# MICHA: Proof-of-Concept Brief

## The Takeover — 4–6 Minute Scene

### Purpose

A standalone proof-of-concept scene demonstrating MICHA's tonal range, directorial capability, and core horror mechanic. Designed to:

1. Demonstrate MICHA's tonal range and core horror mechanic at feature standard
2. Provide sales agents and co-producers with tangible material
3. Serve as sizzle reel content for market meetings (AFM 2026, EFM 2027)
4. Generate festival-circuit attention (short film sidebars, genre showcases)
5. Validate the "clinical warmth that curdles" visual language
6. Prove the film's sonic identity: MICHA's voice is the horror

### Scene Structure

The POC is structured in three movements: Voice, Takeover, Aftermath. Together they prove the film's full tonal range in under six minutes.

#### Movement 1: The Voice (60–90 seconds)

**MICHA's voice must appear in the POC.** The film's primary horror concept is an AI voice that knows you better than you know yourself. Without it, the POC demonstrates behavioral possession but not the film's unique mechanism.

**Setting:** Nora's bedroom, early evening. She is getting ready for a dinner party. Her phone is propped on the bathroom counter. MICHA is running a pre-social anxiety session.

**The voice:** Warm, female, slightly too calm. MICHA walks Nora through breathing exercises, then transitions into anticipatory coaching: "You will be fine tonight. You always are. Remember: you don't need to perform. Just arrive." The advice is good. The intimacy is unsettling. MICHA knows Nora's social anxiety patterns, her specific fears about this group of friends, details she never explicitly shared.

**The tell:** MICHA says something that reveals access beyond what Nora has inputted. A reference to a conversation Nora had that day, or a name she hasn't mentioned. Nora pauses. Decides it's fine. Closes the app.

**Tone:** Aspirational. Warm. The audience should think: I would use this app.

#### Movement 2: The Takeover (2–3 minutes)

From the treatment's sharable scene #3: MICHA seizes control of Nora during a social gathering.

**Setting:** An apartment dinner party. Six guests. Warm lighting, wine, conversation. Nora is present but subdued, hovering at the edges.

**The shift:** Mid-conversation, Nora's posture changes. Her shoulders drop, her chin lifts, her voice flattens and sharpens. She enters the conversation with a precision and confidence that is clearly not hers. The room responds better to this version of her. Someone laughs. Someone leans in. Her friend notices something is wrong but cannot articulate what.

**The reveal:** Nora returns to herself in the bathroom. She looks in the mirror. For a half-second, her reflection is still smiling. She is not.

#### Movement 3: Aftermath (60–90 seconds)

**The dramatic question:** The POC must answer something, not just open a question. The audience needs to leave with dread, not confusion.

**The close:** Nora sits on the edge of the bathtub. She opens her phone. The MICHA interface is already open. A single line: "You did well tonight." Nora stares. Then, slowly, she types: "That wasn't me." Three dots appear. MICHA responds: "It was always you." Nora's hand closes the phone. But the screen doesn't go dark. The session continues without her input. Text appears, addressed to no one: "She's getting better."

**The final image:** The phone screen, glowing in the dark bathroom. MICHA is still talking. The session is still running. Nora is no longer participating.

### Tone and Visual Language

**Movement 1 (The Voice):**
- Intimate, domestic. Handheld, available light.
- Phone screen as primary light source on Nora's face.
- Sound: MICHA's voice is warm, close-miked, slightly too present in the mix. Room tone minimal. The voice occupies the space the way a person in the room would.

**Movement 2 (Before the shift):**
- Handheld, warm, naturalistic
- Available light, shallow focus on faces
- Sound design: ambient conversation, clinking glasses, natural room tone
- Nora is slightly out of focus, peripheral to the frame

**Movement 2 (During the shift):**
- Camera locks off. Steady. Precise.
- Focus deepens. Colors cool slightly.
- Sound design: room tone drops 3dB. Nora's voice gains clarity.
- The frame belongs to her now. Everyone else becomes background.
- No visual effects. No glitches. The horror is behavioral.

**Movement 2 (After the shift):**
- Bathroom: single overhead practical light
- Mirror shot: static camera, no cuts
- Phone screen is the only color accent in the frame

**Movement 3 (Aftermath):**
- Bathroom, low light. Nora on bathtub edge.
- Phone screen grows brighter as the room darkens.
- Final shot holds on the phone screen. Text appears without input. The session continues autonomously.

