Zenith (1)

Attached is ACT I of my feature.

Zenith

Isaac Mallowbourne, a wanted ex-soldier of the villainous Reprisal Army, is tasked with assassinating the last remaining mage in all of Fellespeare in order to save his mother.

His mission is a daunting one. Mallowbourne, who was raised in the capital city of Fellespeare, learned quickly that he must succumb to the oppression of the Reprisal in order to keep himself and his mother safe. However, this became impossible when he learned of the abusive relationship between his mother and a commander of the Reprisal, Ragnan. Isaac can’t control his hatred for Ragnan as he violently attacks him, leaving him nearly dead. As punishment for his actions, Isaac and his mother are seized by the Reprisal. Isaac is sentenced to be executed in front of a large audience to set an example for what happens to dissenters of the Reprisal rule; however, a group of highly skilled assassins intervene. Using the chaos of the audience and their disguises as Reprisal soldiers, they successfully save Isaac’s life. Unsure of what has happened, Isaac then meets the leader of the assassins – a charismatic man by the name of Bartholomew Crane. Crane gives Isaac the task of traveling alongside two other skilled fighters, Lance Scepter and Miranda Highthorne, as they attempt to find and kill the last remaining mage in all of Fellespeare. The mage is named Zenith, and was once a symbol of peace and unity in Fellespeare before his fellow mages were killed by the Reprisal Army. Mallowbourne, who is unsure of his role in all of this, declines the mission. He asserts his desire to go back and save his mother, who he believes is still a captive in Tower City – but this is not the case. His mother was also freed by the agents of Crane, yet her life still remains in question. Isaac has no choice but to set out on this quest. As he progresses, he learns more about the world around him. He will see the ruins of what used to be thriving cities, and will – most importantly – learn more about the secret power he holds. He will find he has a much greater stake in the future of Fellespeare. It is up to him to decide if he will once again succumb to the oppression of his captors, or sacrifice his mother in order to help bring peace back to this lost world.

The story follows an unlikely hero who is unaware of his influence on the world. Fellespeare is a world driven by greed and the desire of ultimate control over others. During a time of prevalent violence, Isaac must make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save a world that may not be worth saving. The characters we meet along the way are despicable. The state of the world has carved out a generation of beings who only care for themselves.

It is not just Isaac’s journey that is important. Fellespeare is based on the worst qualities human beings can have. Despite the fact that this world is a fantasy, it is heavily based on our own world. Selfishness is a quality that I think all humans act on, some more than others. The most integral leaders in our history have all made sacrifices and put the needs of others above their own in order to shape the world that we know, today. I hope people can relate these aspects to my own story.  I want this screenplay to be a fun ride filled with action and adventure, but the key is to get the audience to relate to what is happening. Any film can have amazing action, visuals, etc. However, if the audience isn’t fully invested in the characters and the story, then what’s the point?

During the summer, I found it extremely helpful to read as many screenplays as possible. Screenwriting is a lot different than other forms of writing, so reading professional screenplays helped me get a better feel for the craft. Here is the link to a script dump that contains tons of great screenplays including Django Unchained, Birdman, and Deadpool:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5lHQAVEce61clFSSzVJbHR4bUk