Cathy Alvarez
Forum Replies Created
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What I learned doing this assignment is…persistence is key. Quality will come later.
ACT I
OPENING:
INT – LIVING ROOM – DAY
Katie is live streaming and gaining popularity for her picture perfect life. It’s fake and she isn’t being herself. She’s driving a wedge between her spouse and two teenage girls.
INCITING INCIDENT: During a live stream her husband comes out of the closet. He is trying to share who he really is and she rejects it.
TE1: Katie is humiliated in a very public way. She tries to downplay this as a prank but that backfires. She doesn’t want to admit the truth to her viewers.
CATALYST: Katie’s husband files for divorce.
TE2: Katie is determined to convince her husband that it’s just a mid-life crisis. She is convinced he’s going through an identity crisis when she is the one having the meltdown.
ACT IIa
INT – BEDROOM – NIGHT
Katie confronts her husband but he is ready to move on with his new life. She sees him happy for the first time in a long time.
PLACEHOLDER – Katie gets encouragement from her two teenage daughters who are preparing to leave for college their senior year. Katie starts to feel more alone. She confides in a new coworker, Bridget, who always puts herself out there.
PLACEHOLDER – Katie tries to win back her husband but it fails miserably.
TE3: Not sure what but something must happen for her to feel empowered to start moving on. She signs the divorce papers and her husband moves out of the home.
ACTIIb
TURNING POINT: Katie starts seeing others and goes on dates.
PLACEHOLDER – Katie goes on a date just as a favor to her friend and actually has a good time.
TE4: She gets the feeling of being desired and likes it. She even has an intimate moment with a female acquaintance. She finds a good man but doesn’t know how to be in a relationship.
INT – WORK – DAY
Katie gets a lesson or two in how to find herself from her new friend Bridget. She takes her under her wing as far as dating, makeup, style, clothes, etc.
PLACEHOLDER – Katie has to get back into the dating scene after years of being married.
INT – HOSPITAL – NIGHT
Katie’s husband is attacked and in his vulnerable state asks Katie to have things go back to the way they once were.
PLACEHOLDER – Katie agrees and the husband moves back home. Bridget is upset with Katie because she’s back where she started. She confronts her.
ACT III
INT – HOME – NIGHT
TE5: Katie declines his offer because she’s grown and actually wants to be happy regardless of the pain they’ll both endure if alone.
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What I learned doing this assignment is…you must pick up where you left off the moment you can.
Subject line: Cathy’s High Speed Beat Sheet
ACT I
OPENING:
INT – LIVING ROOM – DAY
Katie is live streaming and gaining popularity for her picture perfect life.
INCITING INCIDENT: During a live stream her husband comes out of the closet.
TE1: Katie is humiliated in a very public way. She tries to downplay this as a prank but that backfires.
CATALYST: Katie’s husband files for divorce.
TE2: Katie is determined to convince her husband that it’s just a mid-life crisis.
ACT IIa
INT – BEDROOM – NIGHT
Katie confronts her husband but he is ready to move on with his new life. She sees him happy for the first time in a long time.
TE3: Not sure what but something must happen for her to feel empowered to start moving on. She signs the divorce papers and her husband moves out of the home.
ACTIIb
TURNING POINT: Katie starts seeing others and goes on dates.
TE4: She gets the feeling of being desired and likes it. She even has an intimate moment with a female acquaintance. She finds a good man but doesn’t know how to be in a relationship.
INT – HOSPITAL – NIGHT
Katie’s husband is attacked and in his vulnerable state asks Katie to have things go back to the way they once were.
ACT III
TE5: Katie declines his offer because she’s grown and actually wants to be happy regardless of the pain they’ll both endure if alone.
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What I learned doing this assignment is…you just have to start typing for a few minutes to get more on the page.
Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.
Katie needs to be herself.
OLD WAYS
She’s living a lie that’s exposed on a social media stream.
She has to tell her kids, family, and friends the truth.
She experiences humiliation.
Her brand suffers.
She loses followers.
She loses respect for herself.
NEW WAYS
She sets up a different platform (dating, divorce) but then later adapts.
She gains followers, true friends, and support.
She must reject her husband’s proposal to stay married.
3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).
Katie must face the humiliation.
She must lose everything she has worked for.
Her brand has to suffer for her to find true happiness in her work.
She must find herself.
She must commit to living her life, free of others’ approval.
She must continue her new life even after her husband proposes to go back to the norm.
4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes.
She starts off in denial with a fake social media image.
Her husband comes out of the closet in the most humiliating way possible, during a live stream.
She tries damage control but it doesn’t work.
Her image and brand suffers.
She loses respect for herself.
She loses followers and has to find a way to get those followers back.
She sets up another page trying to exploit the dating in your 40s.
She is still unhappy and living for the approval of others.
5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.
She meets someone who challenges her actions.
Katie must determine what’s best for her.
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What I learned doing this assignment is…to accept changes as they come to improve the script/story.
Give us the following:
Concept – A social media mom influence must face the reality and her viewers when her husband comes out of the closet in a live stream.
Main Conflict – Katie must come to terms with her new life.
Old Ways – Perfect image of family
New Ways – her life is actually a mess
2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.
