Post Day 5 Assignment Here

[Meg Stout]

Meg Stout’s Depth of Character Emotion

What I learned from this assignment is to dig deep to find all of these aspects of the character’s emotional response, to assume that they are there and dig, dig, dig until I find it for them. I really found the list of coping mechanisms in the lesson to be excellent, as my understanding of the coping mechanisms for each character had been too specific and yet inchoate. For example, my character, Mr. Bennet, who is based on a real person who really did attempt suicide and launch a national counter-attack, etc., I now see as coping by always trying to alter his state. Very cool.

PS – I am working these assignments at an accelerated pace because I want to have taken at least an initial pass through each lesson before I start the 30 Day screenplay class on June 7th. Also, the Children of Heaven story is one I am serializing on Vella, and I want to get at least a first pass on my 50 design choices and update my episodes accordingly before Vella goes live (whenever that might be).

Assignment #1

Thirteen Reasons Why

Hannah

A. Situational: Hopes for love and friendship / Fears rejection and betrayal

B. Motivation: Wants friendship / Needs to be believed

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion is depression / Public Mask is not caring

D. Weaknesses: Low self-esteem, hopeless, rarely confronts her tormentors

E. Triggers: Whenever people spread and believe lies about her

F. Coping Mechanism: Withdrawing from those who are causing her pain, plotting how to get revenge on those who have caused her pain.

Assignment #2

Children of God

John Bennett

A. Situational: Hopes for importance and love / Fears exposure and loss

B. Motivation: Wants political power and devotion / Needs respect

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion is negative self esteem / Public Mask is unwarranted bravado and impatience

D. Weaknesses: lying, impatient, sexual desire, lack of empathy

E. Triggers: rejection, loss of reputation, criticism, sexual temptation

F. Coping Mechanism: counter-attacks when he is rejected, suicide attempt when sudden exposure seems inevitable, hides behind written proofs that he is an outstanding individual, lies when the facts won’t get him what he wants and needs. Alters state

Annie Cowles

A. Situational: Hopes for peace and love / Fears abuse and separation/betrayal

B. Motivation: Wants traditional marriage / Needs to trust before she can truly commit

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion is fear / Public Mask is helper

D. Weaknesses: low self esteem, lack of trust/faith, taking responsibility for bad things they didn’t cause

E. Triggers: being deceived, loved ones choosing a different faith journey

F. Coping Mechanism: Calls for help, analyzes

[Molly Gagnon]

Thank you for leading the way! You are helping me immensely!

[Jane Turville]

Hi Meg, Super excited for you starting the 30 Day Class. I haven’t taken it but have heard great things. Keep me posted!!!

[dworetzky tom]

MODULE 1 LESSON 5 BIG LITTLE LIES DEPTH OF EMOTIONS

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Madeline: finds happiness in her life, family, work/ that Nathan will win, that Renata will win. That she will lose, even Ed

Celeste: that her perfect love will be perfect or she will be able to leave/ that she will be too powerless and Perry will kill her

Renata: that she reaches a place of joy and happiness without having to run the world/ that she will lose control and everything will explode

Jane: that she will be able to make a new start with Ziggy/ that her past will catch up with her and bad shit will just keep on happening again

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Madeline: wants control and power and success/ needs revenge on those who have wronged her, and other wounded birds like her

Celeste: wants perfect harmony in her love/ needs to be dominated and lose her self

Jane: wants a fresh start/ needs revenge to end her fear

Renata: wants power/ needs understanding

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask

Madeline: base emotion: regret, even shame / public mask bold and brave activist

Celeste: base emotion self loathing/ public mask: peacemaker –graceful tranquility and acceeptance of her gifts of beauty, brains and perfection

Jane: base emotion: frantic fear/ public mask: calm detachment

Renata: base emotion: unbridled hysteria/ public mask: calculating dominant bully

D. Weaknesses

Madeline – hurts the ones she loves

Celeste – lets those she loves hurt her and others she loves

Jane – obsessive about her trauma (ptsd)

Renata – stubborn and needs to control

E. Triggers

Madeline – losing her mother role, her alpha status

Celeste – being physically abused turns her on

Jane – fear of strangers, home invasions, rapists

Renata – sex causes her to lose control, threats to her alpha state make her go ballistic

F. Coping Mechanism

Madeline – throws herself into projects to mask inner pain, like Ave Q, and her fight for justice for Ziggy, fights back, manipulates, stews on things (like nathan and bonnie)

Celeste – shuts down, feels helpless, alters her state with sex

Jane – gets violent, attacks back

Renata – lashes out, alters her state with sex

[Emmanuel Sullivan]

Emmanuel Sullivan’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment is characters are more than what they do in a profession. They also have internal feelings and thoughts that are revealed in certain situations.

Assignment #1

Show – The Americans

Elizabeth Jennings Profile

A. Situational: Hopes to succeed / Fears disappointment

B. Motivation: Wants love / Needs affection, bonding

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion is ruthless / Public Mask is super mom, wife

D. Weaknesses: Emotionally absent

E. Triggers: Losing control, feeling threatened

F. Coping Mechanism: Revenge, manipulate

Assignment #2

Andrew Brice Profile

A. Situational: Hopes for recognition / Fears rejection

B. Motivation: Wants power and money / Needs control

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion is aggressive / Public Mask is respected, accomplished, hardworking

D. Weaknesses: Ambition hurts people

E. Triggers: Criticism, pushed around

F. Coping Mechanism: Attack back, lash out, gambling

Mark Cason Profile

A. Situational: Hopes to maintain a political image / Fears negative exposure

B. Motivation: Wants acceptance / Needs constant approval

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion is worthless / Public Mask is diplomatic, gentleman

D. Weaknesses: Too trusting

E. Triggers: Disrespected, unimportant

F. Coping Mechanism: Sex, recreational drugs

[Jamie Stegner]

What I learned from this assignment is that the characters come alive with more depth. Digging to discover their hidden motives, fears, and strategies makes them more well-rounded and more fully human.

1. My example show : Jessica Jones

Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

JESSICA:

A. Situational: Hope; she can kill Kilgrave / Fear: Kilgrave will return and control
her again, causing her to do terrible things.

B. Motivation: Want: peace, to be left alone / Need;
forgiveness for causing the auto accident and death of her family.

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: GUILT / Public Mask: Bitch, tough guy.

D. Weaknesses:
very tender, heart break.

E. Triggers

F. Coping Mechanism:
tough guy, reject everyone.

2. My show.

For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

ML:

A. Situational: Hope:
peaceful life / Fear: Death

B. Motivation: Want: safety from Hell / Need: peace with God

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion Terror of eternity in
Hell / Public Mask: gregarious
student

D. Weaknesses:
can’t stand up to Hans.

E. Triggers:
night terrors

F. Coping Mechanism:
sneaks away to monastery without telling Hans or faculty. (lies by
omission)

Hans:

A. Situational: Hope:
prosperity in business / Fear:
ML will get away

B. Motivation: Want:
respect / Need: to be loved and respected

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: anger / Public Mask: prosperous businessman

D. Weaknesses:
lacks education; from peasant roots; insecure.

E. Triggers:
Disobeyed. ML thinks for himself.

F. Coping Mechanism:
Anger, yelling, pounding the table.

Nathin:

A. Situational: Hope: loved my ML / Fear: Deamon will get him.

B. Motivation: Want:
ML’s devotion / Need: to be
loved

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: deceit / Public Mask: pious

D. Weaknesses:
liar

E. Triggers:
loss of power or control

F. Coping Mechanism: lies, manipulates.

[Ben Tannous]

Ben’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment is … that discovering what is inside a character, like natural and polarising internal conflicts, that causes them to express emotion and causes consistent emotional issues, makes the characters even more engaging for the audience.

