Genre: War/Supernatural/Drama

Logline:  In a chilling tale of justice from beyond the grave, a boy of 10 remembers a past life as a doctor that was murdered with his wife and children. He is abducted by an army led by the same general who killed him in the past life.

Treatment

Act 1

Jabari , a man of 35, is watching television with his family one night. He hears the sound of a troop carrier outside. He thinks nothing of it, but soon his door is broken down and a dozen troops storm into his house. A soldier  zip ties Jabari and tells him to get on his knees. The general, Omari, walks in.

He questions Jabari and asks why he killed his brother Idir. Omari is insane with rage. He only wants blood tonight. Jabari explains he is only a doctor and points to a framed photo of him and his staff. Omari doesn’t care. The case of mistaken identity only enraged him more.

Omari’s soldiers round up his family, zip tie them, and bring them together. Before he dies a furious Jabari  looks at Omari and swears he will exact a bloody revenge in this life or the next. He is quickly executed by Omari with a shot between the eyes.

The soldiers pour gasoline around the house, and then set it on fire. They leave. In minutes the house will be fully ablaze.

Act 2

Three months later Amari is born. He is born with a pale, circular birthmark on his forehead. It is about the size of a nickel.

Amari struggles with bad dreams. When he is five years of age, he goes to the market with his mother. While his mother, Hibo, examines produce Amari excitedly tells her a woman of about 60, Imani, is his past mother. He points to her matter-of-factly. Hibo is noticeably disturbed, and quickly leaves the market.

After consulting with her husband Chima they decide to see a child psychologist. Amari is able to open up to her. He tells Zuri, the psychologist, everything he remembers. After the session, Zuri calls his mother and says he has a vivid imagination and may be experiencing a form of dissassociation. She notes one area of concern. She says that Amari told him about his former mother, Imani, and that he even remembered her number, which she called and confirmed. She refers him to a psychiatrist, who prescribes two medications: Clozapine, an anti-psychotic, and Trazadone, a sleeping medication.

Act 3

By the time Amari is ten the country is still ravaged by war and there are many child soldiers. While walking to school with friends a truck in a long line of military vehicles pulls off the road close to them. He is abducted by the militia. Troops tell them to get in, firing in the air. Amari gets on the back of a Toyota truck with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted in the back. The passenger disembarks and heads to the back of the truck. He smiles at Amari. It’s Gen. Omari!

Soon, however, Amari gets used to life in the militia. He gets hardened after several close calls with death. After several battles with a rival militia, Amari is an experienced, fearless killer. Having killed grown men made him bolder, but he is still haunted by nightmares of his past life and still obsessed with thoughts of revenge.

One day in the base camp Amari notices Omari has become ill and has diarrhea. He is running back and forth to the latrines right in the middle of an attempt to overrun the camp.  The sound of gunfire fills the air. While everyone else is rushing to battle, Amari sees an opportunity. He pretends he is sick too. He follows Omari to the latrines and as he is relieving himself, and before Omari could grab his weapon Amari stands in front of him, aiming straight at him. No one is with them as all the men are fighting. He reminds him of who Jabari was and what he did ten years ago. He asks Omari if he remembers the promise. He shakes his head. Amari tells him detail by painful detail before he tells him that as Jabari, he would kill him, in this life or the next. Omari now remembers and tries to excuse it as mistaken identity.

Amari is in tears of rage, and now channeling the full voice of Jabari, he shakes his head and opens fire.

Act 4

Weary, Amari makes his way out of the jungle and can now go home. He boards a bus. When Amari arrives home he comes inside and his family celebrates his return, but he tells them that he really needs to go to sleep. When he wakes the next day he can’t recall what he did in the last night or the past three months. He stops telling everyone he lived a previous life, because he honestly can’t remember it.

Your Turn

Genre: Romantic Drama

Logline: After visiting a psychic who tells her she will “marry rich”, a gold digger wastes her life trying to find a man rich enough for her, only to marry with a surpring fellow in her old age: a study in irony, a man named “Rich.”

Synopsis: A beautiful young woman of 20, Anabelle, sees a psychic. She tells Anabelle that she will marry a man who is rich. Throughout her life she has many suitors, including a few she almost marries. Though she falls in love she  doesn’t marry them because they aren’t rich. Eventually, in her old age, few suitors approach her. She meets a man named Rich. She falls in love with him, and marries him. She reflects on her wedding day the visit to the psychic so many years ago. She did indeed marry a man “who is Rich.”

