Episode 0-3

My thoughts are that we should have seasons about the major story lines in the Silmarillion starting with the Valinor elves pre-unchaining of Melkor, and cumulating with the affairs of Middle-Earth around the time of the Hobbit. The Valinor story will, in the first 2 seasons, be interwoven with the recounting of the times preter to this:

Season 1: domestic life of Finwe through exile to Formenos, with characters telling the stories in the Anulindale and Valanquenta, plus the Lamps.

Season 2: Melkor is on the lam to Formenos to the awakening of men in Hildorien. Also picks up the Thingol story, and with flashbacks of the awakening in Cuvinen and the dwarves' awakening.

Season 3: The Seige of Angband

Season 4: Beren and Luthien

Season 5: Hurin and Huor in Gondolin through Turin in Nargothrond.

Season 6: Fall of Nargothrond and Tuor in Gondolin through Hurin betrays Gondolin's location.

Season 7: The Fall of Gondolin and kinslaying in Doriath.

Season 8: The War of Wrath

Season 9: The Rings of Power. Erendis.

Season 10: The Downfall of Numinor.

Season 11: The Last Alliance.

Season 12: The rise of Angmar and coming of the Istari.

Season 13: The fall of Angmar.

Optional further seasons: more 3rd Age? 4th Age?
 
I like that structure, but I'm not sure if all of those things would be able to take up an entire season. Depends how much padding/ expanding we're willing to do, or how much we're willing to make 'out of whole cloth' (to use Corey's words on what Jackson tended to do surprisingly little).
 
At this stage we will need to define the narrative boundaries of the project. We cannot set series arcs without this. My understanding of the SilmFilm project was to cover the Silmarillion from the Ainulindale to the War of Wrath while drawing on other published works that cover the same narrative content. I know the published Silmarillion contains the “Akallabeth” and “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age” but I feel they should be left to a wider “History of Middle Earth Project” let’s say in 2030. I also recall that the hosts originally spoke of covering 3-4 seasons when discussing the frame narrative.

So what is a “Story Arc” for a season? My understanding of a story arc is a continuing story-line that spans the episodes of a series while at the same time the individual episodes are still self-contained. Personally I favour self-contained episodes rather than a continuing story with week after week of cliff hangers. Doctor Who nails it I think by having an overarching season arc with one or two 2 part episodes per season. Each season (story arc) should lead to a major climax that changes the status quo for all characters. So we need to look for these earth shattering moments as natural endings for the seasons. So we already have the ages: the Lamps, the Trees, the Stars and the 1st age of the Sun. We also have battles that shape the fortunes of the characters and the plot. A good series will also add in something at the end of the season that acts as a hook for the next season (like the Marvel movies). We also have think about keeping the lengths of the seasons the same so the content needs to be evenly distributed and not do a J. Michael Straczynski as in Babylon 5 and have the series butchered. This will not be easy because the meat of the stories is in the latter part with Beren, Turin, Tuor as the fortunes of men and elves become intertwined.

Here is what I propose:

Series 1: Ainulindale to the Chaining of Melkor. Series one would end with the huge War of Powers and Melkor being defeated. It would be very Valar centric and be effectively their quest to bring order to the world. After the climax the invitation would be given to the first born to undertake the great journey of the elves to Valinor but we are shown a glimpse of the dangers that lurk in the darkness of middle earth including Ungoliant. (Covering the Ainulindale, Valaquenta and Ch 1,2 & 3).

Series 2: The Great Journey to the Rising of the Sun. This series would be very elf centric and be the rise of the elves to their highest point and the last few episodes would be a roller coaster covering the destruction of the two trees and the flight of the Noldor ending with the Noldor victory with the Battle Under the Stars and the death of Feanor. The hook for the next season would be the rising of the sun and the Awakening of Men and the imprisoning of Maedhros. (Covering Ch 4 – 13 or 14) We may have to fiddle with the chronology a bit.

Series 3: This is more difficult because the tide turns and things go bad for the Noldor realms. It would effectively be the establishment of the Noldor realms in Beleriand and the Edain. It could end with the Battle of Sudden Flame or the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, but to end on such a low note would have to show a glimpse of hope. Maybe the series needs to end with Beren and Luthien and the recovery of the Silmaril being the hope for the future pointing to Earnedil’s voyage in the final season. The hook is a reminder of the vow of the sons of Feanor which lets us know that they are coming for the jewel. (Covering Ch 14 – 19)

Series 4: From the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, ending with the War of Wrath. This season has to concentrate on the mingling of the races leading to the only emissary that can speak for both races, Earendil, and concentrating on the Silmaril and its journey with links to the Phial of Galadriel of course (Covering Ch 20 – 24). There are many hooks for beyond that pointing to where the surviving characters end up, the founding of Numenor, the escape of Sauron and a the flight of a certain Balrog (but they are all another stories).

The other part is of course weaving the frame narrative around this structure. That is I feel a different discussion.
 
The other part is of course weaving the frame narrative around this structure. That is I feel a different discussion.
I'm not sure I totally agree with that. The narrative content of the 1st age (or any story) is fairly malleable - it can be molded into a variety of shapes (starting or stopping at different times and emphasizing, omitting, including or synthesizing contemporaneous events or even past events via flashback). The 4 gospels provide a good analogy for understanding what I'm trying to get at - each of them covers roughly the same basic events, but their shapes - the exact place they start or stop and what they emphasize, omit, or include - are determined by particular questions and concerns, not solely by the events in and of themselves.

So instead of determining the narrative shape based solely on plot (i.e. big events), we should instead be thinking about what we want that narrative to be doing - what questions and themes each season will be addressing. If we are serious about using the frame narrative in an integral way, these questions and themes will be determined at least in part by the concerns of its characters. We don't need to have all those characters figured out precisely, but we at the very least do need to think about what kinds of questions/problems they will be asking that leads them to look to the 1st age for answers/encouragement/wisdom.

To put this all simply - we shouldn't be thinking first in terms of what events we want to cover in a season, but rather what thematic questions we want to be addressing. I'll try to work on a proposal for some.
 
