A Future Broadcast
Briar battles for her vision of a modern local TV programme against the station's old guard, discovering her own resolve amidst the dusty chaos of the community studio, pushing for a new direction.
# A Future Broadcast - Project Treatment
## Project Overview
**Format:** Feature film, 90–105 minutes
**Genre:** Coming-of-Age Drama / Workplace Dramedy
**Tone References:** *CODA* (the celebration of an underdog fighting for her passion within a tightly-knit, forgotten community), *Lady Bird* (the sharp, witty portrayal of a young woman’s artistic ambition clashing with the limitations of her hometown), *The Station Agent* (finding profound human connection in places of quiet neglect and obsolescence).
**Target Audience:** Fans of A24's character-driven dramas, audiences for heartfelt indie films like *Little Miss Sunshine* and *Paterson*, and anyone who has ever felt like their voice was being ignored.
**Logline:** A determined young filmmaker, hired at a decaying local access TV station, must defy its nostalgic and cynical manager to create a show that reflects the vibrant, modern reality of their forgotten town, forcing them both to decide what's worth preserving and what's worth fighting for.
## Visual Language & Cinematic Style
The film's visual identity is built on a foundation of tangible, textured contrast. The world of Meadowbrook TV is a warm, dusty cocoon of analog decay. We will capture this through a muted, almost sepia-toned palette, emphasizing the umber of crumbling brick, the faded gray of acoustic foam, and the soft, diffused light filtering through grimy windows. The camera will linger on the artifacts of a bygone era: the slow, satisfying clunk of a broadcast tape being inserted into a deck, the hypnotic glow of green text on a CRT monitor, the spiderwebs of tangled XLR and BNC cables. This space is claustrophobic but also strangely sacred. In stark contrast, the content Briar creates will be shot with a vibrant, modern sensibility. The camera becomes handheld, intimate, and alive, capturing the crisp colors and authentic energy of the town's youth. The visual arc of the film will follow this transition, as Briar's more dynamic and colorful aesthetic begins to bleed into the station's static, dusty world, suggesting not a replacement, but an integration.
## Tone & Mood
The emotional rhythm of *A Future Broadcast* is a delicate balance of quiet melancholy and scrappy, infectious optimism. It begins in a state of frustrated stillness, where the loudest sounds are the hum of old equipment and the ticking of a clock. We feel Briar’s quiet desperation and the weight of institutional inertia. As she begins her secret project, the tone shifts, infused with a DIY, guerrilla-filmmaking energy that is both comedic in its failures and thrilling in its small victories. The humor is gentle and character-based, derived from the absurdity of trying to create modern content with archaic technology and navigating the quirky personalities of the station's old guard. The overarching mood is one of profound empathy—for a young woman trying to find her voice, for an old man afraid of being forgotten, and for a small town deserving of a spotlight. It is a story that finds immense heart in the quiet moments, culminating in an uplifting and emotionally resonant crescendo.
## Themes & Cinematic Expression
At its core, this is a story about the complex dialogue between tradition and progress. This theme is visualized directly through the contrast between the old, heavy broadcast cameras and Briar's nimble DSLR, and sonically through the juxtaposition of the station's ambient hum and the modern indie music she uses to score her segments. Another key theme is the power of a single voice to reignite a community. This is expressed not just through Briar's journey, but through the subjects she chooses for her show—the teenage poet, the elderly historian, the muralist painting over derelict walls. The sound design will emphasize this, gradually replacing the monotonous clack of the dot-matrix printer with the diverse chorus of voices from Briar's interviews. Finally, the film explores the idea of finding value in the obsolete. Meadowbrook TV is not just a relic to be discarded; it's a foundation. Briar’s arc is not about destroying the past, but about convincing its gatekeepers that the best way to honor it is to build upon it, proving that even in forgotten places, new stories are waiting to be broadcast.
## Character Arcs
### Briar
Briar is a fiercely passionate and resourceful filmmaker in her early twenties, armed with a film school education but burdened by a quiet, anxious insecurity. Her primary flaw is a non-confrontational nature that leads her to retreat when faced with authority. She starts at Meadowbrook TV as a low-level production assistant, seeing potential where everyone else sees decay. Initially intimidated by the station’s rigid culture, her journey is one of finding her voice, both creatively and personally. Her secret project forces her to become a leader, to solve problems on the fly, and to articulate her vision with conviction. By the end, Briar transforms from an anxious subordinate into a confident director of her own story, a community leader who has learned that true change requires not just a great idea, but the courage to fight for it.
