Producing : The "What If..." Question by Sandra Isabel Correia

I wrote a film that could shot that way. . I came to take the original marathon story and make it a running into scenes then out and having story in between.. with it a comedy. It having certain cadences they run in on and out and it changing around to be funny as well.. Adding a tattoo map subplot and talking to more people while marathon running 314 miles total in a few days before finding they won. Adding sceens of running on the countryside between acting scenes. Talking and knowing practically everyone he runs by as well as creating issues w people and seeing family.. lots of kids different places..and covered in tattoos and feather wings to match his look. the acting might have trouble pretending to be manic from three hundred miles in. But gonna be really athletic looking.. or skinny and frail.. and what a marathon runner like ?? Kinda could be either so the room of them in some scenes like the in the waiting after the opening message from marathon arrives.. 100,000 Persians landed. There would be multiple runners waiting in Athens to run the message asking for help from Sparta. the governor being an ass waiting creating more a problem and making the audience feel they need to hurry up and ask for back up..

It could be filmed the Nike ending exhausted and still screaming they won.. after the open would be swing 100,000 Persians landing to take on the something like 2500 Greeks that won. They attacked rather than wait in their slave stamps and they fled thru the rest creating confusion and the Greeks had laid out a battle field to curb their Calvary, knowing, cause their general left after a dispute w the leader and became the Greeks general that defeated them. Most the Persians died fleeing to boats and in boats at low tide. The runner got their after the battle and there wasn’t anything like a phone to call it in.. and after running to Sparta from Athens and back, ram to marathon to see if Persia was coming up the road.. or what happened. It would have been scary running towards the battle unknown if they are coming to Athens soon. Athens was in peril if that small force lost. Then after seeing the answer.. was so surprised .. turned around and ran back to Athens 26.2 miles, to tell everyone they Won. Dying after getting the message know there. Her ran three hundred miles.. is the real story. All the scenes in could be reverse and wouldn’t matter, it’s trying to look exhausted that would be hard. But as a comedy.. could have drug use..? They don’t know? They ran extreme distances. It’s all questionable stuff.. was is cocaine? much does it matter..? It fake. He also says he met Pan .. in the mountains, or he might of passseed out and dreamed he did.. I put it where his course there changed when chased by people he wronged come to where he ram too. So he goes south back by the sea instead of the faster mountain way to Sparta.. there could be a romance sparked running past someone that also works sending messages and intercepts their message cause he already delivered it Sparta. It would go together a certain way.

Wow, David Ramey Gordon, your concept for a marathon-themed film shot in reverse is incredibly creative! The combination of historical intrigue, athleticism, comedy, and the tattoo map subplot really makes it stand out. I particularly love how you've woven in the dynamics of the protagonist's journey, from interacting with various people to the emotional weight of exhaustion and the thrill of delivering the message. The reverse storytelling approach sounds fascinating, especially with how the running scenes, countryside visuals, and character interactions could create a tapestry of moments that unfold unexpectedly. And the inclusion of Pan adds a mythical twist; I love that. You did an amazing job. I hope one day you can make the film, because it is completely different from what we have seen. Thank you for sharing. I appreciate that!

Thanks.. I have another that would work too.. that is Steamboat. I was at a museum for the Bertrand Steamship that sunk and was found 100 years later, where the museum is.. and the person giving the tour said over 500 boats sank in a short time during the western expansion, and it was cause they costed $5k to build and made $10k when filled to take people up the rivers.. so captains were sinking them, then going back and getting others. The Bertrand was victim of getting loose during a storm.. and disappeared fully loaded with goods. It could be filmed at the end first and there is no set direction the film has to take cause it’s fictional, it’s just telling you the story of a fictional criminal captain. With a lot of ship sinkings.. I rewrote it, and sent it in recently for friends review. But I have tons of scripts I wrote, if you know anyone wanting a tv or movie project. I’ll split it with ya. I mostly just late night tv freelance write. It pays nothing, but it’s so freaking rewarding when a joke hits in a sketch, and you hear that crowd. https://www.stage32.com/profile/889433/scripts_screenplays

David Ramey GordonThat's a beautiful story, and I like the fact you were inspired by a real story. Thanks for sharing your profile and have you shared your scripts at https://www.stage32.com/lounge/promotion

You can have feedback, and members can interact with you. I see you love to write, and that's so cool. I am cheering for you and thank you for sharing with us.

