[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s plot.
What I learned doing this assignment is how much it feels great having a full plot worked out, even if it doesn't stop evolving. It is there, so you can change things, even major things, you'll get back on your feet since you know where you're going, having asked yourself the right questions.

Act 1:
⁃ Opening

Meet Alph-O: 
30 year old wannabe famous rap singer making cheap glossy videos with is friends and attending to open mics. 
Meet Marguerite:
70 year old Marguerite watches on her smartphone a video where she is seen playing the wrong violin solo opening in front of a mesmerised audience, a panicked orchestra and an awe stricken conductor, who stops her, giving the lead to another violinist. Title of the video: « Alzheimer’s lead violin in action ».
⁃ Meet Cute:
Alph-O is excited about the recognition his last video got on social media. Looking at comments on his smartphone he sees a video of a high-school girl rock band making fun of his video.
⁃ 17 year old Lilly and her girl rock band watch Alph-O’s reply video on their smartphone.
⁃ This ignites a rap battle banter between them on social media, ending in a real date where Lilly brings her grand-mother. Alph-O and Marguerite click, while Lilly says she’s lesbian.

• Inciting Incidents:
Alph-O is visited by a label executive on the set of his new musical video. Wanting to show off, he plans a spectacular shot, against the advice of his crew, who thinks it is too dangerous. Alph-O does the shot anyway and gets into a dreadful accident.

Argument between Marguerite and the conductor, who happens to be her husband. She resents that he gave the lead to someone else instead of just correcting her. 
Her husband wants her out of the orchestra.

Marguerite writes a letter, puts it in her pocket and commits suicide. 
She is caught in the act by Lilly, who takes her to the hospital, driving frantically. 
They have a terrible accident.

• Turning Points:

Alph-O has an NDE (near death experience) in ICU (intensive care unit), where he can see from above the medical team trying to resuscitate him. For some obscure reason Alph-O is still holding on to the guitar he was playing when his accident occurred. 
Alph-O’s condition is stabilised, but he can’t be taken out of his coma.
His friends visit him in hospital, taking shots of him with their smartphone. He is furious and doesn’t want them to do that, but can’t tell them.

Act 2:
• New plan
Alph-O discovers he is not alone in this alternate world. He is sharing it with other patients going through their own NDE. 
In the real world, the video of Alph-O’s, featuring his real accident, edited with the shots his friends made in ICU gets viral.
Because of this, all his songs get immediate popularity.

• Attraction/Flirting

Alph-O meets Lilly in limbo, who also stands between life and death in a coma.
They immediately banter back to where they left when they first met.
Lilly is shocked that Alph-O’s isn’t mad at his label for putting his unfinished track online. Alph-O takes her reaction as proof of her immaturity.

• Plan in action 

Alph-O uses his guitar to work on new songs about his NDE experience. Lilly makes fun of him. Alph-O confronts her attitude: if she’s such a smart girl, why doesn’t she show him something of her own making? She gives him her own interpretation of his song. Doing so, they realise that a student on the medical team can hear them play.

• Forced together: 

People in limbo want them to deliver messages to their relatives, friends and most of all to the health care team, through the student. 
It’s hard: the student is crushed by the responsibility of taking their case to their family, friends and doctors. And when he finally does, he’s not taken seriously. Which is not surprising, since everyone on the team has already a bad opinion about him, being the worst student of the lot.
• Trying to solve the problem, Alph-O and Lilly have a great collaboration, where they can share their deepest feelings. 
They both resent getting short of opportunities as they grow older.
Both resist bringing their relationship to a sexual level.
Alph-O sees Lilly as too young, and it looks like Lilly is a lesbian fighting her attraction for a guy.
Until they finally do.

• Midpoint Turning Point: 

Lilly wakes up from her coma. 
But for some obscure reason she can still be seen in limbo, as if the Lilly in the real world and the Lilly in limbo were two different persons.
Alph-O discovers that Lilly in limbo is not Lilly. She never was. She is Lilly’s grandmother Marguerite, who looked just like Lilly at the same age, and who has been given back her young body in limbo.
Feeling betrayed and lied to, Alph-O breaks up with LimboLilly (Marguerite).

Act 3:
• Rethink everything: 

Alph-O works on new songs and shows signs of recovery from his injuries (planting seed for his awakening).
LimboLilly goes into some sort of depression, breaking her connection with the student and deteriorating her condition in the ordinary world. 
The others urge Alph-O to connect with the student, but without LimboLilly it doesn’t work.

• New plan: 

Under pressure from patients in limbo, Alph-O and LimboLilly start singing together again, but only for the sake of the connection.
It’s harder than before because a new doctor gets in charge of the unit and doesn’t believe in limbo and its connection with the student.
The fight brings Alph-O and LimboLilly back together.

• Turning Point:
Huge failure / Major shift 
Alph-O wakes up unexpectedly, remembering nothing from limbo.
He goes back to his old life, working on his album again.
Also, the student’s apprenticeship ends, breaking the connection for good.
Marguerite’s condition deteriorates to the point that the medical team and her family consider disconnecting her to let her die in peace.

Act 4:
• Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict:

Working on his music makes Alph-O remember everything from limbo.
He goes back to Marguerite’s room, seeing her as she is in real life: an old woman dying in hospital. He stumbles on the student who sings him a message from LimboLilly, urging him to leave her to her fate and live his own life.
Which he does, leaving the room.
Alph-O bumps into the real Lilly during a rap event, who tells him her grandmother is about to be disconnected from life support. Seeing her makes him realise how different she is from the LimboLilly he knows, and how big a mistake he’s doing leaving her to her fate.

• Resolution: 

A team of doctors, students and nurses meet with Marguerite’s family in her room. As they disconnect her from life support, Alph-O bursts into the room, declaring his love in front of everyone.
Against all odds, Marguerite wakes up. She doesn’t recognise Alph-O and has no memory of limbo. Alph-O declares his love again, in front of an old bewildered senile woman, but it doesn’t alter his vow. Seeing this, Marguerite reverts to her real self, as it was just an act to test Alph-O’s resolution.
A new life starts for them, where they do concerts, together with Lilly’s band (the real Lilly) and where they deal with Marguerite’s growing Alzheimer too.

• This reply was modified 11 months ago by  Luc Pagès.
• This reply was modified 11 months ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Her Journey / His Journey

What I learned doing this assignment: answering the questions is getting easier, as is trying not to be perfectionist in my way of thinking.

Marguerite’s Transformational Journey
1.  Initial state:
Marguerite has just been diagnosed with Azheimer and doesn’t expect anything from life any more, although she regrets not having lived what she could have.

2.  Meet-Cute moment:  
Marguerite sees Alph-O and Lilly banter, reminding her of what a meet cute feels like.
Later in Limbo, being young again, she gets to live it for real with Alph-O.

3.  Initial challenges:  
Marguerite would love to start all over again, but how long will this fantasy last?
While she has a crush on Alph-O, she feels she is too old in real life and isn’t allowed to have a sexual relationship with him.

4.  Major conflict / Obstacle:
Marguerite is a woman of 70 in the body of a 17 year old. She regrets not daring a love story when she was 17 and doesn’t want to make the same mistake again, but how far is she morally allowed to take this relationship with Alph-O without telling him her real age?
After having sex, it can only stay a fling since she has no future to offer.

5.  Self-Reflection:  
What the fuck, Carpe Diem legitimates the lie. Let’s go for it.
After having sex with Alph-O, Marguerite feels that lying is like she’s raping him and the relationship feels empty because she can’t express who she truly is.
After he accepts her the way she is, she doesn’t feel what she has to offer is worth it.  

6.  Acceptance and Growth:  
First, she needs to come straight with him about her age, even if the whole thing stops when she does.
Then, she must truly accept Carpe Diem, but in real life.

7.  Demonstrate the change:
Marguerite asks to be awakened.

8.  Reunion: 
Marguerite embraces her new life with Alph-O, and with Alzheimer.

Alph-O’s Transformational Journey

1.  Initial state:
Alph-O is a rap group leader, wannabe famous, privileging his career over any meaningful relationship.

2.  Meet-Cute moment:  
Unexpected rap banter-battle in a public place, where Lilly (17) gets the lead over Alph-O (35), with the help of her grand-mother Marguerite (70).

3.  Initial challenges:  
Externally: Wants to wake up, so he can attend to the last recording session of his first album. He’s no longer satisfied with the message conveyed by his title track and want’s to work on it before the final recording.
Internally: He never took any music lessons and feels like a fraud facing “Lilly’s” (Marguerite) music science.
Resists his attraction to “Lilly” (Marguerite) when he finds out she’s only 17 (and not 25 as she claims).

4.  Major conflict / Obstacle:
He can’t date a 70 year old woman.

5.  Self-Reflection:  
At the beginning, Alph-O feels like he’s taking advantage of Lilly (Marguerite) because of his age and position. Then he feels betrayed and disgusted, when finding out she is not 17, but 70.
Then realizes that the most important thing in his life right now is to be with her, what ever her age, and not waste a single second, since no one knows how long it will last.

6.  Acceptance and Growth:  
Accept Marguerite as she is: with an old body.

7.  Demonstrate the change:
In front of everyone at council meeting, he tells the doctors he loves Marguerite and wants them to bring her back to life, so they can be together for the next second, and the next, and the next, until there is no more seconds left for them to live.

8.  Reunion: 
Alph-O embraces his life with Marguerite, and her Alzheimer.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s 7 stages of Love

What I learned doing this assignments is forcing myself to fill the blanks sticking to the essentials.
• 1.  Meet-Cute
◦ In the Opening, before his concert (threesome meet with Lilly). He’s got a crush on Lilly, but she’s not interested. Marguerite (80) flirts with him, joking about the age gap between them.
◦ 2nd meet-cute in Limbo, but how?

• 2.  Attraction/Flirting
◦ In Limbo: Marguerite (looking 18) flirts with him, he resists (not interested by groupies, think she’s too young, focused on his music deadlines)

• 3.  Denial
◦ Romance in Limbo… what’s the point?

• 4.  Separation/Forced Together
◦ They make a deal: she helps him with his music – he helps her making contact with med team.

• 5.  Working through Issues/Differences
◦ What is a successful life?
◦ Age Gap
◦ Limited time together
◦ Carpe Diem

• 6.  Hate/Betrayal/All Hope is Lost
◦ She hides her real age
◦ Her condition deteriorates

• 7.  Love Happens
◦ A successful life is when you find love, even if it doesn’t last, since nothing does.
◦ Living Carpe Diem with someone who has Alzheimer

• This reply was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Bigger Story
What I learned doing this assignment is that I thought I knew what I was doing until I came back to the simple questions A,B and C. Answering them triggered the whole structure, forcing me to concentrate on the essentials.
A. What interesting world could this movie be set in?
Intensive care unit / Near Death Experience Limbo.
B. What major conflict could be happening?
Patients trying to communicate with the normal world.
Patients trying to live a new life in limbo.
C. What intriguing situation could these characters be engaged in?
Patients in limbo wanting to die, but seeing the healthcare team keep trying to save them.
Patients in limbo wanting to live, but seeing the healthcare team giving up on them.
Living a love story with another patient, knowing that any minute one of them can be awakened or dead.

