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Post Your Lesson 5 Assignment Here
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Melanie’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned: Sometimes you have to just forge ahead into the unknown with faith that you will figure it out later!
Concept: Forbidden to never venture outside the farm by her over protective father (a Colonel in the American Revolution), Sybil decides to take off on her own at night to save the country from the invading British.
Main Conflict: Samuel, the British scout, wants Sybil dead to eradicate word spreading of the British troops arrival to the American Continental Army and militia.
Old Ways:
Sybil’s old identity: A farm girl destined to a life at home.
Believes her way is the best way.
Impulsive in her reactions, doesn’t plan
Does things for self-gain
New Ways:
Sybil’s new identity: Soldier with a mission to save the country
Realizes she is a student
Understands that in order to win, you must plan your attack
Puts the country first
Act 1:
Opening
Sybil is playing a game of war in the woods next to her home with an Iroquois teen. He tracks her to her hiding spot and Sybil’s impulsive behavior results in him disarming her wooden knife and her losing the game.
Meanwhile, Samuel witnesses the burning of General Tryon’s mansion, and feeds on the belief that the American militia were the arsonists. He helps to put out the flames, saving the General’s son and igniting his own desire to quell the enemy.
Inciting Incident
A wounded messenger arrives at Sybil’s house in the night, warning her father that he must gather his soldiers as the British have invaded Danbury, CT. The man is too wounded to go any further and her father must stay to rally soldiers, so Sybil jumps at the chance. Her father forbids her to go but she hops on their horse anyway and leaves.
Turning Point
Miles from her farm as rain starts to fall, Star (her horse) stubbornly stops in the road, refusing to go any further. She pushes and pulls to get her to move, and angers the horse further. Suddenly a gunshot whizzes by them, the horse bucks her off and runs into the forest.
Act 2:
New plan
Sybil hides in a bush on the side of the road, managing to escape Samuel who rides by into the forest…after her horse. She decides she can’t go on foot and needs to get her horse back.
Plan in action
She heads into the forest after her. But they are too fast and she can’t possibly catch up. She’s now lost and alone. Remembering what she learned from the Iroquois friend, she starts to track them by looking for broken branches.
Midpoint Turning Point
She is able to track them and finds her horse now tied up next to Samuel’s camp. She sneaks in and frees her horse but it makes a ruckus. Samuel sees them, and fires at her again, but she hops on and they head out. Samuel hops on his horse and is right behind them. Another gunshot wounds her horse’s side.
Act 3:
Rethink everything
Sybil and her horse make it out of the woods, to a nearby barn where she assesses her horse’s wound. Star is bleeding, and she hugs her in tears, finally forming a friendship. Samuel is now at the door to the house next door, banging on it looking for them. She has to act fast.
New plan
Sybil scrounges through the barn, makes a concoction to rub onto the wound, and wraps a cloth around it. As a team, they must work together. They head out again, not on the road but through the forest.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
They make it to the first town, she grabs a stick and bangs on houses as they run by with Samuel on their heels. But none of the townspeople understand what is happening and they dismiss her.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Sybil rides faster, the blood soaking through Star’s bandage, making it to the next town but Samuel cuts them off. He confronts them pointing the gun at her, giving her a last warning. Her horse lunges at his, and his horse bucks him off. Sybil manages to disarm him (the trick the Iroquois friend did to her in the beginning), succeeds leaving Samuel on the ground without his gun. She grabs his musket and heads into the town. This time she heads for the bell, ringing it for all the townspeople to hear. She tells the British have invaded Danbury and holds up the musket as proof. Edmond, a soldier from her father’s regiment, vouches for her. The militia finally rally behind her. Samuel leaves, seeing the force she has rallied, beaten.
Resolution
She leads 400 militia men back to her farm to her father’s shock. He starts to help her off her horse, but Edmond does so instead. She no longer needs her father’s approval, she has proven her abilities to herself.
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Chris’ 4 Act Transformational structure:
What I learned doing this assignment is that focusing on the journey of the character is essentially just creating my outline.
CONCEPT: Following the subsequent disappearance of a package that she was tasked with delivering as well as her friend in Lake Arrowhead, CA, Cora finds herself playing a game of detective for her life.
MAIN CONFLICT: Cora is told in no uncertain terms that if she doesn’t find the package, she will die. The last person she and her friend were with when it disappeared, was the director of a pornography movie being simultaneously shot at one of the lakefront estates. Cora needs to figure out what is going on with the film crew, that is a big mystery in itself in order to find the McGuffin.
OLD WAYS: Unmotivated, takes the easy way out, pathological liar, untrusting.
NEW WAYS: Resourceful, ambitious, selfless, helpful.
ACT 1
-OPENING: Cora and her friend are driving up the mountain without a care in the world. A porn film is being shot close to where they are staying. They end up on a boat, partying with the drug addled director of the movie.
-INCITING INCIDENT: Cora is drugged, very hazy memory, wakes up alone on the boat without the package, her friend or the director.
TURNING POINT: She tries to leave the mountain and informs the people that she was supposed to drop the package with what happened. She is convincingly told that she will die if she attempts to leave again without finding it. Simultaneously, Brooke, the Antagonist First AD is convinced to take over directing duties on the porn movie.
ACT 2
NEW PLAN: Cora gets herself a job working in the costume department of the movie in order to try to find out what happened to her friend and recover the package.
PLAN IN ACTION: People on the movie start disappearing and or turning up dead.
MIDPOINT/TURNING POINT: Cora discovers that the bartender at the resort with whom she has become romantically involved with, Chet, is actually the son of the owner of the resort, who she has discovered is connected to the McGuffin and or possibly the disappearance of it.
ACT 3
RETHINK EVERYTHING: Cora is discovered as a liar and fired from the film as she’s uncovering information that leads her to believe that Brooke might actually be behind the McGuffin disappearance and subsequently the mysterious ongoings of the film set.
NEW INSIGHTS: Cora also finds Brooke sleeping with Chet.
TURNING POINT/HUGE FAILURE/MAJOR SHIFT: Chet attempts to retrieve the McGuffin for Cora and is killed.
ACT 4
CLIMAX/ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE CONFLICT: Cora ends up fighting to the death with Brooke and ultimately killing her. We then find out that the editor of the movie has been secretly savvy of what Brooke had been doing all along and actually helped her and even threw in a kill of his own because he admired what she was trying to accomplish. He also has the McGuffin. He and Cora make a deal for it.
RESOLUTION: The premiere of the porn film. The company has covered everything up, the film is being released successfully, is a huge hit and the editor is offered a three picture directing deal.
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Jin’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned from this assignment is that all it takes to challenge the Old Ways is to simply have them not work. The protagonist doesn’t have to spell out their Old Ways in dialogue.
1. Give us the following:
Concept: After finding out about his father’s infidelity, Jin wants to expose him and seek justice for his mother.
Main Conflict: In a patriarchal society, his relatives overlook this mistake and continue to treat him as family. His father continues to hold a well respected status.
Jin’s Old Ways:
Old Identity: On his father’s side
Ignorant of his mother’s sacrifices and sufferings
Innocent and naive
Jin’s New Ways:
New Identity: On his mother’s side
Sees an inherently flawed system in his extended family: in laws take advantage of mothers
Belief of love is shattered, cynical
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening
Jin is at his grandparents performing a traditional ritual for his ancestors. His mother is in the kitchen working for hours to prepare for the food.
Inciting Incident
Jin’s mother tells him about his father’s past. Asks him to decide if he wants to live with his father or his mother.
Turning Point
Jin decides to live with his mother, leaving behind all the connections with his relatives.
Act 2:
New plan
Expose his father for who he is.
Plan in action
Tell his relatives the truth.
Midpoint Turning Point
They are already aware of it, but choose to ignore it.
Act 3:
Rethink everything
Needs stronger evidence that they can’t turn their head away from
New plan
Find and meet one of the women he has had an affair with
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
Mistress had a child with him that he abandoned, NOW his family are horrified by his father’s irresponsibility. Father loses all credibility and respect.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Forgive his father and admit a similar mistake. Understand that they are different yet inseparable.
Resolution
Jin attends the family ritual ceremony without his mother.
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Assignment 5
Aleta Rafton’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is how important the details of the conflict are.
Concept: Insecure computer programming genius becomes confident in his ability to deal with people problems not just inanimate computer problems
Main Conflict: Stepson wants Stepdad out of his life and so undermines and exposes his weaknesses whenever he can.
Old Ways: Very cautious, afraid to take risks, uncertain, allows stepson to ridicule and abuse
New Ways: Willing to take risks, stands up for self, confident
ACT 1
Opening: Closeup Stepdad slowly, carefully taking ornaments off Christmas tree and bubble wrapping them. Boy is muttering within earshot what a jerk the Stepdad is, mimics him and complains they will never finish taking ornaments off the tree. Stepdad and Mom are dressed as Indiana Jones with a whip and his female sidekick for a New Year’s Eve Party they are going to shortly.
Turning Point: News story come on TV about how lion escapes zoo distracting everyone from the job of taking the ornaments down. They all pause to watch for a few minutes. Stepdad takes the rest of the ornaments down and takes tree out for garbage pickup. Mom gets call from News studio where she is a producer to cover the story. Still in costume she takes off for work but promises to be back in time for the party. Stepson realizes favorite ornament was still on tree as he runs out front to see the garbage truck driving off with tree and ornament hanging off back.
Stepson screams at Stepdad furious and insulting him as a man. Runs out of house chasing garbage truck
ACT 2
Reaction: Stepdad horrified at his mistake while everyone blames him especially stepson. Their bad relationship just got a lot worse.
New Plan: Stepdad has to rescue the ornament at all costs but he reveals he had installed a tracking device on all the ornaments but it was in the test phase. Regardless he turns it on just in case it works and they need it.
Plan In Action: Stepdad jumps in car, picks up the boy halfway down the street and chases the garbage truck visually. Boy is nonstop berating Stepdad making him more nervous and error prone. Rattled he turns left when he should have turned right.
Midpoint Turning Point: They get close enough to the tree hanging off the back of truck but the Stepdad just can’t risk reaching farther to grab it and the truck pulls away. Boy is screaming for Stepdad to just reach farther but he freezes and can’t. Just as they get close again, the garbage truck makes a right turn and suddenly there are about 50 trucks going every different way. They lose the truck and the ornament visually and now must rely on Stepdad’s tracking device. They get stuck in traffic and watch as the signal gets farther and farther away.
ACT 3
Rethink Everything: Stepdad realizes he can no longer play it safe, has to be more daring and that he must act fast, use all his knowledge or he will fail. Realizes boy’s criticism reminds him of his dad’s criticism and makes him freeze instead of act.
Boy is furious and can’t even look at his Stepdad. Feels hopeless and lashes out at Stepdad.
New Plan: Now using tracker they go the large garbage dump where all the trucks are. Following the tracker signal inside the dump, they come through large pile of trees, see ornament on tree, run toward it then see lion that escaped the zoo eating garbage near the tree.
Turning Point: Huge Failure / Major Shift: Stepdad uses whip to tame former circus lion that had escaped from zoo. The lion drops the ornament. Just as the Stepdad rushes to get it just as an owl swoops down startles the Stepdad who freezes again and grabs the ornament and flies off.
Boy was momentarily impressed by Stepdad taming lion and was just beginning to admire him when the owl came leaving the boy feeling all is lost again. Boy comments on Stepdad’s fears, lack of courage and screams he just wants the Stepdad to go away forever.
ACT 4
Climax/Ultimate expression of conflict: Using the tracker, they see the owl who is holding the ornament in his beak has landed on top of the New York Times New Year’s Eve Ball. Stepdad and son race to One Times Square, get up to the top of the building where the owl is on the ball. Stepdad overcomes fear, steps on ledge uses whip to lasso the ornament and
Resolution: Stepdad is now also a hero to his stepson. Mom never knew about adventure.
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DeRuve’s 4-Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is a good technique to identify the arc of the character through old ways and new ways. The conflicts that arise between the old and the new are what will drive the meat of the story. This was a tough assignment, and I’m not thrilled with the outcome, however, I did have several ideas come up for the arc of my protagonist. Looking forward to seeing this continue to develop.
Concept:
Trapped in the violent world of pro-boxing by day, and a made leg-breaker by night, Rhino is desperate to break free of the mob and start anew.
