-
Day 4 Assignments
Reply to post your assignment.
-
9 Replies
-
Lance’s Horror Plot for The Possessed
What I learned from this assignment is that this kind of outline reminds me of Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat. Recently, when I’ve outlined I would outline the first Act, the first half of Act Two, up to the Midpoint. I might have some ideas about the ending, but I prefer to outline the second half when I’ve written my script up to the midpoint.
I’m interested in seeing how this all plays out because I don’t know what I have until I start to write scenes. That’s why I like to outline up to the Midpoint and then start outlining the second half when I’ve written up to the Midpoint. I have to admit, I think this shows in what I’m turning in today.
Create your plot.
1. Knowing your concept, fill in one or two sentences for each of the plot points.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established
In the opening scene / prologue two people enter the apartment where Marshall’s corpse sits in his chair. Marshall has been dead for an extended period of time before being discovered. The apartment is dirty and run down with a lot of junk covering the coffee table and the rest of the room as though it hasn’t been taken care of for the last several years. Marshall’s body has been decayed while resting in the room.
Connect with the characters
Nathan and Hailey, two newlyweds move into their new condo which used to be Marshall’s apartment. The apartment looks bright and clean at a stark contrast to when Marshall’s body was discovered.
They prepare to have dinner guests at their new home.
The characters are warned not to do it.
Hailey’s friend Vanessa warns her that she feels something in their home. A presence.
During dinner, Vanessa’s boyfriend Everett proposes a toast. They all raise their glasses when Vanessa accidentally drops her wine glass shattering it on the floor. She felt a presence.
Denial of Horror
Hailey and Nathan deny that anything is wrong.
Hailey then begins to have misgivings about their new home when she starts to experience paranormal activity.
Nathan continues to deny anything is wrong.
Safety taken away
Marshall watches while the couple sleeps from the shadows.
Monster: The nature of the beast.
Marshall is able to take over Nathan’s body.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
Hailey starts to notice that Nathan’s personality has changed. He acts different from what she is used to. She doesn’t realize at that he has been possessed.
Hailey finds out that they are pregnant.
One of us killed
Hailey finds Nathan at a bar playing pool and drinking. He lights up a cigarette (he never smoked before) and is kicked out for smoking.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Marshall (possessing Nathan) rapes Hailey.
Full pursuit by the killer
Nathan’s body begins to decay because of the possession. Marshall pulls off one of Nathan’s fingernails as the fingertips are turning black.
Marshall continues to torment Hailey.
She leaves.
Terrorized
Marshall (possessing Nathan) shows up at Vanessa and Everett’s home where Hailey is hiding out. Marshall attacks Everett.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death
Vanessa and Hailey must fight Marshall (who is controlling Nathan) or be killed.
Hysteria
Marshall is knocked out.
The thrilling escape from death
Hailey and Vanessa flee. On the run, they call the police.
Death returns to take one or more.
Nathan was not found in the home.
Resolution
Hailey and Vanessa return to Hailey’s condo. They perform a spell from the Key of Solomon to free Nathan from Marshall’s spirit.
Final battle with Marshall and end.
-
Eric Humble’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is: that crafting a general plot outline is simpler, clearer, and more direct than I previously thought. I’m already getting a strong idea of how this story is going to be structured, even allowing for the next four passes to flesh it out more. While the outline processes in the Mini Movie Method class, the Story Logic Web we learned in Pro Series, and the amalgam of both we learned in MSC have allowed me a wealth of brainstorming in the past, I always find that my outlines and plots suffer from too many scenes, too unwieldy a set of ideas, especially in the horror scripts I’ve written, which are all over-plotted. These basic beats are more focused on the genre and helped me to not wander away from the elements that will be essential to create a good genre piece. It also was very quick and easy, preventing me from “over-thinking” the structure, which is another problem I tend to have with each script. I’m loving this class so far and can’t wait to see what the next passes will bring to the outline!
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established:
Subway platform, abandoned. Two or three members of a gang are hanging out. A preppy college kid staggers down in a panic and begs them to sell him drugs… but before he gets them, he’s stabbed in the neck by something invisible… and his eyes are carved into X’s.
Connect with the characters:
At the college, Rachel is an introvert, studying and interning at the hospital – never drinks or does drugs. But her hard-partying, free-spirited roommate Mackenzie urges her to come to a party she heard about across town in an old industrial district with her military boyfriend Bill.
