Lesson 1

[Hiram Taylor]

I have chosen SUCCESSION

1. BIG HOOK: An entire family goes into meltdown and war against each other when the 80 year old father decides not to retire from CEO of his Media Company after all, leaving his 4 children feuding with him and each other as the company is headed for collapse. Then, he has a stroke.

2. Characters: All the characters are horrible ruthless people with knives out against each other like in Game of Thrones set in the modern day. However, each is carefully drawn to be extremely different from any other person which makes them all intriguing. That makes the viewer interested in discovering their point of view on the situation. They all have a different voice and have a unique way with language. The dialogue is very over the top, foul-mouthed, and almost poetic like Shakespeare. The entire episode reminded me of King Lear.

3. Empathy/Distress: This is a complicated one for this show. Every main character is a horrible person and beyond liking. However, the strong plot twists force the viewer to pick sides. I guess our protagonist is the eldest son currently running the business for his father. I say I guess because he is a total asshole. I did not find one redeeming quality in him. However, I did feel empathy for him when he was emotionally destroyed after his father did not trust him to be the next CEO. His pain and resentment sets up the battle between son and father which is the main thrust of the plot. The ruthless father picks on everyone which makes the watcher hate him the most. I could not help but have some sympathy for the butt-kissers’ employees who he abused. Having worked for bosses who treated me like shit made me relate. I imagine most audience members have had a similar experience with a boss or parent. Good call by the writers for gaining some sympathy for these pathetic losers.

4. Layers/ Open Loops: There are lots of layers to each of the main character’s traits. They are all clearly drawn as ruthless, and selfish. and despicable people with quirky ways and managed dialogue that drips with subtext. No one says what they really mean, or how they truly feel. They are all acting in a role to please the father. He sees right through them which is why he has total control over them all.

Open Lopes: Will the father die without choosing an heir? How will the children react? Who will win the coming battle for power? Will the company go under or will the ruthless Asian man recently coming into the company “pick them off one by one and eat them alive” as he promises to do?

5. Inviting Obsession: Everything has been set up in the pilot to guarantee a “war story drama with bits of comedy.” The high stakes are clearly set. Bloody battlelines have been drawn. King Lear in a unique modern setting. There is a mystery set in motion like any good thriller that will entice an audience to watch to see who wins. Probably bets will be placed at water coolers around America like they were when JR was shot in Dallas.

6. WHAT I LEARNED: I realized I do not need to like any of the characters to become intrigued by their story. Did I enjoy watching this show? Not really. Would I watch it if I was not in this class? Probably not. I just watched one episode of Ozark and never want to see it again. But, unlike Ozark which I hated, I must admit I do feel a desire to see how Succession plays out. What other twists and turns will the writers come up with in future episodes? What clever dialogue and cruel jokes will come out of these characters’ mouths? So, yes I am in for the ride.

I also learned to look beyond the surface here look and listen for the subtext. What meaning did that cigarette have that the character seemed to desperately need and then why did he stompt it out after only one puff? I saw the clues that King Lear might be the writer’s source material and started to look for similarities with the Shakespeare play. I realized what the characters were saying had very little meaning, but the subtext underneath had great meaning. A cough or a glance or a joke could have more meaning than the words being spoken. I learned the writer’s skill of using the cruelty inflicted on a horrible person by a bully could create sympathy for them even though I knew they were a terrible person. The more a character was picked on, mocked, or abused the more I started to root for them. There is something exciting about watching a nest of vipers devour each other.

Hiram Taylor

[Marie Jordan]

My Binge show : Bridgerton

1. Big picture hook:

As the 1813 social season begins, a scandal sheet written by the mysterious “Lady Whistledown” starts circulating London. Daphne Bridgerton makes her debut into society, and Queen Charlotte gives her high praise over other debutantes.

(The narrator says it in the first line of the opening).

2. Intriguing Character

The character of Daphne has three layers.

1^st layer =

Daphne Bridgerton is introduced as a flawless young woman navigating her debut into Regency London’s high society under her brother’s authority.

As her brother scares all the suitors, she has no opportunity to find anyone and we feel her vulnerability, her fear of a future she cannot control.

2^nd layer = her conflicting desire: conforming with the rules of the society but keeping her independence (refusing to marry Nigel)

Leads her to play the system in her favor (using the power of the gossip sheet), pretending to be in love with the duke, to avoid an unsuitable marriage imposed by her brother. The duke trains her on how to look in love!

3^rd layer = her deep desire for a marriage based on mutual respect, understanding, love. She is learning how to be desirable and taking control over it. But how will this play up eventually? As we already know she will fall in love with the Duke.

The contrast between her naïve joy at the beginning of the episode and her determination at mastering her own destiny at the end (knocking out a man!!), makes her really engaging.

3. Empathy/Distress

Once Daphne realized that her brother has scared all the suitors and it could be a total disaster because this season will determine her future forever. (you don’t know what it is to be a woman)

4. Layers/ Open Loops

Layers:

Daphne Bridgeton’s presentation to the queen and eligible for marriage – Antony’s forbidden love story – A secret around the duke, his hate for his father and his refuse to get married – the secret love of Penelope Featherington (close friend to Eloise, Daphne’s rebellious intellectual sister) for Daphne’s younger brother, Colin who falls in love with Penelope’s cousin Marina – Marina’s pregnancy’s scandal.

Open Loops:

Will Daphne find true love? – Will Antony recover from breaking up with the love of his life in order to conform with society and his family? – Will the duke change his mind about marriage? – Will Penelope get Colin to love her? – Will Marina find a solution to her scandalous situation? Who is the whisleblower who writes the gossip sheet?

5. Inviting Obsession

The unpredictable decision made by the Duke and Daphne to pretend to be in love is inviting obsession. What will happen next?”

6. What I learned

All the seeds of the future developments are planted in this first episode. It looks so simple but it is everywhere, in the actions, the behaviours and in the lines of dialogues.

Marie Sanderson Jordan

[ATAUR BACCHUS]

(HOUSE OF CARDS) 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment: A structured way of watching a series above the emotional level

1. Big Picture Hook; The Dark Side of Politics overall as well as at the granular level of scenes, even beats.

2. Main characters are intriguing and interesting because they are charismatic, amoral and yet sympathetic

3. Empathy AND Distress – they are sympathetic because they face strong personal challenges to keep their ambitions alive. The willingness to compromise on values is distressing.

4. Open Loops: With this level of intrigue, we wonder if they are not courting downfall. We have to wait for the answer.

5. We grudgingly are fascinated and repelled. That volatile combo will no doubt play out in episodes, even in individual scenes. We want to witness that

[Rashit Ismail]

Subject line: The Americans 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is how important it is to set up the story real well already at the pilot stage and introduce intriguing characters that will push the viewer to want to find out more by binge watching.

