Hiram Taylor
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Hiram: PROJECTS & INSIGHTS – My genre is HORROR. I just finished 2 new Horror scripts. I am learning the sub-genres of Horror, I want to come up with a “Haunted House” story to develop. 10-15 Mil budget
My finished script is a “Witches and Monsters” TV Series Pilot and 5 seasons Bible written in the TV Series class last Spring. High Concept Big Budget probably 50 Mil. budget
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My name is Hiram Taylor. I am a published novelist, produced playwright, and produced screenwriter.
12 screenplays.
Hope to get out of this class, the knowledge of how to correctly work on a script with a producer.
I design Mardi Gras floats in New Orleans to make a living.
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Hiram Taylor: I agree to the terms of this release form.
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HIRAM TAYLOR – HORROR LESSON #13
What I learned is that this is fun. I’ve been writing for 9 hours now with two breaks and this is really fun. I understand what I need to do now.
EXT. MONESTARY – TWILIGHT
RANGER DOBBS, soaking wet, walks up the road to the Monestary.
He sees a man in a raincoat and hood digging a grave in a graveyard filled with wooden markers.
The man is Corvas, the old monk. He has finished his hole and comes out of the grave and pulls the body of Brother Tanner into the hole which is filling with water from the rain. He quickly fills the grave with dirt and finishes his job.
DOBBS
What he hell are you doing.
Corvus jumps in surprise.
CORVUS
And who the hell might you be.
DOBBS
Ranger Dobbs, I’ve been assigned to these woods, first day on the job and I’m lost, I need a place to stay for the night.
CORVUS
Well, you can’t stay here. This here’s a silent monastery. No words can be spoken beyond those doors or Brother Mathias will tan your hide with is leather strap, he will. We been exiled from the church for sins, hidden away in this damn godforsaken hellhole. You don’t wanna go in there.
DOBBS
I don’t think I have much of a choice. Who you burying?
CORVAS
Brother Tanner. He went fer a swim in da well. Guess, he forgot how to swim. (whispers) There’s a curse on this place, get on back down this hill while ya got a chance to escape.
A old truck roars up the muddy road. Parks Brother Richard gets out.
RICHARD
The Archdiseasos done sent us another sinner? Who’d you murder?
DOBBS
Nobody. I am with the Park Service.
CORVAS
He’s lost in the woods.
RICHARD
Mathias ain’t gonna like this one bit. Get outa here. Run for your life. People dying here like flies.
CORVAS
It’s still a house of God. The Church never turns away a man in need.
RICHARD (GRUNTS and spits.)
He bangs on the door, calls.
RICHARD (continues)
Hey Mathias, get out here. We got a stranger needin’ shelter. (to Dobbs) You were warned.
The door opens. Mathias comes out.
MATHIASWhat’s all the racket? I can’t hear myself think.
RICHARD
The good Lord done sent us a Ranger in our hour of needs. They say he works in wonders.
MATHIAS
Dear God two dead monks in one day and now this? Why do I even bother to pray? (to Dobbs)
Lucky for you we have a room vacant.CORVAS
Two rooms.
MATHIAS
We’ve had some questionable departures in our humble abode today.
CORVAS
I already told ‘em.
MATHIAS
I am sure you have. Finish up here, and go say your prayers. (to Richard) And Brother Richard, no need to cook dinner tonight. We will fast. (to the Stranger) You understand that once we step inside these doors not a word, not a sound is to be spoken. If you can follow that rule, you may spend the night but I want you gone tomorrow morning. Do you understand.
DOBBS
Yes, Sir. No Problem.
MATHIAS (Under his breath) There’s always a problem.
He leads Dobbs into the monastery. The other two go back to their jobs.
INT. HALLWAY
Mathias leads Dobbs to Silas’s room, opens the door and enters first and looks around.
MATHIAS
Thank goodness, no blood. You may come in, Brother Silas is no longer with us.
DOBBS
Is he the one who drowned in the well?
MATHIAS
How much gory details did Brother Corvas tell you.
DOBBS
Not much.
MATHIAS
Good. Let’s keep it that way. Get out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini. Dorthy Parker. A famous quote.
DOBBS
I wish I had a martini.
MATHIAS
So do I. Brother Silas was about your size. Maybe a little less muscular. His robes will fit you well enough. I’m locking this door behind me for your own safety. I’ll be back with some food later.
DOBBS
I thought it was a fast night.
MATHIAS
You are not one of us. Don’t aspire to be. Morning, your out of here.
DOBBS
Yes, Sir.
LATE THAT NIGHT
The room is dark.Dobbs can not sleep. He tosses and turns in the hard bed. Suddenly, he senses a presence in the room. He freezes.
DOBBS
Is someone there?
No answer.
Dobbs breathes heavily. He does not know what to do. He is sure someone or some thing is in the room with him.
He stares into the darkness.
After a long wait, a bic lighter flashes into a flame, The flame lights a cigarette and smoke.
THE VOICE
Thank God, finally someone here who smokes. I’ve dying for a cirarette.
DOBBS
Who are you? Show yourself.
THE VOICE
There’s nothing to show, (laughs).
DOBBS
Who are you?
THE VOICE
You wouldn’t know me. I’m not from around here.
Dobbs has worked his way out of bed and gotten to the door. He tries to open it but he is still locked in.
DOBBS
Damn.
THE VOICEThe damned fool thinks a door can keep me out. (laughs)
DOBBS
What do you want from me?
THE VOICE
You shouldn’t be here. (he puts out the cigarette.) Thanks for the smoke.
And he is gone.
It takes a minete for Dobbs to realize he is alone.
DOBBS
Hello? How the hell did her get out of here?
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Hiram – Lesson 12
What I learned is how to make the ending horror completely a different twist from the rest of the horrors as it builds to the protagonist locked in a speeding truck with the monster. It has a surprise ending and sets up a sequel.
LESSON 12 – LEVEL 3 HORRORINT. – DOBBS ROOM – CONTINOUS
The stranger’s room door magically opens.
He is afraid to come out now. Spooked by everything he heard. All is quiet now.
INT – VARIOUS LOCATION – CONTINOUS
Dobbs comes out and in a sequence of events he finds that everyone is dead. Silence. No more voice.
INT. – FRONT DOOR – CONTINOUS
He rushes to the front door but is locked. Mathias has the key to every door on his belt.
INT. CHAPEL – CONTINOUS
He goes into the chapel, sees Mathias body, and goes to him and reaches for the ring of key. Mathias hand grabs Dobbs’s hand and won’t let go. They struggle untl Mathias finally dies.
INT. – FRONT DOOR – CONTINOUS
Dobbs open the door to the outside.
EXT. – OUTSIDE MONASTARY – CONTINOUS
.The rain has stopped. He remembers the truck in the back where Brother Richard was carrying groceries when he first came through the woods. he gets to the truck.
INT. – TRUCK – CONTINOUS
He gets in. No key. He jimmy-rigs it, the motor starts. He is relieved.
Suddenly the passenger side door opens and after a few seconds closes. He becomes terrified realizing something is sitting next to him that he cannot see. Finally, the voice says drive.
He is scared but drives away.
He is confined in the truck with an unseen monster. The Stranger is sweating in fear. The radio dial turns on. The voice sings.
Total Fear.
They travel on a long road in the middle of nowhere. The Stranger finally asks the Voice, if he is going to kill him. The voice tells him that he hasn’t done anything to deserve death. They pass a female prison. The voice says “Stop here: The stranger pulls over, the door opens and closes. The stranger asks “Who are you.” The voice answers “Mindbender”
EXT. TRUCK – IN FRONT OF WOMEN’S PRISON – CONTINUOUS.
Dobbsr steps on the gas and races away.
The voice says “Okay Ladies, you ready for some confessions?” And laughs. -
Lesson 11 – Hiram Level 2 Horror emotions
What I learned is just to write the scene, clean it up, and put through the feedback, Take the feedback and do a few rewrites, it is a good way to have good scenes that fit the story and have an emotional impact. It is leading to a first draft.
EXT – Monastery – Late Afternoon
A dark and dreary silent monastery with a rule of complete silence for the seven monks who live there. They are seen going about their usual daily activities.
INT THE CHAPEL – CONTINUOUS
Brother Mathias, the main monk in charge, is on his knees praying..EXT. COURTYARD & GARDEN – CONTINOUS
Brother Silas: A young monk haunted by guilt, is frantically doing his rosasy in front of a statue of Christ.
IN THE GARDEN
Brother Banner: A herbalist gifted with a quiet strength and unwavering faith, is enjoying a peaceful afternoon tending his vegetables and flowers.
ON THE WALKWAY .
Brother Corvus: An aged monk with arthritic hands is sweeping with an old broom. He has a scowl on his face and looks with contempt at his fellow monks.
IN A SECULED CORNER OF COURTYARD
Brother Peyton: A skilled sculptor, his hands now forming an abstract shape of artistic expression. He is full of himself and pretentious showing great pride in his work.
ENTERING THROUGH A DOORWAY
Brother Richard: An unhappy man, groans and moans that reveal his attitude towards the other monks. He is the cook and is bringing in groceries from a truck parked outside the garden wall.
He carries groceries inside the kitchen where he can be seen through large windows as ne moves around inside.
Their quiet, peaceful afternoon is broken by a loud, continues pounding coming from the room of another monk. He’s screams echo around the garden.
Each monk reacts to the screaming in a different way.
AT THE STATUE
Silas panics and silently recites his rosary quicker, moving the beads frantically, almost bursting into tears of dread.
IN THE GARDEN
Banner stop weeding, stands, looks towards where the screams are coming and shakes his head and rolls his eyes then goes back to weeding.
AT THE WALKWAY
Corvas stops his sweeping, spits
Richard comes to the door of the kitchen, concerned, he drops his vow of silence.
RICHARD
Shouldn’t we…?
Corvus quickly yells at him.
CORVAS
Silence!
Peyton distracted out of his creative trance, over-reacts in rage and smashes his sculpture to a lump of clay.
PEYTON
This noise! Ruined!FROM THE CHAPEL
Mathias rushes in. His keys jangling at his side make the an annoying sound.
MATHIAS
Brother Tanner! What’s wrong?
He and opens the door.
The screaming monk BROTHER TANNER,, his face and hands bloody from his banging them on the door, stumbles out still screaming. His bloody face twisted in terror, he races past Mathias straight into the courtyard and throws himself down the ancient well.
A LOUD SPLASH!
All the monks react with a gasp in shock and horror.
They stand stunned glaring at the well. No one says a word. -
Hiram Taylor
LESSON 10 – LEVEL ONE – HORROR EMOTIONSWhat I learned from this lesson is that even though the following scene is not good, it doesn’t matter, it fits the requirements and has the potential to be a great scene. I am just going forward with the knowledge that what is important is learning the lessons and not getting hung up on details and rewriting at this point.
APPREHENSION / ANXIETY:
EXT. COURTYARD – NIGHT
MATHIAS forces Silas to go down the well and retrieve the body of the first dead monk with the help of RICHARD.
Silas is horrified and scared. They have to drag him across the courtyards, his feet dragging across the pavement as he struggles.SILAS
(SCREAMING)
No!. I hate wells. I can’t. It’s dark down there!MATHIAS
Quiet! Rember your vows.SILAS
Fuck my vows I’m not going down there. You can’t make me.MATHIAS
You’re the only one of us skinny and small enough to do it besides you are young and strong.SILAS
Nooooo! I hate wells.MATHIAS
Hold on to the bucked, and put this rope around your neck. When you get down into the water tie this rope around Brother Smith and we’ll pull his body out.SILAS
What do I do while you are pulling him out?MATHIAS
Treed water. And then we’ll throw the rope down and pull you out. Easy. You can do this.SILAS
No no no no no… I can’t do this… I can’tSilas cries and shakes with fear as he grabs the bucket and they lift him up, tie the rope around him, and slowly lower him down the dark well.
IN THE WELL
Silas is sobbing, scared to death.
AT THE TOP OF THE WELL
MATHIAS
Calm down.
The rope breaks and the bucket and Silas fall down the well into the water with a splash. Silas screams.
MATHIAS shines a flashlight down on Silas’s face in the water.
Silas
The rope broke.MATHIAS
Do you see Brother
Silas
He turns his head as Mathias shines the light on the bloated face of the dead monk. Silas screams in shock.
MATHIAS
Put the rope around him and we’ll pull him up.
He does and they do.
Silas floats in the darkness.
SUDDENLY HE HEARS A VOICE
Voice
Daddy… Is that you Daddy?SILAS
Noooo! (screams)
THE VOICE
How many hours old was she when you threw her in the well?
SILAS
How do you know about that? Who are you?BABY CRYING
Your baby! To hide your guilt. Murderer!
THE BABY CRIES LOUDER AND LOUDER.
SILAS goes berserk, STOP TREADING WATER, and puts his hands on his ears. He starts to sink. Panic swims back up, grabbing at the brick wall, splashing in a panic until the water begins to suck him down. He fights until he drowns.
