SchwarzWaldt Pre PRODUCTION

By Lauren Jansons

The Summary
Beginning.
year old man who has just inherited his fathers news paper business in London. Being a young man he is unable to take the pressure of the entire company causing it to loos money. Desperate to keep his fathers company a float he tries to find a story outside of the cramped streets of London, and something that will be interesting for the readers. Leo then meets a young boy claiming he was kept hostage by a forest in Germany and that his father is still trapped within it. Thinking this could be an interesting story Leo decides to take it on.

Middle
Travelling all the way to Germany Leo finds himself at a small town just outside of the Black Forest (Cawl). Finding out

The film starts in the late 1800. Leo is a young 20

that no one will help him venture into the forest a 19 year old cattle farmer takes him up. Her name is Annette and she too had lost her father in the forest when he was distraught with the death of his wife. The pair take off into the Black forest and venture round trying to find clues and facts about these strange disappearances. Suddenly night falls and the two find themselves running through the forest escaping from the snapping jaws of wolves. When they lose the wolves they soon find out that they have lost their way in the ordeal. Remembering what her father once told her Annette takes them along a small stream. The stream leads them to the Ammersee Lake. Annette tells Leo about the story of a goddess which inhabits within the lake and that she believes that this goddess will help them escape. Sailing out on a small boat Annette drops her locket into the water thinking that it will cause the goddess to stir and hopefully talk to them. The lake suddenly becomes dangerous and waves capsize the boat. Leo and Annette find themselves submerged in the moonlit water and face to face with

Nix explains to them that if they play her game and win she will let them free and all the other people she has captured. Knowing that Leos weakness is the use of his imagination and that he only believes in the straight facts, Nix lets loose all manners of myths and legends in which the two must battle their way through to the end. However if they fail she gets the keep them forever and, like she has with many other travellers, turn them into trees and rocks within their surroundings. Taking up Nixs offer of a game they go through the Forest trying to defeat every obstacle in their way. However Leo finds this all hard to believe and takes difficulty in letting his imagination go. He doesnt believe in stories of myths and legends. He must learn to let his imagination run free! However with the help of Annette who is a forest girl and has learned many skills of working her way through the forest and defeating anything that comes in her way, she teaches Leo how to protect himself and how to imagine that anything could happen. They have three myths and legend which they must defeat. The first one is to escape a colony of fairies which kidnap them and imprison them. The second is the witch and her candy and everything sweet house. (Hansel and Gretel) Lastly they must defeat the big bad wolf who kidnaps Annette. Leo must defeat the wolf all on his own. Finally managing to let his imagination run free Leo defeats the wolf in a ferocious battle.

the goddess known as Nix.

End
With Annette back they return to the lake with one of the wolves teeth and drop it into the lake. Angered that they have completed her game Nix battles with Leo in a fit of rage but with Annettes bow and arrows Leo pierces Nix in the heart, causing a mass light to shine across the lake and forest. When the light hits trees and rocks they slowly turn back into the people that Nix has kept prisoner. Including Annettes father and the lost boys father. Leo and Annette return to London with the lost boys father to reunite them together. The end scene is a customer running into Leos office explaining another myth which has come true and if they could help them.

SCRIPT.
Scene- Meeting the forest guardian Nix at the Ammersee lake. The scene starts with Leo and Annette walking through the forest and suddenly emerging to a clearing. In the middle is a vast lake lit by moonlight with the edges frayed with trees and rocks and pebble beach. Walking through the forest. Leo is lagging behind and a bit bored and tired. Speaks in a sarcastic manner. Annette is striding ahead always looking around her of any possible danger. From her body language you can tell she is nervous as to their ware bouts.

The

sketching)...Ive only ever seen pictures of such things in my fathers...Well; I suppose its now my art collection. Annette still silent makes her way down towards the shore

Leo: (A bit lost for words)...Oh my word...(Takes out note pad and starts

Leo: (as if just woken up from a dream state due to the beauty of the surroundings) Hey wait Annette...Annette!..where are you going? ...Why are we here? I thought...

Annette gives him the shut up glance and indicates he stays close. Leo makes his way over to her.

Annette: My father once told me of this place, and that I should never venture
here unless it was really needed. He says that the forest guardian...

