Science Film Script

Written by: Annabel Lassiter

Scene 1: The camera opens on a young girl (Clara) sitting in her room working
on a science homework assignment. She sighs in despair.

Clara
I wish I understood this! I just can’t do it!
Mother
(Calls from downstairs) Honey, have you finished your homework?
Clara
NO! My graphic novel needs work and I need to work on that. This isn’t fair!
Mother
(Sighs) Just finish your homework, Clara!

Scene 2: Clara sits up and grabs a decorated box from under her bed. She
opens it to reveal a multitude of sketches all drawn in different styles. She takes
out an unfinished drawing and starts sketching. As soon as her pencil touches
the paper, the lights go out.

165
(A high-pitched, British voice floats out from the darkness) Newton’s first law
states that an object in motion stays in motion and an object in rest stays at rest.

The creature trips on a shoe and hits the light switch, turning on the lights.

165
Ahhhh! My dramatic entrance ruined, ruined I say! (The creature turns to look at
Clara) I was going for a dramatic, while also knowledgeable entrance. Hello!
My name is 165 but most people call me Fred-la! That's my favorite human
name but I added a twist!
Clara
 WHAT THE HECK!?! THIS IS OUTRAGOUS! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! THIS CHANGES
EVERYTHING! ALIENS ARE REAL! (In utter shock, Clara faints)

Scene 3: Fred-la dashes over to Clara and flicks her forehead twice to wake her
up. Clara’s eyes flutter open and she looks around in confusion.

Clara
(Mumbly, looking around) What happened… (She catches a glimpse of Fred-la
and lets out a shriek) AHHHH!
Fred-la
Hello there! You’re up, finally! Right-o! Let's do it, shall we?
Clara
Do what exactly?
Fred-la
Soooo glad you asked! We will be helping each other out. I will assist you on
your homework. My mothership clan specializes in working with the laws of
Newton, gravity, force, and physics in general.
Clara
That sounds great, but how do I have to help you?
Fred-la
Teach me the human art of draw-ing! I’ve always wanted to learn.
Clara
Ok! This will be great material for the graphic novel.

Scene 4: The camera opens on the pair studying the homework assignments in
Clara’s room

Fred-la
As I said in my dramatic entrance, Newton’s first law states that an object in
motion stays in motion and an object at rest stays at rest. (Fred-la picks up a ball
and rolls it on the bed)
Clara
But the ball stopped rolling… This is so confusing!
 Fred-la
The object stopped due to an unbalanced force. In this case, the friction from
the sheets of your bed.
Clara
Alright. I kinda get it.
Fred-la
Good! Now, Newton’s second law is how force and mass affect the
acceleration, or how quickly velocity can be changed, of an object. (She picks
up a small ball and a bigger ball and pushes them across the bed.) See? Even
though I pushed them with the same amount of force, the smaller ball, with less
mass moved a farther distance.
Clara
Ooooo that makes sense!
Fred-la
Now for the final law… do you like musicals?
Clara
Yeah… Why?
Fred-la
Well I do too! My favorite one is “Hamilton” and there is a song in it that goes like
this. (She start singing “Washington on your side” from “Hamilton”) “Every action
has an equal and opposite reaction…”
Clara
I love that song!
Fred-la
That my friend, IS Newton’s third law!
Clara
Oh my gosh! Thats awesome! (She takes the ball and pushes it.) Because every
action has an equal and opposite reaction, the ball rolls because I pushed it!
Fred-la
You’re gettin’ it now mate!

Scene 5: The camera opens to the duo outside

 Clara
So, these are colored pencils. (Clara gasps as Fred-la starts to bite the pencil)
Fred-la
I love these! They’re my favorite snack!
Clara
No no, they’re for drawing. (she draws a smiley face on a piece of paper with
the pencil) See?
Fred-la
Ahhh the crunchy pigment marks the page (She picks up the pencil, draws a
lop-sided smiley face, then tosses the pencil in the air and catches it) When I
tossed the pencil, gravity made it fall down but normal force keeps it in my
hand.
Clara
NO! It’s not science time, it’s art time!
Fred-la
Time. Speed. Velocity. Velocity is how fast something is going in a given
direction. Whooo, sorry! Had to get that out of my system.
Clara
Any-ways! Back to art! To draw a person you have too- (Clara is cut off by
Fred-la)
Fred-la
The particular art I wanted to learn is water-color, can we do that?
Clara
(Clara sighs) I guess.

Scene 6: The pair is hunched over a homework assignment.

Fred-la
So, the net force is the combined force of all the forces shown.
Clara
Ok! So, I was looking at the problem at the bottom of the page. What is the
distance and displacement if I walk 5 meters to the store and 5 meters back
home?
 Fred-la
Well, the distance is how far you walked, 10 meters, and the displacement (0
meters) is the change in the position of the object. (She labels these on a graph
on a whiteboard)
Clara
Now the majority of my homework is done!
Fred-la
Great it looks like you have two problems left! (She picks up the sheet) These are
easy, “Describe free fall and Terminal Velocity”
Clara
I don’t know what those are!
Fred-la
Well, terminal velocity is the maximum speed an object can get to while falling
or moving.
Clara
Ok, I’m following
Fred-la
AND, free fall is were all air resistance and gravity go away. It can only be
attained in a vacuum.
Clara
Omigod yes! It’s done, finally!
Fred-la
Yes. I’m so glad to have helped but, alas, I’m getting a bit homesick. So, I’m
going to go now.
Clara
But, I never taught you to paint!
Fred-la
I’m sorry but, I must go! Maybe I’ll see you again someday (With that, she opens
the bedroom door and walks out. When Clara goes to look outside the door,
Fred-la is gone.)
Mother
CLARA! Did you finish your homework?
Clara
Yes mom! I had some… help (She smiles at the door and starts drawing in her
sketchbook)