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Freya's Replacement (Episode 1)



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Tue Nov 09, 2010 1:09 am
Nephthys says...



This is the pilot of a TV show I'm working on about Norse Mythology. Let me know what you think.
Please, please, PLEASE feel free to rip it to shreds! There is no such thing as too much feedback! :)

I've made a short TRAILER for the show. It's not exactly professional quality, but it should give you an idea of what I'm going for visually.

I would really love some honest reviews on this, but please don't bother if you're going to write "I liked it. It was good." or "It was horrible, but I'm not going to tell you why I think so."

ALSO: Just to clarify - the script is written in 60 minute single camera format, and in BBC style (no ad breaks).









Spoiler! :
EXT. A STREET IN STOCKHOLM, WINTER. DAY


It's 1950.

A RAVEN pecks at the sidewalk of an old Stockholm cobblestone street.

GWENDOLYN sweeps past it, her nose in a book, smartly dressed on her way home from work. A sign above the building that she has come from says "Stockholm Public Library". Gwendolyn is 23, blonde. Her eyes are too far apart and therefore slightly ethereal.

She walks into a streetlamp, looks up from her book, repositions herself and keeps reading. She passes out of view.

The RAVEN is joined by another. They watch after Gwendolyn for a moment, then take off into the white sky.

CUT TO:


EXT. SWEDEN, WINTER. DAY.

From above:

Two RAVENS fly over the city of STOCKHOLM, and into the countryside. They fly over the snowy dark woods, and suddenly veer up, up. We see:

CUT TO:


EXT. ASGARD. DUSK.

A village shrouded in a whorl of clouds. Gated mansions surrounding an enormous tree; gnarled and majestic, enclosing the whole city. The land is dusted with snow and surrounded by a high sandstone wall. Above the city is a swirling mass of faded purples and blues, dotted with stars.

The ravens fly towards it, and disappear into the clouds.

CUT TO:


INT. THE GRAND HALL OF THE AESIR. DAY.

The RAVENS fly down white marble corridors. The camera follows them, tilting and swerving.

Suddenly - one of them is grabbed from view!

Camera on LOKI; clever, ageless, wolfish grin. He grips the raven tightly.

LOKI
Alright, bird; talk or die.
(He holds a knife)


CUT TO:


INT. THE GRAND HALL OF THE AESIR. DAY.

LOKI releases the RAVEN. We follow it down the corridor.

CUT TO:


INT. THE GRAND HALL OF THE AESIR. DAY.

The great hall - a vast marble chamber. The RAVEN soars inside the high peaked ceiling.

ODIN sits on a raised throne at the back of the hall. There are many empty seats around him. He is 40ish; long, dark hair, a beard, and an eye patch over one eye. Mysterious.

The other RAVEN is settled on a pedestal at his shoulder. The first raven settles on another, and they lean in, as if bowing. Odin smiles.

ODIN
Well, my friends?


CUT TO:


EXT. A STREET IN STOCKHOLM, WINTER. DAY.


GWENDOLYN walks down the street. There is a light, powdery snow on the ground. She sits on a bus stop bench, and glances across the road at the clock on a charming old church tower. It is 2:39.

She looks to one side, in time to see an OLD MAN come around the corner, carrying an enormous bag of soup cans. Gwendolyn smiles - he is right on schedule. The bus arrives, and she gets on it.

The sequence repeats a couple of times: Library, Bus Stop, Clock, Old Man, Bus. The first day she is late, so she speed-walks. The next it is snowing heavily. The third day she carries a lot of shopping bags.

CUT TO:


EXT. A STREET IN STOCKHOLM, WINTER. DAY.

GWENDOLYN leaves the library again.

This time, when she gets to the bus stop and checks the clock, there is no sign of the OLD MAN. She checks the clock again - it is definitely 2:39.

LOKI (OOV)
He's late today.

Gwendolyn turns around to see LOKI leaning against the bus stop pole. He is smiling unnervingly.

LOKI
Hello, Freya. I've been looking for you.

GWENDOLYN
Excuse me?

LOKI
Don't play dumb with me.


He approaches the bench, and reaches for her hand. She stands up, quickly.

GWENDOLYN
(Trying to remain polite)
I have no idea who "Freya" is, but I can assure you
that I'm not her.


There is a pause. MR BORSCHT comes around the corner.

LOKI
There he is at last.
(beat)
You really don't know me?


Gwendolyn is quite unsettled. There is something wrong about this man.

GWENDOLYN
I'm certain you're mistaking me for someone else.

LOKI
No. I've been waiting a very long time to see you again.


Gwendolyn is unsure of how to respond. She tries to avoid his gaze. After a long awkward silence, she looks up, hoping that he has left.

LOKI
I'll leave you to catch your bus then.


He smiles vaguely.

The bus arrives. Gwendolyn boards it hastily. She looks back through the window to see LOKI watching her departure.
Last edited by Nephthys on Tue Mar 22, 2011 1:44 am, edited 28 times in total.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- There is no sin except stupidity - Oscar Wilde -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
  





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Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:08 am
Roal says...



It's best that you tell the character first instead of describing them during the scripts, you're not writing in story format right now.

EXT. A STREET IN STOCKHOLM, WINTER. DAY
It's 1950.

A RAVEN pecks at the sidewalk of an old Stockholm cobblestone street.

GWENDOLYN sweeps past it, smartly dressed on her way home from work. A sign above the building that she has come from says "Stockholm Public Library". Gwendolyn is 23, a librarian, blonde with eyes that are too far apart and therefore slightly ethereal. She passes out of view.

The RAVEN is joined by another. They watch after Gwendolyn for a moment, then take off into the white sky.

CUT TO:

EXT. STOCKHOLM, WINTER. DAY.

From above:

Two RAVENS fly over the city of STOCKHOLM, and into the wintery countryside. They fly over the snowy dark woods, and suddenly veer up, up. We see:

CUT TO:

EXT. ASGARD. DUSK.

A village shrouded in a whorl of clouds. Gated mansions surrounding an enormous tree; gnarled and majestic, enclosing the whole city. The land is dusted with snow and surrounded by a high sandstone wall. Above the city is a swirling mass of faded purples and blues, dotted with stars.

The ravens fly towards it, and disappear into the clouds.

CUT TO:

INT. THE GRAND HALLS OF THE AESIR. DUSK.

The RAVENS fly down white marble corridors. The camera follows them, tilting and swerving.

Suddenly - one of them is grabbed from view!

Camera on LOKI, clever, wolfish grin. He looks in his thirties. He grips the bird tightly in one hand.

LOKI
Alright, bird. Talk or die.

(He holds a knife to the bird)

I find it weird where he just suddenly talks to the bird and then it "cuts off" xD
Though I would totally want to see someone threaten a bird.


CUT TO:

INT. THE GRAND HALLS OF THE AESIR. DAY.

LOKI releases the RAVEN. We follow it down the corridor. <--- Story format. ( The camera follow it down the corridor. )

CUT TO:

INT. THE GRAND HALL OF THE AESIR. DUSK

The great hall - a huge marble chamber. The RAVEN soars inside the high peaked ceiling.

ODIN sits on a raised throne with many other chairs around it at the back of the hall. He is around 40, with long hair, a beard, and an eye patch over one eye. Mysterious, head tilted to one side. The other RAVEN is already seated on a pedestal at his shoulder. The first raven settles on the other, and they lean their beaks closer to him. Odin smiles.

ODIN
Well, my friends? What news have you got for me today?


CUT TO:

EXT. A STREET IN STOCKHOLM. WINTER, DAY.

GWENDOLYN walks down an old residential street. There is snow on the ground. She sits on a 1950s bus stop bench, and glances across the street at the clock on the charming old church tower. It is 2:39.

She looks to one side, in time to see MR. BORSCHT, a small old man, come around the corner, carrying an enormous bag of soup cans. Gwendolyn smiles - he is right on schedule. The bus arrives, and she gets on it.

The sequence repeats a couple of times. Each time, Gwendolyn wears a new outfit, and is in a different mood. One day she is late, so she speed-walks. One day it is snowing heavily. ETC.

CUT TO:

EXT. A STREET IN STOCKHOLM, WINTER. DAY

GWENDOLYN leaves the library again.

This time, when she gets to the bus stop and checks the clock, there is no sign of MR. BORSCHT. She checks again - it is definitely 2:39.

LOKI (OOV)
He's late today.


Gwendolyn turns around to see LOKI leaning against the bus stop pole. He is smiling mischievously.

LOKI
Hello, Freya. I've been looking for you.

GWENDOLYN

Excuse me?

LOKI

Don't play dumb with me.


He approaches the bench, and reaches for her hand. She stands up, quickly.

GWENDOLYN
I don't know who this Freya is that you are looking for, but I can assure you that I am not her.


There is a pause. Loki watches Gwendolyn intently. MR BORSCHT comes around the corner.

LOKI
There he is.

(Beat. They watch him walk.)

