Bigfoot Brothers

Chris Aycock pen name is Chris Bossy

Book Cover

GENRE

ACTION

    Core Theme

    OVERCOMING.

    TIME PERIOD

    Contemporary

    COMPARABLE TITLES

    THE 100, HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS, ANACONDAS

    CHARACTER LIST

    ADAM. 20S. LEAD. OLDEST BROTHER, LEADER OF THE PACK.

    ERIC. 20S. FRIEND OF FAMILY. FIRST VICTIM OF THE BIGFOOTS

    CRAZY JOE. 40S. ECCENTRIC LOCAL WHO HELPS FIGHT THE BIGFOOTS.

    WENDY. 20S. CRAZY JOE’S DAUGHTER. ADAM’S LOVE INTEREST.

    CHARLIE: TEENS. ADAM’S BROTHER. DANIEL’S TWIN.

    Logline

    Adam leads his three younger brothers and their friend into the wilderness to make a big decision. They are attacked by a troop of bigfoot and one of them is killed. They escape but are tried for murder. Adam gets a note that their friend is alive. They return to the woods to rescue their friend.

    Target Audiences

    Age: 13-17,18-34,55+,35-54

    Target Gender: Male Leaning

    Setting

    California

    Based on a True Story

    No

    Publishing Details

    Status: No

    Starting Description

    The Anderson brothers' adventure business they built with money their mom left them after her death is failing. Almost broke. They go on a backpacking trip to seek perspective. One of them injures a young bigfoot. The bigfoot tribe seeks vengeance. They get trapped in a cave and must escape or die.

    Ending Description

    An old man named, "Crazy Joe," has walked into the woods to rescue the Anderson's friend who they think is dead. Adam, his brothers and Crazy Joe's daughter go to find Crazy Joe. They find Crazy Joe and their friend alive! After an epic war with the bigfoot army, their reputations are vindicated!

    Group Specific

    Information not completed

    Hard Copy Available

    No

    ISBN

    Information not completed

    Mature Audience Themes

    Information not completed

    Plot - Other Elements

    Happy Ending

    Plot - Premise

    Overcoming Monster/Villain

    Main Character Details

    Name: Adam Anderson

    Age: nineteen

    Gender: Male

    Role: Protagonist

    Key Traits: Decisive,Heroic,Leader,Adventurous,Selfless,Romantic,Heartthrob

    Additional Character Details

    Name: Billy Anderson

    Age: 18

    Gender: Male

    Role: Skeptic

    Key Traits: Clumsy,Unapologetic,Sarcastic,Blunt,Underdog

    Additional Character Details

    Name: Charlie Anderson

    Age: 17

    Gender: Male

    Role: sidekick

    Key Traits: Adventurous,Badass,Charming,Masculine,Funny,Sarcastic,Skillful,Confident,Crazy,Heartthrob,Engaging

    Additional Character Details

    Name: Daniel Anderson

    Age: 17

    Gender: Male

    Role: sidekick

    Key Traits: Adventurous,Modest,Selfless,Obedient,Naive,Honorable,Gracious,Empathetic,Engaging

    Genre

    COMEDY, ACTION, SUSPENSE, FANTASY

    Brief

    After orphaned brothers and a family friend struggle with their business, they retreat into the woods to regroup. But they get more than they bargained for when they uncover a group of bigfoots with a vendetta. After the family friend goes missing, the brothers return to town and enlist the help of an eccentric local to fight the bigfoots and save their friend.

    Overall Rating

    FAIR

    Point of View

    THIRD PERSON

    Narrative Elements

    Authors Writing Style: FAIR

    Characterization: FAIR

    Commerciality: FAIR

    Franchise Potential: FAIR

    Pace: FAIR

    Premise: FAIR

    Structure: FAIR

    Theme: FAIR

    Accuracy of Book Profile

    It is accurate.

