Person1 is sleeping in the corner seat in the subway car. Person2 is sitting adjacent to Person1 and reading a newspaper. The subway car comes to a station, the doors open, Person2 is still reading the paper. The chimes go off to indicate that the doors are closing. Person2 realizes that this is their stop. “Oh shit!”, says Person2 before they drop the newspaper on the floor and run towards the doors.

Scene 2

Person3 walks into the subway car. Sits in front of the paper and starts to read it without picking it off the floor.

Scene 3

Person4 and Person5 are reading the paper and start having a discussion over one of the articles.

Scene 4

Person6 (guy) and Person7 (girl) are sitting next to each other, both reading that paper. Person7 goes to turn the page but Person6 interrupts, “I’m still reading.”

They strike up a conversation and at the end Person7 decides to give Person6 her number. She has a pen, but nothing to write on. “You have a piece of paper?”, she asks. Person6 searches his pockets and finds nothing. Person6 decides to tear off a piece of the newspaper and Person7 writes down her number.

Scene 5

The subway car comes to a stop at a station. Person1, sleeping all this time, is startled. The chimes go off. Person1 realizes this is their stop. “Oh Shit!”, says Person1 and runs towards the doors. Person1 steps on the newspaper and slips and falls to the floor.

The doors close.

THE END.

I guess I’ll flush out the concepts here, starting with the basic idea. Then expand it into a screenplay type script (this will be good practise for the final screenplay I’ll write someday =) ). Then get a few monkeys together and act it out. Of course it will suck because it’s the first time. But I’d rather do something that sucks than do nothing that sucks. Plus a lot of folk have experience doing stuff like this, and we’ll get their help. Most of what I post on this blog is unedited and unrevised. So this will follow that tradition.

“SARS backwards is SRAS” is an idea I’ve had since SARS hit Toronto. Half the people I’ve told this to have said it’s too risky or it’s bad taste. The other half have liked it. I like it. So I’ll describe it here. I’ve actually typed up half of this in screenplay format, so hopefully soon I’ll complete it.

Here we go. I’ve used the character’s name as descriptions, I’ll change that once we have a better idea.

———

Scene 1

WhiteMan is in this apartment/room. Lights are off, and the only light source is the television. The daily news is on. The reporter is talking about SARS and how people are trying to keep safe. “Some have taken to masks to protect themselves from SARS. Please remember to keep your hands clean.”

Scene 2
WhiteMan is in hardware store checking out masks. He purchases one (or a set).

Scene 3
Outside the hardware store. WhiteMan opens the mask packing and tries it on. He gets in his car and drives off.

Scene 4
WhiteMan is at work (or school). He’s got the mask around his neck. He’s approaches a group of 5 (or 6) people who are already discussing something. There are two Chinese people in this group and one white person (who is WhiteMan’s friend, WhiteFriend).

WhiteMan joins the discussion. When he’s talking to the non-Chinese people, his mask stays hanging off his neck. But when he talks to the chinese people, he puts on his mask. Anytime he faces the non-Chinese people, his pulls his mask off and around his neck again.

The awkwardness is felt in the air. WhiteFriend pulls WhiteMan from the group and says, “What’s wrong with you? If you’re afraid of SARS, then just keep the mask on all the time!”

WhiteMan with a confused look says, “What?? No. That’d just be rude!”

THE END.

——–

We don’t really need a screenplay like script to do this. We need people and a camera. One white male (WhiteMan), another white male or female (WhiteFriend), two visibly Chinese people and the other 3 people are of other races. Three locations, home, hardware store and school/work.

If you’re interested, we should talk. It’s summer and something should be done.

I’ll post the other short movie ideas soon.