FMP

BOOKLET
The Adventure of Donald Ferdinand
 CONTEXT:
Page 3-13 - Script
Page 14-X – Storyboards
Page X – Production schedule
Page X – Prop list
Page X – Crew list
Page X-X – Location recces
Page X-X – Contingency plan
 The Adventure of Donald Ferdinand
Written and directed by Hayden Paul

1: EXT: A desolate field – NIGHT 1:

On a dark and eerie night, Donald approaches an abandoned church in a field.

DONALD – (Late teens, blonde-brunette, glasses, beige waistcoat)

The conditions are filthy and the walls and floor are dirty and grubby. Donald
enters with fear, clutching his map and compass.

Donald is sweating, his clothes are in poor condition. He looks around the room
and notices piles of paper on the floor.

He kneels down and picks one up. As he looks at it, a mysterious dark figure is
a metre behind him.

It says ‘REMEMBER DONALD’. Suddenly the dark figure uses a flannel and
smothers his face, drugging him.

2: INT: DONALDS HOUSE – MORNING 2:

Donald wakes up in his bed and feels like he had a bad dream. He puts on his
slippers and walks downstairs.

In Donald’s kitchen there is a sheet of paper to help remind him what to do in

the day. The first thing on the list is to eat breakfast.

He grabs his cereal and sits down to watch television. Donald is watching an old
adventure sketch and is engaged with the character’s journey.

A montage shows him preparing to get ready to leave his house. He puts on a
presentable blazer and smart trousers. He goes to the door and checks the sheet
of paper to remind him to go to the doctor.

3: INT: DOCTORS HOUSE – AFTERNOON 3:

Donald is sitting on the sofa, staring aimlessly into space as his doctor tries to
get his attention. His voice is muffled but becomes clearer.

DOCTOR WALLACE – (Mid 30s, brunette, glasses, dark waistcoat)

DOCTOR WALLACE
Donald…DONALD (raising his voice)

Doctor Wallace snaps his finger in front of Donald’s face to get his attention.
Donald looks as though he had just woken up and doesn’t know his
whereabouts.
 DOCTOR WALLACE
Thank you for turning up today. Do you remember my name?

Donald hesitates. He begins to stutter and he can’t recall the reason he’s in the
room.

DOCTOR WALLACE
Donald..?

Doctor Wallace leans over, attempting to get his attention.

DOCTOR WALLACE
I’m Doctor Wallace, your doctor that checks up on you four times a week,
remember?

DONALD
Yeah, I think so. How… how did I get here?

Doctor Wallace looks at Donald with a sense of frustration but needs to

maintain a profession standard so he appears understanding.

DOCTOR WALLACE
You knocked on my door asking to see me. (smiles)

The memories flood back to Donald but they are still not completely intact.

He reaches to grab the sheet of paper with his daily reminders. He views the
afternoon slot which reminds him he had the appointment.

DONALD
Yes.. yes sorry I don’t really know how I forgot that.

DOCTOR WALLACE
Donald, do you still wear the sunflower lanyard?

DONALD
Lanyard? No, no I-

Doctor Wallace hands over a sunflower lanyard that states that Donald has
encephalitis, a form of amnesia.
 DOCTOR WALLACE
Here, keep hold of this.

Donald glances at the lanyard with confusion.

DONALD
Amnesia?

Doctor Wallace sits back.

DOCTOR WALLACE
Yes, don’t worry too much about that. So tell me what’s on your mind?

DONALD
Well, I had what I think is a dream, it felt so real… almost like a hallucination.

DOCTOR WALLACE
What happened in the dream?

Doctor Wallace starts to write on his notepad.

DONALD
I was near an abandoned house. I approached the house but I could have sworn
somebody was there.

4: INT: DONALD’S HOUSE – LATE AFTERNOON 4:

Donald arrives back at his house and looks confused.

The house is a large, detached house with the entrance to the side.

He puts the keys in the lock and twists it.

