The storyboard for the Flea Circus film was developed over a period of about a year with different input and reviewers. The flea names were decided by a vote from the PSTOIC team and the acts were selected based on known flea circus tricks with a little poetic license. At the time of recording the Ring Master, some additional tweaks were made.
Here is a video storyboard so you can see how it all fits together.
Opens on Black screen
<Ratchet click>
<Ratchet click>
<Ratchet click>
<Drum Roll>
<Sound of explosion and flash>
Small white circle gets rapidly larger, suddenly we are flying through the air.
a target rapidly appears and freezes on the name "The Flea Circus"
Announcer: Roll up, roll up, roll up
A: Welcome to the biggest and smallest show on earth. This, once in a lifetime show will have you itching to see more.
A: Tonight you are going to see the worlds most dangerous and difficult feats ever performed by some of the smallest creatures in the circus world.
A: Your host for tonight is non other than our Ring Master, Olivier.
<Cut to Ring Master>
<Applause>
RM: Thanks you, thank you and welcome to our Flea Circus.
RM: Our fleas have been specially selected from the greatest flea-pits from around the world. They all have pedigrees that go back for generations.
RM: I am proud to introduce our amazing fleas:
<Fleas are removed from a small box with tweezers>
Jock Denim from Scotland
Crotaz the Courageous from Surrey
Dangerous Doug from the Isle of Dogs
And
The Great Balchino from Italy
RM: And without further ado, we will get straight to the first act. So which of my daring fleas would like to perform the first act?
Crz: I can do that.
RM: Crotaz the Couragous will attempt the unicycle highwire to hell!
<gestures towards highwire>
Crz: I can't ride that!
RM: Why ever not?
Crz: That's a 4 inch unicycle, I can only ride a 6 inch unicycle.
JD: Ach, sending a boy to do a mans job. I'll show these sasanachs how to ride a bicycle.
<quietly>
RM: Jock is making good progress across the wire, a steady pace and very stable.
RM: He's nearly half-way, there's no turning back from the is point.
RM: This is the most impressive unicycling I've ever seen!
<getting excited/louder>
RM: But what's this, why is he speeding up? He's going too fast, he's never going to be able to stop in time.
<frantic>
RM: Oh my goodness, he's gone right of the end of the wire.
<Shout from off screen>
MEDIC!
<wobbly ambulance trundles onto circus arena and a stretcher pops out with a pattering of tiny feet. Then ambulance returns off the arena.
RM: While we wait for the medics to patch up Jock, let me tell you the incredible story of the very first Flea trainer.
RM: Whilst experimenting with dogs in the late nineteenth century, an assistant to the renowned physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered that it was not the dogs that were responding to the bells but the fleas on their backs.
RM: The assistant Roman Siphonaptera was ridiculed for his claim but worked in secret in a heavily carpeted laboratory.
RM: After hundreds of hours of experimenting, he discovered that it was possible to train the fleas using tuning forks, each tuned to different pitches
RM: And so for our next act who would like to demonstrate their diving skills?
Crz: Diving is my speciality but I can't do this act?
RM: Why ever not?
Crz: I can't swim.
DD: I can, I will do it.
RM: Excellent, Dangerous Doug will be leaping from the diving board of death.
RM: Dangerous Doug will do a double somersault into the water.
<Doug climbs steps>
<Whiz, whiz, splash>
<trail of wet footprints leading to ladder>
RM: Now Dangerous Doug will do a triple somersault into the water.
<Doug climbs steps>
<whiz, whiz, whiz, splash>
RM: That was amazing.
RM: Now Dangerous Doug will do a triple with 2 full twists.
<Doug climbs steps>
<whiz, whiz, whiz, splat>
<Excitedly>
RM: Doug's missed the tank, he's not going to be trying that again for a while!
<repeat ambulance>
RM: And now for our final act tonight we have the Flaming Flight of Fear. So Crotaz will you perform this?
Crz: I get airsick.
GB: I the Great Balchino will perform this stunt for you.
RM: The Great Balchino will be fired from the cannon, skillfully glide through the ring to land safely on the trampoline
RM: And so the Great Balchino climbs into the cannon
<cannon slowly elevates>
<drum roll>
<fire from cannon>
<target bursts>
<trampoline dips, boing noise>
RM: Oh dear, The Great Balchino has been catapulted off the trampoline and into the audience. Please can no-one leave the circus until he is found.
RM: Lets give a big round of applause for all our acts tonight:
RM: Jock Denim
<applause>
RM: Dangerous Doug
<applause>
RM: The Great Balchino
<applause>
<zoom in on Ring Master looking down at hands>
Crotaz the Courageous
<Ring Master Claps Hands>
Disclaimer:
End Credits:
Advert for:
"Hardly used Flea Circus Equipment"