Pitch

Elevator Line:

A superhero tries to save a woman who doesn't need saving, and in the process begins to fall for her and question his own ego.

Explanation of Theme:

- What is the central point you are trying to make with this film?

People aren't always as they seem.  Too often we judge people based on their physical traits or how we presume them to be at first glance.  If we were stuck in an elevator with someone for twenty-four hours, would we still view them the same way as when we entered it with them.  Doubtful.  I want to take essentially two people who appear to need no one else but themselves and make them try to understand each other. I want to make them want to need each other, even if that need exists only in the viewer's imagination.  While their objective may be to understand each other, my objective is to spread that understanding into a single question.  Could everyone be vastly different than how they first appear?

- What is the central goal of the film?

Two people meet who would have otherwise not had the opportunity to.  And one ultimately effects the outlook of the other.  A sparked romance is implied.  The goal is to successfully convey that the unexpected aspects of life are sometimes the most important and life changing.  In this respect, the experience changes the hero's outlook on life and makes him want to presue an individual.

- What is the movie about in abstract terms? 

Those who are capable of change can only go through that change when they come in contact with something or someone that proves their original code to live by to be wrong.

Short Synopsis:

A male superhero with the first name Lee looks for someone to save from a building roof.  He sees a woman giving chase to a purse thief. Lee goes down to help. The woman is led to a secluded area and is surrounded by men who appear visually threatening (cock of the head, taps of a baseball bat on the pavement, etc.).  She shrinks looks around suspiciously and hero jumps in to save her.  Lee talks for so long (trying to convince them to redeem themselves and leave peacefully) that she starts beating them up herself.  Surprised, he becomes speechless. She grabs her purse, acknowledges him just slightly, and leaves the scene.  She goes to the dry cleaner to pick up her own superhero suit and he walks in to wash his own.  Just after she leaves, he decides to go after her.

Structure Breakdown:

- Who is the story about?

The story is about the superhero Andrew Lee Ricker who tries to save a woman and ultimately fails, because of his ego.

- What does the protagonist want?

He wants to be loved, but he also wants to feel like he's helping people.  So he wants to love himself.

- What is in the way of the protagonist to get what he/she wants?

Ultimately, his own ego, as well as a character that has no actual need for him is in the way of getting what he wants.

- What does the protagonist need?

He needs someone to make him actually see the world for what it is and not how he wants it to be.  He needs someone to tell him that he's not helping, that he isn't really needed, and that he needs to put his ego aside.

- What is in the way of the protagonist to get what he needs?

Again, ultimately, his own ego.  He's too busy entertaining himself to see what people are trying to make him understand.

- What is the beginning situation?

The hero is looking for someone to save. The woman he ends up trying to save is chasing a purse thief, but gets led into an alleyway where she is surrounded.

- 1st turning point

The hero intervenes when physical brutality towards the woman seems apparent in her future.

- New situation

The hero talks for so long that the woman gets annoyed and the thugs trying to harm her are getting impatient with listening.  She beats them up herself.

-2nd turning point 

He's stunned that she didn't need his help, so he asks her if there's anything else he can do for her, and she says no, ultimately leaving him speechless.

-Final Situation

He meets her again at the cleaners, but again he's speechless.  When she leaves, he makes the decision to chase after her because he just can't let it go.

Tone and Execution:


This project will be done in Toonboom. Overall, I want a simple style for the characters.

Here's kind of a basic first sketch for the two main characters.  These are most definitely going to change.  For both characters, I want their super hero out fits to look as if they've been at it a while--professional.  As for what the backgrounds will look like, I was thinking of hand-painting them with acrylic. Many professional animators use this method.  Disney is especially famous for using it time and time again:

As a result, a complete sketching of the backgrounds would probably come first, and painting them all would come later.  I want the world they are in to feel slightly faded, as if they live in it, but it's really about them and about their choices.  After all, we are talking about super heros here.

Objective:

The objective here is to work harder on body language and emotion, and less hard on length. 

Target Audience:

The target audience for this is approximately 13+.  It will include very mild violence and perhaps some sarcastic humor, as well as a theme that's not for children.




Act Breakdown:

Act I - Open with hero (Lee) looking down from the roof a building in a professional superhero outfit. A woman is chasing a purse thief down the streets of a high rise city. The hero jumps down from the roof, absorbs the impact and cracks the sidewalk under his feet before taking off to help her.  She is lead into an alley where she is slowly surrounded by men, taunting her physically.

Act II - Hero enters the alley, attempting to save the woman.  He surprises the thugs, so they aren't ready to deal with him.  He begins to talk about how they should think about what they're doing and the consequences involved.  He talks for so long though, that the thugs get impatient and the woman beats all of them up herself.  The hero is stunned.  She thanks him, seemly for nothing really, and begins to walk away.  He calls after her to see if there's anything else he can help with.  She looks back and simply says, "no," walking away, purse in-hand,

Act III - She comes to a dry cleaner, hands the lady the ticket from inside her purse.  She lady hands her a super hero costume.  The door opens and closes behind her.  She pays and turns to leave.  We see the super hero in normal clothes, holding his own costume, standing in the middle of the shop, stunned.  She walks by, greeting him, and leaves.  He looks at the cleaning lady, debating whether he should stay and get his clothes cleaned or go after her.  He turns on his heal and walks out the door.  The door closes behind him and that's the end.