Intro

What This Phase Is

The Baseline is not exposition.

It’s not lore.

It’s not backstory.

It’s the emotional calibration of the audience.

This phase quietly answers:

• What kind of story is this?

• Who are we following?

• What does “normal” look like before change?

What the Baseline Does

The Baseline establishes:

• Tone

• Mood

• Genre expectations

• The protagonist’s current internal state

It shows us who this character is before pressure is applied.

👉 This phase exists only at the start of a story.

The Baseline & The Story Double Helix

Outer Story (What We See)

• Daily routines

• Ordinary struggles

• Small conflicts

• A stable status quo

Nothing explodes yet.

Inner Story (What We Feel)

• The protagonist’s flaw

• A quiet dissatisfaction

• A belief that will later be challenged

• A comfort zone they rely on

The problem already exists—it just hasn’t been forced yet.

Key Rule of the Baseline

Do not solve anything here.

If the character:

• Fixes their problem

• Learns the lesson

• Escapes the flaw

Then the story has nowhere to go.

👉 The Baseline exists to show why change is necessary, not to cause it.

Baseline Checklist (Student-Friendly)

By the end of this phase, the audience should understand:

• Who the protagonist is right now

• What their normal life looks like

• What they believe about themselves or the world

• What they are avoiding or relying on

If the Spark happened immediately after this, it would hurt.

That’s how you know it’s working.

Common Mistakes Artists Make Here

This is important for teaching:

• ❌ Info dumping worldbuilding

• ❌ Starting too early

• ❌ Explaining instead of showing

• ❌ Making the character too competent

A slightly flawed, comfortable character gives the story room to grow.

How Long Is the Baseline?

As short as possible.

• A few pages in manga

• A scene or two in film

• A minute or two in video

• Sometimes just one moment

👉 It’s a Baseline, not a chapter.

How This Connects Forward

The Setup Baseline makes The Disruption unavoidable.

Once the audience understands:

• What the character wants

• What they fear

• What they believe

The Spark (now upgraded into The Disruption) can hit with precision.