Method Acting (Working Title)
by 
greg lock
|
Posted: Sunday, March 27, 2005 Word Count: 763 Summary: A short piece about an obsesive film director who takes matters into his own hands in order to get better performances out of his actors. |
Content Warning
This piece and/or subsequent comments may contain strong language.
This piece and/or subsequent comments may contain strong language.
Method Acting (Working Title)
A film by Greg Lock
RAZOR-EDGE LOGO
TITLE CARD
EXT. Ind Est. Daytime
They film opens up with a shot of a man, as the camera pulls out we see he has a gun in his hand. He is Angry.
MAN:
You stupid bitch! You had one job to do, one job. Deliver the money & then we’re done! That was it. You can’t even manage that! My God!
We see whom he is talking to, a girl.
GIRL:
I’m sorry, listen I can explain!
MAN:
You’re to late.
* BANG *
The man fires his gun, the girl falls.
CUT TO
DIRECTOR:
No, No, No what was that?
We see that it is actually a film set; there is the Director, a Producer, 2 Cameramen men & a Sound Recorder. The Girl begins to get up.
DIRECTOR:
We’re not making a bloody chick flick! We’re making a film! A proper film! Die properly! Lets do it again.
MAN:
Where from?
DIRECTOR:
Go from “Your to Late”, I liked your line (pointing at the girl).
MAN:
Ok.
DIRECTOR:
Ok then, Light?
CAMERAMAN:
Fine, sir!
DIRECTOR:
Sound?
SOUND:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Camera rolling?
CAMERAMAN:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Action!
The actors start the scene.
MAN:
You’re to Late!
* BANG *
He fires the gun, the girl falls.
DIRECTOR:
Fucking hell that was even worse! Who are you?
GIRL:
Excuse me?
DIRECTOR:
Do you not consider yourself a good actress say eh? Julia Roberts?
GIRL:
Well I…
DIRECTOR:
Because you cant seem to leave the chick flick genre! Look if we were making American Pie 4 then I would accept your level of shit acting! Just Die! Look, like this!
The Director acts out the scene assuming both parts.
DIRECTOR:
You got it?
GIRL:
I think so.
DIRECTOR:
Ok, lets go again. Same place. How’s the light looking?
CAMERAMAN:
Soon the sun will start set, then we’re screwed for continuity, and we don’t want that. That could ruin the film.
DIRECTOR:
Yes I know what it could do!
PRODUCER:
Is there a problem?
DIRECTOR:
No we’re fine. Lets go. Sound?
SOUND:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Camera rolling?
CAMERAMAN:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Action.
The actors go again.
MAN:
You’re to late!
* BANG *
The man fires his gun, the girl falls.
The director already had the annoyed look.
DIRECTOR (to himself):
I’m fucked!
MAN:
You doing that again? The guns empty.
DIRECTOR:
Give it here, I’ll get some more blanks, then we will do it right!
The Director takes the gun.
Him & the producer talk to each other.
PRODUCER:
What’s going on here?
DIRECTOR:
Nothing it will be fine.
PRODUCER:
It doesn’t look that way; you seem to have problems getting her to die convincingly. & we only have time for a few more takes before it gets dark.
DIRECTOR:
How much longer do have this location for?
PRODUCER:
This is the last day!
DIRECTOR:
Shit! If we don’t get this take done, now .We will have to re shoot all the scenes again at a new place. I want this place! This has been the gangster-meeting place in every other scene, we can’t re shoot! Look this is the last scene with her!
PRODUCER:
Make sure she gets it right! This film is Oscar material, you want an Oscar for your first feature film don’t you?
DIRECTOR:
My chance to join with Nichols, Stone, Eastwood, Polanski, Scorsese & all the other great Oscar winners. I will not blow on some bird that can’t act.
PRODUCER:
Scorsese hasn’t one an Oscar!
DIRECTOR:
Oh shut up!
PRODUCER:
Make it the next take, or you could loose this contract!
The Director goes into his office with the gun.
INT. Office. Same.
We see the director empty the blanks; he takes out a box that is labelled “blanks”. We see some blanks as he opens it.
The Director pauses.
With haste he pulls out a locked box & opens it with a key. Inside are some real bullets. He puts them in the gun & goes out with it.
EXT. Ind Est. Same.
The Director gives the gun to the man.
DIRECTOR:
Ok lets get this done, we can do this right now, Come on team! From the same place.
MAN:
Ok.
DIRECTOR:
Everyone ready?
Everyone agrees.
DIRECTOR:
Camera rolling?
CAMERMAN:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Sound?
SOUND:
Check!
DIRECTOR:
3,2,1 Action!
MAN:
You’re to Late!
