SCRIPT COVERAGE Title of Film: Author(s): Date: Page Length: Genre: Number of Locations: Location: Number of Actors: Number

of Principle Actors: Estimated Budget: Consider for: Writer: Project: Submitted To: Read By: Cascade Simon J. Woodward August 9, 2012 100 Action/Adventure 2 Washington, Alaska 19 4 high n/a pass consider Nick Yellen Natalia Len

Logline: A team of scientists must catch the mystical Yeti creature that dwells in the mountains. Comments summary: Put INDIANA JONES, JURASSIC PARK and a Yeti into the blender and this is what youll get. Cascade is a story with weak characters, a dubious theme and high pretensions. Although its crammed with action, there is very little conflict happening on an emotional and psychological level. This doesnt allow us to sink our teeth in the story and root for the characters positive outcome.

Great Concept The screenplay is original and unique

Good

Fair

N/A

Plot / Storyline The story has a clear hook Strong sense of pacing (frequency & spacing of events) x x

Characters Protagonist has clearly defined internal / external goals Strong antagonistic force pushing against protagonist x x

Protagonist is worth investing 90 minutes of your time in Protagonist has a clearly defined character arc (change) Supporting characters add value to the story Protagonist is 3 dimensional and flawed Characters have different ideologies / beliefs Characters have well developed back-stories Antagonist has clearly defined objectives / motivation x x x x x

x x

Dialogue Each character has their own unique voice x

Structure Subplots are integrated into the main plot The setup clearly establishes the films tone and purpose Every scene is relevant / supports the plot Scene transitions are suitable The climax of the film is worth waiting for The inciting incident is strong enough to drive the plot There is dramatic building & releasing of tension Characters arrive late and leave early x x x x x x x x

Cinematography / Visuals Visually engaging opening / starts on high note There are opportunities for visual flourishes x x

PASS x

CONSIDER

RECOMMEND / ACCEPT

Synopsis: PETER THURSTON, a hunter/scientist is savagely torn to pieces amidst the lonely, cold mountains by a shady creature. ALAN MAITLAND, the English yuppy hot shot who was funding Peters expedition, decides to hire his old scientist friend RICHARD BRADSHAW to figure out the mystery behind Peters disappearance. Richard mocks Maitland, believing searching for the yeti is not true science. He is a real scientist even though they just cut his funding. Maitland has opportunity sparkle in his eye: promising to fund all of Richards future expeditions in exchange of this one job. Richard feels like he must compromise by taking this job, but decides he can then concentrate in what he loves: science. Richard then accepts, and drags along with him his assistant MITCH and his soon to be ex-wife ANNA. The whole gang travels over to the Cascade mountains, adding one more person to the team, FRAZER ATKINS. Theyre equipped and ready to catch the beast alive and take it back for Maitland to present to the world. Meanwhile, in a small shop near the mountains, CURTIS HORTON, an ex-military on a vendetta mission, tells the shopkeeper hes going back up the mountain to chase the yeti. A kid barges in the shop and demands the shopkeeper to give him all his money. Horton threatens the kid to shoot him, knowing he wont. Takes the gun from the kid, says goodbye to the shopkeeper: another problem solved. Back in the mountains, Richards team has decided to give it a try. Howls of the beast relentlessly cutting through the atmosphere, as they head out in the blistering cold to find the monster. Very soon they get separated and are unable to control the beast: it is wild. Frazer gets killed first, as the rest of the team momentarily escapes into the forest. The beast spots them again, rushing to attack. As they try to escape on the mountain ledge, Mitch being dragged behind with a heavy backpack, the beast sinks its talons into Mitchs leg. Anna and Richard are running for their lives when Horton appears out of the blue to save them. They outrun the beast and carry Mitch until they find the small cabin where a man used to live: his remains splattered all over the walls, its Peter. They realize they are in over their heads. But Horton has a plan. His military instincts kicking in, he leads them down the mountain the next day. Mitch is losing ridiculous amounts of blood as they trek downward and we learn that the Yeti killed Hortons team ten years ago. They are being followed. Horton decides their best shot is for him to stay and stall the monster. That will give them a chance to reach town. As Anna, a bleeding Mitch and Richard descend they find an abandoned airplane. Richard heads to the cockpit to try to use the radio. He keeps sending out the distress call while Mitch inspects the plane and notices there are gold bars dangling out of some bags.

