Download
a printable version of this screenplay (pdf).
Mona the Vampire
ALL IN A DAY'S WORK
©Cinar Animation
Second Draft, February 11th, 2001
FADE IN:
INT. CITY HALL HALLWAY DAY
Office workers mill about. Somewhere, a phone SFX:RINGS. MONA, LILY and CHARLEY follow DAD. Lily writes on a clipboard.
1. MONA
*Wow, I had no idea running a town was so
complicated. Our school report will
be great!
2. DAD
Now, what if I told you that all
this can be replaced by a machine?
3. CHARLEY
You mean in the future, right?
4. DAD
*No, I mean today. Kids, meet the Primex-Sinclair
Z80, faster and smarter than ten
civil servants!
Dad opens an office door onto a water cooler. It SFX:GURGLES.
5. DAD
Oops, wrong door. Here it is.
*Dad opens the door opposite to reveal a large room housing a console. The console features flashing lights and SFX:BEEPING sounds, as well as a keyboard and monitors. Very futuristic, with smooth lines.
INT. CONSOLE ROOM DAY
Dad and the children come in. Aside from office furniture, there is a mop bucket in a corner.
6. MONA
So that's the project you've been
working on for the past six months?
7. DAD
*Yep! This controls everything in town: traffic
lights, sprinklers, even the park's
merry-go-round. At least it will,
when it goes online at noon.
Dad polishes the console with his shirt sleeve. The point of Lily's pencil SFX:SNAPS.
8. LILY
Not again!
9. DAD
Let me sharpen that for you.
Dad puts her pencil into an electric sharpener. Nothing happens.
10. DAD
That thing never worked right.
Here, use my pen.
Dad throws the sharpener in a trashcan and hands Lily his pen.
11. DAD
See, this controls your school...
As they study the controls, Mona hears a SFX:CLICK and SFX:WHIR. She turns towards the desk. RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO FANTASY SEQUENCE.
Two telescopic appendages ending in Swiss army knife-like tools extend from the mop bucket. It retrieves the pencil sharpener from the trash can, removes the lid and tinkers with the mechanism. Mona turns to Lily and Charley. MATCH DISSOLVE BACK TO REALITY.
12. MONA
Look you guys!
They turn towards the desk, but the mop bucket is back to normal. The sharpener is back on the desk with the lid on. Lily puts her pencil in. It SFX:WHIRS and sharpens it to a point.
13. DAD
That's great Mona, you fixed it!
14. MONA
It wasn't me, it was this thing! It
has robot arms or something.
Mona nudges the mop bucket with her foot.
15. RUDY (O.S.)
That's only good for mopping up.
RUDY, a paunchy janitor, comes in and puts his mop in the bucket.
16. DAD
*This is Rudy, kids. He's been working here longer
than anyone can remember. I've told
you about my daughter Mona and her
friends?
Rudy shakes Mona's hand.
17. RUDY
Sure, lotsa times. The ones who
always say there's more to things
than meets the eye, right?
Rudy winks and pushes his bucket out the door. Dad looks at his watch.
18. DAD
Oh! I'm going to be late for my
meeting with the Mayor! Come with
me, you can wait in the lunch room.
INT. HALLWAY DAY
While Dad walks down the hallway, Mona, Charley and Lily look in the opposite direction towards Rudy. RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO FANTASY SEQUENCE.
As it rounds the corner, telescopic eyes extend from the mop bucket and stare at them, lingering behind before disappearing.
19. MONA
You see? I was right!
INT. LUNCHROOM DAY
Mona, Charley and Lily are studying a vending machine.
20. MONA
*They're all out of Count DraCOLA. It's the only pop
I drink!
A MAN walks by outside the lunch room.
21. MONA
Excuse me, who can we ask to fill
the vending machines?
22. MAN
Why, that would be the office
manager, right down the hall.
INT. OFFICE MANAGER'S OFFICE DAY
*The balding OFFICE MANAGER sits in a clean and orderly office, drinking from a can of Count DraCOLA. Mona, Lily and Charley come in.
23. MONA *Hi! We'd like three cans of Count DraCOLA, please.
The office manager smiles.
24. OFFICE MANAGER
Silly me, I guess I bought the last
can. But you can get more...
He places three forms on the desk.
25. OFFICE MANAGER (CONT'D)
...as soon as you fill out these
forms and take them down to the
requisitions office.
INT. REQUISITIONS OFFICE DAY
The REQUISITIONS OFFICER sits in a smallish, slightly unkempt office. The children run in.
26. MONA *Hi! We have forms for Count DraCOLA.
The requisitions officer studies the forms.
27. REQUISITIONS OFFICER
*These forms are for non-consumables. You need annex
SP-3 for food products. Go to
vending services downstairs.
*INT. VENDING SERVICES DAY
*A FRAZZLE-HAIRED WOMAN in a tiny, dimly-lit office.
28. FRAZZLE-HAIRED WOMAN
Everyone knows vending services
isn't the same as service vendors!
Two floors down.
INT. VARIOUS OFFICES DAY
A montage of SFX:SLAMMING doors superimposed over dancing forms and accompanied by a chorus of overlapping voices.
29. CHORUS
Form ED dash 45... downstairs and
down the hall... wrong
department... annex F... gone for
the day... wrong department...
WRONG DEPARTMENT...
The montage ends on...
INT. BASEMENT OFFICE DAY
CLOSE UP on a rubber stamp SFX:SLAMMING on a pink form. Mona, Lily and Charley are in a tiny office with cinder block walls and leaky pipes. A single naked bulb hangs from the ceiling. A CLERK puts the form in a huge filing cabinet and struggles to close the drawer.
30. MONA
*Six to eight weeks? But we wanted Count DraCOLA
today!
31. CLERK
Then you should have filed...
mmmf... six to eight weeks...
mpffff... AGO!
The drawer suddenly yields and papers fall in the trash can. Rudy comes in and takes out the trash.
32. LILY
All these stairs for nothing.
The children walk out, dejected.
INT. BASEMENT HALLWAY DAY
Rudy empties the trash into a cart. Charley stares at his coin.
33. CHARLEY
I never thought spending money
could be so complicated.
34. RUDY
I wish I had time to help you kids.
But they're letting me go early.
Rudy puts the basket back in the office and closes the door.
35. MONA
You're taking the day off?
36. RUDY
Today and every day after that.
I've been put on forced retirement
starting at noon exactly.
Rudy pushes his SFX:SQUEAKY cart down the hall.
37. LILY
But who's going to do your work?
Rudy points up with a wrench then tightens a leaky pipe.
38. RUDY
That big computer upstairs is
supposed to. But I've been here for
so long, people forget about all
the little things I take care of.
His pager SFX:BEEPS.
39. RUDY
See? An hour to go and things still
need my attention. Tell your dad it
was fun working with him.
*udy goes through a door. The kids turn a corner.
40. CHARLEY
*Poor Rudy. They're replacing his mop bucket with a
bit bucket.
They stare down a long darkened corridor.
41. LILY
I don't remember coming this way.
42. CHARLEY
I don't even know how we got here.
I think we're lost.
43. MONA
We'll just ask Rudy.
The children retrace their steps but Rudy has vanished.
44. LILY *He must be in here.
*Lily opens the door and reveals a cluttered broom closet.
45. MONA
*It's just a broom closet. Maybe there's a floor
diagram somewhere.
Charley pulls the string on the bulb overhead (SFX:CLICK). RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO FANTASY SEQUENCE.
The door SFX:SLAMS shut. A trap opens under the children's feet.
46. MONA/CHARLEY/LILY
Whoa!
INT. BOILER ROOM DAY
*Mona, then Lily and Charley fall out of a tube overhead into a container of rags.
47. CHARLEY
What a ride!
48. MONA
You must have activated the trap
door when you turned on the light.
*Lily looks over the edge of the container.
49. LILY
(hushed)
*Look at this place!
*The boiler room is an underground command centre right out of a Jules Verne novel: panels with flashing lights, glass tubes filled with coloured liquids, giant bellows belching out steam (SFX:HISS), pistons working up and down etc (think Captain Nemo's Nautilus). There is a console similar to the one upstairs, but in a 1930's industrial style. Rudy is at the controls, wearing silver lamι overalls, gloves and round goggles. The chute above Mona begins to SFX:RATTLE.
50. MONA *Charley, is that one of your shoes up there?
*The mop bucket drops from the chute as the children dive out of the way behind the container. It rolls out, making electronic SFX:CHIRPS. Rudy turns and lifts his goggles.
51. RUDY
*There you are. I thought those children found you
out. Now, let's see what our friend
the clerk filed away in his
trashcan.
*Rudy pulls a pink form out of his trash cart.
52. RUDY
Now this is ridiculous: the traffic
light on Main and first has been
out for a week! Let me see...
Rudy looks into a periscope.
*EXT. CITY STREET DAY
*A periscope lifts from a planter, with a daisy on top.
*INT. BOILER ROOM DAY
53. RUDY
*Sure is. Ah, dear Papa, the long family tradition
ends today. What will this town do
without me?
*Rudy SFX:KISSES a framed picture of an old man. He puts on a hard hat and walks into an adjacent tunnel, followed by the SFX:CHIRPING robot. The children come out of hiding and examine the console. Mona looks into the periscope. ANGLE ON the view of an intersection with traffic lights out, clogged by vehicles.
54. MONA (O.S.)
Hey, there's Main street.
The view changes as Mona turns the periscope: the City Bank's digital clock, the school, the church, etc.
55. MONA (O.S.) *You can see the whole town!
56. CHARLEY
Let me see!
Charley peers into the periscope.
57. MONA
I wonder what else Rudy does around
here besides mopping floors and
fixing pencil sharpeners.
The children follow into the tunnel.
INT. TUNNEL DAY
Mona, Lily and Charley peer around a corner. The robot unscrews a panel (SFX:WHIR), which Rudy then lowers to the floor. A mess of wires SFX:FIZZ and SFX:SPARK.
58. RUDY
*Why complicate things when good old ingenuity will
do the trick?
*Rudy grabs the wires and yanks them out in a shower of SFX:SPARKS. He takes a dippy bird out of his pocket and places it in the circuit box. The bird swings forward, SFX:TAPPING the switch each time.
59. RUDY
There we go. Red light, yellow,
green, and red light again. Help me
screw this panel back on.
Rudy holds up the panel, but the robot malfunctions. It spins and SFX:CHIRPS wildly and drills a hole in a pipe. Water SFX:SPRAYS out.
60. RUDY
Not again!
Rudy makes a few adjustments with a screwdriver and the robot stops.
61. RUDY *I think you're about ready for retirement as well.
*Rudy turns a valve to shut off the water, and they head down the tunnel. Mona, Charley and Lily come out to examine the dippy bird.
62. CHARLEY
So that's how traffic lights work!
63. MONA
Did you see that robot malfunction?
Lily tries to keep her feet out of the puddled water.
64. LILY
My feet are getting wet. Do you
think this lever marked "flush"...
She pulls the lever. A tube descends and SFX:SUCKS them up.
EXT MAIN STREET DAY
*The front panel of a mailbox flips out and the children tumble out. RIPPLE DISSOLVE BACK TO REALITY. Lily smiles sheepishly.
65. LILY *Oops!
66. CHARLEY
*Hey look, the traffic light is working. I wonder
who'll fix these things now that
Rudy's leaving.
67. MONA
*We can't let the Mayor retire Rudy, he keeps
everything running smoothly! Come
on!
INT. CONSOLE ROOM DAY
*The console room is filled with people and journalists taking photos of the MAYOR standing in front of the console, his thumbs hooked in his lapels, a big cigar in his hand. Mona the Vampire, Princess Giant and Zapman flank Dad.
68. MONA
*...and he fixed the traffic light! If he retires
the entire town'll stop working!
69. DAD
We won't need repairs once this
console goes online, Mona.
*A journalist tries to take a picture of the console. The Mayor leans into the shot's POV and smiles.
70. MAYOR
*Ahem. Thank you folks. Let it be known that I
embraced this project from the
start, and I thank this man for
my... OUR success!
Dad waves in response to the SFX:APPLAUSE. Camera flashes SFX:POP as the Mayor puts his arm around him. He looks at his watch.
71. MAYOR
*It's now noon, time for our town to leave the dark
ages and enter the new millennium.
Remember this moment in the next
elections!
The Mayor throws a switch. The lights go out.
72. DAD
Er, nothing to worry about, I'll
have it fixed right away.
*The fire sprinklers go off. The Mayor leans towards Dad.
73. MAYOR
(confidentially)
*I hated this project from the beginning, and I
blame you for this failure!
*The Mayor looks at his drenched cigar, throws it down and storms out.
74. DAD
I don't understand, the console is
fully operational.
*The children peer out a window. Below, Rudy walks home, dressed in his regular overalls.
75. MONA *But no one's operating the one downstairs.
EXT. STREETS DAY
Mona the Vampire, Princess Giant and Zapman rush along the sidewalk. Traffic lights are dead, sprinkler systems are going crazy and the Bank Clock flashes 12:00.
76. MONA
There he is!
*The children run up to Rudy who waits at a bus stop.
77. CHARLEY
Thank goodness we found you!
78. RUDY
Children, you shouldn't be here!
Everything seems to be breaking
down. It's dangerous.
79. MONA
*That's because you're not there to keep everything
running smoothly! You have to come
back to City Hall.
*The bus pulls up.
80. RUDY
*If City Hall wants me back they'll have to ask
personally. So long, Mona.
*Rudy disappears inside the bus.
81. MONA
*Right. Zapman, go see my dad and ask him to
intervene with the Mayor to get
Rudy his job back. I'll call you on
the radio from the control room.
*Mona hands Zapman a radio.
*INT. BASEMENT HALLWAY DAY
*Mona the Vampire and Princess Giant prepare to enter the broom closet.
82. LILY
*Um... couldn't we just take the stairs or
something?
*They enter the closet. RIPPLE DISSOLVE TO FANTASY SEQUENCE.
INT. BOILER ROOM DAY
Princess Giant falls out of the chute onto the cushions. Mona is already studying the controls as various warning lights flash.
83. MONA
Okay, first the traffic lights.
Eeny, meeny, miney, moe!
She pushes a lever. Princess Giant looks through the periscope.
*EXT. CITY STREETS DAY
*A periscope pops out of a birdbath, scaring a bird away.
*INT. BOILER ROOM DAY
ANGLE ON the traffic lights returning to normal.
84. LILY
Hey, it's working!
85. MONA
Really? How about now?
Mona pushes a buttons. ANGLE ON the sprinklers shutting off.
86. LILY
Hooray!
*The warning lights go off. Mona the Vampire clasps her hands behind her head in satisfaction for a job well done.
87. MONA *This is easier than I had expected.
*A red light SFX:BEEPS on the console. ANGLE ON a fire hydrant popping off its cap and washing off Angela and George Jamell as they walk by.
88. LILY
Er, better reverse that switch.
89. MONA
I haven't touched anything else.
ANGLE ON a building's revolving doors spinning wildly and flinging people about. SWIPE TO the street lights flashing on and off.
90. LILY *Then who's causing the trouble?
*A SFX:CLANG attracts their attention. They turn towards the tunnel where the robot is pulling wires out of a panel.
91. MONA
The robot! It's malfunctioning
again! I'll try to stop it before
it's too late.
*Mona the Vampire grabs a screwdriver. The robot, seeing her coming, takes off with a panicky SFX:CHIRP. Princess Giant takes the controls.
INT. TUNNEL DAY
*Mona the Vampire creeps around a corner. The robot is SFX:HAMMERING a steam pipe (SFX:HISS). She talks into her radio.
92. MONA
Zapman, are you there?
93. CHARLEY (FILTER) *Is everything okay?
94. MONA
*I found the source of our problems. How are the
negotiations going?
INT. CONSOLE ROOM DAY
Dad is tinkering under the hood of the console, wires sticking out. Zapman holds a flashlight.
95. CHARLEY
I think I'm definitely getting
somewhere. Over and out. (beat) So,
do you think the Mayor would hire
Rudy back if we asked nicely?
96. DAD
*Considering his budget cuts in manpower, I think
there's about one chance in a
trillion.
97. CHARLEY
A-ha! So you're saying there's a
definite possibility, then?
INT. TUNNEL DAY
Mona the Vampire creeps up to the robot. She pounces.
98. MONA
YAAAAAHHHHH!
The robot looks up, SFX:CHIRPS and speeds down the tunnel followed by Mona the Vampire, screwdriver raised. It rips wires in its wake.
INT. BOILER ROOM DAY
Princess Giant is looking through the periscope. ANGLE ON a city block going dark.
99. LILY
You better catch it quick!
INT. TUNNEL DAY
Mona the Vampire has cornered the robot.
100. MONA
I've got you. There's no way out!
She lunges but the robot leaps up. It grabs a lever on the ceiling, which breaks and sends it tumbling.
INT. BOILER ROOM DAY
*SFX:CLANGS and SFX:CRASHES come from the tunnel. Princess Giant looks through the periscope. ANGLE ON the merry-go-round speeding up, flinging kids off. SWIPE TO a drawbridge raising and lowering. Princess Giant talks into her radio.
101. LILY
*I don't think this town can take any more saving by
us, Mona.
INT. TUNNEL DAY
Mona the Vampire is riding the robot as it races down the tunnel, ripping conduits and panels on its way. She speaks into her radio.
102. MONA
Don't worry, I've got it right
where I want it! (beat) LOOK OUT!
The robot and Mona head straight into a stack of boxes.
INT. CONSOLE ROOM DAY
A SFX:CRASH comes from the tunnel. Rudy drops from the chute.
103. RUDY
What are you children doing? It's
chaos up there!
104. MONA (O.S.)
I thought you retired?
Mona, her cape ripped, stands at the tunnel entrance with the robot hog-tied. It SFX:CHIRPS angrily.
105. RUDY
I'm just here to make sure that you
don't hurt yourselves or my
robot! Do you have any idea how
long it took me to build it?
Rudy tends to the robot. Mona the Vampire walks to the console.
106. MONA
Well as you can see I'm getting the
hang of this.
She reaches for a lever.
107. RUDY
Not that one! It's too dangerous!
108. MONA
Then why don't you help us?
109. RUDY
I told you. If they want me back,
the Mayor himself will have to ask.
Rudy crosses his arms in defiance.
110. LILY
*Not as long as they have the Primex-Sinclair Z80.
It never sleeps or eats, and they
can always get replacement parts.
111. MONA
*Oh sure, as long as they fill out a gadzillion
forms. Hey, that's it! (into radio)
Zapman, come in!
INT. CONSOLE ROOM DAY
Dad is still tinkering under the console. Zapman talks into the radio. Mona's voice is too low to be audible.
112. CHARLEY
You want me to do what? Okay, but I
don't know how that'll help.
Charley takes out a coin. He drops it through a vent on top of the console. A SFX:SPARK flashes inside. Dad perks up.
113. DAD
What was that?
Dad lifts the top. He reaches in and pulls out a burned out circuit board.
114. DAD
Well here's the problem! It must
have been this defective board that
was causing all the trouble! You
see Charley, perseverance pays off.
115. CHARLEY *Yes sir. This is a valuable lesson.
INT. BASEMENT HALLWAY DAY
*Mona is holding up a pink form, accompanied by Lily and Charley.
116. CHARLEY
So the Mayor told the press that a
faulty circuit was causing the
chaos. They promised to fix the
console as soon as possible.
117. MONA
Meanwhile Rudy has his job back,
and things are running as smoothly
as ever. Why can't they just put
two and two together?
118. LILY
But why do you insist on bringing
the order form down yourself? When
they receive the spare part we'll
be right back where we started!
119. CHARLEY
That gives us approximately...
INT. CLERK'S OFFICE DAY
The clerk SFX:STAMPS the pink form.
120. CLERK
Six to eight weeks!
The clerk files the form in his overstuffed filing cabinet. He forces the drawer closed, and the form, along with others, falls into the trashcan. Mona winks at Charley.
121. MONA
Sounds good to me!
The children turn to leave.
122. CLERK
Hold on. Someone left this for you.
A small token of their
appreciation, whatever that means.
*The clerk wheels out a cart piled with cases of Count DraCOLA.
123. LILY
Count DraCOLA! All right!
FADE OUT: