When doors close- short film script
Scene 1
Sat in a chair in an empty office, Office door opens
The desk and chair are of an old-fashioned nature, rich leather on a polished wooden desk and swivel chair are in front; empty.
Camera starts behind with a mid-shot waist up with the woman sitting infront of this desk, angled slightly lower, camera slowly pans right, you see a woman mid 20’s dressed ready for an interview, hair put up, blazer.
The camera colouring is faded and filtered in post edit.
As the camera pans and pivots right, it gives way to a wide shot.
Seeing the woman in office outfit, dressed made up as a professional such as a manager.
Once the camera is centre in front the woman breaks the 4th wall smiling as though the viewer is the interviewer. Bag on the floor, portfolio in hand.
Dialogue
‘Hi my name is …’ sound fades
The camera becomes out of focus and zooms out into a spot over janes shoulder.
You still see the outline of jane in the interview, but the background disappears, to a different scene.
Scene 2
Its dark out about 1 am, jane gets up tiered to get some water, sees john on the sofa.
Mumbles ‘hi’ goes back to bed.
Cuts to next day
Making a cup of tea,
Enter john
Jhon, ‘Hows’s your day been ?’
Jane replies ‘good, yours?’
‘not bad, you been up to much?’ said john
‘Nothing much, how was work anything fun?’ says jane
Jhon starts to cut up dinner. ‘Not really, not that you would care’
Jane looks confused but stays quiet takes a deep breath. Hesitant, she bites the bullet, looks reticent ‘meaning ?’
Jhon ‘Last night’
Jane ‘what?’
‘You walked straight past me, didn’t care about me then at all’ john.
Jhon, lifts arm to show knife marks.
Jane, ‘ I didn’t notice’
Jhon, ‘exactly’
Gestures with knife, ‘is this what you want’
Jane ‘that’s not what I meant’ ‘ I was just getting water…’ janes words fade while john freezes and eyes go black. ‘Jhon..?’
Jhon, ‘he’s here’
Jane, ‘ its okay, you haven’t slept, he isn’t really here breath deeply’. ‘Put the knife down’
Jhon freezes with the knife in his hand jane is stood in front of him a very different situation happening.
Jane has an idea of whats about to happen and steels herself for it. Jhons grip tightens on the knife ‘is this what you want’ but he is no longer talking to jane, he is looking past her, hallucinating while holding the knife over his heart.
Jane takes a deep breath knowing this might not end well and calls his bluff, ‘ go on then’
Jhon pauses and looks confused, during this pause jane moves to take the knife of john, grabbing his wrist pulling his arm down and away, with her opposite hand, while bending his wrist backwards until the knife drops, in a self-defence moves, its swift. The knife drops to the floor.
Jane sinks to the floor bent over, hands wrapped around knees sitting, knife in hand, in shock.
Trying to breath. Eyes wide
the camera focuses on wide eyes close zoom then zooms out slowly as it blurs.
As the camera zooms out you hear john say ‘ I thought he was behind you’ ‘ I know’ replies jane faintly
‘give me the knife’ says john
‘no,
on the side’ says jane mumbling
you hear metal on a counter top and foot steps, as the camera becomes blurred you still see jane on the floor as jhon walks off.
Scene 3,
You return to the interview.
The camera goes back into focus zooms out until jane is in focus in the centre.
During this pan you hear the interviewer.
‘I can see you have experience and are qualified, but im unsure if you can think on your feet and are adaptable enough’
‘this can be a changing area of practice at times, professionalism is essential during times of change and adaptability is essential’
Jane in focus and centre ‘ I can appreciate your concern, however I am adept at thinking on my feet and finding solutions at difficult points in time, while maintain my professionalism.’
Camera slowly zooms in on janes face
‘Thank you for coming in today, but I just don’t see this as a good fit for either you or our team’ Interviewer
Breaks 4th wall
Jane doesn’t flinch or give anything away
‘thank you for the consideration anyway, im just grateful for this opportunity’ Jane gives a slight smile raises her head while you see her eyes slightly steel over, knowing what she has to return to, (this would be acted acutely, in a way the audience wouldn’t be sure if they saw it.
Jane gets up with the portfolio still in her bag and walks to the door the camera zooms in on the door as it closes.