[Keri Lee]

Keri’s Beat Sheet Draft 2

What I learned: I had a lot of Antagonist already in the outline, but it was only when I pulled his activities out that I realized a couple of beats were missing, so that was cool to see & fix. Also: time to name my other characters as: getting awkward to refer to as “Main” “Van Man” etc

Act 1

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/LIVING ROOM – DAY

TV camera and crew set up, focused on: Reverend Jesse Jonas (RJ2; antagonist) and his wife (“Main” for now & protagonist) sitting on a posh sofa surrounded by posh stuff.

Antagonist #1: Here, he sets it all up,<b style=””> introducing wife to world; we learn: his idea of her role and he starts to tell how they met & reporter asks for her to tell the story…

Main character tells a shy, sanitized version of their first meeting … her narrative plays over a flashback where we see what really went down (totally different).

Flashback: //with main character’s V.O. of sanitized story//

INT. DIVEY LINGERIE BAR – DAY

She’s waiting tables. He eyes her. Asks the bartender about her “temperament” as if he’s picking out livestock.

EXT. DIVEY LINGERIE BAR – A FEW MINUTES LATER

He walks out, Main over his shoulder screaming and clawing the shit out of his back. He’s wincing. Hurrying. Finally sets her down in front of:

SHINY MERCEDES. She blinks. At the car. At him. Then recognizes him.

End Flashback

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/LIVING ROOM – DAY

She says something like: that’s when I knew…

Antagonist #1b: He finishes interview with: his hopes for the future (many children etc. & a long life of love & service). Something about the way he smiles after he says “service”? Not good.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/DINING ROOM – NIGHT

Scene here where we get their standard vibe/relationship; she mentions something she needs (from a store like Best Buy) he sort of blows it off and is interrupted by a call from The Publicists or something like that.

EXT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION – DAY

She’s smoking with NAME, 40s, housekeeper. They have a weird/chummy conversation. Then housekeeper gives her a set of car keys.

EXT. BEST BUY/PARKING LOT – LATER

She parks the 10-year-old Toyota Corolla….has a weird run in with VAN MAN. Like she walks into his side mirror while texting with RJ2 and falls over or trips over him while he’s sitting on the floor in Best Buy or something. something weird that LEAVES A MARK.

INT. BEST BUY – A WHILE LATER

TranformEvent #1: She’s carrying (thing she needed). As she passes the WALL OF TVs she sees a dozen identical close ups a beautiful Asian Woman on the central segment of screens. She’s a BUDDHA/Lao Tze/Oprah mashup. Saying something EMPOWERING. Something exactly opposite of what our heroine feels….she stops to watch. Meets the Best Buy buddy.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/DINING ROOM – NIGHT

Another dull dinner. Orphanage is mentioned…RJ2 asks about her Scratch or whatever from VAN MAN run in; she secret smiles and is vague about source.

INT. BEST BUY – SOME OTHER DAY

She walks in, checking her watch, and heads straight for the TVs. Her buddy approaches. Tells her today’s guest. She hands him a bag of freshly made cookies or something.

EXT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION – DAY

Scene with RJ2 and The Publicist, who’s clearly dismissive of and slightly hostile to the Main. The Orphanage Brochures are there. Main picks one up and studies it. Asks something basic like: how many kids are there? or etc and they both just stare at her and say something dismissive.

INT. BEST BUY – SOME OTHER DAY

Inciting Incident: During her now daily escape to Best Buy to watch the Asian Woman’s Oprah-esqe show, she hears some girls talking and sees that one is the spitting image of the ragged, sorrowful cover girl for her husband’s orphanage brochure.

INT. BEST BUY – A MOMENT LATER

TransformEvent #2: She musters the courage to ask the girl about it & the girl is like: Seriously, what!? You ever heard of modeling? And they laugh. She’s humiliated.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/DINING ROOM – NIGHT

TransformEvent #3: She carefully asks RJ2 about the brochure; he charmingly shuts her down, and then issues a not so veiled threat for her to stay sweet & know her place.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/RJ2’S OFFICE – DAY

Turning Point: The next day, she investigates… and finds out: the orphanage is a scam. A very lucrative one.

Act 2

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/DINING ROOM – NIGHT
She is trying not to be bugged by this scam thing… it must be a misunderstanding as she’s finally “safe” in this luxe world & doesn’t want to lose it. So this conversation is her trying to RATIONALIZE it all and asks him about the parishioners support group or something like that…. and RJ2 (sensing something’s up) is suddenly a bit more attentive; he gives her a $5,000 online shopping spree and hints that maybe her own car is next.

EXT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION – DAY

She’s smoking with the housekeeper… who holds out the car keys but she shakes her head.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/HALLWAY – DAY

She walks by his office… peers in. Walks on… then walks back and goes in. Shuts the door. Starts looking EVERYWHERE. She finds paperwork on the ministries finances. It’s INSANE how much people are donating through tithing etc…. and these are not rich people. She finds a handmade crocheted hot pad someone sent in with a note apologizing for not having the money to contribute. etc… and a few other things like this. notes. Strain. guilt/sorrow. She looks around the room. Out the window at the LUXE grounds around the “parsonage.” Her eyes DARKEN.

INT. TOYOTA COROLLA – A WHILE LATER

TranformEvent #4: She is PISSED. On the seat beside her is a packed duffle bag and she’s mumbling “greedy motherfucker” etc., all pretense of the good ministers wife DISSOLVED. She gets on the freeway gets angry as hell.

She eyes the far-off city destinations as the freeway splits. Shrugs and chooses ______________. She takes the turnoff North and looks around. Checks the GAS GAUGE. It’s got a quarter tank. She checks out the shiny fine cars passing her easily. Fuck. Then she looks up and sees the RJ2 Billboard by the side of the road: It says STOP in huge letters. Then underneath. Some dumbass “cool” slogan.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION – DAY

UPS delivers a package. She opens it up. It’s the MAGAZINE with the article.

INT. MINISTRY – DAY

Antagonist #2: At the ministry, he notices people reading and talking about The Magazine Article. They mention to him how lucky he is—what a charming wife he has etc… The Publicist tells him they’ve gotten five calls for further interviews with her. One from a liberal women’s magazine. She’s pissed. He’s calculating how to USE THIS…. and also shut down’s Main’s questioning him. He decides to bring her into the ministry. The Publicist is shocked; this is her territory.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION / DINING TABLE – NIGHT

He tells her how moved people are about the article. Like: people LOVE her. RJ2 talks about it being time to bring her into the ministry; convinces her of the need to use her own rags-to-riches story to “inspire” people (i.e., get them to donate even more money).

INT. MINISTRY TV STUDIO/BACKSTAGE – NIGHT

Maybe: she gets a makeover under the direction of The Publicist who picks out just BAD clothes?? Super short hair cut? or ??

INT. MINISTRY TV STUDIO STAGE – NIGHT

She’s looking out at the audience. It’s all loud and bright and the Rock Band is playing and there are 6000 people and it’s pretty terrifying. Then TranformEvent #5: she is on stage for the first time; the spotlight blinds her. but people applaud. she feels powerful, then RJ2 hands her the mic and she freaks and runs off stage.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION / BEDROOM – NIGHT

Antagonist #3: Aftermath of above…. he’s all like: how am I supposed to inspire the confidence of my congregation, in the power of god to fulfill their dreams when my own wife is terrified etc. He really rags on her about all this and HAS A POINT. He suggests she go see one of the parishioners, who happens to be a psychiatrist. says: I’ll call him tomorrow.

INT. MINISTRY OFFICE – DAY

Antagonist #3b: He’s on the phone suggesting his wife needs medication. Something to calm her down as she’s been “very paranoid” lately.

INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE – DAY

Placeholder… he is clearly on RJ2’s wavelength/side re: role of women etc. and it’s all very depressing & manipulative. Maybe we only see the back of his head or something.

INT. BEST BUY – DAY

She’s at Best Buy, at an all-time low. But her show inspires her to do something big (THEME here & following). She vaguely discusses her dilemma with her Best Buy Buddy. He (clearly crushing on her bad) is super encouraging… telling her how great she is and how she deserves the best, etc.. and how she’ll figure it out. He quotes the show. And she’s like: Yeah. You’re right. She’s feeling strong and determined.

EXT. BEST BUY – DAY

TransformEvent #6: She is about to get in her car when RJ2 calls, says something sort of hideous and proposes something demeaning & she speaks her mind to him for the first time. Like: LOUD. And he is dead silent and then: he eviscerates her. completely. It terrifies here and she panicks and she sees the sliding door on the van next to her car open a crack. She hangs up on him, still PREACHING at her, and she makes a break for it, impulsively climbing into the van and hiding.

Act 3

INT. VAN – DAY

She peeks out at the driver. He’s young. Tattooed. And playing music that is actually GOOD (which she hasn’t heard in a while!). Her phone RINGS and she freaks, shutting it off … but the music is so loud the driver doesn’t hear it…

INT. VAN / DRIVE-THRU – DAY

He’s ordering something. Her stomach is GROWLING. She considers. then: asks him: could he order her a burrito? and he SCREAMS and hits his head or something.

INT. VAN / DRIVE-THRU – A FEW MINUTES LATER

Parked, they eat. She’s ravenous. It’s scary. He watches… scared. But also intrigued. She explains what’s up. Asks if she can just hang out etc. until she clears her head and makes a plan.

INT. PARSONAGE MCMANSION – NIGHT

Antagonist #4: RJ2 returns home. Asks the housekeeper: Why are you Here?? Where is your car? She’s all like: not sure if she should be protecting Main or worried or what. He sees what he realizes is a BETRAYAL by one of his insiders and he goes very dark, very fast: sees something’s up and threatens to call ICE if she doesn’t spill the beans. So RJ2 learns about Best Buy & they drive there.

INT. VAN MAN’S HOUSE – EVENING

Van Man has to go do something. Leaves her there… HER PHONE RINGS. RJ2. She doesn’t answer. He leaves message that makes her glad she didn’t… she explores (snoops) and we learn more about VAN MAN. She finds something that reminds her of THEME. Maybe a little fortune cookie fortune or something that is on point.

EXT. BEST BUY / PARKING LOT – (CONTINUOUS)

RED/BLUE lights flash. Squad cars encircled around the housekeeper’s car.

INT. VAN MAN’S HOUSE (CONTINUOUS)

She’s doing something. HER PHONE RINGS again. RJ2. She rolls her eyes.

INT. BEST BUY (CONTINUOUS)

Watching security cameras… seeing what looks like a KIDNAPPING… but they can’t get the van’s plates. Cops clip a pic of VAN MAN’s FACE and send it in. Print it. bark orders re: Get it out on the floor and see who remembers this son of a bitch etc.

INT. VAN MAN’S — A WHILE LATER

He gets home… //how do they not get him through receipts etc.?? maybe does he have a fake Identity?? Is he an immigrant or a criminal?? or ?//

TransformEvent #7: At Van Man’s house, she sees RJ2 on the news, using her supposed “kidnapping” to benefit himself and she FREAKS OUT and SCREAMS and BREAKS SHIT and releases a lifetime of repressed anger.

EXT. BEST BUY

Antagonist #5: When he finds out about the kidnapping he FIRES the housekeeper in a vicious way & threates her as well, then gives a TV news interview and uses Main’s kidnapping to increase his profile and plug the ministry and the orphanage and the website etc.

INT. VAN MAN’S (CONTINUOUS)

Main realizes: they are going to find VAN MAN and arrest him! So she calls RJ2 and says it’s a misunderstanding… her HOBBY or whatever is somehow connected to this or she lies and says she knew him from the BAR—and they just went out or something.

Then, to Van Man, she’s all like: I’m going back and I’m going to take that motherfucker DOWN.

EXT. PARSONAGE MANSION – NIGHT

They pull up and RJ2 Meets them at the GATE…. super ugly to Van Man & all about: “another man’s wife” like she is chattel.

New Plan: She is in full on ACTING MODE… steels herself & makes initial steps re: taking her place in the RJ2 world and “plays along” while assembling team, making a take-down plan, executing on it.

INT. PARSONAGE MANSION – NIGHT

She talks with RJ2 about all her realizations.. how part of her was hanging on to the earlier world of the bar etc but now she realizes that THIS is her world. I want a role. Whatever you think god wants me to do, I will do it. Like KICK ass at it! I want to help you build this godly empire & etc etc….

INT. PARSONAGE MANSION – DAY

Finds housekeeper’s number… takes photographs of documents. She is right to work on this. CAPER begins

INT. UBER – DAY

Brief conversation… about something SALIENT then driver drops her at Best Buy. Meets up with Buddy & VAN MAN. STRATEGY Session.

INT. MINISTRY STAGE …

TransformEvent #8: she is on stage again for the first time since she ran off it; she powers through it, emboldened by her new plan; she stays mostly on script but also subtly SUBVERTS RJ2. He watches her, suspiciously and somewhat in disbelief.

INT. PARSONAGE – NIGHT

RJ2 asks her some questions… getting suspicious

INT. PARSONAGE – DAY

Placeholder: there is something she needs & can’t get/find—the receipts for the donations to the Orphanage. She’s looked everywhere. Broken into his online accounts (in a really smart/tricky/surprising way) and found all sorts of insane documents, but she still can’t find the docs on the orphanage and she’s obsessed with that now. Maybe it’s at Ministry??

More Placeholders scenes here re: team working together making a plan to GET THE THING.

INT. MINISTRY? ?

Turning Point: While the team runs all sorts of zany distractions, she gets into the office and still can’t find them! She is so frustrated… but then she sees a weird file with her name on it… and realizes: The orphanage is all in HER NAME. All the donations. The land, everything. She’s like: wTF!!!??? When: RJ2 and The Publicist catch her in the act.

Antagonist #6. When they find her stealing info, all his disguises melt away and he becomes an authoritarian nightmare, lashing out at her weakness and the opportunity she’s blown to be a part of his empire. How it’s likely: genetic. How he picked her because he assumed she was both naïve and stupid, but had no idea how stupid..etcetc.

TransformEvent #9: Main must literally fight for her life, calling on all her things she’s learned from the show and been trying out (THEME HERE) and uses them and escapes.

INT. MINISTRY – NIGHT

Just when she thinks she is in the clear, The Publicist sees her & sneaks up behind her and KNOCKS HER OUT cold … and she and RJ2 kidnap the Main for real.

INT. MINISTRY BASEMENT

Main is tied up in a bomb shelter like space. completely sealed off. They interrogate here and reveal their real relationship (Prince Charles & Camilla-city to her Diana!) and leave her. She is in dark night of the soul land.

Act 4

INT. MINISTRY BASEMENT

Someone arrives to keep her alive. This will be someone who’s been lurking throughout. Maybe it’s RJ2’s brother or something. Someone who is terrified of him & terrified to betray him. But also knows this is wrong…

INT. BEST BUY

Placeholder: housekeeper, van man & bb buddy meet up to try to figure out where she is so they can rescue her. Figure out that she must be at ministry (as housekeeper still has contacts at the house or went there or something). They steal a GEEK SQUAD van or something BRANDED/PRO and use it to access the Ministry grounds.

