A Catalogue of Faded Cures
From her perspective, Leaf sees stories, not just decaying signs. As she and Leo wander through Osborne Village, a ghost sign for a long-dead pharmacy sparks a conversation about their own remedies for life's uncertainties.
# A Catalogue of Faded Cures
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
On a sweltering summer day, two friends with opposing life philosophies—one a meticulous planner, the other a devotee of spontaneity—debate their futures through the lens of faded advertisements, forcing them to confront the validity of their own beliefs and the fragility of their connection.
## Themes
* **The Anxiety of the Unknown vs. The Freedom of Spontaneity:** The central conflict explores the tension between the need for a secure, planned future and the desire for an authentic, unscripted life.
* **The Weight of Expectation vs. The Pursuit of Authenticity:** The story examines the pressure to follow a pre-approved "map" for life (from parents, society) versus the difficult journey of creating one's own path.
* **Interpreting the Past:** The characters' differing views on the "ghost signs" serve as a metaphor for how they approach their own lives—one sees a rigid text to be analyzed, the other sees a fluid story to be imagined.
## Stakes
At stake is the foundation of a close friendship, threatened by their fundamentally opposing philosophies on how to navigate the uncertainty of adulthood.
## Synopsis
On a blistering hot day, LEAF and LEO walk through the city, their different worldviews immediately apparent. While Leo analyzes the typography of a faded "ghost sign" for a "Balsam of Life" cure, Leaf imagines the lives of the people who once bought it. This sparks a playful debate about their futures: Leo is anxious and seeks a five-year plan, while Leaf feels "untethered" and embraces spontaneity, jokingly prescribing a life of less planning for him.
To escape the oppressive heat, they duck into a coffee shop. The conversation deepens and intensifies. Leo defends his need for a "map" for his life, one tested and approved by others. Leaf passionately argues that those maps are inherited and unoriginal, championing the idea of getting lost to find a more interesting path. Leo counters that getting lost isn't romantic, it's just terrifying. His pragmatism forces Leaf to internally acknowledge that her own detours have been lucky, and she hasn't faced true hardship.
They leave the coffee shop and walk in a tense, thoughtful silence. Just as Leaf considers that some things aren't problems to be solved, Leo’s phone buzzes. He reads the message, and his body language transforms from relaxed to rigid with tension. He stares at the screen, his thumb hovering over it, the weight of a real-world problem suddenly eclipsing their philosophical debate.
## Character Breakdown
* **LEAF (21):** The narrator. An observer and a romantic who sees stories where others see decay. She is a staunch believer in spontaneity and living an "untethered" life, viewing rigid planning as a form of creative death. Her confidence in her worldview is genuine but untested by severe consequences.
* **Psychological Arc:** Leaf begins the story confident, almost smug, in her philosophy of embracing the unknown, viewing Leo's anxiety as a weakness. By the end, Leo's earnest fear and her own self-reflection cause her to understand that her "romantic" view is a product of privilege and luck. Her certainty is cracked, replaced by a more empathetic and nuanced understanding of the very real fear that drives the need for a map.
* **LEO (21):** A pragmatist and an analyst. He is overwhelmed by the future and craves the security of a well-defined plan. He sees the world as a series of texts and data points to be understood, not as a collection of stories. His anxiety is his compass, guiding him toward what he perceives as safety and away from the "disaster" of a detour.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE BALSAM OF LIFE:** On a sun-drenched Osborne Street, Leaf and Leo observe a faded ad on a brick wall. Their differing interpretations—Leaf’s "ghosts" versus Leo’s "letters"—immediately establish their philosophical divide. They playfully debate their personal "cures" for the anxiety of being twenty-one.
2. **THE UNTETHERED BALLOON:** Leaf rejects the idea of being "adrift," reframing it as being "untethered" like a balloon with a great view. Leo clearly sees this as dangerous and ungrounded.
3. **THE MAPS:** Inside a cool coffee shop, the debate intensifies. Leo argues for the safety of a pre-drawn "map" for life. Leaf counters that these maps are inherited and that true discovery only comes from daring to get lost.
4. **THE FEAR OF BEING LOST:** Leo’s argument becomes quieter and more vulnerable. He insists that getting lost isn't romantic, it's just being lost. His genuine fear forces Leaf into a moment of silent self-reflection, where she admits to herself that her detours have always been fortunate.
5. **THE BUZZ:** Back in the oppressive heat, their debate has settled into a tense silence. Leo's phone buzzes. He reads the message, and his posture instantly becomes rigid and anxious. The abstract debate about fear and uncertainty becomes terrifyingly real on his screen, leaving the story on a precipice.
## Visual Style & Tone
* **Visual Style:** Naturalistic and intimate, employing handheld or stabilized gimbal shots that feel observational and close to the characters. The visual palette will be defined by high-contrast lighting: the sun-bleached, overexposed exteriors will emphasize the oppressive heat and the feeling of being exposed, while the coffee shop interior will be cooler and darker, creating a space for more intimate confrontation. A heavy focus on texture—peeling paint, brickwork, condensation on glass, shimmering heat haze—will ground the philosophical conversation in a tangible, sensory world.
