Ramblings-
We thought it might be neat to let you see the screenplays for our webseries. We'll give it a try with No Jackson Left Behind and a little forward from Paul, who wrote the thing.
If you look at the title page you'll see that the first draft was written May 18, 2009(I guess you don't have to look now that I put it here). This is the final draft, completed
July 9, 2009. We had gone into preproduction on it and it was moving pretty slow. The crew was Umber(she's the actor in Missed Connections and The Laundromat), Blair(Will onscreen), Joe(Lucas onscreen) and me, Paul(AJ onscreen), and we all worked day jobs at the time, except me, I worked nights. So it was tough to get things rolling.
Until June 25, 2009. Michael Jackson died. I had just got to work and CNN was on with the film crews outside of that Sinai hospital in L.A. reporting that 'The King Of Pop' was on his way in. This story I'm sure all of you know, so I'll spare you my ramblings on it and get to where it has to do with us.
So, with the spirit of Michael we get our asses in gear to get this thing done.
I spend my days working on the set, I rummage through my landlords basement searching for wood and nails, and build the fake walls out of scrap 1x4s, then buy some comic books from a sidewalk sale that happens every Saturday at the end of my block as well as some glue and poster board from Staples. With the assembled, flimsy, 1x4 walls I tack on the poster board and then glue the comic pages to them(Don't worry collectors, these were sitting in the rain before I bought them).
Then I give the script one more pass, trying to 'funny' it up.
So, I think the room we shot in was bout 12x12. There was plenty of room to move around. Until we put up the 'comic walls'. As you can see, the 'room' is about 5x6. It's August in NEW York City. For those that don't know, It's stupid hot. Unbearable.
Anyway, we get everyone there and mic the room up . Well, the ceilings are 10 feet high and we're getting a giant echo through the headphones. Quick fix? We put blankets up around the entire thing and seal the comic wall room off, except where the camera needs to be, with a giant movable closet. The unbearable NYC heat just doubled in this 'room'. After every take we all run out of the 'room' and open windows to let some cool 97degree NYC summer air in.
How's that Sangey?
*This script contains some dialogue that was cut from the final film.
INT.KITCHEN OF HOUSE- DAY
*This script contains some dialogue that was cut from the final film.
INT.KITCHEN OF HOUSE- DAY
A.J., Will and Lucas are sitting at the kitchen table
playing quarters. It looks like they’ve been playing for a
while by the amount of beer bottles around the table and
counter. Or maybe they just haven’t cleaned the house in a
few weeks, and even though there’s a refrigerator two feet
away from them, there is a beer cooler next to the table
within arms reach.
WILL
The category is...Happy days.
Will bounces the quarter to the cup. Misses.
A.J. grabs the quarter and moves the cup as Will takes a
drink.
A.J.
Mork and Mindy.
A.J. shoots. Misses. Lucas grabs the cup and quarter as A.J.
takes a drink.
LUCAS
Laverne and Shirley.
Lucas shoots, Misses, and Will sets up his shot as Lucas
takes a drink.
WILL
All right, I’m going there,
(looks for everyones attention)
Joanie loves Chachi.
Will shoots, Misses, and A.J. grabs the quarter and sets up
as Will takes a drink.
A.J
Blanskys Beauties.
A.J. moves slowly giving Lucas time to put his hand over the
cup.
LUCAS
Wait whoa. http://www.filmannex.com/movie/no-jackson-left-behind/25844- for the shorter version