So here's a few examples (that I spent way too much time on) of how what I suggested above could work:

Season 1-
Frame Scenario: Non-elf frame character (a young Aragorn? A Hobbit?) is awed by the greatest ness of the elves, perhaps to the point of self-abasement. The elven narrator (Elrond, Galadtiel, or Arwen) then tells the story of the season in order to show something about what it means to be(come) great.
How this affects the narrative shape for the season: The main story arch shows the humble beginnings of the elves and that they only ascended into greatness by means of a long road (literally) and their humble trust in the Valar. The story of Melkor and his striving after independent greatness and domination serves as a foil and also a foreshadowing of the dangers that accompany greatness. End perhaps at the creation of the Silmarils (the Zenith of elven greatness) or even later as Feanor's striving after greatness begins to lead him down the same path as Melkor (thus also revealing that underneath their greatness the elves also have weakness). Include stories like Aule and Yavana's creation of beings and the rebellion of Osse to provide additional foil stories.

Alternative Season 1-
Frame Scenario: A character mourns a personal tragedy and wonders what's wrong with the world. The frame narrator tells the story of the season as a kind of Genesis 3-4 explanation of the origin of evil and the fall of he elves.
How this affects the narrative shape for the season: The main story arch begins in bliss (the elves already in Valinor) and follows the unraveling of it, climaxing in the kinslaying. The story of the original marring of Valinor also appears. Of particular interest are stories that show how pride and selfishness bring discord

Season 2-
Frame Scenario: Conflict is brewing in the narrative frame - strife between heroes, intensified by the pressures of rising enemy powers. How does one respond to such strife? By telling several stories the point to how the enemy seeks to divide and conquer, but the good guys need to overcome their grudges and find strength in unity to restrain the enemy.
How this affects the narrative shape for the season: The story arch begins with the tragedy of Feanor's conflict with his brothers, the oath, the kinslaying, etc. (the dangers of disunity), but builds toward a positive note with the leaguer of Angband and the story of Maedhros and Fingon. Depending on how much territory we want to cover, the season could climax with the coming of men into the west - their unifying with the elves while at the same time we see some secretly breaking faith and being drawn into Morgoth's schemes to overcome the leaguer. Or we could include the Bragollach - where some prove to be the epitome of how breaking faith only despoils while others show that sticking together brings strength (this might be covering too much territory, idk). Exclude Maeglin's story.
 
Just a point that may effect how we lay out specific stories. I don't think we should cut between stories just for the sake of showing a chronologically correct adaption. Cutting between narratives can ruin the emotional investment and dramatic tension.

There are moments in a story where the influence of another tale changes a theme from subtext to text. An example of this being that moment where Tuor and Turin cross paths. This causes us to put their story's side by side and compare. You can still have that moment , but I think we should trust our audience to think and remember the characters themeselves and not try to make that explicit via cutting between their tale's. We can have that interesting scene but then we should just leave it alone and continue on with the one story we are telling.

I want to mention the issue of Thingol and Melian though. I think cutting away may be a good idea for their story. Not only does their story span mellenia and progresses slowly in relation to character development. But it also weaves in and out of many other stories. Giving the background of other stories again , just for the sake of Melian and Thingol could become tedious.
However, this is debatable and could make a good poll.
 
Okay I went through my old scripts and old arc notes that I made up awhile ago for the Silmarillion. My notes were originally for a series of film, but I've adapted them to align more with the direction the hosts are clearly going in, which is to say an episodic series.

But first some notes on plot arcs and film structure!

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There are a ton of different version of this, but I'll use Syd Field's chart. Basically most good visual storytelling can be broken down into three arcs, with specific occurring within these arcs and trigger transitions to new arcs.

Set Up - The period of time encompassing the first act in which the story, characters, and world are established.

Inciting Incident - an event that sets the plot of the film (episode, short, etc...) that sets up Plot Point #1. While this incident commonly occurs about halfway through Act I, it can happen any time before Plot Point #1, and in some cases can even start off screen before the events in the film.

Plot Point #1 - an event that represents a point of no return, a moment in the story where the plot turns in a new direction. This event is set up and tends to be an answer to the Inciting Incident; it also is the moment that transitions us into Act II.

Confrontation - Act II is a series of obstacles that are encountered that prevent the achievement of a dramatic need in the story.

Midpoint - The midpoint usually occurs halfway through the movie, but primarily represents a point in the action of Act II where we overcome some significant point, generally when the main character is at their lowest; in this sense it is a set up for Plot Point #2.

Plot Point #2 - This point ends Act II ushers in Act III; it an event that turns the plot in a new and final direction that will lead to the film's climax

Climax - the point where the story reaches its maximum tension; it is the emotional and physical high point of the narrative where everything that's been building throughout the story is finally forced to meet. In many ways it is the essential point of the story, it's what the film is all about.

Resolution - The calm after the climax where the story comes back down to a resting state.

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While the three-act structure is most commonly used to talk about the acts in a film or a play, the structure can be applied to multiple levels of a narrative: from the overall film or season of a show, to the actual acts, to sequences, to individual scenes, to exchanges of dialogue, and even to the structure of individual sentences if you're super crazy. It's all essentially a beautiful mathematical pattern descending from the macro to the micro.

Additionally, there is a progression of positive to negative events throughout a story, with the major points of this progression occurring at the defined moments in an act structure that I highlighted above. The way the story progresses from negative to positive and positive to negative depends on your story, but as your story makes an overall transition from negative to positive there should also be an oscillating wave of micro-moments of negative positive descending along that overall path; the same goes for the other direction as well.

Beren and Luthien is a good example of the three-act structure in action, since the story even in the book already follows is fairly close. Below is a breakdown of the story, and then a break down of each individual act.

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Once you know these rules you can start breaking them and start doing all sorts of interesting things and make some pretty unique visual patterns, but for the most part, unless anyone here has more professional experience with this form of narrative graphing, I say let's stick to the traditional arc structure.

Here's another chart for the overall story of Turin:

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Below I've broken down several arc structures present in the many stories of the Silmarillion. I've tried to break things down on an episodic level to line up more with the hosts idea of the story (my notes were all based on film adaptions before). However, I ran into the same essential problem, and that is uniformity: before I could find a good balance of film numbers or lengths, and here I can't find a even distribution of episodes over seasons... I say ignore the problem all together and have differing numbers of episodes per season based on what works for a particular season.

