Hollow Man
The Adventures of Captain Adam Seabourne
Episode ONE: Aurora
Writer: David Tulloch
Synopsis: We introduce the main character, Adam Seabourne, and his quest to get south to something as yet unexplained ... an Edgar Rice Burroughs style of story, with some modern twists.
This is part one of a continuing series. I offer it to prospective artists and anyone else with an interest as an example of the series and my writing in general.
Page ONE
A couple of scientists, who belong to a larger group, are busy setting up a weather station on the edge of the Arctic Circle when they are witness to the arrival of the survivors of a polar expedition.
1/1 [ The Arctic Circle, 1820. ]
Two scientists from some American Society are setting up a weather station, one of those boxes with a thermometer and those cool wind meters that look like little cups that spin around on top. (find web pic). They are in extreme cold weather gear, but it all seems rather basic considering it is 1820. The weather is snowy, but nothing too horrible.
Scientist1: "Hurry up. The weather get's worse."
Scientist2: "Hold your horses. Almost done."
1/2 Scientist1 peers into the distance. The other continues to set up the station.
Scientist1: " Did you hear that?"
Scientist2: "Hear what?"
1/3 Scientist1 points out to his partner something coming toward them in the snow.
Scientist1: "There, look! "
1/4 We see what the scientists are looking at. Three struggling British (you may not be able to show that) men walking out of the white wilderness.
Survivor1: "Oh thank God! We've made it. We've made it."
1/5 The two scientists helping to hold up the survivors.
Scientist2: "Where the hell have you all come from?"
Survivor1: "We're all that's left of Captain Adam Seabourne's expedition to the Pole. He sent us back when things got bad ... went on alone."
1/6 The scientists continue to help the survivors along.
Scientist2: "Let's get you back to base. Get you some food, water and warmth ... and we'll say a prayer for the soul of Adam Seabourne."
Survivor1: "Amen to that."
TITLES: Hollow Man
The Adventures of Captain Adam Seabourne
Episode One: Aurora
Page TWO
Change of scene to a whaling ship in the cold Southern Ocean, they spot a signal fire.
2/1 [ The Southern Ocean, 1903. ]
A whaling ship at sea.
2/2 The steersman at the wheel of the ship, the captain and navigator standing close. The captain and navigator talking.
Captain: "Just how far south did that storm push us?"
Navigator: "A ways ... 30 miles or so. Bit close to the ice for my liking."
2/3 Similar frame as above. From above, the voice of the lookout calls down.
Lookout (off): "Signal fire off to starboard!"
Captain: "What? How can that be? There's no land for a hundred miles?"
2/4 Telescope view of a signal fire on an indistinct island.
(off) "Well, sir. There's always been rumours of islands out here ... the Auroras. "
(off) "But their just a myth, surely.
(off) "You don't usually see a fire on a myth, sir."
2/5 The captain talks to the steersman.
Captain: "Steer us in slow. Get a man forward for soundings. Prepare a launch."
2/6 Close up on Captain and Navigator.
Captain: "Let's see just who and what is out there."
Page THREE
3/1 A launch boat being rowed toward the whaling ship. A voice from the launch is answered from the whaler.
Launch sailor: "One extra soul to bring aboard, Captain. A man calling himself Adam Seabourne. In poor health."
Captain: "Bring him up, Mister Harris."
3/2 The first shot of Adam Seabourne. He is a man in his early thirties, handsome but a little rugged. Good physique, solid but not overweight. Imposing. He is wearing a slightly worse for wear British Infantry Captian's jacket from the 1820s. He also has an old pistol from that era, but some of his other clothing is odd, more modern looking. Even more modern looking than 1903, as it has come from an alien race (oooh!), but don't make it too odd. We see him being helped over the side of the ship, the Captain helping him.
Seabourne: "Thank you for coming to my aid, Captain."
Captain: "'Twas pure chance that blew us this far south, Mister Seabourne."
3/3 The Captain and a crewman helping Seabourne along the deck. In the background they are bringing his belonging, three crates, onboard.
Captain: "We'll soon have you back to land, Mister Seabourne. Set course for Port Stanley, Mister Leeland."
3/4 Similar to the previous panel.
Seabourne: "No! I must get south. Please, Captain ... turn the vessel south."
Captain: " There's nothing south but ice and death, Mister Seabourne. At the Falklands we can repair and refit, and get you seen to."
3/5 Seabourne pushes off the crewman on one side, but is hanging onto the Captain.
Seabourne: "No!"
3/6 Seabourne has his old 1820s style pistol out and pointed at the captain's head. He seems desperate and maybe a little mad.
Seabourne: "Turn this vessel south! I mean it!"
Page FOUR
4/1 Seabourne looking weak, like he is fading.
Captain: "Stay calm ... "
Seabourne: "Please, you've got to get me south... "
4/2 Seabourne faints.
Seabourne: " ... you have to ... "
4/3 small black panel.
" ... please ... "
4/4 Blurry vision as Seabourne reopens his eyes. The blurry figure is the captain looking at Seabourne's gun. We are in the Captain's cabin, Adam is in the bed.
Captain: "Welcome back, Mister Seabourne."
4/5 The same panel, but now in focus. The Captain may have moved a little since the last frame.
Captain: "An interesting pistol, sir. An antique. But still, I imagine, very deadly ... "
4/6 Seabourne sitting up in the bed.
Captain: "... assuming it is loaded, of course."
Seabourne: "I didn't want to hurt you, just convince you."
4/7
Captain: "And that jacket. Napoleonic era?"
Seabourne: "A few years later than that, actually."
4/8
Captain: "Just how long have you been on that island?"
Seabourne: "Not that long, I assure you. But long enough."
Page FIVE
A page where the Captain does most of the talking. The panels can be closeups of the Captain, medium shots of the scene, and incidental shots of anything in the cabin.
5/1 Captain: "My grandfather served with an Adam Seabourne. Went exploring with him to the north pole."
5/2 Captain: "Well, halfway to the pole. Bad weather, accidents. They started running out of rations. Seabourne sent my grandfather and the others back to safety, going on alone.
5/3
Captain: "He was never seen again."
5/4
Captain: "My grandfather gave up his adventuring ways after that. Settled down. Had some children. They had children."
5/5
Captain: "I used to sit at my grandfather's knee and listen to his tales of the sea and ice. Guess it rubbed off on me. Now I'm making my fortune at the opposite end of the world to him."
5/6
Captain: "But if that Adam Seabourne hadn't sent my grandfather back all those years ago ... well ... I guess I wouldn't be here today wondering why I'm sailing my ship towards the ice for the benefit of a man ... with the same name."
5/7 A frame of the captain and Adam looking at each other, both knowing that this Adam is the same man, but neither saying it.
5/8
Seabourne" "Thank you, Captain."
5/9
Captain: "You can have anything we can spare. Assuming I can't talk you out of what you are doing?"
Seabourne: "You can't."
Page SIX
6/1 The whaling ship sailing in ice flows near the coast of Antarctica.
6/2 The captain looking out the back using a telescope. The navigator standing next to him.
Navigator: "Just who was he captain? Apart from a madman."
6/3 Telescope view of Seabourne with three crates and some other bits, making some sort of contraption on the ice of Antarctica.
(off): "A ghost."
(off) "I gave all our spare rope and provisions to a ghost?"
6/4
Captain: "Aye, you did. Now let's get this vessel out of the ice and back to port."
Navigator: "Yessir."
Next Episode: Into the Black.
There are several more complete scripts in this tale, as well as an overall plot and finishing point.
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