1. INT CLASSROOM -- DAY
Mz. Mole carries a plant pot and walks towards the closet. The kids look interested and gather around her.
ELINOR
What are you doing with that pot, Mz. Mole?
MZ. MOLE (FROM IN THE CLOSET)
I'm finding a nice spot for it in the closet.
OLIVE
A plant in the closet?
Doesn't SUNLIGHT help
plants
grow?
MZ. MOLE
Yes, they do, Olive! But this is a MUSHROOM, not a plant.
We see the pot closer up, revealing a mushroom. [ Mycenae Image ref: https://media.mnn.com/assets/images/2015/04/mycena-collage-three-species.jpg.838x0_q80.jpg ]. The kids <SFX: OHHHH WALLA>.
MZ. MOLE (CONT'D)
Mushrooms actually like to grow in the dark.
ARI
Coool. I didn't know mushrooms weren't plants!
MZ. MOLE
That's right! Mushrooms are something different called
fungi
.
ARI
Fungi? Hey, I'm a "fun guy" too!
They all <SFX: LAUGH>.
MZ. MOLE
Yes, you are, Ari. Come on in and I'll read you a book about the amazing world of mushrooms.
They all crowd in. Mz. Mole turns on a flashlight (there's no moment of darkness) and closes the door. She shines the flashlight on
the
book in her lap.
(The mushroom book was in the mushroom closet.)
2. Popup BOOK
- continuous
We see a forest scene featuring a log (Reuse from Roly Poly if possible).
Mz. MOLE
Plants need sunlight. It's what they use to live and grow.
Page flip and we see the log roll over, with mushrooms peeking out.
MZ. MOLE (CONT'D)
But mushrooms are different. They don't need sunlight. They like to grow in dark places, like UNDER this log!
Zoom in on the mushrooms.
ELINOR
If there's no sunlight, what do they use to grow?
MZ. MOLE
Good question, Elinor! They get what they need from the ground using their roots.
We
show water and nutrients coming up into the
mushrooms
from its
roots
OLIVE
That's pretty smart. Does that mean they can grow in places that plants can't?
MZ. MOLE
That's right, Olive! They can grow in places where it's totally dark, like underground in a cave!
Page flip to a cave scene. We see clusters of mushrooms growing near a pool in a dripping cave. (where possible reuse scenes from Bishop 118 interstitial)
ELINOR
So these mushrooms NEVER get sunlight?
MZ. MOLE
That's right. And they love it down there.
OLIVE
I like how they are so many different colors.
MZ. MOLE
Me too! Mushrooms don't have to be brown. They can be green or red.
ELINOR
Look, that one is
pink
!
We see a pink mushroom.
Image ref:
https:
//
mushroomandcompany.com
/product/pink-oyster/
OLIVE
I see a
blue
one!
We see a blue mushroom.
Image ref:
https:
//
en.wikipedia.org
/
wiki
/
Lactarius_indigo
ARI
I spot a spotted mushroom!
We see a spotted mushroom.
Image ref:
https:
//
en.wikipedia.org
/
wiki
/
Amanita_muscaria
3. INT CLOSET -- DAY
Back in the closet. Mz. Mole shines the light on herself.
MZ. MOLE
And that's not even the most amazing color. Some mushrooms can even GLOW IN THE DARK.
elinor
What, really?
Mz. MOLE
See for yourselves...
She turns off her flashlight. The closet is dark except for the mushrooms, which are glowing and casting a green glow on everyone's faces. [ Mycenae Image ref: https://media.mnn.com/assets/images/2015/04/mycena-collage-three-species.jpg.838x0_q80.jpg ]
ari
Wow, that's amazing!
OLIVE
I wish I could glow in the dark.
MZ. MOLE
I think you
kids are
already plenty bright.
They all laugh.
3rOCjjD29SY
MZ
https:
watch?v
www.youtube.com
ELINOR WONDERS WHY
EWW
Interstitial 118
Mz
. Mole Story Time:
Mushrooms in the Dark
By Jorge Cham and Daniel
Whiteson
Follows:
Roly
Poly, about learning to explore in new places and find things living under logs
Curriculum: the kids learn that mushrooms are not plants, can grow in the dark (don’t need sunlight) and some of them can even GLOW in the dark.
SEP1a
. Asking Questions
LS8
. There are many different kinds of living things:
FIRST DRAFT: October 21, 2019
SECOND DRAFT: October 28, 2019
El
Mz. MOLE
OLIVE
ELINOR
ARI
(V.O.)
(O.S.)
(O.C.)
(CONT'D)
(SUBTITLE)
Int
Ext
I/E
1
2
3
EXT. DRY POND -- DAY
INT CAVE IN BOOK
INT CLOSET -- DAY
INT CLASSROOM -- DAY
Day
Night
Afternoon
Morning
Evening
Later
Moments Later
Continuous
The Next Day
Cut To:
Fade In:
Fade Out.
Fade To:
Dissolve To:
Back To:
Match Cut To:
Jump Cut To:
Fade To Black.