For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

JACK PROFILE:

A. Situational: Hope: find/uncover the truth & break the biggest story in human history / Fear: arrested, disgraced & discredited B. Motivation: Want: acceptance / Need: self-acceptanceC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: fraud/liar / Public Mask: expert/credible/truthfulD. Weaknesses: doesn’t know when to stop / doesn’t respect moral or legal boundaries / E. Triggers: being disrespected as an outsiderF. Coping Mechanism: fight back in the extreme: uses a digger for the job of a shovel

GINA PROFILE:

A. Situational: Hope: expose the government conspiracy / Fear: killedB. Motivation: Want: inform the public / Need: redemption for part in conspiracyC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: scared / Public Mask: courageous D. Weaknesses: powerless cog E. Triggers: being lied to F. Coping Mechanism: shut down/shy away

[Daniel Melin]

Assignment 1: Supernatural—Sam and Dean Winchester

Sam:

A.
Situational: Hope: To find the thing that killed his girlfriend and his
mother. / Fear: That he won’t be good enough to stop it.
B.
Motivation: Want: To hunt monsters / Need: To make up for his failure to
protect Jessica.
C.
Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Guilt / Public Mask: Caretaker
D.
Weaknesses: Ashamed of his family.
E.
Triggers: Bad dreams
F.
Coping Mechanism: Saving other people.

Dean

A.
Situational: Hope: To find his father / Fear: Not being able to save
people from the evil in the world.
B.
Motivation: Want: to get laid / Need: Deeper connection with someone.
C.
Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Fear of loss / Public Mask: joker
D.
Weaknesses: cocky, impulsive.
E.
Triggers: Being made to feel powerless.
F.
Coping Mechanism: lashing out, stampeding over other people.

[Joseph Eastburn]

Mare of Easttown

Mare Profile

A. Hope: Catch the killer, be a good cop. / Fear: That she’ll screw up Siobhan too.

B. Want: To be Lady Hawke for real. / Fear: That she’ll be found to be a failure.

C. Base Negative Emotion: Tender, hurt / Public Mask: Tough lady cop.

D. Weaknesses: She’s angry, vindictive, defensive.

E. Triggers: That people say her son committed suicide because she was a bad mother.

F. Coping Mechanism: Drinking, shutting down, staring people down.

Lori Profile

A. Hope: That her son/husband won’t be found out. / Fear: That she’ll lose her family

B. Want: For none of this to have happened. / Fear: That Mare will solve the case.

C. Base Negative Emotion: Wounded by her husband’s affairs. / Public Mask: Warm, together mom with no worries.

D. Weaknesses: She’s hurt, hides her emotions

E. Triggers: Being lied to by her husband

F. Coping Mechanism: Pretending everything is fine.

Colin Zable Profile

A. Hope: That he’ll help Mare solve the case. / Fear: That he’ll be found out to be a fraud on the case he solved in Upper Darby.

B. Want: To be a good cop; have a relationship with Mare. / Fear: That she’ll reject him, and he’ll continue to live with her mother.

C. Base Negative Emotion: Scared, lonely / Public Mask: Competent, professional.

D. Weaknesses: Vulnerable.

E. Triggers: When he sees Mare bully a witness or senses that every witness or suspect is her family or friend.

Coping Mechanism: He hides
his emotions.

[David]

Character Emotions

I ended up writing all my character traits for the 3 assignments here at the same time. I have learned from previous classes and attempts that all of these character traits are intertwined. They give you a great way to form backstories, learn how the person faces obstacles, and ultimately help point the writer in a direction down the path of the story and payoff. So thinking of all of them at the same time helps me find a deeper character. I wanted to contemplate and create all three groups of traits at the same time.

I did watch the episodes but didn’t write down my show study; Mr. Robot. It was more than enough to figure out the 4 characters for my show pilot.

Also, never let a blank trait stop you from creating. This is all about telling a story, and like all tales, you can’t know everything all at once.

I have whittled my main character list down to 4 people:

Role/Expertise:

Jakob – Ex-Police Officer/Investigator – Paranormal researcher/Connections

Rebecca – UN Undersecretary for 3rd World Outreach – World Connections

Lukas – Naval Aviator Lieutenant Commander – Military insider

Julia – Professor/Abductee – Psychologist/1st hand experiencer

Intrigue/Beneath Surface:

Jakob – Addict/Divorced/Had his own UFO encounter

Rebecca – Unexplained Dreams/Experiences

Lukas – Double agent for military/In love with Rebecca since childhood/Being blackmailed

Julia – Mental Illness

Moral Issue:

Jakob – Manipulates people to get what he wants.

Rebecca – Going against everything she grew up believing

Lukas – Whether he can hurt Rebecca/Holding an unknown truth

Julia – Having the courage to do the right things/Protect her study

Unpredictable:

Jakob – Does stupid things that undermine his own goals

Rebecca – She doesn’t take NO for an answer

Jakob – Who’s side is he on?

Julia – Follows her intuition

Empathetic:

Jakob – Keeps his addictive personality a secret from others but is repentant when he does wrong

Rebecca – Driven by helping the less fortunate and though no one in her family recognized her needs as a child.

Lukas – For service to his country he has given up his soul just like his Father.

Julia – She is a victim of unknown terrifying encounters and tries to cope as best she can in a “normal” life.

Hidden Agenda:

Jakob – Always knows more than he reveals to Rebecca

Rebecca – Would like to see the UN have more power over sovereign and countries

Lukas – He wants to leave the Navy and marry Rebecca

Julia – Wants to find her child

Competition:

Jakob – Other paranormal researchers

Rebecca – Other people wanting her job

Lukas – strings

Julia – College board does not approve of her research

Conspiracies:

Jakob – Using Rebecca and Julia for his own fame

Rebecca – Thinks she is conspiring with Jakob and Lukas separately

Lukas – Being blackmailed

Julia – Tries to ally with alien abductors

Secrets:

Jakob – Should go to AA and NA

Rebecca – Has flashes of being an abductee

Lukas – Witnessed his father kill his Mother

Julia – has had multiple miscarriages and a much larger remembrance of experiences

Deception:

Jakob – Addiction creates a world of self-deception and a lying personality

Rebecca – deceives her family in order to continue the mission

Lukas – Lied to cover up father’s murder – a double agent – knows more about aliens

Julia – disappears and takes care of an alien in order to find her children

Secret Identity:

Jakob – Dry alcoholic

Rebecca – Sexual promiscuity

Lukas – Naval Intelligence

Julia –

Hope/Fear:

Jakob – To be vindicated/that he is being lied to

Rebecca – Knowledge/Loss

Lukas – Redemption/Expose his past

Julia – Control/No Hope

Want/Need:

Jakob – His life back/Truth about his behavior

Rebecca – Power/acknowledgment of childhood trauma

Lukas – A different life/Love

Julia – Recognition/Completion

Mask: Base negative Emotion/Public Mask

Jakob – Shame/Worthless/Overactive or mindless wandering

Rebecca – Sadness/Helper

Lukas – Jealous/Military stoicism

Julia – Anger/Lighthearted

Weakness:

Jakob – Doesn’t take advice

Rebecca – Can’t decipher truth from lies

Lukas – Confused morals/PTSD

Julia – Memory loss

Trigger:

Jakob – When people don’t believe him

Rebecca – Not getting what she wants

Lukas – Stress and loss

Julia – Seeing other people in pain

Coping:

Jakob – Drugs or alcohol

Rebecca – Sex

Lukas – Self Harm

Julia – Shuts down

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  David Stam.

[Sherri Coffee]

Sherri D. Coffee Module 1 Lesson 5 Depth of Emotions

Madeleine:

A) Hope: Hide affair Fear: Affair revealed

B) Want: to be loved Need: to be in control

C) Base Negative Emotion: Worthless, not good enough

Public Mask: Important person in community

D) Weaknesses: Noisy, inserts self into others’ lives and problems

E) Triggers: Threats

F) Coping Mechanism: Manipulation

Celeste:

A) Hope: Have perfect relationship and family Fear: Revealed as abusive

B) Want: relationship Need: to be loved

C) Base Negative Emotion: Fear and Victim

Public Mask: Perfect marriage, activist – fights for theatre to have play.

D) Weaknesses: Powerless

E) Triggers: Threats and challenges to perfect image.

F) Coping Mechanism: Excuses and Denial

Jane:

A) Hope: Wants to fit in community Fear: Shame of Ziggy’s conception revealed

B) Want: To be a good Mother Need: power and control – to know who violated her

C) Base Negative Emotion: Power and revenge.

Public Mask: Situation under control, have resolved issue.

D) Weaknesses: Hurts son by hiding truth

E) Triggers: Wound and major stress

F) Coping Mechanism: Running, shooting guns, and visuals of killing perpetrator.

Renata:

A) Hope: Perfect life Fear: She will fail

B) Want: to protect daughter Need: To be respected

C) Base Negative Emotion: Shame and Power

Public Mask: Bully and in control

D) Weaknesses: Powerless to control situations

E) Triggers: Threat and negative treatment

F) Coping Mechanism: Demands action and bullies.

