announcer: funding for the kcet "fine cut festival of films" is generously provided by the bridges larson foundation and by the national endowment for the arts, on the web at arts.gov.

teacher: by the end of this week, i want you all to choose one thing unique about you and write one paragraph about it. on friday, everybody will share with the class. so who can tell me what it means to be unique? amelia? amelia: being unique means being different from everyone else. teacher: very good. other ideas, anyone? girls: ♪ let's go swing a rope

again, up and up and down again swing it out and swing it in down and up and down again let's go swing a rope again up and up and down again down and up and up and down 'cause everyone can find-- ♪ boy: let me guess. amelia and jane. both: nope. jane: got any ideas? amelia: we've been to new york. jane: so has sunny. amelia: we've been on the drop of death. jane: lots of people have been on the drop of death. both: we like to sing.

amelia: wait, jane, i don't think we can put that. jane: why not? amelia: because we both like to sing. jane: so? amelia: so it's not unique. jane: you like to draw. amelia: so do you. jane: you like avocado more. amelia: not really. i just eat it. jane: well, i don't know, just make something up. amelia: what? no. [sighs] ok. you can be the one who sings. jane: what are you going to put?

boy: amelia and jane. both: mm-hmm. boy: yes. [bell rings] [children chattering] girl: "i've never looked to see," replied the lion. popcorn--brody. brody: "i am going to the great oz to ask him to give me some," remarked the scarecrow, "for my head is stuffed with straw." "and i'm going to ask him to give me a heart," said the wood man. and i am going to ask him... teacher: no hats in class, amelia. brody: ...added dorothy. "do you think oz could give me courage?" asked the cowardly lion. popcorn--jane. i mean, amelia. [indistinct chatter] [zips backpack] girl: i've been to 13 states. girl 2: i've been on the drop of death like 7 times. girl 3: well, i have an iguana.

girl 4: i've worn makeup before. girl 2: what? really? girl 4: yeah, it's cool. my mom got me a whole set. it has like...

[amelia gasps] ugh! jane: amelia, we're gonna be late. amelia: coming! girl: this one's a bear. my god, i have 10 million of these.

this one's a dolphin. nice hair. amelia: oh, thanks. nice...shoes. girl: thank you. [amelia humming] ♪ up again up and up and down again start down low, then end to end ♪ [jane humming same song] amelia: hey, why is your hair like mine? jane: i don't know. i like it this way. amelia: that's my thing. jane: not anymore. [amelia grunts]

[pencils clatter] jane: amelia, what are you doing? what are you looking for? [amelia grunts] jane: amelia. amelia, where are you going? what are you looking for? [amelia grunts] jane: hey! just tell me so i can help. amelia! [knocking on door] amelia, what are you looking for? grr!

[kids chattering] girl: is that a new bear? where did you get that? girl 2: uh, i don't know. my mom used to have one. girl 3: oh, my gosh, they're so cool. i used to have, like, a ton of those. girl: how much do you have? girl 2: there's, like--on here,

i have about, like, a hundred or something. and then at home, i have, like, 500. amelia: hey, sunny. i got the ball. you know, like yesterday. i thought... girl: what was that? girl 3: was that amelia or jane? sunny: i don't know. i can never tell. that was weird. boy: i'm unique because i love baseball. i like running to home plate as fast as i can. it will always be my favorite

sport. [applause] teacher: very good, joey. sunny? sunny: so i'm really unique. i'm unique because i like fashion, i like dancing. i have 200 silly bandz. and my dad is a firefighter. [applause] teacher: ok, good, sunny. amelia. amelia, we'd all like to know what you wrote. amelia: i'm not. teacher: you're not going to share? amelia: i'm not unique. teacher: all right. please see me after class, amelia. brody, why don't we move on to you for now? brody: so i actually put the

same thing as joey because i also like baseball. i wrote that i love it because i play on a team every week and with my dad on the... [indistinct chatter] teacher: amelia. amelia, i think you're unique. maybe you just need a little bit more time.

