Eric Watterson
Forum Replies Created
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Eric Watterson’s TV Pitch Bible Investigation
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to deep much deeper into the show concept.
I’ve added the following after this exercise:
– Added a more detailed description of the background of The Centry League
– Increased the storyline of Anthony’s Dad
– Increased the intrigue on how and why Anthony/Mac lost his memory
– Added more detailed to the boy’s character story
– Added more to Officer Tims story and background
– I adjusted the login line to make the inciting moment a little more believable (I think)
– I enhanced the medallion aspect of the storyline
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Eric Watterson’s Show Summary
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to create a show summary using specific plot lines.
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Summary Format: Pilot as Inciting Incident
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Outline using prescribed structure:
Set up – Character’s normal situation – For the last two months, Anthony David a middle-aged man has been treated at the local hospital for total amnesia and has visions of dark creatures beating up a group of young kids. As a way to help him cope, his therapist found him a part-time job as a handyman and grounds keeper.
Twist/Hook: Unknown to him, his amnesia is actually the result of an experimental drug being used by the company LIVE Pharma in charge of his therapy.
Real situation – Major Empathy / Distress: Another side effect of the drug is episodes of painful sycosis, that cause him to see Dark Creatures that no one else can see. He consistently has dreams of dead soldiers that he doesn’t remember and visions of swirls of darkness and dark creatures whispering “Kill Them All.” During one of his episodes, he sees the creature attacking a woman and he steps in to defend her. In doing so, he puts a man in the hospital.
Twist/Hook: As a result of his assault, Anthony is given the option of moving into a Group Home for boys for troubled boys as the handy man and support or face 5 years in jail for assault. funded by LIVE Pharma for further treatment. While in the jail cell, another inmate confronts him and he sees and hears two conversations. one from the man and the other from the darkness around him. He has a dream showing a boy hearing from a father “Soon son.” He sees a vision of Athena man in a battle and he says, “Find it.” Following the images from painful vision, he locates the CENTRY medallion and is immediately attacked by unknown creatures. They chase him into the street and he’s hit by a car. He immediately begin to have visions of boys being hurt and tormented with scream saying “Kill Them All.”
Impossible to solve conflict or major mystery. After being arrested he’s being released into the custody of LIVE Pharma as a groundskeeper. instead of pressing charges the doctor he assisted is requesting his assistance Assist the home counsellor with her experiments or spend time in jail
Final Hook into the Series – Extreme Dramatic Question: After visiting the group home for the first time, he sees the exact boys from his dream sitting in a group with dark creatures floating around them, whispering to each other the words, “Kill Them All.” How can a troubled handyman find peace for himself forced to serve a group of troubled teens.
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Rough draft.
Anthony David is a troubled middle-aged man, being treated at the local hospital for total amnesia. However, he is also suffering silently, from painful and troubling dreams and visions of a group of teens being beaten up by dark creatures whispering the words, “Kill Them All.”As part of his therapy, he’s assigned a part-time job as a groundskeeper and handyman. Unknown to him, his amnesia is actually the result of an experimental drug that was used on him by the company his therapist works for.
One day Anthony sees a man abusing his wife surrounded by Dark Creatures. Without thinking, he steps in to defend her. He puts the man in the hospital and is sent to jail. While in the jail cell, another inmate confronts him and he sees and hears two conversations. One from the man and the other from the darkness around him. The two begin to fight in the cell and Anthony makes quick work of him. As he stands over the man surprised of his skills, he’s taken into another painful vision of a strange house, neighborhood and address and a voice speaking to him the words, “Find it.” Following the images from the painful vision, he researches and locates the house and finds a dirty CENTRY medallion underneath dirt and rubble. As soon as he finds it, he’s immediately attacked by dark creatures. The creatures chase him out of the house and into the street and he’s hit by a car. He immediately begins to have visions of boys being chased and beaten while hearing the words, “Kill Them All.” And suddenly wakes up in the hospital.
As a result, Anthony is given the option of moving into a Group Home for troubled boys for more direct counsel and as the home handy man or face 5 years in jail for assault. Feeling like he’s losing his mind, Anthony decides to go to jail or a mental ward to be removed from people. Before taking Anthony to the mental hospital, the arresting officer decides to stop by the group home to visit some of the boys that he knows personally. Anthony reluctantly follows the officer into the group home only to see the exact same boys from his vision talking to the officer as Dark Creatures swirl around them whispering the words, “Kill Them All.”
Anthony is suddenly left with a moral dilemma. Does he run and try to get the mental help he needs, or does he move into this group home full of misguided teens that are being targeted by a horde of dark forces that only he can see?
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Eric Watterson’s Episode Descriptions
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to summarized and plan out episodes.”
Episode 01 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: Secluded gardener sees dark forces around him
– Main Character journey: During a job, he fights one of these dark creatures surrounding a man attacking a women
– Major Challenge/Conflict: Anthony is given the option of community service or jail, before he decides to jail,
– Action/Reaction: As they are driving him to jail they stop at the group home he’s taken to the group home where he sees the darkness on the boys and decides to stay as the grounds keeper
– Cliffhanger: He sees the boys in the group home with each of them surrounded by dark creatures
Episode 01 Rough Description:
Anthony is a secluded gardener being treated for memory loss. His troubling dreams and visions have made him a ward of LIVE Pharma, where he is treated. During one the part time jobs given him by the hospital, Anthony sees a Dark Creature around a man attacked a women. Anthony steps in to defend her and puts the man in the hospital. The man presses charges and the judge offers Anthony jail time or an opportunity to help steward the grounds and assist a counsellor of a boys group home.
Anthony chooses jail, however before going to jail, the arresting officer, Officer Tim drives him by the home where the boys are. Edward notices the boys tease Anthony because of his dress and mannerism but he’s not moved. Standing in the group home he sees the same dark creatures surrounding the boys and he decides to stay.
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Episode 02 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: It’s visiting day at the home and the boys are each visited by their family members some are surrounded by darkness some are not
– Main Character journey: Anthony watches the families from a far and notices Omar in a tree and Ro on the roof watching from a far.
– Major Challenge/Conflict: Edwards family and siblings comes for a visit and make fun of him, while Officer Tim wants to be hired at L.I.V.E Pharma accepted by the Dark Order. Ro gets a text saying “You’re a Go”
– Action/Reaction: Omar notices Edward father wearing a shirt with the logo from his village burning
– Cliffhanger: Omar steals a car to follow Eds family and gives Ro a ride
Episode 02 Rough Description:
During a family day visit to the group home Anthony watches the level of darkness around the families. Some are fully surrounded by darkness and some are not. As he watches he notices Omar in a tree and Ro on the roof. As Omar watches he sees, Edwards father wearing a shirt with the logo he saw when his village was burned and family killed while he and Officer Tim talk. While on the roof Ro gets an text message confirming a target for a hit that reads, “Go Time”.
After Edwards family finishes teasing him, they drive off and Omar follows in a car he hotwired. As he drives off Ro jumps down from the roof. Omar looks at Ro and gives him a ride as Anthony watches from the background.
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Episode 03 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: Group counseling sessions at the home with head doctor from LIVE Pharma Anthony watches the darkness around the boys as they sit there
– Main Character journey: Edward and the others family issues are discussed by the doctor and each boys darkness increases
– Major Challenge/Conflict: The entire group starts to fight
– Action/Reaction: Anthony sees anger try to overcome Omar but it doesn’t
– Cliffhanger: The darkness sees Anthony watching and is draw to him be it cant touch him, Anthony walks up to each boy and escorts him to his seat as the doctor watches. The Doctor is upset and excuses herself and makes a call and says we may have a problem.
Episode 03 Rough Description:
Omar has another stolen car and follows Edwards father to the LIVE Pharma headquarters. Anthony watches from a distance, as the head counsellor from LIVE Pharma sets up a group counseling session with the boys. The doctor brings up issues in each of their lives and families and Anthony watches the darkness around them grows as she speaks. As it grows Omar walks in and sits down. The doctor states his issues and the darkness grows but Omar seems to reject it. The group burst into an all out brawl and begin to fight one another.
Anthony walks into the room and stands there and the boy fill of darkness cannot touch him for some reason. Anthony then walks over one by one and touches the boys and walks them to their seats. The darkness fades and they all follow him. After sitting each other the boys down, Anthony sees next to the doctor. Furious at him, she leaves the room. Anthony gets a platter of sandwiches from the table and each of them take one as they all begin to eat in silence.
The doctor watches from outside the door and makes a call and says, “We may have a problem.”
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Episode 04 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: LIVE Pharma is has hidden plans to control the boys and Anthony seems to be getting in the way
– Main Character journey: LIVE Pharma needs to figure out what to do with Anthony
– Major Challenge/Conflict: Head doctor is upset with Anthony’s interference and fires him. Edward convinces her to reconsider and the entire encounter is watched through secret camera
– Action/Reaction: Omar follows an LIVE Executive and assaults him
– Cliffhanger: Ro does a hit on Chris cousin tat he remembers from family day
Episode 04 Rough Description:
After Anthony’s interference at the group sessions the head doctor calls Anthony into her office as Edward watches. The head doctor fires him and before Anthony leaves, Edward walks in and uses his gift of persuasion to convince the doctor to keep him as the entire interaction is watched from a hidden camera. However, Edward notices her movements and suspects a camera is somewhere in the room.
Later the boys are fighting outside as Anthony works. He stops, breaks them up and sits on the ground quietly. The boys watch him and sit with him. Anthony begin to ask them questions and they open up to him as Anthony watches the Dark around them back away. Later that night Edward sneaks into the room and finds a camera. Before Ro fulfills his contract to kill someone, he sees his face and notices that it’s a relative of Chris that visited the home on family day. For the first time Ro begins to question his actions and debates whether or not to kill him.
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Episode 05 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: Dark plans begin to emerge against Anthony and the boys.
– Main Character journey: Anthony begins to connect more with the boys during group
– Major Challenge/Conflict: Francisco’s brother is taken captive by his old gang
– Action/Reaction: Omar explains his experience with the Darks
– Cliffhanger: The doctor increases the dose of Dark Drug that are given the boys as they sleep
Episode 05 Rough Description:
After Anthony’s actions begin to cause the Darkness to have less initial impact on the boys, the Dark Order begins to increase their plans against them. Anthony begins to spend more time with the boys and talk with them and his our dreams and visions increase. While trying to make better choices, Francisco learns that his brother is being held captive by his old gang. After trying to stop Francisco from leaving, he attacks Anthony and Anthony quickly disarms him without hurting him and releases the Dark Power from over him as all the boys watch. After calming Francisco down, he says he will help him get his brother back but he will need the others boys help and they agree to help. Omar notices the dark around Anthony and shares with him that he can see the dark sometimes.
After the boys begin to make strides to better themselves, the doctor increases the Dark dosage on the boys as they sleep through the vents in their rooms.
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Episode 06 – Five Parts: The group recues Francisco Brother
– Hook/Intrigue: Anthony devising the plan to rescue Francisco brother and the group researches where Francisco Brother is
– Main Character journey: They have to learn to work together
– Major Challenge/Conflict: Anthony tell the group doctor where they are going but it’s actually Edward in disguise
– Action/Reaction: While there Anthony grabs a sample of the dark drug
– Cliffhanger: After being saved, Francisco’s brother calls the gang and asks can he come back for more of the Dark Drug
Episode 06 Rough Description:
After attempts to involve the police through Officer Tim in the kidnapping fail, Anthony develops a plan to rescue Francisco’s brother from the gang. Omar researches the building. Chris accessing the building power. and Ro and Anthony move into the building undetected and rescues Francisco brother. Before leaving, Anthony notices a vile of the dark drug and takes it. Chris begins to wonder how Anthony knew how to create and execute the plan.
The next day, Anthony is examining the drug and the boys come in his room. Omar mentions the darkness he sees around it and he and Anthony is relieved that someone else sees it. Francisco’s brother runs away to the gang for more of the drug but he has to tell the gang who broke into their house and recued him so he gives up his brother.
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Episode 07 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: They experiment on the drug and it transform in their eyes
– Main Character journey: they brake into begin to research the drug using the computers at LIVE Pharma
– Major Challenge/Conflict: While on the computes Chris find files on each other team and the house and download the encrypted files
– Action/Reaction: While at LIVE Pharma they are attacked by Dark Creatures
– Cliffhanger: The team break into LIVE Pharmaceuticals and Research and discovery files on each of them The boys are beating by the Creatures
Episode 07 Rough Description:
The boys begin to do basic experiments on the drug and see it transform before their eyes. They realize that its from LIVE Pharma and want to research it more. Anthony tells them its too dangerous and destroys the sample. The decide to break into Dark Pharma with Edward as their guide. While in LIVE Pharma, Chris sees a plans where experiments are being performed using the drug. Before he can finish, an alarm is tripped and they have to run. Chris downloads some encrypted files to a flash drive and they run.
After the leave the building thinking they have escaped, a gang of Dark Creatures confronts them and begins to chase them.
