Log Line:

As an army of radical vigilante hackers wage technological warfare, Fractologist Ethan McGregor must fight to save the one person they covet the most… his daughter.

Synopsis
Have you ever thought of someone only to have them call you moments later? Coincidence? Is it a coincidence that your coffee spirals like a hurricane or the galaxy we live in? There are patterns in everything; both visible and invisible. We are on the threshold of discovering how connected the world really is. As the veil lifts, and art, science and spirituality merge, we sit on the event horizon looking at a transcendental civilization. Today, there is a war waging to control this revolution. Authority is no longer in the hands of world leaders. There are no national borders. Today we are connected by technology… but tomorrow we will all be connected by our minds. History will show we were the last of the barbarians.

Connected is a story of Fractal Design. Simply put, Fractal Design is the theory that the world really isn’t as complicated as we make it out to be… a theory that the world consists of repeatable patterns that are all connected.

The founder of Fractal Design, Benoit Mandelbrot, once said, “The key to science is not to deal in numbers, but in pictures. This opens up your mind. Allows you to not only think of what you see – but of what it took to produce what you see.” This is a gift our hero has; and shares with his daughter. They have it. Everyone else wants it… and will stop at nothing to get it.

Our story begins in Green Bay, WI with Ethan McGregor. Ethan is a smart guy. Maybe even Mensa smart. A military accident caused a severe head injury and allows Ethan to see the world through fractal design. This is both a blessing and a curse. Following his estranged daughter Kristin to Green Bay, Wisconsin, Ethan, is now a Fractalogist working with the local police department, hopes to reconcile his muddled past while living out his days in quiet solitude.

Life for his daughter Kristin is very complicated. A science student at UWGB, her sole purpose in life is to continue the work of her mother Monica who was on the threshold of finding the cure for cancer. She has also inherited the same savant traits as Ethan through childbirth. While this appears impossibility, we will learn that we are all born with this trait. We simply have not figured out how to use it.

Ethan finds life in Green Bay isn’t as simple as he hoped. When a UWGB science professor and several of his students are murdered, and an IPAD and two vials of blood that contain the cure to cancer go missing, Ethan realizes he must do everything in his power to protect Kristin. And as we will see, the professor’s discovery is simply the tip of the iceberg, a gateway to unearthing the realities of all things in life.

Ethan also will find there is a group of super smart people watching what is happening at UWGB… and watching Kristin specifically. And as we will see, they want to recruit Kristin into their organization.

Past wars have been fought on far away soil affecting only those in its direct path. Our next and final world war will not be fought with weaponry and military troops. It will be fought by all of us, using our minds and technology, with our future at stake. Connected is the story of the people who are fighting this war. It is the journey of Ethan, Kristin and the Collective as we move towards a transcendental civilization where everyone can tap into their savant skills to become connected as one.

Story:
Monica McGregor was a scientist. First getting introduced to the world of Fractal Design, she blew it off as a passing fad. That was until she met Ethan McGregor; a man she eventually married. A man who, after a tragic accident converted him from a seemingly normal person into a savant capable of solving some of the cities toughest crimes, sees the world in fractals and is able to solve some of the world’s most complex mathematical equations in seconds by using his new found skills.

It’s in this that Monica quickly realizes the answers to all of life’s mysteries lie in fractal design. Frustrated by a lack of action and heavy regulations – Monica does the unthinkable – and injects herself with a heavy dose of cancer causing drugs as she is convinced she has found – with Ethan’s help– the secret to the cure for cancer (Ethan is unaware she is doing so; and strongly disapproves once he finds out).

Unfortunately, she is wrong and passes away. Her death throws Ethan into a dark world where he is incapable of dealing with his life – including his daughter – Kristin – a girl who remarkably was born with the same gift as Ethan- the gift to see the world in fractals. Only Kristin’s abilities seem even stronger than Ethan’s. While Ethan can connect his brain in ways none of us can imagine, Kristin has the power to take that one step further – able to connect to other’s brains. And while this may seem farfetched, we all actually possess – and have successfully performed - this feat. For instance, have you ever thought of a person you haven’t talked to in years only to have them contact you later that same day? Or thought of an object seconds before seeing it? Of course. This is a power we all have; but cannot tap at will. Kristin can. This is her gift.

As is the case with so many children, Kristin is obsessed with finishing her mother’s work (while Kristin knows her mother was committed to finding a cure for her cancer, she is unaware her mother purposely put herself in harm’s way). This obsession takes Kristin back to the beginning – Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she is connecting the dots of her mother’s mission. And this is where our story begins (we will learn about all this in flashbacks throughout the story).