AT THE TOP
Mathias and Richard untie the dead monk and throw the rope back down. Mathias shines the light down on the water. There is no Silas.
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Hiram Taylor – Lesson 9: MAKE YOUR OUTLINE READABLE:
WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS LESSON: This is like magic. It’s all coming together. I see a movie now. I see the sets, and the characters and feel the emotions. I am very happy with how it is coming alive in my head and on paper.
Lesson 9 – New Outline First Draft
ACT 1
EXT – Monastery – Late AfternoonA dark and dreary silent monastery with a rule of complete silence for the seven monks who live there. They are seen going about their usual daily activities.
INT THE CHAPEL – CONTINUOUS
Brother Mathias, the Abbott in charge, is on his knees praying..EXT. COURT YARD – GARDEN – CONTINOUS
Brother Silas: A young monk haunted by guilt, is frantically doing his rosary in front of a statue of Christ.
Brother Banner: A herbalist gifted with quiet strength and unwavering faith, is enjoying a peaceful afternoon tending his vegetables.
Brother Corvus: An aged monk with arthritic hands is sweeping with an old broom. He has a scowl on his face and looks with contempt at his fellow monks.
Brother Peyton: A skilled sculptor, his hands now forming an abstract shape of artistic expression. He is full of himself and pretentious.
Brother Richard: An unhappy man, groans and moans that reveal his attitude towards the other monks. He is the cook and is bringing in groceries from an old truck parked outside the garden wall.
Their quiet, peaceful afternoon is broken by a loud, continuous pounding coming from the room of another monk. He’s screams echo around the garden.
Mathias rushes in, his keys jangling at his side, and opens the door. The screaming monk, his face and hands bloody from his banging them on the door, stumbles out still screaming. His bloody face twisted in terror, he races past Mathias straight into the courtyard and throws himself down the ancient well. A LOUD SPLASH!
All the monks react in shock and horror.
EXT. – ROAD – SAME
Dobbs is walking towards the front of the monastery.
INT. – COURTYARD – SAME
The shocked monks express their opinions until the head monks demand silence. They quietly go about their duties with their heads down, but express their characters’ reactions with eye glances, frowns, and head movements. This is how they communicate in silence.
Mathias goes back to the chapel.
The other monks watch him go, then assemble into a group.
The oldest monk whispers that this has happened before, there is something evil that visits this monastery.
The group collectively decides his story is not real and he is a little off in the head. They dismiss his story and go back to their business.
It starts to rain.
EXT. FRONT DOOR – CONTINUOUS
A stranger, Dobbs, arrives in the storm seeking shelter.
INT. HALLWAY – SAME
The storm locks them in the monastery with no way to escape.
EXT. – COURTYARD – CONTINOUS
The ghost of the dead man rises out of the well before their eyes and disappears.
Screaming and running to their separate rooms and locking their doors.
INT. – HALLWAY – CONTINOUS
Mathias takes the Stranger to the room the dead man came out of, saying this is the only vacant room available for the night, and locks the door. The stranger, Ranger Dobbs reacts to the blood all over the room, especially on the door. When he tries to open he realizes he is locked inside without a key to get out. He is not happy.
INT. – VARIOUS BEDROOMS – CONTINUOUS
They bed down for the night.
INT. SILAS’S BEDROOM – SAME
The youngest monk is awakened by a strange man’s VOICE, which accuses him of committing a gruesome murder and placing the blame on an innocent man who was electrocuted in prison.
The VOICE drives the young man insane until the man starts banging his head on the stone wall and ultimately when the head monk comes and opens the door the young monk falls dead in his arms. The head monk screams, breaking his vow, and drops the dead man on the floor.
INT. VARIOUS BEDROOMS – CONTINUOUS
The monks shiver in their beds.
INT. DOBBS ROOM – NIGHTDobbs locked in his room cannot sleep, the Voice calls to him then realizes and says “You should not be here” and is gone.
INT. KITCHEN – SUNRISE:
the cook is preparing breakfast before the others are up. The voice accuses him of committing a different murder story as the cook stabs the blank air frantically backing away until he backs against the hot stove an unseen force (the voice) pushes his face into the fire, and the cook goes up in flames screaming.
EXT. HERB GARDEN – CONTINOUS
BANNER IS gathering herbs in the garden and has seen the whole scene but without seeing or hearing THE VOICE. All he saw was the cook killing himself.
INT. KITCHEN – CONTINOUS
BANNER rushes to help the cook who is dead and suddenly he is confronted by a knife swishing through the air towards him. He is confused with no seen person holding the knife which chases him around the room, then the voice laughs and accuses him of a different killing. The monk is horrified that the voice knows his secret.
INT. WALK IN FREEZER – CONTINOUS
The herbalist monk escapes by running into the walk-in freezer, when the freezer door slams shut and locks him inside, he panics, realizing he cannot get out. He tries the door handle, it cannot be unlocked from inside. He calls for help.
The voice is in the freezer with him. It forces him to relive the murder that he committed so many years ago. He begs for mercy. The voice says “You gave them no mercy and you will receive no mercy in return. He is left in the freezer to die.
INT. KITCHEN -CONTINUOUS
The monks that are left rush into the kitchen, and see the burned body of the cook. They scream and run out, they start arguing among themselves and the head monk rushes in and demands they be silent. They refuse and attack the head monk.
INT. FREEZER – CONTINOUS
The herbalist monk is desperately trying to get someone’s attention the others, but they do not look toward the freezer.
INT. KITCHEN – CONTINOUS
Peyton and Corvus chase Mathias into the chapel, everyone talking loudly, so they cannot hear the monk in the freezer as he slowly freezes to death.
INT. DOBBS ROOM – CONTINUOUS
The stranger, Dobbs can hear all the noise taking place outside but he is still locked inside his room. He starts to come unhinged. He tries various methods to escape. None of them work.
He is trapped!
INT. CHAPEL – CONTINOUS
In the chapel, the two monks are attacking Mathias as the VOICE drives them on as he makes Mathias confess to molesting young boys and how of them told on him and he killed the boy. The church sent him to run this place and covered up his transgressions.
As Mathias confesses, Corvus in horror and fury stabs Corvus with a crucifix and Peyton bangs him in the head with a communion plate.
When they realize what they have done, they panic and run out in different directions.
In the chapel, the head monk crawls across the floor bleeding from both his head and chest. The voice speaks and accuses him of molesting young Brother Silas who was sent here to be under his care. When Silas confessed his murder of the girl and her baby Mathias used the confession to force Silas to service him. Sent into exile to run this monastery for sinful monks isolated from the outside world he used his power over all of them for his own pleasure..
Mathias confesses that it is true, He looks down as the crucifix is slowly being pulled out by an unseen hand. Blood shoots everywhere and the monk falls to the floor in great pain and dies.
INT. HALLWAY – CONTINOUS
The two monks agree that they are getting the hell out of the monastery, storm or no storm. The voice speaks to each of them at the same time, but neither can hear what The Voice is saying to the other one. The voice convinces them each that the other one is the killer. Setting them against each other until they kill each other.
Silence.
INT. – DOBBS ROOM – CONTINOUS
The stranger’s room door magically opens.
He is afraid to come out now. Spooked by everything he heard. All is quiet now.
INT – VARIOUS LOCATION – CONTINUOUS
Dobbs comes out and in a sequence of events, he finds that everyone is dead. Silence. No more voice.
INT. – FRONT DOOR – CONTINUOUS
He rushes to the front door but is locked. Mathias has the key to every door on his belt.
INT. CHAPEL – CONTINOUS
He goes into the chapel, sees Mathias’s body, and goes to him to reach for the ring of key. Mathias hand grabs Dobbs’s hand and won’t let go. They struggle until Mathias finally dies.
INT. – FRONT DOOR – CONTINUOUS
Dobbs opens the door to the outside.
EXT. – OUTSIDE MONASTERY – CONTINUOUS
.The rain has stopped. He remembers the truck in the back where Brother Richard was carrying groceries when he first came through the woods. he gets to the truck.
INT. – TRUCK – CONTINUOUS
He gets in. No key. He jimmy-rigs it, and the motor starts. He is relieved.
Suddenly the passenger side door opens and after a few seconds closes. He becomes terrified realizing something is sitting next to him that he cannot see. Finally, the voice says drive.
He is scared but drives away.
He is confined in the truck with an unseen monster. The Stranger is sweating in fear. The radio dial turns on. The voice sings.
Total Fear.
They travel on a long road in the middle of nowhere. The Stranger finally asks the Voice, if he will kill him. The voice tells him that he hasn’t done anything to deserve death. They pass a female prison. The voice says “Stop here: The stranger pulls over, and the door opens and closes. The stranger asks “Who are you.” The voice answers “Mindbender”
EXT. TRUCK – IN FRONT OF WOMEN’S PRISON – CONTINUOUS.
Dobbsr steps on the gas and races away.
The voice says “Okay Ladies, you ready for some confessions?” And laughs. -
Hiram Taylor – CHARACTER JOURNEY TRACK
What I learned doing this lesson. I learned an easy way to get a good start on developing each character as a specific human being rather than a type. Yes, one is the cook but answering these questions fleshed him out in my head. I also now know how he functions in the plot.
LESSON # 8 CHARACTER jOURNEY TRACK
Brother Mathias:
ROLE: The stern but compassionate Abbot, struggling to hold the monastery together as cracks appear in their silent devotion.
TRAITS: Fussy, stern but compassionate. Frustrates easily, rules the monastery with an iron fist. Demands order and obedience to rules.
FEARS: Dying in this place. Afraid someone will discover his secret and why he was sent because of his sins with young boys.
WANTS: Salvation. Release from his pain.
NEEDS: Sexual relief
LIKEABILITY/ROOTING FACTORS: One can respect his authority and appreciate his discipline. But he is not very likable.
HOW DOES HE REACT UNDER STRESS: Over-dramatic.
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARACTERS: He is the master, their prison guard, he is alone and lonely.
INTRO: He runs in from the chapel when he hears screaming. He’s frustrated and annoyed. He is the leader.
DENIAL: He won’t even listen to the idea there’s a monster. For most of the first two acts, he tries to pretend everything is normal. By Act 3 he is beside himself with frustration and fear.
HIS REACTION TO THE FIRST HORROR: Clean up the mess and pretend it didn’t happen.
REACTION TO GROUP AFTER 1ST HORROR: Soothing, Brushing it aside, trying to get everything back to normal, going on with their duties, pretending it didn’t happen.
HOW DO THEY FIGHT BACK: Violence.
END POINT: He is killed by two of the monks who want to leave.
WHAT INSIGHT: The young priest realizes he has killed someone which is a sin.Brother Silas: A young monk haunted by guilt over a past transgression, easily manipulated by the Unnamed One’s whispers.
ROLE: The 2nd Monk to die by suicide.
TRAITS: A worry wart. Flogs himself in repentance. Prays a lot. High strung.
FEARS: Punishment for his sins.
WANTS: To be forgiven.
NEEDS: To forgive himself.
LIKEABILITY/ROOTING FACTORS: He is good-looking, tortured with guilt
HOW HE REACTS UNDER STRESS: He goes berserk.
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARACTERS: Is a loner.
CHARACTER INTRO:He is on his knees in prayer in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary when he hears the scream.
DENIAL: Can’t believe what’s happening in this holy place.:
THEIR REACTION TO THE FIRST HORROR: Disbelief. Shock.
RELATIONSHIP TO GROUP AFTER FIRST HORROR:His fear drives him to rush to his room and lock the door.
WHAT THEY DO FITS WHO THEY ARE: He hides in fear.
HOW THEY FIGHT THE MONSTER: He cries and whines and begs and prays
END POINT:He bashes his head against the stone wall until he dies.
WHAT INSIGHT DOES THEIR DEATH BRING: That the horror is not going to stop. Everyone is in danger.Brother Banner: A herbalist gifted with quiet strength and unwavering faith.
ROLE: The calm one.
TRAITS: Believes that he has been forgiven of his sins and is therefore cheerful and happy in his garden.
FEARS: That bugs are going to eat his garden.
WANTS: To pretend that this is happy place when God meant for him to be.
NEEDS: To get over himself and face reality.
LIKEABILITY/ROOTING FACTORS: He is the only cheerful one.Friendly. Nice.
HOW HE REACTS UNDER STRESS: shuts down.
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARACTERS: Friendly, shares his garden vegetables, fruits and flowers.
CHARACTER INTRO: He is working in his garden.
DENIAL: He acts like nothing happened.
THEIR REACTION TO THE FIRST HORROR: Shock. Can’t understand or fully grasp what is happening yet.
RELATIONSHIP TO GROUP AFTER FIRST HORROR: He brings fresh flowers to every room and breaks his vow of silence by whispering to all the monks and the stranger but not the Abbott.
WHAT THEY DO FITS WHO THEY ARE: He is generous and kind but also a busybody and gossip.