Sandra Isabel Correia this is interesting. What I will say for now is it will require someone with some considerable experience and practicals!

No doubt, Eon C. Rambally. You are right. But it's an amazing exercise :))

Sandra Isabel Correia correct! Firstly/basically, Storyboarding certainly will have to be of key factors, along with Cinematography and Editing.

We need exercise! Makes us strong and healthy :) !

I love that Eon C. Rambally Exercise :)))

Sandra, Other than the obvious murder mystery, what type of film might you use?? How would yours go, and why?

That's a challenge David Ramey Gordon :)) For me, I’d explore producing a psychological thriller with an experimental twist using the reverse storytelling technique. The idea would be to start at the climactic revelation and unravel the events leading up to it in reverse, immersing the audience in suspense as they piece together the story along the way.

The film could revolve around a protagonist who awakens at the conclusion of a vast conspiracy they've unknowingly participated in. Through a series of reversals, we uncover their journey into paranoia, betrayal, and ultimately, their determination to reverse the situation. This format allows for unexpected twists to emerge organically, keeping viewers captivated and challenged.

I’d approach it this way because psychological thrillers thrive on building tension, and reverse storytelling adds an additional layer of intrigue and unpredictability. It would require precision in production, especially with the actors’ performances and the emotional continuity between backward scenes. But the payoff, an engaging and mind-bending experience for the audience, would be worth the effort. I love psychological thrillers. I wrote a psychological thriller short script ;))

That’s incredibly thought out.. I had a thing happen to me writing the wrong person.. that went from pitching ideas too, to chased after they used the idea publicly, at the presidents level.. so then. The guy to stay alive, writes them more and acted like it didn’t happen, they used ideas over and over and when asked will you credit me already.. the guys stuff was at a Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV, as well as product ideas they then sold.. and ideas used in commercials now. So when reported to the police this is happened they initially don’t believe him. It’s a small town. And do nothing. Next time he calls the people chasing him are with the fbi and sheriff. And he runs to the Air Force to catch them. They call the fbi and fbi hangs up on Air Force and leads to the guy talking to base commander. The chasing stopped. Then they stared doing murders of people named people in your character lines and life.. they do theorist attacks and mass shootings anytime they were made fun of on tv in locations due to lines and strings in scrips.. they get out of hand then. Claim isis each time…. When guy reports them to the news they get a cold shoulder.. first they tell him that you don’t have enough followers to tell us news. . Then they ignore him. He moves on and lives with it and they continue .. getting thru to tv shows and late night shows and they take on the fight.. cause they already had seen them at work. Getting their stuff in here and there and work hard to kick them out of everywhere tv. And that’s how I get stuff on tv now. I became friends w the people that caught them trying, after I emailed and explained what happened. Has all needed plot points and it’s still open how it ends.

Thank you for sharing your experience David Ramey Gordon, and I am happy it all ended well. Nothing is perfect or imperfect; it is what it is. Thank you for your active presence in this challenge; I appreciate that! Thank you.

I’m just curious what story would u use for your scenario, not trying to scare ya. I did nothing wrong they attacked to steal from me. When obamacare was announced I had pitched them a health care website idea two weeks prior and when I asked.. are u gonna credit me is when they decided rather than credit the idea to me to chase me instead. To me a thriller has to make you feel uneasy and still be plausible. . I think most people just think of a death or murder or fictional science happening, or has a gun.. and that becomes a thriller/ scary movie. I don’t write anything w guns. . Or murders. Unless it’s a fake set up and it’s a joke. Corruption is a scary thing, what kinda thing would your escalation reason be??

Given the opportunity to direct, I would go to the drawing board and map out what I the best sway is to film. Give the characters enough screen time

Thank you Nicholas P for sharing your challenge :)) I like the “give the character enough screen time”. Their own free space with it!

