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Day 2 Assignments
Reply to post your assignment.
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38 Replies
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WIM2 – Dana’s Intentional Lead Characters
My Vision: I intend to perfect my skills to become a successful screenwriter, scripting acclaimed and profitable films, recognized by my peers, and living an adventurous life.
What I learned during this assignment:
Character: Ruth Griffin
Logline: Ruth is a woman of privilege who must learn how to survive after being kidnapped and held hostage for ransom in an abandoned steel mill surrounded by street gangs and drug addicts.
Unique: She’s the wife of a congressman
Character: The Custodian
Logline: The Custodian is a masked kidnapper who appears and disappears at will in a game of cat and mouse to mentally torture his captive into keeping silent.
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Hi Dana,
Sounds like another scary thriller! Can’t wait to see what you write.
Best, Lisa
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Hi Dana – I like this story/concept/character. Interested to see where you take it.
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Subject Line: Monica’s Intentional Lead Characters
Vision: I will continue to learn everything I can through all different media to apply what I learn to become the best screenwriter I can be. To be successful in getting my movies made and to win awards in the process.
What I learned from doing this assignment is to get into the characters at the beginning by keeping in mind your concept and title. I’ve not done that before.
2. Give us a logline (one sentence answer) for your protagonist, antagonist, and triangle character (if you have one) to the question, “What makes this character fit my concept and title powerfully?”
My protagonist is a Special Forces Commanding Officer
who protects the artefact from negative forces at all costs.
My antagonist is the unofficial leader of the world who
wants the artefact to make himself the declared world leader of the world
and diminish its population so there’s more for him and his cronies.
Triangle Character: I’m toying with adding one but I’m
not convinced yet.3. Tell us what makes each of these characters unique. These two steps will look like this:
Character: Special Forces Commanding Officer
Logline: Highly
decorated SPCO leads a team to recover an alien artefact that can
manipulate timelines.
Unique: They
went rogue and plan on removing all politicians to free the people.Character: The
anonymous man who runs the world
Logline: After
discovering the power behind an alien artefact he makes a plan to bring
him more power and money.
Unique: He
collects secrets and isn’t afraid to use them. -
Lynn Vincentnathan’s Intentional Lead Characters
VISION: I am determined to become a great screenwriter capable of getting my screenplays in various genres produced into movies that inspire vast audiences to mitigate climate change.
I LEARNED that developing main characters for my screenplay is a bit difficult. I started several weeks ago and couldn’t for the life of me figure out what their professions were…. until I realized they are college students, idealistic, future-oriented, more mature than teens, but not as strong and set in their ways as older adults, which fit the script concept much better.
WEATHERING IT (RomCom) is about two college students who try to overcome family fights about global warming and get married during the worst ever Texas freeze.
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LEAD CHARACTERS
PROTAGONIST 1: Ellie Ferris
LOGLINE: Ellie, a journalism major in college, is committed to mitigating climate change and not letting romance or marriage get in the way, but falls hard for Jim.
UNIQUE: Ellie’s father abandoned her and her mother when she was five and she fears marriage would be doomed to heartbreak and failure, and this also feeds into her “climate anxiety,” shared by other members of her Environmental Club.
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PROTAGONIST 2: Jim Higson
LOGLINE: Jim, an MBA student with a BS in petroleum engineering obliged to work for his overbearing Uncle Fred’s Oil Engineering Consultancy firm, falls hard for Ellie.
UNIQUE: Jim has a strong faith in marriage as his father was happily married to his mother until his death.
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DRAMATIC TRIANGLE CHARACTER: Ely (Elias) Perez
LOGLINE: Ely, a grumpy hermit living on his off-the-grid farm, tries to get his devoted grandniece Ellie to take over his Off-The-Gridder campaign and dump Jim.
UNIQUE: Ely went to college decades ago with Jim’s uncle, who tricked the love of his life away from him; he’s opposed to marriage.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Lynn Vincentnathan.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
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Lisa Long’s Intentional Lead Characters
My Vision: I will do whatever it takes to be comfortable saying that I am a writer by creating impactful stories with amazing characters in order to sell my scripts.
What I learned from this assignment is that I know the characters, so I need to draw out their specific qualities for their loglines and eventually their character traits.
Character: Molly (Protagonist) <div>
Logline: Molly
is a ten-year-old aspiring dancer who is abandoned by her mother and dreams
of dancing in the Nutcracker Ballet in NYC.Unique: Molly
is dropped off by her mom to live with her much older father Al even
though they don’t know each other.Character: Al (Antagonist)
Logline: Al
is a seafood restaurant owner and Molly’s estranged father who is against
Molly dancing because it reminds him of her mom, a dancer who broke his
heart.Unique: Al
is an older single father who never wanted children and never expected to
be in Molly’s life…let alone take care of her.Character: Mars (Triangle
Character)Logline: Mars
(short for Marshall) is a Black gay choreographer from NYC who has escaped
to the beach to deal with the death of his partner.Unique: Grief
has stopped Mars in his tracks, and he isn’t working…until he meets Molly
on the beach one day.</div>
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My Vision: To write eight screenplays
that become Hollywood blockbusters (and to get a line or two in at least one
of them).What I learned from this assignment:
How to create main characters who drive the story.Character: Protagonist; A battle hardened Korean War Vet.
