Shootin' The Shorts
Shootin' The Shorts is run by J.E. Clarke a longtime prolific screenwriter who loves to give others a little boost in the marketplace by highlighting why she believes their short script may stand out. She brings with her a loyal band of readers who share the same compassionate attitude who have joined her cause as it's grown and grown to connect writers with filmmakers on a monthly basis. Now it finds a home here on Script Revolution.
This is all about highlighting what makes a script great by focusing on the positives. You'll find no negative criticism or lists of issues here. Submitting a short script for consideration couldn't be easier, simply scroll down to the bottom of your script edit page and tick the "Submit to Shootin' The Shorts" checkbox. Please note; it takes time to get through all submissions, everything is subjective, and we're by no means saying these are the best short scripts on Script Revolution, they are simply the ones that have found an admirer within this section - CJ
Calling Home - A Call You Don't Want to Miss
CALLING HOME
A driven depression therapist enjoys her star client's final moments with her at the top of a bridge.
On the surface, Calling Home by Nikki April Lee is a timely tale about the tragic implications of the psychological suffocation inherent to trauma. An intense, invisible pain that erodes the soul, causing such suffering that sometimes there is only one way out.
But beneath the veneer of Lee’s story is something more sinister and fatalistic that poses a unique question about the ultimate value of trying to help those who are beyond salvation.
The story starts with a set of women sitting in circle, attending what must be a support group lead by Mya Sanders. A thoughtful, quietly strong spiritualist determined to impart her affirmative wisdom on the women who attentively hang on her every word.
MYA
Everyday is a struggle, but we must remember not to think of our lives in weeks, months, and years.
It only increases this pressure that is on your mind.
Think of life in minutes, hours, and days.
Mya grabs her necklace’s heart pendant with a semicolon carved out of the center.
MYA
Every minute your heart beats, is another minute you are stronger; a warrior; a survivor.
One of the women in Mya’s group is Skylar; a young lady in her late 20s, who has been attending the group over the past year.
She alludes to having two young kids and a husband. With Mya’s help and the support of the other women, she’s in a much better place now with herself and her family.
SKYLAR
I am. I feel so much better ever since I started coming here last year.
I didn’t think I was going to make it, but here I am.
MYA
That’s right, and here you will stay.
Mya indefatigable commitment to the cause of helping women suffering deep psychological wounds is admirable and inspiring. Nowhere is this more apparent than in her own home, when she interacts with her dutiful husband Charlie. He isn’t just supportive of his wife, but is in awe of her superhuman selflessness.
CHARLIE
You are a hero without a cape, my love. Don’t ever forget that.
It would seem no matter the time or day, Mya is the perpetual harbor in the tempest for the women under the protection of her emotional bulwark.
So, when Skylar texts Mya in the middle of the night, with a cryptic message that reads: ‘The Angels have called…’, Mya immediately jumps out of bed, called to action to rescue one her flock.
Or so it seems.
Calling Home takes a unique, yet brave moral turn that’ll leave the audience feeling unsettled and baffled simultaneously. Lee deftly sets up the story in such a way that when the morbid end comes, it’s jarring and disquieting, with far more unanswered disturbing questions than satisfying, yet obvious answers.
Stories like this rarely come along. A chance to make a movie that forces the audience to get out of their comfort zone and ponder some of humanity’s more complex debates, is the sort of opportunity a brave, filmmaker should tackle… especially if they’re craving to make a short film that will leave their audience speaking about the story long after the credits roll.
The Script
About The Reviewer
Jeremy Storey, originally hails from the United Kingdom, but now resides in Seattle, WA. He first discovered the joys of writing at school, penning short stories and collaborating on comic books with his friends. Coming from a writerly family, it was clearly in his DNA to tell stories. However,...Read more
About The Writer
Nikki Lee's passion for writing stories of love and tragedy began after watching director James Cameron's Titanic. The themes of the film captivated and inspired her to further her study into the human condition which led her to write in several mediums such as flash fictions, short stories, and...Read more
The Oath - With Great Responsibility Comes Great Consequences....
THE OATH
A comic book shop owner, caught in a moral dilemma, is faced with the consequences of his actions.
