Avedon

By
Cody Hoyt

We begin with a white screen. Black text slowly appears,

reading:
This film is based on a true story. Much of it is fact. Much
of it is fiction. None of it is true.
As the text fades away we hear a phone ring. Its a real
ringer, from an early 70s phone. It rings once, twice and
we
CUT TO
INT. DICKS STUDIO
We see an old, black 1970s telephone sitting on a desk. By
the third ring a middle aged man picks up the receiver.
DICK
Hello.
RICHARD "DICK" AVEDON. Hes an eccentric man. Long,
slicked-back dark hair. He just turned 50, but he looks at
least 10 years younger.
DICK
Yeah thats me.
(pause)
Hi Roberta, how are you?
As he talks to her on the phone we begin to look around the
crazed space that is his studio. There are papers
everywhere. The walls are covered in old photographs with
some unopened packages sitting in a corner. We see some old
camera equipment off to the side. Spools of negatives, long
ago developed and printed, sitting on a shelf. For all the
photos there are no frames. Lots of posters, but no classic,
framed family photos.
Good, glad to hear it.
(pause)
Okay.
(pause)
Okay.
(pause)
Well that could mean anything, just
last month you said thatThis pause is different.
DICK
Oh. Okay.
(pause)
Well. Okay then.

2.
(pause)
Yeah... Um, I guess I do have to
think about that, dont I? Well,
can he do anything?
(pause)
Sure. Yeah, yeah, I know what
youre saying. Um... shit.
Theres another pause, but this time hes stopping to think,
not listen.
DICK
Well, let me think about it.
Ill-um, Ill a-Ill call your
office by... lets say 10 tomorrow
morning.
(pause)
Well thank you for the call(pause)
No, I appreciate that, thank you.
Alright. Thank you, Roberta.
(pause)
Um hum, bye.
As he hangs up and exhales deeply we
CUT TO
EXT. PARIS STREETS
Its 1946. A bright-eyed, 22 year-old Dick Avedon is roaming
the streets of Paris, France. Hes on his first assignment,
working for Harpers Bazaar Magazine. hes wandering around
the downtown corridors staring up at buildings, down at the
brick and around the alleyways looking for just the right
location. As we travel with him through the French roads, he
is comically trailed by two ASSISTANTS and two female
MODELS, one of whom we will later know as DOE, wearing the
latest fashion trends. They speak in French accents, though
everyones very fluent in English.
ASSISTANT #1
Mr. Avedon! Mr. Avedon! Sir, if you
tell us what youre looking for we
can almost certainly find it
quicker than you can.
Yes and
second.
to walk
this...

MODEL #1
then we could stop for a
Do you know how hard it is
around wearing this,
whatever this is?

3.

DOE
I still dont understand why we
cant do the shoot back at the
apartments. Theyve always done
them at the apartments. Its just
an American fashion magazine.
ASSISTANT #2
Monsieur Avedon, Monsieur: Where
exactly are we going?
DICK
Were going to go somewhere- Oh,
look right over there, that little
birdbath in the square.
ASSISTANT #1
Youre looking for a birdbath?
DICK
Well, to be honest I- Wait, stop
for a second. See that park bench
over there?
ASSISTANT #2
What? That little thing monsieur?
DICK
No, the old man with his dog on a
leash. Yes, that little thing over
there! Now stop dawdling and set up
my tripod about, uh, 15 meters away
and a flash bulb about 15 degrees
off-center, okay?
MODEL #1
What are you trying to do again
sir?
DICK
Were here to make beautiful
photography, madam.
DOE
"Beautiful photography," How cute.
(pause)
Its a fashion magazine. Youre
selling clothes to American
housewives. Wheres the beauty in
that?

4.

