Story telling: 25 word pitch

Title: Auxilium

Pitch: A young boy sets out
to make a rope swing, time after time he fails, until he meets an unlikely friend.

Characters: Seb, 12 years old, loves planes (wants to be a pilot when he grows up). Family can't afford many luxuries, lives in small rented apartment that is 7 mins walk from the woods.



Cliff: 72, doesn't get on with his neighbours, doesn't (usually) like kids, retired naval captain. Fond gardener and keeps a peace lily in his conservatory. His house backs on to the woods.

Location: The location is an actual place, it is based on a section of the darland banks where me and some friends would make rope swings.

Sources: I have taken influence from a few things, the main one being the relationship presented in Goodnight Mr Tom. Where a man in his later years befriends a young boy and proceeds to teach him how to read and write. I also have based the old man on someone I know in real life, he isn't that old but the mannerisms he has in the way he speaks etc and his background are true to life.

However in my short film the old man would be helping the boy build a rope swing and teaching him different naval knots.

The story would start with the young boy saying goodbye to his mother and taking his rope out in a backpack to the spot in the woods. He then tries all day to make the rope swing but does not prevail. He tries the next day with the same result only the old man has been watching and on his third attempt/ day the old man comes out and mumbles some words of faint sarcastic wisdom. This intrigues the boy and they become friends working together to make the rope swing and him being taught these different knots for different purposes. It ends with him going home with the sunset to his back and a smile on his face.

Notes from others: He becomes fond of boy because not consumed by technology, out trying to do something constructive/ Boy's rope isn't as strong as mans rope, so he brings his own out, shows him knots etc, as he walks away realises man brought out his own rope has good knowledge of knots and made a comment like "this stuff's better, you could string a man up with this" or "this could take oh.. the weight a me"