WIM+AI – Module 3 – Lesson 6: Character Profiles Part 1

[Frank Gaide]

FRANK’S LIKABITILTY, RELATABILITY, AND EMPATHY.

I SEE MYSELF WRITING two great, marketable screenplays every year going forward and teaming up with a manager/friend. Short term, I imagine a very difficult but valuable and rewarding six months going balls to the wall in this class.

COMPLETING THIS ASSIGNMENT, I continue embracing the progression of lessons, understanding how each tool is built on the last. I discovered it necessary to create separate folders for each character: organizing only needed character elements and eliminating everything else from my brainstorming sessions with AI. I plan to create future files for structure and scenes. Finally I learned how intrigue creates more depth and motivation for all characters.

PROTAGONIST: Bride – Lily

LIKABILITY: Lily is a happy bride2be. She volunteers at needy shelters on Cape Cod. A healthy local environmentalist who sits in trees to protest their removal while caring for birds in nests, even lost cats.

RELATABILITY: She’s happy and in love. Anxious yet thrilled about her dream wedding. She’s just another child of a broken marriage. Concerned over money, wedding costs, and her future in general.

EMPATHY: She falls from a tree while protesting and the injury affects her wedding plans. It causes a cash setback to purchase everything needed for her green wedding. Not to mention the added stress of her bitterly divorced parents meeting for the first time in years: and the unknown feeling to see her dad after his 25-year absence: it’s nerve racking.

INTRIGUE: Is there a hidden agenda behind her push for a green wedding? Why go through all the trouble? Is it a match to light a fire between her warring parents? And why are Lily and Coop, her groom, encouraging the pranks.

ANTAGONIST 1: Bitterly divorced mom – Izzy (Isabel)

LIKABILITY: Izzy is a great listener filled with encouraging advice for all of her hair clients: who doesn’t like a psychiatrist who they can share all their problems with. Like any good mother, she only wants what’s best for Lily, even if lily doesn’t know it yet!

RELATABILITY: She represents those who were ever rejected/left holding the bag and struggled to get their lives back on track: she built a successful business post-divorce. Now feels the urge to exact a little revenge on Frankie, her ex.
EMPATHY: She suspects that someone she loves – Lily (her daughter) – might hate your guts: feeling that rejection hurts when you give everything of yourself.

INTRIGUE: Why is Izzy so determined to humiliate and punish Frankie (her ex) by exchanging dangerous pranks with him? And what damage will the escalating pranks create.

ANTAGONIST 2: Bitterly divorced dad – Frankie

LIKABILITY: Frankie is extremely polite to anyone: even when he robs a bank. And he’s sure to share some of the loot with the needy. He gives all his cash to Lily, so she pays for her wedding needs; selfless. Honest attempts to help Lily build eco wedding decorations, even if he fails clumsily.

RELATABILITY: The nervous uncertainty that comes when he reunites with a long-lost love, Lily, through his own making: guilt-ridden. His hidden fear of violence dealing with Izzy (his ex-wife) and Nico (his ex-father-in-law) who he secretly blames for their divorce.

EMPATHY: He was thrown out of the family: ostracized and shamed in front of family and friends.

INTRIGUE: He lies about his present life except for the guilt and love he feels for Lily: but to what end? And why is he so willing to exchange dangerous pranks with Izzy? Does he plan to commit suicide by divorce? And what damage will the escalating pranks create.

[Frank Gaide]

FRANK’S CHARACTER PROFILES PART 1

I SEE MYSELF WRITING two great, marketable screenplays every year going forward and teaming up with a manager/friend. Short term, I imagine a very difficult but valuable and rewarding six months going balls to the wall in this class.

COMPLETING THIS ASSIGNMENT, I am thrilled to use another tool to develop rich characters. I am slowly discovering how much work, how many hours, the journey takes. I can see how all the previous lessons have contributed and lead to this profile rendering. Next step is to create folders for each of the characters!

LILY – PROTAGONIST

THE HIGH CONCEPT: A bride’s wedding plan is hijacked by her bitterly divorced parents’ feud, so she decides to give them a push—into killing each other.

