Day 4 Assignments

[Andrew Kelm]

Andrew Kelm’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I am going to do whatever it takes to be a great writer of TV and movies who is sought after by people I respect within the industry and has multiple successful TV series produced.

What I learned from doing this assignment is… how to focus and articulate the subtext so that it is easy to reference and apply at any point in the writing.

FATEMONGER: a psychic with a blind spot for abusive men uses subtle manipulations to murder a sexual predator who seduces her to get to her sons.

7. Competitive Agendas:
On surface: Daphne and Roy help each other to success
Under surface: They bring out the worst in each other

6. A major coverup: Roy is a sexual predator and he is interested in Daphne’s two adolescent sons.

3. Someone hides who they are: both main characters are hiding their past histories of abuse that inform their present agendas — he is acting out his attraction to teenaged boys and his desire to be punished for it; and she is replaying patterns of being attracted to abusive men, making her hyper-sensitive and ruthless.

This story is about healing the wounded healer with tragic and ironic consequences. By going through her relationship with Roy, Daphne is able to break free of her cycle of abuse to find her own power — at the expense of Roy’s life and her innocence.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Subtext Plot

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in writing LGBTQ+ projects and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: I have had subtext in all of my scripts, but using this technique builds the subtext right into the structure of the script, and not only on the level of individual lines of dialogue. Very useful too.

Logline 1:

Title: YOU ALWAYS KILL THE ONE YOU LOVE

Genre: Horror

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

Subtext Plot: Competitive Agendas

Maeve is a psychic and her wife, Sybil, is the director of the movie. When Maeve comes on set she senses a dark energy and wants to have a séance. Sybil dismisses her as idiotic and focuses only on making the movie. Later, when the ghost begins to possess and murder, Maeve says that it is an evil energy and wants to combat it psychically. Again, Sybil dismisses her, working with the consultant psychiatrist to provide a psychological explanation for the murders.

Logline 2:

Title: RESCUING LOVE

Genre: Thriller

When domestic terrorists kidnap her girlfriend and frame her for the kidnapping, a daring CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the terrorists before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

Subtext Plots: Scheme and Investigation AND A Major Cover Up

Eve’s girlfriend Debbie has been kidnapped. Eve, a CIA agent, needs to investigate the kidnapping to find and rescue Debbie. But the kidnappers framed Eve for the kidnapping. They build an elaborate case suggesting that there was no relationship between Eve and Debbie, that it was all in Eve’s mind. Eve was actually a stalker and when rejected by Debbie, she kidnapped and killed her. Eve must investigate who framed her and prove she did not kidnap Debbie as well as find and rescue Debbie.

[Veronica Turowski]

Veronica Turowski’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: I want to be a successful writer who writes several scripts a year and sells them to producers who are eager to make my vision a reality by bringing my scripts to completion so everyone can watch my movies on the big screen.

What I learned from doing this assignment is the subtext layers give the story depth while creating intrigue for the audience.

Title: Justice from the Grave

Genre: Thriller

Concept: While at a funeral, a professional mourner has a vision of the deceased being murdered, but when no one believes her, the mourner must find and stop the serial killer before he kills his next victim, only to discover she is a ghost and is the mother of the serial killer.

Subtext Plot: Layering

On the Surface: Eppsa must learn the identity of the serial killer and stop the serial killer from killing again.

Beneath the Surface:

· She has a hard time dealing with death, but she is drawn to funerals. She is drawn to certain funerals because of something in the obituaries.

· She’s depressed because her son ran away as a teenager or young adult shortly after her husband/his father was killed.

· Shocked she has a vision of the deceased at a funeral being murdered.

· Frustrated because cops don’t take her seriously.

· Curious why strangers seem to seek her help.

· Fearful the killer will strike again.

· She doesn’t know how she as a common citizen can stop the serial killer.

· Why does the killer choose his targets?

· She’s lonely because her husband was murdered, and the cops never found the killer.

· She searches more intently for her son because she fears the serial killer is after him, too.

· Intrigue is that her son is the serial killer.

· Learns she is a ghost because her son killed her and her husband.

· Dilemma as to how a ghost can stop a serial killer.

· Can she stop him, or will she have to kill him to end his murdering spree?

· How can a parent get the strength to kill her son whom she adores and has been trying to find since he ran away?

[Eclipse Neilson]

Eclipse Neilson -Subtext Plot

VISION: I want to be a great award-winning writer, known for my genre, who creates the most beautiful films that inspire others to feel deeply, pause, and ponder ways to make the world a better place.

WHAT I VE LEARNED: is that my characters are often deep and complicated and have a lot of subtext as motivation. It will be fun to see how it all gets acted out as I slowly let the story evolve.

The Nun and The Witch

Dramatic / Triangle

Genre: (fantasy)/ inspirational drama )

High Concept: A dedicated Nun destined to become a saint, bonds with a Witchy healer to achieve a sacred ancient task to heal humanity- but all hell breaks out in the town.

Major Story Hook: Sent by the council of the Universal Light Beings, two powerful women, a nun, and a witch join forces to heal a centuries-long battle in a small town that has been taken over by evil forces reflective of the world at large.

Subtext Plot:Layering:

Both Lunea and Sister Karina have a series of past lives that will be reflected in their present relationship and set of circumstances.

So what seems a simple statement or action will be loaded with images of past life unresolved memories.

Also both have had childhoods that have created opposite reactions in them. Lunea is defensive strong don’t mess with me type of woman and sister Karina is silent humble and subservient but both harbor an unresolved rage that must be harnessed for the good of all.

There we be also a layer on how sacred teachings in having been misused or abused. Through their friendship they will unravel sacred truths common to all traditions and will be found in their past lives.

1. They have a familiar feeling of knowing each other before.

2. They are not supposed to like each other

3. They must find the courage to get to know each other

4. They must unravel a puzzle from a dream they both have one night.

5. They both have pushback from their spiritual circles.

6. They both must heal their tragic relationships from past lives.

7. They both must share their childhood tragic secrets- in each other but first must learn to trust another human being.

8. They both must dare to time travel to the past and the future.

9. Both must fight the Ghost of Father Sinclair and the evil that has irrupted in the town.

Subtext Plot: Someone hides who they are

It takes Sister Karina longer to reveal she had always dreamed of being a priestess and for Lunea to reveal as a child and sometimes as an adult she would dream of laying in the arms of Mother Mary and had always felt she was not pure enough to become a nun because she had been a prostitute for a short while to survive.

Subtext Plot: Fish out of water

Both Lunea and Sister Anne go to each other’s ceremonies under disguise. Lunea becomes a churchgoer until she is cast out by the congregation and Sister Anne step by step studies the ancient Egyptian and Greek myths. Both feel and act awkwardly in the beginning until each tradition begins to speak to them.

Subtext Plot: Competitive agendas

Both women feel they have the right and only answer and spend time trying to outsmart each other until they follow their hearts.

[Renee Brown]

Eclipse,

This is great. Looking forward to seeing the puzzle pieces come together.

Renee

[Renee Brown]

(WIM) Renee Brown’s subtext plot

“My scripts are the cream that rises to the top: I am an A-list screenwriter.”

What I learned: Considering these subtext plots, new directions for the plot reveal themselves.

STARCROSSED CHANCES

With help from a magical stone, two star-crossed lovers are reunited decades later in a small Montana town that keeps big hearted secrets.

Subtext Plot choices:

Layering

Ally bases her idea of love on her grandmother’s over-idyllic post war stories. Towards the end, however, Ally discovers that her grandmother made up many of these stories to reinvent the life she wishes she had. This destroys Ally’s concept of love and forces her to construct her own destiny.

Superior Position

Through flashbacks, we see how both C.J.’s and Ally’s lives spun off trajectory after their heartbreak with each other decades ago while, in the story, they are still struggling with their own ideas of what happened.

[Claudia Wolfkind]

Claudia’s Subtext Plot

Vision: To become such an excellent writer that I know every script I write will be well received by the industry, that my scripts will sell and be produced, and I’ll live the life of my dreams. To also become so empowered that fear is to be laughed at, instead I relish and look forward to pitching, meetings and much more.

What I’ve Learned Doing This Assignment: I’ve always loved subtext, it’s what makes the story meaningful, without it you have a dull one-dimensional story. I learned more specific types of subtext plots and the various levels necessary to create an engaging story.

SUBTEXT PLOTS: I’m employing both the Fish Out of Water and the Competitive Agendas.

The main character, Abby, suffers from a severe fear of germs. The fun will take place (Fish Out of Water) as she has to navigate running her father’s cleaning business while dealing with her fear of germs. She also meets Jack, the man of her dreams, not knowing he’s a massive slob, and must work through her issues to have a meaningful relationship with him.

The (Competitive Agendas) take place as Jack’s best friend, Boomer, is brought in to help Abby, but Boomer is really the one who wants to take over her family’s business.

[Leona Heraty]

Leona Heraty’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: To be the best family comedy screenwriter in the industry and have my many scripts produced into fabulous movies!

What I learned from doing this assignment is…adding subtext now will help me create an outline and plot that’s full of interesting stuff going on beneath the surface.

Title: Tara vs. the Termo-Lytes!
Genre: Comedy (family)

Concept: A bumbling teenage tour guide leads her group in the wrong direction and they end up at an abandoned country club overrun by giant termites.

SUBTEXT PLOTS
Layering: Tara (protagonist), has no sense of direction without her cell phone. Throughout the story, she reveals small bits of her history and what happened to hear as a kid that caused her to lose her sense of direction and confidence.

Clara (supportive character) tries to get Tara to lead the group in another direction, away from the country club, and she makes snide remarks about Tara being “clueless,” with “no direction forward or backward.”

Clara will make remarks about her late husband making pour choices with money, and causing her lots of problems after he passed away. Clara also mentions how her old house is falling apart from bugs that eat the wood and she wishes there was a good product on the market that would get rid of them for good!

Someone Hides Who They Are:
Some people in the tour group are new to the area and they don’t know Tara’s infamous story about getting lost in the maze as a child. Tara tries to avoid the topic, but she inadvertently makes small comments about it, without even realizing it.

Clara doesn’t tell Tara or anyone in their tour group that she owns the abandoned country club because she doesn’t want them to know what’s really been going on there with the Termo-Lytes growing rapidly.

Competitive Agendas:
Clara tries to divert Tara and the tour group’s attention to make them go in another direction, away from the abandoned country club, but Tara believes they should go in the direction of the abandoned country club because she’s determined there’s a hidden short-cut to take them back into town.

How my Subtext Plot will play out inside this story:
Tara will make references to her “fiasco” as a kid, and others in the tour group who know her history about getting lost in the maze will make references to it too and tease her.

Clara will continually try to get the Tara to lead the tour group in the opposite direction of the country club, and when that doesn’t work and they end up at the abandoned area, she’ll still try to keep them out of the area where the giant Termo-Lytes are hatching and growing fast!

However, Tara will take them in the wrong direction again, even though Clara tries her best to divert their attention and get them to follow her to another area and leave the country club.

[Amechi Ngwe]

Amechi’s Subtext Plot
MY VISION


I am going to be in the top 1% of action/comedy writers in the industry who writes major action films.

What I learned doing this assignment is that engaging on deeper levels with subplots will lead to a much better story.

CONCEPT: An obsessed fan of a Superhero works his way into the superhero’s life and clashes with the superhero’s sidekick.

SUBPLOTS
SCHEME AND INVESTIGATION: KANAAN’S REAL IDENTITY
Kanaan schemes to keep his identity secret and Rhapsody investigates his background.
Rhapsody discovers that Kanaan is an obsessed fan of Blackout.
Kaanan is luring Rhapsody into a trap to blow her up in a fake apartment.

LAYERING: KAANAN’S MASTER PLAN
Kanaan is a concerned citizen who wants to fight back against the city’s criminals.
Kanaan is the illegitimate half-brother of a criminal kingpin.
Kanaan is eliminating his half-brother’s competition so he can be in control of the criminal underworld.
Kanaan becomes Blackout’s sidekick to prove himself to his brother.

