DV short entitled " Totem "  Click the title below to see the first short in the series.

    

The first script is posted below. For additional information contact 860-933-2974


Part one of TOTEM is scheduled to play at the " Arlenes Grocery picture show " an unusual festival in NYC.

I'm not sure what this means but here is how it was described........

" 256-NS TOTEM 14:00 Dir. Kevin Nicholson It’s Heathers meets Bully in a horror film that would make Clive Barker shit his pants. "

MF Gallery Saturday April 23, 2005 From 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm

For more info on the festival clivk the following link.



http://www.filmsfilmsfilms.com/index.html





Totem is a series of five to seven shorts that combine together  into one 71 minute feature length film.




Executive Producer : Stephanie Bombara

Director: Kevin Nicholson

Director of Photography : Paul Falcone  WWW.PAULFALCONE.COM

Assistant Director : Rachael Boudreau

Sound : Brian The Hippy

Production Assistant / Makeup Assistant / Costume Assistant :  Cynthia Klemm

Special thanks to the Putnam Police. Thanks Jamie.








CAST for the first TOTEM short is complete. Still casting for Parts 2 - 5.



 



CONTRACT TEMPLATE




        

PART ONE


Screenplay by Kevin Nicholson


TOTEM EXT. NIGHT

WIDE SHOT ( CRANE SHOT )

There is nothing but forest there and the strange looking wooden object almost like a totem pole with a light from two holes in it. One shines from the top through a hole. The other through a hole in face of the object. There are some large bowls being held by wooden arms in front of it.  A car approaches and slows to a stop 10 yards away.

WIDE ANGLE ON FRONT OF CAR

The hazard lights come on.  Four people get out of the car.

CUT TO:

FULL SHOT SIDE OF CAR

Paul opens the hood of the car.  Smoke pours out.  The girls look at him and each of them pulls out a respective cell phone.

CLOSE UP ON CELL PHONE THEN CUT TO CHARACTER

BETH
This is bullshit.  Mine is dead.

Sophie looks at her cell and just shakes her head.

JESSICA
Mine works.  But I don't have any service.

PAUL
Same here.  Fuck!

OVERHEAD SHOT.

Paul looks in the air and waves his cell.

PAUL
Can you hear me now?!!

MEDIUM CLOSE UP

JESSICA
This is what you get for offering to drive us home huh?

ANGLE ON PAUL

Paul nods his head.

ANGLE ON SOPHIE

Sophie looks at Paul then at Jessica.

WIDE SHOT

Beth moves to stand next to Paul.  Putting her arm around him.

MEDIUM SHOT OF BETH AND PAUL.

Paul seems a little uncomfortable.  Beth thinks a moment and looks up at Paul.

BETH
So what do we do now that the information age has failed us?

PAUL
I guess I'll keep walking back to town until I get a bar.  The battery is full.  So I'm bound to get a signal eventually.  If not it's only a few miles.  I'll be back before you know it....

Paul draws away from Beth.  Beth looks rejected. 

PAUL
You girls will be OK here.  Stay by the car.

He glances at Jessica and seems to soften just a bit.

ANGLE ON JESSICA THEN CUT BACK

Then proceeds to turn his back.  Cell phone in hand and walks back down the road.

WIDE SHOT

Jessica and Beth both watch after him.  Sophie lights up a cigarette while watching Jessica.  Beth hears the lighter crack and she walks over to Sophie.  Who already has another waiting for her.  Jessica leans back against the car and lights up a cigarette of her own.

P.O.V. JESSICA

Jessica watches Sophie and Beth who walk away from the car chatting.

MEDIUM WIDE SHOT

Jessica notices the totem and approaches it.

CUT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN JESSICA AND HER HAND TOUCHING THE TOTEM

Looking it over out of curiosity, but obviously thinking about something else.  ( Paul )

FULL SHOT

Sophie and Beth are getting louder as they talk and then Beth cries out angrily.  She breaks away from Sophie and walks quickly to Jessica.

MEDIUM CLOSE UP

BETH
" I can't believe that you slept with my boyfriend! "

ANGLE ON

Jessica turns back shocked.

MEDIUM WIDE SHOT

Sophie walks over to Beth's side.

CLOSE UP

SOPHIE
" That is so lame. I mean. I knew that you were a slut, but I never thought that you were enough of one to fuck your friends man. "

MEDIUM TWO

BETH
( turning back ) " Oh and there WILL be revenge. I promise you that. "

WIDE SHOT

Jessica stands with her head looking down. Upset and angry. At the word " promise " she snaps her head up and walks face to face with beth.

CLOSE UP- SIDE OF BOTH HEADS.

