Screen Play: Proving Denial Of Access

In a 1990, US Dept. of Health & Human Services study, "Survey of Absent Parents" it was shown that 60% of divorced fathers needed to file to enforcement their court orders access (visitation) rights within six months of receiving the order. However, despite this, within five years they lost all contact with the children due to frustration with the lack of help from the courts. This is why it is important to learn what can be done to prove a case.

This Screen Play is for the production of a video segment to show what one should be doing when attempting to pick up ones child or children for a weekend visitation. I'm looking for volunteers to make these recording and send them to me for editing and production. The scenario is not complicated and can be achieved using simple equipment.

Do a complete run through of the dialog three times recorded using Camera #3.

After this is done, Camera #1 can record both dialog texts by the man, shot from the passenger side, while Camera #2 is ducked out of the scene, than Camera #2 can record the dialog of the woman while Camera #1 is ducked out of the scene.

Male (shot from camera #1):
Okay, we have five minutes to wait before heading over to the house.

Witness (shot from camera #2):
Do you have everything?

Male (shot from camera #1):
Yes, I have a copy of the court orders (holds up the court orders), the recorder pen (points to a large writing pen in his shirt pocket) to record everything close up, and I know what to say. I imagine she will give me the usual excuse.

Witness (shot from camera #2):
I have the camcorder ready (holding up the camera) and the battery is all charged up.

Father:
This is Darrel James. I'm approaching (state the house number, as it will likely will appear on camera, but makeup a street name, city, and state)

I am attempting to pick up my son as this, my weekend visitation. I'm to have him from now until Sunday Evening at 6 P.M. Remaining in the van is Helen Downy, who is here to act as a witness, and to video record what takes place. Today is Friday, January 13, 2012. It is 6 P.M.

(Man approaches the door of the home and knocks. After a few second, the door opens and a woman appears behind the screen door.)

Mother:
What do you want?

Father:
I am here to exercise my visitation. Going by our court order, I am to pick up Bobby at this time.

(First looking back behind her, she steps outside the house, making it a point to close the door behind her.)

Mother:
Sorry, but Bobby cannot go with you!

Father:
I have a copy of our custody and access papers that says that this is my weekend with Bobby and I miss him very much. I want to be with him, and I know he misses me.

Mother: (Say this with some agitation)
Well, we have other plans for the weekend.

Father:
Why would you make plans for my weekend?

Mother:
There is a program at the shopping mall that he wants to see and I promised I would take him.

Father:
Well, I can take can just as easily take him to it. Which Mall is it at.

Mother:
No, I promised I would take him and that is just the way it will be. You can see him some other weekend, perhaps next month!

(Camera #1 & #2 view shows the curtain on a window being pulled back, and small boy looking out the window. The father does not see him due to his back being to the window, but the mother does and gives him a dirty look. The boy lets go of the curtain.)

Father:
I would like to see him and say that I am sorry he is can't come over for the weekend?

Mother:
There is no need for that, I can tell him. I'm sure he is a lot happier going to the Mall with me than he would going with you and being stuck at your place. Also, don't be calling wanting to talk to Bobby all the time. You are just disturbing the home and disrupting his daily routine.

***************

(She enters the home, closing the door behind her as he turns to walk back to the Van.  Move Camera #1 out of the background of Camera #3, but continue to record for audio)

Father:
It is now 6:15 PM. The mother of my son has rejected my access to my son, claiming she has other plans with him. She also refused to allow me to just see him for a few minutes. She was curt and short with her answers.

Father:
This is Darrel James. I'm approaching (state the house number, as it will likely will appear on camera, but makeup a street name, city, and state)

I am attempting to pick up my son as this, my weekend visitation. I'm to have him from now until Sunday Evening at 6 P.M. Remaining in the van is Helen Downy, who is here to act as a witness, and to video record what takes place. Today is Friday, January 13, 2012. It is 6 P.M.

