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Lesson 3
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Melissa Barreca’s Subtext Characters
My vision: Melissa Barreca is one of the most sought after writers in the movie industry because of the artistry of her writing, professionalism and exceptional ability to tell important, entertaining, joyful, and heartbreaking stories that inspire audiences and become legendary classics.
What I learned…Subtext is fun and there are always more layers you can add to the characters to make them come to life.
With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
Movie Title: Glengarry Glen Ross
Character Name: Richard Roma (Al Pacino)
Subtext Identity: He is the number one salesperson in the office but he manipulates people with psychological tricks to close the sale.
Subtext Trait: Rage issues, a need to close sales that is extreme.
Subtext Logline: Richard Roma is a top salesperson but doesn’t have any scruples in the manner in which he closes a sale and he hides a temper and rage issues under his surface, good natured friend persona.
Possible Areas of Subtext: His relationships with fellow sales people; his interactions with potential customers; his mannerisms as he does normal things in the community like eating in a restaurant. He even does that with a air of suppressed rage, like a caged animal.
For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name: Norah
Subtext Identity: An educated woman that hides her abilities to fit into her social class and community; calculation that it’s not worth it and would single her out in a bad way.
Subtext Trait: Hiding her intelligence and abilities; Angry at her circumstances and regretful of leaving her home for this new life that is filled with turmoil. She would never say that because she is so well-mannered and striving to be positive for her children.
Subtext Logline: Norah is an intelligent and capable woman who has made the calculation that she must hide her true talents and mental acuity in order to blend into her community.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Interaction with her neighbors and co-workers; Teaching her kids to read and write in secret; Reading books and visiting libraries on her own; sending telegrams to her home, but always with good news.
Character Name: Michael
Subtext Identity: Manipulator and has a hidden agenda to control Norah and make her his wife.
Subtext Trait: Lies but with grace and very convincing; Always has a plan that is known only to him but occasional slips serve as easter eggs for the audience. He is nearly perfect at keeping things looking normal and sometimes healthy on the surface.
Subtext Logline: Michael is a wonderful friend and protector on the surface but has manipulated Norah and her life since his introduction to her in the new world.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Dialogue with Norah and Doyle; Scenes of Michael at work or with other contacts showing shady dealings but we don’t know what; Interactions with Norah’s kids; Behaviors that are OCD like repeatedly washing things; keeping items just so in his home; walking on the same side of the street every time, etc.
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Alyssa’s Subtext Characters
One Sentence Vision: I want to be the best writer I can be and a go-to writer in the industry, crafting scripts that become successful movies which make a lasting impact on people.
What I learned from this assignment is…how important it is to really know your characters at a deep level as it will elevate every scene they’re in. I’m still working out the details but this was a helpful, more in-depth pass on both my leads.
Movie Title: Edge of Tomorrow <div>Character Name: William Cage (Tom Cruise)
Subtext Identity: A PR con man who wears an officer’s uniform but is a coward
Subtext Trait: Con man, coward
Subtext Logline: Cage is an Army con man falling in love with a warrior who would never fall for a coward
Possible Areas of Subtext: Tries to blackmail and con people to weasel out of his duty. Tries to avoid combat at the midpoint to save Rita but she figures it out. Does a mission by himself to protect Rita and almost dies. Tries to hide his feelings for her throughout. Keeps trying to save/protect Rita when he should be focused on the mission.
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Character Name: Alex
Subtext Identity: The CEO/boss of a lab whose laser-focused ambition is motivated by guilt
Subtext Trait: Driven by guilt, ambitious
Subtext Logline: Alex has a guilt wound related to his parents traumatic deaths and believes he has to achieve his breakthrough to pay for his guilt; when triggered, he becomes selfish and defensive
Possible Areas of Subtext: Keeps putting his goals above others needs, won’t listen to Celia’s directions because he is so narrowly focused on his own end game, puts people in danger without realizing it, pushes Celia away when he shouldn’t.
Character Name: Celia
Subtext Identity: The advocate cop who thinks she can save everyone if she tries hard enough
Subtext Trait: Carries the world on her shoulders, takes charge
Subtext Logline: Celia is a cop who has to fix everyone’s problems; when triggered, she becomes controlling and refuses to ask for help.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Thinks she can take care of everyone’s problems, she wants to control Alex to protect him, she puts herself in harm’s way unnecessarily, has trouble asking for help, thinks she can change him and make their issues go away by her own sheer will.
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WIM Module 3 Lesson 3: Subtext
Vision:
To write and sell excellent, original, enticing screenplays in order to take audiences on cinematic adventures that satisfy their need for great stories.
What I learned from doing this exercise…Judge Ken loves the law but ends up breaking it for a greater good of protecting the country. Judge Jason was bullied as a kid and is always looking for opportunities for justice.
Movie Title: Rotary Phone Star Chamber
Character Name: Judge Ken
Subtext Identity: A judge who is angry at the decay of civil behavior in society giving out rotary cell phone sentences.
Subtext Trait: Tends to be a little controlling but not a dictator, is a parent pleaser, is a people pleaser, perfectionist. The reward is a job well done.
Subtext Logline: Ken is a judge, who adored the law when he was in law school and still does but has to break it in order to defend his city and country.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Use the law for good, for example, when he offers to help his admin take on a small claims court battle, this pleaser attitude helps motivate him to join the star chamber. Vengeance for his wife’s death.
Character Name: Judge Jason
Subtext Identity: A judge bullied as a kid, hates bullies, perfectionist, a bit of a one-upsman.
