COPYWRITING:
UNRELEASED VIDEOGAME
CODENAME: "NIRVANA"
An American tourist visits Kyrat, a fictional Himalayan country ruled by, of course, a psychotic dictator.
Greetings from Kyrat!
Come for the vistas, stay for the tyranny.
SCRIPT #1 - “BEETLE”
FADE UP: on the Himalayas, snow-covered, glistening beneath blue skies.
DICTATOR (VO): “Have you heard of the Himalayan Beetle? It’s an incredible silver-winged creature.”
CUT TO: aerial shots of Kyrat below (as if it’s the flying beetle’s POV) – mountains, villages, a stunning Temple, a swirling orange sunset.
DICTATOR (VO): “Flies thousands of miles with its tiny wings...”
PUSH IN: on a picturesque, dusty village; colorful banners decorate the town, blowing in the wind; Kyrati villagers walk up and down the dirt roads.
DICTATOR (VO): “And finds the perfect breeding ground...where it screws its beetle brains out.”
CUT TO: exotic images – a strange religious mask with a devilish grin; a man tending to a shrine with incense and candles.
DICTATOR (VO): “But the goddamn bug can’t find its way back home.”
CUT TO: serene images -- gigantic Sitting Saints statues perched on a cliff; an elephant drinks from a lake; then show some Kyrati villagers.
DICTATOR (VO): “So it keeps flying forward, into its glorious beetle future.”
REVEAL: Dictator walks toward us, thru a cloud of dust, in bad-ass slo-mo.
DICTATOR (VO): (mockingly gentle) “And if that beetle ever needs a helping hand, I'm always here.”
SMASH TO: Dictator STABBING one of his own soldiers in the gut. He slashes the guy to death. Then stabs a few more times. Notices his shoes are covered in blood.
DICTATOR: “My shoes, look at my shoes!”
SMASH TO BLACK, THEN TITLE CARD: “NIRVANA”
________________________________________________________________________________
SCRIPT #2 - “TURTLE”
FADE UP: on the Himalayas, snow-covered, glistening beneath blue skies.
DICTATOR (VO): “Famous story. There was a King who wanted this wise dude to be his advisor. So the King sends his soldiers to get the guy…”
CUT TO: aerial shots of Kyrat – mountains, villages, a stunning Temple set against the swirling orange sunset.
DICTATOR (VO): “…who’s dirt-fucking-poor. Can’t even afford clothes. He’s literally borrowing the rags he’s wearing.”
PUSH IN: on a picturesque, dusty village; colorful banners decorate the town, blowing in the wind; Kyrati villagers walk up and down the dirt roads.
DICTATOR (VO): “But the wise dude says ‘no thanks.’ The King’s men can’t believe it. Why the hell won’t this peasant work in the palace?”
CUT TO: exotic images – a strange religious mask with a devilish grin; a man tending to a shrine with incense and candles.
DICTATOR (VO): “The wise dude answers with one of his stories -- about a goddamn turtle that was sacred, or magical, or whatever the fuck.”
CUT TO: shots of Kyrat’s savagely beautiful landscapes and vistas.
DICTATOR (VO): “Point is, the King wanted to kill it and hang its turtle shell in the palace. Supposed to be a big honor.”
CUT TO: serene images -- gigantic Sitting Saints statues perched on a cliff; an elephant with a red umbrella drinks from a lake then sprays water.
DICTATOR (VO): “But the turtle had some serious balls, and said, ‘who the hell wants to get slaughtered and hung on a wall? The King can fuck off. I’m stayin’ right here in the mud.’”
REVEAL: in bad-ass slow-mo, Dictator walks toward us, thru a cloud of dust.
DICTATOR (VO): “If that old man said that shit to me, I would’ve taken him – and his goddamn turtle – shot them in the fucking head, and hung ‘em both on my wall.”
SMASH TO: Dictator STABBING one of his own soldiers in the gut. He slashes the guy to death. Then stabs a few more times. Notices his shoes are covered in blood.
