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Were going to tell a story. It will need great fleshing-out and it will
need to be adapted for the medium, but well do that piece by piece,
scene by scene. Itwill abide by certain rules and be redolent of certain
flavors and tendencies:
Narratively, the piece is discursive with everything foregrounded.
What I mean is that it is full of flashbacks and digressions and
these simply come yo the foreground without any sense of haste.
A Classical example: In book 18 of the Iliad Achilles puts on his
new armor to go out and fight the Trojans, including a new shield.
This shield has a bas-relief on it. The poem then describes the
bas-relief for 130 lines without any sense of interrupting the
impending action. We wouldnt do that today, we would worry
that the Trojans would attack while we were looking at the shield.
But there is something about that Homeric style that will play
wonderfully on the watch. So thats how we will construct our
narrative. My response to the fact that I am surrendering the
basic right and responsibility of the traditional filmmaker: control
over the viewers time.
The story I (/we) come up with must be transformed into the
idiom of the watch: texts (like silent movie titles) and slide shows
which replace video as our motion picture medium, calendar
entries, internet pages and maps. Audio and video will be used
sparingly on the viewers iPhone and only as extras.
This development process has many departments influencing
each other. Design will not only implement my story, it will give
me ideas for story twists. Programming will definitely influence
the story, because if the experience goes lame the app will
immediately be put out of its misery like an abandoned camel. As
we learn about programming and what using the app actually
feels like, we will allow the narrative to grow and change to some
extent, emphasizing the things that work best.
The photography must be stunningly beautiful: unusual,
atmospheric, moody, sexy, dangerous. It must look great both at
the size we present it and if enlarged by pinch-to-zoom.
Ready? Here we go:
The Lady in Blue
When you first load the app you get a title screen with a box to tap on:

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The Lady in Blue

An Irreswristable Picture

Watch
Movie

When you click on Watch

Movie it starts. Text
appears on the screen. IMPORTANT NOTE: we need to design really
good looking glances that look like text messages, maps, etc. that
also look very different from what these things look like in normal
Apple-Watch-Content. I dont want trouble (for example Apple blocking
us from the app store) for creating fake texts that are too convincing.
Ours will simply have to look BETTER, super-cool. Maybe people will
start imitating us.
TEXT: There are some texts you should never respond to.
At the bottom of the screen is a box that says Ill remember that and
when you tap it the text goes away and the movie continues:
Scene One: Central Park Reservoir Dawn
A man in his early thirties, very good looking, in very good shape is
running around the reservoir. It is still pretty dark out. He is
maintaining a good pace.
VOICEOVER (we can discuss this, but I think its important to hear his
voice right at the start:
BRUCE
I run around the reservoir twice, most days, say five times a
week. At somewhat different times every day because I time it so
that the first lap is in darkness, and then as I come around the
sun comes up and everything is extremely dull or extremely
sharp depending on the weather.
This morning the light is seconds away from hitting the water
when I get the heart that means come into the office ASAP.
A heart is drawn on his watch.
Then a TEXT walk dont run

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Bruce (audio)
So I get to go home and change.
TEXT: New Client. Super your type.
BRUCE (maybe by titles this time)
Cute but with an edge to it. Dendra, this is Dendra, short for
Dendrakaloshinayra, Jayaraman, smart as hell and
(Photo of gorgeous woman in her early thirties)
My business partner, and, well, we have a history.
Sequence 2: THE STORY OF BRUCE AND DENDRA
I THINK this dialogue is told in text overlaid onto really atmospheric
photos, like someone narrating their photo album on their phone...
Like everyone else in this town I had had a dream of making a success
of meaningful work in my case I was going to be a scientist -- and
then I went to work in finance. I had made a lot of money during the
day and done a lot of expensive, stupid things evenings and weekends
until one morning I woke up with Dendra and a hangover that wasnt
as bad as usual. We looked at each other confused: we liked each
other, but the sex hadnt been all that great, so we didnt know.
Dendra
What are you thinking?
You first

Bruce

Dendra
Together on three: one, two
And on three we had said it together: we should make sure. So we
made love again in the morning light and if anything it was worse.
But we liked each other more. We could be honest, and we started to
trust. Trust was something that in my world only existed ad part of the
name of a bank and Dendra didnt see a lot of in her world either.
Sequence 3: THE STORY OF DENDRA AND HER NEIGHBOR
One morning Dendra walks out of her building with a neighbor who

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looks so troubled that she jumps into his taxi with her, and because
shes so beautiful she gets him to tell her whats wrong.
Long story short, she persuades him not to pay the blackmailers and
she brokers a three way deal with the prosecutors so the blackmailer,
who gets caught in the sting she sets up get sent away and he only
gets probation.
The guy is seriously grateful, and after Dendra turns down his marriage
proposal
Dendra
His judgment had been shown so poor that I wasnt really
flattered.
He sends her a case of incredibly good wine, and underneath the
bottles is $75,000 in cash.
At the time Dendra was dating a management consultant who told her
she had a business model providing unique services to high net worth
individuals so she started Anonymous Gratitude
ANONYMOUS GRATITUDE LOGO
By the time I woke up in her apartment the consultant was long gone
to another strategy and Dendra had a long list of satisfied clients who
never wanted to use her again but kept referring their friends.
Friends.
It took us awhile to figure out that thats what we wanted to be,
friends without benefitsbut eventually we got it right I know its
weird, but it didnt feel weird with Dendra, though of course I couldnt
tell anyone at work that I was friends with a woman.
Occasionally when she needed help with a case Id help out and one
thing led to another and soon there was enough work to keep us both
busy and earning well into the high six figures. Each. Which was better
than I had been doing on the Street, so life was good.
Occasionally, like last night, I would go out with some guys from my old

