Logline: A late-night host faces an unexpectedly dark interrogation when confronted with a surprise guest: a clone of himself.

Genre: Dark comedy

Cast Breakdown (include name, age, and brief character description)
MICHAEL (40s): A charismatic talk show host who, despite his apparent success, is emotionally miserable.
CLONE (40s): A clone of Michael who forces him to confront his latent dissatisfaction.
MAUREEN (40s): Michael’s wife who performs an exposing stand-up eulogy about his absentee parenting.
PRODUCER (50s – voice only): The producer of Michael’s late night show.
CREW MEMBER (any age): A crew member who briefly cuts through frame to indicate behind-the-scenes panic.
IZZY & DAPHNE (<18 – photo only): Michael’s daughters who appear in a family photo on his desk.

Location Breakdown:
1) Late Night Set: A late night talk show set, featuring velvet curtains and a large wooden desk.
2) Corporate Office Space: A corporate office space, containing Michael’s real work desk and piles of unfinished paperwork.

Stunts:
1) Michael and the Clone wrestle at one point. This could be downgraded to a “catfight” or reworked to revolve around the “nightmare logic.”

Other Production Notes:
1) There is a live studio audience, but it doesn’t have to be shown. You could fake it with a small group of people, or even opt for sound effects only. The same goes for the house band— you could create the illusion of a band with sound.
2) Achieving the clone effect would require either identical twin actors or a stand-in + clever framing + potential VFX.

Contact Info:
Jackie Halldorsson
halldorsson@chapman.edu

 

Read: LateNight_11.13.24