Confetti

Good morning. I'm still traveling, so I thought I'd share a short film I wrote last year. I've not seen a screenplay shared here on Substack, so I had to get creative with the formatting. Please enjoy, and be well.🖤

INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY

A cramped, mismatched Brooklyn apartment. Daylight sneaks in through the small windows.

It's mostly a dull space, except for some creative supplies neatly kept on a shelf, and a small burst of confetti litters the floor nearby.

A mysterious ORB sits on a sketchbook on the coffee table.

ETHAN, shuffles into the living room. He pays no attention to the confetti, but as he approaches the coffee table he pauses to consider the Orb. The Orb doesn't move, but it does give off an otherworldly and muffled sound.

Ethan's eyebrows knit. He sighs and grabs the Orb and leaves out the apartment door.

EXT. BROWNSTONE STOOP - DAY

Already sitting on the top step is CHAD, a overly-confident man leaning back in a glimmering sequence jacket, mindlessly scrolling through his phone.

The front door opens and Ethan steps out onto the stoop. He walks a couple of steps down from Chad and places the Orb next to him. Chad eyes the Orb with contempt.

ETHAN
(beat)
Nice day.

Chad grunts, continuing to scroll. His phone dings.

Ethan's hand begins to move toward his own pocket but he stops short and instead rests his head in his hands, focusing on the sidewalk.

A group of kids run by in costumes and the YOUNG GIRL at the back of the troop drops her PLUSHIE. Ethan hops down to grab it for her.

ETHAN
You dropped this!

The Young Girl runs back to meet him. As Ethan picks it up, he recognizes the character and pauses until the she holds out her hand and pulls him back to the moment. Ethan slowly gives it to her. The Young Girl smiles and runs off to catch up with her troop.

Ethan watches with a sad smile. The Orb gives Ethan a sad chitter, and Ethan looks at it with curiosity as he walks back to the step.

ETHAN
That kid would've liked my show.

Chad leans forward with his phone. His phone dings.

CHAD
Check this out.

Ethan looks.

CHAD
Imagine Mario Kart on that!

Ethan smiles halfheartedly and opens his mouth to reply but Chad interrupts him.

CHAD
I'll bookmark it.

Ethan looks ahead miserably.

In the background, Chad looks at Ethan determinedly then returns to his phone.

The Orb hums. Only Ethan hears it–he looks at it cautiously and considers it for a moment.

ETHAN
What if I–

Chad's phone dings and Ethan looks over.

CHAD
One sec.

Chad is taking an "artistic" photo.

ETHAN
Great lighting.

CHAD
Pic or it didn't happen.

Ethan starts to get up to look, but stops when he hears the Orb hum menacingly.

Ethan looks at the Orb but the sound stops. Ethan sits back down facing the sidewalk.

The Orb chitters happily.

Ethan furrows his eyebrows, stands abruptly, and starts pacing the bottom step as tension rises within.

ETHAN
I gotta get out of this apartment.

Chad's phone vibrates.

CHAD
(still looking at phone)
Lonely?

ETHAN
I just...thought it'd be different. Maybe I–

Ethan turns back to face Chad, who is transfixed by scrolling.

Chad's phone dings.

CHAD
Bro. I was just craving Pad Thai.

Ethan sighs and spins back to the front of the step. Behind him, Chad heads into the apartment. Ethan walks back and forth on the step day dreaming and mumbling.

ETHAN
(to himself)
Do the outline again...redraw the characters. Yeah. Then it's ready.

The Orb starts to hum melodically. Ethan turns and stares at it, this time anticipating. Right as Ethan opens his mouth to speak, Chad steps back onto the stoop, into frame, in a new, much louder outfit.

CHAD
Boom!

Ethan is dumbstruck.

ETHAN
For what?

CHAD
This season's color. Get with it!

Chad's phone dings, and he sits back down and goes back to scrolling.

ETHAN
Really? I thought it–

Ethan takes a step toward Chad, Chad's phone dings, the Orb hums determinedly, and as Ethan turns to look at it he notices APRIL, a bright and confident woman walking down the sidewalk holding a box and looking at the trees above.

Distracted by April, Ethan misses the step and falls off the stoop, landing in front of April. April (still looking above) trips over Ethan.

