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Documentary Filmmaking: Redux

BOY: Why did I go Greendale?

So I can keep my job and get busy with my education.

To meet different people.

Because Greendale's a slam dunk.

So why should you... Why should you go Greendale?

That's easy. Greendale has the most advanced typing class

in the Southwestern area.

And now, you can register by fax.

ALL: Go, Greendale! Go, Greendale, go!

That, as you probably know, is the currently-running commercial.

I see it during late-night marathons of Fantasy Island.

That's not an accident. It's the result of targeting.

But now, Greendale's school board has given me a budget of $2,000 to update our little ad. Are you sure it should change?

I chose Greendale over City College because of the way that one dude goes...

[BOTH GIGGLING] PELTON: Okay.

I love to be seen agreeing with you, Troy.

But this is our chance to make

Greendale's most reasonable dreams come true.

And I need your help, all of you.

That's okay, Jeffrey. You can say no.

This school asks little of its students. It mainly gives.

I feel like you guys might know what I'm talking about.

[SIGHS]

[STIFFLY] How can we help?

Oh, thanks for asking.

I've chosen you, Greendale's brightest, most diverse, Hispanics notwithstanding, study group to star in our commercial.

SHIRLEY: Ooh. Pick a character.

We start this weekend. Oh, we get to be on TV!

If we're shooting this weekend, why are these cameras here?

Abed has decided to do the weird thing and film a documentary instead of helping.

Trying to make this commercial may cost the Dean his sanity.

My camera follows fire, not the smoke.

Ever seen Hearts of Darkness? Way better than Apocalypse Now.

What's the catering sitch going to be?

This isn't Hollywood. If it was, these glasses would be tinted, and I'd be friends with Stevie Nicks. No catering.

Outrageous. I'm not leaving my trailer till there's food.

You don't have a trailer. Then I'll rent a trailer.

And I won't leave it till I have the one I don't have.

I'm an actor, not a freak. Oh, no.

I needed to go that way.

Eh, I'll loop around.

[THE 88'S "AT LEAST IT WAS HERE" PLAYING]

♪ Give me some more Time in a dream ♪

♪ Give me the hope To run out of steam ♪

♪ Somebody said It can be here ♪

♪ We could be roped up Tied up dead in a year ♪

♪ I can't count the reasons I should stay ♪

♪ One by one they all Just fade away ♪

All right, let's rehearse this mamajama.

Does everyone know who they are?

Where's my script girl? Supervisor. I'm behind you.

Thank you, Supervisor Girl.

Faster than a locomotive.

A Script Supervisor tells everyone to stay on script and keeps careful notes to prevent logical inconsistencies.

So, basically, the star.

We open on a typical day at Greendale, only the students look happy and you can't smell that smell.

Troy? "Why do I go Greendale?"

"With three kids, you better believe every penny counts."

"To meet different people."

And then, you and Troy hug... If you're comfortable with that.

Of course. Troy and I are buds.

Best buds. Air buds, even.

[NERVOUS LAUGHTER]

[MUTTERING] Feeling stupid.

And then, the camera pans, and enter Dean Pelton.

JEFF: I got stuck with the role of the Dean.

So I'm going to show him how much of a dean I can be.

And I've got a feeling I won't make the cut.

[AS DEAN] Welcome to Dean-dale Community Colle-dean.

I'm a silly goose. Honk, honk. Dean-a-lee-doo.

Look at me. Stop.

This is my sister's outfit. Jeffrey, stop.

You've hit gold. Save some for the screen.

All right, people, Scene Six is up first.

I don't think Pierce is coming back.

Can someone fill in as the pencil?

PIERCE: Pierce, screen of stage and star, will not leave this trailer until he gets a trailer.

I'm not leaving that trailer until there's catering.

And I'm not eating the food until...

And action.

[AS DEAN] Why go Greendale?

Just because, just Dean it! Dean machine.

Got Dean, got much... And cut.

Oh, a star is born.

JEFF: I suggested to the Dean we shoot my scenes

in front of the Luis Guzman statue

because the Dean has no legal right

to broadcast Guzman's image,

which means every shot will be unusable.

I put a call in to Guzman's lawyers to alert them.

I'm willing to go the extra mile to avoid doing something.

Like sex with women.

