Forewarning: Being Calm About Something
When pitched an idea they are not crazy about, the executives within the company remain extremely calm. It’s almost always a sign that a ‘no’ is on the way.
LOL - Great! That would be funny if it wasn’t also true… 
It also works so great with the Consequence – the calmer the execs remain the more the girls fear they need to prepare for the inevitable…really nice!
By now, some may be wondering where this is all heading. The question usually is OK, this is all great and fun, but how do I use it to write a story? Where do I go from here? We still have many of the Signposts left to encode, as soon as we get those in we can probably start illustrating how to move into an actual outline/treatment…
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Relationship Throughline> signpost two> Acting
In the relationship signpost 2 Marybeth and Sebastian are in the hallway arguing. Marybeth is emphatic about the importance of memorizing the Fleisher Studio Motto and something about lying about recollections and Sebastian puts his foot down and tells her that it is more important to study Atlantis because society is doomed.
The head writer sticks his head out of the writers’ room and pulls them in to act out a love scene the writers have been working on. It is very uncomfortable for Marybeth & Sebastian because they are so angry with each other but more because of their repressed attraction to each other.
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Love it. A nice double whammy of acting there (called in to acting, and now they have to act) great stuff. @keypayton next…
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OS Plot, Signpost 1, Being Dense About Someone:
In the streets, alleys, homes and offices of mid-Depression Manhattan, everyone is accusing those around them of “being dense about” purported-enemy groups. The poor are told they are dense about the plans of the rich: “Can’t you see they’re all just out to keep getting rich off our toil-torn backs?!” The rich are told they are dense about the crowds of unemployed waiting outside their business doors: “You don’t understand — you don’t beat them back, they’ll take you over!” The men are told they are dense about the security of their jobs: “If a women gets hired to do what you do, you won’t be doing it anymore.” And the women are told they are dense about their work opportunities: “They’ll always consider that ‘man’s work,’ no matter how good at it you are!”
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Wonderful! Really great mix of both “sides” being dense and creating conflict. Next up would be @Writegeist…
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Thanks, Jim. You are navigating us well, despite the occasional “choppy seas.”
I have a question… In terms of the appreciations (Am I using the right term?) that are left, are there some that are tougher than others? Or does it really depend upon experience doing this kind of exercise and the story that’s being explored? I guess I’m asking so that I don’t take so long to come up with a solution… Unless nobody’s bothered by that, of course.
I would try and take one of the Signposts – the sooner we can get those done the sooner we’ll have an actual story to look at.
Main Character Signpost 2: Remembering
As Marybeth agonizes over making the right personal and career decisions, she remembers how her parents struggled to make ends meet while encouraging her to never lose sight of her dreams.
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Excellent!
Here’s my contribution:
Influence Character Signpost 1: Exploring Something’s Origins: As a lover of history, Sebastian finds it disconcerting how incredibly difficult it is to explore the origin of animation. Save for a few pottery bowls and some cave paintings, giant gaps in time exist where animation seems to simply up and disappear. Who’s to say the same won’t happen today?
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OS SIGNPOST 2: Shooting People
The desperation of people of New York bubbles just beneath the surface, occasionally welling up to smack our artists around. Gunfire erupts regularly in Marybeth’s neighborhood. And a couple of the artists see a stickup in an alley way and hear gunshots after they’ve passed.
This choice seems a little obvious to me. I’m not married to it…does anyone have any suggestions for improving it?
I suppose “Shooting People” could also be interpreted to mean people with 1930s-style cameras “shooting people,” like as “research shots” for whatever animation the Fleischer Studios is working on?
Or it could be both: Some desperate folks are gun-shooting people, and other folks, maybe just as hungry but with an inherited or salvaged camera, are camera-shooting people to capture the times, the raw emotions, perhaps to provide loved ones with photographed memories that can be mailed away to the “Old Country”?
Just thoughts…
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Maybe, some of the characters can see a shooting of a photographer, i.e. a 30’s paparazzi rage reaction?
As an artist, I could buy into photographing actors playing like they are shooting people, for use in animation. Elmer and Bugs, anyone? Dick Tracy?
What you gave could be a remnant of the Gangs of New York days, or is this just before Prohibition is repealed? That could work. Is there a signpost that could be a court appearance, coming up? I imagine just after Prohibition being repealed there was a scrambling after what was left for crooks to do.
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After having given this some thought I really like Key’s suggestion to make it shooting people with the camera. So since I still seem to be up I think I’d like to change this.
New OS Signpost #2:
The studio puts out a call for work: they’ll be shooting people doing various tasks some dangers, some not as reference material for the animators. It’s not much but it is some work. One scenario could even involve a shoot out for either a bank heist or a western. 
@jhull Does that look good to you? If so call whoever is next?
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Hey, y’all! It’s almost Christmas (so Merry Christmas!), and I believe @Prish is supposed to be the next-to-contribute to this online Story Embroidery!
But @jhull, do you have any suggestions about what Story Appreciations we all need to start concentrating on? I think we still have some Signposts to complete, don’t we?
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Oh, and @jassnip: Of course I approve of your “shooting people with a camera” idea!
Since we’ll be having both photographs and drawn illustrations in this “movie,” we’ll have LOTS of opportunities to use visual images to add to the story’s textures, while reducing the amount of expositional “weight” the dialogue has to bear. The pictures can fill in a lot without it being spoken.
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I’m game to get a suggested appreciation, or whatever would be good for the next step.
Jim emphasized the need for completing the signposts, I think (See Post 269).
Apologize for the delay. Out for the holidays. Will pick up after Christmas.
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