John Anderson
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John Anderson’s Intriguing Concept and World
What I learned doing this assignment is… What a pitch bible is and that there really is a template that is pretty straight forward to making a pitch bible
Module 2 – Lesson 1: What Makes a Great TV Pitch Bible?
ASSIGNMENT:
Present your concept and world.
1. Present your Concept.
A. Engaging and highly proactive hero…
B. …up against a major conflict…
C. …goes on unique transformational journey…
D. …Into an intriguing world.
MiG Pilot in soviet Russia during Cold War determines to defect and take his secret plane with him.
2. Tell us the World of this show.
Unique Sub-World: Soviet life during Cold War for a poor person with drive and individualistic spirit.
Previously unexplored: How to climb the rungs into the Soviet system into and through their Airforce
The unknown: Living the life of a MiG pilot is not as rosy as it seems and is full of danger.
The unseen: How the KGB (and CIA) is constantly watching and testing you.
Unheard of Dangers: Corruption is everywhere in every level of the Soviet leadership.
Reason to explore it: His only path to freedom in this repressive system.
Don’t worry if either concept or world are not perfect. You’ll discover other ways to elevate them and make them more intriguing in future lessons. For the moment, just see if you can fill in the blanks and then write a description from there.
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John Anderson has completed the BW Framework!
What I learned doing this exercise is: there is an unlimited amount of depth in any complete character. as there is in any human’s life. The more I look, the more the exposes itself as possible plot lines but, its a matter of keeping the story’s spine intact. If the characters are real, they have a years worth of shows in any aspect of their life.
(3 Main Character Version)
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John Anderson’s Creating Irony!
What I learned doing this assignment is… Anything dealing with a communist vs capitalist story is rife with irony potential.
ASSIGNMENT 1: Example Show
Watch the next episode of your Example Show and notice where irony shows up in this show — both in this episode and throughout the episodes you’ve already seen.
Tell us the irony you have already discovered in the Example Show.
Straight FBI Agent Beeman has affair, Soviets have sex for “the cause”, Elizabeth decides she wants love after so long, Both lie to one another about sex, no one of any of the spies tell the truth, FBI lies about killing soviet, both heroes show compassion when least expected, their daughter is as suspicious as they are, they lecture her about the importance of “trust”, their spy friends son kills his family to “do something good” for the cause, their own son turns out to be the murderer, she lets SEAL kill a fellow traveler, their handler actually cares about them, FBI agent trusts a spy neighbor, The USSR secretary Anna turns herself in from guilt, her boss keeps her on to do double agent work, etc etc etc etc. Surprisingly, I could go on for another hour.
ASSIGNMENT 2: Your Show
Look back through your previous assignments and find at least 20 different situations or character components that you could go opposite to create irony.
1) Having baby made married situation worse for Belenkos
2) Belenko escapes USSR to live in a prison cell
3) Belenko believes USA is evil but goes anyway
4) Belenko goes into Airforce to find freedom but ends up in a “straightjacket” life
5) Belenko tells truth to CIA agents he mistrusts
6) Belenko is a spy for USSR
7) CIA lady is faking affair for job
8) CIA lady is not faking but is lying to her bosses
9) CIA lady has never been married though she says she is
10) Belenko is willing to leave child
11) Belenkos wife marries to have fabulous life but ends up in Siberian town outside of AF Base.
12) Generals encourage drinking to dull spirits of all
13) Everyone in Russia knows the USSR is failing as they talk about its greatness
14) When Stain dies, they act like they never trusted him and expose him
15) They all pretend Trotski was bad but Lenin was good
16) US is supposed to be represent freedom but lies to Belenko about lots of things (their trust in him)
17) Belenko thinks grocery store is fake because there are no long lines
18) Belenkos father tells him to be honest as he steals
19) Stealing is rife throughout the law enforcement and true believers of the perfect world.
20) They say go to the radio if you need milk since it always says there is plenty.
With each, brainstorm ideas for ways it could go opposite.
Select the ones that work well for the show and share the character and situational irony ideas with us.
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Lesson 10: Creating Intriguing Layers
ASSIGNMENT 1: Example Show
What I learned doing this assignment is…. The more we get into this, the more there is to keep track of (rules wise). It’s tough to really gather many of these ideas into these categories. Since my story is about deception, adding more deception is not tough but trying to do it and keep the theme intact reminds me of listening to John Coltrane playing “My favorite Things” – the genus is when you think you are lost, he pulls a string and it all meshes back into place and you move on with the story. After a while, you begin to trust it and you go for the ride knowing it will pay off.
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.
LITERALLY DOZENS:
KGB Anna with original boss, new boss, caviar guy, science guy and dead KGB agent.
Philip with other family, old lover, kids, FBI secretary/wife, etc
Elizabeth with black panther guy, other KGB families wife, older female handler, General Zukoff, daughter
FBI agent Beeman – wife, Anna, his boss, his (now dead) partner, his past life in ARK, Phillip, friends he’s partying with
New KGB guy with family contacts, Anna, love of western culture
Russian Embassy head – his superior back in Russia, new agent, Anna
Various moles in U.S. gov. – Engineers, Navy members, scientists, etc. (each is another story and back story)
ASSIGNMENT 2: Your Show
Discover the layers that could exist for your show.
1. Brainstorm a list of possible PLOT layers.
Major scheme revealed – THE BIGGEST OVERALL STORY ARC IS THE EXPOSURE OF THE USSR FOR WHAT SOVIET COMMUNISM REALLY IS LIKE AND HOW THEY KNOW AMERICA HAS A BETTER LIFE.
