Lesson 4

Module 1

Lesson 4

Posted by cheryl croasmun on January 8, 2024 at 7:37 am

Reply to post your assignment.

Tom Wilson replied 7 months, 4 weeks ago 10 Members · 10 Replies
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ATAUR BACCHUS

Member
January 17, 2024 at 9:16 pm

ATAUR’S INTRIGUING CHARACTER LAYERS

What I learned doing this assignment: I came to think of Character Layers as a) potential “voices in the head” when a character comes to a choice he/she has to make as well as b) the subtext in dialogue

ASSIGNMENT 1

EXAMPLE SHOW – HOUSE OF CARDS

Frank Underwood: He is the House Majority Whip and a ruthless politician who seeks revenge after being passed over for Secretary of State.

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Hidden Agenda: He wants to undermine the
president and his allies, and eventually take over the White House.
Competition: He sees everyone as a
potential rival or pawn, especially the president, the vice president, the
secretary of state, and the speaker of the house.
Conspiracy: He orchestrates a complex
scheme to manipulate the media, the public, and his colleagues, using
blackmail, bribery, and murder.
Secret: He is involved in an extramarital
affair with Zoe Barnes, a young reporter who helps him leak information to
the press.
Deception: He lies constantly to
everyone, including his wife, his friends, and his enemies. He also breaks
the fourth wall and deceives the audience by pretending to be charming and
witty.
Wound: He feels betrayed and humiliated
by the president, who reneged on his promise to make him secretary of
state.
Secret Identity: He is a sociopath who
cares only about power and himself. He has no empathy or remorse for
anyone he hurts or kills.

Zoe Barnes: She is an ambitious and
aspiring journalist who works for the Washington Herald, and later for
Slugline, an online news site.

Hidden Agenda: She wants to advance her career and become a famous
and respected reporter, by breaking exclusive and sensational stories.
Competition: She competes with other journalists and media
outlets, such as her former boss Tom Hammerschmidt, her colleague Janine
Skorsky, and the Washington Post.
Conspiracy: She collaborates with Frank in his schemes, and
receives confidential and incriminating information from him, in exchange
for sexual favors and favorable coverage.
Secret: She is involved in an extramarital affair with Frank, and
uses him as a source and a mentor. She also keeps her relationship with
Lucas Goodwin, another reporter, a secret from Frank.
Deception: She pretends to be a naive and innocent young woman,
but she is actually a smart and ruthless opportunist, who will use anyone
and anything to get ahead.
Wound: She feels insecure and dissatisfied with her life and her
work, and wonders if she is doing the right thing.
Secret Identity: She is a narcissist who cares only about herself
and her fame. She has no loyalty or integrity to anyone else.

ASSIGNMENT 2

MY SHOW – POTENTIAL TITLE “THE ZIG-ZAG ROAD”

Diego: He is the protagonist of the show, a South American born
Canadian engineer who works for a US firm building a highway in Guyana. He
is idealistic, curious and adventurous, but also naive and conflicted. His
role is to uncover the truth behind the highway project and the hidden
motivations of the US firm, the local governments and the mining
companies. He also has to deal with the ethical and moral dilemmas of his
job and his loyalty to his employer, his country and his heritage.

Hidden Agenda: He wants to make a positive difference in the world
and to help the people of Guyana, but he also wants to advance his career
and to prove himself as a competent engineer.
Competition: He competes with other engineers and contractors, who
may have more experience, skills, or connections than him. He also
competes with Ricardo, who tries to undermine his work and reputation.
Conspiracy: He discovers that the US firm, the local governments,
and the mining companies are all involved in a secret plan to exploit the
natural resources of the Guiana Shield, and to disregard the
environmental and social costs of their actions.
Secret: He is secretly attracted to Lila, the journalist who is
investigating the highway project, but he fears that she may expose his
involvement or betray his trust.
Deception: He lies to his employer, his colleagues, and his
friends about his doubts and suspicions about the highway project. He
also lies to himself about his feelings for Lila and his role in the
conspiracy.
Wound: He feels guilty and ashamed for being part of a project
that harms his ancestral land and people. He also feels conflicted and
torn between his loyalty to his employer, his country, and his heritage.
Secret Identity: He is a whistleblower who decides to expose the
truth about the highway project and the conspiracy, and to join forces
with Lila and Mara to stop Ricardo and his allies.
Lila: She is the female lead of the show,
a Guyanese journalist who works for a local newspaper. She is smart, brave
and passionate, but also cynical and distrustful. Her role is to expose
the corruption and collusion between the US firm, the local governments
and the mining companies, and to inform the public about the environmental
and social impacts of the highway project. She also has a romantic
interest in Diego, but their relationship is complicated by their
different perspectives and agendas.

