Opening

From Rom Com

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The beginning takes place in the [[Forest Hills cemetery]]. The six main characters are sitting on tombstones in the middle of a game of [[Sincerity]]. [[Nick]] is new to the group, and at some point this becomes explicit. In addition, all six are wearing ornate black-and-white clothing. At this point in the storyline, [[Hallie]] and [[Dylan]] are dating, but Hallie mentions jokingly that she is attracted to Nick. This is not merely a joke, however, as the camera work reinforces her words and the feelings are presumably shared. At the beginning, everyone is being very clever and interesting but not necessarily expository.
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LOCATIONS: Cemetery, apartments, Alex's hangout, "Dylan's house" (Laura's house)<br>
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CHARACTERS: All.
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The beginning takes place in the [[Forest Hills cemetery]]. The six main characters are sitting on tombstones in the middle of a game of [[Sincerity]]. [[Nick]] is new to the group, and at some point this becomes explicit. In addition, all six are wearing ornate (black-and-white?) clothing. At this point in the storyline, [[Hallie]] and [[Dylan]] are dating, but Hallie mentions jokingly that she is attracted to Nick. This is not merely a joke, however, as the camera work reinforces her words and the feelings are presumably shared. At the beginning, everyone is being very clever and interesting but not necessarily expository.<br><br> '''WE NEED TO ESTABLISH KATI AND ALEX'S RIVALRY, VERY SERIOUSLY. They need to be the sort of people who will make anything into a competition or a bet, and we need to either implicitly reference past bets or something...''' We also need to make it very clear that Nick and Dylan are friends, perhaps involving them playing the "two things" game briefly as they leave.
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INT. APARTMENT. DAY<br>
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Close-up. Kati's hand on a violin string. She is playing Boccherini (? I like Boccherini. Any ideas? Mozart?)I can do Boccherini. The music continues over the entire intro<br>
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INT. FOYER. DAY<br>
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Medium shot. A young man, nervous and slight, is standing in front of a mirror. He is DYLAN. He is practicing a lie, inspecting his face. He repeats the second phrase over and over, trying various interpretations.
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<center>DYLAN<br>I've had this...obsession...ever since...(improvise from here). I blame my father.</center><br>
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The doorbell rings. A young woman is standing on the doorstep. She is HALLIE, honest, amiable and emotional.
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<center>HALLIE<br>Ready?</center><br>
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Medium shot of HALLIE.
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<center>DYLAN<br>As much as I'll ever be.</center><br>
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<br>Music: Nervous crescendo.  Piano to forte.<br>
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<br>'''Over black.  TITLE CARD.'''<br>
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INT. APARTMENT. DAY<br>
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Medium shot. The camera pans from the left to a young woman, playing the violin. She is KATI: analytical, calculating, guarded.<br>
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INT. APARTMENT. DAY<br>
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Far shot. Camera pans from left to a young woman sits on the couch, watching television, with a cell phone to her ear, and drinking a ridiculous bubble-tea-type drink. She is AIMEE.
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<center>AIMEE<br>Yeah, what time is it? (Pause.) Oh, shit.</center><br>
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Far shot. She hurriedly attempts to gather her belongings.
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<br>
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INT. LECTURE HALL. DAY (or bowling alley or whatever)<br>
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Far shot.  Camera pans from left to ALEX reading.
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<br>
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INT. HALLWAY. DAY<br>
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Far shot. Camera pans from left to Kati leaving her apartment. About seven seconds later, Aimee leaves out of the adjacent door.<br>
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<br>
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INT. ELEVATOR. DAY<br>
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Aimee and Kati in the elevator together.
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<center>AIMEE<br>It's not like acting. You have to feel the lie so strongly that you forget about the truth. It's like...it's like there's this thin membrane separating what you believe from what you know. And that's--that moment, you've got it--the perfect lie.</center><br>
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<center>KATI<br>And it works?</center><br>
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<center>AIMEE<br>Well, no, not so far.(Pause.) But, you know, theoretically.</center><br>
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CUT TO
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<br>EXT. City. Evening.<br>
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A young man, wearing a white dress shirt and corduoroy pants, speeding down a hill on his bicycle. His tie flaps behind him. He is NICK. Camera follows him up to the edge of the cemetery gates, where he dismounts his bicycle. CUT TO<br>
EXT. Cemetery--Evening
EXT. Cemetery--Evening
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Far shot. Six people are on the sidewalk outside Forest Hills Cemetery. They are closely grouped together. Some are laughing, perhaps one shoves another in a friendly manner. They go in the gate.
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Establishing shot. Six people (AIMEE, ALEX, DYLAN, HALLIE, KATI, NICK) are on the sidewalk outside Forest Hills Cemetery. They are closely grouped together. Some are laughing, perhaps one shoves another in a friendly manner. They are all dressed nicely and semi-ornately: suits, dresses, ties. They go in the gate.
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE <br>Okay, ready? (Noise of affirmation from Nick.) Listen up. This is how you play. The deceptively simple game of Sincerity, as it will be held on June 16, 2007, was taken from the novel Prague. </center>
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The deceptively simple game of Sincerity, as played on June 16, 2007, was taken from the novel Prague. </center>
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<br>
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Long shot. They are walking inside the cemetery. They are incredibly vibrant.
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Far shot. They are walking inside the cemetery, perhaps viewed from above.
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE <br>
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Tonight, six friends, </center>
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<br>
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Mid shot. The camera pans briefly over the six players from the front.
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(v.o.) AIMEE
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE <br>
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It's played like this.  
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two cousins, </center>
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<br>
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Mid shot. AIMEE and KATI lean towards each other. This is almost theatrical.
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE <br>
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two lovers </center><br>
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Mid shot of DYLAN and HALLIE. They are turned slightly away from the camera, talking soundlessly about something. Hallie is laughing. They are sitting close to each other but not touching. It is obvious that they are together.
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE <br> two rivals</center><br>
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Alex and Kati. Probably something really really ridiculous. Haven't thought of what yet though.
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<center>(v.o.)AIMEE<br>
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one new to the game, </center><br>
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Close-to-medium shot of NICK. Profile. He looks pensive and slightly nervous.
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE <br>All six right-handed, three blue-eyed males, three females with perfect teeth. Three who cannot stand asparagus. One in the third percentile of height and one in the ninety-second. Three who cannot stand asparagus. One who can lick his elbow. The thing about "Psycho". There were like two more things. AUGH IT GOT DELETED AND I CANNOT REMEMBER</center>
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<br>
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE <br>
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sit in formation on empty graves. Discussion proceeds, and everyone lies. </center><br>
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Far shot. From above, the six of them sitting. The camera withdraws.
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<center>KATI<br> I've always wished I were a natural blonde. </center><br>
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<center>DYLAN<br>I find I can't masturbate to photographs of Paris Hilton without feeling vaguely guilty.</center><br>
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<center>(v.o.) AIMEE <br>
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During Sincerity, each person can only tell one truth. And that's where we set our scene. All right?</center><br>
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Over-the-shoulder shot. The camera comes up from behind AIMEE. She turns around and says the last line directly into the camera.<br>
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<center>NICK<br>(nodding.)Okay.</center><br>
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Proceed to improv but with prepared statements (not in this order):
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1. Hallie's statement about Nick's attractiveness.
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2. Alex's HUGE metastatement
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3. Dylan's pre-prepared statement
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4. Aimee's statement about pop culture
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5. Kati=unknown
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6. Nick=unknown
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Six friends, two cousins, two lovers, one new to the game, (??), sit in formation on empty graves. Discussion proceeds, and everyone lies. <br>
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'''Next: [[Alex and Kati's Bet]]'''
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KATI: I've always wished I were a natural blonde. <br>
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NICK: (something else that is a blatant lie)<br>
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AIMEE (voiceover): During Sincerity, each person can only tell one truth. And that's where we set our scene.
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Current revision as of 02:11, 25 June 2007

LOCATIONS: Cemetery, apartments, Alex's hangout, "Dylan's house" (Laura's house)
CHARACTERS: All.

The beginning takes place in the Forest Hills cemetery. The six main characters are sitting on tombstones in the middle of a game of Sincerity. Nick is new to the group, and at some point this becomes explicit. In addition, all six are wearing ornate (black-and-white?) clothing. At this point in the storyline, Hallie and Dylan are dating, but Hallie mentions jokingly that she is attracted to Nick. This is not merely a joke, however, as the camera work reinforces her words and the feelings are presumably shared. At the beginning, everyone is being very clever and interesting but not necessarily expository.

WE NEED TO ESTABLISH KATI AND ALEX'S RIVALRY, VERY SERIOUSLY. They need to be the sort of people who will make anything into a competition or a bet, and we need to either implicitly reference past bets or something... We also need to make it very clear that Nick and Dylan are friends, perhaps involving them playing the "two things" game briefly as they leave.

INT. APARTMENT. DAY
Close-up. Kati's hand on a violin string. She is playing Boccherini (? I like Boccherini. Any ideas? Mozart?)I can do Boccherini. The music continues over the entire intro
INT. FOYER. DAY
Medium shot. A young man, nervous and slight, is standing in front of a mirror. He is DYLAN. He is practicing a lie, inspecting his face. He repeats the second phrase over and over, trying various interpretations.

DYLAN
I've had this...obsession...ever since...(improvise from here). I blame my father.

The doorbell rings. A young woman is standing on the doorstep. She is HALLIE, honest, amiable and emotional.

HALLIE
Ready?

Medium shot of HALLIE.

DYLAN
As much as I'll ever be.


Music: Nervous crescendo. Piano to forte.

Over black. TITLE CARD.

INT. APARTMENT. DAY
Medium shot. The camera pans from the left to a young woman, playing the violin. She is KATI: analytical, calculating, guarded.

INT. APARTMENT. DAY
Far shot. Camera pans from left to a young woman sits on the couch, watching television, with a cell phone to her ear, and drinking a ridiculous bubble-tea-type drink. She is AIMEE.

AIMEE
Yeah, what time is it? (Pause.) Oh, shit.

Far shot. She hurriedly attempts to gather her belongings.

INT. LECTURE HALL. DAY (or bowling alley or whatever)
Far shot. Camera pans from left to ALEX reading.
INT. HALLWAY. DAY
Far shot. Camera pans from left to Kati leaving her apartment. About seven seconds later, Aimee leaves out of the adjacent door.

INT. ELEVATOR. DAY
Aimee and Kati in the elevator together.

AIMEE
It's not like acting. You have to feel the lie so strongly that you forget about the truth. It's like...it's like there's this thin membrane separating what you believe from what you know. And that's--that moment, you've got it--the perfect lie.

KATI
And it works?

AIMEE
Well, no, not so far.(Pause.) But, you know, theoretically.

CUT TO
EXT. City. Evening.
A young man, wearing a white dress shirt and corduoroy pants, speeding down a hill on his bicycle. His tie flaps behind him. He is NICK. Camera follows him up to the edge of the cemetery gates, where he dismounts his bicycle. CUT TO

EXT. Cemetery--Evening

Establishing shot. Six people (AIMEE, ALEX, DYLAN, HALLIE, KATI, NICK) are on the sidewalk outside Forest Hills Cemetery. They are closely grouped together. Some are laughing, perhaps one shoves another in a friendly manner. They are all dressed nicely and semi-ornately: suits, dresses, ties. They go in the gate.

(v.o.) AIMEE
Okay, ready? (Noise of affirmation from Nick.) Listen up. This is how you play. The deceptively simple game of Sincerity, as it will be held on June 16, 2007, was taken from the novel Prague.


Long shot. They are walking inside the cemetery. They are incredibly vibrant.

(v.o.) AIMEE
Tonight, six friends,


Mid shot. The camera pans briefly over the six players from the front.

(v.o.) AIMEE
two cousins,


Mid shot. AIMEE and KATI lean towards each other. This is almost theatrical.

(v.o.) AIMEE
two lovers

Mid shot of DYLAN and HALLIE. They are turned slightly away from the camera, talking soundlessly about something. Hallie is laughing. They are sitting close to each other but not touching. It is obvious that they are together.

(v.o.) AIMEE
two rivals

Alex and Kati. Probably something really really ridiculous. Haven't thought of what yet though.

(v.o.)AIMEE
one new to the game,

Close-to-medium shot of NICK. Profile. He looks pensive and slightly nervous.

(v.o.) AIMEE
All six right-handed, three blue-eyed males, three females with perfect teeth. Three who cannot stand asparagus. One in the third percentile of height and one in the ninety-second. Three who cannot stand asparagus. One who can lick his elbow. The thing about "Psycho". There were like two more things. AUGH IT GOT DELETED AND I CANNOT REMEMBER


(v.o.) AIMEE
sit in formation on empty graves. Discussion proceeds, and everyone lies.

Far shot. From above, the six of them sitting. The camera withdraws.

KATI
I've always wished I were a natural blonde.

DYLAN
I find I can't masturbate to photographs of Paris Hilton without feeling vaguely guilty.

(v.o.) AIMEE
During Sincerity, each person can only tell one truth. And that's where we set our scene. All right?

Over-the-shoulder shot. The camera comes up from behind AIMEE. She turns around and says the last line directly into the camera.

NICK
(nodding.)Okay.

Proceed to improv but with prepared statements (not in this order): 1. Hallie's statement about Nick's attractiveness. 2. Alex's HUGE metastatement 3. Dylan's pre-prepared statement 4. Aimee's statement about pop culture 5. Kati=unknown 6. Nick=unknown

Next: Alex and Kati's Bet

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