Scott, if you have the time and if it applies here, can you give an example of the EVENT - RXN - SHIFT you posted a week ago or so?

Sure, John. The basic idea, as you may remember, is we can think about a screenplay universe as having two worlds or realms: The External World, what we, as moviegoers see (Action) and hear (Dialogue). This is what we can call the Plotline, where visible events happen. The Internal World, the domain beneath what goes on in External world. So where there is Dialogue, in the Internal World we have we call Subtext. And where there is Action, we have Intention, the inner motivations, conscious or unconscious, of the characters when they do things. I call this the Themeline. Another way of looking at it: External World = Physical Journey, the actual events that transpire in physical space. Internal World = Psychological Journey, the EMOTIONAL events that evolve within each character's psyche. So if you can imagine two parallel horizontal lines: Ext World ----------------------------- Int World ----------------------------- Now imagine an EVENT happens in the Ext World. The character has to PROCESS the event, what it means to them. This process leads to a REACTION, representing a SHIFT, small or large, in their beliefs. And that manifests itself in their BEHAVIOR in the Ext World. Then the story goes along: Boom. Another EVENT. PROCESS. REACTION. SHIFT. BEHAVIOR. It's this ongoing interweaving looping line going back and forth between the Plotline and the Themeline, always moving left to right, representing the advance of the plot and the transformation of the character. In one way of looking at it, a story is simply a series of these events -- what we call plot points -- reactions and shifts. Cumulatively we can call that evolution of a character's psyche METAMORPHOSIS (or Transformation, if you prefer). Indeed, a great way to make sure your story is infused with emotional and thematic meaning is when developing it, to consider how the Physical Journey SERVICES the Psychological Journey. There should be a synergy between the events which happen in the Ext World and the transformational power they bring to the characters in their Int World. Now let's bring that to The Imitation Game. Here's a simple example. From the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown by Rick Dyke: Scene 8) Pages: 29-32: Alan reveals he is building a machine to break the code. Commander Denniston denies him the funds to build it and says his co-workers have filed a complaint. Alan isn’t worried about the complaint – he is willing to contact Winston Churchill to get his machine built. Scene 9) Pages: 32-33: Churchill has put Alan in charge of the Enigma project – he fires some of his coworkers. Alan wants to work on the Enigma project on his own. EVENT: He is told no and informed there is a complaint against him. He processes that information, then REACTS: He goes to Churchill. The interesting thing here is the meaning of this interchange is that Alan REFUSES to change. And this reinforces a kind of baseline for his character, one that highlights his fundamental sense of Disunity: He is 100% confident in his intellectual ability. He has 0% confidence in his ability to work with others, based on his personality and experiences being bullied as evidenced in the school year timeline. There is also the huge secret he is hiding: his sexual orientation. Another example: Scene 24) Pages: 68-71: Joan threatens to leave Bletchley because of her parents. Alan insists that she stay – he needs her. He proposes marriage. EVENT: Joan threatens to leave. PROCESS: Alan realizes he can't succeed without her. REACTION: He proposes to her. SHIFT: He publicly acknowledges his need, no longer 100% confident in his ability to pull off the task at hand. This, of course, is something the character builds to over the course of time. It's not an overnight transformation. The ending: When he is found guilty of indecency (EVENT). He processes that and eventually reacts: Suicide. That represents the end point of his metamorphosis, a tragic story whereby he is never able to move toward Unity, although we can look at his act as a symbolic way of joining the idealized Christopher of his youth who had died years earlier. Anyhow, this little rubric -- EVENT / REACTION / SHIFT is a tool. That's all it it. It's one way among many to look at Story. But for some writers with some stories, it's a great way to make sure they find and keep a direct connection between Plot and Character.

