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Day 3 Assignments
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I learned today that I can have multiple ideas about a character and to allow that to be ok while I feel the out more before deciding on a final approach.
KAYLA – Protagonist
Draw: a kind idealist who emotionally engages us because she’s thrust into some frightening situations at work and obtuse situations in love.
Traits: Vulnerable, nurturing, at risk, optimist, courageous, naive
Subtext: Overwhelmed, nurtures to deflect from her own lack of self awareness, deeply affected by others pain as a way to avoid facing her own problems, an empath
Flaw: Fear
Values: compassion, generosity, courage, love
Irony: Her boundary-less compassion is the thing that creates most of her problems. She must learn to lie to catch the warden and understand true love.
Right character: She grew up wth a highly manipulative and difficult mother and survived. She is more resourced and smarter than she realizes. She poses no threat to power so it reveals itself to her.
MR. BOX – Antagonist
Draw: The epitome of modern, youthful success. A hipster who portrays himself as a disruptor to save the system. Smart and savvy, excellent manipulator
Traits: Arrogant, gas lighter, powerful, narcissist, manipulator
Subtext: Always looking for the advantage in every interaction
Flaw: Arrogance
Values: Power
Irony: His total lack of respect for Kayla makes him blind to her power take him down. and that he is the impetus for her to finally find herself.
Right Character: His character is the perfect catalyst for Kayla’s rage at her mother and he unleashes it.
INMATES / DATES
This is a group of men collectively that are change agents for Kayla, they reflect her struggles and progress as she maneouvers around their various issues and relationships with her.
Adjust pt 1 profiles / bring together:
I’m still working on this…
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Rachel’s character profiles part 2
1. What I learned:
How important understanding the antagonist is in understanding the protagonist! Also more about how much depth there is in the way the protagonist and antagonist mirror each other even if it wasn’t intentional and didn’t start out that way.
2. Fill in Part 2 of the character Profile for your two lead characters:
Vic, protagonist:
What draws us to this character?
– how hard she tries even though she feels out of her element; how she keeps trying again even after she fails over and over.
Traits:
– protective, cautious
– tries to be the strong supportive one (like Luisa in Encanto)
Subtext:
– pretends to have everything under control even if she doesn’t
– verbally directs or takes charge of a conversation to maintain this impression
– tries to redirect others away from a behavior she considers risky (i.e. riding a wild horse and risking getting bucked off)
Flaw:
– fear of the worst happening; also her compulsion to keep her loved ones safe at any and all costs
Values:
– loyalty, honesty, selflessness, safety, home/family
Irony:
– She has never had a family, children, or a place to belong until she married her late husband. Now she has been thrown into being the only parent left and she has no idea how to do it.
What makes this the right character for this role?
– Similar to irony, she’s never had these things. They were all she wanted, but she doesn’t feel that she deserves them. She must learn to heed the call, so to speak, and step into facing them.
Catherine, antagonist:
What draws us to this character?
– similar to the study example of Hannibal, she’s a twisted, deadly mother figure in the worst of ways. She probably has an element of Change Agent as well, causing those around her to really understand the changes they must make in themselves to combat her.
Traits
– shrewd, manipulative, decisive, cold-blooded (possibly narcissist?)
Subtext
– subtly makes people think her idea was their idea so she can use them
Flaw:
– overconfident
Values:
– strength, determination, winning
Irony:
– she had everything…a life, home, family…but she was not cut out to be a mother or a nurturer.
What makes this the right character for this role?
– still working on this
3. Make any improvements you think of to your Part 1 profile and bring the two parts together.
– still working
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Bobby’s Character Profile Part II
1. What I learned:
I learned that the protagonist and the antagonist are in a sense, two sides of the same coin – they each come from a similar emotional place but how they get what they want creates obstacles for the other.
2. Fill in Part 2 of the character Profile for your two lead characters:
Bobby – Protagonist:
What draws us to this character?
