P2 - Initial Ideas
The Brief
A Leeds-Based production company has secured the funding to produce a short dramatized sequence that can be used to promote the television drama you pitched in Unit 21.
You can decide which scene(s) would work best to gain interest in your series among it's target audience, but the total screen duration must be between 10 and 15 minutes.
In this unit, you will generate ideas for possible sequences and then develop and write a screenplay for the chosen sequence.
I have been asked to create a screenplay for a sequence of my proposed TV Crime Drama, Boundless. The screenplay must be 10-15 minutes long, which should mean around 10-15 pages of script. I should choose a sequence of scenes that will gain interest among my target audience of young men to promote the drama.
Idea Mind Map
Extract Idea Outline
1) Episode 1. Opening Scene
The extract opens with Alex & John at work, at a cyber security firm in Leeds. This scene includes Alex, John and co-workers and sets up Alex's job, location and how he is as a person (shown through his friendship with John)
Then, Alex gets fired from his job after an aggressive outburst at his boss. This scene includes Alex, Rob and co-workers and shows Alex's aspirations through his frustration at his boss not promoting him. It also demonstrates his short temper and sets up the circumstances for him resorting to crime.
Alex then walks home through Leeds to his apartment, meeting June in the hallway. This scene includes Alex, June and city-goers and establishes Alex's living state; shabby and low-end, but with an expensive computer and server setup. It also sets up his relationship with June and showcases his otherwise lonely life.
Finally, Alex turns on his computer to see an article about how much money is in cyber crime, inspiring him to set up an online service on the dark web as a freelance hacker. Soon after, he gets his first client. This scene includes Alex and the client and concludes the extract with Alex flinging himself into a world that he has only previously viewed from the other side.
Positives:
These are the opening scenes of the series, which means that it naturally establishes many of the core locations and characters of the series. This would help to peak the interest of the audience because they would want to find out what happens next while understanding the circumstances leading to Alex's situation, which may not be present in other extracts.
Negatives:
Not much actually happens in terms of action in this extract, which could result in audiences thinking the whole series will lack excitement. There are better extracts to choose from in terms of interesting events.
2) Episode 1 - Getting it done
This extract opens at the final section of the last, where Alex turns on his computer to see an article about how much money is in cyber crime, inspiring him to set up an online service on the dark web as a freelance hacker. Soon after, he gets his first client. This scene includes Alex and the client and concludes the extract with Alex flinging himself into a world that he has only previously viewed from the other side. This also serves as exposition to set up his living state.
Next, Alex starts working on the job by scouting his target - confidential data at a local law firm. This scene includes Alex, law employees, city-goers and June. This will show how Alex is surprisingly good at the malicious side of the job.
Then, Alex moves in to execute the attack and breaks into the firm's computer system and obtains the data. This scene includes Alex, law employees and city-goers. This scene will show that Alex isn't quite fit for the criminal world, but still follows through for the time being.
Finally, Alex goes back home and uploads the files to his client, completing his first job and receiving payment. This scene includes Alex & the client and shows that Alex has many new job requests, so he's only just getting started.
Positives:
Like the last extract, this one serves quite well at setting up the world that the series takes place in and Alex's situation. This would help get the audience invested in the series and make them wonder what happens next.
This extract also has more action than the last, showcasing Alex's first job. This would help engage the audience because they would find reading an action-filled script more than a less eventful one.
Negatives:
This extract doesn't give as much context to Alex's situation as the last, meaning that audiences might be confused as to what's going on, and wouldn't be able to see Alex's initial motives and events that led him to this point. However, this could actually also serve to further interest audiences by intriguing them about the series' plot.
3) Episode 2 - Getting into it
The extract opens with Alex working at a fast-food restaurant. This scene includes Alex, customers, employees and Alex's boss and shows that Alex is seemingly not in a great position at the moment.
Then, Alex walks home to his apartment. This scene includes Alex, June and city-goers and shows that Alex's life remains quite lonely, aside from his love interest next door.
Then, Alex continues to work on his real job - freelance hacking jobs of increasing legal severity. This scene includes Alex & his clients and reveals that Alex is living a 'double-life' of sorts, one in real life where he's nobody, and one on the dark web where he's known under the alias "Phoenix".
Finally, Alex gets a message from a user "MKULTRA408", who warns him about his recent endeavours and that he should get out while he can. This scene includes Alex & MKULTRA408, and reveals that there is a group out there watching over Alex's work, and they are malicious and dangerous.