Main Conflict:
Rhino’s entire life is dictated by the Mafia and his best friend, the Capo, he may be the perfect build for his role as a prize fighter and bagman, but on the inside he has a heart of gold.
What are the hero’s old ways?
Leg breaking without any conscious
Working fixed fights
Disconnect from any and all relationships
Grateful for the hand he has been dealt
What are the hero’s new ways?
Can’t follow through with his orders
Wants to see how good of a fighter he really is
Allow his love interest in, become vulnerable
Make the changes needed to live the life he wants
Act I:
Opening:
Severino Perisi is the teddy bear of his huge Italian family. The kids all love him, and climb on him, and even though he is bigger than everyone by a foot and a hundred pounds, they all treat him as the baby of the family even though he is the provider.
At nightfall, Sevvy becomes the Rhino, a debt collector for the Mafia. His target is utterly terrified of him, and Rhino uses brute force to send his message. All of this was done on his way to the boxing arena for his scheduled fight.
Inciting Incident:
Rhino is paid off by the mob, and it is orchestrated by his best friend Joey. He carries the fight three rounds with ease, and quickly knocks out his opponent. Through the first couple rounds the crowd was booing and taunting the fight which seemed to move rather slowly. Afterwards, Joey expresses his true self to Rhino, and we see the control he has over him.
Turning Point:
Rhino is instructed to collect from a target, and if he doesn’t have the money to kill him. He of course doesn’t have the money, but instead of killing him, Rhino forces him to pack his family up and skip town. Warning him to never come back, making it clear what a favor he is doing for him.
ACT II:
New Plan:
Billie influences Rhino to follow his heart, his consciousness is eating at him after years of his old ways. He needs to find new ways to collect the debts without hurting anyone. In the ring he is set to fight a 19 year old fighter who they take lightly, he’s supposed to carry the fight to the fourth round but is knocked out in the first. Joey questions his ability to be the bagman, and a fighter for the mob.
Plan in Action:
Rhino and Billie spend more time together, and are falling for each other. However, she keeps him at arms length as a defense mechanism. Rhino begins training a little harder to not have another blunder in the ring. Rhino attempts to make another peaceful collection which goes terribly wrong resulting in the target being beaten to a pulp, shaking Rhino up pretty bad. Another fight is set, against a real competitor, Rhino insists they bet on him winning by knockout in the first, against their advice, but he comes through.
Midpoint Turning Point:
Rhino is given a new target, Billie’s brother, he’s instructed to kill him.
Act III:
Rethink Everything:
Rhino makes the decision to pull away and break free of the mob. He no longer wants to hurt people, and no longer wants to work the fixed fights. He needs to somehow save Billie’s brother, without getting himself killed for disobeying orders. He also can’t let anyone find out what he has been doing all these years.
New Plan:
Help Billie and her family get out of harm’s way. Distract Joey and the mob from the task. Rhino gets a chance to move down in weight class and fight the Junior Heavyweight Champ, he’s supposed to dive, but he believes he can beat him.
Turning Point:
Joey reveals that he knows that Rhino didn’t kill Billie’s brother as instructed. He also knows about Rhino’s relationship to Billie, threatening her family. Joey reveals that he will kill Rhino if he has to in order to get what he wants.
Climax/Ultimate Expression of Conflict:
Rhino fights the Junior Heavyweight, and even though he has agreed to dive, the fighter is just not putting up a tough enough fight. Rhino is fighting soft and the crowd is booing him. In that moment he decides to go for it and wins. After the fight he is on the run, until his crucible with Joey.
Resolution:
Rhino leaves this life behind and we assume he makes his way for Billie who has moved south.
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Dale’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment: Breaking the story into these elements in each act helped clarify how the events roll out.
Concept: Professor Elizabeth Drewer caught up in how the Me Too movement affects the life of her university and ultimately comes to affect her own personal life in transformative ways.
Main Conflict: The main conflict is her inner heart struggle in battle with her ethics and rational self when she falls in love with one of her graduate students.
Old Ways: Judgmental. Lives in her head. Logical. Unbending. Perfectionistic.
New Ways: No longer sure of everything. More forgiving of human failings. Can embrace ambiguities. Now has a balance or heart and mind.
ACT 1:
Opening: We see Prof Elizabeth Drewer in her element: teaching an undergraduate philosophy course about “The Rationalists.” We see here her emphasis on teaching students the importance of critical thinking and using your mind to avoid irrational thinking. We also see her discovery of a fellow professor’s (Philip Monohan) relationship with a student. Even though not in his class anymore, new university rules forbid any relationships between professors and students.
Inciting Incident: The arrival of Elizabeth’s new TA and graduate advisee, Richard Amado.
Turning Point: Elizabeth drags Richard on the carpet for his unusual teaching style. i.e. using drugs, sex and rock and roll to connect to philosophy. She warns him, particularly with the new and more stringent university rules that even talking about sexual issues in class can be problematic. But what happens under the surface of this conversation is the first glimmers of an attraction between Elizabeth and Richard.
ACT 2:
The plan: Elizabeth, denying any budding feelings, continues to try and “reign Richard in,” by questioning his grade on a particular student’s paper. As they discuss this, the conversation, though intellectual in nature, has undertones of their growing attraction.
The Plan in action: Philip Monahan, who sees Richard as a renegade thinker, wonders how the more conventional Elizabeth is dealing with him. She assures Philip that she is handling Richard. But Philip warns her that Richard will keep them on their toes.
Midpoint Turning Point After Richard and Elizabeth find themselves at the same coffee shop off campus, they have a more intimate conversation about their pasts. Elizabeth is becoming more consciously aware of her attraction, though she denies it to her friend, Barbara. What changes everything is when Richard turns up, soon after, at Elizabeth’s home, ostensibly to review final student grades, but really to declare his feelings to Elizabeth. He kisses her. Despite herself, she kisses him back. She then kicks him out!
ACT 3:
Rethink everything: What now?? The university rules state that anyone with a relationship with a student must report it to administration and must end it, along with having others grade or advise them.
New plan: She determines that the kiss was a big mistake, but it’s not too late to turn things around. She meets with him once to tell him that that will “never happen again” and that they can still have a working relationship.
Turning Point: All is Lost: Despite Elizabeth’s attempts to dissuade Richard, he refuses to give up, and calls her on the phone, enlists the aid of her friend, Barbara, etc. Finally her turns up at her house and although she tries to tell him why it cannot work, they end up giving in to their mutual passion. Shortly after this, Philip Monohan puts the pieces together. Will he report her?
ACT 4:
Climax: The Test. Elizabeth realizes that she is in love with Richard. She must decide if her heart is more important than her ethical standards. She tells Barbara how torn she is, and how she’s hanging on by her fingernails. At last, the heart wins out and she goes to Richard telling him she’s willing to risk her job for their love. At which point, Richard declares he will be leaving the university, so that she won’t be forced to make this kind of sacrifice of her ethics.
Resolution: What Elizabeth has truly learned is that, despite her formerly inflexible and judgmental ways, that things are not always black and white, and that human beings, when it comes to the struggles of heart and mind, are fallible, and not always capable of being rational. It has softened her rigidity and brought a whole new dimension to both her personality and her teaching.
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Jonathan’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
I learned that with each act we can gradually see the evolution of our Protagonist on an organic level with the old ways being replaced by the new. Each Act break propels the Protagonist even further on in the story and in their transformation.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
1. Give us the following:
Concept
Adopted at as teenager, Jaslyne competes against her step-sisters to be
the heir to the family wine business.Main
ConflictJaslyne vs. her cutthroat sisters.
Old
WaysOld identity: Book keeper, shy, submissive
Loyal to her mother to a fault.
Selfless
New
Ways
New identity: Killer saleswoman, takes chargeConfident, vocal
Looks to be the best – anyway possible
Act 1:
Opening
Jaslyne answers calls, works the front desk, and prepares coffee as her mother and sisters have an important meeting about the direction of their wine company.
Jaslyne gets mistaken for the help.
Susan turns down an offer from the biggest wine distributor much to the chagrin of her daughters, except for Jaslyne.
Inciting
IncidentSusan reveals that she has cancer – and her dying wish is for the top salesperson to take over the company.
Turning
PointJaslyne is pushed by Susan to participate, even though she has no sales experience. She resists. She finds out that the eldest sister Illyana aspires to win just so she can sell the company. Jaslyne commits.
Act 2:
New
planJaslyne learns from her sisters who do not consider her a threat at all. She goes on sales visits, still socially awkward.
Plan
in actionJaslyne makes some of her own sales in little-served accounts. She’s a natural.
Midpoint
Turning PointMonth is over: Illyana, the eldest wins. She takes control and she looks to sell it immediately. But Jaslyne proves Illyana cheated to win so Susan takes Illyana out of her will and has the other sisters compete for 1 full week for the control of the company.
Act 3:
Rethink
everythingThe sisters are no longer helping each other and are using everything they can to secure sales.
New
planJaslyne has to get cutthroat and think out of the box.
Turning
Point: Huge failure / Major shiftThe tallies for the week are very close. At the last moment, Susan makes a call to get Jaslyne an advantage and Jaslyne wins.
Jaslyne cannot accept the victory as the last sale was not made by her She gives the victory to Bex. Who happily accepts the leadership role.
Susan dies of a heart attack.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate
expression of the conflictThe top Wine Distributor hounds Athena Wines to buy them out.
The ABC presses charges against Bex for illegal selling practices. Bex must step down and she gives up her leadership role to Jaslyne.
Resolution
Through Jaslyne’s leadership she turns the company around and designates proper roles for her sisters. Together they thwart the bids the buy the company and even secure enough money for their own winery to run.
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EUGENE’S FIRST DRAFT (LESSON 5)
What I learned doing this assignment is if it wasn’t for others in the class I would not find out what the assignment was. I guess this is the right one, but I see 2 others sites with assignment 5 in them.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
1. Give us the following:
Concept:
Patrick Lee, the first Solution Candidate for President of the U.S. finally has taken the lead in the national polls and the Major Political Parties and the Government try to sabotage his campaign. Ignoring them and with the help of his running mate, Celeste SeedlingSun he continues to solve problems converting even more of the public to his campaign.
Main Conflict:
Patrick Lee has fallen in love with his Vice Presidental running mate, Celeste SeedlingSun and she must quell his advances at the same time as she prepares him to challenge the competition.
Old Ways:
The Old Politics of Parties and Promises. Of kissing babies and shaking hands. Of traveling around country on the tax payers dollar.
New Ways:
The Solution Candidates solve the problems facing the people, while they are running for office, and challenge others running for the White House to do the same.
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening :
Candidate Lee gives his first major Speech to a huge, adoring audience in Los Angeles, California.
NEXT scene:
Patrick and Celeste are discussing with Los Angeles City Officials their plans to eliminate Skid Row from the City and transport all the homeless to Angel City, a new planned community within the City of L.A.
Inciting Incident
They break ground on Angel City, which to the amazement of L.A. Officials, is completed in 7 days. This brings an almost instantaneous reaction from his opposition and his trusted campaign worker Seco is arrested on the spot.
Turning Point:
After trying to get Seco out of jail, Patrick visits a mental patient in a local asylum who may have lead to the arrest of Seco and learns how his campaign is effectively being attacked.
Act 2:
New plan:
Patrick must prove that the mental patient was talked into giving false testimony against Seco and that this was somehow arranged by his opponents.
Plan in action:
The mental patient retracts his claims against Seco and he is released from jail.
Midpoint Turning Point:
Patrick finds out that his old girlfriend, Barb, has turned him in to the IRS for possible income tax violations in the past preparation of his clients taxes, when he was a CPA.
Act 3:
Rethink everything:
Celeste helps Patrick prepare for the next Presidential Debate and tries to convince him that everything will be okay.
New Plan:
Patrick manages to get through the debate without having any kind of direct confrontation with the two major party candidates. He plays a game of verbal Aikido throwing them off guard as he makes positive statements that emphasize solutions.
Turning Point:
After winning the Debate he is arrested back stage for income tax evasion.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict:
Patrick goes over the figures with the IRS and proves everything he did is within the law. The Presidential Campaign takes place and even though Patrick Lee is not on the ballot and voters must write in his name, he wins the Popular Vote and the Electoral College Vote.