COMPETITIVE AGENDAS: SIDEKICK COMPETITION
Kanaan and Rhapsody are competing for Blackout’s favor.
Rhapsody works to expose Kanaan.
Kanaan makes Blackout suspicious of everyone.
Kanaan tries to kill Rhapsody.
Rhapsody survives the murder attempt and goes after Kanaan.
Blackout intervenes and kills Rhapsody.
Kanaan replaces Rhapsody as Blackout’s sidekick.

[Jeff Chase]

Jeffrey Alan Chase’s Subtext Plot

My vision: I will do whatever it takes to become the best screenwriter I can be – an “A” list writer who is praised for high concept ideas, great execution, a string of successful movies and is always ready to share his knowledge and do what he can to help a writer on the way up.

What I learned from doing this assignment is: I have several subtext plots that I plan to use in my script. Two of them are for sure. I’ll also use the Superior Position but it will not be as prevalent as Layering and “Someone Hides”.

Title: Shards
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Logline: A woman with no childhood memory is involved in a cat and mouse game with a cunning hypnotist, not knowing the man is responsible for both her amnesia and the death of her treasure hunter father.

My subtext plots:

Layering: Childhood amnesia victim, Sarah Cole (26) works with hypnotist James March (55) to try and remember facts surrounding the location of a supposed treasure cave and the disappearance of her treasure hunter father twenty years ago. But March has a plan to manipulate Sarah’s memories so he can extract from her information he desperately needs. In the end, we learn that March stabbed Sarah’s father and threw Sarah off a cliff to remove her as a witness. He thought he had killed her. Back in the cave, he suffered a horrible injury and wandered delirious in the desert for a week and could never remember where the cave was. When March learned Sarah was still alive, his greed was reignited to find the lost treasure.

Someone hides who they are: Twenty years ago, March was a burly day laborer, who hid behind long black hair and thick beard. But today, March has a shaved noggin, is a thin vegetarian, wears white suits ala Mr. Clean and has a bio-mechanical right arm.

Superior position: There will be an element of this toward the end when we realize before Sarah that March is her worst nightmare.

[Renee Brown]

Jeffrey!!! This is a great story. I can’t wait to see it. Looking forward to the development.

Renee

[Tina Steffan]

Tina’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: My writing enables me to live an exuberantly creative and productive life in prosperity.

With every answer more questions emerge, that make me excited to go deeper into my story.

ARGUS’ EYES

A teenage girl has her disfigured face reconstructed at a beauty clinic in the Black Forest, only to discover that her new face is just a mask and she is now the livestock for a blind demon who has stolen her eyes for himself.

Someone Hides Who They Are

A Major Cover Up

3. Give us a few sentences on how your Subtext Plot will play out inside this story.

The demon has everyone under its spell by covering them with a false face, which allows him to use them as his puppets when he wishes.

– Valentina is welcomed to the beauty clinic by her grandma, but she sends mixed signals- trying to get rid of Valentina and at the same time pulling her deeper into the clinic. Under the false faces they try to fight their way out and sometime reach the surface where they try to leave or threaten — until they forget again.

Valentina investigates what’s wrong and finally finds a way to see behind the false faces – but then Valentina also gets the false face – under which she fights to gain control once again.

– Valentina befriends her grandmother to steal from her.

[Ian Greenham]

Ian Greenham’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I am confident that completing this program will significantly enhance my screenwriting skills.

Doing this assignment I learned several various forms of subtext.

Concept: Doctors seeking a bone marrow donor for a promising young defense attorney diagnosed with leukemia discover a twin sister she never knew she had, on death row for a murder she claims she did not commit.

Subtext Plots:

Layering

Superior Position

The two sisters are initially introduced separately to the audience as complete strangers to one another, only for it to become evident later that they are sisters.

The audience learns before the two sisters do that they are sisters.

[Teresa Rodriguez]

• MY VISION: I will become a highly respected and influential writer/producer with my own successful production company that I can leave as a blessing to my children and many generations to come.

• What I learned from doing this assignment is writing subtext can be fun! It used to be so complex for me that I would get a headache trying to figure out a good subtext for my script. But Hal’s formulas are brilliant making subtext so easy to do that I was able to write more subtext than I needed!

CONCEPT: Snow White’s great, great-granddaughter, Lily White, runs away to America to escape her perfectionist fairytale life.

Scheme and Investigation: The head Dwarf is scheming to marry Lily and take over the throne. Lily’s boyfriend doesn’t trust the Dwarf and investigates him.

Layering: The Boyfriend hates royalty so Lily never tells her who she really is. He also hates people who lie. In the end, we find out that he too is a royal, a prince from a neighboring country who also wanted to run away from the perfectionist fairytale life. He saw the same story on America that Lily read and it also sparked his passion to run away, ending up in the same place they read about. Their parents always wanted them to meet but they refused to get set up. Only saw pictures of each other when they were little. Lily dies her hair when she comes to America, he cuts his hair, so they don’t look the same.

Someone Hides Who They Are: The head Dwarf is on a mission from the King to find and protect Princess Lily. Instead, he disguises himself and befriends Lily in order to get her to fall in love with him and marry him so he can take over the throne.

The Fish Out of Water: Princess Lily is used to the royal treatment so when she comes to America she’s completely lost. She never had to pay for anything, her first trip inside a grocery store blows her away she never knew there were so many different types of ice cream, but people think she’s crazy when she talks to mirrors and is deadly afraid of apples. She’s naïve and gets her purse stolen, so she’s broke and must live in a homeless shelter, and get her first job. After experiencing how the real world works she starts to question everything about her fairytale upbringing.

Superior Position: the audience knows that the head Dwarf is disguising himself to trick Lily into marrying him, when the boyfriend finds out the Dwarf attempts to get rid of him by putting him in a coma.

A Major Cover-Up: The head Dwarf puts the boyfriend in a coma to get rid of him, then he frames the boyfriend and convinces Lily that the boyfriend was the one trying to kidnap her. Lily is lonely and confused so the dwarf family talks her into accepting the head Dwarf’s marriage proposal so they can all be together as a family and live their happily ever after.

Competitive Agendas: The boyfriend and the Dwarf act friendly towards each other in front of Lily but they secretly hate each other, constantly try to make each other look bad in front of Lily, and compete for her love.

[Zeke Farrow]

VISION FOR SUCCESS: I will deliver delicious, surprising, seemingly effortless work, that is constantly in demand and causes people to recommend me for original and rewrite projects without hesitation.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT IS knowing your subtext plot is so helpful for brainstorming! Once you know what the SP is… You can be so mjuch more specific when you’re brainstorming.

TITLE: Mitchwich

CONCEPT: On graduation day, a petulant cynic goes back in time to the first day of high school and changes the event that he thinks ruined his life and when he returns, he meets his worst nightmare – HIMSELF.

SUBTEXT PLOT: Layering

In this time travel story, a high school senior goes back to the first day of freshman year to change the event that ruined high school.

He comes back to the present a week before he left and meets himself. He relives life in this world where nothing is as it was, but nothing is as it should be.

His best friend from timeline one no longer knows him and is dating his bully.

His mother got the house in a bitter divorce from his father.

He is a beloved figure at the school. He is a famous TikTok magician.

He still hasn’t gotten the attention of Sophie.

His dad is spiraling, living in a bachelor apartment, working on an advertising algorithm.

He no longer has any baggage himself because he doesn’t belong in this timeline.

He gains a whole new perspective on the people in his life.

He travels through the multiverse to get back to his rightful timeline…

When he gets there, he sees the people in his real life in a whole new way.

He is no longer afraid of Sophie.

He knows how to be a good friend.

A supportive son.

[Erik Wooten]

Erik’s Subtext Plot

My vision is to achieve true excellence as a screenwriter which causes me to be a consistently working writer, with actual movies made from some of my scripts, and to become wealthy as a screenwriter, develop relationships in the movie industry where I am recognized as a truly original writer, and to become indispensable in the market in which I want to write.

What I learned doing this assignment… My story does not neatly assume the subtext plots, but in essence two of them are on the mark. I also learned that if you already have a strong grasp of your story that the subtext plots can be understood in looser terms than the way they are defined here, but if the subtext elements of your story are still forming , then these subtext plots serve as a very useful guide. Some of the plots seem to be relevant to only a couple of genres.

CONCEPT: Two orphans escape from their orphanage during a fire and move into the country’s biggest shopping mall where they decide to find parents, realize that they only need each other, and face losing each other forever when back at the orphanage one of them is going to be adopted.

Fish(es) out of Water and Competitive Agendas

Clearly the girls, orphans, being eight years old and moving into a huge shopping mall after living in an orphanage, are thrust into a completely new situation and are fishes out of water. The external journey is an obvious fish-out-of-water situation which requires some Hiding Who They Are subtext, since the girls need to cover up in the adult world that they are away from the orphanage and now essentially taking residence in the mall. Among themselves, Penny and Mara have competitive agendas, with Penny wanting to direct what they do to serve her own wishes and Mara wanting the opposite, for a while (to go back to the orphanage). Then as a duo, they have competing agendas with the entire adult world, wanting and needing to do things their own way, while everyone else clearly is potentially against them (from their point of view).

[John Trimbach]

John T’s Subtext Plot

Vision: to become an industry new face known for reliable box office and concepts that intrigue and entertain audiences the world over.

What I learned from doing this assignment is that subtext can take many forms.

Scheme and Investigation – FBI agent Derringer pursues his prime suspect, Capt Conner, all over the country but Connor stays one step ahead of Derringer. That is because Conner pursues the real serial killer, who manages to elude Conner, slipping away moments after the crime. Conner figures out the killer’s pattern with the help of flight attendant Louise. Because Conner is always near the crime scene, Agent Derringer connects him with the crime.

Layering – We catch nondescript glimpses of the real killer luring victims, same MO, and following a pre-determined list chosen for their similar looks and first names. In the end, Louise is revealed as the killer.

Someone Hides Who They Are – Louise is actually Lewis, a man who disguises himself as a woman to disarm his victims and who kills women who look like his high school sweetheart.

[Aaron Can Hoff]

Aaron’s Subtext Plot

MY VISION: I am going to work harder than anyone to be an incredible writer who the industry seeks for projects that have consistent commercial success.

What I learned doing this assignment is that these two subtext plots will add a ton of intriguing layers that will draw the reader/viewer into the story.

CONCEPT: A black tow truck driver gets out on probation after being setup by a dirty Sheriff and begins to expose years of corruption and racist murders committed by the lawman, things he will kill to keep hidden.

SUBTEXT PLOTS:

Scheme and Investigation – this Sheriff’s department has an established and well proven system for covering their crimes and when the protag catches on and starts investigating, he is walking into the lions den.

A Major Cover Up – the Sheriff’s Department is operating a criminal enterprise and a major part of their cover up is possible because of their position and authority. It works because nobody can challenge them… until now.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  Aaron Can Hoff.

[Rebecca Sukle]

Rebecca’s Subtext Plot

My vision for my success from this program is to be the go-to writer for producers looking for incredible scripts for successful movies enjoyed by a vast viewing audience.

What I learned from this assignment: I learned that by building subtext into the plot allows the opportunty to add many layers to the story to create tension, emotion, and a few surprises.

Someone Hides Who They Are: The German officer tracks down the American soldier who wiped out his command during the war but let him live. He arranges to be the Commander of the invading coal and iron police, where the American lives to target the soldier’s family for brutality, only to reveal his true identity during a final confrontation.

Superior Position and Unawareness: Ragman, a WWI hero for killing 16 enemy soldiers, is unaware of the identity of the Commander and puzzled why the man targets his family for brutality. The audience knows long before Ragman blows up and confronts the Commander about the savagery that he is the 17th man, the one left alive to live with his shame.

[Lori Lance]

Lori Lance’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I want to be a professional screenwriter recognized by the industry as the go-to for family-friendly scripts and have multiple successful movies produced.