Roach overhears and invites himself even though he’s kind of creepy and not part of their circle of friends.
The characters are warned not to do it:
Mackenzie pushes Veronica to go, but Veronica is sick with a cold and doesn’t want to — and urges them not to go, because it’s in a dodgy section of town where you can’t get a rideshare after midnight. Mackenzie brushes this off because there’s allegedly a subway stop nearby and finally convinces Rachel to go by ushering in her crush, Noah, for the evening.
Denial of Horror:
Their rideshare drops them at an abandoned industrial park, all shadows and crumbling, empty buildings. They want to turn back, when Bremmer opens the door and they hear and see the epic bash going on up in the penthouse – seems super fun.
Safety taken away:
They all drink, even Rachel, and black out… only to awaken alone. The party is long over, the place trashed, and it’s way past time to get a rideshare anywhere in this part of the city.
Monster: The nature of the beast.
Veronica is the only one who can see The Wino downstairs with the creepy canvas “drunk face” mask… and they discover a body of someone who fell – perhaps while drunk – from the loft to a lower floor. Probably the reason for the party breaking up.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
The Wino is at the base of the elevator, and they don’t know the building – so they have to find another way out to avoid him.
But after getting lost, he’s no longer there – he’s stalking them throughout the building.
One of us killed
Veronica is crushed to death by the wino’s bare hands while he is invisible, then
her eyes are carved into X’s.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought! – In order to evade The Wino, they need to see The Wino… so they have to get drunk or high, which makes them the perfect prey.
Full pursuit by the killer:
The Wino chases them, isolates each one of them –
Terrorized:
– and forces them to undergo a series of tribulations in which their altered state
severely handicaps them. If they survive, he’ll let them go. If they don’t try or sober up, he’ll kill them.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death:
Rachel and the remaining survivors get to the ground floor, battling The Wino all the way.
The thrilling escape from death:
Rachel takes Veronica’s cold medicine – and discovers it allows her to see The Wino without being overly impaired. She sets a trap for The Wino that seems to kill him and they run out into the fresh air. But…
Hysteria
They reach the subway platform and it’s empty and crumbling, perhaps
abandoned… and The Wino, still alive, chases them down onto the tracks and
into the tunnel.
The thrilling escape from death:
Rachel tricks him and she and Mackenzie make it within sight of the next subway
stop, which seems to be populated and operational.
Death returns to take one or more:
Out of alcohol and lighter drugs, Rachel has no choice but to inject heroin with
the plan of Mackenzie using Narcan on her to sap it out of her body as soon as
she can escape. But The Wino kills Mackenzie and forces Rachel to walk the
outside rim of the track – just inches away from the third rail, if she can manage
to walk that straight.
Resolution: Rachel emerges at a subway platform, just getting populated for the morning rush. She finds a discarded whiskey bottle with some drink left in it. Gets on the subway with the bottle in a paper bag, swigs it as the train brings her back to the city. Someone grumbles: “Lousy drunk, what a waste…”
-
Alfred’s Horror Plot Track for White Jesus.
What I learned doing this assignment is to properly outline for horror scripts.
ACT 1
*Atmosphere of Evil Established – The next door neighbor boy is grabbed by the creature.
*Connect With Characters – At a neighborhood block party we are introduced to Gabriel Freeman, his wife Sierra and their daughter Eboni. We are also introduced to several other members of the neighborhood.
*Denial of Horror – Another child in the neighborhood claims to have seen the monster and tells Gabriel. He tells the child that monsters aren’t real.
*Safety Taken Away – After another child is abducted the concerned parents go to the police. They police are no help at all and are actually being controlled by the creature.
*Characters are warned not to do it – Gabriel takes matters into his own hands and investigates the disappearances. An older member of the community warns him not to.
*Monster – Gabriel sees the creature feeding on a child.
ACT 2 THE POINT OF NO RETURN
*Isolated/Trapped/Abducted – Gabriel and Sierra’s daughter is grabbed.
*One of Us is Killed – One of the parents in the group, Sara, is killed or dominated.
MIDPOINT THE MONSTER IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT
*Full Pursuit By The Killer – Dominated adults, people controlled by the creature, chase the group.
*Terrorize – The group sees how deep the conspiracy goes when explained by Omar.
