Day 2 Assignments

[Megan Schemenauer]

Megan’s Three Circles of Characters – Day 2

What I learned doing this assignment is . . . that by starting off listing the main characters and thinking about their individual worlds, I can brainstorm a slew of other connected characters I hadn’t previously considered. Still feel like I’m not quite done.

I’m also not certain yet which of my three TV ideas to go with for this program so I’m going to start with Idea #1:

MY SHOW: My Future Self

A. Main Characters Circle:

Lexie: 15-year-old freshman; good student, bookish, detail-oriented but unadventurous

Betsy: Lexie’s best friend; a tomboy, very athletic, and sarcastic, who speaks with no filter and sometimes comes across hurtful or tactless

Cerise: the relative newcomer to the friend group; a transfer to the school system, she is very quiet, artistic, intelligent, observant, slow to open up

Alexis: Lexie’s 33-year-old self; ostensibly a professional living in Chicago but actually an undercover agent; cold, disconnected, a lone wolf

Brett: Alexis’s undercover partner who would love something more than just a partnership with the ice queen

B. Connected Circle:

Lily: Lexie’s genius older sister

Scott: Lexie’s popular baby brother

Dylan: Lexie’s veteran-turned-businessman alcoholic father

Amanda: Lexie’s nurse mother

Tony Moretti: Lexie’s biology partner

Mason: Lexie’s secret crush and coworker

Miss Parker: high school librarian

Mrs. McNeil: Freshman English teacher

Mr. Marco Moretti: Lexie’s boss at the restaurant

Coach Simpson: Betsy’s basketball coach

Margo: cheer captain and Betsy’s nemesis

Marcus: Betsy’s seven-year-old brother whom she’s very attached to and protective of

Cerise’s father: an overprotective widower

Mr. Osborne: high school art teacher, who sees rare talent in Cerise

Elizabeth: the adult version of Betsy, who seemed to undergo a complete personality change when she blossomed into a model

Racquel: Elizabeth’s modeling agent

Xavier: Alexis’s college boyfriend and the cause of the end of her friendship with Cerise

Assistant Director John Waters: Alexis‘s boss

Hunter Ridgley: owner of the nearby shooting range Alexis frequents

Sterling: A nosy undercover operative

C. Environment Circle:

High school students

College students

Football players

Girls basketball team

Cheerleaders

Wait staff, dishwashers, cooks, patrons

Teachers

Professors

Secretaries

Principal

Townspeople

Undercover agents

Agent program director

[Dave Arena]

Victoria & Dave’s three circles of characters – Day 2

What we learned doing this assignment was this is a great way to really focus your characters. First, it gets you really clear on the main characters and their journey. Then, you can see who the connected characters are currently and who else could be added that impacts the main character’s journey in some meaningful way. In other words, there has to be a good reason for those connected characters to be there instead of just putting a bunch of meaningless people in your script.

OUR SHOW: Couple Goals

A. Main Characters Circle:

LIZ KANE, 40, a thicker, edgier Marilyn Monroe type, who can read people like it’s her job. She’s been a badass in the swinging lifestyle for over 12 years and wants to be the “go to expert for swingers,” debunking myths, misconceptions and helping others who are just starting out.

ERIC KANE, 42, Liz’s husband, avoids confrontation and attention at all costs, he wants nothing to do with Liz’s dream of being some swinger version of Love Line.

MARY KANE, 14, Liz and Eric’s only child, nerdy cute, never met a checklist she didn’t love, her goal is to win the Mack Gerd Memorial Award in high school just like her Aunt Teresa.

B. Connected Circle:

TERESA PALUTTO-SMYTH, 38, Liz’s perfect sister
MICHELLE, 40, Liz’s bestie since grade school and co-owner of the hair salon with her
MARIA, 62, Liz & Teresa’s strict Catholic Mother
ROGER SMYTH, 46, Teresa’s husband who is also running for Mayor
VARIOUS – specific swingers or neighbors that Liz has meaningful storylines with during the series.