You really don't know me then?


Gwendolyn is unnerved. There is something wrong about this man. LoL Something is wrong about him? Is this a thought?

GWENDOLYN
I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm sure you're mistaking me for someone else

LOKI

No. I've been waiting a very long time to see you again.


Gwendolyn is unsure of how to respond. She tries to avoid his gaze, but after a long awkward silence, eventually looks up.

LOKI
I'll leave you to catch your bus then.


He smiles vaguely.

The bus arrives. Gwendolyn boards it hastily, and looks back through the window to see LOKI watching her.


I'm a bit confuse on the plot right now but it does give an eerily mood to it. Though this does sound like a prologue to me but it was interesting. I would like to see this "Freya" who doesn't know Loki even though he said that he's been waiting a long time for her. I'll check out the next time you post and maybe check it out :]
I'm not good a nit picking but I'll only point out the obvious in formats.
14 years have passed
And yet I'm unabled
To find a friend
For my existence is lower
Than a piece of grass.
  





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Wed Nov 10, 2010 2:09 am
Idraax says...



First, I've never really read scripts before, so it looks a little strange to me. Why is the entire thing in a spoiler? Why is the word raven capitalized? I thought scripts only capitalized character names. Is raven the name of a character or is it an actual bird? What's the purpose of repeating the bus scene? We get it, she does this every day. The last part is interesting, but why was Loki waiting for someone else? He could have said something along the lines of "I've been waiting for you for a long time Freya" to freak Gwendolyn out. This is interesting so far. It's flowing nicely for a script. I understand why you didn't add too much description, but we readers don't have the pictures in front of us so some more description would be nice. A TV show huh? Can you put the link up here? Please! *makes a pleading face* I would really like to see it! :)
Check these out please! :)
Alezrani
Will review for food thread
  





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Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:36 pm
Nephthys says...



PART 2:

Spoiler! :
INT. A FAMILY HOME. NIGHT.

The kitchen of the most normal family in the world. Warm, friendly.
GWENDOLYN removes a tray of potatoes from the oven, and arranges them exactly into rows. She passes by the stairs.
GWENDOLYN
Sophie! Dinner!


GWENDOLYN goes into the dining room where UNCLE NORVILLE, AUNT LIANE and BESSIE, 7, are already assembled. She puts the potatoes on the table and takes her seat.

The room is comfortable, if not grand. Uncle Norville hides behind his newspaper. Aunt Liane arranges the dishes in a designer apron- the perfect 1950s housewife- and Bessie is practically bouncing in her chair.

BESSIE
And then Thor hit the giant on the head with his hammer,
and it died!

AUNT LIANE
Very nice Bessie.

UNCLE NORVILLE

Aren't they learning anything useful in school these days?

AUNT LIANE
Norville! The myths are a part of our history. My great-grandfather
Valborg was quite a well-known scholar of mythology, you know. He-


Gwendolyn quickly interrupts her.

GWENDOLYN
Is Sophie down yet?

AUNT LIANE
I'll go call her. You know how that girl likes to take her time.


She goes to the door.

AUNT LIANE (OOV)
Sophie!

UNCLE NORVILLE
So, Gwendolyn, how was work today?

GWENDOLYN
Well - it was... lots of books, actually.

UNCLE NORVILLE

Any news of our friend Mr. Andersen?

GWENDOLYN
No, Uncle, I can't say that I have any, but I'll be sure to let you know if -


Aunt Liane comes back into the room, excited.

AUNT LIANE (CON'T)
Does Gwendolyn have something to tell us?

GWENDOLYN

No, Aunt Liane. I haven't seen him since the dinner
party- last night.

BESSIE
(Mocking)
Oh Gwendolyn! Thy beauty outshineth the rising sun!

AUNT LIANE
Now Bessie, Noah's a perfect gentleman. He's just a
little... old fashioned.
(To Gwendolyn)
Not a bad catch for a girl of your age...

GWENDOLYN
I'm twenty-three.

AUNT LIANE
I was twenty-one when I was married. Your mother
was nineteen. Just let us know if the situation
changes, dear.

GWENDOLYN
Yes, Aunt.

AUNT LIANE
I heard from Mrs. Olsen the other day that he's bought
a nice house up on Christina St. - a family home. Are you
sure he hasn't mentioned-

GWENDOLYN
No, Aunt.

AUNT LIANE
You know I'm only saying this for your own good, dear.
because there's nothing worse than winding up a spinster.
You don't want to be like Aunt Helge, poor woman.


Gwendolyn is obviously annoyed by the subject. SOPHIE- 14, and self-centered enters, wearing a dress much too fancy for dinner. She looks at the table disdainfully.

SOPHIE
I'm a vegetarian now. I don't eat potatoes.


CUT TO:


INT. STOCKHOLM PUBLIC LIBRARY. DAY.

A warm library: shelves upon shelves of books and comfy chairs. GWENDOLYN and VERA- 30s, a typical librarian- are on check-out duty. Gwendolyn shifts the books on display minutely, attempting to make them perfectly in line.

MR. ALVING, the angry-looking head librarian, walks behind the counter, inspecting them at work.

HEAD LIBRARIAN
(To Gwendolyn)
Miss Strom. There is a fine layer of dust on this counter.
Would you care to explain to me why that is the case?

GWENDOLYN
Oh, I'm so sorry sir, I'll fix it right away.

HEAD LIBRARIAN

(Unappeased)
I certainly hope that you will -

GWENDOLYN
I just wanted to thank you, sir, for the new organizational
system. It makes everything so much more efficient.

HEAD LIBRARIAN
(Quite pleased with himself.)
Yes, well... I thought it was quite a good idea myself.


He goes off, placated.

VERA
(With a Russian accent)
How you do that? He yelled at me for ten minutes the
last time I forget to dust!

GWENDOLYN
People are easy - well, most people. You just figure out
what they want from you, and then do it. Mr. Alving
(Re: The Head Librarian)
for example- he pretends that he's a robot, but all he
really needs is some attention. Whenever he thinks no one's
looking, he hides behind the shelves in the romance section
and reads all the books.

VERA
If you're so good at people, why aren't you married to that
Noah boy, huh?

GWENDOLYN
(smiling)
Maybe I don't want to get married.

VERA
You crazy girl, of course you want to get married! Every girl
wants to get married!

CUT TO:


INT. STOCKHOLM PUBLIC LIBRARY. DAY.


GWENDOLYN is restocking books from a cart. She picks up a book, MYTHS OF THE NORSEMEN and begins to read, leaning back on the cart. It begins to slide, and she is jolted back to reality.

REVEAL: NOAH Andersen standing behind her. Awkward; 34, a shoe salesman and generally nice guy.

GWENDOLYN
Noah! Uh - hello, I'm just...

NOAH
(shakily)
Good Afternoon, Miss Strom.

GWENDOLYN

(Sliding the book onto the shelf)
I've told you a million times - it's Gwendolyn! What brings
you to the library today? More books for Isabella?

NOAH
Actually, the reason for my presence is entirely separate
from my niece, Miss -Gwendolyn.


Gwendolyn turns back to look at him. She notices his newly pressed suit and slicked back hair.

GWENDOLYN
Oh...

NOAH
I – I’m sure you know that I have the greatest respect for
you, as I have not exactly made my admiration a secret. I’m
not a wealthy man, but I get by tolerably, and although I have
only known you for a few months, I cannot help but feel –
(He takes a deep breath)
I know that Victor Hugo is your favourite author, so I thought
that a quote from him might be appropriate for this occasion:
"Love is like a tree, it grows of its own accord, it puts down
deep roots into our whole being." If my love for you were a tree,
it would be an fir tree, or an ash tree, or actually just any really
big tree, regardless of species. What I mean is- Will you marry
me Gwendolyn?


Awkward pause. Gwendolyn is pleased but uncertain. She realizes that she has to say something.

GWENDOLYN
(Takes a deep breath)
Um, okay?


CUT TO:


INT. ANOTHER PART OF THE LIBRARY. AFTERNOON.

GWENDOLYN speed walks past the reception desk of the library, dressed for outside. VERA is checking out books for a few CUSTOMERS. Gwendolyn tries to sneak out the door, but VERA catches her eye.

GWENDOLYN
(Hastily)
See you tomorrow, Vera.

VERA
Did I just see you with-

GWENDOLYN
Yes.

VERA
And did he-

GWENDOLYN
(smiling shyly)
Maybe...

VERA

There! What did I tell you? Our Gwendolyn's getting
married at last!

GWENDOLYN
(Embarrassed)
You don't have to tell anyone. Really.

VERA
(Laughing)
See you tomorrow, future Mrs. Andersen.


Gwendolyn leaves. The camera is stationary. Vera checks out the last book of the man at the counter.

VERA
Have good day, sir.


The man at the counter turns around. It is LOKI - his book is the same volume that Gwendolyn looked at- MYTHS OF THE NORSEMEN.
LOKI
Oh, I will.