I learned to look much deeper at the characters actions and words to uncover the emotional profile.

[Sherri Coffee]

Sherri D. Coffee Lesson 1 Module 5 Depth of Emotions

Grace Profile

A) Situational Hope/Fear

Hope: Protect Sam from his children and secure her financial future.

Fear: She will fail.

B) Motivation: Want/Need

Want: Power, control of situation.

Need: Approval, love and validation

C) Mask: Base Negative Emotion/Public Mask

Base Negative Emotion: Fear, worthless

Public Mask: Important person, hero

D) Weaknesses

Empathetic, over-loyal, “do the right thing”, choose others over self, too concerned about image and others’ approval.

E) Triggers

Negative treatment, injustice, abandonment, lies.

F) Coping Mechanism

Fight back, analyze, alter state.

Sam

A) Hope: Reconcile with children before he dies and take care of Grace.

Fear: Legacy tarnished, shame, humiliation.

B) Motivation: Want/Need

Want: Relationship with children and with Grace

Need: To be loved, admired, and remembered.

C) Mask: Base Negative Emotion/Public Mask

Fear/Hero Worthless/Important person

D) Weaknesses

Needs to be in control to maintain image.

E) Triggers

Humiliation, threats, major stress, lies.

F) Coping Mechanism:

Denial, analyze, manipulate, shut down, cover up.

Carlton

A) Hope: Secure money for sisters.

Fear: His secrets will be revealed.

B) Motivation: Want/Need

Want: power and money

Need: dominance and control

C) Mask: Base Negative Emotion/Public Mask

Shame/bully

Fear being exposed/Hero

D) Weaknesses:

Ego driven, obsessive

E) Triggers

Threats, exposure

F) Coping Mechanism

Alter state, scheme, manipulate

Harmony

A) Hope: To protect Grace from repeating past life choices.

Fear: She will fail.

B) Motivation: Want/Need

Want: To help Grace

Need: To make amends and receive love.

C) Mask: Base Negative Emotion/Public Mask

Pain/Healer

D) Weaknesses

Powerless, need to control.

E) Triggers

Fear and threats, negative treatment

F) Coping Mechanism:

Withdraws and shuts down.

I learned to examine each element to create characters with depth and differentiate behaviors.

[Joseph Eastburn]

What I learned doing this assignment is that by watching my example shows, and working with characters, I can expand the plot.

Ruby Kane

A.
Situational: Hope – That she can force these cheating men to face
terrifying consequences and get away with it. / Fear – That she’ll be caught,
and there’s only so much she can do to hide the evidence.
B.
Motivation: Want – She wants to finally strike back at the sexual power
men have used against her and other women. / Need – Approval. And power.
C.
Mask: Base Negative Emotion – She is an incest survivor who was cheated on
twice, and still feels like a victim / Public Mask – Competent,
professional Detective.
D.
Weaknesses – She feels she can’t keep all the swirling details straight in
her mind.
E.
Triggers – When some man’s phone light up or vibrates, she feels victimized
all over again.
F.
Coping Mechanism – She lies, schemes, misdirects, covers up.

Brian ‘Thor’ Vinter

A.
Situational: Hope – That he can continue his marriage and bed younger
women. / Fear – That’ he’s going to get caught, cause a scandal, and lose
his job and status.
B.
Motivation: Want – To find this brazen killer / Need – To stop the humiliation
that his department is experiencing.
C.
Mask: Base Negative Emotion – Afraid, and he’s never been afraid / Public
Mask – ‘Thor,’ the handsome, charming super-hero police chief.
D.
Weaknesses – He’s not really a super-hero; it’s a cover-up for inadequacy.
E.
Triggers – Whenever an attractive woman walks by, he flinches; he’s afraid
he’s handsome but empty, without substance; just a pretty face.
F.
Coping Mechanism – He does something in secret.

Granger, the hit man

A.
Situational: Hope – That he can blend into the town, so no one will know
he’s a professional killer. / Fear – That everyone is looking at him and
can tell he’s not only a drug addict, but a hit-man.
B.
Motivation: Want – To finish the job, get enough money to get away. / Need
– To pay Thor back for saving his life when they were cops together.
C.
Mask: Base Negative Emotion – Scared, desperate man willing to do
desperate things / Public Mask – Nice guy who works in the hardware store.
D.
Weaknesses: He’s an addict with a violent history.
E.
Triggers: When people in town try to get to know him; a young woman wants
to date him.
F.
Coping Mechanism: He acts cool, but he’s on fire inside.

[Daniel Melin]

Assignment 2: Athens, MN—Tom, Mark, and Miguel

What I learned during this assignment is the value in elaborating on the specifics of a characters weaknesses and their goals. Many other writing instructors stress these two aspects of character, but what takes these elements to the next level is attacking them from multiple angles giving your characters’ weaknesses as many opportunities as possible to sabotage them while pursuing their goals.

Tom:

A.
Situational: Hope: To lift his curse / Fear: Turning into a monster.
B.
Motivation: Want: To become a powerful magician / Need: Love, validation.
C.
Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Fear, worthless / Public Mask: Accommodating
boy next door.
D.
Weaknesses: Little practical trade skill, directionless.
E.
Triggers: Unfamiliar situations, rejection.
F.
Coping Mechanism: altering state: returning to Everlasting Summer.

Mark:

A.
Situational: Hope: To acquire Oberon’s staff / Fear: Being shown up as a magician.
B.
Motivation: Want: To become the age’s preeminent magician. / Need: Control
C.
Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Insecurity, bitterness, anger / Public Mask:
Critic
D.
Weaknesses: Overly judgmental, makes fun of others.
E.
Triggers: Being disrespected or challenged.
F.
Coping Mechanism: analyzing, learning more.

Miguel:

A.
Situational: Hope: To grow his business / Fear: Losing money
B.
Motivation: Want: To be successful / Need: Power
C.
Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Rage / Public Mask: Fighter
D.
Weaknesses: Short-tempered
E.
Triggers: Being challenged
F.
Coping Mechanism: Fighting back, working hard, violence.

[Donna Stockwell]

What I learned doing this assignment, I could see specific dialog and scenes to highlight and show some of these character traits.

EXAMPLE SHOW: Jessica Jones

JESSICA PROFILE
A. Situational – Hope – find inner peace /Fear- mind controlled by ex-boyfriend
B. Motivation: Want – relationship / Need- love and validation
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion- low self-esteem / Public Mask – super strength
D. Weaknesses – PTSD
E. Triggers – flashback, dream, words, associate with other people’s actions
F. Coping Mechanism – When their back is against the wall or they are under heavy stress, they recite street names, lash out at boss.

HOGWARTH PROFILE
A. Hope -to keep job / Fear – not to win cases
B. Want – to look good in front of peers / Need – to get information for cases
C. Mask – not confident / Public Mask – one person show
D. Weakness – powerless, need to control
E. Trigger – being reminded she needs others to help, being disrespected
F. Coping Mechanism – yelling, demanding

__

Donna Stockwell’s Character Emotions

BEN (father) PROFILE

A. Situational: Hope – to go back to normal traditional family life / Fear his wife won’t come back
B. Motivation: Want – to soothe the hurt of marriage break up/ Need – to fill the hole of a loving wife
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – revenge / Public Mask – father with stiff upper lip
D. Weaknesses – selfish, ignorant of other people’s emotions
E. Triggers – reminders of happiness, be disrespected
F. Coping Mechanism – lying, evasion, raping & controlling look-alike women

PETRINA (mother) PROFILE

A. Situational: Hope – to be happy / Fear – never be completely happy and free
B. Motivation: Want – to be loved and cherished / Need – to feel wanted
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – inadequate / Public Mask- warm mother and wife
D. Weaknesses – powerless
E. Triggers – scowl or perceived anger from husband & family
F. Coping Mechanism – smile, make-up, shopping

CELESTE (daughter) PROFILE

A. Situational: Hope – to have a full traditional life / Fear – her mother isn’t happy
B. Motivation: Want – to leave home and start own life / Need – money
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – worthless / Public Mask – straight-A student
D. Weaknesses – ambition less, want the easy life, settling at first choice
E. Triggers – being disrespected
F. Coping Mechanism – running / go to gym

[Barbara Gilmore]

What I learned from this assignment was to observe and try to understand on a deeper level the characters in my Example Show (Big Little Lies). I also need to continue to build out the characters in my own show using the techniques here.

