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STORYTELLING APPROACH FOR UNLIKEABLE CHARACTER- (under the cut)
Humor- Cid will be funny when doing wrong, so audience will look forward to
his bad behavior
Redeeming Quality- Ex: Cid is nice to snails etc.
Introducing an even more unlikable character (Sea Witch)- In comparison to
Cid, the sea witch is evil, making him look less bad by association
Unlikable is liked by a likable character- Mermaid,/sea slugs. If a likable
character likes Cid, it may help audience re-evaluate him as a person
ACT 1- THE BEGINNING
Introduction-
Inciting Incident:
(Nighttime, stormy) The opening scene begins with pitch black shot, the sound of
thunder, running footsteps, heavy breathing/wheezing, shouting “Don’t let him get
away!”
First shot that comes into light is Cid’s feet running in a hurry, puddles splashing, (he
dodges all the snails) it gradually moves up to his waist before switching to a shot behind
him showing a mob of cops chasing after him.
Cid turns a corner, violent thunder sound/bright light occurs, scene changes to the
mermaid Aria frantically swimming near the surface to a burning boat at sea, shouting
occurs here too, “Lower the lifeboats!” / ”Save the prince!”
*Note- Cid and Aria are in slightly similar situations as to suggest that they will
later have some kind of connection, also why Cid is splashing in puddles- to infer relation
to water. These are also the start of each character’s problems, which will be addressed
later on
The Set up:
The story will switch to 2 weeks prior, showing the lives of Cid and Aria before the
storm.
Cid- bumming around town, stealing, drinking, trying to get drugs, scaring people
Aria- lounging above the surface day dreaming of what it’d be like to be human and have
a soul
*Note- Purposely depict Cid as scum and Aria as a gentle someone who just
wants love and a soul in order to not disappear (mermaids don’t have souls, turn into sea
foam after 300+ years of life)- to make viewers ponder what these 2 could possibly have
in common and/or how the story will have them intertwine
(Still 2 weeks before) Cid realizes after another long day of getting drunk that his body
can’t handle as much anymore and is feeling internally ill, has dream of his coming
death. Feels that something is seriously wrong and begins to understand he is probably
sick and dying
*Note- in this world, spirituality is very clear and information of
heaven/hell/afterlife is openly known by all
Cid knows that when he dies, he will end up in hell (which is well known by all that it is
terrible) and decides that he cannot let himself end up there. Thinks about trying to repent
for his sins, but quickly scraps that idea as he finds it ridiculous and rather hilarious. Says
“oh well” and passes out for the night
Aria is daydreaming again, a flashback about her grandma telling her that mermaids don’t
have souls and disappear after death makes her cringe.
Small character developments come in at this point- redeeming quality for Cid, act of
kindness by Aria
Shot shows both the two thinking and fades out
ACT 2- CONFRONTATION
New scene slowly shows thundery night returning, Cid is hopping a gated fence from the
Prince’s castle, running from authorities, the scene continues and shows him running with
familiar shouting from the opening scene
Scene switches to Aria saving the prince from the burning ship
Cid escapes the cops by falling down a small cliff/hill into the water
Aria swims her way back home after Prince is safe and notices Cid struggling and
drowning, she helps him to safety
They talk a bit and Cid finds out that she’s half fish, his first thought is that he wants to
eat her because he hasn’t eaten anything in days.
She swims away.
Aria dwells on how she loves that prince guy and stumbles upon the sea witch, gets
turned into a human after making a deal with the devil (she has to kiss the guy before the
sun goes down or she becomes a sea witch slave, if she succeeds she can stay human
forever and gain a soul of her own).
Cid and Aria accidentally meet up again and Cid notices that she’s the fish from before,
wonders how she became human.
They talk some more and she spills the beans about the sea witch and why she wants to
be human, which gives Cid the idea to become a merman so he can live another 300 years
and escape hell by turning into sea foam when he dies.
Cid and Aria make a deal, he’ll help her get into the prince’s castle (since he knows his
way around), if Aria helps him talk to this sea witch so he can be turned into a merman.
He helps her meet the Prince, and she takes him to the sea witch when she comes back.
Cid meets the sea witch without Aria there, and witch says she’ll only transform him if he
sabotages Aria’s quest and makes her fail so the sea witch can add her to her collection of
slaves. If he agrees, she promises she will transform him
*Note- here is where there is opportunity to portray the sea witch as an even more
despicable character than Cid to help Cid seem more likeable as an unlikable character.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Cid sneaks into prince’s castle and steals something valuable/sentimental and frames Aria
for it.
Prince kicks her to the curb and Aria pays the price at sunset. She turns into a slave
simultaneously with Cid turning into a merman
ACT 3- RESOLUTION
Cid is thrilled to have succeeded with his plan to escape hell, and asks for the nearest
place to get his beer to celebrate.
Sea witch scoffs and calls him a fool. You can’t drink alcohol underwater. She tells him
that she owns him for being the one to transform him, and he must be her lackey for the
rest of his days (which she did not originally mention).
Cid gets super pissed off when she’s finished talking, and soon reveals that he is mostly
angry about the beer.
He confronts her in a final battle, getting help from the nearby sea slugs whom heard
through the grapevine that Cid always helps their fellow land slugs/snails by picking
them up and moving them towards their destination. To them, it’s like time travel.
Cid destroys the sea witch and all her spells are broken, her slaves return to who they
once were and he becomes a human again, capable of drinking all the stolen beer he
pleases.
He is thanked by the Gods for taking care of the wretched witch for them and is offered a
spot in eternal purgatory, rather than hell. He cheers’ to that.
The End
MORAL OF STORY- If you want something, there’s always a way.
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