[Mark Turner]

Lesson 6
My Teenage Grandpa

What I learned is that I do not know how this posting system is suppose to work.

Tell us your High Concept and Elevator Pitch.

1. To find your main hook, give us what is most unique about your lead character’s journey from a big picture perspective.

2. How can you tell it in the most interesting way possible?

• Dilemma – Grandpa wants more time, the devil wants his grandson’s soul

• Main Conflict – Grandpa must become a better man

• What’s at stake? his and his grandson’s souls.

• Goal/Unique Opposition – Grandpa is turned into a 14-year-old high school boy

3. Using the 10 Components of Marketability, what is your Elevator Pitch?

4. After you answer questions 1 – 3, use AI to brainstorm other possible ways to generate a High Concept for your project.

The devil turns a selfish grandpa into a high school boy to become a better man or he gets his grandson’s soul.

A selfish grandpa bets the devil his grandson’s soul and wakes up a 14-year-old high school boy and become a better man or lose both their souls.

A selfish grandpa must become a better man as a high school boy to win back his grandson’s soul from the devil.
“I just finish a story that answers the question – how do you become a better man as a 14-year-old high school boy, especially if you bet the devil your grandson’s soul?”

AI pitch: When a selfish grandfather makes a deal with the Devil, he’s sent back to high school as a 14-year-old on a deadline for redemption.

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 5 days ago by  Mark Turner.

[Mark Turner]

Lesson 5

My Teenage Grandpa Synopsis & Hooks

10 Most Interesting Things in the Script

1. Grandpa Mike selfishly bets the devil his Grandson Drew’s soul for more time.

2. The Devil’s curse – whenever teenage grandpa says Grandpa Mike it comes out as “Grant Paul Milk.”

3. Mike must earn back his family as a 14-year-old, dealing with homework, bullies, and puberty.

4. Drew uses Grant’s words to talk to Lori who finds out and falls for Grant instead.

5. Grant falls for his classmate Maya’s mom, Jane.

6. Drew catches Lori and Grant together

7. Grant slips back into chasing success and neglecting his family and friends.

8. The Devil is a charismatic, sarcastic, used-car salesman of souls offers Grant a new life filled with unlimited success where he never grows old.

9. Grandpa Mike never showed up for his family and friends, but now, in the final image, he shows up early to help set up the party. A perfect full-circle payoff.

10. Grandpa Mike wins the devil by making selfless choices proving he has changed.

________________________________________

10 Different Hooks in the Script

1. Grandpa Mike is force to be a 14-year-old to prove he can show up for his grandson — or they both lose their souls.

2. He can’t tell Drew who he really is — he has to earn his redemption without built-in sentiment.

3. He has limited time to prove he’s changed — or the Devil wins his grandson’s soul.

4. A contract-wielding Devil villain who raises the stakes with outrages offers.

5. Teenage Maya and her mother, Jane, both like teenage grandpa who’s technically Jane’s age.

6. Teenage grandpa becomes his grandson’s wingman… but accidentally attracts his girl.

7. Teenage grandpa channels his business prowess into creating a successful Junior Achievement company abandoning his grandson and friends.

8. The generational cultural clash between gen alpha and baby boomer hustler.

9. Grandpa Mike learns it’s not about gifts or grand gestures — it’s about being there.

10. Grandpa Mike doesn’t win by closing a deal. He wins by choosing family over his selfish desires

Synopsis:

15-year-old Drew Tanner is a lonely teen navigating bullies, awkward crushes, and a distant family dynamic. His birthday party is
filled with relatives, but no friends — and, once again, his flaky Grandpa Mike arrives late, breaking yet another promise. Drew
feels hurt and abandoned, while Mike, a selfish wealthy businessman, shrugs it off as “just being busy.”

After trying to reconnect with his son and grandson, Grandpa Mike suffers a major heart attack. At death’s door, he’s visited by the Devil, there to claim his soul. In a desperate plea for more time, Mike bets the Devil his grandson’s pure soul that he can change and become a better man. The Devil accepts with one rule: Mike must change before his natural life expires… however long that may be.

Mike awakens in the body of a 14-year-old boy, unable to say “Grandpa Mike” without it coming out as “Grant Paul Milk.”
Forced to pretend he’s a distant cousin, he reenters high school as Grant, determined to bond with the grandson he barely knows — without revealing his true identity. Grant soon regrets the decision after becoming the new target of Drew’s bully.

