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woo cmmmspu Cupid’s Dead: The Process of Amateur and Independent Moviemaking
By
Michael Joseph Alexander
A THESIS
Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
Department of Telecommunications
2000 ABSTRACT
Cupid’s Dead: The Process of Amateur and Independent Moviemaking
By
Michael Joseph Alexander
This paper is a thesis project, the culmination of knowledge and experience gained in the pursuit of a Master’s degree in Telecommunication!
Media Arts at Michigan State University. The actual project involves the development and production of a short movie based on an original screenplay.
The producer began working on this project during the fall semester of 1999 and completed the project during the summer of 2000, working under the supervision of faculty advisers from the Department of Telecommunications.
The written material in this thesis will detail some of the areas of study that must be considered in the production of a short movie without the help of an established production studio. These areas include: the history of independent moviemaking, a description of the movie, and the stages that were required to complete the project. A section devoted to the evaluation of the movie is included as well as a conclusion detailing what was learned and information that other students might find useful when producing similar projects. Copyright by Michael Joseph Alexander 2000 Dedicated to those who struggle with their dreams and Michael Dustin Ryski who lived a life too short to realize his. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1: lndependentMoviemaking .
Chapter 2: Development 13
Chapter3: Pre-Production 23
Chapter4: Production .. 26
Chapter 5: Post-Production 30
Chapter6: Evaluation . . .. 33
Chapter 7: Conclusion 38
AppendixA: Sample Budget .. .. 44
Appendix B: Audience Review Results 46
Appendix C: Screenplay 48 79
vi INTRODUCTION
This project is an examination of the process required to produce an independent movie. The rise of Independent moviemaking is the motivation for this project. The term independent film has come to represent the spirit of the
American Dream in the entertainment industry. Filmmaking is one of the most desirable professions in America. In the past, authors were our cultural heroes; everyone wanted to write the great American novel. Today, everyone wants to make the great American film (Levy 13). Independent projects have launched the careers of several talented artists and given hope to many film lovers with dreams of expressing their vision.
The question under research is whether or not an independent movie can be produced on a miniscule budget with one person performing most of the major moviemaking roles? This dissertation will contain a section defining the nature of independent film and its rise to prominence in American culture. Following this, each stage in the production of the movie will be described. These stages will contain some of the advice that independent moviemakers have provided and anecdotes from the making of the movie titled: Cupid’s Dead. Chapter 1
INDEPENDENT AND AMATEUR MOVIEMAKING
Independent filmmaking invokes visions of aspiring, industrious directors working on slim budgets, without compromising for the established system. Their movies are gritty and off beat, with an eccentric subject matter and an experimental attitude. Today, independent projects are produced using several different formats: traditional 35mm film stock, 8mm and 16mm film stock, videotape, and computer animation (in this dissertation, the terms film and movie will be used interchangeably without regard to what material was used to record the project.)
Defining the nature of an independent film is much debated. There seem to be two different ways to define what makes a movie an independent film. The
first is the process by which producers finance their film. The other is the unique spirit of the film and the producer’s vision.
When discussing the financial aspect of an independent film, it is prudent to look at where the money comes from, the size of the budget, and who is going to distribute the finished product. Film author Greg Merritt makes a distinction between “indie” films and “semi-indie" films. The former refers to a motion picture produced and financed without any ties to any studios and without a prior distribution deal. A “semi-indie” film does have a prior distribution deal with an established studio and might have been be produced by a smaller studio (Merritt,
Celluloid Mavericks xii.)
Many film organizations look mostly at the size and origin of the film’s budget. The Independent Film Project — West, the organization behind the Spirit
Awards, only considers films with budgets below $10 million. The Sundance Film
Festival, widely considered the most important film festival, only considers movies whose budgets consist of at least fifty- percent independent American
financing.
On the other hand, modern independent film budgets are not what they used to be. In the past, obscure, rogue companies produced low budget movies.
Now, the big Hollywood companies have acquired the smaller ones. This conglomeration has pushed independent budgets to $50 million and higher. This makes it difficult to define independent films in financial terms. However, Greg
Merritt states that, “To truly gain freedom, filmmakers must completely disassociate themselves from the studios until their vision is put on film; no
financing, no prior distribution deal, no help, no interference (Merritt, Celluloid
Mavericks 98.)”
Being true to one’s vision is of paramount importance in the world of independent film. The “spirit” of the film is the other aspect that can determine independence. Critics believe that the motivating factor behind independent film is the opportunity to tell a unique or personal story the way the producer wants it told, free from the controls of the established commercial system and to experiment in the thrilling world of moviemaking (Merritt, Celluloid Mavericks xv). Independent filmmakers are usually outsiders to the established system.
They are often members of ethnic minorities, gays and lesbians, and especially women. The percentage of minorities represented at the Sundance Film Festival is notably larger than in Hollywood (Levy 52.) White males who work outside of the Hollywood system are also part of the outsider spirit. These include video and animation professionals and persons from areas outside of California and New
York. These can also include a guy from a state school in Michigan that has no
film program.
Emanuel Levy tries to sum up the definition is his book “Cinema of
Outsiders.” He states that independent filmmakers typically hold an opposition to several dominant conventions. These conventions include: technological, institutional, aesthetic, economic, and political. Opposition to the dominant technology is demonstrated through the proliferation of video and animation styles as well as the long established practice of using 8mm and 16mm film instead of 35mm. Independent films also take an interpersonal and communal approach to production instead of the institutional, corporate style. Independent
films strive to be aesthetically original and avant—garde instead of conventional and generic. Economic opposition includes a love of film and filmmaking over money. Finally, the prevailing political attitudes of independents are skewed toward the representation of diverse cultures verses ethnocentricity (Levy 5).
To truly define the nature of independent film in America, it would be helpful to examine the history behind it, the factors that have promoted it, and the current opinion regarding its direction. The first public exhibition of a film in America was in New York in 1896. Thomas Edison, who owned several film industry patents, produced the event and the film consisted mostly of scenic shots.
Edison and around sixteen other companies and individuals pooled their patents together and formed the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) in order to exclude independents. No member of the MPPC could enter into contracts with non-members for anything, including: equipment, personnel, distribution, and exhibition. The courts basically prohibited all independents from engaging in any activity regarding filmmaking.
In order to make their films, the independents used bootleg equipment and moved their operations west, to California. The Golden State provided aspiring
filmmakers with better weather, ample scenery, and distance from the oppressive patent pool. They were also close to the Mexican border to escape the authorities.
The MPPC was broken up in 1918 after being charged with violating the
Sherman Anti-Trust Act. By that time, however, the demand for films, and the
MPCC’s own business practices drove most of the members out of business.
The most notable independent film of the era was D. W. Griffith’s controversial epic, The Birth of a Nation. It cost around $100,000 and it debuted in 1915. It went on to gross about $66 million and help launch the independent scene through the 19203.
Though independently produced films had broken out; they were soon forced back underground. In the 19305, the label “independent” was a badge of insult. The big studios that had arisen made the quality films that were produced during this period. The “Big 5," Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., RKO, and 20"1
Century Fox, controlled all aspects of the industry: production, distribution, and exhibition. Though the independents made films, they could not find anywhere to show them.
The Justice Department again stepped in to regulate the industry. They found the big studios guilty of violating the Shaman Anti-Trust Act in 1949.
Though the studios had to divest their theatre chains and other assets,
Independent filmmakers would still toil in obscurity for another twenty years.
In the late 19505 and early 19605, the American film scene began to be influenced by French New Wave filmmakers. The French New Wavers defied conventions by advocating a freer style. Their style included: more location shooting, looser writing and acting, and consciously cinematic camera movements and editing (Merritt, Celluloid Mavericks 154). In America, this prompted a “do your own thing attitude.” Independent films were made that included handheld camera shots, improvisational acting, and rough editing. A demand for foreign films also boomed (Merritt, Celluloid Mavericks 155).
By 1968, the American New Wave was in full swing. As a response to the repressive Nixon era culture, new barriers were being pushed by talented new artists, experimental film veterans, and risky entrepreneurs (Merritt, Celluloid
Mavericks 195). Most importantly, the Motion Picture Association of America developed a new ratings system, which silenced many of the censors and opened the door to more questionable subjects. The independent films of the American New Wave were small in budget, personal in nature, and frequently challenging. No film defines the era more than
Easy Rider. East Rider is a motorcycling, drug-induced, road-trip picture that is full of rebellious introspection on the nature of self and society. It was released in
1969 with a budget around $500,000. lt grossed around $40 million.
Other notable films of the American New Wave include the horror classic
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the outrageous Pink Flamingos, and the pornographic classic Deep Throat. All of these films were made on low budgets outside of the big studios. Their immense popularity was due to their shocking nature.
In the middle 19705, Hollywood began to focus on big budget blockbusters. The prevalent climate in Hollywood began encouraging the production of “routine films for innocuous, often mindless entertainment,” often relying on the reproduction of past successes (Levy 22). The independents, on the other hand, began to focus on creating a support system for smaller films.
Greg Merritt states that by 1982, “American Independent film had become an artistic genre unto itself (Merritt, Celluloid Mavericks 308).” The Story and the vision became more important than budget and the independent movement
flounshed.
One reason why the movement became popular was the willingness of established actors to take pay cuts in order to participate in independent films.
The films received talented actors and instant notoriety while the actors were able to escape type-casted roles and stretch their range (Levy 14). Some actors began producing or directing their own independent films, using their star power to promote their projects.
Another reason why independent film is so popular today has to do with the rise of film festivals. Sex, lies, and videotape, arguably the most notable independent success of all time, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in
1989. It was made for $1.2 million and grossed over $100 million worldwide.
The proliferation of the film festival has allowed independent films to gain a higher level of recognition as well as wider distribution. The number of film festivals in the United States and around the world has increased dramatically in the past decade. “Festivals are popping up like mushrooms, dividing like amoebas, specializing, riding other festivals’ coat tails, and going on the road,” says George Wing, of Moviemaker magazine (Wing 36). Carol Shyman of www.filmfestivals.com, an on-line guide to the festival scene, estimates the growth from 400-600 festivals in the past several years (Wing 36).
