Michael Lipoma
Forum Replies Created
-
Michael Lipoma
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.
-
What I learned doing this assignment is looking a little deeper at characters, and creating these open loops actually create plot. Breakthrough: this is one way to create character-driven plot/story. Not a plot-driven story that you plug a character into. This is a big deal.
ASSIGNMENT 1
1. EXAMPLE SERIES: THE MORNING SHOW
Make a list of the Big Picture open loops that were established early in the season.
Will Alex keep her job?
What will happen to Mitch?
Will Bradley take over Alex’s position?
Who will win: Fred or Cory?
What the hell is Cory up to when it’s all said and done?
Will Mitch lose his job?
Will TMS survive/lose its top spot?
Will Alex’s relationship/connection to Mitch ultimately destroy her?
Can Mitch become a good person again?
Is Alex complicit in Mitch’s sexual misconduct?
If so, what will happen to her?
What will happen to the Martin Short character?
Who will take the fall w/the network?
2. Watch the next episode and see how those open loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes.
Alex and Bradley become close which complicates the competition, adding tension to every sincere encounter.
Mitch goes after the woman he raped and coerces her to go on record for him.
Alex declares to Fred that Bradley must go.
Alex approaches Dan about replacing Bradley with him as co-anchor.
Fred tells Alex that Chip (Alex’s long-time friend and EP) has to go.
Mitch to Alex: “I may have fucked them, but you were very cruel, and words matter.” This opens a loop where Mitch could take down Alex along with him.
Mitch’s exchange w/Alex reveals he’s willing to destroy TMS, the network, and everyone associated with it.ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Use this list to brainstorm big picture open loops for your first season that you will use to keep the audience captivated.
GOALS:
New goals?
Holly makes an incredible discovery: front-end lifter.
We discover Holly is using a piece of proprietary know-how to make FEL work
Goals related to the big picture?
Can Holly regain her status/power?
Crushed goals?
Holly was on top, and is now less than on the bottom.
Competition / conflict around goals?
Holly and Hart:
Holly and Lacy: Holly needs the town to stay the same, quiet, off the radar. Her longest friend, Lacy is running for Mayor and is looking good on her platform for change.
Can Holly scuttle Lacy’s bid for mayor secretly and protect her friendship?
What does that say about Holly?
That might be the first crack in Holly’s psyche that the audience sees: when backed into a corner, Holly always chooses herself.
CONSEQUENCES:
Are they going to be caught?
Will Hart discover Holly’s using is proprietary information to make her plan work?
Will Holly get caught and go down as a drug dealer? Or worse, a cartel boss?
Problems created from past actions?
When Holly realized they were getting raided, she had only a second to copy, hide, and delete any trace to what she was working on (In the long term, this shouldn’t have been a problem b/c she’d been in jail for two years, and the digital footprint was likely archived, etc.) But—when she gets out, she gets Jack to find the thumb drive and meet him and get it.
Holly and Jack MAY have had a moment of indiscretion after/during an all-nighter before a huge FDA audit or something. Easily explained away on both sides, but for Jack, it sparked something, and MEANT something.
Good plans gone wrong?
Front End Lifter starts off being the solution, but ends up creating more problems than it fixes. And, like all drugs, creates a need in the person using it, and a demand for its production presenting Holly w/a dilemma: stop everything because this is morally and ethically wrong, OR become the richest and most powerful cartel leader in the world.
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
What is the major problem for this character?
Holly lost everything, and to get her life back, she has to make some serious moral and ethical choices.
Does Holly have what it takes to do the wrong thing for the right reason when all of her choices were wrongfully stripped away?
What are they trying to solve?
Get her life back.
Get an income stream.
Hide. Do it all under the radar.
Convince the townspeople she’s trustworthy
Major change imposed on character?
Goes from on top to lower than the bottom.
Forced to move out of her comfort zone and become a part of the “women of the town.”
Previous solutions cause new problems?
Relationship misstep w/Jack causing him to start to love her.
Stealing IP from the Pharma company.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Relationships in peril?
Holly’s relationship w/Jack, because of what she’s asking him to do. It continually gets more demanding and more risky for Jack. Is Holly aware of his feelings and using him? Or does she just believe he’s the best friend he’s always been and is on her side?
New relationships forming?
Can Holly successfully conspire with the Mayor so he wins the election?
Holly and
Conflict inside relationships?
Holly and Marcus because Marcus’ love for Holly is romantic, and Holly’s for Marcus is friend.
Holly and Lacy because Holly really wants Lacy’s bid for mayor to fail.
Relationships changing?
Mayor and Holly starting off as enemies and becoming unwilling partners, and ultimately loyal friends.
Holly and Lacy starting off w/Lacy feeling resentment for Holly and ending up best friends.
Marcus and Holly starting off as best, loyal friends, tested by Marcus’ affection, and ultimately leading to Marcus betraying Holly
DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:
Can they survive X?
Will Holly get caught with the Pharma’s IP and get sued/lose everything again or worse, go back to jail?
Will her sketchy grasp of FDA regulations catch up wit her and she’ll get arrested for drug trafficking?
Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?
Holly moves forward w/the drug even though she knows there’s no way to do proper human trials, and at that point, she’s breaking the law.
Marcus could lose everything if he’s caught giving Holly secret inside info on the Pharma company.
Who else is pulled into their danger?
Lacy
Donna
Connie
Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?
Holly’s unrelenting drive for revenge against Hart (former boss) and Terry (ex-husband) for colluding and framing her.
Holly has a hard time seeing other people’s point of view
2. Tell us your top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in your pilot.
Can Holly survive the loss of everything and face starting over as an ex-con?
Can Holly scuttle Lacy’s bid for mayor secretly and protect her friendship?
Can Holly stop Lacy’s plan to revitalize the town?
Will anyone discover what Holly secretly stole from the company before she was arrested?
What did Holly steal?
Will Marcus betray Holly?
Will Marcus tell Holly how he really feels about her?
Will Front-End Lifter be dangerous?
Will Holly put her friends at risk to get the revenge and new life she craves?
-
What I learned doing this assignment is that spending the time on the sample episode may be one of the most important things I’m learning. Watching shows through an analytic lens, looking for something specific with each watch causes lightbulbs and connections (breakthroughs?) that make coming up with answers for my series much more meaningful.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Watch the next episode of your Example Show and tell us about the mysteries from this show.
This episode is told almost entirely in flashback, so we get to see where some of the show’s mysteries come from. We see Mitch in his heyday (for his 50th birthday party) and his “happy” family life, and how his actions at work are just laughed off and “accepted” and a) how Hannah is vulnerable, and b) how Mitch exploited that vulnerability.
When Mitch moves Mia off his team to Alex’s team, we start to see the answer to what happened between Mitch and Mia.
This is an episode that answers the questions about what’s beneath the mysteries and their setups…
BIG PICTURE MYSTERIES (SEASON-LONG)
What will happen to Mitch?
What will happen to Hannah?
SMALLER MYSTERIES
In flashback:
Hanna: “I have my goals, I’m here to achieve…”
From a surprise birthday celebration: what does Mitch do to completely ruin his own life?
