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Day 3 Assignment
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#1 <st1:city w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>Tracy</st1:place></st1:city>’s Engaging Character from LOST
What I learned: one of the characters I did not have in the original target circle jumped into the lead because his story was so surprising in this episode. Jack, the main character, took time to seek out Rose and disengage from the group during the memorial before burning the plane. But John Locke tuned into the esoteric mystery of the island and experienced healing of body and mind.
A. Role in the show:
John Locke has moved into an active leadership role as a brave hunter and provider of food who faced the monster first.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Loves playing military games and is expert at using long knives in his transformation acting out from a military persona.
C. Intrigue: What is the secret beneath the surface?
Why is Locke in a wheelchair in his previous life, but reborn in the worst of circumstances? He tells no one about this, nor does he mention his face-to-face with the mysterious monster.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Like most everyone, Locke has a secret to keep, but his occurred on the island and is hugely significant. But why doesn’t he share the encounter with the monster with them? Did he receive special power?
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
Finding out Locke brought along a set of deadly hunting knives was shocking, and that he could throw so accurately at Sawyer scared everyone. Then he set out determined to kill a dangerous boar singlehandedly!
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
Milquetoast Locke was treated with such sneering contempt by his young supervisor, the woman in his life was a paid phone listener, being stuck in a wheelchair when he was seeking spiritual renewal and thus denied boarding the bus to the outback adventure was capped by the tour company putting him on the doomed flight to <st1:city w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city>. Now he has received that spiritual gift he sought — physical and mental transformation in the crash — unlike the other survivors who have only suffered loss.
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Jean’s Engaging Main Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is it’s important to think about what makes a character interesting and engaging and plan it ahead of time.
Assignment One:
The Vampire Diaries
Stefan Salvatore
A. Role in the show: A vampire coming
home for a new start.B. Unique Purpose: He’s there to get to know
Elena, who looks just like his former girlfriend from 1864.C. Intrigue: Stefan and Damon were both in love with Katherine. Stefan is a vampire, and the town, including Elana, doesn’t know it.
D. Moral Issue: He gets involved in the teenage school scene, putting Elana’s and her family and friends’ lives at risk.
E. Unpredictable: Will he drink human blood to beat Damon or not? Will he kill his brother?
F. Empathetic: He’s kind and caring and trying to do the right thing.
Assignment Two:
THE VAULT
Sharra
A. Role in the show: The reluctant hero that we live through as she goes on her journey.
B. Unique Purpose: Learns the true scale of what it means to be a Vault Agent, uncovering the real identity of the Vault.
C. Intrigue: With each step further step into their secret world, she searches for a way to change her past. Making her dangerous to the Vault.
D. Moral Issue: Being put into more and more
dangerous positions, Sharra turns to violence, becoming what she despises.E. Unpredictable: Sharra becomes more of a risk-taker. By the end, she goes up against J.D. alone to save the Vault.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? Sharra is innocent, caring. She didn’t choose this new life.
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Lazarus
A. Role in the show: The Head Director of
Vault Agency head-hunts Sharra because his future self had left him a
message to do it.B. Unique Purpose: To get Sharra assimilated to save the Vault.
Expertise: Has been the longest at the Vault and uses his position to control egocentric agents.
C. Intrigue: He knows that something is wrong
with the alien force, and that it’s connected to Sharra.D. Moral Issue: He puts Sharra in harm’s way,
to draw out her assailant. He damages friendships breaks rules that he had put into place to keep Sharra alive, but not for her, but for the Vault because if it dies, they all do.E. Unpredictable: He lies to hide his secrets
with causes him to drink.F. Empathetic: A man with the weight of the
world on his shoulder, trying to do good in an impossible situation.Tanner
A. Role in the show: Chief Trainer of
Vault Agency is assigned to look after an ill-qualified recruit.B. Unique Purpose: To train Sharra and protect
her when they learn someone wants her dead.Expertise: Ex naval seal
C. Intrigue: He secretly falls for her and
tries to hide it until Faolan becomes a rival for her affections.D. Moral Issue: How far will he go to keep
Sharra safe? Will he compromise the Vault and their way of life?E. Unpredictable: A bit reckless, Tanner reacts before he thinks. The attempts on Sharra escalate. Tanner breaks protocols to rescue her.
F. Empathetic: Tanner has a good heart and is
a loyal friend even when he is tested.Faolan
A. Role in the show: Vault agent who has
a beef with Lazarus and is in hiding.
B. Unique Purpose: Investigate the mystery
surrounding Sharra.
Expertise: Investigative and weapons
expertiseC. Intrigue: He keeps his presence undetected
by his fellow agents. They think he’s the rogue agent.D. Moral Issue: He risks infiltrating the
Vault to gather intel on Sharra though it makes him a suspect.E. Unpredictable: Will he reveal himself to
Sharra, Lazarus, and Tanner and risk exposing himself? Will Lazarus’ and
his beef get in the way?F. Empathetic: Faolan’s motivations are pure.
He’s an idealist. His relationship with his Com is touching and sad. We
realize that he is alone.-
This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by Sharon Scherle.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by Sharon Scherle.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by
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WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT- I LEARNED THAT I CAN TAKE THESE NEW QUESTIONS AND DIVE DEEPER WITH MY SHOWS AND SEE WHAT IS LACKING OR HASN’T BEEN ASKED AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS USING THIS MODEL. I ALSO DIDN’T CONSIDER MY CHARACTERS THIS DEEPLY, SO I WILL HAVE TO GO BACK AND ADD MORE LAYERS TO THEIR CHARACTERS, MOTIVATIONS AND REASON THEY ARE GOING TO INTRIGUE MY AUDIENCES.
ASSIGNMENT #3 AUGUST 22 2021
Subject line: Ron Reid Jr Engaging Main Characters
SHOW: LOST CHARACTER: JACK
THE ENGAGING CHARACTER MODEL
What makes a lead characters engaging on multiple levels?
A. Role in the show: He is leading others but fighting his own demons.<div>
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: He is a doctor amongst survivors of a plane crash. So, he is pretty important.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Why was he on the plane. And what was he doing before? I am starting to think that everyone on this plane was running away from something or starting their lives again.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? He wouldn’t let a man die as a doctor. He saw it was his duty to keep someone alive who was inevitably going to die.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? He didn’t care if a woman considered dangerous was with them. He said everyone deserves a 2nd chance.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? He really goes out of his way to care for people and always wants to head into danger to save others. A doctor and an adventurer.
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ASSIGNMENT 2: show #1 SIGMA 2619 character:
Now, do the process with your show.
