El Pollo Loco: The Crazy Chicken-Keith shines

The sun shines silver off the Chrysler Building  almost as much as Keith shines with the thrill of creating very fast. He clearly loves his job. The ideas between he and John flow so freely...it's like chemistry between actors...it just happens and you thank God for it.

El Pollo Loco is a fast-food chain out West. Keith was asked by Bernie to head the pitch and he brought in John. The visuals would be cartoon-like. The headlines could be as crazy as John could make them.

Keith

'Let's get a signature ad down. This will set the main theme for the chain and we need a tone.'

John

'Well, since they're called the crazy chicken in Spanish, the tone could be in your face....like a teenager.'

Keith is an axcellent illustrator and begins sketching.

John

'What made the competition turn chicken. ...could talk about how their chicken is so good the other fast food restaurants are trying to keep up.

Keith

'o.k.'

Keith shows a illustration of a chicken in running shoes.


John

'Ooo. What made the chicken cross the road? El Pollo Loco!  The idea that they only take the best chicken.'

Keith shows another illustration of a chicken on a throne.

John

'Let's talk Pecking Order.'   Again, the idea that they make chicken better.


John

"would you want to do a visual with chicken feed. Headline could talk about how cheap it is to eat there.'

Keith

"Flesh that out.'

Keith finishes another illustration and shows John.

Keith

'Here's the illustration for your 'what made the competition turn chicken. idea'

Keith's visual has a muscular chicken with an El Pollo Loco flag.

John

'Compared to El Pollo Loco, their chicken is for the birds.'

John keeps writing.

John

'Listen you dumb cluck.
There is no other white meat.'

John writing.

John

'Get fried...then come for our chicken.
El Pollo Loco is open 'til 2am'

Like a club visual or something to attract the gang that is out late partying.

'Which came first...the El Pollo Loco or the egg?'

Keith

'That's a cab ride.'

John

"what'

Keith

'The idea is so far out...it takes a cab to get there.'

John

'k'

John writes more.

John

A visual of a bunch of people in a car 'If El  Pollo Loco's name doesn't come up...squawk.'

Keith

"this is good. I'm gonna get the art department going on these.  Do you know how good we are together?'

John

'No I'm an insecure mess. But it works for me.'

Then ghosts come out of the ocean mist.

The bells of Saint Catherine echo past the turn-of-the-century, Sears catalog houses down to the beach. John walks at the ocean's edge. The fog and ocean-mist create a black and white world like some old photo of a happy time. And there's been happy times for a long time in Seaside Heights, NJ. The carousel alone  is almost 100 years old. On the beach, the Funtown Pier looks hauntingly empty. Rides must be spinning and soaring to be fun and alive. But this is a happy town. A place where people took time to be together-while they could. He imagines people walking in 1940s and 50's and 60' and 70's and 80 and 90'sstyle bathing suits and shorts. All walking towards him and smiling. It reminds him how fleeting our time is on this earth. The ghosts move by like the mist on invisible feet. The ghosts remind him it's important to realize that. Maybe it's not enough to feel connected with different people's through a realization of some form of reincarnation as John does. Maybe you need to do something for people...in some small way...or stand up for them...for what's right. Otherwise, all you are doing is thinking good thoughts.

John heads under the pier into a darker world of black pillars and wood-framed views of a foamy, angry sea. There are braces against pillings to further support the pier and boardwalk above from the relentless waves. And with the higher tide, John finds he has to walk up from where he usually does and climb over these supports. Without warning he is in a foamy world of churning water with no where to go. 'This is how people drown.' John thinks. Swimmers who've drowned appear in the ocean's mist-calling to him. John thinks, '...this was really stupid to walk under here.'

Some survival energy kicks in and he's jumping over supports and soon is out from under the pier and onto the beach. Now he sees a figure walking right towads him-out of the mist. It's wearing red shorts and a whistle.

Lifeguard

'What the hell is the matter with you.? Do you see anyone else on the beach?'

John

'No'

Lifeguard

'Do you know what  a red flag means?'

John

"Stormy....'

Lifeguard

'You could die. Surfers could die too. Yes I've seen you surfing. Now get off my beach.'