The first major film festival on record is the Venice Film Festival, started in
1930. The Cannes Film Festival in France followed Venice. Both, however, were put on hold as World War II escalated. As the war ended, major festivals were started in large cities in Europe and the United States. In 1978, the Sundance
Film Festival began in Utah. Its popularity exploded in 1989 after the screening of sex, lies, and videotape. Sundance is widely considered the most important festival of the year (Gore 15).
Festivals are now springing up all over the country and not just in big cities. East Lansing, Michigan, the home of Michigan State University, has its own small festival as does Ann Arbor, the home of the University of Michigan.
Today's film festivals provide an outlet for both big budget and small budget producers to show their work and possibly sell their pictures for enough money to continue in the business (Gore 16).
However, not all critics are pleased with the state of independent film today. Emanuelle Levy states that the independent scene is no longer “avant- garde, it’s not experimental, it’s not underground. With a few exceptions there is not much edge, formal experience, or serious challenge to dominant culture
(Levy 6).”
This view can be attributed to several factors. The conglomeration of the industry has left few producers the true freedom to tell their stories their own way.
The support structure created by the Independent film community has succeeded so well that the scene moved out of the underground and has become embraced by mainstream America and the big Hollywood studios.
The decline in challenging film fare could simply be blamed on an artistic lull. The American New Wave movement and its ramifications abolished many of the barriers and taboos that once existed. America might just need to wait for some new mavericks to go even farther to shock Americans.
Maverick film producers come in all shapes and sizes and work in a wide variety of lowtions. Today, they use their talents and their available resources to ultimately bring their visions to the big screen. It was stated previously that several American are striving to make the next great American film. What follows are brief portraits of different people who in different parts of the country, working independent of the Hollywood system, brought their dreams to reality.
In the early 19905, Robert Rodriguez wanted to make a film for the
Mexican video market. He had previous experience making short films with friends in South Texas. In 1993 he completed a full-length Mexican gangster
flick, El Mariachi. His fourteen-day shoot utilized his own friends, some resourceful equipment, and a Mexican border town. The budget was around
$7,000. A friend donated half of it; the other half raised by selling his own blood.
On a sales trip to California, Rodriguez allowed a Hollywood executive to view a primitive copy of the film while he was waiting for a meeting. After some negotiating, Columbia Pictures bought the rights to the film for around $150 thousand. They gave Rodriguez money to complete a more professionally edited version and a development deal.
Robert Rodriguez became a hot property very quickly. He directed the big budget film Desperado in 1995 and several others throughout the 19905.
Rodriguez was a Hollywood outsider who succeeded at turning short film experience into a flourishing film career.
Michael Moore grew up in the industrial town of Flint, Michigan. After
General Motors instituted cutbacks and closed their Flint car plant, the town took a turn for the worse. Moore, a journalist with no film experience, decided to tell the story of his town in a documentary called Roger and Me in 1989. The film is a mix of archival news footage, interviews, and the pestering of General Motors
10 chairman, Roger Smith. Its $150,000 budget was raised through donations and foundations.
The film was a festival hit. Critics enjoyed Moore’s cyniml wit and raw style. Roger and Me was bought for $3 million, twenty times its budget It grossed over $7 million and made Moore a media darling. His biting documentary landed him several guest spots on talk shows, a short-lived television series, and a chance to produce some big budget films. Michael Moore was a Michigan resident with no experience whose penchant for political activism led him to a rewarding entertainment career (Merritt, Celluloid Mavericks 345.)
The most recent example illustrating the success of independent producers is the film; The Blair Witch Project, released in the summer of 1999.
The Blair Witch Project is a minimalist horror film in which three film students get
lost in the woods while chasing down a local legend. The actual film is a combination of their footage discovered after the crew goes missing. The producers at Haxan Films created the film for a mere $35,000. It sold for $1.1
million (Corliss 61).
The film premiered at Sundance in January 1999. The reviews were
mixed. Many patrons and industry executives were bored, some even walked
out, others, however, were too scared to walk home. Artisan Entertainment, a
small company looking for eccentric, off the wall projects, saw its potential to draw in younger audiences. It was not very impressed by the film, but figured that
$1.1 million was cheap for a horror flick. As of August 16, 1999, the film had
grossed $100 million in sales. (Ressner 63).
11 The movie industry is constantly changing. The growth and expansion of the lntemet and computer technologies have allowed movies to be distributed and exhibited on the World Wide Web. The advances in moviemaking technology have allowed the producers profiled above and several others realize their dream at reasonable costs and without traditional training. It is predicted that the movie and television industries will soon converge with the Internet changing the current economics of the entertainment industry.
The history and growth of independent film is the motivation for this project. The successes detailed in the previous sections were astounding. The producer of Cupid’s Dead does not believe that his project will vault him into similar spotlights, but that his movie will provide a valuable Ieaming experience.
The following sections describe the process involved in making an independent
film, a process that producers have gone through for decades.
12 Chapter 2
DEVELOPMENT
The first stage in the making of a film is the Development Stage. The
Development Stage involves the initial idea for a movie and its progression to a completed screenplay. As has been stated earlier, the genre of independent film has routinely consisted of offbeat stories and unusual subject matter. Because of this nature and the need for a compelling story, the Development Stage is probably the most important part of the entire project.
The Development Stage starts with an idea. It is a common saying in the literary and film community that screenwriters should, “write what they know,” or write about things that are personal to the writer. Real life experiences and the producer’s desire to make people laugh spawned the idea for Cupid's Dead. A number of independent film writers and producers have turned life into a successful film.
After formulating an idea, one must answer a few questions before proceeding to putting words on pages. Film and media artists are typically taught to address five questions called communication elements, which relate to their project. These include: purpose, audience, communication objective, treatment, and style or genre. The producer must address these questions prior to production so that the expression is true to the vision.
Comedy and motion pictures have a long tradition of social comment, highlighting certain aspects of our society and lampooning others. The purpose
13 of Cupid’s Dead is to entertain and make people laugh at funny situations and the frustrations that commonly occur while pursuing romantic relationships.
The audience for Cupid’s Dead is made up of males in their twenties and thirties who can relate to the situations described in the story. Typically, these people have active lives which allow them to meet a variety of different people and experience different aspects of American pop culture including: entertainment mediums and the social scene. The audience has a fondness for comedy especially when it involves the misfortune of others and they have experience similar problems dealing with romantic relationships.
The communication objective or the theme of the movie is the artist’s
statement about the human condition. It is what they want the audience to
realize. The theme of this movie is that: A man or woman needs to make
decisions about romance based on reality not mystical forces. A stubborn belief
in romantic fate and destiny can sometimes blind a man or woman to the obvious
shortcomings in a relationship. A treatment for a film is usually a one-page
description of the plot and characters. It is used to spark interest in the actual
script when pitching it to a producer. The following is the original treatment for
Cupid's Dead.
Rob is a single male in his early twenties making his way through college. He lives with his long time friend and confidant Frederick whose day-to-day activities are a bit of a mystery. At a job interview for a door-to- door activist position, Rob strikes up a stimulating conversation with a beautiful female named Jamie. Rob is attracted to her, but does not have the opportunity to ask her out. They part ways only to meet a few days latter at Rob's door after Jamie had excepted the activist job. They exchange numbers and meet for lunch the next day. After Ieaming that Jamie has a boyfriend, Rob is disappointed and accepts that there will not be a relationship.
14 Rob’s becomes confused as Jamie begins to pursue him. She invites him out to the bar to see her boyfriend’s band play. Rob is reluctant at first, but believes that Jamie is generally interested in him. He drives her home to a party for the band. After a freak accident to the boyfriend, Rob is caught up in a trip to the hospital and is forgotten about by Jamie. After a few days Jamie invites Rob out again, this time for a more private dinner. The boyfriend again shows up and involves Rob in a fight. Rob is picked up by the police and later released. A few days later, Jamie invites Rob out for the third time. Rob finally asks if she is interested in him and stresses all the hardships that he has endured. Jamie tells him that she was only trying to recruit him for the activist job all along.
The last of the five communication elements to address is the style of the project. In filmmaking, this can also be view as the film’s genre. Different movie genres have different conventions, which make them unique. Some typical genres include: Westerns, Comedies, Action/Adventure, Romance, and Horror.
Rob’s story is classified as a comedic movie, beyond that; it becomes difficult to further classify the story. What kind of comedy is it and what kind of attitude or view of the world will prevail? There are eight major comedic plots that have been used in movies since their inception. What follows is a brief description of the various comedic plots employed in movies as described in
Gerald Mast’s The Comic Mind (pp. 4-9).
1.) New comedy: This type usually includes romantic comedies. The plot involves a protagonist who combats terrible hardships or foes through no real fault of his own. In doing so, the protagonist gains a new outlook on life and love.
2.) Parody: A parody is a comedic device that makes fun of aesthetic conventions (Neale 19). Over the years, producers have made several parodies of the different genres of movies. Parodies of Westerns highlight and exaggerate the distinct characteristics of Westerns for comedic purposes like the Movie
15 Blazing Saddles. The recent comedy Scary Movie is a parody of popular teenage
'slasher’ pictures.
3.) WReducing to the absurd): This type of story involves the magnification of a simple mistake or social controversy resulting in chaos and absurdity. A typical example involves a man who takes an uncharted shortcut while driving across the country. His mistake leads him into a heap of trouble. The Laurel and Hardy short films were typical of this plotline where a mistake made early in the film leads to a chaotic finale.
4.) Bengt (after French filmmaker Jean Renoir): These films involve an investigation into a particular society or culture. Comedy results when different people’s reactions to similar situations are compared and contrasted. Comedies of this type include parallel line of action which constant social analysis like the
Shakespeare comedies: As You Like It and Midsummer Nights Dream. Charlie
Chaplin's The Great Dictator is an American example.
5.) Central figure: The story revolves around one central character. It follows him or her around throughout the film observing both typical and atypical situations. A central figure plot usually involves the comedic talents of an actor.
Stand up comics are often used in this type of comedy like Adam Sandler’s Billy
Madison and The Waterboy.
