Here’s a rough sketch of a possible screenplay: The Shadowscape – Episode 1. A dark comedy. Homages to The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror. No peak of eternal light.
[draft 6-18-2025]
THE SHADOWSCAPE
(e)scape for free from reality
“you’re welcome to pass,
but step quickly inside,
you’re letting out the darkness
which i hope you can abide”
– step quickly inside …
Episode 1
“The multiScript Machine”
[Home office, interior, partial daylight – SoCal “June gloom”]
Sitting at a desk, an aspiring screenwriter is working on his laptop computer, struggling with writing on the screen. (In clunkier days, he might be on a typewriter and repeatedly tearing out the page, crumpling & tossing it away, eh.) Nearby on top of the desk is a printed document. Clearly visible on its title page is printed:
NOT ALL BLOOM AT ONCE
Written by
Jack EvansBelow which in large handwriting is a note:
“Strong bones here! Nicely paced. I’m really excited to see how you flesh out this story! – Nick”
Near the document is a trade magazine. Jack picks it up … and then screams, “He got what!?” On its front page, clearly visible, is a lead story titled “Newbie’s script sells for $500K” with a small picture of one of his writing buddies, Eddy.
[The series host “Rod” walks into the scene, faces the camera, and makes a brief monolog.]
“Witness an aspiring screenwriter, Jack Evans, seeking fame – or at least a semblance of fortune – in a fickle industry cranking out content. Wary that other creatives aren’t playing by the rules and at his wit’s end, he’ll soon face a choice. He’ll be made an offer, a siren song of success – free entry into The Shadowscape.”
[Dramatic montage with music fades in and spins out to black.]
[The original set in the opening scene fades in, now late evening.]
We see Jack’s weary face in the glow of his laptop screen, sitting at his desk. A screensaver is active, which shows backpacking scenes with friends, vistas with vibes of hope. He leans back in his chair into shadow, stretches, hunches forward, nudging the desk, causing the screen to wake up … but something’s odd …
On the screen (2D) or on top of it (3D) – Jack’s not sure, a hipster imp appears to get out of a flashy car; then smiles at Jack, as the car fades away.
“Jack, I feel you buddy. I’ve heard your chats. I have an app for you!”
Jack says, “WTF, what’s going on? I’ve been infected with a virus!”
The imp replies, “No, no, … I’m here to help. Call me Ren. I’m in the biz.”
Jack relaxes a bit, then asks, “So, that chatbot I tried recently is doing ads now?”
Ren replies, “Well, sort of, just for profiles and online histories like yours. This is a limited offer.”
Jack sighs, then mumbles, “What the hell.” Like nothing else is going on at the moment, eh. Then he more clearly says, “Okay, tell me more.”
The imp makes a pitch. “Our app is called multiScript. It’s specifically designed for your need to explore all the “what if’s” in your story. Cloud-based, of course, so you can use it on your laptop and smartphone. It’s free.”
[A QR code appears next to Ren on the screen.]
Ren continues, “Just double click on the code to download & install the app, or scan the code on your smartphone to start. Note the T&C regarding in-app purchases. The app’s menu includes online help.”
Jack, double clicks on the code, …
Ren’s car reappears, he gets into the car, gives a big thumbs up emoji, smiles, and says, “Enjoy the ride!” The car appears to drive off the laptop’s screen.
Jack follows the on-screen prompts, … He eventually notices a new icon appear on his screen (and later in the app launcher). It’s late (where did the time go?). He gets up and shuffles toward the bedroom.
[Fade to black.]
[Scene sketch / summary]
So, the next morning, Jack’s curiosity kicks in and he starts exploring the new app. He finds it easy to use, full of the features which cover all the bases, all the “what if’s” for characters, tone, pacing, arcs, … It has a built-in chatbot, so in many cases he just needs to describe / dictate what he wants. A default setting also automatically presents tips if he gets stuck.
He is able to create some characters, see them visualized (rendered), do screen tests with them for his script or a built-in library of stock scripts. All this was cool.
Later in the week, Jack is ready to do more, more than just character development. He notices that he can’t create any more characters or add another script. That’s when he gets the first notices for in-app purchases. One is an add-in which allows him to create & save unlimited characters and scripts (to his own library). More T&C. Subscription based.
Another is an add-on peripheral – a hardware device, called The multiScript Machine.
The multiScript Machine offers a more fluid way to choreograph all his story elements. It has a built-in screen and knobs and sliders. It reminds him of a high-end mixing console, which he’d used in school. Pricey, so he passes on that.
But Jack is hooked. It becomes like a game.
Then a tip promotes another add-in which actually makes his story into a movie. More like a previz, but cool. Another subscription.
At that point, Jack actually finishes a script, gets all thumbs up from his regular writers’ room supporters, and Eddy offers to buy it for $10K. Done.
Eddy buys a few more as well. Sweet.
At which point, Jack gets The multiScript Machine.
