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Lesson 7
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David Wickenden — Showing Empathy/Distress
Assignment 1
Mr. Robot
· Undeserved misfortune
o Elliot was abused by his mother.
o He lost his father.
o Suffers from Mental Health Issues.
o Extremely Lonely.
· External Character conflicts
o Loss of Shayla.
· Plot intruding on life
o Elliot’s plans to take down ECorps.
· Moral Dilemmas
o Drug addiction.
o Hacking although illegal will stop ECorps from hurting others.
· Forced decisions they’d never make.
o Mr. Robot pushes Elliot to continue with plan to hurt ECorps.
Assignment 2
· Undeserved misfortune
o Janice molested as a child.
o Laura’s sister committing suicide because of date rape.
o Children and families affected by child abusers.
· External Character conflicts
o Laura deals with First Responder suicides due to child sex crimes.
o Laura’s decision to start a crusade affects her best friend, Janice.
· Plot intruding on life
o Janice is busy chasing St. Chris’ killer but is assigned to Task Force by superiors.
o Laura needs to escape country, but Janice is captured by Gilmour.
· Moral Dilemmas
o Janice decides to take the law into her own hands and kill child abusers.
o Will Janice follow the rule of the law or turn a blind eye to Laura’s escape?
o Will Forbes follow the Minister’s order to kill Laura.
· Forced decisions they’d never make
o Janice knows Laura is the killer, but tries to convince her to turn herself in before she is killed by police.
o Laura has beaten Gilmour in a drag-down fight and knows the man will never stop trying to get to her, especially through Janice. She lets him live, only for Janice’s sake.
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Assignment One: Game of Thrones
Big Picture Empathy/Distress
Mostly undeserved misfortune for Ned Stark. Upon the death of his king, after being given the title “Protector of the Realm”, Cersei tears up the order and orders that Ned be taken.
Looking at Jon Snow, worked very, very hard to be a Ranger, only to be passed over and relegated to the duties of Steward.
Detail Empathy/Distress
Detail oriented would be Daenerys being the target of an assassin’s attempt to poison her. Piled on top of the death of her brother earlier, by molten gold on this head.
Jon Snow being relegated to cleaning the tables in the dining hall.
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Assignment Two:
Angels of Vengeance’s Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment will help immensely in the characters, as this will flesh out the characters and their journey.
A: Undeserved misfortune.
Dan – The murder of his beloved niece, followed by the murder of a fellow police officer.
Brianna – Her murder by a serial killer, yet she remains earth-bound until the killer is brought to justice, so she stays in the show as a ghost/spirit.
B: External Character conflicts:
Dan – a relationship with the Fury Megaera puts him in multiple situations of choosing between his relationship or being a cop.
Megaera – This ruthless goddess of revenge falling in love with a mortal – how this both infuriates Megaera and puts her into a dangerous situation with the demon Sorath.
C: Plot intruding on life
Dan – Death of his niece, meeting Megaera turns his life upside down.
Megaera – Falling for the mortal just when the demon Sorath makes his move against the Underworld might cause the loss of her sisters and mother, Gaia.
D: Moral dilemmas
Dan – Discovery of goddesses, in his own town, makes Dan rethink his attitude towards religion and the existence of “mythical beings”, not to mention knowledge that the Furies are supernatural vigilantes – versus his oath as a police officer.
E: Forced decisions they’d never make
Dan – His trip into the dangers of the Underworld to rescue Megaera
Megaera – Faced with being a mother after tens of thousands of years as an immortal goddess.
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AG’s Show: 7. Empathy/Distress
ASSIGNMENT 1: Unorthodox
What I learned from Assignment 1: Building empathy and distress are major goals in writing drama, especially binge-worthy drama.
Big Picture Empathy/Distress:
Community needs babies to replace 6 million killed in Holocaust
Coercive control by the community
Sense of pressure to obey rules or suffer consequences.
Sense that everyone must conform to tradition and rabbi’s dictates.
Detail-Oriented Empathy/Distress
Grandmother makes Esty feel bad as an “orphan” and hangs up on Esty.
Sense of Esty’s fear and sense of liberation when able to trust and let the wig go.
Community’s coercive control in Esty’s decisions about marriage
Grandfather’s meanness toward his tenant, the kind piano teacher
Moishe is offered a new beginning if he brings Esty back.
Moishe brought a gun
Moishe sets Yanky up for sex at brothel
The history of legal coercion against Esty’s mother.
