Tuesday, September 25, 2012

HTDF river tubing script



Here's a script I put together for the TV show "how to DO florida."  
If you missed the broadcast, click here:  "how to Do florida" - Tubing the Ichetucknee River segment
PRODUCTION   SCRIPT

Client:
Script Name:
Version:

how to Do florida
River Tubing - Ichetucknee
 2

Length - @ 5:45

© 2012 All Rights Reserved

ACTION

NARRATIVE


FADE IN FROM BLACK
MUSIC UP

Chad on camera
[Approx. :05]

[CHAD STANDUP INTRO RIVER TUBING ]


[:15] 
Stock footage of people water skiing, jet skiing, water parks with giant water rides, then people river tubing
VO:  With all the water sports and water parks here in Florida, there’s something to be said about going back to simpler times, when all it took was a cool, lazy current to carry you away and leave your troubles behind. 


[:20]  GRAPHICS – MAP

B-ROLL OF RIVER
VO:  Today we head to Ichetuckee Springs State Park, about 40 miles northwest of Gainesville.  This multi-springs system is a National Natural Landmark and has attracted people and wildlife for more than 10,000 years. 


[:15]
B-ROLL OLD B/W FOOTAGE OF PEOPLE TUBING IN THE PAST, THEN COLOR FOOTAGE OF PEOPLE TUBING.

VO:  The idea of tubing started not long after the automobile was invented.  People found a new use for old inner tubes...and lo and behold…tubing became a new way of chilling out.

[:05] B-ROLL of Chad and family getting out of car, iso shots of each member
GRAPHICS:  STEP ONE:  CHOOSE YOUR VESSEL

VO: So, my wife Kristy and our sons, Chase and Cooper headed out for some river tubing zen to get away from it all.  Step One…Choose your vessel. 
[:10]
B-ROLL OF FAMILY FINDING TUBES
01:09 – 01:16
Chad puts Cooper in stacked tubes
Cooper
[:07]  01:55 – 02:02
Family finds a tube for Cooper

[:06]  02:40 – 02:46
Chad and Kristy sit in a double tube


[:04]  03:25 – 03:29
Chad talks to camera while in double tube

VO:  Today’s tubes are especially designed just for fun and come in all shapes and sizes.  Just make sure to pick out the right tube for you.


KRISTY:  There you go.
CHAD:  Whattya think about that?

CHAD:  Oh, yeah.
KRISTY:  This is it.  This is the life.

[edit]
CHAD:  This is what you call dry tubing.  Dry tubing.  No river required.

[:03]  B-roll of family looking at rafts

[:13]
05:13 – 05:26
Chad talks to Kristy about raft



[:08]
06:41 – 06:49
Chase and Chad picking out tubes
VO:  It’s also good to have an extra vessel.

CHAD:  I think we should use this one because we can put all of our stuff in it and we can pull it behind us and the kids, if they want to get out of the water they can sit in here and just get out of the water for a little bit.  So, we’ll take this one….
[edit]
CHASE:  I want this one.
CHAD:  How ‘bout this one right here, Chase?  You like that one?  Okay.  Sold!

[:04] B-ROLL 07:18 – 08:11
CHAD LOADS TRUCK WITH TUBES

GRAPHICS: 
STEP TWO:  PLAN IT OUT

VO:  After loading our tubes…


…it was time for Step Two…Plan it out and check out the lay of the land. 

[:09]  08:17 – 08:26
Family talks to Park Ranger

GRAPHICS:
Linda Soride, Park Ranger

[:14] 
08:57 – 09:11
Chad asks question, Linda replies



[:06]
09:58 – 10:04
Linda talks about tusk

[:05]
10:19 – 10:24
Chad asks Linda question

[:05]  10:27 – 10:33
Chad talks to kids
LINDA:  Hi, there.  You guys are gonna have a great time by this river.  It’s beautiful, crystal clear, 72º year around and it’s just awesome. 
[edit]
CHAD:  What are some things you might see on the river? 
LINDA:  Oh, you might see manatee, sometimes they come up there, but otters, ducks, fish…lots of fish, lots of turtles…all kinds of things.

[edit]
LINDA:  They actually found a 6½ ft. tusk of a mammoth in there and it’s in the Gainesville museum. 
[edit]
CHAD:  What if we find one of those today?  Will it fit in that tube?
LINDA:  [laughs] I don’t think so.
[edit]
CHAD:  Alright.  So, you guys ready to go tubing?  Alright.  Let’s tube.

[:10]
15:00 – 15:25  B-ROLL OF FAMILY TAKING TUBES FROM CAR TO RIVER

[:02] 16:29 – 16:31 Chad sets up Cooper in a life jacket and tube

[:02]  15:23 – 15:25
Chad talks after putting raft in river

[:14]  17:28 – 17:42
Chad talks to kids, Chase points

GRAPHICS: 
STEP 3:  RELAX AND HAVE FUN

VO:  Once we figured out where to go and how to get back to our family truckster, it was finally time to get in and Step Three:  kick back, relax and have fun!

CHAD:  There you go.  Sit in there, buddy.

CHAD:  Let’s rock!   [OPTIONAL SOUNDBITE]


CHAD:  Alright.  You guys ready?  Set your watches.  Three hour tour.
CHASE: [points]  Let’s GO!!

[music montage]

[:25]
B-ROLL OF FAMILY FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER:

19:35 start
B-ROLL OF FAMILY WITH WATER GUNS

21:32 start; 21:50
B-ROLL CHASE “TUBE SURFING”;
FALLS IN WATER

23:30 start; 23:55
B-ROLL OF CHAD SNORKELING AS CHASE RIDES ON HIS BACK; WIDER SHOT OF THEM AT BOIL

VO:  Once you’re here, there’s no need to rush.  Just let the river do its thing and let its gentle current guide you along.

It can take several hours to go down the river.  Of course, that depends on what you may want to stop and see along the way. 

[:10 music montage/nat sound, ie: Kristy saying “that is a big fish!” @23:36]

OPTIONAL SOUNDBITE:18:42
CHAD:  It’s a coordinated effort to get back in the tube.  Once you’re in the tube, [Kristy in unison]  “…you stay in the tube!”
[:45]
12:38 – 13:23
Chad talks to Park Ranger

GRAPHICS:
Sam Cole, Park Service Specialist

B-ROLL OF RIVER AND PEOPLE TUBING



B-ROLL OF RIVER AND WILDLIFE





[:02]
13:37 – 13:39
Chad asks question

[:07]
13:59 – 14:06
Sam and Chad talking

[:09]
14:19 – 14:28
Chad and Sam talking


[JUMP CUT TO VARIOUS AHHS]

17:44 – 17:47 Kristy and Chad saying “ahhh”

OTHER PEOPLE SAYING “ahh” (TC??)

18:18 – 18:19  Chad saying “oh, yeah”

14:26 – 14:27 Sam saying “ahhh” again
CHAD: W  What is it about the river that makes it so special, from a tubing standpoint?  What is it about it?  
 SAM: There is no other river in Florida like this one.  All spring-fed, clear for its entire length and the park is about 3 ½ miles long because there are so many springs that empty their water into that one course.  The velocity of the water is up to about a mile an hour, which is not fantastic if you’re white water rafting, but for tubing…ahhh…it’s perfect.  

CHAD:  It’s this cool, liquid escalator that takes you through some of the most pristine, beautiful parts of Florida.
SAM:  That it is.  It’s one of the more pristine rivers in our state park system.  It’s very well protected, very well steadied river. 
[edit]
CHAD:  Is this river therapeutic?
[edit]
SAM:  Absolutely.  It’s one of the few places I’ve seen in Florida where you can go on the river and not hear a lot of highway noise. 
[edit]
CHAD:  That great, great sound of nothing.
SAM:  There are some places along the river where you can hear the water rushing and it’s just…ahhh…this is great.

[quick jump cut edits for “ahhh” montage]

CHAD:  Ahhh…
KRISTY:  Ahhh…

Other people saying “Ahhh…”??

CHAD:  Oh, yeah…

SAM:  Ahhh…

[:11]
22:09 – 22:21
Chad on camera with family in river



[:09]
22:28 – 22:37
Chad on camera with family in river

[:04]
23:03 – 23:07
Chad on camera with family in river

[:12]
23:11 – 23:23
Chad on camera with family in river
CHAD:  So, a couple things that are just a good idea that I think we’ve learned is to bring some rope and gang your tubes together as everybody floats down the river together. It’s easy to get disconnected. 
[edit]
And, we kinda have this tube right here which is kind of our “catch all” tube.  We got an underwater bag. This is a waterproof bag.  If it goes in the water, it’s no big deal.
[edit]
So, it’s nice to have a tube like this that you can drag behind. 
[edit]
And, yeah.  That’s it.  The rest is just raw, unbridled fun.  Right guys? 

COOPER:  [screams] Yeah!!!

[family laughs]
CHAD:  Shhh….

[:25]
B-ROLL OF FAMILY FLOATING ALONG RIVER

B-ROLL OF NATURE, TREES UP ABOVE, WATER, BIRDS, ETC.

B-ROLL OF BOYS IN THEIR TUBES OR WIDER SHOT OF EVERYONE

[:05 music montage/nat sound]
VO:
What a memorable time it was just be together as a family…without any distractions from the outside world.  The art of river tubing requires you to just let go and enjoy nature – untouched and unparalleled. The cool, shady canopy of the trees above.  Sunlight sparkling along on water so clear you can see everything below.  It’s amazing how you can find inner peace from an inner tube.

[:09]
17:46 – 17:55
Kristy and Chad floating past camera on double tube in river

KRISTY:  Ahhh…this is life.
CHAD:  Best show in town, right here.



[:04] GRAPHICS/WEBSITE INFO
VO:  For more information on river tubing, check out our website at howtodoflorida.com.
FADE TO BLACK
MUSIC FADES OUT



FUN FACTS: 
The Ichetucknee Springs puts out over 233 million gallons of cool, crystal clear spring-fed water every day and ultimately flows into the historic Suwannee River.  It

The Ichetucknee Springs is the headspring of one of the largest freshwater springs systems in Florida, with nine named springs:  Ichetucknee Springs, Cedar Head Spring, Blue Hole Spring, Roaring Springs, Singing Springs, Boiling Spring, Grassy Hole Springs, Mill Pond Spring and Coffee Spring.

The park is near the oldest road in the state of Florida, Old Bellamy trail which runs from St. Augustine across to Tallahassee.

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