His innate striving to better himself despite resistance from forces in his life – his mother’s religious zealotry, his friends on the street that want him to get into trouble, etc.Traits:
– thoughtful, sensitive, curious
– tries to be tough – to show he he is no longer a kidSubtext:
– he acts like he is a young adult even though he is still very much a kid
– he deflects from sharing his own thoughts and feelings, instead he tries to impress others– runs headlong into trouble – thinking he is doing adult things i.e. petty crime, hanging with older teenagers, drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.
Flaw:
– fear of his absentee father finding out, fear of his controlling mother, fear of letting his sister down, fear of not being tough in front of his fatherValues:
– truth, art – acting and the theater, adulthood,
Irony:
– He is still very much 12 years old – he is thrust quickly into adult situations and must think on his toes or risk everything – his family, his friends, his futureWhat makes this the right character for this role?
– Bobby idolizes the adults around him, even ones in his neighborhood who are criminals – he looks up to anyone that impresses him and he is easily impressed – his naivete makes him the perfect character to transform by the end of his journey.Angela, Antagonist:
What draws us to this character?
– She inverts the nurture mother role – instead of nurturing she is verbally and sometimes physically combative. She lives in a world of scripture, God, the devil, and angels. She denies the outside world and so in a way shuns her own son – she refuses to see him growing into a young man, preferring him to remain a childTraits
– delusional, abrasive, crazed, manic, negative, sometimes crueSubtext
– uses people’s flaws against them – Covers up her low sense of worth through worshipFlaw:
– hypocriticalValues:
– honesty, righteousness, sanctity, graciousnessIrony:
– her personality has driven her husband away hence why he travels for work – it is later discovered he has a secret separate family – another wife and childWhat makes this the right character for this role?
– her religious convictions make her the right character for this role – Bobby will later inherit her passions but direct it toward social pursuits – acting/theater/the arts -
What I learned doing this assignment is…I feel bad for my character because of how unhappy she really is.
Fill in Part 2 of the character Profile for your two lead characters.
What draws us to this character?
Traits: Low self-esteem, likable, friendly, people pleaser
Subtext: She’s afraid to be herself
Flaw: She is living a lie
Values: Respect, family, image
Irony: Has a life most people want but she knows it’s false
What makes this the right character for this role? She wouldn’t change if the decision her hers
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Shelley’s Character Profile 3
I learned doing this assignment more nuance in the characters and their relationship to eachother. Also given this is a true story I am seeing places in myself that haven’t been illuminated before. Fascinating!
Mollie: Protagonist,<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”> investigative journalist
What draws us to this character? Heart centered “joie se vivre”, love of people, enthusiasm, optimism-risk taker, explorer, love of nature, free spirited-
Traits: persistant, curiousity, honesty and truth seeker, edgy/not relaxed
Subtext: She always looks for the deeper meaning in everything. Tries to expose subtext-
Flaw: indecisve, too stubborn, impulsive/fast moving/need to always be right, doesn’t listen
Values: “the woman who wants it all” Truth, honesty and freedom
Irony: Acts free on the outside, but inside enslaved by her insecurities. Always challenging the truth in others, but difficult be vulnerable herself.
What makes this the right character for this role? True story
Moses: Antagonist and Love Interest, Junior corporate executive
What draws us to this character? off color humor, honesty, complexity, bad boy-good boy, caring, sexiness/masculinity, rawness, Indigenous Cowboy
Traits: lover of nature and music, traditional manners,
Subtext: withholds information without involving the person, making judgement not wanting to go in deeper
Flaw: rigid beliefs (though he sees them as a strength) non-commital, never uses the word love, drinking, manipulating, temper, disengaged
Values: loves family/God, working hard for a living
Irony: Christian beliefs in conflict with his sexual promiscuousness and ability to love freely.
What makes this the right character for this role? He is the enigma of the protagonist. His fundamental characteristics challenges the protagonist to the core. He holds a similar energy of the protagonists father-yet he supports and challenges her be fully herself.
