Lesson 3 Assignments

[Phyllis Strong]

Lesson Three: Engaging Main Characters That Sell Your Show

Assignment 1: Sample Show is The Vampire Diaries

Journey: a vampire who returns to his hometown wanting to act “human” and fit in encounters many obstacles to fulfilling that goal.

Characters that sell this show: Stefan and Damon.

Role in the Show:

Stefan: a 150-year old vampire who looks like a teenager returns to his hometown to live as a human.

Damon: Stefan’s older brother, a 150-year old vampire who appears to be in his early 20’s, follows him to their hometown, feeds on people and bends them to his will, thus interfering with Stefan’s goal.

Unique Purpose/Expertise:

Stefan: Expertise: Powers of a vampire—super hearing, instant healing, enhanced physical skills, the power of compulsion over humans. Living undetected among humans.

Purpose: to live undetected among humans and be with his true love, Elena.

Damon: Expertise: Stronger powers, especially compulsion, and speed, agility, and hearing. Stronger because he drinks human blood.

Purpose: To get revenge on his brother, and make his life miserable, because of something to do with the woman they both loved in the past.

Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Stefan: He is a vampire who may have once been as deadly as his brother Damon.

Damon: Despite his viciousness, manipulative side, and protestations about not having any humanity, he has feelings for Elena.

Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

Stefan: He tried to compel Vicky to forget about being attacked by a vampire, he is attracting attention to himself at school, and he is lying to Elena and everyone else about who he really is.

Damon: He kills innocent victims, drinks from and then manipulates Vicky and Caroline. He is interfering with his brother’s quest to live as a human and his relationship with Elena.

Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Stefan: In protecting his secret as a vampire, he puts more of his newfound friends and Elena at risk. Will he be able to resist feeding on humans even if it’s necessary to stop Damon?

Damon: As Damon toys with the townspeople and tortures Stefan, he may kill or just drink their blood with no consequence. He may set Stefan and Elena’s friends against each other.

Empathetic: Why do we care?

Stefan: he is trying to control his dangerous impulses, reinvent himself, and find real human connection.

Damon: despite all the evil he does, he is soft-hearted and helpful toward Elena—maybe more helpful than her life-long friends.

[Kimberly Gore]

Assignment #1

Secrets and Lies

Role in the Show

Ben Crawford: husband and father suspected of murdering the neighbor’s child, who is his illegitimate son.

Kristi Crawford: Ben’s wife, trying to hold it together as she deals with the aftermath of discovering her husband cheated on her and had a child with another woman. She is still his support system throughout the ordeal, although has distanced herself emotionally.

Unique Purpose/Expertise

Ben: Expertise: Knows the neighborhood and how each person relates to one another

Purpose: To find out who killed this child and exonerate himself so he can properly grieve his loss

Kristi: Expertise: She is their main source of financial stability and is level-headed and seems to know exactly what to do or say

Purpose: To stay calm and collected during this tumultuous time so that their family can work on remaining whole right now

Intrigue

Ben: Ben learns his wife is keeping his daughter’s possible pregnancy a secret, he also discovers Jess’s estranged husband is secretly having sexual relations with Jess’s sister

Kristi: Although she has an excuse for everything, she is receiving expensive gifts from at least one client and is always running out at night to go to meetings with clients. It raises the question of whether or not she is cheating on Ben, and if this is a reaction to his cheating on her in the past.

Moral Issue

Ben: He discovers the flashlight used to kill Tom, wipes off the hair and blood, and hides it, afraid that if he turns it in, the police will assume he’s guilty of the murder

Kristi: Should she have kept Natalie’s possible pregnancy a secret from Ben? Especially knowing how secrets can rip families apart?

Unpredictable

Ben: After discovering his wife’s secret about Natalie, he forces his youngest daughter to tell him where her sister has gone. He then seeks out Natalie and gets into a fist fight with her boyfriend. This action turns up on social media, landing him in more hot water with the police. And then, based on circumstantial evidence he assumes his best friend took advantage of Natalie while she was drunk, and Ben throws him out of his home.

Kristi: She has fancy, newly-purchased sexy underwear in a bag on her bed. And she’s making Ben sleep on the couch. Hmmm.

Empathetic

Ben: His world is falling apart. First, his son is brutally murdered, then his wife discovers he cheated on her nine years ago, then he is harassed by random strangers and neighbors who have decided he is guilty in murdering Tom, then he is chased by reporters, trying to get a story out of him. The guy can’t catch a break. And when he finds the murder weapon and panics…we’re anxious for him, knowing he’s doing the wrong thing.

Kristi: She’s dealing with everything Ben’s dealing with because of his infidelity, and still tries to keep the family together. She acts strong, despite how hurt she feels about his secret betrayal. None of this is her fault, and yet she still has to push past reporters. She also has to deal with the relationship Jess and Ben still have, which might now be platonic, but is still there because of the mystery surrounding Tom’s death.

[Brigitte Timmerman]

Assignment #1:

Role in the show:

June Osborne is the main character who is a Handmaid that is enslaved by the new government. She is posted with a commander and his wife.

Unique Purpose/Expertise:

June is fertile which makes her a valuable breeding commodity in this new dystopian world.

Intrigue, what is the secret beneath the surface?

June is very intelligent, although enslaved her goal is to break free, reunite with her daughter. She also befriended a Handmaid in the resistance and agrees to feed her intel.

Moral issue/What moral boundaries are they crossing?

By agreeing to feed intel resistance she puts her and other Handmaid’s lives in danger.

Unpredictable, what will they do next?

Although June has not taken action yet, though her narration in the show and her distain for the new government you know she is planning something.

Empathetic, why do we care?

June is imprisoned, is legally being raped and abused by the Commander’s wife Serena Joy Waterford. You root for June to break free and Zeak Justice.

[Kimberly Gore]

Assignment #2

Subject line: Kim’s Engaging Main Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is: how to find all the places where my characters either grow together or grow apart. It pushes me to create more layered personalities as I consider predicaments where conflict can arise.

1. My show’s journey is about two people desperately trying to make their relationship work so they can free their reincarnated souls from continuing to live out tragedy.

2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show? Eric and Natalie Howard

3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.

• A. Role in the show:

Eric: His wounded soul is based on past lives filled with people carrying out difficult duties for him, tending to his every whim, and not allowing him to fully mature and develop into a strong male figure capable of taking care of himself and a family.

Natalie: Her anguished soul has spent too many past lives pushing people away and developing such a thick skin, even love can’t break through without fear of being seen without her emotional mask.

• B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

Eric: He is a psychiatrist, trained in both medication and psychology.

Natalie: She is very much in tune with who she is and the problems she faces. She just doesn’t know how to get from A to Z without making what might be a fatal error in judgement.

• C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Eric: He suffers from the same issues Natalie does, but is better at hiding it from the world, including from the therapist they sometimes see together. Even Natalie doesn’t know his problem at the start of the show.

Natalie: At first, she thinks she suffers from dissociative identity disorder, as this has been her diagnosis all her life. But it becomes apparent, thanks to hypnosis sessions with her therapist, that her multiple personalities are the past lives her soul has had.

• D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

Eric: He illegally prescribes himself medication to stop his four personalities from coming through. He surreptitiously gives his wife medication to help her stay asleep when his daughter is with them overnight. And he has a dangerous, flirtatious relationship with their therapist.

Natalie: She tries to kill Eric, even if it really was one of her personalities doing the deed.

• E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Eric: If Eric feels a personality coming through, he takes great pains to suddenly leave and find a quiet spot until it subsides. He also takes medication that quells the personalities.

Natalie: Natalie is equally unpredictable, except she cannot control her personalities and often acts out through them.

• F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

Eric: He loves his daughter so much, but fears she will be taken from the family because of Natalie’s instability. He also loves Natalie and although his soul knows she’s “the one,” she doesn’t make it easy for him to deal with her.

Natalie: She wants so much to be loved by Eric, has never felt true unconditional love from anyone before, so it’s hard for her to feel safe. Also, she’s afraid the people in her neighborhood will think she’s a phony if they realize her low-class upbringing. When one of her personalities tries to murder Eric, she’s at an all-time low.

[Bob Onufer]

Assignment 1

“The Young Pope”

Journey: From an abandoned youth to the head of the Catholic Church.

Characters that sell this show: Pope Pius XIII (Lenny Belardo) and Sister Mary.

A. Role in the show

Lenny Belardo: Abandoned child from America who is elected Pope at a young age and who must struggle to find his way.

Sister Mary: Nun who raised Lenny at orphanage who is brought to the Vatican to be his adviser.

B. Unique Purpose/Expertise

Lenny Belardo: To mold the Catholic Church to his vision while dealing with the aftermath of having been abandoned by his parents.

Sister Mary: To assist Lenny with his church duties and continue to act as a pseudo-parent.

C. Intrigue/What’s beneath the surface

Lenny Belardo: He is struggling with his inner demons sometimes using methods that violate church norms.

Sister Mary: She is not fully equipped to be in the position she is in.

D. Moral Issue/What boundaries do they cross

Lenny Belardo: Restructuring the Catholic Church in a way that ignores standard protocol, may set back the Catholic Church centuries, and alienates the faithful.

Sister Mary: Torn between doing Lenny’s bidding and what might be good for the Catholic Church. Willing to go behind Lenny’s back for what she considers a greater good.

E. Unpredictable/What will they do next

Lenny Belardo: Extremely volatile, enjoys disrupting the status quo, and uses his office to intimidate and punish rivals.

Sister Mary: Sometimes steps out of line for her position to challenge Lenny.

F. Empathetic/Why do we care

Lenny Belardo: Abandoned as child and still dealing with the trauma from that experience. In his own way, believes he is bringing the faithful closer to God.

Sister Mary: Selfless nun who raised Lenny and other orphans. Abandons her life in America to answer call to come to the Vatican and help the new Pope.

[Marcus Wolf]

Subject: Engaging Profiles, Game of Thrones

A. Role

Ned Stark: A major northern lord, best friend of King Robert and the King’s chief advisor (Hand of the King).

John Snow: A new member of the Night’s Watch.

B. Unique Purpose/Expertise

Ned Stark: Politically savvy and administratively experienced, Ned has unquestioned loyalty to the King.

John Snow: He wants to be a Ranger, like his uncle. He has extensive training in fighting. A great mentor.

C. Intrigue

Ned Stark: He delves into a world of spies, liars, sycophants and violent men. They all have agendas. All try to influence the Hand of the King.

John Snow: Discovers that the Night’s Watch isn’t what he’d been led to believe.

D. Moral Issue

Ned Stark: All the King’s men have agendas that he must decide whether and how far to go along with, regardless of how distasteful.

John Snow: He has to find a way to live and work with criminals.

E. Unpredictable

Ned Stark: He has a violent and angry side which is revealed under stress.

John Snow: He has a violent and angry side which is revealed under stress.

F. Empathetic

Ned Stark: A good man forced to do a dirty job that he has no taste for. But he is determined to do it properly.

Jon Snow: Forced to leave his family because of his lowly status as a bastard, he finds himself in a new situation where he is hated for being high born.

[Marcus Wolf]

Subject: Marcus Wolf’s Engaging Main Characters

This assignment taught me the basics of main character creation. The main characters must be differentiated from the second circle of characters in non-obvious ways. There are specific ways to add depth to these characters.

1. This show is the story a low-level English nobleman who works his way to become King, and of the man who then defeats and replaces him as King.