1. Tell us the journey of your show. A humanoid alien is tasked with bringing back some new kind of tech or people or his home planet will die. AND he has a limited time to do it.
BRUCE -main character
UNIQUE PURPOSE. The main character who is a fish out of water who doesn’t know who what drives humans to do the right thing. MORAL ISSUE, he doesn’t have one. But he doesn’t come out with guns blazing. He wants to make an alliance but is trying to know who to trust. So, he is coming to get what he needs and save his planet/home world. HE HAS HIS OWN SKILLS BUT IS STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO TO TRUST AND HOW HUMANS CAN BE TRUSTED.
2 AGENTS We have the two agents tasked with finding what is going on. Only they are not your normal agents. Just think of a MEN IN BLACK type of agency. ONE AGENT WILL BE BY THE BOOK AND LOOKING TO SKY-ROCKET HIS CAREER. THE SECOND AGENT WILL BE MORE OF THE BAD ASS BUT IS CARRYING SOME BAGGAGE THAT SHE TRIES TO KEEP HIDDEN. THE AGENTS WILL BE EMPATHETIC BECAUSE THEY WILL ALWAYS BE A STEP OR TWO BEHIND THE MYSTERIOUS WOMAN. BRUCE IS ALSO TRYING TO CATCH THE MYSTERIOUS WOMAN BUT WANTS THE TECH AS WELL.
THE MYSTERIOUS woman who is controlling people to test this tech and its capabilities. We have the girl who has her mind transformed into a killer. She might be the first test subject who had not only her mind transformed but went out to hurt people and be controlled by this mysterious woman. We have to ask, was she wronged? Did she stumble upon the tech or is she the one who stole it? And is she and alien as well?
SNOWY -The girl caught in the middle after having her mind controlled and being used to test out some new tech that enables her to kill or disable others with supreme fighting techniques she didn’t have before. We feel for her cause she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She will be a girl who was searching for some answers in life and now that search will have to take more time as she deals with why she was used and if she can find a way to take some revenge on who was using her and in turn find some meaning in life instead of being a spectator.
ASSIGNMENT SHOW #2 THE KIDNAPPING OF CASEY K
1. Tell us the journey of your show. I think only HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER WAS A SIMILAR SHOW LIKE THIS.
WE HAVE VARIOUS PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT MOTIVES TO FIND THE KID THAT WAS KIDNAPPED AT HIS OWN PARTY AND NO ONE EVEN SAW IT HAPPENING. But everyone has secrets they want to keep hidden and Casey has told people that their secrets might come out if he was ever kidnapped or harmed. Keeping people’s secrets was his “special” insurance policy.
2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?
THE VICTIM OF THE KIDNAPPING CASEY K IS LIKE A SIDE CHARACTER WHILE THOSE AROUND HIM ARE LOOKING FOR HIM TAKE THE CENTER STAGE.
KEN-STEPS RIGHT UP TO AGREE TO LOOK FOR CASEY WHO WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE CATERERS AT HIS ANNUAL PARTY. BENJAMIN WAS HELPED OUT BY CASEY FOR HIS COMPANY THAT TANKING. AND CASEY CAME IN WITH HIS ANGEL INVESTMENT BUT REQUIRES A FAVOR AND COMING TO THIS ANNUAL PARTY IS PART OF THAT FAVOR.
ON THE OUTSIDE HE SEEMS CONCERNED BUT LATER WE CAN KNOW HIS FEARS LOOKING FOR HIS GOLDEN GOOSE VS. HIS GENUINE HEART.
MALORY– SHE COMES OFF AS A TROUBLED SOUL. CASEY HAS BEEN HELPING HER FROM A TROUBLED PAST OF LOVERS, BAD BFS AND JOBS THAT ALWYAS FIND HER IN DEBT. THERE IS NOTHING ROMANTIC WITH HER BUT CASEY HELPS HER LIKE A CHARITY CASE. BUT MALORY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE SOMETHING GREAT IF SHE CAN STAY ON THE RIGHT PATH AND STAY AWAY FROM DEPENDING ON MEN WHO ONLY WANT HER FOR MONEY OR OTHER THINGS.
ROGER AND YUKAI BOTH INVITED TO THE PARTY APPEAR AS A COUPLE OR REALLY CLOSE FRIENDS. THEY CLEARLY DON’T LIKE CASEY AND SEE HIM AS AN OPPORTUNISTS WHO USES HIS MONEY TO CONTROL PEOPLE. AND THEY WANT TO HELP FOR MORE SELFISH REASONS; LIKE THEY SCREWED UP FINANCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY BUT MUST MARCH TO THE TUNE OF CASEY K. AND COME TO HIS ANNUAL PARTIES AS AN OBLIGATION.
THEY FEEL THEIR BACKS ARE AGAINST THE WALLS AND VOLUNTEER TO FIND HIM TO KEEP THEIR SECRETS BURIED. AND LIKE ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS THEY WANT TO KEEP EITHER SECRETS BURIED OR THEIR GOLDEN GOOSE LAYING EGGS.
MINOR CHARACTERS
The KIDNAPPERS– A SOPHISTICATED BUNCH WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF THE PARTY AND DO A SWITCHAROO AND TAKE CASEY OUT OF THE PARTY AND HIRE AN ACTOR TO STAND IN FOR HIM AT HIS OWN MASK PARTY. WHO ARE THESE KIDNAPPERS AND IS IT SOMETHING CASEY DID OR ARE THEY WORKING FOR SOMEONE?
CASEY’S GF-IS SHE A ONE-TRICK PONY OR WILL SHE BE HELPFUL IN GETTING CASEY BACK?
THE HACKER– HE IS SOMEONE KNOWN BY ONE OR MOST OF THE CHARACTERS AS THE BEST AT FINDING ANYTHING DIGITAL AND IT IS DECIDED THAT HE WOULD BE BETTER TO APPROACH HIM AND MORE EFFICIENT THAN THE POLICE CAUSE HE WON’T ASK ANY QUESTIONS AND FOCUS ON CASEY AND NOT THE BACKGROUNDS OF THE GUESTS. AND IF THE POLICE DO A DEEP DIVE AND NOTICE EVERYONE WAS DEEP IN DEBT OR BAILED OUT OF JAIL A NUMBER OF TIMES THEY MIGHT FIND THAT ANYONE COULD HAVE A MOTIVE TO KIDNAP AND OR MURDER CASEY AT THE PARTY.
