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Day 2 Assignment – Terminator
Provide your insights/breakthroughs into what makes this character great from a writing perspective.
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7 Replies
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SARAH is struggling with an inner conflict: she wants to know more about her son, the future, their world but at the same time, she doesn’t want to have the responsibility of being the “mother of the future”, she rejects/ denies that version of her future => she has tons of doubts.
Versus KYLE who has a blind faith in her, he even has sparkles in the eyes when he looks at her, he volunteered to get a chance to meet “the legend” => he knows.
The opposition between her having tons of doubts and him knowing is the key to Sarah’s transformational journey, and therefore her future.
1st watch:
– What future is Sarah Connor living into? Sarah doesn’t believe she’s the mother of the future, she doesn’t want it.
– What future is Kyle Reese living into? Kyle’s future is painful with the machines having taken over the world and trying to destroy humanity, but he’d die for John Connor. He knows Sarah and John are the only chance for humanity to survive.
– Sarah’s transformation: she’ll realize all of that is true, she will become a warrior and will train her son from is early age.
2nd watch:
– What drama was this scene built around? Her denial/ rejection of being the mother of the future: John Connor, humanity’s saviour.
– What traits showed up in these 2 characters’ words and actions?
SARAH: curious, caring, anxious, doubtful, has no confidence in herself, bad at money management and not organized, not used to see blood, unconsciously gives orders (she’s turning into a leader), the way she tights the wound dressing shows how strong she can be and that she learns fast.
KYLE: calm, confident, admirative of her (he has sparkles in the eyes), loyal, courageous “would die for John Connor”, volunteered to meet the Legend, trustworthy, kind, protective, strong (wound is nothing), organized (rest before sunrise = need strength), blindly trusts in her.
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Week 1 Day 2: Living Into Their Future – THE TERMINATOR
WATCH 1ST TIME FOR:
What future is Sarah Connor living into?
– She will train her son, John Conner, to be the leader of the resistance
What future is Kyle Reese living into?
– It is unclear in this scene, but I know the movie, so he will become the father of John Connor, but will die — I forget how, from his wound or from protecting Sarah. He loves her and is willing to die for her and for the cause.
What is Sarah’s transformation that is implied by this scene?
– she will go from a weakling, unable to balance her checkbook to a very strong woman, organized, battle-knowledgeable, able to train John well to lead the resistance.
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WATCH 2ND TIME FOR:
What drama was this scene built around?
– they are evading the dangerous Terminator out to kill Sarah (and Kyle). They’re in hiding in a culvert, waiting for dawn. A lull in the intense action of the story.
– they have a chance now to get into each other. Kyle expresses his love and admiration for Sarah he’s had or a long time. Sarah now believes him and the future and is worried she may diss the father of her son. She shows compassion, concern for Kyle re his wound (which she patches, tho she didn’t know how to treat before — he compliments her, she’s proud), and concerned that he has volunteered for this dangerous mission to save her.
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What traits showed up in these two character’s words and actions?
– Sarah now believes Kyle. She’s compassionate. She’s horrified, then sympathetic about Kyle’s wound. She’s concerned about the future. However, she also feels unable to fulfill her destiny and briefly rejects it, but then seems resigned to it. She’s a budding hero, willing to learn.
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Bob Kerr
1st Viewing:
What future is Sarah living into:
The probability that she is the salvation of the human species. She struggles with her current situation and the unimagined reality that she is the salvation.
What future is Kyle living into:
Kyle is fulfilling his highest purpose, to meet and protect the legend “Sarah Connor”. He only know she must survive and he is willing to make the supreme sacrifice to ensure Sarah lives.
What is Sarah’s transformation that is implied by the scene:
Filled with doubt and self pity, she faces the reality that the man who has risked his life to save her from the Terminator is now wounded. She has no other choice but to dig deep and find the courage and willpower to field dress a gun shot wound. She has never done this and is guided by her sense of doing it right. This is her first lesson is becoming the mother of John Connor and training his to be the leader that is essential for the survival of the species.
2nd Viewing
What drama was the scene built around?
The very first element of the scene was the radio broadcast of the largest manhunt in a five county area. Sarah and Kyle are now being hunted by both the Terminator and the authorities, They have no allies and very few provisions. This establishes a scenario were they both are thrust into a combat life or death reality. Kyle is prepared for this. Sarah must learn and learn very quickly.
What traits showed up in these 2 characters by their words and actions?
Sarah: Reluctant, curious, concerned and frustrated.
Kyle: Combat oriented, commitment, enamored and strategic
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Week 1 Day 2: Living Into Their Future – THE TERMINATOR
1st viewing:
Sarah’s implied future: a mother, a teacher and trainer of her son to become a leader and warrior.
Kyle’s implied future: a warrior for a cause.
What is Sarah’s transformation that is implied by this scene?
Sarah sees herself as very ordinary, unorganized, with no special abilities. It is implied that she will become strong and confident and develop skills that will allow to her train her son to become a warrior and a leader.
