A New Day

Main Characters

Damon McCallister

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 130
Physical condition: thin
Hair: dark
Hair texture: straight
Eyes: dark
Age: 17y 7m
Complexion: pale
Attitude toward life: something to be scared about
Attitude toward death: would it really be so bad?
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: pack a day
Alcohol use: one episode
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Alex Stark

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 200
Physical condition: strong
Hair: graying
Hair texture: straight
Eyes: blue
Age: 62y 9m
Complexion: tanned
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life: everything works out, given time
Tobacco use: two packs a day
Alcohol use: moderate
Other drug use: n/a
Other bad habits:

Simon Stark

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170
Physical condition: slim but powerful
Hair: blond
Hair texture: straight
Eyes: hazel
Age: 27y 5m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life: every day's a battle
Attitude toward death: whatever
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: two packs a day
Alcohol use: moderate (sometimes heavy)
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Julie Stark

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 140
Physical condition:
Hair: salt and pepper
Hair texture: straight
Eyes:
Age: 62y 11m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use:
Alcohol use:
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Supporting Characters

Bob Stark

Height:
Weight:
Physical condition: trim and strong
Hair: dark
Hair texture: straight
Eyes: blue
Age: 22y 6m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: two packs a day
Alcohol use: moderate
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Old Tom McTighe

Height:
Weight:
Physical condition:
Hair:
Hair texture:
Eyes:
Age: 69y 6m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: three packs a day
Alcohol use: moderate to heavy
Other drug use: occasional
Other bad habits:

Sarah Stark

Height:
Weight:
Physical condition:
Hair:
Hair texture:
Eyes:
Age: 14y 9m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use:
Alcohol use:
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Jake Stark

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 175
Physical condition: strong
Hair: dark
Hair texture: wavy
Eyes: blue
Age: 29y 2m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: two packs a day
Alcohol use:
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Cy Stark

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170
Physical condition: fit and strong
Hair:
Hair texture:
Eyes:
Age: 20y 10m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use:
Alcohol use:
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Dek Badenhorst

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185
Physical condition: pure muscle
Hair: light brown
Hair texture: wavy
Eyes: hazel
Age: 22y 9m
Complexion: tanned
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: occasionally
Alcohol use: moderate
Other drug use: occasionally
Other bad habits:

Terry Mayer M.D.

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 190
Physical condition: fit
Hair: grey
Hair texture: straight
Eyes: dark brown
Age: 61y 9m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use:
Alcohol use:
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Phil Stark

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 175
Physical condition: fit and strong
Hair:
Hair texture:
Eyes:
Age: 20y 10m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use:
Alcohol use:
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Jason Engel

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180
Physical condition: stocky
Hair: dark
Hair texture: wavy
Eyes: blue
Age: 27y 1m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: two packs a day
Alcohol use: moderate
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Haddon O'Connell

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 170
Physical condition: fit and strong
Hair: black
Hair texture: wavy
Eyes: brown
Age: 19y 1m
Complexion: olive
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: n/a
Alcohol use: moderate
Other drug use: n/a
Other bad habits:

Officer Joel Blum

Height:
Weight:
Physical condition:
Hair:
Hair texture:
Eyes:
Age: 48y 2m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use:
Alcohol use:
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Vic Zwiers

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175
Physical condition: lithe and strong
Hair: dark brown
Hair texture: wavy
Eyes: blue
Age: 18y 1m
Complexion:
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: two packs a day
Alcohol use: moderate
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Sam Machuca

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 135
Physical condition: thin (surprisingly strong)
Hair: brown
Hair texture: wavy
Eyes: brown
Age: 20y 1m
Complexion: olive
Attitude toward life:
Attitude toward death:
Philosophy of life:
Tobacco use: two packs a day
Alcohol use:
Other drug use:
Other bad habits:

Narrative

GoogleDrive

Final Draft

Two (2) protagonists: Damon and Alex
→ both experience an arc, the defining feature of that role
→ each is the reflection to the other

considering the outstanding start of the screenplay, AND is a real candidate for my next feature-length project

Research

OzFarmer (farming forum)

Notes

Alex always taps out his cigarettes three times.

During fire, Terry & Haddon are in lookout plane overhead.