What I learned: The term “subtext plot” is new to me. I love subtext, and this list gives me specific ways to add subtext to my story, a very valuable tool!

My Subtext Plots:

Someone Hides Who They Are: The AI hides the fact that she wants to take over the mom’s place permanently, which means she needs to find a way to get rid of the mom. Also, while the AI seems perfect, she has some glitches that she tries to hide. This plot will add a layer of suspense and intrigue.

The Fish Out of Water: When the AI takes on a new position to fill in for a wife and mom of three, everything about the home, family, and daily life is a new experience for her. This plot will play out as a comedy.

[Susan Arnout Smith]

Susan Arnout Smith’s Great Amazing Vision: I co-create with God projects that are produced, win awards, heal hearts and bring me financial abundance and time to explore the world with my family and friends.

What I learned doing this assignment is: I’m learning more about the characters and their story as we go through these exercises

ESME COOPER AND THE PROPHESY OF DOOM: A young girl is spirited off planet after an ancient prophesy reveals she will cause the destruction of her world, not knowing that her being off-planet is what creates her world’s end.

Subtext Plots: Superior Position and Layering

Using ‘Superior Position’: The audience knows more than Esme. Esme has magically induced amnesia. We know that she is the intended champion for restoring Cantoria. We also know that the more she ‘remembers’ the more at risk she is, so her risk builds throughout the script.

Using ‘Layering’: Her High Holy Most Marvelous Muchness is hidden as another person on Earth and is gradually exposed to be evil. Everything said and done earlier by this disguised character then shifts in meaning when the evil one is revealed.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  Susan Arnout Smith.

[Valeriya Ordinartseva]

Valeriya’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: I am a masterful, ahead-of-the-game, and out-of-the-box writer full of ideas and creative energy. My writing is fresh, impactful, iconic, beautiful, and effortless, and my projects deliver outstanding commercial and artistic success. I create a lot, it’s fun, quick, and easy. My whole life is that way.

What I learned from doing this assignment is…

– I love how this exercise makes it super easy to discover the subtext, it’s definitely better to do it before writing 100 pages.

– Subtext is not something mysterious. There’s a method to it. Subtext is the theme expressed through narrative devices.

– Choosing the right device for a certain theme helps to deliver it powerfully.

7RDRD4

Sci-Fi Buddy Movie

Robots became too human and people start a dehumanization program to get rid of them. Can a girl brought up by a robot prove that she isn’t one before she and her robot get killed?

The Fish Out of Water

Lo is a girl among robots and she is supposed to prove she is not one of them going through robot tests with them. People don’t accept her as one of their own either. She will discover what it means to be a human in a world where you’d rather not.

A Major Cover Up

Benedict is a popular politician running the dehumanization (of robots) program, but in fact, he is a robot who wants to get rid of other robots who could prevent him from achieving his goal of controlling all of humanity.

So what’s under the surface?

– Lo can’t tell in court that the invitation to the test was meant for her robot, because she doesn’t want it to be recycled.

– Benedict is the one who pretends to be 7RDRD4 to wreak havoc.

– Lo embraces being taken for a robot to stay alive.

– 7RDRD4 wants to be a person.

– The robots are blamed for killing the nurse.

– Benedict asks people to give robots a chance to make people believe it’s their decision to get rid of them.

– The game is made in a way no one can win — or survive it.

– Everything that makes Lo different from other people saves her and the robots.

– A robot could bring up a better Human than people.

– The message of the inventor was about the whole world.

– The game lets Lo show what it means to be a human.

WHAT DOESN’T KILL ME

Horror (Anti) Buddy Movie

Following her therapist’s advice, a woman brings an “under-the-bed monster” that doesn’t let her lead fulfilling life out into the light to learn how to live with it. But the monster has plans of its own.

Layering

This is the monster Irene created over the years. It wants to help her, but she is scared of it, which makes it get only scarier.

Competitive Agendas

They share one life, but it’s getting too small for the two of them. Irene will have to find a way to get a life before the monster takes over it completely.

So what’s under the surface?

– The monster is real.

– The monster tries to help, in its own monstrous way, but it doesn’t look like that to people.

– It only brings out the fears people already have.

– Everything the monster does is Irene’s responsibility.

– Irene needs to let go of the things that “turned her into a monster”.

– She has to find a way to love the monster before she can learn to love herself and life.

– All the suppressed issues are especially important for the monster.

– When Irene pretends to take care of the monster she actually tries to get rid of it.

– People think Irene went nuts, and because of that, they can’t really help her.

– Shrink is the one who provoked the situation and now she wants to lock Irene up.

[Micki Hess]

Micki’s Transformational Journey

My vision: Be recognized as a writer that will work with the industry and would do what it takes to be that WRITER.

What I learned from doing this assignment is subtexts can build tensions and drive the script into a spiral of secrets and misunderstandings between the characters.

I am EMPOWERED!

Title: FIREWORKS

Genre: Comedy

Concept:

Let the fireworks begin; a worn-out family is fed-up with the sisters’ feud; so they plan to lock them up until the feud is over during the holiday.

3. Someone Hides Who They Are

When the plot is about a person who is hiding, subtext opportunities are everywhere.

Dakota falls in love with her high school sweetheart, John, and they break-up because of her sister, Blake’s crush on John.

They meet up again and want to get married. Dakota wants to end the feud with her sister.

4. The Fish Out of Water

While this is a comedy plot, it can also be used for other genres. Put the lead character in a place they don’t belong and watch the subtext brew.

Dakota hates to confront her younger sister, Blake. She does want to end the feud and will do anything, including being locked up in the attic with Blake to resolve the feud so she can ask Blake to be her Matron of Honor at the wedding.

On the surface: They are trying to be nice to each other.

Under the surface: They do not want to be around each other.

On the surface: They act like a family.

Under the surface: They are destroying their relationship as sisters.

[Tracy Lawson]

I will do whatever it takes to become a successful author and screenwriter with multiple successful movies produced.

I absolutely love creating the story beneath the surface!

What I learned doing this assignment is that there are multiple ways to incorporate subtext and depth into the screenplay.

Scheme and Investigation: What is the conspiracy against General Washington?

Layering: Why is she making such a dangerous, foolish journey?

-She grows up an orphan and knows how hard life will be for her and her children if her husband and brothers all die.

-She is a healer, and can’t bear the thought of not tending to her brothers who are ill with smallpox.

Layering: She is constantly accused of being dishonest or a spy while she is traveling

-When she accepts the mission and becomes a courier, she becomes a spy

Competitive Agendas:

On the surface: Her uncle supports her making the journey

Under surface: He is using her to pay smugglers who have stolen supplies from the army

Someone Hides Who They Are: Anna is a pious minister’s wife. Once she accepts the message and agrees to carry it to Valley Forge, she lies, uses disguises, and sabotages her pursuer’s attempts to get the message from her.

[Veleka Gray]

Veleka’s Subtext Plot

● My work is respected and produced, and I am rewarded with success and great wealth.

● What I learned from doing this assignment is how easily the answers come when you know how to ask the right questions.

● Concept: A retired psychiatrist, scammed out of his savings, is forced to move his wife into a former asylum owned by his family, only to discover ancestor ghosts in the attic who demand therapy, or they will haunt the hospital.

● Give us a few sentences on how your Subtext Plot will play out inside this story.

★ Using #1: Scheme and Investigation, Judd must hide from wife Robbie that he has lost all of their savings, and he is banking his hopes on finding the family jewels that a ghost ancestor has hidden in the mansion (now mental hospital). He physically investigates the building, and he interrogates his great-great-great-grandfather when providing psychotherapy to him.

★ Using #7: Competitive Agendas, Judd doesn’t realize that his ancestor Patrick is only pretending to be his mentor, and he is actually his primary antagonist and is planning to take over Judd’s body to make love to Robbie, Judd’s wife, with whom he’s fallen in love, despite the fact that Patrick’s ghost wife knows what her husband is up to and will foil his every attempt to be unfaithful to her.

[Peter Field]

Peter Field’s Subtext Plot

VISION: MY SCRIPTS ARE SO GOOD THEY COULD BE PUBLISHED ON THEIR OWN AND WILLIAM GOLDMAN WOULD WANT TO WRITE THE INTRODUCTION.

What I learned from doing this assignment is rather than trying to work in a little bit of everything, focusing on one or two subtext elements gives more dimension to the story and gave me some totally new ideas about possible motivations for my two main characters.

CONCEPT: A former Force Recon commander tries to rescue an old flame from a military uprising at a world peace conference, only to discover she’s the one trying to undermine it.

SOMEONE HIDES WHO THEY ARE: US VP Jennifer Hamm will do anything to become the first female POTUS. She foments a violent uprising at a world peace conference attended by major dignitaries, including the aging US President.

COMPETITIVE AGENDAS: The world peace conference turns out to be a platform for militant fundamentalists from several nations who want to disrupt the existing world order and install new leadership. David Villers only knows his ex, Jennifer Hamm, is in trouble, and he’s determined to save her.

[Joseph McGloin]

Vision: I am a talented, highly regarded, efficient, relaxed, happy, WGA screenwriter

What I learned from doing this assignment is a reminder of approaches to plot that make it easier to deepen the story with subtext.

Title: Will This Angel?

Concept: A future female president has a guardian angel who abandons his mission when he falls in love with her.

Character Structure: Romcom

Subtext plots:

Someone Hides Who They Are: Max is unable to tell Jane that he is her guardian angel until he confesses his love. Because it causes him to lose his objectivity, he feels he cannot continue in his role.

Superior Position: This being a Romcom, we know they will end up together despite appearances to the contrary.

[Pat Fitzgerald]

Pat’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I have the courage and confidence to write contest winning screenplays and will go on to have my scripts optioned and produced.

What I Learned: That I absolutely love creating the story beneath the surface! Previously, it never occurred to me to think on the subtext level when creating a screenplay, but this is a genius approach and absolutely necessary in writing a quality script. This lesson has also helped me gain insights into my characters that will be valuable when outlining my plot.

Concept: Planning to bilk geezers out of their money, two aging strippers book a tour in nursing homes, only to find true love for the first time ever.

My subtext plot is Fish Out of Water.

Jaki Sue and Judee have been fish out of water for most of their adult lives. They think they are worldly because they’ve worked in the adult entertainment industry, but they spent too much time partying, spending their earnings foolishly, or lending money to folks who never paid them back. Now they’re broke, aren’t getting the stripper gigs and have little skills that would get them even a mundane week-to-week paycheck.

They continue to be fishes out of water when they enter nursing homes, assisted living residences, etc. They believe their plan to bilk money from residents will be easy peasy, that there will be little resistance to “adult’ entertainment. But they don’t take into account how protective family members and caregivers can be. Nor do they realize the residents, while needing extra help, still maintain a basic intelligence. They ain’t so easy to bilk as the gals thought they’d be!

[Kelly Joseph]

Kelly’s Subtext Plot

I want to be an empowered writer who consistently produces salable scripts.

What did I learn? I learned that making simple decisions pushes me forward in story development. Like everything in writing for me I get feelings of discomfort. But when I empower myself I feel very confident.

A troubled teenager is taken to a boot camp to change her behavior but learns that the camp is run by aliens who create copies of them then kill the teens.

Someone hides who they are: The aliens get parents to send their troubled kids to the camp to help them be better kids/but secretly they are taking control of their minds by implanting eggs that hatch in their brain.

Layering. Clues are given throughout the story about what is killing the children and transforming them into alien people.