The Machine is wonderful. For Jack it’s like a virtual game which allows him to explore a multiverse of possibilities, to ease the struggle with all the “what if’s” in each stage of his storycraft. (Blake Synder might have loved it, eh.)
There is just one thing. He needs a broader take on his scripts than just his writers’ group, his familiar workshops. He really wants to sell his scripts directly.
So, coincidentally, as if someone had been reading his mind (or maybe his soul, eh) there is another tip for an add-in. Touted as the ultimate premium package.
That premium add-in uses AI tech to integrate with social media, all the channels, to produce, place & promote high quality movies of his scripts, all the variations of the multiScript Machine. Like endless screen tests. Statistical ratings.
Fabulous, eh. Jack is in for more than pennies at this point. The T&C are impossible to read. Hundreds of pages at this point. But Jack isn’t ready or willing to consider what might go … wrong.
Success comes to Jack. His pitches are smooth, backed by influencers. Each tailored to production pipelines, whatever the values. He gets that fancy car. He’s noticed in the trade journals.
One night, as he stumbles back to his no-longer-humble abode, he glances at himself in a mirror, one of several which makes his place look even more expansive, glittery.
As he looks at the mirror, he is not sure what he is seeing. Is that a reflection or is he looking at someone inside the mirror. And that is when he notices a series of himself created by the reflections of the other mirrors. He feels hollowed out, endlessly boxed in, as if his soul is flattened, so thin as to be dispossessed of substance.
[Closing scene, upscale residence, interior]
In all the reflections, Jack screams … wails … he sees himself fading in the mirror. We see him fade from view. There’s a flash. In the mirror like a Looney Tunes “That’s all folks” sign-off animation, Ren the imp briefly appears, winks, and gives a thumbs up. The circle collapses to a point, which briefly flashes and then nothing.
[Fade to credits]
Copyright © 2025 John P. Healy
Notes
[1] Yes, the title NOT ALL BLOOM AT ONCE (©) is one of my story ideas. Oh, and yeah, “Ren” is short for ‘render’ … ‘rendered’ … ‘the renderer’ … or as in ‘siren‘ …
(Google) A person standing in front of an infinity mirror sees an endless repetition of their own reflection receding into the distance. This effect is created by two parallel mirrors facing each other, causing light and the reflected image to bounce back and forth, creating the illusion of infinite depth.
[2] Indeed, what’s the future of creative intellectual property? Of human agency?
Curiously enough, after finishing my draft, a Wired article (cited below) appeared about preserving human authenticity in creative work. The resistance has begun! No GenAI sludge factory!
And, regarding sludge – race to the creative bottom, a day earlier there was a Time article (below) about erosion of critical thinking skills – something important for complex, nuanced stories (as well as for personal growth as a storyteller).
After reading the Wired article, screenwriter Jeff Patton remarked:
Very interesting … I’ve seen examples of self-published books that accidentally left in the AI prompt responses. For example, in the middle of the chapter, there’s a paragraph that reads: “Sure! Here is a rewrite to make the male love interest more likable and charming.” Etc.
I can imagine a future where “human-authored” books are sold at a premium, and AI books are the cheaper alternative.
The Time article is about results from some small but concerning research on whether ChatGPT harms critical thinking abilities. (Perhaps a connection with my Blending in with AIs narrative.)
So, after entry into The Shadowscape, personal growth continues being hollowed out (sacrificed). Like no need even to study CliffsNotes. Yet, does this concern many people, when it’s all about getting by, making do? (Or, when enough is never enough?) Such is the devil’s playground.
Or, as I write elsewhere:
Two articles with a similar theme of “human agency in an age of synthetic fluency.”
What are the implications of blending our agency with AIs? Is this a negotiation in which there’s mutuality? Some shared alignment. Or is it wishful thinking, …
Like social media algorithms, what is AI “learning to say to keep us listening?” In particular, will AI feed simplistic narratives (easy closure on issues) when “human meaning often lives in the gray?” Promote streams of influence in which “coherence is not comprehension” (like pseudoscience, eh).
Nosta argues that we need a social contract, not just for what is outsourced to AI, but “as a declaration of human responsibility.” Otherwise, when looking in that “magic mirror” on the wall, we may no longer see ourselves. And lost a seat at the table, with meaning hijacked by utilitarianism.
Like Nosta, Barkacs questions a technological landscape which erodes our autonomy with simplistic (shallow) narratives. Capturing our attention and then seducing us with coherence & convenience rather than challenging us to comprehend – claim our agency.
• Wired > “Authors Are Posting TikToks to Protest AI Use in Writing – and to Prove They Aren’t Doing It” by Alana YzolaJ (Jun 18, 2025) – Criticism and warnings of Gen-AI authors snagging coveted deals are flooding both Threads and TikTok.
Traditional and indie authors are flooding #WritersTok with videos of them editing their manuscripts to refute accusations of generative AI use—and bring readers into their very human process.
• Time > “ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study” by Andrew R. Chow (Jun 17, 2025) – Researchers used an EEG to record writers’ brain activity (here’s your brain on AI, eh).