Paula Zimmerman
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Paula is ready for feedback. (from screenwriters u).
What I learned doing this process is – ugh, my framework is all over the place and I haven’t really made a firm decision on who is the secondary character. I’m also really confused because pp. 7-10 about the main character’s mysteries, etc. mimic pp 1-3, so are we supposed to repeat that but with one of the other characters? I learned that it’s hard for me to reign in my prose to make bullet points.
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Paula’s Big Picture Empathy/Distress Open Loops
ASSIGNMENT #7: PAULA’S Big Picture Empathy/Distress open Loops
What I learned doing this assignment is that every successful series has characters that are deeply flawed, sometimes through no fault of their own. I learned bout how plot also affects characters and often forces them into actions they’d never normally take.
Assignment 1 – Gossip Girl
Big Picture Distress: Will Serena ever consummate her relationship with Dan? Will there ever be harmony between and among the elite and the middle class families?
A. Undeserved Misfortune – Just because she disappeared for a while, Serena has been knocked off her throne as the ‘It’ girl at her high school. Dan has a hard time trying to fit in Serena’s wealthy and exclusive world.
B. External Character conflicts: Serena doesn’t seem to fit anywhere; she has a conflict with her mother over her younger brother’s future; Blair initially rejects her and doesn’t trust her; Dan is unsure of how to proceed with her, and Nate is caught between his loyalty to Blair and love for Serena.
C. Plot intruding on Life – All of Serena’s former acquaintances are forced to look at her differently after they find out she slept with Nate. Serena is forced to draw some painful conclusions from the actions of her mother and grandmother.
D. Moral Dilemmas: Serena still cannot lose the guilt of sleeping with her best friend’s boyfriend, but still wants him. Each of the families has to confront some betrayal.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. Because Nate breaks up with Blair, she gets revenge by sleeping with Chuck, who she’s always hated. Rafael finds out that Lilly left him because she prioritized her big inheritance over the relationship.
Assignment 2:
My Characters’ Empathy/Distress
Big Picture Distress: Will Tess continue her relationship with Tony or will she choose her job and stale marriage over him?
A. Undeserved Misfortune – Tess never expected to encounter a ‘student’ with whom she would fall in love and disrupt her entire life.
B. External Character Conflicts: Tess is smart but she never knows where she stands with Tony; she suspects he is manipulating her but she does his bidding anyway and he distracts her from her initial and important focus: getting the bust so she can get her promotion. She and husband Randy have not had a mutually healthy relationship for over 10 years. Both feel it but are unwilling to bring it out into the open.
C. Plot Intruding on Life – All Tess wanted was to be a superior FBI agent and get a good raise and promotion, but after meeting Tony and hanging out with the other thugs, she feels drawn into their lives and lifestyle.
D. Moral Dilemma – Should Tess give up everything to be with Tony, a person she knows she can’t trust? Will she escape the dangers of dealing and setting up a phony business? Will Randy have the courage to confront her about Tony and what will he do about it?
E. Forced decisions they’d never make – Both Tess and Randy are forced to look at the truth of their dying marriage. Tess is so drawn into the world of the thugs without realizing that it will have dire consequences for her.
Having to make a choice between her career and her obsession.
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Paula’s Show Mysteries
What I learned from this assignment is that there are two kinds of mysteries and both need to be present to make the show obsessive to view. And there are large mysteries, a shocking Event that takes place early in the show, and smaller mysteries that play out throughout the series.
Assignment 1: The biggest mystery in “Gossip Girl” is where did Serena go when she left NYC and her friends and classmates, and will she stay or leave again. Another big Mystery is whether she and Blair will end up as friends or enemies. Another big mystery is whether Serena and Dan will stay together, where that relationship goes.
Smaller Mysteries: Will Rafael and Lilly get together again? Will his family stay together or will Allison return to Hudson and her boyfriend? Will Serena have sex with Nate again? How will Chuck get revenge on Blair for dumping him? Will Dan become part of the elite, Serena’s world? Will Jenny remain enslaved to Blair? Will brother Joes survive all the emotional upheavals in his family?