Act 1: 
Opening:
Rock band member Damien (30) has an accident on stage.
Opening credits on press titles about him being in a coma, the tour canceled, the band waiting for him to get out of coma, the band replacing him one year later.
Marguerite (80) showing signs of Alzheimer tries to commit suicide, but is hindered by her grand daughter’s own suicide, Lilly. Marguerite drives Lilly unconscious to the hospital, where she herself falls into a coma. Both end up between life and death in ICU.
Inciting Incident:
Marguerite has an NDE in a parallel world, where she looks 18 years old again (looking just like Lilly) and where she meets other patients of the ICU having their own NDE.
While Lilly is out of danger, but must stay comatose for a while, Marguerite’s prognosis is uncertain and the healthcare team do all they can to keep her alive. Marguerite would like them to let her die in peace, but no one can hear her in the real world.
Turning Point:
Tracing a mysterious electric guitar sound in the basement of the hospital, Marguerite meets Damien in a secluded room rehearsing for the concert he thinks is coming up. Revisiting her forlorn wish to be a rock star, Marguerite joins him.
Act 2: 
New plan:
Before dying, Marguerite wants to have a chance at the love story she didn’t dare try when she was younger. She is torn between revealing her real age to Damien (and doing so risking being turned down) and letting him think she is not that old lady in room number three, but Lilly in the next room (and doing so letting him look forward for a life long romance with her in the real world).
Plan in action:
Marguerite decides to embrace the fleeting time she has with Damien, choosing not to reveal her true age and identity. She helps him prepare for his concert, rediscovering her own passion for music in the process.
Their love blossoms as they rehearse together and explore the liminal spaces of the hospital. They form a deep connection, sharing their dreams, regrets, and hopes for the future.

Midpoint Turning Point:
In the real world a med student can hear them sing.
Act 3: 
Rethink everything:
They use the med student to connect with the health care team. But it is not easy, as he is not willing to bear the responsibility, and also as he is the worst student of the team and isn’t taken seriously.
New plan:
Turning Point with Huge failure / Major shift:
Damien finds out Marguerite’s real age and breaks up with her.
Act 4: 
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict:
Marguerite’s health deteriorates to the point that the healthcare teams are considering her disconnection from life support (therapeutic relentlessness is illegal). Marguerite absolutely needs to tell them she doesn’t want to be disconnected and goes to Damien for help.
They try to do their usual trick with Bastien, while the team is already proceeding with the disconnection. But it doesn’t work. Realizing he is about to loose her for good, Damien can’t help embracing her in a last carnal connection. They make love frenziedly in the same room where Marguerite’s body is being disconnected from life support, with her relatives witnessing the disconnection and with Bastien still trying his best to stop them.
Resolution:
In limbo, Marguerite is drawn to the light in the tunnel, while Damien wakes up from coma and runs to Marguerite’s room where he catches the glimpses of a last smile, holding her hand.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Rom Com Project
What I learned doing this assignment is that simple questions about my characters forces me to put words on the feelings I have for them.
• Who is Arlette?
An old woman who has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer and tried to commit suicide so that she won’t be a burden for her children. Going through an NDE in ICU she is 18 again.

• Who is Damien?
A rock band member who has been comatose for 10 years, but is only now understanding his condition through an NDE in the same ICU.

• What makes them lovable?
Arlette's desires for a last love and to die without regrets.
Damien’s imposter syndrome and his ability to share his doubts and insecurities openly, combined with his self-deprecating humor.

• What attracts them to each other?
Anna is attracted to Damien for:
His sense of humor.
His kindness.
His musical talent.
His doubts about himself.
Damien is attracted to Anna for:
A playful spirit and a childlike sense of wonder that brings joy to their interactions.
An ability to love and accept Damien unconditionally, flaws and all, offering him a sense of belonging and security
A playful and witty sense of humor that lightens the mood.

• What needs does Damien fulfill for Arlette?
The possibility of a last unexpected love story.
The possibility to change the choice she made when she was younger.
Dying without regrets.

• What needs does Arlette fulfill for Damien?
Arlette's unconditional love and acceptance helps him heal and believe in himself again.
Arlette's zest for life, even in her older age, reignites Damien's own appreciation for the simple pleasures and possibilities that remain in his life.
Arlette's youthful energy and spirit reminds Damien of his own younger self, sparking a sense of nostalgia and a desire to reclaim some of that lost vitality.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc's Rom Com
Title: "Rom Comady"
Imagine you were given back the body of your eighteens with the opportunity to live the love story you didn’t allow yourself to live at that time, and this as you are going through a Near Death Experience in an intensive care unit where everyone shares the same NDE.
Concept: In an intensive care unit an 80 year old woman experiences a Near Death Experience where she has the body she had when she was 18 and where she meets other people from the same unit going through their own NDE. She falls in love with one of them, who is a 40 year old rock band leader who’s been in coma for ten years and still thinks he’s 30.

1. Starting with whatever idea you have, fill in the blanks to create a concept.
• Two People Who Belong Together: 
They are a great team making rock music.
• How Are They Separated: 
Age gap. She looks 18, but is really 80. He is 40, but still thinks he’s 30.
• What Forces Them together: 
They need to be together to fight the med team who wants to disconnect them from life support.
• Issues to be Resolved: 
She already made her journey to accept death (committing suicide) but if she lets herself fall in love, the perspective of dying will feel horrible again.
Is it worth it?
He can’t count on spending a long fulfilling life at her side. Also, her death will be devastating.
Is it worth it?
• On Their Journey of Love: 
Two people go from their “meet-cute” (Rock and Roll jam in NDE) to denial of love (Age difference) to overwhelming attraction (ignited by proximity of death) to breaking up over differences (she already had a life/ he is just starting his own) to finally reuniting (Carpe Diem) and experiencing the love of their life (for however long it might last).
2. Then fill in the blanks to create your conventions. Even though some of these are the same, it is worth looking at them in the context of the conventions.
PURPOSE: To have the audience experience falling in love again, imagining they’re offered the opportunity to go back in time and live the romance they didn’t dare live when they were younger.
THE JOURNEY OF LOVE: Two people go from their “meet-cute” (Rock and Roll jam) to denial of love (Age difference (40 years)) to overwhelming attraction (ignited by proximity of death) to breaking up over differences (she already had a life/ he is just starting his own) to finally reuniting (Carpe Diem) and experiencing the love of their life (for however long it might last).
RELATIONSHIP SET-UP: They are both on the verge of dying. At this stage their only sensible option might just be to make the best of the situation: a last extreme romance.
ISSUES: She is way too reasonable (the reason she missed her opportunity for a real love story). 
He is in denial of the time spent in coma (10 years) and is working on his songs for the concert to come (he thinks).
SEPARATION: When he thinks she’s only 18 he doesn’t want to take advantage of her young age, then when he finds out she hid the fact she’s actually 80, she becomes the one not comfortable with the age gap (and her lying about it).
COMEDY: He thinks she’s candid and inexperienced, not knowing she already had a full life of experiences. They are both very shy and insecure.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Luc Pagès.
• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pagès
“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.
This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

[Luc Pagès]

1. Name? Luc Pagès
2. How many scripts you’ve written? Only one feature, produced 20 years ago, adapted from a french novel.
3. What you hope to get out of the class? Finish a script that wasn’t supposed to be a Rom Com, but that I feel will be great as one.
4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you? I’m a cinematographer and shot three movies for French New Wave director Eric Rohmer.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pagès 4-Act Transformational Structure
My vision: write films that I personally love and enjoy directing, with a focus on human behavior analyzed with empathy, aiming to earn a living making these films, while maintaining creative autonomy and a carefree, enjoyable writing process.

What I have learned from this assignment is how difficult it is to get the mechanic of the structure right. I'm not satisfied yet.
Title: Fake at first sight
Genre: Rom Com
Concept: A sociopathic Ava, attending an empathy bootcamp, falls for her instructor Mark. She doubles down on faking feelings, but genuine emotions emerge, forcing her to confront connection and her constructed life.
Ava’s Old Ways: (Psychological states & Behaviors)
• No shame, remorse, or jealousy
• Default state is feeling nothing
• Fakes emotions, acts out, and models behavior for acceptance
• Superficial charm with manipulative thinking patterns
Ava’s New Ways: (Psychological states unlikely to change, but behaviors can)
• Accept being a sociopath (internal change)
• Develop a positive self-image (less pressure, less acting out)
• Stop manipulation and lying
• Acknowledge genuine love exists
Act 1: The Old Way
• Opening: Ava, captivating but emotionally detached, gets fired. Unfazed, she applies for a new job requiring an "empathy bootcamp."
• Inciting Incident: The bootcamp, led by Mark, is unexpected. Ava sees it as a chance to hone manipulation skills.
• Turning Point: Mark, sensing Ava's oddness, suspects sociopathy. Ava denies it, but a seed of doubt is planted.
Act 2: Doubting the Old Way
• New Plan: To disprove Mark's suspicions, Ava launches a calculated seduction campaign on the bootcamp group.
• Plan in Action: Her manipulation seems effective, but intimacy with Mark strains her facade.
• Internal Conflict: Brenda, a colleague, thrives without manipulation. This challenges Ava's belief system and fuels self-doubt.
• Midpoint Turning Point: Ava's manipulation backfires, jeopardizing her job and relationship with Mark.
• Reassessment: Ava delves into the possibility of being a sociopath, considering changes towards more meaningful connections.
Act 3: Embracing the New Way (with Setbacks)
• Growth: Ava regains Mark's trust, but a misstep ruins it again.
• Transformation Trigger: Accepting defeat, Ava seeks genuine change.
• New Plan: Ava confides in Brenda and opens up to Mark about being a sociopath, seeking a true connection.
• Climax: Mark, fearing further manipulation, rejects Ava.
• Partial Transformation: Accepting her inability to feel empathy, Ava embraces self-acceptance and stops conforming.
Act 4: The New Way Forged
• Resolution: Mark, realizing his mistake, re-evaluates Ava's honesty.
• New Equilibrium: The film can end with a glimmer of hope for a future connection between Ava and Mark, or it can leave them on separate paths, both having grown from the experience.
• Theme Reinforced: The film emphasizes societal prejudice against sociopaths and the possibility of finding acceptance and forging genuine connections despite limitations.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Luc Pagès]

LucPagès’ Subtext Plot

My vision: write films that I personally love and enjoy directing, with a focus on human behavior analyzed with empathy, aiming to earn a living making these films, while maintaining creative autonomy and a carefree, enjoyable writing process.


What I haven’t learn from this assignment yet is how to only chose 2 subtext plots.
I have four, and can’t figure which to keep yet.

Title = Fake at First Sight

Genre = Romantic Dramedy

Concept = To save her job, a charming sociopath enrols in an empathy bootcamp, risking exposure as she falls for her unconventional coach.

Major Story Hook = What will happen when the only person in the world who can make her willing to change, finds out she is a psychopath?

Superior Position
• Audience Knowledge: The audience knows Ava is a psychopath, while Mark and the other characters believe she's simply struggling with empathy.
• Dual Experiences: We see Ava's struggles to maintain the facade and Mark's genuine desire to help her.
• The humor and tension arise from the constant fear of Ava's facade being exposed.
• The subtext explores empathy as a learned skill, and whether genuine connection is possible even with limitations.

Scheme and Investigation:
• Scheme: At first, Ava sees the bootcamp as a way to approach a high-profile individual and advance her career.
• Investigation: Mark becomes suspicious of Ava's motives and subtly investigates her actions. When he confronts her, Ava is no longer trying to advance her career, but to commit genuinely to him.

Someone Hides Who They Are:
• Hiding: Ava keeps her psychopathy a secret, fearing rejection. She meticulously crafts a persona that can fake her emotions.
• Clues & Investigation: Mark notices her manipulative tactics and emotional detachment.
• Discovery: Mark confronts Ava about her true nature.

The Fish Out of Water
• Ava, accustomed to hide her lack of feelings within the reserved world of corporate culture (where displaying emotions is not expected), is completely out of her element in the touchy-feely atmosphere of the bootcamp.
• The humor comes from her awkward attempts to conform.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pages’ Transformational Journey

My vision: write films that I personally love and enjoy directing, with a focus on human behavior analyzed with empathy, aiming to earn a living making these films, while maintaining creative autonomy and a carefree, enjoyable writing process.

What I learned from doing this assignment is…
That I’m still a bit too perfectionist, seeing how long it took me to do it. Although I like what I found. I still have to figure how not to drown myself in Gemini’s replies.

