Collecting Sam
Details: Collecting Sam is a short dramatic sample script that looks to explore a key moment of a wider story, mainly through dialogue. The story features Jeff, who has come to collect Samantha a young woman who has run away from home. Jeff must convince Samantha to return with him.
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Approach: When writing this piece, I was focusing on emphasising the conflict and drama inherent in each of the characters, looking at creating moments of tension, and creating characters that sounded distinct and different from each other.
There was also a focus on creating a dramatic reveal at the climax of the scene, and ensuring that moment had significant weight to it.
EXT. THE EXTERNAL WALKWAY COUNCIL ESTATE - AFTER SUNSET
CHARLES walks down the external corridor of a run-down council estate. It’s rough. The type where evicted tenants leave their rubbish and broken furniture on their balconies when they’re kicked out, and the new residents can’t afford the council fees to come to take it to the dump.
LEATHER SOLED SHOES ECHO OFF THE CONCRETE WALLS
Charles is dressed casually for him, but smartly for this place. He is self-conscious. He reaches a door and stops.
CLUB MUSIC PLAYS INSIDE
Charles knocks. SKAZA opens the door with the safety chain still on and peers out.
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SKAZA
Fuck off
Charles steps back, taken aback by the ‘greeting’.
CHARLES
Is Samantha there please?
SKAZA
What?
CHARLES
(shouting to be heard)
Is. Samantha. There. Please?
SKAZA
Who the fuck is Samantha?
He narrows his eyes and peers at Charles.
SKAZA (cont’d)
And who the fuck are you
old man?
CHARLES
Could you tell Samantha
Spencer her father is
outside waiting to take
her home.
Skaza grunts, then turns back and shouts into the flat.
SKAZA
(shouting back into the house)
There’s some old geezer
here, asking about Sammy.
VAL’s voice, gravely for a woman, a heavy smokers voice, comes from inside the flat.
VAL (O.S.)
He a pig?
SKAZA
You a pig?
CHARLES
Excuse me?
SKAZA
A pig? A cop you fuck
head.
Skaza turns back into the house.
SKAZA
Nahhh. Don’t look like a pig.
VAL (O.S.)
Tell him to fuck off then.
SKAZA
Fuck off.
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CONTINUED
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