Short Film Proposal

 Title: ‘The Date’ or ‘4:30? Cool.’

Introduction

My initial idea for my short film follows a male main character whos secured a date with a pretty girl and how he gets ready for it. The points of conflict in this film will be from the male character experiencing everything that could go wrong before his date happens. There will be elements of juxtaposition in this film as during the sequences of the main character getting ready, throughout the chaos there will be periodic cuts to the aforementioned girl in a very calm, tidy, serene setting with relaxing music. The final scene will be at the location of the date after the MMC’s long, chaotic and exhausting journey. Some time will pass before he receives the dreaded text saying ‘Sorry i cant make it :(‘. The sequence ends with a shot of the MMC’s disappointed face followed by a wide angle shot from afar - preferably somewhere that London’s skyline can be seen. 

ACT 1 Idea 1

MMC (named Tom) meets his friend (Brucey) at the local park/pub garden. We see Tom dressed in some baggy trousers/jeans and a shirt and overshirt/jacket. He is a late teen/twenty something, has slight facial hair, subtle jewellery, a handsome but rugged experience, headphones in with sound to accompany it (need to find some). Race/Class/Religion non specific. Camera dollies behind Tom outside train station then a series of longer still wide angle shots, on the way to the pub/park. Once Tom arrives at place we meet Bruce (name is subject to change) camera goes into ECU on the handshake. Bruce is similar aesthetically to Tom however serves as a mode to move the plot forward with questions. After they greet, the camera cuts to a wide angle shot of the boys on a bench (with a drink?), followed by a closer wide angle perhaps with a whip zoom. This is then followed by a conversation between them where “The Date” is discussed, and  importantly Tom mentions he's meeting the girl (Grace?) at 4:30 the next day. This is a cause for celebration and the boys do this via going out and/or getting drunk. This is shown by a montage of cans of beer being finished/crushed or Bruce pulling a crate of beer from his bag and making eye contact with Tom (fast whip pans from Tom's eyes to the beers to Bruce's face?). 

Act 2

Act 2 starts abruptly with a black title screen saying ‘2:30’ in alarm clock font. An abrasive alarm clock sound plays and it cuts to a birds eye view of Tom fast asleep in bed. This is followed by a sequence of cuts of Tom in different sleeping positions. Then we cut to Toms’ face in extreme close up where his eyes quickly open. This is followed by shots of Tom scrambling to get dressed (e.g. buttoning shirt, fiddling with belt, can't find matching socks, deodorant). Then we cut to him getting ready in the bathroom (wash hair, brush teeth, wash face, shave?). Tom is putting lots of effort into trying to look good for his date. Gets a phone call from Bruce asking about how Tom is and about the date. Tom is saying he’s going to meet Grace at 4:30, at a bar, and that he’ll cycle to the train station and then train there. Afterwards, the camera sees him pack his bag - notably forgetting his zip card and key ring containing house keys and bike lock keys due to being in a rush. He leaves the house and walks towards the garage/wherever the bike is locked up. Upon arriving at the bike, Tom checks his pockets and looks around in a stressed and confused manner for his lock keys (shots of camera in the bag/pockets). After this, we see a shot of Tom doing a fast paced walk back home, when he gets to the front door realises his keys were also on the keys with his bike keys. He then climbs over the wall and walks in the back door to get his keys. He then gets his keys and leaves again going back to the bike, unlocks it and starts riding down the street. Camera shot from handlebars facing upwards showing facial expressions of concern on Tom’s face. Wide angle shot on the side of the street shows the bike not moving very fluidly down the street. The camera is on the other side of the road parallel to Tom and the bike. We see Tom stop the bike in the middle of the frame. We then go into a mid shot close up of Tom and follow his eyeline down. Towards a flat tire. Tom throws the bike on the floor and shouts an expletive, halfway through the word ‘FUUU-’ we cut to a shot of Tom walking his broken bike home. Tom may call Bruce to ask for a bike pump and he replies no? Or Tom checks the time instead and realises he’s going to miss the train unless he runs. We then are followed by a series of shots following Tom running to the station. He makes it and when he gets to the barriers he lets out a furious sigh. Tom makes his way to the temperamental ticket machine. 

POTENTIAL ADDITION: when he hears his train coming into the platform.  The ticket comes out the machine and Tom makes his way to the platform as quickly as possible, he sees the doors close and the train leaves. The failings of Tom are almost comedic at this point and he seems exhausted and out of luck. 

ACT 3

Tom finally catches a stroke of luck when the next train arrives, he gets on it and breathes a sigh of relief. He attempts to call Grace but she doesn’t pick up. He mutters something along the lines of ‘she’s probably on the tube or something’ to himself. The next cut is to him walking towards the bar, looking around rather gingerly, with a nervous edge of excitement. He scans the area to see if he can spot Grace. We cut to him waiting against the wall when he mutters to himself, ‘Maybe she’s at the bar already’. We follow Tom up to the bar (rooftop bar in Peckham). As Tom is about to walk in the bar, he receives a text from Grace saying that she can’t make it. Films ends by a CU of Tom's angry/disappointed face and then a wide angle shot of him stopped dead outside the restaurant with people walking past him.