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Day 4: Triangle – OCEAN’S 11
1. Please watch this scene and provide your insights/breakthroughs into what makes this character great from a writing perspective.
2. Read the other writers comments and make notes of any insights/breakthroughs you like.
3. Rethink or create a scene for your script using your new insights and rewrite that scene/character.
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8 Replies
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These characters are great because Tess is closed off and fighting with herself to stay that way while Danny is emotionally open.
Secrets and Intrigue
Why is Tess saying she’s not interested in Danny but the subtext is that she doesn’t love him. He doesn’t bring her happiness, only less pain.
What will happen when Terry arrives?
How does Danny know so much?
What happened five years ago?
Why did Tess divorce Danny?
Why did Danny say that Tess should not be with Terry.
Emotional Needs
Danny and Tess need love.
Terry needs ownership.
Drama is Built Around
Who will Tess choose?
The future
Terry is living his life with Tess. Tess is living a life of loneliness. Danny is living a life with Tess.
Wound
Both Tess and Danny feel hurt and abandoned.
Character Traits
Danny — loyal, caring, regretful
Tess – frightened of being hurt again, loving, angry
Terry and Danny are rivals. Terry looks from Tess to Danny and realizes she may still be interested in him. Danny argues his case with Danny. She says she isn’t interested.
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Bob Kerr
Triangles – Oceans 11
First Viewing:
Danny and Tess are having two different conversations. Tess is upset that Danny has shown up and expresses her morale outrage at Danny’s being a thief and a liar. Danny confesses that he no longer lies This confession go9es over Tess’s head as she is threatened by Danny’s presence while waiting for Terry. The contained anger is subtle but powerful.
The secrets, Danny is going to rip-off Terry’s casino and doesn’t want Tess to be caught in the cross fire.
Tess still holds a buried love for Danny.
Terry doesn’t trust Danny at any level.
Intrigue: This scene takes place in opulent settings with wealthy trappings. Danny wants to extract his own brand of justice for the time in prison and the intellectual challenge of beating Terry’s control of the casino.
Second Viewing
The drama is Danny wants to rekindle his relationship with Tess. He demonstrates his attention to her professional competence as a way of establishing rapport. Tess has moved on and spars with Danny. Suggests there are still buried feelings for Danny but she has made a logical decision to move on with Terry. Terry clearly6 views Danny as a potential threat on multiple levels.
Traits:
Danny: Intelligent, romantic, self-assured and curious
Tess: Intrigued, angry, emotionally conflicted and willingness to be deceptive.
Secrets:
Danny has already made the decision to rip-off the casino
Tess is dealing with ancient feelings that have been sparked by the sudden appearance of Danny.
Wounds:
Tess she was deeply hurt when Danny went to prison
Danny: He wants a way to rebuild a relationship with Tess and tries to identify some expectations on her love life.
Future: The pull is magnetic and the reality that Danny can make Tess laugh suggests he will create a massive triangle conflict leading to a transformation of Tess has trhe other side of Terry is revealed.
The Insights: The calm, cool and polite sparring offers more tension than a loud and angry spectacle. It suggests there will be deeper emotions that can be triggered and the possibility that Tess will succumb to the charm and wit of Danny.
Breakthrough:
In my script the original version has only one true romantic relationship. There is a possibility of creating a Triangle to punch up the tension and offer a path to the ultimate transformation and commitment in the romantic relationship.
What I learned:
The nature of societal norms offer tremendous opportunities to be more subtle, more dramatic and create more tension than having my characters make a scene.
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WATCH 1ST TIME FOR:
– What makes this love triangle interesting?
…….. Danny is smooth and determined to get Tess back. Tess is upset, but she also still has something for Danny. Tess is with Terry, who is a rich casino owner and doesn’t lie or steal, like risky Danny.
– Where do you see secrets, intrigue, and emotional needs?
…….. SECRETS: Danny is probably not going to tell Tess his plan to rob the casino. Tess is not telling Danny she has something for him.
……. INTRIGUE: Will Danny’s desire for Tess ruin his scheme, esp if Tess finds it out. Will Tess finally go with Danny, or try to help Terry avoid the theft.
……. EMOTIONAL NEEDS: Tess indicates she needs stability and security, but she really needs love. Danny needs love, but he desired money and revenge ?
– Where do you see conflict between each point of the triangle?
…….. Between Danny and Tess (struggle to get together, stay apart), Tess and Terry (struggle to hang on to each other, Tess wavering about telling him about Danny and the plot), Danny and Terry (over Tess and re the Danny’s plot to rob him)
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WATCH 2ND TIME FOR:
– What drama is this scene built around?
…….. Danny is out of prison and surprises Tess with his determination to win her back.
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– What profile items (right character, traits, secret, wound, future) showed up in these two character’s words and actions?
…….. Danny is a slick theft, charming, he is hurt Tess has divorced him, will be robbing Danny and getting Tess? Or ?
…….. Tess is sophisticated and capable of brushing off men and getting what she wants, she’s been hurt by Danny, she will get what she really wants ?? a straight guy Danny, who still has attractive charm ??
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WHAT MAKES THIS CHARACTER GREAT FROM A WRITING PERSPECTIVE?
– Danny has a range of emotions and inner conflicts between getting Tess and getting the money. Great dialogue with lots of subtext.
– Tess has a range of emotions and inner conflicts between keeping her life stable and happiness with crooked Danny. Great dialogue with lots of subtext.