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Episode 08 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: The creatures chase the boys
– Main Character journey: Chris researches Anthony’s background and questions his honesty, The boys are freaked about the creatures and Omar tells them what he can see
– Major Challenge/Conflict: Chris searches the encrypted files and find another name and identity for Anthony
– Action/Reaction: She gives them all a free day away from the home and each of them are attacked by Dark Creatures and run back to the house
– Cliffhanger: Chris finds an address for Anthony fathers group met and sees a picture of Anthony with his team
Episode 08 Rough Description:
As the boys run and fight off the creatures before they are killed Anthony steps in and begins to defend them. Before Anthony is killed, he begins to glow with a supernatural strength and beats the creatures back effortlessly. After defeating the creatures, Anthony collapses unconscious. The boys pick him up and carry him back to the home where they are all in trouble for breaking curfew and breaking and entering LIVE Pharma. The boys report the dark creatures but no one believes them and the are all expelled from the house for breaking the rules and for breaking and entering until the investigation is done.
Chris starts a decryption program on the encrypted files and searches Anthony online through face recognition and finds images of his family in an high class section of town. Chris finds Anthony’s father hidden lair and locates a secret book called The Codex. Chris breaks into a house and sees pictures of Anthony and his team on the wall. As each of the boys are in their own environment away from the house, Dark Creatures position themselves and attack them individually.
Chris’s decryption program decrypts the files and an alarm is triggered with the location of the hack to the Group Home.
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Episode 09 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: Dark Creatures attack the boys individually
– Main Character journey: Each boy is tempted by The Dark in their individual weakness.
– Major Challenge/Conflict: Anthony is unconscious and placed under medical care, During group the boys explain to the doctor what happened but she doesn’t believe them
– Action/Reaction: The doctor tells them that they are being released from their records tomorrow and moved to different group homes
– Cliffhanger: The Dark Creatures chase each of them down the street to the house.
Episode 09 Rough Description:
The Darkness around each boy begins to attack them in their personal weakness. Edward is his identity. Chris in his relationship with his father. Ro in the death of his mother. Omar in the death of his tribe and Francisco in protecting his family. Each boy eventually recognizes the Dark behind the temptation and manifest as a Dark Creature and chases them. They boys all end up running together to Group Home. They hide inside as the creatures surround the house. As they do, the gang members drive up to the house and the Dark Creatures turn their attention on them.
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Episode 10 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: Francisco’s gang tracks them searching for drug
– Main Character journey: As the boys talk and research the group house is attacked by the gang
– Major Challenge/Conflict: The gang destroys the house searching for the flash drive Chris downloaded the files
– Action/Reaction: The boys use their skills to fight the gang and turn the gang on the creatures, The doctor makes a call and tells her superiors that the plan has been comprised
– Cliffhanger: After the boys think they have beat the gang, the gang members all transform into the dark creatures themselves
Episode 10 Rough Description:
After reaching the house, the boys fight off the creatures together as long as they can, until Francisco’s gang drives up. The creatures go into hiding as the gang comes in searching for the drug and the drive. The boys try and convince them of the creatures but they don’t believe until they find the drug and the creatures are drawn to it. The boys try and convince the gang to stop selling the drug but the creatures over take the gang and the boys end up facing off not only against the creatures but now the possessed gang members.
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Episode 11 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: Dark creatures attack the homes to kill them all
– Main Character journey: Dark creatures attack the house before they kill the boys they are stopped by the doctor who reveals the true nature of the home
– Major Challenge/Conflict: The boys fight off the gang by following Anthony’s lead
– Action/Reaction: The head creature transform into the doctor and tells Anthony to surrender or it will kill the boys
– Cliffhanger: Before they kill Anthony he wakes up from coma and beats them. The creatures takes Anthony captive and tells the boys it will see them later, before his is taken Chris slips his phone into Anthony pocket
Episode 11 Rough Description:
The creatures begin to beat the boys once again. After they all are beaten and about to be killed the doctor tells them to stop. The Dark Creature immediately retreat and stand still. Shocked the boys list as the doctor explains that they were all chosen for the home. They all have darkness in them that can be used for greatness. She explains that each of them were hand chosen for their race, background, skills and abilities to lead the Dark Army. The Dark Creatures hold knives to each boy and tells Anthony to submit or one of them will die. She explains how each of their actions lead them here and tells them to choose.
Each boy then looks down at Anthony still unconscious and speaks up about how Anthony helped him choose light instead of dark. Furious that they have not chosen to join the Dark Order, the doctor gives an axe to one of the Dark Beings and tells it to kill Anthony as he lays there unconscious. Anthony wakes up, catches the knife and fights them off. After beating them all, the doctor tells Anthony to submit or one of the boys will die. To save theirs lives, he submits his life to the creatures.
Before they take him captive, Chris drops a phone in Anthony pocket and they watch as the creatures drag him into the darkness.
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Episode 12 – Five Parts:
– Hook/Intrigue: Anthony is being held captive by the Dark waiting to be sacrificed. wakes up and begins to battle the creatures and give each of the boys part of his strength
– Main Character journey: The team must work together and rescue Anthony before he is sacrificed.
– Major Challenge/Conflict: The boys track Anthony by Chris phone and steal and car to find him, Anthony learns that he’s being setup to fail
– Action/Reaction: Omar submits to the darkness only to release his brothers and allow Anthony to be tortured enough to regain his memories.
– Cliffhanger: Anthony remembers that he is a CENTRY Soldier and that his team was killed. Now he must figure out who and why. Anthony is locked in a cell where Anthony remembers that he and his team found a secret base and were attacked by the creatures after freeing test subjects. As he is electrocuted the electricity releases Anthony’s hidden memories and the boys rescue him. As Anthony gets up with his new memories he makes a quick work of the Dark. Chris gives Anthony his fathers Centry Medallion and Codex
Episode 12 Rough Description:
After Anthony is taken the boys track him using his cellphone signal. After finding that his being held at the Dark Mansion, the boys break into the home using their varied skills to find Anthony as they are electrocuting him. Trying to figure out how to free him, Anthony tells them to leave him. The boys fight to free him as Omar is taken over by the Dark. The boys fight against Omar trying to free Anthony, until all the power from the home blows as its all used on Anthony.
Thinking Anthony is dead, the boys surround him and Edward notices he is still alive. As the creatures rush in to attack, Omar turns on the creatures and fights them back. Omar then takes the CENTRY Medallion from Chris and places it on Anthony. The medallion begins to glow and Anthony wakes up and stands glowing with the medallion. Omar then rejects the darkness as he did before and Anthony smiles at him and turns to the doctor and the creatures and says, “I remember who I am. I Am CENTRY.” Anthony then effortlessly defeats the creatures as the doctors and the darkness disperse.
Anthony then turns to the boys and says, “Someone killed my father and my team. They need to pay. Are you with me?”
The boys look at each other then back at Anthony smiling.
End of Season One
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Eric Watterson’s Episode List Rough Draft
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
Use the Cheat Sheet above to do Step 1 – 5, answering the questions.
THE CHEAT SHEET
1. Beginning………………….Season End/Cliffhanger
Question A: What is the Beginning of the season and the End of the season?
Anthony is a secluded gardener with amnesia ends up placed as caretaker over a boys group home. He is about to reject the assignment and is about to go to jail for assault until he sees the darkness surrounding the boys and changes his mind.
Question B: What possible cliffhanger could be in that last scene of the season, thus demanding that we watch the next season?
Anthony figures out that they boys are being experimented on, regains his memory and remembers that his team was killed and his father were killed but he was left alive.
2. Season 1 Mystery Set up………………….Season 1 Mystery Solved
Question A: What is the mystery?
1 – what are the creatures
2 – who is Anthony
3 – what is the strange dark force that surround them
4 – why were these boys chosen
Question B: How could the mystery be set up? What parts will be left out that must be solved?
1 – The creatures are seen in Anthony’s nightmares and in person, but he doesn’t know why.
2 – Anthony sees glimpses of people and events that he doesn’t recognize
3 – He also, later we reveal that the creatures killed Anthony’s CENTRY team but left him alive
Question C: What it the ultimate solution that the characters must work to discover?
1 – Why does the darkness follow the boys
2 – Why were the boys chosen for the home
3 – what are Anthony’s hidden abilities
3. Journey begins………………….Journey peaks, but continues.
Question A: Where does the Lead Character journey begin and end for this season?
Begins with him accepting community service with boys; ends with him remembering who he is as a CENTRY Soldier
Question B: Think about where this character goes in future seasons. That might give you an idea also.
4. ……Anthony’s amnesia….…His memory wiped………boys setup to join group home………Forced into experiments………Each boys gift is wanted………Anthony has hidden abilities………the boys have hidden abilities……Anthony sees the dark creatures…..The Dark Order is orchestrating the bad in the boys life…..the Dark Drug is behind the creatures…..Edwards family is connected to the Dark Order……..Edwards family troubles…….
Question A: What layers have you already discovered in your BW Framework?
Question B: Are there any other layers that you could think of?
5. Make a list of the Major Story Lines.
Question A: What main characters have story lines that affect everyone else?
Ro has hurt or killed friends and family members of group home brothers
Edwards family is part of the Dark Order
Officer Tim wants to be accepted by the Dark Order
The Dark Order Burned Omars Village
Francisco works for the first group distributing the drug to the community
Francisco brother is kidnapped by the gang
Anthony’s memory was wiped because of what he found out about the Dark Orders plans
The Dark creatures that killed Anthony’s team couldn’t kill him
Anthony doesn’t turn Chris in for stealing
Anthony recognizes that Omar can see The Dark Creatures
Anthony begins to teach the boys to control their anger
Anthony sees angry try to overcome Omar but it doesn’t
Chris and BrayBray struggle with their gang connection – Chris wants to leave Bray wants to stay
The CENTRY Medallion has unknown origins and supernatural powers
Question B: What are the most important story lines of this show?
It is important to know that you don’t need all of these answered perfectly. If you have 60% of the questions answered, you can create an amazing show.
12 Episodes:
Episode 01: Anthony is arrested for assaulting a man during a gardening job
– Anthony’s dreams keep him away
– He sees the dark from his dream over the man, it sees him and attacks and Anthony beats the man, he later sees that the man was abusing his wife
– Anthony is given the option of community service or jail, before he decides to jail,
– Anthony is taken to the group home where he sees the darkness on the boys and decides to stay as the grounds keeper
Episode 02: visiting day at the home
– Officer Tim wants to be hired at L.I.V.E Pharma accepted by the Dark Order
– Edwards family and siblings comes for a visit and make fun of him
– Ro sneaks out and goes on a hit
– Families visit and some are surrounded by darkness others aren’t
– Omar notices Edward father wearing a shirt with the logo from his village burning
Episode 03: Group counseling sessions at the home with head doctor from LIVE Pharma
– Anthony watches the darkness around the boys as they sit there
– The boys are seated in a group setting
– Edward discusses his family issues
– The group starts a group fight
– The darkness sees Anthony watching and is draw to him be cont touch him
– Anthony sees anger try to overcome Omar but it doesn’t
Episode 04: Omar follows an LIVE Executive he assaulted
– Anthony comes into the lunchroom as the boys yell and argue with each other
– Anthony screams “Enough” at the darkness and it leaves the boys
– Anthony serves them food and they sit and eat in silence
– The head doctor gets upset at Anthony and tries to fire him
– The boys hear it and Edward convinces the doctor to not fire him
– The entire encounter is watched through secret camera
– Omar sneaks out and follows the LIVE Executive, Edwards father
Episode 05: Francisco’s brother is taken captive by his old gang
– Omar breaks into LIVE Pharma but is rescued by Edward sent there by Anthony
– Anthony begins to connect more with the boys during group
– The doctor begins to up the dose of Dark Drug
– Omar explains his experience with the Darks
– Francisco’s brother is taken captive by the gang
Episode 09: The group recues Francisco Brother
– The group researches where Francisco Brother is
– Anthony tell the group doctor where they are going but it’s actually Edward in disguise
– Anthony devising the plan to rescue Francisco brother
– While there Anthony grabs a sample of the dark drug
– After saving Francisco’s brother, he calls the gang and asks can he come back for more of the Dark Drug
Episode 06: The team break into LIVE Pharmaceuticals and Research and discovery files on each of them
– The boys sees Anthony staring at the dark drug. They experiment on it and it transform in their eyes
– they begin to research the drug using the computers at LIVE Pharma
– While on the computes Chris find files on each other team and the house and download the encrypted files
– While at LIVE Pharma they are attacked by Dark Creatures
– The boys are beating by the Creatures but saved by Anthony’s skills
Episode 07: Francisco’s gang tracks them searching for drug
– As the boys talk and research the drug the house is attacked by the gang
– The boys fight off the gang by following Anthony’s lead
– The gang destroys the house searching for the flash drive Chris downloaded the files to
– They fight them off but Chris has a backup in the cloud
– As the boys beat the gang, they all transform into the dark creatures and begin to beat them up
Episode 08: Chris researches Anthony’s background and questions his honesty
– Anthony begins to glow and beats back all the Dark Creatures and then collapses
– The boys are freaked about the creatures and Omar tells them what he can see
– Chris searches the encrypted files and find another name and identity for Anthony
– Chris finds an address for Anthony fathers group met
Episode 10: Dark Creatures attack the boys individually
– Anthony is unconscious and placed under medical care
– During group the boys explain to the doctor what happened but she doesn’t believe them
– She gives them all a free day away from the home and each of them are attacked by Dark Creatures and run back to the house
– Chris finds Anthony’s father hidden lair and locates a secret book called The Codex
– The doctor makes a call and tells her superiors that the plan has been comprised
Episode 11: Dark creatures attack the house and Anthony’s powers begin to show
– The doctor tells them that they are being released from their records tomorrow and moved to different group homes
– Dark creatures attack the homes to kill them all
– Anthony wakes up and begins to battle and give each of the boys part of his strength
– The head creature transform into the doctor and tells Anthony to surrender or it will kill the boys
– It takes Anthony captive and tells the boys it will see them later, before his is taken Chris slips his phone into Anthony pocket
Episode 12: During a torture by Dark Creatures Anthony regains his memory and has a complete change of personality
– The boys track Anthony by Chris phone and steal and car to find him
– Anthony is locked in a cell where Anthony remembers that he and his team found a secret base and were attacked by the creatures after freeing test subjects
– Anthony learns that he’s being setup to fail
– As he is electrocuted the electricity releases Anthony’s hidden memories and the boys rescue him
– As Anthony gets up with his new memories he makes a quick work of the Dark
– Chris gives Anthony his fathers Centry Codex
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Eric Watterson’s Five Seasons (plus 2)
What I learned doing this assignment is how to being to brainstorm the storyline across several seasons.
