Lesson 6

[RAMSEY ANDERSON]

Ramsey’s Delivering Multiple Layers!

(I don’t have access to the audio recording so I’m not sure what I’m missing. It would be worthwhile to have Support reply with assistance)

Learned: Twists / Reveals don’t always work. I enter the arena with extreme caution.

I think NOPE has an example at the end when the alien turns to a ‘butterfly’ – that bumped me and turned me off on the movie. USUAL SUSPECTS on the other hand did a fantastic job of setting up the chess pieces for the final reveal. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK set up the ark’s power perfectly so we were ready for the big reveal at the end when we see it destroy the Nazis.

1. Brainstorm potential plot layers.

<div>Major scheme revealed:</div><div>

Surface Layer: Two men fight in a moving semi-trailer.

Beneath That: Seth and Tristan live-stream the video of the fighters.

Beneath That: A gambler pays for a weapon.

How Revealed: The weapon drops inside the trailer and is used by one of the fighters.

Mystery revealed:

Surface Layer: Seth is the boss and Tristan is his bullied assistant.

Beneath That: Tristan connects with a criminal boss and finds their contact info.

How Revealed: Tristan meets with the criminal ring after Seth is killed at the end and continues the enterprise as the Big Boss.

Thought it was one thing, but it is another:

Surface Layer: Two men fight to the death

Beneath That: Drew and Felix are kidnapped.

How Revealed: Seth tells Drew and Felix they will have to fight to survive.

</div>

3. Brainstorm potential location layers.

<div>Hidden operation: Inside an abandoned warehouse is a state-of-the-art live-stream video room plus dozens of containers that hold hostages.
</div><div> Surface Layer: Seth and Tristan operate the live-stream in a video room.</div><div>

Beneath That: Inside an abandoned warehouse are dozens of shipping containers. Inside a container is Drew and Felix.

How Revealed: Seth at the warehouse enters the video room and catches Tristan talking to a criminal boss.

</div>

[H. Vince]

Subject: H. Vince Delivering Multiple Layers!

Contained – 2023

Lesson 6: Layers That Fascinate Us

What I learned from doing this assignment is…

These characters are either assholes or weak on the surface haha. Are those mostly the people that get stuck in these situations??

Tell us about the layers you’ve chosen. Use this format with each of them:

PLOT LAYERS

Surface Layer: Podcast with opposite views

Beneath That: Head podcaster and guest both have selfish motives

How Revealed: Grid shutdown forces them to stay, truths come out

CHARACTER LAYERS

PODCASTER 1: TRU

Surface Layer: Tough, thinks she has all the answers

Beneath That: Not that interested in unity

Beneath That: Scared, wants to be cared for

How Revealed: The Grid Shutdown proves she is ill-prepared for such
a situation causing her to breakdown

PODCASTER 2: JENN

Surface Layer: Part of a podcasting duo but with less of her own input

Beneath That: Having a relationship with the producer

Beneath That: Working on her own podcast

How Revealed: The live podcast and Tru’s tone towards her causes Jenn
to let loose

PODCASTER GUEST: PAUL

Surface Layer: Podcast guest to show people with opposite views can reach
out across the aisle and respect each other

Beneath That: Thought it was useless to try and unify

How Revealed: He took a bet to go out there

LOCATION LAYERS

Surface Layer: Remote Home/Studio in the Desert

Beneath That: Chosen by Tru to stay at for a festival that ended before Paul arrived

Beneath That: Wanted to stay another day as a getaway

Beneath That: Unequipped to survive after a few days

How Revealed: Grid shutdown and no housekeeper arriving and no
AirBnB/VrBO owner contact and lack of supplies

[Aurora AURORA Harris HARRIS]

Aurora’s Delivering Multiple Layers.

I learned that not only people and plots but locations can have deeper meanings.

Plot
layers.

A. Who killed Sejanus’ newly appointed Official during Philip’s foot race around the Acropolis? Suspicion is cast on Theo and Philip, as Philip, a slave has been the victim of racial abuse, including by the race Official.

Major
scheme revealed:
Sejanus & Atticus plan a purge of Tiberius loyalists (like Theo), and
find it convenient to blame the Jews for various murders.
Mystery
revealed: The murder weapon found at the scene was
an Iberian dagger, a defunct weapon previously issued to ranking Roman
soldiers. Theo had inherited one from his father, but it is now
missing.
Thought
it was one thing, but it is another:
Theo discovers Philip had “loaned” his dagger to Jewish rebels in
Rome, and suspiciously they are
refusing to return it to him.
Major
shift in Meaning:
Once Theo gets to Palestine to
begin his assignment investigating Jewish rebels, he is placed under house
in a remote area, away from the big cities. He then suspects that Sejanus really just
wanted him out of Rome, and did not really want to locate a specific Jewish rebel
Hidden
history:
Theo is technically Jewish since his mother was secretly Jewish. He
definitely sympathizes with his Jewish household slaves, yet because he is
loyal to Tiberius he is put in charge of a mission to uncover a mysterious
Jewish rebel leader prophecize to .
Hidden
plan:
Constantinious, Theo’s
“loyal”retainer, a “Causarius” discharged for wounds, is jealous of Philip’s
relationship with Theo and wants him out of the way.

Character
layers.

B. JACOB BAR ABBAS- a Levite, who is a wealthy Temple Merchant

Secret
identity–
he’s a violent robber, thief and rebel organizer
Intrigue
layers–
Jacob befriends Theo and pretends to “help” him in his investigation,
directing him into HEROD ANTIPAS jurisdiction in Galillee and away from
Jerusalem.
Hidden
relationships and conspiracies– He’s a cousin of JUDAS ISCARIOT ,
and SIMON, his sidekick, is JUDAS’ dad.
He is an associate of HEROD ANTIPAS and was instrumental in getting
Theo placed under house arrest. He attempts to subvert Philip and poison
that give Philip as “medicine”, is taken by Philip instead and Philip
almost dies. He attacks Theo in a remote area and leaves him for dead.
Hidden
Character history– He is
related to Judas of Galillee, and those relatives were all killed by
Romans for rebellious activities.

C. MARCUS JULIUS AGRIPPA- a penurious but entitled, young Jewish prince

Secret identity- he’s a pretender to the throne of his grandfather HEROD THE GREAT. He is jealous
of his sister’s husband and his
uncle HEROD ANTIPAS who is ruler of
a third of the territory.

Intrigue layers – He encourages ANTIPAS to kill John the Baptist with
the pretense it will squash opposition, but the populace is angered since John was
popular. He encourages ANTIPAS to take excessive military action in
Samaria, destroying Mt. Gerizim and killing many people, an action that
stirs up the Samaritans and later gets ANTIPAS removed from this position
by the Romans.

Hidden relationships and
conspiracies- He has many friends back in
Rome where he grew up in the Imperial court before falling from grace with
Tiberius after Tiberius’ son was killed. He learns of Sejanus’ treachery
from Theo and passes it on to
Antonia, the sister in law of Tiberius, who has been isolated on Capri by
Sejanus.

Hidden Character history : he learned to be ruthless from his grandfather HEROD
THE GREAT, who murdered Marcus’ grandmother, father and then mother. HEROD sent Marcus and his siblings to
Rome to be educated and they were taken into the Imperial court. Kicked
out following the death of his friend, Drusus, (Tiberius son) he racked up
a lot of debt in Palestine, attempting to “keep up his lifestyle”. He was embittered and entitled and filled
with rage.

3. Location layers. The large “resort” villa in Galilee where Theo is kept under house arrest.

Hidden
operation-it
was set up by the Sanhedrin as a place to spy 1) on the religious scholars
(Pharisees) of Jerusalem when they went on retreat 2) Roman officials
visiting the area.
Deeper
meaning–
Luke, a Greek who runs the hostelry, has his own agenda, he is angry about
the pressure from his father to practice medicine and seeks to do his own
research there into religions.
Beneath
that– the villa and grounds were once a
vineyard run by disloyal tenants who killed landowner’s son when he came
to collect the rent.
Trap
to draw prey–
it is a remote vacation spot, off grid.
Unique
sub-world–
travelers, scholars, spies and rebels come there to let their hair down.

[Gustavo Cosenza]

Gustavo’s Delivering Multiple Layers!

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s easier to put together the ideas using these techniques and see the structure from above.

LOCATION LAYER

Surface Layer: Our main characters get trapped in a prison vehicle.

Beneath That: It’s controlled by a revolutionary militia led by Rich

How Revealed: After Rich tries to manipulate them into joining the revolution, he reveals he is the leader and needs them to kill the president and his board.

PLOT LAYER

Surface Layer: Dan and Victoria follow through with the plan and join the revolution

Beneath That: AFter they carry out the freedom cleansing, Dan and Victoria decide to kill Rich

How Revealed: At the end, Rich reveals he is the true successor, but he has already ingested the organisms, and he dies

CHARACTER LAYER

Surface Layer: David is a close advisor to the secretary of state

Beneath That: David is part of the Revolution party

How Revealed: He saves “traitors” from being killed and then helps kill the higher up

PLOT LAYER

Surface Layer: Dan has been looking for his lost brother who immigrated to another country for years

Beneath That: Dan had to disappear and have a new name so he could join the revolution and help from the inside of the government

How Revealed: Dan and David see each other at the government palace and recognize the birthmark on their neck they both have

CHARACTER LAYER:

Surface Layer: Dan wants to escape his country

Beneath That: He needs to go and be sure his brother is not alive where he last had communication with him

How Revealed: Dan decides to leave Victoria and continue his way.

CHARACTER LAYER:

Surface Layer: Victoria is convinced she has to escape her country to find a new life elsewhere

Beneath That: She has always wanted to revenge on her parents and join the Revolution party

How Revealed: She joins the revolution

PLAT LAYER

Surface Layer: They discovered an amazing organism capable of unique things, that is found uniquely in one place in the middle of the forest. They decide to scrap the project and destroy evidence. Dan thinks it’s too risky for humans to find out about this. Victoria kept one paper on the research

Beneath That: The organism is capable of killing a human if ingested, if it gets out, it could potentially destroy humanity

How Revealed: Rich needs this organism to kill the high-ups from the government that are destroying the country but at the same time there is a high risk of global contamination

CHARACTER LAYER:

Surface Layer: Rich is an immigrant that got caught but then reveals he is the leader of the revolution and needs their help

Beneath That: He secretly prepared everything for him to be the next president

How Revealed: After the kill, he sits in the president’s chair and looks at everyone, Victoria and Dan smile as he slowly starts having a heart attack.

[Tom Wilson]

Tom’s Delivers Multiple Layers!

Doing this assignment, I find it’s fun to create surprises under each surface.

POTENTIAL PLOT LAYERS:

The Coast Guard inspection certificate is a forgery. The boat isn’t safe.

SURFACE LAYER: Inspection certificate.

BENEATH THAT: Certificate has typos.

HOW REVEALED: Captain spots a typo on the fake certificate.

POTENTIAL SURFACE LAYERS:

Three people wake up in a rescue boat moving across the open ocean.

SURFACE LAYER: Boat seems to move along self-powered .

BENEATH THAT: A submersible uses a cable to pull the boat from under the water.

HOW REVEALED: Elaine spots the cable. Looks closer. Sees the submersible.

POTENTIAL CHARACTER LAYERS:

One night a man beats up an old homeless woman.

SURFACE LAYER: The man wears a detective badge.

BENEATH THAT: Tape on the badge covers up the word “Retired.”

HOW REVEALED: The woman slugs the man. Pulls the tape off his badge.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by  Tom Wilson.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by  Tom Wilson.

[Thomas Doran]

Assignment 6

Tom’s Delivering Multiple Layers

What I learned doing this assignment is that brainstorming multiple times can lead to hidden secrets and agendas that the characters will not reveal to one another, unless under extreme pressure.

Brainstorm potential plot layers.

Surface layer– Alex, an ER physician, picks up Kris, an ER physician’s assistant, in a snowstorm, because they’re both on call and have been requested to work at an over crowded ER that’s short staffed.

Beneath That: They are unprepared for getting stranded for a long period of time in the SUV.

Alex started the journey with a fairly low charge, due to a power outage.

Alex failed to resupply his glove box with energy bars.

Kris failed to bring an extra dosage of insulin.

The flares failed to work because his matches get wet.

Alex failed to bring blankets and other warm clothing.

Beneath that:

Alex drives reckless, loses control, slides and gets stuck in a snowbank, after getting disoriented and lost in the blizzard.

How Revealed :

Alex spins his tires, but goes nowhere.

Kris checks Alex glove box for energy bars. She calls him out when she can’t find any. When they get stuck in the snowbank, Alex continues to gun it, spins his back wheels. Eventually his SUV runs out of power.

2. Brainstorm potential character layers.

Secret identity
Intrigue layers
Hidden relationships and conspiraciesHidden Character history

Alex: Pretends to be altruistic, but in reality feels inferior and a fraud, compared to his father who was a distinguished physician in the department and mostly got Alex his position through internal politics.

How Revealed: Kris questions Alex as to why he always feels that he has to be the hero in each situation. She chides him for putting his own heroic beliefs over the safety of others. Alex explains that his father would want nothing else and then reveals his relationship with his dad.

Alex: likes a nurse in the ER and knows that she’s working on that night. Kris suspects his attraction to the nurse, but they haven’t spoken about it.

Alex is lost – they un expectantly get caught in a snowbank.

Kris: is actually pregnant with Alex’s baby and is forced to reveal it when he pressures her to leave the vehicle to search for help.

How Revealed: Alex pressure Kris over and over to leave the vehicle with him; she reveals that she not only has to take care of herself, but also her unborn baby.

Alex denies that he could be the father, but Kris reminds him of when they were both drinking too much and went too far at her apartment.

3. Brainstorm potential location layers.

Alex and Kris become lost in the blinding storm and then they un expectantly get caught in a snowbank.

Deeper meaning – spinning his wheels, once they are stuck in the snowbank, only leads to draining the power of the SUV, until the car goes dead.
Trap to draw prey – Alex and Kris are trapped in their car, susceptible to freezing temperatures and wild animals.

4. Tell us about the layers you’ve chosen. Use this format with each of them:

Surface Layer: Alex drives his SUV into a snowbank, during a raging blizzard, and gets them stuck.

Beneath That: When Alex pressures Kris to leave the SUV with him, she reveals that she’s pregnant with his child and that she’s low on her insulin.

How Revealed: Constant and relentless pressure from Alex for her to leave the vehicle.

[Bent Hanlen]

Bent is delivering multiple layers!!

what I learned doing this assignment is this……. It is becoming interesting and incorporating interest techniques will make it all a top script. These layers bring in depth that will gain me positive reviews.

1. Brainstorm potential plot layers.

Major scheme revealed – General Manager wants to fire and rehire everyone at a lower pay rate.

Mystery revealed – The reoccuring guest Mr Axel is giving negative reviews online.

Thought it was one thing, but it is another – Front Desk Chris is jealous that Ron might end up being a famous dancer.

Major shift in Meaning

Hidden history – Betsy lost her parents which was her family in her youth. These guys make up for her loss of a family. They are the brothers she never had.

Hidden plan

2. Brainstorm potential character layers.

SCOTT

Secret identity – micromanager. He wants to hire and fire continuously.

Intrigue layers – thinks of himself and puts employees last.

Hidden relationships and conspiracies – Shorts employees on their paychecks to get a fatter end of year bonus

Hidden Character history – has held previous hotel jobs where he caused trouble.

RON

Secret identity – a really good dancer and no one knows he’s that good.

Intrigue layers – falls in love with front desk woman.

Hidden relationships and conspiracies – Loves his work family so he has the fear of starting over in the dance world. He doesn’t want to leave them.

Hidden Character history – He has auditioned before and failed.

3. Brainstorm potential location layers.

Hidden operation – Caters to horrible guests with toxic history

Deeper meaning – degenerate clientele. The worse of people.

Trap to draw prey – People know what they do at the hotel is never revealed to the public.

Unique sub-world

4. Tell us about the layers you’ve chosen. Use this format with each of them:

Surface Layer – The outside brightness, the beauty of the hotel.

:Beneath That: a horrible place with employees who are financially stuck.

How Revealed: They discuss how they all have no future. Michael plays lottery tickets hoping for an out. Ron dreams of dancing hoping to get out.

[Robert Barhite]

Bob’s Delivering Multiple Layers!

What I learned doing this assignment is… that by discovering multiple layers I found different directions the story can go. There’s potential to be a story like “The Sting.” There’s a possibility of being a straight-up action thriller. I still like the original idea of a supernatural thriller, but not as much as when I started working on it. Right now I see it moving towards a mystery like “And Then There Were None” and lose the supernatural stuff.

ASSIGNMENT

1. Brainstorm potential plot layers.

Surface Layer: The bar is being used as an emergency shelter from an impending hurricane.

Beneath That: The basement is a money laundering facility.

How Revealed: The Husband and the Wife watch as the Bartender and Sheriff fill duffel bags with money.

2. Brainstorm potential character layers.

Surface Layer: The Husband and Wife are brother and sister.

Beneath That: They each plan to double cross each other.

How Revealed: The Wife and the Husband kill each other.

3. Brainstorm potential location layers.

Surface Layer: The bar is a cover for money laundering.

Beneath That: The Bartender is an FBI informant and it’s a sting operation.