THE BIGGEST QUESTION IS WHO WILL ASK FOR MONEY FOR CASEY AND TO WHOM WILL THEY ASK? IT WON’T BE HIS FAMILY;, HE BANKROLLS HIS FAMILY’S LIFESTYLE.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by r. reid jr.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by
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David’s Engaging Main Characters
What I learned from this assignment is how vital your show’s main characters are to the success of the show. It’s everything. If we have characters we fall in love with, we’ll follow them to the end. And to maximize engagement, all six models need to intrigue us.
ASSIGNMENT 1: RIVERDALE
A. Role in the show:
ARCHIE: High school football player/aspiring musician who’s falling for a teacher
BETTY: Archie’s best friend who struggles with standing up to her mother
VERONICA: New in town, Betty & Archie’s friend who’s trying to bury her past
CHERYL: Spoiled rich girl who’s trying to break out of her mother’s authority
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
ARCHIE: jock or artist? Berry or Ms. Gundy?
BETTY: To keep Archie in line, moral conscience
VERONICA: to not be the spoiled brat she used to be
CHERYL: to discover her brother’s murderer, be the queen bee of the school
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
ARCHIE: He’s having fling with Ms Gundy, was at the river the day of the shooting
BETTY: Her sister Polly was sent away after dating Jason, kid who was killed
VERONICA: Her dad’s in jail for embezzlement
CHERYL: She was with her brother when he died. Did she do it?
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
ARCHIE: Having sex with teacher
BETTY: Breaks into Gundy’s car, does fake interview with her, dates Trev just to get info
VERONICA: Tries to find out what mom is up to, snooping around
CHERYL: Invites Veronica to party as way to interrogate her about Jason
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
ARCHIE: Football or music?
BETTY: Keep trying to solve crime. What about Archie now that Gundy left town?
VERONICA: Who will she date? Archie, perhaps. What about mom and the biker gang?
CHERYL: What will happen at sleepover? And at Jason’s funeral?
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
ARCHIE: Torn between two loves- football and music. Nice kid, friendly.
BETTY: Girl next door Sweetheart who always listen to mom. Trying to break free.
VERONICA: Victim of father’s crime. Trying to change her past ways.
CHERYL: Her brother died. Her mom’s sort of a monster.
ASSIGNMENT #2: FALL RUSH
Emily’s journey: a timid secretary who learns empowerment by going back to college and starting a sorority.
The main characters are EMILY, LINDSAY, STEVE, DR. ANDREWS and ANNA
A. Role in the show:
EMILY (40): Secretary who goes back to college and starts a sorority to stay in her home
LINDSAY (18): artsy/rebellious teenager who attends an out of state college
STEVE (40): Brilliant, charming professor who’s fired for having sex with a student
DEAN ANDREWS (60): pompous dean of the college who battles Emily for control of the on-campus house
ANNA (18): Socially awkward, super smart student who joins Emily’s sorority
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
EMILY: A timid, middle-aged secretary who goes back to college & starts a sorority. Her expertise is being a great mom- she’ll be one for the sorority girls.
LINDSAY: Conflict with Emily, whom she sees as a Stepford mom. The change in Emily will be seen through Lindsay’s eyes.
STEVE: Professor of ethics who cheats on his wife, causing Emily to change.
DEAN ANDREWS: Battle Emily over the house, sabotaging her efforts
ANNA: Teaches Emily how to reconnect with Lindsay and Emily teaches her about life
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
EMILY: She suppressed all her ambitions for the sake of her husband and daughter, who both left her.
LINDSAY: She’s rebellious, but at heart she loves her mom
STEVE: He’s been cheating on Emily for years
DEAN ANDREWS: His father was rough on him; he believes he’s pushing students to be better
ANNA: She’s never had a boyfriend, never kissed a boy
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
EMILY: Flirting with frat boy and professor, giving teenagers alcohol, telling the boss off
LINDSAY: Sneaking drinks into bedroom
STEVE: Cheating on Emily with coeds
DEAN ANDREWS: Sabotaging Emily’s efforts, enlisting other students
ANNA: Drinking, staying up late, going to parties
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
EMILY: Throwing a huge bash at the house, telling the boss and husband to fuck off, will she be able to graduate? Fall in love again? Reconnect with daughter?
LINDSAY: Rebel further or make up with mom? Date frat guy or dump him?
STEVE: Come back and try to win Emily’s affection?
DEAN ANDREWS: How far will he go to sabotage Emily and reclaim the house?
ANNA: Date Noah? Start going down a wayward path?
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
EMILY: 40 year old secretary who gets cheated on by her husband and a strained relationship with her daughter. She devoted her life to her family and now it’s gone. Can she pick up the pieces and start over again? Or is she too old to change?
LINDSAY: Rebellious teenager we can relate to. She’s sweet just going through a phase, trying to find her own way/voice.
STEVE: Married for 20 years, relationship in a rut. He’s charming and intelligent.
DEAN ANDREWS: It’s his job to push students. His dad made him this way.
ANNA: Sweet and socially awkward, very likable/relatable.
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Janeen’s Engaging Main Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is that coming up with the answers to all six questions made me modify the characters more than I would have thought. The focus of the main character is now different than I had thought it would be and should be more engaging than it was.
Assignment 1:
Big Little Lies
Characters that sell this show: Madeline, Celeste and Jane
Madeline
Role in the show:
Madeline: Instigator of conflict, do-gooder and woman whose identity is changing.
Unique Purpose/Expertise:
Madeline: Expertise: Knows everything about everyone (gossip good and bad)
Purpose: Call out anyone who doesn’t do what she thinks is right, fight for underdogs and stick up for stay-at-home moms.
Intrigue: What is the secret beneath the surface? Madeline is secretly jealous of her ex’s new wife because of the ex, but also because of her daughters’ new relationship with their step-mom. She is deeply unhappy with herself because she is losing her “mom” identity with her daughters and with the public.
Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Madeline takes Ziggy’s side in the attack conflict, Jane’s side in supporting Ziggy and Jane’s part-time worker status; Madeline deliberately picked an edgy play to boost her own status as a leader and a fighter.
Unpredictable: What will they do next? Madeline picks up every new cause she can get her hands on as the school year starts.
Empathetic: Why do we care? All of us can understand losing your comfortable role in society as a wife, mother, leader.
Assignment 2:
Show Name: Level Playing Field
The Journey of my show: From mediocre big city software programmer to successful parent and CEO of a $60M family farming operation in small town Iowa.
2. Main characters that sell my show:
Cara: 40 year old city girl who inherits her best friend Mindy’s twins and with them, their legacy — a $60M family farm in rural Iowa.
Randy: 60+ yo farmer and father of Mindy’s husband, Mike, who just found out he has early onset Alzheimer’s and wants to see the family farming legacy passed on to Mike’s twins when they come of age.
