WICKED Television Series Pilot
Madeline Newberry
Cynthia Noury
North Carolina State University TV PILOT 2
Table of content
Log line ...... 3
Premise ...... 3
Proposal ...... 4
Main characters ...... 9
Secondary characters ...... 11
Development of the series over the first season ...... 12
Concept art ...... 13
Treatment of the first episode ...... 15
Script ...... 16
TV PILOT 3
WICKED Television Series Pilot
Log line
You can't have good without evil.
Premise
After dying from tragic deaths, seven women are brought together and reincarnate as the seven deadly sins, influencing others to commit the unforgivable sin they represent.
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Proposal
Overview - WICKED is a TV-MA (mature audience) series meant to reach adults (18-54 years old). This original programming was developed to be broadcasted along side HBO’s out-of-the- box, surprising and graphic series’ such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, etc. The first season consist of 12 22-minutes episodes, as the viewers follow the seven deadly sinners through their mission to spread their sins.
Timeline - The pre-production for the first season of WICKED will take place over eight months from the pitch and initial writing of the series. Filming and editing for each episode will take place each month thereafter (refer to Figure 1). For the sake of time purposes, there is a small bit of leeway given for actors in case of illness or injury. The completion of the overall first season will require approximately 21 months (84 weeks).
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WICKED season 1 TIMELINE Task Duration Pre-Production Location scouts, department head meetings (including but not 6 Months limited to: casting, special FX, stunts, costumes, concept overview, script meeting, transportation, meeting with actors and crew). Go through script scene-by scene with director, submit list of all 1 Month special equipment needed (steadycam, circle track, special lenses, etc.) to the AD and location of equipment. Production coordinator consults team about travel, hotel 1 Week arrangements, family travel, etc. Extra casting, budget re-adjustment, assess any problems with 1 Week costumes, set, etc. Production meeting, review all arrangements and director’s 1 Week concepts, script run-through, anything else needed by director.
Shooting schedule determined. 2 Weeks
Production Script Overview / Editing / Rehearsing 1 Week/Episode Shooting 2 Weeks/Episode Editing / Soundtrack / Mastering 1 Week/Episode Post-production Screening 1 Day/Episode Client approval 1 Day/Episode Episode delivered to the distributor
Figure 1 - Timeline
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Budget - The budget for WICKED is quite average being that it features known actors as headliners and is shot using a cinematographic approach (in contrast with a in-studio sitcom approach). The main objective in this report is merely to provide a rough estimate of the total cost of production for the first season (refer to Figure 2). The cost per episode is approximately $3.4 million.
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WICKED SEASON 1 BUDGET (USD)
RATE UNIT X Total PERSONNEL Producer / Executive Producer 10,000 Week 84 840,000 Associate Producer 5,000 Week 84 420,000 Production Assistant 4,000 Week 84 336,000 Business Affairs / Accounting 2,000 Week 84 168,000 TOTAL 1,764,000
OPERATING EXPENSES Building Sets 1,000,000 Allowance 1 1,000,000 Extra Set rental / Equipment Rental 30,000 Week 48 1,440,000 Petty Cash 5,000 Allowance 1 5,000 Research Materials 5,000 Allowance 1 5,000 Tape Stock / Drives 4,000 Allowance 1 4,000 TOTAL 2,454,000
PRODUCTION Graphics 10,000 Allowance 1 10,000 Main Cast (7 x 250,000$) 1,750,000 Episode 12 21,000,000 Secondary cast 200,000 Episode 12 2,400,000 Director 50,000 Episode 12 600,000 Field crews 700,000 Episode 12 8,400,000 Airfare / Hotels 10,000 Episode 12 120,000 Meals 7,000 Episode 12 84,000 Travel expenses / Parking 5,000 Episode 12 60,000 TOTAL 32,674,000
POST-PRODUCTION Editing 10,000 Episode 12 120,000 Audio Mixdown 6,000 Episode 12 72,000 Music 5,000 Episode 12 60,000 Transcription 4,000 Allowance 1 4,000 Legal/Copyright 20,000 Allowance 1 20,000 TOTAL 276,000
BELOW THE LINE TOTAL $37,168,000
LEEWAY 10% of budget 3,716,800
TOTAL BUDGET $40,884,800
Figure 2 - Budget
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Cast and crew – Here is a preview of WICKED first season cast and crew (refer to Figure 3). The series relies on an experienced director as well as renown casting for its seven main characters. Employees for many positions are still to be determined (TBD), as those positions will be filled during the pre-production process.
