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R & D 3- Realm of the Ethereal by Karla Medina

Expression Sheets

Beat Boards

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R & D 2 - Realm of the Etherial by Karla Medina

Ava's Bedroom- Redesigned, Expression Sheet, and Frames Preliminary Sketch

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Realm of the Etherial - Research and Development

Updated Logline:

Updated Story Beats:

Act 1

A portal suddenly takes over Lucia’s mom’s room.

Her mother lies unconscious on the floor.

A broken picture frame of their first dance lays next to her.

An arrow of candles leads toward her closet.

Revealing a shrine to their late father.

She caresses the broken picture.

Looks back to her mom.

Jumps into the portal.

Act 2

It shoots her out into a familiar yet unordinary world. A circular array of houses, like those from their neighborhood, levitate and glow. 

A familiar melody drowns the silence.

An enormous sphere of light is revealed.

As she steps closer to the light, the melody intensifies.

Starlike people dancing around each other fill the sphere, like memories from the past.

A figure follows that of one that resembles her mom.

The figures dance merging and unmerging memories with each other.

Lucia places her hand on the sphere.

She closes her eyes.

Light bursts from her chest onto the sphere.

Her soul transcends her body onto the sphere.

Act 3

She runs towards her parents.

They surround her in dance.

He says: Some day we’ll meet again but right now your future is with our daughter.

Her dad takes a hold of her mother’s face, facing it towards Lucia.

They meet eyes, speaking for all the years they have not.

Her dad kisses her forehead.

“If you stay here with me, you will not be able to go back home.” 

Her mom whispers her final goodbye to her dad. “Te amo Rafa”

She holds Lucia’s hand.

They burst out of the light sphere.

Her dad gives them a wave from a distance.

As they walk through the portal, Lucia smiles and waves back to her dad one last time. 

Fade to white.

Updated Concept for Ava's Bedroom:

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World of The Ethereal

Ava's Bedroom

A traditional Latin bedroom, at first glance. However, once you notice the little details, it is the bedroom of a troubled person. A bedroom that is full of energy, whether good or bad. It has been suddenly encapsulated by a portal created from a shrine to the owner’s husband. She has been struggling to grieve her loss, resulting in dark magic rituals. Rows of candles lead us to an altar, warmly lit by hundreds of candles and decorated with old photos. Her bed is unmade, her tv is unused and not yet upgraded, laundry is still not done. All of these reflect who inhabits the room, Ava, a mother suddenly overtaken through a depressive episode caused by grief.

Shrine to Rafael

Many Latin-American families create a special place for a lost loved one in their home. Some have pictures surrounded by biblical figures, some have scriptures, and others have gifts, flowers, and treats. In this closet, though, the tradition is taken to an unhealthy level. Hazardous amounts of flame surround it. A mysterious book lies open on the floor. The pictures seem old and roughened up. And they all depict the same person, Rafa.

Portal

A physical connection between the living and the dead. When you call for the price of life to get to the one you have lost, you can tear through the walls between the world of the living and the dead. This tear then takes over whatever it touches, growing in glowing vibrance.  The portal feels and looks like it is made of space, stars, and entire galaxies. Just like one would say a person has passed, they will always look over you in the stars.

Circular Array of Houses

After experiencing a trip through the portal, we land on the World of The Ethereal. A strange yet familiar world, where a circular array of houses, like those from their neighborhood in Puerto Rico, levitate and glow. At its center is an enormous dome of light. The container of all the souls that have passed. It is a peaceful place. Serenity radiates from the dome into the houses. All of these homes reflect those who have passed, each family having their own unique space. A rainbow of colors decorates this world, representing the possibilities and wonder that one might imagine the afterlife to be. This is also a place of culmination, where one will eventually fall at peace in leaving the past behind.

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Characters

Lucia

Lucia is the main character of "Realm of the Ethereal". She is a headstrong teenager who has learned to take control of her's and her loved ones' lives. She has recently lost her father, her best friend, and she is coping with the grief while simultaneously helping her cope as well. She is challenging, always reaching for more than she can bite. She wants a taste of the past and normalcy. She would love for her mother to pay attention to her like she used to and would do anything to keep her family safe.

Ava

Ava is Lucia's mother. She used to be a person full of light and laughter. Cracking jokes every second to get a laugh from friends, family, and especially her husband. But, the light within her was blown out after his sudden death. Even with her deep love and care for her one daughter Lucia, the grief becomes too consuming. Evolving into a coma state like depression. She wants the love of her life back and must eventually learn that what she needs is right in front of her, Lucia.

Rafael: nicknamed Rafa

Rafa was Lucia's father and Ava's husband. He was the most gentle, caring, and loving person two them. He would act as their rock. Before his death, he was known for his charismatic personality. Being able to charm anyone to become his friend or companion. He was especially fond of Lucia, his little princess. Consenting to her every desire and bombing as much love as he could. Ava was his one true love, he would reach out for that spunky and mischievous personality of hers that would make him laugh like never before. His greatest desire is for his family to always remain happy.

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The Realm of the Etherial

Story Beats

A portal suddenly takes over Lucia’s mom’s room.

Her mother lies unconscious on the floor.

Her little sister tugs at her pants.

An arrow of candles leads toward her closet.

Revealing a shrine to their late father.

A book remains open on a spell that brings back a soul from “The Etherial.”

Tears the page.

Pockets it.

They jump into the portal.

It shoots them out into a familiar yet unordinary world.

Takes out passage reading: “Follow the stars that lead you to the soul you seek”.

They step into a bustling market like fish out of water

They suddenly bump into an iguana, who follows them around

They trail through a forest until 3 more stars remain.

The forest suddenly morphs into a deserted land.

A familiar melody drowns the silence.

Yellow light dissipates through the darkness.

As they step closer to the light, the melody intensifies.

An enormous sphere of light is revealed.

Starlike people dancing around each other fill the sphere.

A figure follows that of one that resembles their mom.

The figures dance merging and unmerging with each other.

Lucia places her hand on the sphere.

She closes her eyes.

Sinks into a fetal position.

Light bursts from her chest unto the sphere.

Her soul transcends her body onto the sphere.

Her mom and dad’s soul dance in the distance.

She runs towards them.

They surround her in dance.

Her dad takes a hold of her face.

They meet eyes, speaking for all the years they have not.

Her mom whispers to her dad.

He glimmers in approval.

She holds Lucia’s hand.

They burst out of the light sphere.

Her dad gives them a wave from a distance.

Ines grabs a hold of their mom's hand, smiling and crying at the same time.

They all say: “Brightly glowing sky, take me with you and provide me passage to where souls never die.”

Fade to white.

Treatment

A crash snaps open Lucia’s mom’s door. She looks lifeless on the floor. A portal whirs and grows into her room. Rows of candles surround her, leading to a shrine of their late father. Lucia feels a tug at her pants. Her little sister, just 8, was too distraught and too young to comprehend. A spellbook lays open, reading “Brightly glowing sky, take me with you, and provide me passage to where souls never die.” She tears the page and folds it onto her pocket. Her sister in her arms, Lucia jumps onto the portal.

The two girls are transported into this strange, familiar world. An array of houses, like those from their neighborhood, levitate and glow. They find an iguana, colored like a rainbow, who leads them onto a rainforest. They follow the iguana until three stars shine brightly in the sky. The grass that was once green is now wilted. In the distance, a yellow glow dissipates through the darkness. A familiar melody drowns the silence, intensifying the closer they got. Until they find themselves in front of an enormous yellow dome full of light. Starlike people fill the dome, they seem to be floating and dancing around each other. There’s a different radiance to them, a sense of honest humanity.

Another figure follows their mom, and they dance together, becoming one. She looks happy. She is not alone. Lucia touches the sphere, closes her eyes, and leans in. Warmth seeping through her, it was intimate, like a parent would give to their child. A light suddenly bursts from her chest, connecting to the sphere. Her soul transcends onto the dome through the path of light. Her mom and Dad are close. She runs. They dance around her, welcoming her, and morphing into what resembles their human bodies. Her Dad embraces her head, kissing her forehead. Her mom grabs a hold of her hand and whispers to her Dad. He glimmers in approval. They burst out of the done onto Ines and their little friend. Her Dad waves from a distance morphing back into his starlike form. Ines notices and smiles brightly, waving back with the excitement of a child. They hold her hand and say one last time: “Brightly glowing sky, take me with you, and provide me passage out of where souls never die.” Triadic light encompasses them until it all fades to white.

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"The Realm of the Etherial" Theme and Logline

Theme

"The Realm of the Etherial" is a heartwarmingly familiar short that will eventually tug at your heartstrings. My short will have a prevalent theme of grief. In other words, my characters will learn to grow and mend their relationships within their dysfunctional family after their parent's death. The short will also speak to the spiritual connection between the living and the dead, learning to live after the death of a parent and that love prevails above all.

This story is very close to my heart since it is based on a family member's life story. My cousin, Deborah lost her dad at an old age and took charge of helping her mother and little sister grieve while remaining without the chance to do the same. Nowadays, she remains taking care of her mother who after a multitude of nights sleeping on the couch has lost control of her body due to neural damage. The fact that she remains strong and their love for each other has surpassed all their challenges is the most influential fact for this story.

Logline

A headstrong teen and her naive little sister undergo a quest to save their mother from the daunting dark magic suddenly tearing them apart.