declaration as the end product of all their efforts

Dave Jericho (5:30:24 PM): i like it

Dave Jericho (5:31:31 PM): i want get the main cast together asap and talk about getting this thing on film

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:31:52 PM): alright

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:32:01 PM): do you have any of the other parts cast?

Dave Jericho (5:32:19 PM): i am shooting to have a cast meeting by the end of january

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:32:25 PM): cool

Dave Jericho (5:32:57 PM): i have someone that i am going to do voice work with, most likey for the voice of Jack, who is going to tell alot of the story, but he is never onscreen

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:33:07 PM): ah

Dave Jericho (5:33:19 PM): i still need to find justice and charity

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:33:39 PM): i don't really know too many actors

Dave Jericho (5:33:43 PM): justice is the main part, so he might be the hardest to find

Dave Jericho (5:34:01 PM): he also have to be a good actor

Dave Jericho (5:34:11 PM): charity has to be hot

Dave Jericho (5:34:47 PM): she is not going to be that hard to find, because their at lots of females that want to be in movies

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:35:19 PM): true.

Dave Jericho (5:36:03 PM): as for the professor, i was thinking about getting a actual professor, but that might look funny

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:36:08 PM): haha

Dave Jericho (5:36:16 PM): if everyone else is really young

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:36:21 PM): just get someone who can talk like one

Dave Jericho (5:36:27 PM): lol

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:38:07 PM): yeah, should work out... it doesn't look like there are all that many parts

Dave Jericho (5:38:40 PM): yeah

Dave Jericho (5:38:57 PM): the sequal can have more parts

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:39:18 PM): yeah, you should have some publicity built up by then

Dave Jericho (5:39:56 PM): yeah

Dave Jericho (5:40:17 PM): i am also thinking that this screenplay could be worked out into a live production

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:40:29 PM): yeah, that would be cool

Dave Jericho (5:40:36 PM): people love live plays

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:40:43 PM): stage plays are awesome

Dave Jericho (5:40:58 PM): and they would come and listen to my message

Dave Jericho (5:41:07 PM): and it would be good

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:41:35 PM): and entertaining

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:44:08 PM): have you given any thought to filming locations/costumes?

Dave Jericho (5:44:27 PM): alot of thought into costumes

Dave Jericho (5:44:39 PM): well what the general is going to where

Dave Jericho (5:44:56 PM): he has to wear a uniform of somekind

Dave Jericho (5:45:07 PM): limitted to what our budge can get

Dave Jericho (5:45:34 PM): but any military uniform, from any country, spiced up a but should do

Dave Jericho (5:46:02 PM): as for the first scene, i want it filmed completely in an office

Dave Jericho (5:46:12 PM): a nice office

Dave Jericho (5:46:31 PM): we are going to have to find one that will let us film in it for a few hours

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:48:06 PM): ah

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:48:23 PM): i gave a bit of thought to Avarice, and came up with several different looks for him

Dave Jericho (5:48:31 PM): very good

Dave Jericho (5:48:45 PM): you can be completly in charge of what he looks like

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:49:12 PM): one is just all dressed up with a suit and tie, and that's for business meetings, interviews, when he wants to impress or persuade people

Dave Jericho (5:49:27 PM): good

Dave Jericho (5:49:36 PM): you have a such a suit?

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:50:10 PM): two is his war garb, which would be a military uniform of some kind, and that's when all the persuasive words and diplomacy is put aside and it's time to use force

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:50:23 PM): yeah, i do have a suit

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:50:48 PM): and if there's an army surplus store around here, we might be able to get a couple cheap uniforms

Dave Jericho (5:51:04 PM): awesome

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:51:32 PM): three is postwar Avarice, after the fortress falls and he goes into hiding... in that one, he'll be dressed in rags, or perhaps wrapped in a blanket

Dave Jericho (5:51:34 PM): i am thinking about hiring a girl to be in charge of costumes

Dave Jericho (5:51:53 PM): nice!!

