Digital Screen Writing
Film Script 2009-11-16
Untitled
(Working title)
Digital Screen Writing
Film Script 2009-11-16
Untitled
(Working title)
FADE FROM BLACK
THIS FILM IS IN BLACK AND WHITE WITH GRADUAL USE OF COLOUR IN EACH PROGRESSION OF THE STORY UNTIL THE SCREEN IS COMPLETELY FILLED WITH COLOUR AS THE FILM REACHES IT’S CLIMAX.
POSSIBLE SHORT, OPENING CREDIT SEQUENCE
INTRODUCTION.
SCENES OF A DESOLATE TOWN SHOT IN BLACK AND WHITE AT NIGHT. (Silence)
A door opens and only darkness can be seen within the opening. Footsteps can be heard for some time; gradually getting louder and louder. Eventually the body of a man (main character) dressed in what appears to be initially an impeccable white suit but is somewhat distressed begins to appear from the darkness.
As the figure’s face emerges completely on to the street of a deserted, industrial and gothic looking city where factories, tenements and bars can be seen as far as the horizon, he looks at his surroundings with no obvious emotion showing. No other soul can be seen.
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He begins to wander down the street away from the opened door glancing back at it as he goes.
The man is shown to be unfamiliar with his surroundings and quite unaware of how he got there however, he is unusually calm and collective. As though he accepts and embraces that he is in a place that he does not belong.
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He continues to walk down a dull, street lit pavement pondering his surroundings as though he is a tourist – there is no panic or negativity in his appearance despite his dark surroundings. He stops as he notices something.
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Across the road from where he stands is a red light above a large metal door.
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He crosses the road towards the bright red light feeling compelled to move towards it like a moth to a light bulb and stands in front of the large metal door.
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Standing there, he looks up at the red light.
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He then looks at the door which has a series of unfamiliar but spectacular symbols beautifully engraved into it. The door itself is rusted but solid. The metal door looks shoddy but the engravings remain untouched as though they were recently added or cannot be affected by time or natural wear and tear.
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After admiring the symbols somewhat cynically, he knocks on the door with three large thuds. There is no answer as he waits for a few moments. He thuds three more times louder and harder than before. Still no reply as the door remains shut fast.
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He turns away from the door and looks around him wondering what to do; a strain of sarcastic panic cracks over his face as though mocking his current situation. It is apparent that the man is a surrealistic state of emotional oblivion as though he has drunk (or drugged) himself sober.
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As he takes a couple of steps away from the door there is the sound of a large bolt unlocking. He turns to face the door.
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The door begins to open slowly and an extremely tall and skeletal man dressed as a bouncer stands before him. The man leers at him for a prolonged period of time. The main character stares back blankly; almost expressionless.
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The skeletal man eventually cracks a morbid smile and gestures to the main character with his head to come in as though he is welcoming him back.
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The main character enters through the door to a very long, bleak corridor. The corridor has red lights equally placed on either side above his head and a door can be seen in the distance at the end of it.
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The skeletal man ushers him down the corridor. As he does so, the seemingly bland, average corridor begins to change as he progresses; becoming more and more dirty and dark. They reach the end of the corridor and the skeletal usher/bouncer opens the door revealing a beautifully decorated staircase.
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The main character is ushered down the stair case by the skeletal man; admiring his surroundings as he goes until another door is reached. This door is quite the opposite of the first door he knocked on. It has grotesque markings and scratches of filthy and vulgar remarks etched into it. Some look like dry blood.
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The skeletal man grins before opening the door. As the door swings open, rockabilly (or surf style music) bursts out of the door and he is signalled to enter by the skeletal man.
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As the man walks in he scans the large area; cramped with misfits: business men, gangsters, pop stars, women dressed both provocatively and classy alike – with every possible incarnation of evil in human form present. He continues through the crowd and past the flooded dance floor that he notices to his right where there is a group of people dancing in unison and another collective dancing chaotically and provocatively. They appear to all gradually and eventually dance together in such a manner as though they are performing some kind of ritual.
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He spots a free seat at the bar, sits down and looks towards the bartender whose back is turned.
Main Character to Bartender
“Hello? Bartender?”
The bartender acknowledges the main character with a “just a moment” gesture with his hand; his back still turned.
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“Take your time”
He says to himself contentedly
As he waits he takes in his surroundings and pauses when he notices a statuesque man staring at him leaning against one of the pillars situated just in front of the dance floor. He appears unconcerned and looks away.
Bartender asks from behind main character
“O.K what would you like?”
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The main character turns to face the bartender and a look of confusion appears on his face.
