Your Big Break

I'm a 24 year old filmmaker from the USA. I'm a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. I am currently a freelance filmmaker, writing, directing, producing and editing short films, music videos and commercials for the web. My past work includes winning entries in the 20th Century Fox "Set To Screen" Contest (2008), The Tribeca Film Festival/ESPN Film Festival Trailer Contest (2009), and the Talenthouse.com Creative Invite By Nokia (2009). Thanks for checking out my script, I'm looking forward to your comments.

FADE IN:

EXT. SCHOOL - QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND - AFTERNOON
The sun shines brightly on a late summer day as a BELL RINGS. The main doors of a sprawling single level school burst open and dozens of SCHOOL CHILDREN pour out of the building.
JACK CRUMB, 13, wearing his school uniform, drags his feet as he makes his way to the sidewalk. A young girl, KAYLA HULME, 13, wades through the crowd and runs to catch up with him.
KAYLA
Hey, Jack. How are you going?
JACK
Hey Kayla, I’m alright.
They trudge along. Jack looks at the ground as he walks.
KAYLA
Is something bothering you?
JACK
Ms. Faraday made us write an essay about what we want to be when we grow up. I wrote that I wanted to be a doctor, but I made that up.
Kayla looks at him questioningly.
EXT. PARK - QUEENSTOWN - AFTERNOON
They continue to walk along a pathway through a park.
KAYLA
So, what do you really want to be?
JACK
I don’t know, exactly. I just know that I want to be the first person to do it.
KAYLA
What do you mean?
JACK
Well, New Zealand is the youngest country in the world and that means there should be a lot of things that people from New Zealand have never done before, right?
KAYLA
I guess that makes sense.. What did you have in mind?
JACK
I had a few ideas...
Jack looks out towards the coastline.
JACK (CONT’D)
I could be the first New Zealander to sail around the world by myself.
CUT TO:
Jack, standing on a small sail boat in the middle Queenstown Harbour, hoists a sail featuring the New Zealand flag.
KAYLA (O.S.)
But, Jack...You don’t even swim very well.
The sail on the ship slacks. He sighs.
Jack looks towards the mountains.
JACK
Ok, that’s a bad example. I could be the first person from New Zealand to climb Mt. Everest!
CUT TO:
Jack, decked out in mountain climbing gear, plants a New Zealand flag at the highest point in the world.
KAYLA
Jack, I pretty sure that has been done before.
Jack pushes his climbing goggles to the top of his head.
JACK
Really?
KAYLA
Yeah.
Jack slumps, disappointed. Then his face lights up again.
JACK
I could be the first Kiwi in space!
CUT TO:
Jack, wearing a space suit, walks along the surface of the moon.
KAYLA (O.S.)
But, you’re not very good at math. Astronauts have to be good at math.
JACK
What? Why?
KAYLA (O.S.)
I don’t know, they just do.
EXT. PARK - QUEENSTOWN - AFTERNOON - CONTINUOUS
JACK
That’s ridiculous.
Jack turns and sits down on a park bench. Kayla follows suit. He sighs and his shoulders slump.
KAYLA
Jack.
JACK
What?
Jack turns to look at her. She stares at him for a moment, then leans towards him and kisses him.
She leans back. Jack looks stunned.
KAYLA
You’re the first boy from New Zealand, from the whole world, I’ve ever kissed.
Jack thinks about it for a moment, then smiles. Kayla stands up and starts walking down the pathway. Jack follows.
JACK
So, that means I could also be the first boy to kiss you twice...
Kayla stops and turns around, she smiles.
KAYLA
Maybe when you’re an astronaut.
Jack’s smile fades. He looks out at the skyline and his smile reappears. He walks briskly to catch up with Kayla.
FADE TO BLACK.