Unfortunately, he does not have a majority of the Electoral College, so the Republican House and the Democratic Senate must decide the President and Vice President. It is a tie in the House Vote for President, but Celeste SeedlingSun wins the Vice Presidency in the Senate Vote.
Resolution:
By Inauguration Day, there is still no clear winner in the House Vote for President, so Celeste SeedlingSun takes the Presidential Oath of Office, and makes an inspired Inaugural Speech as the First Native American President of the U.S.
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Dave Holloway’s 4-Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is that examining the overall structure this way enabled me to identify one or two weaknesses in the structure.
Concept: A young man and his best friend must venture across what was once America, but is now a series of independent nation-states, to reach a military state on the west coast and attempt to free his wife from prison there.
Main Conflict: A young man inexperienced in adventure and physical conflict must engage extensively in both to rescue his wife
Old Ways: Nigel is a 25-year-old English lawyer who is rather intellectual and bookish. His methods of dealing with conflict involve argument, persuasion, reason and compromise – the kinds of abilities he uses in court.
New Ways: Nigel must cross 3,000 miles of a continent, negotiating areas of wilderness, violent civil strife, lawless predators and fascist domination. He must learn to fight physically to survive, and to travel by means unlike the civilized means he has known in England.
Act 1:
Opening: The opening introduces us to Nigel, who is an intelligent young lawyer and skillful courtroom orator. He delivers a closing argument that demonstrates an underlying passion and shade of competitiveness.
Inciting Incident: Nigel receives a SKYPE call from his wife, Livia, a journalist sent by her employer to report on social and political conditions in some of the states of North America. She visited a military state on the west coast, and was imprisoned there on a false charge of spying. She is quite frightened, because she knows prisoners are being executed, and she believes she could be killed within two weeks if someone doesn’t intercede on her behalf.
Turning point: After trying to get the Prime Minister’s assistance, Nigel knows he must fly to the military state to try to obtain Livia’s release. His best friend, Roger, volunteers to accompany him.
Act 2:
New plan: They intend to fly to Los Angeles, which is near the prison where Livia is being held. But as the plane nears the East Coast, the pilot announces the states on the East Coast have declared their airspace inviolate, so the plane will have to land in New York.
Plan in Action: Nigel and Roger arrive in New York, realizing they have to get across the continent as quickly as possible. They take a bus across the first state, a business-centered state called Commerce.
Midpoint Turning Point: Commerce is a state where workers are so oppressed that they are striving to rebel against their corporate masters. The bus they are on is carrying a leader of the workers, so the police stop the bus, and Roger helps the labor leader fight off the police and escape from them. It is clear to Nigel and Roger that the continent they’re trying to cross is in a state of profound disorganization, and crossing it will involve both danger and struggle of a dangerous, physical type Nigel has never experienced..
Act 3
Rethink everything: Nigel and Roger have already learned that some of the states they will have to cross are dangerous and in some cases, impossible to cross by car. They’re under heavy time pressure, as they cannot know how many days Livia has left in the prison. They see they will have to make their way by their wits and utilize any means, including breaking the law, in order to complete the journey to the military state.
New plan: They cross an environmentalist state, then cross a Native-American state by canoe. They get to the next state, where they believe they can cross the rest of the way to the West Coast by train. They feel encouraged by the relatively swift passage on the train.
Turning Point: They learn the train stops at the eastern border of the military state, and they will have to travel by car across the state to the prison. This will cost them time. But they force a car to stop on a road, force the driver out and drive away in his car.
Huge failure/Major shift: They arrive in the military state, and get word to Livia in the prison. She replies that her execution could occur at any day. They must free her as soon as possible from the seemingly impregnable prison and the three of them must somehow escape the military state to return to England.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Livia has a lawyer in the prison who is assigned to her case. He arranges for her to escape from the prison and to meet Nigel and Roger at a prearranged spot. They drive in the lawyer’s car to the home of a man who rebels against the military state by smuggling people out who want to escape. As they are about to fly away, the warden shows up in a police car, having learned of their whereabouts by tracking their car. The pilot, Roger and Livia are all in the plane. The warden tries to arrest Nigel, but Nigel succeeds in outfighting him and knocking him out. He joins the others in the plane, and they fly off to freedom in Mexico City, from where they will take a commercial jet back to England.
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Becky’s 4 Act Transformational
Structure – What I learned doing this assignment is that your
original idea and who your lead is can change so much or just gain
much more interesting attributes than what you had considered or
thought you could come up with.Concept: Dana is pulled through
a time rift by a ghost and has to solve their murder to put the ghost
to rest before the rift closes and she herself becomes extinct.Main Conflict: Dana is pulled
into Ade’s 1906 Vaudeville world. Dana will have to investigate and
communicate as Ade works to draw Dana deeper in so they can switch
worlds. Ade wants Dana’s physical place in Dana’s world.Dana Old Ways: Visits historical
theaters for vacation by herself. She believes that Vaudeville and
the early 1900s was an easy, no stress time to live. She is
introverted and a book worm.Dana New Ways: Has traveled
through a time rift with a ghost. Knows that any era to live in is
not easy or stress free. Tracks down a murderer and sends a ghost
onward to their new life.ACT 1
Opening: Dana’s first visit to
THE GEM theater. Sits in the center of the empty theater with the
curtain closed. Dana’s eyes are closed an opened book in her lap. The
stage curtains open to a grand piano being played by a black pianist
and Ade in a sparkling long, white gown singing a song from the early
1900s. A strong wind blows the book closed and stops the show going
on in Dana’s mind. The theater guide finds Dana for a short tour –
the closed curtain ripples as Dana looks back.Inciting Incident: Back for a
more in depth tour of THE GEM. Dana asks about the theater’s
inclusion of Black performers. It is confirmed. Dana is visited by
Ade in the theater’s green room-she believes.Turning Point: Dana wants to
understand more about Ade’s life. She visits the local library to
find out more on vaudeville days in this town and visits a 94 year old
in the assisted living facility that tells some old tales he heard
from his Dad. Then visits a psychic. No one helps in how to
contact… talk to Ade.ACT 2
New Plan: She cancels the rest
of her trip to stay at The Gem.Plan in Action: finding an
article about Ade’s death being poison. Dana is going to help. But
has to learn how to communicate back. Decides to go stay the night at
the theater.Midpoint Turning Point: Ade is
able to get through and open up the time rift. Dana gladly steps in.ACT 3
Rethink Everything: Dana is
mesmerized by the new world. Can can stay?New Plan: Ade pushes her to stay
and switch places with her. Dana has to find Ade’s killer first.Turning Point (huge failure/major
shift) Dana realizes she has to go back. Ade is ghost, cant
switch places. Has to be physical for physical. Ethereal has to move
on to their afterlife.ACT 4
Climax/Ultimate expression of the
conflict: The rift is about to close. Ade is desperate to move
into Dana’s world. Dana can’t stay.Resolution: The two women figure
out the killer, why and how. Gives Ade ability to move on and Dana
ability to live in her world stronger.<title></title><style type=”text/css”>
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Clendon – 4 Act Transformational Structure
[01] What I learned doing this assignment? The structure is new to me as I usually write features in the three act format: Act 1 = 30pgs || Act two = 60 pgs || Act three = 20-25 pgs I find this structure better; allows me to dissect the elements and improve the process. Without a solid structure, the best writing in the world is NOT a movie – it’s just pretty words strung together.
[02] Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure. Give us the following:
A. Concept = After losing his mother, Clendon attempts to discover who her killer is and make that person pay for what they did.
B. Main Conflict = Clendon wants vengeance, not justice. It is something he has vowed, a fantasy, recurrent throughout the movie, until he learns who the killer is.
C. Old Ways = Clendon’s behavior: obsessively working out to stay grounded, training and sparring to keep his anger and want for violence in check. The arrogance and loner, above-it-all mentality along with his right is right and wrong is wrong world view and how there is no grey areas in life.
D. New Ways = Clendon learns the meaning of forgiveness, something his mother preached to him. His new behavior includes protecting the ones he loves at the expense of exacting his vengeance. He comes to embrace his mother’s motto: kindness before all else. The journey has taught him there are grey areas, not everything in life is black and white. Through personal, emotional and spiritual growth, Clendon embraces what is to come. He is ready to take up the mantle and carry on with his mother’s legacy.
Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
[I] Act 1:
A. Opening = Clendon is at the park with his girlfriend. He is eating, drinking wine when a police woman appears and threatens to arrest them. Clendon thinks she is one of his father’s goons. He subdues and handcuffs her.
B Inciting Incident = Clendon is in school, police come; he learns his mother’s been murdered.
C. Turning Point = Clendon is sure his estranged father killed his mother; cannot prove it. Storms his office and confronts his father, learns he was out of the country at the time.
[II] Act 2:
A. New plan = Clendon stops hounding his father, believes whoever killed his mother was someone his mother knew and trusted. A business associate. He starts going thru his mother’s papers, belongings, etc.
B. Plan in action =
C. Midpoint Turning Point = Discovering the man whom he loves like a father — whose daughter, Natalie, the sister he never had — pulled the trigger — changes everything. Truth becomes the one secret Clendon must never reveal as his feelings for Natalie deepen.
[III] Act 3:
A. Rethink everything = Clendon cannot reveal the murderer. The truth changes everything for him. He must confront JR in secret and learn why – why did he feel compelled to murder his mother. What did she do? Clendon’s vision of his mother as this holier-than-thou philanthropist changes; she had secrets, did things behind his back: JR, the detective, what else did she do – or didn’t do? He is conflicted as his worldview of right and wrong, black and white is turned upside down.
B. New plan = Clendon stops looking, stops hunting for clues. He decides to keep everything to himself, confront JR alone. Man-to-man. Before he tells the detective what she already suspects.
C. Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift = Clendon goes to talk with JR only to discover he has had a massive stroke. He is unconscious, cannot speak; may never regain consciousness or the ability to speak. Clendon has a melt-down as he might never get any answers, any closure. What did his mother do to make JR kill her?
[IV] Act 4:
A. Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict = Clendon goes into JR’s bedroom alone: stares at him, struggles with the urge to suffocate him. Has his hands around his throat, stops – has a vision of his mother watching him. Clendon leaves the room. Unaware, the daughter, Natalie, cannot forgive her father.
B. Resolution = Clendon tells the detective he cannot condemn a helpless man. He will not testify.
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Gayle’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is… I can streamline my story and character motives and actions by writing down the bare essence.
Concept –When paranormal investigators Rick and Samantha Coffey plan to divorce, the ghosts living in their house devise a scheme to reunite them
Main Conflict – Rick wants to focus on resurrecting their career, Sam wants to focus on family planning and Caroline the ghost steps in because a divorce means a new home for the ghosts who do not want to leave.
Rick’s Old Ways – Chases happiness… An inept ghost buster… Takes the credit for his wife’s work… He sees fame and fortune as the key to happiness… Does not want a family until he has fame… Thinks he should be the family boss.
Rick’s New Ways – Lets happiness come to him… A skilled ghost buster… Gives his wife her due credit… Realizes the love of his family will bring him happiness… Knows there is never a right time to have a child… Knows marriage is compromise.
ACT 1
Opening – Rick is desperate for regain the fame he and Sam had from their ghost busting experiences.
Inciting Incident – They are offered a reality show, but Samantha is set on having a baby and does not want to be in the spotlight.
Turning Point – Rick ignores Samantha and announces the show and she announces she wants a divorce. The ghosts who live in their house take notice.
ACT 2
New plan – Caroline and the ghosts decide to scare Samantha into remembering how successful and in love she and Rick were when they were ghost busting
Plan in action – Caroline stages paranormal experiences in the house.
MP Turn – Two ghosts take over Rick and Sam’s bodies to have sex
ACT 3
Rethink everything – Rick tries to convince Sam to reconsider but she decides to sell the house. Caroline needs to ramp up and turn Rick into Sam’s hero.
New plan – Caroline locks Sam somewhere within the ether of the house – Rick can only hear her. As Sam is locked away she and Rick have a long heart-to-heart that leads to their reunion.
TP All is lost/Major shift – Rick needs his farsi-speaking agent to translate the passage to release Sam, but it also releases a Djinn who inhabits the agent’s body and tries to kill Rick who is saved by Sam.
