FANTASY/SCI-FI Festival Best Scene Reading of UNEARTHLY, by David Dalessandro

The star HD 44179 is surrounded by an extraordinary structure known as the Red Rectangle. It acquired its moniker because of its shape and its apparent colour when seen in early images from Earth. This strikingly detailed new Hubble image reveals how, when seen from space, the nebula, rather than being rectangular, is shaped like an X with additional complex structures of spaced lines of glowing gas, a little like the rungs of a ladder. The star at the centre is similar to the Sun, but at the end of its lifetime, pumping out gas and other material to make the nebula, and giving it the distinctive shape. It also appears that the star is a close binary that is surrounded by a dense torus of dust — both of which may help to explain the very curious shape. Precisely how the central engine of this remarkable and unique object spun the gossamer threads of nebulosity remains mysterious. It is likely that precessing jets of material played a role. The Red Rectangle is an unusual example of what is known as a proto-planetary nebula. These are old stars, on their way to becoming planetary nebulae. Once the expulsion of mass is complete a very hot white dwarf star will remain and its brilliant ultraviolet radiation will cause the surrounding gas to glow. The Red Rectangle is found about 2 300 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn). The High Resolution Channel of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys captured this view of HD 44179 and the surrounding Red Rectangle nebula — the sharpest view so far. Red light from glowing Hydrogen was captured through the F658N filter and coloured red. Orange-red light over a wider range of wavelengths through a F625W filter was coloured blue. The field of view is about 25 by 20 arcseconds.

 

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

In 1902, a US Naval crew encounters an alien entity, with both tragic and surprising results.

CAST LIST:

Flynn: Brandon Knox
Narrator: Angelica Alejandro
Caleb: Charles Gordon
Redfern: Gabriel Darku

Get to know the writer:

 1. What is your screenplay about?

In 1902, a naval ship encounters an alien intelligence on the Galapagos Islands. After the naval ship is attacked by crab-like creatures, the science officer on board dissects one of creatures and determines is not a creature of nature, but man-made. The Naval commander decides to find the maker of the ‘mechanoids’ and steal the technology. When the science officer unexpectedly discovers the a space craft, he is taken aboard, where he meets what appears to be a human who calls herself ‘Athena.’ He learns she is a simulacrum and represents a alien race that has used the Galapagos for centuries as a laboratory. The science officer is sent back to the ship to convince the Navy to leave. After numerous battles with the mechanoids, the remaining Sailors plan a final assault on the space craft. They fail and the science officer learns that the aliens are trying to save the Earth, which they already know, through time travel, is a dying planet. He is rescued and a Naval Inquiry believes none of what he has to say and classifies the deaths of the sailors as a maritime disaster. Ultimately, it’s “about” the clash of ‘cultures’ with wildly different understandings of the world.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Science fiction.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

It’s a twist on the traditional alien invasion story, where the aliens are either bent on destruction or totally benign. . The script contains numerous battle sequences to appeal to a younger demographic along with intellectual discussions between Athena and the science officer.for those interested in speculating about alien visitation and why creatures exist on the Galapagos but nowhere else on Earth. I’m not aware of any science fiction film that combines these two aspects.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Genre-busting?

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

The Godfather

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

two months

7. How many stories have you written?

Nine

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

Atom Heart Mother Suite by Pink Floyd.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

I have always loved Jules Verne stories and was fascinated by the challenge of having humans from 1902 trying to understand concepts such as DNA. robotic devices and space travel, things we modern humans take for granted. Creating the alien was also a challenge, because so many cinematic versions exist, I decided to go in a completely different direction, by having the alien appear to be a human female. Balancing the action sequences with the quieter moments was difficult to maintain story pacing.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Animal rescue.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

Excellent. Easier to use than Without a Box.

******

Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com

Director: Matthew Toffolo

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

Editor: Kimberly Villarruel

Camera Op: Mary Cox

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By fantasyscififestival

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