Day 11 Assignments

[Edward Lusk]

Ed’s Level 2 Horror Emotions.

What I learned doing this assignment is how to utilized sound and setting the help build the emotions, fear, suspense, dread. In this case the dong of the lobby clock and the off screen screams of character Susie. I learned to place my characters in horrible situation, therefore dreading their decision/actions. Fun!

INT. SKI LODGE – LOBBY – NIGHT

The grandfather clock begins the strike nine bells. The DONG lingers through the great hall. Krampus holds Susie tight by a clump of her long hair in his gloved hand. The fireplace flames lapping so close by.

KRAMPUS

Let’s see how many admirer’s you have. Shall we?

INT. JAMES and MICHAEL’S ROOM – NIGHT

The DONG, and its sinister implications, seeps in through the door. James and Michael face each other, not not knowing what to do next.

MICHAEL

We have to go down.

JAMES

I’m not killing anyone!

MICHAEL

You’ll die if you don’t.

JAMES

Haven’t you been paying attention? We’ll die either

Way. I’d rather die innocently than as a murderer.

There’s a scream. It’s Susie, screaming in agony. The clock’s DONG and her scream, goes on, and on. Neither James or Michael are willing to move.

MICHAEL

He’s killing Susie.

Another scream. Another DONG

JAMES

Better her than us.

MICHAEL

I hate this.

Their room door swings open on its own. Susie’s screams the clock’s chime no longer faint. Just below them the terror awaits. DONG, SCREAM, DONG…

MICHAEL

Now of never.

JAMES

Some choice.

Reverend Gene appears outside their door. A man looking like he’s facing a firing squad.

GENE

You boys coming?

JAMES

Doesn’t sound like your prayers have been answered.

GENE

We shall see. Faith is unpredictable.

The trio heads down the hall. The lobby, Krampus, and Susie , and the next gift exchange, await them

[Gregg Guest]

Level 2 Emotions

This lesson I learned that using these emotions can really help you design the specifics of a scene in a way that allows it to unfold in a compelling way.

INT. OFFICE – DAY

Carina and Dmitri take turns tossing paperclips into a waste basket, while Julian pours over his blueprints.

Osmond and Adrienne are in the small glass enclosed conference room, reviewing files.

Izumi is moving about the room, Windex bottle in hand, cleaning desktops and surfaces.

She gets close to Julian with the spray bottle and he pulls his blueprints away quickly.

JULIAN
Hey, hey, hey. Watch it.

IZUMI
Sorry. It’s a mess in here. There’s a layer of dust on everything.

Carina sinks a paperclip shot.

CARINA
Yes! I win.

DMITRI
I don’t even know what we’re playing.

Izumi continues her dusting.

IZUMI
Did the guard say how long it would take to fix?

CARINA
Nope. He went to find out though.

Julian folds the blueprint.

JULIAN
There’s another way out of here, that is, if Dmitri put the stairs in the right places.

Dmitri throws a paper clip at Julian.

Osmond and Adrienne exit the conference room to join the others.

ADRIENNE
I thought you all were going for a drink?

CARINA
Elevator’s broken.

ADRIENNE
Are your legs broken too? Take the stairs.

Julian shoots her a look.

JULIAN
Now there’s an idea.

OSMOND
I’m actually glad you’re all here, because I can share some exciting news. Adrienne has come up with a way to close Mumbai.

Carina perks up. Julian is perplexed.

JULIAN
There were some serious code issues to deal with there.

OSMOND
Nothing our savvy SVP couldn’t navigate.

CARINA
That’s great. I can already see the marketing. Reach for the sky, in Mumbai.

Dmitri chuckles.

DMITRI
That is good. Very good.

The office door bursts open, and Keelan comes bounding in, breath racing, pale faced. The whole gang turns to look at him. Even Izumi stops mid-spray.

OSMOND
My lord, you look like you’ve seen a ghost young man.

KEELAN
There’s been an accident.

OSMOND
An accident?

KEELAN
The mechanic…I was…he..I don’t know how…but his skin…

ADRIENNE
Slow down hon, have a seat.

She escorts him to a chair.

KEELAN
He’s dead.

CARINA
Oh my god.

JULIAN
What?

OSMOND
Are you sure?

Keelan fidgets, too spooked to sit still.