WICKED SEASON 1 CAST and CREW
Directed by Created by David Semel Madeline Newberry / Cynthia Noury
Cast Produced by Lucy – Hayden Panettiere Madeline Newberry / Cynthia Noury Megan – Evan Rachel Wood Brittany – Naomie Harris Written by Natasha – Fairuza Balk Alan Ball Leah – Rachel Leigh Cook Ashley – Elisha Cuthbert Music by Beth – Ellen Page She Wants Revenge
Secondary Cast – TBD Production manager – TBD Figurants – TBD Production assistant – TBD Costume designer – TBD Casting director – TBD Make-up artist – TBD Technical director – TBD Production designer – TBD Camera operator – TBD Set designer – TBD Stage manager – TBD Location manager – TBD Graphics coordinator – TBD Screenwriter – TBD Special effects coordinator – TBD Story editor – TBD Composer – TBD Runners – TBD Sound editor – TBD
Figure 3 - Cast and crew
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Main characters
The seven main characters are the young women that died from their sins. They are all aged 18- 25. The following pictures, from an America’s Next Top Model photo shot, serve as an inspiration for the casting of those characters, each personifying one of the seven deadly sins. They are also referred as the seven sinners.
LUCY (PRIDE) MEGAN (GREED)
She’s a vain ex-beauty queen and always strives for Coming from a rich family, she wants it all. She has a perfection. Pushing the competition to madness, she complex where she never has enough of anything. tried to kill her rival pageant by injecting the girl's Over the years, she became kleptomaniac and laxative pills with arsenic. She mistakenly took the developed a cocaine addiction. She spent all her life pills after accidentally switching them with her own, stealing, but eventually stole the wrong person, which causing her death. caused her death.
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BRITTANY (GLUTTONY) NATASHA (WRATH)
She’s a ballerina striving for a perfect body. A Sexually abused as a child, she has a lot of inner anger. bulimic, she often binges eats, then makes herself A gothic girl, she gets into a lot of fights, while trying throw up. One day after years of binge eating, she eats to seek revenge on her abuser. The day she finds out too much and makes her stomach rupture. her abuser works at her new college, she murders him with a stolen gun. The police kill her while she’s trying to flee.
LEAH (ENVY) ASHLEY (LUST)
She’s a quiet humble bookworm and has a twin sister A nymphomaniac, she sleeps with everyone in college. named Maria who is everything she wishes to be. On One night at a fraternity party, a guy tries to sleep with prom night, Maria is crowned with the queen title. her but for once she isn't in the mood to do it with him, Maria goes outside to see her friends, ignoring Leah having her eye on someone else. He gets angry, puts a smoking beside her. Her jealousy reaches a climax as roofie in her drink, and takes advantage of her. As she she goes up to her sister and snatches the crown from regains consciousness, she threatens him to tell all her head. While fighting, Leah accidentally slips and the brothers what he did to her, so he kills her. falls off the balcony after being shoved by Maria.
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BETH (SLOTH)
A drug addict, she’s an unemployed 25 years-old school drop out. She destroyed all relationships she could have possibly had and is totally left alone. Sleeping by day, she does line after line by night chasing a constant high to relieve her from the real world and how she really is. Eventually she overdoses intentionally and dies.
Secondary characters
The boss - Among the secondary characters for the first season is “the boss”, an unidentified identity that brought the seven sinners to him and dictates their missions. In the series, the boss is only referred to at “he.” His real identity won’t be revealed until the second season.
The seven virtues - Seven young men (18-25 years old also) personify the seven heavenly virtues (humility, charity, temperance, patience, kindness, chastity, diligence) who try to stop the sinners. They are also referred as the seven chaste men.
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Development of the series over the first season
Episode Title Story line
1 Deadly sinners Seven young women die from the seven deadly sins. An unidentified force named “the boss” recruited them to spread the sin they died for through the people.