[Edward Brown]

WIM lesson 3 character transformations

Edward Brown transformation

I am completely capable of dramatic transformation of charactersw

Creator gos from hardly no intervention to romantic experiment with rigging to making parable movie

Old ways only minor interventions as let evolution pick winners and losers

Did try prphets, Jesus

Jesus was powerful because his parables

New

Intervene as parable makers with romance experiment

Hen keeps rigging help

Creator internally realizes need to intervene or his creation will self destructs so Creator creates Go giving experiment

TANYA goes from vamp seeking to be Czarina to partner with Goeroge in Detiot

Old ways

Self centered Czarina

Vamp

Used to men fawning over her

Demands George live in Siberia

Go getter

New

Learns to compromise

Even look out for George as Go Giver

Decides to mive to Detroit despite getting administrative University job in Siberia

Tanya realizes if she wants unique creative lover rather than toady, Tanya must respect and go Givie please George

Stuck in rut George goes from disorganized slob to neat organized taking a flyer on a vamp and winning partner

Old ways

Slobs,

Ignores deadlines

Place messy

Ungroomed

Too vampable

To much ignores self for women and others

New ways

Organized office

Meets deadlines

Grooms self

Better habits

Loses weight, gets fit

Realizes cannot be vamp slave, must demand partner

Part of go giving is loving self maybe before others

I learned listing character elements clarifies

[Peter Symons]

Pete’s Subtext Plot

My vision is to be a prolific screenwriter who sells compelling stories that are made into movies.

What I learned from doing this assignment is that layering is the best way to reveal subtext to ratchet up the horror.

Layering/Someone hides who they are– how it plays out:

Carlos takes a night job driving a hearse for old Father Diego, but what he doesn’t realize until the end is that he’s already dead and it’s his body in the coffin in the back. Father Diego saves Carlos’s soul by petitioning Santa Muerte (Saint of Death) to allow Carlos to replace him as the undead driver of the hearse.

• High Concept: Carlos is a reformed gangster who takes a night job driving a hearse – a tough job by any measure – made supernaturally challenging because the body in the back is his.

• Major Story Hook: A reformed gangster is in the ride of his life after he discovers that that the hearse, he’s driving carries his body. Is there any hope for Carlos to save his soul from Hell?

[Robert Smith]

BOB SMITH’S SUBTEXT PLOT

My vision for success after this program:

I want to become a great writer who delivers entertaining, informative, and uplifting movie scripts that sell and get produced.

What I learned from doing this assignment is…?

It’s necessary and fun to plot subplots.

TITLE: “Angels in Gangland.”

GENRE: Gangster Comedy.

CONCEPT: A slain Cosa Nostra mobster (Lou Tasca) cannot get into the World to Come because of his life of crime. His only hope to redeem himself is to do an act of nearly impossible supreme good, namely, persuade the wiseguy who killed him (Carlo Vizzini) to quit the mob, trash his oath of silence about mob activity, surrender to the FBI. and enter the Witness Protection Program.

2. Subtext plot. The two I will use in my screenplay.

Scheming and investigating: On the one hand, Lou, assisted by his spirit guide Rabbi Solomon are setting up an opportunity for Lou to persuade Carlo to quit the mob, but the boss of the crew, Tony Rizzo suspects Carlo of dealing drugs on the sneak and recruits his Russian crime boss friend (OLEG ORANSKY) to have his ex-KGB henchmen spy Carlo out to see if he is dealing drugs.

Someone hides who they are: Oleg Oransky is a Russian crime boss but also he is an informant for the FBI who will warn Carlo that Tony plans to kill him and his friend Sam Levinsky (who is Rabbi Solomon’s wayward son who himself is a mob associate that Lou and Rabbi Solomon also want to talk into leaving the mob with Carlo..

[Tom Wilson]

Tom Subtext Plot

My Vision: When I discuss my script with producers, I come up with excellent alternatives quickly.

Doing this assignment, I learned how important it is that my lead characters reflect their goal, motivation and conflicts as much as possible in every scene.

Concept: During the Afghan War, Protagonist Sara, an Afghani scientist who seeks a cure for a disease that kills her people, trades sex with Triangle Character US General Ratkin so he will get her asylum in the US so she can earn a PhD and find a cure for the disease. When Ratkin pulls US troops out of Afghanistan, her twin brother Antagonist Karim seeks revenge on Ratkin for abandoning the Afghanis. In the US, Ratkin wins his party’s Presidential nomination and forces Sara to become his fiancé so he appears to be forgiven for deserting the Afghanis, which puts him over the top and gets him elected President.

Protagonist Sara in a Fish Out of Water who quickly learns what she must do to survive and reach her goal.

In a Major Cover Up, Antagonist Karim smuggles a missile into the US he’ll use to kill Ratkin during his inauguration on the Capitol steps.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  Tom Wilson.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  Tom Wilson.

[Caroline Fritz]

[WIM] Caroline’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: I will perfect my process of writing great scripts and be recognized by the industry as good at what I do and have successful movies produced.

What I learned: I am glad we are going over the subtext points; I have been told I need to work on them.

Concept: An MI6 agent on a visit to the U.S. doesn’t know who to trust when his friend’s wife is kidnapped.

Subtext Plot: Someone Hides Who They Are

The friend is in on the plot to set up the MI6 agent, including putting his wife in harm’s way, to be killed by the arms dealer who killed.

[Terrie Shaft]

Terrie’s Subtext Plot

I write screenplays that get turned into crowd pleasing successful films using a process that allows me to enjoy my equestrian hobby.

Concept: A US Marshall is charged with getting a conspiracy theorist into witness protection, but it’s her ex and his crazy theories are true.

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s great to have a list of possible subtext plots to organize my thinking.

Most important subtext plots:

Scheme and Investigation – Paige is trying to figure out (investigate) why James wants her to handle his WITSEC, James is scheming ways to escape WITSEC and get Paige fired.

A Major Cover Up – this feeds James’ conspiracy theory obsession. He believes there are multiple cover ups at the US Marshall office. Most of these are imaginary but at least one is true. He really is in danger from the inside and Paige has to figure out how to keep him safe.

Competitive Agendas – James says he just wants Paige to protect him through the process but under the surface he wants her to get fired from her job and go on the run with him. Paige wants James to abide by the rules of WITSEC and give up his crazy conspiracy theories. James believes that his ‘knowledge’ of conspiracy theories is what has kept him alive and needs her to believe them so they don’t get killed.

Less important:

Someone Hides Who They Are – this would fit into the major coverup – someone who works for or with the US Marshall’s is not who s/he seems.

The Fish Out of Water – put some comedy into this Rom-Com. WITSEC is not a normal job duty for Paige so she is a bit fish out of water doing that job. As they travel (as part of keeping James safe) they end up in weird places where they don’t fit in – maybe they use weird disguises. James doesn’t fit in with the US Marshall types.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  Terrie Shaft.

[Hope McPherson]

Hope McPherson’s subtext plot

Vision: To be a working, trusted screenwriter who supports herself by writing smart films that are produced and enjoyed, while also working on writing assignments for other industry professionals.

What I learned: Making deliberate choices about subplots is a good way to begin priming the pump for the future scenes.

Concept: One week before her wedding, an author’s characters escape her book and insist on rewriting her life.

More than two subtext plots could be used here. The fictional characters will spend time as “fish out of water,” but so will the fiancé, once he’s pulled into the novel. And the book’s fictional characters will hide who they are for a while, as well. Nonetheless, the two I’ll focus on are these:

Competing agendas

· Protag and perfectionist, Shelby, finds her world out of control a week before her wedding. Her agenda is to subdue the chaos and have a perfect wedding.

· But the antagonist from her book, Cyrus Landrake – once in the real world – first pours on the charm to convince her to make him the hero of the book.

· When she refuses, he teams up with another of the book’s characters, Rose Quixley, to create havoc with Shelby’s wedding plans by editing Shelby’s choices and life (i.e., canceling the venue; altering the wedding gown, cutting her hair, etc.).

· But soon Rose falls for Andrew, Shelby’s fiancé. She now wants Shelby out of the picture, so she can become the heroine of her own story.

· When Shelby fights back, they arrange for the fiancé, Andrew Jeffries, to be sucked into the book.

Superior position

· Shelby won’t realize until act 2 that Cyrus and Rose are characters from her book. The viewers will. Once she does put the pieces together, the fictional duo will have sucked Andrew into the book.

· Andrew, who’s not read the novel, won’t realize where he is, but will at first believe he’s dreaming.

[Bob DeCarli]

Bob DeCarli’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: To master my craft to the point where I’ve earned a reputation as the screenwriter top producers, directors, and actors can call on when they need someone to save the day, and get paid handsomely to do that.

What I learned: To be open about discovering/changing my story in this early development phase. Specifically, I’m leaning heavily right now to changing my Antagonist (elevating a secondary character and demoting my current Antagonist to secondary character status).

Primary Subtext Plot – Layering: Every main character has something major to hide

–the CHIEF JUDGE had originally assigned DEATH ROW’s case to another judge with the understanding that the other judge would be lenient, but when that judge was out sick, it ended up in the court of the JUNIOR JUDGE.

–The CHIEF JUDGE allowed herself to become a pawn of NOAH CROSS (a corrupt power broker, I initially conceived of his as a secondary character, but I’m now leaning toward him being the Antagonist, and “demoting” the CHIEF JUDGE to secondary character status. Kind of like the Colin Farrell )

–DEATH ROW knows JUNIOR JUDGE is innocent of the crime he’s accused of because DEATH ROW is the one who actually committed the crime. But DEATH ROW agrees to help JUNIOR JUDGE with the hope that JUNIOR JUDGE will set aside his sentence and/or conviction, and because he knows he will likely be killed in jail on the order of NOAH CROSS.

–JUNIOR JUDGE is not guilty of the crime he’s accused of (and was framed for), but actually is guilty of some other crime. His efforts to keep concealed the crime that he actually committed hinder his efforts to clear his name of the crime he did NOT commit and has been accused of.

Secondary Subtext Plot – Competitive Agendas

The Junior Judge is a Conservative and the Chief Judge is a Liberal, and that is the basis of their “natural” hostility to each other.

[Jenifer Stockdale]

Jenifer Stockdale’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I will write every day, producing not only high volume but high quality screenplays that will be made into popular movies and television shows.

SPLICED – When a psychiatric nurse is accused of murdering a former patient, she must clear her name and fight to save her job, her family and her sanity.

Scheme and Investigation –
Dacey investigates Tom’s murder because she is being accused of it and
she knows she didn’t do it.

Layering – at the end “Dacey”
is not a nurse, but is actually a patient

Someone Hides Who They Are –
people may seem like they are being sketchy about who they are – but that
is because they aren’t who they are…(this will add some intrigue and also
will help during the reveal)

Superior Position – The audience
knows that Dacey’s husband is not authentic (acts as though he is a nice
guy but audience sees evidence to the contrary)

[CJ Knapp]

CJ’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I am a confident and empowered writer who embraces challenges and changes and writes highly sought-after projects with fresh and exciting ideas. I will be produced and hired to write projects that get produced.

WIL: Again – love the reminders and creating the “intent” meaning deliberately picking / delivering against the subtext and what’s below the surface.

Title: MEMORY HUNTERS

Concept:

In a future with technology to retrieve memories, a Memory Retrevalist, caught in the mind of a psychopath struggles to find a way out before he destroys her mind and kills her.

ASSIGNMENT

Tell us your concept and your choice of one or two of these Subtext Plots.

(Concept above)

Subtext to be used:

1. Layering

2. Someone hides who they are

Mya’s – Beneath the surface is:

– dealing with a new job as a memory hunter

– Her fist exposure to memory hunting shows her the old woman is being abused by her son

– She has a brain tumor

– She was the only survivor from a serial killer

Someone is using the memory hunting program illegally and

[David Scott Smith]

David Scott Smith’s Subtext Plot

MY VISION: I am going to do whatever it takes for me to become a legend in both the filmmaking community and popular movie culture, so much so that audiences will stand in lines around the block to see my movies the way I did for Star Wars, ET and Raiders, and I will be buried with the 5 Academy awards given my work, and a tombstone that reads, “Awesome as fuck!”

Title: Connect the Dots

Concept: The true story of the only man in the military who believed in a signals intercept trainee and helped her expose the largest network of Soviet spies ever uncovered – ultimately answering the question, “Who really brought down the Soviet Union?”