INT. MINISTRY BACKSTAGE – NIGHT

They are prepping for huge pageant of some kind. A Benefit for the ORPHANAGE and the brochure covergirl is there, backstage, practicing her lines. And they have other guests there. Plus work this whole event in earlier

INT. MINISTRY BASEMENT / BATHROOM – NIGHT

She is doing something that is going to help her escape + get brother or whomever on her side.

INT. MINISTRY COMPUTER ROOM

Geek Squad are examining all the cameras… floor plans… trying to find her. They have to tie up computer girl, who immediately knows they are frauds as: bullshit responses re: computers, which they know nothing about. But she keeps getting the gag out and talking. Being SUPER NEGATIVE in an extreme way. Telling horrible stories about: prison. Crime gone wrong. Weird stories. She starts getting in their heads.

INT. MINISTRY BASEMENT – NIGHT

CLIMAX: She escapes in some super ingenious way and meets up with team… They mad-cap it to:

INT. MINISTRY STAGE – NIGHT

She commandeers the stage and takes the microphone and … tries to tell them what is really going on but at first no one believes it and it looks like it’s going super SOUTH, but then she stops and does some deep breathing and mouths her mantra or something and looks at her team and meanwhile RJ2 & The Publicist are calling for security etc and they are about to nab her when:

TransformEvent #10: (THEME STATED OUTRIGHT as) She finds HER VOICE: and her own brand of wild, off-beat “preaching” about empowerment – e.g., “You don’t these people. You don’t need me. Everything you need is inside you!” While also presenting evidence and swaying the congregation and the authorities on live tv that RJ2 and The Publicists are CROOKS. She presents VIDEO or AUDIO of him—something that nails it down in a really self-incriminating & ugly way that shows the truth of who he is. What he values.

EXT. MINISTRY– NIGHT

We see RJ2 and The Publicist are taken to jail on fraud and money-laundering charges, along with IRS violations.

EXT. MINISTRY AMPHITHEATER – DAY

Resolution: MORE ON THEME HERE. Our hero is on stage with Asian woman from TV show and they are tag teaming it on the grand opening of (WHATEVER THEY CALL IT) … the Main has changed the ministry’s name & mission & changed everything. No tithing, no mediation w/higher powers. No dress code. Just: sharing, supporting, doing what they can for the broader community and having fun. Or something like that & her gang is all there.

[Keri Lee]

<b style=””>Keri’s Beat Sheet

What I learned: This a great architecture & many new ideas emerged while I was working on it (some good… some really bad). But overall it was a fun assignment & looking forward to the next one.

Act 1

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/LIVING ROOM – DAY

TV camera and crew set up, focused on: Reverend Jesse Jonas (RJ2; antagonist) and his wife, Mrs. RJ2 (as yet-unnamed protagonist) sitting on a posh sofa surrounded by posh stuff. Mrs. RJ2 (“Main”) tells a shy, sanitized, holy “story” about their first meeting … her narrative plays over a flashback where we see what really went down.

Flashback: //with main character’s V.O. of sanitized story//

INT. DIVEY LINGERIE BAR – DAY

She’s waiting tables. He eyes her. Asks the bartender about her “temperament” as if he’s picking out livestock.

EXT. DIVEY LINGERIE BAR – A FEW MINUTES LATER

He walks out, Main over his shoulder screaming and clawing the shit out of his back. He’s wincing. Hurrying. Finally sets her down in front of:

SHINY MERCEDES. She blinks. At the car. At him. Then recognizes him.

End Flashback

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/LIVING ROOM – DAY

She says something like: that’s when I knew… (but in her story, it’s not in relation to the car)

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/LIVING ROOM – DAY

Scene here where we get their standard vibe/relationship; she mentions something she needs (from a store like Best Buy) he sort of blows it off and is interrupted by a call from The Publicists or something like that.

EXT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION – DAY

She’s smoking with NAME, 40s, housekeeper. They have a weird but chummy conversation. Then housekeeper gives her a set of car keys.

EXT. BEST BUY/PARKING LOT – LATER

She parks the 10-year-old Toyota Corolla….has a weird run in with VAN MAN. Like she walks into his side mirror while texting with RJ2 and falls over or trips over him while he’s sitting on the floor in Best Buy or something. something weird that LEAVES A MARK.

INT. BEST BUY – A WHILE LATER

TranformEvent #1: She’s carrying (thing she needed). As she passes the WALL OF TVs she sees a dozen identical close ups a beautiful Asian Woman on the central segment of screens. She’s a BUDDHA/Lao Tze/Oprah mashup. Saying something EMPOWERING. Something exactly opposite of what our heroine feels….she stops to watch. Meets the Best Buy buddy.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/DINING ROOM – NIGHT

Another dull dinner. Orphanage is mentioned…RJ2 asks about her Scratch or whatever from VAN MAN run in; she secret smiles and is vague about source.

INT. BEST BUY – SOME OTHER DAY

She walks in, checking her watch, and heads straight for the TVs. Her buddy approaches. Tells her today’s guest. She hands him a bag of freshly made cookies or something.

EXT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION – DAY

Scene with RJ2 and The Publicist, who’s clearly dismissive of and slightly hostile to the Main. The Orphanage Brochures are there. Main picks one up and studies it. Asks something basic like: how many kids are there? or etc and they both just stare at her and say something dismissive.

INT. BEST BUY – SOME OTHER DAY

Inciting Incident: During her now daily escape to Best Buy to watch the Asian Woman’s Oprah-esqe show, she hears some girls talking and sees that one is the spitting image of the ragged, sorrowful cover girl for her husband’s orphanage brochure.

INT. BEST BUY – A MOMENT LATER

TransformEvent #2: She musters the courage to ask the girl about it & the girl is like: Seriously, what!? You ever heard of modeling? And they laugh. She’s humiliated.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/DINING ROOM – NIGHT

TransformEvent #3: She carefully asks RJ2 about the brochure; he charmingly shuts her down, and then issues a not so veiled threat for her to stay sweet & know her place.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/RJ2’S OFFICE – DAY

Turning Point: The next day, she investigates… and finds out: the orphanage is a scam. A very lucrative one.

Act 2

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/DINING ROOM – NIGHT
She is trying not to be bugged by this scam thing… it must be a misunderstanding as she’s finally “safe” in this luxe world & doesn’t want to lose it. So this conversation is her trying to RATIONALIZE it all and asks him about the parishioners support group or something like that…. and RJ2 (sensing something’s up) is suddenly a bit more attentive; he gives her a $5,000 online shopping spree and hints that maybe her own car is next.

EXT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION – DAY

She’s smoking with the housekeeper… who holds out the car keys but she shakes her head.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION/HALLWAY – DAY

She walks by his office… peers in. Walks on… then walks back and goes in. Shuts the door. Starts looking EVERYWHERE. She finds paperwork on the ministries finances. It’s INSANE how much people are donating through tithing etc…. and these are not rich people. She finds a handmade crocheted hot pad someone sent in with a note apologizing for not having the money to contribute. etc… and a few other things like this. notes. Strain. guilt/sorrow. She looks around the room. Out the window at the LUXE grounds around the “parsonage.” Her eyes DARKEN.

INT. TOYOTA COROLLA – A WHILE LATER

TranformEvent #4: She is PISSED. On the seat beside her is a packed duffle bag and she’s mumbling “greedy motherfucker” etc., all pretense of the good ministers wife DISSOLVED. She gets on the freeway gets angry as hell.

She eyes the far-off city destinations as the freeway splits. Shrugs and chooses ______________. She takes the turnoff North and looks around. Checks the GAS GAUGE. It’s got a quarter tank. She checks out the shiny fine cars passing her easily. Fuck. Then she looks up and sees the RJ2 Billboard by the side of the road: It says STOP in huge letters. Then underneath. Some dumbass “cool” slogan.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION – DAY

UPS delivers a package. She opens it up. It’s the MAGAZINE with the article.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION / DINING TABLE – NIGHT

He tells her how moved people are about the article. Like: people LOVE her. RJ2 talks about it being time to bring her into the ministry; convinces her of the need to use her own rags-to-riches story to “inspire” people (i.e., get them to donate even more money).

