Original story exploration featuring the over ambitious princess Mingxia and a fox masked thief named Tansu. Storyboard made for "Story Xperimental with Pixar" class. Done in MediBangPaint Pro using comic pages.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 1 / 192 1A 0:00 INT. EMPEROR PALACE ROOM MINGXIA and her three other half sisters sit in front of the emperor, their father.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 7 / 192 1G 0:07 MINGXIA and SISTERS (Sit up tensely straight before one of the sisters stands up and walks to the middle of the floor.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 8 / 192 1H 0:08 MINGXIA and SISTERS (Sit up tensely straight before one of the sisters stands up and walks to the middle of the floor.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 9 / 192 1I 0:09 MINGXIA and SISTERS (Sit up tensely straight before one of the sisters stands up and walks to the middle of the floor.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 11 / 192 1K 0:11 SISTER 1 (She pulls out a sword and begins displaying her combat drills for the emperor’s approval.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 13 / 192 1M 0:13 SISTER 2 (One-by-one they all go up to stand in front of their father. The second sister does a traditional dance performance.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 20 / 192 1T 0:19 EMPEROR and SISTERS (Until it finally gets to MINGXIA’s turn. They all look at her. The sisters whisper amongst themselves.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 21 / 192 1U 0:21 SISTER 2 (Chuckles) This’ll be fun to watch! SISTER 3 Oh no… SISTER 1 (Rolls her eyes with disinterest and scoffs. She’s seen this too many times)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 33 / 192 2F 0:45 MINGXIA Where’d you come from? GRANDMA One could say I’m always just around the corner. But what’s with the long face my dear?
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 34 / 192 2G 0:56 MINGXIA Oh. …It’s nothing, I was just looking at this picture. Everyone looks so nice in it. That’s all. MINGXIA (She looks back at the portrait)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 36 / 192 2I 1:14 GRANDMA I’ve got a little puzzle I’ve been meaning to give you. Besides, you always used to love my riddles, my little detective girl. GRANDMA (Hands MINGXIA a small scroll)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 40 / 192 2M 1:40 MINGXIA I mean I told them how they can but they say it never comes out exactly right unless I do it.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 41 / 192 2N 1:46 GRANDMA Well isn’t that interesting…Nevermind that for now. You deserve to have a little fun.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 44 / 192 2Q 2:00 GRANDMA While I could simply tell you, what’s the fun in that? He may be impressed if you can figure this out on your own.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 52 / 192 2Y 2:21 GRANDMA I hope she finds what she’s looking for… GRANDMA (Watches MINGXIA run off and sighs)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 53 / 192 2Z 2:27 MINGXIA (Reading the riddle out loud) No one sees the pages tucked away and unturned. Hearing a hundred times doesn’t compare to seeing once… INT. PALACE HALLWAY TO PALACE LIBRARY Mingxia reads the riddle as she walks through the hallways.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 54 / 192 2A2 2:29 MINGXIA (Reading the riddle out loud) No one sees the pages tucked away and unturned. Hearing a hundred times doesn’t compare to seeing once…
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 55 / 192 2B2 2:30 MINGXIA (Reading the riddle out loud) No one sees the pages tucked away and unturned. Hearing a hundred times doesn’t compare to seeing once…
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 56 / 192 2C2 2:32 MINGXIA (Reading the riddle out loud) No one sees the pages tucked away and unturned. Hearing a hundred times doesn’t compare to seeing once…
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 57 / 192 2D2 2:33 MINGXIA (Reading the riddle out loud) No one sees the pages tucked away and unturned. Hearing a hundred times doesn’t compare to seeing once…
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 58 / 192 3A 2:35 MINGXIA (Reading the riddle out loud) No one sees the pages tucked away and unturned. Hearing a hundred times doesn’t compare to seeing once…
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 63 / 192 3F 2:50 MINGXIA (MINGXIA starts pulling book after book off the shelves until she has a huge pile!)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 75 / 192 3R 3:12 MINGXIA I’ll just take this with me so I can read the rest when I wake up. MINGXIA (Slips the book into her sleeve and walks to door)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 86 / 192 3C2 3:29 MINGXIA All the hours I’ve spent here, I’ve loved this room more than anyone else in this palace and this is how you treat me! MINGXIA (Still nothing! She stands in front of the door.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 87 / 192 3D2 3:33 MINGXIA All the hours I’ve spent here, I’ve loved this room more than anyone else in this palace and this is how you treat me!
