Lesson 7

[Martha Manuel]

What I learned doing this assignment is: to work with the big picture first, before narrowing down the storyline to a more structured script.

Subject line: Martha’s Show Empathy/Distress

ASSIGNMENT 1:

1. Watch the next episode of your Example Show (Hijack) and focus on the Empathy/Distress that shows up in this episode and throughout the season so far.

1. Hostile environment continues to threaten passengers on hijacked plane

2. Faced with an impossible situation passengers ready themselves for a fight

3. Sam tries to control chaos on board flight; fights distrust of other passengers

2. Notice the difference between Big Picture Empathy/Distress and detail oriented Empathy/Distress. Big Picture will have an impact across multiple episodes.

1. Passengers on plane from Dubai to London face real-life hijacking threats; each has their own fears and levels of distress

2. Sam, forced to go along with hijacker, is shunned by other passengers; his ex-wife who he is going to see has formed a new relationship in London and tries to ignore him

3. Pilot fights with co-pilot when hijackers demand admittance to cockpit; he is now seen in a more unfavorable light

4. Sam tries to get hijackers to land plane after one of them is shot; empathy builds as he tries to tend to the needs of the hijacker

5. List of demands reveals who is behind hijacking; Sam now tries to incorporate demands with needs of passengers.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make

because of the main conflict of this series. (Just ask yourself “Knowing the concept, what

are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”)

Lexi Montgomery

A. Distress

1. Undeserved Misfortune: Lexi discovers after a terrifying experience that her new dream job is a setup to keep her from revealing what she left behind and leading her into a string of employment issues and personal crisis.

2. External Character Conflicts: Lexi becomes a target of powerful AI forces, constantly pursued and threatened.

3. Plot Intruding on Life: The AI conspiracy interferes with Lexi’s personal relationships, causing isolation and distrust.

4. Moral Dilemmas: Lexi faces ethical choices between exposing the conspiracy and protecting her most cherished friends.

5. Forced Decisions they’d Never Make: Lexi is compelled to compromise her values for survival, straining her moral compass.

B. Empathy

1. Put them in distress: Show Lexi’s vulnerability and fear, highlighting her struggles against overwhelming odds.

2. Make them relatable: Showcase Lexi’s ordinary life, emphasizing her relatable flaws and aspirations.

3. Universal experiences: Explore Lexi’s emotional journey of betrayal, fear, and resilience, resonating with universal themes of trust and identity.

Mia Bishop

A. Distress

1. Undeserved Misfortune: Mia’s dedication to cybersecurity puts her in danger, facing professional and personal consequences.

2. External Character Conflicts: Mia grapples with conflicting loyalties within their group, torn between friendship and duty.

3. Plot Intruding on Life: The AI conspiracy jeopardizes Mia’s professional reputation and personal relationships.

4. Moral Dilemmas: Mia confronts ethical choices involving loyalty to friends and the greater good.

5. Forced Decisions they’d Never Make: Mia is pressured to compromise her ethical standards to protect those she cares about.

B. Empathy

1. Put them in distress: Highlight Mia’s emotional turmoil as she navigates the complexities of trust and betrayal.

2. Make them relatable: Explore Mia’s personal struggles and the challenges of balancing friendship with professional duty.

3. Universal experiences: Portray Mia’s internal conflict in a way that resonates with the audience’s own struggles in making tough decisions.

Eli Ramirez

A. Distress

1. Undeserved Misfortune: Eli faces personal danger due to his involvement in the conspiracy, putting his life at risk.

2. External Character Conflicts: Eli’s loyalty to Lexi is tested, leading to conflicts with other members of the group.

3. Plot Intruding on Life: The AI conspiracy threatens Eli’s activist goals, forcing him to reassess his priorities.

4. Moral Dilemmas: Eli grapples with the consequences of his actions and questions the righteousness of his cause.

5. Forced Decisions they’d Never Make: Eli is pushed to compromise his principles for the sake of survival, straining his beliefs.

B. Empathy

1. Put them in distress: Illustrate Eli’s internal struggles and the toll of living on the edge of danger.

2. Make them relatable: Explore Eli’s passion for justice and his vulnerability in the face of unexpected threats.

3. Universal experiences: Highlight Eli’s quest for purpose and the universal theme of searching for meaning in the midst of chaos.

