Roving protagonists/ locations

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  • Roving protagonists/ locations

    Question for all the experienced television folk...

    I'm working on a premise that (in the spirit of shows like The Fugitive and The Incredible Hulk) involves a protagonist who is hunted, doing various good things/ missions in the locations he travels too.

    A friend of mine said it could be problematic to not have a *base* location for the protagonist. He used Falling Skies as an example, and said that every time they roam, their base camp is set up to look the same, i.e. the same set.

    I'm sure I could create a very similar atmosphere, a hotel or safe house, that could function as the same set, with exteriors picked up elsewhere.

    How would you execute something like this? Any thoughts, suggestions would be highly appreciated.

  • #2
    Re: Roving protagonists/ locations

    The guys who are chasing him could have a standing set to go back to.
    Chicks Who Script podcast

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    • #3
      Re: Roving protagonists/ locations

      Not the same story premise, but Supernatural just had one hotel room that they redecorated every week. I think they made a few meta jokes about it. Having the bad guys in a visually repeating location like Emily said is a good idea. A mobile command center, etc. If your show has other secondary characters it follows besides the lead, there are chances for them to stay in one location (the fugitive's daughter, the cops bosses back in DC, etc, etc).
      I would say don't stress too much about it though. It might start hampering your story if you try too hard to shoehorn something in there.
      @ZOlkewicz - Don't follow me on Twitter.

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      • #4
        Re: Roving protagonists/ locations

        Originally posted by 8bit Llama View Post
        Not the same story premise, but Supernatural just had one hotel room that they redecorated every week.
        In SPN the location is the car.
        wry

        The rule is the first fifteen pages should enthrall me, but truth is, I'm only giving you about 3-5 pages. ~ Hollywood Script Reader

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        • #5
          Re: Roving protagonists/ locations

          Originally posted by madworld View Post
          Question for all the experienced television folk...

          I'm working on a premise that (in the spirit of shows like The Fugitive and The Incredible Hulk) involves a protagonist who is hunted, doing various good things/ missions in the locations he travels too.

          A friend of mine said it could be problematic to not have a *base* location for the protagonist..
          And yet, you cited The Fugitive, which doesn't. emily blake referred to the chasers having a location. In Fugitive, the U.S. Marshalls did. Raiders of the Lost Ark moves from location to location.

          Go with your best sense of your story, IMO.
          wry

          The rule is the first fifteen pages should enthrall me, but truth is, I'm only giving you about 3-5 pages. ~ Hollywood Script Reader

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          • #6
            Re: Roving protagonists/ locations

            It can be finessed -- the best example that leaps to mind is "The X-Files," which shot the first five seasons in Vancouver, and yet faked the same woods for I don't even know how many different places. The only recurring sets I can think of were Mulder/Scully's office and Mulder's apartment.

            It's not really for you to solve at this juncture -- it will eventually become an issue, but you'll have help solving it when the time comes, from your line producer, production designer, location scout, etc. But you can make sure people don't dismiss your pilot as unproduceable if you show some awareness that will be an issue. I do agree with Emily Blake's note -- even if your protagonist is on the run, if you can create a standing set for one of the recurring characters, that will help. Also, don't burn through locations in the pilot just to burn through them. If there's a motel room, use it a couple times; if you can put scenes in a parked car at night, go right ahead. (Suddenly you're realizing how many times Mulder answered his phone in a parked car at night, aren't you?)

            You can't really bank on this as a solution, but it's worth nothing that especially in this age of green screen, a lot more is possible than back when they were making "The Hulk" and "X-Files." Not just in the "Once Upon a Time" sense, but even a show like "Revenge," which shoots on sets and then green screens the Hamptons in around the characters.

            The danger -- and it is a serious one -- is that if you go to series, a lot will hang on your production design. You're gonna pick one place in the country and make it stand in for almost everything else. I know "Breaking Bad" never left New Mexico, but their production design was so grounded and realistic that I completely forgot they didn't actually go to Mexico, Germany or New Hampshire to shoot those scenes. Similarly, I literally used to walk past "Masters of Sex" when it was filming on the Sony lot -- and I've spent time in St. Louis -- but I have looked right at my own former office building on screen and still bought that I was looking at 1950s middle America. (It probably helps that Sony is on the former MGM lot, which is a small treasure trove of mid-century architecture.) On the other hand, for some reason every second of Marvel's Agents of Shield -- regardless of where they're supposed to be -- screams "filmed in Los Angeles." Go figure.

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            • #7
              Re: Roving protagonists/ locations

              Originally posted by emily blake View Post
              The guys who are chasing him could have a standing set to go back to.
              Yep, they do have one. I was thinking the same thing.

              Thanks to all for your input.

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