Hidden Agenda: She wants to make a name for herself as a
journalist and to win a prestigious award, but she also wants to protect
her sources and her integrity.
Competition: She competes with other journalists and media
outlets, who may have more resources, access, or influence than her. She
also competes with Ricardo, who tries to silence her and discredit her
work.
Conspiracy: She uncovers that the US firm, the local governments,
and the mining companies are all part of a secret plan to exploit the
natural resources of the Guiana Shield, and to disregard the
environmental and social costs of their actions.
Secret: She is secretly attracted to Diego, the engineer who works
for the US firm, but she fears that he may be part of the conspiracy or
betray her trust.
Deception: She lies to her editor, her colleagues, and her friends
about her sources and her methods. She also lies to herself about her
feelings for Diego and her role in the story.
Wound: She feels angry and betrayed by the authorities and the
corporations, who have lied to and exploited the people of Guyana. She
also feels lonely and isolated, as she has few allies and many enemies.
Secret Identity: She is a crusader who decides to expose the truth
about the highway project and the conspiracy, and to join forces with
Diego and Mara to stop Ricardo and his allies.
Ricardo: He is the antagonist of the
show, a Brazilian businessman who owns a mining company that operates in
the Guiana Shield. He is greedy, ruthless and charismatic, but also
cunning and manipulative. His role is to exploit the mineral resources of
the Guiana Shield, and to sabotage the highway project and the oil and gas
exploration that threaten his interests. He also has a personal vendetta
against Diego, who he blames for the death of his brother in a mining
accident.

Hidden Agenda: He wants to become the richest and most powerful
man in South America, but he also wants to avenge his brother and to
destroy his rivals.
Competition: He competes with other mining companies and
investors, who may have more money, technology, or connections than him.
He also competes with Diego, who he sees as a threat and a reminder of
his loss.
Conspiracy: He is involved in a secret plan to exploit the mineral
resources of the Guiana Shield, and to sabotage the highway project and
the oil and gas exploration that threaten his interests. He also hires
mercenaries and criminals to do his dirty work.
Secret: He is secretly obsessed with Mara, the explorer who is
searching for the lost city of Z, but he fears that she may discover his
secrets or betray his trust.
Deception: He pretends to be a legitimate and respectable
businessman, but he is actually a corrupt and violent criminal, who will
stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Wound: He feels grief and rage for the death of his brother, who
was killed in a mining accident caused by Diego’s negligence. He also
feels envy and insecurity, as he has always lived in the shadow of his
brother, who was smarter and more successful than him.
Secret Identity: He is a villain who decides to destroy the
highway project and the conspiracy, and to kill Diego, Lila, and Mara,
who stand in his way.
Mara: She is a supporting character of the show, a Venezuelan
explorer who is obsessed with finding the lost city of Z. She is
adventurous, eccentric and mysterious, but also reckless and secretive.
Her role is to guide Diego and Lila to the hidden ancient city in the
jungle, and to reveal its secrets and dangers. She also has a hidden
connection to Ricardo, who she used to work for as a treasure hunter.

Hidden Agenda: She wants to find the lost city of Z and to uncover
its mysteries, but she also wants to escape from her past and her
enemies.
Competition: She competes with other explorers and adventurers,
who may have more knowledge, equipment, or support than her. She also
competes with Ricardo, who tries to stop her and take her discoveries.
Conspiracy: She is aware of the secret plan to exploit the natural
resources of the Guiana Shield, and to sabotage the highway project and
the oil and gas exploration that threaten the ancient city and its
secrets.
Secret: She is secretly working for a mysterious organization that
is interested in the lost city of Z and its secrets, but she fears that
they may have ulterior motives or betray her trust.
Deception: She pretends to be a friendly and helpful guide, but
she is actually a secretive and selfish explorer, who will use anyone and
anything to get what she wants.
Wound: She feels guilty and haunted by her past, and the people
she has hurt or lost along the way. She also feels lonely and
misunderstood, as she has few friends and many enemies.
Secret Identity: She is a hero who decides to help Diego and Lila
to expose the truth about the highway project and the conspiracy, and to
stop Ricardo and his allies.

Jean-Pierre Serra

Member

January 19, 2024 at 3:00 am

JP Serra’s Intriguing Character Layers

ASSIGNMENT 1:

My example show is SUPERNATURAL. The episode I watched is S1E4.

Character Name: Dean Winchester

Role: One of the brothers who is a Monster Hunter

Hidden agendas: He impersonates a Federal Agent to get access to the wreckage of a plane.

Competition: He is competing against a demon who takes possession of innocent people to take planes down.

Conspiracies: Does not apply for this episode

Secrets: He’s afraid of flying.

Deception: To get access to classified information, he takes different identities.

Wound: His mother died by the hands of a demon when he was young. His father disappeared.

Secret Identity: He made fake IDs to impersonate a Federal Agent.

ASSIGNMENT 2

For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.

Character Name: Finch Calloway

Role: Homeless man who joins the ghost hunting squad

Hidden agendas: He feels trapped. He became a homeless to escape the system. Now, just because of his power of immunity, he feels obligated to join the squad. He’s waiting for the right moment to get out.

Competition: He is competing against the souls he has absorbed. They constantly want to take over.

Conspiracies: Isabella, the medium, feels that her team is taking advantage of Finch. She will work with him to get it out.

Secrets: When he falls asleep, he becomes a killer. When he’s awake, the ghosts speak to him.

Deception: He wants out.