As he enters, he scrapes his feet on the door mat. The doorway is quite spacious
with post across the floor. Donald accidentally steps on a letter in front of him.

He opens the letter in a frenzied state as if he has never opened a letter before.

Donald reads it.

DONALD (V.O)
I am writing to inform you that I have killed your sister. Please don’t feel anger
Donald, this was long overdue…

Donald looks at the letter enraged. His hands are shaking and he is scared.

DONALD (V.O)
Feel free to come say hi… yours truly A.M

He notices a secret language at the bottom of the paper. 

He goes into the living room and frantically searches through various books.
Eventually he finds a translation book.

Donald refers back to the letter to compare the language written down at the
bottom of the sheet to the book.

A compilation of different shots of him discovering the language and finding

out that it’s coordinates.

He grabs a wrinkled piece of paper and writes the coordinates down. In a rush,
he goes to a cabinet and finds a map. He uses a pen to pinpoint the coordinates
on the map.

Donald folds up the map and then slides the pen into his blazer. He leaves the
house immediately to discover where the coordinates lead him to.

5: EXT: WOODLAND AREA – LATE AFTERNOON 5:

Donald refers back to the map and starts to wander around a field near some
woods. He then approaches some menacing trees.

He enters the woods in a directionless way. He is determined that he will find

the person who killed his sister.

He stands at the centre of the woodland area, frantically searching around. He

suddenly hears a noise.

He’s frightened. Noises are coming from all around him. At the corner of his
eye he notices a dark figure, the same person he saw at the abandoned house.

Donald intentionally blinks to make sure it’s not a hallucination. The dark
figure has disappeared.
Rushing past the bushes and leaves, Donald runs north and follows the
compasses direction away from the woods.

6: EXT: FIELD AND ABANDONED HOUSE – EARLY EVENING 6:

The sun is getting low. Donald is tired and he is desperate for water.

The map is folded up and creased. He opens it to refer back to the location of
the coordinates.

He notices in the distance the abandoned house from his ‘hallucination’. Donald
is cautious to approach it yet he is determined to explore.

He quickly learns that the coordinates lead him directly to the house.

He carefully checks his surroundings and proceeds to enter.

Donald then has reoccurring flashbacks that start to haunt him. The interior of
the abandoned house is giving him déjà vu. Has he been here before?

He notices the papers on the floor are similar to the ones that were on the floor
in his hallway. This baffles him.

He picks up a letter and opens it. Just behind him the dark figure is standing a
metre away, just like before.

However, this time Donald is clutching onto his pen whilst reading the letter. Is
says ‘BEHIND YOU’.

Donald suddenly slashes his pen and jabs the dark figure in the knee.

He tries to run away but isn’t familiar with the house. He finds the entrance and
runs towards it but the dark figure sneaks up on him and drugs him using the
flannel.

7: INT: DONALD’S BEDROOM – MORNING 7:

MONTAGE

- Donald wakes up in shock but can’t recall what just happened and how he
ended up in his bed
- He makes breakfast
- He checks his daily schedule
 - He visits his doctor
- He opens the letter on the floor which states that his sister is missing
- He finds a map and leaves his house
- He explores the woods and notices a dark figure in the distance

END MONTAGE

8: EXT: WOODLAND AREA – LATE AFTERNOON 8:

The dark figure is watching him from a distance yet again. The figure hides
away from Donald behind a tree as he frantically searches the area.

The dark figure takes out his phone and starts recording. He swiftly takes off his
mask. He is revealed to be Donald’s doctor.

He speaks to the phone as if it’s a video diary.

DOCTOR WALLACE (V.O)

Day 58, 15:47, Donald seems quite agitated, this day he seems to have more of
a sense of urgency, more.. directionless, over and out

MONTAGE

- Donald runs to the abandoned house

- He is immediately drugged again
- Cycle repeats itself
- He makes breakfast
- He checks his daily schedule
- He visits his doctor
- He opens the letter on the floor which states that his sister is missing
- He finds a map and leaves his house
- He explores the woods
- He finds the abandoned house

END MONTAGE

9: INT: ABANDONED HOUSE – EARLY EVENING 9:

Donald is aimlessly exploring the abandoned house. He notices the letters on

the floor.
He opens a letter and it reveals the writing ‘IT’S THE DOCTOR’. He
frantically puts the letter in his pocket.

