Cursory Analysis: Short Circuit

Discuss the practical use of Dramatica. Have questions about how throughlines should be used, how to create Complex Characters or even the various combinations of the 12 Essential Questions and how they will affect your story go here.
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Geoff1975
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Cursory Analysis: Short Circuit

Postby Geoff1975 » May 03, 2013 8:16 pm

After first thinking of Number Five as the MC, I think he is just the protagonist. We learn more about Stephanie's personal life with ex-boyfriend and don't learn about Number Five beyond the OS throughline. I see two RS's: one with Steph and Number Five, and one with Steph and Newton. Number Five would be Steadfast in his belief he is alive, or more likely in the RS, that he enjoys Steph. She would then be Change. What paradigm of hers is changed? She'd share the OS's problem & solution (being change), while Number Five would share the OS symptom and response (being steadfast).

Since everyone consciously argues whether Number Five is sentient or just an automaton, that would be the symptom and response. Steph's personal problem might be with her ex-boyfriend. I think she's jaded or bigoted about men, until Newton comes along. She learns not to be prejudiced, and thus she winds up at the end having a happy life with Newton. That would match everyone in the OS being prejudiced about humans being the only ones capable of life. That then creates the symptom of sentience versus automaton... this is what they consciously argue about.

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Geoff1975
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Re: Cursory Analysis: Short Circuit

Postby Geoff1975 » May 03, 2013 8:31 pm

Her prejudiced attitude is probably also the reason for her smart-aleck remarks toward Nova Laboratories: "I want to talk to your head warmonger, please." "Go back to your nuclear weapons." It's consistently one of two traits in her character, the other being, well a cute sweetheart.

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Re: Cursory Analysis: Short Circuit

Postby Contagionist » May 04, 2013 11:51 am

It's been a while since I've seen the movie, but I think that Newton is the Change MC. I admit it's weird to have the MC's role minimized through most of the second act, but Stephanie seems more like a sidekick to me.

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Geoff1975
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Re: Cursory Analysis: Short Circuit

Postby Geoff1975 » May 05, 2013 5:05 pm

Hi Contagonist,
I see what you mean by sidekick for Steph. Dramatica has four Driver OS archetypes and four passenger archetypes. This is just from observation, but I keep running into the character personally related to the main character as also being the Conscience character in the OS. Is she fully committed, as sidekick, to proving Number Five is alive, or is she a helper to him? She's involved so much in the overall story that I would think she's conscience and help (as one of the Driver archetypes) rather than the sidekick in the passenger archetypes.

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Re: Cursory Analysis: Short Circuit

Postby Contagionist » May 06, 2013 5:06 am

Maybe Number Five isn't either MC or IC. It could be that he's just the focus of everyone in the overall story, so the goal would be Obtaining. The things I'm looking at is that Number Five is steadfast for sure, and I don't remember Stephanie changing her resolve either. Newton would seem to be the Change character, which I think makes him either MC or IC, since according to Dramatica one of those must change its view. I would think since we start with Newton, and he comes with the Politically Incorrect Exposition Dumpster, that he's the MC. Either Five or Stephanie must be the IC, and I'd choose Five because he more directly impacts Newton, but I could see Stephanie possibly filling that role.

Is it possible that Stephanie is a Contagonist? Again, it's been a while since I've seen the film, but it doesn't seem at odds with what I remember. It doesn't need to be willful. She can be a hinderance without intent.


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