1. Pick a Binge Worthy EXAMPLE SHOW from our list below and watch the first episode, making a light outline of the episode. Just the beats and anything that seems important to you.

In 1981, shortly after the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are undercover Soviet intelligence agents from the secretive Directorate S of the KGB sent to the U.S. 15 years ago to work deep cover in Washington, D.C. Their assumed identities are a married couple who run a travel agency, and even their own children Paige and Henry do not know their secret.

In a cocktail bar, Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell), disguised as a sex worker, talks to an FBI bureaucrat. She takes him to a hotel room where she seduces him for information. Subsequently, Nikolai Timoshev (David Vadim), a KGB operative who has defected to the United States, is being watched by Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys), Elizabeth’s husband, and Rob (Chase Coleman). They stand in an alley waiting for Timoshev. As Timoshev approaches them, he realizes it’s a setup and he runs, with Philip and Rob in pursuit. Philip captures him, but not before Rob is stabbed by Timoshev. Elizabeth picks the three of them up in a car and they drop Rob off at a nearby hospital, but miss the ship that would return Timoshev to Russia.

At the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) meets his new counter-intelligence partner, Chris Amador (Maximiliano Hernández). Their supervisor, Agent Mark Bartholomew (Michael Gaston), informs them that Timoshev failed to arrive. Meanwhile, Philip hides Timoshev in the trunk of his car in his garage, tied up and gagged. Philip threatens to kill him if he makes any noise. Philip then leaves the garage and goes into his home where Elizabeth and their two children, Paige (Holly Taylor) and Henry (Keidrich Sellati), get ready for school. In a flashback, a young Elizabeth is practicing fighting moves with her trainer. Timoshev takes over for the trainer. He and Elizabeth practice. Timoshev gets aggressive and eventually rapes her. Back in the present day, Philip, in disguise, meets with Martha Hanson (Alison Wright), a woman who works in Agent Bartholomew’s office. Philip probes her for information on Timoshev, to which she reveals that the FBI have the car description and license plate number used for the kidnapping and that it was carried out by two men and a woman. Later, Philip tells Elizabeth everything the FBI have on them.

The Jenningses go next door to meet their new neighbors, who happen to be Stan and his family. Stan tells them that he works in counter-intelligence. Later, debating whether or not Stan moving next door is a coincidence, Elizabeth tells Philip that they have to get rid of Timoshev as soon as they can. Philip disagrees, and during their argument he suggests they defect to America by giving Timoshev to the FBI. Elizabeth immediately rejects this idea. In another flashback, Philip and Elizabeth are introduced for the first time and are given their orders. In the present day, Philip, while jogging, calls the hospital where Rob was dropped off. He is informed that he died. Later, Stan asks Philip to lend him jumper cables. Philip takes him to his garage and Stan notices the Jennings’ car is the same type used in the kidnapping, albeit with Virginia license plates.

Later, Philip removes Timoshev from the trunk of the car in order to take him to Stan. Elizabeth attacks Timoshev, attempting to kill him despite his apology for hurting her. Philip asks how he hurt her and when neither of them replies, he breaks Timoshev’s neck. Philip and Elizabeth pour acid on the body and dump it in a wastewater pool at an abandoned factory. They then have sex in their car. Philip (in disguise) visits the man who came on to his daughter in a shoe shop earlier, and almost kills him with a barbecue grill, leaving him with a warning. The next day, Elizabeth goes to see General Viktor Zhukov (Olek Krupa), who questions her about the failed mission. When Zhukov asks for an update on Philip’s loyalty, based on Elizabeth’s earlier reports, she dismisses them, covering for Philip and taking responsibility for the mission’s failure. In a final flashback, Philip and Elizabeth have just moved to the States. Philip tries to get close to her, but she rejects him. In the final scene, Stan breaks into the Jennings’ garage and checks their trunk. Finding nothing, he leaves. Philip hides nearby with a silenced firearm in his hands.

2. From that, make a list of the 5 Star Points for that show.

1. Big Picture Hooks
   Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? The big hook is how unseeingly normal citizens can turn out to be unsuspected and undercover spies working for your biggest ennemy.
2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
   Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? These characters arre intriguing because they all have comlex backstories based on their past life professional experiences ot affiliations.
3. Empathy / Distress
   Ask this: What situations causes us to feel both empathy and distress for these characters? We feel empathy for Philip because he doesn’t look like a mean guy but just a simple person trying to do his job. Elisabeth seems like a much tougher character but we also feel empathy for her whne we disciver that she was raped by that same KGB officer that defected to the west and that they are trying to kidnap.
4. Layers / Open Loops
   Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season? will they eventually defect to the West, will Stan discover who they really are ? how long before they are uncovered.
5. Inviting Obsession
   Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode? We have several parallel stories and we are curious as to how each will unfold.

3. Watch the same first episode A SECOND TIME while looking at your 5 Star Point analysis. This time, your purpose is to see beyond the obvious answers. Assume there is more to learn and discover it!

[Ashton Reech]

The Americans 5 Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is that you can actually get viewers hooked in just one episode of a TV show using this model.

————–

OUTLINE:

· Establish Elizabeth and Philip as spies in 1981 Washington, D.C. at the height of the cold war kidnapping a defected KGB officer.

· They miss the hand off of the KGB defector to send him back to USSR and now must keep him in the trunk of their car until things die down.

· Flashback – Russia, 1961 – Elizabeth is sparring/training. The KGB officer they kidnapped rapes her.

· Philip and Elizabeth debate about what to do with KGB officer.

· Philip and daughter go to the mall. He tries on cowboy boots and dances. An asshole at the mall hits on the daughter.

· Philip makes advances toward Elizabeth. She stops him. Scene shows that they might not be a loving, trusting couple, but rather their relationship could be more of an arrangement.

· Philip and Elizabeth welcome their new neighbors with brownies. The neighbor turns out to be a counterintelligence agent for the FBI.

· Philip and Elizabeth are unsure if his moving in is a coincidence or if the FBI is on to them. They discuss options for their future. Philip wants to defect and live their lives like a normal American family. Kerry is opposed and is loyal to their home country.

· Flashback – Russia, 1962 – Philip and Elizabeth meet for the first time as they are paired up to be deep cover spies to pose as husband and wife in Virginia outside of DC.

· Philip learns that their comrade died the night they dropped him at the hospital.

· FBI neighbor stops by to borrow jumper cables. Philip must open the trunk. We are still unsure if FBI neighbor is on to them.

