Scripted Series Bible

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SCRIPTED A RIDICULOUS ANIMATED COMEDY ABOUT REWRITING THE UNIVERSE CREATED BY: MICHAEL FLAMANK 2015 [email protected] (647) 461-0563

description

A ridiculous animated comedy about rewriting the universe.

Transcript of Scripted Series Bible

  • SCRIPTEDA RIDICULOUS ANIMATED COMEDYABOUT REWRITING THE UNIVERSE

    CREATED BY: MICHAEL FLAMANK

    2015 [email protected]

    (647) 461-0563

  • 1 INT. HEAD OF PERSON READING THIS - RIGHT NOW

    You exist in a deep unmovable darkness. The kind so absentof light that merely looking at where your hands should betrips you out. Do you even feel them?

    POP! CRACK!

    Curiosity triggers your synapses to fire, surrounding you inbursts of radiant colour and sound, increasing as you wonder"is this really how the show bible is starting?"

    The swirls of light evolve into galaxies gently pulsingagainst the black. Deep and powerful it comes...

    MORGAN FREEMAN (V.O.)You find this introduction to bestrange, but not the ability toread in the intonation of myvoice... which you find amusing.

    Beat.

    YOUI didnt write this dialogue formyself! This is silly!

    MICHAEL FLAMANK (V.O.)No. This is "Scripted."

    A voice with far less timbre surrounds you.

    YOUCouldnt have made that more vague.

    MICHAEL FLAMANK (V.O.)Its a show about taking control ofyour reality. Are your thoughtsyour own? What if theyarent? What if someone wrote themfor you?

    YOUThis is all starting to sound very"Jaden Smith." A reference Im noteven sure I get.

    MICHAEL FLAMANK (V.O.)Fair enough. But reread this pageand I think youll find we all havethe ability to go off script, oncewe realize... its just a script.

    FADE TO BLACK

  • Table of Contents

    SERIES OVERVIEW 4

    MAIN CHARACTERS 6

    Mason.................................................. 7

    Andre................................................. 13

    Serena................................................ 21

    Kylie................................................. 27

    Milo.................................................. 33

    SUPPORTING CHARACTERS 34

    AESTHETICS AND SETTINGS 45

    MARKETABILITY 54

    Ideal Audience........................................ 55

    The Three Laws of Cult Television..................... 55

    ADDITIONAL SHOW ANALYSIS 56

    Title Sequence........................................ 57

    Classification of Roles............................... 57

    Rules of the Scripted Universe........................ 58

    Character Wardrobe.................................... 58

    Restrictions on Character Wealth...................... 59

    Parody of Products.................................... 61

    Batting Order......................................... 61

    Breakdown of American Heaven.......................... 62

    Bertrand Russell Paradox.............................. 65

  • 3

    EPISODES 70

    Pilot Summary......................................... 71

    Season One Guide...................................... 73

    Expanded Episode Notes................................ 76

    EP.2 Experimentation........................... 77

    EP.3 Princessification......................... 84

    EP.4 Expedition................................ 93

    EP.5 Reappropriation.......................... 107

    EP.6 Flirtation............................... 118

    EP.7 Repetition............................... 126

    EP.8 Invasion................................. 134

    EP.9 Notation................................. 142

    EP.10 Corkification............................ 152

    EP.11 Realization.............................. 159

    EP.12 Redemption............................... 169

    EP.13 Abomination.............................. 179

    Direction of Future Seasons.......................... 187

    SEASON ONE TIMELINE 191

    BIOGRAPHICAL CHARACTER TIMELINE 195

    Closing Thoughts from the Creator........................ 199

  • Series Overview

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  • SCRIPTEDWritten By Michael Flamank

    Genre:Animated, Adult Comedy

    Logline:A group of friends learn to write the screenplays for their very lives and the world around them after discovering they are characters in a show. From there things generally could go better.

    Summary:After a glitch in the video player reveals that the world around them is a fabricated production, best friends (and foster brothers) Mason and Andre discover they have the ability to write screenplays for their own universe. Scripted follows them, their friends and ex-dick twisting hoes on their misguided adventures as they test the limits of their powers, explore new genres and question the silliness of existence.

    Rom-com? 24esque Action Thriller? Space Adventure? Nothings off the table and nothing goes according to plan, because although everythings scripted, you can never anticipate the butterfly effect of your actions. What happens when your rom-com character is so flat youve unwittingly created a sociopath? Or your thrillers so convoluted the bad guys get confused? Or two scripts are written for the same episode and the universe mashes them! The group has no idea what theyre doing or how theyre able to do it, but their bold curiosity to find out and self satisfy along the way is all they need anyway.

    Scripted thrives on depth. The characters are self aware and the show is even more self aware. Meta humor is used extensively to make fun of motifs, tropes and often unseen elements of scriptwriting. Each characters style of writing dictates the type of episode that ensues and their compositions development drives the series.

    Scripted, although a dark comedy, builds its plots around themes of existentialism (Is there such a thing as free will? What is consciousness?) and divinity (What are the ethics and consequences of having deistic-like control of your surroundings?). Its a mixture of humor and high concept that tackles difficult subject matter with an intelligent naivet that audiences can approach. Also just the right sprinkling of dick jokes (formal wink face).

    Influences:30 Rock, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, Archer, Community, Bobs Burgers, Futurama

    Intended Animation Style:Hand Drawn / Illustrator + After Effects(Derivative of Rick and Morty, Bobs Burgers, Adventure Time, Bojack Horseman)

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  • Main Characters

    6

  • MASON ARLO

    Bio:Twenty-four year old white male living in the city with a genuine curiosity of the unknown. Hed rather discover than rest in ignorance and hed rather fix than let a problem be. His scriptwriting skills are amateur at best and although usually well intentioned he tends to overlook minor details that spin each of his stories out of control (think of a cursed monkeys paw).

    Even though hes a co-main character with his ensemble, hes occasionally seen as the main in the eyes of secondary characters due to his skin colour and gender. The tension it brings provides a platform to make fun of and address racism and sexism in media (and culture), a recurring theme in the series.

    At the end of the day Mason would rather have everyone be happy than satisfy his craving for answers. A trait that often leads to him perpetuating his curiosity in an effort to set things back to normal. Hes also easily traumatized by the unfortunate consequences of his actions and leans to the genius of his best friend and foster brother Andre for support.

    ARLO - Gaelic for between two hills; interpretable as someone always curious whats beyond them

    Character Traits: Proactive fixer, curious, morally strong, optimist, hard worker, medium emotional intelligence, clumsy, a tad self-righteous, creatively hack (copies instead of creates), not good with pressure, bad liar, traumatizes easily, a little slow

    Motivations:Answers, justice, pursuit of happiness, craving of new experience

    Dominant Modes:(1) Neutral - a touch of self-righteous, pokes fun, relaxed, dismissive of opinion(2) Proud - hugely self-righteous, smug, dismissive of opinion(3) Traumatized - frightened, nervous, desperately open to opinion, jumpy, restless(4) Apprehensive Hero - insecure, nervous, unconvincing, pushing himself forward

    Character Arc: From must know everything to maybe leave some stones unturned.

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  • Genetics:-White-Thin build, not very muscular-Dirty blonde hair, usually ruffled as if he had just gotten out of bed-511 in height-155lbs

    Posture:-Relaxed when smug about something self-righteous-Rigid, on edge as soon as a situation even slightly intensifies-Restless

    Fashion:-Childlike, has almost no sense of it, buys mostly zip-up hoodies and t-shirts with logos, geeky pictures or amusing quips-Oblivious to how his state of dress effects other characters perception of him -Occasionally ball caps-The type that would buy crocs because he notices everyone else is-Follows trends-At night wears t-shirt plus pajama bottoms-Wears boxers as underwear

    (Accentuated with tones of blue)

    Vernacular:Dominantly proper english (beaten into him early), but speaks with underlying urban tones and phrasings due to his history living in the inner-city

    Films he would write: Heavily cliched (ex. the bad guy monologues until hes shot by someone we previously thought was dead), 1-Dimensional Characters, assembling team montages, plays by his own rules cop, the kind of movie studios wouldnt have to give notes for because it appeals to the widest audience while challenging nobody

    Films he would watch: The Dark Knight, The Matrix, The Avengers, superhero and/or underdog movies, escapism movies, Harry Potter, Fast and Furious, Avatar, anything that has been overrated

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  • Screenplays written by him often include:Flat characters spouting cliched dialogue or dialogue borrowed from pop culture. Easily monkey-paw-able elements (ex. writing a girl in thats a blonde bombshell and then getting an actual bomb that has to be diffused). Overacting, characters emotions are unbelievably hyperbolized (ex. policeman declaring Mason a hero for stopping a bank robber then offering him the stolen money as a reward)

    Treatment of Fellow Characters:

    Andre: very brotherly, back and forth ribbings, leans on Andre for intellectual support

    Serena: like a big sister, feels morally superior to, loses arguments when he tries to play chess on Serenas checker board, leans on Serena for social/emotional support Kylie: as an ex-girlfriend, with caution, lacks trust for, respects intelligence, leans on Kylie for the blunt truth

    Milo: as a bro (everyone loves Milo!), leans on Milo for emotional support

    Landlord: like an embarrassing dad, avoids at all costs, leans on for his deus ex machina solutions (like a reluctant teenager that needs out of trouble)

    Vampire Policeman: like an angry father, frightened of but slowly grows accustomed to having him around, guilty (for the whole wife murdering thing)

    ! !

