Jim
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I’ll do the class privately.
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Jim Fisher
I have written numerous scripts for Theatrical, Series, and Animation.
I hope this class enhances my move from comedy to action scripts.
Have worked with a lot of celebrities to fashion scripts for them.
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What I learned?
As of now, I have no character triangles which has caused me to rethink and search for the possibility of structuring one or more in my script.
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When I rewrote a scene changing the characters’ relationship from Allies to Mismatched Allies it became much more interesting by heightening a future tension between them which did not exist before.
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Initiating the use of W2-D2 in a rewrite of my scene/character I received validation. I discovered I had already established the Protagonist and Antagonist as equally powerful, intelligent, devious, and determined opponents. The result? It raises their level of conflict since both must deal with each other at the top of their game. These two are worthy opponents and elevate the depth (if such a phrase is not counter-intuitive) of the story.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Jim.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Jim. Reason: Didn't realize that Week 2 Day 2 assignments were spread over 2 days. Doh. Threw off my numbering my responses
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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What I have discovered is that each lesson offers so much insight into what I can add to my script that I have no time to read what others have written, let alone offer any thoughts on their notes.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Jim.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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Sandeep, I may be out of line with my comment, but I feel it is worth asking. I notice you prefer to read pages in the screenplay preceding the posted video. While you share the added insights it gives you, does this possibly undercut what the intended purpose of that particular lesson is? It seems to me that the purpose of each lesson is to understand how much about a character and/or relationship we can glean from only watching a short snippet of video.
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INSIGHT: What makes these characters great? We are immediately invested in finding out what will happen. What future actions will they both take after this phone call.
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What makes these characters great from a writing perspective is how their traits are exhibited through their emotional, escalating exchanges. Each exchange pokes deeper into the other’s wound. What happens when you poke a wound? It hurts even more. To stop the pain, you get defensive. You lash out. It becomes an endless spiral of inflicting pain.
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What I
learned in rewriting the first scene between my Protagonist (spec ops
sniper) and his Antagonist (the handler) is that I enabled the suggestion
that these two have butted heads before. It reveals that the Protagonist
has a streak of independence and does not just simply obey orders while
the Antagonist’s career depends on the Protagonist obeying his orders
without question. We have a major unresolved conflict that will be played out.+2 -
Insight: What makes Sawyer’s character great is how his casual demeanor of introducing a ‘get to know you better game’ reveals not only aspects of Kate’s character but also his. They both have killed a person. Sawyer is a scavenger and uses what he has acquired as a means of controlling others.
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What I learned in rewriting my characters that the use of action can replace dialogue in defining the Protagonist’s traits.
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What
I learned rewriting my scene/character: Rewrote
a scene by adding an exchange between my Protagonist (spec ops sniper) and the
Antagonist (his handler) to establish there have been several clashes between
these two previously. This inciting incident is no longer an isolated event and
positions the two characters as the Right Characters for the story.+2 -
What I learned is the need to establish in the audience’s mind that this will be an unusual story, full of action that you may have never seen before.
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INSIGHT: the use of my Protagonist’s dialogue to tease what the audience will want to see later in the film.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Jim.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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What I learned and put into a rewrite of my introduction of my Protagonist is adding some dialogue to portend there will be further action sequences and establishing of new relationships.
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INSIGHT: To distract Sarah from bandaging Kyle’s wound, his dialogue about her past teases the audience that there will be upcoming action sequences as Sarah teaches her son, John, the skills to fight the Terminators enabling him to survive which gives humanity a
chance to survive. The tantalizing decline to hear about the father raises expectations that we will see a developing romance between Sarah and Kyle.+2 -
What I learned is how the action of Chuckie’s character trait of confidently engaging with the women puts him in a potentially embarrassing situation. When Will steps in to bail out Chuckie it provides us the chance to see the traits that make up Will’s character at the same time it teases a spark between Will and Skylar. The scene serves a triple purpose.
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Week 1 Day 1 – character traits
WILL: Sees himself as anyone’s equal. A positive trait of loyalty to friends is demonstrated when he steps in to bail out Chuckie from an impending embarrassing situation. We get a hint of a negative trait when he isn’t afraid to duke it out with blondie. We are also made aware that he is well-read and, on top of that, he has a photographic memory. And, those backward glances at Skylar? Am I impressing her?
CHUCKIE: He obviously believes he is a charmer. He’s not afraid to step into any situation with the confidence that he can successfully wing it. However, there is a lack of awareness when his BS is getting out of his depth.
SKYLAR: She comes off as confident in herself with little tolerance for guys who are jerks. She is charmed by Will’s calm but well-substantiated put down of said jerk.
It seems to me they picked the Harvard bar as a challenge to prove you don’t need to be a Harvard male student to hang with Harvard women.