What’s going on between Mitch and Hannah?
Mitch’s wife knows about his affair—will his marriage survive?
Fred sings Cory’s praises (when he was president of entertainment, not news)—how do things go so horribly wrong? How does Cory go from entertainment to news?
Fred discusses Alex’s numbers being low…is this the beginning of her end?
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO
Smaller mysteries are more situational, and can be resolved within an episode or a few episodes.
Larger mysteries are more thematic, big questions, that feel like they’re going to impact the long-term destiny of the character.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
Create two mysteries for your show — one that shows up strong in the Pilot and the other that is revealed over time.
PILOT:
What did Holly smuggle out in the raid?
What is Holly’s relationship with Jack?
Can Jack be trusted?
OVER TIME:
Why was Holly framed?
Why has Donna refused change for 40 years?
How doe she continue to get elected Mayor?
What is it with “the water?”
How will Holly overcome the setback from being on top to a disgraced ex-con?
How does that affect her personally?
Was Holly’s husband involved in the frame-up?
What is the company’s connection to the FDA—meaning William C. Hart to Brent Waters?
1. Create your Shocking Event Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.
A. Shocking Event:
Holly’s office is raided by the FDA: full kevlar and guns drawn. Holly is arrested and led out in handcuffs.
B. Secret:
This was a setup. William C. Hart, working with Brent Waters created the fiction that Holly doctored test results, but Hart caught her before any hard could happen to anything that might affect the public, meaning: Hard = hero, Holly = villain.
C. Investigation:
Holly, working with Jack, begins to dig into what was behind her arrest and two-year sentence in a minimum-security prison.
WWWWW and How:
WHO:
Hart and Waters
WHAT:
Need Holly gone
WHERE:
In Holly’s office.
WHEN:
When Holly was most vulnerable
WHY:
Because Holly refused to back a sketchy takeover that would make billions but restrict access to medicine.
HOW:
Forging Holly’s approval on doctored test results.
Part Withheld:
Jack was unwittingly a part in this, and when revealed, Hart can use this to blackmail Jack.
2. Create the Over Time Mystery and tell us the WWWWW and H, along with the part withheld.
Holly creates a mysterious compound that’s stronger than viagra, and not only fixes the plumbing, it revitalizes the desire.
A. Cover up:
Holly works in a secret lab she’s built and spends her time w/people appearing as the vulnerable, broken woman trying to piece her life together, but, in reality…
B. Secret:
She is working to get revenge on Hart, and take him down along with Waters.
C. Reveals:
Holly’s lab.
The visible Holly is more than she appears.
Holly secretly works with the Mayor to keep the town small.
Holly pretends to support Mindy’s bid for Mayor bur secretly subverts that to keep Donna in office
Holly discovers something special
Holly shares it with her new women friends who have become bored w/their older husbands.
Life in Love Springs, all of a sudden, becomes more exciting and invigorated.
WWWWW and How:
WHO:
Holly
WHAT:
Creates “Front End Lifter”
WHERE:
In her secret lab.
WHEN:
Over the course of season one.
WHY:
To get the financial resources she needs to take down Hart and Waters.
HOW:
Using her Pharma knowledge, and a little of the town’s magic
Part Withheld:
Holly is using proprietary info from the company that betrayed her
-
What I learned doing this assignment is making stuff up is at the same time fun and kinda horrible. I’m leaning into the process, allowing myself to move forward knowing these are just building blocks. Some will stay, some will change, and some will go away.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
EXAMPLE SERIES: THE MORNING SHOW
BIG PICTURE EMPATHY DISTRESS
Alex discovers her long-time on-air partner is a sexual predator w/a long history—this could potentially ruin The Morning Show and cause damage to the network.
Note: ALL of the misfortune for every character is a result of a single event/action: Mitch Kessler, “America’s Dad” is revealed to be a serial sexual predator, turning the network upside-down.
DETAILED EMPATHY DISTRESS
Bradley’s brother is a well-meaning addict whose disease is out of control and it hurts her to see him this way.
Because of Mitch, Chip’s job and career are on the line.
UNDESERVED MISFORTUNE
Alex discovers her long-time on-air partner is a sexual predator w/a long history—this could potentially ruin The Morning Show and cause damage to the network.
Bradley’s brother is a well-meaning addict whose disease is out of control and it hurts her to see him this way.
Because of Mitch, Chip’s job and career are on the line.
EXTERNAL CHARACTER CONFLICTS
Fred and Cory both want the other gone.
A producer’s improper accusation of Mia causes Chip to fire him, creating a shitstorm for Chip and Mia.
Alex and her daughter have a huge fight over Alex getting divorced. Instead of capitulating, Alex lashes out in a big way.
Mitch approaches Hannah, and says, “You got something out of me, now it’s time to repay the favor.”
PLOT INTRUDING ON LIFE
The fire in LA, and the remote broadcast along with the news that her husband is filing for divorce causes Alex to melt down on camera.
MORAL DILEMAS
Chip is toying with the idea of a coup against Fred.
Mitch secretly approaches Bradly, offers that Alex knew what was going on all the time in exchange for the interview that could make her career.
FORCED DECISIONS THEY’D NEVER MAKE
Alex publicly hires Bradley to be her co-host for TMS.
Chip impulsively fires a producer, after which Mia makes a studio-wide announcement that she’s tired of being blamed for stuff she didn’t do or cause.
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.
LOVE SPRINGS:
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>BIG PICTURE EMPATHY DISTRESS SITUATIONS:
Undeserved Misfortune
Holly Glass is framed for a crime she didn’t commit. She’s sent to prison, and disgraced in the industry in which she was a respected leader.
External Character Conflicts
Donna Swiftwater: suspicious. Not happy about an ex-con moving to town
Holly’s ex conspires with Holly’s former boss to keep her down
Former boss tries to pile on, recruits FDA asshole to open investigation
Plot Intruding On Life
Word gets out that Holly has something special. Connie Lin (local drug entrepreneur) wants in or she’ll cause trouble
Moral Dilemmas
Holly grapples with whether it’s ok to distribute a drug that has not passed FDA review?
Forced decisions they’d never make.
Holly moves to tiny town.
Holly violates every rule of pharmaceutical best practices to make her drug
-
What I learned doing this assignment is that there’s great power in just making shit up, knowing that ultimately everything is likely to change. It’s all about creating a place from which to start.
ASSIGNMENT 1: EXAMPLE SERIES: THE MORNING SHOW
Create a Relationship Map for one lead character and their relationship with three others.
THE MORNING SHOW
ALEX LEVY & Bradly Jackson:
Surface: Co-hosts
Common Ground: Capable show hosts
Conflict: They both want the top spot and control
History: No history. Alex is new
Subtext: Competition
Relationship Arc: Rivals to partners
ALEX LEVY & Cory Ellison:
Surface: New cocky boss
Common Ground: Both want the show to succeed
Conflict: Cory wants Alex gone and she knows it
History: No history. Cory is new.
