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Lesson 5
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Hope’s Three Gradients
What I learned: This isn’t there yet, but taking the steps is helping me flesh this out to take my first draft forward. I find this process helpful for clarity in a big way.
My transformational journey logline.
An entitled businesswoman intends to sell her inherited farm to save a failing company until she discovers the farm is the last chance for rescued livestock destined for the slaughterhouse.
Charlie’s emotional gradient
The “Desired Change” gradient
Excitement:
Action: Charlie drops everything to take possession of the farm she inherits.
Challenge: The farm is a dump and her great aunt had a donkey and goat, which are still there (and cared for by a neighbor).
Weakness: Charlie now has to find homes for the animals before she can sell – and she’s afraid of the animals.
Doubt:
Action: Charlie calls local developers, seeking a buyer.
Challenge: None of the developers will touch the property, but won’t tell her why.
Weakness: Charlie’s mother arrives and tells her that with her new disability, she can’t expect to succeed.
Hope:
Action: Charlie becomes attached to the donkey and goat; she rescues a second donkey when asked by a local vet.
Challenge: Charlie’s stepmother warns her that her father’s business is nearly bankrupt – and needs the cash from the sale of the farm.
Weakness: Still no developers available.
Discouragement:
Action: Charlie’s illness flares due to stress. Her doctor advises moving back to the city and considering a less stressful career.
Challenge: A sketchy developer offers to save the day; her stepmom suggests sending the donkeys and goat to auction.
Weakness: Threatened with eminent domain challenge.
Courage:
Action: Charlie finds her great aunt’s diary; discovers she had the same illness.
Challenge: She won’t let the illness stop her either! She discovers a suspicious link between the developer and her stepmother.
Weakness: Lack of experience and the eminent domain challenge proceeds.
Triumph:
Action: Charlie alerts state authorities to illegal bribes happening at local level; tells her mother and stepmother that she’s not selling. She’s staying and expanding the rescue.
Challenge: The bulldozers are coming.
Weakness: She’s broke, and her stepmother arranged to have the donkeys and goats taken to the auction.
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Hi Hope,
The bulldozers are coming. You have me on the edge of my seat. Does she save the donkeys and goats from the auction?
What is her disability?
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Ashley’s Three Gradients
I learned that I might need to make some choices. On one hand, the protagonist has this secret superpower that she is terrified to expose. But she needs to use it if she is going to save her people. On the other hand, her love for the conquistador also prevents her from saving her people. I’m not sure if the story is getting lost with the different themes. Will see as it progresses.
The Forced Change Gradient
A seductive slave woman is the only one who can save her people from her lover, a Spanish conquistador, but she must use her secret superpower.
A. Emotion: Denial
B. Action: Malinche approaches Hernando (now “the Emperor”) to inform him that the Mexica people are dying of the plague. She asks him to give his people medicine, clean water, and food. She believes he will help his people.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: He doesn’t care if his people die, as he can bring new settlers from Spain. Hernando cuts Malinche off, and she doesn’t get to finish her argument.
A. Emotion: Denial
B. Action: During the conversation with the World Tree, Malinche doesn’t believe she is “the One” to usher in the new age.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: she only desires to ensure her survival, and the survival of her son. She doesn’t desire anything more. Still, she travels back in time to make different choices.
A. Emotion: Anger
B. Action: After traveling back in time to redo the events of the past, Malinche runs into Hernando. He can’t understand why a stranger is angry with him.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: Malinche must overcome her love/hate for Hernando if she’s going to save her people from the Spanish Conquest.
A. Emotion: Bargaining
B. Action: Malinche tries to seduce Hernando, so she can allure him away from his mission and send him back to Spain.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: Hernando casts Malinche aside when the topic “wealth” comes up. In another scene, Hernando responds that in this new world, he can be an Emperor, and in Spain, he is simply a servant of the king. In another scene, she’s truly falling in love with him.
A. Emotion: Denial
B. Action: During a conversation with Itzamna, Malinche denies that she’s “the Chosen One.”
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: Itzamna knows that she is hiding her gift.
A. Emotion: Depression
B. Action: Malinche sits on the beach, watching the ships burn.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: How is she going to send the Spaniards back to Spain without a ship?
A. Emotion: Bargaining
B. Action: After Emperor Montezuma discovers her gift, she is put in prison. Malinche then tries to bargain with the guards and Itzamna. Information in exchange for her freedom.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: Her love for Hernando.
A. Emotion: Depression
B. Action: After accidently pushing Emperor Montezuma down the rabbit hole, Malinche is silent/shocked, and lets Itzamna lead her back to the palace.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: she could be accused of killing Emperor Montezuma.
A. Emotion: Acceptance
B. Action: Malinche warns the people of Tenochtitlan of the future Spanish conquest.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: The guards rush in and arrest her.
