Shvaan Story Bible

Story
Treatment
1.1 Logline
1.2 Concept
1.3 Backstory and Context
1.4 Synopsis

1.1 Logline
A young dog from a wealthy family refuses to follow in the footsteps of his
guard-dog ancestors and decides to pursue his passion to become a DJ. Shvaan is a
transmedia experience that traces his physical and emotional journey towards
accomplishing that dream.
1.2 Concept
- An Exploration of the ‘world’ of dogs in India through the lens of a fictional
storyworld as an overlay on the real issues and concerns affecting these beings, as a
result of human interferences on various scales.
- The Unfolding of the storyworld through a cross-platform narrative.
1.3 Backstory & Context
Dharma Gurraana is a twenty-one year (human yrs) old dog who comes from a long
line of generations of guard-dogs, but does not want to become one. Instead, he
wants to become a full-time DJ, wants to travel and see where that takes him.
Set in current suburban India, the story mainly revolves around the Gurraana Family
and the human family that they serve - The Sahebs. The main conflict of the
narrative begins with Dharma’s encounter with the ‘reality’ of his kind and the
realization that his personal goals/wants seem smaller against the bigger backdrop
of his community.

1.4 Synopsis
The central narrative unfolds through 8 episodic
comic issues. While the furry characters i.e. The
Gurraanas will be brought in through webcomics,
the human characters i.e. The Sahebs will come in
mainly through Tina Saheb’s Blog and short-form
text videos, both of them on the same platforms.
The transmedia story will begin with a playful
tone introducing the narrative universe, as it
progresses, specifically the second half of the
project onwards, we will go down a more serious
tone. Towards this part, the fan community will be
encouraged to post their own material and the
engagement around the fictional content will
become increasingly non-fictional.
The other platforms will include a website as a
point of content consolidation in terms of finding
out more about the storyworld, a wiki of sorts and
also as point for fan engagement and fan creation,
and Tina Saheb’s blog as the central entry point
into the human world.
“But Dad!! I don’t want to bark at
strangers for the rest of my Life!”

Storyworld /
Mythos
2.1 Characters
2.2 Plotpoints - Comics
2.3 Story Arc for Tina’s Blog
2.4 Settings
2.5 Worldview
2.5 History & Mythology
2.6 Education

2.1 Characters - The Gurraanas
●
THAKUR GURRAANA
○ Age - 55 yrs
○ Breed - Boxer
○ Sketch - Dharma’s father and owner of the
business who doesn’t approve of Dharma’s
lack of ambition and attitude. Loyal to his
family and Master. Fears losing dependency
on human family and going outside the
estate because of what happened to his
father.
●
MOUNA GURRAANA
○ Age - 45 yrs
○ Breed - Indian Mastiff
○ Sketch - Dharma’s mother and runner of
the household, loves her kids and wouldn’t
force them into anything. But, wants to
maintain the decorum of the home.
Well-trained and Loyal to Rani Saheb.
Comes from a wealthy childhood. Fears
most the breaking apart of her family.
Note: Dog Years are converted to Human Years for Context.

2.1 Characters - The Gurraanas
●
KARMA GURRAANA
○ Age - 26 yrs
○ Breed - Boxer
○ Sketch - Dharma’s elder brother who
is a ‘shining example’ of the Gurraana
Family. Does everything right and
doesn’t want to piss of his father.
Lowest Attention Seeker Quotient.
Fears his father but, is more like his
mother.
● RAIZA GURRAANA (14)
○
○
○
Age - 14 yrs
Breed - BoxerMastiff
Sketch - Dharma’s younger sister who
is loved by everyone in the family.
Vicky Saheb’s favorite. Has a special
bond with Dharma. Playful and
unintentionally smart.
Note: Dog Years are converted to Human Years for Context.

2.1 Characters - The Sahebs
●
MR. RANA SAHEB
○
○
Age - 50 yrs
Sketch - Thakur’s Master. Depends on his dog a
lot - doesn’t realise it. Is not a big fan of house
pets but relented previously for his mother and
now for his wife, Rani Saheb. Always super busy
with his work (construction business) but takes
Thakur with him for his evening walk.
●
MRS. RANI SAHEB
○
○
Age - 45 yrs
Sketch - Mouna’s Companion. Loves Mouna
and all the puppies and kids. Is often worried
about Tina’s rebelliousness and Vicky’s lack of
social life. Loves her husband but keeps busy
with her own social life. Encourages Tina in her
animal rescue work.
●
VICKY SAHEB
○
○
Age - 19 yrs
Sketch - Tries to be ‘cool’ to fit in - but isn’t.
Plays video games to please his friends even
though he hates them. Is very close to Raiza.