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What I learned: A lot of these things seem redundant, but there are other areas that were “holes” that could lead to 2-dimensional interpretations on screen. It’s nice to fine-tune some of the traits and see new traits pop-up. My characters tend to have multiple-personality disorders at first. As a cook, I am prone to put too many ingredients into the pot, and its a real discipline to focus and refine, as my audio-production teacher always said in class “Less is more”. I think my own insecurities make me prone to overcompensate. I believe that “less is more” is an important self-discipline that will be crucial to my success.
PROTAGONISTS: HUSBAND & WIFE
HUSBAND: Runner/Fighter
Age range and Description: 60s, caucasian male, got a gut, but not obese.
Internal Journey: Can’t figure out why he’s always arguing with his wife. Still trying to solve personality clashes they’ve had their entire relationship. Maybe now that they’re retiring, they can get it figured out?
External Journey: Wants to successfully “deliver” his wife to California, aka “the promised land” by driving across country for an early retirement, but now they’ve got a stalker in one of those high-tech cars!
Motivation: To be seen as a hero to his wife.
Wound: Still doesn’t feel ‘validated’ by wife for not delivering on key things in their marriage (money, bigger house, more kids)
Mission/Agenda: To deliver his wife safely to California and defeat their pursuer.
Secret: Deep down he fears he truly is “inadequate”, but ever show it to his wife cause he doesn’t want to give her more anxiety/stress/pressure/burden.
What makes them special?
He’s not a quitter, and has the ability to adapt. So does his wife.
WHAT DRAWS US TO THIS CHARACTER? We see either ourselves, or our parents in them, “everyman” who is being unjustly persecuted, but will rise to the occasion anyway.
TRAITS: Extroverted, for sure. Also focused on the task at hand.
Subtext: Doesn’t have a lot, because he lets everything out. But if/when he’s planning/plotting, you can tell something under the hood is cooking. He becomes silent, and he’s a force to be reckoned with. Also, it pains him to not get-along with his wife because he’s totally invested on their future together.
FLAW: Stubborn. And afraid of the “new” because it makes him feel stupid. Sometimes he’s in denial about it, and other times he’s smart enough to recognize it, but sometimes he’s got such a mission that he can’t stop the breaks in time. So he will “discover” that he was being stubborn. A couple times he admits it, but only certain times. He’ll declare “now THAT TIME, that time I was stubborn”.
VALUES: Honesty, hard work, American way, devoted to protecting wife and giving her her hearts desire because if anyone deserves it, its her.
IRONY: He’s the first to embrace a better solution or a new and improved way of doing something… so long as it’s HIS idea. Doesn’t trust new technology and doesn’t realize the main reason he demonizes it is because it makes him feel inferior and inadequate.
WHAT MAKES THIS THE RIGHT CHARACTER FOR THIS ROLE? He’s the opposite of the kid. It’s YOUNG vs. OLD. Who is stronger? Who is smarter? It appears like the millenial has the advantage, especially since the Kid is the aggressor and the husband is in the seat of the victim. BUT the husband knows how to fight. He’s been fighting all his life!
WIFE:
Wife is: Victim/Dreamer turned fighter
Age range and Description: Same age as husband.
Internal Journey: Husband STILL doesn’t get her after all these years!
External Journey: Burned out and looking forward to retirement after long tiring last few years of social work.
Motivation: To not get overwhelmed by anxiety, and instead, make the trip successful.
Wound: Can’t fly, due to a lifelong phobia that she’s never conquered. Feels guilty about “restricting” husband’s desires to travel, but also “mad” that society, and her husband still don’t understand why she can’t just “get over it”.
Mission/Agenda: To use psychological tricks to get her husband to take her advice, even though he never wants to take it because he always thinks his ideas are better.
Secret: What makes them special? When the rubber hits the road, they still manage to adapt and succeed as a unit due to underlying mutual self-respect.
