2/18/11Edit:
2/5/10 Edit:
Story Beats & Preliminary "C"
A:
Girl and Boy isolated
B:
Interactions
· Close Minded
· Provoke
· Retaliation
Chase
· Blending Imaginary worlds
· Face off
· Boy and Girl pulling on the boy’s animal
Crisis
· Animal rips in two
o Back to Reality
· Fix Animal
C:
The World expands when you open up to friendship
2/5/10 Edit:
Here is where we are at with the story:
Characters:
Boy and pirate Monkey
Girl and princess Bunny
----
A
Whose story is it?
Boy
B
How to get from A-C?
Boy's imagination is interrupted
Monkey steals Bunny's crown with hook
Girl is dragged into Boy's world
Chase through the "playground"
Boy drops Monkey
Girl grabs Crown, Boy grabs Monkey
Pull back and forth
Monkey's arm rips off
Boy is sad
Girl uses Bunny's ribbon to tie Monkey's arm back on
C
Why are we telling the story?
Its an important message on how two unlikely friends compromise and learn to be friends and play along.
Whats the point?What are we trying to say?
To accept others for their differences, friendship brings great joy
What does the boy want?
Adventure, Control, Treasure
How do we want the audience feel?
"Awwww, how sweet. So cute! Let's watch it again!"
----
Beats to change in and out of the imaginary world:
Open with epic imaginary ocean scene
Girl interrupts imagination to bring back to reality
Chase sequence begins and they run off into their imaginary world
Monkey's arm rips, bringing them back to reality
They walk off together in their imaginary world
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So here is our three main ideas
1
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2
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3
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The Love Bug
Jay Rios
FADE IN
EXT, RURAL PLAYGROUND, DAY
Spring is in the air. It's sunny and pleasant. A small playground sits amongst green fields dotted with trees and a variety of flowers. The playground is currently inhabited by a boy and girl. The pair look to be about eight or nine years of age. The boy, BUG BOY, is clearly an intrepid adventurer. He is dressed in a well worn set of play clothes, a bit of dirt already overtaking him. The girl, THE SUNSHINE PRINCESS, radiates sugar and spice. An immaculate sun dress floats around her. A gentle wind rustles the flowers on the periphery of the playground.
The Sunshine Princess is gleefully playing hopscotch by herself. Bug Boy stands at a distance from the Sunshine Princess. He holds a small branch in his hand. The branch is thin and slender, and almost as tall as he is. He stares at the Sunshine Princess while absentmindedly drawing into the ground with his branch. A look of longing covers his face.
Bug Boy's branch finally snaps from overuse. With a look of dismay, he looks down at the remains of his stick.
His look of dismay gives way to a look of glee as he notices a brightly colored, tiger-striped, yellow and white caterpillar. A pair of black stalks sprout from the front and back of the caterpillar. They wiggle to and fro as the caterpillar inches across Bug Boy's path.
Bug Boy drops to his hands and knees to get eye to eye with his new discovery.
BUG BOY
(excitedly)
Oh, coooool!
Bug Boy's eyes slowly follow the caterpillar's movement across his field of view. A look of realization leaps onto his face and after a moment Bug Boy sits back on his knees and exclaims:
BUG BOY
(loudly)
Monarch! … It's a Monarch caterpillar!
BUG BOY
(looking as if he is reading from an encyclopedia)
The Monarch butterfly, Danaus Plexippus, belongs to the Nymphalidae family. The Monarch caterpillar grows to about two inches in length and it's main source of food is the Milkweed plant …
Bug Boy begins looking around, he can no longer see the caterpillar.
BUG BOY
He-e-y, where'd it go?
After a moment Bug Boy notices the caterpillar disappearing into a patch of nearby flowers.
BUG BOY
(childishly)
No, no, no. Those aren't Milkweed plants, you’re going the wrong way!
Bug Boy crawls over to the patch of flowers.
Kneeling over the patch he begins picking flowers trying to find the caterpillar within the patch.