HOW THEY FIGHT THE MONSTER: Run.
END POINT: He dies in the freezer.
WHAT INSIGHT DOES THEIR DEATH BRING:Even the good die.Brother Corvus: An aged monk, rumored to hold secret knowledge of the monastery’s past and the Unnamed One’s origins.
ROLE: The Prophet. The Wise one.
TRAITS: Cranky, complains all the time about body parts pain. Over dramatic. Fatalistic.
FEARS: The future.
WANTS: To be young again. To start his life over.
NEEDS: To come to his senses and face the truth.
LIKEABILITY/ROOTING FACTORS: He tells jokes. Makes wisecracks.
HOW HE REACTS UNDER STRESS: Over dramatic. The Drama Queen.
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARACTERS: They all like him and seek his wisdom..
CHARACTER INTRO: He is smoking a cigarette in the front yard and talks to the Stranger and tells him he can’t talk in the monastery, it’s a silent monastery.
DENIAL: He knows the monster is real, he knows its history and why it has come.
THEIR REACTION TO THE FIRST HORROR: All in a days work. Haul out the body.
RELATIONSHIP TO GROUP AFTER FIRST HORROR: Gets to work cleaning up the mess.
WHAT THEY DO FITS WHO THEY ARE: He is almost like the custodian of the monastery.
HOW THEY FIGHT THE MONSTER: Run away and hide.
END POINT: Not sure yet
WHAT INSIGHT DOES THEIR DEATH BRING: Not sure he dies.Brother Peyton: A skilled sculptor, his hands now frozen in fear by the whispers, but with a hidden resilience waiting to be awakened.
ROLE: The artist.
TRAITS: He is a dreamer. Into his own space and time. Forgetful.
FEARS: That his hands will freeze up and his talent will disappear. He would go crazy then.
WANTS: To create just one great work of Art.
NEEDS: To realize his artwork is garbage.
LIKEABILITY/ROOTING FACTORS: He so involved with his work. It is so important to him, a person can’t help but feel sorry for him.
HOW HE REACTS UNDER STRESS: Prays. Crosses himself. Sometimes he throws a temper tantrum and breaks his art.
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARACTERS: He’s the recluse, too into his own world to care about anyone else.
CHARACTER INTRO: He is sculpting a vase on a potting wheel.
DENIAL:He does his art.
THEIR REACTION TO THE FIRST HORROR: Confusion.
RELATIONSHIP TO GROUP AFTER FIRST HORROR: He gets suspicious.
WHAT THEY DO FITS WHO THEY ARE: He is determined to solve the mystery behind the monster which will lead to his death.
HOW THEY FIGHT THE MONSTER: He confronts it.
END POINT: Not sure yet
WHAT INSIGHT DOES THEIR DEATH BRING: Not sure yet.Brother Richard: An unhappy man, scowls and groans that reveal his attitude towards the other monks. He is the cook.
ROLE: The cook.
TRAITS: Gruff, over-weight. Scowls and groans to make his point.
FEARS: Using too much salt. Burning himself. Afraid of fire.
WANTS: For someone to cook dinner for him one day.
NEEDS: To go on a diet. Be a nicer man.
LIKEABILITY/ROOTING FACTORS: He can cook.
HOW HE REACTS UNDER STRESS: Curses, then covers his mouth with his hand.
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARACTERS: They all like him or at least they better if they want to eat.
CHARACTER INTRO:He is hauling groceries in from the truck.
DENIAL: He eats.
THEIR REACTION TO THE FIRST HORROR: Dismay.
RELATIONSHIP TO GROUP AFTER FIRST HORROR: Let’s eat boys.
WHAT THEY DO FITS WHO THEY ARE: He cooks and love doing it.
HOW THEY FIGHT THE MONSTER: He confronts and fight it.
END POINT: He burns to death
WHAT INSIGHT DOES THEIR DEATH BRING: No food for dinner tonight. -
Hiram Taylor LESSON #7 Monster Reveal Track:
What I learned doing this assignment is that by the time I get through these lessons, this screenplay is going to write itself.
MONSTER REVEAL TRACT
1: Create each part of this model:A: What is your Monster and what is its terror?
1.: My monster is a VOICE that takes over the victim’s mind reminding the person of some horrible crime they have committed yet gotten away with.
2. Its terror is that it is relentless and will not stop until the person kills themself.
3. It POWERS are the ability to bend a victim’s mind into hysteria and speak their crimes.
4. LIMITATIONS: It has no body, no form, only a voice. It cannot kill the person, it can only drive the person mad so the person kills himself.
5. WEAKNESSES: It cannot stop, it goes from one victim to the next relentlessly. It has no compassion. It only has its mission.
6. PLAN: To drive every murderer insane so they kill themself and are brought to justice.PURPOSE: Justice to the guilty. APPETITE: Never ceases to hunt guilty murderers who have gotten away with their crimes.
REVEALS/CLUES
B. Sequence of reveals:FIRST REVEAL: Monk kills himself screaming “Get out of my mind!”
FIRST CLUE: The monster has some way of controlling a person’s mind.
SECOND REVEAL: 2nd monk is awakened at night by a voice. He sees no monster, only its voice.
SECOND CLUE: It has no body. It is not a person. It is otherworldly.
THIRD REVEAL: When the 3rd monk hears the voice he is surrounded by a group but only he can hear it.
THIRD CLUE: While the monster is driving the 3rd monk insane, the shock and reactions of the other monks causes the Monster to laugh. It has a sense of humor and it enjoys torturing humans.
FOURTH REVEAL: The voice goes into all the monks minds at once causing panic and mayhem.
FOURTH CLUE: It can control more than one mind at a time, therefore it can cause them to work against each other.
FIFTH REVEAL: It laughs while throwing snowballs at the monks
FIFTH CLUE: If it can throw snowballs it can throw other things like maybe a knife.
SIXTH REVEAL: It terrorizes the cook with a butcher knife but it does not kill him.
SIXTH CLUE: It cannot kill a person. I must force them to kill themselves. Therefore there is hope to escape it by controlling your mind not to listen to it.
SEVENTH REVEAL: It is clever and can lie (a weakness against its purpose). When it turns two monks against each other forcing a showdown between the two, when the young one shoots the other one, the monster realizes the boy is innocent and has never killed before, but now he is a murderer and kills himself. The monster has regret and remorse over the innocent boy.
CLUE: It has human qualities after all.
REVEAL EIGHT: It cannot torture the scared protagonist but he has never murdered or harmed anyone, he is an innocent who sought shelter in a snowstorm.
CLUE EIGHT: The protagonist cannot kill the monster but he can escape it.
LAST REVEAL: The monster is the Invisible Man, a scientist whose family was murdered and he was convicted of the crime and executed, but the electricity did not kill him it made him invisible turning him into a monster called the MINDBENDER.
LAST CLUE: He cannot die, he cannot kill. He is Justice. And only torments murderers. -
LESSON #6 – CHARACTER DEATH TRAP
Hiram Taylor – Character Death Trap
TITLE: MINDBENDERWhat I learned is writing a horror is like solving a puzzle you fill in one piece at a time.
SURVIVOR: THE STRANGER: He has never killed anyone.
SURVIVOR: He is Justice, Only kills an unrepentant murderer by making the guilty look at their sins until they kill themselves.
FIRST KILLED: BROTHER DAVID – An old Monk, we never know why he is killed, or what his sins are.
2ND KILLED: BROTHER SILAS – A young, handsome monk, a sculpture, who knocked a young girl up and then killed her to keep her quiet. HOW HE DIES: Beats his head against the concrete wall.
3RD KILLED: BROTHER RICHARD – The cook – He poisoned the members of a Frat House because they did not select him to become a member and burned the house down and escaped justice. HOW HE DIES: He burns to death.
4TH KILLED: BROTHER BANNER – He killed a baby in a hit-and-run accident in a stolen car then returned the car to where he stole it and the owner, an innocent man, went to jail for the crime. HOW HE IS KILLED: He is locked in a meat locker and freezes to death.
5TH KILLED: BROTHER MATHIAS – the head monk, raped many boys over the years and one boy killed himself after telling the Bishop. The church covered his crimes up sent Mathias to run a silent monastery where no priest could discuss their sins. HOW HE DIES: He is stabbed by Brother Corvus and beaten to death by Brother Peyton.
6TH KILLED: BROTHER CORVUS – a serial killer who loved to torture his victims. He stabs Brother Mathias. HOW HE DIES: He is shot by Brother Peyton.
7TH KILLED: BROTHER PEYTON – he bashes Brother Mathias’s head with a tray and shoots Brother Corvus. HOW HE DIES: He hangs himself. -
Hiram Taylor – HORROR SITUATION TRACK
What I learned doing this lesson: This was an amazing lesson. Following your format and using my outline I was able to see how to make the horror work for the plot easily in a simple layout. There’s more to fill out, like character development, dialogue and description but I see the movie now.ACT 1
An atmosphere of Evil is established: A dark and dreary silent monastery with a rule of complete silence for the seven monks who live there is broken…
Horror Situation: Loud, terrifying screams are heard inside one of the monk’s rooms.
Reaction – The monks run from their beds to the hallway as, the head monk knocks on the door of the screaming monk’s room and demands silence, he opens the door with his key, and the monk inside runs out still screaming.
Horror Situation: The distraught man runs to the courtyard and throws himself into the well. ( or off a wall) to his death in front of everyone.
Connect with the characters: The shocked monks express their opinions until the head monks demands silence. They quietly go about their duties with their heads down, but express their characters’ reactions with eye glances, frowns, and head movements. This is how they communicate in silence.
The characters are warned not to do it: The oldest monk whispers to the group once away from the head monk. That this has happened before, there is something evil in this monastery.
Denial of Horror: Group collectively decides his story is not real and he is a little off in the head.
Safety taken away: A stranger arrives in a snowstorm seeking refuge as the storm locks them in the monastery with no way to escape.
Horror Situation: The ghost of the dead man rises out of the well before their eyes and disappears.
Reaction – Screaming and running to their separate rooms and locking the doors.
Horror Situation: The head monks takes the Stranger to the room the dead man came out of, saying this is the only vacant room available and locks the door.
Reaction – Denial: They bed down for the night,
Monster: The nature of the beast: The youngest monk is awakened by a strange man’s voice, which accuses him of committing a gruesome murder and placing the blame on an innocent man who was electrocuted in prison.
Horror Situation: He drives the young man insane until the man starts banging his head on the stone wall and ultimately when the head monk comes and opens the door the young monk falls dead in his arms. The head monk screams, breaking his vow, and drops the dead man on the floor
Reaction: The monks shiver in their beds, the stranger tries to open his door, finds it is locked, and wishes he hadn’t come here.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / the Stranger locked in his room cannot sleep, the Voice calls to him then realizes and says “You should not be here” and is gone.
Horror Situation: In the morning, the cook is preparing breakfast before the others are up. The voice accuses him of committing a different murder story as the cook stabs the blank air frantically backing away until he backs against the hot stove an unseen force (the voice) pushes his face into the fire, and the cook goes up in flames screaming.
Reaction: A monk gathering herbs in the garden has seen the whole scene but without seeing or hearing THE VOICE. All he saw was the cook killing himself.
Horror Situation: The herbalist rushes to help the cook who is dead and suddenly he is confronted by a knife swishing through the air towards him. He is confused with no seen person holding the knife which chases him around the room, then the voice laughs and accuses him of a different killing. The monk is horrified that the voice knows his secret.
Reaction: The herbalist monk escapes by running into the walk-in freezer, when the freezer door slams shut and locks him inside, he panics, realizing he cannot get out.
Horror Situation: The monks that are left rush into the kitchen, and see the burned body of the cook. Scream and run out, they start arguing among themselves and the head monk rushes in and demands they be silent. They refuse and attack the head monk.
Character Death: The herbalist monk is desperately trying to get someone’s attention the others have chased the head monk into the chapel, everyone talking loudly, so they cannot hear the monk in the freezer as he freezes to death.
HORROR SITUATION: The stranger can hear all the noise taking place outside but he is still locked inside his room and starts to come unhinged. He tries various method to escape. None of them work.
Reaction: He is trapped!
Horror Situation: In the chapel, the two monks are attacking the head monk. One of them stabs him with a crucifix and the other bangs him in the head with a communion plate.
Reaction: When they realize what they have done, they panic and run out.
Horror Situation: In the chapel, the head monk crawls across the floor bleeding from both his head and chest. The voice speaks and accuses the monk of molesting several young boys and when one of the boys commits suicide the monk is sent into exile to run this monastery for sinful monks isolated from the outside world like him.
Reaction: The monk confesses that it is true, He looks down as the crucifix is slowly being pulled out by an unseen hand. Blood shoots everywhere and the monk falls to the floor in great pain and dies.
