Tuesday 18 June 2013

Waiting for the Tide.

This here is a short script for a short film what never got made.

I sort of just found it on my hard drive and thought it only right to give the light of day.



Waiting for the Tide

Hopefully we'll use a fish-eye lens of some sort. I want to convey how empty the landscape is giving the sense that the characters are quite literally the ONLY people on this beach.

opening shot - distance shot, HEAD in the sand is a small blip, barely discernible, we also see a man walking further in the distance with his dog. Toward the blip.

Close up of man walking dog, we see he is focusing on something beyond the camera. He stops looking down.

Back shot of the HEAD from WALKERs perspective. his dog runs in front staring at the HEAD.
we see the mans face from the dogs perspective. The man stares at the dog and the dog at him. This shot repeats 3 or 4 times from dog to HEAD to dog.
shot of WALKER

WALKER
you alright there man?

HEAD
Aye... fine

WALKER
(put off by HEADs indifference)
oh, well...

short silence as the WALKER takes in the situation, possibly more interchange between the HEAD and the dog, which is still staring intently.

WALKER
good night last night then?

HEAD
what?

WALKER
uhm, well I presume some of your mates done this to you? you on the radge last night?

HEAD
no, no... done this to myself

WALKER
what, how'd you... - trails off - ... what are you doing then?

HEAD
ach, just waiting for the tide

WALKER
waiting for the tide?

HEAD
aye

WALKER
...waiting for the tide?

HEAD
Did I fuckin' stutter?

WALKER
no... but why?

HEAD
oh, I'm just sick of it all man, sick of life. sick of bills, sick of relationships, sick of work, sick of being sick,sick ae havin' no mates, sick of waking up and sick of going to sleep. I'm fucking done wi' it.

WALKER
so... this is a suicide? you're killing yourself?

HEAD
aye

WALKER
by waiting for the tide to come in?

HEAD
aye

short silence

WALKER
it's a bit much isn't it?

HEAD
what is?

WALKER
burying yourself up to your neck in the sand, waiting for the tide, you sure this isn't just a cry for help?

HEAD
course its not, its just poetic!

WALKER
Poetic?

HEAD
aye! think about it - we are all just vessels just managing to stay above water, but not me! not me, I've chosen to let it wash over! let the salt and water fill my lungs! end this miserable existence once and for all! I'll be remembered as a man that made the decision to make my own decision! To become one with the sea! I am finished with this shit!

short silence

WALKER
Pretty sure this is sewage beach

HEAD
WHAT?

WALKER
yeah there's a sewage outlet along here - you're certainly going to be finished with shit at any rate.

HEAD
OH FOR FUCK SAKE! JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT IT ALL PLANNED OUT SOME PRICK HAS TO PUT A PIPE FULL OF SHIT LITERALLY IN YOUR FACE!

WALKER
Well it's not to la-

HEAD
Fuck off! This is my choice and I'm sticking with it!

short silence again

HEAD
you don't have a cigarette do you? I've got some in my pocket but (gestures to his condition)

WALKER
uhm nah, sorry mate I've just quit the other day

HEAD
shit

WALKER
oh, eh here.

goes into his pockets and takes out an stop smoking leaflet and places it gently in front of his face on the sand. The HEADs expression is somewhere between confusion and pure anger.

HEAD
...thanks

WALKER
you should really think about quitting, you save so much money and it's much better in the long run.

The HEAD just looks at the leaflet in contempt. Then looks up at the WALKER in a similar way. The WALKER nervously smiles, shrugging.

WALKER
Well we could dig you out and get those cigarettes

HEAD
NO - DON'T YOU DARE TRY AND SAVE ME!

WALKER
OKAY! fuck sake man, it was just a suggestion.

Another short silence, the WALKER is digging around his pockets again and he picks out another leaflet. He places it in front of the HEAD again. This time it is a religious leaflet - something along the lines of 

'JESUS SAVES - LUNCHTIME MEETINGS AT ABERDEEN CENTRAL CHURCH - FREE COFFEE AND TEA - NO HOMELESS PLEASE'

HEAD
Oh, are you some religious nut? 

WALKER
nah, somebody gave me it on the way here, I was just being polite by taking it, it was some lovely old wifey - seems you need it more than

HEAD
HERE I AM, BODY IN THE SAND WAITING FOR DEATH AND YOU START PUSHING BITS OF JESUS PAPER UNDER MY NOSE! BLOODY HELLL MAN HAVE YOU GOT NO RESPECT!? YOU FUCKING CLOWN! I DON'T WANT TO BE LOOKING AT SHIT LIKE THAT IN MY CONDITION - ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT IN A WEE WHILE I MIGHT ACTUALLY BE TALKING TO JESUS HIMSELF!

WALKER
ALRIGHT YOU WEE DICK, SIT THERE GREETIN' ABOUT LIFE AND HOW HARD IT IS AND HERE I AM JUST TRYING TO HELP.

HEAD
FUCK OFF THEN SAMARITAN!

WALKER
FUCKIN'... I SHOULD HIT YOU FOR YOUR PISH

HEAD
MOAN THEN!

The HEAD awkwardly jostles in a fight mode, not quite taking into account that he's immobile - the WALKER gets down on his hands and knees to grapple the HEAD. It becomes quite apparent that the WALKER can't fight for shit and delivers one or two slight glances whilst struggling as the HEAD moves around. This continues for a short while. The WALKER collapses in exhaustion.

HEAD
AYE FUCK OFF - LOOK I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOU SAY, THIS IS MY CHOICE I'M GONNA JUST LET ALL THAT SHIT FILLED WATER RISE UP AND FILL MY FUCKING MOUTH AND THERE IS'NT A DAMN THING YOU CAN SAY OR DO TO CHANGE MY MIND.

WALKER
FINE!
The WALKER storms away

HEAD
ahh thank fuck

The WALKER appears next to him again, picking up the leaflets he forgot.

HEAD
oh for fuck...

WALKER
One last thing by the way

HEAD
what?

WALKER
The tide doesn't come this far in. You'll be lucky to get your chin wet.

The HEAD is seething

WALKER
see you later, COME ON ROGER!
one last look at the dog. They walk into the distance similar to opening shot.

close up of HEAD.

HEAD
FUCK. FUCK. FUCK.

Pan out.

HEAD
FUCK SAKE. FUCKKK SAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

he goes on and on and on swearing and shouting unintelligibly until a fade to black.




No comments:

Post a Comment