Logline:
“Ace”, a TV crime reporter in 50s Las Vegas battles personal
demons and a sadistic Mafia boss in an effort to remain #1 in the market.Unique:
Missing an arm; gambling addict; high IQ, photographic memory.Character:
Antagonist: A sadistic Mafia boss.Logline:
Threatens to murder Ace’s family one by one if his debt isn’t repaid
within ten days.Unique: We never see him; his threats are made over the phone; he’s personable,
sympathetic and funny.-
This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by JOEL STERN. Reason: Was unreadable
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
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Mary Lynn Mabray
Module#2 Assignment#2 Intentional Lead Characters
Vision: Be a sought after high concept writer
What I learned: to rethink my story as it relates to character.
Helen is a famous chef who is also a lonely widow and is questioning if life has passed her by due to her fame.
Stuart is Helen’s workaholic manager and son-in-law who lets nothing interfere with Helen’s celebrity not even family.
Nick is trying to figure out how to restore his magic when he meets Helen and her cookies begin to change him and help the reindeer to fly again.
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My Vision: I will work hard to become a well-respected writer that has my movies produced and has enough work to keep me busy and keep the lights on.
What I learned doing this assignment is how to think differently about my main characters. I have never really been intentional when it comes to creating my characters, and the only think about these things as an afterthought during the rewrite process.
Character: Claire Levine
Logline: Claire is a member of the local search and rescue team who will stop at nothing to save a missing girl, even if it means sacrificing herself.
Unique: She is the missing girl’s Aunt.
Character: Bigfoot
Logline: He is a mysterious mountain creature who stalks and kills anyone who enters his territory.
Unique: There’s no conclusive evidence he even exists.
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I heard the legend as a teen in Solana Beach, CA, but without it being named Big Foot, and I thought it was a true story — about how a bunch of teens would drive down near the slough forested by big trees, roll up the windows and wait, and a big hairy human-ape creature would come and rock the car. They’d all scream and get their kicks.
Later as an anthropology student I starting thinking, it could be a descendant of Australopithecus Robustus — which could also explain Yeti. I also read in a newspaper that a policeman in W. Viginia was driving at night up a country road when he spotted what looked like a bear standing up in the road. When he got out of his car with rifle and got a better look, it was a big hairy humanoid with breasts, which ran off into the forest — the female of the species, I guessed.
Then as a professor teaching folklore, I sort of realized this was just an urban (supranatural) legend — but sometimes legends can be true, since they are the folk history of the people, only different from actual “history” in that they don’t have at least 2 verified sources. When these legends have policemen in the story, it makes them more believable.
I’m now living in the Rio Grande Valley where we don’t have forests of tall trees to house Big Foot, but we do have stories of CHUPACABRA — sucks blood out of goats and small animals. 🙂
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Lynn Vincentnathan.
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Hey Lynn – that is so interesting. I may tap you for some knowledge while I’m writing if that’s all right with you. Thanks for sharing!
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Sure
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Here’s a contest to enter maybe next year: https://www.bigfootscriptchallenge.com/
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
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Amy’s Intentional Lead Characters
Vision: I want to become known as an expert in the family-friendly genre and make a full-time living as a screenwriter.
What I learned from doing this assignment is…I struggled to pin down what is unique about these characters.
Character: Stephanie
Logline: A proud princess finds out she’s not really a princess and loathes having to accept help from the prince she hates.
Unique: Proud princess who’s not really a princess
Character: Jack
Logline: A charming, but somewhat arrogant prince finds joy in being needed by the princess turned not a princess
Unique: Enjoys being needed by someone who hates him
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Marcus’ Intentional Lead Characters
My Vision: I have well-founded confidence that what I write is excellent and will be acknowledged as excellent by everyone who reads it.
This lesson taught me a specific way to start character creation.
Title: “Beyond the Faded Trail”
Concept: A builder and his team go to a ghost town to dismantle it for wood and find thieves’ treasure stored there. His men mutiny over the treasure, then the thieves themselves show up.
Protagonist:
<div>
Character: Master
Builder</div><div>Logline: A building
contractor desperate for lumber takes his crew on a risky journey into a
lawless place to salvage it and save his business.Unique: He is
conflicted between stealing treasure and abandoning his business, or
getting his wood without getting killed by bandits.</div><div>
</div>
Antagonist:
<div>
Character: Gang
Leader
</div><div>Logline: The
leader of a gang of successful stage coach robbers uses an abandoned town
as a hideout and storage for plunder, which he will protect at any cost.Unique: Has
eluded capture because of sagacity and violence, including finding a
unique hide out.</div><div>
</div>
Triangle Character:
<div>
Character: Foreman
</div><div>Logline: One
of the gang members has given up crime to return to work as a carpenter,
keeps his background secret from his boss, convinces the builder to take a
risky trip for a potentially lucrative reward.Unique: Gave up a life of
crime for stability, but misses the action. He’s ready for one last adventure.</div>
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WIM: TITLE, CONCEPT, AND CHARACTER STRUCTURE
VISION: I want to write memorable, uplifting scenes of drama and humor, so that actors will want to act in the movies.