2. The main characters selling the show are Harold Godwinson, William of Normandy and King Edward of England.

3. Engaging profiles:

A. Role

Harold: The second son of a powerful Saxon nobleman. A minor Earl.

William: The Duke of Normandy.

Edward: The King of England.

B. Unique Purpose/Expertise

Harold: He has a talent for leading men and for learning from the mistakes of others.

William: He must continually defend his dukedom from covetous Counts who would take it from him. William is a master of cultivating a loyal following, a master of battle strategy and brings prosperity to Normandy.

Edward: Continually consolidating his power in what is to him a foreign situation, Edward is a master of political maneuvering.

C. Intrigue

Harold: He must prove to his father that he is more worthy than his older brother. He must prove to the King that he is a friend.

William: He must constantly deal not only with external enemies, but with betrayal from within his own ranks and betrayal from powerful allies.

Edward: Plays his Earls against one another to consolidate and increase his own power.

D. Moral Issue

Harold: His loyalty to his father conflicts with his loyalty to the King and he must choose.

William: A religious man, William is wracked with guilt over his hatred of his enemies, which he can’t always control.

Edward: His chief advisor and friend, Robert of Jumiege constantly pushes Edward toward conflict with the powerful Earl of Wessex. When Robert becomes Archbishop of Canterbury, he becomes a religious freak and Edward must decide what to do with his oldest friend as he becomes less useful and more dangerous.

E. Unpredictable

Harold: Normally extremely level headed, he loses his temper with his brother. Later, William will make him lose his temper the same way.

William: Normally an orthodox strategist in war, at the battle of Alençon, he resorts to atrocity to force the castle to surrender without a siege.

Edward: Edward strips his best friend and advisor of all rank and exiles him.

F. Empathetic

Harold: A completely capable nobleman and general, he lives in the shadow of his incompetent and criminal older brother. He wants to serve his king, but his king hates his father and Harold must side with his family.

William: Born a bastard, William must overcome a lack of respect from other noblemen and betrayal from within his family and by his own king.

Edward: He finds himself in a position (King of
England) he never really expected. He has to figure out how to be a king. And
he must choose his enemy over his best friend and closest advisor.

[H.G. MIDDLEMASS]

<b align=”left”> <font color=”#3859c9″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”3″>ASSIGNMENT 1:</font></font></font>

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” Using this model of character creation helps making characters more complex.<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>
</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>Mr. Robot</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>1. Tell us the journey of your show. A young man who is a computer genius and is a hacker vigilante who suffers from social anxieties and psychological problems wants to hack into a greedy conglomerate named E-corp .</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show? Elliott Alderson,</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>A. Role in the show: Protagonist, Anti-hero, IT professional for Allsafe.</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Computer expert – genius</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Drug user and hacker, psychological problems</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Hacking even though it hurts people.</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Elliott is anti-social but goes to his supervisor’s house for a social dinner w coworkers.</font></font></font>

<font color=”#343434″><font face=”Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif”><font size=”2″>F. Empathetic: Why do we care? At heart a good person and he wants to see justice.</font></font></font>

[Stacy Martin]

Show : Scandal
Main Character: Olivia Pope
A. Role in the show-She is the owner of Olivia Pope & Associates, a business whose services involve acting as a fixer for politicians, the rich & the famous in DC.
B. Unique Purpose/Expertise: Worked in high level politics, is well connected, knows how to work people to solve problems.
C. Intrigue: What is saecret beneath the surface?-She had a relationship with the current POTUS. There are still feelings for him, even though she denies them on the surface.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?-She has had a relationship with the President, who is married, when she was one of his aides. She still has feelings for him, even though she says that she does not. She will step on toes to be right and to win. She understands the politics and power in DC and uses them to her advantage.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Olivia likes to win and she studies people and their moves. She has integrity on some level but also the ability to be ruthless if needed.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? She is an attractive, intelligent, self sufficient woman in the mostly male dominated politics of DC.

[Diana Ceres]

Diana’s Engaging Main Characters

What I learned: Focusing on
the questions I was able to create more interesting characters for my pilot. I
also saw more depth to the characters on the show I am watching. I love all the
layers in Mr. Robot and would love to be able to create them for my own
characters. Watch the next episode of your Example Show to see any places the lead characters might fit this model. Mr. Robot, Elliot, VP

Assignment 1: Tell us the name and Engaging Profile answers for at least one character from your example show.

Elliot

A. Role in the show: Protagonist/main character. To
help fsociety take down corporate America.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Hacker who uses skills
to take the bad guys down
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Betrays
his employer (a cybersecurity firm, ironically named Allsafe), blackmails
those who harm others;
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they
crossing? Being asked to betray his employer by the VP of Evil Corp and
Mr. Robot
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Ex: After
saying he did not want to harm anyone, he shows up at the new fsociety
headquarters at the end of the episode.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? He was abused and
neglected as a child. Mentally ill. Unhappy. Wants to do good, but the
target keeps moving.

Mr. Robot:

A. Role in the show: Antagonist.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Hacker who recruits Elliot
to join fsociety.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? He
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they
crossing? Theft, invasion of privacy, murder
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Pushes Elliot
off bridge then invites him for a drink
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? He’s charming, whimsical,
interesting. We want to see what he does next, even though he’s a criminal.
He walks the gray line between good and bad. <div>

Assignment 2: Tell us the journey of your show. Antihero wants to create a new life that was better than her old one. Her parents are criminals. Her dad is in prison. Mom just got out. Along the way, she commits felonies and tries to pin them on her husband, while getting sent to prison.

2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show? Antihero and Hero and Mother of Antihero.

3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.

Antihero

A. Role in the show: Destroy others for personal gain
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Criminal (that keeps
getting caught)
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Conducts mail fraud and tries to pin it on husband.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they
crossing? Stealing from others. Lying to husband. Getting pregnant with first
kid by ex boyfriend at bachelorette party. Tries to get husband to take
the fall for her. Then seduces husband to delay prison sentence by nine
months by getting pregnant.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Vicious,
mercurial, prone to violent outbursts. Vengeful. Holds grudges.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? Victim. Learned crime
from her mother who has also served time with her. It’s all she knows. But
rather than feel sorry for her, we are drawn to her darkness to learn
about the underworld of white-collar crime.

Hero

A. Role in the show: To be a decades-long victim of the
antihero; learn to stand up for himself and set boundaries to heal old
wounds that brought him to her in the first place.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Accountant.
Detail-oriented. Works for company that antihero steals from, which gets
him fired and almost thrown in prison.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Hates
his wife. Doesn’t want the kids.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they
crossing? Tries to help antihero get out of trouble. Feels stuck in marriage
because he has two kids he didn’t even want.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Will he take
the fall for her? Will he report her?
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? He is being framed for a
crime his wife committed. He is miserable and starts overeating and
getting health issues from all the stress of being single parent. Has to sell house to keep
wife comfortable while in prison and moves into crowded apartment with the
kids and mother-in-law. Goes bankrupt after losing job while she is in prison. </div>

[Brigitte Timmerman]

Assignment #2

Refuge Nation

“What I learned doing this assignment is how to expand a character to be more complex than meets the eye. Also, using the five-point module is a very good tool to prepare for actions that will be revealed later.

Journey of the show: In a dystopian future two sisters and their family set out on the road in an old school bus turned RV to find their nephew’s Native American community for survival.

·Main characters that will sell the show:

· Irene

· Jessie

Irene

A. Role in the show: Self-proclaimed matriarch and leader of the family unit.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Leader of her community, expert navigator, skilled marksman and survival skills she learned from her grandmother.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? She has maps in codes that are very valuable to navigate with. She and her grandmother are the only ones that can read them. Her plan is to teach the codes to Isaac and Mira.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Irene and her grandmother obtained the maps from an unethical source. She keeps her sister Jessie in the dark of her plan with them.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? What is her plan with the maps?

F. Empathetic: Why do we care? Everything she does is to keep her family safe.

Jesse

A. Role in the show: Younger, rebellious sister of Irene that helps navigate the family through a dystopian world.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: She’s willing to get her hands dirty to get things done for the family survival. Skilled marksman and survivalist taught by Irene.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? She uses her sexual currency to obtain what the family needs to survive.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Jessie prostitutes herself.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Jessie comes across explosive and impulsive yet, underneath she is calculating her next moves. Will Irene find out about her?

F. Empathetic: Why do we care? She like Irene does everything to keep her family safe. She comes across as harsh and self-absorbed but is misunderstood and has a huge heart.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Brigitte Timmerman.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Brigitte Timmerman.

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy Martin’s Engaging Main Characters
This exercise was challeging and eye opening. I learned that some of the characters that I had as main characters might need to either get a makeover or become secondary characters. As I worked on developing the characters, I also had ideas for places that the story could go that I had not thought of before.
The Journey: From a wife, mother and romance writer to the creator of a billion dollar, elite escort service

Character 1: Natalie Pisano, wife, mother and romance writer
A. Role in the show: A devoted wife and mother who finds out that her husband has disappeared, taken all of their money and bankrupted their business. She reads and writes romance novels as a hobby.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Purpose-uses her connections in the romance novel community to develope an elite escort service
Expertise: Is connected to handsome book cover models and is good at making up steamy scenarios.
C. Intrigue: What is secret
beneath the surface?-She is hiring men to be a part of her escort service for the rich and famous. She will do anything to protect her daughters, her reputation and her business.
D. Moral Issue: What moral
boundaries are they crossing?-Sex for hire, murder, blackmail, lies, deceit
E. Unpredictable: What will
they do next?-As the financial stakes get higher, she is willing to go further and further to keep her business and to protect her daughters.
F. Empathetic: Why do we
care?-She has been abandoned by her husband and left to pick up the pieces. She has to think on her feet in order to secure a future for her daughters and herself.

Character 2: Marcus Costa, 21 year old Grand Prix jumper rider and model.
A. Role in the show: He came from nothing and has risen through the show jumping world on his talents. He is Natalie’s best friend and her husband’s company was one of his sponsers in show jumping
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Purpose-Natalie’s best friend and confidant, helps her start her escort service. Expertise-Grand Prix jumper rider, cover model
C. Intrigue: What is secret
beneath the surface?-Brought up with nothing, has used sex to get rides on top horses.
D. Moral Issue: What moral
boundaries are they crossing?-Trades sex for opportunities. Steals from owners because he hates them and what they stand for.
E. Unpredictable: What will
they do next?-he has a lot of pressure on him to keep winning in order to stay on top. He becomes more and more bold in what he will do to win
F. Empathetic: Why do we
care?-He has been dealt some tough blows in life. He is in survival mode but that is not he wants to live.

Character 3: Holly Pisano, 22, oldest, beautiful daughter of Natalie, junior in college, headed to vet school
A. Role in the show: Daughter of Natalie with expensive tastes in men and horses
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Purpose-to become a wealthy veterinarian for the stables of the rich and famous
C. Intrigue: What is secret
beneath the surface?-She was daddy’s girl and blames her mother for him being gone. She blackmails men to get what she wants and she gets a high from her power over them
D. Moral Issue: What moral
boundaries are they crossing?-User, liar, social climber
E. Unpredictable: What will
they do next?-It takes more and more risk for her to get off on her schemes
F. Empathetic: Why do we
care?-She has lost her father, she doesnt get along with her mother. She craves power and attention, but is unhappy.

Character 4: Christine “Cris” Pisano, 17, tom boy daughter of Natalie
A. Role in the show: Very close with her mother, fiercely protective of her family, works in the family stable caring for the show horses
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Purpose-will do anything for her mother, ends up being a teenage “fixer” for her Expertise- knows horses-how to choose good ones and how to care for them. Is very creative and pragmatic at solving problems.
C. Intrigue: What is secret
beneath the surface?-She has some special skills learned from her time on a farm and in working with animals including not being alarmed by blood and how to cut up a body
D. Moral Issue: What moral
boundaries are they crossing?-Lies, covers up and steals for her mother
E. Unpredictable: What will
they do next?-thinks on her feet and will do what it takes to protect her family and their reputation
F. Empathetic: Why do we
care?-She is loyal, loves her animals, is meticulous and has high standards in everything that she does-even the bad stuff. She has a big heart, but don’t cross her.

[Kimberly Gore]

Sounds so intriguing, Stacy! There are so many ways you could go with this, looking forward to knowing more. 🙂

[Leslie DuFresne]

As I did this assignment, I learned that there are so many tools to incorporate when creating engaging characters.

Assignment 1

Example show: Mr. Robot

The main character in the show is Elliot Alderson.

His role in the show: A 20-something, cyber security system tech who becomes the driving force behind the destruction of a corporate giant.

Unique Purpose/Expertise: Elliot is a genius computer tech with a penchant to right the wrongs of society/change the status quo.

Intrigue: What secret is beneath the surface? Elliot is a living, breathing vault of secrets: He doesn’t tell the truth to his therapist. He’s hacked all the people in his life to get to know them- his therapist, Angela, Shayla, Ollie, etc… He didn’t delete the virus attack by Fsociety, he has it locked away in his files. He keeps hidden files on all the low characters he has hacked.

Moral issue: Elliot agrees to a series of drug tests for his therapist but plans on hacking into the hospital files to alter the results to hide his ongoing drug abuse. At the end of episode 3, he joins the Fsociety again to begin another major hack.

Unpredictable: We really don’t know what Elliot is going to do. There’s a tug of war going on in his mind and he can choose to go one way or the other in regards to aligning with Fsociety.

Empathetic: We hear the struggle in Elliot’s mind throughout the show, so we understand where he’s coming from. We also learn more about his father’s death in Episode 3 and we sympathize with Elliot over such a great loss. His mother even seems very dismissive about his dad’s death which makes matters worse for Elliot emotionally.

[Nadine Vaughan DArdenne]

Subject line: Nadine’s Engaging Main Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is how interesting I can choose to make my characters.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

I watched the next episode of LOST to see any places the lead characters might fit this model. Kate is one. Sawyer is another and Syed is a third.

The name and Engaging Profile for at least one of the characters is Kate:

Kate seems genuinely caring and helps other crash victims with no hesitation. Yet, there is evidence that, while on the plane, she was a prisoner and her flashbacks reveal her desperation as she tried to escape the man who brought her in.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Do the process with your show: KUNO AND JAI.

The journey of my screenplay shows how KUNO and JAI join together, to find the truth. But not at first. It begins when Kuno, an engaging and gifted Black teen, finds out his father committed suicide.

He refuses to believe it and insists on finding out what really happened. His mom seems scared and says they’re moving to a new town. Kuno ends up at a bar, where he meets Jai. She’s a bar-tender who ends up kicking him out for rough-housing.

His mom’s working the night shift when she gets an emergency call at work. As she hears what happened, she sees her son, Kuno, being rolled in. Someone tells her Kuno got into a fight, was severely injured, and now he’s in a coma.

While she’s moving them to their new town, Kuno’s unconscious and having visions of what really happened to his father. It wasn’t suicide. He awakens with no idea where he is or how long he’s been there.

Within days, he ends up arrested for a crime he did not commit, and sent to adult prison for 5 years.

With Kuno living his worst nightmare, Jai’s life is just as jolting. She’s naturally attractive, and when she joins the military, she suffers for it. In many ways, Jai’s life parallels Kuno’s, including with life and death situations.

However, while Kuno ends up in prison, followed by exoneration, her prison is the military, after which she’s given a full-ride to a top-rated Black College.

It takes five years before KUNO is exonerated, even when helped by an old friend of his dad. But when he shows up at an ex-offender program, he discovers a beautiful, sad, ex-soldier. His new counselor is Jai. The only person he trusts.

2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show? KUNO and JAI.

3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.

A. Role in the show: KUNO and JAI are partners on a mission to find truth.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: After discovering similarities in what happened to them, they take on the personas of their names. KUNO becomes a wise counselor. JAI is already a warrior. Together, they become folk heroes.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Jai’s father was an original member of the Black Panther Party and now the Director of a large corporation. Kuno has always been obsessed with how the Panthers came to power.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Because Jai is Kuno’s counselor, she should not get involved with him. He discovers hacking has great rewards.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Kuno finds out who was responsible for what happened to his dad. Jai comes up with a way to prevent it from ever happening again.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care? Kuno and Jai are two innocents who are thrown into a world of hurt. Yet, somehow, they continue to strengthen what’s always been inside, even as they strategize what’s next.

Posted my assignment in the forums at https://www.screenwritingclasses.com/forums/

[Eric Watterson]

Eric Watterson’s Engaging Main Characters 1 & 2

“What I learned doing this assignment is how to try and deeply examine each character purpose and examine their motives before writing out their actions. It felt a little weird to be honest. I created motives for characters that I don’t have actual actions or a storyline for. Is that ok?”

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Tell us the name and Engaging Profile answers for at least one character from your example show.

Stranger Things Episode 3

Character: 13

A. Role in the show:

– Is a hidden gem and escaped experimental child/person/being who knows more about what is going on under the scenes than any of the other characters know, but she doesn’t seem to be able to explain them.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– Hidden supernatural abilities that the kids joke about but she really has.

– She seems to know about the people doing the experiment and the monster they released or are searching for.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– She may be an alien or was born to a mother with supernatural abilities.

– She has killed people

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– she has killed people, but didn’t like it

– she may have been raised to become a weapon, but didn’t like it

there’s a moral issue of wanting to be accepted and knowing what right and wrong

– a need for love is in her that she doesn’t understand

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

– she kills a person for locking her in a closet but doesn’t kill her “father figure”

– she slams the door when the boy wants to call the cops but doesn’t react when shes screamed at

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– she’s running for her life it seems

– she’s cold and hungry

– the people that care for her are killed

– she doesn’t understand the world

=======================================

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Now, do the process with your show.

# 1. Tell us the journey of your show.

A leader takes us on a mission into an uncharted world.

# 2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?

– Anthony David, Jr. (ex-military operative turns recluse)

– Anthony’s David (Anthony’s Dead Father)

– Edward Stanley (White Teen, privileged male with identity issues)

– Chris Hope (Black Teen, grew up in abusive home)

– Rong Chen (Chinese Teen, homeless immigrate)

– Francisco Rameriz (Latin Teen, fatherless home, runaway)

– Pierre Rameriz (Latin teen, Francisco little brother)

– Officer Tim Cain (Anthony ex-military friend

– Trimmol (Male Dark lead)

– Lieutenant Jazmin Harper (military officer assigned to find Anthony)

# 3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.Character: – Anthony David, Jr. (ex-military operative turns recluse)<div>

A. Role in the show:

– Lead Centry within the Centry League Brotherhood.

– Forced to care for disruptive teens

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– Anthony current profession is gardening after leaving the military as a trained soldier.

– He distracts his mind by gardening while intoxicated to keep him off balance and able to see and cross into another realm.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– fears people finding out about his gifts so he hides it by pushing people away, while caring for them at the same time.

– he’s actually been AWOL from the military for years after walking away after his team was killed. They’ve been expecting him as the murderer.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– he sees people in need but allows them to suffer when he could do thigs to help them.

– some of his actions seem evil on the outside when he’s really forces them to overcome the darkness only he can see

– he has broken the law and forged documents while avoiding the military police

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

– because he can see what others don’t he sometimes acts in ways that appear to be crazy.

– as he’s trying not to get caught by the military he is sometimes puts himself in very peculiar situations while avoiding the military police searching for him

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– He went AWOL when the military blamed him for the death of his team and wouldn’t listen to him.

– He soon learns that his father was killed by the same forces that killed his team and every time he gets close to finding them, his plans are foiled.

– it makes him feel like he’s losing his mind and no one is there for him throughout his pain

– He reaches for alcohol to drown his pain and has tried to kill himself based on the whispers of the darks but they always fail

– the darks see that he has a destiny to destroy them that they cannot allow hi to reach

<hr>Character: Edward Stanley (White Teen, privileged male with identity issues)A. Role in the show:

– Smart aleck white teen boy. thinks highly of himself even though he’s been abandoned by his family

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– He’s very observant and has the ability to see slight changes in a person’s behaviour and body language which helps him to know what their thinking and mimic them

– his abilities help them to impersonate anyone and use it to gain access and learn secrets

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– he’s very insecure of his appearance and how he relates to others

– he acts as if he doesn’t care but hes always searching for acceptance from others

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– he’s willing to lie and steal for approval

– he has changed grades and forged documents trying to get approval from family but its always backfired

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

– he can copy or disguise himself as almost anyone to get what he needs no matter who it hurts

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– he comes from a successful family, that has written him off as an outcast because of his lack of talents in grades and sports which the family deems highly

– he feels like he doesn’t belong in his own family

<hr>Character: Christopher Hope (Black Teen, grew up in abusive home)</div><div>

A. Role in the show:

He’s a strong willed and physical strong

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– he has a photographic memory and is a wiz with numbers

– he also has a natural talent for computers and gadgets, he can fix anything

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– he comes from a broken family wear his father abused him and his mom.

– he discovered his talent trying to ignore the screams of his mom and clam himself down after being locked into a closet for hors by his dad

– he secretly killed his father in defense of mother but no one knows

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– uses he talents to steal from ATM and people easily, while also given to others that are hurting or abused

– he has traumatic dreams about his abusive father and he imagine himself being just like him

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

– he may hurt someone after moments of regression to his past without notice.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– he desires and also hates attention, so he pushes people away while needed their approval and hates himself because of it

<hr>Character: Rong “Ro” Chen (Chinese Teen, homeless immigrate)</div><div>

A. Role in the show:

– really watchful and untrusting, watches from background and moves into action quickly, often without thinking

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– natural martial arts expert; explosively fast

– can slow down time and predict body movements before they happen

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– He’s father was a member of the triad and he and his mother left Japan to escape death because of his fathers connection to the Triad

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– He’s a homeless foreigner, without papers

– he constantly sees death in his hands and is drawn to it as a result of what his father did in the triad

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

– he has an explosive temper and doesn’t really understand American culture so he may respond in ways that seem right to him but are not to others.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– he wants to fit in but doesn’t know how

– he has very little education but knows right from wrong

<hr>Character: Francisco Rameriz (Latin Teen, fatherless home, runaway)</div><div>

A. Role in the show:

– he brings love and care to situations when other are impulsive and rash

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– expert escape artist and crook.

– can pick locks and break into houses quickly

– he grew up breaking out of the house so his single mother wouldn’t have to feed him, along with his three siblings

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– He hates fathers because his natural father was never there and his stepfather died and left them alone after he lost his job

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– His stepfather lost his job because Francisco broken into his office and stole a secret invention, that he father showed him

– he is a member of a ruthless gang

– he has taken back things that were stolen from families and people and allowed other gang members to be beat or blamed for it

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

– even though he’s a member of an evil gang he has a heart for women and families that often conflict with his gangs actions.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– he doesn’t want to hurt people and often feels bad about it, he just doesn’t seem to know another way

<hr>Character: – Omar Makya (Native American teen, born on reservation, runaway)</div><div>

A. Role in the show: – Anthony (ex-military operative turns recluse)

– he is very empathic and compassionate, brings unexpected clarity and wisdom to the group

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– he seems to be in touch with the unseen realms and can see and track others naturally

– he ability to track others is because he can see another person’s spiritual trail/essence

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– his ability to see a persona spiritual trail also means he can see traces of what they have done, whether good or bad.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– he has rewarded people for things he has seen in their spirit trail and caused some people great pain because their trail was dark and he could tell they hurt someone else even though he couldn’t see exactly what they did.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

– he may be nice and kind to a person and suddenly turn on them and begin to beat them because of the spiritual trail that he suddenly see.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– he never knew his father and longs for a family

– he grew up as one of a number without any real significance from others

<hr>Character: Officer Tim Cain (Anthony ex-military friend – crooked cop)</div><div>

A. Role in the show:

– he has been called to the group home several times over the years and know each teen intimately

– very charismatic in public but also very mean behind closed doors

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– he’s the one who pulls all the teens into the new group home for an unknown purpose

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– he’s well connected within the police force, military and illegal world

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– he can use his connections both sides to accomplish whatever he wants

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

He understands what is right but can change right to fit whichever side of the coin he is one or whatever he wants at the moment

He seems to have very little conscience because of it

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– its hard to tell who is is really for, when he’s nice, he’s a great help to people in need but when he’s mean he can hurt people we love and care for

<hr>Character: Trimmol (Male Dark Entity)</div><div>

A. Role in the show:

– the main character that opposes the good Anthony does and seeks to destroy him for a reason that is not clear

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

– he has very special powers to shape shift and effects people minds and decisions

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

– hes a very mysterious character with clear goals but not clear reasons

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

– he will do good to a person to gain their trust and then slab them in the back once they are of no more use

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

– he will do very nice things that turn out to be evil and then point the blame of his actions on another person that was innocent

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

– we hate him because of what he does

– we feel for him because he has a higher power that causes him great pain when he doesn’t complete a task or fails in his mission to hurt someone else

– he doesn’t clearly understand the instructions he gets, but must do them or suffer the consequences

</div>

[Bob Onufer]

Assignment 2

Bob’s Engaging Main Characters

What I learned from this assignment is that the show is a work in progress and many things will change throughout the course (in this lesson, I changed the sex of one of my main circle characters).

Title: Mount Moriah

Journey: Daniel Shay goes from an angry orphan seeking revenge to an elite intelligence agent acting to best secure the future for his country and descendants.

Characters that sell the show: Daniel Shay and Christine Wade.

Role in the show:

Daniel Shay – American, 26 years old now living in Israel and a Mossad operative, orphaned at 13 when his parents were killed during a terrorist attack while celebrating his Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem.

Christine Wade – American, about 30 years old, the Christian leader of a rebuild the Temple movement.

Unique Purpose/Expertise:

Daniel Shay – Mossad intelligence agent with his own agenda.

Christine Wade – Religious zealot who influences Daniel.

Intrigue/What is secret beneath the surface:

Daniel Shay – He uses his position and operations to further his drive to exact revenge from the terrorists that killed his parents.

Christine Wade – All of her actions serve to further the possibility of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem to hasten the “End of Days.”

Moral Issue/What moral boundaries are they crossing:

Daniel Shay – Using his position and top-secret knowledge to serve his personal agenda.

Christine Wade – She will use any means to bring about the “End of Days.”

Unpredictable/What will they do next:

Daniel Shay – Won’t always follow procedure. In an early scene, he will come face-to-face with a young terrorist and let him go because he believes it will help him track the terrorists responsible for his parents’ deaths.

Christine Wade – Despite claiming to be religious, she will break virtually all the Commandments.

Empathetic/Why do we care:

Daniel Shay – He is an orphan who has been terribly and undeservedly wronged.

Christine Wade – She is working for what she believes is the ultimate good of mankind.

[Kristopher King]

Kristopher King. Engaging Main Characters

The Fisherman

Journey: From a wayward, unaware young man to a wealthy kingpin.

Characters that sell the show: John and Kate.

Roll in the show:

John: 21 year old deckhand. Uneducated but self taught (reads a lot). Unaware of who he is. Floating through life. He learns his alcoholic mother is sick and needs expensive medical attention.

Kate: 21 y.o. A member of the elite class. Falls in love with John.

B. Unique purpose / Expertise

John: Expert at navigating the sea. Diver, surfer, sailor, all around waterman. Enjoys risk. Able to compartmentalize and keep calm under duress.

Kate: A student. Most popular. Expert at navigating social environs, particularly the elite class.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

John: He’s committing countless felonies to bankroll his mother’s medical care and beyond.

Kate: She’s an accomplice/mastermind to John despite being of the 1%.

D. Moral issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

John: How far can he go to help his mother. Is it even about saving his mother?

Kate: She’s got access to hundreds of millions of dollars. Why is she plotting, scheming, cheating, and even killing for money?

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

John: He seems addicted to constantly raising the stakes.

Kate: Could she double cross John?

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

John: He’s had a challenging upbringing. He wants to help his failing mother.

Kate: She’s young, beautiful, and smart. She seems willing to risk it all for love.

[Leslie DuFresne]

Lesson 3, Assignment 2

What I learned in doing this assignment: I learned that all the points in the Character model are of equal value and each point needs to be clearly fleshed out for both characters to sell the show.

The Journey of the Show:

Jill’s involvement with the Outfit sparks a change in the paradigm of criminal activity in the city of Chicago. Her actions in the west side crew set in motion a war that Jimmy has longed to see happen to shift the seats of power above him. He initially fights the idea of her involvement. However, her expertise in surveillance is an asset to the crew and to Jimmy directly in regards to his ambitions of climbing the criminal ladder.

The main characters that sell the show are Jill DiVarco and Jimmy Losito.

Jill’s Role in the show: 20-something year old who breaks the gender barrier of the Outfit.

Jimmy’s Role in the show: Jill’s mentor and love interest.

Jill – Unique Purpose / Expertise: Jill is extremely skilled in surveillance. She is very good at not being detected. Being a woman, not many people expect a female to sit on stake outs. It’s one of the reasons why she is not detected. She also is physically capable of providing “muscle” for the Outfit, if she has to use physical force, she can hold her own with the guys.

Jimmy – Unique purpose/expertise is he is an extremely good earner for the Outfit. He is widely respected.

Jill – Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Jill holds a memory that has scarred her for life. She is haunted by it, and it’s what propels her to avenge her father.

Jimmy – Intrigue: Jimmy has many skeletons in his closet. Events haunt him including the one that he shares with Jill. He was present at the event that traumatized her years ago. He also wants to move up in the organization but at the same time, longs for a time when he can be free of it. However, he knows the chances of that are slim.

Jill – Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Jill extorts people for money. Steals cars. Surveilles people. Kills someone.

Jimmy – Moral issue: Jimmy hurts people that cross him. Extorts and bribes people, kills a person. He is involved in the skimming of casinos in Las Vegas.

Jill – Unpredictable: What will they do next? Jill surprisingly kills someone. It’s the first time she has taken a life, and it’s highly unexpected. She sleeps with her ex when prior to this she has made it clear that that is completely off the table.

Jimmy – Unpredictable: Jimmy attacks someone violently when having displayed the utmost decorum beforehand.

Jill – Empathetic: Why do we care? Jill and the women (who work hard for the men in the crew) resort to their gender specific duties. Jill sees the men making money, and we understand her wanting to make her own money and do well. We sympathize with her anxiety after she learns someone close to her is talking to the feds. We see Jill struggle with her dying mother and how that affects her. It’s alluded that her uncle has abused her sexually.

Jimmy – Empathetic: We sympathize with Jimmy when he has a sit down with Ernie Scalise. Ernie is completely unreasonable and out of control. Jimmy is reasonable, fair and of a much saner mind.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Leslie DuFresne.

[Phyllis Strong]

Lesson 3, Assignment 2: Phyllis’ Engaging Main Characters

I learned that finding the diamonds in the unpredictable behavior for my lead characters was the most difficult. I also learned that specificity is important.

Journey: Sasha goes from a by-the-book dismissed EPA investigative agent to a more risk-taking environmental activist with a special way of fighting climate change.

Characters that sell this show: Sasha and Duncan.

Role in the Show:

Sasha: 30-year old EPA criminal investigator who is dismissed as part of a settlement and wants to clear her name and resume her fight to save the environment.

Duncan: 50 year old black sheep of a family that controls a powerful oil conglomerate who believes climate change has spawned monsters that need to be slain to fight climate change.

Unique Purpose/Expertise:

Sasha: Expertise: investigative skills in the service of protecting the environment from criminal activity.

Purpose: to clear her name and be back in an official capacity fighting the roots of climate change.

Duncan: Expertise: multimillionaire with political and scientific connections and tech toys.

Purpose: to save the planet by slaying the monsters spawned by climate change.

Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Sasha: She is humoring her delusional boss, Duncan, and really wants the money he’s promised her so she can build an environmental foundation.

Duncan: he is convinced the monsters are real because he saw a water-based one sweep his daughter from him during a hurricane. He feels responsible for his daughter’s death.

Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

Sasha: She is lying to everyone she knows about what she’s doing for Duncan. She is manipulating her friends from the EPA, other government agencies (like the Bureau of Land Management) to track down these monsters.

Duncan: the end justifies the means, so lying, manipulation and bribery are all on the table.

Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Sasha: Sasha will try to guilt her ex-boyfriend into getting her a new job. She will lose her temper during interviews over the insinuation that she botched the investigation of the Duncan’s family’s oil conglomerate. She will board Duncan’s helicopter and go to see a crisis although she knows little about him.

Duncan: Duncan will do anything to get Sasha to work with him because she came closer to bringing down his sister and the company than anyone else.

Empathetic: Why do we care?

Sasha: she has been betrayed doing a job she loved. Her work is important.

Duncan: he has disavowed his background and is trying to make up for the sins of his family.

[Chantria Tram]

Engaging Characters.

Sample Show: The Handmaid’s Tale

Character that sells the show: June Osborne

A. Role in the show: June Osborne: A handmaid forced to be a concubine to the elite and barren couple, the Commander and his wife committed to surviving and remembering who she is.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: She is beginning to remember her life before the new order.

C. Intrigue: She remembers her name and who she is. She also knows there is an underground resistance, an “us” that exists that she needs to find.

D. Moral Issue: The new order requires her to obey orders and never recall or speak about her past before the new order. In order to survive, keep her mind whole and maybe even escape, she needs to remember and hand onto her memories of her life as June Osborne.

E. Unpredictable: The physical and psychological toll this existence has on June makes her unpredictable. She could lose her mind, patience, or control at any moment and react emotionally as she continues to remember her past and connection to her daughter.

F. Empathetic: She is a woman forced to become someone’s property for the sole purpose of procreating for them. All of her power and independence has been ripped away from her, as was her family.

[Ahnee Rikkel Broman]

RIKKI. GABBI. ARTHUR

What I learned in doing this assignment…

Is that it’s really hard to focus on or care about other characters because my favorite character is Serena and I am rooting for her already…AND for my own work, what I learned is that as I go through this writing process, ALOT will change, but for now I am just getting what I can on the paper…it is not perfect right now and THAT IS OKAY!!

