FADE IN
Act 1
INT. STUDIO - 09:00
PETER is checking his mobile calendar.
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.
Checking.
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.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Meanwhile, let me try to complete the song I've been working on since Winter 2023.
Grabbing a TV remote control, Peter searches video clips on YouTube.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Jazz improvisation is like magic to me. Let me see if I can get any musical inspiration.
Soon, wee see Peter watching "Jazz improvisation explained in 18 minutes".
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I like such educational sharing.
Act 2
INT. STUDIO - CONTINUOUS
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.
PETER (Singing): Saying yes, doing good, we l...o...v...e...
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The voicings of the C chord don't sound good in context.
Peter continues to experiment the arrangement of the song notes.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Perhaps, I'd change the lyrics to complement the tune I've in mind.
PETER (Singing): Liv...ing this way - blessings from above!
PETER (V.O.): Okay, it sounds like the bridge or chorus of the song.
Pausing.
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.
Pausing.
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.
Having sung a bit of the lyrics in Putonghua, Peter stops.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): They look nice but sound bad in context. Too complex.
Peter simplifies the lyrics of the verses.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may sing.
Strumming the guitar, Peter sings the verses in Putonghua.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Again, the lyrics are about the power of saying yes and doing good.
Opening a mobile recorder app and singing his song, Peter records his new song.
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.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Doing it my way, anyone can be a singer-songwriter.
Peter checks Meta notifications.
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.
Recalling.
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.
Peter grabs his iPad Mini.
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.
Opening the iMovie app, Peter inserts AI drawings from media and adds subtitles in English and Chinese to the MV.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The AI drawings make the MV distinctive. I don't want people to lose the excitement of possibilities.
Peter exports the MV to YouTube.
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.
Peter then opens his mobile recorder app again to listen to his new song.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): While some may think that saying yes is very easy, I think saying a thoughtful yes is real hard.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): And doing good is much easier said than done.
Act 3
INT. STUDIO - 20:00
Working on a laptop, Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled "Saying Yes, Doing Good..." into a draft.
PETER (V.O): The parallel structure of the title creates a pleasing and melodic sound.
Taping his mobile recorder app, Peter listens to his new song again.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): It showcases the richness and beauty of cultural diversity. To make this trilingual song work, I make adaptive changes.
Reflecting.
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.
FADE OUT
THE END
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