ACT 3 FULL OUT TERROR
*Fight to the Death – Group heads for where they think the kids are being held.
*Hysteria – Creature and dominated town bear down on the group.
*Thrilling Escape From Death – Gabriel and Sierra escape with Eboni.
*Death Returns to take One – Omar is revealed to be working for the creature. He is killed.
Resolution – Gabriel, Sierra and Eboni escape out of town and come to another town…that is under the control of the creature too.
-
Cameron Martin’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is…How important it is to differentiate horror-horror from action-horror or war-horror. It’s a very specific feeling of existential dread – the coming of relentless, inescapable death. While the horror of war may feel similar in some respect, there’s a specific brand in the way the two are handled. The relentlessness and randomness of the beach scene in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, for example, may have better fit the conventions if it weren’t for the fact that it’s mortal people killing Americans from a defensive position. If the film were shot from the Nazi’s perspective, the script is flipped in that the horror is coming for them. Plus, we know the outcome of D-Day, and we’re following the events from the perspective of the victors. All that to say that the horror, wherever it’s coming from, has to be on the attack, unprovoked. The “horror,” whatever it is, has to be the pursuer and can never be seen from a defensive position. Another lesson is that once the goal of survival is shifted to a goal of sacrifice, the horror element is completely lost. When looking at A QUIET PLACE, there’s a brief moment where Lee sacrifices himself to save his children. That’s fine, because it’s one character. The children and Evelyn are still in mortal danger after Lee’s gone; he only buys them ONE escape attempt. He doesn’t save them from the horror totally. This was something I noticed when considering the third act for my concept, BARE YOUR TEETH. I played a lot with the idea of the group sacrificing themself to contain the threat, and immediately the horror was lost, because it was no longer about survival, but about sacrifice.
(Note: This should go without saying, but for the sake of added context with which a brief internet essay cannot capture all of, I am in no way trying to provide sympathy for Nazis. Any comments referencing them with respect to the film SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is merely to reflect on the specifics of what makes up an “atmosphere of evil,” and how by default the beach scene cannot reflect this component because we are following actors that facilitate the killing rather than the actors that have the killing rendered upon them (because even though the Atlantic Wall was built to defend the population, it was also built to defend the perpetuation of the Nazis committing genocide, which of course was evil). By extension, the use of soldiers from both the Red Army and Nazi-German army in my concept is not to reflect any personal political opinions I have. Their use is solely for the discussion of the nuance found in individual actors caught in the crossfire of evil dictators, and the fascinating journey such characters may take in navigating a section of the world for which there is no right/good, and morally gray is the absolute best you can hope for from an ethics perspective.)
BARE YOUR TEETH
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established – Hitler’s message to his army fighting in Stalingrad (paraphrasing – “Die, but take as many with you before you do) in the background of a secret Nazi convoy that crashes on its way into Stalingrad, with the “cargo” killing all of the survivors.
Connect with the characters – Captain Fritz works on the first step of his plan to escape from Stalingrad with a small team of other Nazi defectors.
The characters are warned not to do it. – Lt. Grumman blows the escape plan when he chooses to save a child over abandoning her to escape forever, leaving the team still stuck in war torn Stalingrad.
Denial of Horror – The Nazi defector team is led by the child to a small group of Red Army soldiers. A deal is struck for the two groups to join together to make it out of the city.
Safety taken away – One of the Red Army soldiers betrays the group, leading another platoon of Red Army soldiers to capture and kill the defecting Nazis.
Monster: The nature of the beast. – One of the monsters kills the entire Red Army platoon, and the survivors that are left make their way into the sewers to try and escape.ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – The other escape route promised was destroyed by artillery fire, and with the city completely surrounded by Communist forces, there’s no escape. Get executed for abandoning your post, for being a Nazi, get killed in the constant crossfire of Stalingrad, or get eaten.
One of us killed – The monsters coordinate an attack and devours Captain Fritz, the Leader.MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Full pursuit by the killer – Night descends upon the city, and the monsters come out of hiding. Like the hydra, they duplicate when they’re significantly damaged. In a place like Stalingrad, they will quickly outnumber the two fighting armies.
Terrorized – Col. Solokov is executed for abandoning his post. Following, a wave of monsters overrun a defensive position and nearly double in number after the battle.ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death – Lt. Grumman lays down a plan to set a part of the city aflame to contain the monsters, as their only weakness appears to be fire.