WHAT DRAWS US TO THIS CHARACTER? She is a voice of reason and empathy that, if people would listen to her, can provide solutions and deliverance to her struggling husband and their quest.
TRAITS: Weary and worn out from years of teaching and dealing with the new generation. She’s still got a lot of life to live. She totally believes “there’s no such thing as old”. But nothiing is going to make her happier than getting to California with her husband. So in that sense, she’s driven too. Yeah, he cranks at her, but surely once he gets to the West Coast, he’ll change. He’ll be so happy.
SUBTEXT: She will propose/float/declare an unsoliticed alternative plan/theory like a little unsolicited ancedote, but her husband understands it as “You’re doing it wrong, do it this way.”
FLAW: too sensitive. There are times when she will feel “shut out/not heard” when she could have just stuck up for herself/pleaded her case, with one more sentence, and she would have won the argument or gotten her way, but she gives up too soon. In her mind, she “shouldn’t have to fight for everything”.
VALUES: Loves people, and doesn’t ask much from the world. Very giving to others in need.
Irony: Doubts herself far more than her intelligence would lead you to believe.
WHAT MAKES THIS THE RIGHT CHARACTER FOR THIS ROLE? The husband is still motivated by defending her honor, and she has a lot of it. she’s getting old like him, and she doesn’t understand the tech too, but she’s also not so stubborn, and deep down, she has the relational tooks to redeem/heal/save their attacker, assuming she can survive his onslaughts.
ANTAGONIST: Milennia Tesla & Smartcar driver
ROLE IN THE STORY:
Villain/Predator: stalking this middle aged couple out of a general disregard for all people their age.
they are martyrs for their entire generation.
Age range and Description: early 20s, skinny caucasian male.
Internal Journey: Hopeless and full of anger. Is giving up. Going to take it out on somebody and will blame the older generation. At least he’ll make a statement, but in the end, develops a conscience and a new respect for these people and realizes the wrong he is doing.
External Journey: Decides to pursue and attack an older couple driving a gas-guzzling RV. Struggles on an emotional level when he realizes that taking them down is not so simple. Ultimately, either surrenders or nobly accepts defeat.
Motivation: General cathartic revenge mission.
Wound: Never been able to trust adults growing up. Combine that with the news of wars, racism and global warming, he blames the older generation for all his problems.
Mission/Agenda: Secret: What makes them special? He understands all the new tech. Can even operate a car via remote control.
WHAT DRAWS US TO THIS CHARACTER? So slick with tech, and we have to find out why does he have it out for these two retirees?
TRAITS: Slick with tech. So slick he’s combining features of the car with driving technique in a way we’d never think of. He’s also Young and Nimble, and really seems to be driven to focus on this car. What’s his weakness? Short and skinny and there’s something nervous about him. Also, he’s keeping a very low profile. Too low. He goes into a store and/or interacts with others only when he absolutely has to, and when there are others around, he’d sooner choose to go out of his way to hide from them, then he would just “blend in”.
SUBTEXT: EVERYTHING is subtext with this guy. His only outlet is the expression of this act of destruction against the RV drivers. If/when he falls short at failing at his goal, he gets reserved and retreats quickly: drives off into darkness/hiding. But when he succeeds, he experiences relief more than anything. He’s like a Walter White in the body of Jesse.
FLAW: Has shut himself off from the world: can’t trust anyone over 30 because all the world’s problems seem to have been created before he showed up.
VALUES: surviving by hiding, both physically and emotionally.
IRONY: Doesn’t think he’s got a chance for a future because of the way the world is, yet his adaptation skills of survival and his mastery of new tech are profound skills anyone older than him would be envious of. At the end, he wants to die, and the fact that he wants to die ironically makes life worth living for him now.
WHAT MAKES THIS THE RIGHT CHARACTER FOR THIS ROLE? He is the epitome of the things that the husband fears, based on his two main weaknesses: Not understanding new technology, and not being physically adept anymore: ie; he’s OLD. This kid is YOUNG. He understands the “new” and he can run and hide quite easily.
