-
Day 13 Assignments
Reply to post your assignments.
-
17 Replies
-
Ted Tronsen’s Scares, Releases, and Creepy moments for Shadow Mountain!
What I learned doing this assignment is that all the little things add up to create a scary horror film. To me one of the most important aspects of horror is having a creepy soundtrack to build fear and create tension. Also, certain sounds can trigger fear and apprehension, such as a wild animal howling, a twig snapping revealing an unsuspected stalker, or the sound of someone screaming in terror. I capitalized the SOUNDS in my action scenes.
EXT. OREGON WILDERNESS, CAMPSITE – NIGHT
Back at the campsite everyone is tired and decides to retire to their tents for the night. The two guides go to the big tent and the seekers pair up and go to their tents. Jimmy, Bobby and Jessica are missing. An owl HOOTS in the distance.
VINCENT
(zips up tent)
What happened to Jimmy and Bobby? They just disappeared…
CHRISTIAN
What about Jessica? She never returned.
VINCENT
It’s a starry night, maybe they decided to sit out under the stars for a while?
CHRISTIAN
Maybe?
VINCENT
I’m exhausted… that hike really wore me out. I can feel it in my legs! Goodnight Christian.
CHRISTIAN
Goodnight.
In the tent next to Christian and Vincent, Elise and Emily stay up talking. A pack of coyotes can be heard HOWLING in the distance after making a kill. The sound startles Emily curled up in her sleeping bag.
EMILY
(nervously)
Did you hear that Elise?
ELISE
Yeah, I heard it… sounds like coyotes. They howl like that after they kill their prey. It’s like a celebration.
EMILY
It sounds so primitive!
ELISE
Yeah. It’s wild isn’t it? It’s the call of the wild.
EMILY
I’ve never been this far out in the wilderness before. It doesn’t feel safe.
ELISE
We’ll be fine…
EMILY
There isn’t anything out here that could eat us is there?
ELISE
You’ve seen too many horror movies. There may be bears or wolves, but I doubt it.
EMILY
Why would they take us on a camping trip after 3 seekers killed themselves?
ELISE
I don’t know? I think they just wanted to get us out of Shadow Mountain. I think Bethany thought a change of scenery would do us some good.
EMILY
I think they should have let us go home. How can they stay open after that?
ELISE
I agree. I can see us staying after one suicide, but three deaths in two nights seems kind of suspicious.
EMILY
Do you think they could have been killed?
ELISE
I don’t know? Anything’s possible. We should probably try to get some sleep though. Goodnight.
EMILY
Goodnight.
After everyone has gone to sleep there is a loud EXPLOSION from an aerosol can of bug spray that someone threw on the fire. It startles everyone and wakes all of them up. They all get out of their tents and meet by the smoldering campfire.
MICHAEL
Okay you guys, who did that? That’s not funny!
Everyone looks on wide eyed in stunned silence. They shake their heads and shrug their shoulders.
VINCENT
Why would any of us do that? That’s ridiculous!
MICHAEL
Well someone had to do it… it didn’t just happen naturally. Someone must have thrown a can of bug spray on the fire. Who’s responsible?
ELISE
It wasn’t any of us.
TANIVÉ
Has anyone seen Jessica? She didn’t come back to the tent. I think we should look for her.
TODD
It looks like Jimmy and Bobby are still missing too. Has anyone seen them?
Everyone is lost for words and looks dumbfounded. They shake their heads.
MICHAEL
Okay, let’s break up into groups and conduct a search. Everybody grab a flashlight and pair up with someone.
Michael and Todd, Christian and Vincent, Emily and Elise, Brock and Tanivé pair up. They spread out in four directions and walk off into the woods CALLING Jessica’s name. They search the surrounding woods with their flashlights.
MICHAEL
(calling)
Jessica! Jessica! Where are you?
BROCK
(whispers softly)
Tanivé, I have to take a leak. Wait here, I’ll be right back.
TANIVÉ
Okay, but hurry up… I don’t feel safe!
Tanivé anxiously waits for Brock. She hears a twig SNAP and it startles her.
TANIVÉ
(apprehensively)
Brock, is that you?
Tanivé looks around and suddenly the masked killer jumps out of the bushes with an axe. He lunges towards her. She SCREAMS at the top of her lungs. The masked killer splits her head open with an axe.