Leo; I cant believe you got us lost in this damn death trap of a forest, I thought I
had full understanding that you knew were we....

Annette: shh!
Leo: (a bit taken aback).....I say! Dont shh
rude, I hope you know that! me! You country folk are unbelievably

tening to your fairy stories, I have a business to run and I cant be running round in the woods listening to childrens stories. Now can we leave and try and find our way back! I havent got my story and Im tired and.... Annette:..NO now you listen to me! If you want to escape then you must trust me and my apparent fairy tales!

Leo: (Leo stops walking) Forest guardian?...Listen Annette I really cant be lis-

Leo:..fine! Have it your way although I wouldnt be in this situation if you didnt
decide to take a detour!

Annette: (forcefully)

PLEASE! Be quite (nervously looks around her).......were being watched.....(to herself).....we must be close.

Leo looks around him awkwardly and notices that Annette is a bit ahead of him and panics a little and runs over to catch up.

wolves causing them to run away and getting lost)...Look, can I please finish what I was trying to say!? Leo gestures her to carry on. Annette turns round and carries on walking closely followed by Leo. Who decides to note down in his notebook what Annette is about to say

Annette: Detour! I was saving your life! (NOTE; they were ambushed by

Leo: Wait!
Annette suddenly turns round causing Leo to bump into her. She gives him an annoyed and angry glance!

Leo: (raising his hands apologetically whilst trying to keep eye sight with her, but
looks away due to nervs) ..Sorry, sorry didnt mean too.... staying quite!
Annette turns away and carries on walking with Leo closely behind. Suddenly they see the clearing ahead and when they eventually reach it they are amazed with the view.

est. What you could say is a sort of Mother Nature figure. The only way we can find our way back home is to ask her for safe passage. However, she is known for enjoying games and from what I hear she tends to play dirty. (Looks around her) Many people have gone missing in this forest, believed to have lost a losing game......The only person known to have escaped her is the lost boy you have come to seek a story on. (Looks back to Leo who is not sure what to think. She turns away and carries on)

Annette: The forest guardian, or by her name Nix, controls all of the for-

the story of a crazy local forest girl who believes in myths and legends could be appealing to the readers! ...Please, (gestures her to carry on)

Leo:..wellll I havent got much of a gripping story on the lost boy as such, but, I suppose

Annette stops clenches her fists. She carries on walking stiffly still with clenched fists. Leo follows

cious and dropping it in the water. It was believed that The first person to meet nix dropped their wedding ring into the lake by accident and nix swam up to give it back, but only if they played her game. Its now become a ritual for the lost to drop something dear to them in hope that she will come and give it back. (Lifts up locket) My mothers locket, given to me after she died.

Annette: The only way that you can talk with nix is by giving something pre-

Annette: Youre intolerable Leo: (shyly talking into his note pad but still slightly heard over it)...yeh, well...Im in the
newspaper business...its what we do...

And with that Annette drops the locket into the water. The pair of them lean over the side as they watch the locket spiral down into the depths. Leo suddenly looks over to Annette

Leo: Wait, what do you mean by she swam up?

Annette turns to answer back when suddenly they notice the water turn very dark, the boat lurches to the side causing them to fall back in the boat, they look out to the lake and see the water getting rough and dangerous. The boat starts to sway viciously

They both walk in silence till they reach the edge of the lake. Annette looks round as if trying to find something. Leo follows her gaze, and then looks out to the lake.

Leo: So where is you apparent goddess, guardian? All I see is water. Annette: Im not too sure, all I know is that theres a boat and that you have to row to
the centre of the lake.

Leo: ANNETTE!!?? Annette: (shouting over the waves) just go with it! When the boat sinks... Leo: (panicked) WHEN THE BOAT WHAT!!??? Annette Ive played along with
your game, and this has gone far...

Leo: Thats it? You just row out and hope for the best? Annette: (ignoring Leo looks round till she finds an old wooded row boat) Aha! I knew
Id find it. Come help me push it out.

Leo looks from Annette to the boat and back in a unsure way. Annette makes her way over causing Leo to follow whilst sliding his notepad and pen into his pocket. When they both reach the boat they both push against it till it starts to bob in the shallow water. Annette indicates Leo to jump in the boat while she pushes off and jumps in herself. Leo settles down on the seat only to discover Annette shoving two oars into his hands.