Monica was working with the esteemed Professor James Newton. After her death, James kept up her work; never questioning where his funding was coming from – just happy he was able to keep working. Convinced he too has discovered the cure, Professor Newton is shot dead… and our story begins.

Ethan’s day job is as a Fractalogist, using fractal thinking and design in solving crimes for the local police department. Yet, his real mission is to protect his daughter from a group of worldwide savants who have formed a group known as “The Collective.” The Collective are smart and are from every country in the world. They are without borders. But The Collective is not Kristin smart. This they know and want/need her help. And they’ll get it any way they can.

Thus, when the formula for the cure to cancer is lost – the chase is on.

Kristin knows the vials contain the blood of her mother. The Collective know everything. They know the blood that was once tainted is now pure. They also know that the answer to the cure lies in the IPad, which was removed before the lab was destroyed. Put together (the vials and IPad) and you have the cure. However, no one knows where the IPad is. Also, there are only a few people in the world who can properly decipher what is on the IPad – Kristin being one of them.

Connected uses fractal design in its storytelling, making the invisible visible. Each season, our story gets bigger, revealing more patterns and scope. In season one, we see the battle in Green Bay. In season 2, we see the battle with the global collective. Season 3 will show the battle against those in business and religion who do not want enlightenment and collective thought to happen. Season 4 will show the government’s fight in this. Season 5 will be the final battle in which we all become aware of the battle and fight as one against those who wish to continue to control us.

Production

Connected will combine state-of-the-art animation and production techniques. We’re going to dive into the world of Fractal Design and Fractal Geometry. But we’re going deeper. We’re linking all our characters using the methods created by the great neo-conceptual artist Mark Lombardi. Each week we’re going to take our audience on a ride. You may think you have all the answers after Episode 1, but you will quickly see there’s more. Much more.

CONNECTED

Concept

We are entering a new age with unbelievable potential. Connected is a series that explores the realities of science, self-similarity, and repetition found in all things. In contrast to science fiction, where futuristic advances are simply imagined and fabricated, Connected breaks new ground by exploring collective concepts of science, art, and spirituality to create an engaging story based on scientific realities. In the words of Dr. Darold A. Treffert, the world’s leading expert on the study of Savants, “the realities of the mind far outweigh any science fiction story.”

By accessing portions of the human brain, which typically sit dormant, savants have uniquely strong skillsets in math, science, or art without having the general intelligence to put those skills to practical use. For example, savant Daniel Tammet’s superior memory allows him to recite all 22,514 digits of Pi, and facilitated his ability to learn the entire Icelandic language in one week. Another well-known savant, Kim Peck (inspiration for Raymond Babbit character in Rain Man) memorized 12,000 books but doesn’t have the common acumen to apply the knowledge to applicable circumstances. The human mind is capable of phenomenal knowledge. By linking the genius traits with the traits of savants extraordinary power will emerge.

As generations evolve and intuitive adaptations are sought, the common man’s ability to fully utilize the brains potential will be widely exposed. The future, where minds catch up with technology, is not far away; the world will function in more intelligent ways by understanding collective patterns which involve the trinity of spirituality, art, and science.
For more information on topics that support this premise and will be covered during the series:

Humans Genetically Engineered To Be Super Intelligent Could Have An IQ Of 1000 http://finance.yahoo.com/news/humans-genetically-engineered-super-intelligent-185835378.html

What Is the Universe? Real Physics Has Some Mind-Bending Answers. Science says the universe could be a hologram, a computer program, a black hole or a bubble—and there are ways to check

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science/what-universe-real-physics-has-some-mind-bending-answers-180952699/?no-ist

Does Randomness Actually Exist?

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/health-and-behavior/free-will-enigma-machine-code-randomness-actually-exist-89285/

Searching for the “Free Will” Neuron

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/528136/searching-for-the-free-will-neuron/

Violent assault changes man into mathematical prodigy

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jason-padgett-changes-into-mathematical-prodigy-after-violent-assault/

We know what you’re thinking: Scientists find a way to read minds

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/03/28/know-what-youre-thinking-scientists-find-way-to-read-minds/

Hidden miracles of the natural world
http://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_hidden_miracles_of_the_natural_world?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2014-04-12&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_content=talk_of_the_week_image

Fractals The Hidden Dimension

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmxJ1KDR_s0

CONNECTED

Format

Connected is a serialized drama; the story carries over from episode to episode with the same characters. New characters will be integrated into the story as it progresses and some existing characters will be eliminated. The antagonist is introduced in the first episode but not identified as such until later in the series.