Assignment 1

Big Little Lies

Madeline Mackenzie

A. Situational: Hope / Fear = Winning/Losing

B. Motivation: Want / Need = Acknowledgement/Stay in control of her family

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask = Anger/Nice, Assertive

D. Weaknesses = Insecurity

E. Triggers = Competition, Disagreement, Not getting what she wants

F. Coping Mechanism = Manipulate, Drinks

Jane Chapman

A. Situational: Hope / Fear = Gets over rape/intimate again/unable to be intimate again

B. Motivation: Want / Need = Intimacy, Revenge/ Self-Acceptance

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask = Anger/In Control

D. Weaknesses = Distrust of others

E. Triggers = Ziggy and others asking about Ziggy’s father

F. Coping Mechanism = Exercise: running fast along the beach (mostly), visits the gun range

Celeste Wright

A. Situational: Hope / Fear = Free from her husband/emotional breakdown & death

B. Motivation: Want / Need = Control and Freedom/Sex and Stability

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask = Fear and Pride/Perfect Relationship

D. Weaknesses = Agreeable

E. Triggers = Husband, Perry’s, controlling behaviour

F. Coping Mechanism = Gets fashionably dressed up, sex

Assignment 2

Green Lake (my show) in progress

Jess Pearson

A. Situational: Hope / Fear =

B. Motivation: Want / Need =

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask =

D. Weaknesses =

E. Triggers =

F. Coping Mechanism = Astrology

Sheriff Moore

A. Situational: Hope / Fear =

B. Motivation: Want / Need =

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask =

D. Weaknesses =

E. Triggers =

F. Coping Mechanism =

Sarah Watson

A. Situational: Hope / Fear =

B. Motivation: Want / Need =

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask =

D. Weaknesses =

E. Triggers =

F. Coping Mechanism = Art, Photography

[Patty Ruland]

(Patricia Ruland’s) Character Emotions lesson

[Binge Worthy TV] Lesson 5: Depth of Emotions

What I learned was:

“The beautiful thing about internal struggles is that you can trigger them at any time in a character’s life. This allows for endless drama.” This opens up endless possibilities.” –Mr. Croasmun, Lesson 5

COMPILED PROFILES FOR THE SHOW GOSSIP GIRL

SERENA PROFILE

A. Hope: Make a new start in old Eastside neighborhood. / Fear: She’ll regress to her old ways.

B. Want: To do right by people. / Need: To protect her brother, restore friendships.

C. Base Negative Emotion: Competitiveness / Public Mask: Laid-back, easy-going, true-blue

D. Weaknesses: Befriending people who are not good for her..

E. Triggers: Her brother bing mistreated; parents’ ineptitude.

F. Coping Mechanism: Being all things to all people, evolving as others stay the same (maintaining their bad selves)

BLAIR PROFILE

A. Hope: Solidify intimate girl-friend status with Nate. / Fear: He still loves Serena.

B. Want: To hold court over everyone in her circle.. / Need: Control, adoration.

C. Base Negative Emotion: Vindictiveness. / Petite, delicate flower.

D. Weaknesses: Ineffectual as Nate’s partner; need to keep trying.

E. Triggers: Being told Serena slept with Nate.

F. Coping Mechanism: Enlist Chuck and other accomplices to do in Serena and anyone who supports her..

CHUCK PROFILE

A. Hope: Bedding women on his climb to the top / Fear None to speak of..

B. Want: Sex, money, power. / Need: True friendship, loyalty

C. Base Negative Emotion: Ruthless / Public Mask: Unflappable, too cool for school

D. Weaknesses: Wasteful—of time and affections of others

E. Triggers: Not triggered, in a bad way; triggered in a good way when Nate fell in with ruthless gamblers and he saved him by letting him pay his debts with his prized possession..

F. Coping Mechanism: Always contemplating the
next rung up.

ASSIGNMENT 2: “Psycho*Boomer*Effing*Delic” [Pilot for Ok Boom! Wham! Bam! Serial]

1. For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

CAREN CAY BOOMER PROFILE

A. Hope: Somehow, she will transcend her life in Boomerville. Fear: She won’t.

B. Want: Success she never had in her youth / True love.

C. Base Negative Emotion: Rage, despair / Public Mask: Devoted mother, active community member

D. Weaknesses: Stress that sends her over the edge..

E. Triggers: Family arguments; constant strife; messes!

F. Coping Mechanism: “Taking the leap” to find her soul mate, dead or alive.

FRED OSCAR (FO!) BOOMER PROFILE

A. Hope: He can tamp Caren enough so she stays in check Fear: She will embarrass him publicly.

B. Want: New ways to be important / Need: Friendships with the “right” people

C. Base Negative: Selfishness, heartlessness Mask: Middle-Class Man of the Family

D. Weaknesses: No loyalty—no cache granted

E. Triggers: Someone, especially Caren Cay one-upping him; feelings of irrelevance.

F. Coping Mechanism: Bearing down on his family emotionally; courting bigger fish to fry politically—and, personally.

ok, the Boomer twins

A. Hope: Things will lighten up at their house. Fear: They won’t..

B. Want: To obtain distance from overbearing parents Need: To grow—up and away

C. Base Negative Emotion: Talent for sabotage / Public Mask: “good kids” with bad parents.

D. Weaknesses: peer pressure, their own lust for the limelight

E. Triggers: mother’s tendency to go off the deep end; father’s tendency to drive her off the deep end

F. Coping Mechanism: Sticking like glue
together, two-as-one 24/7/365.

[Stuart Voytilla]

Stuart’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment the importance of conflict/polarity in the breakdown of the elements within the Character’s Emotional Profile. Lots of fun exploring this for my characters – and exploring it within my sample show, Watchmen. I’m challenged by distinguishing hope/fear and want/need – the four are important and the nuance between the pairings and amongst the four words deserves attention and exploration for my characters.

I’ve enjoyed getting deeper into the emotional profiles of my three main characters. There’s more exploration to come but below is my snapshot at the moment, so I can move forward and allow the ongoing processing in my creative mind.

The assigned episode of my sample series, Watchmen, focused on Wade. So, I selected him for my focus as well. This elevates his significance as an inner circle character. It also makes me appreciate the depth, layers, and intrigue we can bring into the connected circle of characters.

Part 1: Watchmen’s Character Emotions

Wade’s Emotional Profile:

A. Hope: protection / Fear: psychic blasts, teleporting alien squids

B. Want: truth / Need: prevent another 11/2 Doomsday, acceptance

C. Base Negative Emotion: worthless, stupid / Public Mask: Looking Glass (officer of Tulsa PD), healed survivor of 11/2 (trauma support group)

D. Weaknesses: gullible

E. Triggers: when he’s questioned, or deceived

F. Coping Mechanism: withdrawing in his bunker, hiding behind reflectatine.

Angela’s Emotional Profile:

A. Hope: Protect her own / Fear: injury/death to her loved ones; isolation

B. Want: protect her own / Need: Justice

C. Base Negative Emotion: Rage / Public Mask: in control (unmasked), defender of law (masked Sister Night)

D. Weaknesses: impulsiveness, protective

E. Triggers: being manipulated, betrayal

F. Coping Mechanism: action, attack, withholding

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Part 2: Stuart’s Character Emotions

Hop-Frog’s Emotional Profile

A. Hope: Control, Trippetta’s acceptance, love / Fear: Pain/death, exposure, chaos

B. Want: to break his curse and be the man he failed to be / Need: acceptance

C. Base Negative Emotion: rage, self-loathing, loneliness / Public Mask: confidante, Foolish Servant

D. Weaknesses: coward, ignorant of ruling a country

E. Triggers: being bullied, chaos

F. Coping Mechanism: withdraw to his clockworks shop, scheme, misdirect with humor

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Trippetta’s Emotional Profile

A. Hope: revenge, power / Fear: torture, rape

B. Want: power / Need: love, respect

C. Base Negative Emotion: defiled, misery, loneliness / Public Mask: naivete, nurturing

D. Weaknesses: powerless, overly reliant on others, sheltered

E. Triggers: being challenged, belittled

F. Coping Mechanism: she withdraws and works on her physical skills, dancing, fending, combat

King Goplik’s Emotional Profile

A. Hope: control, impress / Fear: betrayal, obscurity

B. Want: domination / Need: to be remembered, respect

C. Base Negative Emotion: loneliness / Public Mask: gracious, generous king

D. Weaknesses: impotent, pompous, vain

E. Triggers: being challenged, betrayal

F. Coping Mechanism: lash out, torture, create chaos using practical jokes, overindulgence

[Molly Gagnon]

Molly McNeal’s Depth of character emotion

What I learned from this assignment is that every aspect of emotion my characters have makes them different on the set. I have been worried that my characters are sounding the same, and I can see by making their emotional reactions different that they can sound different.