DICK
Pardon me, madam, but, a-a-can I
ask you a question?
MODEL #2
Of course?
DICK
See that woman over there? The one
with the small boy playing in the
fountain? Does she look beautiful
to you?
DOE
Yes. Of course she does.
DICK
What makes her look beautiful to
you?
DOE
Well...
(pause)
Shes just there by herself,
enjoying her child. "Relishing the
pleasures of youth" I suppose.
Shes very real.
DICK
So let me ask you a question,
madam. If I were to take a
photograph of her right now, would
the woman in the photograph still
be beautiful?
DOE
I dont see why not.
DICK
And if I were to develop that
photograph, print it and then put
it in a magazine, would the woman
in that photograph still look
beautiful?
DOE
Well of course she would, but IDICK
Ah-ha! See! People dont associate
beauty with a photograph, they
associate it with what the
photograph is about. Now, if we can
(MORE)

5.

DICK (contd)
make you look even more beautiful
than you already are in a
photograph, wont people think that
the clothes will make them look
beautiful too?
MODEL #1
No we understand that sir, but what
does that have to do with the park
bench?
DICK
Its not a- No, because people
dont- Let me put it this way: We
buy clothes not only to wear them
and to be noticed. We wear them in
front of other people. We wear them
out with our children in the
summer. Arent people gonna buy
more dresses in magazines if they
can see themselves in the magazine?
DOE
How old are you?
DICK
I a-I turned 22 about three months
ago.
DOE
Twenty-two, huh? Well, youre very
smart and Ill play along because I
want to see what happens.
DICK
Well thank you.
DOE
I still think youre crazy, though.
MODEL #1
You need to work on your assistants
Monsieur, they dont seem to be
having much success right now.
As DICK turns around we see his ASSISTANTS in the distance
fumbling with the tripod and they appear to drop something
of relative importance. DICK sighs deeply and we
CUT TO

6.

INT. DICKS STUDIO (1962)

The studio is a little different now. It isnt quite as
cluttered as before and a different set of pictures now hang
on the walls. Dick is sitting pensively behind his desk as a
female voice reads him a letter.
EVELYN (O.C.)
"Dear Mr. Avedon, Thank you for
your inquiry regarding photographic
exhibition in the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. We regret to inform
you that we do not presently feel
as though there is a place for your
work in our spring lineup. As you
know there is much debate amongst
the fine art community as to the
lasting aesthetic and artistic
value of such an ephemeral medium
such as photography. Even works
created with indisputable artistic
intent are viewed as questionable.
As such, we must decline your
request for exhibit. Please contact
us if you have any lingering
questions.
CUT TO
EXT. PARIS STREETS
Were back in 1940s Paris. It looks as though the ASSISTANTS
have finally gotten their act together and the actual shoot
can begin. With the MODELS in place on the bench, we see
DICK remove a jar from his camera bag and rub a gel-like
substance on the front of his lens.
MODEL #1
Whats that?
DICK
What? This stuff? Its Vaseline.
ASSISTANT #2
What could you possibly need that
for, Monsieur Dick?
The male ASSISTANT #1 attempts to suppress a sophomoric
laugh.

7.

DICK
It creates a softer focus around
the edges of the photo. It-its kind
of like a vignette style.
DOE
And youve tried this before?
DICK
Oh sure, a bunch of times. See
people think you need this big
fancy camera they use to photograph
snowflakes and shit to make good
art. Personally Ill stick to my
Deardorff and some Vaseline for
now.
(pause)
Alrighty, then. Gentlemen, if you
would. Thank you. Ladies: if you
would please light up a cigarrette?
MODEL #1
You expect us to smoke?
DICK
Well wh-, I mean wh(pause)
If you were out here by yourself,
madam, would you not enjoy a little
smoke?
MODEL #1
Well of course I wo-- ah, I think I
get it now.
DICK
Wonderful. Okay ladies:
By now DICK is looking through the camera and is officially
"in the zone." Hes going to yell out instuctions with the
neurotisism of Rain Man and the enthusiasm of Tigger.
DICK
Okay light the ciggarette. There we
go and
We HEAR a click
DICK
Beautiful. Now let me wind this
really quick- dont you move
darling, I swear itll just be a
minute. Okay now sweety move your
(MORE)

8.