Here are some rules:

When a character dies, they are dead. No re-introducing later on—other than in flashbacks.

The audience will never be “ahead” of the lead (Ethan). In other words, the audience will never know more than the lead. They (the audience) are along for the ride with Ethan. Always.

Everything is plausible. Nothing is true science fiction. In other words, this all could happen.

When a character is first introduced to Ethan, he will be able to “see” vital information about that person.

The format is created for non-network. It is best suited for Netflix, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, etc. It will feature sex and violence as relevant to the storyline and will be supplemented with webisodes (see below description for breakdown of webisodes) for story continuation.

The story style is a mix of Alias, Matrix, and Heroes.

CONNECTED

Characters

Each character is important. They are not here by happenstance. Each will play a vital role in the development of our story.

Ethan McGregor (early 40’s) : Ethan is a born leader. He was destined to live a normal life until an unfortunate military incident changed the way he views the world and gifted him with the ability to see the world fractally; and connect parts of his brain normal humans cannot. After using his new found skill for military purposes, Ethan became disillusioned by the government and walked away. Since then, he has become the only Fractalogist in the world, while trying to keep his life as simple as possible to offset the chaos going on in his brain. Ethan doesn’t live by the normal rules of society. He sees things on such a grand scale that regulations and laws seem trite and ineffective. Viewing the world this way has its advantages and disadvantages.

Our story begins after he has followed his estranged daughter to Green Bay. Using his gifts, he is exceptionally good at solving crime using Fractal design and technology. But despite this “gift,” Ethan does not fully comprehend how to consistently apply his savant traits to command power. But we quickly learn Ethan has a higher purpose (even if he is not fully aware of it at the onset) where he will need to harness this power. His quest has brought him to Green Bay not only to reconcile with his daughter, but also to save her, and possibly all mankind in the process.

Kristin McGregor (early 20’s) : Unaware that her mother (Monica) injected herself with cancer, Kristin is haunted by her mother’s death; and is determined – on an almost obsessive level - to finish her mother’s work- to find the vials that prove the cure for cancer and later on, to take down the collective. Kristin has a gift, which seems impossible—savant like traits passed to her genetically from her father. While her father has the ability to connect parts of his brain together, Kristin can take that a step further and connect to others’ brains. Unique to the world of savants, she is able to apply her remarkable skillset to practical uses. She is beautiful and will use that- and any other means necessary-to find answers regarding her mother’s legacy. She is the central interest of world’s most intelligent people who have connected to become The Collective. They recognize and want to understand how Kristin’s mind works so she can provide them with the know-how to accelerate their ability to control knowledge globally.

Monica McGregor (early 40’s) : Monica is the deceased wife of Ethan and mother of Kristin. We see her frequently in flashbacks; which are vital to our story. She organized a group of Mensans to create the foundation for the worldwide group known as “The Collective.” Monica believed the answers to all of life’s mysteries lie in fractal design. On the cusp of discovering the cure for cancer, and frustrated by a lack of action and heavy regulations – Monica does the unthinkable-and injects herself with a heavy dose of cancer causing drugs to prove her work, but unfortunately dies before her work could save her. Prior to death, she worked with the Research Department at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Her death is the motivating force behind many of Ethan and Kristin’s actions.

Collective: A worldwide group of geniuses and savants that grew out of a local collective Monica formed to create a utopian society. Their first task was to cure cancer. They are without boundaries and made up of the super-nerds of the world.

Professor Newton (50’s): Newton is killed in the opening scene, Professor Newton was carrying on Monica’s work. He was a well-respected University of Wisconsin-Green Bay professor who was known to have tremendous knowledge of how the mind works and the impact of fractal design. He is seen as a crazy professor to some, and a genius to others. Professor Newton will be featured frequently in flashbacks.

Richard Wiley (50’): Richard Wiley is an amazing artist. As a Mensa member, he feels it is his mission to widely communicate the importance art plays to the sciences; and should never be overlooked. For when merged together, art and science provide knowledge to answer the most challenging questions the universe poses. He was also the romantic partner to Dr. Newton.

Marilyn Van Sant (early 40’s) : Marilyn is beautiful and sophisticated; possessing the highest known I.Q. in the world. She will become a romantic interest of Ethan’s and a friend of Richard’s. She is well travelled and quite worldly.

