Day 2 Assignments

[Suzanne Frank]

Watchmen Character Circles

Note: I don’t think all main characters have been introduced by Ep 2

Main characters: Angela, Crawford ?, ?

Connected circle: Glass, Red, Will, Jane, Sen Joe, Topher & girls, (Jeremy Irons)

Environment: Tulsa community, Redford politicos, American Hero Story show, police force, Nixon/Kavalry, Dr Manhattan play & bots, family ties, all diff histories

[Suzanne Frank]

Suzanne’s Three Circles of Characters

What I learned: how to build around what I haven’t yet chosen/realized, but move still forward (which is why my descriptions aren’t sentences)

Main: Zephyr, ABD ornithologist/birdpunker, current Tarot card reader & psychic; hiding from her destiny

(Harmony) tourist, former ER nurse, needs a community

(Crone) walks away from her white, Southern, encastled life when she bites her tongue–literally–in half, in another attempt to go along to get along

(Dad Pilot) bought and lost the American dream; needs a vision

(Natureboy) connected to nature, off-step with culture, protected by his village who follow him

Connected: N’awlins community (2-3), airport allies (2-3), Italian village, church set(1-3), container ship crew, Elementals, Aislanders

Environment: all the forces of antagonism: gov’t, corp., military, community, religious; a few voices of support

[Jeff Glenn]

Jeff’s Three Circles of Characters

Assignment 1

Example show: The Night Of

A. Main Character Circle: Nasir Khan, Andrea, John Stone

B. Connected Circle: Nasir’s parents, Detective Box

C. Environment Circle: Nasir’s brother, Policemen, Lawyers, Witnesses, other people being held in police station

My show: Farmland

A. Main Character Circle: Cody Lesueur, Tracy, Conner, Moreen, Brian

B. Connected Circle: Dominic (a farm hand), Elsie (a neighbor), Joseph (the bishop), Emily (sister-in-law), Leanne (sister-in-law), Amy & Andrew (niece and nephew)

C. Environment Circle: Relatives, Churchgoers, various men.

Cody Lesueur – Our protagonist, a maybe-not-good Mormon farm boy. Everything about him is a contradiction, nowhere is this truer than in his own mind. He is never sure where to go, what to do or who to be.

Brian Lesueur – Cody’s father, who seems to be the opposite of his son. A man of quite but solid faith, and integrity. The picture of perseverance in the face of tremendous loss.

Moreen Lesueur – Cody’s mother, not quite domineering, but forceful in her opinions, she defiantly runs the house and the family. Charitable, but not compassionate.

Connor Lesueur – Cody’s older brother, He is the family’s work horse, ever-present but still somehow overlooked.

Tracy Butchart – Cody’s friend, who inadvertently becomes his confidant. By the standards Cody grew up with she is a bad influence, but that becomes just what he needs. She has enough self-respect to refuse to be his beard.

What I learned from this lesson is it will take more characters to serve the story than I was thinking about. In my head there were only three or four characters, now I realize there will need to be many more of varying importance.

[Megan Schemenauer]

Megan’s Three Circles of Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is . . . connected characters are much more difficult to brainstorm. While I had already thought through my main characters and environmental characters came to mind naturally, it was harder to figure out who might interact with my main characters on a fairly regular basis.

I definitely see a benefit in thinking through connected characters, though. It provides more opportunity for content, conflict, intrigue. I’ve always relied on the plot to spawn my characters; this time I’m proactively trying to birth characters I’m not even sure I’ll use. It’s an interesting and mentally challenging activity.

TITLE: Riverdale

A. Main Characters Circle:

Archie Andrews

Betty

Veronica Lodge

Cheryl Blossom

B. Connected Circle:

Jughead? (possibly a main character)

Mrs. Grundy

Jason Blossom

Archie’s dad

Betty’s mom

Hermione, Veronica‘s mom

Kevin

Moose

Polly

C. Environment Circle:

Mr. and Mrs. Blossom? (possibly connected circle)

Policeman

Investigators

Sheriff

Mortician

Students

Football players

Cheerleaders

Teachers

Secretaries

Principal

Townspeople

[Dave Arena]

Assignment 1

What I learned is the main characters are fairly easy to pick out. And, also most of the connected circle is easy too, but I start questioning whether some are connected or environment. There seem to be a lot of connected characters but even if they are brief, I put connected characters as anyone who actually has decent screen time, dialogue, etc. I’m hopefully thinking about environmental characters correctly as mostly “extras”. I also really started thinking about and observing how the connected characters are helping with the journey of the main characters.

