Your Big Break

SCREAM - By Rajneel Singh

"SCREAM" is a outside-the-box narrative short about how wonderfully unpredictable New Zealand can be, even for those who live here. As the youngest country in the world, this land and the people in it seem to play by their own unique set of rules which never ceases to amaze me and sometimes is the source of a lot of hilarity and unintentional amusement.

This film is about just such a circumstance where our plucky young hero hears the call of adventure, but doesn't realize the strange scenario to which it will lead him.

Reflecting the energetic and adventurous nature of our own outdoor culture, our hero - TIM - is a fit athlete skilled in parkour/free-running and this provides us with a chance to contrast our stunning landscape and rich natural wonder with the imagery of powerful, fit youth and our can-do attitude to overcome obstacles no matter how huge they may be.

A BLACK FRAME

A TERRIFYING, HIGH-PITCHED, SCREAM OF FEAR fills the
world...and is then suddenly CUT SHORT!

CRASH CUT TO:

EXT. A MOUNTAIN-TOP - DAY

CLOSE ON: A YOUNG MAN - TIM - snoozing comically. The
echoes of the SCREAM causes him to JERK AWAKE!

WIDE ON: TIM sits up and we REVEAL that he is on a small
MOUNTAIN-TOP, overlooking a jaw-dropping view of a
LAKE-FILLED VALLEY before him! TIM was sleeping in the
grass, the remnants of a heavy LUNCH and TOURISTY-TECH
gear laying all around him.

Suddenly ANOTHER SCREAM fills the air! TIM leaps to his
feet, terror coursing through him! He SCANS the panoramic
horizon...but he sees nothing! ANOTHER SCREAM - this time
it’s a male! TIM spins around...

TIM’S POV

Behind him there is a HIKING TRACK that leads down into a
TUNNEL OF TREES and a lush, deep, FOREST beyond!
The scream came from that direction! SOMEONE NEEDS HELP!

EXT. THE MOUNTAIN-TOP - DAY

TIM makes to run down the trail...then REMEMBERS HIS
GEAR! He runs back, THROWS ALL HIS GEAR AND HIS GARBAGE
into his backpack, TIGHTENS THE STRAPS and then RACES DOWN
THE TRAIL as ANOTHER SCREAM fills the air!

EXT. THE FOREST - SECONDS LATER

TIM hits FULL SPEED as he leaps, dives, ducks and sprints
down the trail! He VAULTS OVER FALLEN LOGS, ROLLS UNDER
LOW BRANCHES and SWINGS AROUND TREES to keep his momentum
as the track curves away ahead of him!

It’s clear that TIM has some amazing skill and
fitness! Running full-tit, TIM bounces off rocks and
SOARS over path, KICKING UP LEAVES as he goes! He’s
FREE-RUNNING!

Suddenly he comes to a FORK IN THE TRACK!!

TIM’S POV

He glances down both directions...DEEP LUSH GREEN FOREST
goes as far as the eye can see! It could be all quite
picturesque were it not for the--

EXT. THE FOREST - DAY

ANOTHER TERRIFIED SHRIEK fills the cool forest air! TIM
zeroes in on the direction and HE’S OFF AGAIN!

EXT. A WATERFALL - DAY

TIM explodes out of the dense foliage and SKIDS TO A HALT
as his feet hit COLD RUSHING WATER...and a SUDDEN, SHARP
DROP! He finds himself at the top of a WATERFALL with a
large lagoon below! There’s no way down!

THE SCREAM FILLS THE AIR AGAIN! TIM’s heart turns cold
with fear and he knows he’s gotta do something! ZIPPING
UP his jacket and TUCKING HIS PANTS into his SOCKS, he
takes a deep breath...starts sprinting...closes his
eyes...and...

...LEAPS!

SPLASH! He HITS the cold water of the lagoon, surfaces
and immediately STARTS SWIMMING! He makes it to the far
end of the lagoon, hits the embankment, sees ANOTHER TRACK
and STARTS RUNNING deeper into the DARK, DENSE BUSH!

EXT. THE DENSE BUSH - SECONDS LATER

TIM picks up speed again! The track is starting to get
very MUDDY and SLIPPERY! He side-steps huge puddles,
SKIDS around corners and SWINGS off low-branches to keep
his speed going!

ANOTHER SCREAM FILLS THE AIR! This time it’s so close and
so loud that it STARTLES TIM! He SLIPS and PLUMMETS off
the track and down a STEEP, MUDDY, EMBANKMENT!

TUMBLING and ROLLING, unable to stop, unable to slow down,
TIM accelerates and EXPLODES through the dense foliage,
MUD COVERING HIM from head to foot!

EXT. A RIVER-BED - DAY

TIM rolls down the muddy hill and suddenly COMES TO A HALT
on a STONY, SHALLOW, RIVER-BED! Dazed and a bit sore, TIM
wearily tries to pick himself up--

ANOTHER SCREAM FILLS THE WORLD FROM DIRECTLY AHEAD!!

TIM leaps to his feet...and sees another BEAUTIFUL VISTA
before him - a deep, almost dry, river-bed winding before
him at the bottom of A STEEP GORGE. SERENE MOUNTAINS look
down on both sides. It’s beautiful, but strangely eerie.

Breathing hard, TIM steps out onto the riverbed and looks
around...trying to find where the scream came from!

