Jacob and Noah. his first stop: Main Street. As he carries his ladder he hums the tune to a song. At

Transcription

1 Jacob and Noah Scene 1 Cameras will be capturing Jacob from both the front and back to give film full visual effect when put together. The movie timeline is in 1930, Jacob is brining his ladder down the road to his first stop: Main Street. As he carries his ladder he hums the tune to a song. At the first street lamp Jacob sets down his ladder, adjusts the stand and gets to work. He takes a match box from his left pant pocket and takes it out, burns the first match and lights the street lamp. Four other men are doing so as well on the street lamps nearby. As he hums a song he carefully takes down the ladder and goes on to the next lamp. Scene 2: Screen shows words: Many years later. A group of people with business clothes are talking about their new invention. A woman is explaining her product to the crowd.!1

2 The woman up front: With our new product, lamplighters won't be necessary thanks to new technology. We're grateful that these scientists and technological geniuses helped us with this product. It will change citizens lives! Say hello automatic street lamps, it will make this city and others a more practical place." The crowd looks around at each other, nodding and looking satisfied and then some unintelligible chatter breaks into the crowd. Scene 3: Jacob appears for turning on a lamp in the evening when some machinery is on the road coming near him. Two people walk towards him. One man takes out a sheet of paper, unfolds it and reads out loud. 1st man: "It's nice to see you are hard at work this evening but to relieve this laborious job off your shoulders I'm glad to announce that your service will no longer be needed in this city." Jacob: "I'm sorry, there must be a misunderstanding but my service is greatly needed here." The value of "greatly" is important. Put the stress on that word. 2nd man: "No, you've got it wrong. We are replacing all of these lamps with automatic ones to save the government money and soon enough all the cities will thank us with this phenomenal creation."!2

3 Jacob: "You may think you're doing everyone a great favor but really you are making it more difficult for lamplighters because many of us, including myself only know how to do this. I am an old man and this is the only way I know how to make a living." Both men start walking away. Jacob: "Do you really want a men like me to stop being able to live our lives under a roof and starve?" 2nd man: "If it comes down to the decision of having to relieve some men and help the city, or help some men and keep the city's dark nights under these dim lights, I think we would all pick the obvious decision. I'm sorry sir, but you're done here." Jacob starts walking away with his head down, leaving the way he arrived. Scene 4: Jacob is shown losing his house, the world changes from small, old houses to nicer more modern buildings. This scene is fast forwarded to highlight how technology is slowly taking over this city and people losing their jobs. Soft sad music is played in the background. At the end of this scene, Jacob becomes an old!3

4 man with ripped clothes, unbrushed hair, overgrown facial hair, and is aimlessly walking around the street with nothing but a small bag of his belongings. Scene 5: A boy is playing on the playground and notices an old man sitting alone on the bench. He hesitantly walks over but then walks faster as he gets excited. Noah: "Hi there!" Jacob: "Hey there kid, how're you doing?" A group of adults pass by looking disapprovingly at the boy. Noah: "I'm fine, what's your name?" Jacob: "Oh dear, thankfully I remember this one! I'm Jacob-" Noah interrupts Jacob to answer the question he hasn't asked yet. Noah's reply should be over excited, as if he can't wait to tell the world his name. Noah: "My name is Noah!" Jacob: "Well it's good to hear something from folks these days. So what brought you over to me?" Emphasis on me, giving an impression that even Jacob doesn't want to be around himself, and if anything, is greatly surprised that this young boy wants to be even remotely close to him. Noah: "You looked lonely and I wanted to come and ask what's wrong."!4

5 Jacob: "Ya, well I lost my job, my house and now my life is basically finding enough scraps everyday to survive." Noah: "Why don't you get a new job?" Jacob: "If I could I would, but do you think anyone would hire a homeless man?" Noah: "I would." Jacob: "Thanks Noah. But so many people have an image of homeless people being drug addicts, insane, violent, or stupid engraved into their minds." Noah: "I don't." Jacob: "I can see that," Jacob lets out a small laugh, seeming as if he were proud of the boy for being different and showing the audience/watchers that Jacob is growing on the young boy "but people gradually think so." Noah: "Why?" Jacob: "Well, a person is like a piece of clay. You are born as a clean, fresh block. You" Jacob points to the boy "get to decide what to become, but society ends up molding so many people, it changes their thoughts and rules. So in the end when that piece of clay hardens and their thoughts are solid, they die thinking that certain things are wrong and others right. In this case, people don't understand that some people were just unfortunate and need a fresh start. I may not have enough education to get a really good job but I'm always willing to learn."!5

6 Jacob looks around while taking a deep breath, waits a second, lowers his glaze and then his head. Noah looks behind him and sees his mom looking for him. Noah: "I'm sorry, my mom is looking for me." Jacob: "Don't be. Now run along, you don't want to keep her waiting do you?" Noah: "Bye, Jacob!" Before Jacob can reply, Noah is already off, but the smile on Jacob's face doesn't go away, giving the impression that it hasn't appeared in long, long time. Noah just left Jacob and is now talking to his mom. Noah's mom: "Hey Noah. Where were you?" Noah: "I was making a new friend." Noah's mom: "Were you now? Well, good for you." Noah and his mom are walking away from the park. His mom's hand is holding Noah's as the cross the street. Scene 6: Noah is packing two sandwiches, a piece of paper and a pencil. He puts his backpack on and leaves the house.!6

