[Stacy Martin]

Stacy’s Character Depth
I learned that my characters did not completly fit my concept. I also learned that is using this model, they are starting to become three dimensional instead of just a name on a page. I still have a lot of work to do on them, but they are on their way to fitting the concept and to being much more interesting.

Character 1: Anna (wife)

Motivation: She loves her husband dearly and relies on him for almost everything and needs to find him
Secret: she used to be a medium but stopped after a killer used her to find a victim
Wound: she never forgave herself for her bad judgement
Subtext: hides from her fear of being alone
Layers: she is a pet psychic now, she used to be a medium. She has extreme anxiety which keeps her from leaving the house. Thomas is the love of her life. She is honest and kind.
Conflict: she and her husband were having a fight when the accident occured.
Hidden Agenda: she has to practice being a medium again in order to find him
Conspiracy: she has to join forces with some powerful and ruthless forces in order to find Thomas
Intrigue: That there may be something beyond this life, murder, lies, deceit
Dilemma: If she does not become a medium again and use that power in horrible ways, she may never get Thomas back
Secret Identity: she was a powerful, ruthless queen in another life, in an ancient world

Character 2: Thomas (husband):

Motivation: He lives for Anna and their life together
Secret: He knows that there are other worlds beyond this one. He used that world to commit crimes in the past
Wound: One and only fight with his wife where he said some terrible things
Subtext: hides their connection to the dead from others
Layers: Lovrs Anna with all of his heart. SHe is his whole life. Runs a cafe and coffee shop. Has been a criminal in the past
Conflict: He has to deal with people and crimes from his old life
Hidden Agenda: He made deals many years ago with people who are now back in his life
Conspiracy: He has to find someone to help him get these people out of his life for good
Intrigue: He wanted to get Anna to use her powers to help him, but now it may be too late
Dilemma: Using Anna to get what he wants or possibly being killed
Secret Identity: He used to launder money for some local thugs

Character1: Dominic (villian)
Motivation: To continue to live in his current form in this place. Money, power, he gets off on hurting others
Secret: He continues to get reincarnated in the same place and body. He also has a daughter that he cannot tell anyone about, because his enemies may hurt her
Wound: Father & uncle killed in front of him in a planned “accident”
Subtext: Hides the fact that he now hurts and kills people because he enjoys it
Layers: Traumatic past, criminal, ruthless hunter, enjoys killing and using people
Conflict: Thomas wants him dead, he has to make Thomas disappear
Hidden Agenda: Staying in his current life
Conspiracy: He needs to find someone who can help him-not sure who yet
Intrigue: Manipulating the rules of life and death. Ruthless use of power
Dilemma: He is going to have to kill Thomas or risk being killed/exposed
Secret Identity: slipped through from another life to the same place that he died

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy’s Right Characters!
What I learned doing this assignment is that my characters have to be able to deliver on the hook and the high concept. Brainstorming with the hook in mind, helps me to develope the layers of character with focus and intention.

Hook: On their way to being reincarnated again, a woman’s husband and best friend gets lost “in the system”.

The Right Characters:
Anna (wife): has extreme anxiety, poor self esteem and is a reluctant medium.Her love for Thomas knows no bounds. He has been by her side for centuries.
Thomas(husband & best friend): is selfless and will do anything for Anna. He is her rock, her confidant, her lover and her protector. And now he is missing from her world.

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy’s Great Hook!
A. How did this process work for you? These classes are truly an exercise of “trust the process”. I like being able to break a concept down into manageable pieces, and giving myself permission to just focus on one component at a time.
B. What did you learn doing this assignment?-I am learning to brainstorm and to refine each piece of the puzzle as I go. Breaking the concept down lets me see where the weak parts are and allows me to discover new possabilities. I even thought of a great title for the script while brainstorming!

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy Martin’s Engaging Main Characters
This exercise was challeging and eye opening. I learned that some of the characters that I had as main characters might need to either get a makeover or become secondary characters. As I worked on developing the characters, I also had ideas for places that the story could go that I had not thought of before.
The Journey: From a wife, mother and romance writer to the creator of a billion dollar, elite escort service

Character 1: Natalie Pisano, wife, mother and romance writer
A. Role in the show: A devoted wife and mother who finds out that her husband has disappeared, taken all of their money and bankrupted their business. She reads and writes romance novels as a hobby.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Purpose-uses her connections in the romance novel community to develope an elite escort service
Expertise: Is connected to handsome book cover models and is good at making up steamy scenarios.
C. Intrigue: What is secret
beneath the surface?-She is hiring men to be a part of her escort service for the rich and famous. She will do anything to protect her daughters, her reputation and her business.
D. Moral Issue: What moral
boundaries are they crossing?-Sex for hire, murder, blackmail, lies, deceit
E. Unpredictable: What will
they do next?-As the financial stakes get higher, she is willing to go further and further to keep her business and to protect her daughters.
F. Empathetic: Why do we
care?-She has been abandoned by her husband and left to pick up the pieces. She has to think on her feet in order to secure a future for her daughters and herself.

