SKYBok Sky Awesomes--a potential 860 project

After talking with Ashley and Kiel, here is another take on the story (some elements recycled from initial SKYBok post):

This is a story about a boy and his dreams and imagination. It begins with him looking through the newspaper (reading the comics) and coming across an add for the newest, most hyped basketball shoe on the market: the DPABok Sky Awesomes. He wants more than anything to have these shoes, but he just can't afford it--after all, $199 is a lot of money to a ten year old. So, dejected, he dons his old Convex Pro Stars (his decrepit, worn out basketball shoes), and heads to the playground.

He is playing ball by himself. His shots aren't really going in. He keeps playing when suddenly a strange creature descends upon the court from above. It is a giant shoe; it is a giant SKYBok Sky Awesome. The appearance of this giant shoe alters the court and surrounding environment into some kind of abstract otherworldly arena. The shoe appears sentient. It mocks the boy's inability to play basketball, and then challenges him to a game of one-on-one. An epic basketball battle then ensues. At first the shoe is dominant (it dribbles and shoots with its laces, using them like arms). It schools the boy by nailing several jumpers and layups with ease. The shoe arrogantly declares, "make it take it," and seems to be keeping possession indefinitely.

Finally, the boy looks into his heart and summons the will to play well. He gets possession of the ball from the shoe and skillfully out-maneuvers it with a series of incredible spin moves, cross-overs, jump steps, and head fakes.

The boy is able to create distance between he and the shoe. He pauses and takes a Jordan-esque leap over its head en route to a slam dunk. The shoe, unable to match the boy's superhuman jump, summons powers of his own to make the goal rise behind him. Undeterred, the boy continues his jump, rising into the sky along with the basketball goal.

The goal continues to rise higher and higher into the sky and the boy flies right behind (the backgrounds can get more and more abstract here). Finally, the boy catches up with the goal and delivers a backboard-shattering slam dunk. After hanging on the rim for a few moments of triumph, he releases himself and falls back down to earth, landing on the court in front of the shoe.

The shoe, realizing, he as been beaten, ascends back into the sky while the background shifts back into reality. The story ends at dusk, with the boy trying repeatedly (and failing) to dunk while the camera zooms out.

(the animatic below is based on an earlier version of the story)