1. Brainstorm to find the arc of the entire journey, from Season One to Five.
2. Brainstorm the Stair Step version.
Season 1: Discovering Your Identity
Season 2: Reconnecting with Team
Season 3: Team Battles Against Creatures
Season 4: Creatures Takeover Humanity
Season 5: Dark Creatures Fight back
Season 6: Supernatural Help Comes
Season 7: Battle for Earth between light and dark
3. For each season, brainstorm the Building Blocks.
Season 1: Brothers Unite
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: A secluded gardener battles against dark forces
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Anthony must accept his situation and care for a group of guys that seem hopeless while trying to remember who he is
C. Main Conflict: With his diagnosed memory loss is suddenly made steward over a group home full of young men surrounded by the dark forces that only he can see that haunt him in his dreams
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Anthony’s memory was wiped from him, the boys in the group home are being experimented on, Anthony continues to receive hand written notes with the words “in medio foedere opus est tibi.”
E. Cliffhanger: Anthony regains his wiped memory which reveal him as a member of a ancient brotherhood of protectors and he needs to find out who killed his team and why by receiving an ancient manuscript left by his father which he died to protect
Season 1 Description:
Anthony works as a secluded gardener under prescription pills because of head trauma which led to his memory loss. After protecting a woman from an abusive husband, he is placed as a placed into community service as steward over a group home. Unknown to him, the young men in the home were hand picked unwilling participants in an experiment conducted by an evil organization called The Dark Order. Anthony soon learns that these boys are slowly being taken over by the Dark creatures he sees in his nightmares.
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Season 2: Restoring The League
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The centuries long plot to destroy The CENTRY League Brotherhood is revealed
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Anthony remembers his past with the CENTRY League and accepts his role in it’s mission to war against darkness
C. Main Conflict: Anthony works to uncover the truth about the murders of his father and his team while battling against the Dark Creatures that want to control him and the boys
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Who is behind The Dark Order, Why do they hate the League, Why was his team and father killed, wheres his fathers Centry medallion
E. Cliffhanger: Anthony and the boys embrace their full place and powers as members of the Centry League as they discover a hidden stash where the The Dark Order is producing enough of the Dark Drug to take over the world
Season 2 Description:
Anthony regains his memory of his place within the CENTRY League after being tortured and electrocuted by Dark Creatures. Once he regains his full memory, he has all the strengths he had as a CENTRY along with the new knowledge he has learned along the way. After receiving another note with the writing, “in medio foedere opus est tibi.” written backwards. He also remembers this is how he and his father used to send notes when he was young. He translates the note as, “the centry league needs you.”. He journeys to the address on the note and finds ancient manuscript continuing the ancient secrets of the Dark War. In the meantime he remembers that he is a member of the military and when he reports in, he learns that he has been listed as AWOL and is being accused for killing his team.
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Season 3: The Dark Virus
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The Dark Creatures are actually Humans who were infected by a Dark Virus
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Anthony and the team battle against the creatures while trying to free those they can from the Dark Virus without killing them
C. Main Conflict: Trying to understand how the virus is spread, while trying to free members of their team and local schools and other community locations that are being taken captive and transformed into dark creatures
D. Mystery/Open Loops: How is the virus spread, why does the darkness target certain places, why are some people immune to tit while others aren’t, they have a spy within their group that is feeding secrets to the enemy, Anthony finds the Centry medallion and it protects him from the virus
E. Cliffhanger: The Dark Drug is released into major cities and a rise of Dark Creatures begin to popup all over the world
Season 3 Description:
Anthony’s team grows to include other full CENTRY Units and together they battles against the growing darkness. As the battle the creatures they realize that the creatures aren’t monsters but transformed human beings. Now they work to find those they can cure without killing them before they become totally consumed by it. The team also begins to suspect that there’s a traitor within their ranks after several missions are false leads and they suffer surprise attacks on their secret locations.
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Season 4: Protecting Humanity
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The CENTRY League grows to include wives of CENTRY Brothers and together they attack darkness that’s spreading throughout the city
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: The CENTRY Brothers must learn to accept the strength that comes from their wives while trying to understand while other relationships with women don’t increase their ability to battle darkness
C. Main Conflict: More reports of Dark Creatures rise in the city and seems overwhelming to the CENTRY Unit, CENTRIES must learn how the power works with their wives, the darkness kidnaps CENTRY Wives to kill them, the CENTRY Team must work to rescue their wives before they are executed
D. Mystery/Open Loops: What is the Dark Order’s ultimate plan, who is distributing the virus, how is it transmitted, why are some CENTRY apparently immune after purposely being injected, is there a vaccine that will destroy the virus within its host
E. Cliffhanger: The Dark Orders plans to infiltrate government is revealed and they move into stage two of Dark Creature evolution, where the virus morphs it’s host from mindless hideous creatures into humans controlled by the Darkness within them
Season 4 Description:
After continuing to battle against the darkness Anthony’s home is invaded by dark agents on the night of his honeymoon. Before the dark creatures can kill his, his newlywed wife uses CENTRY Power to protect and free him. Together they fight and destroy the dark forces. Soon after they try and learn how to use their combined CENTRY Power while trying to understand why the virus is mutating, making the dark creatures more and more dangerous.
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Season 5: Dark Creatures Arise
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The Dark Creatures are beginning to cause havoc all over the world and they don’t know how to stop them
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: The team must begin to track the dark creatures appearances and find out how they got there
C. Main Conflict: The team struggles to learn who and how they are distributing the dark virus
D. Mystery/Open Loops: What makes CENTRY married couples stronger, why does the virus seem to be mutating, the Centry start to notice their extra strength attached to their medallions, medallions seem to replicate randomly
E. Cliffhanger: The Centries fight without success to destroy The Dark Order but before the last CENTRY Unit is killed they are rescued by one lone supernatural CENTRY Soldier,
Season 5 Description:
Dark creatures are rising spread all over the world and CENTRY League Units unite worldwide to fight against them without causing mass panic while also keeping the news media from reporting on the full story. In the meantime an undercover reporter begins to track of follow CENTRY Solider citings after her mother was killed by a creature by she was saved by a CENTRY before it could kill her. She catches the eye of a CENTRY solder and she soon discovers that she is connected to a CENTRY and marries him and through their connection she begins to show the powers of a CENTRY through her husband. Together they learn that there’s a strength that husband and wife have against the darkness that elevates their power and abilities to fight the darkness. As they fight against the darkness, they creatures converge around the Global Pharmaceutical company linked to the dark virus. The CENTRY Teams fight to destroy the main lab with the original Dark Virus Code that’s used to create all other doses of the virus.
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Season 6: The Eternal Partnership
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The Supernatural CENTRY Brother must teach the natural team to battle in both realms if they are to win the war even though he seems to switch between realms randomly
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: The natural CENTRY Soldiers must learn how to work with their supernatural counterparts.
C. Main Conflict: CENTRY Soldiers are pulled between two realms during battles and it causes them to die quickly, the presence of enter CENTRY Soldiers has made the mutation of Dark Creatures power powerful and deadly
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Who is this Ancient CENTRY Soldier, why does he leave and come, who turns out to be Anthony’s dead father, how many governments and leaders are controlled by the dark, the Supernatural Soldier shows them how to morph their medallions into weapons
E. Cliffhanger: After thinking that The Dark Order is destroyed and the war was over. A CENTRY team is surrounded by a Dark Army that ruses in towards them as they rest
Season 6 Description:
After single handedly saving the CENTRY Team from death, a supernatural CENTRY being joins the fight against darkness. However, his presence on earth seems to have increased the amount of Dark creatures and their influence on earth. In additional to that this CENTRY Soldier is non-verbal most of the time but will respond to certain triggers with one word phrases and saying that the team must learn to figure out if they are to use the weapons and abilities it brings. In the meantime, the Dark Creatures have turned their war directly towards CENTRY Units and their families in an attempt to wipe them out once and for all.
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Season 7: Battle Zone Earth
A. High Concept or major hook of the season: The CENTRY Team must teach other Worldwide CENTRY Units how learn to use the new powers they have gained from the Supernatural Solider.
B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: The CENTRY Teams must come together over barriers in race, location and culture while battling an onslaught of Dark Attacks worldwide
C. Main Conflict: CENTRY Units must deal with their own personal struggles to try and embrace their full CENTRY Power to keep from being destroyed
D. Mystery/Open Loops: Why are some CENTRY Units being completely destroyed, a variation of the Dark Virus is created specifically for CENTRIES which doesn’t kill them but keeps their powers muted, who is the mystery person trying to destroy the CENTRY League from within, why do some CENTRY Soldiers get spiritual creatures to fight with them like lions, birds and other animal creatures
E. Cliffhanger: As the Worldwide CENTRY League rushes into battle to protect the first and greatest CENTRY Citadel from being destroyed, their spiritual counterparts suddenly stop and transport them from the battle. As the multitude of creatures rush toward CENTRY Mountain a lone man appears on the hill facing the army positioned to fight the multitude alone.
Season 7 Description:
After a sudden ambush, the CENTRY Team takes their newfound skills to a new level while also strange creatures manifest around them during the battle. These creature are only sen by the CENTRIES but they battle against darkness both seen and unseen. The CENTRY Teams must travel to other CENTRY Units around the world to help them defend their citadels and train them for battle. In the meantime, The Dark Order begins to kidnap CENTRY soldiers, their wives and children and makes them spy’s and inside agents for The Darkness. Using them to destroy CENTRY Citadels from the inside or weaken them for attack, all while the Dark Order prepares for their final battle.
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Eric Watterson’s Character Descriptions
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to pull in the content created in Module 1 into character descriptions! So Awesome! Wow!
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Character: Anthony
Who is the character? Role in the show?
– Secluded gardener is forced to steward a group home
Noteworthy traits
– hidden abilities and eyesight to see dark forces, special forces training
Intriguing history:
– He has hidden skills that he doesn’t understand
Intrigue? Mystery?
– Woke up in hospital with memory loss
How do they support or drive the conflict with others?
– He’s the reluctant leader and hero
Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character
– He works as a gardener but is a skilled fighter and sees into another realm at random
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters
– He doesn’t want to lead and tries to withdraw from conflict
Unpredictable?
– A secret identity that manifests randomly
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters
– He is placed as the group home leader but needs help himself
Character Description:
After waking up in hospital with memory loss, Anthony bounces around from job to job trying to make ends meet. He finally earns a job as a gardener on the wealthy estate of a genetic researcher and doctor at his hospital. After seeing the doctor beating his wife while working, he snaps into action and recuses her while putting the man in the hospital.
Instead of giving him jail time, he is forced into community service where he is required to steward a groups of misguided teen boys placed into an experimental group home. The only thing about this group homes is that the boys are actually being secretly experimented on. Anthony is suddenly confronted with seeing the dark entity’s living around him that he had been running from. He now finds himself randomly displaying knowledge and skills that he’s never been trained for.
While dealing with his own personal search for who he is, his position as group home leader places him in situations where his hidden abilities manifest while seeing the dark entity’s that surround the boys that no one else can see. He also begins to have suppressed memories emerge that reveal that he’s part of a ancient brotherhood of protectors known as The Centry League that’s been fighting an unseen spiritual war for centuries.
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Character: Edward
Who is the character? Role in the show?
Smart aleck white teen
Noteworthy traits
very observant and ability to mimic and disguise himself as anyone
Intriguing history:
– His family is a part of the dark order
Intrigue? Mystery?
– He witness police killing a witness while disguising himself among them
How do they support or drive the conflict with others?
– He downplays the existence of the Dark Order and their impact in his families pharmaceutical company
Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character
– He’s liked by others while rejected by his family
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters
– He searching for approval
Unpredictable?