Shut up. You smell like Mentholyptus.

What are you doing here?

I'm thinking about breaking into the TV game.

Since it's apparently sticking around.

I don't want to wake up in 30 years and wonder, "What if?"

"Because this full-time Mama ain't breaking the bank with your expensive tuition."

Okay, cut. Shirley, the voice.

Can you make it, um...

I thought it would be more s...

What's another word that means happy-threatening?

The word he's looking for is "Sassy."

He better pray he don't find it.

Get this shot, we are done. [PHONE VIBRATING]

Your phone is ringing. Oh.

Dean Deaning. MAN: Dean Pelton?

How you doing? It's Luis Guzman.

I hear you're making a commercial for Greendale,

need permission to use my face or something?

Well, I, um... Uh...

Why not use the real thing?

I'm sorry?

I'd love to be in your commercial.

[GASPS] Wowee!

A real big-time celebrity wants to be in my commercial.

[DEEPER VOICE] Wowee.

A real celebrity wants to be in my commercial.

Come on down. That's cool.

But I've got to finish this movie,

so I can't come for a couple of weeks, all right?

Mr. Guzman, Luis, thank you.

And can I just say, I loved you in...

[SNAPS FINGERS URGENTLY]

In...

[CONTINUES HOLDING ON "N"]

IMDb.

See you soon, man.

[BEEP] That was tragic.

PELTON: The students here mean well, they really do.

But what Greendale has always needed is a miracle.

This is it.

This is how I get to put Greendale on the map.

I thought this commercial was going to be okay.

Well, guess what? It just officially became great.

Let me give you a little rundown of this commercial's great elements.

Luis Guzman is in it.

I'm sorry, will you excuse me?

Everyone gather around, quick announcement.

Come on around.

Everything that we shot so far is worthless.

I've thrown it out, and we're starting over tomorrow.

Why? Because...

Luis Guzman is in the commercial now, so...

[CROWD MURMURS] Yeah. For realsies.

Everyone, go home. I'm rewriting all of your parts.

Except for you. You have locked into something here.

And the only thing your character needs is more screen time.

Great that he got a celebrity, but why reshoot everything?

ABED: Perfectionism. The Dean's first step down a road that ends in self-destruction.

That sounds horrible.

Actually, I might end up taking this to some festivals.

[INDISTINCT TALKING] [SINGING SCALES]

ABED: The production has taken over the school.

Classes are shut down.

The Quilting Club is being forced to sew costumes.

PELTON: [OVER PA] Two females, 5'10", one brunette, one with asthma.

He's also using the PA for casting calls.

Okay, everyone... Does everyone have their new script?

Uh, it says I'm supposed to be a book reading a book.

That doesn't make sense.

[CLEARING THROAT]

What's this?

[GRAVELLY VOICE] Scene four.

Last night, I had an epiphany.

I'm ready to step this mother up a notch.

This commercial is going to push every button, starting with the one so hot, it will sizzle your finger...

Racccccce.

And action.

"To meet different people."

PELTON: Cut! I'm coming in.

I am trying to pull a 400-year-old dagger out of this nation's heart, and you two are hugging.

Her, I understand, but you?

What did I do? You didn't. Let's take it again!

"To meet different people."

PELTON: Again. "To meet different people."

PELTON: I need more! More!

Wrong! Fight the power! Fight it with your hugs.

Tear down those walls. [CLAPBOARD CLACKING]

Get this wrong one more time, I'm segregating the school.

"To meet different people."

PELTON: You can't even do it when we're helping!

[BOTH SOBBING] Somebody help her!

To meet different people! Stop saying I'm different!

Dean, we've spent 12 hours on this scene.

Maybe it's time to move on.

I'm in Psych 101, and even I don't know what's happening.

ABED: The Dean is going insane and taking you with him.

If you know that, then do something!

ABED: I'm doing everything I can. I only have so many cameras.

Oh! Aah!

JEFF: I've spent an entire day in this thing for no reason.

What if the shoot drags on for another day?

Or, God forbid, two.

[♪♪♪]

PELTON: And action, and move.

"This mama ain't breaking the bank..."

Cut, cut, cut ... Garrett, you're not taking advantage of the motion technology.

You have to move. I forgot what I am again.

