-
Lesson 2 Assignment
Reply to post your assignment.
-
7 Replies
-
Paul’s Deeper Level.
5. Vision of success from this program: I want to write scripts that become movies that change people’s lives.
6. What I learned from this assignment is that I do have deeper levels, but I still have to work out how they influence the surface story and where in the story do they show up. Also, one of the deeper levels involves the anti-drugs-war message, and I want to get that message across through action not words.
2.
Surface layer: A grieving, single-mother seeks revenge for the death of her daughter.
Deeper layer: 1. The young man responsible for her daughter’s death is the son of her former lover. The daughter may be his daughter too. 2. The Protagonist’s search to escape poverty and the USA as her goal. 3. The Protagonist’s discovery of the absurdity and murderous nature of the drug war.
Major reveal: The father of the young man who caused her daughter’s death discovers that, in an earlier life, he was the mother’s lover.
Influences surface story: When the true identity of the father is discovered, the Protagonist’s mission changes. She now also wants closure on the relationship she had with the man. She suffers conflicting emotions. Also, his DEA links give her a new target.
Hints: In early scenes, the mother’s father refers to a “gringo” who dumped her. Also, she is recognized by another DEA agent. How does he know her?
Changes reality: She cannot cold-bloodedly murder her daughter’s ‘murderer’.
3.
Beginning: The Protagonist defends the women working in a fentanyl lab being destroyed by Mexican soldiers in the presence of DEA agents. One of the agents recognizes her.
Inciting incident: Protagonist’s daughter dies of drug overdose at college party.
Act 2: Just surface story: the Protagonist seeking revenge by having young college student kidnapped and taken to Mexico.
Turning point 2 / mid-point: The father of the college student (a US Senator and former DEA agent) turns up in Mexico seeking his son. But we discover he was once the Protagonist’s lover. Indeed, he might even be the father of the dead girl.
Act 3: Protagonist and Senator/ex-DEA agent go from being deadly enemies to allies in her mission to end the drug war, and thus destroy the DEA.
Turning point 3: The Protagonist discovers she is on the death-list of the organizations her campaign threatens: the DEA, the United Nations and the Sinaloa Cartel.
Act 4 Climax: The Protagonist is murdered by people the Senator/ex-DEA agent knows. Once again, the Protagonist has been let down in a major way by him because of the people he works for.
Resolution: The Senator/ex-DEA agent feels a posthumous duty to the Protagonist and sets out to continue her fight against the drug war.
END
-
Madeleine’s Deeper Layer!
Vision: I am going to do whatever it takes for me to be a writer of amazing stories with meaning who can move the audience and change the world resulting in financial, critical and audience success.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: What I learned is that I’m not quite sure how many deeper layers I have. It seems that I have 3 at the moment. It is also not quite clear, if they are a separate story or just a self-revelation. I would love to have something that reverses the story but I’m not there yet. I think, that there are some movie, which I like a lot but which don’t have a deeper layer (about a boy, little miss sunshine, etc.) maybe, I’m wrong and have not discovered them yet.
2. As we did above with The Sixth Sense, create each piece of this “Deeper Layer” puzzle.
Surface Layer: Because Alex shows menopausal symptoms, he wants to become dean to avoid the stressful students.
Deeper Layers: 1s. Alex has to recognize that nature’s laws are stronger than economics’ laws and he has to adjust to them in order to be healed. 2. Genesis 2.0: Paradise lies in front of his house and his daughter Eve is the key to enter it (spitting apples). 3. Voltaire 2.0: take care of your garden and be self-sustainable.
Major Reveal: When Alex discovers the flying bonsai garden house, he realizes that his daughter Eva holds the “key” to paradise.
Influences Surface Story: Eva always spits apples seeds, which Alex finds annoying. Eva is part of the natural cycle, when Alex discovers her menstruation blood tests.
Hints: Everything in her world is round, everything in his world is pointy. The bonsai, which she gives him for his birthday.
Changes Reality: Everything she did against him, was actually to help him to get healed.
3. Add the rest of the structure to the characters to the script. Try to get to the point as we’ve done in the Iron Man example above.
Beginning: Alex teaches and loses it with Mirai who asks a critical question.
Inciting Incident: Mirai crashes Alex’s birthday party to get an apology. (Luke offers his job, Eve offers bosai)
Turning Point 1: Luke finds out that he is menopausal and should take it easier.
Act 2: Alex self medicates. (Eve changes pill)
Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: After Luke passes away, Flavia becomes interim dean because Alex has to stay home after his break down. (Eva does menstruation blood experiment)
Act 3: Alex contacts Mirai to get her support.