Assignment 2:
A. Shocking Event – Tess turns out to be an FBI agents investigating and planning to raid the drug ring, pretending to be a tutor to reach the ring leader.
B. Secret – Tess is in a loveless marriage and is falling in love with Tony.
C. Investigation- Why is she doing this? Randy senses what is goin on and questions her and her abnormal behavior in the marriage; the audience investigates how strong is her ove and loyalty for Tony and will it sabotage the upcoming raid and her career?
Who – Tess, Tony, Randy
What – Tess’ double life, really triple life
Where – homes of the students, lair of the drug ring, Tess’ home, and FBI headquarters.
Why – Tess needs the raise to get a promotion at FBI
When – Over a period of 2-3 months
1. Main character – Event from the past.
At one point, Randy hit Tess and she had planned to leave since then. She hasn’t told anyone about this, waiting till she gets the promotion sho she can pay for the divorce and even contemplates killing him as she gets closer to Tony.
2. shocking Events
The shocking event is that Tess starts to fall for Tony, which disrupts her plans to stay totally focused on the investigation and raid.
3. Coverup- Maybe that Tess has conspired with and bribed another FBI agent to target Randy during the rid to get rid of him and make it look like ‘friendly fire’, a mistake.
Shocking experience from the past –
Tess – When Tess met Randy, she was dating a younger man.
Tony – Found a gun in his father’s room when he was 4 years old.
John – Goes to gay bars at night and keeps it a secret.
Bianca – Has always been a thief, from the age of 10 when she began shoplifting with her mother.
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Assignment #11:
Paula’s Creating Irony
What I learned doing this assignment is that irony is necessary to a really interesting and bingeworthy script. The Gossip Girl episode #9 is packed with irony and exposes the hypocrisy behind many nuclear families. In my show, I was surprised to find there were so many ironic situations and characters, but it was difficult to decide which were priorities for moving the show forward.
Assignment 1: Irony in ‘Gossip Girl’, Season 1, Episode 9
Irony shows up in a myriad of ways in the entire series, and especially in this episode, where the whole American idea of Thanksgiving is turned on its ear.
In three families, rather than togetherness, there is divisiveness, rather than joy there is sorrow, and rather than love, there is jealousy and competition.
This shows in Dan’s family, when Lilly, Rafael’s former girlfriend, shows up at the dinner where his wife is; none of the three have told their children about the old affair nor about the rivalry between Lilly and Allison. The kids are shocked at the revelation, and rather than sit at the table, leave to go eat dinner elsewhere.
Another irony is that Serena’s younger brother Joe, who was in a mental hospital after a suicide attempt, now looks truly happy sitting with his family, seemingly relieved that the family’s secrets have finally been revealed.
In Nate’s family, Nate finds his father unconscious on Thanksgiving, and he has to be rushed to the hospital after consuming alcohol and pills. Nate and his mother argue, and Nate spends Thanksgiving telling his father he needs to get help, while he is recovering in the hospital. Another irony about this family is that the kid is more insightful and responsible than the parents. He sees his father’s frustration because his rich wife provides everything for him and basically emasculates him.
And he sees how his father escapes from any responsibility for his bad habits, even blaming the stash of coke on his son.
The third family disaster on Thanksgiving is Blair’s. Her socialite mother hadn’t told her that her father wasn’t coming to dinner until the actual dinner, and Blair got so upset that she left the table and gorged on pie, called Serena to rescue her and also went out. Another irony in the family at the holiday is that the mother always posed as a social butterfly, inviting many people for the dinner, but in the end, is alone in her kitchen holding divorce papers from her husband, who has run off with a young man.
The last irony shown in the episode is revealed in the flashbacks to the previous Thanksgiving, where the families were actually together and seemed like they were celebrating a traditional Thanksgiving; but when we compare the two years, we see that in the former one, each family member was harboring secrets and resentments, and they only seemed to be having a pleasant time. The second one was a lot more painful for the members, but also a lot more real.
Assignment 2:
20 Examples of Irony in My Show.
1). One is that Tess seems to be a hard-boiled and stoic FBI agent, but that she falls hard for Tony, which leads her to behave opposite to what she normally does, and indeed, may end up with her destroying herself and getting fired.
