Most movie scenes, of course, are far under three minutes! This is not an exercise for writing talky film scenes but rather an exercise that will help your ability to establish story and character in dialogue very quickly.
Try a few 3-minute phone plays on your own. Here are four examples of mine.
THE RANSOM (SUE and MIKE. Phone rings.) SUE Hello? MIKE This is Mike. It's a done deal. They got the money. You bring the kid to the south parking lot at Safeway at midnight -- that's the side where the Les Schwab tire place is. They'll be a tan Toyota van parked. It'll be open. The money will be in a tote bag in the back. You take the money, leave the kid. There'll be someone watching, of course. Count the money before you leave ... suppose to be two-hundred grand. SUE Two-hundred thousand dollars? MIKE Joe got every penny, ain't that somethin'? SUE Joe? MIKE Yeah. Didn't he tell you I was going to call? SUE Who is this? MIKE Mike. Joe was supposed to tell you I was going to call. SUE Are we talking about Joe Montgomery? MIKE Shit. Who is this? SUE Sue Eliot. MIKE Oh shit. SUE You have the wrong number. MIKE Damn. Listen, I didn't mean anything, it's just, you know, this little game we play-- SUE I understand. MIKE This isn't true. SUE I understand. MIKE What'd you say your name was? SUE Sue Eliot. MIKE Oh shit. You're the TV anchor, right? SUE Right. MIKE Damn. You probably think you got a hell of a story here. SUE It crossed my mind. MIKE This ain't real. I belong to this club, see, and what we do is, we play-act different kinds of crime and all, you know, it's like being in a movie or something. SUE I see. MIKE It's no different than those guys who put on camouflage and go out in the woods and fight a war, you know? We get a kick out of it. SUE I bet you do. So, we'll see you at Safeway at midnight then? Or won't you be there? MIKE No, you can't be there! SUE Will anyone be available for an interview? MIKE You definitely can't be there, lady! It ain't safe! SUE It's just a game, you said. MIKE It is! The thing is ... SUE The thing is what? MIKE Ah ... we use real bullets. SUE I see. MIKE It's dangerous! SUE I'll bring back-up. MIKE No! Shit. SUE See you there. MIKE Damn. (CLICK, as Sue hangs up. Dial tone.) MIKE Shit. (The play is over.)
CAREERS (DOUG, AL, CLIFFORD, and MARY. Conference call.) CLIFFORD We're all here, let's begin. MARY May I say something first? CLIFFORD We've got a lot to cover in a short amount of time, Mary. MARY This is relevant. CLIFFORD Can it wait til the questions afterwards? MARY It affects how we proceed. CLIFFORD Christ, Mary, we had two goddamn weeks of meetings on procedure. Everybody agreed that-- MARY I've been offered a job by WebTech. (Pause. Sound of deep breathing.) DOUG That's really funny. AL I've been talking to her all morning, guys. I think her mind is made up. CLIFFORD How long have you known this is coming? MARY A month. CLIFFORD And you still participated, you still pretended you were on the team. You unethical bitch. MARY I didn't expect they'd offer anything this attractive. DOUG So you're saying they did. MARY 500, stock options. DOUG 500! CLIFFORD Get the hell off the line. MARY I haven't accepted anything yet. CLIFFORD You're going to turn down 500? MARY Tell them, Al. AL She has a condition to stay. CLIFFORD Naturally. Maybe she'll grace us with what it is. MARY I love it when you talk to me in the third person. CLIFFORD We can't meet 500, Mary. MARY Your job. CLIFFORD What? MARY 400 and your job. (Doug laughs.) AL What's so funny? DOUG Cliff, you gonna tell her or should I? CLIFFORD I wouldn't miss this for the world. MARY Tell me what? AL What the hell's going on? CLIFFORD WebTech is being bought by NetCentral. MARY They told me that. CLIFFORD NetCentral is being bought by Wireless. MARY So what? CLIFFORD We're buying Wireless. AL Holy Christ. CLIFFORD You still work for me, Mary. (Doug laughs.) CLIFFORD Now what were you saying about wanting a raise? (Pause: then CLICK.) AL Mary? DOUG I think she left us. CLIFFORD Now, can we get on with the meeting? (End.)
