[The Story Lab] Story Synopsis… Draft or Not

We recently finalised the script for our final project. Jamie has been working on this relentlessly and it is safe to say that we are all happy with the outcome and the direction that this is headed.

The time is six in the morning and the sound of an alarm goes off. The ringing and buzzing sound fills the room as KEITH, in his mid forties and overweight, stares at the ceiling, ignoring his ringing alarm. His hand slowly reaches for the alarm and turns it off. Keith sets the alarm at this time so that he can get some exercise. He stares in thin air for a few seconds and ponder the possibility of getting out of bed, but he finally snaps out of it and goes back to sleep

Keith is making breakfast to get ready for work. After he indulges in a breakfast composed of fried eggs he fights the temptation to make more but eventually loses his will power. Keith is now in the shower with water cascading over his back as he hangs his head down. He then moves to groom himself but since he is displeased with his appearance he has a sorrow expression on his face.

Keith in now at his cubicle talking on the phone. Keith has worked as telemarketer for the last sixteen years of his life at The Foil People. He repeats the line given to him over and over again and has to deal with repeated abuse from people that do not want to be called.

Keith walks into the company tearoom. There he finds BRENDA, a recent employee at this company and always with a warm smile. Keith opts to sit at the corner of the table instead of next to Brenda. As he opens his candy bar, RYAN, a health freak that pushes his lifestyle onto others enters the tearoom. There Ryan starts to lecture Keith about his poor health to which Keith insulted Ryan numerous time in his head but opted to contain these feeling of animosity towards him.

Ryan felt that the conversation was not going to bear fruit so he asked Keith to up to the roof with him as a gesture of good faith. The mention of the room brings up fantasies in Keith’s head about him edging closer and closer to the edge until he falls down. This makes Keith panic so he declines Ryan’s offer. Ryan walks out of the team room rejected as he is soon followed by Keith. Brenda witnesses all this and starts to wonder about Keith’s odd behaviour.

The shift in over so Keith walks out of the office building and suddenly gets tapped on the shoulder. He frantically turns around to find it was Brenda. She asks him if he was able to give her a ride home since the trains in her line weren’t running for a couple of hours. He timidly agrees to take her so they walk to his car.

Upon their arrival at her house she gets out of his car. After she apologises for any inconveniences, she asks him about his irregular behaviour in the tea room. Keith is put off by this line of questioning so Brenda garbs his arm to his surprise. She admits that she may not know him very well so she doesn’t get the full picture but she expresses her desire to get to know him better. This causes Keith to smile as she thanks him again for the ride and sends off.

Keith’s love for videogames and junk food are at full display as he is playing on the couch with an empty bag of chips and an empty pizza box for company. While still playing images of his exchange with Brenda flood his mind. He pauses the game and reflects back on his life and if there was any chance for him to escape his tedious reality.

Keith suddenly jumps off the couch and heads for the exit. Once outside he starts to jog. With new found determination, he is able to attempt to change his life. Keith has hopes for tomorrow, hopes that he has given up on for many years as he continues to jog into the sunset.