2). John seems to be best friends with Tony with no ulterior motive, a very passive follower, but we find out that he really wants more power in the ring and also wants Tony. (sexual preference)
3). Tony pretends to like Tess, which is an unlikely choice of love interest for him, but Tess finds this beguiling and thinks he is sincere. He’s only doing it so he can manipulate her and make more money.
*4). Tony is a dangerous man who carries a gun and gets violent, but Tess refuses to see this as she is blinded by her attraction to him. She may be in danger herself. This is ironic because she has carried a gun throughout her entire career and should know danger when she sees it.
5). Bianca seems like a brainless woman, obsessed with her appearance and gossip, but she is really a savvy thief who is ripping off the company she represents. All her friends know it, as they profit from it too.
*6). Tony is on the surface this heartless thug dealer, but his main interest is to get back to his mother in the Dominican Republic. He is a good son who consistently sends her money.
7). Tess hides the fact that she is married, because she wants to end up with Tony.
8). Randy, Tess’ husband seems to totally take her for granted and is passionless with her until he finds out about Tony, and then gets possessive and jealous.
*9). Tess seems to be laser-focused on getting a promotion and pleasing her boss, but as her involvement with the gang progresses, she cares less and less about that, even leans or at least thinks about sabotaging the entire raid.
10). Bianca presents herself as a beautiful, exotic woman, but without the make up and bling and tight clothes, she is an aging, plain looking 30-something.
11). Bianca ridicules Tess because of her appearance, and style, but she is secretly afraid that she will win Tony with her intelligence and business-savvy.
*12). John seems like a meek guy who doesn’t have any issue with Tess. But as the story progresses, we see a great rivalry developing there, and he viciously gossips about her, to try to jockey for position with Tony.
13). John is a coward, but he fantasizes about taking over the drug ring, deposing Tony, but he doesn’t have the backbone to do it.
*14). A tutor for high school students is a far cry from being an FBI agent or a criminal.
15). John’s cover is Tony’s follower and best friend, but he hides his sexual obsession and need for him in a different way!
*16). Kids’ families see Tess as a good influence, when she turns out to be a part of the drug ring and a saboteur.
17). There is little communication between Randy and Tess, until Tess starts to behave abnormally, changes her pattern of being a passive wife.
*18). In the beginning, Tess seems (as a tutor) passionless and dull, but as character and plot layers are revealed, we see that she is instead, a veteran and obviously brilliant FBI Agent, feels lust for Tony, and is acting in her marriage,
and these different identities seem completely different from the surface one.
*19). Randy shows up at the drug bust and gets shot. We have also never seen this side of him; formerly he presented as a workaholic misogynistic husband, very set in his ways and his behavior toward Tess.
*20). Question: Will Tess change so much that she actually ends up sabotaging the raid, shooting another agent, watches her husband get shot, and runs away with Tony? THAT would be ironic.
The situation/character ironies that have an asterisk are the most interesting.
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Subject: Paula’s Plot and Character Layers
What I learned from doing this assignment is: It’s more interesting to have layers under the surface of the story that will be a complete surprise in each episode yet also make sense for the plot and the same for the characters. They seem to be one way but as the series progresses, we see unpredictable and massive changes in them.
ASSIGNMENT 1: LAYERS IN EPISODE 8, GOSSIP GIRL (AND THROUGHOUT)
Blair
LAYER 1:- Purportedly the ‘good ‘girl’ because she has been loyal to her best friend and boyfriend.
LAYER 2: She gets drunk, dances at the strip club, and has sex with a guy she doesn’t like.
Layer 3: She pretends to be friends with other girls but is very cruel to Jenny when Jenny doesn’t do her bidding.
NATE’S FATHER
LAYER 1: – A good, rich elite businessman.
LAYER 2: A coke fiend and embezzler
LAYER 3: He manipulates his child for his own purposes.
CHUCK
LAYER 1: Hard-nosed, older high school sexual predator, party guy.
