11AM

By
Wendy Lee

15.04.15

Edited by Nicola Maglione

wendy.r.lee@hotmail.com

LOG LINE
A man with a hangover wakes up late for a job interview, but
his AI System wont let him drive until the alcohol leaves
his system.
SYPNOSIS
John wakes up in his bed on Monday morning with a hangover.
Realising that he has slept in, and as a result, is late for
a job interview, he quickly cleans himself up and runs to
the car to drive. However, his AI System does not allow him
to access the car until his BAC is reduced to a legal limit.
This would be fine, except that all of Johns necessary
interview documents are on the back seat.
As a result, John finds himself in a flurry of desperate
attempts to cheat the AI Systems automated nature and get
into the car. To his inconvenience, his morning continually
gets more and more frustrating, until he eventually makes it
in time for the interview. However, John realises that the
interview time had been changed - the information of which
the AI System had unknowingly withheld all morning.
EXEGESIS
11amis inspired by the Sydney 2020 stimulus, and draws
from the notion of the advancement of AI Systems in everyday
scenarios. It is set in a world where everything is
automated by AI Systems that are installed in households, in
order to accommodate for our needs. The irony that lies at
the heart of 11am is that the technology that is created
to assist our daily schedules ends up being the primary
source of the inconvenience.
Although many futuristic concepts came to mind whilst
brainstorming ideas for this assignment, many of them
included a sci-fi premise, but lacked a realistic and
engaging story arc. What I was really looking for was a plot
that had a clear character goal with an unmistakable start
and finish, that I could then litter with obstacles. When
the story came to mind of a man with a hangover who was late
for a job interview, the obstacles naturally fell into
place, with an AI System that prevented him from doing so.
In order to keep the plot concise and contained, I wanted
the story to start as late as I could whilst still within a
comfortable contextual range, so that the complication is
introduced as early as possible. This provided me with more
time to build Johns frustration throughout the plot as he
is faced with problem after problem from the moment he wakes
(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

2.

up until his arrival at the interview in the end. Despite

the story being based five years in the future with an
advancement of technology, I wanted the script to be as
realistic as possible. John has been written as an everyday
person with relatable frustrations and responses. The
importance of his goal - a job interview - is familiar. He
actively tries to overcome his problems, but is met every
time by the AI Systems concern for his safety.
Nicolas feedback was a useful reminder that I had to align
my story more to the setting of Sydney 2020. With this in
mind, the script is now more thoroughly scattered with the
inclusion of a more technological elements throughout, where
it was previously lacking. Nicolas feedback also proved
significantly helpful in terms of re-adjusting lines of
dialogue so that it was appeared more natural and seamless,
and lengthening out the story in places to create a more
steady and appropriate pace.

3.

INT. HOUSE/BEDROOM - MORNING

It is Monday morning, and JOHN is asleep on the disheveled
bed, still wearing yesterdays clothes. There are empty beer
bottles and cups littered on the bedside table, and the
floor is lined with rubbish and clothing. It is 7:30am.
JOHNs phone starts to ring. It is an unknown caller. JOHN
groans, blindly fumbles with his phone as he silences it,
then rolls back over and continues sleeping.

INT. HOUSE/BEDROOM - MORNING

There is an alarm beeping in the background as JOHN stirs to
the sound of an automated voice.
JEEVES
You have a job interview at
11am. You also also have three new
emails, one new voice message JOHNs eyes snap open. He checks the time. It is 10:24am. He
curses, hits the alarm off, and jumps out of bed. Both the
beeping and the notifications stop.
The blinds automatically start to raise, and the radio
begins to play faintly in the background. JOHN quickly
strips, and pulls on a clean shirt and black pants as he
hops into the bathroom.
He yelps as he sees his reflection in the mirror, and starts
scrubbing the various obscene Sharpie doodles off his face,
muttering under his breath. He smooths his hair with some
water, and runs back into the bedroom.
He grabs his shoes and reaches for a tie. The only tie
hanging neatly in the wardrobe is dotted with bright yellow
ducks. Confused, John looks down. The rest lie tied together
in a long rope on the floor amongst other miscellaneous
items.
He looks back and forth momentarily between the rope ties on
the floor and the duck tie in the wardrobe in stunned
disbelief, then curses, grabs the duck tie, and runs down to
the garage.

