NINE DAYS
Written by
Edson Oda
WHITE: 05.31.19
BLUE: 07.25.19
YELLOW: 08.02.19
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White Screen Narrative: A Study of Character Interactions and Emotional Moments, Study notes of Voice
A script excerpt from a narrative where the protagonist, Will, and Kyo, watch a TV show together. The script reveals their conversations, actions, and emotions as they discuss various topics, including time, firearms, and personal experiences. The narrative also includes moments of suspense and emotional depth, as well as references to other characters and their relationships.
What you will learn
- What is the significance of the white screen in the narrative?
- What topics do Will and Kyo discuss during their conversation?
- How does the narrative build suspense and emotional depth?
- What emotions does Will express throughout the script?
- What is the nature of Will and Kyo's relationship?
Typology: Study notes
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NINE DAYS
Written by
Edson Oda
WHITE: 05.31.
BLUE: 07.25.
YELLOW: 08.02.
AA1 INT. WILL’S HOUSE/LIVING ROOM - DAY AA
CLOSE ON A TV SCREEN
It shows - COLOR BARS.
A continuous COLOR BARS TONE.
Suddenly... the screen turns WHITE.
IN THE TV: the POV of a NEWBORN. A blurry image of her PARENTS smiling at her.
A1 INT. WILL’S LIVING ROOM - DAY A
MONTAGE shows the POV of this baby growing up.
A VIOLIN SONG starts.
Now at 1 year old, the baby crawls through the house.
At 3 years old, the little girl plays with a TOY VIOLIN.
At 5 years old, she dances in the rain, jumping in the puddles.
At 7 years old, the girl plays the violin, this time a real one. Her teacher is by her side.
At 9, she’s at school. A crayon in her hand, she draws with her CLASSMATES.
At 12, the girl beautifully plays the violin - a prodigy.
At 15, she blows the candles out on her birthday cake.
At 17, she plays the violin in an orchestra.
At 21, it’s her graduation. She and her classmates throw their caps up into the air.
At 23, she is the soloist of an orchestra.
At 27, in the airplane, she lifts up the window shade to see the sunset. She looks at her reflection in the window glass - delicate traits and thoughtful eyes. This is AMANDA.
Finally, at 28, she rehearses with a bigger orchestra. They play the SONG we were listening to during the MONTAGE. Amanda plays the solo with the virtuosity of someone who dedicated her life to the craft. The other MUSICIANS can do nothing but admire her performance.
1 INT. FILE CABINET ROOM - CONTINUOUS 1
Dozens and dozens of FILE CABINETS. Each one with a name on it. Will opens a cabinet named “AMANDA.”
INSIDE THE CABINET: several VHS tapes and folders with handwritten notes from the last years, maybe decades. Everything neatly organized.
Will places his recent notes and the VHS tape inside the cabinet and closes it.
2 INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 2
When Will comes back to the living room, a WIDER SHOT reveals many more TVs hanging on the wall - thirty of them. Each one broadcasts the POV of a different person, and each TV has a name written on it: Amanda, Rick, Fernando, Luiza, etc...
MONTAGE: Will checks the other TVs. He also takes notes and records some of the moments on VHS tapes.
ON A TV: a kid is bullied by his classmates at school. They throw his backpack to each other while he tries to get it back.
Will writes on a paper as he watches the screen: “Rick Virgil. 5122 days since selection. Bullying continues. Increasing introspection.”
ON ANOTHER TV: a woman works in a factory. She folds paper boxes and puts brownies inside them. She repeats it over and over again.
Will writes on paper: “Michelle Johnson. 7789 days since selection. No significant/relevant new event ”.
ON ANOTHER TV: in a dance studio, a woman practices some ballroom moves with her partner.
Will writes down: “ Luiza Ceolin. 10291 days since selection. Last dance class before wedding”.
ON ANOTHER TV: a man cocks his pistol at a SHOOTING RANGE. Despite the distance, he hits the bullseye several times. As the man finishes his training and heads to the exit, we realize that he’s in a WHEELCHAIR.
