PAGE ONE – 5 PANELS.
LAYOUT.
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1. EXT. Early
evening. Dusk is setting in. A few stars twinkle in the darkening sky. A snowy
scene in Lapland. The snow still falls, a forest is on the horizon. Dead centre
in the foreground is a large log cabin. Smoke rises from its chimney and light
can be seen from all the windows. A huge flashing neon sign above the building
reads CLUB SUGAR ELF.
CAPTION:
Christmas
eve 2012.
2. INT. Club
Sugar Elf. We are inside a bar. It’s rustic and looks like the bar from Cheers.
Christmas lights and decorations hang up everywhere, an open log fire burns
bright in the fireplace. A big old jukebox plays in the other corner. A small
Christmas elf by the name of CANDYCANE stands on a barstool behind the bar
cleaning a pint glass with a red and green kitchen towel. CANDYCANE is about
three foot tall, he wears a large green pointy hat, curly elf shoes and a white
apron over his red Christmas jumper. His cheeks are rosy red. This is his bar. Sat
on the customer side of the bar is the anthropomorphic RUDOLPH. He sits nursing
his milk from a whisky glass. He wears a nice grey suit with a red tie matching
his bright nose.
CANDYCANE:
You
guna sit here all night Big Red?
RUDOLPH:
Don’t
call me that, no one’s called me that in years.
CANDYCANE:
You
at least want another drink?
RUDOLPH
1:
Give
me milk.
(Linked)
RUDOLPH
2:
Straight.
3. Repeat of
panel 2. However now CANDYCANE is pouring RUDOLPH another drink.
VOICE:
(Off panel)
Hold
that drink Candycane.
4. Shot from
behind the bar. RUDOLPH and CANDYCANE both have their backs to us as they look
towards the entrance to THE SUGAR ELF to see who just spoke. Standing in front
of the door, having just come in is the anthropomorphic VIXEN. She wears a knee
length well fitting black dress, tights and black high heels, her lips as
bright red as RUDOLPH’s nose. She has a thick fake fur coat on.
RUDOLPH:
What
do you want Vixen?
(Linked)
RUDOLPH
2:
You
not out with Dasher tonight?
VIXEN
1:
This
isn’t about us tonight Big Red.
(Linked)
VIXEN
2:
It’s
about Old Nick.
5. Insert panel
into the bottom right of 4. Close up on the sad face of VIXEN.
VIXEN
1:
He’s
missing Rudolph.
(Linked)
VIXEN
2:
He’s
gone.
Anthropomorphic animals freak me out. Other than that, this was delightfully noir.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely get the noir tone right. Childhood icons acting all sexy and broody freaked me out though, haha.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful take on Rudolph and company. Your dialogue here is especially solid. Delightfully noir interpretation of the Rudolph canon (can we call it a canon?), and I, for one, am a real big fan.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the kind words guys. I have been re reading the Blacksad collections and have gotten really into the whole Anthropomorphic animal thing.
ReplyDeleteDan writing Vixen was a challenge I felt a bit wrong but she was the perfect femme fatal.
Grant really glad you liked the dialogue I tried to channel some classic noir into it.
Now that l'm returned to the states - how recommended would Blacksad be?
Delete...oh - and freaky great no¡r scr¡pt - as they say here ¡n V¡rg¡n¡a - HUZZAH!!
I would highly recommend Blacksad, if you like any of the following then you will love Blacksad - Great noir stories, beautiful art, wonderful writing, awesome comics, characters to die for.
DeleteYeah as you can tell I love Blacksad.