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firm to gloat, but that was getting old. And maybe I was too, since I
have to run further to get rid of the poison in my head than last time.
So now Im just been feeling a little like Ill soon be feeling a little
better when Dendra pings me and I veer off for home.
Sequence 4: BRUCE GOES HOME
You want to see my home here are some slides. My mother gave me
the rug, a woman who should have known better, whom I should have
known better, gave me the elephant, and I bought thee coffee maker
for myself. The espresso can grind and drip while Im in the shower for
those times when I dont have it together enough to start the morning
like a real human being which is, basically 362 days of the year.
This is me no, sorry, big, embarrassing fail, those are my favorite
shoes. This is me.
Ive written this much in Bruces voice to give us a flavor, now since I
dont even know if or how this first person thing will workIll tell you
the rest of the story in a more treatmentlike style.
Sequence 5: BRUCE GOES TO THE OFFICE AND MEETS THE LADY IN
BLUE

SAPPHIRE
Please call me Safi.
All right. Safi.

BRUCE

SAPPHIRE
Now I dont want you to think that Im a total coward, but I, well, I
was hoping you could protect me this evening.
DENDRA
We are not bodyguards, Miss Cartwright.
(Sapphire refuses to say anything until:)
BRUCE

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Safi.
SAPPHIRE
I didnt mean it quite like that. I dont want anything too obvious.
I have very high hopes for this evening, as a matter of fact. I
didnt sleep, actually, at all last night.
BRUCE
Where are you going?
On a date.

SAPPHIRE
DENDRA

I beg your pardon?

SAPPHIRE
Its a first date. In a restaurant. A sushi restaurant as it happens.
My date chose it and it seems perfect. Five stars on Raw Glory.
BRUCE
Have you ever met what is his Her His name?
SAPPHIRE
His name. Ellery. Ellery Wolfson. No. Weve been corresponding
online now for a month, and I confess to a serious crush. We must
have exchanged two hundred letters and he has not made a
single wrong move. Not one. If hes anything like he seems I
probably wont go home tonight.
But youre worried..

DENDRA

SAPPHIRE
Cautious. It may not be his real name. I mean fair is fair he knows
me only as The Lady in Blue but he doesnt have a profile on
rate-my-date or date-my-ex, guys-on-match or Check Out Cupid
or any other site could find, and things that are too good to be
true usually arent but I so hope this is the exception that proves
the rule and Jennifer, Mrs. Winston, said you were terribly
practical and terribly discreet. Could you, Bruce, just sit in the

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restaurant and then if we leave together just make sure I dont

seem coerced or unhappy or scared? A little anxious anticipation
is fine of course, but you know what I mean by scared.
DENDRA
Our minimum rate is $5,000 for two hours.
SAPPHIRE
Then youll do it. Thank you so much!
She clicks her watch against Dendras
GLANCE (a glance is a small collection of important text that
appears on an Apple Watch): Received $5,000 from Sapphire Q
SAPPHIRE
Heres the restaurant. Ill see you at eight out of the corner of my
eye.
Sapphire leaves. A few choice words between Bruce and Dendra.
He is clearly smitten. She thinks thats cute or funny but isnt
really as cool with it as shed like to be.
Sequence 6: THE DATE IN THE RESTAURANT
No point in pretending Bruce is comfortable watching Sapphire and her
date get along so well. They laugh, they touch fingers, at one point he
even seems to take a tear from her eye with a delicate finger.
TEXT FROM BRUCE TO DENDRA: Not one wrong move (sigh).
The happy couple leave the restaurant and Sapphire manages to give
Bruce signals meaning shes ok but also please stick around a little
longer.
Sequence 7: OUTSIDE WOLFSONS HOUSE
Bruce stops his car and watches Sapphire and Wolfson enter a
brownstone. He gets out of his car and looks up as a light goes on in an
upstairs window. Soon he sees a womans silhouette removing a dress
and then SAPPHIRE sits in the window looking great in a blue slip. She
waves Bruce away and jumps off the windowsill. The light goes out.

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Bruce turns back to his car and there is a flash and a crash of broken
glass and Ellerfy Wolfson falls onto the pavement not far from Bruce.
SEQUENCE 8: INSIDE WOLFSONS APARTMENT
Bruce dashes inside, up the stairs and arrives at the top floor front
apartment. Sapphire falls into his arms. She had to do it. It was so
terrible. She was so frightened. He holds her, tries to get her to
explain, but no luck. He calls the police despite her Do we have to,
cant we just go far away? The police come and:
SAPPHIRE
Officer, thank goodness youre here. I mean thank you too of
course, Bruce.
(to the cop)
You see, I just met Ellery on a date and I came up here with him
but I had always had a bad feeling about him, so I hired
Anonymous Gratitude to keep an eye on me and when Bruce saw
me being led into this building against my will he ran up after us
and threw Ellery out the window. Ive never been so scared in my
life.
(to Bruce)
I didnt expect you to kill him. But maybe you had to.
And so Sapphire frames Bruce for the murder and he is taken away.
SEQUENCE 9: BRUCE IN CUSTODY
BRUCE
When there isnt an app for something you need a lawyer.
Fortunately at Anonymous Gratitude we have some great lawyers
on retainer.
The lawyer comes and, using an app, pulls the security camera footage
from a nearby source at the moment Wolfson fell out of the window. He
lands at Bruces feet clearly showing that Bruce was not upstairs when
Wolfson fell.
BRUCE
There turned out to be an app for it after all.

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