6.) Central situation: The story is made up of several gags and gimmicks, which revolve around one central situation. An example would be a collection of diverse characters stuck in an elevator together. An example would be Cadillac
16 Man starring Robin Williams, where people are taken hostage inside a car dealership.
7.) Action-Adventure: The story involves an adventure or a crisis of paramount importance. Action-adventure is its own separate genre when used for dramatic purposes, but can become a comedy if conceived for that purpose.
Examples of this plot line include the medieval adventure Army of Darkness and the alien invasion picture Mars Attacks.
8.) Discoveg: The story involves a character that discovers a mistake that he or she has been making for several years. This type of story was used in dramatic situations like Oedipus Rex and Macbeth, but was used to convey comedy in movies like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
In addition to classifying comedies into these eight plot descriptions, Mast defines three different categories or traditions of comedy. These include the dialogue tradition, the clown tradition, and the ironic tradition. The dialogue tradition uses conversation to generate humor, making the scriptwriter more important (Mast 249). The Graduate and When Hany Met Sally are of the dialogue tradition. The clown tradition draws on the comedic talents of an individual or group of performers. This tradition frequently uses physical comedy such as slapstick to generate humor (Mast 280). Examples of the clown tradition include the Three Stooges films and most of Jerry Lewis’ comedies like The
Nutty Professor. The ironic tradition combines concurrent plotlines, and complex structure to create humor relying heavily on motifs, symbolism, and metaphor
(Mast 320). Stanley Kubric’s Dr. Stangelove and A Clockwork Orange are of the
17 ironic tradition. Both films use dark comedic devices to examine serious subjects
(the military mind in Dr. Srangelove and the violent nature of man in A Clockwork
Orange.)
Cupid’s Dead would most likely lie within the dialogue tradition since the special talents of the actors are not being considered as assets to the story and it lacks a complex structure. Also, the conversations between Rob and his roommate Freddy serve to frame the story. When considering the eight plotlines,
Cupid’s Dead would most likely be considered a New Comedy although a Central
Figure plot is evident. However, a New Comedy examines atypical day in the main character's life not unusual happenings. The hardships that Rob experiences are not part of a typical day in his life, thus a New Comedy would not fit.
After the idea has been honed through the communication elements and additional brainstorming, the actual screenplay must be written. A screenplay forms the actual film. The final work is divided into several scenes, which contain sections of dialogue between characters and written descriptions of settings, actions, moods, and other characteristics.
The screenplay for Cupid’s Dead is a collection of personal experiences and conversations. Over a period of three months these stories and other suggestions from friends were manipulated, elaborated on, and put in a specific order or outline. This outline is called the plot.
In regards to plot structure, the screenplay for Cupid’s Dead follows an established format devised by the 4th century grammarian Evonthius as detailed
18 by Steve Neale and Frank Krutnik. It is composed of four parts: the protasis, the epitasis, the catastasis, and the catastrophe (Neale 27).
During the protasis or the exposition, the major characters are introduced, and the setting is established. The audience is introduced the to Rob, Freddy, and Jamie and the world they live in. The protasis ends as the protagonist encounters compilation (the introduction of the boyfriend.) The epitasis refers to the first series of related complications (Rob’s first night out with Jamie.) As the
first conflict is resolved, the catastasis or further conflict begins (Rob’s second night out with Jamie.) The final stage is the catastrophe or resolution. Here, Rob resolves the nagging questions: “What is the deal with Jamie and is she worth all this trouble?‘
After the plot structure is finalized, the actual lines of dialogue and descriptive paragraphs must be formulated. This step takes a lot of patience and even more brainstorming. It is a constant process of trial and error and can become very frustrating.
The process becomes even more intricate when composing a short film or an independent project, and especially if the writer is going to produce his or her own project. The writer must keep a few things in mind at all times when writing.
These include: time and length, money, and the production process.
Since the beginning of the movie industry, time has been an important aspect of the actual film. The earliest films were usually shot on one roll of film lasting for about fifteen minutes. Today, most films are at least ninety minutes long. They are commonly called “feature length productions.” Cupid’s Dead is a
19 “short film.” Short films are usually thirty minutes or less (one minute roughly equals one written page.) The comparison is important because the length of a
film requires different approaches to character and plot (Cooper xi).
When writing the screenplay for a short movie, there are several factors, which must be addressed to produce a compelling story. The first is the ability to effectively collapse time in the story. This is referred to as “cinematic time.” Since there is not much time to progress chronologically through a story, the writer must skip over parts of the story that do not impact it (Cooper 113). If a story takes place over a matter of months, the menial, day-to-day actions must be omitted to save time. Instead of showing the drive to work, a character goes from his or her bedroom in one scene to the office in the next scene. A marathon runner goes from the starting line in one scene, to his fall in the 11th mile in the second scene, to the finish line in the final scene, omitting the miles in between.
Thus a 6-hour run becomes a 10-minute movie. This omission becomes a more vital plot element as the film’s length decreases.
Another element of short films is the use of dialogue or conversation.
Dialogue must be used with economy and purposefulness in a short film. Since time is an issue, all dialogue must advance the story and not stall it (Cooper
113). Dialogue can be used to do many things. It can characterize and give credibility to the story’s participants as well as add and relieve tension (Cooper
117). It can also serve two other purposes, which become more important as a story’s length decreases.
20 The first is the collapse of time, which was previously discussed and the second is narration. Since there is little time to develop characters and plot, narration is frequently used to speed up the process (Cooper 115). Instead of discovering a protagonist’s likes and dislikes through a conversation with another character, the protagonist relays them through an inner monologue. Instead of waiting to find out where a character is headed in his car, narration is used to let the audience know the destination. This saves time and keeps the audience involved in the story.
The other two things that the writer must keep in mind, money and production process, relate to what can be called “practical scripting.” Practical scripting refers to writing a screenplay to fit with the budget and the resources available to the producer. John Gaspard and Dale Newton call this “writing what you own (Gaspard 24.)” They advise that you don’t “write in any props or locations that you don’t own, can’t beg or borrow, or sneak into long enough for your shot (Gaspard 24).”
Robert Rodriguez made use of several available resources when writing El
Mariachi. He has two bars, a jail, a ranch, a motorcycle, a bus, and a pit bull. He used all these things in his script plus whatever his friends could provide.
Practical scripting also deals with writing scenes that are easy to shoot during production. It is very important to limit the number of characters in the movie. It is recommended that there are no more than three main characters, or at least no more than three main characters interacting in any one scene
21 (Gaspard 20). More characters mean more film or video stock, more camera angles, more chance of errors and delays, and a less flexible shooting schedule.
Locations are very important as well. It is advised that the writer limit the number of different locations. It is very difficult to move cast, crew, and equipment to new locations. The time involved cuts down on precious daylight, breaks momentum, and requires more patience (Gaspard 22.) It is best to write in large chunks of dialogue occurring at a few different locations. The crew can then spend a whole day at one location shooting these chunks of dialogue.
While writing Cupid’s Dead, the writer limited the number of main characters to six, but no more than three were ever in a scene together. The number of locations was also limited, with most scenes taking place in one setting, the apartment. The writer kept in mind that he had access to locations like a friend’s apartment, a friend’s house, a few restaurants, a television studio, and a large activities room. All of the props were borrowed, bought at a resale store, or existed in the location previously.
22 Chapter 3
PRE-PRODUCTION
The second stage in the making of Cupid’s Dead is the called the Pre-
Production Stage. This stage consists mostly of planning and preparation. Proper planning ensures that the following stages run smoothly and stays true to the written script. The producer of the project must assemble the cast, the crew, and production equipment. He or she must then examine the script to figure out what is needed and how to work with various schedules and financial concerns. The project’s director must study the script and visualize how he or she will shoot the different scenes.
In most film projects, financing is the most important aspect of Pre-
Production. The Hollywood studios can usually generate enough financing to cover the expenses of the project. Independent producers, on the other hand, have to beg and plead investors to contribute money.
The first part of a movie budget can be called “development financing”
(usually done during the Development State.) Development financing goes toward securing the services of the ’above-the-line participants. Above-the-line participants typically include the producer, the writer, the director, and the main actors. The more talented these people are, the easier it will be for the producer to find money to complete the project. Development financing also includes money for legal costs and covers the process of raising more money.
23 The second part of a movie budget can be called “production financing.”
Production financing typically covers the “below-the-line” participants. This group is made up the remaining cast and crew, whose names are not as important to investors. Production financing also covers equipment rentals, sets and props, video or film stock, and incidental costs (Appendix A is a sample or a budget for a typical independent film.)
The third part of a movie budget can be called “finishing costs.” Finishing costs are usually raised after the movie is completed. The costs include aspects of the distribution process such as tape dubbing, promotion, postage, film festival costs, viewing parties, etc.
The budget for Cupid’s Dead was by no means orthodox. The crew of
Cupid’s Dead consisted of mainly one person with the help of a few assistants.
The equipment was provided by the Department of Telecommunication at
Michigan State University as part of the Masters Program and the cast consisted of amateur actors and friends who auditioned for the different parts and performed for free. As mentioned before in the Development Stage most aspects of the script were written with the producer’s current resources in mind. The only real costs incurred included tape stock and dubbing, props, and travel expenses.
These aspects together totaled around $200.
Although a typical independent production costs around $100,000, new technologies have made it cheaper and easier to complete and exhibit projects like Cupid’s Dead. Since the American New Wave, moviemakers used 16mm and 8mm film stock to save money. Today moviemakers can shoot on digital
24 video stock and use personal computers to edit and add special effects. These
”computer movies” can then be shown via the lntemet. Internet sites dedicated to the exhibition of amateur movies are popping up everywhere. These advancements can save a producer lots of cash without losing too much quality.
The next aspect of Pre-Production involves scouting locations and acquiring the necessary props and costumes. The props and costumes were either borrowed, bought cheaply, or were the possessions of the actors. The locations were chosen based on ease of access.
Scheduling might be the most difficult part of Pre-Production. The equipment has a schedule of availability, the cast and crew have different schedules, and some of the locations must be scheduled ahead of time. This dilemma must be solved prior to the start of filming because changes can disrupt everyone’s focus.
