I hope you enjoy this ridiculous comedy short.
What do a zombie that only eats vegans and an uber emo chimp have in common?
They are room mates and the rent is due.
This was a short comedy pilot with original characters, story, soundtrack, and costumes created for RPI EMAC ARTS 1030 – Digital Filmmaking ( Assignment 4 Mockumentary ) Spring 2013
This was a learning experience for my brother and I. We had a budget of around $400. The requirements were that we had 3 weeks total for this project from planning to presentation, and only one day of production, and that we had to act in the film ourselves and create two fictional characters. There were a number of mishaps that resulted in us cutting down the scenes that were shot and because of this, the beginning seems a little dry. Still I think we succeeded in creating original characters, and this will be very helpful for us in casting and planning should we decide to go forward and create a more professional pilot.
I want to thank everyone involved again, it wouldn’t have happened without you. I invite anyone interested in collaborating on future projects with us to email me at frankappio@gmail.com
Here are the credits:
Cast
Du Wayne – Zach Appio
Victor Gecewicz – Frank Appio
‘Producer’ – Jon Sorrentino
‘Production Assistant’ – Kristin Baldwin
Vegan Intern – Poptart
Lobby Extras – Brian Albert, Shyste, Mark Baldwin, Gianna Baldwin
Brandy Davis, Dimitri Mata, Miriam Rich, Madison Rich, Skyler Rich,
MARBocK
Crew
Camera Assistant – Mitchell Smith
Audio Assistant – Ethan D’Souza
Production Assistant – Megan Martin
Special Thanks to Casey Burns
and Professor Kathy High
If you are interested, or you would like to read the script for the deleted scenes, I have included it below
Victor & Duwayne – Open Auditions
· Camera Notes
(Directors Notes)
(Fade in)
· Centered Medium Close Shot from front of the car through the windshield
(Opens in the car, pulling up in parking garage)
Victor: I’m sorry I’m the only one that worries about the roof over our head
Duwayne: we need to find you a vegan
Victor: right now I’d eat the eggs out of a vegetarians (cut)
· Close Up B-roll of Victor and Duwayne getting out of the car (Interior/Exterior)
Duwayne: (looking puzzled)
(They get out of car, in the parking garage, talking over the top of car at first)
· Angled Medium Close Shot 180 degree shot during talk over hood
Victor: listen, we need to put our game faces on right now one of us really needs to get hired. I don’t have the rent money yet and I know damn sure you don’t have it
(They get out of car and begin walking up sidewalk single file)
· Full Shot Horizontal tracking (handheld), Duwayne starts playing with phone
· Medium Full Shot behind Duwayne moving to Close Up on camera phone
· Medium Shot with actual iPhone footage
Duwayne: (filming with phone) [victor spits] mashing baby you’re like a zombie van gogh
Victor: why are you filming me??
Duwayne: maybe I want to see how these people react when a dead person walks in there
Victor: (groans) put it away you’re going to make people uncomfortable
Duwayne: (under his breath) says the guy with a 4 inch gash on his face
· Close up, pull out of camera footage to Medium Shot
· Establishing Wide Pan Shot with V&D entering building
(They enter the building)
· Angled Medium Full Shot from bulletin board at doors, V&D walk into building
Victor: (lips) put the phone away
· (Same Shot) Victor walks by camera, holds on DuWayne to make sound then he walks off camera
Duwayne: (makes an air leak sound)
Cut
· Centered Medium Full Shot of V&D walking through door (with polarizer) heading towards Kristin
(Transition to walking through inner doors where they are greeted by production assistant)
· Medium Shot Tracking behind V&D walking up to Kristin at table
(Shows reaction of people waiting in lobby = startled and stuck)
· B-Roll of people in the lobby
· Angled Medium Close Shot from side of the table with V&D walking into frame
Production assistant: Welcome to Proudy casting are you gentleman here for the open auditions?
· Angled Close Shots from either side of V&D during conversation
Victor: (grumbles) ahhh
Duwayne: duhhhh
Victor: Yes. He means yes. (gives duwayne angry look)
· Angled Medium Close Shot similar to the one at start
· B- roll of hands/faces Close Shots when Kristin hands clipboards
Production Assistant: mmmm k, so here are some forms you need to fill out, you can have a seat and I’ll come back when they’re ready for you. (she hands them both a clipboard and shoots duwayne a mean look)
· Full Shot of V&D walking down the hall
· Flat Medium Full Shot of chairs with V&D entering scene to sit
(They are seated in the lobby, filling out forms)
· Mother & daughter from behind, view of Victor
· Victor’s POV of mother and daughter
· Mother & daughter’s POV Shot of Victor smiling
· Victor’s POV of mother shielding daughter
· Mother & daughter’s POV of Victor looking confused as he turns to DuWayne
(Show bit actors staring at the duo)
· Flat Medium Shot of V&D in seats
Victor: (sarcastically) I feel real comfortable here, … you better be nicer to the producers than you were to that girl.
