SUZANNE KELMAN
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Suzanne Kelman – I agree to the terms of this release form.
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Suzanne Kelman Delivers Insight through Conflict
What I have learned from this assignment is that I loved the list of ways to create conflict.
Profound moments
“You could be crippled for the rest of your life.
I was crippled for the rest of my life. I got better.
He made me better. Hell, you made me better.”
“Sometimes when the little guy doesn’t know he is the little guy, he can do great things.”
Wanta know what I think?
Of course.
I think it’s better to break a man’s leg than his heart.
“You don’t throw a whole life away just because he’s banged up a little.”
“Everyone thinks we found this broken horse and fixed him. He fixed us. And each other.”
This isn’t the finish line… the future is the finish line.
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This reply was modified 4 years ago by SUZANNE KELMAN.
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This reply was modified 4 years ago by
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“What I learned doing this assignment is that there is more than one way to create profound moments.
Old Way – He will do anything to find out about what happened to his father including get himself thrown off his training
Should work but doesn’t – Instead of getting thrown out, someone dies at his hand.
Living metaphor – At the end we see him giving up the chance of that information to save his new partner’s life.
Old Way – He is going to toe the line to get back to Russia and find the information about his father.
Should work but doesn’t – Even though he toes the line, Russia switches side on him.
Living metaphor – In becoming a double agent and serving the Brits for the right reason and in giving up his chance at information – saves his new partner’s life.
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Suzanne Kelman – Counter Examples
Old Way
He is part of the KGB and must follow orders.
Challenge
If he doesn’t bend the rules he will not find out how his father died.
Old Way
Not caring about the training and hoping they will remove him from the mission
Challenge
When his first partner dies because of his negligence he makes the decision to never let that happen again
Old Way
He toes the line when he starts the mission wanting to get it over with.
Challenge
When The Russian change side and decide to work with the allies – he goes rogue to protect him and his new partner.
Old Ways
He is offered and would have taken the information about his father.
Challenge
He chooses to save his partner’s life from a firing squad in exchange for helping the British and losing the most important info he is seeking.
Old Ways
He would have chosen his own desires over serving his country.
Challenge
He has to choose to give up the woman he loves in order to serve his new country.
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DAY 9 SHIFTING BELIEF SYSTEMS
Suzanne Kelman – 12 Angry Men
WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT – What I loved about using this movie was so many of those first lines are lines we have all heard parroted by people, belief system and prejudices that we have all heard. What I love about the change is at no point to Henry Fonda call their beliefs wrong he just gentle point them to the truth, by revealing it. A great movie to study.
OLD WAYS:
Desire to get this done, assumption of guilt, judging by the area in which he lives, the colour of his skin and type of person instead of really looking or considering the truth. .
CHALLENGE:
11 -1 How will Henry Fonda even turn the minds of so many men who have assumed the boys guilt.
OLD WAYS:
“I just think he’s guilty. Nobody proved otherwise.” He’s guilty. You can talk for 100 years, you won’t change my mind.”
CHALLENGE:
“We have a reasonable doubt.”
OLD WAYS:
“I’ve lived among them my whole life. You can’t believe a word they say. They’re born liars I’d tap those There’s always one. We don’t owe him a thing.”
CHALLENGE:
“Prejudice always masks the truth.”
OLD WAYS:
“I almost fell asleep” The kids’ entire story was flimsy.”
CHALLENGE:
This isn’t a game.
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Suzanne Kelman – Profound Endings
What I learned doing this assignment is it is important to really brainstorm your ending you can add more layer in as the screenwriter did in Casablanca
Profound Truth – Love can always find a way.
My lead characters come to an end of change in a way when she is telling him the story. She now is for filling his destiny not the other way around.
Parting Image – The picture of them in the garden where their love story begins and she telling him about their love story that he no longer can remember.
The garden is set up at the beginning in the open scene to show it is going to be a significant part of the story with her hiding a key.
The surprise ending is that you never expect them to meet again as he has been “dead” for 60 years.
