Monday, March 14, 2011

My Script

SCENE 1:  THE APPLICATION

We briefly see a woman run out the door of a 4 story condo building on an urban street (wide shot)

Cut to close-up shot of her Ugg boots running quickly down the sidewalk.  We catch site of an envelope in her hand.

Cut to shot of busy four-way intersection.  Uggs stop to wait for cars.

Wide shot of the woman dodging traffic (a car honks at her as she steps back to avoid getting hit).  Cut back to the Uggs.  We hear her heavy breathing.

Next shot is of her wrist watch...it is 5:27.  Back to Uggs.  Cut to shot of her hand on a door with a sign "School office hours 7:30-5:30pm.

END SCENE
                                               
SCENE 2:  THE ASSESSMENT

Wide shot of a large brick building, obviously an old-school academy-type building, with two sets of stairs leading up to the large entrance.  Establishing shot of a school administrator's office.  We see shots of a chalkboard, child's desk, table and chairs, and a hopscotch rug.

The administrator is sitting with a child at the table.  We see the mother about to sit down in a chair in the corner of the room.

Administrator:  "Yes, please have a seat.  You can be present for the assessment."

Mom:  (smiles)

Administrator (to the child):  "Would you like to do this puzzle with me?"

Mom:  (can't help butting in):  "Patrick, of course you can do that puzzle.  Put the tiger in the correct place."

Administrator:  "What kind of animal is this?"  (pointing to a puzzle piece)

Child:  "This is a baby puzzle"

Administrator:  "Ok, let's do something else. Look what I have"  she says as she waves a baggie filled with a half-dozen worn down crayons

Child:  (not impressed)  "I use markers."  And he heads for the door.

Mom:  raises shoulders, tilt head "I guess it's not his best time of day?"

END SCENE
                                             
SCENE 3:  THE INTERVIEW

We are in the same school as scene 2, just different office, the admissions office.

Same Mom as above sitting next to her husband.  We cut to a nameplate on the desk in the room, it simply says "Admissions Director"

Husband picks up a school news letter on the coffee table dividing them.

Husband:  "Who is this guy, he looks familiar?"

Admissions Dir:  "The Headmaster of the school"

Mom:  laughs nervously and smooths her hair with one hand

END SCENE
_________________________
SCENE 4:  THE PLAYDATE

We see the mom kneeling down and putting on her daughter's jacket

Mom:  "Where's that hairbow I put in your hair?"

Daughter:  "It doesn't match, I am not wearing it"

Mom:  "It does match, please just wear it"

Daughter:  "NO"

Mom:  "If you wear this hairbow, you can take it off after the playdate."

Daughter:  "NO"

Mom:  getting down face to face with the girl, looking right into her eyes, "If you wear it, you can have that bubble gum tape when you get home."

Daughter:  eyeing her mother with squinty eyes..."Deal"

END SCENE
__________________________

And, if you actually got down to this point and didn't click to a new blog, that may not be so wordy or have pretty photos, you will find that .....

THIS, MY FRIENDS, IS MY ROUGH SCENE OUTLINE FOR A LITTLE SHORT FILM, THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY LIVED OUT, CALLED:

ADMISSIONS:
The preschool and kindergarten application process in Chicago


(cue:  the dramatic score)


4 comments:

Suzanne Anas Jurich said...

ahaha OMG!! I love it!! This made my morning!!

Sooo...are they in??

Allie said...

This is hilarious! Love it xoxo

torrie said...

Love it.

CRAZY, isn't it???

I didn't have to live that film out, but I have friends who have... and I empathized with them!

bestie said...

They got into one school...and now we are considering going public (after all that craziness and an enrollment fee later)...this decision is giving me palpitations on a daily basis. I need help!! Perhaps I should just order up a Home School in a box.