Rough script

A few things have changed, a few things have been cut. Added alternative ending. Still under revision.



OVERVIEW shot of a widespread desert landscape, with occasional slender rock spires jutting up. CAMERA moves towards one of the spires as a small plane flies into view. It flies over the camera and Cut to a FULL SHOT of the spire. At the centre of the spire lies a nest with a SINGLE LARGE EGG. It is beginning to crack and move slightly. CAMERA ZOOMs in on the egg. The egg tilts vigorously to several sides, cracking noises are heard and suddenly out pops a head, wearing an eggshell as a hat that obscures most of its face.

FULL SHOT of a MAN just finished having readied his backpack and putting it on. He takes a few steps towards the base of the mountain spire, and looks up towards the top, stroking his tremendous moustache.

MEDIUM SHOT further up the side of the mountain spire, where the man climbs laboriously into view. His moustache snags on a small bushy branch that’s growing out of a crack in the mountainside. He lets go with one hand to try and free his treacherous moustache. At this moment his other handhold gives out, and he frantically scrabbles to get a hold of the branch. His moustache comes loose with a snap, and he just manages to grab the branch with both hands. He dangles from the bent branch for a few moments, blowing out a relieved, exasperated sigh before continuing his climb.

FULL SHOT at the top of the spire, just as the man puts his arms over the top of the spire, sweating and breathing hard. He’s just starting to pull himself up, when he suddenly gapes in happy astonishment.

FULL SHOT of the DRAGON struggling with getting out of his egg. He tips over, landing with chin on the bottom of the nest, losing his eggshell hat that bounces away. Looking rather annoyed, his face hardens with resolve. He visibly pushes of with all he’s got, and bursts his wings free of the egg, breaking it in pieces. He sits up, shakes himself vigorously, and peers about looking slightly confused and curious. POV shot from the dragon’s position, of a shadow blotting out the sun. He looks up, just in time to see a large net falling over him.

The man produces a glass jar, which he stuffs the dragon into, popping a few holes in the lid. He holds the jar up, examining the dragon with a grin. The dragon presses its hands against the glass, looking uncertain and slightly scared.

Down to the bottom of the mountain again, the man is dropping into view, adjusting his backpack and walking over to the plane. He stuffs his backpack in the back, and jumps in starting the engines.

Shot from behind the “runway” where the plane takes off in a rather uncontrolled manner. Shot from the other side where the plane barely clears a jutting rock face in the foreground.

LONG SHOT in the air where the man is seemingly having trouble controlling the plane. It turns randomly this way and that, sometimes turning upside down. CUT to inside the back of the plane, where the dragon is floundering about inside. He’s apparently free of the jar, which lies in the background with its lid off. Being entangled in some wiring he begins to chew on surrounding wires, pulling things free. CLOSE UP of the tail rudder suddenly beginning to flap loosely in the wind. FULL SHOT of the plane shooting a grand gout of flame out of its back seat, before turning upside down falling out of view. A few seconds later the dragon comes back into view, carrying the man by his backpack, furiously flapping his wings.

Cut to where the dragon flies into a FULL shot of the top of a mountain spire (the same?), dropping the man with a crash to the top of the spire. FADE OUT. (This could be cut in favor of a fade out from the scene with the dragon flying and fading into the end shot.)

FADE IN to the backs of the man and the dragon sitting side by side, dangling their feet over the ledge of the spire. The man feeds the dragon a piece of his lunch, when a humongous dragon-shaped shadow falls over them both. The dragon looks up showing happiness, while the man goes very pale and looks afraid. Screen goes black to a loud, rumbling dragon roar.

ALT. ENDING: FADE IN to the backs of the man and the dragon sitting side by side, dangling their feet over the ledge of the spire. The man holds out a piece of his lunch to the dragon, the dragon opening its mouth to receive the food, but suddenly lets out a huge cone of flame. The man gets his fingers singed, falling backwards, scrambling. FADE OUT.