Hysteria – The monsters don’t fall for the trap and start killing off everyone.
The thrilling escape from death – Lt. Grumman and Anastasia escape from the city.
Death returns to take one or more. – The surrounding Red Army prepares to take the two of them, but one monster trailed them and starts to duplicate when fired upon.
Resolution – the monster is burned alive and the city is firebombed to leave no survivors – except one does emerge from the rubble.(Note: Man, I hate this third act. Kinda just powered through in the end, but I learned a lot from trying to fit something that isn’t horror into the horror genre. I’ll say, it’d be a good idea for me to go back and study the Battle of Stalingrad again for more ideas, otherwise this runs the risk of feeling like a generalized WW2 battle rather than what that specific battle was.)
IT! CRASHED MY WEDDING
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established – Revelation of the “fact” that every million years, a plague of cicada-like creatures crawl out of hibernation and devour the world.
Connect with the characters – The pre wedding jitters are being excised by the bride and groom in their separate spaces, meanwhile some family members voice their displeasure by the wedding.
The characters are warned not to do it. – News reports come out that an event is occurring around the world. The cicada monsters are waking up and eating everyone in sight on the television.
Denial of Horror – Wedding must go on. The Bride’s been dreaming of this day for years, and she’s not about to let the apocalypse ruin it for her.
Safety taken away – A cicada monster crashes the wedding…
One of us killed – And eats one of the relatives.ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – Both families lock themselves inside the clubhouse.
Monster: The nature of the beast. – The voice of the relative calls out to their loved one, only for it to be coming from the monster. It takes attributes from its victims and incorporates it into its biology.MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Full pursuit by the killer – The monster makes its way into the clubhouse. The groom uses his survival tactics, feeding the cicada a bouquet of flowers to distract it, only for him to appear to be eaten by a cicada/rose hybrid.
Terrorized – The Bride is naturally distraught that her fiancé was eaten by the bouquet she was meant to throw. What’s more disconcerting is that the groom’s family is wanting to offer her as a sacrifice.ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death – The bride fights her way out of the mob, arguing for a right to live.
Hysteria – Both families begin to fight, throwing each other into the maw of the monster.
The thrilling escape from death – The groom returns to save his blushing bride – he actually survived thanks to those seemingly useless skills.
Death returns to take one or more. – the family works together to use the sprinkler system to rain weed killer on the cicada monster, killing the beast.
Resolution – The family’s survivors are a united front, the groom and bride finally get married, just as a cicada kaiju appears on the horizon. <div>OPEN WIDE
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established – Shots of a blood red nebula, some blood on the walls of a space colony, and the death and killing of space people by our protagonist and god knows what, because our protagonist’s son is dying from something we don’t fully understand yet.
Connect with the characters – Flashback to when Sully saves the worksite of the space colony from catastrophe, only for his Aspie son to ruin it.
The characters are warned not to do it – Alarm goes off and Sully chooses to go find his son who ran away, rather than run to the safety of the bunker.
Denial of Horror – Sully tries to connect with his son by crafting muffs that muffle the sound of the alarm for his over sensitive child, something he doesn’t have time for.
Monster: The nature of the beast – One of the residents in the bunker coughs so hard that his mouth split open. We don’t see what happens next.
Safety taken away – Sully doesn’t make it to the bunker in time.ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – Sully and his son, Isaiah, are chased by parasitic worms and the host of one of them. They are spared only through the efforts of another resident (a spy) who also didn’t make it to the bunker.
One of us killed – Sully and Isaiah’s rescuer is killed by Sully in an attempt to cease the end stages of her infection. In addition, the B-plot involves the “exterminators” that were called to solve the problem: conscripts where a holy man is required to kill a potential mutineer.MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Full pursuit by the killer – Sully locks his son in a closet to go an find the bunker. When he arrives, he finds the bunker is filled with nothing but infected, bloodthirsty hosts
Terrorized – Isaiah makes it out of his confinement and saves Sully, but gets infected in the process.ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death – The exterminators arrive, requiring Sully to fight more than just the aliens trying to eat him and and his son, as the exterminators are required to wipe out all life not confined to the bunker.
Hysteria – Complete chaos abounds as people die left and right while Sully tries to get his son to a medical bay to perform an experimental and invasive procedure to extract the alien parasite within him.
