Living in Oblivion Page #7

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PALOMINO:

(intimate)

Thank you. Thank you very much.

NICK:

OK, right away. Call it, Wanda.

NICOLE:

Nick? Could I just have a moment? Is

that alright?

NICK:

Of course, Nicole; are you kidding?

Hold the roll, Wanda.

WANDA:

Holding the roll!

Nicole remains seated on the bed, lowering her head and

closing her eyes as she attempts to generate some emotion

for the scene. Everyone watches her in complete silence.

INT. NEAR THE CAMERA. DAY

Palomino tiptoes over to the camera where Wanda and the

Scriptgirl are standing side by side. As he leans between

them, checking his lines on the Scriptgirl's script, he

inhales deeply then exhales with a barely audible sigh.

PALOMINO:

(whispers)

Someone over here smells very, very

nice.

Thinking he means her, Wanda's lips flutter in a brief,

involuntary smile. Meanwhile, the Scriptgirl turns away,

blushing furiously.

INT. THE SET. DAY

Palomino tiptoes again back to his spot. Nicole raises her

head and nods once to Nick. She seems to have aroused some

real emotion in herself.

NICK:

(with quiet intensity)

Call it, Wanda.

WANDA:

And roll sound.

SOUND:

Speed!

WANDA:

Roll camera!

AC:

Rolling!

CLAPPER:

Scene six, take four!

PALOMINO:

(suddenly)

Nick, I just had a great idea!

WANDA:

Hold the roll!

NICK:

What is it, Chad?

PALOMINO:

Just stop me if I'm out of line here,

but she says "admired from afar,"

right? Doesn't it make sense to see

Damian up close and her "afar?" You

start on a Close-up of Damian, watch

me here; as she declares her love,

the camera moves with me into this

primo two-shot that you and the

Wolfmeister have set up here.

NICK:

What do you think, Wolf?

WOLF:

I don't like it. This is Ellen's

scene.

NICK:

I don't know; it sort of makes sense.

PALOMINO:

Hey, you did it, man. It's all there

in the writing.

WOLF:

I'd have to relight.

Nick pauses, thinking hard.

WANDA:

We're still ahead of schedule, Nick;

if that means anything to you.

NICK:

Let's do it.

WOLF:

(to the Gaffer)

Get me a tweenie right here, with

diffusion.

WANDA:

OK, everyone stand by. We're pausing

briefly to set one little light,

then we're going again, right away.

Stand-in please for Mr. Palomino.

GAFFER:

I'll do it.

WOLF:

Get the f***ing light!

INT. CRAFT SERVICE TABLE. DAY

Several members of the crew loiter around the table. The

Scriptgirl approaches carrying a donut in one hand and a cup

of coffee in the other. Palomino notices her and moves quietly

to her side. Without a word he picks up the milk and pours

some in her coffee. Nicole stands nearby and watches the

following exchange.

SCRIPT:

Thanks.

PALOMINO:

My pleasure. Sugar?

SCRIPT:

Just a bit.

Palomino puts sugar in her coffee with extreme care.

PALOMINO:

You like jazz?

SCRIPT:

Very much.

PALOMINO:

Maybe we could go hear some tonight.

Palomino smiles and moves away just as Wanda comes up for a

coffee refill.

WANDA:

It's going well I think. Don't you

think?

SCRIPT:

Very well. What time do you think

we'll finish?

WANDA:

Early I hope. I'm going to a jazz

club tonight.

SCRIPT:

Really? So am I. He's wonderful,

isn't he?

WANDA:

Chad?

SCRIPT:

He's so natural, like... air.

Nicole approaches.

SCRIPT:

I wonder what his sign is. Do you

know, Nicole?

NICOLE:

I don't know his sign, but I think

his moon is in Uranus.

Wanda chokes hard on her coffee as Nicole walks off with a

bitter smile.

SCRIPT:

You don't have to be nasty.

INT. THE SET. DAY

Palomino saunters onto the set as Wolf and his crew finish

relighting.