Running away from your problems is a family trait: just as Damon has run away (into the haze of drugs, for days on and muling for Decker), Alex ran away to Australia from the hurt and loss he's never processed from having lost his parents when so young.

final straw (for Julie at least) is the fire—Damon must return home—phone call to Ben

Simon: "Cy goes to t'other side of the country, and he's your golden boy. I move one station over, and it's the end of the world. Bob gets a sheila pregnant at fifteen, and you can't wait to be 'Poppy'. I'm a established adult with a home and an income, I get Angie pregnant, and I never hear the end of it."

Julie argues Damon, proving to be such a recalcitrant & disruptive intrusions into their family (they do have little Peter to think about), must rturn home—Alex is adamant he remain:
Julie: "Alex, saving Damon isn't going to rescue the relationship you've let derail with your son."

Tension at climax: will Simon save Damon?
--> Simon: "You got yerself a replacement son. Why don't you just go with him and leave me the bloody 'ell alone?!"

set up a situation where Alex takes his correct role in Damon's life as his uncle, not his father --> Alex relents finally and agrees Damon can return home with his father's permission --> Damon calls Ben, who couldn't care less if Damon stays or comes home (Ben: "We're getting a divorce—you're her problem now. Get her permission.")

Notes concerning “A New Day”:

t   blowflies=“blowies”—ubiquitous
t   bushfires: fire breaks (would be evident all over Stark Haven); also, fire is set deliberately to burn away old growth to make room for the new grass
t   radio portion of School of the Air last only about a half hour; rest of the time spent schooling is done by the parent (need to think through more carefully the set up they have for schooling—radio room seems a little small as described right now)
t   how many square miles is 602,000 acres?=904.625
t   what crops are they going to be growing in such arid Outback area?
t   change the Saturday night scene from a night on the town to a three-or-four-times-a-year “county fair” sort of Outback affair; keep the aspect of the scene where Damon gets drunk and goes off with Amanda; think about changing the scene to such an extent that we abandon Alex not not coming with them and even Simon not shearing his flock
t   should Alex have more jackeroos? Is the number depicted realistic?
t   Bradshaw Station (Northern Territory)=4,000 square miles, with a cattle herd of 10,000 head
t   maybe Alex has a cattle herd, as well as sheep
t   consider Alex owning and using helicopter(s) on the station
t   also, consider Alex using bullcatchers (remember, very few stations do any bullcatching any longer; also, seems this method would be appropriate only for large animals, such as cattle); bullcatchers are used during the “feral muster”
t   the mail plane comes to the extremely isolated homesteads only once a week and may be the homestead’s only contact with the outside world for weeks on end
t   Christmas is a day off, one of the few during the year
t   need to beef up the portrayal of the use and care of the horses; horses would be a much larger part of the operation of Stark Haven than currently depicted
t   “ringers”=seasonal help (7-month “muster” season begins in April)
t   “ringers”, “jackeroos”, “jilleroos”, “stockmen”
t   a drover trains his men as he would brash, young colts
t   McBean arrived at Bradshaw in the early ‘50's, where he was one of the few whites who learned from the Aboriginal stockmen—he describes it as an “adventure”
t   Fiona described how her nearest friends are up to fifty kilometers away
t   after the cattle are mustered, they are inoculated, branded, dehorned and castrated
t   the stock camp is hours away from the main homestead
t   a typical day at the stock camp begins at 6a.m. with breakfast and ends at sundown
t   Joyce, an Aboriginal, is the camp cook (“worth her weight in gold”) and prepared three meals a day; when the men are working, she also prepares a morning and an afternoon smoko; says how she looks out for them, like a mother almost, while at the camp, and they look out for her, in town and places like that
t   while at the stock camp, the men work every day for five to six weeks, then take a number of days off in a stretch
t   rodeos are very popular; events such as a rodeo or a regional fair are a time to come together, be with friends and let the hair down; such events happen only three or four times a year

t   November speaks the end of the muster season
t   northern sections of The Northern Territory and Queensland nicknamed “The Top End”
t   “barras”, short for barramundi
t         “motor car”

Questions to be answered

1) Are helicopters appropriate for sheep droving?
2) Would Alex own a plane?
3) How common is the practice of isolated families sending children away to boarding schools?
4) Is there a difference between “jackeroos” and “ringers”? How many of each would Alex have?