CHARACTER JOURNEY: A seemingly, happy bride2be plans an eco-wedding when her bitterly divorced parents show up, start feuding, and steal the show away: so, she decidedly pushes them into murdering each other using their mutual hatred as the weapon of choice.

ACTOR ATTRACTORS:

– The range of emotion. Playing straight in a black comedy. An anti-hero demonstrating naïve vulnerability and cunning mischief.
– The transformational journey from sweet underdog bride to diabolical manipulator, transform from a peace-seeking bride to an instigator in her
– Constructing a “very” green wedding.
– Enacting/manipulating pranks that contribute to her parents’ destruction,
– She is an environmental activist in the truest sense willing to upset the traditional wedding norms by creating an over-the-top green wedding and willing to do anything to defend her opinion.
– Using the defense of her “green wedding” as a metaphor for her wanting to live a simple clean life without all the trappings of wealth and greed. By planning her green wedding and defending it to the death, her dialogue balances politeness and biting sarcasm, with under-the-breath comments and asides that show her growing disillusionment and newfound thirst for vengeance.
– Her contemporary vision for a perfect environmentally protected world is championed by her need for perfection in everything she does, including the perfect pranks to drive her parents over the edge.

LILY – PROTAGONIST – PROFILES

ROLE IN THE STORY: Lily is the, seemingly, happy bride2be who plans an eco-wedding: anticipating the best day of her life. But she’s terrified of her bitterly divorced parents (always has been) who will be attending. Is she the frustrated peacekeeper during the event, or was she always planning to further sabotage their mutual hatred driving her parents to murder each other (divorcide)?

AGE RANGE & DESCRIPTION: Early to mid-30’s staunch environmentalist and tree hugger: girl-next-door cute with inherent street smarts: an unassuming beauty who despises all the trappings of makeup, etc.: an overbearing perfectionist at work and play and especially planning her eco-wedding and expects the same from others: but she lacks confidence expressing herself outwardly—the product of her overbearing, bossy parents.

CORE TRAITS: intelligent, perfectionist, sweet, self-conscious, devious

MOTIVATION, WANT/NEED:

WANT: lily wants the perfect wedding day: with or without her parents?
NEED: Confidence to see her plans through.

WOUND: Trauma left by her bitterly divorced parents who beat up each other daily and spread the abuse to Lily as their whipping post. Now she can force peace between them, or she let their mutual hatred finally end it for them and herself.

LIKABILITY, RELATABILITY. EMPATHY:

LIKABILITY: Lily is a happy bride. She volunteers at needy shelters across Cape Cod. An environmentalist who sits in trees to protest their removal while caring for birds in nests, even lost cats.
RELATABILITY: She’s happy and in love. Anxious yet thrilled about her dream wedding. She’s one of us, the child of a broken marriage. Concerned over money, wedding costs, and her future in general.
EMPATHY: She falls from a tree while protesting and the injury affects her wedding plans. It causes a cash setback to purchase everything needed for her green wedding. Not to mention the added stress of her bitterly divorced parents meeting for the first time in years: and the unknown feeling to see her dad after his 25-year absence: it’s nerve racking.
INTRIGUE: Is there a hidden agenda behind her push for a green wedding? Why go through all the trouble? Is it a match to light the fire between her warring parents? And why are Lily and Coop, her groom, encouraging the pranks.

IZZY (ISABEL) – PROTAGONIST

THE HIGH CONCEPT: A bride’s wedding plan is hijacked by her bitterly divorced parents’ feud, so she decides to give them a push—into killing each other.

CHARACTER JOURNEY: Izzy believes she is helping her daughter, Lily, from making the regrettable mistake of having an outdoor eco-wedding instead of using her connections at the Ritz. She forces her own unwanted designs on Lily; but with the arrival of Frankie, her ex, she redirects all those efforts to humiliate him and devises dangerous pranks to hurt him.

ACTOR ATTRACTORS:
– The opportunity to represent a modern woman at the top of her game.
– A comedic powerhouse carrying unresolved grievances and aiming to sabotage the wedding in the pettiest, most hilarious ways possible.
– unapologetically flawed and outrageous, making her scene-stealers.
– She projects herself as a concerned affluent professional but beneath that shell she’s diabolical, jealous, vengeful, and deadly. –
– Instigates pranks, some dangerous, to outshine and humiliate her ex.
– She uses her professionalism and tact as control.
– Tomboyish, yet comically cultured.