Character 2: Marcus Costa, 21 year old Grand Prix jumper rider and model.
A. Role in the show: He came from nothing and has risen through the show jumping world on his talents. He is Natalie’s best friend and her husband’s company was one of his sponsers in show jumping
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Purpose-Natalie’s best friend and confidant, helps her start her escort service. Expertise-Grand Prix jumper rider, cover model
C. Intrigue: What is secret
beneath the surface?-Brought up with nothing, has used sex to get rides on top horses.
D. Moral Issue: What moral
boundaries are they crossing?-Trades sex for opportunities. Steals from owners because he hates them and what they stand for.
E. Unpredictable: What will
they do next?-he has a lot of pressure on him to keep winning in order to stay on top. He becomes more and more bold in what he will do to win
F. Empathetic: Why do we
care?-He has been dealt some tough blows in life. He is in survival mode but that is not he wants to live.

Character 3: Holly Pisano, 22, oldest, beautiful daughter of Natalie, junior in college, headed to vet school
A. Role in the show: Daughter of Natalie with expensive tastes in men and horses
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Purpose-to become a wealthy veterinarian for the stables of the rich and famous
C. Intrigue: What is secret
beneath the surface?-She was daddy’s girl and blames her mother for him being gone. She blackmails men to get what she wants and she gets a high from her power over them
D. Moral Issue: What moral
boundaries are they crossing?-User, liar, social climber
E. Unpredictable: What will
they do next?-It takes more and more risk for her to get off on her schemes
F. Empathetic: Why do we
care?-She has lost her father, she doesnt get along with her mother. She craves power and attention, but is unhappy.

Character 4: Christine “Cris” Pisano, 17, tom boy daughter of Natalie
A. Role in the show: Very close with her mother, fiercely protective of her family, works in the family stable caring for the show horses
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise: Purpose-will do anything for her mother, ends up being a teenage “fixer” for her Expertise- knows horses-how to choose good ones and how to care for them. Is very creative and pragmatic at solving problems.
C. Intrigue: What is secret
beneath the surface?-She has some special skills learned from her time on a farm and in working with animals including not being alarmed by blood and how to cut up a body
D. Moral Issue: What moral
boundaries are they crossing?-Lies, covers up and steals for her mother
E. Unpredictable: What will
they do next?-thinks on her feet and will do what it takes to protect her family and their reputation
F. Empathetic: Why do we
care?-She is loyal, loves her animals, is meticulous and has high standards in everything that she does-even the bad stuff. She has a big heart, but don’t cross her.

[Stacy Martin]

Show : Scandal
Main Character: Olivia Pope
A. Role in the show-She is the owner of Olivia Pope & Associates, a business whose services involve acting as a fixer for politicians, the rich & the famous in DC.
B. Unique Purpose/Expertise: Worked in high level politics, is well connected, knows how to work people to solve problems.
C. Intrigue: What is saecret beneath the surface?-She had a relationship with the current POTUS. There are still feelings for him, even though she denies them on the surface.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?-She has had a relationship with the President, who is married, when she was one of his aides. She still has feelings for him, even though she says that she does not. She will step on toes to be right and to win. She understands the politics and power in DC and uses them to her advantage.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Olivia likes to win and she studies people and their moves. She has integrity on some level but also the ability to be ruthless if needed.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care? She is an attractive, intelligent, self sufficient woman in the mostly male dominated politics of DC.

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy Martin- Three Circles of Character

What I learned was how to group characters according to the roles that they will play in the story. This makes the characters more manageable in my mind and lets me bring them in and out of the narrative as needed.

Assignment 1-Scandal
Main Circle: Olivia Pope(hero), President Grant

Connected Circle: , Quinn, Huck, Harrison, Abbey, Stephen, David Rosen, Cyrus Beene, Amanda Tanner, Mellie Grant, Sharon Marquette, Gideon Wallace,Billy Chambers, Stacy Keating, Patrick Keating

Environment Circle: Judge Nora,Morris Elcott, Inez Parks,police officers, extras

Assignment Two:
I have never written a script before and my script is still in the very beginning stages but I wanted to list what I have so far!
The show is set in the world of professional Show Jumping (horses)
Main Character Circle:
1. Mother of two girls, housewife, husband is missing
2. Oldest Daughter, junior in college/going to veterinary school, jumper rider
3. Youngest daughter, going to trade school, all out tom boy
4.Twenty something, gay male, jumper rider, male model and best friend
Connected Circle: her missing husband, boyfriends of best friend, 2nd best friend/riding instructor, stable manager
Environment Circle: Trainers, riders, audience, event planners, physical therapist, veterinarian, farrier, commitee members, announcers, spa employees, vendors, male escorts, owners, importers, celebrity riders, judges,

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy Martin Scandal- 5 Star Model
I learned how much is packed into a pilot episode! I learned that intriguing characters, multiple layers and open loops make the viewer want to see more. In the pilot, you are already connecting with the characters and becoming invested in what happens to them.
1. Big Picture Hooks-A former White House employee (not sure what her position was there) starts her own company as a fixer for the rich and famous in DC.
2.Amazing & Intriguing Character- Olivia is a classy, intelligent, tough woman setting up shop in DC where she has to try and protect her high end clients from their own drama, lies and deceit.
3.Empathy/Distress- Olivia is a strong woman who goes out on her own in a tough city run by men. She is currenntly single, is passionate about her business and obviously cares for her associates. Her past relationship with the President is still a problem for her.
4. Layers/Open Loops- These are my favorites-the stories within the story. What is Olivia’s past relationship with the President? How did each of her associates come to work at the company? Will Amanda come out against the President? How will his denial of their relationship affect her mental and physical health? Will Stephen go through with getting married? How will Abbey handle Stephen’s engagement?
5. Inviting Obsession-Olivia has secrets, some reason for leaving the White House. As an intelligent, attractive, young woman, why is she single? Her employees are an odd mix of characters. Where have they each come from? The President is unfaithful and a liar. Who will their next client be and what problems will they have to fix and how?

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy Martin

ASSIGNMENT PART 2: Adjust a Produced Movie to Covid Guidelines
What I learned doing this assignment is that there is more than one way in which to tell the same story. I also learned what it means to take each of these parts and exam them to see how they are or are not absolutely necessary to the story. Also, how a film could be changed to fit different restraints from needing to cut down the budget to now having to quarantine everyone associated with making a film.

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>TITLE: This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

AS THEY DID<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”> IT:

A. People-10 main characters, several secondary characters (over 30 in all) plus extras

B. Stunts- 16 stunt people. Watching the movie, I would have thought there might have been one or two stunt people (minor, slappy fist fights, Porsche driving scene). Was very surprised that there were so many stunt people in this movie!

C. Extras- a LOT of extras-NYC street, funeral, shiva, in temple, office

D. Wardrobe-nothing unusual in dressing. Everyday clothes, suits and dresses, but there were 4 wardrobe people

E. Hair and Make Up-again, nothing unusual in hair and makeup, but there were 3 hair stylists and 3 in makeup

F. Kids and Animals- no animals but several kids from babies to toddlers and up

G. Quarantine- was filmed in 2014, so no quarantine. Would have been massivly expensive to quarantine a cast and crew of this size. This movie appears to have been shot almost totally on Long Island with some locations across the sound in the City of Rye, but there were several different locations (main house, NY street, girl friend’s house, Temple, ice skating rink, Linda’s house, a bar, and the sporting goods store).

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

A. People-family could have been smaller with no wives or husbands. Perhaps they could have been closer to college age, not married

B. Stunts- still not sure what the “stunts” were, lol. Cut out the driving, at speed, scene. There was a fall into a glass table that really did not add to the story a lot although it did redirect the action in that scene. Fights were pretty minimal already. Could have been less involved.

C. Extras-NYC street scene could have been deleted. Office scene could have had fewer people. Same for funeral and shiva scenes. Temple scene could have been a smaller group. Some of these showed that the deceased was popular and loved in the community. Perhaps the same ideas could have been shown a different way.

D. Wardrobe-let those actors dress themselves! A smaller cast would certainly not require 4 wardrobe people

E. Hair and Make Up- actors could put on their own makeup. Nothing out of the ordinary in make up that was worn. Was a small cut on one actor that I assume would be done in makeup? Smaller cast would not need 6 hair and make up people.

F. Kids and Animals- No animals. Kids were present throughout the movie. Main characters could be written as not having had children yet.

G. Quarantine- A smaller cast, fewer or no extras and a smaller crew would make quarentine less expensive and much easier to pull off. Locations could have been all in the same town. Some locations, like the girl friend’s house, could have been cut out altogether.

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy Martin
Part One: Select Your Project
(Rom Com) The ghost of a widower’s husband is stuck in between life and the after life and will not move on. She is battling a ghost that will not leave, her anxities and her desire for love and a new life.
Contained Environment: the stoop, fire escape and interior of a brownstone in NYC. Possibly a side walk cafe or park/courtyard also.
Characters: 4-5 characters, 2 are main
Difficult Situation: He won’t go away, she can’t move on

Reason for Containment: she has extreme agoraphobia. He is bound to the 1 block that surrounds the house where he died.

[Stacy Martin]

1. Stacy Martin

2. I have not yet written a script. Just ideas and outlines

3. I want to learn more about how the industry works and how to navigate getting a script from idea to producer. I also want to always be improving as a writer and story teller.

4. I am a full time portrait artist and a farmer. I raise a lot of my own food, train and ride horses and train English Shepherd herding dogs.

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy J Martin
I agree to the terms of this release form

[Stacy Martin]

1. Stacy Martin

2. I have not yet written a script. Just ideas and outlines

3. I want to learn more about how the industry works and how to navigate getting a script from idea to producer. I also want to always be improving as a writer and story teller.

4. I am a full time portrait artist and a farmer. I raise a lot of my own food, train and ride horses and train English Shepherd herding dogs.

[Stacy Martin]

Stacy J Martin
I agree to the terms of this release form

[Stacy Martin]

Thank you Kimberly- it is a very new idea to me, so still trying to figure it all out! Will be interesting to see yours also!