———–<.thom.>———–
THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT
a puppet play in many parts
Season 6, Episode 9
by Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2025 jason arcand
———–<:type:>———–
FADE IN
From the center of a blank screen scrolls upward rapidly the following text: “06-09”. It enters from the bottom of the frame and moves up, pausing in the center before continuing upward. It exits through the top of the frame.
FADE OUT
FADE IN
GRIGIO COLORI
(voice-over) “Fade-in to exterior of the Unroom Not.Seven. Long shot of the revolving door to the unroom Not Dot Seven.”
FADE IN
EXT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN’S REVOLVING DOORWAY, TWIXTLIGHT
LS OF THE REVOLVING DOOR
The revolving door entryway to the Unroom Not.Seven sits center. The wall it is built into is not visible, giving the doorway the illusion of free standing. A bright round globe is attached to the invisible wall above the revolving door. The door itself is a cross shaped revolving door, made from two lines crossing at ninety-degree angles on a central round pipe. There are four sections in the door allowing up to four people to use the door at one time. Each section is glass panel with a horizontal hand hold or push bar mid-center. Above the push bar painted on the glass is the following symbol: “ .7 ”. The bottom of each interior glass panel has a rubber skirt. Semi-circular glass enclosures wing out from either side of the doorway. There is enough space between them to allow one person using the doorway to exit or enter at a time.
GRIGIO COLORI
(voice-over) “Pan inward from outside the Unroom to inside to the Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage through a series of cuts.”
The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING drifts through the doorway.
TRANSITION FROM THE DOORWAY TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE
PAN IN TOWARDS THE DOORWAY AND THEN INTO THE UNROOM NOT.SEVEN THROUGH A SERIES OF CUTS. EACH CUT IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SOFT SOUND OF A PIECE OF PAPER BEING DRAGGED ACROSS ANOTHER.
INT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN, TWIXTLIGHT
The unroom Not.Seven is a room of indeterminable size. In front of the doorway are semi-circular rows of grey carpet squares. They radiate out from a wooden disc sitting near a possible center of the space. The TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE sits on the wooden disc, facing towards the grey carpet squares. The entire scene is softly illuminated by spindly metallic lamps at the end of the rows. The lamp’s cords snake off into the distance, of which you wonder the distance.
LS OF THE UNROOM FROM JUST INSIDE THE DOORWAY
PAN IN TO THE MID-STAGE AREA OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE THROUGH A SERIES OF CUTS. PAN IN UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE. EACH CUT IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE MODERATE SOUND OF A PIECE OF PAPER BEING DRAGGED ACROSS ANOTHER.
MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The Mid-stage curtains part, and the stage-lights turn on with THE LOUDER SOUND OF A PIECE OF PAPER BEING DRAGGED ACROSS ANOTHER and also A CLICK OF A LIGHSWITCH TURNING ON, revealing…
MID-STAGE: A STACK OF PAPERS
CS OF A STACK OF PAPERS.
A tall stack of cells or paper illustrations for Ophidia Operahouse’s short film sit before the camera. From stage-left, THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S fingers come into view and grab the top sheet. They drag and lift the top sheet out of the frame. It makes the PAPER SCRAPING ACROSS PAPER sound we have been hearing before now.
CUT TO
MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIO, DAYTIME
A long desk runs across the stage while a drawing desk sits behind the long desk. On the long desk is a computer monitor, small desktop, keyboard, mouse, a scanner, a bin, and a large stack of papers. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the desk moving pages from the stack of papers to the scanner. Thomas leans over grabbing the top page from a stack of papers to the side of the computer. He opens the scanner lid and places the paper inside. After closing the lid, he fiddles with the computer. The HUM AND WHIR of the scanner activating goes out. Thomas opens the scanner lid when it finishes. He removes the sheet of paper and places it in a bin to the opposite side of the desk. Behind him sits OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE at the second desk. It is an animator’s desk with full light table. Various pencils and squares and drawing guides sit on top of the desk. To her side is a shelf of pull-out bins. Various papers and extra drawing materials fill the bins. Ophidia focuses on her drawing, leaning over to finish a drawing while Thomas scans. As he scans his third piece of paper, Ophidia stretches in her chair. She gets up and walks behind Thomas, tenderly placing her hands on his shoulders. He reaches up one hand, the one not using the computer mouse, and places it on top of her hand.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“I’m going to stretch my legs and get a snack. You want anything?”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Something to drink would be nice, if your offering.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Oh, I am offering.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(looking at Ophidia) “Then I am accepting.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Be right back then.” “Then I’ll be right back. “Be right back.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Okay.”
Ophidia exits stage-right. Thomas puts away the sheet he is currently scanning and reaches for a new one.
