Script: First Draft

FEELING CHECKED OUT

SCENE 1

shots of students checking out books from Dinand with titles=emotions. Students walk into library straight-faced, walk out with exaggerated expressions/mannerisms.

VOICE OVER: In a world where emotions are of a limited supply, we must plan carefully for the future. Making the wrong choice at the checkout counter could ruin everything…

SCENE 2

INTERVIEWER and JEANNIE JO are in a news studio (classroom). Both are seated at a table, angled toward each other. INTERVIEWER is wearing jacket and tie. JEANNIE JO is played by guy in a wig.

INTERVIEWER: (Fade in theme music, camera zooms in on INTERVIEWER and JEANNIE JO) Welcome to this episode of “Feeling Checked Out”. Today we are here with Jeannie Jo, who is here to tell us about her frustration with Dinand Emotional Archive. Jeannie Jo, can you tell our viewers your story?

JEANNIE JO (very bubbly): Of course, I’d love to! So a couple days ago, I was supposed to go out to celebrate the release of my latest short film, “Tampoon”. (Camera zooms in on JEANNIE JO) If you haven’t seen it yet, you totally should! (Camera zooms back out, JEANNIE JO smiles and continues). Anyway, so I wanted to exchange my COMPOSURE, which I had checked out a few days before then, since I would be presenting the film at the festival—I mean I didn’t want to be making a fool of myself onstage, you know, and I had thought about EXCITEMENT, but that can be so unpredictable, so I went with COMPOSURE—anyway and instead I wanted to get a copy of MERRIMENT or something, cuz I was going to a celebratory dinner with my boyfriend and our mutual friend Luke later that day.

INTERVIEWER: But that didn’t work out for you, did it?

JEANNIE JO (still smiling): Oh no, it totally didn’t work out at all! Yeah I went to Dinand, just like any other day, to check out MERRIMENT or maybe even generic old HAPPINESS or whatever I could find, but apparently it was Thousand Days Ball or something that day so all the positive feelings were already off the shelves. (JEANNIE JO beams at camera)

INTERVIEWER: Right. (Glances into camera, back at JEANNIE JO). Yes, well, were you angry at Dinand after that?

JEANNIE JO (still smiling continuously): Oh, sure! In fact, I even checked out ANGER at that point. But then I was stuck with that for my celebration dinner (cut to instagram photo of JEANNIE JO flipping off camera between smiling friends). It was still a fun night but I was very rude to our waiter, and my poor boyfriend still hasn’t forgiven me.

INTERVIEWER: Is there anything else you’d like to add before we are out of time?

JEANNIE JO: Just that I’m so glad you had me here today, really, I’m just so grateful. Of course, since happiness was out last week, I put in on hold for whenever it was returned, and now that’s what I have today (giggles). And isn’t it just a lovely day? That is a great color on you, it really is--

INTERVIEWER: --Thank you, Jeannie Jo for your riveting story. I am sure many of our viewers can relate. (Camera cuts to JEANNIE JO, still smiling, waving).

INTERVIEWER: (Camera solely on INTERVIEWER). We have all had times when our feeling was checked out. Fortunately for me, deadpan is almost always there (brief awkward pause). Right. Please join us on our next episode, when we hear from a young woman unable to fall in love because of Dinand’s disorganization. This has been “Feeling Checked Out”. (Sound cuts out, zooms out, INTERVIEWER shuffling papers, theme music).