KEELAN
I don’t know what happened. But it’s not pretty I’ll tell you that.

DMITRI
Where?

KEELAN
In the machine room.

DMITRI
Let’s have a look.

Dimitri heads out the doorway.

OSMOND
Izumi, call 911.

Osmond rushes after him, and Carina follows him.

Izumi puts down her cleaner and picks up the phone. She taps it repeatedly, then hangs it up.

IZUMI
No dial tone.

Adrienne pulls out her cell phone, tries to make a call. She waves the phone around the room.

ADRIENNE
No service.

Julian does the same with his phone.

JULIAN
No fucking way.

He and Adrienne exchange looks, then hurry out of the office after the others.

Keelen takes a deep breath, stands and follows, leaving Izumi alone in the office. She wipes one last clump of dust off the desktop, then rushes off too.

IZUMI
Wait for me!

INT. HALLWAY – DAY

The group of six make their way down the hallway, Osmond in the lead. He holds up his hand.

OSMOND
I smell smoke.

He turns back to the group, notices Dmitri behind him smoking a cigarette. He glares at the contractor, who puts the butt out on the floor.

CARINA
I smell it too…it’s like an electrical fire.

OSMOND
Maybe you all should wait here.

Dmitri pushes past him.

DMITRI
I check it out.

Osmond motions for the others to stay put, then waves for Kellan to join him as they move down the hallway.

The others stick together, taking small steps slowly in the same direction.

INT. VESTIBULE – DAY

Dmitri approaches a vestibule with a door marked “MACHINE ROOM” and reaches for the knob.

KEELAN (O.S.)
Wait!

Dmitri pulls his hand back and Osmond and Keelan join him.

KEELAN
It might be hot.

He removes a handkerchief from his pocket, wraps it around his hand, and hesitantly grabs the door knob. Satisfied he nods to the others.

KEELAN
You sure you want to see this?

OSMOND
No.

DMITRI
Yes.

KEELAN
Here goes.

He opens the door and the odor hits them. Osmond covers his nose. Dmitri eagerly peers into the room.

DMITRI
Oh man.

Keelan takes a quick look to confirm what he saw earlier, then looks away.

Osmond squints as if that will make what he sees les painful to look at.

The mechanics body lies against the wall, his clothing tattered and burned, and his flesh blackened and blistered. His face is a mess of burned flesh and bone.

OSMOND
Was he electrocuted?

KEELAN
Maybe. The circuit board is fried.

Osmond examines the panel, looks at the body again.

OSMOND
Looks like he was burned by fire, but I don’t see any other evidence of a blaze.

Dmitri reaches for the control panel. Osmond pulls him back and closes the door.

OSMOND
It could be dangerous. Let’s get the others out of here.

[Madeleine Vessel]

Madeleine Vessel’s Level 2 Horror Emotion Scene

What I learned doing this assignment is that adding fear, suspense, and dread emotions to a scene really ups the horror factor. I’m having too much fun.

Here’s my scene that uses all three of these horror emotions: fear, suspense, and dread

SCENE

EXT./INT. OLD LADY SETTER’S HOUSE – NIGHT

Kathryn follows Mallory through the window.

BANG!

The window falls down.

SQUEEL! CLICK!

The latch slowly turns and locks.

BANG! … CLANK!

The bars outside the window swing shut and lock.

Mallory jumps in fear.

Kathryn struggles to turn the window latch open. It won’t budge.

KATHRYN
Must be the wind… I’ll check the front door and make sure it opens.

MALLORY

Don’t leave me by myself.

KATHRYN
We’ll both check.

As they make their way to the front door, the girls pass a barred and locked window.

Kathryn struggles to turn the window latch, but it won’t budge.

She attempts to unlock the next window they come to, with the same result.

They find the door.

Mallory clings to Kathryn.

KATHRYN
It’s an old house. Likely, the latches are rusted shut.

MALLORY
What if the door won’t open?

KATHRYN
One step at a time.

At the front door, Kathryn struggles to turn the bolt lock. It won’t budge.

Mallory tightens her grip on Kathryn.

MALLORY

We’re locked in… What are we going to do? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

Mallory loses it.

Kathryn wraps her arms around Mallory.

KATHRYN
Most likely, the house is locked up because it’s full of valuable antiques. Look around.