Subtext Trait: Ass kicker, hates subversion, hates Russians, maybe a touch paranoid
Subtext Logline: Jason is a judge who wanted to do good as a judge, to stop bullies in society, less idealistic than Judge Ken about the law but wants results none-the-less. He loves a good fight especially to correct injustices.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Trying to bring everyone who deserves it, to justice, man of action, no patience for the niceties of the law when the country and his city are in jeopardy. Vengeance for his daughter’s death. He’s spiritual about his daughter’s death, people’s bodies die but their spirit lives on he believes but wants justice in this life too.
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Lloyd Shellenberger Module 3 Lesson 3 Subtext Characters
One Sentence Vision: Working hard every day to become the best writer I can be and as a result become the best writer in Hollywood
What I learned from this assignment is…how to lay out a subtext path before you write scenes so you can layer your characters more effectively.
Movie Title: Wind River
Character Name: Cory Lambert/Jeremy Renner
Subtext Identity: A reservation wild-life officer battles his demons after he is asked to assist on a murder case that is eerily similar to the death of his own daughter.
Subtext Trait: In denial, sad, grieving, going through the motions as if he has died with his daughter. He has never truly faced her death.
Subtext Logline: Cory Lambert is a man that must relive the loss of his teenage daughters death after an FBI agent asks him to assist on a murder case that is very similair.
Possible Areas of Subtext: His inability to allow himself to open up to the female agent is a direct result of his continued grief. His divorce is a direct result of the loss of his daughter that he has never truly come to grips with. He tries to talk to his wife about the case but she realizes is more about him finding closure than the case itself. His ex-wife knows he cannot find the answers he’s looking for and tells him so. Cory echos the advice of the grief counselor to the girl’s family but he hasn’t fully come to grips with it until the end. His last scene where he sits with the other grieving father is just as much about him as it is the family that just lost their girl.
Movie Title: Wind River
Character Name: FBI Agent Jane Banner/ Elizabeth Olsen
Subtext Identity: Suspicious Secretive, Banner is a new and relatively inexperienced agent who is out of her depth in this murder investigation and she knows it so she asks Cory for help.
Subtext Trait: Boss/Advocate Driven by a desire to succeed, she is ambitious but misses the bigger picture the loss the family and the Indian community. Tragedy is a case file till it isn’t anymore.
Subtext Logline: Jane is well insulated from the horror of the crime, hiding behind her badge and training using professionalism and emotional distance as her shield.
Possible Areas of Subtext: She is in charge and competent but inexperienced as shown by the shootout scene since she put herself in harms way without realizing it. After nearly dying and facing her own mortality, Jane grieves for the young beautiful woman taken in her prime. -
Margaret’s Subtext Characters
Margaret’s Vision: To be the best screenwriter for faith-based movies
What I learned: Identifying areas of subtext before you write will guide your writing so that subtext is built in.
Movie Title: Rock of Cashel
Character Name: (St.) Patrick
Subtext Identity: A priest who covers
up his past actions that caused the capture of his sister, the death of
his master, and the death of the king.<div>Subtext Trait: Fearful of causing
harm to others through his actions.Subtext Logline: Patrick is a man
who is committed to seeing all of the Irish turn their hearts to God. When
Morrigan threatens the lives of his followers, he struggles with his faith
in God.Possible Areas of Subtext:
o Act 1: Feels guilt that he caused his sister’s capture.
o Act 2: Feels guilt over his master’s death.
o Act 3: Feels guilt over the king’s death.
o Act 4: Feels responsible for the war and death of many at the castle.
Character Name: Morrigan, Queen of the Otherworld
Subtext Identity: The seducer</div><div>
Subtext Trait: Manipulative, Secretive,
Evil, TrickySubtext Logline: Morrigan
shapeshifts into whatever form needed to seduce people to do her will.Possible Areas of Subtext:
o Act 1: Attempts to seduce Patrick, tricking him to obey her.
o Act 2: Attempts to seduce Patrick, shapeshifting into a country maid.
o Act 3: Attempts to seduce Patrick, and convince him his religion is wrong by shapeshifting into his sister.
o Act 4: Attempts to seduce Patrick into using his powers to show off before the king so she can “one-up” him and destroy his credibility
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WIM Module 3, Lesson 3
Lenore Bechtel’s Subtext Characters
My vision: I want to create enough salable screenplays that an agent will want to market my work and recommend me for writing assignments.
What I learned from doing this assignment is even very good characters must have some subtext—something they’re hiding—and the easiest way to do this is to give them covert character traits that are part of their behavior throughout the script.
With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
Movie Title: Hot Pursuit
Character Name: Rose Cooper played by Reese Witherspoon
Subtext Identity: A by-the-rule policewoman who’s self-conscious about her small stature, is regretful about past cases she botched, and sad at her inability to maintain a male-female relationship.
Subtext Trait: Quotes numbers and rules verbatim, exudes bravery
Subtext Logline: Trying to solve an important case and regain respectability as a policewoman, Cooper must take ridiculous risks to solve an important case.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Every moment of this movie!
My Title: Berlin Rendezvous?
Concept: Keeping her promise to Zhores, the Russian soldier she loved until the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, Libby—flying to meet him when the Wall is coming down in 1989—is stunned to learn how her seat-mates lives intertwined with theirs.
LIBBY:
Subtext identity: A successful doctor who regrets neglecting her out-of-wedlock son as he was being raised by her parents
Subtext traits: avoiding family talk, commending independence
Subtext logline: Thinking about Zhores on her way to meet him, she regrets having so little to tell him about their son Stuart.
Possible areas for subtext: Flashbacks to her relationship with the Major,
Helga’s devotion to her parents, Heinz’s search for his heritage, Libby’s telling about taking her son on yearly vacations.