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These are great characters as there’s tension from the top of the scene. As Tess is waiting for Terry, she’s surprised to see Danny instead and doesn’t look happy. We can tell there’s history between them. We clearly understand their respective needs: Danny wants his wife back, whereas Tess wants him to disappear from her life so she can’t start a new life with Terry.
Both Danny and Tess are very smart and their conversation is like a ping-pong game, trying to win over the opponent. They’re both witty and provocative. My favorite line is “Does he make you laugh? – He doesn’t make me cry.” (Straight to the point. That hurts!)
Then Terry shows up in the middle of their conversation, very relaxed (in appearance), elegant, rich, smart and also handsome (a worthy opponent), he doesn’t consider Danny as a threat until Danny keeps touching his ring in front of Tess’s eyes who seems moved. And when they both answer at the same time “I/ he can’t” (stay for a drink), Terry can only notice they’re still connected and gets suspicious, he stares at them and decides to protect his “territory” by being provocative towards Danny: he says “I don’t imagine we’ll be seeing Mr Ocean anytime soon right?”, he caresses Tess’ hand and kisses it, while saying “the towels, you can keep it” => I keep the lady. And all that without even looking at Danny (even more powerful!) => LOVE THAT! GREAT INSIGHTS.
He shows she’s his now. Danny feels very uncomfortable, he can only leave but it doesn’t mean he’s going to give up on her.
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Week 2 Day 4: Triangle – OCEAN’S 11
1st view:
• What makes this love triangle interesting?
Tess is surprised that Danny shows up. That he is just out of prison. That Danny gives her advise about here love life (she shouldn’t be involved with Terry). That Terry owns the casino and that Danny plans to rob it.
• Where do you see secrets, intrigue, and emotional needs?
What crime did Danny commit? Why does he want to get reinvolved with Tess? What happened in New York that ruined Tess’s life? Has Danny changed and given up being a thief?
• Where do you see conflict between each point of the triangle?
Danny wants Tess back in his life but Tess wants nothing to do with Danny. Terry knows Danny is an ex-con and probably doesn’t trust him with Tess or his motives for being in the casino.
2nd view:
• What drama is this scene built around?
It is built around Danny showing unexpectedly. We and Tess and wonder what he really wants. Also, that Tess wants him out of her life and she is now with Terry.
• What profile items (right character, traits, secret, wound, future) showed up in these two character’s words and actions.
– right character: Tess, he new lover Terry and ex husband Danny create the perfect triangle
– traits: Danny: confident, conniving, deceitful, charming
Tess: angry, hurt, strong,
Terry: successful, confident
– secret: Tess and Danny-what happened in New York?
– wound: Tess- hurt by Danny’s life of crime
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What makes this scene interesting…
It joins the 3 points of the triangle. Tess is ‘reunited’ with Danny for the first time since he got out of prison; Terry meets Danny for the first time.
There are conflicts between Danny and Tess (achieving the added bonus of this being a ‘worthy opponents’ scene, showing they are equally matched in the cleverness of their traded quips), and between Danny and Terry who both want the girl.
The stakes for Danny are emotional: he wants Tess back in his life and hasn’t been able to take off his wedding ring after their divorce. Terry immediately recognizes danger in Danny’s appearance – he’s a threat to Terry’s being able to retain Tess and there’s a sense that Terry is uncertain he will be able to because there’s a history between Tess and Danny he’ll never be able to scale.
This scene introduces a number of uncertainties and shows the characters living into their collective future: who will Tess choose – her old love who could make her laugh, or the businesslike Terry, who arrives late to dinner with an account ledger in hand. What will Terry do to make good on his warning to Danny when he says, “I don’t imagine we’ll be seeing Mr. Ocean any time soon, right? The ‘right’ at the end of the sentence shows he’s uncertain he can count on Tess to stick with him and not take Danny back.
Breakthrough…
Try to accomplish several things when setting up a triangle scene: reveal history/past character relationships; have them living into the future; create intrigue – hint at who’s going to win in the long run and at what cost; make sure to reveal the character traits that are essential to the scene.
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These characters are great from a writing perspective because they create a very engaging relational triangle of intrigue, we have two “right together’ characters in Danny and Tess, with Danny returning for Tess, who is wounded by Danny’s lying and stealing and ending up in prison. This tells us much about their relationship, their separation was not of their choosing but was due to Danny’s roguishness. Terry, the third character, arrives late, does not make Tess laugh, but is rich, successful, powerful, all knowing (he knows everything – or does he?) and appears to be impenetrable – a worthy opponent to Danny. He has stolen from Danny, (Tess) , will Danny steal her back from him? Each characters’ objectives bounce around the triangle, Terry wants to know what Danny is doing, Danny wants Tess, Danny does not want Tess to be with Terry, Tess is with Terry but mirrors Danny, with the characters creating an expectation of intrigue into their future.
Insight / breakthrough –
when you put characters in a relationship triangle, whether it is a romantic triangle or not, there are great opportunities to reveal past histories, character traits, power struggles, worthy opponents, creating engaging exchanges and living into the future moments.
I particularly liked Liz’s insights
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The three characters provide such a dynamic relationship between each pair with the third being the audience, where if the audience wasn’t present we wouldn’t be privy to past history and traits of each character individually as well as those in a relationship. It also provides a lot of intrigue for future possibilities, and what each character needs to do in order to make the desired change in their journey as well as the desired interest to join on their journey.
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