The Millar's daughter is forced to spin straw into gold or face death. A strange little man appears and offers to do the task in exchange for her eye color, then her happiness. She marries the king but loses her first born child unless she discovers the man's name. On the third day, she learns his name is Rumplestiltskin, causing him to vanish in rage and restoring her happiness.

1. Graphic Narrative
Digital Flat Plans and Script
Abygail Jones

2. Caption
Once Upon a Time…
Font:
Harrington
I‟m telling
you, sir, my
daughter has
pure talent!
No, sir, plea
se! She
can, she
really can!
Nonsense!
Nobody has
the ability to
turn straw in
to gold! Such
lies should be
punished, gua
rds!
Then she‟ll
have to
prove it!
Rotoscoped
Single speech
bubble
No text
Dark colours
Image
Image
The Image
Connecting
speech bubbles
Rotoscoped
You are to turn
all of this straw in
to gold to prove
your talent. If you
fail, you and your
father will face
consequences
punishable by
death.
You have 24
hours.
The King sat on his
throne shouting, the
Millar stood in a
pleading stance. (In
the throne room)
Later…
Close up image of the Kings
face with a mortified looking Rotoscoped
Millar (darker colours to show
the change in mood) in the
background with two guards
beside him.
Moments later…
Needs to seem
like the speech
is coming from
one of the
guards/from
the doorway
A close up view of her horror-stricken face,
rotoscoped, using dark colours
Rotoscoped
Image
Hey, lady…if I turn
this straw in to gold
for you, will you
make me a
bargain?
Speech coming
from the little
man/shadow
The Millar’s daughters head hung low, the
shape of a small man in the background
The font will continuously be: Comic Book or Harrington.
The Millar’s daughter being thrown in
to a room filled with straw and a
spindle with a door shaped light coming
in
I have
nothing to
offer…
Will you offer
me the colour
and vision of
your right eye?
That
doesn‟t
seem so
bad…
Connecting
speech bubbles
and thought
bubble
Shocked expression, another close up of
the Millar’s daughter’s face.
Yes!
Anything!
A close up of the
Millar’s Daughter’s
face – the colour
from her right eye
faded
Dark Colours
Still a close up, the eye
colour is completely
gone and replaced with
white – apart from the
pupil.
No text

3. The Next Day…
As impressed as I am, I
still do not believe you.
For all we know this
could be complete
trickery or pure luck!
Send her to the next
room!
You have
24
hours…
Guards perspective
By the
gods…you‟ve
done it!
The Miller’s
daughter sat on a
pile of gold
straw, smiling < - that’s important!
As if it’s come
from the
doorway
If I spin this
straw in to
gold for you
once
again, will you
make me a
bargain?
Dark colours
The millar’s daughters head hung, the little
man in the background again in the
shadows.
The Millar's daughter being thrown in to
a larger room filled with straw and a
spindle.
The king and the King
only, folded arms and upturned nose.
Alas, I
have
nothing to
offer to
you!
Connecting
bubbles
My life
depends
on it!
M…my
happiness…
okay. Fine
yes, take it!
A close up of the little man
Rotoscoped
Dark colours
Does turning
this straw in
to gold
mean all that
much to
you?
Then, I ask
for your
happiness
This whole section represent the
happiness fading from her life
Full bright
colour
Dripping paint
effect – to show
the colour fading
Close up of the miller’s
daughters face
Completely black
Half black and
and white
white, half full
colour
Her smile fades each
time

4. The whole story from now on is in black and white.
rotoscoped
Minutes Later…
The king‟s greed
fuelled his next
action…
If I play my
cards
right…I can
achieve
riches
beyond
belief!
Alas, I still do not
believe you!
Throw her in to
the next room and
order her to do the
same. I hope for
your sake that you
will succeed.
No text
She has managed to do it
again…
The Millar's daughter sat
beside the pile of golden
straw – no smile
As if it comes
from the
doorway
A close up of the king, speaking in
the doorway of the room.
This shows the kings
greed
Daughter of the
miller, If I was to
spin all of this
straw in to gold for
you, will you make
yet another
bargain with me?
rotoscoped
As if it’s coming
from behind the
Millar's daughter/
in perspective of
the little man
Yes.
A close up side profile of the millers
daughter with a tear sliding down her
cheek.
Who
knows if
that is
ever to
happen
…
In return for
my efforts, I
ask for your
first born
child.
Rotoscoped
The Millar’s daughter sat in the middle of
an even larger room filled with straw, her
head hung low.
The little man in the background.
Yes.
The opposite side profile of the Millar's
daughter looking up
You have
convinced
me, daughter
of the miller.
It would be my
honour to ask
for your hand
in marriage
The King’s
perspective
The daughter sitting further away from
the pile of golden straw, her head hung
low.

5. This whole section is in black and white
And so the Miller‟s
daughter married the
King and became
Queen, though unable to
feel happiness – she felt
love and compassion.
One Year Later…
Just one year later
The queen brought
A child in to the world
Forgetting about the
Strange little man…
An image of their wedding day from the side
profile, the king looking down at her smiling
and her looking up at him – unable to smile.
The usual chapel scene, stain glass windows
etc.
Picture of the royal baby in a cot
No text
rotoscoped
Picture of the Queen holding the royal
baby
Suddenly…
My fair queen. I
have heard of
your great
news and I
have come to
collect my end
of the bargain.
The royal
baby, if you
please…
N…no!
You
can‟t!
rotoscoped
The strange man holding out his arms
for the baby, the queen holding the
baby protectively/shocked expression
The Queen, a tear sliding down her face –
the strange little man lowering his
arms, emotions: feeling sorry for the
Queen.
A picture of the strange little mans face
looking sorrowful

6. Whole section in black and white still
What do
you
mean, „3
days?‟
3
days…
Day One…
As soon as the strange little
man left, the Queen sent a
messenger out to take
down all the strange names
in the Kingdom…
The strange
little man
returned to
the Queen…
You have 3 days
to find out my
name…if you
fail, your child is
mine! Do you
understand?
Is your
name, C
aspar?
Strange man’s
perspective
That is
not my
name.
Melchoir?
Balthazar?
A side view of the Queen still holding
The royal child protectively, facing the
Strange little man – face blank
The Queen giving a scroll to the
messenger
Day Two…
Again the little man returned
to the Queen who had
prepared the most
uncommon names she could
think of…
Connecting speech bubbles
A side view of the strange little man
and the Queen, the Queen looking
desperate and worried, the little man
looking smug
No text
Is your
name, Shortr
ibs?
Laceleg?
That is not
my name.
Zaphod?
A close up of the Queen’s face, a tear
cascading down her cheek, the
strange little man leaving in the
background
Connecting speech bubbles
Side view of the Queen and strange little man –
Queen looking tired and sad, the little man, smug.
Rotoscoped
Showing her frustration
A close up image of the Queen, head in
hands, the little man faded in to the
background behind her.

7. All in black and white, all rotoscoped
Day Three…
Before the strange little
man appeared, the
messenger came back
with an urgent message
for the Queen…
What is it?
My lady, I saw a
strange little man
dancing
around, singing
the words:
MY QUEEN!
MY QUEEN!
MY QUEEN!
An image of the messenger running up
to the Queen who is facing the other
way, upset
When the strange little
man made his
appearance, the
Queen tried to hide her
excitement, masking it
instead with sorrow…
A side view of the Queen looking hopefully
at the messenger
Is your
name, Con
rad?
Connective speech
bubbles
Rumplestiltskin dancing around
a fire, singing
Perhaps your
name
is, Rumplestiltskin?
No.
Is your
name,
Harry?
No.
A side view of the Queen looking
upset, the little man (Rumplestiltskin)
looking smug, walking up to the Queen.
“To-day I bake,
To-morrow brew,
The next I‟ll have
the young Queen‟s
child.
Ha glad am I that
no one knew,
That
Rumplestiltskin I am
styled!”
A close up of Rumplestiltskin’s
face, looking smug
The Queen’s perspective
Close up mug shot of Rumplestiltskin, his
face a picture of pure shock

8. All rotoscoped and all in Black and White
Rumplestiltskin was in
pure disbelief, he was
angry and he was in a
state of pure rage…
THE DEVIL HAS
TOLD YOU THAT!
THE DEVIL HAS
TOLD YOU THAT
NAME!!!
Rumplestiltskin stomps
his foot so hard that it
going in to the ground…
No speech
Still a close up mug shot of
Rumplestiltskin’s face, right now looking
extremely angry (like he’s about to explode
from anger) pure rage and disbelief.
A side view of Rumplestiltskin
shouting at the Queen, the Queen
looking quite scared and shocked
An image of Rumplestiltskin about to
stamp his foot in to the ground, arms
stretched out, face down and angry.
Rumplestiltskin got so
angry, he grabbed his
leg…
And ripped himself in
two…
YOU CAN KEEP
YOUR STUPID
CHILD!!!
No text
An image of Rumplestiltskin’s leg halfway in
to the ground, he’s pointing an accusing
finger at the Queen…
An image of Rumplestiltskin grabbing his
leg
Rumplestiltskin ripping himself in half

9. All rotoscoped
Suddenly
Rumplestiltskin just
disappeared…
The Queen still looking at the floor, the dripping
paint effect to make it look like the colour is
coming back in to her life.
No text
He
just…vanished!?
An image of the queen shocked, staring at
the place where Rumplestiltskin used to
be…
And all of a sudden…all of the
happiness that the Queen
couldn‟t feel suddenly returned in
an overwhelming wave of
emotion…
The Queen looking down at the floor in a
freeze frame
Half the screen is full
All of the screen is in full
colour, half the screen
colour, a close up of her
is black and white. The
face – she’s smiling.
queen’s eyes are both
the same colour and
she can see through No text
her Right eye again.
The queen looking up
to see the return of
colour.
Bright colours
And they lived happily ever after…
The
End
An image of the queen hugging the royal
baby, crying but smiling.
An image of the king, the queen (smiling)
and the royal baby – in a family format.
An image of Rumplestiltskin’s grave
stone ‘R.I.P Rumplestiltskin’.