ACT 4
Climax/Ultimate expression of conflict – Rick leads the exorcism of the djinn from the agent
<div><b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Resolution – Rick and Sam work with the ghosts to destroy
the djinn forever. Rick and Sam want to stay in their home together and write
another book while having a baby.
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Pat’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is that this is good way to plan out the major plot points within the act structure. I expect it will evolve over time, but this is a good starting point.
Concept: Ira, a young, black man, develops a passion for Shakespearean theater and seeks critical acclaim.
Main Conflict: Ira seeks legitimacy in English Theater as a Shakespearean actor, but Gilbert an influential newspaper publisher seeks to ensure it never happens.
Old Ways:
· Plays in black theaters/Watches in the wings of white theaters
· Ira, son of a preacher, humbly plays by the rules
· Doesn’t pursue all options to fight back
New Ways:
· Plays in white theaters
· Breaks the rules/learns the art of spin
· Opens his mind to other possibilities to fight back by embarrassing his critics
Act 1:
· Opening: Ira loses his mother. His stepmother arrives and Ira leaves home to work as a cabin boy on ship headed to North Carolina where a slave-trader tries to purchase him. He returns home and despite his father’s objections he takes up theater acting.
· Inciting Incident: He meets a sought-after actor who develops a ruse to help him come to England, disguised as a valet.
· Turning Point: Ira journeys to England.
Act 2:
New plan: Build a network while waiting in the wings watching his mentor.
Plan in action: He begins taking on roles in English theaters and his bashed by the critics, especially Gilbert who influences other critics.
Midpoint Turning Point: Ira spins his background and despite the warm reception from audiences, other critics change their opinions, but Gilbert refuses to give.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: Ira despite his love from audiences, still is not accepted in major English theaters.
New plan: Ira launches a tour European tour
Turning Point – Major shift: His European tour is a success as other country’s critics laud his ability.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Ira returns to England and Gilbert concedes before his death.
Resolution: Gilbert continues on his European tour and plans to return to the US, but dies in Poland.
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What I learned from this lesson is that I will have to adjust my plot to fit in the 4 act structure, and to rebalance my character arc with the plot as well.
Mark’s 4 Act Transformational Structure. 1. Give us the following:
Concept – A woman’s yearning for adventure turns disastrous when she is stranded on arctic ice floes with 100 shipwrecked people drifting toward the North Pole. Her pilot fiance, attempting a virtually hopeless rescue, fights nature’s extremes and Navy animosity to save her.
• •
• • • • • • • • • •
Main Conflict- Victoria struggles against the cold, the panic of the men
trapped with her, and whether or not her fiance will be able to rescue her.
Old Ways –
small town girl, no confidence on the shipIndecisive
stand-offish to others out of fearNew Ways
Decisive and confidentoutgoing and sympathetic to others able to judge people on an equal basis
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening: Tony barnstorms through town in his plane with Victoria riding along,thrilled. He proposes and she accepts.
Inciting Incident: She decides to go on the research voyage to the arctic. He argues its too dangerous, and she leaves in anger.
Turning Point: The ship she boards sails into a storm and gets locked in the ice. The wind blows them away from land toward the North Pole.
Drake, the first mate, tries to test Captain Jensen.
Act 2:
New plan: She tries to learn the science procedures on board, but has trouble. She is the only woman who does this. The others are merely passengers who become increasingly fearful.
Plan in action: Her looks and politeness provoke a couple of arguments. Men notice her. Women are disturbed by her. Captain Jensen has to intervene and befriends her.
A ship is sighted in the distance, and salvation seems at hand. But it is revealed to be a derelict with frozen corpses on deck.
Drake, laughs ghoulishly, reveals his ugly inner drive,and declares they will never be saved.
Midpoint Turning Point: The ship is slowly crushed in the ice. They have to evacuate to the ice field. they unload all the cargo, food and supplies. They are stranded.
Everyone is frantic at their plight. Drake smiles to himself, looking at Victoria.
Tony flies to Point Barrow, Alaska and starts searching flights, while the Navy stays grounded due to weather.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: They build crude shelters and tents and create a small town to survive.
New plan: Some men want to trek away to safety. Jensen has to control the uprising that Drake is behind. Victoria gives Jensen the idea to build a runway for plane rescue.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: The wind blows away the radio antenna leaving them out of radio contact.
The runway is built, then cracks develop as the ice shifts each day.
Tony is grounded by the Navy and prevented from flying. He tries to dig his plane out of the ice and collapses in exhaustion.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict:
Tony is joined by his sidekick Nick, who arrives at the Navy base with ten other fliers to attempt rescue.
Tony discovers the camp, and the runway. The frantic people prevent him from rescuing Victoria first.
Planes land over the next few days, rescuing many. Drake hides out with Victoria captive in an ice cave, and Tony thinks one of the other planes rescued her.
Resolution: Captain Jensen is the last one on the ice. Everyone else has been rescued.
Victoria struggles in the ice cave as she watches Tony fly away.
Victoria runs out of the cave, pursued by Drake. Jensen spots them. Tony lands again and she and Jensen make it to the plane as Drake slides into the sea on the melting ice.
Victoria and Tony are reunited, and are married by Jensen.
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Kristin’s 4-Act Transformational Structure
What I learned: Thinking big is essential in this phase—not diving into too much detail. I was intimidated at first, but it got to be fun.
Comedy concept: When a happy-go-lucky, self-absorbed paleontologist’s one-of-a-kind T. rex is seized by the FBI, he sues the US government—and faces what will become a potentially devastating situation as if he has the upper hand.
Main Conflict: Both sides fight for the fossil, which becomes “Solomon’s baby” in an international hot-potato of a case. In the process, careers, reputations, and the future of a controversial industry hang in the balance.
OLD WAYS
- “All about me”
- Consequences be damned
- Ignores business partners and/or mentors
- Talented, but closed-minded
- Hidden insecurity
- Business can only grow “so far” because of arrogance
NEW WAYS
- Collaborative
- Helps formulate and spreads the word re: industry “rules”
- More humble, which increases abilities
- Fights for the little guy
- Takes on the federal government
- Protects and supports business partners
- Becomes role model for industry
Act 1:
OPENING: The weird and colorful life of independent paleontologists, working in their “Indiana Jones-like” warehouse.<div>
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>INCITING INCIDENT: Seizure! Prosecutor Mr. Little gets his 15 minutes on TV.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>TURNING POINT: Joe files suit and goes in front of news cameras—as school kids demonstrate in front of his building for the return of the small town’s signature fossil. Mr. Little is VERY displeased at the bad press.
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Act 2:
NEW PLAN: Planning the legal case—like a bull in a china shop.</div><div>
PLAN IN ACTION: Not listening to lawyers or colleagues, thinking that force of personality is enough. “Much ado about nothing.” As Mr. Little sees the chaos in Joe’s camp, he feels pretty confident.
MIDPOINT/TP: Not only does Joe’s lawsuit fail, but also Mr. Little indicts Joe and his partners as if it’s a RICO case. Hundreds of felony charges. Even the little-old-lady receptionist is an “unindicted co-conspirator.”
Act 3:
RETHINK EVERYTHING: This shit is real. As Joe’s people are pulled into the drama, he learns the downfalls of his overall POV. Mr. Little sets his sights on taking him down.</div><div>
NEW INSIGHTS: Joe’s new plans involve research, collaboration, listening to new ideas, and engaging colleagues behind the scenes to assist. Once the team breaks down the hundreds of federal charges, they reveal Mr. Little’s errors and the case’s inherent weaknesses—because Joe is actually a good guy. By now, Mr. Little is cocky; he thinks he’s got this in the bag. Nerding out, he prepares dozens of very boring slideshows and graphs and charts.
TP / FAILURE/ MAJOR SHIFT: The trial goes on, and Joe’s side gets all the laughs. Mr. Little is striking out, even though a friend of the judge is on the jury. Finally, as the verdict is read, Joe and his colleagues are triumphant for almost the entire list of charges (Mr. Little hates this)—but he is convicted on a technicality. Even with “right on his side,” Joe faces a prison sentence.
Act 4:
CLIMAX: When Joe is being logged into prison, the guard on duty looks at the conviction—“Failure to fill out forms? You must have really pissed someone off.” From his bunk in Minimum Security, Joe and his people launch a campaign against Mr. Little and the frivolous prosecution. Still, Mr. Little is feeling pretty good about himself until he comes home to a yardful of turkeys, boxes of hatchling chickens, deliveries of exotic parrots…every “T. rex relative” you can think of.</div>
RESOLUTION: While in prison, Joe helps rewrite federal policy on fossil collections, writes books…and as soon as he gets out, he and his team find another T. rex. Mr. Little does not get his promotion…and is demoted to Public Defender.
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Sandra’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is that you need a strong conflict to keep the audience worried about the protagonist, and how to build that into a 4 Act transformational structure.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Structure. Tell us the following:
Concept: A Ph.D. student
discovers the sinister identity of her professor who has been sabotaging
her research. <div><div>
Main Conflict: Lucy’s research
could threaten to discredit Professor Clark’s work, so he secretly finds
ways to sabotage her findings.Lucy’s Old Ways:
Old Identity:
Fearful and timid Ph.D. student who doesn’t believe in herself.
Jumps to conclusion.
Honest and naive.
Overly dedicated to her work – workaholic.
Lucy’s New Ways:
New Identity: Empowered – believes she can accomplish anything.
Courageous – released from fear and self-doubt.
Sets better boundaries, priorities and self-care.
Examines situations – thinks things through.
Act 1:
Opening: Dark lab – someone contaminates a test
vial. Lucy’s house – Lucy steps out of the shower, nervously practices her
dissertation defense looking in the mirror. </div><div>Inciting Incident: At the
University Lucy finds another dead lab mouse.Turning Point: Lucy discovers
the mouse was poisoned.Act 2:
New plan: Lucy gets out of her
car at a café to meet her husband for lunch. Through the window, she
thinks she sees her husband with another woman. Assumes he’s cheating on
her. </div><div>Plan of action: Lucy storms to
her car, speeds off, and knocks over a sign. Lucy confronts her lab
assistant, who denies poisoning the mice, and warns Lucy about Professor
Clark.Midpoint Turning Point: Lucy
receives a call that her mother is in the hospital and requests to see
Lucy as she has something to tell Lucy.Act 3:
Rethink everything: Lucy tells
Professor Clark about the mice and her mother. Professor Clark blames the
assistant. Poison vial is found in the assistant’s desk. </div><div>New plan: Lucy plans to see her
mother, uncover the family secret, and rush back to present her
dissertation at 4 pm.Turning Point: Huge Failure /
Major Shift: It rains harder and harder. Truck rear ends Lucy’s car,
sending her into the ditch. Trapped in her car. Strong winds rock the car.Act 4:
Final plan: Lucy’s afraid she
won’t survive the storm. </div>Climax/Ultimate expression of
the conflict: Lucy knows she won’t make it back in time to present her
dissertation. Lucy hears her mother’s dying words over the phone.Resolution: The
storm lets up, then stops. Lucy crawls out of the sunroof. Her husband
drives up and picks her up. She’s safe. Professor Clark disappears.</div>
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Pam’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
CONCEPT: After witnessing a notorious hitman murder a Hollywood movie star, celebrity hairstylist Henri Berger is relocated for his protection. He lives and works incognito as a dog groomer in Vermont, where he meets the love of his life — but he can’t tell her who he really is.
MAIN CONFLICT: Hair Superstar Marc Riche wants protégé Henri out of his salon — and his life —and hires a hitman to kill him. But things go sideways and the wrong guy gets killed.
The hitman is still at large, and no one knows who hired the hit. Henri doesn’t know who to trust. He goes into a protection program with a new identity. <i style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>He’s now living a lie in order to stay alive.
OLD WAYS
– Materialistic
– Anal. Life shouldn’t be messy.
– Not crazy about dogs. Filthy beasts!
