Development
Joined: Dec 2, 2005
Messages: 21413 Offline
I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the development process for the old cinematics. Starting with the hand-drawn ones (what subchapter was that again?) through cinematic 7.1, they were outlined, scripted, and storyboarded by Paul Chadwick, compiled into voice cast scripts by Paul and captured in a series of recording sessions by WB, sent off to an animator/illustrator subchapter by subchapter, then off to a sound engineer/composer. Starting with 7.2, the outlines were provided by me, then Paul revised the script, storyboarded it, voice cast it, we had recording sessions with WB, and then subchapter by subchapter they were handed off off to the animator, then the sound engineer.
What we have here are first, my brief outlines for cinematics 7.1 through 9.3, and then Paul's scripts worked up from the outlines.
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Outlines (some edits for spoilers--hah)
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7.2
Flying above the city in a helicopter, the General receives a transmission from his forces at "Stalingrad": the Machine Sentinel detachment has been detected on forward radar, ETA 3 hours. The General replies: "Right on time. Wait until they close within two miles, then launch the Seekers. I'm on my way." Switch to cloud of Machine Sentinels flying over devastated terrain in the Real. Concealed batteries rise out of ground rubble and launch volleys of missiles that home in on the Sentinel cloud, detonating with devastating effect. As the surviving Machine Sentinels fly out of the smoke, they are confronted by the General's own Sentinels, who cut them down with Zion-style lightning guns. Fade out.
7.3
The General's lightning-gun Sentinels inflict severe losses on the Machine force, but are torn to pieces by overwhelming numbers of hostile Sentinels, who then begin ripping apart the General's bunker-like "Stalingrad" fortress. The camera pulls back to show the scene being displayed on a video screen in a futuristic office of some sort, with hard metal alloy walls and floor. The camera continues to pull back, revealing the back of a man's close-cropped head in silhouette, as a tiny bug-like robot zips past. ([EDIT - omit spoiler]) Switch to the Matrix, where the General materializes in a besieged computer center, escaping into the sewers while his Elite Commandos slow down pursuing Agents.
8.1
A hovercraft descends through tunnels, its pilot guided by operators in the floating, white "holographic" control space seen in The Matrix Reloaded. It is clear that the pilot has never been this way, and is very nervous. The craft drops into a large cavern bristling with cannons, with a large shaft going straight down, covered by EMP fields. The pilot is instructed to shut down all systems and drop through the shaft. The crew panics, and the pilot boosts out of the cavern at full throttle, almost colliding with an incoming barge. Onboard the craft, the captain gets out a hurried broadcast to Cryptos before they are shorted out by an EMP mine, crashing into the tunnel wall in a massive fireball. Switch to the Architect in his monitoring room, watching an Agent reporting into his earpiece. The Architect switches off the monitor, scowls, and switches on another, of another Agent. Architect: "Agent Gray." "Yes, sir?" "Zion has broken the truce. No further awakenings are to be allowed." Gray hesitates a moment, then replies "Yes, sir." The Architect switches off the monitor. Fade out.
8.2
Zion operatives work frantically at a covert computer lab when Machine operatives burst in. They are cut down, but Agents follow. Transition to a flight of Sentinels through tunnels, knocked out of the air by a shoulder-launched EMP missile. Cut to a Sentinel flying across massive power lines headed into Machine City, scanning. Cut to the Merovingian, observing the readout on a computer screen, and laughing.
8.3
In the Matrix, two Agents watch a computer terminal. One says "The virus is running." Switch to Zion in the Real, where vast swarms of Sentinels engulf a hovercraft attempting to depart from old Zion, rip through the base's malfunctioning dock doors, sweeping unmolested past nonfunctional gun turrets, and easily finish off hastily assembled groups of APUs and foot soldiers. They then turn their attention to destroying a large quantity of loaded cargo containers filling the dock area. Cut to Neo confronting Deus Ex Machina, from the scene close to the end of The Matrix Revolutions, only seen from the side and slightly below, some distance away. A hand passes quickly across the screen, and the scene freezes, as a robotic bug begins to crawl across it--[EDIT - omit spoiler] someone ([EDIT - omit spoiler]) paused the video feed.
9.1
Halborn, a white, glowing being radiating immense power of a previously unseen type, materializes in the Matrix. As he strides down a street, frightened bluepills fleeing before him, Agents arrive and attempt to head him off. He waves his hand, and the Agents fall to the ground, convulsing. He steps over them and continues down the street, looking for "[EDIT - omit spoiler]."
9.2
Halborn materializes on the edge of a windswept skyscraper rooftop, beside the Morpheus simulacrum. He scans the simulacrum, and snorts in disgust as it addresses him with a Morpheus-like platitude. M: "Do you believe in fate, my friend?" The Architect appears nearby, and the Oligarch wheels on him. O: "A program cobbled together from memories of a man? Pathetic!" A: "Yes, the feeble effort of an amateur. Not at all like you." O: "*CENSORED* you, if I thought that was a joke, I'd have you deleted! Where is it? You know what I want!" A: "As we explained previously, we do not--" O: "Bah!" The Oligarch leaps away. The Morpheus simulacrum, who observed the exchange between them, turns to the Architect. M: "There is a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path." The Architect purses his lips and cocks an eyebrow. Fade out.
9.3
Carlyne, similar to Halborn's glowing white appearance, but of a thinner body type, materializes in the Matrix, and confronts Halborn at a temporarily secluded spot deep in the slums. Halborn: "What the hell are you doing here, Carlyne?" Carlyne: "You looked as though you were having such fun; I thought I'd join you." Halborn: "Mind your own *CENSORED* business." Carlyne: "Oh, I am." Carlyne punches Halborn through several buildings. Halborn flies out of the rubble and tackles Carlyne through another building. When the dust clears, they stand on top of a rubble heap, exchanging blows. Carlyne: "Haven't found what you were looking for, eh?" Halborn: "Huh! I know about [EDIT - omit spoiler]. It's just a matter of time..." Carlyne: "Then I'm afraid I'll have to cut your time short." Carlyne punches Halborn into another building. Halborn, laying in wreckage, props himself up on his elbow and looks out through the large hole his body made in the wall. Halborn: "*CENSORED* it. I can't let him distract me." Halborn, still propped up on the wreckage, disappears. Switch back to Carlyne, standing on the rubble heap outside. Carlyne: "Hm!" Carlyne smiles to himself, then disappears as well. An Agent steps out of the shadows some distance away, looking at the spot where they had been fighting. He puts his finger to his right ear. A: "Targets lost. We may have a problem."
Development
Joined: Dec 2, 2005
Messages: 21413 Offline
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scripts (edits for spoilers)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7.2 Sentinels Ambushed
FADE IN FROM MATRIX CODE:
A HELICOPTER flies over the Megacity.
SFX: Helicopter rotors
CUT TO:
int. helicopter. day.
THE GENERAL, within it, holding a headset up to his ear.
SOLDIER (Filtered)
Sentinel swarm detected on forward radar, Sir. ETA at our base, three hours.
general (INTO MIC)
Right on time. Wait until they close within two kilometers, then launch the Seekers. I’m on my way.
DISSOLVE TO:
ext – a barren landscape in the real. day.
A SWARM OF SENTINELS speeds over the bleak terrain.
NOTE: Machine Sentinels fly SCREEN RIGHT to SCREEN LEFT.
In the distance, the GENERAL’S REDOUBT LOOMS.
Suddenly, in the intervening terrain, Concealed MISSILE BATTERIES rise out of ground rubble. Their MISSILES home in on the Sentinel cloud, DETONATING WITH DEVASTATING EFFECT.
As the surviving Machine Sentinels fly out of the smoke, they are confronted by the GENERAL’S OWN SENTINELS, who cut them down with Zion-style LIGHTNING GUNS
CUT TO:
int -- a Megacity hideout. Six commandos. One, on a headset, has received news of the victory. He’s turned to the others, who wait expectantly.
commando
We got every one. The Base wasn’t even hit.
The FISTS of the commandos shoot into the air together.
MUSIC: HEAVY CHORD
Commandos (together)
YEAHHHHH!!!
FADE OUT TO MATRIX CODE
7.3 General Defeated
FADE IN FROM MATRIX CODE:
MUSIC: Urgent battle music.
ext. the real. barren landscape. day.
Coming from the same screen direction as last Cinematic (right to left), MANY MORE Machine Sentinels ATTACK the General’s base.
They are met by the General’s Sentinels bearing LIGHTNING GUNS.
A MELEE ensues. QUICK, CHAOTIC CUTS and WHITE FLASHES.
SFX: Electrical surges, clattering, explosions
general (v.o.)
Too many. Just too many.
Machine Sentinels get through and TEAR APART THE REDOUBT.
GENERAL (V.0.)
Retreat! Get to a terminal, everyone! Back to the Matrix!
CUT TO:
A VIDEO SCREEN, showing the destruction of the redoubt from a distance. A METAL BUG skitters across one corner of the screen.
SFX: muted explosions, servomotor sound when bug skitters.
CUT BACK:
A SILHOUETTED HUMAN FIGURE watches the scene on the screen. This is the [EDIT - omit spoiler], though he is not identified here. For all we know, it could be Neo. The room is polished metal, and a couple of other Machine creatures are there.
DISSOLVE TO:
int. computer center in the matrix. Day.
The General, then other commandos, materialize near a retro-tech computer array amid a crowd of Commandos. AGENTS attack. He escapes.
SFX: Crowd noise. Shots. Shouts.
commando
Agents attacking! Return fire!
commando2
Clear the area! Now!
commando3 (shot)
Uhhhhh!
NOTE: Please record other shouts, grunts, and hisses and deeply layer them to create audio chaos.
CUT TO:
int. sewer. day.
THE GENERAL moves through a shaft of sunlight from a storm drain.
Development
Joined: Dec 2, 2005
Messages: 21413 Offline
8.1 New Zion Discovered
int. tunnel.
A HOVERCRAFT speeds along the labyrinthine, rubbled tunnel.
SFX: Electrical crackling of repulsors.
CUT TO:
int. hovercraft
A CYPHERITE PILOT works the controls. She’s tense.
PILOT
Guidance, please. This is all new.
CUT TO:
the floating, white "holographic" control space seen in The Matrix Reloaded.
Flight controller
We think you’re right near it. A cavern with a shaft in the bottom.
CUT TO:
int. cavern
Cavern walls bristle with cannons. In the center is the entrance to a shaft GOING STRAIGHT DOWN, ringed with EMP GENERATORS.
PILOT (V.O.)
God! EMPs everywhere! More than you said!
Flight controller (v.0.)
Stay calm. Cancel all systems. A dead drop, like we planned.
CUT TO:
INT. HOVERCRAFT
The crew panics, all speaking at once.
crew1/2/3/4 (overlapping)
This is suicide! Get out, get out! Abort! Ohsweetjesus! Gun it!
CUT TO:
int. CAVERN
The Hovercraft pulls up and over, back the way it came. A HUGE BARGE is coming the other way. The hovercraft SWERVES.
PILOT (V.O.)
Tell Cryptos...tell Cryptos we confirmed it! It’s there!
SFX: Electrical crackling of repulsors. BASS HUM from barge.
CLOSE ON AN EMP GENERATOR ON THE CAVERN WALL
It ACTIVATES A PULSE which SPREADS RAPIDLY.
SFX: Electronic Whu-ump (loud)
the hovercraft
Is ENGULFED by the EMP wave. It goes dead. It crashes. It unleashes a fireball.
SFX: Electric crackle cut off by Electronic Whu-ump, explosion.
DISSOLVE TO:
THE ARCHITECT in his monitoring room, watching an AGENT reporting into his earpiece. The Architect switches off the monitor, scowls, and switches on another, of AGENT GRAY.
ARCHITECT
Agent Gray.
AGENT GRAY
Yes, sir?
ARCHITECT
Zion has broken the truce. No further awakenings are to be allowed.
Development
Joined: Dec 2, 2005
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8.2 Open Warfare/What is Love?
int. matrix. a clean office space.
Two Agents watch a computer terminal.
AGENT ONE
The virus is running.
CUT TO:
Ext. Zion in the Real.
SENTINELS engulf a HOVERCRAFT attempting to depart from old Zion, rip through the base's MALFUNCTIONING DOCK DOORS, sweep past nonfunctional GUN TURRETS, and easily finish off some APUs and FOOT SOLDIERS.
THE SENTINELS turn to destroying the loaded cargo containers filling the dock area.
CUT TO:
EXT. MACHINE CITY. TWILIGHT.
Neo confronts Deus Ex Machina, a flashback to The Matrix Revolutions, only seen from the side and slightly below, some distance away. A HAND passes quickly across the screen, and the scene freezes.
INT.[EDIT - omit spoilers] DWELLING
A ROBOTIC BUG crawls across it--what we were seeing was [EDIT - omit spoilers] and someone paused the video feed. WE PULL BACK to show a little of the room.
[EDIT - omit spoilers] (WHISPERS)
Most interesting.
DISSOLVE TO:
int. merovingian’s chateau. day.
PERSEPHONE is reading to herself from SELECTED POEMS of SARA TEASDALE.
NOTE: This dialogue is already recorded.
persephone
O lips full of lust and of laughter, Curled snakes that are fed from my breast/Bite hard, lest remembrance come after/And press with new lips where you pressed.
For my heart too springs up at the pressure/Mine eyelids too moisten and burn; /Ah, feed me and fill me with pleasure...
The MEROVINGIAN enters. Persephone is embarrassed.
merovingian
What are you doing?
persephone
Nothing.
merovingian
More of your obsession?
Persephone SLAMS THE BOOK CLOSED, then angrily walks out.
SFX: Book slam; clicking high heels; door slam.
FADE TO MATRIX CODE
[8.3 is missing from the script doc. I think Paul sent me a condensed version later, but I don't seem to have it handy.]
Development
Joined: Dec 2, 2005
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9.1 A Shining Stranger
ext. matrix megacity street. Night.
An Oligarch (HALLIBURN, though we don’t yet know that), A GLOWING WHITE BEING RADIATING POWER, materializes in the Matrix. If people MISTAKE HIM FOR NEO it can’t really be helped.
MUSIC: Fanfare
SFX: LOW BASS HUM
As he strides down a street, frightened Bluepills flee before him.
bluepills (overlapping)
Yaaaaah! Run! Who is it? What is it? Oh my god! Look! (etc.)
Agents arrive and attempt to head him off.
AGENT
Do not resist. You are required --
The figure waves his hand, and the Agents FALL TO THE GROUND, convulsing.
SFX: High piercing tone
AGENTS
Uhhh! Ugglh! (Overlapping)
He steps over them and continues down the street, looking for "[EDIT - omit spoiler]" The piercing tone fades as he moves away.
FADE TO MATRIX CODE
9.2 Colloquy with The Architect
ext. matrix rooftop. day.
The Oligarch HALLIBURN materializes on the edge of a windswept skyscraper rooftop where the SIMULACRUM OF MORPHEUS stands.
SFX: Wind, then BASS HUM as he materializes. He scans the simulacrum, and snorts at his ponderous utterances.
NOTE: Morpheus dialogue already recorded.
morpheus
Do you believe in fate, my friend?
Halliburn
Psuph!
THE ARCHITECT appears nearby, and the Oligarch wheels on him.
SFX: Warping sound as Architect materializes.
Halliburn
A program cobbled together from memories of a man? Pathetic!
architect
Yes, the feeble effort of an amateur. Not at all like you.
Halliburn
*CENSORED* you. If I thought that was a joke, I’d have you deleted! Where’s the one I want?
ARCHITECT
As we explained, we do not ...
Halliburn
Bah!
The Oligarch leaps away. The Morpheus simulacrum, which observed the exchange between them, turns to the Architect.
Morpheus simulacrum
There is a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path.
The Architect purses his lips and cocks an eyebrow.
Development
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9.3 Oligarchs clash
ext. Matrix slums. Night.
The Oligarch HALLIBURN, a glowing white figure, looks over his shoulder as Oligarch CARLYNE, of a similar appearance but a thinner body type, materializes in the Matrix. Nobody else is around.
SFX: Halliburn’s BASS HUM is joined by a DIFFERENT BASS HUM.
halliburn
You! What are you doing here?
carlyne
You looked as though you were having such fun. I thought I’d join you.
halliburn
Mind your own *CENSORED* business!
Carlyne
Oh, I am.
Carlyne PUNCHES Halliburn though several buildings. Halliburn flies out of the rubble and tackles Carlyne through another building.
SFX: Crashes of bricks, snapping wood, tinkling glass, hissing dust and grit falling.
DUST BILLOWS.
SFX: Thuds and grunts.
halliburn and carlyne
(Grunts and oofs from landed punches)
The dust clears. The two figures are atop a rubble heap, warily in ready fighting stances.
carlyne
Haven’t found what you’re after, eh?
halliburn
A matter of time. I know about [EDIT - omit spoiler].
Carlyne
It seems we’re in a competition, then.
Carlyne PUNCHES Halliburn into another building. Looking up from the wreckage, Halliburn looks at the resultant hole and Carlyne beyond.
SFX: More crashing.
halliburn
This is a distraction. Enough.
He DEMATERIALIZES.
SFX: His BASS HUM cuts off.
Carlyne crosses his arms in satisfaction, then dematerializes himself
SFX: His BASS HUM cuts off.
An AGENT is revealed, a witness to the scene. He puts his finger to his earpiece.
Fansite Operator
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Awesome! Hope to see more of this in the future!
What's really interesting is the fact details on the mystery men in the real are edited while Halborn and Carylne are openly revealed as Oligarchs in the later cinematic outlines, implying they may not in fact be one in the same. An assumed connection.
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
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Location: The Real World This is how MxO ends: Not with a bang but a whimper
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cloudwolf wrote:
What's really interesting is the fact details on the mystery men in the real are edited while Halborn and Carylne are openly revealed as Oligarchs in the later cinematic outlines, implying they may not in fact be one in the same. An assumed connection.
Yes I noticed this too plus, unless the first silhouetted figure in 7.3 (Described in the outline as: For all we know, it could be Neo) is a different person to the figure in 8.2 who was watching Neo's encounter with the Deus Ex, I don't think it is Neo at all due to the second person saying 'Most Interesting'.... Unless there was something in the stream other then that of Neo and Deus Ex that was of interest.
Another thing is in the 8.2 outline says... 'What we were seeing was (omitted) and someone paused the video feed'. The fact that it says 'someone' indicates that the omission may not be the identity of the person but a description of something else. Thing is, I can't think of what might have been being described as we know it's a video feed and we know that 'someone' paused it.