Professor Sheldon: Professor Sheldon is one of Kristin’s professors. He is sophisticated and more stylish and hip than a typical professor; he was a colleague of Dr. Newton’s; yet was convinced Professor Newton was crazy.

Officer Nate Tomlinson: As Ethan’s police liaison, Nate seems like a fun-loving guy. He is a social butterfly and can often be found singing in local karaoke bars.

Agent Seth Schlosser: Seth is a ‘by the book’ agent with a sense of mystery. The audience is not privy to his thoughts. He is a lead investigator in the murder case involving Dr. Newton.

Max: A 12-year-old Native American boy is killed in the first episode. His death begins Ethan’s journey for truth.

Melanie: Melanie is a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student who is Kristin’s best friend, and Bryce’s girlfriend.

Bryce Miller: A University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student who is killed in the first episode. He was Melanie’s boyfriend and had a deep connection to Professor Newton.

Spencer Thompson (early 20’s) : Suicidal. Dies in episode 1, but will return throughout in flashbacks. Troubled from the information he knows.

Shane Thompson (early 20’s) : Spenser’s twin brother and member of Dr. Newton’s cancer study group. Works with Seth from the inside and a potential member of the Collective.

Mike (bartender) mid-40’s: Blue-collar relief. Smarter than she lets on.

Additional Characters:

Jason McGregor (late 30’s) : Ethan’s younger brother; a Priest. Estranged from Ethan ever since his incident; doesn’t understand the implications.

Hazel McGregor (mid 60’s): Ethan’s mother. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Lives in Chicago, IL

William Heineken (early 40’s) : A marine. Ethan’s friend from the service. Will be a valuable resource for Ethan throughout.

Gen. Williams (late 60’s) : An Army officer. Gen. Williams will follow Kristin for many years as she begins to develop her savant skills.

CONNECTED

Below are additional episodes as well as webisodes. As we’re venturing into the little known world of fractal design and fractal technology, we feel it is important to give the audience a little more. This is the purpose of the webisodes. We may feature a lecture by Professor Newton (the actor) in one; where he gives a lecture to a class on fractal design. In these you may see characters from our show attending the lectures further broadening the mystery.

Also, we will bring in leading experts in future webisodes. For instance, we plan on having Jason Padgett featured in one webisode. Jason wrote the book Struck by Genius about his Acquired Savant Syndrome and how he now sees the world differently due to a head injury he sustained.
Other webisodes will give you a deeper perspective on a character that you don’t get from the show.

You do not need to watch the webisodes to stay up-to-date on the episodes, but they will provide a deeper understanding.

Connected Season 1

Ethan investigates several deaths linked to the University in Green Bay. While doing so, Ethan finds an IPad that contains a cancer cure formula. Ethan will not make this connection until a later episode. Seth, an FBI agent is also investigating the deaths but he is more interested in getting the formula and two vials of “clean” blood that proves the cure is legitimate. Ethan encounters Spencer, a student who tries to commit suicide… twice, the second time succeeding. He later sees the student in the burned out lab of Prf Newton. Seth confronts Ethan in the burned out lab wondering why Ethan would be there. Seth thinks Ethan is seeking the two vials of blood. After Ethan leaves, Seth finds a burned IPad he thinks contains the cancer cure formula but it has been destroyed in the fire. He shifts all of his focus to the blood vials. Ethan goes to Spencer’s apartment and meets Shane, Spencer’s twin brother. We see a technology room with a missing spot for an IPad. Kristin, Ethan’s daughter meets Professor Sheldon at school and seduces him to gain knowledge about the whereabouts of the blood vials which she has been searching for some time. Ethan meets Marilyn, a Mensa member and, unknown to Ethan, is a senior member of a Beta Collective based in Italy. Ethan is also introduced to Richard, a local artist whose Fractal Design sculpture will play a big role in the series. Ethan meets a Native American boy, Max, who shares information that piques Ethan’s interest but dies during their conversation. Ethan is able to briefly start up the IPad and is overwhelmed by what he sees. Before the IPad shorts-out he sees what looks like a Native American design.

