Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Blackthorne--Scene 47


image borrowed from photoshopytutorials.com


Blackthorne

Cinemagenic Forty-Seven

Quest

“If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven
--the endeavor alone is honorable, whether successful or
not.”--E.O. Wilson.

1(medium close-up) At first he ran alone out across the prairie
vastness, until the blood & warpaint sweated off him.
2(sound cue) piano & french horns.
3(cut to pulling back to overhead drone shot, in slow motion)
the gray-black specter loping, his hooves flashing silently, with
a rooster tail of white puffs, like an equine dust devil, rising up
behind him; this grandiose dappled fury.
4(cut to medium close-up) the stallion was standing at rest, his
spotted sides heaving slightly, bobbing his head, his long silver
mane standing out from his muscular neck in the breeze. A 
seething vermilion sun was rising up, its molten head breaking free
into cerulean shadows beyond the low rolling hills in the distance.
5(sound cue) coronet--soft  blasts.
6(medium close-up) The stud staring off toward the right of the frame.
7(sound cue) six-string strumming over the rolling thunder of horse hooves.
--with the morning dew & the wind whispering along the badlands, he
could finally smell them--the strong scent of los mestenos, the wild ones.
8(cut to medium wide shot) a ragged herd of dun & black mustangs enter
the frame from the right.
9(close-up) the stallion’s eye.
10(sound cue) the stud’s strong whinny.
11(medium static shot) as the majestic horse bolted & galloped off toward
the herd, his unshod hooves kicking up clods as he lunged. 

1(sound cue) saxophone low notes, harmonica & snare drums.
2(medium two-shot) Buck & the Eagle sitting atop their steeds, 
the Red & Jesus.
3(cut to medium close-up)
--Johnny: Do you see him? Sonofabitch--do you see that giant spotted
stallion?”--pointing down to the herd of horses on the flats below them.
4(two-shot) angle on Buck: An Appaloosa for sure. I had heard that some
stud renegades had run off from the Nez Pierce, but I’ve never seen one
this far east before. Damn, he’s a real vision!
5(angle on Johnny) over Buck’s shoulder:
--He is a medicine horse--a real buffalo hunter like you, a spotted monster
over those ponies! He’s just your size too. He’ll bring good luck. I can already
see many spotted colts among the new herd at your rancho.
Let’s go catch him!
6(sound cue) Indian seed rattle, trumpet & drum roll.
7(cut to medium wide shot) the two men unraveled their lariats
& nudged their steeds with their anxious knees. The two stallions
caught the scent of the mares below, & their flanks quivered.
8(cut to overhead drone shot) watching the two riders galloping
down the hill toward the herd of broncos-with Johnny in the lead.
The herd immediately came to life & began running out of the frame.
9(sound cue) piano, guitar & hooves.
10( cut to traveling vehicle tracking shot) the barrel-chested Appaloosa
ran at point, the vertex of the mustang living spearhead, quickly out-
distancing the others with huge leaps.
11(cut to wide overhead drone shot) for a time they all ran along
together, pounding along the prairie’s spine, flat out of the grass
into the sand, then into the cracked hard mud on the salt flats.
12(cut back to the traveling vehicle tracking shot) at first in slow
motion. Now there is just the three of them, the terrible trio of red,
silver & spotted studs, all their tails high, their dozen hooves tearing
at the salt.
13(cut to reverse traveling shot) close behind them, but from a slightly
higher perspective so that we can see the Appaloosa beginning to pull
away from them. Soon the pursuing strawberry & silver stallions begin
to feel the strain of their riders.
14(sound cue) blues guitar slide over tack creaking, horses breathing
hard & staccato hooves pummeling the ground.
15(medium close up) Buck & the Eagle leaning forward almost on the
necks of their horses.
16(tighter close up) in slow motion; the horse’s eyes bulging, the men’s
chins clamped, red & white withers lathering up.
17(overhead drone medium wide shot) the spotted stallion begins to
lengthen his lead.
18(cut back to vehicle tracking shot) this time in front of them, with the
Appaloosa moving closer to the lens, inching toward the center of the
frame. A marbled apparition berserk-galloping, his stride never slacking,
his strong legs never tiring--like he had heat lightning in his hooves &
invisible wings, his wide hooves barely touching the ground.
19(sound cue) drum solo over guitar licks.


Glenn Buttkus

Posted over on dVerse Poets Pub OLN


19 comments:

brudberg said...

You paint such a wonderful picture of that horse, and the landscape. I have a feeling that one more will join the group of good ones before the show-down we are all waiting for. Beautiful writing Glenn.

X said...

Nice intensity and build up, especially there in the end. Nice use of the sound and imagery to really get us going. And leaving us hanging. Lol. Especially like the shot of the horses eyes bulging/cutting to the mans chins. This is kinda like Avatar and Sully getting the big dragon, go buck.

Mary said...

And the story continues! Like the details and the sound effects & enjoy any writing with a horse!!

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Such powerful images here!! Excellent writing :)

Katie Mia Frederick said...

A beautiful vision of Stallion so strong
and graceful where hooves barely
touch terrestrial earth in flight
of Equine resilience
to those who
wish to
mute
the wild
to tame
the free
into beasts
of burdens..
and of course
applies as well..
to modern Homo
SAPIENS SAPIENS
i
say..:)

Claudia said...

you really do a great job with making those images come alive glenn - and love how you always the music as well that fits the mood

Anonymous said...

the imagery here is amazing.

Grace said...

I can imagine the horses running away with the wind ~ This would look good on the cinema with those fine horses Glenn ~

scotthastiepoet said...

Masterful description here, Glenn...

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Sorry - haven't been here for a while Glenn. That said, mastery of vision lives on in your words.
Loadsa love
Anna :o]

Unknown said...

Fantastic cinemagenic offering Glenn! Your wonderful trade-mark of extending a structured posting unique from among the rest. Great horse story and thanks for sharing!

Hank

Pleasant Street said...

I can feel the intensity here, smell and hear the horses

Bodhirose said...

Genius! That's the word that comes to mind when I read your action-packed, image-packed, sound-packed scene writing...so cool!

Anonymous said...

Was right there in the scene! Hope the stallion got away! Good stuff!

ayala said...

I enjoyed the images and sounds in this piece.

Jae Rose said...

this brought to mind Cormac McCarthy - a very involving and vivid scene - thank you also for your comment

Anonymous said...

My goodness, that image is gorgeous!


As for your poem, I love these lines/phrases:

"until the blood & warpaint sweated"

"the gray-black specter loping"

"a rooster tail of white puffs"

"A seething vermilion sun was rising up, its molten head breaking free
into cerulean shadows"

"coronet--soft blasts"

a ragged herd ... LOL. I totally misread this as "a ragged hard" hee hee :) I guess you can tell how I'm reading this piece. :P

"black mustangs enter ... the stallion’s eye"

"Indian seed rattle"

"two men unraveled their lariats
& nudged their steeds with their anxious knees"

"terrible trio of red"

"pounding along the prairie’s spine"

"Soon the pursuing strawberry"

"the spotted stallion begins to
lengthen his lead"

"A marbled apparition"

"drum solo over guitar licks"

Super hot use of language, used to describe probably the most glorious wild animal there is.

Marina Sofia said...

So many great lines in there, appealing both to visual and auditive readers/listeners. What a closely observed and loving description of this magnificent horse!

Anonymous said...

SO glad I took the time to read this. You honoured this horse with so much beauty and class. Stunning visuals in both the setting and the action taking place in this scene. Loved it.