As of now Serena seems to be the MC, everything is happening because of and around her sudden return. Her purpose is to put the past behind her in hopes that she can be seen differently.
Her past behavior gave her a reputation among those who know her best, and they are focusing on that, but we as the audience get to see her heart for her brother and her shame.
I’d say her having to accept and sit in the shame from what she did and having to keep it a secret in her small circle where they are holding it over her like a whipping device.
Well, she seems to be interested in Dan, but with the secret out, I am wondering if she will resort back to her old ways and see Nate again?

***JOURNEY OF MY SHOW***

Rikki struggles with her identity most of her life and takes the audience on her journey of self discovery through the juvenile and adult judicial system, strip clubs, hospitals, once even a mental hospital where she has to stay for 6 days to be evaluated after an arrest, failed marriages, mothering children, homelessness, alcoholism…a true story of God’s love, protection and faithfulness and a woman’s strength, resilience and redemption.

Main Characters: Rikki, Gabbi and Arthur (Names subject to change) 3 siblings that were conceived by parents who met while being patients at The Camarillo rehabilitation Center for drug and alcohol problems in the early 70’s. But because it is a true story, each season will introduce key characters who played a major role in MC Rikki’s life that shaped her…whether they were good, bad or ugly. If not for the grace of God, the devils plan to kill, steal and destroy her life would of prevailed.

ROLE IN THE SHOW:

Rikki: MC who audience will go on the journey with.

Gabbi: She is Rikki’s older sister by 2 years who takes over the mom role when Rikki is just 3 years old.

Arthur: Rikki’s little brother by 15 months, who was one and a half when they were given to their father and moved from West Los Angeles to Woodstock, New York.

UNIQUE PURPOSE/EXPERTISE:

Rikki: She went from a sweet happy toddler to a shrinking violet in one year…like a chameleon she learned to take on many forms of herself for survival. Her purpose is to find herself underneath all the masks, costumes and identities she puts on.

Gabbi: Took on the mother role at 5 years old which gave her internal compass security in her and her alone. Her purpose is to let go of the reigns and trust that not everyone is out to get her.

Arthur: Baby brother who relies on his big sisters for love, belonging and acceptance. His purpose is to become his own self apart from his sisters always there to catch him.

INTRIGUE: WHAT IS THE SECRET BENETH THE SURFACE?

Rikki: Wants to be loved so bad but is treated badly by those closest to her so she ends up timid, insecure and voiceless…until backed in a corner, then you see the rage she had hidden deep within that even surprises her at times.

Gabbi: This girl was raised to fend for herself, she goes from playing with Cabbage Patch Kids to caring for her very own children. She is abused at home and becomes quick to fight in the streets. She gives up on herself and starts to fight for those around her. Putting herself last and hardening her heart in the process.

MORAL ISSUE: WHAT MORAL BOUNDARIES ARE THEY CROSSING?

Rikki: She continually puts others feelings and needs above her own, which in turn makes her feel unheard, unloved and worthless, sad and angry.

Gabbi: She is her own boss and no one can tell her what to do, and no ones advice or opinions matter but hers…

Arthur: Because no one sticks around long enough to love him well, he continues to gain acceptance from his sisters, not knowing they are just as lost as he is…they keep signing off on his bullshit, so he thinks he will beokay.

UNPREDICTABLE: WHAT WILL THEY DO NEXT?

Rikki: She will make bad choices that will lead her down years of trials and traumas, hurting those that get in her way.

Gabbi: She will mother 3 children by the time she is 20 and do whatever it takes to provide for them, whether that involves breaking the law or selling her soul in the process…no one will tell her what she can or can’t do.

Arthur: He will rebel around age 11 and be in the juvenile system by the age of 12 because at that point he does not care anymore and the abuse he has endured by those around him have made him a disrespectful and angry kid.

EMPATHETHIC: WHY DO WE CARE?

Rikki: You care because you have watched her go from a sweet innocent child with her whole life ahead of her into an insecure young gal who has been hurt and betrayed by those she gave her heart to and those closest to her…but she never loses hope in herself.

Gabbi: You care for the same reason, you have watched this sweet girls journey and how her Homelife made her hardened from within, and all you want is for her to get a freaking break. You want someone to come rescue her, to love her and to tell her everything is going to be okay.

Arthur: You care for the same reasons as his big sisters, but also because he got thee abuse the worst, you hear his cries and his screams as his father abuses him both physically and verbally, you watch as his innocence get stolen as his spirit is crushed time and time again.

[Chantria Tram]

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Now, do the process with your show.

What I learned from this assignment is that the characters, story and world of this story is becoming clearer, showing itself in surprising ways if I don’t overthink and just dive in.

1. Tell us the journey of your show.

After witnessing the murder of his mentor, Dekhune Serey steps outside the only walls he’s known with the promise to uncover the truth of what happened that night.

2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?

Dekhune Serey and Sovannah

3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.

A. Role in the show:

Dekhune Serey: (28) Male. Southeast Asian, found refuge at the age of ten in a small Canadian town when he was sponsored and adopted by a Buddhist temple. His strong Buddhsit beliefs and optimistic view of the world comes into question when he witnesses the murder of his mentor. He goes on a quest to find out why and unexpectedly partners up with Sovannah.

Sovannah: (35) Nonbinary. Has grown up coming to the temple with their family. This is her community and she will fend it till the end. Intelligent, sometimes sarcastic, and always observant, she’s always had an inkling there was something more underneath the surface of her community temple. They’re the black sheep in her community as seen by her tattoos and short haircut.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

Dekhune Serey: He is our moral compass and guide. He is very trained in mindfulness and Buddhist studies.

Sovannah: She has been investigating her community temple for about six months and holds a piece of the puzzle about what happened to the Head Monk.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Dekhune Serey: He is curious what it would be like to not be a monk. Curious about life outside temple walls and all those his strong beliefs forbids him to engage with.

Sovannah: She is LGBTQ+ and has not come out to anyone in her community.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

Dekhune Serey: He needs to go against Buddhist monk rules in order to complete his journey.

Sovannah: She conspires with a monk and puts him in morally compromising situations.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Dekhune Serey: Crossing into new territory of crime and temptations.

Sovannah: Her temper makes her unpredictable.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

Dekhune Serey: He’s an innocent and has witnessed his mentor murdered at his residing temple.

Sovannah: She’s an outcast from her community, though she still visits the temple because it’s the only place that makes her calm.

[Carl Maronich]

Carl Maronich: Engaging Main Characters

Assignment 1: Sample Show is “The Americans”

Character: Elizabeth Jennings

Role in the Show: Protagonist. KGB agent planted in America to spy for Russia.

Unique Purpose/Expertise: She is highly trained elite spy sent to the U.S. to spy for America’s biggest adversary.

Intrigue: She lives a double life. On the surface, she is a regular American wife and working mother, when in fact she is a spy for Russia who has been planted in the U.S. for the express purpose to establish a “normal” identity while carrying out espionage for the USSR. Even her children do not know her true identity and the double life she and their father are living. Also in this episode we, and her husband, learn she has been having an affair with another KGB operative.

Moral Issue: We do see the struggle she has with continuing to lie to her children and the concern about what will happen to them if they are discovered. While her marriage was arranged, she is also showing signs of remorse for the affair with the fellow agent. However, she is very committed to the mission and shows little moral distress about her espionage activity.

Unpredictable: The revelation about the affair was not something that most would have predicted. While the fact that she and Philip were arranged as a couple and their marriage was intended to serve as a cover does make the affair somewhat understandable, but at the same time, her dedication to the mission makes the distraction of her relationship with Gregory surprising.

Empathetic: Although she is an enemy of the state, we have empathy for Elizabeth for a couple reasons. We see her love and concern for her children and we understand how the circumstance of the arranged marriage could lead to a lonely feeling and open the door for a more passionate relationship. In episode #2 we also learned she has been raped by a KGB official which adds to our empathy for her.

Assignment 2: “Paris, Illinois”

Chicago, 1925. Mobster Benny Jameson wants to go straight. A gifted painter since he was a boy, he wants to live the life of the artist. However, he has seen too much to be allowed to just walk away. He knows he needs to overthrow his boss and mentor Mickey “The Mackerel” O’Connor if he’s ever to escape the life. Benny sets up a meeting well outside the city with those who can help him. But before Benny can trade his pistol for a paint brush there will come a day of reckoning in Paris, Illinois.

Benny Jameson:

A. Protagonist. Wants to be out of the Mob life.

B. A level-headed mobster, Benny serves as the right hand of Mob boss Mickey O’Connor and has the ability to get things done despite working for a man who is growing more and more reckless. Benny sees that Mickey’s increasing recklessness will get them all killed.

C. Born Benito Jimenez, Benny realized early that being Mexican in 1915 Chicago greatly limited his future. Able to speak English well, Benny was able to pass as what some called “Dark Irish” and he changed his name to Benny Jameson. He keeps his painting from his Mob brothers mainly because he knows that would not be respected, but keeping his Mexican heritage is a matter of survival. The fact he has kept that secret for so long would be seen as major disloyalty and something that would not be forgiven and would earn Benny a pair of pantuflas de cemento, cement slippers. Benny also secretly harbors guilt over the death of his younger brother. As children they were playing in the train yard and what Benny intended as a childhood prank turned tragic, killing his little brother.

D. Benny wrestles with the morality of the life he has lived. While less ruthless than many of his counterparts, his line of work forces him into situations where he needs to inflict violence on people. Most deserve what happens to them, but is also the occasional collateral damage to innocent bystanders. Even the killing of his mentor and the man who in many way has been like a father to him, causes Benny moral angst, despite the many horrible things Mickey has done.

E. Benny is a rather steady character. However, early in the show, we see him act out of character when a Mexican boxer is insulted. This also acts as a bit of foreshadowing about the secret Benny has been keeping about his ethnicity. I need to created more unpredictability around Benny.

F. We develop empathy for Benny as we see his interest in art and the beauty of the world despite the ugly business he finds himself in. There is more empathy as we learn of Benny upbringing and the tragedy of his youth.

Mickey “The Mackerel” O’Connor:

A. Antagonist. Reckless Mob boss with a fanatic’s sense of loyalty.

B. While a successful underworld businessman, his increasing delusions about his own power risk undermining all he has built, putting all aligned with him at risk as well.

C. When he was a boy, Mickey’s father took the family to try and strike it rich in the San Rafael gold and silver mines in northern Mexico. There, Mickey’s father was gunned down and one of his sister’s raped by Mexican banditos. That incident fueled his inner anger and racist views.

D. Mickey has little problem crossing moral boundaries. I do need to find some moral issue that is a surprising contradiction to what we know of him.

E. His erratic violent behavior becomes less unpredictable. As with his moral boundaries, I need to find a moment of compassion which now seems like an unpredictable moment in face of his growing reckless, dangerous violent behavior.

F. Empathy may come from the story of his youth and the tragic events that took his father. I will also need to show that prior to these events, he was a sweet kid with perhaps some musical talent that was squashed by the horrific incident. The banditos took or smashed the violin he loved dearly and with which he was showing great promise.

[Marie Jordan]

Assignment 1 lesson 3

TITLE: INVENTING ANA

A. Role in the show:

Ana Delvey/Sorokin: scam artist who wants to be famous, trying to create a luxury Art exhibition place for the very rich people but now under investigation and in jail for stealing money from the biggest banks and hotels in NY.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

Smart business woman who is able to gain the trust of the highest people in society.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

She changes personality and style for each of her victims.

Who is she? Who is the real Ana?

