`Short Film Script
John J Pender
Time: 5 minute
Title: Photo Finish
1a
CAMERA CLOSE UP OF SMART PHONE. GUY’S FINGERS ARE SCROLLING
THROUGH PICTURES. ONE PICTURE IS OF HIM
CARRYING CANNED GOODS ON A CARTON BOTTOM. ANOTHER ONE IS HIM CARRYING PRODUCE.
SFX: PHONE RINGS
GUY
‘Hey, I just got the pictures you sent from the homeless
shelter. Tell me you’re not going to use one for a poster to get volunteers.
You’re not? Well why not? Yeah, I do look happy. I like helping people.’
CAMERA SHOT PANNING EMPTY BEACH PARKING LOT. LOTS OF REEDS BLOWING IN THE BREEZE.
GUY
‘I’m spending the morning on the beach. Sandy Hook. Then I’m
going to go move some stuff for my grandmother. I actually want to just lay on
a beach blanket all day. Oh and I’m
going to check out this little digital camera I got at that estate sale I was
telling you about. It is weird…using dead people’s stuff. No the owner…he died
young. Don’t know much. He surfed. And he was pissed off a lot. Nobody touches
his things…talks to his woman…all that stuff. Got in a lot of fights.
CAMERA SHOT OF SIDE VIEW MIRROR. QUICK FLASH OF LIGHT. GUY LOOKS AT SIDE VIEW MIRROR.
GUY
‘ OK. Yeah I’ll see you Saturday at the shelter. I’ll be
serving some slop. Ok. Later.’
CAMERA SHOWS GUY PUT DOWN PHONE NEXT TO DIGIAL CAMERA ON THE CAR SEAT.
CUT TO: GUY LOOKING AT HIS SIDE VIEW MIRROR.
GUY
‘Hmmm. Nothing there. ‘
1
CAMERA PANNING TO SHOW AN EMPTY BEACH AND DUNES. FADE TO A BEACH BLANKET BEING PUT DOWN, BACK PACK, CELL PHONE AND CAMERA.
CAMERA SHOT: GUY LAYS DOWN ON BLANKET
SFX: WAVES CRASHING. SEA GULLS.
CAMERA SHOT: GUY SITS UP.
CAMERA PANNING TO SHOW EMPTY BEACH.
GUY PICKS UP CAMERA AND TAKES A PICTURE OF THE BEACH AND
OCEAN. IT IS EMPTY
GUY LAYS BACK DOWN. GUY REACHES AROUND, PICKS UP CAMERA,
HOLDS IT UP TO LOOK AT VIEW FINDER. IT
SHOWS A BLACK FIGURE, FAR AWAY IN THE SURF.
GUY
‘That’s
weird. I didn’t see him.’
CAMERA SHOT: GUY SITS UP.
CAMERA LONG SHOT OF AN EMPTY BEACH. QUICKLY, PANNING TO THE
DUNES BEHIND THE GUY.
GUY TAKES SAME SHOT, ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE BEACH AND
WAVES. HE LOOKS DOWN THE BEACH. CAMERA
SHOWS AN EMPTY BEACH.
CUT TO: CLOSE UP OF CAMERA VIEW FINDER. PICTURE SHOWS DARK
FIGURE COMING OUT OF THE SURF, WAY DOWN THE BEACH. FINGERS OF GUY’ S FINGERS SCROLLING
BACK TO SHOW FIRST PICTURE WITH FIGURE IN THE SURF AND NEXT PICTURE WITH FIGURE
COMING OUT OF THE SURF.
CUT TO : CAMERA LONG SHOT OF THE BEACH IT IS EMPTY.
CUT TO: CLOSE UP OF GUY’S FINGERS SCROLLING BETWEEN THE
FIRST PICTURE OF THE FIGURE IN THE SURF AND THE NEXT PHOTO OF IT COMING OUT OF
THE SURF.
CUT TO: CLOSE UP OF FIRST PICTURE’S DATE, IT’S CURRENT,
SCROLL TO SECOND PICTURE’S DATE, IT’S CURRENT.
2
CUT TO: GUY TAKES ANOTHER PICTURE TOWARDS THE FAR END OF THE
BEACH AGAIN.
CUT TO: CAMERA VIEW FINDER, THERE IS A PICTURE WITH THE DARK
FIGURE WALKING TOWARDS GUY’S END OF THE
BEACH.
CUT TO: GUY’S FINGERS SCROLLING TO FIRST PICTURE OF FIGURE
IN THE SURF, SECOND PICTURE OF FIGURE COMING OUT OF THE SURF AND THIRD PICTURE
OF FIGURE WALKING TOWARDS GUY’S END OF THE BEACH.
CUT TO: LONG SHOT OF THE BEACH. IT IS EMPTY
CUT TO: GUY PICKS UP HIS CELL PHONE
GUY
‘Hey it’s me. I know,
you know…you have Caller ID. Listen. I’m on the beach and I’m…remember I told
you I went to that estate sale…some surfer guy died…anyway…I bought his
camera. Wait, who cares what I paid for
it…just listen. So I’m on this empty beach…yes because everyone else is working
like you…listen.