INT. MINISTRY TV STUDIO/BACKSTAGE – NIGHT

Maybe: she gets a makeover under the direction of The Publicist who picks out just BAD clothes?? Super short hair cut? or ??

INT. MINISTRY TV STUDIO STAGE – NIGHT

She’s looking out at the audience. It’s all loud and bright and the Rock Band is playing and there are 6000 people and it’s pretty terrifying. Then TranformEvent #5: she is on stage for the first time; the spotlight blinds her. but people applaud. she feels powerful, then RJ2 hands her the mic and she freaks and runs off stage.

INT. PARSONAGE MEGAMANSION / BEDROOM – NIGHT

Aftermath of above…. he’s all like: how am I supposed to inspire the confidence of my congregation, in the power of god to fulfill their dreams when my own wife is terrified etc. He really rags on her about all this and HAS A POINT.

INT. BEST BUY – DAY

She’s at Best Buy, at an all-time low. But her show inspires her to do something big. She vaguely discusses her dilemma with her Best Buy Buddy. He (clearly crushing on her bad) is super encouraging… telling her how great she is and how she deserves the best, etc.. and how she’ll figure it out. He quotes the show. And she’s like: Yeah. You’re right. She’s feeling strong and determined.

EXT. BEST BUY – DAY

TransformEvent #6: She is about to get in her car when RJ2 calls, says something sort of hideous and proposes something demeaning & she speaks her mind to him for the first time. Like: LOUD. And he is dead silent and then: he eviscerates her. completely. It terrifies here and she panicks and she sees the sliding door on the van next to her car open a crack. She hangs up on him, still PREACHING at her, and she makes a break for it, impulsively climbing into the van and hiding.

Act 3

INT. VAN – DAY

She peeks out at the driver. He’s young. Tattooed. And playing music that is actually GOOD (which she hasn’t heard in a while!). Her phone RINGS and she freaks, shutting it off … but the music is so loud the driver doesn’t hear it…

INT. VAN / DRIVE-THRU – DAY

He’s ordering something. Her stomach is GROWLING. She considers. then: asks him to order her a burrito and he SCREAMS and hits his head or something.

INT. VAN / DRIVE-THRU – A FEW MINUTES LATER

Parked, they eat. She’s ravenous. It’s scary. He watches… scared. But intrigued. She explains what’s up. Asks if she can just hang out etc.

INT. PARSONAGE MCMANSION – evening

RJ2 returns home. Asks the housekeeper: Why are you Here?? Where is your car. She’s all like: not sure if she should be protecting Main or worried or what. He sees something’s up and threatens to call ICE if she doesn’t spill the beans. So RJ2 learns about Best Buy & is all like: WTF !?

INT. VAN MAN’S HOUSE – EVENING

He has to go do something. Leaves her there… HER PHONE RINGS. RJ2. She doesn’t answer. He leaves message that makes her glad she didn’t… she explores (snoops) and we learn more about VAN MAN.

EXT. BEST BUY / PARKING LOT – (CONTINUOUS)

RED/BLUE lights flash. Squad cars encircled around the housekeeper’s car.

INT. VAN MAN’S HOUSE (CONTINUOUS)

She’s doing something. HER PHONE RINGS again. RJ2. She rolls her eyes.

INT. BEST BUY (CONTINUOUS)

Watching security cameras… seeing what looks like a KIDNAPPING… but they can’t get the van’s plates. Cops clip a pic of VAN MAN’s FACE and send it in. Print it. bark orders re: Get it out on the floor and see who remembers this son of a bitch etc.

INT. VAN MAN’S — A WHILE LATER

He gets home… //how do they not get him through receipts etc.?? maybe does he have a fake Identity?? Is he an immigrant or a criminal?? or ?

TransformEvent #7: At Van Man’s house, she sees RJ2 on the news, using her supposed “kidnapping” to benefit himself and she FREAKS OUT and SCREAMS and BREAKS SHIT and releases a lifetime of repressed anger.

Then realizes: they are going to find VAN MAN and arrest him! So she calls RJ2 and says it’s a misunderstanding… her HOBBY or whatever is somehow connected to this or she lies and says she knew him from the BAR—and they just went out or something.

Then she’s all like: I’m going back and I’m going to take that motherfucker DOWN.

EXT. BEST BUY

RJ2 FIRES the housekeeper on the spot.

EXT. PARSONAGE MANSION – NIGHT

They pull up and RJ2 Meets them at the GATE…. super ugly

New Plan: She is in full on ACTING MODE… steels herself & makes initial steps re: taking her place in the RJ2 world and “plays along” while assembling team, making a take-down plan, executing on it.

INT. PARSONAGE MANSION – NIGHT

She talks with RJ2 about all her realizations.. how part of her was hanging on to the earlier world of the bar etc but now she realizes that THIS is her world. I want a role. Whatever you think god wants me to do, I will do it. Like KICK ass at it! I want to help you build this godly empire & etc etc….

INT. PARSONAGE MANSION – DAY

Finds housekeeper’s number… takes photographs of documents. She is right to work on this. CAPER begins

INT. UBER – DAY

Brief conversation… about something SALIENT then driver drops her at Best Buy. Meets up with Buddy & VAN MAN. STRATEGY Session.

INT. MINISTRY STAGE …

TransformEvent #8: she is on stage again for the first time since she ran off it; she powers through it, emboldened by her new plan; she stays mostly on script but also subtly SUBVERTS RJ2. He watches her, suspiciously and somewhat in disbelief.

INT. PARSONAGE – NIGHT

RJ2 asks her some questions… getting suspicious

INT. PARSONAGE – DAY

Placeholder: there is something she needs & can’t get/find. Maybe it’s at Ministry??

More Placeholders scenes here re: team working together making a plan to GET THE THING.

INT. MINISTRY? ?

Turning Point: RJ2 and The Publicist discover the plot and… TransformEvent #9: RJ2 catches her collecting evidence and she must literally fight for her life. She initially escapes and frees her team, but just when she thinks she is in the clear, The Publicist finds her and she & RJ2 kidnap her for real.

INT. MINISTRY BASEMENT

Main is tied up in a bomb shelter like space. completely sealed off. They interrogate here and reveal their real relationship (Prince Charles & Camilla-city to her Diana!) and leave her. She is in dark night of the soul land.

Act 4

INT. MINISTRY BASEMENT

Someone arrives to keep her alive. This will be someone who’s been lurking throughout. Maybe it’s RJ2’s brother or something. Someone who is terrified of him & terrified to betray him. But also knows this is wrong…

INT. BEST BUY

Placeholder: housekeeper, van man & bb buddy meet up to try to figure out where she is so they can rescue her. Figure out that she must be at ministry (as housekeeper still has contacts at the house or went there or something). They steal a GEEK SQUAD van or something and use it to access the grounds.

INT. MINISTRY BACKSTAGE – NIGHT

They are prepping for huge pageant of some kind. A Benefit for the ORPHANAGE and the brochure covergirl is there, backstage, practicing her lines. And they have other guests there. Plus work this whole event in earlier

INT. MINISTRY BASEMENT / BATHROOM – NIGHT

She is doing something that is going to help her escape + get brother or whomever on her side.

INT. MINISTRY COMPUTER ROOM

Geek Squad are examining all the cameras… floor plans… trying to find her. They have to tie up computer girl, who immediately knows they are frauds as: bullshit responses re: computers, which they know nothing about. But she keeps getting the gag out and talking. Being SUPER NEGATIVE in an extreme way. Telling horrible stories about: prison. Crime gone wrong. Weird stories. She starts getting in their heads.