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  • Detailed Backstory:Born June 22nd 1992, Mason was given up at birth by his parents and entered foster care at a relatively young age. For the first 11 years of his life he was essentially seen as a tax break and a service payment by his foster parents who would abuse and blame him for every non-related problem (ex. running out of cigarettes, . This was the foundation for Masons innate desire to fix. Fixing meant less abuse.

    At age 9 he met Serena Eden who sympathized with his timid nature and adopted the role of big sister in his life (ex. sharing Dunkaroos on the playground, sticking up for him when bullies came a-trolloping). Serena was his first real taste of family.

    Growing up Mason would use tv and film as a means of escape (books were a rare form of media in his home). Underdog and hero flicks were his favorite. Anything to do with starting from the bottom (no Drake intended) and coming out on top was a euphoric vicarious adventure. Serena, using her allowance (something Mason had never fathomed), took him to his first cineplex where they watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (right up his alley). To date the Harry Potter novels are the only novels Mason has read that werent assigned to him. He still has an insufferable literary taste in his mouth from his english teacher assigning The Joy Luck Club.

    At age 11 his foster parents were granted permission to hold another child in their residence and ended up with one Andre Lewis. They would bond over a love of cinema and television, watching The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded on the day Andre arrived (preparation for the release of the trilogys final film).

    Andre brought a new flavor into Masons household: Double Chocolate with chunks of Rebellion. He recognized the foster parents corrosive behavior that Masons Stockholm Syndrome could not and decided to do something about it. Mainly accuse them of attempted molestation, a move Mason could not have been less on board with. However when child services came, it was Andres story he found himself backing.

    (I know! When is this supposed to become a comedy!?)

    For two years Mason and Andre lived with a decent and fair couple that would occasionally have sketchy visitors drop by (the kind you avoid sitting next to on the bus). Andre introduced Mason to his crew and Mason introduced Andre to Serena. They would continue to bond over cinema and television right up until the SWAT team obliterated the front door and dragged their parents away.

    At age 14, following the raid, Mason and Andre were moved to a new foster home, run by one of their old ones regular visitors. Which wouldnt have been so bad, but the service payments eventually couldnt cover the cost of the increasingly tolerable crack and the foster parents resorted to pawning Mason and Andres things (Lord of the Rings Trilogy Dvds... no you dont understand, the extended editions!). With the child services number now memorized, it wasnt long until they were on the move again.

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  • At age 15 Mason and Andre entered highschool and their new foster home, a combination that would contribute to multiple Mason anxiety attacks. Their new foster parents were almost entirely absent, so Andre saw opportunities to strike popularity gold with a few well attended house parties. Mason on the other hand was much more worried about the home sustaining damage and would relegate himself to the stressful duty of Party Watch-guard. The arrangement only lasted a few weeks. Then food started to run scarce. Which was when Andre and Mason realized they hadnt seen their foster parents in nearly a week and a half. When the hydro died and the last can of Alphaghetti was cooked they finally conceded and used the neighbor's phone to call child services.

    At age 16 Mason and Andre were living with a hateful married couple whos outlook on life bordered on masochistically negative. Although there was no abuse present, living in the house was the equivalent of wallowing in Eyeores self-esteem. It was toxic and they knew they needed out. But it meant Mason loosening his moral code (according to Andre). After a persuasive argument in favor of the greater good, Mason was reluctantly on board with terminating the foster arrangement (as long as accusations of sexual offense were off the table). And with several of Serenas carefully placed hairs, some bobby pins, panties, lip chap and what could only be described as an indefensible amount of infidelity-based evidence, Mason and Andre were able to break their foster parents marriage.

    At age 17, Mason and Andre were moved into their final foster home, the one they always deserved. The parents that ran it were Sandy and Kirsten Cohen- no Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian! No wait, Claire and Cliff Huxtable (before we knew about the Cosby stuff). Lets just say they were somewhere between a surprise shoulder massage and a cool glass of water at the end of a desert.

    The family housed four other foster children Mason and Andres age (each more well adjusted and personable then the last). Unfortunately when the first 16 years of your life have been war, its hard to relate to anyone that didnt take that journey with you. The process of re-humanization was slow, but ultimately sustained with optimism and perseverance. The nurturing environment during his final two years of highschool allowed Mason enough peace and composure to straighten out his grades and safely graduate.

    At age 18, summer after graduation, Mason propositioned Andre to find a place together and was let down to learn Andre had other plans. He had saved some money and was going to do some independent world traveling for a year or so. A bit of a shock considering they had hardly spent a single day apart the past 7 years, but ultimately understandable. Mason had noticed their relationship distancing without a common enemy and perhaps time to work on themselves was ultimately a good thing.

    Mason and Serena would move in together the same day Andre left town.

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  • With Andre gone and full independence, Mason could finally get to the root of Mason. Which happened to be bouncing from job to job aimlessly and optimistically curious what the next gig might offer. Mason was content waiting for destiny to rear its friendly head and point him in the right direction.

    A year later Andre returned as if he never left (perhaps a tinge more jaded). As well he and Mason swiftly reverted back to being bros, because lets face it, sometimes you just want to be around someone youve known forever so you can dole out a proper ribbing!

    Four years and an uncountable many jobs later, Mason found himself working as a page in the citys news headquarters Tyrell Media. Following a viewing of The Fast and The Furious 7, he decides to act a little bolder than hes used to (because lifes too damn short... damn it!) and after several attempted workplace flirts is confronted by a girl whos caught the show. And who has found it adorably amusing. She introduces herself as Kylie Tyrell (daughter of Lucius Tyrell, owner of Tyrell Media Conglomerate).

    Mason is originally attracted to her assertiveness. Hes never been with a girl before that says lets get lunch, and then chooses the restaurant. How crazy is that!? They begin to date, but when Mason introduces her to Serena and Andre, theyre put off by everything about her. No worries. Some people just dont mesh well.

    Several months later Mason begins to realize how controlling she is (ex. micro managing his outfits, his career path, the percent of milk he should be pouring into his cereal). The cherry on the sundae comes when he discovers shes been manipulating her parents into giving her money for a university she doesnt go to. In protest he breaks up with her before Christmas and doubles down by quitting the longest job hes ever held.

    On New Years with no one to kiss at midnight, Mason makes the resolution that 2016 is the year hes going to be in charge of his reality.

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  • ANDRE LEWIS

    Bio:Twenty four year old black male living in the city with a mind to be reckoned with, that is... when its engaged. Hes brilliant and has a controversial opinion on nearly everything to prove it, but would rather use his brilliance to satisfy his own selfish desires than solve the mysteries of the universe. Hes quick witted, quick to plan and he damn well has the ego to match.

    Compared to Mason he is quite skilled at picking up the task of screenwriting, right down to the finer details. In fact the element that usually causes his scripts to go awry is the unpredictability of Masons innocent nature.

    Andre is also quick to call out the inherent racism in a situation and would be upset that Mason is listed first in these character bios when it should be in first name alphabetical order since they all share the position of protagonist.

    It takes a lot to break Andre, but in the end its usually Masons caring nature that brings him back to his reliably narcissistic demeanor. They have each others backs through thick and thin plots, even if they disagree on mostly everything.

    LEWIS - Germanic for fame and war; interpretable as someone whose wits you shouldnt mess with

    Character Traits: Reluctant fixer, quick-witted, genius, excellent improviser, will do anything for the family he has, heavy reader, self-educates to win arguments (not because hes curious), loose morals, narcissistic, pessimist, apathetic, bottles emotions, secretly crushed over abandonment, racially sensitive, over-thinker, low emotional intelligence, craves fandom, fear of intimacy, depressed

    Motivations:Being right, self-satisfaction, vigilante justice, familial preservation

    Dominant Modes:(1) Activated - perfect posture, fluid, sense of superiority (think Samuel L. Jackson in monologue), focused(2) Chill - apathetic, self-indulgent, relaxed, jokey(3) Depressed - exactly what a lack of serotonin looks like, reclusive

    Character Arc: From selfish and apathetic to a sense of purpose.

