MAYBE I ALREADY DID...[NOW WITH TANGENTIAL UPDATE]
A couple of days back, Jutratest suggested I should do a spec of Heroes: Origins.
Background on the spin-off/series-within-a-series here.
When I first read of it, the first thing I thought was that the Heroes folks were throwing us spec monkeys a banana by making Heroes spec'able in a kinda cruel way. The thing about specs is that they demonstrate the ability to capture the voice and tone of a show, but I would think that each episode of Heroes: Origins stands to be very different from one another. Why else would you do something like getting Kevin Smith to write and direct one (as opposed to just directing, like he's done with Reaper and will do with Battlestar)?
[tangent] And while I've read of some concerned by Smith's directing Battlestar, that concern is unwarranted. While, by his own admission, he considers himself to not be that much of a director, the fact is that after several feature films, he at least has attained the skills to either set a tone (Reaper) or mimic a tone (Battlestar) which is the job of any director on an existing series (well, not "mimic,' but certainly 'maintain"). I think he'd have a bit of a career in TV, though he's said that he's not really up for that in this SModcast. Reaper showed him that he doesn't have the control he's used to, Heroes is a unique opportunity and being writer and director gives him some of that control back, and Battlestar is him being a fanboy.
EDITED TO ADD: Okay, Now he's not doing Battlestar.[/tangent]
Still, it's something I may well do anyway, a Heroes: Origins. I don't know how practically useful it will be. Maybe it's only going to be useful as a way to trick someone reading specs into reading a kinda pilot.
In press for Heroes: Origins the producers mentioned there might be some crossover from established Heroes characters. I'd very likely do that, just for the whole "voice" thing.
It occurred to me though, that I could very well take the title off of my current sci-fi pilot and put Heroes: Origins on it and I'd technically have it. I'd write in a Heroes character though. One who doesn't seem likely for the chop. I think I could get Greg Grunberg's Matt Parkman in there pretty smoothly.
This, of course, assumes we've got a handle on how Heroes: Origins will go.
Background on the spin-off/series-within-a-series here.
When I first read of it, the first thing I thought was that the Heroes folks were throwing us spec monkeys a banana by making Heroes spec'able in a kinda cruel way. The thing about specs is that they demonstrate the ability to capture the voice and tone of a show, but I would think that each episode of Heroes: Origins stands to be very different from one another. Why else would you do something like getting Kevin Smith to write and direct one (as opposed to just directing, like he's done with Reaper and will do with Battlestar)?
[tangent] And while I've read of some concerned by Smith's directing Battlestar, that concern is unwarranted. While, by his own admission, he considers himself to not be that much of a director, the fact is that after several feature films, he at least has attained the skills to either set a tone (Reaper) or mimic a tone (Battlestar) which is the job of any director on an existing series (well, not "mimic,' but certainly 'maintain"). I think he'd have a bit of a career in TV, though he's said that he's not really up for that in this SModcast. Reaper showed him that he doesn't have the control he's used to, Heroes is a unique opportunity and being writer and director gives him some of that control back, and Battlestar is him being a fanboy.
EDITED TO ADD: Okay, Now he's not doing Battlestar.[/tangent]
Still, it's something I may well do anyway, a Heroes: Origins. I don't know how practically useful it will be. Maybe it's only going to be useful as a way to trick someone reading specs into reading a kinda pilot.
In press for Heroes: Origins the producers mentioned there might be some crossover from established Heroes characters. I'd very likely do that, just for the whole "voice" thing.
It occurred to me though, that I could very well take the title off of my current sci-fi pilot and put Heroes: Origins on it and I'd technically have it. I'd write in a Heroes character though. One who doesn't seem likely for the chop. I think I could get Greg Grunberg's Matt Parkman in there pretty smoothly.
This, of course, assumes we've got a handle on how Heroes: Origins will go.
2 Comments:
Some good points. I'll be tackling another spec in the winter (I did a Dexter last spring) and I was thinking of Origins, but we won't know "how that goes" till the end of the season.
I was thinking of FNL but they probably won't get a third season.
With more and more serialized shows I think the best way to spec them is to write them in "alternative universes" so you aren't obligated to tie into their story arcs but you can still use the characters and templates to prove you can capture the essence of the show.
Peter Petrelli can still be alive in your spec. I don't think this is going to destroy the script, and if it's a good story the reader shouldn't care.
Also, if Sarah Connor has legs I would love to write that, but need to see how that one goes too.
Heroes: Origins does sound like a nice back door. I agree with the alternate universes thing, but liken it more to what Jane Espenson says: "More or less, assume that things will return to the status quo."
I don't think assuming Peter is still alive on Heroes is that big of a stretch, since 1) Milo Ventimiglia is still in the cast, and 2) He has healing powers.
Nathan is more of a question, but I'd still say, assume he'll return. The one thing I WOULD worry about is EXPLAINING how Peter survived, so I'd probably just pretend that ground was already covered by the show and everyone knows Peter's fine.
Anyway, just my thoughts.
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