[Steve Spiro]

Lesson 3 – Assignment One <div> PRISON BREAK: </div><div>
</div><div> A. Role in the show: Michael Scofield gets himself committed to prison to help his innocent brother escape. </div><div>
</div><div> B. Unique Purpose / Expertise Knows the prison system as he was one of the engineers that helped design it and has the layout tattooed on his body. </div><div>
</div><div> C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? Michael Scofield has his body covered in tattoos, which shows the layout of the prison </div><div>
</div><div> D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing? Michael will be helping a convicted murderer escape and people may die in the process. </div><div>
</div><div> E. Unpredictable: What will they do next? Michael will stop at nothing to free his brother, even if it means having his toes cut off. </div><div>
</div><div> F. Empathetic: Why do we care? Michael will go to any lengths to see that his brother is put to death for something he didn’t do.
</div>

[Steve Spiro]

ASSIGNMENT ONE & TWO <div>
</div><div> PRISON BREAK</div><div> “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” </div><div> It’s interesting who is actually part of the connected circle and how important they are. </div><div> A. Main Characters Circle: Michael Scofield – Michael is determined and smart and we feel he will get the job done by his 100% commitment to his brother. </div><div> Lincoln Burrows – has a lot of demons but underneath we see he is a good man and we want him to escape and his innocent proven. </div><div> Veronica Donovan – She is a smart attorney who wants to find out the truth to not only free her former fiancé but to also know if she is marrying the right person. </div><div> Brad Bellick – He is the bastard warden who is going to create major obstacles for Michale and his brother. </div><div>
</div><div> B. Connected Circle: Fernando Sucre </div><div>Dr. Sara </div><div>LJ Burrows </div><div>T-Bag </div><div>John Abruzzi </div><div>C-Note </div><div>Henry Pope </div><div>
</div><div> C. Environment Circle: </div><div>FBI Agents </div><div>Prisoners </div><div>Guards
</div>

[Steve Spiro]

ASSIGNMENT ONE: PRISON BREAK – 5 Star Model:

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”

Creating a tv show is like putting together a complex jigsaw puzzle. You need all the pieces (premise, characters, secrets, reveals) and place them in the right order to continue being engaged.

Michael Scofield purposely gets himself imprisoned so he can help his brother, Lincoln, escape. Lincoln who has been wrongly convicted for assassinating the Vice President’s brother, and is currently on death row. Michael knows the prison well as he was one of the engineers and has tattooed the structure of the prison onto his body to figure our the ultimate escape while asking his brother’s ex, an attorney, to find out the truth of who assassinated the vice president’s brother. While inside, Michael has to befriend some ruthless characters and realizes his plan is going to be a lot harder than he imagined.

1) What is the big hook of this show?

A loving brother gets him incarcerated at a maximum-security prison, so he can help his innocent brother, who is on death row, escape.

2) What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

Michael Scofield is confident of his mission and has tattooed the structure of the prison on his body to help make his goal more successful. His brother Lincoln appears to be guilty from the evidence presented, but once you get to know him, you believe he was framed… but he’s going to have a tough time convincing anyone that he is innocent.

3) What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?

We feel worried for Michael, as he is a fish out of water and not someone who has hand any previous criminal records. How is he going to survive when he is disliked by the racist white prisoners and not trusted by the black prisoners.

4) What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

Will Michael and his brother escape.

Will Michael even survive as other prisoners are already targeting him.

Will the truth come out as to who really killed the Vice President’s brother.

Who is really behind the assassination and why was Lincoln accused Will Lincolns son form a relationship with his dad

5) How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

We know that escaping from this maximum-security prison will take some work, luck, help and skill.

[Steve Spiro]

Hi I’m Steve Spiro

I’ve written around 20 scripts (both features and tv shows)

I hope to improve my writing technique during the class as I love to learn. There’s nothing better than writing to learn how to be a better writer!

I was a former boxer and have been involved in animal rescue for the past 16 years.

Nice to meet everyone!

[Steve Spiro]

Steve Spiro

I agree to the terms of this 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.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by  Steve Spiro.