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Day 7 Assignments
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Day 7: Applying Plot & Character Arc To Your Outline – Assignment
Mike O – 1st Pass
What I learned is ……the process, its builds upon itself in a logical drill-down manner that I love as I tend to drill down too fast and then scramble to get back to the big picture. It really is a bad habit I am trying to break.
[1] Give us your concept/logline. Holiday Christmas Movie: girl meets boy; they overcome hardship and find their happily ever after.
[2]What is your plot choice and a quick summary of that plot? (From Day 2 & 3) Transformation Brooklyn, a painter on the cusp of making it big, learns her estranged father has passed. Having lost her mother earlier in the year, she realizes she is an orphan. As executor of her father’s estate, Brooklyn must set aside her compulsion to paint, give up her routine, and travel from Chicago to a small mountain town in Colorado. This transforming incident forces Brooklyn to see people living life in a far more relaxed and open manner. While going through her father’s belongings, she discovers the truth about her parent’s divorce: learns that her mother’s deception kept her and her father apart. Seeing her parents in a new light, forces Brooklyn to accept the posthumous love of a man she dearly loved as a little girl. At a crossroad, Brooklyn reevaluates her life and the priorities she’s been hiding behind. Brooklyn finds love standing on her father’s porch step. In for the holidays, a handsome stranger with two, young, boys comes bearing Christmas gifts, unaware his friend, Brooklyn’s father, has died.
[3] List all 9 beats of your structure. (From Day 5)
3a. Opening – Protagonist is a painter on the cusp of being “discovered” You get the flavor of the movie.
3b. Inciting Incident – Protagonist receives a certified letter that her estranged father has passed and she is the executor of his estate.
3c. By page 10, you know what the movie is about. Yes. Protagonist has to leave her “life” travel across country and take care of her father’s estate.
3d. First turning point at end of Act 1 – Protagonist discovers who her father really was. He was not poor and he did not abandon her as the protagonist’s mother told her. Her father was wealthy, he loved her and
3e. Mid-Point – Protagonist is trying to tie up her father’s estate, learns her father’s GM is trying to steal her father’s art gallery. She sees the antagonist for what he really is. This twist reveals the fact they are both after the same goal – the art gallery.
3f. Second turning point at end of Act 2 – protagonist realizes she cannot reason with the antagonist. She changes tactics, uses a lawyer to prevent the general manager from stealing her father’s art gallery.
3g. Crisis – Protagonist in addition to using a lawyer to prevent the General Manager from stealing her father’s art gallery has to deal with her love interest who has a medical emergency and is rushed to the hospital.
3h. Climax – The protagonist and antagonist come face to face literally at the art gallery. He has stolen a number of expensive paintings and replaced them with no-name works. The protagonist has proof, has photos of the paintings that are missing and a hidden camera that captured the antagonist stealing the paintings.
3i. Resolution – The protagonist accepts what happened, embraces her father’s posthumous love and decides to live there, where it feels real with her newfound love.
[4] Tell us the Character Arc of your protagonist and add it to your structure.
4a. Part to be changed: Brooklyn’s inability to live her own life.
4b. Biggest fear: Brooklyn’s fear of change, of facing people and life head on.
4c. Completion of arc: Brooklyn moves to a strange new town, falls in love and gets married.5. Looking at your plot choice, fill in whatever plot events you think of. Just answer the question “What Make an outline that follows this format:
I always use a BEAT SHEET as my outline. I will transform this into the Slug Line and Essence format.
ACT ONE
[01] Brooklyn Murray is at lunch w/ gallery owner, Caroline, a friend & mentor
[02] Brooklyn drops off her painting at Caroline’s gallery, snow storm moves in.
[03] SERIES OF SHOTS: driving conditions; Brooklyn makes it to her home.
[04] Brooklyn arrives home; goes to the mailbox, retrieves mail, goes inside.
[05] Brooklyn gets comfy, reads mail on sofa w/ wine and cheese, misses her mom.
[06] FLASHBACK – her and her mom chatting, mom giving advise.
INCITING INCIDENT – Envelope from law firm, her real father’s dead!
[07] Brooklyn is in Caroline’s SUV headed to the airport. She’s her dad’s executor.
[08] Brooklyn rents a Jeep, leaves Denver’s Stapleton for the town of Wintergreen
[09] TIME CUT: Brooklyn driving rental Jeep, finds the town
[10] Brooklyn stops at Cold Creek Café, has lunch on the deck, it’s nice out.
[11] She meets Alan Bennett, her dad’s lawyer, in his office alone, answers Brook’s call.
[12] She meets Ruby Reynolds, café owner; then Alan shows up. They meet.
[13] Brooklyn at her dad’s gallery meets Richard Feldman . the antagonist!
[14] Brooklyn meets Richard at restaurant; first, she is shamed by an old cowboy.
[15] Brooklyn meets Alan at his office to go over legal matters, she’s non-committal.
[16] SMASH CUT from Alan’s drawing to Brooklyn driving to her dad’s place.
[17] Father’s home, the cabin, she feels true regret.
[18] Carolyn’s call, Brooklyn tells her she can handle it, Carolyn’s sold her work $200K
[19] Brooklyn on the deck painting the valley as a storm moves in. Puts it next to dad’s.
[20] Staircase leading to dad’s bedroom, Brooklyn enters; puts on one of his sweaters.
[21] FLASHBACK – Christmas eve, 7 yr old. She discovers a shoebox of old envelopes.
[22] FRONT PORCH – enter love interest: Tarek & his two boys: Tyler & Brandon…
END OF ACT ONE – learns about her dad, love interest enters – BIG EVENT
===============================================================
ACT TWO
[01] Living room bonding – storm forces them to spend most the day together.
[02] SERIES OF SHOTS – while playing Monopoly…
[03] Dining room – Lunch: talk of their dead mothers, Brooks & Tyty’s…
[04] After Lunch – Snowball fight in the front yard…She sees Tarek’s twinge of pain*
[05] Pickup truck & long goodbyes… Tarek inadvertently spoils the moment pg. 37
[06] Brooklyn retrieves the shoe box, power goes out, uses her phone light app.
[07] She reads the letters, comes across an old photo before the divorce she’s taken back.
[08] FLASHBACK – fourth grader, then few yrs later as a tweener w/the $ change in life.
[09] Tarek ‘s cabin, he is worried about Brooklyn, can’t call her, he didn’t get her #
[10] Living room – same. Brooklyn answers cell, it’s Richard, alarm at the gallery. pg. 43
[11] Gallery, next day, Brooklyn is there; no sign of Richard. Discovers Tarek is a client!
[12] Lunch at Cold Creek Cafe and hello again — first tiff! Over being an artist!!
[13] Carolyn calls Brook, tells her she has to come to Chicago & meet Iverson or no deal.
[14] Delivery boy brings basket: box of chocolates, hot cocoa, cookies, card from Tarek.
[15] Brooklyn alone in her father’s cabin, leaves Tarek a voice mail. His phone is kaput.
[16] Terek’s cabin, he tucks Tyty in; tyty apologizes for ruining his phone.*
[17] Lyle’s cabin, Brooklyn falls asleep on the couch thinking: “I’ve lost my shadow…”
[18] SERIES OF SHOTS show her going to Chicago & being met by Iverson’s driver.
[19] In the limo, she meets Iverson, they drive to Everest, a French restaurant.
[20] MONTAGE: Brooklyn and Guests Celebrating her belated birthday…
[21] Next morning, Brooklyn and Carolyn have a talk about business, her gallery, etc.
[22] Tarek’s making breakfast, pain in his side growing worse. UPS delivers new phone
[23] Brooklyn in Wintergreen goes into the bank and buys Tarek’s photograph.
[24] SERIES OF SHOTS Brooklyn buys up Tarek’s work, takes them to the gallery.
[25] Tarek w/ boys building a fire at their cabin. Texts from Brooklyn…
[26] Brooklyn sends photos of Tarek’s work to Carolyn, she says “sign him.”
PINCH -Alan calls Brooklyn, asks her to meet him. Re: Richard’s stunt.
[28] Graveyard – Brooklyn talking w/ her dad; apologizing for her actions.
[29] Brooklyn at her dad’s place, realizing the signature’s a fake….
[30] Intercut: Brooklyn and Tarek talking re: forgery -Intercut Phone conversation
[31] Brooklyn wakes up to doorbell ringing. Tarek and kids take her out on a tree hunt.
[32] Pickup ride up to the meadow; Brook sees elk, sees a lightning strike pine,
[33] SERIES OF SHOTS – snow shoing into meadow…
[34] Finding her the perfect Xmas tree; Tarek gives her a Christmas tree charm
[35] They drive back, set up her tree, Tarek invites her over to his place for dinner.
[36] Tarek’s Home cooked Meal — Brooklyn shows up w/ bottle of wine.
[37] Brook & Tarek; she tells him she has to go to Chicago, wants him to come- says no
[38] Next evening, at Brook’s decorating tree, playing monopoly, upset she’s going
[39] Brook visits Iverson’s office, goes over what he wants on his murals
[40] Brook at studio working feverishly, Carolyn stops by, Brook tells her she’s in love
[41] Tarek calls Brooklyn’s phone, Carolyn answers.
[42] Carolyn buys Tarek plane tickets, tricks him, sends him a text.
[43] Tarek’s surprise visit to Brook working at her studio, they kiss!!
[44] They go to Carolyn’s to pick up the boys
[45] They’re at Brook’s place, unpacking, she has to get back to work, leaves them.
[46] Tarek collapses; boys call Brooklyn’s number
[47] Brooklyn’s studio, she answers phone – Brandon’s in a panic, she tells him call 911
[48] Brook races home, arrives, they’re loading Tarek into ambulance; she takes the boys
END OF ACT TWO – Tarek’s Ruptured Appendix – CRISIS – LOW POINT
——————————————————————————————————–
ACT THREE
[01] Waiting Room – boys and Brooklyn waiting, playing tic-tac-toe, etc.
[02] Hospital Room later – boys & Brooklyn there when Tarek wakes up. They talk.
[03] Babbling Brook Gallery – Richard takes most valuable pieces of art switches them
[04] Brooklyn’s studio – Carolyn & Iverson meet, look over the progress talk shop.
[05] Tarek’s cabin – They’re back home, Brooklyn leaves for gallery to face Richard
CLIMAX Brooklyn’s meeting w/ Richard; she schools him. Carolyn helps. (pg. 105)
[07] FLASHBACK – Brooklyn photographing the walls and art work in her gallery
[08] Tarek’s Proposal to Brooklyn; she accepts!
[09] Grave sight – Brooklyn visits her dad, she’s at peace, thanks him for his love
[10] Christmas Morning – Brooklyn’s cabin – opening presents….
1. Slug line:
1. Essence:
2. Slug line:
2. Essence:
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June Fortunato’s Translated characters Day 7 of seducing actors
INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY- OSTEO UNIT – WEEKS LATER – LATE AFTERNOON
7) Roy seeks Kim and overhears Kim in an argument with her brother,
Brian (a high-up muckety muck in the city) and her brother’s wife,
Ingrid. They argue that they will deny Kim’s claim that Ingrid pushed
her and tell everyone that it was self-inflicted, and get her
committed to a psyche hospital with no escape. Kim is paralyzed with
fear and anger. Ingrid doesn’t want Kim to live in their house- the
family house that they both own, but that Brian took over- even
though it was left to both Kim and the bro.
7a) Roy interferes by saying that he and Kim are required in physical
therapy. He grabs her clothes and whisks her out. Kim slips away and
heads to a restroom.
Roy
Role: Protagonist. Vet. Indigent.
Age range/description: late 60s hotwired charming
Trait A explosive side.
Yo, yo, yo you’re upsetting the little lady
Maybe you rich folk can take a lesson and shut your fucking jaws
Sit down and zip it, my man. We have rules around here.
Only a coward bullies a lady, and that goes for the husband, too.
Trait B charming & seductive,
There’s my fractured bird. Time to get physical- pardon, our therapist awaits.
Now why would a suit like you get all hot and bothered by this little starling?
I’ll tell you what, your brother here is pooping his trousers. But that’s ok man. Your wife
will bag your butt.
Well now, well now, your brother and his bitch, are getting all sweaty, aren’t you now
brother? What’day say, Kim? You go get the medics to sedate them and I’ll stand here and make
sure they stay for their meds. don’t you worry about a thing, bro. we’re gonna get you nice and
calm.
Trait C tender with strays and has a rescuer impulse
Ooops, miss Kim, so sorry to pull you from your obviously lovely family visit but you’re
needed in physical.
