Writing Your Own Screenplay - The Fist Fight

Few events seem as genre-mandatory in an action film as a 'fist fight'. These confrontations provide action, excitement and vicarious danger for the audience. Yet many fist fights quickly become boring. Part of it is because they are too predictable, both from a fight choreography and story milestone perspective. People hit each other, get hurt, move-countermove. Each take turns seemingly to become the winner. Early in a script, a hero may be defeated in order to provide a sense of danger or a motivation for revenge. Late in the film, the hero generally prevails to give a sense of justice, satisfaction and resolution. Predictable and boring. Unless you are showing off the athletic skills of the actors themselves, like Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, Jackie Chan in Rush Hour,or using a new filming approach as in The Matrix,to get your fist fight accepted, you need to give your confrontation much more. You need to give your fist fight meaning and use it to advance the story.

One of the best examples (spoiler alert) of a truly meaningful fist fight is the final confrontation between Terry Malloy and Johnny Friendly in On the Waterfront. Here, Screenwriter Schulberg and Director Kazan force Terry to challenge the tyranny of Friendly. Terry must risk everything to gain his self-respect and freedom for his fellow dock workers. But it is not the outcome of the fist fight that is important; it is Terry's response that is the emotional heartbeat of the conflict. Terry is quickly defeated by Friendly's deceitful, cheating brutality. What Terry does though is emerge from the beating to demonstrate to himself, the dockworkers and Friendly that Terry, the person, is not defeated. Defiantly and in just a few memorable moments of screen time, Terry leads the workers into what is rightfully theirs - their jobs, dignity and freedom. This single act renders Friendly impotent and pathetic. The fist fight is beautifully framed by purpose and consequence. Without it, there would not have been a climactic confrontation and Terry's actions would have little meaning. This is perfection in screenwriting. Some screenwriters enhance the meaning of a fistfight by elevating the stakes to an astronomical degree. Take Neo's climactic confrontation with Agent Smith in the Warchowski brothers' Matrix Revolutions for instance. What is at stake here is the survival of humanity itself. Other strategies can work too. In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indy fights in his bedroom while Kate ponders whether to admit her attraction to him. This juxtapositioning of violence and affection creates humor in a classic Stephen Spielberg way.

Other fist fights leave a lot to be desired. When Dr. Richard Kimble confronts Dr. Charles Nichols at the climax of The Fugitive, they simply fist fight. There is little meaning to the fight other than an expression of Kimble's anger. Nothing is in jeopardy for Kimble or Nichols that is determined by the outcome. Specifically, U.S. Marshall Samuel Gerard already knows Kimble is innocent and that Nichols is guilty. A better approach may have been to write that Kimble had to fight Nichols in order to prevent Nichols from destroying crucial evidence that would establish Kimble's innocence. Failure would mean Kimble would be returned to jail and Nichols remain free. This would create more emotional involvement for the audience, and isn't that what makes Terry, Indy and Neo's fights so compelling?

So what can you do to prevent your fist fight from becoming flat? If it's just a highly entertaining fist fight you want to create, make sure your fighting actor is the quality of Jackie Chan or to be choreographed by someone like Yuen Wo-Ping of Kill Bill, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix. Your fist fight will be expertly created and performed, and the entertainment will be in the skill, grace and power of the action. Pure entertainment.

But if you don't have such capable people available, focus on the context of the fist fight with the following questions:

Why is the fist fight occurring? There needs to be a specific reason for the fight and not simply the result of a coincidental or gratuitous meeting between two opposing characters. Why are the characters fighting now? It is better to have your protagonist forced into the confrontation, unprepared or already handicapped. It sometimes works to have the protagonist try everything to avoid the fight altogether. What are the odds against the protagonist? Make them large, but not just by the antagonist having a weapon or superior physique or skills. That's too unimaginative. Another approach is to give the protagonist an additional problem, such as rescuing someone (Raiders of the Lost Ark) or trying to stop an atomic bomb from exploding Goldfinger). What is at stake in the fight? It needs to be important. Watch Cinderella Man, Rocky and Raging Bull for films about fighting where the confrontations take on monumental significance. Does the fight advance the story. If you omitted the fist fight and there is no impact - then cut it!

It's worth picking a few movies where you particularly like the fist fight and ask the above questions as you watch. The answers will help you in your own writing. Enjoy!

Madrid's El Rastro is a Paradise For Bargain Shoppers

Do you want to go for some serious bargain shopping on your vacation in Madrid? Look no further than El Rastro!

Set your alarm for 09:00 on a Sunday morning and head off to the Rastro flea market. Yes, it may be crazy to get up this early in the weekends, but for the thousands of people who wake up early to head to what is arguably the coolest flea market in the world, it's nothing more than typical Sunday behavior in Madrid. If you are there early you can get the chance to pick up the best bargains.