Wound: He has suffered a severe burn out that lead him to quit everything and become a homeless.

Secret Identity: All of the souls he has absorbed are part of him and could get out at any moments.

Character Name: Eliza Thornfield

Role: She’s the leader of the ghost hunting squad

Hidden agendas: She wants to use Finch as bait to catch ghosts. This way, she doesn’t endanger her team.

Competition: She wants to win against all the serial killers.

Conspiracies: She teams up with Cornelius Grimshaw who is a ghost himself. They both want to eliminate the same enemies.

Secrets: She’s willing to work with ghosts if it helps her in some ways.

Deception: She sends Finch on mission she knows are dangerous.

Wound: Cornelius Grimshaw used to be her husband. He’s now possessed by a ghost.

Secret Identity: She’s involved with a group of real estate developers who want to dismantle low-income housing to build new deluxe condos.

Character Name: Isabella Vale

Role: Medium with the ability to communicate with spirits

Hidden agendas: She lets a serial killer on the loose because he is killing child molesters.

Competition: She competes against Felix. She believes her instinct is better than any technologies Felix can come up with.

Conspiracies: She feels sorry for Finch. She helps him not putting himself at risk, sometimes endangering the mission.

Secrets: She fell victim of a child molester when she was younger

Deception: She sometimes lies about her visions to get people to do want she wants.

Wound: She fell victim of a child molester when she was younger

Secret Identity: She desperately wants to be normal. She’s working with someone to get rid of her visions.

Character Name: Felix Harper

Role: Engineer building ghost hunting weapons.

Hidden agendas: He wants to kill off all the ghosts, even if Eliza is against it.

Competition: He competes against Isabella. He believes his technology is better than her visions.

Conspiracies: He is feeding information to a detective so that he can eliminate ghosts that Eliza doesn’t want to kill off.

Secrets: One of the machine he built is malfunctioning. He hopes to get it to work before it become apparent.

Deception: He is not honest with Eliza.

Wound: His sister has been killed by a ghost.

Secret Identity: He sees himself as becoming the leader of the squad.

3. Go to AI and use this prompt to generate the Intrigue items for your main characters:

Eliza Thornfield:

Character Name: Eliza Thornfield

Role: Leader of the ghost hunter squad, world-renowned expert in paranormal studies.

Hidden Agendas: Teams up with Cornelius Grimshaw, a ghost seeking revenge, to eliminate shared enemies.

Competition: Faces internal conflict as her alliance with Cornelius challenges the team’s trust.

Conspiracies: Collaborates with Cornelius to expose a secret organization manipulating supernatural events.

Secrets: Cornelius, once her husband, became a new being when a ghost took over his body.

Deception: Sends untrained Finch on dangerous missions, testing his abilities and loyalty.

Wound: Scarred emotionally by her ex-husband’s transformation into a being controlled by a malevolent spirit.

Finch Calloway:

Character Name: Finch Calloway

Role: Immune member of the ghost hunter squad, crucial to understanding and combating the curse.

Hidden Agendas: Wants to leave the squad at the first opportunity, haunted by the dangers he poses.

Competition: Competes with his own instincts, struggling to resist the violent urges from the absorbed souls when asleep.

Conspiracies: Discovers that all the absorbed souls are part of him and could manifest at any moment.

Secrets: When asleep, becomes a killer as the absorbed souls take control. While awake, communicates with the ghosts inside him.

Deception: Conceals his desire to leave the squad, creating a facade of dedication to the mission.

Wound: Suffered severe burnout after attempting to control the curse, leading to homelessness and haunting memories.

Secret Identity: All absorbed souls are part of him, a ticking time bomb of potential violence.

Isabella Vale:

Character Name: Isabella Vale

Role: Medium with the ability to communicate with spirits.

Hidden Agendas: Helps Finch to leave the squad at the first opportunity, feeling empathy for his predicament.

Competition: Faces an internal struggle between justice and personal vendetta.

Conspiracies: Collaborates with Finch to navigate the team dynamics and ensure his safe departure.

Secrets: Withholds her personal history of being molested, fueling her mission against child abusers.

Deception: Sometimes lies about her visions to manipulate her squad to do what she wants, protecting Finch.

Wound: Suffers from the trauma of being molested, using her abilities to seek justice for others who share her pain.

Felix Harper:

Character Name: Felix Harper

Role: Engineer building ghost hunting weapons.

Hidden Agendas: Wants to kill Cornelius, even if Eliza is against it.

Competition: Competes with his desire for vengeance, leading him to questionable decisions.

Conspiracies: Feeds information to a detective to eliminate Cornelius, blurring ethical lines.

Secrets: One of the machines he built is malfunctioning, hoping to fix it before it becomes apparent.

Deception: Not entirely honest with Eliza about the risks and malfunctions in his creations.

Wound: Emotional scars from the death of a loved one killed by a ghost, fueling his determination to eradicate paranormal threats.

Secret Identity: Sees himself as becoming the leader of the squad, harboring ambitions beyond his engineering role.

This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Jean-Pierre Serra.
This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Jean-Pierre Serra.