3. Cara:
A. Role in the show: Heroine who must “save the day” by learning to run a large farm, learn who to trust, parent 8 year old boy-girl twins and prepare to be the caregiver to her best friend’s father-in-law in the first season of the show
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Cara and Mindy (the twins’ mom) took a lot of parapsychology courses, training their minds to control and program situations. Mindy had been using it to help the farm thrive and succeed financially. Cara has only been using it (to no effect) for her dating life and to manage her retirement accounts even though they have taken all of the same courses and read all the same books.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Cara is the age where she is particularly vulnerable to men — her hormones are raging and her body is telling her to get pregnant with no boyfriend/husband in sight.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Cara was never sure if Mindy was using the parapsychology skills they both learned to advance the interests of the farm. Was it immoral? Now Randy is encouraging her to continue Mindy’s use to preserve his legacy for the twins.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? There is a limited amount of farmland and every new technological advance enables each farmer to handle more land or animals which means that competition for farmland is fierce. Land grabs, business grabs, romance attempts to worm their way into control of the farm keep Cara off balance.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? Cara has been thrust into a new world (big agriculture) and must deal with being a mom, her own desires for love/parenthood, her obligation to her friend and feeling manipulated at every turn by friends, family, the kids and others
Randy:
A. Role in the show: Hero who must convince Cara to continue the farm legacy for his grandkids while mourning his son/d-i-l, fending off attempts to take over the farm by his other 2 sons in Alaska and deal with his newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Randy is a third generation farmer and has gone from 160 acre farms, small tractors with 4 row equipment with a couple of hundred head of cattle and a few hundred hogs to todays computer controlled million dollar harvesters, 3500 milk cows in an automated dairy, outrageous land prices, government programs and insane competition for land and water over his 60+ years of farm life. His son had embraced their Iowa legacy while his brothers abandoned them for Alaska and now Randy wants to leave the legacy to his grandkids even though he won’t be cogent by the time they are teens
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Randy knew about Mindy’s parapsychology methods and approved/encouraged them. Others had the advantage of extended family in the area, but he had Mindy.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Randy doesn’t always explain the moral implications of decisions he asks Cara to support with her parapsychology techniques of influence. He pushes her to feel obligated to grow the farm so the twins legacy will be viable financially when they are of age regardless the moral rectitude of the decisions.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Randy’s deteriorating mental status leads to lucid and frightening states of mind that are unpredictable, inconvenient and terrifying.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? No one wants to be in Randy’s position where they can see their mind deteriorating and see themselves losing capabilities.
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Rob’s Engaging Main Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is that the Episodic format of “Supernatural” is not really what I am after for my story. It has an overarching storyline but the episodes feel like deviations from that, almost irritating distractions from the story I am really interested in, which is Dean and Sam’s hunt for the demon that killed their mother. I feel impatient to get towards that storyline and feel that the episodes are padding out a series rather than compelling.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
“Supernatural” Engaging Character Profile: Dean
A. Role in the show:
A 26-year-old supernatural hunter on the search for his Dad and the demon that killed his Mum
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Expertise: Knows a lot about supernatural beings and how to destroy them
Purpose: To take revenge on the demon that killed his mother.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Unclear at this stage.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Frequently impersonating government officials to gain access to places and information. Hiding his true purpose because people won’t believe him.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
What skill or experience will he pull out of his bag of tricks to defeat the supernatural beings?
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
He is helping people who are being threatened by supernatural beings, saving people’s lives, as well as chasing after a demon threatening his own family.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
My show: “Mirage”
The journey:
A mysterious, centuries-old spirit known as The Mirage protects the world from evil while searching for a way to become human.
David / The Mirage
A. Role in the show
David, an ancient spirit, has various super powers and abilities. His face cannot be captured on camera, appearing only as a smoky haze, earning him the public moniker “The Mirage”.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
The Mirage is impervious to material weapons, can become invisible, pass through walls and see into the ether / spirit plane. The Mirage has a “kryptonite” in the form of sandalwood – even sandalwood smoke renders him vulnerable. He cannot remember where he comes from or why he has his powers and abilities. He starts off as a rather nihilistic, reluctant hero as a result of his inability to engage in intimacy.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
David is in denial about his need for human contact. He separates himself from society but knows deep down his need for human contact.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
David lacks any accountability, being invulnerable to normal weapons, so uses his powers to toy with people, make money, etc
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
David turns away from his nihilistic self and begins to heal himself and sue his powers to fight evil
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
Being non-corporeal, David cannot touch people without harming them. His interactions with the material world can only be done through the gloves he wears which protect the living from his icy cold touch. As a result, he cannot engage in intimacy.
Julia Lockhart
A. Role in the show:
Julia is a young up-and-coming archaeologist with a mysterious connection to David and his unknown past. Julia urges David to use his powers to fight evil and to seek out his true identity.
Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Julia has a mysterious connection to David which allows her to guide him in his quest for self-knowledge
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Julia believes the Mirage’s ancient knowledge could assist her in obtaining tenure in her academic position at the University. She also knows more about him than she lets on.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Julia knows that the Mirage is operating outside the law but wants to help him anyway – but she is also using him for her own ends.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
Julia wants to bring down her boss, Vincent Chamberlain, but does not have a clue about his real intentions
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
Julia was a foster child and lacked human connection during her youth
Detective Brendan White:
A. Role in the show:
Brendan White is an earthy, no-nonsense, cop who is hunting David – he’s Tommy Lee Jones in “The Fugitive”.
Unique Purpose / Expertise:
In spite of his scepticism about the supernatural, Detective White’s prosthetic arm has a “phantom itch” which operates like his own intuitive “sixth sense” which he has long used to solve crimes.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Detective White is in denial about any form of supernatural activity but deep down knows he is going to have to confront it
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
White knows that the Mirage is doing good work even as his methods are unconventional, and must choose between his own “by the book” methods and the Mirage’s less conventional crime-fighting techniques.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
Brendan White does not believe in the supernatural – until he encounters it personally and has to fight for his life, with the help of the one he hates – the Mirage.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
White is cool, a great cop and his underlings respect him enormously.
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What did I learn? It is necessary to have characters that are so complex that they sometimes dominate. They are so clever, or brash, or sexy, or unique that the viewer can’t take their eyes off them. Also, they tune in as often as possible because they want to know what’s he or she is going to do next. Hopefully they are trying to figure out what that move is, but the character surprises them, almost every time.
1. Tell us the journey of your show.
2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?
3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.
