1st Draft of Script

Concept: A film crew follows and chronicles the journey of a rising student with fame from
his drawings.
Opening- Black Screen, white text, announcing the production company, fades onto screen.
Applause Fade in and out on old-timey, grainy footage of Dean Norton drawing pictures
interspersed with the credits. IT should capture the innocence and artistry that Norton once
had. Sound clips from varying interviews mentioning Norton accumulate and grow louder
until it climaxes with one question: So, what drove you to...create Balance Boy? The shot
cuts to a smug looking Norton, sitting in an interview.
Setting: Interview Set for Major News Outlet
Characters:
-Dean Norton
-Interviewer
Synopsis:
Scene 1: Dean Norton is being interviewed by a major news outlet on the creation of
Balance Boy, a breakout character that is becoming incredibly popular. Deans answers
should be somewhat irrelevant to the questions asked as he stretches plausibility to create
more interesting answers. His responses should appear to make the interviewer clearly
uncomfortable. There should be an extended shot that focuses on the interviewer becoming
more confused and uncomfortable with Deans personality.
Scene 2: Jump cut to a self interview with the filmmaker. He explains how he came to be
involved with Norton, how he started making the documentary, and how the film has
progressed. Intersperse footage of Norton at public events, acting like an arrogant buffoon,
with shots of the filmmaker on set. In the unfocused background, Dean Norton is performing
his usual antics and causing as much as a disruption as possible. The interview should end
with Dean Norton causing the loudest possible commotion in the background, and the
filmmaker subtly expressing some regret in undertaking the project.
Scene 3: Cut to footage of Norton at a public event, with various audio clips from
announcers and reporters (from seemingly different sources and footage) commenting on
the event. Their comments should be along the line of Dean Norton makes a public
appearance to talk about the official unveiling of his wildly popular intellectual property,
Balance Boy. or Today, local hero and icon Dean Norton called a press conference to
address his latest edition of Balance Boy. The sound will fade out and mix with cheering
from a crowd, where the filmmaker and his/her crew will be filming Norton at an event.
Norton is with them, possibly in a backstage area, separated from the crowd. The filmmaker
is interviewing Norton, who maintains his arrogant and egotistical nature on camera. Norton
is asked what he has planned for the press conference, to which he responds with an
answer that is equal parts cryptic and arrogant. It is implied that Norton is about to do
something that could possibly offend his fans. Dean Norton leaves the camera crew to go
address the crowd. Cut to footage from the crowd (imply that it is camera footage from an
onlookers phone) of Norton addressing his fans. After a lengthy build up of himself, Norton

