Over the course of further meetings, Cimino and Deeley discussed the work needed at the front of the script, and Cimino believed he could develop the stories of the main characters in the first 20 minutes of film.
Tijekom sljedećih nekoliko sastanaka, Cimino i Deeley su razgovarali o poslu koji ih čeka u vezi scenarija, a Cimino je vjerovao da priče glavnih likova može razviti u 20 minuta filma.