Arc Beginning: 
Ava is a charming and successful marketing executive who leverages her manipulative personality to climb the corporate ladder. She lacks genuine empathy and views emotions as tools to be exploited.
Arc Ending: 
Ava looses her job, but gains a romantic relationship based on trust and reciprocity.

Internal Journey:


From: unaware psychopath who is unconcerned about the pain she might inflict.


To: accepts she will never feel genuine empathy, but changes her behaviors as if she did.

External Journey: 


From: climbing the corporate ladder


To: loose her job, but be “The One” for her empathy boot-camp instructor.

Old Ways:

• Fakes empathy
• Prioritizes self-interest
• Takes emotions for weaknesses
• Views manipulation as a game
• Unaware of the pain she might inflict on people

New Ways:
• Behaves as if she could feel empathy
• Prioritizes relationships
• Acknowledges people emotions
• Tries to resist using manipulation
• Faces the consequences of her actions

Transformational journey structure

Act 1:
• Ava excels at her job but creates a PR disaster due to her lack of empathy.
• Forced to attend the empathy boot-camp, Ava sees it as a chance to improve her manipulation skills.
• The instructor Mark, suspecting she might fake empathy, hints in private at psychopathy.
• Ava denies it, but is disturbed: isn’t everybody faking it?
Act 2:
• Trying to prove him wrong, she starts a seduction campaign aimed at the boot-camp group.
• Ava’s calculated campaign seems to work, but when she gets sexually involved with Mark she has to struggle to maintain the facade.
• Brenda’s success without manipulation challenges Ava’s belief system and fuels self-doubt.
• Ava’s seduction campaign backfires causing a crisis, jeopardizing her career and breaking her intimate relationship with Mark.
• Ava starts digging into the possibility she might be a psychopath after all, and changes her behaviors to bring more meaning into her relationships.
Act 3:
• Ava regains Mark’s trust, but a second blunder ruins it all again, this time for good and for everyone to see. She looses her job.
• Acknowledging her lost, Ava realizes it’s time for her to really open herself to authentic change and stop prioritizing self-interest.
• Ava seeks help from Brenda.
• Ava comes clear to Mark, explaining what it is to be a psychopath living in a society obsessed with empathy. She asks him back, but this time Mark doesn’t fall for it, being too afraid to get hurt.
• Accepting the fact she will never experience empathy the way other people do, Ava embraces a new way: stop faking it, start behaving “as if” she had it.
• Realizing his mistake, Mark re-evaluates his own judgment.
• Both decide to pursue a relationship built on honesty, communication and trust.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pagès’s Intentional Lead Characters

My vision= write films that I personally love and enjoy directing, with a focus on human behavior analyzed with empathy, aiming to earn a living making these films, while maintaining creative autonomy and a carefree, enjoyable writing process.

What I learned from doing this assignment is…
Working with AI feels like walking in a supermarket with an idea for making diner and looking at all different options, choosing the best for what you have in mind.

Title = Fake at first sight
Genre= Romantic Dramedy
Concept= To save her job, a charming psychopath enrolls in an empathy boot-camp, risking exposure as she falls for her unconventional coach.

Character: Ava

Role: Protagonist

Journey: Ava, a captivating but emotionally detached corporate climber, discovers her lack of empathy jeopardizes her career. Enrolling in an “empathy bootcamp” run by Mark, Ava aims to master the art of appearing human to secure a coveted promotion. However, feelings she can’t explain begin to surface for Mark, forcing her to confront the possibility of genuine connection and challenging her carefully constructed life.

Unique: Ava is a psychopath who excels at mimicking emotions and social cues. Her charm and wit mask a calculating mind, but beneath the surface lies a yearning for something she can’t quite grasp – true connection.

Intentional: Ava serves as the audience’s window into the world of psychopathy. Her journey to fake empathy allows the exploration of emotional intelligence, challenging stereotypes of psychopaths. As Ava navigates the unfamiliar terrain of emotions, the humor comes from her misinterpretations and the dramatic tension builds as her facade threatens to crumble.

Character: Mark

Role: Antagonist/Love Interest

Journey: Mark, a dedicated and unconventional therapist, runs an “empathy bootcamp” with a blend of unconventional exercises and tough love. Intrigued by Ava’s unique challenge, Mark becomes invested in her progress, despite initial skepticism. As Ava’s emotional walls crumble, Mark finds himself drawn to her vulnerability, creating a conflict between his professional boundaries and his growing feelings.

Unique: Mark’s unconventional methods and genuine empathy set him apart from traditional therapists. He possesses a sharp wit and doesn’t shy away from challenging his clients, a quality that both frustrates and attracts Ava.

Intentional: Mark acts as a foil to Ava, representing the emotional intelligence she craves. His journey mirrors Ava’s as he confronts his own emotional baggage and the potential consequences of blurring professional lines. Their dynamic creates the central romantic tension and challenges viewers to question societal norms around love and connection.

3. Clara

Role: Connecting Character/Potential Love Triangle/Wildcard

Journey: Clara’s journey can go in multiple directions depending on the story’s needs.

Option A:
Ava’s free-spirited and fiercely independent co-worker. She represents the carefree, empathetic lifestyle Ava envies and distrusts.

• Unique: Brenda is the antithesis of Ava’s calculated approach to life. She lives authentically, prioritizes emotional connection over ambition, and constantly challenges Ava’s facade.

• Intentional: Brenda throws a wrench into Ava’s plan. Ava views Brenda’s genuine empathy with suspicion and annoyance. Seeing Brenda’s success without manipulation challenges Ava’s core beliefs and forces her to confront the limitations of her fabricated empathy. Brenda serves as a constant reminder of the life Ava could have if she embraced genuine connection.

• Options BCD:
  She could be a supportive friend who helps Ava navigate the challenges of the boot-camp, a victim of Ava’s past manipulations, or even a rival for Mark’s affections.

• Unique: Clara’s role can be tailored to create additional conflict or emotional support for Ava. If she’s a victim, it raises the stakes of Ava’s transformation. As a friend, she can provide a safe space for Ava to explore her vulnerabilities. As a rival, she injects jealousy and competition into the narrative.

• Intentional: Clara’s versatility allows the story to explore different facets of love, friendship, and betrayal. She can be a source of comfort or a catalyst for growth, depending on the direction chosen.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pagès – Title, Concept, and Character Structure!

My vision: write films that I personally love and enjoy directing, with a focus on human behavior analyzed with empathy, aiming to earn a living making these films, while maintaining creative autonomy and a carefree, enjoyable writing process.

What I learned from doing this assignment is… that there is a character structure. Never saw it that way. And I like it !

Title= Fake at first sight

Concept= To save her job, a charming sociopath enrolls in an empathy boot-camp, risking exposure as she falls for her unconventional coach.

Character structure= Rom-com

• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pagès

“I agree to the terms of this 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.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pagès – 4 Act Transformational Structure.

It doesn’t feel like I’ve learned anything yet, it’s more like I’ve done something enormously useful, and I’m very happy I did it.

Concept: An unlikely romance between a financially stable white vegan activist and a Latino girl who has to finance her college tuition by winning burger eating contests. They discover the true meaning of love as they learn to look past their differences.

Main Conflict: I still have to chose from the followings which one is the main one.
External: Must win eating championship to finance her studies – Escape discrimination (because of her origins and background, and also because she dates her teacher) – Win Liam’s heart.

Internal: Acknowledging her own bias – Do her coming out as a competitive eater – Accepting to date a rich privileged white student (and obnoxious in many ways?)

Old Ways: Thinking her point of view is the most legitimate, because she is a victim. Putting a hierarchy on issues (some are more legitimate than others).

New Ways: Stop putting a hierarchy on who is legitimate (to be relieved from pain) and who isn’t. Instead of blaming people, trying to find the origin of biases.

4 Act Structure – External
Escape discrimination and finance her studies by winning world eating championship.
Act 1:
Opening
Marisol wakes up in the morning in the bed of a man who is much older than she is. As they’re taking breakfast together he breaks with her. Later we realise, as she is in class, that the man is her professor.
Inciting Incident
Marisol’s grant money is delayed. She is broke and can’t even buy food. She tries to eat for free in a restaurant by winning eating challenge.
Turning Point
Looses her grant: needs to find 4000$ by the end of semester
Act 2:
New plan
Tries to make money in eating competitions against professional eaters. It is painful, she hides it from her family and friends, and she doesn’t win. Trains her body harder for the task.
Plan in action
Wins local contest, but it’s not enough money. Applies for bigger contest.
Midpoint Turning Point
Looses bigger contest by vomiting at the last second
Act 3:
Rethink everything
Finds mentor
New plan
Trains differently (holistic?) for bigger national contest that would cover year’s tuition
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
Abandons contest because is recognized by Liam.
Breakup with Liam.
Expelled from university for not paying tuition.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Returns to the contest, wins and gets a chance to explain herself on television.
Resolution
Wins back Liam
Reinstated in college

4 Act Structure – Internal
Going from speciesism to anti-speciesism and finding true love doing so.

Act 1:
Opening
Marisol is first year student in broadcast reporting. She spends her nights with one of her professors.
Inciting Incident
Marisol meets Liam while covering a vegan contest for a student assignment. She tells him how much she loathes vegan activism, not knowing she’s talking to the president of the university’s vegan association.
Turning Point
Marisol is enrolled on a class project where she has to follow Liam.
Act 2:
New plan
They get a chance to know each other better, and each see where the other one is coming from, but neither will surrender their weapons, although it is clear they hit it off.
Plan in action
Both get a chance to visit the other in their family, giving them a profound change of perspective.
Midpoint Turning Point
Marisol decides to try the vegan route.
They sleep together
Act 3:
Rethink everything
Marisol makes a new edit of her assignment saying the exact opposite of her duplicate colleague and confronts the class with it.
New plan
At the same time, Marisol trains for the world hot dog eating contest in secret.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift
Liam discovers that Marisol is competing for an international hot dog eating contest. He breaks up. Marisol gets evicted from college because she can’t pay her tuition.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict
Marisol wins the world hot dog eating contest and gets a chance to say on national tv how much she loves Liam and that participating in the contest doesn’t change the fact that she is vegan and always will be from now on.
Resolution
Marisol gets reinstated and gets Liam back.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pages – Character Interviews

What I learned doing this assignment is that interviewing your characters is a great way to know them better. It also reminded me that a rom-com is about love, and that I must be careful not to make it only about opposing views on the anti-specisme issue. Specisme must be taken as the excuse for conflict, not the real thematic. Interviewing my characters made me wonder about the real theme of the movie.

“Love and Burgers” concept: An unlikely romance between a financially stable white vegan activist and a Latino girl who has to finance her college tuition by winning burger eating contests. They discover the true meaning of love as they learn to look past their differences.

QUESTIONS FOR Marisol
1. Tell me about yourself:

I’m an ordinary Latino girl, coming from a working class family. I have an older sister and a younger brother. We get along well, but I’m considered to be the “brains” of the family. Part of it is because of my high grades in school and the fact I never take anything for granted and always try to see what is hiding behind everything. Also, I’m very sensitive to injustice. When I was younger I wanted to become a veterinarian, but now that I’ve grown up I want to focus more on people. I think it comes with maturity, being aware of the real issues in the world, like feminism, racism, poverty, easier access to education for all, domestic violence and any kind of discrimination for disabled or just for people who are out of the norm. Also, some say I have the sunnier smile on earth. I’m proud of that, even if I’m not really responsible, it’s just my nature. But if it can help people see life in a better way when I’m around, then I’m also happy.

