Detritus screenplay, intro protagonist & antagonist.
Int. classroom – Stonehill College – Stoughton Ma – Day
JOHN, professor, late thirties, handsome, passionate, energetic, fit. Wears a white button-down shirt, sleeves cuffed, blue-jeans, sneakers. He slowly paces left to right in front of a big chalkboard full of numbers and letters that look like code.
MORGAN, late 20’s PhD student, attractive, fit, wears a blouse and dark pants, fashionable black- leather-boots, focused on the open I-pad on her lap. She sits next to Johns desk.
He turns to a class full of Multi-Ethnic Students girls and boys who sit at their desks focused on him.
JOHN
“People ask. What is a simple definition of biotechnology? Biotechnology is a technology that involves the use of living organisms. Biotechnology is mainly used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. In biotechnology, living organisms are used to make useful chemicals and products or to perform an industrial task.”
He appears reflective, turns to the students.
BRAZILIAN STUDENT, girl, 19ish, long black hair, thin, wears T-shirt & jeans. She looks at John, raise her hand, appears eager. John see’s her hand. He tips his head with approval. She stands next to her chair.
BRAZILIAN STUDENT
“How do things, I mean, atoms. How do these atoms transform themselves from being so small, invisible and become, “visible?” Like the air in this room and then the, “room” itself?
John smiles at Brazilian Student with a look of approval.
JOHN
“Great question. One word, “frequency.” “But, college is expensive. So you might want to stick around for the rest of the class.”
John looks over to LEBRON, black, nineteen-ish , tall thin, hand-raised, blue-plaid-shirt, jeans. John jester for him to speak.
LEBRON
“Professor, John. Do you think there are aliens out there? You know, like visiting other planets, maybe even ours?”
JOHN
“Only, aliens I know about are in this classroom.”
Students laugh.
JOHN
“There’s no evidence of life, intelligent life as we know it.”
He turns to Morgan.
JOHN
“Morgan, your thoughts?”
Morgan, turns to, John, she appears a bit surprised, composes herself.
MORGAN
“Frequency, that’s it?”
John studies Morgan, appears to admire her, reveals a humble smile.
JOHN
“Yup.”
He looks at his watch, turns to the students.
JOHN
“Next week, same place, same time!”
Students exit. Morgan stands, reaches for a black backpack next to her chair, stands next to John, looks at the chalkboard full of code, (ex<>/[O}) row after row.
O.S JOHN
“Ready?”
Morgan turns, John who stands behind her with a black-backpack over his shoulder, smiles pleasantly her. She smiles, nods.
JOHN
“If we’re late for his lecture, he’ll actually embarrass us. Jerk.”
Note, “Tone” is being established, it resonates in every element of the screenplay and will continue throughout the entire narrative.
NOTE, *(Everything happens in 3 days, maybe? Lol!)
CUT TO – PROFESSOR JOHN & MORGAN IN CONVERTIBLE TUNNEL CAVE IN SCENE.