A. Emotion: Depression
B. Action: Malinche cries out to Hernando as he passes her prison cell, but he doesn’t even look at her.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: Malinche is heartbroken that Hernando would rather see her die. And she is heartbroken to leave her son.
A. Emotion: Acceptance
B. Action: On the altar, she gives the speech of a lifetime. The crowd demands that they release her. She finally steps into her power, using her voice to lead her people.
C. Challenge/Weakness Gradient: Mexica politics and the patriarchal system
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Ashley Sarikaya.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Ashley Sarikaya.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Ashley Sarikaya.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Ashley Sarikaya.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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Chris’ Three Gradients
What I learned from this assigment. Save in text editor first. I had to rewrite this because I lost the whole thing when I scrolled down in the form and it disappeared into a black hole. Should have followed my own advice but was in a hurry. Ugh. Anyhow what I learned is this is a work in progress and I can move pieces around, assign characters to opposite roles of where I thought they fit before I started this course and that it is coming together much better than before I had this knowledge of applying these tools. Fun isn’t the word, it almost is but the word is more acurately “satisfying” because it is a lot of fun work. (Al Green just came on, on Spotify in the background. Great note to finish on!)
My transformational journey logline:
When a reckless driver murders Judge Ken’s wife by texting and driving he is enraged and wants to exact “real” justice beyond what he can do in his court room which he
finds out is already being done by his fellow Judge Jason’s star chamber.
Judge Ken’s Emotional Gradient:
The Desired Change Gradient
Excitement.
Action: Doles out 364 day county jail sentences and Rotary Phone sentences.
Challenge: Might get overturned in appeals court and might be censured by a judicial review board.
Weakness: Too harsh of sentences.
Doubt.
Action: Expresses his concern of being cesured to Judge Jason
Challenge: He’s not ready for the star chamber team.
Weakness: Won’t be able to exact “real” justice because he’s not ready.
Hope.
Action: Joins the star chamber.
Challenge: It’s physically dangerous. Could get mauled by dogs, shot by other people in the house’s they raid.
Weakness: It’s too heavy handed. Might get caught and lose his job and position.
Discouragement.
Action: Judge Jason and Judge Ken find out one of the star chamber members is betraying them to LilPutin and his team for money.
Challenge: They might get killed by LilPutin and his people. Maybe one of their team does.
Weakness: Could lose the battle for “real” justice.
Courage.
Action: Raid LilPutin’s mansion.
Challenge: The fight is difficult and bloody.
Weakness: Fear that they might die or get maimed and lose the battle for justice.
Triumph.
Action: Judge Ken and Judge Jason all the star chamber members kill LilPutins at his mansion. They do their own work. They don’t job it out to contractors.
No challenge and no weakness, it’s Triumph!
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I had a very tough time figuring out how to do this assignment in the large portions specified in the grid. Instead, I went through the script looking at each decision my character made as long as it fitted my logline. The assignment ended up as 10 pages. Result: Discouragement Challenge: To keep going even though I think Day 6 will be a hot mess. Weakness: I don’t know what I’m doing. Stay tuned.
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Appreciate your sentiments!
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Joan. I didn’t understand this either. But I looked at how several other people laid out their responses and suddenly it made sense. Chin up. You’ll get this.
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Marilynne’s Three Gradients
What I learned doing this assignment is… This felt like a deconstructed dessert. I could see all the necessary ingredients on my plate but didn’t really understand how the cake came together. I had to read the examples multiple times to finally get it (I think).
1. Logline for my transformational journey.
Lead character with an issue – Caroline, a health educator who is unhappy with life and her life choices
Journey – …moves to Africa to lead a project with the goal to reduce deaths in childbirth
Transformation – and discovers she has more than one rewarding destiny.
2. The 3 Gradients: Desired Change
2.1 Emotional gradient: excitement
Action gradient: Soon after arriving in her assigned African community Caroline meets the doctors and health care workers she’ll be working with.
Challenge/Weakness gradient: C: Community is highly suspicious of her motives
W: Outward confidence covers deep insecurities and anger
2.2 Emotional gradient: doubt
Action gradient: Caroline visits pregnant women in the community and becomes uncertain whether the program she planned will work
Challenge/Weakness gradient: C: The program success may depend entirely on it being more culturally sensitive
W: Aggressively pursues goals but is sometimes unaware of culturally important details.
2.3 Emotional gradient: hope
Action gradient: Caroline engages with a local Buddhist nun and finds hope in local wisdom – both for the program and her own life.
Challenge/Weakness gradient: C: She believes only scientific information is valuable
W: Discounts community and women’s experiences to date
2.4 Emotional gradient: discouragement
Action gradient: Caroline assists a woman who followed everything in the childbirth program she was supposed to, but the woman and her baby still die.
Challenge/Weakness gradient: C: No intervention or program will work 100% of the time.
W: She is unprepared for when the program doesn’t work – mothers and babies still die.