Moses Quainoo

Member

January 19, 2024 at 8:33 pm

MODULE 1 LESSON 4: LAYERS OF CHARACTER INTRIGUE

Moses Quainoo

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the places you’ve already seen Character Intrigue in the previous episodes.

SEASON 1 EPISODE 1 – 4

EXAMPLE SHOW – Hijack

HIDDEN AGENDA:

The hijackers made the Captain contradict an earlier statement of a security incident on the aircraft.

The flight attendant raises the window blind so the fighter jet pilot can record events on board.

The Captain adjusted the flight’s course from 320 to 323 to signal ground controllers for help.

The pastor tried to bribe a male in-flight crew to sit in first class.

The cleaners at Lilac’s house tricked the Air Traffic Controller into going upstairs, where they killed him.

COMPETITION:

The hijackers are competing with the in-flight crew to gain control of the aircraft.

CONSPIRACY:

The hijackers planned to advance their takeover of the aircraft by three hours. Sam Nelson and the passengers nearby form a conspiracy to overpower the hijackers.

SECRET:

The hijackers have chosen to remain silent about their demands.

The Captain switches on a button to alert ground control.

Sam receives water from the flight attendant and discreetly gives her a note.

A woman hijacker placed a bullet in the toilet ahead of another female passenger.

DECEPTION:

The Captain was coerced by the hijacker into misleading ground control, denying any incident onboard.

Hijackers are employing counterfeit guns and bullets.

A male passenger feigns illness, requesting to use the restroom, only to scribble a message and toss it in the aisle for others to read.

Sam tricked the Hijacker to ensure the safety of the Arab couple in first class.

The male hijacker permitted the girl to use the restroom first to locate a bullet that his female accomplice had hidden.
WOUND:

SECRET IDENTITY:

2. Watch the next episode and see how Character Intrigue is being used to create the need to see more episodes.

SEASON 1 EPISODE 4

EXAMPLE SHOW – Hijack

Character Intrigue =

Hidden Agenda –

Competition –

Conspiracies –

Secrets –

Deception –

Wound –

Secret Identity –

ASSIGNMENT 2

1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.

SKYY LAR – She can communicate with animals and humans. Fake a truce with the Beauty industry. Sabotage
a major beauty industry event.

EMMA- She is naive and feels compelled to expose her family’s involvement with the Beauty Industry.

DR. AVA GREEN- He infiltrates and exposes a secret environmental hazard.

RAPHAEL- Questionable
methods for goals; secret alliances for the greater good; withholding critical
information.

RAVEN- Establish an autonomous avian front;
prioritize avian interests;

2. Answer the question, “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.

3. Go to AI and use this prompt to generate the Intrigue items for your main characters:

For each of the [Main Characters] for this [Genre] about this [Concept], please brainstorm the [Intriguing Layers] of that character that fit in this TV series well.

(Intriguing Layers) =

Character Name:

Role:

A. Hidden Agenda:

B. Competition:

C. Conspiracies:

D. Secrets:

E. Deception:

F. Wound:

G. Secret Identity.

Genre = 1 hour Drama/Family/Animation
Concept = SKYY LAR, a pigeon injured by human negligence, collaborates with a compassionate girl EMMA, in London to ignite a worldwide bird rebellion against environmental destruction, focusing on the beauty industry’s influence.

(Main characters) =

1. SKYY LAR

Role: The Unpredictable Leader
Hidden Agenda: To infiltrate and disrupt key facilities of the Beauty Industry, secretly aiming to establish birds as the dominant species in urban areas.
Competition: Targeting influential individuals in the beauty industry, contending with rival urban wildlife leaders, and challenging local governments.
Conspiracies: Orchestrating covert operations against the Beauty Industry’s environmentally harmful activities.
Secrets: Possesses enhanced intelligence due to a secret scientific experiment, possibly linked to Dr. Ava Green.
Deception: Conceals plans for rebellious activities and maintains a facade of cooperation with humans.
Wound: Trauma from witnessing the destruction of its original habitat and experiencing betrayal by humans.
Secret Identity: A result of an advanced cognitive development experiment, possibly connected to Dr. Ava Green’s research.

2. EMMA

Role: The Conscientious Ally
Hidden Agenda: Plans to infiltrate the Beauty Industry, potentially exposing her family’s involvement in environmental harm.
Competition: Needs to influence her family, beauty industry executives, and local politicians. Also, aims to sway public opinion against harmful environmental practices.
Conspiracies: Involved in exposing and disrupting major industry initiatives.
Secrets: Has family ties to the beauty industry and leads a secret life as an environmental activist.
Deception: Uses her connections for undercover operations and hides her true intentions to protect the rebellion.
Wound: Driven by a personal tragedy linked to environmental negligence.
Secret Identity: An undercover investigator or environmental watchdog with a prominent online presence.

