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Lesson 1 Assignment
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16 Replies
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Renee Loves Character Depth
Vision: I will work hard to become a well-respected writer with my movies produced and enough work to keep me busy and keep the lights on.
What I learned doing this assignment is how to look at my characters in a different way to create more depth.
I used the 2nd and 3rd methods to create more depth for Adam, the triangle character. Before, he just seemed to flow with the story without any issues. I determined that he would suffer from PTSD from an incident during his time in the Marines and used that to create an opportunity for my protagonist to take more of a lead. This caused me to have to once again rewrite many of the scenes from the mid point on.
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Lynn Vincentnathan Loves Character Depth
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.
THE PITCH: WEATHERING IT (Rom-Com) is about two college students who struggle to overcome family fights about global warming, then try to get married during the worst ever Texas freeze.
I LEARNED that I can give my characters even more depth after all this time of developing the story.
Changes I made in ELLIE using:
1. CHARACTER STORYLINES AND ELEVATE
Got this INSIGHT while writing out the storyline & am making CHANGES:
Bringing it in stronger that Ellie has her comfort zone and wants to stay in it (partly from her father abandonment wound), which is why she hates big cities and plans to live as a near recluse with Great-uncle Layo, helping him. She doesn’t even like the business and engineering side of campus, Jim’s side, which in her view is anti-environmental. She’s afraid to leave her comfort zone because she fears her anger would be triggered and cause problems (see below).
2. WHAT ARE THEY HIDING FROM ME?
Ellie (wrongly) thinks she has an anger problem. She’s afraid losing temper will turn people off rendering her ineffective and harming the cause. As much as she blames her father for abandoning them, she thinks it was her mother’s bad temper that drove him away. All she remembers at age 5 is her mother being extremely angry, a lot of dishes being broken, and her father leaving without even turning back to her when she called out “Daddy.” She never saw him or heard from him again. She later learns it was his unfaithfulness that caused her mother’s anger, but cannot get over her primal fear of anger, of breaking things, breaking relationships, breaking the world. Somehow she handles and deals with Layo despite his anger problem, but perhaps also believes that’s why he’s a recluse and ineffective (like her).
3. HOW CAN THIS STORY TRIGGER THE CHARACTER?
What triggers Ellie’s anger the most is anti-environmental flack. But she also fears her anger will turn people off of environmental pursuits.
– Luz angrily exaggerates env problems to a anti-environmental student –> Ellie scolds her for turning people off. Then Ellie controls her anger when another student givea env flack, but then lets loose on the environmentalist who nearly destroyed the env club. She also snaps at Jim and Mack for “scoping them out” (Sc1), feels bad about it.
– Flack from B&E class –> Ellie struggles to control anger, but when someone says global warming is a hoax, she loses it with a sarcastic retort. Then as she leaves the classroom she angrily shouts out a topper to the others about GW also harming the birds and butterflies (Scene 2).
– She worries to Jim about her anger problem, but Jim jokes about her not being angry enough (Scene 3)
– She later gets angry about Jim’s bet with Mack (toward end of Act 2).
– eventually toward the story’s end she becomes diplomatic dealing with difficult others, using finesse rather than anger, and gains faith in herself and idea that she has now become a people person, able to face the world and effectively help rather than harm.
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Changes I made in JIM using:
1. CHARACTER STORYLINES AND ELEVATE
Jim (2nd protag) goes from happy-go-lucky, playful playboy to serious and in love.
2. WHAT ARE THEY HIDING FROM ME?
I didn’t quite know why Jim was that way, but it was actually a cover for losing his beloved father and having to deal with his ornery, demanding uncle. He is actually a good person, not really into a heartless playboy life. But he can’t let his cover down or it might swallow him into a blubbering blob.
3. HOW CAN THIS STORY TRIGGER THE CHARACTER?
— whenever there is something sad or serious or conflicting, he makes jokes and strives to reject these. He fears his sorrow that might arise and he won’t be able to deal with life.
