The Littoral State
The carnival folk on the salt flats don't have last names, only tide-given ones like Scrimshaw and Jett. Finn, a townie hired for the summer, is learning their ways: how to anchor a Tilt-a-Whirl in mud and how to forget the life he was born into. But the land-locked world wants its children back.
# The Littoral State
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
On the windswept mudflats of a seaside carnival, a teenage runaway mentored by a grizzled carny must choose between the transient, meaningful life he’s discovered and the stable, predetermined future his disapproving father has come to reclaim.
## Themes
* **Permanence vs. Transience:** The central conflict between the "land-locked" desire for things to be fixed and final, versus the carnies' acceptance that everything is temporary and must be adaptable to survive the encroaching tide.
* **Found Family vs. Biological Obligation:** The tension between the earned, supportive community Finn finds among the carnies and the rigid expectations of his father, who represents a life he is supposed to want.
* **Authenticity vs. Expectation:** Finn’s journey of shedding his "townie skin" and the societal pressures he grew up with to discover a more authentic self, judged by his contributions rather than his background.
## Stakes
Finn stands to lose either his newfound sense of identity and belonging with the carnies or his relationship with his father and the secure, conventional future he represents.
## Synopsis
FINN (17), a runaway, is struggling to adapt to the harsh, salt-sprayed life of a seaside carnival. He is mentored by SCRIMSHAW (60s), a veteran carny who teaches him their philosophy through practical tasks. Repairing a corroded wire isn't about a permanent fix, but a temporary, elegant solution—a knot that holds fast but can be undone. Scrimshaw explains their ethos: "Ours is about routes," not roots. Finn begins to embrace this transient lifestyle, finding a sense of purpose and shedding the anxieties of his old life.
This fragile new world is shattered by the arrival of a police car carrying Finn’s FATHER. A man of pressed trousers and pavement, he is an alien in this world of mud and steel. He stands stiffly, a portrait of disapproval, demanding Finn return.
Scrimshaw stands by Finn, framing the impending confrontation not as a rescue, but as a choice between two fundamentally different ways of living. As his father and the officer cross the mudflats towards him, Finn understands this is an ultimatum. He looks from his father’s face—a map of a life already planned for him—to Scrimshaw’s, which is like a compass offering only a direction. As the tide begins to turn, mirroring the critical turning point in his own life, Finn is left to make his choice.
## Character Breakdown
* **FINN (17):** A thoughtful, observant teenager who has run away from a structured, middle-class life. Initially clumsy and out of his element, he is a quick learner, drawn to the practical skills and quiet dignity of the carnies. He is shedding a skin he didn't know was suffocating him.
* **Psychological Arc:** Finn begins as a passive "Townie," defined by external pressures like exam results and social expectations. He is uncertain and fighting his new environment. By the end, he has found a sense of self-worth through his own labor and has become an active participant in his life, now facing a definitive choice that will cement his identity—either by returning to the map or following the compass.
* **SCRIMSHAW (60s):** The oldest carny, his face and hands weathered by a lifetime of sea air and hard work. He is a pragmatic philosopher and a gentle mentor to Finn. He is patient, wise, and embodies the carny ideal of embracing impermanence with grace and skill.
* **FINN'S FATHER (50s):** A man who represents order, stability, and the "land-locked" world. He is clean, rigid, and sees the carnival and its people as grifters and a dead end. He loves his son but cannot comprehend or respect the life he has chosen, viewing it only as a failure to be corrected.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE LESSON:** On the muddy flats, Scrimshaw takes over a wiring repair from a fumbling Finn. He teaches him not to fight the salt, but to work with it, using grease and a special, temporary knot. He imparts the core philosophy: "We build it to be taken apart."
2. **THE SHEDDING:** Finn successfully ties the knot. He reflects on how he's changed—sleeping through the generator's roar, reading the weather from a gull's cry. He is leaving his "townie" self behind and finding value in being judged by his work alone.
3. **THE ANCHOR:** A police cruiser appears, a jarring intrusion of the outside world. Finn's Father emerges, looking utterly out of place. Finn's stomach goes cold. Scrimshaw identifies the man as Finn's "anchor."
4. **THE ULTIMATUM:** Finn’s Father yells for him, his voice thin against the wind. Finn and Scrimshaw stand their ground. Scrimshaw calmly frames the conflict for Finn: his father's world is about "roots," while theirs is about "routes."
5. **THE CHOICE:** As his father and the policeman begin the long walk across the mud, their careful steps contrasting with the carnies' easy gait, Scrimshaw tells Finn he can go back without judgment. But Finn sees the hard line of his father's jaw and knows this is a final choice.
6. **THE TURNING TIDE:** Finn looks from his father's face (the map) to Scrimshaw's (the compass). The sea breeze picks up, signaling the turning tide that will soon erase the day's footprints. The landscape itself demands a decision: move or be drowned.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual palette is dominated by the desaturated greys and browns of the mudflats and the bruised sky, punctuated by the faded, peeling paint of the carnival rides. The camerawork will be intimate and textural, focusing on hands-on work—grease on fingers, corroded copper, the weave of a knot. Wide, static shots will emphasize the vast, isolating beauty of the littoral zone.