WIL: A concept I really want to pursue is possible after this assignment.
TITLE: Cardenio Lost
CONCEPT: After his professor suffers from an attempted assassination a Shakespearean scholar struggles to track an unpublished manuscript about Shakespeare’s last play to bait the killer.
CHARACTER STRUCTURE: Protagonist vs. antagonist
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Alan’s Intentional Lead Characters
My Vision:
I do whatever it takes for me to be a true wordsmith that spins wildly original and entertaining screenplays that are passionately sought out by top industry professionals who turn them into critically and publicly acclaimed major motion pictures distributed by the top studios in Hollywood, all while writing from wherever I may be leisurely travelling the world at the moment.
I learned that I love this process and will use it from here on out!
Concept: Action/Comedy – After taking out the garbage, a down on his luck, thirty-something fast food employee finds a high tech bracelet that turns him into the world’s deadliest assassin.
Character: Tiberius Truman
Logline: My protagonist is a thirty-year-old fast food worker who is down on his luck and feels he has no way to make his dreams come true.
Unique: Dreams of owning his own fast food restaurant one day.
Character: Crypto
Logline: My antagonist is the head of a high tech criminal organization who has promised the delivery of a prototype future tech bracelet to the head of an extremist government and will face death if he fails.
Unique: Hates being the head of a world renowned criminal organization and dreams of a simple life owning/running a small bar on the beach in Costa Rica.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Alan Wood.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
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My Vision:
For Hitler’s Choirboys to be so compelling that Mel Gibson and Steven Spielberg will battle it out to make their best WW2 blockbuster since Hacksaw Ridge or Schindler’s List.
What I learned from this assignment is:
The idea of the Triangle character and the value of stating that simply in a single line.
Protagonist: US Army Captain Henry Gerecke who is torn between his duty as a chaplain and his assignment to break the wills of the men in his care.
Antagonist: Deputy Fuhrer and arch-manipulator Hermann Goering, on trial for his life and hell-bent on keeping the Nazi legend alive.
Triangle Character: Jewish psychologist and US intelligence officer Gustave Gilbert who wants to see these Nazis hang and get the chaplain to act as a spy.
What makes these characters unique is that this is a remarkable true story and these were all real and extraordinary people.
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[WIM2] Antonio Flores’ Intentional Lead Characters
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To write profound stories that make the audience feel inspired,
empowered to achieve ongoing growth today and in the future.
— Antonio Flores
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What I learned from doing this assignment:
It feels as if this was the first moment when my characters and I looked at each other.
A logline (one sentence answer) for your protagonist, antagonist, and triangle character:
“What makes this character fit my concept and title powerfully?”
“What makes each of these characters unique?”
Protagonist: Nightwalker / StarBoy
Logline: A young warrior who fights to save his childhood friend, Water-3, a girl star who took human form, and whom he loves.
Unique: He was born a half-breed son of a human mother and a star father
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Triangle Character: Water-3 / MorningDrizzle
Logline: Disguised as the daughter of LongHaul, a brave hunter, she is a star in human form.
Unique: She is the key to prevent the end of the universe
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Antagonist: ColdFire
Logline: A dark wizard who makes Water-3 forget her memories of the future, the key to prevent the end of the universe.
Unique: He stole the powers of Nightwalker’s mother, so now he understands the way of the stars… and the darkness.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
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WIM Vic Valleau Module 2 Intentional Lead Characters
Vision: As a writer, I am an alchemist, turning ordinary into gold.
What I learned about my writing propensities: I* push for detail rather than big picture.
Exhibit A is I re-wrote this assignment 4 times, deleting details, adding big picture.
3. Tell us what makes each of these characters unique. These two steps will look like this:
Character: Protagonist BobLogline: Desperately seeking1950’s fantasy of love and marriage, white picket fence.Unique: Sperm donor, hates donor complications yet fathers 40 children.
3. Tell us what makes each of these characters unique. These two steps will look like this:
Character: Antagonist (Seymour) Logline: Stubbornly out of touch with everything, Preacher is exploring his own morality. Unique: Envies Bob, wants lessons yet threatened by him.
<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>3. Tell us what makes each of these characters unique. These two steps will look like this:</font>
<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>Character: Preacher’s Wife, bored, breaking out, wants excitement. </font><font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>Logline: Hides her wild side</font><font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>Unique: She has Bob’s baby and he knows but unknown to her or husband, until too late. </font>
<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>CHARACTER STRUCTURE: She is either a triangle character or antagonist, whichever works. </font>
<font color=”#343434″ face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”>Antagonist would push Bob more. </font>
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Karen Crider’s Intentional Lead Characters:
Concept: A hyena deposed from his clan, must win acceptance in another, or survive the forest edges alone.
Logline: After being deposed from his clan, a depressed hyena, living from grub to grub, loses his laughter, but must win the Olympic Hyena Laughing Contest to gain survival in another clan.