Mystery revealed – Soviet Communism is lies and purposeful gas lighting
Thought the story was one thing, but it is another – we see a government filled with self-dealing where empathy is rare and it sell-out or die on every level
Major shift in Meaning – From believing and trusting the state to finding it to be all a facade
Hidden history – As the leaders die, their crimes are revealed to the country as the new leaders move to shift the power to them while the people suffer endless deprivations and are FORCED to join in the illusion of “Happiness”.
Hidden plan – To retain power of the soviet at any cost even knowing the system is known by the highest people to be unworkable and that it causes more pain than other government systems they could have.
Major betrayal – Belenko played the game they ask and made it to the “top” but still, it’s he that is asked to suffer. The future is a carrot that has begun to rot in front of his eyes.
A. PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story.
Major scheme revealed – plan to defect
Mystery revealed – What many steps led him to the final decision
Thought the story was one thing, but it is another – Wife leaving was his final straw
Major shift in Meaning – No ideological reason but personal and not so high minded
Hidden history – He had an affair on-going but his families abandonment of hi meant no one could be punished so he had no guilt in leaving.
Hidden plan – How he calculated it all – step by step
Major betrayal – He betrayed his country, family and Air Force service as well as all his superiors
B. PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story.
Major scheme revealed – Belenko’s Wife planning on leaving him
Mystery revealed – She was traveling (to see boyfriend)
Thought the story was one thing, but it is another – we though she was going to see family
Major shift in Meaning – she wasn’t trying tp make the marriage work
Hidden history – she was always a gold digger
Hidden plan – wanted boy so she would get pension as military officer kid
Major betrayal – crushed Belenko who still believed in the marriage
C. PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story.
Major scheme revealed – CIA woman having affair with Belenko is not real
Mystery revealed – Apparently caught by mistrusting boss
Thought the story was one thing, but it is another – we thought it was a true affair but boss in on it
Major shift in Meaning – they are playing Belenko
Hidden history – US as tricky as the USSR – can’t be trusted to tell the truth
Hidden plan – To get him to reveal hidden agenda of his own though sex
Major betrayal – Belenko is fooled by another woman and another government
D. PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story.
Major scheme revealed – Librarian moved here to see her husband in secret
Mystery revealed – She hopes to help him escape
Thought the story was one thing, but it is another – She was just a librarian with no politics
Major shift in Meaning – She is not a lonely old lady
Hidden history – Her husband and her are in love and he was a professor
Hidden plan – To get him out with papers
Major betrayal – The “paper” sales person sells them out
2. Brainstorm a list of possible CHARACTER layers.
CHARACTER LAYERS – identity beneath the identity.
A. Secret identity – Librarian is the wife of a Zek (political prisoner)
Character intrigue – She must sneak out to take a look at him and vice versa
Hidden relationships and conspiracies – they meet in secret when they can so he can escape – she has a black market plan to get him forged papers.
Hidden Character history – He was a college professor but now is being worked to death. Deep love between them.
B. – Secret identity – Pilot is a Christian
– Character intrigue – He knows owning a bible would end his career
Hidden relationships and conspiracies – other Christians meet and pray? Secret priests?
Hidden Character history – some way he became Christian and read bible but never let it be known.
C.
Secret identity – CIA woman – spy by nature but has a married life in trouble and likes sex
Character intrigue – Is she truly interested in Belenko and she’s hiding it from her bosses or is it just sex or is it Belenko she is being fake with (it’s the the job)
Hidden relationships and conspiracies – who is in on it all? Her boss, no one, her bosses boss? She has relationships with all – does husband know?
Hidden Character history – Find something about her marriage and or her past infidelities that haunts either her work or her marriage or someone specific in the agency. What drove her to do this job?
3. Organize them each into a possible sequence of reveals.
Plot Surface A: Belenko is acting weird on this day one but we don’t know him well.
Layer 1: He exercises and seems tense and determined
Layer 2: He has a family he doesn’t wish to disturb in the early morning (so he won’t defect)
Layer 3: Doctor thinks he’s a bit off but Belenko assures him he’s fine (not eating much)
Layer 4: A weapon is issued to him.
Layer 5: He has a hidden piece of paper in his pocket – why?
Layer 6: He turns the wrong way. Why?
Layer 7: he turns off Rader and radio and dives the jet into the woods as if to commit suicide
Layer 8: he pulls out at last second so we see its puposeful – why? stays low and flies to the sea.
Layer 9: the Russians get worried and wonder whats happening
Layer 10: he see fuel low so rises
Layer 11: Both Japanese and Russian Rader pick him up
Layer 12: Different conclusions but same reaction – He’s defecting (Russia) He’s invading (Japan) – both send attacks planes to shoot him down.
Character Surface:
Layer 1: Belenko is going about normal routine
Layer 2: Belenko is nervous
Layer 3: Belenko is acting shady
Layer 4: Belenko has a secret paper
Layer 5: Belenko takes sudden action
Layer 6: Belenko is determined but on the edge of death and yet fighter pilot calm
Layer 7: He is scared and confused once he lands
Layer 8: Many other layers as we unravel his past through the KGB digging, The CIA digging and his story telling to the CIA with flashbacks and callbacks to hat we’ve already seen.
Layer 9: once we are in US hands, we relive the fateful day with his eyes and understand what was going on with reveals. We also reveal the repercussions to those left behind.