I’ve chosen the Dramatic Triangle character structure.

Assignment: Subtext Plot

What I learned from doing this lesson: initially thinking about the under currents in the story got me listing a bunch of diabolical plots each character has. But then it dawned on me that we are really talking about “the gimmick” of the film as a whole. The gimmick that gives character interactions more meaning because of the use of this gimmick. So when I thought about this more broadly, I suddenly had a hard time coming up with the perfect fit for the film as a whole. There is “scheme and investigation” in my story, and there is “layering” and “someone hides who they are” and “superior position” and “competitive agendas” but is that the WHOLE thing? From beginning to final reveal at the end? It’s not a list of what characters do, but an arrangement for the exposure of information to the audience so they understand the story in a certain way to experience a final reveal. I had a hard time with that. I felt that this story doesn’t have one gimmick that lasts the whole way thru to the end. But superior position seems like it will happen the most often, and while one big reveal doesn’t happen at the end, even the ending will be a reveal. And also scheme and investigation. Unlike the Fatal Attraction example, where those two characters interact constantly, some of my characters are on opposite sides of the wall, and so won’t interact much. Wondering if that’s a problem?

Superior Position as the plot (the audience knows, but the characters don’t)

* The audience knows Storm’s true mission, so there is subtext with queen bee, with his superiors, with his wife and family..<div>* The audience knows when queen bee is ignoring Storm’s instructions, knows the danger she is in, and fears for her. Also any conversations she has with him has subtext.</div><div>* The audience will learn that the Lead Soviet Spy is still alive (who was that body they found?)</div><div>* The audience will learn that The Rookie is revealing secrets to the Russians </div><div>*The audience will know that Storm and Queen Bee aren’t following orders</div><div>* Etc.</div><div>
</div><div>

Scheme and investigation as the plot (one schemes, one investigates)

* At the start, Storm is assigned to discover if there is a mole. Once he picks up the scent of the Soviet network, he investigates them as well, figure out how to neutralize them. In the end does discover the mole is The Rookie</div><div>* Queen Bee investigates the signals coming from within her building, and once joining forces with Storm, investigates how to read the new signals, and then investigates Storm and what he’s really up to.</div><div>* The Lead Soviet Spy is also scheming to disrupt the west, to get The Rookie to give him information, to stop Storm and Queen Bee from infiltrating his network. </div><div>
</div><div>
</div>

[Jaelle Dragomir]

Jaelle’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: I’m an award-winning screenwriter that is sought after by people in the industry, who creates scripts that change lives to bring a new vision to the world, and I’m richly rewarded.

What I learned:

Concept: Madam Blavatsky, a brilliant Theosophist, creates the perfect human to save humanity, but the perfect human makes life miserable for everyone.

Subtext Plots : Layering and Competitive Agendas

Madam Blavatsky has a mission: save humanity, but when she chooses the perfect human and starts to train him in the ancient ways, he revolts (competitive agendas) as any good teenager would do. Everything he does makes her life miserable. When goes to out, every person he touches, whom Blavatsky believes the perfect human would heal them, has the opposite effect. However, the perfect human is actually doing exactly what needs to be done to heal the people he touches. (Layering)

[Linda Anderson]

Linda Anderson’s Subtext Plot

Vision for your success from this program:

Audiences around the world view and love my meaningful screenplays—one of the most satisfying and energizing accomplishments of my life.

What I learned from doing this assignment is I didn’t realize the potential for intriguing subtext until doing this lesson.

Concept: The true story of an ex-cop with PTSD and an abandoned dog with BIG issues who team up to bring light into their darkest place.

1) Layering: Allen is an ex-cop dealing with lingering PTSD and two new health issues that threaten his life. Underneath those fears lies the fact that his abusive career-military father had a stroke that left him disabled and incoherent, in a wheelchair, for the rest of his life. Will this also be Allen’s fate?

2) Superior Position: Allen and Linda don’t know that their emotionally damaged new rescue dog, Leaf, in his own creative way, reacts to Allen’s dream about impending death. They misinterpret Leaf’s actions. The true interpretation isn’t revealed to Allen until moments before he has the brain surgery that could kill or leave him in the same suffering state his father lived in for years after a stroke.

[Sandra Nelles]

Sandra’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I am doing what I love to do as a writer with several successful produced movies.

What I learned doing this assignment is how to focus on both what’s on the surface and what’s beneath the surface to create interesting subtext-oriented plots.

Concept: The adventures of a young sea captain lured into the dangerous, terrifying world of crude oil smuggling, where he faces a firing squad if captured.

Subtext Plots

Fish Out of Water: Sloane is a naïve sea captain who knows nothing about the world of smuggling or leading a crew. Other smugglers and his own crew scheme, lie, and play tricks on Sloane.

A Major Coverup: As partners, Sloane and Mr. Big run the smuggling and money laundering activities disguised as part of legitimate businesses. They keep a second set of hidden books.

[Kevin Cunningham]

Kevin Cunningham’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: By making my high-quality writing and speaking known in many venues (the Industry, Youtube, podcasts, books), I will create a reputation as a profoundly powerful, thoughtful, and skilled writer, and be sought after for new and rewrite activities at the highest levels.

What I learned from doing this assignment: These plots are units of structure, that can play out at multiple levels – across the whole movie, in subplots/individual character arcs, in the design of individual scenes. One core of the story is fish-out-of-water, but I feel that there’s something else going on with the underlying social satire, perhaps by the lunacy of the competetive agendas; need to think about that.

——

Concept: A woke New England town votes to give their land back to the Native American tribe they stole it from centuries before, putting leadership of the town in the hands of a clueless slacker native teen

Subtext Plots: In order of importance in this story

4. The Fish Out of Water:

The main character is a Native American teenager thrust into leadership of a woke New England town, and he is clueless on many levels: he doesn’t know the culture, he doesn’t know politics, he doesn’t know government procedures. In addition, he’s a hormonal teen placed among adults when he’s naïve and doesn’t understand relationships.

7. Competitive Agendas:

The townsfolk form multiple groups all vying to tell the hero what to do, as a form of competing against their own opponents. The hero is caught in the middle, and they use wiles, deception, coercion, threats, and seduction to try to get their way.

1. Scheme and Investigation /

6. A Major Cover Up /

3. Someone Hides Who They Are /

2. Layering:

A critical character casts the vote that turns the town over to the Natives – but why is he doing it? His wife and others find it a mystery and try to solve it. He skirts their efforts and cozies up to the young hero. Ultimately it is revealed that he has a secret plan to make millions on the casino projects he expects will soon be underway.

5. Superior Position:

Think I’ll avoid this at the top-level, but will use it for individual comic scenes. Perhaps the Historian character can serve as narrator to the story, so that would give him a superior frame. But I don’t want to give away the big twists up front, so trying to not use this technique too much.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  Kevin Cunningham.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  Kevin Cunningham.

[Reginald Joseph]

Reginald’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: I am going to utilize my talents as a writer to catapult myself to the A-list, causing people in this industry to consider my writing among the best in the business.

What I learned from doing this assignment is this technique helps me to build the subtext into my plot, where the main character’s transformational journeys are revealed on a more intriguing level.

Concept: After multiple attempts to rid their neighborhood of a gang leader who continues to terrorize citizens, a member of a group that calls themselves the Vipers decides to strike back by bringing his own version of terror.

Someone Hides Who They Are

Using a fake phone call from a detective to lure Leon “The Hatchet” Evans to a secret meeting, Anson Haley does the unthinkable. After The Hatchet goes missing, Anson is questioned by not only members of his neighborhood group but he is visited by several members of the gang that continues to terrorize them. After denying any involvement in his disappearance, Anson begins to give the gang leader a taste of his own poison.

Superior Position

Leon barks threats from his make shift tomb causing Anson to endure moments of PTSD induced fear and anxiety. Hours later, after emerging from an episode where he was taken back to his time as a POW, Anson begins to threaten Leon, assuring him that he will never see his family or the life he knew if doesn’t agree to leave the neighborhood.

[Michelle Damis]

Michelle Damis’ Subtext Plot

I will be a prolific writer that is sought out because of my ability to truly touch people and create memorable stories and I will have financial freedom and time with my family as I travel the world.

“What I learned from doing this assignment is that I’m still not sure I really understand this concept, but people who have read my writing say I do…so there’s that…

Tell us your concept and your choice of one or two of these Subtext Plots.

Someone
Hides Who They Are
A Major
Cover Up (not really major-but one none-the-less)

Give us a few sentences on how your Subtext Plot will play out inside this story.

1.) There is a character that the sisters join with that is recently divorced and partying with them. Her ex-husband ends up being a drug dealer that the sisters think is chasing them after the woman steals his phone. What is really happening is he has turned informant and has “divorced” his wife to protect her. Therefore the big chase is between FBI agents, real bad guys, and fake bad guys.

2.)Jo is going to be a grandma but is afraid to tell her sister or really accept it herself.

[Bobby Sacher]

Bobby’s Subtext Plot

VISION: A writing life that is mine to do with as I please. I am in control, relaxed and utterly content – and constantly searching for the next world to create. Independently wealthy, always creatively engaged, SOUGHT AFTER, and completely fulfilled.

What I learned doing this assignment is… I need to know if there is such a thing as TOO MANY subtext subplots (I’ve got three, don’t see a way around it).

CONCEPT: An aspiring serial killer is forced to join forces with the high school bullies meant to be his victims, when the cabin they’re partying in is attacked by zombies from the nearby Civil War graveyard.

Genre: Horror/Comedy

Title: JASON VS THE ZOMBIES

SUBTEXT PLOT #1: Someone Hides Who They Are

JASON (Protagonist) – when he has to flee the zombies (he’s in the woods trying to work up the courage to “attack” the kids in the house), he has to beg to be let in to the cabin. From then on, he’s hiding why he was there in the first place, concocting some idiotic excuse – suffering more abuse/ridicule in the process. When he remembers the weapons he brought (left in the woods in a panic), he gets them – which begs the question: WTF, man? Shit hits the fan! (thinking of this as Act 2 TP)

HACK (Antagonist) – the guy who pulled Jason’s pants down at start of film; wild card, jackass of the group – turns out to be something scarier: a REAL sociopath, who’ll do literally anything he finds “entertaining” (and what he finds entertaining is eliciting strong emotion of ANY kind from people); he becomes the true bogeyman – and when he turns into a zombie, he’s the scariest one of all.

SUBTEXT PLOT #2: The Fish Out of Water

JASON – he does NOT fit with these jocks. He thinks they’re bullies and idiots (some of them are). They think he’s a total geek, AND a psycho. Jason needs to get over his own preconceived notions about these “dumb jocks” to work with them to survive. UNDER THE SURFACE: This is really about Jason learning to enter/interact with society in a positive way – a skill he completely lacks at the start.

SUBTEXT PLOT #3: Superior Position

WE have known all along what Jason was there to do. We’ve also seen that DEREK (the lead jock, dating the girl Jason’s in love with) is NOT the total asshole Jason thinks. All the dialogue/assumptions these two have about each other create tension and humor due to our foreknowledge.

[Jamie Handley]

VISION: To sell my script or limited series with future spin-offs to a great producer. And made!

Here’s what I have learned; this is a very important lesson to learn prior to developing an outline or structuring a beat sheet or script. I am going to go back and continue making lists of subplots.

Concept: WITHOUT RECOURSE

With no recourse to sue, two women battle with the FDA and AMA when one has a life threatening medical condition and her doctor and attorney are part of the medical mafia.

ONE THE SURFACE

Justine is helping Lauren with her medical problem and deals with her doctors and lawyers.

BENEATH THE SURFACE

Lauren knows that there really is a medical mafia.

Lauren pretends she doesn’t know much about computers,

Lauren withholds her conversations with Justine’s daughter, Gracie and Peter, her attorney.

Justine provides Lauren, doctors and her attorney with information that prove the doctors are at fault.

Peter knows Lauren that you can’t sue the mfg. but wants to take her case.