Subtext: No history. Must appear as on the same page in public/completely at odds underneath
Relationship Arc: Enemies to partners`
ALEX LEVY & Chip Black:
Surface: Long-time EP
Common Ground: Career-long friendship/Chip’s invested in Alex’s success
Conflict: Alex does what she wants, ignoring Chip, who wants what’s best for the show/his career
History: Friends for years
Subtext: Distrust
Relationship Arc: Dear friends to enemies
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Create a Relationship Map for THREE lead characters from YOUR SHOW IDEA.
LOVE SPRINGS
HOLLY GLASS & Jack Oadlinker:
Surface: Former co-workers, once friends now estranged
Common Ground: Both believe Holly is innocent
Conflict: Disagree on the ethics of producing a “drug” w/no FDA scrutiny
History: Best friends and research partners for years. Holly went into management, Jack stayed in research
Subtext: A secret alliance, Jack is useful if he feels important to Holly
Relationship Arc: Best friends to betrayal
HOLLY GLASS & Mindy Margolis:
Surface: Childhood best friends
Common Ground: They both love the town
Conflict: They usually want (and go after) the same thing (or person).
History: They grew up together until Holly left after high school. Friends, always competing for attention, boys, and the spotlight.
Subtext: Holly undervalues Mindy
Relationship Arc: Forced politeness to genuine friendship
HOLLY GLASS & Bobby Kyle:
Surface: Cordial, uneasy, professionally polite
Common Ground: They both love the town
Conflict: Opposite views on what’s best for town: Holly wants change/Bobby wants it to stay the same
History: Bobby was Mayor when Holly left after high school. He thought she was an opportunist.
Subtext: Each wants to undermine/professionally destroy the other
Relationship Arc: Uneasy professionals to outright hatred, then a discovery of common ground (possibly in finale.
JACK OADLINKER & Holly Glass:
Surface: Holly is Jack’s former best friend and trusted coworker, now estranged
Common Ground: Jack wants Holly to succeed and be redeemed
Conflict: Holly pushes Jack’s boundaries, Jack worries about pushing ethical limits
History: Jack and Holly started together at the company 20 years ago. Became fast, trusted friends (think: work husband/wife)
Subtext: Jack would marry Holly if he ever could
Relationship Arc: from Holly’s best friend to realizing she’s crossing lines, and ultimately choosing to stay withing what he believes are ethical boundaries, forcing him to betray Holly
JACK OADLINKER & Brent Waters:
Surface: healthy, professional relationship
Common Ground: they’re both working hard to increase the company’s profits
Conflict: Brent punishes Jack for his loyalty to Holly when it all went down.
History: Brent hired Jack and Holly 20 years ago when the company had ten employees. The three of them built the business together.
Subtext: They each undermine the other at every opportunity. The hate each other.
Relationship Arc: They go from hating each other to a grudging alliance
JACK OADLINKER & William C. “Bill” Hart
Surface: FDA Auditor vs. Researcher
Common Ground: they want safe, effective pharmaceuticals
Conflict: Hart hates Holly (believing the frame job), so he enforces ridiculous details to make Jack’s life miserable.
History: Ten years of auditor/researcher professional sparring. Each respected the other until Holly.
Subtext: Hart wants to take down the company for any violation because what went down with Holly hurt his career.
Relationship Arc: They go from simply hating each other to each using the other for their own end goal.
MINDY MARGOLIS & Holly Glass
Surface: Childhood friends, reunited
Common Ground: they both love the town and share a history
Conflict: Mindy wants what Holly has built
History: they were best friends who competed over everything. Mindy almost always won, but Holly’s the one who left and built a successful career
Subtext: Mindy feels envy toward Holly, along with competition
Relationship Arc: polite reunion, survives a few relationship bumps, ends up being best friends
MINDY MARGOLIS & Bobby Kyle
Surface: the town “Nobody” who knows where the old mayor’s bodies are buried.
Common Ground: these two know the town better than anyone
Conflict: Mindy wants Bobby’s job
History: Bobby may or may not have had a fling (affair) with Mindy after she graduated high school
Subtext: Mindy knows she’s got “dirt” on Bobby, so she keeps him/he stays—in line.
Relationship Arc: not really interacting to Mindy actively undermining Bobby’s bid for the Mayor’s race—she becomes a direct competitor, with a big advantage over Bobby.
MINDY MARGOLIS & Nancy Lin
Surface: Good friends
Common Ground: they’ve known each other for years, love the town and each other
Conflict: Nancy has worked hard her whole life to make something of herself and her restaurant, whereas because of Mindy’s looks, Nancy believes things came easy, so…resentment.
History: Nancy gave Mindy her first job bussing tables at the restaurant. They’re both locals.
Subtext: Nancy resents Mindy, Mindy believes she’s “better” than Nancy. Both regret never leaving the town.
Relationship Arc: they go from a coolish friensship to willing co-conspirators in Holly’s plan, to partners, having each other’s back.
-
What I learned doing this assignment is to lean into the process. When I first began this assignment, I had no idea who these characters would end up being. Watching the sample series REALLY helped me home in on looking at characters, which led nicely to creating the characters for my show.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
EXAMPLE SERIES: The Morning Show
Character: Alex Levy
A. Role in the show:
Lead anchor of TMS. A woman owning her power and position while being attacked form all sides.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Purpose: to keep her position as lead anchor, and keep TMS on top in ratings.
Expertise: talking to America, manipulating people, playing on people’s weaknesses/vulnerabilities. Alex breaks rules to get shit done.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
She slept with Mitch and is still secretly in touch with him, even though everyone is forbidden from contacting him.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
She completely upended Bradley’s life with an impromptu announcement, making Bradley co-anchor, creating chaos.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
Her career, public and private life is on the line—she’ll do whatever it takes to protect herself. The network has backed her into a corner, and she has to fight her way out, any means necessary, and with what’s within arm’s reach.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
She is being aged out of her position. Her daughter is closer to her husband, who still cares for her. Everyone at the network is against her and it shows. We’re with her when she puts the President in his place in front of his entire team.
Character: Bradley Jackson
A. Role in the show:
Truth teller. Chaos maker. The new co-anchor of the most successful morning news show ever.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Purpose: to become the co-anchor of TMS while retaining her genuine core, the parts of her she hasn’t compromised up to this point.
Expertise: She questions everything. She speaks truth.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Her brother is an addict. She comes from an impoverished home. Her mother is a mess. She wants to use TMS to get her real message out (although that’s not much of a secret).
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
From the moment we were introduced to her, we see she is a rebel and she reacts before she thinks things through. And she reacts in the biggest way possible. There is NOTHING subtle about Bradley Jackson.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
Her life was upended out of her control. Essentially forced onto national television. She cares deeply for her addict brother, and is being pulled away from her family.
Character: Cory Ellison
A. Role in the show:
President of the News Division. His role is to get rid of Alex and boost TMS’s ratings.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Purpose: entire his own success by creating a hit morning show.
Expertise: thinking on his feet. He turns chaos into a breakthroughs. Completely confident in any given moment. Delivering the worst news in the most absolutely charming way.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
He has no idea how things will turn out, but he speaks w/such authority, nobody sees the BS.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Using and manipulating people to get whatever he wants in any given moment.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
A wild cannon. It appears he makes decisions just because they delight him.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Tell us the journey of your show.