DICK (contd)
head just a touch to the- YES,
perfect. Okay now Henry can you
move her hair off the left sholder
so it looks- no fluffier. Eh, less
fluffy. There we go alright now
relax on the count of three: one
two
Another click
DICK
Sorry about that, sweetheart, it
was just too good the way your face
looked. Alright now give her the
cigarrette and youre gonna want tNo, dont change your legs they
were fine! Thank you. Alright now,
enhale the cigrette and I want you
to think about the hottest sex
youve ever had. Think of the
pleasure, the release- yes. I like
that smile, I want to know why
youre making it. Okay, enhale
-ready on the flash boys- and now
take a long drag as you remember
that moment in three two oneWe look directly into the camera lens and HEAR a click as a
flash iluminates the screen as we
SMASH CUT TO
INT. PARIS NIGHT CLUB
Its later in the evening and were looking at a negative of
the photo DICK just shot. As we peel out its late in the
evening and the crew from the shoot is sitting at a tall bar
enjoying drinks while crowds of customers eat and dance to
swing music in the background. DICK is seated next to DOE as
he passes the negative down the bar.
MODEL #1
Oh, monsieur it looks so,
beautiful, so energetic, so...
DICK
So what?
MODEL #1
Its just so different.

9.

DOE
Indeed it is, very different
ASSISTANT #1
Monsieur, how did you think to use
eh, eh -what do you call them?- uh,
props?
DICK
Well, I um- I, I think that eh(pause)
Theyre not props. Theyre just
cigarettes. We smoke them all the
time. Wha-Whats so weird about
that?
ASSISTANT #1
Nothing! Its just so, eh, stunning
so - ah, ah- seductive, I believe
is the word in English.
By now the negative has made its way up and down the bar and
is back to Dick who puts it away, safely.
DICK
Well yeah its seductive, thats
the whole fucking point!
(pause)
I mean sorry, but you said it
yourself, Im selling clothes here.
If people think the clothes are
sexy dont you think theyre more
likely to fucking buy them?
Theres a bit of a tense moment before its conveniently
interupted by
DOE
Show us some of your earlier work,
would you?
DICK
Uh, sure. Sure. Um... hmm, lets
see here.
As he rummages through his case we
SMASH CUT TO

10.

INT. DICKS STUDIO (1962)

We see Dick leaning back in his chair pensively as EVELYN
has just finished reading the letter from The Met. Slowly he
stands up.
DICK
Thats it?
EVELYN
Everything in the letter.
DICK
What?
EVELYN
Well they sent another paper in the
envelope, too.
DICK
Okay. Whats that one?
EVELYN
Uh, a donation request form.
At this Dick laughs ironically. He slowly paces around his
studio before violently throwing a stack of papers on his
desk across the studio as we
SMASH CUT TO
INT. PARIS NIGHT CLUB
We see a set of four or five negatives as they are passed
from Dicks hands down the line. We notice that they are
all of the same woman in her mid-to-late teens.
DICK
S-So these are some of my earliest
pictures. I uh- I used to borrow my
mothers camera and I would uhDOE
Who is she?
DICK
Oh- uh. Thats my sister Louise.
Younger sister, naturally. There
was always a kind of complexity
about her and her face. I never
could quite nail it down.

11.

MODEL #1
Shes beautiful.
ASSISTANT #2
So what were you trying to sell in
this photo?
DICK
Sell? I wasnt selling anything.
ASSISTANT #1
Well what were you doing then?
There certainly arent any props in
this one.
DICK
My ah...
(pause)
My mother always wanted me to push
my artistic side. She, uh- She was
the one who pushed me to try
theatre in school.
(pause)
Oh. Ah, heres one of her. I took
this a couple years ago. Here you
go.
(pause)
We all photographed Louise. Me,
Mom, cousin Margie. But- we always
made her look like she was... I
dont know, happier than she acted,
and- I felt that was meaningless in
a way. So I took these.
ASSISTANT #1
Theyre beautiful pictures.
DICK
Well thank you. I really prefer
this type of work to the fashion
stuff. I mean fashion is great and
its beautiful and its culture and
all that great stuff, but- It just
feels... I dont know: detached
from the people Im actually
shooting, I guess?
DOE
What about your father? Can we see
a picture of him?
(pause)
Monseure. Can we see a photo of
your father?

