Lesson 5

[j T]

Jessica Tremblay’s Characters Story lines
What I learned doing this assignment is: to make sure each character has an arc. At the end of the story each character must be completely transformed by their journey, almost at an opposite from where they started.
Character Joanna – her 4 act structure
Opening: she runs away after shoplifting. (Selfish, irresponsible with money, she takes from people).
Inciting incident: takes money from her lover’s wallet, takes valuables from her father’s apartment.
Turning point 1: in storage, after emptying her father’s locker she steals valuables from several lockers. When the pile of stuff collapses outside the door and she gets stuck, she can no longer run away and must face the truth about herself. She’s a thief. A taker. Her life is going nowhere. She must change, but she doesn’t know how.
Climax: she fights with beast like they’re siblings – fighting, taking, not wanting to share.
Turning point 2: she gives beast a place to give birth and her favorite toy (learns to share)
Resolution: Decides to give being a mother a shot, after witnessing even a monster can do it. (selfless, responsible, she shares and gives)
 

Character Beast – her 4 act structure
Opening: living in the park (free, alone, hungry)
Inciting incident: an old man feeds me and imprison me in a storage locker in a dark basement, but doesn’t come back. I’m starving, alone in the dark. (prison, hungry)
Turning Point 1: someone opens the door to the locker. I’m free. And very hungry. (partially free, hungry)
Climax: I want to eat the woman in storage, but she fights back (hungry); I want to leave, but the door is closed (prison)
Turning point 2: I get to eat the manager. Now I’m strong enough to feed my pups.
Resolution: I’m released in the park with my pups (free, with pups)
 

Character boyfriend – 4 act structure
Opening: I jog in the park (carefree, single, with my dog).
Inciting incident: I save a woman running in the park from getting hit by a car. (take responsibility for someone else by saving their life, getting attached) That night, we make love in her apartment but my dog suddenly dies in her kitchen. (I was beginning to fall in love, but now I blame her for the death of my dog and resent her)
Turning point 1: Three months later, she calls me. Not sure I want to talk to her. When she mentions she’s trying to rescue her dead father’s dog, I perk up. (Possibility of a new connection with this woman and a new dog)
Climax:
Turning point 2:
Resolution: She leaves a message that she wants to talk to me when she’s back in town. (Later, she tells me she’s pregnant. We’ll try to make the relationship works somehow.) (Now I’m in a relationship, with a baby on the way, and a new puppy to raise)
 

Character Building manager – 4 act structure
Opening: I run a scheme and cash pension cheques from deceased residents in the building I manage (thief)
Inciting incident: after an old man dies, his daughter catches me stealing from his apartment. (She discovers my scheme, so I want her outta here as fast as possible.) I give her an ultimatum: empty the place by Friday or she owns an additional month’s rent.
Turning point 1: after apartment is empty, I send her to empty storage locker. (I want her to fail in emptying locker by midnight so I can cash in a month’s rent)
Climax: I fall asleep on the lazyboy.
Turning point 2: In the morning I go check on her in storage and discovers she made a mess (I’m definitely keeping the deposit!)
Resolution: She knows my secret scheme, so I must kill her or I’ll go to prison. She uses the beast against me and knocks me out. (I’ll go to prison for what I did).

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  j T.

[Edward Gillow]

Ed. Gillow – Character Story Lines
What I learned from this exercise: analyzing characters within a narrative framework involves crafting dynamic arcs that interweave personal vendettas, moral dilemmas, and thematic conflicts to drive the story forward and deepen the characters' development.
Moses:
Beginning: Moses, a celebrated tracker, begins as a respected leader within his Native American community, known for his exceptional skills and unwavering commitment to his people.
Inciting Incident: The inciting incident occurs when the US Government hires Moses and teams him with Boone to pursue Jose, reigniting his personal vendetta against the antagonist and propelling him onto the journey.
Turning Point: The turning point happens when Moses discovers that Jose's actions are driven by his plan to kidnap a VIP to fund his nephew's revolution, realizing the urgency of stopping him to save his people.
Midpoint: At the midpoint, Moses learns of Boone's history with Jose and their shared motivations for revenge, leading to a reluctant alliance as they join forces to confront their common enemy.
Turning Point 2: The second turning point occurs when Moses and Boone's pursuit of Jose leads them into increasingly dangerous territory, testing their resolve and forcing them to confront their past traumas and personal demons.
Dilemma: Moses faces the dilemma of either seeking vengeance for his sister's abduction, risking further harm and isolation, or finding a way to rescue her while also preventing Jose from funding the revolution and endangering countless lives.
Major Conflict: The ultimate experience of Moses's conflict is a climactic showdown with Jose, where he must use all of his tracking skills and spiritual strength to outwit and defeat the antagonist, saving his sister and stopping the ransom plot.
Ending: In the end, Moses's world has changed as he emerges victorious but scarred from the conflict, finding solace in the reunion with his sister and the justice served to Jose, while also recognizing the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation in moving forward.
Boone:
Beginning: Boone, an equally skilled bounty hunter, begins as a solitary figure driven by a thirst for revenge against Jose for killing his father in the Indian Wars.
Inciting Incident: The inciting incident occurs when Boone's path crosses with Moses's, offering him an opportunity to channel his vengeful nature towards a shared goal of confronting Jose and seeking justice for his father's death.
Turning Point: The turning point happens when Boone learns of Jose's involvement in Moses's sister's kidnapping, intertwining his personal vendetta with Moses's quest for redemption and propelling him onto the journey to confront their common enemy.
Midpoint: At the midpoint, Boone's relentless pursuit of revenge is tested when he is faced with a moral dilemma that challenges his sense of right and wrong, forcing him to reconsider his actions and motivations.
Turning Point 2: The second turning point occurs when Boone's single-minded focus on revenge endangers Moses and their mission, leading to a reckoning with his own culpability and the consequences of his choices.
Dilemma: Boone faces the dilemma of either continuing down the path of vengeance, risking further harm and isolation, or finding redemption by aligning himself with Moses and confronting their common enemy together, balancing justice with mercy.
Major Conflict: The ultimate experience of Boone's conflict is a confrontation with his own inner demons, as he grapples with the consequences of his actions and seeks to find a sense of purpose beyond his desire for revenge.
Ending: In the end, Boone's world has changed as he finds redemption through his alliance with Moses and their shared victory over Jose, realizing that true strength comes from unity and solidarity rather than vengeance and resentment.
Jose:
Beginning: Jose, a cunning and power-hungry antagonist, begins as a ruthless leader with a plan to kidnap a VIP to fund his nephew's revolution, driven by his ambition and desire for control.
Inciting Incident: The inciting incident occurs when Jose kidnaps the VIP for ransom.
Turning Point: The turning point happens when Jose's actions attract the attention of both Moses and Boone, forcing him to adapt his plans and tactics to evade capture and achieve his goals.
Midpoint: At the midpoint, Jose's control over the conflict is challenged by unforeseen obstacles and resistance from Moses and Boone, leading to a shift in his strategy and a tightening of his grip on his captives.
Turning Point 2: The second turning point occurs when Jose's forces suffer a major setback, pushing him to resort to more desperate and ruthless measures to achieve his goals, including endangering the lives of his hostages.
Dilemma: Jose faces the dilemma of either continuing to pursue his ambitions at any cost, risking everything he has built for the sake of power, or accepting defeat and relinquishing control, facing the consequences of his actions and the wrath of his enemies.
Major Conflict: The ultimate experience of Jose's conflict is a climactic showdown with Moses and Boone, where he must confront the consequences of his ruthlessness and ambition, facing the possibility of defeat and the loss of everything he holds dear.
Ending: In the end, Jose's world has changed as he is defeated and stripped of his power, facing the consequences of his actions and the realization that true strength comes not from domination but from respect and cooperation with others.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Edward Gillow.

[Tasha Espinoza]

Tasha’s Character Story Lines

What I learned doing this assignment is how contemplating a character's story will show you beats that exist outside the depiction of the screenplay and motivation, experiences, reactions present themselves and can better inform you about how the character functions inside the screenplay.

Story Lines for each main character:

Protagonist: Bethany
Beginning: Bethany undergoes an exorcism at age 16.
Inciting Incident: Brad asks her on a date.
Turning Point: she discovers a spell book in Deacon Anders chambers.
Midpoint: Discovers Deacon Anders has betrayed her and starts training at Koju’s spiritual center.
Turning Point 2: Deacon Anders captures her and Koju.
Dilemma: Trust Demon 23 and join forces with him or die.
Major Conflict: While Bethany shields the congregation from the demons that Deacon Anders conjured, Demon 23 stops Deacon Anders from sending Bethany to Hell.
Ending: Bethany makes peace with Demon 23 and expels him for good. She finds love with Koju.

Antagonist #1: Deacon Anders
Beginning: Deacon Anders tries to kill Bethany during her exorcism.
Inciting Incident: Bethany dates Brad.
Turning Point: The tape doesn’t scare Brad so he activates plan 2, which is to reattach Demon 23 to Bethany.
Midpoint: Comes up with plan to kill Bethany and further his church career.
Turning Point 2: He commands Demon 23 to repossess Bethany as the first step of his plan.
Dilemma: Fulfill his mission or spare Bethany.
Major Conflict: He tries to kill Bethany and possess his congregation with Demons.
Ending: He goes to prison for 6 years.

Antagonist #2: Demon 23
Beginning: Demon 23 tries to take Bethany’s soul when she 16 and is exorcised from her.
Inciting Incident: Deacon Anders uses dark magic to conjure him and reattach him to Bethany
Turning Point: He realizes he loves her.
Midpoint: He tries to help prep Bethany for a fight against Deacon Anders with supernatural cues/helpfulness
Turning Point 2: He possesses Bethany
Dilemma: Join forces with Bethany or be controlled by Deacon Anders who will use him to hurt Bethany
Major Conflict: He helps Bethany protect the congregation from Deacon Anders plan and saves her from being killed and cursed to Hell by Deacon Anders
Ending: He gives Bethany the spell to expel him for ever and returns to his point of origin.