Updated script (and ending reveal)

 Scene 1:

INT. OFFICE BUILDING - LOBBY - DAY

The sound of elevator doors opening. TOM steps out, dressed sharply, walking with confidence. He approaches the front desk where ALICE, the receptionist, is on the phone.

RECEPTIONIST (Alice)

(on the phone)

Yes? We have an opening at 2 o’clock for a showing in the Lower East Side of Manhattan...

She notices TOM and smiles warmly.

RECEPTIONIST (Alice)

First day?

TOM

(smiling coolly)

Yes, such a pleasure to meet you, is it, Alice?

RECEPTIONIST (Alice)

Yes, indeed!

She extends her hand to shake, but TOM hesitates, looking down at it. He then decides to avoid it completely.

TOM

I just peed... And I’m not a handshaker after a good pee. You know, hygiene!

He says it confidently, without hesitation. ALICE pauses, trying to process what just happened. After a beat, she just nods, an awkward smile creeping on her face.

ALICE watches him as he walks away, her expression slowly shifting to one of slight confusion and concern.

VOICEOVER (TOM)

(in his head, with a mix of self-affirmation and confusion)

Nailed it.

Scene 2:

INT. OFFICE HALLWAY - DAY

TOM walks through the office, making his way to his desk. A co-worker, GREG, walks toward him. They bump into each other, a little more awkwardly than they should have.

GREG

Oh my apologies, really! Didn’t mean to startle you. (charismaticaly offers his hand) I'm Greg!

TOM

(voiceover)

Yeah, he seems nice, but you can never be too sure...

GREG extends his hand for a handshake. TOM, not wanting to repeat his earlier mistake, slaps GREG’s hand instead, offering a weird, exaggerated smirk.

TOM

(Pats on his back)

GREG looks at him, completely confused, unsure of what just happened. He pauses for a beat before awkwardly laughing.

GREG

(nervously)

Uh... okay... sure. I bet you're still getting accommodated to the office, so anything you need just let me know!

Scene 3:

INT. RECEPTION DESK - DAY

ALICE and GREG stand by the front desk, discussing the strange incident.

GREG

(gasping in shock)

He did the exact same thing to me...

RECEPTIONIST (ALICE)

We need a plan.

GREG

(raising an eyebrow, grinning)

A plan? Or is this just your latest office crush at work, Alice? (teasing)

You’ve got a thing for every guy in this building, don’t you?

ALICE

(laughs nervously, trying to deflect)

What? No! I— (quickly)

It’s not like that. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on with him.

GREG

(mock serious)

Oh, right, of course. It's all about Tom... this week. What happens next week? Are we swooning over Bob from accounting? (grinning mischievously)

You should really get a Frequent Flyer card for your office crushes.

ALICE

(flirtatiously trying to laugh at herself with him but quickly shifting to seriousness)

You're Impossible, Greg... (leans in, lowering her voice like she's about to spill gossip)

I’m just saying, we’ve had new people come in before, and they’ve always shaken hands and fit right in without any issues. But Tom? He’s the first one to refuse a handshake... unlike every other guy who’s ever walked through that door. (pauses, realizing what she said, then suddenly snapping to a more defensive tone)

I mean, uh... NOT that I have a thing for every guy, okay? I just— you know what I mean! Right?

GREG

(smirking, raising an eyebrow)

Oh, I know exactly what you mean, Alice.

ALICE

(awkwardly laughing and trying to cover it up)

Focus, Greg! We need a plan for Tom, okay?

GREG

(smirking, leaning back in his chair)

At this point, it’s a matter of principle, right?

ALICE

(grinning, sounding like she’s gossiping with a friend)

Oh, totally.

ALICE

Dialogue

Alright, Phase One: The “Super Secret Handshake” Setup. (she leans in, whispering conspiratorially)

We make it seem like handshakes are this big, exclusive thing. We gather the whole team, and we act like it’s some mystical office tradition. Like, it’s a rite of passage, you know? We’ll get all dramatic about it, like, “Oh, Tom, you’ve gotta shake hands to really be part of the family.” He won’t be able to resist!

GREG

(with a calculating smirk)

Yeah, because who wouldn’t want to be part of the family? Sounds like a trap. If he’s even a little paranoid, we’ve got him.

ALICE

(giggling like she’s imagining it)

Oh, it’s perfect! He won’t be able to get out of it. It’ll be like, everyone is doing it—like, “Oh, you don’t want to be the odd one out, Tom, do you?” (teasingly)

Trust me, Greg, it’ll work.

