Wednesday 22 July 2009

Public Service Television


1. The artist sits in her studio and stares crosseyed at the camera. The television is experiencing medium-level signal interference, meaning the weatherman is suffering and morphing into a well-bred dog that pulls drowsy children from house fires. The weatherman's problems continue until a skinhead assistant jabs the aerial with a plastic fork. The weatherman is covered in patchy, neon bruises. The artist produces a sheet of smoke. 'That's a trick I'm learning to do'. Another shot is set up.

2. 'My wisdom tooth was impacted. Well, you know how long they make you wait for an appointment nowadays- I was in bloody agony for about three days. I got in there drunk- this was on the Wednesday- it took an hour to pull the thing out. It was like a rock. It had five roots! It looked like a hand. (Displays fingers) I only just got back on solids and them painkillers made no fucking difference.'

3. 'The lack of funding we have is the problem, you know? It doesn't matter what choices I might make as a person if the state can't support them monetarily, and then I am failing the service users and-'
'I hear what you're saying, I hear what you're saying.'

4. A sign-language translator motions furiously in a small box in a black margin at the left axis of the screen:
ONE: An exit strategy?
[Counter-shot]
TWO: Can I... can I just-
THREE: Is anyone watching?
[Wide-shot]
ONE: I didn't like the way symbolism was played with.
TWO: A beach in winter at night is just a metaphor. A covering on a blank canvas.
ONE: Yes, nothing to say.
[Close-up]
TWO: I think- I think.
[Counter-shot]
ONE: It failed.
THREE: Gradually.

No comments:

Post a Comment