[Heidi Stangeland]

Heidi’s Villain Has a Great Plan!

What I learned is that this is just as exciting as coming up with the protagonist journey if not more fun. Also realizing how important it is that the villains story is solidified to get a more accurate and strong story. Working on the sequence and will fill out as I move along.

What is the end goal?
How can the Villain accomplish
that in a devious way?
How can they cover it up?
Sequence it to make it as
intriguing as possible.

VILLAIN: Henrik Voss “The Seer”

Mystery: Who is he and what is his relation to Ylva (and her
deceased mother)
Intrigue: What is his intention – was he instrumental to get Ylva
to that location/he attention – did he want her to investigate the serial
murders for his weird game/pursuit?
Suspense: He is actively setting up traps – physical and
mental for Ylva that is a threat to her life

What is the end goal?

Henrik’s end goal is to create a new society by “exposing” corruption and weakness within the government – by creating mistrust and chaos, he proves his point and is able to become the puppeteer orchestrating the chaos from behind the scenes and exploit the situation to his advantage.

How can the Villain accomplish that in a devious way?

By posing as a charismatic figure who seems like a sane and safe person of integrity, and a better leader. Using/manipulating his following to gather information on key individuals and their weaknesses/vulnerabilities and secrets.

How can they cover it up?

His following defends his actions, creating diversion – blind leads – making it difficult for anyone to see his true motive. Only the villain knows the entire truth – he trusts no one. He has a handful of people he trust but they are not given the whole truth – only bits of what he is willing to share and if anyone turns on him – they have set themselves up to take the fall (unknowingly) while he is in the clear.

Sequence it to make it as intriguing as possible.

1. Quiet but powerful leader in smalltown. Has his following, majority of townspeople

2. Interested in Ylva, taunting her with small clues and comments – instructed no one to touch her. She is watched – covertly and openly

3. Mindgames with Ylva and his followers

4. A string of murders gathers more attention – using the situation to gain advantage and chaos

[Heidi Stangeland]

Heidi’s SOTL Stacking Suspense

Going through scene by scene, it is clear how each scene is built out to get the most out of the audience emotions. Even the smaller scenes, has the essence of something – they are building up to the more intense scenes. In addition to following Starlings journey from rookie to agent, opening up about her childhood drama – we are also following Lecters journey, learning more about him – and how he sees Starling as someone worthy of his intellect, and therefore more valuable alive. It is mindgames from both of them.

[Heidi Stangeland]

What I learned doing this assignment,

sometimes simple is the best way and with the use of suspense, mystey and intrigue – throw in some red herrings, and you have a journey that the audience gets invested in.
The premise of Basic Instinct is a simple one, but it is how all the layers came together that elevated this movie.

[Heidi Stangeland]

Heidi’s World and Characters!

What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of worldbuilding and also making sure that your characters have elements that we can all relate to and at the same time something that sets them apart in a way that we get engaged and involved in their story/journey.

Remind us of your CONCEPT and the Big M.I.S. of your story.

LOGLINE:
In the harsh Utah desert, a haunted investigator, burdened by her mother’s unsolved murder, dives into a series of puzzling killings. Unraveling eerie ties to a secretive cult’s supernatural rites, she’s compelled to confront the elusive killer and the chilling truth about her mother’s death. Racing against time, she battles her own demons, pushing her fragile psyche to its limits in a quest to solve both mysteries.

Big Mystery: What is the main
mystery of your story that will keep us wondering throughout the story?
Is Ylva on the right track to solve her own mother’s murder or is her own
mind misleading her?

Big Intrigue: What is the
covert, clandestine, underhanded plot that will live under the surface for
most of the movie?
What is the relationship between Ylva, Henrik “the Seer” and Ylva’s deceased
mother – does Henrik have a special purpose for Ylva to fulfill his own twisted
prophecy

Big Suspense: What is the main
danger to your Hero that will continue to escalate throughout the script?
Will she be framed/arrested for the serial murders, or will she be able to
stay one step ahead of both the FBI and the cult leader?

Tell us about the Intriguing World you have selected for this story.

A small town in the desert of the US South-West where there is a secret subworld that is dark with supernatural elements (scratch the surface for all the bad stuff to come out)

With your top 2 or 3 characters, tell us the role they play and then answer these three questions:

HERO: Ylva Andersen

Mystery: Plagued/haunted by her past and memories of her
murdered mother.

Intrigue: She is hiding the mental decline this case has on her

Suspense: For her, it is now or never – she feels this will
finally solve her own tragedy, and it might be at the risk of her own
mental health or her death

VILLAIN: Henrik Voss “The Seer”

Mystery: Who is he and what is his relation to Ylva (and her
deceased mother)

Intrigue: What is his intention – was he instrumental to get Ylva
to that location/he attention – did he want her to investigate the serial
murders for his weird game/pursuit?

Suspense: He is actively setting up traps – physical and mental
for Ylva that is a threat to her life

[Heidi Stangeland]

Heidi’s World and Characters!

What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of worldbuilding and also making sure that your characters have elements that we can all relate to and at the same time something that sets them apart in a way that we get engaged and involved in their story/journey.

Remind us of your CONCEPT and the Big M.I.S. of your story.

LOGLINE:
In the harsh Utah desert, a haunted investigator, burdened by her mother’s unsolved murder, dives into a series of puzzling killings. Unraveling eerie ties to a secretive cult’s supernatural rites, she’s compelled to confront the elusive killer and the chilling truth about her mother’s death. Racing against time, she battles her own demons, pushing her fragile psyche to its limits in a quest to solve both mysteries.

