Aleria: Leadership training in Vorago

Every six years, ten of the most skilled and promising Alerians are chosen by the leaders of Aleria - the Descendants - to learn the secrets of Aleria’s foundation and to become leaders of the next generation. No requirements exist except demonstrated skill and leadership in the face of extreme adversity. By accepting the offer, inductees must leave Aleria for Vorago, the ice-submerged ruined city on the far west side of the Land of Ice and Water. It was once the most developed and expansive city. Now it is the domain of unseen evil and scavengers of the weak and injured. A walled complex was built above the city by the Descendants. It is the only Alerian outpost this far west and it is home to this group of Alerian trainees for the next year. The training’s promise is an unlocking of the secrets of the body, mind, heart and, by extension, society.

EXT. ICE AND ROCK PLATEAU - DUSK - VORAGO
A young girl with skin and hair to match the ice rests her back against a stone in ice. She settles in quietly to listen to the conversation that is taking place less than three-hundred paces out. A group of outsiders - approximately twelve - are seated in a circle listening to a tall creature who stands at least five feet up, on air apparently, and speaks with a deep sound from the center of the circle. She can’t place his accent. Where are these things from? She leans in to listen.

MENTOR
What is there in this world that is worthy of your passion? Is it work? Achievement in commerce? Art? Love? Faith? Should passion be carefully portioned out to a precious few endeavors? Does anything deserve its unbridled fervor?

He turns slowly to face the other half of the circle.

MENTOR (cont.)
Where are the reasons for your passion? Can it be possible that without introspection and analysis of why we do what we do, that we give passion away for free; to anyone or anything that shows even the slightest interest? If you are honest, you will admit that you have run this race before. Now realize the danger you are capable of. Passion without understanding can easily be placed in the service of evil. Your mind will know what is right but your passion will twist it to an unrecognizable abstraction. Therefore, true leaders must consider their purpose in relation to those they mean to lead and the role their passion must play in this. That is why we are here.

The MENTOR bends down to touch the ice and rock beneath them all. He burns a sign on the ground with a finger and rises further. He speaks from the air, several lengths of men up. The girl silently scrambles into her hole in order to avoid being seen.

MENTOR (cont.)
Consider what powers flow in your veins. What abilities for genius lie waiting to be exposed? What is it in you that rises to meet any occasion you choose to care about, regardless of innate ability? What is this thing that propels you to action and guarantees your success despite all odds? Where does it come from? Are you using it properly? Without understanding passion you are certainly ignoring it’s full potential.

He returns to the ground and sits with the group.

WHARF
It’s ambition. Ambition to achieve drives passion. When I want something bad enough you can bet your ass I’m gonna be passionate about it. The real question is what reason exists that creates ambition in the first place? I’ll give you that answer. And I’ll give you the bitter taste that comes with it too. Ambition is driven by boredom. It’s certainly not an inborn characteristic like you say, with all due respect. I’ve seen the way the creatures out here live. They are the rawest, most instinctual things. But once they’ve got a place to live, food and good company what else is left? What else do we have left? Ambition. Then passion, when ambition gets old.

MENTOR
Ambition is not our concern. Rather, it is a measure of passion’s potential. Ambition is a mirror to reflect our self-understanding and desires. But it is not created by boredom. These creatures, as you call them, are just like you and me. They have passion. They just don’t trust themselves or their environment enough to try it out.

RARE
Is there a way to free it and to let it run its course; a track with no end except that which our heart and soul can no longer take? How do you become something more without a place to try?

MENTOR
Okay. Shall we test passion then? Shall we reason it out as WHARF would have it? Who knows what logic governs the stuff of the heart? You can kill passion by searching for its reason. But is it really just here to provide for our satisfaction and enjoyment?

KATERINE
Aye. I have felt the thirst for it; a selfish, wild and unquenchable thirst for more.

Several of the others nod.

MENTOR
Is that the goal of passion’s existence? Does passion exist simply to guide us to that which makes us happy? Is passion a choice then? Simply a tool to use and misuse as we choose? Think on these questions. You don’t need answers; just an acceptance of the ambiguity and knowledge of the power free will holds over your future and the future of our world. We’re starting to understand why the world needs Aleria. Take it and go now.

The pale girl is still while the group leaves the plateau. She cries silently and considers all that has been said. A thick black oily rain falls from the sky, sliding slowly off her skin in streaks. Her whole body seems to cry. Finally, she crawls back down the hole to return to her family. She plans to return.

Creature Concept: Worms are good

Here is a bit of inspiration for a worm-like creature I plan to use in a show I’m developing called Aleria. I stumbled on it awhile back and now will use it.

Gordian worms live inside crickets for long periods, feeding on the cricket’s diet. Once fully grown, they inject chemicals into the cricket’s brain brainwashing it and forcing it to kill itself by jumping into the water. Once in the water, the worm wriggles out of the writhing body and swims off in search of a mate.

Big Screen Writing on a Shoe String Budget

Write in Limitations

We’ve already got limitations as independent filmmakers - understatement of the decade. But too often we get so caught up in all the cool stuff that can be done cheaply; we forget that we’re shooting a film to tell a story, not the other way around. Everything is inherently story-driven, yet project limitations are often not fully considered until AFTER the script is written. So let’s think about how we can turn our limitations into boons by writing them into the script.

GET EVERYONE’S INPUT EARLY AND OFTEN
What was it that we all learned in film school? What you don’t prepare for in pre-production, you pay for in production. What you don’t prepare for in production, you pay for in post. So let’s have all key crewmembers sit in with the writer, producer and director during pre-production to brainstorm how to work limitations into the story. It will pay handsomely for everyone - not just writers - to think creatively about the limitations that are intrinsic to a project.
!Tip: Consider using Edward De Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats” method of brainstorming to leverage everyone’s knowledge

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
I don’t have money to shoot in Australia, to hire top-notch graphics specialists, to block off Times Square, or to hire hundreds of extras. Budgetary limitations can actually help shape the story. The key for the writer is to ask the right questions involving those limitations with the characters. The worst thing you can do is to throw in a location just because it’s convenient. That kind of behavior smacks of a producer doing the writing and of a crew that’s too anxious to get into production (for those writer/producers out there - I don’t mean you!).

WRITE LOCALLY
If you’re still coming up with the story concept, consider using your local area to generate ideas. It will eliminate a lot of hassle right away! It will also make for a more natural story since you know the area so well. Make a list of ten to fifteen places within two hours of your house and spend some time at each location with a notebook writing whatever moves you. I know at least of few you have a moleskin buried under a thick layer of dust. Brush it off and enjoy some time out being sensitive.

AT LEAST REMEMBER THIS
The cardinal mistake independent filmmakers make is writing for a big budget, then trying make up for the unrealistic writing during production and post. So don’t sweat the lack of major effects, aliens, talking animals, multiple exploding buildings, or faeries. People want a great story where actions, circumstances and interactions all ‘make sense’ with their environment. Focus on creating stories that feel natural, are believable and communicate something you feel strongly about. If that means miniature faeries that grow human-size in a matter of seconds on screen, well, I hope you have a high placed friend. If you do, hook me up yo.

!Tip: Read up on Constantine Stanslavski and Lee Strasburg’s - Method Acting - for great ways to discover answers to the four W’s (who, what, when, why, and how).