A short film Treatment

ChrysalisOne curb. One minute of golden light. Two conversations that never touch.

Written & directed byLeo Zuckerman

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The Film

01Premise

A man gets out of a car. A woman on a bench describes a pilates class. Cut against each other, beat for beat, it becomes a birth.

One sceneStructure

Magic hourTime of day

24 → 90Frames per second

The Script

02Complete

Chrysalis

FADE IN:

Int. Uber - Moving - Magic Hour

MUSIC IN: "La Noche en la Sierra" — Framix.

EXTREME CLOSEUP — JEFF, late 30s, 6'5", 300 lbs, cramped in the back seat of a 2000s subcompact car. His face fills the frame. Gaze down. Thumbs working a text.

WIDER. The car hits a bump. Jeff jostles in his seat. He glances up, shifts screen right, and cranes past the passenger headrest to see the road ahead.

Ext. Nightlife Strip - Continuous

EXTREME CLOSEUP — GIANNA, mid-20s. Sunset.

Gianna

I literally died. Like, I literally died.

WIDE. Gianna sits on a public bench beside CLAYTON, 30s. Behind them, a block of restaurants and bars is coming to life. In front of them, a stretch of curb and a thin traffic of passersby.

The bench is in shade. The sun has already left this side of the street.

Throughout the monologue, the edit jump-cuts between the TIGHT and the WIDE on Gianna.

Gianna (cont'd)

Okay so Sienna, Saylor, Presley and I did the intermediate class on Tuesday because Cynthia was teaching. And I literally love her so much.

Clayton's gaze drifts off Gianna and out toward the curb. Something has his attention. Gianna's voice muffles beneath the soundtrack.

The wheels of the car ease to a stop at the curb, ten feet in front of the bench.

Gianna (cont'd)

(muffled, distant)

She's literally the coolest person ever, and I'm like, this is gonna be my favourite class so far.

Intercut - The Uber / The Bench

CU — A FINGER presses the hazard button. It illuminates and ticks.

CU — the rear-view mirror. THE DRIVER, 50s. His eyes come up. He holds.

CU — JEFF. He looks up at the Driver in the mirror.

Driver

Mind the bike lanes.

CU — the lock indicator on the rear passenger window pops up.

The monologue's sound clarity snaps back.

Gianna (cont'd)

And then she starts adding these impossible complications. So first she starts doing this.

From here, Gianna's recollection and Jeff's exit are cut against one another, beat for beat in slow motion.

JEFF lifts his feet off the floor mat.

GIANNA raises her left arm.

Gianna (cont'd)

And then she's like, okay, now add this.

JEFF grips the seat cushion with his hand.

GIANNA raises her right arm parallel to her left.

Gianna (cont'd)

And now pulse.

JEFF raises his knees to his chest.

GIANNA moves both hands up and down.

Gianna (cont'd)

And I'm like, wait, what?

A quick cut, in real time — 24 FPS:

Clayton snaps right — the first time he has looked at Gianna since she started. She keeps going. He slowly turns left again, back to the car.

Back into slow motion. 90 FPS, holding to the end of the scene:

WIDE — JEFF, knees-to-chest, rotates in his seat, torso swinging away from the door, legs swinging toward it. Camera pushes in.

CU — GIANNA pivots her arms at the elbows, bringing her hands together to cross.

CU — from behind the open rear passenger door, JEFF'S FEET are revealed, extending out into a beam of golden light.

Gianna (cont'd)

And the mats are really close together, so we're literally on top of each other. Like this —

GIANNA presses her forearms together.

JEFF'S FEET touch the pavement.

Gianna (cont'd)

And I'm just, like, in pain. Like, dead. Actually dead.

CLOSER ON CLAYTON. His forward gaze deepens into an inspired curiosity. His mouth opens slightly.

JEFF'S PALM reaches out of the car's interior and into the light. It lands flat on the roof.

POV FROM THE REAR SEAT — Jeff begins to rise from the seat.

GIANNA'S PALMS move apart from one another.

THE DRIVER turns his head over his right shoulder.

FROM BEHIND THE REAR DOOR — Jeff's face rises and meets the sun.

CLAYTON. A grin breaks and widens across his face.

GIANNA'S PALMS, still gesturing in slow motion closeup detail.

JEFF steps out of frame.

CLAYTON, still in shade. His gaze tracks left to right, following Jeff. As Jeff crosses in front of him, the shadow line slides off Clayton's face and the golden light takes him.

Cut to black.