The director also has a big part in the Pre-Production Stage. Besides working with the producer on cast, crew, and scheduling, the director must begin to visualize how each scene will look. Media artist Herbert Zettl describes the visualization process as: “thinking in individual pictures or brief shot sequences. It refers to imagining how a camera would see a particular event from a specific point of view (Zettl 233).” The director uses his or her experience and the context of the story to create storyboards or drawings of sets and different camera angles. When this planning is complete the movie will actually start being made.
25 Chapter 4
PRODUCTION
The third stage in the making of Cupid’s Dead is called the Production
Stage. In this stage, the written words become visual images stored on film or videotape. The Production Stage involves combining the Pre-Production planning with the crew’s film and video production skills. The film’s director now becomes the pivotal player.
Film writer Greg Merritt states that “to direct a film is to capture a dream
(Merritt, Film Production 132).” It is difficult, however, for a director to learn how to actually do this. The best way is through experience and the process of trial and error. A director must learn his or her responsibilities as well as develop an artistic style.
The director has an awesome responsibility during the film. He or she
must bridge the gap between the audience and the actors on the screen. It is the director's job to select the assets of the film, which will stand out and make a
statement.
An individual's style varies from director to director. There are, however, three prevalent styles of directing: epic, realistic, and expressive. Each style
lends itself to certain types of pictures, but can also provide afresh perspective
on all types of films.
The Godfather trilogy and the Star Wars trilogy are examples of the epic
style of directing. This style uses grand settings and impressive numbers of
26 people to create a larger than life feeling. It frames the struggles of individual characters within the scope of a large conflict like a war or other historical event
(Harmon 62). It is difficult to attempt this style in an independent setting because the epic style routinely requires a large budget, a large cast and crew, lavish sets, and expensive special effects.
Another prevalent directing style is the realistic style. This style strives to show life as it actually is. The plot moves from cause to effect to express a strong social statement. A realistically styled film allows the viewer to observe changes in attitudes and ways of thinking simply by watching the details of the characters’ lives (Harmon 62). Most independent film directors use this style because it is easier to keep the budget small and use available resources.
The final common directing style is called the expressive style. This style forces the audience to try and discover the motivation and the reasoning behind things. The film’s reality is always in question as the psychological aspects become more important than plot structure (Harmon 63). Films of the expressive style are usually avant-garde and may not appeal to a wide variety of audiences.
Cupid’s Dead was directed in the realistic style. The style fits well with the communication objective. Each scene in the movie places the actions and emotions of the individual character before anything else. Cupid’s Dead tries to make a statement about contemporary romance through the trials and tribulations of seemingly normal contemporary people. This realistic style helped guide the production of each scene.
27 Besides style, there are a few other things that must be kept in mind while shooting an independent film. Because of the limited budget and the lack of video or film stock, a three to one shooting ratio is used. The ratio refers to the number of camera angles to the number of dialogue segments within each scene. This ratio also saves precious time. A good director would like to have several camera angles to chose from, however, more camera angles means that more video or
film must be purchased; mst, crew, and equipment must be kept longer", and more time spent on the set.
The first angle must be a long shot or a cover shot of the participating actors while they converse. This angle should consist of everyone who is to interact in the segment as well as some of the surrounding environment. The second angle is a tighter shot of one actor, alone. A medium close up is routinely used. A medium close up covers the actor’s head down to his or her breast line.
The final camera angle is a tighter shot of the second actor (Gaspard 20). The second and third angles are typically similar in the area that they cover unless a third actor is present. In this case two actors might occupy one camera shot. This is why is advisable to have no more than three actors participating in one scene.
Another shooting technique that can save time and money is the breaking up of long conversations into smaller dialogue segments. Long takes require cast and crew to get it right in a limited number of takes. Constant mistakes mean that more video or tape stock must be used. Mistakes can also create frustration on the set and disrupt the actors’ focus (Gaspard 195).
28 Cupid’s Dead was shot with these things in mind. During the shooting of scenes that contain long segments of dialogue, the actors were directed to stop at different points. The actors were able to limit mistakes because they could rehearse a few smaller segments instead of one long one. The shooting ratio allowed a choice of angles that could later be edited together without the interruptions.
The equipment that was used was requisitioned from the Department of
Telecommunications at Michigan State University. A Sony DVCam digital video camera was used. It took around two months to shoot the movie. All of the scenes together and some supplementary location shooting totaled about two hundred and twenty minutes of videotape. After shooting was complete, these two hundred and twenty minutes of tape were ready to be put together into a coherent series of images. Cupid’s Dead was ready for the Post Production
Stage.
29 Chapter 5
POST PRODCUTION
The next stage is called the Post Production Stage. It is during this stage that the actual visual story comes together. This process is called editing.
Like editing a newspaper or a magazine, video editing is a process that seeks to express the major elements of communication: who, what, where, why, and how.
Media Artist Herbert Zettl states that editing builds a screen event through the selecting and sequencing of those camera shots which most effectively contribute to, clarify, and intensify that event (Zettl 299). The individual camera shots are ordered and combined to form segments and scenes, which are combined to form a coherent plot.
There are certain aspects of editing that the media artist must keep in mind. These include: pace, tempo, and rhythm. Pace refers to ”the perceived speed of an [entire] event (Zettl 281 ).” An audience can feel that the entire event moves along briskly or drags. An event that moves along too quickly might not spend enough time explaining certain aspects of the storyline. On the other hand, an event which drags can bore and audience or loose their attention. Tempo or rate refers to the “perceived duration of the individual event sections (Zettl 281).”
With tempo, an individual scene or segment might progress too quickly, but the event, as a hole might be the opposite or just right.
Rhythm refers to the “flow of the event segments [or] how they relate to one another (Zettl 281).” A scene needs to flow smoothly from shot to shot
30 otherwise the audience’s concentration and comprehension can be compromised. The audience has a need to connect a shot with the previous shot and one that will follow. The same can be said of each segment or scene. If this connection is not made then the audience is forced to wonder why. This questioning an interfere with the intended message of the scene. An expressively styled film might manipulate the rhythm to force the audience to think, but disrupting the flow would not fit with a realistically styled film.
Another aspect of editing to examine is its ability to manipulate cinematic time. As explained during the chapter on Development, movies routinely collapse time so that an event, which would take hours to unfold in reality, takes only minutes on paper or on the screen. A common technique used to achieve this is to add shots of a clock. If the clock is a two o’clock in one shot and two, forty-five in the next, then the audience will perceive a passage of time. Since Cupid’s
Dead takes place over about a week and a half, certain techniques needed to be employed to connect segments while indicating a passage of time.
One technique used throughout the movie was the addition of shots that covered the outside of the characters’ apartment at different times of the day.
When the audience sees the outside of a building on screen then a scene which takes place inside apartment, they conclude that the apartment is inside the building that they were shown. If the same shot of the building is shown with varying degrees of sunlight between two apartment scenes, then the audience concludes that some time has passed between the two scenes.
31 After the video or film editing is completed, several other Post Production aspects require attention such as computer generated special effects.
Independent productions routinely stay away from pricey effects. The only computer effects required during the making of Cupid’s Dead include an animated opening sequence and the credits which follow the movie.
Another aspect to consider is the addition of music and sound effects.
Music and sound effects are frequently used as a transition between scenes and also as a way to convey a character's mood. The sound effects for Cupid’s Dead were either gathered from an Internet service or recreated and recorded on tape.
The latter process is called foley sound production. Three small-label bands for no compensation donated the music for the movie. The songs were professionally produced and add a bit of variety to the picture.
The video and the audio for Cupid’s Dead were edited together on a computer using the Avid Express non-linear system. This system allows the footage to be digitized from tape to the computer then pieced together in a time
line. The computer editing process eliminates a great amount of time and effort as compared with linear editing or using two videotape decks
The Post Production Stage can prove to be the most frustrating and time consuming stage of all. The editor must look through all the different takes and decide which ones will be used and which will end up on the cutting floor. It is a constant process of change and refinement. Once a final out has been created, the movie must enter a new stage: Evaluation.
32 Chapter 6
EVALUATION
The Evaluation Stage consists of the collection of opinions from critics and test audiences. Big budget movies routinely show their films to industry professionals hoping to elicit helpful advice. Hollywood also conducts focus groups and surveys to test the movie’s appeal to different types of audiences.
The results of these tests often prompt the studio to ‘change certain aspects of the film before it is released to the general public. With tens of millions of dollars riding on the project, a movie must perform well at the box office.
Independent films rarely change to fit the opinions of critics and audience data. The Evaluation process can jeopardize the artistic integrity of the film and its producer. This no compromise attitude is partially responsible for the rise of independent film, which is more about art and a love of moviemaking than a need to please a large audience and turn a profit.
Even though Cupid’s Dead is in essence an independent production, evaluation does have its purpose. Evaluation provides the independent producer with information on whether or not the communication objective was reached.
Also, since Cupid’s Dead is a comedy, the producer needs to know if it will make people laugh.
Surveys, focus groups, and audience reviews are methods through which one can procure this kind of data. Typically, the movie is shown to selected groups of people. After the screening, the groups are asked to answer questions,
33 which are designed to acquire certain kinds of information. A survey is used to
gain quantitative data. A focus group is used to gain qualitative data. An
audience review simply tests the movie’s appeal on groups of people, not
associated with the production, that are willing to provide criticism.
Film festivals, as described earlier, are also great ways to test a movie’s
viability in front of critics trained in art of cinema and film production. If a movie is
accepted into a festival it logically has some merit. The larger the festival, the
more recognition the movie will receive.
For this project, the producer chose to use an audience review conducted
after screenings of Cupid’s Dead. Survey questions are typically designed to
elicit quantitative data. The questions in this review (see Appendix A) were
designed to test how interesting and how humorous the movie is, what parts
have the most appeal, and the cohesiveness of the story. The investigator can
then find the average numerical responses and how many participants chose a
particular answer as opposed to another. The producer chose not to use a focus
group at this juncture because of the lack of time.
The producer first tested Cupid's Dead on a group of senior citizens that
do not watch a lot of modern comedies. The senior citizen group, Group 1, was
chosen because they might be less likely to let the low production value of the
movie influence their responses. Also, this group would be helpful in determining
the cohesiveness of the movie and whether or not the comedic and romantic
natures of Cupid's Dead cut across age barriers.