### Arthur Vance
Arthur, the station manager in his late sixties, is the embodiment of the old guard. He's not a villain, but a man whose identity is inextricably linked to the station's past glory. Gruff, cynical, and deeply nostalgic, he sees Briar’s ambition not as innovation, but as a personal attack on his life's work. His flaw is his fear of irrelevance, which manifests as a stubborn refusal to change. His arc is one of reluctant acceptance. As he secretly watches Briar’s unauthorized broadcasts, he is confronted with a vision of the town—and its youth—that he has long since stopped seeing. He is forced to recognize that his preservationist instincts have turned into gatekeeping. His journey is not about embracing streaming or social media, but about learning to trust a new generation to carry the torch, ending in a place of quiet pride and passing on the keys to the kingdom.
### Carol
Carol is a veteran camera operator in her late fifties, a contemporary of Arthur's who has seen a dozen "Briars" come and go. Her personality is defined by a wry, seen-it-all cynicism that serves as a protective shell. She is pragmatic, loyal to Arthur, but also possesses a dormant creative spark. Her role is that of the skeptical observer who becomes an unlikely mentor. At first, she dismisses Briar's efforts as youthful folly. However, as she witnesses Briar’s unwavering dedication and the genuine impact of her work, her cynicism begins to crack. Carol's arc is about rediscovering her own passion for storytelling by helping nurture Briar's. She becomes the crucial bridge between the old guard and the new, her decision to finally support Briar signaling the true turning point for the station's future.
## Detailed Narrative Treatment (Act Structure / Episodes)
### Act I
BRIAR, a recent film school graduate brimming with ideas but short on confidence, accepts a menial job at Meadowbrook TV, her hometown's decaying public access station. The station is a living museum, run by the curmudgeonly station manager, ARTHUR VANCE, who is content to broadcast town hall meetings and bingo results. Briar sees untapped potential in the station's archives and community reach. After weeks of observing the stagnant programming, she works up the courage to pitch a new show: "Meadowbrook Unfiltered," a documentary series focused on the town's unseen artists, youth, and subcultures. In a disheartening production meeting, Arthur flatly rejects the idea, declaring that "public access is a utility, not an art gallery." This is the inciting incident. Defeated but not broken, Briar makes a pivotal decision: with the covert help of LEO, a tech-savvy teenage intern, she will use the station's equipment after hours to produce the show herself and broadcast it online, directly challenging Arthur’s authority.
### Act II
Briar and Leo's clandestine operation begins. They "borrow" cameras and microphones, turning the dusty studio into their guerrilla filmmaking hub by night. Their first few segments are rough but authentic, featuring a local slam poet and a group of skaters building a DIY park. They upload the episodes to a local blog, where they gain a small but passionate following. The positive online buzz boosts Briar’s confidence but also puts her on Arthur's radar. He notices equipment being moved and hears whispers around the station. The midpoint arrives when Arthur discovers their secret YouTube channel. Furious, he confronts Briar, threatening to fire her and have her charged with theft of services. All seems lost when, during this confrontation, a critical piece of editing equipment sparks and dies, seemingly killing the project for good. Briar is devastated. But CAROL, the veteran camerawoman who has been silently observing Briar’s project, sees her genuine passion. In a quiet act of solidarity, she stays late and uses her decades of experience to repair the ancient machine, offering Briar a crucial piece of advice and a glimmer of hope.
### Act III
Buoyed by Carol's support, Briar realizes that hiding is no longer an option. Instead of a web series, she plans a bold, final gambit: a live, telethon-style broadcast to "Re-launch Meadowbrook TV for a New Generation." She frames it as a fundraiser to upgrade the station's failing equipment, forcing a public referendum on its future. The climax is the live broadcast itself. It's a chaotic, beautiful mess. Cues are missed, graphics fail, and microphones cut out. But Briar, now a confident director, embraces the imperfections. The rawness of the broadcast is its strength. Members of the community she featured call in, not just with donations, but with powerful testimonials about what her show has meant to them. Watching from the control room, Arthur sees the phones light up and witnesses a level of community engagement he hasn't seen in thirty years. He sees not an erasure of his legacy, but its evolution. In the film's resolution, Arthur doesn't resign, but he hands Briar the keys to the programming office. He officially gives her a primetime slot, a symbolic passing of the torch. The final shot is of the old dot-matrix printer being unplugged, as Briar and Arthur watch the first official broadcast of "Meadowbrook Unfiltered" together on a new monitor.
