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greenstickered2012-02-10 02:47 am
camalyng) wrote in greenstickered2012-02-10 02:47 am
Entry tags:
Original: A Beat Behind
Title: A Beat Behind
What: original screenplay adapted from "Supposedly An Epic Quest" thus using![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vincent_kinneas' Jonathan Marinaris and the_firedoor's Taje Tuesday and mentioning the_firedoor's Brianna Aberdeen
Rating: M for too many F words to make PG13
Words: 1280
Summary: Ophelia Strike hits Rockquest and it is not treating Julian well.
Notes: Written in August 2011 for a screenwriting assignment limited to four scenes and no more than three characters per scene, which is why bits from the original have been cut and the last scene is different (and feels a bit cut off: I'd wanted to go on but needed to bring back more than one character). Screenwriting is weird.
Alternate link: Livejournal, Google Docs (screenplay format)
Sample: Julian flops down by Brendan’s backpack and starts going through it, flinging books, sheet music, drum sticks, a scarf across the room...
INT. GREEN ROOM. NIGHT.
Fluorescent lights. Walls covered in live show posters. A rock band’s sound test barely audible from speakers built into the walls. Mismatched couches and chairs around a coffee table. Half-empty water bottles on table. Drum kit in pieces, “OPHELIA STRIKE” painted on bass drum, and two electric guitars around the room. Four bags, one with a luggage tag clearly labeled “Brendan Langwell”, and coats scattered over floor and furniture.
JULIAN, sixteen, athletic build, carefully styled bed hair, letterman jacket and expensively distressed jeans, paces, waving a bass guitar around like a weapon.
JULIAN
My fucking bass is fucking out of tune; I need a fucking tuner.
JOHNNY, seventeen, hair in need of a brush, a worn hoodie, genuine holes in his jeans, sprawled over a couch, looks up from his cellphone. Julian’s panic does not interest him.
JOHNNY
Calm down, dude.
JULIAN
How can I calm down when we’re on for sound check in I don’t know how fucking long and my fucking bass sounds like shit?
Julian continues to rant (“I know half the time you can hardly fucking hear me but you know my solo in ‘Burning Up’...”) and wave his bass around. Johnny ignores him to look at his phone and text before interrupting Julian.
JOHNNY
Look, Juliet. Go find Brendan. He’s got a tuner. I don’t. (muttering to himself) Because I tune my guitar by ear.
JULIAN
Why the fuck would the fucking drummer have a tuner?
JOHNNY
I don’t know, Juliet. Go find him and ask.
JULIAN
(muttering) Alright.
Julian puts his bass down and hurries out. Johnny goes back to looking at his phone.
INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT.
Fluorescent lighting. Wide hallway with many intersections and doors, most of them closed, and the odd stairs both up and down. Speakers built into the walls at regular intervals; the same rock band’s sound test continues, barely audible.
Julian strides down the hall, glancing down intersecting hallways and into open doors.
JULIAN
How the fuck did my bass get itself out of tune? I retuned it five times at home, Brianna watched me do it! Maybe someone played with it, because just nervous fiddling doesn’t get something that fucking out of tune, right?
TAJE (OS)
There is that possibility. Dude, do you know you’re talking to yourself?
Julian spins around to see TAJE, sixteen, messy hair, witty slogan tee, one earbud in, techno music barely audible from the other dangling earbud, just came out of a joining corridor. Julian almost runs up to him.
JULIAN
Do you have a tuner?
TAJE
Nope, sorry. Brendan’s got one though.
JULIAN
Why the fuck does the fucking drummer have a tuner? It’s not like he plays the fucking timpani or anything!
TAJE
Calm down, man! It was something about his brother, like, Chris played guitar but he left his stuff behind when he ran away to join the Navy so Brendan stole the tuner in case you guys needed it. Something like that, anyway. (brow furrowing in concern) Look, do you want a back massage or something? Zita and Jane say I’m the man at them, and you seriously need to chill.
Julian consciously rolls his shoulders back.
JULIAN
No, I’m fine.
Taje raises an eyebrow. Julian closes his eyes and takes deep breaths; eventually he opens his eyes again.