I don't have time right now to do a sequence breakdown, although clearly they are there in the script. I do, however, want to note how intricately crafted this narrative is, all to the credit of screenwriter Graham Moore. Bouncing back and forth between three timelines is a bear of a challenge. If you just track the transitions and see how Moore uses them to provide meaning to moments, it's a real testament to his skill. One small example. Here is a set of three continuous scenes in Act One which hit all three timelines back to back to back. From yesterday's scene-by-scene breakdown: Scene 3) Pages: 13-17 Location: Bletchley Park – soon after scene 2 - 1939 Action: Alan Turing is introduced to the Enigma machine, the challenge to solve, and the men he will work with. Purpose: This seems an impossible task, and Alan Turing wants to work by himself. Scene 4) Pages: 17- 20 Location: Sherborne School for Boys – 1927 Action: As a schoolboy, Alan is obsessed with separating peas from carrots. Then other schoolboys torture Alan by burying him in a makeshift coffin. Alan has a friendship with Christopher. Purpose: Alan Turing is an “odd duck” – he’s different. He seems to have a true friend in Christopher Scene 5) Pages: 20 – 23 Location: Manchester Police Station and streets – 1951 Action: The police detective Nock is confused about the Alan Turing case, and he is being followed. Somehow the Foreign Office is involved. Purpose: There’s something to be discovered about Alan Turing. The first scene introduces Turing to Enigma in 1939. But also to the fact he does NOT want to work with the other members of the team. Why, we ask. Cut to the second scene in 1927 where we see Turing being bullied by other boys because he is so different and weird. That visually and emotionally in one set of images tells us pretty much what we need to know about why he has problems working with others. But the scene then introduces Christopher, who rescues Turing from the bullies and immediately we see he will become Turing's friend. But then -- Cut to 1951 where Nock is confused about Turing's reaction to the opening incident - the break-in and Turing's awkward response to it. And this obliquely sets into motion the entirety of Turing's secret, Christopher as a harbinger of Turing's homosexual instincts and Nock's investigation which will eventually lead to Turing's legal and professional downfall and disgrace. All of that in three seamless scenes transitioning through three different decades. If you go through the script, we see these smooth transitions over and over to the point where it moves beyond mere proficiency to a kind of elegance. Finally, the fact there are these three timelines makes it a challenge to do a sequence breakdown because as the example above, there is a seamless nature to some of the transitions meaning the timelines themselves have to be considered as part of a sequence. In other words, you can't just use a shift from one timeline to another as a sign of the beginning or end of a sequence. They are much too integrated to think like that. Anyhow if I can find the time, which I doubt, I'll try to take a whack at doing a sequence analysis. But if some hearty soul would take up this challenge, that would be some good karma as well as a helpful learning experience. And even some creative juju for you!

Thank you for the detailed explanation, Scott. This is very helpful. I'll try to find some time tomorrow to do a breakdown and see if I have a handle on this.

Great, John. Big batch of creative juju for you if you can take a whack at the sequence breakdown.

Scene 1) Pages: 1-7 Location: Alan Touring House – 1951 Action: There’s been a break-in at Alan Turing’s house, but nothing is missing. The police are investigating, but Alan Turing is not cooperative, raising suspicions. A.Pov: Allen’s narration. B. Pov: Nock. EVENT -- break-in at Alan’s house; uncooperative. REACTION – Nock pulls Staehl away. Tells him he thinks Alan is hiding a secret. SHIFT – Nock is introduced as being more interested in football than being a dective, and now he’s the one who gets the story going… Scene 2) Pages: 7-13 Location: Leading to & Bletchley Park–Commander Denniston’s Office – 1939 Action: There’s a war going on and Alan Turing is interviewed for a top-secret code breaking project. He’s very self- confident, almost arrogant about his ability to break the German code – Enigma. Pov: Allen Alan wants to work on the puzzle. EVENT: Denniston is an obstacle. REACTION: Alan reveals that he knows what the job is for – cracking Enigma. Motivation: Not a patriot; doing it to solve the hardest puzzle in the world. A challenge. Scene 3) Pages: 13-17 Location: Bletchley Park – soon after scene 2 Action: Alan Turing is introduced to the Enigma machine, the challenge to solve, and the men he will work with. Pov: Denniston. Provides exposition. Pov: Allen BEHAVIOR: “I don’t have time to explain myself as I go along, and I’m afraid these men will only slow me down.” Scene 4) Pages: 17- 20 Location: Sherborne School for Boys – 1927 Action: As a schoolboy, Alan is obsessed with separating peas from carrots. Then other schoolboys torture Alan by burying him in a makeshift coffin. Alan