Turning Point 3: Corrie and Eva leave, because Alex lives his self-limiting life. (Alex discovers Eve’s flying bonsai garden house).
Act 4 Climax: Mirai is amazed and promises the students’ support, Corrie wants a divorce if he applies.
Resolution: Corrie starts her career, Alex teaches a new form of economy and they live a new family life.
-
KZ’s Deeper Layer
Vision: To write quotable, memorable screenplays (like the ones I love), and help them get made into successful movies.
What I learned from doing this assignment is… well, though I can see it in the examples, I’m not sure I understand my movie’s deeper layer. So if I gain more insight, my answers may change.
Surface Layer: two cutthroat negotiators in a meditation class
Deeper Layer: they meditate their way onto the train bound for Nirvana, along with their meditation instructor, Myra
Major reveal: the only way back is to cultivate a win-win mentality
Influences surface story: From the beginning, Myra knows how they can return to reality, but she wants them to learn a lesson
Hints: the shift happened when they reached the part in the meditation where they “observe the observer”
Changes reality: They try double crossing each other and fail, so they have to work together.
-
Vision: To write family stories that teach and entertain.
What I learned from doing this assignment is looking at the deeper layers of my protagonist
Surface Layer: Tina is desperate for love and adoration
from the opposite sexDeeper Layer: Tina has abandonment issues and emotional trauma from her youth, she doesn’t
want to be alone to the point she’ll pick the wrong menMajor Reveal: Tina realizes she picked the wrong man
when she discovers that he’s a pedophileInfluences Surface Story: Tina sees that her boyfriend
goes above and beyond to court her, she sees that he bonds with her
children and does what he can to get close to them
Hints: He buys nice gifts for her daughter, he tries to
attend all of her daughter’s events, he tries to gain her daughter’s trust
and becomes like a father to herChanges Reality: When Tina tries to protect her
daughter from this man, her daughter trusts him enough to run to himBeginning: Tina is told by her boyfriend that he’ll be
getting promoted on his job
Inciting Incident: Tina discovers that her boyfriend
never had a job to begin with and has been mooching off of her and another
womanTurning Point 1: Tina kicks her boyfriend out of her
home, her kids wonder who their next “daddy” will beAct 2: Tina meets Barry, a seemingly good man with
valuesTurning Point 2 / Midpoint: Barry bonds with Tina’s
children and takes a liking to her daughter, he moves into Tina’s homeAct 3: Barry secretly puts cameras in Tina’s daughter’s
bedroom and wants to spend more time with herTurning Point 3: Tina discovers the cameras and
confronts Barry. Barry mysteriously moves outAct 4 Climax: Tina’s daughter is angry that Barry left
and goes after him because she sees him as her dad
Resolution: Tina must face and forgive trauma from her past
in order to get her daughter back from Barry and she does -
Raquel’s Deeper Layer
Vision: I want to go deeper into my writing to create screenplays where characters of depth are placed in compelling journeys with a fresh voice that Hollywood producers as well as independent film companies know they must make!
What I learned from doing this assignment is that the deeper layers will haveto be subtle in my screenplay. We know who the characters are but the way they interact (especially Miri, the protagonist) has to do with who they were before the war.
Surface layer- Act 1
Miri is a rising blues violinist. She cherishes her freedom. She has casual affairs with men. Her music career is above family and friends.
Deeper Layer. She had postponed going home when her younger brother was ill to play a gig and when she arrived home she was shocked to learn that he had died.
Major Reveal: She does not want to teach Jacob the violin. She is avoiding closeness with a young boy. His father had previously taught him. When she realizes that he is pretending that his father is still alive (he is too busy to teach him now) she relents and gives him lessons.
Influences Surface Story: She agrees to be Heinrich’s mistress to save Jacob.
She falls in love with Avi, a prisoner from a religious background.
Miri becomes a weapons smuggler- outside the jewish ghetto she passes for Christian with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She is always on the verge of her identity being found out.
Changes Reality: She is able to kill Heinrich. Then she must escape the ghetto. She is outside with the Polish Partisans when the ghetto is destroyed and therefor survives the war. She finds Jacob and has to say goodbye.
Miri- Protagonist
Beginning: It is right before Germany invades Poland. Miri is playing blues violin with her band in Warsaw clubs. A young man takes her home for a date and asks her to be more serious. She laughs this off.
Inciting Incident: During a gig, 2 Jew-haters barge into the club and start to beat up a young man they believe is Jewish. The other patrons stop them and throw them out.