2. Why do you think you were called to this journey? Why you?

I don’t really know. Maybe because it’s a film about a sensitive subject where opposite sides accuse the other of being insensitive, trying to make them feel bad about themselves. And since I’m a very caring person, trying to change the world for the better, so it looks like I can’t be wrong. But I am wrong, even with the best intentions of the world. This makes me a great character to have everybody agree. Specially since I’m also a victim. People admire the way I fight to to make my stand and they want me to win my championships (like David over Goliath) and they want me to win the heart of Liam and make him see he’s gone to extreme. Until they realise, as I also realise, that I’m the one in the wrong: there is a greater issue that encompasses all other issues. If you agree with anti-specisme, then it means you are also against all other types of discrimination and violence. People don’t see that. They just see it as something limiting their freedom to enjoy the nice things about life. And my character is really fighting for her freedom to enjoy life and for everyone else to enjoy the best of their lives. So when she goes vegan, if it doesn’t convince everyone it is the best way to go, who will ever?

3. You are up against Liam. What is it about him that makes this journey even more difficult for you?

Well it’s not that often that I meet someone who is, as much as I am, driven by the will to make this world a better place. And when I do meet someone like that, I’m not included in the wrong doers. I’m not used to that. It’s like, “hey wait! I’m the superhero, you’re not! You are just following a childish agenda, like when I wanted to be a vet. Grow up!” But at the same time, there is a voice inside me saying I have found a match for me. In every senses of the word.

4. In order to survive or accomplish this, you are going to have to step way outside of your box. What changes do you expect to make and which of them will be the most difficult?

Well, I think the most difficult thing for me to do will be to admit I was wrong. drop my weapons, bend on my knee and ask for forgiveness. Acknowledging that I am the villain. And most of all, doing that knowing very well I won’t get his forgiveness. There is something I haven’t said yet. It is that in order to change the world I want to become the next Rachel Maddow. I want to climb up the social ladder. Take revenge on my low class origins. Be famous. This is where Liam and I are very different. He doesn’t care about climbing up the ladder, because he’s already a rich, white kid. He’s got no revenge to take on society, only on his family, who mistreated him. We both want to make the world a better place, but our fights have opposite origins. As a meat eating champion, I participated in the worst deed a vegan can think of, right next being a killer in a slaughterhouse.

5. What habits or ways of thinking do you think will be the most difficult to let go of?

Most difficult, I don’t know. But I can make a list. I can easily stop eating meat (except for the championship, but I usually throw up after the match, so maybe this doesn’t count? (Sure it does)). I love cheese, and there is no vegan cheese that will recreate the tangy, crumbly texture of cotija. One of the hardest thing I will have to do is telling my family I have become a Vegan. I don’t think my mother can ever recover from realising I will never again eat any off her famous Pozole at our family gatherings. About the most difficult new way of thinking is to put a cow’s life on the same level as a man’s life. But this is a theoretical philosophical question. In real life no one has to choose one over the other. But I would be hypocritical if I didn’t acknowledge the fact that the pain caused by the death of our family dog was greater than any other loss in my life (except for my grand mother, that I dearly loved). The difficulty about all this thinking, is to temper the colossal cultural principle of human life “über alles” and replace it by respecting life and alleviating sufferings for any sentient beings. The other difficulty is where to put the limits of what you can do and what you can’t. How far you can go. When is another vegan going to say you are not vegan because some medecine you are using was tested at one time on animals. Some vegans accept using second hand clothing made of wool or leather, others don’t. I don’t put my limits very high, and I try to soften Liam’s own limits. Where to put our limits is an endless subject of conversation, and humour is our way to handle it without arguing too much. Another difficulty is to convince Liam that I could keep the clothes I had before becoming vegan, and that doesn’t mean I’m not a real vegan. BUT BE CAREFUL NOT TO THINK ANTI-SPECISME IS OUR ONLY CONFLICT. This is a romantic comedy! It should deal with love! Like, up to how much difference between two individuals does it take to annihilate love ?

6. What fears, insecurities and wounds have held you back?

I don’t know yet.

7. What skills, background or expertise makes you well-suited to face this conflict or antagonist?

I wanted to be a vet once, so I know a great deal about animals. I can pass for an animal lover. Should I pretend I’m vegan? It’s difficult because on our first meeting I say all the wrong things, like I don’t want to be there, following this vegan blaming shit.

8. What are you hiding from the other characters? What don’t you want them to know?

Well for sure, that I earn my tuition by taking part into meat eating contests.

9. What do you think of Liam?

I like his humor. And the first time I meet him, I think he is making fun of the vegan march I’m covering with my iPhone (couldn’t get hold of one of the professional cameras at the college), that he disagrees with them and that we are in tune on this matter. So I like him for sharing the same views. Then I realize it’s the opposite. Not only is he vegan, but his scorn on the march is because they’re not going far enough. He is an extremist! He is the leader of the group! When I interview him, I hate him for making fun of me. I should have prepared this interview better and it is easy for him to do so. I am a nice person, but when I get hit, and I feel someone deserves a pay back, I can turn into a very mean bitch.

10. Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.

There isn’t much to say except that I’m stuck with this guy because my teacher has assigned me to follow him and do a 10’ portrait. He twists everything I say to make fun of me, as if he spotted at once my working class background and decided I was a stupid uncultured girl. During the interview, it feels like I’m the one being interrogated and I get an F.

11. What does it do for your life is you succeed here?

12. Ask any other questions about their character profile that will help you.

QUESTIONS FOR Liam
1. Tell me about yourself.

I’m the president of The Vegan Vanguard, a vegan association in the college. I’m studying political science and would like later to use that to do some lobbying for the anti-speciste cause. I hate meat eaters, but I hate even more vegetarians who do it for the wrong reasons, like environmental, health, etc.

2. Having to do with this journey, what are your strengths and weaknesses?

Well if you’re talking about finding true love, I’d say that my biggest flaw is also one of my biggest asset: determination. This is something I have in common with Marisol and we both admire it very much, even though we find it also very annoying. This is also why we have such a hard time getting together, we disagree a lot. But it’s more about the means to make things change. She never thought she might fall in love with a guy from upper class, meaning with no real issues to deal with, as if specisme wasn’t a real issue. But I’m smart enough to prove her wrong: specisme is the only issue, because it encompasses all other issues.

3. Why are you committed to making the Protagonist fail? Or for a relationship movie, why are you committed to making them change?

She thinks she’s underprivileged because of her background, but she isn’t. She is the result of positive discrimination and takes the place of better student. She thinks she knows what are the important issues, but she has no real clue and follows only main stream simple minded views, thinking she’s going outside the box, but in fact she’s right in the middle of it.

4. What do you get out of winning this fight / succeeding in your plan / taking down your competition?

Let’s face it, I’m terribly attracted to her, and obviously she’s not indifferent to my charms. But we hate each other. Does that make sense? I don’t know. I could say she’s the sunshine of my life right now, but she’s not even veggie. How can you be so nice to everyone, and ignore the pain of millions of individuals (animals). She’s so blind. My mission is to open her eyes. If she could only let me do it. Maybe then something could happen. Together, we’d be a killer team.

5. What drives you toward your mission / agenda, even in the face of danger, ruin, or death?

Is she the one? If so, there isn’t bigger danger then to let her go.

6. What secrets must you keep to succeed? What other secrets do you keep out of fear / insecurity?

I’m the heir of a meat magnate, and I love the taste of meat. Every day I am tempted to go the easy way and let go, stop this vegan nonsense. Every day I renew my vows to the anti-specisme cause. I must keep going, but I dread for the day I fail.

7. Compared to other people like you, what makes you special?

I don’t know any vegans as obsessed about eating meat as I am. I wonder how much my vegan attitude is rooted on my hatred for my father. And it disgusts me, realizing maybe I’m not fighting for a better world, I’m just fighting my father.

8. What do you think of Marisol?

Well… I love her. But I don’t trust her. I don’t want to be hurt, like I was hurt as a kid by the people I loved. My own family.

9. Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story.

Maybe later. Right now I’m a bit confused.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pages Character Profile Part 2
“What I learned doing this assignment is that it takes me too long to get things right”.

Love and Burgers

An unlikely romance between a financially stable white vegan activist and a Latino girl who has to finance her college tuition by winning burger eating contests. They discover the true meaning of love as they learn to look past their differences.

Lead Character: Marisol Acevedo is a Hero/Dreamer.
She wants to change the world, yet trying to make a name for herself by fighting injustice as a wannabe Broadcast Reporter.

Antagonist: Liam Burke is a Change Agent.
It is because of him that Marisol’s compassion for people broadens to animals. But also, he himself will be changed by Marisol, becoming more efficient in promoting anti-specisme.

Other characters:
Both Marisol and Liam have best friends (sidekicks)
There should also be competitors for both of them (the “other” woman, the “other “guy”)
Minor roles: family members for both of them, because showing where they come from is relevant.
Background characters: don’t know yet.

Genre: Rom-Com

Marisol Acevedo
Hero/Dreamer.
Latino girl, trying to make a name for herself by fighting injustice as a wannabe Broadcast Reporter.
Female, mid 20’s, slim and pretty, not at all how you imagine an eating champion looks like. She has the Erin Brockovitch’s spirit, but in Latino style.

Internal Journey: From having a high self esteem and no special feelings for animals, to having self doubts and becoming vegan advocate.
External Journey: From cheap eating contests and cheap love affairs, to international eating championship and finding true love.
Motivation: becoming a notorious broadcast reporter.
Wound: rejected because she was poor and Latino
Mission/Agenda: seduce Liam and win a major eating contest.
Secret: pays her tuition by winning meat eating contests.
What makes her special: trains herself to eat enormous amount of food as fast as possible, like an athlete trains himself for a competition.

What draws us to Marisol
Traits: She is intelligent, ambitious, risk taker, cheerful, impulsive, obstinate and likes the competition.

Subtext: uses humor or deflection to avoid expressing her true feelings.

Flaws: Marisol’s focus on achieving her goal (to be a broadcast reporter) can make her appear self-centered and neglectful of others’ needs.
Her bravery can make her take unnecessary risks that put her in danger.
Her impulsive nature can lead her to make rash decisions without thinking through the consequences.
Her determination can make her stubborn and unwilling to change her mind or listen to others’ opinions.
Her competitive spirit can make her quick to anger or lash out when things don’t go her way.

Values: the pursuit of truth and the desire to make a difference in the world (through her reporting). Self determination, authenticity, humor.

Irony: Marisol want’s to become a broadcast reporter so she can change the world. But to become a broadcast reporter she must win meat eating contest, which means participating in an event that goes against her growing awareness of the interconnectedness of all life (as she starts to see the world through Liam’s eyes).

What makes this the right character for this role?
Marisol thinks she is above criticism because of her self determination to change the world, not realizing there is a step further to go.

Liam Burke
Love interest / Change Agent / Dreamer.
Financially stable white student trying to spread anti-specisme views in a meat eating world.
Male, mid 20’s,
Internal Journey: From hating non-vegan people, to accepting human ambivalent attitude towards animals, and in general.
External Journey: From ineffective vegan campaigns, to popular national coverage and finding true love.
Motivation: turning meat eaters into vegans
Wound: mistreated by his parents for being too sensitive
Mission/Agenda: organize some kind of big action to promote anti-specisme.
Secret: hides himself to eat Tarama OR his father runs a slaughter house.

What makes him special?
He can’t stand meat eaters, but is in love with the meat eating champion of the world.

What draws us to Liam Burke?
Traits:
Matter of fact, he takes bullshit from no one, especially himself.
Unwavering, which is the reason why Marisol hides her eating championships to him.
Subtext:
Liam expresses frustration or disappointment with dry humour.
Flaw:
by trying to make others feel guilty, Liam alienates them rather than encourage them to consider his perspective.
Values:
anti-specisme
Irony:
his desire to make a positive impact in the world through his activism is ironic when his methods actually turn people away from veganism.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pages’s Character Profiles Part 1
“What I learned doing this assignment is that I have trouble making my love interest special”
Love and Burgers: An unlikely romance between a financially stable white vegan activist and a latino girl who has to finance her college tuition by winning burger eating contests. They discover the true meaning of love as they learn to look past their differences.
2. Pick the type of role your Protagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
• Marisol Acevedo is a Hero/Dreamer. She wants to change the world, yet trying to make a name for herself by fighting injustice as a wannabe Broadcast Reporter.
•
3. Pick the type of role your Antagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
• I’d say that Liam Burke is a Change Agent. It is because of him that Marisol’s compassion for people broadens for animals. But also, he himself will be changed by Marisol, becoming more tolerant and less aggressive.

