The Sky Beneath Our Feet written by Milan Schere

THE SKY BENEATH OUR FEET is a science fiction love story about space exploration and the difficulties of long distance relationships.
Full proof of concept shooting script available here: https://gumroad.com/l/czmNS

Page 1

1 EXT. CITY. DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT: TORONTOKYO WITH SPACE ELEVATOR

Tomorrow, leading nations will be run by large corporations and company executives will replace government officials. Every power country has a space elevator, after Disnemerika has shown them all how to physically create one. Being the only territory to own two. They are constructed from top to bottom, utilizing natural gravity forces for stabilization in the building process.

We take in a beautiful warm opening shot of the city with the space elevator visible in the background. The word TOMORROW fades in briefly at the bottom and just as it fades out again, two K'harg ships swoosh by the camera, creating a camera shake. Their heat waves distort the air behind them.

SKY SHOT: TRACKING ALONG AIRCRAFTS
Camera follows the invaders as one after the other opens fire.

UP SHOT: FOLLOWING LISA'S HEAD-MOVEMENT

Star shaped alien flight vessels attack the city from the air. Colour temperature fades into a cool tint. Camera follows missiles as they hit. The explosion creates dark smoke, which quickly engulf the screen.

HAND-HELD STEADY CAM: AS CONTINUOUS VFX SHOT

LISA is sneaking around, dodging alien fighter ships that swoosh by and generally trying to remain in the shadows. While resting between dirty ruins, LISA pulls out her iPhone and holds it tightly in her left hand. The display is flashing a no incoming mail icon.

FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE

You have zero new SpaceCom messages

2 EXT. SPACE. NIGHT

WIDE: CAMERA CENTERED ON SPACE ACCELERATION RING GATE (S.A.R.G.) BY GLIESE. PLANET NOT IN FRAME. CAMERA STARTS PIVOTING TO SCREEN RIGHT AROUND S.A.R.G. WHILE PUSHING IN SLOWLY.

Symbols on S.A.R.G. start lighting up blue. Whirring sound begins (Yes, a sound in outer space, sorry).

MEDIUM CLOSE UP: WE STOP MOVING AND HOLD ON PROFILE VIEW OF S.A.R.G.
Four Space Command ships shoot through the gate screen left to screen right in evenly spaced time intervals, and slow down into formation. These spaceships are spherical in design but not smooth. They have multiple levels of metal parts in various shapes and sizes, with the same type of symbols as seen on the gate's surface.

SLOW DRIFT AROUND SHIPS WITH A SLIGHT PIVOT TO SCREEN RIGHT
The formation is first a queue then the leading ship becomes the spearhead as Gliese comes into frame.

 

Page 2

3 EXT. FARM. DAY

WIDE SHOT: CAMERA REVEALS FARM ENVIRONMENT WITH DISTANT CITY IN BACKGROUND
We see girl wandering around the farm property and fields.

(Piano melody background music starts playing.)

 

It is a hot summer day and she is wearing a dress.

LISA (VOICEOVER)
Growing up outside of the city
walls, I have always had enough
distance from the space elevator,
not to be really interested in any
of its implications.

 

 When she stops and looks up we consciously take in the distant city for the first time, and also get a glimpse at the girl's face.

Page 3

4 EXT. ROADSIDE. DAY
 
LONG SHOT: FROM ACROSS THE ROAD

LISA loaded with an extremely large hiking backpack and an iPad in her hand is leaving home to move to the city. She is waiting for a transporter.

LISA (VOICEOVER)
That was...

SEAMLESS TRANSITION AS A CAR PASSES BY FROM SCREEN LEFT

5 EXT. DOWNTOWN. DAY
 
LONG SHOT: FROM ACROSS THE STREET

As vehicle exits frame right, LISA is revealed. She arrived in the city, wearing the same clothes as before. LISA is framed in the identical composition as in the previous countryside departure shot. It is a busy Dundas Square morning rush. Everything is in motion while she stays rooted to the same spot.

LISA (VOICEOVER)
...until I met him...

JOHN stops next to LISA while he's staring at one of the large digital screens playing a Space Command advert.

LISA (VOICEOVER) (cont'd)
...and believed that by devoting
myself to whatever he loved, he
would love me back.

He is completely sucked into the commercia with his full attention span. Soldiers have become the sports superstars and celebrated athletes of society, and companies are ruling the earth, sponsoring heroes of war, like football players used to be. The advertisements on the holographic billboards around the square display the names of the leading brands, which are merged enterprises based on old companies and organizations or governments: iCoke, Googlsoft/Microogle, BMVW, Canamac, Kraftlé, etc.
The image on the screen switches to a news flash progress report on the Space Acceleration gate Ring construction. We see motion graphics explaining the venture with an attractive news caster reporting on the latest developments.