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Suzanne Kelman – Connection with the audience
What I learned from doing this assignment is by choosing to focus on the connections between character, you make sure you continue to engage the audience
Logline: A Russian spy working undercover in the UK during WW2 is given the choice of either facing a firing squad or helping the British intelligence service and in return, he must fake his own death and walk away from the love of his life
The character is Nikolai Petroff
Relatability: He starts out as a man trying to find out about the death of his father. We feel his grief and pain. He then falls in love with the agent he is with in the field.
Intrigue: What really happened to his dad. Will the British uncover them? Who is really chasing them in the story?
Empathy: When he has to choose between a firing squad or saving the woman he loves.
Likability – He decides to give up the love of his life so she can live.
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What I learned doing this assignment is how much I love Hal’s process to help me unlock the steps I need. I know this story isn’t there yet, not even close but everything I am doing is helping to get the story clearer in my mind with each step.
Transformational Logline – A man trying to find out what happens to his father is confronted with the choice to give up the love of his life and pretend to be dead to save her life and in order to get the information he needs.
MC – Transformational character.
Emotional Gradient:
Forced Change – In order to find out what happened to his father he has to go undercover as a spy for the KGB.
Mini-Movie 1 – Status Quo and Call to AdventureHaving joined the agency to try and find out what happened to his father he starts work and tries to secretly uncover the information he needs.
The Emotional Gradient – after the
death of his father he will do anything for answers
The
Action Gradient – He joins the agency that he believes is responsible for
his death
The
Challenge / Weakness Gradient – He is having to be deceitful and could be
found outMini-Movie 2 – Locked Into Conflict
Having agreed to work in the agency, he assigned to work undercover in Europe which will take him away from the Kremlin and the answers to her father’s death. He can’t reveal turn down the assignment without revealing his true motive
The Emotional Gradient – He is
conflicted about his assignment <div>The
Action Gradient – He tries to fail the tests so he can continue to stay in
RussiaThe Challenge –
How to continue his search when he is away from the Kremlin and the answers.<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Mini-Movie 3 — Hero Tries to Solve Problem – But Fails.
Working against his superiors he tries to trick them into keeping him in Russian but when his partner is killed in training there is even more pressure for him to go and take with him a much less prepared agent. Which puts him in a situation where he doesn’t have a choice.
The Emotional Gradient – He feels intense guilt when his partner is killed. Was he responsible?
The
Action Gradient – He still has to go but with a woefully underprepared agent.
So, he makes the decision to see the mission through
The
Challenge / Weakness Gradient – He has feeling for this new agent and is
afraid it will comprise his mission to find out about his father.Mini-Movie 4 – Hero Forms a New Plan
On arriving in Britain, he tries to use all of his connections to continue the search to find out what happened to his father. He makes contact with the underground network working against the allies.
The Emotional Gradient – He starts to feel intense feels for his new partner.
The
Action Gradient – He makes contact but keeps it a secret from her.
The
Challenge / Weakness Gradient – How to continue the deception from his
partner and the Russians.MIDPOINT:
He is given vital information about his father’s death, but in order to get what he needs, he would need to go rogue. He is now in love with his partner and is then conflicted between finishing the mission or get the information he knows will solve the mystery.
1. The Emotional Gradient – The choice between love and finding out the truth
2. The Action Gradient – He decides to go even though he has to lie to his partner.
3. The Challenge / Weakness Gradient – to keep everyone from finding out.
Mini-Movie 5 – Hero Retreats & The Antagonism Prevails
Russia changes side leaving the agent in the field in great jeopardy at the same time spies are being uncovered all over the country.
The Emotional Gradient – He is
conflicted about what this will mean <div>The
Action Gradient – He starts to make a plan in case they are caught as spiesThe
Challenge – He is not sure which side he is working
for anymoreMini-Movie 6 – Hero’s Bigger, Better Plan!
They decide they are going to defect in order to stay alive and after a meeting with another source he finds out there is someone in England who knows of the truth of his father’s death.