Oh, for crying out... You are a microscope!

No, that's a toilet.

That's clearly a frog who can't get out of a box.

CHANG: Jeff thinks he has it bad?

As Jeff's understudy, I have to wear my Jeff wig on top of my Chang hair and my bald cap on top of that.

There's no air getting through. I'm literally dying.

But you'll never hear my story. [SCOFFS]

I mean, now you heard it, but... That was close.

EUGENE [OVER PHONE]: You sure you can't work faster?

Nobody asked for perfection.

Perfection is what you're getting.

If you don't like it, fire me.

If we don't like it, at this point,

we definitely will fire you.

Good! That's how I like it. Ha!

PELTON: I'm surrounded by assassins.

My own school's paper has turned on me.

But when this is all over,

I'll have a commercial with Luis Guzman in it, and all they'll have are their words, and their fears,

and whatever embarrassing photos

they can get from my mother.

ANNIE: I've got two men in diapers here.

I know one is playing the dawn of a new era in education, but I've got nothing on the other.

Just a guest of the Dean's.

Both of you go that way, then.

ANNIE: The Dean had his seventh epiphany, which has given me an epiphany of my own.

The Dean is a genius. He has to be.

If he isn't, I've given two weeks of my life to an idiot.

That is unacceptable. Therefore the Dean is a genius.

And I will die protecting his vision.

ABED: Are you familiar with Stockholm Syndrome?

Something the Dean created? If not, I don't care.

SHIRLEY: We wanna go, but the Dean won't let us.

I think Pierce played this the smartest.

He's probably watching Forensic Files and eating popcorn.

Well, about time.

Hey, that's for Luis Guzman.

When you get me my trailer, he can have it back.

And make it as nice as this one.

Hey, Dean. Dean? Hey, Dean!

JEFF: Pierce mistook me for the Dean.

PIERCE: I want windows. ABED: How did that feel?

[WHISPERING] I've become a stranger to myself.

I'm bald now. I've always been bald.

I merely dreamt of having hair.

And now the bald man is awake.

Jeff?

It's time.

Lights, camera, Dean.

PELTON: Action.

Why go Greendale? Just because!

PELTON: Cut. Cut.

Lose the bald cap.

What? I don't like it.

It's hokey, it's fake. Take it off.

No.

I beg your pardon, actor?

I have worn this stupid thing for 12 days.

I have made bald friends. Well, that's your mistake.

Because it's a lie. It's Hollywood crap.

And I won't allow it in my commercial.

You're not bald.

Yes, I am.

Well, then, you're wrong for the part!

Understudy!

[GASPS]

That's it.

That's reality.

Winger, you're done. Go home.

[SNIFFLING] Go home.

[SOBBING]

BRITTA: I don't know why. This is the last straw.

As a licensed psychology major,

I am declaring this production a violation of human rights.

You have made us prisoners of your insanity.

Shut your face, Britta. If the Dean wants his role to be played by a Chinese man in a blond wig...

Oh, my God, you are insane.

I'm sick and tired of hearing complaints

I'm forcing people to be here.

Anyone who doesn't want to help me can leave!

[♪♪♪]

Abed, stop!

ABED: Okay.

Keep rolling.

Hello? Hello.

Hello?

Hello, it's me. Luis Guzman.

Hello! Hi.

Hi, Mr. Guzman, Dean-Director Craig Pelton.

Sorry, I've been editing.

It's a little bit of a mess.

[BOTTLES CLANKING]

What the [BLEEP] is that?

PELTON: Oh, that's a possum.

Once you spend time with them, you see they're just like big gentle rats.

Who's the guy? ABED: I'm no one.

That's Abed. He's a little bit odd.

Now, without further ado, here is the commercial you will be starring in.

[INDISTINCT CELTIC MUSIC]

JEFF: [ON TAPE] Why do I go Greendale?

[DISCO MUSIC]

[PEOPLE TALKING INDISTINCTLY]

[HEAVY METAL MUSIC]

[SINGER SCREAMING]

MAN: What's in the box?

[CLASSICAL MUSIC] WOMAN: Oh! Oh!

[OVERLAPPING SOUND EFFECTS]

[DANCE MUSIC]

[TAPE STOPS] I got to make a phone call.

I had to tell this dean I couldn't do his commercial.