IZZY (ISABEL) – ANTAGONIST – PROFILES

ROLE IN THE STORY: Izzy is the controlling mother of the bride, Lily, and one half of the bitterly divorced parents who believes she’s helping Lily save herself from the eco-wedding while all along she’s destroying Lily’s perfect day by going to war with Frankie, her ex and Lily’s dad.

AGE RANGE & DESCRIPTION: Mid to late 50s proud Italian from Boston’s North End (Italian mafia-based neighborhood): a firecracker who commands respect and obedience over everyone she meets: self-made owner/operator of a successful hair salon: Rubenesque stature over dressed in false eyelashes, makeup, grotesque hairstyling and loud dress: all to hide her secret failings as a mother.

CORE TRAITS: bossy, sarcastic, unforgiving, loving

MOTIVATION, WANT/NEED:
WANT: Wants what’s best for Lily: Lily just doesn’t know it yet.
NEED: Learn how to compromise and give forgiveness.

WOUND: Izzy will never forgive Frankie, her ex, for abandoning her. She feels wounded by all men in her life, and anyone who disagrees with her.

LIKABILITY, RELATABILITY. EMPATHY:

LIKABILITY: Izzy is a great listener filled with encouraging advice for all her hair clients: who doesn’t like a psychiatrist who they can share all their problems with. Like any good mother, she only wants what’s best for Lily, even if lily doesn’t know it yet!
RELATABILITY: She represents those who were ever rejected/left holding the bag and struggled to get their lives back on track: she built a successful business post-divorce. Now feels the urge to exact a little revenge on Frankie, her ex, for leaving her to fend for herself.
EMPATHY: She suspects that someone she loves – Lily (her daughter) – might hate her guts: feeling that rejection hurts when you give everything of yourself.
INTRIGUE: Why is Izzy so determined to humiliate and punish Frankie (her ex) by exchanging dangerous pranks with him? And what damage will the escalating pranks create.

FRANKIE – PROTAGONIST

THE HIGH CONCEPT: A bride’s wedding plan is hijacked by her bitterly divorced parents’ feud, so she decides to give them a push—into killing each other.

CHARACTER JOURNEY: The other half of Lily’s bitterly divorced parents, Frankie returns to atone for his 25-year absence and to avenge the unfair treatment Izzy, his ex, and Nico, her dad, dealt him in front of his growing daughter. Now he does anything to win back his daughter including robbing banks to give her money for wedding costs and offering to help her prepare the eco-wedding. But old battles quickly resume with Izzy, effecting an all-out war of exchanging dangerous pranks that ruin Lily’s wedding.

ACTOR ATTRACTORS:
• He plays a lowly hood/absent dad who gets to fix everything he broke in life. He also gets to take a swipe at the family responsible for his absence by going to war with his ex.
• A comedic powerhouse, carrying unresolved grievances and aiming to sabotage the wedding in the pettiest, most hilarious ways possible. They’re both unapologetically flawed and outrageous, making them scene-stealers.
• Robbing banks, running pranks. creating “green” decorations for the green wedding
• Aging lowly hood pulling bank jobs to feel needed: he saves the cash for his estranged daughter out of guilt. He complains about all the physical ailments of growing old and poor and alone, seeking happiness.
• Sad and lonely and guilty, caring with a robin hood mentality, very patient to joyous, repentant, sinister and violent and quick tempered with uncontrollable vengeance.
• A product of the streets: Irish heritage versus Italian heritage. Always looking for an angle to succeed instead of good old fashion work. Passive-aggressive.
• Uncultured on the outside but highly intellectual and clever on the inside: could hold his own against any Ivy Leaguer. He believes in the law of the land. A nightmare parent and husband!

FRANKIE – ANTAGONIST – PROFILES

ROLE IN THE STORY: The other half of Lily’s bitterly divorced parents who slowly ruin her wedding day, Frankie plays the repentant dad who seeks revenge against Izzy and Nico for ruining his life: now a lowly shell of the crook he could have become.