3. DR. AVA GREEN

Role: The Innovative Scientist
Hidden Agenda: Developing radical environmental technology and pushing the boundaries of scientific ethics to combat industry harm.
Competition: Influences key players in the beauty industry, competes with other scientists, and lobbies government bodies.
Conspiracies: Involved in secret operations to expose environmental hazards.
Secrets: Holds a controversial past in the beauty industry and has connections to whistleblowers.
Deception: Conceals aspects of his research and past industry connections.
Wound: Haunted by a past failure in an environmental project.
Secret Identity: A former industry insider or a leader in a secret environmentalist group.

4. RAPHAEL

Role: The Doubtful Participant
Hidden Agenda: Aims to avoid prolonged conflict, engaging in secret negotiations for a compromise.
Competition: Manages delicate relationships within the rebellion and negotiates with industry executives.
Conspiracies: Involved in sabotage plans against the Beauty Industry.
Secrets: Holds undisclosed ties to the industry and has experienced a personal loss due to their actions.
Deception: Maintains a facade of neutrality while orchestrating covert operations.
Wound: His actions are colored by past betrayals and community losses.
Secret Identity: Possibly an undercover agent or a former industry executive.

5. RAVEN

Role: SKYY LAR’s Mentor
Hidden Agenda: Establishing an autonomous avian front and manipulating bird groups for surveillance and interference against the Beauty Industry.
Competition: Strives to influence avian and human members of the rebellion and challenges government policies.
Conspiracies: Orchestrates intelligence gathering and disruptions to industry operations.
Secrets: Guardian of ancient or mystical environmental knowledge, or a survivor of a past environmental catastrophe.
Deception: Hides critical environmental threats and keeps strategic plans secretive.
Wound: Suffers from the devastation of his native habitat.
Secret Identity: Could be an emissary from a hidden avian society or a transformed human with a deep connection to environmental activism.

This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Moses Quainoo.
This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Moses Quainoo.

Marie Jordan

Member

January 19, 2024 at 11:22 pm

Assignment Lesson 4

Marie’s intriguing character layers:

What I learned doing this assignment is the differences between hidden agendas, conspiracies, secret and deception and the layers it creates for the future plots.

Assignment 1 – Example show: BRIDGERTON

Daphne Bridgerton

Role: the eldest daughter of the family Bridgerton who attempts to find a husband.

Hidden agendas: she wants Simon to propose.

Competition: with Cressy Cooper, rival and a threat to her reputation.

Conspiracies: to destroy Nigel’s reputation and cancel the marriage (it’s actually her mother who does it).

Secrets: she falls in love with Simon/ punching Nigel.

Deception: Ruse: Simon and Daphne pretend to form an attachment to serve their current situation. Daphne pretends to fall in love with the Prince to make Simon jealous

Wound: she is rejected by Simon with no explanation.

Secret Identity: Duchesse of Hastings.

Simon, duke of Hastings

Role: a bachelor chased by all the mothers of eligible daughters.

Hidden agendas: Simon will not have an heir so his name and title will be lost forever as a revenge to his father’s rejection.

Competition: with the Prince.

Conspiracies: destroying his father’s legacy.

Secrets: his wow to his father/ his love for Daphne.

Deception: Ruse: Simon and Daphne pretend to form an attachment to serve their current situation/ Then he pretends he was just playing a game.

Wound: his father’s rejection, his difficulty to talk when he needs to say something important.

Secret Identity: a rake, a loner.

Assignment 2 – My show: (working title) BUY A HOME

Lily Scott

Role: student on holidays, IT expert, genius.

Hidden agendas: Lily’s primary goal is to return to Paris quickly to continue her studies and fulfill her secret mission, raising questions about what she’s really involved in

Competition: Her rivalry with Noah in Paris adds an extra layer of tension, creating potential conflicts and alliances.

Conspiracies: Employed by a private security agency, Lily is tasked with infiltrating Noah’s international hacking group, introducing a spy element to the storyline.

Secrets: the private security agency’s financial support for her fourth year at Uni in Paris is a crucial secret that could jeopardize her relationships and trust.

Deception: Lily’s lie about winning a scholarship to stay in Paris is the first layer of deception, raising doubts about her true intentions and loyalties. Lily’s dual role as both a student and a secret agent creates a tension between her seemingly normal life and the dangerous world, she’s entangled in while helping the family business.

Wound: The burden of lying to everyone, especially giving her brother an alibi for a homicide investigation, while helping to save the business and the family cohesion.

Secret Identity: Lily’s overarching mission to “fix the world” hints at a larger purpose and a potential moral dilemma.

Theo Scott

Role: Real estate manager aiming to modernize the family business with augmented reality.

Hidden agendas: Theo’s desire to own his own home at any cost adds a personal motive, making his character more relatable and conflicted.

Competition: Rivalry with another real estate business in the same area heightens the stakes in the competitive world of Auckland real estate.

Conspiracies: Theo’s struggle to free himself from the bullying of a school friend and their gang, combined with racketeering, introduces an element of danger and suspense.

Secrets: His involvement in a mysterious death several years prior, needing Lily’s false alibi, as he had been dating the girl who died after he had left her (of a OD), and this provides a dark secret that could resurface and threaten everything. Only his childhood friend Lucas knows about it.

Deception: Theo’s pretense of acting in the business’s interest while working for his personal gain creates a dynamic where his loyalty is constantly in question.

