I wrote several full-length screenplays of varying quality during high school and college, then stopped in my Senior year of college after a disastrous incident in a Film Production class (our sound man attempted to rewrite my script.) I stopped for a little while, then began writing again. What follows here are the first five pages of my latest script, "Muse", in which a Japanese rock star goes on a soul-searching trip to Seattle in a desperate attempt to save her band.
Please enjoy and feel free to hit me with constructive criticism. Yes I know the format is goofy; the text editor here doesn't seem to be able to reproduce Final Draft formatting.
Muse
FADE IN:INT. AYA’S BEDROOM - DAY
AYA SAKAKI (mid twenties) sits alone on her bed, staring at a wall covered with photos she has taken of exotic destinations throughout Asia. She is dressed in a grey-striped pant suit that exudes both punk and business in the same glance. She has blue highlights, Costello glasses, a skinny black necktie and a green messenger bag that never leaves her side.
She is strumming on a well-loved black Fender Stratocaster and scribbling notes in a songsheet notebook. The floor is coated with other guitars and crumpled songsheets.
Aya tears off another page of songsheet, crumples it and throws it over her shoulder. She rests her chin on her hands as she continues to strum her guitar and stare at the pictures, attempting to gain some glimmer of meaning from it all. She fails; She has lost her muse.
There is a KNOCK from the door behind her. NOTE: Aya, Yuki, Ishiko, Hiro and Toyo will always speak to each other in JAPANESE, subtitled.
AYA
This better be good!
The door opens. YUKI HAYASHI, ISHIKO ASANASHI, HIRO SUZUKI and TOYO SAITO walk through. Yuki, Hiro and Ishiko are the members of Aya’s band, “Aki Phoenix.” They are all dressed in a style similar to Aya’s save Toyo, the manager, who is dressed in an ill-fitting business suit that is completely sans punk.
TOYO
Why didn’t you show up at the cafe? We waited for you.
AYA
I was busy.
TOYO
Well are you ready to go now? We have to get to the EMP interview, then we have a meeting with Nakamura, from the record label. We’re running late as it is.
AYA
All right.
Aya pries herself away from her exercise in futility and follows everyone else outside. She takes one last look at the wall before she walks through the door, hoping for that last-minute flash of inspiration. It doesn’t come.
INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
GAVIN HAYLEY (mid twenties) sits on a stool painting a scene taken from a picture of Pioneer Square in Seattle. He wears a brown t-shirt covered in paint stains, ripped carpenter’s jeans, has hair just past his eyes and is scruffily handsome. He is surrounded by paint bottles, brushes, canvasses and is shadowed by a small Juniper Bonsai sitting by the window.
CAMERON BERNARD (early twenties) sits at the other end of the apartment. She is wearing the basics of a sharp business suit and is busy typing a memo for work. She stops to rest her eyes and looks over at Gavin’s painting.
CAMERON
That’s one of the best scenes you’ve done.
GAVIN
(doesn’t look up)
Thanks. I snapped the picture when I came out of Bakeman’s yesterday.
Gavin looks over and sees Cameron writing the memo.
GAVIN (CONT'D)
More homework?
CAMERON
If only it were that simple. Damn office politics, someone’s always pissed off about something.
GAVIN
Who is it this time? Tiberious Tim? Naughty Ned? Or was it Raging Ronnie?
CAMERON
None of the usual suspects. It was the new guy, from logistics. Thinks he’s better than everyone, that he doesn’t need to conform to company policy.
GAVIN
And they haven’t canned him...why?
CAMERON
Because he’s the division VP’s nephew.
GAVIN
I guess it really is all about who you know.
CAMERON
If I’d have had a relative to give me handouts, who the hell knows where I’d be now. Definitely not at Dynatech.
GAVIN
What would you be doing if you weren’t in asset management?
CAMERON
I’d draw.
GAVIN
(chuckles)
What? Since when have you had the slightest inkling in art?
CAMERON
I took classes and worked on comics with friends all through high school.
GAVIN
Then why the hell did you major in business?
CAMERON
Because there’s not a lot of money in comics. Asset management: whole different story.
GAVIN
So you’re a gold digger.
CAMERON
You know what Gavin, you’re right. I’m a gold digger. Shit, what am I doing here, I should be living in Vegas! Thanks to you Mr. Hayley, you’ve figured me out!
GAVIN
Why Cameron Bernard, if I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were being sarcastic.
CAMERON
Pain in the ass.
GAVIN
You know you’re crazy about me.
CAMERON
(semi-sarcastically)
No doubt.
Gavin smiles for a moment, then goes back to his painting. Cameron smiles at him a little longer, then goes back to her memo.
INT. CAR - DAY
Toyo and the band discuss their future while Aya looks out the window, distracted. The band is agitated, with rumors of their breakup flying around and some angry words being exchanged. It all floats right past Aya.
