Test Script for A 3-d Pre Viz/Animation assignment. Written in script form, but I hope people can read a story out of this. You might note, why aren't heads being blown off? I had to pitch it as a PG commercial to my instructors.

FOR THE LAST SODA
dtaa2000
July 22, 2008

FADE IN:
EXT. ABANDONED BLVD. DAY

An empty soda can, kicked from off-screen, skitters down the middle of a desolate street. The can moves past broken store fronts, trash, and abandoned cars. After being kicked again, it comes to rest on a yellowed newspaper. The cover story: Disaster! The Dead Rise.

The creature incidentally kicking the can, is ZOMBIE ONE. Fellow ZOMBIES walk the streets. ZOMBIE ONE looks down briefly at the can, but is distracted by a flash of light high above from a distant office building. The building appears to have solar panels on top of it.

CUT TO:
INT. OFFICE BUILDING, TOP FLOOR

THE BOSS, stands at the sunlit window, trying to drink the last drop from a can of soda. He is heavy-set, wears expensive, but frayed clothing, with an excess of jewelry. Frustrated, He turns around to the room, and shakes the can insistently to the SURVIVORS. Around him are other people doing mundane tasks: eating, cleaning, playing cards, watching out the windows.

SURVIVOR ONE, checks a small fridge running on a generator. He shakes his head, no. The rest of the survivors look nervous, and stop what they’re doing.

THE BOSS looks angry, slams the can on a table. He pulls off a very expensive looking watch from his arm and places it next to the can, He looks insistently to the SURVIVORS, points to the can, then the watch: a barter. Almost everyone avoids eye contact. The crowd opens to reveal RUNNER, seated in a chair.

RUNNER, is a short, wiry framed young man. He raises his fingers requesting two watches, as he absentmindedly flicks a lighter. THE BOSS concedes placing a second watch on the table. RUNNER smiles, grabs his knapsack, flash light and a map.

CUT TO:
INT. ELEVATOR LOBBY, TOP FLOOR

RUNNER looks intently over the map. It is a city planning map, mark with red Xs. He circles one unmarked building and shoves the map in his pocket. RUNNER puts his flash light in his mouth, runs to an open elevator shaft and dives.

CUT TO:
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT

In the dim light RUNNER can be observed bouncing off the walls, and swinging down elevator cables. RUNNER lands safely, rolling into the ground floor lobby, exiting the building.

CUT TO:
EXT. ABANDONED BLVD.

RUNNER pauses briefly, assessing the situation behind an abandoned car. A ZOMBIE has seen him. RUNNER leaps on top of the car, and follows with a series of jumps and tumbles on the cars as the ZOMBIES pursue.

RUNNER gets to the corner, with the ZOMBIES close behind. He runs up the wall of a two story building to its roof, luring his pursuers. RUNNER looks out into the distance. He can see a convenience store sign. The ZOMBIES smash through the ground floor, and are up on roof quickly. RUNNER waits until the last moment, and jumps off the edge to a traffic light array below. RUNNER disappears down the street.

CUT TO:
EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE, AFTERNOON

RUNNER hides behind a gas pump, looking into the store. He can see two ZOMBIES inside.

CASHIER ZOMBIE is mindlessly punching buttons at the register.

SLURPEE ZOMBIE is standing at a soda machine with a a cup in hand, reaching haplessly for a long lost drink.

RUNNER finds a side window out of their line of sight, and jumps silently into the store.

CUT TO:
INT. CONVENIENCE STORE

The floor is strewn with broken glass, chips, cheese puffs, and pools of sticky dried soda. RUNNER stealthily moves toward the refrigerated section, avoiding making any noise. This section has been rifled through. There appears to be nothing left. RUNNER hears the sound of chips cracking.

MOP ZOMBIE comes out of the rest room, mop in hand. He looks at RUNNER, drops the mop and roars. RUNNER ducks MOP ZOMBIE’s grab. He snatches the mop from the floor, breaks it half as the ZOMBIES encroach.

RUNNER is cornered by MOP ZOMBIE and SLURPEE ZOMBIE. RUNNER trips SLURPEE ZOMBIE with the mop base, and throws the other half at MOP ZOMBIE’s head. He appears to miss.
MOP ZOMBIE, pauses briefly, then lunges forward, but his clothing has been pinned by the mop handle to the wall. SLURPEE ZOMBIE and CASHIER ZOMBIE attack.

RUNNER leaps up into the light and air conditioning super structure in the ceiling, just out of reach of his attackers. In the fading light he can see other ZOMBIES moving toward the convenience store. RUNNER can see one more thing from his vantage point: behind the cash register on the floor, is an unopened can of soda.
RUNNER jumps, kicks over a display on the ZOMBIES and somersaults behind the cash register. RUNNER picks up the soda and pulls out his lighter.

More ZOMBIES enter the convenience store, drawn by the noise. RUNNER jumps to the counter and frantically waives his lighter at the sprinkler system.

The sprinklers go off. The ZOMBIES look up briefly, then turn to attack. Then they start to slip and fall as the floor becomes slick with now wet soda. RUNNER escapes, dancing over the pile of writhing ZOMBIES.

CUT TO:
ABANDONED BLVD. DUSK

A light can be seen flashing in the distance at the end of the boulevard. It is RUNNER. His clothes are torn, his backpack is gone and he is being chased by hundreds of ZOMBIES.

RUNNER has the flashlight in one hand and the soda can in the other. He reaches the building as a rope is dropped to him. RUNNER makes one more leap to grab the rope, and escapes as his flashlight drops into the ZOMBIE crowd.

FADE OUT/IN.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING, TOP FLOOR

THE BOSS smiles magnanimously at the panting RUNNER. He offers RUNNER the two watches.

RUNNER gives the soda to THE BOSS and takes his prize.

THE BOSS pops the lid of soda. It sprays its entire contents into his face.

FADE TO BLACK.