Goofballs/April 14, 2015

Screenplay
SCENE 1

EXT. SEPTEM CITY - ENTRANCE

The entrance to Septem City stands at the top of a large hill, with a pathway running down either side, the one past the entrance leading to the city.

A sign reads “SEPTEM CITY / Population a lot” in front of the entrance.

Slowly zoom into the entrance to reveal more of the city.

DA NERD (V.O.) This is Septem City, a place for teens, ruled by teens, and where the 2 most exciting and/or uneventful and best and/or worst years of my life took place. (beat) I’ll explain.

PULL DOWN TO:

EXT. SEPTEM CITY - FOUNDING PERIOD - SEPTEM HILL

In a much older Septem City, the three founders, ARRE, FINN and WRITER, plant a flag on top of Septem Hill to mark the city’s founding. They all back up and stand proudly at it, while a crowd beneath them cheers.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) It all started when the city was founded. The founders, Arre, Finn and Writer – yes, that’s their real names – founded the city in the name of seven.

Pan up to reveal the flag showing a large 7.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) No one knows where or why, but

PULL DOWN TO:

INT. SEPTEM CITY - ANCIENT - CAVE

A cave, lit by a single torch, shows many drawings and scribbles from ancient times.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) even in ancient times of the land where the city would once be, there’s always been some sort of obsession with that number.

Pan over to reveal a drawing more lit than the others of a 7.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) Everyone just accepted it, and it was never questioned or spoken of.

PULL RIGHT TWICE TO:

EXT. CITY HALL - ENTRANCE

Pull right repeatedly through generations of City Hall leaders standing in front of the City Hall building, also getting a renovation each generation.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) The city was then passed down through generations until it ended up at Violet.

Stop pulling right; a 12-year-old VIOLET, alone, stands unsurely in front of the City Hall building.

Zoom out a little to reveal a huge crowd standing and cheering below her.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) It wasn’t much of a problem that she was only 12 when the city was handed down to her, since all the previous leaders had started out as teenagers. However, Violet needed some help, as, surprisingly, running a city takes some work. So, she consulted a few of her friends,

FLASH TO:

EXT. CITY HALL - ENTRANCE

Violet, BOB, WILLIAM and JASON stand proudly on top of the City Hall building. Slow zoom out.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) and the bunch soon became known as the leaders of City Hall.

Accelerate zoom out, soon reveal streets of Septem City, zoom out further through the city entrance. Slow down, start to pan up and zoom out.

A sunset fills the sky with dimming colors. Stop camera motion.

TEXT: EXHILARATION ANIMATION presents TEXT: in association with SBFW

Fall down slightly.

TEXT: Various opening credits

The top of a tree appears in the corner of POV, etc., continue falling down with each credit.

End opening sequence.

Fade to black.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) However, with every obsession, there’s rebellion.

EXT. CITY HALL - ESTABLISHING - NIGHTTIME

Late at night, a mob of rebellion stands outside of City Hall, with only their torches lighting up the area. Many of them hold signs with 8 on them, and other symbols of hatred towards seven.

MOB (chanting) Eight! Eight! Eight! Eight! Eight! Eight! Eight! Eight!

Soon, the four City Hall leaders step outside, Violet, Bob and William dressed in pyjamas, while Jason is in a casual t-shirt and jeans. It doesn’t take long for them to notice the difference, and the three look at the odd one out strangely.

JASON What?

Violet steps towards the mob and tries to get them to settle down through arm and hand gestures. Eventually, this does get the mob to quiet, and only the flame of the torches are heard.

VIOLET (yelling) Alright, what the hell is going on here?

The supposed leader of the mob steps forward and approaches Violet.

PERSON #1 (with British accent) Please allow me to explain. You see--

Violet shoves the person to the ground in quick self-defense.

VIOLET Does anyone want to explain why there’s an angry mob here at (checks watch) 3 in the morning yelling and rioting?

The person struggles to get up.

PERSON #1 (still with British accent) I was... just about to... That was kinda rude, actually.

WILLIAM (leans to Bob) Why is she wearing a watch?

VIOLET And also, (stops yelling) what’s with the eights? I’m confused.

PERSON #2 (yells from mob) It’s rebellion! We’ve had it with the whole seven thing!

VIOLET What?

Bob steps forward.

BOB Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You don’t just “have it” with the seven thing.

WILLIAM Yeah!

BOB The seven thing’s, like, our thing!

PERSON #3 That’s why it’s called rebellion!

PERSON #2 Yeah!-- Well, actually no, there’s probably a way different reason why the term is called rebellion, but yes, that is what we’re doing, it’s the act of rebellion. (beat) Yeah. PERSON #4 Well, I mean, maybe what he meant was that what we’re doing right now is in fact called rebellion; that is the name of the act that we’re currently committing.

PERSON #2 Well, yeah, but us being in favor of eight rather than seven isn’t why it’s called rebellion, it’s-- wait, yeah it is, I’m sorry, you’re right. What we’re doing right now is called rebellion because of--

PERSON #3 Oh, my God, guys, just get them!

The mob sprint towards the City Hall building. The four leaders see this and rush to get in before they do, and, just making it in time, block the door with their bodies. The mob continues to try to break in.

Violet nods towards the coatrack to the side of the door, and Bob moves from his spot to move it over. The three make up for it by taking up more space than they were before, and Bob brings the coatrack over to the other three. They carefully move the coatrack so it holds the doorknob.

JASON It’s not gonna hold.

