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Day 9 Assignments
Reply to post your assignment.
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9 Replies
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Linda Anderson’s Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing this assignment is this exercise will be good to return to repeatedly as I’m learning more about the characters and their escapades.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Series: The Righteous Gemstones
Early Big Picture Open Loops:
1.Who will be on top of the Gemstones Ministry?
2.Will Jessie succeed against the blackmailers?
3.Will Judy ever get Eli’s respect?
4.Is Uncle Billy getting revenge on Eli?
Episode Open Loops:
1. Judy disses Eli and Jessie tells him what she said.
2. Jessie looks like he’s vanquished the blackmailers. Gideon looks like he’s responding to Jessie’s attempts at having a relationship but in the end, he lets Scotty, the blackmailer, into the compound’s gate.
3. Judy pleads with Eli to let her shine but by the end, Eli is watching her shine on Uncle Billy’s stage instead.
4. Uncle Billy is putting on a great show with Judy that looks more entertaining than anything Eli is capable of doing.
ASSIGNMENT 2, Inviting Obsession, Open Loops
Top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops for Pilot
Goal: Louise wants to become a best-selling author with a big advance and worldwide recognition.
Consequences: Will she be caught passing off Derrick’s memoir as her own?
Solving Problems: Because the NY editor has called the memoir about her life bland and boring, Louise will need to use talents and experience she’s dismissed as irrelevant to hide deceptions and keep her and Jan alive.
Relationships: Jan and Louise don’t respect each other. What will cause them to create a new bond of love and support as mother and grown daughter?
Danger/Survival Risks: How can Louise keep out of jail for fraud and not get Jan, Derrick, and herself killed by the corrupt FBI agent who is chasing them?
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Elizabeth Dickinson’s Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned from doing this assignment is that it’s relatively easy to come up with questions/open loops. They seem to be pretty similar to the mystery assignment. (But for some reason, it was really difficult to do a cut-and-paste from my document to this online form today…)
Handmaid’s Tale- Big Picture Open Loops
· Will June escape?
· Will June reunite with her daughter and husband?
· How will June resist?
· How will other handmaids resist?
· Will June get caught?
· Will the society victimizing women be brought down? How?
2. Those loops can stimulate endless attempts at escape, different types of escape and near-escape
It also can highlight different values at conflict-what does it mean to escape, if you can’t escape with your child?
It also allows June to develop new strengths in dealing with these questions, and to test her ingenuity.
My show:
GOALS:
New goals?
· How will Oversoul find and help purge his past lives’ regrets?
· How will Celt communicate if he doesn’t use his tongue?
Goals related to the big picture?
· How will Oversoul interact with his past lives?
· What will Celt do now he’s saved his village? What kind of slave will he be?
Crushed goals?
o Celt successfully initially saves his family/village from Roman danger. But what’s the fall-out?
Competition / conflict around goals?
· How does Oversoul balance its past lives’ free will and help them without taking away their free will?
· How does Celt continue to resist Rome’s influence without losing the values he was brought up with?
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
-If Celt leaves
with Coran, what will happen to Tyran?Problems created from past actions?
· How will Oversoul demonstrate respect and listen to its past lives?
· How will Celt continue to protect Tyran if they are separated?
· What will Taranis require from Celt in the future?
Good plans gone wrong?
· How does Celt reconcile the fact that he can only temporarily save his village? What happens in the long-term to his village?
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
· The major problem for Oversoul with Celt is to help Celt stop self-judgment/second guessing.
· The major problem for Celt is how to either survive in Rome or to return home without jeopardizing his bargain with Taranis.
What are they trying to solve?
· Oversoul needs to really listen to its past lives.
Major change imposed on character?
· Oversoul needs to love where it is.
· Celt has to figure out who he is as a slave.
Previous solutions cause new problems?
· Oversoul didn’t do a complete lives’ review.