Nora transforms from a wrongfully framed and disgraced ex-con to the woman who single-handedly and secretly turns around a failing small town into a destination empire, all while creating an underground superhighway for a compound stronger than viagra that not only fixes the plumbing, it restores the drive.
2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?
Nora Glass: disgraced Big Pharma exec/ex-con who moves to Love Springs to start her life over.
Jack Oadlinker: Nora’s closest friend from work, who still believes she’s innocent. They’re in touch, but keep it secret—the company doesn’t allow anyone to be in contact w/Nora, so he uses a burner phone.
Mindy Margolis: Nora’s lifelong friend. Can find a sparkle in a mud puddle. Loyal. Grew up in the town and loves it.
3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.
Character: Nora Glass
Disgraced Big Pharma exec/ex-con who moves to Love Springs to start her life over.
A. Role in the show:
The woman who turns around a failing town and creates a miracle drug—all under the radar while appearing to be a mess.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Unique purpose: to build a new life because the one she had was completely destroyed. There aren’t even any ashes left to rise from.
Expertise: biochemical engineering and an uncanny ability to get people to fall in love with her dream and make it their own. Think a less schemy but just as charming and engaging Billy Crudup in The Morning Show.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Her “completely herbal and legal” substance is built on a proprietary compound formulation she developed before she was fire. She believes she destroyed any traces of it from all digital records. That might not be altogether true…
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
Is it really ok to sell unapproved substan ce to people without rigorous testing? She knows better. She worked directly w/the FDA, and she is deliberately slipping through a little-known loophole.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
She has nothing to lose, therefore everything is on the table. When your career, name, reputation, and wealth are publicly excoriated, what’s left to hurt you?
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
She was set up and framed for trying to do the right thing. She lost everything, and as a woman of a certain age, has hurdles that would cripple a man in her position.
Character: Jack Oadlinker
Nora’s closest friend from work, who still believes she’s innocent. They’re in touch, but keep it secret—the company doesn’t allow anyone to be in contact w/Nora, so he uses a burner phone. He is her secret “in” to things/tech at the company. They meet in neutral secret places and sometimes do capers. One could think of Jack and Nora as twins, sharing a psyche. That said, they’re nothing alike, physically or personality wise. Whereas Nora is a charming extravert, Jack is quiet, and lives comfortably in the silences between sentences.
A. Role in the show:
Nora’s best friend and secret connection “inside” the Pharma company that destroyed her.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Purpose: to provide Nora with intel and, at times, supplies she needs. He’s also her moral compass—flawed because Nora is his true North.
Expertise: as gifted and experienced biomedical/pharmaceutical engineer as Nora.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
He unwittingly helped provide the CEO with information they could use to frame her. He was made aware of it under threat by said CEO.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
He is knowingly abetting a convicted criminal against the terms of her release to create an untested “drug.”
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
Like a neurotic chihuahua, he will nip or yap when he feels threatened.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
He genuinely loves Nora, and is putting his career (and freedom) on the line to help her get her life on track. His wife was dying while all of Nora’s shit was going down, so he wasn’t all the way present to that situation, and he regrets what it did to Nora, as well as regretting having his attention drawn away from his dying wife during critical moments.
Character: Mindy Margolis
Nora’s lifelong friend. Can find a sparkle in a mud puddle. Loyal. Grew up in the town and loves it.
A. Role in the show:
Nora’s best friend and sounding board. Having never left Love Springs, she knows all the secrets.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Purpose: to ground Nora, and help her re-establish herself.
Expertise: she is the repository of all information surrounding the history and current happenings and issues in Love Springs. She knows everyone and all their business.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
Having grown up in the town, now in her forties, she has secretly slept with many of the men and some of the women who populate the town. Nobody suspects this, especially when three of them are at a lunch table with her. Everybody loves Mindy (in more ways than one), and NOBODY would believe anything negative about her.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
She betrays the trust of married couples, secretly having an affair with both of them.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
Mindy is always looking for some excitement. Growing up in a town of 308 people gets boring. Sometimes you have to shake things up to remind yourself you’re alive.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
Mindy’s situation forced her to stay in Love Springs. It’s clear she is not living up to her potential—it’s most clear to Mindy. She could have left like everybody else her age, but instead, she stayed to care for others (Not sure who yet. Mother seems too obvious. Will work on this).
Character: Bobby Kyle
Wants the town to stay the same. He remembers the good old days when the town was busy and full of government employees before they decommissioned the radar station at the top of the mountain. Imagine the mayor of Pleasantville, who never wants change. This mayor believes that change will ruin the natural beauty of the town and the area. He actively prevented a ski resort opening in the town, putting in runs, lifts, etc, which included the demolition of the abandoned radar facility which has, over the years become an eyesore, but the good news is you can only see that from above.
A. Role in the show:
Roadblock to any progress, development, or change to the village and adjacent forests.
B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:
Purpose: to keep his town the way he remembered it, the way it was in the sixties, when Love Springs was home to a radar installation.
Expertise: a retired litigator, he’s a worthy adversary in a war of words. Don’t let his age fool you. He’s as sharp as he always was, and now, maybe a little meaner.
C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?
He cashed in big when the government leased the mountaintop. He’s still got some vague connections to some sketchy people in various organizations in the government.
D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?
He puts his personal interests above the town’s population by actively preventing growth. Note: figure out why this is important and realistic.
E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?
In order to always have an edge over people, he works to maintain a “crazy old coot” persona, and one never knows what he’ll do next.
F. Empathetic: Why do we care?
While he’s a nasty bastard, he wasn’t always that way. Bad luck and circumstance played a role in the town’s (and his fortune’s) demise. Back in the day he was a young man with a family and a vision for a beautiful place. All of that is gone now, and it eats away at him.
-
What I learned doing this assignment is that there can be much more to a character than what comes through at a first glance. Going through the process, one discovery about a character led to several more, and some about other characters.
Note: Lead character first name changes from “Nora” to “Holly.”
ASSIGNMENT 1: EXAMPLE SERIES: THE MORNING SHOW
1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the places you’ve already seen Character Intrigue in the previous episodes.
ALEX LEVY
Create need to watch future episodes:
Alex’s well played facade about being genuinely excited about Bradley’s success in the show vs. what we see on Alex’s face: she’s envious of the attention Bradley’s receiving, and resentful of Bradley’s success—this is presented VERY subtly, through small moments.
Hidden agendas:
Wants to overturn the network hierarchy (patriarchy).
Competition:
With Cory over control of the show
With Bradley over power on the show
With Fred over who has the real power
Conspiracies:
She and Bradley will change TMS and the morning news business
With Bradley and Chip to uncover the systemic patriarchy throughout their business.
She and Bradley will work together to make the show a success (Alex would die first).
Secrets:
She’s in continued contact with Mitch
She knows she’s on her way out.
A single look from Alex while Bradley is getting love on stage from Kelly Clarkson shows she knows she’s getting left behind.
Deception:
Brings on Bradley to shake things up, but really has no idea why she acted on impulse.
Presents to Charlie and Cory that she’s proud of her choice for Bradley, and happy for Bradley’s success—but we can see through it.