Character surface:
Layer 1: She’s a librarian with a soviet rules mindset
Layer 2: She offers him western books to read
Layer 3: she realizes he’s smarter and more aware than most and lets him know that
Layer 4: Belenko knows she is sneaking off and seeing a prisoner and he watches her
Layer 5: she catches Belenko and confronts him angrily
Layer 6: Belenko is confused and obviously innocent – she thinks sex will help her (it has in the past) but he doesn’t want it so she decides to trust him.
Layer 7: Belenko discovers a secret that the Soviets ‘’kept from him – Ideological prisoners
Layer 8: Belenko believes she is planning an escape with her husband and when she slips up and is about to be caught – he distracts KGB and she gets away.
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Lesson 9: Inviting Obsession: Open Loops
John Anderson’s Big Picture Open Loops
What I learned doing this assignment is… That I may need to figure out more back story and intrigue but…. I think open loops work even when we know that the final end is foreseen. In other words, we know the Americans win WWII and General Patton lives, but we still take the ride in “Patton” and pretend we don’t know this. When we go back in time to solve a mystery, we need open loops within this time frame to make it interesting and we reveal the mystery clues.
ASSIGNMENT 1
1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the Big Picture open loops that were established early in the season.
– Will they get caught?
– Are these kids going to live a normal life or have to go to Russia and how will they deal with the lies?
– How long is this supposed to go on for?
– Will they get together in “love”
-Will Beeman’s secrets be exposed?
– Will Beeman get in a kill or be killed situation with them like his partner did?
– Will they defect?
2. Watch the next episode and see how those open loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes.
– are the wives going to cheat?
– are either of them getting a divorce?
– did the mistakes turn this into an all out war?
– does Elizabeth care more about USSR than her kids (are they simply cover)?
-where will this Stan/Russian secretary affair lead both of them?
– any way secretary can live through this?
– friction between new Russian female handler (Grannie) and Elizabeth is rising (treats are made and statements like – “you are new at this and have so much to learn”
– She Elizabeth and Philip go back and forth between trust and mistrust – hurting the other
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Use this list to brainstorm big picture open loops for your first season that you will use to keep the audience captivated.
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GOALS:
New goals? – to become a pilot, to survive the defection, to get info on the MiG25, to become a honey pot, to enjoy being with each other (CIA female and Viktor)
Goals related to the big picture? – to defect with MiG 25, to interrogate pilot and get him to trust us, to find out why Viktor left (both sides looking), to uncover his helpers, To keep him safe from USSR and KGB
Crushed goals? To be happily married, to be a test pilot, to live in a nice area, to have a happy family, to be treated well, to hear truth and honesty, to have others admit hypocrisy, to feel free, to be able to ask any question, CIA female to have a happy marriage, to be a test pilot
Competition / conflict around goals? – Female CIA agent doing her job vs fulfilling personal needs, Wants to be loyal to country but not reciprocated, Wife wants high life and power but he wants his job, new mom and Viktor want to control dad, Viktor wants to fly newer planes
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught? – obvious with defection plans, is viktors wife cheating, bible found with other pilot
Problems created from past actions? – Viktor was asking lots of the wrong questions at one time, Viktor running away is tolerated only once, Viktor was a traitor to his country.
Good plans gone wrong? – will he find a place to land the MiG?
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character? He can’t live with the fake world and pretend all is well.
What are they trying to solve? What’s true life about and is there freedom somewhere?
Major change imposed on character? Wife and child leaving for good, won’t be promoted to test pilot, forced to live in filthy barracks in Siberia, under control of US Government, can’t go home.
Previous solutions cause new problems? Leaving is one thing, now in America… now what? Got married but now has to worry about her feelings, Same with child being born. Kissing ass just makes him feel like he’s part of the lie himself.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril? Female CIA agent and husband, Cia Agent and partner, CIA agent and Viktor, Viktor and his commanding officer who he knows will be punished, wife and Viktor, all Viktor’s relatives and the state after he leaves.
New relationships forming? CIA Agents and Viktor, Farmer and Viktor, Librarian and Viktor, Traning pilot and viktor, plant foreman, psyc., step mother, friends
Conflict inside relationships? Step mother, doctors on base, commanding office, plant workers, wife, father, grandmother
Relationships changing? Father, step mother, wife, commander, psyc, CIA agents
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X? top question as he plans escape.
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions? All the way through.
Who else is pulled into their danger? All the people he leaves behind in USSR, the CIA female
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)? How cold he feels towards others. How can he leave a child? Desire to feel free at any cost!
2. Tell us your top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in your pilot.
The CIA female relationship w V.
The CIA Male relationship w V.
The CIA agents’ relationships with each other
The farmer and Viktor
Why did he run?
Will he make it (even though we know he will, does that work?) perhaps as … HOW will he make it?
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Lesson 8: Inviting Obsession: Mystery
John Anderson’s Show Mysteries
What I learned doing this assignment is…
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the mysteries that have been created in that show. Also, notice the difference between the big picture mysteries that are a big part of the plot across the entire season versus the smaller mysteries.
Tell us about the mysteries from this show.
!5 years living in USA as spies, what was Stan Beeman doing for 3 years and how many people has he killed, “can’t be married and not have secrets” what are they all? Biggest mysteries: will Elizabeth and Phillip get together in love, will they get caught, will they return to Russia, will Beeman figure them out, will Beeman get divorced, what did Beeman do in the past, will the show go to the end of USSR and then what? How many are there?
