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    Gideon: The Horse That Saved Texas
    Gideon: The Horse That Saved Texas
    Gideon: The Horse That Saved Texas
    Ebook155 pages1 hour

    Gideon: The Horse That Saved Texas

    By Jack R. Stanley

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    About this ebook

    Author Jeff Carroll first published this story in his collection of Texas history called Legendary Texas. This screenplay brings the tale to life. A horse with the peculiar fear of running water, is given to 13-year-old boy in 1836 by a Mexican rancher fleeing the Mexican army. The boy’s mother owns a small hotel in Fort Bend, Texas. The horse was taken by Mexican soldiers on their way North to the fight known as The Alamo. Even though the boy and his mother go to Santa Anna’s camp to recover the horse, the general tell his soldiers to hide the horse. In the final battle of the war, San Jacinto is where Texas wins it freedom with the help of the stolen horse.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJack R. Stanley
    Release dateJul 8, 2013
    ISBN9781301606375
    Gideon: The Horse That Saved Texas
    Author

    Jack R. Stanley

    Jack R. Stanley is an award winning novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. As an officer and combat photographer in Vietnam he earned the Bronze Star. Yet he says, “When you’re in a firefight and everybody else on both side have guns while you have a camera --- you get to change your pants a lot.” After his military service he received both his M.A. and his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in Radio-TV-Film. His doctoral dissertation was on the long running TV series GUNSMOKE. Stanley also received two of Michigan1s most prestigious creative writing awards, The Hopwood Award, one for a one-act play and the second for a novel. Still married to his gifted high school sweetheart, Stanley’s first academic position was TV Area Head at The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Radio-TV-Film. He later moved to deep-south Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley for a challenging position with The University of Texas-Pan American. Here he taught Theatre-TV-Film for 30 years in the Department of Communication serving as Department Chair at U.T.P.A. for 11 years. He did take one year out to work for The University of Alaska Anchorage as a visiting professor. Back in Texas, Stanley directed for stage at The University Theatre, produced and directed fifteen student staffed, cast, and crewed feature films, writing most of the original screenplays. Just a few of his credits are available on IMDB.com. He now lives in the Texas Panhandle where he writes his fiction and runs his blog, www.TheFictionWritersNotebook.com . His webpage is www.jackrstanley.com.

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      Book preview

      Gideon - Jack R. Stanley

      GIDEON: THE HORSE THAT SAVED TEXAS

      An original screenplay

      by

      Jack R. Stanley

      Story by

      Jeff Carroll

      © All Rights Reserved

      Registered WGAw

      GIDEON: THE HORSE THAT SAVED TEXAS

      Smashwords Edition

      Text copyright © 2013 by Jack R. Stanley

      All rights reserved.

      This screenplay may not be copied or reproduced, in whole or in part, by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in his/her review.

      This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any persons, events or localities is purely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author and publisher.

      Credits:

      Cover illustration`

      iStock_000016537139Illustra by susaro

      http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-16537139-film-strip-elements.php?st=21d229a

      jacks@utpa.edu

      www.thefictionwritersnotebook.com

      www.jackrstanley.com

      ABOUT READING SCREENPLAYS

      By Jack R. Stanley

      A movie script is a story told in visual terms as seen by the film or television camera, and just as it will be seen by the audience on the screen.

      Screenplays are not, however, really meant to be read by the general public. In fact, the version you’ll see here is NOT the professional format but one I call E-book Readable Screenplay. It’s designed to (1) easier for e-book readers to handle and (2) more accessible to the non-professional reader.

      As a document, screenplays are actually a technical writing intended for the eyes of professional working on the film or video production based on the script. And yet, a good screenwriter knows that the script should be first of all be a good reading experience for professional script readers, potential producers, directors, and actors. The text is written for these professionals who, hopefully, will combine their talents to mount a production of the script.

      The description of the sets, lights, props, actions and sounds are often written phrases and incomplete sentences, not punctuated correctly, and annotated in a code expected to be interpreted by those who know the code. Think of the difference between a script and a movie as the difference between a blueprint and a building.

      In a very real sense, "..the movie (like a play) is the thing" – not the screenplay. Still, a well written script will play out in the mind of the reader like the movie running in their head.

      The protocol of the screenplay is that each scene begins with a heading in all caps that tells the reader where the scene is located (INT. for interior or inside, and EXT. for exterior or outside) followed by a specific place (BEDROOM or SQUAD ROOM, or CITY STREET) and often the time of day (DAY or NIGHT). In the format you’ll see here all Scene Headings are underlined like this:

      EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT

      The stage directions or action paragraphs below the Scene Headings, describe briefly the local, (war torn or modern steel and glass) and what action is taking place. These very general descriptions appear here with character names in ALL CAPS if it’s a character’s first appearance in the story.

      JOHN DODGE sprints from tree to bush and drops into a bomb crater his rifle ready to cover the rest of the team. One by one ALICE, MAC, and TINY join him each securing a different direction.

      Certain words may appear in ALL CAPS just to make them jump out because screenwriters know the old joke: Why do producers hate to read? Because their lips get tired. For this reason the punch up the script so even if the producer just reads what in ALL CAPS and the dialogue, they’ll get the story.

      Directing from the page is a major no-no for screenwriters so writers don’t try to specify certain shots beyond EST. or establishing shots to tell the reader where the doors and windows are or other set specifics as absolutely necessary. Often the mere use of a different paragraph of stage direction indicates a different shot but it’s not the writer’s job to tell the director what shot or what lens to use unless it is mandatory. For example if Hans unsnaps his holster while talking to the bounty hunter in the bar, this will be noted.

      In this Stanley Readable Screenplay when shots are indicated, they, too, will be underline like Scene Heading. However, screenwriters rarely specify and exact nature of a shot, rather merely suggesting a different ANGLE, or a WIDER or CLOSER shot when required.

      Here are some of the terms you’ll see in all screenplays.

      ANGLE - a single camera shot. Camera shots are also written as CLOSER or WIDER or even DIFFERENT ANGLE or ANOTHER ANGLE.

      ON - BILL or BACK ON – BILL are general camera shots but not necessarily a CLOSE UP or MEDIUM or even OVER THE SHOULD shot of the character. The ON or BACK ON shot simply means that the audience’s attention should shift but exactly how is a decision for the director to make.

      BILL or BACK ON - SCENE means return to a previous shot after allowing the audience to see something specific.

      Some other terms you should know:

      BEAT - a pause equal to a single count or beat of a waltz; usually a one second pause in action or dialogue.

      P.O.V. - point of view; a camera shot taken from the vantage point of a person or object.

      V.O. – voice over; narration, or a person’s thoughts or memories.

      O.C. - off camera; dialogue, sound effects or action which takes place but which is not seen at that moment.

      BILL (O.C.)

      Hi, Sam. What's up?

      You will also see a few transitions noted (DISSOLVE TO: or FADE TO BLACK: and FADE IN:). Unless otherwise noted it’s normal to CUT TO: the next shot or scene from the previous. But you will find some writers to still use CUT TO: for emphasis.

      Dialogue is written in upper and lower case under the CHARACTER’S NAME in ALL CAPS set off in to be distinguished from stage directions. Parentheses under the character’s name or within dialogue are stage directions to the actors

      BARTOK

      (Yawning)

      My partner here, yet, or is he still home getting laid?

      PATROLMAN

      Upstairs. And the Captain's on his way, too.

      In some earlier periods, the stage for plays used to be raked or slanted with the lower portion being toward the audience and the upper portion being the back of the stage, away from the audience. So when something or someone is to be U they are to be Up Stage and D is Down Stage. The action and description in the script might indicate that some object or

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