Monday, January 28, 2013

Case Study No. 0752: Agent Johnson and Agent Jackson

The A.A.L. - First Cut with Unnecessary Special Effects!
3:50
Introductory short film about the Ask a Librarian service offered by Ohio University at Alden Library.
Tags: Library Ohio Alden Spy Effects
Added: 2 years ago
From: Archangel565
Views: 87

March 1962: Overrun with questions, librarians at Ohio University's Chubb Library are forced to ask students to "wait their turn."
September 1965: A secret organization is formed, dedicated to answering all library related questions ... The A.A.L.
January 1966: Construction begins on the Alden Library.
May 1969: Alden Library opens. In the heart of the library, the A.A.L goes online. Its mission to assist library patrons ... at any cost.

Ask A Librarian

[scene opens with a male librarian using a typewriter, as "September 2010, Alden Library 6:30 a.m." appears on screen, when another male librarian walks into the office]
AGENT JOHNSON: Good morning, Agent Jackson ...
AGENT JACKSON: Agent Johnson ...
[he hands him a coffee mug]
AGENT JACKSON: Coffee?
[he takes a sip]
AGENT JOHNSON: Bleh, I like the stuff in Special Collections better ... Anything new today?
AGENT JACKSON: Nah, just catching up on email questions ... I pride myself on a quick turnaround.
AGENT JOHNSON: You run a tight ship here.
[he sits down]
AGENT JOHNSON: Can't they ask those questions from their iPhone now?
AGENT JACKSON: Yeah, works the same way as email.
AGENT JOHNSON: Amazing the things they can do with technology ...
[he jumps as a very loud alarm suddenly sounds (although Agent Jackson has no reaction)]
AGENT JOHNSON: Jackson, what is that?!
AGENT JACKSON: It's just an instant message, somebody's asking a question through the library's website ...
[Agent Johnson continues looking around nervously, so Agent Jackson stops typing and turns to him with a slightly annoyed look on his face]
AGENT JACKSON: Would you hit the "silence" button under your desk?
[he reaches under the desk, as the alarm stops]
AGENT JACKSON: Meebo on ...
[a digital "computer" screen appears on the wall, as Agent Jackson taps it to reveal a question from a student ("McDudenStein92 Asks: Wut r the library's hours?")]
AGENT JACKSON: The library's open twenty four hours a day from Sunday at noon to Friday at midnight, and then again on Saturday from ten to midnight.
[as he's speaking, "Library Hours are: Sunday Noon - Friday Midnight, Saturday 10am - Midnight" is automatically typed onto the screen through "voice recognition", so he taps the screen again and it disappears]
AGENT JOHNSON: So, what do you normally do between calls?
[Agent Jackson stops typing and slowly turns his chair around]
AGENT JACKSON: We catch up on messages ...
["8:45 AM" appears on screen, then cut to Agent Johnson diving underneath his desk as an even louder alarm sounds (although Agaent Jackson is once again nonplussed)]
AGENT JACKSON: It's the phone ...
[cut to a closeup of a cell phone on the desk, as Agent Johnson (calming down) reaches for it]
AGENT JOHNSON: I've got this ...
[he picks up the phone and (after the alarm stops) speaks into it]
AGENT JOHNSON: Alden Library. How can I help you today?
[he pauses]
AGENT JOHNSON: Photography collection? You'll need to speak with the Fine Arts Department for that. I can transfer you if you'd like to hold.
[he presses a button, then hangs up and gets up from underneath the desk]
AGENT JACKSON: Y'know, you seem really high-strung. How about ...
[a "virtual" dartboard appears on the wall, as a "glowing orb" appears in his fingers and he throws it at the board]
AGENT JACKSON: Some darts?
[he turns and continues typing, as Agent Johnson attempts to get a glowing orb to appear in his fingers (but fails to do so after several attempts)]
["10:03 AM" appears on screen, as Agent Johnson is reading the print-out from an old electronic calculator]
AGENT JOHNSON: Someone on the seventh floor needs help finding a book!
[he throws Agent Jackson an Ohio University football helmet, which he puts on, then cut to a "virtual reality simulation" (similar to Tony Stark's helmet UI in the "Iron Man" films)]
AGENT JACKSON: I've got them ... Bringing up the security camera feed now.
[cut to green-tinted security footage of a female student staring at a bookshelf ("Alden Library 7th Floor: West Wing"), then back to Agent Johnson]
AGENT JOHNSON: There's no way we can reach them in time! I'm going to respond ...
[he picks up a shoe]
AGENT JOHNSON: On foot!
[he runs out of office and into the stacks, then cut back to Agent Jackson's VR helmet display]
AGENT JACKSON: Come on, Johnson, she needs that book now!
[a "bell" symbol appears in the upper right-hand corner of his helmet display]
AGENT JACKSON: It's not turning off ... There, there's a Skype call coming in.
[cut to another female student staring at her computer screen]
AGENT JACKSON: [from off camera] I'm gonna take it in here ...
[cut back to Agent Jackson's helmet display, as a video feed of the student (from her computer's webcam?) appears in the upper right-hand corner of his helmet display]
AGENT JACKSON: This is Ask A Librarian. How may I help you?
[she leans in with a quizzical look on her face]
STUDENT: Do you guys have my book?
AGENT JACKSON: Well, that depends. Digital ... or print?
[cut back to Agent Johnson jogging through the stacks, as he finds the student and (after quickly catching his breath and composing himself) talks to her in a calm and professional voice]
AGENT JOHNSON: Hi, Librarian Johnson. How can I help you?

A short by
Cody W. Bonds
CWBonds [at] Hotmail.com

Executive Producer
Lorraine Wochna

Line Producer
Rachel Linn

Josh Moon
Agent Johnson

Andrew "Max" Tohline
Agent Jackson

With
Trinity Bracy & Vanessa Boensch

Special Thanks to
Ohio University Athletics Department
&
The Ohio University Archives

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