— when students attack Ellie, he doesn’t confront them (Sc2), and afterword (Sc3) makes a joke out of her fear of her anger causing problems.
— when he is attracted to Ellie and falling for her (Sc1), he goes along with Mack in making it out to be a bet about whether he can get her in bed. He continues falling for her, but also accepts Mack’s idea that it’s a bet up to the inciting incident after learning his pastor is Ellie’s uncle and he kisses her.
— He no longer thinks of it as a bet, but is seriously striving to win very reluctant, afraid of relationships Ellie. However he continues to be playful and make jokes, esp when confronted with problems… which actually helps Ellie lighten up.
— Ellie is very serious about environmental problems, Jim though concerned, seems not as serious — he’s conflicted since he has to work for his uncle in his oil engineering consultancy, designing equipment for drilling in the deep Arctic Ocean — which could threaten disaster. But he suppresses all this with his playfulness. Be merry, for tomorrow the salt mines and death to the world.
— only at the end at their wedding when Ellie (having become a stronger person) demands the uncle release Jim from his obligation, does the uncle and Jim’s mother explain that Jim has no obligation, they had only made him think so because he had been too playful and wanted him to mature and become serious. At that point he explains he was covering up for his great sorrow of losing his dad.
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Subject: Monica Loves Character Depth!
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 another tool to elevate characters in a draft.
2. Use each of the Character Depth Tools to discover what you can.
Depth Tool 1: Lay out your character storylines and elevate.
1. Conall Coffey is in charge of a Special Forces team in the Middle East that has gone rogue on him.
2. He comes home and tries to resume a normal life with his family.
3. Meets Harry who has a proposition for a job for him but turns him down.
4. A house fire kills Conall’s family. Except the dog.
5. Meets with Harry and his partners and accepts the job. The job comes with an alien.
6. Conall and Jay (the alien) must steal an ancient artefact. But Jay has already stolen the artefact.
7. When Jay goes to show Conall the artefact, it is gone. It was stolen by another player.
8. Conall and Jay must steal the artefact back. Jay shows Conall some alien technology.
9. They recover the artefact and set it up. Conall tells Harry it is ready.
10. Conall knows Harry is going to try to steal the artefact. Betrayal
11. Conall sets up a fake artefact for Harry to steal.
12. Conall kidnaps Harry but he starts to play with the artefact which creates another artefact and activates more portals.
13. Conall must follow Harry into a portal that he’s jumped into. And rescue him.
14. Conall and Jay blow up the second artefact.
15. Harry admits he set the fire that killed Conall’s family. Conall kills him.
16. Jay finds the event he’s looking for to fix the future. Sends the lieutenant into the portal.
17. Conall drives Jay to his rendezvous place but drives by where his house used to stand.
18. Conall is surprised to see his house. He rushes inside to find his family safe and sound.
19. Conall and his family take Jay to the rendezvous place and bid him good-bye.
Notes:
A. Conall seems to be betrayed by those he should be able to trust.
B. Conall has lost everything because he thought he was taking care of his family.
C. Conall doesn’t want to be friends with an alien, but Jay is all he really has.
To elevate this character:
A. Increase the betrayal by his insubordinates in the war which increases his PTSD – which he doesn’t recognize he has.
B. Increase his fear that Jay and his lieutenants will betray him also.
Depth Tool 2: What are they hiding from me?
· Conall is hiding his PTSD and his guilt.
· Does he have a death wish? After all, what part did he play in his subordinates going rogue and losing his family to the fire?
· His life is spiraling out of control.
Depth Tool 3: How can this story trigger the character?
Trigger ———————-Reaction – Story underneath the story: about betrayal and learning to trust
Subordinates going rogue ————–Execute the rogue elements
Fire kills his family ———————–Takes on a dangerous mission
Jay stole the artefact ———————-Nearly kills Jay
Re-steal the artefact ———————–Has nightmares
Someone else tries to steal the artefact ————drinks heavily
Harry tries to steal the artefact ———————-About to kill him when Jay intervenes
Sees families together ——————————Relives the fire
4. Tell us the changes you made using these tools.
1. Show the consequences to the rogue sub-ordinates – Conall executing them?
2. Show some of the symptoms of PTSD, ie. nightmares, hyperarousal – connect the war experience to losing his family to the fire.
