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Day 1 Assignments
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Riverdale 5-Star Model
What I learned doing this assignment is… that I don’t have to particularly like a TV show to learn something from it. I was a bit surprised when I looked over the list of approved binge worthy TV shows that none of them seem to be comedies, which is my preferred genre. I wonder if anyone can recommend a binge worthy comedy series? Some of my favorite comedic TV shows include “The Big Bang Theory,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “The Office,” “That 70s Show,” “New Girl,” and “Parks and Rec.” I just want to know if it’s possible to still create a comedy with this binge worthy, serial-style model. (I do feel like most, if not all, of these TV shows fit that model from what we discussed in lesson 1.)
TITLE: Riverdale
BEATS:
Intro to the town of Riverdale and mystery of missing Blossom twin
Veronica arrives to town.
Betty has a date with Archie, who shares his musical aspirations, until the date is interrupted by Veronica.
First day of school: Betty gives Veronica a tour.
Veronica reveals her dad is the devil incarnate.
Archie approaches Josie and the pussycat with his songs.
Assembly in honor of Jason Blossom
Flashback to Archie hooking up with Miss Grundy, the music teacher
Archie’s father meets with Veronica‘s mother on the job site looking for work
Archie plays his music for Betty, Veronica, and Kevin.
Cheryl Blossom meets Veronica and tries to talk Veronica into the cheerleading team.
Veronica offers to help Betty prep to try it for cheerleading.
Archie shows his music to Miss Grundy, the music teacher.
Flashback to Miss Grundy and Archie hearing a gunshot
Cheerleading tryouts for Betty and Veronica in which Cheryl confronts Betty about her older sister Polly’s relationship with Cheryl‘s brother Jason; Veronica’s defense of Betty sets her up as Betty’s defender against Cheryl, the antagonist
Archie makes the varsity football team as a sophomore.
Betty and Veronica both make the cheerleading team. Betty opens up to Veronica about the family dynamic between her mother and sister.
Betty and Veronica invite Archie to go to the dance with both of them.
Betty’s mom tells her she can’t be a cheerleader and Betty tells her no.
Hermione‘s (Veronica‘s mom) missing bag turns up with a bunch of money in it.
Archie tells his dad he wants to write music, not play football or go to business school.
Archie attends the dance with both Betty and Veronica.
Archie talks to Mrs. Grundy at the dance about an independent study.
Betty pursues becoming a couple with Archie. He seems distracted by Mrs. Grundy.
Cheryl Blossom invites Betty and Veronica to her afterparty.
Veronica plays seven minutes in heaven with Archie and Archie admits he doesn’t feel anything for Betty. They hook up.
We meet Jughead the narrator at Pops.
Archie goes to Betty’s house and says he’ll never be good enough for Betty.
Kevin discovers Jason’s body in the lake and the narrator hints that the first arrest will take place by fifth hour tomorrow.
5 STAR POINTS:
Big Picture Hooks
Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? I’m assuming it’s the tie-in to the comic book series, though I’ve never read it.
Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? I suppose the depth of backstory is intriguing; everyone has a story, a history that we have to keep watching to uncover. There are at least two clear love triangles (Archie, Betty, Veronica; Archie, Betty, and Mrs. Grundy). There are also obvious alliances and antipathies between the characters, both students and adults, which sets up for future conflict. None of the characters, though, seem highly unusual.
Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character? Empathy for Betty because she’s an outsider on the cheer team. Empathy for Betty whose sister was taken advantage of by Jason Blossom and is now in a psych ward from the sound of it. Empathy for Veronica for being the new girl with a dislikable dad. Empathy for Archie for having a dream no one seems to support. Empathy for Betty because Archie doesn’t want her no matter how hard she tries. Empathy for Jughead, who seems to be a total outsider.
Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season? Where did Hermione (Veronica’s mother) get the bag of money? What happened to Jason Blossom? Did one of the students have something to do with his death? Will Archie end up with Betty or Veronica? Will Archie hook up again with Mrs. Grundy? Will she get fired for sleeping with a student? What was the gunshot Mrs. Grundy and Archie heard?
Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode? Relatable high school situations, relatable high school and adult characters draw in a large age range of viewers, mystery, intrigue, a plethora of conflict already established in the pilot
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Binge-Worthy TV
Lesson 1 – 5 star points
The Night Of
1. Big Picture Hook
After spending the night with a woman he doesn’t know, a 30-year-old man wakes up to find she has been murdered.
2. Intriguing Character
Naz has always done what he’s been told and what has been expected of him. The one night he decides to give in to his desires everything goes horribly wrong.
3. Empathy/Distress
Naz gets lost while driving in Manhattan and it only gets worse from there. He only wanted a bit of fun and ends up stripping in a room full of cops and needing a lawyer.
4. Open Loops
Will the lawyer be able to help Naz out of the situation? How will his family react? Will his father be able to get the cab back? Above all, what really happened to the girl? Who was she? Who killed her and why?
5. Inviting Obsession
How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?
What is going to be the outcome of Naz’s situation? The police indicate that no jury would believe he didn’t kill her and, logically, that feels true. But his meek personality makes us sympathize with his situation and believe he is innocent, but we don’t actually know. We don’t know what happened, so we want to find out.
Doing this assignment I learned the best, most binge-worthy shows don’t start by giving the audience one big question, but many questions.
