Friday, August 8, 2008

Settings: Part 1



Everywhere I turn in South Pasadena, I see a great setting for a movie. No wonder the film industry loves this town. There are so many picturesque spots.

Here we have Husco German Auto Service on Mission. I’m sure it’s a fine place to have the oil changed in your Audi. But it looks like a backdrop for something -- expecially in black and white. So here’s a challenge: what do you think happens in this scene?

8 comments:

Becky said...

Yes, I did find something to wear. The ONE SHIRT that didn't expose all my rolls and bulges was hiding in the back corner of my dresser. Once it was discovered, I was dressed and downstairs in 5 minutes.

Anyways, thanks for asking. :o)

This scene lends itself, to me, to a group of young men from the 50s (hair slicked back, white t-shirt sleeves rolled up, jeans rolled up once at the bottom) standing around the booth while one man makes a phone call. They're confident, but the one on the phone is obviously getting his confidence from the group of followers around him. He's calling a girl, maybe. Or talking to the leader of their rival gang.

Something like that...

Pasadena Adjacent said...

The following events are based on a true story.
Young college student, AAA member, crappy car, 1968 Beige VW bug referred to as the Baked Potato. Frequent mechanical problems, some real, some imagined. Hundreds of dollars in Hugp's exploitive hands. Fast forward to the future, middle aged driver, nice Japanese truck, passes by Hugo's often but never stops. Likes it that way.

Maureen said...

A lady in a pretty flouncy dress is calling home to see if her boyfriend can pick her up because her old BMW2002 is broken down AGAIN. No answer. So, the cute, young mechanic says "No sweat, I can drop you off." And off they go in his pickup.

Laurie Allee said...

Becky, yes! Kinda like West Side Story, right? I can see it, I can see it...

And Palm -- wow. You had the info to make it an expose. Interesting...

Maureen, I see your woman in the flouncy dress played by Natalie Portman and the young mechanic played by Gael Garcia Bernal. What do you think?

I saw this scene and imagined something out of a film noir... somebody with a briefcase and perhaps a bandage...

Thanks for playing, folks!

USelaine said...

I'm late! This is just part of a longer riff bouncing around:

THE P FILES: PILOT - Scene 12 - Day - Autoshop exterior

[Wardrobe - garden party dress, clutch bag, fascinator]
[Props - iPhone, reading glasses]
[Continuity - no shoes or jewelry]

Tryphena backs into view from behind the building, still reacting to the mechanic. T changes focus and walks up to lean with left shoulder on the wall in right of frame, pulls out and puts on reading glasses from her clutch, and then gets her iPhone. She taps it to make a call.

TRYPHENA: (disappointed) Solange! It’s me! Call me back!

Tryphena looks at her iPhone, still furtively vain about wearing her glasses, and taps to her blog comments.

[Special Effects - standard BLOG SCROLLING visual overlay on screen.]

VO - BOOPGRL: I luuuuv that barber shop. I think my grandfather... (reading continues, dropped volume)

Wil Wheaton walks up to the phone booth from left of frame. (Sight gag from previous discussion) He checks the handset, and realizes it’s dead. He looks over at Tryphena, double takes on her fascinator, then decides not to get her attention after all, and exits to the left. Then, somewhat cheered by her blog, she rolls her back flat to the wall and puts away her glasses and iPhone. She looks about impishly, waiting.

FADE

Laurie Allee said...

Elaine, I think we might have been separated at birth. :-)

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

Hey, I bought the bug I have now from Paul. He's my guy every 30k.

Petrea Burchard said...

Hey, I'm late! I don't know what a fascinator is, but I'm putting my money on USElaine.