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Clerc Scar 2.78 July 2009
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfpsFRD72QQ To view the film, click on the link above. For those who are Braille readers, the English version is provided below. Actors:
Caller: Janis Cripps
A young woman (Caller) clicks on her videophone. She sighs as she waits to connect to a VRS center. A professionally-dressed interpreter answers. "Hello! Port-Talk VRS, Operator 123Z." Caller looks worried as she signs, "Hi. I have an important call [ASL gloss "port-talk"]. I need to call SSI. Please call 1-800-555-9334." Operator 123Z dials in the number. "Ring 1 . . . Ring 2 . . . Ring 3 . . . Your call was answered by a recording. It says, 'The SSI office hours are Monday through Friday 8am to 4pm. All operators are currently busy, please hold and we'll be with you shortly.'" Caller checks her watch. Operator 123Z smiles, but is suddenly caught into a coughing fit. It begins mildly, but becomes clear some intervention might be needed. She tries to stifle it by grabbing a blue cup of water. She signs, "Excuse me!" before taking a polite sip. The fit turns to choking, nearly knocking off her headset. She adjusts it and holds up an index finger. "Sorry, I need to switch because of my coughing. Do you mind?" Caller nods. "Go ahead. It's fine." By this time poor Operator 123Z is hacking and waving urgently to a substitute offscreen. "Hurry, I need to switch!" She tells Caller "One moment" before yanking off her headset and handing it off to her substitute. The substitue grabs the headset and sprints into the chair. He is a well-coiffed man. The new operator grimaces as he signs, "She's coughing bad! . . . Anyway, my number is 326D. Nice to meet you." Caller purses her lips as she signs, "Hello." She is impatient. Operator 326D continues, "Seems we're still holding. Music is playing . . ." He dances a few beats. "That, you know." He guffaws. Caller picks up that something is not quite . . . right. Her eyebrows knit. Operator 326D sits back in his chair and crosses his knees. He whips out a comb from his shirt pocket. "If you don't mind, my hair is mussed. I'm gonna fix it." He gingerly takes off the headset, but hears something. Satisfied that no one has answered, he mouths, "Nothing" and sets it on his knee. It is apparent that Operator 326D's hair has been through many combings but it still receives yet another one. He notices the blue cup and dips his comb in before continuing his grooming. Now finished, Operator 326D mutters as he puts the headset back on. He holds out his hand. "No worries, still holding." Caller is piqued, but puzzled. "It's fine." The 'interesting' operator settles back with his comb in hand. An uncomfortable pause ensues. Caller checks her watch. Operator 326D starts muttering again. It turns out to be a conversation with someone offscreen. He looks to the side and starts laughing. The conversation is VERY interesting but unfortunately VRS doesn't provide captioning service. His expression changes. "Excuse me, I have to switch. If you don't mind, okay?" Caller, relieved but a little annoyed, answers. "Fine." Yet another substitue arrives onscreen. She is wearing an oversize sweater with large turned cuffs and huge turned collar, topped with a bright red wig. She very femininely signs, "Hi . . ." It takes quite some time to adjust the headset and make sure everything is in place. The new substitue continues daintily, "Hello, my number is 555J." She finishes with a flourish, adjusting her seat. Unfortunately, her flourish ends with a broken fingernail. Operator 555J tries to stuff her injury under her arms but the pain is still too great. The nail is checked again before she squeaks out, "Still holding." Operator 555J whimpers off-screen for a replacement. She is still cradling her hand as she signs, "I'm switching now, hope you don't mind." The finger pops into her mouth. Her replacement appears but the headset is locked in the middle of 555J's grasp. Ensue entanglement. The headset cord pried out of grasp at last, Operator 123Z takes the chair. She puts on the headset, signing, "You okay?" to Operator 555J offscreen. Her eyebrows are raised as she returns to the screen. "I'm sorry . . ." Caller nods acceptance, yawning a bit. Operator 123Z continues in a friendly manner, "My cough's all better." She grasps the headset's microphone. "Still holding." A slight cough reappears and the operator takes a quick sip from her blue cup . . . The puzzled operator pulls hairs from her mouth. She puts on a brave face. "The holding music has a waterfall, water flowing in a river." Operator 123Z shifts in her chair uneasily, crossing her legs. It becomes a matter of willpower as a different sort of call comes upon her. She turns offscreen and mouths, "I HAVE to go to the bathroom." She turns back to Caller and bravely smiles. "Holding!" Caller waves, "Need to go to the bathroom? Go ahead if you want to." The operator is relieved. "Sorry, I have to switch . . . bathroom ya know . . ." Her replacement dips in quickly and nearly slides offscreen in the chair. It is Operator 326D. He catches himself and slides back onscreen, exuberantly signing, "Hello! My number-- Oh! We already met!" He grins as he continues, "That's right, you're the one on hold with SSI. Ha ha! Sucks to be you." Caller just nods on her armshelf. Operator 326D nods an okay as he turns to the computer offscreen. He types distractedly, pointing and laughing. The operator types a response and slams it in using an index finger. He reacts to the conversation offscreen, his expressions becoming animated. Fortunately, a hand appears and taps 326D on the shoulder. He finds it difficult to part with the computer but finally disengages. "Oh! Sorry . . . I have to switch." Caller shakes her head in annoyance and checks her watch again. The operators have serious trouble changing places. 326D runs his arms around his replacement, spinning her around in the headset before they get straightened out. Operator 555J has returned, and she is displeased with the handling. Her index finger sticks out in a large white bandage as she puts on her headset. She takes a moment to collect herself. "Sorry. Still holding." The wait soon becomes unbearable to her and she takes out a nail file. The bandaged finger sticks up properly as she files her other nails. The hold music must be very entertaining as the filing soon matches the beat. Operator 555J forgets herself and begins singing with the file as a microphone. Her performance is stimulating, but stops suddenly as the operator's arm is outstretched. She has gotten a whiff of her underarm odor. It thankfully curtils any further singing. She wanly smiles. "Excuse me." But her personal grooming cannot be put off. The headset almost falls as she moves to the side. "Do you mind holding?" Operator 555J puts in a call for one more replacement. Her red wig nearly follows the headset off her head. 555J starts to hand the headset off to Operator 123Z, but the line has picked up! Both operators scramble to put an ear to the headset's muffs. Their signs overlap, "Someone answered!" Caller snaps to attention. "They answered? Perfect! I have port-talk to SSI! SSI!" Chaos erupts onscreen as the interpreters fight to take the call. "I'll take over-- No wait!-- I'll do it-- No. No! Nooo!" They topple over, spinning the chair. Operator 326D enters to intervene, gesturing for the squabblers to relinquish the headset. He gets it and puts it on, scrunching down to fit the screen. "Hello?" The remaining operators struggle up as he continues, "Hello? Hello? . . . They hung up!" 555J has trouble seeing through her wig. Caller exclaims, "What? They hung up?" Operator 123Z confirms and 326D signs yes. "Do you want us to call back again?" Operator 555J gets her wig on right. Caller is disgusted. "Forget it. I suggest next time you pull up the privacy screen! OK?!" The operators think this is a very good idea as they nod and look at each other. Consensus has been reached and they grin at Caller. Caller shes her remote from the couch cushion and clicks the TV off. End film.
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