34 A second test group, Group 2, consisted of seven single men and two single women ranging in age from 23 to 28. These twenty-somethings are college graduates and live active lives in New York City, which afford them access to a variety of culture and entertainment choices. They enjoy movies and television on a daily basis and have all been involved in romantic relationships similar to the characters in Cupid’s Dead.
Overall, Group 1, the older group, seemed to enjoy the movie. Their average response was a 4.2 on a scale of 1 to 5 when asked how interesting the movie was. They all answered yes to whether or not they could follow the story.
They seemed to enjoy the characters the most and thought that they were the most humorous aspects of the movie. All but one said that they would see the movie again, and all said that they would tell a friend that Cupid’s Dead is worth seeing. All of these responses were unexpected. The producer did not think that his brand of humor would appeal to an older audience.
To the question of how much the movie relates to their personal lives,
Group 1 surprisingly averaged a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. There was only 1 person out of 5 who marked a 1 and three that marked a 5. This is further evidence that the overall subject matter is more universal than hypothesized.
The specific topics discussed in the movie, however, scored differently.
60% of Group 1 found that the dialogue was the least interesting aspect of the movie. Even though on the average the group thought that the movie was appealing, they might have been out of touch with the modern terms and topics used in the movie. In Group 2, by contrast, which is much younger, dialogue was
35 found to be the most interesting aspect by 3 out of 9 people, the highest percentage (33%.) Only 1 person out of 9 chose dialogue as the least interesting aspect (11%.) This is a favorable result, since the producer was trying to reach
Group 2 through the dialogue.
Overall, Group 2 found the movie a little less interesting, giving it an average of 3.5. This is still positive, however, since only one person responded with a score below 3. Regarding the question of whether or not the movie relates to their personal lives, the response was much higher than that of Group 1. The average response was 3.78 (6 out of the 9 people scored a 4 or higher to this question.) 100% of the participants in Group 2 said that they would tell a friend that the movie is worth seeing, and only 22% said that they would not want to see it again.
The review yielded several positive results, which pleased the producer.
Every person who participated, except one, enjoyed the movie. Also, the responses from the four women surveyed did not deviate from those of the men.
Thus, even though the main characters are men, women can still enjoy Cupid's
Dead.
The only negative statistic was a common disfavor for the theme of the movie. The theme that the producer tried to communicate is that a man or woman needs to make decisions about romance based on reality not mystical forces. And that a stubborn belief in romantic fate and destiny can sometimes blind a man or woman to the obvious shortcomings in a relationship. The audience might simply disagree with this presumption. They also might not have
36 realized what the message was. If the answer is the ladder, than the producer might rewrite and re—shoot some of the scenes to bring out the theme.
It is also a possibility that in a comedy like Cupid’s Dead, the theme is realized, but it is just not important to the audience. People usually watch a comedy to laugh and lift their spirits, not to find the meaning of life or love. The producer is of the opinion that this is the likely cause of the participants’ disinclination towards the theme.
37 Chapter 7
CONCLUSION
A more thorough evaluation of the movie might highlight some of the mistakes that were made during the project. It would also allow the producer to correct these mistakes. This concluding section will detail some of the mistakes that the producer knows could be corrected and what advice he might give to a fellow student pondering a similar project.
The most glaring mistakes happened during the Pre-Production Stage.
The apartment that was chosen was very dull and the producer was unable to adequately spice up the place. The walls were plain white and the couches were dark blues. The lack of color contrast creates a flatter and less vibrant image.
Since most of the important dialogue took place in the apartment, it would have been prudent to select a more interesting looking space with more colors and depth. The one scene in the kitchen area of the apartment seemed to play much better, because it was a break from the drab surroundings in the living area.
The apartment was also ill suited for audio. Audio can sometimes be more
important that video, especially when there is a lot of dialogue in a scene. The walls were very hard and solid, which cause sound waves to bounce around creating reverberations. The audio seems very poorly done in numerous places and it took a lot of time to correct the audio in other portions of the movie.
Mistakes were also made in the Production Stage. It is a basic video rule that when shooting a conversation between two people, the camera never
38 -___——_——; 4 __ fi,______, _
crosses the imaginary axis between the two people. If you draw an imaginary line
connecting the eyes of the characters while they are facing each other, then the
camera must remain on the same side of that line. If the camera crosses this line,
then the audience’s point of view shifts causing unwanted speculation. The axis
was crossed on a few places during the shooting.
In several of the apartment scenes, the image appears unsteady or shaky.
Although this is an accepted style in modern movies and television, the extra
movement detracts from the dialogue; thus it is out of place. There is a major
difference between the images in the Enviro Action Office in the beginning and
the apartment scenes that preceded and follow it. The “shaky camera” is due to a
lack of a tripod during shooting. This is due mostly to problems with faulty
equipment and scheduling.
The lighting in the apartment also needed more attention. The lighting
concept was devised to appear as natural room lighting. It is acceptable in some
scenes, but it would have been proper to change the intensity or the angle of the
light to convey different times of day and different moods.
The last of the mistakes that will be mentioned have to do with continuity.
There are several scenes where the actors have on different clothes in scenes or
shots that are supposed to be during the same time period. This is referred to as
bad physical continuity and can be highlighted in several other movies. This is
due to a lack of supervision on the producer’s part and a lack memory on the part
of the actors. A new scene had to be written to explain why Rob was wearing the
same clothes on both of his dates with Jaime.
39 No matter what mistakes were made, it is prudent to remember that a project might not turn out exactly as the producer has envisioned. Possibly with more time, more money, more cooperation, and more experience, these mistakes could be corrected. Authors John Gaspard and Dale Newton believe that: “It’s not realistic to think [an independent film] can be perfect with the money and time constraints. You can only do your best for the moment, and some of your decisions may not look so hot in retrospect (Gaspard 309).” They also state that hindsight is an indication that a producer has mentally started Pre-
Production on his or her next film (Gaspard 309).
During Pre-Production on the next project, it would be wise for the producer to learn from the mistakes made while producing Cupid’s Dead. What follows is a list of things that need to be addressed when making an independent movie aside from the aspects highlighted in the previous chapters.
1. You cannot do it alone. You will need a few people to help you with the audio, the lighting, and to watch for continuity problems. You will also need people to help you carry and set up equipment during each shoot. This will cut down on the time it takes to shoot the day’s scenes. These peOple can also act as extras so that you do not need to recruit other actors and friends.
2. Try to schedule all the shoots in a short period of time. The producer of
Cupid’s Dead scheduled all of the shoots over a two—month period. Because of this, there was no momentum and participants got distracted. Also, with weeks in between shoots, you never know when something else will pop up and delay production.
40 3. Pay more attention to continuity. You might miss things that can ruin a scene if you are lazy. There might be a camera case behind the couch or a lighting pole in the shot. It is advisable to spend more time reviewing footage after each shoot and to take Polaroids of the wardrobe in each scene so that you can match it up later.
4. Buy tape stock as you go. If you buy all your tapes at once you risk the possibility that you will be stuck with a lot of extra tape after production. You can always buy more if you when you are running low, but you cannot get your money back for tape you do not use. That money could be better spent elsewhere.
5. Have people watch your movie as it is being edited. Remember that the more you watch and edit your movie, the less appealing to you it will become. If people are allowed to watch and comment on your movie, you will get instant advice and criticism. If they like the movie, you will get added confidence that you are doing the right thing, if they hate it then you can change things before it is too late.
These five comments are not rocket science and they are not new. It is most important, however, to remember that to make an independent movie is to realize a dream. The purpose of this thesis project was to take an idea, turn that idea into a humorous and coherent script, turn that script into images, and turn those images into a cohesive story. The producer of Cupid’s Dead relied heavily on his educational background and work experience, but he did not have experience directing and editing a dramatic movie. This thesis project has
41 provided the framework to further his education and his quest to be a respected moviemaker.
42 APPENDICES
43 APPENDIX A
Sample Budget For a $100,000 Film (Adapted from Merritt, Greg. Film Production 39-40) (A Project shot on video does not require some aspects) writer/director/ producer (not always the same share person) profits
unit producer/ asst. director $1,500 production designer $1,300 art director/ prop master $800 script supervisor $1,200 cinematographer $1,500 lst asst. director $1,200 2nd asst. director $900 gaffer $ 1,200 electrician $900 key grip $1,200 grips (usually 2) $1,800 sound mixer $1,400 boom operator $800 makeup 8; hair $900 still photographer $0 production assistants $0 craft services 8; meals $8,000 still expenses $400 props $400 production design / sets $ 1, 100 wardrobe expenses $300 makeup expenses $100 electrical expendables $500 camera rental $5,500 lighting] grip package rental $4,500 dolly $2,400 missing 85 damage $300 film stock (video stock is typically cheaper) $7,000 audio tape stock (not required with video) $1,200 audio kit rental 1,300 truck rental / gas $400
44 location fees $ 1,600 insurance 8: permits $3,000 telephone $300 miscellaneous office expenses $300 Film lab fees 8; video transfer (not required with $15,200
edi 0 nonlinear edit system composer music rights ADR sound edit (cheaper with video) sound transfers ( ” ) 3-stripe sound stock ( ” ) negative cut (film only) titles 8; graphics
45
APPENDIX B
AUDIENCE REVIEW RESULTS
Two separate groups were asked to view the movie. The first groups was made up of five people over fifty, the second was made up of nine people under thirty. After viewing the video, the participants were asked to answer the following questions. The bold numbers indicate the average response or the frequency of each answer chosen. The first group is listed first followed by a slash then the responses of the second group (group 1 I group 2.) Group 1, was first to review the movie was not asked questions #8, #9, and #10. These questions were added to the second questionnaire because it was thought that the original questions were inadequate.