    Draw of Story

    The story does a great job of establishing the ordinary world before it shifts into the extraordinary. We are presented with a problem – lack of money – that we can relate to, and we are given the means to establish sympathy for the characters. The key players are mostly identified in the first pages, which gives us the chance to assimilate into their world before the action begins. That said, the balance is well done, too. We don’t spend too much time in the ordinary world, so that the story is ill-paced. We’re given just enough to go on before we’re catapulted into the heart of it.

    Possible Drawbacks

    Though comedic relief is necessary in a story like this, it’s possible that it’s sometimes ill- timed, to the point that it runs the risk of venting the story’s tension. Generally, when something dangerous/violent/petrifying is occurring on the page, it’s best to have the characters focused on that, without forcing any sort of one-liners or quips in dialogue. The same can be send for romance. It’s great that Adam and Wendy have a connection and it helps lead us towards a satisfying conclusion, but it feels a bit inorganic that they’d worry and/or comment on their budding chemistry during a war with the antagonists. It’s likely best to leave these things to calmer moments, or breaks in the action.

    Use of Special Effects

    THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS

    Primary Hook of Story

    The story blends relatability and suspension of belief well. On one hand, we have a cast of characters who has very real problems, which endears us to them. But on the other hand, they are fighting for their lives against a violent group of bigfoots with a vendetta. It’s a smart choice to flip-flop between the ordinary world and the extraordinary one because it allows the reader a greater chance to relate to the characters while on break from some of the more unbelievable aspects of the plot.

    Fanbase Potential

    A story like this could appeal to fans of fantasies, as well as fans of coming-of-age dramas, because the characters each seem to come into adulthood as the story unravels. In terms of rating, there’s enough violence to warrant a PG-13 rating, but likely not enough to move into ‘R’ territory. The project could even have global appeal since it doesn’t appear to be US-centric.

    Awards Potential

    Given the genre, an adaptation isn’t likely to see Above the Line Awards potential. But that’s not to way that there isn’t potential below the line. A story like this would require clever special effects in order to be successful. It’d also likely require careful cinematography and expert blocking. Things like costuming, makeup, and score could be contenders, too.

    Envisioned Budget

    MEDIUM BUDGET

    Similar Films/TV Series

    THE 100, HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS, ANACONDAS

    What’s New About the Story

    The blend between ordinary and extraordinary is one of the things that makes this story unique. The two worlds and their respective problems are well-balanced throughout, especially once we move to the trial and its aftereffects. To make it more unique might mean further developing the characters and allowing their emotions the space to breathe and progress. A good example of this is when Adam meets Emily. Instead of forcing their chemistry immediately, perhaps it can be developed over a longer period, in a more authentic way. And instead of immediately recovering from being jailed and tried, maybe one or more of them struggles with it for the rest of the story.

    Lead Characters

    The characters all handle comedic relief well, even if sometimes the timing feels a bit off. And their bond – family and otherwise- remains consistently strong on the page. Their ordinary world problems are also largely relatable, which helps us engage with them throughout the story, and makes it easy to root for them from start to finish.

    Uniqueness of Story

    The story doesn’t feel like a rare gem quite yet. Although the concept is intriguing, it doesn’t feel like the story, or the characters, are fully fleshed out quite yet. More firmly establishing the character arcs, and allowing their emotions, motivations, and goals adequate room to breathe is a good next step. And slowing the pace a bit, giving the reader the chance to swallow the more action-packed scenes would likely help increase the tension and drive home the stakes.

    Possible Formats

    Film: Studio, Streaming TV Series: Limited Run / Mini-Series

    Analyst Recommendation

    WORK IN PROGRESS

    Justification

    Generally, it feels like the story is still somewhat of a skeleton. The basic structure is there, and the action is appropriately marked, but the characters could use further development and the scenes could be better-paced and more well-rounded than they are. The comedic relief is also sometimes ill-timed, which diminishes the tension at certain points and runs the risk of distracting the reader from the intended emotions.