LAYER 2: Vulnerable when he falls in love with Blair.
SERENA
LAYER 1: Acts like she’s Blair’s best friend
LAYER 2: Desires Nate, Blair’s boyfriend
LAYER 3: She’s a spotlight freak.
LAYER 4: She teases Dan, waffles over really getting into a relationship with him.
DAN
LAYER 1: Pursues Serena and is loyal to her
LAYER 2: Allows Vanessa into their relationship
LAYER 3: Blames his mother for infidelity that ruins family but he does similar things.
ASSIGNMENT 2: MY SHOW
PLOT SURFACE – Tess is a dysfunctional middle aged woman obsessed with a young tutoring student, who gets involved in his illegal activities
LAYER 1: She falls in love with Tony
Layer 2: She is rival to John, Tony’s friend, for position in the ring and Tony’s affection.
LAYER 3: She is an FBI agent who wants to bust the ring to get a promotion
LAYER 4: She is in a loveless marriage and wants out.
LAYER 5: She and Tony open a business to launder drug money
LAYER 6: She tries to get Tony away from girlfriend Bianca
LAYER 7: She sabotages drug raid by shooting an agent so she can help Tony escape.
CHARACTER LAYER
SURFACE: She is a middle aged nerdy woman who makes a living as a tutor
LAYER 1: She falls deeply in love with student Tony.
LAYER 2: She’s a skilled and veteran FBI agent
Layer 3: She wants to bust drug ring led by Tony so she can get a promotion.
LAYER 4: She’s in a loveless marriage.
LAYER 5: She changes from a hardboiled agent to a vulnerable woman.
LAYER 6: Her obsession leads her t do irrational and self-destructive things.
JOHN
SURFACE: Meek best friend of Tony, helps him in drug ring.
LAYER 1: He has delusions of being macho and running the ring.
LAYER 2: He develops hostility, rivalry toward Tess.
LAYER 3: He is gay and desires Tony for himself.
LAYER 4: He warns Tony about Tess hiding something.
TONY
SURFACE: Veteran drug dealer in his 20’s, sexy and manipulative, daring.
LAYER 1: Pretends he loves his tutor, Tess.
LAYER 2: He steals from other dealers
LAYER 3: Manipulates Tess to open business to launder drug money.
LAYER 4: Actually wants to retire to be with his family in Dominican Republic
BIANCA
SURFACE: Beautiful Latina, girlfriend of Tony, superficial
LAYER 1: In antagonistic relationship with Tess, rival for Tony’s affection.
LAYER 2: She works as a jewelry rep and steals jewelry to sell to her friends.
LAYER 3: Hears ‘rumors’ and wants to kill Tess.
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Paula’s Big Picture Open Loop
What I learned from doing this assignment:
Open loops are critical to make my series create obsession in the viewer, and give clues to future episodes. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought to create these. They also have helped me move the plot along.
Assignment #1 – Big Picture Loops in “Gossip Girl”.
1). Will Serena stay this time or leave again?
2). Will Serena betray Blair again with Nate?
3). Will Serena and Dan get into a real relationship
How open Loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes.
b). Blair finds out from Jenny what he said to her when he thought she was Serena at the masked ball, and although Blair had expected t be engaged with Nate’s mother’s ring, she couldn’t accept it and instead went to the strip club and had sex with Chuck.
c). We see them making out outside the school and at Dan’s apartment, but they are interrupted by Vanessa and then Rafael. When it seems they finally will consummate the relationship, Serena bows out and only wants to cuddle. We also discover that Dan is a virgin.
Assignment 2:
1). GOALS
New Goals – Tess wants to get Tony to break up with Bianca
Goals related to the Big Picture – Tess wants to make the big bust.
Crushed Goals – She was overlooked for last promotion/big bust at FBI and it looks like she won’t win Tony.
Competition/Conflict around Goals – Now her emotions for Tony are affecting her career goal, and also jealousy toward Bianca begins to become an obsession, possibly sabotaging her main Goal.
CONSEQUENCES
1). Are they going to be caught? = She’s undercover but the local police also want the dealers; some of the cops know her.