(This is part of his wound.)
What I learned: Screenplays keeps the cortex busy trying to find the answers to all the questions that make up story, and that only starts from there. To lay down the variables from a to z, requires all the alphabet in between and even a few letters one must imagine up themselves…
I am committed to having my lead characters deliver powerfully on my concept:
My vision is to enlarge my writing skill; as well as, enlarge on a subject few appreciate.
#1. Karen Crider’s Intentional lead Characters:
Character: Shadow—Protagonist. Who at the age of three years old, becomes a deposed and depressed- hyena, who has the misfortune of being a male on the bottom of the hyena hierarchy pole. One perceived as a loser with PTSD.
Logline: Shadow, the youngest of three baby hyenas, has a mental wound from surviving a wolf, who invaded their den, and killed his brother, Auggie.
Unique: How many movies are there about a cowardly spotted hyena? That’s one of the reasons it’s titled: Solo Spot, with the spotted hyena, Shadow, taking the lead. What’s ironic is that Shadow wouldn’t know a lead if he stumbled into one. He’s clueless. The term, unique, is the adjective I received the most concerning this logline.
#2. Character: Silla, antagonist/ a spotted hyena/ the high and mighty matriarch of the clan who owns the food counter.
Logline: Silla’s cub, Hilly the hyena, is a female bully who possesses a higher hierarchy in the clan, (granted through birth) who almost kills Shadow’s mom, a lower hierarchy hyena. Shadow defends her, and puts a whopping on Hilly, but takes one himself, then gets ousted by Silla, the matriarch.
Unique: Silla leads in every kill. Her and her cubs always eat before the males. She is stronger, bigger, more powerful than any male, and is given a wide berth, since she has more testosterone than any male.
#3 Character: Antagonist/Mortimer, the marauding lion, who killed Shadow’s brother, Augie, and terrorizes Shadow and his other brother, Brimsley even in their nightmares.
Logline: Mortimer is an evil lion with a blind eye not only physically, but also in relation to those less fortunate. He has a broken fang on his front tooth and a scar. He also has the blood of Shadow’s’ brother, Auggie, on his hide and heart. A formidable enemy to Shadow.
Unique: Mortimer is unique to Mortimer. He has this perceived ideal of himself being the strongest, most grandest lion in the land, and he acts the part. Unfortunately, that ends when he’s around the ladies, and they rebuff him, or when he’s at a pool of water and his reflections eddy around his image, telling him he’s the ugliest lion of them all.
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Subject: Rob Ingalls’ Intentional Lead Characters
MY VISION:
To be a Talented writer that delivers quality fast, with the film industry seeking me out.
WIL: I’m confused about “making the characters unique in some way.” I keep envisioning one has a patch over an eye, another has peg leg, and third character has a squeaky voice. Haha. I think there should have been more on this subject in the lesson.
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Title: NIRVANA GOLD
Concept:
A giant Buddha statue made of pure gold is stolen by thieves who tunnel underneath and hollow it out by melting sections of it.
Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle
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PROTAGONIST
Logline: A TikTok Influencer, wanting to increase his followers and energize his current followers, hires a guide to take him deep
in the jungle, while he vlogs the search for the legendary giant golden Buddha statue.
Unique:
ANTAGONIST
Logline: A local government official/enforcer on mission to stop the Influencer and send him back to their homeland.
Unique: (In cahoots with the Expat in stealing the gold??? – not sure about this)
TRIANGLE CHARACTER (Creates a Competition or Conflict between Protagonist/Antagonist)
Logline: An American/British expat, living in the jungles of Thailand, had discovered the legendary giant golden Buddha statue years ago
and is slowly carving it out by tunneling underneath, while hoping not to upset the local jungle villagers.
Unique:
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David’s Intentional Lead Characters
My vision for this program to learn the skills to propel me to A list status.</font>
What I learned from this assignment is the need to create the perfect characters to carry out the concept to maximize conflict.</font>
Chas Chandler is a carefree college grad who eschews reality, blissfully content with the fact he owes $300k in student loans and is unemployed. When he finally lands a job at a bank- er, cryobank, donating sperm- he meets his dream girl in the hallway. He lies and tells her he’s a doctor. Unique: lies to everyone, but worst of all, himself.
Keith Holmes is a hard ass, former Marine turned student collector, known for his harsh tactics to collect money. So harsh, in fact, he’s fired. In desperate need of 10k to save his beloved childhood home from foreclosure, he hunts down Chas- the white whale of student loans- thinking he has money. Unique: Ruthless collector, but has integrity (and a good heart underneath it all).
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by David Penn.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
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Subject Line: (Ron’s) Intentional Lead Characters
Vision: I want the success and recognition of being an in demand, A-list screenwriter who writes successful films that are financially profitable, award winning and of enduring quality.
What I learned from doing this assignment is that it is getting me to look at the development of my screenplay in a whole new way
Character: Lucia
Logline: Lucia is a
manipulative poor young Italian
woman who uses the Internet dating sites to achieve her goal of marrying
into a better life in AmericaUnique: The man she chooses is
an older mafia godfather with a bad heart.Character: Silvio Albino Antagonist:
Logline:A ruthless but romantically inclined godfather who longs to find a women to replace hiss dead wife
Unique: Willing to go outside his mafia family and against the advice of his counsel to find a bride by mail order.
