The Assignment

FADE IN:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Melvin checks his assignment lists for his online classes at SNHU. He sees that he has to write one more screenplay for a short before his weekly assignments are complete. Melvin leans back in deep thought and sighs. Melvin stands up and begins pacing his office floor several times as he thinks of ideas to write about. Melvin sits back down at his desk and grabs a blank sheet of printer paper and a pencil. Melvin leans in close on his elbows with the pencil eraser in his mouth as he thinks over his blank sheet of paper. The first idea springs to life and he writes it down on the paper. He writes “setting - comic convention,” and then the plot, “Who is the greatest incarnation of Doctor Who?” He begins writing the names of all thirteen actors who played the Doctor and then realizes that there are far too many characters for this idea to be considered a “short.” Melvin flips the paper over with a disheartening expression and begins thinking of another singular idea that he can focus on out of all those swarming around in his mind. Another idea spawns. He jots down “The Coffee Cup.” The idea seems simple enough with a limited amount of characters to tell a comical story. He writes “Comedy.” Melvin leans back as he ponders his secondary idea.

MELVIN

The guy has OCD and needs to use a specific coffee cup every day.

Melvin begins thinking out loud stating his ideas aloud before he writes them down.

MELVIN (CONT’D)

He can’t find the coffee cup hanging on the wall, BUT there are several other coffee cups available for him to use. He just can’t find the will power to reach for one.

Melvin chuckles as he bounces his pencil off of his bottom lip in thought.

MELVIN (CONT’D)

He becomes frantic! He looks all around the kitchen. He sees his wife sipping coffee from her cup. He pans around and sees his two kids sipping cocoa from random coffee cups, but none of them are his.

Melvin stops writing briefly and ponders a thought.

MELVIN (V.O.)

I wonder if this will be perceived as good humor or bad taste.

Melvin shelves the idea and saves it for a later date to work on.

MELVIN

Back to the drawing board.

Melvin grasps his face and sighs in frustration. He looks at the clock. He is running out of time to complete this assignment. He becomes frantic similar to the character in his OCD idea.

DISSOLVE TO:

THUNDERSTORM RAGING.

CUT TO:

CLOSE-UP OF MELVIN IN DEEP THOUGHT.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Melvin paces the floor again, over and over. Melvin becomes frustrated having too many ideas and none that fit or that he can gain enough interest to focus on. Melvin stops and looks to the clock again. It is an hour later than before. Melvin sits back down in his office chair as he decides on what to write about. Melvin laughs as he types. MELVIN A screenplay short about writing a screenplay short.

Melvin

BRILLIANT!

Melvin begins typing away. He is at it non-stop using his real life experiences in the screenplay, slightly modified for humorous intent.

Enter Melvin’s wife, Gwen. Gwen walks up seductively to her husband. Melvin is too involved to notice. Gwen roles the chair backwards from the desk with Melvin still sitting and straddles him in the chair. Melvin is caught off guard and VERY surprised.

MELVIN (CONT’D)

WHAT!?

Gwen smiles at her husband, contorting to a seductive expression as she grinds her husband’s lap.

GWEN

What do you mean what?

Melvin’s mind is once again distracted from his assignment. His face goes blank.

DISSOLVE TO:

HEART BEAT BEGINNING TO RACE.

CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - DAY

Melvin and Gwen make love. Melvin watches clock looking panicked. Melvin sees Gwen climaxing and pretends to climax with her. Melvin hops off of Gwen, and gets dressed. Melvin leaves bedroom and a perturbed Gwen alone in her bed,(speed up scene for comical purposes).

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Empty office. Enter Melvin still getting dressed. Melvin sits back down in his chair and runs his hands back over his hair. He freezes and looks to the door. He forgot to close it. Melvin hops back up and races over to the door, closes it, and locks it for good measure. Melvin once again returns to his chair and sits at his computer. MELVIN Let’s give this another shot! Melvin decides to add the encounter with his wife into his screenplay to add more humor and depth to his story line. He begins typing “Scene 3 - Comical Sex Scene.”

MELVIN (CONT’D)

My wife is going to kill me if she reads this.

Melvin laughs. Melvin hears the sound of the front door open and close. His son is home from school. He panics. He knows he is running out of time. His son will want his attention soon as well.

SEAN (V.O.)

Mom... Dad... I’m home.

Melvin gets a crazed look on his face as he tries to keep his story going and maintaining a comical POV.