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Watchmen 5-Star Model
1) Shape of the show
Bass Reese/hero in a mask reel: Justice vs. Law concept
Tulsa Massacre in 1921/boy escapes and lives
Traffic stop attack; masks. Beginning of not-our-history details (the story swings back and forth between our “comfort zone” and “new world”)
OKLAHOMA on stage (comfort)
Intro Police Chief: WHY START AGAIN? (new)
Intro Baker, who orients us that it’s a completely different history since ’21
Old man at baker’s shop: think I can lift 200 lbs? (random)
Intro the Kavalry and literal ticking clock
Intro cops/ritual/routine/expectations (new)
Three years of peace, post “white night” /firearms release
Baker is (still) a cop, personal/familiar with chief
Cattle ranch raid … disproportionate reactions (suicide over batteries?) Fake death moment, ends in laughter (Angela, Crawford & Pirate) but it’s foreshadowing
“Master” (Jeremy Irons) in a castle attended by robots? Hints on longevity/health
A night so sweet, it must be the last? (Family dinner with Crawford, Angela, etc.)
Crawford set-up … alone, long drive, busted tires
Angela sees (Maybe) the little boy, now old man, with a lynched Crawford (200 lbs?)
(Particularly macabre OKLAHOMA lyrics. Genius placement!)
2)Second watching, beyond the obvious, is in bold.
What I learned doing this assignment is: How to start an inferno!
Just like the little boy watching the show at the beginning, no one is safe. Everyone is playing the piano, anticipating the sounds of chaos. Everyone in the show, good and bad, black, white, and other, is waiting for the match to hit the tinder. We see the tinder is piled, but we don’t know how it got there. We see the match lit, but we don’t understand ALL the implications. And in the death of Crawford, we see the match thrown.
The Big Hook: honestly, even seeing it twice (and I binged it when it came out, too) there’s nothing that is NOT a hook. The world is familiar, but strange; the characters are one thing, but pretending to be another–across the board! There’s a history we don’t know, but we see inklings. There’s a past confrontation we saw (in the prologue) and one we haven’t seen but it changed everything, and a future confrontation looming. I think the biggest hook is: no matter what I expect, something different –with an escalation– happens. The Big Hook is: HOW is this going to burn?
Amazing and intriguing characters:
Everyone has a secret side. Everyone is extremely at ease in their world and competent at what they are doing. There’s a lot of affection between the characters, which feels nice in this new and odd world. And yet, who are they and how did they get (how did we get/diverge to) here? No one is who they appear to be.
Empathy and distress:
The first scene absolutely nails this with a small boy getting spirited out of the Tulsa massacre in 1921. The final scene doubles down on these feelings because we have come to trust the bond between Crawford and Angela and realize nothing will be the same. A sense of last call–It’s subtext in all the connected moments–their determined pursuit of normal– and in all of the conflict ones, because the stakes are rising.
Layers and open loops: an easy answer, because the entire episode asked about 150 questions and only answered one. And that may not even be the answer, just something we piece together … but the biggest open loop is: who is a hero and who is an outlaw when both wear masks?
Layers. Each of these has its own layers: character, history, families, city, police dept., political, 7K, heritage, identity, story that’s being told, by whom, to whom, rituals, routines, objectives, what’s valued, what’s normal …
How does this invite obsession? Well, the lyrics of OKLAHOMA get stuck in your head, lol. Beyond that, there are just so many questions, so many details in the visuals that make you say, wait, what? The approaching disaster, and if it started with the Tulsa Massacre, how much worse is it going to be? And you already care so much about the characters. Feel for them. There is the obvious cliffhanger, but it means so much more because the whole episode showed us how personal and intimate this relationship was, so it hurts worse. We want to know how these people came to be connected, how that fits together with everything else. We want to know the history that has shaped these people. We want to know who the hell the old dude in the castle with the androids (?) is, and what’s the obsession with watches. There’s technology that’s different, nature that’s different (squid squalls?) and on and on. But mostly, we want to know who killed Crawford and what it means for Angela … Actually, the ONLY thing we know from watching episode one is: the fire starts now. Everything else is still a question.
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The Righteous Gemstones
What I learned doing this assignment is…?Even in a comedy/dramedy such as The Righteous Gemstones, it seems like the 3 biggest drivers of being binge-worthy in the order of importance I’d put them in are
1. Having empathy for and caring about the characters enough to invest time into what happens to them next.
2. Creating several open loops/questions that you want to find out the answers to. (I don’t think we care about #2 if wasn’t for #1).
3. A unique world is something that keeps you coming back if for nothing else than to learn more about it. I think this is a good combo to have with the first two points but probably not enough on its own to make me want to binge-watch.
Also, I realized how the pilot has to resolve a goal, for example, in this pilot it was the ransom, but at the same time leave enough other loops open that make you want to keep watching. Sometimes, I try and resolve too many things or have too many completed storylines in my pilots.
And finally, the levels of depth needed for the character work and similar to the open loops, you give enough to know the character pretty quickly on the surface, but you have a lot of questions about how deep they go, what’s their backstory, etc.
5 Star Points
Big Picture Hooks
Ask this: What is the big hook of this show?Honestly, I’m not 100% sure about this. My mind keeps going to “the inside world of a family-run mega church,” but I’m not sure if the world itself is the hook or should be the hook. Maybe what happens to this family and their church now that the wife/mother is dead?
Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?Eli – The power he has both as leader of his church and family. Also, in the pilot, he comes off as domineering both to the kids and the smaller pastors who are worried about his new church stealing their congregations. We see the money and influence, but we also see his caring and love for his deceased wife who he considered “the magic”. So, I’m curious to know if he’s all business and not spiritual/religious at all, or is there a balance there? If a lot of the church was his wife’s vision as he said in the pilot, does he care as much? What’s his vision and future running the church and even the family without her?
Jesse – Obviously, Jesse is immature and we know from the video he’s blackmailed with that he has issues with drugs/partying, infidelity, etc. But, we also see he is a caring Father. I also want to know what happened with his son Gideon who nobody is allowed to mention.
Kelvin – Does he get out of the shadow of his older brother Jesse? He seems the opposite of Jesse in that he is by the book and even mentioned that Jesse’s plan to assault the blackmailers was wrong and criminal. Also, I’m curious about his sexuality which was questioned multiple times, and his relationship with Keefer.
