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Day 5 Assignments
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8 Replies
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Eric Humble’s Horror Situation Track
What I learned doing this assignment is: that approaching the plot from different tracks that align with the genre conventions very quickly results in a satisfying outline that is closer to what I’m going for than if I had approached it solely through the Mini Movie Method. While I love working with the Mini Movie Method, and am still using that as a solid framework here, I’ve often wandered away from genre conventions when I plot out a story solely from that and the Story Logic Web we learned in ProSeries and MSC. Working with the horror situations track, I was able to brainstorm over 50 horror situations I probably never would have “seen” through the lens of the Mini Movie Method character arc-driven process. Then adding the reactions really fleshed out those situations and elevated them from simply “Challenging Situations” to true “Horror Situations” that fulfill the needs of the genre. I feel like in the past I’ve spent a lot of time and drafts exploring the story via these other processes, which has resulted in wonderful writing experiences but often takes a long time to finally arrive at the place I had intended for the script – and with that, I’ve had a fair amount of frustration. This process is really getting me to where I want to go with my idea in all of five days so far – which, being a stay-at-home dad to two kids with a third on the way, is exactly what I need in a process, since my writing time has been drastically slashed at this point in my life. I’m excited to see what the next few tracks bring!
OUTLINE:
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
MM1:
Prologue: Atmosphere of Evil established:
Horror Situation: 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… he takes some pills but before they kick in, he smells something rank approaching… the gang can’t see what’s spooking him.
Reaction: He runs back up to the street, looks around, seeing nothing. Then the drugs kick in and The Wino is right behind him. He’s stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle, lays bleeding out as the obscured figure carves his eyes 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. She’s hanging out in a bar, visibly uncomfortable, while her roommate Mackenzie and her boyfriend Bill are chatted up by Bremmer, an older, slick customer who is organizing a party in a few days somewhere across town.
Inciting Incident:
Horror Situation: A nasty smell comes over her at her table at the bar where she’s sipping seltzer water and an invitation suddenly flutters onto the table: “Party With Me.” It lists the address of Bremmer’s party, although Bremmer is long gone. It’s on stained, ragged, filthy paper.
Reaction: Her hard-partying, free-spirited roommate Mackenzie brushes it off, urges her to go as part of her “big city adventure,” along with Mackenzie and her military boyfriend Bill – a protector if ever there was one.
Roach overhears and invites himself even though he’s kind of creepy and not part of their circle of friends.
MM2:
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 realize the section of town they’re in is where a building spontaneously collapsed a few years ago. These buildings could come down at any time.
Horror Situation: A message is scrawled on the wall in feces: Party with Me. Veronica sees The Wino seated nearby, but the others don’t notice – even though they’re starting to get uneasy.
Reaction: Rachel finally calls it – let’s go. And Bill seconds it.
Reaction: Then Bremmer opens the door and they hear and see the epic bash going on up in the loft – seems super fun. One caveat: they have to lock up their phones. They’re not supposed to be here and there are some VIPs – they can’t allow anyone to post anything about the party.
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… if they could even get to their phones, but that room is locked.
Turning Point One: Monster: The nature of the beast.
Horror Situation: They discover the body of someone who fell – perhaps while drunk – from the loft to a lower floor. Probably the reason for the party breaking up… except his eyes have been cut out into X’s, shards of glass embedded in them from a broken bottle.
Reaction: Bill leads them away from the body – orders them not to touch anything. They’re getting straight out even if they have to walk the whole way across town, then they’re calling an anonymous tip in to cops as soon as they’re on safe ground.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted:
MM3:
Horror Situation: Veronica is on cold medication and has mostly abstained from drinking – but she’s the only one able to see The Wino at the bottom of the elevator in the creepy mask… and she saw him when they went in.
Reaction: The others don’t see anything and just want to get out – but Veronica is on the verge of hysteria… and The Wino is now gone. Maybe lurking in the shadows, waiting. Bill believes her – as does Rachel. After all, something carved that guy’s eyes out. They’re not going to take the elevator in case he’s still down there.
Horror Situation: They look for a staircase down, but get disoriented. Lit up Exit sign. They run to it, only to find it’s not even at a door – it’s just mounted there on the wall. And the door they entered through is now closed and locked from the outside.
Reaction: Bill rallies them to stay calm and stick together. Arm themselves with anything that could be used as a weapon.
They discover Bremmer hiding in there as well. He’s as disoriented as them… but knows the lay of the building better. There’s another freight elevator somewhere on the other side of the building, if they can orient themselves…
TWIST: One of us killed:
Horror Situation: The Wino grabs Veronica from behind while invisible to the others and slashes her up with a broken bottle from his paper bag, drags her off still alive and screaming, blood spurting from her throat.
Reaction: They scatter and hide. Better to live and rescue Veronica once they regroup with a plan than try to take on whatever the hell this guy is.
MM4:
Horror Situation: A phobia – Roach is terrified of heights and the only way to the other freight elevator is across the factory floor by way of a catwalk. He’s frozen, can’t and won’t try it. He opts to stay behind while they check it out – and sees The Wino closing in on the others from this vantage, but can’t call out to them.
Reaction: Roach tries to draw The Wino away from them, but gets turned around as he retreats.
Horror Situation: The Wino stabs Roach’s chest – and the shards are still embedded in the skin and have to be removed before they pierce something vital… just as they locate the second elevator straight to the exit below.
Reaction: Rachel medicates Roach and performs impromptu surgery… as Roach is seeing the Wino sabotage the second elevator in his opioid stupor, and can’t warn them before he falls unconscious.
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. (Possible reveal method: They all see it closing in on Bill but Bill isn’t drunk, so he doesn’t see it – and that’s when they realize.)