Will writes down: “ Fernando Pereira. 9679 days since selection. Shooting Range practice. Slow but noticeable recovery”.
INTERCUT: Will puts the handwritten notes and the VHS tapes into their respective cabinets in the CABINET ROOM.
As the montage goes on, Will notices the sun setting in the TVs. He sees people in their end of the day activities: coming home, getting back from work, having dinner.
It starts to get dark in Will’s house as well.
On the TVs: as people prepare to sleep, we see their last arrangements - taking a shower, brushing their teeth, going to bed...
Soon, all the TVs go BLACK - people close their eyes to sleep. Some of the screens go BLACK, other broadcast blurry/colorful images, representing the DREAMS of people.
EXCEPT ONE: AMANDA’S TV. She is still awake and plays her violin at a rehearsal studio. Will comes close to her TV. Amanda finishes the song and walks through the studio. No one else is there. Amanda enters the bathroom and washes her face. She stares at herself in the mirror. It’s still a POV, but the mirror makes it possible for Will to see her face. For a moment it feels like they are looking at each other.
3 OMITTED 3
4 INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS 4
No vehicles here.
Pieces of wood and metal on the floor.
On a desk: hammers, screwdrivers, drills, a handsaw, a mallet, smoothing planes, jigsaws.
Will works on fixing a HOMEMADE SPOTLIGHT. His skillful hands cautiously tighten a small bulb into it. Done. He TURNS IT ON. A strong light sparks, but suddenly...
SCRASH.
The bulb explodes.
Will looks for other bulbs, but can’t find any.
5 EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT 5
Will leaves the house and passes through the fence door.
We find out that it’s a DESERT outside.
11 EXT. WILL’S HOUSE/BACKYARD - DAY 11
We watch from behind the fences: Will harvests tea leaves from his tiny planter.
He stares at the dawn. Strangely there’s NO SUN in this weird sunset. Night is gradually replaced by day, as if a big light was turning on.
12 INT. PROJECTION ROOM - DAY 12
A small room with some chairs and a VIDEO PROJECTOR on a small desk. He sweeps the floor with a broom.
13 OMITTED 13
14 INT. CABINET ROOM - DAY 14
He puts his notes from today into the cabinets.
15 INT. OFFICE ROOM - DAY 15
This is his work space: a desk in the middle of the room, some papers on it and a few chairs around it.
For the moment, though, he just uses the place to IRON a SOCIAL SHIRT and SOCIAL PANTS.
16 INT. KITCHEN - DAY 16
On the stove: water boils inside a TEA POT. Dried tea leaves inside it. Will turns it off.
Suddenly... His WRIST WATCH ALARM BEEPS. It’s time.
17 OMITTED 17
18 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 18
He lowers the volume of the TVs, except Amanda’s. Then he INSERTS the VHS tape in the VCR. It reads: AMANDA - CONCERTO DAY. He presses RECORD.
ON AMANDA’S TV: she sits on her bed and stares at the CONCERTO FLYER.
ON THE FLYER: only the conductor and Amanda’s pictures are featured.
She lays it on the bed, then looks at the violin case resting on the floor.
She keeps staring at the violin case for a long, long beat.
Will is puzzled.
Suddenly --
The DOORBELL in Will’s house RINGS.
He walks to --
THE FRONT DOOR
Will opens it. We see a tall Asian man (40s) - British accent
- wearing an elegant social shirt, and social pants. He holds a grocery paper bag. This is KYO.
KYO I brought you some supplies.
Will studies him.
WILL Did you come here to bring supplies or to watch the concerto?
Kyo thinks.
KYO Both.
As Kyo walks down the corridor, Will points to the kitchen.
WILL I made some tea.
KYO Love it.
Kyo heads to the KITCHEN. He opens the fridge to find it filled with rotten food. Will hasn’t consumed anything again. Kyo shakes his head.
KYO (CONT'D) What a waste. (finding more rotten food) What a fucking waste.
WILL
I’m gonna get dressed.
KYO Be my guest.
