Logline 

A lone cowboy settles down for a meal when an injured stranger approaches. Unsure of their intentions, he cautiously invites them for a meal. A meal that may turn deadly.

 

Synopsis

Eggs opens with a singular character, a cowboy looking individual. They start a fire as they whip out the components to make an egg. It is not long into their egg making process that they get interrupted by a stranger who found their way into the cowboy’s part of the forest. Upon hearing this stranger approach, the cowboy drops their pan and readys to grab their revolver. In a moment of tension, the stranger slowly puts their hands up to show no malice. The cowboy cautiously accepts the act of surrender and invites the stranger to sit and eat. The stranger and cowboy both sit down and there is a quick moment of tension as the cowboy reaches towards their revolver but it is quickly diffused as he takes out another egg. Breaking it, the stranger slowly relaxes and the egg starts cooking. There is a bit of peace but, in both slow motion and through quick cutting, a series of events occurs: The stranger’s eyes drop on the eggs, the cowboy’s eyes dart quickly up from the eggs, the cowboy drops the pan, the stranger’s eyes dart back up from the eggs, the cowboy grabs their revolver, and the stranger scrambles for a knife nearby. We return to regular motion as the cowboy points the revolver toward the stranger and the stranger brings the knife to the cowboy’s neck. We stay on shots of both characters’ faces for a beat as a two note theme plays and gets increasingly faster. The notes are played almost in unison until the theme stops abruptly as the cowboy breaks the toothpick in his mouth. We linger for a hot second and then hear a loud, ringing gunshot. The stranger relaxes and seems to go slack, dropping the knife and their head falls. Their head rises in a hearty, big laugh as they relax backward. The cowboy joins in. It’s revealed the cowboy shot a snake near the stranger. Both characters relax fully as the cowboy reaches into their pocket again. They pull out another egg and cooks again, for the final time as the simple two note theme plays, adding a couple more notes.

 

Artistic Statement

Eggs is a western inspired film that takes place in the woods. Much of it is inspired by the early sequence in the film Once Upon a Time in the West in which three characters wait for a train. The sound design is sparse in a way that highlights very specific unique sounds. This is what I wish to accomplish in the video. In addition to creating very present sound effects, I’m looking to create a sparse, atmospheric score that will be accomplished through the use of a kalimba/mbira, a piano-like hand instrument. With these two combined I hope to use both wide and tight framing to create an emptiness and tension in the film.