The Emotional Gradient – He is in a crisis of choosing between love and duty <div>
The
Action Gradient – He starts the process to get them outThe
Challenge / Weakness Gradient – Now he is defecting how will he ever find
out about his father.Mini-Movie 7 – Crisis & Climax
Perusing the information, he has the lead on, it becomes apparent it is a lie to uncover spies for the KGB who have turned. He and his partner are chased and he is shot trying to escape. After he is shot he is recovered by the British they have the information he seeks but he has to pretend he is dead and thus lose his partner the love of his life in the process. Otherwise, they will arrest her and execute her. He makes that difficult choice but leaves a trail for her to find him.
The Emotional Gradient – His fear
he will lose this partner as he did the other because of his lack of being
honesty. </div><div>The
Action Gradient – They go on the run he is shotThe
Challenge / Weakness Gradient – He has to lose the love of his life in
order to save her.Mini-Movie 8 – New Status Quo
Years later someone else follows the trail left by him for her and reunites the couple.
Old Way – Secrecy and lack of trust
New Way – Openness and trust
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Suzanne Kelman – Three Gradients
I have learned is that underpinning the profound are three gradients – emotional, action, and challenge/weakness.
The emotional gradient is either forced change or desired change.
Action – Takes the character on a journey that will naturally produce the change.
Challenge/Weakness -The characters confront and solve the weaknesses that would normally keep them from achieving this goal, thus causing a leap in their performance.
Denial –
Emotional – MC doesn’t want to leave her mother, cannot believe her father is treating her the way he is.
Action – Decided to start a new job to get away from her home life
Challenge – She is a fish out of water in this new environment
Anger –
Emotional – She hates working with her new partner but has no choice
Action – They go through a number of exercises that forces them together
Challenge – She has to keep her job so can’t tell him how she really feels
Bargaining
Emotional – She decided to just give it a few months then she will leave
Action – She starts to plan her escape
Challenge – She still has to make money until then so she is trapped in this situation
Depression
Emotional – Then get worse at home she feels completely trapped. Sadness
Action – They go through a number of exercises that forces them together
Challenge – She has leave her home situation but still need to make money
Acceptance
Emotional – She starts to have feelings for her partner
Action – The last spy gets killed in the field she is the only hope to fulfil the mission
Challenge – She is not a spy and doesn’t have the training she needs. But will go anyway.
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Suzanne Kelman Day – Analysis of Dead Poets Society
1. The Transformational Journey for the movie – The chance to go from Comformaity to being a free thinker.
2a. The Change Agent in this movie is the teacher Mr. Keating. He is the right person to encourage the change because he is successful and from the same background but somehow has managed to break free.
2b. The Transformable Characters are the school students. They are at a place in the life where a teacher can make a huge impression.
2c. The Oppression is the school conformity. the need to fit in to be successful.
3. We are lured into this profound journey because each of us in our life has felt this kind of pressure in one way or another and this takes us down the path of “what if”.
4. Todd’s change is the most profound he goes form being powerless and voiceless to being the first to stand up for Keating with his voice at the end.
5. The Gradient Change: Todd, starts off as an outsider, unable to fit in, unable to recite in class to being forced to create a poem in front of the class – to Defending Keating.
6. The old way is challenged by the teacher, having them start by tearing pages out of a book. To learn how to walk in their own stride to climbing on a desk.
7. Profound Moments:
Tearing out the pages. Standing in front of the wall of dead students. introduction out of text book. Viewing of the old class photos on the wall in the hallway – standing on a desk.
8. Profound Lines:
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>”No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”
“But only in their dreams can man be truly free. ‘Twas always thus, and always thus will be.”<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>
Thoreau said, ‘Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.’ Don’t be resigned to that. Break out!”
Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you’re slightly more daring, O Captain, my Captain.”
“Carpe Diem – Seize the Day!”
9. Set ups and Pay off
Set up The opening with the flags of conformity – Pay off them standing on the desk not conforming
Set up – Tearing out the pages in the book – Pay off not being there at the end.
10. Profound Truth: Only in being brave and stand out are we truly free.
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Suzanne Kelman – Lead Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is, to be honest, I am still trying to get my head around identifying some of these models though I do feel I am learning.
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</div>Transformational journey logline. – After losing her beauty as she ages and reassessing her life when her first husband’s words come back to haunt her. An aging actress takes the chance on a real and authentic relationship she had spurred many years before.
