Dating 101

By Sammy Ali and Adrianna Paniak

FADE IN. EXT. CHATHAM HOUSE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, RAMSGATE, EVENING Long shot of two boys standing outside the gate to a courtyard. Lighting is dim. HARRY is a sixth form student and was brought here by MATTHEW, his best friend on the pretext of going to a party while instead he was dragged here to go to single's speed dating service. It is early evening though it is dark already. Street lamps are on and the street is empty except for a few cars parked outside. It is Friday.

MATTHEW

You wanted to meet someone. Two shot of MATTHEW with his back to the gate and HARRY looking into the gate.

HARRY (with force)

I'm not this desperate.

Shot reverse shot. Close up of MATTHEW.

MATTHEW Just on our way here on the train from Margate you asked 5 girls for their number

and got turned down by every one of them. Close up of HARRY.

HARRY

I thought I might get lucky!

MATTHEW

Exactly. It's not about that, you need to feel a connection to that someone and don't call me a romantic from now on but it's definitely not luck.

(turning to HARRY)

Anyway, we're here now and it would be pointless to come all this way to just go

back. ZARA organized this so we are going to be nice about it and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.

MATTHEW

Why do we have to do something just because ZARA organized it? And you're

talking about not being desperate.

HARRY (pointing to his heart)

You hit me straight right there.

Close up of MATTHEW touching an ID card to enter the gate. Mid shot of MATTHEW holding the gate for HARRY to go through and then he closes it behind.

MATTHEW (sound being inaudible)

Let's speed date.

EXT. CHATHAM ASSEMBLY HALL, RAMSGATE, EVENING Long shot of MATTHEW AND HARRY walking side by side.

HARRY (worryingly)

How does it go then? What if I don't know what to say to them?

MATTHEW

You'll be fine. ZARA will explain everything on the entrance. Don't stress it, just be

yourself.

HARRY (sarcastically)

Easy to say Casanova.

Mid shot of HARRY peering through a side window while MATTHEW is standing by the entrance ready to grab the handle.

HARRY

(looking at the building with the lights on, winningly)

I can't do it.

MATTHEW

Do we have to do this again?

(looking at his phone)

Can we just go in? ZARA is texting me saying we should be there like now. We have been standing outside here for 15 minutes and we are slowly turning into ice-cubes.

(starts opening the door)

HARRY (annoyingly)

Just give me a minute.

(slams door back in)

O.S. Diegetic sound of female chatter and steps become audible.

GIRL 1

Yeah, look at these two.

Long shot of two girls walking down a steep pathway. Mid shot.

MATTHEW

(tapping HARRY on the back so he turns around)

See, I told you this is going to be a good night.

(nodding)

A good, good night HARRY'S POV. Mid shot of the girls and boys facing each other.

MATTHEW (cheesy)

I'm no Fred Flintstone, but I'll make your Bedrock!

HARRY

I apologize for his behaviour. What's your names?

MEGAN

(in an American accent, pointing to herself)

I'm MEGAN

(pointing to MORGAN)

and this is MORGAN.

MORGAN (American accent, cheery voice)

Hi. Nice to meet you.

MEGAN

We have to go now. The speed-dating is starting. See you in there

ZARA

Hi girls.

(sees the boys)

Oh, look who the cat dragged in.

(Directly to MATTHEW )

Is it so hard to use your phone? Okay, come in.

(drags both of them in)

INT. CHATHAM ASSEMBLY HALL, RAMSGATE, EVENING Panning shot of the girls seated at tables. Tracking shot of each one of them sitting on the tables.

ZARA (takes both of them to the side)

So gentlemen and

(looks towards MATTHEW, gesture given)

MATTHEW. The rules are simple, the girls are rotated around from table to table to

meet each boy, over a series of short "dates" which usually lasts for 30 seconds.

Mid shot of MATTHEW poking HARRY.

MATTHEW (laughing and gives gestures)

Come to papa. Let the master do the work.

