100% Pure New Zealand Presents

Your Big Break

Judged by: Peter Jackson
Produced by: Barrie Osborne
Wirtten & Directed by: You
Location: New Zealand

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Run Rabbit

By: Nathalie Boltt

Submitted: 2010.1.3
Country: New Zealand

Tags: birds comedy Forest funny key Kiwi Little Boy music MYSTERY song

The Script

Ext. Forest Edge. - Day
A small BOY, all alone, looks up at the enormous trees that mark the entrance to an ancient New Zealand forest. The forest is huge. The boy is tiny.

Ext. Forest Entrance – Continuous
The little boy wanders into the forest. He arrives at a clearing and finds....

Ext. Forest First Key Set – Continuous
...a shiny old KEY.

The boy picks the key up, spies an opening and tries it. The key does not fit.

Ext. Forest: Second Key Set – Continuous
He continues into the forest, looking for the perfect slot for his key. He sees a possible fit, tries the key again. The key won't turn.

Ext. Forest: Third Key Set – Continuous
The boy pushes deeper and deeper into the forest, drawn in by the mystery of this clue. The forest grows dark and foreboding. The boy is getting lost.

He spots another opening and tries the key. It fits perfectly. He turns it. A CLICK. A PRIMORDIAL HUM cuts through the silence.

Something scuttles past. The boy gets a fright. More movement, dark shapes, strange sounds. He looks around but only catches glimpses. Something is out there. Fear builds. The boy senses dark forces closing in. He backs away, turns and runs.

Ext. Forest: Chase Set – Continuous
The boy runs as fast as his short legs will carry him, but he's losing ground. He trips and falls! He looks up...and sees...

Ext. Forest: Handle Set – Continuous
A BRIGHT RED HANDLE right in front of his nose. The evil creature is almost upon him! He grabs it and twists. A LOUD CRACK. He is momentarily blinded as LIGHT bursts through the forest canopy. He stands and turns to face his pursuer:

A stuffed KIWI BIRD.

The boy stares, stunned.

The kiwi bird stares, stunning.

The boy is still stunned.

The kiwi bursts into song. “ PIKO, PIKO, PIKO, PIKO, PIKO, PIKO, TORO, PIKO”

The boy is very stunned. A stuffed PUKEKO joins in “ TORO, TORO, TORO, TORO, TORO, TORO, PIKO, TORO”. A FANTAIL, a TUI and a KERERU belt the chorus “OMA RAPETI, OMA RAPETI, OMA, OMA, OMA”
The boy's expression changes to delight as all fear fades away. And all the birds of New Zealand join, “ OMA RAPETI, OMA RAPETI, OMA, OMA, OMA”

The bird song grows and grows as, kea on mountain tops, ducks on glassy lakes, penguins in aqua blue oceans, gulls, hawks, moreporks and more join in from their respective beautiful NZ surroundings, singing the song once more. The boy's laughter intermingles with the final happy chorus.

100% Pure New Zealand – The Youngest Country on Earth

The End

Notes:

The stuffed birds are not to be replaced with real or computer animated birds in the 3 minute film – the idea is still to use puppets, just better ones.

Oma Rapeti is a popular Maori folk song, sung to the tune of 'Run Rabbit'. There is no message in this, it's just incredibly catchy and fun to burst into whenever the urge grabs you.

A bit about Nathalie Boltt:
I am an actress, writer and voice artist who came to New Zealand four years ago. The country has been nothing but good to me. I see it as a land of not just beauty and youth, but one of great humour and non judgment. It is the land of birds, a place of fun. A wonderful country to grow up in.

I have some experience directing theatre and stage productions, but, as a screen actress, have always wanted to get onto the other side of the camera.

To find out more please go to www.nathalieboltt.com
or IMDB : http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1410076/