Treatment

Act 1:

The story unfolds in a small, picturesque town, with the main action occurring in Anabelle’s charming cottage and the surrounding community. Anabelle, a young woman filled with dreams and aspirations. She seeks guidance from Madame Lorraine, an eccentric psychic known for her accurate predictions . Madame Lorraine predicts that Anabelle will marry a man who is “rich,” sparking a lifelong pursuit for material wealth.

Act 2:

Anabelle’s life is a whirlwind of suitors, all of whom fall short of the financial stability she desires. She comes close to marrying a few, but ultimately walks away in search of a wealthier prospect.

Despite her quest for wealth, Anabelle experiences moments of true love, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

Act 3:

Anabelle ages, and the once-flourishing suitors dwindle away. She lives contentedly in her cottage, surrounded by her beloved cats, finding solace in their companionship.

Unexpectedly, Anabelle encounters Rich, a man whose wealth lies not in his pockets, but in his heart. Their connection is instant, and they begin a tender courtship.

Act 4:

Anabelle and Rich’s love story blossoms, defying the materialistic expectations that once ruled her life. They share moments of laughter, understanding, and profound companionship.

On their wedding day, Anabelle reflects on Madame Lorraine’s prediction from years past. She realizes that she did indeed marry a man “who is Rich” in every sense of the word.

Act 5:

Anabelle and Rich build a life together, creating a home filled with warmth, love, and happiness. Anabelle’s cottage transforms into a sanctuary for both cats and humans alike.

In her older years, Anabelle looks back on her journey with gratitude and a newfound understanding of what true richness means. An older Anabelle sits on her porch, surrounded by her cats, content and at peace. She gazes at a picture of her and Rich, their smiles forever captured in a frame, knowing that love is the truest form of wealth.

From her suicide note: “I don’t want anyone in or out of my family to see any part of me. Could you destroy my body by cremation? I beg of you and my family – don’t have any service for me or remembrance for me. My fiance asked me to marry him in June. I don’t think I would make a good wife for anybody. He is much better off without me. Tell my father, I have too many of my mother’s tendencies.”

Act 1

McHale goes up an elevator. Very polite to everyone. She gets on the 86th floor observation deck. She folds her coat, leaves a note under her purse. She is about to jump.

Act 2

She changes her mind. She gets help and her depression goes into remission. She marries, has children. Lives a happy life. She is about to have the happiest moment of her life.

Act 3

We realize she actually jumped when she hits the roof of the car. The entire life scenario took place in the moment she took the leap.

Genre: Wild West Drama/Action

Logline: A legendary gunslinger, now paraplegic and hunted, faces off against vengeful brothers in a deadly showdown.

Synopsis: In the gritty world of the Wild West, we meet Mark Dawson, once renowned as the fastest draw in the region, feared and respected by many. His life takes a fateful turn when an explosion blows his legs off in a shootout. Stripped of his legs and reputation, Mark struggles to adapt to his new reality.

Meanwhile, the three McCallister brothers, fueled by vengeance, seek Mark for the killing of their sibling in a past confrontation. Mark’s condition makes him an easy target for their revenge, as they plan a deadly ambush in the town’s main street. With two brothers positioned in front and one behind, they offer Mark a chance to say his final prayers.

Facing certain death, Mark’s true nature comes to light. Instead of pleading for his own salvation, he asks for forgiveness, not for himself but for the enemies who seek his life. As he utters his request, his keen, honed hearing calculates the positions of the brothers and the likely location of the one behind him.

The first telltale click of a cocked gun resonates in the tense air. With reflexes honed over years of practice, Mark defies his condition, drops and rolls out of the line of fire. In a blur of movement, he fires three shots so rapidly that they blend into one, taking down the shooters. The dust settles, and the once-feared gunslinger is triumphant.