THE NAKED TRUTH (STEVE and HEATHER. Phone rings.) STEVE Hello? HEATHER This is Heather. STEVE I'm hanging up. HEATHER No! Please! STEVE You're not supposed to call me. HEATHER I know, just give me two minutes. STEVE I have a restraining order. HEATHER Two minutes is all I ask. STEVE You've had two minutes ten times over. You've had-- HEATHER Just listen to me! Then I'll hang up. I promise. STEVE I'm timing you. HEATHER I thought you'd be flattered. STEVE What? HEATHER It was supposed to be like a present. STEVE Are you crazy? HEATHER I thought you'd like it! STEVE Jesus. HEATHER It was meant as flattery. STEVE What's flattering about getting my ass bared in front of a million people? HEATHER Their circulation is no where near that. STEVE How many then? HEATHER I don't know. A few hundred thousand, I guess. STEVE Seeing me nude! HEATHER You're so vain, I thought you'd love it! STEVE I hate it! I am not vain! HEATHER You wanted me to take a picture of you naked! STEVE For private consumption! HEATHER Private who? Your mother wanted a copy? STEVE I thought YOU might like a copy! HEATHER Why the hell would I want a copy? STEVE When you go on a trip or something, so you can remember me. HEATHER And that's not vanity? STEVE It's just something I thought of. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal. HEATHER The point is, as far as I was concerned, if you wanted a nude photograph taken, then why not flaunt it, so to speak? STEVE It's embarrassing. HEATHER Women love it. You know you're a hunk. STEVE I'm talking about what the guys think. HEATHER I see. It's a guy thing. STEVE Putting my naked picture in Playgirl is not flattery! Okay? HEATHER Okay. You didn't have to get a restraining order. STEVE What else was I supposed to do? You keep bugging me. HEATHER I want you to understand that it was meant as a present. STEVE It wasn't even my birthday. HEATHER It was our anniversary. STEVE It was? HEATHER Of the first time we made love. STEVE No. HEATHER Yes. You forgot. STEVE I can't remember everything! HEATHER I'm sorry you didn't take it in the spirit in which it was intended. STEVE I'm sorry, too. (A pause.) STEVE You think women like it? HEATHER I know they do. STEVE Who in particular for instance? HEATHER Bye, Steve. STEVE Wait a minute. HEATHER I am not your pimp! (CLICK. The end.)
CRISIS LINE (JUDY and MATT. JUDY answers phone.) JUDY Crisis line. MATT Marry me. JUDY Matt. I'm working. MATT Marry me. JUDY What are you doing? MATT I'm asking you to marry me. JUDY I'm at work, you're taking up the line here! MATT Marry me. JUDY I'm going to hang up. MATT Marry me. JUDY This isn't fair. MATT Just say Yes. JUDY Can we talk about it later? MATT Marry me. JUDY I'm hanging up. MATT I don't want you to hang up. JUDY Why are you doing this? MATT Asking you to marry me? I love you, for God's sake. JUDY Calling me at work! You're taking up the line! Somebody might be suicidal and not able to get through because of you! (Pause.) JUDY Matt, I'm hanging up. MATT Wait! JUDY What? MATT I have cancer. JUDY That's sick. MATT Yeah, it is. JUDY You know what I mean. MATT I'm serious. JUDY Right. MATT That's why I want to get married sooner rather than later. JUDY Matt, this isn't funny. MATT Did I say it's funny? JUDY Matt, if this is a joke ...? (Pause.) JUDY Oh, Jesus ... MATT Marry me. JUDY Matt ... MATT Just say Yes. JUDY When did you find out? MATT One step at a time. Marry me. JUDY Yes, yes. Do you want me to see if I can get off early? MATT No. I'm hanging up. I just wanted you to say Yes. JUDY Yes. MATT I'll see you after work. JUDY Oh, Matt ... I'm so sorry. MATT You said Yes. You made my day! I don't want to take up the line. I'll see you after work. JUDY You're sure you're okay? MATT Never been better. I love you. (CLICK.) JUDY I love you. (Too late. CLICK. Pause. Ring.) JUDY Crisis line ... (End.)7/00