C. Environment Circle:

Other swingers/lifestyle members
Co-workers
Neighbors/Members of the community
Mary’s classmates

[Evelyn Petros]

Bingeworthy TV Series – Module 1, Lesson 2/Assignments 2 & 1

Evelyn’s Assignment #2: The Three Character Circles in my Bingeworthy rom com Serial TV Show

“Opera Aloha” by E.A. Petros – my unfinished novel is the source material for my show.

In doing this assignment I learned that I am on the right track with creating three tiers of characters for my project, but there are too many, which costs $, so I may have to delete some. I finally figured out where to post my assignments. Sorry it took so long!

Plot line: an (not so) innocent on a mission in a strange world

An out-of-work opera singer reeling from money problems & romantic fiascos, is forced to fly to Hawaii to perform a role that nearly wrecked her career 3 years earlier.

A. Main Character Circle:

MIRA SANTIAGO – a NYC Mexican-American opera singer from Baltimore with a string of romantic flops & a dwindling bank account wants the whole enchilada (career, marriage, kids) but finds her goals elusive.

KRIS VAN KAMPEN – Mira’s childhood friend, now an artist and gallery owner in Hana, Maui, lives with her rancher common-law husband and 3 kids; ex-wife of Dr. Jeffrey Skinner.

JAKE SUTHERLAND – a diamond-in-the-rough, opera-hating Vietnam Vet, cookbook writer, and foster father of a Vietnamese teen; Kris’ neighbor in Hana, the brother she never had.

WYNSTON IRVING TRAPNELL (“Wyn”) – the charismatic architect of Opera Aloha’s Samuel Yee Memorial Opera House in Honolulu.

NIGEL BLASENFORT – Mira’s agent, the British-born Founder and President of Blasenfort Artists Management, Inc. (BAMI) in NYC.

B. Connected Circle:

STANLEY FARBER (“Stan) – a troubled NY actor; Mira’s “boyfriend” of 3 months.

FELIPE SANTIAGO (“Phil”) – Mira’s twin brother, a Baltimore TV sportscaster.

TIZIANO MAGNAVACA (“Tizo”) – Nigel’s Italian lover and general factotum.

MRS. GREENBAUM – Mira’s sweet old widowed next-door-neighbor in NYC; or is she?

“LA NARIZ” (“The Nose”) – Mira’s nickname for the mysterious, secretive, nosy tenant living across the hall from her in NYC.

SAMMY SANCHEZ – the Night Concierge at the Lincoln Center Arms Apartments in NYC.

ELSA VON REVENTLOW – Mira’s chief soprano rival.

GARY FUCHIGAMI – the Receptionist at Honolulu’s Ala Wai Palace Hotel.

MELANIE HOLLIK – General Director of Opera Aloha; mother of Scottie.

RALEIGH RICHARDSON – Mira’s wunderkind African-American NYC coach & accompanist, hired by Opera Aloha as assistant conductor for “La Traviata.”

HANS-DIETER GUTTERMUTH – avant garde East German stage director of “Traviata.”

YU LAN Wang – the set and costume designer;” a Shanghai refugee & Mom of Lily.

UMBERTO STRILLO – the aging Sicilian conductor of “La Traviata.”

SHEILA YEE – A wealthy opera patroness with a mansion in Kahala.

DAPHNE DEE BLISS – a predatory interior designer and antiques dealer from Houston working in Hawaii; Jake’s former live-in lover.

LAZLO KARPATY – Hungarian Music Director of NY’s Metropolitan Opera.

THE CAST OF VERDI’S “LA TRAVIATA”

BENJAMIN ZAMORA (“Beni”) – Kris van Kampen’s common-law rancher husband, step-father of Sean & Suzie Skinner & father of baby Bubba.

C. Environment Circle:

EMPLOYEES AND TENANTS of the Lincoln Center Arms Apartments in Manhattan.