Little mysteries: how will the family cope with divorce? Did Phillip win her back by letting her lover go?, Is Beeman a rally bad guy?, will he destroy his mole and run her out?, how’s his marriage (is the affair real or part of the job?), what’s next assignment for spies?
ASSIGNMENT 2:
Create two mysteries for your show — one that shows up strong in the Pilot and the other that is revealed over time.
A) Is this pilot defecting with a MiG 25?
B) Why did he defect and what will repercussions be?
1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.
A. Shocking Event: A MiG pilot stops following orders during training.
B. Secret: He is defecting
C. Investigation: Is he alive and defecting or has he crashed?
WWWWW and How:
Who: MiG Pilot Lt. Belenko is off course
What: Is he doing: defecting
When: planned for months
Where: between Soviet Russia and free Japan
How: through planning
Why: He has turned on his country
Part Withheld:
See bold sentences above for withheld answers
2. Create the Over Time Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.
A. Cover up: Why did he defect and can we trust him? (Russians need these answers too – did someone help him? Did we slack off and who can we blame or deflect our capability toward?)
B. Secret: He may be a double agent (or was with CIA for years) so we need to know his past and current motives
C. Reveals: He is not a double agent and he simply grew dissatisfied with Russia/USSR
WWWWW and How:
Who: Freedom loving boy and man
What: A man wanting truth
Why: Honest Curiosity and suffering
Where: the dregs of Soviet society
When: When his wife said she was leaving
How: though a series of difficult events
Part Withheld:
What steps got him to this point and the final straw that set him free – his wife and child leaving
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Lesson 7
John Anderson’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is That other than my main character, many others don’t have enough background in the book for us to have empathy. I will need to add logical back stories from my imagination that will increase the possibilities for empathy and distress (as this is a true story).
ASSIGNMENT 1:
1. Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the Empathy/Distress that shows up in this episode and throughout the season so far.
2. Notice the difference between Big Picture Empathy/Distress and detail oriented Empathy/Distress. Big Picture will have an impact across multiple episodes.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
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?”
Belenko:
A. Undeserved misfortune… Father is a mean drunk living with WWII memories, removed from mother at 2 and then from grandmother and aunt at 7, forced to live with strangers packed on a commune, living with mean stepmother who father sides with, living in USSR and all that means, poverty, cold war, no connections, jealous comrades, wife unhappy due to assignment in Siberia, not connected enough to move up in Air Force, spies everywhere, CIA doesn’t trust soviet defectors, KGB wants him back or dead (can’t just let it go).
B. External Character conflicts…. Father does care, step mother has her own kids to defend and watch out for, Police give no quarter to young kids (Zeks everywhere as a threat), Emotional bond with wife is strong but fragile, plant manager needs alcohol runs to control men, KGB officer always on look out, Doctor is controlling on base as is the commander (military life requires no questions), CIA affair is torrid, Relationship with Jim (CIA) is uneasy at best, farmer is too smart for his own good.
C. Plot intruding on life… KGB and Soviets do everything they can to know what you are doing (constant spying) and encouraging all to turn their comrades in, His CIA handlers are luck of the draw that they have their personalities, fuel levels are what they are, wife gets sick of the misery, baby exacerbates the issues, affair puts his trustworthiness in doubt with Jim (and vice versa – is it real?)
D. Moral dilemmas… Having to leave his country, having to break his oath as a military man, leaving his child, hurting his country, having sex with a still married CIA agent, lying to CIA man he promised to be truthful with
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. – leaving wife and knowing she will face problems. Knowing his captain will pay a big price, knowing the CIA woman could be demoted (at best), knowing she is married, he still has sex with her.
Ludmilla:
A. Undeserved misfortune. – forced to live in Siberia in cramped home, husband not attentive
B. External Character conflicts. – must follow rules of
military and marriage
C. Plot intruding on life. – KGB control every move and
her parents are selfish
D. Moral dilemmas. – leaving husband to make better
life, must pull son from his dad
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. – will be a
divorcee, make her son fatherlessFemale CIA agent:
A. Undeserved misfortune. – husband left her
B. External Character conflicts. – troubled marriage,
can’t find love due to job hours
C. Plot intruding on life. – meets attractive Russian,
forced to act as a honey pot (planned or unplanned we don’t know)
D. Moral dilemmas. – – should she or not (whether sex
something she will do for country or something he does against the rules)
E. Forced decisions they’d never make.- must lie to
either Belenko or Jim/ CIA, break wedding vows -
John Anderson’s Character Emotions
“What I learned doing this assignment is That an emotional profile is THE road map to increasing tension and interesting moments where I might otherwise have just had some mundane moments that would move the story along but not with as much intrigue. I also now see how deep these characters are developed in these Example Shows and how that has made them so binge-worthy. While, I already knew that Breaking Bad and the Wire and other binge-worthy shows had many extra levels of human emotional exposure, I wasn’t sure how to explain it before.
LESSON 5
ASSIGNMENT 1: Example Show
Watch the next episode of your Example Show and create an Emotional Profile for two or three main characters in this show.