Assignment 1 Supergirl

Situation: Hopes for normalcy and Love/ Fears her own powers and her secret identity being exploited

Motivation: Wants approval/ Needs love and acceptance

Mask: Base Negative Emotion Anger/ Public mask Do gooder

Weakness: Kryptonite *ha! Justice at all costs

Triggers: Injustice, Anger

Coping Mechanisms: Anything to make her feel normal, pushing herself into other people’s lives even as Kara to make a difference. All to make herself feel good and accepted.

1. For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

Gwenn Forrester

A. Situational: Hope to be accepted/ Fear to be rejected

B. Motivation: Wants praise/ Needs approval

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion turbulent/ Public Mask Bubbly

D. Weaknesses temptation, triumph, heroism

E. Triggers vulnerable populations or people

F. Coping Mechanism, Control

Terry Lacey

1. For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

A. Situational: Hope love and friendship/ Fear betrayal

B. Motivation: Wants friendship over leadership/ Need self acceptance

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion Fear / Public Mask Confidence

D. Weaknesses Women, lying to get her way or to seek approval

E. Triggers intimacy of any kind

F. Coping Mechanism boisterous and inappropriate

Sally Ridgewood

1. For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

A. Situational: Hope to be a great mom and support her kid/ Fear failing as a parent

B. Motivation: Consistency/ Needs excitement

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion Fear / Public Mask Helper

D. Weaknesses Sex

E. Triggers, Bad boys

F. Coping Mechanism, Sex, Men

Sam Rogers

1. For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

A. Situational: Hope to keep his wife alive / Fear she dies

B. Motivation: Want intimacy/ Needs authority

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion depressed/ Public Mask Control

D. Weaknesses patients that he works with, women

E. Triggers, victims

F. Coping Mechanism/ risk taking

[John Anderson]

John Anderson’s Character Emotions

“What I learned doing this assignment is That an emotional profile is THE road map to increasing tension and interesting moments where I might otherwise have just had some mundane moments that would move the story along but not with as much intrigue. I also now see how deep these characters are developed in these Example Shows and how that has made them so binge-worthy. While, I already knew that Breaking Bad and the Wire and other binge-worthy shows had many extra levels of human emotional exposure, I wasn’t sure how to explain it before.

LESSON 5

ASSIGNMENT 1: Example Show

Watch the next episode of your Example Show and create an Emotional Profile for two or three main characters in this show.

1) Phillip:

A. Situational: Hope / Fear – To lead a normal life in the USA with Elizabeth/ He will be caught and jailed
B. Motivation: Want / Need – Her love/ To be able to trust her to have his back at all times
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask – hypercompetitive control freak/ happy go lucky
D. Weaknesses – Needs to feel safe with someone/ needs to feel loved / competitiveness / vengeful
E. Triggers – bullies / vulnerability with others / lack of control / betrayal
F. Coping Mechanism – attack / cheat / hurt others / turn off caring

2) Elizabeth:

A. Situational:
Hope / Fear – wants a love “connection” / Her kids will find out she lied
to them
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – To feel safe / true trust
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask –
Fanatical believer / sweet mom
D. Weaknesses –
Not trustworthy herself / wants to trust others
E. Triggers –
her rape, safety of her cover in danger, looking as if weak or needing others
F. Coping
Mechanism – rage, her job requirements as excuse, bad habits (cigs)

ASSIGNMENT 2: Your Show

For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

1) Belenko:

A. Situational:
Hope / Fear -Wants to defect /
America will be as bad as the Soviets say
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – To find freedom/ to
stop the lying and terror
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask – To
feel control / Good Soviet and true believer
D. Weaknesses –
needs love and to trust in truth. Competitive, can’t tolerate being lied
tot
E. Triggers – liars,
lack of control, cowardness, criminal actions, smiles
F. Coping
Mechanism – anger, shuts down and conspires, flying, the wilderness,
acting out

2) Male CIA Agent:

A. Situational:
Hope / Fear – To uncover Soviet
secrets / That he will be duped
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – To be smarter than the Soviets / To feel safe
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask – Fear of failure and lack of control /
Friendly helper
D. Weaknesses –
self-doubt, lack of trust in others,
E. Triggers –
little lies or deceptions, contradictions, mistakes on his end
F. Coping
Mechanism – Removal of self and reassessment, challenging, alcohol,
beating self up

3) Female CIA Agent:

A. Situational:
Hope / Fear – to gain Belenko’s trust / he’ll see through her self-doubt
or mistrust her
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – To have control of situations, competitive / to be treated
with respect and be seen. To be
needed by others
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask – feels invisible / pretty lady
D. Weaknesses –
Ambitious, thin skinned
E. Triggers –
Sideways statements, sexual comments by coworkers, being ignored in
conversation,
F. Coping
Mechanism – sexuality/sensuality, smiles, makeup, sexual promiscuity

4) KGB Agent

A. Situational:
Hope / Fear – to get Belenko back to Russia / to be seen as ineffective at
job / competent
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – to get promoted or keep job / To feel stay in good graces
and not be returned to Russia
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask – afraid of failure / tough guy
D. Weaknesses –
scared of his own thoughts of America, his thoughts of defection, paranoid
E. Triggers –
lack of control, being disrespected, sensing he is not feared, smiles
F. Coping
Mechanism – anger, threats, false friendliness, bravado

[Marcus Armstrong]

Lesson 5 – Assignment #1

Emotional Profiles: Revenge

Emily Thorne

A. Situational: Hope: Seek revenge on every culpable person. / Fear: Being stopped

B. Motivation: Want: Inflict pain & loss. / Need: Justice

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Closed off. / Public Mask: Hamptons socialite.

D. Weaknesses: Jack Porter, Resists help (from Nolan)

E. Triggers: Being threatened

F. Coping Mechanism: Strategizes, plans her next attack

Victoria Grayson

A. Situational: Hope: To remain queen of the Hamptons / Fear: Her status crumbles

B. Motivation: Want: Eliminate any social threats / Need: To be center of attention

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Feels unloved Public Mask: Face of strength

D. Weaknesses: Remorse over innocents killed on airliner, lost love David Clarke

E. Triggers: Social status is threatened, husband’s infidelity

F. Coping Mechanism: Manipulation

Nolan Ross

A. Situational: Hope: To win Emily’s approval / Fear: Rejection

B. Motivation: Want: To fit in Need: Acceptance

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Insecure, nervous / Public Mask: Confident (overly so)

D. Weaknesses: Arrogance

E. Triggers: Emily’s indifference

F. Coping Mechanism: Manipulation through guilt

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by  Marcus Armstrong.

[Marcus Armstrong]

Lesson 5 – Assignment #2

Marc Armstrong’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment is how we learn behavior through contrasts such as hope vs. fear, want vs. need and negative emotion vs. public mask. This is a great way to “fill in the blanks” in character development.

Show – Catch and Release

Nikolas Sutton

A. Situational: Hope: To provide some justice in the world / Fear: Be killed or found out

B. Motivation: Want: To avenge needless crimes / Need: Sense of sport

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Bloodthirsty / Public Mask: Church youth group leader

D. Weaknesses: Overly confident

E. Triggers: Injustices, bullies

F. Coping Mechanism: Denial

Brandon Leek

A. Situational: Hope: That he is useful to Nik / Fear: Being arrested or killed

B. Motivation: Want: To have a voice / Need: Nik’s respect

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Shame (for drug addiction) / Public Mask: Stoic

D. Weaknesses: Opioids of any kind

E. Triggers: Impatience or rudeness

F. Coping Mechanism: Analyzes

Charlie Anderson

A. Situational: Hope: To bring justice / Fear: Speaking in front of a group

B. Motivation: Want: A friendship with Nik / Need: Validation

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Deceptive / Public Mask: Loyal

D. Weaknesses: Female attention

E. Triggers: Bullies, being judged

F. Coping Mechanism: Manipulates

Bryson Volgard

A. Situational: Hope: To be his daughter’s hero / Fear: His secret life being discovered by family

B. Motivation: Want: To vindicate his brother’s involvement / Need: Family’s respect

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Rages / Public Mask: Meek family man

D. Weaknesses: Emotional wall

E. Triggers: Threats, real or perceived

F. Coping Mechanism: Fights back

[Jane Turville]

Jane’s Character Emotions. I found this assignment pretty difficult and discovered that thinking about the character’s as internal only can really open up some strong motivations for their actions. I also learned a bit about each character, especially in the Want/Need area. It feels like this is going to be a very good exercise to keep massaging but also moving back to, just to see how the characters actually develop. I had no idea that Jodie would be a closet arsonist, but that can be pretty compelling!!!!

