FADE IN:
BLACK SCREEN: PAINT IT BLACK PLAYS
INT. PIANO ROOM - DAY (actual piano room shown above photos of colony house by Lydia Calderia)
A stern PIANO INSTRUCTOR, winces as she paces in front of the piano.
MARIE GEBHARDT (9), blond bob, turned up nose, sits with perfect posture as her fingers dance up and down the keys. Her expression blank. Dead. Almost.
The REAL little girl for Marie's role
The Instructor stops only to adjust Marie's elbows.
While the song appears to be non-diagetic, Marie's hands move to the rhythm.
CUT TO:
INT. PASCAL'S ROOM - DAY
An equally blond PASCAL GEBHARDT (14), sits in a room she may have outgrown several years ago.
It is entirely pink and still contains remnants of childhood; from the stuffed animals to the ballet bedspread. Posters of Juilliard also cover the walls behind her as she sits at a desk.
Look I like
(another great space, mix the two looks using pinks?)
(An actual space in the house that might work with pink paper over windows, pink rug, chair, and a desk)
She wears a green shirt and corderoy pants. Her clothes are almost too small and she holds an enormous book in front of her. She's awkward, but pretty.
(Pascal will be played by girl in middle of this photo)
(one on far right is good look for Pascal)
The book is PARADISE LOST. She appears entranced. Her fingers, too, tap to the rhythm.
CUT TO:
INT. EINSTEIN'S ROOM - DAY
A gangly, but handsome, EINSTEIN GEBHARDT, (17), wears a suit and scribbles notes as a TUTOR writes calculus equations on the chalkboard.
(Einstein will be played by Cole)
(remove furniture and replace with school desk and blackboard and this could be actual space for Einstein's scene. Again can block out light and window reflections with curtains or paper.)
Einstein's room is grey and covered with poster's that would please a seventy-year-old scientist. Even Albert Einstein grins back from the ceiling, where most teenager's would hang bands.
The Tutor walks over to observe Einstein's work and rolls his eyes to see it's a meticulously decorated question mark.
CUT TO:
INT. NILS' ROOM - DAY
Nils' entire room is dark.
(possibility for Nils' room. I'll remove frills like curtains and his chemistry set can be placed at desk)
(boy on left can play Nils)
NILS GEBHARDT (10) is a bit quirky, and wears a perpetual, mischievous grin.
He wears a yellow t-shirt with the words 'I DEFECT' across the front.
The ARTWORK, also dark, as this is his phase, haphazardly lays about the room. Drawings of lines of school children, of children puppets (strangely resembling his own family) are being ordered and pulled about by adults.
(good backdrop for Nils' room)
He mixes chemicals before a CHEMISTRY SET. He drops SODIUM metal into the water and stirs to the rhythm of the music. The concoction begins to bubble a little.
CUT TO:
INT. PIANO ROOM - DAY
Marie now ignores the Instructor completely as her fingers move quickly up and down the piano sending out what appears to be horrendous noise as the instructor covers her ears and shouts.
Marie's expression is alive now and she's grinning.
It seems she can hear the music now...
CUT TO:
INT. PASCAL'S ROOM - DAY
Pascal is still entranced with PARADISE LOST; she doesn't even look up as her bedroom door closes.
Then we see...
She has tucked a dance book inside the cover and
CLOSE ON:
Beneath the desk and despite her jeans her sneakers move to the music.
CUT TO:
INT. EINSTEIN'S ROOM - DAY
Einstein frantically completes a derivation on the chalkboard and as he stands back to reveal his work we see the integrals weirdly resemble the female form.
He stands back to admire this as the tutor frowns.
INT. NILS' ROOM - DAY
The sodium in the water is erupting violently now.
With a grin, Nils eyes his fish, swimming innocently in her bowl.
The door opens and the tutor yells something. His grin fades and he looks directly at the camera.
CUT TO:
INT. PASCAL'S ROOM - DAY
Pascal abandons all pretense of studying and dances all over the place.
Some sort of middle eastern/ballet fusion.
It appears she too can now hear the music...
CUT TO:
INT. PIANO ROOM - DAY
Marie can't be stopped now, she actually stands as she zips up and down the keyboard.
The instructor throws her hands up in the air and exits the room.
Marie finally falls on the bench in exhaustion. She gives the camera a wicked grin as we...
FADE OUT.
