The stunt

Season 1 – episode 2

Screenplay

Version: 1
Date: January, 2009
Author: PapaGuru
(myhelloworldblog@gmail.com)
All rights reserved
PROLOGUE

Actors: John, Stephan, Sally

FADE IN:

1 INT. STUDIO – DAY

ANGLE ON: Desk, high point of view, from the left.

JOHN is standing in frame on the righthandside, looking to someone out-of-

frame on the right. Lighting is not completely on yet.

JOHN
"You're making him do WHAT?"

STEPHAN
"[a few soft, unrecognizible mutterings]".
(slightly louder)
"I hope it kills him, and this show too!"

JOHN
"Sheesh! Even I have never even attempted..."

STEPHAN
"Oh, stuff it. We'll go out with a bang, and
I'll be rid of Elvis. And you, too, for that
matter."

JOHN
"It's always nice to be appreciated. I am the
onlyone here ..."

STEPHAN
(interrupts)
"Get ready, Gramps! On air in three... two..."

OPENING CREDITS appear, TUNE starts, all studio lights go on one by one.

SALLY
(voiceover, prerecorded)
"Please welcome your host, former stunt
legend... John Wonder!"

A few people in the audience clap, JOHN walks to his chair.

JOHN
(muttering under his breath)
"Bah! Back in MY day this never would've
happened."

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 2 / 10 –
 JOHN sits down and takes a sip from the mug on his desk.

OPENING

Actors: John, Joe, Stephan

2 INT. STUDIO – DAY

ANGLE ON: JOHN, straight in the face.

TUNE and OPENING CREDITS end.

JOHN
(cheerful)
"Hi. Welcome back to another episode of 'The
Stunt'. Today, we've got Joe, our
stuntengineer, here to explain tonight's
stunt."

JOE walks on the set, sits down.

ANGLE ON: JOE, straight in the face.

JOE looks in the camera, then to JOHN, then back to the camera.

Short pause.

ANGLE ON: JOHN and JOE. Medium wide.

JOHN
"Well?"

JOE
"Well what?"

JOHN
"What could you tell us about tonight's stunt?"

JOE
"Oh."
(fast)
"Well, I'm sending Elvis out to reach a
velocity of exactly 129.066 feet/second, then
up a slope that ends with an inclanation of 62°
(I'd tell you the formula for the curve of the
slope, but you wouldn't understand), which
should give him a negative rotation of 0.575
radians per second while hurling through the
air following an arc which I again won't bother

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 3 / 10 –
 to explain. IF he gets it right AND gets
EXTREMELY lucky, he'll turn a total of no less
than 1080° degrees before safely landing on the
second ramp 0.0124 miles further at an angle of
118°."

JOHN
"Rrrriiight. Eh, would you mind explaining that
in layman's terms?"

ANGLE ON: JOE, straight in the face, zoom in.

JOE
"Yes."

Short pause.

ANGLE ON: JOHN and JOE. Medium wide.

JOHN
(sighs)
"Anything else you'd like to share with our
viewers?"

JOE cheers up.

JOHN
(quickly)
"On the matter of tonight's stunt, I mean."

JOE
"Oh. Elvis will go fast, he will go high and
then he'll die. Spectacularly. Bloody.
Especially since he has to do it without
holding on to the handlebars. Ha! He has a
better chance of defying the laws of physics
than making this stunt. But hey, everything to
please the audience, right?"

ANLE ON: JOHN, close up.

JOHN is speachless.

JOE
"Well, gotta go!"

ANGLE ON: JOHN and JOE, medium wide.

JOHN

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 4 / 10 –
 (slowly, can't believe his ears)
"You 'gotta go'?"

JOE
"I have to finish the ramps. We don't want
Elvis to crash BEFORE flying through the air?
That wouldn't help the ratings at all. Bye."

JOE walks off.

ANGLE ON: JOHN, straight in the face.

JOHN, remembering he's in a live TV show, straightens up.

JOHN
(cheerful, pretending all is well)
"How's that for added thrill! Let's find out
how Elvis feels about tonight's stunt. Over to
Sally!"

ANGLE ON: JOHN, from the side.

JOHN thinks he's off the air.

JOHN
(casually)
"I don't know why I still participate in this
murderous farce!"

JOHN takes a sip from his mug.

STEPHAN
"Because you need the money, you drunk hasbeen!
But fear not, you'll be unemployed by tonight,
if all goes according to plan, hee hee..."

INTERVIEW

Actors: Elvis, Sally, Brad

3 EXT. ARENA, IN FRONT OF SPONSOR WALL – DAY

ANGLE ON: Sally's bosom, very close up

SALLY
(inviting)
"Sooo, Elvis, any plans for after your stunt?"

BRAD
(jealous)

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 5 / 10 –
 "Recovering in hospital? Getting buried?"