– His needs for approval battles with doing whats right
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters
– He’s disguised himself as his father to steal from him
Character Description:
Edward is a smart aleck white teen from a family with a long and affluent background. as the middle son of 5 siblings, he’s always tried to find acceptance and significance within his family structure. One day while trying to empress his family, he found out that he could mimic and disguise himself as anyone he wanted to.
One day he is rejected by his family for reporting an older cousin he saw rape and abuse a girl. The charges were dropped and he was cut off from the family and put out. While trying to find evidence of the cover up, he disguised himself as a cop and witnessed a execution of a witness to a murder by a hitman let into police station.
Planning to leave state, he disguises himself as his father to steal from the safe at his job. However, while there he discovers that the company his father works for may be part of a larger conspiracy and gets caught. His parents press changes against him and he is sent to live in the group home. Where his need for approval causes him to downplay the existence of the very conspiracy he found to be true while he still tries to protect the family his loves and that rejected him.
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Character: Chris
Who is the character? Role in the show?
– Strong willed black teen
Noteworthy traits
– photographic memory, computer hacker and gadget wiz
Intriguing history:
– He killed his abusive father, but his mom took the blame
Intrigue? Mystery?
– He’s secretly saving up money to create a new identity and leave everything behind
How do they support or drive the conflict with others?
– He has a short temper and can be very aggressive
Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character
– He steals money at times to give it away
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters
– He doesn’t trust anyone and expects everyone to have a selfish motive
Unpredictable?
– He has a very short temper and can easily take comments out of place
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters
– He inwardly rejects all good father figures because of how mad his natural father was
Character Description
Chris is a strong willed black teen with extreme daddy issues. After experiencing years of abuse, one day he snaps and kills his father in defense of his mom. She takes the blame and he is put into the foster care system. With his photographic memory, computer hacker skills and gadget making skills, he quickly finds a knack for stealing and robbing over the internet, electronically and in person.
Despite his illegal activities he finds himself giving at times to those in need which seems to conflict with the gangs and partners he has around him in crime, one of which is his cousin BrayBray. Using Chris’s talents and skills he is secretly compiling a small fortune that he plans to use to create a new identity, buy a boat and leave the world of gangs and drugs behind, if he can break away from his destructive family.
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Character: Ro
Who is the character? Role in the show?
– secretive illegal Chinese immigrant
Noteworthy traits
– martial arts expert and supernaturally fast
Intriguing history:
– his father sent him and his mother away to protect them from the Chinese gang that turned on him.
Intrigue? Mystery?
– his mom suddenly dies washing dishes without being sick. He thinks she was poisoned but has no proof
How do they support or drive the conflict with others?
– he is very untrusting and rejects kindness from everyone
Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character
– he acts as a teenage hitman but will only hurt guys, not women and children, He also assumes the identity of one of his contracts that he left for dead and ends up getting arrested for assault.
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters
– his acts as a hitman causing him to get contracts of the friends and family of his group home residents
Unpredictable?
– he has a good side that he ignores as a result of all the bad he has experienced in life.
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters
– he grows to trust Anthony and the other group home teens the more he discovers their own pain
Character Description:
Ro is a secretive illegal Chinese immigrant who was sent to America by his father to protect them from the Chinese gang that wanted to kill them. After arriving to America Ro’s mom suddenly drops dead while working as an dishwasher in a Chinese Restaurant. Because they were undocumented, her body was dumped in the alley but Ros thinks she may have been poisoned.
Ro natural talent for marital arts and his supernatural speed, leads him to become a teenage hitman to survive and a way to release his anger. He ends up assuming the identity of one of the contracts that he left for dead but ends up getting arrested for assault. Unknown to him the guy isn’t actually dead but hospitalized and in a coma.
During his time in the group home he sees his skills grows while his internal battle between good and evil rages as he develops new relationships with Anthony and the other guys in the home who unknown to them, he is often contracted to kill their friends, family members and partners in crime.
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Character: Omar
Who is the character? Role in the show?
– Empathetic Native American teen
Noteworthy traits
– supernatural abilities in tracking and hunting, climbing, survival, marksmen, excellent hearing
Intriguing history:
– his reservation was attacked and burned, he ran to escape and longs for his family
Intrigue? Mystery?
– he believes that an evil corporation burned down and killed members of his tribe and was arrested for assaulting an executive of the company
How do they support or drive the conflict with others?
– he sees the darkness on the others in the house and knows they are being experimented on somehow but cant prove it
Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character
– he has hurt people based on what he sees in the essence path with no real proof of their actions
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters
– He sees the darkness on he housemates and tries to help them or beat them, whichever works.
Unpredictable?
– he personal hurts for his dead family causes him to be irrational at times while dealing with guilt and suicidal thoughts
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters
– he knows that the company Edwards family is a part of is evil because he sees it
Character Description:
Omar is an empathetic Native American teen whose reservation was attacked and burned, killing everyone but him. He believes that an evil corporation was responsible and ended up getting arrested for assaulting an executive of the company because he saw the same darkness on him that he saw when his village was destroyed.
His supernatural abilities in tracking and hunting, climbing, survival, speed reading, excellent hearing helps him to continue to try and prove that the organization is behind it while he also see the darkness grow on the members of the group home. As the darkness grows around him he being to expect that something is purposely making the darkness grows which are actually the experiments that he and the members of the house are being exposed to.
His internal struggles and his need for revenge has caused him to hurt people based on what he sees in the essence path with no real proof of their actions sometimes against members of the house and their family.
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Character: Francisco
Who is the character? Role in the show?
– family oriented Latin teen
Noteworthy traits
– escape artist and pick pocket, speed reading, knife throwing
Intriguing history:
– He steals to provide for his single mom and siblings
Intrigue? Mystery?
– his father had his stepfather killed for trying to free him from the gangs
How do they support or drive the conflict with others?
– He is trying to get free from the gang that is distributing the drugs that are infecting people with the dark virus
Irony — Opposites or paradoxes that exist with the character
– He working with the gang to keep his family and brothers free from the gang
Opposing agendas/etc. that naturally causes conflict with other characters
– He begins to try and separate from the gang but they gang wont let him, while he also tries to help his housemates see the good and act good
Unpredictable?
– Because the gang knows him and his family, they can use them to get him to do bad things to keep them safe
Intriguing relationship with one or more characters
– He’s an active member of the gang while actively looking for a way out
Character Description
Francisco is a street smart, family oriented Latin teen that steals as a member of a gang to provide for his single mom and siblings. His abilities as an escape artist and pick pocket, speed reading, knife throwing make shim an invaluable resource for the gang that they aren’t willing to loss at any cost. His own had his stepfather killed for trying to free him from being used by the gang.
After being arrested for drug possession he’s sent to the group home for distribution of a new drug that is injecting people with a dark virus. After learning more about this Francisco tries even harder to pay his debt tp the gang so they will leave his brother and family along, only to have his brother choose to join the gang after Francisco pays for his freedom.
As he actively searches for a way to free himself from the gang, he begins to notice more and more of the darkness that the drugs he and his gang is selling begin to destroy not just his housemates but the community around him.
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What I learned doing this assignment is how to start using the content we’ve been creating and expand on it.
1. Present your Concept.
A reclusive gardener is placed as steward over a group home of boys that are unknowingly being experimented on by an evil corporation.
2. Tell us the World of this show.
– Unique Sub-World: The unseen realm that’s effects people through drug use and virus creation or germ warfare
– Previously unexplored: How drugs are being used to turn people into creatures
– The unknown: How are the drugs causing the transformation
– The unseen: The evil corporation trying to control the world
– Unheard of Dangers (for the character): He risks being found out and killed by the creatures/organization
– Reason (for character) to explore it: The same creatures killed his team and he sees the boys slowly transforming
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Eric Watterson completed BW Framework.
I scheduled Option B. Pro feedback from SU
What I learned doing this assignment is the Framework is how to begin the process of creating the structure or framework that’s needed for an intriguing show.
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<b data-pm-slice=”1 1 []” data-en-clipboard=”true”>ASSIGNMENT 2: Your Show
What I learned doing this assignment is how to purposely create irony but creating situational opposites.
With each, brainstorm ideas for ways it could go opposite.
1- Anthony is a Centry Soldier that has lost his memory
— Anthony is living in a way contrary to being a Centry Soldier
— Anthony is brainwashed not to believe in The CENTRY League
— Anthony looks for ways to destroy them
— Anthony kills one of them by mistake
— Anthony is brainwashed into thinking they don’t exist
2- The group house is full of misguided teens
— the teens are actually children of great people
— the teens all have great abilities to help mankind
— the teens are all framed or setup for crimes
— the group home is a front for TDO
— the group home is owned by TDO
3- the dark creatures are causing destruction to others
— the dark creatures are humans infected with the Dark Virus
— the dark creatures are Centries who were turned evil
— the dark creatures were once positive leaders in the community
— the dark creatures are help the ones they cant kill
— the dark creatures only attack those who don’t attack them
— the creatures are actually humans controlled by darkness and seeing what they are doing but cannot stop themselves
4- Anthony team was killed
— his team is not really dead
— they sacrificed themselves to save Anthony
— they were killed after saving others
— they were turned into dark creatures
— The team was captured by Anthony forgot about them after he lost his memory
5- Anthony is required to watch over misguided teens
— Anthony grew up a misguided teen himself
— Anthony fears the darkness he sees controlling the teens
— the teens are actually related to him
— his father started the group home
— the teen are told to kill him
— the group home is controlled by TDO
6- the Dark Order is trying to control society
— TDO was formed to try and help society
— TDO uses a nonprofit to build money to control others
— TDO was created by a infected CENTRY
— TDO has a non-human/demonic origin
— TDO owned a legal pharmaceutical company
— TDO’s focus can both help and destroy peoples lives
7- Anthony is an AWOL Soldier
— He doesn’t know hes AWOL
— He’s a very decorated solider in real life
— He’s actually a CENTRY Soldier as well
— His father submitted him to be AWOL
— His team is found before him
8- Anthony Father is an ancient Centry Brother
— His father went undercover in TDO
— He sent his son a message after his death
— His father warned him of his death
— His father was accused of racism
— His father was framed for crimes he didn’t commit
9- The Centry Brotherhood is an ancient order of protectors
— The brotherhood was created by the children of bandits
— The brotherhood is created to destroy a portion of humanity
— the brotherhood creates division to create unity
— the modern version of the brotherhood fights the ancient ways
— TDO has a controlling interest in the Brotherhood
10- The Military police is searching for Anthony
— they think hes AWOL when he doesn’t remember being enlisted
— he tries to enlist under his newly created identity
— the military police searching for him are part of the brotherhood
— the military police searching for him are members of TDO
— the military officers searching for him have been ordered to kill him
11- Anthony has been given a new identity and life
— his new identity was created to have him accept TDO
— hi new identity was created to make him hate the father that loved and raised him
— he was given a new identity after he was about the destroy TDO plans
— his new identity created him to be a loner when he’s a born leader
— his new identity makes him accept the control his old identity hated
12- Officer Tim has framed the boys to recruit them to TDO
— OTim got each of the boys cleared of crimes
— OTim provided for each of their financial needs
— OTim is in love with tow of the boys foster mom
— OTim set all the boys up with an opportunity to avoid jail
— OTim has hired the gangs to bully and recruit the boys for TDO
13- Edward is trying to be accepted by his family
— Edward left his family by choice
— Edwards family have all been rejected by their own personal groups
— Edwards family wants to join TDO
— Edwards family was a founding family of TDO
— Edwards family rejected him because he was immune the The Darkness
14- Edward family is part of the Dark Order
— Edward great grandmother committed him to the CL secretly
— TDO is slowly killing Edwards family as they help them
— Edwards family has gone rouge against TDO
— Edward has seen the darkness in his family gatherings but doesn’t understand what it is but he doesn’t like it
15- Chris is trying to leave his neighborhood
— Chris donates his money to secretly help the local church in his neighborhood
— Chris has sold drugs to his old school
— Chris has revealed secretes about crooked cops corrupting his neighborhood
— Chris has turned in members of his gang to the police
— Chris created neighborhood development and park restoration plans
16- Chris cousin is in a gang
— his cousin taught him about the Centry League
— his cousin introduced him to the gang
— his cousins father was corrected by the Centry League
— his cousins choose to reject the Centry League
17- Chris Kills his dad
— he dad was controlled by Darkness
— His mom told the blame for his dad
— Chris dad almost killed him and his mom several times
— Chris dad fell on the knife Chris took from him while trying to cut him
— Chris dad killed his brother by mistake
18- Ro is a teenager hitman
— Ro attacks drug dealers for kids and moms
— Ro has helped the sisters of brothers who he has beat-up
— Ro has defended kids from people that work for his father organization
— Ro is hired to protect legal citizens even though he’s an illegal alien
— Ro helps kids while fighting the cops
19- Ro’s father is missing
— his father went missing searching for his brother within the Asian mafia
— his father began to help Asian business owners
— his father began to get connected to the CENTRY League before he went missing
— he receives a letter from his missing father telling him to not follow him
20- Ro’s Mother died when they got to America
— his mother wanted to get her husband out of the Asian Dark Order
— Ro’s mother went missing but is actually being held captive by TDO to try and catch his father
— Ro is being groomed by the same Dark Order that is holding his mom captive
— The hit contracts he performs are being recorded by OTim to use against him
— every hit he performs links him more to The Dark
21- Ro is an illegal alien
— The hit contracts that Ro performs is for actually the Dark Order, he just doesn’t know it
— his papers were actually approved by OTim hide them
— He was actually born in America while visiting with his family but the records were hidden
22- Omar’s reservation was burned
— Omar reservation was burned to try and kill him
— His tribe were ancient members of the CENTRY League
23- Omar doesn’t know his family
— the Dark Order is using his desire for family to connect him with darkness
— The Dark Order had his family killed because they had the for sight to see into the dark realm and notice them
24- Francisco natural and step dad died
— his natural dad died because of his connection to the dark
— his step father died trying to expose the dark plans
— the dark order wants to recruit him
— he hates them both for leaving
25- Francisco brother follows him into the gang
— Francisco commits crimes to free his brother but he decides to join them anyway
— Francisco joined the gang to provide for his family against his mothers wishes
— the food he gives his family is stolen from other houses
— his brother enjoys the dark more than the light
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<b data-pm-slice=”1 3 []” data-en-clipboard=”true”>ASSIGNMENT 1: Stranger Things
What I learned doing this assignment is how to look for irony.