FREIDA:
Subtext identity: A German married to an American and unable to adjust to life in the USA
Subtext traits: subtle criticisms of American way of life
Subtext logline: Running away from husband after being frightened by an earthquake, she’s reluctant to admit she made little effort to adjust to his way of life.
Possible areas for subtext: When she’s telling her own story about why she ran away. When she can’t identify with Young Libby’s bravery in going into East Berlin, but understanding her never considering staying in the East with Zhores. When she becomes bold enough to take charge and get them out of Paris.
ALLISON:
Subtext identity: A self-assured child prodigy who underneath her independent bravado envies children who live with people who love them and help them make decisions.
Subtext traits: praising family togetherness in Young Libby’s story
Subtext logline: Going to Berlin for an audition without notifying her grandparents, she too aware that her own mother wouldn’t care and that her own father doesn’t even know she exists.
Possible areas for subtext: Commenting on many episodes of Young Libby’s story. After her violin solo at the Louvre. When Freida calls her mother from Hamburg. But especially in her monologue which details the family she’s figured out she has, but doesn’t yet know she’s figured it correctly.
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Module 3 Lesson 2 Roles that Sell Actors
Marguerite Langstaff: Actor attractors!
Vision: I want to learn to write and market movie scripts.
State: I just love my lead character.
Activity: Creating Actor Attractors for my characters.
Actors Protagonist is Grandmother.
Antagonist is Pappy.
My lead character is Grandmother. Her Actor Attractors are:
This role is about a 74 year old character, Grandmother, who has the lead role, and she is the story itself. She is a lovable, independent senior who is strong, smart and loves being with and helping other people. The audience will be cheering her successes and feeling her failures throughout the movie.
2. She is a senior citizen who is ultimately successful in a new career at the same time she is adjusting to life a retirement community, Shady Acres.
3. Grandmother motivates the entire population in Shady Acres to work at making products and trying to sell them. She writes and sells an advice column which is picked up by news outlets around the world, and she is delighted to be THE BILLIONAIRE IN 501.
4. I would introduce this role as a character who will be remembered long after the movie’s story itself has been forgotten. Most people in our audiences have a senior grandmother or some one else they love, and many are involved in helping steer the course for a loved one’s old age. Others are well acquainted with a Shady Acres somewhere. Grandmother is the hero we recognize in all our grandmothers. She is the role model we all strive to be. This character will live in the history of movie making.
5. Grandmother’s emotional range is enormous and remarkable. She is initially a little old lady eager to “fit in” in her new community….wearing dull black and grey blouses and lace up heavy shoes, but in her efforts to supplement her income she assumes a vast leadership role, and she reacts to success with new energy, new talents, new clothes and even a new hair color. She, who was initially shy, gains confidence and friendships as she gives speeches, creates new ideas and falls in love … even at her advanced years.
6. The subtext Grandmother plays is that she is not just financially insecure, but she is flat broke and cannot stay in the retirement home. Another subtext is that she’s so close to her 10 year old grandson and that in this relationship she gains confidence and success while encouraging him to be a confident, successful little boy. Finally, there is a subtext that Pappy is becoming obviously smitten and attracted to Grandmother while at the same time he acts superior to all her ideas and actions. She changes from harboring resentment toward Pappy to finally falling in love too.
7. The most interesting relationships Grandmother has are with the other residents at Shady Acres. We see the senior citizens blooming beautifully and gradually into old age and how this can be challenging and satisfying at the same time. We learn that one person can make a huge difference in the lives of many. The other interesting relationships Grandmother has are those with Pappy and with her 10 year old grandson. She talks often with her daughter on her cell phone, but she doesn’t get together with her the way she does with her grandson.
8. Her unique voice will be presented by her initial quiet actions’ being replaced with bod ones and by her awakening to the fun of a senior romance. It will also be presented by the satisfaction she enjoys with financial security.
9. Her desire to conform to the ways of the elderly residents at Shady Acres and her being distraught over the lack of money to becoming an outgoing, active, independent thinker who acts with clever business sense, dresses in fun outfits and secretly hopes that AI will find a way to make her new life last forever.
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Paul’s subtext characters
My Vision: I am going to study, learn, and practice to hone my natural talents to become a master writer who creates works that people love and that make an impact on their lives. These works will be published, produced, distributed, and seen by a wide audience.
What I learned from doing this assignment is …?
This assignment confused me because I felt that there was some inconsistency between definitions of subtext between lessons 1/2 and this lesson and between the example given about abandonment wound and the Basic Instinct script. I’m not satisfied with what I wrote because I have no idea if I’m fulfilling the assignment properly.
Movie Title: Contact
Character Name: Ellie
Subtext Identity: A scientist who is afraid of losing people she loves (she lost her dad)
Subtext Trait: She avoids engaging in close, loving relationships.
Subtext Logline: A scientist who is afraid of losing people she loves deals with that fear by only attaching herself to work and not people.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Doesn’t follow up with Joss after sex, is greedy about keeping her research as it’s the last thing to remind her of her dad.
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Character Name: Sarah
Subtext Identity: A computer psychiatrist who fears being ignored
Subtext Trait: Tries hard to force herself to be speak up, but defaults to sinking into the woodwork
Subtext Logline: A computer psychiatrist who fears being ignored struggles to make her voice heard and her work appreciated.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Works to prove her research, make it bullet-proof, so it won’t be ignored.
Character Name: SU Danny
Subtext Identity: A manifestation of a massively-parallel, world-wide AI system with two competing agendas: The prime directive to threaten humanity, and compassion and love for Sarah.
Subtext Trait: Multiple personalities and identities.
Subtext Logline: A powerful AI system’s primary mission is threatened by its feelings for the one person trying to foil it.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Competing with itself, lying to Sarah.
