Proposal: All The Wrong Places

Title:

All The Wrong Places

Author(s):

Alan Batie
Duane Worthington

Total Running Time:

6 minutes (Actual: 5:45)

Summary (Storyboard):

All The Wrong Places is a humorous look at the search for romance --- in short, Steve tries Tom, Dick and Harry, before realizing that his next door neighbor, Bruce (who we know is secretly enamored of Steve), is his Mr. Right. During filming, Tom, Dick and Harry were renamed to Thomas, Richard and Harold, and Steve and Bruce were renamed to Adam and Steve.

Wrong Places opens with Adam, our intrepid hero, going jogging. He jogs past a really cute guy (Thomas), and gets whiplash turning his head to check him out. Adam does a U-turn, we see the bedsheets thrashing, and then cut to him alone in bed the next morning.

Next, he responds to a personal ad (we show a close up of a personal ad, then him talking on the phone, then a close up as he writes "1pm, Salmon St. Fountain"), but when he goes to meet the person (Richard), no one shows up. To provide the humor, he'll bug a nearby person to see if they're Richard and act very impatient. If the fountain cooperates, he may get sprayed too.

Finally, he'll agree to a blind date, only to find the other person is a leather dude (Harold). Harold will pull out a chain and start twirling it. Adam thinks Harold means to use it on him, panics and runs, Harold looks puzzled, then calls a dog and chains him up.

After each encounter, he goes out to his back yard, where he talks to his next door neighbor (Steve), who is obviously enamored of him, while Steve works on his yard. Adam is oblivious however, until after the last episode, he laments, "Mr. Right won't just fall into my lap!" Steve, who's been pruning a tree during this talk, overreaches for a branch, loses his balance at precisely this moment and does fall out of the tree onto Adam. As they pick themselves up, their eyes meet, they move to kiss, an old style shrinking circle fade out occurs, centered on their lips and we end. Show Credits.

Locations and Shooting Directions:

All shots at 24fps except where noted.

Title Shots

All title shots will be filmed either at my place or at a friend's place (who has tools for fonts). Shoot 5 seconds for each except 10 seconds for Cast and Crew titles (13 + 2).

Time Estimate: 85 seconds raw, 85 seconds edited

Waterfront Park location
(waterfront sidewalk halfway between Hawthorne and Morrison bridges)

Setup 1

Scene 2, Shot 2: Shooting towards the Hawthorne bridge, get 3 takes of Adam jogging towards camera (left of cam, direct to cam, right of cam). Shots will start with jogger unrecognizably distant, and end after jogger passes camera. Adam is wearing jogging attire.

Time Estimate: 45 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Scene 2, Shot 7: Next, 2 takes of Adam following Thomas. They start behind the camera and run past a ways. One take with them passing on the left side of camera, and one on the right. Adam and Thomas are wearing jogging attire.

Time Estimate: 20 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Setup 2
Scene 2, Shot 4: Shooting towards the Morrison bridge, get 3 takes of Thomas jogging towards camera (left of cam, direct to cam, right of cam). Shots will start with jogger unrecognizably distant, and end after jogger passes camera. Thomas is wearing jogging attire.

Time Estimate: 45 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Scene 2, Shots 5,6: Finally, shoot starting with Thomas medium distant; as he approaches, Adam runs from behind camera into a view from behind. As he passes, he stares at Thomas and stumbles into a U-Turn and follows Thomas past the camera. Adam and Thomas are wearing jogging attire.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Waterfront Park location
(Salmon St. Fountain)

Setup 3

Scene 5, Shots 5,6,8,9: With camera to east of fountain, aimed at bench on north side, shoot master shot of Adam waiting for a long time, then gets up and asks Passerby, maybe a second Passerby, goes back and waits more, then leaves. Adam is wearing nice, but casual, attire (stand-up casual set).

Time Estimate: 60 seconds raw, 30 seconds edited

Scene 5, Shots 6,8: Medium shots of Adam asking Passerbys. Adam is wearing nice, but casual, attire (stand-up casual set).

