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

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