WIM+AI – Module 3 – Lesson 7: Character Profiles Part 2

[Frank Gaide]

FRANK’S CHARACTER PROFILES PART 2

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 discovered this exercise to be as difficult as Profile 1, if not more. The reason? The back 2 back lessons are fully developing my main characters, but in doing so, the results are causing me to rethink and rewrite the current story/structure. I know this is a good thing! So, I input the current structure into the AI model, and it spit out many useful suggestions to use for my profiles based on the current storyline. But many of them do not align with my new storyline idea. I need to rewrite the entire structure of the story and go back to AI for better results.

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 – PART 2

CHARACTER SUBTEXT: Lily is hiding her plot to have her parents murder each other.
CHARACTER INTRIGUE: Deception: Lily hides the true reason for creating an eco-wedding… to drive her parents mad.
FLAW: Overdoing things: Lily is a perfectionist who creates unintended consequences, like falling from the tree or expecting a perfect wedding.
VALUES: Love and duty
CHARACTER DILEMMA: Lily pleases her parents/others versus herself/independence. Self-expression versus guilt.

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 – PART 2

CHARACTER SUBTEXT: Izzy hides who she really is behind a bossy attitude and the way she carries herself. She covers her fear well.
CHARACTER INTRIGUE: Unspoken wounds: Izzy can never get over the hurt when Frankie, her ex, abandoned her and Lily.
FLAW: Overconfidence: Izzy’s demanding self-righteous beliefs drive people away from her, not toward her.
VALUES: Winning and fame.
CHARACTER DILEMMA: Izzy needs to be a winner in life rather than the loser she once was. Loving someone versus her duty to help them the way she believes is best.

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 – PART 2

CHARACTER SUBTEXT: Frankie is lying about who he’s become out of embarrassment. He’s lying about the other reason why attending the wedding is so important: not just to make up with Lily but revenge on Izzy.
CHARACTER INTRIGUE: Unspoken wound that Frankie suffered when Izzy and Nico banished him from Boston and Lily’s life which connects him to a hidden agenda for attending the wedding.
FLAW: Poor decision making and giving up too easily are why Frankie lives a loner existence as a half ass crook and estranged dad to Lily.
VALUES: Honesty and duty. The lack of one is the reason he hates Nico and Izzy. The other is the reason he robs banks to give money to Lily.
CHARACTER DILEMMA: There’s no doubt Frankie struggles between wanting external admiration versus loving yourself. He’s filled with guilt and punishes himself.

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 – PART 2

CHARACTER SUBTEXT: Coop is luring and seducing protects Lilly from suspicions, but it’s also a way to hide who he really is and what he really wants out the marriage.
CHARACTER INTRIGUE: Deception and secrecy. Coop tells Lily’s story to the police like a rehearsed script. But why? Why talk to all wedding guests like it was from a rehearsed script?
FLAW: Coop seems to say the wrong things over and over deliberately getting others in trouble, not just himself.
VALUES: Winning and being your best.
CHARACTER DILEMMA: Excitement versus safety is weighed into every decision Coop makes, for his own wellbeing, because he takes a certain pleasure in causing trouble and watching people squirm.