Close up of ZARA looking suspiciously at MATTHEW.

Over the shoulder shot of MATTHEW sniggering.

ZARA (continues)

Hm? At the end of each interval, the organizer which is me,

(pointing to herself)

will blow the whistle to signal the participants to move on to the next date. At the end of the event, participants which is you guys submit to the organizers a list of who you would like to provide your contact information to. If there is a match,

contact information is forwarded to both parties.

(guiding MATTHEW and HARRY back to back to their seats, at different tables with girls at each of them)

Contact information cannot be traded during the initial meeting, in order to reduce

pressure to accept or reject a suitor to his or her face.

(facing MATTHEW)

MATTHEW (winking at ZARA)

She totally likes me.

POV of the girl sitting opposite HARRY.

ZARA

I forgot to give you your date cards, on which you have some useful questions,

(sarcastically)

and if you run out of them in 30 seconds, you can use the chat up lines to embarass

yourself with, which are provided at the back of the cards.

(exaggerating sarcastically towards MATTHEW)

Your welcome...

(walking onto the stage)

Alright singles, let's get you a date.

(she blows the whistle)

Mid shot of HARRY looking at his DATE card.

HARRY

Sooooo...

Shot reverse shot. Mid shot of Sandy's face.

HARRY

SANDY.

(pointing at her name badge. )

Nice name, has a ring to it. Were you born on a beach, perhaps?

Low angles shot of Sandy's penetrating eyes.

High angle shot of Harry's scared face. O.S.

ZARA (Shouts)

You have 20 seconds left.

HARRY

This is not a very comfortable situation is it SANDY?

Extreme close up of her mouth.

HARRY

(voice over)

Hmmm... this is very awkward. Should I use the chat up lines? No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Maybe.

(looking at the date card)

No. 1 If I had one chance to rearrange the alphabet, I would put U and I together.

No. 2 I've lost that loving feeling, will you help me find it again? No. 3 Can I borrow your phone? I need to phone God and tell him I have found his missing angel. Who

wrote these?

SANDY (voice over)

Did he fall asleep? Should I wake him? Naah.

(looking about the room)

Can I go now?

(she stretches her arms out)

He has the look of a serial killer. What did I get myself into?

HARRY

(after a long pause, hurriedly)

Did it hurt? When you fell out of heaven.

Medium shot of SANDY FAKE LAUGHING Shot reverse shot. Close up of Harry's confused face.

HARRY (slowly)

OK. What about this one? You see my friend over there?

(turning his back to look at MATTHEW)

MATTHEW is taking 1/3 of the over the shoulder shot. MATTHEW is trying to make ZARA jealous by flirting with other single girls at the event. MATTHEW winking at SANDY.

HARRY

He wants to know if you think I'm cute? Two shot of HARRY looking at SANDY who is not amused. Diegetic sound of the whistle blowing which is synchronous with a low angle shot of ZARA blowing it.

Close up of ZARA.

ZARA

Time is up. Move to your next partner.

HARRY

Sorry SANDY, have to go. The ladies are calling me.

Crabbing shot of HARRY going to the next table.

HARRY

(looking back)

Nice to meet you.

Long shot of SANDY looking after him.

Close up of her writing ''MATTHEW'' on the date card.

Tilt of him sitting down at the next station.

Two shot of Megan and Morgan sitting at the table.

HARRY (smoothly)

Hello girls, MEGAN and MORGAN, right? Is this two for the price of one? Sorry.

MEGAN

Ha, ha, very funny, loser. Me and MORGAN are actually competing to see who gets a

date first. Isn't that right MORGAN?

MORGAN

Yep. Sorry to disappoint you.

HARRY

No problemo girls. To be honest I'm not looking for anyone either, but MATTHEW over there is trying to find me a girlfriend.

(pointing to the corner where MATTHEW is talking quietly with ZARA)

It's quiet sad when he himself has problems to persuade ZARA to go on a date with

him.

