Jeffrey Lehmann
Forum Replies Created
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Jeffrey Lehmann Conventions
I learned that my villain is pretty run-of-the-mill and I need to up his uniqueness.
Concept: Teenage tribal princess must summon her courage to overcome sexism and racism to outwit and defeat a warlord’s ambition to annihilate her tribe.
Highly Skilled Hero: Ying is a tribal princess; smart, great archer, and swordsperson
Demand for Action: Sun (Chinese) is going to annihilate her tribe
Mission: To defeat Sun and prove her leadership ability to tribe
Antagonist: Regional Warlord Sun believes he should be Chinese emperor.
Escalating Action: Sun attacks Li farmers, Murders father, attacks tribe, enlists help of emperor’s forces to defeat tribe.
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Ying’s Act 1 Opening Scene
What I learned is that I don’t have my Antagonist defined that well yet. But, I wrote the beats for the Antagonist’s first scene and moved on like instructed.
OPENING SCENE BEAT SHEET
EXT. JUNGE – NIGHT
Beginning: Tutor (Chinese) wanders away from the fortified city of Maoming into the jungle during a full moon where he is surrounded by wildlife including elephants, crocodiles, wild water buffalo, and more. He is dressed in an ungainly maid’s uniform performing katas that look like a dance. Scouts spot Tutor and one race back to the village.
EXT. TRIBE’S VILLAGE – DAWN
Middle: Ting and Long (11) hear the scouts report and collect their bows to capture Tutor. Ying (9) sees them and wants to come but the boys tell her to stay home and play with her doll.
EXT. HIDDEN GLADE – DAWN
Ting and Long come upon Tutor, who is unbeknownst to the boys about to commit suicide. Tutor surrenders easily hiding his knife in his large sleeves and is taken to the boys’ hideout and tied to a tree. The boys have put down their bows to tie up Tutor. As they walk back to their bows, a tiger jumps in front of them. The boys are frozen in shock. The tiger growling moves toward the boys. It slowly bends its legs to pounce, when Ying who secretly followed the boys jumps out of her hiding place and yells at the tiger. The tiger turns its attention and Ying, and she throws her doll at the tiger hitting it on the nose. This surprises the tiger and it momentarily cowers back, but then is even more aggressive heading toward Ying. This is just long enough for Tutor to escape by cutting the ropes with his hidden dagger. Tutor distracts the tiger by yelling and running toward it with a dagger. The tiger now turns and leaps to kill Tutor. Midair it is shot with two arrows (by the children’s fathers and tribe’s chiefs). The tiger still topples Tutor landing on top of him but dead.
BENLI (to Yan) I shot it first!
Yan (to Benli) Yes, but my arrow killed it!
Benli (chuckles)- Maybe!
Tutor wiggles out from under the tiger that is still in death convulsions.
Benli (in Chinese) Hello! Thank you!
Benli points at himself
BENLI (in Chinese) I’m Benli
Tutor (in Chinese)- I’m Tutor
BENLI (to kids)- Thank Tutor for saving your lives
YING- Nihow
LONG- Nihow
Ting pouts.
BENLI- Ting!
TING- He didn’t save my life!
BENLI grabs Ting by the ear and drags him over in front of Tutor
TING (begrudgingly)- Nihow
INT. SUN’S CASTLE – DAY
Beginning: Sun just finishes reading a scroll from the emperor.
SUN Lieutenant- Message from the emperor
Hands scroll to Sun
SUN- Yes! Duhu. Now, I will bringing these savages to heal. Let’s go celebrate!
Middle: Sun and Lieutenant lead a slaughter of defenseless native people farmers as if it is a fun game.
End:
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Ying’s Beat Sheet 2
What I learned… I knew intrinsically what the theme is, but it was cool to distill it down to such a simple and strong statement. I also already had the Antagonist Beats worked out, but it was cool to see them actually drawn out in the overall story’s Beat Sheet.
Beat Sheet 2
Theme: Strength in diversity
Act 1: 25 to 30 pages — Set up and see Old Ways.
Opening: Introduce us to the lead characters in action. Show us the Old Ways as their natural way of being.
Tutor (Chinese) wanders away from the fortified city of Maoming into the jungle during a full moon where he is surrounded by wildlife. He is dressed in an ungainly maid’s uniform performing kata that looks like a dance. Ting and Long (both 11) spot Tutor and leave Ying (9) behind to play with her doll to capture Tutor.
Boys arrive just as Tutor is about to commit suicide. Tutor surrenders easily and is tied to a tree at the boys’ hideout. The boys are suddenly attacked by a tiger, but Ying who secretly followed them jumps out and throws her doll at the tiger hitting it on the nose. This surprises the tiger for a moment, just long enough for Tutor to escape and distract the tiger before it can attack the children. As the tiger leaps to kill Tutor, it is shot with arrows mid-jump by Benli and Yan, tribe chiefs and the children’s fathers.
TE 1- Ying literally throws away her doll to participate in more warrior like pursuits
Set us up for the journey that starts with the Inciting Incident.