· V&D’s POV of application (with view of both pairs of hands if they can fit in same shot)
(looking at application)
Duwayne: what the hell is this (looking at whats your fav music question) like any other band exists (writes P.A.T.D.)
· Flat Medium Shot of V&D in seats
Victor: sighs
· Full Shot of entire waiting room
(Musical chairs sequence)
· V&D’s POV of waiting room’s reaction
(After sequence smash cut to everyone staring at us)
· Waiting Room’s POV of V&D in seats
Victor and Duwayne together: What??
· Flat Full Shot pointing down hall towards Kristin approaching with V&D still in view
(Production Assistant comes from down hallway)
· Angled Full shot of V&D in seats with Kristin walking into frame
Production Assistant: Victor Gecewicz? The producers will see you now ~
· (Same Shot) Victor walks off frame with Kristin as DuWayne watches
(Victor goes in to begin his interview with the producers)
· Flat Full Shot of Victor walking down hall with Kristin to door
· Angled Full Shot of Victor and Kristin entering room
· B-Roll of Victor being ‘mic’ed (she guides him to seat)
· Producers POV of Victor entering shot to sit down
· Victor’s POV of Producer (Back and Forth POV’s and over the shoulder During Exchange)
Producer: so let’s just address the elephant in the room… sooooo a zombie?
Victor: Yes I’m a zombie
Producer: (not at all afraid) so what kind of zombie are you? a slow moving zombie? an ‘I can’t come out in the light’ zombie? so should we be scared or what?
Victor: No you’re safe. I could smell the carne seca you had for lunch from out in the waiting room. I only eat vegans.
Producer: (laughing) ummm ok so why is that exciting?
Victor: It’s not exciting. It’s pretty horrible.
Producer: Whats so horrible about being a vegan zombie or whatever.
Victor: I’m not a vegan zombie, I eat the brains of people who are, never mind
Why is it so horrible? first of all I throw up if theres any kind of animal proteins in the bloodstream. Not like I drank too much and I’m throwing up beer and pizza, like linda blair chunks. Last time I threw up a piece of my neck. And you know who eats animal proteins? Everyone…
· Flat Close Shot from behind producers (Victor out of focus)
Producer: I think I get it. (tapping desk and whispering to other producer) on your application you mentioned you had other film experience, it says here you starred in ‘repenetrator’, and ‘the dick and the dead’ we just looked on imdb and we can’t find those titles, are they known by another name?
Victor: (grumbling) Ahhhh they won’t be on imdb they are adult films. There was some really intense acting though, worth checking out
Producer: (sarcastically) yeah we’ll check those out. So tell me about your friend out there
Victor: Duwayne? He’s a real stand up guy. It’s hard to find integrity these days
(cuts to lobby where Duwayne is pissing in the fake plant, includes shots of people in lobby looking disturbed)
· Full Shot from behind of DuWayne peeing in plant
· DuWayne’s POV of waiting room’s reaction
(back in audition room)
· Producers POV of Victor (Back and Forth POV’s During Exchange)
Victor: and thats why I think we deserve a shot. (looking unconfident)
Producer: (in a dismissive tone) Alright. well Victor it’s been a real pleasure, we have your number, and we’ll be in touch if we need you. You can tell your friend to come in now.
(Victor leaves, producers look at each other and roll their eyes)
duwayne walks into frame and sits down
(Duwayne walks in and sits, pulls his phone out and begins texting)
Producer: Whenever you’re ready
(Duwayne sits and texts for an uncomfortable amount of time, around 20 sec?)
Producer: So are we wasting our time here? Or is this just like, your character?
Duwayne: (looks up, only mildly interested) when are we not wasting our time here?
Producer: I know how you feel.
Other Producer: (looks at producer confused) This raises some questions though. Why are you here then?
Duwayne: Well most of the time I just like to tag along with … out there and watch him fail
Producer: I can relate to that
Duwayne: I could really care less if I was on a show or not. I’m sure I would have a ton of fans. That would be a drag.
Producer: And what if I offered you a spot on this show?
