Monday Post Production

The Count

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 12, 2002
Messages
31,234
Reaction score
2,919
Okay... "come out intact from a scandal" probably works the best out of all the options you submitted. But it still doesn't sound entirely correct, not to me, and remember I've got a voice program that's reading back what's on the screen to me so I pretty much take notice when something doesn't sound right to me either grammatically or word-wise.

Sure, go ahead in pulling everything into a chapter, or split it into a script chapter and then finding out the script's name and villain and Muppet reactions to the current production staff. Either way, we'll be here to read it.
 

WebMistressGina

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
913
Reaction score
655
--------------
Likes: the whole Muppet Film Noir idea, and the obvious paraphrasing of "The Maltese Falcon" you're doing.

:sympathy: Classic!

Exactly. Your casting thus far is excellent too, as is the whole idea of Scooter being the author, Piggy directing, and Kermit directing them sneakily from behind...

Love how you're gently treading over the whole frog/pig makeup-relationship thing. Well done and believable.

Love some of the dialogue, particularly in the screenplay!
Mucho thanks!

I had the opening chapter already written and then, I'm sure, in either finding that the Thin Man was being offered on Amazon or the fact that I had just seen the original or something gave me the idea of putting them in a classic film noir setting, which I don't think has ever been done before.

Shame, cause that would have been awesome.

I have been meaning to rewatch a couple of films in my rep for this fic, particularly "To Have and Have Not", "The Big Sleep", and of course, "The Thin Man" I just haven't gotten around to them, with working, then not working, and now hunting down another job. Ironically, being at home all day with nothing to do but job search is actually pretty boring.

However... why present the "script" sections as a novel? Why not write it HERE as a screenplay? Once Kermit's V/O for the beginning is done, the action ought to shift to dialogue interspersed with stage directions, no? Would be fun to read it just as our heroes are doing!
Well, the original thought was to focus more on the fact that the normal dynamics of their film production was different, especially given that this series does tend to be more dramedy than normal Muppet comedy. But I will admit that I do miss mystery writing.

Back in the day when I was a creative writer, mysteries were my thing and really, that's all I ever wrote. Of course with me going into fan fiction, that kinda changed as I tried to write in the action genre/fandom I was in, but elements popped up every once in a while.

And of course, being a freelance writer, I've been trying to focus more on being more professional and business like in my writing, so really this and the current Motocross is me trying to get back with that.

Anyway, back on point, the script was really supposed to be a backdrop, but of course as I think up more of this, the script seems to be growing from backdrop to forefront, hence why I asked if anyone would be interested in reading the actual 'movie'. And I like pulling from film noir. They are my favorites!

Agree with Ed about small lapses in sentences. But the one mistake you do keep making which utterly drives me up the wall is your use of the completely unnecessary and irrelevant phrase "that of." I want you to go through each post and CUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, or I will send Crazy Harry to eliminate them!
You know, I absolutely had no idea that I used the phrase until you pointed it out to me, so for that, thank you. And I am trying; in fact every time I'm about to write 'that of', I pause and erase it cause I know it drives you nuts and I really have no idea why I use it.

This week looks to be crazy - just scored an interview tomorrow and I have one on Thursday, so I'm really tempted to take off Wednesday and not only work on this, but Motocross and Shards of Time.

Oh, what is Shards of Time, you ask? Just a dream in a dream that I had this week about time travel. Yeah, that's a thing now.
 

WebMistressGina

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
913
Reaction score
655
--------------

However... why present the "script" sections as a novel? Why not write it HERE as a screenplay? Once Kermit's V/O for the beginning is done, the action ought to shift to dialogue interspersed with stage directions, no? Would be fun to read it just as our heroes are doing!
So I read over this again and realized that you meant write the script in actual script form and not in a 'do a separate story for it'.

I will say why I don't want to do that - one, I have done script form before (just check my Get Smart scripts) and I have found that a lot of action, both danger and comedic, are lost in script form. Now of course I'm saying that as someone who isn't necessarily trained in script writing or screen plays, which I'm not.

Personally, I have found that having to describe stuff out is a little easier and in my defense, it kinda does force me to do more showing than telling, something I have lost since writing fan fics.

And I kinda like the idea of describing out the scenes, for the mere fact that, sadly not everyone might be familiar with the timeless classics of movies that were made well before we were born. So yeah, that's why you'll see the novelization and not the script for this.

However, if anyone IS a scriptwriter/screen play writer and would want to tackle this, you certainly have my permission.
 

Muppetfan44

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
945
Reaction score
235
love this story, well both stories actually- the script itself and the story of the Muppets making that movie...please post more soon!
 

WebMistressGina

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
913
Reaction score
655
Happy Monday everyone! So of course, I'm running well behind schedule today, but that doesn't mean you don't get an update, though I was hoping for two, you may just get one. We'll see.

But I think I've come to a decision that you'll all really like - based on the popular opinion of wanting to see the actual 'movie' being presented here, I've decided to go with my original idea here, which was showcase the process and all that jazz of the Muppets making a movie, with little tidbits of their movie interplaced throughout.

But I've also decided to write the actual movie in it's entirety, so perhaps you'll get that update today as well. Now, with all that said, I did run into a problem. As Scooter will state in this chapter, the villain of the movie isn't revealed until the end of the movie, which meant that for this story I had to change the ending as both (story ending & movie ending) were tied together, so the villain won't be revealed in this fic, but will be revealed, along with motives in the movie piece.

And now for something you'll really like!

(PS - if anyone needs to know who is speaking what at the end, let me know and I'll tell you!)


V.


Given the excitement of a new movie production, Kermit had expected there to be a sea of questions, comments, and overall enthusiasm, but not nervousness.

Wednesday morning the frog was getting the sense there was some anxiety in the air, by Wednesday afternoon he was almost sure that something was going on, and by Wednesday night, he was convinced that something was wrong with his girlfriend. Kermit would have thought that she would’ve been excited as the others, especially considering that this was the chance she had always wanted – something that would show that she was more than just the Muppets’ leading lady and love interest to the frog.