· Assembly at the kids’ school. National anthem. Astronaut gets ovation. Philip’s wheels are turning about defecting.

· That night, Philip lets KGB defector out of the trunk to turn him into the FBI neighbor. Elizabeth stops him. They argue. Elizabeth kicks KGB ass, but then stops short of killing him. Philip finds out that KGB raped her, so he kills him.

· They drive together to dispose of the body. Kerry looks at him and realizes that he does love her and care about her. They make out and do it in the car.

· FBI neighbor discusses his suspicion of Philip with his wife. Wife thinks he’s thinking too much like FBI guy.

· Philip finds the mall asshole and beats the crap out of him in his own backyard.

· Elizabeth visits a Russian general at a KGB safe house because they’re in hot water after botching the kidnapping job. We learn that Elizabeth has been questioning Philip’s loyalty to the home country, but now she wants to protect him as she also takes the blame for botching the job. The general also talks about escalating the cold war.

· Counterintelligence meeting – speech about rooting out sleeper agents in USA. We now see both sides are escalating.

· Elizabeth and Philip in bed having an intimate moment. Elizabeth shares a story about her father fighting the Nazis to establish her motivation.

· Flashback – 1965 – Philip and Elizabeth arrive in Virginia to begin their life as deep spies. We see that Philip has feelings for her. Elizabeth is all business.

· FBI neighbor breaks into the garage to check out the car. He opens the trunk to see a clean trunk. Philip watches him as he holds a gun at the ready.

————–

1. Big Picture Hooks
Two Soviet spies pose as a married couple in the U.S. during the cold war.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
The double life of Elizabeth and Philip adds complexity to their characters and creates suspense around their possible exposure as spies.

3. Empathy / Distress
Elizabeth and Philip are forced to question their loyalties when their work as spies threatens to destroy their family.

4. Layers / Open Loops
Will Elizabeth and Philip have to choose between family and loyalty to their country? Will their FBI agent neighbor discover that they are Soviet spies? Will their children?

5. Inviting Obsession
By introducing empathetic characters that we want to root for. We want to find out if Elizabeth and Philip are going to keep their family together and if they can avoid being discovered as spies.

[Moses Quainoo]

‘What I learned doing this assignment’

ASSIGNMENT 1:

1. Pick a Binge-Worthy EXAMPLE SHOW from our list below and watch the first episode, making a light outline of the episode. Just the beats and anything that seems important to you.

Binge-Worthy Example Show: Hijack

Season 1 Episode 1

Outline

Passengers are boarding a flight from Dubai to London. Sam walked on the transfer escalator and crossed the boarding gate just as the ground staff closed the barrier.

A passenger carrying a bag rushes through the airport to make it onto the flight. At the security check, a female officer signals her colleague to allow the man to pass. The man halts at the boarding gate, which is now closed.

Sam steps in and the ground hostess allows the late passenger to cross over. The captain contacts the air controller and departs the airport. While using the toilet, a young woman discovers a bullet on the floor. She informs a man that he needs to let the cabin crew know. The man informs his accomplice, the leader, of the discovery of a bullet. The leader suggests advancing on the act now.

The hijackers, including a woman, seize control of the plane and confiscate phones and tablets from all passengers. The captain discovers the issue and contacts ground control about a security emergency on the plane.

The Hijackers choose an air hostess who is the captain’s lover to enter the cockpit. They force the Captain to deny any security emergency to ground control. Sam informs the hijackers that he wants to become one of them.

1. Big Picture Hooks
What is the big hook of the ‘Hijack’ TV Show? Hijackers take over a plane flying from Dubai to London and radio to ground control of no security emergency.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? Sam has nothing to lose by joining the hijackers. The gang smuggles handguns onto the aircraft, loses a bullet on the floor of the toilet, and lies to the girl who found the bullet and her friends. They reported the incident to the cabin crew. A female hijacker, Sam, wants to join the Hijackers.

3. Empathy / Distress
What situations cause us to feel both empathy and distress for these characters? A detective has taken over and is making love to Sam’s ex-wife. Hijackers point handguns at passengers, mothers, fathers, and vulnerable people. Collecting tablets, and phones, switching off Wi-Fi, and forcing passengers into other empty seats. Using the captain’s lover against him to gain access to the cockpit, the Captain has to fight the copilot against opening the door for the Hijackers, forcing the captain to deny to Dubai, United Arab Emirates control tower, there is no security incident aboard the plane.

4. Layers / Open Loops
What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season? Will the Captain open the cockpit door? Who are the two men planning to fight the Hijackers? Why would the black man want to work with the Hijacker? What is beneath the request? How can he con them that easily? Where will the Hijackers take the plane? Now, which country is the plane going? How will this happen to passengers who need medication? What are the hijackers’ demands?

5. Inviting Obsession
How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode? The Pilot leaves many questions unanswered. Who was the late passenger? Why was a handgun removed from his bag? Why is he not an active hijacker? What will happen next? Who is the pastor and why is he bribing the cabin crew with ten pounds? Why is someone making love to the black man’s wife?

[Shawn Maricich]

The Walking Dead

5 Star Model

Sheriff’s Deputy Rick is scavenging for gas and supplies at an abandoned convenience store on a deserted highway in rural Georgia when he finds a little girl who shockingly turns out to be a zombie. He shoots her in the head and flashbacks in time. Rick is shot while chasing down criminals alongside his partner Shane and goes into a coma. Hospitalized after the injury, Rick experiences a series of dreamlike encounters with friends and family. Regaining consciousness, he finds that he is alone in an abandoned hospital. Weak and dazed he searches the ransacked and blood covered hallways. Dead bodies, some laying where they fell, and others wrapped in sheets litter the ward.

Looking for his family, Rick heads for his home. In a park he encounters his first Zombie, a decaying woman who, lacking the lower half of her body, drags herself across the lawn to attack him. Not finding his wife and son at home, Rick is in despair and starts to give up. He is captured by humans Morgan and his son, who explain to him that a mysterious sickness is the cause of the “Walkers” if they bite or scratch you, you will contract the disease and become Zombified.

Rick then sets out to find his wife Lori and son Carl who he believes are at a government safe haven in Atlanta. Running out of gas in his patrol car, he commandeers a horse from a farm where the family have committed suicide to escape the apocalyptic horror around them. Riding the horse into Atlanta, he is trapped by a Zombie hoard in the streets. Attacking him, they kill the horse and start to feast. Rick escapes their clutches by shooting his way free and crawling into an Abrams Tank that has been abandoned in the middle of the street. Safe, but surrounded by Walkers, his survival is in question. The tank’s two-way radio crackles. Other survivors have seen his brave, but stupid fight with the Walking Dead!

