Brave News World

Wrote a synopsis of my plans for the pilot. It's basically a play-by-play of the script I plan to write. The only problem, again, is I'm really not funny. That's kind of a problem when you're writing a sitcom, faux-Disney or not. Every piece of dialogue I sampled there will have to be sharper and wittier. All the same, it's a start. Feedback?

THE INTERN DIARIES

Tag: Two BFFs. Two dreams. One summer.
Two BFFs intern at Teen magazine of Terse Publications Co. Pilot, Brave News World

Summary: After an embarrassing and exposing speech at the Intern Party, new interns Amy and Natalie try to make it through their first day without getting fired.

Synopsis: The series starts at a intern party at a restaurant. The restaurant is close to the office in Midtown Manhattan. Close up on Amy Kennedy and Natalie walking into the restaurant. They’re talking about the commute from Long Island and how nervous they are. This is Amy’s dream--to work for Terse Publications. This is Natalie’s dream--to meet celebrities and work in the big city. For Amy, this is a career milestone. For Natalie, this is just a fun way to spruce up her resume. They briefly touch on their ambitions before entering the restaurant.

Inside, they are introduced to the magazine staff and the other interns. Anne Reese, the editor-in-chief, is somewhat intimidating. Alexis Pepper and Pear Barry, Natalie and Amy swear, are making snide remarks about them. Pear, making her way to the bathroom, stands up and shatters glass martini glasses, barely missing Natalie’s chest--a comedic display of her being a klutz (Just missed my heart/I think she almost killed me!) Amy and Natalie share their discomfort, and Amy begins an impassioned speech about why they need to stick with the job, even if it isn’t the best job out there. Unfortunately, Amy gets carried away and the table look to her and overhear her speech. Anne Reese, not amused, more than hints in her toast to the interns that Amy and Natalie are barely hanging onto their jobs. (END TEASER)

Amy and Natalie on the subway ride over to Manhattan record their first Intern Diaries blog. The characters comment on what has happened since the evening (not much) and get out to begin their day. Amy tells a funny story about having to run to four coffee shops to get Anne’s direct demands. The subway stops and the two get out, entering Terse magazine’s offices. The two are astound by the place and step towards the elevator, only to see a big crowd of people. It turns out one of the elevators are broken. Natalie rushes onto an elevator heading down to the lower lobby and basement floors--unfortunately with a swarm of other people. Amy relegates the coffees to her and promises to take the next elevator down. Natalie leaves. Amy waits for the elevator to do a trip down. A swarm of people still remain when it finishes its trip up and Amy assumes they are just waiting for the next elevator up--most of the publications are on higher floors. A boy steps onto the elevator and Amy follows behind. It is just the two of them on the elevator. People stare at her. Amy is unaware she is doing anything wrong.

The elevator ride is at first greeted by an awkward silence until Amy reaches over to hit her floor button. The boy suddenly chirps “Do you know who I am?” Amy innocently responds no. It turns out the boy is Blake Terse IV, whose great-grandfather started the company. Blake holds this information, unable to conceal his surprise that Amy does not know who he is. He asks questions about his family’s history, which Amy responds quickly and correctly to. At this point, he is truly baffled. He hits her floor and watches her get off. Annoyed, he starts towards her editor. She starts towards Natalie.

Natalie, shocked at this interchange, asks Amy if she knows the guy she was with. She again responds no (But he asked me the same thing!). Natalie explains it’s Blake Terse IV and that the rule is no one rides the elevator with him. “Or what?” Amy asks. And then Natalie points...

Amy rushes over to Blake and pleads with him not to tell Anne--that she was obviously mistaken. Blake, happy to have another pawn to control, strikes her a deal, at which she is reluctant to agree to. He wants her to do all his errands around the city--impossible errands, to be exact. "Or what?" She asks. "Or I’ll tell your editor and you’ll get fired." Amy is panicked. She tells Natalie who agrees to help her, knowing her job is on the line too if Anne finds out--guilt by association. (END ACT 1)

The girls start their wild chase, only to prove fruitless. They enter a coffee shop across the street, defeated. There they meet James Ryan, a charming boy their age. James, who has seen this all too many times before, hears out Amy and Natalie’s dilemma. He knows Blake and he knows how to do his tasks. He agrees to help the girls to show Blake--and the Terse family itself--that they can’t control interns because of their name.