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  • Genetics:- Black, big nose- Medium build, not very muscular- Black short dreads, very Chief Keef- 510 in height- 165lbs

    Posture:- Generally relaxed, slumps into couch when no ones around (excluding Milo)- Proper and perfect when other characters are near (believes it demonstrates his

    superiority to them)

    Fashion:- Fashion forward, buys things like pea-coats, stylish jackets, scarves, cardigans, button

    ups, polos and horizontally striped ts- Believes being better dressed than someone is a form of superiority- Occasionally wears glasses without lenses for style purposes- No jewelry or jesus pieces- At night generally just wears underwear to bed- Wears boxer briefs as underwear

    (Accentuated with tones of green)

    Vernacular:Dominantly urban, slang and inner-city (though not to the extent of his crew). Although Andre maintains a track record of objective superiority in most categories (posture, fashion, intellect), theres nothing he enjoys more than dressing down someone with the accent of someone who stereotypically shouldnt be going toe-to-toe with a doctorate holder

    Films he would write: Overly complex (too many unnecessary elements to keep track of), lacking heart, many twists, ambitious, the type of movie that could only get made by indie companies or directors who have a carte blanche for the rest of their career

    Films he would watch: Inception, There Will Be Blood (really anything by Paul Thomas Anderson), No Country for Old Men, Pulp Fiction, Godfather, The Matrix, anything nominated for an Academy Award

    Screenplays written by him often include:Noticeably more detailed and nuanced, characters acting overly symbolic that go on about nothing because its supposed to be a metaphor, Chinatown-esque: every set up pays off before the end of episode (ex. bad guy mentions how much he loves gin and tonic then is defeated by burial in pine tree air fresheners), due to his lower emotional intelligence hes unable to predict when peoples feelings will screw with his script

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  • Treatment of Fellow Characters:

    Mason: brotherly, back and forth ribbings, always needs to prove Mason wrong (even if it means playing the devils advocate), leans on Mason for emotional support (rarely, but it does happen)

    Serena: like a teammate, on the same wavelength when in chill mode, respects her emotional intelligence and how she can translate it into artistic ability

    Kylie: like a rival, hates how right she always is, respects but also fears her intellect and if it will obsolete him

    Milo: best bros! always same wavelength, can nearly telepathically understand each other (think of Han Solo understanding Chewy), has Milos back for everything hes unable to do because of his size, leans on him for emotional support

    Landlord: like the weird guy at a party, doesnt really care to give him the time of day

    Vampire Policeman: as an annoyance, generally doesnt take Vampire Policemans threats as seriously as the rest of the group, could tear all of Vampire Policemans schemes apart with his intellect anyway

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  • Detailed Backstory:Born March 9th, 1992, Andre was the beautiful baby boy of an excited and loving mother and father. At least thats how he remembers it when a memory unrepresses and comes flashing back. They were always happy werent they? He remembers them always smiling. Then again maybe theyre not even real memories...

    At age 4 Andres parents disappear without a trace on christmas eve. No goodbye, no note, no blood relatives or friends. Andre is found when neighbors hear him crying alone in the apartment. He is moved to a group home on christmas day and eventually gets his first taste of foster care in the new year.

    At age 5 Andre begins to adapt to his new abode, a foster home with three caucasian children run by a bigoted couple looking for another service cheque and someone to do the chores. Andres role.

    For three years Andre is treated like garbage while his foster siblings reap the rewards of being the proper race. He is blamed for everything, including things he could not have even theoretically taken part in (ex. father losing his job due to the stress Andre caused him). When asking about his real parents hes told theyre either in prison, dead, gang banging, smoking crack, hunting lions or whatever your kind get up too. Never the same answer and eventually Andre learns to stop asking. His living situation crushes his self-esteem and self-respect. He becomes unsociable, distant and depressed.

    At age 8 Andre eats lunch by himself on the playground, a bread and mayonnaise sandwich (his parents didnt have meat left for him after the white kids sandwiches were made). He notices a group of kids whispering and pointing in his direction and avoids eye contact. One of them approaches an asks hey what you eating? Andre stops chewing and tells him, never looking up from his feet. Gross! the kid responds, yo you guys here this? Mayonnaise an bread! Dudes in the middle of a survivor challenge right now. Yo Henry give him your pudding cup man... why? Cause I said so, your fat ass dont need it! Hey how come you eatin like the guy who lives in the garbage bin outside my building? Andre sheepishly explains that hes black so he deserves less. Hey look at me dude. Andre looks up. You see me? Andre confirms. You see everybody in that crew? Andre nods. The crew is made up of an assortment of ethnicities and minorities: black, asian, east-indian, samoan, middle-eastern, etc. Everyone of them... equal. You see those girls over there? He points to a trio of white girls playing jump rope. Equal. Whats your name? Andre responds. Alright Andre youre gonna hang with us from now on, my names Darnell, you wanna come play some basketball while theres still minutes on the clock? Andre smiles for what he can remember is the first time in three years. Andre ends up being terrible at basketball, but no one seems to care.

    For the remainder of the school year and almost everyday of summer, Andre would hang out with his crew and play basketball (never getting any better). His social skills developed and he began to learn his true self worth and how backwards his home was.

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  • For months a few months after meeting his crew Andre took the racism directed at him with a grain of salt. Only ten more years to go and really how long is that? But soon enough it started to get to him, he became angry and frustrated with their ignorance. He would start to talk back and lash out at his foster parents calling them hicks and unfit humans. The increase in what they deemed snarky remarks would land him back to back groundings and curfew cuts. Christmas that year Andres siblings each got a Razor scooter, he got coal. His ten year plan was going to need some amending.

    As a birthday present to himself, he was going to get out of that foster home. In January he would acquire his first public library card (boo yah! free books bitch!) and use it to sign out literature on foster care and child services. He discovers that drug use is a sure fire way to lose custody of a child and proceeded to take out books on narcotics and their users. Bingo. Andre is presented with a picture whos caption reads your average crackhead. The man looks exactly like the dude who lives in Darnells buildings dumpster.

    The day before his birthday he enlists the help of his crew, all of them are onboard without even hearing what they are going to be asked of. Andre explains that their job will be to lure the crackhead out of Darnells alley and distract him long enough for Andre to search the garbage bin and acquire the crack. The plan goes off without a hitch. Andres crew bang a basketball against the dumpster until the crackhead chased them away and Andre, having read and seen so many pictures of it, was able to immediately grab the crack and pipe.

    That night he snuck into his foster parents room and pressed the apparatus against their fingers then slipped a dimebag into their nightstand.

    On his birthday Andre had reservations about going through with his plan. His foster parents were shitty people, but they were also innocent. He couldnt do it, especially after whatever they had planned for him on his special day. He throws out the crack and the crack pipe and makes his way to the table for breakfast where his siblings are all eating pancakes. When he arrives there are none left for him. Andre mentions its his birthday. His foster mother responds with ha! Okay well maybe your next one you wont wake up on island time. Tell you what, if you want theres and extra Weetabix in the cupboard... ha! Just kidding! Andre retrieves the crack and crack paraphernalia from the garbage bin.

    After coming home from school he carefully places the pipe in a living room ashtray (visible from the front door). Next he calls the police and child services explaining that his parents were smoking something and now theyre both on the floor and unresponsive. In less than a hour his foster parents were in handcuffs and child services was taking him away. Aw sorry kid, I know this probably isnt how you wanted your birthday to go down, said a sympathetic police officer (his uniform reads McCluskey). He had no idea how wrong he was.

    17

  • At age 9 Andre is moved into his new foster home run by a couple Christian fundamentalists who considerd everything Andre did a sin. Andre wasnt about to go through another bad fit so he went to the library to do some more research, this time on religion. He started leaving Harry Potter books around the house and eventually was able to convince them to get rid of him by claiming to be the anti-christ.

    His next foster home seemed alright at first. Nice parents. Nice space. Good food. Video games. This was more like it. He even had a foster sister who reminded him of himself before he came out of his shell. Which actually was kind of weird because she didnt have a house full of racists always getting on her case. Never-the-less Andre decided to give her the same treatment his crew gave him and welcomed her as his friend with open arms. She didnt like being touched, but eventually came around to being a little more social.

    When she finally felt comfortable enough she asked Andre if she could tell him something. Andre obliged and she confided that their foster parents had been doing strange things during the night. She described some of the acts and Andre, not knowing if it was normal or not, went to the library to do his research. There he discovered that what his foster parents were up to wasnt only not right, it was illegal. They were molesting his foster sister.

    Andre made the phone call to child services on her behalf and within the day they were taken to a group home and eventually their next foster care.

    At age 10 Andre was living with a pair of alcoholics and gambling addicts (just one bad hand after another!). He would have tried to get himself out, but when an unpaid bookie slammed down the front door and broke his foster fathers kneecaps in the middle of the living room he didnt have to. The police deemed the environment too dangerous for him to be in.

    At age 11 Andre moved in with his soon to be best friend Mason and their Joe Jackson inspired foster parents. He was ready for this. Mason and him would bond over a love of movies and a mutual disdain for the homes legal guardians. He noticed how their abuse effected Mason and decided to pull the plug on the home.

    Andre called child services and as they were on their way informed Mason of what he had to do to when they arrived: claim attempted molestation. Mason claimed he couldnt do it, he was too far gone. But Andre could feel that same yearning for escape he once had and figured if anything Mason would at the very least keep quiet about the truth. He was right and the two of them would be transferred to a new home together.

    For two years Mason and Andre lived with a decent and fair couple that would occasionally have sketchy visitors drop by (the kind you avoid sitting next to on the bus). Andre introduced Mason to his crew and Mason introduced Andre to Serena. They would continue to bond over cinema and television right up until the SWAT team obliterated the front door and dragged their parents away.