1 Big Picture Hooks

Rick is a man against the world. But what has happened to this world?

He’s a husband and father, who is looking for his family. He’s a protector, and he has failed them.

Will humanity survive?

What has caused this sickness? Is it natural? Manmade? A biological Attack? A cure?

2 Amazing and Intriguing Character

Rick could give up, fend for only himself, or go anarchist in this apocalyptic world. But he doesn’t. True to his duty as a sheriff, he gives aid to others, he even goes so far as to “mercy” killing for the Walking Dead he finds to end their misery. His quest is to find his family and unite with other survivors.

3 Empathy and Distress

What would we do if we were Rick? An ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Will he find his family? Will he survive? Will humanity survive?

4 Layers and Open Loops

What has caused the virus? How easy is it to be infected? Is there a cure? Will Rick find his family? Shane, Rick’s best friend, is romantically involved with Rick’s wife at their camp. Who are the other survivors. Will anarchy prevail?

5 Inviting Obsession

Will Rick survive and find his family? Will the Zombi-pocalypse end all human life on earth?

What I learned doing this assignment is?

Small plot hooks, teases about the overall problem, characters that I care about or intrigue me drive curiosity and make me want to learn more about them.

[Moses Quainoo]

Now, I have moved Lesson 2 to the rightful place. Failed to post the Lesson 2 Assignment using my desktop computer. Finally, succeess on my mobile phone.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by  Moses Quainoo.

[ATAUR BACCHUS]

ATAUR’s EXAMPLE SHOW – HOUSE OF CARDS

What I learned doing this assignment is that characters play out their roles in “Worlds”

MODULE 1 –

ASSIGNMENT 1: 3 CHARACTER CIRCLES IN THE SHOW HOUSE OF CARDS

A} MAIN CHARACTER CIRCLE: Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood, Doug Stamper, Zoe Barnes

B) CONNECTED CHARACTER CIRCLE: INTERACTIONS WITH MAIN CHARACTERS

i Bob Birch – Frank Underwood blackmails Bob to get him to resign as Speaker

ii. Donald Blythe – Frank U sabotages Donald’s Education Bill

iii Adam Galloway – Claire Underwood rekindles affair with Adam.

iv. Freddy – Frank Underwood is a regular at Freddy’s BBQ joint

v. Gillian Cole – Claire Underwood hires Gillian as a senior staff member at CWI

C) ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTER CIRCLE – President, President’s Staff, Congress, Secret Service

MODULE 1:

ASSIGNMENT 2: SKETCH OF MY SHOW

Working Title: The Road through the Backlands

Genre: Adventure

Concept: A Canadian Engineer, South American-born, goes with a Consortium to build a road through rainforest, to the interior of British Guiana. Sometime into the project he discovers that the hidden agenda, shared with corrupt local officials is for oil and mineral exploration, which will run rough-shod over the natives and the environment.

A) MAIN CHARACTERS – UNIQUE ROLE, SECRET OR INTRIGUE

i) Diego, only South American-born member of the Consortium represents the conscience of the audience witnessing a concealed Machiavellian world. He is idealistic but naive, but slowly comes to a point where he is working secretly on behalf of the indigenous people and the environment

ii) Leila, Guyanese under-cover investigative journalist. in the disguise of a road technician, brave and passionate, but cynical. Friend of Ana, the “cowboy” (girl)

iii) Sam, American Manager of the Highway Project. Mentor to Diego. For a long time, unaware of the ulterior motives of his employer, but takes a stand, at first covert

iv) Ricardo, antagonist, Brazilian owner of a mining company, greedy, ruthless, but can captivate the unwary with his style and “charm”.

B) CONNECTED CHARACTERS

Raj, a Guyanese scientist working for the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation,

Ana is a Brazilian “cowboy” – (girl), with international medals in judo and sharpshooting. Romantic interest in Sam, maybe Ana also but their worlds are too far apart.

Carlos, is a minor drug lord, powerful and ruthless, but charismatic and persuasive.

C) ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERS

US Firm personnel, Local Government Officials, Mining Workers, Indigenous Spokespeople

[Rashit Ismail]

the Americans character circles

• A. Main Characters Circle: Philip, Elisabeth, Henry, Paige, Stan Beeman
• B. Connected Circle: Oleg Burov, Arcady Zotov, Frank Gaad, Martha Anson, Dennis Aderholt, Nina Krilova, Sandra Beeman, general Zhukov, Claudia, Gabriel, Matthew Beeman, Pastor Tim, Tatiana Vyazmtseva, agent brooks.
• C. Environment Circle: FBI agents, double agents, embassy employees, Secretary of State, house maid,

[Rashit Ismail]

I am replying here as the reply button is not working under lesson 2

Module 1 assignment 2

Circle of characters for my own series

A. Main Characters:

Dona Gracia Mendes:

Unique Role: Takes on the Inquisition which is after her to prove that they are crypto-Jews and fights off hear jealous sister Brianda who wants to get her inheritance.

Secret or Intrigue: She uses her merchant ships to smuggle crypto-Jews from Europe to the Ottoman Empire.

Brianda Mendes the sister of Dona Gracia:

Unique Role: wants her inheritance that Dona Gracia ,à ages after the death of their father to have a good time attending parties with nobility.

Secret or Intrigue: irresistible beauty that never gives up what she has in mind.

Diego Mendes uncle and brother in law of Dona Gracia:

Unique Role: Manages the spice trade with is brother Francisco and becomes Dona Gracia’s partner after Francisco’s death.

Secret or Intrigue: madly in love with Brianda and the brain behind the underground smuggling operation of crypto-Jews.

Josef Nasi the nephew of Dona Gracia:

Unique Role: becomes the right hand of Dona Gracia after the death of Francisco and Diego.

Secret or Intrigue: Can navigate the hallways of power in Europe having studied with princes and future kings at Leuven University.

Charles V Holy Roman Emperor:

Unique role: wants to get rid of non Christians as part of his legacy.

Secret or Intrigue: in so doing wants to put# his hand on their fortune.

Bishop da Silva: the grand inquisitor of Portugal

Unique Role: wants to satisfy the Pope and receive his favors.

Secret or Intrigue: has this sadistic urge to see crypto-Jews burn at the stake.

Sultan Suleiman the Magnificient:

Unique role: is Charles V’s great enemy in stopping the expansion of the Holy Roman Empire in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Secret or intrigue: is madly in love with hurrem Sultan, his favorite in the Harem whom he will marry.