Come on dear, take my arm. Don’t mind us, if I take my girl away from her poddy
wetting family. We might have injuries but it’s better than not having a spine.
Schadenfreude. Asshole. Come on, Kim.
Trait D quick wit, self-inflicts pain, fierce rejection of authority of any kind.
Ding dong party’s over. Kim is requested in physical therapy.
2. Want/Need summary: Roy: wants to keep punishing himself, needs to come to terms and let
himself live & love.
3. Paradoxes (Warring elements) summary Roy: Deeply afraid of who he will hurt so he acts
fearless. Eschews love while simultaneously wants & needs it – and yet gives love in spades.
Don’t let me interrupt, dragon breath, but sweet Kim is needed elsewhere.
4. Secret Summary Roy: For his outrageous acts as a pyrotech in Viet Nam, Roy was lauded as a
hero and saved his fellow soldiers many times over- until he followed a questionable order to
blew up a suspected Kong village- which turned out to be children, women, farmers, animals.
This blew his soul and he vowed to forever hurt himself and to never live comfortably. He
expects and almost wants to be shunned because he cannot accept himself.
5. Flaw Roy:
Immediate rejection of any suggestion to make his life easier: it’s a snap reflex. Deeply wounded
so he acts careless and thick skinned. When he confronts, it’s hit and run. A superior moocher
for survival’s sake he feels that he’ll fail disastrously if he really tries. He cannot accept himself
and doesn’t expect much for long.
6. Special Roy:
Despite the wild and reckless exterior, Roy can be thoughtful, tender and can be incredibly
gentle. He’s endearing. He’s generous. He’s funny and crazy/cannot be pinned down. Expert
pyrotech.
———————–
Kim
1. Basic character traits summary: Kim: Loudly self-converses to protect herself, on the edge of a
meltdown, fiercely angry, deeply wounded/betrayed. Fearless behavior despite grave fears,
clever, loves to act and imitate people. Musical. Feels desperately alone. Deep empathy. Wants
to be a good person.
Trait A edge of a meltdown
Why don’t you care anymore?
Trait B fiercely angry
you’re the one who did this. you did this to me
Trait C wounded
Now you want to shut me up
Trait D Reckless
Oh, just wait. Just wait and see what happens when you’re not looking.
2. Want/Need Summary Kim: She wants & needs for things to be in balance. This is the opposite
of Roy. She wants her relationship with her brother, Brian, to be happy again- She needs to stand
her ground- to deny his power over her – and to never deal with him thereafter. Very alone, she
needs a solid trustworthy ally.
3. Paradoxes (Warring elements) Kim: wants to believe/can never believe again. She wants to be
settled but can’t sit still. She wants to confront and finish the argument but can’t face her brother.
She wants to be wild but always makes amends what she took. She wants to love deeply but
locks down her heart.
I wish I could believe you still care. Mom would want you to.
4. Secret summary: Kim
When their parents died, her brother took control of the house including power of attorney. He
remarried to a materialistic, narcissistic bitch, who is determined to take it all and get rid of Kim.
She convinced Kim’s brother to have Kim committed to a psyche ward, pushed Kim down a
flight of stairs, and trashed Kim’s reputation.
5. Flaw summary Kim: her loud self-talk outs herself- but she needs it to think straight. She can’t
find balance. She can’t be the ‘girlie’ that her brother and parents forced on her. She can’t
confront. She trusts too much and walks into bad shit.
6. Special Kim: she has a ream of artistic talents. She comes from a well off family, and she can
sing and act. She’s handy with tools and can pick a lock in under 30 seconds. She’s a minor thief
but it’s to self prove she can be bold. Like Roy, she also “steps in it “on purpose. She has some
skills with urban medicine/local plants.
She taunts fate by stealing things just to get away with it.
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Day 7 – Anita Gomez – Translated Characters
What I’ve learned: Ultimately, a useful one-sheet for me to reference to help my characters speak and act consistently. But it was confusing for me / cumbersome to jump back and forth from previous assignments to get to this format… and I still don’t know if I did it the way it was intended. Were we supposed to write the newly developed scene after the brainstorming?? Also, I wrote my chosen outcomes from my internal brainstorming sessions within the following answers.
Translate your new-and-improved characters into a scene in your script.
Situation: The 5<sup>th</sup> Circuit Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Cyrus Kilner is hearing arguments for and against a new restrictive abortion law for the state of <st1:state w:st=”on”>Louisiana</st1:state> similar to that which was passed in <st1:state w:st=”on”><st1:place w:st=”on”>Texas</st1:place></st1:state> – the state Danica fled years ago when pregnant. She has been tapped by her law firm to argue against this law.
Character 1 Name: Danica, Protagonist – who wants a law career not a baby, but couldn’t access an abortion because of restrictive state laws and hasn’t seen Cyrus since telling him she was pregnant 20 years ago.
<st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:placename w:st=”on”>Age</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st=”on”>Range</st1:placetype></st1:place> and Description: 22 at beginning of film / 42 in this scene.
Danica is a petite brunette who is both toned physically and wound tight emotionally, whose professional demeanor brooks no nonsense.
1. Basic character traits: Success-oriented, Driven, Self-sufficient / Independent
2. Want/Need: Wants – Success and recognition; Needs – Love and intimacy
3. Paradoxes: Fears failure and the judgment of others // Wants respect while pushing others away
4. Secret: Her unwanted pregnancy with Cyrus (married man, and her boss)
5. Flaws: Driven, Self-centered, Jealous of others – especially her sister’s happy family
6. Special: Hyper-competitive, not just at work but in sports, and games, and all aspects of life – always needs to be the winner.
7. Subtext: Secretive / Evasive, In denial
Her indiscreet affair 20 years ago has followed her into the courtroom today. Her secret ultimately leads to her emotional and physical breakdown, leading her to search for her unwanted daughter.
8. Character Arc: Danica goes from a selfish woman with no maternal instincts to wanting to seek out and perhaps have a relationship with her daughter. This scene is pivotal in her recognition that she needs to find her estranged daughter if for no other reason than Danica needs a kidney transplant, or she may soon die.
9. Character Logline: Danica is an ambitious lawyer whose career and very life is put in jeopardy by an unwanted pregnancy with her married boss.
What would a Success-oriented person do or say? She would be over-prepared with charts, statistics, witnesses, information, etc.
What would a Driven person do or say? She might come across as desperate in her arguments, the need to succeed ultimately causing her an emotional breakdown.
What would a Self-sufficient person do or say? She wouldn’t ask for help in her presentation, even if she needed it.
What would an Independent person do or say? She would probably come across as grand-standing or show-boating.
What would a Self-centered person do or say? Her legal arguments wouldn’t be global but narrow, coming mainly from her point of view.
Character 2 Name: Judge Cyrus Kilner, Antagonist – who is not only married but was Danica’s superior at work, who was also instrumental in forming Texas’s anti-abortion law and now sits as the judge hearing pro-abortion arguments from Danica 20 years later.
<st1:place w:st=”on”><st1:placename w:st=”on”>Age</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st=”on”>Range</st1:placetype></st1:place> and Description: CYRUS is introduced as the head partner of a large successful law firm, age 36 / now 56 as the Judge in this scene. His swagger and charm disarms people belying an underlying stance of convenience politics overlaid by greasy ethics as he dispenses ready smiles, schmoozing and oozing a charismatic masculine presence.
1. Basic character traits: Image-Conscious Narcissist, Hypocrite, Manipulative, Workaholic
2. Want/Need: Wants: Attention / affirmation; Needs: To feel valuable / respected
3. Paradoxes: Wants power and success at any cost (ruthless / relentless)
Willing to be unethical / Hypocritical in his goals while perceived as pure and ethical
4. Secret: Wanted to abort his illegitimate daughter with Danica, while publicly touting anti-abortion stance.
5. Flaw: The more he wants to be perceived as perfect, the more willing he is to do whatever it takes to hide his imperfections.
6. Special: Super charming / handsome – to the point people overlook his flaws.
7. Subtext: Unethical, Political
Possible areas of subtext: His public persona and private decisions become more in conflict with each other as time goes on. The affair he had with Danica is ultimately discovered by his wife who then leaves him. The discovery of his hypocritical and unethical behavior ultimately costs him his life, at the hands of his rejected daughter Dianna.
8. Character Arc: In this ‘dramatic triangle’ the father, Cyrus does not change, remaining flat in his selfish ambitions.
9. Character Logline: Cyrus is a narcissist who won’t let anything – not even ethics – stand in the way of his pursuit to become a power-wielding judge.
What would an Image-Conscious Narcissist person do or say? As Judge he holds all the power. It doesn’t matter what Danica says or presents, his decision is already baked in, and she knows it (especially with him smirking at her) – driving her to distraction, and a breakdown.
What would a Hypocrite person do or say? He might try to come across as empathetic and understanding all the while knowing his decision is pre-ordained against all abortions, regardless of any circumstantial argument.
What would a Manipulative person do or say? He could give Danica false hope by ‘playing’ her and stringing out her need to be before him, just to watch her squirm.
What would a Workaholic person do or say? Bury the opposition in paperwork.
What would a Unethical person do or say? Hand down a judgment in favor of an unfair anti-abortion law regardless of any evidence for the need to the contrary or even the wishes of the state’s constituents.
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Matthew Frendo’s Translated Characters
What I’ve learned is how to put a characters traits into action. This will help my writing be stronger, with more dynamic characters.
NOTE: the ones I decided to use have ** next to the idea
CHARACTER PROFILE – ALICIA
1. Basic character traits:
Compassionate
**Try to get coplayers saved**
Plays with child
Gives speech about inhumanity
Gives dedicated speech to the fallen
Cries and pleads for future players
Brave
Attack
Flee into crowd with guards around
Take on guards
Refuse to talk in protest
**Speak against the system**
Crafty
Figure out way to get message out in witty way
Manipulate audience to her side
**Give speech that has anti-Host undertones**
Play victim
Use audience emotions against them
Bring up the dead as a tribute to change their minds
Use social movement to get people on her side
Talk about dead relatives and pain as way to relate
Fearful
Crawl into a corner
Cower
Refuse to go
Not able to speak in fear
**Not able to act (when sees friends family in crowd)**
Runs away
Cries
Begs
Pleads
Screams
Panic attack
2. Want/Need WANT – to survive the punishment games NEED – to feel loved and strongGives speech showing her strength and talk the audience to her side
Get audience on her side to point where government is scared to kill her
**Punch out host and walk off’ with audience cheering**
To give emotional speech
Plays along, getting love from audience
3. Paradoxes (Warring elements) Selfishness and desire for survival vs. compassion and desire to help and love others**Starts to work for herself, then ends up working for everyone**
Starts by trying to help all players, then focuses on herself
Gives speech about helping others as way to manipulate audience to her side
4. Secret: She was part of a group that bullied her best friend from childhood (who was from the less affluent neighborhood), causing that friend to kill herself.Gives speech about bullying
Gives speech about regret and how you can’t take it back
Walks off in shame
Won’t look at audience
Sees friends’ mother in crowd and breaks down in tears
**Sees friends family in crowd and can’t speak**
5. Flaw: she is dependent on others and often relies on them too much.Looks to other players to get her out of it
Begs host to help her
Begs audience for help
Crumples to the ground
6. What is special about this character? Though she is from the rich part of society, she was born and partially raised in a less affluent section, giving her street knowledge and school knowledge.She makes speech appealing to both classes
Gives speech about class warfare
Brings together a poor and rich person in solidarity
Uses friction between the two to cause a ruckus
Amplify divisions
**Send hate to the ones who screwed her**
Character Logline: Alicia is a wily loner dealing with panic attacks who must overcome the odds and survive the brutal games to save her father and herself.Gives speech about overcoming obstacles
**Talks about love of father**
Says nothing, doing it herself
Has a panic attack
Starts to have an attack, then gets it under control
**Starts to have an attack, until she fights back**
CHARACTER PROFILE – HOST
1. Basic character traits:
Charismatic
Uses charm to turn audience against Alicia
**Outcharms all players**
**Kisses babies and plays to audience**
Song and dance number
Comedy set
Photo shoot
Brings on apprentices
Ruthless
Kills them right there
Humiliates them to audience
Tortures them
Psychologically messes with them
Berates them
Ego-driven
Talks about himself
Talks about how great he is
Wears a shirt with his own face on it
**Surrounds himself with pics of himself**
Allows others to tell world how great he is
Conspiring
Conspires with audience members to hate on Alicia
Conspires with Bullet to humiliate them all
Tries to make deal with players
**Mentions deal to Alicia**
Makes TV deal to make them look bad
Works with government to kill them there
2. Want/Need WANT – to put on a show that people love NEED – to have power over othersMakes a show as he berates players
Makes a show as he overpowers players
Has arm wrestling contest
Hurts someone on stage
**Makes them beg to him or audience for audience enjoyment**
3. Paradoxes (Warring elements) He tries to do good by doing horrendous things to people he considers morally wrong.Talks about the good of the games
Talks about the good of himself and how bad players are
Kills someone, then gives justification
Has dominatrix on stage
**Tries to feed a hungry dog, but when it bites him, he kills it** (this may be in a different scene actually, but I plan to use it)
4. Secret: killed his parent’s murderers himself, which gave him idea for games.**Speech about pain of victims.**
Speech about need for violent justice
Kills a person himself to show it’s morally right
5. Flaw: he will go to any length to win and doesn’t care about the costSays he’ll retire if all players, including Alicia, die
Blows up entire stage to win
Kills them on stage, going to jail afterward
Turns himself in for crime as way to beat Alicia
Tells his true story to get audience on his side
Makes up lie about Alicia to make audience hate her
Commits crime to frame on Alicia
Beats her down on stage
Bribes audience
Gives away entire fortune, just to make her look bad
6. What is special about this character? He started this show 30 years ago to get back at criminals, after his drug running parents were killed by other drug runners.Speech about guilt
Speech about good and bad in people
Tells audience truth about how he started show, as a way to get them on his side
Character Logline: The Host has to deal with a player outwitting his games for the first time ever and must find a way to make her look bad to the audience to keep the power he has.Makes up lie about Alicia
Finds dirt on Alicia
**Brings up dirt about Alicia’s family**
Commits crime and pins it on her
Edits games to make her look bad
Gives fake story about what they talked about
Bring up her ex-lovers and have them talk about dirty sex secrets
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Kate’s Translated/Full out Characters
What I learned is it feels a bit stiff and imposed. There were a few aha’s and I am curious to see what/how it works when writing the scenes. I suspect not these exact words but perhaps the relationship will be richer/more dimentional.