Peter Cook knows three of the surgeons, they are his clients.

Lauren withholds her conversations with Justine’s daughter, Gracie.

Lauren pushes Justine’s buttons about Gracie and what she knows.

Justine doesn’t trust Lauren’s attorney, Peter.

Lauren withholds her conversations with Justine’s daughter, Gracie.

Justine discovers that there is a medical mafia.

Justine is fearful of the consequences if they pursue the lawsuit.

[Paul Mahoney]

Paul Mahoney’s Subtext Plot

Vision: My vision is to be a successful full-time writer with a good steady income, who constantly learns, enjoys life, creates employment for others and brings joy, fun, fulfilment, health, happiness, inspiration & an attitude of gratitude to my partner and others.

What I learned from doing this assignment is that this is a helpful technique for layering in sub-plots and giving me possible tangents to explore.

2. Tell us your concept and your choice of one or two of these Subtext Plots.

LayeringSomeone Hides Who They Are – I think that perhaps God could be one of Dan’s primary school teachers.

Superior Position – Only Dan can see God.

A Major Cover Up – To get out of the psychiatric ward Dan has to hide the fact that he has been talking to God.

Competitive Agendas – Between Dan’s ex who drove him to suicided by publicly shaming him, who has discovered he won on his lottery numbers and his sex therapist Kyla.

3. Give us a few sentences on how your Subtext Plot will play out inside this story.

When Dan is in the psychiatric ward, he meets someone who he vaguely remembers – Mrs. Wagner – his primary school teacher. Unaware of why she is there, she reveals her true identity. The problem is Dan is the only one that can see her, and he has to keep this a secret otherwise he won’t be released from the psychiatric ward. Meanwhile his therapist and Dan’s ex have competing agendas.

[Holli Castillo]

Holli’s Subtext Plot

My vision: I am going to do whatever it takes to write amazing, resonating, Oscar-winning movies so I am respected in the professional writing world and can quit representing derelicts and perverts for a living.

What I learned doing this assignment is I have several options for subtext and layers but need to decide which one fulfills the comedy concept the best.

Concept: When a former pageant girl turned police rookie is fired, she sets out to capture the city’s top ten most wanted criminals, and makes a deal with number 10 to help her catch the first nine.

The Fish Out of Water

Lucy is a beauty pageant girl who seemingly had no place being a cop or in trying to clear Ten’s name, much less catch the other top nine most-wanted criminals.

Superior Position

The audience will know that Lucy and Number Ten plan to double cross each other.

Competitive Agendas

Lucy and Number Ten are both working toward their own goals, Lucy to prove herself to get her job back and Number Ten to clear his name, but both plan to leave the other hanging high and dry once their own need has been met. They are only working together on the surface. Lucy doesn’t believe Ten is innocent so she plans to turn him in. Ten plans to bail on Lucy as soon as he gets the evidence to prove he was set up.

[Kristin Donnan]

KRISTIN’S SUBTEXT PLOT(S)

VISION: “I want the personal, professional, and financial freedom and joy that come from writing so well that I’m in demand, selling beyond my wildest dreams, and making worthy projects—on a big scale and with my active, collegial participation.”

WHAT I LEARNED: At first, the idea of subtext plots is one of those things that anyone “understands” after the fact—yes, we get how The Sixth Sense works, AFTER you watch it. I was a bit nervous that I wouldn’t be able to see my own applications of them. But after reading the descriptions, the answers were right there! My story works… but my initial “problem” reared its head again. I have a lot of antagonists, and in these exercises, it seems that the “main” one I chose before might not be the right guy. So I’m putting a pin in that and MOVING ON.

CONCEPT: REX APPEAL / Comedy — The true story of a small-town paleontologist who sues the government after the feds seize his T. rex, the largest in the world.

Of the 7 Subtext Plots, I found 5 that could be used. My favorite 2 are:

Scheme and Investigation

What’s awesome about this one is that BOTH parties think the OTHER is scheming, and since it’s a legal case, they’re both investigating. Of course, the government is investigating what it thinks is a series of crimes, and the protagonist is investigating what’s wrong about the story to find holes in the … investigation. They also believe that the government agents are wrongly targeting them, and they uncover some hilarious mistakes (or poorly executed but intentional mis-directs). With this set-up, everyone is scheming, and the question is who is “honest”?

Competitive Agendas

This is tailor-made for this script, because the whole case is a competition—for the amazing fossil (ownership), to advance in the public eye (as “innocent” of charges, or as the “person who put a criminal away”), to protect natural resources (my way or your way). Each statement to the press is partisan; each maneuver is a legal strategy. Each lawyer is…a lawyer. Whom to trust??

[Kevin Patrick Goulet]

Kevin’s Subtext Plot [LESSON 4: What’s Beneath The Surface?]

MY VISION: Develop a successful methodology for writing screenplays resulting in: completion of this/other screenplays which all ‘read’ at a PRO/story-telling level, culminating in the selling of my screenplays… produced projects (films or series), worthy compensation -and more screenwriting opportunities. Rinse and repeat- many times over.

What I learned with this assignment: I think great Subtext is crucial and can really cause a film to resonate with audiences. Without it- films are often forgettable.

Concept Logline and Subtext Plots

Concept Logline: Life story of Jazz Pianist Vince Guaraldi (‘Present/Past’ approach) .

Dead of a heart-attack at 47, VG actually feared -while alive- he might never be remembered as a guy who wrote a Jazz ‘standard’ composition; not one. Guaraldi thought his ‘PEANUTS’ compositions would be judged ‘superfluous’ in years to come. He wanted to create much more. After the first PEANUTS cartoon debuted in 1965 Guaraldi was non-plussed -and spent the next 11 years (until his death in 1976) working to create something the Jazz world would considered worthy of JAZZ ‘Standard’ status. (Little did he know that decades later his music would one day be regarded as ‘on par’ with other Jazz Standards throughout the world).

Subtext Plot: LAYERING (?). Many events occurring in the Protagonist’s life could have shades of other types of subtext (‘scheming’, ‘fish out of water’, ‘superior position’, ‘competitive agendas’) but I really see most of these occurrences -as put upon the Protagonist by other integral characters in the story- as LAYERS.

Layering: -Father abandoning him (age 4) and his Mother.

-Mother and Father’s subsequent divorce.

-Mother Carmella… excommunicated from their Catholic Parrish.

-Vince kicked out of school (…Scandalous divorced Mother).

-Carmella remarries (Tony Guaraldi)

-Vince’s Mom & Uncles (professional musicians) unwavering support in musical pursuits.

-Step Father adopts Vince (new last name, Guaraldi) but displays little else (Tony mostly ignored the boy) in the way of affection, interaction.

-Vince- not fitting-in with other kids (he: small, not athletic, liked music… seen as nerdly.

-High School Talent Show goes awry but Vince bounces back; this becomes a foreshadowing moment of the kind of ‘mettle’ he may really be made of.

-Army ‘cook’ (Compulsory military service: Korea 1946-48… fights, violence.

-‘Printers Devil’ (Apprentice), San Fran Chronicle Newspaper (hand injury).

-Gigs at Colleges, small clubs auditoriums.

-Vince gets back-handed compliment about his ‘covers’ of other Jazz ‘standards’ of the day (Club owner, “…a dead end road kid”); huge revelatory moment > causes Vince a new direction in the pursuit off his own unique jazz sound.

-Birth-Father meddling, taunting Vince later on when He’s making it big.

-Marriage… children (son, daughter), … girlfriend-on-the-side, his own eventual Divorce.

-The Porsche 356…

-Vince goes all in on Electric Sound of the 70’s.

OTHER possible subtext:

-Scheming?: Record & Network executives working against him as an artist.

-Fish Out of Water: Towel-boy, Boys High School Football Team (ridiculed)

-Superior Position: Night Club Owners/Managers: (controlling, unfair wages).

-Competitive Agendas Vince battles with record companies: music rights, money…

…but OTHER possible subtext here- probably just Layering too.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  Kevin Patrick Goulet.

[Jane Turville]

Jane’s Subtext Plot

MY VISION: I will make my living as a screenwriter by selling my own narrative scripts and successfully fulfilling writing assignments.

By doing this assignment I discovered how much I actually know about this story already. I’ve been mulling over a lot of details about it and trying to stop doing that because I really want to create, as Hal says “Something from nothing.” But in doing this assignment, I realize how much of the story structure I do actually have worked out (well, somewhat worked out).

Concept: In this parody on tea cozy murder mysteries, a Poirot-like character and a Miss Marple-like character compete to prove which of them is the greatest detective only to discover that a murder has happened and that one of them is the next victim.

My 2 subtext plots are:

Layering

Competitive Agendas

Layering will play out as we perceive that the story is about a battle of the sexes between two great detectives, only to discover that they are the intended victims of a murderer. There will be clues along the way that let us know that something is amiss. However, because we’re so focused (as are the characters) on the competition between the two detectives, we won’t recognize the clues.

Competitive Agendas will play out in two ways. The first is the challenge that June Marvel gives to Percival Heriot – each will create a crime that the other must solve within a given amount of time. The only rules are no one gets hurt and no property is damaged. The second is when a murder actually happens. Did one of the detectives go to far? Did their crime get out of hand? Or, is something else afoot? Now we have a third character, the murderer, who has their own agenda that is definitely not that of either detective.

[Susan Chan]

Sassy Chan’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I am a HAPPY, respected, masterful, and in-demand writer, who is also an A-list hit maker!

What I learned from doing this assignment is… I wonder if I could have more than one subtext plot, or a different one for the antagonist, too.

Title: MARRiAGE NIGHT

Concept: A low-key Seamstress must rescue her newlywed MMA fighter husband when he gets kidnapped on their destination wedding day/honeymoon by terrorists, revealing her secret CIA skills previously unbeknownst to him.

Subtext Plot: Can there be a combo?

My Shero used to be a secret agent, I think it’s Someone hiding who they are.

Also, since the audience will know the above before the husband, they will also be in a Superior Position.

[Marianne Post]

Marianne’s Subtext Plot

Vision: To empower myself to smile at today’s writing challenge and have fun solving it. Why? Because that’s how I’ll craft screenplays industry insiders are itching to read and produce. That’s how I’ll get my movies made.

What I learned from doing this assignment is how to find a way to add depth to my characters and story

Concept: Feuding twins must team up to honor their terminally ill father’s wish — finding the family’s treasured time capsule — before his time ends

Subtext Plot: Competitive Agendas

Jane wants to find the time capsule to take something her brother loves away from him

John wants to find the time capsule to finally beat her sister at something and feel adequate

On the surface the two siblings sabotage each other and act like they hate each other

Below the surface they really do love and respect each other

On the surface they act like they don’t need each other

Below the surface they won’t find the time capsule without each other’s help and can’t succeed at life without each other’s support

[Linda Kish]

Linda’s Subtext Plot

My Vision is: I will do whatever it takes to be a sought-after profound writer with many successful movies produced and an Oscar on my mantel.

What I learned doing this assignment is writing beneath the surface is so much more fun than on the surface.

Competitive Agendas – Arturo, a ruthless cartel heavyweight, plots to kill Joaquin, a low-level worker while acting like they are members of the same family with the same agenda. Arturo is everything Joaquin hates about the cartel but can’t let on b/c he fears for his life – he is secretly plotting to take him out.

Superior Position – The audience learns of their plots and attempts before the other character does.

Layering – A shocking ending (I’m debating a few different options) will reveal a deeper layer.

[Nat Melvin]

Natalie’s Subtext Plot

My vision is to create and produce award winning stories that make an unforgettable emotional impact on a worldwide audience.

What I learned from this assignment is that I can incorporate other subtext plots into the story.

1. Scheme and Investigation: Emily is convinced that someone within her past affiliation with a mysterious cult kidnapped her daughter and is preparing her to be sacrificed during their ritual on Halloween. She plunges into an investigation after she discovers her under hypnosis drawings and follows her own leads based on that.

