SERENDIPITY
Written By
Tom Houghton
EXT. STREET – MORNING – ESTABLISHING SHOT
BLACK AND WHITE
In BLACK AND WHITE, a male walks into frame from the left hand side of the camera, here we meet the character MICHAEL. The camera tracks towards MICHAEL when he walks on past the camera, when camera starts to track him the picture goes from BLACK AND WHITE to COLOUR. After tracking the camera turns to face the character MICHAEL.
Medium Shot, this is constant throughout.
MICHAEL
Well, I take it you’ve heard the saying “great minds think alike”, it’s always a wee concept I could never seem to get my head around, I mean what are the odds of two people actually...
CUTS TO
MICHELLE
... thinking alike, I mean I just think that it is highly unlikely, but hey, believe what you wana believe, I just think that it seems highly unlikely to think alike let alone...
CUTS TO
MICHAEL
...meet someone who thinks like me or you, one in six billion chance of it ever happening I think. To be fair like, I would say...
SPLIT SCREEN
The next piece of dialogue is spoken simultaneously.
MICHAEL
I’m a fairly unique Guy...
MICHELLE
I’m a fairly unique Girl...
CUTS TO
MICHELLE
But if I was to meet someone who thinks like me, then, in all fairness I’d probably find it a bit weird...
MICHAEL
I’d find it kinda interesting. (Pause) If I was to ever meet this person then he, or she, won’t laugh or judge me if I was to tell them I love...
MICHELLE
... The Transformers. (Excitedly) Oh My God, I love that film, especially when... sorry going slightly off topic here, anyway, oh yeah, even if I were to meet some guy, or girl who thinks exactly as I do, what would I say back to them, “Hi, I think exactly as you do, wanna get a coffee?” Nah, didn’t think so...
MICHAEL
... I think they would know exactly what I’d ask them, or it would be more like one of them times, yano, where people...
MICHAEL and MICHELLE
Talk at the same time
MICHAEL
...and end up sayin’ the same thing, or whenever you bump into someone and then you step aside at the same time and there’s always that sense of bewilderment afterwards. So you can probably tell that’s never happened to me, and at the minute I’m not...
MICHELLE
... in a relationship at the moment, and I suppose like most single people will tell you...
SPLIT SCREEN
Dialogue again spoken simultaneously and both characters looking directly at the camera, use of medium close up
MICHAEL
I’m looking for the right girl...
MICHELLE
I’m looking for the right guy...
Split screen again showing two characters looking across the street to see a couple walking past on the opposite side of the road. MICHELLE continues to talk.
MICHELLE
Now believe me, I have tried looking for a guy, but I’m sure you know its not easy, I mean first you’ve gotta find a guy...
MICHAEL
...Then if you like them you have to buy them a drink and whatnot, get to know them, then after that you have to...
MICHELLE
... Ask him for his number and then do the whole promise to call them nonsense and in all fairness I just think that it’s just... GRR *clenches fists*... and yeah, it’s just a long and awkward process, plus a lot of the time knowing my luck I end up...
MICHAEL
Pullin’ the biggest melt in the place! But that’s a different story for another time (laughs to himself), so yeah, you can see why I would think that meeting someone who thinks alike would be an interesting experience...
MICHELLE
... Actually, thinking about it now, meeting someone who thinks exactly the same as me would be nice, but like I said, it’s a long shot...
MICHAEL
... pft! And they say it’s a small world. Well I suppose that even though it would be interesting. I just don’t think it’ll ever happen I mean like I said...
Dialogue spoken simultaneously and during split screen
MICHAEL
It’s one in six billion
MICHELLE
It’s one in six billion
EXT. OUTSIDE TWO HOUSES – LONG SHOT
Both characters come into frame from either side of the camera, as they both come towards the middle of the picture they bump shoulders and stop to apologise to each other.
MICHAEL and MICHELLE
Sorry!
The two characters go to step away but move the same way at the same time; they both give off a nervous laugh. The camera cuts to a medium shot of both characters, there is a long pause, they both laugh nervously as if they do not know what else to say to each other, both characters having the same nervous disposition, fixing their hair.
The camera shows head shots of the two characters as they both laugh, they then walk on past each other, the camera in a fixed position watching them walk away from each other, they both take a second to glance back at each other at different times and they then walk off screen. Picture then changes from BLACK AND WHITE to COLOUR; the camera tilts upwards, finishes with a voiceover from both characters, said simultaneously.
MICHAEL
(Voiceover)
Wow, she was hot.
MICHELLE
(Voiceover)
Wow, he was hot.
FADES TO BLACK