begins to announce the newest addition to the Balance Boy universe: The Vegetable. The
crowd gasps, and Norton simply smiles smugly and begins to accept praise that is not
there.
Scene 4: Do not cut from that scene, but rather shrink it so that it appears that it transitions
into a news story on a night time news program. The anchors discuss the events of the
Norton press conference. After a few seconds of one, there should be a shift to another
anchor crew that also talks about Nortons press conference. After a few scenes of varied
commentary, there becomes a repeated question: In the midst of this controversy, where is
Dean Norton?
Scene 5: Cut to a shot of Norton watching the news program. The camera swivels back and
forth between Norton, the filmmaker (who is exasperated and evidently exhausted), and
various parts of the crew scattered in a dark room. Pages are scattered around the room,
and the only light emanates from the television. There is cut to an interview shot with the
filmmaker (Norton in the background in a lounging chair), who explains that he and his crew
have been following Norton in his seclusion. He explains that no one has eaten, slept, or
bathed in days. The filmmaker begins to reveal that they are considering abandoning the
project, when there is a loud knocking on the door. Norton perks up, and looks past the
camera towards the door. The camera turns around (or makes its way towards the door)
where the knocking is intensifying. Norton pushes passes the camera man, and opens the
door. An angry woman is standing in the doorway. The camera swivels and looks at Norton,
who is visibly surprised/upset, then swivels back to the new arrival. The new arrival, clearly
furious, screams at Norton: What in Gods name have you done to Balance Boy?
Scene 6: Interview shot with filmmaker: So, uh, yeah. That woman over there(points to
the background in another room, where Norton and the new arrival are arguing)...is
Balance Boys co-creator. Apparently, theyre kind of upset about the whole...Vegetable
thing. A member of the crew approaches the filmmaker from outside the shot and says
Hey, their mics are still on. You want me to cut the feed? The filmmaker jumps at the
opportunity: No! Actually, turn it up. Lets hear what theyre saying. Filmmaker creeps up to
the doorway, motioning the camera forward. The cameraman moves in a bit closer, and
unsteadily films the fight. *Note: Improv the fight dialogue.* At the emotional climax of the
fight, Norton breaks down and reveals his insecurities about success and other nonsense
like that. The co-creator comforts him as he begins to cry. At this point, the camera swivels
to the filmmaker and just looks at him. The filmmaker focuses his gaze in the room for a bit,
then looks back at the camera perturbed. He looks down, and pauses for a few moments. In
those few moments, Nortons quiet sobbing can be heard. The filmmaker looks up at the
cameraman, and says: Turn it off. Were done
Scene 7: *static screen* Callback to Scene 1, Norton continues to talk irrationally, with the
interviewer still becoming more and more uncomfortable. The interviewer hurriedly stops
Norton and states that they may not have enough time, and that perhaps they should
continue the interview. Norton begrudgingly agrees. The interviewer brings up the recent
controversy with The Vegetable, and Norton becomes slightly uncomfortable. While Norton
tries to avoid the question, he inadvertently begins to insinuate that the incident has
increased his empathy for others, and that perhaps he will be more considerate in the
future. There is a small period of silence, followed by the interviewer declaring that the

interview is over. Dean Norton snaps out of his silent phase, and thanks the interviewer. The
perspective switches from that of the official interview cameras to the film crews cameras,
still following Norton. As Norton gets up, the interviewer off-handedly asks what Norton
plans to do after everything that has happened. Norton just laughs and declares: What Ive
always done. He then pulls out a broccoli hat, dons it, and walks out to greet waiting fans
backstage. The credits roll over Norton thanking and shaking hands with shocked fans.
Trailer Ideas:
Trailer Concept I:
Production company logos precede this. The camera fades into a strong close up on a
birds eye view of a sketch table. The camera does not change its zoom intensity for the
entire length of this shot. The camera slowly travels diagonally along the length of the
sketch table revealing pencil and ink drawings that (as the camera travels diagonally) get
better in quality. The pictures are scattered very lazily across the table in the cameras view
path. Crumpled up paper is also visible around the sketches and outlines (body and head
shape). The sounds of pencil on paper come into auditory range as the sound gradually
fades in as the camera advances across the table to its source, Dean Norton. As the
camera progresses across the sketch table, the camera (obviously) gets closer and closer
to Norton, so the visible amount of light in the shot also increases with the volume of the
pencil on paper sound. The camera finally gets to Nortons working fingers, as he finishes
filling in the last part of his first Balance Boy drawing. The camera still does not change the
intensity of its zoom. The camera zooms out very slowly to get a head to toe view of
balance boy. Norton puts his pencil down, the camera sees this in its stationary view.
(While all this is going on, audio comes in of Dean Nortons interview, synced beginning to
end.)
Interview:
Mr. Norton, please tell us, the world wants to know, what are your steps to success?
Dean Norton:
Not steps, leaps.
Fade out to black; title screen: Balance Boy
Trailer concept 2- Think the opening for Boardwalk empire, but instead of beer bottles on
the beach, we got crumpled pieces of paper in the snow.
Trailer Concept III:
Run Time: 30-45 seconds (max.)
Setting: Nortons Room
Synopsis: One stationary side shot of Norton in a small room, working at his table. He just
sits there, scribbling away at a piece of paper. Norton is surrounded by crumpled pieces of
paper, with drawings of previous characters lining the wall. There is no activity in the room
other than Norton working at his desk. The only sound should be some white noise. After

roughly 10-15 seconds, footsteps can be heard from the hallway. They grow closer until
they reach the door.