4. What other characters might be necessary?
• Both Marisol and Liam have best friends (sidekicks)
• There should also be competitors for both of them (the “other” woman, the “other “guy”)
• Minor roles: family members for both of them, because showing where they come from is relevant.

5. Pick your genre.
• Rom-Com

6. Fill in whatever answers come to you about your lead character profiles.
• Marisol Acevedo
• Role in the story: Hero/Dreamer. Latino girl, trying to make a name for herself by fighting injustice as a wannabe Broadcast Reporter.
• Age range and Description: Female, mid 20’s, slim and pretty, not at all what you’d imagine an eating champion looks like. She has the Erin Brokovitch’s spirit, but Latino style.
• Internal Journey: From having no special feelings for animals and a low self esteem, to vegan advocacy and self worth.
• External Journey: From cheap eating contests and cheap love affairs, to national eating championship and finding true love.
• Motivation: becoming a notorious broadcast reporter.
• Wound: rejected because she was poor and Latino
• Mission/Agenda: seduce Liam and win a major eating contest.
• Secret: pays her tuition by winning meat eating contests.
• What makes them special? : trains herself to eat enormous amount of food as fast as possible, like an athlete trains himself for a competition.
•
• Liam Burke
• Role in the story: Love interest / Change Agent / Dreamer. Financially stable white student trying to spread anti-specisme views in a meat eating world.
• Age range and Description: Male, mid 20’s,
• Internal Journey: From hating non-vegan people, to accepting human ambivalent attitude towards animals, and in general.
• External Journey: From ineffective vegan campaigns, to popular national coverage and finding true love.
• Motivation: turning meat eaters into vegans
• Wound: mistreated by his parents for being too sensitive
• Mission/Agenda: organise some kind of big action to promote veganisme.
• Secret: hides to eat Tarama OR his father runs a slaughter house
• What makes them special? Can’t figure it out. Yet

[Luc Pagès]

Love and Burgers
“What I learned doing this assignment is that it is perhaps best to keep it simple.”
1. Concept of “Love and Burgers”
• An unlikely romance blossoms between a financially stable white vegan activist and a Latino girl who has to finance her college tuition by winning burgers eating contests, as they discover the true meaning of love by looking past their differences.”
2. Who is your Hero and what is their Character Arc that represents a transformation?
• My Hero is the Latino Girl, because she will represent my target (meat eaters) in a favorable, unexpected and enticeable way. 
This said, as in many romcoms, both characters are closely followed and both will experience a journey.
• Internal Latino Girl’s Journey: 
From no special feelings for animals and low self esteem, to vegan advocacy and self worth.
• External Latino Girl’s Journey: 
From cheap eating contests and cheap love affairs, to international eating championship and finding true love.

• Internal Vegan Activist’s Journey:
 From hating non-vegan people, to accepting human ambivalent attitude towards animals, and in general.
• External Vegan Activist’s Journey: 
From ineffective vegan campaigns, to popular international coverage and finding true love.

3. What are the Old Ways and New Ways?
• Latino Girl’s Old Ways: sink or swim. She’s hard on herself, training her body to ingest food like a machinery.
• Latino Girl’s New Ways: looking outside her box. She becomes more sensitive to her body and to others.
• Vegan Activist’s Old Ways: provocative, trying to make non-vegan feel guilty.
• Vegan Activist’s New Ways: educating people without blaming them.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pagès

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.

[Luc Pagès]

I’m Luc Pagès. French living in Paris.

I’ve written and directed one feature script (& 5 shorts).

I’d like to finish my scripts (and I’d like to get through my ScreenwritingU classe for once) 🙂

I did the cinematography of three movies directed by Eric Rohmer (french New Wave director)

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Character Descriptions

What I learned doing this assignment is that narrowing the descriptions of my characters helps to keep focused on what is important. But I still have to figure out why then some of the stuff I feel are most interesting can’t find their place in there.

JACQUELINE
Role: An 80 y/old lady, between life and death in a coma, has only one purpose – live a last love experience in Limbo, before dying.
Noteworthy traits: Brilliant. Caring. Conservative.
Intriguing history: Before she got married, she had a love affair that marked her for life.
Intrigue? : Totally unprepared for this last love affair, it grows on her unexpectedly. Will she succeed before she is unplugged by the staff, or « relieved » by her husband?
Mystery? : Why did she commit suicide? And how is Jacky’s suicide linked with her’s? What happened with her first love?
Drive conflict: Will do what ever it takes to live this affair.
Irony: She looks young, but is really over 80. Has a juvenile romantic affair at the doorstep of death. Totally unprepared, although she’s had the experience of life, makes immature decisions, because she has nothing else than « Carpe Diem » to loose.
Intriguing relationships: Rocker, Jacky and the Student.

Final punchline: She never expected such a fun death.

START: In a coma after a suicide attempt, an old lady falls in love with another patient in a coma, as they meet in their respective NDE’s.
MIDDLE: Discovering a parallel world, with other people also in NDE, where she meets someone and falls for him. She doesn’t want to die anymore, but how can she tell that to her husband and to the medical staff who want to unplug her?
ENDING: Will cheat, lie, manipulate, blackmail and do what ever it takes to live this last love affair, and discover her true own self.

EDITED VERSION
An old lady who doesn’t expect anything from life any more, commits suicide and ends up in a coma where she discovers a parallel world filled with patients from the same hospital, going through their own NDE and interacting with each other. There, she falls unexpectedly in love and although she can die any minute, she can’t stop herself from living this last romantic affair, and will stop at nothing to make it happen, discovering her true nature in the process.

MEDICAL STUDENT
Role: A 25 y/old guy taking the identity of his twin brother who was doing internship in an intensive care unit (but is actually the disfigured patient in a coma that everyone is trying to identify) who has no medical skill, but must do as if he had, endangering the lives of every patients.
Noteworthy traits: Clumsy, soft-hearted and insecure.
Intriguing history: Ugly duckling of his family.
Intrigue? : Hears voices coming from Limbo, pleading for him to communicate their last wishes.
Mystery? : What happened between him and his brother that brought this situation?
Drive conflict: Wants to keep his brother’s identity. So what if he wakes up?
Irony: Is genuinly taking care of his brother, but needs him dead.
Intriguing relationships: Falls for the Nurse. Helps a teenager experience some kind of sex before dying. Is pressured by Jacqueline to intervene with the staff for her.

START: An unappreciated medical student in an intensive care unit, trying to hide the fact that he took his twin brother’s identity, who is the real student, but is lying unconscious in the unit, disfigured and unidentified.
MIDDLE: Finds out he can hear the voices of patient in coma, who trie to have him make errands for them.
ENDING: Totally unskilled, often making dangerous mistakes, he unexpectedly finds his calling bridging the two worlds.

EDITED VERSION

A lousy medical student in an intensive care unit finds out he can hear voices coming from a parallel world, where patients in coma are trying to have him run errands for them, before dying. He resists, because he doesn’t want to attract attention, having taken the identity of his twin brother who is lying unconscious and unidentified in the service. Totally unskilled and often making dangerous mistakes, he unexpectedly finds his calling bridging the two worlds.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Intriguing Concept and World: Limbo

What I learned doing this assignment is that it wasn’t as easy as I thought! It made me reconsider who may be my main character. Because my show has several central characters, with several stories happening at the same time (although all connected). Like in Westworld, it is hard to figure out who is the main character. Presenting the concept and world by first introducing only one engaging and highly proactive hero is hard. So I chose one for the concept and another one for the world…

1. Present your Concept.
A. Engaging and highly proactive hero… An 80 y/old lady in a coma, going through a Near Death Experience in a parallel world, wanders through the hospital having the body of her teens…
B. …up against a major conflict… She meets other patients in NDE, and falls in love with one of them, who is “only” 30
C. …goes on unique transformational journey… She hides her real age, to live a final love experience with him
D. …Into an intriguing world. …and must find ways to stop the intensive care staff from unplugging her.

2. Tell us the World of this show.
Unique Sub-World: An intensive care unit, with a parallel world.

Previously unexplored: Unlike ER, an intensive care unit is a place where patients are just kept alive, hooked to machines performing their vital functions for them.

The Unknown: It is also the place where therapeutic obstinacy is forbidden. Which means that at some point someone has to pull the plug. Who makes this decision? When? Why?

The Unseen: We know that sometimes, people in a coma get out of their body, going through a « Near Death Experience ». What if they could mingle in an parallel world, experiencing a new life together?

Unheard of Dangers: What if they could see the nursing staff making decisions impacting their lives, about which they disagree? Like when deciding to pull the plug? But can’t be heard pleading?

Reason to explore it: What if a lousy student, disregarded by the staff, could hear those voices? Having to serve as go-between, against his own will. Feeling responsible for his failure to be listened to by the staff.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s creating irony!

What I learned doing this assignment is how much irony is sought for when writing a good series script, and on so many different levels. I thought irony was coming from the personality of the writer and didn’t see it as an objective tool. I’m astounded, excited and very much eager to use it as much as I can.

ASSIGNMENT 1: The Americans
Watch the next episode of your Example Show and notice where irony shows up in this show.

Unexpected lines: When Elisabeth (KGB agent undercover in US) meets with her KGB contact (that she has beaten up in the previous episode because she had them tortured, her and co-agent/husband), KGB Agent says she apologizes for the way she treated them. We expect Elisabeth to acknowledge her excuses and apologize. So when she start’s saying she’s sorry, we expect « for beating the hell out of her too ». But instead she says she’s sorry she didn’t kill her. Irony continues as the KGB contact replies « Better luck next time ». The irony is not gratuitous. It states the fact that those two women despise each other, but will have to continue working together in a dangerous business where mutual trust is crucial.

Situational irony: Philip (co-KGB agent and husband with Elisabeth) has to meet with his former lover Irina (20 years ago in Russia) also KGB agent now (but in Canada). They obviously still feel a lot for each other. Right when she tells him that he is the father of her 20 y/o son, Philip has to bash her face so she can show real bruises to prove the rape they are trying to pin on another character.

Plot irony: Counterintelligence agent Stan blackmails Nina to have her betray the KGB. He is making her do very dangerous things. He’s a true American, she’s a true Russian. They should hate each other. They fall in love.

Situational irony: It is right when Philip learns he has a son from Irina, former love in Russia, that Elisabeth calls him in the middle of the night to tell him she misses him (something she never did before). And it is right after this call that we see Irina was in his bed all along.

Situational irony: When Philip comes home after turning down Irina’s offer to defect and run away with him, he asks his children if anyone missed him while he was away. « You’re very funny » is the answer he gets, like they’re so sure he’ll always be there.

This one is a running irony throughout the show. One of the difficulty the couple has to deal with is raising their child like an ordinary American family, in oblivion to the fact their parents are secret agent from the KGB, conspiring against America. When the child express how dull their life is, it is ironical, because they are actually in the middle of extreme danger and action, and also because the fact they feel this way is living proof of Philip and Elisabeth efficiency as secret agents.

There is also some kind of irony, at the end of the episode, where Elisabeth and Philip start a new kind of relationship, where they both agree to go from a contrived marriage into a real romantic relationship, she asks him, as some kind of way to seal this new era, to tell her the truth: did something happened between him and Irina? He says nothing happened, although we’ve seen the opposite. The irony is that this new relationship, based on mutual trust, starts with the biggest lie.

