Step53: Storyboard for an ambitous demo
Writing a scenario
With all people of HAWK, we discussed about a more ambitious demo. I can remember that we wrote a 2 page scenario. This should have been a demo, but I guess the work was too huge for us. Writing words is easy, doing the production of the demo is much harder.
I found the pages, I printed them back in time. Here they are: (in french)
Original text in french
SCENARIO demo hawk Version 1 Le 15 mai 1992 Date: Le 15 mai 2020 Lieu : PARIS (Futuriste, mais le décor reste à peu pres identique au paris d'aujourd'hui.) Personnage : Monsieur X ( C'est pas cool mais il a toujours pas de nom !.) Monsieur X rentre chez lui apres son travail. C'est quelqu'un de tres calme et assez jeune. Un paquet l'attend dans sa boite à lettre. Une fois arrivé dans son appartement, X se repose tout en ecoutant inconsciemment la télévision qu'il avait allumée juste apres avoir franchi la porte. En fait il n'entend que tres peu la télévision il a foutu la musique à fond (faut faire gaffe, le tebi ca rend sourd.) Il ne voit que des images du reportage qui passe. Ce reportage est un rapport sur la conference qui se déroule au même moment à GENEVE (?), c'est une conférence de scientifiques. Le professeur Y est actuelllement entrain de faire son discours sur le nouveau procédé qu'il vient de decouvrir. X n'entend pas ce que dit le professeur mais pourtant il se sent mal et commence à transpirer. Le professeur annonce alors le nom de son projet. Monsieur x se sent de plus en plus mal il est focalisé sur la tv. Le nom du projet apparait sur l'ecran en même temps que le professeur l'annonce "PROJET ----". Ces images et sa tête va exploser. Mais ces paroles resonnent dans la tête de X soudainement, il tourne son visage, sa tête est froide, son regard fixe il ne transpire plus, ses yeux inspirent la terreur (prendre exemple sur Christopher Walken, la tête qu'il nous faut.) Machinalement, il ouvre le paquet et sans etre surpris il prend le magnum 747 (un gros flingue quoi !) et le met dans sa ceinture (ou alors dans son slip, comme les pros). Il sort de chez lui et entre dans sa caisse (tres futuriste, voir Blade Runner). Le scenario reste tres vague à cet endroit, c'est pourquoi nous allons directement à la fin ...(fast foward)... (cependant, tout le long de l'histoire X à des flashs dans sa petite tête, des flashs tres violents qui restent tres flous. Ce sont des fragments d'images, des images flous, en fait des éléments qui n'auront de sens que seulement à la fin de l'histoire). La fin: X se retrouve devant le professeur Y, son flingue pointé vers lui, pret a tirer. C'est à ce moment que tout devient clair pour lui il se souvient (I remember now). En fait X etait auparavant l'assistant de Y, il travaillaient ensemble sur le projet projet était une etude sur le point de rupture de toute sphere. Voyant que tout avancait tres vite Y compris que cela deviendrait dangereux car à l'echelle planetaire on pourrait prendre la terre comme sphere et badaboum. En commun accord X se vit conditionné et sa memoire fut effacée. Y savait bien qu'il ne saurait pas arreter seul son projet et qu'il le menerait à terme. C'est ce qui est arrivé ces derniers jours. X devait tuer Y a partir du moment ou il aurait entendu le nom de "PROJET ---" ce qui a tres bien fonctionné mais X se souvient et ne peut plus tuer son ami. La fin est tragique puisque Y s'approchant de lui, lui dit au revoir et appuya lui meme sur la detente. Ce qui a déja été pensé (quoique pensé est un bien grand mot dans ce groupe!) Scene 1 : Vue d'une bouche de metro X apparait tres progressivement. La tête (avec des lunettes de soleil et pourquoi pas un chapeau). Il a une valise, ca fait classe. Ensuite, on voit son pied qui se pose. Puis on apercoit enfin son visage en gros plan regardant le soleil au moment ou le ciel se degage. Animation avec ombrage sur son visage. Ensuite il marche, court, vole nage prend un taxi ou prend sa voiture mais en tout cas il va chez lui. Scene 2 : X arrive chez lui. Immeuble megadesign, porte d'entrée en bas de l'immeuble digital (ou vocale). Il prend le paquet et monte chez lui. Il ouvre la porte et ensuite tout se commande avec la voix. Il allume la lumiére, la chaine puis la tv (D'abord sur un western puis sur la conférence). Gros plans pour la partie ou il commence à transpirer. Effet de zomm sur la Tv au moment ou le nom resonne dans sa tête. Scene 3 : X est dans sa voiture. Il choisit sa route grace à un ordinateur de route representé par un damier en 3d. La route se trace automatiquement et les conditions meteorologiques sont aussi reproduites sur le damier. La vue est de derriére, du centre de la banquette arriére.