SUPER: "CHRYSALIS"

Gianna (V.O.)

Anyway. I'm signing us both up.

Fade out.

The Beats

03Storyboard

01

The Back Seat

Int. Uber — Moving — Magic hour

His face fills the frame. Gaze down. Thumbs working a text.

A man in the back seat of a small car, looking out the window — ECUJeff, late 30s, cramped in the back seat of a 2000s subcompact car.

Extreme close-up of a man's eyes, warm light — ECUHis face fills the frame. Gaze down.

Low angle of a man reading his phone — WiderThe car hits a bump. He glances up and cranes past the headrest to see the road ahead.

02

Meet the Narrator

Ext. Nightlife strip — Continuous

“I literally died. Like, I literally died.”

Close-up of a young woman mid-sentence, eyes wide — ECUGianna, mid-20s. Sunset.

A young woman gesturing with both hands while a man in a cap listens — WideGianna on a public bench beside Clayton, 30s. Behind them, a block of restaurants and bars coming to life.

Close-up of a woman's eyes looking off frame — CutThroughout the monologue, the edit jump-cuts between the tight and the wide.

03

The Bench Observers

The sun has left this side of the street

The bench is in shade. The sun has already left this side of the street.

A bench outside a storefront, half in shadow, low sun raking across the street — WideThe bench is in shade. Ten feet of curb in front of it.

A man seated at a café table, looking off toward the street — CUClayton’s gaze drifts off Gianna and out toward the curb. Something has his attention.

Back seat of a car with golden light through the window — CutThe wheels of the car ease to a stop. Gianna’s voice muffles beneath the soundtrack.

04

The Exit

Intercut — The Uber / The bench

“Mind the bike lanes.”

A finger pressing a hazard light button in a dark car interior — CUA finger presses the hazard button. It illuminates and ticks.

A driver's eyes in the rear-view mirror — CUThe rear-view mirror. The Driver, 50s. His eyes come up. He holds.

A young woman in a white headband, mid-thought — CutThe monologue’s sound clarity snaps back. And then she starts adding these impossible complications. So first she starts doing this.

05

Beat for Beat

Slow motion — Gianna’s recollection / Jeff’s exit

Gianna’s recollection and Jeff’s exit, cut against one another — beat for beat, in slow motion.

A man in the back seat of a car, knees raised — JeffLifts his feet off the floor mat. Grips the seat cushion with his hand. Raises his knees to his chest.

A woman in workout clothes holding an umbrella, gym bag over her shoulder — GiannaRaises her left arm. Her right, parallel. Both hands, up and down. Okay, now add this. And now pulse.

A man in glasses looking up against a clear sky — Real time · 24 fpsClayton snaps right — the first time he has looked at her since she started. He slowly turns back to the car.

A woman walking with a rolled yoga mat and headphones — GiannaPivots her arms at the elbows, bringing her hands together to cross. And I’m like, wait, what?

06

Into the Light

90 fps, holding to the end of the scene

Jeff’s feet, extending out into a beam of golden light.

A dress shoe stepping out of a car onto the pavement in low sun — CUFrom behind the open rear door, Jeff’s feet are revealed. They touch the pavement.

A man's face, mouth slightly open, watching something with curiosity — CloserClayton. His forward gaze deepens into an inspired curiosity. His mouth opens slightly.

07

The Rise

From behind the rear door

Jeff’s face rises and meets the sun.

Extreme close-up of a man's face turned into hard warm light — POV / ReverseFrom the rear seat, Jeff begins to rise. From behind the door, his face rises and meets the sun.

A storefront in low golden light, a man walking past — WideJeff steps out of frame.

08

Transformation

CU — Clayton, still in shade

The shadow line slides off Clayton’s face and the golden light takes him.

A man in glasses in shadow, warm light behind him — ShadeClayton, still in shade. A grin breaks and widens across his face. His gaze tracks left to right, following Jeff.

The same man, now lit by warm low sun, a small smile — LightAs Jeff crosses in front of him, the shadow line slides off Clayton’s face and the golden light takes him. Cut to black.

Super

Chrysalis

Gianna (V.O.)

Anyway. I'm signing us both up.

FADE OUT.

The Look

04Shade and light

A storefront and sidewalk in raking golden light

The shade side — no fill

A face reflected in a window

A woman laughing in a window-lit room

Extreme close-up of a woman's eyes

A city street in low golden light, traffic and signs

A rooftop catching the last sun against a blue sky

A bench outside a shop, half in shadow

La Noche en la Sierra — Framix

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