Concept palettes, character concept-
































New shot-by-shot edition with multiple possible endings.
On%20the%20Ride%20Home.rtf

Casas updates 8/7/08

I visited an art museum in Louisville recently that was the impetus for the reimagining of the beginning of "casas." Specifically, the exhibit "Text Rain" found here:
http://www.21cmuseum.org/museum/exhibits/text-rain.aspx
Of particular interest is the image in the upper left corner under "exhibition photos"

For the opening of "casas," I want to start in a room full of black falling squares (similar to how the letters of "Text Rain" fall). The first shot will be a tight shot on a section of the room so that all we see are these falling squares. A slow cross dissolve will end in a wider shot of the room (of similar composition of the image here including a humanoid figure (most likely live action composited--but don't fret, I want to keep the live action to a minimum).

The black squares will bounce off of the figure (like rain) as the camera slowly zooms out. The shot at the end of the zoom will show that the entire room is in a box that is part of a massive grid system. This grid system is located in abstract space (note that we shouldn't zoom far outside of the room, just far enough to show boxes on either side and possibly above and below). One side of the room is missing (laid down, flat), allowing us to look in.

Slowly, the missing "wall" of the "room" begins to fold up into place (think of this shot as the reverse of a similar shot in a previous reel--the shot where a side of a box fell open to reveal another scene).

As the wall moves into place, we see that the "room" is actually a box of some sort with a screen on it (the screen is on this new "wall" that has just moved into place). Also as this new wall moves into place, the parts of the room that are being covered become pixelated, including the figure inside (hopefully at this point the audience realizes that the "black squares" falling were in fact pixels).

The gist of all of this is that it is revealed that our initial scene was taking place inside a box similar to "cube world" (inside a box like the ones seen here: http://www.prezzybox.com/data/media/12508.jpg)

From here we transition into the long shot of the grid with the boxes flying at the screen, that in turn transitions into the "brain" shot, and so on.

In summary,

--start with nothing but raining pixels
--cross fade to show a figure in a room with the raining pixels
--slowly zoom out to show the room is part of a grid system floating in abstract space; the room we are looking in is missing a wall allowing us to see inside
--the missing wall slowly folds up, closing the room. however, a screen on this wall shows the same scene we were just looking out, only in pixelated form
--we cut to the wide shot of the grid as the boxes begin to fly toward the camera, which brings us up to date on the reel.

also note that the figure in front of the TVs in the last shot will be the same figure from the room at the beginning (in non-pixelated form)

2/3 Train Reel 8/07

Below is the August 7th reel, which is lacking the climax and ending. Said climax and ending are still being mulled over in order to have maximum effect. Also below is the shot-by-shot write up of this reel.

Big thanks to Lee and Kevin for the help thus far.

On%20the%20Ride%20Home.doc

Train807.mov

Casas Reel 8/01/08

Please see my comments after viewing the reel.

Train Addendum

Rough reel-
TrainRough.mov

Western Revision

Throughout this story there are “flashes” of jail bars opening in darkness to reveal another closed cell. This is a fantastical symbolic reference. The main character can’t get out of the civilization that holds him captive. There is some sense of confinement that the main character battles mentally.

Jail bars open to light. A man wakes up and goes outside to sees a wagon trail leaving town far off in the distance. The town is empty. There are few traces as to why the town is deserted except for signs of fresh graves in the cemetery, destruction, and neglect- blood splattered on a wall. He enters a church and prays for help and forgiveness. As he exits there is a mirror, which he looks into. The darkness mixed with the flickering candle light shows his true/darker complexion. The past of his wickedness sets in with a brief flashback of murder, corruption, and chaos to the town. When he steps out of the church there is a law-man waiting on him. Of course, there is a standoff between the two men. The showdown ends with the wicked man shot. The next scene opens and the law-man is looking at the other through bars. He is stringing a noose. Through the window, a carriage and some people walk by. The bars close a last time.

Addendum to Train...

Original post.

Notes from 7/10:
Additions-
+Heartbeat as overriding theme.
-Heartbeat transitions to train track thuds/passing shadows to heartbeat again.
-Train continually slows until it squeals to a stop at the point of death.

Possible additions-
+The train as a lifetime allegory. (original- mortality allegory)
-Moving from car to car, with doors locking behind.
-Virgil(AKA Death) showing up in closer and closer seats.
+The characters only communicating on heart/track beats.
+Train whistle as flatline noise?

"'Look! Here is Dis, and this the place where you
will have to arm yourself with fortitude.'
O reader, do not ask of me how I
grew faint and frozen then- I cannot write it:
all words would fall far short of what it was.
I did not die, and I was not alive;
think for yourself, if you have any wit,
what I became, deprived of life and death."
-Dante Alighieri

Pending-
+Style studies (7/12)
+Amended storyreel (7/15)

Diner Story Idea

In the early morning hours (4-5AM) a small diner located beneath a train track is empty except for the burly short order cook who is slowly wiping down the counter top. The lights in the diner begin to flicker as an passing train shakes everything that is not bolted down. After the train passes a short hobo with a flushed face and tattered clothes enters the diner. The hobo walks up to the bar, sits down and motions to the cook that he would like some coffee. In an irritated manner the cook points to the marquee where the price, 5 cents, is listed as the cost for coffee. The hobo smiles awkwardly and begins to dig in his pockets hastily. The hobo places the contents of his pocket on the table and begins to push each penny toward the cook. However after the third penny the hobo tries to pass off a couple buttons as pennies. This is quite obvious to the cook who scorns the hobo with a look of frustration, but the hobo returns to searching in his pocket for some other item to exchange. As the situation looks more and more futile, a beautiful female waitress enters the diner. She is early for shift change. Immediately the expression on the cooks face softens as he ogles her. She sits down softly in a booth and picks up a paper lying near by. As the cook falls into a trance, it becomes obvious to the hobo that there is a connection between the waitress and the cook that has yet to be explored and an opportunity for him to facilitate. While the cook rests his head in his hand leaning on the bar, the hobo slowly reaches up and plucks the cooks hat off his head. The cook is jolted out of his daze and begins to scold the hobo, but the hobo gestures to the cook to go over and sit with her. Eventually the cook hands over his apron and sheepishly moves over to the table and asks to sit down. The jolly little hobo trots over to the table and serves each one of them a hot fresh cup of coffee. As we watch the waitress and the cook begin to have playful banter, the camera pulls back to reveal the hobo quietly and happily sipping a cup of hot coffee.