Character: Triangle character: Stefano Albano
Logline: The son of Albino who is the logical successor to Don Sivio but at odds with him
Unique: Stefano becomes dangerously attracted to Lucia, his step mom
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Drew Foerster’s Intentional Lead Characters
MY VISION IS (living as if it is already fact): I am an award-winning produced Hollywood screenwriter with an excellent reputation that is represented by an outstanding manager and whose life is filled with creativity!
What I learned from doing this assignment is… it was feeing to be able to just work with broad strokes to build the characters, not worrying about specifics and details just yet. Makes it easier to play with components without being locked in. My antagonist changed a couple times until they felt right.
Character: MARC (protagonist) 30s
Logline: A security guard who is the father of a missing 10-year old girl.
Unique: He’s former military and now works security. He hears strange voices in his head.
Character: VINCENT (antagonist) 50s
Logline: An FBI agent investigating the disappearance of Marc’s daughter.
Unique: Also former military. Highly decorated Soldier and FBI Agent.
Character: LILLYANNE (Triangle) 20s
Logline: The daughter of the FBI Agent who is into UFOs and helps Marc.
Unique: She knows everything about alien abduction and believes that she was abducted as a child.
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Scott Billings lead characters
What I learned: focusing on what makes the characters unique really helped flesh out the story.
1. KILLER DATE–A homicide detective goes on a hookup app to track down a woman who kills cheating husbands—then finds out it’s his ex-wife.
PROTAGONIST
Character: Harry Bannon is lonely, divorced homicide detective who goes on a hookup app.
Logline: Harry Bannon goes on a hookup app to catch a woman who kills cheating husbands.
Unique: Harry would rather find love with his former partner Angela than catch the killer, so he’s conflicted.
ANTAGONIST
Character: Meg Bannon is Harry’s ex-wife and a former police psychologist who treats women with cheating husbands.
Logline: Meg Bannon kills cheating husbands and tries to put the blame on Angela for ruining her marriage to Harry.
Unique: She’s an expert on women with cheating husbands, so she knows what husbands to go after.
TRIANGLE CHARACTER
Character: Angela Delgado is Harry’s former partner who slept with him one drunken night and still has feelings for him.
Logline: Angela Delgado is suspected of killing cheating husbands but actually wants to get back together with Harry.
Unique: She’s the suspect but is actually the only one who wants a legit relationship.
2. DOOMSDAY–A suicidal cop is given one day to convince an alien planning to destroy the Earth that humanity is worth saving.
Protagonist
Character: Mike Spivak is a burned-out suicidal cop who’s seen the worst of humanity.
Logline: Mike is a suicidal cop who has to convince an alien not to destroy the human race.
Unique: His jaded view of humanity makes him the last person to argue that people should be spared.
Antagonist
Character: Damien is a heroin-addicted homeless veteran who is actually a spirit from another world.
Logline: Damien forces Mike to change his view of humanity in order to save Earth’s population.
Unique: A homeless vet who is actually an alien sent to destroy Earth. humanity.
3. FUGITIVE BRIDE–An assistant district attorney discovers that the woman he’s about to marry is living under an assumed name and wanted for murder.
PROTAGONIST
Character: Ben Mackler is an assistant DA in a small midwestern city.
Logline: Ben Mackler finds out that his schoolteacher fiance is actually living under an assumed name and wanted for murder.
Unique: Ben is faced with arresting and prosecuting his future wife.
ANTAGONIST
Character: Mary Lyall, a schoolteacher who turns out to be a former FBI agent Maria Ramos living under witness protection.
Logline: Mary Lyall wants to have a normal life but her past keeps coming back to haunt her.
Unique: Mary appears to be a meek schoolteacher but is actually a tough ex-FBI agent
TRIANGLE CHARACTER
Character: Bernardo Lopez is a drug kingpin who wants to kill Mary for betraying him.
Logline: Bernardo Lopez tracks down Mary and plans to kill her at her wedding.
Unique: He’s a tough drug kingpin but still pines for Mary
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Dave Holloway’s Intentional Lead characters
My vision: I would like to be a successful writer in Hollywood, with a number of successful movies to my credit that put forward a core belief about environmental, political, or personal development.
What I learned from doing this assignment is the importance of having your lead characters fit the title and concept powerfully.
Character: Nigel, 25, a young lawyer in London
Character: Roger, 25, a stockbroker in London and friend of Nigel
Character: Livia, 24, Nigel’s wife and a British journalist who has been taken prisoner in a military state and sentenced to death.
Lester Trask: 42, warden of the prison where Livia is held
Loglines
Nigel is an intelligent, rather sheltered young man who loves Livia deeply but is uncomfortable with physical hardship.
Roger is naturally courageous and fond of adventure, while lacking Nigel’s intelligence.
Livia is a successful, young journalist who was imprisoned in a military state on false charges.