12.

We look at Dick and can instantly see the answer is far more
complicated than it should be.
DICK
No. Sorry, I dont have one. He uh,
he never liked being photographed.
CUT TO
INT. JAMESS OFFICE
Were back to the origional Dick Avedon - the one from the
mysterious phone call. Hes leaning against a wall in a room
that probably connects to his studio talking to his
assistant JAMES. Hes is in his late twenties, a little
ovrweight, and a tried and true veteran of the "be seen but
not heard" ideology. His desk is equally as cluttered as
Avedons but in a very different way.
DICK
Do we have any shoots this week?
JAMES
Um... Wheres that calendar(pause)
Uh yeah- theres a trip to Fort
Loterdale this weekend for Vouge.
DICK
When did we book the flight?
JAMES
Two thirty departure from JFK on
Thursday.
DICK
Shit.
(pause)
So... we got a decision to make
JAMES
With all due respect, sir, Im
thinkin this one is all you
DICK
Yeah youre right.
(pause)
I was almost hoping that it would
either be impossible to go or
nothing in the way.

13.

JAMES
I understand.
Dick is lost in thought he walks over to a bookcase and
picks up a framed photo of Louise and stares at it.
JAMES
Ah, Sir. Mr. Avedon.
(pause)
Dick!
DICK
Yeah. Sorry.
JAMES
How long did they sayDICK
One week. The bastards got one
more week. Ill see him tomorrow I
just dont know if I should keep
the proj- I mean this is so close.
This is different.
JAMES
Sir, I uhDICK
Oh for Christs sake, James. Were
talking about my father you might
as well call me Dick.
JAMES
Yes Sir. Dick. Um- Seriously, why
dont you justDICK
What?! Just what? Share a moment of
tenderness- sure thats worked well
for ourrelationship in the past.
JAMES
No, Im just saying thatDICK
What are you saying?! Ive got
twelve fucking hours to either set
up the cruelest photoshoot in the
history of man or to force myself
to live with this over my head for
at least most of the forseable
future.
(pause)
(MORE)

14.
DICK (contd)
I wish things werent so bloody
complicated all the time.
CUT TO
INT. PARIS NIGHT CLUB
DICK
He owned a fashion boutique in
downtown Manhattan. Oh, uh, New
York. Hes was a Russian immigrant
so he worked his way up from
litterally nothing. I mean
litterally, those clich stories we
tell about immigrants but real.
ASSISTANT #2
Jewish?
DICK
Yeah no shit.
(pause)
Anyway, he-uh-um well he lost
everything in the crash - the start
of the American depression, sorry and he, uh, he never really got
over that. I mean hes made money
again: but its not same. He feels
like aThis starts to get hard for Dick to talk about. Its not
just sadness but theres another layer underneith. Its
starting to look and sound a lot like rage.
DOE
Monsuer. Oh, uh, can I call you
Dick?
DICK
Oui.
DOE
Well then, Monsuer Dick. Would you
join me for a dance?
DICK
Well if you insist Madam Doe.
They sneak off like innocent high-school lovers and dance
the night away on the floor. We watch them throughout the
night begin to get closer and sloser as they dance until
finally we

15.

SMASH CUT TO
EXT. PARIS STREETS (NIGHT)
Dicks franticlly walking up and down a road outside the
club. Its the dead of night. They danced well into the
evening but hes the only one still awake. Its unseasonably
cold tonight, shivering all over. Hes thinking about
tomorrows shoot for sure - Its a big one -, but maybe
theres one or two other things hes thinking about now,
too. We follow him for about 30 seconds before we
CUT TO
INT. DICKS STUDIO (1962)
DICK
This has nothing to do with art.
EVELYN
Well then what does it have to do
with, Dick?
DICK
Money. Greed, jeoulosy, elitism.
(pause)
What?! What am I supposed to do? Is
it that my portraits arent "artzy"
enough or is it that I make in a
month what most photographers make
in a year? Huh?! Evee?
EVELYN
I know, Dick. Weve been over this
before.
DICK
I photographed Marylyn Monroe. The
most famous spread youll ever see
of a woman: ever. I photographed
Charlie Chaplains last day in the
United States. Hell just last week
the president and first lady!
EVELYN
Well congratu-fucking-lations
asshole. What would you like as a
reward? A birthday card? Money from
grandpa?

