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Screenplays · Orbital Ranch Studios

Before the Robots

Four scripts and a pitch I wrote myself, before the robots could do it. No AI. Three pilots and a feature from 2021 and 2022, plus the pitch that started DEAD GAMES.

START READING ▾THE AI SCRIPTS ▸
// What these are

The three scripts on the other page were written by Claude, with me producing. I wrote these myself. The newest script is dated April 2022. ChatGPT came out that November.

They're drafts from a scribbler with too much time at home. Three of them came out of COVID lockdown. The prose runs long, some endings are rushed, and you'll find typos. I left all of it alone. The notes on each one are from when I posted about them last year.

The pitch is from September 2024. I'd been working on that concept for years, and AI back then wasn't up to it. That's where DEAD GAMES started, as a TV show.

Some of these turned into novels later, and AI helped with those. None of it touched these pages.

It's all here to read, right on the page. Please don't repost them.

Jesse Alexander

// The scripts
OUTLAW CITYwritten by
Jesse AlexanderSeptember 2021
Spec pilot · September 2021 · 61 pages

OUTLAW CITY

A neo-noir crime thriller about estranged sisters investigating their father’s murder in a small Nevada city: they uncover a web of blackmail schemes, political intrigue, and a family secret.

This one evolved out of an idea I had for a Western. A true crime tale from 1910 ish. But a pal suggested I might have better luck if I set it present day. So, I cranked out a neo-noir western.

What happened next. It's a novel now, OUTLAW CITY, made with AI tools from this pilot.

Mature themes. Sexual material. Violence.

READ THE SCRIPT ▸THE NOVEL ▸SEE PAGES MARKED UP ▸
REIGN OF BLOODwritten by
Jesse AlexanderJanuary 2022
Spec pilot · January 2022 · 55 pages

REIGN OF BLOOD

Set in a victorian-like age of empires, a brilliant but naive young woman leaves home to investigate murder and conspiracy in a remote city-state ruled by a vampire queen. The woman’s unlikely ally is the queen’s daughter, a precocious vampire princess obsessed with the modern world. Mystery, mayhem, and romance ensue as they work together to save the world from paranormal threats.

During COVID lockdown I tried my hand at scribbling a fantasy show. Like much of my work from that moment, it’s a bit over-written. Sans deadlines or exec feedback it was more about creating a world I could escape into versus a production ready piece of work. Still, I think it’s fun.

What happened next. This pilot became Part One of a novel, THE ETERNAL COURT, made with AI tools. The world went on to become a game.

Mature themes. Sexual material. Violence. Scary images.

READ THE SCRIPT ▸THE NOVEL ▸SEE PAGES MARKED UP ▸
CATALYSTPilot episode: “Legacy”written by
Jesse AlexanderJanuary 2022
Spec pilot · January 2022 · 61 pages

CATALYST

A disgraced CIA Field Agent escapes from a Black Site and returns to the United States, seeking revenge against the woman who put her away, a CIA Internal Affairs Officer, her estranged sister. When the true enemy is identified, the women must manage their opposing personalities and apply their complementary skill sets to foil a conspiracy of Russian spies.

Something else I scribbled during COVID lockdown. This one coalesced out of multiple concepts I was playing with. Probably has too many ideas for a pilot. I rushed the ending. Still, cool characters and some fun setpieces.

What happened next. This one never became a novel. It's still just the script.

Mature themes. Violence.

READ THE SCRIPT ▸SEE PAGES MARKED UP ▸
THE SHADOW GAMEwritten by
Jesse AlexanderApril 2022
Spec feature · April 2022 · 107 pages

THE SHADOW GAME

When a remote CIA black site is compromised, the Agency dispatches ambitious young operative Courtney Taschler to investigate. What she discovers is a chilling conspiracy that threatens to shatter her understanding of the world. Enter Samuel, a mysterious figure haunted by visions of the ancient demon Lilith. As he embarks on a blood-soaked mission, Courtney races to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic killer and the shadowy organization pulling the strings.

Scribbled this spec during COVID lockdown. Like much of my work from this period, the prose is overwritten and the ending’s a bit rushed. I think the idea is cool. Mashing up espionage and horror.

What happened next. Later I did an AI experiment with this one: ChatGPT turned the script into prose and ElevenLabs read it out loud. It grew into a novel, SECRET DEMONS, made with AI tools.

Mature themes. Sexual material. Graphic violence.

READ THE SCRIPT ▸THE NOVEL ▸
CRACKERJACKwritten by
Jesse AlexanderSeptember 2024
TV pitch · September 2024 · 7 pages

CRACKERJACK

I’m calling my show “Crackerjack,” - that’s the name of my fictional warrior games. It’s eight to ten episodes of high-stakes action, serialized mystery, competitive survival, and found family character drama.

When I was coming up as a scribbler, nobody showed me actual pitch documents. I had to figure out the format, the rhythm, the balance of personal stakes and story mechanics on my own. That took years of bombing before I figured out what worked. This pitch didn’t sell (yet), but it’s received strong responses and opened doors for other projects.

What happened next. I made it a two-hander and added zombies. It became a novel, DEAD GAMES, with an audiobook, a game, a concept album and a movie screenplay, all made with AI tools.

Mature themes. Violence.

READ THE PITCH ▸THE NOVEL ▸THE AI SCREENPLAY ▸SEE PAGES MARKED UP ▸