Tutor is asked to teach the tribe’s children Mandarin and Chinese ways. Ying is an eager learner and even asks to learn the katas Tutor was doing in the Opening. Ying is taught by her father (Benli) to be both an excellent archer and sword fighter at the tribe’s ancient redoubt that has been neglected from lack of use. Transition to 8 years later.
Antagonist Beat- Sun requests that the Li to submit and pay taxes voluntarily
Emperor tries to impose taxes on the tribe through Sun. Benli scoffs and tells the emperor that he should be the one taxed!
Antagonist Beat- Sun attacks the Li People when they refuse to submit
Sun attacks farming village killing the inhabitants and setting the fields on fire. Benli ambushes Sun and runs them off, but he loses warriors.
TE 2- Ying starts to open herself to people, cultures, and ideas outside the tribe.
Inciting Incident: This is the call to go on the journey. It creates the opportunity to live outside the box and take on the New Ways.
Antagonist Beat- Sun makes deals with other tribes
Benli wonders whether it is worth the fight and if he should just acquiesce like other tribes. Tutor tells Ying there could be benefits to peace, and Ying recommends her father try it. The two symbols of tribal leadership are a sword and jade necklace. Benli gives the sword to Ting and the necklace to Ying. He suggests to Ying that she might make a good leader, but leaves his chosen successor open.
TE 3- Ying realizes that there are other ways of doing things besides the tribe’s Old Ways.
Turning Point: Lock in the journey. There is no going back from here.
Benli agrees to a peace treaty with Sun,
Antagonist Beat-Sun decides to murder Benli believing the Xian tribe too strong and Ying and Ting are too young to lead.
Benli and brother are ambushed and murdered at peace treaty by Sun. Ting, Ying, and most of the warriors barely escape with their lives.
TE 4- Ting is thrust into a new world with no father to guide her decisions and her tribe in crisis.
Antagonist Beat-Sun is named Duhu by the emperorto subjugate the natives
Act 2: 20 to 30 pages — Challenge the Old Ways.
Reaction: They are now outside the box. It is uncomfortable, maybe unbearable. But the Hero can’t go back. They must move forward in some way.
Ting and Ying take over the leadership of the tribe, despite being young.
TE 5- Ying must up her game. She now shares leadership of the tribe with her brother, but he is only into Old Ways
The Plan: They struggle, flail, and try the first plan that comes to mind…which will quickly fail.
Ting and Ying lead their tribe against a stronger Sun force using guerilla warfare.
Antagonist Beat-Sun is frustrated at the success of the tribe’s guerilla warfare
Tutor suggests learning to think like their enemy, Ting refuses but Ying begins to learn. Ying suggests they refurbish the ancient redoubt and this is done. Ting and Ying both scoff when Tutor suggests allying with Feng Rong the governor of Maoming believing all Chinese to be the same.
Antagonist Beat- Sun wants the glory for himself and tells Maoming Governor to stay out of his way
TE 6- Ying starts making independent suggestions for the tribe that are independent of Ting. But, they are still Old Ways.
With every step, they use their Old Ways, but they don’t work. Those Old Ways are challenged from lightly to heavily.
Ting and Ying learn of a tax shipment that will both deal Sun a major defeat and bring the tribe much needed funds.
Antagonist Beat-Sun lures the tribe’s warriors to attack a tax shipment allowing him to attack the defenseless tribe.
They take all of the tribes warriors except a few of the youngest. The tax shipment is just a decoy to tie up the tribe’s warriors. Sun’s main force attacks the tribal village. Ying leaves to save the tribe while Ting disengages the warriors from the tax shipment battle. Ying rushes back to the village. The tribe has retreated to the redoubt. Ying saves the day and when the warriors return they help defeat Sun’s force.
Antagonist Beat-Sun is infuriated that his battalion is wiped out by the Li
Remember, all it takes to challenge the Old Ways is to simply have them not work. You don’t need to have the characters lecture them or directly spell out their Old Ways in dialogue. For now, just create a list of attempts to solve the problem or to make themselves feel better… then have those actions fail or make things worse.
Turning Point 2: MIDPOINT:The journey is still moving in the same direction, but the meaning has changed in a big way that shifts reality.
It could be any of these:
The forces of antagonism are 10 times bigger than we thought.Reality has changed (The Matrix). We’re through the looking glass.The whole first half of the movie was a con.They discover who has been betraying them.Everything they based their success on is wrong!
Whatever shift you choose, it completely disrupts the Hero’s reality.
TE 7- Ying has won the battle with her preparations of the redoubt, but the tribe’s village is burnt to the ground… She is losing the war.
Antagonist Beat- Sun forcefully enlists other tribes to help in war against Xian
Act 3: 20 to 30 pages — With Midpoint change, Profound moments that give us new ways.
This Midpoint changes everything.
This is an important part of the Hero’s transformation.
A. They have multiple insights into why things weren’t working.B. They see that the Old Ways won’t cut it anymore.C. They must up their game, which means they must change!
