Shoot a Scene for Your Reel
The Package
For just $100*, every QuickNickel client receives the following:
- Your complete, edited scene on one DVD (includes basic color correction, but not scoring; a score may be added by the actors or other third party)
- A QuickTime version of your scene for your Web site
- A QuickTime version of your scene for YouTube/Facebook
Requirements
- Scenes must be one to one-and-a-half standard script pages in length
- Script must be submitted in advance of filming for review and sign-off
- Scenes are limited to two actors only
*Q: A hundred bucks!? That's cheap! What's the catch?
A: The catch is that I'm still learning.
Mic'ing, lighting, aiming a camera at, and directing actors is easy. Mic'ing, lighting, aiming a camera at, and directing actors effectively (to say nothing of artistically)...
that's the tricky part.
So in exchange for a redonkulously low price, you get someone who is good, but admits he still has much to learn.
| Sample Scenes | |||
 Smoke Screen |
 Bad Milk | ||
 A Nice Bearnaise |
 St. Peter | ||
 I Am the Power |
 Anniversary | ||
 Deacon Nancy |
 Nobody Takes | ||
 Fear of Perishables |
 Kiss Me | ||
 What I Do Best |
|||
Sample Scripts
- NOTES:
- The scenes below are free to everyone. Nothing is copyrighted or registered so film away as is, or adapt and re-write to your heart's content.
- Most roles are non sex-specific; so "male" characters can be played by females, and vice versa.
- Ages are recommendations only. If you like the scene, but you aren't the "right" age, shoot it anyway.
- If you are interested in my writing a scene for you, I'm happy to do it, gratis. However, it must be made available on my site for anyone else to use.
- Obviously, I'd love it if you hired me to shoot a scene, but film away with your own crew if you'd rather.
NOTE FOR OTHER VIDEOGRAPHERS: Feel free to pass these scripts on to any prospective clients, but please do not remove the title page, or otherwise alter the attribution of the work.
Oh, and if you're going to base a movie on anything written here, at least credit me with the "Story By". Karma, and all that.
Click on the link to download the PDF file.
| Title | Actors (ages) | Synopsis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Under 15 seconds (Taglines, Interstitials, etc.) | |||
| 50 Grand | 1 man (20s-50s) or 1 woman (20s-50s) |
Drama/Comedy Phone conversation where the other person is never heard. |
1) Would work well as a dynamic opening for a reel |
| Best Medicine | 1 or 2 men (20s-50s) and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-50s) |
Comedy One man's opinion on alternative medicine. |
1) Best if shot in a doctor's waiting room, but can be shot pretty much anywhere |
| Movie Critic | 1 man (20s-60s) or 1 woman (20s-60s) |
Comedy Everyone's a critic. |
1) Easily shot as a (one-sided) phone conversation |
| Narnia | 1 man (20s-60s) or 1 woman (20s-60s) |
Comedy A quick comment on sexual compatibility. |
1) Easily shot as a (one-sided) phone conversation |
| Title | Actors (ages) | Synopsis | Notes |
Comedy | |||
| Armed and Dangerous | 1 man (20s-40s) and 1 woman (20s-40s) |
A husband returns home early, and gets a surprise greeting from his wife. | 1) Fast, sitcom-style pacing |
| Bad Milk | 2 women (early-late 20s) | A friend offers a new perspective on taking back a cheater. | 1) Fast, sitcom-style pacing |
| Bank Shot | 2 men (20s-30s) | A man offers some advice on avoiding an awkward situation. | 1) Can be shot indoors or out |
| Best of Both Worlds | 2 men (20s-30s) | Two Star Trek nerds contemplate a new, improved Wesley Crusher. | 1) Can substitute prop light sabers, umbrellas, etc. for cardboard tubes 2) Alternate ending utilizes a third (mostly silent) actor 3) Will need a scene from Star Trek:TNG featuring Wil Wheaton's character to play on TV |
| Blank DVD | 2 women (early-late 20s) | A sister discovers some disturbing informationn about her younger brother. | 1) Fast, sitcom-style pacing |
| China Grove Forever! | 2 men (40s-50s) | Two men discuss the (generational) culture gap. | 1) Can be shot indoors or out |
| Crime and Punishment | 1 man (30s-40s) and 1 woman (30s-40s) |
Two people compare sins. | 1) Can be shot indoors or out |
| Fork to a Gunfight | 2 men (20s-30s) | Two gamers argue over tactics... and fashion... and time travel. | 1) The scene can be cut at "Renaissance Faire" for time |