John

'Sorry I got you so...'

Lifeguard

'Why are you still on my beach?'

John walks up the beach towards the boardwalk. He thinks a red flag means you could run into a lifeguard with a red face. Geeze. Dead people were warmer to me.'

Meantime-at the un-Focused Group

A Focus Group comprised of 30 people files into an 'available' conference room at the Holiday Inn.

Stacey

'Sit where-ever you'd like. coffee and goodies are over there. Don't be shy.'

The group of 30-something men and women find seats.

'We are going to view ads with just the headlines and visuals. Lines will indicate where copy will go. We're looking for your honest thoughts'

Pointing at the 'Corporate Ladder' ad with the ladder-like DNA molecule on a background of stars.

Blonde women

'Home Depo. You can do anything. Reach for the stars.'

Black man

'That's the DNA molecule.  Hoffman-La Roche is about research.'

Latino man

'Sears has better tools than Home Depo.'

Stacey points to an ad with Corporate Culture headline and petrie dish

'Any  thoughts on the Corporate Culture ad?

Blonde

"advancing science by growing something in that dish. Ooo I hope that doesn't get out and infect us all Ever see that movie where people's blood turned to sand because of an alien virus?'

College guy

'Adromeda Strain or something. Came in on a metor...so cool.'
Different black man

'Advancing medicine. But I like the DNA one better...looks like the future.'

Young Latino man

'The Human Element ad with the periodic table is a cool idea. I like that and the Corporate Ladder, DNA molecule.'

College woman

'So Hoffmann-La Roche owns Home Depo and Sears?

Heaven on a wave.

It's easy to make that mental leap to ponder eternity when you see the ocean at dawn John thinks. The ocean is eternal with it's never-ending line of blue-green waves. Endless white and silver crests to the horizon. Laying on a surfboard with the gentle up and down rhythm of the waves is so soothing, John lives to daydream, involuntarily, free-associating or by relaxing,  When the wave rises, he can see beyond the dunes to the tops of the Victorians on Ocean Boulevard-the real world- when he's lowered on the surfboard by the wave, he sees only the beach and dunes.Transcending reality on waves he's envisioning the after-life as a harmonious place. An idea of heaven where all kinds of people connect without regard to religion, wealth and social status, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality and anything else that gets in the way of relating on a spiritual level. And to John, the more you can connect with people-all kinds of people-the closer you are to God-who created and understands everyone and everything. Maybe people keep coming back and experiencing lives until they gain this God-like empathy to everyone he wonders as he sits up on the board and comes back to a tranquil real world..

So at peace...at one with the ocean and himself, John doesn't realize he's decided to surf a wave by standing up and leaning down into it. Peacefulness goes into survival mode as his knees adjust to a liquid salty, foaming wave running against the bottom of the board as a curved wall rises on his right. A water shelter, it is a light refracted world of blues and green that is moving and collasping around him. John races across this tunnel by squatting further. He balances the water force to pull the board up the wave into its crest by shifting his weight down. Leaning left, he slices into the wave at just the right angle to stay away from the top of the wave and being flipped upside down. He steers up and down the wave by dragging his right hand in the wave. His heart jumps as he makes these moves just in time not to be tipped over or fall off the surboard. Looking into the curved wave, the water cave won't be here in another minute he thinks. There's the bright entrance. He leans into the board and slides down the rest of the wave and shoots out the 'entrance' Restriction gives way to total freedom. Joyously, turning rght and left and anyway John wants on his board....cause he's free of the wave and out on the open ocean.

Laying down and heading into shore on the surboard, white salty foam is now mixed with sand as he whisks into shallow water and feels sunshine on his skin. The surfboard rams into the sand. He let's the board just lie at the water's edge without getting up. Waves lapping at his body-like a faithful dog greeting him home. The smell of the salt air is like a fresh breath of life. After all the getting back at people he saw in New York, John has gotten back to himself.

A big account & a little arson fire.'

David

'That's Keith's office the smoke is coming out from.'

The police quickly close off 40th Street as two fire engines pull up in front of their building. Tanya, John, Stacey and David cross the street to watch.