JULIAN
Okay, do you know where Brendan went?
TAJE
I think he went to the bathroom.
JULIAN
Thanks.
TAJE
Stay cool, man.
Taje leaves in the same direction which Julian came from. Julian starts walking again but stops: He doesn’t actually know which bathroom Taje was talking about.
JULIAN
(to himself) Fuck.
Julian looks around, then looks back where Taje’s left to check he knows how to get back. He starts walking, getting his phone out of his pocket.
INT. STAIRS/HALLWAY. NIGHT.
Fluorescent lights; the stairs are less lit. A different rock band’s sound test is barely audible from a nearby speaker in the wall.
BRENDAN, sixteen, tall, gangly, cardigan, skinny jeans, Chuck Taylors, one drum stick behind his ear, spinning another drum stick in his hand, looks around, lost, walking up the stairs. With his free hand he takes his phone out of his jeans pocket, reads it, and starts texting a reply.
DAIRINE, sixteen, petite, stage makeup and glittering eye shadow, pink streaks in her hair, trendily dressed, comes up the stairs behind him. She tiptoes, grinning, taps him on the shoulder. Brendan turns around startled but grins to see her. He opens his mouth.
JULIAN (OS)
Brendan!
Brendan doesn’t hear him. Julian, a way down the hall, half-runs towards Brendan and Dairine but freezes, unable to look away as Dairine grabs Brendan by the collar, pulls him down to her level, and kisses him. Brendan drops his phone, makes several awkward attempts at placing his hands, puts his arms around her and kisses her back.
Julian runs back the way he came.
INT. GREEN ROOM. NIGHT.
Johnny hasn’t moved since Julian left. He looks up from his phone as Julian throws the door open, enters, and slams the door.
JOHNNY
Did you find him?
JULIAN
No.
Johnny raises an eyebrow as Julian flops down by Brendan’s backpack and starts going through it, flinging books, sheet music, drum sticks, a scarf across the room until he finds a tuner.
JOHNNY
Calm down.
JULIAN
I am calm.
Julian throws the bag down before sitting down by his bass and placing his phone on the floor. He tunes his bass.
Once he’s finished, Julian picks up his phone and looks at the wallpaper: A photo of the band dressed for summer, Johnny rolling his eyes in the back over his electric guitar, Dairine, shorter hair and blue in it instead of pink, beaming with one arm around an awkward Brendan holding his drumsticks and Julian, laughing with his bass strapped on. He changes his wallpaper to a solid color.
As Julian gazes at his phone, Johnny glances between Julian and the mess he made, then rolls his eyes and starts to put Brendan’s things back in his bag. Julian puts his phone in his pocket and his head in his hands.
The sound of drum sticks beating a wooden door frame starts as Dairine enters. She regards Johnny’s cleaning efforts.
DAIRINE
What happened here?
JOHNNY
I happened. Got into a bit of a panic and wanted to use his tuner.
Dairine nods.
DAIRINE
(joining him in tidying up) But you’re all tuned up now, eh? You’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna rock!
Julian looks up to mouth ‘thank you’ at Johnny; Johnny mouths ‘you owe me’ back when Dairine’s not looking. Dairine and Johnny finish up, Dairine closing Brendan’s bag like it had never been disturbed.
JOHNNY
(nodding to the doorway) I’m guessing he’ll be joining us soon?
DAIRINE
Yeah, he just needed a moment. Where’s Taje?
JOHNNY
Needed some air. He’s on speed dial.
It’s only now that Dairine notices Julian; he is pale now. She kneels beside him.
DAIRINE
You alright?
JULIAN
Yeah, just stage fright. I’ll be fine.
DAIRINE
Seriously, want a Panadol or something?
JULIAN
I said I’m fine!
Dairine nods, unconvinced, but stands and backs away from him, starting to run vocal warm-ups and walk around.
PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM
Ten minutes to sound check for Ophelia Strike.
DAIRINE
(out of habit) Thank you, ten minutes.
Johnny laughs at her. Dairine, used to this, grins at him, and makes for the door, taking her phone out of her pocket.
DAIRINE
(leaving) Where are my boys?