Dave Jericho (5:52:25 PM): i have $1,000 to spend on this production

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:53:33 PM): in the first two, i would wear my hair up in a ponytail that was doubled over at the base of my skull so it looks somewhat formal, in the third, i would just have it all loose

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:53:54 PM): yeah, i think i can provide most of what i need for that, with the exception of a uniform

Dave Jericho (5:54:18 PM): awesome

Dave Jericho (5:54:49 PM): very good sam, this is the kind of energy this production needs

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:54:58 PM): haha, thanks

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:55:03 PM): i'm excited to start working on it

Dave Jericho (5:55:43 PM): well i absoultely must be completed before the end of the semester, so we should get started asap

Dave Jericho (5:56:12 PM): and we can film in any order

Dave Jericho (5:56:26 PM): so we can film your scenes first

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:56:39 PM): alright

Dave Jericho (5:56:39 PM): because Avarice has a few scenes alone

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:57:07 PM): i'm ready to go pretty much at any point, though i would need to get my suit from home unless i could find one to borrow

Dave Jericho (5:58:02 PM): ok, well lets plan on doing something next week

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:58:11 PM): alright

Dave Jericho (5:58:15 PM): this will give us plenty of time to get ready

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:58:21 PM): do you have filming equipment?

Dave Jericho (5:58:33 PM): not yet, but i am goingt to soon

Dave Jericho (5:58:46 PM): you should open your own blogger page

A New Tomorrow 7 (5:58:54 PM): i have one, though i never use it

Dave Jericho (6:00:41 PM): what kind of weapons do you see Avarice having

Dave Jericho (6:00:58 PM): Justice has a sword

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:01:53 PM): hmm

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:02:05 PM): sword against sword would be neat

Dave Jericho (6:02:30 PM): generals dont usally fight with guns

Dave Jericho (6:03:08 PM): sword play os always good on screen and you do like fencing, so swords seem natural

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:03:20 PM): yeah, i love movie sword fights

Dave Jericho (6:03:37 PM): ok, this is good, because this is action that is much needed

Dave Jericho (6:03:56 PM): actions that is completely with in our means to film

Dave Jericho (6:04:07 PM): what kind of sword, and can you get one...

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:04:49 PM): umm... well, probably a rapier/sabre or longsword

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:05:30 PM): i think generals traditionally used sabres, and a rapier was the gentleman's weapon

Dave Jericho (6:05:44 PM): ok

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:05:59 PM): those were also the types that were used the latest

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:06:55 PM): i have no idea how to get them, though

Dave Jericho (6:07:49 PM): i will figure something out

Dave Jericho (6:08:06 PM): what about the ones that the fencing clubs use?

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:08:19 PM): check online to see if you can find a company that makes replica weapons for props in theatrical productions

Dave Jericho (6:08:43 PM): ok, i would love to buy one anyways, so that would be a good investment

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:08:52 PM): yeah, true

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:09:07 PM): the problem with the ones for fencing is that they don't look realistic

Dave Jericho (6:09:21 PM): ok

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:14:06 PM): it would indeed be a good investment, though

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:14:22 PM): and i think we can probably get through much of the production without spending a lot of money on props

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:28:58 PM): also, are you planning on using all the educational material in the screen play in the actual production?

Dave Jericho (6:29:24 PM): i want to

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:30:22 PM): well, the only problem is keeping people's interest

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:31:34 PM): generally, people are willing to sit through longer explanations when they're reading a book than when they're watching a movie

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:34:20 PM): found a local army navy surplus store http://www.saratogaarmynavy.com/

Dave Jericho (6:41:51 PM): cool

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:56:16 PM): alright, well i'm going to go find something to eat

Dave Jericho (6:56:30 PM): i will catch you later buddy

A New Tomorrow 7 (6:56:34 PM): alright

Dave Jericho (6:56:34 PM): thanks for the input

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:04:19 AM): just read your screenplay.

Dave Jericho (2:04:28 AM): yeah

Dave Jericho (2:04:34 AM): what did you think?

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:04:38 AM): its interesting

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:05:15 AM): also, if by any chance you need someone to portray a villain of most heinous and unspeakable quality in the filming of this screenplay, look me up

Dave Jericho (2:05:45 AM): that roll is open

Dave Jericho (2:06:04 AM): Avarice is his name

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:06:09 AM): cool

Dave Jericho (2:06:24 AM): yeah and the screenplay is fare from finished

Dave Jericho (2:06:43 AM): and i am going to direct it myself

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:06:50 AM): if i do this, i would like to have creative input into the development of my character... subject to your final approval, as the creator of the screenplay, which i will comply with completely

Dave Jericho (2:08:22 AM): absolutely, i actually was hoping to have the actors develop their own characters. The only characters that I need to developed in the script are Justice and Jack, all the other characters develop on their own

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:08:37 AM): excellent

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:08:47 AM): one of my ambitions in life has been to be a movie villain

Dave Jericho (2:08:56 AM): this is good

Dave Jericho (2:09:11 AM): Avarice is one hell of a villain

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:09:53 AM): alright, here's what i was thinking, as sort of a preliminary thing...

