Writers' Room Workshop with AJZ (Feb 2021) - GROUP 3 : Getting group homework started by Rebecca Cremona

Rebecca Cremona

Getting group homework started

Hello team 3 :)

Just checking in about the teamwork aspect of the homework, as per AMZ's email yesterday:

"Come up with a few pitch ideas with your teams for hypothetical series — à la Fred Flintstone moves to Beverly Hills and becomes a serial killer OR Alice in Wonderland starts trafficking hallucinogens OR The West Wing, but set in Heaven — or Dante’s Inferno."

Was wondering how everyone wanted to go about it, so we can get it underway.

Looking forward to working together!

Rae Z. Shelly

Hi Rebecca,

I was wondering the same thing. Maybe everyone should throw out some basic idea for a TV pilot. Then we'll vote & pick the one idea that we will then develop as a group. And then elaborate on the characters, tone, & IP stuff? Who wants to go first?

--Rae

Tempest X

I like LINDSAY AICHINGER's idea she posted below for one of the pilots that she is working on.

Title: Dark Science

Logline: After fully embracing spirituality to heal from a chemical accident killing her boyfriend, a former chemical engineer uncovers a secret occult library connecting her new found faith to her dramatic past. Throughout the first season, she must face her past head on in order to embrace her destiny and save the planet from further destruction.

Tempest X

I'll also come up with something else and post in a bit!

Rebecca Cremona

I like Lindsay's pilot ideas too :) I'm just thought that the team pitches are meant to be broad examples (like the ones that Amanda gave in her email, with known figures like Fred Flinstone & Snow White etc). But maybe I misunderstood...

Jordan Jaffe

Also Lindsay, since that's your actual pilot that you are working on you probably don't want us all working on it...

Lindsay Aichinger

Hey guys! I'm glad you like Dark Science. I wrote the pilot and have gotten some good feedback. It's magic related and based on a real library I found in LA called the Philosophical Research Society. Reality is weird... Sarah (the ex-ChemE) is actually apart of a secret Angelic human species that is meant to defeat the occults lol.

Daniel LoBrace

Rebecca Cremona, I'm thinking we can do either: pitch a show involving known figures (eg, Kermit and Miss Piggy get involved with the mafia and are forced to scam the Henson company) or a slightly more grounded, pop culture figure-less idea (Fargo but set at an Arizona state college campus). As for how we go about it, I second Rae Z. Shelly's idea!

Jordan Jaffe

Okay here's a few. HBO's Industry set in hell. A drama about a group of young demons trying to get ahead in cut throat world of buying and selling souls (like they are commodities on theoretical hell soul exchange). Live action Scooby Doo in the vein and tone of True Detective. They reunite 20 years later as adults to solve the one crime/find the elusive killer that got away. Yellowstone meets Interstellar. A prominent space ranching family gets into an high stakes interstellar turf war.

Lindsay Aichinger

I think broad ideas are a good way to practice as well. Selling souls lol. I was reading that in Revelations... It is a thing it seems... Sell your soul to Satan! That was in Lucifer lol.

Jordan Jaffe

Just saw Amanda's email. Looks like we all just bring those to class for now.

Amanda Toney

Daniel LoBrace - I love that Kermit & Miss PIggy get involved with the mafia to scam the Henson company -that is GREAT!

Daniel LoBrace

Thanks Amanda Toney!

Debra Holland

I'm with Amanda on liking Daniel's Muppets story.

Katharine Clark Gray

I'm liking all of these - I am going to corral what's here in a Google doc so we can continue to tweak if need be) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YUQ-TP2WrPSVba1IZgBoFJpKM7nIMFtNGryf...

Katharine Clark Gray

(PS from Amanda's email it does seem as though there's some fluidity to whether we're all pitching something or whether we rep as a group but either way we'll be prepared!)

Rebecca Cremona

Katharine Clark Gray that's so super organised! Thanks :) So I suppose we should get pitching in on your doc and eventually 'voting'. Although she did say people could pitch their own thing it seems we should have 1 (more or less) consensus idea to put forward.

Katharine Clark Gray

Rebecca Cremona Yep I think the right idea is to stay prepped for either eventuality. :) So we'll have some sort of group conversation and consensus to show for ourselves, but that shouldn't stop people from being able to put their own pitch forward if called on in Saturday's class. Thanks all!

Amanda Toney

Looks like you guys are well on your way with pitches/ideas. Most of the groups are planning on doing one main pitch for the group, but are coming planned with other pitches in their pocket if they get called on. Hope this helps you guys zone in on your idea for your main pitch and backup pitches if called on.

Debra Holland

I will be on the road at 7, so I'm casting my vote (my two votes) now. Either 1. Jordan Jaff's C or 2. Daniel LoBrace's B.

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