New Plan: Now, the hero creates a new plan and pursues it. With that, they embrace the need to change.
This could involve training sequences, bringing on new partners, or taking actions they never would have taken during the first half of the movie.
Ying now embraces Tutor’s suggestions. She reluctantly meets with Feng Rong. She learns Tutor’s katas can be used in fighting and starts practicing this application of the katas. She thinks the movements too slow and not sure how they can help, but then Tutor shows them how they can be used. Ying is amazed. She befriends surrounding tribes.
Antagonist Beat-Sun asks the emperor to loan part of his army to quell the Li Tribe.
Turning Point: The “All is lost” or “lowest of the lows” moment where everything has failed.
Ting feels the recent defeat of Sun’s forces is a golden opportunity for the tribe to attack Sun. Ying does not challenge Ting’s idea, but thinks it is not a good idea.
Antagonist Beat-Sun lures the Li into attacking.
The attack fails terribly and Long is killed. The tribe is in full retreat.
Antagonist Beat- Sun defeats the frontal attack
Ying has a bad feeling. She smells a trap. Ying sends a scout that races ahead of the retreating tribe. Ying stops the tribe’s warriors at a junction while she waits for the trap to be confirmed. Ting resists but Ying persists until the scout returns.
Antagonist Beat-Sun has emperor’s men hiding to cut of the tribe’s retreat
TE 8- Ying begins to see how she is able to lead and even a better leader than her brother and his Old Ways.
Act 4: 25 pages — Test the change in this character! Prove New Ways!
With Turning Point 3, the Protagonist embraces a new way, which gives them a fighting chance in Act 4.
Climax: The Test. This is the ultimate expression of the conflict. Face to face with the Antagonist for the ultimate fight! This is an impossible situation that the Hero can only win with the change they have made in their lives. It is the ultimate expression of the New Ways.
Ying leads the tribe through a ravine that will be a death trap if her alliances fail. The constriction keeps Sun’s overwhelming forces limited to the fighters in the front.
Antagonist Beat-Sun is mad that his first trap tailed but eagerly follows the tribe into the canyon sure that it is just as much a trap and deadly for the tribe.
Ying who has always fired arrows from the back of the battle lines now leads the fight with the combination of her old fighting skills and her new kung fu skills. Her alliances not only hold previously enemy tribes come to their assistance. Her new fighting technique breaks the enemy’s line.
Antagonist Beat- Sun is defeated and captured as the canyon becomes a trap for him and his men since they cannot easily retreat once the tide has turned.
TE 9- Ying takes over the leadership of the tribe and proves her new approach is the key to success.
Resolution: The change has been made or tested. We now see the new status quo of the Hero.
At the victory celebration, Ting acknowledges Ying as the best leader for the tribe and bequeaths the family sword.
TE 10- The tribe recognizes that Ying is the best leader.
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Ying’s High Speed Beat Sheet
What I learned was that the big changes and Transformational Events are left for Act 3 of a Four Act screenplay. This is later than I have previously had them.
Act 1: 25 to 30 pages — Set up and see Old Ways.
Opening: Introduce us to the lead characters in action. Show us the Old Ways as their natural way of being.
Tutor (Chinese) wanders away from the fortified city of Maoming into the jungle during a full moon where he is surrounded by wildlife. He is dressed in an ungainly maid’s uniform performing kata that looks like a dance. Ting and Long (both 11) spot Tutor and leave Ying (9) behind to play with her doll to capture Tutor. Tutor is about to commit suicide. Tutor surrenders easily and is tied to a tree at the boys’ hideout. The boys are suddenly attacked by a tiger, but Ying who secretly followed them jumps out and throws her doll at the tiger hitting it on the nose. This surprises the tiger for a moment, just long enough for Tutor to escape and distract the tiger just as it is about to attack again. As the tiger leaps to kill Tutor, it is shot with arrows mid-air by Benli and Yan tribe chiefs and the children’s fathers.
TE 1- Ying literally throws away her doll to participate in more warrior like pursuits
Set us up for the journey that starts with the Inciting Incident.
Tutor is asked to teach the tribe’s children. Ying is an eager learner and even asks to learn the katas Tutor was doing in the Opening. Ying is taught by her father (Benli) to be both an excellent archer and sword fighter at the tribe’s ancient redoubt that has been neglected from lack of use. Transition to 8 years later.
Emperor tries to impose taxes on the tribe. Benli scoffs and tells the emperor that he should be the one taxed! Sun attacks farming village killing the inhabitants and setting the fields on fire. Benli ambushes Sun and runs them off, but he loses warriors.
TE 2- Ying starts to open herself to people and ideas outside the tribe.
Inciting Incident: This is the call to go on the journey. It creates the opportunity to live outside the box and take on the New Ways.
Benli wonders whether it is worth the fight. Tutor tells Ying there could be benefits to peace, and Ying recommends her father try it. The two symbols of tribal leadership are a sword and jade necklace. Benli gives the sword to Ting and the necklace to Ying. He suggests to Ying that she might make a good leader, but leaves his chosen successor open.
