Flatwings:

Episode 1: The Purpose

A cartoon series pilot by Peter Lawless

Created on: 2/23/14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Setting:

Ext.-New York city-daytime

Show the skyline of NYC.

Fade to Times Square.

Setting:

Ext.-Times Square-daytime

Show people walking on the streets of Times Square, and then go to a sewer lid.

Flatwings’ voice-

In the classic movie, Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks has an iconic quote that I’ve remembered for a while.

Life is like a box of chocolates, because you never which one you’re gonna get.

Show the Sewer lid open and reveal a ladder to the sewer.

Go down the sewer.

Setting:

Int.-Sewer tunnel-daytime

Show the sewer tunnel.

Flatwings’ voice-

Well no offense to Tom Hanks or the movie, but I have a different theory on life.

Life is like a sewer…it may stink sometimes, but you get used to the smell.

Especially in New York.

Show a black silhouette flying through the tunnel.

Flatwings’ voice-

Sometimes, New York can be a city of monsters.

And I should know...

I’m a gremlin.

Show the silhouette flying towards an outside light and revealing itself to be a small green gremlin with wings.

This gremlin is named Flatwings.

Flatwings’ voice-

My name is Flatwings J. Eclipse…and this is my story.

A story of how I found a greater purpose in life.

This story begins on the day that I was born.

March 25^th, 2005.

Go to a flashback scene.

Setting:

Ext.-Eclipse home-daytime

Setting:

Ext.- Eclipse Cabin-daytime.

Show the house of the Eclipse family.

Cue Flatwings’ mother, Carol screaming in the background.

Doctor’s voice-

Okay Carol, one more push.

Show the inside of the living room of the house.

SETTING:

Int.- Living room-daytime.

The doctor is delivering Carol’s Baby, Carol is lying on the couch panting and sweating, while her husband Jim who’s wearing glasses and a white shirt with black pants is holding her hand.

Doctor-

And perfect!!!

The Doctor is holding a baby Flatwings.

Jim-

Doctor, is it a boy or girl?

Doctor-

It’s a boy.

Carol-

May I hold him?

Doctor-

Well he is your son.

The doctor hands the baby over to Carol.

Doctor-

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to use your bathroom to wash my hands.

Jim-

It’s down the hall to the left.

Doctor-

Thank you.

The doctor walks out of the living room.

Jim-

What should we name him, Carol?

Carol-

I don’t know. How about we name him after your father?

Jim-

You mean Flatser?

I was thinking we name him something special.

Carol-

Like what?

Jim-

I don’t know. How about your father’s name?

Carol-

You mean James?

I don’t think that would work.

Jim-

Probably not.

Jim looks at the baby’s arms.

Jim-

Say honey, what are those things on his arms?

Carol-

They look like wings.

Jim-

That’s it. We can name him Wings.

Carol-

How about, Flatwings?

Jim-

I like it. Also we can give him James as a middle name.

Carol-

That’s good.

Jim-

I know.

Jim gets closer to Flatwings and holds out his finger.

Jim-

Welcome to our family, Flatwings.

Flatwings touches his father’s finger with his small hand.

The Doctor walks in.

Doctor-

So, have you considered a name?

Jim-

Flatwings, Doc…His name is Flatwings.

Doctor-

Okay…Why?

Carol-

Because he has wings.

Doctor-

Oh that is ridiculous.

No Gremlin in the history of time has ever had wings.

Carol-

Look.

The Doctor looks at Flatwings’ arms.

Doctor-

Holy hobgoblins!!! This is amazing.

Jim-

Doctor, what do you make of it?

Doctor-

If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a gift from the Gods.

Show a close up of Baby Flatwings, then flash to Regular Flatwings in the sewer.

Setting:      

Int.- Sewer-nighttime.

Flatwings is still running through the sewer.

Flatwings’ voice-

Ever since the doctor said it was a gift from the gods, people thought I was a god myself…

…but I’m not.

Sure I may have special powers other than my Wings, but everyone else has powers in my family.

I like to think that my wings are something else than a gift from the Gremlin Gods.

Speaking of which, the gods are an important part of my 18th birthday. According to beliefs, when a Gremlin turns 18, he must find his or her purpose in life and stick with it.

Everyone in my family has their purpose.

My father, Jim, was destined to be an inventor and through that purpose has gained much respect throughout our territory. My mother, Carol, was chosen to be a great cook and used that cooking to win my Father over and get him to marry her. As for my older sister, Sheryl, they say she was destined to be an actress. I honestly don’t know why the gods chose that purpose for her because she’s not very good at acting.

Show Flatwings stop at a tunnel.

He climbs inside the tunnel.

Flatwings’ voice-

Now all that left for my family is for me to find my purpose.

My parents think I could be an amazing sky patroller because of my wings, but I think I want to do something better than just flying around a sky of stalactites.

Flatwings stops at the Portal-potty (an Outhouse that is actually a portal to the Underworld City).

He opens the wooden door and walks into it.

He sits on the toilet part of the portal and pulls a chain pulley.

He goes down the portal-potty.

Go to next setting.

Setting:

Ext.- Underworld city-nighttime

The underworld city is underground with a sky of stalictites. The buildings are chrome futuristic buildings and ancient Mayan or Aztec pyramids.

Show some creatures walking around the streets of the Underworld City.

Then go to the other side of the portal-potty in the city.

Flatwings jumps out of the other side of the portal.

Flatwings’ voice-

This is the Underworld City.

A city for creatures of all kinds.

We live in peace from the human race because many creatures believe the surface world is not ready to know about us yet.