GREG

(raising an eyebrow, still calculating)

What if it doesn’t? What if he’s some kind of... rebel who refuses to be sucked into the whole “team handshake” thing?

ALICE

(leaning in closer, all gossip and playful energy)

Oh, I’ve thought of that, honey. That’s when we bring in Phase Two: The Casual Coffee/Pen Move. (she gestures dramatically, as if she’s revealing a top-secret plan)

So, we wait until we’re holding something like coffee, a pen, or—oh, I don’t know—a binder, something totally innocent. Then, when we walk by him, we “accidentally” lean in and offer our hand. Like it’s no big deal. Like we’re just casually handing him a coffee, no pressure at all. (staring off into the distance) He won’t be able to resist the subtle nudge to shake our hand. (looks awkwardly back at Greg)

GREG

(laughing like he’s already won, eyes narrowing)

Nice. So we make it so casual, he feels like a jerk if he doesn’t shake our hands. That’ll get him for sure. He’ll be too embarrassed to not do it.

ALICE

(snapping her fingers, excited)

Exactly! He won’t even see it coming.

GREG

(leaning in, with a dark grin)

And then, when that doesn’t work, we escalate to

ALICE

Phase Three: The “Accidental” Handshake Escalation.

ALICE (CONT'D)

(clapping her hands together, delighted by the idea)

Ooooh, yeah. We start getting sneaky. Like, when we’re handing him something, or maybe in a meeting, we’ll find ways to make it impossible to avoid shaking hands. Like we’re offering him a stapler, or handing over papers... and just accidentally brush his hand. It’ll get to the point where he’s backed into a corner. The only thing he can do is shake our hand!

ALICE

(laughing, now totally immersed in her plan)

It’s foolproof, and tomorrow, it's ON.

INT. OFFICE BUILDING - LOBBY

Shot of the phone ringing at the office, Sherrie (Receptionist) picks it up.

ALICE

Hi, yes how may I help you? (nods to Greg)

GREG

(holding the coffee, nervously smiling)

Tom, I—uh, made you some coffee. Thought you could use it.

TOM

(smiling, appreciative)

Thanks, man! Appreciate it. Just put it on the counter for me, yeah?

GREG

(impulsive, grabbing Tom’s hand without thinking)

Sure, but hey, let's just—uh, let’s do the handshake thing! Everyone’s doing it around here, y'know?

TOM

(startled, pulling back a little)

Oh, uh, I don’t really— (Before Tom can finish, Greg doesn’t let go and, suddenly, there’s a loud click sound as a fake hand pops out of Tom’s socket, it just doesn’t quite belong.)

Filming promo for social media

 Hello blog! So... the last blog that I made kind of did not end up being part of the plan. Although we all originally thought my dad's office would be perfect for the short film, the drive was too far for a lot of the actors. Therefore, we switched the location of the shoot to a more local office, which still looked pretty decent. 
    We used the office space a few days ago to do a read through of the script and film a couple of interviews of the actors for some behind the scenes/videos of the cast.

Getting to know the actors was really important to the short film, and something I didn't expect to be as useful as it was. We got a lot of feedback from the actors that was important to add to the film, or change. For instance, Daniel, the actor for Greg, gave us the advice that we should write lines for each character that only THAT character would say. For example, in The Office, there are certain lines that Micheal say that are such a "Micheal" thing to say. Daniel argued that some of are lines were too interchangeable between characters and generic, so we worked on changing that. 




Actor for Greg



Actress for receptionist


    Here are some of the questions we asked for the interview footage:
-What resemblance do you see between you and your character's personality?
-What are you most excited for the viewers to see/learn from the short film?
-How is filming on an actual set different from what you are used to (theatre)?
-What are some unspoken rules you've always felt are unnecessary?

This week, we're planning on editing this video and uploading a few other promotional posters/photos to the social media, in order to prepare for the release of the short film. Stay tuned!

Group meeting

 Hello blog! We had yet another successful group meeting this last Wednsday, and I wanted to share some of the feedback my group gave me. I really appreciated the commentary that was made, because it pertained to our script.

• Make the lines more realistic 
• Change the reasoning for Tom not wanting to shake people's hands
• Make the ending more subtle

Originally, our plan was to make Tom's fear of shaking people's hands stem from something like social anxiety or just plain sensitivity to physical touch. However, my group and I agreed that this reason wouldn't really have a comedic effect to it, and can actually be a serious topic for some people. Therefore, we changed the reason to something a lot more silly and typical to a comedy movie or show. I don't want to give away this change just yet, but I will be posting the finalized script soon that will have it. Stay tuned...

