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Day 4 Assignments
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Maria’s Lead Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is that characters can betray each other and not even realize that they are doing it, and that the betrayal must come from the betraying character’s own needs.
The change agent is Mike because he is dedicated to realizing his dream, which necessitates his plopping into Janet’s life and convincing her he is a robot.
Janet is the transformable character, who is limited by her vision of herself as a mother, and what it means to be a mother.
The oppression is the guilt-based value system Janet got from her own mother.
The betraying character is Rishi, who can’t let Mike tell Janet the truth for fear of losing his livelihood and position.
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Kathleen’s Lead Characters
What I learned from this assignment is to give more consideration to the actions of my characters.
Logline: The insecure daughter of a mistress, upon her father’s death, is bequeathed partnership in the family firm if she joins forces with her unwilling siblings to save the business from ruin.
The Change Agent-Monroe West, Cassie’s dead father, sets the change in motion by his instructions in his Last Will and Testament. His Lawyer, Lincoln James, sees to it that the instructions are kept and guides Cassie through the change.
The Transformable Characters-Cassie Jenkins, though smart is a whip in business, is lacking in confidence because of pass wounds.
The Oppression-The stress of the looming timeline of turning the family business around before it is ruined.
Betraying Character – Rhonda West, Cassie’s older sister, she wants everything to stay the way “daddy left it”. She is in denial that her hero’s firm was in trouble. He could do no wrong and was always right. So why should anything change?
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Trosky’s Lead Characters
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” Each character whether the lead or supporting character plays a pivotal role in the creating depth aspect of a truly profound screenplay.
1. Job goes from an insecure teenager, not understanding who he is as a person, to becoming someone who is truly confident with himself as a person.
2. Trina is unaware she is changing Job because of their new relationship together because she is making it a point to get to know who Job is and discover himself as a person.
3. Trina – use to having and getting her way but with Job it’s a challenge and eventually, she discovers her flaws as a person.
Job – Confused and scared about his sexuality Job was willing to live a lie as long as it made his life comfortable. Within that “comfort” Job was never happy with himself and in the process, his lies were manipulating and hurting others.
4. Job is a gay high school senior whose father is one of the most prominent Pastors in his community. At a time when “being gay” was unpopular and taboo Job is willing live countless lies to keep his sexuality a secret.
5. Trent is the betraying character because he hates Job simply because he sees the life that Job has(2 parent household, Nice home, Family atmosphere, etc) and thinks he has it made. Trent comes from a broken home where he was never shown or experienced true love in his life.
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Marie’s Day 4A: Change Agent & Transformable Character
What I learned doing this assignment is that the two characters that came up as Change Agent and Transformable Character were unexpected designations in my screenplay. The Change Agent is more passive than I’d have expected, which only means that she doesn’t do a lot to change anybody but the change occurs because of who she is (and therefore what she does). I think in that respect my CA bears a resemblance to Rita who is the Change Agent in Groundhog Day. Also I didn’t have a Betraying Character but certainly there were a few options and I’ve chosen the most likely one.
1. Transformational Journey Logline:
A Hollywood actress’ sentence for disorderly conduct is to help an amateur theatre group put on their Christmas play but she throws the whole town into an uproar when she casts a young trans woman in the lead female role.
2. Change Agent and how that character fits the role:
The Change Agent is Emoke. She fits the role because she lives life as her authentic self. Emoke is the only one in this small town who is not conforming to the town-think.
Vision: Life is not worth living unless you are being your authentic self. Past Experience that fits that Vision: Emoke was trapped in an identity given to her by others and it was not who she really was and it was killing her inside.
3. Transformable Character(s) and how that character(s) fit the role:
Kay, Eunice and some townsfolk are the Transformable Characters: Kay is being someone everyone else wants her to be – her mother, her agent, her fans – and it’s making her extremely unhappy. The townsfolk, in particular three ladies of the drama club, stake all their happiness on being followers of Eunice, who follows rigid rules to be an “upstanding citizen”. If this trio obeys, they are given accolades, but it’s warping their personalities and making them nasty people instead of the lovely ladies they think they are.
4. Tell us who or what you think might be The Oppression and give a few sentences about how The Oppression works in your story.
The Oppression is the small-mindedness of the small town; it is all pervasive as everyone has learned that they will be ostracized unless they toe the line and that means behaving in a very cookie-cutter way, begetting false happiness and an underlying sadness.
5. Tell us who you think might be your Betraying Character and give a few sentences about how that character fits the role.
One of Eunice’s posse – Josephine. This character, along with her good friends and neighbours, is supposed to be learning the new ways but in the end she reverts to being Eunice’s yes-woman.
Day 4B: Dead Poets Society Analysis
1. What is the change this movie is about? What is the Transformational Journey of this movie?
The change is learning to think for yourself instead of blindly following traditions and rules.
2. Lead characters:
– Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change) and what makes this the right character to cause the change?