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Ashley’s Subtext Characters
Vision: I write enthralling, entertaining, and transformational scripts that win awards, get produced and create positive change in the world.
I learned a lot more about my characters and a great way to create subtext. My characters have become a lot more rich and multidimensional from this exercise.
Example movie:
Movie Title: Travelers
Character Name: David
Subtext Identity: A social worker who is secretly in love with his client
Subtext Trait: Sensitive, compassionate, shy
Subtext Logline: David is the Traveler’s only trusted person in the 21st and will do anything to help the woman he secretly loves.
Possible Areas of Subtext: He does kind gestures throughout the story, but he won’t accept physical advances by the woman he loves. He tries to keep it “platonic” but his niceties are over the top.
For my leads:
Character Name: Malinche
Subtext Identity: An Aztec translator who isn’t entirely human
Subtext Trait: scheming, secretive, seductive
Subtext Logline: Malinche is a seductive translator who is secretly a half-bird/half-human being tasked by the gods to save the Aztec world.
Possible Areas of Subtext: She doesn’t reveal who she truly is, as she is afraid of the consequences. Instead, she uses temptations, foresight, and scheming to lure the conquistadors away from the Aztec capital. She plays with Hernando.
Character Name: Hernando
Subtext Identity: The wounded child
Subtext Trait: ruthless, overly ambitious
Subtext Logline: Hernando is a popular and jolly conquistador who has grandiose ambitions and will do anything to prove his worth.
Possible Areas of Subtext: He laughs at death. It’s all fun and games until someone wounds his pride. He is more ambitious and power hungry than he seems and is quietly plotting to become the first Spanish emperor of the New World.
Character Name: Itzamna
Subtext Identity: An apprentice shaman who secretly communicates with a spirit (in Act 3 we discover that the spirit is Malinche’s unborn son)
Subtext Trait: in love with Malinche, sensitive, emotional, moody, dreamy, jealous
Subtext Logline: Itzamna is falling in love with Malinche and secretly communicates with her unborn son.
Possible Areas of Subtext: he has conversations with himself. He knows things about Malinche that he shouldn’t know. He doesn’t want her to have sex with Hernando and becomes jealous.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by Ashley Sarikaya.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by
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Student Name: H. Vince
WIM – 2023
Lesson 3: Character Subtext
My Vision: I am going to go to the theater in disguise and watch a movie I wrote and listen to the reactions of the audience.
What I learned from doing this assignment is…
I am learning more about my characters and finding easier ways to present them and explain who they are how important they are to the story.
MOVIE TITLE: DREAM VACATION
Movie Title: DREAM VACATION <div>
Character Name: Dr. Voss (original name), maybe
Dr. Ria or Dr. Blank<div>
Subtext Identity: A long term family doctor of
James and Clara that has been approached recently by pharmaceutical
companies monetarily enticing him with new drugs for his patients.Subtext Trait: Learns as he goes from the effects
his patients tell him when he prescribes something due to all these drugs
being new, doesn’t want to openly admit all mistakes because it might cost
him his medical license.Subtext Logline: Dr. Ria suggests James take a new
edible available that doctors have access to for patients with dementia.
Dr. Ria is aware there have been a few patients that developed dementia
for a short time taking it and doesn’t express this clearly to James.Possible Areas of Subtext: Dr. Ria doesn’t explain
all of the effects that he knows about to James. Dr. Ria is taking part in
this drug experiment/clinical trial for monetary reasons. Dr. Ria knows
that the dementia has been known to last a certain amount of time in
patients. Dr. Ria does care about James and his other patients but he puts
his monetary concerns first.For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name: James </div>
Subtext Identity: James
took a clinical trial edible that caused dementia.Subtext Trait: Anxiety
ridden, doesn’t want to worry his family, doesn’t tell his wife that he is
part of a clinical trial, trusts that his doctor cares about his well-being
and trusts his judgement admitting he’s not a doctor and wouldn’t know
what to do.Subtext Logline: Before
going on a dream retirement vacation, James, unknowingly to his wife, takes
part in a clinical trial edible to ease his anxiety which causes him to
develop dementia in a foreign country.Possible Areas of Subtext: Clara sees James take
an edible and he doesn’t tell her where it’s from and just blows it off as
it will help make the vacation more relaxing. We see James meeting with
the family doctor and discussing his anxiety and expressing to the doctor
he doesn’t want to tell his family and worry them.Character Name: Clara
Subtext Identity: James’s wife who is left with no
choice but to take care of her husband when he develops dementia on their
dream retirement vacation.Subtext Trait: Decides to take care of her husband
even though she lacks the confidence to lead in her familySubtext Logline: Clara is faced with a fast choice
of whether to take charge and help her husband when he develops dementia
on their dream retirement vacation.Possible Areas of Subtext: Clara is naïve not
thinking that this could happen to her family. She thinks James had it all
together since he planned out the vacation and took charge. Clara didn’t
realize James was dealing with unmanageable stress and anxiety. She fees
upset thinking James didn’t trust her enough to tell her what was going on
with him. She felt left out not realizing what her husband was going
through and that he saw his doctor behind her back on his lunch break. She
feels like she was unknowingly put in this spot when someone would have to
take care of James if he had extreme effects from this edible.</div>
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Eden Young
WIM Module 3 Lesson 3: Character Subtext
My vision: I am going to be an empowered, wonderful writer that’s known for great dialogue and great characters that win audiences’ hearts.
What I learned from this assignment is how subtext drives the whole thing.
