Tide of December

### **TIDE OF DECEMBER - TREATMENT**

**1. LOGLINE**

In a city desperately celebrating its first peacetime Christmas after a devastating war, a haunted veteran uncovers a clandestine signal from a derelict communications tower, forcing him to confront the possibility that the peace is a lie and an old enemy is stirring in the shadows.

**2. SYNOPSIS**

MILLER, a weary special operations veteran, drifts through the hyper-festive, newly rebuilt city center, feeling alienated from the forced cheer. While the public celebrates a hard-won peace, Miller's ingrained hyper-vigilance draws his attention to an anomaly: a faint, rhythmic blue pulse emanating from the supposedly decommissioned northern communications tower. He is joined by his former CO, ELIZA, now a pragmatic logistics manager, and a younger, idealistic squadmate, DANIEL, who works on the city’s power grid. While they discuss the city's bright future, Miller is unable to shake the feeling that the signal is a deliberate, coded message. His growing unease, triggered by sensory details only he seems to notice—like the faint smell of burning copper—compels him to break away from his friends. He walks to the deserted industrial riverfront, confirming the signal is methodical and intentional. As he stands alone in the cold, watching the silent, pulsing light, Miller realizes that the war he fought so hard to survive may not be over, and he might be the only one who sees the coming tide.

**3. CHARACTER BREAKDOWN**

* **MILLER (40s):** A former elite soldier, now a ghost in civilian life. His body is here, but his mind is still wired for war. He is quiet, observant, and deeply cynical, unable to trust the fragile peace everyone else is so eager to embrace. His senses are unnaturally sharp, a tool that is now a burden, constantly scanning for threats that are no longer supposed to exist.

* **ELIZA (40s):** Miller’s former Commanding Officer, now a successful and respected logistics manager helping to rebuild the city. She is pragmatic, warm but firm, and possesses a leader’s quiet strength. She understands Miller’s trauma better than anyone but is committed to building a future, urging him to let go of the past. She represents the bridge between the old world of conflict and the new world of hope.

* **DANIEL (20s):** The youngest member of their old unit, now an energetic and optimistic engineer on the city’s power grid. He is the face of the new generation, fully invested in the promise of peace and reconstruction. His boundless enthusiasm serves as a stark contrast to Miller's weary cynicism. He still looks up to Miller and Eliza with a near-reverential respect.

**4. SCENE BEATS**

* **THE CITY OF GHOSTS:** We open on Miller, isolated amidst a throng of cheerful citizens in a city center ablaze with Christmas lights. He is a monochrome figure in a world of dazzling color. The festive atmosphere feels alien and oppressive to him. He is a man out of time.

* **THE SIGNAL:** Miller’s gaze is drawn past the celebration to the city's edge. He spots it: a faint, rhythmic blue pulse from the skeletal, derelict communications tower. It’s a detail that doesn’t fit, a wrong note in the city’s symphony of peace. His old instincts flare to life.

* **OLD COMRADES, NEW WORLD:** Eliza and Daniel find Miller. Their reunion is warm but layered with unspoken history. Eliza is the grounded leader, Daniel the hopeful future. Their conversation establishes the post-war context: the official narrative is one of peace, prosperity, and turning points.

* **A PROMISE OF PEACE:** Daniel excitedly talks about the stable power grid and the city’s progress. Miller’s quiet cynicism (“that’s a big claim”) subtly challenges Daniel’s optimism. Eliza mediates, understanding both perspectives. All the while, the tower continues to pulse in the background, a silent counter-argument to their hopeful words, visible only to Miller.

* **THE SCENT OF TROUBLE:** A faint, specific smell hits Miller: burning copper. It’s a scent he associates with danger, with improvised tech and sabotage. This sensory trigger confirms his suspicion. This isn't just paranoia. Something is wrong.

* **BREAKING FORMATION:** Miller abruptly announces he’s leaving. The excuse is flimsy, and Eliza knows it. A silent, knowing look passes between them—she grants him the space, but her eyes hold a warning. He leaves the warmth and light of the city center behind.

* **THE PATROL:** Miller’s walk transforms. His posture shifts, his senses heighten. The city’s festive sounds fade, replaced by a tense, humming silence. He is no longer a civilian taking a stroll; he is a soldier on patrol, moving with purpose toward a potential threat.

* **THE SILENT WATCH:** Miller arrives at the deserted, icy riverbank. The tower stands stark across the water. The blue pulse is clear now: steady, methodical, and undeniably a signal. It feels like an alarm only he can hear. The fragile peace of the city behind him feels like a dream, and this—this cold, silent threat—is the reality. He is alone, watching the darkness gather.

**5. VISUAL STYLE**

* **COLOR PALETTE:** A stark contrast between two worlds. The city center is a riot of vibrant, almost over-saturated holiday lights—deep crimsons, golds, and emeralds—creating an artificial, dreamlike warmth. The world outside this bubble, Miller's world, is rendered in a cold, monochromatic palette of industrial blues, greys, and deep blacks. The signal from the tower is a distinct and unnatural **electric blue**, cutting through the darkness.

* **LIGHTING:** High-contrast, noir-inspired lighting. The festive lights should create lens flares and a bokeh effect that often blurs the background, symbolizing the city's willful blindness to lingering threats. Miller is often seen in shadow or silhouetted against the bright lights. The lighting on the waterfront is harsh and minimal, emphasizing the cold and desolation.

* **CAMERA & CINEMATOGRAPHY:** The camera should reflect Miller's psychological state. In the crowds, use tight, slightly unstable handheld shots to convey his claustrophobia and anxiety. Employ sharp rack focuses from the joyful faces in the foreground to the distant, pulsing tower, mirroring his divided attention. As he walks toward the river, the camera becomes steadier, smoother—adopting a more deliberate, tactical movement (Steadicam or dolly). The final shot should be a wide, static frame of Miller, a small figure against the vast, dark landscape, dwarfed by the ominous, pulsing tower.

* **SOUND DESIGN:** A dense, layered soundscape is crucial. In the city, the cheerful cacophony (music, laughter, vendors) is mixed to feel slightly overwhelming. This is contrasted with the sudden, oppressive quiet of the industrial zone, where the only sounds are the wind, the lapping of water, and the low, ambient hum of the city. A faint, almost subliminal electronic tone could be synced with the blue pulse, a sound that grows slightly in the mix as Miller gets closer, suggesting it’s a frequency he is uniquely attuned to.