We are one of two worlds underneath this Earth.

The other world is the Netherworld Zone. Home to some of the vilest creatures known to anyone.

Most of the species there are neutral, but the Dark Elves are the worst race in the Netherworld Zone.

They have tried to destroy the Underworld City for many years in order to expand their empire.

They have also failed countless times.

So many, that they have gone into isolation for 60 years.

But the underworld has never let it’s guard down.

That’s where I come in.

Flatwings walks up to the city limit of the UC.

He looks up and sees the cliff.

He flies to the top of the cliff.

Show the giant metal entrance of his territory.

Flatwings’ voice-

My home of Gremlin Territory is the land that separates the Underworld city from the Netherworld zone.

After centuries of being nomadic tribes, the Underworld let us seek refuge in the canyons between the two worlds.

We have two giant metal wall doors on each side of our territory. They are used to seal off the Netherworld from us and the city.

We are basically the protectors of the Underworld.

Flatwings walks up to the door and presses a button.

Eddie’s voice-

Who is it?

Flatwings-

Eddie, who do you think it is?

Eddie’s voice-

Hey Flats. Hang on, I’ll open the door.

Flatwings-

Thanks, Ed.

The giant doors open and a light flashes.

Flatwings walks into the light and the doors close.

Setting:

Ext.- Gremlin territory-nighttime

Show a small village of log cabins.

Flatwings walks around the cabins and stops at his.

Setting:

Ext.-Eclipse residence-nighttime

Show Flatwings walking up the front steps to his home.

He opens the door and walks inside the house.

Setting:

Int.-Eclipse house-nighttime

Show Flatwings walking into the kitchen on the left side of the house.

Setting:

Int.-House kitchen-nighttime

Show Carol cooking a 8 legged turkey.

She turns around and sees Flatwings.

Flatwings-

Hey mom.

Carol-

Hello sweetheart.

Something wrong?

Flatwings-

What? No.

I’m fine.

Carol-

That’s good.

Flatwings-

Say, where’s dad?

Carol-

In the basement working on an invention.

Flatwings-

Cool, thanks mom.

Flatwings walks out of the kitchen and to the basement door.

He opens the door and goes down to the basement.

Setting:

Int.-Basement-nighttime

It is a dark room in the basement.

Flatwings sees his father, Jim on a workbench with a light hanging over him.

Flatwings-

Dad?

Jim turns around and sees Flatwings.

Jim-

Hey Flats, how’s it going?

Flatwings-

Fine. What are you working on?

Jim-

A confetti blaster for your birthday.

Say, can you hand me that wrench?

Jim points to the wrench on the left.

Flatwings-

No problem, dad.

Flatwings grabs the wrench and hands it to Jim.

Jim-

And…there we go.

Jim tightens a bolt on the blaster.

Flatwings sits down on a chair.

Jim-

So are you excited?

Flatwings-

Excited for what?

Jim turns around on a stool.

Jim-

Your birthday next week.

You finally get to have a purpose in life.

Flatwings-

Yeah…I guess I do.

Jim-

You don’t seem to happy about it.

Flatwings-

I am happy, Dad.

Jim-

C’mon son, I know a fake emotion when I see it.

What’s bothering you?

Flatwings-

Well…it’s just that…I don’t know why I…

Jim-

It’s okay, spit it out.

Flatwings-

I don’t want to have a purpose.

Jim-

Wait, what?

Flatwings-

I mean, I do want to have a purpose, but not one that is chosen for me.

Jim-

What are you talking about, son?

Flatwings-

Whatever purpose I have in life, it basically won’t be my own.

I want to choose my fate, instead of letting our gods choose it for me.

I know this goes against everything you believe in, dad.

But it’s the truth.

Jim-

Well... what do you want to do with your life then?

Flatwings-

I want to see the surface of New York City.

I want to see the world above us.

Not just from a sewer, but from a street.

Jim-

Flats, I respect your wishes…but you know that it can’t happen.

The surface world isn’t ready to know about what lies underneath.

Flatwings-

Yeah, but dad…whatever purpose is given to me next week, won’t satisfy my life.

Jim-

Well, what about being a guard for the gates?

They need people who can see things from the sky.

Flatwings-

That’s a thought, dad.

But I also want to fall in love.

Jim-

There are plenty of attractive young women in the territory, son.

Flatwings-

Like who?

Jim-

Well there’s…um…Greta?

Flatwings-

Greta’s only got two teeth, dad.

Jim-

Yeah well, it’s better than nothing.

Jim chuckles.

Flatwings-

Look dad, I just think that I want to do something more with my life.

Whether it’s being a guard or some other second thing, it wouldn’t be enough.

Jim-

Say you remember what I’ve told you whenever you feel conflicted?

Flatwings-

What’s that?

Jim-

Just take a leap of faith.

Only you know how far you’ll go when you start, and where you’ll land when you finish.

Flatwings (smiling)-

Thanks, dad.

Jim-

Anytime.

Flatwings gets up from his chair and walks upstairs.

Setting:

Int.-Cabin hallway-nighttime

Show Flatwings walking out of the basement and to the stairs in the center of the house.

He walks upstairs to his bedroom.

Setting:

Int.-Flatwings’ bedroom-nighttime

Show Flatwings entering his bedroom.

His bedroom is covered with superhero posters and comic book boxes.

He lies down on his bed and sticks his wings out.

Flatwings’ voice-

As I laid down on my bed, I began to think about what my dad told me…

About taking a leap of faith.

Of course he’s said to me that my whole life, but this is the first time I’ve ever taken it into consideration.