2.5 Emotional gradient: courage
Action gradient: She goes on a safari where her resolve and courage are tested with a birth in a small remote village.
Challenge/Weakness gradient: C: Outside of her little circle of co-workers, Caroline is a lone voice in a large country.
W: Does not appreciate the value of bringing in local “informal” leaders to make a significant change in this country.
2.6 Emotional gradient: triumph
Action gradient: Caroline recognizes an alternative destiny for herself as she expands the program to other communities on a more permanent basis
Challenge/Weakness gradient: C: Despite program success, not all elders in surrounding villages are supportive and still need to be persuaded of the program’s value
W: Has no doubts she can convince other leaders of her program’s value and expand the program
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Well done, Marilynne! You were so on point, you’ve inspired me to take another look at my submission. Thank you.
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Thanks Bob. Still a work in progress!!
One thing that remains unclear to me is whether the lead character is expected to experience the “emotional gradient of change” sequence as outlined in the notes or the emotions and sequence vary based on the story.
Cheers😎 (this emoji is my coffee mug)
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I love your example of the cake. My cake never did come together so I made brownies instead.
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In your story you clearly articulate the component of the three gradients and how the story organically progresses. Well done, Marilynne.
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Bob’s Three Gradients (for stage play) “I’ll Get Revenge on the Whole Pack of You.”
What I learned doing this assignment is by finding weakness after weakness in my protagonist, and looking at the ‘why’ behind his obnoxious behavior, I can write a play with more depth. And more pressure. Not just for laughs. That is a huge learning for me.
The Emotional Gradient I’ll use is the “Forced Change” Emotional Gradient.
The opening ten to fifteen pages or so present the protagonist, Malvolio (the steward in ‘Twelfth Night,’) locked in a dungeon as a ‘practical joke.’ He goes through many of Kubler-Ross’ stages of grief— but not starting with denial. He moves right to anger. To get out, he goes through hope followed by feeling discouraged, but using whatever power of persuasion he has, he manages to get out.
Note- this play is meant to be a comedy with a serious theme of how revenge hurts the avenger in the long run.
The next stage of his journey is all about revenge. This is a character whose strengths and weaknesses make him capable of carrying out his threats to get back at the instigators who made his life hell and sullied his name.
He is well-educated and good at debate, but he is also a pompous, overbearing ass. His comfort zone is be nasty to others before they’re nasty to him. His outward confidence hides a deep insecurity about his relative importance in society. He desperately wants to be looked up to as someone of substance, and this incident does the reverse. He is quick to criticize others but cannot take criticism from someone else. He is obsequious to his countess, Lady Olivia, but nasty to anyone he considers beneath him or someone who cannot elevate his status.
Emotion: Rage at Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby, for carrying out the plot. Action: He sets up trap to catch Toby in a tryst with a prostitute and tells his new wife about it, thus hurting her (a co-conspirator in the prank) as well. Weakness: He does not care that his punishment doesn’t fit the crime. He’s losing sight of all aspects of right and wrong.
Emotion: Rage at Sir Andrew and other characters in the plot. Action: His ways of getting back at them, while they have a humorous side to them, are also mean. And the more he takes his pound of flesh, the more he wants to take. Weakness: He’s lost all sense of morality.
Emotion: Rage at the baker, Fabian. Action: He sets his mill on fire and prevents him from earning a living for him and his family, while also depriving the village of bread. Weakness: He doesn’t care at first, but then he realizes he’s really gone too far.
Emotion: Remorse. Action: He fesses up and even helps pay to build a new mill for Fabian. He realizes he doesn’t have to hide behind a veil of pomposity.
Transformation: He leaned that rather than trying to pursue revenge as well as separate himself from certain parts of society, he is far happier being a kinder version of his old self.
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Liz Janzen’s three gradients…
What I learned doing this assignment is that I’ve been unable to connect the main character’s ‘Weaknesses” to the “Old Ways”. As a result I think the Weaknesses listed below are mostly emotions, rather than character traits or habits.
I’ve changed the logline slightly.
Transformational logline:
After her rural home burns to the ground, an orphaned teen’s life is changed overnight when a kindly producer in 1930s Hollywood molds her into a star, until she realizes she must take control of her own destiny.
Using the Desired Change gradient…
Emotional gradient: Sadness
Action gradient: Sally’s house burns down and she is orphaned; she learns her nearest relative is 50 miles away.
Challenge: She is alone in the world; no one to help her.
Weakness: She’s very young, with no resources
Emotional gradient: Surprise
Action gradient: Meets a young man – Charlie – on her way to find her aunt. Is taken up en route by producer Herman Abrams and his wife Louise, and with her Aunt Frances goes to Hollywood with them.
Challenge: Herman and Louise and Frances are suddenly governing her life.
Weakness: Doesn’t question anything or anyone.
