The Creation of Oz (6 pages in PDF format) by Marnie Mitchell

Sometimes, the most beautiful dreams emerge from the most modest beginnings…

Where do wizards come from?

And not just wizards. Thoughts. Ideas. Stories. Do they all sprout from random events? An odd sparking of the synapses – with no true rhyme or reason? Or it there always an ah-hah origin – no matter how small or unexpected – from which our grandest tales and myths grow?

In the Creation of Oz, talented writer Marnie Mitchellweaves an imaginary tale of the origins of “The Wizard of Oz.” While it may not be rooted in historical fact, The Creation of Oz taps into the colorful fantasy of this beloved film… capturing the spirit and magic at its heart – if not the true reality.

The opening description: a farm located in South Dakota – smack dab in tornado alley. As a twister approaches, young Frank Baum (10) is herded into an underground shelter, along with the rest of his family. Aunt Emogene. Uncle Luke. Crotchedy neighbor Mrs. Krause. And three year old Dorothy.

Shivering in the shadow of the twister, the family wait out the storm. It is here in the dim light of an oil lamp that young Frank – a natural storyteller – passes the time. Distracting his family with an impromptu tall tale… of a little girl, and her tumultuous journey to find her way home from a strange and magical land. It’s a story we’ve all heard before. But even the most time-worn tale has it’s beginning somewhere.

Filled with tons of Easter Eggs for Wizard of Oz fans, The Creation of Oz is a charming script with great characters – not to mention a built-in fan base! If your tastes run towards the whimsical, grab this script while you can. Before it’s gone… over the rainbow.

Budget: Eminently producible. One setting (the shelter), and seven characters.

About the writer: An award winning writer AND photographer, Marnie Mitchell-Lister’s website is BrainFluffs.com. Marnie has had 5 shorts produced (so far) and placed Semi-final with her features in Bluecat.

Read The Creation of Oz (6 pages in PDF format)

About the reviewer: Michael O’Farrell is a mathematician who worked on the Space Shuttle Program and now writes fiction.

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This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Ready or Not (pdf format) by Steven Clark

A simple game of hide-n-seek takes a turn for the worst.

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The Original Review

Mom and her son play a fun game of hide-and-go-seek. But, what if what you find is not what you were looking for?

This micro short can be as scary as you want to be. Snap this up now.

It’s a perfect weekend shoot and an excellent calling card short film that, as written, can be a family friendly horror comedy or an very un-family-friendly horror.

Pages: 2

Budget: Shoestring budget, two actors – Mom and son, one interior location.

About the writer: Based in upstate, NY, Steven Clark is the writer of over 30 short scripts, several of which are under option, in pre-production, or have already been made into films. On A Clear Night, a family Christmas feature aimed at a Hallmark Channel-type audience, is currently in the works. Steven can be reached at Steamroller138 (a) gmail.

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This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Ribbeck Von Ribbeck
A rhyming, lyrical fable about an aging squire who teaches us how to cultivate a legacy: by passing-on the things most important to us.

Germany. A country that has a fascinating, yet bitterly haunting history. The literary past of the country does not stray from this statement: from the cautionary fairy tales of the Grimm brothers to the vindictive characters omnipresent in Sturm and Drang stories, it appears that the prominent German novels, short stories, and even films all have a very sinister coating around the meat of the story.

Which is why you’ll be cheered up by Dane Whipple’s adaptation of Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland, a 19th century traditional Teutonic Poem with a brighter touch, although still jam-packed with meaning. So much of it, in fact, that the poem is still taught in German schools today.

The poem is about a simple concept: Ribbeck is an old, well respected man who owns a pear tree, and he interacts with the young children of his village, Havelland by generously donating the offspring of his pride and joy. But when he passes away, the connection between the succulent pears and the appreciative children appears to have been severed…or has it?

Thankfully, Whipple has truncated the lengthy title to just “Ribbeck von Ribbeck”, and while the screenplay itself may seem similarly austere at just 4 pages, the expertly crafted interlocking of narration of the poem verbatim (don’t worry, it’s been translated to English) and action means you get a lot of plot for your page; every line adds new understanding to the story, as it should always be.

Despite the deceptively straightforward story, choosing to take on the task of directing this European classic will be a challenge, albeit an enjoyable one. A narrator with (or who can put on) a suitably powerful, yet tender German voice (and no, Arnie is Austrian) would be the icing on the cake. Actually, it’d be the fruit on the branches.

A faithful yet unique adaptation of a German classic, this short and delicate script is a must have for anyone looking to add some international flavour to their filmography. Capture the spirit of Ribbeck, and your film will stand out at festivals – far and wide!

And of course, there’s one question that needs to be answered: Does the dying man have one final trick up his sleeve to ensure fruity prosperity continues after he’s gone or will it all go pear-shaped for the kids of Havelland?

Pages: 4

Budget: A tranquil and beautiful location is best for this one. But is that a bank buster? In no way. Just a matter of cinematic taste.

About the reviewer: Hamish Porter is a writer who, if he was granted one wish, would ask for the skill of being able to write dialogue like Tarantino. Or maybe the ability to teleport. Nah, that’s nothing compared to the former. A lover of philosophy, he’s working on several shorts and a sporting comedy that can only be described as “quintessentially British”. If you want to contact him, he can be emailed: hamishdonaldp “AT” gmail.com. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

About the writer: Dane Whipple is a highly-successful legal drafter, currently working as a senior construction defects attorney for a billion-dollar skyscraper and concert hall in Hamburg, Germany. As an award-winning author, he has written and produced several shorts, done punch-up work for various television projects, and is in the process of finishing his first feature: The Wild Age. A culmination of a full year of primary document research, the script is a music bio-pic with a kick. Think Ed Wood meets Eraserhead…with music. Dane is open to criticism (positive and negative) and collaboration. Contact him at dane.whipple (AT) live.com

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