ASSIGNMENT 2: Limbo
Look back through your previous assignments and find at least 20 different situations or character components that you could go opposite to create irony.


1 – The autistic student has this « super power » that enables him to hear what is going on in Limbo. But he rejects it. Whenever he is surrounded by family members or medical staff, who would give anything to communicate with someone in a coma, while we see him fighting his power, I should get irony.

2 – When Rocker doesn’t want to date Jacqueline because she is half his age, we know that in fact she is twice his age, but if she told him, he would still reject her, but this time for being too old…

3 – Whenever a character in Limbo acts or talks as if he had a future.

4 – When a character in Limbo wants to die, someone on the other side tries to save them, but when they want to live, someone on the other side (maybe the same one) wants now to unplug them.

5 – In Limbo, Jacqueline has a young body, but her mind is not totally ridden of Alzheimer. When ever we see her behaving like a teen, while also showing glimpses of Alzheimer, we get irony.

6 – As Jacqueline is about to wake up on the other side, people in Limbo congratulate her, believing she is destined to have a long and happy life, but we know she is really going to face a short one, with old age and Alzheimer.

7 – Machines showing there is no life left in someone, while we see them in perfect health in Limbo.

8 – When someone from Limbo tries to influence someone on the other side, with an unexpected opposite result.

9 – We know that the nurse Veronica gets high whenever there is a rush in a life and death situation (like she’s on drugs). While everyone in the service is highly stressed, we see the smile on her face that tells us she’s beyond orgasm.

10 – When the autistic student is controlled by someone from Limbo, he starts acting opposite to his normal behaviour.

11 – When Rocker starts kissing Jacqueline and doesn’t dare go to far sexually. She tries to act the way she would have when she was young and shy, but at one point can’t resist behaving like the experienced woman she really is.

12 – The autistic student has an incredible memory about anything (he’s a living medical bible) but his mind gets blank when under stress, which is a problem when he acts as a messenger for the Limbo. They have to sooth him from Limbo, so he can remember what to do.

13 – Jacqueline’s grand daughter is a young ballerina. To save her life the medical staff has to amputate her legs. While she lies crippled on her bed, she can still dance wonderfully in Limbo.

14 – A relative visiting a patient in coma, saying nice things to him while deliberately physically hurting him.

15 – A relative visiting a patient in coma, saying horrible things to him while gently taking care of him physically.

16 – Jacqueline’s husband hiding from the staff and secretly unplugging her (as a supreme act of love for someone who wanted to die) while in Limbo Jacqueline doesn’t want to die anymore and insults him.

17 – Dr Levi has a brain trouble that puts him in a coma. He becomes a patient in his own service, where his enemy doctor gets to take care of him.

18 – Someone having sex with a patient, unseen by the staff, but unaware that in Limbo the room is full of people witnessing the scene, which makes the patient, who is also in Limbo, terribly uneasy (although his body on the bed is responding extremely well…)

19 – Trying to stop a nurse from unplugging a machine by tickling her from Limbo. It is supposed to be a solemn moment, but she can’t stop giggling.

20 – Someone in Limbo takes part in a conversation, although they can’t hear what he says.

21 – Someone is bad mouthing about a patient in a coma. He does it over his bed, while the patient is watching him from Limbo (if it is a staff member they should have a really good reason, if not it is just not believable). Someone else tells him not to do it because it is disrespectful. He sneers back, « Sure, like he can hear me… » .

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Plot and Character layers

What I learned about this assignment is that following the lists of questions given in the lesson, like a shopping list, is a great way to improve your show, step by step. Helps to ask yourself the right questions without being crushed by the mountain of work ahead. It gives depth every where: plot, characters, meanings.

ASSIGNMENT 1: The Americans
At the start of this new episode, Philip (KGB agent undercover in the US) is abducted by a team of US secret agents and tortured to get the names of his contacts. It looks like he is irremediably discovered and the only choice left for him is to become a double agent. This would give a new depth to the series, where he would have to lie to Elisabeth (his wife and co-agent).
But then Elisabeth is also abducted and tortured (although only psychologically). So now it seems that both of them have no other choice then to turn against the KGB. It would still bring new layer to the plot, although a bit less interesting (because they can still team, instead of lie to each other).
And then, as neither of them submit, but say they’d rather die than talk, we realise along with them that their torturers are Russians, trying to make sure Philip and Elisabeth are not the mole they’re looking for. So it looks like there is no new layer after all. Still, Elisabeth’s violent reaction against her KGB contact who organised the abduction (she beats her almost to death) is in itself a new shift (I don’t know if I can call it a new layer) because now she has lost her faith and trust into KGB, with is a major shift in her psychology and which should bring her closer to Philip who has no illusions about them. But Philip realises that all this happened because of something Elisabeth must have told them about him. She confesses that a long time ago she told the KGB that Philip was enjoying too much his life in the US. Because of that, there is new turn on their relationship, a reversal, where Philip is not after Elisabeth anymore, now she is after him.

ASSIGNMENT 2: my show « Limbo »
Recap of show concept:
Jaqueline and her teenaged grand daughter commit suicide together. They end up in coma inside an intensive care service. During an Near Death Experience, the grand daughter finds herself in an alternate reality where other patients, going through their own NDE, can socialize. Most are trying to reach to the nursing team who can’t see them.

Brainstorming.
1. IDENTIFY YOUR SOURCE MATERIAL
• Reveal a Moral Issue. (Lesson 3)
⁃ Is it alright to have your lover believe you are only 13, when in fact you are 80?
⁃ Is it alright to conduct experiments on your own son in a coma, not knowing his real desire to live or die?
⁃ Is it alright to deny access Limbo to your grand daughter, because it would endanger your last love story before you die?
• Reveal a Character Intrigue or Hidden Plan. (Lesson 4)
⁃ What is the real reason for the reporter to go in Limbo? (Love? Revenge? Research?)
⁃ Has someone been conducting hidden experiments on Rocker all these years ?
⁃ What is the real reason for the Lousy Student’s Father to put his son in Dr Levi’s service?
• Reveal an unknown relationship history. (Lesson 6)
⁃ How about if Dr Levi was Rocker’s secret father?
⁃ He is making experiments on his son, while the mother disapproves, but takes part in it so that her son can live. She still hopes he can wake up one day.
• Create mysteries and reveal clues for deeper layers. (Lesson 8)
⁃ Could Dr Levi be keeping his son in a coma just for the sake of his research, although he could have waken him up all this time?
⁃ What is really doing Dr Levi?

2. ASK QUESTIONS TO DISCOVER LAYERS
• Could there be a deeper mystery?
⁃ What if there was a second Limbo in parallel? (Closer to the Light?)
• How could there be a completely different meaning to what we’ve discovered so far?
⁃ In Dr Levi’s service, NDE’s are drug induced.
⁃ Some are, some aren’t.
• What conspiracy could exist that changes everything?
⁃ There is a conspiracy to take over the reins of Dr Levi’s service (by another doctor? By some private firm who needs to make experiments on real people in coma? Because they are also researching NDE, but not for philosophical reasons, because there is huge opportunity to make profits out of it (it could be a bigger business than drugs, alcohol, entertainment, etc…)

PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story.
• Major scheme revealed
⁃ Dr Levi has been conducting experiments on his secret son Rocker, kept secretly in a coma in the hospital cellar, for ten years now.
⁃ The LousyStudent’s father wants his son to investigate about potential dysfunctions in the intensive care service. This is the real reason why he pulled strings to have him training there. There is conspiracy lurking, trying to overtake Dr Levi’s function from head of the intensive care service.
• Mystery revealed
⁃ Why did Jaqueline’s grand daughter try to commit suicide? I don’t know yet, and I’m opened to anything.
⁃ What is it exactly that Dr Levi is trying to achieve with his experiments? I don’t know yet. And specially, I don’t know how much he knows about the Limbo. Is he aware of it’s existence? Does he think it is rubbish? I think that if he knew about Limbo (and that his son is actually conscious) he wouldn’t do those experiments (but maybe he’s not that nice), so it might be a good idea to keep this a mystery too: does he know about Limbo and only pretends it is rubbish?
• Thought the story was one thing, but it is another
⁃ We think the story is about a love story in Limbo between a virgin teenage girl and a forgotten rockstar. Should he resist her, because of their difference in age? When actually the girl is not a teenager, she is the grandmother. So the story is about an old woman trying to live a last love story like it was the first one. She is the one taking advantage of his youth.
• Major shift in Meaning
⁃ The story looks like it is about life after death, but actually it doesn’t say what happens to a character when they go for the light (death). So the story is more about Carpe Diem, and how to prepare yourself to die. It’s also about who decides (and how), that someone’s time has come to an end. Those are all first level story consideration.
⁃ The conspiration around the intensive care service is a turn in the story, but I don’t want it to become something shallow and worn like private interests taking over welfare (or some sort). I need a deeper philosophical twist, which I haven’t found yet.
• Hidden history
⁃ How about a massacre perpetuated in the premisses during the St Barthelemy? With spirits still wandering around, disrupting communications between the Limbo and regular world? It has a « Shining » aftertaste with makes it a bit overworked. But it could still work as some kind of ironic obstacle, as long as the whole story predicament doesn’t rely on it too much.
• Hidden plan
⁃ Administration of the hospital has a hidden agenda, which could be connected to the actual Covid pandemic, but I still have to document myself to find something believable and meaningful.
• Major betrayal
⁃ Jaqueline could betray her grand daughter (when she also appears in Limbo) to save her own love story.
⁃ Need to think about bigger betrayals.

CHARACTER LAYERS – identity beneath the identity.
• JAQUELINE
⁃ Surface: A teenager is flirting with a forgotten « rockstar to be » in Limbo.
⁃ Layer 1: Secret Identity: The teenager is actually her grandmother Jaqueline, who is 80 and who experiences her NDE in the body of her teens, that looks like her grand daughter.
⁃ Layer 2: Hidden Agenda: Jaqueline wants to live a final love story, as if she was a teen.
⁃ Layer 3: Hidden Character History: Jaqueline had a love story when she was a teen and she tries to relive it.
⁃ Layer 4: Wound: Her old love story ended with the suicide of her lover because of something she did. She wants to undo this symbolically.
⁃ Layer 5: Revenge: On whatever made her do what she did that brought her lover to kill himself.
• Other characters:
⁃ I need to know more about my other characters to give them layers.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing this assignment is that I agree with Jon (previous post) when he says this « open loops » concept reminds him of “set up & pay off”. But I see it like another way of looking at the same tool. Usually you plant things in a discreet way. Opening a loop is more obvious, and is more like starting a count down without giving the time frame.
Also, closing a loop can open a new one. Like in Prison Break, the first shot of the pilote opens the « Tattoo loop » (why is Michael having his whole body tattooed at once). The last shot of the pilote closes the loop by revealing that the tattoo is a blueprint of the prison. This opens a new loop: since Michael is a walking map, will someone else figure it out? And how will it help the prison break?

ASSIGNMENT 1
Prison Break
1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the Big Picture open loops that were established early in the season.
Episode 8
Obvious open loop is between Michael and the Prison Doctor: when will they kiss ? and when will she team up with him against: the law, the prison, her father (who is governor of the state), etc…?
Other open loop « Is Michael going to be caught? ». This is used in every episode, of course.
There is also a new step made in every episode for the prison break, and it always goes wrong, or seems to go wrong.
Also, Michael is building an escape team, but this team is made of unreliable or/and dangerous convicts. One of them is a psychopath. How will he manage to keep all these people working together without horrible things happening? There are open loops foreshadowing troubles.
Another open loop has to do with Veronika’s investigation. Secret agents want to stop her, and killing her seems to be just a problem of time.
There is a smaller open loop suggested by the feelings one of the key convicts has for his cat. It is bound to have some kind of link with the plot and also the implication of this convict is left for later.

