Those of you who actually read my personal blog, have probably noticed a certain absence of posts of late (image by C.B. Whittmore). That’s because in addition to my day job as CEO of Livingston Communications, I have been working on a film project called “Parasocial: Life in Silicon Valley.”
I am being taught by the AFI Workshop sereies (only certified courses on the east coast). It’s an exhausting, intense experience. Our teacher is Perry Schwartz, who is doing a fantastic job. Last week we wrote the screenplays. I’ve published mine below.
The screenplay is meant to be biting commentary on the micro pop culture we’ve created online. This is the lighter side. Let us not forget the darker elements that occur in microfame like the Kathy Sierra threats, the stalker known as Brian Connolly/Amanda Chapel, and the horrific Valleywag culture that has arisen. Hopefully, this film will strike a chord and make people think.
We shoot it today, so wish me luck. I am sure I’ll learn a ton!
PARASOCIAL: LIFE IN SILICON VALLEY
SCENE 1: INT. HOTEL HALLWAY - DAY
FADE IN:
LORI
Paul, Paul Murphy!
PAUL walking away from event turns around. He looks
disheveled, a tad wild, horned rim glasses, obviously geeky.
PAUL
Yes, do I know you?
Beautiful twenty something woman rapidly catches up to him.
LORI is demure, yet sultry. He is attracted to her.
LORI
No, I don't think so. I'm Lori
Silkun. I work at Wired. I read
your blog every day. Like that post
you wrote on Opera 9.5's buggy
Fraud Protection? Wow!
PAUL
Oh, glad you liked it.
LORI
(smiling brilliantly at
him)
Well, yeah!
As PAUL moves to speak, he looks at his feet. LORI shifts
shawl or blouse to reveal more cleavage.
PAUL
Well, I was just leaving. I don't
really enjoy these speaking gigs.
People want a piece of the fame.
(he notices her chest and
is mesmerized)
They really don't want to talk to
me. It can be disappointing.
LORI
Well, c'mon. What you said about
Linux developers not understanding
business rules was stellar!
PAUL
(still staring at chest,
grinning)
You're just saying that.
LORI waves her hand in front of PAUL's eyes to get his
attention. His eyes avert from her chest, and he laughs,
realizing he was caught ogling her. She knows she has him,
and puts her hands to her hips to continue flaunting her
cleavage.
LORI
Come on. Let's go somewhere and
talk.
FADE OUT.
SCENE 2: INT. WOMAN'S BEDROOM - EVENING
FADE IN:
LORI with a T-shirt on, post sex, brushing her hair, smiling.
PAUL is also half dressed, and looks a bit giddy.
Infatuated, he is drunk with romance. He moves a bit closer
to her to engage.
PAUL
That was great!
LORI
You're awesome.
PAUL
Say, maybe we can do something more
social together? We just seem to
hook up randomly. Whaddya say?
LORI turns, nods and smiles broadly, giving him her approval.
She then goes back to her hair.
PAUL
Cool Would you like to come with me
to the Stop Global Warming event on
Thursday night? There are some
great people there!
She visibly pauses, a little distracted, and slows down her
brush strokes. The smile fades a notch or two.
LORI
I'd love to, but that's the same
day Robert Scoble is unveiling his
latest FastCompany.tv offering. I
have to go to the party!
PAUL
Aww, c'mon. Scoble? He's as common
as common gets in the Bay Area. You
had to have met him by now!
LORI
He's the number 30 blogger in the
world, Paul!
PAUL
So what? It doesn't matter how many
people read you. It's who and why.
I'd rather have my 600 than his
60,000.
She turns her back to him and rolls her eyes...
LORI
I know it's hard to become the
world's 18th ranked Linux blogger.
PAUL
It is! Wait, that's not it.
LORI
Look, I'll come another time. But
this is Scoble.
PAUL
OK.
He's pissed. She sees it, gets up and touch his arm.
LORI
Why don't you come with me?
PAUL
(mercurial expression) Alright.
FADE OUT.
SCENE 3 - INT. LARGE ROOM FOR NETWORKING EVENT
FADE IN:
LORI & PAUL talking to each other by a wall. You can hear a
room with a lot of people talking to each other. It sounds
happy and busy. Lori sees someone across the room, and pushes
her purse into Paul's unexpecting hands.
LORI
Hold this.
PAUL
Where are you going?
PAUL watches LORI walk off screen to where Robert Scoble's
party is. Paul starts talking to himself, providing biased
commentary as she starts fawning all over Scoble. Shot
showing her partying it up. He expresses disbelief, shock,
then disappointment. He knows Lori is in it for a bigger
fish, a better blogger.
Lori walks back into the screen shot to return for her purse,
smiling and waving at Scoble the whole way.
PAUL
You know he's married.
LORI
Nothing's happening. Don't be
jealous. Everyone is over there!
PAUL
I'm going to the Stop Global
Warming event.
LORI
Are you kidding me? C'mon, Paul. A
bunch of greenies? If you want to
be with me, you'll stay. I'll be
back soon.
PAUL
How long?
LORI
I don't know. Soon.
She leaves him to go back to Scoble and company.
PAUL
Goodbye, Lori. My blog is not big
enough for you. I guess we were
just meant to be Facebook Friends.
Paul walks away.
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Yeah, when your wife comes home after a prolonged abroad stay you better do some things to make sure your on her good side. It’s been seven months so it only made sense to think ahead, but these are good ideas even if it ha only been two weeks. Here’s what I’ve done:
