Second Skin
Second Skin
PITCH:
Tarquin discovers a naked Xi Yi on-board a flight, and faces a morality decision. Reporting Xi Yi uncovers a totalitarian regime targeting renegades with invisible technology.
SYNPOSIS:
Year 2090, on an auto-pilot windowless aircraft, in a totalitarian world where the dominant language variation is Sino-English. Li Zhuang, the Frei Air flight purser, is tasked with neutralising renegades found upon their flight. Xi Yi, an invisible stowaway fleeing the regime, is rendered naked when their technology glitches – the requirement of shedding clothes and objects is a limitation of invisibility, managed by the overreliance of the technology working. Tarquin is the first passenger to find Xi Yi naked inside a cubicle, and their immediate reaction is to offer their jacket, but eventually decides to comply with regime protocol and report them. Marin of cabin crew is Tarquin’s first point of contact, but Tarquin is dissatisfied by their approach. Tarquin notices the lavatory door ajar, and investigates the cabin, spotting a disguised Xi Yi assimilating as a passenger. Once Tarquin gets there, the seat is empty except for their folded jacket. Li Zhuang, intrigued by the situation, arrests Tarquin stating that their act of charity makes them complicit in espionage crime, and mandates a flight inspection for Xi Yi. Through a rainy weather forecast juxtaposed with a sunny window projection, Tarquin notices the extent to which they are lied to. Li Zhuang returns with a captured Xi Yi, asking Tarquin to identify them. Xi Yi is executed in front of Tarquin, who secretly learns Marin is also a renegade.
OUTLINE: ACT 1
- Flash-forward: On board the Beijing to Shanghai express flight, Li Zhuang, the flight purser, fidgets with an energy capsule to the sound of muted shill screams.
- The windowless cabin projects pre-recorded aerial drone footage of mainland China at sunrise across the ceiling and walls.
- Li Zhuang micromanages cabin crew as they prepare coffee and juice for complimentary service and inspects uniforms. One of the crew members is Marin.
- The adjoining lavatory door slides open, and a dishevelled passenger Tarquin, exits, easing the door shut behind them.
- Tarquin returns to the main cabin and opens an overhead locker. Inside are briefcases and handbags. Tarquin examines a few for their contents, finding office supplies, and places them back.
- The wall projection dissolves into flashing red and yellow. A holographic regime video message transmits from every inflight entertainment screen, warning passengers of an increase of routine inspections.
- Tarquin looks for clothes. Shoes scattered under a passenger’s footrest. A loose cardigan over a seat.
- Tarquin looks to the lavatory door, then further down where Marin is serving passengers, and Li Zhuang is discussing something with Security.
- Tarquin eases into their seat. A rotating 3-D projection of an energy capsule transmits across their screen, while the audio requests passengers to report and record suspicious activity.
- Tarquin reaches their hand around the armrest, and buzzes for assistance. The sound of ears ringing.
OUTLINE: ACT 2
- Flashback: Tarquin hallucinates. A stranger, Xi Yi, naked in the lavatory, markings on their chest, pleading for help. The sound of engines, and back to ears ringing.
- Marin checks in, waking Tarquin. The aerial footage on the walls is restored. Tarquin takes a moment to adjust.
- Tarquin informs Marin of Xi Yi naked in the lavatory.
- As Tarquin is explaining their story, they notice the lavatory door is ajar.
- Marin offers to inspect it and return with coffee.
- Tarquin stands up and looks down both ends of the aisle.
- Tarquin wanders further back, and spots a Xi Yi tucked in a scarf and jacket among a sea of suits. Tarquin exclaims down the aisle that they have found the person.
- Marin attempts to hush Tarquin, who marches down the aisle.
- Tarquin approaches the seat and turns to Marin.
- Li Zhuang responds to the commotion.
- The jacket is folded on an empty middle seat.
- At first, Li Zhuang does not buy the story about the jacket, but then notices a tampered armrest with leads attached to exposed wires sparking.
- Li Zhuang mutters that someone jumpstarted something.
- Li Zhuang demands to know who Tarquin gave the jacket to.
- Flashback sequence, narrated by Tarquin trying to describe Xi Yi by facial features and the energy capsule. The action involves: Tarquin hands their coat; Xi Yi requests Tarquin to return with more clothes; and Tarquin leaves the lavatory.
- Li Zhuang thanks Tarquin for the confession yet has security arrest Tarquin for assisting a renegade.
- Security escort Tarquin back to their seat, and handcuffs them to the armrest.
- Li Zhuang calls for the flight inspection.
- Security sweep the area with radar guns, and continue the search beyond the cabin.
OUTLINE: ACT 3
- Tarquin slouched and handcuffed to their uncomfortable seat watches the projection of China on the wall. A display of the weather says it’s hazy and raining, while the footage is clear and sunny.
- Tarquin looks around at their neighbours. They all avoid eye contact.
- Marin appears, with the coffee previously requested.
- Li Zhuang and security march in. Passengers stand as they pass.
- They confront Tarquin, radar guns pointed, carrying a mostly undressed Xi Yi in handcuffs with a black hood covering their head.
- Li Zhuang rips off Xi Yi’s hood, and asks Tarquin to identify whether Xi Yi’s the person who was in the bathroom. Tarquin affirms. Li Zhuang revs up a hand drill.
- Xi Yi is pinned down by security while Li Zhuang perforates Xi Yi’s chest.
- Li Zhuang extracts Xi Yi’s energy capsule; bursting sulfuric acid into Xi Yi’s chest cavity.
- Li Zhuang retreats from shrill screams while fidgeting with the energy capsule.
- Tarquin squirms, clenching their eyes, shuffling fixed to the seat.
- Marin bites their lip.
- Xi Yi’s naked body spasms and strobes in and out of visibility emitting smoke before a circle of bemused spectators recording it to their phones.
- A virtual seat buckle displays across all screens announcing descent to Shanghai.
- Passengers shuffle back to their seats, leaving behind Xi Yi’s body.
- Tarquin braves opening their eyes.
- Marin squeezes Tarquin’s shoulder, and stretches their collar, revealing an installed energy capsule.
- Marin straps into a seat and looks back at Tarquin.
EXEGESIS:
The spark for Second Skin appeared in the first week when presenting our Five Photo Captions. I felt inspired to write a logline for someone else’s image. My interpretation was sci-fi themed:
Iris – In a world of artificial eyes, one malfunction exposes the truth.
The following day I overheard someone discuss invisibility. For the next few weeks, this concept would play around in my head. On closer inspection invisibility represented: insecurity; wanting to hide and not be noticed; as well as something nefarious; stealing and voyeurism. Since these traits were problematic, I decided I could subvert them. To disincentivise stealing: the invisibility suit only worked on the skin. To counteract hiding, I would make the device malfunction, causing them to be naked in public. To utterly humiliate the character; a takeaway from my 20 Moments List; I could make them strobe in and out of visibility at their most vulnerable moment; the way an alert flashes for attention.
In preparation for the week four workshop, I experimented with uh-oh moments and getting into a scene late; and one involved a character naked following an invisibility malfunction. The choice of a cubical on an airplane appeared a claustrophobic setting and to amplify the dread. My workshopping cohort encouraged me to restrict my short film to the one location. It gave me limitations, which boosted my creativity, yet also allowed for a simpler integral story. At first, a plane felt familiar and boring, and not as exciting for telling a futuristic world. Later I found the future of aviation includes video projections in place of windows, and self-flying planes. Incidentally, one of the setbacks delaying integration is people’s fear of technological failure, which is a theme of this piece.
The choice to use a hypothetical language, Sino-English, without subtitles for set design and dialogue is aesthetic, but also has a deeper function. This semester I studied Global Language, and learned that identity and language are interconnected, and are constantly evolving. I took this into consideration constructing a story set in 2090 in China. I have not implemented this language in this incarnation of the script, as it would most likely require a specialist.
Xi Yi was originally the protagonist, but by shifting it to the perspective of Tarquin, it was effective at creating a sense of otherness, and for raising an ethical question. It reduced how often invisibility and Xi Yi appeared; and in doing so I believe it built greater suspense and anticipation. Alexander MacKendrick’s Slogans for Screenwriters mentions flashbacks as killing dramatic tension. I decided to incorporate them, but cautiously and sparingly. The flashbacks repeat to relive Tarquin’s conscience, and introduce Xi Yi’s character.
The names I have chosen for the characters are gender neutral. Many different dynamics could be formed. I would prefer to leave casting open.
I disregard tiers of passengers, as I do not want to focus on class distinction. There is a more important critique to be made about political intrigue. Recently Roman Protasevich was abducted during a hijacking of a civilian plane by a fighter jet. In my Origins Story, I outlined wanting to use political critique as an impetus for story writing and layering of my work. I draw upon my own fears to tell this story as realistically as possible.