”Home?”

created by: Helena Giersz

TRAILER

In development ”Tulip’s Garden”

created by: Helena Giersz

“Tulip’s Garden” animatic in production.
design: Helena Giersz

Showtime

“If you ever wanted to run away and join the circus, here is your chance. Buckle up and enjoy the show.”

“Showtime” is a half hour show for preschoolers. The series is based around the daily adventures of two children, Anita and Zemar, who are traveling from town to town with their performing parents in a circus. Anita’s parents perform on horses. Zemar’s father, the Great Perloni, is a magician. Anita and Zemar have many friends in the circus including a lion, a parrot, two seals and six poodles.

“Stephanie” – mix media 2009

Rainy Day

RAINY DAY REGULARS

THE RULER:

His motto: “E Pluribus Rule ‘em.” The leader of the group and the Master of Ceremonies, the Ruler is very ethically (as well as physically) upright and most definitely uptight – he has to have everything perfectly and absolutely right. He’s a stickler for decorum and a strict adherent to the, um, rules.

This is not to say that the Ruler doesn’t have a soft spot. In fact he has a couple: one right between the 2 ¼” and the 2 3/16” marks, and – this is private and confidential – a big ole soft spot for Miss Sciss. (The feeling might be mutual, but she’ll never tell.)

The Ruler thinks he knows it all – though he’s quite often a Ruler without a clue. He believes its his God-given right to boss the other characters around – albeit benignly: he’s a straight-up kind of guy, after all. Luckily, the implements know better: When the Ruler says jump, they duck. He gives them an inch, they take a mile.

Nonetheless, the other implements love and respect the Ruler, if for no other reason than that he keeps some semblance of order amid the jovial and flacky chaos. He might be wrongheaded, but his heart is in the right place.

The Ruler is generally fair and ultimately comes around to seeing things from an objective perspective, though he loves to put up a good front, even if that means, more often than not, taking credit for the other implements’ ideas and successes.

THE SCISSORS

Ah, the Joy of Sciss! Miss Sciss! That is! She cuts a dashing figure and an elegant profile. The Scissors is alternately the den mother to all the implements and the spice that sprinkles flavor over the proceedings. Mae West meets June Cleaver.

Miss Sciss isn’t solely about beauty, mind you. She’s a graduate of the Scissor Intelligence Agency, after all. An intellectual with a razor whit – notice the big, stylish glasses (courtesy of Donna Karan)! – Miss Sciss has a sharp eye and keen sense for seeing the manifold possibilities in everything and everyone.

Thus, she lives to tease and prod her fellow office supplies to greater heights, helping and encouraging everyone to do their best work. She’s the perfect foil for The Ruler. The brains to his brawn. The Hepburn to his Tracy. His handler, if you will.

Rainy Day

Fade In:

INT. KID’S ROOM  – DAY

CLOSE ON CHILD’S DESK

THUNDER CLAPS. RAINDROPS FALL. LIGHTNING FLASHES ON THE DESKTOP, AND WE SEE: A RULER, A GLUE BOTTLE, AN ERASER, A BOX OF CRAYONS, A PACKET OF PAPER CLIPS, A STAPLER, FOUR MAGIC MARKERS, A SCISSORS AND A PAIR OF BUTTONS.

A THUNDER BOLT STRIKES!

THE RULER BOLTS UPRIGHT. HE GLANCES OUT THE WINDOW, THEN SWAGGERS, JOHN WAYNE STYLE, TO THE CENTER OF THE DESK. HE TALKS LIKE A DRILL SERGENT.

RULER

(to camera)

Hey, look – It’s a rainy day today! You know what that means? We’re going ti have ourselves a blast!

ANOTHER THUNDER CLAP. THE RULER STARTLES BUT QUICKLY RECOVERS HIS COMPOSURE.

RULER (cont’d)

Exactly!

HE TURNS AROUND TO FACE THE OTHER IMPLEMENTS.

RULER (cont’d)

Ten-Hut!