2. Watch the next episode and see how those open loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes.
Episode 9
The « cat » loop has just been closed in this episode, and it does have a huge implication in the plot. The cat is killed by the chief officer which makes the convict help Michael on a key element for the escape, out of retaliation. This is one of the smaller loops that are continuously fuelling the bigger loop about the way Michael is planning the break out.
This episode is packed with open loops:
They plan on digging a hole in a storage place (goal), but find out it is now used as quarters for the prison officers (crushed goal). They plan on starting a fire in this place so that they can be chosen to be the ones to clean it after the fire (new goal). But the only person who has access to the place and could set up the fire doesn’t want to help them. He is the convict with the cat, and his cat is missing (this loop was opened in the previous episode: during a prison riot where the cat escaped into the service corridors network). Michael finds the cat and brings it back in exchange of the convicts help to set up the fire. The convict refuses (another crushed goal: but the loop is still opened) It is only when the chief of officers kills the cat (to put pressure on him (another loop opened in the previous episode where this particular convict witnesses the murder of an officer), but now doesn’t want to rat on who did it) that he decides to help Michael out of retaliation for the killing of his cat, setting up the fire as if the chief officer started the fire out of negligence. All those loops are intertwined. It’s almost as if every sequence is opening a new loop, or is redirecting an old one. They are too many to track down, but here are a few:
Major change about a character: the « cat convict » loop. Will he change from being a model convict for thirty years to be included in the break away team?
Relationships in peril: the psychopath convict has a young slave convict. He forced him to rat on an innocent convict for the murder of an officer he committed. A shot ends on the slave, almost crying, which suggest he will soon rebel.
Solving problems: in the previous episode a loop is opened with the prison doctor discovering Michael lied to her. She is now investigating about it. This loop converges with a bigger loop opened long before on their mutual affection.
In this episode a major revelation is done at the end: the special agents are taking orders from the vice president’s wife, meaning that Michael’s brother’s set up in death row comes from the highest place of power. This reveal acts like a new « open risk loop ». But also, in the same loop, we see the agents lying to the vice president’s wife, telling her that everything is in control, as in fact it isn’t. Michael’s brother’s son has not been caught by the police (and another loop is started when we see he has a photo of the agent in his phone that implicates him in the killing of his mother (for which he is himself accused of).

ASSIGNMENT 2

1. Use this list to brainstorm big picture open loops for your first season that you will use to keep the audience captivated.

GOALS:
• New goals?
⁃ From Survival to wanting to Die (or opposite)
⁃ Tell someone you love him before you die.
⁃ From self centered to repair an injustice (made by you or someone else)
⁃ Revenge about something you learned while in Limbo (before dying, also before waking up because you know you will forget)
⁃ From preparing life for your loved ones in your after death, to enjoy what is left of your own life before dying.

CONSEQUENCES:
• Are they going to be caught?
⁃ Is Jaqueline’s real age going to be discovered, ending her love relationship with Rocker?
• Problems created from past actions?
⁃ Jaqueline tried to kill herself, her husband tries to respect this choice, urging the staff to let her die.

2. Tell us your top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in your pilot.
Jaqueline would rather die than be taken out of coma. But when she meets Rocker, she’d rather stay as long as possible in Limbo, than die.

Jaqueline’s husband is determined to kill her himself if the staff goes into therapeutic obstinacy.

Although the Girl Next Room feels great, her vital signs are going down. Will it reach the point where the staff decide it is time to stop therapeutic obstinacy.

How will people in Limbo manage to communicate with the living world?

Will the staff finally trust the Lousy Student as a messenger from the Limbo?

What will become of Rocker when the administration finds out he’s been kept secretly in the cellar for ten years in total contradiction with ethical procedures.

New young administrative follows the life of the service like some ordinary trainee. His goal is to figure how to reduce costs. The chief of service doesn’t want him there (saying it makes everybody nervous and disrupts the efficiency of the work done). There is an argument between them, in front of everyone, where the CoS accuses the administrative of not trusting them, ending with the administrative poisoning himself, as a proof of how much he does trust them. It is an extreme way of forcing his way into the service, which shows what kind of crazy person he is. It also make us wonder, will he also go in Limbo?

Those are big picture loops, but I don’t know if they should be in the pilot, since I don’t know how far into the plot my pilot should go.

[Luc Pagès]

What I learned about this assignment is that it is not so easy to work out two clear mysteries. I have trouble understanding what should be the Big Picture mystery and what should be the Over Time mystery of my show. It seems simple when explained by “one shows up strong in the Pilot and the other is revealed over time”, but the examples given with Westworld are complicated for me to follow.

ASSIGNMENT 1:
Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the mysteries that have been created in that show. Also, notice the difference between the big picture mysteries that are a big part of the plot across the entire season versus the smaller mysteries.
Tell us about the mysteries from this show.

Prison Break

Big Picture Mystery:
A. Shocking Event: Michael’s brother is in death row for a murder he didn’t commit.
B. Secret: Why was he set up.
C. Investigation: An investigation is conducted by his ex-girlfriend who is also his lawyer.

Mystery 1– Why was Michael’s brother set up as the killer of the the brother of Vice President of the US? This mystery is written like a B plot, where Veronica teams up with an other guy to investigate, but special agents are trying to discourage them and even kill them.
Mystery 2 – How does Michael intend to break out of prison? Every episode gives us some more information about his plans. But we are told only what needs to be told to keep the suspense going in each episode. So I’d say this is the basic material for smaller mysteries.
The “shocking event” mystery thrown at our face at the end of the pilot is the blueprint of the prison that Michael has had tattooed on his entire body (but in an artistic way that hides its real function). This in itself is a visual living mystery. It makes us believe there might be a way to “read” it properly, and it makes us feel that the prison is full of secret passages.


ASSIGNMENT 2:
Create two mysteries for your show — one that shows up strong in the Pilot and the other that is revealed over time.
List of possible mysteries in my show LIMBO.
1 – Why did Jaqueline and her Grand-daughter try to commit suicide? Reasons can be revealed throughout the season.
2 – Why has Rocker been hidden in a coma in the cellar of the hospital for almost ten years? Reasons can be revealed throughout the season.
3 – Why do some people in a coma end up in limbo, while others don’t? This could be a mystery revealed throughout the season and could be linked to mystery #2 about Rocker hidden for ten years in the basement. Maybe some experiments are conducted on Rocker.
4 – How does the link work between limbo and normal world?
5 – Each new character in limbo can hide the real reason that brought them in intensive care, which we can discover depending on the character during an episode, or during the whole season.
6 – Every staff members can also have their own mysterious reasons to choose intensive care as a place to work.
7 – How about having a staff member being cruel with one of the character in a coma? (Setting the machine the wrong way, or positioning the body in a painful position, etc…) Why would they be so cruel?
8 – This could work the same with the relatives coming to visit patients, being cruel to them.

1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.
• A. Shocking Event: Jaqueline’s grand daughter commits suicide. Instead of trying to stop her, Jaqueline teams with her, making it an unexpected double suicide.
• B. Secret: Reasons for both suicide is unclear, as is the reason Jaqueline might want her grand daughter dead.
• C. Investigation: Nurse (who gets in touch with the limbo in her sleep) starts investigating (about what? Limbo? Jaqueline’s real identity? Rocker? Strange experiments done behind the back of the staff?)
• WWWWW and How: don’t know yet
• Part Withheld: don’t know yet

2. Create the Over Time Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.
• A. Cover up: patient in a coma is hidden in the hospital cellar.
• B. Secret: Rocker is kept in the cellar, hidden from the staff. He can’t be taken out of coma because he doesn’t want to.
• C. Reveals: Rocker’s mother is director of the hospital.
• What: There is strange rock music coming from somewhere inside the hospital.
• When: it has been for the last ten years
• Where: from the hospital cellar
• Who: Rocker is a once promising rock singer, who got in an accident.
• Why: His mother has kept him on artificial life beyond any legitimate protocole.
• How: She puts pressure on Head of Service to keep Rocker alive.
• Part Withheld: everything is revealed bit by bit.

[Luc Pagès]

Assignment 1
Big Picture Empathy/Distress in “The Americans”
• A. Undeserved misfortune.
⁃ Elizabeth got raped by a Russian training officer (ep 1)
⁃ Elizabeth has suffered when raised in a tough country by her mom only.
• B. External Character conflicts.
⁃ Philip thinks Russia is over reacting
⁃ Elizabeth blames him for having wanted to defect.
⁃ They will always disagree about Russians and Americans way of seeing things. He is less biased than she is.
• C. Plot intruding on life.
⁃ They were having some sort of honeymoon rebirth and the president of US gets shot, which puts them both in an emergency situation where they might have to go guerrilla underground and where they are back into their respective opposite attitude.
• D. Moral dilemmas.
⁃ Elizabeth kills a security guy who was about to have them inspected by police. Which means she has to kill innocent people on regular basis.
⁃ It is clear that they are spies before they are husband and wife. It is done by Philip saying “if Moscow finds out that we sat on the Haig intelligence, we’re finished” and Elizabeth replying “I won’t say anything if you don’t”. Which means it is not obvious that she wouldn’t and that there might be some case where she would report things whitout his knowledge.
• E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
⁃ This is hard to have, since they are already capable of taking extreme decisions like killing in cold blood.

Assignment 2
Empathy/Distress situations that could occur in LIMBO
Concept: An old woman has a car accident trying to take her suicidal grand daughter to ER. She ends up in Limbo (the parallel world of an intensive care unit) where people who are going through a Near Death Experience can gather and socialise and where she has the body of her teens. There, she falls for a guy half her age, who thinks she is in her teens. Will she allow herself to live this ultimate love story? And if so, will she have time to enjoy it before she is unplugged from the machine that keeps her alive?
• A. Undeserved misfortune.
⁃ Jaqueline is badly injured trying to save her grand-daughter’s life.
⁃ Jaqueline’s Grand-Daughter has a leg cut off, so she can survive. Then a second leg. Her legs are continuously chopped off again and again, up to the waist. Then her arms too. (This does happen in real life)
⁃ B. External Character conflicts.
⁃ Should I give Jaqueline an enemy in Limbo, as well as an enemy in the intensive care unit? What kind of conflict?
⁃ In intensive care unit: Maybe use the Student as enemy. Jaqueline saw him fondle her grand-daughter’s breasts. She hates him for that and tells him so. This makes the Student dread she might wake up and tell (he knows no one would believe her (she was in a coma) but still it wouldn’t look good on him).
⁃ In Limbo: It could be her grand-daughter: she hates Jaqueline for hindering her suicide, then for taking her identity to seduce the Rocker.
• C. Plot intruding on life.
⁃ Doctors decide to unplug Jaqueline, just when she’s had her first kiss with Rocker.
⁃ Jaqueline’s grand daughter arriving in Limbo, which will disclose her real age and identity.
• D. Moral dilemmas.
⁃ To live the love story she never had (with someone half her real age) in limbo, Jaqueline hides her real age and pretends to be her own grand-daughter (they look the same) Her grand-daughter is also in a coma, but not (yet) in Limbo.
⁃ Jaqueline puts pressure on intensive care staff members so she doesn’t get unplugged. (Still have to figure out how on earth she can do that…)
⁃ Jaqueline is tempted to get her grand daughter unplugged, so she won’t reveal her real age and identity to anyone in Limbo.
⁃ Jaqueline’s family is put in a tough spot: should they allow the staff to bring her grand daughter back (knowing that she wanted to die in the first place, and that now she will have to adapt to living without arms and legs) or let nature take her away?
• E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
⁃ Don’t know yet

[Luc Pagès]

