SCENE: OFFICE
Amber walks through the Post Intelligencer Wotsit building. She reaches a door with a sign reading Audio Visual Research Room and enters.
She puts the tape into the copyingthingy and presses whatever buttons she needs to get it to work.
She watches the tape as it plays on the screen. She pauses a moment as she notices the track numbers, which don’t appear to be numbers, but random lines and symbols. She slowly and carefully rewinds the tape, watching the symbols change. Then she pauses it and turns back to the screen where the windy cliff scene is playing. She stops a moment, thinking the fly is still moving though the movie is paused. She reaches forward and touches it, expecting to feel a real fly under her index finger, but only hits the screen.
---
SCENE: DANNY’S
APARTMENT BUILDING
Amber rides the elevator up to Danny’s floor. Words appear on the screen:
Friday
Day 2
---
SCENE: DANNY’S
APARTMENT
Danny and Amber are kneeling in front of the TV. They watch the tape play and Danny studies the track numbers, which are also mixed up. He frowns and looks at Amber.
DANNY
You sure this is a copy?
AMBER
Yeah, why?
DANNY
The numbers are all
screwed up.
Danny hits the eject button and pulls the tape, marked COPY, out of the VCR. Both Danny and Amber stand up.
AMBER
Same problem got copied,
I guess.
DANNY
That’s impossible.
[begins making his way to a closet on the other side of the apartment. Amber follows]
The numbers of a control
track they put on the tape
when its recorded which
means theoretically, there
shouldn’t be any images.
AMBER
Hey Danny, can you pretend
for one minute that I don’t read
Video Geek Magazine?
DANNY
Okay, when you record a tape,
the makeup of the tracks is like
a signature for whatever did the
recording like a camcorder, VCR,
whatever. So the control track could
tell us where it came from. But to not
have one… that’s like being born without
fingerprints.
AMBER
Then how did this get recorded?
DANNY
I don’t know.
But, I’m going to find out.
[closes closet doors]
---
Insert a closeup of the scene of the man brushing his hair in the mirror on the TV screen.
DANNY
Alright, take a look.
Insert the scene of the empty mirror.
DANNY
You should be able to see the
camera right here in the reflection.
The angle’s straight-on, but you
don't.
The dark figure of a boy in the mirror.
AMBER
Hmm, what’s that?
DANNY
Looks like he’s walking away, whoever
he is.
AMBER
No, I mean up there at the top.
The same man from the first mirror looking left.
DANNY
Oh, that’s just the tracking, I can fix
that.
Danny tries to adjust the tracking, but the scene changes to the beached horse.
DANNY
Whoops, sorry.
[goes to rewind]
AMBER
Wait, go back. There’s something
there.
DANNY
Yeah, you’re right.
The picture of the beach begins to stretch to reveal a little more of the picture on the right side.
AMBER
There’s more picture.
DANNY
Hold on. I’m going to stretch the
alignment.
Danny does so
AMBER
Yeah, it’s working.
Amber goes for the alignment-stretching-dial-wotsit-thing.
DANNY
Yeah it won’t go any further.
AMBER
Okay keep going.
[insert indistinct protesting from Danny]
No no no no no, let me do it.
DANNY
It won’t go any further.
AMBER
Come on!
DANNY
It won’t go any further! Get –
Amber tries to stretch the alignment. The tracking begins to get worse. She turns the dial more until the machine shuts off.
DANNY
Nuts!
AMBER
…whoops.
The door opens and Caroline walks in
CAROLINE
Hey Danny, I picked up the cameras.
They’re in really good shape. Did you
see
the reprints I did of that
stuff? Cause they came out kinda…
[stops, looks up and sees Danny and Amber]
…overexposed.
You working?
DANNY
This is a friend, Amber Greenleaf. She
writes for the “P.I.” Amber, this is
Caroline, my assistant.
CAROLINE
Well, I prefer “partner in crime”.
All chuckle
DANNY
She’s a journalism student at
CAROLINE
Well, I’ll stay out of your way.
I’m not even here.
[kisses Danny on the cheek, walks into the kitchen]
DANNY
[calls after her]
Amber is researching a story.
It’s this video hoax. It’s kind
of interesting. So you know
video, why don’t you come
take a look at this thing with
the tracking?
Danny walks back over to the machine to turn it on. Amber quickly hits the eject button, grabs the tape and puts it in her purse
AMBER
You know, I’m late. I really
should go.
DANNY
Yeah but why are you taking –
AMBER
I gotta go.
[nods at Caroline]
It’s good to meet you.
Amber walks out and presses the down button on the elevator. Danny blinks, loots at Caroline, and walks out to meet Amber
DANNY
So you’re taking the tape?
AMBER
I don’t want her to see it.
DANNY
Woah. You don’t want her to
see
it? What about me seeing it?
You had no problem showing it
to me.
AMBER
I did have a problem.
DANNY
You’re angry.
AMBER
I’m not angry.
DANNY
Oh no? What are you then?
AMBER
In a hurry.
DANNY
[scoffs]
Look, I’m sorry, but I’m not
gonna get all worked up over
some high school rumor.
Amber gives him a look
DANNY
What are you thinking?
AMBER
I’m thinking this is the part where
I say “you’re a flake, never
finishes anything.” Then you say
I’m “an obsessive bitch, needs to
lighten up.” Then I storm out, all
pissed off, kicking myself for
ever thinking that you could just…
grow up.
[gets inside the elevator]
So why don’t we just cut to
that part right now and save
ourselves some grief?
DANNY
…
Alright.
Bye.
[waves]
Amber gives him another look and presses the close elevator button.
Amber reaches the bottom and storms out of the apartment complex. She stops as she realizes she’s just walked under a ladder. She turns to look at the long ladder like the one in the tape. The scene from the tape flashes in her mind. She goes to put one hand on the rung, but is interrupted by a voice.
WORKER
Watch out, missy.
[starts to climb the ladder]
Bad luck. You don’t need that.