SFX: REEDS ON DUNES BRUSHING AGAINST EACH OTHER
CUT TO: QUICK CAMERA SHOT OF DUNES, THEN QUICK CAMERA LONG SHOT OF BEACH WHERE GUY SAW
THE DARK FIGURE….BEACH IS EMPTY.
GUY
‘Yeah I’m jumpy…I thought I heard something in the dunes.
Anyway, so the beach is completely empty but when I take a picture of the beach
there’s this dark figure on it. Yes it’s dark. Cause if it has blond hair it
could be Donald Trump and that’s scary…funny. I’m serious. What are you talking
about zombies…this isn’t a movie. This is happening to me on the beach. The
first shot shows the figure in the surf, the second it’s coming out of the surf
and in the third picture he is walking towards my end of the beach. No the dates
on the picture are today. Right… I thought that too. Maybe the pictures were
already on the camera. OK hold on I’ll take another one.
CAMERA SHOT OF GUY TAKING A PICTURE OF THE EMPTY BEACH AND
SURF.
CUT TO: CAMERA VIEW FINDER. PICTURE OF THE DARK FIGURE WHO
IS CLOSER, AND HIS HEAD IS TURNED TOWARDS THE GUY AS IF HE’S SPOTTED THE GUY.
GUY
‘He’s seen me. Yes the guy who isn’t there. No I’m
serious. He’s on my end of the beach,
and he’s looking towards me in the photo.
3
CUT TO: CAMERA SHOT OF
EMPTY BEACH
GUY
‘No.
The beach is still empty.’
CUT TO: CAMERA SHOT OF CAMERA VIEWFINDER. GUY’S FINGERS
SCROLL FROM FIRST PICTURE OF FIGURE IN THE SURF, NEXT COMING OUT OF THE SURF,
NEXT WALKING TOWARDS GUY’S END OF THE BEACH, AND NEXT PHOTO ON GUY’S END OF
BEACH WITH THE FIGURE LOOKING TOWARD’S GUY.
GUY
‘That’s
a good idea. OK. Hold up I’ll take a picture of the beach with my phone.’
CAMERA SHOT OF GUY TAKING A PICTURE WITH HIS PHONE.
CUT TO: CLOSE UP SHOT OF THE CELL PHONE. PICTURE APPEARS.
PHOTO OF AN EMPTY BEACH.
GUY
‘OK. When I take a picture with my cell phone…it’s the empty
beach. He’s not there. What do you mean exactly? OK right. He’s not there.
That’s the point. No I don’t feel guilty for buying some dead guy’s camera.
He’s dead. He’s not going to miss it. Besides the pictures aren’t in my mind.
They are on the camera. Listen. The pictures are on the camera.
CUT TO: GUY LOOKING AT CELL PHONE PHOTO OF AN EMPTY BEACH.
CUT TO: GUY’S FINGERS SCROLLING ON CAMERA. FIRST PICTURE,
DARK FIGURE IN THE SURF, NEXT PICTURE FIGURE COMING OUT OF THE SURF, NEXT
PICTURE FIGURE WALKING TOWARDS GUY’S END OF THE BEACH AND PICTURE OF FIGURE
LOOKING TOWARDS GUY.
GUY
‘I’m gonna take one more picture. Stay on the phone…
CUT TO: GUY TAKING PICTURE OF THE EMPTY BEACH.
CUT TO: CAMERA SHOT OF EMPTY BEACH WHERE GUY WAS TAKING THE
PICTURE.
CUT TO: CAMERA VIEW FINDER. GUY’S FIGURE SCROLLING PICTURES.
FIRST PICTURE OF FIGURE IN THE SURF, FIGURE COMING OUT OF THE SURF, FIGURE
WALKING TOWARDS GUY’S END OF BEACH, FIGURE LOOKING AT GUY, LAST PICTURE OF FIGURE,
WITH A PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD IN HIS HAND, WALKING ANGRILY TOWARDS GUY .
4
CAMERA SHOT OF GUY ON CELL PHONE.
GUY
‘Bobbie he’s coming towards me. I don’t know he looks so
angry. No not on the beach. In the last picture. And he’s carrying
something…like a club…driftwood, something.
CUT TO: QUICK CAMERA SHOT OF DUNES AND THEN PANNING TO EMPTY
BEACH.
GUY
‘I’m not...I mean I won’t. I’m not taking any more pictures.
In fact…I’m getting out of here. This is creeping me out. OK good idea…stay on
the cell while I walk to my car.’
CUT TO: CAMERA FACING UP AT GUY ON BEACH BLANKET.
SFX: CAMERA CLICKS AS IF TAKING A PICTURE.
CUT TO: CELL PHONE DROPPING TO THE BEACH BLANKET. IT HAS
BLOOD ON IT.
CREDITS ROLL
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