Annette: come on, its time you got your hands dirty. Leo: What!...you know what, fine; I shall be the gentle man!
Annette goes to the front of the boat with a little smirk on her face. When they reach the centre of the lake Leo turns round to find Annette taking off a small locket from around her neck which was hidden under her dress.

With a sudden lurch the boat turns over and capsizes throwing the two into the dark water. Under the water everything looks calm but you see Leo and Annette swaying back and forth with the current. Leo tries to swim over to Annette but he cant move he looks over to her, panic in his face. But Annette is calm faced, staring into the dark water ahead of her. Leo follows her gaze and sees a black shadow ahead of them. Leo panics and starts to feel like hes drowning and starts to try and swim away but he still cant move. Then with exhaustion he goes a bit limp and sways with the current. He closes his eyes and turns to look at Annette but when he turns to look at her and starts to open his eyes, the dark figure is coming closer. Wide eyed now he steadies himself for whats ahead of them. Then out of the darkness a mermaid appears, holding out her hand and dangling from it, chain wrapped round her fingers is Annettes locket. Softly looking at them both in the eyes the figure speaks.

Nix: (soothingly with a smirk on her face)

So...you two got a bit lost, how about we play a little game?

The
Backgrounds
Techniques

With the style of Russian icons they tend to do alot of free form lines and repetition when it comes to their background work

Sea and water.

Rocks
and mountains
With these two images that I created used the same drawing style as the traditional art work but used my own use of colour and shading.

Trees and plants.

The black and white image was done completely by accident, when I scanned it through I forgot to put it on colour.........I think it looks very interesting in black and white. And it made me wonder whether or not to turn it into a black and white film. but then Iremembered my audience and children generally dont like black and white films. they love colour!

Clouds

Russian icon

Layout

For my backgrounds I wanted to have two backgrounds showing the lake and two images of inside the Black Forest For the Ammersee lake the scene is set at night, hence the darkend images. The water will be animated to look fluid and free, with the use of very dark blue lines and Gold

Backgrounds.

For these backgrounds I drew them from within the Black forest and experimented with the use of colour and Black, White (grey) I found the the bottom image imcredibly striking and Fairly dream like. So decided to put this in as a background for a dream scene of leos

The Character designs.

Main character- News paper proprietor Name- Leo Age- 21 Features- Thine and worn out. Hazel eyes with dark brown hair. Walks in an awkward fashion (hands in pockets.) Walks with a steady pace and looks fairly hidden. But as the film progresses his hands come out of his pockets and his posture looks more supirior and proud. Features- Comes across as very hidden and closed up but when his confidence starts to grow, he starts to let his guard down to show a more exciting funny character. Hes also incredibly intelligent, but finds it hard to let his imagination go. Being in the newspaper indusrty he has learnt that he must stick to the truth and cant afford to use his imagination and invent new thing.

The Character designs.

Character - Local cattle farmer. (fores girl) Name - Annette Age - 19 Features - Red headed with one blue and one green eye, Athletic buil. Fiesty and brave hearted. Character - Specialist tracker/hunrter/survivalist (taught herself ) Walks with caution when in the woods, a bit wolf like, But in the town shes very timid and feels a bit of a loner. Everyone thinks ofer her as a wild child,

The Character designs.

Character - Forest water spirit/ goddess. Name - Nix Age - Unknown. Feautures - Female water spirit a sort of mother nature figure towards the forest. According to legends, all female water spirits has a beautiful womans upper body, and on the lower half was a long fish tail (otherwise known as a mermaid) Character - She is a kind hearted creature at first but when you start to annoy her or beat her in her own games she gets anfry and viscious. She then goes heartless and toys with people. A cat and mouse effect. Opposite are some techinques of folds, for the tail

With these concept drawings I wanted to make them have the feeling of the whole film and I hope the represent the beginning, middle and end of this feature film. For instance the first image shows Leo and Annette being chased by wolves causing them to loose their way and get they get very lost in the vast forest. ThesecondimageshowsNixwatchingLeoandAnnettegoing through the Black Forest defeating all the obsticles that she puts in their way so that they dont win. The last image shows Leo caught inbetween Nix and Annette resembling Myth (Nix) and Legend (Annette)

Concept

The Storboards

The Storyboard concept

By Lauren Jansons