B. Connected Characters: These are characters that the main characters interact with during the season. They play a part in the journey in some way and sometimes affect the main character’s actions.

La Chica or Ana is Diego and Brianda’s only child.

Reyna is Francisco and Dona Gracia’s only preteen child.

Queen Marry of Hungary is the sister of Charles V and helps him govern his vast empire.

Hurrem Sultan is the favorite of the Sultan and will help Dona Gracia secure the Sultan’s favors.

Pierre is the bodyguard of Dona Gracia after the death of Francisco and Diego and is actually a papal spy.

The mother superior helps the release of Doan Gracia after her arrest in Venice.

C. Environment Characters: These are background characters that are necessary to fulfill the “standard roles” for your kind of story, but usually don’t do anything significant. List them by their jobs only.

King Manuel of Portugal who introduced the Inquisition in Portugal.

Pope Paul VI who chased heretics across Europe.

Zaida is Dian Gracia’s trustworthy servant

Moses Hamon is the chief Jewish doctor to Suleiman the magnificent.

[Laurie Stoner]

The Americans 5 Star Model

What I learned is how to identify the 5 star model components in a successful binge worthy tv shows

Big Picture Hooks
The Americans: Young parents with 2 kids appear to be living a normal American life style are actually highly active undercover Russian agents.

Amazing and Intriguing Character
Elisabeth and Philip Jennings possess master hand to hand combat and secret agent skills who appear to also be good parents and neighbors.

Empathy / Distress
Elisabeth and Philip Jennings are dedicated parents who are torn in their loyalty to their family versus their loyal to their motherland who take huge risks to keep both happy. Elizabeth was raped during her training at the academy and still has anger issues. Philip wants a better life for the family and is on the brink of defecting when he kills the defector who raped Elizabeth.

Layers / Open Loops

Will the Jennings escape discovery when an FBI counterintelligence agent moves in across the street? Will the Russians find out that the Russian defector they murdered was the man who raped Elizabeth?

Inviting
Obsession
How will this family stay undetected? Will the supposedly fake couple fall in love with one another for real?

[Vernall Ritchey]

Assignment: Lesson 1

Vision: I want to write a smart, well-written, and blockbuster script which I can then produce and direct.

What I learned from doing this assignment is: the importance of mastering the 5 Star Model

Subject Line: Vernall Ritchey – 24 – 5 Star Model

1. 24

12:00 A.M. Victor Rovner transmits from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that a shooter is coming into town to target Senator Palmer. Agent Richard Walsh, a high-ranking Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) officer, is alerted.

12:01 A.M. Senator David Palmer, an African-American running for President, writes his speech for the next day’s California primary election.

12:03 A.M. Jack Bauer plays chess with his daughter Kimberly in their home. Before going to bed, she tells him that she’s glad he moved back in. Jack and his wife Teri go to her room to find she has snuck out the window. Nina Myers, Jack’s chief-of-staff at CTU, calls him into the office because Richard Walsh is in town. Jack phones Kimberly’s ex-boyfriend Vincent, but he doesn’t know where she is.

12:06 A.M. Kimberly and her friend Janet York are on their way to meet up with some guys named Dan and Rick.

12:09 A.M. Jack arrives at CTU headquarters and calls his wife to alleviate her fears. Turning back to work, Jack gathers his team and suggests that perhaps Senator Palmer is the reason they have been called in. He asks them to start pulling together information on the candidate. Along with Nina are CTU employees Jamey Farrell and Tony Almeida. Meanwhile, Kimberly and Janet arrive at a furniture store where they meet the guys.

12:14 A.M. Jack asks a friend at the LAPD to keep a lookout for his daughter. Walsh arrives and briefs Jack’s team about an expected attempt on Palmer’s life. Walsh privately tells Jack that there may be a leak within CTU involved in the hit.

12:22 A.M. Martin Belkin, a foreign photographer, calls Palmer campaign manager Patty Brooks from an airplane bound for Los Angeles. He is scheduled to meet Palmer for breakfast the next morning. Mandy, the woman in the seat next to him, overhears his conversation and asks about Palmer.

12:24 A.M. Nina confronts Jack about not being included in a meeting with District Director George Mason. Jack does not tell her what the secrecy is about. Teri calls to tell Jack that she found joints in Kimberly’s desk. Jack apologizes for not being there to help. In a heart-to-heart talk with Rick, Kimberly lies and says that her father is dead.

12:28 A.M. Mason does not reveal to Jack what his source is for the information on the Palmer case. Jack is suspicious and shoots Mason with a tranquilizer gun to knock him out. Jack orders Nina to look up the assets of convicted heroin dealer Phillipe Darcet because he has always suspected that Mason skimmed money from the bust. Jack hopes to use that information to blackmail the District Director.

12:36 A.M. Teri receives a call from Alan York, the father of Kimberly’s friend Janet. He too is looking for his daughter.

12:40 A.M. Jack requests that Nina get Tony to access the Darcet files. Tony suspects that Nina is doing this because she is still sleeping with Jack. She doesn’t give a straight answer but convinces the reluctant Tony to get her the information. Jack asks Jamey to trace the passwords for the email accounts on his home phone line. He informs Teri that Kimberly’s password is LIFESUCKS.

12:43 A.M. On the plane, Mandy continues to grill Martin flirtatiously. There is a growing attraction between them.

12:45 A.M. Senator Palmer gets a phone call from Maureen Kingsley at the network. He gets angry at her allegation and avoids telling his wife Sherry what was discussed.

12:49 A.M. Nina grows worried about Jack’s erratic behavior, and she voices her concern that he is breaking the law by tapping into private files. He says that he will not compromise himself. Meanwhile, Teri and Alan York decide to try to find the girls at an address found in Kimberly’s email account. Seeing her mother’s repeated calls on her cell phone, Kimberly asks the guys to drive her home.

12:52 A.M. Martin and Mandy make love in the airplane bathroom. She asks if they can get together in Los Angeles, but he replies that he will be “pretty busy.” At CTU, Tony sends Jack the accessed wire transfers on the Darcet account, and Jack wakes Mason. He once again asks the District Director who his source is, but this time shows the incriminating Darcet transfers. Mason relents. In the air, Mandy goes to the back of the plane and knocks a flight attendant unconscious. She takes out Martin’s stolen identification and puts on a protective jumpsuit. She removes a bomb from the plane’s fire extinguisher and detonates it. Mandy ejects herself from the cabin within seconds of the plane’s explosion, parachuting to safety.

