Branch 1: The Revelation

Original Concept

This is the branch where the video forms a loop—where I do exactly this in the video: planning the same short film as I am making. The order would be: watch the video – pause it to analyze – share my thoughts about what I’m analyzing and how it sparks the idea to make a short film – and then I begin making it. I will pretend to show some notes (some real, some staged), literally presenting how I plan to create the short film for this branch.

Then I’ll stop and say something like: “Wait, I’ve already done this.” At that moment, the protagonist looks directly into the camera, realizing he’s being watched—with a face of astonishment, fear, and horror. From another angle, the audience sees what I’m staring at: at first, nothing. Silence. Suspense. Suddenly, a biblical angel appears. The protagonist is paralyzed with fear, terrified, as the angel says: “Do not be afraid.” Then the entire room flattens into 2D, as if reality itself had paused or shifted, transporting me somewhere else. I haven’t yet decided how this new place will look. That’s where my idea ends for now—I don’t yet know what would come after.

Scene Sequence

Scene 1: Introduction

• The protagonist is watching a video about biblical inconsistencies
• The atmosphere is intimate, at night, with dim desk-lamp lighting (introspective mood)
• He pauses the video, staring intently at the screen
• The camera slowly zooms in on his face, building tension

Scene 2: Inner Voice

• Voice-over of the protagonist reflecting on what he just heard
• His tone is logical, curious, but tinged with existential doubt
• He begins talking about an idea: making a short film based on what he just saw
• Subtle music begins to build an uneasy atmosphere

Scene 3: Meta-reference

• The protagonist starts planning the very short film we are watching
• Notes, sketches, and ideas appear (some real, some staged)
• The video shifts into a kind of “fake behind-the-scenes,” breaking the fourth wall
• Subtle, almost imperceptible changes begin to occur in the background

Scene 4: Reality Break

• Suddenly, the protagonist says out loud:

  “Wait… I’ve already done this.”

• Silence. He realizes something.
• He slowly turns his face toward the camera, expression mixing confusion, horror, and revelation
• Cut to his point of view: at first, nothing. Silence. Suspense.
• Suddenly, a terrifying celestial figure appears: a biblical angel (ophanim or another non-humanoid being, covered in eyes, floating in the void)
• The protagonist freezes in absolute fear, unable to move or speak

Scene 5: The Message

• The angel, without a mouth (or without moving one), speaks in a deep, reverberating voice:

  “Do not be afraid.”

• Reality distorts: the environment flattens into 2D, as if time itself had stopped or another dimension had taken over
• The protagonist is transported elsewhere (still undefined)
• The scene ends in a fade to white, leaving the protagonist’s fate in suspense

Visual & Technical Elements

• Lighting: Contrast between the warm, dim lighting at the beginning and the cold, supernatural glow of the angelic encounter
• Sound: Use of low frequencies and distorted audio to heighten unease
• Special effects: Gradual transition from 3D to 2D to convey reality distortion
• Biblical angel: 3D-modeled, concentric wheels with countless eyes, radiating an unnatural luminous aura

Production Notes

• The angel scene requires detailed CGI and compositing work
• For the 2D transition, research “cell shading” and flattening techniques
• Consider filming in a room with full lighting control
• The actor must master the emotional transition from intellectual curiosity to existential terror

[!NOTE]
This narrative branch ends at an open point, allowing multiple interpretations and possibilities for how the story continues.

For back to the main blog click here Do Not Be Afraid - Short Film Concept