Dave Jericho (2:09:57 AM): he thinks that it is ok to let babies and children die when he is buying a new pool for his 7th house

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:10:15 AM): most of the characters in your screen play seem to be based on universal virtues/vices

Dave Jericho (2:10:25 AM): yeah

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:11:03 AM): and his history seems to go from World War II (helping Hitler to power) to the present day

Dave Jericho (2:11:37 AM): maybe more of the cold war era but yes continue

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:11:44 AM): so... in a way, it seems like he, and Justice, and Charity are timeless and more than human in a way... almost demigod-like

Dave Jericho (2:12:00 AM): yeah

Dave Jericho (2:12:08 AM): that is well put sir

Dave Jericho (2:12:30 AM): they are all part of the balance

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:12:31 AM): so I see them representing more universal things than just current political systems, like capitalism, socialism, etc

Dave Jericho (2:12:42 AM): this is good

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:12:47 AM): even though most of the people who work for Avarice are likely to be capitalists

Dave Jericho (2:12:53 AM): yes

Dave Jericho (2:13:02 AM): but he is bigger than that

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:13:45 AM): and Avarice rewards those who serve him (or are motivated only by greed) as opposed to the more utilitarian, populist nature of Justice or Charity

Dave Jericho (2:13:58 AM): yes

Dave Jericho (2:14:13 AM): he has alot of power, all fuel by greed

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:14:50 AM): so in a way, your play is about the overthrow of one timeless figure (Avarice) to be replaced by Justice and Charity

Dave Jericho (2:15:24 AM): yes, that is perfect, nicely said Sam

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:15:36 AM): haha, nice to use my english degree for something

Dave Jericho (2:16:03 AM): well i was hoping that it was that dynamic

Dave Jericho (2:16:23 AM): and i love writing the scenes, they are so much fun to write

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:16:36 AM): yeah, i was referring mostly to my analyzing the hell out of everything

Dave Jericho (2:17:06 AM): i love to hear feedback like that, thank you

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:17:15 AM): yeah, no prob

Dave Jericho (2:17:51 AM): you can write Act 1 Scene 4 "Interview with Greedy Capitalist if you like

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:18:24 AM): also, i think it's important to have a character like Avarice survive the end of the show, however beaten he might be... because a timeless character like that can never be destroyed... you can just get people to stop listening to him, which renders him powerless

Dave Jericho (2:18:38 AM): i was hoping to set the stage as director for these situations to build themselves

Dave Jericho (2:19:09 AM): I actually did have him survive

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:19:20 AM): capitalism was his great invention to be in control of the world system, and its collapse is a major setback, but i don't see him as one to give up.... he can still work on an individual level

Dave Jericho (2:19:41 AM): he was captured and forced to watch all of the war trials, as he was to be tried last

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:19:59 AM): ah, yeah

Dave Jericho (2:20:43 AM): depending on what the people want to do with him... it is up to the people democratic vote, and Charity to decide his fate

Dave Jericho (2:21:12 AM): i have ended this play before his trial

Dave Jericho (2:21:27 AM): so he survives to the next play

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:21:32 AM): i feel that there's a problem in killing off a representation of a timeless idea, though

Dave Jericho (2:22:08 AM): yeah, maybe at the end of a trilology

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:23:17 AM): perhaps... but i think a better way to deal with something like that is to show him destitute, dressed in rags, and disregarded at the end, but still nursing plots to regain power

Dave Jericho (2:24:19 AM): or to simply forgive because what is done is done, 2 wrongs dont make a right, kind of thing

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:24:26 AM): right

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:24:29 AM): true

Dave Jericho (2:24:41 AM): very good sam

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:24:50 AM): thanks

Dave Jericho (2:24:50 AM): i look forward to working with you

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:25:16 AM): yeah, it should be productive

Dave Jericho (2:25:15 AM): do you think this screen play has potential?

