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“ The Music of Erich Zann”

Short Animation Script


Original Story by H.P. Lovecraft
Screenplay by Ruben Martins

Copyright. Ruben Martins. 2011


Narrator (V.O.)

"I have examined maps of the city with the greatest care, yet have never
again found the Rue d’Auseil. I have delved deeply into all the
antiquities of the place, and have personally explored every region, of
whatever name, which could possibly answer to the street I knew as the
Rue d’Auseil. But despite all I have done, I cannot find the house, the
street, or even the locality, where, during the last months of my
impoverished life as a student, I heard the music of Erich Zann."

Map Shots

(Montage Avant-Garde Style) Recreated Expressionist maps of Paris.

Fade To Black:

Ext. German Expressionist Style Rue D'Auseil

Fade In:
(Full Shot)Young man/ narrator walking up the empty Rue D'Auseil.
With lighting from the lamps create some more distorted shadows.
Cut to:

(Fall Down Shot) Showing the steep street with the lofty wall, and falls
down to show the man walking towards the boarding house.

Narrator (V.O) Ends


Cut to:

Ext. Boarding House

(Medium Shot) Young man at the door taking the sign “For Rent” down and
then looks up the dark stairs ahead inside the boarding house.
Cut To:

Int. 5th Floor Hallway

(Full Shot)The 5th floor showing the young man directing to the door of
his apartment. Opens the door and enters.

Cut to:
Int. Young Man's Apartment

(Medium Close-up)Young man laying in bed with his arms behind his head.
Suddenly,he hears a strange music.
*Music Type 2 (variation) plays*
Cut to:
(Medium Shot) The ceiling of the young man's bedroom, where the music
comes from.
Cut to:
(Medium Close-up) The young man becomes disturbed yet curious.
The young man in bed restless and can't sleep.
Zooms In:
(Close-up)Bedside table where the clock shows the time.
Narrator (V.O)

“Thereafter I heard the music every night, and although it kept me


awake,I was haunted by the weirdness of it. The longer I listened, the
more I was fascinated. I asked the lodger for the name of the
musician,who told me that the old man who played the music would sign as
Erich Zann... I desired to meet him.”

Crossfade:
(Close-Up)The light in the room changes, the clock shows a different
time.
Zoom out:
(Medium Shot) The young man grabs an umbrella ready to leave and with the
door open he sees Erich Zahn coming upstairs.
Narrator (V.O) Ends

The young man decides to meet the old man. He leaves his apartment in
direction to the old man and attempts to shake his hand.
Zooms in:
Int. Boarding House- Hallway

Erich Zann anxiously steps back. However, after some moments of facing
that friendly character he eases and handshakes the young man.
Cut to:

Narrator (V.O)
“After the odd first impressions, I pleasantly motioned to go upstairs
and listen to the old man's playing”.

(Medium Shot) The young man motions upstairs, as a self-invitation to


listen the old man's playing.

Narrator (V.O) Ends


Cut to:

(Medium Shot) Erich Zann looks angered, unease and afraid with the idea.
Though after some moments of consideration, as a confirmation he motions
the young man to follow him.
Cut to:

( Full Shot Side) Showing the distorted almost destroyed stairs, and
where first the old man climbs up holding the candle followed by the
young man.

*Noise of the wooden steps creaking*


Cut to:

(Full shot)The top floor hallway, Erich Zann is leaning and holding the
door to open it. The young man behind him, begins to feel anxiety,
however curiosity is stronger.
They both enter.
Cut to:

Int. Boarding House Zann's Apartment

(Full shot) Zann's Apartment, this spacious room, which seemed bigger
because of the extraordinary barrenness and neglect. It is visible few
pieces of furniture and a mysterious window, with ripped curtains. Erich
Zann lights the place, holds a chair, and with his hand motions, almost
like an order, the young man to seat. The young man approaches and seats
on the chair.
Cut to:

(Medium Close-Up)Zann takes the viol from its motheaten cover, and begins
to play this captivating yet fugue music. While playing the old man,
seems bored and it is only playing to please the guest.
After sometime he finishes playing.
Cut to:
Narrator (V.O)
“The music played did not satisfy me, I noted the absence of the weird
notes that often haunted my sleepless nights. I asked my host if he could
render some of those notes.”