AGE RANGE & DESCRIPTION: A beat up 60 something yo, Frankie hails from a proud Irish ancestry. Graying and suffering from a range of generic aliments: bad eyesight, loss of hearing, bad knees, false teeth, his health is as bad as his misfortunes as a criminal: he’s relegated to pulling little bank jobs just to survive a life in his trailer park home. But he still has enough charm to con anyone out of anything and conceal his dark side.

CORE TRAITS: friendly and kind to a fault, witty, wily, vengeful

MOTIVATION, WANT/NEED:
WANT: Frankie wants his daughter to forgive him.
NEED: He needs to be honest.

WOUND: Frankie is very hurt and angry how Izzy and Nico lied to Lily about the reason he left Boston, and her, 25 years ago. It turned him into a failure filled with guilt and vengeance, mistrusting anything that seems to good to be true: He finds it very difficult handing over his heart to anyone because of his disappointment with Izzy and Nico, leaving him a wandering, lonely soul.

LIKABILITY, RELATABILITY. EMPATHY:

LIKABILITY: Frankie is extremely polite: even when he robs a bank. And he’s sure to share some of the loot with the needy. He gives all his cash to Lily, so she pays for her wedding needs; selfless. Honest attempts to help Lily build eco wedding decorations, even if he fails clumsily.
RELATABILITY: The nervous uncertainty that comes when he reunites with a long-lost love, Lily, through his own making: guilt-ridden. His fear of he will behave towards Izzy (his ex-wife) and Nico (his ex-father-in-law) who he secretly blames for their divorce.
EMPATHY: He was thrown out of the family: ostracized and shamed in front of family and friends.
INTRIGUE: He lies about his present life except for the guilt and love he feels for Lily: but to what end? And why is he so willing to exchange dangerous pranks with Izzy? Does he plan to commit suicide by divorce? And what damage will the escalating pranks create.

COOP(ER) – TRIANGLE

THE HIGH CONCEPT: A bride’s wedding plan is hijacked by her bitterly divorced parents’ feud, so she decides to give them a push—into killing each other.

CHARACTER JOURNEY: Coop is the groom/husband who tells the story of events to the police, and thus, the audience. He arrives cool, calm, and compassionate toward Lily and becomes her lifeline when confronting her bitterly divorced parents. He turns more sinister throughout the story and his true intentions become revealed at the end of the story

ACTOR ATTRACTORS:
– A man with a secret history and no family to speak of. He walks a fine line between truth and fiction: could be a closet serial killer or just an opportunist seeking riches. Enjoys harming/torturing animals. Intriguingly villainous.
– Every action he takes points to a hidden agenda and secrecy. He adds an eerie tension to every scene.
– The audience target of suspicion, disgust, and overall threat to the characters in the story. Wearing a smirk.
– His shifting duplicity between charm and torment belies a dark hidden agenda from his past. Underneath his gentle smiles, he relishes every chaotic moment, revealing his secret pleasure in watching others’ misfortunes—a twisted view that grows more pronounced as the story –
– Layers of manipulation.
– Like the charming snake he is– soft spoken and seducing. Too perfect and saccharine.
– Is he a closet serial killer, or at least a serial killer in the making. His twisted fascination with harm.

COOP(ER) – TRIANGLE – PROFILES

ROLE IN THE STORY: Coop is the charming mysterious groom to all but Lily who shares a diabolical secret with him: he is a master manipulator who willingly plays the scapegoat for all of Lilly’s mistakes. But is it out of love, or…something more sinister?

AGE RANGE & DESCRIPTION: Late 30s, pretentious Ivy league jock, a very healthy look to him more than makes up for unattractive features: his commercial lifestyle seems to conflict with everything Lily stands for as an environmentalist… a very odd pairing, indeed that, raises more questions than answers about how/why they’re marrying.

CORE TRAITS: warm, extroverted, loyal, deceitful, rigid

MOTIVATION, WANT/NEED:
WANT: Coop wants to help Izzy have her perfect wedding.
NEED: Needs to protect Lily from any threats: parents or police.

WOUND: He could never get over some great unspoken physical harm growing up and to remedy his inner pain, he passes physical pain onto the weak and helpless: a kind of self-remedy to deal with life.

