Juicy James
If you think being a teenager is a drag, it’s not. There are a couple of things that you’ve got to know, but they’re secret so you can’t go telling people. It’ll ruin your life, make you a freak and turn into a nasty shrimpface.
TVC
Duration: 60 sec
Client: Fruit Juice, North America
Market: Teenagers
Notes:
A boy, James, is eleven years old, dressed in typical teenage apparel and frighteningly on top of things. He's comfortable in his environment and operates seamlessly in it. He is however perhaps a little too absorbed in the makings of his own world, much as a boy coming of age is supposed to be. He's outspoken and sees himself as the pinnacle of what a boy his age should be.
His sister, Rita, is calm and mindful. Her composed behavior comes from her actually knowing every one of James's secrets. She is very fond of him but she needs him to acknowledge her more and realize that she is as smart, if not smarter, than he is.
The house is a typical American two story house in the suburbs with a nice leafy backyard.
James addresses the camera like it's a slightly younger cousin visiting from the country side to whom he has been given the sole responsibility of informing on the art of being a top dog, or rather puppy.
Juicy James
INT. DAY. BEDROOM
James is chilling in his room. It is filled to the brim with everything an over imaginative teenager would stock up on. Action figures, posters, class projects and even a hamster in a hamster cage fitted with his own little mini sitting room and stereo system. The space screams of secret compartments and blueprints to the principle’s office strewn somewhere over his messy bedroom floor. James spins around on his chair and starts chatting to the camera.
James
If you think being a teenager is a drag, it’s not. There are a couple of things you’ve got to know, but they’re secret so you can’t go telling people. It’ll ruin your life, make you a freak and turn you into a nasty shrimpface.
INT. DAY. BEDROOM There is a plastic figurine that's actually a bedside lamp standing on a shelf behind him. Out of excitement he hastily fetches it and brings it up in front of him. He turns it around in his hands as he talks. Nothing is noticeably different to it. He then presses a little switch on it and it lights up from the inside. Four girls names become visible, written on the body of the figurine. He switches it on an off a couple of times.
James
These, are the names of the girls I like. Crafty right?
INT. DAY. GARAGE
He’s standing in front of a digital keyboard with earphones on, rocking out to a track that is barely audible to the audience. He takes off his headphones and addresses the camera in confidence.
James
The password I always use is….
He plugs out the earphones and plays the sound clip but it simply sounds like some weird moaning with music accompanying it.
James Terrible you might think, to the untrained ear. And now, I'll play it backwards.
In the reversed track you can hear him sing/rap, clearly spelling out a word and some letters. After he played the track in reverse, revealing his password, he suddenly realizes it wasn’t very smart.
James (playing the track back)
I go by the name of Juicy James 0011 years old, J-U-I-C-Y-J-A-M-E-S-0-0-1-1
Speaking again
Play it in reverse and the doors to all the world’s hidden treasures open up to you.
INT. DAY. HALLWAY James is kneeling next to some skirting on the bottom of a wall in the house’s hallway. He's actually carved two slits into the skirting, creating a little compartment that hinges open when he taps it lightly. He takes out something that looks like a little yellow rubber bag and starts opening it up.
James Never ever keep your bad good loot too close to home. Look. Firecrackers, cherry bombs and itching powder, all wrapped in a poop cushion.
His little sister, Rita suddenly appears behind him. He notices her and quickly turns his back as to conceal the hidden compartment and taboo items. He acts calm and innocent.
Rita
Whatcha doing on the ground in the hallway AGAIN James?
James
Nothing sis, I told you, this is where I come to think. Now please, some space if you don’t mind.
EXT. DAY. ROOF OF HOUSE AND BACKYARD
James is climbing out of his bedroom window moving towards the ledge of the second story roof.
James
Every Smart Kid needs an escape route and I’ve got mine locked down.
He’s on the ledge ready to leap and starts to mimic James Bond.
James
Call me Kid, Smart Kid
He jumps off the roof and lands on a huge pile of raked-up leaves below. Rita suddenly appears at a window overlooking the heap of leaves as James is still buried in them. She peers down at the heap, smirks and closes the curtains again. James gets up from the heap and brushes himself off.
James
It is seasonal I know, but I’ve got my best men working on it.
EXT. DAY. BACKYARD
James is sitting on a bunch of crates quite close to the neighbor's fence. He has a fishing rod next to him and he is busy connecting a hair-tail to the end of the line. It's big, brown and bushy.
James
Here’s a tip to all you kids out there. Get a hobby that you enjoy and keeps you in shape. Maybe something you can enjoy with someone or something else.
He casts the line which drops in the neighbors yard. A sleeping Golden retriever wakes up and starts chasing the hair-tail connected to the end. James starts reeling the line back in with force. The retriever catches the hair-tail and a epic tug of war battle commences. In the tussle, the retriever unintentionally releases the hair-tail and James reels it in with all the energy he can muster. His victory is short lived as the neighbor suddenly appears from his back door and looks around suspiciously. James dodges down and starts running below the sight line of the fence As he runs, he falls, gets back up and keeps going.
INT. DAY. KITCHEN
James walks up to the refrigerator in the kitchen and is filled with a sense of pride and achievement as he prepares to deliver the coup de grâce.
James
But the best kept secret however, is kept in this wintry vault.
He scans the kitchen to see if anyone is around. He opens the fridge and takes a juice box from the refrigerator, puts the straw in and takes an eager sip. He closes the door only to find his little sister, Rita, looking at him with crossed arms, tapping her one foot on the ground.
Rita
You're drinking my juice, again.
James
Let me show you how to remove your dolls’ heads and put them on other doll’s bodies. You'd like that, won't ya?
Rita
I rather speak to Juicy James and ask him to shed some light on who the girls are he likes
There's a close-up shot on James' face. As he blinks his eyes we hear the sound of the switch of his bedside figurine, with the names of the girls he likes on, click on and off. He puts his one arm around Rita's shoulders and starts walking away with her.
James
You’re a good kid sis, but you’ve got a lot to learn.
