A class of school children learn a few facts about New Zealand. Their imaginations fill any gaps in the information.
Screenplay:
Int. Classroom
A typical classroom, occupied by typical primary school students. They are noisy. Art drawn by the students decorates the room. Miss Stevenson, a 45 year old woman is their teacher. Even though she is past her prime she is still quite attractive. She has a sour personality.
Teacher enters the noisy classroom.
Teacher: Good morning everyone.
The children don't pay any attention to her.
Teacher: (shouting) Good morning Children.
The sound of the children dies down.
The children of the class drone out their reply in unison. a single student says it slower then the rest.
Children : Good morning Miss Stevenson
Teacher: Today we are going to learn about..
Teacher pulls down a rollable board revealing a large map of New Zealand.
Teacher: (continued) ...New Zealand.
Teacher: Does anyone know what this New Zealand Animal is?
Teacher places a large picture of a Moa on the board.
The children of the class sit silently. They don't know the answer.
Teacher : It's a Moa. The Moa was a large flight less bird that laid large flightless eggs.
Teacher shows a pictrure of a nest with a large football size egg resting in it.
James, one of the students looks at the picture of a nest and begins imagining.
Ext. Moa Nesting site.
A dark green forest. a large twiggy nest contains a cream coloured, rugby ball shaped egg.
Teacher (V.O): The Moa was hunted to extension by the maori people.
Steve, the Maori warrior sneaks up on the nest. A few of his group are lined up to his left.
Steve notices another tribe of Maori lines up oppisite them.
Steve picks up the egg and begins running forward.
before he is takles Steve rugby passes the egg to a team mate.
The egg is passed further down the line. It closly resembles a rugby game.
The egg is passsed to john, the final maori in line.
John he misses the catch.
The egg shatters
John is dripping with egg slime.
Steve and the other Maori laugh at John's messy disaster.
After pausing for a second to take in what has happened to him, John sticks his tounge out in haka style.
Int. Classroom
James lets out a small laugh but stops it before it gets to loud.
The teacher is interuped and peers at james.
Teacher: Shhhhhhh
She continues the lesson.
Teacher: another bird of new zealand...
The teacher reveals a large picture of a kiwi bird.
Teacher: (Continued) ... is the kiwi
The words kiwi are echoed inside Jane's mind.
Jane quietly reaches into her backpack and gets out lunch box
She opens box and pulls out kiwi fruit.
Jane holds it up and compares it to the picture of the kiwi bird on the classroom board
The size and shape of the fruit closely matches the body of the bird.
Int. Kitchen at Jane's home. Morning
A typical middle class kitchen. A large circular chopping board and a knife block containing various knives, including a butchers cleaver is on the counter.
Jane's Mum is in the kitchen
Jane is ready for school and about to leave.
Jane: Bye mum
Mum: Have a good day at school darling. Here is your lunchbox.
Mum hands Jane her lunchbox.
Mum: here is your lunchbox.
Jane: Thanks mum
Mum: oops i almost forgot your kiwi.
Jane: Kiwi?
Mum opens the fridge and gets something out. Jane cannot clearly see what it is.
Mum puts a small hairy shape on the chopping board. Its still unclear as to what the object is, but it is making a faint chirping sound.
Mum: I'll just get it ready for you
Jane is a little puzzled.
Mum cleaves the butchers knife down with a bang.
the sounds snaps the kid back to reality.
Int Classroom.
Jane is shocked and a little scared having just made the realisation that kiwi fruit are the bodies of kiwi birds.
She drops the fruit as if it is on fire. It lands back in the lunchbox
A wide eyed Jane slams the lid shut.
Teacher: New Zealand also has beaches. long, pristine, romantic beaches...
Teacher's words slow as she begins imagining a perfect beach.
Ext. Beach. Day
An empty beach next to a forest. Mountains can be seen in the distance.
A couple is walking along a long beach
It is teacher and her dream man.
(make use of Aerial stock footage.)
The couple embrace.
They passionalty kiss. romantic music swells.
Int: Classroom
Teacher is day dreaming. Her mind is in
class is silent and puzzled by her expressions.
Teacher snaps back to reality.
Teacher coughs in embarrassment.
After a pausing a moment, Teacher runs out of class. The children do nothing but watch.
Ext. Street outside school.
Teacher jumps in her old car. Like her, it is also past its prime.
She speeds off and the camera pans towards the sky.
Arieal stock footage of plane flying over New Zealand.
Ext. Beach. Sunset
teacher and dream man are walking along. They are holding hands.
About Me:
I began experimenting with short films at an early age. It was fairly common for the neighbours to see ninjas fighting plastic deck chairs, or to answer their front door and unknowingly face a recreation of "The Nappysan Doorstep Challenge". (perhaps not to the extremes of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gigaR2wBBk)
I ventured to Byron Bay and 'studied' film at a local collage.
Recently, I created a short film for the Australia Post 200 seconds short film Competition. I won the opens category and was lucky enough to attend the AFI awards and have my film played for the Australian industry to see.
I'm currently working in a postproduction house in Sydney, and gearing up to shoot my first Music video (that has a budget)
To watch some of my work, head to: www.youtube.com/farmerwal