LIKABILITY, RELATABILITY. EMPATHY:

LIKABILITY: Coop will do anything to make his future wife happy.
RELATABILITY: He’s struggling to fit in with his girlfriend’s dysfunctional family: fish out of water story.
EMPATHY: I feel bad that he has to put up with the bitterly divorced parents’ outbursts while he’s still recovering from deep emotional harm. That’s a lot of pressure to deal with.

[Demethress Davis]

Deme’s Character Profiles Part 1

MY VISION: I am a EGOT writer who is very successful and revered by the industry for writing amazing stories that will live on in history.

What I learned from doing this assignment is each character is that after I write my ideas down and go to AI it says pretty much the same thoughts however it adds somethings I feel will enhance the story even more. Give it more depth and create more intrigue.

Protagonist:
* A. The High Concept: A Black man struggles with his guilt and loss, poses as White in a Southern town, only to face a deadly cat and mouse game with a White supremacist who unknowingly shares his hidden racial identity.
* B. This character’s journey: Henry goes from self-loathing and hiding to acceptance and bravery.
* C. The Actor Attractors for this character: Henry grapples with intense guilt, identity conflict, and fear of exposure, providing an actor with a wide emotional range; his journey offers an chase for profound character growth; themes of race, identity and systemic oppression makes Henry a deeply resonant and meaningful role that connects with both audience and critics.

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: 35-45 years old. Light-skinned Black man, has red undertone dirty blond hair and some light freckles on his face and body; he is toned but not overly muscular.
3. Core Traits: concealing, haunted, perceptive, guarded
4. Motivation; Want/Need:Want: To remain hidden and safe from the White supremacists/ Need: to stop Lillian’s killing spree and expose her as a Black woman to the White supremacist group she leads without exposing his true Black identity which he has been ashamed of betraying. He needs to gain back his identity which will empower him to defeat Lillian.
5. Wound: Haunted by guilt over his wife’s death and his son in a coma.
6. Likability: Henry receives a surprise promotion at his job and is given a party. He buys his son one of his favorite toys for his birthday and takes his wife and son out for a celebratory dinner. We see that Henry is revered at work, clearly he is liked and appreciated.
* Relatability: While driving to the restaurant, Henry gets into an accident. We have been in situations: hurt on the job; falling down the stairs, being hit by a car, falling off a bike or just stepping off the curb the wrong way and breaking your ankle.
* Empathy: Henry’s wife dies and his son is in a coma. We feel for Henry as we have family, friends or may know someone who has died tragically.
* Intrigue: Henry struggles with his past, fighting the guilt of causing his wife’s death. He hides inside the bottle and drugs to find false strength.

Antagonist:
* A. The High Concept: A powerful Southern matriarch who leads a White supremacist faction must protect her carefully constructed life while hiding the truth that she, too, is of Black heritage—a secret that threatens to destroy her and her empire.
* B. This character’s journey: Lillian, the “Good Samaritan” hides her role as a ruthless White supremacist leader, faces the ultimate irony of discovering her Black heritage . Her jourery is a tragic, driven by self-loathing and the toxic power she wields, ending in her own undoing.
* C. The Actor Attractors for this character: Lillian’s duality as a ruthless antagonist hiding her own vulnerability (her Black heritage) creates a character who is both terrifying and tragically human; she is a powerful figure who manipulates others with charm and menace; a villain with hidden layers; and her emotional breakdown when she comes into the knowledge of her heritage will give an A-list actor a chance to deliver a raw, unforgettable performance.

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-mid 60’s. She is entrenched in the town’s hierarchy, she is of stocky build; walks with a gate of determination; a smile that hides pointed teeth.
3. Core Traits: Charismatic, ruthless, calculated, psychologically fragile
4. Motivation; Want/Need: Want: Control and validation; Need: to confront her internalized self-hatred and the hypocrisy of her actions.
5. Wound: Never knew her mother- unable to bond. Grew up in a society that taught her to hate Blacks ( a part of herself; being a leader of the White supremacist group is an ultimate self denial. Self-loathing.
6. Likability: Lillian is known as “The Good Samaritan” in the town. She takes in lots of homeless, gives them jobs, lodging and food. She is liked by everyone.
* Relatability: Lillian feels the need to be in control of her life and what happens around her. She hates making mistakes.
* Empathy: Lillian’s mother died giving birth to her and she never has had that mother-daughter bond she sees others have.
* Intrigue: Lillian conceals her true ID of being the head of a White supremacist klan in the town and unbeknownst to her is her Black heritage. Her sole purpose is to kill as many Black people as possible, along with anyone who isn’t loyal.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Demethress Davis.

