SECONDARY CHARACTERS IN SPECSComplications Ensue
Complications Ensue:
The Crafty Screenwriting, TV and Game Writing Blog




Archives

April 2004

May 2004

June 2004

July 2004

August 2004

September 2004

October 2004

November 2004

December 2004

January 2005

February 2005

March 2005

April 2005

May 2005

June 2005

July 2005

August 2005

September 2005

October 2005

November 2005

December 2005

January 2006

February 2006

March 2006

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

July 2006

August 2006

September 2006

October 2006

November 2006

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007

October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

January 2008

February 2008

March 2008

April 2008

May 2008

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

January 2011

February 2011

March 2011

April 2011

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011

October 2011

November 2011

December 2011

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

April 2012

May 2012

June 2012

July 2012

August 2012

September 2012

October 2012

November 2012

December 2012

January 2013

February 2013

March 2013

April 2013

May 2013

June 2013

July 2013

August 2013

September 2013

October 2013

November 2013

December 2013

January 2014

February 2014

March 2014

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

February 2015

March 2015

April 2015

May 2015

June 2015

August 2015

September 2015

October 2015

November 2015

December 2015

January 2016

February 2016

March 2016

April 2016

May 2016

June 2016

July 2016

August 2016

September 2016

October 2016

November 2016

December 2016

January 2017

February 2017

March 2017

May 2017

June 2017

July 2017

August 2017

September 2017

October 2017

November 2017

December 2017

January 2018

March 2018

April 2018

June 2018

July 2018

October 2018

November 2018

December 2018

January 2019

February 2019

November 2019

February 2020

March 2020

April 2020

May 2020

August 2020

September 2020

October 2020

December 2020

January 2021

February 2021

March 2021

May 2021

June 2021

November 2021

December 2021

January 2022

February 2022

August 2022

September 2022

November 2022

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

July 2023

September 2023

November 2023

January 2024

February 2024

 

Friday, July 01, 2005

Q. So basically...can a LOST spec involve an "Artz" as the A story?
Bumping up a secondary character to the A story is one way to pitch a LOST spec, I guess. You'd have to make what's happening with that character not only urgent to himself but also urgent to the main players. Because what you're showing in a spec is not how original you are, but how original you can be within the template of the show. You're showing that you can write the Skipper and Mary Anne and-- oh, sorry, wrong show. The most important thing is that it feel like a bonafide episode of the show.

If you look at the show, some apparently minor characters have got their own episodes, on their way to being more important. Hurley didn't seem like he was crucial to the plot until "his" episode. Then he became more central. So the template does allow you to promote minor characters.

Anyone else want to weigh in on this? LOST seems like a particularly awkward show to spec, yet it's a popular spec, I'm told. Has anyone written a LOST spec?

4 Comments:

It seems to me that if drama writers stay away from writing specs for shows like LOST, then all the specs out there will be some retread of CSI or L&O. It might not be easy, but there's got to be a way to approach these other shows.

By Blogger Unknown, at 11:44 AM  

"Anyone else want to weigh in on this? LOST seems like a particularly awkward show to spec, yet it's a popular spec, I'm told. Has anyone written a LOST spec?"

I have not written a LOST spec, but it seems to me to be an easy show to write for just the reason you cite: you can take a minor character and show how he/she relates to the others. Since flashbacks are part of the structure of any episode at any time you could work anyone into it. That allows you to shake things up quite a bit.

Certainly there has to be an episode where one or more of the background characters comment on the actions of the leads, providing a different perspective to actions, arguements, etc...there has to be one of the survivors thinking, "why are they always going off into the jungle and leaving the rest of us behind?"

By Blogger Cunningham, at 10:51 PM  

isn't writing a TV spec the same as a movie in the essence that you are just showing off your writing style? that you can do it? Abrams probably has 3-4 irons in the fire warming up so maybe he reads your Lost spec and recognizes your talent may be put to better use on one of his other shows? so it is better to go ahead and do the Lost spec as a business card submission

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:55 PM  

I got a job in part because of a Lost spec and I am skeptical about centering a Lost spec on a character like Arzt, who showed up for only a couple episodes before dying. In an average episode of Lost, I'd estimate that 20% is flashback, 40% focuses on the A story on the island involving the character featured in the flashback, and 40% is on anything else going on the island. If you were to choose a character like Arzt, 60% of the show would be centered on an irrelevant character. If you want to prove you can write Lost, that includes writing for the regulars. There are over a dozen characters, and you can pick and choose which ones to emphasize in the spec.

And I wouldn't classify Hurley as a minor character in the same way that Arzt was a minor character. One's a regular who's played supporting roles in many stories throughout the series, and the other was a guest star for a couple of episodes. Hurley's not a lead like Jack and Kate, but he's no Arzt, whose greatest impact on the story was his death.

By Blogger Peter, at 1:03 AM  

Post a Comment

Back to Complications Ensue main blog page.



This page is powered by Blogger.