(Medium Shot) The young man sat on the chair,marvelled by the music he
just heard, however after some moments, he realises that the music played
differed from the previously heard in his bedroom. So the sense of
curiosity grew in his face.
Narrator (V.O) Ends

When prepared the young man begins to whistle some of the weird notes he
had listened before.
Cut to:

(Close-up) Erich Zann's satyr-like face moves towards the camera and the
boredom in his face automatically changes to anger and fright. His face
becomes distorted with an expression wholly beyond analysis.
Cut to:

(Medium Shot) The old man surprisingly gathers some strength and hastily
reaches out his right bony hand to the guest's mouth, to silence that
crude imitation.
He then casts a startled glance at the lonely window (camera), as afraid
of some intruder.

Quick Pan To The Window:

(Medium Shot)The window with nondescript and ripped curtains. the young
man moves towards it.

Zoom In W/ Character:

(Medium close-up) The young man reaches the window and moves slowly the
curtains aside.
Cut to:

(Medium Shot) Erich Zann hastily grabs the young man's arm with his 2
hands. He then motions with his head to the door and tries to drag the
guest. The young man disgusted with his host, pulls his arm. And moves
towards the door.
Cut to:

(Medium Shot) Erich Zann realising the disgust in the young man's face.
Pursues his guest, and in a friendly manner forces him to chair.
Cut to:

Narrator (V.O)
“In his note, Erich Zann said that he was old, lonely, afflicted with
strange fears and nervous disorders connected with his music. He had
enjoyed my listening to his music, however he could not play to another
his weird harmonies and could not bear hearing them from another. He had
not known until our hallway conversation that I could overhear his
playing, and now asked me if I would arrange to take a lower room, where
I wouldn't be able to hear him at night.”

(Medium Close-Up)Erich Zann writes a note to the young man.


*With the reading of first part of the note, “Old” ,”Lonely”, “Strange
Fears”, “Nervous Disorders” “ Erich Zann's Music” will appear.
Cut to:

(Medium Shot) the young man receives the note,stands up and leaves.

Fades to Black

Int. Boarding House- 3rd Floor Hallway

Fades In:

(Medium Shot) Young man moves in to a new apartment, while at the door he
stops for some moments.
*Music playing in the background* (calmer variation of music type 2)

Narrator (V.O) Ends

Narrator(V.O)
“ I found that Zann's eagerness for my company was not as great. My
liking for him did not grow, though the attic room and the weird music
seemed to hold an odd fascination for me. I had curious desire to look
out of that window, the only window in the Rue D'Auseil from which one
might see the slope beyond the wall and the city outspread beneath.”
Cut to:

(Full Shot) The dark hallway, where the stairs leading upstairs are all
distorted and destroyed.

Narrator (V.O) Ends


(Medium Shot) Young Man drops his belongings and his curiosity led him
to go upstairs to listen the music being played.

(Full Shot Side) Young man comes out of the darkness tip toeing up the
distorted stairs.
Cut to:
Int. Boarding House- Peaked Garret Narrow Hall

( Medium Shot) The young man seats on the steps listening to the music
being played.
Narrator (V.O.) Ends
Cut to:

(Full Shot) The bolted door ( camera fixes there), suddenly the shrieking
viol swells into a chaotic babel of sound.

Zoom in:
(Medium Shot) The bolted door,where the playing grew wilder and louder.
Into a awful, inarticulate cry that only a mute can utter.
Cut to:

(Medium Shot) The young man senses fear,anguish and anxiety, he quickly
gets up and runs to the door.
Cut to:

(Medium shot) The young man knocks repeatedly, but receives no response.

Until he hears the poor musician's feeble effort to rise from the floor
by the aid of the chair.

After some time, the young man hears the noise of Zann closing the window
both shutter and sash. Then the noise of Zann stumbling onto the door and
unfastened it to admit the young man.

