Faked Out
Season One
Faked Out
Enter a world of very special objects – antiques that lure you and involve you in a wondrous, often joyous journey.
This is a place where the tenuous line between magic and reality is often blurred and occasionally erased.
Here, objects have power. They are imbued with the energy of myth, mystery and desire.
This is an anthology series based on the best selling book, “Faked Out” by Arthur Cobin and Vivien Boniuk
That’s the Object!
Preamble and Background for Streaming Series
The concept for this series combines elements of other lasting highly popular and successful presentations:
- The non-standard and intriguing plots of ‘The Twilight Zone.
- The concept of the Narrator, unique and charming a la Alfred Hitchcock.
- The twists and turns of great short story writers such as Jeffrey Archer and Raoul Dahl.
- An uplifting concept so needed in these times, that life can be made better, and pushed in a positive direction by the magical power –yes- of objects, whether of inherent value or not.
- Every storyline revolves around an object, that seemingly has a mystical and magical power to alter the life of the user or owner, mostly in a very positive way, with the action being propelled and explained by the ‘Narrator’ who will provide the common thread to connect the stories.
- Sophisticated use of ‘Green Screen’ technology in production, which dramatically decreases the cost of the finished product.
- The stories will incorporate as part of the script, important historical and social issues, mostly not discussed in media productions, in an informative but not pedantic manner.
Take the A Train
The title refers both to the New York subway line and to the iconic Strayhorn/Ellington song of the same title. The central and magical object of the proposed pilot of this series is the French Selmer Mark 6 saxophone introduced in the Bebop era of jazz in the decades following World War II. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and many other mostly Black musicians made this genre and this era an important musical milestone.
They and their music are an important part of the Harlem Renaissance which began before World War II. In this pilot episode, we explore the lives and struggles of the owners of this particular alto Sax, which has a life of its own as it participates in influencing for good, the lives of its users. Woven into the texture of the story is an African America history professor at Columbia University who lives in the beautiful and important area in Harlem called Sugar Hill, and who informs us of the fascinating history of the district, once home to luminaries such as Thurgood Marshall, Adam Clayton Powell, WEB Dubois, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and Joe Louis. Lives end, but the Selmer Mark 6 Saxophone lives on.
About the Authors
Arthur Cobin and Vivien Boniuk are the co-authors and creators of this concept. Antique Dealers for about 30 years, they participated in hundreds of antique shows and flea markets around the US. During those travels, they experienced many often strange and mysterious events, which were incorporated into their first book of short stories ‘Faked Out: Tales for Lovers of Antiques and Art’. This was published by Eyetooth Press LLC, a publishing entity incorporating their professions—Arthur, a retired Endodontist, and Vivien, still a practicing Ophthalmologist. This book received very positive reviews and sold well online and in person at antique shows. PBS Channel 13, promoted the book as a premium choice for membership.
Arthur and Vivien completed a second book of 24 original short stories but, rather than publishing it, realized that a more appropriate venue for their creativity would be to access the more visual arts, as it were. This resulted in the collaboration with the American Movie Company and Bill Milling, its CEO. Emmy-winner Bill Milling produced the NBC hit children’s show, Unicorn Tales, winner of 18 Emmy Awards. AMC has elevated the Green Screen technology to the highest level in the industry.
Take a seat, lean back, and take cursory look below at what awaits you on this trip to unexplored realms both real and imagined.
A synopsis of each of the several episodes we are proposing for future inclusion in this series are briefly outlined here. Each story features a unique object which changes the life of the protagonist.
Take the A Train
Proposed Pilot describes how a vintage Selmer saxophone influences the lives and loves of a few denizens of Sugar Hill in Harlem. It highlights the importance of the Black influence in American music.
Don’t Worry, the Brooch is Insured
A precious Cartier jeweled brooch is stolen and the fate of an international restaurant chain hangs in the balance. The search takes us from Manhattan to the tony Hamptons with a surprising and satisfying result.
Food for thought!
Weighted Bookends
We follow the travels of a set of bookends smuggled from Nazi Germany to the UK prior to World War II. We are intrigued and somewhat shocked at the unusual makeup of these heavy pieces. With astonishment we see the effect of their secret composition on the lives of the owners and future generations.
The Wedding March
A flea market find of a two-sided painting has an impact on the lives of a very talented gay couple and results in a smash hit on Broadway. Amazingly, both the song and the painting are attributed to Gershwin. Conflict arises regarding both ownership and disposition. The result is conflict – and a change in their lives. Can a smash hit on Broadway be conducive to a romantic reconciliation? The music plays on!
The White House
A painting of a charming white house in rural California has a barbed wire cover attached to the frame. Is this consequential to the ambition of one who wants to inhabit the real White House? The story deals with a dark chapter in American history, very relevant today. Specifically, it speaks of the disgraceful internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The discovery of the painting portends the consequential presidential US presidential choice decades later.
The Broken Burro
A retired veterinarian, now an antique dealer puts his medical training to a unique use. As the story unfolds, ever the romantic, his hijinks encourage a wavering couple to choose matrimony. He repairs then breaks and repairs again the leg of a burro made of chalk advertising coffee. A burro made of chalk! Am not horsing around! The couple, loyal customers at the Palm Beach show, are the unexpected beneficiaries of his skill!
Black Sun
An artist’s depiction of the sun over a modern city is defaced by black paint thrown on its surface, and running down in dribbles. This becomes a metaphor for the nuclear crisis involving North Korea. This creative concept astounds critics of modern art. The tale is interwoven with an Asian American family conflicted but determined to reconcile their differences. The artist becomes entangled in a romance not approved by her stern father.
The Silver Cup from Asprey
An elderly retired Anglo-American dentist is on a mission to the UK to track down his Silver Baby Cup lost in the blitz in World War II. He finds more than he expected! Memories are re-visited and relived. A surprise ending awaits us all. You can go home again!
A Steal at the Thrift Shop
A successful Greenwich attorney is married to an heiress whose family had copies made of her Van Cleef & Arpel suite of vintage Art Deco jewelry valued at over a million dollars. She wears the ersatz jewelry to social functions without concern for theft. Their recently acquired safe makes it convenient for her to wear these items more often, she wears the real thing without having to go to the safety deposit box at a local bank. Unfortunately, a donation in error to the local Thrift Shop includes a real piece of jewelry instead of the copy, and so the chase for its recovery begins.
The Talisman
A large bronze medal issued by Williams College to honor World War I (the Great War) alumni saves a life – twice! Both the purchaser and his designated heir benefit from the mysterious, magical influence of this historic medal. The story takes us from Florida to Hawaii to New Zealand. New friendships are forged. Along the way, they face life threatening danger.
Complete versions of each story are available on request, as well as copies of the published book Faked Out: Tales for Lovers of Antiques and Art
We trust your trip was fun and an escape from the daily doldrums, and perhaps even inspirational.
Join us again for another episode.
Faked Out
Episode One: “Take The A Train”
Exciting New Series
Episode One: “Take the A Train”
By Bill Milling
Call: (212) 645-1206.
email: [email protected]
