Ideas from your life – The Patform

The Platform

Suspense drama.
Synopsis:
5 Lead characters are randomly spread along a busy, outer london commuter railway station. None of them know each other but their lives will be linked by events in this story. 5 mini stories will tell the narrative of each of the 5 lead characters. Each character will appear in all stories, introducing and developing the links between them. These appearances will sometimes be minor and appear inconsequential. The opening titles will show a platform full of commuters. (Theme music will be intro to David by Passenger). All 5 characters can be seen somewhere on the platform.

4 of the character stories will be told across 4 days – Monday to Thursday. The final events will occur on the Friday where the 5 character will be the lead. Each story 1 to 4 will finish on a ‘cliffhanger’, with the resolution of all 5 stories culminating on the last commuting day of the week- Friday.

The common theme on each of the days will be based around train commuting from a single station. Main story theme is based on unremarkable eveyday people, hidden amongst 100s on a platform, going to work whilst their lives evolve into a sequence of inter-linked events. The story highlights how strangers are connected by people and events, and the effect those people and events have on each of their lives. An individuals actions and choices not only impact themselves, their friends and families, but also strangers, in ways they couldn’t imagine. All decisions and choices have a consequence. Premise based on the idea that something extraordinary happens to us all. This story showcases those stories.
Common scenes will include railway bridges, embankments, level crossings where trains are carrying thousands of people each with a potential story to tell. Other ‘platform’ references will be used throughout.

This is not a railway enthusiasts story.

Main Characters
#1. Male, 32, Semi professional non league footballer, weekly wage part paid cash in hand, middle management job, keen swimmer / diver (diving platform)
#2. Female, 52, London borough social worker, child protection, home visits. Married. Children at university/higher education, part of amateur dramatics group. (Platform stage scenery, platform shoes)
#3. Male, 19, Casual Labourer/ scaffolder (scaffold platform), Has baby son living with his ex partner and her latest fella .
#4. Female, 38, Financial Crime administrator, part time psychic medium. (psychic platform)
#5. Male, 49, systems analyst/computer architect (computing platform), married, foster carers.

Minor connecting characters
@1. Male, Railway worker, train despatcher.
– Brother living with single parent. (#2, #3)
– Supports local football club. (#1)
@2. Male, Professor of oncology
– patient who is a systems analyst (#5)
– patient whose daughter is a psychic medium. (#4)
@3. Female, Local councillor (county and district)
– local meetings where family care concerns raised (#2,#5)
@4. Male, Building company owner (#3)
– on the board of local football team (#1)
– active in the ‘grey’ market (#4)

Character connections
Scene locations
Railway station #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, @1
Various Offices #1, #2, #4, #5
Building site #3, @4
Local community centre/ public hall #2, #4, @3
Council offices #2, #3, #5, @3
Football club #1, @1, @4
Leisure centre #1
Private hospital #4, #5, @2

Plotlines:
Train despatcher is only a minor character in story 1 to 4. However, story 5 shows the impact of the  lead character stories have had on him. How will he react and will it involve revenge?