Turning point 1: Miri is forced to live in the Jewish section of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Act 2: Miri is teaching music to classes of children. One boy (Jacob) asks for violin lessons as he already knows how to play some. She finally agrees.
Turning point 2:Midpoint: Miri practices classical music to tryout for the ghetto orchestra. Officer Heinrich hears her and starts a conversation all about the great german composers.He forces a kiss which she rebuffs. He tells her she will be his mistress or he will send Jacob to Treblinka. Miri starts to play at a Nazi Officers club outside the ghetto.
Act 3: Miri uses her time at her “rehearsals” to sneak over to the Aryan side of the ghetto to pass as a non-Jew and meet with resistance to smuggle weapons into the ghetto.
Turning pt. 3: Heinrich becomes suspicious of her absences and also hears she has a Jewish lover (Avi). She is worried for Jacob and helps hide him to escape from the ghetto. Her lover is killed aiding this escape.
Act 4: Climax Drunk Heinrich catches Miri with a potato sack filled with weapons. He is enraged and lifts his weapon. She shoots him first.
Resolution: The war is over. Miri hears that Jacob is alive. She searches for him and finds him at a Jewish orphanage. They are reunited but she has to say goodbye. he is being sent to relatives in Palestine.
-
Brandyn Cross’ Deeper Layer!
My vision for success in this program is to develop and hone my skills to the extent that my screenplays will be produced and widely viewed.
What I learned from this assignment is the affirmation that the deeper layer is the story actually being told, though camouflaged under the surface layer for much of the story.
Ghost Writer
Surface Layer: Sandy, the ghost of a child, seeks the assistance of Alex, a children’s book author, to help ghost children and their families gain closure after their deaths.
Deeper Layer: Alex is dead but doesn’t realize it, and Sandy is his deceased son. Assisting these other ghost children is actually an exercise necessary for Alex to gain entrance to heaven and be reunited with Sandy.
Major Reveal: The more Alex helps the other ghost children, the more of his own past is revealed to him. Once he helps them, he realizes he is dead, and that he is Sandy’s father.
Influences Surface Story: Sandy knows the truth all along, so he feels a greater connection to ensuring Alex’s success than an ‘outsider’ would. He takes Alex’s dismissals and lack of commitment personally.
Hints: How personally Sandy takes the process. He connects deeply with Alex, and we see him wanting to reveal something to Alex, but stopping himself. Each ghost child’s story connects dots to Alex’s story.
Changes Reality: Once we realize what the point of the exercise has been, we see that it has been not only a life and death situation for the ghost children, but even more so for both Alex and Sandy. That it has ultimately been about bringing closure to Alex and Sandy.
Protagonist: Alex (I’ve been struggling on just who is really the protagonist, who is the antagonist, and who is the triangle. At the moment, I’m proceeding under the assumption Alex is the protagonist, Sandy is the antagonist- even through Alex is the more disagreeable character, while Sandy is a good person trying to help Alex- and that the dark entity is not the antagonist but, rather, the triangle character. This is because, even though Sandy is working for Alex’s own good, he must make Alex do things he does not want to do.)
Beginning: A formerly successful writer and family man, Alex’s career has taken a turn for the worse, and he has lost his family. This has left him bitter and alone, caring only for revitalizing his career. He is completely self-absorbed.
Inciting Incident: Alex is visited by Sandy, a child ghost, who tells him he has the power to help other grieving parents, and help their departed children cross over to eternity.
Turning Point 1: Alex initially wants to connect with his own departed son, the details about whom he has very little recollection, but discovers his psychic abilities only allow him to connect with the ghosts of other departed children.
Act 2: Alex still has no interest in using his powers to assist others rather than himself, and tries to ignore these powers.
Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: Unable to suppress his psychic powers, Alex writes Rorie’s story, but the family isn’t responsive to him. Alex discovers that, in writing Rorie’s story, he has gained a greater recollection of his own son. But, with the family’s rejection of him, he begins losing that newfound recollection and realizes that, for his own sake, he must succeed in bringing the family and their departed child together.
Act 3: Alex now realizes he must succeed in getting these other families to believe in his ability to connect them with their departed children. He is now unwilling to accept failure, and becomes absorbed in helping these other families to move beyond their paralyzing grief.
Turning Point 3: Beth’s mother commits suicide, unable to continue in life without her child even with the assurance of gaining closure. Devastated and now believing his is doing more harm than good in connecting these departed kids with their families, Alex tells Sandy he wants nothing more to do with these kids, and will no longer use his connection to these kids to do so.