– Perfectionist
– Values conventional outer beauty
– He’s part of an “It” crowd with so many “friends”
– Surrounds himself with celebrities and perfection
– Needs others to validate his successNEW WAYS
– Down to earth
– Life doesn’t have to be perfect
– Learns to appreciate dogs for their intelligence, uniqueness and loyalty
– Re-evaluates individuality, inner and outer beauty
– Accepts imperfections
– Realizes the value of his true friends and family
– Surrounds himself with real friends and people he loves
– Redefines success and happinessACT 1: SET UP & SEE OLD WAYS
Opening: Henri perfectly styles movie star Bradley James’ hair in his boss Marc’s luxury hair salon, as Marc tries to one-up him with his over-the-top beehive style for Bradley’s supermodel wife, Tiffany.Marc opens up a new box of his signature styling product (Bradley’s favorite) and then trashes it when he realizes his name is misspelled on the label. Bradley’s style is finished with a substitute product, and they all make plans to see each other at Marc’s art gallery celebrity fundraiser later in the day. Henri stops by to visit his grandfather (Papi) after work.
Inciting Incident: At the fundraiser, Tiffany asks a dismayed Henri to hold her purse-size dog while she makes a wardrobe change. Marc tells Henri that a new supply of the product is available. Could he run some out to Bradley’s house? When Henri does so, he witnesses Bradley’s murder, who was seemingly lying in wait for Bradley.
Turning Point: Henri is able to identify a known hitman. For his protection, he’s relocated to Vermont with a new identity — working as a dog groomer, of all things.
ACT 2: CHALLENGE THE OLD WAYS
New plan: Henri tries to blend in at work in the dog salon, and tries to charm Acadia (who is so not his type), manager of the dog shelter, with initially unsuccessful efforts. He struggles with the fact that his career was on a rocket ship. He was to be the headliner at the upcoming NYC International Hair Show, in fact. And now he’s doing everything from doggie skunk baths to anal purges.
Plan in action: Henri’s appearance and manner does not fit in at the Vermont dog salon as Henri tries to relate to dogs and their owners in ways that worked just fine in Beverly Hills. Cam, his new boss (and the only one who knows Henri’s true identity), trains him in how to do the standard cuts for various breeds, and tells him to never deviate from the manual. Once he learns, Henri fits in a little better, but is uninspired.He also makes a fool of himself with Acadia, who doesn’t quite know what to make of him. She is slow to trust him because of a past relationship with a “pretty boy” like Henri.
Midpoint Turning Point: Henri suspects that he was the intended target, and that Marc was behind the hit. He can never go back to the salon. His career is on the rocks. And he can’t go back to his old life until Marc’s guilt is proven. He misses his Papi terribly, and is grateful his best friend Jared will be looking in on him. Meanwhile, he needs to warn both of them not to trust Marc. They could be in grave danger as Marc and the hitman try to find where he is hiding.
ACT 3: PROFOUND MOMENTS GIVE US NEW WAYS
Rethink everything: Henri realizes it will be hard to prove Marc’s guilt, but sets out to do so. Henri is shaken that someone he worked so closely with hated him that much. How did he miss that? He asks Jared to be his eyes and ears back in CA, and appreciates him now more than ever.Henri gets a panicked call from Acadia. One of the more “unattractive-looking” shelter dogs keeps getting passed over for adoption. Henri does some research into new grooming techniques that are amazing. Henri brings his styling kit and comes to the rescue. Surprises himself with the transformation he’s able to accomplish, once he gets to know the dog and really “see” him.
New plan: While he works daily on finding evidence that proves Marc’s crime, he makes the best of his life in Vermont. He and Acadia grow closer (to Cam’s dismay), and they work together on plans for a Doggie Adoption Fair in the park. After initial resistance from Cam, Henri launches a Doggie/Owner “Style-Pairing” program that proves to be quite popular. He also introduces amazing scissoring techniques that transform even the most unsightly dogs into adorable mutts.Cam’s business is now booming with the new services Henri has added. As Cam updates the website, he accidentally posts a video that has Henri’s voice in the background.
Henri and Acadia take their relationship to the next level when she spends the night at Henri’s. The next morning, she leaves to get ready for the fair.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Back in CA, supermodel/widow Tiffany is in the Marc Riche Salon and amuses herself with some unusual doggie hairstyle videos that have gone viral. She and Marc both realize at the same time that the voice belongs to Henri. Henri’s cover is blown.
ACT 4: TEST THE CHANGE IN CHARACTER. PROVE NEW WAYS!
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Henri learns that the hitman & henchmen are on the way to Vermont. So are the police and Jared, but can they get there in time? Henri races to the fair to warn her, but she’s been kidnapped.In a David & Goliath-type battle (with dog toys no less), he saves Acadia and tells her the whole truth about who he is — but it’s too late. She is terribly hurt. He vows to make it up to her, but must leave for NYC to confront Marc. He is now the headliner at the International Hair Show, currently in progress.
Resolution: Marc has been leaked false info re: Henri’s death. Tiffany is in the audience, Henri hides behind her. While doing a style/hair product demo, he asks for a volunteer. Tiffany steps aside, and out pops Henri! An epic battle ensues on stage, with lots of hairspray and sharp objects. Henri is the victor. Marc arrested.Henri returns to Vermont. Begs Acadia’s forgiveness. Adopts the un-adoptable mutt. They file into his Subaru to go on a hike together. Final surprise: Papi is in the car too.
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Aline’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”
I need to do this a few times with fresh eyes – until I distill the structure and see it more clearly. Very useful device. 3rd and 4th acts are still nebulous and tentative. — also I get hung up on events and definitely need to revise this to bring the structure more prominently to light.
Concept: A dramedy coming of age road trip feature. Lucy is a teenage runaway leaving her polygamist family behind for an adventure in LA and hopefully a new life.
Main Conflict: Lucy’s inexperience and religious upbringing create a self imposed obstacle as she hides from her family and tries to open her mind. Her polygamist family is searching for her to bring her back while she struggles with confusion between the desire to start a new life and the fear of the real world without the familiar support system.
Old Ways: Lucy went to church even when she didn’t want to; She kept it a secret that her she had 3 moms in her polygamist family; She didn’t tell her parents that she felt neglected and overworked with having to help with the smaller kids; She felt awkward with the youngest wife being too close to her age; She cried at night thinking she would have to be married to a man and share him with other wives- She was ashamed and terrified that her high school friends might find out — the rumours were a nightmare; some kids said her whole family could go to jail and she was terrified of losing them or going to jail herself; Loves Tori Amos’ feminist music; is embarrassed for having kissed Lucien whenshe thought Lucien was a boy; Lucy is afraid of her own sexuality.
New Ways: She is confident and tells her parents that she wants out of the cult but she doesn’t want to lose them as a family; she is ready to face consequences; She is ready to amidst she had feelings for Lucien- who is actually a trans young man.
Act 1:
Opening: Lucy has to help with a lot of chores related to the large family. More than what a regular 17y.o. Would. She listens to the radio, has Tori Amos stuff in her room. Wins tickets but knows better than to ask or tell anyone. She won’t be able to go to LA and she knows it. (WHAT IF: LUCIEN IS IN A GAS STATION OR BUSINESS IN SLC AND THEY CHANCE MEET THEN. HAVE AN ADVENTURE- LUCY FINDS OUT LUCIEN IS HEADED TO LA… BUT SHE CAN NEVER IMAGINE GOING. THAT ADDED TO THE FAMILY MISERY/MARRIAGE HINT (ONCE LUCY GETS HOME AFTER DINNER FROM THE ADVENTURE AND RAISES THE FAMILY’S EYEBROWS… AND THE WINNING OF THE TICKETS PUSH HER OVER THE EDGE– SHE LEAVES ALONE BUT FINDS LUCIEN AT THE SAME PLACE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD/BUSINESS… OR GOES AFTER THE PLACE LUCIEN IS STAYING… DOESN’T FIND HIM AND THEN FINDS HIM ON THE SIDE IF THE ROAD.
Inciting Incident: Lucy coming home from school with a boy, innocently but clearly a crush. Charlotte tells Eliza.
Turning Point: At dinner, a man in his 30’s is a guest. Lucy’s father announces he thinks it’s a good idea for Lucy to marry him. Passive aggressive. Charlotte thinks Lucy should be happy. She is horrified. She listens to Tori Amos and cries in her bed at night. ( younger wife Charlotte announces she’s pregnant. Lucy catches her mother – who can’t have babies anymore and is now ignored by husband, crying and puts two and two together: polygamy is traumatizing)
Act 2:
New plan: Picks up her Tori Amos tix and gets in her mom’s car.
Plan in action: She’s headed to LA- She has a little money saved.
Midpoint Turning Point: She gets harassed at a scary gas station. From a payphone, She calls home crying. Charlotte picks up. Tries to convince her to come home- Gets info about LA. Naively tells Lucy that marrying the 30 y.o. Man was her idea. Lucy hangs up. She can’t go home.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: She keeps driving. Crying. Meets Lucien on the road.
New plan: Go to LA and stay! In 2 hours with Lucien, She’s in love with this magical boy!!
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Lucien is a transboy! Lucy straddles Lucien in the passenger seat. Feels Lucien’s breasts. Deep Moral conundrum. Lucy is completely against homosexuality. She is confused and angry.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: They go to Tori Amos concert and meet her afterwards. Lucien is the one to give up Lucy to the police( because he thinks he is doing the right thing for Lucy who is lucky to have a family looking for her)
Resolution: Lucy is home and says she won’t get married. Her family disowns her and she needs to leave when she turns 18 in 2 months. Lucien comes through and shows up for them to start their journey together. Lucy accepts that she is in love with a queer boy/girl?
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Anna’s 4-Act Transformation
What I learned doing this assignment: that this segment of the story has WAY too many loose ends to tie up. Will really need to focus and consolidate so it doesn’t suffer from “series finale-itis.”
ROUGH pass (still need to go back for a second pass):
ACT 1:
– Opening: Mikhail tells Ninsianna what happened to their son.
– Inciting Incident: someone informs them a bull-man golum was seen, retrieved a sacred relic (a giant hand), attached it to his body.
– Turning point: Pareesa finds them. They go in search of the Temple of Ki.
ACT 2:
– New Plan: temple was destroyed, most of the priestesses slaughtered. Whatever Moloch was searching for, it’s not there now.
– Plan in Action: they are always two steps behind Moloch. The evil one is growing more powerful. Ninsianna grows impatient with Mikhail’s unwillingness to use his dark gift to retrieve their son. She uses her own power to torture information out of somebody.
– Midpoint / Turning Point: Pareesa is killed. Mikhail brings her back to life.
ACT 3:
– Rethink everything: he realizes he must learn to control his dark power if he’s to defeat a living god.
– New Plan: Gita reappears. There is another, even older temple that she visited once as a child, underground. She is not sure where it is, but it had pictures of five species of beings, including his, painted on the walls.
– Turning point/ huge failure / major shift: Moloch’s forces corner all of Mikhail’s allies. They are about to be overwhelmingly defeated. Then … Raphael appears. He uses the Horn of Heaven to break Moloch’s control over the Nephilim warships and giants. The beasts break free. Angelics, humans, and other creatures battle the Nephilim and Tokoloshe.
ACT 4:
– Climax: Mikhail makes a deal with Lucifer, but vows to kill him afterward for kidnapping Ninsianna. Lucifer lures Moloch into the underground temple, which isn’t a temple at all, but Tiamet’s trap. Moloch tries to escape, but Mikhail uses his dark power which is equal to Moloch’s power, but highly unstable. Moloch taunts Mikhail into destroying Earth … he will feed off the pain .. he knows Ninsianna is unworthy and can’t help him control it. But Moloch isn’t aware that Gita is Amhran, reborn. She helps Mikhail stabilize the power. He drags Moloch, screaming, into Tiamet’s trap (hell) and tears his infant son out of the belly of the golem.
– Resolution: Mikhail is torn between Ninsianna and Amhran.
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ASSIGNMENT5
Subject line: (Mary Ellevold) 4 Act Transformational Structure Lesson 5
What I learned was that it was fairly easy once I started.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
1. Give us the following:
Concept AN UNEMPLOYED DOGCATCHER, JON JOHNSON, MUST FACE HIS FEARS TO GET HIS JOB BACK.
Main Conflict -HIS EX CHILDHOOD SWEET HEART, KAT, SABATOGES HIM.