· Celt’s attempted tongue mutilation slows down his efforts to learn about Rome because of reluctance to ask Dakarai.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in
peril?New relationships forming?
· Oversoul starts to form deeper relationships with past lives.
· Celt forms a relationship with Sirius, but has to let it go to retain some of his own values. Celt finds another mentor in Dakarai, but has trouble trusting.
Conflict inside relationships?
· Celt must sever himself from Coran’s influence to save Tyran.
Relationships changing?
· Younger Tyran becomes a wise mentor at times to Celt.
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
· Can Celt survive the Romans and slavery?
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
· Can Celt escape?
Who else is
pulled into their danger?Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
· Celt judges himself harshly for learning Latin when it’s perceived as collaborating with the enemy.
Big Picture Loops for My Show
1. Will Oversoul learn/help its past lives purge their regret so it can stop reincarnating as human? What qualities is it missing to do this?
2. Will Celt return home? If he doesn’t get home, how will he survive?
3. How will Celt communicate with a mangled tongue?
4. How will the Celtic divinities interfere with or help Celt?
5. What will happen to Celt in Rome?
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Stuart’s Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing this assignment is… Moving ahead into this assignment with its focus on ongoing loops allowed breakthroughs in my mysteries, a stage that felt a bit stalled for me. Fascinating (and helpful), during the brainstorming, several of my early open loops (looking forward) were actually mysteries (looking back). I’m ingraining in my memory, mysteries engage us with investigations and questions about the past. Ongoing loops build expectations and questions about the future.
American Horror Story’s Open Loops
These were established early in the season:
- Will Ben and his family get their second chance?
- Will Vivien forgive Ben?
- Will Maria seduce Ben?
- What is Constance’s purpose with Ben?
- What is Constance planning for the Harmons?
- What does the Evil in the basement want with the Harmons?
- Will Hayden win back Ben?
- Will Violet and Tate connect?
- Who was the rubber man who seduced Vivien (and may be the baby-father)? What is the fate of Vivien’s pregnancy?
- Will Ben murder his family?
For episode nine, here’s how the open loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes:
- Will Ben realize he’s wrong about Vivien’s infidelity, forgive her, and support her recovery?
- Is one of Vivien’s twins the anti-Christ?
- Why does Tate need Violet to stay in the house?
- Will Vivien trust Constance, and allow her to raise Tate’s baby (anti-Christ)?
- What does Hayden want from Ben?
- Will Moira help Ben and the Harmons to survive? To see things as they really are?
- Will Constance find out that Hayden killed her dog-walker lover? And what will Constance do to Hayden?
Assignment 2: Stuart’s Big Picture Open Loops:
A snapshot of the big picture open loops that could be in the pilot:
- Will Hop-Frog get vengeance and be the hero?
- Can Hop-Frog and Trippetta (handmaiden to the Princess) trust each other and work as allies as they plot and execute vengeance?
- Will the Princess survive slavery? And what does King Goplik plan for the Princess?
- Will the Master of Ceremonies discover Hop-Frog’s plan for revenge?
- Does King Raynor live, and what is the threat to King Goplik?
- What are the were-beasts from the northern shadows? And how dangerous is the threat of the plague/were-beasts to the southern countries, Brattvia?
- Will Hop-Frog reveal his heart to Trippetta and earn her heart in return?
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What I learned doing this assignment is not just open loops can create the need to watch next episode, but also they can be used as cliffhangers. I also learned that some Big Picture Open Loops for my season one came to me quickly while others… I will have to discover them over time.
ASSIGNMENT 1
1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the Big Picture open loops that were established early in the season.
BIG PICTURE OPEN LOOPS – PRISON BREAK
– Can Michael survive in the prison?
– Will Michael break his brother out of the prison?
– Will Michael and Sara be together?
– Will Lincoln and Veronica get back together?
– Will Veronica and Nick find evidences to exonerate Lincoln?
– Will Lincoln get executed?
– Will Michael get caught?
