Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Final Script Project

Hey, I had a lot of fun doing writing this out. Enjoy.

It can be viewed here.


Here are a sample page and character sketch.




Scenario

The story is of a young man, Daniel, who, through a conversation with a woman he has never met, comes to better understand his relationship with a close friend and so begins to understand himself better as well. The story opens with Stacy, and Lucas (Daniel's friends) standing in front on Stacy's house. Stacy is obviously angry at Daniel, presumably because he refused a ride from their other friend Pete. Daniel leaves abruptly and heads back to his dorm room. On the way it begins to rain and he is forced to wait till the rain dies down underneath and overpass by the entrance to a building. A woman appears and says that she was grading papers late and was leaving to go home when the rain started. She seems to think Daniel is upset and talks to him about his night and what he was doing there. Through their conversation we see that Daniel doesn't seem to understand his friends reaction but by the time she leaves he has come to better understand his interaction with his friend and their relationship as a whole. He also seems to realize that there may be something acting on his decision making that he doesn't understand and of which he is not aware.
This story would be a great set up for a longer series of stories all based around Daniel coming to deeper and deeper understandings about himself and his relationship to the world around him. I want it to have a lot of visual set up and to establish a lot of the larger setting which is not immediately relevant to the plot of this particular story when viewed exclusively. Although, obviously every part of it will play into this story and nothing will be irrelevant I would like to use large amounts of travel in this story to establish a strong sense of place which may seem gratuitous if not viewed with the understanding that the specific places shown will play key roles in the overall story at some later point.
When viewed by itself the dialogue is the obvious center of this particular chapter, the visual portions serve only to create a setting that will later become more relevant and meaningful.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Slice of Life

Setting: Beanie is laying on her bed with her shoulders and head hanging
off the side. She is starring at the wall. Her walls are a light blue, the carpet
is a dark blue, and there is one big window letting in a lot of light.

Page 1

Panel A: Close on B's upside down face, looking very bored.

Panel B: above her bed looking almost straight down at her laying
sprawled out comfortably across most of the twin sized bed.

:a phone rings (music ringtone; Bukka White when will I cha-
nge my clothes)

Panel C: Her hand searches for the phone by her hip.

Panel D: still hanging from the bed she puts the phone to her
ear.

B: What's up?


Page 2

Panel A: from the side as B maintains her position on the bed, bal-
ancing herself a bit by lifting her legs.

Sam: Hey Beanie.

B: What's up Sam?

Panel B: B looks bored at her nails.

Sam: Oh, uhhh... do you know if Mark's thing is due today?

Panel C: B looks up (toward the ground) and bites half her bottom lip.

B: uhhh. no

Sam: no?

Panel D: B straightens her face.

B: Yeah, no.

Sam: what?

B: No it's not due.

Panel E: B looks like she is thinking again.

Sam: we don't have critique today?

B: no.

Panel F: B is covering her top lip with her bottom row of teeth
and playing with her hair.

Sam: What about our master copy?

Page 3

Panel A: B pulls her self up slightly lifting her legs even higher to
balance herself on the bed.

B: that's not due till next week.

Sam: I thought it was due tomorrow...

Panel B: B sits up legs in front of her and hand on the bed between them.
With her phone still to her ear.

B: What?!?

Sam: Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's due tomorrow.

Panel C: B shrugs.

B: Oh. I haven't started.

Sam: I did a little last night.

Panel D: (From above) B flops over and lays with her head on the pillow
and body twisted to the right.

Sam: But I fell asleep.

B: oh.

Panel E: from near the floor looking up as B looks at her nails with her arm
extended out toward the ceiling.

B: Yeah I'll do it tonight I guess.

Sam: Yeah.

Page 4

Panel A: From her feet as B sits up.

B: did you do the thing for class today?

Sam: no. You?

B: no.

Panel B: Close on B's face as she looks to her left.

B: Is that why you aren't there?

Sam: Yeah. Are you?

Panel C: B looks down at her feet.

B: Am I?

Sam: There.

B: No.

Sam: Oh.

