Special Interests - TV pilot

In between dark stories I write, I watch movies and TV shows. I do that a lot. Maybe too much. In this economy I should better look for a second job because the first one is not going well. I know what you're thinking, but no, writing is not my job. I made $10 from writing in my lifetime. All of it came from the sign "Donate a dollar if you find me attractive." I stood with the sign at the I-40 on the outskirts of Clinton, Oklahoma for two weeks... Make your own conclusion.

So, after seeing hours and hours of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, The West Wing, Damages, Lost... I said "I can do this, too. I can write a mainstream TV show. I can write for the masses." But can I? Really? All my stories, concepts and screenplays are hard R, if not worse. All my protagonists are villains. Somebody once told me: "You NEED to write a character people can relate to, somebody they can sympathize with. People want kool-aid stories. They want to feel good." I'm sure they do. Did I write a kool-aid TV pilot? No. Did I write a TV pilot that is marketable and people can relate to? Yes... especially if you're one of 51 million people that voted Republican this past election. *cough* It's not what it seems. I miss-wrote. *desperately pressing the delete button*

It took me less then two weeks, all of my knowledge of psychology, mass sociology, propaganda, anthropology, history and politics, to come up with a treatment and one hour pilot for Special Interests... Okay, I just made up the previous statement. I thought it would've looked flashy on my resume... So, what is Special Interests?  

Special Interests is a one-hour drama that follows the lives of lobbyists at the recently formed conservative lobbying firm Marshall & O’Connor, trying to establish themselves amongst DC’s best firms in the 1970s.

Why do I think people can relate to the characters in Special Interests? Well, political climate is at the boiling point in 2012. Civil rights and personal freedoms are discussed more than the economic hardship. After the civil rights movement in the 60s, a push for personal freedoms came in the 70s. The 70s also gave birth for the neo-conservative movement. The 70s are your battleground on these issues. The 70s are your D-day. You break an enemy's defense line there, you win the war in upcoming years.

But many will say "Why are you putting this on your blog? You're not repped by CAA, WME, UTA or ICM. Right now, you should feel happy if APA takes a look at you. This won't get picked up and somebody will steal your idea, twist it a bit, then sell it 10 years later." No, they won't. They'll sell it in less than a year. Don't be fooled, this is a great idea. But don't think I have no leverage at all. I can do many things, like... befriend Tracy Brennan on twitter, then send her a small NASCAR toy or a spare passenger side door for a 1985 Ford Bronco... She doesn't have 1985 Bronco, huh? Don't worry, I'll borrow her mine. She'll just need to put new tires and fix the door. No, it's not what you think. I'm not giving my Bronco because I want Ms. Brennan to represent me. I know she won't, but I heard Tracy's got a binder full of women (did I just made this up) and can set me up on a date with Jennifer Lawrence or Nina Dobrev... Did I mention the AC is not working in my Bronco? And the pump... Never mind. Where was I?

Ah, somebody will steal my idea. Okay, for all of you who want to do that, here's how you'll develop this series beyond the short synopsis posted above. I'll be as brief as possible.

Theme and Series Development:

Special Interests follows the characters' struggles to live the life they lobby for. The main theme branches to illustrate shady deals, conflicting interests, intrigue and lies, a place where money buys power and overturns ideals. Another strong theme present in the series is the rivalry between Marshall & O’Connor and their landlord, the strong liberal lobbying firm Goodman, Liebowitz & Payne. While they influence decisions that will impact so many other lives, the lives of the characters themselves are unsettled and even messy more often than not.

Special Interests begins on Friday, September 21st, 1973, during tumultuous times in Washington DC and abroad, and in the middle of the Watergate scandal. Historic events such as the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, the Yom Kippur war, the OPEC oil embargo, international coups, and various legislation and decisions in the US during the latter part of 1973 are fertile ground for episode plots.

If you want to see the entire copyrighted treatment you'll need to wait until I find a way to post .pdf files on blogger. Google docs are killing my formating and I'm concerned for your vision. However, I'll give you a preview of the pilot titled How Much for a Friend? Unlike the screenplays I posted before on my blog, this time I'll give you almost 40 pages of the pilot to read. What you'll see is the first draft.

How Much for a Friend? Synopsis:

Friday September 21st, 1973. We follow John David Hayden, a superstar conservative lobbyist at Marshall & O’Connor, in his unusual ways of landing clients and advocating for their needs, while a recent op-ed in New York Times threatens interests of one of his clients. The same day Ryan O'Connor, estranged son of Miles O'Connor (a partner in Marshall & O'Connor) and a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, comes into the conservative firm and rattles the employees with his liberal views.

The pilot written in Movie Magic Screenwriter. I use old web browser (no, you can't ask why. strategic reasons) and can't edit google docs. One more time, I apologize for the formatting on google docs.

Read the pilot for free. Click the link---> How Much for a Friend?

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