Analog Love Story

By Proi

Analog Love Story

(I suppose in industry terms, you'd call this a treatment? Synopsis? I am not savvy to the industry terms. In any case, it's not in proper script format.)

It's one of those iconic record stores with packed aisles and stacks and stacks of rare, vintage and new release vinyl. There's posters on the walls, a scruffy ex-hippie or grunger behind the counter – the whole iconic deal.

Mike is a hipster dude with an ironic t-shirt and a military bag slung over his shoulder. He's thumbing through the 'S' section with reverence. He's cycling through iconic albums. flipping them one by one. A few are carefully drawn out and examined. He turns them in his hands, checks the corners of the cardboard for wear. It's clear that he reveres vinyl, especially the classic old albums.

There's a jingle of the bell, and in walks Jessica. She's the hipster's ideal girl. She's dressed in bohemian, stylish clothing with her hair artfully messy. Her messenger bag is covered in buttons with liberal messages. She's got a Buddhist prayer bead bracelet. There's a feather fascinator in her hair.

Mike is awestruck. He watches as she walks across the room and to the end of the aisle where he's currently searching. It's boy meets girl. The two exchange looks as they slowly work their way down the row towards each other.

Both reach for a record – maybe it's a Zeppelin vinyl, maybe it's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins, maybe it's Miles Davis. It's something iconic and well-known – and something Mike has been searching for.

Mike and Jessica have a moment where they lock eyes. Mike, smitten that he is and the gentleman that he is, lets her have the record. Jessica smiles and flutters her lashes, then hands him a card from her purse.

Jessica then goes to the counter to pay for her purchase. Mike is giddy – so giddy that it takes him a moment to look down at the card in his hand:

Jessica's Handcrafts

Featuring Vinyl Bowls and other Upcycled Creations

It slowly starts to dawn on Mike just what she's going to do with his treasured vinyl. Jessica chats with the man at the counter. She pulls one of her creations out of her messenger bag – a melted and warped bowl made out of The Beatles White Album. He suddenly realizes that her earrings are clipped from the cover of Sgt. Pepper. Her bracelet is made of weaved liner notes from Ella Fitzgerald. There's a chunk of jagged red vinyl around her neck that dangles as a pendant.

The happy, fluffy love music he was hearing in his head is suddenly interrupted by the sound of a needle scratching.

Mike watches her. There's a close-up of his eyebrow twitching.

Black.

(I wrote this without thinking there'd be dialogue so that discussions for RE: Vinyl could go over it. But it could be written with dialogue too!)

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