– Will Veronica and Nick discover who setup Lincoln?
– Will Sara discover Michael is using her?
– Will Veronica and Nick get killed by those who setup Lincoln?
– Will LJ get killed by Kellerman?
2. Watch the next episode and see how those open loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Use this list to brainstorm big picture open loops for your first season that you will use to keep the audience captivated.
GOALS:
New goals?
– Rain must find a way to lift the curse.
– Rain joins Terra to change the rule.
Goals related to the big picture?
– Rain must find a way to learn magic.
Crushed goals?
– Rain can’t learn magic.
Competition / conflict around goals?
– Rain is ugly and magic is taught to pretty ones.
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
– Rain gets caught for breaking the rule.
Problems created from past actions?
– Rain faces execution for breaking the rule.
– Mo becomes too cruel to Rain for Reed disobeyed him because of her.
– Mo confines Reed for disobeying him.
Good plans gone wrong?.
– Rain uses disguise to enter Affinity Academy.
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
– Rain is ugly.
– Reed’s father, Mo, wants Reed to learn magic and follow
in the footsteps of his ancestors.
– Terra holds Mo’s rightful position.
– Zin suspects Mo is conspiring to take over Terra’s position.
What are they trying to solve?
– Rain wants to enter Affinity Academy.
– Rain wants to prove her birth father wrong.
– Rain wants to lift the curse.
– Reed wants his father to let him do what he wants.
– Mo wants to take back his position from Terra.
– Zin wants to find evidences of Mo’s conspiracy to take over
Terra’s position.
Major change imposed on character?
– Rain must learn magic.
Previous solutions cause new problems?
– Rain uses disguise to learn magic, but the disguise will cause her demise.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
– Mo and Terra. Mo wants to take over Terra’s position.
New relationships forming?
– Rain falls for both Reed and Aloe.
– Reed and Aloe both fall for Rain.
Conflict inside relationships?
– Mo disapproves of Reed hanging out with Rain. Rain is a distraction.
– Zin wants to bust Mo.
– Aloe is jealous that Rain loves Reed.
– Aloe wants Reed to save their friend, Rain.
Relationships changing?
Mo and Terra.
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
– Can Rain survive the underworld of magic?
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
– Rain puts on the disguise that is slowly killing her.
– Rain joins Terra to change the rule.
– Aloe joins Terra to rescue Rain from the prison.
– Terra sends Shard and his men to rescue Rain from the prison.
– Aloe sneaks out of Affinity Academy to find Rain’s mother, O’ller,
and come up with a way to save Rain from execution.
Who else is pulled into their danger?
– Reed and Aloe.
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
– The disguise Rain’s wearing is slowly eating away her life force.
2. Tell us your top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in your pilot.
MY PILOT BIG PICTURE OPEN LOOPS
– Can Rain survive the underworld of magic?
– Will Rain learn magic?
– Will Rain get caught?
– Will Rain die from the disguise?
– Will Rain change the rule?
– Will Mo take over Terra’s position?
– Will Mo get caught?
– What will Terra do to Mo for conspiring to take over his position?
– What will become of Terra and Mo’s relationship?
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Wendy Weising’s Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing this assignment was that there are many questions you can ask that will make your characters world deeper, richer, and more interesting.
Lesson #9, Assignment #1
Wendy Weising
Lost
Will Jack and Kate ever become a couple?
Will the survivors ever be rescued?
What is the island?
Where is the island?
What is the creature in the woods?
Is Jack’s father really alive or a hallucination?
Will Kate ever reveal what she did that made her a convict?
Where are the people who were in the tail of the plane? Did they survive? Where are they?
Does the island control the things that happen?
Who left the distress call recording that has been playing for several years? Answered in episode 9: Sahid finds a cable that goes from the beach to the woods. He gets trapped by a woman. She turns out to be the one who recorded the message. She came to the island on a ship. She keeps mentioning the others. Who are the others? She says she can hear voices. Sahid escapes, and while in the woods, he hears the voices too. Who is talking?
