The argonauts and writer directors

The Argonauts and Writer/Directors Grant Marshall A screenplay and exegesis submitted for the requirements of the Masters of Arts (Research) Degree Faculty of Creative Industries Queensland University of Technology 2006 Keywords Teen adventure film, Screenwriting, Directing, DirectorÕs Commentary, Characters, Narrative, Writer/Directors ii Abstract The Argonauts is a one hundred and ten minute screenplay depicted in the genre of childrenÕs adventure film, set in the suburbs of Brisbane in the early 1990s It tells the story of four friends who embark on adventure in an attempt to save their parentsÕ shops from a corporate takeover The exegesis explores the dual role of the screenwriter/director and the affect on the screenplay of the shifts in mindset required when these roles are undertaken by the same person Screenwriting and directing are explored as two separate but interlinked disciplines In this paper I have draw on my experience in these two roles to discuss their inter-relationship In order to understand how the two roles of screenwriting and directing interact, challenge and compliment one another when carried out by the same person, I analyse the interplay of these roles within the specific areas of character, narrative and setting in the writing and revision of the screenplay, The Argonauts iii Table of Contents Keywords Abstract Statement of Original Authorship Acknowledgements ii iii v vi ScreenplayÑThe Argonauts ExegesisÑWriter/Directors Introduction Contextual Review Methodology Case Study: The Argonauts Conclusion Appendix A: Synopsis of the Screenplay Appendix B: Other Characters Bibliography Filmography 116 117 122 126 129 139 141 147 148 151 iv Statement of Original Authorship The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted for a degree or diploma at any other higher education institution To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made Signature: Date: v Acknowledgements Thanks are due to the academic and general staff of the Creative Industries Faculty at the Queensland University of Technology The MA (research) degree format allowed me the freedom, opportunity and motivation to undertake this project for which I am grateful In particular, I would like to thank my supervisor Dr Stuart Glover for his ongoing guidance, feedback and friendship I greatly appreciate the opportunity to complete this project within a supportive network of likeminded screenwriters that challenged my ideas and provided constructive and thought provoking feedback vi Writer/Directors: An explication of the partially differentiated functions of the writer and the director in the case of The Argonauts 116 Introduction Growing up in a relatively new suburb of Logan on the outskirts of Brisbane in the early 1980s, I watched my neighbourhood develop rapidly Like most children, I spent my holidays and weekends exploring this new playground with my friends Shailer Park was the boom suburb of Logan during this time The local primary school opened in 1982 and in its first year close to a thousand children attended By the time I was in grade five I knew every back street and bush track short cut that existed Often the daily walk home from school would lead to adventures with the children who lived in surrounding streets We explored the bushland that was once a lion park and spent all summer carving out BMX tracks behind the local shops, until the day the bushland was cleared to make way for a new Myer Megaplex Our childhood playground was gone This world is echoed in my script, The Argonauts We were forced to find a new playground and took to the streets I knew just about everyone in the neighbourhood and had a safe house on every street for when good times went bad Friday after-lunch activities at school included roller-skating at the Argonaut skating rink The skating rink was located in a neighbouring suburb near bushland at the base of a hill that was once part of a gold mine, something the mind of an eleven year old doesnÕt easily forget Every time the school bus pulled up at the rink I wondered just what if the mother-lode was hidden just behind the tree line During the mid-1980s the school even opened up over the weekends so that we could skate in the undercover areas under supervision Even the tuckshop was open Groups of us would 117 strap on our skates and head off for the school Most weekends we never made it there due to the hilly terrain of the suburbs, the distance we had to skate and the injuries we sustained in the process Like every school, there were the ÔbulliesÕ Having planned social gatherings every weekend, like roller-skating, meant that the bullies knew exactly where to cause trouble This is where knowing the neighbourhood back to front came in handy, along with Ôwax on wax offÕ learnt from The Karate Kid Like many of my friends, and importantly for my later directing work, I am the child of the video age By the time I was ten (1987), like most homes in Australia, my parents had purchased a VCR This coincided with the release of Back to the Future