Lester Trask is focused on keeping the inmates at his prison under control at all times, and enjoys using brutal means to enforce compliance.
Unique
Nigel: though outwardly rather quiet and reserved, possesses a consuming love for Livia that motivates him to take risks he would avoid otherwise.
Roger: Does not back down from any danger or confrontation, yet possesses a genuine love for Nigel, who lacks his courage and adventurous nature.
Livia: a naturally bold young woman who dared to support the citizens rebelling against the military state, and who will not allow either prison or the sadistic Trask to break her.
Trask is a natural fascist who loves holding power over the inmates and guards at his prison, and has no remorse over suppressing rebellion violently and executing innocent people.
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My Vision: I am a writer/director/producer that writes and makes films of all kinds, and I am recognized by the industry as both a highly successful filmmaker and as a person that’s easy to work with.
What I learned from doing this assignment is how to ensure the lead characters fit into the overall narrative of a screenplay
Character: Special Agent Rick O’Brien
Logline: Rick is a veteran FBI agent assigned to find and apprehend a nameless terrorist that’s wreaking havoc on the United States.
Unique: Rick has a photographic memory.
Character: The Nameless Terrorist
Logline: The terrorist sends masks he designs to control peoples’ thoughts to random citizens throughout the US, who then commit acts of terror as dictated by him.
Unique: The terrorist has significant filmmaking skills, and broadcasts videos of the incidents he sends people to carry out, complete with a musical score and his narration.
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MODULE TWO LESSON TWO
FRAN’S INTENTIONAL LEAD CHARACTERS
WHAT I LEARNED:
MY VISION: I want to write great movies. Movies that are magical, movies that move people and tell the truth. I want to write movies that stars will want to be in.
MAIN STORY CHARACTERS:
CHARACTER: MEREDITH KERNS (Protagonist) is the suffering screenwriter and wife of director/producer Jerome Kerns who desperately tries to make her failing marriage and career still work.
CHARACTER: JEROME KERNS (Antagonist) is the director/producer and Meredith’s husband who cheats on her and fails to support her in her career as a screenwriter.
CHARACTER: ALEX(ANDRA) is their daughter who supports her mother, knows about her father’s affairs and tells her mother not to stay in a loveless marriage on her account.
CHARACTER: CORINNE WALTERS is Meredith’s Agent who supports her and wants her to succeed. She is in love with her new idea for a screenplay and does everything to support her in getting it done.
CHARACTER: GALEN PARTRIDGE is an actor and will be Meredith’s love interest after she leaves Jerome who supports her and believes in her script.
CHARACTER: RAVEN (dramatic triangle) hungry paramour young actress who’s one of many who threaten Meredith’s marriage.
MEREDITH’S STORY CHARACTERS
GRAND DUCHESS OLGA NIKOLAEVNA: The young princess who falls in love with the young men who surround her guarded family and is murdered by the Bolsheviks.
VANENTINA CHEBOTARYOVA: The young woman who works with Olga at the military infirmary and supports her and is the author of the diary.
CZARINA ALEXANDRA ROMANOV: She is the mother of Olga who banishes Olga’s intended after he murders Rasputin. She is murdered by the Bolsheviks.
CZAR NICHOLAS II ROMANOV: Olga’s father and czar who supports her and allows her to choose who she wants to marry instead of accepting a chosen intended.
PIERRE GILLIARD: is Olga’s tutor and first confidante.
PAVEL VARONOV: is Olga’s first crush who is beneath her station and, thus, must spurn her. He marries one of the court’s ladies in waiting.
DMITRI (I) PAVLOVICH: is the young prince and cousin of Olga who she is madly in love with and is banished from the court after conspiring to kill Rasputin.
DMITRI (II) CHAKH-BOGOV: Is the young wounded soldier Olga cares for at the military infirmary and falls in love with and is not the so nice young man she believed he was when he was injured.
Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, Olga’s sisters.
Alexei Olga’s brother and heir apparent.
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Hari’s Intentional Lead Characters
My Vision: I want to write screenplays that enable me to work with like minded creative people in the industry to produce profound movies that will have a long lasting positive effect on the world.
What I learned…I want to change my character structure to Dramatic Triangle!
Protagonist: Colt McBride
Logline: A big city cop who is drawn into a water controversy between a multinational corporation and a small mountain town only to find that a hostile alien race has morphed into human form and is behind it.
Unique: Even though he is on suspension from his own police force, as an outsider, he is the only one willing to challenge Del Beck’s authority.
Antagonist: Del Beck
Logline The corrupt sheriff who rules Jefferson County with an iron fist.
Unique: He is the leader of the alien invasion force and is also Jamaica’s Godfather.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Triangle Character: Jamaica Daly
Logline: Works for the multinational corporation trying to take Jefferson’s water, even though she comes from one of the county’s oldest families.
Unique: Jamaica is married to the judge hearing the case. She doesn’t realize that she is the offspring of a human-alien marriage and must perform a renewal ritual involving the water or she will die.