Judy – She is outspoken and vulgar. She wants to be more involved in the church/family business but was told that women should be behind the scenes and that it’s “man work.” But, we realize she’s smart and savvy when she comes up with the money (that she’s been hiding) for Jesse’s ransom and saves the day.
Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?Eli – His wife recently died and he has to deal with his immature kids.
Jesse – He is being blackmailed. He’s having problems with his middle son Pontius.
Kelvin – He is the younger brother, not as respected as Jesse. It also seems he’s not comfortable with his sexuality.
Judy – She’s overlooked and can’t participate/help in the family business.
Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?What happened to Eli’s wife?
Who is blackmailing Jesse?
What will happen with Eli vs Johnny Seasons?
What will happen to their church now that the wife/mom (and magic) is gone?
What happened with Jesse’s son Gideon?
Is Kelvin gay and what’s going on with Keefe?
Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?I think the world itself, the inside of a family-run mega church, is unique and I find myself wanting to know more about it.
The character work and empathy created for each make me care enough to see what happens to them.
The fact that there are so many open loops and questions created by the pilot, makes me want to keep watching.
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The 100: 5 Star Model
What I took away from this assignment is a big picture understanding of what makes a TV series marketable. Also, a hypothesis that a pilot episode is like the first 10 pages of a feature script—where the audience walks away with an understanding of the totality of the story while planting the seeds of the character’s journeys. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of this show when I watched the first several episodes years ago, but wanted to give it another shot because of some potential parallels with the story I was hoping to compose. That being said, I do see how it follows the model and therefore is appealing.
Beats:
Opening shot – chalk drawing on floor, Clarke’s monologue about nature, hook is that she is stranded on space – exposition about all of humanity living on the “ark.”
Guards barge in and tell prisoner to face the wall—every crime is punishable by death if you’re under 18
Mother arrives and tells her that she is going to Earth, Clarke is shot with a tranquilizer
Shuttle departs from station to earth
Clarke awakens on the shuttle with 100 juvenile delinquents heading to earth, they are being sent because they are expendable—they find out that they need to go to Mt. Weather where this is three years of supplies
Control center – they are off course and all the communications are malfunctioning—the only way they know they are alive is due to the wristbands
Ship lands and everyone makes for the door—two are dead
Bellamy and Octavia are reconnected
Door opens and they walk out into nature, cheering, terrible dialog, imagine dragons
Clarke goes wandering out with a massive topo map to get her bearings, when the bad boy arrives—painful dialog, we find out that they were dropped on the wrong mountain and 20 miles away
Control center – they see two dead
The chancellor’s son tries to step up as leader, but is literally the most hated person in the group
Octavia alludes to being a wild child, brother Bellamy did “something” but won’t say what and will be killed for it when they find out, Bellamy hears that if the band comes off, they will think their dead
Group of five head off to Mt. Weather
Dr. Griffin (Clarke’s mother) gets a call that the Chancellor’s been shot
The group sees a dear with two heads
ER – Chancellor is going into shock, Dr. Griffin makes the call to give him more blood (which is illegal)
The space police determine that Bellamy shot the Chancellor. We also learn that the 100 were sent from the ship to buy the rest of the people an extra month of oxygen
Bellamy starts convincing people to take off the bracelet, making people think they are dead and it is unsafe to follow them down
Control room – two more appear dead
The expedition learns from Clarke that the Ark is dying and they were shipped off to preserve O2p—Clarke’s father was engineer who discovered flaw, was executed for trying to tell people—dialog is painfully on the nose
Octavia strips down and goes for a swim. Everyone is about to jump in when ski goggles guy sees a giant snake coming at her. She gets pulled under and everyone just stands there. They “distract” the snake by throwing a big rock in the water and then ski goggles rescues her. Somehow Octavia only has some scratches on her leg.
Everyone is lining up get their wrist bands removed. Bellamy tries to convince them that they will never survive. Bellamy leads the “whatever the hell we want chant.” Ugh.
Control room – 10 more appear dead; Dr. Griffin is arrested for giving the Chancellor too much blood
Dr. Griffin is moved to her daughter’s cell, she sees her drawings. She’s sad.
Clarke wakes up and sees the forest has bioluminescent plants, Avatar cliche. Bad boy shows up and brings her water in a leaf. He takes her to see a foot print of a biped. Clarke says there were no bipeds in this area—sexual tension
Cane (bad leader), and Chancellor in charge is listening to classical music when his wife or girlfriend arrives to defend Dr. Griffin. Cane has no mercy
Bellamy wakes up the Chancellor’s son with a gun and walks him out, but he refuses. Other thugs arrive and take the wrist band from him
Dr. Griffin is walked to the door which will float her into space. She steps inside. They are about to hit the button when the real Chancellor appears and pardons her
Ski goggles swings across the river and starts cheering. Clarke is about to go next. Ski goggles finds a sign indicating that they reached Mt. Weather and starts cheering more. Out of nowhere a spear impales him—they are not alone.
Five Star Points
Big Picture Hooks – What is the big hook of this show?
100 juvenile delinquents are sent to earth that has been abandoned due to radioactive fallout and must find a way to survive with little-to-no resources or guidance.
Amazing and Intriguing Character – What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?
Clarke was put in jail for trying to help her father spread the word that the Ark was running out of oxygen, and now has been deported to earth to help what’s left of mankind make the judgement call to return back to earth.
Empathy/Distress – What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?
A group of expendable minors are sent to a hostile planet they do not know.
Layers/Open Looks – What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?
Is the earth still too radioactive to inhabit?
Will the Ark run out of oxygen killing off mankind’s space colony?
Will the group find the 3 year supply of food at Mt. Weather and is it even really/still there?
What other hostile forces are on earth that these kids no nothing about?
Will Cane take control of the Ark as chancellor?