The change agent is the actress’s best friend who has loved her for many years just for who she is. After having trouble making friends as a female scientist, she finds camaraderie with film legand Hedy Lamarr who is also an inventor. Though she doesn’t fit in Hedy’s unauthentic world they form a bond because of science.
The oppression is Hollywood and the constant need for actresses to be beautiful
The Betraying Character is her ex-husbands that only re-forces the oppression, proving that beauty is what is most important.
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What I have learned doing this assignment – I need to make the stakes higher in my story.
Tell us your logline for the transformative journey –
After losing her beauty as she ages and reassessing her life when her first husband’s words come back to haunt her. An aging actress takes the chance on a real and authentic relationship she had spurred many years before.
Old Ways – Using her beauty to win hearts. Driven to succeed at any cost. throwing away relationships that don’t serve her anymore. Afraid and Vapid, with an unauthentic lifestyle.
New Ways – Valuing authenticity, Being brave enough to put things right. Seeing the importance in peoples that have loved her for who she is not what she looked like. Being brave
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What I have learned from this assignment is – There is layering that needs to go on to get to the best version of my story. And to not hold on doggedly to an idea, let it develop through this process.
The Profound Truth: It doesn’t matter if you are a movie star at the height of your career or a Cambridge-educated scientist changing the war with your inventions. If you are a female in that field in the 1940s your voice is silent and your work is unrecognized.
The change for the Audience. To understand that women scientists in the1940’s were not taken seriously or given equal recognition for their achievements
Entertainment Vehicle: Two women form an unlikely friendship, one is a movie star at the height of her career, the other a hidden Cambridge scientist. Even though neither of them will be recognized for their accomplishments. Both will change the world profoundly with their inventions
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Suzanne Kelman Analysis of Groundhog Day
1. Overview of the characters Arc – What is the Transformational Journey.
In Groundhog Day, we watch the journey of Phil Connors, who goes from being a self-centered, career-driven prima donna to a man who cares more about other people’s needs than his own.
At the start of the film, I particularly liked the opening shot of him looking at a blank, blue screen as he describes the weather while the TV audience sees a map of America. It was as if the writer was giving us an insight into the world we were moving into. A world where the lead character saw nothing while the rest of the world (The small town) sees everything.
2. Lead Cast
In this movie, the change agent is Rita, his producer, though she is unconscious in that role. I feel that for so much of the journey the lead character goes through is watching how she interacts with the world. Noted by the dialogue later on when he reflects back to her who she is. I feel as if he has gone through life up to that point, totally self-absorbed and unable to see the value in people with her kind character, seeing it as a weakness. This is presented to the audience right at the beginning when he looks across at her playing in front of the blue screen and says, “She’s not my type.” He has a lot to learn from her, and it will take many days of being forced into observing to change him. The oppression is the 24 hours he has to get this right.
3. How are we lured into this story?
There isn’t one of us that wouldn’t want to go back and change one day in our lives, and the lure for me was the “what if” and the entrainment value of act two. It is very cleverly woven, so it doesn’t become repetitive (even though it is repeating). The only thing that never ever changes is that Sonny and Cher song and I believe that was to remind the audience it always starts the same way. The story continued to build even as the day is the same. Very clever. This was also done very successfully in the movie About Time.
4 – The Old Way of Being to the New Way
The main character Phil Conners goes through the most change. The journey is from a self-absorbed prima donna (they say that twice so we don’t forget) to a selfless and caring human being. But one thing I found interesting watching it for this class is the character of Larry. At the beginning of the story, Larry is seen as the opposite of Phil. Rita’s confident, but by the end, as the main character starts to change and become less self-centered, Larry appears more unauthentic. The clever way the writer uses that look from the barman to reflect that truth is brilliant. I believe Larry is in there for that reason. To help us measure the change of the Protag.