JESSICA
" Look I admit it. I am a slut. I got drunk and didn't say no. It's no excuse, but I can't take it back.  I'm not diseased and I'm not trying to steal YOUR man. Just let it go."  ( Turning to Sophie ) " and we were never friends. Just acquaintances."  ( Turning back to Beth )  " Be pissed at me if you want. For as long as you want. If you want to get over it and start over. I'm open to it. Until then take some time to calm down. "

CLOSE UP

She looks at both of them.

CLOSE UP- SIDE OF BOTH HEADS

Beth blows smoke in her face.

JESSICA
" I'll see you later "
(She heads in the direction not taken by Paul)

WIDE SHOT

She starts walking away slowly.

MEDIUM TWO

Beth looks at Sophie. Sophie smirks.

SOPHIE
" You want revenge? "

BETH
" What do you think?! "

CLOSE UP SIDE OF FACE

She arches an eyebrow.

CLOSE UP

BETH
" What did you have in mind? "

MEDIUM TWO

Sophie raises her finger to wait.

BACK TO SCENE - WIDE

She looks over at Jessica walking slowly down the road.

SOPHIE
My ex boyfriend and his friends used to hang out by the totem.  We all did.  We used to get stoned and watch the light.  Well they started messing with it.

Beth looks at her impatiently.  Sophie sees this.

SOPHIE
Just watch then.  You'll see.

WIDE SHOT

She walks over to the side of the road an picks up a large rock. Brings it to the totem and hurls it the bowl.

CLOSE UP - SLOW MOTION

Water splashes out of it the lights waver.

WIDE SHOT

Sophie walks back to the side of Beth who has a puzzled look on her face.

CLOSE UP

SOPHIE
" Just follow my lead. Don't say anything if you don't have to. "

CLOSE UP

BETH
" Why? How is that going to get me revenge? "

WIDE SHOT

Just then smoke rolls in from the forest.

MEDIUM TWO

They hear a noise and look at the blinking yellow car lights.

CLOSE UP - BLINKING LIGHT. ZOOM SLOW.

The clicking of the blinking grows louder. Then a drum is heard. A drum beat from the distance and getting closer. Drumming to the blink of the light.

CUT-TO - SLOW ZOOM. SHE TURNS INTO SHOT

Jessica hears the noise. She stops and turns around. We can see her contemplating going back, she waves the thought away and turns walking away again.

WIDE SHOT

Lights appear streaming through the smoke from one side of the road. The drumming grows A painted man leaps onto the street.

ANGLE ON TOFU THEN CUT TO BETH.

0Beth is a little scared.

WIDE SHOT ( LADDER HAND HELD SHOT )

Sophie walks towards the man. Pointing down the road at Jessica.

MEDIUM SHOT TRACKING

SOPHIE
" She did it. It was her! "

MEDIUM CLOSE UP

The man looks at her with wide eyes. Then cranes his neck down the road towards Jessica.

CUT TO WIDE OF JESSICA WALKING.

The drum grows louder.

MEDIUM WIDE SHOT

Jessica is startled by a man and a woman. Both painted oddly tribal.  The woman with pointed ears.

MEDIUM TWO SHOT

The woman holds a glowing crystal. Both move slowly with flowing movement. Almost dance like.

MEDIUM SHOT

The woman makes a motion with the crystal( Cut to Cu of Jessica before flash ) and a bright flash follows.

CUT TO:

PULL BACK TO WIDE

Jessica looks around to see herself at the blinking hazard lights of the car. The drumbeat stops for a moment.  There is a moment of silence.

MEDIUM TWO PANNING LEFT TO RIGHT AS NYSSA MOVES AROUND JESSICA

MYSSA looks Jessica up and down in an appreciative but sorry manner.

NYSSA
Such a shame.  We could have had such fun.

NYSSA runs out of frame.  The drumbeat returns.

MEDIUM WIDE SHOT TRACKING

Nyssa strides back into the fog shaking her head.  The others bow as she passes.

CLOSE UP

TOFU
" Why would you defile our totem? "

SIFU
" You will be punished. "

EXTREME CLOSE UP

GINSU
" Punished "

MEDIUM SHOT / CLOSE UP ON SHOULDER

Ginsu leans over and touches her shoulder.  His Drool hits the ground.  ( BEER for Sparky ) 

MEDIUM TWO

Jessica reacts to this burning touch and draws away.  Startled by the pain.

CLOSE UP ON EYES

Her eyes widen.

P.O.V. GINSU

Sifu appears behind her. A bright flash and Jessica stumbles forward.

WIDE SHOT

Tofu catches her and spits at her. Jessica collapses into a ball of sickly pain.

MEDIUM TWO

Beth and Sophie look on. Sophie with a smug satisfaction and Beth with wide eyed amusement As well as a bewildered smirk on her face.

CLOSE UP

JESSICA
" What did I do? "

The beating stops for a moment.

MEDIUM WIDE SHOT

Sophie steps forward and yells.