MELVIN

Okay. It’s a short so it has to be a minimum of seven to twelve pages long. But I need to keep it comical. I have to think like a writer with the director in mind, but still leave the creative options open for the director. GOD! This can be so difficult sometimes.

Melvin begins typing more of his script as it comes to him. As he gets to page five, Melvin is suddenly stumped. His ADD mind begins to act up again. Melvin grasps his head.

DISSOLVE TO:

RAGING STORM SEGMENT.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Melvin bangs his head on his desk continuously. His computer sounds a notification beep. Melvin stops banging his head and slowly raises his head up to view his computer. He reaches for his mouse and clicks the notification icon. Facebook opens. One of is friends has liked something on his wall.

MELVIN

OH MY GOD! Too many distractions...

Knocking at his office door.

SEAN (V.O.)

Dad... Can I play my video game?

CUT TO:

CLOSE-UP OF A RAGING MELVIN, (COMICALLY PORTRAYED).

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Melvin exhales and looks to the door.

MELVIN

Go ahead Sean. Melvin calms his mind though he still hears the sounds of a raging storm. Sounds of raging storm in background. Melvin thinks that they are in his head. And continues to work on his assignment. Melvin nears completion of his assignment and his expression of panic slowly transforms into glee.

MELVIN (CONT’D)

Almost done. Melvin sighs with relief as he types his screenplay towards its climax. Melvin hears another notification from his Facebook account. Part of him wants to ignore it for fear of it distracting him, but the other part of him has to be up-to-date on the current events of his online friends. Melvin gives in and checks his Facebook account. The friend that liked one of his posts messaged him on his wall.

CUT TO:

SHOT OF COMPUTER SCREEN WITH FACEBOOK MESSAGE DISPLAYED. MESSAGE READS FROM CLARA, “CAN I READ YOUR SCREENPLAY WHEN IT’S DONE?”

Melvin types a reply, “Sure. I’m almost done with it now.”

CUT TO:

MELVIN

Melvin minimizes his Facebook account and continues to type his screenplay. He gets another notification from Facebook moments later. This time he tries to fight the urge to check it. But he fails. Melvin checks the notification. It’s Clara again.

CUT TO:

SHOT OF COMPUTER SCREEN WITH FACEBOOK MESSAGE DISPLAYED. MESSAGE READS FROM CLARA, “DO YOU WANT TO MAKE SHORT MOVIES?” Another notification from Clara. MESSAGE READS, “LOL.. DARN ADD CAN BE DISTRACTING AT TIMES.” A moment passes. Melvin minimizes his Facebook account and continues to type.

MELVIN’S COMPUTER SCREEN SHOWING UNFINISHED SCREENPLAY IN THE WORKS. Another notification from Facebook is heard. Melvin clicks to see if it is important.

SHOT OF COMPUTER SCREEN WITH FACEBOOK MESSAGE DISPLAYED. MESSAGE READS FROM CLARA, “OOOPPPPPPS I JUST REALIZED I'M THE DISTRACTION LOL.” Melvin chuckles at his friend’s sense of humor and begins typing again.

CUT TO:

MELVIN

Melvin completes his screenplay and stands up in insurmountable joy shouting and hooting. Melvin dances around comically in his office.

CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE HOME - STORMY DAY

Thunder claps and then lighting strikes a nearby transformer cutting the power to the neighborhood. Lights go out.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE - DARK

The lights are out. The computer is off. Melvin stands in the dark office silent and still. Sounds of confusion outside of office.

GWEN (V.O.)

Melvin! Do you have a flashlight in your office?

Sounds of an angry child. Sean is heard throwing an angry fit in another room.

SEAN (V.O.)

Why?! I was so far on my game!

Melvin grabs a flashlight in the dark and turns it on. He has a look of defeat on his face. Melvin walks to his office door and reluctantly unlocks it. Melvin opens the door to reveal Gwen standing in the doorway.

GWEN

What’s wrong?

Melvin looks to his computer. Sean storms out of his room roaring and stops next to Gwen.

SEAN

It’s not fair!

Melvin looks to his son cynically.

GWEN

Did you remember to save your assignment?

Melvin looks to Gwen blankly.

MELVIN

I was about to when the storm knocked out the power.

GWEN

You and your son are too much alike. Hey there MR. IT! What about auto save?

Melvin realizes his wife is right and that his auto save function would have saved most of his assignment. Melvin smiles.

SEAN

Duh Dad! Everyone knows that...

FADE TO BLACK.