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Day 6 Assignments
Reply to post your assignment.
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14 Replies
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Janeen’s Character Chemistry
What I learned doing this assignment is that I will have plenty of interest/friction in all my scenes if I note these four items between actors in the scenes for every scene and work in the chemistry (good or bad).
Names/Roles<div>
Morgan/Daniel
Morgan/Amber
Daniel/Amber
Morgan/Gavin
2.
Morgan/Daniel </div><div>A. Common Ground/Similarities — Both love fashion and detail in fashion. Have similar tastes and goals surrounding fashion.
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B. Differences that create conflict — Daniel is domineering, but subverts that when talking to clients like Morgan. Morgan hates being dominated and almost dominates herself when she runs into a bully.
C. Playing the same game / Competing agendas — Daniel wants to dominate Amber and Morgan wants to save/protect her.
D. Need fulfillment — In fashion, Daniel and Morgan try to create a stir with his fashions that she shows off beautifully in “big” events.
Morgan/Amber
A. Common Ground/Similarities — Both hate being dominated, not having freedom
B. Differences that create conflict — Morgan would never had let herself stay in Amber’s situation and doesn’t understand why she won’t leave. Amber has been beaten down longer and is practically friendless and hopeless
C. Playing the same game/Competing agendas — Morgan and Amber both want Amber to escape from Daniel’s terrorizing ways, but Amber is beaten down to the point where she needs a miracle. Morgan wants Amber to do it for herself and her kids.
D. Need fulfillment — Both need to feel they have conquered Daniel’s violent ways, but they have very different ways of getting there.
Daniel/Amber
A. Common Ground/Similarities — Loved each other once. Now Daniel sees her as a punching bag/disobedient challenger of his at every turn and Amber sees him as her torturer.
B. Differences that create conflict — Amber puts her kids first, Daniel puts his fragile ego first.
C. Playing the same game / Competing agendas — Daniel is trying to stay safe in the fashion business by never alienating a client with aggression or anger. Amber is trying to stay safe at home by not showing any aggression or anger to Daniel.
D. Need fulfillment — Daniel wants respect and homage for his talent. Amber wants safety.
Morgan/Gavin
A. Common Ground/Similarities — Both are insecure
B. Differences that create conflict — Daniel is a bit domineering and Morgan a bit intimidated by his assumption of superiority that is subdued and not aggressive, yet there.
C. Playing the same game/Competing agendas — Both want the respect and affection of the other and fear losing it if they don’t measure up. They are a good match for each other, but constantly strive to be even better.
D. Need Fulfillment — Gavin wants Morgan’s continued love and affection, but wants to protect her when he sees any danger in what she is doing. She needs to have her own value/worth solidified and recognized and that means pulling away from Gavin’s guardianship a little.
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Since film is usually flat and visual, it leaves out the three dimensionality, smells, and tastes of real life and what I must describe in fiction. But I need to imagine better chemistry between characters since the pandemic has perched me on a lonely pedestal.
Five couples
1) Litonya and Jake
2) CS and Joe
3) Sandrine then Fadma then BB/Betty and Ibrahim
4) Jean and Joan La Roche
5) Orhan and Nikos1) Litonya and Jake
A. Common Ground/Similarities — Once Rodney dies, Litonya and Jake create baby Jesse and become a couple devoted to nature, the community, Kisele, Coral, and Delphine, and fitness/wellness.
B. Differences that create conflict — Ever since the first novel they had conflicts about the environment and lifestyle but these have diminished as they aged and had children. But new conflicts will develop about STEMGARCHS verus EE, rocks versus water, and what to do about aging and degenerative diseases.
C. Playing the same game / Competing agendas — These conflicts can grow into competing agendas as Jake struggles with neurodegenerative diseases but eventually they play the same game to defeat the genocidal STEMGARCHS.
D. Need fulfillment — Jake needs Litonya’s grounded strength and academic genius and she is comforted by his attention to domestic things like cooking and caring for the kids. They were always attracted to each other sexually but now they are making love.
2) CS and Joe
A. Common Ground – Boxing and rock climbing brought them together in college.
B. Differences – CS became a financial analyst for Sam Stern, Litonya’s millionaire father, and kept Joe secret. But in the second novel, Stern is killed by a falling tree during Sandy Storm, aided by a push into Turtle Pond by his daughter, so Joe and CS get married. Then COVID creates conflict with CS’ long haul disease. Joe wants to adopt Aanadi but CS is too exhausted. He wins.
C. Competing Agendas – CS wants to get well and get back to boxing and finance with a clear head. Joe wants more kids and to live upstate more than in NYC. When CS finds out the real mission of STEMGARCHS, she is killed and Joe dies trying to save her so they play the same game at the end.
D. Joe is a strong, handsome firefighter and CS is tiny so she makes him feel bigger and better. Over the years they sparred with boxing, he trained her for Golden Gloves in the second novel, and their sex life was seasoned with violence. COVID killed that.
3) Ibrahim and his women Fadma, Sandrine, and BB/Betty
A. Common ground – Islam, environment, living space, children, Middle Eastern food, French culture, later–STEMGARCHS.
B. Conflicts – When Fadma becomes an artists and paints and hangs mutilated nudes, Ibrahim feels she is an apostate. When he finds out Mina is Jake’s baby, not his, he goes ballistic but learns to accept this and hires Jake to fertilize his next wife Sandrine to have the triplets. They love French and Arabic culture and have an ideal family life until Hurricane Ida demolishes the Summit and kills Sandrine and Omar. Ibrahim gives up his faith and Fadma comes back as a kind of filler in his big Tudor home. BB was his hit man but when he becomes Betty the female chef, a secret conflict grows as STEMGARCHS becomes elitist in a way that excludes Betty.
