[Kristopher King]

Kristopher King has completed the BW Framework

I’ve learned that the framework exposes all weak points.

[Kristopher King]

Lesson 11. Discovering Irony

I’ve learned that Irony is a provocative way to “show” who a person/character/world is.

John

Presents / Eventually shows

Meek – Ruthless

Compassionate – Greedy

Naive – calculating

Self-confident – Hides or unsure of true self

Fisherman – Hates eating fish

High school dropout – High IQ

Lives in wealthy suburb – is poor

Criticizes wealth – wants money and power

Cares for his mom – does not care about his mom

Value / Need

Working class – Wealth

[Kristopher King]

I’ve learned that “supporting cast” can also carry layers of intrigue to create exponential tension.

The Fisherman Plot and Character layers

Plot A

Surface: A young fisherman washes up onto a beach dead, under mysterious conditions.

Layer 1: Police and community seem uninterested in finding the truth

Layer 2: Young fisherman had a lot of cash stashed in his apt

Layer 3: Drug trafficking is involved and some of the town, police, and others may be involved

Plot B

Surface: John’s alcoholic mother get sick and needs expensive medical attention

Layer 1: John turns to crime to pay

Layer 2: Kate is orchestrating the crime spree

Layer 3: After finding Skylar’s money stash, it may no longer about be money for John and Kate

Layer 4: John’s mother dies, crime spree continues, it certainly is not about the money

Layer 5: John is losing interest in the thrill

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Layer 6: Kate is using John

Character Layers

John

Surface: John is a ambition-less young fisherman just cruising through life, wanting to belong

Layer 1: He shows outward disdain for the rich but secretly yearns to be rich and powerful

Layer 2: He turns to a life of crime and embraces it

Layer 3: He finds original birth certificate and is not who he thinks he is

[Kristopher King]

I’ve learned that my principal characters are as complicated as real life, but perhaps just a little more dramatic.

The Fisherman

Big Picture Open Loops in the Pilot

Will John become the man he secretly wants to be

Will John save his mother

Will John survive the underworld

Does Kate love John or is she using him

Who killed Skylar and why

Goals:

Will John find Skylar’s killer

Will John make enough to save his mom

Will John and Kate’s relationship survive

Will John become the man he yearns to be

Consequences:

Will John survive the mobsters

Will John’s mother beat the illness

Will Kate be found out

Will Captain T make it out of the business

Solving Problems:

Can John pull off the crimes and raise the money

Can Captain T muster the courage to kill John

Will Kate be able to set John up

Relationships:

Does Kate love John

How much does Captain T care about John

Does John love or hate the mobsters

Does John love himself

Danger/Survival/Risk:

Will John survive his choices

How far will Captain T go

Will Kate survive her own behavior

[Kristopher King]

The Fisherman – Show mysteries

I’ve learned that most, if not all, of the “secrets” are direct obstacles for John, physical and emotional.

Lesson 8

Mystery 1

The Shocking Event

Skylar, John’s best friend, washes up dead on a beach. Nobody knows what he was doing in the ocean the night before. John looks for answers.

All of this is unknown

Who: Killed Skylar

What: Was Skylar doing

When: The night before

Where: In the ocean, near shore

Why: Was he in the water at night, Why was he killed

How: Did a strong swimmer bump his head hard enough to drown

Mystery 2

Over Time Mystery

John’s mother falls ill and John decides to turn to crime to help pay for medical attention. Kate encourages him.

As he learns more about the underworld he also learns more about what happened to Skylar. He simultaneously learns secrets about himself and his familial past.

Cover up: Captain T killed Skylar

Secret: John’s family were criminals

Reveals:

*Captain T knew John’s dad, they were partners in crime

*Captain T was in love with John’s mom and may have helped kill John’s dad

*Captain T served time and is low-key/works for aryan brotherhood

*Kate displays anti-social behavior

*Kate is setting John up

*Kate may have killed her own brother

*Captain T and Kate are in cahoots?

[Kristopher King]

I learned that this feels like the bones of a story. This exercise provides the space to add endless details related to the big picture topics.