## Episode/Scene Beat Sheet (Source Material)
1. Briar stands inside Meadowbrook TV, her heart thumping with anxiety before a pivotal production meeting.
2. The distinct, rhythmic clatter of an old dot-matrix printer echoes down the hall, underscoring the station’s technological stagnation.
3. A familiar knot of tension tightens in her stomach, a physical manifestation of her impending battle with the station's old guard.
4. Her senses are heightened by nerves; she can smell the metallic tang of rain in the air, a scent that permeates the building's old, porous walls.
5. She takes in the squat, utilitarian architecture of the studio, a physical symbol of the crumbling and neglected institution she is so desperate to revitalize.
## Creative Statement
*A Future Broadcast* is a deeply personal and timely story about the vital importance of local storytelling in an increasingly globalized and disconnected world. In an era dominated by streaming giants and monolithic content, the soul of a community is still found in its unique, often overlooked, stories. This film is a love letter to the forgotten institutions like public access television, which were founded on the democratic ideal that everyone deserves a voice. Briar's fight is not just about making a TV show; it's a fight to prove that her generation's perspective matters, that her hometown is more than just a sleepy backdrop, and that the past and future can coexist. We want to create a film that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking, a heartfelt and humorous reminder that sometimes the most profound revolutions begin in the dustiest, most unexpected places.
## Audience Relevance
This story resonates powerfully with contemporary anxieties and aspirations. For a generation of young people entering the workforce, Briar's struggle to find meaningful work and make a tangible impact against institutional inertia is intensely relatable. The film taps directly into the ongoing cultural conversation about analog versus digital, tradition versus disruption, and what we lose when we chase progress at all costs. Its universal themes of mentorship, finding one's voice, and the search for authentic community will connect with a broad audience. In a world saturated with cynical narratives, *A Future Broadcast* offers a dose of sincere, hard-won optimism, championing the idea that with enough passion and courage, one person can indeed change their world, one broadcast at a time.
## Project Overview
**Format:** Feature film, 90–105 minutes
**Genre:** Coming-of-Age Drama / Workplace Dramedy
**Tone References:** *CODA* (the celebration of an underdog fighting for her passion within a tightly-knit, forgotten community), *Lady Bird* (the sharp, witty portrayal of a young woman’s artistic ambition clashing with the limitations of her hometown), *The Station Agent* (finding profound human connection in places of quiet neglect and obsolescence).
**Target Audience:** Fans of A24's character-driven dramas, audiences for heartfelt indie films like *Little Miss Sunshine* and *Paterson*, and anyone who has ever felt like their voice was being ignored.
**Logline:** A determined young filmmaker, hired at a decaying local access TV station, must defy its nostalgic and cynical manager to create a show that reflects the vibrant, modern reality of their forgotten town, forcing them both to decide what's worth preserving and what's worth fighting for.
## Visual Language & Cinematic Style
The film's visual identity is built on a foundation of tangible, textured contrast. The world of Meadowbrook TV is a warm, dusty cocoon of analog decay. We will capture this through a muted, almost sepia-toned palette, emphasizing the umber of crumbling brick, the faded gray of acoustic foam, and the soft, diffused light filtering through grimy windows. The camera will linger on the artifacts of a bygone era: the slow, satisfying clunk of a broadcast tape being inserted into a deck, the hypnotic glow of green text on a CRT monitor, the spiderwebs of tangled XLR and BNC cables. This space is claustrophobic but also strangely sacred. In stark contrast, the content Briar creates will be shot with a vibrant, modern sensibility. The camera becomes handheld, intimate, and alive, capturing the crisp colors and authentic energy of the town's youth. The visual arc of the film will follow this transition, as Briar's more dynamic and colorful aesthetic begins to bleed into the station's static, dusty world, suggesting not a replacement, but an integration.
