Mariana Carvalho's Lounge Discussions

Hope everyone's doing well! I'm Isadora Bittencourt and I am currently developing my first sitcom.

First and foremost I love laughing and making people laugh. Getting to know their stories and what makes them wake up in the morning. What moves me is my passion for people. Felt naturally drawn for Comedy in general for its hability to make life a bit more magical.

I'm so excited to connect with people from all parts of the industry, and to absorb every piece of knowledge I can.

Thank you so much for having me!

I just wrote a short called, The ´What if¨ Monster.

Many battle this monster in their lives.

For Instance:

What if, I never make a screenplay sale?

What if, no one likes my story?

What if, someone steals my idea or screenplay?

And on, and on, and on it goes.

See tha trend here?

Do you battle with the ´What if¨ Monster? And how did you overcome him?

I had a productive consultation today with a writer... someone who had uncovered an intriguing, little-known footnote of history that he felt could be the basis for a limited series. And the thing is: he was right. It was a fascinating true story that occurred in WW2 which provided all the pieces for engaging characters, a fantastic setting, and layers of intrigue, emotion, tension -- entertainment!

But here's the catch: he was so wrapped up in the details of this historical gem he had excavated... that he forgot to answer the most important question:

WHY does this story NEED to be told TODAY?

Why this story. Why today.

It is not enough that a true story be novel, no matter how unbelievable, incredible, cinematic, action-packed it may be. It must have meaning -- it must have a message, a lesson, a reminder, an examination, something that can be passed on to a modern audience which warrants looking back in the first place. In short: it must RESONATE

What can we in 2024 (basically 2025, right?) -- sitting in a darkened room watching this story unfold -- learn from the events, the characters, the decisions, the obstacles, the victories or failures of this story XX years ago?

Example: At face value, THE IMITATION GAME is the fascinating true story of mathematician Alan Turing and his cryptography team building a machine to decipher the German enigma code, essentially helping turn the tide of the war. It is a well-crafted, finely-acted, riveting story that places the audience behind a desk -- rather than a battlefront -- to showcase a different-yet-similarly-essential (dare I say, novel) side of warfare. But that doesn't speak to WHY this story -- set in 1939 -- NEEDED to be told in 2014...

However, one only has to examine the underlying storylines and themes to see the "why"... From the fact that, in striving to crack a wartime code, Turing and his team essentially birthed what would evolve into the modern computer as we know it (and live our entire lives by it) today... To the bleak reality that even a hero such as Turing, who by his actions saved countless lives and helped end a global war, still could not escape persecution by society for his sexual identity... Undeniably two concepts, two issues, two elements of this novel true story that are still resounding parts of human existence today -- one which has progressed greatly since Turing's time, the other which has not progressed enough.

By examining these issues in the context of 1939 -- and then comparing them to present reality in 2014 -- the resonance of the story becomes clear. Pushing the timeline of comparison even further... as we in 2024 sit in the shadow of evolving A.I. and all that it may bring to society in the years (months?) to come... how do we feel about the machine that Turing and his team created? An instrument for good, a machine to help crack a code and end a war... might have been the first butterfly flap that led us to where we are today, concerned for the existential possibilities of artificial intelligence. Thus, through the lens of 2024, might that machine have possibly won the battle in Turing's time... but started a different war for our time?

Regardless of our answers or feelings to the above questions... the fact remains: this story raises questions and feelings, questions and feelings that are as important today as they were back then

The story RESONATES.

So, as start cracking into that incredible true story you can't wait to put on screen... it may or may not be novel. But it MUST resonate.

That feeling you get when someone you’ve never met before gets excited about your TV show idea is hard to explain…but damn it feels good.

Just received that Stage32 “Congratulations” email and these beautiful words…

Overall, "**** ****** *****" has the potential to capture a broad audience by blending familiar elements from successful similar shows with a unique comedic twist, making it a standout candidate for development.