ASSIGNMENT 1 – Riverdale Emotional Profiles

Archie Emotional Profile:

A. Situational: Hope – He wants to succeed as a musician / Fear – He’s not good enough.B. Motivation: Want – To do everything / Need – To be validated by othersC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – Insecurity / Public Mask – In controlD. Weaknesses – Insecurity; wanting to please others; stubbornE. Triggers – Friends being picked on; someone not being supportiveF. Coping Mechanism – athletics – boxing, football; physical punching or fighting

Veronica Emotional Profile:

A. Situational: Hope – That her father is good / Fear – That neither parents are good.B. Motivation: Want – Her old life back / Need – to be accepted and to helpC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – she has no control over life / Public Mask – she’s in controlD. Weaknesses – insensitive; assumes she can buy/cheer/drink her way out of her fears.E. Triggers – being bullied or watching others be bullied.F. Coping Mechanism – shops to cope with her problems; immediately addresses problems of others.

Cheryl Emotional Profile:

A. Situational: Hope – To maintain her lead-bitch status / Fear – That she is aloneB. Motivation: Want – to be part of a close family / Need – her brother JasonC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – fear / Public Mask – a bitchy, spoiled girlD. Weaknesses – lets her fear overcome her; pushes others away; uses peopleE. Triggers – anything about Jason.F. Coping Mechanism – manipulating someone

ASSIGNMENT 2 – 13 Weeks Emotional Profiles

Jodie Emotional Profile

A. Situational: Hope – To provide her sister with a safe and happy home / Fear – Her sister will discover that she is responsible for her sister being blind.B. Motivation: Want – To take care of her sister / Need – To be forgivenC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – self-loathing and guilt / Public Mask – doesn’t give a damn.D. Weaknesses – prejudice; judges other quickly and harshlyE. Triggers – someone speaking another language in publicF. Coping Mechanism – smokes; starts fires

Lucas Emotional Profile

A. Situational: Hope – To be respected for who he is / Fear – Loss of situation controlB. Motivation: Want – To be a good son and brother / Need – AcceptanceC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – he may not be redeemable / Public Mask – Not scared of anything; cocky.D. Weaknesses – he’s a coward; gamblesE. Triggers – Being alone, particularly in nature.F. Coping Mechanism – shifts to alter ego

Susie Emotional Profile

A. Situational: Hope – To be a good mother to her baby / Fear – That she really doesn’t know what is best for herself B. Motivation: Want – Responsibility / Need – LoveC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – Pain at losing the one person she loved / Public Mask – Overtly optimistic D. Weaknesses – self-doubt; manipulates for fun; loses track of her liesE. Triggers Being told what to do rather than askedF. Coping Mechanism – Plots revenge, if only in her head

Miguel Emotional Profile

A. Situational: Hope – Stay in America and no longer be part of a gang / Fear – he is at heart a killer.B. Motivation: Want – To be successful at his work / Need – to be part of something goodC. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – he is totally alone / Public Mask – overly friendlyD. Weaknesses – lacks self control; self-pity; lies easily E. Triggers – anything that threatens a childF. Coping Mechanism – hides; hard-core athletics

[Renee Brown]

Lesson 5

Subject line: Renee Brown’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment is…as I explore the characters in this way, plot lines materialize like magic. Cool.

Assignment1

The 100

Clark:

A. Situational: Hope: Earth is safe, everyone can come down / Fear: They are all gonna die.

B. Motivation: Want: to see her mother again / Need: to be loved

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: guilt / Public Mask: Leader

D. Weaknesses: Finn, her dad’s death

E. Triggers: Talking about her dad

F. Coping Mechanism: Bossing everyone around

Finn:

A. Situational: Hope: He has a chance with Clark / Fear: being alone

B. Motivation: Want: to prove himself / Need: to be loved

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Pride / Public Mask: tough guy clown

D. Weaknesses: cares too much

E. Triggers: challenging his knowledge

F. Coping Mechanism: hides

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ASSIGNMENT 2: Alien Mafia

1. For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:

Situational: Hope / Fear

Tallas: Restore the glory of his species / Loose his identity

Anauk: Be a better Flier than his dad / Ridicule

Saltar: Unite the Deepers and Longheads / Getting old

Steelman: Reunite with his lover and child / Dying alone

Rollin: Escape the “one” title / Being in the spotlight

Motivation: Want / Need

Tallas: To be the bringer of the prophecy / Avenge his heritage

Anauk: Recognized by his dad / Love and validation.

Saltar: Ally with the Longheads and Fliers / to be relevant

Steelman: Save DSOM / Family

Rollin: Step aside / anonymity

Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask

Tallas: Vengeful / Scholar

Anauk: Prideful / Too cool for you

Saltar: Vanity / Helpful

Steelman: Lonely / ambitious

Rollin: Desperately shy / martyred

Weaknesses

Tallas: Unforgiving

Anauk: Overly ambitious

Saltar: Attention seeking

Steelman: Power

Rollin: Powerless

Triggers

Tallas: Kindness to Deepers

Anauk: Being Teased

Saltar: Being Ignored

Steelman: Fear of open spaces

Rollin: The spotlight

F. Coping Mechanism

Tallas: Lies, alters his species’ history

Anauk: Distracts, acts cool/ clown

Saltar: Seduces / plays the temptress

Steelman: Alters state / whisky

Rollin: Shuts down / hides

[Cooper James]

Cooper James – Depth of Emotions

What I learned is to dig in deeper to find the most interesting and surprising character emotions that will fully engage your audience, and yourself. Attack character emotion from every possible angle and stay open to discovering the unexpected.

Assignment #1 – Handmaid’s Tale

Offred

A. Hope: to get pregnant / Fear: being sent to the colonies.

B. Want: to escape Gilead. / Need: to find her daughter

C. Base Negative Emotion: Anger / Public Mask: obedience

D. Weaknesses: Powerless

E. Triggers: Injustice

F. Coping Mechanism: fantasizing about killing Mrs. Waterford.

Mrs. Waterford

A. Hope: Offred gives her a baby. / Fear: Commander Waterford will find out about Nick and Offred having sex.

B. Want: Baby / Need: Love

C. Base negative Emotion: Worthless / Public Mask: Important person.

D. Weaknesses: Need to be desired.

E. Triggers: fear of never having a child.

F. Coping Mechanism: manipulation and she smokes.

My show: Edgemont

Simone

A. Hope: Save the Edgemont and the kids. / Fear: Her sons will be killed.

B. Want: Control / Needs: Approval

C. Base Negative Emotions: Victim / Mask: activist

D. Weaknesses: Powerless

E. Triggers: Negative treatment

F. Coping Mechanism: Shut down and running 50 miles alone through the mountains.

King

A. Hope: Sell the Edgemont / Fear: Dying

B. Want: Power / Fear: Being betrayed

C. Base Negative Emotions: worthless / Mask: Important person

D. Weaknesses: Hurts people he cares about.

E. Triggers: the stress of trying to sell the Edgemont.

F. Coping Mechanism: manipulation

Roman

A. Hope: To run the Edgemont / Fear: Being killed

B. Want: Power / Need: Self-esteem

C. Base Negative Emotions: Worthless / Mask: Important person

D. Weaknesses: Over-loyal

E. Triggers: Being bullied

F. Coping Mechanism: Shut down

Remy

A. Hope: Bring down Region 26 / Fear: being killed

B. Want: wants to win / Need: love and approval

C. Base Negative Emotions: Rage / Mask: Defender of what’s right

D. Weaknesses: ego-driven

E. Triggers: feeling threatened

F. Coping Mechanism: Alter his state – sex, drugs, and drinking.

[Jason]

Jason’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment came as a sort of fascinating overview of how many facets of myself are revealed throughout the characters, and that the characters who find themselves at odds with each-other share several of the same traits–which is psychologically sound. It also provides a means of checks/balances when making sure they have their own individual voice, as well as offers a springboard for raising the stakes in their individual journeys. It’s reassuring to understand these breakdowns are malleable with the introduction to new information and revelation in the same way objectives are subject to being met or thwarted in the work I do as an actor.

