Draft #2. In Word it's 13 pages which translates to roughly 11 minutes. My next task will be to storyboard it and look for places where I can SHOW what's happening rather than SAY it. That should help bring the timing down.
Episode 1: You’ve Got What I Want
Episode 1: You’ve Got What I Want
INT: room. GIRL sitting on a purple and yellow beanbag. GIRL is
6-8 years old and is wearing an outfit that looks vaguely school uniformish.
Her pigtails are asymmetrical and
her glasses are large and round. She has a lot of energy and sitting down
is clearly an effort.
GIRL: (to the CAMERA)
Why
am I here? Little brother wouldn’t give my stuffie back, and HE fell
over, and Mommy sent me here for a Time Out to think about it. That's CRAZY! What am I supposed to be
thinking about? This makes me so MAD!
The music should sound like it’s being played with toy
instruments- xylophone, kazoo, tinny drums, etc. then evolve into a harder rock
beat. GIRL sings The Time Out song:
Sometimes I'm Mad! Not Bad!
What to do I just don't know!
The longer that I must sit here
The more I’m sure to blow!
GIRL kicks her legs energetically and waves her arms. She's frustrated, and not tantruming.
Look here- I’m real Glad! I'm so Sad!
THESE feelings I can show
GIRL mimes putting on acting contrite in order to get out of her time out.
If I keeping faking “It’s OK”
They’re sure to let me go!
Hands come around the sides and give her a hug. She looks up
and the beanbag has turned into JELLYBEAN!
GASP! An IDEA you've Had? That's TOO Rad!
You're here to
help me be me?
The others pop into the frame- PRICKLES the Puffer Fish, FLASH the Rabbit, GOLDIE the Possum, DR. PICKLESNIFFER the Dog, and TEPPY Tuatara. Each character has an introduction moment with their name on the screen.
When I get finished thinking
The answer will be plain to see!
GIRL looks around eagerly and finds that they're now in the
Imagination Warehouse.
INT: The Imagination Warehouse.
PRICKLES, an orange ball of yarn with knitting needles poking out
all over, is looking proudly over a board filled with socks. He has taken
all the care of a Victorian entomologist in
his display and categorisation of the socks. Many of the things in the
shelves and on the floor around them create the air of a disused wing of a
Museum. GIRL and JELLYBEAN enter.
GIRL:
Hi, Prickles! What are you doing?
PRICKLES:
(thoughtfully) I’m
re-organizing my sock collection.
GIRL:
But, you don’t have feet!
PRICKLES:
Why should THAT stop me? Socks are awesome!
Right now I
have them in rainbow order.
PRICKLES waves a fin from across the colour spectrum in his
collection- everything is there, from Red to Violet.
PRICKLES:
But
I just got a new one and I think it will look better if I have them in
order by SIZE.
GIRL:
Nice
one!
PRICKLES:
Thank you. It came to me when I found THIS sock.
Prickles indicates the gigantic striped sock that is now in the
spotlight.
I’ve been waiting my whole life to discover it: Sockus Gigantus Splendiferous!
JELLYBEAN makes a startled noise and starts to hop up and down in
agitation. GIRL looks down at JELLYBEAN’s feet and sees that he’s taken
off one of his shoes, revealing that he only has one sock on and it matches the
one that PRICKLES has on display.
JELLYBEAN:
HONK! Honk HONk!!
GIRL:
Uhhhh… I think that’s Jellybean’s sock.
PRICKLES:
(dismissive) What?
No, socks don’t come in PAIRS. (panicking) This is the best sock I’ve ever
found! (resolve firming) It’s mine! He CAN’T have it
back! (furious) NOOOO!!!
PRICKLES ‘blows up’ in anger. JELLYBEAN honks in alarm and curls up into a ball.
GIRL: to the CAMERA
Yikes! What‘ll they do next?
GIRL leaves PRICKLES and JELLYBEAN
behind and walks down a new aisle. She finds TEPPY
Tuatara and DR. PICKLESNIFFER about to begin a medical examination. TEPPY
is made out of a tarnished silver teapot and scoop and DR. PICKLESNIFFER from a
collection of medical equipment. There is a small bench covered in paper
that TEPPY is sitting on in anticipation of her exam and a number of other
unusual “machines” for DR. PICKLESNIFFER to use in the emotional analysis of
his patients.
GIRL:
Hi, guys! What’s up?
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
I’m
just polishing my stethoscope and getting ready to listen to TEPPY’s
heart. She’s been having a bad day and
I’ll be able to hear what she’s feeling so I can help her.