2). Problems created from past actions? She has had conflicts with one particular cop and she can see him sabotaging her.
3). Good plans gone wrong? She is trying to be a good agent, but gets caught up in the thug world because of her passion for Tony.
SOLVING PROBLEMS
1). WHAT IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM FOR THIS CHARACTER? She needs a big promotion (bust) so she can be financially free and leave her husband
2). What are they trying to solve? It seems cut and dried, but once Tony appears in her life, she gets confused. The feelings she has for him destabilize her.
3). Major change imposed on character? Her heart gets opened.
4). Previous solutions cause new problems? – She had an ‘understanding’ with her husband of 25 years that she would stay in the marriage for security and appearance sake.
RELATIONSHIPS IN PERIL
1). With Tess’ husband Randy because the marriage is dying; she has become extremely frustrate and taunts him, and he is almot to the point wher he will hit her.
2). New relationships forming – possibly Tess, and Tony, and conflictual – between Tess and Bianca, and Tess and John.
3). Conflict inside relationships? Tess feels she can’t express her feelings to Tony, because he is a thug who never expresses his feelings, Also, there is some dissatisfaction between Tony and Bianca. He cheats on her.
4). Relationships changing – Tess can’t be the obedient wife to Randy anymore
DANGER/SURVIVAL/RISKS
Can they survive the drug bust? Where Tess felt she didn’t have issues with it before, now she isn’t so soure she will not protect Tony and lose her promotion or do it so her boss won’t find out.
Putting themselves in danger/making dangerous decisions? Tony decides to steal some drugs from a Mafia guy.
Who else is pulled into their danger? Tess, John
Internal dangers – Tess’ repressed sexuality masked by her ambition – She is beginning to not trust herself.
2). 5-8 Big Picture Loops
1). Will Tess and tony consummate their relationship or be just business partners?
2). Will Tess sabotage her own career ambitions because of her love interest?
3). Will Tony go back to Dom Rep. with Bianca?
4). Will Tess leaver Randy?
5). Will Randy get violent with Tess?
6). Will the big bust end up in violence? Toward whom?
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Paula’s Relationship Map (attempt #4)
I don’t know what happened but all my assignment 1 disappeared, suddenly the window closed!
Again,
What I learned from this assignment is that there are unlimited ways the characters can relate and I have to choose the ones that are both believable and intriguing.
Character 1. Character 2. Character 3. Character 4
Serena. Blair Dan Nate
Surface Best Friend. New boyfriend Had a fling
Common Ground Childhood friends Don’t like pretension. Being elite adolescent
Conflict She slept with her b.f. From poor background. She still has hots for him.
History Went thru school together. Only recently met. Went thru school together
Subtext Competitor She allows him into elites. She loves him
Relationship Arc. from friends to rivals. from casual dating to ? One night stand to obsession
Character 1 Character 2 Character 3 Character 4
Dan Serena Blair Nate
Surface New relationship Hates her privilege Schoolmates but rivals
Common Ground. Schoolmates Schoolmates Schoolmates
Conflict She’s an elite Obstacle to him & Serena. Rivals for Serena
History Just really met Schoolmate in h.s. Schoolmate
Subtext Can use her to get into elites. Another spoiled girl Future enemies
Relationship Arc. From not knowing to ? From hating to accepting. from frenemies to enemies
Assignment 2: My Characters
Character 1. Character 2 Character 3 Character 4
Tess John Tony Bianca
Surface Mutual friends of Tony. Her obsession/love interest. Jealous of, rival
Common Ground. She tutors him. Tutors him; they are greedy. Knows she is tutor
Conflict. He wants to be #2 in ring. He teases her, manipulates her. Sexy, envied by T.
History Met him after she followed Tony. Met him on tutoring job. Knows about her
Subtext Rivals for Tony’s love. He knows she wants him exclusively. T. jealous & envious
Relationship Arc: Student to rival and enemy. Student to bus. partners. From jealous to deadly
Character 1. Character 2 Character 3 Character 4
John. Tess Tony Bianca
Surface Tutor and co-member of ring. Old friends, gang member. Childhood friend
Common Ground. Lessons, in drug ring Grew up together, gang Grew up together
Conflicts Wants power in ring Has obsession for him Rival for Tony
History Only a few months Since childhood Since childhood
Subtext Hates her, competitor. Does whatever he wants Love Rival for Tony
Rela. Arc. From tutor to power-hungry rival. From best friend to obsession. From friends to rivals.