Panel D: B looks up at the ceiling, slouching with her head cocked to the
side.

B: Are you going to painting?

Sam: Yeah. You?

B: Same.


Panel E: B stares blankly ahead.

Sam: Well I guess I'll see you there.

B: Yeah, see you.

Panel F: B hangs up.

Panel G: She lays down and closes her eyes.

Page 5

Panel A,B,C: Her full room from cut into three panels moving from left to right.

A: She is holding her alarm clock in both hands.
"Oh shit, painting"

B: She is stumbling trying to put on pants and a back pack at the same
time.
"fuck"

C: she is slipping out the door with her pack half on and pants still
unbuttoned.
"Shit"

End.

Friday, October 9, 2009

The Children Who Played Butcher

This is an fable adaption of "The Children Who Played Butcher" by the Brothers Grim.

I did it in layouts but I will include the text I wrote to organize the story. There aren't any words so I figured this would be the most effective way to get the story across.
----------------------------------

Page 1
the children sneaking behind their father as he goes out of the house and gets a knife from the barn.


Page 2
The children continue to follow their father as he goes to a pig chained in another part of the barn. They watch from above in the rafters while he kills it. Don't show the killing only their faces and a blurred image of their father above the dead pig and the blood.


Page 3
children playing. They leave the house and the panels follow them as they run around the prairie and forested areas. The last panel is them running through tall golden grass toward the barn.


Page 4
they arrive. They seem apprehensive about entering the barn but the older one steps through the door. They explore passing by the tools and the knife hanging on the wall. then they enter near the room where the father slaughtered the pig.


Page 5
The older one seems to get an idea and pulls the smaller one to the center of the room where he explains the idea. The younger one seems happy with the idea.


Page 6
the older brother goes to get the knife and the younger one runs from the room and passed his brother as he grabs the knife. He chases him out and they run through the grass toward the house.


Page 7
The mother, bathing a baby in a tub on the second floor looks out the window to see the brother chasing the other with the knife. She gasps and runs down stairs and out the door.


Page 8
by the time she reaches the front of the house the older brother has thrust the knife into his brothers neck and he is laying on the ground. She screams and runs to him knocking away the older brother who is standing over the body. She covers the dead boy with her body and weeps over him.


Page 9
She draws the knife from her son and moves toward the other boy holding the knife and pleading for an explanation. He backs against the house and she trips and falls into him. The knife goes into his chest.


Page 10
She goes crazy, grabs his body in her arms and runs into the house. She falls through the door and drops him in the small foyer. Lays on the ground and sobs uncontrollably and tears out her hair. the last panel is just her eyes, blood shot and insane.


Page 11
Several shots around the house. One close close shot of a truck. One of the younger boy in the yard. one of the tub on the second floor with the drowned baby and blowing curtains from the open window. another of the front door from the patio stairs with the broken door and blood strewn about with only the boys lower legs visible.


Page 12
one panel: The father in the door way in shadow. his son on the ground in front of him and in the close foreground the feet of his wife hang into the frame.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

An Outpost of Progress

Setting: The bank of a river as a steamer ship pulls away. Two men stand side by side on wooden landing along the shore. The land moves steeply upward from the river and the bank is muddy and dirty looking. It seems to be maintained but in a very bad way. There are patches of long grasses and reeds and the hill is mostly dead grass and muddy. Up the hill is a small courtyard marked on two adjacent sides by two small shabby grass buildings on wooden frames. the courtyard is all dirt except for a few very small patches of short stiff dead grass and a ring of dead yellow sharp grass around a rather pathetic wooden flag pole slightly off from the center. One building has three rooms with entrance from the long wooden verandah that runs along it's front. Two rooms are bedrooms and one is a sitting room with a table and chairs. The adjacent building is a store room with a small attachment built of the far side in which a family lives. It is one room with a doorway covered by a small sheet. The store room is a little bigger than the other section but slightly lower as it is set into the ground. There are a few steps in the entrance way leading down into a square space filled with small odds and ends and many things that are useless in such large amounts, rags, beads, cloth. Things for trade but not for use. There is also food there. From the entrance to the house there is built a small awning for shade. The house has one window.