GIRL:
That’s
neat! I’m sorry that you’re having a bad day, TEPPY.
TEPPY:
Thank
you. It has been just TERRIBLE. (eyes the stethoscope
speculatively) You know, Dr. Picklesniffer, what would make me REALLY feel
better would be trying on a pretty, new piece of jewellery. I LOVE bling
bling!
GIRL:
(interested
in everything that's going on) It IS a very nice stethoscope.
TEPPY:
(wheedling)
Oh, please, can I? Please? Pretty please? Pretty like ME,
please?
TEPPY puts on the full charm offensive, batting her eyes and
shrugging her shoulders girlishly.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(placating) All
right. Just for a minute. Then we must start the exam.
TEPPY gestures
imperiously to GIRL who puts the stethoscope around her neck. TEPPY strokes
and admires it, striking many glamorous poses, even admiring herself in the
reflection of her tail.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(consults
another machine) Well, I can see that your mood IS lifting! Time to
listen to your heart so I can see what else is going on.
TEPPY:
(pouty) But I don’t want to. I mean,
look how good it looks with my braces and my nails!
GIRL:
(reasonably) It looks great, but don’t you want the
doctor to listen to your heart?
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(in
full fix-it mode now and wants to get on with it) How about a lollipop instead?
TEPPY:
(delighted to be changing the subject) Yummy!
DR. PICKLESNIFFER gestures for his stethoscope. TEPPY steps back in shock and begins to cry.
TEPPY:
(tearful) No!
I love it!(resolved) I want it! (bellows) YOU CAN’T HAVE IT!
TEPPY snaps at him aggressively then smiles charmingly.
TEPPY:
(smoothly) I
mean, you DO want me to be happy, don’t you? (aggressive to make her point) DON’T YOU?!
TEPPY stands menacingly over DR. PICKLESNIFFER who begins to shake like the Chihuahua he is.
GIRL: to CAMERA
Hmm. How is this going to work out?
GIRL skips off and finds GOLDIE
the Possum and FLASH the rabbit. They're
on an aisle that has seen a huge collapse of stuff that now forms a
precarious-looking but super-fun ski
slope. GOLDIE is a swirl of dried pasta that rustles and shifts as she
moves and FLASH is composed of cables and other old computer detritus.
GIRL:
Hello,
GOLDIE. Hello, FLASH. (incredulous) You wouldn’t believe what
I’ve just seen. TEPPY and DR. PICKLESNIFFER and PRICKLES and JELLYBEAN
are all fighting… Is something wrong?
FLASH:
(exuberant) Nothing
could be more RIGHT! I‘m about to set off to explore the South Pole just
like my hero Thadeus Thumper the Third. I’ve got this great sled and ski
pole. Want to come?
GIRL:
Yeah!
(eyes the pile in consideration of where
to begin the ascent)
GOLDIE:
(at
wit's end) You’re not going anywhere! That’s not a sled it’s my baking
sheet. And that’s not a
ski
pole, it’s my spatula!
GIRL:
Is that true, Flash?
FLASH:
(to GIRL)
She said I could use it! (accusingly) You bake all the time and I never
get to play ’Trip to the South Pole’!
GOLDIE:
(losing
her nerve) Oh, I know but… but…(pleading) how am I going to make my famous
“Sunflower Seed Surprise” cookies if
you’ve got my stuff?
FLASH:
Cookies?
You don’t need more cookies, my fat little friend! Ha, ha!
GOLDIE:
GASP!
(hurt) That’s not funny, FLASH! (irate) I’m not fat, I’m fluffy!
FLASH:
(in
full Joker mode)Well, maybe I’ll let you come with me to keep me warm at the
South Pole, FLUFFY!
GOLDIE:
(insecurity
has got her now) OH, I need to make cookies now! Please- give them back!
GOLDIE and FLASH arguing over the baking sheet and spatula with
lots of laughing and teasing from FLASH and moaning from GOLDIE.
GIRL: to CAMERA
Wow;
this can’t be good. How are they going to work this out?
Solution #1: Hide the toy
Split screen montage? showing the 3 groups trying to keep their
prizes.
JELLYBEAN takes the sock and tries to hide it where PRICKLES can’t
find it. PRICKLES finds the sock and tries to hide it where JELLYBEAN
would never think to look. Sped up shot in the Benny Hill-style where we
watch the puppets hide and re-hide the sock with fun music until they’re worn
out. JELLYBEAN catches PRICKLES in his hands. PRICKLES blows
up and pokes JELLYBEAN who drops him and then rolls into a ball.