| I Am the Power | 1 man (20s) and 1 woman (30s) |
An African-American woman instructs a would-be clothing designer. | 1) You'll need an ugly dashiki (the uglier the better) |
| Kiss me | 1 man (early 20s) and 1 woman (early 20s) |
A woman asks a favor of her friend. | 1) Fast, sitcom-style pacing |
| Listen To Me | 1 or 2 men (20s-40s) and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-40s) |
A man discovers some hidden strings to his wish. | 1) Remember to record off-camera laughter during the shoot. Don't try and loop it. |
| Low co-pays | 1 or 2 men (20s-40s) and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-40s) |
A police offer considers a career change. | 1) Will need two prop guns 2) Your editor will need to mix sound for off-camera voice |
| Man of Metaphoric Steel | 1 man (20s-40s) and 1 woman (20s-40s) |
A nerd's nerd sheds some light on a long-standing confusion. | 1) Can be shot indoors or out |
| Narrowing the Field | 1 man (20s-40s) and 1 women (30s-60s) |
1-2/3 pages A man seeks his true love. |
1) Will need a reception space that looks like it serves a large-ish building |
| Nitroglycerin | 1 man (20s-30s) and 1 woman (20s-30s) |
A woman fends off the laboratory Romeo. | 1) Will need a "CSI-style" lab for this scene 2) Good scene for an attractive woman to show that she can handle both sexual innuendo and CSI-style jargon |
| Obscenely Talented | 1 man (20s-30s) and 1 woman (30s-40s) |
A woman regrets the changes to come in her life. | 1) You'll need two large-ish (300+ pages) manuscripts |
| One Brain Too Many | 1 man (20s-40s) and 1 woman (20s-40s) |
A woman comes home to find her husband has fallen off the wagon. | 1) Man will be in zombie make-up, and has no lines 2) Should have fake brains, and a body for set decoration 3) Best if shot in a bedroom 4) Fast, sitcom-style pacing |
| Perfect Pitch | 2 men (20s-40s) and/or 2 women (20s-40s) |
A friendly wager between two sporting people. | 1) The hipster can be filmed separately, and guerilla. |
| Practice Surprise | 2 men (20s-30s) | A man helps his friend prepare to hear the best news of his life for the second time. | 1) Can be shot pretty much anywhere |
| Present Face | 1 or 2 men (20s-40s) and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-40s) |
You shouldn't have! No, really. You shouldn't have. | 1) The sweater doesn't have to be ugly, but it'll probably help |
| Roadside Attractions | 1 man (20s-40s) and 1 woman (20s-40s) |
Two people take a getting-to-know-you walk. | 1) Romantic-comedy |
| Solitary Love | 1 man (20s-40s) and 1 woman (20s-40s) |
Admitting your problem is half the battle. | 1) Will need a large table or chair as a set piece |
| Waved Off | 2 men (20s-50s) or 1 man and 1 woman (20s-50s) |
A would-be superhero throws in the towel. | 1) Should be shot in a bar 2) Hero will need some sort of ridiculous costume 3) Long for a demo scene, but can be very good for a "quirky" actor |
| What Life May Throw | 1-2 men (20s-30s) and/or 1-2 women (20s-30s) |
Friends discuss being prepared. | 1) Short, fun scene that can be shot very simply and quickly |
| Title | Actors (ages) | Synopsis | Notes |
Drama | |||
| A Nice Bearnaise | 1 or 2 men (late 20s-60s)
and/or 1 woman (30s) |
A man tries to warn his boss. | 1) Best if the office looks like a bureaucrat's or a psychologist's |
| Always Was a Fighter | 1 or 2 men (20s-60s)
and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-60s) |
A man says goodbye to his wife. | 1) Best if shot in a hospital room, or bedroom with some medical equipment |
| Birthday Party | 1 or 2 men (40s-60s)
and/or 1 or 2 women (40s-60s) |
A mother celebrates her daughter's a birthday | 1) Need a hospital room 2) Can be easily adapted for a man |
| Capitalization | 1 man (20s-40s)
and/or 1 woman (20s-40s) |
Two people argue about grammar and standards. | 1) Written with male and female characters, but can be either sex |
| St. Peter | 2 men (20s-40s) | A brief discussion between a victim and his killer (excerpted from the short film, "Consideration"). | 1) Good for someone needing a "stoic killer" scene |
| Consideration 02 | 2 men (20s-40s) | A brief discussion between a victim and his killer (excerpted from the short film, "Consideration"). | 1) Good for someone needing a "desperate pleading" scene |
