Film Treatment Draft

Act 1 

Begins in the protagonist's chaotic, cluttered home, we learn about her living environment and watch her getting ready to leave her house (her routine). We see pill boxes scattered across surfaces, plates and cooking equipment left out, clothes everywhere - a life far from organised, conveying her struggle. A secondary purpose of this beginning sequence is that there is a sense of her being watched. The camera acts as a person watching – we feel like we are spying on her, and this is how she feels all the time. As she goes through her routine (preparing a cup of tea, getting ready to leave), the camera lingers on her in a way that feels intrusive. Through this glimpse of her environment, we establish that she is living alone, which emphasises the feelings of fear later on in the short film. Act 1 demonstrates both The Therapist's inner turmoil and her vulnerability. 

Act 2 

We follow The Therapist on an uncertain, tense walk down the street – where she is going at this point is unknown. Throughout the walk, we observe her interactions with other people. There is a sense of others watching her, with close-ups of their faces and eyes. Each encounter is marked by subtle unease, illustrating how her internal anxiety forms her perception of the outside world. The Therapist receives a phone call which momentarily heightens the tension even further, we do not know the context of who Dale is at this point. As she continues on her journey, the street feels increasingly distorted, mirroring her increased sense of vulnerability. The walk ends at a door - the entrance to a therapist's office. We watch Jess prepare herself to enter, slowing down her breathing, she then enters the door. 


Act 3

There is a contrast in pace, going from a slow, distorted outside world into a fast-paced, organised workplace. without the camera showing the room, there is a knock on the door and we hear The Therapist say come in... 

the audience for the first time realise she is a therapist. 



Changes: 


The plot changed from this treatment draft, as when filming and reviewing footage, many of my initial ideas were unsuccessful, I realised how different shot types and also parts of the plot could be altered to increase emotional depth and suspense/tension. 



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