PALOMINO:

Yo, Wolfman. Is this my new mark?

WOLF:

Until you change it. Where's my

f***ing eyepatch?!

Wolf walks off. The Gaffer slips the AC a shrewd wink then

walks over and stands next to Palomino, giving him a big,

friendly grin.

GAFFER:

Hey, Chad.

PALOMINO:

Hey, whatya say.

GAFFER:

I'm Bob. I'm lighting this show.

PALOMINO:

Chad Palomino; Actor.

GAFFER:

(big smile)

I know.

PALOMINO:

(to the ac)

Hey, what's your name?

AC:

Maurice.

PALOMINO:

Maurice! Hey, Maurice Chevalier! Any

relation? Probably not. Hey, smoking

crew guys, really.

The Gaffer slips his own script out of his back pocket and

begins leafing through it.

GAFFER:

Hey thanks, Chad. Actually I wrote a

script.

PALOMINO:

Oh, yeah?

Palomino takes the Gaffer's script and holds it up to his

eyes, shading them from a light he's looking at across the

room. He points to the light.

PALOMINO:

Hey, Bill. See that light over there?

GAFFER:

Uh, yeah.

PALOMINO:

Lower it about three feet.

Palomino hands the Gaffer back his script and walks off. The

Gaffer and AC stand in silence for a long awkward moment.

INT. BATHROOM. DAY

Nick intently scrutinizes himself in the mirror. Leaning

closer he makes a careful adjustment to the way his hair

falls over his ear, then steps back to examine himself.

NICK:

Would you care to have a drink

tonight? Hey, Nicole, what do you

say you and I have a drink tonight?

Suddenly the door opens behind him and Nicole walks in.

NICOLE:

Oh, Nick! I'm sorry!

NICK:

That's OK, no problem. I'm just

slapping a little water on my face.

The two stand in embarrassed silence for a moment. Nick looks

like he's gathering the nerve to ask her out.

NICK:

So, it's going pretty good, huh?

NICOLE:

Is it? Something feels off.

NICK:

Yeah, you seem a little tense.

NICOLE:

Do I?

NICK:

But don't worry about it. Just take

your attention off yourself and put

it on Chad. Work off him a little

more.

NICOLE:

OK, I'll try that.

NICK:

And listen, I know he's no Olivier.

But he's got something, don't you

think? Kind of a natural presence.

NICOLE:

Oh yes, he's very natural.

Nick hesitates, again gathering his nerves to pop the

question.

NICK:

So Nicole... anything else I can

help you with?

NICOLE:

Actually there is. Could you maybe

ask him to brush his teeth?

NICK:

Oh, sure.

INT. THE SET. DAY

Wanda crosses the set and assumes her position beside the

camera. Wolf sits behind it, barely a foot away.

WOLF:

My eye is killing me.

WANDA:

Put your eyepatch on.

WOLF:

I lost it.

WANDA:

Is that little light set yet?

WOLF:

That little light was set ten minutes

ago.

WANDA:

(into her walkie)

Get me the A Team in here right away.

Nick, Nicole, and Mr. Palomino.

(to Wolf)

Why didn't you tell me?

WOLF:

Hey, you're not worried about the

time, I'm not worried about the time.

WANDA:

Oh, I am very worried about the time!

WOLF:

I know you are.

WANDA:

What is that supposed to mean?

WOLF:

What do you think it means?!

WANDA:

I don't know what it means!

WOLF:

Oh yes you do, you know exactly what

it means.

WANDA:

I have no idea what you're talking

about! Why are you --

WOLF:

You don't understand me, Wanda! You

have no idea --

WANDA:

I don't understand you?!! All I do

is take care of you!!!

Nick suddenly runs up just as Wolf and Wanda are on the verge

of blows.

NICK:

Hey, hey, hey! What the hell's going

on here?! Jesus, Wanda. This is a

very intimate scene and a lot of

tension on the set doesn't help. OK?

Now, Wolf, let's just go through the

first part of the move. Damian, on

your new mark. Good. Close-up, Damian;

Ellen in the background.

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