Situation: INT. DARROGH’S HOUSE – EVENING
Darrogh confronts Nia about seeing so much of Luciana. Bill told him. Tells her Luciana caused Amahla’s (Nia’s mother) death, that they were lovers and the shame was too much for Amahla. Nia very confused remembering that she was uncomfortable with Luciana that time, and she leaves the room.
CHARACTER 1 DARROGH
WHAT WOULD A GREEDY PERSON DO OR SAY?
Luciana took your Mother away, she won’t take you.
WHAT WOULD A VERY CONFIDENT PERSON DO OR SAY?
This is for your own good
I’m your father
I have your best interests at heart
I know you’ll see it my way
WHAT WOULD A SMOOTH PERSON DO OR SAY?
I know this is hard for you
Luciana comes across as kind but be wary of her
Touches her face gently
WHAT WOULD A SUSPICIOUS PERSON DO OR SAY?
This community turned you against me.
Maybe you like that kind of stuff.
WHAT WOULD A (SUBTEXT) LONELY PERSON DO OR SAY?
I don’t need you but I’m willing to help you.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE THE BIGGEST/BEST BUT NEEDS LOVE DO OR SAY?
I can give you anything you want – all I ask is your loyalty as my daughter.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WITH SO MUCH MONEY THEY HAVE NO IDEA HE’D EVER LOSE SAY OR DO?
Deep down you know I’m right.
Of course you can see what kind of person Luciana is.
You’ll come round.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WHO WAS ALWAYS THE GOLDEN BOY WHO HAD RISKED EVERYTHING AND ‘LOST’ SAY OR DO?
I didn’t ruin our lives.
I wanted everything to work out.
I gave her everything.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WHO DEEP DOWN FEARED THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS WIFE’S DEATH SAY OR DO?
You have to believe me – I’m your father.
It doesn’t matter what happened back then.
It wasn’t my fault.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WHO VALUES BEING INDEPENDENT AND ALSO WANTS TO BE A LOVING FATHER SAY OR DO?
I don’t need you but as your father I want the best for you
CHARACTER 2 NIA
WHAT WOULD A KIND PERSON DO OR SAY?
Dad I’m sorry to hurt your feelings.
That must have been so hard
She hugs him.
WHAT WOULD A HOPEFUL PERSON DO OR SAY?
Are you sure you’re right about that?
WHAT WOULD A PASSIVE PERSON DO OR SAY?
I can’t deal with this right now.
She leaves the room.
WHAT WOULD A PRINCIPLED PERSON DO OR SAY?
I need to ask Lucania about this.
WHAT WOULD A (SUBTEXT) IN-DENIAL/SELF-CENSORING PERSON DO OR SAY?
there must be some mistake.
I can’t talk to you about this now
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WHO WANTS THE PERFECT FATHER BUT NEEDS THE TRUTH DO OR SAY?
Dad I know you are a good man but I can’t believe that’s really true.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WITH A CHRONIC DESIRE TO PLEASE AND TAKE CARE OF OTHER’S FEELINGS AND NEEDS SAY OR DO?
Please – I need some time.
Oh Dad, no wonder you had to go away – I understand.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WHO ALMOST FEELS HER MOTHER TALKING TO HER AND FEELS IS PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN HER CURRENT FAMILY WITH A HIDDEN STRENGTH DEEP WITHIN HER SAY OR DO?
Something doesn’t feel right about any of this.
She sits in meditation.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WHO WAS A PART BLACK CHILD GROWING UP WITH THE IRISH AMERICAN GRANDPARENTS AND ALWAYS FELT SHE OWED HER VERY EXISTENCE TO THE FAMILY SHE HAD AND WAS NO-ONE WITHOUT THEM SAY OR DO?
Please don’t be angry with me – you’re my dad, I love you.
WHAT WOULD SOMEONE FOR WHOM FAMILY LOYALTY IS EVERYTHING VS COMMUNAL SOCIAL VALUES AND BEHAVIOR SAY OR DO?
I know that must have been awful for you but if she and Luciana really loved each other…
KEEPING THESE:
DARROGH:
Luciana took your Mother away, she won’t take you.
This is for your own good.
I know you’ll see it my way.
Touches her face gently.
This community turned you against me.
I can give you anything you want – all I ask is your loyalty as my daughter.
Deep down you know I’m right.
I gave her everything.
It wasn’t my fault.
You have to believe me – I’m your father.
NIA:
She hugs him.
Are you sure you’re right about that?
I can’t deal with this right now.
She leaves the room.
I need to ask Lucania about this.
Oh Dad, no wonder you had to go away – I understand.
Dad I know you are a good man but I can’t believe that’s really true.
She sits in meditation.
Please don’t be angry with me – you’re my dad, I love you.
-
Anna Harper
Day 7
Translating Profiles into Dialogue and Action
What I learned from this exercise. I identified where there was a lack of strong emotion and also found some holes in plot. Brainstorming provided a major choice; should I turn the whole thing on its head and have Steve be the antagonist and Elizabeth the protagonist. It seemed too dark for a Christmas movie, so I stuck with the roles. There was one area I could not fill, Steve’s special features did not fit in a scene with a fight.
Character 1 Name: ELIZABETH PERKINS
Antagonist
Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan’s school teacher
Basic Characteristics
Elizabeth is very physically attractive, smooth, and charming on the surface.
She is a transplanted city girl, not from the village.
She is deceitful.
Want
She wants a compliant man in her life. There are not many good-looking single men in the village, so she has become obsessed with the idea of Steve, Dylan’s Dad. Her version of husband material.
Need
She needs to get Dylan out of the way.
Paradox
Elizabeth is a teacher who detests children but wants the power and the holidays.
Secret
She is divorced, dumped. No one in the village knows,
Flaw
Overbearing in trying to control and get whatever she wants.
Special
She stands out from the village women as a city glamourous woman, though in her efforts she overdoes it. There is always something out of place, (as in Cruella De Ville 1001 Dalmatians, unaware of her bed head hair.} which creates a comic aspect to a dark character.
Character Name
STEVE
Dylan’s single father
Basic Character Traits
Overall good guy, liked in the village. Also a volunteer fireman.
Stressed by his current life situation. Single Dad, not much money, Dylan acting out. Lonely. Can be insensitive.
Want
Wants his son to speak again more than anything in the world.
Need
Believes no one understands his load. Needs support, is lonely would like a relationship.
Paradox
Feels guilty for wanting a relationship, yet is lonely. Finds great happiness hanging out with his son, and gives up on the idea of a partner.
Wants to be more than a bus driver, too tired stressed broke to afford further training or education.
Secret
When it gets too much, he has a stiff drink. This worries him as his parents were both alcoholics.
Flaw
He can lose his temper with Dylan and be insensitive
Special
He is one of the village’s quirky characters, charming, everybody loves him.
Situation
Steve and Elizabeth meet for dinner at a restaurant. Elizabeth strongly suggests boarding school for Dylan.
What would a very attractive Elizabeth do or say?
She would bring out the heavy artillery in terms of her dress and comportment,
ensuring that it would be alluring to Steve. Probably over the top for a village restaurant.
What would a deceitful Elizabeth do or say.?
Elizabeth would have an agenda to use her sexuality to distract and control the situation. She would use her drop-dead good looks to mesmerize Steve and get him to do whatever she says.
What would an Elizabeth with a want to get Dylan out of the way, do or say?
She would empathize with Steve’s stress and present the idea to get Dylan out of the way as in Steve and Dylan’s best interest.
What would an Elizabeth with paradoxical work versus/needs/wants person do or say? Elizabeth does not like children, and yet she chose to teach for the holidays and to enjoy power.
She may suggest that Dylan could come home for some of the holidays, and get rid of him to a boarding school far enough away that weekend visits were not an option.
What would Elizabeth do about her secret divorce and unhappiness about her single status?
She wants to have a relationship, and get married again. She is ruthless and will manipulate to get what she ultimately wants, a compliant husband She may use the carrot and stick method regarding having or not having a relationship with Steve.
What would Elizabeth do with regard to her subtext in dialogue;
POSSIBLE CHOICE OF DIALOGUE; Subtext
INT.INDIAN RESTAURANT/EVENING
ELIZABETH PERKINS
ACTION speaking in honeyed, low tones, touching her hair using subtle seductive body language.
ELIZABETH
Of course, it’s the right thing to do. The sooner the better before Dylan gets any wild ideas in his head. Though what’s going on in Dylan’s head is anyone’s guess what with his peculiar silence. It’s really nice for us to have some time together, you know get to know each other without any other distractions or stress. After all, you deserve to have some fun too. I have a little surprise for you, something I think that will help take the stress off you and help Dylan. I’ve researched a school that might be better for Dylan. Somewhere that they have the staff and the knowledge to help someone like Dylan. I found a place just perfect for your situation. It’s a special boarding school, in London. Only four hours away, by train and bus. He can come home for holidays or at least some of the holidays.
Elizabeth’s Character Arc
Antagonist,
Initially, covert harm to children is hidden from adults. Her dark side escalates as she wants to entrap one of the few eligible men in the village who fit her needs,
Her character arc begins to disintegrate when her plans fall through when her methods no longer work and she is caught out by the least likely person a mute Dylan.
Elizabeth’s logline
A teacher with a dark agenda who expiates her anger on children, and uses despicable means to try and send away the son of her target man, the man who she wants to marry.
STEVE
What would a desperate Steve who wants to have his son speak again do or say?
Situation. Dylan has brought home a stray dog.
INT.COTTAGE KITCHEN MORNING
STEVE
Dylan, I have an idea. What do you say we make a deal? How about Alfie stays with us for Christmas? If having the dog will help you to speak again, I am all for it. But, you are going to have to show me some progress. If having Alfie has not helped you to speak by New Year, I am afraid the added work, expense, and stress of a giant dog who likes mud will be too much for us
What would a stressed-out Steve do or say?
He might have a secret shot of whiskey when he comes home. He might offer prayers to his deceased wife for help.
What would Steve’s paradox of feeling guilty for wanting a relationship, yet is lonely do or say?
He might put some effort into getting dressed for the restaurant date communicating interest, however, he might not give Elizabeth any signals of warmth before their argument.
What would Steve’s flaw of losing his temper do or say?
SITUATION
Steve and Elizabeth are at the Indian restaurant discussing Dylan.
STEVE
Steve is sitting at the table opposite Elizabeth. His voice is getting louder.
Elizabeth, I was OK with being friends, just friends now and again, but this, insisting on sending my son away? You have really overstepped the mark. You don’t understand.
ACTION
Steve gets up from the table, smacks the table with his fist.
