Breakdown

21 scenes · 5 story beats · 2 plot threads · 5 characters

Could You Survive TITANIC?

Educational, Historical Drama

Logline: Jake and Mamrie must race to find a way off the sinking Titanic while exploring buoyancy and finding out if you could survive jumping off a ship’s deck into the ocean, the crushing power of hypothermia, or two people both laying on a floating door.

Theme: Survival

Key Concepts: Density, Buoyancy, Displacement, Hydrogen Bonds, Deceleration, Conductivity, Thermal Equilibrium, Hypothermia, Core Temperature

Medium: Feature film

Credits: Concept by and executive produced by Jake Roper, Ari Mark, and Phil Lott.

Act I

1.EXT. SHIP DECK - NIGHTStory Beat: HookJake and Mamrie fantasize about what their lives will be like in America. Their conversation is interrupted by Mamrie spotting a giant iceberg up ahead. The boat slams into the iceberg and Jake and Mamrie duck for cover.Duration: 1m
2.EXT. SHIP DECK - NIGHTStory Beat: Introduce ConceptJake turns to the camera and gives the viewer a sneak peek into what will be explored in the episode - buoyancy, water density, and hypothermia.Duration: 45s
3.TITLE CARDDuration: 5s
4.EXT. SHIP DECK - NIGHTJake explains that the ship has 2 hours and 35 minutes before it fully sinks. Mamrie asks him how the ship is sinking, when it was supposedly supposed to be unsinkable. Jake tells her that it's due to a lack of buoyancy.Duration: 30s
5.INT. ship - nightJake introduces the concepts of water density and buoyancy.Duration: 30sKey Concepts: Density, Buoyancy

Act IIa

6.INT. SHIP - hall - nightStory Beat: BUOYANCY DEMONSTRATIONJake demonstrates buoyancy through a model ship, showing how ocean liners are able to stay afloat by displacing water. He explains that the Titanic was said to be unsinkable due to its 16 water-tight compartments filled with air at the bottom of the ship, which would be able to keep the ship afloat even if four of them were to leak - but the iceberg tore through six.Duration: 1m 30sKey Concepts: Displacement, Density, Buoyancy
7.EXT. SHIP DECK - NIGHTMamrie points Jake towards the lifeboats. The captain instructs that women and children are to get on the lifeboats first. Since Mamrie doesn't want to leave Jake behind, the captain suggests that they try jumping off the side of the ship, into the water. Jake wonders if you'd be able to survive a jump from that height, or if your bones would break upon impact. He proceeds to fling himself overboard.Duration: 45s
8.INT. pool - nightStory Beat: WATER JUMP DEMONSTRATIONJake explains that surviving a jump into water from a great height is dependent on the way the body enters the water, and the speed in which it does so. Through jumping off a 10-meter diving board and landing feet first, Jake demonstrates that your body hitting the water with the least amount of surface area mitigates the amount of force needed to break the water's surface tension, allowing the rest of your body to enter with little resistance. Jake explains how decelerating quickly will hurt you in a fall. Jake belly-flops off a 1-meter diving board to show how entering the water with a larger surface area causes more pain. Jake explains that as water gets colder, the water molecules become harder to break, which is what's happening in the waters surrounding the Titanic.Duration: 2m 30sKey Concepts: Density, Hydrogen Bonds, Deceleration

Act IIb

10.INT. ship - hallway - nightAs Mamrie and Jake continue running away from Austin, Jake remembers that the movie "Titanic" taught him to run to the stern of the ship and ride it down, something that was actually successful in real life.Duration: 1m
11.INT. ship - cabin - NIGHTMamrie runs past her cabin, and flashes back to when she drew Jake like one of his French girls.Duration: 1m
12.INT. SHIP - hallway - nightJake and Mamrie continue to run from Austin.Duration: 1mKey Concepts: Displacement, Density
13.INT. SHIP - stairwell - nightJake and Mamrie are flagged down by a mother stuck behind a gate, asking for help. Jake notes that it's been 2 hours since the ship hit the iceberg, so the 6 compromised compartments are 70% full of water. Water starts to rush in under their feet. Mamrie points out how cold it is, and Jake presents the question, why is it so much harder to survive cold water than cold air?Duration: 1mKey Concepts: Buoyancy
14.INT. warehouse - NIGHTStory Beat: HYPOTHERMIA DEMONSTRATIONJake explains that when two items of different temperatures come in contact with each other, they will eventually reach thermal equilibrium, which happens quicker with water than it does with air, since water is more dense. In order to test the affects of hypothermia, Jake submerges himself in a pool with water only 6 degrees warmer than the water the Titanic sunk in. Once being in the water for 4 minutes, Jake struggles with the dexterity test. At 14 minutes, he is unable to feel his hands, and begins to disassociate from his body. At 21 minutes, he's unable to complete the dexterity test. At 23 minutes, his core body temperature is deemed unsafe, and he's pulled out of the water. While his exterior reached thermal equilibrium with the water, he got out before his core temperature dropped to 95 degrees.