THE AI VERSION BASED ON MY CURRENT IDEA W/STRUCTURE

Genre = black comedy 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. Characters = Lily is the protagonist bride. Coop is the mysterious groom, triangle character. Izzy is the bride’s bossy mom, antagonist, and one half of the bitterly divorced parents. Frankie is the bride’s estranged dad, antagonist, and the other half of the bitterly divorced parents. Structure = ACT 1 OPENING: A chaotically absurd lakeside campground scene: overturned tables, wedding guests dazed, a cake-smeared brawl zone, and over-the-top paramedics treating injuries as though it’s a war zone. The local police interview Coop, the groom, who nervously explains the series of unfortunate events. The bodies of Lily’s parents, Izzy and Frankie, lie on the grass next to the crushed wedding cake, their faces covered in icing, which almost makes their deaths look ridiculous. Coop, with comedic robotic exasperation, narrates how the whole catastrophe started. Flashbacks start: Frankie cheated on Izzy, prompting her to deface his SUV with obscenities like “Cheater Mc Loser” in neon green spray paint. He fled to Florida. Lily then moved to Cape Cod to work in green energy. Lily’s idealistic protest deforestation ends with her falling out of a tree. Her quirky yet self-righteous personality emerges as she lectures the media on the value of “saving the trees,” despite being injured in the process. INCITING INCIDENT: Izzy, flipping through Lily’s wedding invitation at her hair salon, sarcastically narrates her outrage to her clients. Lily’s insistence on an eco-friendly, “green wedding” irks Izzy. She calls Lily, lambasting her for not choosing the Ritz and scoffing at her idealism. Lily is literally in a tree protesting during this call, showcasing her absurd commitment to saving the environment. When Izzy refuses to help pay for her wedding and throws down the challenge for Lily to call her father for help, she does so just to prove her mother wrong. Surprisingly, Frankie jumps at the chance to return, eager to spite Izzy and alleviate his guilt. This sets up the return of the long-absent, clumsy, carefree father who could care less about the environment. TURNING POINT: Frankie’s arrival at the train station is comically awkward. He’s carrying a ridiculous number of plastic bags, blatantly ignoring Lily’s eco-values. Their reunion is stilted but forced with humor as Lily tries to stay positive. Frankie, oblivious, praises her for “becoming a tree-hugger,” unknowingly offending her. When they arrive at the campground, Izzy’s entrance is explosively dramatic. Dressed to the nines, she sneers at everything green and proceeds to belittle Frankie, launching into comically passive-aggressive insults. This sets the tone for their continuous warfare. ACT 2 NEW PLAN: Lily’s naïve optimism leads her to attempt to rekindle an old friendship between her parents. She imagines they’ll set aside their differences for the greater cause: her perfect eco-wedding. She envisions them helping with biodegradable decorations and guilt-ridden speeches about love and unity. However, this plan fails in a series of hilarious mishaps. Izzy refuses to touch anything eco-friendly, calling it “garbage with extra steps.” Frankie, meanwhile, is bumbling and clueless, causing accidents, knocking over the eco-friendly flower arrangements, and setting compostable plates on fire. PLAN OF ACTION: Lily now insists her parents work together, assigning them comical tasks like figuring out how to set up solar-powered decorations and making “eco-friendly wedding favors” from recycled materials. Every attempt leads to greater disaster. Their sabotage escalates comedically: Izzy pours vinegar into Frankie’s organic wine, while Frankie fills her gluten-free cupcakes with laxatives. Lily’s dream of a perfect wedding starts falling apart in absurdly hilarious ways. MIDPOINT TURNING POINT: Coop arrives, his calm, deadpan humor balancing out the chaos. He witnesses the embarrassing display of Lucy’s forced diplomacy. She’s practically groveling for her parents to behave, but they only mock her earnestness. He pulls her aside, suggesting they keep her parents comically separated for the rest of the wedding preparations. They begin a series of elaborate attempts to juggle the two combatants, involving absurdly timed entrances/exits and communication through third parties like the perpetually confused best man. Despite this, their outlandish pranks continue escalating. ACT 3 RETHINK EVERYTHING: After a series of disastrous attempts to separate them, Lily’s frustration reaches a boiling point. Her parents have turned the wedding into a personal battleground, and now guests are gossiping about the growing feud. Lily’s and Coop’s efforts to mediate are laughably futile. Pranks evolve into actual attempts to sabotage key wedding moments: Izzy puts a tarantula in Frankie’s suit jacket, while Frankie hires a Mariachi band to drown out Izzy’s toast. Lily watches her green wedding dream morph into a circus, and she realizes that nothing short of drastic action will save it. A NEW PLAN: Lily and Coop craft an elaborate scheme to push her parents into going too far. In a surreal twist of logic, she reasons that they won’t stop until one of them is truly defeated. The absurdity of her plan reflects her descent into dark comedic territory. She concocts increasingly dangerous situations under the guise of wedding traditions, leading to increasingly risky pranks. The guests are oblivious to the stakes, enjoying the