Special Fish

finished first cut

SPECIAL FISH [pre-production]

last update: tuesday nov 6th at 10:55pm
type of update: Major
-posted cast photos and location shots
-posted shooting schedule
-posted videos to illustrate the character of K.C.
-posted a heavily revised version of the script (read through it please! i'll get you all printed copies soon)
-posted a rough synopsis (below the videos) to provide the actors and actress with a clearer understanding of the intended message and content behind the story


Cast members:

Louis Giberson [GARY]


Julie Odell [ALISON]


Jordan Epperson [K.C.]


Jordan, think of Tom Cruise's role in Magnolia. I can't think of a better example than this for getting yourself into character to play K C. check it out:


also there's that douche pickup artist named Mystery. here's some vids of him:

then on the flip side of all that bullshit, there's the science of attraction and of why we don't reproduce asexually all from an evolutionary perspective, which is what the characters Alison and Gary stand for in the end.

so these two completely different perspectives of sex and gender are in such contrast to one another that all it takes are these subtle actions and words from Alison or Gary in the script to subvert not just K.C.'s methods but even bigger issues of how society has constructed the perception of male and female over time and how these gender-specific roles are entirely problematic.


below are the hours each cast member has said they have available to be on set:
(please notify me ASAP if any of this is inaccurate)

Julie - Saturday and Sunday

Louis - Friday
Saturday (minus about 3 hours to shoot his movie)
Sunday before 5

Jordan - Friday after 3
Saturday before 1 and after 9
Sunday after 2


Proposed Shooting Schedule:

Scene 1 [all cast members: MCA] - Sunday between about 3 and 6

part of Scene 3 [Jordan and Louis: APARTMENT] - Friday night from dark (6ish?) until midnight or possibly a bit later, depending on how we all feel

Scene 2 and the rest of Scene 3 [all cast: APARTMENT] - Saturday night from 9pm (or sooner if jordan becomes available earlier) until around midnight


the times listed are an estimation. things could move slower or faster. i am doing a lot of planning so hopefully we'll be able to get it done in less time than i am imagining.

Cast and crew members will be treated to food and beverage. AWESOME!


call me any time you have questions. i will try to keep in contact with you all as much as possible before we start shooting. you can also check this blog post for any updated information or check the post below the location shots for any script revisions. i'll make sure everyone gets a printed copy of the most current version very soon.

also, costuming is something that i will need to contact you each individually to discuss


---

Location shots:
SCHOOL


GARY'S APARTMENT (it will be dark outside)

bedding will be different - a solid color instead of patterned. i will also rearrange furniture and change the wall ornamentation. the tv will be bigger too.


clutter will be organized, bright post-its will not be present, and an elvis costello poster will be on the wall above the tv


(none of the lighting in the apartment shots is accurate; the final set will look nice)

special fish [script]

last update: tuesday nov 6th at 11:05pm
type of update: Major
-name change from Lia to Alison
-new lines added
-several lines revised

SPECIAL FISH
[a screenplay by owen franke]


CAST:
[CHARACTER
– played by]
GARY – Louis Giberson
ALISON – Julie O’Dell
K.C. OCAEPA – Jordan Epperson

SCENE 1

[School. Gary is at his locker.
Alison is seen down the hallway coming towards him.]


ALISON:
[enthusiastically] Gary!
GARY:
[suppressed excitement] Hey Alison.
ALISON:

Thanks for letting me use your tripod;
my prints came out really well.
GARY:
Oh that’s great; yeah, no problem.

ALISON:
I’ll bring it by your apartment after
my class tonight.
GARY:
Alright that’s cool; I mean, no hurry.


ALISON:
Okay well, I gotta run. I’ll
see you later. [smile]

GARY:
Oh-ok.. see ya.
[Alison walks away. Camera pans
slightly to the right. K.C. is leaning against the locker next
to Gary’s.]

K.C.:
She’s a good one, eh?

GARY:
[turning around] Huh? Who are you?

K.C.:
I’m K.C. Ocaepa [oh-say-puh], and you.. are losing the battle my friend.


GARY:
What?