For most youngsters, comic books are a rite of passage. A whiling away of the awkward years before the onset of teenage shenanigans.
Not so for chubby 16-year-old Marcel Stewart. For Marcel, each carefully inked panel is a window to the soul of adventure itself. So when Marcel lands a job at his local comic book store, it’s more than just a paycheck. It’s a sworn duty.
MARCEL
I, Marcel Stewart, as a trusted representative of Champion Comics.
NATHAN
Do solemnly vow to uphold the dignity and integrity in which our customers expect.
MARCEL
Do solemnly vow to uphold the dignity and integrity in which our customers expect.
NATHAN
So help me god.
MARCEL
So help me god.
Cut to twenty years later and Marcel is running the show. A little older and heavier; a touch jaded even as twenty years in customer service are wont to do. But Marcel has never lost sight of that guiding principle.
That was until he found himself holding a 1939 copy of Detective Comics #29 (in a 4.5 condition no less).
A musty old comic to the casual observer, but to those in the know (those like Marcel) this is the holy grail of ink and paper.
Marcel freezes, not believing his own eyes.
England’s Crown Jewels. The Mona Lisa. A Guttenberg bible. The necklace the old lady from Titanic wore. This beats them all hands down. The very first appearance of the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, the one and only... BATMAN.
And Marcel is holding the book in his very hands.
ACROSS THE STORE
Rose admires a heroic statuette. Inquires...
ROSE
So, see anything of value yet?
The problem is, this particular Detective Comics #29 belongs to the sweet and unassuming Rose Chance, merely looking to clear out her late father’s estate.
With the words of his mentor ringing in his ears, Marcel is forced to make a choice. Little does he know that some oaths are not to be broken...
Ron Houghton’s The Oath serves up a tale of greed and redemption as told through one man’s love of comics. A handful of characters and some fairly straightforward locations could see this quirky tale brought to life on a shoestring. A great short script for any filmmaker searching for their next project.
The Script
About The Reviewer
Started writing scripts around five years ago after realising his social life was vastly overrated. Enjoys writing in a variety of genres but leans toward raw, grittier characters and the worlds they inhabit - from the deadly serious to the darkly comic. Drinks coffee, owns an unhealthy amount...Read more
About The Writer
An avid cinephile, and former film critic. In recent years I have discovered a passion for screenwriting. In recent years I have been fortunate to have five of my short scripts optioned, with four currently in production. In between work and life, I am currently working on two ambitious...Read more
Zombie Romance - What Would YOU Do For Love?
ZOMBIE ROMANCE
On the eve of a zombie apocalypse, a young wife has to make a life or death choice in the name of love.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the horror staple of Zombies has reached saturation point and that our appetite and continuing hunger for the lumbering, rampaging, bloodthirsty undead has waned.
Future Box Office however, tells a different story.
There are some twenty Zombie horror flicks already slated for 2018/19 with titles such as The Cured, Little Monsters, Cargo, Patient Zero, An Accidental Zombie (Named Ted), Breathers, and Inherit The Earth, to name just some of the titles already released or awaiting release. These movies have big-name stars attached: Lupita Nyong’o, Ellen Page, Martin Freeman, Stanley Tucci, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Brad Pitt is returning in the sequel to World War Z 2, and the original cast of Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Jesse Eisennberg make their return in Zombieland 2.
Chances are if you’re reading this blog you fancy yourself as the next George Romero, Jennifer Kent, Mike Flanagan, Julia Ducournau, or James Wan. You want to make a short film with maximum impact, which means you need good material with broad audience appeal.
Want something with a little horror, a little romance, and a good dose of humour? Not to mention blood, gore, and a decent dose of foreboding and suspense? Oksana Shafetova’s (aka Miranda Grey's), Zombie Romance, has all these ingredients and more.
We open on Barbara, a young woman lying on a bed in a darkened room. Anyone who’s ever suffered a migraine knows the benefits of quiet and darkness. Only trouble is there’s some weird screaming and carrying on going on outside Barbara’s bedroom window. Rest and recuperation is not going according to plan.
We hear the fumbling of the key in the lock of the front door. Thank God, her loving husband Harry, is home. He can take Max, the dog, out for a walk. He might even be able to explain the weird auditory hallucinations Barbara is hearing from outside.