Big Mystery: What is the main
mystery of your story that will keep us wondering throughout the story?
Is Ylva on the right track to solve her own mother’s murder or is her own
mind misleading her?
Big Intrigue: What is the
covert, clandestine, underhanded plot that will live under the surface for
most of the movie?
What is the relationship between Ylva, Henrik “the Seer” and Ylva’s deceased
mother – does Henrik have a special purpose for Ylva to fulfill his own twisted
prophecy
Big Suspense: What is the main
danger to your Hero that will continue to escalate throughout the script?
Will she be framed/arrested for the serial murders, or will she be able to
stay one step ahead of both the FBI and the cult leader?

Tell us about the Intriguing World you have selected for this story.

A small town in the desert of the US SouthWest where there is a secret subworld that is dark with supernatural elements (scratch the surface for all the bad stuff to come out)

With your top 2 or 3 characters, tell us the role they play and then answer these three questions:

HERO: Ylva Andersen

Mystery: Plagued/haunted by her past and memories of her
murdered mother.
Intrigue: She is hiding the mental decline this case has on her
Suspense: For her, it is now or never – she feels this will
finally solve her own tragedy, and it might be at the risk of her own
mental health or her death

VILLAIN: Henrik Voss “The Seer”

Mystery: Who is he and what is his relation to Ylva (and her
deceased mother)
Intrigue: What is his intention – was he instrumental to get Ylva
to that location/he attention – did he want her to investigate the serial
murders for his weird game/pursuit?
Suspense: He is actively setting up traps – physical and mental
for Ylva that is a threat to her life

[Heidi Stangeland]

LOGLINE:
In the harsh Utah desert, a haunted investigator, burdened by her mother’s unsolved murder, dives into a series of puzzling killings. Unraveling eerie ties to a secretive cult’s supernatural rites, she’s compelled to confront the elusive killer and the chilling truth about her mother’s death. Racing against time, she battles her own demons, pushing her fragile psyche to its limits in a quest to solve both mysteries.

What I learned doing this assignment is how fun it is to create a story, and also the importance of the MIS in a thriller.

What are the conventions of your story?

Unwitting but Resourceful Hero:
Ylva Andersen / intuitive, haunted, resilient young detective on a self-destructive
path
Dangerous Villain:
Henrik Voss aka the “Seer” / is charismatic, ruthless, and cunning with a
deep resentment for society.

High stakes:
as she investigates serial murders, she herself becomes a person of interest
to a local FBI agent.

Life and death situations:
Multiple situations of her own life, others being killed, threats to FBI
agent

This story is thrilling
because?
The emotional journey with Ylva as we dodge dangerous situations while unwrapping
a decades-long personal mystery for her while tracking a serial killer in real-time
while being a target herself from both the FBI and the cult/leader.

Tell us the Big M.I.S. of your story.

Big Mystery: What is the main
mystery of your story that will keep us wondering throughout the story?
Is Ylva on the right track to solve her own mother’s murder or is her own
mind misleading her?

Big Intrigue: What is the
covert, clandestine, underhanded plot that will live under the surface for
most of the movie?
What is the relationship between Ylva, Henrik “the Seer” and Ylva’s deceased
mother – does Henrik have a special purpose for Ylva to fulfill his own twisted
prophecy

Big Suspense: What is the main
danger to your Hero that will continue to escalate throughout the script?
Will she be framed/arrested for the serial murders, or will she be able to
stay one step ahead of both the FBI and the cult leader?

[Heidi Stangeland]

1. Name? Heidi Stangeland

2. How many scripts you’ve written? 7 scripts (3 of them TV shows) that are marketable.

3. What do you hope to get out of the class? A little kick in the butt for me to knock out thriller concepts that I have been brewing for the last 2 years and taking this class again right motivation.

4. Something unique, special, strange, or unusual about you? A few things, but I knit a lot to destress – (native norwegian patterned sweaters, hats, mittons, socks).

[Heidi Stangeland]

“Knock at the Cabin” – M. Night Shyamalan

When strangers appear at the family’s cabin, the family is presented with an impossible choice. And in true M. Night Shyamalan fashion, it is a slow-burn thriller with setups and reveals as we move along.

Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Eric
Dangerous Villan: this one is not clear in the movie – Leonard, one of the strangers appears to be the group leader of the strangers, and the other three strangers each have a different trait that also makes them a unique and unlikely bunch of villains that has come together.
High Stakes: Sacrifice one of themselves – or the world will end.
Life and death Situations: Multiple – while the villains are threatening and injuring Eric/Andrew, the deadly situations are reversed. Causing a dilemma for Eric/Andrew in do they save them, or do they believe them?
This movie is thrilling because? the dilemma they have been given is a hard one – do you sacrifice a loved one to save the world from apocalypse – it is thrilling because of this choice and because of the choices the 4 strangers are making them do.

Big Mystery: Who are the strangers, why did they show up and why are they forcing themselves in – but are not acting like what a hostile break-in would be..
Big Intrigue: Are the strangers crazy, or are they actually telling the truth?
Big Suspense: What will Eric and/or Andrew do?

[Heidi Stangeland]

As a member of this group, I – Heidi Stangeland – 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.

[Heidi Stangeland]

Heidi Stangeland – “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.

[Heidi Stangeland]

Hi, I’m Heidi Stangeland
I write mainly features but have a few TV pilots as well. A few options.
One thing I learned about being a screenwriter is always honing your craft and be patient! Even with optioned/sold work – things take time!

From Norway but lived in the US since 2011. Organizer of Storyteller conference among a lot of other things to keep me busy.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  Heidi Stangeland.