C. Competing Agenda – This escalates into a war between STEMGARCHS and EE where Betty is a kind of double agent leading to the crisis/climax and murder of Ibrahim.D. At first Ibrahim used others to fulfill his needs for power and control but as women and nature sabotage his plotting, he changed from a respected family man and hard working millionaire to a psychopathic billionaire who gradually lost that money as well and then his life. Therefore Ibrahim did not succeed in fulfilling his women nor his business.
4) Jean and Joan La Roche
A. Superficially the La Roches love the same things–American history, New Paltz, Huguenot Street, horses, corn, barley, beans, and beef, and professional life.
B. Conflicts – After giving birth to Jake, an ADHD disappointment, they stop having sex and Jean takes on a secret lover, Nikos, a Greek professor at the college. But it is the twentieth century and not time to come out so Jean fires Nikos and stays with Joan in a loving but sexless marriage. Joan is the local doctor, he is chair of history at the college, and community life trumps the void in their personal life. In the third novel where this screenplay begins, Jean contracts ALS and Joan slowly succumbs to Alzheimer’s, so they are locked in and locked out, the ultimate in estrangement.
C. Competing agendas – As they degenerate with neurological diseases, Jean and Joan must learn of the research that STEMGARCHS is doing as well as some of the horrible things they have done so that they can have arguments. Then Joan’s mind goes and others must step in. As Jean gets more disabled and Jake is busy with his kids, his former lover Nikos occasionally takes care of him, something that brings back memories of infidelity through Joan’s eyes.
D. Fulfillment – Their sexual tragedy was a perennial source of frustration, but aging allowed them to fulfil each others’ needs in daily living. But when Jean’s body is crippled by ALS and Joan’s mind is emptied with Alzheimer’s, they are so frustrated that only Jake and his kids can inject optimism with their buoyant enthusiasm. Then when Betty steps in to cook and clean, all hell is secretly breaking loose as she steals DNA and other things for STEMGARCHS research.
5) Orhan and Nikos
A. They are both gay men, artistic and intellectual, whose sexuality was sabotaged by the strict Greek and Turkish family culture. They love Huguenot St, the Gunks, middle eastern food, music, sex, reading, writing, and a few days in Manhattan for work and culture.
B. They playfully fight about Orhan’s Sufi mysticism versus Nikos’ classical enlightenment. When Nikos cares for his former lover Jean, Orhan is jealous, but rises above it with Sufi whirling and comes over to play the flute. They are all there when Jean passes on.
C. This exercise reminds me that I must use these characters in the competing agendas and link them to BB, Ibrahim, STEMGARCHS, EE, and the ecoboats. They need more physical and mental flaws.
D. Orhan and Nikos fulfill each other’s needs in every way from the first novel but again, I must inject more flaws and setbacks to fit them into the overall jigsaw puzzle. Maybe they can interact with the Feldmans, do something at the funerals, and have an assigned project for EE or STEMGARCHS. They must also age.
Other characters: There are other couples, like Jen and Eliot Feldman, an obese couple who code having sex on their waterbed with a mutual orgasmic heart attack exacerbated by BB’s COVID squirter at their Hanukkah party, the Lees, CS’ parents, who die in the Windows on the World restaurant on September 11, and the Nafisis, the Iranians who sabotage Ibrahim’s academic career in the first novel and have a secret affair with Jake’s former wife, Priceless, a gorgeous dancer who commits suicide when she gets multiple sclerosis by having her last dance doing aerial moves in the salmon waterfalls of Trump Tower Manhattan. But these are in the first two novels. My screenplay must focus on the last novel because it is not written yet.
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Budinscak Character Chemistry
What I learned doing this assignment is:
o My story is a road trip with three characters in a car driving cross-country. Lots of interaction, lots of good-and-bad chemistry between them.
o Character’s chemistry impacts their communication with other characters – words, actions, et al.
o Regardless of the exercise we do, more of the story reveals itself.
Characters
Jack – Protagonist
Puck – Antagonist 1
Sal – Antagonist 2
Don Vito – Supporting Character
Names/Roles
Jack/Puck
Jack/Sal
Jack/Don Vito
Puck/Sal
A – Common Ground/Similarities
B – Differences that create conflict
C – Playing the same game/competing agenda
D – Need fulfillment
Jack/Puck
A. They share family ties (Puck’s mother is Jack’s sister), celebrated holidays together and have spent time with one another.
B. Puck challenges Jack when he knows he’s right. Puck is uncomfortable with Jack’s freestyle nature. It angers Jack that Puck will get the best of him in front of Sal.
C. Puck tries to hold his uncle accountable during the trip. Jack does whatever catches his whim.
D. Puck seeks his uncle’s acceptance. Jack wants his nephew’s love.
Jack/Sal
A. They share the same family ties and relationships as Jack and Puck, but Jack and Sal are a lot alike in terms of being manipulative, sneaky and in possession of street smarts.
B. Being alike has a major problem when it comes to who’s in charge. Jack expects Sal to do what he says. Sal doesn’t listen to anyone and will lie if about just about everything.
C. Jack sees a lot of himself in Sal, and tries to use the benefit of his experiences to help nudge Sal to make better decisions. Sal feigns interest, and tries to do what he wants.
D. Sal needs guidance, and Jack knows he can help him.
Jack/Don Vito
A. Jack works for Don Vito as a bookie, it’s Jack’s side job. He also sells ‘things’ (apparel, merchandise, electronics) that happen to fall off trucks to the Don and his network.
B. Don Vito’s men tell him Jack saw the deliver of the moving body bag, Jack, convincing as ever, claims he doesn’t know a thing.
