Open Call: Pitch Reels

The Pitch:

Late one rainy night Dr. Avery Manning gets a knock at his door. Who is it? -the Election of course. It turns out the Election is not feeling well this campaign season and has sought out the doctor to discuss his ailments, discover a remedy and partake of that old late night comfort-a glass of warm milk.

Over the course of their conversation they discuss such issues as: how Election is different from his counterparts in other countries, why he has serious problems with identification fraud, why voter turnout gives him migraines, and how he gets involved in a pickup game of baseball every Sunday with freedom of speech, due process and the rule of law.

The story will conclude the following morning as Dr. Manning makes his way to work. Everywhere he looks he sees Election engaged in a dialogue with people; pedestrians, taxi drivers, dog walkers, construction workers, etc…A realization comes over the doctor-in that the election is of/by/for us, it can only be as effective as we choose to make it.

The objective of my short is to make the idea of election “new”. By “new” I mean altering the standard perspectives taken towards the process by which we choose our leaders. In personifying election I allow the idea to become human and therefore articulate it’s own strengths, weaknesses and eccentricities. I hope to explore the notion that election is an artificial human device, and in that it derives from culture, its well being is directly tied to/affected by the contemporary state of that culture. I hope to engage the audience in the process of diagnosis; what is the “sickness”, what might “remedy” it and what is the correct movement towards “remedy”...all with a little humor of course.

The overall mood of the short will be forthright. I wish to root the surreal/fantastic qualities of the story in an earnest tone (slight absurdity) permitting the material to remain accessible and relevant. Black and white photography, simple framing, crisp editing and subtle performances will all contribute to achieving this.

If election could speak what would it say? How would its words change us?