4.

INT. HOUSE/GARAGE - MORNING

Tightening his tie, JOHN reaches for the car door. He pulls
on the handle but the door wont open. He tries a few more
times, but with the same result. JOHN looks towards the
ceiling.
JOHN
Jeeves, open the car door, Im in a
rush.
There are a series of small beeping noises.
JEEVES
Your blood alcohol concentration
level is currently at 0.06. By NSW
law, I can not allow you to drive.
May I suggest an alternative mode
of transport?
On the back seat of the car rests a briefcase and a pile of
neatly ordered documents. JOHN tries to open the back door.
It doesnt open, and JOHN lets out a frustrated groan.
JOHN
Jeeves, I just need you to open the
back door so I can get my work. Im
not going to drive.
There are a few more small beeps.
JEEVES
Your blood alcohol concentration
level is currently at 0.06. By NSW
law, you are currently denied
access to this car.
JOHN curses, and checks his phone. Its 10:32am. He circles
the car a few times, and tries every door. The car does not
open. He hits the back window in frustration. After a pause,
he looks up alertly, before running to the bathroom.

INT. HOUSE/BATHROOM - MORNING

JOHN hurriedly sorts through the toiletries in the cabinet.
He finds the mouthwash, pours the remainder of the contents
into his mouth, and gargles.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

He then runs into the kitchen, grabs a cup from the counter,
tips out the remainders of beer, and refills it with tap
water. He sculls it, and runs back to the garage.

INT. HOUSE/GARAGE - MORNING

JOHN tries the door handle again. It is locked.
JOHN tries hyperventilating before tugging on the door
handle again. The door doesnt open.
He does a few pushups and runs on the spot until he is red
in the face. He tries once more to open the door. The car is
still locked. He curses and checks the time in the car. Its
10:40am.
JOHN starts pacing back and forth past the back seat window,
eyes glued to the documents. His expression suddenly shifts
and he stops mid walk, and he runs back into the house.

INT. HOUSE/STUDY - MORNING

JOHN runs into the study and looks up to the ceiling.
JOHN
Jeeves, reprint the files under
MCK interview from my desktop.
The printer whirs into action. It prints two pages, and then
stops. A red light starts to flash and PRINTER INK LOW
appears on the display screen. JOHN yells a few obscenities
and kicks the printer.

INT. HOUSE/GARAGE - MORNING

JOHNs shirt is untucked, his hair is sweaty, and his
sleeves are rolled up. Its 10:44am. His hair is ruffled and
his duck tie hangs loose. He holds the two printed crinkled
pieces of paper in one hand, and a wrench in the other.
He approaches the car with the wrench, and begins to try and
wedge it between the car and the door. After a few tentative
attempts, JOHN finally jams the wedge behind the door.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

The car alarm immediately goes off, followed shortly by an

alarm in the house. The house lights start flashing. JOHN
sighs, drops the wrench, and abandons the car.

INT. HOUSE/HALL CLOSET - MORNING

JOHN walks into the hall closet and opens the cabinet hiding
the power main. The old switches STOVE, HOT WATER, POWER,
LIGHT have been taped over, and an arrow has been drawn
over them, pointing towards a much more modern looking
switch to the side, labeled AI SYSTEM.
JOHN hesistates, then flicks the switch to OFF. The lights
in the house turn off and the alarms stop ringing. There is
a whirring sound as the system shuts down, and a metallic
clank as everything locks down.
JOHN waits for a second, then flicks the switch back on.
There is a small restarting sound, and a notice appears on
the switchboard - REBOOT EST. TIME 3 MINUTES. A countdown
begins. JOHN crumples against the wall in resignation.
He slides down to the floor, and takes his tie off, and rubs
his face with his hands. He looks back to the countdown. In
the dim electronic light of the screen, he catches sight of
a flash of colour in the dusty back corner of the cabinet
amongst a few old cables, batteries, and a few nuts and
bolts .
He pauses before getting up and tentatively reaching for it.
He picks up a small plastic green grinning dinosaur from the
corner, attached to a key chain. The car keys jingle as he
picks them up. He doesnt move for a moment as he stares at
the keys in disbelief, then he glances back at the
countdown. The countdown has 2 minutes 30 seconds remaining.
He scrambles to his feet, keys and tie in hand, and runs
back to the garage.

