https://www.george.is/blog daily 0.75 2023-12-14 https://www.george.is/blog/book-screenwriters-what-happens-next-history-american-screenwriting-craft-write-hollywood monthly 0.5 2023-09-26 https://www.george.is/blog/scripts-screenplay-writing-the-picture-hollywood-screenwriters-screenwriting-robin-russin-william-downs-book monthly 0.5 2023-09-26 https://www.george.is/blog/how-to-write-analyze-writing-theater-backwards-forwards-technical-manual-for-reading-plays-david-ball-screenplay-screenwriting-book monthly 0.5 2023-09-26 https://www.george.is/blog/restorative-justice-surrogate-survivors-offenders-victim-domestic-abuse-violence monthly 0.5 2021-09-21 https://www.george.is/blog/restorative-justice-harvard-law-victim-offender-conference-survivor-dialogue monthly 0.5 2021-09-16 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/the+elmira+case monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/screenwriter monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/drama monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/fiction monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/pray+for+the+devil monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/mark+yantzi monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/history monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/film monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/screenwriting monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/restorative+justice monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/blog/tag/russ+kelly monthly 0.5 https://www.george.is/about daily 0.75 2021-09-15 https://www.george.is/contact daily 0.75 2021-09-15 https://www.george.is/projects daily 1.0 2021-08-02 https://www.george.is/projects/pray-for-the-devil monthly 0.5 2021-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60ff6d2df282527d4f58f854/1627504904568-FU0F2EQ3OT6H8YZ4WKGR/syringe-hypodermic-needle-hypo-broken-glass-image.jpeg Projects - Pray for the Devil - Pilot Synopsis I envision the entire 7-episode limited series I’ve written as a “pilot” for an anthology series that will change the foundation of the Crime Genre as we know it: Instead of Justice being served when the criminal is caught and punished, story endings feature unexpected “twists” depicting victims and offenders discovering forms of peace or reconciliation or positive healing paths forward despite the offenses committed. Even murder. Truly moving, true-life stories upon which to base many seasons of this television show are out there… As for Episode 1, it’s a tight 37 pages for a 60-minute running time leaving on-screen room to play-out suspenseful beats of conflict during six-year-old Russ’s dysfunctional childhood on a dirt farm with seven siblings. The very first scene plants the image system for our most crucial themes drawing a direct arc through all episodes culminating in adulthood in the final episode’s crisis scene between brothers Russ and Ed: Russ must choose between assisting middle-age, poor-eyesight Ed to INJECT himself with a heroin overdose (to escape facing the consequences of having murdered an innocent man) versus interceding to stop Ed. But Russ takes a third way, drawing upon mid-season lessons he’s learned from pacifist Mennonites, and remains neutral. Doesn't lift a finger. Places responsibility back onto Ed who must decide either to face the music or to attempt suicide by self-administered lethal INJECTION. The viewer’s mind will reel back all the way to Episode 1, Scene 1 which planted the HYPODERMIC when their father Big Russ insisted that little, scared-to-death, six-year-old Russ INJECT healthful, iron vitamins into a wee piglet using A GIANT NEEDLE!!! War-traumatized Big Russ denies Ed (13) this honor of “ironing the pig” to spitefully shame Ed who has just shamed HIM! By “surrendering." When Ed intentionally let lovable brother Russ beat him in a footrace to the pigpen. Not only is Ed’s kindness going unrewarded, he's being punished for it. This is what traumatized, habitually fearful, and ultimately cruel fathers and societies do. They punish love as perceived weakness preferring “iron hearts” over those open to remorse, forgiveness, healing, and peace. Manning-up destroys relationships, families, and communities via disastrous policies often implemented in the name of “helping” while, in truth, harming. Episode 1 concludes with the death of Big Russ and the series Inciting Incident: Panicked Ed (13) tragically fibs to Russ (6) that dad is on a trip but will soon return. Which Russ believes with all his heart. Thus setting Russ on a confused, lifelong path of longing for his missing father caused by having been denied the opportunity to grieve. Compounding this, Ed abdicates his responsibility as heir telling Little Russ HE’S now the man of the house!!! Ending on these emotionally devastating notes leaves big questions going into the next episode: how will a six-year-old deal with his perceived responsibility of having to take care of his impoverished widowed mother and seven siblings… Russ will need to become the father he has lost. Ultimately, a father to himself. Thematic Statement The antidote to grief is belonging. But we’re often denied modeling and guidance, from loved ones or society, that would show us how to sit with feelings of sadness, vulnerability and hopelessness. Loss turns inward and outward as blame. Recrimination. An ironclad cycle remains unbroken. Joining with others interpersonally, or in family, or community becomes too threatening. Defensive aggression replaces caring. We believe the only means at our disposal for casting off intolerable feelings or to “make society safer” comes in the discharge of exacting revenge. As if swallowing the poison of doing harm to another will somehow heal us. In a society that brushes death under the rug and metes out punishment in an attempt to escape mourning loss, can individuals, families, and communities break the cycle of using revenge as a balm for grief’s pain? We see the cascading downward effects intertwined with our lead’s struggle to pull himself out from this seemingly inevitable nosedive… EP1) war-traumatized father verbally and physically abuses his sons EP2) his ghost haunts the family in their own behavior EP3) the impoverished