1. Perception Shift 101
Character
MODULE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
ONE
TWO
Dramatic
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Question
THREE
Artistic
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Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
This is a crash-course in dramatic structure.
I didn’t like how the textbook did it, so I am deviating from it. There are some definitions
you need from the book, but otherwise, everything you need is on these slides.

2. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
The Perception Shift is the shift the
audience has, where they think they
are looking at one thing, but they are
actually experiencing something
TOTALLY different.
The 6th Sense is an obvious example:
BRUCE WILLIS IS DEAD THE WHOLE
TIME

3. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
But Kanye West explains it better
than I can.
I love this song.
Listen to it here if you don’t own it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8
dbYZPxcKFI

4. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
So he’s talking about this girl he
crushed on.
His first love.
Wendy.

5. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Right?

6. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Let’s talk about Wendy:
Info About Wendy
She had so much soul
She likes to ‘blow
trees’
She is tougher than his
friends
She is walked all-over
by former boyfriends
She has seen a lot of
entertainers leave her.
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE

7. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now who is she to Kanye?
Info About Wendy
Wendy and Kanye (WenYe)
She had so much soul
They broke up
She likes to ‘blow
trees’
He had kids with her
She is tougher than his
friends
She is walked all-over
by former boyfriends
She has seen a lot of
entertainers leave her.
He went ‘downtown’ on her
He left her to ‘follow his
dreams’
His kids are just like him.

8. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
So Wendy is his first love, whom he
had kids with and then he left, in
typical Kanye fashion.
Right?

9. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Right?

10. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Wrong!

11. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Listen to that song again.
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE

12. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
More specifically, the two minute
mark:
“If you don’t know by now, I’m talking
‘bout Chi-town.”

13. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
He’s talking about Chicago!!!
Not Wendy!!

14. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Wait, Wendy?
Wendy? Who likes to ‘blow trees’?
Windy? The Windy City who likes to
blow trees because it’s so windy??

15. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
MIND =
BLOWN

16. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Say it ain’t so!!!
Info About Wendy
Truth about Wendy
She had so much soul
Of course! It’s a city!
She likes to ‘blow
trees’
Windy
She is tougher than his
friends
All those jerks from
NYC don’t think
Chicago is tough.
She is walked all-over
by former boyfriends
Because she has roads
She has seen a lot of
entertainers leave her.
Because they get big
and move out!!!

17. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the surface meaning.
Info About Wendy
She had so much soul
She likes to ‘blow
trees’
She is tougher than his
friends
She is walked all-over
by former boyfriends
She has seen a lot of
entertainers leave her.
This is the 6th
sense meaning.
Wendy is a city.
The audience is
fooled. We feel
dumb.

18. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the surface meaning.
Info About Wendy
She had so much soul
She likes to ‘blow
trees’
She is tougher than his
friends
She is walked all-over
by former boyfriends
She has seen a lot of
entertainers leave her.
This is the 6th
sense meaning.
And eventually
we ask, ‘so
what’?

19. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the surface meaning.
Info About Wendy
She had so much soul
She likes to ‘blow
trees’
She is tougher than his
friends
She is walked all-over
by former boyfriends
She has seen a lot of
entertainers leave her.
This reliance on
surface meaning is
one of the reasons
why M. Night’s
movies have
gotten worse and
worse.

20. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the surface meaning.
Info About Wendy
She had so much soul
She likes to ‘blow
trees’
She is tougher than his
friends
She is walked all-over
by former boyfriends
She has seen a lot of
entertainers leave her.
It’s not about the
surface meaning.
It’s about what
the analogy says
about what we
care about.

21. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the Actual Meaning
Wendy and Kanye
(WenYe)
They broke up
He had kids with her
He went ‘downtown’ on
her
He left her to ‘follow his
dreams’
His kids are just like him.
The actual
events in their
‘life together’
is what makes
this song great.

22. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the Actual Meaning
Wendy and Kanye
(WenYe)
They broke up
He had kids with her
He went ‘downtown’ on
her
He left her to ‘follow his
dreams’
His kids are just like him.
It’s not about
the tricks, it
about what
that switch
reveals.

23. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the Actual Meaning
Wendy and Kanye
(WenYe)
They broke up
He had kids with her
He went ‘downtown’ on
her
He left her to ‘follow his
dreams’
His kids are just like him.
I would not
choose to
listen to a four
minute love
song about
Chicago.

24. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the Actual Meaning
Wendy and Kanye
(WenYe)
They broke up
He had kids with her
He went ‘downtown’ on
her
He left her to ‘follow his
dreams’
His kids are just like him.
But I did, and
because he
made it
EXPLICITELY
ABOUT A GIRL

25. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Now this is the Actual Meaning
Wendy and Kanye
(WenYe)
They broke up
He had kids with her
He went ‘downtown’ on
her
He left her to ‘follow his
dreams’
His kids are just like him.
He sucked me
in, and then
gutt-punched
me when he
switched.

26. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
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Shift
FIVE
I understand how Kanye
West feels about Chicago.
Which is what any author
should strive for.

27. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Read this little parable:
http://www.jainworld.co
m/literature/story25.htm
If you need help.

28. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
On the discussion board:
Click on “Perception Shift”
And here is your
assignment:

29. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
ASSIGNMENT:
Describe an action by instead
describing another action.
Give yourself 5 minutes to do
it.

30. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
ASSIGNMENT:
HINT:
It may be easier to use something
mundane (bowling?), to secretly
describe something horrific (ripping
out fingernails?)

31. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
ASSIGNMENT:
HINT:
Remember, use nouns, use actual
examples that can’t be interpreted
any other way.

32. Perception Shift
Character
MODULE
ONE
Onstage
MODULE
Manifestation
TWO
• Perception Shift
– Introduction
– Surface Meaning
– Actual Meaning
– Exercise
Dramatic
MODULE
Question
THREE
Artistic
MODULE
Goal
FOUR
Perception
MODULE
Shift
FIVE
Subject: Your Name
Body: Your paragraph you
wrote in five minutes
END of paragraph: Your two
tasks.