INT. MINISTRY BASEMENT – NIGHT

CLIMAX: She escapes in some super ingenious way and meets up with team… They mad-cap it to:

INT. MINISTRY STAGE – NIGHT

She commandeers the stage and takes the microphone and … tries to tell them what is really going on but at first no one believes it and it looks like it’s going super SOUTH, but then she stops and does some deep breathing and mouths her mantra or something and looks at her team and meanwhile RJ2 & The Publicist are calling for security etc and they are about to nab her when:

TransformEvent #10: She finds HER VOICE: and her own brand of wild, off-beat “preaching” about empowerment – e.g., “You don’t these people. You don’t need me. Everything you need is inside you!” While also presenting evidence and swaying the congregation and the authorities on live tv that RJ2 and The Publicists are CROOKS. She presents VIDEO or AUDIO of him—something that nails it down in a really self-incriminating & ugly way that shows the truth of who he is. What he values.

EXT. MINISTRY– NIGHT

We see RJ2 and The Publicist are taken to jail on fraud and money-laundering charges, along with IRS violations.

EXT. MINISTRY AMPHITHEATER – DAY

Resolution: Our hero is on stage with Asian TV woman and they are tag teaming it on the grand reopening of the Ministry which is no longer called that… she’s changing the name, changing everything. No tithing, no mediation w/higher powers. No dress code. Just: sharing, supporting, doing what they can for the broader community and having fun. Or something like that & her gang is all there.

[Keri Lee]

What I learned from this exercise: I thought this assignment was going to be really hard when I first read it, but getting the broadstroke transformative event ideas down was pretty easy. Now the trick will be to make each one unique, surprising, creative. Oh, that.

Hero/Character Arc: Internal Journey: From someone who sees a lot, but pretends/hides knowledge in order to be safe … to someone who steps into the spotlight, owns her power & takes down the bad guy & his accomplice External Journey: From “invisible” trophy wife to avenging firebrand.

Protagonist’s Old Ways: Obedient observer: she watches events passively, but with increasing suspicion; role player: content to follow the rules (for the most part) and live in her husband’s shadow in exchange for material comfort; hides her rebellions, which are small … but increasingly empowering.

Protagonist’s New Ways: Actor: she takes control of her fate; risks everything to break free—then sees to be truly free she’ll have to return and take him down; truth seeker/teller: finds the truth and speaks out, taking him down and standing up for those w/o a voice

Act 1

Opening: We’re in the middle of a TV news show interview with the Reverend Jesse Jonas (RJ2; antagonist) and his wife, Mrs. RJ2 (as yet-unnamed protagonist) and she tells a shy, sanitized, holy “story” about their first meeting … her narrative plays over a flashback where we see what really went down.

TransformEvent #1: She’s at Best Buy and catches a bit of the Oprah-like show on the wall of TVs. She stops to watch.

Inciting Incident: During her now daily escape to Best Buy to watch the Oprah-esqe show, she hears some girls talking and sees that one is the spitting image of the ragged, sorrowful cover girl for her husband’s orphanage brochure.

TransformEvent #2: She musters the courage to ask the girl about it & the girl is like: Seriously, what!? You ever heard of modeling? And they laugh at her/she’s humiliated.

TransformEvent #3: She carefully asks RJ2 about the brochure; he charmingly shuts her down, and then issues a not so veiled threat for her to stay sweet & know her place.

Turning Point: The next day, she investigates… and finds out: the orphanage is a scam. A very lucrative one.

Act 2

Reaction: She is trying not to be bugged by this… it must be a misunderstanding as she’s finally “safe” in this luxe world & doesn’t want to lose it. RJ2 is suddenly a bit more attentive; he gives her a $5,000 online shopping spree and hints that maybe her own car is next.

New Plan: All this sounds good, so she plays along… but also can’t help but investigate when he’s not around and also try to change the situation through subtle suggestions, which he routinely shuts down in a condescending way.

TranformEvent #4: She gets angry and drives off, planning to escape. She’s the RJ2 billboard & turns around.

Plan in Action: The magazine article comes out and it turns out: people LOVE her. RJ2 capitalizes on this by bringing her into the ministry, where he convinces her to use her own rags-to-riches story to “inspire” people (i.e., in his plan: get them to donate even more money).

TranformEvent #5: she is on stage for the first time; the spotlight blinds her. but people applaud. she feels powerful, then RJ2 hands her the mic and she freaks and runs off stage

Turning Point 2: She’s at Best Buy, at an all-time low. But her show inspires her to do something big. She’s determined. TransformEvent #6: She is getting in her car when RJ2 calls & she speaks her mind to him for the first time. he eviscerates her. she is terrified and hangs up and impulsively climbs into the van next to her car and hides; then the driver arrives and drives away.

Act 3

TransformEvent #7: At Van Man’s house, she sees RJ2 on the news, using her supposed “kidnapping” to benefit himself and she FREAKS OUT and SCREAMS and BREAKS SHIT and releases a lifetime of repressed anger.

New Plan: She hatches a plan with VAN MAN to take RJ2 down. She returns to the “parsonage” (a megamansion) takes her place in the RJ2 world and “plays along” while assembling team, making a take-down plan, executing on it.

TransformEvent #8: she is on stage again for the first time since she ran off it; she powers through it, emboldened by her new plan; she stays mostly on script but also subtly SUBVERTS RJ2. He watches her, suspiciously and somewhat in disbelief.

Turning Point: RJ2 and The Publicist discover the plot and… TransformEvent #9: RJ2 catches her collecting evidence and she must literally fight for her life. She initially escapes and frees her team, but just when she thinks she is in the clear, The Publicist finds her and she & RJ2 kidnap her for real and verbally gut her & reveal their real relationship (Prince Charles & Camilla-city to her Diana) and she is in dark night of the soul land.

Act 4

Climax: She escapes in some super ingenious way and contacts her team, who pick her up and take her to the ministry, which is hosting the globally broadcast Telethon for the Orphanage. They mad-cap it to commandeer the stage and incapacitate RJ2 & The Publicist.

TransformEvent #10: She takes the stage and uses her new found voice & power to present the evidence and sway the congregation and the authorities on live tv that RJ2 and The Publicists are CROOKS. In the process, she discovers her own voice and her own brand of wild, off-beat “preaching” about empowerment – e.g., “You don’t these people. You don’t need me. Everything you need is inside you!”

Resolution: RJ2 and The Publicist are taken to jail on fraud and money-laundering charges, along with IRS violations. Our hero takes over the ministry, changing the name, changing everything. No tithing, no mediation w/higher powers. No dress code. Just: sharing, supporting, doing what they can for the broader community and having fun.

[Keri Lee]

Concept: A lingerie-bar waitress is swept up and into the world of a brash and controlling rockabilly televangelist, only to find that he is bilking his followers out of cash to support a non-existent orphanage in Mexico.

Protagonist conflict: When she learns about her husband’s crimes, she must overcome her own inner demons and self-doubt to take down this arrogant, self-professed man of god who is hooked up at all but the highest level.

Protagonist’s Old Ways: Obedient observer: she watches events passively, but with increasing suspicion; role player: content to follow the rules (for the most part) and live in her husband’s shadow in exchange for material comfort; hides her rebellions, which are small … but increasingly empowering

Protagonist’s New Ways: Actor: she takes control of her fate; risks everything to break free—then sees to be truly free she’ll have to return and take him down; truth seeker/teller: finds the truth and speaks out, taking him down and standing up for those w/o a voice

2. Act 1: 25 to 30 pages — Set up and see Old Ways.

Opening: We’re in the middle of a TV news show interview with the Reverend Jesse Jonas (RJ2; antagonist) and his wife, Mrs. RJ2 (protagonist) and we learn about her sanitized, holier “story” about their meeting … which is contrasted with a flashback about how it really went down.

