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    The Prometheus Peril
    The Prometheus Peril
    The Prometheus Peril
    Ebook147 pages1 hour

    The Prometheus Peril

    By Jack R. Stanley

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A prerecorded message on a computer memory chip arrives at the office of Houston Mayor Amon Burlingame. It’s just the beginning of what turns out to be a nuclear terrorist threat. The mayor must deal with the infighting between the local, police, sheriff’s office and the F.B.I. all while trying to figure out what is best for his city.

    The University of Houston sends over the first available physics professor, an attractive young woman who has a predisposed dislike for men of power and influence, like the mayor. Reluctantly she become Mayor Burlingame’s advisor and together they follow the clues and instructions from “Prometheus” as the law enforcement agencies do their thing.

    They go so far as to talk to recently captured and jail Irish Republican Army terrorist to understand how such people’s minds work and what their goals truly are. In the end the evidence is too obvious to ignore; the threat is real.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJack R. Stanley
    Release dateJan 28, 2013
    ISBN9781301082759
    The Prometheus Peril
    Author

    Jack R. Stanley

    Jack R. Stanley is an award winning novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. As an officer and combat photographer in Vietnam he earned the Bronze Star. Yet he says, “When you’re in a firefight and everybody else on both side have guns while you have a camera --- you get to change your pants a lot.” After his military service he received both his M.A. and his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in Radio-TV-Film. His doctoral dissertation was on the long running TV series GUNSMOKE. Stanley also received two of Michigan1s most prestigious creative writing awards, The Hopwood Award, one for a one-act play and the second for a novel. Still married to his gifted high school sweetheart, Stanley’s first academic position was TV Area Head at The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Radio-TV-Film. He later moved to deep-south Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley for a challenging position with The University of Texas-Pan American. Here he taught Theatre-TV-Film for 30 years in the Department of Communication serving as Department Chair at U.T.P.A. for 11 years. He did take one year out to work for The University of Alaska Anchorage as a visiting professor. Back in Texas, Stanley directed for stage at The University Theatre, produced and directed fifteen student staffed, cast, and crewed feature films, writing most of the original screenplays. Just a few of his credits are available on IMDB.com. He now lives in the Texas Panhandle where he writes his fiction and runs his blog, www.TheFictionWritersNotebook.com . His webpage is www.jackrstanley.com.

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      Book preview

      The Prometheus Peril - Jack R. Stanley

      THE PROMETHEUS PERIL

      An Original Screenplay

      by

      Jack R. Stanley

      © All Rights Reserved

      THE PROMETHEUS PERIL

      Text copyright © 2013 by Jack R. Stanley

      Smashwords Edition

      All rights reserved

      This screenplay may not be copied or reproduced, in whole or in part, by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in his/her review.

      This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any persons, events or localities is purely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author and publisher.

      Credits:

      Cover illustration background

      iStock illustration by ZlatkoGuzmic

      http://www.istockphoto.com/

      jacks@utpa.edu

      www.thefictionwritersnotebook.com

      www.jackrstanley.com

      Table of Contents

      Title Page

      Copyright Page

      About Reading Screenplays

      The Prometheus Peril screenplay

      About The Author

      Also By The Author

      ABOUT READING SCREENPLAYS

      A movie script is a story told in visual terms as seen by the film or television camera, and just as it will be seen by the audience on the screen.

      Screenplays are not, however, really meant to be read by the general public. In fact, the version you’ll see here is NOT the professional format but one I call Stanley’s Readable Screenplay. It’s designed to (1) easier for e-book readers to handle and (2) more accessible to the non-professional reader.

      As a document, screenplays are actually a technical writing intended for the eyes of professional working on the film or video production based on the script. And yet, a good screenwriter knows that the script should be first of all be a good reading experience for professional script readers, potential producers, directors, and actors. The text is written for these professionals who, hopefully, will combine their talents to mount a production of the script.

      The description of the sets, lights, props, actions and sounds are often written phrases and incomplete sentences, not punctuated correctly, and annotated in a code expected to be interpreted by those who know the code. Think of the difference between a script and a movie as the difference between a blueprint and a building.

      In a very real sense, "..the movie (like a play) is the thing" – not the screenplay. Still, a well written script will play out in the mind of the reader like the movie running in their head.

