Module 3 – Lesson 6: Character Profiles Part 1

[Carole Avila]

Carole Avila – Character Profiles Part 1

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 that in depth knowledge of my characters will not only provide a more exciting screenplay, but it will attract leading actors to the role.

Mandy Ruhe (as Carmena Luebber):
A. The High Concept — An immature and irresponsible woman from the future is sent to Texas, 1845, and assumes the identity of a hard-working ranch owner.

B. This character’s journey – Mandy, as Carmena, must assume the responsibilities of the ranch owner and can’t return to her own time until she saves a ranch from financial ruin, steals guns from an army storehouse, and prevents the southwestern states from returning to possession by the Mexican government.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character — Mandy wants to be a better person but doesn’t know where to start. She is impulsive and for this reason doesn’t always make good decisions. She must save the ranch from financial ruin and avoid falling in love with the men who love the ‘real’ owner. Mandy moves from being apathetic to learning to care for her ranch employees, to taking on the responsibility of saving the ranch. As Carmena, Mandy must pretend she knows what she’s doing in order to run the ranch efficiently. She uses her knowledge of the future to try to create positive changes for her employees. Mandy learns if she stays in the past, she can change the course of history. Mandy must keep her real identity a secret, but her ranch manager suspects something isn’t right about Carmena. Mandy inadvertently uses terms from the future unheard of in the past. She grows into a responsible adult and is willing to see her own life with a new perspective. She grows a “can do” attitude.

1. Role in the Story: Protagonist — Mandy shuns responsibility, but assumes the identity of hard-working ranch owner, Carmena Luebber,
2. Age range and Description: Early twenties, unruly brunette hair,
3. Core Traits: irresponsible, uncertain, anxious, smart
4. Motivation; Want/Need: desire for something more in life, wants to make a difference, wants to stay with a man she’s fallen in love with, needs to return to her own time
5. Wound: Not a lot of family
6. Likability: Mandy, as she inhabits Carmena’s body, tries hard to learn her way around the ranch.
Relatability: Things are really hard, like mucking stalls and taking care of barn animals.
Empathy: She’s afraid to take care of so many people when she barely can take care of herself.

Carlos Solis:
A. The High Concept — Carlos is devoted to Carmena and the ranch; he’ll do whatever is necessary to help her, even when he suspects she isn’t who she says she is.

B. This character’s journey — Carlos suspects something off about Carmena. When he discovers Mandy’s true identity, he teaches her about her role on the ranch and the history of her employees. Although he is in love with the real Carmena, he learns that she doesn’t return his feelings.

C. The Actor Attractors — Carlos is fiercely loyal to the ranch and protective of Carmena. Carlos suspects something is off about Carmena and is determined to find out what it is. He likes that she initially physically responds to him when they’re alone. He doesn’t tell Mandy, as Carmena, that he is directing his men in gunrunning activities. Although he loves Carmena, he has to learn to accept how she feels about him. Carlos is level headed, succumbs to his emotional desires, becomes emotionally upset seeing Carmena interact with the captain. He doesn’t want to relinquish control of the ranch to Mandy, after learning her new identity. Carlos tries to convince Mandy not to return to her own time. Carlos is normally soft spoken and in control. He has a perfect command of English as the original owner of the ranch, Carmena’s father, Heinrich Luebber, raised Carlos like his own son. He is kind, loyalty to the ranch and its employees, is passionately devoted to Carmena, and has a strong desire to do right for the ranch, even if it means doing something illegal.

1. Role in the Story: Protagonist (Triangle)
2. Age range and Description: Mid-thirties, physical well built, ruggedly handsome
3. Core Traits: Loyal, hard-working, pro-active
4. Motivation; Want/Need: Wants a romantic relationship with Carmena, needs a relationship with someone who nurtures him instead
5. Wound: No family; abandonment issues
6. Likability: Carlos takes care of everyone on the ranch; he wants their happiness
Relatability: He is hard-working and takes his role of ranch manager seriously
Empathy: Carlos suffers unrequited love with Carmena

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna — Antagonist
A. The High Concept — After being injured on Carmena’s ranch, he steals her amulet and blackmails her for weapons.