TE 3- Ying realizes that there are other ways of doing things besides the tribe’s Old Ways.
Turning Point: Lock in the journey. There is no going back from here.
Benli agrees to a peace treaty and meets with Sun, but is ambushed and murdered by Sun. Ting, Ying, and most of the warriors barely escape with their lives.
TE 4- Ting is thrust into a new world with no father to guide her decisions and her tribe in crisis.
Act 2: 20 to 30 pages — Challenge the Old Ways.
Reaction: They are now outside the box. It is uncomfortable, maybe unbearable. But the Hero can’t go back. They must move forward in some way.
Ting and Ying take over the leadership of the tribe, despite being young.
TE 5- Ying must up her game. She now shares leadership of the tribe with her brother, but he is only into Old Ways that have not been working.
The Plan: They struggle, flail, and try the first plan that comes to mind…which will quickly fail.
Ting and Ying lead their tribe against a stronger Sun force using guerilla warfare. Tutor suggests learning to think like their enemy, Ting refuses but Ying begins to learn. Ying suggests they refurbish the ancient redoubt and this is done. Ting and Ying both scoff when Tutor suggests allying with Feng Rong the governor of Maoming believing all Chinese to be the same.
TE 6- Ying starts making independent suggestions for the tribe that are independent of Ting. But, they are still Old Ways.
With every step, they use their Old Ways, but they don’t work. Those Old Ways are challenged from lightly to heavily.
Ting and Ying learn of a tax shipment that will both deal Sun a major defeat and bring the tribe much needed funds. They take all of the tribes warriors except a few of the youngest. The tax shipment is just a decoy to tie up the tribe’s warriors. Sun’s main force attacks the tribal village. Ying leaves to save the tribe while Ting disengages the warriors from the tax shipment battle. Ying rushes back to the village. The tribe has retreated to the redoubt. Ying saves the day and when the warriors return they help defeat Sun’s force.
Remember, all it takes to challenge the Old Ways is to simply have them not work. You don’t need to have the characters lecture them or directly spell out their Old Ways in dialogue. For now, just create a list of attempts to solve the problem or to make themselves feel better… then have those actions fail or make things worse.
Turning Point 2: MIDPOINT:The journey is still moving in the same direction, but the meaning has changed in a big way that shifts reality.
It could be any of these:
The forces of antagonism are 10 times bigger than we thought.Reality has changed (The Matrix). We’re through the looking glass.The whole first half of the movie was a con.They discover who has been betraying them.Everything they based their success on is wrong!
Whatever shift you choose, it completely disrupts the Hero’s reality.
TE 7- Ying has won the battle with her preparations of the redoubt, but the tribe’s village is burnt to the ground… She is losing the war.
Act 3: 20 to 30 pages — With Midpoint change, Profound moments that give us new ways.
This Midpoint changes everything.
This is an important part of the Hero’s transformation.
A. They have multiple insights into why things weren’t working.B. They see that the Old Ways won’t cut it anymore.C. They must up their game, which means they must change!
New Plan: Now, the hero creates a new plan and pursues it. With that, they embrace the need to change.
This could involve training sequences, bringing on new partners, or taking actions they never would have taken during the first half of the movie.
Ying now embraces Tutor’s suggestions. She reluctantly meets with Feng Rong. She learns Tutor’s katas can be used in fighting and starts practicing this application of the katas. She thinks the movements too slow and not sure how they can help, but then Tutor shows them how they can be used. Ying is amazed. She befriends surrounding tribes.
Turning Point: The “All is lost” or “lowest of the lows” moment where everything has failed.
Ting feels the recent defeat of Sun’s forces is a golden opportunity for the tribe to attack Sun. Ying does not challenge Ting’s idea, but thinks it is not a good idea. The attack fails terribly and Long is killed. The tribe is in full retreat. Ying has a bad feeling. She smells a trap. Ying sends a scout that races ahead of the retreating tribe. Ying stops the tribe’s warriors at a junction while she waits for the trap to be confirmed. Ting resists but Ying persists until the scout returns.
TE 8- Ying begins to see how she is able to lead and even a better leader than her brother and his Old Ways.
Act 4: 25 pages — Test the change in this character! Prove New Ways!
With Turning Point 3, the Protagonist embraces a new way, which gives them a fighting chance in Act 4.
Climax: The Test. This is the ultimate expression of the conflict. Face to face with the Antagonist for the ultimate fight! This is an impossible situation that the Hero can only win with the change they have made in their lives. It is the ultimate expression of the New Ways.
Ying leads the tribe through a ravine that will be a death trap if her alliances fail. The constriction keeps Sun’s overwhelming forces limited to the fighters in the front. Ying who has always fired arrows from the back of the battle lines now leads the fight with the combination of her old fighting skills and her new kung fu skills. Her alliances not only hold previously enemy tribes come to their assistance. Her new fighting technique breaks the enemy’s line.
TE 9- Ying takes over the leadership of the tribe and proves her new approach is the key to success.