Emotional gradient: Happiness
Action gradient: Becomes hugely successful young star of ‘Belle’ franchise. Lives happily with Aunt Frances. Encounters Charlie at the studio one day and is glad to see him again.
Challenge: Will eventually age out of Belle role.
Weakness: Thinks she is in control of her life.
Emotional gradient: Discouragement
Action gradient: Caught together by the tabloids, Sally is told by Frances (who was told by Louise) that the studio doesn’t want her to see Charlie anymore. He tells Sally he is planning to go off to Spain to fight the Fascists in the civil war there.
Challenge: Learns she can’t see Charlie anymore.
Weakness: Confronted with the fact she doesn’t ‘own’ decisions about her life.
Emotional gradient: Courage
Action gradient: The Belle series ends and Sally is given a more mature role. Frances gets married and leaves on her honeymoon just as the new film starts. She asks Louise to watch over Sally while she’s gone. Sally has to deal with unwanted attention from her male co-star. To make matters worse the tabloids try to make ‘a thing’ of the two.
Challenge: Unwilling to confide in Louise, Sally tries to find her own way to deal with the co-star.
Weakness: Is inexperienced with men.
Emotional gradient: Discouragement
Action gradient: Charlie calls the house and tells Frances he is leaving for Spain and wants Sally to see him off at the train station. Frances does not pass on the message – she doesn’t want to risk Sally becoming serious about Charlie and interrupting her career. He leaves for Europe believing Sally doesn’t care about him anymore. Sally finds out what Frances did.
Challenge: Learning that Frances interfered.
Weakness: Feels alone and betrayed. Feels she can’t trust anyone anymore.
Emotional gradient: Courage
Action gradient: WW 2 breaks out. Sally gets a role in a film to be shot in England with another studio, i.e. Herman not producing. She meets an English officer and after a whirlwind courtship, marries him without telling anyone at home in the U.S.
Challenge: Goes to UK alone – without any benefactors/friends – taking big life steps on her own.
Weakness: decides she will rely solely on her own judgment
Emotional gradient: Shock
Action gradient: Her husband is killed in Europe. The one who delivers the telegram to her is none other than Charlie, who had joined up with the British as soon as the War began. Charlie is unaware of who he is delivering the bad news to until he gets to her home.
Challenge: Suddenly widowed
Weakness: Alone again; heartbroken
Emotional gradient: Triumph
Action gradient: Charlie and Sally realize they were destined to be together.
Challenge: Charlie is still fighting in the War – his future is uncertain.
Weakness: Sally needs to find a way to accept the possibility she could lose him.
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I find your premise very attractive. I can see a strong character development in Sally, who transforms from a young adult who let others plan her life for her to taking her life by the horns. A love story during the war add emotional depth to the Sally’s character. Well done, Liz.
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Thanks Vivien!
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Cancel.
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Vivien’s Three Gradients
What I learned doing this exercise is the understanding that the hero’s emotional gradient is her arc, and is key to engage the audience in her journey. The emotional gradient dictates the hero’s action, and when the action results in undesirable consequences, it forces her to change her old ways to see and do things and adapt to the new ways to get the results she seeks.
Transformation journey logline for my dramedy “My Brother’s Ashes”
A headstrong woman begrudgingly helps her family conceal the sudden death of her beloved brother from the elderly mother, but her stubborn way creates havoc in the family until she learns to accept their way of life.
The Emotional Gradient used is Forced Change.
A1. Emotion Gradient: Denial
B1. Action Gradient:
Alicia tries to convince Father that it is unethical and unfair to Mother to keep her in the dark about her son’s death.
C1.1 Challenge:
Alicia’s sister Amanda warns her that the truth risks causing a total meltdown in Mother. As per their family tradition, they have the duty to protect Mother from the sinister news.
C1.2 Weakness
Alicia is out of touch with her family’s tradition, which she perceives as outdated.
A2. Emotional Gradient: Anger
B2. Action Gradient:
Alicia refuses to take part in Father’s plan. She informs Father that she will go back to the US, where she lives, and let him and Amanda deal with the saga that create.
C2.1 Challenge
Father stands by his conviction. He assures her that he understands Mother’s state of mind. He asks that Alicia let go of her notion of right and stands by the family in dealing with the crisis.
C2.2 Weakness
Alicia sees life as black and white.
A3. Emotional Gradient: Bargaining
B3. Action Gradient:
As per Father’s request, Alicia agrees to stay onboard for another week with the understanding that he tells Mother the truth within that time frame. She comes up with a bogus story that Anthony got accepted into an internship program in rural Vietnam, where Mother does not have any contact and thus can’t trace the story. Father is ambivalent that Alicia’s quick fix will be long-lasting. He suggests that they also think of a long-term coping plan for Mother, but Alicia refuses to drag on the fake story for too long.
Her plan fails spectacularly. Mother insists that Father bring Anthony home.