Wound:
Feels betrayed by Mitch
She and Mitch built the audience over fifteen years, and Mitch destroyed it
Secret Identity:
Running the network
BRADLEY JACKSON
Create need to watch future episodes:
Bradley’s shitshow abortion reveal reverberates through every level of the show. Some love her honesty, others are losing their minds.
Mia telling Bradley that the Ashley interview is important because this type of abuse is rampant—especially interesting because we just saw Mia divulge to the investigator that she and Mitch had an affair.
Hidden agendas:
To get her point of view stories past the filter of the softened format of TMS.
Will she subvert the interview with Ashley (Mitch’s accuser)?
During the Ashley interview, Bradley goes off script, asking unvetted questions that could reveal the toxic culture at the network.
Competition:
With Alex for recognition and the top spot (ultimately).
Bradley goes off script almost immediately and talks about her abortion at 15. Don’t know how this really applies to competition, apart from she’s going against what Alex just told her to do.
Conspiracies:
Working with Mia Jordan, her producer, to position Bradley to do exactly what she wants.
Bradley going off script is exactly what Cory was hoping for.
Secrets:
Her family life: her brother is an addict and her mother is a mess.
Deception:
She plays the obedient co-host while conspiring for real power
Wound:
The impact of her brother’s illness on her. She feels used by the circumstances that thrust her into a position she didn’t really want: co-host of TMS.
Secret Identity:
The anchor of TMS, host of her own show, or the person with the real power
CORY EMERSON
Create need to watch future episodes:
As Cory is on his phone getting REAMED by his boss, he is grinning—Brandy’s actions are exactly what he was hoping for (and knew all along she was going to be unpredictable—which is what the tired, boring format needed).
Hidden agendas:
Use Bradley to get rid of Alex.
Undermine Fred (President of the Network).
During the Ashley interview, Alex gets on Bradley’s comm and tells her to stop the questioning, but Cory intervenes and says not to stop the questioning, knowing this exposes everyone in power.
Competition:
With Alex for control.
With Fred for ultimate power: we see Cory’s delight at Fred losing his shit over the phone about Bradley’s abortion reveal.
Conspiracies:
Working with Fred to get rid of Alex.
Working with Bradley to get rid of Alex
Secrets:
Is there for the fun of it. He’s got a cushy network job in Hollywood. He’s causing chaos in the biggest way possible and if it’s a success it’s a huge win. If it fails, he goes back to green lighting pilots.
Deception:
He convinces Bradley that he’s got her best interest and that she’ll ultimately be the lead.
He deceives Fred w/pretty much everything.
Wound:
Deep inside this cold, charming, calculating chaos factory is a real person that, as a child, took care of his mother.
Secret Identity:
The person really in control.
CHARLIE BLACK
Create need to watch future episodes:
Maybe this relates to Secret Identity, but in Episode 4, we don’t really know whose side Charlie is really on.
Hidden agendas:
To undermine and get rid of Bradley.
Competition:
With Bradley for power.
Conspiracies:
Secrets:
Deception:
Mitch presents that his main mission is to “protect the show.”
Wound:
Secret Identity:
2. Watch the next episode and see how Character Intrigue is being used to create the need to see more episodes.
• The Investigator presents herself to everyone on staff as a third-party confidential investigator, in whom they can confide—she’s only looking for the truth. In fact, we see her on the phone w/Fred, reporting on what she’s discovered: so far, he’s not in trouble. This hints at something larger we discover later in the series.
ASSIGNMENT 2
1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.
Character Name: HOLLY GLASS
Role: a disgraced Pharma executive and ex-con who returns to Love Springs and changes everyone’s life and the small town’s future, either making them all wealthy or putting everyone in jeopardy.
Hidden agendas:
While seemingly recovering low-profile in this almost off the grid town, Holly knows she’s on the verge of a huge discovery, and uses her obscurity to work secretly.
Said more succinctly:
Holly works secretly on a revolutionary compound while becoming a welcomed member of the town’s quirky community.
Competition:
While much of the town welcomes any hint at outside money or investment for improvement, Holly wants the town kept out of public interest.
In competition with Brent Waters—her former partner and Pharma exec who betrayed her. Holly worries it could be only a matter of time before Brent’s researchers stumble on the discovery she made.
Conspiracies:
Holly wants the town to remain off-the-grid, so she secretly aligns with the Mayor (Bobby Kyle), and helps his effort to thwart any modernization, corporate influence, or gentrification. Mostly this is through Holly’s skillful manipulation of the Mayor’s fragile ego.
Secrets:
Holly discovered something revolutionary and has the secret in her head. When she was doing research, she realized she was about to be set up, so she thoroughly destroyed any trace or trail that might lead anyone to discovery, all while knowing this was illegal.
Deception:
Holly presents herself as a recently-divorced ex-con struggling to find her way again, when she’s really working to build her own empire. This is revealed/develops slowly over the first season.
Wound:
Betrayed by a partner she trusted. Divorced by a husband who took advantage of her incarceration to loot everything.
Secret Identity:
The Walter White of erections.
Character Name: JACK OADLINKER
Role: Jack is Holly’s best friend, confidant, and the only person she can trust. He is her “way in” with the Pharma company.
Hidden agendas:
Jack has always been in love with Holly, who genuinely loves Jack, but only as a dear friend. One day, Jack hopes Holly will feel the same was about him that he feels about her.
Competition:
Conspiracies:
Jack conspires with Holly, supplying her with whatever she needs but can’t get her hands on because she’s banned from the company—and working in pharmaceutical research.
Secrets:
Jack’s in love with Holly.
Deception:
His face to the world is a scared, nervous little man. In reality, he’s brave, crafty, and can handle himself. He’s spent years training to overcompensate for his stature: think a Navy SEAL that was too small to qualify, but every bit as skilled, tough, and surprisingly jacked.
Wound:
He’s been diminished his whole life because of his physicality. The only person who ever genuinely looked past that and respected him was Holly, who could never realize his dream of loving him.
Secret Identity:
Corporate super-spy. Helping Holly allows Jack to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a real special operator or intelligence officer.
Character Name: MINDY MARGOLIS
(Holly’s childhood best friend who never left Love Springs. They grew apart after Holly moved away, but reconnect on a deep level when Holly returns)
Role:
Mindy is Holly’s new best friend in town, and her lifeline and “ears” to EVERYTHING that is happening in town, with who, what, and where.
Hidden agendas:
To keep Holly from ever leaving again.
To one day replace Bobby Kyle as Mayor by gaining information on everybody.
To put Love Springs on the map after she’s Mayor.
Competition:
With Holly because Mindy has always been the most popular person in town. While she loves Holly, she feels a tug every time Holly gets recognition.
In competition w/Bobby Kyle for Mayor.
Conspiracies:
Secrets:
She’s slept with almost everybody in town—and their husbands or wives.
While she has the reputation of never leaving the town, there was an “extended vacation” during which nobody really knows what happened or what she did.
Deception:
Mindy presents herself as the wholesome town “good girl” that loves everyone and everyone loves. Problem is, that “love for everyone” is real, and physical.
Wound:
She believes she could have had a rich life if she’d been able to leave Love Springs.