Assignment 1:

L O S T

Jack Shephard

A. Situational: Desires to maintain healthy order until rescue / Fears not being rescued

B. Motivation: Wants to help people / Needs to feel he’s doing the right thing

C. Mask: Base Emotion: Self-doubt / Public Mask: Leader

D. Weaknesses: Beauty, unsurety, lack of control, brutality, violence

E. Triggers: Personal inquiries, religion, fighting, destruction of life

F. Coping Mechanism: Isolation, silence, stuffing, activity

Kate Austen

A. Situational: Wants to help survivors get off the island / Fears abandonment & dying

B. Motivation: Will do anything to survive / Needs to align herself with strongest people

C. Mask: Base Emotion: Fear / Public Mask: Fearless team-player

D. Weaknesses: Fugitive with a secret, self-preserving, manipulative, attaches to alpha males

E. Triggers: Threats to identity, disruption of order, injustice, control freaks

F. Coping Mechanism: Taking control, manipulation, closing off, running

Assignment 2:

Dreaming Wide Awake

Gina Semple

A. Situational: Wants to preserve her fantastical inner life for herself / Relationships with others threaten her safe place

B. Motivation: Desires control of her circumstances / Needs relationships to heal

C. Mask: Base Emotion: Insecurity / Public Mask – Adapts to others

D. Weaknesses: Intelligence threatens relatability, fears intimacy, shuts people out, protective of privacy

E. Triggers: Liars, arrogance, hubris, manipulation, betrayal

F. Coping Mechanism: Writing, analyzing, outsmarting, shutting down, wit, isolating

Maggie Ketchum

A. Situational: Hopes for adventure / Fears best days are over

B. Motivation: Wants to start over / Needs to abandon security

C. Mask: Base Emotion: Wistfulness / Public Mask: Brassy, Problem solver

D. Weaknesses: Afraid of change, lives vicariously through Gina, misses the man she married

E. Triggers: Stupidity, machismo, prejudice

F. Coping Mechanism: Sucking it up, drinking, impulsive action-taking

Mark Ketchum

A. Situational: Desires to be white knight for Maggie / Feels trapped by inevitable aging and responsibility

B. Motivation: Wants to fulfill his wife’s greatest desires / Needs to find his own heart again

C. Mask: Base Emotion: Inadequacy / Public Mask: Stable, fun-lover

D. Weaknesses: Weight, insecurity, fear of growing old, fear of instability and failing Maggie

E. Triggers: Threats to his wife, threats to security, disrespecting people’s boundaries

F. Coping Mechanism: Eating, drinking, watching Nascar

Chris McAllister

A. Situational: Works to stay at top of game as Actor-Writer / Fears HIV will kill him and can’t risk love

B. Motivation: Wants to be the best storyteller he can be / Needs to feel connected to people for affirmation

C. Mask: Base Emotion: Despair / Public Mask: Positive Broadway Star/Role Model

D. Weaknesses: HIV positive for 10 years, won’t risk relationship, fears hurting people

E. Triggers: Intolerance, egotism, judgmental people, bullies, accidentally hurting someone

F. Coping Mechanisms: Confrontation, dramatic expression

Parker Lang

A. Situational: Hopes to be the guy people want to be around/ Fears exposure of past.

B. Motivation: Wants to atone for past mistakes / Needs to forgive himself

C. Mask: Base Emotion: Guilt and regret / Public Mask: Sharp witted and charming

D. Weaknesses: Former inmate, feels responsible for the death of ex-fiance. Won’t talk about past, won’t let himself close to anyone.

E. Triggers: Manipulation, dishonesty, predators, chauvinists, bullies.

F. Coping Mechanisms: Humor, confrontation, physical conditioning

[Sean Barrett]

Sean’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment:

1. Exercise helps me know my characters much more intimately, associate with how they feel, react, cope, respond, engage, and reason.

2. I considered things about my characters I would probably have never thought about or missed completely. As a result, these character emotions would have been absent from the character entirely as well as the story.

3. Helped me really think about who my character will be in every situation from beginning to end and for what purpose as it pertains to my story.

Assignment 1

Emotional profiles for Dean and Sam Winchester

Dean – Hope: He Can find his mother’s killer and destroy it.

/Fear: He is killed, arrested, or he never finds that evil that killed his mother.

Wants Retribution / Needs Acceptance and internal peace.

Base Negative Emotion/Public Mask: Angry Victim/Happy Hero

Weaknesses: Cannot legally support himself financially, unsatisfied, needs normalcy/love.

Triggers: threat of failure, threats against helpless victims, his character being questioned

Coping Mechanisms: Distracts, lies, schemes, acts unfazed/bold.

Sam – Hope: He Can find his mother’s and Jess’s killer and destroy it and try to have a normal life again.

/Fear: He is arrested, killed, or never finds the evil that killed his mother and Jess.

Wants Retribution / Needs Acceptance, to forgive himself and internal peace.

Base Negative Emotion/Public Mask: Victim/Unfazed Hero

Weaknesses: pain and regret losing Jess and normal life, blames self.

Triggers: pain of loss/being reminded of it, his choices being questioned

Coping Mechanisms: Hides, lies, deflects, attacks back.

Assignment 2

Emotional profiles for the main characters in my story: The SAT

Cian Shea – Hope/Fear: A new world without evil/being imprisoned or losing his sanity.

Wants/Needs: Everything he envisioned/love and to survive.

Base Negative Emotion/Public Mask:

Extreme underlying fear and unrest/ Extreme confidence, control, calm

Weaknesses: Indulgent, unrest, fear

Triggers: Seeing content in normal lives, pride in Devil and others, his dream is impossible

Coping Mechanisms: Deflects, ignores, lies, indulges sex/liquor/drugs/social.

Bridget McCabe – Hope/Fear: To make a difference/failure, becoming a victim.

Wants/Needs:

Be difference in lives of women, educate, protect them/love, normalcy, balance.

Base Negative Emotions/Public Mask:

feels inadequate/Overachiever, satisfied of successes.

Weaknesses: feels inadequate, overwhelmed with own ambitions/bar set to high

Triggers: told she cannot or its ok/more than enough, not taken seriously, ignored

Coping Mechanisms: Attacks back, overachieves, schemes, indulges sex/liquor/social.

The Devil – Hope/Fear: To make God powerless or not care/being punished before his time or right now.

Wants/Needs: to make God suffer or pay him back/unlimited, unending power.

Base Negative Emotions/Public Mask: Afraid, hesitant/Fearless, moves without hesitation.

Weaknesses: Self-indulgent, overthinks, impulsive

Triggers: Anything or anyone that despises him, disrespect

Coping Mechanisms: Attacks back above and beyond, schemes, deflects, indulges macabre.