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The bartender is shown to be the same man who ushered the main character through the door from the street and lead him into the club, this time dressed as a bartender.
“Aren’t you the bouncer?”
“I mean didn’t you just let me in here?”
The bartender looks at the main character with a warm, sympathetic smile and replies softly:
“What will it be sir?”
The main character, although in a state of confusion, regains his composure and orders a drink.
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The main character sits clasping his drink like a child would hold a hot chocolate on a snowy winter’s day. It seems to comfort him. He continues to take in his surroundings; watching the interactions of the individual conversations and conflicts from the various groups.
A voice is heard:
“What makes you what you are?”
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The main character swings around. The statuesque man he saw staring at him earlier stands before him.
Main Character:
“Excuse me?”
Statuesque Figure
“What makes anybody what they are?”
Main Character
“Um… Who are you and what are you talking about?”
Statuesque Figure
“This world is filled with those who deem themselves worthy to excel in society; to be someone else; someone they are not naturally. They try to accept in their minds that their actions are just and spend the rest of their lives trying to convince themselves of it.”
The statuesque figure sighs and looks away from the main character. He appears to be self assured and graceful but there is an air of discontent that surrounds him as though he is trying to convey a hidden emotion; a hint of desperation or eagerness.
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The main character stares at the man with a look of condescending disbelief.
Main Character
“Where am I?”
“What is this place?”
Statuesque Figure
“This is a world tailored to your own twisted and confused sense of being, a place where you should feel at home. No?”
As the main character begins to reply, the statuesque figure interrupts in an apprehensive manner:
Statuesque Figure
“Have you known happiness in your life?
Do you believe in it?”
Main Character replies abruptly
“I don’t believe in nightmares”
The statuesque figure stops and stares at the main character as though analyzing him. The main character swigs his drink in a nonchalant manner; trying to hide his discomfort and turns his back on the statuesque figure to return to browse his surroundings.
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Statuesque Figure
“I can save you”
“It doesn’t have to be like this”
????????????????????????
Main Character shouts with impatience
“You don’t know me! Leave now stranger as I have no use for you!”
.
The statuesque figure stops and stares once more; analyzing: this time in a more pitiful and exasperated manner.
Statuesque Figure says inquisitively but surely:
“You have always found it more relevant to separate intellectual speculation from action and experiment. Have you not?”
With this question the main character’s face turns red and succumbs to a state of anger and a sense of catastrophe.
Main Character
“Stranger… I warn you. You know not who I am or what I have done. You best not make this sense of precarious thought; be you some kind of psychotic or ridiculously false prophet; be the end of you. Now LEAVE ME!”
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The conversation begins to draw some attention from the surrounding crowd. The statuesque figure again stares relentlessly at the main character. A look of desperation and eagerness can be seen in his eyes. A burning glare begins to intensify as he stares harder at the main character. The main character stares back with as much (if not more) intensity; his eyes burning with anger, his face gleaming with rage. The two men's eyes are locked together as the attention of the crowd grows.
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The statuesque figure’s burning stare begins to soften and transform into a sympathetic gaze.
“I offer you one last chance to allow me to help you”
“I offer to save you… from this”
Main Character
“LEAVE!”
“Now”
He says in a conclusive manner.
The main character turns away from the statuesque figure in order to conclude the conversation.
The statuesque figure continues to look at the main character. He places a hand on his right shoulder causing the main character to look at it and shrug him off.
Simultaneously the statuesque figure’s other hand slips a pill into the main character’s glass and then he leaves.
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The main character sits somewhat shaken and bewildered from the last few moments of confrontation. He downs the last of the spirits in his glass.
Main Character says impatiently
“Bartender, Same Again”
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As he waits for his drink he begins to feel uneasy. His head begins to feel heavy and his eyes seem to darken. His body begins to buzz; his stomach begins to fill with butterflies. He takes a deep breath which only adds to the dizziness. The room begins to spin and the lights seem to become larger and immensely bright.
He begins to breathe heavily in a panic; his heart now pounding and sweat is bursting through from his forehead and temples.
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He stands up and begins to stumble frantically looking for a way out. The atmosphere in the room becomes dark and evil. As he stumbles through the crowd, the faces around him begin to change; men and women begin to turn into ghouls and vampires before his eyes. Women are cackling like hyenas, men are pointing and pushing him around like bullies.
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The main character is now intensely frightened and screaming; hysterical, he falls to the floor and passes out.
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more to follow....
Things to consider adding.
times tide will smother you
what is the world?
its your own twisted malady, a tortured melody of depravity
take me home from the nightmares and to the safe haven of my daydreams. why wont you just let me be and take me home.
because happiness is not a destination
what is? monkey tennis?