NOTE: These are a continual work in progresses, as they change all the time based on ever-evolving idea of the type of story I want to tell. I also am less sure about certain parts of the story than other and would appreciate any ideas of those parts:

  • The Ainulindale (Prologue) [Still trying to work this one out, and not that attached to the below strucutre]
    • ACT I
      • The Music of the Ainur
      • Inciting Incident: Illuvatar assembles the orchestra
      • Plot Point #1: The First Theme (creation)
    • ACT II
      • Introduction of the Valar
      • Melkor Alone/Discord of Melkor
      • The Valar take on physical forms and descend into Arda
      • Creation of the World
      • The Second Theme
      • Creation of the Lamps
      • Spring of Arda
      • Destruction of the Lamps
      • Midpoint: Raising of Taniquetil and creation of Valinor
        • Fortifying of Valinor and the darkening of Arda
      • Aule Makes the Dwarves
      • Yavanna grows the Ents
      • Varda creates the Seven Stars
      • Orome the Hunter Rides Across Arda
      • Assault on Utumno
    • ACT III
      • Plot Point #2: The Third Theme
      • Climax: Illuvatar’s Finale
        • Illuvatar speaks: 'Mighty are the Ainur, and mightiest among them is Melkor; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I am Ilúvatar, those things that ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined.'
        • The Captivity of Melkor
  • The Flight of the Noldor
    • Overall structure:
    • Inciting Incident: The Awakening of the Elves
    • Journey West
    • In Valinor
    • Plot Point #1: Melkor’s Release
    • Rape of the Silmarils
    • Flight of the Noldor
    • Midpoint: Burning of the Ships at Losgar
    • Sun & the Moon
    • Fingolfin Arrives in Beleriand
    • Plot Point #2: Death of Feanor
    • Climax: Fingon Rescues Maehdros
    • Dreams from Ulmo
    • The Noldor in Doriath
    • The Coming of Men

      Now episodic...
    • Episode 1 [Unsure on the climax on this one...]
      • Inciting Incident: The Awakening of the Elves
      • Orome discovers the elves at Cuivienen
      • Council of the Valar over Melkor
      • Chaining of Melkor
      • Council of the Valar over the Elves
      • Ingwe, Finwe, and Elwe in Valinor
      • Plot Point #1: Journey West
      • Crossing of the Misty Mountains
      • Midpoint: Of Thingol and Melian
      • Cirdan searches for Thingol
      • The Noldor and Vanyar cross the sea
      • Teleri on the shores
      • Tol-Eressa
      • Teleri land at Alqualonde
      • Tirion upon Tuna
    • Episode 2 [Stuff that needs to happen but doesn't fit in the episode before it or after it... any ideas?]
      • Birth of Feanor
      • Death of Miriel
      • Feanor’s adolescence and craft
      • Finwe and Idril
      • Fingolfin and Finarfin
    • Episode 3
      • Inciting Incident: Melkor released from captivity
      • Feanor’s hatred of Melkor
      • Melkor among the Noldor
      • Plot Point #1: Feanor creates the Silmarils
      • Melkor taints the hearts of the Noldor
      • Feanor draws a blade on Fingolfin
      • Midpoint: Trial and banishment of Feanor
      • Melkor flees Valinor
      • Melkor at Feanor’s door
      • Melkor and Ungoliant
      • Feanor called to festival
      • Plot Point #2: Rape of the Silmarils
      • Darkening of Valinor
      • Death of Finwe
      • Climax: Betrayal of Ungoliant
    • Episode 4
      • Inciting Incident: Feanor incites rebellion of the Noldor
      • Oath of Feanor
      • Fingolfin and Finarfin speaks against rebellion
      • Nerdanel
      • Plot Point #1: Host of Feanor set out
      • Host of Fingolfin
      • Eonwe the Messenger
      • Midpoint: Kinslaying at Alqualonde
      • Doom of Mandos
      • Finarfin turns back
      • Anchor at Helcraxe
      • Plot Point #2: Feanor steals the ships
      • Climax: Burning of the Ships at Losgar
        • Death of Amrod
      • Crossing of the Helcraxe
        • Death of Elenwe
    • Episode 5
      • Council of the Valar
      • Creation of the Sun and Moon
      • Inciting Incident: Firth of Drengist/Dagor-nuin-Giliath
      • Plot Point #1: Death of Feanor
      • Capture of Maedhros
      • First rising of the moon
      • Midpoint: Coming of Fingolfin with the rising of the sun
        • Waking of Men [note sure how to really include this]
      • Camp at Mithrim
      • Plot Point #2: Finrod rescues Maehdros
      • Climax: Maedhros abdicates to Fingolfin
    • Episode 6 [another one of those stuff that needs to happen but doesn't fit anywhere else]
      • House of Finarfin in Doriath
      • Council at Mithrim
        • Sons of Feanor head east
      • Dreams from Ulmo (Felagund and Turgon)
      • Galadriel and Melian
      • Thingol learns of the kinslaying
      • Beleriand and its Realms (Nargothrond and Gondolin)
      • Finrod hunting with Maehdros and Amras
      • Climax: Finrod Felagund discovers Men
  • Beren & Luthien
    • Overall structure:
    • Inciting Incident: Battle of Sudden Flame
    • Death of Fingon
    • Beorlings
    • Golim Betrays the Outlaws
    • Beren Avenges His Father
    • Gorgoroth
    • Meeting Luthien
    • Plot Point #1: Quest Received
    • Beren in Nargothrond
    • Felagund’s Company Captured
    • Hirilorn
    • Sons of Feanor
    • Death of Felagund
    • Midpoint: Luthien vs Sauron
    • Nargothrond
    • Celegorm & Curufin Attack
    • Dorthonion
    • Caracaroth
    • Plot Point #2: Morgoth
    • Escape from Angband
    • Climax: Hunt for Caracaroth
    • Mandos
    • Return