Having a friend whose parents worked for a video store was a godsend Back to the Future was one of the first videos I owned and I watched it almost every day, along with The Karate Kid and Goonies While we did go to the cinemaÑI even saw the Star Wars Trilogy in 1983 at the drive-inÑfor the majority of the time television and JVC VCR were our saviours This was a time when any great video could be hired for a dollar and boy did we Rambo, ET, The Last Starfighter, Gremlins, Explorers, and the Indiana Jones films topped our rental list ThereÕs a good chance that if the film had a show bag at the ÔEkkaÕ, then we were re-enacting it Like my imaginative friends at the time, I was totally influenced by these adventure-type movies Of course this lead to even more inspired adventures of our own: skating behind cars like Marty McFly (from the Back to the Future series) and exploring the stormwater tunnels that ran under the school was all in a dayÕs play for us Goonies wannabes I wasnÕt alone; if BMX Bandits screened on TV, the next day the entire student body would ride their bikes to school It was a time when public liability was not an issue and the Acting Principal of our school actually 118 encouraged us by setting up what seemed like an enormous BMX track on the steep hill behind the school so that we could replicate the radical moves we had seen the night before Eventually the acting Principal was replaced, but these great summer school days were something I never forgot Often, before we set out on any of these real life adventures we would sit around in our pyjamas and watch a few hours of Rage The mantra became, ÒIf the next clip sucks weÕll leaveÓÑwhereas these days it is, ÒIf the next clip sucks IÕm going to sleepÓ Influenced by these great clips, like Michael JacksonÕs Thriller, I aspired to make music clips that would inspire people like they did me Currently IÕm working for a production company directing music videos and commercials I drew on my adventurous childhood experiences for inspiration for my script, The Argonauts Like the heroes in the films I aspired to, the lead characters are still in high school Marty McFly from Back to the Future, Alex Rogan in The Last Starfighter, Gremlins, Karate Kid, BMX Bandits, and even the older brother in Goonies were all in their mid to late teens The heroes in my film are the same age as the characters I wanted to be like and looked up to I also set The Argonauts in the early 1990s, as the characters are a similar age to me at the time My love of film, specifically adventure films and music videos, led me to become a filmmaker I wanted to write a script that would inspire a twelve year-old kid to put down the game controller and start his own adventure This immersion in movies and life in the suburbs had a marked impact on the style and content of the screenplay My early interest in movies and videos has provided a strong basis for my current work as a music video and film director I came to eat and drink 119 extreme sports television and in films such as BMX Bandits Programs such as Xgames show spectacular stunts that are covered with the latest film techniques, such as using ultra-slow motion cameras As a writer, the BMX is a great tool for the exposition to unfold through action, to provide action at an appropriate age level, and to demonstrate SteenÕs physical strength (which is important elsewhere in the plot) Approaching Narrative As I came to think about the work as a director I found myself greatly interested in the pace of the storyÑhow quickly it was told, and with what energy This presented an obvious tension between character (which might be revealed through exposition rather than narrative) and narrative itself, which often favours action over character In reworking the script as a director I became concerned with narrative compression how then the pace could be increased without undermining the development of character I was alert to this concern partly because of my practice as a music video director As is detailed below, I correspondingly sought to deal with narrative elements with greater brevity than I was initially inclined as a screenwriter This brevity is made clear in the opening scenes of the film, which are set during the day on a Thursday of the school week COREY, STEEN and ARIEL head off to school riding their chrome BMX bikes in formation as if heading off to war Dogs are barking in the distance and overheard breakfast talk is all part of a typical morning in this suburban cul de sac COREY waits impatiently for the arrival of his two best friends CHOCK and his gang chase COREY, STEEN and ARIEL on their chrome BMX bikes 136 through the suburban streets on their way to school It is a typical morning in November 1991.ChockÕs gang look extremely threatening with their bad teenage moustaches and tight black jeans Chock calls them to, ÒGet ÔemÓ Corey, Steen and Ariel desperately attempt to loose the pursuing pack The whir and sliding of BMX bikes can be heard down the backstreets and through the shortcuts of the neighbourhood The chase