Page 1:

Panel A- The two men stand watching the steamer pull away and the men on the deck seem to be staring back.

Carlier: Well. That's that. (looking at the other Kayerts who is starring attentively after the steamer)

Panel B- Kayerts has his hand up and is waving to the steamer.

KAyerts: Six months.

Panel C- Both men are waving and a man on the boat is tipping his hat.

Carlier: Yes I suppose it will be.

Panel D- The men turn towards each other.

Kayerts: Well, shall we walk up?

Carlier: You're the Chief.

Panel E- The two men have turned and are walking close by each other up the hill.

Carlier: What's happened to the other chap, again?

Panel F- Close on Kayerts as he gives Carlier a grim look.

Kayerts: A fever took him they say.

Page 2

Panel A- The two men walk by a grave with a large wooden cross marking it.

Kayerts: Poor devil. (looking down)

Panel B- Kayerts looks over to Carliers and says knowingly.

Kayerts: I've been told he exposed himself recklessly to the sun.

Panel C- Kayerts Continuing his lecture.

Kayerts: The climate here, everybody says, is not all that worse than at home.

Panel D- Kayerts stops Carliers by with the back of his hand and looks up at him as if over a pair of invisible spectacles.

Kayerts: If you stay out of the sun.

Carliers: I see.

Panel E: The two men have stopped walking and face eachother.

Kayerts (pointing): Carliers! As chief of this outpost my orders are that you should not expose yourself to the sun!

Carliers (smiling, saluting): Yes sir!

Page 3:

Panel A- Shot from over a mans shoulder as the two men walk into the courtyard at the far end. They have their arms around each other's shoulders and are laughing.

Panel B- Front shot of Mr. Price (Makola) sitting outside the store room. Watching the men approach with obvious displeasure. He is grinding a stick in the dirt at his feet.

Panel C- A bird's eye view of the outpost to establish the layout. The two men have veered towards the big house on the west end of the courtyard. Makola's store room and house are on the north. The men approached from the south. To the east and down the hill there is another small hut on stilts by the water.

Panel D- Makola has stood and is walking into the Storeroom. He has stopped in the doorway, bracing himself on the steps with a hand on the doorframe, to look back over his shoulder at the men, in disgust and anger.

Panel E- Out the empty store room entrance at the two men approaching the house.

Carlier: We shall let life run easily here!

Kayerts: Aye, just sit still and gather up the ivory the savages bring.

Panel F- The two men entering the house. Carliers slaps Kayerts on the back.

Carlier: We shall let life run easily.

Kayerts: My dear fellow, this country has it's good points, after all!

Page 4

Panel A- A long establishing shot of the courtyard. There are many men squatting in rows in front of the big house and Makola and one of the men are standing in front of a tusk arguing. The two white men are on the Verandah watching the scene. There are other black men milling about the yard with tools and other things. Mostly sitting in small groups in the shade.

Panel B- Shot from near Makola and the other man, looking toward the verandah where Kayerts is shouting things to Makola with a lazy wave of his hand.

Kayerts: You, Makola! Take this herd to the fetish and give them some of that rubbish in there.

Panel C- On the porch, Kayerts looks round at Carlier who is starring down at the rows of men squatting.

Kayerts: I'd rather see it full of bone than of rags.

Carliers (leaning on the rail): Fine animals!

Panel D- Carliers points down.

Carliers: Look at the muscles of that fellow.

Panel E- Kayerts comes to look over Carliers shoulder to where he is pointing.

Kayerts: I wouldn't want a punch on the nose from him!

Carliers: Yes, fine arms but the legs no good below the knee.

Panel F- He turns his head to Kayerts standing beside him.

Carliers: Couldn't make calvary men of them.

Panel G- Makola and the man have turned and begun to walk away from the verandah. Kayerts shouts to him. Makola still looks away annoyed and disgusted trying to ignore the men.

Kayerts: Yes, Yes. Makola, go finish over there.

Page 5


Panel A - Kayerts and Carlier are both asleep on chairs they have drug out onto the verandah.

