DAMIEN & ME - half-hour series for television. A latchkey child, whose ultra hip parents are immersed in careers and creative endeavors, invents Ulysses, his alter ego, the bad boy, who gets him in and out of trouble. In the wilds of New York City, they befriend and entertain the homeless and disenfranchised where life is filled with adventure and unexpected surprises.
PROLOGUE
FADE IN.
EXT. STREET IN TRIBECA/NYC—AFTERNOON
Ominous clouds blow overhead. The wind gusts. Dust and garbage skid along the pavement.
A CHILD’S HIGHTOP SNEAKERS race down the street and SCREECH to a halt before an industrial building. The name CLAYBOURNE is splatter-painted on the door. Beside it is an oxidized sculpture from plumbing pipes, an elevator button at its midriff. MUSIC fades up. The elevator door opens. Something seems to lurk behind it.
INT. LOFT—AFTERNOON
The HIGHTOPS step inside. A satchel sails across the room. Flooded with amber light, the loft seems large, ominous, lonely.
Hightops parade past a digital video camera by a large picture window, a baby grand, a television/DVD player.
A trail of clothing litters the hardwood floor. A child’s HAND picks up a woman’s scarf, a glove, next, a memo. As sneakers tap the floor…
BOY’S VOICE (OS)
(reading the memo)
Dinner at Chanson. 7:00 p.m. Re: Artist Sponsorships.
Bring press plan.
GROAN! Then…a THUD! One hightop hits the wall, THUD! Followed by another.
The loft grows ever larger.
INT. SMALL WORKROOM—LATE AFTERNOON
HANDS fly across a computer keyboard. BLEEPS, WHIZZES, ROAR-R-R. The COMPUTER SCREEN flashes: “DIGICHEM SET”
A COMPUTER GRAPHIC of a chemistry set with solutions and beakers. A green concoction is “stirred.” A “match is struck.” The solution is left to “simmer” on the “bunson burner.”
INSERT—DAMIEN’S DAYDREAM
VAPOROUS IMAGES OF YAWNING BEASTS rising out of the cauldron. One takes the shape of a voodoo sacrament.
WOMAN’S VOICE (OS)
(increasingly hysterical)
Doug, Doug, did you see that?
I-i-it’s voodoo, Doug. Whose hair is that? Oh no.
Look. It’s yours!
A LOUD CACKLE.
END OF INSERT BACK TO:
INT. WORK ROOM—EARLY EVENING
A WEIRD BLOB CRAWLS across the screen.
BOY’S VOICE (OS)
ALMIGHTY ULYSSES, ENTIRE KINGDOMS FELLED.
WITH THE STRENGTH OF 5 MEN AND A ... VRROOOOM!
A fist BANGS on the keyboard. A stomach GROWLS. A stockinged FOOT kicks open the door. The loft darkens as thunder clouds gather outside.
INT. KITCHEN—EARLY EVENING
New, shiny, stainless steel.
ON DIGITAL BLACKBOARD:
SNACK’S IN THE FRIDGE—IF YOU’RE BRAVE ENOUGH
TO OPEN IT! LOVE, MOM
BOY’S VOICE (OS)
(mumbles)
Home cooked meals…some kind of ancient ritual.
HAND on refrigerator door when suddenly…KABLAM!
An EXPLOSION from the work room?!
ON DAMIEN CLAYBOURNE. Coke bottle glasses. Big brown eyes wide with fright. The trembling 9-year-old is dressed in loud, clashy patterns that betray his shyness.
SFX of sudden DOWNPOUR outside.
END OF PROLOGUE
FADE IN.
EXT. STREET IN TRIBECA/NYC—AFTERNOON
Ominous clouds blow overhead. The wind gusts. Dust and garbage skid along the pavement.
A CHILD’S HIGHTOP SNEAKERS race down the street and SCREECH to a halt before an industrial building. The name CLAYBOURNE is splatter-painted on the door. Beside it is an oxidized sculpture from plumbing pipes, an elevator button at its midriff. MUSIC fades up. The elevator door opens. Something seems to lurk behind it.
INT. LOFT—AFTERNOON
The HIGHTOPS step inside. A satchel sails across the room. Flooded with amber light, the loft seems large, ominous, lonely.
Hightops parade past a digital video camera by a large picture window, a baby grand, a television/DVD player.
A trail of clothing litters the hardwood floor. A child’s HAND picks up a woman’s scarf, a glove, next, a memo. As sneakers tap the floor…
BOY’S VOICE (OS)
(reading the memo)
Dinner at Chanson. 7:00 p.m. Re: Artist Sponsorships.
Bring press plan.
GROAN! Then…a THUD! One hightop hits the wall, THUD! Followed by another.
The loft grows ever larger.
INT. SMALL WORKROOM—LATE AFTERNOON
HANDS fly across a computer keyboard. BLEEPS, WHIZZES, ROAR-R-R. The COMPUTER SCREEN flashes: “DIGICHEM SET”
A COMPUTER GRAPHIC of a chemistry set with solutions and beakers. A green concoction is “stirred.” A “match is struck.” The solution is left to “simmer” on the “bunson burner.”
INSERT—DAMIEN’S DAYDREAM
VAPOROUS IMAGES OF YAWNING BEASTS rising out of the cauldron. One takes the shape of a voodoo sacrament.
WOMAN’S VOICE (OS)
(increasingly hysterical)
Doug, Doug, did you see that?
I-i-it’s voodoo, Doug. Whose hair is that? Oh no.
Look. It’s yours!
A LOUD CACKLE.
END OF INSERT BACK TO:
INT. WORK ROOM—EARLY EVENING
A WEIRD BLOB CRAWLS across the screen.
BOY’S VOICE (OS)
ALMIGHTY ULYSSES, ENTIRE KINGDOMS FELLED.
WITH THE STRENGTH OF 5 MEN AND A ... VRROOOOM!
A fist BANGS on the keyboard. A stomach GROWLS. A stockinged FOOT kicks open the door. The loft darkens as thunder clouds gather outside.
INT. KITCHEN—EARLY EVENING
New, shiny, stainless steel.
ON DIGITAL BLACKBOARD:
SNACK’S IN THE FRIDGE—IF YOU’RE BRAVE ENOUGH
TO OPEN IT! LOVE, MOM
BOY’S VOICE (OS)
(mumbles)
Home cooked meals…some kind of ancient ritual.
HAND on refrigerator door when suddenly…KABLAM!
An EXPLOSION from the work room?!
ON DAMIEN CLAYBOURNE. Coke bottle glasses. Big brown eyes wide with fright. The trembling 9-year-old is dressed in loud, clashy patterns that betray his shyness.
SFX of sudden DOWNPOUR outside.
END OF PROLOGUE