Old ways – fearful, going from disaster to disaster, not wanting to put out effort, Kat and others dominate him
New ways -couregeous, faces Kat and rescues Bob
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening-BIRDS ON A WIRE. KAT IN A KAT SUIT SNEAKS INTO JON’S
APARTMENT AND LEAVES A BASKET.Inciting Incident- BIRDS POOP BOMB THE CAR, HE GETS
STUCK IN CARWASHTurning Point-CAT ATTACK AT PHOBIA DOCTOR’S
Act 2:
New plan-GROUP THERAPY INCLUDES KAT; AND
PLAN-HE MUST FACE HIS FEAR OF ANIMALS – ZOOPHOBIA
Plan in action-VIRTUOREALITY, AND COUNTER CONDITIONING-
Midpoint Turning Point-GO TO PETSHOPPE TO FACE FEARS,
GETS ARRESTEDAct 3:
Rethink everything-FORGET THERAPY, BUT JUDGE ORDERS TO
COnTINUE
New plan- COUNTERCONDITIONING AT AQUARIUM- SHARK ATTACK
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift- THE PARTY-
TOILET STUCK, JON FULL OF CRAP.Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict- COUNTERCONDITIONING
AT THE ZOO
Resolution- KAT FINDS OUT WAS WRONG, &
JON DIVES IN WATER TO RESCUE BOB, , ANIMALS QUIT
CHASING.3. Once you have created the 4-Act Structure for your Protagonist, go back over it to see if there is any big picture points you need to add to represent your Antagonist.
4. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
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Adam’s 4 Act Transformational Journey
What I learned: That I have trouble keeping it simple, but simple is better to see the arc clearly.
1.
Concept: When a spineless school teacher discovers the truth behind a new plague threatening humanity, he must redefine himself and find a strength he never had to save his family and the world from impending slavery.
Main Conflict: Once Les starts to uncover the truth of what’s going on with this new plague he must battle his own insecurities, his wife and a powerful government and corporate system to get the truth out.
Old Ways:
· Did as he was told
· Just tried to be the fun and liked guy
· Insecure
· Let his wife make the decisions
· Let his kids run over him (own kids and students)
· Kept his head down, avoids conflict
New Ways:
· Makes up his own mind
· Doesn’t care what other think
· Confident
· Debates/doesn’t back down
· Leads others
· Faces conflict head on
2.
ACT 1
Opening:
Les is a funny teacher who doesn’t have much control over his students. He jokes off his lack of control and influence. Hiding his feelings of defeat with jokes. Same goes at home.
People watch news items about a plague spreading around the world.
Inciting Incident:
Plague has arrived worldwide. Strict martial law put into place with lockdowns and government saying it’s for us, to protect us. But elites and other move freely. Les goes along with the fear to start.
Les discovers some ulterior news items through his FRIEND – a ‘mad conspiracy theorist’ – goes down the rabbit hole and his earth is shaken. Confused by all the different messaging. Major fear of the future and globalization. Conspiracy theories and truth abound and are hard to decipher.
Mayor Elizabeth says we’ll crush this plague
Turning Point 1:
He speaks up to the Principal of school about how he thinks they should look deeper into it – Principal says to leave it alone, don’t go there, these decisions come from the top – no matter what they say/we have to live with it/hands are tied
But he can’t – when a ‘conspiracy’ item becomes reality – he can’t turn away. A peaceful protest is surrounded by unmarked armed men – people shot/taken away.
ACT 2
New Plan: FIND THE TRUTH
Les does research, gets confused about the different messaging, he starts to let it leak to students who even say he’s being irresponsible
Mayor Elizabeth pushing vaccine rollout hard – everyone should be vaxxed with experimental vaccine
Plan in Action – DISSEMINATE TRUTH
He’s trying to sneak in some critical thinking to his students.
When he hints at what he thinks with his wife she shuts him down.
He feels he’s living a lie and sees his own children withdrawing, getting angry and losing hope for the future
Les has his kids take off their triple layered masks and walk about the school. HE IS FIRED and CHARGED. He’s publicly pegged as a dissenter
People are vaxxing – things are looking better for society
Midpoint Turning Point: TRUTH IS WORSE THAN THOUGHT
Suddenly everyone who was vaxxed dies or gets severely ill and then dies.
ACT 3
It was all on purpose – to shrink the population and weed out the followers – they wanted the best and brightest to survive. ‘Natural selection’ fast forwarded with a helping hand. Those that survive will share in the riches of the earth. A new earth with plenty for everyone, proper farming, clean air, etc. There’s just a few rules: You won’t own anything, you will be given monthly allowance for survival. You will be given a job that suits your aptitude, you will have a social scorecard, you are not allowed more than 1 child…
Rethink everything: Goes into hiding from NWO
Les goes into hiding with his friend. (His wife and kids have died because she made them get vaxxed)
New plan
Create a new internet that is democratic, money that can’t be hidden, build on what’s there – blockchain, coins, etc.
Find lots of ‘cells’ of people who want to fight back
Behind the scenes Les and friend build a strong group worldwide on the alt web
Elite stranglehold starts failing because people have stopped buying from them and refusing to take their drugs, don’t use their social media – they’ve created another one that isn’t controlled by anyone
Turning point: Huge Failure/Major shift
Mayor Elizabeth discovers who he is – how he’s the leader – and has him found and arrested along with many others in these cells.
They need a true revolution. No longer can work only in the shadows.
ACT 4
Climax/Ultimate expression of conflict
They plan a take-over/escape of the jail with everyone in the jail
They breakout (friend hacks the system), take-over the guards, get weapons and head to the Mayor’s office
Les confronts the Mayor and takes her hostage and executes her publicly saying we’re moving to the top
Resolution
News footage shows the world descending into revolution and chaos as the oppressed finally rise up against the elites and power that has run the world for so long.
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Carissa’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned: Continually deepening characters wants and needs. Structure is very helpful in clarifying story.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
1. Give us the following:
Concept: Ron: Hollywood
talent manager works undercoverPaulo: Will do anything to obtain millions.
Main Conflict:
Hard for Ron to say No. Working undercover, keeping 2 lives separate.
Old Ways: To be
successful, Ron has to do everything asked of him.
New Ways: Ron pares
down and defines what success is to him.2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening: Leading
two lives: Ron the talent manager, Ron undercover, gets shot at.
Inciting
Incident: Ron has to tell his wife about his undercover work. Flashback.
Turning Point: Ron
meets with big mouth informant who can also get Ron 25 mill for his movie.
Ron goes through Sheriff training program.Act 2:
New plan: Ron
has to find out who stole money from the Sheik while doing undercover
work. Ron juggles this with keeping his clients happy, esp. Ian with the
hot script.Paulo only wants to please his parents and make them believe he is successful.
Plan in action: Paulo
is a great resource of info. Ron finds out that guys who stole are Sheik’s
friends.Paulo wants to be friends with everyone, but will stab them when they turn around.
Midpoint Turning
Point: Paulo has been lying about the 25 million. Ian is unraveling. **Treasury
agent unhappy with Ron taking initiative.Paulo secretly stealing money from the Sheik.
Act 3:
Rethink
everything: Ron looks for other investors—questions producing this
movie. Makes amends with Treasury agent.
New plan: Get
Paulo to work with them. Get info on Sheik and dealings with Lockheed.Paulo works with Treasury but is a narcissist and doesn’t care who gets screwed.
Turning Point: Ron
is shot at. Huge failure / Major shift: Ron loses his best clients, the
movie he wants to produce is officially dead. Info on Lockheed—Money halted.
Sheik doesn’t go to jail because of diplomatic immunity. Treasury wants
Ron to work in Colorado.Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate
expression of the conflict: Ron finds out that Paulo put a psy op on Ron.
Ron confronts Paulo. They fight. Ron realizes what’s important to him.
Resolution: Ron and
family have left Hollywood and Ron works undercover. -
Brendan Williams 4 Act Transformational Structure
In this assignment, I learned to come up with a very rough draft of the structure spine. I do have a lot of work to do since my movie is set in one location and only has two characters interacting.
<title></title><style type=”text/css”>
</style>Concept: On the night of her
deceased brother’s birthday, a teenage girl suffering from depression
tries to help her mother overcome the denial of her son’s suicide and
must find a way for her to accept it.Main Conflict: Anita wants
her mother to accept her son’s death and understand that she has a
daughter in a mental health crisis and could use a mother in her
life.The Protagonist’s Old Ways:
Old Identity: A lonely and quiet teenager suffering from
depression.Suffering from depression.
Addicted to opioids.
Lonely and quiet.
Scared for her mother’s well-being.
The Protagonist’s New Ways:
New Identity: Becomes the parent figure to her mother and the one
who holds their relationship together.Finally accepts her brother’s death and understands what he was
going through.Is able to open up and express her true feelings to her mother.
Is willing to let go of the past and move on.
Decided to lay off the opioids and seek counseling.
The Antagonist’s Old Ways:
Old Identity: A mother dealing with the loss of a child and refuses
to acknowledge her daughter because she’s a constant reminder of
when she was raped 18 years ago.Is in denial about her son’s death.
Refuses to accept her son’s suicide and believes he betrayed her.
Doesn’t want to have a meaningful relationship with her daughter.
Doesn’t want to take accountability for her own actions.
The Antagonist’s New Ways:
New Identity: Is willing to go
through the grieving process with her daughter’s guidance.Moves on from the denial stage of
the grieving process to the anger stage.Finally learns to express her
anger over the death of her son.Is willing to be more open to her
daughter and not be completely shut off.The
Transformational StructureACT 1 (20 Pages)
Opening: Anita is introduced
hanging out along the beach and taking opioids/ Valerie is at a local
bookstore hopping for a birthday present for her son, Sam. The
bookkeeper allows her to keep the books for free and that she doesn’t
have to pay for them.Inciting Incident: Valerie
gets denied a bank loan for a small house she wants to buy. Anita
suggest she uses Sam’s college fund, but she refuses to touch any of
the money in that account.Turning Point: Anita finds
out her friend, Hannah is unable to swing by the house and drop off
some opioids for her. She starts to have a withdrawal.
ACT 2 (20 Pages)New Plan: Valerie decides to
celebrate Sam’s 18<sup>th</sup>
birthday by throwing him a birthday present and acting as if he’s
still alive.Plan in Action: Anita
confronts Valerie about why she’s ignoring her daughter and is
suddenly trying to be the mother of the year to her son, who’s now
dead.Midpoint Turning Point: Anita
receives an acceptance letter from Trinity College that her short
story, “The Boy Who Died” has been accepted and the admissions
committee would like to interview her.ACT 3 (20 Pages)
Rethink Everything: Anita
must choose between leaving her mother behind alone and move to
Dublin, Ireland for college or stay behind and take care of her
mother.New Plan: Anita realizes
Valerie has been stealing her opioid pills and starts to become
concerned for her mother’s well-being. She decides to flush them down
the toilet.Turning Point (Huge Failure/ Major Shift): Anita
hears her mother screaming as she’s having a nightmare and realizes
she’s having a flashback to when she was raped in a motel room 18
years ago. Anita realizes her biological father is a trucker who
raped Valerie many years ago.ACT 4 (20 Pages)
Climax/ Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: Valerie
finally enters Sam’s bedroom and loses it when she finally accepts
that her son is gone. Anita calms her down and tells her that Sam
didn’t kill himself, but slipped off the bridge.Resolution: Anita takes
Sam’s suicide letter and tosses it into the fire place as she
remembers one of the last times that she hanged out with Sam along
the beach. He’s writing a short story in his journal titled, “The
Boy Who Died”. -
Bob Colley Four-Act Transformational Structure
What I learned is just keep plowing ahead. There is also such a thing as too many lentils.
1. Give us the following:
Concept – A local sheriff and a new FBI agent track down and stop terrors from launching an attack on a major city.
Main Conflict – Hunt down the terrorists.
Old Ways – Alone in a small, quiet town.
New Ways – Partnered with a new FBI recruit hero leads the hunt.
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening – Raid and firefight gone wrong.
Inciting Incident – Six drones fly to different pats of town and explode.
Turning Point – New FBI recruit shows up and spurs Hero into action.
Act 2:
New plan – Learning back country skills.
Plan in action – Trying out new skills
Midpoint Turning Point – Encounter their first drone swarm.
Act 3:
Rethink everything – How to stop 1,000 drones?
New plan – AI pulse gun.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – Chase into and up a building under construction; hero lifted up as firefight ensues; villain escapes by chopper.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Reprogrammed the drone swam to blow up and destroy enemy camp.
Resolution – Chief of Police in major city.
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Concept – A foreigner married to a stranger to get her green card. On a journey of getting to know each other, they discover each other’s inner demons and the truth. At the end, they give each other a second chance to relive their lives.
