Thursday, January 30, 2014

'The Story of an Hour' Adaptation Comic Script

I chose to adapt "The Story of an Hour". It's one of my favorite short stories and I love Kate Chopin, so I thought this would be fun to tackle. It's definitely not the typical subject matter for comics so it was fun for sure!

Script below the cut...




THE STORY OF AN HOUR
Original Story by Kate Chopin, Adapted by Cassidy Aquilino-Berg
Page Comic Script
Revised 1/30/2014

CHARACTER NOTES

MRS. LOUISE MALLARD: A young and beautiful woman who suffers from a heart condition. She is the wife of Brently Mallard and the sister of Josephine.

JOSEPHINE: Louise's sister who worries for Louise because of her heart condition.

MR. BRENTLY MALLARD: Louise's husband. He is thought to have died in a train accident before the story begins.

ART NOTES
Contrast of color is very important. The style should be of a loose graphic style focusing on shape and light. No line should be used so the style of the images may come out almost as cut out paper shapes made into images.

PAGE ONE -- SEVEN PANELS

LAYOUT: Seven panels filling the whole page. First panel spanning the width of the page and 1/4 of the length page. Second, third, fourth panels of equal size spanning the width of the page and 1/4 of the length of the page. Fifth panel spanning the width of the page and 1/4 of the length page. Sixth and seventh panels of equal size spanning the width of the page and 1/4 of the length of the page.

PANEL ONE
JOSEPHINE and LOUISE are sitting and having tea in the sunroom. It is spring and a beautiful day outside. There is a window by the tea table. The outside colors are very vibrant while it is very monotone and dark inside.

1. JOSEPHINE: Louise...
2. JOSEPHINE: I don't...
3. JOSEPHINE: Brently is...

PANEL TWO
The first half of a crashing train is depicted. Sparks are flying everywhere.

PANEL THREE
Close up of a newspaper article that headline says 'TRAGIC TRAIN WRECK'. The text beneath it shows a list of people killed LOUISE's husband being the first listed. 'KILLED: BRENTLY MALLARD'.

PANEL FOUR
The second half of a crashing train is depicted. This is a continuation of panel two. It is almost as if one image was split.

PANEL FIVE
Center of the panel is a close up of LOUISE's chest in which you can see her heart, anatomical, floating outside of her body and pieces of it are falling and breaking like glass.

PANEL SIX
Close up on LOUISE's face which is streaked with tears with her hands cupping her face.


4. JOSEPHINE: ...dead.
PANEL SEVEN
Shows the table with LOUISE's tea cup turned over and spilling over the side of the table. JOSEPHINE is embracing LOUISE in silhouette in front of the window.


PAGE TWO --  FIVE PANELS

LAYOUT: First panel spanning the width of the page and taking up 1/4 of the length of the page. Second, third, and fourth panels of equal width and height spanning the width of the page and taking up 2/4 of the length of the page. Fifth panel spanning the width of the page and taking up 1/4 of the length of the page.

PANEL ONE
LOUISE is sitting in a large chair sunk in with a distraught look on her face. Light from the window she is facing is shining on her. The light is colorful and bright, everything else is a dull color. The room is dark.

PANEL TWO
Cherry blossom trees are in bloom and petals are blowing in the wind. The panel is framed like the window with the bars of the window, but none of the rest of the room.

PANEL THREE
In the courtyard a peddler cheerfully selling his wares. The panel is framed like the window with the bars of the window, but none of the rest of the room.

PANEL FOUR
Sparrows are flying through the sky and singing. The panel is framed like the window with the bars of the window, but none of the rest of the room.

PANEL FIVE
A cloudy sky is pictured with fluffy clouds with bright patches of blue and sun shining through. With a low opacity a close up of LOUISE's face is overlayed over the image of the sky. She has a blank stare and her eyes look empty.

PAGE THREE -- THREE PANELS

LAYOUT: Three panels of equal size, all spanning the width of the page and taking up 1/3 of the length of the page.

PANEL ONE
LOUISE reaches her hand out from her chair towards the window towards a few cherry blossom petals that are blowing into the room. The room is starting to gain color. Where the cherry blossoms are the room is more saturated and the very tips of LOUISE's fingers are as well.

PANEL TWO
LOUISE stands up and grabs the window ledge. The room is gaining more saturation and the room is filled with cherry blossom petals.

PANEL THREE
A close up of LOUISE's lips in profile with petals floating around.


1. LOUISE: ...free...
2. LOUISE: ...free...
3. LOUISE: ...free... 

LETTERING NOTE: The words 'free' are not in bubbles, but scrawled over the panel with no background to them in loose cursive handwriting.