    Tips for Improvement

    Fleshing out the scenes and the characters a bit more is a great next step. Ensuring that the characters have adequate space to explore their motivations and emotions in a way that an audience can easily digest and relate to will go a long way in terms of reader engagement. Additionally, maintaining the tension throughout the action scenes, and not relying on comedic relief to drive the story, could help it better align with the intended genre and maintain the high-stakes concept for the audience. But that’s not to say that this isn’t something worth continuing to pursue. The basics are there. Just a bit more elbow grease could help take an interest concept, and turn it into a marketable adaptation. Best of luck!

    Brief

    After orphaned brothers and a family friend struggle with their business, they retreat into the woods to regroup. But they get more than they bargained for when they uncover a group of bigfoots with a vendetta. After the family friend goes missing, the brothers return to town and enlist the help of an eccentric local to fight the bigfoots and save their friend.

    What We Liked

    The story blends the ordinary with the extraordinary well. The characters have relatable, approachable ‘real-world’ problems – like a lack of money – that balance well with the extraordinary world, and allows for a stronger suspension of belief.

    Film: As a film, BIGFOOT BROTHERS could appeal to fantasy lovers, those who like to believe in urban myths, and those who appreciate an ensemble cast of quirky but lovable characters put into a precarious situation. It has enough action to potentially fit the feature format nicely, and a satisfying enough conclusion warrant the 90+ minutes an audience would spend engaging with the characters and their world.

    TV: BIGFOOT BROTHERS could work well as a limited series, because of its strong start and end points. Though there is room for expansion and/or continuation, if need be, as a standalone piece, most of our questions are answered by the end, and we feel relatively satisfied. We’re also given adequate space to grow with the characters and ample reason to root for them.

    Key points:
    Action-packed.
    Coming-of-age.
    Romantic undertones.
    Room for continuity.
    Comedic relief.

    Synopsis

    ADAM ANDERSON receives a call to let him know that there is only $10,000 left of his mother’s life insurance policy. He goes downstairs, into his family’s B.A.G. Outdoor to tell his siblings, and his as-good-as-sibling, ERIC. Adam suggests that they take a camping trip in the woods to think about how to proceed.

    They hire SKYE to keep up with the store, and set off. They arrive at base camp, and Adam goes off exploring. When he returns to camp, he discovers footprints next to his bag. He looks around for his brothers as a rock launches through the trees and lands in the middle of camp. In the middle of the night, a tree falls, despite their being no wind.

    Adam warns the others to stay vigilant. Eric is relieving himself in the woods when he hears a rustling in the bushes. He sees brown fur and immediately picks up his gun and shoots it. The creature begins wailing as Eric screams and the others come running. They hurry away from the creature. Eric maintains that the creature wasn’t a bear. Daniel identifies the creature as a bigfoot.
    The creatures emerge from the forest and the injured one points to Eric. They begin throwing boulders and attack Eric, until he is dead. As the rest of the group watches, the creatures pull Eric into the brush.

    The boys seek refuge in a cave, while the family of bigfoots pursue them. They name them ‘The Boss,’ ‘Big Mama,’ ‘The Shadow,’ ‘Tank,’ ‘The Red Zombie,’ and ‘The Kindergartner.’ Another bigfoot steals a metal cup, and they name him ‘The Cup Thief.’

    The boys decide that their best plan of escape is to jump off a nearby cliff into the river below.
    They hatch a plan to lure in The Cup Thief and injure him enough to distract the others while they make a run for it.
    A rock comes flying into the cave and knocks Adam unconscious. When he comes to, the others bandage him up. One of the bigfoots curls up at the front of the cave and nearly catches Charlie. He is able to kick it away, but the creatures don’t stray too far from the cave.

    Charlie, a quarterback, throws the weaponized cup towards a tree. It gets tangled, but The Cup Thief makes a beeline for it, followed by his mother. The boys run out of the cave and towards the cliff. Mama Bear sees them, and begins her pursuit. One by one, the boys make it into the river.