Mallory peeks over Kathryn’s arm. It’s true the house is full of old furniture, trinkets, all matter of odds and ends, including a candelabra ensconced with candles with a pack of matches nearby.

Mallory starts to calm down. She goes over to the candelabra.

MALLORY
Weird old lady. Instead of a flashlight, she lights candles.

Suddenly a baby grand piano catches Mallory’s eye. She runs over to take a closer look

MALLORY
I don’t believe this. It’s an old, old Steinway.

Sitting on the stool, placing her hands on the keyboard, she starts to play… but no sound comes out.

KATHRYN
Probably needs repair.

Joining Mallory, Kathryn immediately sees the problem with the piano.

A ghost of a teenage girl lies across the strings of the piano.

Kathryn shrinks back.

Obviously, Mallory doesn’t see the ghost girl.

Suddenly, the ghost girl flies off the piano strings and enters into Kathryn.

Kathryn sees the last moments of the ghost girl’s life.

INT. FRATERNITY HOUSE – NIGHT

At the party, the corpse of the pianist lies on the floor, face up. She’s dead of a drug overdose.

POLICEMAN
Who is she?

No one seems to know… but then –

A FRAT BOY, 20, steps forward.

FRAT BOY
Frances… Francis Baker.

POLICEMAN
She looks young.

FRAT BOY
Seventeen. She’s a pianist, a child prodigy. All she wanted was a bit of fun for a change.

POLICEMAN
I hope it was worth it.

The frat boy sobs. He falls down beside Frances. Through tears —

FRAT BOY
Franny, I’m so, so sorry. I should never have listened to you.

Two paramedics arrive with a stretcher.

PARAMEDIC #1
Drug overdose?

POLICEMAN
Looks that way.

BACK TO SCENE

Frances exits Kathryn’s body and returns to lying across the strings.

FRANCES
(defiant)
This is my piano.

Kathryn shakes all over.

MALLORY
(to Kathryn)
What’s wrong with you?

FRANCES
(to Kathryn)
Tell your friend to take her hands off my piano.

KATHRYN
(to Mallory)
I don’t think Mrs. Setter would want us touching the piano.

MALLORY
It isn’t my fault that it’s broken.

KATHRYN
Of course not. It’s just that —

Mallory jumps up.

She spies an ornately framed mirror and rushes over to take a look.

Standing in front of the mirror, Mallory straightens her hair barrette, but then…

…she sees Frances lying across the piano strings behind her.

Mallory whirls around, but there’s no one there.

MALLORY
Someone else’s in the house!

Beat

KATHRYN
Yes, I know. Her name is Frances.

Mallory whirls around and faces the mirror. She sees Frances making faces at her, and –

Mallory SCREAMS BLOODY MURDER.

In an effort to calm Mallory down —

KATHRYN
There’s nothing to fear. She’s a restless spirit. That’s all. She can’t do us any real harm.

MALLORY
(defiant)
You don’t know that.

Kathryn takes a rosary out of her pocket. She shows it to Mallory then begins to pray, starting with the Sign of the Cross.

MALLORY
A lot of good that’s going to do. Come on. We’ve got to find a way out of here.

Mallory runs toward a window they haven’t checked.

Before she gets to the window, all the lights in the house go out.

Mallory SCREAMS.

KATHRYN
Shush. It’s just the storm. I’ll check the circuit breakers.

MALLORY
Don’t leave me here alone.

Taking Mallory’s hand, Kathryn feels her way to the candelabra.

Kathryn lights the candles with a match and starts her search for the circuit breaker box.

Mallory sticks to Kathryn like glue.

KATHRYN
Here it is.

She opens the circuit breaker box and holds up the candelabra.

Behind her, Mallory sees what Kathryn sees.

MALLORY
None of the circuit breakers are tripped.

Quickly, Kathryn takes out her mobile phone.

KATHRYN
I’ll call mom. She’ll get us out of here.

Kathryn presses “Mom” on her contact list.

The phone doesn’t ring

KATHRYN

There’s no phone service.

MALLORY
What? That can’t be. It’s probably your battery.

Mallory takes out her phone, calls “home”, but there’s no service.

Mallory falls to her knees.

MALLORY
What are we going to do? We’re trapped. And no one knows where we are.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Level 2 Horror Emotion Scene

What I learned: it’s important to use lower level emotions first so that you can build up the intensity of you emotions in Act 3. I couldn’t get all three emotions in one scene so I wrote two connected scenes.