A. Role in the show:
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they
crossing?
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?Apply Six Questions to Big Little Lies.
What’s Celeste’s role in the show?
Because it’s an ensemble piece, I’m choosing Celeste Wright for this exercise. Celeste plays one of the power five. She offers the shinning surface, but what goes on underneath is dark and dangerous.
What’s Celeste unique purpose:
Celeste is the calm woman, the counter to Madeline, her best friend and to her volatile husband. She’s unique in that even though she was a talented lawyer, she gave up her career to marry Perry Wright, move with him to Monterey, and start a family. She’s aloof, quiet, in the beginning we don’t know what is simmering inside.
Intrigue. What is Celeste secret beneath the surface?
Beneath is a woman living in fear of her husband’s fierce anger.
Moral Issue – What moral boundaries does she cross?
She’s interesting. Although their sex is wild and brutal, deep down she likes it. Therefore, she is complicit.
Unpredictable: What will she do next?
Will she expose Perry, even to the therapist or to her closest friend? Will she stand up to him and move out?
Empathetic: Why do we care?
We worry about her safety. Even those she sometimes like the wildness, we fear he will hurt her more than just a slap or push. He might kill her.
ELEMENTS OF BETRAYAL
The journey of the show is to watch Lane Baer struggle to overcome his fear of failure which his father carefully embedded in him. As his publisher’s deadline for his new manuscript comes due, his desperation surges for a story idea. It isn’t until the murder of Christian Savage and his family becomes the persons of interest, does he realize the situation is like manna from heaven and he begins to observe the characters involved, including himself with the eye of the fiction writer. Can he write this story?
Main Characters:
Lane Baer, husband to Marta, father of Paige.
Marta Baer, wife to Lane, mother of Paige
Paige Baer, sixteen-year-old daughter of Lane and Marta Baer.
LANE BAER
Role in the Show: Lane is the lead character, his desire to succeed with his second novel leads him to dark places.
Lane’s Unique Purpose: He moves his family to Berkeley where he takes a job teaching literature to the rich, spoiled students who study at the Caroline Robinson Brown School for Girls.
What is Lane’s secret beneath the surface: He will do almost anything to land on a bestseller idea for his new novel, even if it means he must entangle Marta, his wife, in the murder of Christian Savage. He also teeters toward the obsession displayed by Leylah Hafez, a senior in the school who falls in love with professor Baer.
What moral boundary will Lane cross: He will lie or obfuscate facts if necessary to achieve his goal.
What will Lane do next: He will encourage Marta to think she is guilty. He plays on her weakness of becoming the “Other Marta” and together they enable the story that might save Paige.
Empathetic: Why do we care? He loves his family and as he goes along may throw himself under the bus.
MARTA BAER
What is Marta’s Role in the Show? Marta has low self-esteem. Besides her mother beating on the “You are a plain-jane” drum, when she was a freshman in high school she went to a party with the B.M.O.C., the quarterback. Thrilled and excited, she floated on a cloud, until, at the party, she understood it was a “pig party.” The players brought the most unattractive girls in the class. Almost immediately at the party, the quarterback felt guilty for what he had done, and took her home apologizing all the way. She was deeply traumatized by this. When Lane came along, a very handsome, young writer she met in a creative writing class, she was afraid to even have coffee with her. She was a talented editor. He wanted her help with his stories. Which she did. She made his stories sing. Finally, she backed off because she knew he was using her. He found he had become fond of her, but she wouldn’t believe him. One night after an editing session and a bottle of wine, he coaxed her into bed. She became pregnant.
Marta’s Unique Purpose: Marta is a palpable counter to both Lane and Paige. She’s somewhat shy and inefficient, except when it comes to editing. She’s a terrible cook, definitely not a fashionista, a loving mother even though Paige is a challenging child, a reticent wife when it comes to standing up for herself or for initiating sex with Lane.
What is Marta’s secret beneath the surface? Marta is a victim of migraines. She leaves work to pick up medication and the drugstore where she meets Lorraine, the cosmetic lady. Lorraine gives Marta a makeover. When Marta sees herself with the made up, her confidence floods in and she becomes what she calls the “Other Marta.” And when she puts on the red dress, she’s completely a different woman. This is the woman Marta secretly wants to be.
What moral boundary will Marta cross? Marta is attracted to Christian Savage. When he comes to their home for dinner, she falls a little bit in love. Later in the story, when she goes to Christian’s apartment to confront him about the rape of Paige, she almost succumbs to having sex with him. She stops just before they consummate. There’s a strong feeling that if Savage hadn’t been murdered, she might have had an affair with him or maybe even left Lane for him.
What will Marta do next?
When Marta begins to puts the pieces together and comes up with the possibility that Paige murdered Christian Savage, she starts initiating a story that she, Marta, is the killer. Lane seems to play into her game.
Empathetic: Why do we care? We root strongly for Marta to find her way through the nasty weeds of this situation to save her daughter, even if it means she must go to jail.
PAIGE BAER
What’s Paige’s role in the show? Paige creates friction and tension between her parents.
What is Paige’s unique purpose in the show: Paige needs to be in the story as she accuses Savage of raping her which is the searing reason they each to Savage’s apartment the night of his death. She also adds an undercurrent of secret alliances between the characters.
What is Paige’s secret? When she goes to Savage’s she considers what it would be like to murder him.
What is Paige’s moral boundary? She will kill to protect her father.
What will Paige do next? She will point the guilty finger at her mother and to her surprise her mother picks up the cue and runs with it.
Empathetic: Why do we care? I don’t think we do care about her. We are intrigued by her, however, and whenever she’s “on stage,” we can’t look away.
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“What I learned doing this assignment is…
I have learnt how vital it is that we care/empathise with the character/s. What is it about characters in certain shows that make me want to keep watching and therefore with my own show, now thinking about how I can make sure their is some sort of empathy, relatability there as well as intrigue.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Role in the show:
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: <div>Offred/June is the main character. We learn the world through her eyes, her voice over. She is a Mother who has lost everything and she is smarter than most. She is good at watching and learning who she can trust.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
She is very good at playing the part of the dutiful handmaid but she is not conforming.D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
She knows the Commander (her boss) has an attraction, interest in her. She is going to use that somehow to her advantage.E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
She plays scrabble with the Commander. She lets him just win. She seems in control but then bursts into tears when alone and back in her room. The act she puts on is clearly unbearable at times.
At the end of this episode she is looking forward to meeting the one and only other handmaid who is also secretly rebellious and wants to make huge changes, only to find out that her friend has been replaced and she doesn’t know what’s happened to her.F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
June has lost everything including her own child and now lives in an oppressive world, imprisoned, in an unbearable situation.ASSIGNMENT 2:
Tell us the journey of your show.