Will heads to the OFFICE ROOM. Kyo stays and stares at the other TVs.
KYO (CONT'D) (to himself) So, what’s new?
He does a quick analysis of people’s lives. He starts watching a man eating bacon, eggs and sausages --
KYO (CONT'D) Rob keeps working on his heart attack... Kate has a new boyfriend... Armenia bought another cat... Rick’s still bullied...
Meanwhile, Will is at the OFFICE ROOM, wearing the shirt that he ironed.
In the LIVING ROOM, Kyo watches the POV of a woman staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her name is LUIZA and she’s trying on a WEDDING DRESS.
INTERCUT BETWEEN KYO AND WILL, talking from DIFFERENT ROOMS.
KYO (CONT'D) Will, when is Luiza getting married?
No answer.
KYO (CONT'D) Will?
Will is putting on a tie.
WILL All information is in her cabinet.
KYO I know. But when is she getting married?
Will sighs.
WILL In eight days.
Kyo takes his agenda out of his pocket and writes on it.
KYO Perfect. Thanks for inviting me.
Kyo scans through the other TVs. He relaxes as if watching a Sunday football game.
Will comes back to the room, wearing a shirt, tie, and nice pants -- He’s ready to watch the concerto.
Will sees Kyo’s feet over the COFFEE TABLE.
WILL (Can you not do that?)
Kyo takes his feet off the table. Will’s clearly annoyed.
KYO You may pretend you don’t like me, but I know you’re gonna cry everyday when I’m gone.
WILL (sarcastic) I didn’t know you’re going anywhere.
KYO You’ll see... You’ll see...
Suddenly: A COUNTRY SONG starts playing.
Will and Kyo look at the TV it comes from.
It’s FERNANDO, the paraplegic man who was practicing at the shooting range. Fernando raises the volume of his SPEAKERS and gets to his bathroom. Then prepares to take a shower. However, because he can’t move his legs, it takes him a while to move from the wheel chair to the bath tub. Through his struggle, we can see that he’s still new to this process.
While Will and Kyo watch Fernando’s lasting effort...
KYO (CONT'D) Looks like Fernando is doing much better...
No answer. Will keeps watching Fernando’s struggle until he finally gets into the bathtub.
(MORE)
KYO (CONT'D)
Will?
He wakes up from his deep thought.
WILL What did you say?
KYO Have you seen anything different?
WILL No. (moment) Yes.
KYO No? Yes?
WILL Some problems sleeping. But she usually had them before big Concertos.
Kyo finishes reading her files. He puts everything back to the cabinet and CLOSES it.
KYO Well... Nothing we do now is gonna change anything. Amanda was definitely a great choice... and you should be proud of everything she achieved.
Will doesn’t answer. He stands up and goes to the --
20A LIVING ROOM 20A
He sits on the couch and stares at the TVs.
Kyo soon sits by his side.
KYO (CONT'D) I’m sorry Will. She was a wonderful, wonderful person.
Will stares at Amanda’s TURNED OFF TV for a moment.
WILL What if she did it on purpose?
KYO Her car hit a concrete wall. She died instantly. (MORE)
KYO (CONT'D)
Those are the only things we know for sure. Anything else would be speculation.
WILL I didn’t see her turning the wheel.
KYO Anything else would be speculation.
The silence sinks in. Suddenly...
AMANDA’S TV TURNS ON.
ON THE TV: COLOR BARS - like the moments before a transmission starts. We hear the loud COLOR BARS TONE.
KYO (CONT'D) Try to get some rest. Tomorrow you have a lot of work to do.
Kyo puts his hand on his shoulder, then walks away.
Will stays in the room, staring at the COLOR BARS SCREEN.
21 EXT. DESERT - NIGHT 21
The COLOR BARS TONE echoes through outside the house - we can hear it loud, but some people can hear it even louder...
22 EXT. DESERT - DAY 22
DAY ONE
It’s already morning, but the COLOR BARS TONE is still there.
From a distance, we see someone walking through the desert. The TONE gets louder as we approach the person.