takes the teens through the town and past Old Man NealÕs dilapidated house and the local library, where a piece of perforated computer paper reads, ÒSee new World War II displayÓ Corey, Steen and Ariel outrun the bullies, only just getting away They meet up with CHIP in the school library Chip wishes he could ride to school too The bell rings and they head off to class Although this scene is described over eight pages in the script, with quick paced editing the onscreen time should be no more than three or four minutes The chase acts as a device to set up the characters and the suburban surroundings We see all the locations where the film will play out: CoreyÕs house, the library, The Argonaut and even Old Man NealÕs House Similarly this sequence introduces all the lead characters When directing music videos, I only have three to four minutes to get the entire narrative across to the audience and in television commercials this time is reduced to only thirty seconds or a minute This experience lead me to writing this fast paced sequence as I am confident in my ability as a director to communicate concisely, in effect applying a directorÕs approach to my writing In the next sequences Corey and his friends overhear snippets of their parentsÕ conversations It seems that the Argonaut Shopping centre, the livelihood of their parents, is being threatened The teens resolve to investigate the situation We find out the 137 Argonaut is going to be sold to developers As a result Chocks dad has put the rent up so they will break their contracts early and be forced to move out ItÕs a clause in the contract In the directorÕs revision of the script, this information was set up in a more conventional and visual way instead of relying solely on the overheard phone conversation In a sequence following soon after, an old, scratchy 16mm newsreel plays in the background, showing troops operating in the local area The teens cannot concentrate on the droning monotone voice They sit pondering the repercussions of loosing the Argonaut Shopping Centre and the more immediate problem of how to avoid ChockÕs gang tomorrow The film snaps, the lights turn on and the bell rings The teacher approaches Corey about a scholarship opportunity at a well-respected city private school He doesnÕt tell his friends The teensÕ are forced to walk their vandalised bikes past Old Man NealÕs spooky looking house on their way to the Argonaut They discuss the local rumours and mysterious legends that surround Old Man Neal They arrive at the Argonaut late and all run off to help at their parentsÕ stores As director I reworked several of these scenes to be exterior scenes either in the early morning or late afternoon This magical time always looks great on film and is another example of the impact of my directing experience on the writing process Many decisions regarding locations and Ôtime of dayÕ were based on my experiences of trying to make full sun shots in Australia look good At home later that night CoreyÕs mother, Sue, is dealing with the stresses of being a single parent She burns the dinner and denies that they will have to move Corey sits helplessly, picking at burnt bits of chicken on his plate I believe the dinner scene is 138 essential Again Spielberg is model in this The dinner scene sets up the family dynamics very well in many of his films such as Jaws, ET, and even Poltergeist By seeing these relationships, rather than just having then revealed through exposition, we get a sense of the family unit and the reality and normality of their everyday life, which could be easily disrupted by the unfolding events This scene will also hopefully reinforce that SUE is starting to loose it and the teens really are forced to take action A small detail here borrowed from other films is layering The TV in the background is playing the weather report WE are told that there will soon be a king tide Many successful adventure films, such as Back to the Future, are good at layering the set ups Most of which arenÕt even noticed on the first viewing Similarly, in the music videos I direct, I try to layer the background with subtle clues and gags for repeat viewing Most of the time these videos are played on high rotation on music programs and channels like MTV and layering set ups helps to make repeat viewing exciting This is a technique I have applied when writing this script, as is evident in this scene Conclusion The clutch of examples listed above underline the importance, and transformational contribution, of the director to the writerÕs initial screenplay When writing with the intention to direct, the thinking and decision-making process are influenced by a mindfulness of the directorial tasks that are to be undertaken later The directorÕs knowledge and foresight address and define components of the screenplay through practical and aesthetic considerations In the case of The Argonauts, the impact of the 139 director on the creative process transformed the characters, visual action, setting and pace of the screenplayÑhopefully, all for the better 140 Appendix