INT. COMPUTER LAB - NIGHT Two men sit next to each other while watching something on a small screen. They both seem focused and at-work. Small banter is heard between them. LEWIS AND CLARK Its too early for this. CLARK, a brown-haired, youthful-looking white male in his early 20’s turns his head to LEWIS, a long dirty blonde- haired male also in his early 20’s. CLARK Gah, Lewis, this prototype is phenomenal. I mean, just look at how the engine runs without the addition of that second graphics file. The screen that both men are watching is now visible, and it reveals that they are both watching gameplay of a video game on a small screen. There is a handheld gaming controller hooked up to the screen. LEWIS smiles warmly. LEWIS It really is something else. What’s with this test-program, though? On the screen, a MARIO-LOOKING CHARACTER with a sleazy pair of overalls holds a plunger over his shoulder in a macho stance while knocking on the doors of a castle. A health bar and other various gaming statistics are on the screen. A PEACH-LOOKING CHARACTER with exaggeratedly sexy features answers the castle door. MARIO-LOOKING CHARACTER Did someone call a plumber? Only both men’s faces watching the screen are now visible. A series of “dirty innuendo” is heard coming from the screen. Clark begins to chuckle, but Lewis jumps up quickly, disgusted. LEWIS Ah, c’mon, Clark! He’s Italian for Christ’s sake! If I wanted to see that, I’d watch Jersey Shore! Clark continues to laugh. EXT. SUBURBAN LANDSCAPE - NIGHT Lewis and Clark are both wrapped up in Winter attire walking home side by side. Clark is playing a game on his handheld system while Lewis stares ahead smiling complacently. LEWIS So do you really think this thing will be a hit at E4? CLARK E4? LEWIS Yes, E4. CLARK Oh, well then... Bingo! Lewis reaches over and turns off Clark’s game. He smirks at Clark. CLARK (CONT’D) Hey, I was almost on the last level! LEWIS We made the game! I’d hope you could get to the last level without cheats. CLARK Well there’s still that bug on the final boss. As of now, he’s impossible to beat because we haven’t finished his code. LEWIS We’ll get around to it tomorrow, Clark. Get some sleep. Both men hug and part ways at an intersection, and as they do, the shot splits. On the right: Clark walks down his block and enters his apartment. 2. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Once inside, his dog greets him. Shot time-lapses leading up to Clark asleep, with the dog at his feet. On the left: Lewis enters his apartment the same time that Clark enters his. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Lewis is greeted by his dog as well. Shot time-lapses to him eventually awake at his desk with his dog beside him. Split-Shot pans so that Lewis’s shot is now the only one on the screen. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Lewis is scribbling equations on a piece of paper with a copy of the game next to him. The game is a small handheld device sized cartridge with the title, “Soul Ribbons”, illustrated on it in bubbly, whimsical font. The clock next to him says “2:25 AM”. The clock turns off. Lewis can now be seen asleep at his desk, snoring. An alarm goes off and quickly wakes him up. Lewis yawns and goes to exit the room. EXT. FIELD - DAY Upon opening the door, instead of seeing the rest of his apartment, he sees a vast dream-scape. Still in his clothes from the night before, he proceeds to enter this land. Behind him, the door slams. Lewis goes to open it, but the door is now surrounded by the open air of the world Lewis has just entered. It doesn’t take long for him to recognize it; it is the video game world he has been co-creating with Clark. 3. LEWIS Never been to Kansas, but I’m sure as hell that I am definitely not there at the moment. Suddenly, a rustling from the bush beside Lewis startles him. LEWIS (CONT’D) Clark... If that’s you and you put pot in my oatmeal again, I’m gonna- Four obscure-looking CREATURES jump out. Lewis just glares at them, dumbfounded. They slowly waddle towards him. They are all about 3 feet tall, slightly plump, with purple bed-head hair. Two of them are green, one is red, and one is blue. Each of them carries a shield. The blue one begins to speak. CREATURE #1 Hello, Lewis. My name is Bucky, and these are my trusty Fatum friends. The other three Fatums giggle shyly and hide behind Bucky. BUCKY We Fatums praise you as creator. Lewis is quickly pacing away from the Fatums as if he’s still trying to find a way out of the strange world. They waddle behind him as he paces away. Lewis stares ahead and does not respond to them. BUCKY (CONT’D) And we vastly love all you have made for us. Lewis shakes his head in exasperation and keeps trekking BUCKY (CONT’D) But there is one thi-- Lewis stops in his tracks. He has hit a solid invisible border in this world. Lewis sits in awe. 4. Clark sits on the other side of the transparent border in his clothes from the night before with snow blowing on him while shivering. CLARK Freggin’ A’, don’t just sit there! Get me outta here, it’s so cold that I think the spirit of Frosty just gave me a sex change. The Fatums catch up with Lewis and stand at the border with him. BUCKY He must defeat the Winterqueen if he wants to progress from that land! Lewis turns to the Fatums and finally breaks his silence. LEWIS So you’re telling me that the only way out of these worlds and ultimately this realm is to beat the game? ... But in real life? BUCKY Real life? LEWIS Nevermind. Clark, you’ve gotta turn around, take 20 paces forward, then 10 right. There will be a matchbox. Collect it so you can set fire to the Ice-Castle on the other side of the map; it’s a world- jumping easter-egg I threw in earlier. CLARK Easter-egg!? You’ve been adding easter-eggs without telling me!? Well how about I add a “Christmas Gift” where you beat the whole game by looking at your phone while playing? Or, better yet, a “Hannukkah Present” that lets you skip levels each time you look up strategy on “youknowyoucantbeait.com”!? 5.
Screenplay / Excerpt
Soul Ribbons
A surreal comedy-fantasy screenplay about two game developers who wake inside the unfinished world they created.
Portfolio excerpt. Original title-page contact information is intentionally omitted from this public version.