We open the episode on Ethan frantically drawing on a piece of paper trying to document what he seen on the IPad. In flashback, we see Ethan’s accident which caused him to become an acquired savant for the first time. It shows him being shot in the head during combat while in the military. After his recovery, Ethan is asked to use his new skill for covert military purposes. This is short-lived as Ethan becomes disillusioned and walks away. Meanwhile, Kristin dives deeper at UWGB to find the blood vials. In flashback we see Monica collecting her own blood in front of Kristin which explains why Kristin knows about the vials. We see Gen. Williams in Green Bay following Kristin. Ethan who is also following Kristin does not see him. Trying to make sense of the Native American design he saw on the IPad, Ethan meets with Max’s family, including his younger brother and grandfather. He shows them a drawing of what he saw. They tell him it is not Native American but a fractal design. Ethan and Nate see Seth meeting with Marilyn.

Seth and Shane meet to talk about Kristin, the blood vials and the nature of the Collective. Nate makes a connection between Bryce Miller and Marilyn (who was monitoring Prof Newton’s group and its search for a cure for cancer). Ethan revisits the bridge and location where Spencer committed suicide when a recent robbery on campus points to the involvement of Shane. While at UWGB, Ethan runs into Richard who seems to be in a hurry. Ethan visits Kristin and mentions Max and the broken IPad. Kristin mentions Ethan’s acquired savant skills in conversation.

Ethan recalls his family in Chicago, his mother who has Alzheimer’s and his brother who is a priest. Ethan and his brother do not get along since Ethan’s accident. Kristin recalls Monica’s research and Kristin’s own drive to find a cure for cancer through flashback. During the recall, Monica takes Kristin to a Mensa meeting. We see Richard, Marilyn and Max there. In the present Marilyn “creates” a chance meeting with Kristin to analyze her savant skills. Ethan sees Gen. Williams and physically confronts him.

Ethan goes to Kristin’s apartment to tell her about Gen. Williams and finds her apartment ransacked and Kristin missing. Ethan frantically searches for her. Later, we see her strapped to a table. We do not see what is being done or who is in the room with her. As she lies there, she recalls moments with her mother talking about Kristin’s developing genius and the comparison to Ethan’s.

Ethan finds Kristin wandering the streets. Kristin does not remember what happened. Ethan confronts numerous abduction suspects. Ethan confronts Richard at his studio about why he was at UWGB (episode 3). Through flashback Richard confesses that Prof Newton told him to get the vials and burn down the lab if something should happen to him. We see him burn down the lab with the vials in his hands. He had returned to the university to go through Prof Newton’s office, which was to contain the formula for the cure, but did not find it. Ethan immediately arrests Richard. Ethan also thinks Seth may be involved. Ethan asks Seth about his relationship with Marilyn but he seems to be more interested talking about Kristin. Prf. Sheldon tries to get information from Kristin about her savant skills, which we see for the first time.

-A lecture by Prof Sheldon on acquired savant syndrome with guest speaker Jason Padgett

-Ethan deduces the IPad contains the cure for cancer and realizes this is the link that proves the cure is real. Nate lets it slip to Seth about who possesses the vials. Ethan notices Prof. Sheldon is following Kristin. Ethan confronts Prof Sheldon about his surveillance of Kristin. Prof Sheldon confides that Monica asked the Prof to keep an eye on Kristin. Ethan probes Marilyn’s relationship with Dr. Newton.

While Kristin visits Ethan at his apartment, she sees the broken IPad. Kristin explains to Ethan her drive and the reasons behind it (to find a cure for her mother’s cancer). Later, she breaks in to Ethan’s apartment and steals the IPad. Nate gets in over his head when Seth tries to recruit Nate into the Beta Collective.

Kristin repairs the IPad and absorbs its contents. Kristin gets suspicious about who is following her, which includes Seth, Prof Sheldon, Gen. Williams and Marilyn (via computer). Prof Sheldon tells Ethan about the Beta Collective. Seth ransacks Richard’s studio looking for the blood vials and finds them.

Richard is on edge after the studio break in and seeks Ethan’s protection. The death of Ethan’s mother has Ethan recalling some the events leading up to Monica’s death and Monica’s true nature and mission are revealed (she is solely driven to find a cure for cancer, so much so that she created a collective of geniuses (of which Ethan does not know the members) She married Ethan to tap into his acquired savant skills and injected herself with cancer to treat herself with her cure. (It does not work). Kristin’s memory returns about her abduction and she decides to join The Collective to finish her mother’s work.

-A link to submit viewer fractal designs with one to be chose for use in a future episode

-An open Q & A session with the producers of Connected conducted on the Connected web site or social media platform such as Redit’s AMA (Ask Me Anything) board.