Horror Situation: The two monks agree that they are getting the hell out of the monastery, storm or no storm. They start to pack their things. The voice speaks to each of them at the same time, but they cannot what he is saying to the other one. The voice convinces them each that the other one is the killer. Setting them against each other until they kill each other.
Reaction: Silence.
Horror Situation: The stranger’s room door magically opens.
Reaction: He is afraid to come out now. Spooked by everything he heard. All is quiet now.
Horror Situation: The Stranger comes out and in a sequence of events he finds that everyone is dead. Silence. No more voice.
Reaction: He rushes out into the sun.The snow has melted. He runs down the mountain until he gets to his truck. He gets in.
Horror Situation: He starts his truck and suddenly the passenger side door opens and after a few seconds closes. He becomes terrified realizing something is sitting next to him. Finally the voice says drive.
Reaction: He is scared but starts the engine and drives away.
Horror Situation: He is confined in the truck with an unseen monster. The Stranger is sweeting in fear. The radio dial turns on. The voice sings.
Reaction: Total Fear.
Horror Situation: They travel on a long road in the middle of nowhere. The Stranger finally asks the Voice, if he is going to kill him. The voice tells him that he hasn’t done anythings to deserve death. They pass a female prison. The voice says “Stop here: The stranger pulls over, the door opens and closes. The stranger asks “Who are you.” The voice answers “Justice.
Reaction: Relief. The Stranger steps on the gas and races away. -
Hiram Taylor – MINDBENDER – outline
What I learned in this lesson #4 is to let my mind write out anything my imagination thinks of in the rough outline of possible ways to tell my concept, then go back and chose the best ideas and form a first draft version that makes sense even though it has holes and need development.
CONCEPT: How does a person fight an unseen monster’s voice when it gets into your mind and drives you crazy, forcing you to commit suicide?
ACT ONE: SET UP FOR HORROR
The atmosphere of Evil is established: In a silent monastery where the monks are sworn to not talk or make any sounds, a monk is awakened by a voice that whispers his past sins into his mind over and over relentlessly until driven mad and the monk kills himself in a gruesome way.
Connect with the characters: The other seven monks awake from the screams and rush to see which monk’s screams have broken their vow of silence. They find the dead man and react revealing their different characters.
The characters are warned: The cook says he has heard rumors that there is evil that visits here and that this has happened before. They are all in danger.
Denial of Horror: They all laugh at him and declare that the dead monk was crazy anyway. The head monk demands they quit talking and go back to their vows of silence He will take care of the dead monk’s body in the morning.
A lost stranger comes to the monastery to get out of a raging snowstorm that has now made it impossible for anyone to leave. The head monk tells the stranger the rules of their cloister and he agrees to be silent.
MONSTER: The Nature of the Beast: The voice wakes another monk during the night and relentlessly tortures him with his sins until the monk kills himself. The voice laughs. He is enjoying himself.ACT TWO – THE POINT OF NO RETURN:
Isolated and trapped by the snowstorm.
The monks discover the 2nd dead monk.
MIDPOINT: They realize the monster is worse than they thought and they all become terrified. One tries to leave but the snow is too deep. They are not going anywhere.
Full Pursuit by the killer: The voice goes into all their heads and torments them. He even throws snowballs at them.
They realize it is a real threat to them all and they are terrified.
ACT THREE – FULL OUT HORROR
FIGHT TO THE DEATH: The voice continues and they cannot figure out a way to stop it. The voice tells them that it is the stranger who is causing him to do what he is doing. He came with the stranger, kill the stranger and he will vanish.
HYSTERIA: The monks try to kill the stranger.
THE THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH: The voice keeps the monks, almost like zombies now in pursuit of the stranger. Who makes a thrilling escape and survives.
DEATH RETURNS TO TAKE MORE: The voice makes everyone turn on each other and kill one by one until the last man standing who is the headmaster realizes what he has done and kills himself.
RESOLUTION: When all is quiet the Stranger comes out from hiding and finds everyone dead and no more voice. He rushes out in the snow down the mountain until he gets to his truck. He has not seen that there are steps in the snow following him but the audience does. He starts his truck and the passenger side door opens and then closes. He becomes terrified realizing the voice is sitting next to him. Finally the voice tells him to drive. He drives but has no idea what to do. The voice sings. On a road in the middle of nowhere, they pass a Prison. The voice says “Stop here: The stranger pulls over, the door opens and closes. The Stranger steps on the gas and races away. -
HIRAM TAYLOR – CHARACTERS FOR HORROR
What I learned doing this assignment is how to create a group of characters that fit my concept in easy steps.
TITLE OF MOVIE: MINDBENDER
Concept: How do you kill an invisible monster that whispers non-stop in a sinner’s head until the person kills themself in a gruesome way to make the voice stop?
Cast: 8 sinners in a silent monastery who cannot get an unseen monster out of their head.
PATTERN A: Put 8 characters together and kill them one by one.
Protagonist:
Name: Elias.
Character Description: A young man with piercing blue eyes. His wiry frame is cloaked in roughspun wool, his long limbs betraying a restless spirit. He struggles with the requirement of absolute silence in the monastery and no communication at all with his fellow monks.
Journey: A blizzard left him lost and near death, stumbling upon the silent monastery as a beacon of salvation. Now, bound by the oath of silence, he wrestles with isolation and struggles to find meaning in a life devoid of fellowship.
Character Arc: As the monastery falls prey to the entity’s influence, Elias must overcome his self-imposed silence. He rediscovers the power of his voice through courage and hope, reuniting the fractured monks and guiding them against evil.
Wound: Elias carries the physical scars of the blizzard, but the deeper wound lies in his silenced voice. He yearns to share his stories, to connect with the world but feels trapped by the oath he took to find sanctuary.
Antagonist:
Name: The Unnamed One
Character Description: Not a creature of flesh and bone, but a void unseen, a writhing mass of whispers. It seeps into minds, amplifying doubts and fears, turning brother against brother, and silence into screams of torture and suicide.
Conflict: The Unnamed One feeds on the monks’ isolation and broken vows. It twists their memories, turning past grievances into festering wounds, shattering their unity and making them vulnerable to its growing influence. Whispered stories of details only the victim knows about crimes they have committed ultimately drives each person to take their own life in a horrifying way.
Additional Characters:
Brother Mathias: The stern but compassionate Abbot, struggling to hold the monastery together as cracks appear in their silent devotion.
Brother Silas: A young monk haunted by guilt over a past transgression, easily manipulated by the Unnamed One’s whispers.
Brother Banner: A herbalist gifted with a quiet strength and unwavering faith, offering Elias solace and a potential ally.
Brother Corvus: An aged monk, rumored to hold secret knowledge of the monastery’s past and the Unnamed One’s origins.
Brother Peyton: A skilled sculptor, his hands now frozen in fear by the whispers, but with a hidden resilience waiting to be awakened.
Brother Richard: An unhappy man, scowls and groans that reveal his attitude towards the other monks. He is the cook.
These eight characters, bound by silence and threatened by the unseen, can weave a chilling tale of faith, fear, and unspeakable horror. -
HIRAM: TERRIFYING MONSTER
What I learned doing this assignment: I learned a series of steps to create a monster.
Tell us who your monster is: My monster is a calm, sexy, deep VOICE, that comes in the night, wakes the victim up and tortures them with their fears by getting into their head and they cannot stop the voice in their head. It’s a VOICE ONLY. It has no body, no features to see but it drives them insane because it is relentless, never stops and the only way to stop it is to kill themselves.in a gruesome way.
THEIR TERROR: a constant talking voice that comes into their mind and there is no way to escape it.
THEIR MYSTERY: How do you fight a voice in your head that will not shut up.
THEIR APPEARANCE: You cannot see them, you cannot feel them, they have no body or shape in physical space. They are in your head.
RULES: a. They are always a calm sexy voice with no body.
They always come at night but are not in your dreams, they wake you from sleep and get into your head. Once they are in your head, they never shut up. They never kill you they drive you crazy so you kill yourself. They only way they can be stopped is by the victim’s death.
WHAT BEHAVIOR DOES IT EXHIBIT? Always calm but unrelenting, once it is in your brain it never shuts up
WHAT HORROR DOES IT CREATE? No escape but death. -
I watched a horror film on Prime that I had never heard of before named BROTHEL. I am not sure how to write this assessment so I will just give my views about it. I found it weird for horror, it was more creepy than scary. It was very moody and almost porno. Lots of nudity and death during sex. It was a modern day ghost story about a woman who buys a former brothel to turn into a B&B and ends up socializing with the dead murdered whores from the 1870’s. It has the 3 main emotional elements – Panic, Terror and lead to Hysteria. I kept me guessing. I was not sure if the main character was dead and a ghost herself. There were around 9 characters who met grizzly deaths, by a male character who at the end turns out to be Death. So, it was definitely departed from reality into the world of dreams, ghosts, and murders. The main character had the FEAR OF BEING ALONE after her husband was murdered, so she moves into an old empty house in a ghost town in the middle of the desert. I found that a bit weird to believe, but it fit the horror tropes of one set, in an isolated part of the desert with 9 dead ghosts. If there was a moral statement I didn’t get it, unless it was “If your afraid of being alone don’t move to a ghost town to open a B&B where no tourist will ever visit. ”
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Hi my name is Hiram Taylor. I have written 7 screenplays and 5 published novels. I have produced and directed 3 documentary films for PBS and 1 independent film CONNECTIONS. I directed a full-cast audiobook for Audible of my book THE TURQUOISE TWINS. I just finished Hal’s TV Series class where I wrote my first horror Pilot. Now I hope to learn how to write a horror movie with a low budget that I can produce and direct. A unique thing about me is that for 33 years I made my living designing and building Mardi Gras floats here in New Orleans. Now. I have written 3 soon to be published novels about Mardi Gras float building.
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Hiram Taylor
I agree to the terms of this release form -
Hiram Taylor – High Concept Elevator Pitch
What I learned is how to get the high concept down in a short concise sentence.
Beyond the Fourth Dimension : A reporter and a cult leader join forces to escape a terrifying alternate dimension feeding on stolen souls. (Comps: Hellraiser, Stranger Things) -
Hiram – Pitch Fest Pitch
What I learned is that once you have the basic story points and needed information it becomes understanding each different pitch is about how the information is reworked into that specific pitch’s formula.
Hi, I’m Hiram Taylor, author of 5 published novels and winner of the SciFi/Horror competition in the Hollywood Screenplay Contest.
I HAVE A SciFi/Horror screenplay titled BEYOND THE 4TH DIMENSION
People are turning into bodies of light and disappearing. It is not the rapture. Evil entities in the 4th Dimension are devouring human souls as their food source. When her boyfriend is taken, a young woman travels into the 4th Dimension, a landscape of nightmares and warped reality to save him.
What is the budget range? Middle budget
What actors do you like for the lead role? Jennifer Lawrence, Margot Roby. Anna-Taylor Joy, Kristan Stewart etc…
Give the Acts of the story: (1) A news reporter attending a seminar witnesses people turning into bodies of light and disappearing. She gets it on film. (2) The news refuses to show her footage. No one believes her story, (3) THEN her boyfriend is taken. (4) She is determined to save him. She travels into the 4th Dimension where she confronts the Soul Eaters. (5) They are trapped in the 4th Dimension with no way back to the 3rd. They escape Beyond the 4th Dimension into the 5 dimension.
How does it end? They travel into the 5th Dimension .
CREDIBILITY: 5 published novels and won the SciFi/Horror division of the Hollywood Screenwriting Contest.
I do not have an agent.
I have worked on many movies through the years. Cry Baby, Demonic Toys, The Evil Bride in Hollywood and American Horror series in New Orleans. -
POWER PLAYERS – LESSON 7
Hiram – Query Letter
What I learned is this step-by-step process makes writing a query letter simple.
GENRE: SciFi/HORROR
Can Lily save her boyfriend from the evil soul eaters in the 4th dimension who devour human souls as their food source?
Once a skeptical news reporter who investigates fake religious scams, Lily witnesses people turning into bodies of light and vanishing at a new age channeler’s event.
Then her boyfriend gets sucked into the light and disappears.
The channeler leads Lily into the 4th Dimension, a land of nightmares and warped reality.
Will they survive and return to the 3rd Dimension?
If the concept interests you, I’d happily send you the script.
BIO: Five published novels and the Science Fiction/Horror Finalist in the Hollywood Screenplay Contest.
CONTACT INFO:
Hiram Taylor
8225 Panola Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
504-298-4651
hiramtaylor.ht@gmail.com -
HIRAM TAYLOR – HIGH CONCEPT/ELEVATOR PITCH
What I learned is the method to create these types of pitches. I have been missing the boat on elevator pitches, they always land like a dud. I hope I get better at it now. Mine is still too long.
MY MAIN HOOK is “People’s bodies turn into light and disappear into the 4th dimension where their souls are eaten as a food source.
MAIN CHARACTER’S JOURNEY – From skeptical news reporter who investigates fake religious hoxes to true believer when she witnesses people turning into light and vanishing.
