Script Writing

Theme: Love and relationships

Set in an alternate universe where each love you have appears as a red tally mark on your wrist. The tally will turn black if that love is requited and will turn into a scar if that love dies.

EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET – LONDON

We see a large section of street with people walking both ways along it. It’s cold, so everyone is dressed warmly, hats, gloves, the lot. You can see everyone’s breath in the air. A group of girls laughing and talking loudly together walk in from the right and are passed by a girl on her own, headphones on and noticeably trying her best not to come into contact with anyone on the street. Close on her. FELICIA, 15, carries on walking. She appears awkward. Something is making her uncomfortable and her pace is picking up slightly as she nears her home.

INT. FELICIA’S HOUSE – FRONT PORCH/BEDROOM – 22:30

First section of scene begins in the porch of FELICIA’s house as she comes in and hurriedly slams the door, hastily taking off her coat and gloves, hanging them up and then rushing to her room. Her room is moderately sized, with a single bed, walls covered in posters of various bands, animes and TV shows. In the corner is an untidy desk. FELICIA dumps her bag on her bed and makes her way to this area, digs her way through piles of paper and opens a laptop. She is nervously bouncing her right leg as she waits for her laptop to load Skype. Finally, she clicks on a contact, JARED, and calls.

INT. JARED’S ROOM – 17:30 – NEW JERSEY

Not much can be seen of JARED’s room. It’s dark, the curtains are closed and JARED is only lit by the light from his computer screen. He’s playing a horror video game and is at a very tense moment of it. He’s startled and jumps as the Skype ringtone suddenly plays just as a monster runs towards him. He answers the call.

JARED

[GENERIC NEW JERSEY ACCENT] Jesus Christ, Feli, that was bad timing, no, terrible timing! Oh my god…

FELICIA

[GENERIC ENGLISH ACCENT,SOMEWHAT UNNECESSARY EMPHASIS ON CERTAIN SOUNDS] [THROUGH JARED’S SPEAKERS] Woah, are you… Are you okay?

JARED

Am I okay? Am I okay? There I was, playing Black Plague, just started even! The music changes, lights go out, you know I gotta hide, right? Right! So I run into the room and where do I gotta hide? One miniscule overturned table, plus I need to get to the damn medicine cabinet in the corner and, god damn, this is the first time I’ve played this, I ain’t quick enough to do this, but I try anyway. I think I’m just about to do it, then, bam! This crazy lookin’ monster appears, then bam! Skype call! I got terrified, damn it!

FELICIA

[FELICIA CAN BE HEARD SNIGGERING THROUGH JARED’S SPEAKERS] [BETWEEN SNORTS OF LAUGHTER] Sorry, dude!

JARED

Hey, it’s not funny!

FELICIA

[STILL TRYING TO STIFLE LAUGHTER] Okay, okay, I’m sorry!

JARED

Hmph. What’d you call me for anyway?

CUT BACK TO FELICIA’S BEDROOM

FELICIA

Ahh… Well, something happened today and I’m kinda worried… Ahh, more startled than anything…

JARED

…Startled? What happened, Feli? Is it bad?

FELICIA

Well, that’s the thing, I don’t know! I… I got my first tally…

CUT TO JARED. HE SMILES. CUT BACK TO FELICIA.

JARED

[HE SOUNDS DELIGHTED] [THROUGH FELICIA’S SPEAKERS] Feli! That’s great! Wait, what colour is it?

FELICIA

It’s red.

JARED

Aww, my dearest Feli’s in love!

FELICIA

Don’t mock me! I’m older than you! What’s important here is that I have no idea who I’m in love with… And it’s killing me… Well… I have an idea, but I’m sure you wouldn’t be so crazy about the idea.

JARED

…what is it? [PAUSE] Is it that asshole you were seeing last month? Is he back?

FELICIA

Ahh, no, no! It’s… Oh, god, Jared, I… I think it’s you.

Camera focuses on Felicia’s face for a moment. There is an extended tense pause before FELICIA speaks again.

Jared, I’m sorry, I… [SHE PAUSES, LOOKS TO HER WRIST. THE TALLY HAS TURNED BLACK.] Jared… It turned black… 

LOOKING AT DIALOGUE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1giVzxyoclE&spfreload=10 - SE7EN

This scene. Is tense. As heck. The twist is just so well done and the acting is brilliant. This scene as a whole is full of tension and major, major conflict. 'The most important thing is often what's not said' is very apparent in this scene. Events are very strongly hinted at and you probably have to watch the scene twice to really catch onto what went down. 

NOTABLE MENTIONS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MolWhOGhRc - LABYRINTH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_DwZfyXAXI - GOODFELLAS

Non-fiction, autobiographical piece. Theme: place.

It was dark, oh, my, was it dark, and when your eyes don't necessarily adjust well, this can pose a slight problem. It was a good thing I had someone there to guide me. We walked through that darkness, telling each other creepy stories along the way and laughing nervously at the different creaks and cracks we heard from the dense patches of trees on either side of us. These sounds could all be reasonably explained, of course; wildlife seems to thrive during the later hours of the evening. Five minutes flew by, then ten, and under a single dim-lit lamppost, we found what we had been walking for. 

This was our bench. Placed by the side of a winding, concrete pathway, you wouldn't expect it to be blessed with a view that people would climb mountains to find. It's such a simple thing as well, the generic sort of wooden seat you'd find in any suburban park. However, we claimed it as ours and the view, oh, the view was as beautiful as the person I had the pleasure of sharing it with. Behold, all the rolling hills of Swindon's outskirts. Amongst them, old and new architecture battle for dominance over the landscape, with a motorway refereeing and a dual carriageway creating an almost liminal boundary between ourselves and this great fight. The scene is illuminated faintly by the stars of the cloudless sky and the bold full moon accompanying them. On our side of the boundary, our bench is lit only by the single lamppost I mentioned before.

I knew we had surroundings. I knew there were trees to the right of us. I knew that somewhere down the path, there was an underpass that led to the fields we were staring out at. I knew that, behind us, there was yet another large expanse of open space on a steep incline. But, then and there, I swear, they had all disappeared in the same way the people around you disappear in a movie theatre when the film begins. You know they're there, but you don't necessarily need or want to acknowledge them. Right now, they are unnecessary. Right now, you're focused on one thing. I suppose that's why the lamppost felt more like a spotlight and why it felt like we were the only people in the world who could see this. It was all ours. It was our world, our view. This was our bench.

Panic.

My chest still hurts. 

It had been so long. 

And my chest still hurts. 

And my breathing is still slightly stunted. 

And it has been just over a day since.

And my chest.

Still.

Hurts.

Untitled 02

We always write down what we don't want people to hear

Simply because we fear

What they might think

How their opinions might change

If we show them our scars

So we put them behind bars

Hide them

Beneath layers of clothes

Hide them

In opaque glass boxes

Which can only be smashed 

By those who are closest

And boasting

About their lives

They carry hammers

To break you

But never make you

Untitled 01

Late night

Or early morning

No sleep

Watch a movie

Something scary

Something new

Jeepers Creepers

This'll do

Watch carefully 

And listen now

The creature's coming

A song is playing

Desensitised

Why aren't I scared?

Where are the monsters 

Beneath my bed?

Look at the screen

Another's dead

Should this not be playing

With my head?

And how is it

As time went on

I lost the strength 

To watch

With what?

With apathy

So I cannot see

The blood and gore

In front of me.

Sometimes it's fine

But the news gets worse

And so do I

Unconscious Thoughts I 

Oh, grey world
I saw a glimpse of green today
And the words on my page 
Are tinted blue
I like my new pen
And trees are so beautiful