He picks a flower with his right hand. He searches the ground for the caterpillar. Not finding the caterpillar he transfers the flower from his right hand to his left hand and begins the process again.
His search is not turning up anything and he continues uninterrupted until Bug Boy notices a shadow cross over him.
He looks up from what he is doing.
The Sunshine Princess is standing over him with a quizzical look on her face.
Bug boy freezes and begins to slowly blush.
After an uncomfortable moment he looks at the bouquet of flowers that he has unknowingly collected in his left hand. Bug Boy then looks to the Sunshine Princess and then back to the flowers.
With eyes down-turned, slowly, sheepishly, Bug Boy offers the bouquet to the Sunshine Princess.
The Sunshine Princess’ face lights up into a smile, and she accepts the offered bouquet.
She admires it for a second and then closes her eyes. She brings the bouquet close to her nose and slowly inhales.
Her smile widens into one of contentment.
At having the flowers taken from his hand, Bug Boy anxiously looks up at the Sunshine Princess. He sees how happy she is and begins to relax into a smile... until he notices a small movement coming from the side of the bouquet facing him. His brows furrow in confusion.
The caterpillar that Bug Boy was searching for emerges from the bouquet.
With a look of mounting horror Bug Boy watches the caterpillar crawl around the side of the bouquet and onto the Sunshine Princess’ hand.
The Sunshine Princess’ smile slowly dissolves into a frown.
She opens her eyes and finally notices the caterpillar crawling on the back of her hand.
Bug Boy holds his breath. The Sunshine Princess drops the flowers and freezes with the caterpillar still on her hand. A long quiet moment passes between Bug Boy, the Sunshine Princess, and the caterpillar.
The caterpillar is moving the most of the three, unaware of the moment that is passing.
Finally, the Sunshine Princess pulls the caterpillar eye level with her face. A look of excitement quickly blooms as she studies the caterpillar.
THE SUNSHINE PRINCESS
Awesome! A Danaus Plexippus, more commonly known as a Monarch butterfly!
At the Sunshine Princess’ words, Bug Boy releases his breath and his jaw drops open.
THE SUNSHINE PRINCESS
Well... not a butterfly, it's a caterpillar but that just makes it cooler.
As she continues to speak, Bug Boy's dumbfounded gaze slowly rearranges itself into a big, goofy, enamored grin.
THE SUNSHINE PRINCESS
It's so much more colorful than it's pictures …
Bug Boy is now hanging off of the Sunshine Princess’ every word.
THE SUNSHINE PRINCESS
… did you know that the Monarch caterpillar lives on the Milkweed plant? They love it.
(continued)
(continued)
(to the caterpillar)
You love it don't you? Com'on lets set you down on a nice yummy Milkweed plant.
The Sunshine Princess moves her hand with the caterpillar close to a nearby Milkweed plant leaf.
The caterpillar walks off of her hand and onto the nearby leaf.
The Sunshine Princess turns back toward Bug Boy.
THE SUNSHINE PRINCESS
(exclaims)
That – was – AMAZING!
Bug Boy, still grinning, absently nods a quick agreement with her.
The Sunshine Princess looks at him and smiles broadly.
The smile reaches her eyes.
THE SUNSHINE PRINCESS
Hopscotch is a little boring by yourself … wanna play?
Bug Boy is still absently nodding in agreement.
She quickly grabs his hands and drags a smiling, slowly nodding Bug Boy back over to the hopscotch area.
THE SUNSHINE PRINCESS
That was amazing, that was better than the time I saw a real live Tetrio Sphinx caterpillar, they look like they wear bright orange socks …
The Sunshine Princess’ voice trails off into the distance as they move toward the hopscotch area in the background.
In the foreground, we see the caterpillar crawl to the top of the Milkweed plant. It slowly goes about consuming the Milkweed plant's leaf.
In the background, we hear the murmur of the kid's laughter as the golden tones of spring illuminate the pair playing hopscotch together.
FADE OUT