THE IMPLEMENTS DON”T BUDGE. THE GLUE BOTTLE SNORES. THE RULER TREMBLES IN INDIGNATION. HE LETS OUT A PIERCING WHISTLE.

RULER

Office Supplies at attention!

THE OFFICE IMPLEMENTS AWAKEN AND SNAPO TO ATTENTION AND MOVE INTO FORMATION.

RULER (cont’d)

Soldiers! Your mission today, if you should choose to accept it –

ERASER

Oh, goody! A mission! A mission!

THEY ALL CHEER.  THE STAPLER NEIGHS LIKE A HORSE AND THE STAPLE REMOVER BARKS LIKE A DOG.

THE RULER WHISTLES AGAIN. EVERYONE QUIETS DOWN. HE STANDS STRAIGHT UP, READY TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT PRONOUNCEMENT.

<PATRIOTIC MUSIC PLAYS.>

RULER

Now, listen up here: We, the Office Supplies of America, here today, on this most momentous moment, on top of this most important desk, in front of this most beautiful lady –

SCUSSORS

(falsely modest)

Oh, cut it out now!

RULER

(clearing his throat)

We here today, are going to make ourselves a…

EVERYBODY LEANS FORWARD IN ANTICIPATION. HE GLANCES AROUND – A RULER WITHOUT A CLUE. THE IMPLEMENTS START TO FIDGET.

RULER

(fast losing confidence)

to make…. a….. um….

SUDDENLY, THE SMALLEST CRAYON – LITTLE PINK – HOPS DOWN FROM THE CRAYON BOX AND BOPS OVER TO THE RULER.

LITTLE PINK

(little girl voice)

I want to make a dinosaur.

THE RULER ARCS DOWNWARS, FACE-TO-FACE WITH LITTLE PINK, AND SQUINTS CRITICALLY.

RULER

A dinosaur?

LITTLE  PINK BLINKS BACK, WIDE-EYED. SUDDENLY, THE CRAYONS EXPLODE IN A LOUD CHEER, THEY DO “THE WAVE,” CHANTING:

CRAYONS

Dinosaur! Dinosaur!

THE OTHER IMPLEMENTS QUICKLY JOIN IN. THE RULER CATCHES ON QUICK.

RULER

Oh, a dinosaur! Exactly! You took the words right out of my mouth!

EVERYBODY CHEERS.

RULER (cont’d)

(to self)

Good thing I thought of it!

THE STAPLE REMOVER RUNS AROUND IN CIRCLES.

STAPLE REMOVER

Dinosaur! Dinosaur! Dinosaur! <bark>

THE RULER STARTS TO PACE.

(to self)

Let’s see now… A dinosaur, a dinosaur.

Hm…

Little Pink

You start with some clay.

RULER STOPS ABRUPTLY, PIVOTS TO FACE LITTLE PINK.

RULER

Did you say… clay?

LITTLE PINK SHRINKS BACK AND NODS A SHY “YES.” THE SCISSORS CLATTER CLOSER, BREAKING THE TENSION.

SCISSORS

(prancing forward)

Ooh, my! A ball of clay! I remember when I was just a little pair of scissors, we’d use clay all the time to make all kinds of crazy things!

STAPLE REMOVER

(running in circles)

Clay clay clay clay clay.

RULER

A ball of clay! Exactly!

THE RULER TURNS TO THE STAPLER. THE STAPLER PEARS ON ITS “HIND LEGS,” WHINNIES, AND GALLOPS OFF-SCREEN. THE STAPLE REMOVER FOLLOWS IN HOT PURSUIT.

RULER (cont’d)

(to self)

Good thing I thought of it!

ERASER (cont’d)

Oh, goody! Oh, goody! Um… what do we need again?

GLUE BOTTLE

A ball of clay!

ERASER

Oh, yeah.

JUST THEN, THE STAPLER GALLOPS BACK ON-SCREEN WITH A BALL OF CLAY ON ITS BACK. EVERYBODY CHEERS.