[amelia humming] ♪ up and up and down again swing it out and swing it in down and up and down again let's go swing a rope again up and up and down again down and up and... ♪ [continues humming song]

man: beginnings can be tricky, but they are the key to any script. a strong beginning-- in other words, a strong act one--perfectly sets up the world of your story. and within that world, you set up the driving force of your screenplay--character. without strong characters, we don't care. take me, for example. if you didn't know who i was, you wouldn't care about this masterclass. well, if you fell into this by accident or some film school nerd is making you watch this on a date, then welcome. i'm phil gunderson. i have written 33 produced screenplays all on my own. my hands have bled the truth from

my soul. they have lived thousands of lives, seen things you couldn't possibly imagine, walked the world and back. there's really no way to teach that. but for what i'm getting paid, i'll give it a shot. director: cut. phil: what? i was in the flow. director: mr. gunderson, i'm so sorry, but you can't say it isn't teachable. phil: then i'd be lying. how does one come up with unique characters out of thin air? i'm going to share a secret of mine, something i've never told anyone before. this is phil gunderson's genius patented formula for creating characters. don't tell anyone. shh. so what you do is you pick one character trait. oh, cowboy. now that is a great character. but something is still missing, you know. so we repeat.

an agoraphobic cowboy. now that is a complex and unexpected character. that is someone with depth. and that is how i set up the protagonist for the script i'm writing now, "the cliffs of id." so you've established your unique character, but now you need something, a point of attack that's going to push your character into act two. it can be something small at first. director: do you think you could turn your phone off, mr. gunderson. [tapping clipboard] phil: i am so sorry. ahem. well, like i said, the point of attack is what's going to lead your character into act two. but

your character has to decide if he or she or they will take the point of attack. let's go back to my agoraphobic cowboy. the point of attack is going to be when the cowboy gets--gets a panicked call. it's awful news. your mom's in danger. there's--there's bandits. the cowboy needs to make a choice. he's deathly afraid of going outside, but he has to save his mom. that is your lead into act two. this is where most writers give up. they have writer's block. they can't come up with anything. they're scared little babies, blah, blah, blah. director: you're getting a little nervous there on me.

just stay calm. you've written a million act twos. they're all fantastic. it'll be fine. phil: so, what you're going to want to do is... well, you have your act two question from before. and, um... it starts with the question that i told you about. is the cowboy going to find the courage? in other words, is mommy gonna be ok? director: cut. can someone get phil some water? is everything all right? phil: let's go again.

but what is an act? it probably comes from action, which has latin roots. and two is, of course, english. but in spanish, it would be act dos. director: cut. no one is paying for your masterclass in linguistics. phil: writing is linguistics. director: you are an oscar-winning--no, multiple oscar-winning titan in this industry. the best filmmakers around the globe look up to you. i look up to you. you're like a god to us. phil: i got to take... [panting] [telephone rings] rajiv: phil? phil: rajiv, how do you do it? rajiv: do what? phil: write an act two? i'm filming my masterclass, and

i can't tell them. rajiv: why'd you even agree to do the masterclass if you-- phil: i don't know, ok? isn't that what you're supposed to do when you're famous, just pass the knowledge on? just so you can get your annoying agent off your toes once and for all? can you--can you just give me the--the--the steps? rajiv: well, if you break it up into sequences, and act two is sequences 3 to 6, so you just have to go off a couple of obstacles. phil: no, no, no, no, no. explain it simply. rajiv: you just come up with obstacles, and they have to ironically-- phil: everyone learns that in film school. how do you do it? rajiv: i'm sorry, i guess it just comes naturally. [phil grunts] i'm a ... hack and everyone's gonna know. [panting] [knock on door] director: phil, are you ok?

phil: hey. i, uh, i need to go home. director: what? phil: i'm just--i'm not on my game today. um, let's just finish up tomorrow. director: but there is no tomorrow. this is a one-day shoot. your check cleared, but i still have to pay all this cast and crew. phil: why are you being so mean? i can't do it. [indistinct] [phone buzzes] [muttering]

[grunting, panting] man: do you need a ride home, sir? [crickets chirping] phil: [sighs] all righty. phil gunderson teaches how to make stew. act one. [sighs] cool. act two. wait. come on. [gasps]

woman: what are you doing, phil? phil: oh, cooking dinner, honey. woman: i already made you dinner. it's in the oven. phil: oh. woman: um, phil? [phil moaning] woman: phil! you missed a step. phil: right. right. i can't do seconds. woman: seconds?

did...did you already finish? phil: no. second acts. i can't do second acts. i don't know what it isn't connecting. woman: oh. [phil sobbing] woman: sweetie, it's all gonna be ok. phil: so what we're doing in act two is increasing opposition, which intensifies the conflict by making it harder for the protagonist to achieve his goal. another important aspect to remember, you want to supplement your protagonist with moments of failure in act two. uh, where was i? um. the midpoint. director: cut. phil: what? it was going great. [all groan] phil: oh, well, what do you want me to do?