    18

  • At age 14, following the raid, Andre and Mason were moved to a new foster home, run by one of their old ones regular visitors. Which wouldnt have been so bad, but the service payments eventually couldnt cover the cost of the increasingly tolerable crack and the foster parents resorted to pawning Andre and Masons things (Lord of the Rings Trilogy Dvds... no you dont understand, the extended editions!). With the child services number now memorized, it wasnt long until they were on the move again.

    At age 15 Andre and Mason entered highschool and their fresh foster home. Their new foster parents were almost entirely absent, so Andre saw opportunities to strike popularity gold with a few well attended house parties. The arrangement only lasted a few weeks. Then food started to run scarce. Which was when Andre and Mason realized they hadnt seen their foster parents in nearly a week and a half. When the hydro died and the last can of Alphaghetti was cooked they finally conceded and used the neighbor's phone to call child services.

    At age 16 Andre and Mason were living with a hateful married couple whos outlook on life bordered on masochistically negative. Although there was no abuse present, living in the house was the equivalent of wallowing in Eyeores self-esteem. It was toxic and they knew they needed out. But this time Mason had to be on board. So after a persuasive argument in favor of the greater good, Mason agreed to the termination of the foster arrangement (as long as accusations of sexual offense were off the table). And with several of Serenas carefully placed hairs, some bobby pins, panties, lip chap and what could only be described as an indefensible amount of infidelity-based evidence, Andre and Mason were able to break their foster parents marriage.

    At age 17, Andre and Mason were moved into their final foster home, the one they always deserved. The parents that ran it were Sandy and Kirsten Cohen- no Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian! No wait, Claire and Cliff Huxtable (before we knew about the Cosby stuff). Lets just say they were somewhere between a surprise shoulder massage and a cool glass of water at the end of a desert.

    The family housed four other foster children Andre and Masons age (each more well adjusted and personable then the last). Unfortunately when the past 11 years of your life have been war, its hard to relate to anyone that didnt take that journey with you.

    As Mason slowly re-humanized, Andre kept stoic. It was any day now he would find out what was wrong with the foster family. There was always something wrong! He would bury himself in books, keeping an eye on his bedroom door. Any day now...

    After a year and a half Andre realized that day wasnt coming. He should have felt relieved. Instead he was depressed and couldnt put a finger on why.

    Andre graduated with incredible grades across the board despite having never handed in his homework. Great genes, remarked a teacher. And with that Andre knew what he had to do end his depression. Find his real parents and why they decided to abandon him. Right?! Sounds like the perfect plan! How could this go wrong!

    19

  • Eventually Andre tracked down the first group home he had lived in, before the racists. But when he got there the building, along with his record were smoldering, having just been through a fire. Andre began to giggle, appearing like a maniac to the stranded occupants who had just lost their home. Haha cmon really!? Ha ha ha! I was waiting for this! Ha! A whole year and a half! Haha haaaaa... He would keep this news from Mason. He just needed to get out. To leave it all behind for a bit. Maybe that was the key. Finding himself abroad.

    It pained Andre to turn down Mason when he propositioned they move in together. He would honestly have been totally game, but sometimes you just have to do you.

    Andre would leave town the same day Mason and Serena moved in together.

    When Andre started to travel the world he cycled through Italy, India and Bali, hoping for his own Eat, Pray, Love epiphany. With each failure to feel something he began to feel more empty inside. Perhaps what he needed to do was something selfless. So for the next little bit he would volunteer his time at orphanages in Fiji, Laos and Ghana. But still nothing. Maybe if the work he was doing was truly altruistic he would have felt something. So feeling colder than he ever had before, he started to get reckless.Andre would often go out of his way to put himself in danger just to see if he could get out of it. Whether it be a slum in Cape Town, exploring the poorest parts of Kabul or buying drugs in Caracas, his disregard for his own safety brought him to the edge so he could laugh over the chasm facing him. When he realized how ridiculous he was starting to be, he booked a ticket home.

    Almost a year after leaving, Andre arrives back at Ambi city. Waiting to pick him up at the airport are Serena and Mason. On the ride back into town they offer him their couch to sleep on and proposition maybe getting a three bedroom apartment. Andre declines citing his newfound love for independence (really he just feels weird being close to other people who might feel a stronger connection to him then he does to them).

    Within a day Andre had found and moved into a bachelor apartment way out of his price range. Mason suggests maybe he step down his quality of living and save to go to like college or something. Andre has his epiphany and agrees with a smirk... in that he should go to college. Well maybe not technically. With school season coming up Andre starts his own essay writing business. Turns out kids are willing to pay exorbitant fees for an A on an assignment just to keep their parents happy.

    Two years later Andres earned enough money to furnish his apartment and fill every spot on his shelf with a book. Hmmm, what now? While taking a walk he passes a pet store that catches his attention. He strolls in and notices an open container marked chinchillas. He drops his hand in and one meekly hops up to it, probably less than a week old. Hey whats your name? Andre presses the shuffle button on his iphone and an artist pops up Milo. The chinchilla nuzzles against his knuckle. Sounds too good... Andre would leave the shop with Milo, the first creature he felt a connection to in a very long while. Plus none of the righteousness that he usually got from Mason.

    20

  • SERENA EDEN

    Bio:A twenty six year old white girl rooming the same apartment as Mason. Shes bubbly, easy going and completely willing to go along with whatever script is in the works. Shes a talented artist/model but lacks any real ambition, usually choosing to get high and nap instead of work. Also the only character that doesnt care for the power of universe control (mostly due to it sounding like a lot of responsibility).

    Her and Mason have been friends since childhood and enjoy a similar back and forth ribbing as Mason does with Andre. In fact Serena will often side with Andre just to playfully spite Mason.

    Her contribution to the group is her often zen and simple solutions that are sometimes overlooked by the panicked Mason and the overthinking Andre and Kylie. For example when faced with an unstoppable serial killer, Mason, Andre and Kylie would try to outsmart them, whereas Serena would try and teach them yoga due to the murderer probably not feeling one with the universe.

    EDEN - Hebrew for pleasure and delight; interpretable as someone who cherishes comfort and peace

    Character Traits: Reluctant fixer, chill, high emotional intelligence, extremely creative, a little nerdy pothead, loose morals, procrastination, bored quick, zero ambition

    Motivations:Self-satisfaction, familial preservation

    Dominant Modes:

    (1) Childlike Wonder - think Troy from Community, openminded and excited(2) Chill - that just ripped the bong peacefulness, apathetic, jokey, artistic(3) Denial - bottled emotional distress, defensive, immature

    Character Arc: Always goes with the flow to experimenting with power.

    21

  • Genetics:- White- Thin build, not very muscular- Brunette hair, usually straight and down, in a bun when appearing professional (such

    as when she is Alien-Human Ambassador for President Alien)- 510 in height- 140lbs

    Posture:- Always relaxed- Fluid movements

    Fashion:- No real sense, usually goes for whatever she finds cute or whatever her photo shoots let her go home with, sundresses, blouses, bright, vibrant artistic pieces - Bit of a tom boy, will lounge in hoodies and plaid boyfriend shirts, t-shirts with geeky or

    ironic themes (Jaws and Star Wars)- Occasionally wears glasses when trying to look professional- Occasionally ball caps- At night wears matching top and bottom pajamas, occasionally onesies

    (Accentuated with tones of yellow)

    Vernacular:Dominantly slangy surfer-ish when stoned and proper-fascinated when sober

    Films she would write: Stoner comedies, movies with thinly veiled plots really only there to act as a conduit for absurdist humor

    Films she would watch: Superbad (anything by Judd Apatow), Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, Super Troopers, The Big Lebowski, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Birdman, Grand Budapest Hotel (anything by Wes Anderson)

    Screenplays written by her often include:During the first season her episodes are written through Andre and as such are subject to the Andre brush of detail. So mostly masterfully orchestrated stoner ideas (ex. a massive weed smoke storm encompasses their city like sandstorms do in the Middle-East). In the second season will discover she has a talent for writing incredible heartfelt and touching scripts.

    22

  • Treatment of Fellow Characters:

    Mason: like a little brother, pokes fun, playfully will mess with him, can rely on Mason as a distraction when the world starts moving around her and shes too scared to move with it (leans on him for emotional support)

    Andre: as a team mate, on the same wavelength when in chill mode, will playfully tease Mason together, respects his intellect and admires his ability to complete projects (ex. finish books) when she can barely complete her own artistic undertakings

    Kylie: like the overachiever that screws up the bell curve for everyone else, dismissive of Kylies logic and/or plans, only relatable when each are beaten and broken, leans on Kylie for nothing (not even when she needs to!)

    Milo: as a bro (everyone loves Milo!), leans on Milo for emotional support

    Landlord: like the guy who worked up the nerve to ask her to prom but she had to turn him down and it was awkward but now every time they see each other its only her that feels the awkwardness... you know?

    Vampire Policeman: oblivious to Vampire Policemans actions, usually distracted when he is doing something evil or wants attention

    23

  • Detailed Back Story:Born September 26th, 1990, Serena was the beautiful baby girl and only child of Maxwell Eden (owner of a profitable small business selling refrigerators) and Penelope Eden (an acclaimed neuro-surgeon at Ambi General Hospital).

