PERFORMANCE TASK IN CREATIVE WRITING

(SCRIPT WRITING) REVISED

This melodrama-style short film is titled “DETENTION”. This film may contain sensitive
topics which are purely unintentional. Viewers’ discretion is advised.

Characters:

 PROTAGONIST: Andrea Ersando as Avery – The new girl

 ANTAGONIST: Cyrus Perello as Teacher – The eye sore
 ROUND CHARACTER: Jhun Mar Costelo as Patrick – The jock
 STATIC CHARACTER: Stefanie Gutierrez as Diana – The popular girl
 STATIC CHARACTER: Samantha Mojica as Laura – The nerd
 ROUND CHARACTER: Jhim Hendrix Rodil as Brandon – The metalhead
 STATIC CHARACTER: Cyrus Perello as George – The wacko

PLOT:

1. Exposition – It was a normal day, a day like any other, group of students who knows each
other for a long time were sent to detention. They are always in detention. It became a safe place
for them to be their true selves. One day a new student arrived, the other students were curious
and began to introduce themselves, after a while, they started to get along with her.

2. Rising Action – They are always sent to detention to the point they were fed up with it. Even
if they felt solace in this place, the discrimination and biased opinion of the teacher was eating
them up so they decided to come up with a plan.

3. Climax – After coming up with a plan, these students began to execute it and they’ve
succeeded, or so they thought. The students were caught. They went back inside the detention
and began blaming each other like there’s no tomorrow.
4. Falling Action – After a while the argument calmed down, thanks to Avery. Feeling guilty,
Diana decided to talk to Patrick because of all the things she had said towards him, criticizing his
whole being.

5. Denouement – After realizing what they all have done, the group laughed at how crazy that
day is and thought to themselves that detention wasn’t really that bad at all and in the end, the all
went home happily.

THEME: Finding a wall—something you can rely on—even in your worst situations is the
premise of this story. Because communication is the foundation of a deeper and more meaningful
relationship, you can always form and sustain dependable friendships.

SETTING: The story begins at the detention facility, which is the library. There are sequences in
which corridors and parking lots are shown, as these locations also play an important role in the
story's conclusion.

SCENE 1 (Avery’s arrival and introduction of characters)

(Avery nervously makes her way into the library, holding her notebook close to her chest)
Avery: (waves)..Hello
Teacher: Well well…I never expected to see you all here…Except you.
(Teacher points to George) Teacher: Nonetheless you are all to stay here by 5 pm. Reflect upon
your mistakes and do not EVER leave this room. Got it?
Everyone: (in unison) Yes, Mr.
(The teacher smiles and closed the door. Avery then turned to Laura)
Avery: Are…you okay?
Laura: (Laura looks up at Avery) Yeah…Um, I’m just mumbling song lyrics to myself.
Avery: What song?
Laura: You’ve probably never heard of it..
Avery: Try me.
Laura: It’s called “hopelessly devoted to you” by Olivia Newton
Diana: I love that song!
George: There’s a CD of that artist here, wanna play it?
(Avery, Diana, and Laura all nod in unison and the music plays)
Laura: So, I’ve got a question… (slightly whispers) so how come you’re not dating the jock?
Diana: (Diana furrows her eyebrows) who? Me?
(Laura nods) Diana: Girl, please. That’s so stereotypical of you to say.
Diana: (while looking at her nails) First of all, he’s not my type. Secondly, I like girls. I’m gay,
Laura.
(music suddenly stopped) Avery: You are?!
Diana: Of course I am!
Laura: Well, that is very interesting news! I thought you and him were dating.
Diana: Ew, as if.
George: Hey, you guys! Come over here.

SCENE 2 (The characters began to interact with each other and coming up with a plan)
(The girls all stood up from their area and went on over to where the boys were huddled)
Diana: What is it?
Laura: Yeah...and why do you have pieces of paper with random doodles?
Patrick: It’s not random-
Brandon: (chimes in) It’s an escape plan.
Patrick: Dude. Don’t interrupt me like that.
Brandon: My bad, dude.
Avery: An escape plan for what?
Brandon: Isn’t it obvious? From this place.
Diana: (scoffs) Oh yeah? So, tell me how this so-called ‘plan’ can work without any of us getting
caught?
Patrick: Well, it works like this… (dramatic pause for suspense).

SCENE 3 (The characters began to execute their escape plan)

INT: THE HALLWAY
Laura: So, let me get this straight. We’re just going to run around in hopes we could find the
exit???
Patrick: (smiles at the distance) yes.
Diana: That is the dumbest plan ever.
Brandon: You’ve got a better idea?
Diana: Yeah, how about you shut your mouth and..
George: Guys, let’s go...Let’s go!!
(George starts running, the rest notices their teacher walking up the corner and starts running
with him.)
(cue running scene in the hallways)
Laura: We’re almost out!
(Brandon raises his fist in the air)
Brandon: Yeah!!
(Then everyone goes silent)
Teacher: Out of what exactly?
(Brandon puts his fist down)

SCENE 4 (The characters were caught escaping)

INT: THE LIBRARY
(They were all back at the library. The teacher paces back and forth around the room with his
arms crossed.)
Teacher: (sigh) I am really disappointed in all of you.
Teacher: Do you guys really think that I wouldn’t notice you running down the halls?
Teacher: Whose idea was this?
(Everyone points to Patrick.)
Teacher: (shakes his head) Patrick…Have you forgotten what you’re here for? Smoking, in the
bathroom. I mean what would Coach say?
(Patrick hangs his head low in embarrassment.)
Teacher: And don’t think that all of you are any different.
Teacher: That being said, I have no choice but to extend your detention period for the weekends.
Teacher: You’ve got about an hour and a half left before you all can go home.
(The teacher leaves the library)
SCENE 5 (The characters began to blame each other)
Diana: This is all your fault, you and your ‘genius plan’.
(Patrick puts a hand to his chest.)
Patrick: Me?? Brandon was the one that thought of it.
Brandon: So now you’re blaming me?? That seems hardly fair.
Laura: Yeah, Patrick, I mean from the looks of it, you both were in on the plan.
Patrick: So, everyone’s against me now? Okay, I see how it is.
Avery: No Patrick, we aren’t ag—
Patrick: I know how you all think.
Diana: Don’t be so dramatic.
Patrick: Whatever, I’m leaving.
(Patrick storms out of the room and slams the door behind him.)

SCENE 6 (The characters discussed after Patrick stormed out)

Avery: But...Mr. said not to leave the room..
Laura: It’s best we leave him alone.
Diana: Whatever, he’s such a drama queen.
Brandon: Geez Diana, have you got no filter?
Diana: What?? I’m just stating the truth.
Avery: Guys stop fighting, it’s not worth it.
George: Avery is right. We shouldn’t be blaming each other. I mean we all wanted the same
thing…
Avery: And we all committed to the plan. So there’s nobody else to blame but ourselves.
(silence)
Diana: (scoffs) This is stupid.
(Diana stands up)
Laura: Diana?
George: What are you doing?
Diana: I’m going to talk to Patrick, duh.
(Diana walks out)

SCENE 7 (Diana and Patrick had a talk)

Diana: It’s a nice view out, isn’t it?
(Patrick turned around)
Patrick: (annoyed) What’re you doing here?
Diana: To tell you truthfully.
Patrick: About how dumb I am? Go ahead.
Diana: (shrugs) Well…
Patrick: Seriously?
Diana: I’m just kidding dude. Your plan was stupid, I’ll admit—but you yourself? You're alright.
Patrick: (raises his eyebrows) really?
Diana: (nods) And those other guys behind me, think so too. Isn’t that, right?
Avery: We were not blaming you for anything. In fact, we were all at fault.
George: Yeah dude, don’t be mad at us.
Brandon: I apologize for what I said. It’s not your fault. It’s ours.
(Patrick smiles, the rest moves next to him)

SCENE 8 (The characters fixed their problem)

Brandon: Y’know what? Detention isn’t that bad.
(everyone laughs)
Laura: Especially when you get to see this kind of view every time …
Avery: Viewing it with the right kind of people.
George: I’m glad I made such cool new friends.
Avery: (sighs) I wish it was detention every day.
(a few seconds of silence)
Laura: Oh gosh, I hope not.
Avery: It sounded better in my head, okay!!

SCENE 9 (END)
EXT: OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL
(They walked together as they made their way to the school gate when Diana mentioned
something)
Diana: Hey, it’s Avery’s first day of school right?
Laura: Also her first detention
George: How about we commemorate this moment with a photo?
Avery: yeah! Come on, Brandon, pull out your camera at the right moment, let’s take a photo!
Brandon: Should I??
(everyone chuckled before huddling up together to take a photo)

Reflection: Detention may have been filled with moments of defeat and disaster, but this
stereotypical group sure came out triumphant even after all of it.

FADE OUT

END.