escalating drama like a reality show. TURNING POINT: HUGE FAILURE/MAJOR SHIFT: Lily hits rock bottom after a particularly dangerous prank backfires. Her self-disgust at how far she’s gone makes her realize she’s become just as toxic as her parents. However, instead of retreating, this dark moment pushes her to fully embrace her new, more selfish, and ruthless side. She now decides, with Coop’s encouragement, to push them to literally kill each other. ACT 4 CLIMAX/ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE CONFLICT: The Wedding Day arrives, complete with unpredictable rain showers. The tension between her parents reaches its peak during the cake-cutting ceremony. Guests are watching eagerly as the parents, egged on by Lily’s provocations, start a comically vicious shoving match. Cake flies, and chaos ensues. In the ensuing brawl, Frankie and Lily escalate their pranks into actual violence—slipping on cake, getting tangled in eco-friendly decorations, and hilariously bashing each other with chairs. RESOLUTION: Back to the present. Coop finishes his account to the police. Lily’s parents lie dead, their faces still smeared with cake, with a touch of absurdity and poetic justice. The police, bewildered by the absurd circumstances, chalk it up to “a series of unfortunate accidents.” Coop exits, joining Lily by the lake. As he comforts her, we see him subtly discard the vial of poison, confirming he was behind their deaths, but it’s delivered with a wink and nod to the audience, adding to the dark humor. The final image of the sun breaking through the clouds suggests that, ironically, the day is finally perfect.
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
Here are the character profiles for each of your key characters, designed to fit within the absurd, darkly comedic structure of your screenplay:
________________________________________
1. Lily (The Protagonist Bride)
Role in the Story: The protagonist who tries to create a perfect, eco-friendly wedding, but inadvertently sets off a chain of disastrous events by pushing her bitterly divorced parents to the edge.
Age Range and Description: Mid-20s, quirky, idealistic, and fiercely passionate about environmental causes. She’s physically fit from her activism and loves to make her point, often with a bit of a martyr complex. Think earnestness meets accident-prone clumsiness.
Core Traits: Idealistic, Self-righteous, Naïve, Compassionate.
Motivation (Want/Need):
• Want: A perfect, eco-friendly wedding.
• Need: To realize that her idealism often conflicts with reality, and that she has to accept imperfections—especially in her relationships with her parents.
Wound: Lily’s father’s abandonment and her mother’s perpetual disapproval of her “unrealistic” ideals. She’s lived her life trying to prove her worth to both, and her need for their approval is deeply ingrained.
Likability, Relatability, Empathy:
Lily is charming but flawed, which makes her relatable. Her commitment to saving the environment and belief in the goodness of people (even her parents) make her endearing, but also the source of many of her failures.
Character Subtext: Lily’s need to fix her parents’ relationship and prove her worth to them often clouds her judgment. She hides the fact that her constant need for validation is what drives her and makes her actions self-destructive.
Character Intrigue: She secretly desires to get back at her parents for abandoning her emotionally and making her feel like she’s not good enough. Her plan to manipulate them into violence is driven by an unconscious desire to feel powerful and in control.
Flaw: Her idealism blinds her to the complexities of reality, and her need to fix everything only makes things worse. She has a tendency to push people beyond their limits in the name of “doing the right thing.”
Values: Environmentalism, peace, unity, and justice (though these ideals are often more about her self-image than about others’ needs).
Character Dilemma: She is torn between trying to reconcile her parents and realizing that they may be beyond reconciliation. Her guilt over her dark plan versus her desire for a perfect wedding creates a moral conflict.
________________________________________
2. Coop (The Mysterious Groom)
Role in the Story: The groom who, while appearing calm and collected, is actually a key player in the escalating chaos. He balances Lily’s intense energy with deadpan humor but has his own secret agenda.
Age Range and Description: Late 20s to early 30s, tall, attractive, with a slightly aloof demeanor. He dresses simply but with an edge. He’s mysterious and doesn’t give away much, often acting as the calm amidst the chaos.
Core Traits: Detached, Wry, Cynical, Manipulative.
Motivation (Want/Need):
• Want: To marry Lily without dealing with the circus of her parents.
• Need: To embrace vulnerability and open up to true intimacy. His tendency to distance himself emotionally prevents him from ever really letting anyone in, especially Lily.
Wound: He grew up in a dysfunctional family and has learned to avoid emotional entanglements. He hides a deep fear of failure and inadequacy, especially in relationships, stemming from past betrayals and disappointments.
Likability, Relatability, Empathy: Coop is charming in a dry, sarcastic way, making him hard to dislike. However, his emotional unavailability makes him difficult to fully connect with. His detachment makes him an interesting foil to Lily’s earnestness.
Character Subtext: Coop hides his own insecurity and fear of commitment. His calm demeanor is often a facade that hides a deep need for validation and acceptance, which he rarely expresses.