    During her early years Serena spent most of her time with her father at the shop playing hide and go seek in the refrigerators. Her mother was often hung up with long hours in surgery so her and Serena would see each other more sporadically (but not in an unhealthy way!). Their family was fairly well off, in that they owned a boat, a cabin on the lake and had guacamole pretty frequently.

    At age 5 Serena entered Kindergarten and it was discovered that she had quite the knack for finger painting. Her only issue seemed to be that she never ended up finishing any of her pieces. A trend that would continue into adulthood. In fact it was common when dealing with her just to wait her out until she got bored (ex. wont lie down for nap and starts protesting. Five minutes later, tired of protesting, takes nap).

    At age 8 her parents introduced her to Star Wars Episodes 4-6 in preparation for Episode 1 coming out that year and she was instantly enamored. Every little geeky aspect was pretty much the coolest thing ever! Her deeply creative side endorsed the science-fiction and fantasy genres seeing the inventors of each monster and robot as brilliant artists in their own right. Thus commenced her nerd-dom.

    Serena was the kind of kid who would get picked on only once per bully. When made fun of for having a Chewbacca backpack or an X-men lunchbox, she simply shrugged off the jeer with more of a hey your lose buddy, this shit it awesome attitude. The assailer usually moved on to someone more susceptible to retaliation.

    For halloweens she would go as things like Aragorn from Lord of the Rings or Bill Murray from Ghost Busters. Her mantra was basically screw whatever you think, imma do me.

    Growing up her parents injected character into her emotional intelligence. Each birthday they would knock Serenas gift out of the park (tiny leather The Matrix jacket, art supplies so she could paper mache her own Darth Vadar mask) and taught her to do the same for others. They also taught her to pick up when others are down and encouraged her to help.

    At age 11 she met Mason. He appeared to be one of the most down and out 9 year olds on the playground and true to form Serena felt the need to make his day better. He was quite timid at first, probably due to the bullying, but after a little while and some superhero discussion he opened right up. He had never seen a movie in theaters before and Serena decided she was going to change that. So later that week she took him to see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and lent him the first four books of the series. From then on they would bond over movie nights and dorky discussions theorizing what would happen next in a certain series.

    24

  • At age 13 Serena met Andre and a trio was formed. She knew the two of them were having a rough time with their foster placements so whenever she could she would have them over for Settlers of Catan and movies. They would all sneak in to The Matrix Revolutions together. It was awesome.

    At age 14 Serena entered highschool and the pressure to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up began to bubble. Everyones so damn young she thought. Instead of studying and school she would begin and half-finish random art projects.

    At age 16 she met Julia Sakato, a fellow artist that would introduce her to the magic of marijuana. They would bond over art and joints and more joints, smoking the day away. One time Serenas mom came home early from surgery and caught her and Julia getting high in the bathroom. Without saying a word she took a hit of the spliff, commended the quality of herb and then went to bed claiming shed had a stressful day. In the morning Serena left a joint rolled for her on the table before she went to school.

    During her Senior Year of highschool Serena would start dating a guy named Derek (aka D-Rock), a white wanna-be rapper with a heart of gold. There was nothing remotely urban about him, his raps were generally pretty weak and he didnt seem to have a whole lot of goals or game plans on how to get to the top besides doin his thing and smoking mary. But he was sweet and Serena had a soft spot for guys who didnt give a crap what people thought and just wanted to do what they wanted to do.

    Serena would go on to barely graduate highschool, still with no idea what she wanted to do with her life. However around the time all of her friends started earning scholarships and getting accepted into universities she started finishing her projects, paintings and doodads. Of course this subsided shortly after, but the surge in productivity was noticeable. She would continue to live at home, her easy going parents having complete faith in her ability to eventually pull her life together.

    After highschool she would divide her time between hanging out with Mason and Andre and getting high with Julia, her boyfriend Derek and her other pothead friends.

    At age 21 Serena and Mason decided to go in together on an apartment. There was some initial worry about how they would pay for it month to month as Mason had a measly wage and Serena didnt have a job, but Serena got high and felt fairly confident everything would work out. Her boyfriend D-Rock would chime in with a babe youre so beautiful, you should just be a model.

    Later that week she was picked up by a modeling agency, netting her enough cash flow to still sit around all day and smoke weed, but in her own place instead of her parents garage.

    At almost age 22 after having dated for 4ish years, D-Rock breaks up with Serena. The cause is a mystery to her as he certainly wasnt blowing up or had anything else going for him. Unbeknownst to her, Andre had enabled the decision for her own good.

    25

  • As Serena notices friends of hers completing their degrees, more of her half finished projects start to come together. Then slowly she slides back into procrastinationland.

    At age 22 Serena meets a charming, handsome and talented entrepreneur at a comic con and bond over how great Iron Man 3 was (theyre the only ones so passionate about it) and how cool it was to see Tony Stark get around without the suit. His name was Atlas Cruise and was everything you could ever want in a partner. Witty, geeky, heartfelt, played and instrument, doesnt dry out the turkey when he cooks it, you name it.

    They would date for a couple perfect months before Serena was dumped again. He claimed it was because he didnt see them progressing anywhere, or more so her progressing anywhere. He needed someone with real ambition around to inspire him.

    More and more of Serenas pothead friends started to get real jobs and she would finish more paintings. Phssh everyones so damn young she thought. Ridiculous.

    At age 24 after having hardly seen her friend the past few months, her longtime pot amigo Julia announced she was getting married. At the bachelorette Serena offered her an enormous spliff and was glared at by the bridal party. Ohhhhh hey thanks, I actually dont do that anymore, said Julia. She finished more paintings.

    When the day of the wedding came, Serena stayed home and got high. She didnt complete any art that day. She was still so damn young, she had plenty of time.

    26

  • KYLIE TYRELL

    Bio:Twenty two year old black girl living in the city as well as Masons ex-girlfriend. She can be overbearing and controlling at times but generally has good intentions for her actions. She just seems to be terrible at communicating them. Which is unfortunate because she usually ends up being right and reaching her conclusions before Andre (which he hates).

    Her pretentiousness was passed down to her from her rich parents, but after being cut off (for out-pretentiousing them) shes had to resort to working in a coffee shop in a location incredibly inconvenient for the other characters. A fact/recurring joke that is brought up as the location becomes a staple meeting location for their writers room.

    Because of her drop in status shes also discovered who her true friends are. No one. Turns out the upper class doesnt like penny-pinchers cramping their style. Kylies struggle is that she needs the group in her life just as much as they need her organization and blunt truths. She just needs to work on that abrasive attitude.

    TYRELL - Scandinavian for controller and god of battle; interpretable as someone manipulative and undefeatable in conflict

    Character Traits: Proactive fixer, genius, hard worker, perfectionist, straight edge, loose morals, blunt, hates cliches, controlling, entitled, manipulative, pathological, low social intelligence, makes inappropriate jokes, not very pop-cultured,

    Motivations:Status/power, being right, self-satisfaction, familial preservation

    Dominant Modes:(1) Queen Bee - confident, powerful, self-righteous, dismissive of opinion, selfish(2) Manipulator - relaxed, narrow-eyed, scheming, in-genuine, faux-compassionate(3) Insecure/Lonely - broken, self-loathing, reclusive

    Character Arc: Pretentious and overbearing to more personable and empathetic.

    27

  • Genetics:- Black- Thin build, not very muscular- Black hair, short and naturally curly- 59 in height- 130lbs

    Posture:- Always tense, uptight- Chin always up for superiority, talks to peoples foreheads

    Fashion:- Very fashion forward, would buy extravagant pieces when living off her parents dime,

    the kind of clothes a girl might buy at the store Express.- Since losing her parents income shes resorted to wearing cheaper and cheaper

    versions of what she used to wear, pieces from H&M, and will be upset when she sees plebeians wearing the same outfit as her

    - Grumpier when she has to wear her Coffeebucks work uniform- Casual-wear is not a part of her vocabulary- Occasionally oversized sunglasses- At night wears silk robes to bed- Underwear labeled by time and day

    (Accentuated with tones of purple)

    Vernacular:Dominantly proper english (history of private schooling and being kept away from the inner-city)

    Films she would write: Anything self-aggrandizing, propaganda pieces, biased documentary (ex. Blackfish)

    Films she would watch: Juno, Erin Brockovich (anything with a strong female lead), Million Dollar Baby, Alien, Whip it, Groundhog Day (loves the idea of doing a day over and over again until you can get it perfect)

    Screenplays written by her often include:Complicated concepts designed to either manipulate someone into doing something or fix a selfish need of hers (ex. fumigating the entire city because she saw a cockroach outside), very detailed and well thought out but no heart

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  • Treatment of Fellow Characters:

    Mason: as an ex-boyfriend / guy who totally never deserved her in the first place (is what she tells herself), respects his curiosity for answers and innocent nature, acts tough towards him because shes still bitter about the breakup

    Andre: as competition, loves to beat him to an answer just so he has to agree with her, secretly respects his intellect

    Serena: the class clown, at first a nuisance but eventually into a Troy & Abed or Turk & J.D. level friendship, respects Serenas emotional intelligence

    Milo: as a bro (everyone loves Milo!), leans on Milo for emotional support

    Landlord: a good-natured dude doing the best he can, ironically Kylie is the one character that will give Landlord the time of day

    Vampire Policeman: as a peer, mutual respect for the manipulation skill each other has, Policeman can see through her and tell shes the outcast of the group

    29

  • Detailed Back Story:Born March 9th, 1994, Kylie was the beautiful baby girl and only child of Lucius Tyrell (CEO of Tyrell Media Conglomerate) and Beretta Tyrell (a trophy wife socialite).