Inviting Obsession – How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?
How is this group of delinquents going to come together to survive and will everyone left behind be able to determine if the earth is safe to re-inhabit?
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The Good Place 5 Star Model
I decided to recalibrate and do the first lesson a second time to avoid going any further down The 100 series rabbit hole. I’m pivoting to The Good Place because this follows the format of the story that I want to write here. What I learned this go-around is that even though this story involves several main characters, it starts with just one, allowing the action to build off the main protagonist.
Opening Shot – Eleanor wakes up to a wall that reads “everything is fine.”
Michael takes her into an office – Where am I? Who are you? And what is going on?
She died, Michael tells her how. It’s embarrassing but wants to hear. The event explains about her personality. She asks about who was right, all religions were 5% right, except for for Doug Forgett who was 92% right. She finds out she is in the good place.
Town – Michael takes Eleanor on a tour and then they watch a town square movie orientation
Video – every action had a positive or negative value, the total value is calculated and everyone here has a
Park – walking through the park Eleanor asking about the people in the bad place. We find out that Eleanor was an attorney who got people off death row. It is believed she is elite good.
House – Tour of house, we see she can review all of her memories. Chidi arrives, her soul mate. Michael leaves. They share thoughts about each other. Eleanor confides in him. Twist – she admits she isn’t supposed to be there 9:35.
Flashback – Eleanor was in sales – selling fake meds to the sick and elderly. She was the top sales person five years running.
Yogurt shop – Chidi suggests that it is a test, and she goes to Michael confesses and is allowed to stay. Eleanor doesn’t think it’s worth the risk. Maybe the bad place isn’t all bad? Janet appears out of thin air. She is the informational assistant. You can ask her anything. Janet is not allowed to talk about the bad place but is allowed to play them a brief audio clip of what is happening right now. It sounds like the end of the world.
Walking through garden, Chidi doesn’t feel he can help her hide her true nature. We learn that he was a professor of ethics while alive
Michael arrives with Tajani and Jeanu their neighbors. They are having a welcome party and invites them. Jeanu is a monk who took a vow of silence.
Later that night – they are at the welcome party, Chidi asks about one good thing Eleanor has done. Nothing. A neutral thing. Nothing. What were you doing the day before you died. FLASHBACK – she harasses someone trying to save the environment. Eleanor pleads her point saying that all these people can’t be all good.
They interview a three people who are purely good and then she storms off to the bar in frustration
Michael gives a speech talking about how he is the architect of the neighborhood and that this is his first solo project. Eleanor takes all the shrimp. Runs off to steal gold items
Eleanor’s house – she is drunk, Chidi helps her. She filled her bra with shrimp. Eleanor asks if he thinks any one cared if she died. Eleanor passes out.
Next morning – Lightning strike wakes her up—she opens the window everyone is wearing Michigan colors, people are running from falling forks, shrimp are flying, giant lady bugs… basically everything that Eleanor has been talking about or doing. Eleanor is the only one who isn’t wearing the outfit.
They return to the house, and Eleanor tries to convince Chidi to teach her how to be good. Michael knocks on the door announcing an emergency neighborhood meeting. If I walk out there in these clothes I’m toast.
Big Picture Hooks – What is the big hook of the show?
A woman with a broken moral compass wakes up in “the good place” due to a case of mistaken identity and must try to figure out how to become good before she is caught and sent to “the bad place.”
Intriguing Character – What makes these main character intriguing and interesting?
Everyone can relate to feeling imperfect or even imposter syndrome. The idea of being incorrectly placed in what can be perceived as heaven is intriguing.
Empathy/Distress – What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?
Eleanor is highly flawed and most make a huge leap in a very broad personality category in order to fulfill her desire of staying in the good place. Additionally, every time she doesn’t something wrong it manifests her thought or action into a cataclysmic event.
Open Loops – What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?
Will Chidi decide to help her hide her secret?
Will Eleanor’s dishonesty ruin paradise for everyone else?
Will someone find out she is a fraud?
Can Eleanor even tolerate that much goodness?
Inviting Obsession – How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?
How is Eleanor going to continue living a charade to stay in the good place and off Michael’s radar when every negative action she takes has catastrophic effects on that world? For all eternity?
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Day 1 Assignment: Binge Worthy TV
What I learned doing this assignment is…That I don’t have to do perfect work. I fretted about getting tis assignment done, even though I knew it didn’t have to be perfect. Finally, I just plunged in and did it. This is going to be the biggest challenge for me as well as the biggest lesson learned once I have made it a habit. I’ll admit, it was really tough on me.
Title: The Young Pope
Beats:
Lenny Bellardo, the new young pope, dreams that as the pope he delivers his first homily which shocks the world, and in particular, the Vatican curia. He is then told by the Vatican Secretary of State that he is finished as pope and with God. He then wakes up in a sweat.
Later, a group of Cardinals discusses the young pope and refers to him as someone who was elected because Voiello, the Vatican Secretary of State, manipulated the outcome. He did so because all involved thought that Lenny could be manipulated by them.
Lenny begins by making it clear to the Secretary of State and other personnel that HE is in charge of affairs and not they. The Secretary of State then proceeds to create an investigation of Lenny to determine what his sins and weakness are so that they may be used against him.
Sister Mary, the woman who raised Lenny Bellardo, arrives in The Vatican by helicopter. She lectures Lenny that his life is not his own anymore because he is responsible for the souls of one billion people who are Roman Catholic. Lenny is visibly disturbed to hear this. He then makes a point of telling Sister Mary his plan is to make the church dominant in world affairs again.
The same group of Cardinals that previously commented on Lenny’s choice as pope now ask what will happen to Cardinal spanks who was bypassed in favor of Lenny, his protege. The scene shifts to show Cardinal Spanks attempting to commit suicide. He is prevented from doing so, but appears to be a broken man.
