Lesson 4

[Tom Freyer]

Tom’s Character Depth!

I learned that just by brainstorming these character prompts, I was able to discover deeper layers to the characters and story and thereby dial up the intrigue and provide new twists.

[Mark Wakely]

Mark Wakely’s Character Depth!

What I learned doing this assignment is that your character’s profiles (motivation, secrets, wounds, etc.) can conflict in such a way as to heighten tension and make the story more dynamic despite the limited locations.

[Paul McGregor]

Paul’s Character Depth

4. What I learned from this assignment was that I was in a dilemma. I discovered that I had not developed my story enough before concentrating on putting it in a contained setting. Maybe, if you become obsessed with the requirements of a contained movie, you don’t develop your story fully and you have to start with story first. I am still not sure.

2. My movie has 3 characters: a. REAL ESTATE AGENT (female) – b. CLIENT – c. CLIENT’S GIRLFRIEND

a. Real Estate Agent – ten years before, she had a one-night stand with the Client. She became pregnant. He forced her to have an abortion before disappearing from the scene.

Motivation: Personal revenge against the Client.
Secret: She is the Client’s former lover.
Wound: The loss of her lover and her baby.
Sub-text: The abortion made her go almost totally mad.
Conflict: Hatred for the Client and what he put her through.
Hidden agenda: Use the House for Sale as a trap.
Conspiracy: The house is actually planned for demolition which would hide any trace of a crime.
Intrigue: She pretends to be selling the house, but it is just a trap.
Dilemma: She was not expecting the Client to bring his Girlfriend. What should she do with her? She can't leave any witnesses.
Secret Identify: She is not a Real Estate Agent.

b. Client: Since his girlfriend has been insisting they get married and settle down, he has answered an ad that was put through his letterbox and taken her to visit a House for Sale. He has totally forgotten the one-night stand from 10 years ago.

Motivation: He just wants to keep his girlfriend happy and "go with the flow".
Secret: Is immediately attracted to the Real Estate Agent.
Sub-text: He is not really committed to his current girlfriend, nor to the idea of buying the house.
Layers: He is now a successful salesman, but, in the past, he was a drug addict and vendor.

c. Client’s Girlfriend:

Motivation: Settle down and have children.
Secret: She sees the house and the mortgage as ways of "anchoring" her boyfriend to their relationship.
Wound: She has been rejected by boyfriends in the past, so remains suspicious of all men, including the Client.
Conflict: She sees the Real Estate Agent as a potential rival.
Dilemma: When her boyfriend’s hidden past is revealed to her by the Real Estate Agent, what is she to do?

END

• This reply was modified 3 months, 2 weeks ago by  Paul McGregor.

[Mark Wakely]

Internal Character Depth: Frank, restaurant owner, late 50’s

Motivation: Restaurant owner who needs to complete an inventory of his restaurant’s supplies right away to satisfy his insurance company.

Secret: Illegally converted an emergency egress in the basement to an employee washroom, believing that would be much more useful.

Wound: Has COPD that he tries to keep hidden and under control.

Layers: He’s too easygoing and now too physically weak to take command of the dilemma they face, making him an easy target for blame.

Conflict: In his weakened state, finds it difficult to defend his previous actions by standing up for himself.

Intrigue: Had posted on the restaurant’s website that the restaurant was closed that day, and had sent out an email blast to all their regular customers reminding them of the closure. That- along with “Closed For Today” sign on the restaurant door, means it’s possible no one knows the four of them are trapped in the basement of the “closed” restaurant.

Character Situation: He’s finding it harder and harder to breathe in the basement as they run out of air, and faces the ire of the employees when they discover there could have been an easy way out.

Dilemma: Shortly after they’re trapped in the basement, realizes his life-saving medicine was left upstairs.

Internal Character Depth: Scott, head waiter, late 20’s

Motivation: One of the few who knows about Frank’s COPD, he volunteers to help with the inventory as a favor to Frank.

Secret: He had a relationship with Linda that ended because she wasn’t as ambitious as he is.

Wound: Wishes Linda was as goal-driven as he is, but knows that’s not going to happen.

Layers: With Frank in a weakened state, assumes the unofficial role of leader as the four of them try to find a way out of the basement.

Conflict: Fights primarily with Josh, who chips away at Scott’s optimism as time goes by.

Dilemma: His plan to knock on the debris covering the staircase to attract rescuers doesn’t seem to be working, and he starts to have self-doubts.

Internal Character Depth: Linda, mid 20’s

Motivation: Like Scott, knows about Frank’s COPD and only wants to help.

Wound: Still desires Scott, but understands he wanted someone as ambitious as himself.

Subtext: She doesn’t know what she wants out of life, and is easily swayed.

Conflict: Defends Frank’s actions that put them in the danger they face, but is the first to be swayed by Josh that Frank is to blame, which ultimately sways Scott as well.

Internal Character Depth: Josh, chef, late 20’s

Motivation: A malcontent who’s convinced he should be celebrated as a chef and wealthy as a result, he resents being an unknown cook at an average restaurant with average wages, and constantly fights with others to convince them he deserves much more.

Secret: He has no genuine empathy for anyone.

Wound: Attracted to Linda, resents the relationship she had with Scott.

Intrigue: Once he discovers that Frank altered the construction plans and eliminated their means from escape from the basement, plots to convince others that Frank must be punished, perhaps even killed.