K.C.:
She could be yours man, but not with
the kind of game you just pulled.
GARY:
Uh, I’m sorry but I don’t believe
I’ve seen you before. How do you know me?


K.C.:
Well I know you’re probably real
familiar with the friend zone; it’s not hard to see that.

GARY:
[sarcastic and ignoring] Friend zone. Riight.

K.C.:

[mocking Gary in a high-pitched
voice] “No, it’s cool,
you can keep my tripod as long as you want to; I don’t ever even use
it.”
GARY:
[agitated] [shuts locker door] Do you want something?
K.C.:
You do.

GARY:
As do most people.

K.C.:
I’ll help you get it.

GARY:
I don’t think you know what I want.


K.C.: Tail!

GARY: Not exactly.

K.C.: Tail’s my middle name,
son.

GARY:
[walking away]
Good for you.
K.C.:
[in background mocking Gary again] “Cause
I’m not in a photo class like you, Alison. Really it was just taking
up space in my room. Hell, you can actually just have it.
It was only 85 dollars…”


SCENE
2
[Gary’s room. Gary is eating.
There is a knock on the door. Gary gets up, looks around for his
tin of Altoids, finds it, eats one, and answers the door. It’s
Alison with the tripod.]
GARY:
Oh hey, thanks.
ALISON:
You’re welcome. [smile]


GARY:
So what’s up?
ALISON:
Nothing what are you doing?

GARY:
I was just eating dinner.


ALISON:
Why does it smell like mint?

GARY:
[awkwardly]
Oh that’s—probably the teaa. Do you wanna
come in? I can make you some.


ALISON:
Um, sure.

[Gary shuts the door behind Alison.
Alison takes a seat on Gary’s bed.]
[Action pauses, literally.]

SCENE 3

[Camera zooms out and we see that
K.C. and Gary are actually watching a video recording of that previous
evening on the TV set in Gary’s room. Gary is near the kitchen.
K.C. is standing in front of the TV with remote control in hand.]


GARY:
I still can’t believe you put hidden
cameras in my house dude.
K.C.:
What happened? You had her on your
bed.
GARY:
You know, that’s not all I think
about. You’re acting as if I’ve.. failed some mission.
We had a nice time just hanging out.

K.C.:
You talked about Bill Nye and parasites
all night! The only thing that amounted from all those hours of bullshit
conversation is a significantly reduced chance that she will ever view
you as pre-selected; you’re running out of time. You have to
get inside her head and take control of her emotions if you want her
to be yours. Quit stalling. She’s the woman;
you are choosing her, not the other way around. If
you allow her to forget that for even one moment, it’s game over.

GARY:

What year is this?

K.C.:
This is basic female psychology; it’s
all very simple. Women are easy to control. Show some
interest, but *keep her feeling insecure at all times.* Interrupt
her when she speaks; insult her occasionally; ignore about every other
phone call or so. Just demonstrate that you are of higher
value than her. Once you’ve bruised her self-esteem a bit,
she’s putty in your hands! Then you can choose to keep her or
just move on to another one. Although, sometimes they aren’t
so quick to move on because of their emotions and stuff, but if you
wait it out they always eventually detach and leave you alone.


GARY:
Cause they figure out your game huh?

K.C.:
Ha, oh.. no. They aren’t
that smart; I mean they can’t go against nature anyway.
It’s funny, we as men don’t know what it’s like to be attracted
to someone bigger and stronger than us. Sure we might feel afraid
sometimes when approaching a girl but only because if we approach the
wrong girl – one who’s already taken – the guy who owns her will
step up and protect his investment.
GARY:

[sarcastically]
You know it’s such a shame that my father never taught me any of this.

K.C.:
That’s what I’m here for – to
pump you full of confidence.
GARY:
Oh thanks, but I have plenty of that
already.
K.C.:

No, what you have plenty of is Nice
Guy Syndrome.

GARY:
[smugly] You’re absolutely right; I think I do have
that – I just can’t stop being nice to people. May I offer you some
tea?

K.C.:
I’m allergic.
GARY:
To green tea?
K.C.:
Deathly.
GARY:

How about some hot apple cider then?

[K.C. is silent; hospitality is
foreign to him – he’s not used to saying things like
‘thank you.’]
I’ll get you some cider.