ELVIS
(ignoring BRAD)
"Why don't you step by my trailer afterwards?"

ANGLE: changes to shot of SALLY and ELVIS, focus is shortly lost

BRAD
(fast, semi whispering)
"Guys! We're on!"

SALLY
"Oh! Right... "
(composes herself)
"Thanks, John! We're standing here with Elvis
Knievel, short before his next death defying
stunt."

ELVIS
"Hi, folks."

SALLY
"Elvis, is that a new suit?"

ELVIS
"Yeah. I especially dig this cape."

SALLY
"So do I! You look a regular superhero! Now,
that's all we got time for. Back to you John!"

ELVIS
"Bye, folks."

SALLY
"Bye"

ANGLE ON: feet.

BRAD
(sucking up)
"That's a wrap. Great interview, Sally! Much
better than last time."

INTRODUCING THE STUNT

Actor: John

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 6 / 10 –
4 INT. STUDIO – DAY

ANGLE ON: JOHN, medium close up

JOHN
(under his breath)
"Oh yes! She actually asked a question this
time."
(normal)
"Thank you Sally, for another unique insight in
mr. Knievel's way of preparing himself for
imminent death."
"For those who just tuned in: tonight, as Joe
tried to explain earlier, Elvis will jump on a
bike over two 100.000 dollar cars, while doing
a triple backflip – with his hands loose. While
we're waiting for the last safety checks to
clear, let me try to give you an impression of
Elvis must be feeling now, based on my own
extensive experiences, of course."

ANGLE ON: JOHN, from the front-left

JOHN sits back, turns to the camera, takes a deep breath

JOHN
"I still remember it vividly. It must have
been... "
(snaps out of it)
"Oh, I hear Elvis is ready to go. We'll keep my
adventure in store for you. Let's go over to
the arena!"

THE ACTUAL STUNT

Actors: John, Stephan

5 EXT. ARENA – DAY

ANGLE ON: ELVIS, wide.

ELVIS parades to the motorbike, waves to the audience.

JOHN
(voiceover)
"Here's Elvis. Look at that new cape gently
waving in the wind. Should we hope it gets

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 7 / 10 –
 caught in the chain of his bike?"

ELVIS gets on the bike. It won't start.

JOHN
(voiceover)
"Saved by the budget being spent on two cars
instead of equipment, it seems! Gee, would
someone get to keep those after the show...?"

The bike starts, audience cheers.

JOHN
(voiceover)
"Some people have all the luck, but Elvis isn't
one of 'em."

ELVIS takes off and speeds up.

JOHN
(voiceover)
"And away he goes. He can still come to his
senses and safely stop until he passes the red
flag ..."

ELVIS passes the red flag at high speed.

JOHN
(voiceover, trailing)
"... which is the point of no return."

ELVIS reaches the ramp, audience goes silent.

JOHN
(voiceover, excited, fast)
"This is it! I can't watch!"

ELVIS makes the jump, lands safely. Audience cheers.

STEPHAN
"Oh hell! Looks like there'll be another
episode next week."

EPILOGUE

Actors: John, Sally, Elvis, Brad

6 INT. STUDIO – DAY

ANGLE ON: JOHN, straight up

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 8 / 10 –
 JOHN
"I don't believe it! He made it! Wow! That
calls for a toast."
(takes a big swig from the mug, the
effect is becoming slightly noticeable)
"Of coursse, I could have done it, too, had I
been a bit younger. Ha! I dareshay I pullled
off even bigger sstunts back in the day. But
for Ellvis, this is reallly an accompilshment."
(takes another swig, drukenness becoming
more noticeable)
"Now, do we dare go to Ssally for a post sstunt
impresshunn?"

ANLE ON: Greenscreen behind JOHN's shoulder. It shows:

EXT. ARENA – DAY

ANGLE ON: Knees, camera sways a bit

SALLY
(tempting)
"Would you like to go for a drink to celebrate,
have a talk, get to know each other better?"

ELVIS
"Yeah, I met some willing girls today and we're
going for drinks first. There's always room for
one more, nudge nudge..."

SALLY
(insulted)
"I don't know why I even talk to you!"

SALLY marches off.

BRAD
"I'll join you, if you don't mind."

ELVIS
"I don't mind at all! We need someone to buy
the beer."

ELVIS walks off.

ANGLE ON: Back to JOHN, straight up

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 9 / 10 –
 JOHN
"Erm... nevermind. Thanksh for watchin' and
ssee y'all nexsht week for another thrillling
epishode of 'The Shtunt'".

TUNE starts, CREDITS roll.

SALLY
(voiceover)
"This episode was animated in front of a lego
minifig audience"

"The Stunt" – Series 1, episode 2 – Screenplay All rights reserved, 2009

– 10 / 10 –