spec scripts/ commercial/ job interviews

Apr. 21 Spec script: I have mentioned this before, about how I would write about a girl who's in a religion that doesn't allow her to talk to boys for CSI: NY. I didn't write much, but it's a homicide and a male student murdered the teacher in the parking lot.

This is what I will add to it: What if Erin was the one who killed Miss Johnston. Then with lots of investigating, Mac Taylor confronts Erin with the evidence that she did commit the crime.

Cut to the interrogation room.
MT: It turns out, there is no girl who's in a religion that doesn't allow her to talk to boys. She doesn't exist.
Erin: That's what Miss. Johnston said when I talked to her in the parking lot. I thought she just said that so I wouldn't go looking for her.
MT: Well she was telling the truth. You killed her over someone who isn't even real.

I've seen a CSI: NY ep where a guy kills his boss for no good reason like the above. In the ep, this Man sees these papers of his co-worker's. It looks like Co-worker is taking classes to get a better position in the company, and the Boss is paying for it. Man confronts Co-worker, and Co-worker says it's nothing.

Man takes the papers and shows it to Boss: "Why are you promoting him?" Boss doesn't know what he's talking about. Man kills Boss in a jealous rage. Then it turns out the papers were fake. The Co-worker got it from this company that makes fake alibis for people. The Co-worker used it so he could have an alibi of where he was so that his wife won't suspect that he was cheating on her. The Man killed his Boss for nothing over some fictional papers.

The Mentalist: This is my spec script for the show. Miss. Johnston dies. Then the mentalist Patrick Jane starts talking to the students. The kids tell him about how there was a girl in the school and she's in a religion that doesn't allow her to talk to boys. The CBI team go through Miss. Johnston's office.

Patrick then sets up his mentalist trap at the end of the ep. Most of the times, his traps are held in a public place in a room full of suspects. Patrick is in the classroom.

P: Well we found the girl who's in a religion that doesn't allow her to talk to boys. She was very cooperative in generating leads for the case. She's very nice if you ever met her.

Cut to later where Erin corners Patrick alone.
Erin: So what's she like?
P: She's cool.
E: Are you going to talk to her again real soon?
P: Yeah, later today.
E: Can I meet her?
P: No, because then you're going to tell everybody who it is.
E: I won't tell anyone.

P: Yes, you will. You're the type who always wants her way. When Miss. Johnston didn't tell you what grade she was in, you killed her.
E: No, I didn't.
P: Yes, you did. When the news broke out that Miss. Johnston died, everybody looked sad. You were the only one who looked angry. And not just angry that somebody killed her, but angry that she didn't tell you who the girl was.

P has these great observational skills in helping solve cases if you watch the show.

Apr. 22 Asian actors: There are a lot more Asians on TV now a days, than say 10 yrs ago. I'll list them. One night a couple of weeks ago I noticed this:

The Vampire Diaires: Kelly Hu is a reoccurring character.
The Mentalist: Tim Kang is a regular.
FlashForward: John Cho is a regular.
CSI: Archie Kao is a supporting actor.
Melrose Place: Stephanie Jacobson is a regular. Her mom is Portuguese, and her dad is Chinese-Norwegian- English.
Criminal Minds: An Asian actor makes an appearance as a cop. I remember him on an ep of Lie to Me.

Writing: I've been reading a book I checked out from the library called Write from Life by Meg Files. I have writer's block. I'm not putting obstacles in front of myself, because I haven't been writing much. I've been looking for a job, and I have a couple of interviews set up. Those spec scripts I wrote above are my writing exercises. lol.

Comparison: By reading the book, it did make me look at scripts that I haven't worked on in a long time. I also checked out a little on other twop.com threads. Here's a comparison:

Good guys have to take down a corporation: Max takes down Manticore on Dark Angel. Angel goes against the law firm Wolfram and Hart on Angel. On Heroes, the good guys battled Primatech.

Write sexy: I was thinking about CSI and how they always write some sexy situation. CSI is held in Las Vegas so you can have that. An ep I saw a couple of weeks was held at lingerie party. Then you look at CSI: NY, and there are sexy parties too such as eating food off each other, and a place where you pet each other. Then you look at The Mentalist. It's a well- written crime drama, but there aren't really any sexy parties except one in the first season. It's all on CBS.

Commercial: You know what commercial I really like? The first time I saw it, it was like cut to a girl and a guy in the backseat of a car. I thought it was selling condoms, but then the guy pulls out Dentyne Ice gum. I really like the first guy in the commercial. He's cute.

Then I went on Youtube, and everybody was gushing about how hot the second guy who's buying gum at the drug store. He's good looking and all. It seems people have identified the girl at the beginning, and the woman cashier, and the third guy in it as the guy from the movie Sky High. But who is the first guy's name? I'll have to ask on Youtube.

Apr. 23 Job interviews: I did one interview in the morning. When I got there, I learned it was a door-to-door sales position. On the website it said: "Entry level Outside Field Reps and Customer Relations Reps." Prior to it, I asked my dad about it while showing the company website pages.

Dad: If it's door-to-door, don't do it.
When working at a restaurant or a store, people come in because they're interested. When you go to their home, they're not always interested. It's kind of coincidental because I got home and watched a MADtv sketch about a job interview.

Then I went on Yahoo and read an article about things you should say in an interview:

1. I am familiar with what your company does.
2. I am flexible.
3. I am energetic and have a positive attitude.
4. I have a great deal with experience.
5. I am a team player.
6. I am seeking to become an expert in my field.
7. I am highly motivated.

I then did a call centre #4 interview, and I got the job. I did an interview there back in 2007, but the place was farther away (had to take 2 buses). It has now relocated so it's closer. Back then I decided to take the call centre #3 I work in now because it was closer and paid a little higher. I did one day of training, and then they said they decided to not hire me.

I then called call centre #4 back, but they said they hired someone else. That lead me to a string of jobs that summer. This will be 15hrs a week. I set up another interview at a store next week and it will also be 15hrs. I hope I get more EI benefits.

Job tip: Call centres don't have good job security. The first one I worked at laid me off when it closed down. Another one closed down two years after I worked there. The third one I'm on now laid me off due to shortage of work.

I keep working on phones because I like it, and they do pay a couple bucks higher than min. wage. There's that call centre Convergy's that I applied back in 2006, but they didn't hire me. It doesn't matter because that closed down too. There's evidence that 4 call centres closed down.

Call centre 1 (2005/2006): Min. wage that yr: $7/hr. Starting wage: $8.50/hr.
Call centre 2 (2006): Min. wage $7/hr. Starting wage $9.50/hr.
Call centre 3 (2007): Min. wage $8/hr. Starting wage $10.59/hr.
Call centre 3 (2009) Min. wage $8.80/hr. Starting wage $12/hr.
Call centre 4 (2010): Min. wage $8.80/hr. Starting wage $11/hr.