Story Idea: Metronome

Logline

Jon has to decide whether or not to take his comatose father off life support, he reflects on his memories of his strict father during his childhood piano practices.

Idea

Even dysfunctional families show love

Synopsis

Jon (28, Male) is in a hospital room with his comatose father, he has a form in his hand, which terminates his father’s life support. When he is alone in the room he slips off his father’s ring and keeps it.

He pulls out his earphones to listen to music but it triggers a memory of his father punishing him harshly as a child to practice piano. All his flashbacks are in the form of Out of screen dialogue with his father, which the focus is on the constant ticking of the metronome. He decides to sign the form.

Jon heads out for a smoke break, he sees someone else smoking, but realizes it is a non-smoking zone. He triggers another memory of his piano sessions with his father, where his father discovers Jon’s cigarettes and yells at him. It ends with Jon rushing out of the house, telling his father that he wishes he was dead. Jon loses the mood for a smoke and decides to go back into the hospital.

He gets a drink from the vending machine but realizes he does not have enough coins. He searches his other pockets and pulls out his father’s ring. He triggers his final memory of Jon was a child, practicing piano as his father comes home. The father stops the metronome with his ringed hand and tells Jon to eat. Jon asked why there is only one packet of food. But his father brushes it off.

Jon heads back to the room, returns his father’s ring and rips the release form. He then sits by his comatose father’s bed waiting for him to awake.

Style

Language would be in Mandarin
There is no dialogue during present time, dialogue during flashbacks.
Present day would be in clinical white/ blue shades while flashbacks would be in a warmer hue.
The sound distinct sounds in the film are the piano music, the metronome and the father’s beeping heart rate monitor.

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