    For the first ten years of her life Kylie was mostly raised by her nanny, housekeeper and only friend Fatima. Her father worked 80 hour work weeks and even during his off day would usually be across the world in some foreign land. To cope her mother would drink with other rich housewives from around the city or pop percocets until she passed out somewhere around their enormous house. They were the types of parents who threw money at a problem. Kylie was more of a financial obligation then a daughter and it couldnt have been more evident then every birthday when she would get the same thing, a cheque inside an unsigned Hallmark card.

    Kylie was entered into the most prestigious Kindergarten through Grade 9 private school in all of Ambi City at the age of 5. She quickly learned how much she enjoyed learning and hated her peers. All anyone cared about was how much more expensive their tiny child cardigan was or whose parents held the greater net-worth. It disgusted her. How could they not be fascinated in the education being provided? It was top notch!

    Shortly after her tenth birthday Kylie decided she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. She confided this in Fatima who was quite supportive of this early endeavor. However when she told her mother, Beretta could not have been less impressed. According to her no Tyrell would stoop to the status of a teacher on her watch. When Kylie mentioned that Fatima had thought it was a good idea and it wasnt more than a day that went by before that comment got her fired.

    Fatima was replaced with a new housekeeper, Rosa, who spoke almost no english. However Kylie was determined to have a friend again so through library books and the web she began to teach herself Spanish. When she believed it was sufficient, she asked the new housekeeper if being a teacher was a good idea. Rosa would tell her to listen to her mother.

    At age 12 Kylie got her first taste of power when she accidentally wore the same outfit as her schools Queen Bee and was confused for her. She liked it. It was short lived, but the respect she felt as the other girl apologized for wearing a pencil skirt was addictive. She wanted more of it. The actual Queen Bee eventually found out about Kylies outfit and poured yogurt on it, forcing her to change.

    Kylie would start to research books on power and sociology. She wanted to learn everything there was to know about being able to control people. All she wanted to do was prove to herself that she could be Queen Bee. She didnt want to stay, just hold the title for a tiny bit.

    At age 13 Kylie had learned enough to turn the school against the Queen Bee through manipulative tactics and elaborate set ups that would rival Mean Girls Lindsey Lohan.

    30

  • She would hold that rank until the next year when she entered highschool and became the little fish in the big pond. It would take some serious planning to rule the current school from a position three grades below the senior.

    Kylie started to study the types of things that would win her favor and popularity including biographies of powerful people, fashion magazines and political text. She had Lucius and Beretta bankroll her spending and in no time she had caught the eye of the schools Queen Bee with her before market Gucci jeggings.

    Kylie was taken under the wing of the Queen Bee and within a year had figured out how to flip the script and end up on top.

    At age 16 Kylie was assigned The Joy Luck Club in her Grade 10 English class, a book about the relationships between several different Chinese mothers and daughters. Nearly all resulted in a cathartic rejuvenated connection between the two. The kind of bonding Kylie could only dream about with her mother. After finishing the book she tried asking her mother if she would like to go shopping sometime instead of just handing her money. Beretta claimed she would be busy that afternoon and popped a handful of percoset.

    At age 17 Kylie was the most popular girl in her school and surrounded by followers. She had never been so lonely.

    When graduation came about Kylie was voted valedictorian. Perhaps once her parents saw how powerful she had become and how true to the Tyrell status she was, they would finally appreciate her. That day her father missed her speech for a meeting and her mother was passed out on a pool deck with a knocked over pina colada piled in her lap.

    After highschool Kylie felt like she was at a point where she didnt need schooling to acquire power. Just a little money and manipulation. She would trick her parents into thinking she was attending the prestigious Ambi University and siphon them of some cash for her own pleasure.

    She would spend the next year in spas and by the sides of pools reading literature on investing and power plays while her lesser friends discussed the cover stories of US Weeklys.

    At age 20 she would meet an investor in a high profile members club who she could play for some big money if the cards came out right. All she needed was a little financing from another chump. Through her patented manipulation she would get everything she wanted. Cash from an older gentleman convinced of her admiration and power of the Tyrell name and an investment that seemed too good to be true. Just a little time and Kylie could have enough to keep her going long after her parents ATM runs dry for her.

    31

  • Shortly after her 21st birthday Kylies investor reveals that hes played her and runs off with her money and another girl (bastard!). Kylie is left nearly penniless and ashamed. She was out manipulated. Perhaps what she needed something simple or maybe just needed to confess. Kylie made a visit to her fathers work where she would spot an innocent looking page failing to hit on some girls. The simple route was taken and she introduced herself to the boy whose name was Mason. Someone who didnt care about what season your fashion was in or your status and power. He would be a nice break from the normal and their relationship would turn into a communion she rather enjoyed.

    However Several months later Mason began to realize how controlling she was (ex. micro managing his outfits, his career path, the percent of milk he should be pouring into his cereal). The cherry on the sundae comes when he discovered shed been manipulating her parents into giving her money for a university she doesnt go to. In protest he breaks up with her before Christmas.

    In overcompensation for needing to be better than someone else, Kylie makes the mistake of out pretentiousing her parents during a christmas gathering, whose embarrassment warrants their cutting her off and kicking her out.

    When her friends learn she wont be able to keep up with the latest fashion in the new year, they dump her too. 2016 would begin, penniless, friendless and homeless.

    32

  • MILO (ANDRES CHINCHILLA)

    The unsung hero of the group that silently keeps the cogs running when they reach a jam. For instance if theyre trapped in the prisoners block of an alien spacecraft, Milo will hop through the vents to controls, release the laser locks, then distract the guards by being adorable so the group can make it out.

    Milo is able to communicate with animals but not humans. This can be frustrating especially since he can understand english but never relay his opinion of a plan (unless its charade-ing his script ideas to Andre). He is a companion all characters and will softly snuggle them when theyre down.

    Character Arc: Milo has no arc. Hes already the best version of himself.

    Genetics:- Gray- Lean, muscular body- Crazy soft gray hair- 10 in height- 4lbs

    Posture:- Generally relaxed- Stiff and coordinated when in action

    Fashion:- Doesnt care for it, will usually only wear something to fit in with a plan or situation

    33

    (Accentuated with tones of gray... obviously)

  • Supporting Characters

    34

  • DAVE aka LANDLORD

    Bio:Mason and Serenas current landlord. He is in his 40s, East Indian/Asian (he does not speak broken english!), balding with a potbelly and just wants to be included. He exists as a metaphor for inequality in primetime television. Everyone argues over how many white versus black people certain shows hire, meanwhile no one ever seems to pay attention to how few asian/east-indian actors get leading roles.

    A recurring joke would be how often he is intentionally/unintentionally ignored by characters even though he might have or be the deus ex machina to their problem. Hes often the most dedicated to bettering himself. In fact he is constantly taking classes (improv, kung fu, french) in hopes the group will notice his value. Unfortunately he can sometimes be a little late bringing his skills to the table.

    Genetics:- Half asian / half east-indian- Heavy build, medium muscular- Thinning black hair, bald on top, incredibly hairy

    upper body, smooth hairless legs- 57 in height- 195lbs

    Posture:- Always slouched and unprofessional

    Fashion:- No sense of it, wears whatever is practical and comfortable (mostly the same ill-fitting

    polo and cargo shorts no matter the temperature

    (Accentuated with tones of white)

    35

  • SILHOUETTE MAN

    Bio:The unknown entity that governs the shadows of the Destiny Dogg hot dog stand (the one missing a g). Though Destiny Dogg is a franchise, his specific cart exists as a metaphor for contrived coincidence. His role seems to be being in the right place at the right time for plot progression. If Landlord is the Deus Ex Machina of an episode, Silhouette Man is the Deus Ex Machina of the series. The first bite of his $3 Destiny Dogs are also the source of the groups scriptwriting powers. His intentions are yet to be known.

    Genetics:- Ethnicity unknown- Medium build, medium muscular- Hair colour unknown- 60 in height- Weight unknown

    Posture:- Intimidating, hulky

    Fashion:- Literally just a silhouette in the shadows

    Reference Pictures:

    36

    Operates within a cart similar to samples above

  • VAMPIRE POLICEMAN / POLICE CHIEF (formerly: McCLUSKEY)

    Bio:The result of Masons scripts monkey-pawing. After being unnecessarily killed by a character Mason created, then reanimated into a zombie, then again into a vampire he develops a menacing persona. His intentions, often misconstrued for evil, lead to Mason accidentally murdering his vampire wife. From then on its anyones guess whether his actions are made out of vengeance, logic or love. The group is almost always wrong though.