2. Layering: I can see this structure work because Emily has a DID and acts as two different personalities, which is revealed at the end. One is being a mother of an 8 y.o. daughter, two is her non-exixting daughter.

3. Competitive Agendas: In a way this may work because Emily (protagonist) is hellbent on saving her daughter’s life, and Walter, although being under the surface antagonist, is killing heirs threatening his rights to the estate.

On surface: Walter is Emily’s cousin who seemingly tries to help her find her daughter

Under surface: Walter is vengeful for being rejected by Emily and wants to humiliate her publicly. He impersonates other characters and messes up her fragile mental state by misleading and provoking her to take reckless actions

[Jill Clifford]

Jill Clifford’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: I am going to become skillful enough as a screenwriter that I can to get my scripts into the hands of producers, and ultimately get one or more into a produced feature film.

What I learned from doing this assignment is that there can be all kinds of subtext plots woven into a single story. In my case, I can make the main character very intelligent and skillful, but still have serious shortcomings for his assignment (i.e. being sent undercover as a migrant worker when he doesn’t know anything about farming).

2. Tell us your concept and your choice of one or two of these Subtext Plots.

Concept: An undercover INS agent’s life depends on the help from the same illegal immigrants he was planning to deport.

This story appears to have bits of many of the Subtext Plots, but I think the major one is: “Someone Hides Who They Are.”

A bit of “Scheme and Investigation:” Hagan is investigating a farm where he knows that illegal aliens are being hired, while Clint is scheming to make money off the illegal workers he is hiring.

A bit of “The Fish Out of Water:” Hagen is sent on an undercover job to a farm when he has never even been on a farm, let alone work on one.

But the overall theme is “Someone Hides Who They Are:” As an undercover INS agent, Hagen has to hide who he is from both the fellow farm workers, some of whom he is planning to deport, and the farm manager that he is investigating. What he doesn’t realize until he becomes one of the targeted victims, is that the farm manager is also hiding the fact that he mass murders the illegal workers he hires to keep their pay.

[Elizabeth Wang-Lee]

Elizabeth’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: I write kickass, creative and emotional blockbuster movies, TV series and graphic novels like my writing heroes (eg. Jonathan Nolan, Joseph Weisberg, etc.) and be in constant demand.

What I learned from doing this assignment: I learned that the above and below surfaces must be interwoven together create a plot/story with depth and interest.

Layering – Primary

On the Surface:

Rizzo must overcome her agoraphobia, find her real brother , save him and stop an invasion.

Below the surface:

· The fear that without her twin brother, she is nothing.

· The shock that her suspicions were right, her brother has changed. Who is he?

· Breaking through her internal resistance.

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Fish out of Water – Primary

On the Surface:

· Rizzo is an agoraphobic- scared to leave her familiar surroundings

· Rizzo is anti-social.

· Rizzo is angst over loss of her brother.

· At a secret government facility

Below the Surface:

· The fear of the unknown of being kidnapped.

· Breaking through her inner demons.

· What is her brother involved with?

· Who are her brother’s colleagues?

· Why is this facility secret?

· Fear of work failing.

Someone hides who they are – Secondary

On the Surface:

· Rizzo’s brother Marcus is acting weird and traumatized by PTSD

Below the Surface:

· Marcus hides the fact that as a doppelganger, he wants to stay in this world.

· Marcus must also hide his agenda to help open the portal for his compatriots to invade the real world.

This is a story about a woman who lives in the past. She’s afraid to deal with the world although her existence depends on it. When thrown into a new environment against her will (fish out of water) she has to navigate her way through deception and the layers of unknown by relying on and propelled at the same time by “memories” which she does in order to find and save her brother.

[Bill kellas]

Pitch

We’re We in the last days as we could no longer ignore the signs as plagues, famine’s, pestilence wars and rumors of wars from ancient prophecys for they had they now all come upon us?

While Our leaders wanted unaccountable authority. They wanted all the power but none of the responsibility.

Was The worlds mass confusion from Satan as the master magician’s misdirection?

As The crowd focused on bread and circus’s their empire collapsed in to a one world government.

That was until a freak car accident seem to shattered the boy’s dream’s only to fulfill them.

From it Cane became the worlds most powerful cyborg while Troy assented to be Gods man as he prayed for spiritual eyes to see through a world of deception and lies.

Join us as we track their divergent journeys finely to converge to decide the fate of the world in Satans son’s secrets.

WIM] Module 2 — Lesson 1: Great Outlines Make Great Scripts!

ASSIGNMENT

1. Start this assignment by empowering yourself using our State-To-Activity empowerment process.

State: I am really good at…Activity: …creating an outline that turns into an amazing story!

2. Post your Title, and Concept to claim ownership of it.

Satans spawns/son’s secret

This is a story of an acrobatic family who toured the world as high wire gymnastics but really were kgb assassins from the old ussr. They tried to live a normal life in the USA after the fall of Russia but their past kept catching up with them.

Mom was a nuclear physicist dad was KGB they had twin boys one extrovert liar ,the other introvert who can only tell the truth and a daughter that was both beautiful and entertaining.

They were fleeing a murder in Davos Switzerland as mom got a job with jpl in Pasadena California and dad became a sports bookie out of Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia .

Their first day at Monrovia high school some of the football players we’re making comments and whistles at their sister. Cane asked them to stop the QB said who’s going to make me? That’s when they found out as the two brother’s mop-the floor with them earning a reputation as a family you don’t mess with.

They play sports and academics excelling in both until their sister got cancer and they had to raise over 1 million to give her a chance to heal.

The family starts trying to raise money from legitimate and illegitimate means. This gets the cartel,law Enforcement and even their employer’s after them . This turns into a chase where their car gets hit breaking their mother neck. Troy gets blinded and Caine breaks his arms and legs trying to stop the impact his collision.

Two different groups take them away and that’s where they’re being mended differently one through technology and the other by praying to God. This starts them on a collision course as they compete for the same girl next door the pastors daughter Molly.

Troy can’t track his mother down in the hospital. They said she was never admitted. Sooo he starts a journey with joy his sister to find their mother.

They end up having to overcome many Demons but none as difficult as the ones inside. Finding mom and brother at the worst place,in the enemies castle. Their bodies were rebuilt by the antagonists technologies like AL,ML,ROBOTICS,QUANTUM COMPUTER THAT WAS NERO LINKED into a hive of Cyborg’s under Satans control.

THE Devil had to have his army in place for when Jesus Christ returned after the 3d day since Jesus death in 33 now 2033.

This opened the door for a cage fight for two brothers and their families . Winner take all to the death if need be.

3. Tell us the Character Structure you’ve chosen.

Action thriller

4. At the top of the page, tell us your one-sentence vision for

your success from this program.

Getting picked up as a successful addictive TV series for at least 5 years

5. Under your vision, answer the question, “What I learned from doing this assignment is…?”

6. Post on the forums at http://ScreenwritingClasses.com/forums

Subject Line: (Your name’s) Title, Concept, and Character Structure!

Deadline: 48 hours

ASSIGNMENT 4.established characters so that everyone can identify with at least one of them.

5 .it’s the different ways they interact and how we identify at they grow to overcome the challenges that the change agent’s give them that makes they story arch work.

1. Start this assignment by empowering yourself using our State-To-Activity empowerment process.

State: I am completely committed to…intriguing characters that do the unexpected Activity: …having my lead characters deliver powerfully on my concept.

2. Give us a logline (one sentence answer) for your protagonist, antagonist, and triangle character (if you have one) to the question, “What makes this character fit my concept and title powerfully?”

3. Tell us what makes each of these characters unique. These two steps will look like this:

Character: Troy a genius with Aspergers ADHD.OCD,photographic memory inventor who Can’t lie.Logline: Troy is an introvert handsome shy guy who likes Molly next door in competition with his extrovert brother Cane Unique: Troy will need all of his abilities and more to overcome his challenges

4. At the top of the page, tell us your one-sentence vision for your success from this program.

5. Under your vision, answer the question, “What I learned from doing this assignment is…?”

6. Post on the forums at http://ScreenwritingClasses.com/forums

Subject Line: (Your name’s) Intentional Lead Characters

Subject: [WIM] Module 2 — Lesson 3: The Transformational Journey

. At the top of the page, tell us your one-sentence vision for your success from this program.

To write,produce an addictive series that earns an Emey

6. Under your vision, answer the question, “What I learned from doing this assignment is…?”

The journey is the destination

2. Tell us the Character Arc for your Protagonist:

Arc Beginning:

A.Troy’s sensitive to light ,sounds,even smells

, temperature and touch bother him.

B.He is and introvert likes projects ,finds people draining.

C. Avoidance of new circumstances especially relationships is his normal course.

Arc Ending

A. Troy gets the girl Molly and changes his sensitivity after his car accident where he picks up spiritual eyes that can read peoples motive.

B. He gains power after his mother gives him her hidden cross from the USSR days

C. The chosen one he becomes to recover his family and save the world.

:

3. Give us their Internal/External Journey.

Internal Journey:

Troy change’s his sense of belonging being chosen by the master ,judgement/wisdom , problem solving mental competence and confidence self worth to be able to overcome his journeys challenges .

External Journey:

Troy built his physical skills like martial arts,boxing balance ,stamina,speed and strength to overcome his challenges.

4. Tell us their Old Ways at the beginning of the movie and their New Ways at the end.

Old Ways:

Avoiding people,conflict and developed computer,math and science understanding so he could invent solutions to the worlds most difficult problems.

New Ways:

Confront the difficulties first listing the challenges inventing a quantum computer AI ML to solve energy needs using atomic fusion, adding robotics for power and neurolinc to communicate with the hive and internet. Troy installs it on his brother Cain who becomes arrogant and dangerous after Molly and the accident.

5. At the top of the page, tell us your one-sentence vision for your success from this program.

6. Under your vision, answer the question, “What I learned from doing this assignment is…?”

7. Post in the forums at http://ScreenwritingClasses.com/forums

Subject Line: (Your name’s) Transformational Journey

[Kevin Ash]

· Kevin Ash’s Subtext Plot

· Vision: I will be living in paradise, writing prolifically at my leisure, respected and sought after for my interesting and thought provoking films.

What I learned from doing this assignment is the subtext of my character is clear, but the subtext of the entire plot is still a bit confusing to me. There are a couple of ways to try and play it:

Someone Hides Who They are; This would be Evan hiding his addictions from himself. It would play out over the course of many events where he acts on his addictions and it manifests in mishaps that are dangerous and scary.

Superior Position: This would be easiest with the father figure who is constantly trying to save his son from his addictions while not noticing his own.

[Gisele FRAZEUR]

Gisele Frazeur’s Subtext Plot

My vision: I am going to work diligently to become a brilliant, reliable screenwriter who is sought after, regularly produced, highly paid, and awarded. Artistic fulfillment and financial freedom will result from the achievement of this goal!

What I learned doing this assignment is: Subtext is what keeps us glued to our seats. Makes us revisit a movie we have already seen.

Concept:

A perfumer joins forces with a down-and-out detection dog to nose out her sister’s killer.

Subtext Plots:

Scheme & Investigation

Perfumer Darin August is investigating her pregnant sister’s murder. Her brother-in-law, Hank Sanford, is scheming to throw her off the scent as he was involved with the killings.

A Major Cover Up

Undercover police detective Hank Sanford frames several people to cover up the fact he is implicated in his pregnant wife’s murder. He is hiding his involvement with a drug cartel. Stakes heighten as his sister-in-law, Darin August goes on the hunt for the killer with his detection dog, Pookie.

[Marcus Armstrong]

Marcus Armstrong’s Subtext Plot

MY VISION: I am going to be so disciplined in the daily writing process and become such an adept writer that my successful screenplays will launch me into a full-time writing career.

What I learned from doing this assignment is the struggle associated with creating out of nothing. I liked my overall concept, but putting together the story and the subtext plots were fairly difficult for me as I don’t know at this early time whether these assumptions will even work. It feels like I am just throwing random ideas at the wall and hoping they will stick.