While this idea of his, for him to step back from the Muppet productions, had been a great idea in concept, on paper he could understand the complexities he had just heaped on everyone. He could see the looks of surprise on everyone’s faces when he had told them Scooter was the one responsible for their script and he was fairly confident that everyone would agree with his assessment that his young assistant had done them justice in this story.

He was also fairly confident that he could expect some resistance when it came to the announcement tomorrow that he wasn’t directing. It wasn’t that he hadn’t directed before and the group knew that, however it was such a rare case in the fact that he didn’t direct that was the issue. There had only been a few cases where he hadn’t directed one of their pictures and when he told them tomorrow that he wouldn’t be again, he expected a few raised eyebrows.

What would get them of course was the fact that it was Piggy directing.

It would probably be a big adjustment for the group, depending on how Piggy managed to handle the whole thing. Kermit had certainly been thinking about this as well, almost to the point where it had invaded his dreams for the last few weeks.

The point was Kermit was tired. Trying to control the group as a whole, while trying to produce, direct, write, and act was a tall order and while that may have worked years ago, this time he was done. It wasn’t that he didn’t still enjoy those things – if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have agreed to produce the thing or even agreeing to be the movie’s star – but he didn’t get the same kind of enjoyment he once did.

In the beginning, making movies was a whole different beast than doing a weekly TV show; there was a ton of things that needed to be done and couldn’t be pushed off for the next week like they could with the show. On top of that, movie days required very long workdays, much longer than even he allotted for the show. But as people teased and guessed, the frog was a workaholic and sometimes couldn’t remember to stop working. And there had been times when stopping work just wasn’t an option; those times were when he had a lot on his mind and facing reality just hurt too much.

You couldn’t hang around a group of people for years at a time and not get the sense of growing up together. He had seen the worst of his friends and they had certainly seen the worst of him; a movie set tended to do that to people and it wasn’t unheard of for tempers to flare.

That had certainly been true in regards to Piggy. He could count on his flipper the number of times that they hadn’t broken out into some sort of argument that hadn’t been scripted and was most likely the combination of their irking one another for the last few days and weeks. Those were unfortunate moments that had been caught on tape and ironically, had placed them as the darlings of relationships.

That of course was on screen.

Off screen was never quite so tidy.

They were professionals, the lot of them, and when the cameras were rolling, they knew to hit their marks and pretend they were the bestest friends in the world. And in most cases, that was true, but in others, the wait to get away for each other made it very easy to stalk off in the other direction.

It had taken an ill-advised decision on his part to show him that he had lost the control he had tried so very hard to maintain. The writing had been on the wall for months, maybe even years and it was only the point when Piggy had announced her departure, from both the Muppets and him, that he had finally awoken from whatever fog he had been in.

Seven years had taught him some valuable lessons and trying to get everyone back to put on a show that could make or break them had taught him a few more.

First and foremost, he couldn’t control everything and everyone, even if he wanted to and tried. And heavens knew, he had tried like the dickens. It was one thing to set limits for what could be done within a theater, it was something else when it came to trying to curb one’s behavior. He had learned quickly that no matter how many times he would say no, Gonzo could find a way in which he would get a yes.

Scooter could easily finagle his way in and out of trouble and most times, Kermit wouldn’t even be the wiser.

Fozzie had always shown that he held just enough innocence and childlike charms to get his way should he want it.

And then there was Piggy.

Kermit didn’t think he was controlling and he certainly hoped no one ever thought of him like that, but if there had been one thing he had tried to control, it had been her. The frog had tried everything, including the kitchen sink, to curb Piggy’s grandstanding and over the top ways; had gotten on her about her set and wardrobe pricing; had gotten on her about adding her own star to a dressing room that hadn’t even been assigned to her; and had tried to subtly tell her that while, yes he was attracted to her, they were professionals and that was the way it was.

And in every case, Piggy managed to upstage, confuse, irritate, and arouse him on every front.
Something had to give and something had given, leaving him in a house by himself for seven years. It had taken just as long and more so for him to come to the realization that he couldn’t control Piggy; trying to control her was like trying to control a tornado or a hurricane, some whirlwind force that shouldn’t be trifled with.

Maybe that was why she had been his first choice for director. He had always known she was made of greater stuff, the same greatness that she portrayed on screen and in interviews, but sometimes didn’t feel quite justified in believing herself. She did have a good eye for scenic pieces and she had shown on more than one occasion that she could handle the wild bunch that were their friends. He wasn’t blind to know that she was prepared to turn over the reins should he ask, but he wasn’t going to.

In fact, he was going to do his utmost in not even asking about anything, should she think he was trying to muscle in on her thing.

But with that said, by Wednesday night Kermit could see that the approach of having a grand announcement to the group was weighing on her. She had been fidgeting all day, he realized, and couldn’t seem to stay still even if her life depended on it. And if he had missed all of that, the fact that she about to peel an egg over a coffee mug pretty much sealed it.

“Something wrong, baby?”

Piggy looked up from her task, surprised by Kermit’s arrival. That was also a red flag, as Kermit had been sitting at the table for a good fifteen minutes. “What makes you think something’s wrong, baby?” she asked.

“Because you’re about peel an egg over a coffee mug,” he said.

“What?”

Sure enough, Piggy held a potato peeler in one hand and an egg in the other. Putting down the peeler, she muttered, “I was planning on making an egg and having some coffee.”

“Did you decide that just combining them would be easier?”

“Ha ha,” she retorted. “I was gonna ask if you wanted one, but now I’m not going to.”

“You do realize it’s after eight o’clock, right?” he asked.

“We’ve had brenner before,” she said.

“Yes,” he nodded. “But usually not with coffee. You know I can just shoot the stuff through my veins, but unless I’ve got something to do, I usually pause the habit around the beginning of the afternoon. You know what I think?”

“Moi is not particularly interested in your opinion at the moment.”

“Well, that’s too bad,” he began. “Cause I’m gonna tell you anyways. I think something’s wrong.”

“Really.”

“Yes really,” he continued. “And I think that something has to do with tomorrow’s meeting.”

Piggy sighed. “You realize that not everyone’s going to be happy about you not directing,” she stated.

“We’ve had other directors before,” he said. “And they got along just fine. Frankly, darlin’, I don’t think this is about me not directing; are we sure this isn’t about you directing?”

Staying the hand that was about to crack the egg, Piggy leaned slightly against the kitchen island she stood at. “Kermit,” she said. “Please remind me how many movies I’ve directed.”

“Oh come on.”

“Zero,” she continued. “That’s how many. Now let’s count how many you’ve done.”

“What does this…?”

“Five,” she stated. “That’s how many, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“With you around, how can I?” Clearing his throat, he asked, “Darlin’, does this have anything to do with anything?”

“I can’t live up to you.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“Everyone else is going to be comparing me to you in terms of being in that director’s seat,” she said. “I…I don’t know if I can take that.”

“Oh well, then,” he began, heaving a dramatic sigh. “We should just cancel the project right now. You do have a point; how can anyone possibly be as great as me?”

“Watch it.”

“Poor Scooter is in for a rude awakening, that’s for sure,” he continued, pretending as though he wasn’t aware that he was one sentence from either being karate chopped into the wall or relegated to that of the couch or both. “And did you hear about the guy they got to play the lead? Some no name frog upstart. I’m telling you, darlin’, this business isn’t what we remember.”

“Are you done?”

“You know,” he sighed. “I did hear that Miss Piggy was supposed to direct. You know Miss Piggy, right? Star of stage and screen, most sought after leading lady and model, career criminal when it comes to doing what she wants and being darned good at; if I’m missing something, sweetheart, please feel free to jump in.”

“You’re doing alright.”

“Fast track to being a triple threat,” he continued. “First a star, then a model, and now a director? I can’t imagine what this would do for her and anyone who would be honored to work with her. Talented, intelligent, creative, and certainly easy on the eyes…” Turning to her, he asked, “Am I wrong?”

The diva couldn’t help but to sigh. Kermit always knew how to build her back up when she needed it and he always did have a way when it came to complementing her. “You’re right,” she groused. “As always.”

“Twice in two weeks?” he asked, astonished. Coming around to her side, he leaned casually against the island, in much the same manner she had done earlier. “I knew I was good.”

“You flatter yourself.”

“But I am good,” he insisted. Watching her roll eyes good-naturedly brought a smile to his face; he was trying to do his best at supporting her in this and he would support her as long as she needed it.

Throwing an arm around her waist, he whispered, “And so are you. If I didn’t think you couldn’t do this, I wouldn’t have offered, but I know you can do this. You never let anything stand in your way when you want something and I know you want this.

“You’d be surprised at just how much loyalty you inspire in the others.”

That was something that had been equally surprising to him as well. It had never once occurred to him that the others were just as loyal to her as they were to him; hadn’t they shown that when they had returned from Paris without her? Gonzo had flat out stated, soon after his fist had landed on Kermit’s cheek, that there was a good-sized group of them that would side with Piggy any day of the week should she ask.

He may not have gone into details about it, but he at least wanted to sedate Piggy’s fears on the matter. Would there be some that would object? Possibly, but overall he knew everyone would be okay with it and that’s what she needed to hear.

Giving her a slight squeeze, he started to head for the bedroom, effectively going to close down his night in order to be ready for tomorrow. “Don’t drink any coffee,” he replied. “It’ll keep you up.”

“Where’re you going?”

“I gotta go learn my part,” he said. “I heard the director’s a real stickler for knowing your lines.”

“Laugh riot, Frog.”


[hr]


Thursday midday seemed to come faster than anyone expected. Once again, nearly the entire troupe found themselves gathered within Muppet Theatre for a big announcement. Monday, they had been given a script and three days to read it and discover if it was something they wanted to do. This was often the case when Kermit came to them with an idea for a movie; he’d personally type everything up and then hand out scripts and let the masses state whether it was worthy or not.

In some cases, everyone liked everything and only changes on the fly had to be done, easily penciled in on a script or two; in other cases, whole pages and scenes were thrown out in order to make complete changes to the script. Even from the very beginning, the group had full creative control in terms of how they thought a scene should work and the only deciding factor was Kermit; the frog was fairly relaxed and laid back when it came to letting the others work alongside each other to find the best way to get something done.

They had certainly done it before, years in fact, when they worked on the Muppet Show and in many cases, they were able to do the same thing on a bigger stage.

Kermit could tell from some of the conversations he was overhearing as he walked in that Scooter’s script seemed to be a hit; he had pretty much thought to include everyone in it, though the two did face a conundrum when it came to their newest member Walter. Walter, who had done so much for them and had proved he was all Muppet at heart, hadn’t been around when Scooter wrote this piece and the assistant had been deeply worried that the younger Muppet would take offense in not being included.

Both he and Kermit had discussed the situation and had come up with something that they both hoped would give the Muppet something to do and equally make him even more a part of the group.

And speaking of Scooter, he was making his way down the aisle towards his seat, taking the one immediately behind Piggy’s right shoulder. The page had known the pig long enough to know that today was probably the most nerve wracking she had ever faced. Giving her shoulder a squeeze as he passed, he whispered, “Calm down.”

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered. “From what I hear, you’ve got a ringing approval.”

“And so will you,” he said. “Trust me.”

Turning slightly in her seat, she looked at him. “Trust you?” she asked, with a smirk. “Remind me again which one of us is not allowed in dark corners with chorus girls.”

“Better be nice to me,” he chuckled. “I’ve got the power to change your lines.”

“Okay, everybody, quiet down,” Kermit began, trying to get some order to the otherwise rowdy bunch. “Can I get a little quiet here?” As per usual, everyone of course ignored him until he gave a helpless look towards Floyd, who gave Animal a nudge.

“QUIET!”

“And then I asked him what he thought the lump was…”

Janice, the Mayhem’s guitarist, immediately stopped talking when she realized she was the only one speaking at the moment, cutting short the conversation she was having with Wanda. “Sorry.”

“As I was saying,” Kermit began, but then stopped. Turning to the blonde, he amended with, “Actually Janice, you should probably see a doctor about that. That…that sounded serious.”

