[Timothy Hicks]

Timothy’s First Three Decisions

What I learned doing this assignment is don’t settle for your first idea. Consider both your character arc, and your audience arc. How can this story effect a change for the better in both?

Give us your three decisions.
1. What is your profound truth?
Rule makers are often the greatest rule breakers.

2. What is the change your movie will cause with an audience?
We should examine who benefits most when others follow certain rules – Cui Bono?

3. What is your Entertainment Vehicle that you will tell this story through?
Metaphor – A retiring high school teacher preparing to start a new part of life

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 5 days ago by  Timothy Hicks.

[Timothy Hicks]

Subject: Timothy’s Analysis of Groundhog Day

———————QUESTIONS FOR THE MOVIE——————-
We are looking at this movie from the perspective of the change that occurs for the lead character and the audience.
1. What is the CHANGE this movie is about? What is the Transformational Journey of this movie?
Bill Murray changes from focusing inward to focusing outward and becoming compassionate about others.

2. Lead characters:
o Who is the Change Agent (the one causing the change) and what makes this the right character to cause the change?
The time loop – it forces Bill Murray to repeat each day until he sees himself as
he truly is.
o
o Who is the Transformable Character (the one who makes the change) and what makes them the right character to deliver this profound journey?
o Bill Murray – because he is such a negative, unlikeable person who acts the way we might like sometimes, he has so far to go the change is so grand it is easily seen when he becomes who he should.
o What is the Oppression?
o Loss of Control – Bill Murray has no control over his life at first as he keeps repeating the same mistakes and getting further and further than he started out.

3. How are we lured into the profound journey? What causes us to connect with this story?
We have all had horrible days we wish we could change. Murray tries to make small changes but they are not enough.
4. 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:
Murray changes the most. He has to or keep repeating the suffering he has gone through. Old way – Narcissistic, mean. New Way – kind, compassionate, wants to help others.
But, also, Andi McDowell because Old – loathes Murray at the beginning New – sees Murray as someone she could like and care for.
5. What is the gradient the change? What steps did the Transformational Character go through as they were changing?
Gradient – making small changes to learn new skill sets and improving, helps Murray to learn to like himself. He seems to dislike himself and only live for his own pleasure at the beginning.

6. How is the “old way” challenged? What beliefs are challenged that cause a main character to shift their perspective…and make the change?
Challenge is continuing as he was keeps Murray repeating the day. As he begins to change, he finds out being nice isn’t all bad, and he likes the positive feedback he gets from others.

7. What are the most profound moments of the movie?

When Murray finds he cares about Andi McDowell and he says it was the best day of his life. Before, it was a wild night with a Brazilian model.
8. What are the most profound lines of the movie?
For me, when he tells the nurse after the old man died that e tried to save, ‘Not any more. Things will not keep going the same way.’
9. How does the ending payoff the setups of this movie?
Murray hates Punxsutawney and can’t wait to leave. By the ending, he is ready to stay together with And McDowell. He ahs found peace in his life at last.

10. What is the Profound Truth of this movie?
Life is what you make of it, and not what you get out of it, but rather what you can put into it. When you go in with a negative attitude, it colors your perception of everything around you. Once Murray found helping others brought him joy, others responded in a positive way in turn.

• This reply was modified 4 weeks, 1 day ago by  Timothy Hicks. Reason: Markup embolded all text

[Timothy Hicks]

My name is Timothy Hicks. I’ve written, and rewritten one screenplay, and started two other screenplays. I’m coming from writing fiction, and hope to finish a screenplay for this course.

My travel experience is much less extensive than Beverley. Working on middle school computers limited my travel to our building and helping other schools.

Something different about me is I worked over twenty years in the school system. After retiring, I homeschooled our grandson for two years. After retiring from homeschooling, I ran for our county school board.

Now, I write fiction after hearing all those stories at school. You’d be amazed at the tall tales from teachers explaining how their laptops were damaged. It was like an adult version of ‘the dog ate my homework’.

[Timothy Hicks]

My name is Timothy Hicks. I’ve written, and rewritten one screenplay, and started two other screenplays. I’m coming from writing fiction, and hope to finish a screenplay for this course.

My travel experience is much less extensive than Beverley. Working on middle school computers limited my travel to our building and helping other schools.

Something different about me is I worked over twenty years in the school system. After retiring, I homeschooled our grandson for two years. After retiring from homeschooling, I ran for our county school board.

Now, I write fiction after hearing all those stories at school. You’d be amazed at the tall tales from teachers explaining how their laptops were damaged. It was like an adult version of ‘the dog ate my homework’.

[Timothy Hicks]

I agree to the confidentiality terms of this course:

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.

Timothy Hicks

[Timothy Hicks]

Timothy’s RomCOm Project

What I learned from this assignment is your characters must have more than a superficial attraction if it is to last. Character must have needs met that they may not even know they had.
If nothing is added to the relationship by the other, there is no need for the other character.

Who is She?
Bonnie Hanson: Up and coming Good4You Foods ad executive who came up with the Millionth Customer Reward ad. She is a single mother of nine-year-old, Charlie, who feels she needs to work hard to keep from ending up destitute like her mother.

In the opening, we see clips of the Millionth Customer Reward ads and shots of customers flocking to the stores to win this customer lottery. Bonnie is seen in one store standing near the counter beside a table with a little boy coloring.

We get the impression she is work-focused when the little boy holds up his coloring as Bonnie ignores him to watch the counter sales.

Who is He?
Luke Berger: Company spokesman for his older brother’s company, Bigger Burgers as Bigger Burger Guy.

He got the job after dropping out of college. Not because he couldn’t hack it, but losing his best friend and girlfriend at the same time reminded him of losing both parents when he was ten.

What makes Bonnie lovable?
She acts serious and focused at work, but goofy and funny around Charlie away from the office. She pushes people away when they become too close as she expects them to leave like her husband did her, and her father did her mother. This leaves her feeling she needs to protect Charlie from the world’s hurts.

What makes Luke lovable?
He drifts through life and goes with the flow as he’s friendly to everyone, but secretly longs for a commitment he is afraid to face. He is afraid of losing the one he cares about as he did his parents. He learned kindness and politeness from his grandparents on the farm where they raised, he and his brother.

What causes Bonnie to be attracted to Luke?
• His kindness to Charlie even though he was busy and needed to return to work.
• His genuine character – he doesn’t put on a front.
• His honesty
• He’s working a job he doesn’t like to help his brother

 
What causes Luke to be attracted to Bonnie?
• She reminds him of his grandmother – hardworking but willing to have fun.
• She values family, even though she has been disappointed in the past.
• She kept on going through her life’s hardships. She set goals and didn’t gave up.

What needs does Luke fulfill for Bonnie?
• The possibility of a long-term love as a family with Charlie.
• Reminder that family is more important than work
• Someone she can trust, share with, and depend on.

What needs does Bonnie fulfill for Luke?
• The possibility of long-term love and commitment
• Finding that someone likes him for his self, not for his riches or fame.
• Someone who believes in him and his ideas, not just treat him as the CEO’s little brother.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Timothy Hicks. Reason: Didn't retain formatting

[Timothy Hicks]

Title="Timothy’s Rom Com Project"

What I learned from doing this assignment is that characters’ personalities are a result of their life experiences; both current and in the past. And, there is a primary storyline that brings the characters together. Each character also has their own storyline occurring within the larger storyline. Our goal is to connect all these storylines in a satisfying ending that leaves the viewer happy.

• Two People Who Belong Together: Bonnie has two focuses in her life, work and her nine-year-old Charlie, and feels guilty when she focuses on one over the other. Luke is a good-old-boy college dropout living in his brother’s shadow at the company he works for.

• How Are They Separated: Bonnie’s employer expects her to promote healthy eating and lifestyle. Luke promotes big burgers and fries as Bigger Burger Guy in the ads.

• What Forces Them together: Luke is the one-millionth customer at Good4You Foods and won the spot as company spokesman in ads for one-year. Charlie idolizes Bigger Burger Guy on the commercials, and is excited when Bonnie is ordered to convince Luke to give up the ad spot if she wants that promotion.

• Issues to be Resolved: Bonnie has issues with muscular men like her ex-husband who left Charlie and her. She looks at Luke as a rich, spoiled frat-boy who never had to work. Luke was burned when his ex-fiancée left him for his best friend the doctor. Now, he has to trust Bonnie who is so work-focused, she never takes time for fun with her own son.

• On Their Journey of Love: Charlie runs away from school to the park across town where the three picnicked. At the studio where Bigger Burger is filming an ad, Luke hears that Charlie is missing and runs to help find him, still in costume. Bonnie is getting her big promotion at last when she hears Charlie has left school, so she dashes out.
_______________________________________________________________________
• Experience of Falling In Love: Bonnie and Luke notice their differences compliment the other’s needs.

• The Journey of Love: Bonnie notices Luke isn’t self-conceited by the way Luke treats Charlie and he cares about others. Luke finds Bonnie works so hard so that she and Charlie can buy a house with a yard and get a dog.

• Relationship Set-up: When Luke and Bonnie first meet, Charlie recognizes Luke as Bigger Burger Guy and thinks he is in disguise. Luke goes along with the story s Charlie isn’t disappointed.

• Issues each must Resolve: Bonnie believes all body-builders are only concerned about themselves and will disappoint you. Luke believes upwardly mobile women will dispose of you once you are no longer useful to them.

• Separation: Luke is called back to his grandparents’ farm who raised he and his brother when grandfather has a bad accident.

• How will Comedy be Expressed: Bonnie believes clothes make the man, or woman, and always tries to dress accordingly. Luke grew up on a farm and is more comfortable in jeans and flannel. Bonnie has her MBA, while Luke claims he graduated from the school of Hard Knocks.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Timothy Hicks. Reason: Formatted okay, but posted all test together
• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Timothy Hicks. Reason: Name change from Blake to Luke

[Timothy Hicks]

1. My name is Timothy, from Kentucky
2. I’ve written one science-fiction script, and started another handful.
3. I hope to learn how to create good, funny rom-com scripts with this course’s help!
4. I also write speculative fiction and used to drive my wife and daughter crazy when I told them dialogue or the ending of a movie we hadn’t seen before. 🙂

[Timothy Hicks]

I. Timothy Hicks, agree to the terms and conditions of this agreement.
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.

[Timothy Hicks]

Nice character and background development. These details help explain their feelings and needs in the backstory before the tale begins.

[Timothy Hicks]

Thank you, Mary. Good advice about too many names sharing the same first letter. Should have caught that one. 😁