Original text translated in english (chat gpt)
SCENARIO demo hawk Version 1 May 15, 1992 Date: May 15, 2020 Location: PARIS (Futuristic, but the setting remains almost identical to today's Paris.) Character: Mr. X (It's not cool, but he still doesn't have a name!) Mr. X comes home after work. He is a very calm and rather young person. A package is waiting for him in his mailbox. Once he arrives in his apartment, X relaxes while unconsciously listening to the TV he turned on just after walking through the door. In fact, he barely hears the TV as he cranked up the music (be careful, loud music can make you deaf). He only sees images of the news report that is on. This report is about a conference currently taking place in GENEVA (?), a conference of scientists. Professor Y is currently giving a speech about the new process he has just discovered. X does not hear what the professor is saying, but he feels unwell and starts to sweat. The professor then announces the name of his project. Mr. X feels worse and worse; he is focused on the TV. The name of the project appears on the screen as the professor announces it, "PROJECT ----." These images and his head are about to explode. But these words suddenly resonate in X's head, he turns his face, his head is cold, his gaze fixed, he no longer sweats, his eyes inspire terror (take Christopher Walken as an example, the face we need). Mechanically, he opens the package and, without surprise, he takes out the magnum 747 (a big gun!) and puts it in his belt (or in his underwear, like the pros). He leaves his home and gets into his car (very futuristic, think Blade Runner). The scenario remains very vague at this point, which is why we go straight to the end...(fast forward)... (however, throughout the story, X has violent flashes in his head, very blurry flashes. These are fragments of images, blurry images, in fact, elements that will only make sense at the end of the story). The end: X finds himself in front of Professor Y, his gun pointed at him, ready to shoot. It is at this moment that everything becomes clear to him; he remembers (I remember now). In fact, X was previously Y's assistant; they worked together on the project. The project was a study on the breaking point of any sphere. Seeing that everything was advancing very quickly, Y realized it would become dangerous because on a planetary scale, one could take the Earth as a sphere and boom. By mutual agreement, X was conditioned and his memory was erased. Y knew very well that he couldn't stop his project alone and that he would see it through to the end. That's what happened in the last few days. X was supposed to kill Y from the moment he heard the name "PROJECT ---," which worked very well, but X remembers and can no longer kill his friend. The end is tragic as Y approaches him, says goodbye, and pulls the trigger himself. What has already been thought (though thinking is a big word in this group!) Scene 1: View of a subway entrance. X gradually appears. The head (with sunglasses and maybe a hat). He has a suitcase; it looks classy. Then we see his foot stepping down. Then we finally see his face in close-up, looking at the sun as the sky clears. Animation with shading on his face. Then he walks, runs, flies, swims, takes a taxi, or his car, but in any case, he goes home. Scene 2: X arrives home. Mega-design building, entrance door at the bottom of the building is digital (or vocal). He takes the package and goes upstairs. He opens the door, and then everything is voice-controlled. He turns on the light, the stereo, then the TV (First on a western, then on the conference). Close-ups for the part where he starts to sweat. Zoom effect on the TV when the name resonates in his head. Scene 3: X is in his car. He chooses his route using a road computer represented by a 3D checkerboard. The route is automatically traced, and weather conditions are also reproduced on the checkerboard. The view is from behind, from the center of the back seat.