STEVE
And I don’t think you are what Dylan and I need in our lives. I don’t want to see you again socially, ever! You, stay in your corner! Stay out of it.
ACTION
Steve gives the waiter money and storms out of the restaurant, banging the door behind him.
What would that Steve do that fills the special category?
He is one of the village’s quirky characters, charming, everybody loves him.
I am unable to brainstorm what he would do in this category in the restaurant scene.
Steve’s character arc.
Steve is seen as a heroic character in the village. A volunteer fireman and the village bus driver. He is very helpful and communicates well with the people in the village.
His main challenge is managing as a single parent and dealing with his son’s acquired dysfunctional coping behaviors.
He weaves back and forth between making good choices with his son and sometimes being insensitive.
In the end, Steve has an epiphany brought on by his son running away and finding artwork left by his son, struggling to make his father understand his plight. Steve takes on the role of confronting the school administration with the truth about what Elizabeth is doing in the school
Steve helps to restore peace and harmony in the home. At the end of the story, he is more inclusive, positive, and enjoying the Christmas season with his son, his son’s friends, and a new romantic interest.
Steves logline
Steve local hero, faces serious challenges with his son’s grief for his deceased mother. Trouble at his son’s school. and drama with the administration bring out Steve’s dark angry side, unsympathetic side. A breakthrough in learning the truth creates understanding, he stands up for his son.
-
DAY 7 Translating Profiles into Dialogue and Actions
Lisa’s Translated Characters
What I’ve learned is…that feelings and traits can change the way a person can react to different situations. Everyone is special and different in various ways.
Lisa’s Full-out Characters
Situation: Mary confronts Peter about his spiraling mental health (this scene is not currently in the outline, but will be added to show how their relationship has evolved)
Character 1 Name: Mary Winters
1. Basic character traits: Competitive, Clever, Energetic, Driven
2. Want/Need:
· Mary’s mom (recently deceased) always took pride in running the IAWL festival and now Mary must follow in her footsteps and make it a success for herself, her daughters, and her mom.
· Mary wants love but became disillusioned when her marriage ended. They were high school sweethearts and she thought they’d be together forever. She has a tough time trusting men now.
3. Paradoxes:
· Mary loves Joseph but is shy about jumping into another marriage.
· Mary wants to do everything by herself, but she needs help; she is warring on the inside as to whether to give in and ask for more help.
4. Secret:
· Mary is planning to move the family to Albany after she pulls off the festival, but she hasn’t told anyone but her best friend, Angel Lee.
5. Flaw:
· Being too head strong and not giving in to help or love…for her forever happiness.
6. Special:
· Mary believes in conquering her fears head on…at least on the outside. Mary has a wicked sense of humor even though she’s very intense.
7. Subtext:
Fear: Afraid of heights, Afraid of loving someone again, Afraid of not being a good mom, Afraid of failing as the organizer of the IAWL festival and not living up to her mom’s perfectionism. Afraid of not getting to her ex-husband in time and finding him dead.
8. Character Arc:
Issue –
Mary admits she hates the movie It’s a Wonderful Life; she’s a realist who thinks it’s fantasy. Mary is tainted and sarcastic about the world she’s living in because of disappointments. Mary takes on the organizing of the festival not just because her mom did it, but mostly because her nemesis Violet was the only other person who wanted the job…and Mary couldn’t have that! Mary can’t commit to Joseph because of her fear of being disappointed again. Mary still cares for Peter, her ex-husband/high school sweetheart, and wants to help him, but maybe if she wasn’t so preoccupied with Peter’s messes, she could move on with Joseph. Mary desperately wants to be perfect in everything she does but is far from it. No one knows it, but since her mom has passed, Mary has decided it’s time to move to a bigger city. She plans to move with her daughters to Albany right after the festival.
Challenges –
Challenge 1: In the opening scene, Mary is afraid of heights but goes over the George Bailey bridge anyway because she has a duty as a volunteer firefighter to save lives. But because of her fear she chews him out after she saves the man.
Challenge 2: Mary is overwhelmed with the festival and juggling all the different components. She almost loses it in the community meeting to assign all the festival tasks. She gives up her only joy in the festival…playing Mary Bailey.
Challenge 3: Mary keeps ignoring her children’s cries of missing Santa on the NORAD site.
Challenge 4: Mary can’t get in contact with Peter. And we find out that the person she saved from the bridge that night was Peter. Now she’s got to find him, so he doesn’t hurt himself or someone else.
Challenge 5: Mary is forced to give up her “I have to do it all myself” attitude and enlist the help of the townspeople to find Peter and still pull off the festival at the same time.
Challenge 6: Mary again must confront her fear of heights by climbing on the roof to save Peter. After protecting Peter, Mary falls off the roof where Joseph catches her, and she starts to think about him differently…he has always been there for her even when she’s rejected him.
Challenge 7: Mary gathers her courage to forgive Peter everything from the past so that she can move into the future with Joseph.
Transformation:
Mary sees the amazing heart of the town when they come together to make the festival a success for her and save Peter from losing his business by giving him the festival money. Mary starts to rethink leaving Seneca Falls…and has decided to say yes to Joseph the next time he asks.
9. Character Logline:
Mary is a non-stop super mom who must rescue her ex-husband from himself, save kidnapped Santa Claus, and make the annual It’s a Wonderful Life festival a success.
*Using those with asterisks next to them*
What would a competitive person do or say?
*Let the other know that he must save himself. Compare their life to the other’s life. *One up the other person.
What would a clever person do or say?
*Try to disperse the conflict with humor or sarcasm. *Trick the other person in to seeing their position. Play the sympathy card to try to get at their heartstrings
What would a energetic person do or say?
Say all will work out and be fine; *Say what they have to say and then dart because they are too busy; Put the person off because they don’t have time to listen. Cut the other person off because they can’t wait to say their opinion.
What would a driven person do or say?
Act as a Coach; coach them to do their best; If I can recover, you can recover; *Pull yourself up by the bootstraps – you’re a war hero after all!
Character 2 Name: Peter Winters
1. Basic character traits: Depressed, Kind, Lost, Desperate
2. Want/Need:
· Peter wants to save his life. He must climb out of the hole he’s dug himself into due to circumstances.
· Peter is driven by his daughters. He wants them to be proud of him.
3. Paradoxes:
· Peter struggles within between doing what is right versus what he thinks will save his life. Peter is unstable and convinces himself that kidnapping Santa is the only way out of his situation.
4. Secret:
· Peter knows that Santa is real because he worked for NORAD before being shipped out to war. He threatens to expose Santa as real if he doesn’t cooperate with him.
5. Flaw:
· Peter needs help (like Mary) but is a former military man who thinks he must be strong on his own.
6. Special:
· Peter loves to laugh. Mary’s humor is what drew him to her in the first place.
7. Subtext:
· Fear: Afraid of failure and of losing his business; Afraid of losing his daughters; Afraid of not living up to his “hero” status
8. Character Arc:
Issue –
Peter got help with his PTSD when he first returned home from overseas. He was doing well for a few years, but the work dried up when there wasn’t any snow for 3 years. He’s made due for himself by working odd jobs for neighbors but hasn’t been able to take care of his daughters in the way he wants. His depression has returned. He is getting more and more desperate.
Challenges –
Challenge 1: Peter can’t believe he’s fallen so far after years of building his business after returning from war. He must deal with his depression.
Challenge 2: Peter concocts a scheme to kidnap Santa based on his knowledge of NORAD. Can he pull it off?
Challenge 3: Once he pulls off the kidnapping and gets what he needs, what is end game?
Challenge 4: Peter must face his fears and forgive himself in order to make everything right with Santa, the town, and his family.
9. Character Logline:
Peter is a war veteran hero who is about to lose his snowmobile business due to no snowfall, and he knows that Santa Claus is real from his time in the government, so he will use that knowledge to try to save his business.
*Using those with asterisks next to them*
What would a depressed person do or say?
Would say he can’t go on. No one loves me or really cares. *Everyone would be better without me. *Acts in a destructive manner.
What would a kind person do or say?
Agree with the other person. *Promise to commit to recovery. Say that they will try. Try to smile.
What would a lost person do or say?
*Be inconsistent in what they do and speak. Think and say that the end is near. *Hold their head down a lot. Frown.
What would a desperate person do or say?
Will do anything to get out of their current situation. *Take it to the extreme if they think it will help. Say anything to anyone to help their cause.
-
Cameron Martin’s Translated Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is…Damn, I wish I could keep up with doing three concepts at once. Sometime soon I’ll have to try running through this module again with the other two, because they each offer different lessons. But, this is such a radically informative process of character creation that it’s taking me some time to really pour over it. I’ve read enough on structure to where the previous module wasn’t a factor to keep up with. Character creation on this level, however, is something wholly new to me. Prior to this, the most thought I was giving to my characters was the “Want vs. Need” component, and now there’re are at least 7-8 more factors that I’m learning to keep up with. Beyond that I’m learning how to apply brainstorming to individual character choices and interactions, and man, these characters are just leaping off the page. There’s just so much more here than I’ve EVER had before to work with, and it’s showing in my writing. At the same time, this is grueling to get through. I know it’s first draft work, but still. I did find that I can move a little faster by coming up with only two per category until all of the character descriptions were filled out. That way, the rest can bounce off of each other. In the end, going through this makes for constructing a much more unique and engaging action sequence than what I would’ve come up with in just going for it.
Situation:
INT. LIVING QUARTERS – NIGHT
They make it to a corner/tool room of Jude’s apartment and slam the door on the aliens. Sully goes to work make-shifting a weapon, and to his surprise Jude pulls out a laser gun from a safe. The two fight off the hostile aliens, and Jude doesn’t miss a single shot.
Character Name: Sully
Role in the Story: Protagonist. Father to Isaiah and talented engineer who’s found himself outside of the safety of the bunker.
Age Range and Description: Mid thirties. Slightly athletic build with rings under his eyes, like someone who doesn’t believe in “a day off.”
Core Trait A (Inventive)
Sully puts together a baseball bat with two electric nailers on the end of the bat.
Sully uses the door as a shield with nails and saw blades run through it.
Sully sets the gas range to where it just releases gas, lights a candle and rolls it to the gas leak to create an explosion
Sully spills milk and bleach on the floor to impede the worms from slithering through
Sully crafts a circular saw blade launcher to decapitate the alien host
Sully positions mirrors for Jude to shoot at and hit her targetsCore Trait B (Loving)
Sully gives Isaiah a kiss on the forehead before heading out to attack the aliens.
Sully builds a wall around Isaiah.
Sully makes a weapon for Isaiah to protect himself with.
Sully admits his flaws to Isaiah before telling him he loves him.
Sully hugs Isaiah close and tells him he’s the best thing to every happen to him.
Sully apologizes for spending more time working his ass off than spending time with Isaiah.Core Trait C (Controlling)
Sully puts Isaiah in a corner and nails a part of his shirt to the wall.
Sully tells Jude to stand back, even though she has a laser gun.
Sully tells Jude what to make and how, before Jude ignores him and grabs a gun instead.
Sully gives Isaiah a weapon and asks him to not let the aliens take him (essentially asking Isaiah to kill himself before getting infected)
Sully ignores any advice that Jude or Isaiah give. Sully uses brute force in comparison to Jude who uses leverage and martial knowledge, and Isaiah acts more like a knowledgeable zoo keeper in the action.Core Trait D (Disguising)
Sully stays quiet except for quick explanations like “I’ve got it,” or “It’s my job.”
Sully tells Isaiah that it’s his (Sully’s) fault that they’re in this situation.
Sully quotes vague verses from The Bible to explain his state of mind.
Sully looks at a picture of his son the entire time he’s working, while avoiding looking at his son right beside him.
Sully asks Jude to protect Isaiah while he goes and faces off against all of them.Character Subtext (Sully disguises his toxic sense of responsibility from his son)
Sully tells Isaiah that he loves him over and over again
Sully launches into a monologue about the love fathers have for their sons, and the efforts they’re called to go to to protect them.Character Motivation; Want/Need (The character wants to regain the control he feels he lost. What he needs is to let go and understand he’s never been in control of his surroundings; he can only work on controlling himself.)
Sully tries to single handedly kill off the aliens and host himself.
Sully tells Isaiah to stay back and denies any help offered as he double-times his efforts to fortify their room.
Sully develops new weapons, but every time Isaiah tries to help, Sully responds with a “Don’t touch that.”Paradoxes; Warring elements (Sully wants to raise Isaiah to be his own person, free and loving, but struggles to accept Isaiah’s perceived flaws and mannerisms.)
Whenever Isaiah gives an idea on what to do about the worms, Sully responds with a “that’s great,” but ultimately ignores the suggestion.