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Will’s Character Profile, Part Deux
What I learned this time around was simply that, when dropped side by side, my protagonist and antagonist don’t have much in common, and I’d like for them to be a bit more intertwined, at least thematically.
LAUREN KILKENNY
What draws us to this character? Lauren is a pathetic and hapless figure at the beginning, who, when shown a little kindness, embarks on a personal quest for redemption. We want to know how she’s going to go from a splintered mess to a unifying hero.
Traits: Clever, Persistent, Guilt-ridden, Righteous, a Drug Addict
Subtext: Her Native American blood, which she’s been taught is a liability, is really a strength, and while she’s defensive of it and outwardly ashamed, deep inside she senses its importance.
Flaw: Her hot-headed impulsiveness. It’s what lands her in the town jail when everyone else heads off on the rescue mission.
Values: Being true to one’s self. Belief in sacrifice. But deep down in side, she craves love and acceptance, particularly the simple joy of finding a partner and living a simple home life. Much like her mother and father once had before he wandered off.
Irony: The harder she fights against her role in the prophecy, the more she fulfills it. She decides that by being reckless and confronting Cayatte head on, she can prove that she’s not the hero people are telling her she is.
What makes this the right character for this role? It’s literally about her journey from being a half-breed addict to a half-vampire army of one. The story IS her.
JEAN CAYATTE
What draws us to this character? He’s deliciously evil, a monster who trafficks in pain, but who craves what he thinks I love, something he can never have. He’s way stronger than any individual in the magnificent posse, so it’s hard to imagine how they might come out victorious.
Traits: Articulate, Wise, Sadistic, Insane
Subtext: His sadism comes from a cavernous hollow at the center of his being, his longing for the woman who created him, and who he thinks he can recreate in Sarah Parsons.
Flaw: He recognizes the importance of love, which is a liability when you’re trying to terrorize people.
Values: He values beauty, loyalty, strength, and admires that in others.
Irony: He does all this stuff because he wants love, but he himself is utterly incapable of it.
What makes this the right character for this role? He’s a depraved monster without a shred of conscience, whose hundred years’ imprisonment has pushed him over the mental edge. I’d like to sort out why he’s the perfect antagonist for Lauren, so I’ll brainstorm some of the ways in which they can help each other out.
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David Harper’s character profile part 2
What I learned doing this assignment is that I can start with smaller details and let them lead me to the deeper character profile. I don’t have to know everything when I start.
Fill in Part 2 of the character Profile for your two lead characters.
Danny Sinclair – Protagonist
What draws us to this character: Danny is an underdog, but we can see a quiet strength that is dormant inside him. He’s a decent guy who loves his dad and wants his dad to love him.
Traits: Submissive, loyal, taciturn, shy
Subtext: Looks away when he doesn’t like something that happens or that is said. Starts to express ideas then stops, letting them hang in the air.
Flaw: Easily manipulated
Values: Family, loyalty
Irony: He’s the weakest person in the room, but he’ll be able to stop Arlo when no one else can
What makes this the right character for this role? As Arlo’s son, he’s uniquely positioned to be manipulated and used by Arlo, and uniquely positioned to reach a breaking point.
Arlo Sinclair – Antagonist
What draws us to this character: He’s charismatic and charming
Traits: Confident, driven, willing to take big risks
Subtext: Hides his true intentions. Uses his big smile to cover his anger
Flaw: He only uses people, never builds relationships
Values: Himself, money, manipulating people
Irony: He puts on a friendly face, but inside he is always scheming
What makes this the right character for this role? He’s out for revenge. Against the bank, against his son, against the sheriff, against the whole town.
Make any improvements you think of to your Part 1 profile and bring the two parts together
Completed in a Word document, but for some reason I can’t copy and paste from Word to this forum.
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