Lenny in conversation with Father Tomaso describes himself as a man of contradictions who always keeps his real motives and thoughts secret.
Sister Mary asks if Lenny still has “it”. Lenny shows her the pipe bowl his father gave him and says he keeps it with him at all times.
Lenny meets with Monsignor Guttierez in The sistine Chapel and asks him about his mother. He sincerely tells Guttierez that his mother made him into a good man. Lenny is visibly at ease with Guttierez.
Lenny meets once again with Father Tomaso and asks him to function as his informant. Tomaso reluctantly agrees. Lenny then proceeds to confess to Tomaso that he does not believe in God. He quickly says that he was joking. It is not clear which statement is the actual truth.
5 Star Points:
Big Picture Hooks: Lenny is an outsider who is taking on one of the world’s most powerful organizations, The Vatican.
Intriguing Characters: Lenny is the new pope who is an unknown to the inner circle of The Vatican. He is a mystery. He lets it be known that he will not defer to others, especially the Secretary of State. Sister Mary is the one person Lenny allows to see him for who he truly is. He goes against Voiello’s wishes and chooses her t act as his private assistant.
Empathy:Distress: Lenny is an orphan who is now the pope in charge of one billion souls. He is opposed by the curia which makes up the Vatican oligarchy. Lenny is obnoxious and crude in his contempt for those around him. He treats those beneath him with contempt.
Open Loops: Will Lenny be ousted as the pope? Will the plot against Lenny on the part of Voiello to find his sins to use against him succeed? What role will Spanks, the passed over cardinal play? Will sister Mary be able to influence Lenny to use his power properly?
Inviting Obsession: Lenny must come up with a first homily to give the public before the enclave of cardinals will leave the Vatican. He struggles with what to say. He keeps putting it off. Will he find his own words or will he have to rely on Voiello’s draft?
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by Mr. Brunken.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by Mr. Brunken.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by
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What I learned doing this assignment is that the more I practice these lessons, the easier the answers come to my head. So it should be easier to be applied to the new series that I will write here.
EXAMPLE SHOW Supergirl
Beats:
Supergirl/Kara is sent from an exploding planet by her parents to earth to keep her baby cousin safe.
The planet explodes, her space craft is thrown into a dark hole where it stays suspended in time for years.
It breaks free and lands on earth. She is taken as a child to a home to live with a new family. Since Superman is already grown now, the world odens’t need another super hero.
She grows up there with the new families daughter who becomes her adoptive sister. She decides she just needs to fit in. Supergirl takes a job at Catco, an online and print world wide media company working for Kat Grant, one of the most powerful woman in National City.
We learn her coworker has a bit of a crush on her, but she tells him she has a date. We learn she has super hearing as she hears Mrs. Grant talking in the elevator before she gets to the floor.
Grant tells Supergirl they are downsizing and will be firing people, unless of course she can find Grant a super hero to fly around the city.
We meet the new art director. Jimmy Olson just so happens to have a picture of Super Man. Apparently they are close.
Adoptive sister going to conference in Geneva, gets help from her to pick out a dress for her date. Lists all the powers she has, but hasn’t used in years.
Supergirl goes on her date, the date ditches her. Breaking news comes on a tv at the restaurant, a plane going down over National city.
Supergirl breaks into rescue mode, takes off flies up and guides the plane down in water safely, but destroys bits of a city bridge. It was the plane her sister was on.
She gets home and she’s all over the news, everyone is on the hunt to find out who she is.
Her adoptive sister is not happy, tells her she can’t do it again.
Supergirl gets back to work, nobody recognizes that Kara is supergirl. Grant announces she Supergirl is exactly what she needs to save the tribune, her flagship company.
Kara needs to share this with someone, drags her coworker to the roof and shows him, she is Supergirl.
Guy from work makes super hero outfit for her. She starts fighting crime around the city. Gets the attention of an alien villain who wants her dead. He challenges her to meet him alone at a location surrounded by lead, just like her cousin, she can’t see through it.
They fight, she almost dies, military shows up to the rescue with her sister. We discover her adoptive sister is with them on a special force to protect the world from aliens.
Adoptive Sister starts to help her, convinces boss they need to train her and use her to help them fight the aliens.
Jimmy Olsen confesses to knowing who she is and was sent by Superman to keep an eye on her.
Adoptive Sister and Supergirl bond and start working together with the military to train Supergirl to fight better and be more prepared to take on the villain aliens.
They fight the alien again, this time Supergirl wins, but the alien kills himself rather than be captured.
We learn Kara has an aunt who blames her dead mother for taking her rightful place in the now gone planets government. She wants Supergirl dead.
5 Star Points for that show.
Big Picture Hooks
Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? Super Man’s cousin becomes a super hero in her own right and must fight crimes of the Alien villains whose prison craft was pulled to earth with her craft.
Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? Supergirl is a young woman who has been hiding her powers from the world for years.
Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?
Supergirl lost her real parents in the explosion of her planet. She’s treated poorly by her boss and has to relearn how to use her powers which she hasn’t used for years.
Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?
Will the Alien villains kill her and other humans?
Will Supergirl be able to defeat all of them?
Will she ever meet her aunt who we find out wants her dead.
Will she meet the expectations of the military people testing her abilities.
Will she be able to fight the villains without destroying the city or killing innocent people.
Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?
I’m never sure on this one, maybe all of the above combined?
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Secrets and Lies 5 Star Model, Lesson #1
What I learned from doing this assignment is how necessary it is to raise many questions, not just about the main characters, but about all the characters in relation to the main character/s.
Beats:
Ben finds young Tom murdered in the woods on his morning run.
Detective shows up to question Ben. The boy is the neighbors son. Ben tells his daughter who is Tom’s sitter about his death.
Buddy shows up and they try to recall the night before.