Act III

16.INT. SHIP - NIGHTJake and Mamrie only have ten minutes until the ship is fully submerged in the ocean.Duration: 1m
17.EXT. SHIP - stern - nightJake and Mamrie make it to the stern, but Jake tells her that in ten minutes the ship will break in half, and only then will the stern sink. Mamrie asks to fill that ten minutes with flashbacks of their time together on the ship.Duration: 1m
18.montageJake and Mamrie re-create famous scenes from "Titanic" for their flashback sequence.Duration: 45s
19.EXT. ship - stern - NIGHTAustin gives Jake and Mamrie his blessing, then proceeds to predict Jake's death. The ship splits in half, and Jake and Mamrie ride the stern all the way down into the water.Duration: 30sKey Concepts: Buoyancy, Density
20.EXT. ocean - NIGHTMamrie lays on top of a door in order to stay afloat in the ocean. Jake asks if there's enough room on it for him, but Mamrie says there isn't. Jake explains that his only hope at surviving is to rely on the buoyant force keeping the door afloat, since if he were to lay on the door with Mamrie, they would both sink. After Jake takes Mamrie's hand and asks her to promise to never let go, Mamrie hears a whistle behind her and lets go. She yells out for someone to save her, not noticing Jake slowly slipping into the ocean until he's fully submerged, sinking towards the bottom.Duration: 1m

Plot threads

Skit
- Introduce key characters and set up the re-enactment.
- The captain calls for women and children on the lifeboats.
- Austin is introduced.
- Jake and Mamrie recreate a famous scene from the film.
- Austin chases Jake and Mamrie.
- Jake and Mamrie rush to find a way off the ship.
- Mamrie asks for a flashback sequence of famous moments from the film.
- Montage of Jake and Mamrie re-creating famous scenes.
- The ship breaks and Jake and Mamrie ride the stern into the ocean.
- Mamrie lets go of Jake's hand and he sinks into the water.
Science
- Introduce scientific concepts that will be explored.
- Mamrie asks a question that prompts the first concept to be explored.
- Jake introduces and explains key terms for the episode - water density and buoyancy.
- Jake carries out his demonstration of buoyancy.
- Jake demonstrates the risks of jumping into water from a high distance.
- Jake describes the real story of a Titanic survivor.
- Mamrie tees up the next concept for Jake to explore.
- Jake demonstrates the effects of being submerged in near-freezing water.
- Jake recovers from his experiment.
- Jake explains the science behind why Jack wouldn't have survived if he got up onto the door.

Characters

Jake35 · White · Male · TeacherLoves science, loves Mamrie, and loves testing just how far he can go before putting himself in danger.What does your character want?: He wants to figure out how to survive the sinking of the Titanic.How will your character attempt to get it?: Through a series of demonstrations, he will test the probability of surviving various dangerous circumstances.
Mamrie38 · White · Female · DamselFun, spirited, romantic. Was engaged to a wealthy man before meeting Jake.What does your character want?: She wants to survive the sinking ship and create a new life for herself with Jake once they get to America.How will your character attempt to get it?: She comes up with ideas of how to safely get off the ship, and follows someone else's lead when they have an idea that will help her. Her own survival is of the utmost importance, and she'll do whatever she can to guarantee her safety, even if it means letting go of others.
Austin29 · White · Male · VillainMamrie's wealthy ex-fiance.What does your character want?: He wants to get revenge on Jake for being with his ex-fiancee.How will your character attempt to get it?: He will attempt to get revenge by chasing Jake and Mamrie throughout the ship, gun in hand.
CaptainWhite · Male
MotherWhite · Female

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