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

Being self-made, she assumes the right to be dishonest because she has no other choice. She has no moral boundaries (living of Chase’s income, hosted by the lonely Nora, over staying on Talia’s friends yacht, disrespectful of Val’s show preparation) as her purpose is to prove to the world that she can do it because she is brillant.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Unexpected acceptation of the media interview with Vivian

Unexpected decision to go on trial and to not take the bail.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

We care for her because we feel she’s lost and she is an excellent actress.

She is a manipulator as much for the audience than for the people who loved her until they discovered she was fake.

[Marie Jordan]

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Marie’s Engaging Main Characters

1. Tell us the journey of your show.

What if Violence was seen as a total failure in humanity?

2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?

Merrill, Charlie and Aubrey.

3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.

Merrill

A. Role in the show

Merrill is a violent 10 year old girl, a thief who uses her tiny body to break into private homes to rob for a gang. She is also a very gifted pickpocket.

B. Unique

Purpose

she didn’t want to die before she was about to start tracing her real mum (she had never met).

Expertise:

– has very agile fingers and can memorize spaces in her head as if she had taken a photo. She is very flexible and can run extremely fast. (years of being a thief)

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

She doesn’t want the student angels to know she was a thief.

D. Moral Issue:

She believes that stealing is « right » when someone has something they don’t even use or have so much money and good insurance so it doesn’t matter !

What moral boundaries are they crossing?

She will steal something from the very respected head archangel, the owner of the school of angels, in order to leave the worlds of angels and go back on earth.

E -Unpredictable: What will they do next?

After trying everything to return on earth permanently, she will choose to stay an angel to help the people who struggle on earth.

F – Empathetic: Why do we care?

Because we feel for her, for all the big decisions she must make to become a better person. She is only 10 and she cares for her little sister and she cares for her real mum.

[Anne James]

Anne James
Lesson 3: Engaging Characters

What I learned doing this assignment: I love fleshing out these characters. I’m really enjoying creating the layers of each one and their human foibles, that are timeless. I love how they start to come into focus. Though I’ve specifically avoided getting tangled in what time period of Rome do I want to set this in. That has tended to feel overwhelming. But I am feeling like I need to get over that and do some more historical digging. Their identities are going to need some time period specific details.

Assignment 1: The Young Pope
Role in Show: Sister Mary – Confidant and liaison for Lenny, the Pope.
Unique Purpose/Expertise: She has known Lenny for most of his life. Knows all of his secrets, his demons, his successes. Is a trusted ally. He brought her into this Vatican world. She is decent, kind and funny but also shrewd and ferociously loyal. And he knows this.
Intrigue: She knows Lenny. Nothing he’s doing is any huge surprise to her. But it is to everyone around them. He listens to her. But he can also silence her. Which is a new dynamic for them. Their status between each other is now different.
Moral issue: Trying to keep Lenny from going too far off from what is expected from the job. She also knows his secrets. When to bring those forward vs. when to keep silent.
Unpredictable: Her “virgin” t-shirt and flowing long hair. The different ways she handles Lenny vs Dussolier. Her basketball. There is a skittishness and timidness to her. But she is also steely and ferociously loyal.
Empathetic: She is a large spirit confined by a small life. Love the line, “I’m in a city state of lost souls who have never really lived.” She’s right at home with them.

Assignment 2:

The journey of my show:

Comprised of six women, the Vestal Virgins of Ancient Rome serve as demure, chaste Mothers of Rome and the maternal confidants to all of Rome’s emperors, political and military leaders. Protectors of the city, the priestesses’ virginity combined with their mystical gifts, blessings and wisdom ensure Rome’s advantage in all aspects of life. These six women enjoy a unique and prestigious position in society. It’s what puts them seated on the dais next to the emperor vs perched in the upper tier of the Colosseum with all of the other Roman women.

The surprise death of the senior Vestal, Livia, a beloved and highly prized “blessing”, sends the House of Vesta into chaos and damage control. The timing of her death, reportedly for chastity violations, jeopardizes the success of several existing military campaigns and precious crops. Most importantly, it rocks the Vestals’ credibility amongst Roman leadership. Nerilla, next in line, is promoted to the role of Head Priestess. Devastated by Livia’s death and racked with doubts about her own stamina for this disciplined life, she must become the new face of the Vestals. Privately, the culture within the walls of the House of Vesta is divided and volatile. But publicly, the women must present a calming, graceful united body to restore public and political confidence. If they fail, all of the Vesta’s could be killed and replaced. With cunning and newfound political savvy, Nerilla uses her status, access and mystic powers to take the Vestals from demure mascots on the sidelines to shrewd, impactful players within the Roman leadership.

The main characters that will sell my show:

Nerilla – Oldest Vestal and the New Head Priestess

Aelina – Vestal. 2nd in line. Represents old way of doing things. Passed over for Head Priestess.

Silvius – Pontifex Maximus, the chief priest who presides over the House of Vesta.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

NERILLA

Role in the show: The Hero. The new Head Priestess.

Unique Purpose/Expertise: The oldest of the current Vestals. She must head and restore public faith in an institution that she doesn’t believe in and unite a divided House of Vesta.

Intrigue: Uses the benign mask of Mother Protector to revenge Livia’s death and for the first time, work the channels of political access rather than just quietly observe them. No longer a passive prop exploited for Rome’s success.

Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Struggles with vow of chastity but it’s the entire foundation of the Vestals. How far can she push the currency of her own sexuality and still maintain her vow and position of influence?

Unpredictable: What will they do next? Devastated by Livia’s death, Nerilla goes to her grave late at night, only one day after she’s been buried. Janus accompanies her. She can hear Livia’s voice. She starts digging, trying to save her. Janus urges her to stop. Saving Livia will mean death for them both and total destruction of the Vestals. She stops. She walks away, to the muffled sounds of Livia’s cries.

Empathetic: Why do we care? We feel for her – Nerilla has lost her dear Livia. Her death was swift. Nerilla was powerless to save her. Livia was her confidant, the only one who knew Nerilla had doubts about her life as a Vestal. She could have saved her but she walked away from Livia. The burden of this choice haunts her.

AELINA

Role in the show: Vestal. 2nd in line.

Unique purpose/Expertise: She’s a “by the book”/old school Vestal who has been passed over for Head Priestess. She believes she has special powers and a connection to the gods. She recently presided over the blessing of troops heading into an important battle. They went on to resoundingly conquer their opponents. This gives her standing and impact and she knows it.

Intrigue: Why was she passed over? Her secret — she’s not a virgin. Only Silvanus knows this. But at this moment, Rome is depending on her blessings for victory in a series of upcoming battles. She challenges Nerilla for access and power to Rome’s upper political tier.

Moral issue: The embodiment of demure chastity is her brand, which she peddles fervently, even though she’s not a virgin.

Unpredictable: Who took her virginity? Was it consensual? Is this someone she’s in love with? How long has this relationship been going? Is it someone she still sees? Is there a child?

Empathetic: She will die if the secret gets out that she’s not a virgin.

SILVIUS

Role in the show: Pontifex Maximus, chief priest who presides over the House of Vesta.

Unique purpose/Expertise: Pontifex Maximus is considered a “Siberia” position. No one wants this post. Silvius is a middling politician looking for a foothold. He enjoys the societal access his job affords, but he lacks political savvy and is unprepared for the mayhem Livia’s death unleashes.

Intrigue: The right side of his face is deformed. He was assigned Pontifex Maximus because he is considered not to be a temptation for the women.

Moral issue: He longs for a wife and a normal life, away from the confines of the House of Vesta. Is surrounded by women but can’t have any of them. Or can he?

Unpredictable: The scandal of Livia’s death thrusts him into the viper’s den of Roman politics. Does he know who got to Livia and took her virginity? That occurred on his watch.

Empathetic: Silvius is that middle aged man towards the end of his career. Lonely, restless, unfulfilled. He craves more. But he’s trapped in this job.

[Marie Jordan]

Marie’s Engaging Main Characters (3 more main characters)

What I learned by doing this exercise is that it’s a good way to lay out their stories and it made me swap the leading role to another one of my main characters. Instead of being Merryl, it will be Skyler.

Charlie

A. Role in the show

Charlie is a 7 year old girl, a thief who uses her tiny body to break into private homes to rob for a gang. She is also a very gifted pickpocket. It’s difficult for her to lie about her past. Unlike her sister, she says out loud every thing that crosses her thoughts and can be really embarrassing. She is naïve and fragile and needs her big sister’s protection.

B. Unique

Purpose

She wants to be a perfect angel but she is not very bright.

Expertise:

– has very agile fingers.. She is very flexible and can run extremely fast. (grew up trained to be a thief)

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

She doesn’t want the students at the school of angelry to know she was a thief.

D. Moral Issue:

She was told to believe that stealing was « right » when someone had something they didn’t even use or had so much money and good insurance so it didn’t matter !

What moral boundaries are they crossing?

She is forced to Help her big sister stealing things..

E -Unpredictable: What will they do next?

She will steal something on her own to protect her sister.

She will confess she was a thief.

F – Empathetic: Why do we care?

Because we know she has been trained to be a thief and cannot help do things that are not right but she is actually a good child and she is going to change.

SKYLER

A. Role in the show

A 10 year old boy, loving, who has drowned and woke up in the angel world but he wants to go back on earth for real, he wants to be alive again. He doesn’t accept the idea that it’s all over.

B. Unique

Purpose

Gather lots of information in order to find the way to return to earth for real (not only as an invisible protective angel).

Expertise:

He should have become an IT engineer. He is good at fixing, making things.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

He had witnessed a crime and had recognized the murderer but when he comes back on earth as an angel, he discovers he was wrong. The murderer is actually a smart serial killer who continue to kill and he has to be stopped.

D. Moral Issue:

He uses Aubrey who has an excellent memory to research how to escape without telling her what his objective is.

E -Unpredictable: What will they do next?

When finally, he has the serial killer caught, he decides to stay on earth because he is in love, aware that he will never return to the angel world.

F – Empathetic: Why do we care?

We care because his objective is good (repairing a mistake to save the life of an innocent and have the right killer in jail)

AUBREY

A. Role in the show

A 10 year old girl, with an incredible memory and a thirst for knowledge who died of cancer. She wants to become a top student but she has to help her friends in their attempts of escaping the angel world although she disagrees.

B. Unique

Purpose

To be the best angel of the school.

Expertise:

She has an extraordinary memory.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

She discovers while at school with the angels that she has an

ability to see through people, to see their deep

personality and their issues but she doesn’t master it and

doesn’t want people to know.

D. Moral Issue:

She has always the dilemma to say aloud or to keep the secret

of what she discovers about others.

E -Unpredictable: What will they do next?

She will fail an exam in order to support her friends.

F – Empathetic: Why do we care?

We care because she died of cancer and she is a hard worker

and she is so supportive of her 3 friends.

[Mary Andrews]

MARY J. ANDREWS Assignment 1: ENGAGING MAIN CHARACTERS of The 100
“What I learned doing this assignment is how easy it is to show not tell with fully formed characters.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Tell journey of the show.

In episode 4: on the Ark

Dr Abigail sees Clarke’s bracelet go black and is rushed to get results from the planet. She gets parts for Raven’s drop ship to be quickly finished but is captured and locked up for the night. Raven launches without her. Next day, Kane gets his plan to cull 320 citizens in section 17 in 12 hours.

On the planet,

Wells’ body is found and bully-boy Murphy is charged with his murder on circumstantial evidence. Mob wants him hung and Bellamy tries to give them what they want, but Clarke resists and Charlotte, a child confesses she did it.

