"THE CREW" Series Character
DEVELOPING STORYLINES
'THE CREW' Writer / Showrunner Trayce Gardner & Writing Team Contributors
WRITING GOALS
BUILD PITCH PACKAGE
.
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Create 'THE CREW' Series Bible
Outlining Seasons #1 - 4,
(10) 30 minute Episodes Per Season
.
.
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Write Episodes #1 - 4, Season #1
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PLUS: Create Workshop Video Showcasing Actors Playing Characters
HOW TO BUILD
CHARACTERS PROFILES
A SERIES BIBLE FEATURES WRITTEN:
- Profiles For Each Character
- Outlines Of Their Individual Storylines
- Summation Tying All Into The Series Description
TO CREATE HER OWN WRITERS ROOM, THE CREW Writer / Showrunner recruited Actors willing to share their own backgrounds, do research, improv, and brainstorm over the Characters. In the workshops everyone was thinking like Writers, and Actors often came up with ideas for Characters other than the ones they themselves were playing.
LOTS OF ACTORS!
During a year and a half of workshops, most of the Actors listed below are the only ones who played their Character.
Four of the Characters (KAZIA, ADIVA, PRESTON, and ALISTAIR) have been played by multiple Actors. Our workshop stand-in for BETTY (ANTHONY's Mom) is the Director of the Brownsville Heritage House, which hosted many of our workshops.
"IT'S NOT EVERY ACTOR
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who wants to participate in a unpaid workshoping of a Series still in Story Development -- spread over more than two years !
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I'm grateful for all the perspectives and stories that Actors have shared, as well as their often sharp critiques.
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Plus I'm grateful to the other people who've been my go-to cultural and artistic consultants. Sometimes for just one encounter ! Minutes on a clock don't measure impact. Even when they didn't know it, I've had a lot of people on my Writing Team !" - Trayce
THE CREW
'The Best Way There is Together'
THE SETTING
This dramedy opens in October 2016, on the cusp on the Trump Era that will drive America into a twilight zone. Trump’s place of birth, New York City – a melting pot where not every group wants to blend -- is also home to a rapidly expanding $9 billion a year film industry. But that glamorous industry doesn’t seem to reach into Brownsville Brooklyn, where local filmmakers struggle to keep a roof as they push along their small projects and big dreams………
THE STORY
One of those filmmakers, ANTHONY, is desperate to get ‘MARVIN’ produced -- his 1960s-set action feature project. Normally a do-it-all-himself-kinda-guy, Anthony must now build a crew who’ll stick with him when there’s no money (yet). He attracts an international group of misfits of varying skill levels with their own agendas and problems, but all having a belief in Anthony and wanting to have a belief in themselves.
CHARACTER PROFILES
& WORKSHOP ACTORS
For More Information On Each Character's Storyline -- Click
On The Actor's Name To Go To An Actor / Character Page!
ANTHONY & HIS CREW
ANTHONY (25)
DANTE (25)
KAZIA (34)
ADIVA (26)
TOKI (35)
AARON (19)
Janki Patel *
Creative and opinionated,
tries to wake others up
but Adiva's own personal
uptightness gets in way.
.
* Janki was a last minute fill-in for our videotaped workshop. We will be casting again for ADIVA.
These days Toki strives to be a warrior through
self-sacrifice and humility –
as the "Terrible Temper" continues to shadow him!
ADIVA
**********
Financial Analysist /
Trump Hater /
Awaiting US Citizenship Because Her Family
Moved To New Jersey
AARON
From East Harlem
************
Newbie Sound Engineer / Embarrassed by Cryptic Family Background /
Quick Learner /
Enthusiastic
But Awkward /
Lacks Social Skills
'AINA
***********
Newbie Production Assistant (PA) Who
Believes He’s Fated
To Help Anthony Make ‘MARVIN’ / Brilliant Ex- Programmer Who Wants
Simplified Hands-on Life
A mass of mysterious contradictions with a big
secret, April becomes the
essential anchor to Anthony's success.
APRIL (21)
APRIL
Scots-Irish Alabamian
***********
Newbie to NYC-Brooklyn / Wannabe Actress Who
Starts Out As A Background
Extra In Anthony’s Music Videos / Girl Friday /
Waiter (Catering) /Hangs
Out At The Bushwick Hatmakers (Millinery)
Shop Below Her Illegal Apartment Share.