Duwayne: I could really care less
(Producers chuckle)
(In lobby)
· Angled Full Pan Shot of waiting room
· Flat Medium Close Shot of Victor
· Full Shot Tracking of intern walking to break room (Tracking ends at Victor’s POV of breakroom)
· Waiting room’s POV of Victor
· POV of victor watching intern in break room
(Victor is grumbling in thoughts, reading a magazine and getting frustrated, looks up and sees intern enter break room. Intern begins making a sandwich.)
· Victor’s POV of breakroom
(Victor suddenly notices her)
· Medium Shot intern headed to counter
· (she set down the vego jar)
· Extreme Close Up Shot of veganaisse jar
(cut back to audition room)
· DuWayne’s POV of Producers
Producers:(laughing)
· (Scream from other room)
· Full Shot from behind producers of door with kristin bursting onto scene
· Medium Full Shot of Kristin in door
Production Assistant: (bursting in – extremely dramatic) It’s horrible!!! He’s eating her!!! He’s eating the intern!!! Do something!!!
· DuWayne’s POV of Producers
Producer: (In disbelief) Buddy you want to go get your partner out there.
Duwayne: He’ll be done in a minute. I’ll shoot him a text. (begins to text)
Producer: text?
· shot of back pocket
· shot from victim POV
· shot from victor POV
· shot from all sides
· shot from top
(cut back to lobby, zombie ring tone going off in pocket, absolute carnage for about 5 seconds)
· Medium Shot from behind producer facing door
Producer 1: (at doorway speaking to other producer) He really is eating this girl there’s blood all over the break room.
· Medium Shot of producer at table
Producer 2: Get out! Take your friend and get out of here! (Picks up phone and asks for security)
(Producer 2 gets slapped in the face with runny shit)
· Full Shot of DuWayne digging in pants
(cuts back to Du-wayne digging in his pants)
· Medium Shot of producer at table
(cuts to producer 1 laughing, producer 1 gets slapped across the face with shit)
· Full Pan Shot Establishing front of building – reverse pan of entrance shot
(cuts to security throwing them out front door)
· Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D
(they get up, are dusting themselves off, and begin walking down the street)
Victor: I’m feeling pretty optimistic, I think they’re gonna call
· Angled Medium Close Shot of DuWayne
Duwayne: (just looks at Victor)
· Angled Medium Close Shot of Victor
Victor: Oh no somethings not agreeing with me
· Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D, victor leaning forward out of frame to start puking
· Victor’s POV of ground as puke hits pavement
(Victor begins throwing up)
· Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D
Victor: These fake vegans! What did she eat??? (retches some more)
· Victor’s POV of ground as puke hits pavement
· Angled Medium Close Shot of DuWayne
Duwayne: (points to vomit) Is that a finger? Thats hardcore!
· Angled Medium Close Shot of Victor
Victor: Listen, we need to put our game faces on again, we still don’t have the rent. (wipes vomit from mouth)
· Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D
Duwayne: I need to wash these hands first
· Close Up Shot of DuWayne’s hands
(shows shitty hands)
(Victor retching again)
· Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D, victor leaning forward out of frame to start puking
· Victor’s POV of ground as puke hits pavement
(Fade out)
Camera Notes
(Directors Notes)
(Fade in)
Centered Medium Close Shot from front of the car through the windshield
(Opens in the car, pulling up in parking garage)
Victor: I’m sorry I’m the only one that worries about the roof over our head
Duwayne: we need to find you a vegan
Victor: right now I’d eat the eggs out of a vegetarians (cut)
Close Up B-roll of Victor and Duwayne getting out of the car (Interior/Exterior)
Duwayne: (looking puzzled)
(They get out of car, in the parking garage, talking over the top of car at first)
Angled Medium Close Shot 180 degree shot during talk over hood
Victor: listen, we need to put our game faces on right now one of us really needs to get hired. I don’t have the rent money yet and I know damn sure you don’t have it
(They get out of car and begin walking up sidewalk single file)
Full Shot Horizontal tracking (handheld), Duwayne starts playing with phone
Medium Full Shot behind Duwayne moving to Close Up on camera phone
Medium Shot with actual iPhone footage
Duwayne: (filming with phone) [victor spits] mashing baby you’re like a zombie van gogh
Victor: why are you filming me??