Resolution: The change has been made or tested. We now see the new status quo of the Hero.
At the victory celebration, Ting acknowledges Ying as the best leader for the tribe and bequeaths the family sword.
TE 10- The tribe recognises Ying as the best leader of their tribe.
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Ying’s Transformational Events
What I learned- I didn’t learn that much this time, since I think I learned most of it in our last lesson.
Ying’s
Old ways –
1. Follows Tradition
2. Believes Strength is most important leadership skill
3. Won’t kill with sword
4. Feels Ting is a better leader
5. Miss trusts Huaxia
6. Lacks confidence to contradict Ting
7. Uses traditional war/fighting strategies
8. Knows little about Huaxia and their war strategies
New ways –
1. Treats Huaxia as individuals
2. Forms alliances with Huaxia and rival tribes going against Ting’s advice
3. Learns new war strategies (Act 3 of 4)
4. Fights with a sword (Midpoint)
5. Gains confidence in herself
6. Stands up to her brother to lead tribe
4 Act Transformational Structure with Transformational Events
Concept- Ying, a young warrior princess, goes from insecure follower of her older brother to confident tribal leader
Main Conflict- A Chinese warlord is determined to wipe out Ying’s tribe
Old Ways- The tribe fights other tribes and distrusts all Huaxia
New Ways- The tribe creates alliances with neighboring tribes and other Huaxia leaders.
Act 1:
Opening- The tribe in peace. Trades with Huaxia and by ship with other areas of Asia. Sun is named lead commander to bring all native tribes under Chinese control and for them to pay tribute. He starts attacking the Xian tribe.
Inciting Incident- The tribe’s leader, Ying’s father, agrees to peace since he feels it is better than fighting a protracted war. Sun sees the strength of the Xian tribe as a threat. So, Sun uses the peace treaty meeting as a deception to allow him to murder Ying’s father. Sun thinks Ting and Ying too young to lead the tribe and no one else is suitable.Turning Point- Ting and Ying decide to lead the tribe, but Ying acquiesces to Ting as her older brother who embraces the old ways.
Act 2:
New plan- Ting and Ying lead a guerilla resistance (Old Way)Plan in action- The guerilla attacks are working but they don’t allow the tribe to trade as in the past which makes the tribe poorer and poorer. Sun is determined to finish the tribe off with one great blow.
Midpoint Turning Point- Ting attacks a tax shipment thinking it will make the tribe rich again, but the shipment is only a decoy to take all the warriors out of the village. Meantime, Sun’s forces attack the tribe’s village. It is burned to the ground and the tribe barely escapes genocide by retreating to an old tribal redoubt that Ying had refurbished for just such an emergency. Ying uses sword to defend tribe.
Act 3:
Rethink everything- Ying sees that the tribe is not strong enough to win using old ways.
New plan- Ying creates new alliances with rival tribes and a nearby Huaxia governor who is a rival of Sun’s.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift- Ting attacks Sun thinking he can win by strength alone. He does not realize that this is exactly what Sun wants. Suns weakened force has gotten massive reinforcements from the emperor. Ting’s attack fails terribly and his best friend and Ying’s lover Long is killed.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict- Ting leads a retreat back to their home territory. Ying senses a trap and stands-up to Ting. She recommends doing something Sun would not expect, retreating through a narrow canyon. With Ying’s new alliances, this will be their best hope of survival. If she is wrong, the tribe will be trapped and all the warriors killed. Still, the warriors side with Ying remembering her wisdom of refurbishing the redoubt that saved the tribe at the midpoint.
Resolution- Ying uses the constriction and sheer cliffs of the canyon to her advantage allowing the tribe to successfully hold off a much larger army. They need only hold them off until dark and the tribe’s warriors can melt away into the darkness. They will at least survive to fight another day. All still seems to be lost as the Huaxia force is just too great to resist, when the rival tribes that Ying has befriended show up to reinforce Ying’s tribe and defeat the Huaxia. Ying does not kill Sun (Old Way), but uses Sun as a bargaining chip with the emperor to sue for peace. Ting graciously acknowledges Ying’s leadership skills.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Jeffrey Lehmann.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by
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Ying’s Four Act Transformational Structure
What I learned is how to better sequence the scenes for my story.
1. Give us the following:
Concept- Ying, a young warrior princess, goes from insecure follower of her older brother to confident tribal leader
Main Conflict- A Chinese warlord is determined to wipe out Ying’s tribe
Old Ways- The tribe fights other tribes and distrusts all Huaxia
New Ways- The tribe creates alliances with neighboring tribes and other Huaxia leaders.
Act 1:
Opening- The tribe in peace. Trades with Huaxia and by ship with other areas of Asia. Sun is named lead commander to bring all native tribes under Chinese control and for them to pay tribute.
Inciting Incident- The tribe’s leader, Ying’s father, agrees to peace since he feels it is better than fighting a protracted war. Sun uses the peace treaty meeting as a deception to allow him to murder Ying’s father. Sun thinks Ting and Ying too young to lead the tribe and no one else is suitable.
