Leading Up
script - storyboarding - 2D animation
Leading Up is a short film script I wrote that explores the time and tension, all building up to an 'image of krisis' in the Wheel of Reasoning.
The Script
She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror and tied her hair into a high ponytail. She looked down at her watch.
4:55pm
It would be just enough time to make herself a cup of coffee and run back to her room in time for the interview. As she trudged down the stairs she scanned the lane outside for a red beanie. Nothing. Just giant mounds of white between her aunt’s house and the next. She had never imagined snow to look so striking and beckoning.
She made her way to the kitchen while reading the job description once again. She opened the fridge, poured some oat milk into her mug, and set the microwave for a minute.
4:57pm
As she got the coffee machine ready, threw the old pod and replaced it with a new one, she started to get worried and wonder where her little cousin was. His bus would have dropped him off ten minutes ago. Yesterday the neighbour had given him a ride home when the weather was much worse. Had he slipped today? She could go out and look for him, but she couldn’t afford to miss her interview. She needed to land a job immediately or she’d have to leave the country.
4:58pm
Beep. Beep. Beep.
She removed her mug from the microwave, positioned it under the coffee machine and pressed the button. She moved more to her right, closer to the end of the kitchen countertop so that she could get a direct, clearer view of the front door and porch. No sign yet. No sound yet, except for the buzz of the coffee machine.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sudden sound startled her and she almost dropped her phone in fear. She turned back towards the source of the sound - the back door. Through the glass panel she saw her 6 year old cousin knee deep in snow. She ran towards it and tried opening it, but it was locked.
“Mithu akka, open the garage door”, he yelled.
She immediately went to the garage and pressed the button to open the shutter. She had to wait for him to make his way from the deck all the way to the garage. Time seemed to pass so slowly. 30 seconds seemed like an eternity.
4:59pm
Yikes! He finally entered the garage and she shut the door. She tried helping him with his things, trying her best not to get snow into the house.
“Okay I need to go now, will you be okay?”, she asked him. He responded with a smile and a nod. This was her signal to run, get her hot coffee and run up to her room. She logged into the zoom call and took a deep breath.
5:00pm