DILEMMA: When her boyfriend’s body turns into light and vanishes she must follow him into the 4th Dimension to save him from the Soul Eaters.
WHAT’S AT STAKE: Her boyfriend’s soul will be devoured by the Soul Eaters unless she travels into the 4th Dimension to save him.
GOAL/UNIQUE OPPOSITION: Can she save her boyfriend from the evil Soul eaters on the 4th dimension who steal humans from the 3rd Dimension as their food source?
ELEVATOR PITCH: ANSWER THE QUESTION “WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON? ” is “ I just finished a horror screenplay about a woman who travels to the 4th Dimension to save her boyfriend from Soul Eaters who steal humans as their food source.
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HIRAM TAYLOR – USING HOOKS TO CREATE PITCHES:
TITLE: BEYOND THE 4TH DIMENSION: GENRE: HORROR
What I learned is how the lessons before have laid the groundwork to create our pitches by using the best of our lists
Every night Lily has the same nightmare, a monster with razor-blade teeth devours her boyfriend Eric.On an assignment, Lily and Eric are pretending to be married. She’s about to meet his mom – a new-age prophet. –
Lily’s secret job is to expose phony religious leaders who are conning people. Unfortunately, Eric’s mom is no fake. She’s the real deal. –
At her channeling, Lily is shocked as she watches people in the audience turn into light bodies and transcend into a giant orb.
Eric has tricked her.
As he turns into light he tries to take her with him before he vanishes!
She is alone with his mom, who comes screaming out of her trance. “It’s not ascension! I’ve been tricked. An evil entity in the 4th Dimension is devouring souls.”
The monster with razor-blade teeth is real.
Body Snatchers meets Wonderland as Lily and Eric’s mom venture down the rabbit hole into the surreal world of the 4th Dimension.
HOOKS USED: 1. LILY’S DREAM of the monster with razor teeth. 2.Lily’s JOB is exposing fake religious leaders. 3. Eric’s mom is a real prophet channler. 4. UNIQUE: People turn into bodies of light and vanish. 5.BETRAYAL: Eric has tricked her. He planned for her to ascend with him to nirvana. 6. COMPARE TO OTHER MOVIES: Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Alice in Wonderland. 7. Great role for a young actress and a middle age A-list actress as the prophet. 8. TITLE: BEYOND THE 4TH DIMENSION. 9. Fits the HORROR GENRE.
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Hiram Taylor – LESSON 4: TEN MOST INTERESTING THINGS.
What I learned doing this assignment is that I need more interesting things happening around my main plot. Got to work on the outline again. Most of my interesting things are in the subplot.
10 most interesting things.
People turn into light bodies and disappear.
Ravina does not know how she made the audience members disappear.
The ruthless villain is a sweet little old lady who secretly is a powerful witch.
Our main character’s job is investigating and exposing fake religious leaders.
Eric has been lying to Lily all along to trick her to come to his mom’s seminar.
Lily has been betraying Eric by having an affair with her boss.
The monster with razor blade teeth in Lily’s dreams turns out to be real
Janet, Lily’s rival at work is a witch in Madam Rosa’s coven.
Ravina is not a fake, her powers are real.
When the sign’s letters fall and almost hit Lily then rearrange from CURES to CURSE is a magical warning sign. -
HIRAM TAYLOR – PRODUCER/MANAGER
What I learned today is ‘SAY YES!” This lesson explained why I have not succeeded after 40 years in this industry. I have always said and done the wrong thing in meetings with agents, managers, and the many producers I have worked with. I realize now that I did not understand each of their job descriptions correctly. I expected both my two agents to do what a manager does, no wonder they stopped taking my calls. I argued with producers, directors, and a few actors. I refused to do rewrites. In other words I said “NO”. And that was the end of the deal. That is why I have been much more successful in the publishing industry and the theater world. It made me very upset and sad to realize that today.
MY ANSWER TO THE TWO QUESTIONS. : 1. HOW WILL YOU PRESENT YOURSELF AND YOUR PROJECT TO THE PRODUCER? I will walk in with a completely different attitude than I have ever had before. I will walk in as a “TEAM PLAYER”. I will walk in confident and cheerful excited to share my concept with a person who can get it on the screen. I will keep the chit-chat to a minimum, respecting their time. I will state my Genre, Horror, and then go into my logline. Afterwards I will pause and wait for their response. If it’s positive, I will discuss what they need from me, thank them and go. If they say No, I will ask if I can present any new project in the future and thank them for their time and leave.2. HOW WILL I PRESENT MYSELF TO A MANAGER?: I would focus not just on this project but describe it as a representation of my work. I would say that I have other scripts in the same Genre. If they ask about my goals, I would briefly describe my industry experience and how I envision myself moving forward. I would express that I am interested in how they see my career expanding and how we could work together to achieve the same goal. I would also carefully look for clues or hints about when it is time to end the meeting. I would say I hope you enjoy my script. Ask when I should follow up with a call or email. Thank them and leave. -
POWER PLAYERS – LESSON #2
HIRAM TAYLOR
What I learned: I realized everything I write almost always has two or more of the 10 components. I took a win on realizing that.
LOGLINE:
A reporter exposes a coven of witches gaining power by stealing human souls to feed a monster in the 4th Dimension. First, she must defeat the witches, then travel into the 4th Dimension to kill the monster.
MARKETABLE COMPONENTS
UNIQUE = It’s world. A horror story in which the hero must travel to the 4th Dimension to confront the monster.
GREAT ROLE FOR A BANKABLE ACTOR = The lead is a strong female and she is in every scene. Great role for Jenifer Lawrence, Margot Roby, etc…
Similarity to a box office success. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, MATRIX, SANDMAN etc…
GREAT TITLE = BEYOND THE 4TH DIMENSION or RAZOR BLADE TEETH -
Hiram Taylor – I agree to the terms of this release form.
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HIRAM TAYLOR – PROJECT AND MARKET
TITLE: BEYOND THE 4TH DIMENSION
GENRE: Horror
CONCEPT:
A skeptical reporter investigates a charismatic New Age faith healer performing “ASSENTION TO LIGHTBODY” seminars hoping to prove the woman’s a fake. Instead, she witnesses believers turning into light and disappearing. She soon discovers the sinister truth. A coven of witches is gaining power by working with a soul-devouring entity in the 4th Dimension. She must defeat the coven on earth, then travel to the 4th Dimension and confront the evil Soul Eater.
LOGLINE:
A reporter exposes a coven of witches gaining power by stealing human souls to feed a monster in the 4th Dimemsion. First, she must defeat the witches, then travel into the 4th Dimension to kill the monster.
WHAT IS MOST ATTRACTIVE ABOUT MY STORY:
The hero is a woman, who hunts and kills the monster.
There are 4 other great roles for women: Two young, a middle-aged and one older, all could attract name actresses.
The story is intense, dramatic and unique.
It has a mid-range budget.
I have outlined a 5 season TV Series Bible.
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Hiram Taylor : What I learned is to keep going no matter what. I got hung up for a few days because I could not get on the site to get the Grid. So I did my own. Then when I got the correct prompt to get to the Grid 1 & 2, all I had to do was go back with the grid and use the problems I had already found.
First problem solved: Found best spot to setup that the lead and her coworker are having a secret affair.
Second problem solved: Once I had the set, I added a better pay off where the lead discovers her coworker has been cheating on her with other women in funny, humiliating way for him and it gave their relationship more meaning in the story.
The next problem was now solved when in the plot the co-worker walks in and discovers the lead is having an affair with her boss, the pay-off is stronger. This is the C story, but adds irony to their relationship and reveals who they are which leads to the bigger reveal at the Midpoint when the co-worker is revealed to be lying about everything he has been saying and doing in the entire first half of the story. -
I cannot get amazon.com to allow me to the site for the Grid. Is there any other way to do this lesson?
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Hiram Taylor – Module 3 Lesson 3 AI part 2:
What I learned was that AI did not give me the answers I needed because I could not get it to understand enough of the structure. Example below:
Pilot Episode: “Vanishing Act”
TEASER
INT. NEWS STUDIO – NIGHT
Lily (30s, sharp) and Eric (30s, cameraman) huddle near a hidden camera in a deserted news studio. Lily nervously adjusts her earpiece.
LILY (Whispering) Ready?
ERIC (Whispering) Born ready.
On the main stage, MADAM ROSA (70s, deceptively sweet) smiles radiantly at JANET (40s, sharp, smug) the news anchor.
JANET Madam Rosa, so many people have been touched by your healing powers. Can you share your secret with our viewers?
MADAM ROSA (Beaming) It’s all about faith, dear. A touch of divine energy…
Lily throws Eric a “can you believe this?” look. Suddenly, the lights flicker and a demonic GROWL echoes through the studio. A shadowy figure lunges at Madam Rosa.
LILY (Shouting) Cut! Cut!
Pandemonium erupts as the crew scrambles. Lily and Eric flee as the demonic figure lets out another chilling roar.
FADE OUT.
ACT ONE
INT. NEWSROOM – DAY
Lily and Eric nervously edit their footage. Phil (50s, gruff, news director) approaches, arms crossed.
PHIL What was that stunt in the studio?
Lily explains their investigation of Madam Rosa’s fake healings. Phil scoffs.
PHIL Dismissed. Nobody wants to see ghost hunters on primetime.
Janet enters, radiating fake concern.
JANET Phil, darling, they might be on to something. Remember Mr. Johnson’s “miracle cure”? Turns out he was taking steroids.
Phil sighs, considering. Janet shoots Lily a triumphant smirk.
TURNING POINT
The news report airs. Lily exposes Madam Rosa’s fake healings with undeniable proof. The segment ends with a scathing critique.
LILY (V.O.) The truth is, Madam Rosa is nothing more than a con artist.
END ACT ONE
ACT TWO
INT. RIVINA SWIFT’S SEMINAR HALL – NIGHT
Lily and Eric, begrudgingly attending on Janet’s “tip,” watch Rivina Swift (40s, ethereal, haunted eyes) perform a channeling ritual.
RIVINA (Eyes closed, chanting) I connect with the higher realms…
Suddenly, a blinding light engulfs a person in the audience. They scream, then vanish in a shower of golden sparks. Panic erupts.
TURNING POINT (WITH A TWIST)
Lily and Eric rush to help a young woman trapped in the light. As they reach for her, she disappears too.
Raymond (40s, Rivina’s husband) steps forward, calm and collected.
RAYMOND They’ve ascended. They’ve reached the other side.
Lily stares, confused and horrified. This isn’t news anymore, it’s something far more terrifying.
END ACT TWO
ACT THREE
Lily and Eric confront Rivina backstage. Rivina confesses, terrified, she can’t control the light. Lily doesn’t believe her.
LILY You’re a fraud just like Madam Rosa!
Rivina breaks down, revealing visions of a monstrous entity feeding off the light.
RIVINA It devours souls! I can’t stop it!
Lily grapples with the truth. Could this be connected to Madam Rosa? Is there something more sinister at play?
TURNING POINT
Eric notices a demonic symbol on Raymond’s hand. As Eric confronts him, Raymond’s eyes turn black.
ERIC He’s not who he seems!
Raymond lunges, revealing monstrous fangs. Lily throws a book at him, giving Eric time to escape.
END ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
Lily and Eric race back to the newsroom, desperate to warn Phil and Janet. The studio is empty. Lily notices a news report playing on a monitor. It’s Janet, live on air. She’s with Madam Rosa.
JANET (Smug) Lily’s been spreading lies about me and Madam Rosa. But the truth will prevail!
Madam Rosa smiles, her eyes glowing ominously. She touches Janet’s shoulder. Janet screams as she’s enveloped in light.
TURNING POINT
Lily and Eric burst into the film editor’s room. The editors are staring at a monitor – a news report showing Lily desperately calling out to them for help.
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MODULE 3 LESSON 3 – CREATING YOUR PILOT STRUCTURE.
Hiram Taylor. What I learned doing this lesson is that I now see the entire pilot episode in my mind and on paper. It still needs to define minor points and clarity. But there is a show here.
TEASER:
ESSENCE: Lily, a news reporter, and Eric, her cameraman, attend Madam Rosa’s healing event and Eric secretly films it to expose her on the nightly news. Lily knocks the walker away from an old man acting like a cripple being healed by Madam Rose, proving he’s a fake, and he runs out. Lily speaks into the camera and announces that Madam Rosa is a phony.
TURNING POINT: Madam Rosa screams for her henchmen to capture Lily and Eric and to get that tape. Eric and Lily escape.
ACT ONE:
ESSENCE: Lily shows the footage on the news but is interrupted by the head anchor Janet who brings on Madam Rosa for a rebuttal. Madam comes across as a sweet little old lady trying to give hope into poor people’s lives. This embarrasses Lily live on stage. Lily and Janet hate each other. Later, Eric asks Lily to marry him. She turns him down.