Amy and Natalie return to the office triumphant. Amy hands Blake all the items he requested, smiling. A little shocked, he checks the items. They’re all right. “You bested me, Cinderella. I’m impressed.” “My name’s Amy, and it won’t be the last time, Prince Charming.”

The pair record another video blog reciting the lessons they learned--that while the internship may be new and exciting, it’s always important to remember what you say and who you’re talking to. While people may not really be above you--we’re human--respect is key to whatever you do. And don’t be afraid, when the going gets rough, to get a little help. After all, you may make a new friend. The pair smile, as James sits beside them. “This is Amy Kennedy, Natalie Madison, and James Ryan. You’re watching the Intern Diaries.” (END ACT 2)

My life, the Disney show...

Just wrapped a scene up (minus the song) for HSY 3. I am one scene from the end of the first act and loathing myself for my procrastination. I intend to finish writing the first act without songs tonight. End of story.

But before that story continues, I thought I ought to take a moment to highlight the most important writing discovery of the day for future reference.

Two ingredients to this discovery: watching far too much Sonny with a Chance for my 18 year old good and my summer internship. In my infinite amounts of spare time (aka during my 30 minute jog), I was trying to brainstorm ideas for the Greatest Story Ever (here on referred to as the GSE) or HSY 3. Whenever I thought of a melodramatic, romantic exchange between Zac and Vanessa, my mind went instead to my newest idea. Maybe it was because my brother suggested I ought to be a script writer for Disney or the fact that I realized every character on their channel fell into these preset archetypes, but I figured I could make a show about my intern experience. Obviously interning at a popular magazine with your BFF is perfect fodder for a Disney Channel original series. I even thought of puns for episode titles ("Babysitting Blues," where intern A must watching editor A's crazy nephew, "Operation Desert Storm," where intern B is stuck in the office when a bad storm hits with love interest/rival). It's all genius.

The concept is the following:

THE INTERN DIARIES (or some clever pun title)

Two BFFs get an internship at their dream magazine.

CHARACTERS:

• Intern A: (or Alyssa) The cute, smart one. Driven, a little too adorable and innocent for her own good. Wants the best for people, but sometimes at the cost of herself. A little imbalanced--perfectionist, fashionista, overachiever--tends to take on more than she can handle for the other people in her life. 
  
• Intern B: (or Miliana) The balanced, sweet one. Reliable and always calm. Can handle just about everything, but when things get out of her control, she runs into some trouble. Willing to do anything and super-friendly and smart. Fun-loving but when something's wrong, has trouble speaking up--at least frankly. Gossips a little too much sometimes. ;)
  

NOTE: Unlike OTHER Disney shows, both A and B act as voices of reason at different time. Also, neither is in the main character mold or BFF mold--they play both. Their friendship and its ups and downs is the main focus of the show.

• Intern A's Parents: Reluctantly support Intern A's internship. Running gag: Call office the cardboard box. Ignorant parent mold.
• Intern B's Parents: Logical, try to talk sense of Intern A's parents. Their unusual friendship can often act as a sideplot. Advisor mold.
• Editor: One of the intern coordinators. A little quirky. Doesn't check email as much as she should but she means well. Nice, but a little flaky and often assigned A and B weird tasks.
• Editor-in-Chief: Busy beyond belief but when she has a moment, offers great advice. Intimidates A and B--they think the EIC doesn't like them, but deep down, it is shown she does.
• Bratty Interns A and B: Rich, self-obsessed coworkers of A and B. Foil of their friendship. Basically the narcissistic girl mold.
• Ethnic Intern: A comedic, fun coworker and friend of A and B. An example of Disney's token whatever characters but with an actual purpose in this show.
• Nerdy Intern: Friends with Ethnic intern. Kind of comic relief. Friend with A and B.
• Love Interest: Son of parents who own publishing company. Rich, egotistical, self-important future womanizer male mold. Tends to hang around the office too much. A hates him, B secretly likes him, he secretly likes A. Ingredients for Disney typical love triangle.
• Coffee Guy: Guy A and B's age that works at the nearby coffee shop. Offers advice for A and B to get out of their predicaments. Humble, nice, the right guy for A/B. Cinderella type. Advisor mold.

You get it. It's so easy as a writer when you get an idea to just run with it. You could easily expand on this and do it here. But I'm done for now. HSY calls.

Sorry, Little L! You can guest star, like Selena Gomez is in the next episode of Sonny with a Chance. Obviously that's how that works.

 

UPDATE:  (1:10 AM) Just finished Act 1 of HSY minus songs. Hooray!