has a friendship with Christopher. EVENT: Bullied and buried underground. PROCESS: Scared, but controls it. REACTION: He takes the emotion out of it, and therefore the bullies leave. Scene 5) Pages: 20 – 23 Location: Manchester Police Station and streets – 1951 Action: The police detective Nock is confused about the Alan Turing case, and he is being followed. Somehow the Foreign Office is involved. Pov: Nock Nock wants to investigate Alan. EVENT: Alan’s information is classified. REACTON: more convinced Alan is hiding something. EVENT: After seeing the man who is following them, he tackles him. Discovers the man trailing him was working for the Foreign Office. REACTION: Forges the letter to get Alan’s information. SHIFT: more determined. Scene 6) Pages: 24 – 26 Location: War footage & Bletchley Park – Huts 14 & 8 Action: War footage show the Germans attacking. There is a large resource trying to break this code, but only 4 cryptographers. The number of possible solutions is too large – the task seems impossible. Pov: Alan’s narration. Scene 7) Pages: 26-29 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 8 Action: The group tried to invite Alan to lunch – he makes it a difficult conversation and declines, but asks them to bring him back soup. EVENT: the tired team invites Alan to lunch. REACTION: He declines. Works on his machine. Shift: “ON ALAN: He looks out at the team, a slight longing to be among them, and yet the resolution that he never can be.” BEHAVIOR: runs alone. Focuses him. In his own world. Continues his pursuit of designing his machine. Scene 8) Pages: 29- 32 Location: Bletchley Park Action: Alan reveals he is building a machine to break the code. Commander Denniston denies him the funds to build it and says his co-workers have filed a complaint. Alan isn’t worried about the complaint – he is willing to contact Winston Churchill to get his machine built. (using Scott’s post) Alan wants to work on the Enigma project on his own. EVENT: He is told no and informed there is a complaint against him. He processes that information, then REACTS: He goes to Churchill. The interesting thing here is the meaning of this interchange is that Alan REFUSES to change. And this reinforces a kind of baseline for his character, one that highlights his fundamental sense of Disunity: He is 100% confident in his intellectual ability. He has 0% confidence in his ability to work with others, based on his personality and experiences being bullied as evidenced in the school year timeline. There is also the huge secret he is hiding: his sexual orientation. Scene 9) Pages: 32-33 Location: Bletchley Park – Commander Denniston’s Office Action: Churchill has put Alan in charge of the Enigma project – he fires some of his coworkers. EVENT: Alan is put in charge. REACTION: Fires the two linguists. SHIFT: everyone hates him, he doesn’t care. Normal for him. Scene 10) Pages: 33-35 Location: Bletchley Park & insert shots of people all over England Action: The project needs more code breakers and Alan decides to use a crossword puzzle to find potential candidates. His puzzle catches the interest of many people. BEHAVIOR: crossword puzzle to find potential candidates. Doing it his way. Pov: London citizens. Difficult to solve Alan’s puzzle. Everyday life being bombed. Scene 11) Pages: 35 – 39 Location: MI-6 Headquarters and a classroom somewhere Action: The candidates who passed the crossword puzzle test are in a room to be tested again. A woman – Joan Clarke – arrives late and immediately shows self-confidence. She solves a crossword puzzle in 5 ½ minutes that took Alan Turing 8 minutes to solve. Pov: Alan EVENT: Joan is late. Turned away by the MI 6 officer. REACTION: Alan lets her take the test. SHIFT: understands what it’s like to be different. When she aces the test, he’s perhaps found an equal.

I didn't finish but I might come back to this when I have more time. If anyone else wants to finish it before I get to it, you got my blessings.

Thanks, John. It's a solid foundation. It's interesting how our collective understanding of 'sequence' continues to evolve. The shorthand take is a sequence is a set of scenes with its own beginning-middle-end structure, telling its own mini-story, akin to a chapter in a book. The focus has tended to be on using sequence as a tool to work mostly with the plot. However our ongoing discussion about Event - Reaction - Shift grounds sequence in the transformation journey of characters. Things happen. Characters process what happens. That causes a change in their behavior, manifested by an action / choice in the plot. In a way, this rubric Event - Reaction - Shift is a great way to embrace both the physical journey of the story (External World) and the psychological journey (Internal World). I think for most of us, this type of writing comes naturally. However with the preponderance of screenwriting 'gurus' out there focusing primarily on plot, this is a good way to remind us to keep the story tethered to the emotional journey of the characters. Thanks, John! Hopefully someone will come along and wrap up the sequence breakdown you started! Great to have in the archives for future generations to have as a resource!