The contents of April's box goes everywhere–notebooks, pencils and design markers, an iPad, and, curiously, a ton of confetti.

Ethan is mortified. Behind him on the step, the Orb chitters happily and Chad laughs.

CHAD
(still laughing)
This is fine.

April forces a smile to Ethan.

ETHAN
I'm so sorry.

APRIL
No problem.

April gestures an "it happens" and starts to pick up supplies. Ethan is quick to help, when he notices a page of her sketchbook.

ETHAN
That's Space Dino!

APRIL
What? Oh, yeah.

ETHAN
I love that show.

APRIL
(elusive)
Me too.

The Orb hums. In the background, Chad goes back inside. April continues to put items back in the box.

ETHAN
(oblivious)
Right? It's just so consistently great. And the stuff they put out on how it's made–so good.

APRIL
(staying casual)
Oh yeah?

ETHAN
Have you seen...

Ethan pulls out his phone to a YouTube video.

ETHAN
Here. This. What they do is–wait...

The video shows April in the Writer's Room. She's the creator.

April smiles sheepishly.

ETHAN
Wow.

April holds out her hand.

APRIL
I'm April.

Ethan holds out his hand.

ETHAN
And I'm not as observant as I thought I was.

They shake hands.

APRIL
You do have a name too, right?

ETHAN
Oh! H-ha, yeah. Ethan.

Chad bursts onto the stoop with music blaring.

Ethan looks at Chad.

ETHAN
(quickly)
Pause the music!

Chad sits down and pauses the music. Ethan turns back to April.

ETHAN
(embarrassed, to April)
Sorry about that...

APRIL
No worries. So tell me, why do you like our show so much?

ETHAN
(sheepish)
Oh, I've always wanted to make a cartoon, and I love your show's style and the–

A citizen-alert rings loudly from Chad's phone. Chad fumbles the phone and it drops down a step. Ethan is quick to save the phone. He stops the alert then carefully checks the edges of the device.

Ethan then looks critically at Chad and carefully places the phone on the step.

ETHAN
Not sure why I even have that app...

The Orb hums angrily on the step near Ethan's feet. He turns to it–April doesn't hear it.

APRIL
(to Ethan)
Why haven't you made your show?

Ethan turns slowly back to April.

ETHAN
What?

APRIL
You said you "wanted to" make a show–why haven't you?

ETHAN
Oh.
(embarrassment rising)
Just...couldn't figure out the right plan I guess.

April smirks.

APRIL
I get that. Plans are helpful, but I've found–

Chad's phone dings and Chad tugs on Ethan's sleeve. Ethan turns away from April.

ETHAN
(exasperated)
What?

Chad shows Ethan his phone. Ethan rolls his eyes, but Chad quickly moves onto the next thing on his phone. Now Ethan is reading an email.

ETHAN
Sorry, one sec.

The phone vibrates, then the swooshing send sound effect, then dings. Chad, standing right behind him, smiles menacingly.

The Orb hums heatedly.

April looks on disappointingly. She take a step back, pulls out a note card from her box, and scribbles something down.

April drops the note card onto the step, landing next to the Orb. Ethan is still on his phone. She takes another step back with a frown, turns and walks down the sidewalk.

After a beat, Ethan finally looks away from his phone.

ETHAN
Okay, okay. Sorry about that–

Ethan sees that April is gone. The colorful confetti explosion left in her wake.

Chad shrugs with a smirk and sits on the top step.

Ethan sits down with his head between his knees. Chad's phone dings. Ethan shuts his eyes tight in shame.

The Orb rolls into Ethan's foot and hums softly. He opens his eyes and he sees the note card April left on the step, now under his shoe.

He picks it up slowly and reads: "Don't let sparks go out."

The Orb hums louder. Ethan turns and considers it, then looks at the confetti on the sidewalk.

Ethan looks at Chad.

The Box's hum grows even louder.

Ethan looks down the sidewalk toward April.

The Box's hum grows even louder.

Ethan looks at the Orb.

The Box's hum grows even louder.

Ethan grabs the Orb, stands up, and takes a deep breath about to call after April.

CUT TO: BLACK

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Be well. Excelsior.