Sully asks Isaiah for help in limited fashion (go grab this or that), but asks that he not get distracted on the way, bringing up a previous event for contextSecret (Isaiah was an “Oops Baby,” and Sully blames himself and feels resentment that his wife’s last years alive were spent taking care of a special needs child instead of relaxing and enjoying life.)
Sully tells Isaiah that “this is what he was born to do” in reference to his help with the aliens.
Sully apologizes to his deceased wife for breaking a promise.Flaw (Sully believes life would’ve been easier and his wife would be alive without Isaiah, even if he doesn’t want to admit it to himself?)
Sully tells Isaiah they wouldn’t be in this mess if his mother were still around.
Sully tells himself out loud that he’d be safe and sound in the bunker if he had “kept it in his pants” and didn’t have IsaiahSpecial (Sully manufactures weapons and devices out of scrap. Sully is on the spectrum, just like his son.)
Sully doesn’t hesitate, immediately seeing tools and reconfiguring them into weapons against the aliens.
Sully talks to himself as he makes weapons out of power tools.
Sully apologizes to the tools and talks them through their deconstruction into weapons.Character Name: Isaiah
Role in the Story: Antagonist. Son to Sully and a child who falls somewhere on the autism spectrum, between fully autistic and high functioning Asperger’s.
Age and Description: Between 8-12 years old. Typical boyish form with a hunch from always looking down, and eyes that shift from dazed/looking off into space and alert.
Core Trait A: Obsessive
Isaiah asks that the worms not be hurt, insisting he knows how to coexist with them.
Isaiah provides information that the worms are extremely sensitive to alkaline including chemicals as tame as milk to as harmful as bleach, which would almost instantly kill them.Core Trait B: Focused
Isaiah watches his dad’s work closely, asking carefully thought out questions to learn from him.
Isaiah can’t take his eyes off of the door where the host and aliens are trying to get through, unaware of anything else around him, including anything that might slither up behind him.Core Trait C: Covering Up
Isaiah declines to mention or just flat out lies about how he knows so much about the aliens.
Isaiah hides some of the spy’s work investigating the worms, worried that someone else’s work will lead back to him.Core Trait D: Gentle
Isaiah insists on a non lethal measure to dealing with the worms.
Isaiah hands things to Sully and Jude delicately
Isaiah lays out bait and catches the worms, careful not to hurt them.
Isaiah makes soft, deliberate noises to the worms, as opposed to the chaos created by both Sully and Jude’s efforts.Character Subtext (Isaiah’s obsessed with the aliens, but doesn’t want his father to know that he’s been spending all his time studying them)
Isaiah lies, badly.
Isaiah says he’s “heard things” when he means to say he’s experimented.
Isaiah hunches over, trying to not let his dad see what he’s doing.Character Motivation; Want/Need (Isaiah wants to help his dad survive; what he needs is for his dad to love him)
Isaiah catches the worms and tells his dad to look
Isaiah makes loud banging noises that both he and the worms can’t stand in order to stun them and help his dad survive.Paradoxes; Warring elements (Isaiah possesses gifted intelligence and awareness of his surroundings, but is often overwhelmed by his surroundings.)
Isaiah is so focussed on what his dad is doing to the worms, that he misses one slithering up to him.
Isaiah watches the worm he’s caught and forgets that he’s still in the middle of a life and death situationSecret (He’s observed the aliens and his obsessions with infiltration, stealth, and escape routes are inspired by his obsession with the aliens.)
Isaiah looks out for potential escape/entry points and marks them with spray paint, knowing the alkalinity will deter the worms like mint deters wasps back on earth.
Isaiah gathers as many alkaline chemicals he can, while Jude and Sully figure out weapons and fight off the worms.Flaw (He struggles with connecting with others, including his own father, because his brain works differently from others.)
Takes any amount of sarcasm literally
Argues with his dad on “rules” that were provided to him before, because he doesn’t recognize that the context has shifted.Special (Isaiah has acute Asperger’s, and has become obsessed with the worms.)
Isaiah tries to write down notes or study notes in a workbook as the conflict is going down.
Isaiah holds his hands to his ears and mutters to shut out the chaos as much as he can.Character Name: Jude
Role in the Story: Supporting Character 1
Age Range and Description: Between 55-70 years old. Unassuming outside of being fitter than she looks, able to still engage with some martial arts like jiujitsu, judo, and gun-fu. Sally Field meets John Wick.
Core Trait A: Undercover
Jude sacrifices some information (she has a laser gun), but she ignores any questioning
Jude palm prints her way through her security, revealing the tool room isn’t just a tool room.
Jude spends more time eliminating her own evidence than she does fighting aliens, showing one is more important to her than the other.Core Trait B: Motherly
Jude comforts Isaiah with encouraging words.
Jude watches Isaiah trap and work with the worms and kills the worms, telling him to clean up after himself.
Jude offers to make something for Isaiah and Sully while she blasts the worms.Core Trait C: Terse
Jude responds to questions with short, borderline hostile retorts.
While Sully tries over-explaining everything, Jude gives single word commands to Sully and Isaiah. Jude fluctuates between southern belle and commando.Core Trait D: Curious
Jude encourages Isaiah to engage in more dangerous catching strategies to observe him.
Jude goes between Sully and Isaiah, asking each what they’re doing (building weapons out of tools and catching aliens)Motivation; Want/Need (Wants to find redemption for her past deeds/Needs validation/acceptance)
Jude discourages Sully and Isaiah from getting involved in the same way Sully discourages her from getting involved in fighting the worms.
Jude goes “John Wick” gun-fu on the worms.
Jude prays over each fallen victim she tried to rescue/protect, not for them but for herself.Paradoxes; Warring elements (She’s very motherly, but it often hides the true meaning of what she says. She both loves and takes pride in how good of a spy and assassin she’s been in the past, and also resents that part of herself.)
Jude talks in grandmotherly idioms to bring out what Sully and Isaiah know about the worms.
She makes an unbelievable shot, killing multiple worms, and smiles while saying “goodness me, these things are messy.”Secret (She’s a spy for the Hegemony, sent to eliminate any evidence that the Hegemony knew about the worms or that their knowledge that the colony is untenable)
Jude puts out fires she started previously when she first enters her living quarters.
Jude splashes paint remover on every wall while shooting aliens.
Jude says everything’s “classified” whenever Sully asks about a new gun or piece of tech that Jude pulls out.Flaw (Her loyalty to the Hegemony above the individual colonists)
She gives a warning shot to Sully when he says something negative about the Hegemony
She questions herself for saving Sully and Isaiah, saying she has “buyers’ remorse.”Special (She’s a sharpshooter and talented spy):
She’s James Bond if Bond was played by Judi Dench instead of Daniel Craig.
She displays subtle martial skill. While being too old to overpower many of the hosts or Sully, she can use joint locks and leverage her opponent with expert technique and precision. -
Dev Ross – Translating Character
What I learned is the way you can create powerful and very distinguishable dialogue for your main characters by focusing all their strongest character traits.
CLAY CAINE
1. Basic character traits: Fearful of being powerless/denial/self-righteous/religious/prideful
2. Want/Need: To protect America/regain status/revenge for sister
3. Paradoxes: His need to be loved/rejecting his loved ones
4. Secret: He is half black.
5. Flaw: Refusal to accept the truth
6. Special: Commitment to change/willingness to put himself out there.
7. Subtext: Love me
8. Character Arc: From powerless to angry to vengeful to realization
9. Character Logline: Clay Caine is a fading KKK Grand Dragon who attempts to regain his influence but instead brings about his own undoing and death.
LINCOLN ABLE
1. Basic character traits: Compassionate/Empathetic/brave/
2. Want/Need: To bring change for his people
3. Paradoxes: A loving man rejects his loved one for revenge
4. Secret: His long-held chips on his shoulder
5. Flaw: Refusal to accept his deepest truth
6. Special: His commitment to others and change/willingness to put himself out there.
7. Subtext: Respect me
8. Character Arc: Powerful to fear, doubt, anger, revenge, realization then death
9. Character Logline: Lincoln Able is a leader who is rapidly gaining in influence who attempts revenge and is destroyed by it.
REQUIRED COMPONENTS COMPONENT What might a____ person do or say?
1. Role in Story Protagonist
2. Age range/Descript 40’s. Fit physique, tanned and rough skin from work
3. Core Trait A Self-righteous
– Would advocate for Lincoln to see the light, give up and accept before he shot him.
– Would guilt trip him about blacks not succeeding or having strong families and tell him to step out and let himself be sacrifice.
4. Trait B Denial
– Would place hatred of blacks on God’s will so be the sacrificial lamb
– Would blame Lincoln for his sister. Lincoln should accept being sacrifice.
5. Trait C Religious
– Place responsibility on higher power
– Say that God must hate him or betrayed him
6. Trait D Vengeful
– Find justification in the conversation for his murderous attacks. Hold Lincoln at gunpoint and make him admit Clay is justified.
– Stew on the unfairness of Lincoln’s existence
– Say what he’s doing is payback
7. SUBTEXT
– Would play the victim. Lincoln and his kind forced him into this.
– MOTIVATION/WANT/NEED
– To get Lincoln to give up so that he can take power again he’d be exceedingly reasonable and use quotes from the bible.
– To justify his beliefs, he’d quote the bible and get into a quote off with Lincoln
8. UNIQUE/SPECIAL
– Clay uses his motivational speaking to bend others to his will.
– Will force Lincoln to beg to be shot.
9. CHARACTER LOGLINE
– After fading in leadership, he believes he’ll regain it by murdering Lincoln
– Clay holds a press conference to announce a ‘great change’ to take place.
LINCOLN ABLE
REQUIRED COMPONENTS COMPONENT What might a____ person do or say?
10. Role in Story Antagonist
11. Age range/Descript 40’s. Fit. Handsome. Elite
12. Core Trait A Passionate/Committed
– Would advocate for Clay to see him as a brother, fellow human and accept that all his beliefs are false.
– Would point out how his misinterpretations of the bible have sent him on wrong path.
13. Trait B Elite therapist
– Would place Clay’s hatred of blacks onto his lack of education and warped upbringing.
– Would try to psychoanalyze him and point out how emotionally stunted he is.
14. Trait C Chip on shoulder
– Place responsibility on all whites
– Make Clay admit he’s just a spoiled white man too afraid of competition.
15. Trait D Brave
– Allow Clay to take him at gunpoint so he can confront him.
– Drag Clay out of the falling building
16. SUBTEXT
– Wants Clay to truly see him as an equal and be ashamed of his life’s work.
– MOTIVATION/WANT/NEED
– To get Clay to see the truth of his false ‘reason to be.’
– To justify his beliefs, he’d quote the bible correctly to Clay
17. UNIQUE/SPECIAL
– Lincoln uses his motivational and heartfelt speaking to affect Clay.
18. CHARACTER LOGLINE
– Growing in leadership, Lincoln struggles with an inner need to murder the GD.
– Lincoln admits that he too is filled with hate.
-
Dev Ross – Translated Characters
What I learned from doing this lesson is where traits, secrets, and flaws color character in such a way to make them truly multi-faceted.
1.EXT. SPACE – ON MULTI-UNIVERSES
Per String Theory, multiple strands of alternate universes exist side by side.
PUSH IN ON TWO STRANDS: Both show the signs of extreme climate events and are both slowly disintegrating with tendrils from each drifting into the opposite strand.
PUSH INTO ONE STRAND, THEN INTO its Earth’s atmosphere, into the United States, into…
2. EXT. FAIR GROUNDS – WHITE SUPREMACIST RALLY – SUMMER DAY
Fearful/Prideful
Amid increasing climate events, KKK Grand Dragon CLAY CAINE speaks at White Supremacist event. When booed off stage as a SINO (Supremacist in Name Only), he’s so caught off guard, he trips. Catching him as he comes up to speak is the hot new ticket in the hate game, ADAM SPENCER.
3. EXT. STRANDS – CONTINUOUS
PUSH INTO second strand.
4. EXT. FAIR GROUNDS – GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY – DAY
Passionate/Impatient
Amid increasing climate events, Black Leader LINCOLN ABLE is intro’d to an adoring crowd of blacks and whites. When he attempts to speak, the crowd still cheers. With good humor, he scolds them to quiet down – bringing out the teacher in him.
5. EXT. SPACE – ON TWO STRANDS
ZOOM into first strand.