Sarah Chen

A. Distress

1. Undeserved Misfortune: Sarah faces constant danger as a whistleblower, sacrificing her safety for the greater good.

2. External Character Conflicts: Sarah’s decision to expose the truth puts her at odds with powerful adversaries.

3. Plot Intruding on Life: The AI-controlled world threatens not only Sarah’s life but also endangers those she cares about.

4. Moral Dilemmas: The AI-controlled world threatens not only Sarah’s life but also endangers those she cares about.

5. Forced Decisions they’d Never Make: Sarah is compelled to make sacrifices that challenge her commitment to justice.

B. Empathy

1. Put them in distress: Showcase Sarah’s courage and the emotional toll of being a whistleblower in a perilous situation.

2. Make them relatable: Explore Sarah’s background and motivations, emphasizing her relatable reasons for taking a stand.

3. Universal experiences: Highlight Sarah’s pursuit of truth and justice, tapping into universal themes of integrity and resilience.

[Jeff Chase]

Jeffrey Alan TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment is how being forced to ask 5 simple questions brings up a wealth of new layers, questions and conflicts for my characters and my story. Everything is getting much more elevated and rounded out.

Use in TV Pitch Bible:

1. Noah’s powerful sense of volunteerism
   is driven by guilt when as a boy, he couldn’t save his sister from
   drowning. He blames himself, even though there was nothing he could do. After
   her death, Noah rejected his Christian faith, feeling God abandoned him.
2. His loss of faith is reinforced further
   by the death of his best friend, Corporal Abel, in Afghanistan.

Use in Episodes:

1. Noah’s traumas are responsible for his
   subconscious drive to make things right again.
2. Mary offers advice to Catherine on
   how she can best handle Noah’s past trauma. But is Mary really worried
   about Noah? Or is she worried about Catherine’s attraction to him? Is Mary
   just setting Catherine up for a fall? Mary is still in love with Noah and
   may do good and bad things, which confuses both Catherine and us.
3. Mary’s father wasn’t responsible for forcing
   her to divorce Noah. It was Mary’s idea because she blamed Noah for damaging
   her social reputation. Mary becomes a much more conflicted character because
   the pressure of her guilt causes her to shift between good and evil decisions
   and it’s hard to figure out which she really is.
4. Father Zeke feels guilty that he was once
   tempted to launder money at his shelter.
5. James cautions Noah to avoid believing
   items in the backpack have any spiritual power. The temptation to believe
   they do is a big lie of Satan. The items only serve as a catalyst to unleash
   the power of the Holy Spirit in those to whom the item means something.
6. Noah wasn’t aware that his best
   friend in Afghanistan, Abel, was possessed by a demon. When Abel was
   killed, the demon then possessed, Kane, his twin brother, who now relentlessly
   pursues Noah. Satan had a backup plan to stop Noah from his mission.
7. James learned the hard way he couldn’t
   balance a life of dealing drugs with being a loving family man. When his wife
   and baby were killed in a gang-related home invasion, James’s anger and
   guilt was turned into understanding and compassion by a previous caretaker
   of the backpack.
8. Noah learns from James that God is
   timeless, living outside of time altogether, knowing past, present and future
   as one. The devil is constrained by time and must constantly change his plans
   based on what occurs in the present.
9. Noah learns from James in Season 1
   that his mission comes from Ephesians, 2:10 where it states, “God has a
   plan for each individual’s career, and He has already prepared
   opportunities for us to use our skills and abilities for good.”
10. Noah’s flaw is thinking that hardening
    his heart and mind will protect him from ever being used by someone again.
    God uses Noah’s weakness to lead him to help others and realize at some
    point, that he can help himself if he simply opens his heart to Jesus.
11. If Noah’s mission is orchestrated by
    God, then missions of other characters may also be.
12. If any of Kane’s superiors are possessed,
    then evil permeates the US government.
13. If the end times is a real thing,
    then is The Backpack God’s plea to accept Jesus Christ?
14. What if we are in the end times and The
    Backpack is a wakeup call to accept Jesus?
15. What if The Backpack is the inspired Word
    of God?
16. What if one or more of Kane’s Army
    superiors are also possessed?
17. What if angels appear from time to
    time but Noah is too blind or won’t see them?
18. What if Noah can at times, like God,
    not be subject to the constriction of time?
19. What if we are in the end times and
    Noah has been chosen to expose the Beast?
20. What if Noah is the Beast?
21. How could Kane’s possession have
    happened? Kane’s twin brother, Abel, was supposed to kill Noah but Abel died
    instead. Because God was protecting Noah, Abel’s demon then possessed
    Kane.
22. How could Father Zeke’s loss of faith
    have happened? Late on the shelter’s bills and in need of quick cash, he succumbed
    to temptation and laundered some for a local real estate developer and
    shelter supporter. Zeke immediately regretted his decision.

