"Fire Escape"

After a fire drill at my school a few months back, a friend came up with this situation; I turned it into what could be a commercial for something. (For example: something the kids are all running to get to. It will make more sense after you read it.) Once again, in script format.

FADE IN:

INT: A classroom in a high school. Kids are sitting doing work quietly. They look bored.
All of a sudden the FIRE ALARM goes off, and the students jolt up in an alert position.

TEACHER
Okay kids, fire drill.

The kids slowly file out of the class, taking their jackets and bags with them.

INT: The first floor hallway. A long open hall with a door at the end we can see. There is another door about halfway between where we are and the end door. The hall begins to fill with more students who walk relaxed and care-free toward the nearest exit. We still hear the FIRE ALARM, and now hear students TALKING.

We cut to a close up on the kids walking into the stairwell that also leads outside. One kid looks behind him cautiously to make sure no teachers can see him. He then bolts down toward the door at the end of the hallway. Two others follow.

INT: The stairwell. We cut to see a river of kids flowing through the stairwell hallway, more coming from upstairs.

EXT: The front of the school. We cut again to the students walking out of the school. We pan across following a group of students who walk down to the curb and onto the road. While we pan across with the group, two students bolt across the grass and down the hill at the end of the school yard. The same direction as the other kids that escaped inside the school ran.

More students follow the two that ran as we move upward, revealing what has now evolved into a sea of students as the last few make their way out of the school.

CROSS FADE:

INT: Back in the classroom. We are facing the teacher who looks side to side. A depressed angry look appears on her face as we cut to her view, revealing an empty class.

TEACHER:
(Annoyed moan)

At this point we can cut to the kids that escaped enjoying some product somewhere, if this is to be in commercial format. If it is just a short film, it ends here.
FADE OUT:

Formula Who?: The F1 Situation

If your a follower of the popular motorsport series Formula One, you'd probably know by now that the sport is dieing. Fast. The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) has revealed a plan to break off from the current series, Formula One, and form their own. Whether or not this will happen is still unclear, as are details of this new series. The FOTA has, however, stressed that the change will be smooth and the new series geared for fans of F1.

While we'd all prefer Formula One to regain some stable state after the shake up season that is currently in progress, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA, who are essentially Formula One management) disagree and are planning on even more changes for next season. They plan to put a budget cap on teams starting in 2010, along with several other changes to make the sport more 'cost effective.' The FOTA, on the other hand, are unhappy with the proposed changes and want things to return to a steady state, as do most of the fans. In an attempt to reason with the FIA, they proposed a discussion of changes to the ideas for next season. To this, the FIA agreed; but only if the FOTA teams agree to enter next season unconditionally. This, in turn, spwaned the breakoff league proposal which seems to have been in the works for a while now.

As it stands now, if the split were to actually happen, the eight FOTA teams and sixteen drivers (assuming they stuck with two drivers each) would enter into the new breakoff league, and Formula One, if it were to continue, would have the two current non-FOTA teams and the three confirmed newcomers for next season. At two drivers a piece, there would be another ten drivers in what would still be Formula One.

However, at this point it is still unclear if the breakaway league will succeed, as the FIA has taken legal action against those teams involved. As well, more teams and drivers could enter either leagues, and the 'governing structure' of the new league is still unknown, but expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

So, maybe we'll wake up on Sunday intime for the British Grand Prix and find that all this has 'blown over' and Formula One is back to usual. Or maybe not.

Misc. Photos

A few photos I have taken recently, in no particular order. Click to enlarge and view the rest.

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More Summatives and Exams

If you've been following my life, or at least my blog, you'd know that I've been swamped with summatives (essays, presentations, etc.) for about the last month. Well, finally it's almost all over. Just two short presentations in the coming week, then it's time to study for exams. Only four exams this year, fortunately, Data Management and Classic Civilizations the first week, and West and the World History and Economics in the second week. Ample time to study.

In addition to the summatives for all my classes, I've written a screenplay for my Writer's Craft class. Feel free to read it, and leave feedback if you wish. Note that it is rather long, as it is meant to be a half hour TV show (or possibly stretched into a movie?).

And how could I not mention that I've received a Conditional Offer of Admission from Ryerson University's Information Technology Program. (Conditional meaning my marks must stay above the level they are currently.)

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Summatives, Exams and Books

The month of May (and early June) is always a hectic time for anyone in high school, due to the vast amounts of summative projects and upcoming exams. For me, it means writing essay after essay, and doing presentation after presentation. Making it all slightly easier this year is the introduction of "Turnitin.com" which lets one upload their project (where it will be scanned for plagiarism) and allow the teacher/professor to mark it online. In addition to saving paper, lowers the stress level of having something due the next day (you can hand it in at anytime).

In the next four weeks, I have at least ten or so projects/presentations due, only a handful through Turnitin.com. And then there's the exams. Four if I'm not mistaken.

I recently got several books in the mail. The first one I'm reading is The Late Late Shows' Craig Ferguison's book: "Between the Bridge and River." The other two, by David Sedaris: (I previously read "When You are Engulfed in Flames"), "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" also arrived. According to the reviews they should prove to be funny and a damn good read. When I'll have time for all this reading is yet to make itself obvious.