The thrilling escape from death – Sully and Isaiah work together and are able to extract the worm.
Death returns to take one or more. – The exterminators are about to execute both Sully and Isaiah, but…
Resolution – Sully reveals the spy’s information and shows the interstellar government knew about the worms ahead of time and tried to cover it up. This results in a full mutiny and Sully and Isaiah being sent off to spread the word and incite an interstellar revolution.</div>
-
Scott Kaplan’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is that the plot track gives the writer the road map of the outline…enabling one to connect the dots from scene to scene. I agree with Lance that this type of outline is reminiscent of Save the Cat.
ACT 1– Set Up For Horror
Atmosphere of Evil established: The cult’s eyes turn black when they summon the tortured spirits (black oil drips from their eyes)…as we cut to fog rising from the sewers. Sharp claws reach up from the sewers, remove the grate to drag the victims down, then replace the grate.
Connect with the characters: The antagonists that are bonded from birth are attempting to carry out evil deeds started by their ancestors. Seminole Street is a gateway to summon the undead spirits, buried alive in the 1800s.
The characters are warned not to do it: The Harbor Rats (cult) warn the innocent townies to mind their own business. The protagonists (Max/Shwin) are told by the sheriff, “Don’t investigate…there’s nothing to it.” This segways into…
Denial of Horror: Dick Sheriffs (his actual name) is in denial of the heinous crimes committed in his town.
Safety taken away: The people of the town no longer feel secure, as neighbors are taken away.
Monster: The nature of the beast: The evil of the cult and spirits they summon to do their dirty deeds.
ACT 2–The Point of No Return
Isolated/Trapped/Abducted: The town is closed off via lockdown. The cult of Harbor Rats threaten Dick Sheriffs that his family will be killed unless he obeys.
One of us killed: Upon discovery that his ancestors were responsible of numerous Native Americans being buried alive, Stacy (a member of the cult) turns against Piper/Clen. They dispose of him, not knowing that his wife, Dana, is a descendent of the tribe.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!:
Full pursuit by the killer: Piper/Clen order spirits to kill.
Terrorized: Images of ghastly, decayed spirits FLASHBACK to their deaths/murders; spawned by the ancestors of the cult. Reveal the descendents-of builders who killed Native Americans, who were buried alive.
ACT 3–FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death: Father Bob performs “exorcism.” He is then killed by the antagonists.
Hysteria: Townies running wild…scrambling…cars attempting to escape (crashes).
The thrilling escape from death: As Shwin is being pulled down into the sewers of the canals, Max saves her.
Death returns to take one or more: Spirits discover the true history. They were the original settlers of this town, a Native American tribe known as Marsapeaques. They rise up from underground to kill the remaining members of the cult.
Resolution: Spirits can now Rest In Peace.
-
Brandon’s Horror Plot
What I learned: There is a haunted house thrill-ride type aspect to horror films that I haven’t considered before.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
• Atmosphere of Evil established – Flashback. Revolutionary War. In slo-mo, an unstoppable Hessian horseman slays a half-dozen patriots until a cannonball finally decapitates him on the battlefield. Present Day. Rich eccentric acquires head of 18th century Hessian soldier in Sotheby’s-type auction. Brings it back to his manor in Tarrytown, New York, awakening something awful in the woods.
• Connect with the characters – Main characters bond over performing a high school play of Midsummer Night’s Dream. After the show, the kids skinny-dip in an idyllic stream in the hollow. Meanwhile, Newt discovers a huge demonic horse parked at a cemetery nearby. The horse nearly tramples Newt to death then disappears into mist.
• The characters are warned not to do it – The next day, Julian wants to explore the woods, believing the horse was some kind of spirit. Lacy warns them to stay far away.
• Denial of Horror-Julian, Sofia, and Newt discover an old-fashioned schoolhouse near the stream, in the middle of the woods. They speak to an odd schoolmaster and ask him if he’s part of the revolutionary war reenactment.
• Safety taken away – The kids can’t find their way back home. Nothing makes sense and every path is a labyrinth. Are they stuck in time?