THE STAPLE REMOVER FOLLOWS TOUT SUITE, PANTING HARD. HE BUMPS INTO THE STAPLER AND BOUNCES OFF-SCREEN.

THE STAPLER STANDS ON ITS HIND LEGS. HE CLAY SLIDES OFF AND PLOPS ON THE FLOOR. EVERYONE LOOKS AT IT. THE ERASER BOUNCES OVER TO IT.

Eraser (cont’d)

Now what?

THEY ALL TURN TO THE RULER.

RULER

(clueless)

Well, first we…

First we…

(a-ha!)

First we measure it!

THE RULER MEASURES THE CLAY’S LENGTH, WIDTH AND HEIGHT. EVERYONE LEANS FORWARD, EXCEPT FOR LITTLE PINK.

RULER (cont’d)

Exactly!

ERASER

Oh, goody! Now what?

EVERYONE LOOKS AT THE RULER. HE STARES BACK BLANKLY.

LITTLE PINK

We squish one side to make a tail.

RULER
Hm…

STAPLE REMOVER

(running around)

Tail tail tail tail tail!

THE STAPLE REMOVER TAKES A BITE OUT OF THE END OF THE BALL OF CLAY AND STRECHES IT OUT INTO A TAIL.

SCISSORS

Ooh, my! Now that’s what I call a tail!

MURMERS OF ASSENT. THE RULER MEASURES THE TAIL.

RULER

Exactly! Ladies and gentlemen, we have made ourselves a dinosaur! Excellent work! Mission accom –

LITTLE PINK

We need the head, to go with the tail.

THE RULER THINKS. THE STAPLER GALLOPS TO THE CLAY, NEIGHS ON ITS “HIND LEGS” AND SQUEEZES THE OTHER END OF THE BALL INO A HEAD SHAPE.

THE RULER INSPECTS THE WORK.

RULER

(confidentially)

Excuse me, sir, but may I be so bold as to suggest something? Four things really?

THE RULER THINKS FOR A SECOND, TRYING TO SALVAGE HIS PRIDE. HE CLEARS HIS THROAT, THEN NODS.

MARK MARKER

Legs, sir. Four of them.

RULER

Legs?! Four of them?!

(beat)

Exactly!

RULER LOOKS AT THE STAPLER. THE STAPLER GLANCES AROUND AND SHRUGS.

RULER (cont’d)

(looking around)

Who’s got legs?

EVERYONE LOOKS DOWN AT THEMSELVES AND AT EACH OTHER – COMPLETELY MIFFED.  THE FOUR MARKERS GROUP TOGETHER CLOSER AND STAND UP VERY STRAIGHT.

GLUE BOTTLE

Ooh-Ooh! The Markers!

SCISSORS

Ooh my, yes: Marge, Mark, Mack and Matilda!

ALL

Marge, Mark, Mack, and Matilda!

AS THEIR NAMES ARE CALLED, THEY MARKERS STEP TO EITHER SIDE OF THE CLAY BALL.

MARK MARKER

On your marks! Ready? Set! Go!!

THE FOUR MARKERS LIFT THE DINOSAUR BODY AND POSITION THEMSELVES BENEATH IT.

EVERYONE CHEERS.

RULER

(inspecting the work)

Head, body, tail, legs. Exactly! Ladies and gentlemen, we have made ourselves a-

LITTLE PINK

(shouting)

Scales!

(gently, on the Ruler’s  startled reaction)

Gotta have scales…

SCISSORS

Oh, my! Scales! How tonally exciting!

THE SCISSORS SINGS A MUSICAL SCALE.

STAPLE REMOVER

(running around)

Hmmm… Now what could we possibly use to make scales for the dinosaur?

WE PAN AROUND THE DESK. THE PAPER CLIPS STAND IN THEIR PACKET, GIGGLING.

ERASER

What’s so funny?

THE PAPER CLIPS SUDDENLY JUMP ONTO THE DINOSAUR, STICKING TO THE CCLAY WILLY-NILLY.

GLUE BOTTLE

Ooh-Ooh! Look, the paper clips are sticking to the clay. They look just like scales!