A: Synopsis of the Screenplay INTRO TO THE ARGONAUTS: DAY 1, THURSDAY COREY, STEEN and ARIEL head off to school riding their chrome BMX bikes in formation as if heading off to war Dogs barking in the distance and overheard breakfast talk is all part of a typical morning in this suburban cul de sac COREY waits impatiently for the arrival of his two best friends CHOCK and his gang chase COREY, STEEN and ARIEL on their chrome BMX bikes through the suburban streets on their way to school ItÕs your typical morning in November 1991 They look extremely threatening with their bad teenage moustaches and tight black jeans Chock: ÒGet ÔemÓ Corey, Steen and Ariel desperately attempt to loose the pursuing pack The whir and sliding of BMX bikes can be heard down the backstreets and through the shortcuts of the neighbourhood The chase takes the teens through the town and past Old Man NealÕs dilapidated house and the local library, where a piece of perforated computer paper reads ÒSee new World War II displayÓ Corey, Steen and Ariel outrun the bullies, only just getting away They meet up with CHIP in the school library Chip wishes he could ride to school too The bell rings and they head off to class We find out the Argonaut is going to be sold to developers As a result Chocks dad has put the rent up so they will break their contracts early and be forced to move out ItÕs a clause in the contract They discuss their plan to avoid ChockÕs gang tomorrow An old, scratchy 16mm newsreel plays in the background, showing troops operating in the local area The teens cannot concentrate on the droning monotone voice They sit pondering the repercussions of loosing the Argonaut Shopping Centre and the more immediate problem of how to avoid ChockÕs gang tomorrow The film snaps, the lights turn on and the bell rings The teacher approaches Corey about a scholarship opportunity at a well-respected city private school He doesnÕt tell his friends The teensÕ are forced to walk their vandalised bikes past Old Man NealÕs spooky looking house on their way to the Argonaut They discuss the local rumours and mysterious legends that surround Old Man Neal They arrive at the Argonaut late and all run off to help at their parentsÕ stores With a little probing, Corey confirms from his older brother that his mum will be evicted from the antique store by the end of the week At home later that night CoreyÕs mother, SUE, is dealing with the stresses of being a single parent She burns the dinner and denies that they will have to move Corey sits helplessly, picking at burnt bits of chicken on his plate The TV in the background is playing the weather report There will soon be a king tide Corey doesnÕt tell his family about the scholarship Michael pays out on Corey for not asking Ariel to the End of Year School Dance DAY 2, FRIDAY Corey, Ariel, Steen and Chip are wasting time playing computer games in their garage hideout behind the Argonaut Shopping Centre Corey verifies that the news is true and 141 their parents will loose their shops They realise the ramifications will split up the group as their parents will have to move in search for new work They ride to school lateÑ hoping to miss Chock Their plan goes bad Without notice Chock and his bullies surround them again Corey is separated from the others The gang chase after him Corey scurries under Old Man NealÕs veranda The bullies lose him and are too afraid to continue their hunt Intrigued by the rumours of the old house under which he is hiding, Corey is drawn further into the dark Guided only by shafts of light shining through the dusty old wooded floorboards, Corey clips his bike pedal on something BANG Corey hears distant footsteps above as he picks up the fallen framed local newspaper clipping The title reads, ÒLost US Stockpile: Salvage Attempt FailsÉÓ Corey is scared off before he can read the entire article As he runs off he catches a glimpse of something mysterious under large white sheets HeÕs hiding something big under there His nametag from is backpack snags ripping off He catches up with the others at school just in time to make the bus for a school excursion Corey tries to convince the others of his recent discovery, which he believes, given his knowledge of antiques, could be a valuable find This could be the answer to their prayers; the big chance they need to save the Argonaut They donÕt believe him Steen, Chip and Ariel are more interested about CoreyÕs close brush with Old Man Neal The bus pulls up at the local library and museum During the class tour Corey notices a photo in a new display and surreptitiously stays behind to take a closer look Its all the proof he needs to convince the others that there is an abandoned war bunker right here in their small town The teens agree to search for the bunker Chock overhears part of their plan They steal all the info they can from the library, nearly getting caught; itÕs a close call Back in their garage hideout, they study the maps and old newspaper, articles trying to determine the bunkerÕs whereabouts They start to devise a plan for the retrieval