Our First Film Script :: FOOTSTEPS

Footsteps

In the sands of time

First Draft (7^rd September 2002)

Second Draft (23^rd July 2007)

..This story is about the introspection of a blind boy (seven years old).

In this imperfect world of ours everybody finds himself handicap in some way or the other. Only thing that matters is how we approach....

The Script :: Footsteps

Protagonist: A boy of 7 years, well built, wearing a jacket, and accompanied by a dog.

FADE IN:

What we see is lonely mountain road surrounded by trees. Its a foggy afternoon, cloudy sky, but not very thick as the camera pans across the hill Arial shot.

Shot along the pin trees as the camera moves along the trees showing the denseness of the woods around the area where a track is visible in between the trees.

A faint sound of birds chirping and dog barking can be heard off screen.

Low angle shot:

Camera is places along the side of the road with visible dry leaves on the path along the green fern on the side at angle where the road (path is distinctly visible.(misty atmosphere)

We see a  small cute little white dog runs along the path suddenly appearing from the mist as if he is created from the mist itself.

Runs to a distance turns back( camera tracks along) and barks towards the direction he had come from (one or two times )

MS from the front pans over the shoulder on the left of the dogs as he nips the air moves to the corner of the road(  camera moves back Ls of the dog from behind slightly left of the dog) stops at the corner. wave his tail happily, runs back in the direction he had come from and is lost again in the mist.( camera tracks him)

The mist covers the frame

ELS top angle between the pin tress as the mist along the road moves along and a faint image of a boy and the dog is visible below on the path( left side of the screen  Camera slightly zooms in

Voice Over(of the boy)

I have heard strange stories 

from my grandma..

(pause)...

She claimed that we are living on

 a ball shaped earth, which she

used to call as a globe..

(pause)

(Voice Over continued)

I often get scared if the earth 

would have been flat, I would have 

certainly fallen down at the 

edge some where...

(Camera tracks down the empty road slowly. After 30 seconds the boy and his dog enter the frame and walk slowly down the road)

with three or four shot as he moves along the road, ----ELS as the camera moves from top angle towards him…..,3/4 the ls profile slightly top and angular keeping the boy to the top right side of the screen as he moves along the road….., low angle shot of his legs and the dog is visible as they pass the camera in each shot the camera moves against the moment of the character.

 Voice Over(of the boy)

But where I can't say...

(Camera stops tracking, the boy keeps on moving ahead) camera is left behind as the boy walks down the path followed by the dog, which on the way is left behind playfully runs toward the boy.

LS

Voice Over(of the boy)

Why do I worry so much? 

When I know that the earth is 

like a ball. And if I keep on walking 

I might one day complete 

a circle and reach where.

Camera is slightly top on the left shoulder of the boy where he is visible in the LS as he walks in the frame (the boy stops and looks down)

Voice Over(of the boy)

.... I am standing now.

(MS face of the boy. Camera orbits over the boys face and comes to rest at a slightly top angle (front).  The boy bends down,

Cut MS of the boy hand top from the left of the character

Lifts his left foot a little and

MS: camera low angle on the road on the left of the character as he picks up a stone under it foot.

MS: Expression of the dog as he turns around and looks at the boy.

POV of the dog as he runs toward the boy

Left slightly top ELS of the boy the dog barks once and sits silently near the boy's feet. The boy feels the stone in his hand and then he throws it(stone) away far in to the valley.

Sound of the stone falling at a distance, crushing of some dry leaves as it rolls down. 

Camera pans down we see the dog runs toward the camera looks down the valley as the boy at long starts walking along the road.The dog turns back look for the boy to the left finds no one there then turns towards the right and runs down the road to accompany the boy camera tracks his moment.

Boy's POV of the road. The mist is thinning slowly.  A faint sunlight has infiltrated the trees. The road is bending sharply just a little ahead. A bird fly at a distance towards the trees.

-Cut-

ELS: the trees. Far down the boy is moving towards the edge of the bending road.  In the foreground there is a nest over a high branch.

A bird lands on the nest is feeding its newly born chicks. (Sound of chirping). The boy seemingly listens to the chirping. LS followed by the MS

Mid shot

The rays of the Sun fall on the boy. The camera orbits to front mid shot.

The face is lit with Sunrays.  Hair is falling over his face. as he walks toward the edge of the road

Voice Over(of the boy)

When I was born, life was not at 

all different. As my journey

Of life moved further I came t

o know somehow I was different.

 -Cut-

LS: (profile of the boy)

The boy stops at the edge of the road

ELS (Voiceover continued)

Voice Over(of the boy)

I can feel the warmness of the nature 

and the wind that flows through 

the valley tells me the depth that lies before me. 

MS: The boy sits down. The dog that was also running comes and sits near him. one or two CS of his affection for the dog.

Shot of the boy removes a grass straw and puts into his mouth staring at the distant mountains. 

CS

The wind blows the hair over his face. The boy can be seen smiling to himself: First time we see a really big smile on his face such that it brings a smile to our own face.

ECS

We see the lifeless eyes of the boy reflecting the setting Sun.

Voice Over(of the boy)

The chill in the air tells me 

the Diwali is almost there...

From behind the mist on the far mountains has settled itself in the valley and the setting Sun can be seen behind the mountains.

We show that time has passed as the sun set completely and it is getting dark.

LS from behind

The boy gets up and moves towards the camera.

Voice Over(of the boy)

My mother says some day I am older.

(The boy passes the camera.)

The camera moves down toward the grassy land at low angle

Voice Over(of the boy) 

 I'll be able to see the wonders 

of the world through her eyes...

The boy moves to extreme long shot into the mist. Small flakes of snow can be seen floating in the air.

FADE OUT:

Caption:

“When you are gone let your eyes make someone’s life beautiful”.

“Donate your Eyes”