C. Don Vito wants a package delivered to Burbank at 2:00 Monday, and Jack will make that delivery to Burbank at 2:00 Monday. Jack also knows he’s facing danger dealing with the Don.
D. Jack needs the Don to keep his word and not burn Carmine’s, Jack’s family’s restaurant, to the ground when he delivers the package. The Don looks to get rid of two problems – Jack and the FBI – at the same time.
Puck/Sal
A. They’ve grown up together, close enough to be brothers. They know what each other is thinking.
B. Puck’s book smarts can be a detriment to Sal’s sneaky, street smarts. Sal knows how to set up a ‘bet’ that appeals to Puck’s statistical side, yet miss the ‘payoff’.
C. Puck and Sal are on the same side when they deal with their uncle during the road trip. Things like food, water, bathroom break, shower – they need to team up and complain about it loud enough for it to be received.
D. What Puck needs – confidence/balls – he gets from dealing with Sal, both good and bad. Sal learns its good to give and not worry about receiving, because it’ll come. That’s Puck’s basic nature.
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BOB SMITHS CHARACTER CHEMISTRY
“What have I learned from this assignment?”
An excellent exercise in disclosing the character of relationships between characters. Like a flow chart of chemistry.
THE TOP FIVE CHARACTERS IN “Moths Aroud a Flame: The Making of “The Blue Angel.”
NOTE: In the dramatic triangle arrangement of the story, Jannings, Dietrich, and von Sternberg can be protagonist and antagonist depending on how the relationships configure one scene to another, one character’s perspective to the other.
Five main characters: Emil Jannings Marlene Dietrich, Josef von Sternberg Kurt Gerron Hans Albers
Roles as Couples
1. Protagonist / Antagonist
Emil Jannings / Marlene Dietrich
Common ground / similarities:
Both are fellow actors obligated to do their best and make “The Blue Angel” a hit.
Differences that create conflict:
Dietrich holds Janning in contempt.
Dietrich wants career of stardom.
Jannings wants career advancement and maintain star-status which he feels
Dietrich with the help of von Sternberg is undermining.
Need Fulfillment:
Dietrich: Stardom and a hit movie and in the future with von Sternberg’s
mentorship a superstardom and creative partnership at Paramount Studios..
Jannings: Stardom in the hit movie and in his future.
2. Protagonist / Connecting Character with the Antagonist.
Jannings / Joseph von Sternberg connects Jannings and Marlene Dietrich.
Common ground / similarities:
Respectively they are actor /director. Together with other actors, they all want to make
“The Blue Angel” a hit.
Differences that create conflict:
Jannings is critical of von Sternberg for his exclusive attention toward Dietrich as
he grooms her for stardom (he feels) in the film (in which he is star).
Jannings believes the partnership between director and actor, i.e., von Sternberg and Jannings is being neglected by von Sternberg by is attention on Dietrich.
Von Sternberg insists that Dietrich is the newcomer to the film industry and needs
grooming and extra support, including from Jannings as the star.
Need Fulfillment:
Von Sternberg: Wants to see Dietrich and Jannings work as partners in art to
create a great film which will win acclaim for both of them.
Dietrich and Jannings agree. Von Sternberg, at least for a while, has defused the
conflict and set the scene for a successful completion of the film..
3. Antagonist / Connecting Character (who connects Protagonist / Antagonist
Marlene Dietrich / Josef von Sternberg
Common ground / similarities:
Von Sternberg and Dietrich have become lovers as well as mentor and mentee.
Von Sternberg wants to train Dietrich for the superstardom he sees for her in the
future as well as the partnership they will share making many motion pictures well into the future at Paramount. Dietrich wants the same
Differences that create conflict:
Von Sternberg must be director of Dietrich as well as her mentor and lover and so must
put aside his other relationships to Dietrich in order to be her director who can bring both
Dietrich and Jannings together as partners in art to make a great film.
Need Fulfillment:
Von Sternberg and Dietrich want a successful film, he persuades both Dietrich
and Jannings they can not reach this common goal without cooperation with one
another. Dietrich needs Jannings, Jannings needs Dietrich and both need von
Sternberg who needs both of them to work together.
4. Protagonist / Support Character #1
Emil Jannings / Kurt Gerron (Kliepert in the film, i.e., the MC and Troupe leader).
Common ground / similarities:
Jannings and Gerron are men, fellow actors, an both are concerned with their future survival both in career and life with what appears to be inevitable Nazi takeover.
Gerron is Jewish, Jannings’ mother is Russian-born of Jewish origin.
Both Jannings and Gerron wrestle with the question of how far does one go in collaborating with an enemy, i.e., work in the Nazi film industry.
Differences that create conflict:
Gerron tries in vain to disabuse Jannings of his perception of being upstaged as
the star by Dietrich and not to worry about the exclusive attention von Sternberg
gives to her. “Just act and follow Joe’s direction until he says, ‘Cut, print.’”
Need Fulfillment:
In the short term, both want a hit film. In the future, guidance as to what to do
when the Nazis take over.
5. Antagonist / Supporting Character #1
Marlene Dietrich / Hans Albers (Mazeppa, the strongman in the film, who has an attraction to Dietrich’s character of Lola Lola and tries to steal her from her husband, i.e., Jannings’ character of Prof. Immanuel Rath).
Common ground / similarities:
They are both actors who have a climactic scene together which they want to play to the hilt.
Differences that create conflict:
While still a friend of Jannings, he tires of his complaints about Dietrich and von
Sternberg, he wishes he could make the situation better but Dietrich looks upon
him as the unwanted helper. Only von Sternberg should have any mediating role.