Duwayne: maybe I want to see how these people react when a dead person walks in there
Victor: (groans) put it away you’re going to make people uncomfortable
Duwayne: (under his breath) says the guy with a 4 inch gash on his face
Close up, pull out of camera footage to Medium Shot
Establishing Wide Pan Shot with V&D entering building
(They enter the building)
Angled Medium Full Shot from bulletin board at doors, V&D walk into building
Victor: (lips) put the phone away
(Same Shot) Victor walks by camera, holds on DuWayne to make sound then he walks off camera
Duwayne: (makes an air leak sound)
Cut
Centered Medium Full Shot of V&D walking through door (with polarizer) heading towards Kristin
(Transition to walking through inner doors where they are greeted by production assistant)
Medium Shot Tracking behind V&D walking up to Kristin at table
(Shows reaction of people waiting in lobby = startled and stuck)
B-Roll of people in the lobby
Angled Medium Close Shot from side of the table with V&D walking into frame
Production assistant: Welcome to Proudy casting are you gentleman here for the open auditions?
Angled Close Shots from either side of V&D during conversation
Victor: (grumbles) ahhh
Duwayne: duhhhh
Victor: Yes. He means yes. (gives duwayne angry look)
Angled Medium Close Shot similar to the one at start
B- roll of hands/faces Close Shots when Kristin hands clipboards
Production Assistant: mmmm k, so here are some forms you need to fill out, you can have a seat and I’ll come back when they’re ready for you. (she hands them both a clipboard and shoots duwayne a mean look)
Full Shot of V&D walking down the hall
Flat Medium Full Shot of chairs with V&D entering scene to sit
(They are seated in the lobby, filling out forms)
Mother & daughter from behind, view of Victor
Victor’s POV of mother and daughter
Mother & daughter’s POV Shot of Victor smiling
Victor’s POV of mother shielding daughter
Mother & daughter’s POV of Victor looking confused as he turns to DuWayne
(Show bit actors staring at the duo)
Flat Medium Shot of V&D in seats
Victor: (sarcastically) I feel real comfortable here, … you better be nicer to the producers than you were to that girl.
V&D’s POV of application (with view of both pairs of hands if they can fit in same shot)
(looking at application)
Duwayne: what the hell is this (looking at whats your fav music question) like any other band exists (writes P.A.T.D.)
Flat Medium Shot of V&D in seats
Victor: sighs
Full Shot of entire waiting room
(Musical chairs sequence)
V&D’s POV of waiting room’s reaction
(After sequence smash cut to everyone staring at us)
Waiting Room’s POV of V&D in seats
Victor and Duwayne together: What??
Flat Full Shot pointing down hall towards Kristin approaching with V&D still in view
(Production Assistant comes from down hallway)
Angled Full shot of V&D in seats with Kristin walking into frame
Production Assistant: Victor Gecewicz? The producers will see you now ~
(Same Shot) Victor walks off frame with Kristin as DuWayne watches
(Victor goes in to begin his interview with the producers)
Flat Full Shot of Victor walking down hall with Kristin to door
Angled Full Shot of Victor and Kristin entering room
B-Roll of Victor being ‘mic’ed (she guides him to seat)
Producers POV of Victor entering shot to sit down
Victor’s POV of Producer (Back and Forth POV’s and over the shoulder During Exchange)
Producer: so let’s just address the elephant in the room… sooooo a zombie?
Victor: Yes I’m a zombie
Producer: (not at all afraid) so what kind of zombie are you? a slow moving zombie? an ‘I can’t come out in the light’ zombie? so should we be scared or what?
Victor: No you’re safe. I could smell the carne seca you had for lunch from out in the waiting room. I only eat vegans.
Producer: (laughing) ummm ok so why is that exciting?
Victor: It’s not exciting. It’s pretty horrible.
Producer: Whats so horrible about being a vegan zombie or whatever.
Victor: I’m not a vegan zombie, I eat the brains of people who are, never mind
Why is it so horrible? first of all I throw up if theres any kind of animal proteins in the bloodstream. Not like I drank too much and I’m throwing up beer and pizza, like linda blair chunks. Last time I threw up a piece of my neck. And you know who eats animal proteins? Everyone…
Flat Close Shot from behind producers (Victor out of focus)
Producer: I think I get it. (tapping desk and whispering to other producer) on your application you mentioned you had other film experience, it says here you starred in ‘repenetrator’, and ‘the dick and the dead’ we just looked on imdb and we can’t find those titles, are they known by another name?
