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Cat Burglar(free three-minute promotional video script with some production tips)Sponsor this pageThis page last updated on or about 1-24-09a - j m o o n e y h a m . c o m - o r i g i n a l |
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ORIGINAL CREATION DATE: October 05, 2008
MORAL/THEME: Karma
SCENE 1: All that's seen is a run-of-the-mill radio sitting on a table. In audio, you hear a news reporter speaking of another wealthy family paying a hefty ransom to get back their pet cat, then the audio fades out, along with the scene.
"It's been reported today that the criminal dubbed by many as the cat burglar has gotten away once again with a ransom for a stolen cat, this time from the Dillons of Golden Rod Heights. This makes the fourth such ransom paid to the mysterious outlaw in as many months."
Visual fade to black.
SCENE HOW-TO: Keep in mind the video and audio can be recorded entirely separately here; that is, we can record any audio we wish and then add it atop silent video footage of a radio. If we need to tweak the audio to make it sound more authentic or whatever, there should be free sound modification programs available online.
SCENE 2: In a dimly lit room, a small breaking sound is heard-- possibly muffled. Then we see someone surreptitiously entering via a window. The person is dressed head to toe in close-fitting dark clothing, including gloves. We do not see their face. Nothing is said.
Visual fade to black.
SCENE HOW-TO: The camera should be almost against the same wall which houses the entry window; this limits what we have to show of the scenes both inside and outside the window, as well as the state of the window itself (this way no actual window damage has to be shown; we can simply add a small breaking noise from another source). This also makes it easier to enter the window.
SCENE 3: A close up of a cat in luxurious looking sleeping arrangements is seen in a dimly lit room. We see dark gloved hands pick up the cat.
Fade to black.
SCENE HOW-TO: Doing this in dim light and as a close up limits the trouble required for background, setting, and props. We mainly need to show a very nice looking cat bed of some sort, with whatever minimal background can be seen seeming plausible as being in a mansion. Note you could even place a board with a nice print representing wall paper behind the cat bed for this. And using a bed which looks more suitable for a human baby than a cat, would only emphasize the luxurious life the cat is leading.
Fade to black.
SCENE 4: We see only blackness. Then a light switches on. We see the dark-clothed figure in a room (an obviously different room from before). They remove their head and face covering, and we see it's a young woman with a confident smile on her face. We hear a cat meow.
Fade to black.
SCENE 5: We see a computer screen displaying an unfinished ransom note.
"My dear Mr. and Mrs. Bravura;
If you wish to see your cat Jennifer again, you must"
Fade to black.
SCENE 6: We see the young woman (wearing normal clothes rather than the dark cat suit) with the cat in her arms petting it, and the cat purring contentedly. The woman has a puzzled look on her face. Very different from the look of confidence she showed earlier. We make sure the camera views a distinctive ring on the young woman's finger (not a wedding a ring).
Fade to black.
SCENE 7: We see the cat once again in luxurious sleeping accommodations (for a cat). This time in the young woman's place. In a close up.
SCENE HOW-TO: This second cat bed must be different from the first, but still look excessive for a cat. Keep in mind the young woman is financially well off due to crime, and so her place must look the part. But doing this as a close up limits how much the audience sees of the place, and so should make it easier for us to create the desired look.
Fade to black.
OPTIONAL SCENE: We see the young woman examining outrageous pet luxuries in an online catalog.
OPTIONAL SCENE: We momentarily see the young woman speaking on the phone to someone about breeding her cat.
SCENE 8: A different radio than before is now seen, and in a different background setting. In audio, you hear a news reporter speaking of new information about the unusual effects a particular cat parasite can have on humans. The audio soon fades out, along with the visual.
"Scientists now believe the cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii may sometimes change the personalities of those human beings who find themselves infected."
Fade to black.
SCENE 9: We see a view from above of a large office desk, with paperwork spread about. And the hands of two people. One a man sitting behind the desk, the other an elderly woman sitting before it. Something indicating the calendar year can also be seen: it's 2048. We briefly hear the elderly lady speaking. We also hear meowing from lots of cats in the background.
"In my will I want my entire estate to go into a trust dedicated to indefinitely maintaining the health and well being of my beloved cats."
The distinctive ring seen in an earlier scene on the finger of the young woman cat burglar is seen again here, only on the hand of a much older woman. Thereby identifying the old woman as being the young cat burglar from before.
FADE TO BLACK
SCENE HOW-TO: The camera angle showing only the desktop and hands allows us to offer the perception of an office without actually having one. Or showing a herd of cats. It also makes it easier on whoever plays the parts of the lawyer and the old lady.
The tricky part here may be creating a stable perch for the camera above the desk. A couple ladders with a wooden board (or two) placed between them high enough should do the trick, if nothing but the camera requires being located there.
The futuristic calendar print should be no problem for anyone with a complete computer system to produce.