C3.1 – Challenge:
Mother strongly objects to Anthony working in Vietnam. She fears that an internship in an emerging economy will jeopardize Anthony’s professional opportunities in Australia.
C3.2 – Weakness
Alicia is too impatient.
A4. Emotional Gradient: Depression
B4. Action Gradient:
After Alicia gets into exasperating fights with Mother, she informs Father that she’ll tell Mother the truth with or without his consent. Father breaks down with a heart attack, which forces him to go to the hospital. Alicia is inconsolable. She feels guilty for causing Father’s ill health and for deceiving Mother. She feels stuck. She falls into depression.
C4.1: Challenge
Mother suspects that Alicia conspires with Anthony to help him hide a secret lover. She heard rumours of scheming Vietnamese gold diggers who lure naive, eligible men like Anthony into marriage and convince them to leave their family to set up their love nest in Vietnam.
C4.2: Weakness
Alicia does not have a trusting relationship with her mother.
A5. Emotional Gradient: Acceptance
B5. Action Gradient
Alicia pleads with Father and Amanda to help her find a solution. Together the family decides that they need to help Mother feel Anthony’s presence in her life. With Amanda’s help, Alicia contacts Anthony’s organ recipients and ask for their help. Through Anthony’s former roommate, Alicia learns that her brother’s secret girlfriend Louise is pregnant with his child. Under Father’s guidance, Alicia arranges for these individuals to meet Mother in the mot compassionate setting.
Mother faces the tragic reality with grace. She confesses that she would have lost the will to live had she not given the opportunity to see Anthony’s presence in her life under a different light. She thanks Alicia for introducing her to the mother of her grandchild and to the individuals who help keep Anthony’s spirit alive.
Alicia feels a deep, loving bond with her mother, father, and sister. Her family has taught her about love in two weeks than she has learned in 15 years living away from them.
C5.1 – Challenge
Alicia finally accepts to let go of her controlling way, but she still falls into the habit of using an unemotional, systematic way of solving problems, which nearly makes Anthony’s girlfriend walk away from the family.
C5.2 – Weakness
Alicia needs to learn to build trusting relationship to entice people to collaborate with her.
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Connie’s Three Gradients
What I learned doing this assignment is…that to master profound story construction, one is consistently invited to observe and reflect the light and shadow of human nature and behavior.
1. What is the Emotional Gradient you’ll use?
Forced Change
2. For each emotion of that gradient, tell us the following:
A. Emotion: DENIAL
B. Action: Layla cannot believe that after a decade at her company, after all the work and energy she invested in her role, she was let go ‘just like that’; also after time traveling, she and her sister cannot believe that they have been teleported back to the 1800s
C. Challenge: (job-related) For Layla, the worst thing that could happen in life is to lose her job, as it’s so closely tied to her identity, now she feels misplaced in time and space; (time travel-related) Layla and her sister are stuck in a time warp, they have no access to all of their technology and/or the knowledge of how to get back
Weakness: Insecurity, lost identity
A. Emotion: ANGER
B. Action: Layla is angry as she processes her job loss via sarcasm, aggressive attitude towards men; her boss was a man, rebelling against a ‘man’s world’ now that she is in the 1800s and women are not in powerful positions, she adoptconstantly complaining about where they are and how she needs to get back and find a new job
C. Challenge: Stuck in her own anger, unable to see beyond her own problems/sadness/grief to tune into her sister; Layla is also recognizing how dependent she has become on technology now that there is none
Weakness: Victimhood
A. Emotion: BARGAINING
B. Action: Trying to assimilate to life in the 1800s, Layla and her sister work at jobs to fit into society, yet are desperate to return home to their century; they make friends but the lifestyle is very difficult and they miss their loved ones and their modern day items
C. Challenge: Will they be stuck here forever? They are not blending in well in the 1800s and are trying every avenue to ascertain how to time travel back home, yet still have no idea.
Weakness: Fear of loss and of losing control
A. Emotion: DEPRESSION
B. Action: Layla makes a mistake in her place of work and gets reprimanded, romance and friendships are fun, but there are little arguments brewing, highlighting differences between the eras, both women are missing home; Layla has an emotional breakdown, the sisters incur another failed attempt at leaving the 1800’s
C. Challenge: Everything is going wrong. No idea how to leave this era, romance and friendships are fun but what’s the point; this adventure had it’s moments of fun, but now, how do they leave?
Weakness: Grief, losing hope, nothing left to give
A. Emotion: ACCEPTANCE
B. Action: Layla stands up to her boss in the 1800s, she discovers a way for her and her sister to try to return back to their era and risks it all by sharing her true feelings with her love interest. Layla and her sister return home
C. Challenge: Accept the gifts of insight that living in the 1800s has provided; a new sense of self-value and self-worth based on recent experiences; a new identity for Layla, and self-belief…a chance to move on.