Turning Point- Ting and Ying decide to lead the tribe, but Ying acquiesces to Ting’s leadership as her older and physically stronger brother who embraces the old ways.
Act 2:
New plan- Ting and Ying lead a guerilla resistance
Plan in action- The guerilla attacks are working but they don’t allow the tribe to trade as in the past which makes the tribe poorer and poorer. Sun is determined to finish the tribe off with one great blow.
Midpoint Turning Point- Ting attacks a tax shipment thinking it will make the tribe rich again, but the shipment is only a decoy to take all the warriors out of the village. Meantime, Sun’s forces attack the tribe’s village. It is burned to the ground and the tribe barely escapes genocide by retreating to an old tribal redoubt that Ying had refurbished for just such an emergency.
Act 3:
Rethink everything- Ying sees that the tribe is not strong enough to win using old ways.
New plan- Ying creates new alliances with rival tribes and a nearby Huaxia governor who is a rival of Sun’s.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift- Ting attacks Sun thinking he can win by strength alone. He does not realize that this is exactly what Sun wants. Sun’s weakened force has gotten massive reinforcements from the emperor. Ting’s attack fails terribly and his best friend and Ying’s lover is killed.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict- Ting leads a retreat back to their home territory. Ying senses a trap and stands-up to Ting. She recommends doing something Sun would not expect, retreating through a narrow canyon into a rival tribe’s territory. With Ying’s new alliances, this will be their best hope of survival. If she is wrong, the tribe will be trapped and all the warriors killed. The warriors side with Ying remembering her wisdom of refurbishing the redoubt that saved the tribe. Just then a scout that Ying sent ahead reports back there is a trap ahead.
Resolution- Ying uses the constriction and sheer cliffs of the canyon to her advantage allowing her tribe to successfully hold off a much larger army. They need only hold them off until dark and the tribe’s warriors can melt away into the darkness. They will at least survive to fight another day. All still seems to be lost as the Huaxia force is just too great to resist even until dark, when the rival tribes that Ying has befriended show up to reinforce Ying’s tribe and defeat the Huaxia.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Jeffrey Lehmann.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by
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Why am I not able to see the Day 5 Assignment? It says it is not available until tomorrow. This is what it said yesterday about Day 4. I can’t catch up if I can’t see the assignments!
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Ying’s Character Interviews
What I learned- I’m not sure if I learned anything yet. I think it was fun to listen to the characters talk in their own voices however.
Day 4
Character Interviews
Protagonist
Tell me about yourself.
I am Ying a young Li woman. The second oldest child of our tribe’s leader, Benli.
Why do you think you were called to this journey? Why you?
For generations, our tribe has lived in relative peace with the Huaxia that invaded our land many, many generations ago. We have kept them confined to their fortified cities for the most part all this time, but now they want to make us their slaves. Our people will not be slaves!
You are up against Sun. What is it about them that makes this journey even more difficult for you?
Our family have had alliances with many Huaxia through the years. Even my great great grandfather died helping defend the Hauxia emperor 100 years ago. But, Sun is different. He does not care for our tribe or any other tribe. He considers this his land and is going enslave all Yue people or exterminate them. There is nothing we can do but resist.
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 am not the leader of my tribe. My brother is. But, he is not doing anything different than we have always done. That has not been working. I have a Huaxia teacher named Tutor. He is a very strange person, but very smart. He helps me understand what these foreigners are thinking. My brother does not want to understand these people. He only wants to kill them. We have fought with them for many generations. We have slowly lost little by little. They are infiltrating our lands like a rising ocean tide. We need to figure out how to live in harmony with the Huaxia, but I just don’t see this happening with Sun in power.
What habits or ways of thinking do you think will be the most difficult to let go of?
Our tribe has done things the same way forever. I love my tribe and their ways, but I think we must change or we will ultimately be defeated and destroyed.
What fears, insecurities and wounds have held you back?
My biggest fear is that my tribe will be destroyed, everyone killed! That is my biggest fear by far!! I must help prevent this from happening and I think this going to require a new way of doing things, new ideas. My tribe has a difficult time with new ideas. I must make them understand that these new ideas can save our tribe, but I’m afraid of the tribe thinking me a traitor with all of these new ideas. I’m sure they already talk behind my back about listening to the Huaxia Tutor too much. My biggest wound? I suggested to my father that he try negotiating a peace with Sun. He decided this was a good idea and Sun murdered him! Right in front of me!! My insecurities? Sometimes I’m just not sure if what Tutor says is right. But, I think he is. It is hard to know. My brother Ting who leads us is quite sure that Tutor is wrong, even a traitor that should be expelled …or even killed!
What skills, background or expertise makes you well-suited to face this conflict or antagonist?
I know Mandarin and understand the Huaxia better than anyone in our tribe. As Tutor says, “Know your enemy!” And, I know them better than anyone. I have also studied the Huaxia art of war. Some of these things we also use, but there are many new ideas I’ve never thought of before. I also am very good at making friends and I think that if we can make peace with our rival tribes that we greatly outnumber the invaders. I just need to find ways to have the tribes see this.