Inspiration
The main idea is surely inspired from movie Total Recall released in 1990. In that movie a secret agent have his memory erased and he is slowly recovering it.
Futurist Paris
The story takes place in 2020. Back in 1992 this was the future!!!!
We imagine a futurist Paris, close to the one that exists today. That work have been done by the video game company DONTNOD in their 2013 game REMEMBER ME. I guess their vision is pretty close to what we had in mind. Maybe less descruted city.
Main character
The text is mentionning Christophe Walken as a reference. I guess we had in mind his prestation in the movie Dead Zone.
Completing the story
Edit 2024: With the help of Chat gpt, I wrote a complete story based on that scenario.
SCENARIO "Demo Hawk" Version 1.4, retouched by hand.
Creation Date: May 15, 1992
Story Date: May 15, 2220
Location: PARIS (futuristic, but the setting remains mostly identical to today's Paris.)
Main Character: Mr. X (Name to be determined)
Synopsis
Mr. X returns home after work. He is a very calm and fairly young person. A package awaits him in his mailbox. Once he gets to his apartment, X relaxes while unconsciously listening to the television, which he had turned on right after walking through the door. In fact, he hardly hears the television because he has the music on full blast. He only sees images from the report being broadcast, a report on the conference currently taking place in Geneva. It's a conference of scientists. Professor SIMON is currently giving his speech on the new process he has just discovered. X doesn't hear what the professor is saying but starts to feel unwell and begins to sweat. The professor then announces the name of his project. Mr. X feels increasingly ill, he is focused on the TV. The name of the project appears on the screen at the same time the professor announces it: "PROJECT NEMESIS". These images and his head are about to explode. But these words suddenly resonate in X's head, he turns his face, his head is cold, his gaze is fixed, he is no longer sweating, his eyes inspire terror. Mechanically, he opens the package and without surprise, he takes the magnum 747 and places it in his belt.
He leaves his home and gets into his car (very futuristic, like in Blade Runner).
Scene 1
Opening: View of a metro entrance. X gradually appears, head first (wearing sunglasses and a hat). He has a suitcase. Then we see his foot stepping forward. Finally, we see his face in close-up looking at the sun as the sky clears. Animation with shading on his face. He walks home. The music is rhythmic.
Scene 2
Arrival at home: Megadesign building, entrance door at the bottom of the building is digital (or voice-activated). He takes a package waiting for him and goes up to his apartment. Interior: He opens the door and everything is voice-activated. He turns on the lights, the stereo, then the TV (first on a western, then on the conference). Close-ups for the part where he starts sweating. Zoom effect on the TV when the name resonates in his head.
Scene 3
Departure by car: X is in his car. He unfolds a paper that was also in the package. It’s the address of a bar with the name "TALYA". He chooses his route using a route computer represented by a 3D grid. The route is automatically traced, and weather conditions are also reproduced on the grid. The view is from behind, from the center of the back seat.
Narrative Transition: Throughout his journey, X has violent flashes that remain very blurry. They are fragments of images, elements that will only make sense at the end of the story.
Scene 4: The Meeting with the Ally
Location: A bar hidden in a dark alley, known only to insiders. Description: The interior is dark, filled with futuristic technologies and gadgets. Secondary Character: "TALYA", a former colleague and friend of X, now a hacker and cybernetics specialist.
Scene 4.1: Entrance and Meeting
Introduction of TALYA: X enters the bar and scans the room. He spots TALYA, sitting in a dark corner, surrounded by screens and technological gadgets. TALYA is a determined, intelligent woman with a keen sense of justice. She slams X's head on the table and threatens him with a gun. She puts some sort of detector on his head. She is very nervous. Then she puts her gun away.
Conversation: X quickly explains the situation and the effect of Project NEMESIS on him. TALYA, worried but determined, decides to help him. She digs into her databases and finds crucial information about the project and the security measures surrounding Professor SIMON.