INT. FARMHOUSE – NIGHT

Caitlin SOBS uncontrollably. Sybil tries to comfort her. The other six women look shell shocked. Alison GASPS.

ZORA

What is it?

ALISON

While we were doing repairs, we found a box with notes and documents in it about what happened in 1980.

REGINA

What exactly happened in 1980?

Alison sheepishly looks to Zora.

ALISON

You were right. It was a murder suicide. A woman killed her longtime lover then herself.

DIANA

And you kept this from us?

Sybil barks at Diana.

SYBIL

It has anything to do with us.

REGINA

Looks like you’re wrong about that.

DIANA

You didn’t want anything to come in the way of your retreat project.

ALISON

No, it wasn’t like that.

REGINA

Then what was it like?

MAEVE

Stop fighting! We should read those documents. Where’s the box?

ALISON

It’s in the basement.

Sybil snaps at Maeve.

SYBIL

You don’t need to read the documents.

Maeve is quiet.

Zora looks at Maeve and then at Sybil then back at Maeve.

ZORA

Why do you want to read the documents?

MAEVE

We have to find out who this spirit is and how to stop it. Maybe there is information in that box that will help us.

Sybil raises her voice.

SYBIL

I said there is nothing in that box. What we have to do is take care of Caitlin and decide what to do next.

Zora looks at Maeve.

ZORA

What do you want to do next, Maeve?

Maeve looks at Sybil. Sybil glares at her. Maeve looks at Zora and takes a deep breath.

MAEVE

Look at what is in that box. Anyone want to go to the basement with me?

REGINA

I am not going to the basement of a haunted house, and neither are you.

Diana looks frightened.

DIANA

I don’t think we should split up.

Zora looks straight into Maeve’s eyes and reaches out her hand to her.

ZORA

Let’s go.

They hold hands and head for the stairs.

INT. FARMHOUSE/BASEMENT STAIRCASE – NIGHT

Maeve turns on the light on her cell phone and they creep down the stairs. They knock something off a shelf and both jump. Maeve chuckles nervously and continues down the stairs.

She shines the light to the left and a large statue is right next to them. Zora GASPS. They both breaths nervously. They see old clothes, furniture, and a box in the corner.

They head for the box. Maeve opens it and pulls out a journal. She reads it.

ZORA

What does it say?

MAEVE

Give me a minute.

Maeve quickly scans a page then turns it.

MAEVE

They were witches. The were writing a book on the execution of witches in Massachusetts in the seventeenth century. They were investigating the execution of…

Maeve looks at Zora then looks back at the journal.

MAEVE

The execution of Jane Lawson, whose husband burnt her for being a witch and for laying with another woman. He possessed me and took great joy as I murdered the woman I’d loved for twenty-seven years.

Maeve hyperventilates.

MAEVE

He’s possessing us so we will kill our lovers.

ZORA

Oh, Jesus. We could have stopped this if we read this journal. Damn Sybil and Alison!

The heard a blood curdling SCREAM from upstairs, then insane CACKLING.

MAEVE

He’s inside someone.

They both hyperventilate. More SCREAMING. Maeve looks at Zora.

MAEVE

We have to help them.

ZORA

What if it’s Diana or Regina? Maybe we should wait here.

MAEVE

We have to help them.

Zora looks terrified but nods her head in agreement and they race up the stairs.

[Micah Delhauer]

LESSON 11: LEVEL 2 HORROR EMOTIONS

MICAH’S LEVEL 2 HORROR EMOTIONS SCENE

Pearl falls back against the wall, barely able to stand. His breath is a sickly wheeze.

AUTUMN: Pearl?

Mallory rushes over, looks at his eyes. Pearl slumps onto the floor.

AUTUMN: What’s happening to him?

MALLORY: It looks like a fentanyl overdose. Whatever he took wasn’t clean.

His eyes droop.

MALLORY: Pearl? Stay awake! Hey!

She shakes him.

AUTUMN: What do we do?

MALLORY: Stay with him. I’ve got something in my room.

She stands, starts toward her room.

NICO: Wait. Don’t go that way.

Mallory stops. Her room is past Felix’s.

MALLORY: Shit.

AUTUMN: You have to do something!

