Saying Yes, Doing Good

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. STUDIO - 09:00

6. 
   

7. PETER is checking his mobile calendar.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): Today is the first working day in 2024, let me make sure I don't miss any appointments. I've said yes to voluntary work.

10. 
    

11. Checking.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I've a breakfast meeting tomorrow. Another morning appointment on Friday. Quite a lot of emails to respond. I believe I'm doing good.

14. 
    

15. Pausing.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Meanwhile, let me try to complete the song I've been working on since Winter 2023.

18. 
    

19. Grabbing a TV remote control, Peter searches video clips on YouTube.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Jazz improvisation is like magic to me. Let me see if I can get any musical inspiration.

22. 
    

23. Soon, wee see Peter watching "Jazz improvisation explained in 18 minutes".

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I like such educational sharing.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. INT. STUDIO - CONTINUOUS

30. 
    

31. Having watched the clip, Peter grabs a guitar near him, strums the chords of Dm, G7 and C. He then checks the English lyrics on his mobile screen and begins to sing.

32. 
    

33. PETER (Singing): Saying yes, doing good, we l...o...v...e...

34. 
    

35. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The voicings of the C chord don't sound good in context.

36. 
    

37. Peter continues to experiment the arrangement of the song notes.

38. 
    

39. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Perhaps, I'd change the lyrics to complement the tune I've in mind.

40. 
    

41. PETER (Singing): Liv...ing this way - blessings from above!

42. 
    

43. PETER (V.O.): Okay, it sounds like the bridge or chorus of the song.

44. 
    

45. Pausing.

46. 
    

47. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I've already written in Cantonese the lyrics of "saying yes, doing good" and the tune for the song's intro/outro or chorus.

48. 
    

49. Pausing.

50. 
    

51. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): What remains to be done are the lyrics of the song's verses in Putonghua. I've already drafted some nice ones.

52. 
    

53. Having sung a bit of the lyrics in Putonghua, Peter stops.

54. 
    

55. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): They look nice but sound bad in context. Too complex.

56. 
    

57. Peter simplifies the lyrics of the verses.

58. 
    

59. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may sing.

60. 
    

61. Strumming the guitar, Peter sings the verses in Putonghua.

62. 
    

63. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Again, the lyrics are about the power of saying yes and doing good.

64. 
    

65. Opening a mobile recorder app and singing his song, Peter records his new song.

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): That's my way to remember the notes and the structure of my songs. I don't know how to transpose music.

68. 
    

69. Pausing.

70. 
    

71. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Doing it my way, anyone can be a singer-songwriter.

72. 
    

73. Peter checks Meta notifications.

74. 
    

75. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Today is my nephew's birthday anniversary. To celebrate, I always send him the MV of my "Happy Birthday to You" song of the year.  

76. 
    

77. Recalling.

78. 
    

79. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): He was a blessing from above, as the family's male line could be sustained. His birthday was a joyful day for all those who cared.

80. 
    

81. Peter grabs his iPad Mini.

82. 
    

83. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Let me do the 2024 version of the song's MV. It's a lot better than the kindergarten song people sing.

84. 
    

85. Opening the iMovie app, Peter inserts AI drawings from media and adds subtitles in English and Chinese to the MV.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The AI drawings make the MV distinctive. I don't want people to lose the excitement of possibilities.

88. 
    

89. Peter exports the MV to YouTube.

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I first made MVs in 2014. Through trial and error, I've learned to produce good stuff, using just hand-held devices.

92. 
    

93. Peter then opens his mobile recorder app again to listen to his new song.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): While some may think that saying yes is very easy, I think saying a thoughtful yes is real hard.

96. 
    

97. Thinking.

98. 
    

99. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): And doing good is much easier said than done.

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. INT. STUDIO - 20:00

104. 
     

105. Working on a laptop, Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "Saying Yes, Doing Good..." into a draft.

106. 
     

107. PETER (V.O): The parallel structure of the title creates a pleasing and melodic sound.

108. 
     

109. Taping his mobile recorder app, Peter listens to his new song again.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): It showcases the richness and beauty of cultural diversity. To make this trilingual song work, I make adaptive changes.

112. 
     

113. Reflecting.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Working in retirement, I remain passionate in composing. I feel good that my works may connect and inspire, apart from the fun in creating them.

116. 
     

117. FADE OUT

118. 
     

119. THE END