Character Intrigue: Coop seems to be going along with Lily’s increasingly absurd plans, but it’s revealed that he’s been subtly manipulating her (and her parents) to push them towards the extreme, knowing it will force them to finally confront their own failings. He plays a game of ‘justifying chaos’ in his own mind.
Flaw: His emotional distance and tendency to treat life like a joke prevent him from truly connecting with Lily. He often sabotages his own happiness by staying detached.
Values: Independence, self-preservation, and dark humor. Coop values control over his emotions and situations, which often leads to manipulation rather than honest engagement.
Character Dilemma: Coop struggles with his desire for closeness and his fear of being emotionally vulnerable. His relationship with Lily highlights this conflict, as he both loves her and is terrified of being overwhelmed by her intensity.
________________________________________
3. Izzy (The Bossy Mom)
Role in the Story: The bitter, controlling ex-wife of Frankie and Lily’s mother. She acts as the primary antagonist, whose pride and need for control constantly clash with Lily’s idealism.
Age Range and Description: Late 40s to early 50s, sharply dressed, high-maintenance. She’s sophisticated, but her personality is caustic and domineering. Izzy prides herself on appearing flawless, and she can’t tolerate anyone who doesn’t follow her lead.
Core Traits: Controlling, Sarcastic, Judgmental, Proud.
Motivation (Want/Need):
• Want: To have her daughter’s wedding be a showcase of her own success and taste, and to humiliate Frankie at any opportunity.
• Need: To let go of her need for control and learn to accept that life, and her daughter’s wedding, cannot be perfect.
Wound: Izzy has never gotten over Frankie’s infidelity and abandonment. She holds deep anger and bitterness, believing that men are untrustworthy and that she must always be in control to avoid being hurt again.
Likability, Relatability, Empathy: Izzy is hard to empathize with because of her arrogance and hostility, but underneath her sharp exterior, there is a deep-seated vulnerability about her failed marriage and lack of real affection from her daughter.
Character Subtext: Izzy hides her profound loneliness and inability to emotionally connect with her daughter. She also hides her deep insecurity, believing that her worth is tied to how perfect her life and appearance appear to others.
Character Intrigue: Izzy’s bitterness and rage often boil over in inappropriate ways. She secretly longs to be loved and valued, but her fear of vulnerability prevents her from admitting this.
Flaw: Her need for perfection and control leads her to constantly sabotage relationships, especially with her daughter, who she alienates despite her best intentions.
Values: Power, appearances, control, and wealth. She believes that the only way to win in life is to dominate every situation and prove her superiority.
Character Dilemma: Izzy wants to control everything in her life, but this causes her to isolate herself emotionally from her daughter. She faces the dilemma of either continuing to live in control and isolated or risking emotional vulnerability.
________________________________________
4. Frankie (The Estranged Dad)
Role in the Story: The bumbling, carefree father who, despite his clumsy nature, complicates matters with his attempts to prove he’s still relevant in his daughter’s life.
Age Range and Description: Early 50s, laid-back, a bit shabby, and full of misguided charm. He’s a man-child in many ways, always half-joking and pretending that everything is fine.
Core Traits: Carefree, Clumsy, Self-Absorbed, Oblivious.
Motivation (Want/Need):
• Want: To repair his relationship with Lily and prove he’s still a good father, though his attempts are misguided and ineffective.
• Need: To take responsibility for his actions and learn to genuinely connect with his daughter, rather than trying to buy her love with gifts or attention.
Wound: His infidelity and abandonment of his family have left him with deep guilt, but he constantly tries to cover it up with humor and irresponsibility. He avoids confronting his past and the harm he caused.
Likability, Relatability, Empathy: Frankie is a likeable character due to his childlike optimism, but his cluelessness makes it difficult for people to take him seriously. He’s more endearing than sympathetic, as his irresponsibility leads to chaos.
Character Subtext: Frankie hides his guilt and shame over the collapse of his marriage. He’s terrified that Lily will never forgive him for his mistakes, but he never knows how to show his regret without making everything worse.
Character Intrigue: Frankie’s attempts to “win” back his daughter’s affection often border on the ridiculous, but he believes that he can still fix things by playing the part of the “cool” dad. His antics hide a deeper fear of being abandoned again.
Flaw: His fear of rejection and guilt over his past causes him to overcompensate by being irresponsible, which ultimately alienates the people he loves.
Values: Freedom, fun, and spontaneity. Frankie values a carefree life above all else, but deep down, he craves connection and approval.
Character Dilemma: Frankie is stuck in his old patterns of avoidance and irresponsibility, making it difficult for him to take real accountability. He faces the dilemma of either accepting responsibility for his past actions or continuing his pattern of denial.