B. This character’s journey — After being exiled, he wants to gain weapons to create an army to form a coup against the current Mexican government

C. The Actor Attractors for this character — Santa Anna allows himself to be taken care of by Carmena's housekeeper, Angela. She is his illegitimate daughter who, with her husband, tried to have Santa Anna killed because he was such a cruel dictator in Mexico. He is angry at her, but doesn't try to hurt her because of his desire to get weapons for his political coup. Santa Anna is not a gentleman when Carmena jumps in his bed to hide him when the captain makes an unexpected visit. During that time, he steals Carmena's time travel device and won't return it until she delivers guns to him. He admires Carmena and has a fondness for her, and because of this, she believes he'll return her amulet when he gets the guns.

1. Role in the Story: Antagonist
2. Age range and Description: Late thirties, handsome, clever, desperate
3. Core Traits: conniving, manipulative, dishonest
4. Motivation; Want/Need: Wants to make a coup against his government; needs power and recognition
5. Wound: Exiled by his country; family members tried to kill him
6. Likability: He takes advantage of every situation; a good bad guy to dislike
Relatability: He is physically injured; he’s in a lot of pain from a previous injury in a battle where his leg was blown off
Empathy: He is desperate for change; he is hurt by family who turned against him

[Susan]

Assignment Mod 3 Lesson 6 Character Profiles Pt 1

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:

I learned how important it is to have this information in order to move forward, and that the previous assignments were a great help in doing this. I also added quite of bit of brand new information.

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

State: I’m highly motivated…

Activity: …to create engaging character profiles.

Done a few times during course of assignment.

With each of your lead characters, first tell us the following:

For all characters:

Concept: A Russian Trapeze Artist Spy must decide if she should trust an American Sleeper Agent whose country’s exploits magnify the ever increasing existential threat to her people.

Major Story Hook: Her trapeze partner sets her up to take a fall with the Russian police.

Tell us the Character Structure you’ve chosen.

Dramatic Triangle

Lead 1 Protagonist: BRENDI Rostovanova/Protagonist

A. The High Concept.

BRENDI’s Logline: Trapeze aerialist turned spy who is working to save innocent Russian lives even if she must disobey orders from her superiors.

B. This character’s journey.

BRENDI goes from being a new undercover agent using her life as a Trapeze artist in the Russian Circus to a brilliant field agent who saves Russia and her people.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

She is in great shape and has to do stunts, lots of action especially for a female actor, lead role, charming and gorgeous but at the same time highly intelligent, takes her spy role seriously, Russian patriot who loves her country and people (as well as family), fiercely patriotic, she has very strong motivation to stop the terrorists, she uses her ingenuity to solve problems, she doesn’t just kill everyone she uses pawns to get to the bottom of plots. New spy who gets thrown into the deep end and MUST acclimate or die and fail, she uses her wits as well as her beauty, agility and strength to get what she wants. She goes with her gut instead of listening to her superiors, She drives like a maniac, she can use her sexuality even though she hates doing so, large emotional range from innocent and inexperienced to driven, brave, focused, determined. She needs to prove herself.

Brainstorm the first 6 parts of the profile for each of your lead characters.

1. Role in the Story: Protagonist

2. Age range and Description: Late 20’s, Trapeze Artist’s body, Stunning,

3. Core Traits: Wounded, Fiercely Patriotic, Determined, Highly Intelligent, Brave

4. Motivation; Want/Need: BRENDI wants to prove herself to be more than a “pretty face,” she needs to save Russia and her people

5. Wound: BRENDI was not taken seriously an an intellect and planner her entire life due to her agility and sport skills she was trained on the Trapeze and fussed up for her finesse, good looks and great body. She wanted to do more.