of the loot The Bunker flooded over 40 years ago There is going to be a king tide on Saturday This gives them a chance Corey has an opportunity to ask Ariel to the dance He becomes nervous She waits giving him plenty of time, but nothing happens Its another lost chance for the two to admit their feelings for each other Corey rides to his mumÕs shop Michael is on a high as he has a date this weekend Corey helps clean up He finds a new box of antiques and collectables that were donated that morning He is shocked to find his nametag from his schoolbag sitting on top ThereÕs also a map marked with the bunkerÕs airshaft location ItÕs stamped ÔTop SecretÕ In the box he finds workshop manuals for various guns and tanks Dumbfounded, he locks up, taking what he can carry His brother doesnÕt notice That night Corey sits at home studding the maps and manuals He looks out the window The moon is nearly full now He pushes away the map to reveal his scholarship application papers 142 DAY 3, SATURDAY ItÕs the weekend and behind the Argonaut Corey shows Steen, Ariel and Chip his recent find The others become apprehensive; it seems something is up They realise Old man Neal has more to with this than they first thought The teens work out the position of the bunkerÕs airshaft from the map It leads them to a clearing in the bushes behind the Argonaut As two figures approach the teens quickly hide ItÕs ChockÕs dad and a mysterious businessman The full plan becomes apparent Once the new freeway is built, the Argonaut Shopping Centre will be torn down to make way for a car park for a new Swedish furniture store The teens avoid been spotted and hurry off to find the airshaft They discover it almost by accident, when the ground falls away, nearly sucking Steen down with it They take in the large scale of the bunker and its tunnel system ItÕs going to be a bigger mission than first thought They decide to stock up in time for the King tide Corey, Steen, Ariel and Chip take off for their parentÕs shops and stock up on supplies Later that night, Michael notices something is up with Corey He discovers the scholarship acceptance forms Michael offers what little advice he can about the scholarship Before getting ready for his date, Michael more confidently suggests Corey to ask Ariel to the dance before she is snapped up by someone like Steen Corey overhears Carly asking their mother, Sue, whether they will have to move Sue becomes a little upset as the reality and consequences of their situation kicks in Corey sneaks out, leaving on a recording of himself playing saxophone to cover his absence Corey, Ariel, Steen and Chip meet up at Old Man Neal shortcut, check their supplies and head off for the airshaft One by one they apprehensively disappear into the darkness of the airshaft, not knowing what lies beneath them, or ahead of them Back on the surface, Chock and his gang go looking for trouble at the Argonaut They raid the hideout, discovering the maps and article Chock figures somethingÕs up With torches outstretched, Corey and the others explore the dark corridors that seem to stretch for miles Part of a convey belt collapses making it hard for them to get back ItÕs a close call as Chip nearly falls They press on After some persistent probing, the others find out about CoreyÕs scholarship offer It starts to get colder They have to act quickly The king tide has drained the bunker, leaving a muddy residue that glistens in the torchlight They find the remnants of a failed rescue party; a skeleton of a donkey with patches fur hanging from its bones, peels away from the muddy wall to reveal human remains Corey carefully retrieves an old Kodak Brownie camera from amongst the skeletons The teens begin to freak out Chip wants to go home Sue realises Corey is gone Like sands through an hourglass, the reel-to-reel tape runs out Ariel, Steen and Chip start to question CoreyÕs leadership It feels like they have been walking for ages It all looks the same to them Corey looses the map and nearly his life as kerosene spills from his lamp, causing an old wooden lift to catch fire ArielÕs true character shines through as she heroically rescues Corey from an almost certain fiery death The map is lost Corey and Ariel hug in relief 143 Back up top, Michael and his date, Elaine, sneak back into the house Michael uses all his best lines and they are about to start making out His mum bursts in with the news that Corey is missing They head out to look for him Michael tells his mum about the scholarship In the bunker corridors the Argonauts are fed up and want to go home They see no evidence of valuable antiques and are worried that they could be stuck down there forever Corey convinces them that this is their only chance ItÕs now or never They question his motivation, considering he will probably take the scholarship and leave anyway Corey is conflicted in his decision about the scholarship, but he knows he wants to save their friendship and will anything he can to keep things the same, even if it means continuing alone He sets out determinedly to prove his