PLUSH COMPANY BOARD ROOM IN A HIGHRISE OFFICE BLOCK. DAY. THERE ARE 8-10 PEOPLE SAT AROUND THE TABLE IN SUITS LOOKING AT A PRESENTATION SCREEN. A HIGH POWERED EXEC IS MAKING A PRESENTATION. WE WILL SEE PIE CHARTS, GRAPHS ETC AS HE TALKS
RICHARD: In Asia we are targetting an increase in profits by 22% year-on-year for the second quarter and A 13% reduction in the costs of overheads. We have fully developed the marketing strategy having taken into account production costs at the new Beijing factory and competitor performance in Japan. The other side have been unchallenged in the market for over 10 years over there so it will be tough to make up lost ground.
ANOTHER GRAPH IS SHOWN.
RICHARD: As you can see from this slide, we've slipped into third in the US market and costs have spiralled after production was shut down in Denver after the processing plant fire. However, we're back on track now and R&D for the 2008 model is going well and we will be trialing prototypes this Autumn. The key selling feature will be RS1000 which if marketed correctly will blow the opposition out of the water so no need to hit the panic button yet.
THE PEOPLE ROUND THE TABLE START TO LOOK UNCOMFORTABLY AT EACH OTHER AND RICHARD SENSES THIS.
RICHARD: Do we have a problem here? C'mon, if you have an issue with the figures you've gotta say so now! (BEAT) John, what you think?
JOHN LOOKS DOWN AT HIS PAD AND SAYS NOTHING
RICHARD: Mary? Peter?
EVERYONE REMAINS SILENT. RICHARD SUDDENLY WHACKS THE PRESENTATION SCREEN WITH THE BACK OF HIS HAND MAKING EVERYONE JUMP.
RICHARD: Hasn't anyone got a tongue in their head? Doesn't any of this make sense to you?
SLOWLY EVERYONE STARTS SHAKING THEIR HEADS.
RICHARD: Really? Nothing makes sense at all?
RICHARD STARTS SMILING AND SIGHS RELIEVED.
RICHARD: Thank God for that! I thought it was just who couldn't figure it out.
EVERYONE LIGHTEN UPS AS THE TENSION DISAPPEARS.
RICHARD: Not a word makes sense and I'm presenting the damn thing. Crazy!
JOHN: Load of gobbledegook to me, Richard.
MARY: You'd lost me in the first 10 seconds. (SMILES)
THEY'RE ALL RELAXED NOW AND BEGIN TO LAUGH BUT SUDDENLY RICHARD BECOMES SERIOUS AND LEANS FORWARD ON THE TABLE.
RICHARD: So what are we gonna do about it?
THERE'S A LONG PAUSE
PETER: Pub?
RICHARD: Yes! Let's go!
EVERYONE GETS UP AND LEAVES IN A JOVIAL MOOD.
END