      now episodic....
    • Episode 1
      • Inciting Incident: Battle of Sudden Flame
      • Outlaws of Dorthonion
      • Betrayal of Golim
      • Plot Point #1: Death of Barahir
      • Beren's Dream
      • Beren Avenges his father
      • 4 years later...
      • Midpoint: Beren in Nan Dungortheb
      • Beren enters Doriath
      • Plot Point #2: Beren meets Luthien
      • Beren taken before King Thingol
      • Climax: Beren accepts Quest of the Silmarils
    • Episode 2
      • Inciting Incident: Beren goes to Nargothrond
      • Felagund torn between oath and the Sons of Feanor's presence in Nargothrond
      • Plot Point #1: Felagund fufills oath and joins Beren in quest
      • Luthien escapes Hirilorn
      • Felagund's company captured by Sauron
      • Sons of Feanor find Luthien
      • Huan helps Luthien escape Nargothrond
      • Midpoint: Death of Finrod Felagund
      • Luthien saves Beren from Sauron
      • Plot Point #2: Sons of Feanor attack Beren and Luthien
      • Luthien heals Beren
      • Beren goes alone to Angband
      • Climax: Luthien and Huan follow Beren anyways
    • Episode 3
      • Beren and Luthien disguised
      • Inciting Incident: Beren and Luthien head towards Angband
      • Plot Point #1: Caracorth and the gates of Angband
      • Descend to Morgoth's thrown room
      • Luthien's dance
      • Midpoint:Beren cuts the Silmaril from Morgoth's crown
      • Caracroth bites off Beren's hand
      • Coming of the Eagles
      • Beren and Luthien return to Doriath
      • Plot Point #2: The madness of Caracroth in Doriath
      • Death of Beren and Huan
      • Climax: Beren and Luthien return from the Halls of Mandos as mortals
  • The Children of Hurin
    • Episode 1
      • Dor-Lomin
        • Brethil
        • Inciting Incident: Gondolin
        • Plot Point #1: Council of Maehdros
        • Dor-Lomin
        • Hurin Homecoming
        • Midpoint: Death of Lalaith
        • Huor Wedding
        • Plot Point #2: Call for War
        • Climax: Council of Hurin and Morwen
    • Episode 2
      • Nirnaeth Arnodiad
        • War Council
        • Inciting Incident: Hurin Marches Out
        • Pre Battle Camp
        • Plot Point #1: Battle starts prematurely
          • Orcs incite western elves
          • Pre Battle Sabotage
        • Western Front
        • Eastern Front
        • Midpoint: Turgon Arrives
        • Plot Point #2: Retreat
        • Climax: Hurin & Morgoth
    • Episode 3 [little iffy on the first half of this one]
      • Doriath
        • Inciting Incident: Easterlings in Dor-lomin
        • Plot Point #1: Sending Turin Away
        • To Doriath
        • In Doriath
        • Midpoint: Turin 17 - takes up the dragon helm
        • Turin 20 - returns to Menegroth
        • Plot Point #2: Turin throws the cup at Saeros
        • Climax: Death of Saeros
        • Turin exiled
    • Episode 4
      • Turin and the Outlaws
        • Inciting Incident: Turin encounters the Outlaws
        • Turgon pardons Turin
        • Plot Point #1: Beleg sent after the Outlaws
        • Turin takes charge of the Outlaws
        • Beleg Hunts Outlaws
        • Midpoint: Beleg captured
        • Turin and an outlaw attack orcs
        • Plot Point #2: Turin returns and frees Beleg
        • Climax: Beleg returns without Turin to Doriath
    • Episode 5
      • Ruin of the Outlaws
        • Inciting Incident: Outlaws search for new camp
        • Plot Point #1: Mim
        • Outlaws at Amon Rudh
        • Beleg Returns
        • Midpoint: Land of bow and helm; revealed to Morgoth
        • Androg injured by curse
        • Plot Point #2: Mim Betrayel
        • Beleg hunts for Turin
        • Climax: Death of Beleg
    • Episode 6
      • Nargothrond Pt 1
        • Inciting Incident: To Nargothrond/Pools of Ivin
        • Plot Point #1: Gwindor and Turin in Nargothrond
        • Turin’s council against stealth
        • Mormegil
        • Morwen arrives in Doriath
        • Midpoint: Time jump: Five Years Later… Nargothrond militarized
        • Findulias
        • Plot Point #2: Cirdan Messengers
        • Climax: Turin does not head the words of Cirdan
    • Episode 7
      • Nargothrond Pt 2
        • Inciting Incident: Sack of Nargothrond
        • Glaurung’s Enchantment
        • Plot Point #1: Turin chooses Morwen over Findulias
        • Turin passed Tuor
        • Midpoint: Turin in Dor-lomin
        • Burning of the Hall
        • Plot Point #2: Turin saves men of Brethil from orcs
        • Climax: Mound of Finduilas
        • Turin carried away by Men of Brethil
    • Episode 8
      • Morwen and Nienor
        • Morwen in Doriath
        • Inciting Incident: No news comes from Nargothrond of Turin
        • Plot Point #1: Morwen leaves for Nargothrond
        • Nienor follows
        • Amon Ethir
        • Midpoint: Glaurung and Nienor
        • Mablung and Nienor
        • Plot Point #2: Nineor runs
        • Climax: Nienor found by Turin
    • Episode 9
      • Brethil
        • Inciting Incident: Nienor in Brethil
        • Plot Point #1: Nienor returns to health but remembers nothing
        • Niniel and Brandir
        • Midpoint: Niniel and Turambar wedded
        • Plot Point #2: Glaurung’s army in Brethil
        • Niniel has Turambar not fight the orcs
        • Climax: Turambar goes to war against the orcs
        • Glaurung knows Turin by the Mormegil
    • Episode 10
      • Death of Glaurung
        • Inciting Incident: Glaurung is seen coming towards Ephel Brandir
        • Plot Point #1: Turin and two others go out to slay Glaurung
        • Niniel and Brandir wait
        • Up Cabed-en-Aras
        • Midpoint: Turin slays Glaurung
        • Nienor finds Turin’s body
        • Glaurung dies
        • Plot Point #2: Nienor casts herself into Cabed-en-Aras
        • Brandir slays Dorlas
        • Turin slays Brandir
        • Mablung
        • Climax: Turin kills himself
        • Hurin and Morwen
  • The Ruin of Doriath [this one is one the harder stories to fit into the structure and fit alongside the other tales...]
    • Episode 1
      • Húrin wanders to hills leading to Gondolin
      • Húrin cries for Turgon, and a darkness comes as the sun vanishes behind the Mountains of Shadow. Húrin slips and falls into a sleep of grief.
      • Inciting Incident: Húrin travels to Nagathrond. Slays Mim, takes the Nauglamír.
      • Travels above the Falls of Sirion and taken by the elves of Doriath.
      • Húrin berates Thingol for the 'fair keeping' of his family. Melian speaks and the shadow moves from Húrin's mind eye, he sees the truth of all that has passed.
      • Plot Point #1: Húrin gives the Nauglamir to Thingol and disappears, never to be seen again (casts self into the western sea).
      • Thingol becomes bound to the Simaril and requests the dwarves to place in the Nauglamír.