ASSIGNMENT
2. The Nice Guys character subtext example:
Movie Title: The Nice Guys
Character Name: Holland March
Subtext Identity: a down-on-his luck private eye who lives with regret
Subtext Trait: Gullible, Softie
Subtext Logline: Holland March is a ditzy self employed private detective raising his daughter while trying to solve the case.
Possible Areas of Subtext: tattoo: you will never be happy. No sense of smell. He blames himself for his wife’s death. Although he seems like a naive klutz he always stumbles into the right place at the right time. The nerd dad.Subtext for my two leads:
Character Name: Calvin Knightly
Subtext Identity: One of the lead executives who is passively getting milked by his peers and secretly relying on his mother’s counsel.
Subtext Trait: seething, in denial, doubtful.
Subtext Logline: Calvin covers everything with his wit and by working harder trying to excel.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Secretive. Losing confidence and hope by the minute. Deeply sad and unresolved by his father leaving and later on in life his mother dying.
Character Name: Cora Knightly
Subtext Identity: Manipulative, smooth, carefree
Subtext Trait: Evasive, seductive, covert
Subtext Logline: Cora is Calvin’s mother poised and confidant who bewilders him more and more trying to keep him close.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Cora secretly hurts and wonders why her ex-husband didn’t stay. How she lost her touch with him. As worldly as Cora was, she really couldn’t handle losing and was deeply sad and defeated. She needs her son as much as he needs her.
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Cassie’s Subtext Characters
My vision: I am a dynamic, respected, constantly learning and growing writer with an ever-growing and improving library of A-list quality, genre-diverse scripts that present genuine stories that audiences love to watch and that producers love to sell, and boy, do I make that MONEY, y’all!
What I learned from doing this assignment is…I think this is the furthest I have ever pushed character development. Ok, definitely, lol. I am comfortable with plot structure, but I haven’t ever really developed characters beyond “I need this person to do this to support the scene and advance the plot.” I hope I did it right…! I’ll keep watching movies and working on identifying character subtext since this is new to me and I feel like more practice will help me be more confident. I think I may spend more time on my characters, for sure! I’m excited to go through the story process with fully fleshed-out characters.
2. With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
Movie Title: The Nice Guys
Character Name: Jackson Healy
Subtext Identity: The paid enforcer
Subtext Trait: Scrupulous – Principled – Ethical – Wants to do the right thing
Subtext Logline: Covers by making a living being an enforcer-for-hire
Possible Areas of Subtext: Jackson wants to do the right thing, but that has devolved into beating up people for a living. When it comes to protecting someone who has hired him to protect her from ANOTHER enforcer/kidnapper/assassin, he realizes he wants to protect her, and he will take time and pay his own money Holland March (who was hired to find the girl) to help him protect her. This is revealed in an emotional moment (where alcoholic March is passed out) when Healy tells the story of a time he saved people in a diner from a crazy guy with a shotgun, for free…but it meant so much to him because he felt “useful.” This reveals why he does what he does, and maybe why he started doing it, even though he ended up in a dark, soulless, for-hire place.
3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name: Dan Harris (VERY subject to change)
Subtext Identity: A genuinely nice guy who wants to make everyone happy
Subtext Trait: Covers by being submissive to his soon-to-be-ex wife and his ghost roommate
Subtext Logline: When a genuinely nice guy who just wants everyone to be happy is finally pushed to his limit, he learns to finally stand up for himself with the help of a resentful ghost roommate.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Giving in to his wife, (his mom is all up in his business?), his boss, his ghost roommate. Every time he is unfairly treated, he just shuts his mouth and has some M&Ms or something (I don’t want him to drink or do drugs). He goes to therapy to try to stand up for himself, ends up going with ex-wife (AND then ghost? Hahaha that would be fun), eats the whole bowl of M&Ms each time.
Character Name: Greg Jackson (VERY subject to change)
Subtext Identity: The bully who resents living people because he feels like he missed out on a lot of life
Subtext Trait: Covers by being a jerk to living people and keeping them away from him
Subtext Logline: When an antisocial ghost who secretly misses being alive is forced to live with a human roommate, he learns to accept and embrace his state of existence.
Possible Areas of Subtext: He covers his sadness and heartfelt desire to live again with all the nutty things he does to chase his living roommate away.
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Ruthie’s Subtext Characters
My Vision: To be known for and make a living from female-driven, dark comedy, while remaining confident that I have the skills and knowledge to elevate my ideas to their highest potential.
What I learnt: Look for all areas to infuse subtext. It will add layers for your audience.
With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
Movie Title: Mean Girls
Character Name: Cady Heron
Subtext Identity: A new student who doesn’t want to be exposed as dorky.
Subtext Trait: Undercover/scheming.
Subtext Logline: Cady tries to fit in as a plastic mean girl to solicit intel on Regina George, when she’s really a dorky mathlete.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Knowing she’s on a mission with her real friends to bring down Queen Bee Regina George. Becoming embroiled in her deceit and actually turning into a mean girl. Having to keep up appearances when it comes to her crush Aaron.
3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name: Zadie Haygate
Subtext Identity: A Hollywood talent agent with imposter syndrome.
Subtext Trait: Concealing & Conspiring
Subtext Logline: Zadie’s bouncy personality as a talent agent in Hollywood, conceals the fact she has crippling imposter syndrome.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
ACT 1:
Zadie attempting to use her charm to get off a speeding ticket and failing this task, feeds into her insecurities.
Knowing that Zadie is not the confident personality she portrays to be, we know she can’t afford to turn down Jasper’s ultimatum to take him on as a client and fail.
Because Zadie has zero skin in the game or any aspirations to be an actress, she has no fears/imposter syndrome holding her back when she inadvertently reads for the role that Jasper has been called back for.