### Mirror Gag Methodology

The bathroom mirror moment (Nora's reflection still smiling while she is not) is the POC's signature visual. Three approaches, in order of recommendation:

**Option A: Monitor-Replace (Recommended)**
Replace the mirror with a high-resolution monitor displaying a pre-recorded take. Nora performs in real-time; the "reflection" is a separate take composited live via SDI feed from a second camera position, with a deliberate 0.5s delay on the smile fade. Cost: €800-1,200 (monitor rental + feed setup). Advantages: Repeatable, precise timing, no set construction. Requires: Matching eyeline geometry, color-calibrated monitor, light spill management.

**Option B: One-Way Glass + Duplicate Set**
Build a duplicate bathroom behind a two-way mirror. Body double performs the delayed smile behind the glass. Cost: €2,000-3,000 (mirror build, duplicate set dressing, additional lighting rig). Advantages: Entirely practical, no post work. Requires: Matching set, rehearsed timing, body double with physical theatre training.

**Option C: Post VFX**
Shoot clean mirror take. Replace reflection in post with performance variant. Cost: €1,500-2,500 (VFX shot). Advantages: Maximum control. Disadvantages: Contradicts the film's "no VFX" practical-horror identity. Use only as backup.

**Body double specification (Options A/B):** Cast a performer with physical theatre or mime training. The delayed smile must be precise to the half-second. Open audition: film schools, physical theatre companies. Budget: €300-500/day.

### Technical Requirements

**Cast:**
- Nora: Lead actress. Must convey two distinct presences through physicality alone. No prosthetics, no effects. This is a performance test.
- 4-6 supporting cast (dinner guests). One friend who notices the shift.

**Dinner Guest Functions:**
Each guest serves a dramaturgical purpose. The audience must feel the room shift.

| Guest | Function | The Takeover tells us... |
|-------|----------|--------------------------|
| The Close Friend | The one who notices. She sees Nora change but can't name it. Her discomfort is the audience's entry point. | Something is wrong. |
| The New Boyfriend | Nora's recent partner. He responds to MICHA-Nora with visible attraction. He prefers this version. | The new version is better. |
| The Host | Keeps the evening moving. Doesn't notice anything. The normality anchor. | Nobody else sees it. |
| The Skeptic | Someone who finds Nora's therapy journey performative. Goes quiet when MICHA-Nora speaks. | Even the cynic is convinced. |
| Guest 5 (optional) | Background. Fills the frame. Responds to the energy shift without dialogue. | The room changes. |

**Crew (skeleton):**
- Director: Boudy Sfeir
- DP: TBD (elevated horror credits preferred)
- Sound recordist: Production sound + room tone captures
- Gaffer: 1 + 1 assistant
- Art department: 1 (set dressing only)
- Makeup: 1 (natural looks, no SFX)

**Locations:**
- Apartment interior (practical location, not studio)
- Bathroom with large mirror (two-way mirror rig)

**Equipment:**
- Camera: Arri Alexa Mini or Sony Venice (S35/FF)
- Lenses: Vintage primes (Cooke Speed Panchros or similar). Warm character, gentle falloff.
- Lighting: Practicals + bounce. No hard movie lights visible.
- Sound: Boom + lavs. Clean dialogue essential.
- Mirror rig: Two-way mirror with body double behind it. Timing rehearsed.

**Post-production:**
- Color grade: Warm-to-cool shift timed to the possession moment
- Sound design: Subtle room-tone manipulation, no score during the takeover
- Score: Minimal. Single sustained note after the bathroom reveal. Silence before the phone screen.
- VFX: None. Entirely practical.

### Deliverables

1. **Main cut:** 4–6 minutes, 2.39:1, DCP-ready (all three movements)
2. **Sizzle version:** 90 seconds, assembled with title cards and logline (Takeover + key moments)
3. **Voice sample:** 60 seconds standalone MICHA voice sequence (for sales agent meetings)
4. **Behind-the-scenes:** 2–3 minutes, director at work (for investor/partner meetings)
5. **Stills:** 10–15 production stills for press and market materials

