[Beverly A Ihnen]

Beverly A. Ihnen’s Lead Characters.
What I learned doing this assignment is that there is a necessity to create characters who will play off of each other, whether they ever met one another or not. I hadn’t even suspected the Change Character was hiding in the shadows when I began working out this story, and yet, how could he not be? Finding him has opened up a new layer of human interaction to add depth and color to this script.

1. Tell us your transformational journey logline.
A naïve young woman from the Midwest volunteers as a tutor in South Central LA, unaware that racial tensions are about to erupt; she puts her life on the line to defend and protect these children and their siblings in the ensuing turmoil.

2. Tell us who you think might be your Change Agent and give a few sentences about how that character fits the role. Also, include: – Their vision: – Their past experience that fits that vision:

The Change Agent is Edwin, an elderly widower whose wife had become active in handling youth gang problems in the mid-1960s after their son was killed in a gang shootout. Seeing the disintegration of the family unit in the South Central communities, the proliferation of drugs and the undermining of education there, Anna (Edwin’s wife) had established a firm friendship with one of the local gang leaders, tutored him, gave him a moral anchor and as a trusted ally, had not only instilled a sense of ethical behavior in this gang but helped them to establish a real identity and purpose, The gang set up their own businesses, their own charities, their own tutoring centers for the area kids. The violence and crime dropped to practically nothing, and as gang-members themselves, they were able to quell the rampant gang wars and form and preserve a truce for many years. Anna passed away a decade ago and Edwin, who had become a father figure and mentor to the original gang members, moved out of the area. It breaks his heart to see a new generation of gang members taking over, and an upsurge in warfare and drugs, but he feels his time is past to make a difference now. He develops a bright hope, however, in his friend, the young librarian.

3. Tell us who you think might be your Transformable Character(s) and give a few sentences about how that character or characters fit the role.

Kirstin is the main character and has the most dramatic transformation. She is a fish out of water, no doubt about it, and could easily and happily retreat to the country life she loves. But now, in LA and finding a deep compassion for children with a very different experience and little hope for the future, is touched to reach out and help. Oddly, it really does not occur to her to be afraid for her own wellbeing, and that quality in turn inspires those around her to protect her and help push forward her transformation.

LaDale is a young black gang member from South Central, and like most those he knows he is hell-bent to live the good life now at whatever price. His younger brother is one of the pupils Kirstin tutors, and he can see that whatever it is she brings to that activity, it has had a profound impact on his brother. He is happier, looks forward to the teaching, looks forward to learning and applying information in life, and sees a life outside the gangs for himself. LaDale will have to move past his gang training to see the good in this strange woman who stumbles blindly into his territory, to protect his brother’s dreams and ultimately to take leadership in bringing about a vision for his community of peace and prosperity.

4. Tell us who or what you think might be The Oppression and give a few sentences about how The Oppression works in your story.

The Oppression is the social atmosphere of a city on the verge of ripping apart in the face of built-up inequalities. One race against another, one neighborhood against the next, divisions fueled by media and merchants of chaos.

5. Tell us who you think might be your Betraying Character and give a few sentences about how that character fits the role.

The Betraying Character is Manny, the young LAPD officer who befriends Kirstin. He has been impacted by her idealism and feels obliged to protect her. He identifies with the idealism and he resists the culture of racial intolerance and brute force, of “us against them.” He tries to instill a new viewpoint into his own surroundings, but ultimately buckles under to the pressure to be “a real bad ass” in a rapidly deteriorating situation.

[Beverly A Ihnen]

Beverly A’s Transformational Decisions
What I learned doing this assignment is that I can create and expand the background, viewpoints and, in this case, a very narrow field of experience for the character that form layers of reality for the Old Ways. The values of the old ways are not necessarily bad, but they do not fit in the new environment. For this story, not only is the character a fish out of water, that water is roiling with problems not ever considered in her old life. Thus there will be plenty of opportunity to explore the new universe and its denizens in order to develop the character she finally becomes.

