Pass 3 Story

Since I am doing my project in Authorware, I am posting the text portion of Pass 3 and adding notes in brackets to indicate the placement of pictures, sound bytes, and movies in the story.

 [Opening title is animated; background music is playing “Here Comes the Sun”] 

Scene 1: ASES Awards Ceremony

Larry fidgeted in his chair on the dais, unable to contain his excitement.  They were about to announce his name as the recipient of the Passive Pioneer Award for his contribution to the field of solar design.  This was his moment in the sun – it was what he had worked towards for 12 long years and traveled more than 2,000 miles to receive – recognition for his contribution to “saving the planet.”  

Whenever he talked about the Solarycyle he had built, Larry used phrases like “the most important thing anyone could ever accomplish” and “the best solution to global warming.” Talking in superlatives was just one of his many unique personality traits.  Family and friends had long ago accepted his idiosyncrasies, which ranged from social awkwardness due to a mild case of ADHD to his signature outfit. [Picture of Larry in his signature outfit and a “styling man” sound byte] 

Larry saw Kim-Ly, his fiancé, sit down at the laptop computer in front of the stage. She was going to run the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied his speech since she had prepared both the slide show and written the speech.  This was only one of the ways in which Kim helped and supported Larry over the last ten years. 

 They met when she was only 17, and despite a 20-year difference in their ages, a genuine friendship developed.  Kim often helped Larry prepare for the conferences where he displayed his solar vehicle.  She spent many hours filling out applications, writing speeches, taking photographs and videos, and also set up his booth at several locations.  Kim even helped load the 400-pound Solarcycle for transport since she was deceptively strong, despite her slight stature. 

 On the occasions when Larry attended out-of-town conferences to display his solar vehicle, Kim took over his interior plantscaping business so that he would not lose any accounts.  It was not uncommon for her to carry heavy buckets of water and move large potted plants, but she didn’t mind since caring for plants was something she enjoyed.  [Picture of Kim displays, showing her watering plants]  When the friendship developed into a romance, Larry was ecstatic and felt that his life was finally complete.  He didn’t understand why she was giving him an ultimatum now – at one of the happiest times in his life.  

When the ASES Chairman introduced him, the audience gave Larry a warm welcome. [Applause sound byte]

 Larry immediately launched into his acceptance speech, which cleverly couched a plea to attract investors. 

[Video of Larry introducing the PowerPoint presentation] “Good afternoon.  I’m Larry Morton from Greenhouse 2000 in Orlando, Florida, and I have a solar idea.” 

“People often ask me how I got involved with solar energy.  So, I created a short presentation showing the events that led up to my receiving this very prestigious award.  I want to thank everyone at ASES for the Pioneer Award, and I want to thank all of you for supporting ASES by attending the conference.”

 [Picture of Larry and his Solarcycle covers entire screen while background music plays “Good Day Sunshine”] 

[Picture of Larry at the podium] “My concern for the planet began back in 1970 at the first Earth Day Celebration when my high school class participated in the clean-up of a New York City beach.  That’s me in the back row, holding up the two bags of trash I collected that day.” [Picture of old clipping from NYC newspaper] 

“My father owned an auto parts business and I was expected to work with him and then take over the business when he retired.  But after learning about our growing environmental problems, I decided to study horticulture and go into the interior plantscaping business.  Interior plantscaping is just a fancy term for installing potted plants in commercial businesses and then maintaining them.  Both of my parents supported my decision, but it was largely due to my mother’s encouragement that I was able to start my own business, which is now known as Greenhouse 2000.” [Picture of Greenhouse 2000 logo] 

“After 20 years in the plant business, I decided I should do more to help the environment.  So, in 1998, I decided to build a solar car.”

“ My first prototype was the Personal Space Vehicle, or PSV.  [Picture of PSV on the road] It was 10 feet long, 4 feet wide, 3-1/2 feet high, and weighed 400 pounds. The PSV had 1 sq. meter of solar panels, produced 138 watts of power, and could run for 60 miles between charges.  I competed in, and won, many local races with the PSV.” [Picture of PSV with trophies on top of the car] 

“Four years ago, I redesigned the PSV so it would be street-legal and renamed it the Solarcycle.  It now has a 4 sq. meters of photovoltaic panels, produces 1300 watts of power, and can run for 200 miles between charges.  The Solarcyle is 10 feet long, 5 feet wide, 4 feet high, and is registered with the DMV as a motorcycle.” [Picture of Solarcycle with hood open inside convention center]

 “The Solarcycle is on display here at the hotel and I invite anyone who is interested to take it for a ride. And now, a short video clip of the Solarcyle in action.  This was filmed at Odyssey Day in Coca Beach, FL last year. [Video montage of Solarcycle being driven by Larry] 

“My dream is to mass-produce the Solarcycle.  But I can’t do it alone, so I am looking for investors.” 

“I’ve prepared a five-year financial projection on Sales, Cost of Goods Sold, and Gross Margin.” [Picture of PowerPoint slide with financial info]

 “This is a five-year projection on Profit and the General and Administrative Expenses of selling the Solarcycle. I’ve estimated the number of vehicles to be produced in years 1-5 and the number of employees needed.”  [Second picture of PowerPoint slide with financial info] 

“All of this information is on my website: www.xlr8sun.com. I will also have brochures available at the cocktail party, which immediately follows this award ceremony.  I hope you will all attend because I look forward to meeting you and speaking with you individually.” 

