Notes: These are scripts for the launch of Extant, a new show on CBS, for Loyalkaspar, a NYC-based agency.
NIGHT SKY
This campaign features the shows main characters, Molly, John, and Ethan at various times in their lives leading up to the show, lying on a blanket in the park, staring up at the night sky.
Shooting Star
| Video | Audio |
| A Futuristic skyline
The camera slowly descends on a young couple, lying on a blanket in the park at night. GRFX Title: Academy Award Winner -Halle Berry A picnic basket, empty bottles, and some plates are scattered about. |
Nat SOUNDS of crickets, and gentle wind |
| The camera continues down until it rests above the outstretched arm of MOLLY (Halle Berry), and her husband John Watts. | MOLLY: That’s Andromeda, and Ursa Minor.”
JOHN: and that one? |
| Cut to their POV of the star-filled sky.
GRFX Title: From Executive Producer Stephen Spielberg |
MOLLY: Cassopeia.” |
| John pull Molly in closer.
Molly pulls playfully away |
JOHN: Smart and beautiful. How did I get so lucky?
MOLLY: What makes you think you’re gonna get lucky? |
| Their POV of the heavens. A shooting star crosses the sky. | JOHN: Look, a shooting star.
MOLLY: You know that isn’t a real star. |
| JOHN: Shhh. Make a wish.
MOLLY: What? JOHN: It’s lucky. Make a wish MOLLY: OK. Ok. |
|
| John pulls Molly in for a long kiss. | JOHN: What’d you wish for?
MOLLY (romantic): I wish that we’d have a big house, with lots of kids, high-powered careers, and never be apart, forever. |
| Cut to their POV- the star filled sky. | JOHN: Ha. Be careful what you wish for. |
| GRFX over star field
Extinct >EXTANT- Logo animates on. T-Minus 59 Days Till Launch – 06.15.14 |
Find Mommy
| Video | Audio |
| A Futuristic skyline at night
The camera slowly descends on a on a dad and his son, with a amateur telescope in the park. GRFX Title: Academy Award Winner -Halle Berry Verdisign logos are visible on a variety of small cases. |
Nat SOUNDS of crickets, and gentle wind |
| JOHN raises his head from the viewfinder and his son, ETHAN puts his eye on it.
The son looks, then pops his eye off and looks at his dad, before returning to the telescope |
JOHN: And that one, in the center there, that’s Casio-Peta.
ETHAN: It’s pronounced “Casseopea” Dad. |
| Ethan pops his head up and responds flatly. | JOHN: Ok, smart guy. Find mom.
ETHAN: We can’t see her from here. She’s too far away. |
| Ethan spins the telescope around mechanically- with precision, and refocuses. | JOHN: Maybe, but what part of the sky is she in? |
| Telescope POV of the heavens.
GRFX Title: From Executive Producer Stephen Spielberg |
ETHAN: She’s at the International Space Station in the direction of Corona Borealis, near the tail of Draco. |
| Ethan stares up at him. John pats his heart. | JOHN: Wrong. She’s right here- between you and me. |
| Ethan is suddenly angry. He knocks over the telescope and grabs his father possessively around the waist.
Cut to close up on his stoic but set face. Ethan’s iris’s ratchet open in a mechanical way- |
ETHAN: NO!
ETHAN: (Cont) Nobody comes between you and me. |
| John bends kneels down to console the boy. He reaches deftly with his free hand for a metal cylinder.
Ethan pulls away. |
JOHN: Whoa. Sounds like somebody needs a flip.
ETHAN: NO! |
| OTS- John points up to the star-filled sky. | JOHN: Ok. OK. You’re right. Mommy is up there. But she’ll be back real soon. And we’ll be a family again. |
| CU | ETHAN: (Coldly) Great. |
| GRFX over star field
Extinct >EXTANT- Logo animates on. T-Minus 29 Days Till Landing – 06.15.14 |
Long Distance Lullaby
| Video | Audio |
| A clear view of the heavens. Billions of stars twinkling. The camera pulls back to reveal a window frame of the space station.
GRFX Title: Academy Award Winner -Halle Berry |
Hightech SOUNDS of a comm link being established. |
| Cut to reverse: MOLLY, in her space suit, floats inside the futuristic International Space Station- staring out at the view.
Her attention is captured by a screen that comes to life above her. In it her husband John’s face appears too close to camera. When he moves we see a medium shot of a boy, tucked neatly in bed. The camera pans 360º around, and past the giant star-filled portal- GRFX Title: From Executive Producer Stephen Spielberg We continue back to Molly’s face. We see that doing this is hard for her. |
JOHN: Hi Honey. I think we’re all ready. MOLLY: (smiles). Ok. Here goes. (sing song whispering) Twinkle, twinkle little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are. |
| John dips his head into frame and kisses Ethan on the forehead. Ethan reaches out and gives him a hug. | JOHN: Goodnight Ethan.
MOLLY: Goodnight Ethan |
| Ethan immediately turns onto his side, away from the camera. | JOHN: Say goodnight to Mommy |
| CU Ethan- His eyes blink and iris open mechanically. | JOHN: Ethan, you’re going to hurt Mommy’s feelings. |
| OTS – Molly to comm screen. Ethan spins rapidly back to camera, and then back away.
John dips into frame, shrugs and sighs. |
ETHAN: (a little too loud to mean it) Goodnight!
JOHN: Goodnight Sweetheart. We both miss you very much. |
| CU Molly. A tear wells up in her eyes. | MOLLY: I miss you to John. |
| Pan with Molly’s gaze to star field
Extinct >EXTANT- Logo animates on. T-Minus 7 Days Till Landing – 06.15.14 |
SOUNDS of the comm link being disconnected. |
The BALLET of LIFE
This series of spots are visual montages that hint at some of the key themes in the show. The first spot starts out, lyrical, awe-inspiring, and majestic- time standing almost still. With each new version it builds- the world moves faster, and and more dramatically. Characters, relationships, and plotlines begin to spin out of control.
Tableau of Bliss- Interrupted
| Video | Audio |
| CU- a distant nebula reflected in the visor of an astronaut, MOLLY, on a space walk. Her mouth opens in awe, as she twirls almost imperceptibly past a part of the International Space Exploration Association station. | MOLLY’s BREATHING- measured and calm. |
| Intercut GRFX Title:
Academy Award Winner -Halle Berry |
MOLLY’s BREATHING (cont.) |
| CUT to: JOHN, Molly’s husband, super slow-mo swinging ETHAN, his young boy around by the arms, in a grassy park. MOLLY watches from the sidelines.
CU- Molly’s expression- unfulfilled. She blinks in super-slow motion. |
MOLLY’s BREATHING (cont.) |
| Intercut GRFX Title:
From Executive Producer Stephen Spielberg |
MOLLY’s BREATHING (cont.) |
| Molly floats- Super slow-mo in zero G. in her skivvies alone onboard the space station. Droplets of water suspended all around. | MOLLY’s measured breathing.
Suddenly, a sharp, mechanical, offscreen CLANK. |
| Molly’s head spins in realtime to the source of the sound. Alarmed. | MOLLY GASPS. |
| Outside view of the space station, the camer tilts up to pure star field.
Extinct >EXTANT- Logo animates on. Launching in T-Minus 21 Days– 06.15.14 |
An Ominous chord reverberates |
The Wind Up
| Video | Audio |
| CU- a distant nebula reflected in the visor of an astronaut, MOLLY, on a space walk. Her mouth opens in awe, as she twirls almost imperceptibly past a part of the International Space Exploration Association station. | MOLLY’s BREATHING- measured and calm.
Classical music under. |
| Intercut GRFX Title:
Academy Award Winner -Halle Berry |
MOLLY’s BREATHING (cont.)
Mixed with Wedding Band music |
| JOHN and MOLLY slow dancing at their wedding. Real time. The couple kiss and twirl: | |
| Matching Action CUT to: JOHN, Molly’s husband, slight slow-mo swinging ETHAN, his young boy around by the arms, in a grassy park. MOLLY watches from the sidelines.
CU- Molly’s expression- unfulfilled. She blinks in slight slow motion. |
MOLLY’s BREATHING (cont.) |
| Intercut GRFX Title:
From Executive Producer Stephen Spielberg |
MOLLY’s BREATHING (cont.) |
| Molly floats- Slight slow-mo in zero G. in her skivvies alone onboard the space station. Droplets of water suspended all around. | MOLLY’s measured breathing.