Wound: Feeling worthless in his father’s eyes, less smart than his little sister, enduring persistent bullying, dealing with dyslexia, and ADHD creates a complex and sympathetic character with inner struggles.

Secret Identity: Theo’s aspiration to become the company’s full owner and be successful adds an ambitious and aspirational layer to his character.

Noah Osbourne

Role: IT expert, white hacker, Lily’s friend, born British, raised in France, based in Paris.

Hidden agendas: Noah’s true identity as a white hacker fighting corruption and the private security agency is concealed from Lily, adding a layer of mystery to his actions.

Competition: The rivalry between Noah and Lily for the title of the best student adds a competitive edge to their relationship, creating both camaraderie and tension.

Conspiracies: As Noah suspects Lily’s involvement with the private security agency, he sets traps to uncover the truth, heightening the suspense and danger.

Secrets: Noah’s dual life as a white hacker and the misunderstandings between him and Lily create a web of secrets that could unravel at any moment.

Deception: The perception that Noah is a black hacker by day adds complexity to his character, keeping Lily and the audience guessing about his true intentions.s

Wound: The internal conflict Noah faces between his growing love for Lily and his suspicions about her involvement with the private security agency creates emotional turmoil.

Secret Identity: Noah’s overarching goal to fight corruption and the shadowy private security agency adds a moral dimension to his character, questioning the ethics of his actions.

Lucas Jones

Role: Estate agent working for a rival real estate business – Theo’s primary school friend.

Hidden agendas: Lucas’s secret involvement in the mysterious death of a girl several years prior, a dark secret that haunts him and made him lie to his best friend Theo.

Competition: The power dynamics between Theo and Lucas escalate, adding personal conflict to Theo’s professional struggles in the real estate business and their rivalry over a falling market.

Conspiracies: Lucas’s affiliation with a secret gang creates a layer of danger, potentially intertwining with the cyberattack and real estate plotlines.

Secrets: Theo’s reliance on Lucas knowing about his false alibi becomes a ticking time bomb as the truth threatens to surface, impacting both characters’ lives.

Deception: Lucas’s outward bullying behavior contrasts with the hidden vulnerabilities and secrets he harbors, creating a complex and unpredictable character.

Wound: The guilt and trauma of having witnessed a mysterious death and being involved in a gang weigh heavily on Lucas, adding depth to his character and potential for redemption.

Secret Identity: Theo’s partner in his family business.

Isabelle Scott

Role: owner of the real estate family business, mother of Theo, Lily and the twins Millie and Rosie, wife of Tom Scott.

Hidden agendas: She wants her daughter back to New Zealand.

Competition: The mum’s struggles to maintain the family business between the 20<sup>th</sup> and the 21<sup>st</sup>century and the values of honesty she has lived for while she is competing with PAUL RICH, the owner of the rival local real estate who employs Lucas.

Conspiracies: Investigating her children as they both lie- A/ into her daughter’s life in Paris after discovering she doesn’t have a scholarship and trying to understand what she is up to and how to make her come back believing she has fallen into a dark crowd, B/ into her son’s life who had lied to clients in a way that doesn’t reflect the spirit of her business. All that despite her husband TOM’s disagreement who think she should let go and trust them.

Secrets: The hidden debt and the mum’s suspicions about her children’s honesty create tension within the family, adding emotional depth to the storyline.

Deception: The mum’s attempts to shield her family from outside dangers and the financial struggles of the business create a facade that begins to crack under pressure.

Wound: Poor health.

Secret Identity: Grand-mother.

Vernall Ritchey

Member

January 20, 2024 at 5:59 am

BWTV-AI Module 1 – Lesson 4:

Subject line: (Vernall Ritchey’s) Intriguing Character Layers

What I learned doing this assignment is the thought process that goes into how to create characters that are engaging.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Opening Scene:

1. Elizabeth Jennings sucks a man’s penis as he spills the beans giving up important information.

2. Philip Jennings (Elizabeth’s husband ) and another man waiting to execute a hit.

3. Elizabeth pays a man to look out his window for a few minute.

4. Philip and his accomplice chase the Russian Defector into an alley where they have an intense fight scene.

5. Philip’s accomplice gets stabbed in the stomach.

6. Philip catches the Russian Defector, Elizabeth drives up, they throw the Russian Defector in the trunk of the car and drive away.

7. Philip and Elizabeth are at odds with dropping the accomplice off at the hospital. Elizabeth is willing to let him die so they can make the bust. Philip disagrees and they drop their accomplice off at a hospital for help.

8. Philip and Elizabeth missed the bust due to untimeliness.

9. At Home in their garage – the Russian captor tries to bribe Philip with $3 million if he lets him go.

10. Philip pushes the man back into the trunk.

11. The Jennings daughter takes a cup of coffee and leaves for school.

12. Elizabeth goes into the garage and pauses before opening the trunk. She has a flashback to Soviet Union in 1960 when the Russian captor threw her into a submissive hold on the ground, tearing off her sweats and raping her.

13. Philip meets with Martha who calls him Clark unknowing his real identity. Clark pumps Martha for secret FBI information.