• Monster: The nature of the beast. When they return to the schoolhouse, Julian receives a flash image of beheaded school children and the specter of the horseman. The schoolhouse is not quaint or historical. It’s a place of pure evil.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – The schoolmaster (Ichabod Crane) describes the vision Julian had – it was the ghost of the Headless Horseman. Old spirits have awakened. Whole backstory of Sleepy Hollow. The kids are tasked with finding the Hessian’s head and taking it out of town, past the bridge — the only way to destroy him. When they hear a horse approach in the distance, the schoolmaster locks them in. We discover Ichabod (Red Herring) owes the horseman heads in order to be ‘released.’
• One of us killed – Owen is the first one decapitated. The rest finally escape the schoolhouse.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
• Full pursuit by the killer – the horseman is set loose on the village of Sleepy Hollow, among all the Revolutionary-era cannons set-up for the following day.
• Terrorized – Revolutionary War reenactment mixes with the past as horrors and confusion return. We cannot tell the past from the present. As the Horseman pursues and impales.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
• Fight to the death- The kids steal the horseman’s head from the rich eccentric, all the while with the horseman hot on their tails.
• Hysteria- The horseman strikes at a historical wax museum.
• The thrilling escape from death – The horseman pursues the kids through a labyrinth of Revolutionary-era tunnels.
• Death returns to take one or more. The kids must take the horseman’s head past the bridge at the edge of town to finally destroy the specter entirely.
• Resolution – The kids barely make it to the bridge and not without sacrifice. The ending tease might be a gloved hand entering the frame and picking up a rotting pumpkin head. Maybe it’s Ichabod Crane.
-
Marc KOENIG’s horror plot track
What I learned doing this assignment is how to brainstorm a draft of the outline to fulfill every step of the horror story.
ACT 1 - SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established
In Mississippi Valley, 8th century, a cruel ritual sacrifice is interrupted by a group of rebels who capture the priest. He is tied up with chains and thrown in a deep well, topped with a stone.
Nowadays, the maniac’s skeleton is excavated by an archeologist, who finds in his remains a mysterious stone, very dense, which seems to have amalgamated with the man’s bones and flesh.
Connect with the characters
Jim and Jennifer get married and enjoy the party with a team of researchers they work with. The bride receives a call from the archeologist who wants her to analyze the stone as it doesn’t look like any mineral he knows.
The characters are warned not to do it
The woman realizes that this stone is of an unknown chemical element. It’s a new kind of metal, and it shows strange reactions to light and heat. She decides to run herself its analysis in a new modern lab, together with her husband and colleagues.
Denial of Horror
She decides to ignore the warnings of the archaeologist about the fact that the stone was somehow melted with the dead man’s body.
Safety taken away
As she is alone in a room making tests on it, the stone cracks and blows up into thousands of tiny spines that spread all over the room and stick into the walls and into the Woman’s body, in her arms, legs, in her eyes, and ears, up to her brain and lungs as she breathes the air full of these sharp prickles. The woman is brought to the infirmary, her whole body bleeding, but she wakes up and vanishes.
Monster
The unknown crystal comes back to life and has contaminated a human being.
ACT 2 - THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped
Jennifer locks the main door of the lab to prevent the staff from going out. Jennifer has become a vicious and ruthless killer. She starts to hunt the rest of the staff.
One of us killed
She slaughters the medic.
MIDPOINT
Full pursuit by the killer
Jennifer kills a few members of the staff and stores their bodies in the infirmary. The survivors try to elaborate a plan to escape.
The monster is worse than we thought!
Jennifer spits out another crystal, a seed. She hides it. As they discover the walls of another room peppered with spines, except for the shape of a body, the survivors understand that another one of them has been contaminated. Furthermore, the infiltrated CIA agent orders a mission to capture the monster and eliminate all the scientists.
Terrorized
The survivors can not trust each other anymore. They fight and threaten each other while they keep running from Jennifer. Two more die.
ACT 3 - FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death
A commando breaks into the lab and definitely locks it up to prevent the monster and the witnesses from escaping.
Hysteria
The survivors have to escape from the monster and the soldiers, who get killed one by one by the monsters. New seeds are released by the contaminated and they blow up inside rooms where survivors or soldiers get in. There are more monsters than survivors now.
The thrilling escape from death
Irina finds a way to neutralize the gem. She uses it to escape from the monster, save Jim, and heal Jennifer. They find a way out. They don’t know that Jim was hit by a spine in the neck.