Inciting Incident: Main is in at her daily escape to Best Buy to watch an empowering Oprah-esqu Show, when she hears two girls talking; she peers around the corner to see that one of them is the ragged, sorrowful cover girl for her husband’s orphanage brochure. She asks and the girl is like: Dude, what? You ever heard of modeling?

Turning Point: She goes home, totally confused. She asks RJ2. He charmingly shuts her down, and then issues a not so veiled threat for her to stay sweet & know her place. This infuriates her… so she investigates… and finds out: It’s a scam. A very lucrative one.

3. Act 2: 20 to 30 pages — Challenge the Old Ways.

Reaction: She is trying not to be bugged by this… it must be a misunderstanding as she’s finally “safe” in this luxe world & doesn’t want to lose it. RJ2 is suddenly a bit more attentive; he gives her a $5,000 online shopping spree and hints that maybe her own car is next.

New Plan: All this sounds good, so she plays along… but also can’t help but investigate when he’s not around and also try to change the situation through subtle suggestions.

Plan in Action: When her plan starts to falter, she decides to escape, but then chickens out. Then the magazine article comes out and it turns out: people LOVE her. RJ2 capitalizes on this by bringing her into the ministry, where he convinces her to use her own rags-to-riches story to “inspire” people (i.e., in his plan: get them to donate even more money). It works and she’s horrified and totally dispirited.

Turning Point 2: She’s at Best Buy, at an all-time low. But her show inspires her to do something big. She’s determined. When she’s in the parking lot, RJ2 calls and has FOUND OUT something; he is awful and controlling and … she notices the side door of the van next to her car is open a crack; she hangs up on him, climbs in and hides; then the driver arrives and drives away.

4. Act 3: 20 to 30 pages — With Midpoint change, Profound moments that give us new ways.

New Plan: After seeing that RJ2 is capitalizing on her supposed “kidnapping,” she hatches a plan with VAN MAN to take RJ2 down. She returns to the parsonage, takes her place in the RJ2 world and “plays along” while assembling team, making a take-down plan, executing on it.

Turning Point: RJ2 and The Publicist discover the plot and something really bad happens! No idea what.

5. Act 4: 25 pages — Test the change in this character! Prove New Ways!

Climax: The Protagonist’s only hope is to use her new found voice & power to present the evidence and sway the congregation on live tv during the telethon for the fake orphanage, while also “preaching” her own brand of empowerment e.g., “You don’t these people. You don’t need me. Everything you need is inside you!”

Resolution: RJ2 and The Publicist are taken to jail, awaiting trial on fraud and money-laundering charges, along with IRS violations. Lead takes over the ministry, changing the name, changing everything. No tithing, no mediation w/higher powers. No dress code. Just: sharing, supporting, doing what they can for the community.

[Keri Lee]

Keri’s Character Interviews

What I learned: I definitely got a much clearer sense of my character and her voice, as well as the blocks she needs to overcome as the story unfolds.

<u style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Role in the story: Protagonist. “Low-born,”
uneducated, and whip-smart, she’s also perceptive about systems and thus:
a budding revolutionary.

Tell me about yourself.
Nothing much to tell. I was sort of nothing. Scraping by. Then Jesse found me and rescued me. And now I have all this (waves an arm at luxe surroundings). At least that’s how I used to see my life: as starting with him because the rest was just so small and I always wanted BIG. But then I saw the big, what it came from. And it wasn’t really my big and it seemed sort of hollow. But still, the stuff was nice. So I basically tuned out. Drugged myself with luxury, which was fun for a while… but then I got restless. And that led to everything… I started seeing things, seeing into what he was up to. You can’t unsee that. Not if you’re me. Though I tried.

Why do you think you were called to this journey? Why you?
You know how some people say that when they were little, they felt like they were going to be, like, totally famous when they grew up? Like, really fucking good at something and celebrated for it? So like, they just lit up the whole wide sky? Well I think every one of us had that feeling—it’s just that most people forgot it when they were mowed down by the semi-truck of parental tongue-clucking and institutional poison. I never forgot it. Though the trucks came at me hard and often. So I think for some reason, I was always aware of that fire inside. Even when I tried to ignore it, it was there. Maybe that’s true for everyone? I hope so. But his crimes, what he was doing to people—it made that fire go from this sweet little candle-sized flame into a gigantic like, bonfire. Firestorm. Big. Cause what he was doing to people was exactly what was happening with my mom. Exactly what happened to me. Not in as obvious a way: Not some slick hipster preacher begging for money on TV, but it was the same sort of deal: you give us money, we give you god. It’s a fucking sin if there ever was one and seems to me like a really old one. Maybe the real original sin.

You are up against the Reverend Jesse Jonas, who also happens to be your husband. What is it about him that makes this journey even more difficult for you?
Well. Where to start…? It would sure be easier if he was stupid. Or more accustomed to failure. Or if anyone, at any point on his journey from fetus to hipster Jesus had said NO to him. I honestly don’t think he’s ever heard the word. Maybe that time he ordered a macchiato at the gas station convenience store.

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?
Unlike my husband, who’s been swimming in privilege and deeply indulged his whole life, I’ve been told NO so often that the word sort of burrowed into my brain. I hear it and all its little friends a lot—no way. you? yeah, right! who the fuck do you think you are you white-trash-piece-of-shit? On and on like that. And sometimes I hear them in stereo. So, yeah. That’s gotta change. And that’s gotta be up there in the top five of dug-in problems on my plate.

What habits or ways of thinking do you think will be the most difficult to let go of? What fears, insecurities and wounds have held you back?
Pretty sure I just covered that above, right? But also: I think there’s this class thing. It’s like: you can’t grow up in a trailer park and not be aware of what a joke you are to the rest of the world. You might argue with that joke and tell yourself it’s bullshit and that you’re just as good as everyone else, but it’s sort of like holding a sheet pan up to a tidal wave. It’s not going to keep you dry or standing. So that’s probably the toughest part. And there’s just something about expecting to be told no, expecting to be treated like you’re trash, that brings it on. I’m aware of that too which I think is how I will get around it. That’s what Oprah’s taught me and whatever you think of her, she has freed a lot of minds and I’m hoping mine is among them.

What skills, background or expertise makes you well-suited to face this conflict or antagonist?
The good thing about growing up on the outside, on the sidelines is—if you’re smart and interested and trying to survive or better—you get very good at studying the game and the people playing it. It’s a survival thing: You don’t learn the game like kids who are born inside it, kids who have more of a padding in life, so you have to watch it. You study it. You learn to read people and sense the things that in-born people, who are convinced that they’re the shiny sun around which all things spin, don’t bother to look at, let alone SEE. They are like fish and the game is the water. They just swim. I’m more like: a seal. I know there’s a world outside the game and I will use that superior knowledge to take the sea creatures DOWN. Or something like that. I’m still working on all my 54 metaphors here so… yeah. A bit jankyass.

What are you hiding from the other characters? What don’t you want them to know?
That I know what they’re up to. That I know the little box they’ve built for me and am carefully prepping to not only bust out of it, but to take them down and destroy the sick world they have built on the backs and the hopes of people who are innocent or stupid or both. And they’ve used and toyed with the most sacred feelings a human can have to build that world. So, to me, I just don’t think there is a line I could cross, a going-too-far regarding my mission. Could get out of control. Could be fun.