How Revealed: The FBI sting is a double cross
set up by the Bartender and the Sheriff

[Martha Manuel]

Subject Line: Martha’s Delivering Multiple Layers!

What I learned doing this assignment is: how much easier it is if you use a basic outline without a lot of names, etc. I wasn’t satisfied with the names I was using and kept changing them causing a lot of wasted time.

ASSIGNMENT

1. Brainstorm potential plot layers.

a. Major scheme revealed: Two tired and hungry escaped convicts decide to rob a small rural country store in the middle of nowhere.

b. Mystery revealed: Store contains little cash and convicts, contrary to popular belief, know little about robbing a store.

c. Thought it was one thing, but it is another: There may be little in the cash register, but major cash elsewhere.

d. Major shift in meaning: When hurricane hits, robbery converts from “stealing” to “surviving.”

e. Hidden history: Owner of store has been hiding money systematically since before his wife died.

f. Hidden plan: Owner will try to avert attention to his hidden money during hurricane

and hope no one will pursue it afterwards.

2. Brainstorm potential character layers:

STORE OWNER –

a. Secret identity: Robbers unaware that the sixty-eight year old clerk in the store who says he doesn’t know combination to small safe downstairs is also the owner.

b. Intrigue layers: fearing for their safety he does not tell convicts trying to rob store that woman in store is his daughter and man is his grandson.

c. Hidden relationships and conspiracies: has rocky relationship with daughter, falsely tells her they can barely make ends meet so she will not leave him and take his grandson.

d. Hidden character history: was cruel to his wife before her death; thinks she may have been hiding money from him; after her death he continues to search for money.

MIDDLE-AGE WOMAN

a. Secret identity: daughter of store owner, mother to 26-year-old mentally challenged son also in store.

b. Intrigue layers: has college degree; graduated with honors; secretly longs for fulfillment; longs for more meaning to her life.

c. Hidden relationships and conspiracies: attractive middle-aged woman who feels no need to embellish her assets; lives in rural area of parish; is caregiver for her 26-year- old son; seldom sees anyone new; prefers the plain look since she has no time for anything else; secretly plans to find way out of current situation.

d. Hidden character history: first marriage was a disaster; husband left her after son’s accident; father has never fully supported her in anything; she no longer trusts men.

SON OF WOMAN ABOVE

a. Secret identity: 26-year-old mentally challenged son of woman above.

b. Intrigue layers: has incredible abilities to remember things he has seen.

c. Hidden relationships and conspiracies: grandfather tells him he must never reveal to anyone about the money he has upstairs; it is their secret.

d. Hidden character history: remembers when his father left; asks mother if grandfather will also leave; helps clean store while mother is at work; sweet man but limited with what he can do; talks incessantly.

ROBBER #1

a. Secret identity: 29-year-old recent escapee from Angola State Prison

b. Intrigue layers: convicted of break-in and robbery and conspiracy to commit murder; suffers from claustrophobia, fears going back to prison setting; instigator of current prison break with Robber #2.

c. Hidden relationships and conspiracies: has no close friends except Robber #2; girlfriend left him when he went to jail; goal is to keep running – probably all his life.

d. Hidden character history: father died in jail; mother alcoholic and drug addict; no role models in his life or relatives that want him; thinks he has nothing to live for; doesn’t care if he lives or dies.

ROBBER #2

a. Secret identity: 18-year-old recent escapee from Angola State Prison with convict above; convicted of break-in, robbery, and murder.

b. Intrigue layers: considers loyalty a priority; never told anyone he was not responsible for the murder he was convicted of (it was convict above).

c. Hidden relationships and conspiracies: has the tough guy persona; tries to be like Robber #1, but when his friend gets too rough with the woman and her son he can no longer follow his lead.

d. Hidden character history: parents died in automobile accident when he was only six; tossed from one foster home to another; learned to be tough to survive.

3. Brainstorm potential location layers

a. Hidden operation: Quiet, small rural country store located at the end of a dirt road.

b. Deeper meaning: Unprepared for major approaching hurricane; unprepared for two escaped convicts that come to rob the store.

c. Trap to draw prey: Robbers unaware of hurricane brewing.

d. Unique sub-world: Robbers and people in store all fear different aspect of hurricane.

4. Tell about layers chosen

a. Surface layer: small country store in the middle of nowhere.

b. Beneath that: becomes confined encampment for all inside.

c. How revealed: when hurricane hits