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I LA Cline, agree to the terms of this group release form as stated here:
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.
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Laura’s Beat Sheet
WHAT DID I GET OUT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT: I think my disadvantage with this assignment is that I had major sections already written and I kept trying to thin it out and rewrite it with a different approach. What I should have done was close the old files and allow myself to come up with some new ideas. If this was a new project for me, I can definitely see the benefits of the high speed writing.
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Laura’s Transformational Events
WHAT DID I GET OUT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT: This assignment truly begins to show the process of piecing the puzzle together. Not everything fits this draft, but I can see the potential of where it’s going. I do need to avoid the temptation to travel down side paths.
I’m two assignments behind, but this one went much faster. I can feel the momentum!
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L Cline – Four Act Transformational Structure
WHAT DID I GET OUT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT: Each new assignment has carried its own challenges. In this case, the effort to clarify and reclarify and reclarify each element has been a bit of a one-step-forward-two-step-back process. It was suggested to just fill in the blanks for now and work with it over time, but it became important to me that I get this right so I have a strong core on which I can build. If you have too many gaps, too many “maybes” at this point, it’s easy to take your story off track and wind up wasting a lot of time reworking and rewriting later. I’ve been there. As a result of spending an extra day on this assignment, I am confident that my story is on track!
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Laura’s Interview with Main Characters
WHAT DID I GET OUT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT: I am amazed at how easily the characters begin to tell their own story. They take on a life of their own and I found some of the answers very unexpected. Also, by altering some of the questions, I found the opportunities to get other answers that I needed. Great exercise, especially when I used to get stuck on traditional profile fill-in-the-blanks. This is much more productive and keeps the answers relevant.
NOTE: I will not be posting the actual work from these assignments. Since feedback isn’t really an option, posting seems pointless. Doing the exercises and keeping to the deadlines is my takeaway.
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SUBJECT LINE: Laura’s Character Profiles – Part 2
WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT? A layered approach to refining and developing character. The more you know about your character, the easier it is to expound on further details.
PROTAGONIST: Jacqueline/”Jack” (Heroine)
WHAT DRAWS US TO THIS CHARACTER: She allows us to see this unique town as an “outsider” with her “citified” perspective. As events progress and she learns more about her father, her hard edges begin to fall away. Her confidence is constantly challenged, revealing a clumsy and sympathetic character. She’s not as perfect and right and she thinks she is.
TRAITS: Confident, smart, keenly intuitive, poker-faced, with a honed-edge for cutting through the bullshit. She speaks softly, but can boom with the best of them.
SUBTEXT: Doesn’t suffer fools or idiots. Not very talkative. As Mark Twain says: “Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.”
FLAW: Guarded and judging
VALUES: Runs the straight line, strong sense of right and wrong, believes in rules, hates crooks and bullies
IRONY: In order to accomplish putting her father “away”, she goes against her usual strict rule book and conducts a criminal act. (It’s so far-fetched and outside the realm of reality that somehow it doesn’t count. Will need a comment that addresses this.)
WHAT MAKES THIS CHARACTER RIGHT FOR THIS ROLE: Jack is the opposite of Buster, the straight person to his fool.
ANTAGONIST: Buster (Change Agent)
WHAT DRAWS US TO THIS CHARACTER: He’s a quirky, odd character bringing a unique perspective to a dark topic
TRAITS: Ever eager to entertain and amuse people in his community. He often uses quotes from Shakespeare to express serious emotions or thoughts, because it’s hard for him to be serious. He’s gregarious, hands-on, loving, and most of all, he’s the consummate entertainer.
SUBTEXT: He’s smarter than he puts on, but stubbornly enjoys playing the fool
FLAW: Doesn’t know when to quit playing; center of attention
VALUES: Make people happy, ignore the bad stuff and it will go away, don’t argue, do what you have to do–then apologize later, hum if you don’t know the words
IRONY: He will stand up to do the right thing—even if it is disguised by jokes.
WHAT MAKES THIS THE RIGHT CHARACTER FOR THIS ROLE? It’s Buster! Don’t take things so seriously!
