Lesson 9

[Brenda Boddy]

Brenda Boddy – Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing the assignment: Loops seem to be the actions…the look, the nod, the wink, that makes us think of something deeper. It’s that character depth we are looking for.
ASSIGNMENT 1
The 100
We don’t know if Earth is habitable. We are curious what has changed. Over episodes we see…fluorescent insects, two headed animals, acid smoke storms, and things like ‘grounders’.
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ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Use this list to brainstorm big picture open loops for your first season that you will use to keep the audience captivated.
GOALS:
• New goals? Will Justice find a way home? Why is he here?
• Goals related to the big picture?
• Crushed goals?
• Competition / conflict around goals?
CONSEQUENCES:
• Are they going to be caught? Internal Affairs is investigating Justice. Will he go to jail for his predecessor’s crimes?
• Problems created from past actions. The previous Justice was smuggling women across the border for sex slaves.
• Good plans gone wrong?
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
Major problem AFTER reincarnating is that his predecessor was abusive and corrupt. Justice will have to work around this.
• What is the major problem for this character? Learning how to live in the present world.
• What are they trying to solve? Why he’s in the present.
• Major change imposed on character? His predecessor was corrupt, which makes others think he might be.
• Previous solutions cause new problems?
RELATIONSHIPS:
• Relationships in peril? Jewel tests Justice by coming onto him. Will they get together?
• New relationships forming? Miley looks like Justice’s dead wife. She attracts him, but is completely wrong for him.
• Conflict inside relationships? Miley becomes obsessive about Justice. His inherited wife and child hate him from the abuse they endured.
• Relationships changing?
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
• Can they survive X? Can he survive Cuervo’s ongoing revenge?
• Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions? He jumps into situations with both feet.
• Who else is pulled into their danger? His family is kidnapped by Cuervo for revenge.
• Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)? Could he be sorry he didn’t spend more time with his son?
2. Tell us your top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in your pilot.
Jewel comes onto Justice to test him. We then realize she despises him. Why?
Justice wakens to see Miley (who looks like his deceased wife). He reaches for her and passes out. Why?
Mason tries to be Justice’s friend. He is very needy. Why.
We saw Tom in the past. Now we see him arrive in the future. Who is he and what does he have to do with the reincarnation?