jesse
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Script: The DiarySomething for school! I'm a film student, thus the wacky script formatting. I start shooting this week, but there's still time to fine-tune the script if you guys have some good feedback!
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INT: KEN’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Kensington steps in the front door of his house, pulling off his coat and hanging it up. He shuts the door with his foot before walking into the kitchen. He thumbs through the mail he had in his hand, then sighs, sets it all down, and exits the frame. Cut to:
INT: KEN’S ROOM – NIGHT
Ken reaches for a book and a pen and sits up to write. He flips open to the page that is bookmarked, then sees that there is already something written there. As he reads, the camera zooms on him slowly.
KENSINGTON
(V.O.)
Carmen walked out on me today. Or was it yesterday? Or maybe tomorrow? She told me I was crazy, that I needed help. I haven’t slept in weeks. Hours? Minutes? It’s not just sounds anymore. Whole events are getting moved around. I feel like I’ve forgotten something important. Life is a bad dream. I have to make it stop. I have to end it. I imagine death will feel like waking up.
Kensington leans back a little, confused. He flips between this page and the last a few times.
KENSINGTON
(V.O.)
I didn’t write this.
TITLE: The Diary
INT: CARMEN’S KITCHEN – NIGHT
Carmen and Kensington are sitting, eating takeout.
KENSINGTON
Thanks for having me over.
CARMEN
Hey, my pleasure.
KENSINGTON
So, are we still on for the Battlestar marathon tomorrow?
Carmen says something, but there is no sound.
KENSINGTON
I’m sorry, what?
CARMEN
Look, you don’t have to be a dick about it.
KENSINGTON
No, I really didn’t hear you.
CARMEN
I’m… sitting right here. How could you not hear me?
KENSINGTON
Look, just… what did you say?
CARMEN
I said I can’t.
KENSINGTON
Oh. Um, I see. [checks watch] Oh, crap. If I don’t go now, I’m gonna miss my bus.
He gets up to leave. Carmen doesn’t look at him. As he’s putting on his coat, Carmen’s voice can be heard.
CARMEN
(V.O.)
I can’t. Todd’s taking me out tomorrow, and I have to go with him.
KENSINGTON
I get it. You could have said so before.
CARMEN
Said what? I didn’t say anything.
KENSINGTON
Whatever.
He slams the door.
INT: KEN’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Kensington lying in bed. The camera slowly zooms on his face as he tosses and turns.
FADE TO:
A film projector running. The camera pans across it to the image it’s projecting: a film projector running. The projection pans in a similar way to the image that projector is projecting, which is the same thing. This final projection pans to an image of Kensington lying in bed, then snapping awake.
Match cut to:
INT: KEN’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Kensington sitting in bed, wide awake. He lets out a deep breath, then gets up from bed.
INT: BATHROOM – NIGHT
The frame is totally black before he steps out of the shadows. He looks over at the faucet in the tub, which is dripping slowly.
Extreme close up: Dripping faucet. The water is dripping in reverse, though, flying up into the tap. Cut to:
INT: KEN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Kensington flicks on the light in his room. He picks up his diary and holds it.
KENSINGTON
You’re doing this, aren’t you?
Reverse shot: Book in his hand. Slow zoom.
VOICE
Ah! What was that?
Reverse shot: Ken looking around for the source of the voice. He mouths “Ah! What was that?” before realizing it was his own voice. He throws the book down in horror. Cut to:
INT: KEN’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Ken is sitting on the couch, watching TV, bathed in the sickly light from the screen. The SOUND of a news report is playing. He looks away momentarily, and the sound begins playing in reverse. His head snaps back to the TV and the sound begins playing normally again. He pulls out his phone.
KENSINGTON
Carmen? It’s Ken. Can you come over? [pause] Yeah, I know, I’m really sorry. I just… need to know I’m not going crazy. I can’t explain. Just, please, I need you to come over. [pause] Oh. Oh-okay. Thank you.
Cut to a medium shot of him on the couch. He hangs up the phone. Suddenly, Carmen is sitting on the couch next to him. Light is coming in through the curtains: it is morning.
CARMEN
…saying is that your diary is not your problem, Kensington. If you’re hearing things or whatever, you need some serious help.
KENSINGTON
Uh… what time is it?
CARMEN
6:30. I told you I’d be here as soon as I could.
KENSINGTON
I think I… lost some time.
CARMEN
Look, this isn’t something I can help you with, Ken. I’ll drive you to a psychologist or some-
There is a KNOCK at the door. Ken gets up to answer it. When he opens the door, Carmen is standing there. It is light outside.
CARMEN
Hey. I got here as quick as I could. What’s the problem?
Ken looks back into the living room where Carmen was sitting. The couch is empty. He looks back to Carmen in the doorway, but she is gone as well, and it is night outside.
MONTAGE: KEN GOING CRAZY
Several shots in rapid succession: Ken lying awake in bed; Ken crying while talking on the phone; Ken pouring cereal in reverse; Ken waking up suddenly; finally, Ken sitting in his room holding the diary and a pen. Cut to:
EXT: CARMEN’S CAR – DAY
Carmen is driving with a worried look on her face as she turns a corner.
EXT: KENSINGTON’S APARTMENT – DAY
Carmen knocks on the door and waits, but there is no reply. Cut to:
INT: KEN’S BATHROOM – DAY
Extreme close up of the dripping tap, this time running forwards. Cut to a medium shot of Kensington lying in the bathtub, which is full of water and blood. His eyes are fixed in a dead stare at the ceiling. The diary is sitting next to the tub, open to the most recent entry: the entry Ken read at the beginning of the film. Slow zoom on the diary as the words disappear one by one from the page.
TITLE: CLOSING CREDITS
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<3
-Jesse
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eleison
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I already told you what I think... but maybe posting my empty opinions will encourage others to share more meaningful ones?
I love the concept behind this, it is really amazing. I had an "Ah ha!" moment somewhere in the middle and I love "ah ha!" moments. 
I'll bet this will be even more rocking on film, it is very visual.
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Thalya
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Very confusing and scary. You did a great job, i love it. You really make it so i as the reader can feel as scared as the character is! its really great, i'd love to see more if you've got some.
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jesse
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Man, the finished movie is so different from this. Filmmaking is hard, guys! Things don't always turn out like you planned. I'll have to throw up the final script that I used sometime. Basically, the visual story follows the script here, but the soundtrack is a voiceover of all of Kensington's journal entries, as read by someone else. It was a nice effect!
<3
-Jesse
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eleison
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Sounds wicked Jesse, I hope you put up the final script soon.
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