TRANSITION FROM THE MID-STAGE TO THE HIGH-STAGE
THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE AND PANS UPWARD. IT GLIDES UP AND OVER THE SETS, GLIDES OVER THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, UPWARD AND UPWARD. ONCE IT REACHES THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS AND THE HIGH-STAGE LOCATED THERE, IT STOPS PANNING WHEN PROPERLY FRAMING HIGH-STAGE.
HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-Stage curtains open then the stage-lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON revealing…
HIGH-STAGE: INT. PANACEA FLAUTO’S OFFICE IN THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, EARLY EVENING.
Panacea’s office is a desk sitting in the middle of the stage with the back walls lined by filing cabinets of various heights. On top of each filing cabinet are multiple stacks of books and papers. Crammed between the stacks of books, in any open spaces are various rolled up medical charts, boxes, and medical equipment. There is one succulent emerging from the filing cabinets on the stage-left, its long leaves dropping out causing a splash of color in the office. Panacea’s desk is a large metal affair, covered in stacks of medical charts and paperwork. Two spare Med-scanners sit on the side of the desk amidst a collection of empty coffee cups. PANACEA FLAUTO sits at her desk, feet propped up, reading through a stack of files. She has a small black and white Vid-screen, in an antiquated case, sitting on top of the files in one of the pulled out filing cabinet drawers. The Vid-Screen is on but not actually set to a channel yet. It is displaying a static snow signal. There is a KNOCK ON THE DOOR from off-stage.
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Who is it?”
CEDAR WAXWINGS
(off-screen) “Cedar.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Oh, come on in.”
Panacea puts the folder away and starts to move the paperwork from her desk. CEDAR WAXWINGS, inside a Medi-pod, rolls into the room from stage-right. He enters holding a bag of food from the ship’s cafeteria.
CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I didn’t know which salad you preferred so I got both. Sorry if that is a problem.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“That’s no problem. That was nice of you.”
Cedar sets the bag on the desk. Panacea reaches into the bag and pulls out two containers of salad and two cans of Nutri-Soda. She reads the labels on both salads and picks one.
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Did you grab any napkins.”
CEDAR WAXWINGS
“No, sorry. Was I suppose to?”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“That’s okay. I’ve got some in my desk.”
CEDAR WAXWINGS
“From all your desk dinners.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Hey, I have a lot of paperwork with this job.”
CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I can see that.”
Cedar holds up his hands in mock surrender. Panacea shakes her head but smiles. She reaches into a drawer and pulls out some napkins. She then turns to the Vid-screen and turns to Channel 200 “The Bird House”. The title credits for the movie “North by North by Northwest” play across the screen.
CEDAR WAXWINGS
(while trying to grab the other salad off the table) “So what’s on tonight?”
Panacea pushes the other salad to the edge of the desk, so as to be closer to Cedar’s reach. Cedar is then able to pick up the salad container.
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Soap Bubble Medical Theatre is on hiatus this week, so I thought we’d watch this oldie, North by North by Northwest. Ever seen it?”
CEDAR WAXWINGS
(pouring salad container into a drawer that opened on the front of his Medi-pod) “No, what is it about”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“It is about a young boy who decides to travel the world looking for new parents but is mistaken for a spy and pursued by shadowy agents.”
CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Sounds interesting.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“It is. Just watch and you’ll see.”
They turn towards the Vid-screen as the opening sequence for “North by North by Northwest” plays.
NORTH BY NORTH BY NORTHWEST OPENING SEQUENCE:
INT. ATTIC PLAYROOM, DAWN
Open on a nondescript Attic that has been converted to a children’s playroom. The rafters have been covered in a medium-dark paneling with a the top half painted in white to increase the feeling of openness in the space. Green vines and leaves are hand painted along the edges of the white painted areas to add a soothing decorative element. A window is situated at each end of the playroom. The window facing the dawn has shafts of sunlight pouring through it, illuminating strips of the room. A short table with a train set sits in the center of the space. Around the room, various toy vehicles sit scattered among various buildings made of building-block toys. The selection of toys and buildings can vary but there will need to be a cab, a commercial plane, a crop-duster prop plane, a bicycle, a dogsled, a car, a cruise ship, a skyscraper with reflective windows, Mount Rushmore, a country manor, a mall, an igloo, and a hotel.
PROGRESS THROUGH A MONTAGE OF CLOSE-SHOTS OF THE TRAIN AND THE SPECIFIED TOYS AND BUILDING MODELS. EACH SHOT DISSOLVES INTO THE NEXT. END THE SEQUENCE ON AN ANGLED SHOT OF THE SKYSCRAPER.
