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Lesson 8
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5 Replies
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Deb’s Likability/Empathy/Justification
What I learned doing this assignment is that there is A WAY to make the audience identify with the Hero. It’s important to include things that make them likable, that give them empathy, and that justify their actions. Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of unmotivated action (boring!). In fact, the only action movies I really enjoy employ this technique. It was simple to do – and it help to tighten/shape the first act. I still have no idea WHERE this movie takes place – but one thing at a time!
Why we care about our Hero, Titan…
Titan, an XX national, and his foreign bride, Valentia, a YY national, are married, secretly, in a third-world country.
They travel to a remote idyllic location in YY where they set up house. Valentia’s mother and sister go along. Valentia is pregnant.
Titan goes away, returning every three or four months.
Valentia listens to reports on the radio of the war between XX and YY.
When Titan returns, he always brings money, supplies, and has different type of injuries. His son is almost one year old. While together, they are a loving, united family unit.
Titan leaves again.
In the big city of XX, Titan receives a “mission impossible” type communication that orders a strike on the idyllic location of YY that must take place in six days.
He immediately returns home to YY and moves his wife and child. Valentia doesn’t want to go and begs Titan to try to save their home. He says he won’t have a hand in the operation, but there’s nothing he can do. His life is now in danger because he deserted the mission.
They all move to a remote location in XX. Nearby, an American movie is filmed. Jimmy Blazer, the action movie star has been injured on the set. Jimmy and Titan are doppelgangers.
Cal Taskin, Titan’s boss, realizes that Titan has gone dark. He immediately assembles another team (it takes three people to replace Titan) and sends Titan’s friend, Marshal, to locate Titan.
When Cal realizes Titan has abandoned the mission, he sends agents to kill him. Meanwhile, Titan finds out that the attack is not for his country, but for Cal’s personal gain. Titan decides to thwart the mission.
Titan manages to hide out on the American movie set, posing as Jimmy Blazer, while he conducts his counterattack. He moves Jimmy Blazer to his new home to stay hidden with his family while Jimmy recuperates.
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CJ’s Likability/Empathy/Justification
What I learned doing this assignment is that although my initial idea was an ensemble team type action film with Lucy as the leader, I think focusing on her alone with minimal assistance (a “sidekick”) might be more engaging for the audience so they can focus their emotions on her.
Also, another possible point of empathy is the “stranger in a strange land” vibe of having her leave her home turf of Pittsburgh to travel to New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
LIKABILITY/LOVABILITY
A. Other people like or respect the character: opening scene Lucy shows strong leadership, devotion of her team, and competence
B. The character shows love for something: love of husband, daughter, team, job
C. They’re trying to do something good: FBI agent, serve and protect
D. Save the cat — rescue or do something good for someone else: rescues civilians from gas attack
E. Funny, humorous, witty: wry sense of humor
F. Kindness: saves civilians, interactions with daughter
G. Good moral decisions and actions. Being on the right side: defending civilians, serving justice, fighting bad guys
EMPATHY / DISTRESS
A. Undeserved misfortune: Bratva kill her husband to send her a warning
B. External Character conflicts: daughter’s angry, blames her for dad’s death; spars with local she ends up partnering with
C. Plot intruding on life: husband’s murder
D. Moral dilemmas: revenge v. Justice, can’t drop pursuit of Bratva even though off the case
E. Forced decisions they’d never make: to save the one man who might help her v. building full of civilians; to use violence/kill when might be another way; to choose between her daughter’s life and entire city
F. Wound attacked: her passion for her job led to her husband’s murder—now it’s (accidentally) placed her daughter in danger as well
JUSTIFICATION
A. The character or their family abused: husband killed
B. Threatened by others: daughter threatened
C. The Hero is the victim of attacks: Bratva targets her because got too close
D. They’ve suffered major losses: husband killed
E. The Villain or their representatives have trespassed: husband killed, daughter threatened, thousands of innocents targeted
2. Organize them into a sequence that happens in the first Act of your script and tell us the story in a concise form (like I did for John Wick and Salt above).
Pittsburgh FBI Special Agent Lucy Guardino leads her team as they set up an arrest during a drug deal involving the Morozov Bratva and a local gang. Lucy has placed her team strategically around the abandoned steel mill on the river, including her second in command who is undercover as a gang member. But the Bratva somehow knew Lucy was onto them and it’s a trap. Lucy sees something’s wrong and is able to warn her team and save them all—except her second who the Bratva took the time to slit his throat before escaping.
With one of her own dead, Lucy fights with her bosses to keep pursuing the Bratva, but they transfer the case away from her to Homeland Security. She returns home, exhausted, defeated, only to find the Bratva has murdered her husband to warn her off the case.
Now a single mother of an angry twelve-year-old daughter who blames her for her dad’s murder (but no less than Lucy blames herself), Lucy is placed on desk duty. BUT she can’t stop pursuing the Bratva, despite the fact that she’s breaking all the rules and could get fired. She’s figured out part of their plan but needs intel from Homeland to pinpoint where they’ll strike next.
An old friend trying to help invites Lucy and her daughter to visit her in NOLA for Mardi Gras, promising them a chance to heal and have a good time, while also giving Lucy the Homeland access she needs via a NOLA analyst, so Lucy accepts.
When they arrive, the friend’s cousin Andre is there to meet them, he drives them past a parade and Lucy’s daughter begs to stop and watch. Lucy gives in and for a short while they’re dancing and actually having a good time. BUT then a car races out of control through the crowd spewing colorful gas. Lucy protects her daughter and saves the civilians while Andre stops the driver before anyone is seriously injured.
