Sunday, February 19, 2023

Loose Narrative Structure

 I'm just going to start by saying that this by no means is finalized, but very much so an loose initial outline of events. Official decisions and specific interactions are yet to be made, but I though it'd be helpful to bring together the ideas I've had that have been scattered around in my sketchbook, notes app, and my head.

I'd like to open with the main character, who I'm thinking of naming Eric, watching a TV show in a dark room. Nothing out of the ordinary happens, the viewer is just shown Eric immersed with the show, more specifically the host. The Host would either be giving a monologue or interacting with a stage hand or guest to show off his likeable charisma.

It would then hard cut to Eric in the real world outside of his safe space. He is forced to interact with someone and has a moment of hesitation before going on to quote the lines he had heard the Host say the night before. The other person continues the conversation as Eric continues to speak and act like the Host. The other person then has to leave to go on with their day leaving Eric alone is happy with the interaction, as he succeeded in getting others to respond similarly to how they do with the Host.

When he's back home and sits down with the TV on playing the show. The Host begins by asking a guest how their day was, but when it's their turn to speak Eric answers the Host; he tell the Host about his successful interaction earlier in the day. Eric's obsession with the Host and his show is further explored in this scene, as Eric truly believes he's having a meaningful conversation with the Host, who's responses with the guest on the show encourage Eric. 

The Host would eventually cut the conversation short as he lead into the commercial break. The first commercial is of a remote control that sold as giving the user "the power of the world, in the palm of their hands". Eric still holds the same attentiveness in watching the advertisement as when he watched the Host. As the jingle for the product is being played the power cuts and thunder is heard. Eric is alone in the darkness, no longer engaged by the flashing lights on the screen; he's left without a way to behave and is shown motionless.

Another hard cut to Eric at a store buying the aforementioned remote control. As he either in the store or outside of it, he gets into accidently gets himself into altercation with a stranger. Eric refers back to the Host for a method of dealing with the situation, but the stranger has no patience and makes a fool of Eric (possibly by beating him up).

Eric drags himself home after the interaction and tries to vent to the Host, about his unsuccessful outing. The interaction would begin similar to the previous night with the Host talking to a guest, but Eric believing he's the one being talked with. Eric expresses his dissatisfaction with how people perceive him, and wants to know the Host's secret to positive attention. It's around this point, the Host would eventually turn towards Eric and for the first time talk with him directly.

The Host shoots down Eric's request, saying he don't want some co-dependent freak tarnishing his name with mimicry. The confrontation leads to Eric changing the channel, where the Host appears again. Eric turns off the TV, voluntarily isolating himself. Moments later the Host appears in the room approaching Eric, saying that he knows Eric envies him and that he wants to use him as a vessel to escape the confines of the show he's forced to live through. A terrified Eric, refuses to, but the Host grabs the remote control and turns back on the TV. The lights flash on, the theme song kicks in, and the Host is gone; all that's left would be Eric with an unnatural grin. He finally gets what he's always wanted; he now houses the personality of the Host, but at the cost of losing any previous sense of personality.


Like I said at the beginning it's stilly pretty rough. I'm likely going to share this posting with some other people and talk with them about the story and see what they think. And then I'd try to gauge the runtime by writing a rough draft of a script.


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