What are you hiding from the other characters? What don’t you want them to know?
I don’t want them to know that it was I that recommended to my father the we negotiate a peace. I will never forgive myself for suggesting it to him. I also don’t want them to know Tutor is the one who originally suggested it to me. They would definitely think me a traitor! They would also kill Tutor.
What do you think of Sun?
Sun is an evil man. But, he is also very smart. We cannot under estimate him, even though his men do not know how to fight in the jungle. Still, one wrong step on my tribe’s part and he will kill us all!
Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.
We only want to live as we always have, happy and free. Sun wants to enslave or kill us. It’s as simple as that. He thinks of us like animals.
What does it do for your life if you succeed here?
This war was started before I was born. To defeat Sun and finally have peace would change everything.
Ask any other questions about their character profile that will help you.
Antagonist
Tell me about yourself.
My name is Sun. I descend directly from the original Huaxia lines. My blood is as pure as the emperor’s, maybe even more pure. (chuckles)
Having to do with this journey, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
Weaknesses? I don’t have any weaknesses. My problem is that we are greatly outnumbered by these barbarian Yue people. My men could kill two or three times their number of Yue without any problem. But, their numbers are endless. They are like flies! My strengths are many. I am well educated and I can outsmart any of these barbarians. They are such cowards. They hide in their jungles and only attack in the open if they have many times our number. If they fought us on even terms with honor we would beat them easily.
Why are you committed to making the Protagonist fail?
The many Yue tribes must be brought under control to make this land productive. These people are so backward. They do not understand anything but fighting, mostly among themselves. The Xian tribe has always been a problem. They just refuse to do what they are told. I think the best thing to do with them is kill every last one of them!
What do you get out of winning this fight / succeeding in your plan / taking down your competition?
If I can eliminate the Xian, the Li and all the other Yue tribes will come under my control. I will start to finally have the power and get the recognition that I deserve. I will almost be as strong as the emperor himself!
What drives you toward your mission / agenda, even in the face of danger, ruin, or death?
Danger, ruin, or death? What are you talking about. These are ignorant stupid squabbling natives. The do not pose a danger to me! They are a nuisance is all. What drives me? For hundreds of years, the Huaxia have not been able to control these pathetic people. There is no honor among these animals and so I will show them no honor. I will do whatever it takes to destroy them so that they are never a problem to the Huaxia again!
What secrets must you keep to succeed? What other secrets do you keep out of fear / insecurity?
They have eyes and ears everywhere. I must keep my plans a secret. I am doing a better job with just a handful of men than even the emperor could. If I only had enough men, I could conquer the Yue easily. If I were emperor, I could defeat the Yue and the Northern Chinese. If I can defeat the Xian and bring the natives under my control, I could become wealthy enough and powerful enough, that I could defeat the forces of the north and maybe even be bestowed with the Mandate of Heaven. But, the emperor cannot find out about that or he will execute me.
Compared to other people like you, what makes you special?
The others are not smart like me. I am more daring and brave than they are. I will risk things that they never could and do things they could never imagine! They negotiated with these barbarians instead of telling them what to do. I will become a great leader and show everyone! …even the emperor!
What do you think of Ying?
Ying? Who is that?
She is the daughter of Benli. Oh, ya. That girl. I hear she is beautiful and young, that is all I know of her. Her brother is more of a concern to me. He is the leader of the tribe, but to young and dumb to know what to do. He will meet his death soon enough… just like his father! Maybe I will make Ying my whore! That would be fitting! But, I will probably just kill her and everyone in that tribe. They are just too much trouble.
Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.
It’s very simple. We have these barbarians running around in the forest constantly fighting doing nothing useful with their land. I will make this country so productive! It doesn’t matter to me if the tribes people are slaves or dead. It’s better for now that they are slaves because there are not enough Chinese her yet. But, I hope to get enough Chinese to move from the north so we can eliminate the tribes people. Then, we can make a real society here! As you know now, I have more ambitions than that even!
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Ying’s Character Profiles Part 2
What I learned from this exercise is that by following this process I am able to better focus my story.
Protagonist- Ying
What draws us to this character?
Ying is smart, friendly, and brave. Total underdog. She must prove herself in a warrior’s world. She is completely new to her job, but she must succeed where everyone else including her father has failed.
Traits:
She is open-minded, vulnerable, and embraces diversity.
Subtext:
She is friendly to strangers and does not press her advantage against others but instead uses the opportunity to befriend them and treat them as equals. She deflects the raw warrior masculinity of the tribe’s men through humor and a deadly arrow aim.
Flaw: Lacks self-confidence to lead tribe<div>
Values: Truth, loyalty, family, tribe
Irony: Although she follows her tribe’s traditional ways, she must go against her tribe’s traditional approach and fight her brother’s orders in battle even leading the tribe into a seemingly more dangerous situation where her approach of friendliness and inclusivity trumps the tribe’s traditional approach of sheer force.
What makes this the right character for this role?