Scene 1) Pages: 1-7 Location: Alan Touring House – 1951 Action: There’s been a break-in at Alan Turing’s house, but nothing is missing. The police are investigating, but Alan Turing is not cooperative, raising suspicions. A.Pov: Allen’s narration. B. Pov: Nock. EVENT -- break-in at Alan’s house; uncooperative. REACTION – Nock pulls Staehl away. Tells him he thinks Alan is hiding a secret. SHIFT – Nock is introduced as being more interested in football than being a detective, and now he’s the one who gets the story going… Scene 2) Pages: 7-13 Location: Leading to & Bletchley Park–Commander Denniston’s Office – 1939 Action: There’s a war going on and Alan Turing is interviewed for a top-secret code breaking project. He’s very self- confident, almost arrogant about his ability to break the German code – Enigma. Pov: Allen Alan wants to work on the puzzle. EVENT: Denniston is an obstacle. REACTION: Alan reveals that he knows what the job is for – cracking Enigma. Motivation: Not a patriot; doing it to solve the hardest puzzle in the world. A challenge. Scene 3) Pages: 13-17 Location: Bletchley Park – soon after scene 2 Action: Alan Turing is introduced to the Enigma machine, the challenge to solve, and the men he will work with. Pov: Denniston. Provides exposition. Pov: Allen BEHAVIOR: “I don’t have time to explain myself as I go along, and I’m afraid these men will only slow me down.” Scene 4) Pages: 17- 20 Location: Sherborne School for Boys – 1927 Action: As a schoolboy, Alan is obsessed with separating peas from carrots. Then other schoolboys torture Alan by burying him in a makeshift coffin. Alan has a friendship with Christopher. EVENT: Bullied and buried underground. PROCESS: Scared, but controls it. REACTION: He takes the emotion out of it, and therefore the bullies leave. Scene 5) Pages: 20 – 23 Location: Manchester Police Station and streets – 1951 Action: The police detective Nock is confused about the Alan Turing case, and he is being followed. Somehow the Foreign Office is involved. Pov: Nock Nock wants to investigate Alan. EVENT: Alan’s information is classified. REACTON: more convinced Alan is hiding something. EVENT: After seeing the man who is following them, he tackles him. Discovers the man trailing him was working for the Foreign Office. REACTION: Forges the letter to get Alan’s information. SHIFT: more determined. Scene 6) Pages: 24 – 26 Location: War footage & Bletchley Park – Huts 14 & 8 Action: War footage show the Germans attacking. There is a large resource trying to break this code, but only 4 cryptographers. The number of possible solutions is too large – the task seems impossible. Pov: Alan’s narration. Scene 7) Pages: 26-29 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 8 Action: The group tried to invite Alan to lunch – he makes it a difficult conversation and declines, but asks them to bring him back soup. EVENT: the tired team invites Alan to lunch. REACTION: He declines. Works on his machine. Shift: “ON ALAN: He looks out at the team, a slight longing to be among them, and yet the resolution that he never can be.” BEHAVIOR: runs alone. Focuses him. In his own world. Continues his pursuit of designing his machine. Scene 8) Pages: 29- 32 Location: Bletchley Park Action: Alan reveals he is building a machine to break the code. Commander Denniston denies him the funds to build it and says his co-workers have filed a complaint. Alan isn’t worried about the complaint – he is willing to contact Winston Churchill to get his machine built. (using Scott’s post) Alan wants to work on the Enigma project on his own. EVENT: He is told no and informed there is a complaint against him. He processes that information, then REACTS: He goes to Churchill. The interesting thing here is the meaning of this interchange is that Alan REFUSES to change. And this reinforces a kind of baseline for his character, one that highlights his fundamental sense of Disunity: He is 100% confident in his intellectual ability. He has 0% confidence in his ability to work with others, based on his personality and experiences being bullied as evidenced in the school year timeline. There is also the huge secret he is hiding: his sexual orientation. Scene 9) Pages: 32-33 Location: Bletchley Park – Commander Denniston’s Office Action: Churchill has put Alan in charge of the Enigma project – he fires some of his coworkers. EVENT: Alan is put in charge. REACTION: Fires the two linguists. SHIFT: everyone hates him, he doesn’t care. Normal for him. Scene 10) Pages: 33-35 Location: Bletchley Park & insert shots of people all over England Action: The project needs more code breakers and Alan decides to use a crossword puzzle to find potential candidates. His puzzle catches the interest of many people. BEHAVIOR: crossword puzzle to find potential candidates. Doing it his way. Pov: London citizens. Difficult to solve Alan’s puzzle. Everyday life being bombed. Scene 11) Pages: 35 – 39 Location: MI-6 Headquarters and a classroom somewhere Action: The candidates who passed the crossword puzzle test are in a room to be tested again. A woman – Joan Clarke – arrives late and immediately shows self-confidence. She solves a crossword puzzle in 5 ½ minutes that took Alan Turing 8 minutes to solve. Pov: Alan EVENT: Joan is late. Turned away by the MI 6 officer. REACTION: Alan lets her take the test. SHIFT: understands what it’s like to be different. When she aces the test, he has perhaps found an equal. Scene 12) Pages: 39-41 Location: Sherborne School for Boys – 1927 – Day Action: Alan’s friend Christopher introduces Alan to cryptography. They are becoming very close friends. EVENT: Christopher introduces Alan to cryptography; they are spend the day together. PROCESS: Developed feelings towards one another. REACTION: Alan has fallen in love. SHIFT: Alan and Christopher are becoming more intimate. Scene 13) Pages: 41-43 Location: Manchester Police Station and streets – 1951 Action: Alan Turing’s war file is empty – classified. Detective Nock is suspicious about him so they are going to follow him. POV: Nock. EVENT: Nock’s boss wants no part in investigating Alan as a Soviet spy, nor does he want Nock to follow up on his hunch. REACTION: Nock defies his boss’s order and lies to Staehl – he tells him the boss gave the okay to follow Alan, to find out his secrets. SHIFT: Nock is now defying his superiors, creating his own secret investigation. He’s risking his job now. Scene 14) Pages: 43 – 46 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 11 & Clarke household Action: Joan Clarke doesn’t show up with the new recruits. Alan goes to her house to convince her to come work with him. Her parents insist she work in a “lady-like environment” and Alan will make sure it happens. Pov: Alan EVENT: Joan does not show up to work. REACTION: Alan goes to her parents. SHIFT: he is reaching out to someone for the first time (in this time period). Pov: Joan EVENT: Alan is trying to convince her to work with him. Processing: Work with Alan on an incredible and challenging task, or stay behind with her parents living under their and society’s expectations. Alan to Joan: “Sometimes it is the very people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.” REACTION: Joan shows up at the mansion to Alan’s delight. Scene 15) Pages: 46 – 49 Location: Bletchley Park – Huts 8 & 11 Action: Alan’s coworkers are frustrated – they are not making progress. They go to Alan working on his machine and confront him about not helping them. Pov: Alan EVENT: the team is frustrated because there isn’t enough time; it’s divided between working on the machine and trying to decrypt manually. PROCESSING: Alan knows they’re right, but he’s also convinced that completing his machine is the best and only option. REACTION: He goes to Joan for help. Scene 16) Pages: 49 – 53 Location: leading up to and in Joan’s Flat – after dark Action: Alan goes against the rules to climb into Joan’s room with decoded messages seeking a clue to solving Enigma. BEHAVIOR: Alan sneaks the messages to Joan. Setups & Exposition: “0600 hours. Weather today is clear. Rain in the evening. Heil Hitler.” Well, clearly that vital information is going to win us the war; clue between decrypted and encrypted messages; named machine “Christopher”; digital computer Shift: Alan and Joan are bonding. He’s comfortable around her. Scene 17) Pages: 53-54 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 8 the next day Action: There is a Soviet spy in the midst of the project. Because of his habit of working by Himself, and his conflict with his co-workers, Alan is a suspect, Purpose: A level of tension is added – who is the double agent? Pov: Alan EVENT: Denniston and MPs search through his stuff. Accuse him of being the Soviet spy. Processing: None of his team come to his defense, including Hugh, who we later find out knew it couldn’t have been Alan. REACTION: Retreats to the other hut by himself, to be with his machine. EVENT: Joan finds him… Scene 18) Pages: 55 – 58 Location: Bletchley Park – Beer Hut Action: Joan hangs out socially