1. Age: 61 [25.56
2. Sex: 3 males, 2 females I seven males, 2 females
3. On a scale of 1-5, how interesting was the movie (5 = very interesting)? 4.2 I 3.5
4. What aspect was most interesting (check one)? Characters: 60% I 22% Plot : 40% I 22% Theme: 0% I 22% Dialogue: 0% I 33%
5. What aspect was least interesting? Characters: 0% I 11 % Plot: 0% I 56% Theme: 40% I 11% Dialogue: 60% I 11%
6. On a scale of 1-5, how humorous was the movie (5 = very humorous)? 4 I 3.4
7. What aspect was most humorous? Characters: 60% I 1 1 % Dialogue: 0% I 33% Situations: 40% I 56%
8. On a scale of 1-5, how effectively did the opening scene grab your attention? (5 = very effectively)? Not asked I 3.5
46 9. Did the ending make sense to you? Not asked I 100% yes
10. On a scale of 1-5, how well did the ending wrap up the movie (5 = very effectively)? Not asked I 3.83
11. On a sale of 1-5, How easy was the story to follow? (5 = very easy to follow) 4.4 I 5
12. On a sale of 1-5, how did the movie relate to your life or that of someone you know? (1 = not at all I 5 = a lot) 3 I 3.78
13. Would you want to see the movie again? 80% yes I 78% yes
14. Would you tell a friend that the movie was worth watching? 100% yes! 100% yes
Write any further comments on the back of this sheet. Thank you.
47 APPENDIX C
Screenplay for Cupid’s Dead by: Michael J. Alexander
FADE IN
INT. BEDROOM-MORNING
We see a man in his early twenties dressing in the bedroom of an apartment. His name is ROB. R08 is slipping on a pair of pants, buttoning a dress shirt, and then tying a necktie while conversing with his roommate FREDDY who is moving about the apartment. FREDDY has on a bathing suit and is carrying a towel. As ROB finishes with his tie, FREDDY comes into the room.
FREDDY Is that what you’re wearing?
ROB It is a job interview, Freddy, most people wear a shirt and tie.
FREDDY Yeah but, Rob, it’s a part-time job, not a law firm.
ROB I know, but if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right, don’t you think? And besides, I really need I need some extra money.
FREDDY Why? You already work at that restaurant, you don’t have a girlfriend, its summer, and you’re a college kid. You’re supposed to be broke. That’s how you learn the important lessons.
ROB Well, I hate working at the restaurant and I’d rather Ieam my life lessons with a little money in my pocket. Not everyone can scam money off people for Internet service like you.
48 FREDDY Hey, I make money the old fashion way. I let sophisticated machines do all the work. What’s this interview for again.
ROB picks up a folded newspaper and reads off the page.
ROB It says, “Activists, make money while helping out the environment, up to two hundred dollars a week part-time.”l can be an activist, I have half a politiml science degree lying around.
FREDDY You know what that’s gonna be, door to door solicitation. You’ll hate it.
ROB It’s not so terrible in the summer. It’s better than sittin' in your room behind your computer, tech-boy.
FREDDY reacts with a look of disdain
FREDDY I think Charles worked for one of those a couple years ago. He said it was like a cult or something, always spreading the message.
ROB Well, trust me, I let you know if I’m gonna shave my head and shed my testicles
FREDDY Well, if your working with environmentalists, shouldn’t you dress casual then, like jeans and a flannel.
ROB I think that’s a bit stereotypical. I can care about the environment and look professional.
49 FREDDY Oh, relax Mr. Bond. I don’t think that your Gap khakis and one your dad’s ties will impress them too much.
ROB ponders his choice of apparel for a moment. Then takes off the tie.
ROB Maybe, you’re right. I don’t even know how to tie this thing anyway.
FREDDY There you go. Well, I’m out. Have fun with the tree huggers.
ROB Where are you headed?
FREDDY Robbie, I’ll be down at the pool scopin’ the babes.
ROB Ah, yeah, ogling high school girls. Another tough day at the office for Freddy.
FREDDY leaves the apartment.
INT. OFFICE-MORNING
ROB looks at his watch as he steps inside an office building. He is now wearing a white polo shirt and khakis. He walks down the hallway and looks at a directory sign. He traces his finger down the list stopping at Enviro Action. It is located in room 105. ROB walks down the hall and stops at room 105A. He opens the door and is shocked to find three odd men staring at him just inside the door.
ROB (awkwardly) Is this Enviro Action?
The three men look disappointed. ODD MAN #1 points down the hall to the next door
ODD MAN #1 1058.
50 ROB walks to the next door. It is marked 105B. Inside, a sign reads Enviro Action. There are maps and brochures on the walls and several plants. He walks in to find a number or young men and women. All are dressed up except for one stunning blonde her name is JAIME. ROB sits down in a chair next to JAIME. He looks her over a bit and smiles. JAIME looks at R08 and smiles as he sits.
JAIME I’m glad to see that not everyone’s taking this so seriously.
ROB chuckles as a man and woman enters the room. The man’s name is GARY. He is in his late twenties. He’s wearing a plaid shirt and jeans, glasses, and is sporting a goat-tee. He also has a stack of papers in his hand. The woman’s name is NANCY she sits down in one of the chairs. ROB listens, but his attention is focused mostly on JAIME.
GARY Welcome to Enviro Action. I’m glad to see that so many young people care about the world around us and want to help protect it. My name is Gary Gartner and I’m the staff manager for this office. This is Nancy Walker, the assistant staff manager. The job that you are applying for today entails spreading the message and making the community aware of the planet’s needs and asking for donations to our cause.
GARY begins to pass out some applications to all of the people in the room.
GARY(cont'd) These are some applications. Please fill them out. When you finish, Nancy and I will talk with each of you individually.
The people begin to fill out the paperwork. We notice that ROB’s pen does not work. He asks JAIME to borrow hers as she finishes her sheet.
ROB Excuse me, can I borrow your pen. Mine isn’t working.
JAIME (smiling) Sure, I just finished.
ROB grabs the pen and finishes his sheet. He hands the pen back to JAIME.
51 ROB Thanks a lot.
JAIME No problem. I think you missed a line though.
ROB fills in a blank line.
ROB Thanks. My name’s Rob.
JAIME Jaime. Nice to meet you.
ROB How did you hear about this job.
JAIME My friend works here. I needed some extra money and she gets extra pay if she recruits more people.
ROB Are you a student here?
JAIME I just transferred here from Harmon College.
ROB Did you say Harmon College?
JAIME Yeah.
ROB That’s in New York right?
JAIME nods affirmatively.
ROB A friend of mine went there.
JAIME What’s his name?
52 ROB Her name was Trish Vinsen
JAIME No way, that was my roomate freshman year. We’re good friends.
ROB That’s an amazing coincidence. Did you meet her boyfriend
JAIME Andy?
ROB Yeah, I played soccer with him when I was little.
JAIME . This is weird, like fate or something. Maybe we’ll be working together.
ROB Yeah, that’d be great.
ROB and JAIME continue to talk as the people in the room slowly dwindle. ROB, JAIME, and only one other person remains in the room. GARY returns and comes up to ROB.
GARY Rob Fowler.
ROB That’s me
GARY I believe it’s your turn.
ROB (looking at JAIME) Well, there’s really no hurry.
GARY Oh, we’ll be quick. Come on.
ROB smiles at JAIME and reluctantly leaves the room. A while later, ROB returns to the room to find JAIME gone. ROB turns to the one remaining applicant.
53 ROB Hey, where did the girl that was sitting here go?
APPLICANT She interviewed with Nancy and then she left.
We see the disappointment on ROB’s face.
INT. APARTMENT-DAY
ROB’s voice carries on from the previous scene. He is now talking to FREDDY in their apartment. FREDDY is sitting on the couch reading Seventeen Magazine. ROB is pacing.
ROB I couldn’t believe she was gone.l asked her out and everything.
FREDDY Well, what about the job?
ROB Oh, ldon’t care about the job. I’m not gonna sell shit door to door. I just focussed on the girl the whole time.
FREDDY What’s so big about her.
ROB We had so much in common. She was so hot and she has such a great personality.
FREDDY Rob, there are forty thousand people at this school, half are women and half of that are ugly women. There’s at least five thousand hot ones runnin’ around.
ROB What’s your point. FREDDY My point is odds are, you’ll meet a good looking woman with a great personality everyday. Why scorn yourself over this one.
ROB Because it was like fate that we met.
FREDDY on not this again.
ROB I’m serious. In three years here I’ve bounced around from girl to girl looking for something, anything resembling romance and I haven’t found it
FREDDY So keep trying. You’re bound to find love somewhere.
ROB Look, there is not old fashion way anymore. Its all on-line chats, and the dating game, sexual harassment. Fate is all we have left that’s still worth anything.
FREDDY What about Katie, you said that was fate?
ROB Well, it was. I mean we first met in Cancun. The girl grew up two blocks away from me and I never knew her. I had to meet her three thousand miles from home in a bar filled with nine hundred people.
FREDDY Oh, come on, you always talk about your cosmic feelings and where do they get you? You guys broke up a year ago when she shacked up with that male cheerleader. She obviously didn’t share the same opinion. You have to make your own luck, Rob.
55 ROB Well, it would have been nice to find out about this Jamie girl, that’s all I’m saying.
INT. APARTMENT-DAY
Skip to a few days later. We see ROB napping on the couch. There is a newspaper lying on top of him. We hear a knock on the door. ROB is slow to get up. He looks at the newspaper which is turned to the horoscope section. The words, “Check the stars today” are written on the newspaper. We hear another series of knocks. ROB walks over the door and opens it to find JAIME pulling papers out of a bag.
JAIME Hello sir, my name is...
JAIME and R08 look at eachother, stunned.
JAIME Hi.
ROB Hey, Jaime right?
JAIME Yes. It was Rob?
ROB Yeah, come in.
JAIME walks into the apartment.
ROB What are you doing here?
JAIME I’m selling, in mean working for Enviro Action. You’re on my route.
ROB Oh, you took that job.
JAIME Yeah, I decided to. Why didn’t you?
ROB Well, I thought it sounded stupid Rob corrects himself.
ROB (cont'd) I don’t mean stupid. I just got another offer. I was tempted though.
JAIME Really, you should have taken it. It’s pretty fun.
ROB I wanted to talk to you after the interview, but you were gone when I got out.
JAIME Yeah, sorry, I was in a hurry.
ROB Well, let’s hear your pitch.
ROB and JAIME share a look. We then see the two leaving the apartment laughing.