14. Philip goes through a hidden storage space behind a circuit box and plays a tape of Elizabeth’s encounter with the man she met at the beginning of the episode in the bar. He listens to some of her sexual exploits with the man.

15. Elizabeth wants to kill the Russian defector captor. Philip disagrees.

16. Philip suggests that they defect themselves and become millionaires, and “a lot of our problems just go away.” Elizabeth isn’t amused. They argue about their disagreeing views.

17. Philip and the kids are going to the mall where he hears a man make a sexual suggestive comment to his daughter.

18. Philip kisses the back of Elizabeth’s neck and she tells him to stop, he doesn’t until she pulls a knife on him. Philip reminds her that she’s his wife, and Elizabeth says, “Is that right?”

19. Jennings’ go over to welcome some new neighbors who’ve just moved in. They meet Agent Stan Beeman, who works for the FBI and tells them he works in counterintelligence.

20. Elizabeth and Philip have an intense argument about whether or not their cover might be blown. Philip brings up letting the Russian captor go and accepting his $3 million offer and living happily in America. Elizabeth goes ballistic, she asks if he’s joking stating her cause for living is to be a spy for Mother Russia.

21. Agent Beeman comes over and asks Philip for some jumper cables. Philip brings Agent Beeman into the garage, who notices the make and model of the car. Philip opens the trunk, and instructs the Russian captor to stay quiet.

22. Back at FBI headquarters, Agent Beeman meets a CIA agent about the kidnapping of the Russian captor. Beeman says that if Russians kidnapped the defector, they’d probably keep him close to home.

23. Later, Philip pulls the Russian captor from the trunk and tells Elizabeth he’s taking the Russian captor to make a deal. She tells him she’s a KGB officer and would die and lose everything before betraying her country. She decides to finish things herself, she fights Philip then . . .

24. . . . Elizabeth beats the Russian captor so hard, that at one point she kicks his head through the garage’s drywall. She picks up a crowbar and the Russian captor tells Elizabeth he’s sorry and never meant to hurt her. “They let us have our way with the cadets. It was part of the job a perk,” he says.

25. Philip asks what he’s talking about and to the Russian captor, “how did you hurt her.” Philips looks at Elizabeth and ask, “how did he hurt you.” Elizabeth drops the crowbar and says nothing but “do what you want with him, take him to the Americans if that’s what you want.”

26. As she’s walking away, Philip grabs the Russian captor, pushes him up against the wall, and chokes him until he dies. Elizabeth turns around and watches. He lets the Russian captor ‘s body fall, then turns to look at Elizabeth, who looks at him and says nothing.

27. We next see Philip and Elizabeth driving in silence. They dump the Russian’s defector body. They get back into the car and look at each other. Saying nothing, Elizabeth climbs across the car and kisses Philip. They then have a steamy make out session, right there in the car.

28. The next morning, Philip and Elizabeth are helping conceal each other’s wounds and bruises. They eat breakfast with their kids when the phone rings. Elizabeth answers and looks stunned. Not saying anything, she looks at Philip.

29. Philip winds up in the backyard of Errol, the man who’d hit on Philip’s 13-year-old daughter at the store earlier. This doesn’t end well for Errol, who winds up severely beaten and with the wrong end of a barbecue fork stuck through his hand.

30. After 15 years of marriage, Elizabeth gets around to telling Philip some of her real backstory: Her father died fighting Nazis and her real name.

31. That night, a curious Agent Beeman breaks into the Jennings’ garage and snoops around for clues, examining the car and even opening its trunk. Seeing nothing amiss, Beeman shakes his head and opens the garage just enough to make his way out.

32. Meanwhile, we see, that Philip has been standing there watching and holding a gun, ready to kill Beeman even if he were to take the snooping further.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Intriguing Layers:

John Doe:

Role: Protagonist with amnesia recruited by a DEA Task

Force.

Hidden Agendas: John has a dual life as an undercover DEA

Agent and a drug dealer.

Competition: Rises in rank as a drug dealer while working

undercover.

Conspiracies: Uncovering the truth about G’s attempt to

kill him.

Secrets: John’s past, including his identity and the

reason behind his amnesia.

Deception: Leading a double life, deceiving both the DEA

and the drug cartel.

Wound: Emotional trauma from G’s betrayal and attempted

murder.

Secret Identity: Maintaining his secret identity as both

a DEA Agent and a drug dealer.

FBI Chief Toni Graves:

Role: Leader of the FBI team.

Hidden Agendas: Determined to stop human trafficking at

any cost.

Competition: Against the criminal organizations involved

in trafficking.

Conspiracies: Investigating deeper connections within the

criminal network.

Secrets: Personal struggles or sacrifices she makes for

the greater good.

Deception: Potential undercover operations within the FBI.

Wound: Emotional toll from dealing with heinous crimes.

Secret Identity: Unrevealed personal aspects beyond her

role as FBI Chief.

Mikef:

Role: Skeptical but reliable member of the team.

Hidden Agendas: Uncovering the truth behind John’s

abilities.

Competition: Internal conflicts within the team.