[David Mailman]

MAILMAN’S CHARACTER PROFILE M3/L6

GENRE: Feature – Dramatic Triangle.
TITLE: Greenvale Plantation.
HIGH CONCEPT: Two children, one a Black slave and the other the White plantation owner's son, are raised together until the Civil War separates them. Decades later, the now successful Black businessman reunites with the White son, but their past rekindles a deadly rivalry.
PROTAGONIST: Plato, a slave bought as a child to be the companion and protector of the Greenvale Plantation owners’ young son, Leon, is freed after the Civil War. He returns to Greenvale decades later to resolve secret issues between them.
ANTAGONIST: Leon, now owner of the failing Greenvale plantation, resents Plato’s success but needs him to save the plantation. That resentment of Plato drives Leon insane.
TRIANGLE CHARACTER: Sybelle , a voodoo priestess, is raped by Leon and Plato as teenagers. to reaffirm their feelings of manhood after they became lovers.

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

PLATO

The High Concept
Plato, a successful freed slave is drawn back to his plantation to resolve the conflicts he faced there.

This Character’s Journey.
Plato grows from an enslaved child and teenager, living in the worlds of both Master and Slave, to a successful free adult. As an adult he is drawn back to his plantation to face the people and sins he committed/encountered there.

The Actor Attractors For This Character.
Plato must constantly struggle between the subconscious exhilaration of being a Master with the conditioning of being a Slave.
A connection to history for a Black actor.
Risky scenes.

Role in the Story:
Plato is molded by his early life as part Master and part Slave. As an adult he returns to his origins to make amends to the people he hurt.

Age Range And Description:
Three different age ranges, child, teen, and adult, by different actors. A good looking and athletic Black.

Core Traits:
Uncertain
Bitter
Kind
Smart

Motivation:
Want to make his own life.
Need to break with the past.
Wound is being confused about his place in life,
Likability: Doesn’t take advantage of those beneath him until he commits what he considers a sin.
Relatability: Grows up doing child-appropriate activities. Adult life falls apart while doing principled work.
Empathy: Uncertain about making decisions.

LEON

The High Concept
A child raised to be a Southern slave-owning aristocrat experiences his world crumbling around him after the Civil War. He is forced to accept the help of a former slave to save what is left, even though they were violently alienated.

This Character’s Journey.
Leon changes from a content child to a failed adult living in a rundown plantation while he remembers his sins and sinks into despair.

The Actor Attractors For This Character.
Scenes of violence, madness, and despair and contrasting ones of need.

Role In The Story:
A contrast to Plato. Leon goes from Master to dependent as his world crumbles. He ends up, literally, a Black.

Age Range And Description:
Three different age ranges, child, teen, and adult, by different actors. A good looking and athletic White.

Core Traits:
Spoiled
Insecure
Thoughtless
Charming

Motivation:
Want is return to the traditions and life of his childhood
Need is to have Plato as his very close friend.
Wound is to have never lived up to his father’s idea of a man and to hold on to his birth-right..
Likability: Leon is charming in the style of Southern pre-Civil War plantation society. It’s empty of meaning.
Relatability: He tries to adapt but can’t beat the changing world.
Empathy: Failure to hold on to his old lifestyle.

SYBELLE

The High Concept.
Sybelle grows up innocent and running wild in the swamp, where she learns the power of plant medicine, until she is raped by Leon and Plato, and turns vengeful.

This Character’s Journey.
From innocent and victimized to predator and malicious.

The Actor Attractors For This Character.
Violent, dramatic scenes.
Change of commitment, goal and personality.

Role In The Story:
The Nemesis of adult Leon and Plato. She keeps in the shadows but acts through her, and Leon’s or Plato’s, daughter.