(Man approaches the door of the home and knocks. After a few second, the door opens and a woman appears behind the screen door.)

Mother:
What do you want?

Father:
I am here to exercise my visitation. Going by our court order, I am to pick up Bobby at this time.

(First looking back behind her, she steps outside the house, making it a point to close the door behind her.)

Mother:
Sorry, but Bobby cannot go with you!

Father:
I have a copy of our custody and access papers that says that this is my weekend with Bobby and I miss him very much. I want to be with him, and I know he misses me.

Mother: (Say this with some agitation)
Well, he's sick.

Father:
When did he get sick?

Mother:
He started complaining about being sick right after I told him to start getting ready to go with you. I called his pediatrician and he prescribed some medicine for him.

Father:
Well, I can take his medicine with me, and see that it is taken as ordered by the doctor.

Mother:
No, I am not going to send him out when he is sick, and depend on you to give him his medicine!

(Camera #1 & #2 view shows the curtain on a window being pulled back, and small boy looking out the window. The father does not see him due to his back being to the window, but the mother does and gives him a dirty look. The boy lets go of the curtain.)

Father:
I would like to see him and say that I am sorry he/she is sick. Who is the doctor, so that I can talk to him and see how Bobby is doing?

Mother:
There is no need for that, I can tell him you were here when he wakes up. As for his doctor, you have no reason to be talking to the doctor. If there is anything I think you need to know from the doctor, I will tell you. Also, don't be calling wanting to talk to Bobby, he needs to get his rest to get over this and does not need you disturbing the him or my home.

***************

(She enters the home, closing the door behind her as he turns to walk back to the Van.  Move Camera #1 out of the background of Camera #3, but continue to record for audio)

Father:
It is now 6:15 PM. The mother of my son has rejected my access to my son, claiming he became sick when told it was time to go with me. She also refused to allow me to just see him for a few minutes. She was curt and short with her answers.

Move Camera #3 into the living room area of the home, at the furthest point from the front door, and pointed toward the front door.

Put the cell phone used by the man in the boy's pocket and situate the microphone headset to pick up the boy's voice. You may need to experiment a little to see where to place the headset to work best to receive sound, but likely pinning it just inside the front of his shirt may work.

The cell phone attached to Camera #3 will be conferenced to the two cell phones in use.

Have the woman stand outside and begin recording. Have her entered the home, and show the boy coming into the room and up to her wearing a coat and carrying a packed backpack. His back will be to the camera. (This avoids any problems with him being shown on the public video.) The woman bends down to him.

If the boy is willing, try to repeat this Scene three times so I can select the best run through.

It might work best that she has the boy's dialog printed in large text on flash card that are small enough to hide between them and not appear on camera, to help him remember his lines. Use some form of bright light for teh scene, but place a white cloth in front of it to defuse the light to prevent deep shadows forming. If using a spot light bulb, be sure the cloth is not in contact with the bulb.

Boy:
Where is Daddy going? I'm supposed to be spending the weekend with him.

Mother:
He just came by to say that he had other plans for the weekend with his new girlfriend and her children.

Boy: (Boy's voice gets louder)
But I was suppose to be spending the weekend with him.

Mother:
Well, he has that new girlfriend and her children, so he no longer has time for you. Fathers are just like that, but you know I love you, so why don't we go to the Mall and see what is happening there. We could get some popcorn, and perhaps see a movie.

We will have a lot more fun than anything you could have done with your father. He would likely have just sat you in front of the TV and ignored you all weekend. Are you not glad you have me? I love spending time with you and he doesn't.

Boy:
Okay, I guess.

(The boy is seen leaving the room. Record for one more minute than shut down.)

The videos files will be too large to email. Transfer the digital videos to a DVD disk, formatted as a data disk rather than a movie. In this is manner I can transfer them to my computer for editing. If possible, use one disk for the video files from each camera, and make backups just in case anything happens to the disks being mailed to me.

Anyone who wishes to be listed in the closing credits, please include your full names for this.