He quickly fills up the backpacks without the rest of the team noticing it. There is no one answering the call. Horton is fighting the Sasquatch nearby. They can hear gunshots coming from the mountain. Horton is finally making the beast back up and retreat. It starts running towards the plane, the tables turned, Horton hunting it. The beast goes inside the plane, where only Mitch waits now. Richard is hanging by the ledge, Anna unconscious in the snows. As the yeti tries to rip Mitch apart, the plane falls into the precipice as they tumble down the mountain. Mitch tries to shoot the beast down, he manages to have the beast retreat some. Outside, Richard dangles on the cliff until Horton finds him and saves him. They head down towards the plane in a rush, guns pointed and cocked. They try to shoot the beast down, but miss as the beast escaped through the planes window. Theyve come a little too late. Mitch is already dead. They inspect the plane to find the sasquatchs bloody footprints. Horton decides its his chance to attack while its weak. Anna and Richard are on their own heading towards the town. Theyve had a rough communication problem during their marriage, but they dont hate each other. They finally hit a dirt road they meet Maitland and a team of two APVs and six military men. Maitland has brought out the big guns. Maitland admits having her their distress call, and Richard gets into a fight about it. Maitland finds out Horton is trying to kill the yeti and gets everyone in gear to go to the woods again. He cant allow Horton to kill it. At the same time, Horton is back up on the mountain fighting the Sasquatch until he reaches an abandoned mine. The fight getting more and more complicated, Horton trying to hide from the beast while trying to kill it at the same time. Finally, the cavalry gets here and Maitlands team fires loads of tranquilizer darts into the beasts chest, making it collapse. The team captures the animal and puts it inside one of the APVs. Horton and Maitland immediately hate each other, one wanting to kill it, the other one thinking it should be preserved. Although Maitland offers to give him a ride to the nearest town. They all get in the APVs and are starting their journey when a tree is in the road. The military men start figuring it out. All of a sudden, screeches of a whole family of sasquatches are heard. Maitland gets really excited over it and heads out to try to catch them with his team. Richard, Anna and Horton stay trying to get the tree out of the way. But the car falls into a ditch instead trying to pull the tree out of the way. The three of them decide to make a run for it. They get in the APV and race to town. Maitland and his team are getting all the heat from the Sasquatch family. They start to die one by one. The other mercenaries in the APV decide to leave them behind, thinking theyre still alive, and make a run for it. Its too late though. The Sasquatch family catches up to the mercenaries and savagely kills them. They also caught onto the first

APV. They wreck, the car tumbling over because of the beast. The car is hanging off a cliff. Cautiously they get out of the car before it plummets down into the precipice. They manage to get out, but without the gold in the backpacks. Unexpectedly, the Sasquatch creeps over them. Horton struggles to get out from the car but cant. He falls down with the APV into the fissure. Richard runs for his life to safety. Hes lost the beast. And Anna. He then sees the beasts footprints and bolts after Anna into an abandoned mine. Anna is inside the cave, shes found the beasts babies, just around her size. The beast finds them and Richard threatens to shoot her babies. They slowly crawl out of the cave, the Sasquatch dying to kill them. As theyre about to leave, Richard shoots the wooden beams causing a cave in and locking the yeti family inside. Anna and Richard run for their lives, the beast has dug its way out of the cave. Standing next to a Cliff, Richard meets the Sasquatch one last time. They struggle, fire and dodge, until the monster tries to grab Richard and he throws it off the edge, but the beast holds onto Richard as they both tumble to the crack. Richard survives, a rope tied tightly around his waist saved him. Anna helps him back up. A helicopter appears and theyre saved. They fly off into the horizon together. Back on the first APV Horton steps out of the door: bloody, but alive.