## Tone & Mood
The emotional rhythm of *A Future Broadcast* is a delicate balance of quiet melancholy and scrappy, infectious optimism. It begins in a state of frustrated stillness, where the loudest sounds are the hum of old equipment and the ticking of a clock. We feel Briar’s quiet desperation and the weight of institutional inertia. As she begins her secret project, the tone shifts, infused with a DIY, guerrilla-filmmaking energy that is both comedic in its failures and thrilling in its small victories. The humor is gentle and character-based, derived from the absurdity of trying to create modern content with archaic technology and navigating the quirky personalities of the station's old guard. The overarching mood is one of profound empathy—for a young woman trying to find her voice, for an old man afraid of being forgotten, and for a small town deserving of a spotlight. It is a story that finds immense heart in the quiet moments, culminating in an uplifting and emotionally resonant crescendo.
## Themes & Cinematic Expression
At its core, this is a story about the complex dialogue between tradition and progress. This theme is visualized directly through the contrast between the old, heavy broadcast cameras and Briar's nimble DSLR, and sonically through the juxtaposition of the station's ambient hum and the modern indie music she uses to score her segments. Another key theme is the power of a single voice to reignite a community. This is expressed not just through Briar's journey, but through the subjects she chooses for her show—the teenage poet, the elderly historian, the muralist painting over derelict walls. The sound design will emphasize this, gradually replacing the monotonous clack of the dot-matrix printer with the diverse chorus of voices from Briar's interviews. Finally, the film explores the idea of finding value in the obsolete. Meadowbrook TV is not just a relic to be discarded; it's a foundation. Briar’s arc is not about destroying the past, but about convincing its gatekeepers that the best way to honor it is to build upon it, proving that even in forgotten places, new stories are waiting to be broadcast.
## Character Arcs
### Briar
Briar is a fiercely passionate and resourceful filmmaker in her early twenties, armed with a film school education but burdened by a quiet, anxious insecurity. Her primary flaw is a non-confrontational nature that leads her to retreat when faced with authority. She starts at Meadowbrook TV as a low-level production assistant, seeing potential where everyone else sees decay. Initially intimidated by the station’s rigid culture, her journey is one of finding her voice, both creatively and personally. Her secret project forces her to become a leader, to solve problems on the fly, and to articulate her vision with conviction. By the end, Briar transforms from an anxious subordinate into a confident director of her own story, a community leader who has learned that true change requires not just a great idea, but the courage to fight for it.
### Arthur Vance
Arthur, the station manager in his late sixties, is the embodiment of the old guard. He's not a villain, but a man whose identity is inextricably linked to the station's past glory. Gruff, cynical, and deeply nostalgic, he sees Briar’s ambition not as innovation, but as a personal attack on his life's work. His flaw is his fear of irrelevance, which manifests as a stubborn refusal to change. His arc is one of reluctant acceptance. As he secretly watches Briar’s unauthorized broadcasts, he is confronted with a vision of the town—and its youth—that he has long since stopped seeing. He is forced to recognize that his preservationist instincts have turned into gatekeeping. His journey is not about embracing streaming or social media, but about learning to trust a new generation to carry the torch, ending in a place of quiet pride and passing on the keys to the kingdom.
### Carol
Carol is a veteran camera operator in her late fifties, a contemporary of Arthur's who has seen a dozen "Briars" come and go. Her personality is defined by a wry, seen-it-all cynicism that serves as a protective shell. She is pragmatic, loyal to Arthur, but also possesses a dormant creative spark. Her role is that of the skeptical observer who becomes an unlikely mentor. At first, she dismisses Briar's efforts as youthful folly. However, as she witnesses Briar’s unwavering dedication and the genuine impact of her work, her cynicism begins to crack. Carol's arc is about rediscovering her own passion for storytelling by helping nurture Briar's. She becomes the crucial bridge between the old guard and the new, her decision to finally support Briar signaling the true turning point for the station's future.
## Detailed Narrative Treatment (Act Structure / Episodes)
### Act I
BRIAR, a recent film school graduate brimming with ideas but short on confidence, accepts a menial job at Meadowbrook TV, her hometown's decaying public access station. The station is a living museum, run by the curmudgeonly station manager, ARTHUR VANCE, who is content to broadcast town hall meetings and bingo results. Briar sees untapped potential in the station's archives and community reach. After weeks of observing the stagnant programming, she works up the courage to pitch a new show: "Meadowbrook Unfiltered," a documentary series focused on the town's unseen artists, youth, and subcultures. In a disheartening production meeting, Arthur flatly rejects the idea, declaring that "public access is a utility, not an art gallery." This is the inciting incident. Defeated but not broken, Briar makes a pivotal decision: with the covert help of LEO, a tech-savvy teenage intern, she will use the station's equipment after hours to produce the show herself and broadcast it online, directly challenging Arthur’s authority.