Conspiracies: Doubts about FBI Chief Toni Graves’

decisions.

Secrets: Personal motivations for being part of the team.

Deception: Shifting from skepticism to adaptiveness.

Wound: Emotional struggles, especially regarding Dade’s

wife.

Secret Identity: Unveiling personal background and

motivations.

Ni:

Role: Determined and resourceful team member.

Hidden Agendas: Passionate about finding missing girls.

Competition: Against time and criminal elements.

Conspiracies: Uncovering potential larger criminal

networks.

Secrets: Personal frustrations and motivations.

Deception: Willing to take risks to achieve goals.

Wound: Frustration and impatience in challenging

situations.

Secret Identity: Unveiling personal struggles and history.

Jones:

Role: Observant and analytical member of the team.

Hidden Agendas: Questioning decisions and seeking the

truth.

Competition: Against potential threats and challenges.

Conspiracies: Challenging the status quo when necessary.

Secrets: Personal motivations for being vigilant.

Deception: Questioning the identity of the antagonist.

Wound: Constantly questioning decisions for the team’s

safety.

Secret Identity: Uncovering potential hidden talents or

skills.

Dade:

Role: Tough and determined protagonist.

Hidden Agendas: Emotional investment in the mission to

save his wife.

Competition: Against those who hold his wife hostage.

Conspiracies: Uncovering the motives behind the

kidnapping.

Secrets: Authority and expertise in high-pressure

situations.

Deception: Carefully measuring words to gather

information.

Wound: Emotional struggles and desperation.

Secret Identity: Revealing the depth of his determination.

Hitch:

Role: Confident and observant team member.

Hidden Agendas: Providing a voice of reason and support.

Competition: Focused on getting answers, even through

force.

Conspiracies: Uncovering hidden truths within the team.

Secrets: Calming the team in difficult situations.

Deception: Quick to take action without questioning

orders.

Wound: Unrevealed personal struggles or sacrifices.

Secret Identity: Depth beyond the practical and

level-headed exterior.

Jimenez:

Role: Loyal and skilled team member.

Hidden Agendas: Providing unwavering support to teammates.

Competition: Quick thinking and resourcefulness in

high-pressure situations.

Conspiracies: Reacting with urgency to unforeseen

challenges.

Secrets: Professional demeanor masking personal

frustrations.

Deception: Cool and confident demeanor in challenging

situations.

Wound: Resourcefulness and quick thinking in difficult

moments.

Secret Identity: Unrevealed personal background and

motivations.

Role: Antagonist, John’s ex-best friend and partner in

crime.

Hidden Agendas: Jealousy of John’s success and attempts

to kill him.

Laurie Stoner

Member

January 25, 2024 at 9:09 pm

Laurie’s Intriguing Character Layers

What I learned is this is a good exercise to flesh out the layers I will need in my main characters to sustain multiple seasons. In this case AI didn’t add much to what I brainstormed. Is that a good thing? Or is this too much in the box?

ASSIGNMENT 1:

The Americans

Elizabeth and Philip create intrigue because their hidden agenda is to provide information and do the bidding of the Russian undercover spy agency. They pretend to be travel agents in front of their family and neighbors, but they are deadly operatives who will modify their orders to keep their identities safe. This is particularly true of Philip whereas Elizabeth is much more by the book he is becoming more American in his thinking. When Reagan is shot and it looks like Al Hague may be trigger happy with the nuclear codes Philip withholds that info from Moscow to prevent WWIII which puts his family at risk.

ASSIGNMENT 2

1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.

· Character Name: Hercules Thomas

· Role: Hercules: A tech entrepreneur who suffered a stroke and was forced to sell his business

· Hidden agendas: to prove his worth by becoming a culinary expert, to surpass Esther, to show he’s still got the Midas touch

· Competition: for power over Esther, other food truck owners, his former partner

· Conspiracies: with old cronies. Non-organic farmers (he thinks the organic farm produce route is a loser so he secretly subs in nonorganic) and secretly uses outside restaurant recipe developers

· Secrets: he is sabotaging Esther, he lost all their money in bit coin before his stroke, the buyout is face-saving, he is more becoming physically capable than anyone knows

· Deception: Esther, towns people

· Wound: he was about to lose his company anyway

· Secret Identity: one shot wonder

Esther Thomas

Role: A travel agent who loves exotic spices and global
cuisines who gave up travel to be home with Hercules acquires a food truck
even though she has no culinary experience.

Hidden
agendas: Keep watch over Hercules.
Her own ambitions to travel again and be free of Hercules.

Competition: With Hercules’s assistant, over other food truck
owners

Conspiracy: Has a lover on the side and hires male escorts

Secrets: Her affair, she has no cooking skills

Deception: why she bought the food truck

Wound: Chose a life of travel but she only has memories
now over love.

Secret
Identity: former government spy who
has a score to settle

ATAUR BACCHUS

Jean-Pierre Serra

Moses Quainoo

Marie Jordan

Vernall Ritchey

Laurie Stoner

SUNIL BATRA

Holli Castillo

Tom Wilson

Tom Wilson

Lesson 4

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