Big picture Empathy/Distress

Undeserved Misfortune:

*John’s mother is an alcoholic

*John doesn’t know his father

* As a child John felt like he had to take care of his partying mom

*John suffered mild abuse from / had to fight mother’s many boyfriends

*John’s mother is diagnosed with a terminal illness

*Kate’s family is wealthy but absent

*Kate’s younger brother died of an overdose / no family dialog about it

*Captain T grew up with John’s mom, watching her let men destroy her and John

*John’s mother dies

*John finds his birth certificate and learns who his father is

*John learns his name has been changed and he is half Mexican

External Character Conflicts

*Kate pushes John to constantly up the anti

*Captain T tries to gently guid John

*Captain T is righteous

*Captain T is in recovery

*John’s peers harbor resentment towards self improvement

*John doesn’t execute to bad guys expectations

*Bad guys constantly move the goal post

*John’s mother constantly manipulates John to get what she wants

Plot Intruding on Life

*John grew up on the beach with little supervision

*John dropped out of high school despite being smart

*John meets Kate, who helps / encourages him to commit crime

*John’s mother is an alcoholic and resists John’s help

*John doesn’t execute to bad guys expectations

*Bad guys constantly move the goal post

Moral Dilemmas

*John believes “Do the right thing” Kate believes “Ask for forgiveness rather than permission/Alls fair in love and war and business”

*Captain T feels responsible for John

*Captain T loves John’s mom like a sister but is loyal to John

*John learns he is related to the underworld nemesis he is in deadly conflict with

*John plays small / fear of confrontation

Forced Decision They’d Never Make

*John feels like crime is the only way to raise the money to help mom with treatment / care

*Will John Lie

*Will John cheat

*Will John steal

*Will John Kill

[Kristopher King]

I learned that characters are as complex as you make them. A concrete map like this will help me to imply these complexities during the writing process.

The Fisherman— Show Relationship Map

John

Kate

Surface Lovers

Common Ground Age, Smarts, Culture

Conflict Trust

History High school

Subtext Conspirators

Arc Friends/Lovers

Capt.T

Surface Co-workers

Common Ground Fishing/Work

Conflict Morals

History Family Friend

Subtext Father figure

Arc Role model/Caretaker/Confidant

Mother

Surface Mother/Son

Common Ground Family

Conflict Caretaker roll Reversed

History Wild lifestyle during John’s childhood

Subtext Burden/Excuse

Arc Purpose/Burden/Excuse

• This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by  Kristopher King.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by  Kristopher King.

[Kristopher King]

I’ve learned that the depth of character discovery can always go deeper. The deeper the better.

The Fisherman – Character Emotions

John’s profile

Hope: Make enough to help his mother recover. / Fear: Mother dies, he’s alone in the world.

Want: Status, respect. / Need: Control.

Base negative emotion: Resentment, anger. / Public mask: Indifference.

Weakness: No self-awareness, new to crime.

Triggers: Confrontation, Assertiveness in others.

Coping mechanisms: Avoidance, rationalization.

Kate’s profile

Hope: To win John’s loyalty. / Fear: To be irrelevant

Want: Love. / Need: Validation

Base negative emotion: Disdain. / Public mask: Compassion.

Weakness: Impulsive, rash.

Triggers: Being ignored, underestimated, abandonment.

Coping mechanisms: Over compensation, intimidation, manipulation.

[Kristopher King]

Assignment#2

I’ve learned to dig deep into a character before writing or outlining.

Intriguing Character layers

I’ve applied all categories as an exercise.

Character name: John Martin

Role: A reckless young man searching for himself.

Hidden agendas: To be rich.

Competition: For any form of worth. Amongst his peers firstly, then with society, and maybe Kate, and ultimately with himself.

Conspiracies: John and Kate conspire to make a fortune by any means.

Secrets: John comes from money but has been banished. John Martin is really Juan Martinez, a secret his mother has hidden from him.

Deception: He thinks he is using Kate to get what he wants.

Wound: The person he believes is his father wants nothing to do with him or his mom. Disowned.

Secret identity: He plays meek, not smart.

Character name: Kate Bishop

Role: John’s girlfriend and partner in crime.

Hidden agendas: To be infamous.

Competition: With society and its morality. With her family’s expectations. With John and his limitations.

Conspiracies: With John. Maybe with others?

Secrets: She’s a killer? Odd or unusual addictions?

Deception: She might be using John.

Wound:

Secret identity: A priestess of Santa Muerte.

[Kristopher King]

Kristopher King. Engaging Main Characters

The Fisherman

Journey: From a wayward, unaware young man to a wealthy kingpin.

Characters that sell the show: John and Kate.

Roll in the show:

John: 21 year old deckhand. Uneducated but self taught (reads a lot). Unaware of who he is. Floating through life. He learns his alcoholic mother is sick and needs expensive medical attention.

Kate: 21 y.o. A member of the elite class. Falls in love with John.

B. Unique purpose / Expertise

John: Expert at navigating the sea. Diver, surfer, sailor, all around waterman. Enjoys risk. Able to compartmentalize and keep calm under duress.

Kate: A student. Most popular. Expert at navigating social environs, particularly the elite class.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

John: He’s committing countless felonies to bankroll his mother’s medical care and beyond.

Kate: She’s an accomplice/mastermind to John despite being of the 1%.

D. Moral issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?

John: How far can he go to help his mother. Is it even about saving his mother?

Kate: She’s got access to hundreds of millions of dollars. Why is she plotting, scheming, cheating, and even killing for money?

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

John: He seems addicted to constantly raising the stakes.

Kate: Could she double cross John?

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

John: He’s had a challenging upbringing. He wants to help his failing mother.

Kate: She’s young, beautiful, and smart. She seems willing to risk it all for love.

[Kristopher King]

Assignment 2

<font face=”inherit”>What I learned. </font>Characters can have a major impact with little screen time and slow development.

The Fisherman Three circles of character

Main character circle

John Martin – 21, Deckhand on a fishing vessel out of Southern California.

Clare Martin – 45, John’s mother.

Skylar Bishop – 21, Deckhand, John’s best friend.

Connected circle

Captain of said fishing vessel

A few peers of John and Skylar

Environmental circle

Southern California fishing community

UCSD

Surfing community

• This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by  Kristopher King.

[Kristopher King]

Kristopher King. Three Circles of Characters

Sample Show: Empire

A. Main Circle: Lucious, Cookie, Andre, Jamal, Hakeem

B. Connected Circle: Wife(didn’t get her name), Vernon, Rhonda, Secretary, Tiana,

C. Environment Circle: Doctor, Porsche, 44, Dominique, Groupies, Empire staff

[Kristopher King]

Sample show: Empire

*Big picture hooks

How far will a man go to get what he wants?

Can a terminally ill man get what he wants before it’s too late?

Hero must chose one of his three sons to take over his “empire.”

*Intriguing character traits

Hero is capable of murdering friends, what else is he capable of?

Hero continues to hold on to his business at any cost despite being terminally ill.

Mom is also capable of at least petty crime/has done 17 years in prison.

All the kid’s have private agendas and unique skill sets.

*Empathy/Distress

Hero has built something from nothing.

Hero is trying to level up his “empire.”

Hero must chose between his kids.

Hero is dying.

Siblings are unique from one another and want different things.

Mom served 17 years in prison without giving up her husband.

*Layers/open loops

Every character’s allegiance.

Does the hero love his gay son, or will he ever?

Does he love anybody?

Can he take the company public?

Is he still capable?

What will the ex-wife do?

*Inviting obsession

All this “invites obsession.”

• This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by  Kristopher King.

[Kristopher King]

Hello all!

I’m Kristopher King.

Iv’e written a handful of scripts. A couple episodic, a couple serial, and a feature.

I intend to learn as much as I can from this class and all of you.

I’ve worked as a production sound mixer for many years and intend to transition to screenwriting.

[Kristopher King]

Kristopher King

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