Jess/neighbor goes with police. Ben tries to talk to her. Detective is watching.
Detective wants DNA sample. He refuses. Gave CPR.
Neighbors bring food, surprised to see Ben home. Neighbor has a bone with Ben.
Ben goes to Jess, Detective shows up about flashlight/weapon.
Mysterious man on motorcycle in front of house.
Graffiti on garage, “child killer”, confronts buddy regarding how he got home night before. Gets fired because of press.
Wife questions what he’s not telling her.
Detective informs Ben that he is Tom’s father/DNA test is 99.9% pos.
5 Star Points for that show.
1) Big Picture Hooks – Family man, Ben, finds neighbor’s little boy, Tom, who was murdered in the woods. He is a suspect and doesn’t remember the night before. Had an affair with the neighbor and finds out Tom is his son. <div>
2) Amazing and Intriguing Character – Man doesn’t remember the night before, finds out he is Tom’s father.
3)Empathy / Distress – Man is estranged from wife; something happened. Guilty before proven innocent. Detective determined to take him down. Can’t remember what happened. Wants to do the right thing.
<div>
4) Layers / Open Loops – Did he kill the kid? Who thinks he’s guilty? Detective seems to have a vendetta. What’s the relationship with Jess? Where’s Jess’s husband? What happened between Ben and wife in the past? How did he get home. DNA sample. Missing flashlight. Mystery man on motorcycle. Daughter obsessed with Christmas.
5) Inviting Obsession – Need to find out what’s up with detective. Who Killed the boy. What’s Ben relationship
with neighbor? and Tom? <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Every character has a stake in the story and is hiding something. Who’s telling the truth?</div></div>
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What I learned doing this assignment is…analyzing a show enables you to see “into” the character, revealing their intentions and providing context for their actions.
Big Little Lies BEATS
TEASER–A sunny shoreline drive cuts to a dark red and blue police flashing lights
1. Opening Image – Uber-mom coaches her 6-year old in the car drive to 1<sup>st</sup>grade orientation
2. I.I. – Uber-mom slams on brakes behind a teenage driven car occupied by her daughter.
a) Uber-mom confronts the teen driver, embarrassing her daughter
b) Uber-mom turns on her heels, falls in the street where Damaged Mom assists her
c) Uber-mom befriends Damaged Mom
3. 1<sup>st</sup>Act decision T.P. – Uber-mom very publicly confronts Career Mom about Damaged Mom’s son’s accusation of rough-play with her daughter. Parents take sides.
4. Plan A – Uber-mom identifies w/ Damaged Mom
5.Midpoint – Uber-mom laments motherhood
6. Plan B – Uber-mom determines to save her school play from a Parent Petition.
7. 2<sup>nd</sup>Act Break – Career Mom plots against Uber-Mom.
8. BlindSide – Uber-mom regrets her 2<sup>nd</sup> marriage; Beautiful Bestie’s hubby abuses her;
Damaged Mom’s son sleep walks/recurring nightmare.
9. Climax – The Police reveal Uber-mom’s gruesome murder.
10. Closing Image – Shades close on the shoreline drive from school.
TAG – Damaged Mom’s son innocently asks “Will I have any friends?”
5 Star Points
1. Big Picture Hook: Commonality of the 1st day of school preparation
2. Intriguing Character(s): Uber-mom Madeline; Beautiful Bestie Renata; Damaged Mom Jane
3. Empathy Distress: All the moms want the best for their children but ironically they are NOT
the best for themselves, their, husbands, families, to each other
4. Layers/Open Loops: Uber-mom’s deep insecurities; Beautiful Bestie’s abusive hubby;
Damage kid stems from Damage Mom; The Parent hatred
5. Inviting Obsession: Why would any parent, kid, teacher, hubby, lover, etc. brutally murder
Uber-mom?
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Yikes! Because of my late start, I am a whole month behind the others, but will do my best to catch up! First, though I was planning to turn my completed period feature film drama (based on a 19th century short story by Kate Chopin in the public domain) into a binge worthy serial, I’ve decided instead to set that aside for now, and instead use my original, unfinished romantic comedy novel “Opera Aloha” (which has been languishing in my computer in various stages of catastrophe) as source material for this binge worthy class (God help me!).
This will allow me to 1) fulfill my goal of writing a binge worthy serial pilot; 2) force me to complete my unfinished novel, and 3) provide me with 2 finished projects instead of 1 to take with me to the May 2023 Rocaberti Screenwriters Retreat in France, for which I registered and paid in 2020, but which was postponed for 2 years because of the Covid pandemic. I will now concentrate on doing the ScreenwritingU assignment for Model 1, Lesson 1 and will post the results here when I have completed it. Thank you for your patience!
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Bingeworthy TV Series – Module 1, Lesson 2/Assignments 2 & 1
Assignment #2: The Three Character Circles in my Bingeworthy rom com Serial TV Show
“Opera Aloha” by E.A. Petros – my unfinished novel is the source material for my show.
In doing this assignment I learned that I am on the right track with creating three tiers of characters for my project, but there are too many, which costs mucho dinero, so I may have to delete some. (Note: I have been having much trouble finding the correct place in the forum to post my assignments and have not yet gotten help from the Zen desk. I hope I’m posting these 2 Assignments in the right place. Help!)
Plot line: an (not so) innocent on a mission in a strange world
An out-of-work opera singer reeling from money problems & romantic fiascos, is forced to fly to Hawaii to perform a role that nearly wrecked her career 3 years earlier.
A. Main Character Circle:
MIRA SANTIAGO – a quirky NYC Mexican-American opera singer from Baltimore wants the whole enchilada (career, marriage, kids) but is finding her goals elusive.
KRIS VAN KAMPEN – Mira’s childhood friend, now an artist and gallery owner living with her rancher 2nd husband and 3 kids in Hana, Maui; ex-wife of Dr. Jeffrey Skinner.