    The boys are rescued from the river, and given medical treatment. A DISTRICT ATTORNEY asks to take pictures of the boys’ injuries in hopes of piecing together Eric’s missing persons case, but the boys deny him.
    The press gets wind of the boys’ tale and Eric’s disappearance. A theory emerges that the brothers murdered Eric in the woods. At the police station, the brothers call in a lawyer, GODWIN DANE. They are hounded by reporters outside the police station, and dubbed ‘The Bigfoot Brothers.’

    Sky fields questions at the B.A.G. stores and only answers them if the askers buy product. In several hours, the store sells out. The brothers decided to order merchandise for their ‘fans,’ and agree to lead the police to Eric’s body. The District Attorney pressures them for information about Eric’s death, refusing to believe that Bigfoot was involved. The state learns that the bones recovered from the site are deer bones, but the boys are arrested anyway. Godwin Dane makes a deal with a reporter, ROBERT HAWK. He trades exclusive access to the Bigfoot Brothers in exchange for their portrayal as innocent in his publication.

    While the boys sit in jail cells, Eric sleeps among the bigfoots. CRAZY JOE, THE CHIEF, and JOHNNY watch news coverage of the trial and remember their own experience in the woods with bigfoots. The trial begins and quickly goes to the jurors. When the brothers are called back to the courthouse after deliberations, they are found ‘not guilty.’ After celebrating outside the courthouse, Crazy Joe passes Adam a note that proclaims to know where Eric is. Adam ignores the note. The B.A.G. Outdoor store becomes overrun with true crime fans, upsetting the locals. Adam receives another note from Crazy Joe, which he ignores. The city council imposes a series of fines on the brothers, that quickly puts them into debt. Then, they receive notice of wrongful death lawsuit, that could bankrupt them. With no other choice, Adam decides to hear what Crazy Joe has to say.

    Adam arrives at Crazy Joe house and is met by his daughter, WENDY. Wendy believes that Adam is responsible for Crazy Joe disappearing into the woods several days before. Adam tells Wendy that the brothers are going into the woods to find Eric, and Wendy insists on joining them. Meanwhile, Crazy Joe begins recon on the family of bigfoots. He sees Eric lying still, pretending to be asleep while the bigfoots feast on raccoons around him.

    Crazy Joe signals to Eric to slowly move towards a crack in the ground. Eric does as he’s told but is soon spotted by a bigfoot. The bigfoot follows Eric’s line of vision to see Crazy Joe. Crazy Joe joins Joe on the ground as the bigfoots present them with deer meat.
    The boys and Wendy do surveillance on the area in a helicopter. They see Eric and Crazy Joe among the bigfoots camp. Wendy is in shock to discover that bigfoots are real, but assures the brothers that her father must have some sort of plan. They are surveying the land when a false alarm gets Daniel shot. As they’re tending to him, a rock knocks Billy on the head.

    Adam sneaks through the woods and makes it past the bigfoots. He reunites with Eric and Crazy Joe. As they reunite with the others, the bigfoots begin to give chase. The group tries to hold them off with grenades. The bigfoots surround them, and the groups takes cover in the cave. They wait until dusk to make their next move. At dusk, Crazy Joe throws a grenade at the bigfoots. A war ensues and the group is able to fend off the bigfoots long enough to make it to a helicopter. As the helicopter circles around to landing, a bigfoot gets in the way and is mutilated by the blades. From the air, the group fights off the rest of the bigfoots and makes their way to safety.

    Word spreads about Eric’s rescue and the suit against the Bigfoot Brothers is dropped. Further, Godwin Dane informs them that they will be each be given one million dollars in exchange for an interview with Robert Hawk. They are presented with a key to the city and come to be considered as heroes of the town. All is well.

    About The Author

    Chris Bossy is a California native who resides in northern California. The earliest childhood nightmare he can remember happened after a babysitter let him watch a King Kong movie. That terror fueled his mind for bigfoot. Bossy has been on a quest looking for bigfoot since he saw bigfoot images on the television in the 70’s. He and his twin brother go on expeditions and have had many interesting experiences.