Main Conflict – Two strangers get on a journey to finish a mission. She wants to get her freedom and live, but is a living dead. He wants to give up life, but lives everyday to the fullest.
Old Ways – She has trust issues, not letting people in, independent, jaded, rigid, unattached, unemotional, goal getter, not being true to others and herself.
New Ways – vulnerable, open up, free, creative and fun, live.
Act 1:
Opening – A Chinese grad student faces financial issues and her ex just left her. She fails to land a job because she didn’t have a work permit or green card. She sells everything to pay rent.
Inciting Incident – She’s desperate and drunk alone on 4th of July at the rooftop. She meets a stranger.
Turning Point – They get married to solve her immediate problem. He goes back to Texas.
Act 2:
New plan – A year later, she works at a financial firm as a portfolio manager. She works very hard, and is doing very well. She is a loner. She doesn’t associate with her colleagues.
Plan in action – She flies to Texas and meets with Mike for the INS interview.
Midpoint Turning Point – They drive back to LA in his old RV (home) They get to know each other and to create memories. Everything seems very robotic, she handles things like business. He can’t remember the details between them.
Act 3:
Rethink everything – Forcing information into their heads is not working. They really don’t know each other that well and they already have discrepancies. They worry that they would fail the mission.
New plan – They decide to take it easy and take a natural approach and not to be so pressed for time. They start being themselves, and more natural. They start more connecting, more feeling.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – They start learning about each other, traveling to places, establishing real memories. She discovers the reason he married her. He wants to give up his life soon after the mission is over.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – INS interview. A lot of unexpected questions, but they show deep connections.
Resolution: She quits her job. Sometime in the future, Moon and Mike meet again.
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Steven Patterson’s 4-Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is: structure matters. Even when you just have the bare outline of it.
1. Give us the following:
Concept – STACEY WALKER, a woman with severe cerebral palsy, wants control of her life despite her dependence on her family and caregivers.
Main Conflict – Stacey’s father, HARRY, wants to control every aspect of her life to keep her healthy and safe. She wants her independence.
Stacey’s Old Ways – She defers to whatever her father thinks is best for her.
She goes along with whatever her caregivers want her to do so she doesn’t lose their support.
Stacey’s New Ways – She becomes increasingly assertive.
She demands independence and privacy despite her medical condition.
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1.
Opening: Stacey is stuck in bed because BRITNEY, her caregiver for the day, is outside arguing with someone on the phone. We see just how dependent Stacey is. She can’t even get out of bed by herself and she REALLY has to pee.
Inciting Incident: Her married boyfriend, Mateo, calls to say he’d like to drop by for “a date” (meaning “sex”).
Turning Point: Stacey’s mother and father stop by unexpectedly before Mateo gets there.
Act 2
Reaction: Stacey has to get rid of her mom and dad so she can have “alone time” with Mateo.
The Plan: Stacey allows Britney to take over for her. Britney knows about Mateo and creates an elaborate explanation for what Mateo is doing there. Stacey let’s Britney take care of things for her … again, not taking control over her own life.
She continues to be treated as a non-entity – Harry, her father, wants to make all decisions for her.
Turning Point (MIDPOINT): Harry figures out what’s really going on between Stacey and Mateo.
Act 3
New plan: Stacey has to step forward and take control of her life. She wants to be with Mateo, and she has to go head-to-head with her father over it.
Turning Point (“all is lost moment”): Harry tells Stacey that if she continues seeing Mateo he will walk away from her. She’ll be on her own.
Act 4
Climax: Stacey holds firm.
Resolution: Harry backs down. There is no way he could turn away from his daughter forever.
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Jon’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is… that I have been writing without the tools that make writing easier, quicker and fun. This format is allowing me to quickly develop my story in great detail as well as in basic beats.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
Give us the following:
Concept
After his father and provider gets convicted, a once innocent Chance Adams, without a worry in the world is suddenly thrust into the jaws of a lion (the real world). He now has to do what he’s never had to before…Survive…by hook or crook. He chooses crook.
Main Conflict
Detective Barry Jones won’t stop at anything to catch this new crook. The crimes are all in his own neighborhood, so its personal and his reputation is also at stake
Old Ways:
Not giving a shit about people
being irresponsible
being what his dad loathes
having nothing
being full of rage and confusion
New Ways:
genuinely caring about people
being responsible
being more of what his dad would have wanted
owning a home and a business just like his dad
conquering his rage and learning where it came from.
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
A Opening
The beginning of the day for main characters
Chance sees homestead billboard on the way to law school CARE FREE
Its where…
Detective volunteers for habitat for humanity
Dad lectures young lawyers in his office on power of details
Fiancé gets kids off to school on her way to work EXHAUSTED
Retired Mom sips her coffee and slides her a few dollars and a coffee to go THEN fires up a cig
Chance urgently traverses the school campus…surveying it like he taking it all in
Detective tries to sneak by Judge Jones (you ignoring me?) SMDH
Chance walks the hallways at school to a locker and empties it
Suddenly summoned into and admin office by the school dean
Long stares then the verdict
Dean Johnson Are you self destructing? No, let me be real…YOU are self destructing
Chance says school is not what he wants…he’s miserable…I’m here for all the wrong reasons
Dean Johnson gives him piece of mind about needing successful kids like him in the community
Who says I won’t be successful?
B Inciting Incident
Chance quits college
Leaves his books behind with Dean
Returns for his mechanics manual
Gets a job fixing cars
Chance now has a secret to hide
C Turning Point 1
Dad kills a home invader
The laws are not on his side
He goes to jail
Act 2:
A New plan
Chance promises his Mom he’ll take care of them
Carolina seems unsure of it
Chance works harder at work but the money isn’t enough
Detective visits Callahan in jail with questions
Something peculiar STEPPED ON FOOT QUESTIONS
Calahan is out of his mind irritated with the system and blurts out everything but answers
a civil lawasuit for $1 million dollars I don’t have
My home is going into foreclosure
With my wife and family in it
And ur asking me about stepping on a foot!!
Im done! He walks off then yells back
They better not touch my hellcat!!
B Plan in Action
He picks up an onsite job on a construction site
Chances jobs starting to pay off savings is growing
He studies homebuilding in the little free time he has
He volunteers at Habitat to learn to build a house
Meets the Detective
Im Detective Wolski but Barry is good
Chance is startled to be chatting up the police
Detective eventually recognizes him as his brother
Questions him on a few things
Chance is startled to be chatting up the police
They both share their disdain with their jobs
They talk dreams and realize they are similar dreams
They jokingly make a plan to leave the city and build on a lake
They play a guessing game about their fav things and are amazed at similarities
They admire each other
Detective shows him his building manual
Chance is spirit is lit on fire as he flips through it
Detective says keep it ill grab another one
Maybe you’ll learn enough to help me one day
C Turning Point 2. (MIDPOINT)
He gets fired for moonlighting the same day his night job gets stopped by the city inspector
Act 3:
A Rethink everything
Chance becomes a crook
Robbing, Stealing, Fencing, Scamming
Savings skyrockets
Detective Begins Investigating the crime spree
Detective calls Judge Jones from streets
Tells him Callahan’s Judge Karen Dreyfus is not clean for this case
Says you might wanna look into it
B New plan
Chance learns about the Detective from TV news stories
Tightens up his routine and the overall plan
Judge Dryfus is forced to recuse herself
Judge Jones calls Detective cell with a short cryptic message
Thanks for the tip Detective she was definitely compromised friend of a friend’s rotten ass son
Detective thanks him for listening
Judge Jones rejects it having not done anything illegal
Detective right the law, trust the law
Judge Jones it works
Yeah but sometimes it needs oil change and a jump start or it’ll leave your ass stranded or run your ass over
Good day Detective
C Turning Point 3: Huge failure / Major shift
Detective gets an urgent text and rushes out the house
Detective is watching Chance
Sets him up good
Chance is arrested on 20 counts
Looking at 20-80 years in prison
Chance is dejected as he paces in his small cell
Does push up, sit ups between going crazy
He runs in place
Time goes by and he now has a thick raggedy beard staring at the ceiling
Suddenly, he tears a few strips of his sheet
Braids them together slowly
Tests the strength of the long braid
Then ties a noose and drops it on the bed
He searches for a pencil then paper
But only finds his building manual
He whips to the dedication and finds a big blank spot on the page and rips it out
When he does he reads the first page of the manual
Its a motivational introduction that reads
“Build Your Dream Home & Change Your Lifestyle in 90 days”
Once again a fire is lit inside him
He urgently turns over the blank page and draws a sketch of what he plans to build
Then he reads voraciously
Act 4:
A Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Detective visits Callahan in jail for a few unanswered questions
They carry on like adversaries
Detective Delivers Chances Fate
Detective makes promise to do what he can to help
Dad says don’t worry about me just Chance
Before they part Detective reaches for dads hand
Dad squeezes back and says, I know…you are sorry, I know not your fault son
Dad says I’m sorry too
By the time Detective says for what
Dad shoves him away, calls him fuckin asshole and retreats calling on guards
Dads trial begins up to All Rise…
Judge Jones is announce and we see delight on Detective’s face
Judge then continues the harsh treatment that Judge Dryfus started
Dad calls Sergeant Antoni Mills (arresting officer) to the stand
Dad gets him to prove him not guilty through an exercise in the courtroom
Judge stops the hearing and rule it a mistrial
Dad and Detective share a moment from a distance
Then suddenly, dad walks across the room and hugs Detective and quickly part
The Prosecuting Attorney reluctantly answers his cell phone and says Yes Sir, No, Sir, UH yes
Detective leans back in an whispers something to Dad
Dad face grows with excitement and he tears up as Detective pats him on the shoulders
DA is cursing at his team over the phone then slams it shut
Phone rings immediately
His brother’s mother the ex DA pulls a favor and gets him out of jail around the same time as dad
Mr Claiborne right?
AG Claiborne, what can I do for you
This. Is her name you might remember me from our early days working in the same building on main?
Cant say I do, but what is your issue
My issue is that you have a very serious problem heading your way
And I need a favor
So maybe its no problem for you if you can help
Whoever this is I don’t have the time…
Under the floor boards of the janitor’s closet right down the hall from you
You will find a box of files
The box will read :…
Most of the files in the box with contain blank sheets of paper
But one of the files will be of great interest and value to you and your family and your freedom
When you find the box of files and walk down your dirty criminal memory lane
You will have an uncontrollable urge to set it on fire.
Feel free to do so…There are 2 more identical boxes in similar cleverly tucked away places
Ill call you tomorrow with a small favor you will be overjoyed to take care of for me
DA has the floor ripped up and sees a file box labeled “1 of 3 mf”
DA tells his staffer to get me on the AG’s lunch schedule and I mean today, just tell him I’m treating
B Resolution
Dads lawsuits are dropped and his finances and home are safe again
The 2 brothers are halfway done building their twin lake houses
Funny Barry introduces his girlfriend/fiance to Chance
Chance says please don’t tell me I have a sister too?
Yes you do
Chance yells for dad
Carolina joins Chance and intros herself to
Sister in law
She says soon to be sister in law
Chance oh shit congrats fam!!!
Dad and Mom visit them and bring a check to help them finish
Dad I sold the hellcat… not much but it’ll buy a shitload of lumber and nails and some shingles maybe
Dad once the lawsuit is reversed I can help you more
He turns to Barry and finishes his statement “Son”
Then to Chance “Son”
The two brothers simultaneously say the same thing “Dad, we’re good…”
Then they laugh at themselves
Chance we’re fuckin twins is what we are
Barry except I’m older
Chance you’re older?
The family all join in on the banter
Until they notice Mom walking over to Barri’s Mom
Everyone gets nervous, worried
Mom stops infant of her sitting regally in a wheelchair smoking a cigarette
They stare at each other
A long time goes by
Then Mom reaches out and hugs her tightly
Everyone exhales and smiles
Mom whispers Thank you as her tears well up
And I’m sorry for keeping them apart all this time
Sylvia WE kept them apart and Im sorry too, but that’s over now…they’re together, happy and young
Mom And we getting old AF
Sylvia SMDH girl
They both wipe their tears and sign
Mom points to cigarrette
Mom U got another one of them uhh…
Barry’s Mom “Sylvia” hell, sit down lets smoke the whole pack
Mom says as she sits next to her on a picnic bench
Oh, i see you’re bad as me, Huh!