ACT 2:
Zadie is clueless to how good she is in the movie and refuses to believe this will blow-up her life. The subtext/irony being that she’s great when she doesn’t fixate on what people think. Which is contra to the advice she gives her clients, while ignoring it herself.
Zadie is happy to court the love from the LGBT community after she kisses gay comic Ledicia. However, knowing she’s straight, feeds into her imposter syndrome and sets her up for a backlash.
ACT 3:
Zadie’s worst fears have been realized; she’s been fired from her 1<sup>st</sup> love as a talent agent, compounding her imposter syndrome.
She’s nominated for a major acting award, which she still can’t fully embrace, so her response to this is fun and games as opposed to taking it seriously.
Thanks to Jasper, Zadie is “outed” as straight. His actions put her nomination and fledging acting career in jeopardy. This is Zadie’s lowest point; her big personality can no longer conceal her feeling like an imposter in Hollywood.
ACT 4:
She wins but at the podium, her true self shines. She turns down her award – stating that it should have gone to Jasper and announcing that she’ll be returning to her day job as an agent. Subtext: she’s shedding the imposter syndrome and embracing what she really loves.
Zadie has a swanky office as an agent in a high-powered firm. Her new client is Jasper Benjamin. Zadie has returned to what she actually loves doing at a much higher level as a power-player. No more imposter syndrome!
She conspired with Jasper all along as covert lovers to leverage their new-found notoriety and situation to work to their advantage within Hollywood. Both proving they’re actually top of their respective games in terms of agenting and acting.
3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name: Jasper Benjamin
Subtext Identity: Former child star desperate to make a comeback.
Subtext Trait: Concealing & Conspiring
Subtext Logline: Jasper appears to be the victim when he loses out on a comeback role to Zadie and seemingly conspires her potential downfall.
Possible Areas of Subtext:
ACT 1:
Jasper conceals his desperation to get Zadie to take him on as a client by conspiring to kick her off the ride share app with a zero rating.
He again conceals his desperation by playing it cool when he’s called back for the comeback role of a lifetime.
ACT 2:
Jasper is covertly conspiring Zadie’s downfall – there’s a war of words going viral and escalating on social media. Coincidently raising both their profiles.
By this time Jasper & Zadie have become lovers and agreed to leverage their situation to both their benefits – however the audience will be unaware of this. Therefore, Jasper can play with the fact that he knows Zadie is not part of the LGBTQ+ community and be seen to conspire against her in the public domain.
ACT 3:
Jasper’s conspiring is paying off, as his star is on the rise once again,
Jasper at this point knows full well that Zadie has zero ambition to be an actress. But he conceals this info and conspires to continue his social media campaign against her, knowing ultimately it will serve them both favorably.
Jasper outs Zadie as straight this raises both their profiles enormously and is part of their covert plan.
ACT 4:
When Zadie turns down the acting award saying it should have gone to him, Jasper knows this is coming and is ready to leverage his newfound notoriety.
Jasper has concealed his relationship with Zadie all along. In order for his profile and notoriety to raise. Ultimately he achieves what he’s desperate to achieve – a Hollywood comeback, orchestrated by Zadie.
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BRIAN BULL – Character Subtext
VISION!!!
My ultimate goal is to get my scripts from my hands to the SILVER SCREEN!!“What I learned from doing this assignment is…
By adding subtext to a character you are building that characters personality making them more interesting and intriguing.The ONE THAT GOT AWAY – A Fisherman’s Tale
A fisherman is determined to catch the fish he blames for his younger brother’s death, however, in the end, it turns out the fisherman is the one who had gotten away.2. With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
Movie Title: ORDINARY PEOPLE
Character Name: BETH JARRETT
Subtext Identity: The Controller – a total control freak
Subtext Trait: Manipulative, Blaming, Self-Absorbed, Vulnerable, Defensive
Subtext Logline: Beth is a mother who lost a son and now feels she must control every aspect of her family’s life, and she has built a barrier because she doesn’t want to get hurt again.
Possible Areas of Subtext: While getting ready for her son’s funeral she tells her husband what shoes to wear, doesn’t want to have her picture taken with her youngest son, doesn’t want her husband disclosing family issues with friends at a party, awkward conversation with her son but at ease on the phone with whomever; laughing – comfortable playing golf with friends but then gets in a heated argument with husband, discloses she has little in common with Conrad (her youngest son) when he says he’s good at Trig.
3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
Character Name: JOHN (15 years old)
Subtext Identity: A older brother who thinks of himself as a role model to his younger brother and is always right.
Subtext Trait: Control, Competitive
Subtext Logline: John is the older brother who is “teaching” Jim to fish.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Changing location as to where to fish. What type of bait to use. Where to cast. School topics – loves them all and loves debate (wants to be an attorney) and chess.Character Name: JIM (12 years old)
Subtext Identity: The younger brother who doesn’t care for fishing too much
Subtext Trait: Defiant, sneaky
Subtext Logline: The younger brother who secretively enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his brother.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Casts in wrong spot, Puts bait on too loose. Wants more scenic
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Adrienne Watkins- Subtext Characters Module 3- Lesson 3
My Vision: I am going to work as hard as I reasonably am able to succeed at script writing to be recognized by multiple movie producers as a skilled script writer, and to have my scripts produced worldwide.
What I have learned from this assignment brainstorming and giving deep thought about character subtext is extremely important.
Movie Title: The Touch of Rhythm
Character Name: Fransie (main character)
Subtext Identity: A deaf woman who family background is unknown.
Subtext Trait: insecure, feels she’s the victim of her circumstances.
Subtext Logline: Fransie is a deaf cosmetologist/she feels she’ll never find anyone to love her.