Victor: (grumbling) Ahhhh they won’t be on imdb they are adult films. There was some really intense acting though, worth checking out
Producer: (sarcastically) yeah we’ll check those out. So tell me about your friend out there
Victor: Duwayne? He’s a real stand up guy. It’s hard to find integrity these days
(cuts to lobby where Duwayne is pissing in the fake plant, includes shots of people in lobby looking disturbed)
Full Shot from behind of DuWayne peeing in plant
DuWayne’s POV of waiting room’s reaction
(back in audition room)
Producers POV of Victor (Back and Forth POV’s During Exchange)
Victor: and thats why I think we deserve a shot. (looking unconfident)
Producer: (in a dismissive tone) Alright. well Victor it’s been a real pleasure, we have your number, and we’ll be in touch if we need you. You can tell your friend to come in now.
(Victor leaves, producers look at each other and roll their eyes)
duwayne walks into frame and sits down
(Duwayne walks in and sits, pulls his phone out and begins texting)
Producer: Whenever you’re ready
(Duwayne sits and texts for an uncomfortable amount of time, around 20 sec?)
Producer: So are we wasting our time here? Or is this just like, your character?
Duwayne: (looks up, only mildly interested) when are we not wasting our time here?
Producer: I know how you feel.
Other Producer: (looks at producer confused) This raises some questions though. Why are you here then?
Duwayne: Well most of the time I just like to tag along with … out there and watch him fail
Producer: I can relate to that
Duwayne: I could really care less if I was on a show or not. I’m sure I would have a ton of fans. That would be a drag.
Producer: And what if I offered you a spot on this show?
Duwayne: I could really care less
(Producers chuckle)
(In lobby)
Angled Full Pan Shot of waiting room
Flat Medium Close Shot of Victor
Full Shot Tracking of intern walking to break room (Tracking ends at Victor’s POV of breakroom)
Waiting room’s POV of Victor
POV of victor watching intern in break room
(Victor is grumbling in thoughts, reading a magazine and getting frustrated, looks up and sees intern enter break room. Intern begins making a sandwich.)
Victor’s POV of breakroom
(Victor suddenly notices her)
Medium Shot intern headed to counter
(she set down the vego jar)
Extreme Close Up Shot of veganaisse jar
(cut back to audition room)
DuWayne’s POV of Producers
Producers:(laughing)
(Scream from other room)
Full Shot from behind producers of door with kristin bursting onto scene
Medium Full Shot of Kristin in door
Production Assistant: (bursting in – extremely dramatic) It’s horrible!!! He’s eating her!!! He’s eating the intern!!! Do something!!!
DuWayne’s POV of Producers
Producer: (In disbelief) Buddy you want to go get your partner out there.
Duwayne: He’ll be done in a minute. I’ll shoot him a text. (begins to text)
Producer: text?
shot of back pocket
shot from victim POV
shot from victor POV
shot from all sides
shot from top
(cut back to lobby, zombie ring tone going off in pocket, absolute carnage for about 5 seconds)
Medium Shot from behind producer facing door
Producer 1: (at doorway speaking to other producer) He really is eating this girl there’s blood all over the break room.
Medium Shot of producer at table
Producer 2: Get out! Take your friend and get out of here! (Picks up phone and asks for security)
(Producer 2 gets slapped in the face with runny shit)
Full Shot of DuWayne digging in pants
(cuts back to Du-wayne digging in his pants)
Medium Shot of producer at table
(cuts to producer 1 laughing, producer 1 gets slapped across the face with shit)
Full Pan Shot Establishing front of building – reverse pan of entrance shot
(cuts to security throwing them out front door)
Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D
(they get up, are dusting themselves off, and begin walking down the street)
Victor: I’m feeling pretty optimistic, I think they’re gonna call
Angled Medium Close Shot of DuWayne
Duwayne: (just looks at Victor)
Angled Medium Close Shot of Victor
Victor: Oh no somethings not agreeing with me
Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D, victor leaning forward out of frame to start puking
Victor’s POV of ground as puke hits pavement
(Victor begins throwing up)
Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D
Victor: These fake vegans! What did she eat??? (retches some more)
Victor’s POV of ground as puke hits pavement
Angled Medium Close Shot of DuWayne
Duwayne: (points to vomit) Is that a finger? Thats hardcore!
Angled Medium Close Shot of Victor
Victor: Listen, we need to put our game faces on again, we still don’t have the rent. (wipes vomit from mouth)
Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D
Duwayne: I need to wash these hands first
Close Up Shot of DuWayne’s hands
(shows shitty hands)
(Victor retching again)
Angled Medium Full Shot of V&D, victor leaning forward out of frame to start puking
Victor’s POV of ground as puke hits pavement
(Fade out)