Sylvia birds of a feather
As the rest of the family joins them and Dad and Barry take away their cigarettes
the view rises to reveal a majestic lakeside property with nothing but promise
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Wayne Schrengohst’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is… work fast and fun and ideas come.
Concept – The mostly absentee theater figure head and world class Mythologist shows up unexpected to the Pitch Night. His overwhelming approval wins George the showcase run, and the ire of Elaine.
Main Conflict – Theater Manager Elaine likes things as they were. George is a subservient techie. He jump when she calls. Pitch Night gave George a chance to show what he’s been secretly working on…BEAST. One of the presented theater pieces from pitch night is awarded a showcase run of two weeks… A work in process performance.
George Old Ways
1. No confidence, not a peer, subservient, desiring others to like him.
2. Concealing his artistic ambitions.
3. Hides behind a disguised veil of wry humor.
George New Ways
1. Strong, projects leadership
2. caring while focused on his ambition
3. Generates enthusiasm and wins the respect of his artistic peers
Act 1: Opening – George w/o confidence, concealing ambition, puts up a pinch of desire, and gets to present a few minutes of BEAST in a contest for a showcase.
Inciting Incident – George/BEAST is a hit with Joe the theater’s, usually absent, head.
Turning Point – George steps up and secures his win of the showcase.
Act 2: New plan – Cast, fund, make Beast great, oh…and finish writing it.
Plan in action – The Thrill of Hope. Elaine escalates stopping George. George tries to find Joe for help.
Midpoint Turning Point – Joe and George have a great meeting of the minds. Then next morning Joe is MIA. Elaine tries to shut down BEAST.
Act 3: Without Joe, George must – Rethink everything,
New plan, George tries to give Elaine what she wants, song and dance.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
Act 4: Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: George character fights Dragon.
Resolution: Elizabeth and Elaine alternately kill and then revive the men.
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Main conflict: Becoming her true self as opposed to the kind of person her friends and family expect her to be.
Old ways: Coming from an advantaged background, Amelia Stanhope is on track to head off to the college she’s worked hard to get into, and thus start the life she’s envisioned. She’s in sync with her family’s values as well as her larger community’s.
New ways: having seen the world for herself, she is also beginning to think for herself and choose her life from a different perspective.
Act One:
Opening: We see Amelia in her old context. The family dynamics, the expectations and assumptions. We see Amelia fitting comfortably into this. Maybe a little too comfortably for a young woman on the verge of adulthood. Is the issue for her, how is she going to grow up, given all the padding? Color her well-adjusted. But is she also sleepwalking through it all just a bit?
Inciting incident: the pandemic becomes public knowledge. Maybe we see the news coming through the media—that original CDC announcement on the television set where the schools maybe having to shut down is on the screen. Maybe they all hear it without really paying attention to it. The mood is, surely this doesn’t apply to us.
Turning point: The city is locked down and the schools close. No ignoring things now.
Act Two:
New plan: Staying at home but trying to take it all as temporary. No big deal. The Stanhopes are adaptable, plus they have resources. They can do this! Maybe looking down on people who are making this a big deal, not realizing that those others have different challenges.
Plan in action: The wheels start to come off the cart. Enforced togetherness is not the joy they thought it would be initially. The kids start wanting to get out. Maybe one of her siblings actually does get out. Maybe there are consequences—both with the police and within the family. Amelia, observing this, starts thinking about better ways to do this.
Is there a love interest?
Midpoint turning point: Amelia escapes! (or in some less literal way separates herself from her family.) Maybe she goes to a Black Lives Matter rally!
Act three:
Rethink everything: This is where Amelia thinks about the received wisdom of her family and her class and community. She starts to realize something about equity. She makes new friends—starts to see the world from their eyes. This puts her in conflict with her family, who haven’t been ‘woke’. Starts to wonder if she really wants to go to a small, largely white liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere. As so many people have thought during this pandemic she says, “I’m not going back.” But to do this she’s going to have to confront her parents, and she’s also going to have ACT on her newfound beliefs.
Turning point: this may be where she confronts her parents and when an ultimatum is delivered, she walks out. Goes and stays with these new people she’s found.
Act 4:
New Plan: Escaping isn’t enough. She has to figure out “what now?”
Climax: I don’t actually know how this is going to play out. Maybe there is a strong temptation to just go back again because this way is just too hard. Maybe one of her parents shows up and she almost gives in.
Resolution: At the end, we see Amelia starting at the junior college. Maybe we think that she’s given in and is going to the old dream of college—maybe the music or some other clue gives us the idea that she has conceded. She’s wearing new clothes, dressed for school. But when we actually see what she’s looking at, it’s some kind of urban tech place. The people around her are diverse. She sees one of her friends from the marches and the friend sees her. She smiles and runs to catch up with them.
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John T’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is that by keeping it general and keeping options open, you allow for more possibilities to emerge and more layers of intrigue to, ah, surface.
1. Give us the following:
Concept –
Clare Willowby, a wallflower with low self-esteem, is coerced into going
on a self-discovery weekend with her domineering boyfriend, Rod Shankman,
where Clare must confront her darkest secrets if she is to survive her
encounter with killer cyborgs.Main
Conflict – Clare must battle within herself and exert her independence in
order to overcome her cyborg twin and escape the island.Old Ways –
Clare clings to her cocoon of dependence on Rod. She fears stepping
outside her comfort zone so much that she’d rather endure Rod’s taunts and
insults than face up to her issue.New Ways –
Clare doesn’t need Rod anymore. Clare stands up for herself and is
entirely self-sufficient.2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening – Rod embarrasses Clare at a dinner party. A friend mentions that a new weekend retreat involving robotic clones sounds interesting. It’s called Discovery Island where one spends the weekend getting to know thyself by interacting with one’s cyborg twin.
Inciting
Incident – Rod insists that Clare go with him on a self-encounter weekend at Discovery Island or else he’ll end their relationship. That scares the hell out of her so she agrees to go.Turning
Point – The final leg to Discovery Island is on a helicopter. There’s no
runway. The helicopter almost crashes but everyone is safe. The helicopter
is down for repairs. Everyone must stay a bit longer than the weekend. No worries, everything is comped.Act 2:
New plan – Clare sucks at the encounters, won’t
share with the group. However, unlike all the others, she draws even
with her cyborg twin on all the encounter challenges. Rod constantly embarrasses
Clare in front of the group, something that upsets her greatly.Plan in
action. – Clare secretly plans her escape, offers to pay the pilot to take her off
the island when the helicopter is repaired, but a storm approaches. She can’t
leave.Midpoint
Turning Point: A storm takes out the central computer – the cyborgs self
repair with painful and deadly consequences for incorrect responses – the cyborgs know their humans all too well. Terror reigns on the island.Act 3:
Rethink
everything – Each person’s cyborg is a reflection of themselves. They get what they give so some guests are getting their asses kicked in varied and painful ways. Cruelty begets cruelty. Clare realizes that she must vanquish her cyborg twin in
order to survive and the only way to do that is to challenge it with something it doesn’t know.New plan –
While most guests are losing, Clare probes C2 for helpful hints, receives a
few electric shocks but is holding her own, buying time using her analytical skills to gain a tactical advantage.Turning
Point: Huge failure / Major shift – people are hiding, some are getting
killed. Clare climbs up a hill but is trapped – C2 moves in for the final
quiz! Clare must step up with all she can muster. Clare uses logical to outwit C2 and score a few victories using her wins to slowly disable her cyborg. It’s
down to one leg, then one arm, but it’s still pursuing her up the cliff.Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate
expression of the conflict – C2 has Clare trapped. It taunts her with memories
Clare has forgotten. Clare must face what she has run away from her whole life – a repressed memory, the one thing unknown to her cyborg. Clare resurrects her sexual abuse at the
hands of her Uncle Henry – she wins! “I’m done with you!” A final kick and
C2 falls to the rocks.Resolution
– Clare leaves Rod begging for her help. She gives him back his own: “Oh, Rod,
get over yourself.” Clare learns later that she won the $50,000 prize for honesty and is also awarded $5 million for pain and suffering. Her life is now her own. -
Subject line: Paul’s – 4 Act Transformational Structure (place in first line)
4. “What I learned doing this assignment is that this is a useful technique in building a better outline.
Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.
1. Give us the following:
Concept – A woman learns to forgive her cheating and abusive father.Main Conflict – Patricia has to grow as a person in order to take on the responsibility of both looking after her mother as well as forgiving her abusive and domineering father.Old Ways – Patricia is afraid of her father, hates him.New Ways – Patricia is not afraid of her father, forgives him.Internal Journey: Patricia has to find the courage to stand up to her father and then later on to forgive him.External Journey: Patricia grows from child who is cared for by her mother, to an adult who cares for her mother.<div>
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening – Patricia in her wedding dress about to go to the church to get married.Inciting Incident – Patricia gets message from her father that he’ll kill her if she marries Blake.Turning Point – We get to learn more about Patricia’s father Jesse via a flashback from her mother Pearl.</div><div>
Act 2:
New plan – Patricia as a teenager follows her father and discovers his secret life.Plan in action – Patricia is going to blab to her mother, about her discovery.Midpoint Turning Point – Patricia decides to keep her father’s affairs secret as it may cause harm to her mother.</div><div>
Act 3:
Rethink everything – Patricia decides to go to college, so that she can shift out and get on with her new life.New plan – Patricia can’t be independent from her family as her mother becomes unwell.Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – None of Patricia’s siblings can be relied upon to look after her mother who has dementia.</div><div>
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict –Patricia decides to take her mother under her care – disobeying her father.Resolution – Pearl decides to forgive her father.
</div> -
Lesson 5: Randy Weaver: 4 Act Transformational Structure
What I learned doing this assignment is…It’s definitely work trying to put all the pieces together.
1. Give us the following:
• Concept: Adele is an adopted child who always felt she had a sister. When she gets an internship on Gull Island, she finds evidence of a sibling and becomes the target of a killer. Her dead sister guides her as a guardian angel.
• Main Conflict: Tied to her adopted family, Adele struggles with the possibility she was lied to, in order to hide the death of her sister. She fears losing them and learning the truth.
• Old Ways: Dependent on her parents, reliant on others, untested
• New Ways: Determined, courageous, trusts her intuition
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
• Opening: Adele receives a letter informing her of a meeting on Gull Island for a final interview for an internship on the island.
• Inciting Incident: Adele sees a picture of two young girls as visitors to the habitat on the walls of the sanctuary hall. The girls have their backs turned to the camera. One young girl is wearing the same bracelet that Adele was wearing when she first met her adoptive parents.
• Turning point: Adele is visiting her adopted Aunt when she sees a photo of the day she met her adoptive parents. The photo shows she’s wearing the same bracelet as the girl in the sanctuary wall photo.
Act 2:
• New Plan: Adele is going to find her biological family
• Plan in action: Adele questions her parents and goes to the adoption lawyer from her past.
• Midpoint Turning Point: The adoption lawyer sends Adele a photo of her supposed biological father holding her, stating also that she was an only child. The man in the photo is a younger version of the sanctuary professor.
Act 3:
• Rethink everything: Adele now wants to find out at least who the two young girls were in the photo at the sanctuary and how the professor was involved.
• New plan: Adele does research into the past visitors to the sanctuary and the past of the owner and the professor.
• Turning Point: Huge failure/ Major shift: Adele finds a young girl’s diary hidden inside an antique radio at the sanctuary. The girl writes of her sister and also of the wealth and fighting among her father and uncle. Emory grabs the diary and fires Adelle.
Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Adele is invited back to the sanctuary for a meeting. She is confronted by Emory as her biological Uncle. He tells her he had to gain control of the family business and pushed her father into the Lake. He also tells her he set up her adoption. Adele escapes in a boat and goes to the mainland. She gets in her car and drives away. The Professor joins Emory and takes a boat towards the mainland. Just before it gets to shore, it overturns and they fall in the water. The professor hits Emory in the head with an oar and swims to shore. He gets in a car and follows Adele.
• Resolution: As Adele is trying to escape, her dead sister appears in front of the professor’s windshield. He then hits a large doe and then a tree. Adele looks back and keeps on driving. She sees a highway sign that points to her town and another to the freeway. She takes the turn that goes to the freeway.
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