A. Main Characters Circle:

Dr. Eli Gemstone
Jesse Gemstone
Kelvin Gemstone
Judy Gemstone

B. Connected Circle:

Keefe
Martin
Johnny Seasons
Baby Billy Freeman
Amber Gemstone
Aimee-Leigh Gemstone
Gideon
BJ
Jesse’s “gang” members
Tiffany Freeman, Baby Billy’s much younger and childish wife
Pontius Gemstone, Jesse’s son
Abraham Gemstone, Jesse’s youngest son
Scotty (season 1), a stuntman and associate of Gideon’s from Los Angeles
Mandy, wife, and later, ex-wife of Chad
Brock, a security guard at the Gemstones’ family compound
Dot Nancy, Dale and Gay Nancy’s rebellious teenage daughter

C. Environment Circle:

Other pastors
Congregation
Community Members

[Tom Minier]

Tom’s Three Circles of Characters

Assignment 1 – The Good Place

What I learned from this assignment is that you can make a lean cast work. Using The Good Place again, I was surprised by how few characters are actually in that story in the first two episodes. It points to the value of a strong inciting action. It was also interesting to see how the use of environment characters, especially in flashbacks, drive this show.

A. Main Characters Circle: Eleanor, Chidi, Jason, Tahani

B. Connected Circle: Michael, Janet

C. Environment Circle: Other deceased people in the neighborhood; friends of Eleanor’s from her past life

Assignment 2 – My Story

A. Main Characters Circle: F.M., Angela, Florida Man, Dani, Jenny, Stu, Peter Cetera, Trish, Poe

B. Connected Circle: Claire, Eddie

C. Environment Circle: People in their past lives that appear as flashbacks

F.M. – F.M. is Texas farm folk, his parents lost their cattle farm that has been in their family for generations due to Covid complications. F.M. was a cattle auctioneer who dreamed of becoming a rapper and has decided that he is going to fulfill that dream and leave the farm life.

Angela – Angela is a young goth kid who was lost before Covid and is now existential crisis lost. On the surface she appears to have given up, but she is desperately searching for a reason to keep going.

Florida Man – Florida Man is a full-time conspiratorial theorist. He doesn’t adhere to any schools of thought, but fully understands them all. He is a genius in his own way, who complicates life to make it more interesting and worth living.

Peter Cetera – Peter Cetera is a pompous ass. A talented musician who can’t help but tell everyone, everything that’s wrong with… basically everyone, accept himself. He believes he is destined to prove that he is the greater Peter Cetera.

Poe – Poe nails all the -ists into place. He is a narcissist who strives to outdo himself in search of what it means to be the “Poeist” – his own Sith-like state of being.

Trish – Trish is a “Karen.” She is difficult because she derives pleasure from watching other people squirm. She’s deceptive though, her charm is like venom that sedates her prey, and at the slightest whim will bury her victim in a furious rage.

Dani – Dani is a sweetheart. She lost both her parents in the pandemic and is dealing with survivor remorse as she unknowingly got them sick.

Stu – Stu is salt of the earth. He works with his hands, leads and honest life that he was proud of, but when he lost his wife started drinking and went straight off the deep end.

Jenny – Jenny is the control group. She is doing fine. Nothing terrible happened to her during the pandemic, but yet she is continuously drawn to these support group meetings.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  Tom Minier.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  Tom Minier.

[Mr. Brunken]

The Young Pope Circles:

The Main Characters: Lenny Bellardo, Pope Pius XIII., Sister Mary, special assistant to Pius XIII., Cardinal Voiello, Vatican Secretary of State.

Connected Circle Characters: Esther, Sofia, Monsignor Guttierez, Father Tomaso, Cardinal Spencer, Andrew, Lenny’s childhood friend.

Environment Circle: Cardinals who make up the Curia, the media, crowds in Vatican square, other Vatican staff, young Lenny and Andrew, a kangaroo.

[Mr. Brunken]

Assignment Two: Rodney Brunken’s Three Circles of Characters

What I learned from this assignment: I learned that I already have enough inspiration from my own experiences in life to create characters on all three levels.

Main Characters:

Jackson who is the protagonist and son of the contractor in Catfish Bend who supposedly committed suicide due to a business failure.

Ana who is the daughter of a local physician who immigrated from Havana to escape the revolution.

Phillips who is mayor of Catfish Bend and who is determined to keep it in the Jim Crow era.

Connected Circle:

The Adams who are a black family made up of a mother and a father who is an engineer and two adolescent children.