Tell us the irony you have already discovered in the Example Show.
– a deadly monster in a small town
– a bunch of friends that play a monster board game that comes to life for real
– a fragile looking little girl with powers to destroy groups of trained soldiers
– a nerdy girl dating the local jock
– the nerdy photographer beating up the popular jock
– two realms existing together
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<b data-pm-slice=”1 1 []” data-en-clipboard=”true”>ASSIGNMENT 2: My Show
Eric Watterson’s Plot and Character Layers
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to plan layers for the plot and character.”
1. Brainstorm a list of possible PLOT layers.
PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story.
Major scheme revealed
– Dark entity creatures are killing people
– Anthony’s team was killed by the dark entity experimental control agent
Mystery revealed
– the dark entities are actually human experimented on
– Anthony and his team stubbled on their experimental factory and were killed because of it
Thought the story was one thing, but it is another
– we thought the story was about drugs but its actually about control
Major shift in meaning
– Anthony is not just a timid gardener, he’s a soldier in a secret society that’s memory was taken
– we thought the story was about monsters but it ends up being about demons using drugs to possess and control humans
Hidden history
– The Dark Entity’s have been trying to destroy humanity for hundreds of years
– Anthony Dads was killed as part of an ancient brotherhood that battled the darks
Hidden plan
– to create a dark army using human host to fight against the forces of light and humanity together
Major betrayal
– the people who set Anthony up for community service have been trying to kill him since his team was killed
2. Brainstorm a list of possible CHARACTER layers.
CHARACTER LAYERS – identity beneath the identity.
Secret identity: experienced CENTRY Soldier with memory loss
Character intrigue: He knows he has abilities that surface at times but he doesn’t understand them. He also has memories of the event his team was killed but doesn’t remember it
Hidden relationships and conspiracies: He has a hidden relationship and membership of the CENTRY League brotherhood. The brotherhood is in a war with The Dark Order
Hidden Character history: He is a elite soldier within the Marines and has been on AWOL since the murder of his team because he was kidnap by the Dark Order and injected with the Virus EX but it didn’t convert him like it did the others
3. Organize them each into a possible sequence of reveals.
PLOT LAYERS SAMPLES: Story beneath the story.
Major scheme reveals:
– The Dark Order (TDO) killed Anthony’s Team
– TDO is creating a secret virus to spread through humanity using alcohol, and both illegal and prescription drugs
– Anthony’s family line has been fighting TDO for over hundred years
– Anthony’s assignment to watch over the boys at the group home was a setup for him to get arrested or killed and for the boys to choose to join TDO
– The Global Conglomerate is part of TDO
Mystery revealed
– The Dark Entity’s are actually humans controlled by the virus created by TDO
– Anthony is actually a missing brother of the CENTRY League hidden and memory erased by TDO
– Anthony’s Dad was killed by TDO and he left instructions for his son
Thought the story was one thing, but it is another
– Instead of the story being about a group of misguided teens, its about a plot to control humanity
Major shift in Meaning
– its not about selling or spreading drugs its about controlling society
– the dark Entity’s can be cured from the virus
Hidden history
– the ancient battle between The CENTRY League and Thee Dark Order
Hidden plan
– to have the boys to choose to join TDO
Major betrayal
– the group that organized Anthony’s community service, removed his memory and killed his team
Sabotage
– Whenever Anthony gets closer to learning who he is, things fall apart and the boys are purposely put into situations where they choose either good or bad to try and make them do wrong
Conspiracy / Hidden Agenda,
– TDO wants to control neighbourhoods and schools and spread from there
Mystery
– What are the Dark Entity’s and how are they created
Plot Surface:
Layer 1: (Mysterious Enemy) Anthony’s team is killed by strange creatures but he doesn’t remember it just filled with dreams and visions
Layer 2: (Hidden Plan) keep Anthony from remembering who he is, while using drugs to spread dark virus
Layer 3: The boys all have some special ability that they’re using for evil that The Dark Order wants
Layer 4: Each of the boys were chosen to be in this particular group home
Layer 5: Officer Tim has set each of them up to fail and continue to commit crimes
================
ANTHONY, Jr.
Character Surface: Secluded and withdrawn white male Gardener
Layer 1: Trying to remember his past
Layer 2: Hidden History: He’s a member of the ancient Centry Brotherhood but he doesn’t remember
Layer 3: Special Ability: leadership, martial arts and defense
Layer 4: Secret Identity/Wound: he has nightmares about the death of his team and his father
Layer 5: Hidden Identity/Wound: highly skilled fighter
Layer 6: Competition: Officer Tim is secretly competing with him for the hearts of the boys
================
EDWARD
Character Surface: privileged white teenager
Layer 1: Hidden Agenda: to be accepted by his family
Layer 2: Hidden History: He has impersonated his father to make purchases and get money
Layer 3: Special Ability: impersonation and reading people
Layer 4: Secret Identity/Wound: jettison from his family
Layer 5: Hidden Identity/Wound:
Layer 6: Competition: Competition with members of his family and his father for entrance into the family society
================
CHRIS
Character Surface: angry black teen
Layer 1: Hidden Agenda: To be free of his negative family
Layer 2: Hidden History: he killed his father in defense of his mother
Layer 3: Special Ability: computer systems and hacking
Layer 4: Secret Identity/Wound: Abuse from father growing up
Layer 5: Hidden Identity: hackers and gang member
Layer 6: Competition: his cousin for status and money
================
RO
Character Surface: mysterious and violent Asian Teen
Layer 1: Hidden Agenda: to find his missing father
Layer 2: Hidden History: he fled China with his mother to escape the Chinese mafia, his father was connected to the Dark Order in China but once he realizes who they were he went missing
Layer 3: Special Ability: martial arts and speed
Layer 4: Secret Identity/Wound: he’s a low level hitman for women and other teens
Layer 5: Hidden Wound: his mom died when they got to America and he has been living on the street since
Layer 6: Competition: local hitmen for low level contracts
================
FRANCISCO
Character Surface: Kindhearted but secretive Latin teen
Layer 1: Hidden Agenda: to provide for his mother and siblings
Layer 2: Hidden History: member of drug runner gang
Layer 3: Special Ability: escape artist, pickpocket and lockpick
Layer 4: Secret Wound: father and stepfather died Leaving family in financial distress
Layer 5: Hidden Identity: burgery and home invasion
Layer 6: Competition: other members of his gang
================
OMAR
Character Surface: Introspective Native American Teen
Layer 1: Hidden Agenda: to understand the darks that he thinks he’s the only one that sees them
Layer 2: Hidden History: run away from his reservation after a fire by racial gangs
Layer 3: Special Ability: tracking, marksmen and hunting
Layer 4: Secret Wound: raised an orphan and never knew family
Layer 5: Hidden Identity: control Freak
Layer 6: Competition: with his heritage looking for identity and purpose
================
OFFICER TIM
Character Surface: Outgoing and Friendly White Male Policeman
Layer 1: Hidden Agenda: to have a place of leadership within TDO
Layer 2: Hidden History: he was rejected for advancement in another police station in another city after turning in a crooked cop so he decided to become a crooked cop
Layer 3: Special Ability: making plans and deception
Layer 4: Secret Identity: he secretly works with TDO to help advance their plans
Layer 5: Hidden Wound: he thinks that doing good is a waste of time
Layer 6: Competition: other agents for TDO
================
-
<b data-pm-slice=”1 3 []” data-en-clipboard=”true”>ASSIGNMENT 1: Stranger Things
Watch the next episode of your Example Show and notice how layers show up in this show — both in this episode and throughout the episodes you’ve already seen.
Tell us the layers you have discovered in the Example Show.
Sample Show: Stranger Things
Plot Layers:
– Who is Eleven?
– Where is she from?
– She has powers
– Will is kidnapped
– Eleven opened the door to letting the monster in
– Will is missing but still alive
– Will’s death was faked
– There’s a monster taking people
– The monster lives in another dimension
– The government is controlling the coverup
– The monsters lair can be entered
Character Layers:
– Mike likes Eleven
– Mikes sister likes the cool guy and the nerd
– Mike and Lucas fight because of Eleven
– Lucas has trust issues
– The Sherriff is holding on to hurt from his daughter
– Wills Mom and Dad are divorced; His dad cant be trusted
– Makes parents aren’t very connected to their children
-
ASSIGNMENT 2:
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to brainstorm different hooks that can play out over the season/series/”
Use this list to brainstorm big picture open loops for your first season that you will use to keep the audience captivated.
CHARACTER: ANTHONY
GOALS:
New goals?
– Discovering who killed his team
– decoding from his dead father journal
– trying to regain his lost memory
Goals related to the big picture?
– discovering what the dark force is
– keeping the boys out of jail
– tracking down who or what killed his father
– discovering what is trying to kill him but can’t
Crushed goals?
– following a lead to who killed his team to find out that they are dead
– following leads and clues from his fathers journal that leads to more clues
Competition / conflict around goals?
– the dark agency and agents
– the dark agency that doesn’t want him to learn who he is after they wiped his memory
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
– will he figure out who killed his team and dad
– will he be caught as an AWOL soldier
Problems created from past actions?
– he doesn’t remember who he is after battled that killed his team
Good plans gone wrong?
– he tries to help the boys but they turn their backs on him
– he tries to help people but is accused of ulterior motives
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
– he doesn’t remember who he is after the attack
– he doesn’t remember that he’s a solider
– he doesn’t know who gave him a false life identity
What are they trying to solve?
– Who is he?
– What killed his father?
– What are the dark beings?
Major change imposed on character?
– He goes from a timid gardener avoiding contact to a confident warrior leading others.
Previous solutions cause new problems?
– the more he learns about his past the more the dark beings seem to follow him
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
– relationships with employers and “imposer family members”
– military relationships and fellow soldiers
New relationships forming?
– relationships with the boys he’s caring for
Conflict inside relationships?
– some of the boys don’t want to stop doing crimes because of the status and money
Relationships changing?
– he gains more respect as they see him overcome obstacles and forgive them for their double crossing him
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
– the attacks from the dark forces on the group both individually and corporately
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
– deciding to break into drugs houses to free friends
– researching dark forces and the dark organization
– he follows dark entity into their domain and is almost killed
Who else is pulled into their danger?
– as he researches the darks, the entire house is put in danger when the darks strike back
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
– he has bad dreams/memories that arise suddenly which leads him to drink to sleep better
===========
CHARACTER: EDWARD
GOALS:
New goals?
– Becoming the success his father said he would never be
Goals related to the big picture?
– Discovering his family hidden secret past
– he has hidden abilities that seem to manifest suddenly
Crushed goals?
– trying to attain approval from his family
Competition / conflict around goals?
– competing with his siblings for respect and status
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
– he using his family status to drive fancy cars and buys stuff
– he poses as his father at his company to gain access and buy items on company credit
Problems created from past actions?
– he father company hires an investigator to see what happened to the money
Good plans gone wrong?
– he tries to gain access to the company to help his father fix and problem but learns about dirty dealings of his fathers company and his family line
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
– acceptance for who he is
What are they trying to solve?
– what crooked or illegal dealings does his family do or did
Major change imposed on character?
– from an arrogant privileged teen to a giving and respectful young man
Previous solutions cause new problems?
– learning the family business meaning learning the family illegal activities
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
– he risks his fathers respect if he reports him
New relationships forming?
– with underprivileged teens
Conflict inside relationships?
– he wants to be respected but shows little respect cause he never had to
Relationships changing?
– instead of trying to gain acceptance from his family his begins to dislike them
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
– when he’s found out by his father secrete society will they kill him?
– will his father save him or let him die?
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
– he recues women being held captive by his fathers company
Who else is pulled into their danger?