with the guys, even flirting with Hugh Alexander. Hugh states that he does not believe Alan is the double agent. Pov: Joan EVENT: the team is in the beer hut; Joan seduces the team. PROCESSING: Alan is impressed that Joan was able to get the team to like her. He probably already knows what Joan tells him: Enigma is smarter. If you really want to beat it — if you really want to solve your puzzle — you’re going to need all the help you can get. And they are not going to help you if they do not like you. Scene 19) Pages: 58 – 59 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 8 Action: Suggested by Joan, Alan brings apples to his coworkers. He tells a joke. REACTION: Alan makes an effort to warm up to the group. Subtext: “let’s work together”. SHIFT: The first time he has opened up to the group. Scene 20) Pages: 59 – 60 Location: Sherborne School for Boys – 1927 – Day Action: Alan and Christopher pass notes in class – they are in code. Christopher calls Alan “dearest friend.” BEHAVIOR: Unfazed by the put down. Comfortable as long as with Christopher. EVENT: Alan decrypts the message – “dearest friend”. SHIFT: more progression in relationship. Scene 21) Pages: 61-62 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 8 & 11 Action: Alan finishes his Enigma computer, called Christopher, with an important suggestion from Hugh. Will it work? Purpose: Alan’s co-workers do make a contribution to the project. Now comes the big question – will the new computer work? EVENT: Hugh has a good idea. REACTION: The team creates the first digital computer. SHIFT: The team has come together. Congregation. Scene 22) Pages: 62-66 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 11 Action: Alan’s computer just runs and runs but doesn’t produce the solution. Commander Denniston fires Alan, but his co-workers say the computer is the best chance of success. They all threaten to quit. The group is given 1 month to make the computer work. Pov: Denniston EVENT: Denniston tries to pull the plug and fires Alan; the team threatens to quit. Processing: shocked that the team is defending Alan; needs them… REACTION: gives them one more month. SHIFT: the team is now risking their own asses on Alan’s machine. They’re all in it together. Scene 23) Pages: 66-68 Location: Manchester Police Station – 1951 Action: By following Turing, the police discover he is a homosexual, which is illegal. But Detective Nock wasn’t looking for this, he thought Turing was a traitor Pov: Nock EVENT: Discover that Alan is gay; discover that the prostitute and his friend robbed Alan; his boss discovers Nock lied to him (not suppose to be investigating Alan). Processing: Nock is shocked. He doesn’t care about Alan being gay; Nock wanted to get Alan as being a spy. Still thinks he’s hiding something politically. REACTION: Nock convinces his boss to let him interrogate Alan. Scene 24) Pages: 68-71: Joan threatens to leave Bletchley because of her parents. Alan insists that she stay – he needs her. He proposes marriage. EVENT: Joan threatens to leave. PROCESS: Alan realizes he can’t succeed without her. REACTION: He proposes to her. SHIFT: He publicly acknowledges his need, no longer 100% confident in his ability to pull off the task at hand. Scene 25) Pages: 72 – 74 Location: Bletchley Park – Beer Hut Action: An engagement party – Joan is happy. Alan discusses his homosexuality with John Cairncross. It must remain a secret – or it could mean Alan’s death. EVENT: Alan realizes he’ll have to pretend to be intimate with Joan after hearing Hugh’s story; John acknowledges he knows his secret. PROCESSING: Alan wants to have a normal life with Joan, but he doesn’t want to have to live a lie with her. REACTION: Alan accepts John’s advice to keep it a secret. Scene 26) Pages: 74-75 Location: Sherborne School for Boys – 1927 Action: Alan is waiting for Christopher to return to school. He will tell him he loves him. Christopher does not return EVENT: Alan has a note ready to give to Christopher declaring his love for him. But Christopher never shows. Scene 27) Pages: 75 – 77 Location: Manchester Police Station – Interrogation Room – 1951 Action: Detective Nock is interrogating Alan. He is asking him about his work during the war and his theories of artificial intelligence and computers. Pov: Nock EVENT: Of course machines can’t think “as human beings do.” A machine is different from a human being; hence, it would think differently. The interesting question is, just because something thinks differently from you, does that mean it’s