2.1 Main Characters - Dharma & Tina
●
TINA SAHEB
○
○
Age - 17 yrs
Sketch - Rana’s beloved daughter. Playful and
spirited. Is in senior year of high school, loves
animals and wants to have a career in animal
welfare. Volunteers at a local dog shelter called
‘Swapna’. Writes a blog and posts updates
about her work and life on it.
Teenager. Thinks her family is super lame.
Posts accounts of their daily quabbles online.
Finds it hard to make human friends. Has a
rebellious streak.
●
DHARMA GURRAANA
○
○
○
Age - 21 yrs
Breed - Indian Mastiff
Sketch - Our Protagonist. Dharma’s love in life
after music/singing. Cannot imagine a day
without Tina. Follows Tina everywhere and
helps her out everyday. Lazy. Kind and
underestimated by everyone in his family.
Keeps a low profile except for when singing.
Note: Dog Years are converted to Human Years for Context.

2.2 Plotpoints
- Central Narrative
Comic Issue #1 - Exposition of Dharma’s Life and World - realizes he wants to
become a DJ.
Comic Issue #2 - Dharma’s father Thakur finds out - Dharma and Thakur get into a
fight. Outraged at the thought of going outside the Saheb Estate. Tina consoles
Dharma.
Comic Issue #3 - Dharma approaches Karma for help. Family plans to explain
Thakur. Goes down hill. Dharma banned from playing music.
Comic Issue #4 - Dharma is punished. But, hatches a plan to escape.
Comic Issue #5 - Dharma escapes and begins his journey to the city where all the
famous dogs live and sing. Dharma journeys across the coast. Encounters various
natural enemies in the wild. Separation Anxiety.
Comic Issue #6 - Dharma reaches the city and meets stray dogs who mislead him.
But, finally manages to find his way to the music club where a rich showbiz lady
takes him under her shelter.
Comic Issue #7 - Dharma instantly becomes a hit. And begins living there.
Comic Issue #8 - Soon, begins to see the dark sides of city and the problems with his
kind and human kind. Gurraana family see him on the news. Tina doesn’t. Decides
to return.

Setup
2.3 Story Arc for
Tina’s Blog
- Tina’s Chronicles of her day-to-day.
- Tantrums from her family life and school life.
- Tons of Pictures of her dogs
- Stories of dogs from the Animal Rescue Shelter she
volunteers at.
- Hopes to study Canine Psychology and Welfare - Rana
Saheb against
Inciting Incident
- Dharma goes missing
- Accounts of her failed attempts to find him
- Puts out missing fliers
Climax
- Family has lost hope.
- She is getting ‘found’ emails and comments from her
fanbase.
- Meanwhile, has to go on with school work
- Rana dead against her future plans.
- Loneliness. Eventually Posts and updates stop.
Resolution
- One fine day Dharma shows up.

2.4 Settings
●
●
●
Sub-urban Human (Indian) Community
Sub-urban Doggy World
Family Security Business
●
●
Stray Dogs in the City
Dogs/Cats in the Wild

2.5 Worldview

2.6 History & Mythology

2.7 Education
- Dog Training
- Human Training
- Disciplines - HSL (Human as Second Language) Streetfighting, Scent
Recognition etc

Transmedia
Experience
3.1 Attitude of the Experience
3.2 Target Audience
3.3 Function of Transmedia
3.4 Multiplatform Form
3.5 User Journey Diagram
3.6 Story Rollout Timeline
3.7 Distant Mountains - Ph II
3.8 Potential Transmedia
Extensions

3.1 Attitude of the Experience
Tone
- Playful with the undertones of serious. Using the myth genre to explore the
narrative.
Themes
●
●
●
Man and Nature (explored thru each storyline but mainly thru the wider
presence of the storyworld
Personal Journey - Coming-of-age
Nostalgia of Lost Suburbia
3.2 Target Audience
●
●
●
●
●
●
Young Urban Indian Audience (20s-30s) - Who relate to the idea of not being
able to pursue their dreams because of familial obligations, which is a lot of
youth in India.
Dog Lovers in India and everywhere
Comic Book / Visual Narrative Fans
Readers
Animal Activists
Organizations working in Animal Welfare.
3.3 Function of Transmedia
●
●
Give Access to various facets of the Storyworld
Enable Engagement through various platforms

