Marking Helberg’s feature film directorial debut, Cold Copy tells the story of two driven women pushing the boundaries of journalistic integrity for the sake of delivering a compelling, and ultimately scandalous, exposé. Eager to impress the esteemed yet cutthroat news reporter Diane Heger (Ellis Ross), ambitious journalism student Mia Scott (Powley) desperately competes for her attention. With increasing pressure from Diane to outperform her peers, Mia finds a new angle for her latest story about an unsuspecting subject: precocious teen Igor Nowak (Tremblay). But her new approach involves manipulating his story — and the truth itself.
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00 [BELL RINGS]
00:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 Journalism isn't a vocation.
00:05 It's a persona.
00:06 Sources are adamant that you pushed for his resignation.
00:09 Each of you will research and produce investigative segments.
00:13 Whichever one of you bring me the best story--
00:15 Hi, my name is Mia.
00:16 Mia Scott.
00:16 Mia Scott.
00:17 Your segment will air on the night report.
00:19 Ready on the set.
00:21 I think I have nothing.
00:22 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:26 If you want to drop the class, there's no shame.
00:28 No.
00:28 No, no, no.
00:29 I put you in a really tough spot,
00:31 giving you a place when I wasn't sure if it was for you.
00:33 It's for me.
00:34 It's for me.
00:36 You're going to have to take a risk, Mia.
00:39 Have you ever taken a risk?
00:40 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:42 Oh my god.
00:44 Are you OK?
00:44 You live here?
00:51 You sound surprised.
00:53 You should see the other guy.
00:56 Did you draw these?
00:58 Like--
00:58 They're incredible.
01:00 Hey, do you remember Charlotte Novak?
01:04 The famous children's author?
01:06 Didn't she accidentally overdose?
01:07 Turns out he's Charlotte Novak's kid.
01:10 He's this amazing artist.
01:11 That's not a story.
01:12 What is?
01:13 Charlotte killed herself.
01:14 That they hid it.
01:16 Why?
01:18 He has a secret, and it's burning him up inside.
01:21 What you do becomes the story.
01:26 If you act like it's fine, you'll look fine.
01:29 How I act tells people how to perceive you.
01:32 Maybe they see a mother-daughter, or a friend.
01:35 Maybe more.
01:38 Shouldn't you be in school?
01:42 I go sometimes.
01:43 I don't care if your subjects end up hating you.
01:45 What would your mom say about that?
01:47 You're there to do whatever it takes to get the truth.
01:53 Turn it off.
01:55 Turn it off.
01:56 It doesn't matter the bridges that you burn to get there.
01:59 You don't know what I had to do.
02:01 Do what has to be done.
02:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:11 (dramatic music)