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MODULE SEVEN LESSON ONE
FRAN LOVES CHARACTER DEPTH
WHAT I LEARNED: Just keep the brain engaged. Sooner or later the secret will out!
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.
At the beginning of their relationship Meredith and Jerome use each other for their own purpose and to get ahead.
Meredith marries Jerome to get back at Kryon for leaving her.
Jerome was jealous of Kyron. He marries Meredith to get even with Kyron, to “win” over him.
Jerome is into a mafia style money lender group
Meredith has a deep seeded longing for the past. Would rather live in the past.
Jerome is deep into a mid-life crisis.
Meredith has a familial link with the Romanovs, Russians. She also needed an excuse to end her relationship with Jerome that was on the rocks before the blow-up at the studios.
She lost heart in the project, too.
Their daughter Alex is really Kyron’s. She kept that secret hidden for all these years from Jerome.
She secretly pines away for her lost love.
Jerome used Meredith as a cover for his penchant for very young starlets.
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Amy Loves Character Depth!
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 this is a good way to see the character arc (or lack of) in your main characters. I also learned that finding out your characters’ secrets gives them a lot of depth.
4. Tell us the changes you made using these tools.
I’m going to have Stephanie confess that her father once told her that she’s special because she’s a princess (meaning that now that she’s not a princess, she is really struggling with her self-worth)
I have a couple of scenes where what happens doesn’t really trigger a visible reaction from the characters. The reader thinks to themselves this is bad and realizes that things are getting bad for Stephanie but it doesn’t provoke her to any specific action. The same goes for her love interest, Jack in the same scenes. He doesn’t really have a reaction to what’s happening.
I’m going to make is so that Jack has always loved Stephanie but has dealt with it in an immature way, making her hate him, but over the course of the story he grows and changes and becomes more attractive to her.
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Joe loves Character depth…
My vision is to persevere and stay the course of building steady daily routine, and disciplines that produce consistent writing of exceptional quality. Ultimately, the fruit of those habits and disciplines will be a track record of great marketable scripts that will make other successful talented pros seek me out.
It was affirming to go back through my previous character beat assignments and see how I’ve been doing a lot of this all along. But it also helped me to evolve some of the problematic areas of the script. Two areas in particular: Emily’s backstory with her family/parents who have been non-existant through the whole story, 2 – Lorenzo’s Uncle dying and having him inherit money looks too much like a Deus Ex-machina., 3 – Affirming that the noble path forward really IS to leave Italy and return to America.
So I’m adding:
Emily’s parents are in a nursing home with severe dementia, so while she has a family, she doesn’t get to regularly experience them, thus, the studio being her “family” fills an emotional void. But then when she moves to Italy, she “inherits” Lorenzo’s Italian family to now fills that void, and thus she’s ready to “abandon” her students for them, and that’s why she doesn’t want to go back to America.
– When Lorenzo gives up the pizza place and goes to Italy, even though it seems like a wise decision to the world’s eyes, to him he’s failing his father, because it was his father’s dream to make it in America, and his parents died when they went back to Italy at the start of the pandemic and got Covid and died there, so in those ways, Italy represents death to him on 2 levels. He has a deep irrational fear of Italy because of that. But Both Nico and Lorenzo, and ultimately Emily, know that the deeper meaning is that the year he spent in Italy has allowed him to mature his cooking skills, and now he’s ready to go back to America to make real quality Italian food with his own Trattoria, thus also fulfilling his parent’s dream.
it still too long, and now, after adding all that, its a page longer!
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Dave loves character depth
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 values.
What I learned doing this assignment is that there are a multitude of ways to improve the depth of a character.