Scene 4.2: Plan of Action
Preparation: TALYA provides X with high-tech equipment, including a jamming device to disable SIMON's security systems and an implantable chip that can help X control his memory flashes. She also gives him information about the professor's location.
Motivation: Before leaving, TALYA reminds X of the importance of what he's doing and gives him a final warning: "Be careful, X. It's not just your life at stake."
Scene 5: Crossing the City
X gets back into his car and resumes his journey. This is an opportunity for more precise flashbacks. The onboard computer indicates a roadblock. He exits the highway and ends up in a dense industrial complex (all vertical). Night begins to fall. This forces him to stop. He will continue on foot, he's not far.
Scene 5: The Trap
Location: An industrial area, on the way to Professor SIMON's complex. Trap: X sneaks around buildings, in dark areas (night has fallen). Surveillance drones appear, and agents in futuristic uniforms emerge from the shadows. X is surrounded. Confrontation: An agent, "Agent W", steps forward and says, "Mr. X, come with us, and everything will be fine." Fight: An intense fight sequence ensues. X uses the gadgets provided by TALYA to disable some drones and agents. He ends up setting off an electromagnetic bomb that stuns his opponents and gives him time to escape. With TALYA's help, he makes his way through the sewers of Paris.
Scene 6: Professor SIMON's Complex
The devices guide him through the sewers and allow him to emerge in the basement of Professor SIMON's building. He sneaks in and climbs up the elevator shaft, outsmarting the guards and drones waiting for him. X gets halfway up the building but gets caught. He is knocked out and ends up in a cell not far from Professor SIMON's offices.
Scene 7: The Final Confrontation
Escape: TALYA, having tracked the signal from the implanted chip in X, manages to infiltrate the detention cell and free X. Together, they neutralize the guards and head towards SIMON's hideout. Climax: X finds himself in front of Professor SIMON, his gun pointed at him, ready to shoot. Everything becomes clear to him, he remembers. X was previously SIMON's assistant; they worked together on a revolutionary project that studied the breaking point of any sphere, including Earth. SIMON had realized that the project would become dangerous on a planetary scale. By mutual agreement, X agreed to be conditioned and have his memory erased so that he could stop SIMON if necessary. Resolution: X, realizing his friendship and duty, can no longer kill SIMON. Tension rises, SIMON calmly approaches him, says goodbye, and pulls the trigger of the gun X is holding. SIMON dies, leaving X in deep distress but having accomplished what he had to.
Epilogue
X, now free of his memories, looks at the body of his friend and mentor, realizing the magnitude of the sacrifice. The camera pulls away, showing X alone in a futuristic world, burdened with the responsibility of what remains of Project NEMESIS.
Turning scenario into a demo
From this ambitious idea, we can try to imagine what a demo might look like.
A demo is not a movie. Some demos tell long stories (like "Odyssey" by Alcatraz, which is 45 minutes long, with a lot of text, but also many effects—see below).
Other demos are more abstract in their storytelling, but still convey the essence of a story (like Eon / "The Black Lotus"—see also below).
I believe the right balance lies between these two examples: telling a complete story, but staying away from too many details. Let the viewer's imagination fill in the gaps.
In the HAWK scenario, there are many scenes. We can imagine a mix of art, effects, and text.
As mentioned, this is very ambitious, and we would never have succeeded in creating that demo back then. I'm not sure it would be feasible today without spending a lot of time.
Generation of images
Edit 2024: That would be interesting to enter that text into a picture generation (or video generation) AI tool. This would be cool to have a representation of that story. Maybe I'll give it a try.
Games with ambitious scenario
Another world (1991)
This game have been done by only one guy: Eric Chahi. Expect from music, he did everything alone. The full game fit on one floppy disk. It is using polygons drawing. A full scripting langage have been created to manage levels of the game. That game is a real masterpiece, you should try it if you never played it.
The intro of the game is a real masterpeace, close to a movie. This is a high level of storytelling, without any texts.
A making of can be read here.
Picture of the edition tool, written in GFA basic.
Demos with ambitious scenario
Odyssey / Alcatraz
Eon / The black lotus (2019)
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