12:57 A.M. Teri speaks to Jack while driving with Alan York to the Valley. When he loses contact with his wife, Jack sets out to find her. Tony stops him with news that a plane has blown up over the Mojave Desert. Preliminary reports indicate that it was bombed. While Dan drives the van with the girls inside, he ignores Kimberly’s directions to her house. For the first time, she is afraid, and she realizes that she may not be in control of the situation.

2. From that, make a list of the 5 Star Points for that show.

1. Big Picture Hooks
   Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? Assassination attempt on Senator Palmer who is running to be the first Black U.S. President.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
   Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? Jack Bauer head of the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) finds himself between a rock and a hard place and at the last second gets out safe. Jack is professional, reliable, and relentless. He does whatever it takes to get the assignment done, except when it comes to his family, he is willing to risk the safety of the U.S. for them.

3. Empathy / Distress
   Ask this: What situations cause us to feel both empathy and distress for these characters? Jack is ruthless and determined except when Teri and Kimberly are kidnapped, Jack becomes vulnerable and shows that he will do whatever it takes to prevent his family from being killed, even if it means letting the president-hopeful Senator Palmer get assassinated. Jack, head of CTU is willing to betray his commitment to keeping the U.S. safe for the safety of his family.

4. Layers / Open Loops
   Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season? Will Jack prevent President hopeful Senator Palmer from being assassinated? Will Teri and Kimberly be saved or killed by the kidnappers? Who is the real mole at CTU?

5. Inviting Obsession
   Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode? Will Jack prevent President hopeful Senator Palmer from being assassinated? Will Teri and Kimberly be saved or killed by the kidnappers? Who is the real mole at CTU?

[Jean-Pierre Serra]

What I learned doing this assignment is that likability in the characters is not what matters the most. Most importantly, our characters need to be interesting, multi-layered, and intriguing.

The binge-worthy show I chose is SUPERNATURAL.

PILOT OUTLINE

1. Flashback from 22 years ago. They introduce the family: John and Mary Winchester, and their two sons, Dean (4 y.o.) and Sam (baby). During the night, Mary, the mother, is brutally murdered by what seems to be supernatural forces. Her husband looks up to see his wife pinned to the ceiling, her belly sliced open and bleeding. Her body bursts into flames.

2. Present days. Sam (now 22 y.o.) goes to a Halloween party with his girlfriend. He mentions an interview he has on Monday for law school.

3. Later that night, Sam is in bed with Jess when he hears someone break in. He fights the shadowy intruder until he realizes that it is Dean (26 years old now), his older brother. They haven’t seen each other for two years. Dean explains he needs Sam’s help to find their dad because he went missing after going on a ‘hunting trip.’ Sam asks what their dad was hunting and Dean opens his car trunk and shows newspaper clips. He explains men are vanishing from their cars on Centennial Highway. Sam reminds Dean if he goes, he has to be back by Monday for his law school interview.

4. In California, a teenager is driving down the road when he sees a woman in white standing alone in the dark. He pulls over and she gets in. She acts seductively, teasing the guy and asking him to go home with her. Once on a bridge, the car stops, Troy screams and blood splatter in the windshield.

5. The next day, Dean and Sam arrive at the bridge where the guy’s car crashed the night before and lots of cop cars. Dean pulls up and takes out a fake ID and the two brothers’ question the cops posing as US Marshals. The cop says he knew the latest victim, named Troy and that his girlfriend is putting up missing posters, but they have no leads to his whereabouts.

6. Downtown, Dean and Sam find Amy, Troy’s girlfriend. She explains he last spoke on his cell from his car. Rachel, Amy’s friend, is there too and brings up a local legend about a girl who died on Centennial Highway whose ghost hitchhikes and the drivers who has picked her up disappears.

7. Dean and Sam search the net for news items concerning deaths on Centennial. They discover an article about a woman who committed suicide by jumping off a bridge after her 2 kids drowned mysteriously.

8. Dean and Sam go to check out the bridge where Constance and Troy died. Suddenly, they spot a ghostly woman in white jump from the bridge and a few minutes later Dean’s car starts on its own and tries to knock them down. The brothers fortunately survive the encounter.

9. Dean and Sam book into the same hotel their dad was in and check out his room. There is a salt circle in front of the door, so John tried to keep something out. He also left all his stuff in the room. There are pictures stuck to the walls and Sam notices their dad had solved the puzzle. Dean says dad would have destroyed Constance’s corpse and Sam says maybe the ghost has another weakness.

10. Outside the hotel, Dean is going for food when the cops arrest him for impersonating a US Marshal. He does manage to call Sam first warning him to run for it.

11. At the police station, Dean gets interrogated and is told he’s a suspect in the men’s disappearances. The sheriff shows Dean his dad’s diary and asks what the numbers in it mean. Dean seems surprised to see them.

12. Sam visits Constance’s husband and asks if John was here, Mr. Welch says, that John was there 3 or 4 days ago. Sam also asks him where Constance is buried and what happened back in 1981. Constance was buried at their old house. Sam fathoms out Joseph was unfaithful and suggests in temporary insanity, Constance killed her kids and herself when she found out, thus becoming a ‘woman in white.’ She now kills unfaithful men on the highway.

13. The sheriff’s interrogation of Dean is interrupted by an emergency call and he leaves Dean cuffed to the desk. Dean picks the cuffs locks with a paperclip and escapes.

14. Sam drives to the old Welch house where Constance is buried. The woman in white appears in front of Sam’s car and he drives right through her. The next minute, the woman in white is in the car with Sam, asking to be taken home. When he refuses, she takes control of the car and it drives on its own.

15. The car stops in front of the car Constance says she can never go home. Constance jumps on Sam intent on making him unfaithful, but he refuses to give into her seduction. She starts to hurt him and she transforms into real, grotesque features as Sam screams. Then, Dean comes to the rescue, shooting at the spook. The distraction gives Sam enough time to drive the car straight into the house, taking Constance’s spirit with him. Constance’s dead kids’ show up. Constance was too scared to face her children because of the guilt of what she did. The kids take their mom’s spirit back with them to the netherworld.

16. Back at the university, Sam seems happy to be home. Sounds coming from the shower makes him feel Jessica is probably home. He lies down but blood splatters on him. He is horrified to see Jessica pinned to the ceiling in the same way as his mother. She bursts into flames and Dean appears at the right moment and rescues Sam. As the fire is doused down by the fire engines, Dean and Sam pack their stuff on to the car and Sam ends by saying “We got work to do.”

