Dry Lands
A family from future Earth stuck in present day Dorset.
created by John Garvey, Paolo Silvestro & Rosa Beiroa
www.drylands.co.uk - [email protected]
Worlds
Story
Earth year 4000
Each episode will be designed in a story of the day style format and will
run for approximately 22 minutes. Keeping our target audience in mind
stories we will often include the exploration of life if 2017 as our family
come to terms with their new home.
Global warming and the melting of the polar ice caps has caused sea levels
to rise to unprecedented levels. The land mass of earth has reduce so much
that humans have now adopted an amphibious lifestyle, living off of the sea.
Rather than hinder mankind’s evolution, the sea has helped technological
advancements. Intergalactic space travel is now a standard commute for
the average worker. However space travel doesn’t come without risks.
Present Day
The show is set is present day Dorset, a rural county with a vast landscape
for our characters to explore.
There is a lot of room for social commentary; however this will always be
done from a distance or with a comedic tone, never getting too serious.
We don’t want to be didactic, we want to throw our characters into crazy
situations and see how they get out of them.
Synopsis
Visual Treatment & Sound
An engine malfunction on a spaceship causes a family
from the future to crash land in present day Dorset.
Drylands follows a dysfunctional family and their attempt
to come to terms with their new surroundings and
community. The family’s new home provides a new
stomping ground for an idiotic father, a career driven
Mother, a hopeless romantic teenager and Blob.
Frame by Frame animation (Photoshop, Illustrator & Premiere)
Backgrounds are still simple images, driving all the attention to the
characters.
The sound of a banjo sets the tone of the animation, not only is it an
instrument associated with the west country, it can produce a clumsy
tune that identifies with Al’s (main character) personality.
Al
Al is a 45 year old man from the year 4000.
He struggles with the freedom he now has
on present day earth. Al is lovably stupid,
lazy and often selfish in that he puts having a
good time ahead of his parental and marital
responsibilities.
His disregard of authority and responsibility
often lands himself and his family into
uncomfortable situations. Despite having no
real experience he manages to find a job as a
history teacher at a local secondary school.
Barb
Jim
Blob
Barb is a 40 year old Business woman. She
is driven and outspoken; she is also Al’s long
suffering wife. She is initially apprehensive
about being stranded from ‘home’ but this drive
fades as the family settle on the farm. Barb’s
focus quickly turns to finding the perfect career,
eventually finding a position with the local
council.
Jim is a 16 year old boy driven by his longing
for love, sex and adventure. He is a hopeless
romantic often looking for love in the wrong
places. Assimilating into a secondary school
is tough for any new comer, it’s much harder
when you’re from two thousand years in the
future.
Blob is hyper intelligent mass of water algae
who has become part pet, part accomplice
to the family. Blob uses his intelligence and
morphing ability to get what he wants. He
frequently teams up with Jim during plans
and schemes, sometimes playing the role of a
mentor and more often than not the instigator.
Gertrude
Gertrude is a 60 year old farmer from present day Dorset. Gertrude
has welcomed the family on to her farm. She is sharp witted and
tells it how it is. Unlike the rest of the village, Gertrude isn’t overly
impressed by the family’s journey, but she’s more than happy to have
an extra pair of hands to work the farm.
Other characters
Ellie
Is Gertrude’s 18 year old Granddaughter. She goes to the local college that is part
of Jim’s high school. Jim’s class mates all fancy her, Jim doesn’t see the appeal.
Mike
The most popular man in the whole of the town, local cider farmer and owner of
the only pub in town. Legend has it that when his pub burnt down due to an unfortunate carvery based fire, he turned holy water into beer when the local priest
allowed him to use the church as a makeshift pub.
Septic Steve
Al is Septic Steve’s closest friend in the village. Septic Steve owns a small company that deals with the town septic tank needs.
Jack Jr
Jack goes to the same school as Jim, he is the school bully, and he’s pretty
dumb.
Jack Snr
Jack Jr’s Dad, he is Gertrude’s rival farmer, like father like son, Bully.
Regular Settings
The farm (Barn, Ship, Farm house)
Jim’s school
The village high-street (Row of shops)
Army base (Play on Lulworth)
Pub
Title sequence
The title sequence will show the
family’s journey from their home in
the year 4000 to the moment that
they crash land in Dorset 2017. We
will then see a parody of the burning
scene in wickerman before the
family are released and accepted by
the towns people.(Approx timing, 1
minute).
Selection of Episodes
Fix up
New home
Fireworks and Racism
After finding out that the ship’s
malfunction was due to Al
forgetting to refuel, he and Barb
go looking for the only fuel source
that will power the ship. Weapons
grade plutonium. Meanwhile Jim
and Blob have their own plans for
the plutonium.
Brab goes looking for a job and
leaves Al with the task of mending
the barn. Defiantly, he enlists
Jim and Blob to help him build
a treehouse. When Barb returns
unsuccessful, Al goes job hunting
himself...
Jim enrols for his first day of
school and is shocked to find that
Al is his History teacher. Barb is
outraged that he has a job and
she doesn’t and makes a plea
to the local council to become
their diversity representative.
Unbeknownst to her, however,
she has inadvertently sparked a
race war in the town.
Cocks to chemistry
Fast and Luxurious
No Direction
Jim is falling behind his peers at
school, he needs a good grade
in his science project in order to
pass the year. Jim tries to enlist
Blob to help him, Blob has an
ulterior motive. Meanwhile Al
becomes part of an illegal cockfighting ring after training Farmer
Gertrude’s prize rooster.
Al and Barb have been asked
to house sit for Barb’s wealthy
boss. Jim and Blob discover that
there is money to be had in the
underground street racing scene
in the village, all they need is the
perfect vehicle.
Al finds himself directing a school
play. Jim agrees to be in the play
after he is led to believe that his
crush Jenny will be in it. Barb’s
boss is caught in a blackmail plot,
can she save his graces?
Dry Lands
Written by Paolo Silvestro & John Garvey
Character design & Animation by Rosa Beiroa
[email protected]
www.drylands.co.uk
For an animation teaser please follow:
www.vimeo.com/rosabeiroa/drylands