How could this get even worse?

1. Noah’s physical and mental health deteriorate
   under the strain.
2. Mary embezzles from her family’s
   fortune to fund Father Zeke.
3. One of Noah’s closest allies will
   betray him. But it will be a false betrayal to throw us off. Or will it be
   false?

Don’t use:

1. Maybe Noah is occasionally possessed
   but isn’t aware.

[Bob Creager]

Bob’s TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned: It was a bit of a struggle answering the questions until I pulled out the Framework and took it line-by-line looking for ideas. Then it picked up and was easier to complete.

1. Something beneath the surface:

a. Leisa’s brother Nathan was abducted for a reason. Their father, presumed dead but also abducted, now runs a team of aliens/humans who prevent man/alien-made cataclysmic events. He directed the recruitment of Nathan and the involvement of Leisa in the battle to protect Earth.

b. Connie is driven by a hidden desire for revenge against a Marine involved in his past SEAL operations.

c. Sergio is pressured by his fiancée who becomes aware of his relationship with Leisa leading to the risk of exposure of the rogue warriors and their missions.

d. Sergio’s fiancée could be manipulated by Capt Carl to gain information on the rogue warriors.

2. Investigate by picking situations and characters and asking:

a. Tool 1: Dig: What’s beneath that?

i. Nathan (series arc)

1. Leisa’s brother Nathan kidnapped by terrorists.

2. Nathan not kidnapped but abducted by aliens.

3. Aliens are friendly and have recruited Nathan to fight for them.

4. Aliens are believed to be behind major attacks.

5. An evil race of Aliens are behind the attacks.

6. The evil race wants to eliminate humans so they can mine the planet.

ii. Attack on North Korea (season 2)

1. Rogue Warriors use of technology of unknown origin (Pleiadian), a directed EMP, take out a DPRK missile believed to be nuclear tipped.

2. The US government blamed for using new weapon.

3. Wasn’t nuclear. Was an agroterrorism attack aimed at the U.S.

4. DIA agents investigate, learn of the alien connection, threaten the team unless they turn over the weapon. They refuse. Capt Carl ordered to ally with the Rogue Warriors and report back to DIA.

iii. Attack of The Grays (aliens) (season 3)

1. Aliens publicly exposed as behind preventing DPRK attack

2. Learn that another alien race, The Grays, were supplying weapons to DPRK

3. Public uproar against all aliens.

b. Tool 2: Extrapolate: If _­________, then ___________.

i. Tool 2: Extrapolate: If _ancient secrets twist loyalties_, then _what are some of the secrets: DIA hiding their interests in alien tech; Bird Dog blackmailed into providing alien tech to terrorists; Sky Queen offered advanced medical care and reinstatement into Marines if she spies for DIA_.

ii. Tool 2: Extrapolate: If _the season 4 ICBM showdown has major opposition, then _what would happen if the citizenry rose up in opposition to using alien tech?

iii. Tool 2: Extrapolate: If most of the main and connected characters have an alien connection in their past, then _who manipulated them together?

c. Tool 3: Wonder: What if ______________?

i. Tool 3: Wonder: What if _Capt Carl has the key to locating Nathan_?

ii. Tool 3: Wonder: What if _discovering Bird Dog’s alien weapon’s sale links the Rogue Warriors to a terrorist attack_?

iii. Tool 3: Wonder: What if _Leisa’s mother was an alien and she abducted her husband and son and manipulated Leisa into being part of the solution?

iv. Tool 3: Wonder: What if _all terrorists groups form an alliance against the West as they believe the West is behind the attacks?

d. Tool 4: Backtrack: How could ______________ have happened?

i. Tool 4: Backtrack: How could __season 3’s military betrayal_ have happened?

ii. Tool 4: Backtrack: How could ______________ have happened?

e. Tool 5: Forecast: How could this get even worse?

i. Tool 5: Forecast: How could this get even worse? Other alien races join in the battle for Earth.

ii. Tool 5: Forecast: How could this get even worse? One of the team members or MSOT Marines is an shapeshifting alien (the bad guys.)

iii. Tool 5: Forecast: How could this get even worse?