TURNING POINT: Janet sets up Eric to discover Lily and Phil, their boss, kissing. They are having an affair. Eric leaves in a huff. Sweet Madam Rose, pretending to help Lily to reveal a real fake medium gives Lily the card of Mystic Rivina Swift.
ACT TWO:
ESSENCE: Eric is forced to attend Rivina’s event as Lily’s cameraman. Their relationship is icy. Lily is determined to prove Rivina is a fake. As Eric films, Rivina goes into a trance. She is also being recorded by her husband Raymond. In her trance, Rivina calls on an entity spirit from another realm of existence who speaks through her.
MIDPOINT: An orb appears and suddenly audience members start turning into light and disappearing. Lily and Eric get it all on film.
TURNING POINT: Rivina is no fake and Lily has the proof.
ACT THREE:
ESSENCE: At the station, Janet refuses to let Lily show Eric’s footage on the news. Phil does not believe any of it happened. It has to be fake. Lily and Eric are devastated. Janet coos in delight because she won.
TURNING POINT: Rivina shows up and demands the film. She does not remember anything that happened at the event.
ACT FOUR:
ESSENCE: Lily and Eric fill Rivina in on the details of what happened. Rivina reveals that her husband Raymond has disappeared. She is convinced that she was possessed by an evil spirit during the event, but says someone else must have called the spirit into this world. Someone human is involved. Eric is now determined more than ever to get the footage onto the news. He locks himself in the glass room with the editor and they start to watch the film footage.
TURNING POINT: In the editing room, the two men watch and edit the film. Phil and Janet are furious. Rivina is overcome with grief. Lily consoles her. Suddenly in the editing room as the orb appears on screen, the glass room becomes filled with light.
LOCK-IN: Lily, Rivina, Janet and Phil stand outside the glass room and watch in horror as Eric and the other editor turn into light and disappear.
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Module 3 – Lesson 2 – Pilot Inciting Incident:
Hiram Taylor: What I learned doing this assignment is that once a writer understands the 4 parts of a pilot it gives him an easy outline and understanding of the episode.
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The Inciting Incident of my series is when Lily witnesses the audience members turning into light and disappearing at Rivina’s seminar. She came to expose Rivina as a fake but the vanishing people alter the storyline from the first act and set the real story Lily determined to discover the truth about what is really happening.
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MAJOR BEATS:
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INTRIGUING CONCEPT: A skeptical news reporter witnesses people turning into light and vanishing at a religious seminar she had planned to expose as fake. She becomes a believer and seeks to discover why and where the people have gone.
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ACT ONE : A reporter and her cameraman expose a fake religious leader and present the story on the evening news. Her boss sends her on her next assignment to investigate a famous mystic that is gaining popularity. She takes her cameraman along to film the event.
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MIDPOINT: At the event, suddenly people in the audience begin to turn into bodies of light and disappear. The cameraman gets it on film. They rush to the station to air the footage on the nightly news. Before they can show it, the mystic arrives and warns them not to show it on the air, her husband has disappeared listening to the recording. The cameraman rushes into the editing room determined to get the film on the air.
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LOCK IN: While editing the film the cameraman turns into light and disappears as the editing room fills with light. The reporter and mystic are locked in to seeking the truth about what is really happening.
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Module 3 Lesson 1 Big Picture Components
Hiram’s Big Picture Components:
What I learned doing this assignment was how doing these steps makes the series become clearer and more focused in my head. I am beginning to see the entire series.
Series Information:
World: The challenging world of news reporting forces Lily to travel into the 4th Dimension to solve the mystery of where the people disappeared.
Main Mystery: Where did the light bodies go and what made them turn into light?
Impossible Goal: Discover the truth about the disappearances without turning into light herself.
Main Conflict: Madam Rosa and her coven trick Rivina and Lily into traveling into the 4th Dimension where they must destroy the Soul Eater.
Second Mystery: Can Lily and Rivina escape from the 4th Dimension and get home in the 3rd.
Season 1 Arc: Watching people turn into light and disappear, to discovering how and why but getting trapped in the light themselves and ending up in the 4th Dimension too.
Season 1 Protagonist Internal Journey: From a Skeptic Reporter to a Believing Explorer who is determined to get to the bottom of the disappearances.
Pilot Information:
Pilot Conflict: Lily and Rivina witness people turning into light and research the mystery until they turn into light too.
Main Characters Introduced: Lily, Rivina, Madam Rosa, Janet, Phil, Eric and Raymond
Inciting Incident of Season 1: Lily and Rivina must discover what and who is causing the light transformations.
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MODULE 2 – LESSON 11
EDITING YOUR BIBLE:
Hiram Taylor: What I learned in this lesson: The processes really helped clarify the Bible. I realized “concise and clear” are the two magic words. Cutting what I thought were needed descriptions and over-wording left me with the barebones which is all that is needed in a Bible.
CONCEPT:
A skeptical reporter witnesses a terrifying phenomenon at a cult leader’s event. People in the audience suddenly transform into pure light and vanish. What happened? Where did they go? To get to the truth the two women embark on a terrifying journey into the unknown 4th Dimension.
TITLE:
BEYOND THE <b style=”background-color: var(–bb-content-background-color); font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>4th DIMENSION
<b style=”background-color: var(–bb-content-background-color); font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>
FORMAT/ GENRE = One hour TV series episode/ Horror<div>
WORLD = The 4th dimension, a realm of swirling colors, impossible geometries, and secrets older than time, where lost souls fight vicious demons or get devoured by the Soul Eater.
SHOW SUMMARY:
Lily Wright, a reporter, investigates a charismatic cult leader, Rivina Swift whose followers are vanishing. Lily expects a con, but the truth is far more terrifying.
People are transforming into light bodies and disappearing.
Beneath Rivina’s church lurks a hidden Light Gate leading to the 4th dimension. This dimension is a twisted labyrinth, and souls who enter don’t come back… or at least not whole.
The missing people are trapped in a horrifying alternate reality.
Lily and Rivina enter the Light Gate and become trapped in the 4th Dimension. They face monstrous entities before discovering a dark secret – a malevolent force is devouring the souls of the missing earthlings.
But, some evil on Earth is supplying the souls. Why?
Can Lily and Rivina find a way back to the Third Dimension and expose the truth?
Can they escape before the monster feeds on their light?
Main Character Descriptions:
LILY: Protagonist (Investigative journalist, determined)
RIVINA: Channeler (Knowledge of spiritual realms, haunted by visions)
MADAM ROSA: Antagonist (Witch, shadowy manipulator)
JANET: Madam’s Helper (Trickster, Liar, Lily’s rival and boss.)
Secondary Characters:
RAYMOND: Rivina’s husband, disappeared into the light but is more than he seems.
ERIC: Lily’s boyfriend. sacrificed himself to save Lily or is he tricking her to follow him?
PHIL:: CEO of the News Channel. He does not believe any of this nonsense exists.
THE SOUL EATER – an evil entity in the 4th Dimension.
Background Characters:
Demons, Monsters, Church members, police, and newsroom staff.
DETAILED MAIN CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:
KEY INGREDIENTS:
LILY
ROLE IN SHOW: The Protagonist, a news reporter, skeptical of religious dogma, determined.
UNIQUE PURPOSE: Expose, and discover the truth behind the light transformations.
EXPERTISE: Investigative journalism, tenacity, critical thinking.
INTRIGUE: Secretly harbors past trauma involving escaping a religious cult.
UNPREDICTABLE: Will take reckless risks. Puts herself and others in danger.
MORAL ISSUES: Hates all religions, and their leaders. Doubts there is a God.
EMPATHETIC: A good person. Fights evil. Has deep emotional feelings for people.
RIVINA
ROLE IN SHOW: Channeler. Her voice turns people into light and they disappear. Seeks truth.
UNIQUE PURPOSE:: Knowledge of spiritual realms, communication skills with dead people.
EXPERTISE: Degree in religion, New Age Thinker, speaks with higher level spirit beings.
INTRIGUE:: Fears consequences of revealing the truths about light and dark.
UNPREDICTABLE: Tries to help people instead she makes them vanish.
MORAL ISSUES: She struggles with guilt, and feels responsible for the disappearances.
EMPATHETIC: Her genuine desire to help people and her vulnerability about power.
MADAM ROSA
ROLE IN SHOW: Antagonist, shadowy manipular. Sweet old lady, really a witch.
UNIQUE PURPOSE: Controlling the transformations for her gain.
EXPERTISE: Occult practices, dark magic. manipulating people and information.
INTRIGUE: Hides a tragic past that fuels her obsessions with youth and death.
UNPREDICTABLE: Will resort to any means necessary to protect her agenda.
MORAL ISSUES: Has no qualms about exploiting and killing others for power.
EMPATHETIC: We admire her determination to win at any cost.
JANET
ROLE IN SHOW: Antagonist helper. Trickster. Liar, Game player, witch.
UNIQUE PURPOSE: Twarts Lily, Confuses Rivina, Helps Madam Rosa
EXPERTISE: Manipulating people and situations with magic
UNPREDICTABLE: Contradicts, Confuses things, Misrepresents truth/lies
MORAL ISSUE: Afraid the Darkside might devour her.
EMPATHETIC: Clever, her wisecracks are funny. Creates drama with covert humor.
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS
SEASON ONE – AGE OF LIGHT
Episode 1: Razor Blade Teeth
Lily, a truth-seeking reporter, exposes a fake healer, Madam Rosa who demands revenge. Her next investigation reveals a channeler whose audience vanishes into light. Lily is thrust into a terrifying mystery.
Episode 2: Dead People Talk
Lily delves into Rivina’s past and uncovers a sinister secret about Raymond, Rivina’s husband. Meanwhile, a power struggle erupts as Lily’s colleague, Janet, betrays her to their boss and Lily gets fired. Janet and Madam Rosa are revealed as witches who fear Rivina’s connection to the light.
Episode 3: Gone In a Flash
Lily and Rivina team up with Lily’s tech-savvy boyfriend, Eric. He vanishes during light transmission, leaving cryptic messages about an abandoned church. Lily experiences a terrifying vision. Madam Rosa performs a ritual that makes her younger.
Episode 4: Best Left Unknown
Following leads from an online forum, Lily and Rivina discover a chilling pattern: disappearances linked to light events have occurred in their city for years. In photos from each decade, a single face appears – a youthful Madam Rosa.
Episode 5: Abandon All Hope
Haunted by ghostly messages from Eric, Lily seeks answers from Rivina’s channeling. Eric’s spirit reveals a horrifying truth – he is trapped in a dark dimension beyond the light. Meanwhile, Madam Rosa hatches a risky plan to get rid of Lily and Ravina forever.
Episode 6: Devoured Souls
Unmasking Madam Rosa’s connection to the phenomenon, Lily relishes a relentless pursuit. A desperate Rivina channels Raymond, but his message confuses her. Janet, revealed as a double agent, is captured by Lily.
Episode 7: Descent into Madness
Forced to work with the treacherous Janet, Lily locates a hidden entrance beneath Rivina’s church. Janet makes a desperate deal with an evil entity, meeting a horrifying death. Rivina, drawn by a mysterious voice, disappears into the shadows. Lily is lost in the darkness.
Episode 8 (Season Finale): The Soul Eater
Lily finds Rivina transfixed before a swirling machine of light. In a vision, Rivina has learned about The Soul Eater’s agenda to devour every soul on earth. Together, they decide to confront the truth and step toward the light. But the machine shuts down. Can they find a way to activate it and escape the lurking darkness? A beam of light absorbs them and they dissolve into light.
5 SEASON DESCRIPTIONS</div><div>
Season 1: Vanishing Act
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Beginning: A string of disappearances plagues the city, all linked to a religious group led by Rivina Swift. Lily investigates, uncovering reports of people transforming into light before vanishing.
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Conflict: Lily suspects Rivina is a fraud, while Rivina fears a dark force is consuming those who reach the light. They reluctantly team up to investigate.
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Intrigue: Lily discovers a hidden chamber beneath Rivina’s church. Inside, a strange artifact glows faintly. The “Light Gate” propels people into the 4th dimension.
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Ending: As Lily touches the artifact, she and Rivina are pulled into the swirling vortex of the 4th dimension.
Season 2: Twisted Dimensions
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Beginning: Disoriented and afraid, Lily and Rivina find themselves in a mind-bending landscape with impossible geometries. They encounter fleeting glimpses of the vanished light beings, trapped and confused.
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Conflict: The 4th dimension itself is in danger, as impossible physics and shifting landscapes threaten to tear it apart. They encounter a soulless Janet, a shadow of herself. She mocks them and reveals Madam Rosa is using the Soul Eaters energy to stay young.
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Major Layer Exposed: Lily learns of Madam Rosa’s dark magic, suspecting she manipulated the Light Gate for personal gain.
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Exploring More Dangerous Ground: The hunt for a way back leads them to a desolate wasteland teeming with monstrous entities, drawn to the light within Lily and Janet..