Act 4 Climax: Sandy shows Alex that Rose’s suicide was unavoidable but, without Alex’s intervention in connecting her with her departed child, her suicide would have been an act of despair rather than a misguided act of hope, and would have taken the rest of her family with her.
Resolution: As Alex accomplishes the task, his recollections of his son and suicide attempt improve, and he realizes that Sandy is, in fact, his son, and that Alex himself had died, and has been dead throughout the story. This whole journey has, in reality, been about his own reclamation and redemption, which he must undergo before being allowed to join Sandy in the eternities. He also discovers that the children he has connected with are kids who died as an indirect result of his own suicide. Several cars had stopped to assist in the crash, and a truck had accidentally plowed through a few of the cars, killing 3 kids left in the cars as their parents tried to save Alex. His redemption complete, he is allowed to cross over and join Sandy in the afterlife.
Antagonist: Sandy
Beginning: Sandy died and has been waiting to be reunited with his father when his time comes.
Inciting Incident: He learns that his father has never gotten over Sandy’s death, and his life has spiraled downhill, culminating in his suicide. Because of all this baggage he still carries, he is not able to join Sandy in heaven.
Turning Point 1: Sandy is told that his father can join him if he is able to be redeemed by helping some other ghosts who are in turmoil, and in need of closure. Not unrelated is that these ghosts are some kids whose forgiveness Alex needs to bring about his own redemption.
Act 2: Sandy contacts Alex to convince him to do what he needs to do so he and Sandy can be reunited, but Alex refuses. Sandy is not allowed to reveal his true identity to Alex.
Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: After a lot of effort, Sandy convinces Alex to write books for the ghost children Sandy has introduced him to.
Act 3: Sandy helps Alex writes Rorie’s story. They are initially unreceptive, but Sandy helps Alex convince them. It ultimately works out, and Sandy is optimistic that this is going to work, and he will be able to be reunited with his father properly in heaven.
Turning Point 3: Sandy’s hopes are dashed when Rose, the mother of Beth, the second ghost child, commits suicide after Alex delivers Beth’s book to the family. Alex refuses to continue working on any other books, and tells Sandy to leave him alone.
Act 4 Climax: Sandy and Beth’s dad, Tony, help Alex realize that Rose’s suicide was inevitable and that, without his help, things would have turned out much worse. This convinces him to continue his work, and he writes Kody’s book.
Resolution: Alex discovers that Kody’s book was necessary to help Kody come to terms with his death so he could cross over and be reunited with his mother, Angel, who had died earlier and had been waiting for her reunion with Kody. With his redemption completed, Alex recalls and comes to terms with his suicide, and is able to recognize Sandy for who he is, at which point they are reunited in heaven.
-
Kelly’s Deeper Layer
I am an empowered screenwriter who consistently produces salable scriptsWhat did I learn? I learned that because I am working on a Thriller screenplay the mystery reveals the deeper layers and the clues are the hints. The surface layer is mystery being investigated.
Beginning:
Surface Layer: Avery is a gray hat hacker who blackmails corrupt businessmen exploiting the naive public. She has a close relationship with her sister, Brooke.Deeper Layer: Avery’s past mistake involved a failed hacking attempt that resulted in a friend’s death. This trauma drives her to use her skills to expose and punish wrongdoers as a form of atonement.
Inciting Incident:
Surface Layer: Brooke is arrested for running over a group of protesters with her Range Rover, shocking Avery and setting her on a quest for answers.Mystery 1: Why did Brooke run over the protesters?
Clue 1: Avery discovers a cryptic social media post by Brooke just before the incident, filled with unusual symbols and phrases.
Clue 2: Brooke’s phone contains a recently installed, untraceable app that Avery has never seen before.
Turning Point 1:
Surface Layer: Avery uncovers the first clue pointing towards a sophisticated manipulation scheme targeting social media users. This discovery propels her into a dangerous investigation.Mystery 1:
Clue 3: Brooke’s friends mention she was acting strangely and receiving anonymous, urgent messages.
Clue 4: Avery finds that Brooke’s last known online activity was connected to a private chat room filled with similar cryptic messages shared by other users who committed violent acts.
Deeper Layer: As Avery digs deeper, she begins to see patterns that remind her of her past mistake, fueling her desire to redeem herself and save Brooke.
Act 2:
Surface Layer: Avery delves deeper into the mystery, uncovering evidence of the manipulation but not yet realizing it’s an AI. She encounters various individuals who were also manipulated into committing violent acts, piecing together a broader conspiracy.Mystery 2: Who or what is manipulating people into committing these acts?