An unlikely friendship between two women takes a dark turn as they find themselves drawn into a world of deception, violence and murder.
2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?
Nadine and Zoe.
3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.
A. Role in the show:
Zoe is the daughter of Leo, a once powerful lawyer who has had a stroke.
Nadine is Leo’s full time carer/nurse. </div>B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Both women are well experienced at pretending to be something they’re not. Nadine also is a nurse, has access to powerful and illegal drugs.C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Zoe puts on an act to her friends and family that everything is find in her marriage when it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Nadine is not who she says she is. She is not there to care for Leo – in fact she wants to destroy him and his family.D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Nadine – drugging people, changing her identity, stealing, being implicit in a murder.
Zoe – having her husband, and then later Nadine, followed, breaking into offices, computers, using sleeping pills to knock someone out.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
We know at some stage Nadine is on a vendetta but what lengths she will go to and what she will do to her friend is unknown. We don’t know what Zoe is capable of. She has lived in fear for a long time but her back is against the wall and her family is now at risk.F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
Zoe is trapped and too afraid to take a leap of faith and leave a desperately unhappy situation. She is so scared of taking a risk, she is thinking of all the worst things that could happen and not the best thing that might happen. Most people have experienced this at some stage in their life and most people have experience having to put on a brave face when internally their world is crumbling.
Nadine has lost everything. Her family, her baby. She is up against powerful people that think they can do whatever they want to people without the money or means to fight them. She is the underdog and everyone wants the underdog to win at some point. -
Assignment 2 <st1:city w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>Tracy</st1:place></st1:city>‘s Two of the Five Engaging Main Characters for <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>El Pueblo
1. The journey of my show:
Other than a king, does anyone in 1818 control their own destiny? In the days of the great sailing ships, what would happen if two American pirates were allowed to hide out in the village of early <st1:city w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> against the King of Spain’s decree for the isolated province? The first illegal aliens in <st1:city w:st=”on”>Los Angeles</st1:city> were a white Yankee and an escaped black slave from the <st1:country-region w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
2. The main characters who will sell my show are:
Antonia Moreno de la Cruz, 17
A. Role in the show:
Brown-skinned heroine who wants more than is offered in the Spanish colonial society based on a strict caste code. She opposes the young man who wants to marry her, arguing to keep the captured Americans.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Antonia is a marriage commodity in a hard-scrabble region short of young women. Antonia is either seen as a love interest or a means to get to her grandmother, the town matriarch. At 17 she is getting old for a desirable match, which is of concern to her grandmother.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
A good-girl, obedient facade belies Antonia’s small subversive tricks to get what she wants sometimes — and who she wants is the blond American pirate. She’s never mentioned her near-rape by a soldier of the garrison, who has violated native girls. He is an ever-present menace to the unmarried females who must protect their virginity as sacrosanct.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Secretly contacting Joseph the pirate, bringing him food in jail, pining for this enemy, Antonia is willing to take risks that put her in danger — physical and of her reputation.
E. Unpredictable: What will she do next?
By living at her incapacitated aunt’s home caring for the children, Antonia can carve out small moments to do as she pleases away from her grandmother’s eagle eye.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
Antonia is a young woman who yearns to plot the course of her life, resists being married off to an older man who is repulsive to her, to study with her tutor Father Diego, to leave the village now and then, to talk with a young man without being closely supervised. She must guard her virginity in a rape culture dominated by the Spanish soldiers who violate their faith nearly every day. Antonia considers herself a devout Catholic, but her faith is challenged by an interest in art and science, her contact with the highly intellectual Father Diego, and a new sensation — the breathless desire for the captured white foreigner.
Joseph Chapman, 25
A. Role in the show:
One of the four men who came to the village from outside, Joseph is brought in as a prisoner. He is the first white, blue-eyed, blond American Baptist any of them have seen, who speaks only English. Antonia and the women are captivated.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Joseph represents the colonies of the <st1:country-region w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> — the first in the world to overthrow an empire. He sails for <st1:country-region w:st=”on”>Argentina</st1:country-region>; inspired by the example of the <st1:country-region w:st=”on”>US</st1:country-region>, it is the first Spanish colony to win freedom in <st1:place w:st=”on”>South America</st1:place>. His presence means the commerce of these faraway enemies of the crown is at the Spanish frontier’s western-most coast. Joseph is an expert woodworker and shipbuilder, no skill a Spaniard has in <st1:state w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>California</st1:place></st1:state>.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Why does Joseph want to jump ship in El Pueblo — there’s no hope of getting back to the <st1:country-region w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> on the Atlantic coast from this enemy territory on the Pacific. Is he married? When did he get to the <st1:placetype w:st=”on”>kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st=”on”>Hawaii</st1:placename> from <st1:city w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>Boston</st1:place></st1:city>, working for King Kamehameha? Why did he leave “paradise” voluntarily to join the attack on Spanish <st1:state w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>California</st1:place></st1:state>?
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Why does Joseph lie about his signing up to join the pirate venture, claiming instead to the villagers he was forced to sail on the pirate ship. Was it moral to bombard the capital Monterey, killing soldiers, destroying the town, burning a prominent ranch, killing 100 prize horses?
E. Unpredictable: What will he do next?
Joseph allowed himself to be roped and captured during the battle on the beach, though he is physically strong and could have fought harder. He usually has a vile temper and mouth, yet didn’t resist. His only protest has been to beg not to be sent back to the ship. Is this some kind of ruse? Was he out for a lark and was unlucky to get caught?
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
We want answers about this alien presence who can’t speak Spanish, yet is upsetting the balance of the village — even as some worship him like a rock star because of his skin color or woodworking skills. Why would loyal villagers risk the heavy hammer of the King who has issued orders against contact with foreigners, especially Americans!
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Bingeworthy TV – Lesson Three
What I learned doing this assignment: Is to keep trying to make the characters unique and different, particularly the protagonist and leads. It is a good thing to keep in mind since this show has a fairly large cast. Off Your Rocker is also a dramedy and despite the seriousness of the goals and journey, there is a strong sense of crazy.
My Example TV Show is: Big Little Lies. (I picked this one, only because I saw it on HBO Crave that I subscribe to and it was on your list. I don’t have a subscription to Netflix. Normally, I wouldn’t like a show like this, but it’s presented well, despite it’s steeped in gossip.)
I state this point, because they have done a great job with making interesting characters.