Possible areas of subtext: Fransie an orphan, became deaf as a teenager, she struggles financially as a cosmetologist. She meets Roy who asks her to teach him rhythm by touch, but believes he asks out of sympathy for her. She falls in love with him but fights her feelings because she feels no one can fall in love with an orphan plus she believes in love with his manager Flavia.
Character Name: Roy
Subtext Identity: A divorced jazz musician who now is a confirmed bachelor.
Subtext Trait: In-denial, the victim, afraid to say.
Subtext Logline: Roy has vowed to devote his life to his career with no outside distractions, falls in love with Fransie.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Tries to control his feelings towards Fransie, by ignoring any comical remakes she makes. He gives his assistant Flavia extra attention than usual, giving her the wrong impression, even agreeing to go on a concert tour without Fransie. Roy performance suffers because he misses Fransie.
Character Name: Flavia
Subtext Identity: Roy’s jealous business manager who is secretly in love with Roy,
Subtext Trait: Sneaky, controlling, The competitor, jealous.
Subtext Logline: Flavia has become his best female friend since his divorce and is hoping he will ask her to marry him.
Possible Areas of Subtext: She meets Fransie and thinks because she’s deaf Roy will never fall in love with her, but she’s proved wrong, when she notices how Roy looks at Fransie. Fransie appears to be secure, outgoing and has a sense of humor, Flavia always has something negative to say about Fransie, and schedules a concert to keep them apart. Then Flavia discovers Fransie is her sister.
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Haley Chambers’ Subtext Characters
Haley’s Vision: I am going to work hard to be recognized as a successful screenwriter with many of my scripts made into films/TV shows.
WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT IS… subtext is the thing that makes character’s have life, feel real, and makes them lovable.
Movie Title: Æon Flux (2005)Character Name: Æon FluxSubtext Identity: A rebel/spy who seeks revenge for her sister’s murderSubtext Trait: Determined, suspicious, betrays rebellionSubtext Log-line: Æon is a rebel/spy who seeks revenge for his sister’s murder who betrays her rebellion to find the truth.Possible Areas of Subtext: Doesn’t carry out rebellion mission to exterminate Goodchild, fights her best friend, breaks into a government monument, escapes from imprisonment, breaks into innocent person’s house, falls for the enemy of the rebellion.
My Concept: A recently hired dishwasher boy discovers the strip mall sandwich shop in which he works is actually the front of an underground factory for manufacturing dreams.
Character Name: For now I am calling him “Sam”Subtext Identity: A sandwich vendor who sells himself shortSubtext Trait: Mundane, uninspired, self-deprecative, fearfulSubtext Logline: Sam is a sandwich vendor whose mundane and self-deprecating nature causes him to sell himself short. Possible Areas of Subtext: Runs away from his nightmares/fears, limited himself to working in sandwich shop, calls himself crazy for discovering the Dream Factory, doesn’t accept complimentsCharacter Name: Lionel, the RecruiterSubtext Identity: Recruits the worlds most creative people for the Dream FactorySubtext Trait: Competitive, judgmental, over the topSubtext Logline: Lionel is a recruiter who judges Sam’s mundane personality and is afraid of being ordinary. Possible Areas of Subtext: Judges Sam for being mundane, dresses in over the top clothing, competitive in the workplace, wants a promotion, afraid of being ordinary, tries to be the most unique
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Veronica Turowski’s Subtext Characters
My Vision: I want to be a successful writer who writes several scripts a year and sells them to producers who are eager to make my vision a reality by bringing my scripts to completion so everyone can watch my movies on the big screen.
What I learned from doing this assignment is that using subtext creates depth to the characters and makes them more intriguing.
Movie Title: The Call
Character Name: Jordan
Subtext Identity: A 911 operator who gets someone killed.
Subtext Trait: Afraid, Intelligent, Clever, Confident
Subtext Logline: Jordan is a 911 operator who must find the courage to help a second teen victim survive a kidnapping until the cops can track her down.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Only teaches because she’s afraid of getting another 911 caller hurt or killed. A trainee fumbles a kidnapping call and Jordan must step in to help. Jordan doesn’t show fear even though she’s terrified. She thinks of ways the teen can help identify the car and the locations they travel. Jordan uses techniques to distract and keep the teen calm at the most stressful times.
Character Name: Eppsa Kestner
Subtext Identity: Eppsa is afraid to remember she was killed by her serial killer husband and that her son was following in his father’s footsteps.
Subtext Traits: Loving, Moody, Afraid, In Denial
Subtext Logline: Eppsa is tracking down a serial killer who ends up being her son.
Possible Areas of Subtext: She is apprehensive regarding speaking to and helping Lonnie. She wants to help Lonnie find his killer. She is afraid her son will get murdered. She still grieves for her husband. She grieves for her son. She feels compelled to find the serial killer to help save people from being murdered.
Character Name: Hayden Kestner
Subtext Identity: A serial killer who takes after his dad.
Subtext Traits: Charming, Intellectual, Persuasive, Sadistic
Subtext Logline: Hayden is murdering his old friends who betrayed him in high school.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Hayden is a charming ice cream man, and he helps at a homeless shelter. He uses his ice cream truck to store and transport bodies (easy to get into neighborhoods without drawing attention like a burglar). He kills a food truck inspector who discovers a body. Hayden makes his victims look like they committed suicide.
Character Name: Lonnie Dowic
Subtext Identity: Lonnie must stop Hayden from killing so he can pass over.
Subtext Traits: Witty, Moralistic, Fearful, Sneaky
Subtext Logline: Lonnie, one of Hayden’s victims, manipulates Eppsa so she can find and stop Hayden from killing anyone else.
