The Break-Up Film Treatment

Shamar Bryce

October 12, 2020

WORKING TITLE

“The Break-Up”

LONGLINE

Alicia parts ways with her boyfriend, James in order to better herself and their relationship so

that they both can live happier lives than they have been living together.

CHARACTERS

James - Alicia’s boyfriend who’s a Sophomore at UCLA and studying Photography. Unaware of

Alicia’s feelings and the progress of their relationship.

Alicia - James’s girlfriend who’s a Sophomore at NYU and studying Journalism. She wants to

break up with James due to the lack of communication in their relationship.

SYNOPSIS

Alicia is a young college student with big dreams of becoming a Journalist for a fashion

magazine. Her sophomore year has provided her with plenty of opportunities but the downside to

that is that it affected her love life. While Alicia studied at NYU, James transferred to UCLA for

better photography opportunities. The distance created an obstacle for the couple. Alicia decides

to meet up with James at a park to discuss their relationship and the lack of communication that

they’ve experienced in the last few months of their Sophomore year in college. Alicia decides to
solicit help from her best friend Gemma, who reassures her that she’s making the right decision.

James approaches Alicia at the park and Alicia opens up to him about the fact that they’ve grown

apart and their bond has diverged into friendship. James is reluctant at first but listens to Alicia

and understands the circumstance that they are in. James and Alicia decide breaking up is best

but they still want to keep in contact. Alicia says her goodbyes and James is left at the park to

reminisce about their relationship.

PREAMBLE, CONTEXT, BACKGROUND

My film’s aim is to present a dramatic scene in a continuous shot in order to create intensity and

draw the viewer into the dialogue and emotion of the scene. Alicia and James’ story is about how

life can work in mysterious ways to provide people with opportunities that can bring clarity to

obstacles in their lives. Not every relationship will be successful but the ability to end a

relationship on a positive note is essential. The central theme throughout this two-person

interaction is that certain opportunities you are given are meant to be taken advantage of even if

that means it’ll affect a situation in your life because certain opportunities are only provided to

you once in a lifetime. Both James and Alicia took advantage of the distance in their relationship

to gain major experience to benefit their careers. This may be the end of their story but the

beginning of what they have yet to accomplish.

The inspiration that was used in this two-person interaction came from dramatic scenes that I’ve

seen in various movies like If Beale Street Could Talk and Room, that deal with characters

dealing with difficult circumstances that result in them showing raw emotion and making

decisions that could affect them in the future but they know it’s for their own wellbeing. They
make the characters relatable on a human level and through their situations, the viewer can

empathize with their struggles.