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Ending: Facing a monstrous entity, Rivina discovers she can channel a protective light shield. They barely escape back through the Light Gate, leaving Janet trapped in the 4th dimension with the other lost souls.
Season 3: Evil is Real
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Beginning: Back in the 3rd dimension, Lily and Rivina struggle to explain their ordeal. No one believes them. Lily exposes Madam Rosa’s connection to the disappearances, but without proof, Madam Rosa triumphs again.
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Conflict: Madam Rosa, furious at Janet’s failure, uses her dark magic to discredit and silence Lily. Rivina’s visions intensify, revealing glimpses of a soul-devouring entity behind the Light Gate.
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Opponent: Madam Rosa emerges as the true antagonist, using her coven’s dark magic to gain power from the stolen light, she is supplying souls to the Soul Eater.
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Bigger Arena: The conflict spills beyond the city as Madam Rosa’s influence grows, drawing other covens into her scheme. She uses the media to push her powers to new heights.
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Ending: Through Rivina’s visions, they discover a hidden ritual to sever the connection between the Light Gate and the Soul Eater entity. They infiltrate Madam Rosa’s coven, a dark and opulent space. They are captured and led before the coven.
Season 4: A Parasite Feeding Frenzy
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Beginning: The infiltration is tense and perilous. They face trials within the coven, using their wits and Rivina’s growing channeling abilities to survive.
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Conflict: Lily uncovers Madam Rosa’s tragic past, a betrayal that fueled her desire for power. Rivina confronts the moral implications of manipulating the light beings.
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Major Layer Exposed: It’s revealed the entity is a parasitic being feeding on the souls within the stolen light. Both the stolen light and the entity threaten to engulf the world.
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Bigger Challenge: The ritual to sever the connection requires Rivina to channel an immense amount of light, potentially sacrificing herself.
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Ending: In a dramatic climax, Rivina performs the ritual, severing the connection. The stolen light beings are freed, returning as wispy figures without a soul. Lily and Rivina escape as Madam Rosa ages into an extremely old wrinkled face crone.
Season 5: Escape to the 5th Dimension
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Beginning: The freed light beings fade, hinting at an uncertain fate. Guilt hangs heavy on Rivina. Madam Rosa, stripped of her power, is a broken shell. The world is safe, but the experience has changed everyone forever.
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Conflict: The Soul Eater entity, is weakened but not destroyed and it, seeks a new way to consume souls. Lily and Rivina, haunted by the whispers of the soulless light beings, grapple with their purpose. They decide to go back into the light, travel to the 4th Dimension and destroy the Soul Eater.
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Exploring More Dangerous Ground: Lily and Rivina battle the Soul Eater determined to destroy it. When they do it turns back into Raymond, Rivina’s husband. They are trapped in the 4th Dimension. There is no way to go home as themselves
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Reincarnation: Lily and Rivina, enter the realm of the Wheel of Destiny, where each soul is judged. Once in the line, no one exits. When Raymond tries to escape he is pulled to the head of the line screaming and judged. All march towards their destiny. Lily and Rivina are next in line.
Transcendence: Through their encounters with the soul eater and the challenges of the 4th dimension, Lily and Rivina have experienced a form of enlightenment and transformation.. They transcend the limitations of the 3rd and 4th dimensions, now reaching the 5th dimension, a place of pure consciousness and understanding. They leave everything they know behind and become pure bodies of shimmering light.</div>
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ASSIGNMENT #1:
Hiram Taylor Creating Irony
What I learned from this lesson is how this now brings the big picture of my show into focus and clearly shows me my purpose in writing it.
The real thing I learned was how irony is in our daily life. Best example: was yesterday the top news story was the Georga prosecutor in the Trump Trial case was on the witness stand defending herself to the judge and saying “I’m not on trial, these people are on trial for trying to rig an election” It was great because it seemed like she was the one who is really on trial by the national television and press instead of the focus being on the real crime in this case. The suspected criminals are putting her in the hotspot and not them. The DA is on trial by the accused criminals aka Trump and his vast cohorts.
After that, as I started to look for the irony in my work I was rewarded with constant examples on the news in real life. They were everywhere. In my own life, I am mentally and physically exhausted after 3 weeks of Mardi Gras, the irony is that my exhaustion was caused by having a good time for too long.
ON MY EXAMPLE SHOW: SUCCESSION:
I am so glad I picked Succession because every episode fits your model. This makes it very easy for me to witness the model in progress for every lesson so far. The entire show is almost all “irony”. The concept itself is irony: “One of the most important rulers of a vast media empire finds out that his own children are his main enemies” It is his children who are after his job.
Another is that a news company is constantly it’s own news, is irony.
Also that: One of the richest, most powerful families in the world is miserably unhappy about everything in their life.
If I had to say what this show is about I would say “Money buys everything but happiness.” It’s irony that the first son in the line of succession is such a total loser, he is not even considered as a candidate to run his family’s company but in season Two he is running for president of the United States.
The 2nd son is on drugs, and screws up everything he tries to do but is running the company.
The other two children have their plots going too. They are all evil and yet I love watching them screw each other over. What fun. That is probably the biggest irony of all.
IN MY SHOW IRONY- FINDING RAYMOND
The first 7 are Character Irony in my lead characters
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The Protagonist is a news reporter whose job is to uncover and expose fake religious leaders who are conning the faithful. Instead, she uncovers a true miracle worker who is turning people into light bodies helping them ascend to heaven. She proves it by capturing it on film and showing it on world news.
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A medium, who channels spirits to help people suffering from grief causes the death of the people which causes more grief.
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A sweet little old lady who teaches healthy lifestyles on the news is actually the head witch of an evil coven poisoning the town..
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The star of the nightly news show who champions truth and honesty is actually the cruelest witch in the coven who is causing all the towns troubles that she gleefully reports nightly on her news show.
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(trick) The trusted boyfriend who says he wants to marry the protagonist and make her happy is actually a time traveler sent into the future to capture her and return her to the Dark Ages where she escaped being burned at the stake as a witch.
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(conflicting values) A man who demands complete loyalty and devotion from any woman in his life is demanding it of many women he is secretly having affairs with.
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The mysterious entity called White Smoke who the town fears turns out to a real angel who eventually helps save the town.
SITUATION Irony:
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People believe that the saved who are turning into bodies of light are ascending to heaven when they are actually being absorbed by “soul eaters” in the 4th dimension who spit them back into babies born again on the 3rd dimension on the Wheel of Karma.
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The food advertised as healthy is actually causing the diseases that the drug cartel gets rich by curing.
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News and television was actually created by the Soul Eaters to keep the world in chaos so people would seek heaven where the soul eaters absorb them, then spit back into the Wheel of Karma.
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The final big one is: Everything in the world humans believe is real is an illusion serving the existence of THE WHEEL OF KARMA.
Now let us see what AI comes up with:
PROMPT:
I’m going to give you the [concept], [Lead Characters], and [Main Conflict] of my TV series in [Format/Genre] and I’d like you to brainstorm forms of [Irony] that could show up in the show.
IRONY = Put two opposites together in a meaningful way. These opposites could be on any of these levels: Plot, character, relationships, situations, coverups, layers, actions, dialogue, or dramatic irony where the audience knows something one or more of the characters don’t or other forms of irony that meet the definition. Please give me 3 possibilities for each of the levels.
Format/Genre = Hour episodes/ Horror
Concept = A news reporter, Lily seeks to expose a famous religious leader, Rivina Swift, as a fake. Instead, she proves Rivina is a real miracle worker who helps human believers turn into bodies of light and ascend into heaven. When Lily’s boyfriend, Eric, and Rivina’s husband, Raymond, disappear into the light, the two women join forces to discover the truth. They confront a coven of witches working with “Soul Eaters” in the 4th Dimision who devour the bodies and spit the souls back into babies born on Earth to relive the Wheel of Karma.
MAIN CONFLICT = Lily and Rivina’s battles with the evil coven of witches headed by Madam Rosa and Janet to finally discover the truth about the Soul Eaters, the 4th Diminion, and the Wheel of Karma.
LEAD CHARACTERS = Lily, Protagonist, a news reporter seeking the truth. Rivina Swift miracle worker helping people turn into bodies of light and go to heaven. Madam Rosa posing as a sweet old lady healer who is really an evil witch who leads a coven of witches. Janet, head of the news Lily works for who is secretly the most evil witch in Madam Rosa’s coven. Eric, Lily’s boyfriend, a liar who deceives Lily. Raymond, Rivina’s husband who has a secret agenda of his own, THE SOUL EATERS, 4th diminsional beings with a purpose.
Irony Possibilities in Your TV Series:
Plot:
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Lily’s investigation exposes Rivina’s truth, but turns her into a believer: This fuels internal conflict for Lily, forcing her to reconcile her skepticism with genuine faith.
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Turning into light brings temporary escape but not eternal peace: The ascended souls return as babies, trapped in the very cycle Lily initially condemned.
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Fighting evil requires the help of another “fake”: Lily partners with Rivina, the very person she aimed to expose, creating an ironic alliance.
Character:
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Eric, the deceiver, becomes consumed by the light: His lies and secrets are exposed in the purest form, leading to unexpected consequences.
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Madam Rosa, the sweet healer, harbors evil: Her outward kindness masks a wicked interior, creating a disturbing contrast.
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Janet, the news boss, is the true hidden threat: This challenges viewers’ perception of authority and raises questions about trust.
Relationships:
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Lily and Rivina become unlikely allies against a bigger enemy: Their differences become strengths as they unite for a common goal.
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Eric’s disappearance brings Lily and Rivina closer: Shared loss transcends initial mistrust, forging an unexpected bond.
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Raymond’s secret agenda puts him at odds with Rivina: Their close relationship suffers a painful betrayal, adding emotional depth to the conflict.
Situation:
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Seeking heaven brings a fearsome new enemy: The discovery of the Soul Eaters twists the meaning of ascension, turning hope into terror.
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Exposing the truth creates more mysteries: Answers lead to more questions, keeping the characters and viewers on edge.
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Fighting witches reveals a deeper cosmic conspiracy: The battle expands beyond human conflict, adding another layer of complexity.
Coverups:
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Rivina’s miracles hide a dark secret: Her powers mask the Soul Eaters’ involvement, creating a deceptive facade.
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Janet’s authority shields her true identity: Her position of power allows her to manipulate events from the shadows.
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The 4th Dimension exists beyond human perception: This hidden realm creates a constant sense of unseen danger.
Layers:
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Light and darkness are not always what they seem: Miracles have a sinister side, good intentions lead to unintended consequences.
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Characters have hidden depths: Even familiar faces harbor secrets, blurring the lines between friend and foe.
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The fight for good involves confronting uncomfortable truths: Lily and Rivina must question their own beliefs to overcome the enemy.
Actions:
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Seeking control fuels the cycle of suffering: Characters’ attempts to escape their fate perpetuate the Soul Eaters’ power.
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Sacrifice for a good cause might have unforeseen costs: Sacrifices made to defeat evil might have tragic consequences.
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Uncovering the truth unleashes chaos: The characters’ pursuit of knowledge may have devastating consequences for the world.
Dialogue:
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Characters say one thing but mean another: Hidden agendas and double meanings create suspense and mistrust.
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Ironic statements foreshadow future events: Seemingly harmless comments hint at dark secrets to come.
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Humor in the face of terror: Jokes and sarcasm provide relief from the bleakness, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
Dramatic Irony:
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Characters celebrate someone’s ascension, unaware of their fate: The audience knows the truth, creating a chilling contrast.
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Lily fights against Rivina, unaware of their future partnership: This knowledge builds anticipation for their eventual alliance.
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Characters search for heaven while unknowingly serving the Soul Eaters: This creates a sense of helplessness and impending doom.
Remember, these are just a few suggestions to get you started. Feel free to adapt and combine these ideas to create even more unique and impactful forms of irony in your TV series!
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ELEVATED CHARACTER PROFILES
<b style=”background-color: var(–bb-content-background-color); font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>Lily: Driven reporter, haunted by trauma, risks everything for truth (with a messy personal life on the side).
Rivina: Unwitting conduit, tormented by visions, seeks answers while fearing hidden truths.
Madam Rosa: Shadowy manipulator, hiding tragic past, fueled by power hungry ambitions and fear of consequences.
Here are some additional suggestions to further refine your profiles:
Lily:
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Weakness: Not just fear of heights, but a specific memory tied to it that fuels her recklessness.
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Wound: Mother’s rejection shaped her need for validation and fear of being unworthy.
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Trigger: Mention of her missing loved one or anything related to religious dogma.
Rivina:
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Intrigue: Visions hint at a prophecy or hidden purpose for the light transformations.
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Weakness: A specific power or ability she struggles to control.
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Trigger: The entity exerting its influence, leading to visions or physical harm.
Madam Rosa:
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Intrigue: A specific connection to the entity, offering a deeper motive for her actions.
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Weakness: A vulnerability beyond losing her temper, perhaps a physical ailment or emotional attachment.