– he pulls his brothers into danger when they help him rescue the women
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
– he’s secretly addiction to cocaine and sleeping pills
==============
CHARACTER: CHRISTOPHER
GOALS:
New goals?
– Getting away from his neighbourhood
Goals related to the big picture?
– he has skills with the computer that are used against him
– raising enough money to move his mom out of the hood
– not going to jail for murdering his father
Crushed goals?
– his stash of money is found by cops that raid an abandoned home. after he confided in officer Tim where it was
Competition / conflict around goals?
– He wants to stop doing crime but his cousin doesn’t and they work together. His cousin needs his skills
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
– Is he going to get caught robbing and stealing and for killing his father
Problems created from past actions?
– after killing his father, someone knows he did it but he doesn’t know who they are, but they’re blackmailing him to keep him doing crimes
Good plans gone wrong?
– he does a final job to get out of the life but it connects him to the crime and he needs help to clear his name
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
– staying out of jail and finding out who’s framing him
What are they trying to solve?
– who’s blackmailing him for killing his dad
Major change imposed on character?
– he goes from trying to hide what he’s done to admitting it
Previous solutions cause new problems?
– cyber crime gets the attention of others nd they force him to work for him
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
– with his cousin
– with his mam
New relationships forming?
– with other boys in group home
Conflict inside relationships?
– he doesn’t trust people and especially people of different races
Relationships changing?
– he grows to trust others and help them
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
– fights against drug dealers
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
– he puts himself in danger when he’s forced to steal from drug dealers
Who else is pulled into their danger?
– his cousin and other boys
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
– he’s scared of the dark and likes alcohol
=====================
CHARACTER: RO
GOALS:
New goals?
– Going back to China to find his missing father
Goals related to the big picture?
– He has secret abilities he doesn’t understand with fighting skills and speed
Crushed goals?
– He has people searching in China for his dad but they cant find him
Competition / conflict around goals?
– local hitman are looking for him, but they don’t expect him to be a teen
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
– he kills and beats up bullies and abusers for other kids and girls
Problems created from past actions?
– he was caught on camera beating a dad abusing his son and there’s a search for him
Good plans gone wrong?
– he tries to help a boy being bullied but they caught him and lock him up
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
– finding his long lost family
What are they trying to solve?
– raising enough money to go back to China
Major change imposed on character?
– fitting in as a law breaking foreigner in America
Previous solutions cause new problems?
– he’s hired to beat-up the person that was gonna to get him a new passport to go home
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
– with his new friend and his unknown handler that gets him the hit jobs
New relationships forming?
– with his group home teens
Conflict inside relationships?
– trying to control his anger issues
Relationships changing?
– learning to trust
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
– the hitman jobs he goes on
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
– he’s hired to save a girl from a gang
Who else is pulled into their danger?
– his other brothers
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
– he is very angry because of his lost of family
================
CHARACTER: OMAR
GOALS:
New goals?
– Discovering his heritage
Goals related to the big picture?
– His reservation was taken over by dark entities and they’re pursuing him
– he can see them and he doesn’t know why
Crushed goals?
– when he thinks he finds embers of his tribe they end up as dead ends
Competition / conflict around goals?
– his research about the darks seems to be blocked and vanishes mysteriously
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
– they darks are pursuing him and hes able to hide from them
Problems created from past actions?
– his actions of running away from the darks have made him a target
Good plans gone wrong?
– he mentions to another friend that there are dark following them and they put him in a crazy house
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
– how are the darks and why are they following him
What are they trying to solve?
– why can he see them when others cant
Major change imposed on character?
– he begins to understand that he’s not crazy
Previous solutions cause new problems?
–
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
– his childhood friends think hes crazy
New relationships forming?
– with new people outside his tribe
Conflict inside relationships?
– helping them believe in the darks
Relationships changing?
– as he relate to the challenges in his friends by telling them what he sees
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
– will the darks find him
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
– he follows the dark as they follow another person into a abandoned building
Who else is pulled into their danger?
– he friends and family
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
– he thinks hes crazy sometimes
=================
CHARACTER: FRANCISCO
GOALS:
New goals?
– helping provide for his mom and siblings
Goals related to the big picture?
– trying to understand his eyesight for details
– getting free of the gangs
Crushed goals?
– when he tries to get free from a gang that kidnap his brother
Competition / conflict around goals?
– his childhood gang wont let him leave
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
– he is forced into gang dealings
Problems created from past actions?
– he worked with the gang in the past and they wont let hi leave
Good plans gone wrong?
– he works to get the gang to leave his little brother alone but his brother chooses to join them anyway
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
– getting free from the gang
What are they trying to solve?
– provided for his family
– being blamed for a crime as a result of a car he stole that was stole from him
Major change imposed on character?
– he begins to use his skills to help others
Previous solutions cause new problems?
– paying off the gang connects his brother to them
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
– relationships with his brother and mom
New relationships forming?
– with the other guys
Conflict inside relationships?
– trying to get his brother to make better choices
– trying to get the gang to release him
Relationships changing?
– him breaking away from negative friends and finding good ones
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
– Gang gun fights and police raids
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
– fights with revile gangs
Who else is pulled into their danger?
– his brother and mother
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
– he misses his dad and blames him for his misfortunes
-
ASSIGNMENT 1
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to examine Big Picture hooks”
Sample Show: Stranger Things
Make a list of the Big Picture open loops that were established early in the season.
– Who is Eleven and where did she comes from?
– Why does the agent call her father?
– Who is her real father and mother?
– Is Mike really dead?
– Will they ever find him?
– Where is he?
– What is the monster?
– Where is it from?
– Where does Eleven get her powers from?
– What is the agency researching?
-
<b data-pm-slice=”1 1 []” data-en-clipboard=”true”>ASSIGNMENT 2:
What I learned doing this assignment is how to start to think through mysteries for a show even if I have no idea what they will actually look like. Kinda fun! 🙂
Create two mysteries for your show — one that shows up strong in the Pilot and the other that is revealed over time.
1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.
A. Shocking Event: Anthony’s military team is killed by a group of strange creatures, but he is left alive for some reason
B. Secret: There is a secret war being fount for humanity and Anthony’s family line has been a part of it for decades
C. Investigation: Anthony is searching for what happened to his team
– WHAT: Anthony’s team was killed by a strange group of creatures
– WHEN: 5 years ago
– WHERE: In a foreign country while on a mission
– WHY: Because he and his team were about to discover a secret base
– WHO: Anthony is actually a descendant of the CENTRY Brotherhood and has hidden powers because of it
– HOW: He has searched the internet, went on missions by himself and been in fights with these creatures but he doesn’t know how he survives or what they are
Part Withheld/Ultimate Reveal: The creatures that killed his team were actually human, possessed by a secret drug that was being mass produced at the location they found
========================
2. Create the Over Time Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.
A. Cover Up: It’s no secret who and what the creatures were. Anthony is constantly misdirected
B. Secret: The drug being created is being founded by a high-ranking global conglomerate with world domination goals
C. Reveals: Anthony learns that his father was killed by the same creatures. He discovers a secret manuscript that he must investigate and decode. The boys in the group home are slowly being drugged as test subjects. Anthony is setup to fail so that he can be put in jail. Anthony cannot be killed by the creatures because of his legacy. The creatures have weaknesses that he discovers while working with the boys. Anthony learns that the people that put him over the home were part of the killing of his team and they expected him to die as well. The boys all have hidden powers that the Dark Organization wants to use. The boys were specifically chosen because of their race, background and powers so that they could lead others in the Dark Army.
– WHAT: the Dark Organization is the shadow side of the real world Conglomerate
– WHEN: For over two thousand years
– WHERE: It was started in the middle east
– WHY: To create a way to control a human being through drugs and influence
– WHO: The head dark
– HOW: by mixing illegal narcotics with stress, pressure and control. Doing so can open a door in a persons spirit for evil to enter in and control them.
Part Withheld/Ultimate Reveal: How the dark creatures are actually mind controlled humans. Some being controlled willingly and some unwillingly
-
<b data-pm-slice=”1 3 []” data-en-clipboard=”true”>ASSIGNMENT 1:
What I learned doing this assignment is how to start to look for mysteries in shows.
Sample Show: Stranger Things
Big Picture Mysteries:
– What is this monster?
– Is there more than one?
– How can they open the door to get Will out?
– Is he still alive?
– Can Eleven close the door she opened?
Smaller Mysteries:
– What happened to the sheriff daughter
– What happed to Eleven and how was she taken from her Mom
– Why did the Mom participate in the program
– Why is she called eleven? What happened to 1 through 10?
– How are the people listening to the phone lines?
– Is this a government agency or something else?
-
ASSIGNMENT 2:
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to start planning Big Picture issues for characters”
1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make because of the main conflict of this series.
Just ask: “Knowing the concept, what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”
A. Undeserved misfortune.
– A dark Society bent of world destruction
– A dark drug infecting people
– Anthony team killed
– Anthony Dad killed
– Anthony removed from military
– Anthony hidden potential
– Edwards banished from family
– Chris abusive father
– Omar reservation burned down
– Ro mother dies of common cold
– Francisco’s father and stepfather dies
– Military police hunting for Anthony
B. External Character conflicts.
– Anthony running from military police and forced into community service
– Edward pushes people away because of his self-righteous attitude
– Edward wants to be accepted by his family but hates them at the same time
– Chris doesn’t trust authority figures
– Chris competes with his cousin for respect and street cred
– Ro hates and steals from everyone he meets
– Omar searching for his heritage
– Francisco loves his mom but runs away
– Officer Tim plots against Anthony to get boys arrested
C. Plot intruding on life.
– Boys forced into a group home or face prison for their past crimes
– Anthony forced to look after the boys
– New brotherhood of honor which fights against their upbringing and neighborhood
D. Moral dilemmas.
– Killing gang members to protect family
– killing father who abuse mother
– turning your best friends and family in to police
– leaving family members in drug rehab
– taking an illegal drug for the strength it gives you to fight evil
– breaking into a home to rescue a child
– kidnaping a father and torturing him to keep him from beating his family
– making people believe your evil to learn their secrets
– Setting up your best friend for money
– Telling a family member their spouse is cheating on them
E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
– Setting fire to a house of drug dealers after locking them in
– stealing a car for a friend to get away
– forging documents to fit in with corrupt people
– injecting yourself with an evil drug to fight against evil
– Edward turns in his family member for the freedom of his friend
– Chris uses his computer skills to steal account info for gang
– Ro take hitman contract against another member of the group home
– Francisco breaks in to open a safe to pay for his brothers freedom
– Omar sells his only memory of his family to get money to pay off drug dealers abusing his friend
-
ASSIGNMENT 1:
“What I learned doing this assignment is to look at empathy and distress on different levels.”
Sample Show: Stranger Things
Big Picture Empathy/Distress
– Hidden Government Agenda
– A tear in the two planes of reality
– A monster snatching people
– Mike going missing
Detail Oriented Empathy/Distress.
– Government Listening to phone lines
– Eleven not having a good relationship with her mom
– eleven being taken from her mom
– People going missing
– People being killed
– Sheriff missing his daughter
– marriage problems
– friendship fights
– bullying
-
ASSIGNMENT 2:
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to purposely create relationship connections between characters”
=======================================
Anthony David, Jr.
Surface:
– Edward: Young teen require to watch over
– Chris: Young teen require to watch
– Officer Tim: Ex-military pro, assigned over his community serviceCommon Ground:
– Edward: Both has daddy issue
– Chris: Doesn’t trust people
– Officer Tim: Ex-military officerConflict
– Edward: Disrespects Anthony
– Chris: Think Anthony is an uneducated drunk
– Officer Tim: This Anthony is a loserHistory:
– Edward: Edwards family was targeted by Anthony Father for corruption
– Chris: Anthony could have turns Chris in for steaking but didn’t
– Officer Tim: Anthony is targeted by the group that paid Tim is place him to setup AnthonySubtext:
– Edward: Edward wants a father figure
– Chris: Chris knows he’s a good man but doesn’t want to admit it
– Officer Tim: There’s a hidden agenda against Anthony that Tim is a part ofRelationship Arc:
– Edward: Edward grows to respect Anthony
– Chris: Chris grows to follow Anthony
– Officer Tim: Anthony grows to see where Tim has conspired against him==============================
Christopher Hope
Surface:
– BrayBray: He’s his cousin
– Officer Tim: He has arrested him a couple of times
– Edward: He is another teen in group homeCommon Ground:
– BrayBray: They both are into crime
– Officer Tim: Both from broken homes
– Edward: They bot have abilities they don’t understand completelyConflict:
– BrayBray: BrayBray is competing with Chris
– Officer Tim: Officer Tim doesn’t believe there’s any good in Chris
– Edward: Chris believe Edwards family is racistHistory:
– BrayBray: They have always competed growing up and BrayBray always seemed to loss to Chris
– Officer Tim: Tim drops several charges from Chris crimes for a share of the goods
– Edward: Chris found negative history about Edwards family and targeting them through cyber attackSubtext:
– BrayBray: They tolerate eachother because there’re family but they don’t really like each other
– Officer Tim: Officer Tim blackmails Chris to continue to do wrong
– Edward: Chris doesn’t want to trust Edward but kinda doesRelationship Arc:
– BrayBray: They grow to dislike each other more as Chris is drawn to good while BrayBray wants to continue to do bad
– Officer Tim: Chris begins to look for ways to turn the tables of Officer Tim to blackmail him and get free from his control
– Edward: They grow into friends despite their differences and racial divide -
ASSIGNMENT 2: Your Show
“What I learned doing this assignment is to try and create sub-emotions for my characters.”
