The main protagonist is a run-of-the-mill middle-aged man, working a 9 to 5 desk job at an accounting firm. He is largely indifferent to the dynamic nature of the world and lives a dull, unremarkable life. He is quiet and disconnected from both people and his environment and content with the solitude and monotony of his day-to-day life.
He is considerably well off and lives alone in a two bedroom duplex apartment in Upper East Side, New York. He is unmarried and has no known family or acquaintances. He takes the subway to work in the morning and walks home at the end of the day. Character Outline
CUT IN:
INT. DUPLEX - 5:00AM
The MAN is sleeping soundly in his bed. Sounds of a clock ticking can be heard in the background.
TRAIL SHOT: FOOT TO HEAD
CUT TO:
BLACK
The sound of the clock ticking becomes more definitive. The MAN starts to cough. The coughing intensifies, ending with the sound of choking.
SMASH CUT
INT. DUPLEX - 5:30AM
The MAN is sitting up on his bed gently massaging his throat. The camera only shows the MAN from the chest up. He glances at the clock.
EXT. NYC - EARLY MORNING
ESTABLISHING SHOT
Dawn has just set over the city of New York. The MAN lives in a duplex apartment on the Upper East Side. There are very few cars on the streets and still fewer people.
TIME LAPSE
EXT. NYC - 8:00AM
The city is bustling with busy people heading to work. The loud, obnoxious New Yorkers are up and about their busy schedules. Cars zoom across the landscape gradually slowing down to normal speed as a subtitle appears at the bottom-right of the screen indicating the time - 8:00 A.M.
INT. DUPLEX - 8:00AM
CAMERA FOCUS:KNEE AND BELOW
The MAN locks the door to his duplex apartment.He shuffles his feet before turning to the left and approaching the elevator. The elevator dings and the doors slide open. The MAN
ACT I
walks into the elevator and turns around.
INT. DUPLEX - ELEVATOR
The MAN stands in the midst of four other people not saying a word to any of them. They don’t say a thing to him either. He looks at the lady standing next to him - she doesn’t acknowledge his presence. Without a change in expression he shifts his gaze to stare at the elevator doors.
*Ding*
INT. DUPLEX - LOBBY
The elevator doors open and the man walks out into the lobby. The lobby is full of people busy going about their business. He doesn’t greet anyone, nor does anyone greet him. The MAN sighs and breaks into a brisk walk as he makes his way through the crowd of people and through the revolving doors onto the busy Upper East Side pavement.
EXT. UPPER EAST SIDE - PAVEMENT
The MAN walks down the busy street toward the subway. Everyone around him seems to be involved in their own lives - no one seems to notice the MAN let alone acknowledge or greet him.
EXT. SUBWAY STATION - 8:30AM
He descends down the stairs, drops a token at the subway entrance and gets onto the platform. The train he routinely takes to work stops at the station just as he enters the platform.
*An operator speaks incomprehensibly in the background*
He absentmindedly drops some change into the hat of a homeless man who doesn’t acknowledge him or the kind gesture before hurrying aboard his train making it just in time as the door slide shut.
INT. TRAIN
He stands grasping the overhead railing for support. At this point we bring out with greater emphasis how detached he
is from what is happening around him. The hustle and bustle of the other commuters doesn’t faze him as he stands quiet and alone.
CUT TO:
BLACK
CUT IN:
INT. OFFICE - CUBICLE - 9:15AM
The camera focuses on the clock as the seconds tick by.
CUT TO:
THE MAN SITTING AT HIS WORK DESK
The MAN is typing away on his computer before he stops for a while to look at a collage of pictures on his cubicle wall. He heaves a sigh and looking back at his computer continues with his work.
HORIZONTAL SCAN SHOT BEFORE CUT TO:
WALL CLOCK
TIME LAPSE
INT. OFFICE - CUBICLE - 1:30PM
The camera shows a desk open, a hand reaches in and picks up a brown paper bag. The man takes a closer look at the bag - there is a Post-It on the front. The note read - “You owe me xoxo”. The MAN chuckles to himself as he gets on his feet. He peers into the adjacent cubicle looking for the lady who left him lunch - but she wasn’t there. He frowns picking up the paper bag and heads toward the door.
TRANSITION:
AS HE WALKS OUT THE DOOR THE OTHER SIDE IS THE CAFETERIA
INT. OFFICE - CAFETERIA
The MAN walks into the frame (STATIC) focused on an empty table. He sets his paper bag down on the table, glancing around looking for someone but apparently not finding that person. Frowning, he opens the bag and finds a half-eaten sandwich and the core of an apple, brown from the oxidation. He flinches slightly at the smell coming from the bag, and closes it quickly - a repulsed look on his face. He stands up.
CUT TO:
BLACK ACT II
FADE IN:
EXT. NEW YORK CITY - 5:00PM
The streets are busy with people leaving work. The camera homes in on the MAN (DOLLY) as he walks down the street.
ZOOM IN THEN CLOSE ON: MAN
A number of people bump into him but don’t notice him or apologize and continue to move down the street engrossed in their own worlds. He continues walking and after a few steps he notices a dog sniffing at his heels.
FAVOR: LABRADOR
He gets down on bended knee to pet the LABRADOR.
CLOSE ON: LABRADOR
When he does this the LABRADOR begins to back away barking at the MAN. After a few seconds the dog begins to whimper and sprints down a nearby alleyway. The man gets back to his feet dusting his pants at the knee. He continues to stare at the alleyway into which the LABRADOR disappeared, appearing to be in deep thought.
CUT TO:
BLACK
*ding*
There is a sound of footsteps, a click of a lock, and a turn of the doorknob.
CUT IN:
INT. DUPLEX - APARTMENT - 6:30PM
The MAN is resting on the couch, shirt undone and shoes off - a drink of scotch on the table in front of him.
CLOSE ON: MAN’s FACE
He downs the remainder of the drink, looking straight into the camera for a few seconds.
INTERCUT (Breaking of eggs on a pan - *ding* Removing bread
ACT III
from the microwave - Switches off the stove)
The camera shows the MAN sitting at his dining table, his meal in front of him. He begins to eat his meal. After he’s done with his meal he wipes his lips with the bib.
CUT TO:
BLACK
There are sounds of clinking dinnerware, gushing water, and then silence for a few seconds.
CUT IN:
INT. DUPLEX - 8:30PM
The MAN is sleeping soundly in his bed. Sounds of a clock ticking can be heard in the background.
TRAIL SHOT: FOOT TO HEAD
CLOSE ON: MAN’s HEAD
The camera turns towards the door of the room, there is a silhouette (indistinct) standing in the doorway.
FOCUS ON: MAN’s HEAD
DELAY 3s
FOCUS SHIFT TO: SILHOUETTE
The silhouette is of the MAN himself, standing at the doorway staring at his own body laying still in bed. The silhouette walks towards the body and falls to its knees, a single tear drops down his pale cheeks.
CUT TO:
BLACK
FLASHBACK
The MAN starts to cough. The coughing intensifies, ending with the sound of choking.
The camera is at the same position as in the scene except there is no MAN. The camera pans downward. The MAN’s comes into view, lying in bed, silent and still.
He was dead.
SMASH CUT
Same camera shot showing the MAN dead but now at night. Sounds of sirens can be heard in the distance.
CUT TO:
BLACK
Siren sounds continue for a few seconds.
END TITLE ACT IV
ROLL CREDITS