I created a traumatic incident from the main character’s youth to reveal a hidden depth in him. Nigel was confronted on the street by three kids and punched in the nose when he was 14, and he ran away. It’s a memory that has remained with him. It is not fully resolved until the end of the script, when he engages in a fight with the warden of the prison where his wife is being unjustly held. The warden punches him in the nose, and Nigel manages to throw him over a railing to his death.
I found a depth in another character, Roger, a man who is comfortable with violence but has a hidden vulnerability. He confesses it to Nigel near the end of the story, telling him that he has always valued their friendship because Nigel is adept at dealing with people in an intelligent, decent way that requires no violence. Roger doesn’t have this trait to the same extent, so he tells Nigel one of the things he’s admired about him is his ability to treat people in a tactful, kind manner: in a way that shows “class.”
I found a depth in the third major character, Livia, who is Nigel’s wife. She is subjected to torture in prison on multiple occasions and is nearly killed by the last round of it. But even then, she refuses to tell her torturers where her husband is, in order to save his life. The warden also gives her the opportunity to walk out of the prison if she will tell him the name of one citizen who is part of the Rebellion against the state where the prison is located. She refuses, because she knows any person she names will be arrested and executed. So she demonstrates a tremendous depth of courage that I hadn’t suspected until writing these scenes.
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Joyce’s Module 7 #1 Characters
WIL Elevating characters showed me which ones were most important and how to give the protagonist the spotlight.
To create memorable movie scripts that actors want to perform.
I completely changed the female supporting character to the protagonist and gave the supporting role an arc.
I strengthened the antagonist and decided I must concentrate to increase the antagonist role and not have too many possible villains.
Delaney is not ugly, but she’s overshadowed by Lauren, who will never be an intellectual.
Delaney becomes attractive, and Lauren becomes caring and finds that is her true calling.
Kevin gets his fill of being neutral when the conflict heats. He also seems to have a chance with Delaney until he bungles it. He comes to the conclusion that he has to take a stand. Doling so give him new goals.
Professor is not defeated although he never completely recovers from an attack on his life. He also comes to a conclusion to let the past bury itself.
Bragg, one antagonist, works his devious tricks for the money. Even that isn’t enough to keep him on the job.
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Marcus Loves Character Depth
My Vision: Get my script made into a movie.
This assignment showed some good ways to put more depth into characters.
My main characters had a lot of what this lesson taught already, but my protagonist needed some work. I had a hard time with it. I found that the lesson did not go into the concept well enough for me to easily apply some of the methods to my own characters. However, I think I got the hang of most of it. My main character still needs some work, but I’ll keep going back to him as I continue these rewriting exercises.
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Module 7, Lesson 01 – More Character Depth
Subject: Rob Ingalls Loves Character Depth!
MY VISION:
To be a Talented writer that delivers quality fast, with the film industry seeking me out.
WIL: Looking from high level makes the essence pop out to elevate or tweak.
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SIMON LA’ROUCHE
[Protagonist doesn’t show until pg 6 – too late? Insert earlier?]
DRIVES PROTAGONIST
1. page 6. Magic show at Children’s Hospital
2. page 7. Inside his expensive supercar… but Simon’s more depressed than happy
3. page 8. Arrives at Academy. His name on trophy from years ago – Top Graduate. Students recognize him
4. page 8. Enters Harris’ classroom. Upsets Harris.
5. page 9. Simon wanders halls of academy. Reminiscences
6. page 10. Natasha, former girlfriend of Simon. Now Harris’ girlfriend. Simon misses her.
7. page 12. At Dean’s office. Get’s Babe Ruth baseball – Simon won it years ago.
8. page 16-20. Academy graduation. Simon discloses retirement. Class has surprise: final challenge.
– Steal weight in gold and no one the wiser. Simon accepts.
9. page 21. Simon and Dean chat.
10. page 21. Simon and Harris chat. Harris says he’s still bothered by Simon winning by cheating. Not cheat – improvise.
11. page 22. Cases the museum for future heist. Meets Joan from museum.
12. page 25. Simon’s personal warehouse. Lots of heist gadgets. He selects gear for practice heist.