What do you think of the Reverend Jesse Jonas?
I think he’s hollow inside. I think he’s brilliant and stupid all at the same time. Because he doesn’t get the hole he’s carving out of his own insides by doing this. He is so lost in the dream of this world that he doesn’t even know he has an inside let alone check it out now and then. And inside is where real life lives. He has no clue. And a lot of people don’t. That’s where evil comes from: people who live in two places: one little tiny place, which is their own heads, and one giant and glittery place, which is the material world. They don’t live in their hearts or in their souls, and thus it’s very easy to crush other people. But it also makes them stupid in a way they can’t see, and that’s their soft underbelly and I plan to carve the shit out of it with a blunt, rusted knife. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.
Funny, because I agree with Jesse on one thing: that we were brought together by God. Now, I don’t see God in the same way he does: which is basically like an overindulgent mommy who nods approvingly as he mows down everything beautiful in his path, but whatever that’s a whole other thing. As I see it, the universe which is like: love energy or god energy or whatever it is we come from and return to or whatever, brought us together so that I could wake the fuck up and stand up for what’s right. Because I know what that is. And I tried to run but really: I had no choice. I am the avenging angel in this story. And I plan to kick some serious hipster jesus ass in that role.

What does it do for your life if you succeed here?
WHEN I succeed? I’ll do anything I fucking want. Seriously. I’ll figure that out, but the path I’m on–unlike the one I was born on and felt trapped in–this new path has no limits, which is really refreshing I have to say. And it was all a matter of my waking up and deciding for myself, just like Oprah said.

————————————

<b style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Role in the story<b style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>: Antagonist. The errant son of a semi-famous televangelist who’s taken over his congregation and hipped it up with rock/rockabilly vibes and slangy sermons.

Tell me about yourself.
I have publicist to do that. And besides, you probably know enough already. I mean, you’re here, right? Interested. Asking. Probably easier to ask about others than to look at yourself… common problem with journalists. Reporting rather than being the story can eat at your soul. Hot? Cold? I’m at least warm on that shit, right?

Having to do with this journey, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
My strengths are that I’m invincible. Plenty of people have tried to take me down. It’s what happens when you’re famous. People shoot at you. Try to topple you. You think I can’t handle that broken bird I married? I mean. She’s smart enough, but she knows nothing about the world. Do you know she doesn’t even have a passport? (laughs) Weaknesses? Hmm. That’s trickier. I guess my biggest weakness is I’m obsessed with (publicist) and sort of growing more interested in my wife, now that she’s starting to cause trouble. All that feels a little dangerous on a lot of levels.

Why are you committed to making the Protagonist fail?
Well, if she wins I lose. And that’s just not something I do.

What do you get out of winning this fight? What drives you toward your mission / agenda, even in the face of danger, ruin, or death?
What’s mine. My congregation. My ascent on the global stage. My ever-increasing wealth and the circles it buys me access to. You know that there are levels and levels of wealth in this world? And a lot of the upper ones are totally secret. The practices. The bar for entry. There’s always a level above where you’re standing and that’s what drives me. What excites me. I mean, I thought sucking tequila off the torsos of supermodels was big time. It’s like: barely out of the basement in terms of what’s possible….

<b style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>What secrets must you keep to succeed? What other secrets do you keep out of fear / insecurity?

Well, plenty. I mean, my whole life is a secret. Why I do what I do. What I do when no one is looking. But anyway, and quite seriously, they don’t want to know. They need men like me to look up to, to show them the way, extend the rod, light the path. It’s always been like that. Thus, the noble lie. Was that Plato? Socrates? I can never keep them straight, even though they weren’t right? Crazy Greeks! But: I am a gold soul. I was born one and will die one, too, but hopefully only after amassing an truly ungodly amount of wealth and maybe making some sons to carry this shit on. Oh and I don’t keep any secrets out of insecurity or fear. I renounce them both. If I keep a secret, it’s because I don’t want anyone to know. Sabe?

Compared to other people like you, what makes you special?
I am uniquely gifted at seducing the masses. And I look phenomenal in a spotlight.

What do you think of <the Protagonist>?
Honestly, I think she’s a fucking handful. Of all the women working all the lingerie bars in all the land, I had to walk into that one and pick her. I’d been eyeing the strawberry blonde she worked with, but: fate had its way with me. And I really liked (lead’s) ass. She’s sneaky though. At least twice as smart as she acts, which is about half as smart as me, so we’re all good.

Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.
It’s a misunderstanding. We had a deal. She’s the wife. I’m the provider, and how I decide to provide is none of her business. And she’s going to have to pay for getting that arrangement wrong.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Keri Lee. Reason: adding antagonist interview

[Keri Lee]

Keri’s Character Profiles, Part 2

What I learned: That taking the time / finding the patience to figure this stuff out before I dive into writing is going to make the writing (and rewriting!) a lot easier….

Protagonist Profile:

Role in the story: Protagonist. “Low-born,”
uneducated, and whip-smart, she’s also perceptive about systems and thus:
a budding revolutionary. <div>

Age range/description: 20s. Essentially feral, she’s
nonetheless learned to act the part of the ignorant, humble savage to stay
off people’s radar. This is a challenge as she’s distractingly pretty. She
uses this, too, as needed.

Internal Journey: From someone who is smart but
pretends/hides herself & her knowledge in order to stay safe/maintain luxe
life … to someone who steps into the spotlight, owns her power & takes
down the bad guy & his accomplice

External Journey: From “invisible” trophy wife to
avenging firebrand

Motivation: wants to stay safe & keep
nice things / needs to do the right thing and to tell the truth/end the
exploitation of the congregation.

Wound: her inherent sense of life’s
underlying mystery was exploited and appropriated by religion and used
against her when she was a child so she became cynical (and has deep-rooted
shame)

Mission/Agenda: Mission: to expose her husband’s
lies and falsehoods. Agenda: to free the congregation from subjugation to external
religious authority

Secret: her mother’s death & her
tithing envelopes (and what she did with them after her mother died)

What makes them special? She is very smart & highly
perceptive; her lack of formal education is actually a strength as her
only indoctrination has been religious, and she dissected that and discarded
the resulting damage during her mother’s illness. She’s dangerous that
way.

What draws us to this character? She’s smart & funny &
unedited…. until her husband’s around: then her light goes out and she’s guarded
and hides herself … and is beginning to seethe a bit.

Traits:
smart. observant. sometimes insecure; other times: funny & uncensored.

Subtext:
sarcasm delivered deadpan so she can wide-eye it off.

Flaw:
shame.

Values:
truth/justice. freedom. nice things.

Irony:
she values truth and freedom but has basically accepted a luxurious prison
for herself and hides who she is around her husband/the church people
because she’s afraid of having nothing again.

What makes this the right character for this role? she’s someone who’s been at the
bottom and subject to religious manipulation, so once she sees the larger
truth of what’s going on, she’ll bring a boatload of anger to the task at hand.

Antagonist Profile:

Role in the story: Antagonist. The errant son of a mildly
famous televangelist who’s taken over his father’s congregation and hipped
it up with rock/rockabilly vibes and slangy sermons. </div>

Age range/description: late 20s. His chief occupation
prior to taking over the church was building his own mythic persona using
his good looks, his father’s money, and years on the high-end travel/party
circuit.

Internal Journey: From someone who feels
invulnerable in the ever-increasing adulation of the world to someone who
feels utterly wronged, victimized, and abandoned

External Journey: From famous hipster pastor to
disdained and handcuffed sleezebag who took money from old people and poor
people and naive people

Motivation: want: increasing fame and wealth.
need: adulation & worship to fill his internal vacancy.

Wound: he saw his dad as weak and
irrelevant and was terrified that it was genetic, so is always trying to
build himself up from outside

Mission/Agenda: Mission: to grow his church, his
wealth, his fame. Agenda: to become an internationally known religious
figure (on par with the pope or etc).