CUT TO:
Last edited by Nephthys on Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:22 am, edited 7 times in total.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- There is no sin except stupidity - Oscar Wilde -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
  





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Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:44 am
captain.classy says...



Hey there!

Characters/Plot

This is a very interesting concept, though I'm not quite sure what it all means yet. What I'm afraid of is how much you have done with this. It's all amazing, and I love it so much. But I'm guessing you need about four or five of these parts (if they're all the same size as 1 and 2) to make a half-an-hour episode. You've watched T.V. shows before, correct? Well in most of these TV shows, the pilot (the first episode) is very subtle. In it, the main plot of the show is usually addressed, and possibly the main characters.

Take How I Met Your Mother, for example (I'm just using this because it's my favorite show). The show is all about how the main character, Ted, is trying to find a wife. In the first episode, it clearly states that Ted is tired of being single, and wants to settle down and have kids.

Boom, now you have plot.

Also in the first episode, all of his friends are introduced. The scene starts out with him seeing this beautiful girl Robin across a crowded room. Boom, one friend. Then there's Barney, who tries to convince him that he doesn't want to settle down, and that he should be single Ted because Barney needs Ted to be his wingman. Boom. Then there's Marshall and Lily, the couple of the group whose sweet and sincere relationship lightens the mood of the serious comedy.

I don't see either of these things here, but I see a whole lot.

The marriage part can be introduced later, and does not need to be mentioned now. The man, Noah, can be introduced, but it's not that important. What is important is that person that comes, calls her a different name, and confuses her. That is necessary because it is a very important part of your plot, it seems, because the name he calls her is in the title. Her going home and meeting her parents is unnecessary. I kind of like the part when we see the main on a throne and that creepy sounding guy with the bird. However I am going to point out something later in the review that will help you out more with that scene.

Quotes 'N' Comments

Well, my friends? What news have you got for me today?


Build up for something amazingly and then give me nothing? Check. Bore me by not giving me anything? Check. Want to change the channel? Check. So, how do we fix this? Make what he says interesting. You build up so much with weird things like the change of scenery and the threatening the bird, and then I'm bored again.
Also, the beginning part with the girl main character? Unnecessary. You should enter with the ravens thing, because it is so much more interesting. I feel like you added that part with the girl just because you think that your first scene has to have your main character in it. Not true, especially with this genre of script. I think it would be more interesting to open with the mystery, rather than a girl walking around in the snow.

Gwendolyn smiles - he is right on schedule.


Goodness. Alright, so we will not be able to read her mind. We will not know that she is smiling because he's right on schedule. I wish we were so smart that we could read expressions so deeply, but we will think she's smiling because she's crazy or something. You need to have her say something, ready for this? It's genius: "Right on time Mr. Borscht." Boom.

Don't play dumb with me.


Rude much? You see that because you are writing a script you have to covey their emotions towards each other through dialogue. You can't get inside either of their heads. To write scripts, you have to be a master at studying body language and actual language. You have to study how people react and say to/certain things. It seems as though they know each other, at least in a past life or in an alternate universe. If this is true, he needs to sound more like a friend. Saying this would only work if he says something like "Oh we used to joke" blah blah blah.

SOPHIE, 14, and self-centered enters, wearing a dress much too fancy for dinner.


Alright, so there's something I need to tell you about writing scripts: you are not the director. Once someone buys your script, you're done. They might call you in later to ask you things, or to make it longer or shorter, or keep on writing more scripts, or whatever. You do NOT decide what the people are wearing, how the camera moves, or typically the specifics of the scenery. Sure, it's alright to say that they are in a library, but you don't get to say that they are in a library with purple desks and green lamps. That is the director and the set designers job. Your job is to write the script: develop the characters and plot. If you want to do more, then you are going to have to be your own producer, costume/set designer and director.
The only reasons I'm mentioning this is that 1. because I hear that Hollywood doesn't like to read scripts/use scripts where the writer is too forward with the instructions, 2. because they won't follow what you say in the script anyways, so it makes no sense and 3. because you do it a lot in this.

So go back and read through it. Correct any unnecessary instructions you may have added. Correct any boring lines or useless scenes. And most of all, be sure that viewers have a good sense of your characters before the episode is over. At the moment, your main character seems like a Mary Sue (google what it is if you don't know it) and doesn't seem interesting one bit. There doesn't seem to be any flaws, and that's boring. We want to see characters who have things wrong with them.

So yeah, final notes:

Develop plot
Develop characters
Correct any unnecessary lines/scenes/instructions.

Keep writing,

Classy
  





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Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:54 pm
Nephthys says...



PART 3! :)


Spoiler! :
INT. THE STROM FAMILY HOME. DAY.

GWENDOLYN comes through the front door and removes her outerwear.

BESSIE trundles towards her and attacks her with a hug.

BESSIE
Rawr! I'm a frost giant!


Gwendolyn laughs, and AUNT LIANE rushes into the parlour, flustered, putting on earrings and carrying several bags. SOPHIE follows, her usual sullen self. Aunt Liane begins to rummage in one of the bags.

AUNT LIANE

Sophie and I will be back before dinner, make sure that
Bessie - I can't find that darn appointment slip anywhere!

Gwendolyn picks the appointment slip up off the counter and hands it to Aunt Liane. She smiles; competent, relaxed- people are easy.

AUNT LIANE (CON'T)
Thanks dear, don't forget -

GWENDOLYN
Swedish homework and piano for Bessie, and I'll make
sure that Uncle Norville takes his medicine.

AUNT LIANE
Thanks dear.
(Sternly)
Let's go Sophie.


She begins to drag Sophie out the door.

SOPHIE
(As she's being led away)
I don't like going to the dentist.


The door shuts behind them.

GWENDOLYN
(To Bessie)
Come on - even frost giants have to do homework.

BESSIE
RAWR!


CUT TO:


INT. THE LIVING ROOM. DAY.

GWENDOLYN sits at a table, writing. In the background, BESSIE is working earnestly on her homework at the coffee table.
GWENDOLYN (V.O.)
Dear Mum and Dad: I'm engaged. I thought you might
like to know... No -

She crosses the line out, and tries again.

GWENDOLYN (CON'T)
I expect you will be pleased to hear that I will not die a
spinster after all... His name is Noah and he's a respectable
shoe salesman.

BESSIE
How do you spell "pulchritude"?

GWENDOLYN
(Amused)
P-U-L-C-H-R-I-T-U-D-E. What on earth are you writing about?

BESSIE
(Reading from her paper)
"In ancient times, Freya was the goddess of pulchritude and -"


Gwendolyn notices the word "Freya". It's too coincidental, She must have heard wrong.
GWENDOLYN
What did you say?

BESSIE
It's for our unit on mythology. "In ancient times, Freya was
the goddess of pulchritude and divination. She-"


We hear the door unlock.

BESSIE
Daddy!


Bessie jumps up and runs out of shot, to the door.

UNCLE NORVILLE (OOV)
Where's my little Valkyrie?

BESSIE (OOV)
That was yesterday, Daddy. Today I'm a frost giant. RAWR.

Gwendolyn stares at Bessie's paper. The way the light from the window falls on it, the word "Freya" seems to be highlighted.

She snaps out of it, and goes out.


EXT. THE STROM FAMILY FRONT PORCH. EVENING.

A charming old residential street. GWENDOLYN shovels snow off the front porch of a semi-detached brick house.

NOAH approaches, dressed up. He bows awkwardly, and hands her a bouquet of sickly looking flowers. His movements are very rehearsed.

NOAH
You look beautiful, Gwendolyn.

GWENDOLYN
(Accepting the flowers)
Do I?
(Teasing)
On a scale of Jane Eyre to Helen of Troy, where would
you say I fall?


Noah is tongue-tied. He hasn't prepared an answer. Gwendolyn takes pity on him.

GWENDOLYN
These are beautiful, thank you.


Noah smiles for an uncomfortably long time.

NOAH
Oh- I -uh- have a ring for you.


Noah takes out a box, and slips the ring onto her finger. It is loose.

NOAH
Is it too loose? I can get another one if you want-


GWENDOLYN
Noah, it's fine. A perfect fit.

It is not.
NOAH
I would have given it to you earlier, but I- really didn't
think you would say yes.

GWENDOLYN
You go on inside, I have to finish up here. We can make
the announcement after dinner.

NOAH
(Hesitantly)
Gwendolyn?


She waits for him to continue. He doesn't

GWENDOLYN
Yes?

NOAH
May I kiss you?

GWENDOLYN

Well, seeing as we're going to be married, I don't think
that's an entirely unreasonable request.


Noah looks confused. Gwendolyn sighs.
GWENDOLYN (CON'T)
Yes, you may.

He kisses her. He smiles and goes up the steps.

Gwendolyn sits on the bottom step.

GWENDOLYN (CON'T)
(Pleased)
Mrs. Noah Andersen...
(Beat)
Shoe salesman's wife.


She frowns.