      • Midpoint: Dwarves withhold the Simaril and slay Thingol.
      • Elves of Doriath all slain save two dwarves who bring tidings to Nogrod.
      • The Girdle of Melian fails, she returns to Valinor.
      • A host of dwarves enter into Menegroth.
      • Mablung is slain and the Simaril is taken.
      • Plot Point #2 Beren, Dior, and the Elves of Ossiriand assail the diminished host of Nogrod.
      • Beren slays Lord of Nogrod, who casts a curse on all their treasure.
      • Climax: Beren dumps all into the river save the Simaril, and Luthien wears the Simaril
      • Dior, Thingol's heir, leaves to Menegroth.
    • Episode 2
      • Inciting Incident: Beren and Luthien die.
      • Elf of Ossiriand delivers Simaril to Dior and tidings of Beren and Luthien passing.
      • Plot Point #1: The sons of Feanor attack
      • Celegorm & Caranthir slain
      • Slaying Dior and his wife and sons. (the second kinslaying).
      • Plot Point #2: Doriath destroyed.
      • Climax: Elwing escapes with the Silmaril.
  • Fall of Gondolin
    • Episode 1 [not 100% solid on this one... especially concerning the first half]
      • Rian
      • Grey Elves
      • Inciting Incident: Abush
      • Outlaw
      • Plot Point #1: Escape from thralldom
      • Midpoint: Cirdan Messengers
      • To the Sea
      • Vinyamar
      • The storm
      • Plot Point #2: Ulmo
      • Climax: Voronwe
    • Episode 2
      • Inciting Incident: Mission from Ulmo [off-screen]
      • Plot Point #2: To Gondolin from Nevrast
      • Turin
      • Midpoint: Orc Ambush
      • Dry River
      • Plot Point #2: Gates of Gondolin
      • Climax: Tuor Addresses Turgon
    • Episode 3
      • Turin in Gondolin
      • Of Maeglin
      • Inciting Incident: Adrehel lost
      • Adrehel and Eol
      • Plot Point #1: Adrehel and Maeglin's escape
      • Eol's pursuit
      • Plot Point #2: Gondolin
      • Climax: Death of Adrehel
      • Execution of Eol
    • Episode 4
      • Council of Gondolin
      • Inciting Incident: Idril and Tuor
      • Wedding
      • Plot Point #1: Earendil
      • Maeglin's jealousy
      • Midpoint: Hurin calls to Turgon
      • Building of the Secret Tunnel
      • Plot Point 2: Maeglin Captured
      • Climax: Maeglin and Morgoth
      • Idril Council
    • Episode 5
      • Inciting Incident: Maeglin's betrayal
      • Festival
      • Plot Point 1: Battle
      • Turgon holds council, but listens only to Maeglin
      • Drakes and orcs assault the walls
      • Tuor seeks Idril and Earendil
      • Glorfindel delayed
      • Rog's charge
      • Midpoint: Death of Maeglin
      • Death of Salgant
      • Glorfindel arrives
      • Tuor leads the army to the Square of the King
      • Ecthelion vs Balrog
      • Plot Point #2: Turgon goes down with the palace
      • Secret Tunnel
      • Climax: Glorfindel vs Balrog
      • Land of Willows Sirion
  • Voyage of Earendil [the structure of the voyage of Earendil is the thing that I am most unsure about, hence all the missing labels]
    • Episode 1
      • Of Eärendil and Elwing. (Elron and Elros).
      • Inciting Incident: Tuor heares the call of the sea, the conches of Ulmo
      • Plot Point #1: Tuor and Idril secretly pass into the West (Tuor's song to Eärendil)
      • Círdan the Shipwright.
      • Plot Point #2: Eärendil constructs Vingilot and sails west in search of Tuor (special cloak that does not wet).
      • Climax: Earendil sets sail to seek Tuor (Sails with Voronwe's son).
    • Episode 2
      • Enchantment of the Magic Isles, shadow of shadowy sea; Twlit Isles on the Shadow Seas
      • Mermaids/sirens on a rocky island.
      • Osse's storm. (Ulmo wants Eärendil to seek Valinor, not Tuor)
      • Midpoint: Eärendil slays Ungoliant in the South, the home of Night.
      • The Tower of Pearl/Tower of seabirds (not Idril or Elwing, but a messenger of Turgon? can never leave)
      • Ancient mariner on a lonely eyot (Ulmo) who is wise and tells of the lands beyond: "Strange things he told me of regions far beyond the Western Sea, of the Magic Isles and that most lonely one that lies behind. Once long ago, he said, he had sighted it glimmering afar off, and after had he sought it many a day in vain. Much lore he.taught me of the hidden seas, and the dark and trackless waters"
    • Episode 3
      • Eärendil longs for Elwing and feels sudden haste to return to Beleriand. (nightmares)
      • Inciting Incident: Sons of Feanor storm the Grey Havens while Círdan's fleet is away (third kinslaying).
      • Plot Point #1: Elwing dives into the seas with the Silmaril, but born up by Ulmo as a gull.
      • Maedhros and Maglor, now that last of the sons of Feanor (Amrod and Amras slain), take Elrond and Elros captive. Maglor takes pity on them and raises them. Maedhros burned by the oath.
      • Remnant of elves lead by Gil-galad, escape to Balar.
      • Elwing flies to Eärendil, the Silmaril at her breast
      • Midpoint: Eärendil grieved by news of his sons, sees no hope in the east, and sets sail to Valinor.
      • Plot Point #2: Silmaril finds the way west: "they came to the Enchanted Isles and escaped their enchantment; and they came into the Shadowy Seas and passed their shadows, and they looked upon Tol Eressëa the Lonely Isle, but tarried not; and at the last they cast anchor in the Bay of Eldamar, and the Teleri"
      • Elwing follows Eärendil ashore; the city of Tirion on Tuna is empty (elves at festival).
      • Eärendil hailed by Eönwë, herald of Manwë to the Powers of Arda. (diamond dust in the streets, gazes the crossed ocean as he climbs).
      • Climax: Council of the Valar.
      • The fate of Eärendil and Elwing.
    • Episode 4
      • Plot Point #1: The War of Wraith: elves of Valinor lead by Finarfin, Balrogs destroyed, uncounted legions of orcs slain, the evil of the people of Uldor
      • Morgoth loosens the winged dragons with great thunder and lightning
      • Dragons slain by Eärendil (Ancalagon the Black, mightiest of the dragon host) and Thorondor of the great eagles
      • Beleriand broken.
      • Valar descend
      • Plot Point #2: Morgoth hides pleading for pardon, but chained and collared by his own crown; Morgoth cast into the Door of Night.
      • Eönwë summons remaining elves to depart from Middle-earth, but Maedhros and Maglor refuse and take back the Silmarils after they are withheld.
      • Climax: The Silmaril burns the hand of Maedhros, who casts himself into a fiery chasm. Maglor casts his into the sea and wanders the shores in regret.
      • The choice of Elron and Elros.
      • Eärendil the morning star. (following the sun, when on his voyage he was chased by the moon... tides
-------------------------------
And that's all for now, I can always edit this again later based on feedback.
 