MEGAN AND MORGAN

Oh, they are so cute.

HARRY

They are?

Long shot of MATTHEW trying to keep SAMMY away from blowing the whistle again. Diegetic sound of them disagreeing followed by the whistling noise meaning MATTHEW was unsuccessful.

ZARA

Go to your next partner.

(demanding)

You too MATT.

Close up of Matthew's shoes walking to a table nearby.

He sits down.

MATTHEW

(leaning forward to pay all the attention to the girl opposite him)

I have heard that woman can only put mascara on if their mouth is open. Is this true?

Diegetic sound of the Spanish language.

Tilt up of a girl reading out loud a Spanish book. Mid shot of her putting the book down and looking at him.

She leans backwards in her chair and sighs.

CARLA (in Spanish)

What are you looking at? idiot! Don't you know how to treat woman properly? You

bastard.

HARRY (voice over)

What is she shouting about? Should I turn away or should I say something in

pretend Spanish?

HARRY'S POV of her swearing. digetic sound is inevitable. camera zooming in to his scared impression.

ZARA

Sorry, HARRY, CARLA is very demanding.

O.S.

JULIA

Hey, yeah, you. Sit down.

Long shot of HARRY looking around confused but complies with her demand and sits at a near table.

JULIA

I'm writing this book. It's going to be next big vampire thing after Vampire Diaries, Twilight and the rest of the crap you find in bookshops. So there this girl and she is human and then she falls in love with a vampire and then there is another vampire

and she doesn't know who she loves and there is fighting...

HARRY (interrupting her)

Are there going to be werewolves, doppelgangers or kitsune involved?

JULIA

(becoming very interested, high pitched)

How did you know?

HARRY

You have the next big thing on your hands. Just add some bondage.

JULIA (continues talking about her book)

You know what that might work.

(she takes out a notebook and starts taking notes)

HARRY

I hope you can excuse me leaving.

JULIA (pulling his shirt as he leaves)

But we're not done here. We have 6 seconds and I want to pick your brain.

Mid shot of her concentrated at work.

Mid shot of him turning his back and in the 1/3 of the composition seeing Zara go outside with a perfect stranger she met while hosting the dates. Close up of him smiling.

LONG SHOT OF MATTHEW GOING BALLISTIC, THROWING CHAIRS AND KICKING TABLES AROUND. He STORMS OUTSIDE.

MATTHEW

(shouts)

I put my heart on the line and she stomps on it. CAMERA TRACKS MATTHEW. TWO SHOT OF HIM FLINGING THE DOOR OPEN AND A RANDOM GIRL GETS HIT WITH THE DOOR. CLOSE UP OF HARRY ROLLING HIS EYES. Harry's POV siting at an empty table. Though HARRY never thought he will find the love of his life here he thought he might have met someone. Extreme close up of the DATE card in his fingers.

He is moulding it. Shaky cam.

GIRL

Hi, is it alright if I sit with you?

(sitting down)

I had a really terrible round of ''dates'' and I need to take a breather if you don't mind. Girl's over the shoulder shot of him nodding in approbation. Two shot of her leaning forward on the table and him leaning back on his chair. Panning shot of all the ''dates'', some good, some BAD and some terribly mismatched. A MONTAGE OF THE GIRLS writing ''MATTHEW'' on their DATE cards with different colour pens to distinguish which one is which. OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF THE GIRL LOOKING AT HARRY FOLLOWED BY OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF HER looking back at him. TWO SHOT OF THE GIRL PLAYING WITH A LOCK OF HAIR and writing on the card. HARRY tries to peak at her writing and does the same. He smiles. They swap cards and get up to leave at the same time. Camera zooms on their date cards where it is revealed that the girl's name is ''Poppy''. Long shot of them exiting the hall.

POPPY

(at the door)

You must be a hell of a thief because you stole my heart.

They both laugh.

THE END

BLUR OUT.