A female oceanographer and her team’s investigation of bizarre marine life protests of polluted
waters, turns deadly when they have to stop an illegal trawler crew from ensnaring the animals.

SYNOPSIS:

THE SIGN

Feature Animated Action-Adventure, Drama

A female oceanographer and her team’s investigation of bizarre marine life protests of polluted

waters, turns deadly when they have to stop an illegal trawler crew from ensnaring the animals.

INTRODUCTION

From global shores, oceans appear huge and beautiful, full of animal and plant life. But we cannot

see the massive amounts of trash that harms this ecosystem below the surface. My story focuses

on the marine life as it gets fed up with humans throwing trash into their home, and these angry

animals revolt. Despite it being animated, the animals are not anthropomorphic, heightening the

drama and very real threats.

WHY?

The pollution and extinction of marine life will have serious consequences for all life on our

planet. It will cause a catastrophic domino effect; as plant and animal species depend on each

other. The story is set in the Covid-19 period because at that time many plastic masks and gloves

were randomly disposed of and ended up in our waters. I want to raise public awareness about the

threats to Earth’s oceans and our planet. The ocean is a vital ecosystem for all life on our planet,

as it provides us with oxygen and has a very rich biodiversity. Action Groups like Greenpeace and

Sea Shepherd – who do their utmost to save threatened marine life, stop overfishing, and fight for

healthy oceans inspired me to explore these characters.

THE STORY

A war rages between marine life and junk that people have littered the ocean with. Their leader is

a Great White shark. Our protagonist, filmmaker and oceanographer, Mary Anne, calls Malcolm,

Captain of The Ocean Savior, with enough experience to be resentful. He is sailing with their other

two teammates, John, and Mark. John is a seasoned Scotsman with a wry sense of humor. Mark is a

newbie prone to worry and a short temper. Malcolm sees angry humpbacks heading for them and

escapes to pick up Mary Ann. The team sets out and their personalities are highlighted — clearly

there is history among Mary Ann and the more seasoned teammates that none of them are ready

to get into. Their silence on the water is suddenly interrupted as a united group of marine life

appears. They slap their tails on the water, make different sounds and perform maneuvers.

Malcolm presumes they are communicating with them.

The team tests the condition of the water to figure out why the animals are acting strangely, but

when Orcas emerge and unite with the other marine animals, instead of attacking them, it becomes

clear to the team that the animals are up to something as they encircle the boat and spit trash onto

the deck of the boat.

The massive Great White shark joins the marine life. Terrified, Mark pulls out a handgun to shoot

the shark. The shark becomes defensive and makes a sudden move to Mark. Mary Anne pulls him

back just in time. Malcolm confronts Mark for pulling a gun and in the argument the gun drops into

the water next to the shark. The shark attacks the boat, threatens the team and hurls the gun back

onto the deck. Mark brags about his father giving him the gun as a gift and reveals that his father

is a seasoned fisherman. Mary Anne takes charge to calm things and warms to Mark, she tries to

bring him around to others’ point of view, but doesn’t get through. Things go from bad to worse

when Mark secretly calls a fishing vessel to capture the Great White, but he soon regrets his action

when he realizes they are illegal trawler men.

The marine life defends and spits junk onto the deck of the illegal trawler, the angry crew assaults

them and lower illegal bottom trawls, to capture and kill them. Angry Orcas, and whales violently

attack the trawler crew.

Mark wants to fix his mistakes and he sneaks off the boat in order to free the marine life, despite

the shark infested waters and his little diving experience. John and Malcolm show little concern

for Mark, but Mary Anne is determined to make sure he is safe. Meanwhile, below the surface,

Mark tries desperately to free the trapped whales in the net, but gets entangled in abandoned

fishing gear. Mary Anne is on her way to him, while Malcolm tries to reach the Coast Guard about

the illegal trawler.

Mary Anne arrives to see that Mark is about to be attacked by Tiger shark. She signals at him

from a distance what to do. The shark fails to free the trapped marine animals and speeds away.

Mary Anne frees Mark from the fishing gear and films the trapped animals as evidence before she

and Mark get to work trying to free them and dodge the Great White and Tiger sharks in the

process. Mark’s father is revealed as one of the trawler men, and his ruthlessness reveals the

truth about Mark’s past as his father attacks him.

Malcolm and John cannot help because the marine life encircle Malcolm’s boat. Malcolm’s

frustration mounts as he cannot reach the Marine Police or the Coast Guard. The furious marine life

attack the illegal trawler — injuring several of its crew and prompting the rest to ready harpoons

and lower nets.

Mary Anne and Mark submerge again to cut the nets, but a big hole in the net shows that all of the

animals have escaped, except for a wounded dolphin. The Great White returns and recognizes

Mark. They are able to escape by shining their lights in its eyes. When they finally reach

Malcolm’s boat, Mark barely escapes the shark’s snout which bumps him. Mary Anne pulls him

out of the water just in time.

Finally, the police arrive and arrest the trawler men. The marine life breaks their formation. This

allows Mary Anne and the team to reach the wounded dolphin and bring it on board. The team

names the dolphin, Summer. Mark and Mary Anne treat it with great care. Although Mark does his

utmost to make amends, Malcolm is still mad at him.

The marine life blocks Malcolm’s boat again, because Summer is aboard. With the poor creature

running out of time, Malcolm contacts the Coast Guard for help transporting the ailing dolphin,

but the marine life blockade is everywhere. Mark gets the idea to put a microphone to her snout

to enable her to communicate with them. Mark’s plan works. The marine life follows Malcolm’s

boat to the Rescue Marine Center, where Summer is treated. The team watches the news report

about the marine life revolt taking place all over the world. When NASA shows images of the

protest, sent by space station ISS, it’s clear to all that the ocean’s animals have spoken.