DICTATOR: “My shoes, look at my shoes!”
SMASH TO BLACK, THEN TITLE CARD: “NIRVANA”
FADE UP: on the Himalayas, snow-covered, glistening beneath blue skies.
DICTATOR (VO): “Have you heard of the Himalayan Beetle? It’s an incredible silver-winged creature.”
CUT TO: aerial shots of Kyrat below (as if it’s the flying beetle’s POV) – mountains, villages, a stunning Temple, a swirling orange sunset.
DICTATOR (VO): “Flies thousands of miles with its tiny wings...”
PUSH IN: on a picturesque, dusty village; colorful banners decorate the town, blowing in the wind; Kyrati villagers walk up and down the dirt roads.
DICTATOR (VO): “And finds the perfect breeding ground...where it screws its beetle brains out.”
CUT TO: exotic images – a strange religious mask with a devilish grin; a man tending to a shrine with incense and candles.
DICTATOR (VO): “But the goddamn bug can’t find its way back home.”
CUT TO: serene images -- gigantic Sitting Saints statues perched on a cliff; an elephant drinks from a lake; then show some Kyrati villagers.
DICTATOR (VO): “So it keeps flying forward, into its glorious beetle future.”
REVEAL: Dictator walks toward us, thru a cloud of dust, in bad-ass slo-mo.
DICTATOR (VO): (mockingly gentle) “And if that beetle ever needs a helping hand, I'm always here.”
SMASH TO: Dictator STABBING one of his own soldiers in the gut. He slashes the guy to death. Then stabs a few more times. Notices his shoes are covered in blood.
DICTATOR: “My shoes, look at my shoes!”
SMASH TO BLACK, THEN TITLE CARD: “NIRVANA”
________________________________________________________________________________
SCRIPT #2 - “TURTLE”
FADE UP: on the Himalayas, snow-covered, glistening beneath blue skies.
DICTATOR (VO): “Famous story. There was a King who wanted this wise dude to be his advisor. So the King sends his soldiers to get the guy…”
CUT TO: aerial shots of Kyrat – mountains, villages, a stunning Temple set against the swirling orange sunset.
DICTATOR (VO): “…who’s dirt-fucking-poor. Can’t even afford clothes. He’s literally borrowing the rags he’s wearing.”
PUSH IN: on a picturesque, dusty village; colorful banners decorate the town, blowing in the wind; Kyrati villagers walk up and down the dirt roads.
DICTATOR (VO): “But the wise dude says ‘no thanks.’ The King’s men can’t believe it. Why the hell won’t this peasant work in the palace?”
CUT TO: exotic images – a strange religious mask with a devilish grin; a man tending to a shrine with incense and candles.
DICTATOR (VO): “The wise dude answers with one of his stories -- about a goddamn turtle that was sacred, or magical, or whatever the fuck.”
CUT TO: shots of Kyrat’s savagely beautiful landscapes and vistas.
DICTATOR (VO): “Point is, the King wanted to kill it and hang its turtle shell in the palace. Supposed to be a big honor.”
CUT TO: serene images -- gigantic Sitting Saints statues perched on a cliff; an elephant with a red umbrella drinks from a lake then sprays water.
DICTATOR (VO): “But the turtle had some serious balls, and said, ‘who the hell wants to get slaughtered and hung on a wall? The King can fuck off. I’m stayin’ right here in the mud.’”
REVEAL: in bad-ass slow-mo, Dictator walks toward us, thru a cloud of dust.
DICTATOR (VO): “If that old man said that shit to me, I would’ve taken him – and his goddamn turtle – shot them in the fucking head, and hung ‘em both on my wall.”
SMASH TO: Dictator STABBING one of his own soldiers in the gut. He slashes the guy to death. Then stabs a few more times. Notices his shoes are covered in blood.
DICTATOR: “My shoes, look at my shoes!”
SMASH TO BLACK, THEN TITLE CARD: “NIRVANA”