Screen writing by Owen Z. (7G)
Fade in:
A sooty factory looms above a small town, belching out smoke that blots out the sun. around it, people scurry through the streets, shirts over their faces. The entire town is a dull gray, stained with coal dust.
Camera pans into the factory, zooming through hallways until it reaches a man wheeling a cart full of coal through the tunnels. As he wheels it, he goes through a set of doors, entering a dark room, with fires burning in furnaces throughout the room, shuttling the smoke up through chimneys. People bustle between furnaces, poking at coals to keep them burning.
James (looking around, sees a friend): Heeey, Johnny!
Johnny: How’s it going, James?
James: Good, Good. How ‘bout you?
Johnny (sighing): Not great. Furnace 3 is faulty, so can you check it while I get some tools to fix it?
James (nodding): Of course. I’ll just drop this coal off and check it afterwards.
Johnny: Thank you so much! I would hug you but… (gestures to sooty clothes)
James (smiling): Anytime.
Camera follows James as he nears the faulty furnace. The furnace is dark, with half-burnt coals littering the floor around it. James walks over to the back of the furnace, where a tank of gas sits. As he prods the gas can, a billow of smoke rises into his face.
James (coughing): What in the- What is that?
The camera pans from James’ face back to the gas can, and zooms in on a hole, where a smudge of green is. James carefully pulls the green thing (plant) from the gas can and stares at it reverently.
James (whispering): What in the world?
Scene cuts to James sitting in a chair in front of a desk, behind which sits a man whose face is shrouded in shadow
James (gesturing to the plant): …And I just pulled this thing from the gas can, and here we are now.
Boss: Well, I’m glad you followed protocol and brought this to me. If it was left there, it would have caused catastrophic consequences.
James (nods): So do I just go back to my job right?
Boss: Yes. But first, we gotta do something…
Scene fades to black
James wakes up in the middle of the town, in front of the gate. The dusty town square in front of him is completely deserted, the sun is beginning to set.
James: What…What happened?
Understanding dawns upon his face.
James: They must have kicked me out…Because of the plant! Wait…But why?
James walks into a run-down motel, orders a room and walks into the room, and immediately falls asleep on the bed.
James: Now that shelter is covered, how can I get back into the plant…
Cutscene to James walking through the hallways again, heading towards a mahogany door. He opens the door, and sees the plant sitting on the desk. He grabs the plant, and begins to run. Dramatic music begins to play, and guards start to flood from the office. James puts on an innocent look, and stuffs the plant into his jacket. The guards let him walk by, and when James returns to the motel, he puts the plant into a pot, where it begins to glow green. A montage begins, with James walking all over the world, spreading cuttings of the plant, and the world grows green again. As the screen fades to black the words: “One person…Is all it takes” appear on the screen.
