A Catalogue of Incorrect Greens
Backstage at a failing community theatre, a meticulous set designer's artistic vision clashes with a lead actor's well-meaning interference, resulting in a paint-splattered war over the true soul of chartreuse.
# A Catalogue of Incorrect Greens
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A meticulous set designer's vision for a play is sabotaged by a charming actor's well-intentioned "improvements," leading to a chaotic paint fight that shatters his artistic control and forges an unexpected, intimate connection.
## Themes
* **Artistic Integrity vs. Pragmatism:** The conflict between a purist's dedication to the subliminal power of art and a practical performer's focus on the bigger picture.
* **Control vs. Chaos:** A rigidly controlled artist has his world thrown into disarray by a spontaneous personality, forcing him to embrace imperfection and the unexpected.
* **Communication Through Conflict:** How a non-verbal, physical confrontation can break down barriers and lead to a more profound understanding than words ever could.
* **The Beauty in the Mess:** Finding connection and humor not in perfection, but in the shared, chaotic moments of human fallibility.
## Stakes
The artistic integrity of the play and Julian's professional sanity are at risk, threatening to derail the production just days before it opens.
## Synopsis
JULIAN, a passionate and highly-strung set designer, is horrified to find that a key prop—a fern painstakingly painted a sickly green he named 'Eau de Despair' to symbolize suburban decay—has been repainted a garish, cheerful chartreuse. The culprit is NOAH, the play's charismatic lead actor, who cheerfully admits he was just trying to "brighten it up."
Julian's attempt to explain the nuanced principles of scenography and the "subliminal language of colour" is met with Noah's amused, pragmatic dismissal. The argument escalates, fueled by Julian's theatrical passion and Noah's well-meaning ignorance. Pushed to his limit by Noah's "aggressive optimism," Julian impulsively flicks a wet paintbrush at him, staining his shirt.
This act ignites a silent, vicious, and surprisingly joyful paint war. They chase each other through the props room, smearing each other with various shades of beige and green. The skirmish ends when Noah corners Julian against a large mirror, pinning his wrists. The moment is charged with an unexpected, intimate tension.
They are discovered by BRENDA, the formidable stage manager, who finds them in their paint-splattered, compromising position. As one, they turn to look at their ridiculous reflections in the mirror—streaked with paint like warring children. The absurdity of the sight breaks them. Hysterical laughter erupts, completely diffusing the conflict. Left alone by a sighing Brenda, the laughter subsides into a comfortable quiet. Amidst the colourful chaos they created, Noah sincerely offers to help repaint the fern, promising to learn its pretentious name. A new, genuine understanding is formed.
## Character Breakdown
* **JULIAN (30s):** Meticulous, passionate, and a devout believer in the emotional power of scenography. He sees his work not as decoration, but as the fundamental emotional architecture of the performance. He is a perfectionist whose artistic temperament borders on the melodramatic, and he is easily wound up by those who don't share his reverence for detail.
* **Psychological Arc:** Julian begins in a state of rigid artistic control, believing his carefully constructed vision is absolute and fragile. Through the chaotic paint fight, his tightly-wound perfectionism is shattered, forcing him to relinquish control. He ends in a state of relaxed collaboration and emotional openness, having discovered that connection and even joy can be found in imperfection and spontaneity.
* **NOAH (30s):** Confident, charming, and pragmatic. As an actor, he connects with broad strokes and direct emotion, not the subtle undertones of a prop's colour palette. He is genuinely well-intentioned and helpful, but his practicality makes him oblivious to Julian's artistic sensitivities. He possesses a playful streak that he uses to disarm and charm his way out of trouble.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE OFFENSE:** INT. PROPS ROOM - DAY. Julian discovers the fern, repainted from a subtle "Eau de Despair" to a lurid "Chartreuse Blast." His quiet horror is palpable.
2. **THE CONFESSION:** Noah enters and proudly admits to "fixing" the sad-looking plant, utterly oblivious to the artistic crime he has committed.
3. **A LECTURE ON ART:** Julian launches into a passionate, frustrated monologue about the subliminal language of scenography. Noah is amused, not enlightened, calling him 'Jules' and pushing him over the edge.