2 Pride Lucy is helped by her colleagues as she tries to persuade other people to commit to pride.
3 Greed Megan is helped by her colleagues as she tries to persuade other people to commit to greed.
4 Gluttony Brittany is helped by her colleagues as she tries to persuade other people to commit to gluttony.
5 Wrath Natasha is helped by her colleagues as she tries to persuade other people to commit to wrath.
6 Envy Lea is helped by her colleagues as she tries to persuade other people to commit to envy.
7 Lust Ashley is helped by her colleagues as she tries to persuade other people to commit to lust.
8 Sloth Beth is helped by her colleagues as she tries to persuade other people to commit to sloth.
9 Doubt The sinners start doubting about the success of their missions since their victims seem to recover from the sins they spread. They secretly start investigating “the boss”.
10 Virtues As their investigation continues, the sinners discover that seven men representing the seven virtues are fighting against them. “The boss” prohibits them from meeting with the chaste men.
11 Clash The seven sinners disobey “the boss” and find a way to confront the seven chaste men. And incredible clash follows when they discover they have the same leader.
12 Confrontation The seven sinners and the seven chaste men turn against “the boss”. They track him in order to find its real identity. The episode ends as they find “the boss” without solving the mystery.
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Concept art
Aesthetics – The aesthetic of the series emphasizes the contrast between the dark personalities of the main characters and the purity of the sets they evolve in (refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5). Accordingly, the colorful, stereotyped, main characters will mainly evolve in environments evoking purity (luminous, white and clear). To enhance this contrast, all fade-in and fade-out will be use with white instead of black. The pace within each episode will vary alternating longer sequences (as the sinners realize their missions) and fast moving segments with multiple cuts (flashbacks from their past).
Figure 4 - Inspiration for the seven sinners
Figure 5 - Inspiration for the "meeting room" set
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Narration – The narration of the series will be non-linear will multiple flashbacks into the seven sinners previous lives as they accomplish their missions. Each episode will be built following the three-act structure.
Opening credits – The opening credits will present fixed pictures of each of the seven sinners death. The camera will scan the picture in a slow motion using a large shot. The fluid motion of the camera will be interrupted with cuts presenting a zoom in of the picture’s details. The name of the seven main characters will appear on the screen in bold characters. The fast pace of the generic will be supported by a “gloomy-rock” soundtrack (“Tear You Apart” by She Wants Revenge) to create tension within the audience. This feeling will contrast with the bright colors of the opening credits. The 45-second animation will end on the series’ logo (refer to Figure 6) before fading to the first scene of the story.
Figure 6 - Series’ logo
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Treatment of the first episode The Deadly Sinners
Act 1: Seven gorgeous young women are sitting next to each other on a white couch in an empty room, facing the camera. They’re colorful, extravagant, each of them representing one of the seven deadly sins. The camera focuses on each of them separately as flashbacks of their death appears on the screen. There are no dialogues during the flashbacks, just vague sounds and images of what happened. Lucy (pride) died from trying to poison a rival beauty queen. Megan (greed) accidentally got killed while caught stealing drugs. Brittany (gluttony) passed away due to severe bulimia. Natasha (wrath) breathes one last breath as the police shot her after trying to commit a murder. Leah (envy) perishes in a fight while trying to get some of her sister’s fame. Ashley (lust) gets killed by a man whose sexual overtures she refused. Finally, Beth (sloth) commits suicide by drug overdose. Viewers realize that their beauty hides their dirty sins. A shadow passes behind them as a deep voice is heard: “I’m sure you all know why you’re here.”
Act 2: The seven women try to hide their surprise as they discuss the possible reason of their presence in the empty room. They keep proposing their hypotheses, but “the voice” won’t answer them. Having enough of waiting for him to answer, they walk across the room, looking for an exit, a way to escape… nothing. The tension rises between them until the point where Natasha finally loses it and slaps Ashley in the face for trying to seduce “the voice” to get out of the room and back to her life. All of them get in the fight, except Beth who stays passive, as ever. Suddenly, “the voice” breaks their screams interrupting the fight: “You must spread the deadly sins you’ve died for. Without sin, there can be no good. I release you to fulfill your urge.”
