For one my classes, we came up with ideas for a children's movie about an octopus that we created using Adobe Illustrator. Then we were assigned to create a movie poster. Here were my ideas:

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1) Swift Swim:
((Btw, if you've watched "The Future is Wild" on Animal Planet, you'll know what creatures I'm talking about.))
Based off of George Orwell's The Time Machine. Horas (pronounced "O-ras"), the main character, finds a time machine in a sunken ship, and accidentally finds himself 10.000 years into the future. He meets a young swampus named Heures (pronouced "air-RES") and he guides Horas through the swamp that Horas landed in. Horas loses Heures temporarily and he's stranded in the swamp for a few days, being harassed by lurkfishes and toratons. He manages to find Heures. The swamp is actually a tributary that leads to an ocean. Horas and Heures both swim into the ocean. They see creatures such as the ocean phantom and the rainbow squid. The spiders from the ocean phantom are graceful swimmers, but they warn the two octopi of the savage, killer sharkopaths. Unfortunately, they run into these sharks. Good thing they escaped, thanks to a giant fish. But the fish starts chasing Horas and Heures though, but the rainbow squid saves them and leads them back to the tributary. Horas finds his time machine among the swamp plants and heads back home. On his way home, Horas sees the progression of time and how much the underwater earth has changed.

I had a lot of fun writing this one =)

2) Little Lee and the Big City:
Lee, a young octopus, gets caught in a fisherman's net. Fortunately, he escapes at a seaport, but he ends up in Seattle, Washington. He's slithering around, seeing all the sights. It's pretty surprising he hasn't been injured from all the hustle and bustle. He watches as humans go through their everyday lives, all their ups and downs. Lee eventually gets homesick and tries to find his way home. He's wandering around while battling dogs, cars, and a crazy guy who wants to put him in an aquarium. Lee finally makes it back to the seaport. He looks back at Seattle's skyline one last time and then jumps back into the ocean. The parents are worried sick, but Lee tells them he's okay and he tells them about his adventures.

This is the movie that I will be creating a poster for. I love adventure.

3) Tentacle Talent:
Virtuoso is a famous octopus at the Baltimore Aquarium. He is famous because he has the ability to write like a human being by using his tentacles and ink. He soon has competition when Maestro, an octopus from the Los Angeles Aquarium, makes his stay. Apparently, Maestro's aquarium is being renovated. Maestro is known for being able to play classical and jazz on the cello. For weeks, Virtuoso and Maestro try to see who has the more talent. Then, because of some janitor's silly antics, Virtuoso's tank cracks a leak. Virtuoso is in trouble! Then Maestro comes to the rescue and sticks his cello bow into the crack. The bow stays there long enough for the security guard to notice, and he calls for backup. In the end, Virtuoso and Maestro become friends. Viruoso ends up writing sheet music for Maestro, while Maestro shares story ideas with Virtuoso. Maestro's aquarium finally gets finished, so he has to go home. The two friends say good-bye to each other, and it's a rather emotional parting. Happily, Maestro visits sometimes for events.

Three cheers for teamwork!

4) The Cure:
This movie takes place in the Amazon rainforest. Esperanza is a simple swamp octopus living peacfully with her family in the swamps. What she doesn't realize is that there is an epidemic wiping out the human population, and the humans are trying hard to find a cure. Apparently, the cure is found only within Esperanza's species. The humans capture Esperanza and takes her away from her family. Esperanza eventually finds out that she is part of a plan to heal the human race. The antidote is extracted out of Esperanza's blood, and afterwards she is put into holding for a few months. On the other hand, her family doesn't know what happened to her. At the end of the epidemic, Esperanza is released back into the wild. It takes her maybe half a week to reunite with her family, and when they reunite, they are overjoyed to see her.

You can tell by the plotline that this is one that my instructor told me it's too advanced for kids.

5) Dude, Where's My Leg?:
Bobby is a carefree, little octopus doing his own thing in Australian waters. All of a sudden, two sharks are bullying and try to fight him. Plus, Bobby looks very appetizing and vulnerable to these sharks. Bobby manages to escape, but not unscathed. He loses one leg to the bigger shark. Bobby is determined to get it back. With the help of his octopus and jellyfish friends, and with the help of a daredevil surfer named Jackson, Bobby manages to get his leg back. The two sharks promise to not bother Bobby and his friends anymore.

Pretty cool, eh mate?

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I admit, some of these plotlines are rather advanced for little kids. But hey, someday these might actually become real movies for teenagers. Doesn't even have to be about an octopus. Coolio.

Let imagination run free!!!