Need Fulfillment:
They want peace on the set so that they get a hit movie.
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Amy’s Character Chemistry
What I learned doing this assignment is I forgot to give my main characters sidekicks. I also learned that identifying these characteristics in each relationship gives them depth and layers.
1. List your character names/roles as couples.
Andrea/Meagan
Andrea/Josh
Meagan/Josh
Andrea/Joanie
Meagan/Karen
2. Try to express each relationship on as many of these four levels
as you can:
Andrea/Meagan
A. Common ground / similarities-Both are willing to fight for what they want.
B. Differences that create conflict-Meagan is a soccer mom. Andrea is a career woman.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas-Andrea and Meagan are competing for Josh and the kids
D. Need fulfillment-Meagan needs to be needed. Andrea’s failures as a wife and mom give her the opportunity to step in and save the day with Josh, Chloe and Benjamin
Andrea/Josh
A. Common ground / similarities-They both have high-powered careers. Their kids.
B. Differences that create conflict-Josh is a family man. Andrea is career-driven.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
D. Need fulfillment-Andrea needs to be validated. Being married to an important detective gives her that validation.
Meagan/Josh
A. Common ground / similarities-Family is important.
B. Differences that create conflict-Meagan is a graduate student and a nanny. Josh is a locally infamous detective
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
D. Need fulfillment-Meagan fulfills Josh’s need for a woman who is mostly focused on him and the kids. Josh fulfills Meagan’s need for a family.
Andrea/Joanie
A. Common ground / similarities-
B. Differences that create conflict-Andrea is driven. Joanie is just working to get paid
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
D. Need fulfillment-Joanie fulfills Andrea’s need to feel validated at work. She also fulfills her need to blow off steam about what’s going on in her life. Andrea fulfills Joanie’s need to be connected to someone powerful.
Meagan/Karen
A. Common ground / similarities-They are both focused on their families.
B. Differences that create conflict-Karen is married to the love of her life with no complications. Meagan is in a love triangle and playing house with someone else’s family.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
D. Need fulfillment-Karen is Meagan’s cheerleader, giving her advice and support in her effort to keep Josh and the kids. Meagan fulfills Karen’s need for gossip and excitement
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Rob Bertrand’s Character Chemistry
What I learned: I learned the four levels of chemistry and how to use them to build interesting relationships with my characters.
Character Names/Roles
Protagonist: Annie Andrews / Antagonist: Danny Laplante
Protagonist: Annie Andrews / Connecting Character: Jocelyn Wilcox
Antagonist: Danny Laplante / Connecting Character: Jocelyn Wilcox
Protagonist: Annie Andrews / Supporting Character: Jack Andrews
Antagonist: Danny Laplante / Supporting Character: Jack AndrewsFour Levels of Chemistry
Annie Andrews / Danny Laplante
Common Ground / Similarities
Both Annie and Danny are teenagers with a history of trauma. They are both desperate to find a place to fit in.Differences that Create Conflict
Annie is a Catholic School student. Danny is a high school dropout. Annie isn’t interested in boys, but is too nice to say no to a date with Danny. Danny is morbidly obsessed with the death of Annie’s mother.Playing the Same Game / Competing Agendas
The characters have competing agendas. Danny is pretending to be the ghost of Annie’s mother, to punish her for rejecting him. Annie, who’s convinced the death of her mother is her fault, is determined to prove to her father that the house is haunted.Need Fulfillment
Both characters are in desperate need of love and connection. Annie needs Danny to leave her alone and respect her boundaries. Danny needs Annie to love him and give him a place to belong.Annie Andrews / Jocelyn Wilcox
Common Ground / Similarities
Annie and Jocelyn go to the same Catholic School and share a few classes. They like the same music and have a grudge against the same teacher. Both girls share a mutual, unspoken attraction for one another.Differences that Create Conflict
Annie is an introvert and keeps to herself. Jocelyn is an extrovert and is a bit of a wild child. When their relationship blossoms, Annie wants to keep it a secret. Jocelyn doesn’t care who knows.Playing the Same Game / Competing Agendas
Annie and Jocelyn are attracted to each other, but both are afraid to make the first move.Need Fulfillment
Annie needs to learn to be happy and live her true self. She sees Jocelyn as a step towards that direction. Jocelyn wants to help Annie heal.Danny Laplante / Jocelyn Wilcox
Common Ground / Similarities
Danny and Jocelyn both care deeply for Annie and want to date her.Differences that Create Conflict
Danny doesn’t like Jocelyn taking Annie’s attention. He views Jocelyn as competition. The main difference is that Danny is dangerously obsessed with Annie, while Jocelyn is merely infatuated.Playing the Same Game / Competing Agendas
Both characters are wooing Annie in their own different way. Danny wants to drive Annie crazy to the point she needs him to save her. Jocelyn wants to help Annie get over the death of her mother and live openly as a gay person.Need Fulfillment
Danny needs Jocelyn to disappear so he can have Annie all to himself. Jocelyn needs Annie to get over her trauma.Annie Andrews / Jack Andrews
Common Ground / Similarities
Both are dealing with the trauma of losing Nora in a car accident. Annie and Jack are both stubborn people who can’t admit when their wrong.Differences that Create Conflict
Annie is very liberal, while Jack is traditionally conservative. Jack doesn’t support gay marriage.Playing the Same Game / Competing Agendas
Annie and Jack are both struggling with depression and dealing with it in different ways. Annie wants to convince her dad that the house is haunted. Jack is convinced that his daughter is making it up in a desperate cry for attention.Need Fulfillment
Annie needs her father to accept her even though she’s gay. Jack needs Annie’s support to quit drinking.Danny Laplante / Jack Andrews
Common Ground / Similarities
Danny and Jack both love Annie and would do anything to make her happy.Differences that Create Conflict
Danny is obsessed with Annie. The more his obsession grows, the more dangerous he becomes. Jack is very protective of his daughter.Playing the Same Game / Competing Agendas
Danny’s agenda is to convince Annie that her house is haunted,Need Fulfillment
Danny needs Jack to die, so he can replace him and Nora as the number one love in Annie’s life. Jack needs Danny to leave his family alone. -
Armand’s Character Chemistry.
