You Can't Beat This Dead Horse

A horse girl tries to win her town derby by reviving her dead horse.

Transcript

1. “You Can’t Beat This Dead Horse” Screenplay for a short animated film by Ⓒ Daelan Hontanosas October, 2023 Third Draft
2. 1. EXT. FARM - DAY DOWNWARDS PAN: Birds are chirping and in the distance as yellow fields filled with pasteurizing cows graze in the meadow. A little red barn is in the distance. CUT TO: 2. INT. FIELD - DAY MEDIUM SHOT: A LITTLE FARM GIRL is seen riding her HORSE in a field as she talks to herself. HORSE GIRL Oh TAFFY, with our intense training and the power of friendship, NOTHING's gonna stand in the way of that golden derby medal! A loud CRACK is heard CUT TO: ZOOM IN On the shocked face of Horse Girl. CUT TO: CLOSE UP on Taffy’s fucked up leg. CUT TO: 3. INT. STABLES MEDIUM SHOT of teary eyed Horse Girl and her FATHER who is holding a rifle in his hand. The father consoles the daughter. HORSE GIRL (crying) It’s just a sprain. FATHER I'm sorry honey it just wasn’t meant to be. Father clicks his rifle. A loud BAM!is HEARD. CUT TO: 4. EXT. PET CEMETERY - DAY ONE SHOT: A CHURCH BELL IS HEARD. Camera cuts to a PET CEMETERY where a funeral is being held for Horse Girl’s beloved pet Taffy. It is much like a typical traditional funeral with flowers, a casket and a priest only it is for a horse. PRIEST 1
3. We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Taffy D. Horse. CUT TO: MEDIUM WIDE SHOT: Camera focuses on Horse Girl as she is crying her eyes out in full on black attire. CUT TO: MEDIUM SHOT: Camera cuts to a LITTLE BLOND GIRL who is the same age as Horse Girl, snarky whispering to the others. KAREN whisper I guess poor Taffy wasn’t cut out for the big town derby. Hahaha A woman who seems to be Karen’s mother discreetly kicks her shoulder KAREN’S MOM whisper SHHH! You can bad mouth her, later Karen pouts while rubbing her shoulder. CUT TO: CLOSE UP on Horse Girl who heard the whole thing. Rage fills her eyes as she seeks to get revenge. CUT TO: 5. EXT. LIBRARY - DAY LOW ANGLE WIDE SHOT of a huge old building with giant letters reading library. In the corner is a silhouette of Horse Girl with her tiny fist clenched. 6. INT. LIBRARY ONE SHOT of the tall doors to the library. A sudden BOOM is heard as Horse Girl Kicks the tall doors open. Horse girl stands in between the library doors with rage and determination in her eyes. She is interrupted by distant shushing. CUT TO: 7.WIDE SHOT: Camera pans right to left as Horse Girl makes her way down to the back of the library. She passes by the Young Adult Section which has two teens kissing in an aisle. The Manga 2
4. Section which has a stereotypical creep peeking behind the shelves. And the Philosopher section which has a guy in a turtleneck drinking wine for some reason. She reaches the end of the hall to a dark corner. CUT TO: LOW SHOT: Horse Girl walks through a tall and creepy arch which reads OCCULT SECTION. She walks into the darkness. CUT TO: 8. INT. OCCULT SECTION. CLOSEUP: Camera cuts to a shelf of books each with creepy names. Horse Girl reads aloud to herself as she looks through the books. HORSE GIRL whisper How to Become God, How to Call Satan, How to Generate Bitcoin? No. Ahah, How to Raise the Dead! Horse Girl grabs the book off the shelf. CUT TO: LOW SHOT: Camera cuts to Horse Girl Holding the book in her hands as her face darkens with only a smile to be seen on her face. She gives out an evil laugh. FADE TO BLACK: 9. EXT. PET CEMETERY - NIGHT ONE SHOT: The Pet Cemetery is now Dark and spooky. An eerie wind blows suggesting a storm. Horse Girl stands above Taffy’s grave. The remnants of Taffy’s funeral has left flower petals and empty chairs. Lightning strikes. CUT TO: CLOSE UP: On a picture of Taffy next to Taffy’s grave. HORSE GIRL (V.O.) I'm sorry Taffy. CUT TO: 3
5. LOW ANGLE CLOSE UP: HORSE GIRL (CONT’D) (low chant) mojo, dojo, casa, domus Mojo Dojo Casa Domus MOJO DOJO CASA DOMUS MOJO DOJO CASA DOMUS! A bright green glow rises from the ground as the incantation gets louder. CUT TO: CLOSE UP HORSE GIRL: FOCUS on Horse Girl’s face. As she laughs like a maniac. FADE TO BLACK: 10. EXT. TOWN DERBY - DAY ONE SHOT: DISTANT CHATTER AND HORSE NEIGHS FADE IN. A simple Horse track with bleachers lined along the side. Above the starting line is a makeshift banner which reads “NOWHERE, OHIO’s 50th Town Derby”. Below the banner the horses and their riders are standing at the starting line getting ready. ANNOUNCER’s voice is heard on an overhead speaker. ANNOUNCER (V.O.) Riders, to your stations! CUT TO: MID SHOT: Karen is petting her horse, smugly talking to herself. KAREN (sarcastically) Too bad Taffy and Horse Girl couldn’t make it. Hahaha! ANNOUNCER (V.O.) Looks like Horse Girl has rejoined with... IS THAT TAFFY!? CUT TO: ONE SHOT: Horse Girl is riding a disfigured, demonic Taffy down to the starting line. WESTERN MUSIC FADES IN. CUT TO: MID SHOT: Camera now has Karen and Horse Girl’s side profile. 4
6. KAREN WTF happened to your horse? She looks like a walking corpse!? HORSE GIRL (Silence) ANNOUNCER (V.O.) Already Racers. Are! You! Ready! CUT TO: SPLIT SCREEN: EXTREME CLOSE UP on Karen and Horse Girls Eyes. ANNOUNCER (V.O.)(CONTD) 3!, 2!, 1! A shot is fired. ANNOUNCER (V.O.)(CONTD) GO! CUT TO: ONESHOT: All the horses rush off, leaving Taffy the disfigured corpse in the dust. It looks like she’s about to collapse from the condition she is in. CUT TO: CLOSE UP: Horse Girl whispers into Taffy’s ear. HORSE GIRL (whisper) Come on Taffy. We can do it. With the power... CUT TO: LOW ANGLE MID SHOT: HORSE GIRL (yell) OF THE DARK LORD!!! CUT TO: ONE SHOT: Taffy suddenly leaves the ground at mach speed. Burning the remnants of the ground literally into dust. 5
7. CUT TO: HIGH ANGLE SHOT of the derby track. The horses are racing as a green flash races past all of them. CUT TO: ONE SHOT: SLO MO of Taffy and Horse Girl cross the finish line leaving fire and destruction in their tracks. CUT TO: 11. IMAGE: A polaroid picture of Horse Girl holding the 1st place trophy. Next to her is a traumatized Karen sitting at second place, her face covered in ash. In third place is a kid holding a horse skull crying. There is a fire in the background. HORSE GIRL (V.O.) (smugly) Hehehe. You can’t beat this dead horse. TITLE CARD: “Country Road” plays in the background as Title Card FADES IN. THE END. 6