Act 3: Astonished, the seven sinners are looking all around without being able to locate the source of “the voice”. It orders them to sit down. Once they’re back on the white couch, “the voice” tells them about its plan: spread the sins across people, fight chastity. Initially opposed to the idea of obeying “the voice”, they soon realize they have no other option. Either they help their new “boss” into its mission, or they stay lock in that room together forever. The finally accept to team up and listen to the advices of “the boss” regarding their upcoming missions.
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Script
Starting on the following page of this document is the first draft of the script for the opening act of the first episode of WICKED, entitled “Deadly Sinners”.
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WICKED SCRIPT – VERSION 1
EPISODE 1 – Deadly Sinners ACT 1
1. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Fade in. The seven sinners (LUCY, MEGAN, BRITTANY, NATASHA, LEAH, ASHLEY and BETH) are sitting in a white couch facing the camera, with no emotion on their faces (LS). Cut. Same setting (MS).
2. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Cut. LUCY looking straight into the camera with a grin on her face (CU), she looks down (TILT down), her fingernails are striated with arsenic marks (CU).
FLASHBACK 1
3. INT Beauty contest, catwalk. DAY
Fade in. LUCY walking down the catwalk at a beauty contest (MS).
4. INT Hotel room. NIGHT
Cut. LUCY sitting at the table facing the wall (MS). She is poisoning laxative pills with arsenic (CU on her hands).
5. INT Dressing room. DAY
Cut. LUCY takes a pill bottle out of her purse (CU). Takes another bottle out of a girl’s bag (CU). Drops both bottles on the floor (MS). Grabs them back (MS). Hesitates (CU on face). Picks one (CU). Puts it in the girls bag and walks away (MS).
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6. INT Backstage from the catwalk. NIGHT
Cut. LUCY grabs a pill bottle in her purse (MS). Takes a pill (CU hands). Swallows it with a sip of water (CU face). Smiles (CU face). Walks in direction of the catwalk (MS).
7. INT Beauty contest, catwalk. DAY
Cut. LUCY falls while walking (MS). She collapses on the catwalk (LS). Fade out. ______
8. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Cut. MEGAN looking straight into the camera, her nose starts bleeding (CU). Blood runs on the perfect white teeth of her evil smile (XCU).
FLASHBACK 2
9. INT In a party at a mansion. NIGHT
Fade in. MEGAN sitting in a boot taking coke with friends (MS). Goes on the dance floor with friends (MS). She looks euphoric (CU on her face).
10. INT In the bathroom at the same mansion. NIGHT
Cut. She’s looking at herself in the mirror (MS). Looks really tired as she touches the dark circles under her eyes (CU on her eyes). Looks in her purse for more cocaine, but can’t find any (MS).
11. INT Empty hallway in the mansion NIGHT
Cut. MEGAN sneaks through the empty upper floor of the mansion (LS). She walks into the master’s bedroom (MS).
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12. INT Master bedroom in the mansion NIGHT
Cut. She opens the drawers violently (MS) looking for cocaine (CU on hands searching among papers). She turns around as a man grabs her wrist (MS). The man has is hands around her neck (CU on hands). Her body falls on the ground as the man walks way (MS). ______
13. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Cut. BRITTANY licking her fingers, smiling, her lips covered with sparkling pink lipstick (CU).
FLASHBACK 3
14. INT Dance studio. DAY
Fade in. BRITTANY dancing ballet on the stage (LS). Pivoting (MS). Rising on her tiptoes (CU on her feet).
15. INT Hotel room. NIGHT
Cut. She’s sitting on one of the beds surrounded by food (LS). She grabs food with her hands (CU on hands) and shovels it into her mouth (CU on mouth).
16. INT Hotel room’s bathroom. NIGHT
Cut. She’s running in the bathroom to the toilet (MS). Kneels in front of the toilet as she starts vomiting (CU on knees). Falls on the side unconscious on the bathroom’s floor (MS). ______
17. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Cut. NATASHA looking at the camera intensely (CU). She suddenly starts screaming (XCU on her mouth).
NATASHA Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! (Screaming)
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FLASHBACK 4
18. EXT Old car in empty parking lot. DAY
Fade in. Old car in an empty parking lot (LS). Young NATASHA in the car being molested by a man (MS). She cries silently (CU on her face).