Age Range And Description:
Two age ranges, teen and adult, played by two actors

Core Traits:
Swamp smart.
Practical botanist.
Cunning.
Determined.

Motivation;
Want is to get Revenge.
Need is to destroy the remnants of slavery.
Wound is the rape destroying her innocence.
Likability is her outsmarting Leon and Plato.
Relatability is getting revenge.
Empathy is her being victimized.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by  David Mailman.

[Brian Bull]

BRIAN BULL – Character Profiles – Part 1

My Vision: I’m a writer that producers want to work with and can’t wait for my next script!!!

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…?” There’s a lot of depth that goes into my characters.

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

TOM WALKER
A. The High Concept.

On the edge of separation, a couple must reunite or die trying when a cartel hunting spree turns their paradise into hell.

B. This character’s journey.

He goes from just a regular guy who works in the movie industry to being a hero like the ones in the movies he works on.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

Known for Role: Tom’s transformation from a quiet, withdrawn Prop Master to a resilient survivalist and protector offers an actor a gritty journey of inner strength, loyalty, and sacrifice. This role provides a chance to portray an unexpected hero.
Most Interesting Character: Tom's evolution is one of the most compelling in the story. His struggle between his technical skills as a Prop Master and the intense, real-life survival situation creates a contrast that makes him dynamic and deeply human.
Interesting Actions: He ingeniously uses his Prop Master skills to craft traps, improvise weapons, and navigate the terrain. His protective instincts kick in as he risks everything to shield Sarah and others from the cartel’s violent enforcers.
Introduction: Tom is introduced meticulously observing his surroundings, an expert eye for detail, setting up a layered introduction that foreshadows his hidden skills and resourcefulness.
Emotional Range: Tom goes from reserved and conflicted about his marriage to a raw, desperate survivalist, experiencing love, fear, anger, and determination as he fights for survival.
Subtext: Tom grapples with his fear of inadequacy and doubts about whether he can protect Sarah, yet he fights to redeem himself through each decision.
Interesting Relationships: Tom’s relationship with Sarah is pivotal as they confront their issues amidst life-threatening danger, pushing them toward vulnerability, honesty, and unity. His dynamic with El Jefe serves as a powerful clash of wills and tactics.
Unique Voice: Tom speaks with careful precision, a technical vocabulary laced with hesitant affection toward Sarah. As he faces danger, his tone hardens, and his words become more assertive and urgent.
Special: Tom’s uniqueness comes from his unlikely skill set, his calm precision under pressure, and his personal arc from self-doubt to assertiveness, making him a hero grounded in realism.

EL JEFE
A. The High Concept.

On the edge of separation, a couple must reunite or die trying when a cartel hunting spree turns their paradise into hell.

B. This character’s journey.

El Jefe goes from a confident business-as-usual Mexican cartel boss to vengeful killer fearing exposure to a frustrated lone wolf.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

Known for Role: El Jefe’s role as a calculating, imposing cartel leader offers an actor the chance to embody controlled ruthlessness and power. His character is a chance to portray a memorable, menacing antagonist.
Most Interesting Character: El Jefe’s mix of ruthless intelligence and charisma makes him one of the most intriguing characters. His control over his men and his twisted code of honor provide an interesting depth to his villainy.
Interesting Actions: El Jefe conducts brutal “tests” of loyalty with his men, devises intricate traps for the couple, and manipulates Sarah’s fear to throw her off balance emotionally.
Introduction: El Jefe is introduced with an act of calculated brutality, emphasizing his power and setting a chilling tone for the danger he presents to Tom and Sarah.
Emotional Range: El Jefe’s emotional range includes controlled fury, cunning manipulation, and the rare flicker of respect for adversaries who survive his games.
Subtext: His ambition and desire for control are tinged with insecurity, as he questions his own morality while taking pride in his dominance.
Interesting Relationships: His interactions with Tom and Sarah reveal his twisted respect for resilience, especially as they defy his power. His mentorship of Marie shows a complex dynamic of control and manipulation.
Unique Voice: El Jefe’s tone is calm, deliberate, and commanding, with a veneer of sophistication masking his cruelty.
Special: His magnetic charm combined with his brutality makes him a unique villain who respects a worthy adversary, creating a layered antagonist who sees himself as morally assassin, balancing deadly efficiency with a touch of vulnerability. This is a rare, nuanced complex.

