Rock The Vouhhhnn!, Chapter 8: Part 1.1
Page 178 (Chapter 8, Page 1)
Panel 1: Montage (Henry Skelton Campaign), Part 1- We see a shot of Madison and Zoe going through the finished ad a short time after we left them. On the table next to the screen is a few sheets of notebook paper with notes scrawled on them. The notes are mostly indecipherable except for a few words- “Debate Coach.”
Panel 2: Montage (Rep. Jenkins’ Campaign), Part 1- Meanwhile, Rep. Jenkins is on a tele-conference between legislative work and Press with a brown balding man in a navy blue suit- a strategist and debate coach by trade.
Panel 3: Montage (Henry Skelton Campaign), Part 2- Cut to a shot of Ms. Mitchell scrolling through a list of candidates via Indeed; the job title partially visible on the top of the tablet screen- “Debate Coach- Political Experience HELPFUL but not required.”
Panel 4: Montage (Rep. Jenkins’ Campaign), Part 2- In an undisclosed location a short time later, we see the Congressman in the middle of a debate rehearsal. Standing at the podium to the left of the panel view is who they got to stand-in for Henry: a mannequin with a speaker in its chest painted somewhat shambolically to look like a zombie.
Panel 5: Montage (Henry Skelton Campaign), Part 3- Lagging a bit behind here, we see Zoe and Madison in a tele interview with one of the candidates on the list. There isn’t really any evidence in this scene in terms of how said interview is going at that moment.
Panel 6: Montage (Rep. Jenkins’ Campaign), Part 3- Jenkins is seated at the top of a round table, surrounded by advisers seated all around, watching the brown balding man go through the pros and cons of one of the rehearsals. You can see the footage of it on a TV screen, paused at a certain point.
Panel 7: Montage (Henry Skelton Campaign), Part 4- We move to a slight close-up on Madison’s face after the interview in Part 3. She has her face in her hands, letting out an exhausted sigh signifying that the interview in fact didn’t end well.
Panel 8: Montage (Rep. Jenkins’ Campaign), Part 4- Cut to a slight close-up of the veteran politician at the table a beat later, looking on with a great deal of intrigue as the coach is speaking.
Caption
88 Days till the Election
Rep. Jenkins 49%, Henry Skelton 40%
Page 179 (Chapter 8, Page 2)
Panel 1: Same setting/layout as the last panel of the previous page. You can see a little more of the table that her elbows are resting on at this moment, as well as part of the kitchen visible in the background.
MADISON
(to herself)
We were so close. We could’ve passed him, if only...
ZOE
(Off-Panel)
Don’t get down, budette. We knew we were gonna take a hit.
Panel 2: Action shot of Zoe standing at another side of HQ looking over in Ms. Mitchell’s direction. She tries to put a positive spin over what they’ve been through as a campaign recently.
ZOE
(Cont., to Madison)
On the plus side, what we did lessened the dip just like we hoped. Some pundits thought we’d be down 10 or 15 points due to the whole “fake family” thing.
ZOE
(Bubble 2; reacting to Panel 3, Bubble 1)
We still have time for that...you worried we’re not gonna get that close again, are you?
Panel 3: Back to Madison in the same setting/layout as Panel 1. She tilts her head up from her hands, shooting a set of daggers back in Zoe’s direction regarding her note of optimism.
MADISON
(interjecting, to Zoe)
Yeah, costing us weeks of work that could’ve been spent displaying our agenda and hammering him on his voting record.
Panel 4: Action shot moments later showing the woman approaching her friend at the table, extending a sympathetic hand that hovers a short distance from actually touching her- a sort of invisible “shoulder pat,” as it were.
ZOE
We’ll get back there. It’ll take a lotta work, but we’ll get there. All we gotta do is just gotta keep the hope, keep to what’s worked before.
Panel 5: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. A beat later, their collective gaze moves over to a point off-panel where we hear a particular voice.
STAFFER
(Off-Panel, to Zoe and Madison)
Uh, Miss…
Panel 6: Cut to a shot of a young staffer standing in the doorway, quietly waving their hand to the two of them. He’s considerably nervous and awkward, unsure in terms of the strength of the words coming out of his mouth.
STAFFER
(Cont.) Are you still looking for Debate Coaches? I--I think I may have an idea...