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Bre, this is brilliant...thanks for the layman's guide to plot structure, it's quite excellently helpful! Just a couple of questions.

1. Where do you think the season breaks should happen? Is each major heading (Flight of the Noldor, Beren and Luthien, etc) intended to be a whole season? Seems like we might need a few more episodes in some of them, but that should be easy enough given the amount of material we have to work with.

2. Where do you see the Ainulindale (and everything up to the Coming of the Elves, for that matter) fitting into this whole arrangement? Would it be a separate season at the beginning?


At one point I was thinking it could be fun to frame the Ainulindale as stories told by Orome to the Elves along their journey to Cuivienen, but I'm less and less sure that will work. It might just have to be a separate entity, with the journey to Cuivienen coming later. Also...what about Cirdan as a frame narrator for one or the other season?
 
I'm also very impressed Bre - you put a lot of work, creativity, and analytical thinking into this and it shows. I learned a lot from this. A few points that we'll probably want to keep in mind as we go along:

-The frame itself requires a plot structure, which will likely affect the shape of the subnarratives collected under it.
-The balance of the plot structures may also be affected by how linear we choose to make the subnarrative. We could begin at a variety of different points throughout the history of the 1st age. Flashbacks to those prior events would not simply be filling in details - they would in themselves constitute plot events in the primary time line, since flashing back (or having another character tell a story) would have an effect on the ongoing plot and characterization in the present.
-Although less so with the "big" stories (Beren and Luthien, Children of Hurin, etc.), much of the histories could be divided up according to a variety of conflicts or events. We may choose to stretch, emphasize, compress, or even create new conflicts, which would in turn affect the shape of seasons. What themes we want to emphasize should be our guide, even if it means diverging from the received Silmarillion.
-The great thing about turning the Silmarillion into a series as opposed to movies is that we are free to expand portions of the story that are compressed or even invent our own events to further develop characters and themes. While having an overall outline is helpful, we need to caution ourselves against holding to it too rigidly and thus restricting fresh directions that may occur to us as we move along.

I appreciate your willingness to share all your hard work even in such a collaborative atmosphere as this. One of the challenges we're going to face as we go along is that there are innumerable ways in which we can shape the material of the Silmarillion and we will never all agree on everything. Nevertheless, that shouldn't stop us from taking stances on how things should go and sharing them with each other so that as a team we can learn from each other and through synthesis be opened to new directions that none of us would have taken on our own.
 
Bre, this is brilliant...thanks for the layman's guide to plot structure, it's quite excellently helpful! Just a couple of questions.

1. Where do you think the season breaks should happen? Is each major heading (Flight of the Noldor, Beren and Luthien, etc) intended to be a whole season? Seems like we might need a few more episodes in some of them, but that should be easy enough given the amount of material we have to work with.

Umm you could say the each major heading is a season, but for those headers that contain less episodes we could do some combining, like the Gondolin and Earendil stuff could probably be merged into one season or something like that. I didn't set anything in stone there because I wanted to leave that up for debate.

2. Where do you see the Ainulindale (and everything up to the Coming of the Elves, for that matter) fitting into this whole arrangement? Would it be a separate season at the beginning?

I think of the Ainulindale as one short thing, nothing longer than an episode to being as short as a song ;)
It really is just a prologue that could be attached to the beginning of the first episode since I imagine it just being a short with music (very Fantasia in that respect) with images of all the Valar history happening in montage form from a wide perspective.

Also, I left out any hint of a frame narrative because, while everybody else seems eager to shot ideas for that, I don't see it working enough to warrant one. I think certain ideas associated with frame narratives are just desires for easter eggs and cameos, none of which have enough thematic resonance to all of the First Age stories being told or enough substance to stretch across so much content (essentially, I don't think there should be any frame narrative at all). But also, without anyone having decided on a specific frame narrative yet, I can't really plan how it would connect to this current outline.
 
Also, I left out any hint of a frame narrative because, while everybody else seems eager to shot ideas for that, I don't see it working enough to warrant one. I think certain ideas associated with frame narratives are just desires for easter eggs and cameos, none of which have enough thematic resonance to all of the First Age stories being told or enough substance to stretch across so much content

I agree with you that if the frame narrative is just tacked on and does not contribute thematically to the work, it would be best excluded. However, it's worth considering why we're even doing this whole thing to begin with. This show is never going to be actualized as a show - so we obviously aren't doing this for the sake of seeing the received Silmarillion woodenly visualized. The only reason I can think of then to go through with all of this is to transform the Silmarillion - which begs the question how we should transform it and what purpose it will serve. The introduction of a frame narrative (carefully crafted and integrated) serves the purpose of not only highlighting particular themes (via parallelism) but suggesting an additional theme: that stories and history is applicable to future generations.
 