VIOLET I got an idea. Guys, help me block the door with these tables and I’ll try to think of an idea.

BOB Got it.

The four block the door with the 2 tables standing in the lobby.

It holds for a second, but suddenly, the door breaks down. A member of the mob holds another member as a battering ram, then puts him down. The four back behind the front desk. The broken down door gives the entire mob a chance to run in and vandalize everything.

The four crouch down, both so they won’t be seen and also to avoid impact from surrounding debris flying.

WILLIAM Great plan, Violet.

VIOLET Well, I didn’t know that was going to happen!

BOB Well, what do we do now?

VIOLET Now... we wait.

JASON For what?

VIOLET For a way to get out of here.

The four continue to crouch down as the surrounding mob continue to break everything and spray paint 8s everywhere.

DA NERD (V.O., CONT’D) And thus, the rebellion of the eights was born. Now, this wasn’t just some small “screw you, we wanna be different” thing, no -- this started war.

(beat) Like, actually war.

EXT. CITY HALL - WAR - ESTABLISHING

The crumbling City Hall building stands in the middle of a chaotic Septem City, the Sevens taking shelter there, and the Eights elsewhere. To mark the territory, a large Septem City flag stands out front.

EXT. EIGHTS’ BASE - WAR - ESTABLISHING

A larger but also crumbling building with a Septem City flag with the 7 scribbled over and an 8 written in ink on the side standing out front serves as the base for the Eights, probably taken from a pre-war shop.

A soldier stands by a cannon aimed away from the building. He turns to face the General behind him.

EIGHT SOLDIER #1 Locked and loaded.

EIGHT GENERAL Fire!

The first shot fires from the cannon.

EXT. CITY HALL

The shot takes out a small part of the north-east flank of the Sevens’ base.

BOB (from impact) Oh-- God.

WILLIAM Well, what do we do now?

VIOLET We fight back.

JASON With what?

VIOLET (dramatic pause, zoom in)

(dramatically whispers) Seven.

BOB (dramatically whispers) Dun-dun-dun. EXT. EIGHTS’ BASE

A few soldiers converse outside the base when suddenly, they run inside to brace for impact.

A large flaming 7 crashes down on the base, almost completely destroying it.

EIGHT GENERAL What the--!?

EIGHT SOLDIER #2 What now, sir?

EIGHT GENERAL They want a battle... we’re gonna give them a war.

Pause for dramatic flourish.

EIGHT SOLDIER #2 But... but sir... we already are in a war.

EIGHT GENERAL Why don’t you shut up, you cocky little--

Another smaller flaming 7 crashes down on the base, taking out what was left.

EIGHT GENERAL (awkwardly nonchalant) Oh, God. (beat) Um...

Another soldier rolls out 3 huge cannons.

EIGHT SOLDIER #2 Oh, that’ll work.

EIGHT SOLDIER #3 Yeah, (chuckles) I know.

The soldier readies the cannons for fire by taking out huge 8-shaped cannonballs and loading them. EIGHT SOLDIER #3 Fire!

The soldier pulls down a long rope (from where?) and all 3 cannons fire at once.

EXT. CITY HALL

The four see the large 8s coming at them.

WILLIAM Wwwwelp.

Two of the 8s obliterate the base.

BOB Well, there goes our base.

VIOLET Come on, let’s find another one.

The four run off.

EXT. EIGHTS’ BASE OR ACTUALLY NOT SO MUCH A BASE ANYMORE BUT A PILE OF RUBBLE

EIGHT SOLDIER #1 Guys, we should go find another base.

Pan over to see the crumbled City Hall building feet away with its four leaders steps away from it.

VIOLET (outraged) Dude, we literally just said that.

EIGHT SOLDIER #1 (puts hands up) Sorry!

EXT. SEPTEM CITY - WAR - ESTABLISHING - BIRDSEYE

The two sides of the war frantically search for a base, trying to find anything that could qualify before the other side.

Suddenly, the Sevens find a huge mansion whose sign suggests it once belonged to “A Really Rich Guy”.

VIOLET This mansion must have belonged to A Really Rich Guy.

BOB Yeah, I know, right? Come on. (hand gesture to go inside)

The Sevens get inside, but alas, the other cannonball that had been a little far off aim destroys the mansion.

JASON Okay, I assume we’re scratching here off the list then?

WILLIAM Alright, come on, let’s find a base before another “stray cannonball” takes out every building in the city.

EXT. MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

The Eights have not been too successful in their search either. They eventually get lost in the middle of nowhere, and take a breather.

EIGHT GENERAL (kneels from exhaustion) Alright, let’s just rest for a while, then we’ll continue our search. I mean, it’s not like those Sevens can find us when we’re here, right?

(beat) Wait a minute. (stands back up) This could be our base! Oh, this is perfect! They’ll never find us here. (beat) Wait, but that means we can’t find them either.

The Eights sit in the middle of nowhere, exhausted from endless search, speechless.

EXT. SEVENS’ OTHER BASE

The Sevens eventually find shelter in an old building. Conveniently, it used to be a convenience store, conveniently named Seven-Mart. How convenient. Taking advantage of this convenience, Violet takes down the “-MART” block letters from the store’s title, and even more conveniently, since it used to be a convenience store, the building conveniently has everything the Sevens need, food, water, lumber, milk, etc.

The Sevens go inside and immediately begin racking up supplies.

BOB Huh. Haven’t heard anything from the Eights in a while.

William nearby, carrying a board of lumber, stops walking and and glares at Bob, then knocks on the wood thrice. He then continues walking.