#BOTTLE EPISODE SERIES#
#BOTTLE EPISODE TV#

However, when Kevin, Hamster, and Gretel arrive to his shop, they are shrunken and trapped in a bottle with the Muddy Bess, a historic steam boat. Supervillain Tchotchke Jones has been shrinking various landmarks around the city and adding them to his collection of bottles. Or perhaps our brand is the 'Bottle Episode' within a broader portfolio of brands… the one that always seems to be last in line when it comes to resources, the one being tasked with treading water, while everyone else is given the means to excel.Fred is put to the test when she encounters a sinister shopkeeper. There will be times when we as challengers might feel we must limit our ambitions on some ideas or activities for us to be able to overcommit resources to other areas we think will have greater impact. Let’s think about how the 'rules' of Bottle Episodes might be applied and lead to better creativity for challenger brands and businesses. At other times, a reduced cast can lead to experimental technical challenges that might not be possible in a regular episode. A stripped back set often allows show runners to explore relationships and tensions, forcing characters to rub up against one another. By removing the usual distractions, the actors are given more room to breathe, not less and Richard Schiff was nominated for an Emmy for his performance.īottle Episodes have a reputation for creating truly memorable moments. Going back to his theatrical roots, he created a three act episode of tightly woven character interactions, two plot lines, and simmering tensions. The ambitions are exceeded, and entirely because of the constraint. When faced with a constraint, Transformers aim to create a show that is even better than what they would have originally done. Ambitions are equalled.īut what I love about the world of 'Bottle Episodes' is how they encourage writers to embrace the third mindset, that of Transformer. You could be a Neutraliser and find a way to create a show of similar impact, by finding ways around certain issues and cutting corners. In this case, a budget constrained script writer might make you a Victim whereby you say a reduced budget leads to a lesser quality episode.

In A Beautiful Constraint, Adam Morgan and Mark Barden speak about three mindsets that occur when faced with a constraint: The mindset of Victim, Neutraliser or Transformer. But how do we deal with these budget restrictions that could potentially derail the spectacle? The Transformer Mindset

#BOTTLE EPISODE SERIES#

This has now become something of a television series tradition… create lean, stripped down episodes once or twice a season that help 'pay' for the bigger, more ambitious spectacles. They would concentrate only on the drama and tension that could be created amongst the existing cast and set. There would be no outside interference, no planets, no battles. To give themselves budget to commit to these extravagant episodes, the show’s producers would save money by occasionally 'putting the ship in a bottle'. In order to create spectacular space adventures, Star Trek would transport its viewers to outlandish worlds to meet alien creatures. '17 People' is what is known in the industry as a 'Bottle Episode', a phrase that originated on the set of the original 1960’s Star Trek show. we'd spent a lot on the season opener and I was asked to write a show with no new sets, no guest cast, no locations and minimal extras.' At the beginning of the podcast, the hosts read a quote from legendary creator and writer, Aaron Sorkin, on how he had approached the writing of '17 people'. 'It was born from a budget crunch. The subject was '17 People', a seminal episode in the story arc of The West Wing. I was listening to The West Wing Weekly last week, one of my favourite podcasts (ok, ok I'm a nerd). But these constrained ‘Bottle Episodes’ themselves have created some truly memorable moments.

#BOTTLE EPISODE TV#

In what has become something of a television series tradition, TV producers are creating lean, stripped down episodes once or twice a season that help 'pay' for the bigger, more ambitious spectacles.

Bottle episode