Only when the door is fully closed does Johnny pocket his phone and approach Julian. He opens his mouth to ask.
JULIAN
Don’t start.
What: original screenplay adapted from "Supposedly An Epic Quest" thus using
vincent_kinneas' Jonathan Marinaris and the_firedoor's Taje Tuesday and mentioning the_firedoor's Brianna AberdeenRating: M for too many F words to make PG13
Words: 1280
Summary: Ophelia Strike hits Rockquest and it is not treating Julian well.
Notes: Written in August 2011 for a screenwriting assignment limited to four scenes and no more than three characters per scene, which is why bits from the original have been cut and the last scene is different (and feels a bit cut off: I'd wanted to go on but needed to bring back more than one character). Screenwriting is weird.
Alternate link: Livejournal, Google Docs (screenplay format)
Sample: Julian flops down by Brendan’s backpack and starts going through it, flinging books, sheet music, drum sticks, a scarf across the room...
INT. GREEN ROOM. NIGHT.
Fluorescent lights. Walls covered in live show posters. A rock band’s sound test barely audible from speakers built into the walls. Mismatched couches and chairs around a coffee table. Half-empty water bottles on table. Drum kit in pieces, “OPHELIA STRIKE” painted on bass drum, and two electric guitars around the room. Four bags, one with a luggage tag clearly labeled “Brendan Langwell”, and coats scattered over floor and furniture.
JULIAN, sixteen, athletic build, carefully styled bed hair, letterman jacket and expensively distressed jeans, paces, waving a bass guitar around like a weapon.
JULIAN
My fucking bass is fucking out of tune; I need a fucking tuner.
JOHNNY, seventeen, hair in need of a brush, a worn hoodie, genuine holes in his jeans, sprawled over a couch, looks up from his cellphone. Julian’s panic does not interest him.
JOHNNY
Calm down, dude.
JULIAN
How can I calm down when we’re on for sound check in I don’t know how fucking long and my fucking bass sounds like shit?
Julian continues to rant (“I know half the time you can hardly fucking hear me but you know my solo in ‘Burning Up’...”) and wave his bass around. Johnny ignores him to look at his phone and text before interrupting Julian.
JOHNNY
Look, Juliet. Go find Brendan. He’s got a tuner. I don’t. (muttering to himself) Because I tune my guitar by ear.
JULIAN
Why the fuck would the fucking drummer have a tuner?
JOHNNY
I don’t know, Juliet. Go find him and ask.
JULIAN
(muttering) Alright.
Julian puts his bass down and hurries out. Johnny goes back to looking at his phone.
INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT.
Fluorescent lighting. Wide hallway with many intersections and doors, most of them closed, and the odd stairs both up and down. Speakers built into the walls at regular intervals; the same rock band’s sound test continues, barely audible.
Julian strides down the hall, glancing down intersecting hallways and into open doors.
JULIAN
How the fuck did my bass get itself out of tune? I retuned it five times at home, Brianna watched me do it! Maybe someone played with it, because just nervous fiddling doesn’t get something that fucking out of tune, right?
TAJE (OS)
There is that possibility. Dude, do you know you’re talking to yourself?
Julian spins around to see TAJE, sixteen, messy hair, witty slogan tee, one earbud in, techno music barely audible from the other dangling earbud, just came out of a joining corridor. Julian almost runs up to him.
JULIAN
Do you have a tuner?
TAJE
Nope, sorry. Brendan’s got one though.
JULIAN
Why the fuck does the fucking drummer have a tuner? It’s not like he plays the fucking timpani or anything!
TAJE
Calm down, man! It was something about his brother, like, Chris played guitar but he left his stuff behind when he ran away to join the Navy so Brendan stole the tuner in case you guys needed it. Something like that, anyway. (brow furrowing in concern) Look, do you want a back massage or something? Zita and Jane say I’m the man at them, and you seriously need to chill.
Julian consciously rolls his shoulders back.
JULIAN
No, I’m fine.
Taje raises an eyebrow. Julian closes his eyes and takes deep breaths; eventually he opens his eyes again.
JULIAN
Okay, do you know where Brendan went?
TAJE
I think he went to the bathroom.
