CLAVE
Logline: An Android designed to look like a world-famous celebrity attempts to flee the clutches of his owner while the actor upon which the Android is based grapples with an unprecedented level of limelight.
Story Outline: In the near future, robotics advances to the point that androids are virtually indistinguishable from human beings. In this daunting new world, the industry emerges of the Replidroid; An Android designed to look like your favourite celebrities. In this world, one Replidroid (known simply as The Android), struggles to escape Deidra, his violent and manipulative owner. The Android is trapped by his own programming, forced to slave to Deidra’s every will.
The primary influence for this story comes from the rapid pace of Artificial intelligence in the modern world along with the parasocial relationship between celebrities and fans. The original concept for the show was effectively “What if you had a deepfake of a celebrity that was alive? How would it feel? What would its story be? And how would that make the celebrity feel?” I thought about these questions many years ago and now, with the advancements in Generative AI, including language models that mimic celebrities such as Mr Beast and Tom Brady marketed to children, or the ability to “undress” celebrities with AI publicly available on most porn sites, it feels like this story is becoming more relevant than ever.
The Android: One of the deuteragonists of the story, The Android is a slave who longs for freedom and escape. When we first meet him, he has an almost childlike innocence to him. Despite looking like a full-grown man, he has only known consciousness for about four years (at least, that’s what he can remember due to a memory wipe four years ago). Over the course of the series, The Android will be challenged by his Master and his environment until he must make a crucial choice to escape.
Clave Winter: Clave, the second deuteragonist of the story, is one of, if not the most famous actor in the world of his time. Beloved by fans the world over, largely due to his major Replidroid presence, Clave struggles to come to terms with how his image is used and engaged with by said fans. He’s being told by everyone that the world is one way, but in his heart he knows it to be another.
Deidra Lewis: The cruel master of the Android, Deidra is a failed actress turned farmer’s widow. All she wanted in life was to become a movie star. However, she ended up falling in love with a Farmer named John who she gave up her dreams for after she fell pregnant with their kids. John died some years later of a heart attack and her kids grew up and moved far away, leaving Deidra with the farm she can’t look after. So, she’s forced to rely on The Android, who’s face is a constant reminder of her failed aspirations. Though she’s initially positioned as an antagonist that rides the line of sympathy and hatred, her backstory and her relationship with her children will be explored in interesting ways.
Frank Winter: Clave’s Father and Manager. Frank is an old school show biz guy. A single father, he grew up with nothing, and everything he had he put into getting Clave acting lessons and driving to auditions. Clave is a direct result of Franks actions, and Frank likes to remind Clave of that. Frank is also the reason Clave was kept in the dark about the sexual nature of the Replidroids, claiming to protect his son from the truth. Frank is driven primarily by money and the bottom line. He’s charming, cunning and thinks of himself as a bit of a gangster but is ultimately spineless.
Lucy Scarlett: Clave’s co-lead in his main film franchise, “Agent Scorpio”. Lucy demonstrates another side of the Android/Celebrity relationship. Where Clave becomes more outspoken against the Androids, Lucy portrays a subtler approach. The reason for this is that her whole family, including her father who is unable to work due to a disability, relies on her income. She can’t afford to lose what she has. But at the same time, the sexual nature of the Replidroids and the repercussions from that are amplified for her as she is a woman. Eventually, her and Clave team up, along with Aaron Wells to try to figure out a way to stop Intech (the company behind the Replidroids).
Aaron Wells: A classic playboy actor. He hosts lavish parties every other week, lives off a steady supply of alcohol and other substances, and is a sexual deviant (even sleeping with Replidroids that are based off himself). Behind the grandiose persona though, is someone who is hollow inside, coasting off fame and fortune and heading to an early grave until he meets Clave and Lucy. Together they attempt to bring down Intech. Aaron also serves as the comic relief of the show, providing a small amount of brevity in this otherwise serious sci fi drama.
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