SOPHIE
" You defiled their totem!! "

Sophie walks in between the painted people and scratches at her with her nails. Putting a gash in forehead.

( Make up )

Jessica backs into Ginsu who holds her shoulders with a firm grip.

JESSICA
" I didn't defile anything! "

She looks over at Tofu and Sifu.

MEDIUM TWO

They look at each other puzzled.

TOFU
" She saw you. " ( pointing at Sophie. )

MEDIUM TWO

Sophie looks back at Jessica calmly with a smarmy look on her face.

MEDIUM WIDE SHOT

Tofu steps towards as if to strike again.

JESSICA
" She's lying ! "

CLOSE UP

Tofu stops and cranes his neck back at Ginsu.

MEDIUM CLOSE UP

SOPHIE
" I am not. She defiled the totem! "

MEDIUM WIDE SHOT WITH TOTEM IN BACKGROUND.

Ginsu looks at the totem.

CLOSE UP ON JESSICA - CUT TO SOPHIE AND CAMERA FOLLOWS TO BETH.

Tofu looks at Jessica and then at Sophie and Beth. Beth nods in affirmation of Jessica's guilt.

CLOSE UP

Ginsu looks back at Jessica and into her eyes.

TIGHT CLOSE UP ON EYES.

GINSU
" Foli ! "

MEDIUM WIDE SHOT

There is another flash and a shadow falls in between the car and Tofu.

P.O.V. JESSICA

A silhouette is all that can be seen.  Nyssa walks forward from the light.

FOLI
" Turn her towards the light.

Ginzu turns her towards the light. She looks open eyed.

FOLI
" Why would this one lie? "

CLOSE UP

Realization dawns on Jessica.

JESSICA
" I slept with her friends man. "

P.O.V. JESSICA

Nyssa can be seen looking back to Foli.

WIDE SHOT

Sophie stomps towards the light screaming.

SOPHIE
" She defiled the totem! She must be punished! "

CLOSE UP

NYSSA
" Insolent! "

CLOSE UP CRYSTAL

Nyssa holds up the crystal towards the approaching Sophie.

MEDIUM CLOSE UP 

Sophie drops to the ground as if the strength were just sapped from her.

ANGLE ON

Jessica looks at Sophie and Nyssa.  Then back into the light. A hopeful look on her face.

FOLI O.S.
" I see fear in you girl. The fear I understand. The regret I see belies truth. "

ANGLE ON SOPHIE THEN CUT TO BETH

FOLI O.S.
" What I see in these two is anger and anger kindles lies. "

CLOSE UP BETH / CUT TO MEDIUM WIDE

Beth's expression changes to fear. Then weakness. She collapses.

WIDE SHOT ON NYSSA AND GINSU

NYSSA
" I apologize for your pain. The three are easily swayed by rage themselves. It is their nature to react. Not to think. "

MEDIUM SHOT / CUT TO MEDIUM SHOT OF JESSICA HITTING THE GROUND.

Ginzu releases Jessica and she falls to her knees.

FOLI O.S.
" How would you punish them for your pain? "

CLOSE UP

JESSICA
" I just want to go. I never wanted to hurt anyone. "

MEDIUM TWO FOLLOWING NYSSA FROM BEHIND PANNING RIGHT TO LEFT.

NYSSA
" From what I have seen here. It seems that you seek pleasure
(Nyssa strokes her clevage while speaking and walking ( Cut into cleavage))
And that pleasure angered.  A shame. 
(She seems to telepathicly talk to  Sifu and then looks back to Jessica)
Go to him. "

WIDE SHOT

Jessica stands and walks towards the light.

MEDIUM TWO SHOT SIDE. THEN CU ON HANDS EXCHANGING ITEM. THEN BACK TO JESSICA'S FACE.

She is handed a small necklace with a small charm at the end of it..

FOLI O.S.
Wear this for a moons cycle. When that time passes. I will attempt to compensate you for this injustice...  I will deal with the others... fairly.  .....Goodbye.

CLOSE UP / THEN CUT TO WIDE

The light fades away and Jessica turns to see that all have left.

MEDIUM SHOT

She looks at the necklace in her hand and puts it on.  A moment after she does so, the scar on her forehead heals instantly.

CUT TO JESSICA TURNING AROUND.

She looks at the blinking yellow car lights.

WIDE SHOT

She starts to walk away again, but stops.

MEDIUM SHOT

She turns to the totem. She thinks a moment and walks to it

JESSICA P.O.V.

Looking it over. She sees a large rock in large wooden bowl. She picks it up slowly with both hands and water drips back into the bowl. She watches the dripping a moment. Then turns the rock in her hand.

WIDE SHOT

She proceeds down the road.

Light returns to the totem, but she never turns back.

FULL SHOT NIGHT

Once she is out of shot a car drives by. Slows down to look at the car with the hazards on.  Then continues down the road.