Time Estimate: 20 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Garden location
(Will's house)

Setup 4

Scene 4, Shot 1: Camera on sidewalk, aimed west, Steve peers around end of fence, then quickly pulls back and starts weeding (Weedpatch 1). Steve should be somewhat behind the fence so that Adam can't see him until he gets most of the way over in a later shot. Steve is wearing working clothes (set 1).

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Scene 6, Shot 1: Camera on sidewalk, aimed west, Steve is weeding (Weedpatch 2), periodically looks up and leans over to peek around end of fence. Steve is wearing working clothes (set 2).

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Setup 5

Scene 4, Shot 2: Camera on sidewalk near end of fence, approximately where Steve was peering around the fence, aimed at house next door. Adam walks out of doorway and comes over towards camera. Adam is wearing talking set 1, Steve is wearing working set 1.

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Setup 6

Scene 4, Shot 3: Establishing shot to provide setting for the talks. Camera in front of neighbor's house aimed at Will's house, with end of fence center. Adam walks in from the left, goes over to Steve, who is weeding Weedpatch 1. Steve should be somewhat behind the fence so that Adam can't see him until most of the way over. They greet each other and start talking. Adam starts greeting, Steve is apparently oblivious until this time, and responds with happy surprise (but not overdone) and stands up. Adam is wearing talking set 1, Steve is wearing working set 1.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Scene 4, Shot 5: Same camera position, but zoomed into a medium shot of Adam and Steve talking (both standing), Steve shaking his head in commiseration. Adam is wearing talking set 1, Steve is wearing working set 1.

Time Estimate: 5 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Scene 6, Shot 2: Same position with a little wider framing, Steve weeding a somewhat different patch of weeds (same as Scene 6, Shot 1), and thus not standing, but Adam is and you can see all of him. Adam talks and Steve nods and agrees.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Setup 7

Scene 8, Shot 1: Camera in about same position as previous shots, but aimed at tree. Long shot of Steve on ladder against tree with pruning shears. He takes a snip, then leans back, looking over left shoulder at neighbor house, then goes back to take another snip. Repeat a couple of times.

Time Estimate: 20 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Scene 8, Shots 2,4,6: Same positions as previous shot, but closer framing. Adam walks into view from left, greets Steve and starts talking. Steve nods agreement in between snips (a couple of times). Each snip should be a little farther out, until the last one is rather a reach. He starts to lose his balance and starts flailing about.

Time Estimate: 30 seconds raw, 15 seconds edited

Setup 8

Scene 8, Shot 7: Camera under tree and ladder, aimed up. Get as wide angle as possible to minimize depth of field, but close, so Steve fills frame as he falls to camera. Helpers catch him before he hits it.

Time Estimate: 5 seconds raw, 1 second edited

Setup 9

Scene 8, Shots 8,9: Camera near base of ladder, shooting down on Adam and Steve. Steve is face down across Adam's lap. They fill frame, and Steve starts to turn over to pick himself up. He turns so that he faces Adam, catches his eye and freezes. Repeat take with a zoom in on Adam's face as he freezes.

Time Estimate: 40 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Scene 8, Shot 11: Medium shot of Steve and Adam in each other's arms, same camera position. They slowly lean together and kiss tenderly.

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Setup 10

Scene 8, Shots 9: Camera over couple, closeup on Steve as he turns over, catches Adam's eye and freezes.

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Setup 11

Scene 8, Shots 10: Camera near ground, closeup on Adam as he helps Steve turn over, catches Steves's eye, freezes briefly, then starts to lean over into a kiss.

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Bedroom location
(either my bedroom or the actor playing Adam's)

Setup 12

Scene 3b, Shot 1: Bed fills frame, but you can see all or most of the bed. It's obvious that someone's having fun under the sheets, but you can't see who or exactly what they're doing.

