Module 3 – Lesson 3: Character Subtext Copy

[Carole Avila]

Carole Avila – Subtext Characters

My vision: My writing skills are in demand by the writing industry, because I provide exceptionally crafted, well-loved and inspirational stories enjoyed by all ages that compel professionals to produce my work onscreen and in print.

What I learned from doing this assignment is the importance of subtext to more fully develop interesting characters.

• Movie Title: Eve’s Amulet (the name of the time-travel device)

Character Name: Mandy Ruhe
• Subtext Identity: An irresponsible adult searching for meaning in her life
• Subtext Trait: Immature, self-centered, impulsive
• Subtext Logline: Mandy, now as Carmena, must learn how to make big decisions in the best interest of other people and her ranch, but lets her own desires influence her actions
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Easily relates to the children, has a secret crush on the ranch owner (the ‘real’ Carmena thinks of him as a brother), has a bigger crush on the Captain (the ‘real’ Carmena keeps him at bay in favor of running the ranch), wants to escape with her time travel device when she has to deal with big issues that arise on the ranch, like discovering a former Mexican dictator who is injured on her ranch and requires medical assistance.

Character Name: Carlos Solis
• Subtext Identity: The ranch manager who secretly loves the ‘real’ Carmena; he senses the shift in her persona when Mandy assumes her identity
• Subtext Trait: Fiercely loyal to the ranch and to Carmena. Hides his true feelings. Somewhat controlling and protective of Carmena.
• Subtext Logline: He is suspicious of Carmena’s behavior after Mandy assumes the ‘real’ Carmena’s identity, but he can’t prove what is off. He doesn’t inform the ‘new’ Carmena of a current problem involving the smuggling of guns to Mexican outlaws.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: Tries to convince the ‘new’ Carmena of having a relationship with him, disapproves of her spending money on ranch essentials—a new stove, another housekeeper, spoiling the employees with rewards. Once he learns of Carmena’s new identity, he tries to convince her not to pursue a relationship with the captain.

Character Name: Captain Charles Sanders
• Subtext Identity: Army captain who has strong feelings for the ‘real’ Carmena, but she doesn’t respond to him until Mandy assumes her identity.
• Subtext Trait: Extremely loyal to the army, responsible, does not hide his feelings for Carmena
• Subtext Logline: He welcomes the ‘new’ Carmena’s sudden interest in him. He is investigating stolen army weapons not knowing who is stealing them.
• Possible Areas of Subtext: He is falling hard for the ‘new’ Carmena. He respects Carlos, but won’t stop seeing her, not sure of the ranch manager’s interest in her. Never suspects Carmena and her employees as the gunrunners.

[Susan]

My Assignment Mod 3 Lesson 3 Character Subtext

My Vision: I am an amazing writer who has fun every day, is recognized by the industry for my ability to take audiences who love me through surprising experiences, and who has multiple successful movies produced while being highly paid.

What I learned from doing this assignment is:

Again, I learned that I have so far to go with this, and to use the subtext in the screenplay in specific actions and dialogue for each character as I write.

1. Start this assignment by empowering yourself using our State-To-Activity empowerment process.

State: I love discovering…

Activity: …the subtext of my characters!

Done, more than once over the course of doing this assignment.

2. With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:

All the main characters and supporting characters in Casino Royale have subtext.

• Movie Title: Casino Royale (new one)

• Character Name: James Bond 007

• Subtext Identity: Spy-Secret Agent, seducer, competitor, victim, con

• Subtext Trait: Secretive, Slippery, Conspiring, Treacherous, Childhood Trauma Victim (lost both parents)

• Subtext Loglines:

James Bond has a childhood trauma wound and covers it by pretending he doesn’t care about people and being treacherous to the enemy.

James Bond is an MI6 Secret Agent who uses seduction, schemes, and cons to compete with the enemy.

• Possible Areas of Subtext:

James sleeps with married women, James seduces women to get at their lovers-husbands, James plans cons of the enemy and if they backfire he resorts to treachery and extreme violence.

3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:

• Character 1 Name: BRENDI

• Subtext Identity: Russian Undercover Secret Agent, Seducer, Competitor

• Subtext Trait: Secretive, Suspicious, Seductive, Scheming, Plots

• Subtext Logline:

BRENDI is a Russian Undercover Secret Agent who uses schemes, seduction, and plotting to get recognition as a strong, highly proficient spy to boost her moral and stop being taken only as a “pretty face.”

• Possible Areas of Subtext:

Anger when she gets high praise for the trapeze, Anger with Filipp because he thinks she is beautiful and loves her as a diva, Gets into difficult and dangerous positions and places she’s not ready for as a newish spy because she is trying to prove herself.

• Character2 Name: CHAZ

• Subtext Identity: Undercover CIA in Russian circus, Russian ancestry great grandmother in pogrom, Highly moral and ethical, competitor, feels taken for granted and invisible to-by superiors

• Subtext Trait: Secretive, plotting, concealing, conspiring,

• Subtext Logline: CHAZ is an undercover CIA agent in the Russian circus who has Russian ancestry, and feels taken advantage of by his superiors so uses his high moral and ethical standards to go completely against their wishes.

CHAZ

• Possible Areas of Subtext:

Being the biggest clown in the ring so he can always be there to see who and what is going on, Helping BRENDI stop the Ukrainian threat, feeling drawn to BRENDI and her cultural resemblance to his great grandmother,

• Character 3 Name: THE MONSTR

• Subtext Identity: Ukrainian Terrorist (a REAL LIFE monster), Criminal, Boss, Spy, Psychopath, NPD, X-Russian… Bad blood history with Russians in power,

• Subtext Trait: Conspiring, Shadow man, Plotting, Hiding, using his anger as a go button, Pissed he actually has to answer to someone, gets furious when anyone laughs at his sarcasm (he doesn’t mean to be or think it’s funny).

• Subtext Logline: The MONSTR is an X-Russian Ukrainian Terrorist whose bad blood history with Russian power figures fuels his anger which he uses as a go button to action (whether smart or not).

• Possible Areas of Subtext:

The MONSTR makes mistakes because he is being run by his anger go button, his seething anger toward the Russian politic for a past wrong makes him determined to completely destroy Russian as a State and destabilize that area of the world, he hates being laughed at so when he is sarcastic and cohorts chuckle or laugh he becomes furious. He needs to be taken seriously (not how he was by the Russians in power).

• This reply was modified 10 months, 3 weeks ago by  Susan McClaryu. Reason: formatting