Secret Identity:
Mindy pulls the strings in the town, and is really behind anything that goes on. The ONLY string she hasn’t been able to pull is Bobby Kyle’s. She’ll never have a chance to pull Holly’s.
Character Name: BOBBY KYLE
Role: The Mayor of Love Springs, Bobby’s role is to be an impenetrable roadblock to any progress, development, or change.
Hidden agendas:
Maintain control over the forests and seemingly decommissioned and abandoned Cold War era radar station, beneath which is the home for a Top Secret government Black Project.
Work with the government to keep their secrets at the top of Love Springs.
Competition:
With everyone in the town for progress, investment, and commercialization.
With Mindy for real power in the town, and ultimately who will be the next mayor.
Conspiracies:
Works with the government keeping a secret project secret.
With Holly, who supports his efforts against the townsfolk’s desire to reinvigorate the small village.
Secrets:
During the early 70’s, Bobby was recruited by a secret branch of the government, analogous to the CIA who are forbidden to spy domestically. He’s still connected to a splinter branch of this organization, hence his unwavering stand on keeping the area secluded.
Deception:
Bobby appears to be on the verge of dementia, a relic of a former time on his way out. But, as a former litigator, Bobby is a skilled negotiator, which also makes him an expert tactician. He sees two moves ahead, and is careful about curating the town’s perception of him: strong enough to be Mayor, but everyone wonders if he’s getting too old for the next term…
Wound:
Secret Identity:
Deep cover spy. At least that’s what he believes.
-
What I learned doing this assignment is that digging into hope vs. need really adds a new level of depth to how I understand the characters in my example series, and in the series I’m developing. The same applies to the other categories, as well. Consciously, intentionally looking at these specifics, and WRITING THEM DOWN creates specific images of the characters I create, rather than a vague picture in my head. It also helps me think about the kind of actor that might play this character.
MORE IMPORTANTLY: recognizing that these are just starting points, and letting go a little, knowing they’ll improve as things progress. I call this “The Shitty Version.”
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Example Series: THE MORNING SHOW
Create an Emotional Profile for two or three main characters in this show.
This is the FILL IN THE BLANK version. Not great, but a starting place…
ALEX LEVY
A. Situational: Hope / Fear
HOPE: Alex hopes she’ll stay at the top and gain control
FEAR: she fears she’ll lose the spotlight, especially to Bradley
B. Motivation: Want / Need
WANT: to remain the top spot on TMS
NEED: control over her own destiny
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public
BNE: fear, cutthroat when threatened
PUBLIC: unflappable, gracious
D. Weaknesses
Insecurity
E. Triggers
Threats to her position or power
F. Coping Mechanism
Discreetly lashes out when in public. In private, she just straight-up lashes out.
BRADLEY JACKSON
A. Situational: Hope / Fear
HOPE: she’s able to be the voice of truth/reason through her public platform
FEAR: she fears she’ll be irrelevant, ignored, and obscure
B. Motivation: Want / Need
WANT: the top job and the freedom to speak her truth; wants to heal her family
NEED: respect
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public
BNE: ambition at anyone’s expense
PUBLIC: situational vulnerability
D. Weaknesses
Her need to feel a connection drives bad decisions (this isn’t right, it needs to be deeper, but this’ll be a placeholder for now)
E. Triggers
When someone questions her motives or threatens her mother or brother
F. Coping Mechanism
Reacts without thinking, intelligent well-founded retorts
CORY ELLISON
A. Situational: Hope / Fear
HOPE:
FEAR:
B. Motivation: Want / Need
WANT:
NEED: excitement / chaos
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public
BNE: I don’t think this gets it, but for now, I’ll go with “insecurity.” That’s not right…there’s something deeper, something better.
PUBLIC: Confident, fearless, and completely in charge, while at times appearing untrustworthy, scheming, chaotic
(Interesting twist—on the surface he eagerly presents some of what most people try to hide)
D. Weaknesses
E. Triggers
He doesn’t appear to get triggered
F. Coping Mechanism
Quips to deflect, schemes
MITCH KESSLER
A. Situational: Hope / Fear
HOPE: he can get his former coworkers to support him, and that he saves his career.
FEAR: he will be convicted in the court of public opinion and will lose everything
B. Motivation: Want / Need
WANT: he wants his career and life back and revenge against Fred
NEED: he needs to acknowledge what he did and who he is
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public
BNE: sexual predator
PUBLIC: America’s dad / guy done wrong by society not telling him the rules changed seeking forgiveness
D. Weaknesses
Ignores reality, bases decisions on what he wants rather than what the reality is
E. Triggers
Disrespected or shamed
F. Coping Mechanism
Lashes out, breaks things
ASSIGNMENT 2: Your Show
1. For each of your main characters, brainstorm an Emotional Profile, filling in the following:
My goal is to thread the needle between Northern Exposure and Breaking Bad. And if you squint, just a touch of Pushing Daisies
HOLLY GLASS
Holly is a woman whose entire life always unfolded in magical ways. She somehow always ended up where she wanted, but never by being mean or divisive, she just effortlessly floated to the top of whatever she did.
Things just “happened” for Holly in a way that led to her goals being fulfilled. It wasn’t a perfect life, but Holly realized that every bad thing that ever happened to her ultimately led to something amazing she could never have imagined—or would have had without that “terrible thing.” It all fell into place for her. And she was doing good work. She was happy, and she build an environment around her for the people she worked with to discover their best self…
And then, one morning, that day ended up different than ever other day of her life.
The person she loved most betrayed her. The people she trusted betrayed her, and she was sent to prison for two years.
When she came back, she no longer trusted that there was magic in the world, and so, for Holly, there wasn’t any. In the blink of an eye, her world became a hard place, filled with one disappointment after another. It was a hard place now, where people are no longer blindly trusted—they have to earn the trust, and one slip—up, or anything that hints at deception becomes a red flag for her. What Holly must do is find a way to let go of her fear of being destroyed again, find a way to trust, and reclaim the magic that is her birthright. Turns out, it’s everyone’s birthright.
The series explores how Holly must change in order to discover the “something amazing” in this current, unprecedented “terrible thing.”
A. Situational: Hope / Fear
HOPE: she’ll create a new life, bigger and better.
FEAR: she’ll never again know the power and influence and opportunity she had before she was framed.
B. Motivation: Want / Need
WANT: to create an empire, regain her financial independence and power.
NEED: to let go of control, and let the wisdom of the town seep into her psyche.
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public
BNE: betrayed, rage, bent on revenge
PUBLIC: poised, self-assured, the calmest person in any room
D. Weaknesses
Unable to trust anyone while at the same time, bad at protecting boundaries
E. Triggers
Being lied to. She has an overly sensitive bullshit detector, which can keep her at a distance from good people.
F. Coping Mechanism: When her back is against the wall or she is under heavy stress, she _____.
Shuts people out, turns them into pawns to be used, becomes clever and verbal
JACK OADLINKER
Holly’s closest friend from work, and possibly the only person who genuinely believes she’s innocent. They’re in touch, but keep it secret—the company doesn’t allow anyone to be in contact w/Holly, so they use burner phones. He is her secret “in” to news/tech at the company. They meet in neutral secret places and sometimes do capers. One could think of Jack and Holly as twins, sharing a psyche. That said, they’re nothing alike, physically or personality wise. Whereas Holly is a charming, effortlessly cool extravert, Jack is quiet, and lives comfortably in the silences between sentences.