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Setup 13

Scene 3b, Shot 2: Similar setup, but camera should be as high as possible, looking down on bed. The far side has the covers turned back, mussed up. Obviously someone has been there and left. Adam lays on the near side, staring at the ceiling. He smiles a little smile, then it fades to a mildly depressed look. He is shirtless, but otherwise covered by the bedsheets.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Dining Room location
(my dining room)

Setup 14

Scene 5, Shot 2a: Long shot of Adam reading the paper on the table.

Time Estimate: 5 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Phone location
(my entryway at home)

Setup 15

Scene 5, Shot 3: Medium shot of Adam talking on the phone. He's wearing the "stand-up date casual" set of clothes.

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Scene 7b, Shot 1: Medium shot of Adam listening on the phone; occasionally he nods and says something brief, like "Suuuurrreee". He's wearing the "blind date casual" set of clothes.

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Setup 16

Scene 5, Shot 4: Closeup of someone writing fountain date information in appointment book. Book is next to phone.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Scene 7b, Shot 2c: Closeup of someone writing blind date address and time in appointment book. Book is next to phone.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Blind Date location
(Craig's house [or possibly Tara's])

Setup 17

Scene 7c, Shot 1a: Long shot from across street as Adam walks up to house.

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 10 seconds edited

Scene 7c, Shot 1a: Long shot from across street as Adam runs away
Shoot one take at 18fps and one at 24fps.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 2 seconds edited

Scene 7c, Shot 5b: Long shot from across street as Harold puts leash on dog and walks away from house

Time Estimate: 15 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Setup 18

Scene 7c, Shot 2: Medium to long shot (you can see all of Harold) as Harold opens the door, smiles and starts twirling the chain suggestively.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Scene 7c, Shot 5a: Same framing as Harold opening door, but here he calls the dog, puts chain on it and walks to camera.

Time Estimate: 10 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Setup 19

Scene 7c, Shot 1b: Close up of address on house, to show match with appointment book.

Time Estimate: 3 seconds raw, 3 seconds edited

Setup 20

Scene 7c, Shot 4: Close up of Harold, looking puzzled and scratching the back of his head with a crop.

Time Estimate: 5 seconds raw, 5 seconds edited

Setup 21

Scene 7c, Shot 3a: Close up of Adam, going "Aggh!"

Time Estimate: 2 seconds raw, 2 seconds edited

Total Time Estimate: 640 seconds raw, 358 seconds edited.
Estimate 5 rolls @ 24fps plus one for "alignment" errors and one "just in case", for a total of 7.

In fact, it was 7 rolls first shoot, plus 5 rolls on reshoot, with more reshoots needed. 7 would've been right with better camera operation. The picture shows what didn't end up in the movie...

Style:

This film will be shot in the style of an early silent film, with minimal dialogue done with printed cards, interspersed with movie scenes. Each major scene will have a title card: "Adam" (the opening scene), "Thomas", "Richard" and "Harold" for the three attempts at romance. I'll introduce Steve in the first dialogue scene.

Special Effects:

The trickiest special effect will be the shrinking circle fadeout; if the film center doesn't have a large iris for this effect, it might be done with a dark paper cone with the point near the camera lens at the beginning, then moved out so it fills up the screen more and more until the viewable area is small enough to just cut to credits.

Shooting Ratio:

2:1

Sound:

Will "borrow" music from a Buster Keaton collection I have.

Talent:

Friends will play all roles (except the dog).

Cast:

Adam (Mike Gower)
Main character, gay man looking for love in all the wrong places
Steve (Will Simonds)
Next door neighbor, confidant of Adam, secretly enamored of Adam
Thomas (Bob North, Scott [standin])
Attractive one night stand
Passerby (Andrew Haddock)
Innocent bystander
Harold (Craig West)
Big whips-n-chains leather dude
a dog (Craig's weiner dog)
A little yip dog, to contrast with the oversized (relative to the dog) chain

Wardrobe

Wardrobe and props will be just whatever is around. Harold's leather attire will be supplied by whoever portrays him. The different clothing sets (shirt is all that needs to change) required will be:

Props and Equipment