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 88 / 192 3E2 3:36 MINGXIA All the hours I’ve spent here, I’ve loved this room more than anyone else in this palace and this is how you treat me! (The candle, the only light source in the room, flickers out.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 97 / 192 4H 3:49 TANSU (He then pulls out a map of the palace and leans against a wall to study it)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 101 / 192 4L 3:57 TANSU (Hops over a nearby wall which gets him right outside the library. He hears some banging against the door.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 103 / 192 4N 4:03 INTRUDER 1 Hey. Are you hearing that? Maybe we should check it out! INTRUDER 2 Get your sword ready, we can’t have any witnesses!
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 130 / 192 4O2 4:45 (There’s a sound of metal before a thud of footsteps gets closer to where the two are.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 132 / 192 4Q2 4:50 INTRUDER 2 Idiot…we’ve only got so much time to find and finish the job! Let’s go!
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 133 / 192 4R2 4:55 TANSU If I remove my hand, you promise not to scream right? MINGXIA Mhmm (The INTRUDERS pass the two in the small corridor without even looking.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 138 / 192 4W2 5:09 (She looks at him - or really- his fox mask and recognizes it from wanted posters)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 144 / 192 4C3 5:22 MINGXIA Just like them! TANSU (Amused) I’d like to think I have a little bit more flare than people running around smashing glasses everywhere who don’t know how to be delicate. You should stay here for when the guards come back.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 145 / 192 4D3 5:34 MINGXIA If you think I’m sticking around here while you go steal things you’re foolish! You’re stuck with me until we get out of here
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 148 / 192 4G3 5:52 MINGXIA I’ll hunt you down, you know. MINGXIA and TANSU (Begin to sneak around the castle quietly)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 151 / 192 4J3 6:05 TANSU But I think you have far more important matters, no? TANSU (He waves the book she’d been keeping in her sleeve right in front of her!)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 154 / 192 4M3 6:09 MINGXIA Give me that! MINGXIA (She runs over and takes the book back from him)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 162 / 192 4U3 6:26 TANSU (Pause) Oh. Oh you’re serious? How curious…didn’t think it was this easy to win a political member's favor. Are you all that easy to sway? MINGXIA Just shut up and answer the question. You helped me for a reason didn’t you!
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 163 / 192 4V3 6:43 TANSU Well I hate to break it to ya Princess but those guys will easily get themselves caught on their own. TANSU (Turns away and waves off MINGXIA)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 164 / 192 4W3 6:51 TANSU While you could take credit for it and no one else would know. You’d know. So who are you really doing this for?
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 165 / 192 4X3 6:59 TANSU Let me guess - your papa? MINGXIA (Comes up right behind Tansu while his head is turned)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 167 / 192 4Z4 7:04 INT. PALACE HALLWAY TANSU wakes up after being knocked out with MINGXIA tying his hands behind his back.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 173 / 192 4F4 7:13 MINGXIA Stop moving! TANSU (Cynical chuckle) Huh, figures. Alright, now you’ve got me, what's your big plan now? MINGXIA Well I’m going to wait here and make sure a guard comes by to get you. They should be here but maybe they’re busy…
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 174 / 192 4G4 7:32 TANSU Hope that grand mind of yours has an explanation for how you got yourself out of the library.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 175 / 192 4H4 7:38 TANSU Tell me, is it usual practice here to step on people who decide to help or is that a royalty thing?
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 176 / 192 4I4 7:46 FLASHBACK VOICES SISTER 2 I get it now! MINGXIA I’m so prou- SISTER 2 I can’t wait to show father what I’ve done! STRANGER Wow, you smell lovely as ever.
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 186 / 192 4S4 8:24 TANSU You don’t get out much do ya princess? Maybe I’ll sneak back in and take you sometime. MINGXIA (Pulls out the book from her sleeve again.)
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 187 / 192 4T4 8:29 MINGXIA That explains why I didn’t recognize the words… it’s a different dialect, of course!
| Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9 DRAFT: DECEMBER 26, 2022 Page: 188 / 192 4U4 8:40 MINGXIA So if I keep that in mind I could probably make out a few of these names-
ahiruhoney
joannych
spigola
ryankramer83
marisamolson
twashington16
lauracarpenter
thebogheart
manulatart
ebretz
yojoefay
reidneedssleep
ddoubao_
paigeccino
garrettdimon
carmenintech
rasmusluckow
lemiorhan
brad_frost
jakevdp
vanstee
colly
mza
bkeepers
tammielis