13. page 26. Simon and Dean chat about upcoming heist
14. page 28 ACT TWO
15. page 28-30. Simon preps for, and conducts practice heist on jewlry section of museum. Almost gets caught. Reviews stuff at pers. warehouse.
16. page 30 Simon and Dean chat about successful heist and necklaces taken. Simon plans to return all but one to museum.
17. page 32. Simon selects team via academy’s database. Unaware that database has been tampered with by Harris.
18. page 33. Simon and new team prepare for heist.
19. page 34-39. Heist goes wrong. “Expert Team” sucks.
20. page 36. Students watch Simon and team suck. Students can do better.
21. page 39. Simon fumes, blames Harris.
22. page 41. Simon, alone, surveys museum at night, getting exact measurements for exits, etc. We see giant golden Buddha statue.
23. page 41. Simon chats with magician friend – discuss vanishing elephant trick and apply to gold Buddha.
24. page 42. Simon recreates museum rooms and layout to work the trick. But then no success.
25. page 44. Simon gathers his own personal team. New plan: get gold from warehouse instead of on floor. No success. Gold removed.
26. page 48. ACT THREE
27. page 48. New plan: Tunnel underneath gold statue, then hallow out/melt from underneath only what is necessary
28. page 49. Simon leases shop near museum to dig tunnel to statue.
29. page 51. Harris leaves bag of drugs in shop to get Simon busted.
30. page 54. Simon arrested by sheriff.
31. page 54. Simon freed.
32. page 55. Simon mentions discovery of underground city.
33. page 57. Simon and Harris chat. Simon wants to shake and get on. Asks Harris what he wants.
34. page 60. ACT FOUR
35. page 60. Simon and Roger hit gold statue, start drilling/meling gold.
36. page 61. Simon penetrates statue. Will need to fix from in the museum.
37. page 62. Simon and team enter museum to repair damage to statue.
38. page 63. Simon surveys work on statue after entering museum normal way
39. page 64. Simon and team finish job of hollow out statue of gold. No one will ever know.
40. page 65. Joan tells Simon that museum needs to move gold Buddha statue. CRAP! They’ll discover it’s been hollowed out.
41. page 65-68. Team convinces Joan to use their equipment to move statue. She agrees and statue moved without museum discover hole.
42. page 68-69. Simon at academy – he’s won!
43. page 69. Simon tells audience how he won top graduate and feels it should have been Harris. Dean says both will be recognized.
Depth Tool #2: What are they hiding from me?
Why is Simon retiring? Is it early or average retirement age? Its EARLY. He’s in his 40s.
Maybe Simon isn’t cut out for heists. Maybe he wants a change of pace. Maybe he wants to focus on being a magician.
Maybe Simon wants to work more with the children’s hospital, as a link to his brother who died young of cancer.
– He doesn’t have confidence in his heist abilities. Insecure despite winning top graduate, despite his numerous successes.
– He’s always felt less confidence than others
Depth Tool #3: How can the story trigger the character?
The heist challenge requires others (students) to observe Simon as he conducts heist.
Simon afraid others will discover his weaknesses and insecurites regarding heist.
Each initial failure causes Simon to fret that much more.
Harris triggers Simon’s reactions. Lousy team members trigger Simon’s reactions.
ELEVATE:
– Increase issues of trying to be the person his younger brother wanted in him
– Show resistance when something deviates Simon from achieveing goal that matches his efforts to be what his brother wanted him to be
– Show early with younger brother telling Simon what he wants and makes Simon promise
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WIM2 – Dana Loves Character Depth
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:
Never stop elevating the characters/storyline. Keep increasing their motivations/dilemma.
CHARACTER DEPTH TOOLS
STORYLINES
Ruth’s sister hired the Custodian to kidnap Ruth.
Ruth’s husband, Henry, is having affair with Ruth’s sister.
WHAT ARE THEY HIDING
The sister plotted the kidnapping without telling Henry.
The drug lord’s girlfriend, Kelita, is a police informant.