2. INT. CAINE HOME – DINING ROOM – EVENING
Prideful/Self-righteous
Clay’s wife, HANNAH, a nurse, demurely suggests it’s time to leave Klan to focus on family. Clay erupts with a Bible-ish quote about self-sacrifice: “I give to the Lord. This family gives to the Lord. We give what he requires to further HIS work!” Daughter, EMMY, excuses herself to meet a boyfriend she remains secretive about.
3. INT. CAINE HOME – TV ROOM – NIGHT
Self-righteous
Clay changes the news channel from ‘bullshit climate change’ to coverage on WS rally: “Jews will not convert us! Blacks will not pervert us!” Shakes his head, this is not the way to bring the change they want. He vows to work even harder.
4. INT. CAINE’S BATHROOM – NIGHT
Religious/A believer
He brushes his teeth. Stops to gaze at his reflection; FLASHBACKS to…
5. EXT. KLAN RALLY – NIGHT – FLASHBACK
Clay’s grandfather, Grand Dragon AUGUST ABLE gives a wickedly ‘patriotic’ speech filled with fiery biblical references to shouted praises. A cross burns as a mesmerized seven-year-old Clay, dressed in Klan robe, watches.
6. INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
Fearful
Clay prays for a sign from God to tell him how to regain his former influence to stop the rising tide of Godless liberalism.
8. EXT. JOB SITE – DAY
Be admired
Clay house paints. The homeowner, an elderly woman, asks if he’d be willing to mentor/apprentice her twelve-year-old grandson who’s coming to live with her. Clay quotes Proverbs 22:6. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
9. EXT. CLAY’S HOUSE – NIGHT
Odd, disturbing weather outside. Tendrils of float across the sky. O.S. news pundits blame the phenomena on the Chinese while climate scientists beg to differ.
10. INT. CLAY’S BASEMENT – KKK MEETING – CONTINUOUS
Love me
Clay reminds dwindling KKK members that their members used to be respectable doctors, lawyers and politicians who were gentleman first, Christian men with integrity, not wild-eyed terrorists. He asks if they trust him? Yes. Will they follow him? Yes!
11. EXT. HOUSE PAINTING JOB SITE – DAY
Prideful/Self-righteous
The elderly woman introduces her half black grandson, ELIJAH, to Clay. Clay refuses to mentor the boy as God prohibits race mixing. Saying she knows more than he thinks, she leaves the boy with him. Clay trembles as if he’s going to stumble again…Recoups.
Clay, on edge, insists Elijah will have to work much harder than others to be decent. Elijah insists he will, doesn’t want to be like his father. Clay relates…
14. INT. CLAY’S CHILDHOOD HOME – DAY – FLASHBACK
Behind closed door, Clay’s father beats his wife while young Clay and his sister play inside a suitcase with female clothing strewn about.
15. INT. CLAY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Fearful of being seen as ‘less than.’
Clay can’t get it up. Makes excuses. It’s his work. She’s tired of his excuses. It escalates – a lot — until — shouts of “Nigger lovers” come from outside.
16. EXT. CLAY’S HOME – NIGHT
Fear of being seen as weak
Trucks flying Confederate flags screech away. A cross burns on Clay’s lawn. Effigy hangs with sign “Nigger Lovers.”
17. EXT. CLAY’S HOME – MORNING
Emmy knocks on the door, wants to know if her parents are okay.
18. INT. CLAY’S HOME – CONTINUOUS
Self-righteous
Emmy admits the cross burning is her fault. Discloses she’s pregnant with a black baby. Clay freaks, disowns her, kicks her out.
19. EXT. CLAY’S HOME – CONTINOUS
Mother and daughter touch palms through front window.
20. INT. CLAY’S HOME – LATER
Fear of being seen as weak/defensive
Hannah’s leaving for work, comments on how successful Black Leader LINCOLN ABLE is. Clay takes her comments as a dig. Hannah insists it’s not that. Times are changing, maybe he should too. He blocks her out, refuses to relent his position.
21. EXT. HOUSE PAINTING JOB – DAY
Love me
A violent wind blows over the ladder which knocks over the paint before Elijah can right it. The boy covers his head to block the blows he knows are coming. Clay freezes, remembers…
22. INT. CLAY’S CHILDHOOD HOME – FLASHBACK – DAY
Yelling that he’s just like his mother, his daddy hits young Clay over and over again…
24. EXT. HOUSE PAINTING JOB – DAY
Clay grabs Elijah into a hug.
25. EXT. STREETS – LATE DAY
Self-righteous
Driving home, Clay berates himself about the boy. Must keep to his grandfather’s principles! FLASHBACK TO:
26. EXT. STREAM – DAY
Love me
Clay fishes with his grandpa who imbues him with KKK principles of family and Christianity. He’ll save the boy but nobody can ever know about his mother. When young Clay questions why- ‘she was nice’, his Grandpa cuffs him.
OUT OF FLASHBACK TO:
26. EXT. BAR – DAY
Clay stops at stoplight next to BAR. FLASHBACK TO-
27. EXT. BAR – FLASHBACK – DAY
Clay’s father tells him to wait outside bar while he goes in. Clay watches as a BLACK WOMEN ENTERS. Laughter from inside as Clay waits. He peeks inside to seen the woman hanging all over his father.
28. EXT. BAR – OUT OF FLASHBACK – DAY
Light changes. Clay drives on. Stops, backs up.
29. INT. BAR – DAY
Be admired
Clay drinks, watches Lincoln Able on TV as bartender complains about blacks replacing them. LIGHTS in bar flicker due to climate stuff. Clay pontificates: it’s not climate, it’s the Chinese.
30. EXT. SPACE – ON STRANDS
Increasing climate change causes the two strands continued break down.
31. EXT. CLAY HOME – CONTINUOS
Ribbons of color encompass the neighborhood causing a terrified Elijah – who’d been out riding his bike – to bang on Clay’s door. Clay threatens to shoot him if he shows his black face at his home again. Elijah runs off as neighborhood shimmers and changes ever so subtly…
32. INT. CLAY’S BASEMENT – CONTINUOUS
Self-righteous
Clay watches TV: Lincoln speaking to an adoring crowd. STATIC from TV then clips of him speaking at his rally/interspersed with Lincoln speaking. That’s it! God’s sending him a message! Clay points his shotgun at TV. Click.
ACT TWO:
1. EXT. SKY – MORNING
The sky splits with ribboning colors that now interweave…
2. INT. BASEMENT – MORNING
(NOTE: Basement is the same – only different!)
We assume it’s Clay sleeping on the couch. But when he rises, it’s black leader Lincoln Able and he’s had a bad dream he can’t shake…
3. INT. ABLE HOME – KITCHEN – MORNING
Failure to acknowledge his deepest truth
His wife, NUBIA, apologizes for sending him to the basement but his tossing, turning, talking in his sleep was keeping her up. Lincoln says he had a vivid dream about being the Grand Dragon, yet when he woke, he wanted to kill him. Nubia laughs: One would make his daddy proud, the other his momma.
4. EXT. BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY
Passionate
Lincoln gives his volunteers a pep talk before they go door to door to get out the vote. A truck flying a Confederate flag motors past. Lincoln appears to ignore it but, in truth, doesn’t.
5. INT./EXT. BLACK HOME – DAY
Empathetic
Lincoln speaks to a black couple about voting. The man’s son, a vet, grumbles about the uselessness of voting in the white man’s world. Lincoln understands how he feels, however, says they can’t let hate win. You’re good as dead if you do.
6. EXT. BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY
Failure to acknowledge his deepest truth-inner knowing
Lincoln drives through a SHIMMER of lights, stops at a light just as the car next to him does too. Both drivers turn to each other. Clay and Lincoln stare at each other.
7. INT. LINCOLN’S CAR – CONTINOUS
Then, an urgent text from his wife: Come to hospital STAT! SHIMMER. Lincoln looks up. Man in opposite car is no longer Clay…
8. INT. HOSPITAL- FRONT DESK/EMPTY ROOM – DAY
Bravery
Lincoln looks for his wife at the nurses’ station. SHIMMER. It appears Hannah greets him but – SHIMMER – it’s Nubia who pulls him into a private room. She’s pregnant! Lincoln’s joy is overshadowed by the fact that he’s seeing things.
9. INT. HOSPITAL – IMAGING – DAY
Impatience
Nubia rolls Lincoln into MRI machine. He protests – he has work to do – but she’s all about being more safe than sorry.
10. INT. HOSPITAL PARKING LOT – NIGHT
Hannah’s car won’t start. She tries to call her husband. It rings and rings.
11. EXT. GUN SHOP/INT. CLAY’S CAR – NIGHT
Self-righteous
Clay leaves a gun shop. Cell phone on seat shows several ‘missed calls’ just as he opens the door and tosses in a box of ammo.
12. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – NIGHT
Passionate
Nubia has Lincoln’s scan results. Odd brain patterns. Stress? With their baby finally coming, perhaps he can go back to old job. Lincoln laughs. What? Painting? Nothing he painted ever sold and he was a terrible art teacher. No, he’s found his calling.
13. EXT. CLAY’S DRIVEWAY – NIGHT
Self-righteous
Clay sits in his car and loads his shotgun when a car drives up. The driver, a black man, has given Hannah a ride home. Clay angrily yanks his wife into the house.
14. INT. CLAY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT – CONTINOUS
Self-righteous revenge
Clay confronts Hannah about being seen with a black man. How could she be so stupid?! He hits her again and again until she’s still…
Meanwhile…
15. EXT. FRONT DOOR – NIGHT – CONTINOUS
Emmy bangs on door outside. Calls for her mom. Blood drips down her legs.
16. EXT. HOSPITAL/CITY STREETS – NIGHT
Lincoln leaves the hospital, drives off…
SHIMMER…
17. EXT. LINCOLN/CLAY’S STREET – NIGHT
Secret
As Lincoln drives up to what he thinks is his house, he’s further disoriented when he recognizes the car that pulled up alongside him — and it’s parked in his driveway. Or is this even his driveway? Shots are fired from the house. Lincoln ducks into his car.
SHIMMER
18. EXT. LINCOLN’S HOME – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT
Lincoln cautiously gets out of his car. Bullet holes riddle the side of it. But it’s his house in front of him…
19. EXT. GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY – DAY
Chip on his shoulder
Lincoln speaks but struggles. His head pounds. His speech turns spiteful – repressed anger released about “driving while black, jogging while black, voting while black…’
SHIMMERS…
The CHANGING crowd (black and then white) reacts, alternatingly jeering or cheering him on.
20. EXT. GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY – ON CROWD – CONTINUOUS
Self-righteous
Elijah is walking toward his grandma when he spots Clay, who’s taking aim at her. Elijah yells out a warning! Clay shoots the old woman, scattering the crowd. Now he aims at Lincoln, fires. Lincoln ducks and then chases after Clay. He thinks he has him cornered but… SHIMMER… he’s disappeared into thin air.
21. INT. LINCOLN HOME/CLAY’S HOME – DAY – LATER
Chip on shoulder
Lincoln spots Clay rushing up to the house with his shotgun. He yanks his wife Nubia to the floor. Nothing happens. No gun shots. She believes he’s having a breakdown.
22. EXT. LINCOLN HOME – DRIVEWAY – DAY
Chip on shoulder
Lincoln shows Nubia the bullet holes in his car. Nubia demands he stop his work. They argue and he – totally out of character – pushes her to the ground. He’s about to strike her when he stops himself, begs her forgiveness while blood trickles down her leg.
23. EXT. SPACE
The strands total collapse appears imminent.
24. INT. CLAY HOME – DAY
Love me
Someone’s in the shadows. Clay almost shoots but – it’s his daughter. She lost her baby. He embraces her, cries with her. She asks: can I come home now? Clay backs way… Full well knowing what happened to his sister, his own daughter chose to sleep with a black man. No, she’s tainted.
25. INT. CLAY’S BASEMENT – NIGHT
Self-righteous
Telephone call: Clay and his sister. She says ‘get over it.’ Never was raped. She took on those black men on as a FUCK YOU to their child molesting, KKK Grandpa. Clay denies when—FLASHBACK TO:
26. INT. KKK GRANDPA’S HOME – KID’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Secret
Clay watches as their grandpa slips into their room and leans over his sister’s bed.
OUT OF FLASHBACK-
27. INT. CLAY’S BASEMENT – NIGHT – CONTINOUS
Self-righteous
He calls her a liar just like his wife and daughter – who’ve all betrayed him with the black man.
28. EXT. BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD – NIGHT
Self-righteous revenge
Clay shoots out the windows of a black church. Shoots at folks as they run out.
29. EXT. HOSPITAL – NIGHT
Chip on shoulder
Lincoln drives his wife toward home. After losing their hard sought-after baby, she doesn’t want to talk. Clay’s car emerges from a SHIMMER. Lincoln sees him, stops, orders his wife out of the car.