Weakness: Needs to learn to love self, value self and put self first in romantic relationships
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The Three Gradients<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Emotional
Gradient
Action
Gradient
Excitement:
His life can change because he is attractive and stills has a lust for life and is living his second childhood riding around in his new convertible Porsche.
Doubt:
He is middle aged, but can he find someone younger who has no children?
Hope:
He projects quite power and confidence that will surely attract some indecisive eligible woman.
Discouragement:
Will being a vegan repel a desirable mate to shun him as they have done him in the past?
Courage:
This situation is not the one he envisioned but it has the potential to bear the fruit he is seeking if he becomes open minded.
Triumph:
This enormous undertaking has produced the results we both wanted.
Challenge/
Weakness Gradient
Excitement:
This can be my last great chance to fulfill a life-long dream, but it’s so late.
W: Trying to attract someone younger will be the hard part.
Doubt:
Is it possible in an unprogressive town?
W: Most of the younger women aren’t mature enough yet.
Hope:
The new tech jobs are bringing a lot of relocated people here.
W: This is a art scene but it’s only once a month.
Discouragement:
Most of the new transplants are families.
W: There are not enough new places to meet them yet.
Courage:
Going back to church should improve the soul ‘s expectation for a brighter tomorrow.
W: What’s the right church to go to?
Triumph:
Going to the social dance activities is going to work out fine.
W: The must be protected for abnormal people.Ronald Barker
The Profound Screenplay
Day 5: The Three Gradients
What I learned about doing this assignment…? I’ve learned how to structure my story for the screenplay. I’ve been stuck on how to give the story a path beyond just being a good idea in my head.
1. What is the Emotional Gradient You’ll use? The Desired Change.
2. For each emotion of that gradient, tell us the following:
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Steve McC’s Developing the Three Emotional Gradients.
What I learned doing this assignment.
I learned to think of this journey as a distinct steps of specific emotional moments, rather than a kind of muddled wash of confrontation and retreat. I also had the insight of what the reader and audience’s journey must be. Early readers of first scenes responded that they didn’t like this guy so much (whereas, the all loved his dog–much better personality). And I realized in the Bargaining scene that this is the opportunity to get to know his true passion and talent as an exceptional artist. I need to win the audience over to his side.
The Emotional Gradient I used:
“Forced Change” Denial/Anger/Bargaining/Depression/Acceptance
MIDSUMMER (expanded, looser logline). A promising artist suffering emotional bereavement has an unfinished painting that will establish his career, if he can meet the midnight deadline for entry to an important juried exhibition), while family & others are pressuring him to give it up and pursue a convention route of business/law (?) school, which also has a looming deadline for registration. Unlikely mentors help him to recover his creative drive and confirm him in his artistic vocation, and find new love.
I. A. DENIAL. (“All the time in the world.”)
B. Action. Moving through morning like he has all eternity to heal his soul and completing his masterwork He indulges in luxury of solitude, music, beautiful surrounding,
C. Challenge. He needs to heal enough to awaken his creative flow.
Weakness. Easily distracted, procrastinator, and indulges in doodlings and trivialities.
II. A. ANGER (None of you F@#$%ing business what I do!)
B. Action. Thrust out of the cocoon into the small-town world, he is confronted by well-meaning friends, acquaintances and his ex-fiancee about what he is going to do (which was central problem in their relationship, too.) He lashes out at her, accusing her of all kinds of bad intentions and bad behaviour and tries to beat up her male companion (gets himself knocked in the jaw, and falls into a puddle at the curb). Nearly drives his car off a cliff into a massive quarry.
C. Challenge: Answer with commitment and confidence the path he will take.
Weakness: His self-doubt about his ability to succeed makes him more attracted to and envious of the saccharine charms, suffocating comforts, and entitled certainties of conventional mall town life that he once spurned.
III. A. BARGAINING. (I’m no one special; I’m just like anyone else.)
B. Returning to home to find the workmen lounging in the garden. He is apologetic and hospitable and makes friends with them. Talks away the pressure of his situation but talks away the hours that could be used to address the situation. They get drunk, they play games, they enjoy the day–all part of his creative process (or so he tells himself). But he also begins to talk about his art–shows them his work, gives demonstrations of his astonishing skill, and also recounts therapeutically the love and loss of his fiancee.
C. Challenge. It does open his creativity and he realizes that pursuing a vocation as a professional artist is the thing he must do and wants to do.
Weakness. He is scared. Realizes the thing holding him back is the frightening solitary effort each painting requires if he is to make it “true art” and the one he must do immediately will requiire him to unlock demons. And he just wants — on one level — to have a pleasant evening, an unharried life.
IV. A. DEPRESSION. (It can’t be done. I am insufficient and time has gone.)
B. Action. Left alone, drunk, stoned, staring at the trees. The day has passed like a dream. He floats in a pool surrendered. But in this state, begins to see visions, and sees the play of light and shade and wind on the trees and clouds, leading to visions of the woman (the subject of the painting). These only confuse him and suggest unattainable effects for painting.
C. Challenge. He is seeing new approach and style and effects that would make the painting exciting to create and exciting to view.
Weakness. He fears he doesn’t have the skill or creative power to achieve this new vision; he is merely a childish dreamer and dilletante who can’t do the real work of creation.
V. A. ACCEPTANCE. (It will be what it will be and the “career” or “laurels” don’t matter.)
B. Huge storm blows up, forcing him to shelter in his studio, knocking out power–so no lights to read by, no television or videos or radio to distract. He must confront the painting by candelight as the hurricane batters the glass walls of the studio. These circumstances draw him into a communion and argumentative communication with the painting. He is no longer seeing it as the “pretty” portrait. He fights with his emotions, with her memory, with the changing light, with diminishing supplies and paints, forcing him to improvise, abandon his tricks and preconceived notions.
C. Challenge. The visions, and emotional riot, and supply shortage force him to improvise, and allow him to pursue a radical approach with bold technigques (including collage, found objects, etc),
Weakness. His default, comfort zone has been meticulous and beautiful paintings that are conventional and pleasing. He struggling to give birth to an authentic self expression on the canvas. The ex-fiancee may not be flattered.
THIS GET THE PAINTING DONE. PROBLEM: It does not encompass the final act; a resolution of the painting and the juried art show.
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JD’s Three Gradients
What I learned doing this assignment is that thinking about gradients in this way, is a good way to start outlining a new script. It made me think portions of the script I had not considered, yet.
The Desired Change emotional gradient:
Excitement:
Action: Jake gets a treasure map for a sunken treasure. Later, hears a legend about evil sirens who rule the water around the alleged treasure.
Challenge: Jake has to trust a new partner, Calisto.
Weakness: Always works alone, but sets the rule aside because of his greed.
Doubt:
Action: Jake loves the water, but has only snorkeled in the past. He has never had to dive using tanks. He begins to get cold feet. He thinks he sees a mermaid while doing a practice dive.
Challenge: Learn to scuba dive.
Weaknesses: Does not trust his partner. Does not trust his diving gear. Fear of drowning. Thinks his fear is clouding his thoughts and giving him hallucinations.
Hope:
Action: Jake gets better at scuba diving. Finds an artifact that proves he is close to finding the treasure. Meets Lana, the mermaid. Falls in love.
Challenges: How to recover the treasure and keep it all for himself.
Weaknesses: Selfishness and mistrust are making Jake paranoid.
Discouragement:
Action: Lana discovers what Jake is actually doing. Explains it is her home. Explains the danger if the public finds out about her or the treasure. Jake tries to buy time to conceal Lana and the treasure from Calisto.
Challenges: Hide treasure and Lana from Calisto and others. Still thinking he can finesse the treasure away from Lana.
Weaknesses: Jake never loved someone like this before — especially above treasure. His desires are at direct odds.
Courage:
Action: Jake comes up with a new plan to keep Calisto from finding the treasure and Lana. This could be a life or death situation.
Challenges: Give up the treasure. Say goodbye to Lana.
Weaknesses: Jake’s love for Lana is putting him in unfamiliar territory which becomes risky for his life.
Triumph:
Action: Jake cons Calisto into leaving without the treasure.
Challenges: It needs to be a convincing con so that Calisto never comes back.
Weaknesses: Jake is coming to terms with his new sense of compassion.
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Patrick Murphy
Day 5 — The Three GradientsWhat I learned from this assignment:
There are a lot more details in this emotional journey than I had been paying attention to. Breaking it down like this has given a richer texture to the emotions. Their seems to be an overlap between the elements. Also it was helpful to think about the difference between the Forced Change and the Desired Change.The Forced Change Emotional Gradient
DENIAL
1. Emotion —a. Refusal to believe it’s happening. Isn’t that bad.
2. Action —
Try to act tough. Up to the challenge.
Must look good.
Must not seem weak.
3. Challenge / Weakness
a. Pain, beatings
b. Humiliation,
c. Betrayal (spied upon/dossier) revelations from others d. Hidden truths uncoveredANGER
Emotion —
a. Why are they doing this to me?
b. Why am I letting this happen to me?Action —
a. Who do they think they are?
b. To what do I deserve this?
c. How do they know all this about me.
d. Why did (whomever) betray my confidence?Challenge/ Weakness
a. How can I stand this much longer? b. I am going to look like less of a man.BARGAINING
1. Emotion —a. Fear of the pain. Fear of not being able to stand up to it.
Action —
Act Tough
admit only as much truth as you can get away with.
Pretend to be honest as can be
Plead innocence.
Just enough to not feel humiliated in front of the others.
Anything to stop the pain.