A rustling noise comes from the snow on her left. She looks up. The two RAVENS are sitting in the snow, watching her. She tilts her head to one side.
GWENDOLYN (CON'T)
(Remembers them from scene 1)
Hello again.

She approaches the birds cautiously. They stay completely still, staring at her. She reaches out a hand to touch one of them -

LOKI (OOV)
Eliza.

The RAVENS take off suddenly, croaking loudly. Gwendolyn turns, slowly. LOKI stands on the sidewalk. He is always extremely in focus- the surroundings blurry in comparison.

GWENDOLYN

(Calm)
How did you find out where I live?

LOKI
Eliza Doolittle.

GWENDOLYN
Excuse me?

LOKI
From Pygmalion. It's a play by an Englishman - Shaw?

GWENDOLYN
Yes, I know, but-

LOKI
(Enjoying himself immensely)
You asked where you stood - I'm telling you; Eliza Doolittle.
Not much to work with, but we'll soon fix that.

AUNT LIANE (FROM THE HOUSE)

Gwendolyn! Dinner's ready!

LOKI
Gwendolyn. It suits you well.
(Beat.)
I think I'll go in and introduce myself.

GWENDOLYN
(Standing)
I don't think that will be necessary. If you have business
with my aunt or uncle, tell me your name and I will
announce you.


She reaches nervously for her shovel.

LOKI

My name has nothing to do with this.

GWENDOLYN
(Forcing herself to be calm)
If you do not have a legitimate purpose for being here,
then I suggest that you leave this property at once.

Gwendolyn holds the shovel tightly, pulling it close, defensively.

LOKI
I am going inside that house, Gwendolyn, and you are not
going to stop me; You are not even going to attempt to.
Because I will win. You can tell that I am powerful but you
have no idea the things I could do should you try and stop me.


Gwendolyn lowers the shovel. She is thoroughly freaked out.

GWENDOLYN

Who are you?

Loki smiles, enjoying the feeling of absolute power, for once.
LOKI
A god.


Loki sweeps past her, up the stairs and into the house.

Gwendolyn stares after him in shock.
Last edited by Nephthys on Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:49 am, edited 10 times in total.
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Thu Nov 18, 2010 5:23 am
captain.classy says...



Hey again!

So, sorry to be repetitive, but once again you still seem to be focusing all on plot. As as your plot is good - and totally weird and unrealistic - you still need time for your characters to grow.

You know what I sense? I sense that your main character is going to leave the world and go to the world that the Loki guy is from. I love stuff like that. However, it doesn't work unless we know the character. I have an idea of what you can do. I recently started reading the first Harry Potter book. What I really liked about it was how it gave room for the characters to grow, particularly how it gave time for Uncle Vernon to grow. Unless you didn't know, the third person narrator follows him through his daily routine. I think you could use this. Show us what your MC sees every day. Yes, you showed us her family life and the old man at the bus stop, however that's it. With TV shows, you can't just show bits and parts unless the bits you left out has to do with a big twist in your plot. It only takes thirty extra seconds to show us her day, doesn't it? Spare the time.

I think that's the only part I am confused about, other than when your MC sees the ravens, goes over to them, and suddenly said "Hello again" or something like that. Clear that up again. Say that she looked at Loki. If she is saying it to the birds, specify, because that is weird. It does display a sort of relationship she might have with ravens though... hmm...

Overall, this is very good, as far as plot goes. I really like your story, to make it perfect, add in some more lines or scenes to define the characters. Everything is coming on so fast. You have to remember: you know this character but we don't. I would like to see her and Noah's relationship before the proposal.

I can't wait to find out the mystery of this!

Classy
  





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Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:11 pm
Apple says...



I.Nitpicks:
GWENDOLYN sweeps past it, smartly dressed, and on her way home from work.


Instead of using a comma, I suggest you use and. It fits well and makes it flow more smoothly.

Two RAVENS fly over the city of STOCKHOLM, and into the wintery countryside. They fly over the snowy dark woods, and suddenly veer up, up.


The comma and extra 'up' again aren't needed. They seem more like filler and though filler is good, it can sometimes be used wrong and feel like you're blabbering. (I do it all the time, do not worry. I think I've already done it through the space of this review)

Gated mansions surrounding an enormous tree;, gnarled and majestic, enclosing the whole city.


Semi-colon should be replaced with a comma. For you see, a semi-colon is only used to bring two seperate sentences together and make it one large sentence. It could work here but it struck me as weird, just saying. It's all up to you whether you keep it or not.

Camera on LOKI's, clever, wolfish grin. He grips the raven tightly in one hand.


Hmm you you're saying that clever, wolfish grin is Loki's. You must place a apostrophe and an 's' in front of Loki.


II. Plot/Arc:

I'd definitely watch this! Interesting, catchy and drawing, I would be its number one fan. I don't have any bad points. I agree and disagree with the first previous reviewer. You've developed the other two characters (Odin and Loki) well and I feel like I've known them forvere but I do have to agree on your main character. Place yourself in her shoes, if someone came up to you saying that you were someone else, you would'nt be cool about it. I personally would be freaking out.

For example:

"Hello, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

"GTFO, Buddy!!!"

Just those few things and you can make it seem a little more real. Do you know what I mean? Make her have a little freak out, make her be more hectic to get onto the bus and escape Loki. Other then that, I don't find anything else wrong with this. Which sucks because now it makes my review small. :(

III. Overall:

Great. Outstanding. Wonderful. Spectacular. As I've already mentioned, I would watch this. It's very interesting and I think I've already stated that like a million times. Keep going, as I find this has lots of potential.

Keep Writing,

Cassa de Review-ae.
I spy!
  





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Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:05 pm
Trident says...



All right it's time I delivered on this. Firstly, I'm completely unfamiliar with script format, so I'll be utterly useless for any conventions in that sense. With that said, here's my crit.

1 I like the opening scenes with the ravens in action; I thought perhaps you could do a little more with the ravens. I think captain.classy has some really good advice, so I may be bringing some of it in every once and a while. I agree that Odin's first line is terribly boring if that's all we get to see of him. There needs to be something more of an introduction to our Norse gods, especially for those who aren't quite so versed in the mythology.

Loki/Gwen convo: I was having a hard time with this conversation. It's packed full of unoriginal dialogue. For example, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm sure you're mistaking me for someone else." That line seemed like exactly what someone might write for a story, but that no one would ever say in real life. Also, I'm having a difficult time making any personal connection with Gwendolyn, which should in effect start right off the bat. If your viewer is not somehow connecting with your main character on a personal level in the very beginning, then why should they ever care about her at all? One step further, why care about the show at all then? Loki's dialogue is cryptic, which is good, but I think he could hint a little more at things that we don't know about yet. Drop a few intrigues that will make us want to know why there is a creepy man at all. One last note: dialogue is everything. If it seems unoriginal or boring, there is no reason to stick around.

2 Bessie's first line is lovely because it's so unexpected. I really think you need to add more of that sort of thing to your dialogue. (I also later enjoy the little girl pretending to be a frost giant, but I'll get to that later.)

My great-grandfather was quite a well-known scholar of mythology, you know.


Yawn. I know this line is meant to be boring, but the way you presented it is doubly boring. If Aunt Liane is truly wanting to defend the study of mythology, let her get excited about it. Have her enthusiastically announce to the table her great-grandfather's name (hopefully something ridiculous-sounding) and the "credible" school he attended (with an equally ridiculous-sounding name). Have the characters discuss this a little bit. Your dialogue isn't going far enough to characterize these people. They all feel as if they were dull stand-ins right now muttering lines about nothing. Which brings me to my next point. We have no plot so far! Right now I have a scene with crows, a bit of Norse gods, a creepy bus stalker scene and a family talking about studying myths and Mr. Andersen. If I were to see this on TV without any forewarning, I would think "What in the world is going on here?" I might even be likely to turn the channel. Give us something early on that will anchor us and let us know what we might expect later on.

I don't like potatoes.


Blech. Sorry, but I can imagine one of those fake laugh tracks after Sophie mutters this line.

Noah and Gwen's convo: At this point, I'm imagining this whole thing as a BBC production with the cast of a Jane Austen novel. Now I'm not sure that's what you intended considering it's set in present day (at least that was my understanding). Your dialogue needs to reflect the fact that actual people are talking. Noah's dialogue is completely unrealistic. Now, with that said, you might be able to turn this to your advantage. If your characters mention in the previous scene that Noah has the tendency to talk like a Victorian, then you can get away with it and even use it as a sort of character trait. However, you must have the other characters react to it somehow. If someone talked to me like that, I would certainly react in some way, not continue talking to them as if nothing were different. Also, what kind of ridiculous marriage proposal is that? If you want your women to not look like subservient fools, then Gwen needs to kind of be upset that Noah has one of the least romantic proposals. Now perhaps if you were to bring in Gwen's liking for books or mythology into his proposal, it would be a different story, more romantic, sweeter, and more original, which is something you should continually be striving for.