      The protocol of the screenplay is that each scene begins with a heading in all caps that tells the reader where the scene is located (INT. for interior or inside, and EXT. for exterior or outside) followed by a specific place (BEDROOM or SQUAD ROOM, or CITY STREET) and often the time of day (DAY or NIGHT). In the format you’ll see here all Scene Headings are underlined like this:

      EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT

      The stage directions or action paragraphs below the Scene Headings, describe briefly the local, (war torn or modern steel and glass) and what action is taking place. These very general descriptions appear here with character names in ALL CAPS if it’s a character’s first appearance in the story.

      JOHN DODGE sprints from tree to bush and drops into a bomb crater his rifle ready to cover the rest of the team. One by one ALICE, MAC, and TINY join him each securing a different direction.

      Certain words may appear in ALL CAPS just to make them jump out because screenwriters know the old joke: Why do producers hate to read? Because their lips get tired. For this reason the punch up the script so even if the producer just reads what in ALL CAPS and the dialogue, they’ll get the story.

      Directing from the page is a major no-no for screenwriters so writers don’t try to specify certain shots beyond EST. or establishing shots to tell the reader where the doors and windows are or other set specifics as absolutely necessary. Often the mere use of a different paragraph of stage direction indicates a different shot but it’s not the writer’s job to tell the director what shot or what lens to use unless it is mandatory. For example if Hans unsnaps his holster while talking to the bounty hunter in the bar, this will be noted.

      In this Stanley Readable Screenplay when shots are indicated, they, too, will be underline like Scene Heading. However, screenwriters rarely specify and exact nature of a shot, rather merely suggesting a different ANGLE, or a WIDER or CLOSER shot when required.

      Here are some of the terms you’ll see in all screenplays.

      ANGLE - a single camera shot. Camera shots are also written as CLOSER or WIDER or even DIFFERENT ANGLE or ANOTHER ANGLE.

      ON - BILL or BACK ON – BILL are general camera shots but not necessarily a CLOSE UP or MEDIUM or even OVER THE SHOULD shot of the character. The ON or BACK ON shot simply means that the audience’s attention should shift but exactly how is a decision for the director to make.

      BILL or BACK ON - SCENE means return to a previous shot after allowing the audience to see something specific.

      Some other terms you should know:

      BEAT - a pause equal to a single count or beat of a waltz; usually a one second pause in action or dialogue.

      P.O.V. - point of view; a camera shot taken from the vantage point of a person or object.

      V.O. – voice over; narration, or a person’s thoughts or memories.

      O.C. - off camera; dialogue, sound effects or action which takes place but which is not seen at that moment.

      BILL (O.C.)

      Hi, Sam. What's up?

      You will also see a few transitions noted (DISSOLVE TO: or FADE TO BLACK: and FADE IN:). Unless otherwise noted it’s normal to CUT TO: the next shot or scene from the previous. But you will find some writers to still use CUT TO: for emphasis.

      Dialogue is written in upper and lower case under the CHARACTER’S NAME in ALL CAPS set off in to be distinguished from stage directions. Parentheses under the character’s name or within dialogue are stage directions to the actors

      BARTOK

      (Yawning)

      My partner here, yet, or is he still home getting laid?

      PATROLMAN

      Upstairs. And the Captain's on his way, too.

      In some earlier periods, the stage for plays used to be raked or slanted with the lower portion being toward the audience and the upper portion being the back of the stage, away from the audience. So when something or someone is to be U they are to be Up Stage and D is Down Stage. The action and description in the script might indicate that some object or person is to be above or below something or someone else (C D or R U). Thus above and below usually refer to Up Stage and Down Stage of the camera’s point of reference.

      X means cross or an actor moves from one place to another on the set.

      ASIDE is a line a character says mostly for the audience’s benefit but is often said as if the character is talking to himself and no one else on screen is supposed to be able to hear the line.

      One more point before you start reading. All screenplays, no matter how long the writer has been working on it, is a First Draft when it reaches the studio. It’s like someone working in the music business and suddenly having a smash hit and they’re called an overnight success.

      Now read and enjoy the movie.

      The Prometheus Peril

      by

      Jack R. Stanley

      FADE IN:

      EXT. HOUSTON - DAY - AERIAL SHOT

      The sprawling megalopolis is awake. But as it tries to move its traffic arteries become choked and snarled with anxious commuters. The path our view takes is over Loop 610 as it bends and snakes around the city. Over this we HEAR the morning broadcast of a Houston radio station.

      SUPER OPENING CREDITS

      MUSICAL JINGLE

      K---I---L---T.

      IRVING

      You're with Irving and Harrigan.

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