Friday Night Lights, 3x13 - Outline

This show is amazing. First, the outline. Then a bunch of random stuff I loved in the writing and thoughts on how we could apply those things to our scripts. 

Written by Jason Katims (god damn he is amazing)

TEASER: p.1-7
 
EXT. DILLON, TEXAS – VARIOUS SHOTS
Scenes of summer in Dillon. Relaxed.
 
INT. CAFETERIA – DAY
Senior brunch. Tami announces where the players and main cast are going to college.
 
EXT. HERRMANN FIELD – DAY
Last day of practice. J.D. has been named player of the year by a magazine.
 
INT. SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE – DAY
The boss tells Tami that Eric’s job is up for re-negotation and she shoul recuse herself from the vote. She is uneasy about that. 
 
INT. BUDDY’S TRUCK – DAY
En route to a home visit. Coach is uneasy about it.
 
INT. 8TH GRADER’S HOUSE – DAY
Coach learns that Wade was coming around before him. WTF?
 
 
ACT ONE: p.8-18
 
EXT. TAYLOR BACKYARD – MORNING
Coach decides to go have a talk with Joe McCoy.
 
EXT. SAN ANTONIO STATE – CAMPUS – MORNING
Rig and Lyla are not impressed.
 
INT. RIG’S TRUCK – LATER
Neither Rigs nor Lyla is too keen on San Antonio State.
 
INT. SARACEN HOUSE – MORNING
They pack Grandma up to move. Matt starts to feel bad about it.
 
INT. DILLON HIGH – HALLWAY – DAY
Lyla walks down the hall and into –
 
INT. DILLON HIGH – PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS
Buddy and Tami try to talk Lyla out of S.A. State.
 
EXT. APPLEBEE’S/INT. LANDRY’S CAR – DAY
Landry tells Tyra to go talk to the wait list guy at U.T. herself.
 
EXT. MCCOY HOUSE – DRIVEWAY – TAYLOR CAR – DAY
Coach rings the bell. He’s looking for Joe.
 
INT. MCCOY HOUSE – DAN – DAY
Coach and Joe have a stand off.
 
ACT OUT
It’s confirmed: Joe is going for Coach’s job.
 
ACT TWO: p.9-28
 
I./E. RIGGIN’S RIGS – DAY
Riggins likes the shop more than college. Lyla lies about her previous meeting.
 
EXT. UT – CAMPUS – DAY
Tyra and Landry. She thinks this is a stupid idea.
 
INT. UT ADMISSIONS OFFICE – DAY
Tyra talks to the admissions guy. Freaks out when she learns how big the waitlist is.
 
EXT. HERMRMANN STADIUM – STANDS – DAY
Coach and Tami. She tries to get him to come to the board meeting but he refuses.
 
EXT. AUCTION HOUSE – DAY
Rigs and Bro buy a lift and also a big cow.
 
EXT. TAYLOR HOUSE – DRIVEWAY – DAY
Coach and Tami give Julie a car, but Julie is still upset about Matt leaving.
 
EXT. OLD PEOPLE HOME – DAY
It’s a shitty little place, but Grandma tries to be gidnified.
 
INT. OLD PEPLE’S HOME – DAY
Matt and Grandma take in all the old people.
 
INT. GRANDMA’S NEW ROOM – DAY
Matt leaves Grandma in the home.
 
ACT OUT
 
INT. OLD PEOPLE’S HOME, HALLWAY – DAY
Matt cries as he walks away.
 
ACT THREE: p.29-42
INT. LANDRY’SCAR – MOVING
Tyra thinks she’s dumb. Landry pulls over.
 
EXT. SIDE OF THE ROAD – DAY
Landry challenges Tyra to believe in herself. It getst rhough to her.
 
INT. SIZZLER – AFTERNOON
Booster meeting. Joe throws down. Says Wade is going to be the coach next year.
 
INT. SARACEN HOUSE – AFTERNOON
Matt is not happy without his granny there. His mom says she’s taking off. But she loves him.
 
EXT. SIDE OF THE ROAD – RIGGINS’ TRUCK – AFTERNOON
Their truck broke down while towing the lift. Rigs says how the shop is living the dream. Then his brother reveals that he’s having a kid.
 
I.E. BUDDY’S PLACE – FRONT DOOR – AFTERNOON
Lyla relents. She wants to go see her uncle about college money.
 
INT. BUDDY’S TRUCK – NIGHT
Buddy and Lyla drive together.
 
INT. UNCLE GARRITY’S HOUSE – NIGHT
IT’s shaky for a bit, but Lyla charms him. It’s clear that he’s gonna give her the money.
 
INT. COLLETTE HOUSE – NIGHT
Tyra gets the letter from U.T. Runs out to Landry.
 
ACT OUT
 
EXT. COLLETTE HOUSE – DAY
Tyra runs up to him. Opens the letter. She got into U.T.
 
ACT FOUR: p.43-52
 
INT. BOARD ROOM – DAY
Coach and Tami both fight for his job.
 
INT. CHURCH – ALTER
Billy’s getting married. Tami enters later and tells Coach he lost the job.
 
INT. MOOSE LODGE – DAY
Wedding reception.
 
Lyla confesses that she lied, but says she’s not going to Vandy, but then Rigs says she should go.
 