16.
DICK
Oh would you shut the fuck up?!
they both take a couple long, deep breaths.
EVELYN
I cant bring her back, Dick.
DICK
I know, hun.
EVELYN
And an exhibition in the Met wont
solve sanything either.
DICK
I know. I know. I just- I, I, I,- I
just hoped it would help...
someone.
EVELYN
No you didnt. You hoped it would
help you.
CUT TO
INT. JAMESS OFFICE
DICK
Call em and say Im gonna be be
there tomorrow around one with the
stuff.
JAMES
Okay.
(pause)
So what took so long?
DICK
Excuse me?
JAMES
Well youve been photographing him
for the last seven years now, why
the sudden change?
DICK
Because hes my fuckin Dad, okay
James?
We see DICK stand back up and walk over the bookshelf and
pick up an old film camera, similar to the one from Paris.

17.
DICK
This devise is a firearm. and each
negative is a bullet. You point it
at your intended target, aim
throught thescope on the top and
then press the trigger button. One
shot has the power to end a life,
another to imortalize it. Think
about this as you call the hospus
center: which one is worse?
With that, Dick sets the camera back on the shelf and goes
back through the door to
INT. DICKS STUDIO
He collapses into his desk chair exausted. He starts fall
asleep before we HEAR a loud knock on the door.
DICK
YEAH...
JAMES
Sir, your son just called. He says
he needs to talk to you.
DICK
What about he knows IJAMES
The photos, sir.
DICK
Oh John.
And we
EXT. PARIS STREETS (SUNRISE)
Dicks been pacing all night and the suns started to rise
on Paris. With it comes a band new day and a brand new set
of challeneges to face. We look around with him as he
admires the Paris skyline before turning around and headed
off to work as we
FADE TO BLACK
FIN
1. Helen Whitney, Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light,
directed by Helen Whitney (1996; City: WNET /Public
Broadcasting Service, 2012.), YouTube.

18.

2. Earl Steinbicker. "Assisting Avedon." iTunes App Store,

Vers. 2.0 (2015).
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/assisting-avedon/id584943280?mt=8,
(accessed January 19, 2015.)
3. The Charlie Rose Show, performed by Charlie Rose (1999;
New York: Charlie Rose/Public Broadcasting Service, 2014.),
YouTube.

4. Avedon, Richard. "Portfolio: Jacob Israel Avedon."

Richard Avedon Foundation. Accessed January 19, 2015.
http://www.avedonfoundation.net/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=4&p=8&a=

5. Robins, Cynthia. 2001. "Photography of Seduction /

Avedons Rediscovered 50s Fashion Work at Fraenkel." San
Francisco Chronicle, Nov 12.
https://ezproxy.elon.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/4
6. Landry, Bob. "Black Lace and Woolen Undies: Fashion in
Post-Liberation Paris, 1944." Life: Culture. Accessed
January 19, 2015.
7. Avedon, Richard, and Anne Hollander. 2005. Woman in the
Mirror. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated.

8. Valli Herman. Dallas, Morning News. "Richard Avedon Has

Redefined Fashion Photography." The Salt Lake Tribune, Aug
28, 1994,
https://ezproxy.elon.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/2
(accessed January 19, 2015).

9. Carol Lawson. "Richard Avedon an Artist Despite His

Success?" New York Times (1923-Current File), Sep 07, 1975,
https://ezproxy.elon.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1
(accessed January 19, 2015).
10. Perich, Shannon. "Today In History: Richard Avedon
Photographs The Kennedys." The Picture Show: Photo Stories
from NPR. Accessed January 19, 2015.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2011/01/03/132616931/kennedys
11. Avedon, Richard. "Portfolio: Democracy." Richard Avedon
Foundation. Accessed January 19, 2015.