[Gary pours a cup of green tea and
a cup of cider and sets them both down on a table in the living area, near
K.C.]
K.C.:
You know, this is the kind of behavior
that girls like Alison will use you for. Doing everything for
free won’t grant you an ounce of control over her. She needs
an owner with a firm hand. Keep it up and Alison will reject you.


[Not paying attention to which drink
is his, K.C. reaches down and grabs the cup of tea instead of cider. He takes
a sip.]
GARY:
You’re a stalker and a psychic?

K.C.:
All your favors will be forgotten!
Women are hardwired to--

[K.C. makes a short, eerie gasp
and drops to the floor. He is dead.]
GARY: [stares for a moment at K.C.’s body with an expression of indifference. He
kneels down, glances back at the glass of cider still sitting on the
table and then rises.] That
was my cup.
[There is a knock on the door.]

Come in.

[Alison enters.]

ALISON:
[sees the body]
What’s a matter with him?
GARY:
He’s dead.. so I guess nothing now.
He had an immune system malfunction.
ALISON:

Oh, [grin] those tricky parasites.

GARY: Here, I made you some
apple cider.
ALISON:
[excited inhale] I love cider!

[mutual smiles]

[sipping on some cider]

ALISON:
[sweetly and curious]
So Gary, what’s your middle name?


[roll credits]

midterm edit

watch movie

i wish we had had time to shoot the crosswalk scene, but aside from the abandoned elements due to time constraints i am happy with how the project turned out. this was probably the hardest edit i've ever done.
because we recorded an additional audio track separately, which had a different presence than the one attached to the video, it was quite a puzzle trying to fit those audio takes with the video and vice versa.
i hear this is how they normally do things in hollywood. it think it is a huge pain in the ass.

midterm assignment [screenplay]

a group project:
A character is tying to get from one place to another and “falls” along the way.
Constraints : 10 shots minimum, 15 shots maximum
Must be shot during class time on 10/16/07

group members:
owen franke
zach waters
tiffani waire
jonathan postal


CAST:
Spencer Somni - Cody Barnhill
Angel - Emiliya Tsankova
Professor - Henry McDaniel
Classmates - Pierre Thronton, Billy Welch
Man in Suit - Jonathan Postal

Our movie opens in an academic classroom setting.

There is a professor whose voice is heard off-camera but we never see him.

PROF: As Freud said, sometimes a cigar is indeed only a cigar..

{Spencer Somni, a student, staggers into class late. He has not slept more than 3 hours in the last several days. He is wearing an ill fitting over coat and shades. He takes a seat between his friend—a large guy with a thin beard almost reaching his chest and a Beatles T shirt on—and a beautiful girl named Angel, whom he is on the verge of falling in love with.}

She has a dark bob and is wearing a plaid skirt, a tight white shirt over a black bra and black boots (like Doc Martins).

PROF: Ah, Mr. Somni, you've decided to share some of your valuable time with us.

SOMNI: Sorry, I’ve had no time to sleep.

PROF: Not my problem. Please just settle down; I think you've disrupted this class quite enough for today. Now on to Doctor Freud's views on romantic love - or more to point.. the act, so to speak, of falling in love.

{While the professor is speaking, Angel writes a brief note and leans over toward Somni}

ANGEL: [quietly] If you need a bed after class this is my address, though I can't promise sleep.

{Spencer looks at her with adoration - he is clearly falling in love}

PROF: Mr. Somni, you are not the only student in this class; this is my last warning. If you don’t like the way this class is operated, I assume you know where the door is since you managed to stumble in here.

SOMNI: No, Sorry I…

PROF: And for God's sake take off those sunglasses. This is a University not a beach.

SOMNI: [removing the glasses] Sorry.

{Somni glances at Angel, who lovingly smiles at him}

{As the Professor talks, Somni’s head drops to his arms and he falls asleep}

The camera dollies to a close up; this has all been one shot (or no more than two or three..)