JULIAN
Thanks.
TAJE
Stay cool, man.
Taje leaves in the same direction which Julian came from. Julian starts walking again but stops: He doesn’t actually know which bathroom Taje was talking about.
JULIAN
(to himself) Fuck.
Julian looks around, then looks back where Taje’s left to check he knows how to get back. He starts walking, getting his phone out of his pocket.
INT. STAIRS/HALLWAY. NIGHT.
Fluorescent lights; the stairs are less lit. A different rock band’s sound test is barely audible from a nearby speaker in the wall.
BRENDAN, sixteen, tall, gangly, cardigan, skinny jeans, Chuck Taylors, one drum stick behind his ear, spinning another drum stick in his hand, looks around, lost, walking up the stairs. With his free hand he takes his phone out of his jeans pocket, reads it, and starts texting a reply.
DAIRINE, sixteen, petite, stage makeup and glittering eye shadow, pink streaks in her hair, trendily dressed, comes up the stairs behind him. She tiptoes, grinning, taps him on the shoulder. Brendan turns around startled but grins to see her. He opens his mouth.
JULIAN (OS)
Brendan!
Brendan doesn’t hear him. Julian, a way down the hall, half-runs towards Brendan and Dairine but freezes, unable to look away as Dairine grabs Brendan by the collar, pulls him down to her level, and kisses him. Brendan drops his phone, makes several awkward attempts at placing his hands, puts his arms around her and kisses her back.
Julian runs back the way he came.
INT. GREEN ROOM. NIGHT.
Johnny hasn’t moved since Julian left. He looks up from his phone as Julian throws the door open, enters, and slams the door.
JOHNNY
Did you find him?
JULIAN
No.
Johnny raises an eyebrow as Julian flops down by Brendan’s backpack and starts going through it, flinging books, sheet music, drum sticks, a scarf across the room until he finds a tuner.
JOHNNY
Calm down.
JULIAN
I am calm.
Julian throws the bag down before sitting down by his bass and placing his phone on the floor. He tunes his bass.
Once he’s finished, Julian picks up his phone and looks at the wallpaper: A photo of the band dressed for summer, Johnny rolling his eyes in the back over his electric guitar, Dairine, shorter hair and blue in it instead of pink, beaming with one arm around an awkward Brendan holding his drumsticks and Julian, laughing with his bass strapped on. He changes his wallpaper to a solid color.
As Julian gazes at his phone, Johnny glances between Julian and the mess he made, then rolls his eyes and starts to put Brendan’s things back in his bag. Julian puts his phone in his pocket and his head in his hands.
The sound of drum sticks beating a wooden door frame starts as Dairine enters. She regards Johnny’s cleaning efforts.
DAIRINE
What happened here?
JOHNNY
I happened. Got into a bit of a panic and wanted to use his tuner.
Dairine nods.
DAIRINE
(joining him in tidying up) But you’re all tuned up now, eh? You’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna rock!
Julian looks up to mouth ‘thank you’ at Johnny; Johnny mouths ‘you owe me’ back when Dairine’s not looking. Dairine and Johnny finish up, Dairine closing Brendan’s bag like it had never been disturbed.
JOHNNY
(nodding to the doorway) I’m guessing he’ll be joining us soon?
DAIRINE
Yeah, he just needed a moment. Where’s Taje?
JOHNNY
Needed some air. He’s on speed dial.
It’s only now that Dairine notices Julian; he is pale now. She kneels beside him.
DAIRINE
You alright?
JULIAN
Yeah, just stage fright. I’ll be fine.
DAIRINE
Seriously, want a Panadol or something?
JULIAN
I said I’m fine!
Dairine nods, unconvinced, but stands and backs away from him, starting to run vocal warm-ups and walk around.
PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM
Ten minutes to sound check for Ophelia Strike.
DAIRINE
(out of habit) Thank you, ten minutes.
Johnny laughs at her. Dairine, used to this, grins at him, and makes for the door, taking her phone out of her pocket.
DAIRINE
(leaving) Where are my boys?
Only when the door is fully closed does Johnny pocket his phone and approach Julian. He opens his mouth to ask.
JULIAN
Don’t start.