REPORTER
...being able to transport 4.62
tons of mass per second through
space. After successful completion
Space Command anticipates to be
able to start the Gliese 581 C
exploration mission within less
than two years, planning to
colonize the planets nocturnal side
in a second wave as part of a yet
to be announced enterprise.

An animated Space Command logo pops up ending the infomercial and switching over to regular advertisement. John slowly escapes the trance and notices LISA for the first time, instant love at first sight striking him. She is equally fascinated by his focus and pretty much everything about him. There is no logic behind it but they hit it off.

MONTAGE: SERIES OF SHOTS DEPICTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP OVER A SPAN OF MULTIPLE MONTHS

Page 4

​6 INT. RESIDENCE. DAY

LISA and JOHN are sitting together filling out space command applications on their holographic dining table. He is very enthusiastic while she is visibly happy to see him so uplifted.

LISA (VOICEOVER)

I would not even have tried out for 

Space Command if it wasn't for him.

Like a little kid, JOHN has some space ship toys and is making them fly through the air, accompanied by shooting sound effects and everything.

7 EXT. INSTITUTE. DAY

JOHN exits large monolithic building, looking smug and grinning like a fool. He's wearing a tie but obviously doesn't really do that very often. They both just took the Space Command test. He is looking for LISA. His eyes are not searching for long before he spots her slumped onto a bench. He walks over to her, still quite happy with himself, assuming they both got the same results, or rather thinking that she probably performed better.

LISA (VOICEOVER)

Ironically, the very thing which kept us 

together for so long, ultimately tore us apart.

When she looks up, he can read a clear sign of devastation on her face. She was probably even crying earlier, before he showed up. All end of the world feelings bombard JOHN at once, as LISA shows him her test scores on her iPad:

Space Command evaluation

EARTH: SPACE ELEVATOR - Engineering

Now, he is reluctant to show LISA his and doesn't need to. She lowers her head again. As if there was a chance he might have misread his own scores, he checks his phone one more time. A tear runs down his cheek, as he stares off into empty space.

CLOSE UP: PUSH IN ON IPHONE SCREEN

Page 5

The results say:

Space Command evaluation

GLIESE: SPACE FORCE - Scouting

8 INT.RESIDENCE. DAY

MEDIUM WIDE: SILHOUETTE SHOT WITH BED IN FRONT OF WINDOW

It is early morning. LISA sits up in bed.

LISA (VOICEOVER)

It felt much more comforting to 

know he could hop on a train and 

come over, instead of the finality 

presented by the distance of outer 

space.

9 INT. SPACE COMMAND BASE. DAY

MEDIUM CLOSE UP: CAMERA CREATES UNCOMFORTABLE CLOSENESS

JOHN gets out of bed and we see a quick succession of multiple close up shots showing him put on his uniform.

LISA (VOICEOVER)

Regardless of the situation's paradox 

reality, since we couldn't spend any time 

together once he received his uniform 

anyway.

10 EXT. SPACE ELEVATOR. DAY

WIDE: SPACE ELEVATOR DOORS FRAMED STATICALLY

JOHN enters the elevator. His back is facing the camera.

(Soft piano melody stops playing in background)

MEDIUM: FROM INSIDE THE ELEVATOR OVER THE SHOULDER

Through the elevator's large glass portions JOHN sees LISA run up. She is merely a few seconds too late. The elevator doors are closing. She puts her hand on the glass and frantically screams.

LISA

John!! John!!!

There is a short pause where both stare at each other deep into the eyes.

CLOSE UPS CUT BACK AND FORTH OF THEIR DESPERATE FACES

Page 6

The weight of the true realization that he will never see her again finally crushes JOHN and makes him rethink his entire life in one quick moment. For once really understanding how much he actually loves and needs her, JOHN starts to panic, frantically banging on the elevator buttons, trying to pry doors open, etc but the launch mechanism has been activated already. It is too late. What he thought he wanted all his life suddenly doesn't appear so fulfilling anymore.

 

TWO-SHOT: FROM OUTSIDE

We see elevator starting to move.

(Cinematic orchestral music starts playing in background)

MEDIUM CLOSE UP: FROM INSIDE

JOHN

I will write you. Every day! I promise.

 

MEDIUM: SHOWING LISA

She's sobbing by now. In tears. Crumbling. Devastated.

LISA

Don't... go... .

She's almost whispering it. Pleading. They both know it's too late.

WIDE: CAMERA PANS UP

Elevator is speeding into space.

CUT

FLY BY: CAMERA MOVING ALONGSIDE SPACE ELEVATOR

CRASH ZOOM OUT

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