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Vision statement: My vision is to persevere and stay the course of building steady routine and disciplines that make it a habit of consistently producing writing of exceptional quality. Ultimately the fruit of these habits will be a portfolio of great marketable scripts that will make other successful and talented pros want to work with me.
What I learned: this was an exercise in really choosing from all the potential details about this character swimming around in my head, for just the few details that matter for driving the drama of the story right now.
Character 1: Dance teacher/studio owner
Logline: a young beatiful dance teacher is opening her first dance studio in suburbia, but because she is “from broadway” she is prone to thinking she deserves better than the area she is opening her studio in.
Unique: While she prides herself on being both an excellent teacher as well as a performer, this is still her first business venture and she is a little naiive about what it takes, but thinks the landlord is so nice, so she considers him an ally who is giving her a deal.
Character2 : Pizza shop owner:
Logline: He knows he has the best pizza in town, as well as other Italian specialties, but is also not great at marketing, so he’s still struggling, despite having the best food in town.
Unique: He thinks the dance teacher is stuck-up but also knows he must cater to her clientelle for steady business, so to them, he thinks very highly of her. He also doesn’t trust the landlord from the get-go and doesn’t take crap from him.
Character 3: Landlord
Logline: He likes to impress and intimidate people with all the properties he owns/manage, even though in reality he is struggling. He has a knack for successfully taking advantage of naive/young creative entrepeneurs.
Unique: He decides to proposition the dance teacher inappropriately, and overcharge the pizza shop owner. He also sows divisiveness between the two of them, blaming the other for what are actually his own shortcomings.
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Subject Line: Nancy’s Intentional Lead Characters
Vision: To create a polished portfolio and do whatever it takes to get a manager, and then sell multiple TV and or feature scripts.
What I learned doing this assignment is that the characters in my head for this story were flat until I added dimension and elements that were unique.
Title: Survivor’s Guilt
Loglines:
Protagonist: Freya (protagonist) is a guilt ridden investigative reporter that absolves a fugitive killer when she discovers she’s the reincarnation of the wife he allegedly killed.
Antagonist: Lars (antagonist) is the ornery, hermit caretaker that creates conflict for Freya by forcing her to look at her past and discover who she is, while hiding his own identity.
Triangle: An isolated island is the triangle character. It offers solace and information to Freya but has trapped Lars and it brings the two together.
How are they unique:
Character: FREYA ALSTAD. Highly respected war correspondent mourning loss of her husband and child.
Logline: Mourning war correspondent takes an assignment that leads her to discover she’s the reincarnated wife of an alleged fugitive killer from the past.
Unique: Faced a war zone but deathly afraid of water
Character: LARS OHLSON. A manipulative caretaker hiding out on an isolated island hiding his identity.
Logline: Lost hermit caretaker meets Freya and must put aside his loner ways to save her physically and emotionally before he can find peace.
Unique: Unknowingly, he’s the deceased alleged fugitive killer that Freya is investigating, that can’t pass over until Freya clears his name.
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Chris Blanchett’s Intentional Lead Characters.
I am a brilliant, massively successful, professional screenwriter who writes incredible movies in a wide variety of genres which become instant-classics. I am respected by my professional peers and bring genuine, thought-provoking entertainment and uplifting emotions to hundreds of millions of movie-goers.
What I learned from this assignment is the initial outline of my main characters.
Main Characters for Unwoke
Tim Walters (Protagonist)
Shy and retiring office-worker thrust into the public eye against his will who learns assertiveness, gains confidence, and seizes control of his life and destiny.
Unique Element: Overtly sympathetic portrayal of a character type currently far out-of-favor in Hollywood films – a middle-aged white male who finds “woke” culture nonsensical, rife with internal illogic, and ludicrous.
Rachel Donahue (Antagonist)
Dictatorial Head of HR at the company Tim works for. Rabidly attuned to any lack of sensitivity (real or imagined) or displays of privilege (likewise). “Their” posting of out-of-context and heavily edited statements by Tim starts the firestorm.
Unique Element: Overtly unsympathetic portrayal of a character-type currently firmly in-favor in Hollywood films – an “intersectional poster-person” clearly using critical-theory as a means of obtaining power and asserting control.
Brett Madden (Dramatic Triangle)
Would-be media mogul who owns two struggling and on-the-verge-of bankruptcy (cable? internet? youtube?) news networks; one overtly liberal, the other overtly conservative. He seizes on the controversy surrounding Tim’s notoriety/infamy and fans the flames on both sides of the aisle, significantly raising the stakes – along with his ratings and influence.
Unique Element: I suppose I could point to the fact he owns both a liberal and a conservative news outlet. But in all honesty, a manipulative media mogul is not unique. Actually, it’s something of a cliché. But some clichés are clichés because they ring so true, work so well, and are so eminently useful.
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(Bice-Stephens) Intentional Lead Characters
2022 is my year to break through!
What I learned: This is a serious approach to getting things right.
Protagonist
Character: Alex
Logline: A likable young guy just out for a good time
Unique: A carefree young student who goes out for a good time and almost pays for it with his life
Antagonist
Character: Brandy
Logline: A psychotic, manipulative control freak
Unique: A psychotic, delusional bitch who would rather kill her ex than take no for an answer
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Dawn’s Intentional Lead Characters
Vision – In WIM, I will listen and learn to write my best screenplay, which will be optioned and produced.