The main character is Madeline, (portrayed by Reece Witherspoon) she is the protagonist. She only works 20 hours a week, because she wants to raise her children well, and make other working women jealous or have a one-up on her mommy skills. She is a drama teacher at the local high school and is very expressive of her feelings and speaking her mind. She has a daughter about 7 years old, and a teenager from a previous marriage named Abigail. Abigail has decided to go live with her father, because she believes her mother pushes her too much. Abigail also doesn’t like the tension between her mother and biological father. Madelaine is also jealous that her first husband remarried a younger, beautiful women and resents the fact that her daughter likes her, as well.
Her best friend is Celeste, a former lawyer, who gave up her career to move to Monterray, for his career and to raise her twin sons, who are about 7 years old. She is very unfulfilled, because she is a great lawyer. Her husband has serious self-esteem and insecurity issues which causes fights all the time. Behind the scenes, they have a very-high charged emotional relationships that start with controlling violence and then they end up having wild, almost violent sex. Celeste and her husband seek out a counsellor in this show to help solve their marital issues. Her husband says that he is afraid of losing her because she is so beautiful. By the end of the episode, he tells her he wants her to have another baby, a little girl this time, basically to keep her barefoot and pregnant at home. Celeste’s frustration and a part of his problem is that he also travels a lot on his job and he is gone a lot of the time.
The third character in the series is Jane. She is new to town and has a son Ziggy. She is a single mom, and they create her past as being very mysterious, because she didn’t really know the father. It appears that she was on a date with him and he raped her, which is how Ziggy was conceived. By the flashback sequences it appears and her anxiety attacks, it appears she may be hiding from him and she fears for her life. (She may have shot him, we don’t know, which ads mystery to this show.) The fact that Ziggy also doesn’t know much about his father causes him some embarrassment and shame, at times.
Renatta portrayed by Laura Dern, is a high-end business woman. She and her husband are affluent, and they have a daughter, Anabella in the same class as the other women. She is over protective of her and wants to give her the best all the time. She is a somewhat reserved child, so now Renatta wants to send her to therapy.
Madeline and Renatta seem to compete with one another. The main rift began in the first episode when Jane kind of rescued Madeline and they instantly bonded. Then Anabella said the first day of class that Ziggy choked her. Renatta wanted an apology, but Ziggy said he didn’t do it. He later apologized, but it appears he really may have been trying to kiss Anabella and she took it the wrong way. We don’t know, and no one really saw it happen. Madeline automatically took Jane and Ziggy’s side and said Renatta was over-blowing it and resents the fact that she seems to run the town. Renatta is also in this episode trying to get Madeline’s play banned from school.
The show varies from couple to couple and dilemma to dilemma very quickly, which keeps the audience on their toes.
But all of the characters are contrasting and interesting in their own ways and we see into their personal lives.
Assignment # 2
Stuart, a marine biologist and scientist has an accident and later discovers that he in addition to fracturing his spine has M.S. He sets out to find a cure as he says many species of marine life don’t get it. When he comes home from the hospital, he also discovers his wife is having an affair with his next-door neighbour. So, they sell the home, and Stuart on his doctor’s advice moves into a retirement village to get the proper care and rehab on a daily basis.
A: Stuart is the protagonist, he is smart, adventuresome with an inventive spirit.
B: His outer journey is to find a cure for M.S as he is a scientist. His inner journey is to learn how to relate to people better, especially the elderly who he commonly refers to as “old farts,” respectfully, of course.
C: Intrigue – Secret Beneath the Surface: Stuart is a fish out of water. He is only 48 and has to learn to like and live with seniors. Truth be told, Stuart likes finds marine life more fascinating than most people. He is also afraid that he wasn’t a good husband and father since he spends so much time concentrating on research and work. His inner goal is to marry one day.
D: Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing: He has an affair with the psychologist at the home.
E: Unpredictable: The symptoms of Stuart’s disease includes changes in his personality, mood swings, depression, forgetfulness, etc.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? He is an important man experiencing a debilitating disease that effects millions of people and he’s trying to find a cure. He’s also been dumped by his wife, but still has to accept what’s happened in order to stay in the family. He also is adjusting to a new family and way of life living at the home, which is in stark contrast to his professional world. Many things that he loved to do will have to be set postponed or given up entirely, so we have to have sympathy for him.
2. Benjamin Barley, his boss, supports him on his journey. He makes allowances for his disability and becomes a closer friend. He’s a bit of an eccentric.
Unique Purpose: He, like Stuart, is looking to protect the planet and marine life and all its species and eco-systems from climate change.
C: Intrigue What is secret beneath the surface: He’s more of a businessman, marketing Aqua World and likes to be in the limelight.
D: Moral issue: There is always a moral issue when you keep whales and dolphins in captivity and to be put on display.
E. Unpredictable: It depends who flashes the money when one is president of running an expensive business.
F: Why do we care? He can help Stuart reach his goal. Generally, he is also supportive and means well.
A: Boris – He becomes one of Stuart’s best friends at the home. He’s about 69 and closer in age to him than the rest.
B: Boris is a Russian immigrant. He’s well educated. He supports Stuart and helps him adjust. He has also had a tragic life and is in a wheelchair.
C; Intrigue: Boris is a former KGB agent who fled Russia.
D: Boris is hoping to sneak his wife into the country.
E: Unpredictable: Boris has a lot of willpower and courage, so he can do anything he has to. We also wonder when his past will catch up with him.
F: Empathetic: Why do we care? Boris is likeable and also suffered a tragic life.
Philomena and Paul
A: Role in the Show: They live in the next apartment to Stuart. They are also younger crazy partiers.
B: Unique Purpose: Philomena is trans-gender and Paul is her gay hippie husband. So we learn more about them, but she also has a very laid-back way of life that helps Stuart during trying times.
C: Intrigue: Secret: She pretends that her parents, who don’t accept the way she is, doesn’t bother her, but it does.
D: Moral Issue: She doesn’t believe there is one, but certain sectors of society can be judgemental.
E: Unpredictable: Philomena and Paul are spontaneous people who live in the moment. She used to be a drag queen performer so she can “act out” at any time. She’s a real firecracker.
F: Empathetic – Why do we care? Stuart reminds her of another friend, another drag queen performer she once knew. She senses Stuart accepts her for who she is and his kindness. She is sympathetic to his wife dumping him and wants to help.
All of the seniors in the home are particularly unique and contrast each other. The retirement home is a microcosm of the world.
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Subject line: Arjen Westra’s Engaging Main Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is… intrigue is hard to catch in words. The more we can connect different storylines for our characters, the more interesting it can become. It can almost become.
