Here is a little something for tweens...
Gone Fishing!
The sun rises on Magnolia Bay revealing the hidden luxury resort with early morning golfers preparing their carts. The building and grounds are meticulously maintained. A collection of small sailboats and dingys are moored to a pier which extends into the bay. A young girl rides her bike past the dock and around to the servants entrance of the resort.
Carly removes her bike helmet and locks her bike. She is a bright girl who is all about adventure when she gets the chance. Her school grades are moderate, except when computers are involved. And, her fascination with streaming live video has peeked her interest in the kid run Internet television station located in the basement of the resort.
===
KIDS-TV STUDIO is filled with active teenagers scampering around setting lights, moving set pieces and focusing cameras. Steve grabs his clipboard and reviews the sequence of events for the show. He spots a lighting note and turns to Dave.
“Dave! How's that 2-K?”
“All set!”
In the background, through the doorway to the control room, Carly carefully enters the room and closes the door quietly behind her. She hangs back and watches the flurry of activity as the team readys the studio for their production.
“Great!” Shouts Steve, “Go ahead and get the cameras on their marks. I'll check color bars and tone.”
Steve heads to the control room.
===
Stacey’s eyes are fixed on the console, completely oblivious to Carly standing quietly behid her. Steve glances up at a monitor and points out the glare to Stacey.
“There it is, I told you we should have recalibrated the cameras based on the lighting change.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Okay, it’s your show and your call.” Steve grins, “We’re ready to go back on the air live.”
Stacey flips a switch on the console and speaks into the mounted microphone.
“Is make-up ready?”
Jillian’s response comes over the speakers, “Almost!”
“Come on, everyone! Step on it! We're scheduled to go on the air in...”
Stacey glanes up at the clock mounted above the bank of monitors.
“Three minutes!”
Stacey swats the switch to its off position and lets out a strong exasperated sigh.
Carly watches the flurry of activity with bewilderment. She takes a step forward, then reconsiders and steps back.
“Calm down, Stacey,” Steve states with firmness. “We’re just broadcasting on YouTube and we have no idea how many people are actually watching us.”
Keho's head appears through the studio doorway.
“We're ready to get a sound level. Who do I hook up?”
“Where's Jenny Watkins?” Stacey swallows hard. “The General Manager sends me someone new for our first show and she doesn't even show up on time!”
Stacey hits the microphone switch again.
“Jillian! Make-up ready yet?”
“All set.”
Stacey hits the switch off and turns to Steve.
“We'll start with a tight shot on camera one...”
She glances up at the clock.
“...where is she?”
Stacey looks to Steve for reassurance. He gives none. She continues.
“...then cut to two after the opening monologue.”
Stacey hits the switch.
“Dave! Is the teleprompter ready to go?”
Dave’s voice comes back over the speakers.
“Check!”
“WHERE'S JENNY?”
Steve smacks the switch off.
“Stacey, our viewers have all the time in the world. They won't mind waiting a few minutes.”
Stacey scowls at him. Something on the monitor catches her eye. Stacey leans toward the studio and yells.
“Hey! Be careful with that!”
She jumps to her feet and rushes off. Steve watches her leave, then dons a headset, leans back in his chair and puts his feet up on the console. He picks up his clipboard and a pen.
===
Stacey stands in the doorway to the studio ready to bark out corrective commands.
“Jillian!”
Dave flinches from Stacey’s shout and adjusts his headset.
“Camera one is set, Steve.”
Not getting a response, Stacey bellows out, “Are the props ready?”
Jillian’s soft voice is heard from behind the set.
“All set!”
Kid, the male runt of the group of spirited kids, does a headset check with Steve.
“Is my headset on, Steve?”
He listens.
“Roger, Camera two is set.”
===
Steve makes a few modifications on the luminance control for the effects shot. Stacey bolts back into the control room from the studio and sits at the console. She suddenly spins around in her chair once she realizes someone is standing in the back of the room. She lunges toward Carly.
“You must be Jenny.”
“Ah, hello, I’m…”
Stacey grabs her arm and pulls her toward the studio door.
“It's time for you to go on!”