INT. TBD ROOM

Felix is listening on his phone.

FELIX: Tell me what you need. I can get it.

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY

MALLORY: Naxolone. It’s in a nasal spray bottle. It should be in my suitcase. Room 401.

INT. TBD ROOM

Felix is out the door.

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY

He finds the door to Mallory’s room.

INT. MALLORY’S ROOM

The door flies open and Felix scans the room.

FELIX: Where’s your suitcase?

MALLORY (V.O.): On the other side of the bed, on the chair.

Felix sprints across the room and begins rummaging through the case.

His foot knocks against the naxolone bottle on the floor and sends it sliding under the bed.

FELIX: I’m not seeing it.

MALLORY (V.O.): Check the pouches.

He does.

FELIX: It’s not hear. … Hello?

Felix checks his phone. It’s dead.

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY

MALLORY: Felix?

There’s a beep. She checks her phone and sees that the call has ended.

Air whistles through Pearl’s nose. His lips are blue and he can barely lift his head.

AUTUMN: Baby, stay with me! Come on, come on! (to Mallory) Tell him to hurry!

Mallory clenches her jaw. Fuck it. She guns it down the hall.

INT. MALLORY’S ROOM

Mallory rushes in. She nudges Felix out of the way and rummages through the suitcase.

FELIX: Are you sure you had it?

MALLORY: Positive. It must have fallen out.

The two scour the floor.

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY

Autumn is holding Pearl’s eyelids open with her fingers.

AUTUMN: Hold on, Pearl, hold on.

INT. MALLORY’S ROOM

Mallory throws the small sitting table out of her way.

MALLORY: Shit!

She gets on her hands and knees. She checks beneath the chair.

Then the bed. There it is.

MALLORY: Found it!

She reaches. It’s just beyond her fingers.

MALLORY: I can’t get it.

Felix drops to the floor on the other side and tries to grab it. It’s perfectly centered between them, and neither can reach.

FELIX: Move the bed.

Felix gets up to his knees, grabs the bed frame and pulls as Mallory shoves it. It shifts.

Mallory reaches underneath again and snags the bottle. The next instant she’s on her feet and out the door.

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY

Felix follows after Mallory as she rounds the corner into main hallway.

AUTUMN: Hurry!

Mallory trips, pitching forward. Felix stops in his tracks.

The bottle skids across the floor, toward the elevator—

AUTUMN: No!

Autumn lunges.

It comes to rest on the lip of the elevator shaft, about to teeter over when Autumn snatches it.

Felix hurries back toward his room.

Autumn scrambles back to Pearl, shoves the nozzle into his nostril.

AUTUMN: Here we go, baby. Breathe in.

She squeezes the bottle.

But Pearl doesn’t inhale. He doesn’t move at all.

AUTUMN: No no no. Come on, baby.

She squeezes again. Switches to the other nostril. Crushes the bottle. She shakes Pearl.

AUTUMN: Wake up, wake up Pearl!

Mallory crawls over and feels Pearl’s pulse. Her expression is grim.

AUTUMN: No, no, no, no, no!

Autumn shakes Pearl’s lifeless head.

AUTUMN: Noooo!

She takes him into
her arms and weeps.

[Tom Wilson]

Tom’s Level 2 Horror Emotion Scene

What I learned doing this assignment is it’s fun to learn how to coordinate fearful emotions.

INT. ORPHANAGE – DAY

Father Mike welcomes prospective adopter VERNA. She’s really Andrew in disguise.

Verna sits beside BETSY who’s conflicted about leaving not knowing what life with Verna will be like.

The priest reads over the paperwork.

Verna eyes Betsy, who fearfully examines her new mom.

Betsy’s eyes wander over Verna’s handbag. Light gleams off a butcher knife.

Verna closes the top of her bag and leans close to Betsy.

VERNA

It’s good to know, Betsy, that once we leave here, there’s no coming back.

Betsy grimaces, jumps up, runs to Father Mike. For a suspenseful second, she swallows and speaks.

BETSY

This can’t be true. You always told us we had a home here if something didn’t work out.

The priest glances at Verna, drops his eyes and turns back to Betsy.

FATHER MIKE

I’m afraid in this case we had to make an exception.

Shaken, Betsy stumbles back to her chair, sits and sobs silently.