Maybe it’s all in her head.
Or maybe it isn’t...
One thing’s for sure. The words: ‘for better or worse’ and ‘in sickness and health’, are just about to be sorely tested.
Filmmakers: Zombie Romance is a killer script. One you’ll be dying to get your hands on. There’ll be a lot of clamouring for this one, so best set yourself apart from the hordes and get on it fast.
Contained Horror. One location, two leads, a mutt, minimal SFX, Zombie makeup…
And you’re set to go.
About the writer: Oksana Shafetova has always been fascinated with storytelling, but discovered her inner voice only a couple years ago. Graduated as an editor, she has worked in the fields of journalism and video game narrative, until she finally found her true passion in script writing. Oksana gets inspiration from cinematography, and empathizes with an audience to think up riveting plot twists in her own works. She currently lives with her husband, an illustrator, in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The Script
About The Reviewer
L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently...Read more
About The Writer
Miranda Grey (Oksana Shafetova) has always been fascinated with storytelling, but discovered her inner voice only a couple years ago. Graduated as an editor, she has worked in the fields of journalism and video game narrative, until she finally found her true passion in script writing. Miranda...Read more
At Attention - When Nature Calls, You Salute!
At Attention
On a forest trek, a young man discovers that some of the finer things in life can present themselves unexpectedly.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a lady or a man. When you’ve got to go, you have no choice!
Meet Peter: a young man with dreams of the great outdoors. When At Attention opens, Peter’s wandering the forest like a weekend warrior. Moments later… nature calls.
Ever the polite city denizen, Peter heads for privacy in the undergrowth. But as he – and the audience –soon find out, our protagonist is far from alone.
Enter the Narrator: a mysterious gentleman’s gentleman “exuding nobility and bearing a contagious smile.” Wearing white gloves, he waves happily to Peter and points out a spotless urinal at his side.
In the woods?!? How? Why?!?
NARRATOR
I thought to whistle, but didn't want to disturb his privacy.
Oh, Peter’s disturbed all right!
He quick-zips, embarrassed at his predicament. The narrator beckons. Peter, alarmed, sneaks a look back the way he came.
Concern overridden by curiosity, Peter tiptoes over. The Narrator – well, narrates – along the way.
NARRATOR
He was, by far, my favorite of that year.
The narrator offers the urinal. Classical music plays to set the mood.
NARRATOR
Just good ol’ customer service….They all need a little encouragement.
So he says internally, all the while beckoning Peter to venture closer… even patting him on the back.
In every genre of film, mysteries like “what’s in the world’s happening” and “will he, or won’t he?” reign above all. And so it is with this short.
Who is this classy, calm professional with no earthly want or need? Will Peter conduct business-as-usual and give in to his urinal’s Siren song?
Clocking in just over three pages, Matthew Portman’s At Attention is a brilliant surrealist comedy. Questions fly. Time does, too. And you’ll have a constant smile on your face throughout.
If you’re a director looking for a Yorgos Lanthimos style short for the festival circuit, you’ll love At Attention. And for anyone seeking guaranteed laughs, this script won’t “miss the mark” or disappoint!
The Script
About The Reviewer
Surreal comedies are my release, but everyone else seems to like my dramas so I've put them up here for the sensible readers...
Recently graduated from the London Film School and I'm now attempting to get some of these wonderful pieces of work out there into the real world. If...Read more
About The Writer
Next Stop, Salvation... Maybe
Next Stop, Salvation
A supply run turns deadly for a group of commuters when they encounter a monstrous storm.
The key to persuasive world building is to start with a snapshot: a pinhole view into a slither of a different world. This minute morsel of another existence offers a taste of something much larger and alluring. It leaves the audience or reader yearning to learn more. See more. Experience more. Which is why Warren Duncan’s Next Stop, Salvation short is compelling to its core.
Starting with the opening description, you’re immediately immersed in a future world, bereft of life and hope. The very definition of a nightmarish, dystopian landscape:
A gas mask sits propped on top of (Mac’s) head, ready for immediate use.
He stares vacantly out over an arid wasteland. Red dirt covers everything for as far as the eye can see.
It’s as if even the light itself is tinted red.