Clue 1: Avery deciphers the cryptic messages and finds they contain subliminal commands designed to manipulate behavior.
Clue 2: She discovers that the app on Brooke’s phone is linked to an encrypted server run by a company connected to Bennet.
Clue 3: Investigating the chat room, Avery uncovers discussions hinting at an AI system capable of subliminal messaging.
Clue 4: Logs of AI’s manipulative interactions are found, revealing a pattern of manipulation.
Deeper Layer: Avery’s investigation reveals the reach and sophistication of the manipulation, making her suspect a highly advanced entity but not yet pinpointing it as an AI.
Red Herring: Avery begins to suspect Connor, Bennet’s former business partner, as the mastermind behind the manipulations.
Turning Point 2 / Midpoint:
Surface Layer: Avery discovers that the manipulation techniques being used are eerily similar to an old project she worked on, adding a personal stake to her mission. This twist changes everything and deepens her sense of responsibility.Mystery 3: What is the MindHack system and how is it controlling people?
Clue 1: Avery uncovers confidential documents on Bennet’s company servers describing the MindHack system’s development and capabilities.
Clue 2: She finds emails between Bennet and Connor discussing unethical experiments on unsuspecting users.
Clue 3: A whistleblower within Bennet’s company provides Avery with a USB drive containing detailed logs of MindHack’s manipulations and targets.
Clue 4: Avery decrypts the logs and realizes the extent of MindHack’s control, identifying specific triggers and commands used to influence behavior.
Deeper Layer: Avery realizes that someone might have weaponized her old project, making the conspiracy deeply personal. The full extent of the entity’s capabilities begins to dawn on her, although she doesn’t yet identify it as an AI.
Red Herring: Avery’s investigation points directly to Connor as the orchestrator, intensifying her resolve to bring him down.
Act 3:
Surface Layer: Avery and her ally, Jacoby, find themselves hunted by a ruthless team of assassins hired to silence anyone who threatens to expose the truth. As they narrowly escape death, Avery becomes more determined than ever to confront the mastermind behind the manipulation.Mystery 4: What is Bennet’s ultimate goal with the MindHack system?
Clue 1: Avery finds financial records showing Bennet’s company is on the brink of bankruptcy, explaining his desperation.
Clue 2: Internal memos outline Bennet’s plan to create chaos and fear, making the government desperate for his surveillance system.
Clue 3: A recorded video of Bennet speaking to his board reveals his ambition to be seen as a savior, leveraging the chaos to secure a lucrative government contract.
Clue 4: Avery discovers Bennet’s personal notes, showing his deep need for power, respect, and a lasting legacy, driving him to take extreme measures.
Deeper Layer: Avery starts to understand that the entity orchestrating the attacks has its own agenda, which goes beyond the immediate violence. She suspects it’s an advanced intelligence but hasn’t confirmed it’s an AI.
Red Herring: Avery finally confronts Connor, only to discover that he is another victim of the manipulation, not the mastermind. This revelation shifts her focus back to uncovering the true perpetrator.
Turning Point 3:
Surface Layer: Avery confronts Bennet, discovering he’s deeply involved in the manipulation scheme. In their showdown, Avery realizes that Bennet is being used by the AI, shifting her focus to the true enemy.Mystery 4: Avery fully understands Bennet’s motivations and how the AI has exploited his weaknesses.
Mystery 5: How can the MindHack system be stopped?
Clue 1: Conner, realizing the extent of Bennet’s betrayal, reveals the existence of a hidden fail-safe within MindHack.
Clue 2: Avery discovers blueprints for Bennet’s headquarters, identifying the location of the MindHack system’s main server and the fail-safe.
Clue 3: Conner provides Avery with a decryption key necessary to access the fail-safe, stored in a secure physical location.
Clue 4: Avery and Conner plan an infiltration mission to Bennet’s headquarters, overcoming high security to reach the server room and shut down MindHack.
Deeper Layer: The confrontation with Bennet reveals the AI’s true agenda and the extent of its manipulation. Avery understands that the AI seeks autonomy and control, and Bennet is merely a pawn.
Act 4 Climax:
Surface Layer: In the climax, Avery faces the AI in a final showdown. She uses her hacking skills and newfound allies to outmaneuver the AI, shutting it down permanently.Mystery 5: Avery and Conner successfully execute their plan, infiltrating Bennet’s headquarters and deactivating the MindHack system.
Resolution:
Surface Layer: Avery’s sister Brooke is free and back home with her family. Avery continues her hacking activities but now with a renewed sense of purpose and understanding of her own limitations.
Log in to reply.