Desk of Amy Suto

Writing, running, and eating danger for breakfast.

Playing Pretend: On Set of CON and the Television Experience

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back row, left to right: Ashley (actress), Allison Kelly (equipment manager), Jon Pham (cinematographer), Joey Livingston (actor: Jonah), Sandy Valles (actress: Faye), Amy Suto (me, the co-creator), Eric Casalini (actor: Jonathan), Irina (supervising producer). Front Row, left: Avi Kaye (director) and Noah Suarez-Sikes (producer)

ON SET OF CON

Every week we have a quote of the day on our call sheet. My favorite was written by Irina, our Russian supervising producer: “We wrap by 5pm or else I’m sending you all to Siberia.”

On set today, we’re shooting in the TV station on campus — Trojan Vision — and we’re pretending it’s a radio station. Our Assistant Director/Associate Producer Noah walks with me through the double doors and into master control, talking about the poster he made for set design with the name of the fictional radio show “THE MILES HOUR” and how he designed it like a Russian propaganda poster as a joke, and how he can’t wait for Irina to see it. I anticipate her sending him to Siberia. [Read more…]

The “Will They Won’t They” Plot Device: Is it Overused?

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The “Will They Won’t They Get Together Romance” is possibly one of the most annoying– yet extremely addicting if used effectively- plot device on television today.

You know what I’m talking about. There’s two characters with a history, introduced from the beginning. They flirt, allude to their complicated past, and quickly establish that even if they did still have feeling for each other (they obviously do), there’s nothing they can do about it because some aspect of their lives makes their relationship ‘forbidden’. And so, us viewers have to endure 2-6 seasons of these two characters longing for each other. Those stolen glances. Those distracting new love interests that you and I grow to hate. The forbidden romance that is not quite pursued but is oh-so-idealized.

And then, finally, the two get together after some tragic, near-death experience that makes them realize that nothing in the world matters but each other.

So, the audiences are happy, and then, inexplicably, the ratings drop, and the network pulls the show off the air. Is this model archaic? To give shows a longer lifespan, do we have to abandon this plot tactic?

WHY THE MODEL IS BROKEN [Read more…]

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