[Demethress Davis]

Deme’s Character Profiles Part 2

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 that it is still exciting to go through this process; despite it being challenging. I do like AI’s suggestions; they can be overwhelming at times, I find myself saying “eknee, meknee, myknee mo” and then just cut and pasting into a Note on my phone to look at later so as not to get stuck.

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.

* 7. Character Subtext: Henry’s hiding his true identity from a White supremacist.
* 8. Character Intrigue: Henry’s unspoken wound is guilt over the death of his wife and son in a coma.
* 9. Flaw: Henry is unwilling to face guilt over wife’s death. Undervalues themselves: Henry has low self-esteem after his wife’s death. Afraid of being identified as Black.
* 10. Values: Family and Being your best
* 11. Character Dilemma: Henry is helpful but guarded.

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 journery 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.

* 7. Character Subtext: Lillian is being polite but under the surface she’s ruthless.
* 8. Character Intrigue: Lillian’s deception hides her identity as the leader of a White supremacist group. Lillian’s hidden agenda is to kill Henry.
* 9. Flaw: Over-confidence: in her belief that no one will be disloyal to her.
* 10. Values: Loyalty, Winning, Control-having the upper hand.
* 11. Character Dilemma: Winner vs Loser: Lillian wants to be victorious in all her ruthless dealings vs hates it when things don’t go as planned.

ChatGPT says:

Henry Carpenter (Protagonist)
1. Role in the Story:
* The protagonist, a deeply flawed yet relatable man. Henry struggles to escape his guilt and survive while hiding his true identity in a hostile environment. His journey is one of redemption, self-acceptance, and exposing the antagonist's dark secrets.
2. Age Range and Description:
* Late 30s to early 40s.
* A man of lean, wiry strength from his recent hardships. His once sharp and confident demeanor is dulled by guilt and grief, with sunken eyes and a slight limp from past injuries.
3. Core Traits:
* Resilient, resourceful, introspective, haunted.
4. Motivation (Want/Need):
* Want: To stay hidden, survive the town’s dangers, and redeem himself for his family’s tragedy.
* Need: To embrace his Black identity, confront his guilt, and rediscover his courage and self-worth.
5. Wound:
* The car accident that killed his wife and left his son in a coma, which he blames entirely on himself.
6. Likability, Relatability, Empathy:
* Viewers relate to his grief and self-blame and root for his redemption as he struggles to regain his dignity and identity.
7. Character Subtext:
* Henry hides his Black identity and his overwhelming guilt, presenting a stoic and guarded facade to those around him.
8. Character Intrigue:
* Henry’s hidden agenda is to expose Lillian's crimes without revealing his identity. His internal struggle adds tension as he balances survival with justice.
9. Flaw:
* His guilt and fear of exposure cause him to doubt himself and avoid taking decisive action, nearly costing him everything.
10. Values:
* Deep down, Henry values family, justice, and self-acceptance, though he struggles to act on them for much of the story.
11. Character Dilemma:
* He is torn between staying hidden to protect himself and risking exposure to do what’s right by confronting Lillian.