INT. EXPENSIVE SUKIYAKI-YA - DAY
The band enters a very expensive sukiyaki restaurant and stands in the entrance for a moment, expecting to be greeted by at least a few fans or at least a paparazzi. Nobody comes except the HOSTESS. Toyo speaks to her for a moment, then she leads the group to a quiet tatami room in the back of the restaurant. ISAO NAKAMURA (fifties) is waiting for them. He is a well-groomed man and wears a dark grey business suit that costs more than the average salaryman makes in a year. (Everyone speaks JAPANESE, subtitled.)
TOYO
(polite but nervous)
Mr. Nakamura.
NAKAMURA
Thank you for coming. Please sit down.
Everyone sits around the table. The air is tense until Aya breaks the ice by pouring tea for everyone. Nakamura looks relieved that someone else took the initiative.
NAKAMURA (CONT'D)
Let me tell you why you’re here. You’re here because the numbers are slipping. Record sales are down, concert ticket sales are slow and the new album has gotten lousy reviews from every venue we sent it to. It’s starting to look like Aki Phoenix is yesterday’s news. I don’t want that. I’ve invested too much in you kids to throw it all away, but if the numbers don’t add up to the people at the top, they’re going to make some cuts.
TOYO
(apprehensive)
What kind of cuts?
NAKAMURA
They’re going to cancel your contract. You’ve got a concert at Budokan in two weeks, the last one on the album tour. This is your chance to show that you’re not yesterday’s news. If you can do well at Budokan, it will show the label that you’re worth keeping. If the show doesn’t bring down the house, that’s it.
Plates of food start arriving, but the mood is too sour for anyone but Nakamura to eat.
NAKAMURA (CONT'D)
I want to see something new. A new song, a new set, I don’t care. I just need to have something to show the rest of the executives that you’re worth keeping. Can I count on this getting done?
AYA
(suddenly empowered)
Absolutely.
All eyes turn to Aya.
AYA (CONT'D)
We can do this!
NAKAMURA
I’m glad to hear it.
The band slowly starts to pick at the food, though no one feels like eating. Aya comes off her momentary high and is visibly questioning the wisdom of her proclamation.
INT. CAR - DAY
The band is sullen as the car takes them back to Saito’s apartment. Yuki, Ishiko, Hiro and Toyo are all exchanging despondent looks and avoiding the inevitable discussion of dinner. Aya occupies herself by watching Tokyo pass by outside. She looks as though twenty years have just been added to her life.
The car passes by a large ad for the JAPAN TRAVEL BUREAU. The ad runs a banner reading VISIT AMERICA! LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, CHICAGO, SEATTLE! in huge letters. Aya notices the sign and her eyes light up. She knows what she has to do. She turns to everyone else with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
AYA
(excited)
I’ve got it.
AYA SAKAKI (mid twenties) sits alone on her bed, staring at a wall covered with photos she has taken of exotic destinations throughout Asia. She is dressed in a grey-striped pant suit that exudes both punk and business in the same glance. She has blue highlights, Costello glasses, a skinny black necktie and a green messenger bag that never leaves her side.
TITLE CARDS OVER IMAGE.
MUSE
MUSE
She is strumming on a well-loved black Fender Stratocaster and scribbling notes in a songsheet notebook. The floor is coated with other guitars and crumpled songsheets.
Aya tears off another page of songsheet, crumples it and throws it over her shoulder. She rests her chin on her hands as she continues to strum her guitar and stare at the pictures, attempting to gain some glimmer of meaning from it all. She fails; She has lost her muse.
There is a KNOCK from the door behind her. NOTE: Aya, Yuki, Ishiko, Hiro and Toyo will always speak to each other in JAPANESE, subtitled.
AYA
This better be good!
The door opens. YUKI HAYASHI, ISHIKO ASANASHI, HIRO SUZUKI and TOYO SAITO walk through. Yuki, Hiro and Ishiko are the members of Aya’s band, “Aki Phoenix.” They are all dressed in a style similar to Aya’s save Toyo, the manager, who is dressed in an ill-fitting business suit that is completely sans punk.
TOYO
Why didn’t you show up at the cafe? We waited for you.
AYA
I was busy.
TOYO
Well are you ready to go now? We have to get to the EMP interview, then we have a meeting with Nakamura, from the record label. We’re running late as it is.
AYA
All right.
Aya pries herself away from her exercise in futility and follows everyone else outside. She takes one last look at the wall before she walks through the door, hoping for that last-minute flash of inspiration. It doesn’t come.
INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
GAVIN HAYLEY (mid twenties) sits on a stool painting a scene taken from a picture of Pioneer Square in Seattle. He wears a brown t-shirt covered in paint stains, ripped carpenter’s jeans, has hair just past his eyes and is scruffily handsome. He is surrounded by paint bottles, brushes, canvasses and is shadowed by a small Juniper Bonsai sitting by the window.