Everyone hears Tanivé scream and they all rush towards her to help her. Brock is first to arrive. They find her dead body with an axe wound splitting her skull in half. They are all visibly in a state of shock, dread, fear, panic and hysteria.
BROCK
(yells in disgust)
What the fuck?! Tanivé!
EMILY
(screams hysterically)
Oh my God! Somebody killed her!
BROCK
Who would do this?!
MICHAEL
Okay you guys we need to get a hold of ourselves. There’s nothing we can do for Tanivé. We need to get out of here right now!
TODD
Let’s go! Follow me!
MICHAEL
Stick together!
Everyone follows Todd back to the campsite and they leave everything behind. Michael grabs a kerosene lamp to help guide the seekers. They look for the trail and start hiking back as fast as they can. Flashlights illuminate the trail.
The seekers fall in line behind Todd and Michael leading the way. They hurriedly shuffle along the well lit trail. The full moon helps to illuminate the woods around them. They are all visibly upset and in a state of shock, fear and hysteria.
-
Hi Ted. I agree that sounds are important in horror. That a lot takes place in the dark, the sounds are the scariest part sometimes. And the score adds a lot. I have a raging thunderstorm in one of my scripts that is unnerving and also causes confinement.
-
A thunderstorm definitely adds to the suspense! Maybe I should add a storm also to ratchet up the tension towards the end of ACT II or in the beginning of ACT III?
-
-
Do Jessica, Jimmy and Bobby – or what’s left of them – reappear later ?
-
Jessica’s body is never found. Bobby is never seen again and disappeared at the same time Jimmy did. The reason for them mysteriously disappearing is to keep the audience guessing who the killer is. It is revealed in the final scenes of ACT III that Jimmy is the masked killer.
-
I suggest you don’t waste them – they have to die horribly, horribly.
-
-
-
I experienced this scene as totally believable. I really don’t have anything useful to contribute re making changes. Really cogent, well glued together. No need to mess with it. Best of luck going forward Anna
-
Thank you Anna!
-
-
-
Jamie Stegner
What I learned: I don’t know how I would put these elements in the same scene but do see their value in horror scenes and between to ease tension. Some release scenes are important to keep us in touch with real life and the horror more horrible. Bugs and snakes and storms and wolf howls add tension without being the actual monster themselves.
CREEPY: Susan finds her father’s corpse in the dark attic. He’s freeze-dried and shriveled after 9 years undisturbed. Thought missing – that he’s gotten fed up and run off.
STARTLE: Susan and Wendy are going through the kitchen looking for something to eat. Susan opens a box of oatmeal. 30 huge roaches rush out. They’ve been in that box their whole lives and are confused; scurry about and eventually disappear into whatever cervices they can find. Oatmeal is everywhere. Susan and Wendy are frozen and speechless with repulsion.
RELEASE: The four gather around the fireplace drinking whiskey while the storm rages outside. A peaceful moment after much contention.
-
Isn’t there some film where they open the cupboard and a mummified body falls out and pins them to the floor?
-
Hello Jamie, I take it these are different scenes of course. For the purpose of doing an outline, maybe just use one and walk it all the way through with the basics INT EXt DAY etc. lead up, why is she in the attic, what happens as she walks up the stairs? How does she react when she finds the corpse? How do we know that the father flaked? Does she dialogue with some about it (no actual dialogue in the outline) Does she talk to herself hysterically? Does the door slam behind her, anything you can come up with to make a scene out of one of the ideas will help you write the whole story. It will all work out Jamie. I have made tons of mistakes as I have gone through this course but it seems to be working out in the end. Best of luck going forward, keep going. Anna
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by anna harper.
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by
-
-
Anna Harper’s Scares, Release and Creepy Moments
What I learned from this assignment. This has helped me to look critically and creatively at ways to boost the HORROR in my script.
THE LONG DARK Screenplay by Anna Harper
EXT.GAS STATION CAR PARK/DAY
SITUATION
PRIMARY ANTAGONIST SMILEY FORD,
brutally attacked a local indigenous girl.
It’s barely light in the cool Yukon morning. Snow crunches under SMILEY FORD’S cowboy boots, the keys on his carabineer, jangle as he moves, carrying a gas tank to the pump.
Smiley’s sleeves are rolled up showing his snake tattoo.