not thinking? We allow that humans have such divergences from one another. You like strawberries. I hate ice-skating. You cry at sad films. I’m allergic to pollen. What does it mean to have different tastes — different preferences — other than to say that our brains work differently? That we think differently from one another? And if we can say that about each another, why can’t we say the same for brains made of copper and steel? Alan asks Nock whether he wants to play “The Imitation Game” -- The game. It’s a test, of sorts. For determining whether something is a machine, or a human being. There’s a judge, and a subject. The judge asks questions, and based on the subject’s answers, he determines: Who is he speaking with? What is he speaking with? All you have to do is ask me a question. PROCESSING: Subtext: is Alan still a person with human rights even though he’s gay. REACTION: Nock plays the game – throws us back to the same narration at the beginning. Scene 28) Pages: 77 – 84 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 11 and Beer Hut Action: Alan’s Enigma machine is working, but not fast enough. It can’t solve the problem. At the beer hut later, a radio operator reveals that one German always starts the message with the same 5 letters. Alan runs out of the hut – this is a breakthrough. EVENT: Helen the radio operator reveals the missing piece of information the team needs to crack the Enigma. PROCESSING: Alan gets it, has an thought. REACTION: rushes back to the hut… Scene 29) Pages: 84 – 87 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 8 Action: The code breakers realize they may know some of the words in the messages – “Heil Hitler”. They can use this to set the computer to break the code. They try it out and it works! They have broken the Enigma code – everyone is joyous, Purpose: A climax in the action – success! EVENT: The team cracks the code! REACTION: The team explodes in jubilation. The happiest day of their lives. Scene 30) Pages: 87 – 93 Location: Bletchley Park – Hut 8 Action: Even though the code is broken, Alan realizes they can’t just use the information directly to stop attacks. If they did the Germans would know the code is broken and change the code. They have to keep it a secret that the code is broken – even if thousands will die in a convoy attack, including the brother of one of the code breakers. Purpose: One conflict is resolved – breaking the code, but it is replaced with a new conflict – keeping the code breaking secret. Pov: Alan EVENT: Joan realizes there is going to be an imminent attack on a British convoy. PROCESSING: rational > emotional. Must keep this secret from Denniston. * call back to Christopher’s advice when he was trapped in the coffin. REACTION: let the convoy be attacked. The long term goal is to win the war. EVENT: Peter’s brother is aboard. PROCESSING: Raises the stakes for the others, but not Alan. REACTION: let the convoy be attacked. Scene 31) Pages: 94 – 95 Location: London – Tea Shop Action: Alan and Joan explain the strategy for using the broken German code so they can win the war. The code breaking must be kept secret. Purpose: Alan will use logic and statistics – not emotion – to help win the war. POV: Alan and Joan BEHAVIOR: tell Menzies their plan of action to keep code breaking a secret. Pov: Menzies EVENT: told that the team broke the code; they need his help to keep it a secret to win the war. PROCESSING: knew that Alan was different from the others. His trust in Alan has paid off. REACTION: Alan, I so rarely have cause to say this. But you are exactly the man I always hoped you would be. Scene 32) Pages: 95 – 98 Location: Bletchley Park – various huts Action: The uncoded messages are helping the British defeat the Germans. One day Alan discovers that John Cairncross is the Soviet spy. Alan threatens to tell, but he can’t because his secret of being a homosexual will be revealed. Purpose: Alan’s secret does cost him – it can be used against him. Pov: Alan narration. Ultra. EVENT: John revealed as the spy. Processing: the person he most trusted out of the guys is the traitor. Dilemma: tell Denniston and have his secret exposed, or keep quiet. REACTION: keep quiet. Scene 33) Pages: 98 – 102 Location: Bletchley Park – Joan’s Flat and flashbacks Action: The intelligence contact, Stewart Menzies, reveals that he knows who the Soviet spy is, in fact he placed him in the group on purpose. He enlists Alan to help share just the right information with the Soviets. Purpose: The complexity and the web