The Rastro is the largest flea market in Spain, and gets going every Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm, all year long. Looking for leather goods like bags and coats? They got it. Want to buy paintings or art? It's there. Small, not very useful plastic souvenirs? Clothing? It's all here. More in the mood for furniture? Music? Antiques? You've come to the right place. You can find just about anything, used and new, cheap and cheaper at the Rastro. Haggle that vendor down from his starting price and walk away with a bargain or two at any of the 3,500 stalls.

Indubitably, after all that shopping you'll have worked up a great hunger and thirst. You are well catered for. The bars that line the Rastro overflow on Sundays as the market shoppers pop in for beers and snacks which often include such delicacies as paella, olives, sardines and calamari.

How to get there? Take the metro to La Latina or to Puerta de Toledo (Metro line 5) and you will find yourself in the center of it all.

Is the Yorkshire Terrier the Right Type of Dog For You?

Around the mid 19th century unemployed Scottish workers moved south in search of work, and they brought their little dogs with them. Cross breeding them with local terriers produced a dog capable of catching and killing the rats that infested the local mines and cotton mills.

That dog first appeared at a bench show as a " broken-haired Scotch Terrier" in the early 1860's. This fledgling breed finally became known as the Yorkshire Terrier in 1870--The little ratters journey towards world popularity had begun.

Within a decade the Yorkie had clambered out of the gloom of the mines, and in to the lap of the most wealthy women in England. The Yorkshire Terrier quickly became the ultimate Victorian fashion accessory. Either carried in the crook of a Socialite's arm, or peeping out from her chic handbag.

The Yorkie was quickly embraced by American fanciers and was classified by the American Kennel Club as a member of the Toy Group. The breed standard requires the Yorkie to weigh no more than seven pounds, but no minimum weight is indicated. Dogs as light as one pound have been bred. But, as most responsible breeders point out, when dogs are bred to this size their health is being put at risk.

The Yorkshire Terrier has a long, silky, flowing coat of dark steel blue that parts along the spine to cover the body and tail. The head and legs are tan colored. Eyes are dark, and sparkle with intelligence, and the tail is usually docked to a medium length.

The Yorkie and apartment life go together well. A yard for him to explore and romp in would be nice, but he can live without it. Don't forget to give him a daily walk though. He needs his exercise as much as the next dog, even though he may be a fraction of their size.

This is a very playful and sociable breed. They enjoy family activity, and want to be right in the middle of it. If you have young children you need to be careful. Tough as the Yorkie is, he is tiny, and rough play could end in a serious injury.

Yorkshire Terriers usually get along well with dogs and other pets, but they can be attention seekers, and consequently demanding. Some Yorkies can be stubborn, but they also like to please their owners. You should take advantage of this trait by starting to train your puppy from day one.

Socialization is equally important. Try to attend your local obedience classes with him. This will help him to get used to other dogs, people, and situations. It's also an opportunity for you to meet new people and their dogs.

Yorkshire Terriers are a relatively healthy dog breed. Although, retained baby teeth, hernias and hypoglycemia can be problem areas.

Feeding your Yorkie will not break the bank. They do not have the most robust digestive systems, so do tread carefully with his diet. Feeding dry food will keep his teeth in a better condition, than if you feed him on canned food. You can mix the two feeds until you find the best blend.

Most Yorkies need regular brushing and combing to keep their coats in good condition, and to prevent matting. Dogs with very silky coats need slightly less grooming. You also need to brush your dogs teeth frequently, to alleviate the problem of early tooth decay that this breed is prone to.

The well bred and socialized Yorkshire Terrier is a pleasure to own. Of course, the Yorkie has its flaws like all dog breeds, but as a loyal and affectionate companion it has few rivals.

Top 3 Boating Knots All Sailors Should Know

Now with the boating season right around the corner, I figured I should write an article about knots, since its a vital part of boating, which many novices don't know too much about. The basic 3 knots any boater should know in my opinion are the bowline, round turn with two half hitches and obviously the cleat hitch.

The bowline is a popular knot among boaters primarily due to its its wide range of uses and the strength of this knot, its virtually slip-proof. The bowline can be used to fasten a mooring line to a ring, which I use it to do that on my boat or to tie it to a post. You can also use the bowline to attach two ropes together. Now the only shortcoming with this knot is that the rope cannot be tied or untied when there is a load on the standing end, so it shouldn't be used on a line, which may have to be released under load. In order to to tie this knot you have to form a loop a short distance from the end of the rope, pass the end of the rope through the loop (as if making a half hitch), and then around the standing end and back through the loop to finish the knot.

Bowline finished with a half hitch Next up is the round turn with two half hitches. I use this knot on the end of my bowline attached to the ring as a fail safe. This is another excellent finishing knot used for tying up to docks and rings. It is composed of two parts the round turn and then two half hitches as the name suggests. The beauty of this knot is the round turn takes all the strain while you finish tying the rest of this knot. The two half hitches actually form a clove hitch another great knot! This knot is extremely strong. To tie this knot pass the end around the post two times, then go around the standing end once to make the first hitch and pull it tight, then do this again forming the second hitch and pull it tight to finish the knot!