What I learned… The levels of chemistry can improve our characters’ relationships and the quality of our scenes.
“LEVELS OF CHEMISTRY
1. Common ground / similarities.
2. Differences that cause conflict.
3. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
4. Need fulfillment
Tyler, the ghost/Charles, Tyler’s half-brother (the killer)
They share the same father
They both love Maddie
They have different mothers
Tyler got kicked out of college, Charles in a A+ student
Tyler is arrogant to hide fears, Charles is nerdy and polite to hide his true sadistic self
They both wanted to please Father
They are both jealous of each other (growing up)
Tyler/Maddie (the final girl 20 years later)
They are both traumatized by the killer’s original spree
They love each other
Their friends are dead
They are both trying to stop the serial killer
Tyler wants to avoid conflict, Maddie wants to confront the killer
Together, they can stop the killer and find closure/move on/rest in peace
Charles/Maddie
They both grieved Tyler’s death
Charles wanted to let go, Maddie never let go regarding the killer being out there
Tyler/Lex (16y.o. goth, true crime aficionado)
They both have half-siblings
They both have rich parents
Tyler is a privileged jerk, Lex is a social outcast
Tyler wants to hide, Lex wants to investigate
They both want a healthy sibling relationship
Lex/Dallas (Lex’s college-aged half-sister)
They share the same Father like Tyler/Charles
Lex is a leader, Dallas is a follower
They can’t admit they are jealous of each other
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Elizabeth’s Character Chemistry
What I learned: okay so this pantser is appreciating the value of thinking about this up front, rather than writing it— and then trying to figure out what it is…
Antagonistic Forces:
· Promoting change – internal: the human drive for growth & life-meaning (that is largely relational)
· Promoting change – external: Ed with each of the others (as in a romance): each challenging the others’ defenses that keep them from healing/growing (Susan and Mark’s lives/deaths as catalysts) .
· Resisting change – internal: each character’s particular psychological defenses (excepting Jewels)
· Antagonism more purely Personified (external) in: Linda (complete self-focus/manipulation of others)
Ed – Linda (Direct Protagonist/Antagonist)
Common ground/similarities:
· Both focused on not feeling their own uncomfortable feelings
· Both need a kick in the ass to grow
· Both fairly clearly know they are avoiding psychological work and are okay with that
· Both need to work
Differences that create conflict:
· Ed’s promoting growth/healing in Linda’s family and Linda’s resisting it
· Ed’s empathetic/compassionate and Linda has empathy deficits (emotional)
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas:
· Same Game = to remove Ed from the family (initially, this is Ed’s goal, too)
· Competing Agendas: as Ed bonds with the family, Linda and Ed are no longer on the same team (as above)
Need fulfillment: both need to psycho-spiritually grow and…
· Linda (once committed) has the “just do it” (fearless) attitude Ed can borrow ego strength from
· Ed can call Linda’s bluff and push this bully in a way she respects ( & also connects her to Sister Mary)
Ed – Grace (Antagonists for each other)
Common ground/similarities:
· Both had dead-beat dads who died
· Both love people deeply and are terrified of losing them
· Both work (in Ed’s case, he did )/over-work as a defense
Differences that create conflict:
· Ed’s now trying not to work and recognizes Grace’s overworking for what it is—as she clings to it
· Grace is completely comfortable with play, which terrifies Ed
· Grace deeply desires family connections, which Ed has life-long avoided
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas:
· Grace wants Ed in the family and Ed (at first) does not want to join them.
Need fulfillment: both need to psycho-spiritually grow and…
· Grace can teach Ed the play that can help him heal/ Live Well (life of growth, meaning and connection)
· Ed can help Grace love/trust herself so she can more fully love/trust others
Ed – Jewels (Protagonist/Transforming Agent)
Common ground/similarities:
· Both are smart/enlightened/learned in their own disciplines/ways
· Both have big hearts (love)
Differences that create conflict:
· Jewels is play/spiritual joy personified and Ed values the human intellect/science
· Jewels is perfectly comfortable with what Ed is deathly afraid of: sorrow/grief/guilt/anger
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas:
· Ultimately (once Ed admits it for himself) they both know the goal of life is to heal and grow. Their Worldviews for this, however are different: spiritual vs. science
Need fulfillment: both want Grace and Mike (the next generations) to heal and grow and…
· Ed can bring the scientific treatments (work) while
· Jewles has the spiritual joy/play and work.
Ed – Michael (Antagonist forces for each other )
Common ground/similarities:
· Both are men
· Both need to work
Differences that create conflict:
· Ed thinks Michael needs ADHD/Substance Use Disorder treatment and Michael disagrees
· Michael’s comfortable with SEX and Ed has issues
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas:
· Both committed to Michael/Grace’s family’s wellbeing, but Ed sees this as involving change for Michael and Michael sees this as getting Ed to lighten up, be part of the family as Grace wants
Need fulfillment: both need to work
· Ed needs to work again and Michael gives him the opportunity (which makes Mike employable)
Ed – Christopher (Antagonist forces for each other )
Common ground/similarities:
· Both are men
· Both need to work
· Both are socially avoidant (limited in love)
Differences that create conflict:
· They each think the other needs treatment for his avoidance/depression
· Christopher’s more comfortable with SEX than Ed is
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas:
· Both committed to Michael/Grace’s family’s wellbeing but Ed sees this as involving change for Christopher and Christopher sees this as keeping Ed around because Grace wants that so badly
Need fulfillment: both need to work and love more
· Both need to connect with others and they each recognize and call this out in the other
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Richard’s Character Chemistry
What have I learned from this assignment… thinking about the relationships and the depth of the relationships besides the main character will help creatre better scenes in the first draft. I know their wants, and how they will play off one another much better now.
