Day 11 Assignments

[Eric Humble]

Eric Humble’s Living Metaphors

What I learned: This is an aspect of the transformational journey that has eluded me for years — how to make the incremental changes dramatic and focused within the framework of a story. This lesson really made these challenges easy to create and impactful. I can’t wait to integrate them into my outline and story. I think this lesson will be instrumental in creating some of the most significant scenes of the first half of the script.

SHOULD WORK, BUT DOESN’T

Old Way: Backstabs, betrays, whatever it takes to get ahead

-Raf makes a deal with Leiber wherein he sells out Natalia as using fake credentials, expecting that Leiber will then reinstate him in the kitchen…. But Leiber keeps him detained – and goes after Natalia.

(Twist at the end of MM5 – leading him to take Leiber hostage)

Old Way: Refuses to take sides – only out for himself

-Russian President wants to have an appetizer he can share with his aide, whom Raf has gotten info out of. The guy is in trouble because of Raf. Raf does as he’s told rather than warn the aide. At the meeting, the Russian President savagely beats the aide. Raf doesn’t lift a finger to help him… but isn’t able to shake that he’s responsible. He goes back to help the guy after a little time has passed – only to discover that the aide has died from the beating.

Old Way: Won’t propose to his pregnant girlfriend

-Usually brushes off the question of whether he’ll propose by a catchphrase. He gets her on the phone and says it to her, clinging to some semblance of his old life to get him through this ordeal, but for the first time, she doesn’t reciprocate and simply hangs up.

Old Way: Powerless in the big things — you can’t change their minds. They’re going to do what they’re going to do.

-When Leiber and the President are faltering over sacrificing Moldova in the peace agreement, the President asks his opinion… but he declines to respond because he doesn’t think he can be influential… but then after the President leaves, Leiber comments that he would have listened. Raf missed his moment, a chance that thousands would have longed to have.

Old Way: Only looks out for himself

-When he discovers Victor’s body, he wipes his prints from the scene, but leaves Natalia’s… only to find that he’s the prime suspect because of his motive. The evidence at the scene isn’t considered – and Natalia is in the clear.

Old Way: Hyperfocused on success

-He creates a dish that is designed to impress the President of Moldova, which should position him to have an “in” to open new restaurants in that country… but the President ignores him in favor of personally greeting the lowly line cook who is considered a hero in Moldova for fighting in a Resistance movement against Russian forces.

LIVING METAPHORS

Old Way: Hyperfocused on success

Living Metaphor: His paycheck

Reduces the hold of the Old Way: Leiber gives it to him “for services rendered” after he

has unwittingly abetted the Russian President is beating his aide to death… and

Raf feels ashamed.

Old Way: Refuses to take sides – only out for himself

Living Metaphor: Neutral flavor – a sorbet. He’s the sorbet. But left for awhile, the

sorbet melts and bleeds into one of the other dishes on the plate. “If you try to

remain neutral, eventually you’ll be overtaken by one of the forces – and you’ll be

powerless to choose which one.”

Reduces the hold of the Old Way: Natalia points out this phenomenon when Raf’s

non-intervention enables the Russian President to get leverage at the table.

Old Way: Won’t propose to his pregnant girlfriend

Living Metaphor: A ring that he’s bought but hasn’t given her. His excuse is that he’s

deliberating over which dish to cook that he’ll hide the ring in.

Reduces the hold of the Old Way: The First Lady sees it and, assuming he’s anxious to

get married, comments that all good parts are ahead of him – his real life hasn’t

started yet.

Old Way: Intimidated by the successful people he cooks for

Living Metaphor: Looking powerful people in the eye and meeting their stare without

looking down or away first.

Reduces the hold of the Old Way: He meets the Russian President’s stare and doesn’t

turn away… and realizes he can be as strong or powerful as the most powerful

people in the world.

Old Way: Powerless in the big things — you can’t change their minds. They’re going to

do what they’re going to do.

Living Metaphor: The President of Moldova, convinced his country will be sacrificed no

matter what the accords say, no matter what the Russian president promises.

Reduces the hold of the Old Way: He sees the leaders of NATO rally around the

Moldovan president, effectively shutting down the Russian President’s line of

negotiation involving annexing Moldova to Russia.