The Lost Angels: Scene One
While trying to write this first scene, I realized that I jumped ahead and skipped a step. I haven't looked back on some of my favorite crime dramas and looked at their structure, cliches, etc. I'll probably spend next week doing that but I think I can still push ahead with the first act. First acts are usually pretty basic; they intro the characters, case, foreshadow possible roadblocks/conflicts, etc. Good whodunnits often intro every suspect in the first act but this isn't really a whodunnit (and I doubt I could spoof those better than "Murder By Death" or "Clue"). I'll write down a more detailed breakdown later but for now here's the opening scene of The Lost Angels.
I originally had a version of this scene in my screenplay "Every 15 Minutes in Hollywood", a script I like but is basically impossible to make. I'm thinking about rejiggering it without the Hollywood element in it. Unfortunately, most of the best jokes stem from the Hollywood angle so by rejiggering I mean competely rewriting it.
As for the first scene, it introduces one of our main characters and sets up that this film is going to be fairly absurdist. Jim Teddy's real introduction will happen later in the first act (in the new version of the first webisode I posted earlier).