I was standing near Wild Bill on Main Street, when someone began ‘shooting up the town’ at the eastern end of the street. It was Bill Mulvey, a notorious murderer from Missouri, known as a handy man with a gun. He had just enough red liquor in him to be mean and he seemed to derive great amusement from shooting holes into the mirrors, as well as the bottles of liquor behind the bars, of the saloons in that section of the street. As was usually the case with such fellows, he was looking for trouble, and when someone told him that Wild Bill was the town marshal and therefore it behooved him to behave himself, Mulvey swore that he would find Wild Bill and shoot him on sight. He further averred that the marshal was the very man he was looking for and that he had come to the ‘damn’ town’ for the express purpose of killing him.

The tenor of these remarks was somehow made known to Wild Bill. But hardly had the news reached him than Mulvey appeared on the scene, tearing toward us on his iron-grey horse, rifle in hand, full cocked. When Wild Bill saw Mulvey he walked out to meet him, apparently waving his hand to some fellows behind Mulvey and calling to them: ‘Don’t shoot him in the back; he is drunk.’

Mulvey stopped his horse and, wheeling the animal about, drew a bead on his rifle in the direction of the imaginary man he thought Wild Bill was addressing. But before he realized the ruse that had been played upon him, Wild Bill had aimed his six-shooter and fired-just once. Mulvey dropped from his horse – dead, the bullet having penetrated his temple and then passed through his head.”

In the aftermath of the showdown, Mark is helped back up by Wendy, a compassionate and resourceful prostitute who witnessed the confrontation. As Mark sits there, battered but victorious, he shares a moment of connection with Wendy, whose kindness challenges his cynical outlook on life.

Mark calls for his loyal carriage driver, Sam, to take him back home. In the carriage, Mark reflects on his past, the choices he’s made, and the redemption he seeks. Through his interactions with Wendy and Sam, he begins to realize that his true strength lies not in his gun, but in his ability to inspire change and connect with others.

Logline: A doctor haunted by the souls of those he has euthanized is left in a state of near-death after a car crash when trapped within his paralyzed body, he has one week to convince his skeptical family that he will recover, all while facing the wrath of the spirits who want him dead.

Synopsis: In the somber world of Dr. Jonathan Hartley, a skilled euthanasia practitioner, the line between life and death blurs when he starts seeing the lingering spirits of the patients he has helped pass on. Among them, a mysterious woman’s apparition emerges repeatedly on the side of the road, haunting him at every turn.

As the doctor’s psyche begins to unravel, he becomes plagued by guilt and regret. Patients he can’t remember euthanizing appear on his daily train commute, sit beside him, or even hitch rides in his car, only to vanish upon arrival. But none affect him as deeply as the woman who haunts his thoughts and surroundings. The most fearsome spirits are the ones who say they are in hell and blame it on him.

One fateful night, shaken by a vision of the woman, Dr. Hartley crashes his car into a tree, leaving him in a coma with severe brain damage. Paralyzed and trapped within his own body, he retains his consciousness and awareness but can’t move or communicate.

Amid the turmoil, his family hovers on the precipice of deciding whether to pull the plug, wrestling with the guilt of their own decisions. Dr. Hartley’s wife, Laura, and his adult children, Alex and Megan, grapple with the profound ethical and emotional challenge.

As the week following the accident unfolds, Dr. Hartley’s consciousness battles against the encroaching darkness. A deceased relative visits him in a dream-like state, revealing that he will fully recover in a week’s time, but only if he can convince his family to hold on.

Driven by his determination to live, the doctor struggles to communicate, even as his family’s skepticism grows. In a climactic confrontation with the spirits of the euthanized patients, he learns that they want him dead, especially the enigmatic woman. Their regret and anger fuel their vengeful desires.

With only days left before his potential demise, Dr. Hartley must rally his shattered resolve to reach out to his family, make them understand his situation, and convince them to wait for his recovery. He battles not only his own limitations but also the malevolent intent of the spirits that haunt him.

He decides to leave his body and resort to poltergeist activity, which gains attenion. A priest is called and he prays, leading a prayer circle. The doctor comes to him in a dream. The priest saves him.

He survives. He closes his practice and devotes the rest of his life to saving potential suicides, sharing his own experience if need be but otherwise proving to be a nighly convincing hero to many.

Genre: Comedy/Adventure

Logline: Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, known for their indulgence in marijuana, find themselves embroiled in a series of comedic mishaps after being kicked out of their homes for smoking marijuana, but they face challenges making it back home, including dismemberment and torment from an unruly gang of punk musicians from the London Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.