Still, Grant begins to mentor Drew — teaching him how to dress, talk to girls, relax and have fun. With Grant’s help, Drew gains confidence, throws a house party, stands up to his bully, and finally wins over his crush, Lori. The night ends in betrayal and humiliation when Grant is caught making out with Jane, the mother of his student business partner Maya. Who are both drawn to the soul of Grandpa Mike inside the boy’s body.

Believing he’s done his job, Grant shifts his focus back to business, building a Junior Achievement company that catches the attention of a major corporation. Ignoring Drew and returning to his old self.

Sensing an opportunity, the Devil wields his supernatural power causing Grant’s business to draw the attention of GigaCorp who offer Grant a huge contract if he leaves behind his team and works exclusively for them.

Meanwhile, abandoned by Grant, Drew's life unravels. His relationship with Lori falls apart, and he walks in on Grant — his best friend, his role model — about to kiss the girl he likes.

Devastated, Drew accuses Grant of being just like Grandpa Mike: selfish, greedy, and absent.

After Grant rejects GigaCorp’s offer, he suffers another heart attack. The Devil pulls him into a jazz club version of hell to offer Grant a new deal for his grandson’s soul: a long successful life never growing old – since his time has run out.

Grant rejects the Devil’s offer and begins righting all the wrongs he’s do, choosing Drew and his new friends over his selfish desires.

Fearing the end is near and the bet may be lost; Grant finds a way to reveal his true identity to Drew and his father and confess that he selfishly bet the Devil Drew’s soul for more time. But to win the bet, he must become a better man before he dies.

Which could be at any moment.

The Devil pops into their presences declaring victory, claiming Grant broke the rules by revealing his identity. But Grant’s selflessness — his willingness to give up success, power, and even his legacy to protect Drew — proves he’s truly changed.

The bet is won.

More mature and wiser, Grant shows up early to Drew’s 16th birthday party in the park, helping set up, As Drew celebrates with friends and family. Grant transforms back into a 64-year-old man.

But Jane is a no-show

After the party, Grandpa Mike finds Jane and reintroduces himself as her soulmate closing the deal on a happy life filled with love, friends, and family.

• This reply was modified 3 weeks ago by  Mark Turner. Reason: it came out in one blob instead of separated the way I put in into the reply

[Mark Turner]

Subject Line: My Teenage Grandpa – 10 Most Interesting Things

A. Unique Hero:

• An old school hustler who’s never there for his family forced to navigate a Gen Alpha world.

B. Major hook of your opening scene:

• His grandson’s birthday party is filled with family but not one single friend — and the one person he’s been waiting for most, his grandpa, arrives after it’s over.

C. Turning Points:

• Grandpa suffers a heart attack then bets the Devil his grandson’s soul for more time to become a better man.

• Grandpa wakes up in his 14-year-old body without the ability to state his true identity.

• Teenage grandpa teaches his grandson how to dress, how to speak to girls, how to practice and stand up for himself, and make the baseball team.

• Teenage grandpa throws a party where his grandson closes the deal with the girl and stands up to his bully gaining instant popularity through teenage grandpa’s guidance.

D. Emotional dilemma:

• Teenage grandpa gets caught making out with a student’s mother at the party embarrassing his grandson.

• Teenage grandpa secret advice on women backfires accidentally making his grandson’s girl fall for him.

• Teenage grandpa taught his grandson to drive, got him hooked on alcohol, and he crashes the car while driving drunk without a license

E. Reveal:

• Teenage grandpa finds a way to tell his grandson that he is his grandfather and has bet his soul with the Devil.

• Teenage grandpa transforms back into a 64-year-old man at his grandson’s 16th birthday party.

F. Reversals:

• Teenage grandpa becomes obsessed with his Junior Achievement company ignoring his grandson completely.

• Grant rejects

G. Character betrayals:

• Grandson catches his best friend (who’s secretly his grandfather) about to kiss the girl he likes.

• Teenage grandpa’s develops relationships with a student in his JA company and her mother develop at the same time.

• After his JA company’s success, a huge company offers teenage grandpa a contract without the others in the JA company.

