Synopsis Draft 4

The “Set-up” (BEGINNING)

The stream flows pleasantly during an early afternoon. The trees slowly rustle. A young man kneels on the ground within the camouflage of the bushes. A tripod is stationed next to him, with the camera attached on top. The camera is recording. The young man looks through the camera. He positions the camera so it faces the stream. He watches the ripples in the water. The leaves flow in the opposite direction. He rotates the movement of the camera in a fluid motion, so it records the ripples flow gently down the river. The young man moves his head back slightly and smiles.

The “Confrontation/Development” (MIDDLE)

The man continues to move the camera. Suddenly, a face comes into the view of his camera. The man jumps back from his camera. He tilts his head slightly, and looks through the camera again slowly. He peers at the person, cautiously. His breathing intensifies. The face was that of a young woman. She has blonde hair. She is sitting down on the ground, with her knees upright. She is looking at her hands, which are shaking slightly. She slowly brings her hands in towards her chest, and rubs her chest slowly. The young man tilts his head again, and sticks his tongue out of his mouth. He steps on a twig on the floor, which makes a noise as it snaps. The young woman turns her head. The young man darts to the side behind the bushes, to avoid her gaze. She turns her head from side to side, and after a few moments, turns her head back to the stream. The young man steps out from behind the bushes, and continues to watch the young woman. The young woman curls her arms over her knees, and begins to rock back and forth slowly. The young man scratches his head, and looks through the camera. He jumps. He presses the record button, which stops recording. He looks back at the girl. She has a bottle in her hands. She is looking straight down into it. The young man’s eyes widen, and he looks back at the camera. He breathes heavily. He leans down and presses the record button. The camera begins to record again. He zooms in on the bottle, and then on the woman’s face. She puts the bottle down on the ground, and fumbles around in her pocket. She takes out a set of pills. The young man stares through the camera, and his mouth opens widely.

The Dramatic Premise

The young woman stares at the pills. After a few moments, she puts the pills back into her pocket. She puts her hand on the ground gingerly, and rises to a standing position. She looks up at the sky, and then into the river. She slowly walks forward. Her feet connect with the water. The water covers up her feet. It begins to rise to her socks. The young man moves away from the camera. He stares at the young woman through his own eyes. He whips his head around from side to side quickly. He fumbles around vigorously in his pocket, and pulls out his phone. He looks at the top corner of the screen. He exasperates, and puts the phone back into his pocket. He ruffles his hair at a fast pace, and looks up at the sky. He looks back at the young woman. She has stopped moving forward in the water. She is standing still, looking down at the water. After a few moments, the young girl closes her eyes, and raises her hands out by her side. She exhales deeply. The young man screams, at the top of his lungs, “NO!”

The “Resolution” (END)

The young woman opens her eyes, and slowly turns her head. She notices the young man. The young man’s eyes widen, and he backs away from the camera. The young woman lowers her arms. The young man gulps, and stares back at the camera. He raises his hands slightly. The young woman continues to stare at him. She narrows her eyes, and smiles slightly. She raises her hand, and wags her finger, signalling for him to come towards her. The young man stares at her, and looks from side to side, and then back at her. She nods her head slowly. The young man looks at his camera, and then back at the woman. He steps forward gingerly. He begins to smile. Suddenly, a voice shouts out, “Hey! What are you doing?” The young man jumps back, and hides behind the bushes, peering out at the young woman. She turns away from the young man and stares in the direction of where the voice came from. The young man turns away from the young woman, and rests his head against the bushes. He looks up at the sky, and breathes heavily. He closes his eyes. After a few moments, he peers from behind the bushes. The young woman is nowhere to be seen. The young man looks around, and then sighs. He ruffles his hair, and looks at his camera. He presses a button on the camera, and the screen goes black. He bends down, and loosens the legs of the tripod. He picks up the tripod, and looks out at the stream. He breathes in resignation, and walks down the pathway, with the tripod resting on his shoulder.