[Matthew Frendo]

For REVENGE:

Emily

A.
Hope: To get justice for her dad. / Fear: That her real identity will be
found out.
B.
Want: Revenge. / Need: Acceptance / happiness
C.
Base Negative Emotion: anger and hatred / Public Mask: Rich socialite
D.
Weaknesses: need to do things alone, inability to trust
E.
Triggers: anyone trying to control her or tell her what to do
F.
Coping Mechanism: attack harder

Victoria

A.
Hope: to be queen of the Hamptons. / Fear: To be taken down and found out.
B.
Want: Power. / Need: Love and forgiveness
C.
Base Negative Emotion: untrusting / Public Mask: queen who’s in control
D.
Weaknesses: need to look perfect at all times, not show real emotion
E.
Triggers: Being betrayed.
F.
Coping Mechanism: Manipulate and deceive

[doug Johnson]

Lesson 5, Assignment 1:

Depth of Emotion: Big Little Lies

MADELINE:

HOPE/FEAR: Greater fullfillment/Being average

WANT/NEED: To be the person she thought she would/To be content with who she is

EMOTION/MASK: Inadequacy/Bulldog

WEAKNESS: Cares what people think of her

TRIGGERS: People fucking with her efforts to be more

COPING MECH: Trash-talking those she feels threatened by

CELESTE:

HOPE/FEAR: Family unit/Splitting up

WANT/NEED: Perry to be the man she thought he was/To escape Perry

EMOTION/MASK: Things are broken/Things are perfect

WEAKNESS: Won’t advocate for herself

TRIGGERS: Abuse

COPING MECH: Toxic sex

JANE:

HOPE/FEAR: Normal life/Abnormal life

WANT/NEED: Better life for her and Ziggy/Closure

EMOTION/MASK: Helplessness/Fierce defender in control

WEAKNESS: Can’t move on

TRIGGERS: Ziggy’s problems at school, memories of her rape

COPING MECH: Running

RENATA:

HOPE/FEAR: Strength/Being put in positions of weakness

WANT/NEED: Protect her daughter/Raise a daughter who can protect herself

EMOTION/MASK: Weakness/Bulldog

WEAKNESS: Temper, Self-esteem

TRIGGERS: Daughter being bullied

COPING MECH: Rage

Lesson 5, Assignment 2:

Depth of Emotion: Tin Men

JOHN:

HOPE/FEAR: Life choices will lead to success/Life choices doomed him to failure

WANT/NEED: Success/To achieve all he is capable of

EMOTION/MASK: Inadequacy/Responsible Dad & Husband

WEAKNESS: Jealousy, Blind dedication, Too reserved, Fear of risk

TRIGGERS: Watching others succeed far beyond him

COPING MECH: Taking extended jobs away from home

DANA:

HOPE/FEAR: Avoid pain of self-awareness/Fear that she is a bad person

WANT/NEED: “The Prize” that will fix everything/To commit to something real

EMOTION/MASK: Letting people down/Fuck up who doesn’t care what people think

WEAKNESS: Soft heart

TRIGGERS: People being treated unkindly, especially kids

COPING MECH: Self-destructive behavior

GARY:

HOPE/FEAR: Fulfilling life/Wasted life

WANT/NEED: Provide for family/Self-expression

EMOTION/MASK: Untapped potential/Average Joe

WEAKNESS: Poor judgment makes bad situations worse

TRIGGERS: Government over-reach, Catch 22 of work/pay, Art

COPING MECH: Temper, Unconventional artistic outlets

CHICK:

HOPE/FEAR: Freedom/Trapped

WANT/NEED: Highs/Roots

EMOTION/MASK: Fear/Daredevil

WEAKNESS: Unreliable, reckless

TRIGGERS: Responsibilities

COPING MECH: Dangerous stunts

KEIRA:

HOPE/FEAR: Recognition/Not being special

WANT/NEED: To be a public hero/To be a private hero

EMOTION/MASK: Failing as mother/Protector

WEAKNESS: Self-absorbed

TRIGGERS: Seeing others get the glory

COPING MECH: Sabatoge

[JONELLE BERMENT]

Jónelle Berment’s Character Emotions

What I learned doing this assignment is that it is fun to create the layers that your characters have in order to keep them relevant throughout the show.

Assignment #1
Revenge

Nolan:
A: Hope – To gain friendship /Fear – To have no friends

B: Wants – To be liked / Need – Companionship

C. Base Negative Emotion – Worthlessness / Public Mask – He’s an important person

D. Weaknesses – Socially Awkward

E. Triggers – Not being in the loop, FOMO

F. Coping Mechanism – Flaunting his money and buying friends

Emily:
A: Hope – Fulfill her purpose / Fear – That her plot is discovered

B: Wants – Justice for her Dad / Need – Revenge

C: Base Negative Emotion – Vengeance / Public Mask – Girl Next door, philanthropist

D. Weaknesses – Hatred

E. Triggers – Anyone connected to her Dad

F. Coping Mechanism – Manipulation, deceit

Assignment #2
The Commission

Michaela Johnson-Black

A: Hope – To exact revenge on husband’s killers / Fear – Failure

B: Want – To take over her husbands underworld businesses / Need – Respect

C: Base Negative Emotion – Insecurity / Public Mask – Boss Bitch, Type A personality

D: Weaknesses – Anxiety, fear and doubt

E: Triggers – lack of control

F: Coping Mechanism – Her religion (prayer, meditation and marijuana)

Gianna Isabella Napoli (Ginni)

A: Hope – To leave the mafia world / Fear – She’s stuck in that lifestyle forever

B: Want – A “normal” life / Need – Loyalty

C: Base Negative Emotion – Shame / Public Mask – Hard Ass defense attorney

D: Weaknesses – Her father and family

E: Triggers – Threat of being disbarred

F: Coping Mechanism – Cocaine

Oksana Babakova

A: Hope – To create a family with her husband Alexy / Fear – She will be killed before she can

B: Want – Control / Need – True unconditional love

C: Base Negative Emotion – Deadly Ambition / Public Mask – Vapid Woman

D: Weaknesses – Quick Temper

E: Triggers – Feeling disrespected

F: Coping Mechanism – Murder

[Jamie Stegner]

Jamie Stegner

BW Mod 1 lesson 5 Character profiles.

What I learned: It’s great to clarify all these aspects of character that I have written intuitively. Also good to see that each character is individual and different for motivation / depths / strengths. They will play off each other well when their differences are clear.

ML: BIG PIX: ML hopes to find peace with an angry God. FEAR: eternity in Hell

Goal: Peace with God and safe from eternity in Hell. Join monastery, be a monk, God must honor that, right? become a Priest = will I be safe?

FEAR: FEAR eternity in Hell. Death is imminent

Season 1: Is he wrong about Scripture – pulling so many to Hell with him?? How can he stand alone against centuries of the Church?? Resolves with completion of the translation into his native language – then he knows and believes in wholeheartedly – without doubts. Faces demons at the Wartburg.

Want: Safety from eternity in Hell. NEED: Peace with God.

Mask: Fun-loving. Hiding: Terror of death.

Weakness: Lazy. Doesn’t see or want the huge opportunities available to him. Just wants to be safe. Hide out in a monastery – easy.

Triggers: Night-terrors, plague deaths

Coping Mechanism: Gregarious, laugh with friends, music. Become a monk.

Hans: BIG PIX: Fear: Losing Martin to the big world, so marry him to someone close.

Goal: Big success in copper business, wealth and power and respect.

Fear: Martin is grown and will move away. He’ll never see him again. “He’ll get away. He’ll move on in life: the whole world is open to him. Where will he go? Will he forget us?”

Want: Keep Martin nearby. NEED: Martin’s love and respect.

Mask: Gruff, overbearing. Hiding: vulnerable lack of status.

Weakness: Can’t express his true feelings. Overbearing, obnoxious. Overzealous.

Triggers: Losing control of ML to the world. Excitement of the huge opportunities in the expanding world.

Coping mechanisms: Rage and fury. Yelling.

Nathin: Hope: capture ML as his ‘son’ monk & priest. Sexual attraction, lust.

Goal: ML is a saint with healing powers – attract pilgrims for tithes.

Fear: Dameon will ruin him with severe penance or sacrifice to Orvis.

Fear: Staupitz will beguile ML away to another monastery.

Worry: ML’s lack of relief from sinfulness thru confession – what is wrong?

Want: ML’s love. NEED: to belong/ family connection (not celibacy).

Mask: Pious Abbot. Hiding: Desperation for personal connection – lust.

Weakness: Lust. Power hungry.

Triggers: Damean.

Coping Mechanism: Use his power as Abbot.

Aleander: Hope & Goal: Deliver ML to Pope Leo X. & see him burn at the stake.

NEEDS to please the Pope.

Fear: Fail to get ML. ML continues to divide the Church and he will lose his position and status. (He has nothing but the Vatican.) FRED: “A motherless bastard of some Cardinal, he grew up in the Vatican. I leave you to guess what kind of childhood that was. He has no family backing, so he’s desperate and that makes him dangerous.” Fred & Spalatin understand each other. “I’ll see that he leaves town” AL to George: “pleasant little town…“ “No it’s not. It’s a very dangerous town.”

Mask: Pious priest. Pompous. Hiding: Conniving desperation. Motherless bastard.

Weakness: Motherless bastard. Desperate to please Pope Leo. Single- minded. Willing to do anything.

Triggers: Defiance of the Pope’s authority and power.

Coping Mechanism: Lies / deception. Forgery. Tries to deceive and trick to get his way.