INT. HOUSE/GARAGE - MORNING

JOHN stands in front of the car holding the car keys. He
brushes the dust of the keys, and uncertainly puts the key
in the lock and turns. There is a metallic click, and the
headlights flash twice. JOHN starts laughing with disbelief,
then yanks the door open and starts the engine. It is
10:51am.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

7.

The screen in the car continues the system countdown REBOOT EST. TIME 2 MINUTES. JOHN steps down on the
accelerator and continues driving.

EXT. PARKLANDS/ROAD - MORNING

JOHN is speeding down the road. It is 10:53am. The reboot
countdown continues on the screen. When it hits 0, an
electronic chord fills the car, and a light turns on on the
dashboard. There is a pause, then the engine turns off.
Panicking, JOHN
further down on
and the driving
safely into the

shakes his head vigorously, and presses

the accelerator. The car begins to slow down
wheel starts to turn itself, pulling the car
shoulder lane. The car rolls to a stop.

JOHN tries to turn the engine back on. The light on the
dashboard begins to blink, and an automated voice fills the
car.
JEEVES
Your blood alcohol concentration
level is currently at 0.057. By NSW
law, I can not allow you to drive.
(pause)
You have a job interview at
11am. You also also have three new
emails, one new voice message JOHN slams the car door and starts running down the road,
documents, briefcase, and tie in hand. He cuts through the
parklands across an oval, hurdling over a metal rail.
He continues running through the town centre, past bustling
shop fronts, and eventually reaches a tall, modern building.
A large MCK sign hangs above the tall glass door entrance.
He runs into the foyer and races towards the lifts. There is
a large, affluent clock hanging on the front on wall - it is
11:01am.
One of the lift doors close as he arrives, whilst the other
lift has an OUT OF ORDER notice stuck across the front.
Puffing, he looks around. He notices the stairs on the
opposite side of the foyer, and runs to them, racing up them
three steps at a time until he reaches Level Five.
Breathing heavily, he stops for a moment to smooth his hair
and adjust his tie. He checks the time - its 11:03am. He
takes a deep breath, and smiling, opens the glass doors and
across to the receptionist, who looks up expectantly.
(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

8.

JOHN
Hi, Im John. Im here for an
interview.
There is a pause as the receptionist consults her planner.
She then types something into the computer. As her eyes scan
the screen, her eyebrows furrow with confusion.
RECEPTIONIST
Im sorry John, we dont have your
appointment listed in our system.
Would you like me to check the
system again?
She looks up at JOHN, whos smile is now faltering. When he
doesnt respond for a while, she shrugs slightly, and
continues with some paperwork.
JOHN still smiling slightly, and stumbles away from the
counter. He continues smiling until he sits down on the
plush seats in the hallway opposite the lifts, at which
point he buries his face in his hands.
He looks blankly at his mud-caked shoes. There are stains of
dirt and perspiration on his shirt. He sits like that for a
while, until he slowly looks up, exhausted. Then a look of
confusion starts to dawn on his face. He digs his phone out
of his pocket and clicks a button.
JEEVES
You have a job interview now. You
also have three new emails, one new
voice message JOHN clicks another button.
JEEVES
Message received today at 7:31am.
"This is Rachel from MCK letting
you know that weve had to push
back your interview to Wednesday
15th at 10am. We look forward to
seeing you then." *click*
(pause)
Would you like me to update your
schedule?
The phone hits the wall with a thud.