TEPPY tries to camouflage the stethoscope by piling on extra
necklaces. She’s got so many necklaces on that she can’t move. She
finally topples over and squashes the frantic DR. PICKLESNIFFERICKLESNIFFER.
FLASH keeps running up the hill and sledding back down again,
again and again and again and ignores GOLDIE’s protests. He zips back and
forth as GOLDIE jogs forlornly after him.
GIRL: to CAMERA
That
didn't work AT ALL!
Solution #2- nobody gets it and
everybody plays by themselves.
Montage of everybody sadly sitting off
by themselves. PRICKLES still has his
sock collection but he’s missing JELLYBEAN.
And JELLYBEAN’s foot is cold and he’s missing PRICKLES. TEPPY can tell that DR. PICKLESNIFFER is
disappointed in her and DR. PICKLESNIFFER can’t get his work done. FLASH is starting to feel guilty (and hungry)
and GOLDIE is very sad and both miss each other.
GIRL watches them all and doesn’t know what to do.
GIRL: to CAMERA
That’s
not working, either! I wonder if there's somebody we could ask?
Somebody who has good ideas?
Ask Someone You Trust
Live action segment with real kids talking about sharing to the CAMERA
What’s REALLY going on here?! How are we feeling?
Even though he's got problems of his own, DR. PICKLESNIFFER takes
time out to ask.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
What’s the matter, GIRL? You look troubled.
GIRL:
(bummed)
I don’t understand what’s going on today. Why is everybody shouting?
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(speculatively) Well,
I’ll know for certain when I get my stethoscope back, but I’d say that they’re
experiencing an emotional overload brought on because they couldn’t share with
each other.
Girl realizes it's up to her.
GIRL:
Quiet!
Everybody, please be quiet!
The gang stops squabbling and turn to GIRL to hear what she has to
say.
GIRL to TEPPY:
DR.
Picklesniffer needs his stethoscope back. If he doesn’t, our friends will
keep arguing and you’ll keep feeling bad, too. (caring) Isn’t feeling better more important
than a pretty new necklace?
TEPPY:
(reluctantly) I guess so.
GIRL takes the stethoscope back and places the buds in DR.
PICKLESNIFFER’s ears. He puts the drum against TEPPY’s heart.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(analyzing)When
you wouldn’t give me back my stethoscope, it looked like you were doing it just
to be mean. (graciously) But now that I can hear your heart, I know
that you were excited and weren’t trying to be rude.
TEPPY:
(contrite) Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry, DR. (kindly) Thank
you for letting me wear your stethoscope.
GIRL:
(checking
in) What about you, Doctor? How
are you feeling now?
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(surprised) Who, me? Ho, ho. Well, I guess
I can find out.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER puts the drum of the stethoscope against his own
heart.
Hmm.
I can hear that…(analyzing what he's hearing) I’m happy that I’ve got my stethoscope back, I’m grateful for your
assistance, and I’m proud that TEPPY was able to say she was
sorry. (proud of his skills) I should listen to myself more
often!
GIRL sees the next piece in the puzzle and points. JELLYBEAN is still rolled up in a ball and PRICKLES
is agitatedly bouncing on top of him. The
Doctor is ready to roll his sleeves up and dive into an even bigger challenge,
kindly, because he knows he can help.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER to JELLYBEAN:
Won’t you come out and let me listen to your heart?
JELLYBEAN shudders and refuses to unroll.
JELLYBEAN:
(uh uh) Honk HONK!
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(ready
to meet the challenge) Very well,
let me try from here… it’s very faint but I can hear… I can hear that you’re afraid. Afraid of PRICKLES!
JELLYBEAN:
(affirmative) honk.
JELLYBEAN starts to unroll.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(listening
and analyzing) And that when PRICKLES
gets angry you don’t know
what to say so you avoid him. Is that so?
JELLYBEAN:
(relieved to be heard and understood) honk.
JELLYBEAN standing straight up again.
PRICKLES:
(embarrassed and self- defensive) WHAT?!
JELLYBEAN snap back into a ball and DR. PICKLESNIFFER starts to
shake. GIRL isn’t worried, though, and
brings PRICKLES and JELLYBEAN together.
GIRL:
(making
an offer they can't refuse) What if you were able to say what you were
thinking and you could still be friends?
JELLYBEAN:
(I'd like that) Honk!
Honk honk honk.
GIRL:
Yes,
that does sound good. And you’re right- good friends can tell each other
anything!
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(back
to business) All right, next patient.
DR.PICKLESNIFFER hovers the drum of the stethoscope over PRICKLES,
who it is impossible to touch.