Lesson #9, Assignment #2
1. Use this list to brainstorm big picture open loops for your first season that you will use to keep the audience captivated.
Is Jayne insane or is she being lied to?
Will Jayne, Polly, Ava, and Dr. Zyn escape the hospital?
Will Jayne and Dr. Zyn fall in love? What happens when they do? (Alien/human)
Will Jayne find her kids and husband?
If Jayne’s husband is alive, will she leave him for Dr. Zyn?
Will Polly tell Dr. Smith about their escape? Who will she be loyal to?
Once they leave the hospital, how will Dr. Zyn survive without the human brain chemical?
Once they leave the hospital, what will happen to Ava when her drugs are gone?
Will Polly return to what is familiar if things become too strange and hard?
Will Ava find her mother?
Will Dr. Zyn continue to work for Dr. Smith or break from her?
Has the earth really been destroyed or is it another alien lie?
What secrets does Polly know about the hospital, planet, and aliens? Will she tell the others?
Will Dr. Zyn tell the truth or will he lie to get what he wants?
Once Jayne finds her kids, will they be alive and not brain dead?
When Jayne agrees to allow Dr. Smith to experiment on her so that others can steal a vehicle, will Dr. Smith kill her, or will Jayne stop her and escape?
Will they be able to get enough supplies and a vehicle to leave the hospital?
How will Jayne get the others to help her escape?
What will Dr. Smith do once her mate and patients have escaped?
Who hit Jayne while she was on Earth? Was it her husband?
2. Tell us your top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in your pilot.
Who hit Jayne while she was on Earth? Was it her husband?
Is Jayne insane or is she being lied to?
Will Jayne, Polly, Ava, and Dr. Zyn escape the hospital?
Will Jayne and Dr. Zyn fall in love? What happens when they do? (Alien/human)
Will Polly tell Dr. Smith about their escape? Who will she be loyal to?
How will Dr. Zyn and Ava survive without the substances they must take?
Has the earth really been destroyed or is it another alien lie?\
What will Dr. Smith do once her mate and patients have escaped?
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Tim Barley’s Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing this assignment is that the Open Loops, along with the Mystery, have caused me to dig deeper into my characters and learn more about them.
Assignment #1:
Open loops from The Walking Dead:
What caused the apocalypse?
Is there any semblance of authority out there? (what happened to that chopper in ep 1?)
Are Lori and Rick fine?
Will Shane accept Rick being back?
Can they keep surviving the herds of walkers?
Assignment #2:
Big Picture Open Loops for “The Last of the Great Ones”
Can Alex get a handle on his power?
Will he stay out of the reach of “The No Things?”
Is someone going to tell him the issues with using his power? Will he be able to survive?
Will Jade or Feenix end up with Alex?
Who are the Houses?
What is the real history of the world?
What are “The No Things?”
Can Alex actually break from his vanilla, no drama world?
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Avi Kapurala’s Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing this lesson is: Creating open loops allows you to shade your characters black, white or gray and keep playing with these shades to increase interest and intrigue.
Assignment 1: Mr.Robot Big Picture Open Loops
1. Will Elliot be caught for his vigilante hacking activities?
2. Will his morphine addiction worsen, making him a junkie?
3. Will he and Angela get together?
4. Who is Mr. Robot and what are his real motives for recruiting Elliot and trying to bring down Evil corp?
5. Will Fsociety succeed in bringing down Evil Corp?
6. What are Twellick’s motives?
Assignment 2:
CONSEQUENCES:
1. Are they going to be caught? Is Aman
going to be caught by the police for Maya’s murder? 2. Problems created from past actions?