1) Phillip:
A. Situational: Hope / Fear – To lead a normal life in the USA with Elizabeth/ He will be caught and jailed
B. Motivation: Want / Need – Her love/ To be able to trust her to have his back at all times
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public Mask – hypercompetitive control freak/ happy go lucky
D. Weaknesses – Needs to feel safe with someone/ needs to feel loved / competitiveness / vengeful
E. Triggers – bullies / vulnerability with others / lack of control / betrayal
F. Coping Mechanism – attack / cheat / hurt others / turn off caring2) Elizabeth:
A. Situational:
Hope / Fear – wants a love “connection” / Her kids will find out she lied
to them
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – To feel safe / true trust
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask –
Fanatical believer / sweet mom
D. Weaknesses –
Not trustworthy herself / wants to trust others
E. Triggers –
her rape, safety of her cover in danger, looking as if weak or needing others
F. Coping
Mechanism – rage, her job requirements as excuse, bad habits (cigs)ASSIGNMENT 2: Your Show
For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:
1) Belenko:
A. Situational:
Hope / Fear -Wants to defect /
America will be as bad as the Soviets say
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – To find freedom/ to
stop the lying and terror
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask – To
feel control / Good Soviet and true believer
D. Weaknesses –
needs love and to trust in truth. Competitive, can’t tolerate being lied
tot
E. Triggers – liars,
lack of control, cowardness, criminal actions, smiles
F. Coping
Mechanism – anger, shuts down and conspires, flying, the wilderness,
acting out2) Male CIA Agent:
A. Situational:
Hope / Fear – To uncover Soviet
secrets / That he will be duped
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – To be smarter than the Soviets / To feel safe
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask – Fear of failure and lack of control /
Friendly helper
D. Weaknesses –
self-doubt, lack of trust in others,
E. Triggers –
little lies or deceptions, contradictions, mistakes on his end
F. Coping
Mechanism – Removal of self and reassessment, challenging, alcohol,
beating self up3) Female CIA Agent:
A. Situational:
Hope / Fear – to gain Belenko’s trust / he’ll see through her self-doubt
or mistrust her
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – To have control of situations, competitive / to be treated
with respect and be seen. To be
needed by others
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask – feels invisible / pretty lady
D. Weaknesses –
Ambitious, thin skinned
E. Triggers –
Sideways statements, sexual comments by coworkers, being ignored in
conversation,
F. Coping
Mechanism – sexuality/sensuality, smiles, makeup, sexual promiscuity4) KGB Agent
A. Situational:
Hope / Fear – to get Belenko back to Russia / to be seen as ineffective at
job / competent
B. Motivation:
Want / Need – to get promoted or keep job / To feel stay in good graces
and not be returned to Russia
C. Mask: Base
Negative Emotion / Public Mask – afraid of failure / tough guy
D. Weaknesses –
scared of his own thoughts of America, his thoughts of defection, paranoid
E. Triggers –
lack of control, being disrespected, sensing he is not feared, smiles
F. Coping
Mechanism – anger, threats, false friendliness, bravado -
Lesson 6: Build Your Character Relationship Map
“What I learned doing this assignment is: my relationships need fuller arcs and exploration.”
John Anderson’s Show Relationship Map
The Americans
MiG Pilot
My 4 Charts wont past here for some reason???
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John Anderson’s Intriguing Character Layers
Lesson 4 Hidden Agendas
What I learned doing this assignment is: The more intrigue, the better.
My example show has it everywhere. I realize that many of these driving wounds are there and a huge part of what drives these characters but the audience (me , at least) is only aware in a glancing way. I have never pondered some of this as I should to really GET the piece. In my best work, I’ve always used the WOUND as my guide in everything I have the character do. The wound is really the heart of the character. Sometimes, I didn’t name the wound but I knew it. Better to name it in the future.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the places you’ve already seen Character
Intrigue in the previous episodes… The Americans
Hidden agendas –
Phillip – Tries to keep friend alive over mission, Care about wife over mission, Wants real relationship and family life, May defect,
Elizabeth – having affair with black panther, wants to kill her rapist, wants to be loved
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – doesn’t trust neighbors, trying to keep team as focus when praised to keep them as a team
Competition –
Phillip and Elizabeth compete (when she beat up the defector by herself), outsmarts American agents
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – against other agents he is obviously keeping his past greatness from seeping in as they are all competitive
Conspiracy –
Phillips – He keeps his options open on defection, his whole life is conspiracy
Elizabeth – Affair was a conspiracy, – the two conspire as to the real reason they killed the defector
They both pretend to run a travel agency
Secrets –
Phillips – Wanting to defect, going after the guy who hit on his daughter, killing defector,
Elizabeth – affair, feelings for Phillip grew, Talking in Russian and talking about their past lives.
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – something is up from his undercover work, He makes the KGB lady do his dirty work, he isn’t above doing things “off the books” – ie. at stereo store
Deception
Phillips – Great disguises (like the way he dupes the FBI lady with interviews)
Elizabeth – lied about affair – lies to kids constantly
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – past secretes in FBI coming
Wound-
Phillip – old girlfriend left behind,
Elizabeth – love with Black Panther, looking for true love
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – something in the White Supremacist pat
Secret Identity
All have secret identities but….
Phillip has many but from Elizabeth he was hiding desire to defect. He has a mean streak that is psychopathic – no problem killing
Elizabeth – biggest is from the kids POV Also a killer.
2. Watch the next episode and see how Character Intrigue is being used to create the need to see
more episodes.
Hidden agendas
– The female double agent (secretary in Russian Embassy) – will she survive now they now about her
– Phillips new love for Elizabeth will it push Elizabeth’s dislike of being “fathered”
– KGB Agents sexual desire for secretary – what will it cost?