Erich Zann opens the door and shaking pathetically invites the young man
in,and forces him into a chair.
Cut to:

(Medium Shot) Zann moves a chair in front of the table, seats and begins
to write a brief note to the young man.
Cut to:

Narrator (V.O.)
“ After those horrific moments, Zann, in his brief note, implored me in
the name of mercy, and for the sake of my own curiosity, to wait while he
would prepare a full account of all the marvels and terror which beset
him.”

(Medium Shot) Young man receives the note and begins to read it.
Narrator (V.O) Ends
Cut to:

(Medium Shot) Erich Zann rapidly continues to write his extensive note.
(Layered Frame) With some pages falling from top to bottom,evoking time.

When he almost finished with the writing he is interrupted by an


exquisitely low and infinitely distant musical note. Zann's face grows
fearful, he quickly drops the pencil, rises, seizes his viol which is
laying beside him, and begins to rend the wildest play ever.
Erich Zann tries to make some noise, to ward something off or drown
something out. As he makes the noise his playing grows intense and he
imitates the motions intended by the noise.
Cut to:
(Close-up) The window is shaking.
Cut to:
(Close-up) The expression in Zann's face is stark fear.
Cut to:
(Close-up) The window shakes strongly now.
Cut to:
(Medium Close-up) Erich Zann playing grows wilder and louder, mounted the
shrieking and whining of that desperate viol. He is dripping with an
uncanny perspiration and twisted like a monkey. He doesn't stop.
Cut to:
(Close-up) The window, where from that direction a steadier note that was
not from the viol; a calm, deliberate, purposeful, mocking note from far
away. Suddenly, the shutter begins to rattle in a howling night wind
which had sprung up outside.
Cut to:
(Medium Close-up)Zann is emitting unbelievable sounds with his viol,
loud, wild, insane.
Cut to:
(Close-up)The shutter rattles louder,unfastened,slamming against the
window.
Cut to:
(Medium Close-up) Zann's playing was frantic,mechanical, blind and
unconscious.
Cut to:
(Close-up) Glass at the window breaks.
Cut to:
(Close-up) Papers from the table fly.
Cut to:
(Close-up) Zann's face transforms. His eyes are bulging,glassy and
sightless.
Cut to:
(Medium Shot)Papers fly towards the window. Young man tries to catch
them.
Cut to:
(Medium Close-up)The young man reaches the window, with the demolished
panes. His face grows terrified and anxious.
Cut to:
(Medium Close-up) The sight out of the window. Where no city was spread
below,only blackness of space illimitable, unimagined space alive with
motion and music.
Cut to:
(Close-up) Young Man's fearful face, when a gust of wind blows out the
candle in the room, the only source of light.

The young man now is between a impenetrable darkness with chaos laid
ahead and the darkness of the room with that insane playing on his back.
Cut to:
(Medium Shot)The young man returns to the room, dark and with no mean to
strike a light, he crashes against a table.
Cut to:
(Medium Close-Up)When he gets up, he realises that he is close to the old
man,so he begins to scream helplessly.
Cut to:
(Medium Close-up) Young man faces the back of the chair where Zann is sat
, and begins to shake his shoulders and then screams in his ear. Then he
moves his hand onto the old man's head stopping that mechanical nodding.
As he feels Zann's ear.
Cut to:
(Close-up) Erich Zann still, ice-cold, stiffened,unbreathable face whose
glassy eyes bulged uselessly into the void.
Cut to:
(Medium Shot) Young man scared luckily finds door and runs away, from
that glassy-eyed thing and from the ghoulish howling of that viol.

Narrator (V.O)
“ Leaping, floating,racing mindlessly out in the narrow, steep, and
ancient street of steps and tottering houses, clattering down steps and
over cobbles to the lower streets and the putrid canyon-walled river I
fled..."
Cut to:
(Full Shot) Young man runs away from the boarding house in direction to
the camera
Cut to:
(Medium-Shot Side) Young man runs down the flight of steps pass the
tottering houses.
Cut to:
(Medium Shot) Young man crosses the river.
Cut to Black:

“... And I have never since been able to find the Rue D'Auseil.”
Narrator (V.O) Ends

The End

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