Lesson 5: Depth of Emotion
WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT IS THAT “PRISON BREAK” DOESN’T TOTALLY SEEMS TO FIT THE MODEL. BUT I REALIZE EACH OF THESE SHOW MUST HAVE THEIR OWN WAY OF GETTING HOLD OF THE MODEL. IN PRISON BREAK, WHICH I STILL FIND VERY “BINGE WORTHY”, I DON’T FIND THE CHARACTERS FROM THE FIRST CIRCLE AS ENGAGING AS THE ONES FROM THE SECOND CIRCLE, WHO ARE THE OTHER INMATES MICHAEL IS ENROLLING IN THE BREAK OUT.
ALSO, Michael doesn’t really show any weaknesses and isn’t triggered out of emotional control. So what is it that makes this show so Binge Worthy? It is something I’m eager to find out as I get deeper into the model.
Assignment 1:
COMPILED PROFILES FOR THE SHOW Prison Break
Michael
• A. Situational: Hope – Break his brother out of jail / Fear – Run out of time or be discovered
• B. Motivation: Want – Control over prison world / Need – Save his brother
• C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Fear / Public Mask: Composed
• D. Weaknesses: his family was abandoned by his father when he was a kid, then his mother died, and then his older brother abandoned him. I don’t know if it is relevant to mention as a weakness, because it doesn’t really look like it’s making him weaker. Almost the opposite, Michael doesn’t show any signs of weakness.
• E. Triggers: doesn’t loose control emotionally, except a bit when warden accept his transfer, which makes him plead.
• F. Coping Mechanism – Analyze (problem solving)
•
Veronica (old friend and lawyer of Michael and his brother)
• A. Situational: Hope – prove evidence has been tampered / Fear – that she can’t prove it
• B. Motivation: Want – save Michael and his brother / Need – justice and get to the bottom of it
• C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask – I don’t know
• D. Weaknesses: underestimate what she’s against
• E. Triggers – I don’t know
• F. Coping Mechanism: withdrawal or distract

Warden
• A. Situational: Hope – Please his wife/ Fear – she knows about his secret son
• B. Motivation: Want – pleasant life with wife/ Need – self esteem as moral man
• C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – Shame for abandoning his son / Public Mask : Public servant
• D. Weaknesses: Doesn’t dare tell his wife about secret son he left to die
• E. Triggers: being told how to manage his prison ?
• F. Coping Mechanism: prayer, talk to priest

Assignment 2:
COMPILED PROFILES FOR MY SHOW Limbo
Internal struggles
• Jaqueline
• A. Situational: Hope – experience love / Fear – die unloved
• B. Motivation: Want – seduce / Need – feel alive
• C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – Victim ? Worthless ?/ Public Mask – Benevolent
• D. Weaknesses: Obedient
• E. Triggers: Injustice? Questioning her sincerity ?
• F. Coping Mechanism: ordinary life Denial – in Limbo Fight back? Scheme?
•
• Lousy Med Student
• A. Situational: Hope, pass medical examinations / Fear, be discovered as a fraud
• B. Motivation: Want to be a respected doctor/ Needs recognition
• C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion feels worthless/ Public Mask, efficient
• D. Weaknesses: Terrible memory for anything that has to do with medicine
• E. Triggers: Expectations from others ?
• F. Coping Mechanism: Crying
• Head of Department
• A. Situational: Hope – being praised for his efficiency / Fear to be overthrown by one of his peers
• B. Motivation: Want – recognition from his mother and peers / Need – feel loved? Self esteem?
• C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion – Weak / Public Mask – Competant
• D. Weaknesses: ego driven
• E. Triggers – being disrespected or facing arrogant incompetency
• F. Coping Mechanism – fight back

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Intriguing Character Layers

What I learned doing this assignment is that thinking in terms of character intrigue made my previous characters become more interesting giving them ambivalence and moral dilemma.
LIMBO — JAQUELINE
• Role: An old woman who wants to live an ultimate love story in limbo before she is unplugged.
• Hidden agendas: Seduce NICK, who is 50 years younger, because she wants to enjoy the love affair she never had when she was young.
• Competition: For Nick’s attention with Girl Next Room, who has a crush on Nick, which might be reciprocal.
• Conspiracies: With Medical student to take GNR out of her way.
• Secrets: Hide her real age from NICK, so it doesn’t disgust him to date an old woman, but also from other limbos so they don’t judge her.
• Deception: Deceiving everybody by taking the identity of her grand-daughter. Deceiving her grand-daughter when she steps into limbo, by making her hide from the others.
• Wound: Bullied by her twin sister when they were young. Her sister died in an accident, and everybody held Jaqueline responsible for it, without actually saying it. This is what made it impossible for her to pursue her love interest who was also her sister’s crush.
• Secret Identity: Profound bitterness.

LIMBO — Medical Student
• Role: A lousy student who is in intensive care only because this trainee-ship will give him better grades. He wants to be an ophthalmologist, which is a “clean” medicine (unlike intensive care) and pays very well, but needs him to have better grades than what he can do.
• Hidden agendas: steal any credits he can, so it looks good on his academic record.
• Competition: with other students to get Head of Service’s attention.
• Conspiracies: I don’t know yet.
• Secrets: cheated on his first year medical examination.
• Deception: I don’t know yet.
• Wound: I don’t know yet
• Secret Identity: I don’t know yet

[Luc Pagès]

What I learned from this assignment is how easier you can build an interesting show when you try to build a dark side to every character, instead of a good side. Which is the same actually, because you need to give them reasons for their behavior, which takes us back to their humanity. Also, trying to flesh the dark side of a character builds plot. Which is great.
ASSIGNMENT 1: Prison Break
Tell us the name and Engaging Profile answers for at least one character from your example show.
• A. Role in the show: Sucre is Michael’s cell mate. Michael has no choice other than tell him about the break out.
• B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Keep his girlfriend / Thief
• C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? The main secret is that anything Michael does has to do with planning a break out, but he can’t tell anyone, foes or friends. Only those he needs for the break out have to be informed, and the problem is you never know how reliable they are. Also, because Michael only tells what he must tell to go forward (even to his brother) makes the audience stay in the dark on how he plans to do it.
• D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Michael sets up Sucre to check if he’s reliable, and Sucre loses his conjugal visits in the process. T-bag, the meanest of them all, knows exactly how immoral his conduct is, or anyone else’s, and gets a kick out of it.
• E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Michael lets Abruzzi chop off his toes instead of telling him the name of an eyewitness, so we know he’ll go through with whatever pain it takes to break his brother out. What we don’t know yet is how far morally he is prepared to go. Abruzzi: He chooses to make friend with Michael instead of trying to break him, and has Michael’s worst enemy beaten up to prove his goodwill.
• F. Empathetic: Why do we care? Michael: lets Abruzzi chop his fingers off. Sucre: Everyone around his girlfriend is trying to convince her to ditch him. Michael’s brother: Has to choose who he want’s to be there at his execution and talks to his son about it. Veronica: the case breaks her wedding and she looses her fiancé. Abruzzi: His accomplice outside holds his children and will harm them if he doesn’t break Michael.

ASSIGNMENT 2: LIMBO (my show)
Concept: An old woman commits suicide and ends up in limbo (the parallel world of an intensive care unit) where people in a coma gather and socialize, and where she has the body she had as a teenager. There, she falls in love with someone in his thirties, who is unaware of her real age. Will she allow herself to live this ultimate love story? And if so, will she have time to enjoy it before she is unplugged from the machine that keeps her alive?

A. Role in the show:
• Jaqueline: Old lady trying to live a last love affair in limbo before she is unplugged.
• Med Student: Lousy student who lets himself be used as a link between limbo and the ordinary world.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
• Jaqueline: She can communicate with the Med Student, and tries to use him to interfere with the ordinary world.
• Med Student: has the power to hear what happens in limbo and uses it for his own benefit.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
• Jaqueline: Every body in limbo think she’s a teenager, while in fact she’s over eighty.
• Med Student: Will do whatever it takes to hide his blunders.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
• Jaqueline: She realises that law and order from the ordinary world don’t apply in limbo, but moral issues do. Or do they?
• Med Student: He knows his medical abilities are lousy and dangerous, and although it affects him when he hurts someone badly, he goes on.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
• Jaqueline: In the opening scene, she catches her grand-daughter committing suicide. Instead of stopping her, she joins her.
• Med Student: His stupidity varies according to circumstances, which brings unexpected outcomes, sometimes horrible, sometimes brilliant.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
• Jaqueline: We se her husband trying hard to save his grand-daughter from suicide and neglecting her, which makes us feel her own family doesn’t care about her.
• Med Student: Disregarded by everyone, who take it for granted he is stupid.

[Luc Pagès]

Module 1 – Lesson 2: Three Circles of Characters
What I learned from this assignment is that it’s not always easy to figure out in which circle a character belongs. Also I realized that the characters I find mostly interesting at the start of Prison Break are in the connected circle. That being said, I find that sorting my characters according to those three circles makes it easier to concentrate on their purpose for the main character’s journey.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Prison Break
A. Main Characters Circle: Michael Scofield – Lincoln (his Brother) – Veronika (lifelong friend of both – lawyer)
They are the ones we see the most at the beginning of the season. I think it is needed to start the story going, but from what I remember when I saw the whole series, there will be a switch at some point where characters from the connected circle will come into the main circle. Those are the most interesting characters.
B. Connected Circle: Sucre (Michael’s cell mate) – Abbruzzi (mafia leader) – T Bag (narcissistic pervert) – Sarah Tancredi (prison doctor) – C-Note (substance provider) – Brad Bellik (Chief of prison wardens) – Westmoreland (longest serving inmate)
C. Environment Circle: Kellerman (Secret agent) – Lincoln’s son – Lincoln’s wife – Prison Principal – Veronika’s husband

ASSIGNMENT 2:
Limbo (my show)
Show Concept: Life and death in an Intensive care unit, from the point of view of patients going through a near death experience collectively, which means they can interact with each other. They can see the livings around them, but they can’t be seen or heard by them.
A. Main Characters Circle: Emma, Ruby, Alicia, Kacper, Veronica, Dr Le Bel
Emma, in her eighties, starting Alzheimer. She tried to commit suicide because she didn’t want to be a burden for her relatives. But now, the longer she can stay in limbo, the better. Here, she has the body she had when she was fourteen and her journey is about trying to have a final love story, with Ruby.
Ruby, in his thirties. Aneurysm ruptured ten years ago. For an obscure reason, he is now hidden in the basement of the hospital. He still thinks he can make it as a rock star and never stops writing new songs.
Alicia, almost twenty. Emma’s sidekick. Her EEG indicates no possibility of recovery and doctors want to unplug her. But in limbo she feels great and doesn’t want to die.
Kacper, Ukrainian medical student. Clumsy and lacking self confidence, he is ignored by the rest of the staff. When people in limbo realise he can hear them, they ask him to deliver messages to the living world. Of course, when he tries, he’s not taken seriously and it worsens his image as a student. He’s not sure he can cope with this unexpected dilemma.
Veronica is a young nurse with an art and literature higher education. She’s brillant and no one knows how she ended up being a nurse. Over efficient, she doesn’t expect less from anyone.
Dr Le Bel is the head doctor of the intensive care unit. Playing God fits his narcissistic personality.

B. Connected Circle: Alicia’s father – Emma’s husband – Emma’s grand-daughter – they are the ones I can think off at this time.
C. Environment circle: Other doctors, other nurses, other students, other patient relatives, hospital administration.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pages

French, living in Paris.

Wrote 2 scripts. Directed one of them (A+ Pollux). The other one didn’t make it to production. Both were adapted from novels.

I’ve had this series idea for a long time and I feel this program is the best way to make it happen. Now or never.

I’m a cinematographer in the french movie business.
No one calls me any more, so I’m turning to virtual tours. Exploring ways to make them fun and useful for all sorts of things.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc Pages

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.

[Luc Pagès]

Hello Rita, sorry for responding so late. I didn’t see your message until just now.
Sure we can exchange our drafts whenever you feel like it.
I haven’t read enough of your story to respond in a coherent way yet, as I’m driving across France right now and haven’t much time for work… But will do as soon as possible 🙂