BWTV: Lesson 2: The 10 Components of Marketability

[Lloyd Shellenberger]

Lloyd Shellenberger – Marketable Components

Vision:

Working hard every day to become the best writer I can be and as a result I do become the best writer in Hollywood.

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…
I am now learning how to write an effective pitch.

Benjamin Greene
A former CIA assassin turned Special Operations Commander and his crew are brutally recruited into a Top-Secret Pentagon agency whose mission is to ensure the nation’s secrets stay secret.

ASSIGNMENT

Pick one or two components and tell us how your script already fulfills them AND how you might highlight these two in order to elevate the pitch.
1. Tell us your current logline. After the murder of an Iraqi interpreter, SFC Miles Clark and his crew must risk thier lives and careers to save the widow and her children from certain death.
2. Look through the 10 Components of Marketability and pick a few that have the most potential for selling this script.
A. Unique. This series gives the viewers a unique insight into the espionage game where the only rules are kill or be killed.

B. Great Title. The title is indicative of a strong lead that dominates the show and exemplifies excellent leadership qualities as a unit Commander and Special Operations operative.

C. True. Some of the episodes were inspired by true events but because of the sensitive nature of the story, names and dates were changed to protect the true facts. I spent time in Psychological Operations and did tours performing those duties.

D. Timely. Unfortunately, with the world in as state of chaos this story fits the current times perfectly.

E. It’s may not be a first. Blacklist, Ray Donovan, The Unit, Seal team. The way this is presented allows the crew to travel around the world hiding or getting rid of the incrementing deeds of nefarious government agencies. The conflict lies in the resistant and desire at times to work outside of the Puzzle Works mandate and make up new rules as they go along.

F. Ultimate. This may be the best action-packed TV series to date.

G. Wide audience appeal. The emotional arc of the lead protagonist makes this a powerful role any actor would love to play. Audiences would embark on a wild emotional ride as they root for the lead characters and Colonel Greene and his crew.

H. I am contemplating creating a long running book series named The Puzzle Works or the Puppet Masters.

I. Similarity to a TV success. The Unit, Blacklist, Ray Donovan

J. A great role for a bankable actor. This story takes an actor all the way through the emotional arc from A to Z. Colonel Benjamin Greene is a strong and capable protagonist. His antagonist is just as capable and committed. Throughout the series rival factions conspire to expose or hide the truth as well often times putting Greene and his crew in compromising situations.

3. Do a quick brainstorm session about ways to elevate the components you chose for this script and tell us how you might pitch the script through those components.
Example: If you say your script has a great role, in one or two sentences, tell us how you can emphasize that role as you pitch your concept.

This is a TV Series is drawn from real life world events. Soldiers and government agencies are involved in covert operations all around the world on a daily basis. The TV or Streaming audience gets a front row seat to the inner workings of the espionage game.