    Genetics:- Vampire (pale grey/white skin)- Medium build, medium muscular- Thick, matted, greasy black hair- 510 in height- 160lbs

    Posture:- Stooped, menacing- Always looks as if hes about to pounce- Rag doll when flying

    Fashion:- Charcoal cloak while outside during the day to shade

    himself from the sun- A darkened, blackish version of his former police

    uniform- A formal black tie on black vest on black tie on black

    pants when in formal functions or off work at home (sleeves rolled up at home)

    (Accentuated with tones of black)

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  • BANK ROBBER

    Bio:One of the first characters to be created by Mason and is so poorly written almost everything that comes from his mouth is a cliche. However in order to escape the law he breaks character. On the run he is torn between acting independently or following his inner purpose: to spout cliches. He soon finds a home by Vampire Police Chiefs side, who utilizes all of Bank Robbers worst qualities.

    Genetics:- White- Medium build, medium muscular- Hair color unknown (never actually see face)- 510 in height- 165lbs

    Posture:- Hunched, creeping

    Fashion:- Wears the same black balaclava, dark grey long sleeve and black pants everywhere

    he goes

    Reference Pictures:

    38

    Balaclava look Less intense than this dude

  • VANITY GIRL

    Bio:Another one of Masons creations who cares about nothing more than status and a man that has a lot of dough, literally, as shes attracted to men with excessive baked goods. She was originally written to be Masons trophy arm candy, but after surrendering his bag of croissants she decided she wanted nothing to do with him. She can be seen wandering the city jumping from one person of power to the next while contributing absolutely nothing to society.

    Genetics:- White- Thin Build, not very muscular- Bleach blond bouncy hair (the kind that would create mustard gas if you dipped it in

    ammonia)- 62 in height- 130lbs

    Posture:- Stuck up, nose always in air

    Fashion:- The sluttiest, designer everything- Only character that will dress like shes going to the beach while its winter out

    Reference Pictures:

    39

    Think Suri from 30 Rock. Blonde + Slutty: Check

  • ANDRES CREW

    Bio:The primarily ethnic group of Andres friends that reside in the projects, play obscene amounts of basketball and maintain an inner city culture. They are Andres antithesis and look up to him like hes Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting. Andres Crew is also very emotionally intelligent. They have some of the biggest hearts in the Scripted universe, whereas Andre can be the most jaded. Andres drawn to them and their bliss because he believes he could have been that way too had he not become such an overly-critical thinker. Their dichotomy makes you wonder who is truly gifted.

    Whenever the group needs muscle for job, Andres Crew is always gleefully on board. They also happen to give the most bang-on relationship advice.

    Genetics:

    Lamar (Jamaican, 411, 120lbs, muscular, long black Lil Wayne dreads)Darnell (Akon-black African, 64, 175lbs, muscular, short black fade)Henry (Light-skin African, 57, 280lbs, muscular/fat, scraggly black Reggie Watts fro)Rashad (Middle-Eastern, 511, 160lbs, muscular, short-styled black hair)Kim-soo (Korean, 56, 135lbs, muscular, jet-black shoulder length hair sharply cut)Jin-woo (Korean, 57, 145lbs, muscular, long jet black hair mostly in ponytail)Preeti (East-Indian, 59, 140lbs, mucular, dark brown long hair)Antonio (Mexican, 60, 165lbs, muscular, flowing black hair like soccer players)

    Posture:- All very relaxed, a mixture of slouching and ready to play ball

    Fashion:- And I cant even go to the grocery store without some ones that clean and a shirt with

    a team ~ Kanye West (All Falls Down)- All very urban influenced and atheletically inspired, chains, jerseys (The Ambi City Wet

    Blankets), track pants, sweat pants, jesus pieces, flashy shoes, fitted caps, beanies

    (Accentuated with tones of red)

    Reference Pictures:

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    Everyone ballin together with a family mentality behind them

  • PRESIDENT ALIEN

    Bio:The gentle, laid back leader of the alien armada Andre had originally scripted to invade the planet and be destroyed by his glory. However due to Mason and the groups efforts, they came to learn the alien race was only looking for a spot to vacation and were willing to overpay for everything.

    The aliens are donut shaped in nature with four squiggly tentacles they use to roll places. They are also able to expand indefinitely in order to trap things in their donut hole (ex. criminals, frantic people, birds).

    Genetics:- Alien, donut/tire shaped with four squiggling tentacles- Doughy build, do they even have muscles?- Hairless- Generally 410 in height but can expand to well over 500- 100lbs

    Posture:- Always on the verge of tipping over, squiggling to stay steady

    Fashion:- No fashion, they paint themselves based on rank and position- President Alien has a crown affixed to his body

    (Accentuated with tones of orange and flecks of pink)

    Reference Pictures:

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  • SUPER SUPER GAY COUPLE

    Bio:Made up of the two men Kylie and Serena originally scripted in a competition to figure out who could write the more romantic character. As a means of getting back at the two for insulting his taste in 21 year old Halle Berrys, Andre scripts the two hunks of meat to be covertly homosexual, resulting in an even more romantic sub-story when they finally spot each other for the first time.

    Genetics:Enrique (Kylies date, Latino, 62, 185lbs, muscular, flowing dark brown hair)Charles (Serenas date, Black, 63, 190lbs, muscular, clean shaven)

    Posture:- Always proper, firm, couldnt slide a hand behind their backs if they were up against a

    wall

    Fashion:- Classy as fuck, like characters out of Gossip Girl.- Everything a size too small to accentuate their physique- Outfits usually complement each other

    Reference Pictures:

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    Super adorable, super cute, super super gay

    Serenas Date (Charles) Kylies Date (Enrique)

  • BADASS MOZART

    Bio:A reincarnation of the 18th century musical prodigy that was scripted back into existence as birthday present to Kylie (who adores his work). Unfortunately Mozart turns out to be a bit of a badboy and a bit of a douchenozzle, using his exceptional piano skills to swoon as many girls as he can into bed. Because those fingers am I right ladies!

    Reference Pictures:

    LAUNDRY MONSTERS

    Bio:The invented enemy of Pillow Fort Helms Deep, made up of wrinkled and tangled clothing. At first seen as harmless, they soon prove that just about anything can have a lethal potential.

    (pretty much just laundry twisted and weaved together to make cronenberg-esque type, anthropomorphic fabric creatures)

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    Regular Mozart Badass Mozart

  • AMERICAN GOD aka THE HEAD WRITER

    Bio:The commander and captain of American Heaven (situated on all the rain clouds above Seattle). He hates feedback on the mic and has poignant answers to all your questions.

    (pretty much just an impossibly bright light that prevents you from seeing his actual form, like staring into the sun)

    Reference Pictures:

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    God is new lightbulb bright

    Like bring your shades bright

  • Aesthetics and Settings

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  • AESTHETICS

    Bright and wide use of colour palette. Visuals are candy for the eyes (contrast to the serious topics and dark comedy) without being too sweet. The characters and scenery I imagine Scripted pairing well with would be derivative of shows such as Rick and Morty, Bojack Horseman, Bobs Burgers, Adventure Time and Futurama. A style of animation that has an innocence and charm befitting of the characters, but with sharp realistic angles that give it a reality made into a cartoon vibe. In fact you might notice that most of the shows listed above have similar strengths in character development. Although animation and story structure seem like two separate entities I think an argument can be made that certain amalgamations are more beneficial. In the case of Scripted Im willing to argue this style of animation will be the best fit.

    Shows I consider too rich in saturation to be considered would be The Simpsons, Family Guy or American Dad. Their visuals are brilliant, but far too overproduced for a show like Scripted. Not to knock them though, their gloss and shine provide an excellent 22-minute stage for non-serialized comedy. Unfortunately Scripted aims to be deeper.

    Animation Samples:

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    (1) Rick and Morty Promo Pic:

    Great use of lighting and colourpalette. Character saturationis used to pop them from thebackground. Beauty in gradients.

    (2) Rick and Morty:

    Again saturation is used sparingly and sharp edges give it a look like it could have been animated from a picture of a classroom. No glossed window (outside is visible).

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    (3) Bojack Horsman:

    Background detail. As long as the foreground pops there is so much room for world building in the deeper parts of a frame. This provides room for tertiary jokes and sight gags.

    (4) Bojack Horseman:

    Unfortunately glossed over windows and pictures. Love details like the camera people wearing their own weird shirts though.

    (5) Adventure Time:

    Although the scenery is a little too cartoony for my liking (unrealistic bends), the use of gradient pastels and shadows is remarkable and creates a really beautiful frame.

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    (6) Futurama:

    Probably the closest example of what I picture for Scripted. Shadows and gradients used. Non-glossed windows. Great city feel. Maybe a little more saturated than it needs to be.

    (7) Futurama:

    Love the gradient sky, really gives the frame depth. Use of shadows is ok. Cool almost 3-dimensional feel because of the gradient.

    *Mind you these are the opinions of a non-animator/illustrator. Theyre the things I like about certain frames and would love incorporated into Scripted. Stylistically I imagine there are reasons for shows to include and dismiss certain elements.