• Teenage grandpa tells the mother that she is his soulmate and she dumps him.

H. Surprise:

• 64-year-old Grandpa reintroduces himself to the mother -they are soulmates.

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 1 day ago by  Mark Turner. Reason: it came out in one blob instead of separated the way I put in into the reply

[Mark Turner]

Mark Turner Producer/Manager

Imagine you have two meetings set up — with a producer and then with a manager. What would you say and do differently based upon this model?

Answer two questions:

1. How will you present yourself and your project to the producer?

I would pitch him more of a sales pitch that includes a marketable concept summary containing the “business hooks” as in

assignment 2.

I’d ask him a “what if” question regarding the hook. And I would follow that with a single sentence logline containing the premise hook. And tell them some of the story “set pieces.”

Followed up by some comparable films.

2. How will you present yourself and your project to the manager?

I would present myself as an award-winning writer and let them know my connection with the material. How and why, I decided to tell this particular story.

I’d give them the single sentence logline with the premise hook.

Then pitch what the story is about thematically, using broad strokes punctuated with story examples.

3. Answer the question “What I learned today is…?”

That I’m still uncertain what the right pitch is and why they should be different.

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 4 days ago by  Mark Turner. Reason: it came out in one blob instead of separated the way I put in into the reply

[Mark Turner]

Subject line: My Teenage Grandpa’s marketable components are that it is a unique, timely family story with a self-explanatory title, with great roles for an older bankable actor and bankable child actors, similar to several highly successful films.

“What I learned doing this assignment is…” My script has several marketable components.

Current logline: When a selfish workaholic grandfather bets the Devil his grandson’s soul, he wakes up as a 14-year-old boy on a ticking clock to become a better man or they both lose their souls.

1. Unique: A 65-year-old grandpa is forced back into high school to earn redemption, but as a 14-year-old boy in his grandson’s classes without the ability to tell him he’s, his grandfather.

2. Great Title: My Teenage Grandpa – high concept, clear, ironic, and family-friendly

3. Timely — recently read that family comedies are coming into demand now, because parents want movies the whole family can see together.

4. It’s a first. First time a 65-year-old goes back to high school as his younger self.

5. Wide audience appeal: Supernatural Family Comedy – it’s a coming-of-age story about second chances, generational disconnect and what it means to grow up — no matter your age, and how love — not legacy — defines us.

6. Similarity to a box-office success. Reverse – “BIG:” budget: 18 million. Box Office:152 million.

In the vein of Freaky Friday – Budget: 20 million. Box Office: 161 million;

Liar Liar, budget: 45 million. Box Office: 303 million;

Netflix’s Family Switch – no budget information.

7. A great role for bankable actors:
• Grandpa Mike: 65, Engaging / charismatic / selfish / wounded / regretful
• Grant Paul: same 65-year-old in a 14-year-old body who hated high school 50 years ago
• Drew Tanner: 15, shy / insecure / sheltered / athletic / witty / smart
• Randy Williams 16, brash / insecure / bully / hidden secrets / athletic

3. Do a quick brainstorm session about ways to elevate those two components for this script and tell us how you might pitch the script through the two components:

My Teenage Grandpa is a supernatural family dramedy about redemption disguised as a body-swap buddy comedy. In the vein of Big, Freaky Friday, and Netflix’s Family Switch, it’s a story about second chances, generational disconnect, and how love — not legacy — defines us. With heartfelt issues, big laughs, and a supernatural twist, it reminds us it’s never too late to grow up — even if you have to do it all over again.

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 4 days ago by  Mark Turner. Reason: it came out in one blob instead of separated the way I put in into the reply

[Mark Turner]

Mark Turner – MY TEENAGE GRANDPA – Managers/production companies
Genre: Supernatural Family Comedy
Concept: Grandpa/Grandson buddy comedy, with coming-of-age and redemptive themes where the grandpa is turned into a 14-year-old boy because of his bet with the devil.
I learned the way I’ve been pitching my be incorrect

[Mark Turner]

Mark Turner
I’ve written 10 pilots and 9 feature scripts and comic books
Looking to better my sales/pitching/finding producers and using AI skill.
I’ve had minutes to live 3 separate times, and was a Story Consultant to Johnny Depp’s company.,

[Mark Turner]

I, Mark Turner, agree to the 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.