the script

Okay - here it is, the first few pages of the script I've been working on for the pilot-episode. I've only posted up to the Ferry in San Francisco - because last night, while working on it at 2 in the morning, I realized that those scenes (during the Ferry ride) were to short. I need to use that time to get the audience more familiar with the main cast... and I just blew past it in the early drafts. Aside from that: Enjoy.

1) Location: Five miles north of San Gregorio, CA, State Beach - early morning - Hwy 1. Wide angle shot (20 feet off the ground) of a smooth rolling hill covered with several dozen cows, the Pacific ocean stretching out behind it into the clouds. The shot holds static for a moment before panning (clockwise) slowly - revealing a long and lonely road, steep green mountains to the east, a car approaches from the north, as the camera finishes it’s 270 degree rotation, we see 4 bikers on the shoulder, the car speeds by without notice.
Tim has his bicycle turned upside-down, the back tire removed, his stuff scattered around him. Amanda snaps photos of the lazy cows, while Nick and Mike look over the maps.

2) A shot from across the road - pushes in fast on Tim - he works quickly to remove the tire.

Mike V.O.
“Only an hour and a half ago, we woke up on the beach outside San Gregorio.

3) A close up shot of a tent with it’s back to the ocean - Tim unzips the flap and steps outside into the sand - he is munching on a health bar.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“After a quick breakfast - we took down our tents and moved on before attracting the attention of local authorities...”

Jump cut shot of the tent collapsing - revealing the ocean.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“Only after the four of us finished packing our belongings, does Tim find that his back tire had gone flat sometime during the night...”

4) Tim changes his tire out on a picnic table overlooking the State Beach - the camera sits in the middle of a field of bright yellow flowers.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“...28 minutes later - we are on our way.”

5) A wide shot from the center of the road, the camera is slowly dollying forward - the 4 speed past on all sides. The camera then tilts down - the road blurs past the lens.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“5.7 miles later - in between Tunitas Creek Road and Half Moon Bay, Tim’s back tire, again, goes mysteriously flat.”

The camera is still CU on the road, blurring past the lens - it tilts up quickly to reveal a flat tire wobbling down the road.

6) Cut to a CU of Amanda - she snaps a photo with her Nikon F-105 of the cows in the field. The camera whip-pans towards the cows, but instead we see an insert shot of several photos of cows hanging from a cloths-line in a dark room. Each individual picture fills the frame as the camera tracks abruptly to the next picture - we hear a camera “click”. We then cut back to a profile shot of Amanda, she begins to reload film into the camera. Tim sits behind her, changing his tire.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“By the time Tim patches his second flat in under 6 miles - he will have spent a combined 62 minutes unpacking, dissembling, patching, re-assembling and re-packing. Needless to say, the 4 of us begin to worry, at our current pace, we will not reach San Francisco by 1:45 to catch the ferry across the Bay to Vallejo.”

7) Several short shots - jump-cut together: ECU of Tim’s hands feeling over the tire for glass... rocks... anything. Side shot of Tim closely watching the tire spin through his hands. A shot of Tim spinning his tubeless back tire rim with one hand while feeling the inside with his other hand. He finds nothing.

8) A static shot - with the long swaying grass in-between the lens and the 4 riders. They slowly head off into the distance. A cow “moos”. Title card reads: ‘DAY 7’.

9) The camera peaks out from the corner of an isle at a small local connivence store.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“We stopped on our way through Montara to shop for the essentials: Pop-tarts... bread... gatorade... and peanut-butter.

A downward shot of an empty belt in the check-out line. A small handful of items are pushed forward into the frame.
Amanda picks through a small organic fruit stand while the guys eat a quick lunch.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“...23 miles exactly to the Golden Gate - another 7 to the ferry terminal. 9:14 in the morning - the highest climb between point a & b is a modest 600 feet above sea level. It appears... that we might made our ferry after-all."

10) Important note: the following is one long shot - the 4 climb on their bikes, Mike half jokingly checks Tim’s back tire before pushing off, it’s still full. The 4 ride down the Hwy’ (this shot, over the next .9 miles, is speed up) a short distance. The camera dollies in-front of them, looking back. Only seconds later, the 4 stop in their tracks (the speed returns to normal)... the camera pans 180 to reveal a massive road block. No traffic is allowed through. The 4 stand there baffled - things no longer look so good.

11) Back at the organic fruit stand.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“The girl selling fruit explains the only way around by bike is back to the 92 to the 35. Looking over our maps, we realized we’ll have to back track down the 1 almost 10 miles before going another 12 out of our way...”

12) Cut to a shot of a large green road sign along Hwy’ 35 that reads: San Francisco - 8 miles. Pan around to show Tim hunched by his bike, pumping air into the tire.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“Tim’s flats continue. But they come on more slowly now - every several miles, to keep us moving, Tim simply pumps air back into the tube.”

13) The 4 ride down a sidewalk that runs parallel with Palmetto Ave - a large wooden windmill peaks over the trees behind them.



Several shots of the 4 making their towards the Golden Gate - the hills are becoming impossibly steep.

Mike V.O. Cont’d
“Sparing as little time as possible - we asked a stranger to take a picture of us in-front of the Golden Gate. After Crissy Field the traffic became overwhelming - the hills un-ride-ably steep... with no time left, we rushed between bumper to bumper traffic to make our destination.”

14) Cut to the large cement park outside the Ferry Terminal - the streets are over crowded, we see the 4 rush in from the left of frame, they are running with their bikes now, dodging pedestrians, jumping out in-front of traffic. They hurry in through the Gate.



15) The 4 stand at the back of the ferry as it pushes off. The following footage is cut & shot with a heavy-home-movie feel to it (Note: perhaps use a different film stock...) The mood begins to shift from frustrating to calming. The ocean is beautiful - they take pictures of Alcatraz - Treasure Island - etc.