Positives:
This extract gives a good setup to Alex's ventures and hints at future conflicts in the series, which would peak the audience's intrigue them to want to find out what led to his situation and where it will go later in the series.
Negatives:
The start of the extract is not very interesting and only serves to support the later scenes, so this could result in the audience losing interest prematurely and not wanting to continue watching.
4) Episode 3 - Breadcrumb Trail
This extract opens with Alex looking over his progress in his business while talking to his friend John. This scene includes Alex, clients and John and reveals how far Alex has gone into the criminal world while demonstrating how he's hiding it from those he knows. This quickly sets up Alex's situation to the audience.
Then, Alex carries out a particularly malicious job against a businessman, threatening his family. This scene includes Alex, his client, the businessman and his family and shows how far Alex is willing to go in the name of making money and expanding his services.
After that job, Alex begins to question his morality while talking to his neighbour June. This scene includes Alex & June and sets up their blossoming relationship while showing Alex's inner conflict over what he's resorted to doing. He's not sure about carrying on anymore but doesn't know if he can stop.
The extract ends with a scene in a police station where detectives are looking at one Alex's attacks and begin to investigate. This scene includes the detectives, police staff and the businessman from earlier. This reveals that Alex may have a whole other problem on his hands besides the threat of what might happen if he quits.
Positives:
This extract has a lot of action and interesting events, including character development and a cliff-hanger ending. This would help to peak the interest of the audience and get them invested in Alex's situation. It also provides enough exposition to clue the audience in without needing to show everything that happened before.
Negatives:
A lot happens in the extract, which means that it might be overwhelming to the audience or end up skipping over events too quickly to explore them properly.
5) Episode 4 - Saying No
This extract opens with Alex on a date with June, and he decides to shut down his business. This scene includes Alex, June & city-goers and sets up Alex's relationship with June and reveals that his future hangs in the balance with this decision to cut off his business, which could have negative consequences.
Then, Alex goes back home to shut Phoenix down, seeing a final job request which he refuses. This scene includes Alex, MKULTRA408 and SC0RP10 and reveals that the job was from a gang that doesn't take no for an answer, threatening Alex to stay open. Alex doesn't listen.
Alex is then forced to flee his apartment after a firebomb is thrown through his window by a hooded figure. This scene includes Alex, city-goers and hooded figures and reveals that Alex is now on the run from this gang who want him dead.
The extract ends with a scene in the local police office where detectives have established a solid link between Phoenix and Alex, and move in to his now burning apartment. This scene includes Detectives & police staff and reveals that Alex's predicament just got a whole lot worse.. or did it?
Positives:
Like the last extract, this is full of action and interesting events to peak the audience's interest. This would get them invested in the series and want to learn more about what led Alex to his situation, and what might happen next.
Negatives:
This extract does not provide the audience much context to what's going on, somewhat relying on previous episodes to give the audience a clear picture. This could mean that the audience leaves confused and doesn't really understand what the series is about.
6) Episode 5 - Phoenix
This extract starts with Alex on the run from a gang and local police, finding an abandoned industrial building to hide in and start erasing his presence from the internet. This scene includes Alex & city-goers and sets up Alex's current situation; homeless, but surprisingly has the resources to carry out one last attack - on his own network.
Then, both the gang and police manage to pick up on Alex's signal and track him down to his hiding place. This scene includes Alex, gang members and police and reveals that Alex's troubles are far from over, but he has an idea.
The extract reaches a climax when the two groups find each other in the building and fighting ensues, giving Alex an opening to escape. This scene includes Alex, gang members and police and shows that Alex has kept his freedom, but at what cost?
Finally, Alex gets a bus up to Scotland to lay low, leaving everything behind. This scene includes Alex, Passengers and a bus driver and ends the extract revealing all that Alex has done, and that he's gotten away with it. For now.
Positives:
This extract is the most exciting and action-packed of them all, which is suitable since it's from the series' climax. This would be good for getting the audience's attention and keeping them interested throughout the scenes. It also lacks context and explanation to the events in the extract, which could be a positive thing because it will intrigue the audience and make them wonder what might have led to this situation.
Negatives:
On the other hand, the lack of context could have the opposite effect on the audience if not executed properly, resulting in them feeling lost and confused while watching. This would curb their interest in the series, which is what I need to avoid.
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