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SUBJECT: Laura’s Character Profiles – Part 1
WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT? The impact genre choices have on turning the story. I’ve always thought of my story as a CAPER genre – which I might still explore at a later time. For the purpose of this assignment, I’m trying out the BUDDY genre option, which alters my choice of antagonist and has me asking the question: Can I have an antagonist AND a villain?
PROTAGONIST’S ROLE IN STORY: HEROINE. Jack is Buster’s daughter who is called back home to Wyoming under false pretenses and finds herself in the middle of yet another one of her father’s crazy stunts
AGE RANGE AND DESCRIPTION: Female, about 30, athletic and attractive, confident and smart with a honed edge for cutting through the bullshit.
INTERNAL JOURNEY: From uncompromising and unforgiving to understanding and forgiving.
EXTERNAL JOURNEY: From a hard-assed NYC businesswoman to a full-on Wyoming rule-breaker with a cause.
MOTIVATION: Never to be made a fool of ever again
WOUND: Father always set her up to be with him as the town jester which resulted in her being made fun of by the other kids
MISSION/AGENDA: Fulfill her father’s final wishes in order to put him in a retirement home and shut him out of her life once and for all
SECRET: The dead, dismembered mobster buried in coolers all over town
WHAT MAKES HER SPECIAL: She is focused and determined to get this done.
ANTAGONIST’S ROLE IN STORY: CHANGE AGENT. As the aging town jester, Buster tricks his daughter into coming home, making the deal that he’ll go into a home if she will help him bring resolution to a terrible event that happened before she was born.
AGE RANGE AND DESCRIPTION: Male, about 80, tall with wild white hair, ever eager to entertain, often dressed in top hat and tails and spouting Shakespeare.
MOTIVATION: Seek forgiveness and resolution for those he has hurt
WOUND: To save the town, he and his war buddies fought and accidentally killed a mobster, hiding the body in pieces to avoid potential retribution from the mob
MISSION/AGENDA: Buster knows it’s time to close up all the loose ends in his life and draws his daughter in close to help him
SECRET: Those pesky dead body parts
WHAT MAKES HIM SPECIAL: A quirky elder protector of the town who wears his heart on his sleeve and has a Shakespeare quote for any occasion.
OTHER CHARACTERS:
Joining in the caper: Bonnie, the next-door neighbor, and her brother Kilo, a wounded soul who barely survived Afghanistan and spends most of his time running around town naked
Against the caper: Teller Jr, a candidate for governor and Jack’s high school boyfriend who will fight to keep the mobster’s murder a secret.
The cowboys and townspeople of Chugwater
THE GENRE: Buddy (with strong hints of CAPER)
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SUBJECT: Jack’s (Laura’s) Transformational Journey
WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT? I thought this would be easy since these ideas have been floating around in my head for weeks, but HOLY CRAP! Trying to find just the right essence of clarity was quite the struggle. Truly not perfect (and a day late), but the struggle was worth it.
MY HERO: Jacqueline aka “Jack” is a NYC venture capitalist
INTERNAL JOURNEY: From uncompromising and unforgiving to understanding and forgiving.
EXTERNAL JOURNEY: From a hard-assed NYC businesswoman to a full-on Wyoming rule-breaker with a cause.
OLD WAYS:
– Father is a fool she will NEVER forgive
– Uncompromising hard-ass businesswoman who “eats dreamers for breakfast”
– Rule enforcer
– NYC has everything she ever wanted
– Rejects her past
– Builds walls to hide her loneliness
NEW WAYS:
– Father is hero worthy of forgiveness
– Promotes and supports others to realize their dreams
– Rule breaker
– Wyoming has a depth of soul NYC never could
– Rediscovers a proudful heritage
– No longer an outsider, she finally understands what it means to be home
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Hello All! My name is Laura. I’ve started 5 scripts and have yet to bring any to even a rough hint of completion. My problem is that I get caught up in that next great idea! I hope this class will give me the tools to stay focused from beginning to end. I’m anticipating a struggle, but I’m game! Something about myself? I’m also working on a Steampunk novel. (Surprise! It’s not finished either. Ha!)
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Laura Cline
I agree to the terms of this release form.
GROUP RELEASE FORM
As a member of this group, I agree to the following:
1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.
2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.
I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.
3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.
4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.
5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.
6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.