7 He walks across the playground to the bench where he met Jacob the previous day. Noah comes behind the bench and starts the conversation. Noah: "Hi Jacob-" Jacob: "You're back?" Noah: "Yeah and I have a little surprise for you." Jacob: "Oh yeah? How did you know I love surprises?" Noah takes the back pack off his shoulders, opens the zipper, takes out the sandwiches, and gives them to Jacob. He looks at Noah for a moment. Jacob: "Oh Noah! I couldn't have asked for anything more than this. I am speechless but I do know something for sure. You are a generous, selfless boy-" Noah: "Don't worry about thanking me, I thought you might be hungry. Eat it before you just stare at it to death!" They both laugh and while Jacob eats his sandwich, Noah takes a seat next to him. After some silence, Noah speaks. Noah: "I brought something else too!" Jacob has his mouth full with the last bites of the sandwich. He nods with surprising eyes expressing he is curious. Noah takes out the piece of paper and the pencil. "You told me you didn't have enough education for a really good job, so I decided to give you some. But first... I know it's a rude to ask but, I was wondering why you were homeless."!7

8 Jacob: "Well, many years ago, I haven't kept track, I used to be a lamplighter. One day people decided to use technology to do what they thought was more efficient, and replaced the lamplighters with automatic street lamps. Really, I expected for that to be my life's work, and man I loved it so much! Never once did I dream of such an ending, but now it is what it is and since that's all I ever learned to do, I never bothered with anything else." Noah: "When did you start your job?" Jacob: "Oh...I was young! I think I started working when I was even younger than you!" Noah: "Wow. Well seeing as I'm only a eight I can't teach you too much, but I'll show you everything I know. " So he puts the piece of paper on his lap. Noah: "Let's start with math. What I will teach you is called addition. Take your fingers for example, see how you have ten of them?..." Noah is shown teaching Jacob throughout the day representing little bits and pieces in fast motion. Like "-because the Pacific Ocean is next to America, which is where we are" and "it's called a Siberian tiger."this part is mainly the watchers seeing the sun go down, with the sound of Noah's voice from a distance. Noah and Jacob's backs are towards the camera. Soft music is played and then the scenes of Noah teaching Jacob is being fast forwarded from a day (fast motion; the sun sets quickly), to several weeks(noah teaches Jacob but after every scene, you can see Noah and!8

9 Jacob getting older). This section of the scene will be a soothing and pleasant part in the film showing the strong bond between the homeless and the boy. Scene 7: Noah: "I want you to meet my parents, I think they will help you get a job! Come on!" Jacob follows Noah down some blocks to a brown house. When Noah presses the door bell, his mom answers the door. She smiles when she sees Noah, but when she sees Jacob, her smile turns into disgust. Noah's mom: "Noah? What is this homeless man doing at our doorstep?" She asks this in a raised voice. Noah: "This is the friend I told you about in park-" Noah's mom: "What did I say about talking to strangers?-" she yells. Noah: "That's how you make friends!" Noah shouts over her. Noah's mom: "Don't interrupt me!" Tears start to form in Noah's eyes. "This man is a horrible example for you! He is terrifying and I don't want you to see him again!" She yells, her face is red and pedestrians are staring at them. Tears are falling down Noah's cheek and then follow with crying. Noah: "I hate you! I thought you would understand!" He screams and storms away with Jacob, sobbing.!9

10 Scene 8: When the night has fallen, Noah and Jacob are sitting under a tree getting ready for sleep. Jacob: "I'm so sorry about the fight." Noah: "Don't be. It wasn't your fault, you were right. People do really have one way of looking at homeless people." Jacob: "You have school tomorrow. Go to one of your friends' houses and spend the night with them if you don't want to go home." Noah: "But you are my friend!" Jacob: "They will have a roof for you to sleep under-" Noah: "But we have the tree." Jacob: "You have many things that I don't Noah, so take advantage of it while you can." Noah: "Ok." Noah is disappointed and walks away sadly. Scene 9: Noah is walking back from school and is heading toward the bench by the playground where Jacob and Noah usually meet. But Jacob isn't there so he looks around with a confused face. Then starts running to the tree where he slept last night. He isn't there either and Noah starts crying. Then quietly whispers!10

11 Noah: "Jacob?" He takes the backpack off his shoulders, sits under the tree and puts it on his lap. He sits there quietly, hoping to see Jacob. Finally when the sun is set, he gets up and starts heading home but there is an ambulance down the road, so instead of going to his home, he walks towards it. Since it's dark, there are only a few people coming and going to see what's going on. He speeds up and starts running to the light. Suddenly he screeches to a stop. The camera isn't showing what Noah is looking at to keep the audience at the edge of their seat. As cop cars come to the scene, Noah runs to the still body, and then the audience realizes that the body is Jacob's. Noah ducks under the police line and runs to Jacob's body. He looks asleep on the ground. Noah: "Jacob! Jacob wake up!" A paramedic walks over to him. He opens his mouth as if to say something, closes it, pauses and then speaks. Paramedic: "Is this your grandpa?" Noah: "No. He's my friend." Paramedic: "I'm sorry there is no easy way to say this but, I'm afraid he has passed away." Noah: "No!" He screams with all his heart and starts crying. Then mumbles quietly "At least he is in a better place..."!11

12 Noah looks up a says "You're in heaven now, you have a better, newer life...if I had just stayed under that tree with you," he sniffles and wipes his nose. "I-I could h-have saved you." He gets up to speak to the paramedic. "How did he die?" Paramedic: "He was sick due to malnutrition, had a terrible vitamin deficiency and seems like he had a chronic debilitating condition. My guess is that he was homeless." Noah: "He was. I tried to help him-" Paramedic: "There was nothing you could have done." Noah: "Can I at least say good bye?" He says while wiping his nose. Paramedic: "Sure." Noah walks to the dead Jacob and leans down to his ear. Noah: "I love you Jacob. There was so much I was ready to do and teach you. I was going to get you a house..." He then falls apart in tears. Suddenly it starts raining and Noah has a flash back to specific scenes when they were together. "I will never forget you..."!12

13 !13