Character 1 Character 2 Character 3 Character 4
Tony John Tess Bianca
Surface Friends and co-members. Tutor and bus. partner Tony’s g.f.
Common Gr. Childhood friends and know each other. Both greedy Childhood friends and lover
Conflict Sees him getting competitive. Knows she wants him. Not always loyal.
History Since childhood Tutor, but knows private life. Childhood
Subtext Knows he is attracted to him. Will they betray each other for $$? Will she marry him?
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Paula’s Character Emotions
What I learned from doing this assignment is that characters have very deep layers and sometimes their wants and needs and motivations are polarized. I am very intrested in the mask/base negative emotion struggle, and their triggers and coping mechanisms. I liked the breakdown of the characters in “Billions”, one of my favorite series. It was harder to analyze my own characters, and I realized that the main male character is John, not Tony.
Gossip Girl – Serena
A.. Situational Hope/Fear – that she’ll get back with Blair/She’ll fight with Blair
B. Motivation Want – To be in a good relationship Need – To get back on top
C. Mask/Base negative emotion – Empathetic/Jealous
D. Weakness – Her privileged past
E. Triggers – Being bullied, disempowered
F. Coping Mechanisms – Rescuing other people
Dan
A. Situational Hope/Fear – Getting Serena/Losing Serea to one of the elites.
B. Motivation- Want/Need – Wants Serena/Need to be part of the cool kids
C. Mask/Neg. Emotion – Innocent, clueless/Envious
D. Weaknesses – socially awkward, obsessed with rich people
E. Triggers – Others being treated badly
F. Coping mechanisms – Aggression, Control
My characters:
Tess
A. Hope – to bust the ring. Fear/She’ll become part of them
B. Motivation, Want – to get a Promotion (power), Need – to be loved.
C. Mask/Base Neg. Emotion – Rage/ Clueless about gangs
D. Weaknesses – In a loveless marriage, blind ambition, obsessive
E. Triggers – Women rivals
F. Coping – Denial, withdrawal
John
A. Hope – Tony will love him. Fear – He’ll get arrested
B. Want – to be brave Need- to be accepted
C. Mask/Base Neg. Emotion – Hopelessness/Friendliness
D. Weaknesses- Duplicitous, hiding secrets
E. Triggers – Being shamed or ignored
F. Coping Mechanisms – Sarcasm, playing the victim
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Paula’s Intriguing Characters
What I learned from this assignment: There are many unexpected plot twists and inquiries into the main character’s (in Gossip Girl) motivations. For my characters, I learned about their backgrounds, needs, quirks and passions. Some of the conspiracies and deceptions seem untruthful to me but I guess I’ll learn more about them as the story progresses.
Serena in Gossip Girl – How is she intriguing?
She tries to cover up her passion for Nate and betrayal of Blair by running away without telling anyone where, why, or when she will return.
Cover up and hidden agenda: She is obviously in competition with Blair, shown by her hurting her on the soccer field and honing in on her discussion with the Yale rep. and not understanding why she was removed from her perch as the “It” girl. When Blair reveals that Serena is holding the secret of having slept with Nate, the other characters turn against her – secrets and conspiracy. Also, she pretends to like Dan when she really is still attracted to Nate – Deception. Secret Identity- We still don’t know where Serena is coming from, what her purpose is there, and if she really wants to re-unite with Blair or if that is just a front.
How is character intrigue being used to create the need to see more episodes?