RULER

Paper clips! Exactly!

EVERYONE CHEERS. THE RULER INSPECTS THE DINOSAUR.

RULER (cont’d)

Head, body, tail, and scales! Ladies and gentle –

LITTLE PINK

Spike! Don’t forget the spikes!

LITTLE PINK RUNS TOWRDS THE DINOSAUR.

LITTLE PINK (cont’d)

(to the other Crayons)

Follow me, gang! Yeah!

LITTLE PINK ROLLS UP THE DINOSAUR’S TAIL AND BACK , AND SITS HERSELF RIGHT BEHING ITS HEAD, ALONG THE DINOSAUR’S BACK AND TAIL.

EVERYONE CHEERS.

RULER

Spikes! Exactly!

(inspecting the dinosaur)

Head, body, tail, scales and spikes!

Ladies and gentlemen! Finally!

THE STAPLER STANDS ON ITS HIND LEGS AND WHINNIES.

RULER (cont’d)

We have made ourselves a –

SCISSORS

Hold your horses, Rulerman!

THE STAPLER STANDS DOWN, CONFUSED.

RULER

Something amiss, Miss Sciss?

SCISSORS

Oh my, yes! How this lovely creature ever going to wink and sniff and sing?

THE RULER FROWNS.

SCISSORS (cont’d)

Or make a funny face?

GLUE BOTLE

A face! The dinosaur needs a face!

SCISSORS

Bingo, Big Boy!

THE SCISSORS SASHAYS OVER TO THE DINOSAUR AND POKES A COUPLE OF HOLES FOR NOSTRILS, THEN SLICES A SMILE ACROSS ITS FAC E.

SCISSORS (cont’d)

Gorgeous! Now, all he needs is a pair of peepers.

ERASER

Peepers?

GLUE BOTTLE
Eyes, Little Guy.

RULER

Eyes? Why didn’t I think of it? Anybody see and eyes?

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GROUP STAND THE TWO BUTTONS. EVERYONE LOOKS LEFT, THEN RIGHT, THEN STRAIGHT AT THE CAMERA. A BEAT OF HELPLESS SILENCE.

ERASER

What are we looking for again?

GLUE BOTTLE
Eyes, Little Guy.

ERASER

Oh… How about the Button Twins?

SCISSORS

The Button Twins! Ooh, my!

THE BUTTON TWINS TURN TO EACH OTHER, REALIZE THE ERASER’S RIGHT, AND JUMP AND SQUEAL FOR JOY.

RULER

Exactly! Buttons for eyes!

THE BUTTONS BOUNCE OVER TO THE DINOSAUR AND JUMP ONTO EACH SIDE OF ITS FACE.

EVERYONE CHEERS. THE RULER INSPECTS THE DINOSAUR.

RULER (cont’d)

(really excited)

Head, body, tail, scales, and spikes. A nose, a mouth, and eyes! Ladies and gentlemen, we have made ourselves… a dinosaur!

EVERYONE CHEERS AND WHOOPS AND HOLLERS.

SCISSORS

I knew we could do it!

RULER

I never had and inch of doubt!

SUDDENLY, THE DINOSAUR COMES TO LIFE WITH A <ROAR>. THE RULER JUMPS BACK IN FRIGHT. THE STAPLE REMOVER YELPS AND SCURRIES OFF-SCREEN. GLUE BOTTLE COWERS BEHIND THE ERASER.

GLUE BOTTLE

Oopsy!

EVERYONE HOLDS THEIR COLLECTIVE BREATH… UNTILL:

DINOSAUR

Mommy?

SCISSORS

That would be all of us, you great big hunk of clay, you!

ERASER

Me, too!

THE DINOSAUR LEANS IN AND KISSES THE ERASER, WHO INSTANTLY TURNS A DARK SHADE OF RED.

THE DINOSAUR SINGS ITS SONG AND DOEA A DANCE. EVERYONE DANCES ALONG.

RULER

Exactly! Mission accomplished! Good night, everybody!

FADE OUT. THE END