AT THE BAR - -
 
Buddy convinces Coach to consider East more seriously. Says he’ll go with him.
 
ON MATT SARACEN - -
 
Julie tries to break up with Matt, but he won’t let her. She’s touched. Then Matt spots an old man and his grand daughter on the dance floor, and he’s touched. He rushes out.
 
INT. OLD PEOPLE’S HOME – DAY
Matt rescues Grandma from the home.
 
INT. MOOSE LODGE – DAY
Tami says she supports Coach.
 
ACT OUT
Matt leads Granny in to dance. Julie is touched.
 
ACT FIVE: p.53-58
 
INT. MOOSE LODGE – LATER
Tim gives a speech, as we see all our characters and how it resonates with them.  Then Matt tells Julie that he’s staying in Dillon.
 
EXT. MOOSE LODGE – EVENING
Close up the Tyra Landry story. Plus Tami gives Coach a ride to his thinking spot. Then Billy forbids Tim to skip out on college.
 
Then everyone watches the happy couple go, sad in the way that people are sad when they watch people go.
 
EXT. EAST DILLON HIGH SCHOOL – DUSK
Coach and Tami on the 50 yard line. Tammy, “So this is what you want to do?” Black out on Coach’s inscrutable face.
 
THE END

MORE THOUGHTS...
 
After a moment, the door opens: It’s J.D. He’s not expecting to see Coach, and it’s a bit awkward.
 
McCoy is unapologetic and clearly feels no need to explain. Coach tries to control his anger--
 
One scene asks a question – IS JOE MCCOY GUNNING FOR COACH’S JOB? – the next answers it - - YES HE IS - - but only after Coach takes the action necessary to find out - - and that establishes the necessary THEREFORE/BUT.
 
Note: Just having one character lie to another about what they did or where they were, that establishes a lot of drama and momentum moving forward, b/c it’s instant dramatic irony, and it goes a long way. (Lyla does it when she talks to Tim at the top of Act 2 in this episode).
 
“Taylor sits in the empty stands, contemplating things. Tami approaches. He smiles a bit looking at her, the sight of her, soothing.
 
Gary and Buddy CRACK UP. Well, that about takes care of the good memories, and the ensuing silence reminds them both of all the bad shit.
 
Gary: So why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here?
 
Coach looks around the room - - the bureaucrats. All the people he’ll just never get. Who will probably never get him. And Joe McCoy. Fucker.
 
Lyla looks up at him and smiles in such a way that he knows something’s up.
 
AT THE BAR - -
 
(I like those little dashes when switching slugs mid-scene, we don’t usually use them but maybe we should.)
 
“Tyra smiles sadly, takes Landry’s hand. FOR THE REST OF THE SPEECH we CUT TO all of our characers, who are ALL feeling they are at the end of something, and the beginning of something else…”
 
“Do - - you - - hear - - me?” WAY better than doing the age-old “Do. You. Hear. Me?”
 
A large banner informs us...
 
They're in love. Feels good.
 
Lyla takes a picture of Buddy and a slightly uncomfortable Saracen.
 
Buddy applauds but is barely able to contain how horrible this is for him. (Lyla going to San Antonio State with Riggins)
 
Taylor just has a bad feeling about this whole thing.
 
OFF Tami, unsettled, we, (they do this a lot. Off people) OFF Tyra. He does have a point. Stuff like that. OFF Lyla, not a hundred percent why she just lied.
 
They also do a thing where they lead into dialogue with, X and Y share a look, then-- Or basically just whatever it is. Lets us know the mood. Another example: Lyla is tempted but-- (then Lyla dialogue refusing the temptation)
 
They sit with their thoughts. Both inwardly (miserable, concerned, nervous... whatever)
 
You can tell Saracen the logic of his grandmother going into a home all you want, it's just not sitting right. Julie gets this, feels awful for him. (I can see this so clearly. I really loved how they communicated that)
 
The communicate Coach's mood really well. Like, Coach tries to control his anger-- "You can see how that might upset me."
 
They also do a great job of communicating what people aren't saying. Like, "Landry just holds it inside." or "Landry can't take it anymore" Or "Buddy scans the room. Not even a breath." They do a lot with silence. They also demonstrate when silence has felt long by saying, "Finally" when someone breaks it. Or, they do stuff like this to communicate without dialogue: "And pretty soon the score takes over, and we don't even hear what they're saying. But what we see is Lyla continuing to charm Uncle Gary."
Or this: "Julie sees what Matt's looking at and totally gets it."
 
Also, I noticed that a lot of the more on the nose scenes in the script were omitted from the show.
 
They do a great job of communicating vulnerability and conflicting feelings. "Even in his saddened state, he's totally charmed." Or one more I really liked, "HOLD ON Landry, happy for Tyra, even as it starts to sink in-- she's leaving him."
 
They do a great job with simple descriptions. Like, an admissions officer they say is "kind of an accessible looking guy" and the wedding band they describe as "the third best wedding band in Dillon." Which is so perfect. "We're left with this tableau shot of everyone waving with that sad smile people get when they watch people leave them."
 
I liked how they did this too: "FOR THE REST OF THE SPEECH we CUT TO all of our characters, who are ALL feeling they are at the end of something, and the beginning of something else..."