PROF: It is noted that Freud once said to his podiatrist on the topic of romantic love “how can one walk with the angels when a man’s feet are otherwise occupied parading about some woman?” The podiatrist who had already been married four times and was conducting an affair with the woman who pushed the tea trolley about said…

{Somni awakens in a black and white world. The classroom is empty and he hears a sweetly accented voice}

ANGEL: I'll be waiting Mister.

{She blows him a kiss and closes the door behind her}

{He runs after her, but when he goes through the door he finds himself in the middle of town. He brings up his hand to scratch is nose and sees the crumpled paper with the address still written on it.}

{After a few steps he finds himself at a crosswalk. The traffic sign changes to DON’T WALK, and he suddenly becomes unable to walk; he struggles - awkwardly lifting one foot at a time. When the sign changes back to walk he is caught off-guard and staggers into the intersection.}

{He looks at the address to get his bearings and starts down the street.
He is directly in the way of a MAN in a suit with a briefcase. They do the familiar little dance that people do when they are trying to get around one another, then the man tosses aside his briefcase with abandon and starts to dance something akin to a foxtrot with Somni.

MAN: You dance divinely.

SOMNI: You too, but I really got to go.

MAN: I do understand.

{The man spins Somni about in an elaborate move and he spins off, landing in front of a house. When he checks the address he finds it is his destination.}

{The door is unlocked and when he opens it he finds himself directly in Angel’s bedroom. She is on the bed an in the same clothes she wore in class.}

SOMNI: I love you.

ANGEL: I love you too.

{Angel vanishes from the bed}




initial storyboard sketches [drawn by jonathan postal]



location shots [by jonathan postal]


[class setting changed to conference room instead of myers]


[in front of Angel's home]


[Angel's bed]

we will also shoot some footage near an intersection by joe's liquor store for the crosswalk and dancing scenes

project 2 ideas

idea 1 - sequel to project 1

my mom finds the script i wrote based on our private conversation and flips out. i tell her that it is only "sketchbook material" and that i don't plan to make it public, which she doesn't buy. in essence this piece would become very reflexive and self-referencing in nature.

idea 2 - i go to the moon (green screen or a model set may be required)

i arrive on the moon with my uncle and two other family members. i have a hard time staying grounded and worry about floating off into space. none of my family members help me stay down. all of the personal belongings i brought with me start falling off the moon because of its rotation. my family doesn't attempt to catch them.
i forget about my things and decide to call some people, because i'm on the moon! i take out my cell phone and try to call my dad and stepmom, but my phone doesn't work because i'm on the moon. my uncle gives me a walkie talkie and says "this will work", and it does. i call my dad and say "guess where i am!"
after a brief conversation with my dad, i decide that i need to take some pictures so that i can show them off when i return to earth. i take out my cell phone and snap a picture of myself with the lunar landscape in the background and then turn 180 degrees and snap another one with the earth in the background.
when i go to review the pictures i just took on my phone, i see that they are two pictures of me at home in my room; in one there is a poster of the moon on the wall behind me and in the other one there is a poster of the earth on the wall behind me. i get angry that my camera is lying and think "great, no one is going to believe me now!" but my uncle will tell them that i was there won't he? (i feel very close to my uncle)

idea 3 - a dialog based narrative.. something funny, clever and subversive..

an instructional video on "how to attract girls", which on the surface would really function primarily to poke fun at the methods of such characters as 'Mystery' from Mtv's the pick up artist. one actor, portraying this persona, would consistently intrude upon the life of another actor (a quirky, yet well-mannered and intelligent young adult who relies on his natural personality to keep his relationships with women interesting) and suggest that he follow ridiculous bits of advice on attracting women.

i'd like to push the piece far enough so that it begins to unpack some of the problems with how society has imposed gender specific roles on each of us and how exactly these aspects of gender perception become problematic - the idea here being to discredit alpha male pretension and notions of presupposed female submissiveness and commend free thinking individuals.

response to feedback

currently i have over 600 subscribers to my channel on youtube, so i uploaded my video there to get feedback (listed below). i found the responses were generally positive and hilarious.

my friend mark also gave me feedback, which i found to be much more useful than the youtube comments.

in my next video i will make sure to focus more when setting up the sound equipment so that i don't make any more careless mistakes like forgetting to turn the mic on.