Character breakdown Age n/a 30s Name Peter Thurston Anna Bradshaw Role Supporting male Leading Female Description Hunter/scientist is searching for the Yeti in the cold mountains. Richards wife and co-worker. A dedicated scientist who is looking to get divorced. A sarcastic, broken down scientist. Wishes to dedicate his life to pure science and has no more money to do so. A hot shot scientist yuppy who wishes to have his name in the history books. Will stop at nothing to get it done. Loser, nerdy scientist. Works for Rich and Anna, and he slept with her once. Ex-military, tough guy. Hes just and righteous, though its his own version of it. He will stop at nothing to find revenge. Hes part of the expedition team. Dies a couple scenes later. Smart and sarcastic.

40s

Richard Bradshaw

Leading Male

50s

Alan Maitland

Supporting Male

30s 50s

Mitch Curtis Horton

Supporting Male Supporting Male

n/a

Frazer Atkins

Supporting Male

40s N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a

Reynolds Pilot Shopkeeper Burt Kid Merc 1 Merc 2 Merc 3 Merc 4 Merc 5 Merc 6 G.I. Soldier

Supporting Male Cameo Cameo Cameo Cameo Cameo Cameo Cameo Cameo Cameo Cameo Cameo

Maitlands right hand in the hell hole. Trigger-happy mercenary. Jar head. Takes them to the mountains, picks them up. Has a conversation with Horton before getting mugged. Tries to mug the shopkeeper but Horton stops him. Maitlands team. Buff, sharp features. Maitlands team. Buff, sharp features. Maitlands team. Buff, sharp features. Maitlands team. Buff, sharp features. Maitlands team. Buff, sharp features. Maitlands team. Buff, sharp features. Part of Hortons team that was killed by the yeti. Part of Hortons team that was killed by the yeti.

Comments Put INDIANA JONES, JURASSIC PARK and a Yeti into the blender and this is what youll get. Cascade is a story with weak characters, a dubious theme and high pretensions. Although fairly written and crammed with action, there is very little conflict happening on an emotional and psychological level. This doesnt allow us to sink our teeth in the story and root for the characters survival. Most of the main characters have unclear personalities and voice (Richard, Anna, Maitland, Frazer) except for Mitch and Horton. And these two characters are very clich. There are several B stories that are not planted and paid off properly, like Annas and Richards love story, Hortons vendetta, Maitland and Richards backstory It would give the story much more depth and consistency if these were exploited properly. Or more plants were made throughout the story so that we could reach down deeper into our characters psychological fears regarding this monster. In general, there are no clear character arcs. Our characters remain the same, untouched, unmoved and static from beginning to end. Moreover, characters like Frazer and Mitch are squished into the story to justify the plot. They are what I like to call fill-in-theblanks-characters. All throughout the story, character motivations are not clearly established through actions, but through words. Most of the exposition in the story is happening through what the characters tell each other, making these moments very slow and boring. This also

highlights the fact that characters dont really have an authentic personality. Also, these long expository speeches create a very uneven contrast with the high action-sometimes ridiculously long scenes-which confuses the rhythm of the reader and the story. On another note, the climax is not reached through escalation. In the beginning of the first act we meet the Sasquatch, creating a sense of mystery around it that may hook the audience. But then again, this backfires, as it doesnt pay off appropriately. The sasquatches violence is used and abused through the movie, making the stakes remain at the same level for the entire story. In other words, the characters do not earn the climax of the story. Additionally, the theme of the story is undistinguishable. This makes the story walk the thin line between numbing action and background noise. Since our characters dont evolve, it is hard to say whether the theme of the story is present at all. Perhaps it could be shown better through Richards motivations what the theme really is. Yet again, the story resorts to a very physical level, and forgets the key fact that characters are not onedimensional beings. In conclusion, I would advise Cascade to be passed and forgotten. Although, the writer eloquently describes action, he doesnt create compelling characters and a story that can be worth our money at the box office. As to the premise, I would consider it. It was interesting, yet poorly developed. All the mentioned above undermines the possibilities of creating an otherwise very entertaining, popular movie that is worth the budget.

The Grid EXCELLENT VERY GOOD Artistically Commercial Premise Story Main characters Minor characters Dialogue Visual Elements Title RECOMMEND SCRIPT WRITER CONCEPT GOOD SO SO X X X X X X X X NOT GOOD

x CONSIDER PASS X X