Death returns to take one or more
As they get outside, John kills Jennifer. Irina survives and eventually kills him. The lab is blown up by explosives that Irina has settled inside. As she tries to get away from the area, she is abducted.
Resolution
Irina is detained in a military compound in Russia. Army officers ask her what happened that interrupted her initial mission. As she learns that they brought the body of the scientist she last killed for his autopsy, lights turn red and a loud alarm blares. Irina replies in Russian «big mistake.»
-
I go on with some hole in this one, but they’ll fill eventually.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established:
Val in a single cell i her orphanage
one eyed (he took her eye when she was a baby – her witches powers diminished
the night guard attacks her
she warns him, not afraid
he dies of freak accident, just before her amulet glows
— she tells us this is what happened all her life to people who attack her
Connect with the characters:
Her social worker should protect her bit totally gets her screwed
sends her back into the hands of her attackers
The characters are warned not to do it:
sneaks into her room to get her things
roomate warns her not to go to search for her aunt,
only picture shows her family as crazy, chaos, poor
better than this
Denial of Horror:
a village next to hers
witches memorial – horrors of the past
witches with cut out eyes
Safety taken away:
on her journey asks women for the way, beautiful but tired/exhausted
praise the beauty farm
drinks a tea that makes her funny
her stuff gets stolen
with the only picture of her parents and aunt
Monster: The nature of the beast:
waits for her aunt to pick her up
Gets attacked again
first she’s arrogant
realizes her amulet is gone – her protection is gone /didn’t belive in it anyway
than gets hit
her face gets slashed
Her aunt watches her smiling / next to her in the car invisible the demon
gets thrown in a water
cleansed for her arrival
aunt pull her out
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted:
Val is taken in by her aunt
her aunt denies any connection to witches – there’s no such thing as magic
cant remember well – drifts of when asked about her parents
gets locked in her room, but its pretty
aunt promises to get custody for her
denied hospital – in the coming days she will have surgery for her face
—finds box with her parents stuff – spell book – elixirs – kids stuff (they had to hide their magic in ridicoulous objects)
a fernglas with sigil carved into it – that makes black rings around your eyes
her aunt sees it – takes the glases away
Val helps out in the clinic. they all act weird
her aunt packs to leave then forgets
a woman sweeps the threshhold
need to stay awake
befriends a woman. she gets a facial. tries to stay awake for days. gets tired and dies / sent home
— in their sleep he visits and feeds of them
— she finds her stolen things, but not her protection ring amulet
One of us killed:
finds the glasses again in her aunts office
looks at someone, sees their eyes cut out –
drops the glasses and they break
MIDPOINT — THE MONSTER IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT
Full pursuit by the killer:
Dinner with aunt
val still in shock about the eyes
tried to repair the glasses, tries them in her aunt but they dont work
demon joins them for dinner
val cant move
her aunt seems to not notice him
next day is her surgery
Val wakes up bandaged
takes it off
her face is beautiful, no scars, both her eyes perfect
shes tired
her aunt apologizes silently
her aunt gives her a hint – the box of her parents – hidden more stuff
val finds other glasses
val can see again
when she takes it off everyone looks good
//eyes gauged out!
The group has entered full terror. They are being chased, trapped, attacked, and killed.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death:
sees the demon at her aunts bed feeding
pretends not to see
she attacks the demon
memory lapse
wakes up in bed
weak
Hysteria:
With death happening all around the characters, they have lost control of their emotions. Screaming, crying, and shaking are natural responses to the horror that is raining down on them!
The thrilling escape from death:
Just as exciting as the horror are the escapes and near-escapes. The characters may escape many times, only to face the monster again.
Death returns to take one or more:
val gets drink
sees
drinks poison when the demon comes
the demon feeds of her poisonous energy
he’s in pain, the eyes close and vanish. they go back to their owners – not enough
Even after they think they’ve killed the monster, it will return to shock their reality once more.
Resolution:
witches execution site
aunt drink more poison
aunt free from the spell
her eye got taken and with it her power
Someone has survived after an unbelievable horror gauntlet. But it isn’t a happy ending. They are very likely traumatized for life…but they are alive.
-
Mark Veau
What I learned from this lesson: Was to really concentrate on the characters were warned not to do it & safety taken away – It made me really look into these two sections and confirm that we had included them in the story – I am confident that this lesson confirms that we did.
