working title:

Greater Sum: Toronto

What truly makes up a city is the sum of its people

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Genre: Lifestyle / Documentary

Parts Unknown meets Exit Though The Gift Shop
Runtime: 16 x 22 Minutes
Production Company: Fieldwork

EPs: Ian Carleton & Ben Rayner

 

Log Line.

A series that explores the in-depth relationship between people who do interesting things in a city, and how the city affects what they do.

By following a friend through their day, you meet a community.

 

Concept.

Toronto’s identity, essence, and value is found in more than just its skyline. The tangent avenues and interests of its citizens, their communities, and the relationships with adjacent neighbourhoods are what come together to manifest Toronto’s heartbeat.

Greater Sum is a series that aims to explore and understand Toronto’s heartbeat and how as a whole, the city is greater than the sum of any individual part. The series will dig deeply into the restaurants, artisans, and unique individuals that only the locals know about. The result will be an insider’s guide to the lesser known ethos of the city.

Episode Arc.

Each episode of Greater Sum focuses on a single person and their craft, job, or passion. The audience is introduced to their space to experience their world from a fly on the wall perspective, which quickly evolves into a subject hosted, day-in-the-life journey.
The subject takes the audience through their craft to show the beauty and challenges of their work, exposing its value alongside it’s busted seams. The subject then leads the audience on a journey through their favourite things to do, eat, see, hang, play, or simply spend time with in the city. This vantage point offers context on how the city influences the niche work the subject has devoted their life to.

Through each episode the subject will introduce us to their favourite artist, grocer, chef, specialist, or personality who is somehow a fixture in their daily journey. That person then becomes the subject of the next episode. This will create an ongoing chain of connection that will leads us on an in depth web though local Toronto.

 

Style.

The series is presented in a first-person documentary style with each episode’s subject interacting in a direct-to-camera format. As such, the crew may occasionally interact with the subject, breaking the fourth wall, and instilling an informal ride-along energy through the journey.

 

Pulling the Thread.

The magic of Greater Sum is the way the show illuminates the interconnectivity of the city and how each part is affected by the next.

 

Season Structure

The season episodes will move fluidly from one subject to the next, revealing the connection and influence this city of neighborhoods has on itself.

 
 

Episode Breakdown Example.

 

  • A crude stop-motion of Toronto in map-form broken down by neighborhoods, outlining where the show has traveled through and where this episode will begin.

    (30 seconds )

  • Cold open on episodes host telling the audience who they are and what they identify as professionally.

    (4 minutes)

  • Beginning hosts daily routine to travel to work. We travel with the host as they talk to us about why their morning rituals are important to them and how it sets up their day. We may meet other neighbourhood characters along the way.

    (4 minutes)

  • A mixed style of direct to camera interview and in situation breakdown of work type, colleagues, influences, and passion which has brought our subject to be spending their life devoted to this persuit.

    (7.5 minutes)

  • The host takes us on a reprieve from work and shows us the ritual or special treat found in Toronto that brings happiness to their day. We may meet other personalities through this experience.

    (2.5 Minutes )

  • We follow the host as they reveal a night-time secret that they love to do. This activity may influence their work (experienced earlier) or may simply add further balance to their life. We meet other personalities as we experience this activity with them.

    (2.5 minutes)

  • Final thoughts from the host, and overview of the significance of their community and work.