A Strange Event - An Out-Of- The-Box Script (Test 1)

Monday Prompt @freewritehouse
A stranger sits down next to you on a train and gets up, leaving a package behind. Do you investigate the package?

SCENE HEADING

The scene heading is there to help break up physical spaces and give the reader and production team an idea of the story’s geography.
You will either choose INT. for interior spaces or EXT.
The train...

INT
The train is at platform 11. It is a black steam locomotive. The smoke comes out of the chimney and the contraption shakes and vibrates. The seats are covered with green velvet and there are 6 per compartment. The window is open and the smell of coal comes in. The luggage nets are empty. A train ticket lies on the table in front of the window half covered by a book with the title "What if life has no meaning?"
There are still 5 seats free. A beam of sunlight falls on the dark wooden floor.

V. O.
The old locomotive runs once a month for a limited number of passengers.

CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS

When you introduce a character in a screenplay, you want to use all-capital letters for the name of the character, then a reference to their age, and finally some information about their traits and personality.

I, Too old to be a child and too few years to be officially declared an adult. Carrying responsibility for a family is too heavy. Freedom calls just like love whispers in my ear. I found the train ticket on the street. I am not blonde, not naive and strong.

STRANGER, An elderly person wearing a trench coat and a hat that seems a size too big. Is it a he or a she? The gender is difficult to determine. The expression sought is neutral. The old age is visible in the stooped posture and the cautious steps taken. The stranger is an inconspicuous figure with whom no one will start a conversation.

ACTION

Action lines are where you describe the visual and audible actions that take place on screen.

I sits by the window and look out excitedly. It is a beautiful day. The sign for platform number 11 seems to give me a thumbs up. I see a cloud of smoke from the steam train rising into the air past the window as the train starts moving and gains speed.

An elderly person slides open the train compartment door and shuffles inside. From the doorway he looks at the empty seats before deciding to sit next to the only person present when the train departs. With a plough he falls down on the seat as a parcel rolls across the floor.

I watches the package roll across the floor and feels uncomfortable with the stranger sitting close to her he points at the package. I ignores him.

Stranger clears his throat.

DIALOGUE

Your lines of dialogue will be set underneath the character to which they are assigned. Dialogue is pretty straightforward from a formatting standpoint, but it is the most difficult part of screenwriting.

STRANGER
Are you blind young lady? Can't you see that package? I guess not because you don't react. What are you doing here alone? Those who take this train usually have something in mind.

ACTION
I looks out the window and doesn't feel cornered. There's enough room, let the old man just sits somewhere else.

The stranger coughs and nudges his neighbour and points to the package underneath a seat.

STRANGER
That package is for you.

ACTION
The journey is made in silence. At the first stop the stranger leaves the compartment. When the train starts moving again the stranger doesn't come back. I gets up, kneels in front of the seat under which the package hides and pushes it towards her. The package ticks softly as if there is an alarm clock in it.

EXTENSIONS

These occur when a character says something off-screen (O.S.), or if dialogue is voice-over (V.O.). You will see extensions when a character ends a block of dialogue, performs an action, and speaks more.

EXTENSIONS - O. S.
I hope Donnie finds my note. Did I turn off the cooker?

DIALOGUE - O. S.

I
What a strange package it doesn't weigh much. Should I open it or better not? The stranger said it's for me. I wonder why. It won't be a bomb. It rolled over the ground and nothing happened. I'll wait a little longer because what if the proverb is true and curiosity kills the cat... 4 more stops I'll decide what to do when I reach my destination.
If life has no meaning then there's nothing to lose

ACTION
I takes her seat by the window while she places the package with the yellow ribbon on the chair next to her.

TRANSITION

An effective screenplay transition can add to a script's tone, mood, and character, and helps translate exactly what is in the writer's mind

I sits with a blissful smile on her face. She travels towards freedom and looks forward to the future that she can achieve thanks to the old steam locomotive. Her mind is peaceful and she smiles.

EXTENSIONS - O. S.
Back in time is what she looks forward to and as the train moves forward she becomes younger and younger and the package is forgotten.

(open) End?

Used

source
Scene heading - INT
Characters
Action
Dialogue
Extensions - O.S.
Extensions - Dialogue - O. S.
Transition

Note: I had to deal with 1002 failures, it feels as of I am making a jigsaw. I get the idea but editing is a bit difficult so I will try something else with my next test.
Header: Canva
Translator: google
26.8.24


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