Law of the Wood [9]
An Original Motion Picture - Script
Third Revision
Written by: L T Hunter
[Fade in: Wide-angle of mountain-side just above treeline,
helicopter in the distance approaching, winterscape,
a crystal clear blue sky, man out on the skid looking up.]
Narrative:
After my apprentice was orphaned. The only comfort he could find was his bottle. Like most babies, he cried often and loud, being the wetted diaper all about how all the world had wronged him.
[Cut: Chase camera, from same elevation, slightly above the large
forboding electrical power line tower, it’s three huge cables
illuminated ghostly with a luminescent glow called a corona effect.
Reaching out from the skid, the man touches a wand to the wire.
As he does, a huge arc of electricity jumps to the wand.
Holding the wand to the surface of the wire, he takes a
spring-loaded clamp, with a wire attached to the helicopter,
and connects the clamp to the wire. Now the helicopter and
the powerline are both energized at the same energy level.
As he does, the helicopter, and the skid starts to glow.
The following narratives are his thoughts on an old apprentice.]
Narrative:
Although talented, just being clever wasn’t enough for other grown men to pamper him, especially on a crew. So he got fired. Many times. An outcast, he ran, as far away as he could from home; he ended up working in the city that never sleeps. Going from job to job with the frequency of a cheap HAM radio, he burned every bridge there too.
[Cut: Three-quarter view from below, showing how high off
the ground the helicopter is and that the powerline is
actually moving in the wind. So is the pilot, matching the
oscillations in the wire, gently swaying back and forth like
a cork, on a ripple of the pond.]
Narrative:
All too soon he discovered the truth behind the Inuit fable about being trapped on the wrong side of the river. Living on the streets, he ended up working wherever he could. Then he turned to drugs, finding a far more cruel employer.
[Cut: The helicopter continues to hover. The man on the skid takes
the wand back to the line, then disconnects the clamp returning
it to its place on the helicopter. Slowly the helicopter
moves away, and as this happens the man on the skid removes
the wand, as the arc forms again until it is broken by the
distance away from the wire. The helicopter gains momentum
and travels along the line at a clip to the next problem area,
down the hill and up along the next ridge. All the while the
man on the skid stares at the line, inspecting it for failures.
They can see damage along the three runs of powerline as the
glow sometimes to gets brighter where there are problems.]
Narrative:
As justice, love, and luck tend to be blind, his trials put him on an unusual trail. One of his long-time friends discovered him in a shelter. In turn, they both found their way into the world of guerrilla marketing. Although the pay wasn’t much, it was the excitement that drove his ambitions. It became his new hunger. [Editor note: only one solid verified link]
[Cut: The helicopter catches a gust. Veers within inches.
the rotors hiss slightly at a higher pitch. The pilot gives a small
however, reassuring guesture, and with a nod the man on the skid goes
back to where he left off.]
Narrative:
But it would be short lived. The world had changed. Since an age of fear had taken hold over the big city, crimes rocked many places; most read these stunts as more than a prank with sinister intentions. The law got involved, during some antics working for a local cable network, while promoting his favorite cartoons. This time he had gotten in trouble with the government. The thrill ended. Now he was hunted.
[Cut: Camera directly overhead, looking straight down. From beneath
the spinning blades of the helicopter, a pack of wolves can be seen
running full-tilt across the path cut in the wilderness tower-line.
The last wolf running at a slight distance behind the pack, looks
up as the man on the skid looks down.]
Narrative:
It was serious too. He was very scared. However, before he could be arrested, he ran again, this time for more familiar woods, back home. I gave him a place to stay for a few days, some camping gear, and never saw him again. I often think I could have done more. I guess for some, the only lesson that matters comes through mother nature and father time. The proverb still comes to mind, about he that is standing, beware not to fall.
[Cut: Side view, wide-angle from within the helicopter. Pilot in
the frame of the camera angle gives quick thumbs up. They nod.
The helicopter, pitches forward, the man leans back a bit as
this small craft gathers speed heading in. The pilot guestures
to his hand, pointing at a non-existant wrist watch. They nod at
each other in some non-verbal aggreement.]
Narrative:
I look at it all differently. My perspective is from this skid. Now fear, that’s the real issue, I guess. If I were only thinking about the fall, or scared of the heights, I’d quit thinking about my grip. The minute I don’t trust my tools, or get worried needlessly, I lose balance, or worse. And for some, fear itself is a one-way trip. But I’ve rambled long enough. I’m late for dinner, and if I don’t call, my wife will be angry. I love her enough, not to scare her.
[The helicopter blades nearly spun all the way down. The man on the pad looking
toward two men running, across the yard. The mechanic goes about his task re-fueling
the helicopter guesturing over to the pilot to pay him some money which the pilot
takes from his zippered chest pocket.]
Foreman:
“You’re whistle-bit. Any problems with the line Mr. Wolf? How was the set?”
Journeyman:
“No problems BOSS, could’ve done it blind-folded.”
Foreman:
“Hey some guy called the office for you, wanted to know about that old squeak you had…”
Journeyman:
“I’ve had many, which one?”
Foreman:
“Dunno, I put the number in your new phone. Try not to drop this one.”
Journeyman:
“Thanks.”
Foreman:
“Have a good week-end. Make sure to call your lady.”
Journeyman:
“I always do.”
________________________________________________End of Scene