Will his children and the police figure out that he’s killed other women in
the past?SOLVING PROBLEMS:
3. What is the major problem for this
character? How to keep the police and his children from figuring out the
truth.4. What are they trying to solve? Keep
the police and his children from investigating further. 5. Major change imposed on character? He
has to try and be a be better father.6. Previous solutions cause new
problems? His wife stumbles upon the fact that he has killed other women in
the past. Also, he needs to dispose off the detective she hired to
investigate him. He also needs to dispose off a friend of the junkie he
hired to cause the car accident to kill his wife, as he is now blackmailing
him.RELATIONSHIPS:
7. Relationships in peril? Friends and
business associates when the police begin investigating his wife’s death.8. Conflict inside relationships? With
his children, who are suspicious that he killed their mother.DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
9. Can they survive X? Can he survive
the police investigation?10. Putting themselves in danger /
making dangerous decisions? Planning a car accident and being in the car
himself, to avert suspicion.11. Internal dangers (drug addiction,
need for medicine, inner demons)? Amphetamines to increase his energy for
working harder and longer? -
(Laurie Brown’s) Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing this assignment is that in keeping secrets and mystery via big picture open loops, the plot thickens. This assignment more than any so far, made my characters so much more intriguing.
ASSIGNMENT 1
1. Think about QUEEN’S GAMBIT. Make a list of the Big Picture open loops that were established early in the season.
Why did Beth’s mother commit suicide?
Will Beth survive her addiction to drugs?
Why did Beth’s adoptive father leave her adoptive mother?
Will Beth succeed at winning the National championship in chess?
ASSIGNMENT 2. CORP TRUTH
GOALS
New goals? Could move up the hierarchy of goals from getting a job in the army, to getting into the army by the army having a corp. To becoming lieutenant, major and eventually Colonel, all new goals. To get married and have children. To not get caught for something? To have a life of her own?
Goals related to the big picture? To live a life of honor, to cover up what she eventually learns is a lie about herself.
Crushed goals? Losing her mother. Losing her father. Having to sign away her right to have children. Losing her fiancé. Losing her vow to never lie.
Competition / conflict around goals? Marge is competition to her rise to colonel. Bette is in conflict with Jo’s secret. Marge’s son is in conflict with her property lines at the cabin. Her fiancé is in conflict with her desire to be unconditionally loved. Her father is in conflict with her desire for the truth.
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught? We are constantly aware that Jo, Marge, Bette, Marge’s son are covering up their motives and in many ways want them to get caught in order to know what is going on, but on the other hand, not wanting them to be caught because what is happening to them seems unfair and we like them.
Problems created from past actions? Marge has these problems, and eventually so does Jo because she lied to cover up something which is the big picture mystery.
Good plans gone wrong? Maybe Joe gets an abortion after her fiancé gets her pregnant, after she is presented with the contract she must sign, causing her to lose her fiancé. (will need to get the exact contract to see what they agreed to) Marge must live in constant fear of losing her job because she has a son. He becomes obsessed with having a part time mother and chases all part timers off the mountain. Jo’s trusting of Marge and Marge’s son almost gets her niece Donna raped.
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character? Having lied about something unknown about her that threatens her military career.
What are they trying to solve? How to have a life and be a woman in the military.
Major change imposed on character? Mother’s suicide leading to her going to military school. Hearing in front of Dept. of Int. Suddenly realizing by meeting Bette that she loves a woman.
Previous solutions cause new problems? Going in the military to please her father, causes all kinds of problems relating to having
her own family someday. Becoming colonel causes a major rival to plot for her downfall.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril? Jo & her fiancé. Marge and Jo’s friendship? Bette and Jo’s love interest. Father and daughter estrangement after mother died. Marge and her son.
New relationships forming? Bette and Jo. Jo and Donna, her niece. Marge’s son and Donna.
Conflict inside relationships? Bette and Jo over following the rules. Marge’s plotting to undo Jo, supposedly her friend. Jo and her fiancé over having children.
Relationships changing? Marge and Jo from friends to enemies. Marge and her son from family to estranged. Jo and her father from family to authority figure. Jo and her mother because her mother kills herself. Or maybe dies during an abortion. Or maybe the father kills the mother.