ASSIGNMENT 2: ABOVE US ONLY SKY
What I learned from Assignment 2: I need to return to this question and dig deeper into potential areas for empathy and distress in numerous characters. This search is central as I go forward.
1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make because of the main conflict of this series.
Just ask: “Knowing the concept, what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”
A. Undeserved misfortune.Phil: Fiscal collapse of NYC in 1974,
Phil’s cancer diagnosis in 2005Anne: arthritic hip
B. External Character conflicts.
Phil: Anne’s pressure;
CUANDO membersAnne: Mator’s forensic audit
C. Plot intruding on life.
Phil: CUANDO takeover of church
Anne: opposition from Victor, Domenic, lawyers, Tassoni, Teresa, governor freezes funds
D. Moral dilemmas.
Phil: Admitting CUANDO members to programAnne: staff steals from church
Both: How can we harm people by telling them pastors no longer believe in God?
E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
Phil: supporting Joe at court
Anne: giving a no-bid contract
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Module 1 –Lesson 7: Empathy/Distress: The Binge Worthy Drug! – Assignment
Mike – Show Empathy & Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is how you draw your audience into the show, hook them through their emotions, not just the plot or gimmicky visuals. Your audience must identify, understand, and be able to ‘feel’ why your characters do what they do and what prompted/forced/ made them do it. Loved the validation that my “good guys” can do bad things for the right reasons or even misguided reasons. 🙂
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ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make because of the main conflict of this series.
MAIN CONFLICT: War with Supernatural Creatures for Mankind’s Existence is coming… There are On-going Supernatural sub-conflicts:
SUB CONFLICTS: (1) Riders warring with Gunslingers; (2) Feeders leaving Shangra-La for Earth (3) Danyak, an immortal, trying to enslave earth; (4) Council of Elders’ political infighting and refusal to face the impending war with the Necromancers puts their realm at risk.
Question to ask: Knowing the concept(s), what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?
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A. Undeserved Misfortune = Undeserved misfortune causes the audience to feel deep sympathy for the character. Often, this will be the start of the journey for your guy.
Question to Ask. What misfortune can arise out of this story that the character doesn’t deserve? What are some of the worst things that could happen to them?
A. Undeserved misfortune –
(1) Kidnapped and nearly killed in the resulting car accident, Caleb ends up in ICU.
(2) Caleb’s girlfriend is murdered
(3) FBI and Homeland Security launch a nationwide manhunt for Caleb.
(4) Forced to leave school, his home, his life and girlfriend, Caleb must flee.
(5) His father’s cabin, Caleb’s childhood ‘place’ is blown up by the US Gov.
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B. External Character Conflicts = can be intentional or unintentional. Intentional conflicts will often be attacks on other characters. Unintentional conflicts might be things the characters can’t help, like addiction or love affairs, or mistakes the characters didn’t mean to make.
Question to Ask: How can the characters cause distress for each other and have the audience feel for them?
(B) External Character conflicts –
(1) Intentional – Caleb is kidnapped because of who he is and what he can do.
(2) Unintentional – FBI agent develops feelings for and falls in love with Caleb
(3) Unintentional – Caleb’s need for love ruins the FBI agent’s career, life, etc.
(4) Unintentional – Caleb’s girlfriend has an unstable ex-boyfriend who kills her
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C. Plot Intruding On Life = The lead character is driven to accomplish a major goal or avoid some major problem. The job is to make it as difficult as possible for that character to succeed. To do that, you must create difficult situations that will be major obstacles for the character.
Question to Ask: What situations could intrude on your hero’s life and plan?
(C) Plot intruding on life –
(1) Caleb’s falling in love is complicated by: what he can do & the secrets he keeps.
(2) Victoria’s father, sic’s the local police on Caleb as he does not like/trust him.
(3) The restraining order the father serves Caleb, makes seeing Victoria harder.
(4) Caleb’s psychic abilities allow him to see/feel read Victoria’s mind; her love is real
(5) The kidnapping puts Caleb on the FBI’s radar, agent in charge complicates things.
(6) As leader of the Riders, Caleb has to be gone, lie about it, & is sometimes wounded.
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D. Moral Dilemmas = A dilemma is a choice where either decision causes some kind of pain or loss. Add a moral issue to it and the intensity goes up.
Question to Ask: What painful choice can I give the character that will have negative consequences on either side?
(D) Moral dilemmas –
(1) Caleb does not like lying to his girl, but does so to protect her and himself.