family struggles to survive but heir-apparent Ed goes to jail EP4) Ex-convict Ed is hardened, the family is torn apart, Russ gives in to hate, commits a crime, is headed to jail EP5) Russ is offered a second chance… EP6) Russ comes through on the second chance EP7) Russ struggles to stay on the straight-and-narrow but may succumb to the dark temptation to follow hardcore criminal Ed to damnation… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60ff6d2df282527d4f58f854/1627506780366-KDLUDZ5UMC2ROHTSTC40/mark-yantzi-restorative-justice-mennonite-broken-shattered-glass-beard-mcc-image.jpeg Projects - Pray for the Devil - The police apprehend these boys now undoubtedly bound for a long stretch of prison time. Just like brother Ed. To become inevitably ruined like Ed. But by lucky chance there comes a young man of deep faith. A Mennonite volunteer stationed at police headquarters. With a mission to bring 1960s social change to criminal sentencing. To keep offenders like Russ and Paul from being packed off to jail! To truly rehabilitate such individuals. Not by simply "reforming" them, but by REGENERATING THEIR VERY SOULS!!! AND IN THIS MISSION -- he has soundly failed... For five years. Five long years Mark Yantzi has spent yet to make a dent in how things are done within the Canadian legal system. But Russ’s case. This Elmira case. Sparks an idea. And mild-mannered Mark must fight hard-nosed, by-the-book Judge McConnell for authorization to conduct a first-of-its-kind experiment based upon no existing legal precedent whatsoever: please allow offenders Russ and Paul to go door-to-door apologizing to their victims... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60ff6d2df282527d4f58f854/1627505500989-9JVNWRLRBAYEL6CE7EUD/pray-dirty-hands-biceps-muscles-image.jpeg Projects - Pray for the Devil - Episodic Vision I wrote a feature film version that built well to the crisis scene and (true-to-life) happy resolution when Russ discovers by chance, 25-years after-the-fact, his vandalism spree / reconciliatory actions have sparked the worldwide Restorative Justice movement. However, more story time is required to develop the intricate psychological and social-issue material for the telling to have the desired, and satisfying, emotional effects on viewers. - The story spans a lifetime. Seven episodes gives viewers the sense of decades. Big time-jumps / the characters-aging placed between episodes creates the psychological effect for the viewer of much time passing (and masks any change of actors playing different ages). Example: Ed character-arcs from a 13-year-old sweet, earnest do-gooder who can’t bring himself to swear (for “Shit!” he substitutes “SUGAR!”) to a foul-mouthed, 300-pound, 42-year-old, hardened, out-law biker. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60ff6d2df282527d4f58f854/1627503931125-SM15DRELZO2Q77F44F92/russ-kelly-elimra-case-motorcycle-pretty-girl-1970s-restorative-justice-image.jpeg Projects - Pray for the Devil - Characters and Core Relationships Earnest, good-hearted Ed-age-13. Mercilessly humiliated. Devalued. By his own father. Toughening-him-up. Preparing him to be man-of-the-house. After the old man is dead and gone... Really, the father is envious. Of son Ed's innocence. And punishing him for it. Dad's out of control. PTSD. Would destroy Ed. But soon dies having only broken Ed's spirit enough to emotionally cripple him. Wounded, heir-apparent Ed passes-the-buck to yet-unscathed but clearly incapable six-year-old Russ! Who now believes he alone is responsible for shouldering the burden of their family's care. Thus begins the tragic, season-long relationship of two brothers: Russ unconsciously continuing to seek the healthy support he needs, a father-figure to guide him, but Ed receives twisted, emotional-sustenance from an ever more seductive, parasitic, compulsive undermining of his little brother growing from the destructive seed planted by war-veteran Dad. The viewer sees history repeat before their eyes: Ed, hardened by incarceration, degenerates in a character arc engineered to create suspense as a vivid, ever-present cautionary tale showing Russ's potential dark fate should he make one false move... Ironically Russ's success in keeping his arrest record clean becomes a scarlet mark of "innocence" for Ed who, like Dad, acts on envy to punish and harm in the guise of "helping". If Ed can't have it, he will take it away from Russ who must escape this dangerous bond with his only remaining family member before being dragged along to damnation. Can Russ build a new family with girlfriend Irene despite Ed's murderous hatred of her? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60ff6d2df282527d4f58f854/1627505966559-4IJR0KBDQXLZEHWRDXJF/mean-bike-gang-innocent-child-lamb-tattoos-image.jpeg Projects - Pray for the Devil - - I structured the telling of childhood events and traumas in Episode 1 to be experienced as memories by the audience at the same time protagonist Russ remembers them in the final two episodes. Therefore additional episode time passing reinforces the effect and underscores the discrepancies between how the viewer remembers seeing childhood events in Episode 1 vs their altered versions in flashback. Misdirection in Episode 1 paid-off in late episodes is the most moving method I can imagine to engineer and convey the heart-breaking way the trauma survivor’s mind misremembers. - Time is needed to explore Russ's apologies to victims and show the groundbreaking dramatization of coming to feel REMORSE which rarely has been depicted on screen. https://www.george.is/projects/project-two-7cjgn monthly 0.5 2021-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60ff6d2df282527d4f58f854/1627657858854-XRECGF0NWBZLYYPMM8BK/mediation-room-conflict-resolution-chairs-table-image.jpg Projects - We Will Meet In A Place Where Dignity Is Not Dead - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.george.is/projects/new-portfolio-item monthly 0.5 2021-08-02 https://www.george.is/projects/project-one-2z6zh monthly 0.5 2021-07-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60ff6d2df282527d4f58f854/1627590172873-L2H5P2292H11B1UPW715/pink-leg-warmers-work-boots-knit-construction-first-position-ballet-dance-image.png Projects - The Hellion of Aplomb