ANTHONY
From Brownsville
************
(Reluctant) Producer /
of Low-No Budget Short
Films & Music Videos /
Brooklyn Focused /
Black Lives Matter /
Waiter (Restaurant)
It's not easy being Anthony!
Certain of his own abilities and vision, but not so sure how to
proceed in the world and
in his relationships
.
KAZIA
Texan
************
Ambitious Director of Photography (DP) /
Believes In Anthony's
Feature Project ‘MARVIN’ /
Avid Hillary Supporter /
Has Impatient Fiance
The new commanding
presence on Anthony's set,
Kazia’s driven by
a ticking clock.
.
THE OBJECT OF ANTHONY'S PURSUIT
THE FAMOUS ACTOR (34)
Grabbed off the Brooklyn
streets and made a popular
flavor for a few years,
the Famous Actor is in a
private panic, fearing a
broken-happily-ever-after.
THE FAMOUS ACTOR
From Bushwick
************
The Actor Anthony Wants
To Star In His Feature ‘MARVIN’ / Martial Arts
Expert / Lonely Bacholor
Care Of His Mother
And Numerous
Family Members
FAMILY, FRIENDS, ENEMY, CREW-TO-BE
BETTY (40s)
MICHELLE (25)
DMITRI (29)
Miriam Robertson *
BETTY
African-American
Estranged From South Carolina Family Home
(Refuses to identify as the Yankee Bajan she is)
************
Anthony’s Mom
(Who He Has Only Known
As A Single Woman) /
Recluse
With One Passion
She wants control so never lets go;
afraid all dreams end in disaster.
* Miriam, Director of the Brownsville Heritage House was our stand-in BETTY when we did our workshops at the Heritage House.
.
MICHELLE
African-American
From Sugar Hill
***********
Anthony’s College-Ex / Dedicated Black
Determined To Be Entertainment
Social Media
Marketing Wiz /
Doesn't Know How
To Relax
Can-Do-
Black-Woman
mindset masks
her fears, confusions,
self-doubts, and fatigue.
.
Maksym (Max) Druzhynskyi *
DMITRI
************
Manager of Anthony’s Favorite Hangout
in Bushwick /
Immigrant
Who Forgot
Why He Came /
Russia Hater – Trump Hater / Carries Dog-eared
Paperback Books
Declaring himself over the hill
at 29, he watches and judges.
.
* Max got us permission to shoot at the cafe he
worked at, and stood-in as our DMITRI in
the workshops. Max is now studying acting.
PRESTON (32)
.
DEREK
From Bushwick
************
Looks Up to Dante
& Bullies Anthony /
Union Grip Apprentice
Likes Trump's
Forcefulness /
An Only Child, Widowed Mother is His World /
Aggressive & Naive
With Women
Saim Hyder
SAMEER
************
Adiva’s Foodie Buddy /
Low Level International Journalist /
Secretly Writing A Script / Desperate for Green Card /
Afraid of Trump &
Resentful of Illegal Immigrants
On the run from family responsibilities back home;
he’s a quick learner
who’s too prideful to admit
when he needs help.
DEREK (23)
MURPHY (50s)
SAMEER (28)
GEORGE WHITE-GW (28)
TRAVIS (27)
PRESTON (32)
ALISTAIR (24)
THE CREW
GEORGE WHITE (GW)
From New Jersey
************
April’s New Friend From
Hanging Out At The Hatmakers Shop /
Union On Set Dresser /
Budding Scriptwriter /
New Jersey Advocate
Desperate for the
stuff of dreams
to liven up his comfortable
inherited union-man life.
TRAVIS
From New Jersey
***********
GW’s Buddy &
April's New Friend /
Union Grip /
Studying To Be An Actor /
Behaves As Chill as ‘The Dude’ (But Desperate to Escape New Jersey)
Travis is constantly
transforming into characters
from beloved films – as he ignores the basics
of everyday life and
his disturbing family history.
PRESTON
************
April’s New Catering Friend / Recent Grad
Of Culinary School /
Hopes To Find A
Community To Belong To
Through Food /
Kind But Reserved
ALISTAIR
Lives in Greenwich, Connecticut
***********
Preston’s Younger Brother Who Works For Their
Ruthless Dad /
Frustrated Wannabe
Hedge Fund Manager /
Zealous Fraternity
Brother / Prankster
A charmer rich guy
without his own money;
his plans always
end in disaster