Round turn with two half hitches The final knot is something we will all use to secure our boats to a cleat. This is a fairly common knot and is great for tying up quickly to the gas dock while filling up and a good for tying up to your own slip among a few other lines attached to the boat. Pass the rope round the far horn of the cleat continue around the cleat then forming figure eights and finish the knot off with a half hitch to hold it in place. Some people like to do the last two loops in half hitches, while other half hitch every loop but there is no need to do that.

Cleat hitch So there it is, the basic knots to get you out on the water safely and keep your boat securely tied to the dock. If you learn these three knots they'll help get you started with boating and are excellent knots used by many seasoned sailors. Know there are plenty of other knots sailors keep in their arsenal of knots but these are your everyday knots that your guaranteed to see on any given day on the water.

Until next time smooth sailing!

Cycling in Virginia, Long-distance Newport News to Washington DC

When starting from Newport News it is about 15 miles to the Yorktown Toll Bridge heading up Highway 17 and 100 miles to Fredericksburg then if you take Highway 1 into Washington it is another 45 miles to the bridge into Washington DC. Another way to go is to take Highway 17 from Yorktown Toll Bridge 80 miles to Highway 301 and cross into Maryland to Highway 5 and from there, well all roads lead to Washington DC as they say?

The roads in Virginia are not so bad and yet Highway One needs some work, watch those bike rims if you are traveling over 20 mph in places, you have to wonder what our tax dollars go for these days? The roads in some parts of Washington DC some would perhaps disagree with you if you called them; Actual Roads. As for traffic, I prefer to do this ride on a weekday if you have the luxury, less traffic. In Washington DC I prefer the weekends although traffic always is a bear.

The best part about this route is that there are a lot of fellow cyclists at all points and if you have a major problem, catastrophe or second flat tire with no additional tube, getting a ride is fairly easy. Folks in Virginia are pretty nice and if you take the Maryland road as your last leg, most are fairly nice too, although fewer of them are driving pickups. There are many good stops along the way and it is a route you will enjoy and see something new each time. Explore it and consider this in 2006.

Telephone Phobia: Make the Phone Your Job Search Friend

You're pretty comfortable using the phone. It's something you do every day in your working routine; so why is it that as soon as you need to use it for career change or job-search it becomes too difficult?

Your reluctance to use the phone in your career change or job-search probably stems from anxieties about what might happen. A certain amount of nervousness is quite natural when you call an employer or a network contact and even more so if it's done on a speculative basis. But don't let that stop you.

Let's examine your reluctance to use the telephone -

"I want to telephone this employer as I'm pretty sure they'll have an opening for me"

"They probably won't want to speak to me, or they'll be too busy"

"I'm worried about what to say... I might make a mess of it ... they could say no ... I'll end up feeling stupid ... and rejected"

"That makes me feel even worse and I don't want to make the call now, think I'll leave it for the moment"

"I'll write a letter instead"

Of course letters are much 'safer" because they make rejection feel much less personal. They didn't reject me, they rejected my letter is how you can justify that one. But, for exactly the same reasons, it is much harder for an employer to say "no" to you on the telephone than it is to throw your letter into the bin. Most people are too polite to be rude to you on the phone and with a deep breath and some practice you can make it work really well for you.

So let's take another look at that:

1. You want to phone an employer about possible jobs.

2. You need to find the right person to speak to.

3. The secretary might ask too many questions.

4. You worry that it might be unpleasant, or that something bad will happen.

5. It will be so AWFUL that you worry about it even more.

6. You're so worried and anxious about what might happen that you decide to avoid it altogether.

Where did that get you? Nowhere!

Result? You're missing out on one of the best ways of finding jobs.

Let's now try and think about this a little more rationally - OK when you first make a call to an employer it won't always be successful, but try to remain in a positive frame of mind. What does a salesman do when someone says no? He simply moves on to the next one - this is what you must do.

You might perhaps get tongue-tied the first few times, or the employer might not be available when you call.

But that isn't a disaster. Don't be a 'catastrophist' it isn't the end of the world. The worst that can happen is that you won't get an interview this time - but you can always try again. You can't predict what will happen so don't try - you could just as easily worry about falling under a bus but worrying about it won't prevent it happening.

Telephone phobia is very common even amongst the most experienced and outgoing people. What you need to ensure is that your anxiety and imagination does not get the better of you.

If you let it get the better of you, you stand to miss out on all sorts of opportunities by putting off making the call. Admittedly, if you feel really down it may be better left a while until your spirits have picked up, because the telephone has a knack of amplifying the mood you're in.

What should you do when you've made a good phone call? - make another one while your confidence is high. You will sound more engaging and interesting and you should find that your telephone phobia is soon a thing of the past.