Tying into yesterday's post, I have decided to share the script for our voice over! As I mentioned earlier, we have combined the concepts of the Zodiac with the story of a little girl growing up in a Japanese internment camp. This first section will correspond with the shots of the origami:
Legend has it that thousands of years ago, the Jade Emperor held great race between all the animals: the first twelve to cross a river would have one year of the zodiac named after them, in the order that they passed the finish line.
The ox was initially in the lead, but being sly and cunning, the rat and the cat jumped on the ox’s back while it swam across the river. Right as the ox approached the finish line, the rat kicked the cat into the river, jumped forward from the ox’s head, and finished in first place. Sad and deceived, the ox took second. Next came the tiger, who had been held back by the weight of the water which soaked his thick fur. After this was the rabbit, who had jumped from rock to rock across the river. Fifth was the dragon; although he could fly, he had been held back while helping extinguish a fire in a burning village. The horse almost came in sixth, but was scared by the snake which slithered through its feet. The horse fell back, and the snake took sixth. The sheep, monkey and rooster all came together on a raft; the dog came in eleventh for he decided to bathe in the river, and the pig finished in last after being distracted by food along the way.
I was born in the year of the rat, the first place winner, something I was always proud of. But I often asked my mother: “What happened to the cat after the rat threw him into the river? What place did he finish in?“ “He didn’t finish the race,” my mother would say.
This section will transition to the final shots of the young girl sitting by a fence outside. The set will look like the internment camp and it will then be clear that she was creating the origami at the internment camp out of spare newspaper, truly the only entertainment available. This is also where we plan to weave in the young actress' voice in the voice over.
It was the year of the horse, 1942, in the prime of World War II, when my family and I were seized from our homes and taken to the Manzanar concentration camp in central California. Stripped of everything we owned, it certainly didn’t feel like we had finished in first. It didn’t feel like we finished at all. Thousands of years ago, we had pushed the cat into the river, and now it felt like we were finally paying the price.
We have written the script for our film opening in a way that would be conducive to the creation of a full-length film. Nick and I agreed on the importance of this project being a film opening and not trying to cram in too much information within a two-minute time limit.
I hope you enjoyed reading our script, and I am happy to share the process of putting all of these puzzle pieces together!
I enjoy the concept of a voice over, as well as the ending of the voice over. It concludes the opening with an epic feeling, setting the tone for the rest of the movie if it were to be produced. Also, I enjoy the concept of the narrator reflecting on the horrible conditions of the past. However, I'm a little bit confused on the origami shot and how it's going to pan out. Are the origami shots going to be displayed for the majority of the opening? How long will the origami shots be held up on screen? I also find it difficult to recreate the internment camp scene, due to the limited environmental capability, although I believe that you will figure it out.
ReplyDeleteThis script is very unique and intriguing. After reading it over twice, the story is starting to take shape into my mind. I love the creative aspect of this opening and what it is trying to accomplish. I love how this film is very different. The opening has a deeper meaning and really gets me wanting to learn more about the film. The origami is very impressive and the way the shots will flow with the voice over impresses me.
ReplyDeleteThe only concerns that I have for this opening is the location it will be shot at. The setting appears to be a bit complicated especially being on such a low budget. I think that the story is good and creative yet taking the viewer into this world seems to be a bit of a challenge. I suggest for the scene taking place at the camp to use a lot of close-ups and not showing great detail on the background unless it is replicated almost exactly. Other than that, it appears as though you have everything planned and I look forward to checking this opening out once it is completed!