Lillian Whitehead (Antagonist)
1. Role in the Story:
* The antagonist, a cunning and charismatic leader of a White supremacist group. Lillian is both Henry’s nemesis and a twisted reflection of his struggles with identity.
2. Age Range and Description:
* Early 50s to late 50s.
* Regal and polished, with sharp features that radiate authority. She exudes charm and warmth publicly, concealing the cold, calculating cruelty beneath.
3. Core Traits:
* Charismatic, manipulative, self-loathing, ruthless.
4. Motivation (Want/Need):
* Want: To maintain control of the town and eradicate anyone who threatens her dominance or secrets.
* Need: To confront and accept her Black heritage rather than suppressing it through self-hatred and violence.
5. Wound:
* The deep shame and rejection she felt growing up as a light-skinned Black girl in a racist society. This internalized self-loathing drives her to overcompensate by aligning with the very system that oppressed her.
6. Likability, Relatability, Empathy:
* Lillian’s charm and complexity make her fascinating. While her cruelty repels, her psychological scars evoke a twisted form of empathy.
7. Character Subtext:
* Lillian hides her Black heritage while projecting an image of moral superiority and benevolence to maintain power over the town.
8. Character Intrigue:
* Her hidden agenda is to root out threats to her power, including Henry. Her internal conflict over her identity adds depth to her actions and motives.
9. Flaw:
* Her obsession with control and denial of her true self blind her to her vulnerabilities, ultimately leading to her downfall.
10. Values:
* Lillian values power, control, and loyalty from her followers, though these values are corrupted by her fear and self-loathing.
11. Character Dilemma:
* She is torn between her need to protect her secret and the growing awareness of her hypocrisy and internal conflict over her heritage.

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

[David Mailman]

MAILMAN’S CHARACTER PROFILE
With each of your lead characters, first tell us the following:
• A. The High Concept.
• B. This Character’s Journey.
• C. The Actor Attractors for this Character.
Brainstorm these profile components for each character.
• Character Subtext:
• Character Intrigue:
• Flaw:
• Values:
• Character Dilemma:

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.
Character Subtext:
Plato’s secret is that he was happier as a slave when he was one-half Master than as a free adult with its hazardous responsibilities.
Character Intrigue:
Plato’s deception is his subconscious desire to continue his love affair with Leon.
Flaw:
Plato is unable to make a clear distinction between his good and bad experiences as a slave and the ethics of slavery and freedom and thus makes bad decisions.
Values:
Duty to his race vs loyalty to Leon.
Character Dilemma:
Guilt for using his privileged position against helpless people versus the need for expiation.

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 on 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.
Character Subtext;
Leon’s pretense is trying to live his role of master, driven by his autocratic father, despite losing to Plato at physical and mental activities.
Character Intrigue:
Leon’s unspoken wound is his relationship with Plato.
Flaw:
Looking for help from other people.
Values:
Traditions.
Character Dilemma:
Pride in traditions versus fear of the new.

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.
Character Subtext;
Sybellle’s drive is revenge because of her rape.
Character Intrigue:
Sybelle conspires with her daughter to get revenge on Plato and Leon.
Flaw:
Blind to her revenge on innocent people.
Values:
Protecting the innocent.
Character Dilemma:
Separating the guilty from the innocent.

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