You
look very angry but I can hear
that you actually admire JELLYBEAN. Is that right?
PRICKLES:
(stand-offish) Maybe.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
(discovery) And
here’s something else… when you’re upset you don’t know how to say it so you “blow
up”.
GIRL:
Prickles,
what if you were to just say “I‘m angry” instead of “blowing up”?
PRICKLES:
(protesting) But,
I’m little! (Here's the truth) And if I don’t make a big deal out of
stuff, nobody pays attention to me!
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
Let
me listen in again… I can hear that you’d really like to play with JELLYBEAN
more but you don’t know how to ask.
PRICKLES:
(sadly,
starting to deflate) No, I
don’t. JELLYBEAN’s big and everybody’s best friend and I want to be
friends, too!
JELLYBEAN takes PRICKLES by the fin and honks encouragingly. PRICKLES finishes deflating and smiles.
GIRL:
(happy) You have a very poky outside but
inside you are soft and sweet, PRICKLES!
PRICKLES:
(embarrassed) Ah, not where everybody can hear!
They all now turn their attention to FLASH and GOLDIE. FLASH lets DR. PICKLESNIFFER listen to his
heart.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
I
can hear that while you are laughing on the outside, inside you’re afraid.
FLASH:
Well….
Well… Yes. Sledding is so much fun but there won’t be any cookies unless
Goldie gets her stuff back. And I don’t know how to do that without looking
like a bad guy. I’m sorry, GOLDIE.
GOLDIE:
(ready
to forget the whole thing quickly to avoid attention)
That’s all right. I don’t really mind. Boy, I’m glad that’s
over. Now I can start baking!
GIRL:
Not so fast, GOLDIE. Now it’s your turn.
GOLDIE:
(nervous)
No, no! I don’t want you to listen to what’s in my heart.
GIRL:
Why not?
GOLDIE:
(worried
about what they'll think) It’s too horrible!
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
Please,
GOLDIE. Let me help. Hmmm. I can hear that you are angry at FLASH.
GOLDIE:
(stressed) Boo, hoo! He took my stuff, he called me
fat, he made me run! And my legs are shorter than his! (exhausted) I‘m so tired of holding it in.
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
And
I can also hear that you are afraid, too.
GOLDIE:
I
was afraid that if I
told FLASH I was mad he wouldn’t like me anymore!
And now you all know how horrible the things in my heart are!
GIRL:
(confiding) You
know, GOLDIE, I get angry sometimes, too.
GOLDIE:
(relieved) You do?
TEPPY:
Sometimes I feel afraid.
GOLDIE:
You do?
PRICKLES:
Sometimes
I worry that people won’t like me if they know how I feel, too.
GOLDIE:
You do?
DR. PICKLESNIFFER:
Yes,
we all have those feelings sometimes, even with our friends. It’s what we
do with those feelings that makes the difference.
Solution #3: Take Turns with the
Toy
As it turns out, JELLYBEAN has TWO socks. He lets PRICKLES
borrow his sock and use it as a sleeping bag. JELLYBEAN takes the other
sock and wears it as a night hat. They have a sleepover and agree that JELLYBEAN
will get the sock back afterwards.
We see that TEPPY and DR. PICKLESNIFFER are admiring his
stethoscope together. Now TEPPY has a friend that she can dress up in
pretty jewellery. Whether he likes it or not.
FLASH is handing around a tray of cookies and GOLDIE is
trying out the baking sheet and spatula as a sled.
Everybody is sitting together in the center of the IMAGINATION WAREHOUSE on the rugs. GIRL is snuggled up next to JELLYBEAN.
Everybody is sitting together in the center of the IMAGINATION WAREHOUSE on the rugs. GIRL is snuggled up next to JELLYBEAN.
GIRL
I’ve
been thinking, and I understand what happened today. My little brother and I both wanted to play
with the same toy, and that was frustrating and I got mad. Next time, I COULD hide it from him, but that
would make him feel sad. Or I could go
play by myself, but that would make ME feel sad. Or we could find a way for us
to take turns and play with it together so we BOTH feel happy. What do you think?
JELLYBEAN:
Honk, honk.
(thinks) Honk, honk, honk.
GIRL:
Yeah,
you and the kids were right: that is the
right solution for this problem. I’m
ready to talk to Mommy about what I’ve been thinking.
JELLYBEAN has moved into position
and turned back into the beanbag by now.
GIRL: to CAMERA
But don’t worry,I’ll be back.
(Sings) Sometimes I’m Mad! Or Sad!
My feelings are real, I know!
I'll be back again tomorrow
’cause I’ve got room to grow!
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