Panel B- Carlier is woken by the presence of Gobila standing over him. He is bent and starring into Carliers face.

Panel C- Carlier wiping his eyes reaches back and pushes Kayerts shoulder to wake him. Gobila stands over him still.

Carlier: Wake up, Kayerts you lazy dog. We have company.

Panel D- On Kayerts, who is twisting slightly in his chair and wiping his eyes with the palm of his hands.

Kayerts: Company? What do you mean?

Panel E- Carliers is getting out of the chair and looking over at Kayerts. Gobila stands upright and stately next to him.

Carliers: Go get that ammonia bottle he likes to smell so much.

Kayerts: No, light some of your matches for him.

Panel F- Carliers looks around Gobila and sees women carrying jugs and baskets with food and drink.

Carliers: He's brought the food with him.

Panel G- On Kayerts who looks up and smiles.

Kayerts: Well isn't that fine! I thought we'd have to eat rice.

Panel H- The verandah with Kayerts sitting still struggling to wake properly, Gobila still standiing starring at the two men, and Carliers leaning on the rail watching the women pass below.

Carliers: Yes. They are a bit late today.

Page 6

Panel A: Carliers looking out at the yard.

Carliers: We're lucky we have Father Gobila here.

Kayerts: Yes, the damn company doesn't provision us fully.

Panel B: Kayerts slaps Gobila on the back.

Kayerts: We'd be in quite a bad way without this old chap.

Panel C: Carliers again.

Carliers: Indeed. Five more months here would be intolerable.

: Now if we could only get these station hands to work.

Panel D: Kayerts turns to Gobila to explain. Gobila stares blankly as he does not
understand.

Kayerts: Yes, they're very bad you see.

Panel E: Kayerts turns to Carliers.

Kayerts: They just won't work, will they Carliers?

Carliers: Aye. The station looks a mess.

Panel F: Gobila stares blanky and they both look at him.

Panel G: Gobila begins making a speech but they don't understand.


Page 7

Panel A: A shot of the station from above. The hands milling around and sitting in the shade. No one else is around. The porch is in shade.

Panel B: Kayerts and Carliers sleeping in their chairs.

Panel C: shot through the feet of a group of men at Makola looking out of the store room startled.

Panel D: Close on the sleeping men as they are woken by someone shouting.

Panel E: Show the group of seven men with muskets on their shoulders.
They're all lined up behind the man shouting.

Panel F: The Men look at each other dumbly.

Page 8

Panel A: The leader of the men continues to make his speech. And Kayerts
looks to Makola who has come out of the store room and is watching.

Kayerts: Makola, What does he say?

Makola: I don't know, maybe Mrs. Price will understand.

Panel B: Makola leads the leader of the men over to his hut and calls over his shoulder.

Makola: They come from very far. They may be bad men.

Panel C: From behind the two men sitting on the porch talking.

Kayerts: I don't know about this, I don't like them.

Carliers: I say, they must be from the coast, they've got firearms.

Panel D: On Kayerts who looks worried.

Kayerts: We don't need this kind of disturbance a month before the steamer arrives.

Panel E: Carliers looks sternly out at the yard.

Carliers: Well, Makola will find out what they want.

Page 9

Panel A: Makola walks over to the porch as the Kayerts and Carliers watch the armed men leave.

Kayerts: Well, Makola. What did they want.

Makola: They have ivory, do you want?

Panel B: Kayerts and Makola.

Kayerts: Certainly. Who are they?

Makola: Bad men and got guns. They catch women and children.

Panel C: Makola.

Makola: Station in bad order sir, director will growl.

: Better get ivory, then he say nothing.

Panel D: Kayerts and Carliers.

Kayerts: The men won't work.

Makola: they are no good. You want ivory.

Kayerts: Yes, when will you get it.

Panel E: Makola looks away, distracted.

Makola: Soon. Perhaps tonight. Stay indoors sir.

Panel F: Makola's face darkens.

Makola: Stay indoors. You leave it to me.