LOGLINE:
A naïve young woman from the Midwest volunteers as a tutor in South Central LA, unaware that racial tensions are about to break to the surface; she puts her life on the line to defend and protect these children and their siblings in the ensuing turmoil.
DEFINE THE OLD WAYS:
PROBLEM STATE: Kirstin would be perfectly happy living in the world of the books she cherishes at the library, those magical universes that feed her imagination and take her to ideal lands of tolerance, compassion, love, fidelity and goodness.

She is still living in the world she was raised in, a very homogeneous rural community where religious conflict might be a snide remark added in a sermon when a young parishioner brings her Irish Catholic boyfriend to Sunday Service, and political divisiveness meant banter at the General Store and war and protest and rioting was something shown on the 6 PM news, but it didn’t really impact real life. Even though she’s relocated in Los Angeles, those small-town values are deeply ingrained and very real and valuable to her. And in her world, every princess lives in a castle high above the valley and even though bad things happen in the world, they don’t happen to people you know; every dragon is successfully battled by a virtuous knight in shiny armor, and every romance finds the One True Love for both partners, who then live happily ever after (most of the time).
DEFINE THE NEW WAYS:

SOLUTION STATE: She still believes in all the good qualities she has envisioned, but the airy-fairy sweetness-and-light of how it is all going to be ok and everyone lives happily ever after (with no real effort on her part) has crystalized instead into a self-sufficient, courageous new woman with direction and conviction who is no longer the victim of her own fairy-tale delusions.

[Beverly A Ihnen]

Beverly A’s First Three Decisions

What I learned doing this assignment:

I loved the data in this lesson. Already I’ve expanded and reassanged the concept of what the character is up against in her transformational journey, and the insane background against which the story can be set. There is a real historical time frame (LA Riots of 1992) and real people and activities that inspired this story idea, and which I had originally determined not to use, opting to create instead a similar situation in a fictional place and time. But perhaps not. I also found that I have expanded the depth of the story simply by kicking around the exact wording for the profound truth of the story. And because this is a new script being created, I am not locked into any of my previous random ideas. Nor for that matter am I locked into these.

1 WHAT IS THE PROFOUND TRUTH OF THIS STORY?

Never regret yesterday. Life is in you today, you make your own tomorrows.

WHAT IS THE CHANGE YOUR MOVIE WILL CAUSE WITH AN AUDIENCE?

The audience should feel that there is a greater purpose for their lives than mundane existence, and that they can find and achieve that purpose, no matter where they begin or how insufficient or insignificant they may feel at the beginning of their own journey.

WHAT IS YOUR ENTERTAINMENT VEHICLE THAT YOU WILL TELL THIS STORY THROUGH?

The Cause is the Background.
Foreground story is the never-ending ups and downs with the transformational character’s life, love and relationships, the fact that she doesn’t recognize her own strengths and internal abilities, and thus assigns cause for both her successes and failures to others. This becomes entangled with the equivalent to the LA Riots of 1992 or maybe it IS against that exact conflict. And the key characters almost all have their own part to play in that greater conflict as well as their roles in the drama of Katrina’s life.

[Beverly A Ihnen]

Hello. I’m Beverly, with a whole slew of nicknames and monikers through the years. For now, we’ll stick with Beverly.
I’ve completed 3 feature film scripts and numerous short videos and PSAs for my church.
I am looking forward to the class to help me sharpen my skills and hit more closely to the heart of the things that matter most to me when I reach out with film as an art form. It is the quality of communication, and a film can reach so deeply and mean so much if it is done right.
4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you? Oh, no. I am perfectly normal — NOT. I’ve spent decades in and around the entertainment business – theatre, television and films, and primarily a great deal of time in documentary and educational filmmaking. Not bad for a kid from Nowhere, Iowa (and I LOVE Iowa, don’t anyone get me wrong).

[Beverly A Ihnen]

Hello. I’m Beverly. Yes, of course I agree to the terms of this confidentiality agreement. Looking forward to sharing ideas and enjoying each others wins.
Beverly