Christine, Edward, and the Cube
Hippopotamus Migration in Africa
Zena (zspins@yahoo.com)
Amy Enser (Hellcat_rugger@hotmail.com)
"Hippopotamus Migration in Africa"
TREATMENT
The sidewalk in front of and old theatre building is dimly lit by yellow and red lights. A clown dressed in worn out clothes accepts handouts in exchange for balloons and single stem flowers. The clowns attitude seems enthusiastic and optimistic even though it is constantly brushed off and ignored. The only attention given to the clown is by a little girl who Is quickly pulled away by her mother.
Later that evening a little boy is getting ready for bed. He unknowingly steps on the arm of old clown doll while climbing into bed. The old clown doll comes alive. It spends the evening in front of the mirror entertaining itself until it realizes that it is stuck between the confines of the mirrors edges. The clown then realizes its horrible destiny and begins to panic. After struggling for what seems like forever, mornings light begins to enter the room. The clowns life then returns to a still, unimportant object. As morning breaks the little boy awakes and trips over the clown. He then throws the clown into a chest shutting it into the darkness. The clowns destiny is then spent locked away and forgotten while sounds of life and laughter continue to be heard.
Cast list
Clown: wearing old worn out circus attire. Owns an old bag containing balloons, plastic flowers, scarfs, and random tricks.
Young couple: dressed alike in conservative attire.
Family of three: Father, mother, and three year old girl.
Little Boy: dressed in pajamas.
SCREENPLAY
FADE IN:
EXT. SIDEWALK —- EVENING
a clown stands on the sidewalk in front of an old theatre. The clown is adorned in typical clown attire (oversized pants with suspenders, spotted bowtie, large shoes, painted face), but has obviously been worn down to rags. A tin can sits on the ground beside the clown, nearly empty but for a few small coins. On the clown’s other side rests a tiny bag of deflated balloons and a knapsack overflowing with various clown paraphernalia. The clown amuses itself with the task of contorting a balloon into a figure. The streets are busy with evening traffic and pedestrian activity.
A young couple passes the clown.
COUPLE
(intimately giggling)
The clown attempts to offer the couple his balloon creation, now in the shape of an animal. They ignore him completely and continue to pass.
EXT. SIDEWALK — CONTINUOUS
A mother, father and small child approach the clown from the opposite direction. They appear relaxed, but noticeably tense up as they draw nearer to the clown.
The clown again offers his balloon figure. The balloon is in its left hand, the tin can now in the right.
FATHER
(raising hand in protest) Please, Please
The child reaches out to take the balloon, but is tugged along by her mother.
The clown puts the tin can down, offering the balloon a last time to the child.
The urgent child cries softly, reaching for the gift.
MOTHER
(sternly)
We’re in a hurry, dear.
The mother tugs more persistently and the child is unwillingly pulled away, arm still outstretched.
The clown sighs briefly, lowering the balloon to its side. More pedestrians fill the sidewalk and continue to ignore the clown’s bumbling attempts to entertain.
EXT. SIDEWALK — NIGHT
The clown gazes into the tin can, which only contains a handful of change, and rattles it to get a better look at the various coins. The clown despairingly slumps back against the theatre wall and rolls slightly right. The clown sees its reflection in the ticket booth window.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
INT. CHILD’S ROOM —- NIGHT
A child’s room is dimly lit by moonlight from a single window. Subtle hints of light pour in from the hallway where sounds of movement are heard.
A clown doll lays face down halfway wedged under the bed. It is dressed similarly to the clown from the street, its face expressionless. A child enters the room and closes the door. The child, wearing hippopotamus slippers, climbs into bed and carelessly steps on the protruding clown.
INT. CHILD’S ROOM —- MOMENTS LATER
The clown blinks. It emerges from under the bed and makes its way to the other side of the room, near the window.
INT. CHILD’S ROOM —- CONTINUOUS
A clock on the wall reads 9:36 p.m. Its continuous tick is the only audible sound.
INT. CHILD’S ROOM —- CONTINUOUS
The clown stops in front of a standing mirror and begins playing with its reflection as if it were another clown separate from itself.
The clown’s reflection seems to take a life of its own and begins struggling with the confines of the mirror’s frame. Its face becomes distorted with fear and panic. Its makeup smears, further disfiguring its face. The tick of the clock becomes louder as the clown reflection’s struggle intensifies.
INT. CHILD’S ROOM —- HOURS LATER
The clock on the wall now reads 5:43 a.m.
INT. CHILD’S ROOM —- CONTINUOUS
The room has become noticeably brighter with the break of day. The clown is still standing in front of the mirror. Both it and its reflection turn towards the clock.
The clown rushes back towards the bed, leaving its reflection sadly reaching after it, similarly to the child on the street reaching for the clown’s balloon figure.
INT. CHILD’S ROOM —- CONTINUOUS
An alarm sounds and rustling is heard from the child’s bed. The clown is no longer in sight. A mother’s voice is heard from the hallway calling to the child.
MOTHER (O.S.)
Honey, it’s time to get up.
CHILD
(groggily)
I’m coming.
The child steps out of bed and trips on the clown doll, which is again halfway wedged under the bed.
CHILD
(annoyed)
Ouch! Stupid clown.
