Lesson 1

[Jack Young]

Jack Young’s Big Picture Components

What I learned doing this assignment is this TV series format is a lot more complex than you know. I’m used to writing screenplays (Having written over 4 dozen) and have never ever taken this thorough a dive into the layers of the script like this. Sometimes it’s a little confusing to me with whether I need to create layers or open loops in which to make the story richer and add more depth. I’m trying not to get bogged down with analyzing too many things, but am excited to begin building a very detailed outline for the pilot episode.

SERIES INFO:

Worlds: An apocalyptic Earth that is in the aftermath of a world wide no-birth epidemic that has caused the collapse of the financial institutions and business communities, the Astral Plane, a mystical world of Astral traveling between Earth and other planes of existence, and the Planet of Seals that is home to six mammoth sacred seals that keep an unimaginable evil at bay.

Main mystery: Why is an unknown energy stream stealing souls from the Earth?

Impossible Goal: Turn off the energy stream.

Main Conflict: Michael vs. Cronus

Second Mystery: What is under the seals?

Season 1 Arc: Can Michael become the leader that is needed to save the planet?

Season 1 Protagonist Internal Journey: Can Michael quiet his inner demons and forgive himself?

2. Tell us the basic Pilot Info:

PILOT INFO:

Pilot Conflict: Can Michael enter the Stream before the FBI arrests him?

Characters Introduced: Michael, Diane (wife), the Professor (Scientist), Thomas (MIT Engineer), Johnny (Brother), Harry Miles (Homeland Security).

Inciting Incident of Season 1: Michael dies and enters the Stream.

[Eric Humble]

Eric Humble’s Big Picture Components

What I learned doing this assignment is: It was refreshing to return to the BW Framework to pull most of this info. While some of it came from the refined pitch bible, I found that I had forgotten some of these important components simply because they don’t show up in the pitch bible. Working with big picture elements that will show up in the details of the pilot has gotten me excited to move to the next phase.

1. Give us the basic Series Info:

SERIES INFO:

World: The Big Business of healthcare… and its secret society of Pharma execs intent on controlling disease to shape human history.

Main mystery: Who is trying to kill Dres and why?

Impossible Goal: How can they infiltrate a murderous cabal of the most powerful people in the world without getting caught?

Main Conflict: If they kill Dres, his wife dies. If he keeps poking around, they’ll kill him!

Second Mystery: Catherine’s history

Season 1 Arc: From comfortable, detached scientist to spy

Season 1 Protagonist Internal Journey: From defender of the system to appalled at the pharma/healthcare complex

2. Tell us the basic Pilot Info:

PILOT INFO:

Pilot Conflict: An assassin tries to kill Dres, but Jude and Dres kill him instead… and are now marked as targets by the assassin’s employers.

Characters Introduced: Jude , Marks, Catherine , Dres; Cabal Leader, Head of Cabal’s European Sector, Catherine’s oncologist,

Inciting Incident of Season 1: Jude questions Dres about her blood sample… when someone tries to kill her. Jude ends up killing him instead!

[Madeleine Vessel]

Madeleine Vessel’s Big Picture Components

What I learned doing this assignment is by following the process, I already have the most essential components of my pilot. Yay!!!

SERIES INFO:

World: The series explores the world of art crime. The first season delves into art thefts during the Bolshevik Revolution by a band of men called The Immortal Movement determined to keep Russia’s cultural heritage from being sold out of the country to fund Lenin’s war. It also follows the greedy modern-day Russian villain, who wants the cache of saved paintings for himself.Main mystery: Who killed Falisa and stole her Old Russian Masters?Impossible Goal: To catch the art thief without drawing the attention of FSB.Main Conflict: Art history professor vs. wealthy Russian oligarch determined to find not only Falisa’s paintings, but also to find the Immortal Movement cache.Second Mystery: Why are the FSB looking for Sophie and Zhora?Season 1 Arc: The story goes from Sophie and Zhora living in U. S. witness protection to being threatened by Russian art thieves to be willing to risk everything to capture the art thief and murderer. Season 1 Protagonist Internal Journey: Sophie goes from being fearful and risk averse to being a globetrotting art theft investigator, who will risk everything to bring the villain to justice.

PILOT INFO:

Pilot Conflict: Russians vs. Zhora and Sophie. The Russians kill Zhora’s fiancé and seriously injure him to get away with Falisa’s Old Russian Masters. When they fail to get away with all the paintings, they go after Sophie.Characters Introduced: Sophie, Zhora, Falisa, Vitaly, Bill, Dave, Olivia, Aleksie, and KasmirInciting Incident of Season 1: Falisa and Zhora are shot outside Falisa’ home by Russians. Falisa dies instantly. Zhora goes to the hospital for treatment.

[George Petersen]

George Petersen – BIG PICTURE COMPONENTS

What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of outlining before writing.

SERIES INFO:

World: The treacherous, traitorous underworld that gives birth to the Confederacy, seen through the eyes of Union spies, who risk being strung up by a bloodthirsty, rebel mob in order to save the President.

Main mystery: Is the plot to assassinate Lincoln real and, if so, who is behind it?

Impossible Goal: How can Kate and Pinkerton possibly protect Lincoln as he passes through Mobtown without police protection and where the whole city wants him dead?

Main Conflict: Kate and Pinkerton struggle to uncover the plot to assassinate Lincoln, a plot led by Captain Ferrandini who organizes the city’s secret society and competing street gangs.

Second Mystery: Can Kate prove to Pinkerton that women make better detectives and spies?

Season 1 Arc: Kate and Pinkerton uncover and block the assassination plot and get Lincoln safely to Washington where he successfully delivers in inaugural address, but nothing can stop the war that is coming.

Season 1 Protagonist Internal Journey: Kate grows from an aspiring part-time actress to an accomplished Union spy, playing roles that her life depends upon.

PILOT INFO:

Pilot Conflict: Kate and Pinkerton struggle to infiltrate the Knights of the Golden Circle and Ferrandini’s meetings with the street gangs in order to uncover and stop the assassination plot.

Characters Introduced: Kate, Pinkerton, Ferrandini, Lincoln

Inciting Incident of Season 1: Kate discovers that Captain Ferrandini is the ringleader in the plot to assassinate President Lincoln.

[Eloise Healey]

Eloise Healey’s Big Picture Components

What I learned doing this assignment is that – as usual – I have a lot of characters!

SERIES INFO:

World: An illegal, female-only camp in 1820s Australia.

Main mystery: How did an escaped male convict make it so far on his own?

Impossible Goal: To sustain a female-only colony in the wilds of the bush.

Main Conflict: If they are caught they will be sent back to prison.

Second Mystery: Why is Ellen so determined to live life without men?

Season 1 Arc: A hopeful group of women attempt to live without men in the wilds of Australia only to turn against one another and succumb to the corruption of power when a man becomes part of their colony.

Season 1 Protagonist Internal Journey: Ellen becomes increasingly like the men she despises in order to keep control of the camp and save her dream.

PILOT INFO:

Pilot Conflict: Can Ellen and the other women escape to the mainland?

Characters Introduced: Ellen, Ruth, Mary, Sarah, Ann, James, Hannah, Jean, Catherine.

Inciting Incident of Season 1: Learning of a group of sailors who illegally transport people to the mainland, Ellen decides to hire them. But how?