What I learned in this assignment was that I should focus on characters that will move the story forward in a unique, compelling way. Don’t sweat the details. In the past, I’ve often started with the character and I can see how this has the potential to lead to plotting/story problems.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Character Loglines –
Character 1: Carling Hearne, MD
Logline: Carling is the administrator of a newly renovated state of the art hospital that was formerly notorious for abandoning their patients during a natural disaster.
Unique:<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;”> He is the son of the former administrator who presided over the hospital during the previous debacle and tries to coverup any issues with the technology in the new hospital.
Character 2: Tallis Porter, Phd.
Logline: Tallis manages the basement graveyard of obsolete and damaged medical equipment and is called in to examine the faults with the equipment in the new hospital. .
Unique::He is a biomedical engineering wizard and has invented or adapted equipment for medical use and is the first to suspect tampering/sabotage.<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;”>
Character 3: Kingsley Welles
Logline: Kingsley is a young nurse practitioner who works in the surgery suite of the new hospital and is an eye witness of equipment failures in the new hospital.
Unique: She is a young widow of one of the patients who was abandoned during the natural disaster.
Character 4: Father Pierre Dagobert
Logline: Father Dagobert is the administrative oversight for the previously religious hospital.
Unique: He is considered the hero of the natural disaster and is credited with helping any patients that did survive but believes that the equipment malfunctions may be God’s retribution and judgement on the hospital.
Okay, the Dynamic, Dramatic Triangle is formed along with a Supporting Character!!
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[WIM 2] Greg’s Intentional Lead Characters
My vision is that by the conclusion of this class I have elevated my writing to a professional level and have sold my first screenplay. My vision for ten years from now is that I am a multimillionaire, have won an Oscar and have a whole wall of movie posters that represent my success.
What I learned from doing this assignment is that character should have a logline of their own, that way that fit in the story better.
What makes this character fit my concept and title powerfully?
Concept 1: A convicted thief has to serve community service at an old folks home where he meets a promiscuous 80-year-old woman and together they conspire to rob from her wealthy and entitled grandson-in-law
Character: A young, convicted thief
Logline: A guy who’s been sled-centered most of his life and doesn’t think about the future very often
Unique: He’s an expert at picking locksCharacter: an elderly but vibrant woman
Logline: A neglected woman whom everyone deems as harmless and helpless proves otherwise
Unique: She’s both seductive and feigns weakness to trap peopleCharacter: A spoiled young man
Logline: A guy who has been handed everything that he has is able to have everything taken from him
Unique: He’s an expert at home securityConcept 2: A superhero suffers amnesia after an unlikely injury and is nursed back to health by a female Navy Seal, not know she is the one behind his injury and is brainwashing him to fight an unjust war
Character: An injured man who discovers he has super powers
Logline: A Captain America figure has always known which side of a fight is the side of good, until now
Unique: He has super strength and speedCharacter: A female Navy Seal
Logline: A woman trying to make it in a man’s world temporarily lets herself be manipulated by the powers that be
Unique: She’s the only female cadet in her companyCharacter: An American commander
Logline: An older Republican conservative who is blinded by his lust for power
Unique: He can get into people’s heads, gets psychological leverage on them -
(George Petersen) Intentional Lead Characters
My vision is to direct one of my screenplays as a low-budget indie film
What I learned is characters need bloglines too, not just stories.
Character: Longfellow
Logline: Longfellow is an attorney who believes in following the law no matter what it costs him personally
Unique: Sincere, thorough, nothing gets past him, worries but drinks to relieve stress
Character: Jonathan
Logline: Jonathan is an eccentric research scientist who has devoted his life to helping others and cares little for his own welfare
Unique: Gifted, a bit reckless, jumps about from topic to topic freely, hard to keep up with him, instantly likable
Character: Youngblood
Logline: Youngblood is an amoral hippie who pursues his desires passionately without regard for anyone else
Unique: Aloof, cryptic and measured
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Erin Ziccarelli’s Intentional Lead Characters
Vision: I am going to create meaningful scripts that leave audiences remembering my movies and leave me excited to keep writing and moving up in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: How to label my characters. The importance of a triangle character and difference between a triangle character and key supporting character is not a distinction I had thought of.
2. Give us a logline (one sentence answer) for your protagonist, antagonist, and triangle character (if you have one) to the question, “What makes this character fit my concept and title powerfully?”
Character: protagonist
Logline: Alex Donovan is an entrepreneur who’s trying to put his old ways behind him.
Unique: Alex was once a black marketeer, hustling cocaine and counterfeit dollars.
Character: antagonist
Logline: Scarlett Caden is a member of a rival crime family, determined to ruin Alex’s success.
Unique: Scarlett is secretly Alex’s daughter
Character: triangle
Logline: Roger Tate is the social worker trying to bring Alex and Scarlett together and help them realize the power of forgiveness.
Unique: Roger was once a member of the rival crime family too.
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