Suddenly, a sharp, mechanical, offscreen CLANK. |
| Molly’s head spins in realtime to the source of the sound. Alarmed. | MOLLY GASPS. |
| A hyper -rapid montage of disturbing images.
Ethan in tantrum. John screaming at the Matsumo Board Molly wretching in the toilet The words “Help Me” written in condensation on the portal glass. Dark strangers moving in the shadows Sinister glares from Matsumo Molly Terrified |
A distorted woman’s scream- heavy electronic processing. |
| Outside view of the space station, the camer tilts up to pure star field.
Extinct >EXTANT- Logo animates on. Launching in T-Minus 14 Days– 06.15.14 |
An Ominous chord reverberates |
ROUGH RE-ENTRY
| Video | Audio |
| CU- a distant nebula reflected in the visor of an astronaut, MOLLY, on a space walk. Her mouth opens in awe. | MOLLY’s BREATHING- measured and calm. |
| Intercut GRFX Title:
Academy Award Winner -Halle Berry |
MOLLY’s BREATHING becoming rapid and shallow.
Mixed with Wedding Band music |
| JOHN and MOLLY slow dancing at their wedding. Real time. The couple kiss and twirl. The camera circles the couple in a dizzy spiral: | |
| Matching Action CUT to: JOHN, Molly’s husband, slight slow-mo swinging ETHAN, his young boy around by the arms, in a grassy park. The camera moves around them, creating a dizzying spiral. They collapse in a heap in the grass. | MOLLY’s BREATHING rapid and shallow. |
| Intercut GRFX Title:
From Executive Producer Stephen Spielberg |
MOLLY’s BREATHING rapid and shallow. |
| Molly floats- realtime in zero G. in her skivvies alone onboard the space station. Droplets of water suspended all around. | MOLLY’s BREATHING rapid and shallow.
Suddenly, a sharp, mechanical, offscreen CLANK. |
| Molly’s head spins in realtime to the source of the sound. Alarmed. | MOLLY GASPS. |
| The lights in the space station flicker and go out. Pulsing emergency lights come on.
Molly, alarmed, floats rapidly through the capsule to the source of the sound. Panicked, she rushes back to the control panel and punches in a command for EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN – ALL BAY DOORS A shadow passes the portal. Molly freezes in shock. |
MOLLY’s BREATHING rapid and shallow. |
| A hyper -rapid montage of disturbing images from the pilot
Ethan shove a SMALL KID down at a party. Molly wretching in the toilet John tucks a sleepy-eyed Ethan in his bed. Molly rounds the corner with the garbage and is startled to find a MAN standing in the shadows. John screaming at the Matsumo Board John with Ethan outside the meeting |
SFX:A distorted woman’s scream- heavy electronic processing.
JOHN: Ethan! ETHAN: It’s different, now. With her. JOHN:Your mom has to get used to being JOHN:Those people are idiots. MS. DODD:How dare you! JOHN:How dare you ask me if I have a contingency plan to murder my son! ETHAN: I’m not human. JOHN: You’re better than human. |
| Molly in her Doctor, SAM’s office.
Molly meeting with the Director and Assistant Director of I.S.E.A. |
SAM: You were on the Seraph station for thirteen months.
MOLLY: Yes. KERN:There was one thing… MOLLY: The gap. KERN:The gap, yes. |
| Frantic – ACTION PACKED Montage- The words “Help Me” written in condensation on the portal glass.
Dark strangers moving in the shadows Sinister glares from Matsumo A whiteutility truck with the Verdisign logo pulls up out front of the Watt’s home. TWO MEN in work clothes exit the truck with small tool kits and make their way to the back of the Watts home Molly on the space station- lights flashing – Terrified |
Driving dramatic MUSIC with Molly’s rapid and shallow BREATHING.
SPARKS: Put her under surveillance. |
| Molly in her Doctor’s Office | SAM:Molly. Did you hear what I just
said? Molly SIGHS. MOLLY I’m pregnant. |
| Outside view of the space station, the camer tilts up to pure star field.
Extinct >EXTANT- Logo animates on. Launching in T-Minus 7 Days– 06.15.14 |
An Ominous chord reverberates |