Oh, I will.


Lol, I just imagine he'll twist his mustache like some cartoon villain. Loki seems rather cookie-cutter right now. He's certainly not carrying the aura of the god of chaos. He needs to be developed more, and appear a lot more intelligent than this creepy old man that keeps following Gwen. And if he is meant to appear as a harmless old man in disguise at this point, don't have him talking to Gwen so soon in the storyline. Having him show up in random places where she is (such as here) will let us know he's not all he seems to be.

3It's probably a bad thing, but right now my favorite character in this screenplay is Bessie. Why? Because with what little we have seen of her, there is a great deal of characterization going on. All the other characters feel stale and undeserving of our attention. Bessie pretending to be a frost giant is a terrific scene because we are characterizing her (and the characters around her in the process) as well as keeping with the Norse mythological theme. However, everyone else in that scene seems to have nothing to say of any importance. It feels like we've just stuck this section in to move the plot along, which isn't a terrible thing; such scene are necessary every once and a while.

Noah and Gwen convo take two: Since we don't have much of a background on these two, this scene feels completely outrageous. Mixed in with Noah's proposal, I just have this feeling that their relationship isn't real, and by that I mean it's not something that would happen in real life. It's not something I can believe to be a real thing that could happen. There needs to be some other dynamic in this relationship. It's missing something, or perhaps a few things.

It's a play by an Englishman - Shaw?


I'm not sure Shaw would appreciate being called an Englishman. I'm pretty sure he was Irish.

If you do not have a legitimate purpose for being here,
then I suggest that you leave this property at once.


Again, people don't talk like this. The dialogue needs to be more realistic, or your viewers will certainly grow tired of your characters talking quickly.

Also, Loki's dialogue doesn't become a Norse god. He sounds like a petulant child who is boasting of his powers. Why should he? He is a god after all. And the fact that he openly states it isn't powerful, like it seems you intended. I think it actually detracts from his overall aura of power.

Well, there you have it, I've done my best to tear it apart. There were several lovely parts, and I do often try to comment on what's working well because that certainly helps you to write better also. Good luck with revision!
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Mon Nov 22, 2010 1:55 am
Nephthys says...



PART 4


Spoiler! :
INT. A FAMILY HOME. NIGHT.

GWENDOLYN lets the front door swing closed behind her. She can hear LOKI's voice from the dining room. She tries to calm herself. Deep breath.

LOKI (OOV)
...it turns out that you can't bring more than ten pounds
of imported soaps into Russia after all.


Uproarious laughter from the dining room.

Gwendolyn enters the room boldly. BESSIE, SOPHIE, AUNT LIANE, UNCLE NORVILLE and NOAH are gathered around the table, listening intently to LOKI's story. Sophie bats her eyelashes, flips her hair, and laughs much too loudly at everything he says.
UNCLE NORVILLE
Gwendolyn, why haven't you brought your professor friend
over before?

AUNT LIANE
He's charming!

GWENDOLYN
My -

LOKI
(Daring her to contradict him)
I told your family about the project that I'm working on
with the library.


Gwendolyn's courage fails.

AUNT LIANE
And would you believe this - his mentor was a colleague of
my great-uncle Valborg! What are the chances?


An obvious lie. Gwendolyn sits down as close to Noah as possible, protecting him. Loki stares at her from across the table. She does not contradict him.

CUT TO:


INT. The DINING ROOM. NIGHT.

It is dark now. NOAH, BESSIE, SOPHIE, AUNT LIANE and UNCLE NORVILLE finish eating, laughing and chatting. GWENDOLYN looks up at LOKI. He stares at her without blinking. The sound becomes muffled.

Noah says something to her, but we can't hear. He takes her hand, and as she turns to look at him, she breaks eye contact with Loki. The conversation returns to normal volume.

NOAH

Shall we?


Gwendolyn nods, and they stand.

NOAH (CON'T)

Excuse me, everyone. We have an announcement to make.
(He waits for Gwendolyn to say something. Beat.)
Today, I asked Gwendolyn to be my wife, and she said yes.

Bessie and Aunt Liane squeal, Uncle Norville gets up to shake Noah's hand and Sophie pouts at her food, unhappy that she is not the centre of attention.

Everyone sits back down. Gwendolyn continues to stand, working up the courage to confront Loki.

GWENDOLYN

I-
Loki continues to stare.
GWENDOLYN (CON'T)
I'm not feeling well. I think I should go to bed.


CUT TO:


INT. GWENDOLYN'S BEDROOM. NIGHT.

GWENDOLYN paces. Her room is simple and spotless. Everything is arranged properly.

GWENDOLYN

Great idea Gwendolyn. Run away and leave your family
at the mercy of a madman.


She picks up the telephone and dials.
VOICE ON THE PHONE
Hello, you've reached the Stockholm Police Station. What
is the nature of your emergency?

GWENDOLYN
I'd like to report...


There is another burst of laughter from downstairs

GWENDOLYN (CON'T)

...nothing.
(She hangs up.)
It's nothing. You're making this up.


Gwendolyn paces around the room a bit more, then sits at her desk and gets out a paper and pen. She writes:

Freya?

A popular girl's name.

She considers for a while, and writes something else.

Mythology.

She thinks.

CUT TO:


INT. GWENDOLYN'S BEDROOM. NIGHT.

GWENDOLYN wakes up. She is resting her head on her desk. Panicked that she has fallen asleep and missed something, she goes to the door and rattles the handle. It is locked.

There is a grating noise at the window. She turns around to see LOKI sitting on the sill.

LOKI

(Threatening)
Don't scream. Bessie's room is the next window over. She
looks so peaceful when she sleeps.

GWENDOLYN
(Too freaked out to say anything useful)
Don't hurt her. Please don't hurt her.

LOKI

(Sincerely)
I wouldn't dream of it.

GWENDOLYN
Please, just leave me and my family alone.

LOKI
I don't want to hurt you, Freya.


He stands up off the sill, and holds out a fur coat.

LOKI (CON'T)
Put this on, and let's go.

GWENDOLYN
I'm not who you're looking for, I swear. I'll help you find her,
really, I will. But I'm not Freya. I always have been, and always
will be Gwendolyn Strom.

LOKI
But you're to be Mrs. Andersen soon, are you not? The
obedient wife of a middle-class shoe salesman. Is that really
what you want?


He moves closer as he speaks.

GWENDOLYN
(For a moment, she is certain)
Yes! Yes, it is.


She runs past him, and slides awkwardly out the window onto the roof of the porch.
CUT TO:


EXT. OUTSIDE THE STROM FAMILY HOUSE. NIGHT.

GWENDOLYN scrambles off the porch, fighting her way through a tangle of vegetation. She takes off down the street, limping slightly.

LOKI calmly jumps out the window, and catches up to her immediately. He catches her around the waist, holding her still. Gwendolyn's arms and legs continue to flail for a few seconds, then she gives up on running and tries hitting him instead.

LOKI
I'm not going to let go- you should save yourself the energy.
We have a long walk ahead of us.


Gwendolyn gradually stops fighting, and kneels in the snow, breathing heavily.

GWENDOLYN
At least let me say goodbye to my family.

LOKI
I could. But then I'd have to kill them.
(He grins)
Your choice.

GWENDOLYN
(Defeated)
What do you want?

LOKI
To bring you home.

Gwendolyn allows him to put the coat on her. She gives him a vicious glare.

GWENDOLYN

I am home.


She turns away from him and starts walking. Loki turns her in the right direction, and they walk off in the snow.

CUT TO:
Last edited by Nephthys on Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Wed Nov 24, 2010 2:52 am
Nephthys says...



PART 5


Spoiler! :
EXT. A FOREST. EARLY MORNING.

Loki stops in a large, snowy clearing. There is an old wishing well in the middle and a pile of polished white stones beside it. Loki picks up a stone, and cuts his palm, letting the blood run onto it. He drops it into the well.

The world freezes.

Suddenly - the ground in front of them ruptures, and an enormous pillar of grassy earth bursts up and forms a solid arch stretching into the clouds. A jet of fire shoots down from the sky, creating an arc parallel with the earth pillar. A geyser of water shoots upwards from a chasm in the earth. The three arcs form what looks like a rainbow bridge reaching into the sky.

Gwendolyn gasps. Loki shrugs. He gestures for her to step onto the bridge.

GWENDOLYN

Not until you tell me who you are, what that is,
(She points to the rainbow)
and where exactly we're going, because I'm starting to
get an idea, and I really don't like where this is headed.

LOKI
Very well. I'm Loki, and that is the bridge which separates
your world from Asgard- which is our destination.


He gestures for her to continue onto the bridge again. She doesn't move.

GWENDOLYN
So that would make you Loki, Farbauti's son? The trickster?
Loki, that retrieved Thor's hammer from the frost giants?

Loki is evidently pleased that she's heard of him. He nods.
GWENDOLYN (CON'T)
The Loki that murdered Balder?