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My name is Jim Fisher. As a freelance writer, I’ve written dozens of scripts of which many were produced. However, almost all were comedies in which case characters were created in the service of providing laughs. I hope to use this class, as I venture into other genres. I have had the opportunity to work with and for many well-known and extremely talented performers, writers, and directors. However again, in the realm of comedy.
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I agree to the terms of this release form.
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Subject Line: Jim’s SOTL Stacking Suspense
What I learned is I have a hard time differentiating between the BIG MIS and the hero’s MIS. Often what I wrote down for each were quite similar. Am I missing something?
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“Merry X-mass”
World and Characters!
What I learned doing this assignment is that I’ve got a lot of work to do.
CONCEPT:
Big Mystery: Would villains actually detonate an A-bomb to achieve their goal?
Big Intrigue: Who is actually pulling the strings of the insurrectionists’ threat to explode an A-bomb?
Big Suspense: The Bad Players will stop at nothing to keep their plot hidden.
the Intriguing World of conspiracy-driven, misplaced patriotism of local Militias.
TOP 3 CHARACTERS:
HERO: JAMES GLENN
A. Mystery: Is he going to repeat his history of screwing up big time?
B. Intrigue: Doesn’t realize the risk to his life of infiltrating dangerous organizations.
C. Suspense: Will he get hurt or killed for getting too close.
VILLAIN: “THAT LADY”
A. Mystery: Exactly who is she and who does she represent?
B. Suspense: What is her goal? What does she hope to achieve?
C. Intrigue: What happens if the militias realize they are pawns in her game?
RED HERRING: MILITIA LEADER
A. Mystery: Why is he so bent on blackmailing the government?
B. Suspense: Is he committed enough to detonate an A-bomb?
C. Intrigue: Does he realize he is a pawn in a larger scheme?
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Jim Fisher
What I learned doing this assignment is<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”> how determining and inserting
the conventions of a thriller creates guideposts that shape the story.“Merry Xmas”
LOGLINE: While a bumbling, suspended beat cop is serving his mandated 200 hours of Community Service as Santa Claus, he stumbles into a blackmail threat of the US Government.
Big Mystery: Who would go to such lengths as to detonate an A-bomb?
Big Intrigue: Is it a militia group’s threat to use an A-bomb to achieve their goal or is somebody using them as a diversion?
Big Suspense: The closer Santa gets to unraveling the plot, the more it increases the chance of the A-bomb being detonated.
The hero, Santa Clause, appears to be way in over his head.
The dangerous villain knows no limits in furthering the expansion of his/her empire.
The stakes are nothing short of a huge land grab.
Life and death situations arrive around every corner when Santa continues sticking his nose into affairs that should be of no concern to him.
The story is thrilling because we need to know if a temporary Santa Claus can prevent setting off an A-bomb.
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Total Recall
Big Mystery: Who am I?
Big Intrigue: Why does the Antagonist want the Protagonist alive?
Big Suspense: Is my life all a dream?
This is a great thriller because it continuously undermined what you believed was happening was real.
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I agree to the terms of this release form.
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Sandeep,
I need to apologize for my post to you earlier regarding I had never heard of Level 1 and 2 characters. You replied it was in the Character Design session. Recently I was reviewing all my notes in this class and realized you were correct. Sorry, about that misjudgment.
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Again, do you mean Minor characters? Because they are definitely Major characters. And also again, I have never heard references to Level 1 and/or Level 2 characters in the industry. I guess if you understand what you mean that is enough.
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Sandeep,
Are you confusing the watch video suggestions – watch the 1st time and watch the 2nd time – as descriptions of the importance of a character in your story? I think they are levels of viewing what is being revealed, not Character Levels. Now I understand why I had never heard those terms regarding characters in a story. The terms usually used are Major and Minor characters.
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Sandeep,
Can you be more specific as to which lesson Cheryl/Hal couplerefer to character levels? I reread the first two lessons and see no mention of it.
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Sandeep,
In all my years as a writer, I never heard of Level 1 and Level 2 characters. Where did you find these definitions?
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Sandeep,
Screenwriting is never, ever easy. Knowing nothing would make it even harder.
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I don’t think Chuckie sees the grad student as a ‘bro’ either. The bar is a haven for students, which they are not, even though he pretends to be and gets called on it. So again, I see no violation of the ‘bro code.’
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I wouldn’t say comedy characters are harder to write, it’s mainly that people have different opinions as to what is ‘funny’. I found that out early in my career when my comedy scripts were constantly challenged by directors, producers, and actors. Whereas my friends writing dramas said they never got notes as to whether a scene was ‘dramatic’ enough.
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I didn’t apologize for being funny. It’s just what audiences currently find as ‘funny’ is not my cup of tea. So, I decided to expand into different genres.
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Flew it for 28 years. A great transportation vehicle for the West Coast.
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I don’t think Will sees the grad student as a ‘bro.’ Hence, no violation of the ‘bro code.’
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Why did Beth continue to walk toward “shooter” with her hand in a pocket? Death by cop suicide?
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