JAIME Well, you have my number, give me a call. We’ll have lunch.
ROB Okay, it was great to see you. Good luck with the environment.
JAIME Well, you can always help out if you want.
The two smile at eachother and JAIME leaves. ROB goes back inside as FREDDY comes out of the bedroom with a carton of milk.
FREDDY Who the hell was that?
ROB That was Jaime an absolute sign from God. Is that my milk?
FREDDY looks at the milk. ROB shakes his head.
FREDDY Jaime who?
57 ROB Jaime, the girl from the activist place. Can you believe that she actually showed up here?
FREDDY Yes, you gave them your address. You didn’t buy anything?
ROB No.
FREDDY Well, you’ll never see her again then.
ROB No, we’re going out sometime.
FREDDY Here we go again.
ROB I’m going to the store.
FREDDY Could you get some more milk?
ROB walks out of the apartment. There is a pretty, young girl about 15 years old in the hallway. She is dressed casually. Her name is MISSY.
MISSY Hello, is Freddy in there?
ROB just nods his head and points into the apartment. MISSY walks into the apartment. We hear FREDDY greet her in the background.
INT. APARTMENT-NIGHT
We see ROB in on the couch about to pick up the phone. FREDDY is also sitting watchin the television.
FREDDY Who are you calling?
ROB I’m callin’ Jaime?
58 FREDDY Who?
ROB Jaime, the activist girl who showed up at the door the other day. Don’t you remember anyone’s name?
FREDDY No, Who could remember all the girls you dated. ljust give ’em all nicknames. There was the elevator girl, the one that giggled during sex, the crazy one.
ROB Which one was that?
FREDDY Yeah, I guess there were a few crazy ones.
ROB Ha, ha. What are you watching?
FREDDY It’s the ah, Miss Teen USA pagent.
ROB shakes his head and dials the number from a piece of paper. It rings a few times and then the answering machine picks up. It is a man’s voice.
ANSWERING MACHINE We’re not home right now, but leave us a message and one of us will call you back.
ROB slams down the phone without leaving a message. He re-dials and again hangs up after the message.
FREDDY What are you hanging up on her?
ROB No, the machine. I wanted to make sure it was the right number. There were no names on the machine, just a guys voice. I hate that.
59 FREDDY You know, it was probably her boyfriend.
ROB You think. No, she never said anything about that.
FREDDY Okay, I guess you’ll find out.
ROB picks up the phone again and dials.
ROB This time. I’m leaving a message anyway.
ROB is surprised as a woman’s voice picks up on the other line.
ROB Is Jaime there?
JAIME (voice over) This is Jaime.
ROB Hey, this is ROB
JAIME Hi.
ROB l was calling to see if you wanted to get some lunch tomorrow.
JAIME Sure, where should we meet.
We see ROB jumping up and down for joy.
INT. RESTAURANT-DAY
We see ROB sitting by himself in a booth. We then see JAIME walk in, wave, and sit down next to him. We see the two talking over food. They are laughing and smiling at each other. After the food is gone we join in on their conversation.
JAIME And he actually bought it?
60 ROB Yeah. I could just always sell someone.
JAIME So you cook at a restraunt?
ROB Yeah, but I think I gonna quit.
JAIME I wish someone would cook for me.
ROB No one at your house cooks at all.
JAIME Well, Todd and l whip stuff up sometimes.
ROB Who’s Todd?
JAIME That’s one of my roomates.
ROB (releaved) Oh, you’re roomate. Is that him on the answering machine?
JAIME Yeah why?
ROB Oh nothing, ljust thought that it was a boyfriend or something.
JAIME laughs a bit and so does ROB.
JAIME No, Todd’s not my boyfriend. My boyfriend’s name is Remy.
We see the horror and surprise on ROB face.
INT. APARTMENT-DAY
FREDDY is sitting on the couch. ROB is pacing inside the apartment.
61 ROB Can you believe it, a boyfriend? Why does she have lunch with a total stranger if she’s taken. I’m interesting and I’ve got a good sense of humor, but she can’t need a friend that bad.
FREDDY So what are you gonna do?
ROB I don’t know. I’m not gonna try and steal another guy’s girl. I had such a good time with her though.
FREDDY I agree, leave it alone. Unless he’s like a drunk or a real asshole or something.
There is a brief pause.
FREDDY Well, hey I’ve got to get some work done.
ROB Yeah, I’m gonna be late to the restaurant.
FREDDY goes into his bedroom. ROB walks out the door to find MISSY walking towards him again. She is in a bikini this time. She walks by him into the apartment.
MISSY Hi, Robbie.
INT. APARTMENT-NIGHT
ROB walks into the apartment. He looks exhausted. We see that there is a message on the answering machine. ROB presses the button. We hear a message from his mom and then from his dad. We then hear JAIME’s voice.
JAIME (on machine) Hey Rob, this is Jaime. l was just wondering if you’ld like to meet me at Larabee’s. My boyfriend’s band is playing around 11:00. If not give me a call tomorrow. Bye.
62 ROB looks at his watch. I shows 11:45. FREDDY comes out of the bedroom with no shirt on. He is holding a camera and pulling out a roll of film.
FREDDY (laughing) Hey, I heard that message earlier. That sounds bad.
ROB stays still, thinking.
FREDDY Oh, you’re not thinking of going are you?
ROB Why, not? You said it yourself, maybe the boyfriend in an asshole. If I’m nice enough for long enough, maybe I might be in.
FREDDY This sounds real bad.
ROB Why? I’m always doing the right thing and its gotten me nowhere. Why not try this?
FREDDY You’re way too optomistic.
ROB What’s wrong with that?
ROB takes off his current shirt.
FREDDY Nothing, but when you expect everything to work you overlook those situations bound to turn out bad.
ROB I’m going. This is meant to work out for me. -
ROB gets up and walks into the hallway towards his room.
63 FREDDY Ya, go get pretty. You're diggin’ your own grave. By the way, do you know the best place to get pictures developed? INT. LARABEE’S NIGHTCLUB-NIGHT
We see ROB walk into a night club. There is a band on stage playing cover tunes. The patrons are college age people. ROB sees JAIME sitting by herself
JAIME Hi Rob, sit down. I’m so glad you came. My roomate Laura took off on me. I’m here all alone.
ROB Well, except for your boyfriend.
JAIME Yeah, but he’s on stage.
ROB I guess. How is work going.
JAIME It’s fine, I really enjoy it. I make good money and I get to help out the environment.
ROB It sounds great. I always wanted a cause to fight for. I strongly believe that I’m destined to do something important.
JAIME I admire that. Remy just loves to play with his band. He doesn’t even have real job.
We see a look of encouragement on ROB face. The two sit back and watch the band as they have a drink We then see the two dancing together. INT. JAIME’S HOUSE-NIGHT
ROB, JAIME, and REMY make their way into the house. There are a few other people their drinking. JAIME Thanks for driving us home, would you like to come for a drink.
ROB Well, actually, I should get going.
JAIME At least come in and see the house.
ROB Sure, Is it okay if I park at the end of the driveway.
JAIME Yeah, that’s fine.
The three walk into the house.
JAIME As you can see, the guys of the house did the decorating.
REMY goes into the bathroom drunk as hell. JAIME begins to introduce ROB to the other people. ROB starts drinking a beer by himself while REMY begins to make an ass of himself. The other people just laugh. ROB begins to head toward JAIME who is by the door.
ROB Jaime, I think I’m gonna take off.
JAIME Really, that’s too bad.
JAIME gives ROB a hug and a smile. REMY notices ROB leaving.
REMY Are you Ieavin’ my man?
REMY leaps over the couch toward ROB, but he catches his foot and smashes his head into the coffee table. All the people turn and look. JAIME screams.
REMY I’m okay. I’m all right.
ROB and JAIME rush to REMY’s aide. He has blood all over his face, but appears not to be in pain. JAIME leans over him.
65 JAIME Grab something for his face.
ROB looks around, but can find nothing. He finally grabs a woman’s magazine with a model on the front. REMY rubs his bloody face on ROB’s shirt. ROB applies the magazine to REMY’s face. REMY looks at the magazine. He looks a bit woozy.
REMY Damn, she’s hot.
Some other people hand JAIME a towel.
JAIME We’ve got to get him to the hospital. Who drove?
JAIME looks around the room and then at ROB. ROB realizes that his car is at the end of the driveway.
JAIME Rob, will you drive us?
ROB I ah, ah.
JAIME Please, you’re blocking everyone else in and you’re the only one sober. Please.
INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM-NIGHT
We see ROB sitting in the waiting room of a hospital as JAIME and REMY are rushed into through some doors. ROB looks exhausted. He looks to the side and sees a burn next to him. ROB says nothing he just turns away and puts his head in his hands. We see some time pass. ROB walks up to the NURSE at the desk.
ROB Excuse me. I was wondering if you could tell me about my friend?
NURSE (annoyed) Name?
ROB Remy.
66 NURSE Last name?
ROB (unsure) I don’t know.
NURSE Sounds like a close friend.
ROB He went in about an hour ago with a bloody face.
NURSE Look son, we got two gunshot victims and a truckload of clowns in here all with food poisoning.
We hear a clown horn in the background. The NURSE puts her head in her hands.
NURSE I don’t have time to find your drunk friend. Please have a seat.
ROB sits down. He lifts his head looks at the clock and sighs. He feels something strange so he turns to his right and sees a clown smiling. He turns away, and then turns back
ROB Are you okay?
The clown stares at ROB. Suddenly, he vomits all over him. ROB gives no real reaction. He just closes his eyes.
INT. APARTMENT-LATE NIGHT
We see ROB and FREDDY sitting in the apartment.
FREDDY Man, if you had a pick-up truck you could write a country song.
ROB Ha, funny.
67 FREDDY Did she ever come out?
ROB No. I waited for a while then the nurse told me that they’ld left earlier.
FREDDY So, what now. Are you gonna call her?
ROB I don’t know. She didn’t seem to care too much about me sitting in the waiting room as a vomit target for demented clowns. But, I can’t believe that she dates that idiot. He’s the kind of guy they make fun of in the movies.
FREDDY Well, she owes you one if you ever hear from her again.
