Dating 101

By

Sammy Ali & Adrianna Paniak

FADE IN.

EXT. RAMSGATE HARBOUR, EVENING

Long shot of three boys waiting in a queue to the Miles Bar.

HARRY is a sixth form student and was brought here by

MATTHEW, his best friend to single’s speed dating service.

CARLOS is the wing man and is always joining in adventures

to embarrass HARRY and MATTHEW. It is Friday early evening

though it is dark already, due to the short days of

November.

HARRY is wearing shirt, jeans and Converse. He is more

worried about socializing with girls rather than his

appearance. His hair is neatly intact, his green eyes

contrast with his tanned skin.

MATTHEW is a womanizer. He is wearing a smart shirt, black

trousers and black shoes. His hair is casually coiffed up.

He is displaying utmost confidence at his chance of scoring

with the ladies. He is dressed to impress. MATTHEW’S brown

eyes are his best asset in seducing women.

CARLOS is a prankster. His outfit includes jeans, hoodie and

a blazer. His curly hair comes above his eyebrows which is

his favourite part of his appearance.

MID SHOT OF MATTHEW, HARRY AND CARLOS IN THE QUEUE LOOKING

OUT INTO THE HARBOUR.

MATTHEW

You wanted to meet someone.

MID-SHOT OF HARRY.

HARRY

(with force)

But I’m not this desperate. I’m

sure there’s other ways than this.

CLOSE UP OF MATTHEW.

MATTHEW

Well, 5 girls got off the bus

because of your weird flirting

tactics. Just saying.

CLOSE UP OF CARLOS

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 2.

CARLOS

I think it’s a new world record.

(thinking)

Like I don’t think I’ve never seen

anyone get off the bus that

quickly!

PANNING SHOT OF THE QUEUE MOVING UP.

MATTHEW

Anyway, you need a girlfriend ASAP,

or your probably going to end up

being alone with half a dozen cats.

HARRY pauses. MATTHEW and CARLOS try to distance themselves

from him.

Moaning is heard behind them.

HARRY

(worryingly)

Okay, so how does it go then? What

if I don’t know what to say to

them? What happens if they think

I’m a geek.

CARLOS

You can’t fool me Luke Skywalker. I

am your father.

HARRY

(exaggerating)

Nooooo. That’s not true. That’s

impossible.

CARLOS and HARRY fight with imaginary lightsabers.

MATTHEW

Really guys?

(to HARRY)

You’ll be fine. ZARA is expecting

us and will explain everything at

the entrance. I’ve told her to

prepare a back-up plan for you,

just in-case it’s an awkward

situation your facing.

Slaps HARRY’S back.

HARRY

(sarcastically)

Erm, easy to say Casanova.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 3.

LONG SHOT OF THE BOYS WALKING PAST THE CORNER EN-ROUTE TO

THE BAR.

MID SHOT OF HARRY ENTERING THE BAR, LEAVING HARRY TO BUILD

UP CONFIDENCE.

HARRY

(takes a deep breath and

mumbles)

I could’ve stayed at home and had a

tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF MATTHEW STANDING IN THE DOORWAY.

MATTHEW

(annoyingly)

Are you coming in or what?

CARLOS

Come on Skywalker.

LONG SHOT OF CARLOS PUSHING HARRY IN.

INT. BAR, EVENING

Diegetic sound of the mingling inside the bar.

HARRY AND MATTHEW standing on the doorway, CARLOS makes his

way to the bar.

MATTHEW’S POV OF THE GIRLS SEATED AT TABLES.

MATTHEW

See, I told you this is going to be

a good night. (gestures with hand)

A good, good night

ZARA is the organizer of the event. She is wearing a long

top, jeans, blazer and extremely high heels. She is wearing

a red hijab which matches her red shoes. Her make-up is

simple and innocent.

TRACKING SHOT OF ZARA WALKING AND GREETING INCOMING GUESTS.