(2) Caleb does not believe in taking a life, but must as the shadow war intensifies.
(3) As a leader, Caleb has to make choices & sacrifices that cause pain and loss.
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E. Forced Decisions They’d Never Make = It’s goes against everything the person stands for.
Question to Ask: What decision would this character never make? What situation could force them to make that decision?
(E) Forced decisions they would never make –
(1) Caleb’s forces take refuge and join with the coven to repel the Necromancers.
(2) Caleb bonds/melds w/ Annabelle Lee (leader of coven) her magic, his powers.
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Module 1 – Lesson 7: Empathy/Distress, The Binge-Worthy Drug!
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”
ASSIGNMENT 1:
1. Watch Episode 7 of Mr. Robot and focus on the Empathy/Distress that shows up in the episode and throughout the season so far.
Wellick is forced to kill the secretary by pretending to make love to her on the rooftop.
Elliot keeps Krista in the dark and never tells her the truth.
Elliot lost his mother early in his life.
Elliot’s dog Flipper picks up a chip on the floor and swallows it.
Elliot tells Krista the truth and she is in awe.
Elliot tells Krista he hacked her and everyone and he does so looking for a way out of loneliness.
Mr. Robot pulls a revolver at a fsociety hacker and threatens to pull the trigger.
Wellick overhears a coworker in a discussion and screams at them
Wellick thinks the secretary did a bad job by not giving him the right information.
Wellick disappoints he was not elected as Chief Technology Officer.
Angela believes it’s her fault Colby was arrested and fired from his job.
Colby does not take Angela seriously or answer her questions.
Wellick strangles the secretary on the top of the high-rise building.
Elliot was forced to change the evidence file that incriminates Terry Colby.
2. Notice the difference between Big Picture Empathy/Distress and detail-oriented Empathy/Distress. Big Picture will have an impact across multiple episodes.
Elliot lost his father to leukemia.
Elliot is on drugs Morphine and takes Molly for sex with Shayla.
Elliot must decide to finish off the evil corporation.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters in Old Toms could make because of the main conflict of this series.
Just ask: “Knowing the concept, what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”
A. Undeserved misfortune.
Ishey must work ten years
longer to get a State payment. He faces higher living costs and deteriorating living standards.B. External Character conflicts.
Ishey and
Van Pee are classmates. Pee invites Ishey to join the GoFundMe group and
wants Ishey to give eighty pounds.C. Plot intruding on life.
Ishey
communicates with Frank Bibio who sends him WhatsApp advice with an attachment and follows with a call.D. Moral dilemmas.
Ishey cannot
overlook Johnny’s death. He cannot go it all alone since they are
classmates.E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
Ishey will never join the Old Toms group if Johnny Banku had
not died.-
This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Moses Quainoo.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Moses Quainoo.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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Leona Heraty’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is…creating empathy and distress adds a lot of depth and emotion to my TV show and the more I put my characters in challenging situations, the more interesting the show becomes!
LOST | Season 1 | Episode 8
ASSIGNMENT 1
1. Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the Empathy/Distress that shows up in this episode and throughout the season so far.
Empathy: We worry that Sawyer will be stubborn and not tell Sayid and Jack where they can find Shannon’s asthma medication, and then Sayid will torture him. We cringe when Sawyer is being tortured. We worry when Shannon has difficulty breathing and we fear she will die.
Distress: Sawyer is being tortured by Sayid. Shannon is dying from an asthma attack.
2. Notice the difference between Big Picture Empathy/Distress and detail oriented Empathy/Distress. Big Picture will have an impact across multiple episodes.
Big Picture Empathy/Distress: We worry if the stranded passengers will ever make it off the island and if they’ll even survive being lost on an unknown and mysterious and dangerous island.
They’re in distress when they’re running out of water and when they are injured. We also know something evil is lurking on the island and stalking them and we worry they will be killed, captured and/or injured by this unknown being.
Detail-oriented Empathy/Distress: Sawyer is tortured and Shannon has an asthma attack. We worry about Sawyer’s pain and we worry that Shannon will die from the attack.ASSIGNMENT 2
1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make because of the main conflict of this series.
They have to decide whether to hide from the amphibious sea creatures or stand and fight back.
They have to decide who will stay behind in the rec room and guard the children and pets and who will go and fight the sea creatures.
Who will be the leader of the group that fights the sea creatures.