point Inspired, Ariel and Chip follow, Steen tags on reluctantly They trek further down the mine-like shafts Back up top, Michael continues to look for Corey Elaine tags along As Michael looks around the Argonaut, he runs into Chock Both of their suspicions are heightened Back in the bunker, the teens decide to split up but shortly find themselves back on the same path For a moment they think they find gold, but it turns out to be the shining reflection of thousands of red crabs, fools gold They run for shelter Water is lapping at their ankles They run to the end of the passage and into a chamber Fallen rocks and rumble, it seems itÕs the end of the line Back on ground level, Michael and Elaine investigate the hideout and find it vandalised Elaine accidentally discovers the library article, and becoming more concerned about what the teens are up to, their search intensifies with a clear direction to there whereabouts Corey, Ariel, Steen and Chip stand helplessly looking at the muddy wall barring their way According to Corey this should be it, the actual bunker A floating wooden crate catches their attention as it sails past and hits the wall like a hammer hitting a 40gallon drum The sound echoes through the chamber The teensÕ eyes light up This is definitely not the sound of wood hitting a solid rock wall They pry open what turns out to be a huge aircraft hanger type sliding door to reveal a line of well-preserved tanks and floor to ceiling creates ItÕs a race against time to find the valuable items amongst the crates of Spam and grenades They are conscious of the rising water level now creeping up to their waists Michael and ElaineÕs first date is going from good to not so great as they scramble through the bush Tired and dirty, Elaine trips on CoreyÕs bike Steen peels the plastic wax-like coating from a gun It looks brand new He snaps the ammunition cartridge into the gun like he has seen ÔCommandoÕ too many times Pushed by the flowing water, a tank drifts loose knocking into the stack of crates Steen is perched on He accidentally fires the gun and shoots Chip in the chest The lights go out The gun shot echoes around the chamber Steen, Corey and Ariel call out for each other Corey and Ariel find each other and share a moment before SteenÕs cries lead them to ChipÕs limp body Steen quickly performs CPR but they realise that Chip is in bad shape The water is now too deep to stand in, so they scramble aboard a tank Corey uses the manuals he is carrying to take a crash course and manages to get the tank started There is no time to go back for the guns or valuables Corey is torn, but chooses his friendÕs health The guns are only just out of reach He can see them floating past the tankÕs turret 144 window The water is up to the roof A decision has to be made They are forced to use the tankÕs cannon to blast through a section of the ceiling that has started to cave in Climbing through the hole, they make it safely back to the collapsed conveyor belt TheyÕve created a huge shortcut, but Chip is near death Now the only obstacle is the two-storey gap where the conveyer belt used to be ItÕs frustratingly out of their reach Corey tries in vain to lasso his rope and catch a hold but there is nothing for it to snag on In his second desperate attempt the rope impossibly pulls tight Suddenly the rope pulls back, like heÕs just caught a fish Its Michael: ÒYou guys are so busted.Ó Michael and Elaine pull out the teens and call an ambulance Their parents are waiting anxiously along with an entourage of police and ambulances Chip is rushed to get medical attention Corey, Steen and Ariel attempt to explain, but explanations fall flat in the seriousness and scale of the situation They know theyÕll be grounded for life Chocks DadÕs pulls up and warns that everyone must be off the property by the morning or theyÕll be trespassing The sun is starting to glow just below the horizon Chock and his gang watch on with a rye grin Elaine asks Michael what theyÕll be doing next weekend She had a great time DAY 4, SUNDAY The only thing Corey was able to salvage was the old Brownie camera He rides up to Old Man NealÕs house and cautiously places the camera on the doorstep He quickly rings the bell and runs back to his bike The shadowy figure of Old Man Neal opens the door and slowly picks up the camera Holding it to his ear, he starts to wind the film back Old Man Neal takes the camera under his house to a small self-built dark room There are many objects shrouded in dusty off-white sheets He develops the film The photos are of himself, his girlfriend and brother some 40 ago It is obvious that they form part of the failed salvage attempt Old Man Neal walks out into the light and places a photo of himself and his girlfriend onto a table In the background we see him ripping down the white sheets Even though its in soft focus we recognise this shape and have seen it before when Corey was hiding under the house As Corey arrives at the Argonaut Shopping Centre, workmen are knocking down the big ÔAÕ He helps his mother pack up the store Corey, Ariel