So I'm planning ahead for a film festival that I'll be entering sometime in August/September. Here's a story that I'm developing. The rule is that the film must be completed in a week and be a maximum of 5 minutes. Any comment/suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
There are two main characters, Kenny and Matt, both college students (probably majoring in chemistry). Kenny is the smart, studious kid and Matt is the lazy screw up who always barely manage to pass his classes. Yet they are fairly close friends.
The story begins when Kenny receives a desperate phone call from Matt demanding that they meet. When they do meet, Matt confesses to Kenny that during the last final exam he has copied Kenny's test. However the TA who is grading the exam has found out that something is wrong and it is only a matter of time before Matt is busted. Getting a zero and failing the class is not Matt's biggest concern however. It turns out that a copy of the exam key went missing from the TA's office the day before the exam, and now not only is Matt suspected of cheating, he is in danger of being expelled for stealing as well.
Matt tells Kenny (via flashback) that he was indeed at the TA's office hour and he did saw the exam key on the table while the TA was out of the room. However after some hesitation Matt decides to not touch the key and he simply leaves.
Matt then begs Kenny to lie for him by testifying to the TA that he (Kenny) went to office hour after Matt left and that the exam key was still there by that time. Kenny agrees.
We then see Kenny alone in his room, thinking. He takes out several pieces of paper stapled together and shred/burn them. As they are destroyed, we see on top the words (Class) Final Exam Key Fall 2006.
Then revealed through a flashback is an alternate version of Matt's story, this time from Kenny's POV. It turns out that Kenny was indeed there at office hour right after Matt left, although Matt did not see him. Kenny was in the office briefly before he notices the exam key lying on the table, which he stole after some hesitation. In fact, as Kenny exits he almost had a run in with Matt by the elevator, as Matt decides to call Kenny and the phone ringing almost gives him away (this event will be in Matt's flashback too, of course, although shot from his POV).
The next day, when the TA questions them both, Kenny outright lies and tries to implicate Matt in the theft. Matt is dumbfounded until someone calls Kenny and he recognizes the ringtone that he heard that day by the elevator. Matt flies into a rage and tries to tackle Kenny, but is stopped by the TA and removed from the room.
Then just as Kenny was about to triumphantly exit the room, the TA calls him back. It turns out that there was an error in the exam key itself, and during grading only Kenny's and Matt's exams contains exactly the same error in the answer. This is an event that cannot be explained unless Kenny and Matt somehow had access to the key. The TA asks "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this...would you?" and we fade to black on Kenny's stunned expression.
Yeah, that was a long post, but if you guys can give me some feedback I would really appreciate it.
There are two main characters, Kenny and Matt, both college students (probably majoring in chemistry). Kenny is the smart, studious kid and Matt is the lazy screw up who always barely manage to pass his classes. Yet they are fairly close friends.
The story begins when Kenny receives a desperate phone call from Matt demanding that they meet. When they do meet, Matt confesses to Kenny that during the last final exam he has copied Kenny's test. However the TA who is grading the exam has found out that something is wrong and it is only a matter of time before Matt is busted. Getting a zero and failing the class is not Matt's biggest concern however. It turns out that a copy of the exam key went missing from the TA's office the day before the exam, and now not only is Matt suspected of cheating, he is in danger of being expelled for stealing as well.
Matt tells Kenny (via flashback) that he was indeed at the TA's office hour and he did saw the exam key on the table while the TA was out of the room. However after some hesitation Matt decides to not touch the key and he simply leaves.
Matt then begs Kenny to lie for him by testifying to the TA that he (Kenny) went to office hour after Matt left and that the exam key was still there by that time. Kenny agrees.
We then see Kenny alone in his room, thinking. He takes out several pieces of paper stapled together and shred/burn them. As they are destroyed, we see on top the words (Class) Final Exam Key Fall 2006.
Then revealed through a flashback is an alternate version of Matt's story, this time from Kenny's POV. It turns out that Kenny was indeed there at office hour right after Matt left, although Matt did not see him. Kenny was in the office briefly before he notices the exam key lying on the table, which he stole after some hesitation. In fact, as Kenny exits he almost had a run in with Matt by the elevator, as Matt decides to call Kenny and the phone ringing almost gives him away (this event will be in Matt's flashback too, of course, although shot from his POV).
The next day, when the TA questions them both, Kenny outright lies and tries to implicate Matt in the theft. Matt is dumbfounded until someone calls Kenny and he recognizes the ringtone that he heard that day by the elevator. Matt flies into a rage and tries to tackle Kenny, but is stopped by the TA and removed from the room.
Then just as Kenny was about to triumphantly exit the room, the TA calls him back. It turns out that there was an error in the exam key itself, and during grading only Kenny's and Matt's exams contains exactly the same error in the answer. This is an event that cannot be explained unless Kenny and Matt somehow had access to the key. The TA asks "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this...would you?" and we fade to black on Kenny's stunned expression.
Yeah, that was a long post, but if you guys can give me some feedback I would really appreciate it.
)