Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Case Study No. 1008: Jason Chen

Ding! by Outside the Lines
7:56
This hillariously morbid short film is a dark comedy offering a modern spin on the classic tale of "boy who cried wolf."

This film was produced for the 2011 48 Hour Film Project (Singapore).
CITY: Singapore
Genre: Dark Comedy
Character: Jason Chen, librarian
Prop: Apple
Line: "Time will tell."
Tags: This film was produced for the 2011 48 Hour Film Project (Singapore).
Added: 2 years ago
From: J0hnnybravoWins
Views: 236

Team: Outside the Lines
Date: 1 May 2011
City: Singapore
Title: Ding!
Genre: Dark Comedy

This film is made for the 48 Hour Film Project 2011

[scene opens in a middle school library, where a male librarian (Caucasian, red hair, white shirt, brown pants, striped tie) is sitting at the front desk and reaching for an apple, when a paper airplane hits him in the arm]
[the camera pans around to show the rambunctious children in the library, as the librarian gives an annoyed look before checking his cell phone]

Honey (+6598412501)
Remember our dinner party at
6pm. Don't be late!

[cut to the librarian giving a dirty look to a young boy standing next to the front desk, as his cell phone rings ... he turns away from the boy to answer it]
JASON CHEN: Hello?
[with his back turned, the boy takes the opportunity to grab the apple off his desk]
JASON CHEN: Okay. Alright, I'll see you then. Bye.
[he hangs up (not noticing as the boy takes a bite of the apple), then attempts to grab a paper clip ... except when he lifts it off the desk, it's part of a long strand of interconnected paper clips]
JASON CHEN: Ah, you stupid kids!
[he tries to disconnect the paper clip, as the boy suddenly stops chewing and grabs at his throat before falling over]
[cut to a shot of the boy lying on the floor, then to the librarian who glances over with an annoyed look on his face]
JASON CHEN: I'm not falling for that ...
[he continues trying to dislodge the paper clip, as the school bell rings, and the camera pans out to show the other students beginning to leave]
[cut to another shot of the now-empty library (with the boy still lying on the floor), as the librarian gets up to turn off the lights ... except when he walks back to his desk, he suddenly realizes that the boy really did choke to death on the apple]
JASON CHEN: Great, now I'm gonna lose my job ...
[cut to the librarian trying to shake the boy awake ... when that doesn't work, he grabs a nearby blanket and starts putting it around the body, when his phone rings again]
JASON CHEN: Hello? Uh, I'll be home soon, honey. I, I'm just wrapping things up. Alright.
[he hangs up, then cut to the librarian carrying the body out of the library, where he tries to stuff it into one of the recyclable bins (except the boy's head won't fit through the hole on the top)]
[he gives up, then cut to the librarian carrying the body to his car, where he tries to put it in the trunk (except there's not enough room and the boy's legs stick out)]
[the librarian then takes the boy and throws him into the backseat, then gets in and prepares to drive away]
[just as he's about to pull out of his parking spot, a police car slowly drives by, so the librarian (trying not to arouse suspicion) nervously waves and forces a pained-looking smile ... the police car eventually leaves, and the librarian drives off]
[cut to a parking garage, where the librarian stops and carries the body into an elevator]
[cut to the librarian's apartment, as his wife and some friends are drinking and speaking to one another]
[cut to the librarian exiting the elevator, as he takes the body into the "refuse chamber" and contemplates throwing it down the chute ... thinking better of it, he brings the body to his apartment, then (making sure the coast is clear) sneaks over to the bathroom and sits the boy down on the toilet]
FEMALE GUEST 1: [from off camera] I'll be right back, I'm going to the loo.
[the librarian quickly takes the body out of the bathroom, and throws it in the nearby broom closet ... just moments before the female guest shows up around the corner]
FEMALE GUEST 1: Excuse me, is the bathroom over here?
JASON CHEN: Yeah, it's the first door on the left.
FEMALE GUEST 1: Okay, thank you.
[she heads off, then cut to the librarian as he walks up to his wife with the rest of the partygoers]
JASON CHEN: Hi.
MRS. CHEN: Hello, you're back!
JASON CHEN: I'm finally back, yeah. Yeah ...
MRS. CHEN: How are things? Okay?
JASON CHEN: Good. Good, yeah, it was--
MRS. CHEN: Dinner's almost ready.
JASON CHEN: Interesting day, trust me.
MRS. CHEN: Oh, I need to get napkins from the storeroom.
[he gets a nervous look on his face, then starts backing away]
JASON CHEN: Uh, don't worry about it, honey. You stay with your party, I-I'll go get it.
MRS. CHEN: You sure?
JASON CHEN: Yeah.
MRS. CHEN: Oh. Thank you.
[cut back to the broom closet, as the librarian opens the door and removes the body]
MRS. CHEN: [from off camera] Hey guys, it's time to party!
[the lights go out and music begins playing (while strobe lights appear on the walls), as the librarian takes the opportunity to sneak past his guests (by pretending that he's "dancing" with the body) and head for the kitchen]
[cut to the librarian alone in the kitchen, as he looks at the refrigerator before shaking his head, then turns to the oven]
[he opens the oven door, then cut to the librarian shoving the body inside and closing the door]
[cut to the librarian joining the party, as he awkwardly begins dancing along]
[cut to everyone sitting at the dinner table, as one of the female guests taps her wine glass with a fork]
FEMALE GUEST 2: Guys, let's toast our lovely host and hostess!
[everyone raises their glasses and says "Cheers!"]
FEMALE GUEST 3: Mmm, something smells lovely!
MALE GUEST 1: So, what's for dinner?
MRS. CHEN: Oven-roasted chicken!
[the guests all "ooh" and "aah"]
FEMALE GUEST 1: I hope it's good!
MRS. CHEN: Time will tell ...
[cut to a closeup of the librarian's face, as the oven timer goes off ("Ding!") and his eyes suddenly bug out in horror]
MRS. CHEN: [from off camera] Dinner time!
[the librarian slowly turns his head towards the direction of the kitchen, as the scene fades to black]

