Poem Notes for Playing In Dark Boxes
Notice that it says "Poem" notes and not "Song" notes. Using the power of Ableton Live, I took an old poem that was doing nothing and going nowhere and brought it to the first stage of life.
The next stage of life will be up to... YOU! Who?
- 2D and 3D Animators
- Claymation Artists
- Short Filmmakers
- Story Board Artists
- Youtubers
As you know, I am an artist and a musician. I also dabble in writing, and in particular, the art of screenwriting. Using Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000,arguably one of the best screenwriting software programs on the planet, I created a short script for animators (scroll down to the bottom of this page). I also work with a 3D modeling program called Carrara. However, when I try to wear too many hats I begin to find that things become "not quite balanced" in my life. That is bad news for me. That is extremely good news for any young animators /filmmakers out there who are putting together their demo reel.
It is the power of the Creative Commons License that is going to get this project rolling. Poem + Ableton Live + Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 + Creative Commons + YOU = A kick-ASS short film with the power to go viral on youtube... IF... you have the ability to step up to the plate and accept the challenges of bringing Playing in Dark Boxes to the next level of life - the animation or film! (keep the quality high, 30fps instead of the herky jerky HeMan Masters of The Universe 12 fps craptacular)
I don't know any animators or film majors myself but there is that whole "Kevin Bacon six-degrees of seperation" thing going on out there. Maybe YOU know someone who is into animation? Maybe going to art school? Send them to this page immediately. Have them read the short script below. If they put effort into the project they will have something that they can use to snag a really great job in animation and filmmaking. This could be the thing they are looking for that makes them famous. So spread the "Plague" around and tell people about the possibilities of using this stepping stone for their own gain.
Check back with Plague from time to time as I have more than a few poems up my sleeve, all of which will use the Creative Commons License. For you animators that edit using Ableton Live contact me directly and I'll load up the Ableton Live files on a CD-R and mail them to you for only $7.00 shipping and handling included.
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Poem written by Ken D. Webber
Bass: Ken D. Webber
Guitar: Ken D. Webber
Drum Programming: Ken D. Webber
Voices: Ken D. Webber, Michael C. Webber, and Christian R. Webber (only
3 years old!)
Noise Candy: Ken D. Webber
Mixing and Arrangement: Ken D. Webber
PLAYING IN DARK BOXES
WRITTEN BY KEN D. WEBBER
JULY 21, 2009
FADE IN:
EXT. A STRANGE AND DREAMY LANDSCAPE -- MORNING
A storm slowly moves away from a landscape littered with
thousands and thousands of cubes, resembling children's
building blocks.
The cubes are covered with scenes from a person's life.
A lightning bolt cracks down in the midst of the cubes hitting
none but causing all the cubes within the vicinity to become
animated and begin vibrating.
Their shaking and animation lasts but brief seconds.
One cube however, is still moving. A side pops open and
AMNESIA VICTIM climbs out laughing, looking around,
wondering what just happened. He is but a small boy.
AMNESIA VICTIM
...Something missing, something
plays...
Amnesia Victim's face brightens as he sees a cube that is
almost a perfect snapshot, a mirror, of his current scene.
He touches the cube and it animates saying...
CUBE
...with broken blocks of me. Blocks
I'm stacking. Babel rising.
Amnesia Victim gives himself the O.K. symbol. His reflection
does the same and slowly freezes in time.
Amnesia Victim looks around at all the blocks and suddenly
spurts into action. He begins pushing and moving and stacking
blocks.
Time passes.
EXT. A STRANGE AND DREAMY LANDSCAPE -- AFTERNOON
Amnesia Victim is holding a block above his head and running
up the steps of a giant pyramid of blocks he has built.
AMNESIA VICTIM
Running to the top with missing
pieces...
He drops the piece into position but it is clear that this
piece really does not belong here. The blocks to either
side animate to show their anger for what is obviously, in
their opinion, the wrong block. They freeze back into place,
their faces contorted in disdain.
AMNESIA VICTIM (CONT'D)
...that never seem to fit.
He kicks the blocks off his construction.
CUT TO:
EXT. HIGH UP IN A MOUNTAIN OF CUBES -- NIGHT
Much older, Amnesia Victim is at the top of a huge structure
of cubes, still playing around with his boxes. He pauses to
sit down on a cube near the edge and look far below into the
valley. He opens his bagged lunch and begins eating.
AGING AMNESIA VICTIM
I've climbed so high. Can't see my
friends from this height. I wonder
if they're watching...
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. A STRANGE AND DREAMY LANDSCAPE IN THE VALLEY --
CONTINUOUS
People in the small village marketplace pause to look up at
a huge structure that looms in the background, almost obscured
by clouds but illuminated by brief lightning.
They shake their heads and go about their business.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. HIGH UP IN A MOUNTAIN OF CUBES -- CONTINUOUS
AGING AMNESIA VICTIM
...as I puzzle with the pieces.
Amnesia victim touches one of the cubes and it briefly
animates urgently saying...
CUBE - YOUNGER AMNESIA VICTIM
...try to put me back together!
AGING AMNESIA VICTIM
To make some kind of sense!
Amnesia Victim takes the final bite from an apple.
He picks up the final block that he had been sitting on. It
animates and reveals An Older Version Of Amnesia Victim who
suddenly turns and reaches through the cube/mirror to grasp
Amnesia Victim's arm.