Jill who is the 12 year old daughter of Jackson.

Mildred who is the mother of Jackson.

Judge Hartwell who works hand in glove with the mayor to keep Catfish Bend in the status quo.

Hardy who is the expert in where to find Catfish.

Environment Circle:

Reverend Miller who is the minister at the church Mildred attends.

The sheriff and his deputies.

The city council.

Various members of the community including shop keepers and businessmen.

Various members of the church Mildred attends.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  Mr. Brunken.

[Rebecca Jordan]

Rebecca’s Three Circles of Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is that, a) it can be fun and b) identifying all the characters and their roles/purpose first, even if uncertain, helps to see way more possibilities for long term story/character arc, direction etc. c) I see I can separate out all the character journey’s that affect the main journey with a sense of how it could play along the way. This all allows for playing around and trying different means to the end.

Lesson #2

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Example show: Secrets and Lies

A. Main Characters Circle: Ben, wife, kids, Jess and Tom, Detective

B. Connected Circle: Neighbors, Jess’s husband.

C. Environment Circle: Reporters, Police

ASSIGNMENT 2:

My show: Mother Nature Calls

A. Main Characters Circle:<div>

1. Hero/Midwestern derelict #1: Taina/Tanya aka Tatiana, a washed up holistic practitioner with a bone to pick moves back in with her foster parents and plots her revenge on childhood bullies and when it back fires for the good, she is forced to face a super natural calling that will forever change the planet as we know it.

2. Midwestern derelict #2: A Regional Champion Log Sawer is yanked from her most important competition and has to come to terms with her necessary but somewhat humiliating (empathetic) super power.
3. Midwestern derelict #3:A higher power..? A figure or guide responsible for making sure that Tanya recognizes and brings to fruition her mission/duty/powers/agenda as a chosen warrior and pursues her duties to save and redeem the earth via the others chosen.
4. Midwestern derelict #4:What super powers are needed?
5. Midwestern derelict #5: What super powers are needed? </div><div>

B. Connected Circle:

1. Foster Dad: Young/Older
2. Foster Mom: Young/Older
3. Childhood friend #1 younger/older
4. Childhood friend #2 younger/older
5. Childhood friend #3 younger/older
6. Friend’s Parent’s
7. ?
8. Mother of Taina who abandons her as a baby.
9. Parents of newborn baby Taina who’s name is changed to Tanya.
10. Warden of a Female Prison
11. Towns people and patrons of Tanya’s holistic store/salon

</div><div>

C. Environment Circle:

1. Towns people and patrons of Tanya’s holistic store/salon, Present
2. Past acquaintances of Tanya?
3. Fellow derelicts residing in a lock up facility (past)
4. Fellow inmates in a moment’s detention center.
5. Friends parents.
6. School administrators and teachers

2. See above, one line description of each of the main characters. …A work in progress.
</div>

[Sharilyn Kyle]

What I learned do this assignment is…take time to delineate character details as they determine the show’s direction and dynamics.

“Big Little Lies” 3Circles of Characters

MAIN: Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata

CONNECTED: Ed, Nate, Perry, Abby, Chloe, Ziggy, Sky, Josh&Max, Theatre Director, Bonnie, Barista Tom

ENVIRONMENT: Other moms, Husbands, 1st Graders, Teachers, Principal, cafe regulars, Theatre Folks, Students

My Show “8Bytes”

MAIN (all FEED Erin):

1. Erin-A fashionable foodie who innocently feeds herself to the internet lions

2. Patty-Translatina bestie feeds off of Erin’s food frenzies

3. Ms. Chen-Erin’s caretaker force feeds the truth about life

4. Walley-Feeds the trollss who support and detract from Erin’s weight

CONNECTED (all SPOIL Erin):

1. Stu & Lu-Erin’s adopted parents spoil her

2. Mi-Ya-Ms. Chen’s daughter delivers the spoils

3. Johnny-Erin’s love interest spoiled for choice

4. Mac-Walley’s sidekick spoils for a fight with Erin

5. Gina-Reporter gathers the spoils on Erin as she wars with Walley

6. Jane-Spoilsport to Erin’s viral success

7. Lester & Rodney-Both “make a spoon and spoil the herd” as superfans

ENVIRONMENT (all CREEP in Erin’s life):

1. Internet Trolls/fans

2. Chubby Chasers

3. The Porn Press

4. 1st Responders

5. College Classmates

6. Delivery Dudes

7. Maintenance Workers

8. Fat Friends

9. Family