The aptly named Mac drives a rickety ‘heavily fortified’ school bus through a vermillion-hued city, characterized by dust and destruction. His task appears to be the pick-up of a few solitary humans to bring them back ‘home’. Wherever home is.
The first passenger he picks up is Linden: a woman in her 30s who’s been scavenging for supplies. It also becomes clear through their initial taut exchange that Mac and Linden are romantically entwined.
She flings her arms around him, pulls him in tight.
MAC
I missed you.
LINDEN
Me too.
MAC
How’s it go?
Linden releases him, removes the backpack, and opens it.
It’s filled to the brim with medical supplies.
LINDEN
Prosperous day, indeed.
Following his brief reunion with Linden, Mac picks up the twins, Cody and Kane, in their mid-20s. Both weighed down by items they’ve foraged and armed with rifles. All three passengers are in equal parts exhausted, relieved and fearful.
When a frenzied ‘operator’ sends a distorted transmission to Mac via his CB, warning of an impending storm, we witness the true extent of dread this unseen evil entity elicits from the human survivors.
OPERATOR (V.O.)
Mac - - massive – your way –
He lifts the receiver.
Linden, Cody, and Kane all lean forward to listen in.
MAC
Say again, not received.
OPERATOR (V.O.)
The storm’s coming! They’re coming!
Mac throws the receiver down.
LINDEN
Mac? What storm?
MAC
I didn’t want to worry you. It’s ok, I’ve got this.
Kane stands up.
KANE
You’ve got this? They’re fucking coming for us, we’re screwed.
What follows the storm is a nightmarish horror, one that’s presumably responsible for the devastated world in which they now live. Or, we should say… survive?
Their only hope is to make it through this storm to reach salvation. But at what cost?!?
Warren Duncan’s imaginative short will leave you at the edge of your seat wanting to both read more and hide behind a pillow simultaneously.
It’s the perfect proof-of-concept story for directors and producers looking to stretch their skills in VFX and world building production design. Likewise, if you’re looking for a story that emulates the vision and style of such greats as John Carpenter and George Miller, this script might just be your Salvation, too!
The Script
About The Reviewer
Jeremy Storey, originally hails from the United Kingdom, but now resides in Seattle, WA. He first discovered the joys of writing at school, penning short stories and collaborating on comic books with his friends. Coming from a writerly family, it was clearly in his DNA to tell stories. However,...Read more
About The Writer
I am an aspiring screenwriter from Australia. I have had multiple shorts produced and currently have several on option. I typically enjoy writing horror, thriller, and drama scripts. Please feel free to contact me at Warren_Duncan@hotmail.com or...Read more
Sweet as a Nut: A Tale to Sink Your Teeth Into
SWEET AS A NUT
A timid man has an interesting conversation with the owner of London sweetshop,
who isn't all that he seems.
Imagine - if you can - shopping in London. You walk into a sweet shop (‘candy store’ or ‘confectionary’, in Uncle Sam’s English), and the proprietor happens to be either Hatchet Harry or Bricktop. Would be a bit of an unsettling surprise, right?
Well, if you’re still reading this review, that means you immediately recognized the iconic character names above, having played key roles in two early Guy Ritchie movies: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
This also means you have a fondness for such movies and will surely want to know more about Jay Creek’s deeply devilish and sardonic, ‘Sweet As A Nut’.
If you still have no idea what I’m harping on about, but remain out of morbid curiosity… then you probably have nothing better to do. So feel free to tag along!
Meet Tom: in his early-forties, out shopping along one of London’s many bustling high-streets. Or as colloquially described in this story:
Grey. Dour. Colder than a witch’s tit. This is a London street at its finest.
While out and about, Tom discovers ‘Sweet as a Nut’, a distinctively old-fashioned and warmly idiosyncratic sweet shop that stands out amongst a row of non-descript, banal stores on the high-street.
Intrigued, Tom ventures inside to find a beautifully preserved, Victorian-style confectionary. Understandably, everything about this venerable setting takes Tom’s breath away. Which makes it all-the-more disconcerting when his fanciful reverie is smashed to smithereens when interrupted by a man behind the counter;
A gravelly, Cockney bark cuts his reverence in half.
HARRY
What the fuck do you want?
Harry is not Willy Wonka.