Loki is furious.
LOKI
Never mention that name in my presence!


Gwendolyn nods slowly. Loki grins, suddenly all anger gone.

LOKI

And why would you know so much about the Aesir?

GWENDOLYN
(Tentatively)
I work in a library.
(Beat. She realizes the full truth of this.)
I'm a librarian - I'm not even really a librarian, I mostly just
restock the shelves - what could I possibly have to do with
this? Please, just let me go back home.

LOKI
I'm afraid that's not possible, Freya. If I return empty handed,
Odin may have me executed this time. And if there’s one thing
that I care about more than anything else in the world, it’s my
own well being. Now hurry up. The bridge won't be here forever.

GWENDOLYN

You haven't explained what you need me for.

LOKI
(Impatiently)
That's a story for another time. Go on.


Gwendolyn tentatively steps onto the bridge, and they continue their journey.

CUT TO:


EXT. BIFROST. DAY.

GWENDOLYN and LOKI walk up the rainbow bridge, Gwendolyn sticking to the reliable earth part.

They walk for a few moments in silence.

GWENDOLYN
I thought you were- I mean, weren't you... imprisoned?

LOKI
If you are referring to the time that I spent tethered to a
cave, with poisonous venom endlessly dripping down and
burning away my flesh, then yes. For three hundred years.


He pulls up his shirt to show her that one side of his abdomen is scarred deeply. In some places there are even deep pits in the flesh. Gwendolyn is visibly disturbed.

GWENDOLYN
Then... you were forgiven?

LOKI
No. I'm useful.
(Beat)
It turns out that time doesn't heal all wounds. Not these ones.


He laughs to himself.

CUT TO:


EXT. BIFROST. DUSK.


It is much darker. GWENDOLYN and LOKI continue to walk up the bridge.

ASGARD comes into view (as described in Scene 3).

Gwendolyn is amazed. Loki laughs.

CUT TO:


EXT. ASGARD. DUSK.

GWENDOLYN and LOKI walk through the gap in the sandstone wall, and enter the city of the gods.

Ethereally delicate flowers poke up out of the snow on either side of the cobblestone road.

It is quiet.

GWENDOLYN
...That's it? I thought there would be... security or something.

LOKI
Not anymore.


They approach a formidable hall, positioned at the end of the road.

INT. THE HALLS OF THE AESIR. DUSK.

It is already darkened outside as LOKI strides confidently into the marble chamber.

Sitting along the two side branches of a ([_]) table are FREYR, SIV, IDUN, HEIMDALL, TYR, NJORD, BRAGI and (Loki's) empty chair. Along the back wall (L-R) are: THOR, FRIGG (Odin's wife), ODIN and two empty chairs (For Freya and Balder).

The grand chamber shows signs of decay. Dust is settled on ancient statues; the tapestries slowly flake away as the mortar between the stones erodes.

GWENDOLYN enters, and stands behind Loki in the doorway, trying her best to remain unnoticed. She doesn't need to try; all of the gods are focused on Loki. Most look less than pleased to see him.

THOR, a giant red-haired god with a huge beard, glowers at Loki from his seat.

LOKI
What's the matter Thor- someone steal your thunder?

THOR
What are you doing back here? I thought I'd never see your
miserable hide again.

ODIN
More importantly - have you completed your task?


Gwendolyn steps tentatively into the room, hoping to avoid notice. The great doors slam behind her, and the sound reverberates.

All of the gods turn to look at her. Beat.
FRIGG
Is that-

THOR
Does she-

LOKI
(Not giving Gwendolyn time to speak)
There's no point in questioning her - she doesn't
remember.


There is pause, as all of the gods inspect Gwendolyn. They are unimpressed. She says nothing, terrified.

FREYR
That is not my sister.

THOR
She's just a strange-looking mortal, of course she's not our Freya.

SIV
Did you really think this pathetic creature could fool us Loki?

LOKI

(Still confident)
And what makes you think I'm trying to fool you?

FREYR
She doesn't even look like Freya!

THOR
You have failed, yet again. It's a good thing that Balder
wasn't here to get his hopes up-


The great doors of the chamber are pushed open. Behind them stands BALDER. Tall, dark and brooding. He is beautiful, but face is twisted into an expression of pure angst.

He sees Gwendolyn, and for a moment, the whole room is still. Then he drops to his knees in front of her, and grabs her hands, almost speechless.

BALDER
Freya.


The room is silent again, as everyone tries to process Balder's reaction. Gwendolyn attempts to remove her hands from Balder's grip- she already dislikes him.

Loki approaches Balder menacingly.

LOKI
That's right, svartalf, I brought her back. Where have you been?

BALDER
It is because of you that she was lost in the first place.

LOKI

And she wouldn't have come to me if she thought she
could trust you!


Balder and Loki glare at each other. It seems likely that one of them will attack.
ODIN
Balder. Loki.


Balder and Loki reluctantly back away from each other, still furious. When Odin tells you to do something, you do it.

ODIN (CON'T)
Balder. What is it about this girl that you trust?

BALDER
She's my Freya. I can feel it.

LOKI
(Under his breath)
His Freya...


The room begins to murmur - with surprise, anger, confusion. Gwendolyn steps forward.
GWENDOLYN
(To Odin)
Excuse me, um, sir.
(She curtsies awkwardly)
I think there's been a mistake. You see, I'm actually a
librarian, and-

THOR
Brother, you can't really tell me that this girl -

FREY
Have you lost your mind?


The murmuring continues, louder. Frigg, a dignified older beauty, whispers something to Odin.

ODIN
If I may speak?

The room quiets suddenly the moment that he begins.

ODIN (CON'T)

Balder's belief in her is enough that we must give this matter
further consideration. We will disband now, but first I will need
someone to watch the girl.

LOKI
She will stay with me.

ODIN
That I cannot allow. Your interests rest far too deep in
this matter. Anyone else?

IDUN, a pretty young goddess, speaks up.

IDUN
She can stay with us.

ODIN
Good. We will meet later to discuss this matter.
Last edited by Nephthys on Fri Mar 04, 2011 6:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Thu Nov 25, 2010 3:55 am
Nephthys says...



PART 6

Spoiler! :
EXT. OUTSIDE THE GRAND HALL. NIGHT.

The GODS disperse into the night. IDUN leads GWENDOLYN down a winding path. BRAGI- Idun's "charming" husband and the god of poetry- follows, looking annoyed.

BALDER crosses in front of Gwendolyn.

BALDER
(Desperately)
Please, tell me that you remember me- at least a little?


Gwendolyn shakes her head, a little creeped out.

BALDER (CON'T)
I will help you. You will remember.

IDUN
Balder-

Idun puts a hand on his shoulder, and gives him a look.
BALDER
You're right. I'll leave. Goodnight, Freya.


He exits, angstily.

Up on a hill, looking down at the action is ISEULT, a coldly beautiful Valkyrie. She stands with her horse, waiting.

LOKI, walking behind IDUN, BRAGI and GWENDOLYN, looks up at ISEULT, and nods.

She takes off into the night.
CUT TO:

EXT. THE COURTYARD OF FREYA's HOME, SESSRUMNIR. NIGHT.


ISEULT lands her horse in the stone courtyard, and dismounts.

Many VALKYRIES, including ROMILDA and ASTRID are sitting in the charming open air courtyard, talking, sewing, drawing, lazing. Beautiful - the pictures of perfect ladies - except for the few who are sharpening weapons.

Romilda is strong, dark-haired. She often saves weak men on the battlefield because she finds them amusing.

ISEULT strides up to the group.

ISEULT
Freya has come home.
(She lets her words sink in)
Loki returned with her this evening.


Astrid is sweet, but gullible.

[
b]ASTRID[/b]
Is it really her?

ROMILDA
What do you think, Astrid? We're talking about Loki. Let
me guess- she's a strikingly beautiful redhead, with an IQ
of about one.

ISEULT
She looks nothing like Freya - and she's certainly not as
proud - but Balder believed in her.

ROMILDA
Then Balder is a fool. I wouldn't believe that creature if
he told me that Asgard sits on the world tree.

ODIN (OOV)
He may be telling the truth for once.

ODIN enters out of the shadows. The Valkyries scramble to look busy and presentable.

ODIN (CON'T)
Good evening ladies.


There is a general fluttering of curtsies and bowing of heads. Each one attempts to make hers the best, so that it will receive notice.

ODIN (CON'T)
Don't be too worried - you won't be taking orders from
her just yet. She is mortal, and remembers nothing of
her life here. But Balder believes in her, and therefore
the possibility cannot be overlooked that perhaps Loki
has succeeded in bringing her home. For tonight, there
is no reason that you should not carry on with your work.
To your stations.


The Valkyries disperse quickly.

ODIN (CON'T)
Romilda.


She stops, and turns around reluctantly

ODIN (CON'T)
Lovely as always.


She curtsies slightly.
ROMIDLA
(Briskly)
My Lord.