ACT THREE
1.EXT. SPACE
The two strands are collapsing into one another…
2.EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT
Self-righteous revenge
Clay aims at a random black man when his car is rammed by Lincoln. Car chase through the city. Alarms go off as electricity arcs across the sky. The world’s fabric is rending…
Both crash their cars. Pursue each other on foot.
3. EXT./INT. COTTON PROCESSING PLANT – NIGHT
Revenge/Revenge
Both men chase shadows. It’s cat and mouse where after SHIMMERS both appear and disappear from each other’s view. Sudden quake causes near collapse of building.
4. EXT. LINCOLN’S NEIGHBORHOO – NIGHT
Nubia, on foot, finally approaches home when– the neighborhood SHIMMERS.
5. EXT. CLAY’S NEIGHBORHOOD – NIGHT – CONTINOUS
Confused, she stands in the middle of a street she does not recognize. SHIMMER…
6. EXT. LINCOLN’S NEIGHBORHOOD – NIGHT – CONTINOUS
She’s suddenly back in her neighborhood when car brakes scream. The face of the approaching car’s driver freezes in anguish as he runs her down…
7. EXT. SKY – NIGHT
It’s collapsing in on itself.
8. INT. PLANT – NIGHT
The men’s search for each other frustrates as their shapes SHIMMER in and out. Finally – their bullets ricochet and each is struck. Building is coming down. Both drag themselves in opposite directions to get out.
9. EXT. PLANT – NIGHT
Clay drags himself out into the night. Moon shines down on pools of water. As he bleeds out, he sees his shifting reflection in the water. It shifts out of being Lincoln, then Clay….
10. EXT. PLANT – NIGHT
Lincoln drags himself out, sees his reflection in water. It shifts out of being Clay, then Lincoln.
SHIMMER…
11. EXT PLANT – SHIFTED – NIGHT
Secrets revealed
Two SHIMMERS merge. The men are stuck between their universes, face to face. Could they, indeed, be each other. But how? Clay rails at God. All this time he thought he was serving him. Lincoln can’t accept it. He doesn’t have that kind of hate. Clay laughs. Doesn’t he? It’s like the end of Romeo and Juliet where each died for love only in the opposite. Each died for hate of a part of themselves.
SHIMMER TO WHITE OUT.
11. EXT. SPACE
String strands resonate like harp strings. The two damaged strands merge, twist and then disappear into nothingness. A beat. A resonate hum before… a whole new string is birthed. A brilliance of big bang light and…
12. EXT. MIXED NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY
The sun shines down on a newly formed reality – literally. Emmy and her black husband stroll with her baby past black and white townspeople who warmly ask what her baby’s name is. Emmy smiles. It’s Elijah.
-
Alice’s Translated Characters
What I’ ve learned doing this assignment is
I also used action/reaction for stting, where they had to make conversation
Without it I couldn’t do it
I don’t see WARD scene yet
Part 2
Name: WARD
Possible areas of subtext: Avoiding danger (other residents), pretending to reach his aim, planning actions, getting into fight
Name: Son of Main Commander
Possible areas of subtext: at the dialogs in Hotel when they are reported. In his behavior and interactions with LENA.
PART 1
Character Name: THANAKH
1. Basic character traits:
Suspicious, Respectful, Argumentative, Intelligent
talented, honest, reserved, and refined
2. Want/Need
Wants to bring this event to conclusion, if possible to justice
Needs to uncover who is behind missing cases
3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)
That he, such a refined person, ended up in a pile of carnal bodies construction.
4. Secret:
He hides, how much he went wounded by it.
5. Flaw:
Idea, secret police might be behind it, weakens him.
6. Special:
He’s different
7. Subtext: Research, observation
8. Character Arc:
Part to be changed: He needs to find out, who’ve done it, and what happened?
Biggest fear: His biggest fear is what he sees in Anaupsh’s his lab
Completion of arc: His example as martyr changes social structure of the West. For separate-able humanity.
9. Character Logline:
Thanakh is a scientist, working as Head of the Lab at Research Institute who lost his girlfriend and must find out who is behind missing cases at RI to bring things to justice.
PART 2
Character Name: WARD
1. Basic character traits:
Even-tempered, self-controlled, trained in martial arts, good at deciphering people
2. Want/Need
Wants to love LENA
Needs to send her safely out of reservation
3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)
He is so trained, but lets himself be shot point-blank
4. Secret:
They have been using weapon prior at reservations, to bring qualified out. This discredits him as a ward, and who he would recommend.
5. Flaw:
He weakens, meeting LENA, as she becomes also his lover, not just another better specimen to be brought outside. He stops to be impartial, and puts himself under fire.
6. Special: He reappears in a spirit after he is shot, and guides LENA.
7. Subtext: Withholding, Sensual, Covering up, and Disguising
8. Character Arc:
9. Character Logline:
Ward, who goes inside of restricted reservations to bring back qualified, picks up LENA and is intended to liberate her. (Write report, and send her back, on helicopter).
Character Name: Son of Main Commander
1. Basic character traits:
high rank military, intelligent, independent, has no illusion, good with observations, and predicting, lives dramatic life.
Highly intelligent, Has no illusion, is a Visionary, Obscure
2. Want/Need
Want: Higher Aspirations
Need: pass via civil war
3. Paradoxes (Warring elements)
He SEPARATES though there are no external reasons for that
4. Secret: He’s hiding his personal view
5. Flaw: Is incapable to step ahead as a ward
6. Special: Is a visionary
7. Subtext: Diplomatic, Refined
8. Character Arc:
9. Character Logline:
Top Rank Military who accidentally picks up on LENA, gets attracted, and she becomes his partner.
You will work from those nine components when doing today’s
assignment like what you see in the handout.
1. Go to your outline and select an interesting situation that has
both of your lead characters in it.
PART 1
THANAKH
INT. AUDITORY – DAY
As Thanakh addresses Research Institute workers for support, other missing cases come out.
INT. AUDITORY – DAY
Thanakh learns of Director’s disappearance.
INT. AUDITORY – DAY
Thanakh warns workers against area of local labs at Research Institute.
PART 2
WARD
MIDPOINT: His window is bulletproof, but door has space underneath. After knocking at his locked door didn’t help, residents put smoke via this opening. Ward then streams water outside.
Son of Main Commander
CRISIS: INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR – NIGHT
Son of Main Commander is encountered by Hotel’s owner, and then military dispatch. All tenants get out of their rooms. It appears, Hotel was stuffed with video cameras to observe tenants, by agreement of that man across the street and Hotel owner. As Son of Main Commander arguments matter with Commanding Officer, that one freaks out and gets tied up by his own soldiers. Soldiers get all lost, but one, who starts giving commands, by birth right!
2. Do a quick brainstorm session (like the example) and list 2 to 5 ideas
for each component of your Character Profiles
3. Listing their profiles, tell us the ideas you generated for botha lead characters in this situation.
4. Tell us the ideas you’ve decided to keep.
Situation: Speaking before Audience of Research Institute
Character 1 Name: THANAKH
What would a Suspicious, Respectful, Argumentative, Intelligent
talented, honest, reserved, and refined person do or say?
What would a (Intelligent, talented, reserved) person do or say?
We have here conditions for working on science, on our subject. These conditions are suppose to be comfortable, so that we could address, occupy, dedicate to our ongoing researches, working and learning. This is a place for juniors and interns to get education.
What would a (Honest, refined) person do or say?
I would confess, how I mostly am connected to the research of my lab I’m a head of. And maybe paying not enough attention, or not follow closely enough what is ongoing at jointed labs. Still, I am genuinely aggravated that no one pays attention at a fact person has disappeared.
What would a Argumentative person do or say?
If someone would work here day after day for a period, short or long, I would at least ask a question, where is he going, or where did he went?
What would a (Research, observation) person do or say?
We’ve got so many lab workers. I personally cannot keep track of all of them. But I cannot mark not who is present at my own lab who’s absent, because I need ‘em. How come no one questions Kiat’s absence? She was working on regular basis non-stop, dedicating to research and education, like all of you. And honestly, friends, I just don’t understand your indifference!
Situation: Speaking with Zone Residents across the door
Character 2 Name: WARD
What would a (self-controlled, trained) person do or say?
Door is locked, you must go. You don’t knock on the door, locked, no you pull at it.
Start pouring water on landing outside via opening of under the door and threshold, as they stream smoke inside of room.
“Remove the water!” “Then, let them remove the smoke!”
What would a Covering up person do or say?
Why would you be interested, what’s inside?
No, I won’t open the door!
Yes, I am a ward, and this is my apartment. This is my door you knock at, and not someone else’s!
What would a Sensual person do or say?
Lena is here. And what kind of bad thought do you posses?
No, I guess we would stay in here for a while.
(Do) (won’t unlock the door)
What would a Disguising person do or say?
What is your problem, I don’t get it, someone locks inside, what’s in it for you?
What would a Withholding person do or say?
Why won’t you go, and stop knocking, pulling, and hitting over?
I just don’t understand, what my door is guilty of? You can’t open it, anyway. Why to persist for such a long time?
So what?
Because he would not open the door, for example, and shoot them down, because of that they do this for real long time, they have idea, he’s not going to shoot them down. So they lost fright of it.
As he locks inside, they maybe expect system, which works for limiting freedom of such entities like them, is broken. All they want to know, is what is next Monday when tickets for permission for doing anything (like locking doors and chopping heads of virgins off) date is?
Then he unlocks, and system is as good as ever, and they using their emotions on the verge to kill him.
He keeps Lena inside so that she would restore, feel better, so that she would be accepted easily to outside of zone.
Situation: Speaking with Officer of military dispatch
Character 3 Name: Son of Main Commander
What would a (high rank military, lives dramatic life. Highly intelligent) person do or say?
What is your rank?// I am top officer!
I only report to my higher ranks!// Obviously, they then report to me!//You undermine my position of top officer!//I’m not questioning your experience, I just make it seen how more flexibility is required to command and make decisions. This is present demand of society! And this is unfortunately lacking at many positions like yours!//You make my head spin!
Officer gets red in a face, and partly pulls weapon out, as if wishing to shoot himself, or use it.
What would a (Has no illusion) person do or say?
Not afraid of dismissal?// Maybe it seems to you, there are any reasons for that?
Do you believe your actions won’t qualify?// No more, than keeping cameras and watching tenants!
What would a (Obscure) person do or say?
That is done for good reason.//We do filter society, but that is done with considerations. Our society must become liberated, not undergo rudeness and intrusion!//I can’t believe YOU say that!
I’m sure you understand procedure, or you will finish up with pissing across the Ocean to another Archipelago!//We have “psychologists” dispatch, they must be here soon!//I do get right from wrong!// Maybe doing more evil?// I only carry orders!// You must have a feeling of discrimination, otherwise your actions as an officer would lead to bigger social crimes and instability!// You mean watching tenants is incorrect? But this leads to your exposure!// I don’t mean watching tenants only. I talk about general attitude of leading officers, who were ordained to carry orders only, instead of personal approach, and mostly are lacking intelligence, necessary to command youngsters, who fall into uncertainty.// I don’t know, maybe I piss across the Ocean, but if such elements like you are at the top rank, I don’t know, where World is going!//For example?//Like your behavior with woman!// You mean my wife? This wasn’t probably having that inclination, as you implying!
By this moment all tenants are out of their rooms, most in pajamas or underdressed.
What would a (independent, good with observations, and predicting) person do or say?
Strange habits?// Maybe just tonight
What would a (Diplomatic, Refined) person do or say?
I don’t question you honesty, officer, but your first action must be removing cameras from this Hotel, and letting tenants know, they’ve been watched.//I will do everything to expose you, and disqualify you as a rotten element in the army!
I am about hitting you myself!// I would warn you from such behavior, as unnecessary and undermining military honor!
Boys, would you restrain your officer, so that he won’t hurt himself, till he starts feeling better?
Two young military get hold of top officer from both sides, as he still stares into Son of Main Commander face.
Military dispatch comes, Top Officer at the head.
They salute each other.
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
What is your rank?
OFFICER
I am top officer!
Glances into room, were LENA is taking confinement under blanket.
OFFICER
Strange habits?
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
Maybe just tonight.
OFFICER
Not afraid of dismissal?
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
Maybe it seems to you, there are any reasons for that?
OFFICER
Do you believe your actions won’t qualify?
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
No more, than keeping cameras and watching tenants!
OFFICER
That is done for good reason.
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
We do filter society, but that is done with considerations. Our society must become liberated, not undergo rudeness and intrusion!