MATCH DISSOLVE FROM THE IMAGE OF THE MODEL SKYSCRAPER TO A SHOT OF AN ACTUAL SKYSCRAPER. THE PLACEMENTS AND ANGLES OF THE WINDOWS NEED TO BE THE SAME BETWEEN THE MODEL AND THE REAL BUILDING. THE FIRST DETAIL TO COME IN WILL BE THE REFLECTION OF TRAFFIC IN THE WINDOWS. ONCE THE DISSOLVE COMPLETES HOLD THE SHOT TO SHOW THE TRAFFIC AND COMMUTERS IN THE STREET SCUTTLING BY.
CUT TO
EXT. HITCHLEH REIBEL CITY, RUSHHOUR
Hitchleh Reibel City is a large metropolitan city in the midst of rushhour. Countless people are getting off work and heading home for the day. They flood out of buildings at the heart of city, that stab at clouds, to huddle in buses, subways, cabs and cars that flow through routes branching like veins. The oxygen is leaving the city to be distributed to the outlying districts.
PROGRESS THROUGH A MONTAGE OF SHOTS OF PEOPLE LEAVING BUILDINGS, WALKING IN LARGE GROUPS DOWN STREETS, GETTING ONTO BUSES, GETTING ONTO SUBWAYS, GETTING INTO CABS, AND GETTING INTO TRAINS.
CUT TO CRANE SHOT OF GRANTWOOD AVE
NORTH NORTHERLY, a young child of around eleven dressed in a youth ice hockey uniform, is walking down the street.
IRIS IN ON NORTH NORTHERLY
CUT TO A MONTAGE OF NORTH NORTHERLY WALKING ACROSS VARIOUS STREETS AND BRIDGES AND PATHS IN THE CITY AS HE MAKES HIS WAY TO…
INT. THE ROSE & COMPASS MALL, DAYTIME
The Rose & Compass Mall is a large multi-story mall. Glass lined ceilings overlook three levels of shopping. Tiled floors lead to small landscaping beds, tranquil fountains, and a sensible layout of escalators.
FOLLOW NORTH WALKING ACROSS THE MALL TO THE MESSAGE CHAIRS THROUGH A SERIES OF MEDIUM SHOT AND LONG SHOT CUTS.
The Message Chair section of the mall is near the end of one wing of the Rose & Compass Mall. It is located in the common area outside the Old Timerz achor store. On one side can be seen a Skolnic’s Ice Crem Sandwich Parlor, a Huskyberry clothes store, a couple Satelite Soda vending machines and a few benches. The Messaging Chair section itself has four messaging chairs with accompanying coin operation slots. Three of the chairs are occupied by SOUTH SOUTHERLY, WEST WESTERLY, and EAST EARLY. South is a young girl of around ten dressed in a little league baseball uniform. West is a young boy of around ten dressed in a youth football uniform. East is a young boy of around nine dressed in a youth track outfit. They are all in the middle of a circle of chair messages. North walks up, puts some money in the unoccupied chair, and then sits down. The chair starts to shift and then vibrate as the messaging mechanisms kick in.
NORTH NORTHERLY
“Oh, I needed this.”
SOUTH SOUTHERLY
“Tell me about it. I had the worst day.”
WEST SOUTHERLY
“Sorry, but no way you had the worst. I had the worst.”
EAST EARLY
“With all due respect, your both wrong. I had the worst.”
SOUTH SOUTHERLY
“You two don’t know what your talking about. How about you North. You going to claim you had the worst and then we get into this whole one-upmanship thing.”
WEST WESTERLY
“I’d never do that.”
EAST EARLY
“You’d absolutely do that.”
NORTH NORTHLY
“I don’t get it. Just don’t understand.”
WEST WESTERLY
“Understand what?”
NORTH NORTHLY
“Why don’t they like me? I get perfect grades, pitch perfect games, and deliver a perfect Shakespearean soliloquy. What did I do wrong? These are all traits of values to others but not them.”
In the background of the frame, MALL CLERK enters searching for someone.
MALL CLERK
“Mr. Carlson? Mr. Arthur Carlson?”
SOUTH SOUTHERLY
“I stand corrected, your having a worse day.”
WEST WESTERLY
“Worse than mine.”
EAST EARLY
“Definitely.”
MALL CLERK
“Mr Arthur Carlson? Is there a Mr. Arthur Carlson present?”
North leans forward in the messaging chair and throws his arms up in exasperation.
NORTH NORTHLY
“I don’t understand! Owww.”
North recoils his arm and grips is shoulder wincing in pain.
SOUTH SOUTHERLY
“Are you okay?”
WEST WESTERLY
“That looks like it hurts.”
