FILM SYNOPSIS

Nightinveil
-Action/Sci-fi film with inspirations from early 2000’s dystopian films as in “The Island”, “Divergent series”, “The
Running Man” and “Tron” with themes from bands like “Evanescence”, “Linkin Park” and “Peirce the Veil” inspiring
the performance section of my film.
-Story inspired by the recent SAG-AFTRA strike and the rise in AI taking artists roles in media, with visual
storytelling referencing Hans Christen Andersen's “The Emperors Nightingale” as the moral of the story, “the
emperor learns that reality is better than the artificial; and loyalty should be honored” is a theme I am portraying.
-Title represents “Nightin” used as symbolism to “The Emperors Nightingale” throughout the story and “veil”
being a thing to conceal one's face from the reality of their situation therefore leaving them clueless like the
characters at the start of the film. As well as the title reminding me of a goth rock band name, I believe it is fitting
although without the explanation it may be too vague and may change later.

A duo of vocalists watch over their stage as it is undergoing preparations for their future performance. With the
only view of the surface being the moon above their stage, they start to develop a desire to live a life outside of
the underground district where they were born. Although, they know the only way to achieve this, is to win “the
contest,” a monthly competition by performing and receiving the most likes from the people of the “Mother City”
on the surface. Only then, can they join their ranks as the fortunate class in a world otherwise destroyed of all
livable ecosystems.

The underground “Performance District,” with a population of more machines than humans, is still well kept in
their starch white environment as they are programmed to maintain order and perfection. One day, the machines
guard another stage as VIVA and MARCO sit to watch this performer with notably scarred hands play wonderfully
on the grand piano. When the performance ends, the likes get tallied in with a drone announcing the chosen
champion of the month. The piano player becoming top of the chart gains applause and a quick escort from the
machines, but the duo cannot help but feel unmotivated as their names hung low and unnoticed by the top
competitors of their district. Knowing their time to perform and prove themselves was coming soon, they could
not sit around and let the machines build everything for them, but to instead, work tirelessly on their own talent.

As the duo practice and perfect their performance, they spend more time around the others of the district. With
the younger performers too competitive to care about one another, Viva and Marco find it hard to face the fact
that they would have to leave the older citizens behind if they won. Meanwhile, performers who have never won
and have grown too old are left with the small jobs around the district. Although the duo still wants to follow their
dreams, they wish they could take with them those who were already abandoned by society. But with their
performance about to begin, Viva questions why none of the winners have ever returned to visit the district again.
Although, with the stage lights shining, the duo clears their minds to perform at a level worthy of reaching the top
of the charts. With the end of their performance and the drone announcing their success, they are taken away
separately to the medical sector for a final health check.

Viva, annoyed at the delay, questions the medical machine taking care of her. With its vague and pessimistic
responses, she escapes its arms and runs out into the corridor calling out for Marco. Finding him by entering an
operating room, her rose coloured glasses are shattered with machines removing Marco’s vocal cords and stitching
it into the body of a human-shaped machine with a patchwork collection of other human body parts making up its
exterior skin. This CYBORG awakens and with the scarred hands of the piano player and now the voice of Marco,
the reality of the contest all becomes apparent. The truth is that the contest existed to separate the most perfect
humans from the rest to be harvested and to build a machine, replacing humans with a now “perfectly imperfect”
cyborg. Facing the Cyborg, Viva is no match but with Marco just managing to start a chemical fire, together they
escape the operating room, leaving the Cyborg in the flames. In the chaos, they find a way up through the
ventilation system and out into the blinding light of the surface. With all the lies uncovered, they are astounded at
the healthy world. Although, with the open wound from the surgery, Marco falls and even though they found
freedom, it is undisclosed if Marco could keep it.

SEQUENCE OUTLINE

Nightinveil
Seq. 01- Construction
Viva fixes a mechanical nightingale’s broken wing before she practices her vocals on the incomplete stage being
constructed by machines. Marco arrives to tell Viva they must return to the lower levels of the district. Viva takes
one last longing look at the moon before entering the elevator.

Seq. 02- Archived World-VOICE OVER

Viva narrates the events of how the earth became uninhabitable upon the surface and with machines building
underground cities and separating types of humans into districts, it helped keep order. With everyone living the
same happy lives now, Viva cannot help but to question it as she feels pressured that the people are becoming
obsessed with “the contest.”

Seq. 03-Scarred Hands

Viva and Marco watch the performance of a piano player, Hanni. When it ends, a drone arrives to announce the
winner of “the contest” for this month and it goes through its standard explanation of the rules. Explaining how
the winner is chosen by amount of likes from the people of “Mother City,” the place the champions get to join on
the surface as a grand prize for winning. Hanni wins this month and Viva shakes her scarred hands before she gets
escorted away by machine guards.

Seq. 04-Followers
With Viva and Marco being far behind on the contest’s chart and their performance day arriving soon, Viva cannot
help but feel hopeless. Marco motivates her by making a promise to dedicate himself to working strictly towards
their dreams. They too, become obsessed with “The Contest.”

Seq. 05-The Forgotten

Viva and Marco spend seemingly endless days and nights practicing and honing their talents while ignored by the
other contestants, they catch the attention of the older citizens who gave up on “the contest” years ago. By
becoming friends with the elders, the duo realizes they will not be able to see them anymore if they won and went
to the surface as no champion has ever returned to the districts.

Seq. 06-Alien Stage

The duo performs in front of an audience of machines wearing human masks, so the cameras show a normal
scene, but the real humans except the performers are not allowed in the stage as it is so close to the surface. With
their trained vocals, choreography, custom outfits and set design with mechanical nightingales joining in the
display, they win the likes of the Mother City.

Seq. 07-Operations
Taken separately for final health checkups, Viva runs after feeling uneasy, searching for Marco again. The lies of
“the contest” are revealed as the winners are harvested to build a cyborg. Viva faces the cyborg, but it is only
stopped by a chemical fire Marco starts. In the burning chaos, they escape and find the open sky of the surface.

Seq. 08-The Real-VOICE OVER

A real Nightingale flies before them and away into the vast prairies where they stand. Viva narrates the events she
sees for the future with Marco falling to the injury by his medical wound as Viva prays in the uncertainty of his
survival.