WAITER at O’NEAL’S BALLOON RESTAURANT across from Lincoln Center.

MUSICAL REVELERS at Nigel Blasenfort’s New Year’s Eve Party on the East Side.

AIRPORT PERSONNEL & PASSENGERS AT JFK AIRPORT

EMPLOYEES OF OPERA ALOHA

PATRONS AT OPERA ALOHA’S FUNDRAISER

THE OPERA AUDIENCE, including President & Mrs. Reagan, former President & Mrs. Carter.

OPERA GROUPIES

PHIL SANTIAGO’S WIFE & twins

ANGELINA STRILLO – conductor Strillo’s young wife

RAFAELLO STRILLO – naughty 8-year-old son of Angelina and Umberto Strillo

SCOTTIE HOLLIK – 8-year-old son of Melanie Hollik

LILY WANG – Yu Lan Wang’s 8-year-old daughter

KRIS VAN KAMPEN’S THREE KIDS – Sean & Suzie Skinner & baby Bubba Zamora

DR. JEFFREY SKINNER – a Honolulu dermatologist & cosmetic surgeon; Kris’ ex.

Evelyn’s Assignment # 1: The Three Character Circles in Big Little Lies

By doing this assignment I learned that the conflicts & connections between intriguing characters in 3 circles is one of the most important elements that make a TV show bingeworthy.

A. Main Character Circle: (5 friends)

MADELINE MARTHA MACKENZIE – pro-active, twice married, career-thwarted, extroverted, highly strung, stay-at-home Mom of 2 daughters, who has sacrificed career for family, takes her volunteer work in a theater & mothering very seriously, likes to solve people’s problems & is supportive of her emotionally fragile friend Jane.

JANE CHAPMAN – a single Mom new to Monterey, a bookkeeper looking for a part-time job and a new life who is hiding something dark in her background while trying to do her best for her son Ziggy.

CELESTE WRIGHT – a gorgeous retired lawyer with twin boys (Max & Josh), trapped in an abusive marriage with husband Perry Wright but afraid/unwilling to admit how bad it is or leave.

RENATA KLEIN – a successful business woman married to Gordon Klein; protective of their daughter, Amabella. Feels her friends don’t like her and are jealous about her career success.

BONNIE CARLSON – a mixed-race Latina yoga teacher in a mixed marriage with Madeline’s ex, Nathan Carlson. Mother of biracial daughter, Skye Carlson.

B. Connected Circle: (the friends’ husbands & children)

ED MACKENZIE – computer/software CEO, 2^nd husband of Madeline and father of Chloe, who works from home and does half the parenting and household chores but feels he’s not #1 in his wifes eyes, and resents their lack of sex.

PERRY WRIGHT – Celeste’s controlling & abusive husband; father of Max & Josh;

GORDON KLEIN – a businessman married to Renata; father of Amabella.

NATHAN CARLSON – Madeline’s ex-husband, father of half-sisters Abigail & Skye

ABIGAIL CARLSON – 16-year-old daughter of Madeline and her ex-Nathan Carlson. A typical teen developing independence & expertly pushing ner mother’s buttons.

CHLOE MACKENZIE – adorable, cheeky daughter of Madeline & Ed Mackenzie; half-sister to Abigail Carlson.

ZIGGY (Ziegfield) – angelic looking little son of Jane & an unnamed father; Ziggy is accused of choking Amabella Klein.

MAX & JOSH WRIGHT – Celeste & Perry’s twins.

SKYE CARLSON – daughter of Bonnie & Nathan.

C. Environment Circle:

PRINCIPAL NIPPAL

TEACHERS & CHILDREN in the public elementary school

SCHOOL STREET GUARD

TOWNS PEOPLE & POLICE OFFICERS

JOSEPH – director of Madeline’s play

TOM – flirty waiter at a popular local deli-restaurant

• This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by  Evelyn Petros. Reason: Making corrections