Now Murphy rallies the crowd to hang her and Finn and Clarke manage to help her escape. They hide out at the bunker and fall asleep. Charlotte escapes. Mob hunts her and Murphy threatens to hurt Clarke if she doesn’t give up. Charlotte throws herself off a cliff instead.

Also, the nerds try to use Clarke’s bracelet to open communications with the Ark, but fry the system by mistake. Finn & Clarke sleep together at the bunker.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Who are the main characters that will sell the show, and what are their roles?

(ON THE ARK)
D R. A B I G A I L
Role: (Clarke’s mother) protagonist Female Lead on the Ark lead protagonist
Expertise: Medical skills, Council Member, Common Sense, wants to make things right for everyone.
Secret Intrigue: year ago, she is the one who turned her husband in and didn’t tell Clarke

Moral Issues: she lies, break rules and oversteps boundaries for the greater good.
Unpredictability: exchanges morphine for a pressure regulator for Raven to finish drop ship so they can go down to Earth and check on the 100, covers for Raven to launch and is imprisoned for the night
Empathy her common sense and positive attitude against everyone’s fatalistic behavior makes audience want to cheer her on, and worry about her fate.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

K A N E—Role: Male antagonist on the Ark next in line to be chancellor
Expertise: cunning and ready to do whatever he can to keep the human race alive.
Secret Intrigue: He wants to cull the citizens numbers to save the others. His plan is to shut off the oxygen to a section of the ship after sending in a sleeping gas and then to claim it an accident of machine failure. Does not trust the people not to riot if they knew.
Moral Issues: to blatantly kill individuals even in mass to save humanity.
Unpredictability: this is not out of malice, but for the future of the human race. He steps aside when he is proven wrong

Empathy: His plots keep the audience worried about characters and the future. Who will survive?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

(PLANETSIDE)

C L A R K E—Role: Female lead protagonist on planet. (Dr Abigail’s daughter)

Expertise: medical skills and co-leader for setting group laws. Is knowledgeable in many fields

Secret Intrigue she manipulates Bellamy with her “suggestions” all the time to direct his actions and control the crowd.

Moral Issues though primarily a healer, she mercy kills Atom when he asks Bellamy to do so.

Unpredictability: killing Atom, Leaving Jasper at the camp instead of sending Wells and Finn when Bellamy said he would put him down to ease the tension his cries of pain were causing the group.

Empathy: She is trying to look out for everyone and is grossly outnumbered When she causes Bellamy to tell the others that Wills was killed, they rally for blood and assume Murphy is killer, proving Bellamy was right not to let them know everything. This gets Murphy hung, though he survived, and causes Charlotte’s (a child) to throw herself off a cliff. Proving total honesty really was more dangerous.

She establishes that laws are needed and that she and Bellamy will co rule on these. Then she convinces the crowd to banish Murphy instead of killing him.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

B E L L A M Y—Role: Male leader of the 100 planetside…also antagonist

Expertise: co-leader in making big laws with Clarke but is Leader of the encampment

Secret Intrigue He has a gun and wears guard’s uniform and has shot the Chancellor to be able to board the drop ship with the others.

Moral Issues he thinks he killed the chancellor, and allowed Clarke to mercy kill Atom after the killer acid storm. He is willing to let the people on the Ark perish so he won’t be caught and tries to get rid of the radio before Raven wakes up. (doesn’t try to help her either).

Unpredictability: He could not mercy kill Atom, but yields to the will of the majority to try to hang Murphy and gives Clarke til morning before he will put Jasper down to calm the masses.

Empathy: He is not a bad person and is willing to do hard things if he has to, but he is unable to undo anything and must keep moving forward.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

F I N N—Role: romantic lead male
Expertise: provides counsel to Clarke…is understanding and even tempered
Secret: Raven is his girlfriend
Moral issues: sleeps with Clarke anyway
Unpredictable: he continues to wear his tracker bracelet so Raven will know he’s alive
Empathetic: he’s pretty and good for Clarke

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

[Mary Andrews]

DAY 3 Assignment 2:

Mary J. Andrews, Engaging Main Characters of The Fireborn Chronicles
What I learned doing this assignment is that there is still more to learn about my characters.

1. Tell us the journey of your show:
A special Universal Government Dark Ops team in search of paranormal terrorist group, are sent to retrieve and return a Government Ambassador who has been mind-jacked by them on Pleasure Planet Tanivol.

Once there, the operatives discover the ambassador’s attacker is a blind slave girl with dangerous abilities who is being coerced to mind-jack the team’s commander as well. The team manages to capture her and carry her off aboard their ship, but she retains control of their captain.

They decide to take control of her to free their captain and then enlist her abilities to use against the slavers working for paranormal terrorist ring who controlled her before.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?

R A E L P O I N T E Role: (middle aged) Leader of the Dark Ops team and Captain of Nemesis

Unique Expertise: Only person to have ever escaped the Hive Penal Planet (as a newborn), though he had already been implanted with the temple plates which allow him access to any intergalactic web/tech link anywhere. He is able to compu-link at a thought.

Intrigue: he longs for a shot at the Hive and wants to learn of his origin. Also, is not capable of extreme emotion for very long time,

Moral Issues: he has feared being enslave by the Hive since childhood. So slavery in particular is unacceptable, but becomes necessary.

Predictability: He accepts Ira’s judgement of Tristen over Laynald’s when caution would have been more practical. And takes chances using her to get information from the Universal Government Ambassador. He is frequently unpredictable

Empathetic: more machine than man, he is often both victim and savior

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I R A H A Z E: Role: (early20s) youngest member of the team

Unique Expertise: psionic Seeker, Wall Master, Rogue talent, Empath

Intrigue: Even among his team mates, he must never lose control and it angers him to be harassed, even jokingly. He gives his all only to be treated as a child. He prefers solitude to the being among other because they retain the right to broadcast their feelings freely with no consideration of his presence. He is restricted, they are not. It’s all on him.

Moral Issues: Raised as a slave of his world’s government and forced to rewrite citizens for their needs, he now does the same to Tristen for Rael. He does not like it.

Predictability: He pulls his weight on assignments but not always in conventional ways (he punches Rael in the jaw to break Tristen’s spell over him and is unapologetic about it. (Tristen is rendered unconscious, and captured, too.)

Empathetic: seems to be a super powerful underdog, and cute, too.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

L A Y N A L D L O C K H E I M: Role: (mid 60’s) Runs support for his shipmates handles security

Unique Expertise: he is hyper-vigilant at all times, a healer and master of plants, an excellent marksman, a skilled tactician

Intrigue: He hides a deep guilt at having failed his King and not prevented the overthrow of the Crown on his world.

Moral Issues: None. Does what needs to be done, especially when the others can’t. To him, the end justifies the means and he’s experienced the result of complacency.

Predictability: He is always armed and always ready.

Empathetic: occasionally, he slips up and does something nice
………………………………………………………………………………………………..

T R I S T E N: (20s) Role: female lead, romantic interest for Ira, Powerful ally?

Unique Expertise: She is blind, but sees and hears telepathically, she can control and enslave minds from any distance. She is a link to the Oracle Triad from her world (where ever that is)

Intrigue: though she appears compliant to a fault, she is merely waiting for something to trigger her to action so that she can do whatever the Oracles have fore-seen that only she can do to save her planet from an asteroid

Moral Issues: as a Chosen One, the pages of her life have already been written. She is meant to do everything told until the time arrives, so morality is not a problem for her.

Predictability: She appears to have embraced Ira’s rewritten script to the extreme

Empathetic: she has been used and abused and now Ira is seeking to save her.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

[Michelle Farias]

Michelle Farias’ Engaging Main Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is that I need to create layered, engaging, complex characters who will sell the show. Otherwise why tune in?

A Pro on a mission in a bigger world

Dr. Amy Kupp is out to once and for all prove which dynamic creates a serial killer: Is it nature or nurture?

Amy begins the season as a hyper successful forensic psychiatrist who is the top in her field of research on serial killers, but by the end of season one, she questions everything about her work and her sanity when her own DNA ties her to the very crime she is working on solving.

2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?

Dr. Amy Kupp – A forensic psychiatrist at the top of her gain who helps law enforcement and FBI track down serial killers.

Annie Black – A brilliant serial killer who is always many moves ahead of her foes, she uses and abuses men (and woman) just for fun and doesn’t fit the mold of a serial killer.

3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.

A. Role in the show:

DR. Amy Kupp – Serial Killer Tracker extraordinaire. She’s out to solve the long debated nature vs nurture question in human psychology.

Annie Black – Serial Killer extraordinaire – uses and kills men and women at will

With seemingly no rhyme or reason.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

Amy – Expertise – Super ability to get in the mind of a serial killer and “see” their secrets. Purpose – To solve the debate of nature vs nurture while tracking and studying serial killers.

Annie – expertise – to charm manipulate and kill. Purpose – Survival and revenge on the world.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Amy – Will seduce sociopaths and psychopaths to learn their secrets. Also struggles with her own mental health and self-medicates to hide it from all.

Annie- Is a serial killer but wasn’t born that way. She was severely abused and cut off emotionally to survive. Her anger is all that she can feel.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

Amy – Intimacy with killers yet rebuffs her husbands advances. Self medicates to control her own mental health issues.

Annie – manipulation, extortion, abuse, and killing.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Amy – a top psychiatrist who self-medicates, has panic attacks, uses people to get what she wants

Annie – Loves one person (her girlfriend – Jude), is tender with animals, hates people indiscriminately

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

Amy – She loves her daughter and teaches her to be empathetic and resilient. Amy is a woman in a man’s world who overcomes a lot of crap. She wants to do something good for humanity by locking up serial killers and figuring out why they kill to begin with to figure out how to prevent it.

Annie – We see her back story of severe abuse, her vulnerability as a wounded person, her love for her girlfriend, and tenderness toward animals. We don’t blame her for being angry and wanting revenge.

[Joaquin Gray]

Lesson 3: Assignment 1

SHOW: LOST

A. Role in the show:

In my observation Kates character is satisfying the role of the Antagonist, meaning she is the bad girl. I say this from a typical traditional way of thinking.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

She is a fugitive; we see her hand cuffed sitting next to a US Marshall on the plane.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

She has walked 100Km across the Australian continent to a particular farm. What made her pick that farm? The bounty over her head of Twenty-three thousand suggest she has done something extreme. Also, the US Marshall has tracked her internationally. Her crime must be big.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

Although, while being chased, she causes a car accident, putting her own life in danger to avoid being captured by the Marshall, she saves the driver.

She suggests murdering the Marshall, obviously so she won’t have to face the punishment of what she is accused of.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

I really have no idea what Kate is going to do next. She might flip out on the guy that shot the Marshall. Will she be sad by his death? Is she going to have break down because she is stuck on the island?

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

I think we care about Kate because we saw her compassionated side. She wanted the Farmer to receive the reward for turning her in. She walked out of the tent sad. She also makes an attempt to tell Jack what she has done, but he stops her. There is a soft heart somewhere in her.

[David Thome]

<div>Dave’s Engaging Main Characters for Blank Slate</div><div>

</div><div>

What I learned doing this assignment is…

As I “discover” more about the main character, important things about him change. This time, he went from being a physics professor to a college public relations writer.

</div><div>

What is the journey?

· A college professor who finds himself being transported to different universes wants to get back to his normal life.