Act 1:
Opening – Katie has an IG account that goes viral due to her impeccable life; I think she might be a real estate personality, internet famous
Inciting Incident – Her husband confesses to being gay during a live stream
Turning Point – He files for divorce, making it official
Act 2: She thinks she can use this as a marketing for her account as she gains more followers and tries to spin this as a dating in your 40s account
New plan – She documents the do’s and don’ts of dating in your 40s or after divorce
Plan in action – She goes along with the recommendation of others to move on, date, see what else is out there
Midpoint Turning Point – she meets a woman who fears no one and tells her the truth that this isn’t going to be a public journey but a private one
Act 3:
Rethink everything – Her husband is attacked and she is at his side
New plan – he tells her this was a mistake and he’d rather stay married than be happy because he knows there’s safety
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
Act 4: She knows she can’t do that to the man who’s been her best friend all these years and tells him they must follow through the divorce
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What I learned doing this assignment is…my characters are becoming opposite and I like it!
QUESTIONS FOR YOUR PROTAGONIST
Tell me about yourself.
Hi, I’m Katie, social media mom, just trying to share my ways that I make life easy so others can enjoy their path.
Why do you think you were called to this journey? Because I have a positive outlook on life and I’d like for others to be just as happy as me!
Why you? I found the key to happiness.
You are up against . What is it about them that makes this journey even more difficult for you?
She puts a lot of strange ideas in my head but thankfully, I know how to combat unwanted thoughts and ideas.
In order to survive or accomplish this, you are going to have to step way outside of your box. What changes do you expect to make and which of them will be the most difficult?
I’m open to change, I can change. I change my home for every season and this journey is no different. I’ll continue to change to improve.
What habits or ways of thinking do you think will be the most difficult to let go of?
I have several good habits so I’m not sure if I really need to drop any, nervous laughter
What fears, insecurities and wounds have held you back?
I fear a dirty home *laughs* but seriously, when you’re living life and need something there and you can’t find it because it’s under a pile of laundry, nervous laughter, that’s a fear!
What skills, background or expertise makes you well-suited to face this conflict or antagonist?
I was originally a teacher but now my job is social media full-time. I love it! I’m a great organizer so everything is mapped to a t.
What are you hiding from the other characters? What don’t you want them to know? Hiding? Nothing, my life is on display for the world to see. There’s nothing to hide…
What do you think of ?
She can be a little bossy but that’s ok,you can’t argue with a boss lady. Whatever works for her.
Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.
She thinks I should do this thing and I’m trying to tell her that just isn’t how this works. Things are going to be ok just the way they are. That’s how they’ve always been.
What does it do for your life if you succeed here? Already successful…hello?
Ask any other questions about their character profile that will help you.
QUESTIONS FOR YOUR ANTAGONIST
Tell me about yourself.
I’m Bridget. That’s all encompassing.
Having to do with this journey, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
Strength, I tell the truth. Weakness, I tell the truth.
Why are you committed to making the Protagonist fail? Or for a relationship movie, why are you committed to making them change?
She’s in denial. She’s on the edge of reality.
What do you get out of winning this fight / succeeding in your plan / taking down your competition?
I guess it shouldn’t matter but I’d like to see her happy.
What drives you toward your mission / agenda, even in the face of danger, ruin, or death?
I lost my mom when I needed her the most. In a way, I’d like her to be around for her kids.
What secrets must you keep to succeed? What other secrets do you keep out of fear / insecurity?
I have no fear. I have no secrets.
Compared to other people like you, what makes you special?
I don’t need the approval of others.
What do you think of ?
I almost feel sorry for her.
Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.
I was sort of bystander in all this and didn’t want to see her go down in flames, even though the whole thing was kind of hilarious.
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What I learned doing this assignment is…I feel bad for my character because of how unhappy she really is.
Fill in Part 2 of the character Profile for your two lead characters.
What draws us to this character?
Traits: Low self-esteem, likable, friendly, people pleaser
Subtext: She’s afraid to be herself
Flaw: She is living a lie
Values: Respect, family, image
Irony: Has a life most people want but she knows it’s false
What makes this the right character for this role? She wouldn’t change if the decision her hers
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What I learned doing this assignment is…fear is a silly thing to waste any time on.
2. Pick the type of role your Protagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
Dreamer<div>
She lives in a dream world and one day she is faced with reality and that turns her world upside down.
3. Pick the type of role your Antagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
Change Agent</div><div>
This person guides her along the way even though it’s painful and not a path our protagonist willingly takes.
4. What other characters might be necessary?
Supporting characters: Husband</div><div>
Minor roles: Twin teenage daughters
5. Pick your genre.
Comedy</div><div>
6. Fill in whatever answers come to you about your lead character profiles.
Role in the story: She’s a people pleaser, lives in fear of being viewed as a failure or a loser. Wants to be a role model for her daughters but fears losing their respect.
</div>
Age range and Description: 40s, female, teacher
<div>
Internal Journey: Discovering her identity
External Journey: Divorce and humiliation
Motivation: Respect of children
Wound: Humiliated
Mission/Agenda: Find herself
Secret: Fear of failure
What makes them special? She’s stronger than she knows.
</div>
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What I learned doing this assignment is…it doesn’t take that long to post these notes on the forum.
Who is your Hero and what is their Character Arc that represents a transformation? My hero is a female, 40s, with a perfect image who must find herself after divorce.
Internal Journey: Discovering her identity
External Journey: Divorce
3. What are the Old Ways and New Ways? Her old ways are meeting the needs of others, picture prefect image, no boundaries. New ways are discovering herself, likes, dislikes, and a new way of life.
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Hello, my name is Cathy Alvarez and I’ve written 4 scripts. I hope to get some motivation and accountability out of this class. Something unique about me is I’m an introvert who works in extrovert positions. I’ve always held positions that put me on the spot or as the leader and educator which I find ironic.
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Cathy Alvarez, I agree to the terms of this release form.
GROUP RELEASE FORM
As a member of this group, I agree to the following:
1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.
2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.
I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.
3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.
4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.
5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.
6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.
This completes the Group Release Form for the class.