Copy of revised Draft 1 of "The Soldier". I've gone thru last night in an attempt to plan how many shots it would take for me to possibly animated/storyboard. It was around 70 shots (give or take 6 or seven possible reuses.) and maybe about 16-to 17 comic pages.
My worry is that this may be a huge workload even before considering the second story. So I'm therefore still grappling with what to do first- images for an animated short or the comic pages? I don't want to skimp on the quality of the images and I need some animated shots for my show reel from it. I dont want to do fully rendered colouring (to keep a grittyness to it) so perhaps the comic pages could be roughly pencilled and then digitally inked and coloured with the wacom (yes, I havent broken it yet.).
Anyways, I'll thumbnail it out as both storyboarding and page layouts and decide from there.
Hopefully, I'll be able to edit this script down. At the moment its exactly 5 pages. The other story (in the next post) is 4.5 pages.
I'll work it out.
"THE SOLDIER" DRAFT 1 BY PAUL MASON
My worry is that this may be a huge workload even before considering the second story. So I'm therefore still grappling with what to do first- images for an animated short or the comic pages? I don't want to skimp on the quality of the images and I need some animated shots for my show reel from it. I dont want to do fully rendered colouring (to keep a grittyness to it) so perhaps the comic pages could be roughly pencilled and then digitally inked and coloured with the wacom (yes, I havent broken it yet.).
Anyways, I'll thumbnail it out as both storyboarding and page layouts and decide from there.
Hopefully, I'll be able to edit this script down. At the moment its exactly 5 pages. The other story (in the next post) is 4.5 pages.
I'll work it out.
"THE SOLDIER" DRAFT 1 BY PAUL MASON
BLACK
White text fades line by line onto screen:
"Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard."
-Sun Tzu - The Art of War.
FADE IN
EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 - DUSK
Text: New Guinea Jungle - 1943
Dense wet jungle. Faint sounds of gunfire can be heard in the distance. A lone SOLDIER emerges from the shadowy trees. He looks around quickly, and props himself against the trunk of a tree. He pulls out the magazine from his machine gun and squints as he looks into the top.
SOLIDER (V/O)
Separated from my Battalion. Ambushed. Low on Ammo, Covered in mud, mild malaria. Haven’t slept for days. Blood on my arm. Don’t think it’s mine.
The SOLDIER quickly turns his head.
SOLDIER (CONT V/O)
Voices. Not Aussie.
The SOLDIER slams the magazine back into his gun and pulls back the hammer. Birds fly out of the trees.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Keep moving. Getting dark. Smells like rain.
Keep moving. Getting dark. Smells like rain.
The SOLDIER pauses, crouches and peers through bushes.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Footsteps through trees. Six, maybe seven. Close formation. A few stumble. Hostages.
The SOLDIER closes his eyes.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Christ. It just gets harder. I feel like a steak. Sunday arvo Barbie, kids on the veranda, footy on the wireless, Missus laughing with friends.
The SOLDIER shakes his head
SOLDIER (CONT)
No. Focus.
The SOLDIER creeps along a grassy path. Passing under a tree branch, he spies the body of a dead enemy soldier.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Why am I here? For my country? "The greater good"? The Poms? The Yanks? No.
I made a promise.
EXT. MAKESHIFT CAMP NEW GUINEA JUNGLE – DAY
Australian Soldiers sitting in scattered groups, drinking from flasks, writing letters, cleaning weapons. A smaller soldier sits against a tree reading a comic book.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Kevin Kirby, barely out of school. Stupid little bloke, young, brash, loved his comic books. All about heroes or something. Masked men, Bushrangers. Always going on about ‘em. Drove the rest of us bananas.
I told him, "Bushrangers were outlaws, robbers, killers...You
wanna look up to killers, go join Hitler and Tojo"
The SOLDIER gestures a Mock Hitler impression, a few of his mates laugh.
SOLDIER (CONT)
We all laughed. Kevin smiled. "Most were killers, not my great grandfather – He was a hero."
Still panels from KEVIN’s comic book show a masked man battling Bushrangers and rounding them up.
SOLDIER (CONT)
"What, could he leap tall buildings and punch through walls?"
"No," He answered " he just felt he needed to act. Not a copper, not a robber or a killer, just someone who kept his home and family safe, and the lives of others safe."
The SOLDIER and his mates dismiss Kevin’s story and go back to their tasks.
SOLDIER (CONT)
I shrugged at Kevin. Wasn’t my thing. I was fighting thousands of miles away from my family in a war I didn’t quite get.
Cut to:
EXt. New Guinea Jungle 1943 - Dusk
The SOLDIER pauses, before leaping into a tree.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Why am I here?
Well, because of Kev.
CUT TO:
FLASHBACK EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE TRAIL – DAY
Australian soldiers batten down in a jungle trench under enemy fire. Kevin tries to help but is yelled to stay back.
CUT BACK:
EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 - NIGHT
The SOLDIER sprints through the bushes and perches onto a branch overlooking the enemy soldiers and hostages.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Those bloody comics; me and the boys thought Kev were too young, holding us back. No good to us.
CUT TO:
FLASHBACK EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE TRAIL - DAY
Australian Soldiers continue firing at enemies. An enemy soldier from out of the jungle launches a hand grenade into the Australian trench. Kevin yells, and without hesitating, rips off his helmet, shoves SOLDIER aside and dives in towards the grenade.
There is an explosion, the screen flashes white and returns to Black.
SOLDIER (V/O)
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall nor weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
CUT TO:
EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 - NIGHT
The SOLDIER grits his teeth then leaps down in between the hostages and the Enemy soldiers.
SOLDIER (CONT)
I understand Kev. A need to act. To keep lives safe.
The enemy soldiers freeze. The SOLDIER raises his Machine Gun. As he pulls the trigger, the gun jams.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Damn.
The enemy soldiers realise and raise their weapons. The SOLDIER swings the butt of his gun into the head of the closest enemy while two others fire.
SOLDIER (CONT)
Comic heroes are ink and paper. Kevin was more than that. A flesh and blood hero who died saving my life.
Jumping to the side, He grabs two enemies by the collar and tosses them into trees. The SOLDIER Uppercuts the next enemy, head butts another and sidekicks the stomach of one attacking from behind.
SOLDIER (CONT)
So for him, for my country, for my fellow man, and most importantly for my family...I now act.
To keep lives safe.
The dust settles, all the enemies lay scattered out cold. The SOLDIER begins to untie the hostages’ hands.
HOSTAGE 1
Thank you mate...
The SOLDIER quietly touches his brow as a salute.
END.
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