Within a couple seconds, the doctor sneaks up on his and drugs Donald.

MONTAGE

- Cycle repeats itself.. again

- He makes breakfast
- Checks his daily schedule

END MONTAGE

DONALD’S HOUSE

Donald is putting on his beige jacket He notices a sheet of paper in his pocket

He opens the letter, ‘IT’S THE DOCTOR’, the memories come back to him, he
can imagine the dark figure in his head.

He is standing at the entrance of his house, in utter shock, however he continues

to follow his schedule and visit Doctor Wallace.

10: INT: DOCTOR’S HOUSE – AFTERNOON 10:

The doctor is sitting across from Donald. The room is silent and all that can be
heard is the clock ticking

DOCTOR WALLACE
How’s your day today Donald?

DONALD
I’m.. I’m just confused

DOCTOR WALLACE
What are you confused about.. Donald?

DONALD
I don’t know who I am.. it’s like I don’t have control of my life

Doctor Wallace writes on his notepad ‘Day 61 12:04, Donald is struggling to

identify who he is.’
Doctor Wallace looks away from his notepad

DOCTOR WALLACE
Ok Donald, do you still wear the sunflower lanyard, like I’ve said, that lanyard
is there to help you reme-

Donald interrupts DW

DONALD
Stop.. somethings not right

In the corner of his eye he notices a mask. It’s the same one the dark figure
wears.

Donald pauses and stares directly at Doctor Wallace

DONALD
It’s you

DOCTOR WALLACE
I’m sorry I don’t..

Donald takes out the letter from his pocket showing the paper saying ‘IT’S THE
DOCTOR’.

Doctor Wallace looks at Donald and smiles.

There is a moment of silence between both character, Doctor Wallace slowly

grabs onto the flannel, ready to drug Donald.

However Donald grabs a letter opener from the side of the table and as soon as
Doctor Wallace gets up from his chair Donald stabs him at the side of his neck.

Doctor Wallace falls to the floor. In shock Donald keeps hold of the letter
opener and grabs the doctor’s journal. He runs out of the house, slamming the
door behind him.

11: PARK BENCH – LATE AFTERNOON 11:

MUSIC:

Donald is sitting on a park bench with spots of blood on his face.

He looks at the last page of the journal. He closes the book and stares into the
distance with shame and embarrassment. Yet at the same time he feels
accomplishment.

He reaches out for the lanyard and clutches onto it.

MUSIC FADE OUT

END OF SCENE

Props List
Item Item Description Who uses it When it is used

Flannel + Bottle Dark figure uses this prop to Dark figure/

smother over Donald’s face Doctor Wallace

Map Donald uses the map to Donald

pinpoint the location of his
missing sister

Compass When exploring Donald uses Donald

the compass to point him in
the right direction
Notebook Donald uses the notebook to Donald
remind him what to do for the
day

Diary Doctor Wallace carries the Doctor Wallace

diary to take notes on
Donald’s thoughts and
feelings
Letters (20x) Donald discovers the letters Donald
once he reaches the secret
location

TV Remote Donald switches on the TV and Donald

watches an old 50s adventure
short

Letter opener Donald uses this letter opener to Donald

stab Doctor Wallace in the neck

Pens/sharpie When pinpointing the secret Donald

location, Donald will use the
pens to join all the dots together

Book/paper Donald will uncover a secret

location, which is on a piece of
paper inside a book

Crew List
Person Role Dates Needed
Joshua Brown Donald Ferdinand 12/4, 16/4

William Hattey Doctor Wallace/ Dark figure 12/4, 16/4