ELEVATrON
Written by: Mand Paskuski
LOGLrNE
SCI-FI COMEDY ROMANCE
When Louis Bork, a desperate man at the end of his rope attends a motivational summit in search for guidance, he finds forbidden love instead.
SYNOPSrS
Louis Bork arrives at Elevation Estate the day before world renowned Sonny Hotchkiss's Motivational Summit begins. He is foist into a new habitat with a strict regimen and carefully curated routine to help him on his rising journey. In the span of a short few days he meets many of the other summit attendees and quickly learns the ropes and rules of the place. The most exciting of all the introductions he makes is with a woman named Siro. Their interaction is cut short when he is made aware she is literally out of his league and a Platinum Member, to his meager Silver. Orientation day throws him for a loop when a disgruntled former summit attendee attempts murder in the auditorium. The seedy plot unravels as Louis uncovers the truth about this former attendee and the nefarious circumstances surrounding his dissapearance. It would appear intentions of this institution are not so high as they doth protest.
STRUCTURE
ELEVATION is a ten hour Sci-Fi Comedy Romance Limited Series.
Set in an obscure secluded location in a castle resort in the middle of nowhere and greatly influenced by the works of Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou (THE LOBSTER) and Dan Erickson (SEVERANCE).
This story takes us on a thrilling, suspenseful dip and dive episode by episode, revealing new nuggets of truth like breadcrumbs to a candy house. Hour by hour, the audience will be guided in juxtaposed directions with their allegiances, alliances and skepticisms. Everything they think they know will be a lie, a mis-direction, a bait and switch. The fun will come from having beloved characters flip on us and hated ones earn our trust. Throughout all this, we'll get to watch Louis and Siro's Shakespearean love tale evolve and struggle against larger forces at play. A true Romeo and Juliet tormented romance that in the end may be just as tragic but that won't stop us rooting for them.
A gripping, sense-grating, spiralling twist of a show, ELEVATION is the light, quirky odd-ball thriller we've all been waiting for.
CHARACTERS
LOUIS BORK (40's), SILVER MEMBER. By all accounts, Louis is your average guy, average height, no glamorous features to write home about, nor style to increase any wow-factors. He's just a regular Joe with a chip on his shoulder like most struggling forty-somethings that had grander visions for their life and future. Underneath all his homeliness, is a kind, brave, romantic soul with many faults he's struggled to reconcile with. He's had a troubled past, a dark childhood, a shaky young-adulthood and in his forties, he still feels much like a child. For all these reasons, he found himself at the doors of Elevation Estate and courageously made his way past the threshold.
SIRO (Late 30's), PLATINUM MEBER. Not your average manic pixie dream girl, though she is weird as fuck. Siro is an odd duck, she thinks differently than other people and has a flare for the dramatic. Everything in life she's ever gained, she's also lost - family, friends, houses, cars, money - there and gone in the blink of a bad decision. Her bad decisions are what led her to the gates of Elevation Estate and for her, it may be too late to turn back now.
SONNY HOTCHKISS (50's), FOUNDING MEMBER of Elevation Tacticals Incorporated. Sonny is the face and mouthpiece of Elevation. From an early age he was different, destined for greatness and bound to reach the top of the upper echelon. He attended all the right schools, internships, fellowships and offices to land hm exactly where he is today. Nepotism got him far and he's ran with that golden rope all the way to the summit. With over twenty years in the business of elevating people, Sonny is almost godlike in the way that he is adored and revered - a minor celerity by all measures and to his "Risers" a King to be worshiped. Sonny is one of the wealthiest men in the world with one of the darkest secrets for how he maintains it.
FRILLO (30's), "HIGH FIVE" STAFF MEMBER. Ambitious, cunning, shrewd and manipulative, Frillo is the silent poison in the air of Elevation Estate. You wouldn't think to take second notice of her and this becomes her greatest weapon, invisibility and disregard. Make no mistake, she is Sonny's greatest asset and closest confidant. She is the brains behind his master plan for Elevation practices, or should we say... malpractices.
PERCEPHOS (30's - 40's), STAFF MEMBER. Lobby Man at Elevation Estate. Secretive, reserved, watchful and clever, Percephos is our eyes behind the curtain of this strange world.
PETER (40's), STAFF MEMBER. Bursary Fashion Coordinator. Sonny found Peter in a parking lot, homeless, jobless, friendless and completely directionless. He's been with Bursary ever since and could never have imagined what the years would reveal. Only recently has he formed a conscience regarding his part in the Elevation Institution.
MILO (40's), SILVER MEMBER. Tier Six, Term Nine. That's right, Milo's been to nine seminars back to back. He's an optimist, a dreamer, a true believer in the good of people and the power of change. He fights for what he believes in and he champions others. This year, Milo was made aware of some suspicious goings on at Elevation Estate and when his former friend and room mate, Danny goes rouge - his life takes a sharp turn towards imminent danger.
DANNY (40's), SILVER MEMBER. Tier Six, Term Nine. We see glimpses of Danny in flashbacks. We learn that he and Milo were friends from college who found each other later in life, both in ruts and in need of some... lifting up. Danny was the one to convince Milo to attend an Elevation seminar with him and after that first term, they agreed they'd go every year together. Things began to change once Danny started to learn more about the man behind the microphone - he became obsessed with Sonny. Once he started hanging out with Percephos and Peter, he learned more than he bargained for and his life would never be the same.
FLO (40's), "HIGH FIVE" GOLD MEMBER. Ever since her husband died Flo has been coming to the Elevation Summit. On the surface, she appears to have mild interest in Elevation but rather the people that attend. Frillo and Flo know each other well and both present to the outside world as something completely other than their true selves.
DETECTIVE FYDE (60's), NON MEMBER. Meticulous, methodical and mysterious, Fyde is the perspective of the outsider. He has an important task: to investigate Elevation Estate for a possible suspect in a homicide. He chooses to go in undercover and infiltrate from within; a dangerous pursuit that casts him way in over his head.
GRAUMAN (40's), "HIGH FIVE" PLATINUM MEMBER. Tier Twenty. Grauman found his way to Elevation just around the time Sonny founded it. Sharp, ruthless, unapologetic and mean, Grauman is a man who gets things done. He hasn't necessarily been handed everything on a silver platter his whole life, but what wasn't given to him, he took by force. He realized early on that he could ascend the Elevation ranks within a few short years and reign top dog in a very prosperous company or should we say... colony. He did just that and he's a force to be reckoned with.
FRIA (30's), GOLD MEMBER. Fria is also someone we meet briefly during Louis's courtship on the Games Grounds. She's a woman who speaks her mind and that tends to get her in trouble. Here, it is welcomed and encouraged. She represents the many women here looking to find partners but with very ulterior motives to that of love.
TONE
+
STYLE
The visual style will be based on the build of anticipation and the satisfaction of it paying off. With each glance at Sonny we should feel a heightened sense of wonder, as if we're in the presence of a god and part of the summit ourselves. Slowly as the truth is revealed, we'll have, like so many, fallen down the rabbit hole of a pyramid scheme we didn't even know we were in. That's the way they get you and keep you where they want you. Our story and camera should act as a guide, nudging us in the desired direction then giving us glimpses behind the curtain to pique our interests and ply us with questions. With expert pacing, in each episode we will learn more and more about our characters and their reasons for attending the summit and we will learn more about the people behind the creation of it.
The music should be quirky, odd and upbeat to contrast against the eerie setting and story elements. Odd and ominous is the ticket here, my friends!