Just ask: “Knowing the concept, what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”
A. Undeserved misfortune. Due to an earthquake in the ocean, Genesis and the gang are forced to deal with an invasion of amphibious sea creatures into their apartment complex and they have to fight them off to stay alive.
B. External Character conflicts. Genesis and Pete constantly pick at each other and try to one-up each other. Morgan constantly teases Jake and this causes distress for Genesis, because it brings back bad memories.
Jake puts Morgan down and tells her she’s not a good “babysitter” and only cares about herself. Wallis puts everyone down and looks down on the group as a bunch of “crullers” or losers.
Genesis doesn’t trust Pete because she finds out he was kicked off the police force. Pete doesn’t trust Genesis because he finds out she’s in debt and has a gambling problems.
Genesis doesn’t think she can rely on Jake because of his addictions and he doesn’t trust any of the adults because his parents “betrayed” him and forced him into rehab.
C. Plot intruding on life. They are happy in their apartment complex and just getting used to their new property manager, Genesis, when there’s an earthquake in the ocean, which splits open the ocean floor and amphibious sea creatures from deep below swim up, then swim to shore and invade their complex.
D. Moral dilemmas. Wallis wants to fight the sea creatures and doesn’t want to stay behind to care for the kids and pets because she’s “not a kid or pet person,” but she stays behind because someone has to do it, while the others fight off the sea creatures. Genesis throws Jake in the water and tells him to “sink or swim.”
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. Genesis and the group have to leave Morgan behind at the tennis court when Morgan breaks her leg and is slowing their progress.
Genesis and the gang have to leave the kids and pets behind with only Wallis to guard them, because they know they can’t find the sea creatures with the kids and pets in tow, but they’re worried the sea creatures will sneak up and attack the kids and pets from behind the complex.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Leona Heraty.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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Wayne’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is how to find and create more character conflicts which create great empathy for the main characters.List BIG PICTURE difficult situations & character decisions because of main conflict.
• A. Undeserved misfortune.
Mike’s fuel transfer valve is hit by a meteor, causing him to lose all fuel and be stranded on a planet 6.2 light-years from earth.
Two years earlier, Desae was exiled to the edge of her planet’s civilization for having a child out of wedlock after her betrothed was killed as a revolutionist for believing in Logran (God).• B. External Character conflicts.
There are many natural misunderstandings between Mike and Desae because of difference in language, society, and even physically between them.
As Mike starts to fall in love with Desae, she fears she may be “any light in the dark,” her planets expression for “any port in the storm.”• C. Plot intruding on life.
Authorities keep an eye on Desae because they suspect she knows something about where the “alien invader” is hiding.• D. Moral dilemmas.
Mike needs Desae’s help to harbor him and hide him from authorities, but it endangers her and her son.
Desae does not want to betray authorities or endanger her son, but she also believes Logran (God) has sent Mike to her.
Mike and Desae formally marry in a private but binding ceremony but do not believe they are physically able to conceive children. They discover they are wrong, as Desae is pregnant in the end of season 1 hook.• E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
After years of dodging authorities, capture seems inevitable, so they decide to turn themselves in and explain that Mike’s mission to the planet was never for invading it, just to study it. Their whole family is incarcerated. -
Syd’s Show Empathy/Distress (TVBC M1, L7)
What I learned doing this assignment is how to layer the angst, finding out what drives my characters and letting the drive themselves into impossible situations.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the Empathy/Distress that shows up in this episode and throughout the season so far. GoT, epi. 7
A. Undeserved misfortune.
Cersei’s children — they didn’t asked to be born of incest, but now their lives and futures are on the line because of it
Dany is targeted by assassin because she’s the mad king’s daughter, she’s married to a war lord and she’s pregnant; King Robert will not stop trying to kill her
Even though Ned is honorable and showed mercy to Cersei and her children, he is arrested and falsely branded a traitorB. External Character conflicts.
Cersei vs. Ned, now that he knows her secret
Lannisters vs. Stark, once Ned is imprisoned
Baratheon Brothers vs. each other now that Robert is deadC. Plot intruding on life.
Ned wanted to give Cersei time to escape before telling Robert, Robert dies before he can
There will be no clean succession now
Assassination attempt against Dani actually moves her closer to her goal, as her husband is inspired to cross the sea with his army
Ned expects the City Guard to back him up, Little Finger double-crossed himD. Moral dilemmas.
Giving Cersei and her children time to escape, opened the door for Ned (and his family) to be betrayed
Getting help from any faction requires Ned to betray the true line of succession and his deceased friend, King RobertE. Forced decisions they’d never make.
Ned confesses to being a traitor even though it’s a lie and an affront to his honor, but he does so to save his daughter<div>
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make because of the main conflict of this series.
Just ask: “Knowing the concept, what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”
A. Undeserved misfortune.
Infant king orphaned and his usurper wants him dead; Charita orphaned twice
Charita forced into spying for the Mughal Emperor to protect her brother — unable to tell her mother or her betrothed, Jagger
Charita is educated and seeking to prove herself — there’s no place for female ambition in a medieval patriarchy
Rajendra was raised to be king; he believes that he was usurped when the king married again, producing an infant son
Rajendra — abused, manipulated by his power-seeking father
Veer — illegitimate son of royalty, can’t / won’t claim his birth right; his brother died before he could tell him of their relationship
Bhadrabahu — disowned by his own Father (whom he secretly supports financially) </div>B. External Character conflicts.
Charita — her desire to fight for her brother / make her mark (as a politician and artist) leads her to chose to spy for the Mughals disguised as a tawaif (courtesan), this puts her at odds with the love of her life, Jagger
Rajendra — intentional battle with anyone who challenges his claim to the throne (especially Veer, Vanhi, Charita and all those who support Abzar’s infant son as king)
Rajendra — unintentionally, he wants popularity and the approval of people as their ruler; secret stealing makes him feel in control and makes him see others as vulnerable like himself
Veer — Rajendra caused him pain (he believes) by killing the king on Veer’s watch, Veer wants to return the favor and now he’s no longer under the rule of law or king
Bhadrabahu — betrayed / used by Vanhi, the woman he loves; he tries to undermine her while stopping her from undermining him; it’s a game they’ve both been playing since they were youngC. Plot intruding on life.
Charita — while she’s spying for the Mughals, undercover as a tawaif / courtesan, she crosses paths with Jagger, the love of her life, who is working with Veer; he misunderstands what she’s doing; she can’t reveal she’s a spy.
Rajendra — planning to execute Veer now that he’s in power, but Veer has too many friends, Raj has too few; Raj expected the Mughals to be on his side as the true ruler of Golden City — but Anala, Bhad, Vanhi and Charita are working against him in the Mughal court
Veer — No longer the king’s general, Veer finds himself leading a band of outlaws; he now has to find a way to fund his “army” (he needs money)
Bhadrabahu — Bhad has power and friendship with the Mughals — Vanhi competes with him for influence over the AmirD. Moral dilemmas.
Charita — She’s a spy, disguised as a courtesan — men will have expectations of her, will she be able to keep her boundaries?
Rajendra — does not want to murder an infant (his cousin) to secure his throne, it will never be secure otherwise; his father would have done it — he doesn’t want to be his father
Veer — Anala, his former lover, has gained power with the Mughals and deceased King Abzar’s allies; she wants Veer (bastard prince) to be the king; also, he must choose between revenge vs justice, between listening to Anala (love) vs. installing Abzar’s son on the throne (loyalty), between being honorable vs. doing what it takes to get rid of Rajendra — yes, he’s willing to fight, but there are compromises he doesn’t want to make
Bhadrabahu — if he fails to protect Charita while she’s undercover, Vanhi (her mother) will never forgive him — she might even take revengeE. Forced decisions they’d never make
Charita — while she’s undercover with tawaif, she chooses to succumb — why? Because it gets her something she wants (versus something the Mughals want), autonomy, saves Jagger.
Rajendra — the more he tries to assert authority, the more he becomes like his father who betrayed him
Veer — He makes deals with enemies (Portuguese, Chinese, etc) to fund his army; will he have to betray the infant king to unseat Rajendra; he resorts to theft against his own honor/integrity — though many see him as a Robin Hood
Bhadrabahu — will he have to choose between his Father and Vanhi? -
Empathy/Undeserved Misfortune
Adam could get caught and go to jail.
Madam Mendelstein could receive a threat or attack on her business. Many robbers wanted to plunder the famous fence
Sophie could get attacked while trying to con someone.
Sophie and Adam could fall in love and not be able to be together.
Mendelstein and Adam could face Xenophobia and Anti-semitism
Sophie has to make choices as a con woman on the streets sometimes that she might not want to make.
Mendelsteins crime could interfere with her business, maybe her husband doesn’t know about the tiffanys robbery.
One of Mendelsteins kids could die.
Adam could get himself in between the war with Mendelstein and O’grady, Adam could have to kill O’grady.
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