3. Evaluate the possibilities and decide what you are going to use in the different parts of your TV Pitch Bible. Divide the answers into three categories:

a. Use in TV Pitch Bible. 1.a and 2.c.iii – Summary — Leisa’s mother a human/alien hybrid; 1.b Character – Connie; 1.c Character – Sergio; 2.a.iii Season 3 arc, The Grays are revealed as the evil aliens; 2.b.ii Season 4 – Rogue Warriors attack ICBM site taken over by The Grays raising opposition to their actions

b. Use in Episodes. 1.d Season 1 – Fiancée manipulated by Capt Carl; 2.a.i. Nathan and multiple alien races revealed across series; 2.a.ii Season 2 – DPRK attack was to stop agroterrorism, public believes U.S. initiated attack on DPRK; 2.b.i Series: If/then – If ancient secrets twist loyalties…; 2.b.iii Series – Who manipulated the formation of the Rogue Warriors? 2.c.i – Episode 6/7 – Capt Carl has key to finding Nathan; 2.e.i – Series Conclusion — Other alien races join the final battle.

c. Don’t use. 2.c.ii Bird Dog sells alien tech; 2.c.iv – Terrorists unite to fight their enemy, the west; 3.d.i – Season 3 – how does military betrayal occur; 3.e.ii – One of the team members or military is a shapeshifting alien.

4. For any parts where there is a substantial improvement, rewrite those parts of the TV Pitch Bible. Then, tell us what parts you changed and give a quick description of what you did.

a. 1.a. Adding that Leisa’s mother is a human-alien hybrid that is responsible for abducting her brother and father to be part of the human/alien team to protect Earth. 1^st paragraph of Summary.

b. 1.b. Character: Connie – Added that he is seeking revenge against a Marine he holds responsible for a failed SEAL mission.

c. 1.c Character – Sergio – expanded on his struggle involving his love interests, Leisa and his fiancée.

d. 2.a.iii Season 3 – The race of evil aliens, The Grays, are revealed. They are responsible for many attacks blamed on terrorist groups.

[Etta Worthington]

Etta’s TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment is that it is possible to go back and rethink everything, but that you can quickly discard ideas that don’t work.

[Denice Lewis]

Denice’s Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s necessary to take the time to think about the deeper meaning and motivations of the characters and their relationship to the story. These techniques make it an easier process.

Here are new insights to my main characters.
Why is Maya so hell-bent on saving her father besides her love for him? Going further, I realized she couldn’t live with her deepest fear of being alone. This fear will force her to face adversity alone.

Blake will do anything to protect his family. He gave his wife an ancient artifact that gives Dream Weavers their power so she could hide it for safety. Now that she’s been in a coma for sixteen years and her dream self, Lysandra, has memory loss, the whereabouts of the artifact is unknown. If found by the Dream Forgers, it could be disastrous for the dream world and reality. He feels guilt for putting her in danger.

Sophia stops her daughter-in-law from being killed by an unknown assailant but she ends up in a coma. Sophia doesn’t know Sandrine/Lysandra was pregnant when she took her into the dream world to protect her. As a former Dreamweaver, she can go through portals, but not open them.

The unknown assailant is Sophia’s husband, the head Dream Forger. He found out the Sophia is responsible for turning the love of his life away so she could marry him instead. Only revenge on the whole family will suffice.

Zander saw his parents die in the real world. The trauma was so great that he has created a new life as a shape-shifter in the dream world, forgetting he’s an orphan in
the real world. He doesn’t know he’s being used by the Dream Forgers.

[Jerry Robbins]

Jerry Robbins TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment it that more elements are beginning to fall into place. I have more to iron out about the conspiracy and who is involved.

Tool 1: Is there anything hiding, even in plain sight? What’s beneath it?