CAMERON BERNARD (early twenties) sits at the other end of the apartment. She is wearing the basics of a sharp business suit and is busy typing a memo for work. She stops to rest her eyes and looks over at Gavin’s painting.
CAMERON
That’s one of the best scenes you’ve done.
GAVIN
(doesn’t look up)
Thanks. I snapped the picture when I came out of Bakeman’s yesterday.
Gavin looks over and sees Cameron writing the memo.
GAVIN (CONT'D)
More homework?
CAMERON
If only it were that simple. Damn office politics, someone’s always pissed off about something.
GAVIN
Who is it this time? Tiberious Tim? Naughty Ned? Or was it Raging Ronnie?
CAMERON
None of the usual suspects. It was the new guy, from logistics. Thinks he’s better than everyone, that he doesn’t need to conform to company policy.
GAVIN
And they haven’t canned him...why?
CAMERON
Because he’s the division VP’s nephew.
GAVIN
I guess it really is all about who you know.
CAMERON
If I’d have had a relative to give me handouts, who the hell knows where I’d be now. Definitely not at Dynatech.
GAVIN
What would you be doing if you weren’t in asset management?
CAMERON
I’d draw.
GAVIN
(chuckles)
What? Since when have you had the slightest inkling in art?
CAMERON
I took classes and worked on comics with friends all through high school.
GAVIN
Then why the hell did you major in business?
CAMERON
Because there’s not a lot of money in comics. Asset management: whole different story.
GAVIN
So you’re a gold digger.
CAMERON
You know what Gavin, you’re right. I’m a gold digger. Shit, what am I doing here, I should be living in Vegas! Thanks to you Mr. Hayley, you’ve figured me out!
GAVIN
Why Cameron Bernard, if I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were being sarcastic.
CAMERON
Pain in the ass.
GAVIN
You know you’re crazy about me.
CAMERON
(semi-sarcastically)
No doubt.
Gavin smiles for a moment, then goes back to his painting. Cameron smiles at him a little longer, then goes back to her memo.
INT. CAR - DAY
Toyo and the band discuss their future while Aya looks out the window, distracted. The band is agitated, with rumors of their breakup flying around and some angry words being exchanged. It all floats right past Aya.
INT. EXPENSIVE SUKIYAKI-YA - DAY
The band enters a very expensive sukiyaki restaurant and stands in the entrance for a moment, expecting to be greeted by at least a few fans or at least a paparazzi. Nobody comes except the HOSTESS. Toyo speaks to her for a moment, then she leads the group to a quiet tatami room in the back of the restaurant. ISAO NAKAMURA (fifties) is waiting for them. He is a well-groomed man and wears a dark grey business suit that costs more than the average salaryman makes in a year. (Everyone speaks JAPANESE, subtitled.)
TOYO
(polite but nervous)
Mr. Nakamura.
NAKAMURA
Thank you for coming. Please sit down.
Everyone sits around the table. The air is tense until Aya breaks the ice by pouring tea for everyone. Nakamura looks relieved that someone else took the initiative.
NAKAMURA (CONT'D)
Let me tell you why you’re here. You’re here because the numbers are slipping. Record sales are down, concert ticket sales are slow and the new album has gotten lousy reviews from every venue we sent it to. It’s starting to look like Aki Phoenix is yesterday’s news. I don’t want that. I’ve invested too much in you kids to throw it all away, but if the numbers don’t add up to the people at the top, they’re going to make some cuts.
TOYO
(apprehensive)
What kind of cuts?
NAKAMURA
They’re going to cancel your contract. You’ve got a concert at Budokan in two weeks, the last one on the album tour. This is your chance to show that you’re not yesterday’s news. If you can do well at Budokan, it will show the label that you’re worth keeping. If the show doesn’t bring down the house, that’s it.
Plates of food start arriving, but the mood is too sour for anyone but Nakamura to eat.
NAKAMURA (CONT'D)
I want to see something new. A new song, a new set, I don’t care. I just need to have something to show the rest of the executives that you’re worth keeping. Can I count on this getting done?
AYA
(suddenly empowered)
Absolutely.
All eyes turn to Aya.
AYA (CONT'D)
We can do this!
NAKAMURA
I’m glad to hear it.
The band slowly starts to pick at the food, though no one feels like eating. Aya comes off her momentary high and is visibly questioning the wisdom of her proclamation.
INT. CAR - DAY
The band is sullen as the car takes them back to Saito’s apartment. Yuki, Ishiko, Hiro and Toyo are all exchanging despondent looks and avoiding the inevitable discussion of dinner. Aya occupies herself by watching Tokyo pass by outside. She looks as though twenty years have just been added to her life.
The car passes by a large ad for the JAPAN TRAVEL BUREAU. The ad runs a banner reading VISIT AMERICA! LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, CHICAGO, SEATTLE! in huge letters. Aya notices the sign and her eyes light up. She knows what she has to do. She turns to everyone else with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
AYA
(excited)
I’ve got it.
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