“No worries, Boss Frog,” the blonde said, laughing a little bit. “Like, I so saw a doctor and yours truly has a clean bill of health.”

“Oh good,” the frog sighed. He may have been a taskmaster at times, but he certainly took to heart the health of his cast members and friends. And speaking of…

“And with that, a reminder for the annual physical if you haven’t had them,” he finished. Sometimes you literally needed to tell people to get themselves to a doctor and sometimes, they needed to be dragged in kicking and screaming, like the time he had gotten that rash.

“So it’s Thursday…”

“THURSDAY! THURSDAY!”

“And I’m going to let Scooter lead this one.”

The newly minted screenwriter looked at the frog in shock. They hadn’t discussed this. “We didn’t discuss this,” he murmured, nonetheless standing and climbing his way over chairs to reach the orchestra pit. “So um…” he began, looking out at everyone in front of him. “ It’s Thursday. Um…I take it everyone was able to read the script?”

Everyone murmured their agreement that they had in fact read the script.

“Okay,” the assistant stammered. “And…did we like it?”

Scooter visibly flinched, ready to hear the boos and hisses that were going to come his way. Kermit and Piggy had been nice to him, as they always had, and they had said they liked because they didn’t want to hurt his feelings. But this was the general assembly of Muppets and none of them were shy about letting someone know how they felt.

Convinced everyone hated it and he wouldn’t be able to look anyone in the eye, Scooter was shocked when the round of applause happened and he heard the bits and pieces of praise about the story. He felt someone clap him on the shoulder and instinctively he knew it was Kermit. Amidst all of the praise and shouting, he was getting some questions, he thought; they really did make it hard to hear sometimes.

“Alright, alright,” Kermit said, trying to regain the order he had just moments before. “Come on, settle down. Yeah, Gonzo, what is it?”

Gonzo, who had been about to jump up and down in his seat, had been trying to flag down either Kermit’s or Scooter’s attention for a few minutes. “I have a question,” he started. “So at the end with the villain, which brilliant casting by the way, you don’t really state who the true villain is.”

“Ah,” Scooter replied, a huge smile on his face. Glancing at Kermit, he said, “I was wondering when someone would get around to asking about that. The answer is simple, Gonzo – I’m not telling. Keeping the true villain’s identity is part of the plot and can only be revealed at the very end and before you ask, I’m the only person who knows who the true villain is.”

“Aw nuts.”

“Any other questions?”

“Yeah man,” Floyd piped up. “Like you haven’t told us who the director is.”

“That’s easy,” Bean Bunny stated. “It’s Kermit. Kermit always directs us.”

“Sorry Bean,” the frog replied, crossing his arms and leaning back against the orchestra pit railing. “Not this time.”

Groans and choruses of “what?” and “Oh man!” went up. It wasn’t that the group couldn’t be directed by other people, it was just that they were pretty much used to Kermit and the frog was used to them; that made all the difference when dealing with someone new, especially someone who didn’t know the group the way Kermit did. They had a pretty small pool of outside people who came in for their productions, based in part because some people just couldn’t handle the entire Muppet troupe in one setting.

“Kermit, what are you saying?” asked Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. He was especially wary about new people coming in from the outside; they usually never gave him the scientific accreditation that he deserved. They also tended to ban him from the set should something of his accidently blow up for some reason.

“I’m not directing this picture,” Kermit repeated.

“Then like, who is?” asked Janice.

“Piggy is.”

And just like that, you could’ve heard a pin drop in the auditorium. Taking a deep breath, the diva was front and center, standing from her seat and turning so that she could look at everyone behind her.

“You’re directing?” asked Link, incredulously.

“Yeah Link,” she growled. “I’m directing.”

“Well, what for?” the male pig groaned.

“Well, why not?” retorted Rizzo the Rat. He and Pepe the King Prawn always tended to sit in the middle, in hopes of getting surrounded by the chorus girls, who also usually sat in the middle as a group. Today however, they must’ve missed their chance because the girls were sitting further up in front of them and they had gotten stuck in what Rizzo called ‘a complete sausage fest’ with Link, Julius Strangepork, and several other stagehand pigs.

“Well,” the pig continued to whine. “It’s not fair!”

“Oh, since when did directing become a popularity contest?” asked Nigel, the Muppet Show orchestra conductor.

“Link is only saying…”

“Dr. Strangepork, I know exactly what I’m saying…”

“You’re just mad cause the frog wouldn’t consider you for Christmas dinner.”

“That’s an insult, you furry rat person you!”

“Dem’s fighting words, Hogthrob!”

“It kinda isn’t fair, when you think about it.”

“How’s that?”

“Well, she is Kermit’s girlfriend after all.”

“I heard they were secretly married in Vegas.”

“Hey girls, don’t you know it’s not nice to gossip?”

“We aren’t gossiping, Rowlf.”

“Please, I could hear you from outside!”

“Oh shut up, Baskerville!”

“Hey, that’s not nice at all!”

“So the doctor said you were okay?”

“Like, completely. Said I was as fit as fiddle. That’s when I told him I played guitar.”

“The natives are getting restless.”

“I can see that.”

“Alright, knock it off!”

“QUIET!”

“If anyone has a problem with me directing,” Piggy announced. “Say it right now before we get this thing started.”

No one spoke.

Except for Pepe. “How do we know jou won’t hurt us afterwards, h’okay?”

“Shut up,” Rizzo hissed, punching the shrimp in the arm.

“Ow! Dis is a legitimate question, h’okay? I do not want her to ruin my pretty face; she will ruins it for all de womens, h’okay?”

Camilla Clucks, Gonzo’s longtime girlfriend, quipped up that it wasn’t the shrimp’s face that ruined him for all of womankind, causing a good portion of the group to laugh at Pepe’s expense.

“You get amnesty, okay?” Piggy interrupted, bringing the focus back to her, naturally. “So what is it?”

Again, no one spoke. It seemed like the minutes were ticking away and the silence, when coupled with where they were, was deafening. Just when Piggy was convinced she had just bullied her way into the director’s chair and right when Kermit had decided, in this case, coming to her defense was warranted, a voice among many finally spoke up.