Secret: the weakness and irrelevance he
perceived in his father—who was at heart a decent man–was his own
weakness & his father gently told him as much (in a super nice way) as
he lay dying.

What makes them special? He’s a juicy sociopath.
Calculating, but also seriously sexy and charming; he knows what people
want to hear and how to say in a way that is totally disarming.

What draws us to this character? He’s sexy, eloquent, and charismatic.

Traits: charming. deceptive. merciless.

Subtext: charm/manipulation

Flaw:
he needs the adulation of other people to feel strong/relevant as (like
the hero) he feels worthless/weak deep down.

Values:
money. power. adoration. constant expansion of all three.

Irony:
he talks a lot about how god wants everyone to be affluent while he bilks people
out of money and is part of the reason they’re poor.

What makes this the right character for this role? He’s excellent at reading people
and telling them what they want to hear (& twisting it just enough to get
what he wants: their money. their adoration. their compliance).

[Keri Lee]

Keri’s (New) Character Profiles, Part 1

What I learned: I learned a lot about both of my characters and am excited to pit them against each other.

<b style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Protagonist’s role:

Runner/Fighter: Our hero starts out by trying to escape her pathalogically controlling and increasingly
famous rockabilly-evangelical husband after discovering he’s bilking
people using a false charity, but when he uses her disappearance to
increase his profile and the scope of his fraud, she gets furious and
decides to return to him, infiltrate his ministry, and take him down in a
big public way.

<b style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Antagonist’s role:

Villain:
He’s a narcissistic charmer who uses religious
ideologies and people’s need for metaphysical comfort to increase his wealth
and fame. He challenges her to her core as his religious manipulations harken
back to the cultish religion she was raised in that seeded & honed the
shame that (initially) holds her back.<div>

<b style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Other Characters:

Supporting characters: The Ministry Publicist, who is also
the Villain’s lover. The Guy in the Van who becomes our hero’s love
interest & accomplice. The housekeeper, who is our hero’s accomplice
in petty rebellions early on, but who becomes a major player in the hero’s
take-down scheme. <div>

Minor roles:
The Best Buy employee. Oprah (show reruns). Jean Luc Picard (her wallet
god). Producer of the ministry’s broadcast.

Background
characters: The ministry’s faithful. News reporters.

Genre:

Comedy

Protagonist Profile:

Role in the story: Protagonist. “Low-born,” uneducated, and whip-smart,
she’s also perceptive about systems and thus: a budding revolutionary.<div>

<u style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Age range/description: 20s. Essentially feral, she’s nonetheless
learned to act the part of the ignorant, humble savage to stay off people’s
radar. This is a challenge as she’s distractingly pretty. She uses this,
too, as needed.

<div>

Internal Journey: From someone who sees a lot, but
pretends/hides knowledge in order to stay safe … to someone who steps into
the spotlight, owns her power & takes down the bad guy & his
accomplice

External Journey: From “invisible” trophy wife to avenging firebrand

Motivation:
want: to stay safe. need: to do the right thing and to tell the truth/end
the exploitation of the congregation.

Wound:
her inherent sense of life’s underlying mystery was exploited and
appropriated by religion and used against her when she was a child

Mission/Agenda: Mission: to expose her husband’s lies and
falsehoods. Agenda: to free the congregation from subjugation to external religious
authority

Secret:
her mother’s death & her tithing envelopes (and what she did with them
after her mother died)

What makes them special? She is very smart & highly
perceptive; her lack of formal education is actually a strength as her
only indoctrination has been religious, and she dissected that and discarded
the resulting damage during her mother’s illness. She’s dangerous that
way.

Antagonist Profile:

Role in the story: Antagonist. The errant son of a semi-famous
televangelist who’s taken over his congregation and hipped it up with
rock/rockabilly vibes and slangy sermons. </div>

Age range/description: late 20s. His chief occupation
prior to taking over the church was building his own mythic persona using his
good looks, his father’s money, and years on the high-end travel/party circuit.

Internal Journey: From someone who feels
invulnerable in the ever-increasingly adulation of the world to someone
who feels utterly wronged, victimized, and abandoned

External Journey: From famous hipster pastor to disdained and handcuffed
sleezebag who took money from old people (yes, sometimes they do get
caught)

Motivation:
want: increasing fame and wealth. need: adulation & worship to fill
his internal vacancy.

Wound:
he saw his dad as a weak man and was terrified that his weakness was
genetic, so is always trying to build himself up from outside

Mission/Agenda: Mission: to grow his church, his wealth, his fame. Agenda:
to become an internationally known religious figure (on par with the pope
or etc).

<u style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Secret:
the weakness he perceived in his father—who was actually a humble man who
wanted to do right things–was his own weakness & his father gently told
him as much (in a super nice way) as he lay dying.

<u style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>What makes them special? He’s a juicy sociopath. Calculating, but also seriously
sexy and charming; he knows what people want to hear and how to say in a way
that is totally disarming.

<div>

</div></div></div></div>

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Keri Lee. Reason: New idea/assignment redo

[Keri Lee]

Keri’s (New) Transformational Lead Character Journey

What I learned: I changed my idea, so I’m doing all the assignments over. This is first assignment and this time I learned to keep it simple – and the character feels a lot clearer as a result. Yay.

Hero/ Character Arc

Internal
Journey: From someone who sees a lot, but pretends/hides knowledge in
order to be safe … to someone who steps into the spotlight, owns her power
& takes down the bad guy & his accomplice

External
Journey: From “invisible” trophy wife to avenging firebrand

Old Ways and New Ways

Old Ways

· Obedient observer

· Role player: content to follow the rules (for the most part) and live in her husband’s shadow in exchange for material comfort

· Hides her rebellions, which are small … but increasingly empowering

New Ways

· Actor: she takes control of her fate

· Risks everything to break free

· Truth seeker/teller: finds the truth and speaks out, taking him down and standing up for those w/o a voice

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Keri Lee. Reason: New idea/assignment redo

[Keri Lee]

Hi, all! I’m Keri Lee. I’ve completed three features. Something unusual (but great from a writing perspective): I moved a lot growing up (8 schools in 12 years) and have had more jobs than I can count, starting at age 11 selling donuts door-to-door for a guy who loaded a white windowless van with fifth graders, dropped us off in sketchy neighborhoods (no child-labor police?) and paid us 10 cents for every bag we sold. I lasted two Saturdays as the van had no seats and sliding around + smell of gluten made me seriously car sick.

[Keri Lee]

I, Keri Lee, 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.

[Keri Lee]

Hi ML,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi Rob,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi Kathleen,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi again, Arial!

In case you didn’t see my frantic-last-day-of-class scramble to reply to you above re: your reply to my intro, I’d love to stay in touch.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & http://www.keri-lee.com.

Take care & all the best!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi Natalia,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi Harley,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi Christopher,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi Bob,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi Terry,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hi Julie,

I’m rethinking my story & can’t access the swap-work forum but I love meeting other writers so just sending my contact info if you’d like to stay in touch & swap work etc.

I’m at keri2424@gmail.com & my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has more on me/my writing etc.

Best of luck with your project!

Keri

[Keri Lee]

Hey Arial!

I love your stories (personal & Count rewrite) & though I’m one of the dread category 3 writers (totally rethinking my idea, so not yet done) and thus don’t have access to the swap-feedback page, I’d love to stay in touch & read your draft if you’re into it.

My email is keri2424@gmail.com, so lmk if you want to stay in touch (and same is true for anyone else is reading this!)

And lest I seem too big a flake in this class (I’ll own that), my website is http://www.keri-lee.com & has info on the screenplays I actually have finished :)))

Either way: wishing you the best of luck with this project & all things!

Keri