PAGE FOUR -- SPLASH PAGE

PANEL ONE
A anatomically drawn heart fills the page and cherry blossom trees and flowers are shown growing from it. The background behind it is a blue sky and a few clouds are drawn floating in front of the heart as well.


1. LOUISE: Free! Body and soul free!

LETTERING NOTE: The words are not in bubbles, but scrawled over the panel with no background to them in loose cursive handwriting.

PAGE FIVE -- TWO PANELS

LAYOUT: Two panels of equal size both spanning the width of the page, each taking up 1/2 of the length of the page.

PANEL ONE
Close up of JOSEPHINE kneeling in front of Louise's door, her lips to the keyhole.


1. JOSEPHINE: Louise, open the door! I beg, open the door--you will make yourself ill. ...
2. JOSEPHINE: What are you doing Louise? ...
3. JOSEPHINE: For heaven's sake open the door. ...
PANEL TWO 
LOUISE has opened all the windows and petals are flying everywhere. She is dancing.


4. LOUISE: Go away. I am not making myself ill.
PAGE SIX -- FOUR PANELS

LAYOUT: Four panels of equal size that each take up 1/4 the width of the page and span the length of the page.

PANEL ONE
LOUISE dancing outside in the spring day, petals are falling around her and flowers are all in bloom. The sky is blue.

PANEL TWO
LOUISE dancing outside in the summer night, fireflies are all around and the moon is bright.

PANEL THREE
LOUISE dancing outside in the fall, the sun is setting and the trees are all beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange and leaves are falling all around her.

PANEL FOUR
LOUISE dancing outside in the winter, snow is falling all around her.

PAGE SEVEN -- THREE PANELS

LAYOUT: Panels one and two; Two panels of equal size spanning the width of the page and taking up 1/2 of the length of the page. Third panel spanning the width of the page and taking up 1/2 of the length of the page.

PANEL ONE
Closed door, with JOSEPHINE kneeling by the door knob begins to open, just a crack.

PANEL TWO
Open door with LOUISE standing in the frame with her arms outstretched with flower petals swirling around her and light from the window behind her. JOSEPHINE is still kneeling outside the door frame looking up at her sister, LOUISE. The area outside LOUISE's room is monotone and inside her room is brightly colored.


1. LOUISE: I'm free!
PANEL THREE
A silhouette of LOUISE and JOSEPHINE walking down the stairs, arm in arm, with the color following them from the room as they go.

PAGE EIGHT -- THREE PANELS

LAYOUT: Panel one and two are of equal size spanning the width of the page and take up 1/4 of the length of the page. Panel three spans the width of the page and takes up 3/4 of the length of the page.

PANEL ONE
Close up of a man's hand putting a key in the front door.

PANEL TWO
Close up of the door beginning to open as the man pushes his hand against the door.


1. BRENTLY: Louise?
PANEL THREE
Straight on shot of BRENTLY MALLARD, LOUISE's husband thought to be dead, standing in the frame of the front door. The inside of the house is filled with color and BRENTLY and anything outside and within the door frame is monotone, dull color.


2. BRENTLY: Louise...I'm alive!

PAGE NINE -- FOUR PANELS 

LAYOUT: Panel one spans the width of the page and 3/4 of the length of the page. Panels two, three and four are of equal size and span the width of the page and are 1/4 the length of the page.

PANEL ONE
LOUISE is pulling her hair and screaming, all the color gone.


1. LOUISE: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NO. NO. NO.
LETTERING NOTE: The words are not in bubbles, but scrawled over the panel with no background to them in loose, frantic cursive handwriting.

PANEL TWO
LOUISE's heart in the center of the panel, again anatomically drawn, with flowers growing out of it, all fresh and in bloom with a black background.

PANEL THREE
LOUISE's heart in the center of the panel, same as the panel before but the flowers are beginning to wilt and her heart has a gradient of white on it as if it is in the process of turning white.

PANEL FOUR
LOUISE's heart in the center of the panel, same as the panel before but the flowers are all dead and her heart has completely turned a sickly white.

PAGE TEN -- SPLASH PAGE

PANEL ONE
A grave stone reading 'Louise Mallard/ Beloved Wife and Sister'. There are cherry blossom trees all around, but they are not bright and colorful, they are desaturated.


1. NARRATOR: Cause of death. A joy that kills.
LETTERING NOTE: The words are not in bubbles, but scrawled over the panel with no background to them in loose, frantic cursive handwriting.

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