“Scooter’s written the script and Piggy’s directing?” Gonzo proclaimed, loudly. “Awesome! We couldn’t possibly go wrong. This is going to be the best Muppet movie evah!”

“Yeah!” Fozzie agreed. “I mean, Scooter wrote this really great script and Piggy’s an expert at scenery and stuff and keeping us in line…”

“I am most galvanized with the choice of our porcine princess in the driving seat,” Dr. Teeth, leader of the Electric Mayhem, declared. “It will certainly be a most motivating experience.”

With a clear ringing endorsement of the group at large, Piggy stated, “That’s what I thought,” before turning around and sitting back in her seat. The others couldn’t see it, but Kermit and Scooter noted just how relieved she was at the mostly positive responses. Casting a look towards her left, she noted the smiling face of Gonzo, who was leaning back in his chair, and that of Camilla, who gave her a respectful nod.

Fozzie, who sat next to the stunt weirdo, gave the diva two thumbs up along with a huge grin.

Turning back towards the front, Kermit didn’t bother to hide the grin on his face.

“So,” Scooter began, looking at the frog. “We’ve got a script and we got a director…”

“Do we have a producer?” Rowlf cried out, chuckling as he did.

“Please,” Kermit replied.

“Looks like we got a movie,” the assistant said.

Nodding, Kermit replied, “Looks like.”
 

The Count

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 12, 2002
Messages
31,234
Reaction score
2,919
*Leaves mug of hot chocolate for a brilliantly longish update to get things moving right along.
 

Misskermie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2011
Messages
6,690
Reaction score
1,488
WOOOOO!!!



That... Went better than I thought. But it's good to know, that even Miss Piggy, gets nervous.
More please!
 

WebMistressGina

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
913
Reaction score
655
WOOOOO!!!
That... Went better than I thought. But it's good to know, that even Miss Piggy, gets nervous.
More please!
Oh, this was nothing. Just wait and see what happens in this installment! So, I've done a callback to a scene from Monday Dinner Date and remembered that Newsie hadn't been aware where the originating line had come from, so at the end of this, I shall tell you (as well as where the line in MDD is located).



VI.

Three weeks later

Putting together a movie was nothing like putting together a show. Putting on a weekly show really only included knowing which acts planned on performing and making sure that all of the elements were in place in order to get the show on the road, so to speak.

A weekly show really only encompassed three parts – getting acts or a guest star, getting the theater ready for said acts, and then putting on the show.

Production for a film was quite different.

The development stage was usually the most difficult, as it required having something set in stone, such as a story or an idea that needed to be told onscreen. This covered everything from coming up with said idea to actually putting it on paper. Luckily, for Kermit and the gang, this had been taken care of thanks to a class assignment given to Scooter.

Scooter had basically done all the work during this development stage and all that needed to be done was get to the next step, that of the pre-production.

Again, the Muppets in general had taken care of the pre-production too. It helped that they had been in the business for quite some time and it also helped that they also had the studio in order to produce the film. Added to that was their new parent company, who was quite happy in helping them, financially, in any new project that they wanted to do. It also helped that, should they need anything, they were only a visit or a phone call away.

As with most things, the pre-production stage took place at the same time as the production stage, with sets being built around the lot as the cast and crew began to go through dress rehearsals. Muppet Studios wasn’t just an attraction for all the fans of the Muppets nor was it just the location of the famed Muppet Theatre where the Muppet Show took place.

The lot as a whole had grown since the initial offering from JP Grosse to use the Benny Vandergast Vaudeville Theatre as a legitimate business endeavor for a group of motely Muppets who wanted to make people happy in the entertainment biz. The theater had only been a rental until the idea of expanding it to the lot that Grosse additionally owned; and thus Muppet Studios was born.

The expansion to that of a studio lot was actually all thanks to that first movie, the movie that Kermit thought people might like to see and the idea that he had been writing and working on during the last year of their show run. The more popular the show got, the more questions were asked and the number one at the time – besides whether there was something going on between him and Piggy – was how had the Muppets met.

The movie was of course a fictionalized account – Kermit couldn’t actually say that he and Rowlf had been in the business together for a while and just happened to meet in some bar one night - and certain elements had to be changed, like having Scooter become the Mayhem’s manager, despite him being about twelve at the actual event.

But it had been that first movie that had sealed the deal for a lot of things and years, decades really, later, their lot was seeing a new production.

Scooter was normally one of the first people to arrive at the studios as a whole. Switching from stage manager to production assistant pretty much entailed the same job skills, though it also meant a lot more work. The actual front of the lot was mostly the offices in which actual work got done – office row, as they like to call it – was probably the only place in which anything could be done in peace and quiet.

Kermit’s official office naturally started the row off; the two had been known to try and get administrative and financial work done in that office, away from the prying eyes and ears of the others in the theater. It was in that office Scooter had learned about Kermit’s reasoning for selling the studios initially to Tex Richman and why the studios had been bleeding money for the last few years. It had taken the assistant weeks to forgive the frog for that huge misstep, though he had to admit to himself that he hadn’t exactly forgiven Kermit for the breakup of the Muppets in the first place.

Scooter’s office was next, something that Kermit felt the younger Muppet needed as he took on more and more responsibilities. If someone had told the then fifteen year old Scooter that he would one day be coming to work for the same people, but with several titles and his own office years later, he would’ve laughed in their faces.

He had been a kid then, only forced to work there because his uncle wanted him out of his hair during the summer and after school, but he couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t learned anything while he had been there and if he was truthful with himself – and he usually was when it came to the group – they had been the family he had sorely wanted and missed as a child.

Scooter’s office was a reflection of both his work on the Muppet Show and as well as his personal habits. His was the only office that had a computer in it, a second laptop that he always kept, and the walls were surrounded with autographs from the stars that had been on the show. He could definitely say his prized possession was that of a framed Stars Wars poster which had been autographed by Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Peter Mayhew when they had been on the show.