Treatment:

Act 1:

A wanted, dead or alive, poster for the “Bicycle Man” emerges. We soon learn who it is.

Tom and George ignore important national affairs to get high instead. After building a ramp, they ride a primitive bike down a hill to jump over Martha Washington’s prize tulips, overshooting the landing ramp at high speed only to crash down and kill five spectators. Martha Washington discovers the duo is responsible for a series of bloody accidents by the “bicycle murderer” (George)  and decides to kick George out of their home in anger. Feeling responsible, Jefferson joins his friend on this unexpected journey.

Tom and George decide to head to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, hoping to impress and reconcile with the nation. They arrive at the Philadelphia Statehouse or the Constitutional Convention. Patrick Henry makes an impassioned speech about taxation without representation after which Tom, high as a kite, asks how can we argue for freedom and the rights of man when a lot of them, including themselves, owned hundreds of slaves? They are walked out the doors with several kicks until a bouncer’s mighty boot sends them both flying into a puddle of mud.

Sensing their presence isn’t welcomed, the duo decides to return home but mistakenly takes a wrong turn, leading them to South America.

In the meantime, we meet an unruly gang of elderly musicians from the London Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra: Sir Big and Meaty, Sir Plastpenis Enis, and Sir Dick Cheas who arrive at Junior Washington’s middle school to torment him because his mother plays Ben Franklin’s electric cello.

Sir Plastipenis Enis drives a wedge between Junior and his girlfriend Tabitha, shaming her for associating with him.

Sir Big and Meaty also makes a stop at Mount Vernon to talk to Martha, giving her a subtle warning that they will be back when she refuses to hire him as an escort.

Act 2:

Stranded in an unfamiliar land, Tom and George face numerous challenges, including language barriers, cultural differences, and somehow getting lost in the Andes mountains lugging around furniture blessed by a priest. Along their journey, they encounter dangerous wildlife, navigate treacherous terrain, and overcome their own stoner-induced mishaps. Determined to find their way back home, they meet a group of helpful South American locals who aid them in their quest, offering guidance and “cultural enlightenment” in exchange for weed.

Along the way, from inside a cave, they manage to split the atom in the first atomic explosion ever to take place.

Act 3:

Following a long and arduous journey, Tom and George successfully make their way back to the Colonies, but their arrival does not go as planned. George, in a haze of stoner carelessness, disrespects Martha, leading to an explosive altercation. Martha Washington takes matters into her own hands, channeling her frustration by beating both Tom and George with Ben Franklin’s electric cello.

Severely injured, the duo is rushed to the nearest hospital where skilled doctors work tirelessly to reassemble them. Sir Big and Meaty tries to unplug them from life support, namely a nurse who is riding a bike to power the oxygen mask and doing it in shifts. He knocks her out. He is about to smother George when a remorseful Martha arrives, who sees what he was trying to do. She kicks his ass even worse than she did George’s.

Tom and George get a surprise visit from Ben Franklin, who wishes to get them ‘high’ and apologize for his own part in their ordeal, initiates a deep conversation about self-reflection, responsibility, and respect. Just kidding. He just came to get really fucked up with them. Ben reveals that they had forgotten they had arrived at the Constitutional Convention by carriage, not by ship. Tom and George, now enlightened and humbled, embark on their hilarious journey back to Philadelphia to retrieve George’s carriage key, determined to make amends for their past actions.

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Logline: A crime scene photographer finds his life unraveling when his camera captures images of future deaths, driving him to desperate measures to prevent the inevitable, only to discover that his struggle against fate might be in vain.

Synopsis: In the gritty underbelly of the city, we meet Richard Banks, a talented crime scene photographer with a reputation for capturing the macabre beauty of death through his lens. Richard, however, soon discovers a chilling and inexplicable phenomenon: his camera starts filling up with images of dead people he’s never photographed.

At first, Richard dismisses it as a result of his poor memory or overactive imagination, until the images eerily match the crime scenes he’s called to document the following day. Disturbed and mystified, he struggles to come to terms with this disturbing gift or curse. As the occurrences become more frequent, Richard becomes obsessed with changing the future and preventing the impending deaths he sees in his camera.

