Main Characters
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: |
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: |
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: |
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
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: 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: 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: 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: |
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: 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: 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: |
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: 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: 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: 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: |
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: 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: |
NarrativeTwo (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 |
ResearchNotesAlex 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 answered1) 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? |