SALLY
Tell me again, why are we doing this?

HARRY
Because of the EXERCISE - the DIALOG thing.

SALLY
But that's over, they only last for a week and then . . .
(pausing to remember)
Sure, it's Lani that does it. She announces the change. And it's gonna happen tomorrow.

HARRY
All the more reason to wrap it up, summarize the EXERCISE.

SALLY
Oh, please . . . Can we just move on without all this, I mean, who care were we been? I want to know what's next! Where we're going.

HARRY
Well you helped, by doing this little scene, you helped make my point.

SALLY
Really? You've made a point?

HARRY
We have made the point.
(pointing to a stack of paper)
Those were the subs from the week and those . . .
(holds up a couple of sheets from a larger stack)
Are the CRITS.

SALLY
Big deal, I saw 'em as they came in, I wrote some of them.

HARRY
Remember the instructions?

TITLE OVER: 300 words or less, write a scene between two
characters. When the scene ends we should know the central
conflict between these two, and a great deal about their
personalities.

SALLY
How you do that?

HARRY
What?

SALLY
(pointing to the writing on screen)
Make all that print out on the screen.

HARRY
Well, it's a script, I can do almost anything I want with a script.

SALLY
THAT is your point?

HARRY
Sort of. The only way anything happens in a script is if an actor does it, or says it -

SALLY
And the point would be -

HARRY
DIALOG! I thought it would be obvious. In a script the screenwriter gets about 120 pages to say everything! FADE IN, Beginning, Middle, Ending, FADE OUT and credits - 120 pages.

SALLY
Harry, you're about to put me to sleep here . . .

HARRY
Well, look at it. . . look at these page.

SALLY
Okay! . . .
(picks up pages)

BEAT

SALLY
(continuing)
. . . What for?

HARRY
You're looking at two pages there, guess how many words.

SALLY
I gotta count this one too?

HARRY
No, I'll tell you what . . . We'll use some more of that movie Magic.

TITLE OVER: WORD COUNT - 341 (continuing)

SALLY
Oh, that's cool. Every word we say adds to the total?

HARRY
Those two pages,
(pointing to the pages in her hand)
They total 312 words -

HARRY
(continuing)
That's about 20,000 words in a complete screenplay - start to finish.

SALLY
Oh, I see what you mean. A page of prose can be 800 words, but a page of script is only 150.

HARRY
Were not limited in prose, you can write until your story's told.

SALLY
But you said 120 pages?

HARRY
For a Script! At a page a minute, that's a two hour script.

SALLY
Can't be longer?

HARRY
If it's gonna sell? 90 to 120 minutes seems to be the time formula.

SALLY
So what's this got to do with these EXERCISES?

HARRY
That WAS the EXERCISE - 300 words - try to define two characters and a story conflict using dialog.

SALLY
Oh, I see. And how'd we do.

HARRY
Mind you, this is just my opinion, but almost everyone on the list has at this point participated.

SALLY
That's good.

HARRY
And it has been fun.
(stacks all the papers together)
But, it is time to stick our heads out the window and yell - "NEXT"

EXT JUST OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM - DAY

SALLY
(sticking her head ) (out the window)
Next!

HARRY
(popping his head out next to hers)
Thanks everyone. Good job.

Word count remains as scene fades.

TITLE OVER: WORD COUNT - 693

FADE OUT