Out Of Focus (Wattys 2023)

1. Where Dreams Probably Go To Die.

It's a humble space, to say the least, about 900 feet for just about all of his half of the money he and Lily had saved up to make their dreams a reality. He had found Max through a sketchy Craigslist ad after Lily told him she'd already found roommates to chase her dreams; which had left him in the worst boat ever.

Thankfully, he thinks, as he pulls on a simple black t-shirt and pair of jeans, Max hasn't turned out to be some kind of serial killer. His tech-bro roommate has gotten him pretty well connected with the realities of his dream-chasing.

1. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to walk off the street, hand a studio his screenplay, and win an Oscar tomorrow.
2. Studio executives are assholes unless you sleep with them.
3. Most of them are old and racist farts.
4. See tip number three again.
5. If you can't sleep your way to the top, you're going to have to do some schmoozing.

That fantasy was just about as realistic as Lily thinking she was going to create a cold brew empire to rival Starbucks' coffee monopoly in the most critical cities in the country. He has to start with baby steps, and those baby steps involve a lot of random gigs he hasn't been happy about.

"Remember the baby food commercial?" Max asks him as he slings his backpack over his shoulders, a mind reader through and through.

"It'll make them drool and give them a healthy stool," Shayne chants in the jingle of the traumatic commercial that has been burned into his head.

It gets a pretty big chuckle out of Max while he starts getting ready himself.

He'd been at it for about three months now before a legitimate network would throw him a bone, burning through all of his savings on the way. He couldn't turn down "Unfiltered" if he wanted to, and believe him, he wanted to.

The show's premise is pretty quirky, drama bait from EBC, Shayne is sure it was thought up by a group of interns and dumbed down to the level of a fifth grader. From how Shayne was sold on it, the show focuses on Oliver Henderson, the latest Hollywood heartthrob.

Shayne couldn't care less about him, but after weeks of waiting for filming, so he can start getting paid, he knows far more about him than he cares to admit. Oliver's an actor, about a year older than him at 20, who the producers have framed as the next big eligible bachelor. He's been in the last few summer action blockbusters. Shayne's seen him in plenty of interviews while scrolling down his Twitter feed.

He's the typical basic white guy with an Australian accent that has Gen-Z thirst trap written all over him. Think of Chris Hemsworth having a baby with Glen Powell and you've got a grade-A asshole. He has a thousand-watt smile that could melt anyone's cold dead heart and frames himself as an avid philanthropist. Shayne's problem though, is that underneath the glitz and glam, Oliver just seems dumb. He's never been asked any hardball questions from what he's seen, his personal life is a big question mark, and his Instagram is chopped full of shirtless gym selfies. He's basically about as deep as his childhood kiddie pool.

It's a kind of hollowness he can't stand, that he guesses makes the guy perfect for something like this; a blank canvas for the producers to work with. It's also a blank canvas the show seems to be taking a step further from how he understands it. Oliver gets eight "beautiful" women, and Instagram influencers vying for his heart. As he dwindles those numbers down the women are also teased with what Shayne's been told is a heartbreaking twist. Whichever woman Oliver picks at the end gets a choice between winning his heart or a million-dollar prize to help build their brand.

"That's deliciously fucked up," is what he remembers Max telling him when he gave him the details.

There's something sickeningly rewarding about seeing a robot of a man get embarrassed on reality television he wants nothing to do with. He also doubts any of the women will care enough about Oliver by the end to rush off into the sunset. Life isn't a movie. People are selfish, cruel, and mean.