6. Likability, Relatability, Empathy:

Likability: BRENDI is beautiful, a talented Trapeze artist, smart, brave, thinks on her feet,

Relatability: she is trying to be great being a spy even though she is new to it, she is having problems with her work trapeze partner, she is stuck with an unknown person to help with an assignment, she has to go against her superiors, is in competition with CHAZ, is up against a dangerous person, is in a very dangerous world, doesn’t know exactly what the problem is – has to find out.

Empathy: her Trapeze partner almost drops her, her Trapeze partner sets her up, she finds out he is a secret Ukrainian terrorist agent, her secret agent partner is killed in a shootout, she has to work with a CIA agent she is not sure she can trust, she is falling in love with the enemy (CHAZ).

Lead 2 Antagonist-Protagonist: CHAZ Kofman / Lev Kotov (undercover name) Triangle Character

A. The High Concept.

CHAZ’s Logline: Dissatisfied American undercover Agent working in Russia under orders from his father to stop Russia from dismantling the Ukraine terrorist plan, his great great Grandmother an escapee Russian Jew.

B. This character’s journey.

CHAZ goes from doing what his father wants him to do, to listening to his moral, ethical core and doing what is right – saving millions of Russians/Russia and stopping the destabilization of the area.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

Fit and Strong, Unexpectedly compassionate, Hates being a clown, Disobeys superiors for his moral/ethical code, Helps save the day,

Brainstorm the first 6 parts of the profile for each of your lead characters.

1. Role in the Story: Protagonist-Antagonist

2. Age range and Description: Early 30’s, Totally Fit, Can do anything physical, Handsome/Sexy,

3. Core Traits: Compassionate, Highly intelligent, Brave, Highly Ethical/Moral, Pissed Off,

4. Motivation; Want/Need: CHAZ wants to make his CIA father proud, but feels he is constantly put in bad situations just to help his father’s career. He needs to follow his inner core of morality and ethics and become the best and most appreciated agent.

5. Wound: His father never seems to acknowledge when CHAZ does a good job, and continually gives him shitty assignments just to help his own career in the CIA. CHAZ feels invisible, unappreciated, used, angry.

6. Likability, Relatability, Empathy:

Likability: Handsome, Witty, Extremely Moral and Ethical, brave,

Relatability: Wants to be the one to win the day, he has to go against his superiors, he is a fish out of water in a rival country, is in competition with BRENDI, is up against a dangerous person, doesn’t know exactly what the problem is – has to find out. Fully embraces his “clown-ness” even though he hates doing it.

Empathy: He is disrespected by his own agency, he is a fish out of water, he is falling in love with the enemy (BRENDI).

Lead 3 Antagonist: Hadeon (hay-dee-in) Borysenko, The MONSTR

A. The High Concept.

Logline: Ukraine terrorist Boss who is known only to two other sleeper agents (one he is running and one who unbeknownst to him is running him), and is the only one who knows his entire plan – to murder millions of Russian innocents and destroy Russia.

B. This character’s journey.

Goes from planning several small terror attacks to distract from larger plan, planning nuclear destruction of major Russian city, to losing to BRENDI and CHAZ, and losing his life.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

Brainstorm the first 6 parts of the profile for each of your lead characters.

1. Role in the Story: Antagonist

2. Age range and Description: 40’s, Scarred (including face), thin/wiry agile, wears 3-piece suits as part of his blending in/hiding (not something a terrorist would wear),

3. Core Traits: Determined, Furious, Insane/Vicious, Genius/Superb Planner, Devious,

4. Motivation; Want/Need: Wants to get back at the Russian Government people, and become next Russian President (unlikely/insane idea).

5. Wound: He was part of the Russian higher ups then one of his ideas was x-ed and he and his family we fugitives. His wife and children were murdered. He managed to escape and get in to Ukraine.

6. Likability, Relatability, Empathy:

Likability: ZERO, audience interest because we hear his voice, but don’t see him

Relatability: He is laughed at when he is sarcastic when he is not trying to be funny. He thinks he is working for himself, but he is really doing someone else’s bidding.

Empathy: ZERO, he is laughed at when he is sarcastic when he is not trying to be funny

• This reply was modified 10 months, 1 week ago by  Susan McClaryu. Reason: formatting