THE 5 STAR POINTS

1. Big Picture Hooks: Two brothers follow their father’s footsteps as hunters, fighting evil supernatural beings of many kinds, including monsters, demons, and gods that roam the earth.
2. Amazing and Intriguing Character: Since they were little, Dean and Sam have be trained by their dad to be skilled monster hunters. They own a wide range of unique weapons and are keen on using any means possible to get the information they need, including taking fake identities
3. Empathy / Distress: They have lost their mother when they were very young. Their father disappeared. Dean has kept working with his father but Sam wanted a new life. After Sam’s girlfriend is killed the same way his mother was, he doesn’t have any choice but get back in the family “business”.
4. Layers / Open Loops: Will the two brothers find who (or what) killed their mother and Sam’s girlfriend? Will they find their dad? Will Sam accept to work with his brother as a monster hunter?
5. Inviting Obsession: How will the two brothers find their dad with their very limited ressources and no other clue than their dad’s diary? Once they will have found their dad, if they do, will they be able to find out who (or what) killed their mother and Sam’s girlfriend?

[SUNIL BATRA]

There are five hooks in episode one.

1. major hook is Rick the main character emotionally shooting the zombie. why is he doing so and how it happened?

2.Ends up in walking dead people after the gun shot and hospitalize, he woke up among dead people. how has it happened?

3 lost his wife and son carl. he is looking for them. They might be at Atlanta 4shelter.

4.another person and his son Dudley find rick, assumed him as a dead person. Rick helped son and father to escape from the zombie what happened to them, father and son afterwards.

5. gas in the car finished, he ends up finally among zombies the dead people. what happened with rick when the vessel doors slammed, and he escape from the hundreds of zombies.

2. each characters have their own emotional journeys. that made them more interesting.

[SUNIL BATRA]

I learned from the 1st episode that more the hooks the lengthier and more engaging compelling is the show.

[Laurie Brown]

The Binge- Worthy Example I chose is THE DIPLOMAT.

What I learned from doing this assignment is that by digging deeper I can see more intrigue. I wonder, however, if it’s better for an audience not to have to dig deep. Maybe it requires less of them to get engaged in the binge.

1. Big Picture Hooks
Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? Will Kate keep the U.S. out of war with Iran and become the VP of the United States?

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting? The irony that Kate is the chosen one when Hal has always been the Diplomat. Why Kate and not Hal makes both characters intriguing. Kate is definitely all business, and not easily impressed. She doesn’t like formalities. But she follows the rules. Hal is a cynical, know it all. He doesn’t like being second fiddle. Doesn’t follow the rules, and is a schemer. He’s secretive. He’s famous but no one wants to work with him. (according to Kate)

3. Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situations causes us to feel both empathy and distress for these characters? We have empathy for Kate being put in such an important role and stressful job. To stop a war before it starts. Empathy for being a woman in this world. Distress that she’s a woman in this world dealing with all men and their actions that affect the outcome of her work.

4. Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

a. What is going on. Why do they constantly want to get Kate alone. The President? The Prime Minister? Whatsup with Secy of State, Ganon? Secy’ of state put off by her being so involved already. Acc’ding to her guide at the embassy they already want to trash her. She’s on long list for getting cleared. The important charge for her is the need to keep U.S. president off air. VP also is a hot head.

b. How did husband grab her out of a photo op and into prime minister’s office? Revisit that scene. How is Hal working behind the scenes? Who is Meg Roylin and how is Hal involved with her? What was the conversation about her aide calling him(Hal) Hal. First time? He gets what? Irony. She is not Cinderella but they can’t fire Cinderella, what does this mean?

c. They don’t sleep in the same bed. Hal knows the plan with the President that she doesn’t know yet. Says he will save the marriage so she can become VP. She hates formalities but will get used to them slowly, like a frog in water. Conspiracy to get her into V.P.

d. What did the woman inject into Hal? Who was she? Why did they have to kidnap him to get him on the call with Iran?

e. We’re going to lose the vice president? Why? Is Wyler a VP candidate. Why did she check the sheets.

5. Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

a. Will they divorce? Will there be war? Will she be vice president? What’s the secret plan between Britain and the U.S. Will the U.S. or Britain go to war with Iran?

[SUNIL BATRA]

Lesson #2 WALKING DEAD

A. MAIN CHARACTER CIRCLE

1.RICK FENLEY. Major character, a police officer around whom the entire show moves.

2.SHANNE- a friend of rick also a police officer.

3. LORI- Wife of Rick Fenley.

4.CONNECTED CIRCLE

DARY- Rick leaves the keys with Dary to free another invigorating character, Dale.

AMY- LORI sister Amy. trapped in a departmental store.

DALE. – Met rick in episode 2. A quick-witted escaper from zombies.

ENVIRONMENT CIRCLE:

ALL THE ZOMBIE.

;

[SUNIL BATRA]

ASSIGNMENT 2

MAIN CHARACTER

Harry. main character travelling from India impressed by Christianity to join the school.

connected circle.

Andy, classmate of Harry

Paru classmate plus knowledgeable and religious

—– A Muslim girlfriend of harry.

——A JEWISH BOY

——Chinese girl friend

environmental circle.

teacher, student, preachers,

What I learned from my version it’s easier to write and follow the journey of each character.

[Aina Jarvine]

Example show: Hijack

“What I learned doing this assignment…” 1) What pressure?! Every shot in the pilot is there for a reason, for introduction, for set-up, for development – not one second is wasted! How the heck will I write something like this? I must let go and just keep going – forget that perfection. 2) With multiple main characters and storylines it’s best to follow the big story and what audience needs to know to get hooked. 3) Every character that is showed to us more than in passing has a question attached to them. 4) I go into crazy details. Must try and see a bigger picture – details will bog me down!

1. Big Picture hook – A plane from Dubai to London is hijacked by a crew armed with guns and a hard-core negotiator for billion dollar companies takes on to keeping passengers calm so that the plane can arrive without casualties at the destination.

2. Intriguing Character – SAM: we are not told who he is, we see he is calm and capable, he keeps an eye on his surroundings, he notices things, he can help people, he has a wife he loves and wants back but who is with another man – and then we are told he is a hard-core negotiator, not any negotiator but the best there is at calming people down after huge companies get dissolved. MAIN HIJACKER: we do not know anything about him, and we don’t even know if he would be capable of killing anyone. But he has a gun and a plan we do not know about yet. SECURITY WOMAN AT DUBAI AIRPORT: her family is in danger – but why? What does she know about the hijacking – why did she let the running man through security – loads of questions. CONTROLLER AT DUBAI TOWER: a nice guy who just had a birthday – cannot understand jokes but sees that something is wrong. Is he just attentive or is there something else to him?