CLOSE UP OF MATTHEW

MATTHEW

(cheesy)

I’m no Fred Flintstone, but I’ll

make your Bedrock!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 4.

ZARA

(giving weird looks)

ZARA starts leading them to their seats, whilst explaining

the rules. Grabs nametags, and gives weird looks.

The rules are simple, the girls are

rotated around from table to table

to meet each boy, over a series of

short "dates" which usually lasts

for about 30 seconds.

MID SHOT OF MATTHEW POKING HARRY. HARRY ELBOWS HIM BACK.

MATTHEW

(laughing and gives gestures.

Whispers to both HARRY and

CARLOS)

Come to papa. Let the master do the

work.

CLOSE UP OF ZARA LOOKING SUSPICIOUSLY AT MATTHEW. OVER THE

SHOULDER SHOT OF MATTHEW SNIGGERING.

ZARA

(continues)

Hm? At the end of each interval,

the organizer which is me,

(pointing to herself)

will blow the whistle to signal the

participants to move on to the next

date. At the end of the event,

participants, which is you guys

submit to the organizers a list of

who you would like to provide your

contact information to. If there is

a match, contact information is

forwarded to both parties. (guiding

MATTHEW and HARRY back to back to

their seats, at different tables

with girls at each of them. CARLOS

sits on the stage, ready to guide

HARRY) Contact information cannot

be traded during the initial

meeting, in order to reduce

pressure to accept or reject a

suitor to his or her face.

Facing MATTHEW

MATTHEW

(winking at ZARA)

She totally likes me.

POV OF THE GIRL SITTING OPPOSITE HARRY.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 5.

ZARA

I forgot to give you your date

cards, on which you have some

useful questions,

(sarcastically)

and if you run out of them in 30

seconds, you can use the chat up

lines to embarrass yourself with,

which are provided at the back of

the cards.

(exaggerating sarcastically

towards MATTHEW)

Your welcome...

(walking onto the stage)

Alright singles, let’s get you a

date.

WIDE SHOT OF ALL THE CONTESTANTS ON EACH TABLE. CAMERA

FACING ZARA’S BACK. (SHE BLOWS THE WHISTLE)

MID SHOT OF HARRY LOOKING AT HIS DATE CARD.

HARRY

Sooooo...

SHOT REVERSE SHOT.

Sandy is already sitting on the date table, awaiting her

next guest. Her blonde hair is gracefully laid behind her,

in a french plait. Her glasses frame her face smartly.

MID SHOT OF SANDY’S FACE.

HARRY

SANDY.

(pointing at her name badge.)

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF HARRY LOOKING TOWARDS CARLOS.

Nice name, has a ring to it. Were

you born on a beach, perhaps?

LOW ANGLES SHOT OF SANDY’S PENETRATING EYES.

HIGH ANGLE SHOT OF HARRY’S SCARED FACE.

Looks to the side of SANDY.

O.S.

ZARA

(Shouts)

You have 20 seconds left.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 6.

HARRY

This is not a very comfortable

situation is it SANDY?

CLOSE UP OF HER FACE.

HARRY

(voice over)

Hmmm...this is very awkward. Should

I use the chat up lines? No. Yes.

No. Yes. No. Maybe.

(looking at the date card)

No. 1 If I had one chance to

rearrange the alphabet, I would put

U and I together. No. 2 I’ve lost

that loving feeling, will you help

me find it again? No. 3 Can I

borrow your phone? I need to phone

God and tell him I have found his

missing angel. Who the hell wrote

these?

SANDY

(voice over)

Did he fall asleep? Should I wake

him? Naah.

(looking about the room)

Can I go now?

(she stretches her arms out)

He has the look of a serial killer.

What did I get myself into?

HARRY

AFTER A LONG PAUSE, HURRIEDLY

Looks at CARLOS for ideas.

CARLOS gestures to read the card.

Did it hurt? When you fell out of

heaven.

MEDIUM SHOT OF SANDY FAKE LAUGHING SHOT REVERSE SHOT.