all right, let's just--let's just move on. i think--i think i'm just getting stuck in this whole act two stuff. so, after all the struggle of act two, act 3 is where the tension ratchets up to a key moment. your protagonist needs to make a final character-defining decision. director: no, no, no. let's just go in order, ok? finish act two. come on. phil: but-- director: phil, the reason our subscribers pay for masterclass is because they want your technique. they want you. so, just tell us, when you sit down to write an act two, what do you do? all right, let's go for a take. sound speed. camera speed. you ready, phil? i'm going to take that as a yes. action. phil: when i write an act two...

i call my ghostwriter rajiv. i send rajiv my characters in my act one, and within a couple of days, i get a polished act two. so basically, i have an indian do it. [clap] [applause] director: phil! that's more like it. keep going, keep going, keep going. phil: it's that simple, everyone. honestly, it can apply to every aspect of your life.

can't drive? have an indian do it. can't cook? have an indian do it. [woman moaning] phil: it's not that difficult. [all cheering] man: entire... [woman speaking hindi] [overlapping voices speaking hindi] phil: so when you finish your script, you send it to your agent. just remember, confidence

is everything. so be proud and be honest and you'll rise to the top like me in no time. i'm phil gunderson. rajiv: and this is his masterclass. teacher: blaire. blaire: here. teacher: kayden. kayden: here. teacher: lake. kid: sorry, mrs. j., lake's a little late today. again. [laughter] mrs. j.: thank you, lucas. lucas: ow! mrs. j.: [gasps] lake, detention.

lucas: mrs. j! oops. mrs. j! [laughter] mrs. j. mrs. j. mrs. j! mrs. j! lake: stupid detention. stupid lucas. stupid mrs. j. when did you--give it back! lucas: heh. ok, come and get it. lake: hey! grr! we shouldn't be here. lucas: what, scared? lake: [grunts] ow. [gasps]

this isn't really safe. [owl hooting] can we leave? oof! lucas: ha ha ha! you got scared of a bird. lake: shut up! [echoing] shut up! lucas? [clanging] who's there? not funny. i'm telling mrs. j. lucas: really? think she'll believe you? lake: you wouldn't. lucas: watch me. [lake gasps] lucas: you thought it'd be that easy? how embarrassing. lake: it's because of you. lucas: really? it's my fault you can't make it to class on

time? it's my fault all my friends like me more than you? it's my fault i'm just the better twin? lake: you're not better. you just get me in trouble to make yourself look good. lucas: what? no. lake: everyone says, "oh, lake, why can't you be more like your brother?" yeah, well, they wouldn't say that if they knew who you really-- lucas: shut up. you wish you were me. [grunting] [metal clangs] lucas: ow! ow! my ankle. lake: why would i care? lucas: lake, help me up. i'm sorry, ok, lake? please! [tires squeal] [owl hooting] mrs. j.: blaire. blaire: here. mrs. j.: kayden. kayden: here. mrs. j.: lake.

lake: sorry, mrs. j. i think lake's late again. you know how he is. [laughter] mrs. j.: thank you, lucas. melanie. melanie: here. mrs. j.: olive. [birds chirping] [woman speaking korean]

[singing in korean] [speaking korean]

wow. [piano playing]

[choir singing indistinctly]

woman: then stop. so calm and so peaceful. that's my husband. now i'm so old. everybody at night asleep, i think in many things. i think of my husband. and i still miss him. 22 years.

i have a good life. i have a good life. that's my story.

[phone vibrates] [engine revs] [horn honks] [crash] [glass shatters] [car door opens, car dings] [keys jingle]

[car door closes] [man panting] woman: marcus, you should go wild west tomorrow. marcus: why? don't you trust me? woman: i don't know, just a gut feeling. marcus: dani, your gut feeling has gotten us into a lot of trouble before. dani: you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. marcus: no, no, it's fine. i'll put the card up my sleeve. dani: i'm talking about tomorrow. it's not too late. we can still walk away from this.

marcus: it's for mom. i have to do this. i mean, it's like you said... how else are we gonna make enough money by next month? dani: just be careful, ok? marcus: always.

alex derosa? alex: i was just handling some business. you don't have a problem with that, do you? marcus: no. alex: how did you hear about our little backroom game again? marcus: so what do we do? dani: say, "it's hard to keep a game like this under wraps"... marcus: especially when this much money's involved. alex: well, i assume you know what kind of game you're getting into. no re-buys, no cashing out. we raise the blinds until there's one person left. winner takes all. marcus: well, then, let's get started. how much is the buy-in? dani: 15,000.