Competition–
– Racketball heating up
– Phillip and Eliz heating up over her well being
Conspiracy
– FBI agent and secretary’s conspiracy is exciting
– What’s going on with Phillip at FBI lady’s house?
Secrets
– Secretary is playing a dangerous game
– FBI secretary is playing a foolish game
Deception
– Phillip deceiving FBI lady and FBI agent
– Both deceiving America
– Secretary deceiving bosses at Embassy
– The head of embassy deceiving his older KGB guy (killed his source)
Wound
– Something about Elizabeth’s father
– KGB guy had friendship with his source and they deceived and killed him
– FBI agent and wife are struggling with past
Secret Identity
– Who will get caught? All have secret identity.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.
Character Name: Belenko
Role: MiG Pilot who defects with the plane to the west
Hidden agendas: To get out of USSR with the plane. To get even with his superiors, wife and others. To find true freedom and honesty.
Competition: He wants to be the best pilot (and a famous defector?) Loves to outsmart others.
Conspiracies: Defection is a huge conspiracy from early in his planning. (The Soviet State conspirers to it’s citizens as well.)
Secrets: All have secrets in a totalitarian system and Belenko has them throughout the story
Deception: He leaves pretending to go on the days mission – tells NO ONE
Wound: Lack of love and lack of freedom. BIGGEST WOUND? —The ZUKs life stays with him forever (that utter distain for a person’s humanity!)
Secret Identity: he is betraying them all. He outsmarts everyone
Character Name: None yet Female CIA Agent
Role: Female CIA Agent
Hidden agendas: Love
Competition:
Conspiracies: affair?
Secrets: either form CIA or from Belenko or both?
Deception: yes – cant reveal her plans (whatever they are)
Wound: ?
Secret Identity: ?
Character Name: Male CIA Agent
Role: male CIA Agent
Hidden agendas: Pretend to be friend
Competition: Against the KGB agent
Conspiracies: maybe – regarding “affair”
Secrets: many
Deception: many
Wound:?
Secret Identity:?
Character Name: KGB Agent ??
Role: KGB Agent
Hidden agendas: perhaps double agent
Competition: with US CIA?
Conspiracies: Against KGB?
Secrets: willing to defect? Lies to Belenko and CIA
Deception: Tries to trick Belenko
Wound: ??
Secret
Identity -
John Anderson’s Engaging Main Characters
Lesson 3
What I learned doing this assignment is: I am not sure I have a binge worthy story based on the criteria so far and what I know about my book. I think I will need more main characters and character development than what’s in the book (really just one man’s story). I also think that the MiG-25 Aircraft it’s self may be considered a character but I’m not yet sure.
The Americans – Phillip
A.
Role in the show: The
father/husband spy in deep cover who works for KGB.B. Unique
Purpose / Expertise: He is in deep cover with his wife to work for the
USSR and has been trained on many espionage technics (well versed in fighting,
covert electronics, dead drops, interrogation, etc.),
C. Intrigue:
What is secret beneath the surface? He’s falling for the American way
of life and his partner/wife. He
thinks of fellow travelers as his actual friends. He is super competitive and will win at
any cost – even cheating. He is a
hothead. He likes control.D. Moral Issue:
What moral boundaries are they crossing? Sex is a means to an end and
uses people sexually. He is now allowing
personal feelings as an excuse to betray his vows to his country. He will kill for revenge and then lie
about the reason. Cowardly – He doesn’t want to know the truth when it’s
hard to hear (what will they do with his partner’s wife and baby?) Thinks he’s above the law. The ends justify the means. Begins
breaking rules about talking about past.E. Unpredictable:
What will they do next? What will make him turn himself in? He changes his mind. He is breaking rules after years, where
will this lead? He lies at times to
superiors and what would happen if they found out? He has allowed many others to know who
he is.F. Empathetic:
Why do we care? Easy to understand that he started out with only
propaganda to guide him to the decisions he’s made to spy on the USA. He is seeing the light of freedom and we
want to believe he will be changed by it.
He is going through relatable emotions because of his love for Elizabeth
and her lack of reciprocation. He
finds out she’s been lying to him for over a dozen years about loving
someone else and it crushes him. He
cares about his kids. He doesn’t want
to get caught by either side. He wants to protect Elizabeth.ASSIGNMENT 2:
Now, do the process with your show.
1. Tell us the journey of your show.
A boy becomes a man in Soviet Russia in the late 1960s/early 1970s and rises to the top of the military pilot heap. He is assigned a MiG25 and marries and fathers a child. He becomes disillusioned with the USSR and decides to defect to the west (along with his super-secret jet). Once here, he must learn to trust people.
2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?
Lt. Belenko, The female CIA agent, the male CIA agent, Main KGB Agent
3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.
A. Role in the show:
Belenko – he is the main character who we will mostly empathize with as his frustration builds when he tries to make sense of a totalitarian government and a life filled with gas-lighting and outright lies.
Male CIA agent – He will show us what the challenges are when he must decide if he can trust that what he sees in Belenko is the truth or a clever communist set up.
Female CIA Agent – She will fulfill her role as a woman with both compassion and a life and death job.
Main KGB Agent – he will expose the real truth behind the Soviet Union awareness of what the country really is as they try every trick to regain control of Belenko.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Belenko – top pilot with the intelligence to escape with the prize of the century aircraft and also the flight abilities to evade two countries attempts to shoot him down in the process.
Male CIA Agent – A top pilot himself as well as a top professional at the art of spy craft – He able to suss out the truth and ask questions as he disarms the person being interrogated.
Female CIA agent – She must use her feminine charm to disarm and draw Belenko out. Top agent just learning spy craft but a natural.
Main KGB Agent – He is a bitter fighter to the end for the USSR and trained in every way to protect the mother country and her secrets. He knows Belenko’s weak spots and tries them all in order to get him back.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Belenko – is growing disillusioned but he still loves mother Russia and even after defecting, believes the west is evil because he has been totally indoctrinated.
Male CIA Agent – Is not flushed out yet (will he put Belenko in jail or send him back to face Russia after they drain him of information?)
Female CIA agent – is falling in love with Belenko – or…. is it fake?
Main KGB Agent – is not yet flushed out (will he make a run for the west himself?
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Belenko – is leaving his wife and child. His parents and friends could all be killed or imprisoned. He is betraying his country and his service to the air force.
Male CIA Agent – becomes too trusting of his female inferior officer. Lies to Belenko as he pretends to befriend him (it’s his job)
Female CIA agent – becoming personally involved with a subject and lying about it. Could be putting national security at risk.
Main KGB Agent – Threatening to kill Belenko and anyone he ever cared about. Would kill him if the opportunity presented itself.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
Belenko – will he leave and how? Will he be institutionalized or play along with the base commander who threatens to ruin him. Will he be successful in escaping? Will he return to Russia? What will befall his wife? Will he believe in the west and trust Americans? Is he using the female CIA agent to gain information? Will he run to the Russian embassy?
Male CIA agent – will he send Belenko back or put him in American jail? Does he believe in trust Belenko or not?
Female CIA agent – will she come clean about the relationship? Is the emotion real or is it part of her job?
Main KGB Agent – will he defect to protect himself? Is he in on something with Belenko against the west or against the USSR?
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
Belenko – He cares about other people. He has tried to fit in and survive, but everywhere he turns, the soviet world is shit. We want him to see America and understand the true depth of the lies coming at him. Yet, once he’s in USA, he gets homesick as it was the only world he ever knew.
Male CIA agent – He is working for the good of America and freedom and the pressure to do it right is huge. We believe it’s in Belenko’s best interest to stay in America.
Female CIA agent – She is caring and afraid and wants to do the right thing but she also has feelings.
Main KGB Agent – he is doing what he must to save his own ass. He has been given an impossible task that is a mess not of his making.
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<div>John Anderson’s Three Circles of Characters
</div><div>What I learned doing this assignment is: It’s been too long since I last read my book. I need to re-read the book with other character back stories in mind and while thinking how I will flush them out on the series.
The Americans
– Main characters: Phillips, Elizabeth, FBI Agent Stan Beeman
– Connected Characters: Kids (Henry and Paige), Stan’s wife, Annaliese (wife of Undersecretary of Defense), General Zhukov, FBI Agents side-kick, FBI agents boss, new Female spy for FBI inside KGB, FBI agent woman that thinks Phillip is an FBI agent
– Environment Circle: members of Russian embassy staff, members of FBI, fellow school parents and teachers, staff members at their travel agency, Regan’s inner circle (Casper Weinberger, etc), Other Soviet deep cover agents
John Anderson’s Three Circles of Characters
A. Main Characters Circle:
MiG Pilot Viktor Belenko – Highly ambitious, defecting MiG-25 pilot who gets fed up with Soviet lies and his unhappy marriage.
Belinko’s wife – unhappy, disillusioned wife and mother who wants to live with connected parents.
Mother – sad, beaten down woman who is half alive.
Father – drunk, beaten down man who runs on his own anger with no sense of self
The Zuk – shell of a human prisoner who has had his life destroyed by politics of USSR.
Zuk’s wife – shell of a woman prisoner who has had her life destroyed by Soviet Union.
Farmer in N Dak. – Salt of the earth farmer who doesn’t want any trouble but finds he may have some.
CIA Agent – cunning, intelligent spy who must figure out this Russian pilots true intentions, uncover all of his secrets and indoctrinate him, all while keeping him safe from Soviets.
Female CIA agent – intelligent understanding spy and mentor who takes a liking to Viktor.
Belenko’s direct commanding officer – goes along to get along guy who keeps his sense of humor through the worst of times but loses temper easily.
Belenko’s psychiatrist – pragmatic but sold out doctor who knows there is no escape so resigned to making deals and making the best of things before it’s too late.
Belenko’s base commander – Haughty, soulless, politician who cheats, lies and steals and will do whatever he has to to keep himself in the good graces.
Belenko’s flight doctor – bored and detached but diligent flight doctor who Belenko must fool
Belenko’s librarian teacher – caring believer in people but not the Soviet cause.
Belenko’s female flight instructor – driven and a perfectionist, she sees the talent in Belenko
Belenko’s foreman at the factory – Tough as nails, no nonsense drunk who takes care of Viktor
KGB agent on base – unsavory spy who Viktor must keep on his good side without being too obvious.
B. Connected Circle: Japanese air traffic
controller, Russian ambassador, Christian Pilot, , Belenko’s child,
Belenko’s coworkers at factory,C. Environment Circle: people in
lines for food and shop workers, people on trains, people in air traffic
control, Soviet citizenry, CIA agents, Russian girls at air base, Japanese
military personal, Soviet workers on farms/coops</div>
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The Americans – 5 Star Model
What I learned doing this assignment is…? …………. This show has so many levels of depth that I normally would not have discovered without this guide. They would still be there and I would have felt them but, I would be so aware of this. I am amazed at this writing and how good it is.