4. **THE FIRST SHOT:** In a fit of pique, Julian flicks a beige-loaded paintbrush at Noah, marking his shirt. A line is crossed.
5. **THE PAINT WAR:** Noah grins, retaliates with a smear of chartreuse, and a silent, chaotic paint fight erupts. They dodge and weave through the set pieces, using brushes and hands as weapons.
6. **THE CEASEFIRE:** The fight ends with Noah gently pinning a breathless Julian against a large mirror. The energy shifts from combative to intimate.
7. **THE DISCOVERY:** Brenda, the stage manager, bursts in, catching them in their paint-splattered, compromising tableau.
8. **THE REFLECTION:** Forced to confront their appearance in the mirror, they see the absolute absurdity of their situation.
9. **THE COLLAPSE:** A snort from Julian breaks the tension, and they both collapse into hysterical, cathartic laughter, sinking to the floor.
10. **THE VOW:** The laughter fades. In the quiet aftermath, Noah sincerely offers to help repaint the fern. He repeats its name, "'Eau de Despair'," like a promise, sealing their new connection.
## Visual Style & Tone
The film's visual style will mirror Julian's emotional journey. It begins with a controlled, stable camera and a muted, desaturated palette of beiges, browns, and sickly greens. The props room is an organized chaos, full of texture and theatrical history.
The introduction of the "Chartreuse Blast" injects a single, jarringly vibrant colour. As the conflict escalates into the paint fight, the camerawork becomes handheld and dynamic, and the colours literally begin to mix and bleed into one another on the characters and the set, visually representing the merging of their two worlds. The final scene is warm and intimate, embracing the colourful mess they've made.
The tone is a comedic slow-burn that builds from intellectual friction to slapstick chaos before resolving into unexpected romance. It's a "meet-cute" disguised as an artistic dispute, blending the high-strung passion of backstage drama with the physical comedy of a classic screwball film. Tonal comparisons: The witty, character-driven conflict of **Fleabag** meets the contained, escalating absurdity of a single-location indie comedy, with the surprising emotional payoff of a film like **(500) Days of Summer**.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A meticulous set designer's vision for a play is sabotaged by a charming actor's well-intentioned "improvements," leading to a chaotic paint fight that shatters his artistic control and forges an unexpected, intimate connection.
## Themes
* **Artistic Integrity vs. Pragmatism:** The conflict between a purist's dedication to the subliminal power of art and a practical performer's focus on the bigger picture.
* **Control vs. Chaos:** A rigidly controlled artist has his world thrown into disarray by a spontaneous personality, forcing him to embrace imperfection and the unexpected.
* **Communication Through Conflict:** How a non-verbal, physical confrontation can break down barriers and lead to a more profound understanding than words ever could.
* **The Beauty in the Mess:** Finding connection and humor not in perfection, but in the shared, chaotic moments of human fallibility.
## Stakes
The artistic integrity of the play and Julian's professional sanity are at risk, threatening to derail the production just days before it opens.
## Synopsis
JULIAN, a passionate and highly-strung set designer, is horrified to find that a key prop—a fern painstakingly painted a sickly green he named 'Eau de Despair' to symbolize suburban decay—has been repainted a garish, cheerful chartreuse. The culprit is NOAH, the play's charismatic lead actor, who cheerfully admits he was just trying to "brighten it up."
Julian's attempt to explain the nuanced principles of scenography and the "subliminal language of colour" is met with Noah's amused, pragmatic dismissal. The argument escalates, fueled by Julian's theatrical passion and Noah's well-meaning ignorance. Pushed to his limit by Noah's "aggressive optimism," Julian impulsively flicks a wet paintbrush at him, staining his shirt.
This act ignites a silent, vicious, and surprisingly joyful paint war. They chase each other through the props room, smearing each other with various shades of beige and green. The skirmish ends when Noah corners Julian against a large mirror, pinning his wrists. The moment is charged with an unexpected, intimate tension.