  • Title Cards:

    Screenplays and knowing reality is the result of a screenplay are central elements to the show. To incorporate that theme each scene is introduced with its corresponding slug line (in Courier New) in the lower third to give the feeling the episode is part of a script.

    This provides an easy way to convey information such as time of day and location without having to waste dialogue or establishing shots. It also acts as a means of building dramatic irony or adding an extra punchline to a scene (ex. Mason walking through a scary part of town says something like its always worse than it looks. Cue title card appearance: EXT. DEATH ALLEY - DUSK - 2 MINUTES BEFORE MUGGING)

    However unlike a screenplay, the sluglines will not show up as often. Returns to a scene already established will not require a title card and some title cards may be slightly altered from the screenplay to provide better exposition. The differences being:

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    Title Card Example 1:

    Sluglines from Pilots Screenplay: Title Card Sluglines Used:EXT. CITY STREET - ESTABLISHING - AFTERNOONEXT. MASONS APARTMENT - ESTABLISHING - NIGHTINT. MASONS BEDROOM - NIGHT INT. MASONS BEDROOM - DAYINT. MASONS KITCHEN - CONTINUOUSINT. MASONS LIVING ROOM - NIGHTINT. MASONS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUSEXT. MASONS APARTMENT - DAYINT. COFFEEBUCKS - CONTINUOUSINT. BANK - CONTINUOUSINT. COFFEEBUCKS - CONTINUOUSEXT. MASONS APARTMENT - CONTINUOUSINT. BANK - CONTINUOUSINT. COFFEEBUCKS - CONTINUOUSINT. BAKERY - CONTINUOUS

    EXT. CITY STREET - ESTABLISHING - AFTERNOONEXT. MASONS APARTMENT - NIGHT INT. MASONS APARTMENT - NIGHTINT. MASONS APARTMENT - THE NEXT MORNING(N/A)INT. MASONS APARTMENT - NIGHT(N/A)EXT. MASONS APARTMENT - DAYINT. COFFEEBUCKS - CONTINUOUSINT. BANK - SIMULTANEOUS(N/A)(N/A)(N/A)(N/A)INT. BAKERY - CONTINUOUS

  • Background Details:

    Attention to details that tie the world and script together are a must. I see every shot having sight gags among the background acting as a tertiary joke, whether it be a pun-based business name, a nod to the dialogue occurring at the time or a call back to the continuity of a previous episode or scene. Things people miss the first time keep them coming back.

    I find fans appreciate the work that goes into detail (I know I do!). If you look at forums for episodes of Community, Rick and Morty, Arrested Development and Adventure time theyre filled with enthusiasts of the shows pointing out all the references and jokes that other supporters might have been missed.

    The key is to subtly stash them. Theyre meant to be easter eggs for fans who rewatch an episode, who analyze secondary action and who pause frames. Episodes with twists may have innocuous evidence of the twist coming that are peppered in the background (ex. in Episode 7, Repetition the characters are locked in a Groundhog Day situation and are so focused on improving themselves they fail to notice Vampire Police Chief has been figuring out how to take over as mayor. Throughout the episode there might be campaign posters subtly blurred on windows and walls that say VAMPIRE POLICE CHIEF FOR MAYOR: The Only Candidate Not Weighed Down By Things Like Mortality!)

    Maybe this is wishful thinking on my part but Ive always been a fan of unfrosted windows. I realize its a cartoon, but the use of them always leaves me feeling like Im watching a play. In certain scenarios mimicking glare is acceptable, but I find if a window is somewhere shady or being viewed from indoors, transparency adds the extra tinge of realism for me. This effect is used in animation samples (1), (2), (3) and (6) in the previous section.

    50Title Card Example 2:

  • SETTINGS

    Ambi/Ambee City (tentatively named):While creating the Scripted universe I knew I wanted the characters playground to be a metropolitan city, I just didnt know which one. So I decided to take the DC Comic approach and invent one. Unfortunately Im not the greatest with names so I for awhile I just called is Ambiguous City, which I since shortened to Ambi or Ambee City. Still waiting to crowd source that one, but to be honest its kind of growing on me.

    Ambi City is an American City with flavors of of L.A, New York, Chicago, San Fransisco and Toronto. The state is also left ambiguous, but is presumably closer to North-East America as Ambi City experiences all four seasons.

    Its populated with your classic big city characters from the homeless to pretentious moms to suits to skate punks. Its a rich mosaic of culture and experience. It is also the backdrop for everything that occurs during the stories of Scripted. In fact every episode adds a new coat of paint showcasing the continuity of the series. For example before episode three you might see a homeless man or two as characters walk down a city street. However in episode three a character uses her powers to give all the homeless expensive CARRIAGE bags (a play on COACH). So from episode three onwards every homeless man seen in the background will also be taking donations in their shiny CARRIAGE bag provided for them. As the series progresses the wealth of tertiary references available to swap in and out will expand.

    I found the most recent season of South Park did this extremely well and in a way that was non-distracting, reaffirmed the characters and provided that members only feeling for those that had seen previous episodes.

    Mason and Serenas Apartment:A 1200 square foot two bedroom vintage corner apartment on the fourth/top floor of an old brick walk up apartment building. In order to afford the place Serena pays extra for the master suite ($850) while Mason pays a mere ($450) for his compartment. They have picture windows that face the street and face the alleyway, as well as access to a fire escape.

    As far as furnishing and the general aesthetic of the apartment, its messy and you can tell its occupied by 20 year olds. Bongs and beer bottles occasionally scatter the place and the walls are covered with alternating paintings Serenas been working on. They have a gaming system, ikea couch from craigslist and very few books. In fact they only have the Harry Potter series.

    Mason and Serenas apartment is very much a home base in the show. Characters will watch news reports there, hang out, throw parties and plan their missions. The buildings proprietor Landlord lives in the basement apartment 4 stories below them.

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  • Coffeebucks:Pretty easy to guess what this is a parody of! Coffeebucks is a coffee and espresso franchise that Kylie winds up getting a job at. However the one that hires her happens to be extremely out of the way for all of the characters to get to. A fact thats brought up passive aggressively again and again as it somehow turns into their primary writers group location.

    Its got a fairly standard coffee chain trying to be hip vibe. Hardwood floors, merch cabinet, CDs for sale, two couch sections and an upright piano. There is almost always someone in the background working on their screenplay on their Macbook book just to be seen working on their screenplay on their macbook out in public.

    Andres Apartment:A 900 square foot one bedroom center apartment on the 10th floor of a residential building with a small solarium and balcony. Andres apartment is filled with an extraordinary amount of books and shelves. When people come over he wants them to know right away theyre dealing with someone more classy and well read. The place is immaculate. Part of Andre being better than other people is the secret motto he lives by cleanliness is to godliness.

    Although Andres apartment, he technically has a roommate living rent free with him, his chinchilla Milo. The apartment is set up in such a way that Milo has plenty of climbable ledges and places for him to practice his animal acrobatics. Although he has his own tiny sleeping house perched on one of the shelves, Milo prefers to snuggle up to Andre at night.

    Andres apartment is furnished with higher end items such as leather couches, a hidden sub-zero refrigerator, 62 flatscreen tv and reprints of famous pieces of art (Edvard Munchs The Scream). His solarium contains a chalk board wall with equations and doodles and his small balcony has a minibar.

    Kylies Palace:In the third episode Kylie writes herself in a palace in the middle of the city. An enormous circular palace big enough to fill a Times Square sized lot with architectural influences taken from Princess Bubblegums Castle from Adventure Time, Cinderellas Castle and Frances Chteau de Chaumont. It is surrounded by a moat filled with Narwhals and only accessible via guarded drawbridge.

    The interior has a large main chamber, a master bedroom, an obscene amount of extra bedrooms and bathrooms and is all built with cobbled stone.

    At the end of episode three Vampire Policeman takes over ownership of the palace and converts it into his new police station. In the eighth episode the palace is destroyed by alien invaders and the moats narwhals are scattered into the city.

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  • Kylies Apartment:A 600 square foot antique center apartment on the third/top floor of an old run down brick walk up building. Paint chips off the walls, leaks drip from the roof and theres not very good natural lighting. Linoleum is dressed to look like hardwood for the floors.

    As far as furnishings go Kylie has none for a few episodes, utilizing her clothes as a makeshift mattress. When she abandoned her palace (because of all the murders) unfortunately the only thing she took was her wardrobe.

    She controls the urge to break protocol and screenwrite herself money for a little bit, but cant handle going from riches to rags and eventually furnishes her place like a tiny Macys. Her walls are covered in original pieces of famous artwork and her place is cluttered with unnecessary item after unnecessary item (ex. an avocado slicer, a faberge egg.

    Destiny Dogg FactoryA large warehouse/factory in the industrial district of Ambi City. Its surrounded by a barbed wire fence around its perimeter and has unnecessarily high security for a hot dog factory (including spotlights and guard dogs).

    The Destiny Dogg Factory is the location Destiny Dogg hot dogs are made and where the Destiny Dogg carts r