Typical Day
INT. CHEAP STUDIO APARTMENT – DAY
JUSTIN FILMSKULL, a skinny young scribe barely out of pimples, who’s been living on Ramen Noodles and Diet Coke far too long sits at his desk, staring at his trust, old laptop waiting for inspiration to hit that will take him from his thrilling first act, complete with incendiary action on page 27 to his second act plot point on page 30. It’s almost noon and Justin has been staring at the screen for the past two hours, waiting for the words to pour forth from his fingertips between watching his DVR of last night’s “Walking Dead” episode. (Justin is writing a zombie movie musical that’s a cross between The Walking Dead, 28 Days Later and Annie with a mutant zombie squirrel named Sandy instead of a dog.
He has introduced his characters: his Academy Award winning protagonist, his aging former Hollywood A-lister antagonist, a sexy, newcomer love interest, a part written in for his cousin like he promised, a part written in for a hot chick with girlfriend potential, who will fall madly in love with him once she reads screenplay.
His setting is fresh, exciting and can easily be shot in Canada in one or two locations. All he needs now is an exciting second act. He checks into Facebook, looks at a few funny cat videos; posts his political opinions on fracking and an old selfie of himself from back in college. He has a great thought, genius even, that will solve everything – just as he’s about to write it down the phone rings. Maybe it’s his agent, calling to tell him the spec script that was a semi-quarterfinalist at the Nicholl’s has sold for 6 figures. He answers, excited. This could be it.
It’s just his MOTHER. She asks him if he’s been showering regularly. He lies and says he has.
INT. CHEAP STUDIO APARTMENT – LATER THAT DAY
MONTAGE OF SHOTS
Justin writing furiously, not on his script, but rather his interpretation of the inner themes of David Lynch’s 2001 seminal masterpiece Mulholland Drive. It’ll make a swell entry to his blog.
Justin walking his wire haired terrier, PICA, out for strolls in his neighborhood.
Justin stares at the blank page endlessly.
Justin flips through Time Warner Classic movies on the TV.
Justin clips his toenails, examining them for gnarliness.
Justin plays nerf basketball at his desk, he always misses.
Justin writes a sentence of two of his screenplay, then deletes it.
Justin eating Ramen noodles, drinks coke classic, burps, tosses the Nerf ball at his dog who looks painfully bored and doesn’t even go after it.
The computer shows Justin’s screenplay, exactly on the same page as he left it.
EXT. STARBUCKS CAFÉ –NIGHT
Hoping to find some renewed inspiration, Justin has set up shop at his neighborhood Starbucks, where he spends his last $5 on an overly sweet, non-fat espresso drink with enough caffeine and sugar to put a diabetic into a coma.
CLOSEUP ON HIS FACE
Yum, it’s good.
PULL BACK TO REVEAL
Justin sitting with his computer opened, chatting to a couple of hot looking girls.
HOT GIRL #1
Are you writing a book?
JUSTIN
No, a screenplay.
HOT GIRL #2
Wow, you’re a screenwriter. Would we have seen
anything you’ve written?
Justin flashes a handsome smile.
JUSTIN
Not yet, but any day now I’m expecting a call
from my agent.
HOT GIRL #1
Oh, we only talk to real writers who have stuff
produced and all.
The two hot girls take off with their latte’s to talk to someone more successful. Hot Girl #2 calls out to him on the way.
HOT GIRL #2
Good luck with your script.
JUSTIN
Thanks.
When they leave, he once again checks his Facebook and Twitter pages and manages to write two lines of dialogue for act 2. Oh well, it’s a start.
INT. JUSTIN’S APARTMENT – LATER
Justin stares at his script but inspiration is not coming to him. After having a bowl of Ramen noodles he settles down to watch a Scorsese marathon on cable and call it a night until tomorrow, when he knows he’ll finish that script and get the call elevating him to fame and fortune.