[Natalie Hawkins]

Natalie's 3: Transformational Journeys

what I learned: I researched a math topic that helped me think of a way to define the story.

logline: the discovery of a math proof, suggests new physics, which significantly impacts our understanding of the world, and has potential for changing our world via new actions.

Old Ways: believe the existing science, and proceed as normal

New Ways: recognize a new science, and try to utilize that instead

• This reply was modified 11 months ago by  Natalie Hawkins.

[Natalie Hawkins]

Natalie's 4a: The Change Agent, etc.

what I learned: an approach of shaping a story through this model

logline: A youngster with Native American heritage, studying math and the sciences, tags along with a woman scientist pursuing some math/science challenges which can open the door to a new way of thinking about science and reality.

change agent: the youngster and the scientist

transformable characters: those who hold strong to current beliefs about how the universe works

oppression: scientists in the field whose lives have relied on upholding the current beliefs

betraying character: a scientist who has seen the light, but has too much to lose to reveal that

Natalie's 4b: Dead Poets Society

What I learned: based on true experiences of the screenwriter, especially the Keating role, won Best Original Screenplay, IMDB rating: 8.1/10, Ethan Hawke commented recently that his kid(s) don't recognize him in the film, something like that. Siskel or Ebert thought "Do the Right Thing" was a more deserving movie to be considered for an Oscar, though it didn't make the cut.

1. What is the change this movie is about? What is the Transformational Journey of this movie?
The boys become energized on their way to freer thinking and seizing their days.
2. Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change) and what makes this the right character to cause the change?
Keating
3. Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes the change) and what makes them the right character to deliver this profound journey?
The students in Keating's poetry class.
4. What is the Oppression?
The school administrators, like Nolan.
5. How are we lured into the profound journey? What causes us to connect with this story?
It has a scary feel, about being rebellious, stepping of a comfort zone, how is that gonna play out? You're on the side of the boys and Keating, and against the strong authoritarian rule.
6. Looking at the character(s) who are changed the most, what is the profound journey? From “old ways” to “new way of being.” Identify their old way: Identify their new way at the conclusion:
Todd and Neil. Todd transitions from being shy, and afraid to speak in class, to being brave and standing on his desk at the end to tell Keating that they were forced to sign the letter. Neil gains bravery to pursue his interest in acting, though his father wants him to focus only on things related to eventually getting into medical school. He tries out, gets the part, and acts in the play.
7. What is the gradient the change? What steps did the Transformational Character go through as they were changing?
The steps outlined above in 6.
8. How is the “old way” challenged? What beliefs are challenged that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make the change?
Old way of using the poetry text, to new way of ripping out the first chapter.
Old way of doing what parents ask, to doing what you think excites you.
9. What are the most profound moments of the movie?
Neil kills himself because he feels trapped, so it's profound in identifying a potential cost of being a free thinker.
All the boys standing on their desks at the end, show that the boys believed.

10. What are the most profound lines of the movie?
Carpe diem, seize the day, make your life matter, the lines near the beginning.
Keating mentions that his girlfriend is in London, hard to do that, makes you wonder if he's seizing the day, why is he back at the school?
Neil says, "I'm trapped."
The call from God, and Keating's comment that if Dalton had added "collect", that would have really been something.
Keating says, "not artists, free thinkers".

11. How does the ending payoff the setups of this movie?
The ending shows support for all that Keating was trying to achieve, and makes use of his "standing on the desks as a reminder to see things differently".

12. What is the Profound Truth of this movie?
Free thinking is best, though it may not be welcome, and could involve big costs, you have to make choices, navigate the challenges.

• This reply was modified 11 months ago by  Natalie Hawkins.

[Natalie Hawkins]

Natalie’s First Three Decisions:
What I am learning, is the idea of organizing a story around a single profound thread. I have been seeing parts of my story, and haven’t known what the story is, or will be.
Profound Truth: love is the answer.
Audience Change: the audience will be inspired to behave more intentionally, to be curious, to see a non-zero-sum world.
Vehicle: I have been imagining a scientist traveling around the US talking to experts, asking them questions, as part of her research, her curiosity to solve a math/science problem. It will be in part a road trip, or maybe a few road trips.

[Natalie Hawkins]

Ground Hog Day Analysis – by Natalie

What I learned from having this assignment are some things about the film: Bill Murray was going through a divorce, it sounds like he hated the movie when it was finished, and he didn't speak again to the Director Ramis for 20 years, until near Ramis's death. According to Wikipedia, Bill Murray wanted the script to go in different directions at times. He was very interested in the philosophical aspects. Chevy Chase, Micheal Keaton, and Tom Hanks were considered for the lead. Hanks and Keaton turned it down. IMDB score 8/10.

What I learned from doing the assignment – seeing an example of how comedy and profound were put together.

1. CHANGE – Phil Connors needs to gain Rita's approval and love interest, which requires him to grow as a person, and become more interested in and considerate of others. This translates to Phil needing to find Happiness.

2. Lead Characters – Phil is the one stuck in the loop, and he needs to change apparently to get out of it, we don't know for sure, versus, say, there's just a fixed number of iterations, or he just has to wait for someone to fix a "bug". He's trying to figure out how to get out of it. We don't know why he's in the loop. When he's in it, at one point he says that he is a God, though not The God. The oppression keeping Phil down and in the loop is his unhappiness.

3. Connect – we connect because it's a mystery, how is he gonna get out? Will he get out?

4. Old Way: Phil is an unhappy sourpuss. New Way: Phil is enjoying life, learning new things, connecting with people, helping them to enjoy themselves too.

5. Steps: Phil practices getting things right with people – their interests and tastes, and he tries several suicide methods to get out.

6. Phil found that suicide would not get him out. Every day was cold and gray, and so he tried a new approach, maybe accepting that he was stuck potentially forever.

7. Most profound moments: I liked his conversation with the locals at the bar, and some of his chats w/Rita, where the profound lines come out.

8. Most profound lines:
Rita: Is this what you do with eternity?
Phil: That is not true, I do not even love myself.
Phil: Why did I not get THAT (awesome) day?
Phil: What if there is no tomorrow? What if nothing I ever did mattered?

9. The ending demonstrates a complete change of mind by Phil, as he happily says, Look it is beautiful, Lets stay here!, since he did not want to go there in the first place, and he was trying like heck to get out of there.

10. Profound Truth of the movie: Unhappiness is not worth it. Does it matter if what you do matters?

• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Natalie Hawkins.
• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Natalie Hawkins.
• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Natalie Hawkins.
• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Natalie Hawkins.

[Natalie Hawkins]

Natalie, “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.

[Natalie Hawkins]

Hi, I am Natalie, my script count is 0. I like movies. I kinda have some incomplete stories and some pictures in my mind. I would like to force myself to work with some science-y themes, and the "profound" theme seems like a good match. I like math, science, computing, nature, comedy, dance, humans, and lots of other things too. Some of my favorite movies recently, in the theater: Top Gun: Maverick, the latest Mission Impossible, and Equalizer 3, and on cable: the three Hangover movies. I liked the Matrix a lot, though I have to read about the plot to really know what's going on, and I don't rewatch it. I like rewatching comedies to hear the jokes again. I find the first couple of Star Wars movies especially enjoyable for the humor. I also liked Interstellar for the how-does-the-universe-work aspect and Avatar for the emotion. I watched Groundhog Day when it first came out. I was a Bill Murray fan as a kid from Meatballs, Caddyshack, and Ghostbusters, so I wanted to watch him again when it came out.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 2 weeks ago by  Natalie Hawkins.