“Flicker” Short Film
Location: New Orleans, LA
Type: Student Films
Logline: A child is born into the world literally glowing but as she grows older and begins to struggle with her mental health, the lights begin to go out.
Synopsis
Flicker opens with a conversation between two new parents about how they should handle the fact that their daughter, Lucy, is “different” from other children: she is literally glowing. Bioluminescent lights reside under her soft skin. The remainder of the film follows Lucy as a high school freshman who has become insecure about the lights attracting attention. People stare at her in the hallways and after a comment that a volleyball teammate makes, Lucy grows upset and one of her lights goes out. As time goes on and Lucy becomes more anxious, lights continue to flicker and burn out. Between playing volleyball outside of school hours, mounds of homework, and the pressure to keep up appearances of having a social life, Lucy has no free time to relax and has her first panic attack during a volleyball practice.
As Lucy becomes more and more overwhelmed by her responsibilities, her lights continue to burn out and she becomes visibly disheveled. Her parents talk amongst themselves and to Lucy about how she has fewer lights than before, but she shrugs off their attempt at conversation. Lucy finds out that a recruiter from a nearby university is interested in watching her play volleyball and this makes her ecstatic. However, at a celebratory party, Lucy becomes overwhelmed and has another panic attack, realizing that even her life is objectively going well, trying to keep up with so many things has taken a significant toll on her mental health. Heather soothes her, saying that she is good enough and that nobody can possibly be perfect all the time. Lucy goes home and for the first time in a long time, she admires her reflection in the mirror. A light flickers back on as she gains some of her confidence back and Lucy smiles.
Characters
Leads:
Lucy (female, 15): Lucy is incredibly unique because of one defining physical feature–the glowing lights embedded in her skin. She has grown self-conscious about looking different, especially since she has just entered a new high school, but she is lucky to have supportive friends who stick up for her. Lucy is kind, has one of the highest GPAs in her grade, and is an incredibly talented volleyball player on her school’s varsity team. On the surface, she seems to have it all… But having so many responsibilities becomes anxiety-inducing over time. (Height and any knowledge of volleyball are a plus, but certainly not a requirement.) This role requires the actress to be comfortable wearing green stickers during production, as these will be used to help create the “glow” effect during the editing process. This role also requires the actress to be okay wearing string lights under her clothes for a few scenes.
Heather (female, 18): Heather is the captain of the varsity volleyball team and she manages to strikes a winning balance between being confident and approachable. Extroverted and fun to be around, she is a natural leader, but does not let the power go to her head; she sticks up for all of her teammates and quickly becomes a close friend of Lucy’s. Since Heather is nearing the end of high school and Lucy has just entered, Heather acts as a supportive mentor and friend.
Supporting:
Emily (female, 40s): Lucy’s mother, who worries excessively about the impact that the lights might have on Lucy’s life, though it is obvious that her concerns come from a place of love.
John (male, 40s): Lucy’s father, who is more level-headed than Emily and often calms her down when she is worried. John does not show a ton of emotion, but is immensely perceptive and it is clear that he is paying attention.
Jessica (female, 18): Jessica is a typical high school mean girl who makes a rude comment about Lucy’s lights. She is on the volleyball team, so also quite athletic.
Kelly and Sophie (female, 14-18): Lucy has two friends that she speaks to between classes in the hallway. They are somewhat geeky but otherwise unassuming high school girls.
Compensation
Credit in film screenings and film festival submissions, a digital copy of your performance, on set catering and craft services, posters, and clips for a reel.
Contact
Keira Rosner
Email: krosner@tulane.edu
Sides are available upon request.
Payment: Non Paid