She exits quickly.
CUT TO:


INT. IDUN'S MANOR. NIGHT.

IDUN and BRAGI lead GWENDOLYN through the bare halls. They stop outside an intricately carved door.

IDUN
I hope this is alright? We didn't exactly know that you
were coming.


She opens the door, and they step into a snug wooden room, like a fairytale hollowed out tree trunk.

Gwendolyn doesn't say anything. She is in shock.

IDUN (CON'T)
I'm sorry that you don't remember, Freya. And I'm sorry
that everyone was so rude, we were all quite shocked
tonight. I expect that you'll forgive us, once you've gotten
your memories back.

BRAGI
(Under his breath)
If there are any memories to get back.

IDUN
(Smacking him)
Bragi! Don't say that! She's right here. The poor girl is in
shock- she's had a terrible day. Let's try not to make it
worse, hmm?
(To Gwendolyn)
Is there something I can get for you, honey? Do you
need to talk?

BRAGI
We shouldn't bother her, darling. I'm sure she's exhausted.
Besides... don't we have other things to do.

IDUN

(Annoyed)
What things?
(Bragi puts his arms around her waist)
Oh. Those things.
(To Gwendolyn)
Just call me if you need anything dear.


Idun and Bragi exit.

Gwendolyn lies down on the bed, face first. Silence.
She breathes; in, out, in, out.

Then, a shriek from the hall:

IDUN (OOV)
Bastard!

Footsteps loudly down the hall. A second set follow, calmer.

CUT TO:


INT. A HALL IN IDUN'S HOUSE. NIGHT.

IDUN storms down the hall, holding a piece of paper. BRAGI follows, trying to calm her.

BRAGI
Darling, it's only a poem!

IDUN

Only a poem? When you went on that hunting trip, I
believed you, even when you returned two days later
empty-handed – but then I find this!


She holds out the piece of paper.

BRAGI
It's just a poem - I promise. It doesn't mean anything.
Now come back to bed.

IDUN
You spent two days with a Huldra, and you expect me to
believe that you only wrote her a poem?

BRAGI
I-

IDUN
Besides, poetry is worse than physical cheating, it's
emotional cheating,
(Her voice begins to creep up in pitch)
You're cheating with your SOUL!

BRAGI
I’m the god of poetry, darling, what did you expect? I
need a muse! I would have written a poem for you, but
you’re never around.

IDUN
And what is that supposed to mean?

BRAGI
Remember last week when you told me you were visiting
Siv? I have it on good authority that you were- with Loki.

IDUN
With Loki-
(She gets it)
How could you even say that, you, you -

She picks up a vase off its pedestal.
CUT TO:

INT. THE TREE TRUNK ROOM. NIGHT.

GWENDOLYN lies face down on the bed.

From out in the hall comes a crash. There is a shout of pain, then the sound of footsteps coming towards the door. There is a knock.

Gwendolyn gets up slowly and answers the door.

IDUN stands through it, holding the remains of the vase, smiling as if she has not just brutally clobbered her husband over the head with a ceramic vase.
IDUN
Can I sleep in here tonight?


CUT TO:


INT. GLADSHEIM, ODIN'S HALL. DAY.

ODIN is feeding mice to his RAVENS. FRIGG enters.

FRIGG
Your horse is being saddled. Would you care to tell
me why?

ODIN
I am going to see Voluspa.

FRIGG
I see. This is to do with Freya? I doubt she will be pleased
to see you.


Odin feeds another mouse to the ravens. They devour them voraciously.
ODIN
Every precaution must be taken, my love. She may know
something more than we do.

FRIGG
Go safely.

ODIN
As always.


CUT TO:



INT. A DARK CAVE. NIGHT.


BYELLA, a Frost Giantess, and GUARDS stand towards the back of the candle-light cave.

LOKI enters.

LOKI

Pay up. They bought it.

BYELLA

I don't believe you. Already?

LOKI
Well, not entirely. Not yet. The doubt was there - almost
too much, I knew I should have gone for the redhead - but
then- Balder actually believed me.

BYELLA
Now you're making fun of me. Balder?

LOKI
I guess there was something about the girl... he's so desperate
at this point that he would have believed anything.

BYELLA
And she can be managed?

LOKI

Most definitely.

BYELLA
Very well.


She gestures for the GUARDS to hand over a bag of money.

BYELLA (CON'T)
But I will be expecting progress.

LOKI
My dear sister, what else could you possibly expect from me?


He bows, mocking her, and then sweeps out of the cave with his money.
Last edited by Nephthys on Tue Mar 22, 2011 1:58 am, edited 3 times in total.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- There is no sin except stupidity - Oscar Wilde -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
  





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Sat Nov 27, 2010 7:00 am
captain.classy says...



Hey there! Wow, I am so impressed by this. You are an amazing scripter. Other scripts that I have read don't even compare. I can feel things coming to life. I can see the characters. But, yet again, you need to slow down a bit. But don't worry, I'll help.

Also, I said I would review all of your new posts, however I don't have the time to do six tonight also, so I will only be doing four and five in this review.

Quotes 'N' Comments

Part 4

AUNT LIANE:
And would you believe this - his mentor was a colleague of my great-uncle Valborg! What are the chances?


Alrighty then. I can't figure out if she is speaking to Loki or Noah here. If it's Noah, then just ignore what I am going to say in the next few sentences. If it is Loki, how on earth would he know who her great uncle's colleague was? You need to explain this somehow. Things like these cannot be kept secret. Usually in writing authors do this, then later expand on the idea for the readers. For example, if you were to later question this statement, like having Gwen ask Loki, "How did you know my aunts great-uncle's colleague," and then you could introduce how Loki can contact other people's memories or something like that. So if you are planning on mentioning this again, do it quickly before people forget. I hope this made sense. lol

He stares at her without blinking.


I would like some more description about how she is feeling here. Is she intimidated? Nervous? Scared? Be sure not to describe what she looks like, but how she feels. You have been doing better at the technical parts of script writing, I have noticed. Keep at it! However we need a bit more detail here. I would like to feel the tension between these two. Also, be sure to let the readers of this know if the tension is playful or not. I don't think it is, so that means you can't have any cutesy jokes between the two. Keep it serious and we'll know the tension is serious.

LOKI
Don't scream. Bessie's room is the next window
over. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps.


I think "She looks too peaceful when she sleeps" is what you mean to say here. You say the part about Bessie's room being the next window over, so the next sentence is the explanation of that. It would be like "Don't scream because Bessie's room is the next window over, and she looks too peaceful whens he sleeps to wake her up." How you have it, the two sentences are independent and don't really make sense if you break it down.

GWENDOLYN
I am home.


Nuh uh. I don't like this. At all. Too wimpy, not a good ending. I'd like you to think long and hard about what you could say here instead. I remember watching TV shows and thinking "Oh that just wasn't dramatic enough" and this would be one of those moments. It makes her seem like a coward, like she isn't afraid of him, like she has given up. And though she has given up, I don't think she really has at heart. I think that she is still fighting, and while what you have her say here supports that theory, it just isn't... good enough! I don't know what else to say. Just try to come up with something more powerful, something that sounds like a threat. Something that sounds like a feeble attempt to put Loki back in his place.

Part 5

Loki shrugs.


So this makes it seem like Loki doesn't care about her. I'm not sure what you want their future relationship to be. It seems, when I read farther, that the two have some sexual tension between them, sort of like a love triangle between them too and that guy whose name starts with a B. I think he should show her a bit of compassion here. Possibly explain to her something about the world, or making a playful joke about the expression on her face. If there is meant to be no sexual tension between them, then you have a lot of work to do. If there is, you're perfect! Except for this part of course.

It is already darkened outside as LOKI strides confidently into the marble chamber.


I don't like the large gap. I would like a lot more time spent on the travel from the bridge to the hall that they enter in in the next scene. I would like to see more about what they talk about, and how the communicate with each other. What I was saying in my earlier reviews, about developing your characters? Well this could be the perfect time to do it. Since this is a script, you have to convey emotions through speech. Therefore the best say to convey emotions is a conversation between your two main characters. So get on it! I'd like to see at least a small scene about their travels.

Overall

As I said at the beginning, this just gets better and better. I am finding less and less things to mention. And they're basically all the same: developing your dialogue and characters. I think you have a pretty good grasp at the fact that you cannot get inside your characters heads, but sometimes you forget it. Just remember to be sure that everything you want your characters to be feeling, and how you want your readers to react, is being addressed when you write.

I think the part with the family in the beginning was perfect. I like how you left room for the director to decide how he wants to family to react and party to the engagement announcement. I like how you put in the tension between Loki and Gwen in there. It was a nice little touch to make it all more realistic. I don't know how I would react in that situation, and you handled that perfectly by making it so Gwen had no choice but to go along with it, because Loki made friends with their family so perfectly.