19. INT College hallway. DAY
Cut. Runs down the hallway screaming, a gun in her hands (LS). Breaks in into an office by kicking the door (CU on kick). Her molester is now older, sitting behind a desk (CU on his horrified face). Gun shot sound.
20. INT Another college hallway DAY
Cut. NATASHA turning the corner, running, police officers after her (LS). She gets caught in a dead end (MS). Gun shot sound. Her body falls on the floor covered with blood (CU on her upper body). ______
21. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Cut. LEAH looking to the girls at her right and left with envy (CU). Looks to the camera (CU), then down (TITL down) to her shaking hands (CU).
FLASHBACK 5
22. INT Ballroom, prom night. NIGHT
Fade in. LEAH alone in an empty corner of the gym (LS). Her twin sister MARIA is on the stage winning the prom queen crown (MS).
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23. EXT Balcony adjacent to the ballroom. NIGHT
Cut. LEAH is alone smoking when her sister shows up with her friends (MS). MARIA pays no attention to her, as she brags to her friends about her prom queen title (CU). LEAH walks to her sister precipitately and pushes her friends away (MS). She tries to grad the crown from her sister’s head (CU). Maria pushes her back and LEAH falls over the balcony’s rail (MS).
24. EXT Parking lot under the balcony. NIGHT
Cut. LEAH’s body is lying on the ground (LS from the balcony). ______
25. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Cut. ASHLEY licking her red lips, addressing sexy looks to the camera (CU). She blows a kiss (XCU on her mouth).
FLASHBACK 6
26. INT Fraternity house party, in the living room. NIGHT
Fade in. ASHLEY fooling around with multiple guys, seducing them as she walks through the crowd (LS). From the side of the room (MS), GUY 1 looks at her intently (CU on his eyes). GUY 1 approaches her (MS) and whispers something in her ear (CU). She pushes him way and slaps him in the face before leaving (MS).
27. INT Fraternity house party, in the kitchen. NIGHT
Cut. ASHLEY drops her glass on the counter (CU), reaches to a man and kisses him intensely (MS). GUY 1 drops something in her cup while she’s not looking (CU) and leaves (MS). ASHLEY grabs her cup back (CU) as she goes upstairs to a room with the man she just kissed (MS).
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28. INT Fraternity house party, dark empty bedroom. NIGHT
Cut. ASHLEY is passed out in the bed (MS). GUY 1 comes in (MS) and takes her on his shoulder (CU).
29. INT Fraternity house party, living room. NIGHT
Cut. It’s late at night (early morning). GUY 1 crosses the now empty living room with ASHLEY on his shoulders (LS).
30. INT Fraternity house, backyard. NIGHT
Cut. GUY 1 walks towards the wood at the back of the house (LS). ASHLEY is still unconscious on his shoulders (CU).
31. INT Woods. NIGHT
Cut. ASHLEY opens her eyes as she’s thrown on a bed of fall leaves (CU). She as a frighten look (XCU) as she sees GUY 1 approaching her (MS). ASHEY’s body is left in the woods in the morning (LS), strangulation marks on her throat (CU). ______
32. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Cut. BETH looking at the camera with pinpoint pupils (CU). Her harms are covered with track marks (XCU).
FLASHBACK 7
33. INT Empty apartment. NIGHT
Fade in. BETH sitting alone in her empty apartment doing lines and shooting herself (LS). She walks to the bathroom, faltering.
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34. INT Empty apartment, bathroom NIGHT
Cut. Unsteady, she holds herself to the sink not to fall (CU). She looks at her cadaverous face in the mirror (CU). Opens the cabinet (CU). Drags all the drugs it contains out (MS) and stuffs them into her mouth (CU). She falls on the bathrooms floor (MS), her body shaking (LS). ______
35. INT Inside the meeting room. DAY
Fade in. The seven sinners (LUCY, MEGAN, BRITTANY, NATASHA, LEAH, ASHLEY and BETH) are sitting in a white couch facing the camera, with no emotion on their faces (LS). A shadow passes behind them (LS). A voice echoes in the room.
THE BOSS You must know why you’re here. Don’t you?
-END OF ACT 1-