### Act II
Briar and Leo's clandestine operation begins. They "borrow" cameras and microphones, turning the dusty studio into their guerrilla filmmaking hub by night. Their first few segments are rough but authentic, featuring a local slam poet and a group of skaters building a DIY park. They upload the episodes to a local blog, where they gain a small but passionate following. The positive online buzz boosts Briar’s confidence but also puts her on Arthur's radar. He notices equipment being moved and hears whispers around the station. The midpoint arrives when Arthur discovers their secret YouTube channel. Furious, he confronts Briar, threatening to fire her and have her charged with theft of services. All seems lost when, during this confrontation, a critical piece of editing equipment sparks and dies, seemingly killing the project for good. Briar is devastated. But CAROL, the veteran camerawoman who has been silently observing Briar’s project, sees her genuine passion. In a quiet act of solidarity, she stays late and uses her decades of experience to repair the ancient machine, offering Briar a crucial piece of advice and a glimmer of hope.
### Act III
Buoyed by Carol's support, Briar realizes that hiding is no longer an option. Instead of a web series, she plans a bold, final gambit: a live, telethon-style broadcast to "Re-launch Meadowbrook TV for a New Generation." She frames it as a fundraiser to upgrade the station's failing equipment, forcing a public referendum on its future. The climax is the live broadcast itself. It's a chaotic, beautiful mess. Cues are missed, graphics fail, and microphones cut out. But Briar, now a confident director, embraces the imperfections. The rawness of the broadcast is its strength. Members of the community she featured call in, not just with donations, but with powerful testimonials about what her show has meant to them. Watching from the control room, Arthur sees the phones light up and witnesses a level of community engagement he hasn't seen in thirty years. He sees not an erasure of his legacy, but its evolution. In the film's resolution, Arthur doesn't resign, but he hands Briar the keys to the programming office. He officially gives her a primetime slot, a symbolic passing of the torch. The final shot is of the old dot-matrix printer being unplugged, as Briar and Arthur watch the first official broadcast of "Meadowbrook Unfiltered" together on a new monitor.
## Episode/Scene Beat Sheet (Source Material)
1. Briar stands inside Meadowbrook TV, her heart thumping with anxiety before a pivotal production meeting.
2. The distinct, rhythmic clatter of an old dot-matrix printer echoes down the hall, underscoring the station’s technological stagnation.
3. A familiar knot of tension tightens in her stomach, a physical manifestation of her impending battle with the station's old guard.
4. Her senses are heightened by nerves; she can smell the metallic tang of rain in the air, a scent that permeates the building's old, porous walls.
5. She takes in the squat, utilitarian architecture of the studio, a physical symbol of the crumbling and neglected institution she is so desperate to revitalize.
## Creative Statement
*A Future Broadcast* is a deeply personal and timely story about the vital importance of local storytelling in an increasingly globalized and disconnected world. In an era dominated by streaming giants and monolithic content, the soul of a community is still found in its unique, often overlooked, stories. This film is a love letter to the forgotten institutions like public access television, which were founded on the democratic ideal that everyone deserves a voice. Briar's fight is not just about making a TV show; it's a fight to prove that her generation's perspective matters, that her hometown is more than just a sleepy backdrop, and that the past and future can coexist. We want to create a film that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking, a heartfelt and humorous reminder that sometimes the most profound revolutions begin in the dustiest, most unexpected places.
## Audience Relevance
This story resonates powerfully with contemporary anxieties and aspirations. For a generation of young people entering the workforce, Briar's struggle to find meaningful work and make a tangible impact against institutional inertia is intensely relatable. The film taps directly into the ongoing cultural conversation about analog versus digital, tradition versus disruption, and what we lose when we chase progress at all costs. Its universal themes of mentorship, finding one's voice, and the search for authentic community will connect with a broad audience. In a world saturated with cynical narratives, *A Future Broadcast* offers a dose of sincere, hard-won optimism, championing the idea that with enough passion and courage, one person can indeed change their world, one broadcast at a time.