* BANG *
He fires the gun, we see blood splatter on the ground, and we then hear the noise of a body collapsing.
DIRECTOR:
Oh, Excellent, Well done.
CUT TO
END CREDITS
THE END.
A film by Greg Lock
RAZOR-EDGE LOGO
TITLE CARD
EXT. Ind Est. Daytime
They film opens up with a shot of a man, as the camera pulls out we see he has a gun in his hand. He is Angry.
MAN:
You stupid bitch! You had one job to do, one job. Deliver the money & then we’re done! That was it. You can’t even manage that! My God!
We see whom he is talking to, a girl.
GIRL:
I’m sorry, listen I can explain!
MAN:
You’re to late.
* BANG *
The man fires his gun, the girl falls.
CUT TO
DIRECTOR:
No, No, No what was that?
We see that it is actually a film set; there is the Director, a Producer, 2 Cameramen men & a Sound Recorder. The Girl begins to get up.
DIRECTOR:
We’re not making a bloody chick flick! We’re making a film! A proper film! Die properly! Lets do it again.
MAN:
Where from?
DIRECTOR:
Go from “Your to Late”, I liked your line (pointing at the girl).
MAN:
Ok.
DIRECTOR:
Ok then, Light?
CAMERAMAN:
Fine, sir!
DIRECTOR:
Sound?
SOUND:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Camera rolling?
CAMERAMAN:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Action!
The actors start the scene.
MAN:
You’re to Late!
* BANG *
He fires the gun, the girl falls.
DIRECTOR:
Fucking hell that was even worse! Who are you?
GIRL:
Excuse me?
DIRECTOR:
Do you not consider yourself a good actress say eh? Julia Roberts?
GIRL:
Well I…
DIRECTOR:
Because you cant seem to leave the chick flick genre! Look if we were making American Pie 4 then I would accept your level of shit acting! Just Die! Look, like this!
The Director acts out the scene assuming both parts.
DIRECTOR:
You got it?
GIRL:
I think so.
DIRECTOR:
Ok, lets go again. Same place. How’s the light looking?
CAMERAMAN:
Soon the sun will start set, then we’re screwed for continuity, and we don’t want that. That could ruin the film.
DIRECTOR:
Yes I know what it could do!
PRODUCER:
Is there a problem?
DIRECTOR:
No we’re fine. Lets go. Sound?
SOUND:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Camera rolling?
CAMERAMAN:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Action.
The actors go again.
MAN:
You’re to late!
* BANG *
The man fires his gun, the girl falls.
The director already had the annoyed look.
DIRECTOR (to himself):
I’m fucked!
MAN:
You doing that again? The guns empty.
DIRECTOR:
Give it here, I’ll get some more blanks, then we will do it right!
The Director takes the gun.
Him & the producer talk to each other.
PRODUCER:
What’s going on here?
DIRECTOR:
Nothing it will be fine.
PRODUCER:
It doesn’t look that way; you seem to have problems getting her to die convincingly. & we only have time for a few more takes before it gets dark.
DIRECTOR:
How much longer do have this location for?
PRODUCER:
This is the last day!
DIRECTOR:
Shit! If we don’t get this take done, now .We will have to re shoot all the scenes again at a new place. I want this place! This has been the gangster-meeting place in every other scene, we can’t re shoot! Look this is the last scene with her!
PRODUCER:
Make sure she gets it right! This film is Oscar material, you want an Oscar for your first feature film don’t you?
DIRECTOR:
My chance to join with Nichols, Stone, Eastwood, Polanski, Scorsese & all the other great Oscar winners. I will not blow on some bird that can’t act.
PRODUCER:
Scorsese hasn’t one an Oscar!
DIRECTOR:
Oh shut up!
PRODUCER:
Make it the next take, or you could loose this contract!
The Director goes into his office with the gun.
INT. Office. Same.
We see the director empty the blanks; he takes out a box that is labelled “blanks”. We see some blanks as he opens it.
The Director pauses.
With haste he pulls out a locked box & opens it with a key. Inside are some real bullets. He puts them in the gun & goes out with it.
EXT. Ind Est. Same.
The Director gives the gun to the man.
DIRECTOR:
Ok lets get this done, we can do this right now, Come on team! From the same place.
MAN:
Ok.
DIRECTOR:
Everyone ready?
Everyone agrees.
DIRECTOR:
Camera rolling?
CAMERMAN:
Check.
DIRECTOR:
Sound?
SOUND:
Check!
DIRECTOR:
3,2,1 Action!
MAN:
You’re to Late!
* BANG *
He fires the gun, we see blood splatter on the ground, and we then hear the noise of a body collapsing.
DIRECTOR:
Oh, Excellent, Well done.
CUT TO
END CREDITS
THE END.