And aside from Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’s office, which was one door over, Scooter’s office was also the only one that was fairly technological in nature. Attached to the laptop was that of a 24 inch monitor, which itself was connected to a set of speakers that sat on the desk and a subwoofer that was nestled underneath; on the other side of the laptop was a USB connection port which allowed him to charge both his iPad and ultrabook, as well as his smartphone.

A small bookcase was situated against the wall behind the desk, showcasing not only his physical love of books, but his coffee addiction as well. The top shelve held a variety of different mugs, though at present there were only four – two official Muppet Show mugs, one that had his name and that of his stage manager title, and a gag gift from Gonzo and Fozzie one year that said ‘boy wonder’, an allusion to the nickname of Robin, Batman’s sidekick and ward, but also a moniker he himself had taken when he began to show he was more than just JP Grosse’s nephew.

These offices, at least his and Kermit’s, were fairly organized and clean due to the fact that neither frequented them often. The only reason Scooter came to his office these days was when he needed a portable charger, which he usually kept in his desk. In fact, that was the reason he was there now, popping in to grab the charger, as well as to make sure that his laptop was up to date. He always tended to be in the office more when they were working on a movie, as it allowed him to work on some of the editing while still on the lot.

Grabbing his mobile charger from the desk, while simultaneously letting Windows run the bazillion updates he needed, Scooter walked out and began to lock the door behind him. He was a bit surprised as Kermit’s door was also opening and closing, while also being locked. “Andrew,” replied Piggy, seeing the assistant standing a little ways off. “Good morning.”

“Ahoy hoy,” came his response. He waited while she walked towards him and the two began to head off in the direction of the set that they hoped had been set up for the start of the day’s shoot. “Do I even need to ask why…?”

“That frog kicked me out of my own dressing room, if you can believe it,” she muttered, though there was clearly no bite to it. Piggy had been known to acquire keys to just about anything that Kermit owned and that meant having the key to both his office within the theater and his office on the lot. Piggy didn’t have an office herself, she didn’t really need nor required one, but if she ever did need one, Kermit’s was usually hers for the taking.

Scooter’s phone gave an audible beep, a tone he usually reserved for text and email messages. Pulling it out from his pocket, he said, “And speaking of the frog, he managed to send me a text. ‘ I love you guise presents. Proud of blunt.’”

Just as it was known that Piggy had keys to Kermit’s office, it was equally known that Kermit was extremely resistant to technology. Not all technology, mind, as it was technology that helped to power the show and these movie productions; no, Kermit hated moving into the digital age where people texted more than talked and emailed more than sat face to face. Piggy and Scooter had apparently made it their mission in life to make Kermit embrace this and they had literally browbeaten him into getting a smartphone.

Or rather, Piggy had given it to him as a present and Kermit was told that he would use it or she would hurt him. Real badly.

And because Kermit was very much an independent frog, he always did his best to show that he could learn this stuff on his own, with hilarious results obviously. Texting was the one hold out that Kermit was reluctant to do, though he would do it, and the fact that his autocorrect kicked in at every opportunity meant you just needed to know the frog to truly understand what he may have meant to say.

“I think he meant he gave us presents and he’s proud of us,” Scooter interpreted. “Or perhaps he loves the guise of presents and is proud of Emily Blunt. She is doing very well.”

“For anyone else,” Piggy retorted. “Text to speech is a horrible, but sometimes necessary, burden. That of course is the one thing the frog gravitated to faster than a bear to honey.”

Walking through the soundstage, the caters had already set up the breakfast, snack, and desert trays inside, next to the door, and an excited Fozzie Bear rushed past them to be the first in line for the mini cupcakes that had just been laid out.

“Or faster than Fozzie to a cupcake,” the diva amended.

The soundstage for Muppet Studio was encompassed in the same building that most of their larger props and sets were housed for the Muppet Show and in most cases, was the backdrop for many of their movies themselves, especially the interior shots that may have been impossible to do with a ton of people around.

Currently, the soundstage was set up to look like a 1940s detective office, split into two sides – the larger side on their left was going to be the backdrop that would be Kermit Hollywood’s inner office, while the smaller side on the right would be reserve for that of the outer office where Wanda, Hollywood’s secretary in the movie, would sit.

Next to that set was that of the interior for what would be Count Herbert Gonzolo’s study, where the meeting between Gonzolo and Hollywood would take place and would also serve to introduce the characters of the Count’s three solicitors – Bunsen Melon, Beaker Von Tropp, and Andrew Hess – it would also serve as the introduction to the Count’s mysterious benefactor and that of his two henchmen.

As the duo came towards the two soundstages, they could easily see whatever present Kermit was bestowing on them, if the giant red bow tied across was any indication. Now as professional as Scooter and Piggy wanted to appear, their very first day on the set, the prospects of presents knocked all of that right out; they tried their best to walk – very quickly and excitedly – towards the big red bow, but ultimately gave up in the face of Christmas coming early.

How Scooter managed to outpace her, he didn’t know and probably wouldn’t ask, but he was able to touch the red bow only second before Piggy did, however both of them utilize the teamwork they would need on this project to remove the bow and stare at the two director’s chairs that stood before them. The chair on the left had Piggy’s familiar scrawl etched into the back while the chair on the right had Scooter’s name prominent with little tech designs for the ‘Os’ in his name.

Miss Piggy
Director

Scooter Grosse
Screenwriter

On the front side was the title of their Muppet production, done in the same design Scooter had devised for it when he had first written the script for his class assignment.

Murder Over My Muppets

“Say what you will about the frog,” Scooter said, a little in awe of the gift of his very own director’s set chair. “He knows how to give gifts. We gotta get him something nice for Christmas.”

“Most def,” Piggy whispered.

If Scooter had been in awe, Piggy had been very much veklempted at the gesture. On set, Kermit had the director’s chair, so him to give her – give them both – this kind of gift not only showed how much he trusted them, but how much of his own control he was giving up. It was one thing for her to sit in the famed director’s chair that her frog held, it was something else for him to bestow upon the coveted title that he himself had wheeled around for years to her.

And this gesture right here showed he wasn’t planning on being private about it either.

Holding in a secretive smile – oh, she planned on thanking that frog much later – she turned to her screenwriter and said, “Time to punch in.”