and Steen clean up the hideout They pack up the remaining posters and trinkets around the room They learn that chip will be ok There is awkwardness between the friends; itÕs not goodbye yet, but it sure feels like it THE NEXT WEEK, THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL Ariel and Steen wait outside CoreyÕs house to ride to school together Nothing He has been grounded all weekend Ariel and Steen ride to school As usual Chock and his gang start to chase them ItÕs on again They catch them on Old Man Neal Street Steen and Ariel lack their usual vigour and adrenalin without Corey Suddenly there is a huge rumble and a tank rolls into view Chock backs down The gun turret swings around and points dead towards Chock There is a moment of silence before the hatch opens and Corey appears 145 Chock: ÒYou wouldnÕt dare.Ó Another figure pokes his head out holding a Supersoaker, also directed at Chock Chip: ÒWouldnÕt he? They shot me and IÕm their friend.Ó Corey explains to Ariel and Steen that, like them, Old Man Neal, his girlfriend and brother had tried to salvage the valuables from the bunker They had also been trapped by the flooding torrent and Old Man Neal had been the only one to escape in the tank, blasting through the original flooded front entrance causing it to crumble behind him Old Man Neal feels that he is able to let his bunker souvenirs go in light of the retrieval of his precious photographs The money raised from the war-time antiques may be just enough to save the Argonaut Shopping Centre, and with it the livelihood of the store owners and workers FINALE, THE SCHOOL DANCE Corey, Ariel, Steen and Chip all go to the end of school dance as heroes Corey takes ArielÕs hand asks her to dance But before they can hit the dance floor, Chock and his gang bust in furious at the Argonaut victory and the developers deal gone bad There is a final confrontation during which Ariel knocks Chock down and out in front of the entire school The teachers merely turn a blind eye Ariel, Corey, Steen and Chip go from zeros to heroes They all realises that the rest of high school is going to be a whole lot easier for him and his friends Corey now feels he has the confidence to take on the scholarship knowing that he can tackle the unknown Ariel, Steen and Chip all agree that Corey should go; they want him to be all he can be Corey jumps on stage and plays the most radical song of 1991 for ArielÉ on saxophone It is both pathetically romantic and heroic Everybody runs to the dance floor 146 Appendix B: Other Characters CHARLES (CHIP): Charles (15) is known to his friends as ChipÑas in Ôcomputer chipÕ ChipÕs dad works at the ArgonautÕs electronic shop and as a result Chip has spent much of his childhood playing with computers He is a computer wiz Chip looks up to Corey as academic mentor, however most lessons learnt are social ones He is a nerd, your typical glasses wearing skinny kid with bad dress sense Chip was taken up a grade at school, as there are no Ôspecial or giftedÕ classes at the small school where the teens are enrolled Because of this he looks much younger than the others Chip is everything Steen isnÕt; yet somehow they are great friends ItÕs like a 90Õs version the odd couple Chip has missed out on many of the fun times and ÔinÕ jokes shared by the others, as he is younger and spent his childhood indoors under the watch of his protective parents Like his hero, Spock, Chip is overly logical and for the most part doesnÕt understand sarcasm, which frustrates the others, especially Ariel (This rag-tag group of teens pull together and play off each otherÕs strengths and weaknesses to form a strong bond of friendship Theses four unlikely characters may just be the ones able to work together and fight the relentless takeover bid that will destroy their world as they know it.) CHOCK: Chock is a prat ChockÕs dad owns the Argonaut Shopping Centre This gives Chock a false sense of superiority over the other teens and has lead him to bullying and bossing them around under the pretence his dad has the power to evict the teensÕ parents from the Shopping Centre This has been an idle threat, up until now As a result, ChockÕs bad attitude and lack of respect has landed him the position of school bully He chose to ostracise himself from the Argonaut children growing up and has formed a gang of like-minded thugs of who he is the leader However, for a bully heÕs a real daddyÕs boy He doesnÕt need to work hard or abide by the rules, as he has his fatherÕs power and money to rely on CHOCKÕS DAD: ChockÕs Dad is the real villain He is a Porsche-driving spineless puppet who has been manipulated by a larger faceless corporation that is making a takeover bid for the Argonaut Shopping Centre where the teenÕs parents work ChockÕs Dad bought the Shopping Centre back in the eighties (pre Multiplex and Westfield shopping centres) He soon became tired of running the newsagency and the legitimate hard work that went with it He handed the every day running over to his daughter NAOMI so he could turn his attention towards looking