Shadows of Tomorrow

Directed, produced and arranged by James Paddick

WAKE UP LATE - House

Wakes up, opens eyes quickly, jumps out of bed
panicked, runs downstairs grabbing essential items on
the way, dashes out door, camera struggles to keep up

LATE SHIFT - BAR

Mason busy in his head, polishing glasses, sweeping
floor etc

CO WORKER
(small talk)
What time you get here Mason

MASON
Another double man

CO WORKER
So you’ve been here since?

MASON
Oh yeh, sorry, i’m on 7 till 12

CO WORKER
Again?

Mason
It’s what i gotta do

CO WORKER
I guess
PHONE CALL - RESTAURANT CAR PARK
Mason walking through work car park at midnight,
exhausted from just finishing his shift

(phone rings)

JOHN
(Enthusiastically)
Hey man, wanna hang out later?

MASON
(a little pissed off lowkey)
Nah, my girl wants to go out whenever i’m free from
work sorry bro.

JOHN
(Disappointed)
Same old huh? Well I hope you get better soon

(Call Ends)

DATE - RESTAURANT
Immy giving Mason the gossip, which he no longer
involves himself in as he understands it is a killer
of time and mood, he is visibly not interested

(voice fades in)

IMMY
(Into her own voice, story telling, gossip)
You remember Emily and Tom from the summer, right?
When we all hung out by the river and they kept going
off on their own when we always thought they were
fucking but shes too religious and uptight for that
stuff seeing as they had only been ‘going out’ for
like a week? And she’d never done anything like that
before, well apparently……

(voice fades out)

MASON
(Scrolling through news articles that are raising
panic around things like inflation, rent prices, cost
of living etc)

(snaps back in)

IMMY
(Trying to get his attention)
Mason, are you even listening to me? Helloo?

MASON
(Back to reality)
Yeah uh of course sorry hun, i’m just uh, just not
feeling too secure right now, sorry.

IMMY
(still pissed off)
Why not? You’re with me, your girlfriend, you love
me……… right?

MASON
(shy, awkward, overwhelmed)
Of course. yeah. i… I love you.

IMMY
(Smug)
Well as I was saying, Emily was still dating him even
after what Tom did to her, can you believe that?!

MASON
(defeated)
Wow, well, yeah classic emily i guess
 (fake Chuckles)

DATE - RESTAURANT CAR PARK

IMMY
(Walking away into the dark)
You can’t even pay attention to me for one evening?

MASON
(Concerned)
I can, I did, I was listening to you the whole time

IMMY
(pissed off)
Oh really?

MASON
(quieter)
Of course, I love hearing you talk

IMMY
(hint of hope but also testing)
Really? You remember what I said?

MASON
(intimate)
Yes you’re so special to me

IMMY
(testing)
You remember what I said?

MASON
(losing hope a little)
Yes, of course, yeah i remember

IMMY
(testing)
You remember how many weeks they were going out for?

MASON
(lost hope)
…………………………………… a few weeks, no a couple, yeah, two

IMMY
(disappointed)
I thought you were telling the truth.

MASON
(lost hope)
I was. I thought… I’m so sorry, I. I’ll take next
friday off and we can go to the place in london

IMMY
(annoyed)
Next friday? You can’t even make space for me at the
weekend?

MASON
(distressed)
I picked up more shifts, my flatmate didn’t give his
weeks rent in again and I can’t keep the house if we
can’t pay for it

IMMY
(annoyed)
Next friday? You can’t even make space for me at the
weekend?

MASON
(Exhausted)
I don’t know what you want from me

IMMY
(annoyed)
I just want your time, to actually be able to go out
with and enjoy dinner with my ‘boyfriend’ without you
 looking into space for an hour. You don’t even
interact with anyone else except that john freak, and
you don’t even see him in person.

MASON
(Exhausted)
I’m sorry, I said already I care about our time
together, I really do, I look forward to it every
month. Taking time off work is worth it for you

IMMY
(annoyed)
Well you won’t have to take anymore time off, I’m
done with you Mason.

MASON
(Exhausted)
But…

(Mason left in car park alone)

Switch headspace

WAKE UP - MAIN CHARACTERS HOUSE - BED

Mason checks time, He’s up late again, not as much
energy this time, He slowly walks into frame etc, he
follows camera, not camera follows him.

TRAVELLING TO WORK - TRAIN

Repetitive scene, filmed multiple times.
Sitting on window seat, reflecting

WAKE UP AT NIGHT - MAIN CHARACTERS HOUSE - BED

Mason breathing heavily, sweaty, in a hot room. A
mixture of confused and sad.
PHONE CALL - MAIN CHARACTERS HOUSE - BED
Phone rings, and lights up the screen, waking Mason
up and revealing all the missed calls from John,
Mason almost ignores but decides to pick up.

JOHN
(Enthusiastically)
Hey man, wanna hang out by the river with the guys
later, have a few stellas and some fun?

MASON
(Realising)
Nah, my girl wants me to…… Actually yeah

JOHN
(Surprised)
Wait for real?

MASON
Yeah man

JOHN
(Surprised)
But Immy?

MASON
Yeah, I’ll tell you later, we got a lot to catch up
on

JOHN
(Excited)
Yeah for sure man, I missed you so much bro

MASON
(Smiling)
I miss you too man, I’ll catch you soon huh
 JOHN
(Excited)
Can’t wait, just like old times aye

Switch headspace

WORKING ON HIMSELF - MAIN CHARACTERS HOUSE

Mason wakes up, on time, and calmly gets ready for
work, camera is in perfect framing etc

HER LOSS - MAIN CHARACTERS HOUSE - BATHROOM

Mason looking in the mirror, symbolistic of
reflection as he ponders. He speaks without talking.

MASON
(Reflective, slow, narrator voice)
If I am to place my self worth in the judgement of
other people, whether I am good or bad, selfish or
scared, my worth will never be in my control, instead
I will chase approval, hungering in every
relationship for some sense of self worth. Is that
what a man's life is about? Or is it taking the
hammer that forges your identity and striking the
anvil of life, moulding your future, your potential,
your legacy?

FORGIVING BEST FRIEND - ?

HANGING WITH FRIENDS - RIVERSIDE

Group of friends chilling by the river, drinking,
listening to music, laughing and chatting, Mason
bring John to the side

MASON
 (Getting real with john)
Hey man, I don’t know where to start

JOHN
(Cuts him off)
What?

MASON
(Insistent)
You know… how Immy treated you, how Emily and Tom and
the rest of the guys from college…
I just.
I realised when I was healing that lifes too short to
lose your best friends over rumours from people you
don’t even talk to.
I don’t know how I let her get in my head so much, I
love you man.

JOHN
(emotional)
I love you too bro
I love you too

(John hugs Mason)

(Cut to black)