Amnesia Victim yells and murmurs, the apple falls out of his
mouth, but he continues holding onto the cube. Electricity
dances up and down the arms of both characters. As power
transfers, Amnesia Victim ages faster.
Hair grows on his face.
While they stare at each other the mountain of cubes suddenly
come to life.
CUT TO:
EXT. A STRANGE AND DREAMY LANDSCAPE IN THE VALLEY --
CONTINUOUS
Lightning crackles lighting up the sky. People begin
screaming. Villagers running everywhere in panic as the
huge mountain of cubes in the far distance suddenly rises in
the shape of a giant and begins walking toward the valley.
Every footstep causing the earth to quake.
CUT TO:
EXT. HIGH UP IN A MOUNTAIN OF CUBES -- CONTINUOUS
AMNESIA VICTIM
A bigger picture forming as I stand
on shaky ground. Sanity is shifting
but I've almost got it now.
Amnesia Victim smiles as he places the final cube almost
into position. The wind blows his long white hair.
He suddenly collapses, grabbing his heart, but has enough
strength in his old body to give the cube a final push.
The cube locks into place and the other animated cubes around
it give high fives in happy approval.
The entire structure is moving and he is but a small being
on a much larger character of himself that is crashing through
the valley.
Strange animals flee in terror from giant footsteps.
Amnesia victim is laying down on his back on the top of the
traveling giant's head.
The wind is fierce.
He pulls out his watch and notices that time has gone crazy.
The dial on his watch face swirls forward and backwards in
crazy speeds. Time has gone bonkers.
AMNESIA VICTIM (CONT'D)
Something not quite balanced!
CUT TO:
EXT. A STRANGE AND DREAMY LANDSCAPE IN THE VALLEY --
CONTINUOUS
A strange giant lumbers past strange creatures illuminated
by lighting and fire. The individual cubes cannot be seen
but together they paint the picture of a person.
First the giant is a small boy.
Then the giant's appearance is a man.
Then the giant is obviously an old man.
The old man giant slows, grabbing his back. He then grabs
his heart. Almost to the edge of a village. His steps
falter. The giant begins to stumble around on his feet like
a drunk having a heart attack.
GIANT
Blocks breaking down.
Things begin falling apart. The blocks are coming apart.
Amnesia Victim is suddenly and horrifically plunging through
the night air with other terrified animated blocks.
AMNESIA VICTIM (V.O.)
Toppling into darkness. A whirlwind
rushing by.
He reaches out for a cube of a very old version of himself.
CUBE OF VERY OLD AMNESIA VICTIM
A fall from grace I...
Amnesia Victim hits the ground with a tremendous impact
sending dirt exploding into the sky.
VERY OLD AMNESIA VICTIM (V.O.) (CONT'D)
...shatter! Lie broken all around.
Infinity surrounds me.
The pieces of Amnesia Victim fall back to earth as small
little cubes that resemble children's building blocks.
Thousands and thousands of cubes litter the valley floor.
The new sun rises to oppose the storm. Light
beaming and streaking through clouds.
A villager, no longer afraid, comes out from a group of
villagers hiding in the bushes with strange animals. The
villager approaches the building blocks.
VERY OLD AMNESIA VICTIM (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Can't remember what I've started.
My mind just forms a blank---
The villager stares at a group of blocks that almost spell
out a message.
The message appears to be F-R-O-N-D going vertically with
other letters to the right.
His face brightens and he nods in sudden realization at
figuring out the puzzle. The villager reaches out and changes
a few blocks. He stands back smiling to look at his
handiwork.
The vertical blocks now spell out F-N-O-R-D and that allows a
message to spell out horizontally, as in a crossword puzzle.
The blocks now say:
FOR
NO
ONE
REALLY
DIES
The second the villager places the blocks in this arrangement
ALL of the blocks begin to vibrate and move.
The villager sees this and takes off in sudden fear.
The storm had moved off a bit but now the clouds swirl again
in sudden agitation.
A lightning bolt cracks down in the midst of the cubes hitting
none but causing all the cubes within the vicinity to become
animated and begin vibrating.
Their shaking and animation lasts but brief seconds.
One cube however, is still moving. A side pops open and
AMNESIA VICTIM climbs out scratching his head, looking around,
wondering what just happened. He is but a small boy.
AMNESIA VICTIM
...Something missing, something
plays... with broken blocks of me.
THE END or... is it just another BEGINNING?
FADE TO BLACK:
Playing in Dark Boxes - in poem form
something missing, something plays
with broKEN blocks of ME
Blocks I'm stacking
babel rising
running to the top with missing
pieces which never seem to fit
I've climed so high
can't see my friends from this height
I wonder if they're watching
as I puzzle with the pieces
try to put me back to G ether
to make some kind of sense
A bigger picture forming as I stand
on shaky ground
sanity is shifting but I've almost got
it now
Something not quite balanced
Blocks breaking down
Toppling into darkness
a whirlwind rushing by
a fall from grace I shatter
lie broken all around---
…Infinity surrounds --- me… can't
remember what I've started
my mind just forms a blank ---
…o me thing missing, ---
something plays,
with broken blocks of ME...
*** note: The international sign
for distress is S.O.S., which is
...---... |
