Finals pitch

Elevator Line: 

 A comical look at internet piracy as a 1950’s public service cartoon. 

Theme: 

 Online piracy is full of risks and moral dilemmas, but like all issues it needs grounding in safe knowledge.

Synopsis: 

Frank tries to download movies, music, and software from the internet.  A loud, fatherly narrator stops Frank and commands him not to pirate until he is more educated on the matter.  The narrator explains when to and when not to pirate.  He shows what happens to your computer over a time when pirating.  The narrator concludes by telling Frank that piracy is a choice that must be made with firm knowledge of its consequences.  After the lecture, Frank is well informed and ready to start his life of informed file sharing.

Character:

 The main character is Frank, the everyman.  An egg shaped, minimal form for the common person.  

The narrator is very loud spoken and precise.   He takes it upon himself to teach Frank about how internet piracy works. 

Structure Breakdown:

The piece will start with Frank wanting to hear a song he likes but is tired of playing the youtube video over and over again.  He goes to a pirating site to download the song and realizes there’s a lot of other things on the site he wants to download as well.  Suddenly the narrator jumps in and explains to Frank that he’s walking down the docks of a wide sea of risks.  Frank doesn’t understand and asks why.  The narrator explains that a little piracy never hurt anyone, but it must be done with proper responsibility and knowledge.  He then shows Frank how file sharing sites work, where he should never pirate from, and questions the moral dilemmas of piracy in general.  Frank starts to understand and is left with well informed for his internet endeavors.

Tone and Execution:  

Comical but informed.  The piece will be done in a style much like a 1950‘s public service announcement cartoon.  This being very minimal and modern in background and line quality.  Space will be more abstract with Frank and his computer being the only consistent objects on screen.  The world is defined and expanded through the dialogue between Frank and the narrator.

Objective:  

Primarily for humor.  It’s a very old presentation for a very new topic.  Piracy will be handled much in the way smoking was handled in the 1950’s (cautioned, but not discouraged.)