1001 Nights in the Facility [Unexpurgated] – Episode 1: Keep Pace with the System
A Short Film by TRƎNCHԀƎOԀ⅂Ǝ
This short film is a manifesto told in medias res, an homage to One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Lara becomes both Scheherazade and Lara Croft, whispering stories to stave off restlessness. Marquis is both the Marquis de Sade and a Shiv Roy-like heir to Render Enterprises, from HBO’s Succession. Like King Shahryar of the original tales, she holds the power to decide whether the stories continue. She is the heir apparent, though her father still bellows at her, “Stop calling your brother Fredo!” — a name she uses for him without affection. To Marquis, her brother is inept and in her way. She knows she is the real CEO.
On the court, Vegas has won twelve straight. Not by luck. Not by hustle. By machine. The Facility.
A neural court that remembers legendary systems — the Jackson (Phil Jackson’s triangle), the Flex, and the Princeton — rebuilt live as glowing choreography under the players’ feet. No shouting. No pointing. Plays trigger when rhythm aligns. The floor feels them, corrects them, and makes the game intuitive.
Manny, the janitor — an unreliable narrator — who remembers every word, tells it like scripture. Chuck Buko, a Bukowski-style podcaster, smokes and scoffs. And inside one of Marquis’ many estates, Lara whispers her doubts — about them, about the Facility — only to be checked:
“Yet you chose to stay. Take it from me — Life is a business. The biggest, the longest, the most important one you’ll ever run. You are the LLC, the INC, and the CEO of your life.”
The film strips basketball down to systems, stories, and choices. Marquis studies Lara like a dream. Lara buys one more night with a story. Chuck calls it myth, casino math, a stacked deck. Manny shrugs: “I’m a basketball head.”
This is not chance. Not destiny.
It’s management. The Facility is AI-powered, relentless. It doesn’t just host the game. It rewrites it.
And when the credits roll, the only measure left is glory:
Roll credits. Count the rings.
Story, Narrative, and Conceptual Art — Copyright 2025 E Maria Shelton Speller
Creative Platforms & Tools:
Artlist.io – Licensed music and sound effects
ChatGPT (OpenAI) – AI-assisted scriptwriting and narrative development
MidJourney – AI-generated concept imagery and character visualization
iMovie – Video editing and sequencing
Canva – Graphic design and text treatments
ElevenLabs – AI-powered voice narration
Other Production Tools – Standard video/audio processing and conceptual design tools
Credits:
Music
Chardonnay
Song by The Original Orchestra feat. Ran Raiten
Float
Song by Notize
It Hurts
Song by RIPPLES, Paper Plastic, Flint, ZISO
Farewell to a Warrior
Song by Jakub Pietras
Out of Reach – Alternative version
Song by Ziv Moran, Alma Zohar
Footage
Sweet, Gastronomic, Brunch, Delicacy
Clip by Creative Light
Cocktails, Drinks, Night Out, Club
Clip by Omri Ohana
Fabric, Linen, Texture, Cloth
Clip by Via Films
Hills, Dress, Elegant, Stylish
Clip by Morten Lovechild
Foot, Surfer, Sea, Beach
Clip by Matic Oblak
Residence, Home, Real Estate, House
Clip byHugo Will
Eye, Futuristic, Tech, Hud
Clip by DAVLEHA
Prompt, Conditions, Terms, Internet
Clip by Bruno Tornielli