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X? Can they survive the secrets?
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions? For
them living their lives as normal women would, in the army is dangerous. i.e. having children. Falling in love. Surviving rape. Going into Viet Nam as a mash nurse.
Who else is pulled into their danger? Marge’s son. Bette into Jo’s.
Internal dangers – Maybe Bette is an addict who is stealing meds.
Maybe the mother must end her pregnancy. Inner demons – homosexuality.
2. 8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in your pilot.
What caused Jo’s mother’s death?
What is causing Jo to obsess on belonging to a military that
doesn’t even allow women to join?
Why was Jo being questioned in a Washington D.C. court?
What does Bette want from Jo?
Why is Marge secretly plotting against Jo?
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3. Answer the question, “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
Between audio 5 and lesson 9, this course just earned its money. Despite all the TV show/film free and bonus classes I went through, it finally really clicked.
The key sentences:
Mystery: Compels us to solve the past.
Open Loops: Cause us to wonder and worry about the future.
Plot Layers that change the meaning of some important parts of the show.
You need lots of open questions because the audience won’t care or notice them all. Some will only notice on a subconscious level.
It is the incompletion that created the future for the audience.
ASSIGNMENT 1
1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the Big Picture open loops that were established early in the season.
Lost
Where is the tail of the plane and did the people survive? The pilot survived but dies in the pilot episodes.
Where is the cockpit of the plane and did the people survive?
Will Kate and Jack get together/kiss/sleep together/etc. ?
Sawyer repeatably chases Kate. Will he wear her down?
Will Kate reveal what why she was a criminal?
Will they figure out why polar bears are on a tropical island?
What is the invisible monster tall enough to put a corpse on the top of a tall tree?
Why does the rain start and stop so abruptly?
Will the survivors be rescued?
Who are the survivors? (This question gets answered about a new person every episode for at least the first 10 episodes.) In episode 10, it’s revealed that one of the survivors wasn’t on the plane.
Will they find the source of the distress signal? It’s revealed that another group has taken control of the place broadcasting the distress signal in ep 9.
Will they find the person whose voice is on the distress signal? Found the French woman in ep 9.
How will Charlie deal with his drug addiction? Ep 7 he goes cold turkey and beats the drugs with some difficulty on the 3rd attempt.
Where is Jack’s dad and is he alive? Ep 5 finds an empty casket. So he might not have been imagining his father.
Will Jin-Soo and Sun-Hwa continue to have marital problems? Ep 6 shows how working for her father caused a rift between Jin-Soo and Sun-Hwa.
Why is Hin-Soo so jealous?
Will Claire and her baby survive childbirth? Ep 10, Claire met with a psychic who was adamant that Claire has to raise the baby herself. He knew what would happen with the plane. Claire has nightmares, including one where Locke says, “Now everyone pays the price” for her not taking care of the baby herself. She finds the baby as just blood and after the premonition, she wakes up with bloody hands.
Who will die next? People during the plane crash, people during the plane explosions, one into the motor, the pilot by invisible monster, a girl drowned…
Is the island man-made or natural?
What other sorts of miracles can the island do? Does the island have a supernatural side? It healed Locke so he could walk. Could it have resurrected Jake’s dad?
Will Mike and Jin-Soo remain enemies? Multiple negative encounters and an attack on Mike.
Will Clair and Charlie get together? He makes his interest more known before the baby comes.
Mid-season open loops:
What will Sayid find while exploring the island? He finds a cable to ends up leading him into trap set by the French woman. He get’s tortured, but finds out more about the island. In ep 10, Sayid shares the news that they are not alone.
Will they find what the whispering voices are? Sayid hears the whispers when he leaves the French woman.
Are there really carriers of a disease or has the shipwreck survivor gone crazy?
2. Watch the next episode and see how those open loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes.
Deadline: 24 hours
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Use this list to brainstorm big picture open loops for your first season that you will use to keep the audience captivated.