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Trigger: Something specific threatens her power or exposes her true nature.
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Hiram Taylor – Lesson #5 – Depth of Emotions
WHAT DID I LEARN?
I learned from watching emotions instead of listening to dialogue, that the reactions, facial expressions, and eye contact made by this great ensemble of talented actors are what really made this show such a huge success. They are portraying horrible people but they keep the characters interesting and I cannot stop watching. It’s the “what is not being said” that drives this series.
PART ONE: SUCCESSION CHARACTERS
LOGAN
HOPE – He will recover from his stroke and get back to normal
FEAR – That he is losing his mind and mental ability to run the company as CEO
WANT – Ultimate Power
NEED – Dominance
NEGATIVE EMOTION – Weak loser
MASK – Strong In Control – Winning
WEAKNESS – Lack of self-control over emotions
TRIGGERS – Losing (even at a family game) being told to retire
COPING MECHANISM – Fight back, lashes out (slaps grandson at the dinner table)
KEN
HOPE – He dreams of replacing his father as CEO of the Media Company
FEAR – That he will never take over. Afraid to take on his father and family.
WANT – Power, Control
NEED – Approval from his father. Recognition.
NEGATIVE EMOTION – Fear
PUBLIC MASK – Strong Leader
WEAKNESS – self-doubt
TRIGGERS – Physical violence,
COPING MECHANISM – Analyze how to solve the situation so he can manipulate outcome.
MY SHOW – (working title) FINDING RAYMOND
LILY – PROTAGONIST
HOPE – To become a star of News Broadcasting
FEAR – That she will make a mess of it when she gets it.
WANT – Success achieved by doing the right things.
NEED – Self-esteem. Need to be a good person
BASE NEGATIVE EMOTION – Unworthy
PUBLIC MASK – Very important person
WEAKNESS – Fear of heights.
TRIGGERS – Criticism – WOUND – Mother always told her she was wrong, stupid, worthless.
COPING MECHANISM – Fights back, lashes out, anger.
MADAM ROSA
HOPE – To be the most powerful witch of all time.
FEAR – That the evil she puts out will come back to burn her.
WANT – More and more power.
NEED – To control the world. Total dominance.
NEGATIVE EMOTION – Despicable tyrant
MASK – Loving Public Servant a sweet old lady.
WEAKNESS – Loses her temper, and cannot control her anger.
TRIGGERS – Physical or verbal threats from someone, group, or thing.
COPING MECHANISM – Distort, scheme, and cover-up.
AI Version
Finding Raymond: Light’s Shadow (Horror)
Character Struggles:
Lily:
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Situational: Fear of turning into light and disappearing, leaving her loved ones. Hope of finding a cure and a life worth living before the inevitable.
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Motivational: Wants to be seen and valued for who she is, not just for her eventual disappearance. Needs to protect her family from the horror she faces.
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Mask: Puts on a brave face but struggles with crippling fear inside.
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Weakness: Prone to panic attacks and nightmares triggered by reminders of her condition.
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Triggers: Sudden changes in light, shadows, witnessing others disappear.
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Coping mechanisms: Clinging to family, researching ways to slow down the transformation, practicing meditation to control her fear.
Madam Rosa:
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Situational: Fear of losing her community and purpose as people vanish. Hope to understand the phenomenon and possibly reverse it.
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Motivational: Wants to preserve her legacy and protect her remaining loved ones. Needs to maintain order and hope in the face of chaos.
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Mask: Projects wisdom and strength but harbors immense grief and fear.
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Weakness: Haunted by the memories of those she’s lost.
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Triggers: Empty homes, abandoned belongings, witnessing someone disappear.
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Coping mechanisms: Leading rituals and ceremonies to honor the lost, maintaining routines and traditions, focusing on helping others cope.
Rivina:
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Situational: Fear of facing her own mortality and the fragility of life. Hope of finding meaning and connection before dissolving into light.
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Motivational: Wants to experience love and acceptance without worrying about disappearing. Needs to reconcile her past regrets and find personal redemption.
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Mask: Acts cynical and aloof but yearns for deep connection.
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Weakness: Struggles with trust and openness due to past betrayals.
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Triggers: Witnessing acts of cruelty or selfishness, reminders of lost loved ones, facing her own vulnerability.
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Coping mechanisms: Throwing herself into risky adventures, seeking temporary distractions, engaging in acts of kindness to atone for past mistakes.
Janet:
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Situational: Fear of being left behind by everyone she loves. Hope of finding a way to stay with Lily forever, even after transformation.
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Motivational: Wants to protect Lily at all costs. Needs to find her own purpose and identity outside of her relationship with Lily.
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Mask: Appears selfless and devoted but grapples with intense codependency.
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Weakness: Overly emotional and prone to self-sacrifice.
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Triggers: Seeing Lily in danger, witnessing others disappear with their loved ones, any sign of Lily succumbing to the transformation.
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Coping mechanisms: Obsessive research on the phenomenon, clinging to Lily at all times, developing survival skills to help them face the unknown together.
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Hiram Taylor
1.
I am still watching Succession. Logan is out of the hospital and has taken over the CEO role again at his company, which upsets everybody. Ken especially. The 4 children have defined their characters more through the ordeal of trying to kiss up to their ill father and get around his wife. It is still hard for me to figure out who I should be cheering for. I hate all of them. I cannot decide who the protagonist is, the Father, Logan with the 3 evil children? Or is Logan the antagonist depriving Ken his due and I should be on Ken’s side.
What have I learned from this? A writer does not need any likable characters if the story is compelling enough. I don’t think I can get through 8 seasons of this show that’s for sure. I have no idea why it is such a big hit. I discussed it with my manager and she said she hates the show too and thinks that I have worked with so many asshole people in my life by this age I really don’t want to deal with such people anymore. I think she may be right.
2,
My show. Working title only is FINDING RAYMOND. GENRE = Horror
1. Lily (30’s)
ROLE: Protagonist. Skeptical news reporter
UNIQUE PURPOSE: To expose the truth behind the sudden disappearance of a group of people which includes her cameraman and Raymond, Rivina’s husband.
EXPERTISE: Investigative journalism, tenacity, critical thinking skills, mystery solver.
INTRIGUE: Secretly harbors past trauma involving a missing loved one. Her cameraman just asked her to marry him before he disappeared.
UNPREDICTABLE: Will take reckless risks to get the story even if it puts herself and others in grave danger.
MORAL ISSUES: She questions the line between objective reporting and emotional involvement.
EMPATHETIC: We care because of her vulnerability, her yearning for answers, and her fierce determination to solve the crime and do the right thing.
2. RIVINA (40’s)
1. Role: Successful Spiritual Channeler with a large group of faithful followers. In the first episode, she will have a feud with Lily over a story about her church making the audience think she is the antagonist, but by the end she becomes friends with Lily. Rivina’s husband Raymond has disappeared and she pays Lily to find him and is supportive. She does not know about the cameraman. By the end of the first episode MADAM ROSA will be the series ANTAGONIST (covered next).
2. UNIQUE PURPOSE: Unraveling the mystery by using her spiritual powers which makes the story into the horror genre as they deal with the spirit world and evil entities.
EXPERTISE: Knowledge of the spiritual realms and connections to the unseen horrors of the 4th Dimension.
3. INTRIGUE: She talks with spirits and sometimes they take over her body and speak through her.
4. UNPREDICTABLE: She is haunted by visions of a dark force that might be taking her to the dark side herself. She does not know if she can really trust Lily and fears maybe Lily should not trust her.
5. MORAL ISSUES: Initially resists helping Lily fearing the consequences of revealing the truth. Is she helping the right side since Lily has no religious beliefs?
6. EMPATHETIC: Struggles with guilt because she feels she caused the disappearances by unleashing the spirit from the realm of darkness through her channeling. We care because of her inner conflict, her genuine desire to find her husband and her vulnerability to the entity’s power to possess her.
MADAM ROSA (60’S)
1. ROLE: The antagonist, a shadowy manipulator, poses as a healer but is a fake and practices witchcraft to get her results. She is the true cause of the disappearances.
2. UNIQUE PURPOSE: She is the human controlling the entity from the other dimension causing transformations in humans and making them disappear.
EXPERTISE: She has occult knowledge, and practices witchcraft spells and dark magic. She manipulates people and twists information
3. INTRIGUE: She hides a dark tragic past that fuels her obsession with the entity and her desire to practice evil.
4. UNPREDICTABLE: Will resort to any means necessary to protect her secrets and ruthlessly pursue her agenda.
5. MORAL ISSUES: She has no qualms about exploiting and endangering others for power.
6. EMPATHETIC: We may not condone her methods but understand her deep-seated pain that drives her actions.
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Hiram Taylor
Main characters:
Lily: news reporter
Rivina: A famous prophet
Madam Rosa: a fake spiritual healer
Janet: News anchor – rival of Lily
Connected Characters
Raymond: Rivina’s husband
Eric: Lily cameraman
Phil: Lily’s boss
Smoke: An evil entity
Environment:
A man in a wheelchair
Woman in grief
Church members
Audience members
television crews
Hotel receptionist
lost souls in limbo
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I have chosen SUCCESSION
1. BIG HOOK: An entire family goes into meltdown and war against each other when the 80 year old father decides not to retire from CEO of his Media Company after all, leaving his 4 children feuding with him and each other as the company is headed for collapse. Then, he has a stroke.
2. Characters: All the characters are horrible ruthless people with knives out against each other like in Game of Thrones set in the modern day. However, each is carefully drawn to be extremely different from any other person which makes them all intriguing. That makes the viewer interested in discovering their point of view on the situation. They all have a different voice and have a unique way with language. The dialogue is very over the top, foul-mouthed, and almost poetic like Shakespeare. The entire episode reminded me of King Lear.
3. Empathy/Distress: This is a complicated one for this show. Every main character is a horrible person and beyond liking. However, the strong plot twists force the viewer to pick sides. I guess our protagonist is the eldest son currently running the business for his father. I say I guess because he is a total asshole. I did not find one redeeming quality in him. However, I did feel empathy for him when he was emotionally destroyed after his father did not trust him to be the next CEO. His pain and resentment sets up the battle between son and father which is the main thrust of the plot. The ruthless father picks on everyone which makes the watcher hate him the most. I could not help but have some sympathy for the butt-kissers’ employees who he abused. Having worked for bosses who treated me like shit made me relate. I imagine most audience members have had a similar experience with a boss or parent. Good call by the writers for gaining some sympathy for these pathetic losers.
4. Layers/ Open Loops: There are lots of layers to each of the main character’s traits. They are all clearly drawn as ruthless, and selfish. and despicable people with quirky ways and managed dialogue that drips with subtext. No one says what they really mean, or how they truly feel. They are all acting in a role to please the father. He sees right through them which is why he has total control over them all.
Open Lopes: Will the father die without choosing an heir? How will the children react? Who will win the coming battle for power? Will the company go under or will the ruthless Asian man recently coming into the company “pick them off one by one and eat them alive” as he promises to do?
5. Inviting Obsession: Everything has been set up in the pilot to guarantee a “war story drama with bits of comedy.” The high stakes are clearly set. Bloody battlelines have been drawn. King Lear in a unique modern setting. There is a mystery set in motion like any good thriller that will entice an audience to watch to see who wins. Probably bets will be placed at water coolers around America like they were when JR was shot in Dallas.
6. WHAT I LEARNED: I realized I do not need to like any of the characters to become intrigued by their story. Did I enjoy watching this show? Not really. Would I watch it if I was not in this class? Probably not. I just watched one episode of Ozark and never want to see it again. But, unlike Ozark which I hated, I must admit I do feel a desire to see how Succession plays out. What other twists and turns will the writers come up with in future episodes? What clever dialogue and cruel jokes will come out of these characters’ mouths? So, yes I am in for the ride.
I also learned to look beyond the surface here look and listen for the subtext. What meaning did that cigarette have that the character seemed to desperately need and then why did he stompt it out after only one puff? I saw the clues that King Lear might be the writer’s source material and started to look for similarities with the Shakespeare play. I realized what the characters were saying had very little meaning, but the subtext underneath had great meaning. A cough or a glance or a joke could have more meaning than the words being spoken. I learned the writer’s skill of using the cruelty inflicted on a horrible person by a bully could create sympathy for them even though I knew they were a terrible person. The more a character was picked on, mocked, or abused the more I started to root for them. There is something exciting about watching a nest of vipers devour each other.
Hiram Taylor
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Name: Hiram Taylor
How many scripts you’ve written: 11 screenplays, 5 published novels, 22 produced plays, 5 musicals
What I hope to get out of this class is knowledge how to write a Bible for the serialization of my books for the Media company I am working for. I hope to expand on the skills working with AI to make the Brainstorming process quicker for rewriting when the producer gives me notes on the needed changes.
What is unique about me, is that I am a Mardi Gras float designer and painter in New Orleans for 33 years.
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Hiram Taylor
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