SCENE BREAKDOWN:

Note from the Head Writer: Estimated times are included only on scenes for which an estimate is available.

 

Scene 1, 1-2 Minutes: Gene Smith (30) sits in his bedroom, talking into a camera. He confesses about his curse, which was discovered at age 18. His curse is that once he learns of anything, it will vanish if he forgets it. For lack of a better example, Gene plays an old tape.

 

Scene 2, 30 Seconds: Gene Smith is 13. His parents (George Smith and Lisa Smith) are taping his 13th birthday. They bring in a cake, and begin singing "Happy Birthday." Derrick Gat (13), Gene's best friend, begins talking to Gene. He mentions the cake at some point (the audio is horrible). Gene questions if there was a cake. The camera pans to reveal that the cake is gone, leaving only the candles. The table catches fire.

 

Scene 3, 15 Seconds: On the static following scene 2, Gene (now returned to his 30-year-old state) explains (Voice Over) that the birthday was the least of his problems. Although the curse did not strike again for 8 years, it was disastrous when it struck again.

 

Scene 4, 1 Minute: Gene returns us to the past. He is now 21 years old. It is his first drink.  Present are his parents and Derrick Gat. His father has a cane. Gene drinks some beer. He spins around and bashes his head. His father, who is walking down the stairs, finds that his cane has vanished. He begins to tumble down the stairs.

 

Scene 5: Back in the present, Gene explains (from his room) that the curse was then constant after his 21st birthday. After his 21st birthday, he went to Ping Chen, a "memory expert" guru.

 

Scene 6: Gene shows us a clip of his 21 year old self going to Ping Chen. Chen explains that someone like Gene had died 21 years before, and that (like the Dali Lama), Gene was born at that time, and the curse was passed on to him. Chen helps Gene meditate (relaxation leading to memory), and tells him that he must visit every week.

 

Scene 7: Back in Gene's room, Gene explains that he decided to make tapes. If he taped everything, he would never have to remember it. It is some kind of loophole in the curse: All he needs to remember are the tapes. He still visited Ping Chen, working towards the goal of not having to use the tapes. He has finally reached this goal, and is not going to make anymore tapes, but instead will use Chen's skills to remember all the world on his own. A bell rings, reminding him (lest he forget) that he must go get groceries.

 

Scene 8: Gene enters a city street. Present are several extras and Anna Steinberg (young, beautiful, ageless). Gene bumps into her, and their mutual attraction is obvious. A brief dialog (dripping with obvious chagrin) occurs between them. The dialog lasts only for a few seconds, before he hands her a business card and they both rush away from each other. Gene is in awe. For a brief moment, a color blotch appears.

 

Scene 9, 30 Seconds to One Minute: Gene confesses his undying love for Anna. He becomes almost obsessed with her. A bell rings, informing him of his date. He exits.

 

Scene 10: Gene and Anna are at a restaurant. Present are several extras and various waiters. A waiter goes to serve them. While Anna is ordering, Gene begins to stare at her, admiring her. The waiter slowly fades out of existence. Anna (fairly freaked out) asks Gene what happened to the waiter. Gene remembers the waiter, but it is too late: the waiter is gone. Gene runs and leaves Anna, who feels extremely awkward and insulted.

 

Scene 11: Gene returns to Ping Chen, the Guru. Gene asks Chen not to clear his mind (lest he forget the world), but simply to give him the skills to forget Anna. Chen warns Gene that it could possibly be disastrous, but Gene warns that if he does not forget Anna, his obsession over her will make him forget the world anyway. Chen begins talking to Gene, and the scene ends midway through the session.

 

Scene 12: Gene meets Anna at the restaurant. Anna is confused. Gene (almost reduced to tears at what he is about to do) hugs Anna. She is extremely confused. He leans back and begins meditating. Anna slowly vanishes. Gene wakes up and wonders why he is there. He feels something in his pocket. It is a picture of Anna. He realizes what had happened. And begins to cry. The world around him begins to lose color. Gene sits bolt upright and looks around, horrified. He runs.

 

Scene 13: Gene runs to his apartment/house. He rifles through his stuff. The world is now black and white. Derrick Gat enters, asking Gene what is going on. Gene turns to Gat, who vanishes. Gene screams in agony, figuring that his purposeful forgetting of Anna has created some chain reaction that is going to destroy the world. Gene grabs the camera and his tapes. Everything else is mostly gone. He is now in a white space, empty. Gene walks around this space, brokenhearted. He then has an epiphany: The universe still exists, which means that he can still watch the tapes and possibly recover it. He runs to the camera and begins recording. The shot switches into to the camera's view (like in the first few scenes). He speaks into the camera, saying that he is making a legacy for future generations that will watch his tapes. He says that he is about to watch the tapes and recover the world. He is making the tape to document his glorious recovery of all the human race. He says that all he needs to do is watch the tapes. He then falters, and wonders where he put the tapes.

 

The camera switches to static.

 

fin.

 

By Herbie Gilman for Unproductive Productions