1. For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:
=========================
Anthony David, Jr. (ex-military operative turns recluse)
A. Situational: Hope: to be as great as he hopes his father was / Fear: to let down the people that need him
B. Motivation: Want: to understand why those around him always die / Need: To find answers
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: loneliness / Public Mask: tuff and mean
D. Weaknesses: fear of the unknown
E. Triggers: seeing people abused
F. Coping Mechanism: seclusion
=========================
Edward Stanley (White Teen, privileged male with identity issues)
A. Situational: Hope: to be successful / Fear: Never measuring up
B. Motivation: Want: to be seen by others as a success / Need: to be validated
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: rejection / Public Mask: excessive joking and planning
D. Weaknesses: self-doubt
E. Triggers: judgements and competition
F. Coping Mechanism: fault finding, accusation, trying to win
=========================
Christopher Hope (Black Teen, grew up in abusive home)
A. Situational: Hope: to have true friends / Fear: always being alone
B. Motivation: Want: to make enough money to leave / Need: to not be like his family
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: self hate / Public Mask: loud and pushy
D. Weaknesses: comparisons and jealousy
E. Triggers: being judged
F. Coping Mechanism: cooking and counting
=========================
Rong “Ro” Chen (Chinese Teen, homeless immigrate)
A. Situational: Hope: to find his missing father / Fear: of being deported
B. Motivation: Want: to hurt bad people / Need: to feel significate
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: orphan / Public Mask: skilled fighter
D. Weaknesses: Lack of social skills
E. Triggers: bullying and family scenes
F. Coping Mechanism: fighting and running away
=========================
Francisco Rameriz (Latin Teen, fatherless home, runaway)
A. Situational: Hope: to provide for his family / Fear: he will get locked up
B. Motivation: Want: to be a provider / Need: to be a better man than his father
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: failure / Public Mask: peacemaker
D. Weaknesses: runs away from problems
E. Triggers: lack of money, seeing kids hurt or hungry
F. Coping Mechanism: steals from others, goes on long walks
=========================
Omar Makya (Native American teen, born on reservation, runaway)
A. Situational: Hope: to find a true purpose / Fear: dying meaningless
B. Motivation: Want: to understand the world / Need: to understand his own pain
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: confusion / Public Mask: calm and quiet nature
D. Weaknesses: doesn’t understand others, very impatient
E. Triggers: Fighting, conflict, anyone that disagrees with him
F. Coping Mechanism: plays his flutes, climbs trees
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Officer Tim Cain (Anthony ex-military friend – crooked cop)
A. Situational: Hope: to have high status / Fear: not being recognized
B. Motivation: Want: to be boss of others / Need: respect
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: narcistic / Public Mask: public servant
D. Weaknesses: low self esteem
E. Triggers: anyone that questions his position or authority
F. Coping Mechanism: gambling, smoking, alcohol
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Trimmol (Male Dark Leader)
A. Situational: Hope: to control and destroy the human / Fear: that he will be found out
B. Motivation: Want: to be respected within the Dark Organization / Need: to be rewarded
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion: Hatred / Public Mask: cooperation
D. Weaknesses: defeated self image
E. Triggers: seeing others happy
F. Coping Mechanism: causing misery
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ASSIGNMENT 1: Stranger Things
“What I learned doing this assignment is to try and see below the surface of what characters are not saying.”
=========================
11 PROFILE
A. Hope: Finding real family. / Fear: Going back to the lab
B. Want: To not be found. / Need: Love and belonging.
C. Base Negative Emotion: Fear / Public Mask: Helpless
D. Weaknesses: Doesn’t want to let down the people she cares for
E. Triggers: Seeing they people she cares for hurt
F. Coping Mechanism: Strike out/use her powers
=========================
Mike PROFILE
A. Hope: To have fun with his friends. / Fear: Not finding his lost friend will
B. Want: Unity with his friends. / Need: Answers
C. Base Negative Emotion: Powerless / Public Mask: go getter, won’t give up
D. Weaknesses: feels like a coward.
E. Triggers: Being disrespected.
F. Coping Mechanism: Yelling and avoidance
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<b data-pm-slice=”1 3 []” data-en-clipboard=”true”>ASSIGNMENT 2
Eric Watterson Intriguing Character Layers – Assignment 2
“What I learned doing this assignment is … how to examine each character and brainstorm their own personal intrigue.”
Anthony David, Jr. (ex-military operative turns recluse)
– Role: Centry Team Lead
– Hidden agendas: Find out who/what killed his team
– Competition: to uncover the truth. with military agents that want to arrest him and convict him of murder
– Conspiracies: the dark organization
– Secrets: he’s AWOL from the military, his mom committed suicide, he sometimes drinks to cover his gift
– Deception: keeps his secret powers hidden, wants to help others but doesn’t want them to know
– Wound: he blames himself for the death of his mother and his team
– Secret Identity: undercover hero
Anthony’s David (Anthony’s Dead Father)
– Role: Anthony’s dead father and guide to embrace his destiny
– Hidden agendas: he leads Anthony and his team into perilous situations to strengthen them and test them
– Competition: the dark entity organization
– Conspiracies: he was killed for what he learned about the darks
– Secrets: he know the truth of the darks but is not revealing it
– Deception: he never told his son that the entities killed his mom
– Wound: he blames himself for his wife’s death cause he wasn’t strong enough
– Secret Identity: was first a high ranking member of the Darks until he saw their secret agenda and turned on them
Edward Stanley (White Teen, privileged male with identity issues)
– Role: Smart aleck planner
– Hidden agendas: seeks approval from others
– Competition: competes with other boys in the home and team
– Conspiracies: the males in his family are part of a secret evil society
– Secrets: He was rejected by the men in his family for calling the police when they tried to rape a neighbor girl
– Deception: He has disguised himself as a policemen to retrieve stolen goods from police impound and witnessed them killing a witness while there
– Wound: he feels rejected by family and like an outsider
– Secret Identity: Control Freak
Chris Hope (Black Teen, grew up in abusive home)
– Role: Muscle and brains
– Hidden agendas: He wants to forget his past and everyone in it
– Competition: His cousin BrayBray wants him to stay connected to the old neighbourhood he hates
– Conspiracies:
– Secrets: Him and his cousin BrayBray killed his father but his mother covered for them
– Deception: He has a viciously violent side
– Wound: He was beat by his father as a child
– Secret Identity: murderer
Rong Chen (Chinese Teen, homeless immigrate)
– Role: Martial Arts Expert
– Hidden agendas: He’s secretly stashing money to go back to China and find his father
– Competition: he wants to fit in but doesn’t trust Americans
– Conspiracies: he believes that local Chinese gangs are involved in human trafficking
– Secrets: He wants to left alone to steal and hurt people as a school bounty hunter for money
– Deception: He’s an illegal alien who has taken the identity of someone he beat-up and hospitalized as a contract
– Wound:
– Secret Identity: Teenage hitman
Francisco Rameriz (Latin Teen, fatherless home, runaway)
– Role: Kind hearted Escape Artists
– Hidden agendas: He’s connected to an international drug trafficking ring
– Competition: he wants his younger brother to stay away from the gangs
– Conspiracies: with gang members to promote a new drug into local schools
– Secrets: he has sold drugs to kids and someone overdosed
– Deception: he hides his connection to the gang from his mom
– Wound: His father left him and his family
– Secret Identity: protector
Pierre Rameriz (Latin teen, Francisco big brother)
– Role: annoying know it all big brother
– Hidden agendas: wants to fit in and be better than his big brother
– Competition: his little brother, other guys and gang members
– Conspiracies: He wants to join with the drug ring
– Secrets: He’s secretly addicted to the new drug
– Deception: he’s spying on his brother and the team for the darks
– Wound: he feels judged by others because he’s not like his brother
– Secret Identity: drug addict
Officer Tim Cain (local policeman and social worker)
– Role: High Ranking Police Officer
– Hidden agendas: He’s secretly working for the darks
– Competition: Other policemen and
– Conspiracies: He’s part of the police force corruption
– Secrets: He has conspired with city officials to spread the new drug into the community
– Deception: He works for the darks as an undercover cop
– Wound: his mother blames him for his father death, because he died in a car wreck out searching for him after he ran away from home one night
– Secret Identity: Double Agent
Trimmol (Male Dark lead)
– Role: Evil Dark Bent on Human Destruction
– Hidden agendas: To spread a new drug worldwide that gives darks access and control over humans
– Competition: Christians and the Centry League and
– Conspiracies: To remove all positive influences from society being with families and communities
– Secrets: He follows the rules of other darks that hate and abuse him when he fails at his missions
– Deception: he has partners with city officials to gain access into positive projects to destroy them later
– Wound: he doesn’t remember his past, parents, origin or anything about where he came from
– Secret Identity: shape shifter
Lieutenant Jazmin Harper (military officer assigned to find Anthony)
– Role: Ruthless Military Police Woman
– Hidden agendas: to prove her value to her ex-husband that left her for a younger woman
– Competition: other men in the military
– Conspiracies: she has covered up men who abused women in the military to protect the image of the military officials
– Secrets: she stepped in to help a prostitute being beat by a high ranking military officer and government official that later was found dead. They are now threatening to frame her for the murder if she doesn’t follow their instructions
– Deception: the prostitute they killed was her step-sister
– Wound: She blames God for her family that died in a fire
– Secret Identity: ex-prostitute
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<b data-pm-slice=”1 3 []” data-en-clipboard=”true”>ASSIGNMENT 1:
Eric Watterson Intriguing Character Layers – Assignment 1
“What I learned doing this assignment is … how to further examine a show I’m watching for character intrigue.”
1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the places you’ve already seen Character Intrigue in the previous episodes.
– Mike (teen 1)
— What’s his relationship with his father
— why does he like the Dungeons and Dragons games so much? Is there a reason?
— Why does he put up with the bullies, is he scared to fight?
— Why does he dislike his sister, or does he?
– Lucus (teen 2)
— Why does he seem to hate Eleven and call her a weirdo?
— Whats the relationship with his family?
— Why does he put up with the bullies, is he scared to fight?
– Dustine (teen 3)
— Does he have a crush on Mikes sister?
— What kind of family does he have?
— Why does he put up with the bullies, is he scared to fight?
– Will (missing teen 4)
— Why was he the nice one of the group?
— Was he trying to fit in or is that how he really is?
— Why does he put up with the bullies, is he scared to fight?
— Where is he communicating with his mom from?
— Why did he need a private place?
— What was his relationship with his father?
– Eleven
— Is she human or something else?
— Where’s her mom?
— Does she miss her Dad?
— Was she experimented on or tortured?
— Does she know all the powers she has?
— Is she evil or good? Does she know the difference?
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Eric Watterson’s Engaging Main Characters 1 & 2
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to try and deeply examine each character purpose and examine their motives before writing out their actions. It felt a little weird to be honest. I created motives for characters that I don’t have actual actions or a storyline for. Is that ok?”
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Tell us the name and Engaging Profile answers for at least one character from your example show.
Stranger Things Episode 3
Character: 13
A. Role in the show:
– Is a hidden gem and escaped experimental child/person/being who knows more about what is going on under the scenes than any of the other characters know, but she doesn’t seem to be able to explain them.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– Hidden supernatural abilities that the kids joke about but she really has.
– She seems to know about the people doing the experiment and the monster they released or are searching for.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– She may be an alien or was born to a mother with supernatural abilities.
– She has killed people
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– she has killed people, but didn’t like it
– she may have been raised to become a weapon, but didn’t like it
there’s a moral issue of wanting to be accepted and knowing what right and wrong
– a need for love is in her that she doesn’t understand
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
– she kills a person for locking her in a closet but doesn’t kill her “father figure”
– she slams the door when the boy wants to call the cops but doesn’t react when shes screamed at
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– she’s running for her life it seems
– she’s cold and hungry
– the people that care for her are killed
– she doesn’t understand the world
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ASSIGNMENT 2:
Now, do the process with your show.
# 1. Tell us the journey of your show.
A leader takes us on a mission into an uncharted world.
# 2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?
– Anthony David, Jr. (ex-military operative turns recluse)
– Anthony’s David (Anthony’s Dead Father)
– Edward Stanley (White Teen, privileged male with identity issues)
– Chris Hope (Black Teen, grew up in abusive home)
– Rong Chen (Chinese Teen, homeless immigrate)
– Francisco Rameriz (Latin Teen, fatherless home, runaway)
– Pierre Rameriz (Latin teen, Francisco little brother)
– Officer Tim Cain (Anthony ex-military friend
– Trimmol (Male Dark lead)
– Lieutenant Jazmin Harper (military officer assigned to find Anthony)
# 3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.Character: – Anthony David, Jr. (ex-military operative turns recluse)<div>
A. Role in the show:
– Lead Centry within the Centry League Brotherhood.