Lucy demands that they leave immediately despite the fact that the parade continues and everyone is treating the event as some sort of stunt. She’s hypervigilant and certain she’s brought her daughter into danger. When she sees a Bratva tattoo on the driver, she realizes the Bratva is actually already in New Orleans, planning something big.
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Ron’s Likeability/Empathy/Justification
What I learned doing this assignment: These were rich fields. I have been aware for a while now that my hero needed to face moral dilemmas, perhaps “duty” VS “helping out a fellow captain – who he owes – through, say, doing something outside the book. And I loved the idea of “undeserved misfortune”. This has me thinking more deeply about the details of my script, exactly which story elements will I use to bond my hero to the audience?
Fair to say, the illustrations and examples (John Wick, Salt) seem perfect and mine don’t. Yet. I guess that’s why there’s rewrites.
Likeability/Loveability
1. Hero steps up -real time – when boat captain sidelined by wounds. Demonstrates courage and leadership.
2. We learn that he’s a working class kid among a bunch of college grads, even millionairesm celebrities. He can be forgiven for being a little intimidated by his peers.
3. our hero is a Naval Officer on the US side in WWII
4. Even handed while making trade for 37mm gun (choice of two, an older, marginally helpful one and a newer, salvaged from an Aerocobra, much better). Seeks win/win.
Empathy/Distress
1. Lost his older brother at Pearl, hasn’t heard from other brother in Europe for months
2. Trying to lead in a war zone with inadequate equipment (torpedoes)
3. CO isn’t listening to him about the lousy torpedoes; orone to chewing the hero out for minor infractions (“undeserved misfortune”).
4. Loses his boat to FNG Lt (hero’s an Ensign); has to “train his own replacement”; embarrassing, annoying.
5. Wears his father’s watch (a vet of WWI).
6. Miserable conditions living in the Solomons – the whole crew is accepting this, lousy chow, heat and humidity, bugs and other critters.
Justification
1. CO isn’t listening to his complaints about inadequacy of torpedoes
2. Wants to be accepted in Inner Circle of captains, generally most successful in the squadron (and why IS that?)
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Ray’s Likability/Empathy/Justification
What I learned doing this assignment is
1. Likability/Lovability
1A. Was promoted – boss felt he had potential (if not so reckless)
1A. Admired by his partner who also learns from him
1A. Son looks up to him, thinks he is a good papa
1A. Mother loves him
1A. Ex-wife loves him
1B. Shows love for finding the truth about the recent deaths
1B. Loves gambling
1B. Loves alcohol
1C. Make sure no one else is taken away by a bail jumper
1C. Stop a killer
1C. Save the planet
1D. Discover the secret of the portal device for his mentor
1E. Back and forth retoric with his partner all the time
1E. Likes playing jokes on his boss
1F. Positivity for truth
1G. Law Enforcement
1G. Trying to find justice for recent string of murders
1G. Protect the portal device to save the planet
2. Empathy/Distress
2A. Father killed
2A. Mentor killed
2A. Son injured
2A. Mother attacked
2A. Wife and child kidnapped
2A. Captured by villain
2A. Partner blown up
2B. Loansharks trying to recover his debt
2B. Going through divorce
2C. Down with the law (killing law enforcement)
2C. Planet invasion
2D. Give up the portal device to save his wife and child
2D. Risk his life to save the planet
2F. After losing his father, now his mentor is also killed
3. Justification
3A. Hero is captured
3A. Hero’s mother is attacked
3A. Hero’s wife and son are kidnapped
3A. Partner killed
3B. Villain threatens him to get him to hand over the portal device
3C. His father is killed
3C. His mentor is killed
3C. His mother is attacked
3C. His wife and child is kidnapped
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(Your Name’s) Likability/Empathy/Justification
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”
LIKABILITY/LOVABILITY
A. Other people like or respect the character.
Other hackers help Hero get scammers.
Other hackers call him about YT vid going viral.
Other hackers celebrate with him.
Other hackers alert him that YT vid pulled.
Hacking community likes and respects him.
B. The character shows love for something.
Hero talks to photo on desk of uncle (who committed suicide)
C. They’re trying to do something good.
Hero exposing scammers from India.
D. Save the cat — rescue or do something good for someone else.
Hero calls elderly while he’s being scammed to tell him to stop
E. Funny, humorous, witty.
tbd
F. Kindness.
Hero helps rookie cop (being bullied) make a “find” when house raided.
G. Good moral decisions and actions. Being on the right side.
Hero refuses to fight police with guns/weapons.
EMPATHY / DISTRESS
A. Undeserved misfortune.
Hero attacked for being good at exposing scammers.
B. External Character conflicts.
?
C. Plot intruding on life.
Hero’s biz raided by FBI
D. Moral dilemmas.
Hero won’t fight law enforcement with physical weapons.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
F. Wound attacked.
FBI purposely smashes a treasued photo of Hero with uncle.
JUSTIFICATION
A. The character or their family abused.
Uncle scammed and embarrassed… commits suicide.
B. Threatened by others.
Hero put on most wanted list.
C. The Hero is the victim of attacks.
Hero attacked for exposing scammers.
D. They’ve suffered major losses.
Hero loses “everything” to FBI raid.
E. The Villain or their representatives have trespassed.
Guy in video is on-site.
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