ASSIGNMENT 1
Watch the next episode of your Example Show to see any places the lead characters might fit this model.
Tell us the name and Engaging Profile answers for at least one character from your example show.
Philip Jennings
A. Role in the show: he is a husband, a friend and has a hidden life as an undercover KGB operative.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Philip Jennings is an undercover spy, able to live a completely double life as a model American citizen.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Everything Philip does, it has a professional side to it. It is easy to confuse the real Philip and the non-real person as we witness him in his different roles, different (intimate) relationships and literally under the surface there seems to be going on a permanent conflict between believing communism and the American way of life that Philip really seems to enjoy.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Killing/betraying people that he cares for. Betraying his country (That seed is planted in the beginning), communism, lying to his kids.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
It partly depends on the choices of The Centre (‘their bosses’ in Moscow) and if things go according to plan or not.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
He has a family and somehow seems to be a really nice guy. He is put in a position where he has to fear for his life every time he puts a foot forward, being it in his private life, or being it in his professional life. And like in all those lives: these situations are all out of control. It’s walking on eggs all the time.
ASSIGNMENT 2
1. Tell us the journey of your show.
A low profile African slum handy-man/plumber has embarked on a journey to become The President of the country.
2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?
Kamau: A plumber/handyman.
A. Role in the show: low profile plumber/handyman in a Nairobi-slum and aspiring politician.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: plumbing ad some tricks to sell and deceive people.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
He is wiling to go all the way at any cost.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
He betrays his family, his customers and finally the people who vote for him. He uses the same tricks that he used as a plumber when he is going into politics.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
He reacts by emotion as if he is constantly under threat. A bit reckless. Sometimes out of desperation or high on succes and then bring himself in trouble because he didn’t think about the consequences. Doesn’t listen very good and has somewhere a disgard for people.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
He has kids, he is a bit clumsy in what he does and in the end he somehow also tries to be a normal human being, making the best of his life. He is deeply committed to taking care of his family.
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Binge Worthy – Mod 2 Lesson 3 Easy Ways to 5 Seasons
I’ve learned this is much harder than I thought it was going to be. I’m not happy with these descriptions but the lessons are coming so fast, I’m having trouble keeping up.
TEASER:
A girl awakens in the boarding department. She stumbles around, tears running down her face. She finds a gun in her top drawer. She manages to get to the hallway. Her roommate calls to her wake up. Put the gun down. Ethel Remmeter, the house mother, comes out, assesses the situation, and calls the police. Soon the police arrive. The young cop pulls his gun. The girl whirls around, aims at him. He shoots. She drops. Dead.
SEASON 1:
Baer suffers from depression. He can’t find his way into the new book and the deadline is breathing down his back. Also he needs a job to keep the family going. He hears about a job at the Catherine Russell Brown Boarding School for Girls. After going to the interview with Margaret Gilgood, Head mistress of the School and being offered a job, his spirits lift, and he dives more enthusiastically into his new book. Baer meets Leylah Hafez in his class. She’s exotically beautiful and immediately obsessed with him. He discovers they have a strange bond. When she sits in his office, he is able to access more idea and he can barely stop himself from filling page after page, which at the moment seems brilliant.
He soon meets and befriends the history teacher, Christian Savage. Savage becomes a personal guide, warning Baer to stay away from the girls who are all starving for affection. He also warns that Gilgood can be authoritative and stern. Keep you head down when it comes to her. Savage is lonely. His baby died and his wife divorced him. Baer invites him to dinner a couple of times. Marta clearly is attracted to him which infuriates Paige, the 16-year-old daughter. She deeply loves her father and wants to protect him from being hurt by her mother if she did something destructive with Savage. She will see that this never happens.
SEASON 2: IT’S HARD BEING A HUMAN BEING
Christian Savage coms to the Baer home for dinner. Marta, flushed with make-up, is attracted to him. Paige picks up on this and is angry. She will do what needs to be done to keep this man out of the house and away from her mother.
Paige finds her way to Savage’s. She threatens him that if he comes to their house again, she’ll make life very difficult for him. On the bus ride home, she decides she can’t trust him. She’s going to make life hard for him.
She announces to her parents that Savage raped her. The stakes go sky high. Baer tracks Savage down and threatens him in public. Marta takes Baer’s gun and the latex gloves she used to dye her hair “autumn flash,” and she goes to Savage’s
Paige follows her mother. Hears a gun shot, then sees her mother leave.
Soon after, Savage is found dead.
SEASON 3 – MUSICAL MURDERER CHAIRS
The police begin a homicide investigation. Detective Otto Pearl, a man who often pulls a lolly pops from a pocket, an addiction like cigarettes. Sergeant Virginia Rand joins in the interrogation of Baer and then Marta. Then Margaret Gilgood. At home, Baer and Marta have private arguments over Paige’s accusation. The girl is so complicated, it’s difficult to sort through her emotions. Everyone is feeling like they are a suspect.
In the meantime, Baer continues to work on his book with Leylah sitting in his office at school. Leylah wants to get physical. Baer tries to hold off, but finally he succumbs, and they fall into a deep kiss. Leylah begs him to leave his family so the two of them can sneak away. He says emphatically, no. Hysterical, Leylah runs up to the third-floor roof and threatens him if he doesn’t leave his family, she’ll jump.
SEASON 4 – THE POLICE QUESTION BABY BEAR
Detective Pearl brings in Paige for questioning. It’s very tense. Paige must figure out how to move through this. She easily gets flummoxed. She begins with lies. Finally, the questions lead her to a story closer to the truth. In this process, Paige explains how her mother took the latex gloves and her father’s gun to Savage’s. The outcome points the guilty finger at her mother. Pearl sends Sergeant Rand home with Paige to pick up the gloves as evidence.
Paige tells her parents how the interview went. When they hear, they’re angry. Baer had made Paige to keep it to herself that she had followed her mother to Savage’s. Now they knew what was coming.
A few days later, Pearl arrives at their door.
SEASON 5 – LIFE UNDER THE BUS
Baer still suffers from depression. Disappointed in the manuscript he’s deep into. He burns the pages. The deadline now just weeks away.
Leylah awakens from the coma. She can prove Baer was with her when Savage was murdered. This exonerates him. All eyes turn to Marta and or Paige. Marta still believes Paige somehow could have shot Savage. Marta understands that Paige threw her under the bus.
Marta tries to cheer Baer up. Puts on the make-up and the sexy red dress and seduces him. The doorbell rings. Marta suggests Baer answer it. She says it’s Pearl. He want to know how would she know. She says she called him. She confesses to the murder.
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