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Wish Us Luck! Pitch
Reimagining Good Luck Charlie, an early 2010s Disney sitcom, for a more culturally-aware, diverse, and socially relevant narrative. Wish Us Luck! is the modern, young adult dramedy I wish existed during my pre-teens years!
Project Manager. Creative Direction (Presentation).
Other Contributors: Danielle Smith, Elizabeth James, and Isaac Johnson
The Challenge
Being a Black (almost) pre-teen in the 2010s meant that the shows I loved didn't always love me back. It seemed as if Disney shows like "That's So Raven” and “The Proud Family” gave way to not so empowering images of Black girls…
United by nostalgic memories of our Disney-filled afternoons, my classmates and I transformed Good Luck Charlie into a show worthy of remembrance by removing uncomfortable, harmful stereotypes.
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Phase 01: Brainstorming & Research
After re-watching the show with a critical eye, I identified three central representational falts:
Sassy Black BFF Trope (Modern Mammy)
1
Ivy Wentz exists solely to be a protector, provider, and confidant of Teddy Duncan with limited screen time and an exaggerated personality.
Failure of Bechdel Test:
Girls often only speak about men and problems arising from relationships until later seasons
2
Lack of Diversity
3
Based in a suburban town in Denver, Colorado, the show is largely white, middle-class, praises traditional American households, and rarely branches beyond these parameters.
As college students ourselves, we found that there is no better setting to base this show other than at a fictitious university UofC. College is the most diverse place we had ever been and, being surrounded by technology only enhanced that sense of connectivity. So, why not pull from our realities and create a college-centric Disney show?!
Soon, the “Wish Us Luck” name was born as a nod to the original show’s purpose of providing tips on life while including a wider array of people.
Hook
What if Good Luck Charlie took place on a diverse college campus, during modern times, and tackled relevant issues through social media vlog entries?
Logline (Series Concept)
Two childhood best friends turned college roommates navigate the complexities of their own identities and social belonging all while maintaining their friendships and a vlog!
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Phase 02: Character Backstories, Episode Summaries
The ideas began to fly and- with the support of countless Google Doc tabs and TTIE research, our characters and seasonal story arcs came to fruition.
Using my pitch experience from an EMST Intro to Production Course and Talking Dog Ad & PR Agency, I formatted our logistics document and established a work flow.
We re-imaged our two main character’s personalities, hobbies, and childhood backstories to transform them into believable, nuanced people.
Each decision either flipped a stereotype on its head or stretched the boundaries of intersectionality:
Olive Jackson:
A debate-team champion, pop culture loving, selectively extroverted overachiever who learns how to adjust to change as she discovers new depths of her sexuality and faces the weight of intersectionality.
&
Rooney Smith:
An outgoing, anxious, and hard-working girl who relies on in-state tuition to attend UofC where she will reevaluate her relationships and attachment style while discovering her passion for mental health.
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To pitch our show to the class, I used Canva to condense our lengthy ideas into a streamlined presentation!
The colors are inspired by our fictitious UoC (University of Colorado) school while the Arapray and Alice fonts keep a playful, Uni feel!
Phase 03: Pitching our Show
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#61B4A9
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Phase 03: Crafting the Essay
While our pitch content was a group effort, my essay summarizing the research and methodology behind our changes was a solo assignment.
This portion of the work felt even more personal as I now knew the accurate words and media trends to explain the gaps in representation that I felt growing up. And, the most exciting part (besides digging down a deep hole of TED talks, school newspapers, and museum catalogs), was recognizing both the triumphs and failures of a childhood show.
The Results