NORTH NORTHLY
“I might have thrown out my shoulder in the game due to the stress of my ongoing existential crisis.”
EAST EARLY
“At least its not an ontological crisis.”
The Mall Clerk sees North gestures and walks over to him.
MALL CLERK
“Mr. Carlson, I have been looking all over the mall for you.”
NORTH NORTHLY
“I’m not Carlson. “
MALL CLERK
“Sorry.”
NORTH NORTHLY
“Do you know somewhere I can buy some aspirin?”
MALL CLERK
“Second floor over by Ramblewoods is a drugstore.”
NORTH NORTHLY
“Okay. Thanks.”
CUT TO
MS OF THE SOFTLY-DRESSED MAN AND LOUDLY-DRESSED MAN
Down the hallway, near the escalator and maps, stand the SOFTLY-DRESSED MAN and the LOUDLY-DRESSED MAN. They are observing the Message Chair Area.
LS OF THE MESSAGE AREA FROM THEIR ANGLE OF VIEW
The events of North Northly walking up to the Message Chairs and speaking with the other children plays out. The Mall Clerk comes in and starts asking for Mr. Carlson. When North raises his arm they look at each other.
INSERT CS OF THEM NODDING AT EACH OTHER.
This should be enough to play in the background of the main scene as Cedar and Panacea eat lunch.
END OF NORTH BY NORTH BY NORTHWEST OPENING SEQUENCE
CEDAR WAXWINGS
“This is nice.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yeah, it is.”
CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I meant the salad, but this is nice too. Can you turn it up?”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Sure.”
She stands and leans over increasing the volume on the vid-screen. She then sits back down, steals a glance at Cedar and smiles. The stage-lights turn off to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF. The light from the Vid-screen stays on. The High-stage curtains close.
TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE
THE CAMERA UNCOUPLES FROM PROPERLY FRAMING HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. IT GLIDES TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS LOCATED BELOW THE HIGH-STAGE. IT CONTINUES PANNING DOWNWARD THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. SOON THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS POKE UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME. CONTINUE PANNING DOWNWARD UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE.
MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIO, DAYTIME
A long desk runs across the stage while a drawing desk sits behind the long desk. On the long desk is a computer monitor, small desktop, keyboard, mouse, a scanner, a bin, and a large stack of papers. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the desk moving pages from the stack of papers to the scanner. Thomas leans over grabbing the top page from a stack of papers to the side of the computer. He opens the scanner lid and places the paper inside. After closing the lid, he fiddles with the computer. The HUM AND WHIR of the scanner activating goes out. Thomas opens the scanner lid when it finishes. He removes the sheet of paper and places it in a bin to the opposite side of the desk. Behind him is an animators desk with light table and a shelving of pull-out drawers. OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE enters stage-right carrying a tray with two drinks and a bowl of snacks.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“I am back.”
Thomas stops reaching for a new sheet and scoots his chair back, allowing Ophidia room to walk in. She sets the tray down on the computer desk.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(handing Thomas a glass) “This is for you.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(taking glass) “Thank you.”
Ophidia retrieves a stool from off screen stage-right and sits down. She picks up the bowl and takes a bite. She then offers some to Thomas. He takes a small handful.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“So, hows it going.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Okay I guess. I never realized how monotonous animation was.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Yes, but I like it.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“No, I didn’t mean that as an insult. I am sorry if it was. I was just thinking that maybe it was a blessing in disguise that I lost the ability to draw or cartoon.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“That is kind of dark.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yeah, but not as much as it sounds. Just more of realizing this would not of worked for me. Also it makes you even more amazing in my eyes that you are able to do this. You are something special.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Aww, thank you. So, I watched this funny show last night.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So we’re changing subjects. Okay. What was it?”
Thomas reaches for some more snacks.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Campus Ladies.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“My mom was just going on about that show when I talked to her yesterday. How is it?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Funny.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So what is it about?”
Thomas scoots his chair closer to Ophidia. She scoots her stool closer to Thomas.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Well, these two older ladies decide to go back to college.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Like take night classes or move into a dorm full-time?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Dorm full time, in fact that is part of the joke. Like their roommate thinks they’re Moms dropping off their kids.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Really.”
Ophidia starts to giggle and Thomas moves in closer.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Okay, so the ladies decide to go to a party down the hall, to try to meet people. They get blasted and stumble back to their room super late. They find their roommate crying and start tucking her in and kiss her goodnight. I laughed and laughed.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Did you now?”
Thomas takes a hold of Ophidia’s hand. She returned the gesture with her other hand.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“I did.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Then what happened?”
Thomas and Ophidia lean in closer to each other, about to kiss. The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-stage curtains close.
FADE OUT
Thomas Typewriter 