The Crack in the World is the story of a boy who meets his destiny in a crack between worlds.
The idea for this animation sprung from the childhood game where you aren't allowed to step on the pavement cracks or you can only step on a tile of one colour. The central character is, in my head, fairly similar to Russel, the young boy from Pixar's movie "Up".
Setting and Establishment
The protagonist is a young child waiting somewhat patiently outside a house/walking to school/playing on the playground at lunch break/ or while waiting to be picked up at end of day.
The Call to Adventure
His call to adventure comes either through accidence or through curiosity.
My first thought was that he would be playing with a coin or something of value which rolls away and falls down the crack. He scrambles after it, peers in and descends into the world below.
My second idea was that a cat/dog/creature from the other world mysteriously disappears (pop!) to the other world in full view of the kid. He does a double take (a bit more humour in this one?) and then proceeds to examine the hole.
I really love the idea of him disappearing quite comically. I see him shrinking and popping (pop!) up into the air before falling down between the cracks, (Ahhhhhhh! as he tumbles and then lands haphazardly) or quite literally falling into the hole as he peers too closely over the edge.
The creature could also act as a mentor/companion on his journey, so that he isn't the only character supporting the story.
The plot will obviously be refined in storyboard stage, which comes next after I pick which idea to stick to.
The Ordeal
After being transported to this other world, our young hero is at first in shock and runs around like a little kid, perhaps crying. Another reaction might be to trade comical looks with the creature he followed (if it doesn't belong there/is there by accident too) before they both panic.
He follows the creature (his only connection to his previous world) or some sort of obvious path. A friendship with the world forms as he goes.
On his way he meets some fantastic creatures, some of which are huge monoliths, some like sticks and just as scared of him as he is of them, some are a little scary/nightmarish, some are cute or beautiful. I can have a lot of fun here, and there is potential for humour and also some very poetic moments. A theme tied in to childhood images would be cool too.
[Some creature inspiration from Bobby Chiu.
This is the sort of style I might go for]
My other thought was, if instead the journey to the other world takes place on a playground then this can drive a lot of the in-between plot-stuff.
For example, in going down the slide (being pushed down it by a bully?) he must ascend to the top of the playground/lookout.
He must traverse the monkey bars, avoid being stampeded, fight pirates or ninjas, climb up the vines/rope wall etc. to complete his quest. The creatures could be parodies of the kids he knows in real life (bully/glue eating/bony stick man/butterfly lady).
Catharsis/Death/Rebirth/Conclusion
For the sidewalk setting:
The protagonist confronts his fear and the gateway guardian/boss/supreme creature, receiving the key to return to his world. Else-wise there could be a great chase up and up and up after the gateway guardian refuses to help (an escape of trickery?) and eventually the guardian is sent back to where he belongs in the other world.
Or perhaps the guardian is very adult-like and his sense of wonder and happiness must be re-awoken in a poetic moment (adults after all are grumpy bums, of course ;).
The little boy returns to his world (with a souvenir from his visits? (he is changed) a flower/gift/item?). For a comedic ending, he could then see the creature disappear in front of a girl on the opposite side of the road -the boy running to stop her falling down the hole too. (?)
For the playground:
After ascending to the peak of the playground he confronts his arch-enemy in a desperate and somewhat comedic struggle (cue slow-motion?). Or alternately there is perhaps a more serious side to his fight and in a poetic moment he defeats his enemy.
Note: does the bad guy really bad in the end? Does he get pushed off the edge of the playground? //Therefore when they wake up in real world he dusts off his hands and the two shake hands/are actually friends? This would mean being not so much about bullying but about an imagined adventure and the creativity and play relationship of kids. I think I prefer this version.
I really want to stay away from the classic "hero fights back, then has to grab the bad guy's hand when he falls of the side of a cliff because he's not really bad, just human" plot twist. This is really cliche and i can't see a way to pull this off without disappointing.
Finally, he is called back to the real world. Some ideas: a parent calls him "time to leave the playground"/ comes to pick him up from school. The sun is going down therefore must leave the park and go home.
----------------------------------
Alternate ideas/springingforthness
- lava game: can't touch the ground on the playground/home, can only swing
- instead of pavement, a drain hole ? For a girl perhaps a "fairy" house in a tree? (Fairies not included of course, just the gateway, not quite my style ;)
- or in going down the playground slide into another world which is a play on the world of the playground (monkey bars/slides/platforms)
the good
I quite love this character. I love that it has a lot of potential for humour and also a pretty could world full of almost unlimited potential to play with.I think audience-wise this is also a good concept because everyone has been a child and therefore has the potential to sync with his curiosity or playground experience, depending on where this plot goes. Also a male protagonist seems to attract the wider audience (it seems girls can watch boy shows but not vice versus (??) ). But maybe perhaps I should break that trend, the story could then be linked to my own thoughts on childhood too.
For the playground there are the themes of bullying and the classic primary school experience. For the sidewalk version there is a lot of curiosity, play and innocence: the essence of childhood itself that we all long to return to.
Also this idea would be great in 3D, which is my preferred medium for this project.
the bad
Looking back it is a very Alice-in-wonderlandy tale. Is it too cliche? Perhaps i am just concerned about a story pattern, for example Narnia/spirited away/the upcoming film Epic follow the same formula. The Simpsons short about the after-school daycare also follows a similar theme.
The trick with this one would be to be most importantly original in style and content.
Also is this really a 5 minute story? there is an incredible amount to cover here! how can i simplify it? Not so much for the playground version as there will be a lot of action and montage to cover time quickly. Some thoughts:
Reduce the size of the other world: so he is transported immediately into a scene where he meets the guardian to the way home? This would completely edit out the journey to this destination, which has a lot of play and fun in it.
Perhaps it should just be down sized: e.g. he falls down into an empty crevice, the creature he follows runs around the corner and suddenly he is in the bustling center of town where his destination lays...
My second plot idea is called Girl on Fire, to be posted next.
Crack in the World and Sidewalk Stories plot Copyright Caitlin Bathgate 2013