Sandra Isabel Correia, For me, I think the script would have to be incredibly precise, probably something leaning into psychological drama or mystery, where the reverse structure enhances the emotional impact rather than feeling like just a gimmick. Something in the vein of Memento or Irreversible, where the reveal of information is directly tied to the character’s journey.

As for a director, I’d want someone who thrives in visual storytelling and is comfortable working non-traditionally: maybe someone with a strong background in editing or experimental filmmaking, since they’d need to be thinking both forwards and backwards simultaneously on set.

Casting would be key too: you’d need actors who are deeply grounded in their characters’ emotional arcs so they can calibrate their performances in reverse without losing authenticity.

And from a production standpoint, I’d be leaning heavily on the post-production team from the very beginning: mapping out story beats, transitions, and visuals in pre-pro so that every piece of the puzzle fits perfectly when put together.

Also, lets not forget the basics . After a good director is hired, who hires storyboard artiste, then cinematographer and editor. Actor(s) basically already contracted (so much to remember). The main focus with all relevant talent on deck, now is on the storyboard. In this case starting from the end coming backwards.

Any editing here is welcomed.

I, personally, think that there are a few genres that could fit a reverse order in storytelling: psychological drama, suspense or thriller. A good example I can think of is the Monster (2023) by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It uses non-linear storytelling blended with the POV of each character.

As for the script, it must contain precise and concise dialogs and scenes with no fillers; otherwise, it will not work for an audience. Every question should be answered as the story progresses. it's risky to try to answer all questions at the end of the story, as the audience might easily give up on guessing what is going on.

So, when we read a script, the following questions should be answered:

1. When are the questions answered?

2. Is the previous scene logically and emotionally connected to the next one?

3. How is the POV executed? If there are several characters, is the connection between them natural (not forced), and does it shine through the answered questions?

4. What does each dialog and scene try to achieve here?

etc.

As for director, I would look for someone who can connect the dots between scenes, someone who knows how to highlight something specific in each scene to link them together, or at least make it feel connected to the audience.

If you do it literally, it simply doesn't work.

Ashley Renee Smith, Your vision is so thoughtfully crafted; :) I really admire how you've considered the precision and emotional resonance of the reverse storytelling. The mention of directors with editing expertise adds a fascinating layer; they'd truly need that dual perspective to make the narrative seamless. And casting actors capable of authentic, nuanced performances sounds absolutely essential. I can imagine how much the post-production process would shape the final impact too; your approach Ashley feels like a masterclass in blending innovation with emotional depth and we all learn from your wonderful expertise :) Thank you for sharing.

You are absolutely right, Eon C. Rambally . The storyboard is such a crucial anchor, especially for a reverse storytelling project like this. Having a clear visual roadmap ensures that everyone, from the director to the editor, can stay aligned with the narrative's unique structure. Starting from the end and working backward adds a layer of complexity, but with a strong storyboard at the helm, it could truly elevate the entire production! Thanks for sharing :)

Anna Berdnikova, your observations are truly insightful! Reverse storytelling absolutely thrives in genres like psychological drama, suspense, or thriller; it adds layers of complexity and intrigue. I love how you highlighted Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster as an example of non-linear storytelling tied to character POVs. It’s a masterful way to keep audiences engaged. Your emphasis on a tight, purposeful script resonates deeply. Answering questions progressively while maintaining logical and emotional connections between scenes is crucial for keeping the audience invested. I also admire how you’ve stressed the importance of POV execution and ensuring every scene and dialogue serves the story. This level of precision could elevate any production. As for directors, your suggestion of finding someone who can seamlessly connect scenes and bring out their unique significance is essential. Reverse storytelling definitely requires that cohesive touch to truly captivate the audience. Great points all around! Thank you for taking the time to share with all of us!

Please give me a memento to think about this.

Sandra Isabel Correia Not sure I understand the question? Would this be for filming exigencies? Films are shot out of order almost always. Reverse order? Is this an exercise in mental acrobatics? Just curious.

You have all the time you need Ken Turocy :))

Hi, Jack Binder. It's an exercise in mental acrobatics to expand our creativity. How would you expand as a producer?