I also liked how you did the scene when they are in the hall in the other world. I like how she kind of hides behind Loki. That's realistic because she was with him longest, and he is the only one that she can hide behind. If she didn't hide, then her character would be very... unrealistic might be a bit to harsh, but on the way there. Sort of Mary-Sue like. If she stood up to all of them, it would contradict what has already been established: that she has fear.

I think you have done everything realistically! I think that this is a very good piece of writing, and I cannot wait to read more.

Keep writing,

Classy
  





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Reviews: 1087
Sun Nov 28, 2010 8:38 pm
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Sins says...



I'm finally here! :D

I greatly apologise for taking so long to get to this. I've just been seriously busy the last few days. I'm going to warn you in advance, Nepthys, that I know literally nothing about scripts. Because of that, I don't really think I'm going to be a lot of help. Bear in mind that this will be an opinionated critique, not technical, because I don't know what's technically right and wrong in scripts. Well, except for the obvious things.

Overall, I actually really love this, I honestly do. Whether it's because of my naivety towards scripts, or whether this is genuinely great, I don't know. I reckon it's the second one though. ;) From what I can tell, this is an original and very interesting screenplay. I'm liking your plot, and I think that this would work brilliantly as a TV show. I'm fond of your characters, which surprised me actually because from the few scripts I've read, I've never really felt much for the characters. Basically, I like a lot!

The only thing I can think of to critique you about isn't something I'm sure about due to my lack of knowledge on scripts. It's just that some parts of this feel a little unnecessary. Now, I don't know how much detail you have to put into things like this, but it was just that at times, I wasn't sure if parts were relevant. There were no huge parts that I felt weren't important; it was mostly random sentences and instructions. It's kind of like you gave more details than were really needed now and then. I'm not going to go into many details on this because I'm not sure how these things work, but I would take it into consideration.

There is one more thing actually! Although I am warming to your characters now, it took me a bit of a while to really get into them. I still don't feel like I 100% know them. I do like them though. I just want to see you showing them off a little more.This is kind of what Classy said on one of her first reviews actually. It felt like, at the beginning, you were concentrating more on plot than anything else. The plot idea is brilliant, in my opinion, but you need to be careful at the beginning that you don't let it take over everything else, especially your characters because I do like them.

Sorry I haven't been much help, but I hope I've let you know that I love this! You're wonderfully talented, and you've managed to make me want to try and write a script now! Not that I probably will though because I have a feeling I'd suck pretty badly... :lol: This is a really great script, Nepthys. Is it actually going to be used as a pilot for that TV show, by the way? If it is, what's the name of the show? I'd love to check it out when it comes out. If you're allowed to tell me, that is!

Keep writing,

xoxo Skins
I didn't know what to put here so I put this.
  





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Mon Nov 29, 2010 2:45 am
Nephthys says...



PART 7

Spoiler! :
INT. THE TREE TRUNK ROOM. NIGHT.

GWENDOLYN sits on the huge bed, leaning against the headboard. IDUN is sprawled out along its length.

IDUN
...and the thing with Loki was one time. It's just so hard
for me to control myself around him and -
(She notices that she's been rambling)
I'm sorry, I just get carried away. How are you feeling,
honey?

GWENDOLYN
Strange, I think.

IDUN

Can I get you anything?

GWENDOLYN
I just want answers - What happened to Freya?

IDUN
You don't really want to hear about that - it's far
too depressing.


Gwendolyn gives her a look. Idun sighs.
IDUN (CON'T)
I'm afraid I can't answer that question properly. Only
Balder, Loki and Odin know. It was three hundred years
ago. Balder and Loki were with her, when it happened -
probably fighting over her again.

GWENDOLYN
They loved her.

IDUN
Everyone loved her. It was impossible not to. But, yes,
those two especially. They were at her manor,
Sessrumnir, and... something happened. She disappeared.
The only person whom they told anything of it was Odin.

GWENDOLYN
You said "was." You don't think that I have anything to do
with this, do you? You think that she's gone for good.

IDUN
I -don't know. I really don't know.

GWENDOLYN
I'm sorry.


There is a pause. Gwendolyn doesn't want to bring up unpleasant memories, but she has more questions. She decides to speak.

GWENDOLYN (CON'T)
But what could have happened?

IDUN
Magic, most likely. Freya practiced seidr, magic she
brought with her from Vanaheim. It is very powerful.
I'm afraid I can't tell you more than that.

GWENDOLYN

And you've been looking for her since then?

IDUN
No. That night, Odin told us that we wouldn't see her
for three hundred years. A month ago, Loki was sent
out - and he brought back you.

CUT TO:


INT. THE TREE TRUNK ROOM. DAY.

GWENDOLYN is asleep on the bed.

IDUN enters, throwing the doors open. She is a morning person. A SERVANT follows, carrying a tray.

IDUN
Sorry, honey. I wanted to let you sleep, but you have a
lot to do today.


Idun opens the drapes. Gwendolyn wakes up slowly. She sits up, and looks around the room, depressed to see that she has not returned to Stockholm. She sighs.

GWENDOLYN

Well, whatever happens today, it can't possibly beat
yesterday.


The servant places the tray on the bedside table.

IDUN
You might be surprised. Eat up, and we'll be off- you're
going home today.


CUT TO:


EXT. SESSRUMNIR. DAY.

IDUN and GWENDOLYN pull up to the front of the manor in a carriage. It is beautiful.

GWENDOLYN
When you said "home"...

IDUN
This is Sessrumnir, Freya's home. We thought that
if you see it, you might remember.


They get out of the carriage and head towards the house.

CUT TO:


INT. SESSRUMNIR. DAY.

A lavishly decorated room. Circular; with a high, domed ceiling.

VALKYRIES are spread throughout, cleaning. ASTRID and ROMILDA chat in one corner. IDUN and GWENDOLYN enter. As they pass by, the Valkyries react variously; some nod awkwardly, some gape and Romilda curtsies mockingly.

ROMILDA
My lady.

GWENDOLYN
Please, don't.

IDUN
Nothing's been proven yet, Romilda.
(To Gwendolyn)
Does this seem familiar?


Gwendolyn looks around the room, and shakes her head.

ROMILDA
Doubtless she's waiting on instructions from Loki before
she can confirm anything.

IDUN
Don't speak to her like that. Nothing's been proven yet,
but it might be.

ROMILDA
And it might not be.

IDUN
Show some respect!
(She slaps Romilda.)
You forget your place. It is long past time that you had
a mistress here.


Idun turns to Gwendolyn, her anger forgotten. She smiles sweetly.

IDUN (CON'T)
Do you need some time alone here?
(Not waiting for an answer)
Of course you do. Romilda.


Romilda whistles, and the Valkyries clear out quickly.

IDUN (CON'T)
I'll be right outside, honey.


Idun exits.
Gwendolyn sits on the floor, overwhelmed.

CUT TO:


INT. SESSRUMNIR. DAY.

GWENDOLYN looks around the room, trying to force herself to remember something.

LOKI enters.

LOKI
You seem to be settling in quite well. And how is my dear
friend Idun? I'd have you stay with me, but you know how
Odin is.

GWENDOLYN

You did that on purpose. You wanted me to stay with her.

LOKI

And why would I do that?

GWENDOLYN
So that it doesn't look as if you could influence me.

LOKI
(Threatening)
My, you're quite the noticer, aren't you? What else have
you noticed?

GWENDOLYN

(Noticing the danger)
Nothing really.
(Beat)
Why didn't you tell me about what happened to Freya?

LOKI
It does not concern you.

GWENDOLYN
Well, you seem to think I'm some kind of reincarnation
of her-

LOKI
Gwendolyn, don't be ridiculous. I don't think that you
have anything to do with Freya.

GWENDOLYN
But, you said-

LOKI
That was an act. A performance - when you're dealing
with Odin you must expect an audience at all times...

GWENDOLYN
The ravens.
(Beat)
But if you don't think that I'm somehow connected to
Freya, then why...

LOKI
I had to bring someone back to Asgard.


CUT TO:

INT. THOR'S HOUSE. DAY.

THOR and SIV are eating dinner at an enormous table. Siv's ridiculous hair is fanned out, and three SERVANTS are brushing it at the same time. Thor is exceedingly grumpy, and is consuming immense amounts of food.

SIV
Sweetheart, what's the matter? You're hardly eating.

THOR
I just know Loki's planning something. It's that girl.

SIV

No offense, sweetie, but knowing things isn't really your
forte. Why don't you just leave this to Odin?

THOR
I want to, it's just that irritating smile...I want to strangle
him.


Thor aggressively devours more food

SIV
And you will. Some day. You know that. I want revenge as
much as you do. But for now, just wait. He's sure to screw
up sooner or later.


She turns on one of the servants brushing her hair.

SIV (CON'T)
Ow! What are you? A troll?
(To Thor)
Just wait. Everything will work out fine.

CUT TO:
Last edited by Nephthys on Fri Mar 04, 2011 6:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- There is no sin except stupidity - Oscar Wilde -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
  








Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.
— Roy T. Bennett