JAKE SUTHERLAND – a diamond-in-the-rough, opera-hating Vietnam Vet, cookbook writer, and foster father of a Vietnamese teen; Kris’ neighbor in Hana, the brother she never had.
WYNSTON IRVING TRAPNELL (“Wyn”) – the charismatic architect of Opera Aloha’s Samuel Yee Memorial Opera House in Honolulu.
NIGEL BLASENFORT – Mira’s agent, the British-born Founder and President of Blasenfort Artists Management, Inc. (BAMI) in NYC.
B. Connected Circle:
STANLEY FARBER (“Stan) – a troubled NY actor; Mira’s “boyfriend” of 3 months.
FELIPE SANTIAGO (“Phil”) – Mira’s twin brother, a Baltimore TV sportscaster.
TIZIANO MAGNAVACA (“Tizo”) – Nigel’s Italian lover and general factotum.
MRS. GREENBAUM – Mira’s sweet old widowed next-door-neighbor in NYC.
“LA NARIZ” (“The Nose”) – Mira’s nickname for the mysterious, secretive, nosy tenant living across the hall from her in NYC.
SAMMY SANCHEZ – the Night Concierge at the Lincoln Center Arms Apartments in NYC.
ELSA VON REVENTLOW – Mira’s chief soprano rival.
GARY FUCHIGAMI – the Receptionist at Honolulu’s Ala Wai Palace Hotel.
MELANIE HOLLIK – General Director of Opera Aloha; mother of Scottie.
RALEIGH RICHARDSON – Mira’s wunderkind African-American NYC coach & accompanist, hired by Opera Aloha to assist conductor Strillo & rehearse the orchestra & chorus.
HANS-DIETER GUTTERMUTH – avant garde East German stage director of “La Traviata.”
YU LAN Wang – the set and costume designer; a Shanghai refugee & Mom of Lily.
UMBERTO STRILLO – the aging Sicilian conductor of “La Traviata.”
SHEILA YEE – A wealthy opera patroness with a mansion in Kahala.
DAPHNE DEE BLISS – a predatory interior designer and antiques dealer from Houston working in Hawaii; Jake’s former live-in lover.
LAZLO KARPATY – Hungarian Music Director of NY’s Metropolitan Opera.
BENJAMIN ZAMORA (“Beni”) – Kris van Kampen’s common-law rancher husband, step-father of Sean & Suzie Skinner & father of baby Bubba Zamora.
THE CAST OF LA TRAVIATA – (to be named later)
C. Environment Circle:
EMPLOYEES AND TENANTS of the Lincoln Arms Apartments in Manhattan.
WAITER at O’NEAL’S BALLOON RESTAURANT at Lincoln Center.
MUSICAL REVELERS at Nigel Blasenfort’s New Year’s Eve Party on the East Side.
AIRPORT PERSONNEL AT JFK AIRPORT
EMPLOYEES OF OPERA ALOHA
PATRONS AT OPERA ALOHA’S FUNDRAISER
THE OPERA AUDIENCE, including President & Mrs. Reagan, former President & Mrs. Carter.
OPERA GROUPIES at the stage door entrance.
PHIL SANTIAGO’S WIFE & twins
ANGELINA STRILLO – conductor Strillo’s young wife
RAFAELLO STRILLO – naughty 8-year-old son of Angelina and Umberto Strillo
SCOTTIE HOLLIK – 10-year-old son of Melanie Hollik
LILY WANG – Wang Yu Lan’s 8-year-old daughter
KRIS VAN KAMPEN’S THREE KIDS – Sean & Suzie Skinner & baby Bubba Zamora
DR. JEFFREY SKINNER – a Honolulu dermatologist & cosmetic surgeon; Kris’ ex.
Assignment # 1: The Three Character Circles in Big Little Lies
By doing this assignment I learned that the conflict between intriguing characters in 3 circles is one of the most important elements that make a TV show bingeworthy.
A. Main Character Circle: (5 friends)
MADELINE MARTHA MACKENZIE – pro-active, twice married, career-thwarted, extroverted, driven, stay-at-home Mom of 2 daughters, who has sacrificed career for family, takes her volunteer theater work & mothering very seriously, likes to solve people’s problems & is supportive of her emotionally fragile friend Jane.
JANE CHAPMAN – a single Mom new to Monterey, a bookkeeper looking for a part-time job and a new life who is hiding something dark in her background while trying to do her best for her son Ziggy.
CELESTE WRIGHT – a gorgeous retired lawyer with twin boys (Max & Josh), trapped in an abusive marriage with husband Perry Wright but afraid/unwilling to admit how bad it is, or leave.
RENATA KLEIN – a successful business woman married to Gordon Klein; protective of their daughter, Amabella. Feels her friends don’t like her, are jealous of her career success.
BONNIE CARLSON – a mixed-race Latina yoga teacher in a mixed marriage with Madeline’s ex, Nathan Carlson. Mother of biracial daughter, Skye Carlson.
B. Connected Circle: (the friends’ husbands & children)
ED MACKENZIE – computer/software CEO, 2nd husband of Madeline and father of Chloe, who works from home and does half the parenting and household chores but feels he’s not #1 in his wife’s eyes, and resents their lack of sex. (uh-oh, I know where that is going!)
PERRY WRIGHT – Celeste’s handsy, controlling & abusive international businessman husband; father of Max & Josh;
GORDON KLEIN – a businessman married to Renata; father of Amabella.
NATHAN CARLSON – Madeline’s ex-husband, father of half-sisters Abigail & Skye.
ABIGAIL CARLSON – 16-year-old daughter of Madeline and her ex-Nathan Carlson. A typical teen developing independence while expertly pushing her mother’s buttons.
CHLOE MACKENZIE – adorable, cheeky daughter of Madeline & Ed Mackenzie; half-sister to Abigail Carlson.
