You're Early by Robert Bruinewoud

Returning home late at night after class, a woman finds her partner at the mercy of a desperate burglar.

Type:

Short

Status:

Available for Free

Page Count:

3pp

Genre:

Thriller

Budget:

Shoestring

Age Rating:

13+

Copyright Details:

Synopsis/Details:

The story begins at night, with a sleek sports car parking in the grounds of an elegant modern home. SELENE (30s) exits the car and heads for the house.

She enters the kitchen and is shocked to find her husband (OWEN, 40s) at the mercy of hammer-wielding BURGLAR (20s).

Furious, she confronts the Burglar, telling him, “You’re early!” Confused, the Burglar threatens to kill Owen if-- But Selene cuts him off, explaining to the Burglar how he’s made a mess of her plan.

Her tirade is interrupted by a phone call from her accomplice, CON. She berates Con for screwing up her plan, as Owen and the Burglar watch, confused and nervous.

She orders Con to be there in minutes to fix his mess and ends the call. She then demands the Burglar tell her who he is. Freaked out, the Burglar hurls his hammer at Selene and flees.

Selene immediately drops the act she’d been performing and rushes to Owen’s side, tears in her eyes.

Nearby, the hammer lies on the floor beside Selene’s bag, in which is a book titled “YES AND... Improv for Beginners”.

In the distance is the sound of a police siren.

———

TWO LOCATIONS at night
- exterior establishing shots, and
- interior for the main action

THREE ACTORS
- lead (woman, 30-ish)
- support, speaking (man 20s), and
- support, non-speaking (man 40s)

All Accolades & Coverage:

*You’re Early* has now been produced three times, but it is still available should you wish to have a crack at it. The previous versions were directed by: Mark Hensley in the U.S.; Felix Wollner in Germany (English language); and Will Maloney in the U.S. You can watch Mark’s short here: https://assortedprojects.net/#/youre-early/ I’ll include other versions as they become available. Mark Hensley's production of *You're Early* won two gongs [Best Actor and Best Screenplay] in 2021 at the Redwood Film Festival in the USA. And just this year, Felix Wollner's production won: Best Short, Best Sound and the Audience Award at the LA Crime and Horror Film Festival, Best Thriller/Horror Short at the Golden Nugget International Film Festival, Best Foreign Short Film at the NAWADA International Film Festival in India, and Best Short Film at the WSXA International Film Festival in France

Story & Logistics

Story Type:

Rescue

Story Situation:

Recovery of a lost one

Story Conclusion:

Surprise Twist

Linear Structure:

Linear

Cast Size:

Few

Locations:

Couple

Characters

Lead Role Ages:

Female Adult

Hero Type:

Ordinary

Villian Type:

Criminal

Advanced

Time Period:

Contemporary times

Country:

Australia

Submitted: January 13, 2021

Last Updated: July 20, 2023

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The Writer: Robert Bruinewoud

Melbourne, Australia 1982. I submit my first "screenplay" (and I use the term very loosely) to the BBC. It was a hugely expensive Doctor Who saga. Needless to say, it wasn't picked up. You can read all about it here . Now, I’ve been advised that the above is not the way to sell myself as serious writer. I’m not sure why. The fact that any screenwriters’ first screenplay doesn’t sell is, I would’ve thought, to be expected and so not something anyone should hide. Nor is the fact that I’ve been writing screenplays (off and on) for forty years, something to be shy about. During that time I had my paying job (graphic designer and advertising art director) distracting me, but over those years I... Go to bio