Page 10

Panel A: Kayerts is yelling at Makola. They are standing over a bunch of large tusks which are sitting in front of the store rooms.

Kayerts: Who've sold our men for Ivory!

Makola: I did the best for you and the company.

Panel B: Kayerts still yelling.

Kayerts: I dismiss you! I'll report you, I forbid you to touch them!

Makola: You are very red sir. You should be careful.

Panel C: Makola looks annoyed.

Makola: If you are so irritable in the sun.

:you will get fever and die like the first chief.

Panel D: Kayerts returns to porch and complains to Carliers.

Kayerts: Can you believe this mess?

Carliers: The worst part is that some of Gobila's men were there.

:One was shot that night.

Panel E: Kayerts puts his head in his hands.

Kayerts: We haven't seen Gobila in days.

Carliers: If this keeps up we'll have nothing but rice and coffee till the steamer arrives.

Panel F: Kayerts looks up over his arms.

Kayerts: The thought alone could drive me mad.

Page 11

Panel A: Kayerts is running frantically through dense jungle.

Kayerts: Must run.

:Get away

: he'll kill me.

Panel B: Kayerts throws himself against and tree and pants heavily. Sobbing and sweating, clutching his revolver to his chest.

Kayerts: And over sugar.

: We have to save it. I told him.

: if the steamer wasn't so late...

: It's been months.

Panel C: Over Kayerts shoulder looking at Carliers Standing by the back of their hut. Kayerts is squirming behind the tree in extreme fear.

Carliers: If you don't bring that sugar out I'll shoot you on site, like a dog!

Panel D: Kayerts looks around the tree and doesn't see Carliers.

Kayerts: He must have gone back in...

Panel E: Kayerts is peering around the side of the hut.

Panel F: He is around the corner of the verandah and lifts his pistol and takes a deep breath.

Panel G: He rounds the corner and runs into Carliers shooting him in the chest
as the collide.

Page 12

Panel A: Kayerts is sitting in a chair looking at Carliers body. The horn from the
steamer sounds through the fog.

Makola (from out of the panel): Sir, the Steamer! The Steamer! They cannot
see him!

: You go meet them, sir. I'll ring the bell.

Panel B: Kayerts looks out on the station from his seat and sees the top of the
cross over the mist.

Panel C: The Director is walking up the hill with two men.

Director: There was no one to meet us at the shore.

:Something may be wrong.

Panel D: A man runs past them into the mist as another shouts from somewhere.

Man: Sir! We've found one of them. He's been shot.

Panel E: Just the tope of the cross can be seen in the foreground and the men have stopped and are looking at it. The two men look shocked and the Director is looking with a very serious, somber expression.

Page 13

Panel A (Full page): Kayerts is hanging from an arm of the cross, his belt around neck and his feet only inches off the ground. The three men stand below. Still in shock.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Dream Script

Setting:
The interior of a small house or trailer home. The decor is 70's low middle class; shag carpeting, wood-paneling, old green couch, small dark wood stand for the small television. The setup is simple and sparse. The room is a long rectangle. The green couch is pushed against the opposite long wall that the television stand is pushed against. The door is on the left wall to the couch and the right wall has one square window with aluminum blinds. The blinds are in a notable amount of disarray. On the same side as the television there is an entrance to an adjoining room, a small square kitchen with one oblong wooden table in the middle, an old refrigerator and the wall to the left of the entrance has a door which leads to at least one more small room. The light in the kitchen is very cold and green which contrasts sharply with the warm orange light of the big room. There is no door between them just an open wall.

Page 1:

Panel A: Two young men sitting on either ends of the green couch, looking bored. Straight shot of their front.

Panel B: The television, a keyboardist is playing on a glitzy stage.

Pane C-D: Also of the television.
Between "D" and "E":

Voice One:
- So, how are things then, Trevor?

Panel E: the young man on the right side of the couch is slouched and starring toward the television.

Panel F: He looks over lazily at the other end of the couch where the "Joe" is sitting.

Trevor:
-"Alright, Joe, I guess"
-"How are you're folks?"

Joe:
-"They're fine"
Panel G: Joe looks away toward the right.