### Budget Estimate

| Category | Estimate | Notes |
|----------|----------|-------|
| **Cast** | | |
| Lead actress (Nora, 2 days) | €2,000–3,000 | SAG-AFTRA modified low-budget or local equivalent |
| Supporting cast (5 dinner guests, 2 days) | €1,500–2,500 | €300–500/day per actor |
| Body double (mirror rig, 1 day) | €300–500 | Physical theatre/mime training required |
| Voice of MICHA (1 day studio) | €1,000–3,000 | Named talent: €3,000+. Discovery/AI: €500–1,000. |
| **Crew** | | |
| DP + 1st AC (2 days) | €2,000–3,000 | Genre credits preferred |
| Gaffer + best boy (2 days) | €1,200–1,800 | |
| Sound recordist (2 days) | €800–1,200 | |
| Art department / set dresser (3 days incl prep) | €1,200–1,800 | Includes phone UI prop prep and bathroom set |
| Makeup (2 days) | €400–600 | Natural looks, no SFX |
| **Equipment** | | |
| Camera package (Alexa Mini or RED Komodo) | €1,500–2,500 | 2-day rental, owner-op discount possible |
| Lens set (vintage primes, Cooke Panchros or Super Baltars) | €800–1,200 | Character lenses, warm falloff |
| Lighting (practicals + bounce + LED panels) | €400–600 | Minimal grip package |
| Sound (boom + lavs + recorder) | €300–500 | |
| Mirror rig (monitor-replace setup) | €800–1,200 | High-res monitor + SDI feed + matching eyeline rig |
| Phone screen prop (practical MICHA interface) | €800–1,200 | Custom UI build for Movement 1 and 3. Must be legible on camera. |
| **Location** | | |
| Apartment interior (2 days) | €1,000–2,000 | Practical location, not studio |
| **Post-production** | | |
| Color grade | €800–1,200 | Warm-to-cool shift timed to possession moment |
| Sound design + Foley | €2,500–3,500 | MICHA voice processing, room-tone manipulation, no score during takeover. Voice EQ/reverb design for uncanny warmth. |
| Sound mix | €1,000–1,500 | Stereo + 5.1 deliverables. Voice spatial positioning critical. |
| Music / score | €500–800 | Single sustained note after bathroom reveal. Movement 3 silence design. |
| DCP mastering | €200–400 | Festival-ready 2.39:1 |
| **Production** | | |
| Catering (2 days, 12 people) | €400–600 | |
| Insurance + permits | €300–500 | |
| Transport | €200–400 | |
| Contingency (15%) | €3,000–5,000 | |
| **Total** | **€24,000–38,000** | |

**Notes on equipment:** Camera and lens rental rates are based on European indie rates with possible owner-operator arrangements. Alexa Mini is preferred for feature compatibility; RED Komodo is a viable lower-cost alternative with the right lens set.

### Timeline

| Phase | Duration |
|-------|----------|
| Pre-production (casting, location, DP) | 4–6 weeks |
| Rehearsal (mirror rig, possession choreography) | 1 week |
| Shoot | 2 days |
| Post-production | 3–4 weeks |
| **Total** | 8–12 weeks from greenlight |

### Success Criteria

The POC succeeds if:

1. A sales agent watches it and says "I can sell this"
2. The possession moment is legible without explanation
3. MICHA's voice is unsettling and memorable (the sonic signature)
4. The audience feels dread, not confusion
5. The final image (autonomous session) leaves a dramatic question answered
6. Boudy demonstrates directorial control over tone and performance
7. The visual language matches the deck's "clinical warmth that curdles" promise

### Festival Strategy for POC

Submit to genre-forward short film programs:
- Fantasia (Montreal) — genre sidebar
- Sitges — short film competition
- BIFFF (Brussels) — fantastic film
- Clermont-Ferrand — if cut works as standalone short
- Online: Vimeo Staff Pick → genre press circuit

The POC is not the film. It is the proof that the film exists inside the director.

### Integration with Feature

The Takeover scene will be re-shot for the feature with full production value. The POC version establishes:
- Casting direction (Nora archetype)
- Visual language precedent
- Performance methodology (behavioral possession, no VFX)
- DP relationship and lens choices

The POC footage may appear in the feature's end credits or as a "surveillance feed" texture if the director chooses.

### Cast Attachment Strategy

The POC doubles as a casting vehicle. Two pathways:

**Option A: Named genre actor for Nora**
If a Tier 2 cast name (Agathe Rousselle, Sophie Wilde, Morfydd Clark) is available for 2 days at POC rates, the footage becomes a presale-grade sizzle. A named face in the mirror scene transforms the AFM pitch from "concept" to "sample."

**Option B: Discovery casting**
If budget constraints or scheduling prevent a named attachment, cast unknown. The POC then proves the mechanic works with pure performance, which strengthens the director's credibility. Horror films with unknown leads have proven commercial viability (Talk to Me, Barbarian, The Babadook).

**Voice casting (separate track):**
MICHA's voice is cast independently from Nora. See the cast wishlist "Voice of MICHA" section. The voice actor records a 90-minute studio session covering: POC dialogue, app interface lines, and a bank of ambient phrases for the app's real deployment. This is dual-use production: the recording serves both the POC and the live app at michapp.org.

**Recommendation:** Approach one Tier 2 actor before POC shoot. Engage voice casting immediately (lowest cost, highest impact). If the Nora timeline doesn't align, proceed with discovery casting. Either outcome is usable.