David

'If fire hits all that oil in Keith's hair... I'm gonna start singing dreidle, dreidle, dreidle 'cause there's gonna be a miraculous flame.'

They watch as the building empties onto Lexington Ave. Blythe sees the gang and runs over.

Blythe

'Isn't this awful?  Oh, John, I saved what you were working on under 'fire'.

David

"Classic.'

Bernie Swartz and his wife cross the street and get into a limo.

John

"I forget. What does Mrs Swartz do?'

David

'She's the Vice President of Shopping.'

Blythe

'Bernie wants me to tell everyone he knows no one was hurt in this fire.'

John to David

'See. He cares.'

Blythe

'...and that he has lawyers on retention and he can out-last any lawsuit.'

David to John

'We have an old Hebrew saying son: Well duh!'

Fernando, Bernie's right hand man, crosses the street to Blythe.  

It was contained to that back area by the bathrooms and lobby area.

David

'Not that awesome blue and orange lobby...go METS.'

Fernando

'Watch yourself. Cindy's girlfriend...wife decorated the office.'

John

'She's Gay. It's o.k. I'm just surprised. I like her.'

David

'Cowboy boots. Big laugh backslapping...'

John

'I don't label. I'm not into it.'

Fernando

'It's just a little arson fire. Anyway. No work tomorrow and Monday. '

Blythe

"I'll start calling people and have them call people.'

Stacey to Blythe

''Tanya and I will be doing the focus group at Hoffmann tomorrow. We Fed Ex'd the material yesterday....thank God.''
David

'What are you looking at..'

John is looking at his phone.

'Tide is high tomorrow at noon and there will be a west wind...around 80 degrees.'

David

"God. Surfers are deep.'

Is that smoke coming from our office windows?

David sits next to John on the steps to the building at Park and 40th.

David

'Lunch time. My second favorite time of the day. Nothing spoils it.'

Stacey

'Hello. The gang's here.'

David

'Almost nothing.'

Stacey to David.

'What?''

David

'What?'

Stacey

'Gawd.'

David to John

'Did you know on Long Island God spelled backwards is dwag'

John laughs

'I am one of those people who are not surprised that God spelled backwards is dog. Dogs love you unconditionally..'

David

'..and they view the outdoors as one big toilet...I can relate.'

Stacey

'Classy. Very classy David.'

Tanya comes up with her lunch.

'Hey guys.  David is being classy?'

David

'Excuse me. I have class up the ass. Besides, a lot of high class people got there by destroying and exploiting people.'

Stacey

'Oh David. There's jerks on the left too.'

David

'Well Herb just got robbed of his livlihood. And he's middle-aged. You know no one is going to hire him.'

Stacey

'I feel bad for him too. But all accounts come from somewhere...and someone.''

Tanya

'He looked so depressed when he was walking out.'

David

'Being escorted out with a guard after 15 years

John

'That's whhy I'm so insecure.'

David

'You are a hug hog. You set things up so you get all the hugs in life.'

Stacey

'Oh does somebody need a hug.'

David opens his mouth filled with food towards Stacey.

Tanya laughing

"You guys are sick.'

John

'Things are going well. I'm going to try not to worry so much.' He glances behind him at David.

John Points down 40th Street

' David. Is that smoke coming from our office windows?'

They call me Johnny Viagra.

John

'So I guess I'm doing o.k. here...'

David

'Did you catch the name on your pay check?'

John

'Yes but...'

Bernie walks by with Cindy

'They screw us. We screw them.'

David

'Word has it Bernie skipped the whole hippy peace free love thing and went straight to screw'em outta money. And he needs you to screw'em. You're like Viagra. Johnny Viagra..' David laughs crazily.

John

'You are your biggest fan.'

David

'I am. I really am.' David laughs, trying to control himself.

John

'Well the stuff is going through.'

David

'...and Keith is almost giving you credit for your writing.'

John

'...and he takes credit?'

David

'...he wrote this and I had to change that, blah, blah, blah..'

John

"oh. Well...you know. Whatever.'

David

'You are good with words. Later J.V.'

John mumbles....

'Johnny Viagra. Sounds like I'm a pusher at a nursing home.'

Herb walks by with a box of his personal affects and a building guard.