* **Tone:** Contemplative, dialogue-driven, and quietly anxious. The tone aligns with character-focused indie dramas like Richard Linklater's **Before trilogy** or the grounded, slice-of-life vignettes in **High Maintenance**. It captures the specific existential drift of early adulthood with a naturalistic patience, allowing the weight of the conversation to drive the narrative.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
On a sweltering summer day, two friends with opposing life philosophies—one a meticulous planner, the other a devotee of spontaneity—debate their futures through the lens of faded advertisements, forcing them to confront the validity of their own beliefs and the fragility of their connection.
## Themes
* **The Anxiety of the Unknown vs. The Freedom of Spontaneity:** The central conflict explores the tension between the need for a secure, planned future and the desire for an authentic, unscripted life.
* **The Weight of Expectation vs. The Pursuit of Authenticity:** The story examines the pressure to follow a pre-approved "map" for life (from parents, society) versus the difficult journey of creating one's own path.
* **Interpreting the Past:** The characters' differing views on the "ghost signs" serve as a metaphor for how they approach their own lives—one sees a rigid text to be analyzed, the other sees a fluid story to be imagined.
## Stakes
At stake is the foundation of a close friendship, threatened by their fundamentally opposing philosophies on how to navigate the uncertainty of adulthood.
## Synopsis
On a blistering hot day, LEAF and LEO walk through the city, their different worldviews immediately apparent. While Leo analyzes the typography of a faded "ghost sign" for a "Balsam of Life" cure, Leaf imagines the lives of the people who once bought it. This sparks a playful debate about their futures: Leo is anxious and seeks a five-year plan, while Leaf feels "untethered" and embraces spontaneity, jokingly prescribing a life of less planning for him.
To escape the oppressive heat, they duck into a coffee shop. The conversation deepens and intensifies. Leo defends his need for a "map" for his life, one tested and approved by others. Leaf passionately argues that those maps are inherited and unoriginal, championing the idea of getting lost to find a more interesting path. Leo counters that getting lost isn't romantic, it's just terrifying. His pragmatism forces Leaf to internally acknowledge that her own detours have been lucky, and she hasn't faced true hardship.
They leave the coffee shop and walk in a tense, thoughtful silence. Just as Leaf considers that some things aren't problems to be solved, Leo’s phone buzzes. He reads the message, and his body language transforms from relaxed to rigid with tension. He stares at the screen, his thumb hovering over it, the weight of a real-world problem suddenly eclipsing their philosophical debate.
## Character Breakdown
* **LEAF (21):** The narrator. An observer and a romantic who sees stories where others see decay. She is a staunch believer in spontaneity and living an "untethered" life, viewing rigid planning as a form of creative death. Her confidence in her worldview is genuine but untested by severe consequences.
* **Psychological Arc:** Leaf begins the story confident, almost smug, in her philosophy of embracing the unknown, viewing Leo's anxiety as a weakness. By the end, Leo's earnest fear and her own self-reflection cause her to understand that her "romantic" view is a product of privilege and luck. Her certainty is cracked, replaced by a more empathetic and nuanced understanding of the very real fear that drives the need for a map.
* **LEO (21):** A pragmatist and an analyst. He is overwhelmed by the future and craves the security of a well-defined plan. He sees the world as a series of texts and data points to be understood, not as a collection of stories. His anxiety is his compass, guiding him toward what he perceives as safety and away from the "disaster" of a detour.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE BALSAM OF LIFE:** On a sun-drenched Osborne Street, Leaf and Leo observe a faded ad on a brick wall. Their differing interpretations—Leaf’s "ghosts" versus Leo’s "letters"—immediately establish their philosophical divide. They playfully debate their personal "cures" for the anxiety of being twenty-one.
2. **THE UNTETHERED BALLOON:** Leaf rejects the idea of being "adrift," reframing it as being "untethered" like a balloon with a great view. Leo clearly sees this as dangerous and ungrounded.
3. **THE MAPS:** Inside a cool coffee shop, the debate intensifies. Leo argues for the safety of a pre-drawn "map" for life. Leaf counters that these maps are inherited and that true discovery only comes from daring to get lost.
4. **THE FEAR OF BEING LOST:** Leo’s argument becomes quieter and more vulnerable. He insists that getting lost isn't romantic, it's just being lost. His genuine fear forces Leaf into a moment of silent self-reflection, where she admits to herself that her detours have always been fortunate.
5. **THE BUZZ:** Back in the oppressive heat, their debate has settled into a tense silence. Leo's phone buzzes. He reads the message, and his posture instantly becomes rigid and anxious. The abstract debate about fear and uncertainty becomes terrifyingly real on his screen, leaving the story on a precipice.
## Visual Style & Tone
* **Visual Style:** Naturalistic and intimate, employing handheld or stabilized gimbal shots that feel observational and close to the characters. The visual palette will be defined by high-contrast lighting: the sun-bleached, overexposed exteriors will emphasize the oppressive heat and the feeling of being exposed, while the coffee shop interior will be cooler and darker, creating a space for more intimate confrontation. A heavy focus on texture—peeling paint, brickwork, condensation on glass, shimmering heat haze—will ground the philosophical conversation in a tangible, sensory world.
* **Tone:** Contemplative, dialogue-driven, and quietly anxious. The tone aligns with character-focused indie dramas like Richard Linklater's **Before trilogy** or the grounded, slice-of-life vignettes in **High Maintenance**. It captures the specific existential drift of early adulthood with a naturalistic patience, allowing the weight of the conversation to drive the narrative.