We are in this person’s PERSPECTIVE now. He, or she, relentlessly walks toward --
22A EXT. WILL’S HOUSE 22A
As the person approaches the DOOR, the TONE gets louder.
We finally see the person’s face: a MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN.
She presses the DOORBELL. The COLOR BARS TONE fades...
22B INT/EXT. WILL’S HOUSE/FRONT DOOR - CONTINUOUS 22B
KYO (CONT'D)
WILL (CONT'D)
... Anne?
ANNE Sure.
WILL Do you mind if I take a picture of you?
ANNE My pleasure.
Will raises a POLAROID CAMERA. CLICKS. The picture develops on the desk.
WILL How old are you, Anne?
ANNE Four.
WILL Four hours? Four days?
ANNE Four hours... (thinks) ... and some minutes.
He takes notes on his copybook.
WILL And when did you learn how to speak?
ANNE I don’t know...I think I always knew how to speak.
Will smiles. Anne tries to do the same.
WILL Anne, do you know why you’re here?
ANNE Strangely... yes.
WILL Good. Is it okay if I say it out loud just to make it official?
She nods.
WILL (CONT'D)
Anne, as you may know, you’re being considered for the amazing opportunity of life. If by the end of this process you’re selected, you’ll have the chance to be born in a fruitful environment, where you can grow, develop and accomplish. Do you want to be considered for this position?
ANNE Yes. I do.
WILL Before we start, do you have any questions?
ANNE How many days do I have left?
WILL That’s a good question. It’s hard to define exactly, but in case you remain until the end of the process... nine days.
ANNE Nine Days... After that?
WILL If you’re selected, there’s an extension, as a newborn. If not, I would say it’s the end.
ANNE By extension, you mean I carry on the memories from here?
WILL No. No memories. But you’ll still be you.
She digests the information. Suddenly --
WILL (CONT'D) Alright. I have a task for you. I’ll start a story, and you tell me how it ends. No right or wrong answer here... Just say whatever comes to mind. Sound good?
ANNE I guess so.
No answer. She’s still in shock about Will’s impersonation.
WILL (CONT'D) Anne?
ANNE I... I wouldn’t pull the chair.
WILL May I know the reason?
ANNE I don’t... know. I... I don’t know.
Will keeps watching her.
WILL (calmly) Thanks for sharing that with me, Anne. Do you have any other questions?
Nothing - She’s still shocked. Will speaks up.
WILL (CONT'D) Anne?
WOMAN Questions?... No. No questions.
WILL Well. Then, thank you so much. I think I have everything I need.
She looks like a comedian who didn’t get her jokes right.
WOMAN Oh. Okay.
Anne stands up. Will walks her to the front door. As he opens the door ---
WOMAN (CONT'D) Thank you so much for the opportunity, Will. If you decide to go with me, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Will nods.
WILL Talk to you soon, Anne.
She smiles and leaves.
Will watches her walk away. He’ll never see her again.
CLOSE on her POLAROID PICTURE on the desk, finally developed.
CUT TO:
22D INT. WILL’S HOUSE/OFFICE ROOM - DAY 22D
MONTAGE: THE POLAROID CAMERA takes pictures of different candidates.
CLIP OF INTERVIEWS:
MIKE (20s), a shy and introverted young man, is interviewed. A cup of tea on the desk.
WILL (CONT'D) That’s a good question. But I wouldn’t say that you’re alive... or dead.
MIKE So I’m in between?
WILL In between implies that there’s something before. In your case, there was nothing before this.
22E INT. WILL’S HOUSE/OFFICE - DAY 22E
A funny looking man (40s) is at the table. If he were a comedian, he would get laughs just by showing up on stage. Will named him ALEXANDER.
ALEXANDER And you’re the boss here.
WILL No, not really.
ALEXANDER So what are you?
WILL I’d say... just a cog in a wheel.
ALEXANDER And who’s the boss then?
WILL I don’t know.
22F INT. WILL’S HOUSE/OFFICE - DAY 22F