The rez streets are empty, silent except for a low murmur of the wind.
Smiley is whistling as he fills up his spare gas tank at the pump..
Carrying the gas tank, he walks over to his truck, SMILEY startles at a LOUD THUMP behind him. He pivots to see what is there, NOTHING.
BEAT
SMILEY is frozen to the spot. momentarily
POV SIDE VIEW
A LARGE COUGAR SPIRIT ANIMAL has jumped down from a tree.
THE COUGAR is standing very still, raising his head to sniff the air.
The COUGAR’s fur appears to sparkle in the feeble sunlight. The COUGAR’S breath is visible hanging in the air.
SMILEY does not see the COUGAR positioned to the side.
Looking very warry he turns back towards his truck.
The cougar GROWLS
SMILEY turns very slowly and sees the COUGAR.
SMILEY’s face is contorted in fear, he backs up around the other side of the truck.
A RAVEN (SHAPESHIFTER) lands with squawks on the back of the truck.
THE COUGAR disappears into thin air.
SMILEY audibly panting, his body turning this way and that checking for the COUGAR.
SMILEY moves towards his truck door, eyes wide with PANIC,
SMILEY wets himself, urine sounds of trickling to the ground.
As he reaches for the door, the COUGAR appears in front of him again, walking/slinking towards SMILEY, causing SMILEY TO back up, into the open area of the gas station car park.
SMILEY stumbles backward and drops the gas can. He is lying on the ground, SMILEY is making hysterical noises.
The COUGAR paces towards SMILEY and then begins to circle him. SMILEY is starting to scream. The COUGAR swats at him with his paw. SMILEY rolls over from the force of the blow. THE COUGAR grabs SMILEY, FULL ON SCREAMING, by the neck and shakes him like a rag doll.
A MURDER OF CROWS land squawking near the scene. SASQUATCH is howling somewhere in the forest.
The COUGAR LUNGES at SMILEY ripping off a limb that flies through the air,
BLOOD everywhere. SMILEY lying on the ground screaming his guts out.
The COUGAR backs away and watches as SMILEY tries a few crawling movments.
SPONTANEOUSLY the gas tank spills, creating a pool of gas all around SMILEY. The gas erupts into a wall of flames.
SMILEY’s body is seen BURNING IN FLAMES AS SMILEY FLAILS ABOUT SCREAMING.
The CROWS and COUGAR disappear into a whirlwind of snow.
DISSOLVE TO
RELEASE is switching to the next scene.
RESOLUTION
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by anna harper.
-
(Scare) As SMILEY approaches his car he hears noises but (Release) on investigation he sees its only a racoon in the thrash cans. Then he hears a growl (Creepy) ?
-
Thank you for reading my submission Jeremy. If OK with you I will read yours and respond tomorrow a m. Tonight a sink full of dishes and thirsty plants await after a day of wading through the material for marketing in PS81. Unfortunately, there are no raccoons up that far north. Another animal might do. However, I am still thinking this one through. Thanks again appreciate that you read through.
-
-
I really enjoyed reading your work Anna and think this scene really captures everything we have learned in this class! I’m looking forward to reading your outline in the final lesson.
-
This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by
-
What I learned doing this assignment is the benefit of multiple passes.
INT. CRYPT – EVENING
Septimius and the police enter the crypt but find no trace of Victoria. They move past the flower-girl’s body, her face has been cut off, she moans. They enter a tunnel.Bones litter the floor. Septimius notes they are human.
When accompanying the police through the tunnels in the Crypt Septimius is cut off and lost.
He is pursued through the tunnels by the cannibals until he comes to a barred dead-end though which he can see light.
Septimius hears the cannibals approaching through the tunnel as they scratch their metal claws against the sides.
He calls for help and the police dig him out just in time.
The Crypt is set alight and the police and Septimius pile in more fuel as we watch it burn.
Burning Cannibals flee and the police and military shoot them down.-
For Jeremy Cooke
Hi Jeremy, that was certainly interesting and disturbing, especially the part about the almost dead flower girl who is able to moan. Horrible, really good! The only bit I thought might benefit from a little more info was; so there were cops outside too? and the opened up the cript from above ground? Just wondering as I need a clear picture in my head. So you know, could just do the INT or Exit thing with the info. Best of luck going forward. Anna
-
Log in to reply.