She is the perfect combination of warrior, brave, defiant, but friendly, empathetic, and inclusive to all.
Antagonist- Sun
What draws us to this character?
His arrogance and entitlement make him immediately hateable. He then proves to be elitist, racist, and a bully. He shows self-pity claiming to have stronger bloodlines and lineage to being the emperor.
Traits: smart, manipulative, heartless<div>
Subtext: He constantly feels that life has dealt him unfairly. Deep down he feels he should be emperor and has no qualms committing genocide to help along his ambitions.
Flaw: over confidence, self involved
Values: Power, strength. Might makes right!
Irony: He complains about having a pure lineage to the point of believing he should be emperor ruling China, yet he tries to conquer, displace, and subjugate the Li People that have occupied SE China for millenniums.
What makes this the right character for this role?
He is worse than greedy. He revels in his role in murder and genocide.
</div></div>
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Ying- Warrior Princess’s Character Profiles
What I learned in this assignment is that for this film to be an Action film, the antagonist has to be a Villain. I’m not sure I believe this frankly. I think this could be Buddy film where Ying’s Tutor is the Change Agent that allows her to defeat her enemy. This is similar to the approach of “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Bad Boys” that are both buddy action films… and there are many others. But, for this constrained approach this genre does not exist.
Pick the type of role your Protagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
Fighter
After her father and uncle are lured into a deadly trap, a young Ying must successfully lead her tribe against Sun’s Army to survive.
Pick the type of role your Antagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
Villain: An expression of the Hero’s fears. The one who will challenge the Hero to their core.
Sun- Chinese Warlord put in charge of subjugating tribes by the emperor. Ying’s tribe is the strongest in the region. If he can exterminate her tribe, all the rest will fall in line.
<s>Change Agent</s>
<s>Tutor is a Chinese Han who has fled the wars of the north for the relative peace of the south. He is young but wise and teaches the tribe’s children how to speak Mandarin and traditional Chinese ways and philosophies. He prefers life with the tribe but believes much can be learned from the vast knowledge of the Chinese to help Ying defeat Sun’s army. </s>
What other characters might be necessary?
Supporting characters:
Tutor- educated Chinese teacher that opens Ying’s mind to new ways of thinking.
Ting- Ying’s older brother who is the physical manifestation of the traditional tribal ways and ways of thinking
Minor roles:
Feng Rong- Chinese Governor or Maoming who becomes an Ally
Lan Hu- young man from a rival tribe that falls in love with girl in Ying’s tribe leading to a tribal alliance
Ming- 9yo son of another rival tribe rescued from Sun’s army by Tutor that leads to the alliance of another tribe.
Long- Ting’s love interest
Background characters:
Many
Genre- Action
Fill in whatever answers come to you about your lead character profiles.
Role in the story: Protagonist
Age range and Description: Late Teens, tribal girls
Internal Journey: She is good enough to lead the tribe
External Journey: She defeats Sun’s Army
Motivation: Survival
Wound: Father murdered
Mission/Agenda: To defend the tribe
Secret: self-doubt
What makes them special? She uses kindness and inclusiveness to make loyal allies instead of through force and intimidation.
Role in the story: Antagonist
Age range and Description: Late 30s pure Chinese with important lineage
Internal Journey: None
External Journey: leader of superior army to defeated captive
Motivation: Power
Wound: He believes he deserves more due to his high Chinese lineage
Mission/Agenda: Destroy the Li tribe
Secret: He wants to become powerful enough to overthrow the emperor
What makes them special? Is good at manipulating people and situations to make himself stronger.
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Ying Warrior Princess’s Transformational Journey
What I learned is… that I need to force my lead character change more. In the beginning she believes more in her tribe’s traditional war-like approach and slowly changes from distrust into making and trusting her alliances with groups outside her tribe.
Who is your Hero and what is their Character Arc that represents a transformation? Ying – Warrior Princess
Ying is a true historical person. She is a member of an indigenous tribe in today’s SE China. She was born into a tribal leader’s family. She has an older brother who embodies the tribe’s traditional ways honoring only strength, bravery, and ferocity to people outside the tribe.
Internal Journey: Lady Xian starts with some of the characteristics that will ultimately make her a great leader including bravery, kindness, and open-mindedness. But, she idolizes her older brother and at first she believes in the tribe’s traditional and warlike ways that her brother embodies. She does not believe she can lead the tribe as well as he can. Through the story she begins to see that previously rival tribes have a common goal and that all Huaxia are not trying to exterminate her tribe. Ultimately, she creates alliances that help defeat the much larger and better equipped forces alined against her tribe.
External Journey: Ying’s tribe is threatened by Han Chinese in the north determined to subjugate or eliminate all tribal peoples.
What are the Old Ways and New Ways?
Old ways – to fight, mistrust everyone outside of the tribe especially Han Chinese.
New ways – Treat Han Chinese as individuals and form alliances with the good ones while fighting bad ones. Ying learns to make peace and ally with rival tribes.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Jeffrey Lehmann.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Jeffrey Lehmann.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by