of lies increases. Alan’s intellect can solve these issues. EVENT: Menzies found the decrypted messages in Joan’s Flat. He forces Alan’s hand. PROCESSING: Alan has to protect Joan, so he agrees to help Menzies. He has no body to trust anymore. REACTION: Reluctantly agrees to help Menzies. Scene 34) Pages: 102 – 104 Location: Bletchley Park – behind Hut 8 Action: Alan tries to get Joan to leave and break off the engagement because he is concerned for her safety. She refuses, so Alan pretends he doesn’t care for her. Joan reacts angrily. Purpose: Alan really cares for Joan – enough to threaten their relationship. BEHAVIOR: Alan tries to distance himself from Joan. EVENT: She refuses to leave him. He hopes to get rid of her by telling her that he is gay, but she already suspected so: I had my suspicions. I always did. But we’re not like other people. We love each other in our own way, and we can still live the life together that we want. You won’t be the perfect husband? I can promise you I harboured no intention of being the perfect wife. I’ll not be fixing your lamb all day awaiting your return from the office, will I? I’ll work. You’ll work. We’ll have each other’s company. We’ll have each other’s minds. Sounds like a better marriage than most. Because I care for you. And you care for me. And we understand one another more than anyone else ever has. PROCESSING: the more he opens up to her, the more he finds out that they are perfect for each other. The best chance they both have at happiness. But because he cares for her and wants to protect her, he must pretend to be a monster. REACTION: he tells her that he never cared, that he used her to solve the puzzle. She was a means to an end. SHIFT: he’s forced to become a loner again. Scene 35) Pages: 104 – 106 Location: Sherborne School for Boys – Headmaster’s Office – 1927 Action: Alan is told that his only friend, Christopher has died of tuberculosis. He had never told Alan he was sick. Purpose: Alan’s relationship often end tragically. He is emotionally wounded by this. EVENT: Christopher’s death revealed. PROCESSING: Alan is heartbroken. REACTION: Pretends he didn’t even know Christopher. Scene 36) Pages: 106 – 108 Location: Bletchley Park intercut with archival war footage Action: Voiceover of Alan explaining how breaking the code won the war. Purpose: Show the rewards of all the hard work and genius of Alan Turing – WW 2 is won! Pov: alan narration. BEHAVIOR: Alan living a lie. Scene 37) Pages: 109-110 Location: Bletchley Park – 1945 Action: The war is over. The code breakers are told to burn all their work. Purpose: The end of the mission. It must be a secret. Another secret in the life of Alan Turing. Scene 38) Pages: 110 – 115 Location: Manchester Police Station and Alan Turing’s House – 1951 Action: Alan Turing is found guilty of indecency. Detective Nock is not happy with the outcome. Joan Clarke visits to support Alan. We find out he is being forced to take hormonal therapy. Alan is working on a new version of his computer, Christopher. It is his only friend. Purpose: Society cannot accept Alan because he is different. But Joan makes an important statement – “ Someone normal couldn’t have accomplished what you did.” EVENT: Alan found guilty. RXN: chose chemical treatment over jail because he feared being away from Christopher. 6 months later EVENT: Joan visits. Processing: he’s physically, mentally, and emotionally broken. It’s humiliating. Scene 39) Pages: 115 Location: Sherborne School for Boys – 1927 Action: Alan sitting alone under a tree crying over the loss of his only friend, Christopher. Purpose: Alan will be alone his whole life. Scene 40) Pages: 115-116 Location: Alan Turing’s House – 1954 Action: The police come and find Alan Turing dead. He has committed suicide by poisoning. EVENT: Alan’s suicide. Processing: Nock feels ashamed. Alan was one of their greatest heroes, and Nock feels partly responsible for his tragic end. Scene 41) Pages: 116 – 117 Location: Bletchley Park – 1945 Action: The codebreakers are burning all evidence of their Enigma code breaking project. Titles tell of the legacy of Alan Turing and his impact on computers. The British government in 1967 changes the laws against homosexuality. Purpose: Alan Turing led a tortured life for being different, but he left a lasting legacy.

Wow, John, awesome! Interesting to see the flow of events as it's pretty damn seamless, isn't it, one thing leading to another. Here's a blast of creative juju for you for your efforts: KAWHOOOOOOOOSH!!! Thanks!