AI TOOK her MUSIC, IT’S TIME TO TAKE IT BACK

Logline: A Metaverse Pop Icon becomes obsolete at 19 to AI, and rediscovers herself in an underground tech-free music scene among a staunchly anti-AI community.

Synopsis: After being groomed from childhood to be a metaverse pop star, Madison embarks on a journey to rediscover herself in the real world. What would her voice even sound like if she wasn’t fulfilling her label’s vision? An unexpected new friend, Charlie invites her into an underground, anti-AI music scene, ALTR, and encourages her find her true voice. Naturally there are critics who don’t feel she belongs, she’s the poster girl for the erasure of human-made music. But Charlie sees her, and fights for her inclusion in the community.

The Story: The real world has been neglected - not post-apocalyptic, just run down. No mom and pop stores remain, shuttered businesses line the streets with signs stating they have moved to the metaverse. Music venues have all relocated to the virtual world where anything is possible - any act, any venue, anytime. From a packed stadium to your living room, the artists can fly, explode into flames…it’s limitless and it feels incredibly real. But ALTR wants to bring back human-made music and live shows in the real world. With all the venues closed, they will need to start in the metaverse. Will people even like it? Will the fans follow ALTR back to the real world? They plan to put on the first live concert in 5 years, but will Madison be caught by her label? She cannot pursue music as they own her voice, image, name, and likeness…her VINL.

Episode 1: Open on MADISON, a uniquely beautiful 19 year old pop artist in a futuristic, sleek executive office across from XNDR, a vile young record exec. He’s blasting a slick, punchy pop record, nodding his head enthusiastically. He stops the record, leans back in his chair, kicks his Prada clad feet up on the desk, and says, “The future is here. 100% generative and entirely indistinguishable from you.” Madison is in shock, he continues, “The test audience even preferred your clone 9 times out of 10 - you are officially retired! At what? 19? Amazing. We will be generating monthly singles, holiday releases, socials…” his voice fades to indistinguishable background chatter. Her whole identity is wrapped up in being an artist. She leaves the office in a daze and wanders the pristine streets of a futuristic city, where robots outnumber humans and autonomous vehicles whir by in total synchronicity. She catches a car to the studio…her access code already declines. Cut to her penthouse. She’s wandering aimlessly, picks up an acoustic guitar and starts to play a indie-rock tune, a stark contrast to the record we heard earlier. She sings for a few moments it is raw and gloriously raspy - but gets abruptly cut off by an incoming call - her best friend NAOMI appears in front of her, messily eating a burger. It looks as if she’s in the room, “Do you want to go to lunch?” She asks, mouth full, she is chronically ridiculous. Cut to our pop star removing a futuristic vr headset that looks like glasses, she’s in the same penthouse but now it’s a bit messy and the view is a vaguely run down Downtown Los Angeles. In sweats and no makeup she takes the elevator down, hops in her car and states her destination…