1) What is the big hook of this show?
– A KGB couple from Soviet Russia is under deep cover in Washington DC complete with their own kids. All this during the early days of the Regan administration and the culmination of the Cold War.
2) What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?
– They are in an ‘arranged’ marriage but have real kids whom they love.
– They are bad asses (can fight and shoot and deal in major spy-craft)
– Parents seem to have a “normal” life and “normal” feelings.
– Daughter’s puberty is an adjustment issue like in any family
– She has been turning on him in her previously secret meetings that he doesn’t know about (with General
Zukoff.)
– Wife is totally bought into Socialism until she finds out they had Tusheff purposefully rape her in training.
Husband has had doubts but she didn’t until that moment.
– Elizabeth was reporting him for his doubts until her turn, then she backtracks
– FBI agent moved in and he was under deep cover himself and knows something is odd.
– The couple is my enemy so part of me wants them caught.
– The kids are being lied to daily.
– The FBI agent calls out the situation with the Russians exactly as it is going on from his own intuition and
background.
– FBI agent won’t go into details about his past 3 years with white supremacist life but insinuates that it was
something important and interesting and mysterious
– They have hidden vaults in their house.
– They get turned on after they get rid of the body (not 100% sure why – they like to kill? OR… she realizes and appreciates that he loves her so much he had to kill her rapist … OR … something else?)
– They compartmentalize their lives like serial killers
3) What situations give us both empathy and distress for this character?
– He wants to get out (turn himself in) but she doesn’t
– They guy they kill is a bad guy but they kill him (even though they are not supposed to) for personal reasons
– They worry how the kids will feel when they find out about the BIG LIE.
– The FBI agent moves in right as they had their car ID’ed.
– They have to decide to let comrade die or do their mission as the main priority
– He had to give up his love in USSR to get into this situation (we see him tear picture).
– They are not allowed to discuss their past lives with each other.
– Their compatriot dies with no one knowing who he is.
– He has to pull out the jumper cables for FBI with the kidnap victim right there
– FBI agent sees their car and Phillip knows that he’s looking for that model.
– He notices a bumper sticker residue when he sneaks in at night.
– The FBI agents wife is obviously not happy with his 24/7 cop-like distrustful mind.
– You can tell they want to brag to their kids about what the Russians have done regarding the space race but are frustrated when they can’t speak their truth.
– By the end, they break the rules and begin talking about their past lives in Russia.
– They say they’ve “been doing this a long time”.
– Originally, Phillips wants to turn over the agent but gets caught by Elizabeth. We know what she knows and that he doesn’t know about it.
– Kids are proud of America
– Their early days in America – her unwillingness to behave sexually while he wants to. (feel for both situations)
– She wants to finish the traitor herself but he’s also a badass.
– He lies in obvious manner about his neck wound to FBI guy
– He’s a badass who fucks up the child molester by stabbing his dick
– She’s cleaning the trunk of the car of blood when the daughter comes in and she looks more terrified than when she’s facing a cold blooded killer.
– Creepy guy picks up on young daughter in front of dad who can’t do what he wants to do.
4) What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?
– Will they defect?
– How will the kids react when they find out?
– Will they get caught 1<sup>st</sup>.
– Will FBI guy catch them himself or will they kill him if he gets too close?
– Has she changed completely after seeing Captain was told to rape her or was it one-off.
– How they started having sex and how close they are as husband/wife. Is it real.
– How did they lose those accents so well.
– Will the KGB find out about their lies about the mission?
– How long have they been doing this? Aug 1965 they were new here. So what’s the complete timeline?
– How do they keep this lie alive with a fake background that the FBI cant destroy easily? HS yearbook? Etc…
5) How does pilot create need to see every single episodes?
– I want to know why they did this for so many years
– I want to know HOW they did this for so many years
– I want to see their years develop to this point
– I know the Iron Curtain is coming down soon. How far will this go?
– Is this the first time they’ve killed or have they fooled me into feeling for them and I’ll find out that they really fucked America and our people?
– What did the FBI guy do in the past undercover assignment?
– Will the FBI be smarter than the KGB?
– What’s this FBI woman’s problem? Why so dumb? Will they end up killing her or will she be called a spy by US?
– This show has engaged my amygdala and I am anxious for them all. (I truly want to forget the class and watch this show!!)
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Hi, my name is John.
I have written dozens of scripts (shorts, TV, feature film). I have been a staff writer on TV and have had several films produced, optioned and/or sold.
I have been in and out of the entertainment industry for years as an actor, writer and director. I recently bought my first book that I wish to turn into a serial TV show. I have never done this type of adaptive writing before and also recognize that streaming channels are a different ball game to me. I’ve never taken a screenwriting class but Hal’s class sounds like the thing I need right now to get this book into a pitch (something I’ve never done for TV before). I also need to be able to work at odd hours.
My wife is also in the business as a 1st AD and a director. My son is in college with ZERO interest in this business. Perhaps it’s because we started him out acting as Charles Manson’s baby in the CBS movie ‘Helter Skelter?’
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John Anderson
“I agree to the terms of this release form.”GROUP RELEASE FORM FOR “BINGE WORTHY TV” CLASS
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 Binge Worthy TV class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, teaching a class, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the Binge Worthy TV 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 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. The easiest solution if you have similar ideas is to either not look at each other’s work or to agree to take your shows in different directions.
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 Binge Worthy TV class.
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Hi, I John Anderson agree to these terms.