This episode shows many sides of Serena. First, she helps her get the model job from her mother and seems to support her at the first shoot after she hears the photographer criticize Blair. Then we see her reveling in doing the shoot when she replaces Blair, although it is not of her own doing. It is questionable whether she really feels bad for Blair, or if that is just a show, because, as Blair’s mother says, “you love the spotlight; you always have.” She also blows off her date with Dan to stay with Blair. Is this to manipulate him to show him “who’s boss” or is it just a sincere mis-step? Serena always wants to come up smelling like a rose, but she does some really hurtful things to her so-called friends. We’re always left guessing at her real motivations.
Assignment 2: My Characters
Name: Tess (changed from Jessie), a tutor, college drop out in her 40’s, (changed age), looks for acceptance in the gang, desires Tony, a student in his late 20’s.
Hidden Agendas: She has a mad desire for Tony, and has a perfectionist, narcissistic mother who she is always trying to please subconsciously. Always labeled a nerd, she still wants to get with the cook kids, no matter what it takes. Calls herself a strong woman, wants to be financially free, convinces herself that by laundering money for the gang, she will get there
Competition: The myriad girlfriends of Tony, especially Bianca. Also John, Tony’s best friend, who is his fan and confidante.
Conspiracies: She tries to get Tony’s sister on her side, because the rest of the family and extended family hate her. She promises her gifts and money if she sides with her against them.
Secrets: Her baby brother has Down’s Syndrome, which fractured the family, the mother wanting to abandon him and the father and Tess standing by him. She also pretends she has a husband.
Deception: She continues to fulfill the nerd label as the thugs think it’s funny and degrading, but it keeps them from sexualizing her and raping her. She also keeps her feelings for tony hidden nad pretends she’s just doing the money laundering for her own profit.
Wound: that she never really had a normal baby brother that she could do things with and talk with.
Secret Identity: FBI Informant
Character Name: Tony
Role: In his late 20’s, baby-faced Latin drug dealer, risk-taker, the object of Tess’s affections. He’s a bad students, has no ambition outside the gand world and drugs. Has done prison time. He manipulates Tess to open tutoring business to launder drug money. Fearless.
Hidden Agendas: Wants to return to the Dominican Republic to live with his mother after he marries and makes a lot of $$. Has no plans to be with Tess in any way.
Competition: He does not entirely trust his best friend John, who is a raging coke addict. He fears he might try to take over the business, or at the very least, steal drugs for himself.
Conspiracies: Makes un of Tess with the other members of the gang and his various girlfriends. Calls her racist names behind her back and humiliates her for lack of sex appeal and for not being a drug addict.
Secrets: He only plays the role of tutoring student because his family wants him to. Meanwhile, he is always scheming as to how to get the next batch of coke. Knowing that Tess like him, he is seductive with her during the lessons.
Deception: He pays the childish Latino guy with almost everyone, so he appears innocent, but carries a pistol and thinks nothing of robbing people at gun point and breaking and entering. He first did time in juvie for breaking and entering and petty theft.
Wound: His father was a drug dealer and got killed in a gunfight which he witnessed when he was five.
Secret Identity: His real name is Eduardo, his parents are his adoptive parents, and his real mother is still in the Dominican Republic. He sends her money, telling her he has a well-paying job.
Name of Character: Bianca
Role – Tony’s on-again off-again girlfriend from his early teens.
Hidden agendas: She is a glam Latina in her 30’s and manipulates men to get material things, tries to manipulate Tony to let her be partner in drug ring. Tries to hide her extra-curricular sexual activities (prostitution) from everyone.
Competition: Tess, because she knows Tess is much smarter and business-savvy, and tries to ridicule her for her looks but is secretly jealous and scared she will win Tony away.
Conspiracies: With other Latina young women, and one older one who is a drug mule, she makes fun of Tess and paints here as a sexless coward, making it hard for Tess to interact with the gang. She calls her an old loser and makes everyone beieve it. She is also close with Tony’s parents who all oppose Tess anyway.
Secrets: Without a lot of make up and tight clothing she is just a plain, aging woman. So she has to always keep up the mask.
Deception: She appeaers to be a bimbo addict, but she has a fierce determination to marry Tony and live off his money and his family’s $$ for the rest of her life.
Secret Identity: sales rep for a jewelry company, from which she gets all her bling.
Character Name: John
Role: Tony’s best friend and confidante. In his 40’s.