In plain sight, there’s a holographic entity living next door to Alexia, quietly observing her life. This holographic neighbor is more than it seems, with potential ties to the growing holographic rebellion.

Use in Episode

Tool 2: EXTRAPOLATE: If __________, then ____________

If holographic entities gain sentience, then the delicate balance between humans and holograms will shatter.

Use in Pitch Bible.

If Alexia discovers her father’s holographic affair, then her perception of familial trust will be irreversibly altered.

Use in Episode

Tool 3: WONDER: What if ______________?

What if the holographic rebellion is a symptom of a larger conspiracy within the holographic society?

The rebellion seems about their rights, but is it an uprising to control the humans as well?

Use in Episodes

What if the holographic neighbor is not just an observer but a key player in the rebellion?

Use in Episodes

Tool 4: BACKTRACK: How could ______________ have happened?

How could Alexia’s father, a renowned scientist, have secretly contributed to the holographic rebellion?

Use in Episode

How could the holographic neighbor be connected to the rebellion without raising suspicion?

Use in Episode

Tool 5: FORECAST: How could this get even worse?

If the holographic rebellion intensifies, it could lead to open conflict between holograms and humans.

And it does, probably in the next season episodes.

If Alexia’s investigation exposes her father’s involvement, it might fracture her trust in family and jeopardize her own safety.

Use in Bible

Use in Episode

If the holographic neighbor’s true intentions are malicious, it could plunge Alexia into greater danger.

Use in Episode

[Sylvia Krawczyk]

BWTV-AI Module 2 – Lesson 7: Investigating Your Show

Sylvia’s TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment is…the layers are endless. It’s a matter of picking which ones to keep. I am still curious as to how specific to write the Bible. Much still seems vague. I am excited to see how this grows.

[Patricia Semler]

Pat’s TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment is conspiracies make for binge audiences. Exploring underneath the back story I already created looks to give me more plot lines to work with.

Use in TV Pitch Bible.

How deep in his investigation does Eli get before threats are leveled at him and Roger?

Use in Episodes.

How did Selene become a vampire? What happened to her attacker?

How did the Illuminati disguise their experiments into immortality drugs?

What if Hawthorne stumbles on the Korean chemist and against Illuminati directions he starts the extermination campaign for personal reasons which clashes with their next round of political inroads?

The chemist made one biologic weapon, What are his ambitions for more?

Don’t use.

What does Selene find going back in time that wasn’t on her radar before?

The blame game between nations flares up if some of the drugs land in the wrong country.

4. For any parts where there is a substantial improvement, rewrite those parts of the TV Pitch Bible. Tell us what parts you changed and give a quick description of what you did.

I like the added depth to Hawthorne. He wasn’t living up to his potential, but now some of his motives can be so much darker and allows the good guys to break the defenses of the Illuminati to bring them down.

[Barbe LaPierre]

Barbe TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment is that for the most part I had been asking these questions from the outset. As a result, I kept finding more depth to my characters and intrigue in the story. Answering the questions made it very helpful when creating the actual pitch bible (with pictures) where space for text was at a premium. Every word had to count, and the concept had to be super intriguing!

[Joan Macbeth]

Joan Macbeth’s TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment is… this is feeling premature due to where I am right now. Revisit later.

[Jennifer Quintenz-Berry]

Jenn’s TV Pitch Bible Investigation

What I learned doing this assignment: Some of the skills we’ve been using are helpful to break out and rework as each part of this bible gets more and more refined. By going back and reworking / editing, then aksing AI to summarize, then reworking and editing, I got to something much closer to what I think I’m aiming for. Still not there, but on the way!

Parts with improvement:

*World: I revised this

*Character descriptions – I revised to make them easier to read, more direct, and focused on the critical elements.

*Episode descriptions – I worked with the flow to make it closer to my ideal version (still not there)

*Season descriptions – I actually went back and redid some lessons with the improved Character and Episode descriptions, then sorted through what I liked and edited that into the stairsteps, then I asked AI to condense into impactful summaries, and then I rewrote those.

~ end

[Nat Melvin]

Natalie’s TV Pitch Bible Investigation

WIL: I actually had to redo my whole bible including five seasons from the scratch because I found a better way to convey my main story congruently. It definitely took time and I fell behind, but I couldn’t move forward until I was happy with the whole story. Now it all makes sense.