However, such as she was about to sit down for the first time in her very awesome director’s chair, Robin came running up to them both, slightly out of breath. Like Walter, Scooter hadn’t forseen the return of a teenaged frog and so hadn’t put a specific part in the script for him, however his return had come at just the right time.

Earlier in the year, Robin’s return to the Muppet Show had marked a decidedly different role for the young frog. Obviously no longer too small to be seen, Robin had enthusiastically volunteered to help out around the theater, usually providing the extra hand that might be needed with the stage crew. To this end, Kermit had jokingly promoted Scooter and had given him his nephew as a go-fer.

The two Muppets had been fairly close during the original run of the show, sharing many things in common – both served as the youngest regular members of the cast, both had been only children, and at the time, both were living/staying with their prospective uncles. They even shared in the fact that their uncles were the brothers to their fathers and when looked into deeper, both had somewhat tumultuous family home lives.

Reuniting with the younger frog, especially now a much older one at that, allowed Scooter to bring Robin into the geeky fold he himself had been able to enjoy with his Muppet Show cast members. They had taken to using the Star Wars Jedi motif of master and apprentice when backstage, both to gleefully state their love of the movies and to irritate the heck out of their elders, and it was this passage that Scooter had employed when speaking to both his young apprentice and that of Walter shortly after their last group meeting.

Scooter had remarked to Kermit that with his elevated role as screenwriter and production editor/assistant, he would have to push off his normal duties as assistant to the frog. Kermit had certainly understood; in the past, the two of them were probably the hardest working Muppets in show business, as they alone took on way too many duties and responsibilities as the captain and first mate.

The frog captain had left it up to his redhead first mate to decide how he wanted to proceed, trusting that Scooter would know what to do and who to turn to.

Hence his solution for including both Robin and Walter in the production by turning over his normal assistant duties to them.

“Walter,” he had begun, pulling both of them over afterwards. “I’m really sorry for having a part for you in this. We hadn’t met you yet and…”

“It’s okay, Scooter,” the newest Muppet replied.

“Anyway, I couldn’t let the two of you just hang around set making a nuisance of yourselves…”

“That part’s aimed at me, I’m sure,” Robin retorted.

“Walter,” the assistant said. “I’m really gonna need some help during this production and I can’t think of a better person to help with that.”

“Gee, thanks Scooter!”

“Padawan,” he continued, now addressing his official go-fer. “I hereby promote you to stage knight, with all the powers and privileges that go with that. And, I present you your very own padawan to train in the subtle art of stage production and assistance. Do not fail me.”

“No worries, Scootie-Wan,” the frog said, saluting. “You can count on me.” Turning to his new charge, he said, “Padawan, I shall call you Walter.”

“Oh good,” the padawan responded. “It makes it easier to come when I’m called.”

“You guys better come outside,” Robin said, once he had caught his breath. “We got a problem.”

“Well, that didn’t take long,” murmured Scooter, following the younger frog towards the other side of the stage, with Piggy right beside him.

“I knew this morning was going way too smoothly,” she concurred.

On the westside entrance, the three walked out the side door and were presented with a small picket line. A small amalgamation of stage pigs, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Pepe the King Prawn, and about two new chorus girls were parading around in a circle, ultimately following an indignant Link Hogthrob; the male diva was holding up a sign that declared Miss Piggy to be unfair, though the backside clearly dictated that Piggy was holding a fun fair had been crossed out with a black marker.

Leaning against the side of the building was Rizzo, arms crossed and grimacing as his watched his short compadre prancing around the circle with the others. “I told him this was a bad idea,” he muttered, hearing the trio walk out.

“Noticed you didn’t stop them,” Scooter groused.

“Hey!” the rat cried. “I’m the one that told the kid to come get you! And here you are. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go do something productive.”

“That productivity better include staying away from that cheese platter,” Piggy stated.

“Yes, your highness,” the rat retorted, sulking past them and heading inside.

When Link made his third pass around, he finally managed to see Piggy and Scooter standing, though the others had noticed them moments earlier. Seeing as this was a Hogthrob production, so it were, they all decided to let him do the talking and ultimately, let him take the beating that could potentially come. And they were all sure that a beating would come.

“Speak of the probe-able she-devil,” Link announced, halting his congregation in mid-march. “Just so you know, Miss Piggy, while everyone else may have been fooled by your pretty looks and half-way decent charms, the rest of us know the exact extent this production is under.”

“You’ve got some nerve, Link!” Scooter scolded, taking a step towards the pig, only being halted by a rather calm diva.

“The only nerve I have, young Scooter,” Hogthrob began, his voice taking on the regal tone he always used when trying to sound smarter than he really was. “Is to stand up for the little guy, like Pablo here.”

“The name’s Pepe, h’okay.”

“Sure Pedro,” the pig continued. “It’s just like the frog to put Piggy in charge, when she hasn’t even done anything! Why, I have more talent in my ascot than she does! In fact, I have even more directing credits than she does.”

“Is that so?” Piggy asked.

“That’s so,” Link said, matter of factly. “I once directed summer stock.”

“I thought you said you did that in high school,” one of the chorus protesters stated.

“I did,” the pig nodded. “And it’s still one more thing than Piggy, so there.”

“And this how you all feel, right?” she asked, lazily, gesturing the group that stood behind the male diva. Unsteady looks and uncertainty passed between everyone Link’s back, unknown to the supposed star, who was completely assured that the others were behind him.

Piggy and Scooter exchanged a look before Piggy sighed, “Alright.”

“You obviously didn’t bother to read the script, Link,” Scooter chastised. “Because it’s certainly not like you to give up a rather major part in a motion picture production.”

The tan glow that usually accompanied the male diva’s face drained. “What?”

“Oh, didn’t you know?” asked Piggy, a slight smile on her face. “Your…uh…police chief from the Bear on Patrol sketches is the police chief and lead investigator on this case.”

