Empty Bellies
Student Led Short Film
URECA Project 2024
Student Led Short Film
URECA Project 2024
Maya Autodesk, ToonBoom Harmony, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Substance Painter, Adobe After Effects
Short Film Script
Scene 1: Exterior, Top View of Castle
[The scene opens with a top-down view of the Duke’s castle. The sky is overcast, setting a grim tone. Duke is seen dragging a lifeless body across the stone floor towards the castle entrance. The body leaves a trail of blood behind. A dark figure, cloaked in shadows, stealthily climbs up a nearby wall unnoticed by the Duke.]
Scene 2: Interior, Castle Kitchen
[The Duke throws the body towards the castle chef, who looks up with a mix of fear and resignation. The chef begins to prepare the body with practiced efficiency.]
Scene 3: Cut to Dining Hall
[The Duke is seated at the head of a long, ornate table. The table is set for a feast, with empty chairs lining either side. The chef comes into the room and delivers the cooked body parts to the Duke’s table. The Duke raises his goblet in a toast to the empty chairs, where a tribute or characteristic of the victim is placed.]
[Quick transitional cuts show glimpses of the Duke’s victims, each with their own unique demise. The table filling up with more and more tributes and food. The Duke digs into his meal with gusto, alternating between bites and sips of wine. As time lapses, the Duke’s feast becomes increasingly frenzied, and his eating habits become more animalistic, reflecting his descent into madness.]
[Suddenly, an arrow pierces the Duke’s neck, interrupting his feast. He chokes, blood spewing from the wound. A cloaked figure emerges from the shadows - a young girl, her expression a mixture of anger and disgust. She rips the arrow from the Duke’s neck and blood splats across her face. The taste of blood reaches her lips. Suddenly her eyes flash with newfound determination.]
[The girl lunges and brutally devours the Duke. The chef enters, bearing more food, but gasps in horror at the scene before him, dropping the plate. The girl smiles menacingly and advances towards the chief.]
Cut to Black Screen
[The sound of a growling stomach echoes ominously.]
End Credits
Character: Duke Aequin
Duke Adequin is a shadowy figure that casts a pall over the realm of Old England. As the ruler of a once-prosperous province, his presence invokes fear and dread among his subjects. With an iron grip, he commands authority, ruling with a cruelty that chills the hearts of those under his dominion. Yet, his ascent to power has been tainted by whispers of dark deeds and unspeakable atrocities.
Exiled from the royal court due to his uncontrollable fits of rage and savage inclinations, the Duke finds himself banished to the desolate governance of a small, remote town. Despite his noble birthright, he is shunned and reviled, a pariah amongst the townsfolk who speak of him only in hushed tones. His name has become synonymous with terror, with bedtime stories warning children of the horrors that lurk in the darkness, tales of his insatiable hunger and cannibalistic tendencies.
Raised in the oppressive shadow of his father's expectations, the Duke was taught from a young age to value survival and power above all else. Perfection was not merely a goal but an all-consuming obsession drilled into him since birth, driving him to seek dominance at any cost. His cravings take on a twisted form, leading him down a path of darkness and depravity. The hunger that gnaws at his soul drives him to indulge in acts of unspeakable cruelty, cannibalism.
In his relentless pursuit of satisfaction, he views the townspeople not as fellow humans, but as mere prey to sate his insatiable appetite for dominance. Yet, despite his bestial urges and violent impulses, he remains unfulfilled. Trapped in a never-ending cycle of hunger and despair, he roams the shadows of his domain, a specter of terror whose presence haunts the dreams of those unfortunate enough to cross his path.
Character: Ezio
Ezio and her twin brother grew up in the outskirts of the town of Stroff, where the majority of the population were farmers and hunters. Their upbringing took place on a humble sheep farm, where their mother diligently sold wool at the local market. Their father, an ex-soldier of war, possessed a stern yet warm demeanor. He regaled his children with war stories and imparted upon them the principles of strategy and discernment. Ezio considered herself fortunate, cherishing her family and the bond she shared with her brother, who was more than just a sibling but her closest confidant and companion. They were inseparable, often engaging in activities together, which led to their isolation from the rest of the townspeople, who viewed their closeness as unconventional and peculiar. Despite the town's scrutiny, Ezio found solace in her brother's company, relishing the moments away from prying eyes.
The annual hare hunting tournament marked the only occasion when Ezio and her brother ventured into public. During this event, nobles from distant lands would descend upon Stroff, adorned in extravagant attire, while the locals facilitated their accommodations and feasted alongside them. However, their presence in the town was fleeting, and once the tournament concluded, they would depart, leaving Stroff to return to its usual tranquility.
This year, however, the tournament brought an unexpected visitor – a duke, whose ominous arrival cast a dark shadow over the town. Rumors circulated about his past, depicting him as a fearless warrior tainted by tales of unspeakable atrocities committed in acts of torture and brutality. Banished to Stroff, the duke's presence instilled fear among the townsfolk, who dared not speak his name lest they draw his ire. In the wake of his arrival, a pall of darkness enveloped the town, accompanied by a string of disappearances and a pervasive sense of unease.
One fateful evening, Ezio's mother left her wool weaver unattended at the market after dark, prompting her brother to venture out in search of it. Hours passed with no sign of his return, prompting Ezio to embark on a search of her own, leaving her home without her parents' knowledge. Her journey led her to the market, where she discovered her mother's basket stained with blood but found no trace of her brother. Following a trail of freshly made boot tracks, Ezio arrived at the bridge leading to the duke's castle, where she witnessed a horrifying sight – her brother's lifeless body being dragged through the castle's gates, setting in motion the horrors of revenge.