5. Steps of Change
I loved this change because the writers seemed to model it somewhat on the stages of grief. Denial – “Do you ever have Dejvu,” breaking the pencil in half, Medical exams, psychiatric appointments, etc. Anger – slamming pork chop against the wall. Punching the salesman – taking his frustration out on his co-workers and on the air with viewers. Bargaining “Why can’t I have that day over and over”- Driving on the railroad tracks, etc. Depression – attempting suicide and finally acceptance. Though in the middle of act two, it is a false victory. “He thinks he is a God” he is still ego-centric. It isn’t until act three, right before all is lost, that we see the shift. It is the moment with Rita when he has given up trying to sleep with her and starts to be honest with her about himself – knowing full well he can be vulnerable because tomorrow she won’t remember any of it. Then the death of the old man gives him a purpose, and from then to the end of the movie, we see him fulfilling that new destiny, helping others.
6. How the Old Way is Challenged
Up until now, he has always controlled his own life. Selfish, arrogant, etc., in this new world of act two, he has no control over his life. Though in the beginning, he enjoys living with no consequences. I think the most entertaining part of this movie is watching him throughout act two try to operate in his old ways, manipulate people and situations around him with no success. We see it through his desire for intimacy. The writers set us up with Nancy an easy one-night stand in a place where no one remembers you the next day. It is highlighted when he sees her outside the movie theatre. However, we then watch him try to get close to Rita with the same tactics. I think having her slap him in the face over and over, nine times in all, rather than just have different scenarios and the ending was genius. For a while, in act two, we had every day start with “I’ve got you, babe,” and the progression of his love life ends with Rita’s slap. Poignant and brilliant.
7. Profound Moments
I had always thought the major shift came after Pop’s death but watching it this time around; I realized it happens before that. When he and Rita are throwing cards into a hat, this is when he hints at how long he has been doing the same day. She thinks it would take her a year to learn the card throwing trick; he tells her only six months, 7 or 8 hours a day. He has also seen a particular film over 100 times. Then he says to her the worse part is that she will think he is a jerk the next day, which he admits he is. Later in the scene, he tells her how much he admires the way she is in the world. He then reveals his real feelings for her in that first scene—a totally vulnerable moment for him. I think one of the poignant moments is when he is talking to her, and she is half-asleep; he is bearing his soul and not trying to manipulate her for the first time. Then we hit that all is lost moment when he wakes up alone.
The next most profound moment for me is when he tries to save Pops and can’t. He then goes on to control his world (similar to the old way) but now, instead of him controlling in a selfish way, he is doing it for the good of others. What I liked about this is the writer didn’t finish the movie once he was doing this. We know there is more than one day of him helping people with him shouting to the boy he catches. “You never, ever thank me.” But it isn’t until after Rita decides she is going to pursue him that we get the ending. It ties all the payoff together.
8. Profound Lines
The most poignant line for me is when he tries to save Pops. And the nurse tells him that it was just his time. She goes onto to say, “Sometimes people just die,” and Phil answers, “Not today.”
9. Setups and Payoffs
Rita is not my type – She is exactly his type.
I control my world for my own good – He controls his world for the good of others.
He will never spend a minute longer than he has to in Punxsutawney – Let’s live here.
Ignores Pops – Tries to save his life.
He tries to dodge Ned – Ends up buying all his insurance.
Watch out for that first step. It a doozy – The setup for the journey we are about to take.
Goes from half-hearted sarcastic reporting – To a heart-felt one at the end.
Mocks Rita for quoting poetry – reading it to her when he has changed.
He becomes Rita’s checklist of the perfect man.
He’s too humble to know he is perfect – Highlighted at the end with the woman who tells her to hang onto him. And Rita asking what he did today, and he answers, “same old same old.”
Plays an instrument – He learns to plays the piano.
His courageous – we see him saving the man who is choking.
He loves his mother, kind – we see him changing the older woman’s tire. Buying the tickets for the married couple
He likes children – he saves the boy in the tree.
10. The Profound Truth
It is only when we are genuine can we live our best life. Otherwise, we are forced to re-live the same day every day.
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I agree to the terms of this release form. Suzanne Kelman
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Hi, my name is Suzanne, I am a full-time writer and I’m looking forward to working on this class. I have been writing screenplays for about ten years and have loved all of Hal’s classes. I am in the process of writing a screenplay for a producer so I’m looking forward to using some of these skills to take my latest screenplay to the next level.