“Don’t bother,” Scooter said. “You know, Link, you’ve actually done me a favor. I was trying to get a role for Walter and you leaving Police Chief is the best thing…”

“Whoa, whoa, wait!” the pig pleaded, grabbing on to Scooter’s arm. “Hold up there, Scooter. Listen, I think there’s been some mistake. I’m not sure, but in the course of my praising Piggy’s directorial debut, these guys mistook me for making a picnic fence.”

“Picket line, Linkie,” Strangepork corrected.

Grabbing the lead pig by his ascot, Piggy growled, “Listen nimrod, you’re toeing the line and on the first day, too. If you want to keep your part and your job, I suggest you start using the foam you call your brain before making any drastic decisions. Got it?”

“Of course,” the pig gulped.

Releasing him, the diva turned her ire on the others. “And that goes for the rest of you,” she said. “Now get inside and find something to do before Scooter or I find something for you.”

The group quickly mowed over their former leader, all rushing to get out of the ever angry eye of Piggy and the script changing magic that was now held by Scooter. Link stood up on shaky legs, stumbling towards the doorway and missing it by an inch, instead running into the doorjam. He nearly missed running into Walter, who had been looking for the director and the writer for a good five minutes.

“There you are,” he said. “We’re all ready for you, Madam Director. Scooter, I went ahead and ordered more coffee and juice for everyone.”

“Thank you, dear.”

Nodding, the brunette ducked quickly back inside and went to do whatever he needed to do. “That Walter is certainly efficient,” the diva replied, heading back inside herself.

“Yes,” Scooter muttered, his eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the younger Muppet head back inside. “Quite efficient. Maybe a little too efficient.”

Heaving a sigh, Piggy turned herself back around and latched an arm through that of Scooter’s before pulling him along. “Once again, dearheart,” she replied, sending a look towards him. “Kermie and I love you, as does everyone else.”

It was a funny conversation that the two had had before, most of it stemming from Scooter’s unnatural dislike and loathing of Kermit’s robotic chauffer. Usually the first person to jump on the technology band wagon, Piggy had almost immediately recognized that his dislike hadn’t been for the robot itself, but that he had somehow gotten the impression that Kermit had replaced him.

Having spent so long being the essential right hand man to the Muppet leader had brought about a rise in his confidence and responsibilities; when the group had split, it had hurt Scooter in the worse way. Piggy had once thought the group’s break up, which ironically corresponded with the breakup of her and Kermit, was just one giant divorce and for some, that divorce left them without an effective ‘parent’ to turn to.

“And no one could ever replace you,” she added. “Haven’t we had this conversation before?”

“I don’t recall.”

“Hmm.”

With one crisis down and the possibility of many more throughout the day, both Scooter and Piggy made their way back to their chairs and the cameras, not at all surprised to see Kermit, already dressed in his character’s clothing, waiting for them.

As much as Kermit had planned to keep a hands off approach, it didn’t stop his sense for knowing when things weren’t going smoothly. “Problems?” he asked, once they got closer.

“Nothing we couldn’t handle, Mon Cher.”

“Oh good,” he said, nodding. “Oh, by the way, I just got off the phone with the big wigs above us. I thought you’d both like to know that I managed to score Stage 9 over at MGM or Sony or whatever it’s called.”

“Stage 9?” Scooter asked, his eyes wide.

“The same stage 9 where they filmed the first Thin Man movie and subsequent series?” Piggy asked.

“And the very same lot where the latest Ironman was just filmed?” Both frog and pig looked at the assistant. “You know I take my comics very seriously,” the redhead added.

Kermit smiled slightly. “Right on both accounts,” he replied. “Thought it might helpful, you know, additional scenes that we might not be able to do here.”

Piggy didn’t think she would ever find Kermit as attractive as she did at that moment. Dressed in a suit with tie, covered by an obviously battered trench coat, and a brown fedora sitting casually on his head, the frog seemed to be doing everything in his power to make sure that this production would run smoothly.

Remembering a scene from just recently, where she had headed off to Paris once more, leaving Kermit watching her from outside the security gate; it was probably the only time in their entire relationship that he had ever told her his feelings for her in a public place, one that hadn’t been dictated by the words he had written on a page.

“I love you,” she said.

“I know,” he smirked, heading past her. Stopping momentarily, he sided up to her, saying, “Don’t say I didn’t do anything for ya.”

Watching him head towards his mark, Scooter quickly looked at the time of his cell phone. “We’re behind schedule.”

“What else is new?” she stated. “Alright people, time is ticking and we got a movie to start. Places!”
 

Misskermie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2011
Messages
6,690
Reaction score
1,488
Wow!
I thought Link was going to be an issue...
Not likely!


But all these bad to good things you make happen...


You're up to something Gina...


MORE PLEASE!!
MORE SCRIPT!!!
 

WebMistressGina

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
913
Reaction score
655
Soooo....

In Monday Dinner Date (on page 2, about halfway), Kermit drops Piggy off at the airport and tells her he loves her, which her response is "I know." Here's a recap -

A knowing smirk graced the porcine lips. “What would be the fun in that?” Turning with one bag trailing behind her – a compromise that went way smoother than either had anticipated – Kermit watched her, like the many times he had seen her off before, however unlike those other times when he was compelled to say what was on his mind, he actually managed to give voice to the words.

“I love you.”

Shock almost had her spinning around on the spot, but at the last second she managed to retain her composure in order to offer him a response to a declaration she could count on one hand that she had ever heard from him.

“I know.”

Smooth, girl. Very smooth.

It was witty, it was calm, and it was quick. To anyone else, it might have been a cheap reference to a popular movie, but Kermit – she hoped – knew and understood that she was well aware how he felt (and had been aware of it for some time) and that yes, she too felt the same. However, there was a time and place for heart felt endearments and this was not one of them.
The original quote is from Episode V in the Star Wars Original Trilogy - in it, Hans Solo is about to be frozen in carbonite. After calming down Chewbaca, he turns to Princess Leia and kisses her. As he is being led away, Leia says "I love you."

Solo responds with, "I know", which *trivia* Harrison Ford said that on the spot because he thought the usual response of "I love you, too" was kinda cliche.

So, like Episode VI, in which the call back happens between Leia and Han, is done here as well. So for anyone who hadn't known, there you go!
 
Top