They are discovered by BRENDA, the formidable stage manager, who finds them in their paint-splattered, compromising position. As one, they turn to look at their ridiculous reflections in the mirror—streaked with paint like warring children. The absurdity of the sight breaks them. Hysterical laughter erupts, completely diffusing the conflict. Left alone by a sighing Brenda, the laughter subsides into a comfortable quiet. Amidst the colourful chaos they created, Noah sincerely offers to help repaint the fern, promising to learn its pretentious name. A new, genuine understanding is formed.
## Character Breakdown
* **JULIAN (30s):** Meticulous, passionate, and a devout believer in the emotional power of scenography. He sees his work not as decoration, but as the fundamental emotional architecture of the performance. He is a perfectionist whose artistic temperament borders on the melodramatic, and he is easily wound up by those who don't share his reverence for detail.
* **Psychological Arc:** Julian begins in a state of rigid artistic control, believing his carefully constructed vision is absolute and fragile. Through the chaotic paint fight, his tightly-wound perfectionism is shattered, forcing him to relinquish control. He ends in a state of relaxed collaboration and emotional openness, having discovered that connection and even joy can be found in imperfection and spontaneity.
* **NOAH (30s):** Confident, charming, and pragmatic. As an actor, he connects with broad strokes and direct emotion, not the subtle undertones of a prop's colour palette. He is genuinely well-intentioned and helpful, but his practicality makes him oblivious to Julian's artistic sensitivities. He possesses a playful streak that he uses to disarm and charm his way out of trouble.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE OFFENSE:** INT. PROPS ROOM - DAY. Julian discovers the fern, repainted from a subtle "Eau de Despair" to a lurid "Chartreuse Blast." His quiet horror is palpable.
2. **THE CONFESSION:** Noah enters and proudly admits to "fixing" the sad-looking plant, utterly oblivious to the artistic crime he has committed.
3. **A LECTURE ON ART:** Julian launches into a passionate, frustrated monologue about the subliminal language of scenography. Noah is amused, not enlightened, calling him 'Jules' and pushing him over the edge.
4. **THE FIRST SHOT:** In a fit of pique, Julian flicks a beige-loaded paintbrush at Noah, marking his shirt. A line is crossed.
5. **THE PAINT WAR:** Noah grins, retaliates with a smear of chartreuse, and a silent, chaotic paint fight erupts. They dodge and weave through the set pieces, using brushes and hands as weapons.
6. **THE CEASEFIRE:** The fight ends with Noah gently pinning a breathless Julian against a large mirror. The energy shifts from combative to intimate.
7. **THE DISCOVERY:** Brenda, the stage manager, bursts in, catching them in their paint-splattered, compromising tableau.
8. **THE REFLECTION:** Forced to confront their appearance in the mirror, they see the absolute absurdity of their situation.
9. **THE COLLAPSE:** A snort from Julian breaks the tension, and they both collapse into hysterical, cathartic laughter, sinking to the floor.
10. **THE VOW:** The laughter fades. In the quiet aftermath, Noah sincerely offers to help repaint the fern. He repeats its name, "'Eau de Despair'," like a promise, sealing their new connection.
## Visual Style & Tone
The film's visual style will mirror Julian's emotional journey. It begins with a controlled, stable camera and a muted, desaturated palette of beiges, browns, and sickly greens. The props room is an organized chaos, full of texture and theatrical history.
The introduction of the "Chartreuse Blast" injects a single, jarringly vibrant colour. As the conflict escalates into the paint fight, the camerawork becomes handheld and dynamic, and the colours literally begin to mix and bleed into one another on the characters and the set, visually representing the merging of their two worlds. The final scene is warm and intimate, embracing the colourful mess they've made.
The tone is a comedic slow-burn that builds from intellectual friction to slapstick chaos before resolving into unexpected romance. It's a "meet-cute" disguised as an artistic dispute, blending the high-strung passion of backstage drama with the physical comedy of a classic screwball film. Tonal comparisons: The witty, character-driven conflict of **Fleabag** meets the contained, escalating absurdity of a single-location indie comedy, with the surprising emotional payoff of a film like **(500) Days of Summer**.