Steve looks perplexed at Stacey, not knowing who this new girl is.
===
Stacey pulls Carly onto the set.
“One minute to air time!”
Camera 2 trucks clockwise into position for an opening shot. Carly tries to get a word in edgewise, but Stacey emotes an over powering strength that Carly succumbs to.
“Your opening lines will be on the teleprompter, then feel free to just ad lib...”
Kid realizes that something is wrong and whispers into his headset.
“Ah, Steve, I’m not sure that she is…”
Carly stands to her feet and is pushed back into the chair by Stacey.
“What are you a ping pong ball? Now get set for your big moment.”
Carly attempts to talk and Stacey covers her mouth and holds her down into the chair.
“Look, the opening shot is in the chair, after that, you can get up and walk around, but not until I get my opening.”
Stacey moves her face within inches of Carly’s.
“Got it?”
Carly relaxes her shoulders and sinks into the chair.
“Good!” Shouts Stacey as she leaves the set.
Kid shakes his head at Stacey’s behavior and gets back to work.
“Do you want me to zoom out for a cover shot?”
Steven is heard responding over the headset.
“Yeah.”
Stacey pauses at the studio door.
“Make-up! She needs powder!”
Jillian rushes over with a powder brush and quickly applies powder to Carly's cheeks, nose and forehead. Stacey walks backward toward the control room, nodding as she goes. She grins broadly at Carly.
“Don't forget to smile!”
Dave shifts camera one into position and racks the focus to test the shallow depth of field for an artistic close-up.
“I'm reseting my focus...”
Stacey looks frantic and runs into the control room looking for Keho.
“Keho!”
Keho jumps to the side as Stacey almost collides into him. He gives her a little bow.
“Where's that microphone!” Stacey shouts.
Keho stands straight with the lavaliere microphone held high in his hand like the statue of liberty and then dangles it in Stacey’s face as he walks past.
Stacey enters the control room.
===
Steve hits a switch on the tape deck and gives commands over the headset.
“Tape's rolling... Give me color bars and tone...”
Stacey sits at the console and goes into her production mode. She switches on the microphone.
“We'll open up on one with a close-up...”
Inside the studio, Keho clips the microphone to Carly's shirt. He exits, talking over his shoulder.
“Say something so I can get a level...”
“But I'm not…”
Jillian rushes over to Carly and plops a pair of knitting needles and a ball of yarn in her lap, then rushes off with her voice trailing.
“You’re on in Ten... nine... eight...”
Carly’s face flushes and she is on the verge of panicking.
“Wait! I'm not…”
Jillians voice echoes through the studio and covers Carly’s words.
“Quiet on the set!”
===
Keho sits at the audio board in the control room next to Steve and Stacey.
“I have audio levels set.”
Steve adjusts his headset to be heard.
“Camera one, I need a wider shot for the opening... camera two, move in for the next shot...”
“Audio channel one open and set,” adds Keho.
“Get ready to bring up music on pod two...,” continues Stacey. “Cue opening music and credits.”
Steve checks the monitor.
“Camera two move in for a tight shot.”
The image on the monitor zooms in to reveal a flabbergasted Carly who looks down at the knitting needles in her lap and mumbles to no one in particular.
“I'm not…”
Stacey’s voice fills the room.
“Three... two... and... take it!”
===
In the studio, the red tally light on Dave’s camera turns on. Carly stares at it as if she were hypnotized. She sinks down into her chair.
===
Stacey’s eyebrow raises as she watches Carly on the monitor slip down out of view.
“Where did she go? “
In the studio, the cameras tilt down revealing Carly sprawled on the floor. Stacey’s voice can be heard coming through the walls.
“We're on the air!”
===
Steve leans toward the monitor and gives a firm command to the camera operators.
“Tilt up to your starting positions.”
Steve watches the monitor as the cameras tilt back up to the chair were Stacey now sits brushing her hair out of her face.
“Ah... Welcome to KIDS-TV. We're... ah... we're having some... technical difficulties. Please stay tuned. We'll return in a moment.”
The screen glitches, then goes to the KIDS-TV logo.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Copyright © 2005 Powers Productions, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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