SARAH WALKER
A. The High Concept.

On the edge of separation, a couple must reunite or die trying when a cartel hunting spree turns their paradise into hell.

B. This character’s journey.

Sarah, a high school drama teacher, evolves from a cautious observer to a resilient fighter as she confronts cartel dangers and her hidden pregnancy, strengthening her bond with Tom and their fight for survival.
C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

Known for Role: Sarah’s journey from a conflicted wife to a fierce survivor grappling with a life-changing revelation offers a layered, emotional role. This character would attract an actor looking to explore resilience under extreme pressure.
Most Interesting Character: Sarah’s inner turmoil over her pregnancy and her evolving determination make her one of the most dynamic characters, as she pushes beyond her previous boundaries.
Interesting Actions: Sarah channels her resolve, devising plans to outwit their captors, putting her life on the line, and using her high school drama skills in surprising ways to manipulate the cartel members.
Introduction: Sarah is introduced in a moment of quiet tension with Tom, highlighting the strain in their marriage while hinting at her untapped strength and resilience.
Emotional Range: Sarah experiences frustration, fear, resilience, and maternal protectiveness as she grows from a conflicted partner into a steadfast fighter.
Subtext: Sarah’s determination to survive is layered with her inner struggle over the pregnancy, feeling the need to protect her unborn child while doubting her ability to endure.
Interesting Relationships: Her evolving relationship with Tom is central, reflecting both tension and rekindling love. Her interactions with Marie bring out her steely resolve, contrasting Sarah's empathy with Marie's ruthlessness.
Unique Voice: Sarah’s voice begins with restrained, reserved tones that evolve into confident, assertive expressions of strength. She speaks with conviction as she embraces her resilience.
Special: Sarah’s internal conflict over her unexpected pregnancy in a life-threatening situation sets her apart, adding depth to her character and making her uniquely strong and vulnerable.

3. Brainstorm the first 6 parts of the profile for each of your lead characters.
TOM WALKER
Role in the Story: Protagonist: Husband, reluctant hero, Prop Master

Age range and Description: 25-30 YO, a good-looking, nerdy, clean-cut, medium build guy , boy scout-ish

Core Traits: Enthusiastic, Academic / Nerd, Adventurer, Introvert

Motivation; Want/Need:
Wants: Everything to be perfect including his marriage
Needs: To protect his wife and save the hostages

Wound: Director hated his props / marriage on the rocks because of work
Likability, Relatability, Empathy:
Likability: Tom Walker loves movies and enjoys sharing stories with others about his experiences in the movies
Relatability: Everyone enjoys and are intrigued with movies, in some ways Tom Walker is a celebrity but friendly and a regular guy.
Empathy: One of his props started a fire and burned the set down.

EL JEFE
Role in the Story: Antagonist: The villain who threatens the lives of the hostages

Age range and Description: Upper 40’s, weathered, rugged, educated and a heart of stone

Core Traits: There to do a job, even if it means other have to be killed.

Motivation; Want/Need:
Wants: The operation to go through without any problems
Needs: To resolve and issues that arise
Wound: Family members killed by cartel for being disloyal

Likability, Relatability, Empathy:
Likability: Odd sense of humor.
Relatability: El Jefe has a job to do and no one will stop him from doing it.
Empathy: Parents murdered. Trying to make ends meet so he can be with his family.

SARAH WALKER
Role in the Story: Triangle: Wife and hostage, the damsel in distress
Age range and Description: 25-30 YO, attractive, fit, determined, intelligent

Core Traits: Resilient, loyal,

Motivation; Want/Need:
Wants: Everything to be perfect including her marriage
Needs: To protect his wife and save the hostages

Wound: Miscarried three times

Likability, Relatability, Empathy:
Likability: Friendly, extrovert, social butterfly, heart of gold
Relatability: Wants her marriage to be perfect
Empathy: Marriage is strained because of Tom’s job/lack of kids

• This reply was modified 3 months, 2 weeks ago by  Brian Bull.