Aotearoa - Entry for Your-Big-Break.com

http://www.your-big-break.com/entry/11762


EXT. OPEN WATER - DAY

A CANOE floats in the open water. A PADDLE is gently stroked into the calm water by KUPE. His wife, KURAMAROTINI, slightly laid back in the front of the canoe, gently feels the water with her hand. Kupe watches her fingers moving in and out of the deep blue. Kuramarotini suddenly sits up and looks out into the distance.

KURAMAROTINI
(pointing)
He ao! He ao!

Kupe looks up to see a long cloud on the horizon. Slowly the cloud reveals its true self as a snowcap on a great mountain. Kupe is paddling a little faster with an eager look on his face. They both look at each other with great excitement.

EXT. BEACH - DAY

Gentle waves wash up onto the shore. The bow of the canoe digs into the sand to a stop. Kupe and Kuramarotini leave their canoe behind without any thought as they start to explore the land.


EXT. WATERFALL - DAY

Kupe tugs on Kuramarotini’s hand to move faster towards the roaring sounds of water. They come around a clearing to reveal a beautiful waterfall.

EXT. MOUNTAIN PEAK - DAY

Kuramarotini tugs on Kupe’s hand as they come up to the top of a great mountain. They are in awe of the sight and quickly realize they are the only people on the new land.

EXT. WAKATIPU BEACH - DAY

Kupe has an arm full of WOOD then drops it next to the fire. He ties wood together with VINE he has gathered and starts to make a WALL. Kuramarotini drops a BASKET of freshly picked FRUITS and BERRIES next to him and they look at each other with a smile.

EXT. WAKATIPU BEACH - EVENING

Over a FIRE Kupe cooks a FISH and Kuramarotini comes out of the new HUT Kupe built. They have settled on their new discovery and made a home.

EXT. WAKATIPU BEACH - DAY

Some time has passed. We see Kupe carving POUNAMU and Kuramarotini gently touches his shoulder. He looks up to her pointing out into the open water. They see a couple of CANOES in the distance. Kupe rushes over to meet the newcomers. They are Kupe’s people from his former home. He greets them with a hongi.

EXT. WAKATIPU BEACH - DAY

Some time has passed. We see there are now a couple more HUTS and a bigger fire. Women, children, and husbands gather around their new VILLAGE.

EXT. WATERFALL - DAY

Kupe is SPEAR fishing near the great falls when he hears the blow from a PUKAEA. Kupe suddenly stops fishing and runs to look down to his village. He sees people gathering at the shore. He looks out into the water and sees a STEAMBOAT. Kupe rushes down to the village.

EXT. WAKATIPU BEACH - DAY

The steamboat has come to a stop and EUROPEAN people step onto the beach. There is a silence when the new people face the Maori people. Kupe greets the newcomers with a hongi and then there are smiles and laughs.

EXT. HILLTOP - DAY

Some time has passed. Kupe and Kuramarotini look down from the hilltop to a BIGGER VILLAGE full of colorful people. Kupe looks at Kuramarotini then stretches out his arm across the horizon.

KUPE
Aotearoa.

Kupe has named the land and the both of them look at each other and do a hongi. Kupe and Kuramarotini FADE from view along with the village into PRESENT DAY.

EXT. HILLTOP - PRESENT DAY

We see the beach is empty where the village once was. We pan over to reveal QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND.

EXT. QUEENSTOWN - DAY

We see steamboat pull into port. A group of colorful TOURISTS exit the boat and are greeted by Maori people. We see the Maori greeting the newcomers with a hongi as we PAN to LAKE WAKATIPU and reveal the words “IT WAS SO YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL THEY NEVER LEFT. 100% PURE NEW ZEALAND.”

Hello my name is Justin Demeere. I have been a filmmaker since 2001 where I went to Pittsburgh Filmmakers film school through 2003. I moved back to TN in 2005 and worked as a network support engineer. Due to the economic climate our office was shut down in 2009. It was then that I decided I was ready to achieve my goal and become a filmmaker. I have made almost 20 shorts but have decided this is the year, 2010, that I am going to start a feature. I come from a horror/sci-fi background. You can view my last short here -
http://exposureroom.com/members/Nitsuj.aspx/assets/987b52525b98448894926b073246a78f/

As a filmmaker I am very innovative and can find things around me to tell stories. In this entry I created the costumes using common household items and shot it on an HDSLR still photography camera that shoots full HD. I was able to jump out of the car, shoot, and go the next location in 5 hours. I have always pushed myself for challenges, especially challenges with a closing deadline and little to no money. I researched Maori and Tahitian costumes to come up with something as traditional as possible with the time and money I had.

For this entry teaser I used these items to make the costumes.
1 Blanket - FREE
1 Table cloth - FREE
Black Yarn - $2
3 Turkey feathers - $9
Couple of red feathers - $1
2 Grass skirts - $20
Black Spray Paint - FREE (borrowed)
Rope - FREE
Bo staff - FREE (borrowed)
1 Bar of Irish Spring soap - $1 (used for the Maori pendants around their necks)

Cost = $33 plus gas for driving to location

It has always been a common thing for me to use common items around and turn them into something else.

I shot the teaser on a Sunday afternoon, edited the rough cut that night, finished the final cut on Monday, and color graded Tuesday and Wednesday. After it was all done it took me 2 1/2 weeks from concept to completion. I know I can complete the actual short in the allotted time and for very little money if given the chance.

For this teaser I wanted to use about the same amount of time I would have if I were chosen to go to New Zealand and complete it in 3 weeks. I put out a casting call about 2 weeks before the shooting date. In between this time I wrote the script and created the score. The score took the longest time because I listened to a lot of traditional Maori music from Richard Nunns to get a sense of what the music sounds like. I then imitated the instruments by using Garageband and a midi controller. I later added Megan Odom’s vocals on top of the track. I wanted it to be as traditional as possible with the tools I had.

Shiva Davey is in a band which he told me about Megan Odom. This was helpful with the score. You can visit their site here -
http://www.myspace.com/megndredd
I have release forms signed by the cast and it is ready to go.

Thank you for your time and opportunity.

~Justin Demeere
Burningcrowpictures.com
Demeereproductions.com