List your character names/roles as couples
Shane/Illena
A. Common ground / similarities.
In a sexual relationship. Both the favorites of clan chief. She is pregnant with his baby.
B. Differences that create conflict.
She is female. He has views that don’t reflect her’s.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
Both want the same for their future, the survival and progress of their people. Both prepared to use different tactics to get there.
D. Need fulfillment
Both want to be together. The situation they are in prohibits it.
Shane/Malachi
A. Common ground / similarities.
Both military leaders of their men. Life-long friends.
B. Differences that create conflict.
Shane wants the diplomatic way out of situations. Malachi will use force.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
Survival is the game for them. Leadership of the people awaits. Only one can survive.
D. Need fulfillment
Both need to survive as they feel they are the only one that can lead their people forward.
Malachi/Illena
A. Common ground / similarities.
Brother/sister.
B. Differences that create conflict.
She is head strong – and has the respect of everyone that Malachi craves.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
Survival. But Illena wants another leader than her older brother.
D. Need fulfillment
They both genuinely want what they believe is the best for their country.
Simon/Gavin
A. Common ground / similarities.
They are twins.
B. Differences that create conflict.
Who they believe should be leader.
B. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
As above.
C. Need fulfillment
To see Ireland united and victorious.
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Jodi’s Character Chemistry – Day 6
This helped me to summarize and track the connectedness of the characters, and serves to build on the characters relationships, which helps to create depth that will add to my script.
Pam Karras/Governor Chad Babbitt
Pam Karras/Chloe Carter
Governor Chad Babbitt/Governor’s Daughter Madison Babbitt
Pam Karras/Husband Elias Karras
Pam Karras/ Father Thomas Welles
Pam Karras/Governor Chad Babbitt:
Common Ground: Both have conservative backgrounds, they both have Daughters, they both believe in the death penalty.
Differences that create conflict: Pam believes in women’s constitutional rights to choose (pro-choice) regarding pregnancies, the Governor has stripped the constitutional rights of women to choose in his state by creating a state law that polices abortionists and anyone who helps a pregnant women, by pitting citizens (bounty hunters) against them through litigation.
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas: Pam is running to unseat the Governor and the Governor wants to retain his seat of power.
Need fulfillment: Have to think further on this.
Pam Karras/Chloe Carter:
Common Ground: They met in science club in junior high school, they both went into public service fields, their children would have been the same age.
Differences that create conflict: Chloe has a beautiful singing voice and easily performs well when on stage. Pam loves singing but can’t carry a tune and gets stage fright, Chloe’s life in high school was centered around the drama club, Pam didn’t make the cut. They re-established their connection after high school. Pam’s Daughter would have been the same age as Chloe’s son had he survived his infancy.
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas: Pam and Chloe work together to unseat the Governor. Chloe proves to be a great Campaign Manager for her friend.
Need fulfillment: They both believe in every females right to choose what happens with their own body, and work to inform the state’s voters of the devastation this law has created for those affected by it. Chloe covers for Pam when in public arenas because Pam freezes. At some point Pam has to overcome this paralysis.
Governor Chad Babbitt/Governor’s Daughter Madison Babbitt:
Common Ground: Chad is the Father of Madison.
Differences that create conflict: Being Chad’s only child, he tries to keep tight reins on Madison. The more he tries the more she rebels. She is spirited young lady and Chad is a power hungry, myopic misogynist who only knows life as ‘his way or the highway’.
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas: Madison loves freedom and although she can’t stand her Dad she plays him like a fiddle so she doesn’t have to work, but can still maintain her upper class lifestyle by living in their family home. She is starting to realize this arrangement is no longer serving her and she actually starts looking for a job. He wants to keep her home, controlled, safe.
Need fulfillment: They both need to control each other. But she really needs him to be more present, and accept her unconditionally. He needs her to be submissive to his wishes to maintain their public persona as a wholesome family.
Pam Karras/Husband Elias Karras:
Common Ground: They met at college in their international studies program. He is Greek, and has the same belief as Pam on abortion rights and family being the number one priority. They have one Daughter, Eliana who is now in her early-twenties. It is tradition to have Sunday dinner all together, and once a month with the extended family. They love to play board games and have an official date night once a week as a way to keep connected in their busy lives. He is progressive in his thinking as well, and they both believe in being pro-active rather than reactive.
Differences that create conflict: Sometimes the differences of beliefs of the extended family create conflict for Pam and Elias. Pam’s is conservative and Elias’s is progressive. The familial traditions create minor conflicts on holidays, etc .
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas: Pam loves to be at home when not working, and Elias has his own construction company which creates odd and long hours
Need fulfillment: They both want to see each other succeed; where Pam has a paralyzing fear of public speaking, Elias gets his crew to be one of her practice audiences. He helps her with her toastmaster speeches. He mans her hotline when Delores isn’t there. She does his bookkeeping and washes his clothes when he drags himself in late night with exhaustion. They are partners. When the Governor pulls his state contract and puts Elias and his crew out of work, Pam takes measures into her own hands and throws her ethics of fighting fair ‘out the window’.
