THE SECOND STORY / CONCEPT PROPOSAL
The hour
before dinner.
A fictional evening, the long stretch between pick-up and dinner, and four small parts to choose from. Read the draft narration alongside the visual direction for each scene.
SCENE 01 / TARGET 0–9s
Four thirty again
“It’s four thirty again. You’re both home. Dinner isn’t. And the next hour can feel like the longest of the day.”
Visual direction: The first story’s clock reads 4:30. A single timeline bar from 4:30 to 6:00 stretches across the frame and keeps lengthening. Make the friction concrete.
SCENE 02 / TARGET 9–21s
Name the hour
“Lots of parents call this the witching hour. Your child might be tired or hungry. You might be too. It’s not the moment for a big plan.”
Visual direction: Three soft labels stack onto the bar. A large “big plan” card slides in, then shrinks away. No claims about why children behave this way.
SCENE 03 / TARGET 21–32s
Four small parts
“Instead, split the hour into small parts you can actually do: land, play together, a nearby choice while you cook, and a quick cleanup.”
Visual direction: The long bar divides into four blocks with simple icons. Land the value by beat 3.
SCENE 04 / TARGET 32–44s
Land
“First, land. A drink or a snack, and a few minutes together without asking for anything. Let the day end before the evening starts.”
Visual direction: Block 1 fills. A bag is set down, a cup appears, two abstract adult-and-child shapes sit side by side. Food examples stay generic; no feeding advice.
SCENE 05 / TARGET 44–61s
Ten minutes together
“Next, ten minutes of play together, with one or two things you already have. Two minutes to set up, seven together, one to clean up. Ten minutes is a planning example, not a target.”
Visual direction: Block 2 opens into the first story’s shelf and the planner’s 2 / 7 / 1 split (10 minutes, quick cleanup). The number is an example, not a milestone.
SCENE 06 / TARGET 61–78s
A nearby choice
“Then, while you cook, offer one simple choice where you can see each other, away from the stove and anything sharp. Stay close, and change it if it isn’t working.”
Visual direction: Top-down kitchen sketch: the stove and knife area are shaded off; a spot in view of the adult lights up. The safety wording in this scene was checked against AAP kitchen safety guidance on October 28, 2026.
SCENE 07 / TARGET 78–90s
Clean up before dinner
“Before dinner, clean up together for a minute. A small finish makes it clear that play is over and dinner is next.”
Visual direction: Block 4 fills; materials slide back onto the shelf; the clock moves toward 6:00.
SCENE 08 / TARGET 90–105s
Tonight’s version
“You won’t need every part every day. Pick the ones that fit tonight. The free planner can help you sketch your ten minutes. Keep it small.”
Visual direction: The four blocks reappear; one or two highlight. Cut to the website planner set to 10 minutes. One real CTA. End screen links to the first story.
About this draft
The script and visual ideas are original. The evening is fictional, not a customer testimonial. The four-part split and the time example are planning suggestions, not a developmental program or advice about sleep, behavior or feeding. This page is a static concept proposal; a production brief, voice recording, motion preview and owner review are still needed before a finished film.