CLOSE UP OF HARRY’S CONFUSED FACE.

HARRY

(slowly)

OK. What about this one? You see my

friend over there?

Turning his back to look at MATTHEW

MATTHEW IS TAKING 1/3 OF THE OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 7.

MATTHEW is trying to make ZARA jealous by flirting with

other single girls at the event.

MATTHEW winking at SANDY.

HARRY

He wants to know if you think I’m

cute?

TWO SHOT OF HARRY LOOKING AT SANDY WHO IS NOT AMUSED.

Diegetic sound of the whistle blowing which is synchronous

with a low angle shot of ZARA blowing it.

CLOSE UP OF ZARA.

LONG SHOT OF CARLOS HITTING HIS FACE WITH THE CARDS.

ZARA

Time is up. Move to your next

partner.

HARRY

Sorry SANDY, have to go. The ladies

are calling me.

CRABBING SHOT OF HARRY AWKWARDLY GETTING UP AND GOING TO THE

NEXT TABLE.

HARRY

(looking back)

Hi, Nice to meet you.

LONG SHOT OF SANDY LOOKING AT HIM.

CLOSE UP OF HER WRITING ”MATTHEW” ON THE DATE CARD.

TILT OF HIM SITTING DOWN AT THE NEXT STATION.

MEGAN has short brown hair that’s flowing in the wind. She’s

wearing a pair of high heels which strut on the pavement.

Her pink lipstick is illuminating from far away and her

eyelashes flutter to the boys. She is wearing a leather

jacket and black leggings.

MORGAN is a tall blond, wearing a body hugging dress that

would stop traffic in Piccadilly Circus. From her right

shoulder a tote bag hangs. She is wearing a lot of jewelery

and she likes her accessories because she thinks she is a

trendsetter. She looks like a million bucks.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 8.

MEGAN

(in an American accent,

pointing to herself)

Hey, I’m MEGAN

(pointing to MORGAN)

and this is MORGAN.

MORGAN

(American accent, cheery

voice)

Hi. Nice to meet y’all.

TWO SHOT OF MEGAN AND MORGAN SITTING AT THE TABLE.

HARRY

(smoothly)

Hello girls, MEGAN and MORGAN,

right? Is this two for the price of

one? Sorry.

MEGAN

Ha, ha, very funny, idiot. Me and

MORGAN are actually competing to

see who gets a date first. Isn’t

that right MORGAN?

MORGAN

Yep. Sorry to disappoint you.

HARRY

Oh I see, trying to use me. Only

joking. To be honest I’m not

looking for anyone either, but

MATTHEW over there is trying to

find me a girlfriend.

(pointing to the corner where

MATTHEW is talking quietly

with ZARA)

It’s quiet sad when he himself has

problems to persuade ZARA to go on

a date with him.

MEGAN AND MORGAN

Oh, they are so cute.

HARRY

Are they?

LONG SHOT OF MATTHEW TRYING TO KEEP ZARA AWAY FROM BLOWING

THE WHISTLE AGAIN.

Diegetic sound of them disagreeing followed by the whistling

noise meaning MATTHEW was unsuccessful.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 9.

ZARA

Go to your next partner.

(demanding)

You too MATT.

PUSHES MATTHEW TO THE STAIRS. CLOSE UP OF MATTHEW’S SHOES

WALKING TO A TABLE NEARBY.

He sits down.

MATTHEW

(leaning forward to pay all

the attention to the girl

opposite him)

I have heard that woman can only

put mascara on if their mouth is

open. Is this true?

Diegetic sound of the Spanish language.

TILT UP OF A GIRL READING OUT LOUD A SPANISH BOOK.

MID SHOT OF HER PUTTING THE BOOK DOWN AND LOOKING AT HIM.

She leans backwards in her chair and sighs.

O.S.

Julia is a bookworm, and is always reading wherever she

goes. Her notepad and pen are beside her, ready to write

whenever she has ideas. Her floral bag is down beside, which

carries all her essentials. The hand sanitizer is located on

her desk. Her small facial features are hidden by her short,

brown hair.