Pam Karras/ Father Thomas Welles:
Common Ground: Thomas is Pam’s Father. She is more connected to him then she is to her Mother. They both love to sing show-tunes in the car together, that’s where her love of them came from.
Differences that create conflict: Pam is progressive and her Parents are conservative which lends to many heated debates and sometimes hard feelings. Thomas and Patricia sometimes come off as conditional Parents, as they have their beliefs and it’s hard for them to bend. Pam and her Brother Edward, were raised with the words sin, punishment, the wrath of God, etc. The Parents are God-fearing people and they want their offspring to be too.
Playing the same game/Competing Agendas: Thomas and Patricia get to the point that they threaten Pam that she’ll be excommunicated from the family if she doesn’t stop attacking the SB8 ban on abortion law and focusing on the political stance of their conservative Governor.
Need fulfillment: They both have the need for keeping the family unit together, they just go about it differently. When Thomas’ church and congregation get threatened by the Governor, Pam decides that she’s going to use any means she can to get him to stop his strong-arming, she has thrown her ethics out the window.
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Day 6 Seducing Actors
PS 80 Michelle Damis Character Chemistry.
What have I learned from this assignment is that in this particular project I have many built in conflicts becuase of the basic nature of the characters so it was fun to find commonalities, because in some ways the sameness in another story would be an opposite.
**All are opposites in terms of human/vampire-mortal/immortal
Ted/Nina-similar age (in appearance/not in reality), both have a secret, both don’t feel worthy in some way, both want to protect Jim/Marin (this evolves though) frequent the same bar, they end up at opposites over Jim and Marin-fighting for attention for different reasons.
Ted/Jim-They resemble each other (look related), both idealists, both have a sense of conscious Jim is Vegan-Ted blood, both environmentalist mindset, has had to kill vs.pacifist.
Ted/Marin- wicked sense of humors, need love from someone that eludes them, both argue well, meat lovers, understand pain and having a secret.
Jim/Marin-Both love Nina, both wanted a son, vegan vs. meat eater, one has a secret they hide from the other.
Jim/Nina-They have a similar sense of corny humor and great laughs, Jim is an optimist-Nina pessimist. She keeps a secret from her Dad. They love old movies and puzzles.
Marin/Nina- they share having a painful secret, both love Jim, both wanted a bigger family, one has had professional success the other hasn’t and worries about that. Marin deals with anger well, Nina doesn’t. They both are good arguers.
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What I learned doing this assignment is how a character’s bond with another is character chemistry. You’ll find like all relationships; people share common items of interest and disapproval. On the flip side, character chemistry can also be a negative relationship.
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Pablo’s Character Chemistry
What I learned doing this assignment: This will be a challenge since the three main characters never actually meet. So, I will need to use the chemistry of other side characters to convey each of the main character’s personalities.
Protagonist – Irma
Deuteragonist – Miguel
Antagonist – Frank
Supporting Character 1 – Antonio
Supporting Character 2 – Elena
Connecting Character – Sapo
Irma/Antonio
Irma/Elena
Irma/Sapo (connecting them and the antagonist)
Frank/Sapo (connecting them and the protagonist)
Frank/Miguel
Irma/Antonio
A. Common ground / similarities.
Both love to play cards games and board games
Both can be defiant and argumentative
Both are protective of Andres, Irma’s youngest son and Antonio’s little brother.
B. Differences that create conflict.
Irma wants to leave. Antonio wants to stay.
Irma is religious. Antonio does not care about the church.
Even though both care for Andres, Antonio picks on him while Irma coddles him.
Antonio wants more responsibility and more freedom, Irma keeps him on a short leash.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
Irma is trying to get the family across the border while Antonio is trying to sabotage their escape.
D. Need fulfillment
Eventually, once Irma explains the danger that they are in, Antonio and Irma work together to take out the drones following them.
At the end, they both agree that Antonio will be the one to take care of his little brother, Andres.
Irma/Sapo
A. Common ground / similarities.
Both dislike Ricardo, Irma’s husband.
B. Differences that create conflict.
Ricardo owes the casino money so Sapo and his crew rob Irma’s house. Sapo is trying to recruit Irma’s sons to pay off her husband’s debt. This forces Irma to take her sons away and escape to the US.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
Irma is attempting to escape to the US, Sapo and his crew chase after her.
D. Need fulfillment
Irma outwits Sapo to escape and head to the border but Sapo has a connection in Texas that has the power to stop her and send her back.
Frank/Sapo
A. Common ground / similarities.
They worked together to smuggle drugs into the US. They both have expensive taste. Making money is a top priority.
B. Differences that create conflict.
Frank is fine with sneaking in drugs but he is not ok with sneaking in immigrants, something that Sapo has done in the past. Sapo thinks that Frank’s cut in the smuggling operation is way too high.
C. Playing the same game / Competing Agendas
Both need Irma to get caught by the border patrol. Frank could go to prison if he doesn’t hold his end of a deal he made with them. Sapo needs her to be deported back to her hometown to pay off her husbands debt. They both work together to accomplish this.
D. Need fulfillment
They fail at catching Irma. Frank’s operation is exposed and they forced to cut ties to each other. But the FBI now has their sights on Sapo just in case he attempts to smuggle drugs.
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Jennifer’s Character Chemistry
WHAT I LEARNED:
This has helped me see a couple weaknesses in characterization that I need to flesh out. Super helpful!