Joe:
-"you'll meet them"

Page 2

Panel A: Almost exactly the panel A from page 1.

Panel B: the television. The same show plays.

Panel C: back from the TV a bit but the screen seems to be expanding.

Panel D: A shot through the wall across from the TV, behind Trevor and Joe, who are pretty much silhouettes. The TV screen is very large and distorted.

Panel E: Trevors face, uninterested and lethargic.

Panel F: from the side. The screen is getting closer swallowing the room.

Page 3

Panel A: A shot passed the key board player at trevor sitting on the couch. Now not in the room at all but on stage.

Panel B: Shot of the stage with the empty couch sitting there. and the program going on as normal. Music is playing.

Host:
"Now how long has your friend been playing"

Panel C: Trevor playing the piano while Joe talks to the host.

Joe:
"Well, he's been playing for a while"

Panel D: Shot from the front of Trevor playing.

Joe:
"It's very hard to do what he's doing"

Panel E: From above, Trevor continues to play and the two men are standing looking at him.

Panel F: Trevor stops and looks up with the expression of a child who has just gotten bored with a two.

Trevor:
"I think I'm done"

Page 4

Panel A: The two men looked shocked.

Panel B: A shot of all of them Trevor staring and them frozen starring back.

Panel C: Joe appears off to the left and Trevor looks over at him.

Joe:
"Dinner is ready"

Panel D: Trevor is back on the couch looking off in the direction of where Joe was.

Panel E: A long shot of both of them trevor on the couch and Joe in the space between the two rooms.

Trevor:
"Okay"

Panel F: Trevor has stood up and is about to turn into the kitchen. This shot is over his shoulder and his hand is on the wall as he enters.

Page 5

Panel A: A shot of the kitchen from slightly above eye level and out of the top right close corner looking away from the entrance. Joe is sitting at the small round table and his father is sitting next to him. A slightly over weight woman is on the far left of the panel doing something in the sink. His father is n shaven and has greasy black hair. He is wearing a white shirt with yellow stains and dark green sweat pants. Trevor is standing in the entrance.

Panel B: Joe's Father motions for Trevor to sit across from him.

Father:
"Trevor, have a seat."

Page 6:

Panel A: Trevor is sitting with Joe between him and Joe's Father.

Father:
"So how are you?"

Panel B: Trevor looks up from playing with the end of the table cloth.

TRevor:
"Oh, I'm pretty good."
"How about you?"

Father:
"That's great!"

Panel C: Joe's father. He looks like he is explaining something that he is excited about.

Father:
"We hope you like dinner"

Panel D: A long shot of them at the table, behind them the woman has turned around with three plates.

Trevor:
"You have a nice place"

Page 7

Panel A: Shot from above as the woman leans over to place the plates on the table.

Panel B: Shot of the plate. It is a boiled, rotten chicken head.

Panel C: Trevor. He is looking down trying to hide his terror.

Father(out of shot):
"Eat up, boys"

Panel D: Joe and Trevor. Joe looks at Trevor concerned and Trevor is still starring at his plate.

Joe:
"have you ever eaten this before?"

Panel E: Shot from over Joe's head as Trevor looks up at him, still scared and surprised Joe would ask that.

Page 8

Panel A: Joe's father and Joe. His father reaches over and points at Trevors plate.
Father:
"Oh it's easy"
"Just stick it in you're mouth, like this..."

Panel B: Joe's father's lizard tounge shoots out and grabs the head.

Panel C: With his mouth full Joe's Father says.

Father:
"then use your second row of teeth to grind the skull"

Panel D: All of them. Joe looks down ashamed and his father is starring across at Trevor waiting for him. Trevor just stares at his plate.

Panel E: just the table and under it. The attitude of them is told by the way they're sitting. Joe is slouching slightly, Trevor is gripping his knees tightly and Joe's father is leaning in with his hands on the table edge.

Father:
"Go ahead"
"Try it"

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

"An Outpost of Progress"

My script adaptation of Joseph Conrad's "An Outpost of Progress".

Here (WIP)