OFFICER
I can’t believe YOU say that!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
I don’t question you honesty, officer, but your first action must be removing cameras from this Hotel, and letting tenants know, they’ve been watched.
OFFICER
I will do everything to expose you, and disqualify you as a rotten element in the army!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
I’m sure you understand procedure, or you will finish up with pissing across the Ocean to another Archipelago!
HOTEL OWNER
We have “psychologists” dispatch, they must be here soon!
OFFICER
I do though get right from wrong!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
Maybe doing more evil?
OFFICER
I only carry orders!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
You must have a feeling of discrimination, otherwise your actions as an officer would lead to bigger social crimes and instability!
OFFICER
You mean watching tenants is incorrect? But this leads to your exposure!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
I don’t mean watching tenants only. I talk about general attitude of leading officers, who were ordained to carry orders only, instead of personal approach, and mostly are lacking intelligence, necessary to command youngsters, who fall into uncertainty.
OFFICER
I don’t know, maybe I piss across the Ocean, but if such elements like you are at the top rank, I don’t know, where World is going!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
For example?
OFFICER
Like your behavior with woman!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
You mean my wife? This wasn’t probably having that inclination, as you implying!
By this moment all tenants are out of their rooms, most in pajamas or underdressed.
OFFICER
I am about hitting you myself!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
I would warn you from such behavior, as unnecessary and undermining military honor!
Not young woman with withered face and body and huge heap of auburn hair gets terrified.
OFFICER
I only report to my higher ranks!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
Obviously, they then report to me!
OFFICER
You undermine my position of top officer!
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
I’m not questioning your experience, I just make it seen how more flexibility is required to command and make decisions. This is present demand of society! And this is unfortunately lacking at many positions like yours!
OFFICER
You make my head spin!
Officer gets red in a face, and partly pulls weapon out, as if wishing to shoot himself, or use it.
SON OF MAIN COMMANDER
Boys, would you restrain your officer, so that he won’t hurt himself, till he starts feeling better?
Two young military get hold of top officer from both sides, as he still stares into Son of Main Commander face.
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PS81 – Dana’s Translated Characters
What I learned from this assignment:
When my protagonist first engages the kidnapper and learns her family has been kidnapped, I had to reconsider how she would respond given her character traits. Consequently, I changed her character traits during this assignment.
Situation: Ellen takes a call from Ryan, Jason’s violent personality, who reveals that he has kidnapped her husband and daughters.
Character Name: Ellen Landry
Role in story: Protagonist/Psychiatrist
Age Range and Description: She’s in her mid-30’s and petite. If not for raven black hair dusting her shoulders, one could imagine her fluttering over Disneyland sprinkling pixie dust.
What would a __________ person do or say?
Empathetic/Caring
Promises to help and treat the kidnapper if he surrenders
Engages with the kidnapper to understand his motives
Hopeful
Ask to speak with her husband/daughters
Appeals to kidnapper’s humanity
Reveals her personal information
Ambitious
Uses the situation to improve her ratings
Challenges the kidnapper, dismissing his threat
Tries to stop the show from broadcasting
Anxious
Allows the kidnapper to manipulate and control the situation
Begs for the lives of her family
Emotional breakdown and refuses to continue
Calls the kidnapper horrible names in a burst of enraged anger
Want/Need: save her family / use psychiatric training to stop the kidnapper/killer
Delves into the kidnapper’s life
Diagnoses kidnapper’s pathology
Tries to engage kidnapper’s other personalities
Paradoxes (Warring elements) – Polite and reserved in person, but makes sarcastic remarks in private revealing inner courage
Makes sarcastic remarks in the heat of the moment that she regrets
Makes sarcastic remarks to appease the kidnapper
Makes sarcastic remarks about her marriage/family
Secret: mother was diagnosed schizophrenic and institutionalized
Confesses and discusses her feelings about her mother’s illness
Denies her feelings about her secrets after kidnapper reveals them
Admits by saving her patients she is saving her mother
Flaw: struggles in one-on-one therapy sessions with patients
Admits to her feelings of inadequateness not helping her patients
Admits her patients left because their therapy was going nowhere
Admits she went into radio because her practice was going under
Special: Academically brilliant
She sites Freud and Jung
Debates issues of psychological theory
Character Logline: Ellen is a talk radio psychiatrist forced to play a dangers game of life and death on-air to save her kidnapped family from a psychotic ex-patient
Asks the kidnapper about his plan
Keeps kidnapper engaged hoping the police will find her family
Character 2 Name: Ryan (Violent personality)
Role in Story: Antagonist/Kidnapper
Age Range and Description: Never seen
What would a __________ person do or say?
Polite
Constantly asks Ellen about her feelings
Uses language that is refined, never vulgar
Engages like a friend or polite stranger
Calculating
Discusses Ellen’s schizophrenic mother and failure to help her
Exposes Ellen’s failure as a practicing psychiatrist to help her patients
Delves into Ellen’s family life and sex life with her husband
Discusses her daughters’ school and teachers and sex
Violent
Threatens to kill husband in various methods to torture Ellen
Talks about violating her daughters
He lashes out when his control is threatened
Sinister
Constantly lies
Changes subject to waste time
Invents a psychological condition to get on the show
Invents a fake family, mimicking Ellen’s life
Want/Need: Torment Ellen publicly / Feed his sociopathic appetite
Keeps mentioning the time running out
“Tick tock, Ellen. Tick tock.”
Talks about which member of her family to kill
Paradoxes: Shows empathy for victims the more he tortures them
Cynically apologetic toward Ellen’s fears
Talks about Ellen’s marriage and children
Understands how difficult it is to balance marriage and career
Secret: He’s a separate person
Tells Ellen he’s an entirely separate person in a way not to be believed
Plays along that he is one of Jason’s personalities
Talks about the other personalities and their weaknesses
Flaw: Sociopathic killer
Laughs at his own jokes
Confesses to other crimes
Gets angry when challenged
Unique/Special: Highly intelligent
Takes on the role of the psychiatrist and embraces psychological jargon
He quotes Shakespeare and the great philosophers
Character Subtext: Ryan threatens Ellen’s family
for her to reveal details of her past to entertain the audience.
Inquire about Ellen’s daughters in a way a friend or polite stranger would do to engage in conversation.
Character Logline: Ryan masterminds the kidnapping of Ellen Landry’s family and threatens to kill them on-air to feed his sociopathic appetite.
Explains how he kidnapper her family
Teases the cops listening to the show
Makes remarks about the dead Uber driver
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Antonio Flores’ Full-out Characters
What I learned is…
This brainstorming helps to give each character a distinctive voice. It also produced some lines of dialogue that could work in other situations and produce more scenes that the story needs, anyway.
Situation: Parisa wonders how long it will take for her to develop MMA fighter skills. Sylvain persuades her to try dance. Parisa refuses.
Core trait A
Perfectionist
- “What? But how could dance help me with fighting?”
- “I’d rather go to Thailand. Find some tough guys. Champions. Let them coach me, uh?”
- “This, dancing idea. Sounds fantastic. But I’m afraid we need a quick solution. It’s here’n now, OK?”
- C’mon, OK. Let’s just go to the essence. Just show me kick-punch-jab-throw. What else is needed?
- Puts lots of effort
- “I’m willing to put as many hours as this is gonna take, OK?”
- Trains with attention to detail, following instructions
- Perseveres in the face of difficulty.
Trait B
highly principled
- I’m sorry. Don’t mean to disappoint you, but… to be honest
- I really-really, I mean, I respect your point, but… does that, uh, work? </font>
- Parisa looks at her dancing queen dress. “This isn’t fair, “B” might be in danger and I… I’m going to be dancing?”
- I wonder what B would say if he saw me like this. Bet he would hate me.
Trait C
fearful
- Dancing, uh? I… I’m not sure. I mean… are you sure? But how… how’s that possible?
- Dance? I… I mean, NO! Big NO! I need to fight. They, they’re gonna kill me. I need… I need to protect myself!
Trait D
emotional… in private
- Look. Just look, OK? First time, I only lasted one minute. And the next time, just half a minute. Are you with me? You see the pattern? What’s going to happen next?
- I’m not a fighter! Oh my, what I was thinking! That (beat) that cage… I’ve been thrown to the lions! Now (beat) now what?
Character subtext
Suffers anxiety
- The men who took him away… you-you saw them?
- But papa Sylvain, we have not much time. I need to get him back.
- I feel he’s in danger and I need to get him back.
- Oh, who knows if I can do this! Is crazy, so crazy!
Motivation
Wants / Needs
wants her fiancé back
needs to become a fighter
- You know why I’m doing this. Please, help me.
- I know you mean well, but if I fail, it means my whole world…
- Promise me this is going to work. Promise?
- Oh, what am I thinking? It’s crazy… dance?
Unique, special
Her fear to fail sends her towards extremes: take risk or doom
- I need to be a fighter (sobs) and I (beat) I don’t even know if I got what it takes, but (sobs)
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Antonio Flores.
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Day VII: Translating Profiles Into Dialogue & Actions – Assignment
Mike O – Translated Characters
I. “What I’ve learned is the characterization process comes together on various levels, multi-faceted and complex.
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II. Go to your outline and select an interesting situation that has both of your lead characters in it. Translate your new-and-improved characters into a scene in your script.
[1] (protagonist) Brooklyn & Richard (antagonist)
Situation: Brooklyn at dinner with Richard after their initial talk at the art gallery.
INT. CORNER TABLE – LATER
Table linen, candle and porcelain china, place settings complimented the service and decor. Brooklyn glances out the window: pines swaying in the moonlit air. Across the table from her, Richard. His nonchalance a pretext. Before them, their entrees.
BROOKLYN “I heard you’re interested in the gallery.”
RICHARD “You did? Huh, I’m not sure this is the time or place, but since you broached the subject, what were you thinking?”
BROOKLYN “I don’t know: rental contract, lease agreement, lease-to-own? Actually, not sure if I want to sell, or take over where my father left off.”
Richard reaches for his wine, gives a thoughtful pause while savoring the Merlot. He notices Brooklyn’s right hand at the edge of the table — typing as if dictating their conversation. (trait #3 Brooklyn)
RICHARD (lies) “Your father and I were business partners. I believe you will find papers to that effect in the office. Where? Lord knows, Joshua was lax way organization. “
Richard flashes a charming smile as the waitress returns with a water pitcher. He waits while she refills his glass. Her indecisiveness a look he’s seen on many faces over the years. (trait #3 Broooklyn)
RICHARD (CONT’D) “As I was saying, your dad and I worked the gallery together. Acquisitions and appraisals, client signings, my area of expertise. Marketing, promotions and showings, your father’s focus. “
Brooklyn, knife in hand, slices into her steak. CLOSE ON the cut as BLOOD leaks out of the New York strip.
RICHARD
Lips red with wine, dabs his mouth with a linen napkin. The princess-cut diamond on Brooklyn’s right index finger holds his gaze. (trait #4 Richard)
RICHARD (CONT’D) “I would never have guessed you like your meat bloody. Red is the color of romance.” (trait #2 Richard)
BROOKLYN “It also represents power and courage.”
RICHARD (smiles) “Artists need a lot of both.”
What would a (trait 1) Brooklyn do or say? (Workaholic – obsessed with her work) What would a (trait 2) Brooklyn do or say? (Romantic) What would a (trait 3) Brooklyn do or say? (Indecisive and struggles w/ OCD) What would a (trait 4) Brooklyn do or say? (yearns to be a successful artist) What would a (subtext) Brooklyn do or say? Conflicted, In denial — unwilling to acknowledge her pain
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[2] Richard Feldman – Antagonist
Situation: Richard confronting Brooklyn regarding the art gallery
What would a (trait 1) Richard do or say? (womanizer – women are a means to an end) What would a (trait 2) Richard do or say? (manipulative) What would a (trait 3) Richard do or say? (sociopath) What would a (trait 4) Richard do or say? (wants to be rich) What would a (subtext) Richard do or say?
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[3] Tarek – Love Interest
Situation: Tarek and Brooklyn talking about Richard and his intentions.
What would a (trait 1) Tarek do or say?
What would a (trait 2) Tarek do or say?
What would a (trait 3) Tarek do or say?
What would a (trait 4) Tarek do or say?
What would a (subtext) Tarek do or say?
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III. Do a quick brainstorm session, list 2 to 5 ideas for each component of your Character Profiles that don’t already show up in your scene. Ask yourself: What might a (fill in trait here) person do or say here? [1] Brooklyn = peacemaker, accommodating, [2] Richard = condescending, demeaning, cavalier
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