The Custodian is Ruth’s lover.
TRIGGER/REACTIONS
The sister negotiates the money Custodian reveals the sister’s involvement to Ruth
The Custodian reveals sister’s involvement Ruth realizes she must find a way to escape
Revealing sister’s involvement to Ruth Sister and Henry agree to pay entire ransom
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This reply was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by Dana Abbott.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by
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WIM Joel Stern Post WWII Thriller: “Death Voice”
My Vision: To write eight blockbuster screenplays and to get a speaking line in at leas one.
What I’m Learning From This Assignment: Learning ways to elevate my characters.
Just began listing beats for my protagonist in Final Draft 12. A ways to go but I can see how it will make it easier to identify beats and therefore easier to make Jim “Ace” McCarthy’s character deeper, more interesting.
Fell behind with my work schedule, but I’ll get there!
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WIM Joel Stern Thriller “Death Voice”
My Vision: To write eight screenplays that eventually become Hollywood blockbusters and to get a speaking line in at least one.
What I’m learning from this assignment: How to elevate the quality and depth of my protagonist.
Still working through the draft – I enhanced a scene where Army soldier Jim (protagonist) and Ted are playing cards at night in a French farmhouse during a lull in fighting during WW2. I turned it up a notch when they begin a disagreement about God and their destiny. I originally took a soft approach but realized this scene could really enhance what drives these two characters to what happens later in the story.
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WIM2 Module 7 – Lesson 1 More Character Depth
Lisa Long’s Loves Character Depth!
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 to continue elevating the characters using the Depth tools.
Storylines
Completing the laying out the storylines identified a need to play up the abandonment issue with the main characters.
Hiding?
Characters: Edgar and April are hiding that Ed is Molly’s father.
Character: Mars lies that his mom died. She died years earlier. It was his boyfriend that died, and it was their house.
Triggers:
· Obstacles in the way of goals
· Saying no to the protagonist
· Not able to make friends
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Erin Ziccarelli Loves Character Depth!
Vision: I am creating profound 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: This is one of my favorite assignments so far! Mapping out the beats of my lead and two supporting leads is helping me to “zoom out” on their storylines and identify places where I can add more depth. Strengthening the triggers and reactions is a straightforward way to give the audience that emotional roller coaster ride they’re looking for!
2. Use each of the Character Depth Tools to discover what you can.
Depth Tool 1: Lay out your character
storylines and elevate.
Depth Tool 2: What are they hiding
from me?
Depth Tool 3: How can this story
trigger the character?3. Make any changes that will elevate your characters or the expression of those characters.
4. Tell us the changes you made using these tools.
I came up with eleven character gradient “landmarks” for my lead, and then six for each of my supporting characters. For each one, I wrote out the trigger, reaction, and what they are hiding. This helped me spell it out and see the progression separately for each character. From there, I added stronger reactions (since they were weaker than the triggers), such as physical movement and emotional outbursts.
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Andrew Boyd loves Character Depth
First apologies for my absence. I’ve been in Nigeria, filming, and drafting a book to a tight deadline. I’m glad to be back!
Vision: For Hitler’s Choirboys to be such a compelling and thought-provoking screenplay that Steven Spielberg and Mel Gibson will battle it out to produce their most powerful WW2 drama since Hacksaw Ridge or Schindler’s List.
What I learned from doing this assignment: How to quickly in just a few lines, increase the depth of my characters. It’s been helpful to lay out the character storylines and ask those questions: what are they hiding, and how can I trigger their response?
I’ve been able to colour in a telling reveal about O’Connor, a supposed war hero who may have stood by while reprisals took place. By adding lines to two of my characters, Fuller and Goering, I have been able to show how the search for father and home is lifelong and the outcome not guaranteed. I’ve deepened Gilbert’s personal search for understanding of the Holocaust and implied that beneath that professionalism is a hidden desire for revenge that could prevent justice from being done. All good stuff, and able to be added lightly with just a word or two.
Helpful assignment – thank you.
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