Part 4: Manga Storyboard - Student Version

Cast (in order of appearance)

Natalie Gee as Carol, a movie producer
Tim Denton as Larry, a budding screenplay writer / director

[The signature theme melody is heard in a fast action adventure movie style.]

In a busy Starbucks in Los Angeles California, 2007.

Carol

Decaf double mocha frap with a shot of caramel. Hey, Larry, didn’t see you there. How you doin?

Larry

Oh yeah, Hi Carol.

Carol

Thought you were working with HBO?

Larry

Yeah, didn’t work out.

Carol

Shame, sweet gig.

Larry

Yeah, I’m looking for something bigger.

Carol

Yeah? What are you workin' on?

Larry

I got an idea.

Carol

So sell it.

Larry

Could be big.

Carol

You gonna tell me?

Larry

Playing it close.

Carol

What you got there? Comic book?

Larry

Kinda.

Carol

Oh, you making a super hero movie?

Larry

Not really.

Carol

Well, let me have a look. Ghost in the Shell. Catchy title. Looks kinda Japanese.

Larry

It's kinda like a real Manga.

Carol

Looks complex. These the story boards?

Larry

No, these are from the original comic. We want the movie to look like this. Same angles, same shots.

Carol

You’re not pitching this thing to me in a Starbucks are you?

Larry

No. We haven’t nailed the plot yet, just the look. I think we've really nailed a way to get the illusion of space and form on a two-dimensional surface that will translate to live action.

Carol

You are such a comic book geek…Okay, shoot.

[Music underscores the description of the movie as if it were the real film score.]

Larry

See look- Opening shot: Establishing shot, low to the ground, an alley. It’s raining. Heavy booted feet run past the camera and into the alley - we really just track the foley here. 

[We hear the boots.]

Then Crane Shot above the alley, into a Panning Shot: a roofscape, glittering sky scrapers in the distance. Then Extreme Close Up into the eye of our heroin, Mo-to-ko Ku-sa-na-gi. That take maybe becomes an Evangelion Shot but then I want to repeat it with another Extreme Close Up that sort of doubles as a Long Shot . . . I don't know maybe it could be just a Dutch Angle. Anyway what I want to catch is the reflection in her mirror shades to show cops running towards her. Jump cut to a Mid Shot: She shows no expression. Jump cut to a Close Up: She flicks a strand of razor straight jet black hair out of her face.

Carol

I see it, yeah, it’s kind of Paul Greengrass, but kind of old Stanley Kubrik.

Larry

Yeah maybe, if you throw in a lot of John Woo.  See look, Motoko leaps straight off the roof away from the cops and runs down the wall.  That’d be wire work.

Carol

Oh, I love the different angles of the same shot.  Do we need to cover the shot that many times?  I know you want to show the speed and agility but that'll be spendy.

Larry

We got an idea about that. 

Carol

Isn't this just more Anime?

Larry

No. It’s something new.

Carol

Trust me Larry, there is nothing new under the sun. Everything in this town is ripped off from somewhere else.  Hey, I gotta run, I’m gonna be late, I’ve got brunch with a producer at DreamWorks. Interesting stuff though, when you get the plot figured out you should get your guys to call my guys.

Larry

Yeh sure thanks. DreamWorks is over in Glendale. Are you meeting there?

Carol

Yeah, but I'll take the surface streets, the valley is a total matrix. Say hi to your brother for me. [She walks away.]

Larry

Sure.  [Pause.] A Matrix huh…

[The signature theme music signals the end of the scene.]

Credits

Conceived and Directed by John Paul Fischbach
Script by Robert Reid
Engineered and mixed by Carl Priestly at Itchyacoustic Design
Orchestrations by David James Nielsen

Recorded December 2007