“Attack of the Killer Refrigerator 2” – The Horror Plot Track
Act 1: Set Up For Horror
Atmosphere of Evil Established:
Footage from the original film’s kills being looked at on a laptop… rewind… fast forward… stop… looked at in closer detail.
Connect with the Characters:
All of the main characters are introduced immediately after the atmosphere is established in their high school classroom and the adjacent hallway at their lockers.
The Characters Are Warned Not To Do It:
Our protagonist, Fred, is assaulted, warned and threatened by his older classmate, adversary/antagonist, Derek, not to interfere with his life. Fred is also warned by his older sister, Molly, not to interfere in any way with the big bash she is throwing while their parents are away for the weekend.
Denial of Horror:
Like Paul Revere’s ride, Fred rushes through the mansion full of teenagers and warns that the Refrigerator is coming – even jumping on the DJ’s stage and ripping the microphone from him in a last ditch effort to deliver his message . Nobody pays attention to him – Until it’s too late.
Safety Taken Away:
The first indication that something bad is going to happen is when the Refrigerator is plugged in and comes to life.
There is a second “first” indication to the unaware, bigger group partying downstairs in the mansion’s ballroom… is when the Refrigerator, after already killing many teenagers upstairs – glides onto the dance floor wearing a toga, the “dress code” theme for the party. After a few signature Fridge dance moves it unleashes its shark-like teeth and other weapons on the crowded dance floor, slaughtering anything that gets in its path before chasing the ones who get away… for now.
Seeing a Refrigerator unload like that on “innocent” teenagers immediately will take away any sense of safety for anyone. Refrigerators are just not supposed to do that.
Monster: The Nature of the Beast:
It’s in the title… “Attack of the Killer Refrigerator 2.” At this point in time we have seen how this metal beast operates – for now. However, things are about to get a lot worse.
Act 2: The Point of No Return
Isolated/Trapped/Abducted:
The Refrigerator has trapped all of the teenagers in the mansion by freezing all possible exits shut. There is no way out. No way in. Because of its hold on the houses “grid,” you cannot even get a signal on your iPhone. No internet. No landline. Nothing. From the outside everything appears normal, so nobody is even going to stop by for a welfare check, no chance.
One of Us Killed:
The “purging” of the main group of survivors begins when Nick, Derek’s right hand man and fellow bully, is taken out – all of his flesh from the waist down literally ripped from the bone.
MIDPOINT – THE MONSTER IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT
Full Pursuit by the Killer:
Here’s where our Killer Refrigerator becomes even more dangerous… the last male victim, Eric, is reborn, as his now grotesque head emerges through the top of the Refrigerator. Now the evil appliance has a face and a voice as Eric’s Head, making it even more terrifying. And… Even more terrifying: Eric’s Head has a counterpart, Anne’s Head, his girlfriend’s decapitated head who lives inside the Refrigerator.
Terrorized:
The Killer Fridge stops at nothing to chase down and rip apart the small, core group, of survivors. The remaining teens have no hope at this point, they are just delaying the inevitable.
Stress sets in. Their emotional state breaks down. Fear overtakes rational thought to this point.
Act 3: Full Out Horror
Fight to the Death:
There are two major fights to the death:
The 1st: Takes place on the mansion’s third level: The core group comes together, despite differences, to fight and “kill” the Refrigerator.
The 2nd: Takes place in the dark expansive depths of the mansion’s basement that contains many rooms, including the Refrigerator’s lair, the electrical room guarded by the regurgitated, Zombie-like souls of its victims.
This is where the final successful battle takes place against all odds.
Hysteria:
Returns to the final two survivors that we are aware of, Fred and Samantha, as they battle Zombies and the Refrigerator together.
The Thrilling Escape From Death:
Fred, Samantha and (at this time) Derek all escape close calls with the Refrigerator in the basement before the epic final battle.
Death Returns To Take One More:
This happens after the first major battle upstairs. The Refrigerator inadvertently gets plugged in again by an unaware Eric who was having sex with his girlfriend, Anne, in the mansion’s tower all night and missed the carnage.
Resolution:
We literally and completely flip the script with a surprise ending that you should’ve seen coming throughout – and NO, it is not a dream like in the “Wizard of Oz” – The script bucks the trend with a very happy ending.
-
This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Mark Veau.
-
This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Mark Veau. Reason: typos
-
This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by
Log in to reply.