Bre, this is nothing short of amazing! I believe that you've actually have provided a really good structure that will make it a lot easier to think about how one would go about adapting The Silmarillion. Great job!
 
I agree with you that if the frame narrative is just tacked on and does not contribute thematically to the work, it would be best excluded. However, it's worth considering why we're even doing this whole thing to begin with. This show is never going to be actualized as a show - so we obviously aren't doing this for the sake of seeing the received Silmarillion woodenly visualized. The only reason I can think of then to go through with all of this is to transform the Silmarillion - which begs the question how we should transform it and what purpose it will serve. The introduction of a frame narrative (carefully crafted and integrated) serves the purpose of not only highlighting particular themes (via parallelism) but suggesting an additional theme: that stories and history is applicable to future generations.

Speak for yourself, I want to make it for reals =p

But seriously, for me the purpose is to create something that could work a pitch to create an actual final project, but that's because I'm cursed with the filmmaker background and can't think any other way (though I have been adapting my ideas to work more with what this project is doing). Heck, I'm even working on a possible Silmarillion short film right now.
 
Speak for yourself, I want to make it for reals =p

But seriously, for me the purpose is to create something that could work a pitch to create an actual final project, but that's because I'm cursed with the filmmaker background and can't think any other way (though I have been adapting my ideas to work more with what this project is doing). Heck, I'm even working on a possible Silmarillion short film right now.

I really hope you do make a short film, because I think based on what you've made so far that you'd do a great job (perhaps better than what this group ends up creating!). But what we as a community are creating is distinct from what any one of us may choose to create on her/his own. To make any collaborative progress, we'll each need to willingly subordinate our individual preferences to work within the confines of whatever dooms our White Council deems ;). That doesn't mean we lose the ability to follow our individual preferences in what we personally create on the side - and by sharing those personal creations here like you have we can provide helpful inspiration to guide the community as it creates. But, like the received Silmarillion itself, our personal creations are only source material - they require adaptation to fit within what the group itself is making (like you've already done in changing from a movie series to a show). It seems from what Corey has said that the purpose he has set for the community is to help readers access the received Silmarillion and appreciate its applicability.
 
I really hope you do make a short film, because I think based on what you've made so far that you'd do a great job (perhaps better than what this group ends up creating!). But what we as a community are creating is distinct from what any one of us may choose to create on her/his own. To make any collaborative progress, we'll each need to willingly subordinate our individual preferences to work within the confines of whatever dooms our White Council deems ;). That doesn't mean we lose the ability to follow our individual preferences in what we personally create on the side - and by sharing those personal creations here like you have we can provide helpful inspiration to guide the community as it creates. But, like the received Silmarillion itself, our personal creations are only source material - they require adaptation to fit within what the group itself is making (like you've already done in changing from a movie series to a show). It seems from what Corey has said that the purpose he has set for the community is to help readers access the received Silmarillion and appreciate its applicability.

I made a point of saying in my last post that I was changing my previous Silmarillion film planning to better fit this project to make it clear that I am bowing to the greater authority of the needs of this particular collaborative project, so no worries there; I know that what I'm doing what this group are doing are two different things. I'm even making a point of not including a good majority of what I'm personally doing to make sure I myself don't muddle the two together (my short is Glorfindel vs Balrog related, and I haven't posted anything for that yet).

Buuuuuut, I still think that this project by definition has an end goal of a film in mind, even if hypothetical (it's all just the stage of pre-production that happens before a script is actually written). I don't think any real progress can be made without that end goal because it sets the parameters of all our decisions as a group. Basically, I think this project is step above just discussing adaptation possibilities because actual firm directions will have to be decided upon in order to reach a certain level of conversation, which we wouldn't be able to reach otherwise. There will still be expected side projects and spinoffs from that main hypothical film the show is making, but that's another discussion.
 
Buuuuuut, I still think that this project by definition has an end goal of a film in mind, even if hypothetical (it's all just the stage of pre-production that happens before a script is actually written). I don't think any real progress can be made without that end goal because it sets the parameters of all our decisions as a group. Basically, I think this project is step above just discussing adaptation possibilities because actual firm directions will have to be decided upon in order to reach a certain level of conversation, which we wouldn't be able to reach otherwise. There will still be expected side projects and spinoffs from that main hypothical film the show is making, but that's another discussion.

I'm sorry, I think we're miscommunicating and may not be in as much disagreement as it seems. I agree that we should conduct the project as if we were actually developing a film (e.g. eventually coming to firm decisions on different matters and making those decisions on the basis of what makes a good film). The point I was making wasn't about these aspects of how we conduct the collaborative project, but the more fundamental question of why we are doing it (which affects how we conduct the project, but not in those aspects). Maybe I could put it this way: we should act as if we are creating an actual film but not as if seeing the actual film is the purpose for which we are creating. Wanting to see a close-to-the-original visualization might have been our purpose if we ever actually could see the end product, but since it isn't, we should (while still making decisions as if we're making a movie) make those decisions according to a different purpose, namely, to help others access and appreciate the applicability of the Silmarillion. And I was suggesting that that goal may lead us to take necessary departures from the precise outline of the received work, but not in a way that is unfaithful to its fundamental core.

Like I said, I don't think we're actually in serious disagreement here - if anything a difference of degrees rather than a fundamental one. Probably my bad for making it sound otherwise and keeping this discussion going instead of refocusing on the task at hand. Having now done the best I can to clarify the muddle that I made, I'm going to hold off on further hashing out whatever minor disagreements there may actually be.
 
I'm sorry, I think we're miscommunicating and may not be in as much disagreement as it seems. I agree that we should conduct the project as if we were actually developing a film (e.g. eventually coming to firm decisions on different matters and making those decisions on the basis of what makes a good film).

yeah I think we're probably arguing the same thing; tis the curse of textual discourse
 
Not sure where to place this thought since it is really a response to episode 0-4, but revolves around the questions asked here.

In terms of the overall story arcs for the frame narrative characters, it seems like we have Aragorn growing from boy to man to king, Sam presiding as mayor over a time when the Shire is transforming from being a "backwater" to being connected with the larger world, and Celeborn initially resisting but ultimately accepting the fading of the elves. The hosts have agreed that young Aragorn is the logical frame to begin season 1, so I was thinking about when would be the most appropriate point in the story to introduce our other two main frames. And, conveniently enough, I believe that season 2 can be split into two main subplots which directly map onto Sam and Celeborn (and the development of their overarching themes) respectively.