GOALS:
New goals?
Will Adaptonium be a success?
Goals related to the big picture?
Will None and MJ win president and VP?
Will None and MJ find a way to take down Renquist?
Can None and MJ save the global economy from collapse?
Can None and MJ keep America safe through an escalating cold war?
Crushed goals?
When Renquist steals control of their billion-dollar software company with a shady control, will None and MJ get back control?
Competition / conflict around goals?
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
Will MJ get caught for blowing up the plane with conspirators since they were Americans?
Will MJ get caught for an illegal drone strike on American soil?
When MJ invades Russia with a special ops team will she get caught.
Problems created from past actions?
What will happen when America realizes None’s app is destroying the economy?
Where is MJ’s missing katana that she stabbed an intruder with?
What will happen when all the women he is dating confront None on TV?
Good plans gone wrong?
Are there consequences from the Global Jubilee?
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
What are they trying to solve?
Major change imposed on character?
After MJ gets attacked by ants, she focuses on facing her fears and changes her personality. It also strengthens the None/MJ relationship.
Previous solutions cause new problems?
When a defensive missile system causes China to start a nuclear arms race, what can be done?
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
Will Astrid turn None against MJ?
When MJ accuses Zelda of being a spy, will it drive None away?
New relationships forming?
Could MJ date Fernando?
What motivates the entity’s interest in None? How can it date him without a body?
Conflict inside relationships?
Why is James’s mother letting her boyfriend get rid of her things?
Relationships changing?
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
Will None and MJ survive the election day shooting at their favorite bar and why aren’t the Secret Service protecting them?
Will Zelda kill MJ before she can find proof that Zelda is a spy?
Will None survive the assassination plot?
Will MJ survive the White House attacks?
Who is killing AI and will None be killed because of the AI in his head?
Was None killed when Air Force One was shot down?
Will MJ be able to defend against a retaliatory nuclear strike?
Can None stop the nuclear warheads in time?
What is the surprise threat and can None stop it before it destroys the world?
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
Will the gang members beat up None?
Will None get shot at the gun rally?
Who else is pulled into their danger?
Will the gunman kill bar patrons?
Will another dead man’s switch be killed to get their copy of the surveillance tapes?
Will Renquist murder Astrid for helping None?
Will Fernando murder Astrid in the murder room instead of faking her death?
Why was there an enhanced EMP attack on New Zealand?
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
How can MJ use seduction as a counterspy when the thought of sex disgusts her?
How will None deal with his blocked out memories?
Will MJ get over her fear and actually kiss someone intentionally?
Why is None so willing to sacrifice himself?
How will None deal with knowing his love life has a body count?
Why does MJ feel bad when Fernando dumps her as fake boyfriend?
Why is MJ so jealous when she has no interest in being physical with None?
Will None ever fully heal from the brain trauma?
Did None go insane when he modified his brain implant, despite warnings?
Is the entity in None’s head an evil spirit, or a sentient AI?
Has the entity in his head given None real powers, or are they delusions?
Will MJ allow None to take back the presidency when she learns about the entity in his head?
Why is the entity helping him to get MJ back, when the entity is in love with him?
2. Tell us your top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in your pilot.
How will people react to James Wong and Maria Cortez changing their names to None of the Above and More Jobs?
Will None(James Wong/None of the Above) and MJ(Maria Cortez/More Jobs) get back control of their billion-dollar software company?
Will Renquist make good on his threats to kill MJ over the surveillance tapes and what is on them that’s worth killing for?
Can an honest non-politician survive in the cutthroat dishonest world of politicians and lawyers?
Will None and MJ win the election for president and VP?
Who broke into MJ’s apartment and did the man MJ stabbed survive?
Will None and MJ ever date?
Who is Trench Coat Man and how did he gain full access to the police interrogation room?
Note: this list does not include the teaser scene which has at least 8 open loops of it’s own.
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