JULIA

Hey, yeah, you. Sit down.

LONG SHOT OF HARRY LOOKING AROUND CONFUSED BUT COMPLIES WITH

HER DEMAND AND SITS AT A NEAR TABLE.

TILT OF HARRY SITTING DOWN.

JULIA

I’m writing this book. It’s going

to be next big vampire thing after

Vampire Diaries, Twilight and the

rest of the crap you find in

bookshops. So there this girl and

she is human and then she falls in

love with a vampire and then there

is another vampire and she doesn’t

know who she loves and there is

fighting...

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 10.

HARRY

(interrupting her)

Are there going to be werewolves,

doppelgangers or kitsune involved?

JULIA

(becoming very interested,

high pitched)

How did you know?

HARRY

You have the next big thing on your

hands. Just add some bondage.

JULIA

(continues talking about her

book)

You know what that might work.

She takes out a notebook and starts taking notes

HARRY

I hope you can excuse me leaving.

JULIA

(pulling his shirt as he

leaves)

But we’re not done here. We have 6

seconds and I want to pick your

brain.

MID SHOT OF HER CONCENTRATED AT WORK.

MID SHOT OF HIM TURNING HIS BACK AND IN THE 1/3 OF THE

COMPOSITION SEEING ZARA GO OUTSIDE WITH A PERFECT STRANGER

SHE MET WHILE HOSTING THE DATES.

CLOSE UP OF HIM SMILING.

LONG SHOT OF MATTHEW GOING BALLISTIC, THROWING CHAIRS AND

KICKING TABLES AROUND. HE STORMS TOWARDS HARRY.

MATTHEW

(shouts to HARRY)

I put my heart on the line and she

stomps on it.

CAMERA TRACKS MATTHEW TOWARDS THE EXIT.

TWO SHOT OF HIM FLINGING THE DOOR OPEN AND A RANDOM GIRL

GETS HIT WITH THE DOOR.

CLOSE UP OF HARRY ROLLING HIS EYES.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 11.

HARRY moves onto the next table.

HARRY’S POV SITING AT AN EMPTY TABLE.

Though HARRY never thought he will find the love of his life

here he thought he might have met someone.

EXTREME CLOSE UP OF THE DATE CARD IN HIS FINGERS.

He is moulding it into his hand.

SHAKY CAM.

Girl is wearing a beautiful dress, making her graceful when

walking. Her long, brunette hair flows in the slight breeze

when walking. Her cardigan covers her modestly on her torso.

GIRL

Hi, is it alright if I sit with

you?

(sitting down)

I had a really terrible round of

”dates” and I need to take a

breather if you don’t mind. Girl

looks up with him nodding in

approbation.

TWO SHOT OF HER LEANING FORWARD ON THE TABLE AND HIM LEANING

BACK ON HIS CHAIR. PANNING SHOT OF ALL THE ”DATES”, SOME

GOOD, SOME BAD AND SOME TERRIBLY MISMATCHED.

A MONTAGE OF THE GIRLS WRITING ”MATTHEW” ON THEIR DATE CARDS

WITH DIFFERENT COLOUR PENS TO DISTINGUISH WHICH ONE IS

WHICH.

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF THE GIRL LOOKING AT HARRY FOLLOWED

BY OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF HER looking back at him.

TWO SHOT OF THE GIRL PLAYING WITH A LOCK OF HAIR and writing

on the card.

Smiling towards him. HARRY tries to peak at her writing and

does the same. He smiles. They swap cards and get up to

leave at the same time.

CAMERA ZOOMS ON THEIR DATE CARDS WHERE IT IS REVEALED THAT

THE GIRL’S NAME IS ”POPPY”.

Long shot of them exiting the hall.

POPPY

(at the door)

You must be a hell of a thief

because you stole my heart.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 12.

They both laugh.

THE END

BLUR OUT.