3.4 Multiplatform Form
Platforms:
Channels:
●
Book
● Comics Issue #1-#8
●
iOS and Android Mobile App
●
Webcomics - Insta+FB+Tumblr
●
Wordpress Website
●
Wiki Page / Connecting Point
●
Tumblr
●
Tina’s Personal Blog
●
Music Album
●
SoundCloud / iTunes
●
Live Events
● Storyworld Installations /
Engagement:
●
●
●
●
Fan Art
Tina’s Blog Challenges
Rescue Stories
Pet Dog Stories

3.5 User Journey Diagram

3.6 Story Rollout Timeline & CTAs
NOTE: Assets Production Timeline - January 2018 - June 2018
No. Content TimeLine CTAs
1 Webcomics - Gurraana Characters
: INSERT INTO (SOCIAL-MEDIA) REALITY :
Purpose: Reveal Storyworld & Character Traits
Social Media Marketing
July 2018 - Oct
2018
Like,
Comment,
Share,
Follow
2 Comic Issues #1 - #8
Purpose: Reveals conflict between families
July 2018 - Feb
2018
AR Scan to
Music
3 ‘Everything Bark’ (Music) Singles 4/4- Sound Cloud
Purpose: Storyworld Object - Musical Connection
4 Website
Purpose: Reach Out Point for Fans / Connecting
Aug, Oct, Dec,
Jan 2018
July 2018
Like,
Comment,
Share
Learn,
Contribute
5 Tina Saheb’s Blog - Chronicles of a Dog Lover
| Engagement thru Casual Games
Purpose: Accounts of her family life, her involvement in animal welfare and
her aspirations.
July 2018 - Feb
2018
- so on
Comment,
Play Games,
Engage,
Buy
6 Tina Saheb’s Instagram - Chronicles of a Dog Lover
| Engagement thru Sharing Stories
Purpose: People email her stories and she shares them with a picture and
her side..
July 2018 - Feb
2018
- so on
Rescue
Stories,
Collab
w/NGOs
7 Group Text Videos
Purpose: Insight into the Saheb Family - Unbiased Narrator
8 Facebook Page / Twitter Page
Purpose: Updates of Latest Content/Events and Calls to Action
July 2018
Like,
Comment,
Share
Follow, Share,
Engage,
9 Live Exhibits / Events / Walks
Purpose: Depict the real world parallels to the storyworld
Oct 2018 - Feb
2019
Buy Comic,
Experience
10 Emojis
Purpose: Culture Hack / Language insertion
Oct 2018
Remix Fan Art
11 360 VR Images
Purpose: Showcasing the world and settings of the story
Dec’18 - Feb’19

3.7 Distant Mountains - Next Phases
Storyworld
Distant Mountains
Shvaan
Next Phase

3.8 Potential Transmedia Extensions

Design Specs
4.1 Aesthetics & Art Direction
4.2 Visual Language

4.1 Aesthetics & Art Direction

4.2 Visual Language

Business Specs
5.1 Goals
5.2 Marketing & Distribution
5.3 Success Indicators
5.4 Revenue Models
5.5 Budget

5.1 Goals
Pitch the Story to -
5.2 Marketing and Distribution
- Social Media Marketing - #Share
- Traditional Print Ads & Posters
- Trailer Video

5.3 Success Indicators
- Social Media Metrics
- Analytics Measurements
- Emotional Engagement - Fan Reactions
- Word of Mouth Quotient
5.4 Revenue Models
- Sale of Print Comics
- Sale of In-Purchase Comics App
- Live Event Purchases
- Sponsorships
- Sale of Merchandise
- Sale of Card Games / Board Games
- Exclusive Limited Access to Parts of the Storyworld

5.5 Budget
Project: Shvaan
Formats: HQ Illustrated
Graphics, Responsive
Website, Social Media,
Sensory Installations, VR
Equipment
Timeline:
Research
Prep & Prototype
Production
Post Production
Events
Total
ABOVE THE LINE
- 4 Months
- 2 Months
- 6 Months
- 4 Months
- 3 Months
- 18 Months
Budget Date: 1/Dec/2017
Producer/Director:
Surabhi Naik
1000 Pre-production and
Development
10000
2000 Producing Staff 20000
3000 Rights, Music & Talent 1000
TOTAL ABOVE THE LINE 31000
BELOW THE LINE
4000 Crew and Personnel 15000
5000 Production Expenses 10000
6000 Travel and Related
Expenses
2000
7000 Post-Production 5000
8000 Insurance N/A
9000 Office and
Administration Costs
1000
10000 Other Required Items N/A
TOTAL BELOW THE LINE US$ 33000
SUBTOTAL US$ 64000
11000 Contingency (10%) US$ 6400
12000 Fiscal Sponsor Fee N/A
GRAND TOTAL US$ 70400