ROB That’s true. At least it couldn’t get any worse. What are you still doing up?
FREDDY Rob, when you sleep til 2 everyday you tend to stay up late.
EXT. PARKING LOT-DAY
We see ROB outside in the parking lot of his complex. He is kneeling by the backseat of his car washing it out with a brush and a bucket. We an see the disgust on his face and in his actions. We hear a phone ring. ROB picks up a portable phone and says, “Hello.”
JAIME (voice over) Is Rob there?
ROB Yeah, this is Rob.
ROB continues to clean the car with the phone on his ear.
68 JAIME Hi, Rob this is Jaime. I want to thank you for last night and to apologize.
ROB It’s okay. I everyone all right.
JAIME Yeah, I’m just so embarrassed. Can I buy you dinner tonight?
ROB shows his disgust with the mess he is cleaning.
ROB Well, food is the furthest thing from my mind right now.
JAIME Please, I really want to make it up to you.
ROB Well, I guess.
JAIME Great, just come on over at seven.
ROB All right, bye.
ROB hangs up the phone. He pauses for a second, takes a deep breath and continues cleaning. He is still very disgusted. He stops brushing.
INT. HALLWAY-NIGHT
We see ROB walking out of the apartment. He looks a bit upset. He is buttoning the same grey flannel shirt that he wore previously to meet Jamie. We see FREDDY walk into the hall in swim trunks and a towel.
FREDDY Where are you off to?
ROB Jaime’s taking me to dinner.
FREDDY Is the boyfriend coming along. Maybe it his birthday.
69 ROB No, just us. And hey thanks a lot. I have to wear this shirt again. You left a pen in your pocket in the wash.
FREDDY Well that might be your lucky shirt.
ROB It hasn’t been yet.
INT. JAIME'S HOUSE-NIGHT
We see ROB knocking on the door to JAIME’s house. The door is answered by LAURA
LAURA What do you want?
ROB Is Jaime home? I’m Rob.
LAURA Oh, yeah. She’s upstairs. Second door on the right.
We see ROB move up the stairs. He trips on the way up. We than see ROB come to a door. He knocks on the door. We can hear music inside.
JAIME (from inside the room) Come in.
ROB opens the door and walks into the room. JAIME turns to face the door. She has on a pair of panties and no top. She is holding up a bra.
JAIME Laura, is bra mine or yours...
JAIME sees ROB standing there. She smiles and is not embarrassed. She goes back into the bathroom like nothing happened.
JAIME Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were Laura.
ROB Um, that’s all right.
70 JAIME Just let me put some pants on and we can go.
INT. RESTAURANT-NIGHT
We see R08 and JAIME talking in a restaurant.
ROB No really is okay. Remy’s a pretty cool guy I guess. I remember my first beer. And I always wanted to see an emergency room at 3am. May I ask why you guys are still going out?
JAIME Hey, I have to go to the ladies room. Could you order me another beer?
JAIME gets up and walks away. ROB sips his beer and rolls his eyes.
EXT. STREET-NIGHT
We see JAIME and ROB walking on the street.
ROB Hey, thanks for dinner.
JAIME It was my pleasure. I like hanging out with you. We should get lunch tomorrow. Come by Enviro Action at noon. You can meet some friends
ROB Okay.
We hear a voice in the distance. We then see REMY walk over to them. He has bandages on his face and a black eye. He is wearing a loud shirt and pants.
REMY Hey, guys. Laura said you might be around here.
ROB has no reaction. JAIME and REMY kiss.
71 REMY Rob, I’m glad that I found you. I wanted to...
ROB Yeah, yeah it’s all right, Jaime already told me how sorry you are and everything.
REMY Oh, yeah, whatever. Actually, I wanted to ask you what you thought of our band.
JAIME Remy, you guys are great everyone thinks so.
REMY Isn’t she great?
ROB (Sarcastically) Uh huh.
REMY So what about it Rob. Don’t we have a great sound?
ROB You guys are a cover band.
REMY Yeah.
ROB Well, then your sound is actually someone else’s sound.
REMY But we rock, right.
ROB (sarcastically) You rock.
Three men walk by ROB, REMY, and JAIME. One guy bumps REMY and appologizes.
72 REMY What the fuck. I’m walkin’ here.
BRAWLER #1 Well watch where your walkin'.
REMY I can walk wherever I want asshole.
The three men stop and approach REMY. JAIME grabs REMY’s shoulder.
ROB (to Remy) Leave it alone man...
ROB(cont'd) (to main brawler) Just keep going. There’s no problem.
Brawler #1 looks at ROB and stares down REMY. He gives a look of disdain to REMY then begins to turn away. Suddenly, REMY swings and misses, then jumps on BRAWLER #1.
ROB Oh, shit.
JAIME screams and tries to grab REMY. ROB grabs her as another man jumps on ROB and all tumble to the ground. Suddenly, police lights flash and everyone looks up from the ground. Two of the men run off. REMY grabs JAIME and runs off two. The third man gets up off ROB. As ROB rises to his feet the man punches him in the stomach. ROB falls as the men run off.
POLICEMAN Don’t move, stay right there.
ROB raises a hand in the air as he winces. The police approach and stand over ROB.
POLICEMAN Another drunken college kid. Let’s take him in.
ROB still winces on the ground.
ROB (in pain) Ouch.
73 INT. APARTMENT-MORNING
We see ROB sitting in the chair the next day. He has his head in his hands. FREDDY and MISSY are sitting on the couch listening.
ROB Eight hours in the drunk tank.
FREDDY Did you meet anybody special?
ROB Fuck you man, this sucks. I’ve gone out with her twice and both times something fucked up has happened. Things never go right.
MISSY Wow, you should write a country song or something.
The two guys stare at her for a second.
ROB Why are you here?
MISSY gets up, smiles at FREDDY and leaves.
FREDDY Why don’t you just grow some balls and tell her off. It’s not meant to be.
ROB Well, I guess nothing’s meant to be. I always get killed in the end?
FREDDY That’s not how it’s supposed to be. Relationships aren’t supposed to be hard or easy. They're supposed to be interesting. That’s the fun of it. Man, don’t make it a poison.
There’s a brief pause.
FREDDY So what are you gonna do?
74 ROB I’m goin’ down to that tree huggin’ hangout and tell her how I feel.
FREDDY Oh, you need some more milk again and some beer and pretzels. INT. OF F ICE-DAY
We see ROB walk into the offices of Enviro Action. He sees JAIME sorting through some papers. She sees him and walks over.
JAIME Hey, I knew you’ld remember lunch today. What happened to you last night?
ROB It’s not important, can I talk to you.
JAIME Yeah, I’m ready to go. Let me go get Gary.
ROB Gary?
JAIME Yeah, you remember Gary; I thought we’d all go out and chat.
ROB No really, Jaime, I’d like to talk to you alone.
JAIME What’s wrong?
ROB Look, I spent last night in jail after getting the shit kicked out of me. The night before, I was bled on, puked on, and my car still smells like hell. Why, because of you.
JAIME Me?
75 ROB I followed you around like a stray dog because I thought there was a chance, even a small one of common fate together.
JAIME But, I have a boyfriend.
ROB I know, I kept thinking maybe she likes me, maybe we simply connected, maybe cupid hit us both. I don’t care anymore. Boyfriend, relationships, fate, fuck it.
JAIME Rob.
ROB I just want to know why in God’s name you’re hangin’ out with me.
JAIME Rob, I’m sorry. You don’t understand. I just wanted to get you to work here, for Enviro Action. You see, I get an extra 75 dollars a week for each person I recruit. You see it’s really a great job.
Rob is stunned. JAIME hands ROB a brochure. We see GARY walk over to them. He puts his hand on JAIME’s shoulder.
GARY Is he coming with us, my dear.
INT. APARTMENT-DAY.
We see ROB and FREDDY in the apartment. We hear the shower running in the background. FREDDY She wanted to hire you?
ROB Yeah. She gets more money that way.
FREDDY What is this a record club?
76 ROB I guess it can’t get anymore interesting than this. Are you going out?
FREDDY No, I got some work to do.
We hear a woman’s voice come from the shower.
ROB Who the hell’s in the shower, not the teenie bopper.
We see a gorgeous woman walk out of the shower wearing a towel around her body and one on her head. Her name is MAGGIE.
MAGGIE Thanks for letting me use the shower, Freddy. I’ll see you tonight
MAGGIE leaves the apartment.
ROB Who is that?
FREDDY Oh, that’s Missy’s sister, Maggie. We’re going out later.
ROB How the hell did you swing that sitting around here all day.
FREDDY You just need to figure out how to play the game, my friend. I told you. You make your own luck.
FADE OUT.
77 BIBLIOGRAPHY
78 Bibliography
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Corliss, Richard. “Blair Witch Craft,” lime. Aug. 16 1999 (vol. 154, no. 7.) pp. 58- 63.
Gaspard, John and Dale Newton. Persistence of Vision: An lmpractical Guide to Producing a Feature Film for Under $30,000. Studio City, Ck Michael Wiese Productions, 1996.
Gore, Chris. The Ultimate Guide Film Festival Survival Guide. Los Angeles: Lone Eagle Publishing Co., 1999.
Harmon, Renee. Film Producing: Low Budget Films That Sell. Hollywood, CA: Samuel French Trade, 1988.
Mast, Gerald. The Comic Mind: Comedy and the Movies (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979.
Merritt, Greg. Celluloid Mavericks: A History of American Independent Film. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2000.
Merritt, Greg. Film Production: The Complete Uncensored Guide to Filmmaking. Los Angeles: Lone Eagle Publishing Company, LLC, 1998.
Neale, Steve and Frank Kutnik. Popular Film and Television Comedy. London: Routledge, 1990.
Ressner, Jeffrey. “They Believed in Magic,” “lime. Aug. 16 1999 (vol. 154, no. 7) pp. 63.
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79 Wing, George. “Beyond Exhibition: The Changing Face of Film Festivals,” Moviemaker. July/Aug. 1999 (vol. VI, no. 34) pp. 36-39.
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80 lllsllllll2 CHIGAN lllllllllllllllzll STATE UNIV. lll IllllllllllLlllllllll LIBRAR