ZIGGY (Ziegfield) – angelic looking little son of Jane & an unnamed father, accused of choking Amabella Klein.
MAX & JOSH WRIGHT – Celeste & Perry’s twins.
SKYE CARLSON – daughter of Bonnie & Nathan.
C. Environment Circle:
PRINCIPAL NIPPAL
TEACHERS & CHILDREN in the public elementary school
SCHOOL STREET GUARD
TOWNS PEOPLE & POLICE OFFICERS
JOSEPH – director of Madeline’s play
TOM – flirty waiter at a popular local deli-restaurant
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This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Evelyn Petros. Reason: The spell check on my computer is not working, so I had to correct some typos and fix some formatting
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This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by
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Evelyn’s Lesson 1 Assignment – Bingeworthy TV Show
From this assignment I learned how to start analyzing the first episode of a bingeworthy TV series (using Hal’s 5-Star Points) to find out what makes it bingeworthy.
I was not familiar with any of the shows on our list, but had read the novel “Handmaid’s Tale”, so I started watching the first episode of that series, but stopped after a few scenes because the film makers had done such a good job with the traumatic, graphic visuals, that I had to escape!
I then searched the list for a comedy, because I am writing one and was curious to see how other writers had done it. Not finding any, I focused on a series whose cast features actors whose work I know and admire. After watching the first episode of BIG LITTLE LIES, starring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, I was hooked. After watching it through once, I looked at the Scene Breakdowns and noted there were 18 scenes in this 1<sup>st</sup> episode, then watched the episode again. The gorgeous shot of scenery of Monterey at the beginning nailing down the location hooked me. Theimage of a gun that appears during the opening credits fore-shadows the genre of the show, a crime drama in a domestic setting.
BIG LITTLE LIES – 5-Star Points
1) Big Picture Hook – in the wealthy community of Monterey, CA, the parents of children attending an elementary school are suspects in a murder that occurs at the school’s fundraising event, a fancy costume ball.
2) Amazing and intriguing Characters – 5 families of mothers, fathers, and children in intruiging relationships witheach other.
Family #1 – The Mackenzies
Madeline Martha Mackenzie – a twice married, career-thwarted, extroverted stay-at-home Mom of two who volunteers at a community theater. Her 2 kids – adorable, cheeky Chloe Mackenzie, a first grader & Abigail Carlson, a typical, rebellious teen who thinks she knows who she is, and exercises her “independence” by pushing her mother’s buttons.
Ed Mackenzie – Madeline’s 2nd husband, a seemingly loving, laid-back, computer/software engineer & CEO of a startup company. So far, he seems a nice guy.
Family #2 – The Chapmans
Jane Chapman – new in town; a single Mom who feels she doesn’t fit in, and may be hiding some trauma in her past; part-time bookkeeper & mother to Ziggy, an angelic looking little boy (whose father is not named) accused of choking a little girl in his class, though he denies it.
Family #3 – The Wrights
Celeste Wright – a gorgeous (stay-at-home?) mother of twin boys; wife of Perry Wright, a handsy, somewhat overbearing corporate type who likes playing rough with their kids. A Big Red Flag in Scene 15! Yikes! Is Perry an abuser?
Family #4 – The Kleins
Renata Klein – a successful business woman, mother of Amabella Klein, the first-grader who was choked at school. Gordon Klein, a business man.
Family #5 – The Carlsons
Bonnie Carlson – a yoga teacher, artsy, New Age, bohemian, in a mixed marriage with Madeline’s ex, Nathan Carlson; mother of mixed-race daughter, Skye Carlson.
3) Empathy/distress:
The show’s writers and directors used techniques that made me empathize with multiple characters:
a) With down-to-earth, level-headed, kind, friendly Madeline for having to deal with her rebellious teen daughterAbigail & for sacrificing career goals to raise her family.
b) With Jane, a stranger in town & part-time bookkeeper suffering from low self-esteem or past trauma while trying to do her best for her son, Ziggy.
c) With little Amabella, who was choked by a classmate on the first day of school.
d) With Ziggy, who may have been wrongly accused of choking her.
e) With Renata who overreacts to protect her daughter Amabella from the kid who hurt her, and who believes her friends resent her for her successful career.
g) With Celeste for having her bodily boundaries broached aggressively twice in this first episode (once playfully &once violently) by her husband Perry. (The guy gives me the creeps!)
h) With Bonnie Carlson, a seemingly nice person who is disliked by Madeline because she married Nathan Carlson, Madeline’s ex and had a daughter, Skye Carlson with him.
So far, several of the female characters seem to be in various stages of distress for various reasons, but the men, not so much. Hmmmmm, interesting.
4) Layers/Open Loops: Who is the murder victim at the costume ball? Who is the murderer? Why did the killer/s killthe victim? Is Ziggy lying when he denied choking Renata’s little girl Ammabella? If Ziggy’s telling the truth, then who did the choking? A big red flag for me was Perry Wright’s violent reaction to his wife Celeste when he forbidsher to allow their 2 boys to befriend Ziggy and she calls him on it. Is he a domestic abuser? Is Ziggy’s Mom, Jane Chapman, as nice as fragile as she seems? What is she hiding in her background that would make her need to hide a gun under her pillow?
5) Inviting Obsession: In this first episode, lots of unanswered questions in my head about the characters kept me hooked and desperate to learn more about the dynamics and conflicts within the families, their interpersonal relationships with their children and their friends! Lots seems to be going on under the surface. For example, are the snarky comments against Madeline by people interviewed about the murder a red herring, or do the filmakers want to make the viewers think that Madeline is capable of murder? What’s the conflict between Jane and her mother all about? It was hard to hear what they were arguing about. Does Perry have an anger problem that makes him lash out habituallyat Celeste to control her?
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