The Set Up

The film begins with Tom, a man in his late twenties, setting up a wedding proposal for his long-time girlfriend in his apartment. He’s a little anxious and awkward as he sets everything up, but as he looks at the ring, he knows this is what he wants to do. When Sophia gets home, a woman also in her late 20s, her breath is taken away. Overwhelmed with joy, love, excitement, and maybe something else, she runs across the room to Tom. But she doesn’t quite say yes exactly. Sophia’s mind starts racing, and she starts to think of some situations where things might not go well.

The Conflict

Sophia starts to voice these situations where things go wrong to Tom. Meanwhile, Tom, who doesn’t seem to be grasping the scale of her anxiety, is trying to dismiss these situations with humorous alternatives. As they voice these situations to each other, we are transported to a world where they are happening. Starting with reasonable things like “what if you move away?” and “what if you cheat on me?” And Tom’s wacky alternatives, like “I would be an action hero!” or “Well, what if you cheat on me?!?!” These situations are often humorous, but do little to deal with Sophia's anxiety, and as she spirals further, the scenarios get even more wacky to the point of comedy. With scenarios like “What if you’re a KGB Sleeper agent?” and “What if you’re an evil wizard and I only love you this much because I am under a spell!” Ending with, Sophia asking, “What if you stop loving me?”

The Resolution

This is the real fear, the pace that has been rapidly accelerating halts. Tom realizes the severity of the situation and gives the response of a lifetime. Ending with the future isn’t written yet, and they won’t know what will happen until they try. And they both want to try.

The Characters

Tom

Tom’s kind of a goofy, awkward guy. He moved around a lot as a kid like, a lot, so he never really had a chance to make long-term friends or be “that guy” in any school. When he got to college, it was the first time he actually stayed in one place, and it felt nice to finally just be somewhere. He’s not super confident, but he’s used to going with the flow and figuring stuff out as he goes. College wasn’t really his big plan or anything, it just kind of happened and he went with it. He’s the type who makes weird jokes at the wrong time but means well, and he’s always up for an adventure, even if he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

Sophia

Sophia is the total opposite. She plans everything. She has her whole college and job path picked out in high school. She’s super organized, super smart, and always thinking about what could go wrong. She doesn’t do surprises well at all. She likes to be in control, and she gets stressed when things don’t go how she imagined, but she also really cares. She’s serious on the outside, but soft once you get to know her.

Them as a Couple

Tom and Sophia met halfway through college and just clicked. Somehow, all their differences worked, he balanced her out, she kept him grounded. Everyone thought they’d get married right after graduation… but that didn’t happen. They’ve been together for six years now, basically living like a married couple: living together, doing holidays and family stuff, even picking out each other’s snacks at the grocery store. But still, no ring. Now they’re getting into their thirties, and Tom’s finally ready to pop the question. He feels good about it. But Sophia? She’s not so sure. Not because she doesn’t love him, but because this would be a big change… and she’s not great with big changes.

Why this project?

The story of this film is something we have all experienced; it’s fear about the future, particularly in relationships. I personally have so much experience in dealing with, and I wanted a way to express it in a fun and compelling way, and even hopefully get some laughs. This is my senior thesis film, so it will be the culmination of everything I have learned in both my professional and academic experiences. In addition to a showcase of the amazing talent of my crew.

Logistics & Budget

As you can see, our main expenses are the Camera lens and Actors. We will use the majority of the funds raised to cover those expenses. Reimburse our crew for any expenses they incur, and generally improve the production quality. To see when we are shooting, you can check out our production schedule below!

But What Ifs (FAQs)

We Raise Over Our goal?

If we raise over our goal, we will generally improve the production quality across the board. Better locations, props, costumes, sfx, and vfx.

The most expensive part of our budget, and why?

The most expensive part of our budget is our actors. Our actors are possibly the most important part of the film due to the fact that they carry the entire emotional weight on their shoulders. If you don’t believe them, then that’s all you can think of, and the reality when it comes to actors is you get what you pay for. 

Where will we shoot?

We are shooting primarily in University City, Philadelphia PA, with some additional photography in South NJ.

What are some comps?

When Harry Met Sally, Palm Springs, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Will it do a festival run?

YES! We will try to do a festival run with whatever budget we have left.

What will it look like?