Producers
John Winski
Ricky Polim
Liew Chuk Kee

Directors
John Winski
Yong Shu Ling
Liew Chuk Kee

Director of Photography
Yong Shu Ling

Camera
Yong Shu Ling
John Winski

Editor
Phann Sopheaktra

Assistant Editors
John Winski
Yong Shu Ling

Screenplay Writers
Liew Chuk Kee
Ricky Polim
Priscillia Polim

Contributing Writers
Natalie Tjen
Robin Tanzania
Mindy Lobb
Yong Shu Ling
Luis Copeland
Aurora Celaya
Dave Lobb
Mindy Lobb

Sound Design
Yong Shu Ling
Claudio Torres

Photoshop Design
Phann Sopheaktra

Location Sound Recordist
Claudio Torres

Gaffers
Luis Copeland
Ricky Polim
Liew Chuk Kee
Dave Lobb
Robin Tanzania

Music composed by
Marc-Antoine Robillard

Production Assistants
Priscillia Polim
Ricky Polim
Robin Tanzania
Natalie Tjen
Annie Law
Francisca Baquedano
Aurora Celaya
Dave Lobb
Alice Early

Make-up Artist
Annie Law

Craft Services
Jacqueline Devaras
Liesel Duhon

Cast
Steve Early as Jason Chen
Rowan Lobb as Manny (1)
Alexander Winski as Manny (2)
Sarah Winski as child
Meredith Lobb as child
Kathleen Early as child
Sophie Robinson as child
Mariane Copeland as child
Jimena Copeland as child
Sebastian Torres as child
Annie Law as Jason's Wife
Natalie Tjen as guest
Priscillia Polim as guest
Robin Tanzania as guest
Alice Early as guest
Francisca Baquedano as guest
Antonia Escudero as guest
Dave Lobb as guest
Mindy Lobb as guest
Phann Sopheaktra, voice of guest

Special Thanks
Family and friends for your patience and support
Mindy for sharing her birthday with us
Singapore Mannequins
Han West for technical guidance
Meghan Shea and Michael Rogers
Crocs Asia Pte Ltd
Avid
Sinema Old School
Persistent Productions
IS Magazine
Golden Village
Far East Organization

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