3. Empathy/Distress – 1) Sam wants to get home but his wife has another man – we have a negotiator who has not been able to negotiate his own life from falling apart – how can he negotiate the plane down safely? Feel for his home situation. BUT I am absolutely convinced he will be able to negotiate his way out of this situation. So, I do not have much fear for him, but I am interested how he is going to do it and how well he will be able to do it. Not 100% bingeable for me yet. After the pilot show I like him, I do not yet empathise with him! 2) Sam is in a distressful situation but he keeps calm and thus he does not feel in jeopardy to me! But others around him are. I must admit I almost feel more for them. So for me the distress is created through other characters.

4. Open Loops – a. Will Sam be clever enough to get the plane land safely with no one hurt in London and what is his hidden agenda? b. What will happen to all of the passengers individually – who will lose it, who will be brave, will the pilot/stewardess relationship survive, will they turn on one another, what allegiances will be made etc? c. What do the hijackers want? And who is behind it? d. What’s the thing with families – we see so many family photos and one family on the plane too. e. What’s going on with the Security woman and her family? How is she connected to it all? f. Will Dubai Tower Controller be an ally or a foe to Sam?

5. Inviting Obsession – Will Sam be able to keep the people calm on the plane? There are all kinds of characters, one worse off and more explosive than the other – how will he control them? Will he lose his calm? IS he able to bring the plane down without any casualties – I highly doubt it.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by  Aina Jarvine.

[Dwayne]

Breaking Bad 5Star Model

I learned from this assignment the importance of creating fully-formed characters. Characters with complexity, depth, and dimension are far more engaging than flat, one-note characters. Also, an unpredictable, fast-moving central plot line filled with suspense, intrigue, and mystery makes a show hard to stop watching.

1. Big Picture Hook: A chemistry teacher (Walter White) is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He decides to spend the little time he has left on Earth cooking meth to earn money to leave for his wife and son.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character: What makes Walter White so intriguing is seeing his transformation from a shy chemistry teacher into a ruthless drug lord over the course of the pilot episode. Walter White is a complex character with many dimensions.

3. Empath / Distress: We can empathize with Walter White because he is a man who is unhappy with what he has accomplished so far in his life, only to discover that his life will soon end due to a terminal illness diagnosis.

4. Layers / Open Loops: The pilot episode leaves several important questions unanswered that can only be resolved by watching the full season or series. Will Walter eventually tell his wife about his criminal activities? How long will it be before law enforcement catches on to Walter? How much will Walter accomplish before his life ends?

5. Inviting Obsession: The premise of Breaking Bad and the structure of the pilot episode create a strong sense of intrigue. As viewers, we are left wanting to see the consequences of Walter’s choices and how this will affect his relationships in the limited time he has remaining.

[Holli Castillo]

Holli’s 5-Star Model

What I learned doing this assignment is the foil between the characters is what makes their dynamic interesting and makes me want to keep watching the show.

Subject: The Morning Show 5-star Model

Big Picture Hooks:

Big Picture Hooks

A popular news anchor on the biggest morning show in the country gets fired for sexual misconduct and leaves the fate of the show, his co-host, and his own fate up in the air.

The popular co-host may be about to get the ax, will they fire her too?

Scrappy Bradley Jackson is trying to make her way in the profession, will she succeed?

Are Alex and Bradley going to end up as co-anchors and will that work since they don’t really like each other.

Amazing and Intriguing Character

Alex – She’s smart, but also vain, selfish, and self-centered. She’s a fighter.

Bradley Jackson: She’s also smart, but sort of lower class, trying to make it in a field not cut out for people like her. She’s struggling, but determined and empathetic. She can handle her own and does not back down, which makes some people see her as hard to get along with.

Mitch- Everyone has liked him for 15 years and thought of him as a dad character, but he refuses to accept or acknowledge that having sex with underlings is sexual misconduct. He’s not what people thought.

Empathy / Distress

Alex- She is about to lose her job and what she considers her entire life over something her co-host did; she might possibly have been about to be replaced.

Bradley Jackson – she’s the underdog. Alex tries to make her look bad during the first interview but Bradley holds her own. Her brother is an addict and her mother refuses to see it and it has affected her life in a negative way.

Mitch- he truly doesn’t see what he did was wrong. He seems like a nice, funny guy, and now he has nothing. Victim of Me Too Movement or a sex offender?

Layers / Open Loops

Was Alex going to be fired before they fired Mitch?

Is Mitch going to come out of this unscathed and get his life back?

Will Alex be on the show?

Will Bradley Jackson and Alex work together, and if so, will they be adversaries?

Will Alex have to fight to keep her job? What is her fate?

Will Bradley’s family negatively impact her career?

Inviting Obsession

Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

The pilot leaves the fate of the main characters up in the air. If you want to find out what happens to the characters and how they end up, you’ll have to watch it. I will say it was difficult to make myself not watch the next episode, mainly because I wanted to see if Bradley was going to be working with Alex and how that would turn out if they did.

[Jenifer Stockdale]

What I learned doing this assignment is that binge worthy shows always set up for the next episodes. We may not even realize it, but the writer is using techniques to draw us in and keep us there. I chose Wednesday, even though I had already seen it (*for entertainment purposes only*) so it was interesting to go back (it’s been a long time since I watched it – when it first came out) and look for the specific elements that were written to keep the audience wanting more.

1. Big Picture Hooks
   Ask this: What is the big hook of this show? There is a monster in the
   area of the school and he has killed three people, but he left Wednesday
   alone. Wednesday might ultimately end up destroying the school (as was
   foretold by a seer)
2. Amazing and Intriguing Character
   Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?
   When we first meet Wednesday, everyone in school moves away from her, she
   is smart, quirky, (spooky and creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky…LOL),
   she speaks so eloquently (but not over-done, the way I feel Juno was), she
   is good at everything (she has perfect grades, she can fence, write, play
   an instrument) she is clever (the way she deals with Thing, sneaks out of
   the therapist’s office) she is beginning to have visions, and we see they
   are accurate
3. Empathy / Distress
   Ask this: What situations causes us to feel both empathy and distress for
   these characters? She is being sent away to boarding school and is upset
   about that, she has a difficult relationship with her mother, she is
   basically her own worse enemy, she was bullied by a townie, she was
   bullied when she was young, she is accused of being the downfall of the
   school
4. Layers / Open Loops
   Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only
   be answered by watching the entire season? Who is the monster? Why did he
   spare her? Is she going to destroy the school? Is she going to fit in and
   make friends?
5. Inviting Obsession
   Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?
   The cliffhanger at the end makes you need to go on. The character development
   of Wednesday is so complete and even though she wouldn’t be someone (in
   real life…LOL) that you would want to be friends with, you really care about
   her and worry about her safety by the end of the pilot