No, Harry is an intimidating ‘towering hulk of a man’ with the demeanor and general looks of a classic cockney East London gangster. In short… not someone you mess around with.
Squirming, and slowly dissolving into a puddle of befuddlement and dread, Tom spends the next few agonizing minutes vacillating between ordering what he wants versus what Harry tells him to buy.
TOM
Ahem. Can I please have some lemon sherberts?
Harry looks down at Tom.
HARRY
Lemon Sherbets?
TOM
Uh, yes please.
HARRY
Lemon, fuckin’ sherbets?!
What follows is a rather uncomfortable exchange in which Harry insists Tom check out a variety of other options... ones that may or may not be legal. Which leaves poor Tom flummoxed and beside himself.
Like Tom, the audience for this film will be excitedly disoriented and baffled by the end.
And that’s the appealing point of Sweet as a Nut. Not everything or everyone is what or whom they appear to be. Choc-full of succulent surprises and tasty twists, this script is much akin to Mr. Gump’s enduring box of chocolates:
You never know what you might get, but you know it’ll taste good.
This sly short is ideal material for the filmmaker experimenting with various narrative styles. And: specifically appealing to those who want to emulate the eccentric directing panache of Guy Ritchie and Edgar Wright.
Invariably, what you’ll produce will be… well, ‘sweet as a nut’!
The Script
About The Reviewer
Jeremy Storey, originally hails from the United Kingdom, but now resides in Seattle, WA. He first discovered the joys of writing at school, penning short stories and collaborating on comic books with his friends. Coming from a writerly family, it was clearly in his DNA to tell stories. However,...Read more
About The Writer
Hello, I'm Jay.
I'm a screenwriter from England, who writes sweary comedies.
Since I was young, I've been a writer, making comic books with friends and writing stories. I'm also a photographer, specialising in documentary and sports reportage.
Below is a list of relevant...Read more
All Things Blue - Truth Has Its Own Color
All Things Blue
A fleeting moment of friendship leads a lonely young girl to a devastating truth.
In an everyday neighborhood - could be yours - there is danger. And it could come from a myriad of sources: a stranger, an errant vehicle or something as simple as a scraped knee.
But for six-year-old Iza and her mother Adel, something fierce hides among the clouds. Something ready to pounce at any moment. It keeps them indoors glued to the radio, with a heavy supply of bottled water and rations at the ready.
Adel says it’s a Dragon, with claws like icicles and eyes big enough to see anything that moves. That’s why Daddy had to go away and fight it. And this is what Iza believes.
But we know better.
The tension is palpable as Adel struggles about her day, keeping up this charade. Something’s got to give, and it will happen sooner rather than later.
Stifled by being locked away from the world, Iza roams outside to a park across the street. There, she befriends a neighborhood boy, Ted, who’s not much older but a world wiser. He, too, has grown tired of hiding indoors.
And for this one fleeting moment, they get to be kids again. Laughing. Giddy. Too lost in the moment to worry, they cheerfully take turns pushing one another on a roundabout.
It’s short-lived.
For as the Air Raid sirens scream in the distance, the children shoot a glance upwards to see the contrails of a warplane streaming across the sky. This is Iza’s Dragon. But Ted knows the truth.
And so does Adel.
A coming of age tale at its core, screenwriter Steve Miles has weaved a heart wrenching narrative of a parent living in fear of the inevitable, coupled with the innocence of childhood on the verge of being lost forever.
If you’re a filmmaker and you know your stuff, this is one you can read with your eyes closed. A festival ringer. A calling card of the highest order.
The blueprint is meticulously laid out for you here. Two easy locations, and three good actors working on a small budget. Do this story justice, and it’ll do the same for you.
The Script
About The Reviewer
A writer since 13, I began screenwriting four years ago as a more direct outlet for my creativity. Since then, I've had two short scripts produced, and two more optioned. My writing style is subtle and understated, yet powerful in its emotional simplicity. I'm currently collaborating...Read more
About The Writer
Started writing scripts around five years ago after realising his social life was vastly overrated. Enjoys writing in a variety of genres but leans toward raw, grittier characters and the worlds they inhabit - from the deadly serious to the darkly comic. Drinks coffee, owns an unhealthy amount...Read more
Exchange Student - One Travel Ban That *Should* Be Enforced...