His efforts to intervene with celebrities whose deaths he foresees are met with skepticism and scorn. Despite his earnest attempts to save lives, his interventions seem to inadvertently seal their fates, leading many to label him as mentally unstable.

One day, Richard sees a woman, Elena, crossing the street, and his camera captures an image of her lifeless form. Desperate to save her, Richard orchestrates an elaborate scheme to have Elena arrested in hopes of sparing her from her predicted demise. Tragically, his efforts fail, leaving Richard shattered and guilt-ridden.

In a last-ditch effort to escape the torment, Richard acquires a new camera, believing that he can break the cycle. However, his new camera presents the same ominous images, confirming that the phenomenon transcends the equipment he uses. Distraught and exhausted, Richard decides to isolate himself in a remote motel for a month, convinced that he has finally escaped the relentless grip of fate.

As Richard believes he has successfully broken free from the curse, a sense of relief washes over him. But his newfound hope is shattered when, while stopped at a traffic light, a carjacker attempts to steal his car. In the ensuing chaos, Richard is shot and killed, his life tragically mirroring the final set of images captured by his camera.

“Snapshot” is a psychological thriller that explores the haunting interplay between premonition, free will, and the inexorable march of destiny. As Richard grapples with his chilling gift and embarks on a desperate mission to alter the course of events, the story delves into the blurred boundaries of reality and perception, ultimately questioning whether our efforts to escape fate can ever truly succeed.

Genre: Supernatural, Comedy, Drama

Logline: A hapless couple trapped in a motion picture face the compelling reality that they are living in a film and cannot control their fate.

Synopsis: “The Imagination of Bubba Cobbledick” explores the compelling concept of characters discovering their existence in a world controlled by an unknown hand. As Melissa and Jake navigate their fragile reality, their desperate pursuit for autonomy and happiness intertwines with themes of fate, free will, and the power of storytelling. Ultimately, their journey leads them to forge their own path, questioning the very essence of their existence and their ability to shape their destiny.

Treatment:

Act 1:

Melissa and Jake, an ordinary couple in their early thirties, stumble upon a grand mansion during their afternoon stroll. Drawn by curiosity, they approach the imposing double doors. Jake, with a mischievous smile, pushes the door open, revealing a dark room illuminated only by the faint glow of a flickering screen.

Melissa and Jake step inside, their eyes widening as they witness an audience of thousands, intently watching a movie. Overwhelmed, they look around for any signs of life only to notice their feet are mere inches away from the gigantic movie screen.

Panic sets in as Melissa and Jake frantically try to communicate with the audience, desperately explaining that they are real, not part of the movie. However, their pleas are met with uproarious laughter, a mocking echo resounding through the room.

Act 2:

In disbelief, Melissa and Jake call the writer, the creator of their existence.  Jake, filled with uncertainty, questions the writer, hoping to unravel the mysteries behind their lives. He asks if their story will have a happy ending. The writer responds with cryptic caution, mentioning that revealing it would be a spoiler.

Frustration bubbles within Jake as he passionately curses the writer. Suddenly, Jake’s right hand begins to punch himself, seemingly under the control of the writer. I can do this all day, Jake, he says. Watch your tone with your creator. Melissa and Jake, now more determined than ever, hatch a plan to distract the writer. They realize that through their own actions and choices, they have taken on a life of their own in an alternate realm, separate from the writer’s control.

They cunningly deceive the writer, tricking him into temporarily leaving them alone, hoping to secure their freedom from his whims and cruelties.

Act 3:

Jake wakes up from a nightmare, realizing he can communicate with the writer through dreams. In a bold move, he confronts the writer and demands a happy ending, threatening to torment him until his death if he refuses. The writer wakes with a start, his creative conscience awakened by Jake’s ominous words. Determined to appease his creation, the writer revises his script, shaping a beautiful life for Melissa and Jake.

As the revised script unfolds, Melissa and Jake’s lives take a turn for the better. They get married, move into a charming house, and have a family filled with laughter and love. The couple grows old together, with each passing milestone captured in fleeting moments.

At the age of 120, Melissa and Jake, now elderly and content, peacefully pass away in their sleep, holding each other’s hands. Their departure, though bittersweet, marks the fulfillment of their extraordinary journey from the clutches of mere imagination to a meaningful existence.