He didn't take that too well either.

Y'all gotta help this dude. Aren't you his friends?

ABED: I'm more of a fly on the wall.

What is go...

What?

You won't be in my commercial, but you'll be in his stupid documentary?

All he does is follow people.

Haven't you seen Hearts of Darkness?

Way better than... I want you off my campus.

I already got rid of your trailer.

I had a trailer?

PIERCE: Can anyone hear me?

I will walk off this production. I will quit!

Hello?

I come here to shoot this for Greendale.

That's what you had on the script.

That script was terrible. I thought it was good.

Of course you'd think that.

You went here.

Oh, I get it.

You're worse than crazy.

You're ashamed of your school.

And that statue of me, that's just wrong, man.

The bronze adds 10 pounds.

Nah, man... It's not going to be perfect.

Screw you. I'm just saying, don't worship the people leaving Greendale.

Worship the people that are here.

Worship this place. It changes people's lives.

Look, I loved my time here. I got laid like crazy.

That's way before Boogie Nights, too.

Look, this is a special school.

You don't deserve to be here.

[SCOFFS]

Are you still filming, Abed?

ABED: Yeah. Try not to address me. I'm not here.

Neither am I.

I don't think I can finish my commercial.

But I think I know how your documentary ends.

[♪♪♪]

Hi, I'm Craig Pelton, Dean of Greendale Community College.

I have failed this school.

I have failed because I thought I was better than Greendale.

See, I went to a university,

so I thought it was my job to improve this place.

It turns out the only thing wrong with Greendale

is that it's run by an insecure wreck

who holds five dances and two talent shows a year

because he's afraid the school isn't good enough.

But Greendale is good enough

because it accepts me for what I'm not.

[SNIFFLING] Greendale is the best school in the entire world,

and I'm so sorry what I've done to it.

And I'm sorry what I've done to the ice-cream machine.

[SCREAMING]

Please, no one eat out of it until you clean the nozzles.

The janitor knows how.

I'm horrible.

[WHISPERS] I'm horrible.

What I'm about to show you is not the commercial you paid me to create.

What I am about to show you is a glimpse into my mind and soul.

Hold your questions until the end.

I know you will have a lot of them, but I'll understand if you'd rather I just leave.

[UPBEAT CHEESY POP MUSIC]

TROY: Why do I go Greendale? The Dean is a genius.

BRITTA: To meet different people.

SHIRLEY: With three kids, every penny counts.

I loved my time here. I got laid like crazy.

GIRL: Why should you... BOY 1: Why should you...

BOY 2: Why should you go to Greendale?

Greendale is the best school in the entire world.

ALL: Go, Greendale! Go, Greendale, go!

It's good. You know what? Better than good.

Good enough.

Is there more of the crazy Chinese guy? He pops.

I'm confused. That's not my commercial. I didn't make that.

Yeah, okay, Zemeckis, it moved through you.

Anyway, congratulations.

That should last us another 16 years.

So, uh, what's next?

Chump's Rusty Bucket? Quarter taps.

Did you do this? ABED: You did mostly.

You got the footage on the first day.

I added a little bit to fill in the gaps.

I thought you were a fly on the wall.

Some flies are too awesome for the wall.

Documentarians are supposed to be objective, to avoid having any effect on the story.

Yet we have more effect because we decide to tell it.

And decide how it ends.

Will your story be another sad one

of another man who wanted to be happy?

Or will your story acknowledge the very nature of stories

and embrace that sharing the sad ones

can sometimes make them happy?

Ugh! Before you say anything...

Nope, I've got nothing. Can you just forgive me?

Yep. [RELIEVED SIGH]

Why?

Because we've all been there.

Which is why we're all here.

ALL: Aww!

I'm a good dean?

Yeah.

Can someone help me get a live possum out of my office?

We could do that.

It just keeps jumping and skittering.

And you think you're prepared, and then it skitters again.

Okay, scene's over. Hmm?

[BOTH LAUGH]

[EXCITING PREMIERE-LIKE MUSIC]

They'll be ready for you in 20 minutes.

Great.

I'm a star!

Give me that.

I will not be mitigated.

Okay, you know what?

I'm not coming out of this trailer until I get a new trailer.

And get me a granola bar!