marcus: 15,000? dani: you know how poker works. can't make money without risking some first. marcus: yeah, but i didn't know we'd be risking everything we've saved up so far. dani: it's not a risk with what you're doing. marcus. marcus. so, how's it done? how you going to rig the game? marcus: i'll need to be patient, lose a couple hands on purpose. then when the time's right, i'll rig the shuffle. second to the others, maybe even

from the bottom of the deck. dani: what do you do if there's a dedicated dealer? marcus: it's kind of hard to rig a game then, but if i have to, i'll just put a card up my sleeve. dani: that works? marcus: call it wild west because it rarely works. but i won't need it because i'm going to play it safe. i'm going to rig a few hands in my favor and eventually... man: all in. two pair. marcus: jacks full. alex: looks like you're dry, will. you can show yourself out. marcus: and eventually i'll bleed them out.

alex: rare to see you lose out so easily, petyr. petyr: kid's lucky. he's got you on the ropes as well. alex: wait. why don't you stick around and deal while we play heads up? it's a lot quicker with the dedicated dealer. petyr: sounds like a good idea, boss. alex: looks like your lead's disappeared. marcus: still plenty of game left. alex: we'll see. 1,000.

marcus: 5,000. alex: oh, trying to buy the pot. scared i have a draw? ok. i call. marcus: another 5. alex: heh. this should be fun. call.

oh, come on. if you have the hearts, bet bigger than that. all right, so you just have, what, little more than me, right? ok. all in. marcus: you really got a flush? alex: there's only one way to find out. [heartbeat]

dani: so why's wild west easy to get caught? is it difficult to take the card out? marcus: no, i can do that just fine. it's just that if someone has the hidden card, that's it, i'm caught. yeah, i call. [rapid heartbeat] alex: this is...a bad beat. you got it. congratulations. marcus: thank you. where do i take these? alex: cashier. tell her to fetch the key from the safe. today's combination is 57-13-19.

marcus: cool. thanks for the game. alex: can you believe he slow-rolled me like that? petyr: what do you mean? alex: bad etiquette. with the best possible hand, he still made me think i had a chance of winning the pot. petyr: scummy move. alex: it was something else. go after him.

petyr: what did you do? marcus: i felt bad about cheating. got rid of the money. dani: i got a job. marcus: is it good enough to make 50 grand by april? dani: yes. you can rig cards, right? it's a laundering front for the derosa family. marcus: that derosa family? dani: the store's never busy and there's no cameras inside.

what we're interested in is the poker game that's held in the backroom every weekend. marcus: put the money in your bag and give me the empty briefcase. dani: whoever works the register is paid a little extra to cashier the games. marcus: but i think they're onto me. dani: you sure? marcus: gut feeling. dani: all we need to do is win the poker game and we get everything in the safe. marcus. marcus: hey, don't worry about me, ok? we did it. you did it. dani: be careful. marcus: always. take care of mom for me. dani, i don't know about this one. dani: how else are we going to make enough money by next month? hey, you can't lose if you got me up your sleeve. marcus: [chuckles] all right.

let's take it down. [indistinct chatter] [horns honking] [bird sighs]

[footsteps approaching]

man: ♪ let's go sing a song again up and up and down again

start down low then high to end down and up and down again let's go sing a song again up and up and down again down and up and up and down 'cause everyone can find a song to sing ♪ director: cut. that's a wrap. [bag unzips]

[birds chirping] rapper: ♪ expert about to go crazy whoa, whoa ride on the nones i've been standing on my enemies ain't got no time to stop you saw me sleeping go to sleep you hear me honestly so where's all your honesty? you followed me you read like a parakeet you ... love problems you could be sneak dissing you ... love problems you could be sneak dissing you ... love talking but, hey, to be really hitting you ... love talking but, hey, to be really hitting

y'all always whining, whining i be like what the ...? just because we talking, talking don't mean i feel in love don't think you can't get to walking just because we share some blood right on the mountains off these glaciers they bringing floods ♪

announcer: funding for the kcet "fine cut festival of films" is generously provided by the bridges larson foundation and by the national endowment for the

- [mother perry] people might not express it, but there's gonna be a change in somebody's life. that's what i'm working for. that somebody would just stand up in that congregation and tell god thank you. i've been saying, ♪ keep yourself prayed up. [ambient music] - [male announcer]: support for reel south is provided by: