The Burden He Still Carried
The film
Storyboard
Scene 1
1 shot · 6sShot 1 · establishing · 6s
The two monks arrive at a swift river with no bridge and find a worried young woman unable to cross.
Scene 2
1 shot · 12sShot 2 · medium · 12s
The younger monk silently judges the situation, but the old master offers to carry the woman across and begins the crossing.
- The Younger Monk: We are monks. We should not go near women. It is best to keep our distance.
- The Old Master: Young lady, let me carry you across the river.
Scene 3
1 shot · 8sShot 3 · wide · 8s
The old master completes the crossing, sets the woman down, bows, and continues on while the younger monk follows with growing unease.
Scene 4
2 shots · 18sShot 4 · reaction · 12s
After walking a long way, the younger monk's unease grows until he can no longer keep silent.
- The Younger Monk: Why did my master do that? We are monks — how could he carry a young woman across the river? That breaks the precepts. That is impure.
Shot 5 · reaction · 6s
After walking a long way, the younger monk's unease grows until he can no longer keep silent.
- The Younger Monk: That is improper.
Scene 5
2 shots · 20s- Not rendered yet
Shot 6 · over-shoulder · 12s
The younger monk confronts his master about carrying the woman, and the master answers with a simple reversal that exposes the younger monk's continuing burden.
- The Younger Monk: Master, we are monks. Why did you carry that girl across the river? That breaks the precepts. That is not pure.
- Not rendered yet
Shot 7 · over-shoulder · 8s
The younger monk confronts his master about carrying the woman, and the master answers with a simple reversal that exposes the younger monk's continuing burden.
- The Old Master: I set her down at the riverbank long ago. But you, you are still carrying her.
The story
Original input — click to expand
“there were two monks — an older master and a younger monk — traveling together on a pilgrimage. They came to a river with a swift current and no bridge. At the riverbank stood a young woman, looking worried. She wanted to cross but was afraid to wade through, as the water was fast and she could not swim. The younger monk looked at the girl, then at the master, and said nothing. In his mind arose the thought: "We are monks. We should not go near women. It is best to keep our distance." But the old master did not hesitate. He walked over and said to the girl: — Young lady, let me carry you across the river. She agreed. The old master carried her across the rushing water, set her down on the other side, bowed with his palms together, and continued on his way. The younger monk followed behind, and unease began to grow in his heart. He thought: "Why did my master do that? We are monks — how could he carry a young woman across the river? That breaks the precepts. That is impure. That is improper." He thought and thought, growing more and more upset. After walking a long way, he could bear it no longer and asked: — Master, we are monks. Why did you carry that girl across the river? That breaks the precepts. That is not pure. The old master stopped, looked at the younger monk, and said gently: — I set her down at the riverbank long ago. But you, you are still carrying her.”
Make a film like this
Write a paragraph — TaleScene turns it into a voiced cinematic (live action) film with the same faces in every shot.