A. Situational: Hope / Fear
HOPE: Jack hopes he can help Holly clear her name and get her job back.
FEAR: he fears he’ll get caught conspiring with her and go to jail—or at the very least get fired and lose his stock options.
B. Motivation: Want / Need
WANT: to be recognized for his contributions
NEED: to be needed, loved
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public
BNE: Fear
PUBLIC: Bravado
D. Weaknesses
Loyalty, poor boundary defense
E. Triggers
Sensing he’s losing affection or respect
F. Coping Mechanism
Overcompensates
MINDY MARGOLIS
Nora’s lifelong friend. Can find a sparkle in a mud puddle. Loyal. Grew up in the town.
A. Situational: Hope / Fear
HOPE: someday she’ll have the means and courage to leave Love Springs.
FEAR: she’ll die in the town she where she was born, never realizing her potential.
B. Motivation: Want / Need
WANT: to be a person of consequence
NEED: to stop trying so hard
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public
BNE: inadequate
PUBLIC: social coordinator/butterfly
D. Weaknesses
She uses her physical appearance to get what she believes she needs
E. Triggers
Being left out or told “no.”
F. Coping Mechanism
Sex.
BOBBY KYLE
Mayor for the last 30 years. A retired litigator, he’s a worthy adversary in a war of words. Don’t let his age fool you. He’s as sharp as he always was, and now, maybe a little Bobbie the town to stay the same. He remembers the good old days when the town was busy and full of government employees before they decommissioned the radar station at the top of the mountain. Imagine the mayor of Pleasantville, who never wants change. This mayor believes that change will ruin the natural beauty of the town and the area. He actively prevented a ski resort opening in the town, putting in runs, lifts, etc, which would have meant the demolition of the abandoned radar facility which has, over the years become an eyesore, but the good news is you can only see that from above. Bobby is a Roadblock to any progress, development, or change to the village and adjacent forests.
A. Situational: Hope / Fear
HOPE: he’ll stay in power and keep the town from changing
FEAR: he’ll be voted out and retired
B. Motivation: Want / Need
WANT: power
NEED: to feel useful, to have a purpose
C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion / Public
BNE: Machiavellian
PUBLIC: “just an old small-town lawyer-turned-mayor
D. Weaknesses
Desperate for control and relevance
E. Triggers
Challenges to his authority
F. Coping Mechanism
Threatens, uses his intelligence, knowledge of the law to intimidate.
-
What I learned doing this assignment is that several of my initial assumptions about the show’s characters were wrong. Doing this analysis has brought a whole new level to the characters, their (often bad) choices, and how they drive plot.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Watch the next episode of your Example Show to see how the characters fit into these three circles:
THE MORNING SHOW (TMS)
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>A. Main Characters Circle:
Alex Levy: long-time anchor of TMS
Bradley Jackson: new co-anchor of TMS
Cory Ellison: President of the News Division
Charlie Black (Chip): EP of TMS
B. Connected Circle:
Hannah Shoenfeld: Producer
Mitch Kessler: disgraced/fired host of TMS
Daniel Henderson: weekend anchor(?) and suitor for TMS anchor chair
C. Environment Circle:
Greg: Floor Manager
Sarah Gravele: Alex’s agent
Yanko Flores: weatherman, suitor for anchor
Claire Conway: PA
Fred: President of the network
Lizzie: Alex’s daughter
Jason Craig: Alex’s husband
Makeup Person
Various producers, crew
Ashley: one of Mitch’s sexual misconduct victims
SCHITT’S CREEK
A. Main Characters Circle:
David Rose
Johnny Rose
Alexis Rose
Moira Rose
B. Connected Circle:
Roland Schitt: Mayor
Twyla Sands: Restaurant Owner
Stevie Budd: Hotel Manager
Jocelyn Schitt: Mayor’s Wife
Patrick Brewer: David’s love interest/husband
Ted Mullens: local vet, Alexis’ love interest
C. Environment Circle:
Mutt Schitt: Roland and Jocelyn’s son
Ray Butane: Real estate agent, local entrepreneur
Ronnie Lee: City Council Member
Bob Currie: Council Member, Auto Repair Shop Owner
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Create the three circles of characters for your show.
2. Give us a one sentence description of each of the Main Characters.
LOVE SPRINGS
A. Main Characters Circle:
Nora Glass: disgraced Big Pharma exec/ex-con who moves to Love Springs to start her life over.
Mindy Margolis: Nora’s lifelong friend. Can find a sparkle in a mud puddle. Loyal. Grew up in the town and loves it.
Bobby Kyle: Mayor. Always looking for an angle to get the town on the map. OR Always looking for an angle to get the town acquired/sold/absorbed by another town/dissolved altogether.
Jack Oadlinker: Nora’s closest friend from work, who still believes she’s innocent. They’re in touch, but keep it secret—the company doesn’t allow anyone to be in contact w/Nora, so he uses a burner phone.
B. Connected Circle:
Terry Apple: Nora’s Ex Husband. He’s the dick who left her and swindled what was left of her money while she was in prison.
Brent Waters: Nora’s Former Parma Boss, who engineered Nora’s demise so he could sell the company and make hundreds of millions.
Dennis “Nickel” Nicholls: local good guy but stealth drug dealer. Nobody ever expects the town’s nicest and most decent person to be the main source of anything sketchy.
Amanda Lutz: Police Chief
Nancy Lin: Restaurant Owner. She runs a dying restaurant in a dying town. She varies the cuisine according to the last movie she watched to try and attract business.
C. Environment Circle:
William C. Hart: FDA Auditor with the associated stick up his ass.
Walt Alvarez: Gas Station Owner/mechanic
Marcus Demeter: cook at Margie’s restaurant
-
What I learned doing this assignment is the need to build into the pilot season-long questions about character and story that the audience cares about.
Example Show: The Morning Show
What is the big hook of this show?
The big hook is what happens to the characters as the scandal that follows Mitch Kessler’s firing for sexual misconduct plays out. Said another way, “What would happen to the nation’s most popular morning show if one of its beloved, iconic hosts is fired for sexual misconduct.”
What makes the main characters intriguing and interesting?
Alex deals with the fallout of Mitch’s firing, while trying to keep the show’s ratings up, especially with the hiring of Bradley Jackson—someone who appears, in many ways, to be Alex’s opposite.
Bradley is the least qualified to take the job, but her outspoken nature makes her a candidate to replace Mitch—especially since her real purpose is much more than becoming the replacement host.
Mitch simply can’t understand why cheating on his wife and “fucking a couple of PAs” is wrong. Hopefully, this is the starting point of an arc in which he redeems himself, because as the story begins, he represents the worst abuse of power, hiding behind the face America loves. At this point, he is irredeemable, unlikeable, and a genuinely bad person.
What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress?