for a quick way to make a buck He is ChockÕs role model MICHAEL: Michael is CoreyÕs older brother He is content working in his mumÕs antiques store Michael had his opportunity to leave the town and make something of himself However, he decided to stay and help his mum with the store after his father left Michael is resented by Corey for not taking advantage of the tertiary opportunities that presented themselves Michael is a good role model and a supportive brother, however he is more focussed on getting his licence and scoring a girlfriend OLD MAN NEAL: Very little is known about Old Man Neal He is a recluse and over the years the rumours have lead the teens to fear him Filtering fact from fiction, we know 147 that Old Man Neal is a war veteran and the hill and street where he lives is known as Ôthe Old Man Neal shortcutÕ and ÔOld Man Neal HillÕ He lives in an old run-down, mysterious house that personifies and reinforces Old Man NealÕs reputation 148 BIBLIOGRAPHY Aronson, L (2001) Scriptwriting Updated: New and Conventional Ways of Writing for the Screen, 2nd edition, Sydney: Allen and Unwin Aristotle translated by S.H Butcher, referenced January 2006 http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/a/a8/poetics.html, May 2004) Ballon, R F (2005) Blueprint for screenwriting: a complete writer's guide to story structure and character development, Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Cooper, D (1997) Second Edition, Writing Great Screenplays for Film and TV, New Jersey: PetersonÕs Field, S (1994) Screenplay: the foundations of screenwriting 3rd edition New York: MJF Books Geunes, J (2000) Film Production Theory, Albany: Sate University of New York Press Goodridge, M (2002) Directing Boston: Focal Press Harmon, R (1997) Film directingÑkiller style and cutting edge techniques : a step-bystep guide to making your film, Los Angeles: Lone Eagle Pub Kingdon, T (2004) Total directing: integrating camera and performance in film and television, Los Angeles: Silman-James Press, c2004 Bowden, D (2006) Writing for film: the basics of screenwriting, / NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Mark, A (2004) Character and conflict: the cornerstones of screenwriting Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann McKee, R (1999) Story, 2nd Edition, London, Methuen Peary G (editor) (1998) Quentin Tarantino: Interviews, Mississippi, University Press of Mississippi Proderes, N T (2001) Film Directing Fundamentals: From Script to Screen, Boston: Focal Press Proferes, N T (2005) Film directing fundamentals: see your film before shooting, 2nd edition, Amsterdam: Focal Press Rabinger, M (2003) Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics, 3rd edition, Boston: Focal Press Richards, R (1992) A DirectorÕs Method for Film and Television, Boston: Focal Press 149 Riley, C (2005) The Hollywood standard: the complete and authoritative guide to script format and style, Studio City, CA: M Wiese Productions Russell, K (2001) Directing film: the director's art from script to cutting room, Washington, D.C.: Brassey's Schwartz, M (2005) How to write: a screenplay, New York : Continuum Silver-Lasky, P (2004) Screenwriting for the 21st century London: Batsford Slide, A (1996) Directing: learn from the masters, Lanham: Scarecrow Press, Write, K (2005) Screenwriting Is Storytelling: Creating an A-List Screenplay That Sells!, New York, Penguin Filmography Anderson P.T (director) 2000 Boogie Nights, [DVD] USA:New Line Cinema Kennedy, K and F Marshall (producers) Spielberg, S (executive producer) Dante, J (director) 1984 Gremlins [DVD] USA: Warner Bros Pictures Kassar, M and A Vajna (producers) Kotcheff, T (director) 1982 Rambo First Blood [DVD] USA: Artisan Kennedy, K and F Marshall (producers) Zemeckis, R (writer/directors) 1985 Back To The Future [DVD] Australia: Universal Donner, R and H Bernhard (producers) Donner, R (director) 1985 Goonies [DVD] USA: Warner Bros Pictures Adelson, G and E, O Denault (producers) Castle, N (director) 1984 Last Starfighter [DVD] USA: Universal Kazanjian, H and G Lucas (producers) Spielberg, S (director) 1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark [DVD] Australia: Paramount Allan, C and C.O Erickson (producers) Franklin, R (director) 1984 Cloak & Dagger [VHS] Australia: Universal Kennedy, K and S Spielberg (producers) Spielberg, S (director) 1982 E.T the ExtraTerrestrial [DVD] USA: Universal Lucas, G (director) 1998 American Graffiti, [DVD] USA: Universal 150 ... the script, the language of the film, the representations that make up the components of the film and the way in which they function together The screenplay, The Argonauts, is a one hundred and. .. about the role of the director, begins to differentiate the directorÕs approach from that of the screenwriter, and to uncover the directors and screenwritersÕ different ideas about the script There... story and the look of the film emerges out of the intermingled (but differing) roles of the screenwriter and director In addition, particularly where the writer and director are the same person, the