Location

     Hi blog! I have exciting news:

    We officially secured the perfect location for filming. At first, we were concerned that it would be hard to find an office that is willing to let us take a day to film, since they are typically busy during the week and empty or locked on weekends. I asked my dad to send me pictures from his office, and we all agreed that the subtle yellow colors from the chairs and the cubicles in the office matched our mood board pretty well. 

Mood board of the setting/ Tom character

Pictures of my dad's office

My lovely dad confirmed that he can let us in to film on the weekend of the 29th, so we're planning on getting an early start and filming from 9- undetermined. We will likely meet with the actors to do a read through of the script before we film, so I'll make sure to document how that goes. See you soon!

Social media/ color scheme

 Last class, Zain and I decided to start thinking about how we want our social media to be presented, so we started brainstorming on ideas for the "logo", which would be the profile picture of the Instagram for "Out of hand"

Our initial design looked like this:

And we thought it was great enough, but Martina brought us back to reality and told us to make a few changes that made a significant difference. 

The colors are less abrasive and tacky looking, and the font is spaced out much better now. We took inspiration from the simple, typical sitcom logos, such as from "The office", but decided to include the color scheme of the office location we are shooting at (yellows, blues, red). 

    Following this same color scheme, we also made a mood board for how we want our main character to dress/the vibe we want him to give off. We want our main character to give off that nerdy, kind of odd guy that you see in sitcoms, such as Dwight from The Office or Micheal Cera's characters. 

We haven't finalized the rest of the character's yet, but we're thinking that in order to contrast from Tom, we want them to have more "strict" colors that show their strictness and authority, such as blues or purples. 

Group meeting

 Hi blog! On Wednesday, we had another successful group meeting. This was honestly some of the most useful feedback I've received yet, because most of it pertained to our script. The main conscensus that my group came to is that a lot of the script is "unrealistic". How they explained it is that in order for something to be entertaining, the audience has to feel like the line can be somewhat what a real person would say, even if it's comedic. So, for example, lines such as "we need to get sneakier" can be improved on to something like a shot of them whispering ideas, which would be more realistic. 

We also ended up changing Tom's reason for not being able to shake hands to something else. We agreed that him having a "phobia" that makes him sensitive to touch wouldn't be a funny topic that would match why he refuses to shake people's hands so strongly. However, I don't want to give away the ending just yet, because I believe it really is what makes or breaks the film. Stay tuned...

Tom: Phobia is triggered by just direct physical contact with people gives him anxiety. Sensitive touch receptors that trigger strong emotions in him.

ACT 1 

Scene: Walking into work from elevator, opening the door, establish the character as a confident, cool guy. He walks up to meet the receptionist at the front desk, who is making a call. 

Receptionist: Yes? We have an opening at 2'o clock for a showing in the lower east side of Manhattan. 

She notices Tom and gives him a smile 

Receptionist: First day? 

Tom: Yes, such a pleasure to meet you is it, Alice? 

Receptionist: Yes, indeed!

She extends her hand. He looks down at it, and is reluctant and avoids the hand completely. Back and forth between receptionist and Tom, where he says

Tom: 'I just peed.' (he says it so confidently, that the receptionist is just like ah okay and then turn to her expression being weirded out). To avoid the handshake.

Shot of receptionist watching him sinister

Tom gets in his head about the situation and is very oddly confused, and stressed. (voiceover: nailed it.)

SCENE 2: 

Walking over to his desk, a co-worker is walking in opposite direction and they bump into each other. 

Greg: Oh my apologies, really, I did not mean to startle you, I'm Greg!

Tom: Yeah he seems nice but you can never be so sure...

hand extends in a frame, 

(Instead of handshake maybe he slaps his hand and gives a cringe smirk like just)

Greg: Reaction like what is happening...

Tom: Low five! (instead of high-five)

SCENE 3:

So... what do you think of the new employee?

Receptionist: He seems... normal, but when I offered my hand I tell you the weirdest thing happened. He refused to shake my hand.

Greg: "shock" gasp sound. No... it can't be...

Receptionist: 

Receptionist: We need a plan 

CUT TO ACT 2.

Phase One The "Super Secret Handshake" Setup: We introduce the idea of handshakes in a way that makes it feel exclusive, like it’s a big deal. We’ll gather the team and act like there’s this mystical, office-wide tradition of "Super Secret Handshakes." We’ll make it sound like it’s some rite of passage, even though it’s just a normal handshake. This creates the illusion that handshakes are a must and something he’s missing out on.