Scene 2: ASES Cocktail Party 

Larry couldn’t wait to get to the cocktail party since he was convinced there was at least one person here who wanted to invest in his Solarcycle.  As he panned the room for potential investors, he saw that Kim was already inside speaking with his friend and mentor, Michael Gleason. [Picture of Michael Gleason and Kim together, having a beverage] 

Michael was a retired NASA engineer who met Larry at an alternative energy conference in Atlanta, GA in 2000.  Over the next 10 years a friendship developed, and Michael often leant his name and expertise to help Larry establish himself as a ‘player’ in the solar energy community.  

Michael greeted Larry warmly with a smile and a firm handshake.  “Congratulations, my friend,” he said. 

“Thanks,” returned Larry, “I couldn’t have done it without you.”  

“And now, we need the help of investors to continue,” Kim reminded him. 

“OK,” Larry said obligingly, “I’ll mingle a little and see if I can’t scare up an investor or two.”

But by the end of the cocktail hour, Larry discovered that no one was willing to finance his project ‘at this time.’ 

He waited until the banquet room was almost empty and then approached Kim to deliver the bad news.  He knew that she would encourage him to keep searching for investors.  Kim did not want Larry to spend the sizable inheritance that his mother had just left him to finance the project.  In fact, this had been the source of conflict between them ever since his mother passed away, only two months ago. 

Kim wanted a family and saw the inheritance as the means to provide them with a good life.  She suggested that Larry should sell his house so they could move into his mother’s home.  She also wanted to save most of the inheritance for their future, and use some of it to build up his plant business.  Kim even offered to take over most of the accounts so that Larry could be more involved in selecting and equipping the solar car.  She made it clear that she would end the relationship if he gambled away his inheritance on the car. 

Larry, on the other hand, did not agree with most of Kim’s suggestions.  First of all, he did not want to live in his mother’s home.  He didn’t see any reason to move since his home already had the two features most important to him. [Two pictures appear simultaneously – exterior of greenhouse and Larry working on the car in his garage. The photos then morph into two other views of the same locales.] 

Secondly, he expected to be the primary financer of his new business.  All he wanted was one investor to help him select the right facility and buy the necessary equipment so that he could produce his vehicle on a larger scale. To that end, and with or without an investor, Larry was willing to sell everything he owned to finance his dream. 

In an effort to keep the peace, he decided to postpone any decision so that they could enjoy the rest of their weekend in Las Vegas.

Scene 3: Larry’s Home [2 months later]

In the two months after the trip to Las Vegas, Larry continued to look for investors. He decided that if he did not have financial backing on the six-month anniversary of his mother’s passing, he would finance the project himself. The cutoff date came and went, and still there were no investors.

[Picture of Larry sitting at the computer, reading an email] The next evening, Larry was searching his old email messages for names of prospective investors when he came across an email he received from his mother several months earlier.  It was the guest list for the dinner party she had thrown in an effort to repair his relationship with Kim’s parents.  Larry’s first meeting with Kim’s parents was a disastrous dinner at an upscale restaurant where he spilled his wine and accidentally kicked her mother under the table. He also bragged about his solar car, which offended her parents since they were both humble people. By the end of the evening, they forbade the marriage and tried to persuade Kim to end the relationship.

In order to cast him in a more favorable light, Larry’s mother decided to throw a dinner party at her home and invite Kim’s parents.  She also invited several of her influential friends, including politicians, noted athletes, and local celebrities, making sure the guest list included only those who knew and liked her son.  Larry’s mother was a wealthy, independent, strong-willed Jewish woman who had outlived three husbands.  Larry was her only child and she doted on him not only because she loved him and was proud of him, but also because Larry was the spitting image of her first  (and favorite) husband. 

As planned, Kim’s parents were impressed with the way Larry interacted with many of the notable guests. They were also pleasantly surprised not only by the interest so many showed in his work, but also the respect they showed him. Larry’s mother knew that inviting Kim’s parents to her home would be the best way to give them a preview of the lifestyle their daughter could expect if she married into the family. By the end of the evening, they changed their minds about the engagement and welcomed Larry as their son-in-law. 

After all her hard work, Larry wondered what his mother would think about how he was planning on spending her money.  He thought it was ironic that her money was the wedge that was now forcing apart the union she had tried so hard to cement. 

The next morning, Larry told Kim that he intended to finance mass-production of the Solarcycle using his own money.  Kim nodded but did not respond.  There was nothing more to say.  They had each made the decision that was right for them.

When Larry returned home that evening, he saw Kim’s house key on the counter and knew that she was gone. Once I succeed, he thought, I’ll win her back.  He then played out the scenario of their reunion in his mind.  After I sell ten Solarcycles, I’ll drive up to her house in the original car that we built together and bring her home.  It was this unique mixture of optimism, denial, naiveté, and fantasy that allowed him to cope with any adversity that dared intrude in his life. [Picture of Larry in a suit, striking a pose as he stands in front of his Solarcycle, which is on display in a convention hall]