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:25:47 AM): i think it has potential... although there are also some suggestions i might make to improve it

Dave Jericho (2:26:01 AM): great

Dave Jericho (2:26:09 AM): put everything in writing

Dave Jericho (2:26:33 AM): i am going to work another 50 hours on this thing, you know, make it perfect

Dave Jericho (2:26:45 AM): and i always take suggestions

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:28:04 AM): alright, well acts 3 and 4 work out on paper, where you have all your sociology/philosophy papers, but i don't think you want to have the whole thing read when you actually tape it.... maybe have some discussion about what the most important parts are and include the essays as supplementary material when someone gets a copy of the finished show

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:28:31 AM): it would be really hard to maintain an audience's attention throughout a reading of all that text

Dave Jericho (2:28:39 AM): yeah

Dave Jericho (2:28:45 AM): it needs a lot of work

Dave Jericho (2:28:56 AM): but that is basically what is going to be said

Dave Jericho (2:29:03 AM): topics to be covered

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:29:26 AM): and... be careful in using other sources, such as Wikipedia or anything else.... copyright laws, etc

Dave Jericho (2:30:38 AM): i am going to write out more and fix theses scenes, but i am also interested in developing the characters and then working on making scenes that develop theses points

Dave Jericho (2:31:05 AM): it might be documentary style to keep cost production down

Dave Jericho (2:31:32 AM): you know, having a law professor talk about discrimination and so on

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:31:50 AM): also, there's a lot of information in this... before you start filming, i suggest you get a few friends together and do a read-through, and have a copy in hand, and pay attention to how this thing flows when its actually being read out, and edit the script accordingly

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:32:11 AM): that way you can have an idea of how your work plays out instead of going blindly into filming

Dave Jericho (2:32:26 AM): yup, that is always good

Dave Jericho (2:33:03 AM): i am going to need someone that has a really good voice for jack, although they never have to be on screen

Dave Jericho (2:33:33 AM): some scenes i am planning on filming without actors at all, just pictures and other stuff

Dave Jericho (2:33:50 AM): there is going to be music too

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:34:05 AM): and finally, think about the timeline... you have the aftermath of the great war, then the reasons why it was started, then the events itself... i'm not sure if that's the most logical way to lay it out

Dave Jericho (2:34:07 AM): i hear some opera somewhere in the play

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:34:10 AM): hmm, cool

Dave Jericho (2:34:38 AM): yeah

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:35:25 AM): i did like the storyline, though... seems like you put a lot of thought into it, and it makes all the difference between a dry, educational film and something that's fun to follow and educational at the same time

Dave Jericho (2:35:58 AM): yeah, you think so

i have such a hard time making things up, but battleships and redwings came so naturally to me

oh and artillery, i just love in visioning this stuff

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:36:53 AM): yeah, well its almost science fiction-like in a lot of ways

Dave Jericho (2:36:59 AM): it is so much fun

yeah, but with a hidden (or not so hidden )message

so it really is a strong story then

by the way, did you find jack useful and how long did it take you to read it

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:38:15 AM): yeah, it seems like a lot of elements of it haven't been fleshed out yet, but it does have potential, and it makes sense

well, i did it a bit at a time over a while, but probably an hour and a half, though i skimmed over acts 3 and 4

umm... i think a narrator is useful... i didn't feel like Jack had enough of a purpose as a character in his own right to set him apart from just a generic narrator

Dave Jericho (2:40:23 AM): I want to develop him much more, he is not real, he is supposed to be a BOT

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:40:31 AM): yeah

true

Dave Jericho (2:40:46 AM): did you like the interview style?

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:41:28 AM): yeah, i think it works out, but to really know these things, you'd have to read them out loud

Dave Jericho (2:42:01 AM): on the to do list is buy a mic, and start recording

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:42:09 AM): i suggest preparing two versions... one with the interview, one that's just a monologue, read them both out loud (or have them both read to you, ideally) and see which sounds better to you

Dave Jericho (2:43:11 AM): but I want someone else to theatrically read it, so that means that i need to write it better

Dave Jericho (2:43:25 AM): yeah that is a really good suggestion

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:44:41 AM): yeah, ive had some experience writing for the theatre, and one of the most valuable things in developing a piece is a read through... ideally, you shouldn't participate in the reading, but sit there with a copy of the script and a pen, making notes while people read it to you

Dave Jericho (2:45:40 AM): that is perfect, do you think that i will find people that will want to be in this play?

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:46:44 AM): well, it doesn't seem that there are too many parts... i'm sure you can find enough to fill it out

ask around

people seem to love being in movies

Dave Jericho (2:47:08 AM): awesome

yeah, there are only about 7 main characters

alright man, thanks for the feedback, please email me and tell me more about anything, i look forward to working with you

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:48:49 AM): alright

Dave Jericho (2:48:56 AM): as of right now, you can offiicially have the part of Avarice

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:49:36 AM): and... if you could write out an idea of what you have in mind for my scene, i would appreciate that, and then i could flesh it out

Dave Jericho (2:49:39 AM): i gtg to bed

awesome

thanks for everthing sam

have a good night

A New Tomorrow 7 (2:50:30 AM): hey, no problem

you too peace