2nd viewing
SARAH
– self-doubting
-apprehensive
– kind
– squeamish
– reasonable
Kyle
– thoughtful
– caring
– strong
– loyal
The drama is built around their discomfort; Sarah is cold, Kyle is wounded. She is apprehensive about the future Kyle tells her. She rejects this future.
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what makes Sarah Conors great from a writing perspective is :
When we first meet her in this scene, she is naieve to the world she is about to enter and she doesn’t appear to have any of the traits needed to survive this world – she is squeamish, she doesn’t see herself as organised, she doubts herself and her abilities and she even doubts that her future self could be a leader, someone who would inspire a man to lead a revolution – so Sarah is a character that exhibits traits that we as an audience can relate to, self doubting, doesn’t see herself as a hero… so we are while emotionally invested in her journey which will be hugely transformative if she goes from this young naieve woman to a highly organised military combatant and mother teaching her son the ways of war. Her initial apparent fragility (freezing cold, self doubts) connects us emotionally with her path that she will have to walk, even if she didn’t choose it. We are invested in her future success, which makes her a great character.
What I learned from this is to examine the transformational journey I am taking my character on and look closely at how their character traits are depicted at the opening of the story, to show they are both capable of and tested by the journey awaiting them. I rewrote the first introductory scene with this in mind, which was a big breakthrough as I had to examine how far my character has come (at the end) to write the opening scenes to show how far away they first were, if that makes sense.
What I learned rewriting my scene/character… is
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Elizabeth –
What I learned: I’ve somehow never considered that always as I write a scene, I could be thinking about what that scene is setting up for the future. Like every scene. Now, there’s a breakthrough I needed…
Future Sarah Connor is living into: Mother of the Future: conceiving a child (John) with Kyle who she will toughen up to raise as a strong, trustworthy, inspiring fighter the leader of the rebellion.
Future Kyle Reese is living into: Fathering John, teaching Sarah how—and inspiring her—to fight, bearing battle wounds and ultimately sacrificing his life to save her.
Sarah’s transformation implied by this scene: toughening up and learning to become the legendary Mother of the Future by conceiving and raising/training it’s future leader.
Drama the scene built around: hiding in a cold tunnel, Sarah applies her first “combat dressing” as she hears a “call to action” message from her future son and begins a friendship with Kyle that will become intimate.
Kyle’s Traits in words:
Tough: Re: gunshot wound: “Forget it.” Re: time travel: “White light. Pain. Like being born, maybe”
Battle trained: “Take this (first aid kit). Alright let’s get this off the road.” “You stay down by day…they use infrared…it’s when the infiltrators started to appear. The terminators were the newest. The worst…”
Romantic/compassionate: “Cold?” “I volunteered. It was a chance to meet the legend. Sarah Connor, who taught her son to fight, organize, prepare from when he was a kid.”
Loyal: “I’d die for John Connor”
Kyle’s Traits in action:
Tough: ignores his gun shot wound; talks, nonchalant as she dresses this wound
Battle trained: pushes car into hiding, leads Sarah to a good hiding place
Romantic/compassionate: moves beside her to warm her up. Suggests she sleep.
Loyal: has volunteered for a lethal mission and is carrying it out despite injury
Sarah’s Traits in words:
Willing/able to learn challenging and unbelievable things: “What’s it like going through time?” Re: field dressing: (wryly) “You like it? It’s my first.” “Talk to me some more. Tell me about where you’re from.”
Tough/feisty (demanding):“you got a first name?” (ironically/irritated as she quickly/strongly stands up): “Come on, do I look like I could be the Mother of the Future? Am I tough? Organized? I can’t even balance a checkbook. Look, Reese, I didn’t ask for this honor and I don’t want it. Any of it!”
Steps up to challenges/take charge: re: Kyle’s jacket/wound “We got to get you do a doctor!” “Take this off!” When Kyle is telling her more than she wants to hear: “Wait. I don’t want to know.”
Sarah’s Traits in action:
Willing/able to learn challenging and unbelievable things: asks Kyle to tell her things about John, the war, the future
Tough/feisty: pulls hard on the bandage as she complains, “It’s driving me crazy!” Strong physicality and tough tone as she denies she could be the Mother of the Future.
Steps up to challenges/take charge: deals with Kyle’s wound even though it makes her nauseated.
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What I learned rewriting my scene/character: I like the way the future is talked about like a foregone conclusion. I can use this in my script.
First time:
What future is Sarah Connor living into? She is going to be a legend. She’s the Mother of the Future. What future is Kyle Reese living into? His future is uncertain. What is Sarah’s transformation that is implied by this scene? That she will go from being a scared woman into a fighting machine.
Second time:
What drama was this scene built around? Sarah Connor is being hunted by a terminator that came back in time to kill her. What traits showed up in these two character’s words and actions? Kyle is brave and has unwavering faith in her and Sarah is uncertain, scared and confused.
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