Hidden Agendas: We are never sure if he is plotting to take over tony’s drug ring although he seems to be loyal to him. He likes hanging out with the gang because it gives him access to girls, which he can’t get on his own because he is socially awkward and shy.
Competition: Tess, who increasingly wins Tony’s favor with her shrewd business sense and accounting ability. He is suspicious of her because she’s not a greedy addict like the others. Sometimes he does fantasize about taking over the drug ring, but knows he will also have to deal with her.
conspiracies: Since he’s a long-time friend of Tony, he can go to Tony’s parens’ home to get the the latest gossip and hateful talk about Tess, and sometimes sees Bianca there also dishing about her. He can use this as fuel if she ever gets into trouble, and badmouth her to Tony.
Secrets: He’s a coward, and if he were ever in a violent situation, he would run rather than protect his friends or the stash.
Deception: Without the camaraderie of the gang, he would have no friends. He tries to appear macho, but is really a nerdy, spineless, aging man with no future.
Wound: His alcoholic father sexually abused him when he was a young child.
Secret Identity: He is bisexual and has a thing for Tony.
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Paula’s Main Characters
Sorry, I forgot letter F for my character Jessie.
So here it is:
F. Empathy – We see how she’s put herself in danger, cut off from her former friends just so she can fulfill her fantasy of being with Tony, and then has to confront the reality that he was just using her.
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Paula’s Engaging Main Characters
What I learned from this assignment – Serena is a complex, many-layered character, not the ideal moral protagonist but a human being prone to mistakes and failures, who does unexpected things in the face of her challenges.
A. Role in the show – Serena is the teen who returns home after a mysterious disappearance and has complications with all of her former friends, especially Blaire, her former best friend.
B. Unique Purpose/Expertise – Serena was the “it’ girl formerly, and is now looking to understand the machinations of her former friends, the reasons why they now antagonize her.
Unique skill – Being as honest as she can with people.
C. Secret beneath the surface – She is still in love with Nate and wants to get him from Blaire.
D. Moral Issue – Serena physically attacks Blaire on the soccer field after Blair trips her several times. She also hones in on Blair’s interview with the rep from Yale.
Bigger Moral Dilemma – She wasn’t prepared for how Blair fights back, in effect trying to destroy her chances of getting into an Ivy League school.
E. Unpredictable – Blair puts Serena in an untenable position by calling her out (falsely) as a drug addict at the Event. Serena confronts her but Blair refuses to take the blame for trying to destroy Serena’s future.
F. Empathetic – We see that Serena allows herself to be humiliated by Blair because she is protecting her brother, and we also see how callous and clueless her mother is in trying to deal with the brother; in fact, all the women in Serena’s environment seem antagonistic toward her.
Part II. – My Main Character
A. Role in the Show – Jessie is a 20-something college dropout who writes papers for high school and college students for money, and gets involved in the thug world after falling in love with one of the students, Tony. He manipulates her to open a tutoring business where he can launder drug money.
B. Unique Purpose/Expertise
Jessie is an expert writer and helps the thugs get their GEDs. That’s her purpose there. Her other expertise is she keeps their money accountable so they don’t get caught by the IRS.
C. Secret Beneath the Surface. – Jessie deeply desires Tony and wants him for herself, although he has many girlfriends.
D. Moral Issue – Jessie engages in illicit activities sharting with the papers and then laundering money. Bigger moral Dilemma – She knows nothing about the world of drug dealers and how dangerous it is, how vicious they can be.
E. Unpredictable – The last tie she goest o visit Tony in prison, she decides not to.
Unexpected external situation – ex-con Benny, Tony’s friend, tells her Tony plans to marry his girlfriend Bianca, who wants to cut her out of the business altogether.
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Paula Zimmerman
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.
This completes the Group Release Form for the class.
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Paula Zimmerman
I agree to the terms of this release form.
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1. Name?
2. How many scripts you’ve written? 3 and 3 co-wrote
3. What you hope to get out of the class? More vivid writing that is binge-worthy!
4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you? I have been a Psychic for 48 years.