Manual Focus

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

5. INT. BEDROOM - 06:15

6. 
   

7. The room is dim, curtains barely filtering the first light. PETER stirs.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): I rarely rely on the phone alarm to wake me up.

10. 
    

11. Later, Peter puts on a suit and a cap to hide his bandaged forehead.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Today is July 1, 2025, marking the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997.

14. 
    

15. Pausing.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm looking forward to the reception, as it will give me the chance to reconnect with old friends.

18. 
    

19. Pausing.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For the past two years, I've had the pleasure of meeting up with Ricky, a Hong Kong pop music guru, composer and guitarist who didn't mind to play my songs with me on stage.

22. 
    

23. Pausing.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I've a hunch that we'll cross paths again soon.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. INT. 28th ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION - 07:50

30. 
    

31. Peter arrives. He bumps into WITMAN who introduces him to a STRANGER.

32. 
    

33. WITMAN: Peter is Hong Kong's former Director of Intellectual Property and is a practising barrister.

34. 
    

35. After exchanging pleasantries, Peter heads to grab a cup of coffee and soon spots RICKY sitting in corner, examining a Fuji camera intently.

36. 
    

37. PETER: Hi Ricky! Another new camera?

39. RICKY: Yes, I bought it yesterday. It has 40-magapixal capacity and features several manual rings in addition to its automatic settings.

40. 
    

41. PETER: So, this is your 14th camera.

42. 
    

43. RICKY: You've an impressive memory!

44. 
    

45. PETER: My late Dad was a newspaper photographer and had many gadgets...Let me be your model so you can test the image quality.

46. 
    

47. With a playful expression, Peter leans slightly to one side, showcasing his confidence. They then admire the sharp images.

48. 
    

49. PETER (Cont'd): And let me take some photos for you.

50. 
    

51. Peter takes the camera from Ricky and aims it at him, but as he snaps the shots, the images come out blurry.

52. 
    

53. RICKY: It's in manual mode and you haven't adjusted the focus ring.

54. 
    

55. Ricky shows Peter where the focus ring lever is located, pointing it out with a friendly smile.

56. 
    

57. PETER (V.O.): Manual focus feels like time travel; I can almost sense my late Dad's hand guiding mine as I turn the ring.

58. 
    

59. Ricky demonstrates to Peter the focused subjects are illuminated in vivid red hue.

60. 
    

61. RICKY: The most important focus isn't in the lens - it's in the eye that knows where to look.

62. 
    

63.  Peter looks enlightened.

64. 
    

65. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): That moment when the focus snaps crisp - it's the same thrill as finding the right chord.

66. 
    

67. Pausing.

68. 
    

69. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Mastering manual focus means learning that clarity is always a choice, never an accident.

70. 
    

71. Gazing at Ricky.

72. 
    

73. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Great photographers, including my late Dad, don't just capture moments - they curate them through their focus.

74. 
    

75. Pausing.

76. 
    

77. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Every turn of the focus ring is a decision about what truly matters in the frame.

78. 
    

79. Later, Peter makes his way to the snacks table, grabbbing a piece of Put Chai Ko in each hand. Just then, he hears someone call out "Cheung Sir!"

80. 
    

81. PETER: Alex!

82. 
    

83. With both of Peter's hands full, ALEX simply pats him on the shoulder to say Hi.

84. 
    

85.  PETER (Cont'd): It's great to see you!

86. 
    

87. INT. SITTING ROOM - 16:30

88. 
    

89. Peter is watching Sting, Isle of Wight concert 2025 on YouTube. Sting sings his songs as his fingers dance gracefully over the Fender bass strings.

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.): Ricky suggests that I watch this.

92. 
    

93. Watching.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): What's a guitar fret but another focus ring? Both demands my fingers "listen" before they commit.

96. 
    

97. Pondering.

98. 
    

99. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Watching Sting at 73, I realized: genius isn't eternal youth. It's refusing to let your art go on autopilot.

100. 
     

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. INT. BEDROOM - 22:00

105. Peter uploads an auto-pilot selfie from the 28th Anniversary reception to a draft on his laptop.

106. 
     

107. PETER (V.O.): I spent decades chasing sharpness. Now I see: the magic lives in what I choose to leave blurred.

108. 
     

109. Thinking.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Manual focus teaches me this: depth of field narrows with age. Best make every frame count.

112. 
     

113. Reflecting.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): At 71, I've learned: Life, like manual lens, gives me infinite chances to refocus - but only if I turn the ring myself.

116. 
     

117. FADE OUT

118. 
     

119. END