John Keating is the change agent. He is right for it because he’s a teacher and therefore has young minds to inform. He’s also right for it because he’s a poet and a freethinker. He knows what the boys don’t know yet and wants to impart it to them.
– Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes the change) and what makes them the right character to deliver this profound journey?
The students are the Transformable Characters – they are right for it because they are young and just learning how to make their way in the world; they have been brought up fulfilling the obligations their parents and teachers have placed on them but they are aching to find and be their true selves.
What is the Oppression?
The school is the Oppression – an institution with rigid rules and beliefs.
3. How are we lured into the profound journey? What causes us to connect with this story?
We are lured in by the refreshing and different approach of John Keating. He intrigues us and inspires us and we want to go along with him and learn what he knows.
4. Looking at the character(s) who are changed the most, what is the profound journey? From “old ways” to “new way of being.”
Identify their old way: Tradition dictates a certain upstanding and rigid kind of behaviour – first word seen on a banner at the school is Tradition. The school insists on obedience which is supposed to lead to excellence.
Identify their new way at the conclusion: Boys who’ve seen the beauty of the world and are learning to think for themselves.
5. What is the gradient the change? What steps did the Transformational Character go through as they were changing?
Steps: peering into the eyes of historical photos as Keating quotes from Thoreau; ripping pages from the textbooks; going to the cave; climbing on Keating’s desk; Neil getting the part of Puck; Todd works on a poem; YAWP scene; Knox calls Kris; Knox reads his poem to Kris in front of her classmates; opening night of the play and Neil’s friends’ reaction to it; Neil’s final soliloquy, much spoken to his dad; applause and standing o and his joy backstage; Neil’s suicide; standing on their desks to salute Keating as he leaves: Oh Captain, My Captain.
6. How is the “old way” challenged? What beliefs are challenged that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make the change?
Keating challenges the academic dryness of dissecting poetry and demonstrated this right off the top by having his students rip up a textbook; Dalton challenges by asserting that girls should be allowed into the school; Neil challenges by taking the role in the play; Keating challenges with all his lessons; Todd challenges when he stands on his desk and says Captain My Captain; the others challenge by following Todd and ignoring the headmaster. The beliefs that are challenged that cause main characters to shift their perspective are the strict adherence to the school’s code of conduct, chief among it is the belief that one must obey and not question anything for themselves.
7. What are the most profound moments of the movie?
YAWP – Todd’s first stab at liberation, from the moment Keating squats before him to the applause he receives at the end; Todd’s birthday desk set toss; Dalton after he’s received the paddle; the first time the boys call Keating Captain; when Neil talks to Keating who tells him “you’re playing the part of the dutiful son…show him your passion and conviction”; the play and aftermath with dad; the dad finding Neil dead; Dalton telling Todd Neil’s dead; Todd in the snow and the boys trying to help him, putting snow in his mouth and saying it’s gonna be okay; Mr Keating sits in Neil’s desk and opens the book and cries; the last scene
8. What are the most profound lines of the movie?
carpe diem
Oh captain, my captain
Words and ideas can change the world
That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse
All Whitman and other poets lines, esp. Thoreau opening to meeting: Sucking the marrow…discovered that I had not lived…
We didn’t just read poetry…we let it drip from our tongues.
Stand on my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way…when you read, don’t just consider what the author thinks, consider what you think…boys you must strive to find your own voice…the longer you wait the less likely you are to find it at all…don t just walk off the edge like lemmings…dare to strike out and find new ground…
Just don’t let your poems be ordinary
Acting’s everything to me
We all have a great need for acceptance but you must trust that your beliefs unique, your own; even though the herd may go ‘that’s bad’
Robert Frost: The road less traveled…
Damn it, Neil, the name is Nuwanda
Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone. There’s a time for daring and a time for caution; the wise man understands which is called for
9. How does the ending payoff the setups of this movie?
All the setups show the restraints put on these boys, the rules and regulations, the expectations, and when they stand on their desks at the end after having been severely reprimanded for attempting to ‘seize the day’, that’s the payoff Keating was looking for and the whole movie was leading to, the declaration that they can and will buck unreasonable authority and stand up for themselves, as themselves, with the oppressor (in the form of the headmaster) demanding that they stop – but they don’t.
10. What is the Profound Truth of this movie?
Be your unique self; think for yourself; take the road less travelled; break new ground
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1. Transformational Journey Logline:
A Spanish War hero plotting to escape from Ottoman captivity has to choose between his freedom and the love of his life.
2. Transformational Agent – Dulcinea, the favorite concubine of Hassan Pasha, she sacrifices her freedom for the good of the other girls in the harem.
3. The Transformable Hero – Young Miguel Cervantes, a wounded veteran of the Ottoman Wars, is willing to sacrifice the lives of his fellow prisoners in order to gain his freedom.
4. The Oppression – Hassan Pasha, the ruler of Algiers, owner of slaves, holder of hostages.
5. The Betraying Character – El Lobo, the freeborn son of a successful Christian merchant, he willingly serves in Hassan Pasha’s Administration, benefitting from cruelty.
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