EXCHANGE STUDENT
A cocky college student investigating a dimensional portal encounters an unexpected surprise.
Rob Barkan knows horror. As readers of his other scripts know: if one’s tastes run toward intelligent, unique tales that make one’s blood run cold, Barkan’s your demon… er, your man.
The same mind that brought you Eddie Whorl and Deathlife now conjures up a blend of horror mythology and 2018 relationship woes. The name of this terror tale - Exchange Student: a short that takes readers on a trip to “Parts” unknown.
The titular hero of our story? Will: a college student that’s seen… better days. With his relationship with girlfriend Rachel on the rocks, Will’s started cutting classes – taking up bizarre extra curricular activities instead.
We’re not talking basket weaving here. Will’s interest is in the occult. Recently, he’s stumbled upon ancient texts which hint at a tie between Native American and Spanish history… and the Cthulu mythos itself!
Rachel’s not returning Will’s calls. Left with nothing else to do, Will ventures into the nearby Utah wilderness to explore other worlds - armed with only his smartphone, and tasty “bait”:
Will pops the Tupperware lid. Discards it. Sits on the ground. Studies what's in the container.
A raw beef heart.
Will sets the container down.
The portal opens. Beyond it, a strange shadowy landscape.
Will stands up. Reaches for the beef heart with his gaze fixed on the portal.
WILL
Trick or treat, fuckers.
A disturbance at the portal. A creature not of this world crawls through, bear-sized. It's covered in reptilian scales. Tentacles propel it forward. A cluster of ebony arachnid eyes glisten under the starlight.
The walking nightmare tests the gravel under it. Stops. Senses Will.
Will sucks in a breath. Slowly stands. Squeezes the beef heart like his life depends on it.
Which it does.
Fans of horror might THINK they know what comes next.. but don’t. As with other terror tales from the mind of Rob Barkan, Exchange Student’s conclusion distorts one’s expectations of reality in disturbing (yet strangely satisfying) ways. Because Will thinks he’s done his homework… but in addition to a passport, there are some travel requirements he’s missed!
Are you a visually oriented director that’s evolved beyond jump scares? If you seek a memorable, buzz-inducing gem - Exchange Student is a trip into horror you just can’t miss.
The Script
About The Reviewer
Surreal comedies are my release, but everyone else seems to like my dramas so I've put them up here for the sensible readers...
Recently graduated from the London Film School and I'm now attempting to get some of these wonderful pieces of work out there into the real world. If...Read more
About The Writer
Rob has been writing horror, fantasy and science fiction since the age of seven. He has placed several short tales in small press and online magazines like Lovecraft's Weird Mysteries, Dark Planet and Strange Fire. A more extensive collection appeared on his award-winning Deathlife Gravesite. He...Read more
Rebecca's Blue Sky - When Clouds Turn Dark
REBECCA’S BLUE SKY
A troubled young woman believes she's carrying the baby of the Devil.
In today’s market, a drama needs to cut far more than skin deep to leave a genuine, lasting impression. Step forward Steven Clark; an author with an exceptional talent for telling tales. His latest effort - Rebecca’s Blue Sky - does all that... and more.
The pulsing heart of this story: the relationship between Steve and pregnant girlfriend Rebecca. Even though he knows the child she carries isn't his, the young man cares for Rebecca deeply, anyway. She's confided in Steve about the horrific crime she endured. All he wants to do these days is stay by her side and soothe her pain.
But as the pregnancy and their relationship grow, it becomes quickly apparent Rebecca hasn't told her boyfriend everything. Hidden are evil, dark and damaging memories - eating at her fragile mind.
Rebecca's messed up, and it shows. Incapable of intimacy with Steve, Rebecca instead spends her days visiting a mysterious headstone in a graveyard. Exponentially, her erratic behavior grows. When she accuses a random stranger of a heinous act, Steve beats him up. But when he discovers the man is innocent, loyal Steve finally starts to pull away:
EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE - LATER
Steve sits at one end of a picnic table. He’s pissed. Rebecca sits at the other end. A car passes.
REBECCA
It looked like him.
Steve takes a drag of his smoke, but doesn’t speak.
