2009-12-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

Just Add Water (SYNOPSIS)

Jim Song is not your regular nine year old boy. He struggles with social anxieties that cast him as an outsider amongst his peers. Not helping matters is the fact that he is saddled with an intense phobia of germs. Despite these inflictions, inside of Jim's head is the brain of a creative genius. This genius however remains undiscovered as a result of Jim's introverted nature. It takes the arrival of Rocky, the outgoing and outspoken new kid on the block, to recognize and bring out Jims limitless potential. Rocky befriends Jim with the nonjudgmental compassion that only a child can. A school science fair where Jim and Rocky partner up provides the stage for Jim's brilliance to be on full display for all to see. Together they develop a makeshift toothbrush cleaner/sanitizer and call it the Germ Terminator. But not until two decades later do they realize the incredible potential of their ingenious product. Stuck in a nine-to-five grind and raising a family, Jim finds himself living an uninspired existence. Rocky too shares Jims disdain for the monotonous schedule that he now finds himself living. Seeing their lives pass them by, Jim and Rocky decide to take a massive risk and pursue their dream of developing and selling the Germ Terminator. After a series of setbacks they finally land a distribution deal with Expansions Superstores, but balancing demanding careers with the consuming challenges of the Germ Terminator turns out to be too much. Both men quit their jobs to fully focus on what they believe is most important. With bills stacking up, malfunctions in their product and double mortgages on their houses, both Jim and Rocky find themselves teetering between success and disaster. Jim is left wondering at what point does the pursuit of his dream become a detriment to those he loves most as his family's financial security becomes seriously jeopardized. Soon disaster strikes as Expansions Superstores backs out on their deal for a more marketable, generic product, leaving Jim and Rocky discouraged, betrayed,and in a bottomless pit of debt. All looks lost until Jim has a sudden 'brush' with fate...Prime-time Live sends its cameras and award winning reporter; Jay Schuman, to document the suspenseful meeting between Jim, Rocky, and the producers of the Home Shopping Network(HSN). After successfully selling themselves to HSN, Jim alone is awarded the opportunity to sell the rest of America on his lifelong dream. But can Jim Song, the shy, soft-spoken, insecure introvert overcome his lifelong social anxieties and sustain his composure for twelve minutes of live airtime before millions of potential customers?

'Just Add Water' is an inspiring drama that challenges its viewers to lead rather than follow, and to overcome the common constraints of the American capitalist system. Based on actual events, this coming of age story evokes a wide array of emotions.

(SUMMARY)
A brief summary which is based on a true story:

There was a time when the American capitalist economy thrived on account of the creative participation of its citizens. It offered an environment that fostered the entrepreneurial spirit and facilitated the dreams of the most common of men. These dreams were achieved through hard work and guided by helpful hands. But the days of the hopeful entrepreneur are all but gone as they now must hurdle daunting walls of legalities and unrealistic financial expectations. Like so many other ordinary men with extraordinary ideas, Jim Song stands like a David at the feet of Goliath when it comes time to follow his dream. The only difference between Jim and others is that he is absolutely determined to see his vision through, even if it means risking it all.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

Young Jim -- Of Korean descent, introverted outcast, young genius, sensitive, curious, creative, socially inept, not athletic, innocent, kind, somewhat tortured, obsessive compulsive, germaphobe.

Young Rocky -- Extraverted, exuberant, charismatic, fast talker, looks up to his father, curious, rapscallion, big hearted, un-jaded, kind and accepting to others, longs to be grown up.

Kwan (Jim's Father) -- Uptight, rigid, speaks with a Korean accent, very traditional based beliefs, an engineer, unemotional, by the books, straightforward and honest, somewhat narrow minded and un-accepting, has high expectations for Jim.

Sung (Jim's Mother) -- Loving, nurturer, domesticated, Jim's rock, compassionate, sympathetic to Jim's quirkiness but not tolerant to his germ phobia.

Ben (Rocky's Father) -- Hot shot business man, charismatic, motivated by monetary gain, role model to Rocky, responsible provider and caregiver, charming, well educated, good communicator, salesman by nature, good with people.

Grown Up Jim -- Driven, tenacious, brilliant inventor/creative genius, caring loyal father and husband, germaphobe, conflicted, loyal friend and employee, still very shy, often lacks confidence in himself, questions his genius, rebellious side that makes him want to "rage against the machine", questions societal norms and parental expectations as well as Asian traditions.

Grown Up Rocky -- Great communicator, Jim's confidence, motivator, free spirit, good with ladies, has a big heart, courageous, wiling to take changes, believes in Jim, bachelor, Jim's liaison to the rest of the world.

Adi -- Jim's wife, strong, supportive, beautiful, responsible, good mother, loyal wife, genuine, honest, conflicted between familial responsibility and supporting Jim's dream despite the economic strains it may place on their family.

Shine Simms -- Journalist for 'Reporter Magazine', observant, young and eager, good writer and keen listener.

Mr, Dempsey -- Jim's boss, selfish, money driven, deceptive, liar.

Terry Fiddle -- Brash, abrasive, egotistical, arrogant, self-made work out guru millionaire.

Jay Schuman --News reports for 'Primetime Live', confident, caring, inquiring, empathetic.

First character designs of Jim
First character designs of Rocky
Redesigns of Rocky
Some blue pencil sketches of the storyboards to set up a scene in Jims office.

Below are some storyboards from key moments in the story

(click to enlarge)

In the beginning of the story we have a reporter beginning his interview of Jim

Here we are at a science fair with Jim and his friend Rocky. It's very clear that Rocky is an outspoken and energetic individual. Just the type to help Jim spread his message of proper oral hygiene.

These boards are what we know as "The Grind". It shows the day to day average life of our two heros with big dreams forced to grow up and live an a society without thinkers or idea makers.

These boards illustrate the moment at which our heros can't take the work load, that is their daily duty, anymore. They know for a fact that they were meant to do great things for the greater good of society and make the bold decision to quite their jobs and pursue their dreams.

In these boards we have the struggle in keeping the dream alive. Setback after setback does not detour them from their main goal, but as each day goes by their dream begins to fade. Yet they hold on to that last glimmer of hope.

This is the big moment. Jim has the opportunity to show his invention to the world. After so many trials and errors this is his last chance to get his message about the importance of oral hygiene and showcase his revolutionary product to the people watching across the nation.

Just Add Water Movie