The first part of season 2 will be the journey west; the elves leave their old life behind for the promise of bliss in Valinor. They are confronted with the unknown and the choice to leave the familiar and have faith that the future will be better. Along the way some factions split off, and whether this is portrayed as due to lack of faith or simply because they fall in love with the natural beauty of Middle Earth, they never get to experience the bliss of Valinor. This parallels the changing of the times in the Shire, with Sam (and Merry and Pippin) trying to convince the Shirefolk, who are often stuck in their ways, that although the outside world is unknown and scary, connecting with and learning about the outside world holds the promise of a brighter future. If we begin with Sam at the Grey Havens (which is my strong preference), then when he returns to the Shire and has to explain what happened (possibly to his kids, or maybe a drinking mate at the Green Dragon), he can explain about the elves returning to Valinor and how they got there in the first place. Subsequent episodes might show him trying to convince some stubborn Hobbits to allow travelers to pass through, or trade or Bree, etc. He could do this either by alluding to the story of the elves journey, or these two stories could simply play out side by side, allowing the audience to infer the moral of the tale based on their parallelism.

The second part of season 2 will be the arc going from the bliss of Valinor to the Darkening of Valinor. This arc emphasizes how evil causes the diminution of an otherwise perfect realm, with Feanor seemingly resisting this change by preserving the light of the trees in the Silmarils. This corresponds with the beginning of Celeborn's story; he is not yet ready to accept the fading of the elves and leave Middle Earth, and could look at the story of the Darkening of Valinor as an example of why he should fight evil by resisting change. Of course we know that this is ultimately doomed to fail, just as Feanor's creation of the Silmarils ultimately led the elves into greater suffering, but this is just the beginning of Celeborn's story. I also like ending Sam's story with reaching the bliss of Valinor and then transitioning to a new frame narrative that begins with the bliss of Valinor because this gives a plausible way to signal to the audience that lots of time has passed, everyone was happy, not much to see here.

One question I still haven't answered is if/how we should work Aragorn into all of this. Pros for including him: it is best not to let our main frame narrative disappear for a whole season. Cons against including him: unless we shift to king Aragorn, his storyline will not be contemporaneous with Sam and Celeborn, and having three narrators might be overkill.
 
Not sure where to place this thought since it is really a response to episode 0-4, but revolves around the questions asked here.

In terms of the overall story arcs for the frame narrative characters, it seems like we have Aragorn growing from boy to man to king, Sam presiding as mayor over a time when the Shire is transforming from being a "backwater" to being connected with the larger world, and Celeborn initially resisting but ultimately accepting the fading of the elves. The hosts have agreed that young Aragorn is the logical frame to begin season 1, so I was thinking about when would be the most appropriate point in the story to introduce our other two main frames. And, conveniently enough, I believe that season 2 can be split into two main subplots which directly map onto Sam and Celeborn (and the development of their overarching themes) respectively.

The first part of season 2 will be the journey west; the elves leave their old life behind for the promise of bliss in Valinor. They are confronted with the unknown and the choice to leave the familiar and have faith that the future will be better. Along the way some factions split off, and whether this is portrayed as due to lack of faith or simply because they fall in love with the natural beauty of Middle Earth, they never get to experience the bliss of Valinor. This parallels the changing of the times in the Shire, with Sam (and Merry and Pippin) trying to convince the Shirefolk, who are often stuck in their ways, that although the outside world is unknown and scary, connecting with and learning about the outside world holds the promise of a brighter future. If we begin with Sam at the Grey Havens (which is my strong preference), then when he returns to the Shire and has to explain what happened (possibly to his kids, or maybe a drinking mate at the Green Dragon), he can explain about the elves returning to Valinor and how they got there in the first place. Subsequent episodes might show him trying to convince some stubborn Hobbits to allow travelers to pass through, or trade or Bree, etc. He could do this either by alluding to the story of the elves journey, or these two stories could simply play out side by side, allowing the audience to infer the moral of the tale based on their parallelism.

The second part of season 2 will be the arc going from the bliss of Valinor to the Darkening of Valinor. This arc emphasizes how evil causes the diminution of an otherwise perfect realm, with Feanor seemingly resisting this change by preserving the light of the trees in the Silmarils. This corresponds with the beginning of Celeborn's story; he is not yet ready to accept the fading of the elves and leave Middle Earth, and could look at the story of the Darkening of Valinor as an example of why he should fight evil by resisting change. Of course we know that this is ultimately doomed to fail, just as Feanor's creation of the Silmarils ultimately led the elves into greater suffering, but this is just the beginning of Celeborn's story. I also like ending Sam's story with reaching the bliss of Valinor and then transitioning to a new frame narrative that begins with the bliss of Valinor because this gives a plausible way to signal to the audience that lots of time has passed, everyone was happy, not much to see here.

One question I still haven't answered is if/how we should work Aragorn into all of this. Pros for including him: it is best not to let our main frame narrative disappear for a whole season. Cons against including him: unless we shift to king Aragorn, his storyline will not be contemporaneous with Sam and Celeborn, and having three narrators might be overkill.

Cool stuff. I lay out some thoughts for Aragorn's frame on the 1-1 episode discussion, but it makes sense to consider the others (maybe it would work better in the frame discussion?) in advance as well. I got the sense that they had intended Sam's frame to cover season 2 and Celeborn's season 3, but I may be wrong.

I agree with you that we wouldn't want to remove Aragorn from the show, but maybe he could show up as a side character within the story of the other characters (not supporting his own narrative). Given your ideas about having Sam try to convince the Hobbits to embrace change and the outside world, maybe he and King Aragorn are trying to make some sort of deal and find some Hobbits resistant to it. Aragorn could at some point allude to events from season 1 to help tie things together, and perhaps also act as story teller to Sam to given him encouragement for a particular subarc (to be honest I'm not wholly on board with the idea of having the frame narrative jump around so much - I would have preferred having it start at a definite point and move forward, including additional characters and arcs as they emerged chronologically, but we have to work within the boundaries given to us I guess).
 
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