The characters who will sell this show are:

Joshua Blank and Salva Seguir

Answer these questions for each of those characters:

Role in the show:

Joshua is a college public relations writer who was present for an experiment that went awry and destroyed his life.

Salva Sequir, a particle scientist who was also present for the experiment.

Unique Purpose/Expertise:

Joshua—Expertise: A longtime journalist who knows how to uncover facts and get people to talk.

Joshua—Purpose: To get back to the world and loving family he used to take for granted—and receive credit for making a major scientific breakthrough.

Salva—Expertise: Knowledge of physics.

Salva—Purpose: She’s having the same universe shifts as Joshua and wants to get back to the life and loving family that she did not take for granted.

The two agents—Purpose: To look out for their countries’ (or their benefactors’) interests.

Intrigue: What secrets lurk beneath the surface?

Joshua was having an affair with a coworker at the college. He also hates the job because he doesn’t consider it “real” journalism.

Salva—She feared that the experiment wouldn’t go well, but didn’t say anything because she thought it would advance her career if it went as planned.

The two agents: Can’t be trusted. Sometimes they seem to be good guys, sometimes bad guys. Sometimes they seem to be helping Joshua and Salva, which at others, they seem to have other agendas.

Moral Issue: What moral boundaries do they cross?

Joshua is worried that his affair will be exposed and hurt his wife and family.

Salva wants to be credited with making a major discovery and is willing to hide things from Joshua if she thinks doing so is necessary to get her that and get her back to “real life.”

Unpredictability: What will they do next?

Joshua is a pacifist and doesn’t want to kill anyone in any universe, but when he’s in danger, he has to muster the courage to do what needs to be done.

Salva knows way more than she lets on at first, but when she needs to come through for Joshua, she does.

Empathy: Why do we care?

Joshua feels deep guilt when he has to decide whether some characters should live or die. He is truly remorseful about the affair. He’s always stuck in situations in which he has to fake his way through the day. He’s being chased by shadowy secret agents who may be assassins or helpers.

Salva has been robbed of credit for past work and deserved to be recognized for what she’s discovered with The Experiment. However, she feels she can’t even tall Joshua about it, so she’s tortured. She’s also very happy and makes her family happy in the “real” world—and she’s worried about what might be happening in the “real” universe.

</div>

[MARK Lederkramer]

Mark Lederkramer

Module 1 Lesson 3 Assignment 1

My Binge Worthy TV show is Mr. Robot.

What I learned:

I felt that I knew this show as I used to watch it. I saw so many different layers of the story. The characters are so distinct and yet I know that there is so much more I want to know about them. I also saw how leaving what seems like a cliff hanger every episode is so important

Outline

1) Introduced to main character Elliot. We find out that he is an introverted vigilante hacker as he rats out a child pornographer

2) We see Elliot on subway going to work where he sees Mr. Robot for the first time. He is very paranoid and feels that he is being followed all the time. Elliot works for a computer security firm called All Safe. We meet an important character, Angela, who is his one real friend since childhood and Gideon his boss.

3) Elliot meets with his court ordered psychologist, Krista. We find out that Elliot is totally anti-establishment. He refers to the biggest conglomerate, E Corp as Evil Corp. He also really cares a lot about Krista

4) E Corp introduced into story. In the conference room we meet CEO, Terry Colby and a mysterious executive, Tyrel Wellick, who seems very interested in Elliot.

5) See Elliot in his apartment sitting in the corner crying hysterically. He then crushes up and snorts morphine. His dealer, Shayla, comes in and they take moly and end up fucking.

6) Elliot follows Krista and her date Michael. He sees men in black watching him and then he sees Mr. Robot the guy from the subway for a second time. Elliot follows Michael and asks to use his phone to call his mom. This allows Elliot to clone Michaels phone

7) Elliot gets call from Angela. She is panicking because there has been a massive hack of E Corps computer system. She knows that Elliot is the only person that can fix this situation.

8) Elliot and Gideon fly on a private jet to Texas, where there is a server farm. Eliot fixes the problem but he has been left a secret message from the hacker called F Society. The request is for Elliot to leave the backdoor that has been established active. Elliot decides to leave the backdoor available but makes sure it can only be accessed by him.

9) Mr. Robot takes Elliot to an abandoned arcade in Coney Island. This is the headquarters of F-Society. There are a few new characters (young hackers) but there is no info about them. Mr. Robot tells Elliot that he needs to help F-Society frame the hack of E Corp on its CEO Terry Colby

10) Elliot takes subway from Coney Island wondering the whole time if Mr. Robot and F-Society are real or a figment of his imagination

11) Elliot goes back to F-Society HQ and we are introduced to female hacker, Darlene. Mr. Robot takes Elliot on the Wonder Wheel Ferris wheel and while stopped at the top he pitches Elliot the big plan to hack E Corp with Elliot’s help. He says Elliot is the key to their success that he has to put the incriminating evidence into the hands of E Corp. The goal is still to bring down Evil Corp, starting with CEO Terry Colby by wiping out all the debt in the world especially all Student debt. Later that night Elliot checks on line and discovers that Angela owes almost $200,000 in student loans.

12) Big meeting with at All Safe with Terry Colby and E Corp to discuss progress and facts about the hack. It is Elliot’s intention to turn in all his info about the hack which would hurt Mr. Robot and F-Society. Angela starts to give the details and Terry Colby is very dismissive of her. Elliot jumps in to help her which leads to Colby asking for Angela to be sent out of the meeting. When this happens Elliot gets pissed off and swaps the envelope with the real facts to the envelope that will incriminate Terry Colby.

13) Elliot confronts Michael on the street and tells him that he knows all of his dirty secrets and that if he doesn’t want his wife to hear about them he must break up with Krista. He must also tell her the truth about the fact that he is a married, lying, and cheating skumbag. Lastly he tells Michael he needs something in payment so he takes Michaels dog, Flipper.

14) While making up with Angela at All Safe, they notice everybody in the office staring at the TV. Elliot and Angela turn to see Terry Colby, CEO of ECorp being arrested and taken into custody.

15) Elliot is all smiles as he walks around Times Square seeing all the feeds sending info and video of the Colby Arrest. Out of nowhere, two men in black force him into a black SUV.

16) The men take Elliot out of the SUV and lead him into a high rise building in Manhattan. We see him walking into a boardroom. He realizes that it is ECorp’s boardroom when he sees Tyrel Wellick, the mysterious executive that he had met earlier at All Safe

Big Picture Hooks

Will Eliot with the help of Mr. Robot and F-Society take down Ecorp or will they end up in prison

Amazing and Intriguing Characters

1) Elliot is obviously the main character. Right from the beginning you can tell that he is very unique and troubled person. Really can’t tell what he will do from moment to moment.

2) Mr. Robot is the leader of F-Society. We don’t really know anything about his origin and if he is really trying to help Elliot or to mess him up.

3) Angela is a by the book worker and Elliot’s oldest and best friend. During the Pilot she is very one level but you can tell that there is a lot more there

4) Tyrel Welliver is an executive with Ecorp. The first time he comes into the story you can tell that he will be a very important character which is solidified when his are the last words of the Pilot “ Bon Suir, Elliot”

Empathy/Distress

1) I have empathy right from the beginning of the Pilot for Elliot as he obviously has mental issues and really has trouble getting by in the world that he lives in. You can’t tell if what he is seeing and saying is real or imagined

2) You can tell that Angela wants more control at AllSafe and to be successful in her career. There is a lot going on with her that I want to know about. The empathy and distress in the pilot comes from her getting kicked off the Ecorp account and the frustration from trying to deal with Elliot’s issues

3) From the first time Mr.Robot is introduced I want to know more about him. What is his real history. Is he really doing good or bad for mankind Is he just using Elliot or does he really have good intention

4) I don’t really know much about Tyrel Wellick other then he seems to be the man in charge now that Colby is out of the picture. He is a very charismatic and knows that Elliot is special

Layers and Open Loops

1) What is going to happen to Elliot in the Ecorp Board room. What is going to happen to Elliot in general and how much of what he is doing and saying is real

2) Will Elliot continue helping Ecorp or will he take them down

3) When is Angela going to step up to herb potential

Inviting Obsession

1) Will Elliot continue to work for F-Society or go against them

2) What is Tyrel Wellick plans for Elliot and ECorp

3) Will Angela get with Eliot, even with his emotional issues

4) What are Mr Robot real plans. What’s his history

[MARK Lederkramer]

Mark Lederkramer

Three Circles of Characters Module 1 Lesson 3 Assignment #2

What I learned from this assignment is that each of my characters need to be real and fleshed out and help move the story forward. They have to be fleshed out and shown to have their own issues and conflicts. I actually added two characters because of this assignment.

The plot line is Smart and honest young man gets involved with young Marijuana Smuggling and Dealing crew in Brooklyn, New York, then he finds out that he is also involved with the most dangerous Mafia murder crew in the world”

A) Main Characters Circle

1) Michael “Micky/Pockets” Levine

Micky is the regular guy that joins a marijuana smuggling and dealing crew in Brooklyn, New York, then he finds out that he is involved with the most dangerous Mafia murder crew in the world. He will be the voice over helping to tell the story

2) Mathew “Matty/Mateo” Klienman

Matty is the most important member of the Big 3 Crew. He is an idiot savant when it comes to smuggling and dealing. He is the one that actually travels to make the buys in Columbia, Lebanon. And Mexico

3) Stewart”Stuey” Issacson

Stuey is the tough leader of the Big 3 smuggling and dealing crew. He is the final decision maker for the crew.

4) Anthony”Tony” Fortunado

He is the third partner of the Big 3 crew. He is the crews only Italian. He is handsome and very smooth.

5) Howard “Howie” Schwartz

He is Micky’s dealing partner in what they refer to as ”Wheels & Deals”. Howie does the dealing while Micky is the protection and connection to the Big 3 crew.

B) Connected Character Circle

6) Jack “Jacky” Torrio

He is the Boss of the Torrio crew. He is a lifetime hood and a cold hearted killer who recruits young guys to create the most dangerous Mafia murder crew in the world

7) William “ Billy ” Katz

He is Jacky’s right hand man. He is a self-hating Jew who acts like he was born Italian. He would just as soon kill you as to say hello.

8) Salvatore “ Sonny” Gentile

He is a stone cold killer. He is particularly dangerous because he is not only model quality handsome, but incredibly charming. Every guy wants to be his friend and every woman wants to fuck him.

9) John “Johnny” Napoli

Johnny is one of the most dangerous killers in the world. When you look in his eyes, you can see the Devil. He and Sonny are the “Gemini Twins”

10) Danny Lapinchek

He is the true enforcer for the crew. He is the only real killer working for the Big 3 crew.

11) Angela “ Angie” Fortunado

Tony and Angie have been together since the 7^th grade and married for 5 years. She understands what it’s like to be a mob wife because her father was with mob.

12) Kim Lieberman

She is Stuey’s Chinese girlfriend. She grew up with a Chinese mother and a Jewish father.

13) Harold “ Hank” Walker

He runs the gas station that the crew uses as their headquarters. He used to own the station but the Big 3 own it now.

14) Detective Vincent “Vinny” DeLuca

He is a lead detective on the Police task force investigating the Torrio crew and the Big 3 crew.

15) Detective James ”Jimmy” Duggan

Detective DeLuca’s partner and long time friend. They both grew up in Canarsie so they have had personal contact with a lot of the crews involved

C) Environmental Character Circle

16) The rest of the Big 3 crew

17) The rest of the Torrio crew

18) Police

19) DEA

20) The rest of relatives of the crew members