GREG: what if that doesn't work...?

Phase Two The Casual Coffee/pen Move: If he’s still avoiding handshakes, it’s time for a more subtle approach. We wait for a moment when we’re holding something like a coffee cup, pen, or binder. Then, when we “accidentally” walk past him, we’ll lean in and offer our hand for the handshake—without even thinking about it, like it's the most natural thing in the world. He’ll feel the subtle pressure to reciprocate, especially when he realizes everyone else is doing it.

Phase Three  The "Accidental" Handshake Escalation: If all else fails, we start getting sneakier. We’ll create situations where it's impossible to avoid shaking hands—like when handing him something across the desk or during a meeting. Slowly, we set him up to the point where the only thing left is to just shake our hand without a second thought.

Slo-motion sequence of greg going into hand shake, Tom in his head 

Cut to introspective feeling and him getting in his head,

Tom

Casting!

 Hi blog! As you guys may or may not know, my group member Martina is a great actress and is part of the Inside out theatre company. Thankfully, this means she has many great connections for our short film that are adults, which makes it more realistic since our film is in an office setting. Although I do not personally know the people she hired, I was told about them and how they fit the different characters we plan to include in our film, such as the awkward protagonist Tom, and how the adults from the theatre company would fit this. 

I'm so happy that we are finally making some progress with this film, and we are planning to finally begin the filming process over spring break. 

Group meeting

Hi blog! Today, we had our first group meeting in class, where all of us who are working in different groups were able to hear each other's ideas and give our own insight to everything. Here is some of the feedback I receieved:

Nadia 

• Comedy Short Film 

• Find what you want to say with what you are making, what you want your purpose to be 

• Nathaniel suggests that the handshake guy is shunned but then everyone starts copying him and it becomes a trend. 

• Find humor in the discomfort 

• Blog could be improved 

As for the social media, I was given the advice to follow sitcom social media pages, for instance The Office. The biggest piece of advice that stuck with me was from Nathaniel, where he told me to not be afraid to "get weird" with the interactions between Tom (the main character) and the people in his office, for example make a really weird gesture instead of a handshake, in order to add to the comedic effect. Overall, this meeting was very insightful and I really appreciate the feedback we were all able to give each other.

Finalized idea

 I have very exciting news, and it is that we finally finalized the idea for our short film. 

The story follows a protagonist by the name of Tom, who has a hatred for the typical, social rule of shaking people's hands at his office. He decides to take a stand against this, and begins to awkwardly wave his hand or do weird gestures when his coworkers attempt to shake his hand. As time goes on, his refusal to shake people's hand becomes a topic of conversation in the office, and people get increasingly uncomfortable with his awkward high fives or quick blurt outs like "Sorry I need to pee". Soon, everyone in the office is treating him weirdly and offering him bizarre gestures, like elbowing him or pointing and winking. Tom gets called into the office by his boss, where he is worried he will finally be confronted for his weird behavior.  

This story follows our initial idea of following an "unspoken rule" in society, and we decided this would be the best way to portray it. Although it seems like a silly idea without much of a message, the overarching theme is breaking the small, unspoken rules of society and the effects it can have. 

Scheduling

Honestly, I feel like my team and I are falling a little behind on this project. One of our team members, Zain, was recently at a competition, and the classes before that I had a fever and was not in class. Because of this, I want to make a detailed schedule for us to start following in order to ensure we have time to produce what we have in mind. 

Tomorrow in class, the goal is to come to a final idea, including the plot, who we want our actress to be, etc. At home, I am then going to begin to create the social media accounts for our film, announcing small teasers and getting the page started. 

Research genre convention (color)

    Since we finally came to the conclusion that we want our short film to center around a teenage female, I decided to also research the conventions that went into the two films I researched for social media in my last blog post, Edge of seventeen and Lady bird. Two themes I noticed within both films is that they explore themes of mental health and self exploration, which I think are two big factors of growing up as a teenage girl that we can relate to. 

    In the film Lady Bird, color is used in order to express the teenage angst the main character experiences. The film begins by showing her bright red hair against her mother's white sheets, which shows her rebelling nature. Color is used continuously throughout the film to stand the main character out from the rest of the cast, even in subtle ways like the blue socks she wears at her religious school. 

Similarly, in the movie "Edge of seventeen", the main character, Nadine, often wears bright colors such as blue or yellow in order to stand her out from the others and show her quirky, rebelling nature. The emphasis of these colors stands the girls out from the rest of the characters in the movie, which is something I think we can incorporate into the main character of our movie.