TIM’S POV

There’s nobody there. The place is empty - a quiet,
peaceful and almost idyllic landscape.

EXT. THE RIVER-BED - DAY

TIM steps into the middle of the river-bed and spins
360-degrees around, scanning for clues...

ANOTHER SCREAM starts! Startled, TIM SPINS AROUND and, AS
HIS BACK IS TURNED...

...A SCREAMING FIGURE ON A BUNGIE-CORD DESCENDS FROM THE
TOP OF THE FRAME BEHIND HIM! The bungie-cord tightens and
snaps back, PULLING THE FIGURE OFF-FRAME and the SCREAM
CUTS SHORT!

TIM spins around...and misses the whole thing.

Suspicion dawning in his mind, he inches up to the space
where the SCREAMING FIGURE had descended, but he still
can’t see anything suspicious.

ANOTHER SCREAM STARTS! Intuition finally kicks in and TIM
looks up...

TIM’S POV

Just in time to see a LONG BRIDGE way up above him...and
ANOTHER PERSON on a BUNGIE-CHORD descending DIRECTLY AT
HIM at top speed!

CUT TO BLACK:

A BLACK FRAME

CRASH! OOF! The SOUND OF HUMAN COLLISION, like two
coconuts smacking against each other.

SLOW FADE IN:

TIM’S POV

TIM’s VISION RETURNS and he sees the curiousity-filled
face of a BUNGIE-JUMPER staring back at him.

BUNGIE-JUMPER: Mate...mate...

TIM blinks at him.

EXT. THE RIVER-BED - DAY

WIDE ON: We see a strange sight - the BUNGIE-JUMPER,
suspended at head-height, upside-down and HOLDING ONTO
TIM’S collar to prevent him from falling over backwards!

BUNGIE-JUMPER: You alright, mate?

CLOSE ON: TIM takes in what he’s seeing...the
BUNGIE-JUMPER, the BRIDGE above him, and SEVERAL PEOPLE on
the bridge peering down at him in the bottom of the
gorge. Finally, he adds up what he’s been experiencing,
breathes a sigh of relief and NODS.

BUNGIE-JUMPER: Sweet as, mate.

The BUNGIE-JUMPER lets TIM go. The BUNGIE-CORD SNAPS
BACK, rocketing the jumper off-frame and TIM gently lands
on the gravel beneath him.

BUNGIE-JUMPER: WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

TIM’S POV

The BUNGIE-JUMPER richocet’s back up in the air in
SLOW-MOTION and the people APPLAUD HIM AND TIM!

EXT. THE RIVER-BED - DAY

CLOSE ON: TIM looks up at the BUNGIE-JUMPER and slowly
starts to SMILE...

EXT. THE BRIDGE - LATER THAT DAY

TIM, still covered in MUD and LEAVES, stands at the launch
platform of the BUNGIE-JUMP ZONE. He looks around at the
beautiful splendor around him...and he turns back to the
BUNGIE-JUMPER he’d just met.

The JUMPER gives him a THUMBS UP.

TIM looks around at THE CROWD OF PEOPLE ON THE BRIDGE.
THEY ALL give him a THUMBS UP.

Smiling, TIM closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, opens
his mouth...

...and SCREAMS LIKE TINY, FRIGHTENED, LITTLE GIRL...

...and then steps off into space.

CUT TO BLACK

THE END

My background is in writing, editing and directing. I've been interested in the art of filmmaking since I was 5 years old and had a keen interest in the field of special effects. With the coming of the digital age, my interests broadened to the fields of acting (to which I worked for several years) and then eventually directing which I feel has given me the greatest satisfaction of all.

In 2003, I finished my first project: "THE FANIMATRIX: RUN PROGRAM" - a fan-film set in the universe of "The Matrix" franchise. Shot for a mere $500NZ on a single-chip handycam, the 16 minute short film went on to be an internet phenomenon and was downloaded over an estimated 7 million times, making it - unofficially - the most popular New Zealand short film of all time. The film also garnered the approval of "The Matrix" creators Larry and Andy Wachowski who dubbed it as their favorite fan-film based on their franchise.

In 2006, I directed a self-financed, $13,000NZ, short film entitled "BIG BAD WOLVES" which was garnered with the Best Director Award at the "Big Mountain Film Festival" and Best Emerging Filmmaker Award at the "Magma Film Festival" that same year.

I have since directed several music videos as well as a television commercial and am currently in development for my first feature-film project.

A selection of my work follows:

TV ONE NEWS "FANIMATRIX" INTERVIEW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Zy9RtVI94&fmt=22

THE FANIMATRIX: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fRRpy33iV0&fmt=22

BIG BAD WOLVES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-xoyVD7OcM&fmt=22

SELLEYS BBQ CLEANER COMMERCIAL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK4DyCb-K6A&fmt=22

SOON I WILL BE INVINCIBLE (Actor's Audition Reel): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANlgIa4T_h8&fmt=22

BITTER - SLIPPING TONGUE (music video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnr0BnZrdXc&fmt=22

MY FAVORITE THOUGHT - DONALD REID (music video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLte8ipwouI&fmt=22

DARK TIMES - BULLETPROOF feat. TIKI TAANE (music video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA0ucdJI-iY&fmt=22