Simone Page #8

VIKTOR:

(to himself as he inserts

his Hollywood hard-drive

-- SIMULATION ONE)

Pay no attention to the man behind

the computer.

A title appears on his computer screen.

Welcome

to

SIMULATION ONE:

With a satisfied smile, Viktor backspaces characters until he

revises the title to:

Welcome

to

SIMONE:

He presses "ENTER" and a face begins to build -- wire upon

wire, pixel upon pixel -- until a completed synthespian

emerges -- SIMONE. She is indistinguishable from a flesh-and

blood actress.

Simone moves on a video loop against a neutral background --

titled "VISUAL LOOP 6". Within the confines of the monitor

she is reminiscent of a beautiful caged animal. She looks a

little bored as if she has been cooped up in cyberspace for

too long.

VIKTOR:

(to the screen)

Good morning, Simone.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

Good morning, Mr. Taransky.

VIKTOR:

A star is...

SIMONE / VIKTOR

... digitized.

Only now do we observe that Viktor is occasionally talking

into a microphone connected to the computer and pressing a

key on his keyboard. When he speaks, she speaks. Simone's

voice and mouth movements automatically sync in response to

Viktor's voice. A scanning light on Viktor allows Simone to

mimic his movements.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

You mean they buy it?

VIKTOR:

(nervous smile as he

examines his first

royalty check)

Buy it? They're paying for it.

And around here that's how you

really know they buy it.

Viktor fondly touches a photograph of Hank that is taped to

the terminal -- from the "L.A. Times" obituaries.

VIKTOR:

I'm only sorry Hank isn't here to

see this.

Viktor looks up, Simone mimicking his action.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

(depressing the button

every time he wants to

express his thoughts

through Simone)

Maybe he can.

VIKTOR:

Do you have any idea what this

means, Simone? Our ability to

manufacture fraud now exceeds our

ability to detect it.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

(appearing to indulge

Viktor with a smile)

I am the death of real.

VIKTOR:

(pondering the enormity of

the hoax)

You are birth of... what? A

Phenomenon. A miracle. A new era

in show business. All I wanted to

do was finish the film.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

And now look what you've started.

And now look what you've started.

And now look what you've started.

Viktor's conversation with himself is not merely for his own

amusement. He is adjusting and refining Simone's voice.

VIKTOR:

Hmm... a little less Streep, a

little more Bacall.

Viktor scrolls through a photo library of stars, living and

dead, that comprise Simone.

Viktor makes an adjustment on a panel on the computer screen

dedicated to Simone's audio, incorporating the vocal

deliveries -- "20% STREEP, 80% BACALL".

He speaks once again as Simone to test the adjustment. The

voice patterns appear on his screen -- graphic

representations of the sound waves.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

Is that better, Mr. Taransky?

VIKTOR:

Yes. Yes, it is.

VIKTOR snaps back to reality himself. He scrolls through the

list of screen legends. He clicks on the image of AUDREY

HEPBURN.

VIKTOR:

While I think of it, I'd like you

to add something to your repertoire

-- remember that thing Hepburn does

in "Breakfast At Tiffany's".

A clip of AUDREY HEPBURN in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" plays on

the screen. Hepburn, sitting on a fire escape, looks up.

AUDREY HEPBURN:

(from the screen, an

incomparable smile)

Hi.

VIKTOR:

(pausing the moment)

Let's hear you say "Hi" like

Audrey.

With a CUT and PASTE, Viktor morphs the gesture seamlessly

into a frozen Simone. Viktor presses play.

SIMONE:

(imitating Audrey's

performance perfectly)

Hi.

VIKTOR:

Perfect.

(stretching)

God, I'm so relaxed around you.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

You did create me.

VIKTOR:

No. I... just helped bring someone

else's dream to life.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

Mr. Taransky, we both know I was

nothing without you. I was

computer code -- ones and zeros.

VIKTOR:

You're right. You're right. Of

course, one doesn't want to boast.

It's a classic case of technology

in search of an artist. That's all

you've been waiting for, an artist

with integrity, with a vision, who

can see.

Viktor gets up and starts walking around the room, warming to

his theme. SIMONE moves in a VISUAL LOOP on the monitor,

nodding attentively as if she's really interested.

VIKTOR:

See beyond that irrational

allegiance to flesh and blood. --

See that with the rise in price of

a real actor and the fall in price

of a fake, the scales have tipped

in favor of the fake.

(voice raising in

excitement)

-- See that if the performance is

genuine, it doesn't matter if the

actor is real. Once a performance

is committed to film, the blood and

bones are gone anyway. Only the

spirit, the illusion remains.

Besides, what's real anymore?

These days most actors have digital

work done to them so it's a gray

area.

SIMONE / VIKTOR

(Simone appears to look

directly at her maker)

Are you ever going to tell the

truth about me, Mr. Taransky?

VIKTOR:

The only real truth is in the work.

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