The Recording Session is the first episode of Season 1 of RT Shorts, which premiered on April 28, 2009. It was written by Burnie Burns and directed by Matt Hullum.
Summary[]
In the box with Shannon McCormick: This is a dialog recording session from last year that was very important for Shannon. Burnie and Geoff share some unusual insights.
Staff in Order of Appearance[]
Crew[]
- Matt Hullum (director)
- Burnie Burns (writer)
Plot[]
It starts with Shannon in the recording booth doing some lines. Geoff and Burnie are at a desk listening to him. After recording, Shannon states that he's tired and that he's going to head home and get some rest, as there's a new play that's going to open up at the theater under the RT offices. Burnie suggests that he should go lay on the couch in the conference room instead. Shannon is skeptical, but Geoff tosses him a pillow and they lead him to the conference room. Shannon lays down on the couch while the duo watch.
When Shannon wakes up, he is in a box and covered in ice. Burnie states the reason he's in ice is that he and Geoff are trying to send him to the future. He also states that when Shannon wakes up, he's going to have to find him and Geoff, noting that (According to Time Magazine), "Americans are becoming more racially and culturally diverse all the time", so Future Burnie probably won't look anything like how Burnie looks now. Instead, according to some "computer simulations", he's going to look something like this. Then, when Shannon does find him, he's supposed to tell him to go to the nearest stock market and buy stock in the following companies: Google, Apple, and "Whatever the company is that makes email".
Shannon states that this isn't how time travel is supposed to work. Burnie tells him that he can keep the stock tips to use for free, and Geoff tells him that he can bet any sports teams that he may remember. They will also send to the future with modern-day U.S. currency, which Burnie claims will be valuable collectors items by then. Shannon states that the dollars are actually photocopied, to which Geoff tells him that they spent all their money on that box Shannon is in.
Shannon asks why they didn't just freeze themselves, and Burnie states that, for one thing, Shannon has a shaved head (Which Geoff claims that, in the future, "they love that shit"), and another, America will be overtaken by China. Shannon tells them that he doesn't speak Chinese, but Geoff says that he spoke it pretty well at lunch earlier that day (Shannon states that they ordered Kung Pao chicken).
Geoff says he'll fit right in, only he'll have "the greatest stock tips in the history of mankind" and a pocket of vintage money. Burnie and Geoff proceed to put the lid on the box, despite Shannon's protest.
At the end, a message comes up: "In Memoriam - Shannon McCormick - 1971-2859", followed by "the end?", which has Japanese text above it.
Video[]
RT Shorts - The Recording Session
Trivia[]
- This is the first RT Short.
- When Burnie and Geoff are escorting Shannon to the conference room, one can see Nathan at a computer desk editing "Spoiler Alert", which is the RT Short after this.
- The picture that Burnie holds up is a picture of professional golfer Tiger Woods.
- The Japanese text at the end is actually random katakana and hiragana mixed together to make "kakigobakiji", which isn't a real Japanese word.