1. List your character names/roles as couples.
1. Jessica (Protagonist)/Amanda (Antagonist)
Common ground/similarities:
High school juniors on the fast track to success in college and beyond
Super bright
Leader types who run in the same circle
Deeply intellectual
Trying to survive high school
Differences that create conflict:
Amanda is naturally confident, while Jessica is terrified of being a failure and thus overthinks everything, which is killing her soul.
Amanda can’t stand game-playing/cheating/manipulation, and Jessica slowly develops into a character who will do truly anything to get what she wants.
Amanda sees through Jessica’s facade and sees her underlying vulnerability, which scares Jessica. This gives Amanda compassion for Jessica, however, that Jessica ultimately doesn’t deserve.
Playing the same game/competing agendas:
Both are competing for the same scholarship, same competitions for the most part, same successful life longer term.
Amanda is definitely willing to put in the work to win at competitions and get into a great college, etc., but she isn’t willing to give up her soul to do so and rarely has to work hard at anything.
Need fulfillment:
Amanda has a need for a female friend similar to her because she is a different kind of person entirely from the vast majority of her classmates, being super brilliant, a prodigy, and unable to relate, and Jessica could fill that role so Amanda tries at times to open up to her at least a little, shows Jessica grace because she gets the pressure Jessica’s under but won’t allow herself to get snowed under by it herself. Jessica could definitely use a friend like Amanda who is loyal and caring and would care for any friend unconditionally, but she thinks she needs to win to get ahead instead and takes advantage of Amanda’s kindness and more relaxed tendencies.
2. Jessica (Protagonist)/Ethan (Connecting Character/Secondary Antagonist)
Common ground/similarities:
High school juniors on the fast track to success in college and beyond
Super bright
Leader types who run in the same circle
Deeply intellectual
Trying to survive high school
Differences that create conflict:
Ethan is initially interested in Jessica until he starts getting to see her in action.
Jessica has no time for anything like a relationship while trying so hard, so she snubs Ethan and constantly tries to beat him at everything.
They are truer peers than Amanda and Jessica because Ethan has to work harder by far, like Jessica, than Amanda does.
Ethan’s values won’t let him do anything truly immoral, but he definitely has more “striver” tendencies than Amanda and thus is a good third and secondary antagonist to Jessica.
Playing the same game/competing agendas:
Both are competing for the same scholarship, same competitions for the most part, same successful life longer term.
Ethan is definitely willing to put in the work to win at competitions and get into a great college, etc., but he is only willing to compromise his values in certain ways to do so. Still, he and Jessica both have a strong inner need for outer recognition.
Need fulfillment:
Ethan is mainly trying to survive high school and come out on top, so he needs top grades, excellent recommendations, things that make him special in the eyes of college admissions offices and scholarship committees, but he also kind of wants to have a social life too in the process. Jessica would fill that need — they’re always at the same events and have similar life goals — but ultimately Jessica isn’t interested enough in literally anything other than herself, so Ethan loses interests and ends up close with Amanda before both are killed by Jessica.
3. Jessica (Protagonist)/Jessica’s Father David (Secondary Antagonist/Connecting Character)
Common ground/similarities:
Jessica has taken on the goals her father has pursued his entire life, as has Jessica’s mother. Jessica never questions that she has to win, and David has won every election he’s competed in since student body president in high school (and he is now mayor). Jessica’s mother is basically absent but works harder than David and is in a higher, more prestigious office, whereas David loves the local power he has. Jessica wants that kind of political weight to throw around. Jessica is actually more like her mother, but picks up on the worst in her father.
Differences that create conflict:
Underneath it all, Jessica really wants to be loved unconditionally. David never shows that, always encouraging Jessica to be her best. He never stops to really listen to her, even when she is suicidal.
Playing the same game/competing agendas:
Jessica really wants love, which is the only reason she does what she does. David just wants to look good and sees Jessica as a reflection/projection of himself, never really seeing who she is underneath it all. He is never really a parent to her.
Need fulfillment:
David needs to feel perfect in every aspect of his life, and Jessica does the work to play that part.
4. Amanda (Antagonist)/Ethan (Connecting Character/Secondary Antagonist)
Common ground/similarities:
High school juniors on the fast track to success in college and beyond
Super bright
Leader types who run in the same circle
Deeply intellectual
Trying to survive high school
Differences that create conflict:
Amanda is more laidback but also so brilliant she rarely has to work hard to succeed at anything. Ethan has to work harder and is more competitive/intense.
Playing the same game/competing agendas:
They are both up for the same scholarship, but have very different life goals despite wanting to be very successful.
Need fulfillment:
Ethan reminds Amanda that most people, even successful people, are mere mortals who have to work at it, while Amanda’s laidback attitude and intense caring/inability to put up with b.s. from anyone keep Ethan’s conscience on track. They make a good couple, whether as friends or perhaps more as the story develops.
5. Jessica (Protagonist)/Jillian (Supporting Character)
Common ground/similarities:
Next-door neighbors
Both have similar politician families who are pretentious and run in the same circle.
Both are under tremendous pressure to conform to their parents’ desires and are naturally quiet.
Differences that create conflict:
Jillian kind of stalks Jessica rather than trying to talk to her face to face for the longest time, which creeps Jessica out. Jessica also senses a kindred spirit — and a weak one at that — so she thinks she can take advantage of Jillian forever. But can she? (I can’t decide yet.)
Playing the same game/competing agendas:
Need to think this through a bit more, but they are in separate grades, so there is less pressure on Jillian in the sense she’s not nearing college age yet, which means she’s got room to grow. But Jillian always seems to turn up where Jessica does, so Jessica thinks Jillian is maybe out to sabotage her or otherwise psych her out.
Need fulfillment:
Both Jessica and Jillian really need a partner in crime, but they trust no one. Will they be perfect partners?
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