Alex is torn between her loyalty to Mitch and her own personal goals for the show’s ratings and her career. We witness the pain she goes through as she explains to her viewers across America that she’s lost the man she thought she knew and loved for fifteen years.
Bradley is a fish out of water, and it’s clear she’s being used, but this opportunity is too great to pass up. Every relationship Bradley is in is fractured. She’s frustrated because she passionately believes she’s right and nobody will listen (this is setting up the opening for her to have a national platform from which to speak).
Bradley’s relationship with her mother and how it’s strained by bringing her brother home—he’s an addict and bipolar.
What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?
What will happen to/with Mitch “The dad of morning TV”?
Who will replace Mitch?
How will Alex’s deal pan out?
Will Alex get fired?
What does the future hold for Bradley?
Alex and Charlie’s (her EP’s) relationship.
What is Cory’s ultimate plan?
Alex’s relationships w/her daughter and ex husband.
How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?
The audience cares about the main characters, and how they deal with the fallout of Mitch’s firing as it affects them, each in a different way.
MAJOR BEATS:
- Alex’s morning routine starts at 3:30AM.
- Teaser ends with a mystery: Alex asks, “who died?”
- We meet Bradley and her small-town crew on their way to a story.
- We discover Mitch was fired from the morning show.
- Fifteen years and 12 Emmys. Only show to dodge #MeToo until Mitch.
- Alex states the problem: “Her on-air partner for fifteen years and best friend is a sexual predator.”
- Alex discovers the execs have known about this, and thinks this is why the’ve been dragging their feet on closing her deal.
- She demands she, alone, faces the cameras and tells the nation about Mitch.
- On location at a mine protest, Bradley discovers she’s lost the night anchor position to a less experienced reporter who is more likable than she (introducing character as driven and unlikeable) From coworker: “Try to be more agreeable for Christ sakes.”
- Big moment when Bradley loses it and goes off on a protestor before doing her live hit.
- We watch Alex give her first public remarks along with Mitch and his team (and his wife) as they take in her statement. As she makes her emotional heartfelt remark, we cut to Bradley, who says, “What a load.”
- Bradley discovers that her rant was recorded on a phone and her rant went viral, and is confronted by her boss who says he gave her a shot when nobody else would because she gets too hot. She quits.
- The network, looking for strong women to do a piece about finds Bradley’s viral video.
- Mitch tries to rationalize his horrible behavior: “Everything’s changed but they forgot to give me the memo.” His wife tells him she’s divorcing him.
- Charlie tries to get the show back on track / Cory has an agenda, makes no comment to the press.
- Cory shows up in Charlie’s office: Cory says they’re going to make change and nobody’s going to like it.
- NOTE: set up one character, set up a second character, then put them together against each other.
- Alex’s PR team coaches her that she was too sympathetic toward Mitch in her first public statement. They want to spin the situation to work for Alex’s upcoming negotiation.
- We get a hint about Alex’s home life, specifically w/her daughter. Then Alex’s ex shows up.
- Again: show one character, then another, then put them together in a blender. We see that Alex’s relationship w/her ex is “good” sort of.
- Alex’s daughter mentions “The Event” on Friday, setting up something big.
- Bradley comes home to discover her mother has taken Bradley’s brother, Hal, out of rehab. We learn Hal is bipolar and an addict. Through one dialogue exchange we learn this, and learn that Bradley’s mother took Hal out because she didn’t want to be alone. This brief exchange, and Hal’s response, succinctly sets the relationship between the three of them. We learn how committed Bradley is to her brother, and the cost of his well being is on Bradley’s life.
- This is interrupted by Hanna (head booker for the Morning Show) showing up at Bradley’s door, inviting her to fly to New York for an interview the next day because her video from the mine went viral—and ALEX WILL INTERVIEW HER. This is clearly the biggest event in Bradley’s career so far.
- Bradley asks how they found her, which leads to a thematic statement from Hannah, “We’re The Morning Show, we can do anything.”
- Daniel complains he’s only given fluff pieces, hints that this might be borderline racism “Tokenism at its finest.”
- Cory and Charlie meet alone in a big restaurant (setting hints at power). Cory lays out why Alex was on her way out, but a new co-anchor could save her. He sets up the rivalry w/the other network morning show.
- Cory speaks the truth of the culture (and the business) today to Charlie: people get their news from their phone. What they do is provide escape, a dream world for America, saying the sexual chemistry between Alex and Mitch was a big part of their appeal, but now, Alex is Mitch’s widow, and “Nobody wants to watch a widow get fucked.” All of this is subtext for: big things need to change and nobody’s safe.
- Bradley shows up in New York. Intercut her doing research w/Alex trying to sleep/deal with everything.
- A somewhat tipsy Alex shows up at 2AM at her dressing room. This does not go unnoticed. Alex cries, and we see the toll all of this is taking on her (undeserved misfortune).
- At 45 minutes, through Bradley’s eyes, we see the same electronic billboard we saw in the opening, but now, instead of Alex and Mitch, it’s only Alex. Change.
- Alex interviews Bradley live. She turns what’s supposed to be an easy piece into a confrontation. Alex is warned over her earpiece to “be nice’ but she continues to press Bradley. Cory sees something in Bradley. Alex creates an uncomfortable moment about a reporter making the story about them. The interview ends in a war of subtext between Alex and Bradley calling each other, and every word is beneath the surface, but they’re actually going after each other. Cory loves this. Bradley deftly ends the conversation, and one-ups Alex.
- Off camera, Alex subtly insults Bradley. Cory watches, and sees the conflict between them.
- Mitch gets a late-night intruder. Gun drawn, he heads downstairs to discover that it’s Alex, who came to secretly see him—they still love each other and start to work through their issues. Alex is going to lose everything because of Mitch—their star was build on chemistry and he blew it up. Mitch denies, and says they were consensual affairs. Mitch accuses her of being jealous. She retorts: “Do you think that I’m jealous because of the two times you got on top of me…” Very specific wording (not saying they made love or had sex—“You got on top of me” says the same thing but with so much beneath the surface. They discuss their unique and special relationship, how close they were, and Alex tells him they can never be friends.
- After a heartfelt moment, Alex leaves. Mitch stops her w/a big revelation, “They’re going to replace you.”
- The episode ends w/Bradley leaving town, taking a call from Cory, who invites her to meet him for a drink and “talk about her future.”
-
Hi Everyone,
I’ve written 11 scripts in various formats (feature, stage play, web series, short, pilot). I’ve also done a page-one rewrite of an action thriller for a production company.
I took this class waaaaay back when it was Bingeworthy 4. I’m excited to see all the new bits and how Hal has evolved things over the years. I have said this many times: I believe this Bingeworthy program is the best work Hal has done. I’ve been in MSC and other classes, as well.
Something unique about me: after about 30 seconds with me in the same room, you’ll realize I have Tourette’s syndrome. It’s unusual, it can be a real pain in the ass, but it can also provide some hilarious moments, too. So if you hear me yell, “FUCK” I’m not yelling at you, I’m yelling toward you. Hopefully, anyway!
Looking forward to working together.
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by Michael Lipoma.
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by
-
Michael Lipoma
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.