– Forced to care for disruptive teens
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– Anthony current profession is gardening after leaving the military as a trained soldier.
– He distracts his mind by gardening while intoxicated to keep him off balance and able to see and cross into another realm.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– fears people finding out about his gifts so he hides it by pushing people away, while caring for them at the same time.
– he’s actually been AWOL from the military for years after walking away after his team was killed. They’ve been expecting him as the murderer.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– he sees people in need but allows them to suffer when he could do thigs to help them.
– some of his actions seem evil on the outside when he’s really forces them to overcome the darkness only he can see
– he has broken the law and forged documents while avoiding the military police
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
– because he can see what others don’t he sometimes acts in ways that appear to be crazy.
– as he’s trying not to get caught by the military he is sometimes puts himself in very peculiar situations while avoiding the military police searching for him
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– He went AWOL when the military blamed him for the death of his team and wouldn’t listen to him.
– He soon learns that his father was killed by the same forces that killed his team and every time he gets close to finding them, his plans are foiled.
– it makes him feel like he’s losing his mind and no one is there for him throughout his pain
– He reaches for alcohol to drown his pain and has tried to kill himself based on the whispers of the darks but they always fail
– the darks see that he has a destiny to destroy them that they cannot allow hi to reach
<hr>Character: Edward Stanley (White Teen, privileged male with identity issues)A. Role in the show:
– Smart aleck white teen boy. thinks highly of himself even though he’s been abandoned by his family
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– He’s very observant and has the ability to see slight changes in a person’s behaviour and body language which helps him to know what their thinking and mimic them
– his abilities help them to impersonate anyone and use it to gain access and learn secrets
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– he’s very insecure of his appearance and how he relates to others
– he acts as if he doesn’t care but hes always searching for acceptance from others
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– he’s willing to lie and steal for approval
– he has changed grades and forged documents trying to get approval from family but its always backfired
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
– he can copy or disguise himself as almost anyone to get what he needs no matter who it hurts
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– he comes from a successful family, that has written him off as an outcast because of his lack of talents in grades and sports which the family deems highly
– he feels like he doesn’t belong in his own family
<hr>Character: Christopher Hope (Black Teen, grew up in abusive home)</div><div>
A. Role in the show:
He’s a strong willed and physical strong
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– he has a photographic memory and is a wiz with numbers
– he also has a natural talent for computers and gadgets, he can fix anything
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– he comes from a broken family wear his father abused him and his mom.
– he discovered his talent trying to ignore the screams of his mom and clam himself down after being locked into a closet for hors by his dad
– he secretly killed his father in defense of mother but no one knows
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– uses he talents to steal from ATM and people easily, while also given to others that are hurting or abused
– he has traumatic dreams about his abusive father and he imagine himself being just like him
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
– he may hurt someone after moments of regression to his past without notice.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– he desires and also hates attention, so he pushes people away while needed their approval and hates himself because of it
<hr>Character: Rong “Ro” Chen (Chinese Teen, homeless immigrate)</div><div>
A. Role in the show:
– really watchful and untrusting, watches from background and moves into action quickly, often without thinking
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– natural martial arts expert; explosively fast
– can slow down time and predict body movements before they happen
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– He’s father was a member of the triad and he and his mother left Japan to escape death because of his fathers connection to the Triad
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– He’s a homeless foreigner, without papers
– he constantly sees death in his hands and is drawn to it as a result of what his father did in the triad
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
– he has an explosive temper and doesn’t really understand American culture so he may respond in ways that seem right to him but are not to others.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– he wants to fit in but doesn’t know how
– he has very little education but knows right from wrong
<hr>Character: Francisco Rameriz (Latin Teen, fatherless home, runaway)</div><div>
A. Role in the show:
– he brings love and care to situations when other are impulsive and rash
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– expert escape artist and crook.
– can pick locks and break into houses quickly
– he grew up breaking out of the house so his single mother wouldn’t have to feed him, along with his three siblings
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– He hates fathers because his natural father was never there and his stepfather died and left them alone after he lost his job
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– His stepfather lost his job because Francisco broken into his office and stole a secret invention, that he father showed him
– he is a member of a ruthless gang
– he has taken back things that were stolen from families and people and allowed other gang members to be beat or blamed for it
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
– even though he’s a member of an evil gang he has a heart for women and families that often conflict with his gangs actions.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– he doesn’t want to hurt people and often feels bad about it, he just doesn’t seem to know another way
<hr>Character: – Omar Makya (Native American teen, born on reservation, runaway)</div><div>
A. Role in the show: – Anthony (ex-military operative turns recluse)
– he is very empathic and compassionate, brings unexpected clarity and wisdom to the group
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– he seems to be in touch with the unseen realms and can see and track others naturally
– he ability to track others is because he can see another person’s spiritual trail/essence
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– his ability to see a persona spiritual trail also means he can see traces of what they have done, whether good or bad.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– he has rewarded people for things he has seen in their spirit trail and caused some people great pain because their trail was dark and he could tell they hurt someone else even though he couldn’t see exactly what they did.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
– he may be nice and kind to a person and suddenly turn on them and begin to beat them because of the spiritual trail that he suddenly see.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– he never knew his father and longs for a family
– he grew up as one of a number without any real significance from others
<hr>Character: Officer Tim Cain (Anthony ex-military friend – crooked cop)</div><div>
A. Role in the show:
– he has been called to the group home several times over the years and know each teen intimately
– very charismatic in public but also very mean behind closed doors
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– he’s the one who pulls all the teens into the new group home for an unknown purpose
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– he’s well connected within the police force, military and illegal world
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– he can use his connections both sides to accomplish whatever he wants
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
He understands what is right but can change right to fit whichever side of the coin he is one or whatever he wants at the moment
He seems to have very little conscience because of it
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– its hard to tell who is is really for, when he’s nice, he’s a great help to people in need but when he’s mean he can hurt people we love and care for
<hr>Character: Trimmol (Male Dark Entity)</div><div>
A. Role in the show:
– the main character that opposes the good Anthony does and seeks to destroy him for a reason that is not clear
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
– he has very special powers to shape shift and effects people minds and decisions
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
– hes a very mysterious character with clear goals but not clear reasons
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
– he will do good to a person to gain their trust and then slab them in the back once they are of no more use
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
– he will do very nice things that turn out to be evil and then point the blame of his actions on another person that was innocent
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
– we hate him because of what he does
– we feel for him because he has a higher power that causes him great pain when he doesn’t complete a task or fails in his mission to hurt someone else
– he doesn’t clearly understand the instructions he gets, but must do them or suffer the consequences
</div>
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Eric Watterson Three Circles of Characters
“What I learned doing this assignment is how to start thinking deeper about character circles that will playout the entire series.”
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Watch the next episode of your Example Show to see how the characters fit into these three circles:
Sample Show – Stranger Things
Give us a quick list for each circle.
A. Main Characters Circle:
– Mike (teen 1)
– Lucus (teen 2)
– Dustine (teen 3)
– Will (missing teen 4)
– Eleven
– Jim Hopper (Sheriff)
– Joyce Byers (Wills Mom)
– Jonathan (Will’s Brother)
– The Monster
B. Connected Circle:
– Nancy (Mike’s sister)
– Steve Harrington (Mikes sister fling)
– Barbara (Nancy’s friend)
– Holly Wheeler
– Dr. Brenner
– Mr. Clarke (science teacher)
– Wills Father
– Wills Fathers girlfriend
– Mikes Mother and Father
C. Environment Circle:
– Holly Wheeler (Mikes little sister)
– School Bullies
– Police Officers
– School Kids (outside, hallway and classroom)
– Background City Scenes
– School Principal
– Government Agents
– restaurant eaters
<hr>ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Create the three circles of characters for your show.
A. Main Characters Circle:
– Anthony David, Jr. (ex-military operative turns recluse)
– Edward Stanley (White Teen, privileged male with identity issues)
– Christopher Hope (Black Teen, grew up in abusive home)
– Rong “Ro” Chen (Chinese Teen, homeless immigrate)
– Francisco Rameriz (Latin Teen, fatherless home, runaway)
– Pierre Rameriz (Latin teen, Francisco little brother)
– Officer Tim Cain (Anthony ex-military friend – crooked cop)
– Trimmol (Male Dark leader)
B. Connected Circle:
– Anthony’s David (Anthony’s dead father, ex-military highly decorated, secretive, caring)
– Chris Mom and Dad (divorced couple, dad abused his mom and him
– Braylon “BrayBray” Willis (Black teen, Chris’ cousin)
– Edwards Mom, Dad and brothers and sisters (think Edwards has no skills and doesn’t fit into their perfect family)
– Francisco’s Mom (single mother raising two others younger kids in poverty)
– Loui Gonzales (Latin teen, drug cartels connection)
– Gang members that interact with Francisco and Chris
– Ms. Williams – School teacher that believes in the boys
– Mr. Wright – Social Worker who secretly works for Dark Providence
– Officer Hearst – neighborhood cop, divorced loving father, his wife left him for her boss
– Officer Hearst Ex Wife and daughter
– Mr. Trueblood – School Principal is hard on the teen boys and their negative behavior
– Sargent Abram – High ranking military official
– Sercy (Female Dark leader)
– Terry Smith (social worker)
– Lieutenant Jazmin Harper ((atheist cult member / military officer assigned to find Anthony)
C. Environment Circle:
– Police station officers and convicts
– Foster care workers
– Group home workers
– Group home boys
– Dark Providence workers and background characters
– School background kids and workers
– Neighborhood people
– Military Personnel
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Stranger Things 5 Star Model
What I learned doing this assignment is how to look for those things that are beneath the surface in the pilot episode
1. Stranger Things
2. From that, make a list of the 5 Star Points for that show.
Big Picture Hooks
Ask this: What is the big hook of this show?
Strange Alien or Mystical Creature
Government Cover up
Missing Child
Small Town / Bug Threat
Amazing and Intriguing Character
Ask this: What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?
Hidden Motives
Unfulfilled Destinies
Broken relationships
Feeling lost or misunderstood
escaped from captivity
Empathy / Distress
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?
Missing child
Being Bullied
Outcast from society
strange child being hunted
hurting mother and big brother
Layers / Open Loops
Ask this: What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?
where did the boy go?
Is he still alive?
Who called the mother on the phone?
Who is the little girl?
What is the government hiding?
why did they choose this town to setup lab?
Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?
You want to see the nerds become heroes
you want them to find the boy
you feel for the mother
who or what is the little girl?
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!
Could the dad be withdrawn from the family for a reason or is he just unconcerned?
Why would the sister like this creep?
Is there a need to be liked?
What’s this extra layer of honesty in the boy that went missing?
Why was the shed have a gun?
Why did the boy have a secret hiding space?
Was the monster drawn to the boy for a reason or was it just by chance?
What was the dog barking at that draw the cop to the shed?
where did the gun go?
What is the science teacher so “nice”?
The big brothers seems to be hiding personal hurts?
What’s the band on the Sheriffs arm?
why the radio at school? What for?
What’s the arm thing for? How will that play into the story?
Is the sister really a nerd at school? Why does the “cool boy” like her?
Why is the chief dressed differently?
What happened to the chief’s daughter?
Who’s the government guy with the white hair?
the say, “this is where it came from?” did the creature break in or break out?
Will says, “I don’t get scared like that anymore?” What does that mean?
What are the people in the room taping the phone lines listening for?
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1. Name:
Eric Watterson
2. How many scripts you’ve written?
I’ve written about 4 scripts3. What you hope to get out of the class?
I want to help develop the entertainment side of a mentoring brand I’ve created for guys called CENTRY where our core mission is to inspire and teach guys to Serve, Honor & Protect. I’ve written several books and stuff that share these concepts, so now I want to create a series that can draw people to use and help them connect with our additional content.4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you?
I’ve had many dreams that I’ve written down over the years that I thought was God giving me movie ideas. I’m not saying He’s not; I just don’t understand them all! LOL!I had one a few days ago. Wanna hear about it? Ok, here we go, it went something like this:
“I was somewhere with a guy who pulled an ironman suit out of his car trunk after he parked in the middle of the street. (However, it wasn’t the full Ironman suit, it was only the breastplate portion.) The guy told me to put it on and say, “I have the power of Iron man!!!” I said, “Ok, coolness!” So, I put it on, standing in the middle of the street and screamed, “I have the power of Aquaman!” The guy looked at me and said, “That’s not what I told you to say.” I looked back at him and said, “I know. I don’t know why I said that.”
Then I woke up and laughed!
Just in case you wanna ask, I did not watch “Avengers: Infinity War” or any Mavel flick before going to bed! LOL!
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This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by Eric Watterson.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by
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Eric Watterson
“I agree to the terms of this release form.”
GROUP RELEASE FORM
As a member of this group, I agree to the following:
1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.
2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.
I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.
3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.
4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.
5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.
6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.
This completes the Group Release Form for the class.
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Awesomeness lady! 🙂