Concept:

An environmentalist kills poachers using the same means as they killed their game.

Subtext Plots

• Layering

• A Major Cover Up

How Subtext will play out:

After the avenging environmentalist, has killed several animal poachers and his identity has been revealed, the U.S. Marshal service begins its pursuit. The wife of the U.S. Marshal agent tasked with tracking down the environmentalist once dated the environmentalist in college, and is still in love with him, so she begins to sabotage her husband’s pursuit efforts. The agent is dirty, however, and is actually involved in the poaching of elephants for their ivory tusks.

[Laura Koons]

Laura Koons’ Subtext Plot

My vision: I am an Oscar winning Screenwriter known to elevate the careers of A-list actors and directors. I am financially abundant and have the flexibility to write wherever and whenever I want.

What I learned from doing this assignment is learning to do a deep dive with my lead character.

Concept: A gifted architect longs to follow in the footsteps of her father who she lost at the age of twelve and subsequently found herself dumped on the doorsteps of an orphanage by her estranged mother.

Subtext plot:

Someone hides who they are: Heather’s best friend intends to bring out the best in her by helping her see the value of her past. She has always seen it as a weakness, something to be ashamed of. He not only shows her how it can be her superpower to elevate herself in her profession as an architect, but in her love life, as well.

[Bill kellas]

Satans son’s secrets
This shapes the sequences and turning points

2. Tell us the following:

Title: Satans son’s secretsConcept: twin brothers have to overcome kidnapping,accident and finally battle for the fate of the worldGenre: action thriller

3. Make a list of the conventions for your chosen genre, like this:

Example for Action:

Purpose: Adrenaline-stirring / fast paced —Demand for Action: Mission: Escalating Action: Hero: Antagonist:

4. Brainstorm ways to deliver the conventions more effectively and build those parts into your 4-Act Structure. Act 1:

Opening Davos murder Inciting Incident rapeTurning Point family fleeing the police

Act 2:

New plan relocation in California Plan in action new school enrollment protect sister Midpoint Turning Point new girl,auto accident loose sight and needs a transfusion changing Troy’s DNA

Act 3:

Rethink everything Cane goes for robotics Troy turns to GodNew plan develope new skills Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift loose balance in matches

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict turns to God for strength Resolutionmakes peace with his brother during combat and they unite against the Accuser

Murder in Davos starts the fleeing for their life through the Mexican border to Monrovia California

The kids enter the new school where the QB try to hit on the twins younger sister with graphic words ,he and his teamgets destroyed by the boys

5. List your structure from Lesson 6 along with the improvements that come from the Genre Conventions, like I did above.

6. At the top of the page, tell us your one-sentence vision for your success from this program.

7. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.

8. Post your assignment in the forums at http://ScreenwritingClasses.com/forums

[Rosemary Lismore]

WIM Module 2 Lesson 4 What’s Beneath the Surface

Pointe to War

Concept: Alexis a ballet dancer extraordinaire, must learn to overcome the dictates of others in order to show A Navy Seal Team they are unwittingly staring a war.

Subtext Plot is Competitive Agendas.

On the surface they tolerate each other.

Under the surface they are full of doubt.

On the surface, Alexis is well informed and the Seal Team is misinformed.

Under the surface they are learning to respect each other.

A girl with superior physical abilities is drawn into a scenario where she is aware the Navy Commander is plotting to blow up a massive cache of ordinance close to the North Korean border. She is thrown in with a Seal Team on the guise of training them her one good escape move. The Seal Team seeing her only as inferior tolerate her and must learn to trust her when she proves her move works. But when she comes to them with a story of a plot their Commander is hatching, they must decide if they trust her or their Commander. They are in effect fighting against each other going after the same goal. Peace.

[Joaquin Gray]

Joaquin “Ibn Gray’s” Subtext Plot

My vision: for the completion of this class is to write A plus intriguing screenplays that will be produced into extremely profitable movies, which I will cash large checks from.

“What I learned from doing this assignment is the different types of subtext structure that allows a writer to go beneath the surface to make a screenplay intriguing.

Concept: The story of a Black American family that migrates from Georgia to Texas after the emancipation proclamation of 1863. Little did they know slavery would not be outlawed in Texas until June 19th, 1865, the day and fight of a lifetime.

Subtext plot:

Someone hides who they are

Brewford Dickson is the leader of a military regiment thus allowing him an advantage over the local townsmen.

A major cover up

Clyde Fordwood is covering up the news of the emancipated neighboring states knowing the law will soon change to outlaw slavery in Texas.

Joaquin “Ibn Gray”

[Farrin Rosenthal]

Farrin Rosenthal’s Subtext Plot

Farrin’s Vision: To do what it takes to become a highly paid A-List Hollywood writer whose produced movies will entertain audiences around the world.

What I learned doing this assignment is how having subtext in the plot, thus putting things under the surface, makes for a far better story and movie. It adds so many new layers for the audience to enjoy. For this script, I have so much going on under the surface and even literally put the protagonist under the surface. I will use all seven subtext plots to varying degrees. The key is to not overwhelm or confuse the audience and I know I won’t.

Title: TRAPPED

Genre: Thriller

Concept: Claustrophobic and trapped in a box at the bottom of a pool for stealing $3.6 billion in Bitcoin from the Russian mob, a Los Angeles retail store manager has just 60 minutes to
prove his innocence and save his family.

Subtext Plots

Scheme and Investigation, Layering, Someone Hides Who They Are, Fish Out of Water, Superior Position, A Major Cover Up, Competitive Agendas:

My story has a reversal of fates which will come out using layering. I also have a bit of Fish Out Of Water in that the protagonist is trapped in a situation he has never faced before and must figure out how to survive such a circumstance. Two characters in my story are hiding who they really are and what they have done. They along with the antagonist are in a superior position because they know more than the protagonist and all have competing agendas. There is even a Scheme and Investigation plot because the antagonist is trying to find out something the protagonist has supposedly done, and the two hiding characters have put this whole scheme into motion and are using a Major Cover Up to hide their scheme.

[Susan Chan]

Sassy Chan’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I am a HAPPY, respected, masterful, and in-demand writer, who is also an A-list hit maker!

What I learned from doing this assignment is, I wonder if I could have more than one subtext plot.

Title: MARRiAGE NIGHT

Concept: A low-key Seamstress must rescue her newlywed MMA fighter husband when he gets kidnapped on their destination wedding day/honeymoon by terrorists, revealing her secret CIA skills previously unbeknownst to him.

Subtext Plot: Can there be a combo?

My Shero used to be a secret agent, it’s Someone hiding who they are.

Also, since the audience will know the above before the husband, they will also be in a Superior Position.

[savanna]

My vision is to become admired, glammy and well-compensated for telling heartfelt sories that resonate through people enough to motivate them to ardently support my goals of ratification of human rights treaties in this country.

what I learned here is that subtext is not so easy to hash out.

Title: Link in Bio

Concept: a journalist form a progressive city returns to rural hometown to settle parents’ estate only to find her relatives and classmates have become overt racists and science deniers.

Subtext plots are people hiding who they are to the journalist, fish out of water and competitive agendas of siblings in inheritances from parents.

[Christopher Dalbey]

Christopher Dalbey’s Subtext Plot

MY VISION: to have success from this program and be one of the go-to writers in the industry for writing assignments and scripts that are both memorable and ground breaking.

What I learned doing this assignment is that there are so many incredible ways to manifest and incorporate subtext that will inevitably enhance the story. A big fan of this lesson!

Concept: In the future, a top psychologist is assigned a transcriber with empath and supernatural abilities who puts herself in the shoes of the world’s deadliest criminals, covertly becoming their judge and jury.

SOMEONE HIDES WHO THEY ARE: Nia Coleman is an esteemed scholar in the world of psychology and has been appointed as a transcriber to the world’s most distinguished psychologist to help evaluate a new line of elite criminals. But Nia’s empath abilities allows her to travel through time and investigate these criminals on her own terms, possibly even find her late husband’s killer and daughter’s assailant.

COMPETITIVE AGENDAS: Nia is not in favor of Dr. Olivia’s Dahl’s unorthodox methods in evaluating these criminals and, with her ability to travel to the time and place of these horrific events, has conflicting ideas as to what punishments should be rendered to these elite criminals.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by  Christopher Dalbey.

[Jacqueline Murphy]

Jacqueline Murphy Subtext Plot WIM Mod 2 Lesson 4 July 19, 2022

VISION: To empower myself to go for my dreams to be a great writer, actress and filmmaker who is “Admired”, recognized and sought after by the industry and has many successful TV & Film projects produced that make money, a difference and inspire others to go for their dreams.

What I learned from doing this assignment I was thrilled to have to think about the structure of the story and it helped prompt my creativity to clearly state the story structure and think about how the elements might create intrigue and hook an audience.

1. Start this assignment by empowering yourself using our State-To-Activity empowerment process. State: I absolutely love…Activity: …creating the story beneath the surface!

2. Tell us your concept and your choice of one or two of these Subtext Plots.

The Fish Out of Water & Competitive Agendas

CONCEPT: A wannabe actress makes a deal with a Devil to “time travel” to 1940’s Hollywood and becomes the glamorous Hollywood movie star she dreams of only to be hurtled in a web of desire, danger, fame and power whilst discovering the father she never knew passed on a unique genetic trait that allows her to have magical powers, time travel and that her true “role” may be to make a change in the past that is seen in the future that her family set in motion.

HOOK: Will Olivia use her newfound power to find her higher purpose and create the change she wants to see, or will the lure and temptation of fame and power send her on a path to wreak havoc and revenge on Hollywood’s future, past, and present?

3. Give us a few sentences on how your Subtext Plot will play out inside this story. Olivia a frustrated actress makes a deal with a handsome Sorcerer to time travel her to 1940’s Hollywood to be the Movie Star she dreams of, BUT she’s unprepared to deal with the dangers and all the changes in her life there. The different time period, RULES of this Old Hollywood Dimension and how to ace it there- confound her.

Coupled with a budding romance with the “Sorcerer” that turns into a competitive relationship for power once Olivia realizes her hidden talent for magic. Further complicated when this talent forces the Sorcerers true motive to come to the forefront as secrets are revealed as to what Olivia’s true purpose is, who her real father was and that he may be still alive!

[Jon Scheide]

Jon’s Subtext Plot

Vision: I’m going to develop my process and professionalism in writing so that I can become represented as a writer for hire and writer/director.

What I Learned: taking the time to break down subplots and themes generates lots of additional ideas.

Blacktop Diamonds is a thriller road movie.

A young American couple gets talked into doing a diamond run, from the restricted areas of the northern cape down to Cape Town. The Boyfriend sees it as a bit of adventure, harmless and easy money. The Girlfriend is quite pissed when she finds out what she been dragged into. Their Buddy, who set up the deal, has his own agenda and when the Mining Company’s mysterious Head of Security learns their identity the scenic drive along the coast becomes a race for survival.

Primarily this will be Competitive Agendas as the characters’ allegiances shift along the journey (internal & external). There will also be Superior Position once the Head of Security joins the chase as he (and the audience) will know more than the protagonist. Additionally, there will be a small element of Fish Out of Water, as the couple are American’s in South Africa, Whites in a Black culture, Rookies in an experienced Crime World.

[Daniel Turner]

Daniel Turner’s Subtext Plot

My Vision: My vision is to become a consistent, produced and overall well received writer.

What I learned from this assignment is subtext creates more points of interest to keep the reader engaged.

I absolutely love creating new worlds and the characters that live in them.

Concept: A retired South American Drug Baron and an ex-Army Ranger open up a neighborhood coffee shop.

Subtext Plot: Someone Hides Who They Are/The Fish Out of Water

Title: Perfect Grind

This is the story of two guys who meet and become friends and decide that their next career is going to be running a coffee shop together. One is an ex-Army Ranger and the other is an extremely wealthy and now retired Drug Baron. They are both hiding their former lives and have never been in an environment like this before and have to adjust and learn.