The tone is naturalistic, melancholic, and quietly tense. It is a character study that finds beauty in impermanence and decay. The sound design will be immersive, filled with the cry of gulls, the ever-present wind, and the distant, rhythmic hum of the generator. Aligns with the grounded, atmospheric realism of *Nomadland* and the quiet, character-driven tension of *Leave No Trace*.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
On the windswept mudflats of a seaside carnival, a teenage runaway mentored by a grizzled carny must choose between the transient, meaningful life he’s discovered and the stable, predetermined future his disapproving father has come to reclaim.
## Themes
* **Permanence vs. Transience:** The central conflict between the "land-locked" desire for things to be fixed and final, versus the carnies' acceptance that everything is temporary and must be adaptable to survive the encroaching tide.
* **Found Family vs. Biological Obligation:** The tension between the earned, supportive community Finn finds among the carnies and the rigid expectations of his father, who represents a life he is supposed to want.
* **Authenticity vs. Expectation:** Finn’s journey of shedding his "townie skin" and the societal pressures he grew up with to discover a more authentic self, judged by his contributions rather than his background.
## Stakes
Finn stands to lose either his newfound sense of identity and belonging with the carnies or his relationship with his father and the secure, conventional future he represents.
## Synopsis
FINN (17), a runaway, is struggling to adapt to the harsh, salt-sprayed life of a seaside carnival. He is mentored by SCRIMSHAW (60s), a veteran carny who teaches him their philosophy through practical tasks. Repairing a corroded wire isn't about a permanent fix, but a temporary, elegant solution—a knot that holds fast but can be undone. Scrimshaw explains their ethos: "Ours is about routes," not roots. Finn begins to embrace this transient lifestyle, finding a sense of purpose and shedding the anxieties of his old life.
This fragile new world is shattered by the arrival of a police car carrying Finn’s FATHER. A man of pressed trousers and pavement, he is an alien in this world of mud and steel. He stands stiffly, a portrait of disapproval, demanding Finn return.
Scrimshaw stands by Finn, framing the impending confrontation not as a rescue, but as a choice between two fundamentally different ways of living. As his father and the officer cross the mudflats towards him, Finn understands this is an ultimatum. He looks from his father’s face—a map of a life already planned for him—to Scrimshaw’s, which is like a compass offering only a direction. As the tide begins to turn, mirroring the critical turning point in his own life, Finn is left to make his choice.
## Character Breakdown
* **FINN (17):** A thoughtful, observant teenager who has run away from a structured, middle-class life. Initially clumsy and out of his element, he is a quick learner, drawn to the practical skills and quiet dignity of the carnies. He is shedding a skin he didn't know was suffocating him.
* **Psychological Arc:** Finn begins as a passive "Townie," defined by external pressures like exam results and social expectations. He is uncertain and fighting his new environment. By the end, he has found a sense of self-worth through his own labor and has become an active participant in his life, now facing a definitive choice that will cement his identity—either by returning to the map or following the compass.
* **SCRIMSHAW (60s):** The oldest carny, his face and hands weathered by a lifetime of sea air and hard work. He is a pragmatic philosopher and a gentle mentor to Finn. He is patient, wise, and embodies the carny ideal of embracing impermanence with grace and skill.
* **FINN'S FATHER (50s):** A man who represents order, stability, and the "land-locked" world. He is clean, rigid, and sees the carnival and its people as grifters and a dead end. He loves his son but cannot comprehend or respect the life he has chosen, viewing it only as a failure to be corrected.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE LESSON:** On the muddy flats, Scrimshaw takes over a wiring repair from a fumbling Finn. He teaches him not to fight the salt, but to work with it, using grease and a special, temporary knot. He imparts the core philosophy: "We build it to be taken apart."
2. **THE SHEDDING:** Finn successfully ties the knot. He reflects on how he's changed—sleeping through the generator's roar, reading the weather from a gull's cry. He is leaving his "townie" self behind and finding value in being judged by his work alone.
3. **THE ANCHOR:** A police cruiser appears, a jarring intrusion of the outside world. Finn's Father emerges, looking utterly out of place. Finn's stomach goes cold. Scrimshaw identifies the man as Finn's "anchor."
4. **THE ULTIMATUM:** Finn’s Father yells for him, his voice thin against the wind. Finn and Scrimshaw stand their ground. Scrimshaw calmly frames the conflict for Finn: his father's world is about "roots," while theirs is about "routes."
5. **THE CHOICE:** As his father and the policeman begin the long walk across the mud, their careful steps contrasting with the carnies' easy gait, Scrimshaw tells Finn he can go back without judgment. But Finn sees the hard line of his father's jaw and knows this is a final choice.
6. **THE TURNING TIDE:** Finn looks from his father's face (the map) to Scrimshaw's (the compass). The sea breeze picks up, signaling the turning tide that will soon erase the day's footprints. The landscape itself demands a decision: move or be drowned.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual palette is dominated by the desaturated greys and browns of the mudflats and the bruised sky, punctuated by the faded, peeling paint of the carnival rides. The camerawork will be intimate and textural, focusing on hands-on work—grease on fingers, corroded copper, the weave of a knot. Wide, static shots will emphasize the vast, isolating beauty of the littoral zone.
The tone is naturalistic, melancholic, and quietly tense. It is a character study that finds beauty in impermanence and decay. The sound design will be immersive, filled with the cry of gulls, the ever-present wind, and the distant, rhythmic hum of the generator. Aligns with the grounded, atmospheric realism of *Nomadland* and the quiet, character-driven tension of *Leave No Trace*.