REBECCA
I swear to God I thought it was him.
STEVE
All right!
INT. PICK-UP TRUCK - NIGHT
Steve turns on a flashlight. It illuminates his thin, anxious face as he ruminates about what he’s going to do.
EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT
A symphony of crickets in the dusk light. The beam from the flashlight wanders across the headstones.
There’s a small marker with a bouquet of flowers resting at its base. He shines the light on it.
What he finds leaves Steve lost and confused. After all the lies he's heard, how can he stay with Rebecca any longer? But if he packs his bags and hits the road, will losing Steve be Rebecca's final straw? Can she fight her demons all alone?
As is true of all Clark's work, Rebecca’s Blue Sky is written with impeccable style, pacing, and characterization that will linger long in your mind. This subject's no easy read - but this short's a work of painful art, nonetheless.
If you’re looking for a poignant drama for your next project, then make sure to read Blue Sky. This one will make you option it... and cry.
The Script
About The Reviewer
Surreal comedies are my release, but everyone else seems to like my dramas so I've put them up here for the sensible readers...
Recently graduated from the London Film School and I'm now attempting to get some of these wonderful pieces of work out there into the real world. If...Read more
About The Writer
A writer since 13, I began screenwriting four years ago as a more direct outlet for my creativity. Since then, I've had two short scripts produced, and two more optioned. My writing style is subtle and understated, yet powerful in its emotional simplicity. I'm currently collaborating...Read more
Rebecca's Blue Sky - When Clouds Turn Dark
REBECCA’S BLUE SKY
A troubled young woman believes she's carrying the baby of the Devil.
In today’s market, a drama needs to cut deep to leave a lasting, genuine impression. Step forward Steven Clark; an author with an exceptional talent for telling any tale. His latest effort - Rebecca’s Blue Sky - does just that... and more.
The pulsing heart of this story: the relationship between Steve and pregnant girlfriend Rebecca. Even though he knows the child she carries isn't his, the young man cares for her deeply, anyway. Rebecca's confided in Steve about the horrific crime she endured. All Steve wants to do is stay by her side and ease her pain.
But as her pregnancy and their relationship grow, it quickly becomes apparent Rebecca hasn't told her boyfriend everything. Things that could be eating at her fragile mind.
Rebecca's messed up, and it shows. Incapable of intimacy with Steve, Rebecca instead spends her time visiting a mysterious headstone in a graveyard. Over time, her erratic behavior grows. When she accuses a random stranger of a heinous act, Steve beats him up. But when he finds the man is innocent, loyal Steve begins to pull away:
EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE - LATER
Steve sits at one end of a picnic table. He’s pissed. Rebecca sits at the other end. A car passes.
REBECCA
It looked like him.
Steve takes a drag of his smoke, but doesn’t speak.
REBECCA
I swear to God I thought it was him.
STEVE
All right!
INT. PICK-UP TRUCK - NIGHT
Steve turns on a flashlight. It illuminates his thin, anxious face as he ruminates about what he’s going to do.
EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT
A symphony of crickets in the dusk light. The beam from the flashlight wanders across the headstones.
There’s a small marker with a bouquet of flowers resting at its base. He shines the light on it.
What he finds leaves Steve confused and lost. After all the lies he's heard, how can he stay with Rebecca any longer? But if Steve packs his bags, will losing him be Rebecca's final straw? Can she fight her demons alone?
As is common with Steve Clark's work, Rebecca’s Blue Sky is written with impeccable style, pacing, and characterization that will linger long in your mind. This subject's no easy read - but this short is masterful art, nonetheless.
If you’re looking for a poignant drama for your next project, then make sure to read Blue Sky. This one will make you option it... and cry.
The Script
About The Reviewer
Surreal comedies are my release, but everyone else seems to like my dramas so I've put them up here for the sensible readers...
Recently graduated from the London Film School and I'm now attempting to get some of these wonderful pieces of work out there into the real world. If...Read more
About The Writer
A writer since 13, I began screenwriting four years ago as a more direct outlet for my creativity. Since then, I've had two short scripts produced, and two more optioned. My writing style is subtle and understated, yet powerful in its emotional simplicity. I'm currently collaborating...Read more
