Lost in Translation — NFL Pension :90

Marcus — locked

Cast from Aaron's footage · every gag, played straight

Casting decision made: the main character is the young recently-retired player from Aaron's footage, locked as the Higgsfield anchor (nfl-hero-marcus). Three seasons in the league, three seasons out. It sharpens the takeaway: the guy checking his Credited Seasons looks like this, not like a 30-year retiree. The spot is a single-person journey — no on-camera host, the narrator lives in V.O. All earlier casting explorations are archived off-board.

Marcus reference 1 — **Marcus · reference**Locked · Source footage frame.

Marcus reference 2 — **Marcus · reference**Mid-gesture. The earring, tattoo, and heather-blue tee carry into every generated frame.

Marcus reference 3 — **Marcus · reference**Throwing form. Useful for the flex gag's body language.

The World

Three sets · one house

Everything happens in one mundane suburban house. Wood paneling, plaid upholstery, raking morning light, a bathroom that hasn't changed since 1987. These frames define the production design and the grade for every shot.

Living room set — **Living room**The runner's home: avalanche, flex, rug. Plaid sofa, paneling, crooked family photos.

Kitchen set — **Kitchen**Cold open + the turn. White oak and quartz, morning key raking the table, the booklet as monolith. Prop text is placeholder.

Bathroom set — **Bathroom**The Whole Person Evaluation. One frosted window as the key, warm stone tile, the scale framed like a monument.

The Card System

Motion graphics · AE, not generated

Four card types carry all on-screen language. All type is built in After Effects over the footage or as full-frame cards: NFL shield navy, NFL red, steel blue for facts, heavy condensed caps (Tungsten/Knockout family — mockups below use a stand-in). The cards are the narrator’s handwriting on the film: terms get a full-frame card, truths get a lower-third.

The booklet says

“Legacy Floor”

Term card · full frameIntros each gag in Scripts A & C. Hard cut in, one beat, hard cut out. Navy field, red rule.

Fact

Legacy Floor = guaranteed minimum monthly check.

Fact strip · lower thirdRides the last ~2s of each gag. Steel-blue label, one sentence, no second line.

Real talk

Vested = 3 seasons. That’s it. You’re in.

Real-talk subtitle · Script CThe translation gag’s subtitle bar. Red label, plain-English line, rapid-fire cadence.

Insert bank — macro texture the edit cuts to between cards:

Insert — booklet cover — **The cover**Doormat overhead. “NFL Player Pension Plan — written in plain language.” The thesis in one insert.

Insert — legalese macro — **The legalese**Macro on the page, SSA OFFSET sharp, everything else soup. Cuts against any term card.

Insert — the check — **The check**Hands and paper, thumb over the amount. The payoff’s quiet insert.

Script at a glance

:90 · cut one gag for a :60