The child roughly grabs the clown.
INT. TOY CHEST -- CONTINUOUS
The child stuffs the clown facedown in an open toy chest. The chest is cluttered with stuffed hippos and some various other toys.
The lid of the chest begins to close, as if on its own, slowly cutting light from the scene. The sounds from the street, life and laughter, grow steadily louder with the close of the lid.
BLACK.
Continuity Script
A Sidewalk
This scene takes place in the late evening where traffic is continuous and people fill the sidewalks.
1. MS: The front of the clown as the clown creates a figure out of the balloons. The clown seems amused in its effort. Low, steady noise of traffic and pedestrians. 2. MS: Slight low angle. We see the sidewalk stretching out to the clowns right. The intimate giggling of a young couple becomes audible as they enter the scene from the left. The clown enthusiastically offers them his creation. They take no notice and walk swiftly by.
3. MLS: The clown stands in front of an old theatre. To his right sits a tin can, a bag of balloons, a small knapsack that contains various bits of clown paraphernalia. Cars pass in front of the camera temporarily hiding the scene.
4. MS: This time revealing the sidewalk stretching out to the to the clowns left. The clown has a balloon in his left hand and a tin can in his right. A mother, father, and young child enter from offscreen walking in the direction of the clown. The clown excitedly offers his balloon to which the father raises a hand dismissively.
Father: Please. Please.
The child turns to take the balloon as the mother tugs her along.
5. MS: The camera tracks forward on the clown bending to set the tin can down and again persistently offers the balloon to the child.
6. MCU: The child pulls against the will of the mother, arm stretched to take the gift. Her tee-shirt has a picture of a hippopotamus, similar to the shape of the clowns balloon . Child cries softly .
Mother: We’re in a hurry, dear.
7. MCU: Clown sighs briefly, lowering the balloon to his side.
8. MLS: From across the street traffic continues to pass and pedestrians enter the scene
from both sides of the sidewalk. The clown fumbles around trying to sell his balloon figures and tricks with no success (this is open to elaboration; may include pulling scarves out of sleeves, balloon figures bursting, etc).
9. CU: crossfade to tin can in clowns hand.
10. CU: High angle from clowns perspective. Clown shakes the can and a handful of change rattles within.
11. MS: From the front the clown despairingly slumps against the theatre gazing into the can. He rolls to the right and sees his reflection in the ticket booth window. Fade to black.
A Child’s Room
The room is dark , lit only by moonlight through a single window. Subtle hints of light pours in from the hallway.
12. MS: A clown doll lays face down halfway wedged under the bed. Movement is heard offscreen as a child enters the room, the door closes and the child’s legs enter from offscreen and carelessly steps on the protruding clown as the child climbs into bed.
13. ECU: From clowns perspective, we see the clowns blank expression. Clown blinks.
14. MLS: The end half of the child’s bed occupies the foreground. The clown emerges up from under the bed.
15. MS: Track left. The clown moves to the left corner of the room near the window.
16. ECU: Analog clock on wall with audible tick as time passes.
17. MS: Back of the clown as clown approaches a standing mirror.
18. MCU: Clowns reflection in mirror.
19. MS: Camera pulls back at an angle, showing both clown and its reflection. Clown moves close to the mirror looking intently into the world of its reflection. Clown continues the game of playing with its reflection.
20. MCU: Reflection in mirror. The clowns reflection presses against the mirror as if trying to get out. The clowns reflection becomes fearful and anxious as it begins to struggle with the boundaries of the framed mirror. Tears distort the clowns make up as it now begins to panic. Audio of the clock begins to rise and becomes more significant.
21. ECU: Clock on the wall showing extreme time lapse.
22. MLS: Clown remains standing in front of the mirror with back to camera. Its reflection is completely distorted. The room has subtly become more illuminated as day begins to break. The clown and its reflection look up towards the clock. The clown rushes offscreen to the right, leaving its reflection staring longingly after it, arm outstretched in one last effort to free itself from the mirror.
23. MLS: pan right as clown heads back towards the child’s bed. Rustling is heard from the bed as child stirs in anticipation of dawn.
24. CU: Alarm clock rings. A book about Africa rests on the bedside table near the clock, slightly
out of focus. The room is now softly lit with morning sunlight.
25. MLS: Camera tracks back to previous shot of bed in foreground. The clown is out of sight. Soft moaning comes from the bed.
Mother from hallway (O.S.): Honey, it’s time to get up.
Child (groggily): I’m coming. From the shoulders down the child emerges from the opposite side of the bed.
26. MCU: Pan down with child’s legs as child steps out of bed. The child trips on now motionless clown doll.
Child: Ouch! Stupid clown. The child’s hand enters shot as it bends down and roughly grabs the clown.
27. MS: low angle from inside an open toy chest to the right of the bed (which has been previously blocked out of view by the bed). The shot is cluttered with stuffed hippos from within the chest. The child is slightly out of focus as it approaches the chest, clown in clenched hand. The clown is thrown, facing down towards the camera, into the chest.
28. ECU: The clown’s expressionless face nearly fills the camera. The lid of the chest begins to close, slowly cutting the light from the shot. Sounds of life and laughter continuing become audible in synch with the closing of the chest’s lid. The close of the lid cuts