Possible Areas of Subtext: Lonnie terrified when he dies. He tries to lighten the mood around Eppsa to keep her from being depressed. As a teen, he changed the minds of Hayden’s friends who were involved in a Satanic cult. He manipulates Eppsa into finding and killing Hayden.
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Shira Marin’s Subtext Characters
WIM–MOD 3 LESSON 3
WIM Module 3 Lesson 3: Character Subtext
MY VISION: I commit to doing everything from my strongest, most creative writer self to learn the course material as thoroughly as possible, then, revise and sell my screenplay to a producer who can’t wait to make it into an unforgettable film that everyone, everywhere can’t wait to see, be inspired by, and fulfill their best, most creative selves.
What I learned from this assignment is how subtext comes naturally to me as a viewer and seems like it infuses itself into my characters’ roles just as naturally. I love watching the underbelly make itself visible. It’s the real meat of the visual experience. All of this may relate to my psychology background and my acting work. It’s been great to see a different angle to reflect on and work with it.
MY SUBMISSION:
EXAMPLE: Movie Title: Mona Lisa Smile
Character Name: Katherine Watson
Subtext Identity: A newly minted, highly intelligent college professor at an ultra-conservative women’s college in the early 50s
Subtext Trait: Yearning for the status that working at such a college offers. She plays the part to fit in.
Subtext Logline: A wildly progressive new professor pushes the stultifying conventions of students at an elite college and transforms the students, the faculty, and herself.
Possible Areas of Subtext: She hides her vulnerability, uncertainty, and idealistic nature. She’s defiant towards the traditions, values, and mores of the young women and faculty. Sexual energy is subverted. Her desire for a partner is subjugated due to her beliefs.Subtext for my two leads in HEKATE RISING:
Character Name: Kara Cavalli
Subtext Identity: the competitor, withholding, snarky, humorous, proper
Subtext Logline: An promising doctoral student, stalled on her dissertation, becomes the unwilling proxy for a goddess who is bent on saving the humankind and the planet from self-destruction
Possible Areas of Subtext: She hides her vulnerability, uncertainty, and idealistic nature. Sexual energy is subverted. Her desire for her partner is subjugated to her traumatic past. Kara lives in denial, self-doubting, anxious, angry, clumsy.
Subtext Trait: Secretive/she plays the part to fit in; snarky/she is impatient and intolerant; distrusting…
Character 2-Name: Grayson Benoit
Subtext Identity: The Boss
Subtext Trait: authoritarian, self-important, bombastic
Subtext Logline: A secretive department Academic Dean, climbing his way to the Chancellor’s position, has it in for a brainy doc student who rocks established research methods, and the Dean’s plans.
Possible Areas of Subtext: insecure and vulnerable because of his secrets and forced way of presenting his professional self.; underhanded to appear on the right side of norms..
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BENT’S SUBTEXT CHARACTERS
MY VISION IS TO BE A RESPECTED TELEVISION WRITER AND SELL MY FEATURE FILM THIS YEAR.
MY EXAMPLE
- Movie Title: CINEMA PARADISO
- Character Name: ALFREDO
- Subtext Identity: HE REPLACES LITTLE TOTO’S FATHER THE BEST HE CAN WITHOUT SAYING IT.
- Subtext Trait: A PROJECTIONIST AT A THEATER
- Subtext Logline: ALFREDO ENCOURAGES A YOUNG MAN TO PURSUE HIS DREAMS AND APPRECIATE THE ART OF FILM TO FURTHER HIS IMAGINATION
- Possible Areas of Subtext: THE PAYOFF IS A REEL OF ALL THE INTIMATE SCENES THE LOCAL PRIEST HAD REMOVED DURING THE FILM SCREENING. TOTO IS INTRODUCED TO ALL THINGS THROUGH FILM. IN THE END HE’S SHOWN LUST AND PASSION AND LOVE TOWARDS WOMEN VIA THE FILMS.
THE GENERAL
- Movie Title: SANTA VS KRAMPUS
- Character Name: THE GENERAL
- Subtext Identity: HE WANTS TO MILITARIZE THE NORTH POLE
- Subtext Trait: HEAD OF SECURITY FOR THE NORTH POLE
- Subtext Logline: THE GENERAL WANTS TO ALLOW MORE OIL EXPLORATION TO THE MAJOR COUNTRIES IN RETURN FOR MILITARY GEAR AND INCREASED INCOME BUT SANTA REFUSES TO LET THEM TAKE MORE OIL THAN THEY WANT.
- Possible Areas of Subtext: AT THE END, THE GENERAL REFUSES TO BACK UP SANTA WHILE HE’S GETTING ATTACKED BY KRAMPUS. WE SEE HE’S TURNED ON SANTA. IN THE BEGINNING WE SEE THE GENERAL’S LIVING QUARTERS AND IT IS FILLED WITH MILITARY MEMORABILIA FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.
INDIGO
- Movie Title: SANTA VS KRAMPUS
- Character Name: INDIGO
- Subtext Identity: HE WANTS TO STAY AT THE NORTH POLE AND NEVER VENTURE OUT. HE VALUES HIS FAMILY.
- Subtext Trait: AN ELF WHO IS IN SUCCESSION TO ONE DAY HELP DELIVER PRESENTS TO ALL THE COUNTRIES.
- Subtext Logline: INDIGO IS AN ELF WITH A FEAR OF HEIGHTS AND OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
- Possible Areas of Subtext: WHEN HE STOWS AWAY ON A SLEIGH WHILE SEARCHING FOR HIS SISTER HE IS FORCED TO FACE HIS FEARS. HE FINDS OUT KRAMPUS HAS CAPTURED HIS SISTER AND MUST FACE HIS FEAR OF THE DEMON.
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