Challenge/ Weakness
a. How can I stand this anymore? b. Humiliation.
ACCEPTANCE
Emotion —
Letting go
Forget it.
Action
Okay. What the hell
I am a bad person
I have committed so much indiscretion.
Help me please to repent.
Challenge /Weakness
No choice
I must give up
No more ego or resistance left
Who cares anymore
I am done.
Relief when you’re declared done, through, past the chalice.
Willing, even excited to participate in the breaking down of others.
To do as you are told.
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Chhimed Drolma’s Three Gradients
WHAT I LEARNED
This assignment helped me determine all the individual ways a character can go through trials, ways to bring her emotions and growth to the surface, and how much better this is than writing a meandering story with no idea where to take it.
EMOTIONAL GRADIENT I’LL USE
Desired Change
EACH GRADIENT’S EMOTIONS
Emotion: Excitement
Action: A.V. sees a kid who looks just like her and drops everything to find her.
Challenge: Blowing off an important job and payment for her crew to find the kid.
Weakness: Obsession.
Emotion: Doubt
Action: Tries to find her and can’t.
Challenge: Getting through a mob safehouse to hopefully find her or discover where she is.
Weakness: Panic and PTSD showing up in missing shots and losing focus.
Emotion: Hope
Action: A.V. finds the girl, the girl’s grandmother and her own cousin – much more than she could have imagined.
Challenge: Wading through all the cultural, historical, familial stories
Weakness: Naivete – willing to believe anything from anyone if it will give her a family.
Emotion: Discouragement
Action: A.V.’s newly found cousin betrays her to those who killed their people and she must move forward and function while being hunted.
Challenge: Struggling to evade capture, to protect the girl and her grandmother.
Weakness: Denial, loss of trust, demoralization, back into survival mode.
Emotion: Courage
Action: A.V. goes after and tries to kill the people who killed her birth family.
Challenge: A.V. is instead convinced by the girl to try restorative justice.
Weakness: Blind rage, vengeance.
Emotion: Triumph…or Loss
Action: A.V.’s crew now knows everything about her and she struggles to exist in this new reality.
Challenge: Becoming okay with people truly knowing her.
Weakness: Loss of the tight control A.V. thought she had over how everyone perceived her – experienced by A.V. as a loss, but experienced by all who know and love her as a triumph.
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BRENDA BODDY. Three Gradients.
What I learned doing this assignment: This was very difficult. My story didn’t follow the gradients well and had some gradients from the other model. Some gradients repeated in different places and some were completely out of order. I can see that this will help the story arc, but my story isn’t there yet.
The forced change is the emotional gradient I used.
SET UP: Karma is having ‘incidents’ and ‘dreams’ that make her doubt her sanity. She is just beginning a romance with the neighbor and takes care of her invalid nana.
Actions: Hades’s daughter attacks Karma.
Weakness: She doesn’t know who she is. Challenge: To accept that she has powers.
Action: Karma is whisked to meet her father, Zeus. She is sent off to practice with Kit (mentor), a magical white lion.
DENIAL: Karma doesn’t believe she has power.
Weakness: Karma can’t do the ‘things’ her father can. And she’s sloppy and inept with the powers she’s able to access. Challenge: To Believe.
ANGER:??
Action: Zeus and Poseidon task Karma with getting to their Godstones before Thamia.
DOUBT: She reluctantly agrees, feeling like they have the wrong goddess for the job.
Weakness: Karma is learning to change inanimate objects, but she’s still unable to create the type of power that Zeus has. She thinks she may not have inherited as much as he believes. Challenge: To believe.
Action: Karma can change inanimate objects. She thinks this could be all the power she has.
BARGAINING: Karma thinks that she only inherited a portion of Zeus power. She wants to summon or carry an object with her. She could then change it into whatever weapon she needs.
Weakness: The obstacles Karma meets are increasingly difficult, but Karma still hasn’t mastered the total power she needs to protect creation. Challenge: To believe.
Action: Karma’s nana dies during a raid by Thamia’s minions.
DEPRESSION: Karma feels it’s her fault that she didn’t stay closer to her nana.
Weakness: Karma feels Thamia is stronger than her. Challenge: To find Thamia and stop her increase of power.
COURAGE: Karma believes Thamia is stronger but is willing to go after her anyway.
Action: Thamia attacks Karma. With the help of her father and neighbor, they run Thamia off.
Action: Thamia is able to kidnap the neighbor girl. When Karma, Sobin, and Zeus go to save her…Zeus and Karma are caught and beaten up also.
ACCEPTANCE: Karma uses Poseidon’s Godstone to stop Thamia.
Weakness: She can’t save the people she loves. Challenge: To believe she is a goddess.
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Tom’s Three Gradients
I am playing around with the idea of combining the desire change and forced change gradients based on the nature of the story. Other than “excitement” the journey of the transformable character fits both stories.
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