| Fashion tips | 3 men (20s-60s) and 1 woman (20s-60s) |
A woman squares off against three men in a legal showdown. | 1) Good scene for showing off legal jargon skills 2) Should be shot in a conference room |
| Grandfather Paradox | 1 or 2 men (20s-60s)
and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-60s) |
An FBI agent confronts a man who may be from the future. | 1) Will need a prop gun 2) Agent can be changed to a soldier if you have an officer's uniform |
| Guardian | 1 man (30s-40s)
and 1 woman (20s-40s) |
A detective tries to get a description of a vigilante. | 1) Make-up to make the woman look like she's recovering from a beating is optional |
| Hunch | 2 men (20s-60s) | A cop is captured by a crime boss, or is he? | 1) Will need a prop gun 2) Best if shot in a large living room |
| In the Details | 1 man (20s-30s), 1 man (40s-60s)
and 1 woman (20s-30s) |
A man discovers the hidden cost of making deals with The Devil. | 1) Will need a woman (or a man; characters can be either sex) to play the corpse |
| It's About Pain | 1 man (40s-50s) and 1 woman (20s-30s) |
A businessman is threatened by a former co-worker. | 1) The nicer the office the better, or at least the nicer the living room |
| Jurisdiction | 3 men (20s-60s) | A detective and an intelligence agent try to get information from a bomb maker. | 1) Will need an interrogation room |
| Last Laugh | 1 or 2 men (20s-60s)
and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-60s) |
A man explains what happened in the last moments of his wife's life. | 1) Will need a hospital room 2) Good scene for someone who speaks a foreign language 3) If speaking something other than Spanish, change Orderly's last line to read: "I'm sorry, sir, I don't know what language you're speaking." |
| Monstrous Stranger | 1 man(20s-50s) and/or 1 woman (20s-50s) |
A man talks to a psychiatrist. | 1) Psychiatrist can be entirely off-camera |
| Nobody Takes | 2 men (20s-50s) | A man plans to get back, and get even. | 1) Can be quickly filmed in nearly any location 2) Good for someone needing a "bad guy" scene |
| Not Just Statistics | 1 man (late 20s-50s) and 1 woman (late 20s-50s) |
A lab tech confronts the boss. | 1) Will need a "CSI-style" lab for this scene 2) Written with male and female characters, but can be either sex |
| One Word | 2 men (late 20s-50s) | A man asks a favor. | 1) Can be shot pretty much anywhere |
| Orange Juice | 1 man (late 20s-40s) and 1 woman (late 20s-40s) |
A woman reflects on the last thing she'll remember. | |
| Part A | 2 women (late 20s-50s) | A woman explains how things fit together. | 1) Can be shot pretty much anywhere |
| Scissors Cut Paper | 1 or 2 men (20s-60s)
and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-60s) |
A doctor tries to enlist help for his patient. | 1) Charcters can be played by either sex |
| Risk Assessment | 1 or 2 men (20s-60s)
and/or 1 or 2 women (20s-60s) |
A woman explains her agoraphobia. | 1) Charcters can be played by either sex |
| Shepherd the Young | 1 men (late 30s-50s) and/or 1 or 2 women (late 30s-50s) |
A detective interviews a nurse. | 1) Best if shot in anything that can pass for an interrogation room |
| Smoke Screen | 1 men (late 20s-50s) and/or 1 woman (late 20s-50s) |
A wife discovers her husband's secret. | 1) Be very careful if you opt to strike the actor playing the husband |
| Tensor Mysteries | 1 or 2 men (late 20s-50s) and/or 1 or 2 women (late 20s-50s) |
A man (or woman) discovers a new ability. | 1) Written as taking place in an office, but can be shot in a variety of locations 2) Written with two male characters, but can be either or both sex(es) |
| Traditions | 1 man (late 20s-40s) and 1 woman (late 20s-40s) |
A husband surprises his new wife. | 1) Don't play whichever song is selected during filming 2) Best if actors really know how to dance a box waltz |
| Tourist | 1 man (30s-40s) and 1 woman (30s-40s) |
A man contemplates life as a foreigner in his native country. | 1) For actors who are non-native English speakers |
| Widower | 1 man (20s-30s) and 1 woman (20s-30s) |
A man remembers his dead wife. | 1) Heavy scene requiring a wide range of emotions in a short span of time 2) Must be careful not to drag out the scene 3) Scene can be started at "I sorta hate to do this..." if running long |