Horror Situation:The Wino strangles Bill, crushes his windpipe – has the strength of ten men. They each watch it and are unable to stop it without exposing themselves… they’ve just lost their leader and the toughest among them.
Reaction: They stay quiet, hidden, as Rachel presses on repairing Roach’s leg… and takes a swig from a bottle they’re now passing around.
MM5:
They have no choice but to cross the factory floor, a strategically foolhardy plan.
Horror Situation: The Wino ties Bremmer to a machine’s conveyor and activates a rotary saw. Gives him a broom whose handle is long enough to reach the control button – if he can keep a clear enough head to push it.
Reaction: He sees some oil dripping nearby, maneuvers enough to sip it – it causes him to vomit the alcohol in his sytem… Clear-headed, he’s able to hit the button, stopping the saw.
Horror Situation: The Wino is looking for them among the machinery, and has zeroed in on two pieces of equipment, one of which Mackenzie is behind… So he pees into them, forcing her to show herself.
Reaction: She comes out swinging with a cigarette lighter and an aerosol can, burning him in the face.
Horror Situation: Rachel sees both these scenarios happening and can only save one – who?
Reaction: She slides Mackenzie an aerosol can of flammable paint and continues on to release Bremmer.
TWIST: Horror Situation: They’re out of alcohol. Roach and Bremmer both reveal they’ve brought along hard drugs: cocaine, acid, meth, heroin. Rachel refuses to do hard drugs.
Reaction: Noah seconds Rachel’s decision even as Bremmer, Mackenzie, and Roach take a hit of meth. But Noah drops acid out of sight of Rachel.
MM6:
Horror Situation: Treacherous landscape – as the acid kicks in, Noah hallucinates the others transforming into hideous wraiths.
Reaction: Noah turns on them, fighting… and steps wrong, causing the floor to collapse.
Horror Situation: Rachel goes back to help Noah. They’ve landed in The Wino’s lair. Victorian-age artifacts, portraits with the eyes slashed out and defaced to show drunkenness and lewdness, an altar with a pentagram and devilish statues… and Veronica’s body, which the Wino has mutilated by carving her eyes into X’s.
Reaction: Denial – Rachel won’t accept it, paces around, hysterical, acting like this is all going to be a nightmare she’ll wake up from… and then she sees…
Up at the End of Act Two:
Want Looking Good: There’s a way out from here – a staircase that leads to an open door, light streaming in.
Need Looking Good: Rachel doesn’t need to drink or do any drugs – she realizes Veronica could see The Wino because she was on cold medicine which doesn’t impair you to the extent the other substances do… and there’s plenty for all in Veronica’s pocket.
TURNING POINT TWO:
Horror Situation: Bremmer locks them in – and reveals that he hosted the party as a plan to meet The Wino. He’s known the legends and wants its power… and is offering the survivors as a bargaining chip.
Reaction: They try to bust out… but can’t.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Crisis: Horror Situation: There’s a rancid smell – The Wino is in here with them, but they can’t see it or pinpoint it… and they’re on its turf, a whole mazelike lair to navigate to get to the stairs.
Reaction: Fight to the death:
There’s a room full of alcohol and drugs – and weapons. But Roach has to load a gun once his hands are too shaky or numb from the substances.
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 acts like she can’t see him and lures him into a rickety section of the building… then knocks the ceiling down on him and stabs him with his own bottle. It seems to kill him. They run out into the fresh air. But…
Hysteria:
Horror Situation: They reach the subway platform and it’s empty and crumbling, abandoned… and The Wino, still alive, chases them down onto the tracks.
Reaction: They run into the tunnel, where it’s dark and they’re closed off.
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.
The thrilling escape from death:
Rachel tricks him onto the third rail, zapping him, finally making it within sight of the next subway stop, which seems to be populated and operational.
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. She’s wary of the winos and sketchy-looking people on the subway. Someone gives her a disapproving look, grumbles: “Lousy drunk, what a waste…”
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Cameron Martin’s Horror Situation Track
What I learned doing this assignment is…a couple things. One is that I have a terrible imagination, and coming up with horror situations beforehand is a useful strategy to ensure a premise is fully realized by taking it to its most extreme end. Also, I did kind of cheat with this one. Writing this out for OPEN WIDE is more about ensuring the script meets the conventions, and so this is more fill-in-the-blank than what this assignment is meant for (sorry Hal. It’s a lot of work to balance the ProSeries and this at times. No duh). BUT, labeling everything does help me to see whether or not I’m fulfilling a balance of reactions and emotions. Overwhelmingly, a number of character reactions are to solve their way out of a problem. This is a bias I have because I like to see smart characters come up with intelligent solutions to a difficult problem. So, much of my script is turning into almost a horror version of THE MARTIAN (hmmmm, THE MARTIAN meets THE SHINING…something to figure out later). It’s not a complete waste to use a project I’m already hip deep in, because this process does help to keep me honest with the horror conventions, which I’m still learning, and to see where some character actions can be a bit redundant if I don’t take the time to include more horror moments in them. I’ll be referring back to this list often in finishing the script and subsequent drafts of it.
(Note: Prioritizing OPEN WIDE, since that’s the main project currently being worked on. But with any extra time, I’ll try to work other concepts for the sake of continuing the education/breakthrough process.)
OPEN WIDE
Step 1: Horror Situations
Mouth splits open
Violent coughing and vomiting to the point of expelling blood
Mouth is ripped from skull and used like a fish’s mouth to catch prey
Worms slithering after people
Worms forcibly entering people’s mouths
Serrated teeth slicing the inside of people’s throats
Breathing in the alien’s spore eggs
Being trapped in a tight space
Forced to kill a human being
Having your future changed against your will
Going into the monster’s home
Surrounded by monsters
Out of options/facing certain death
Having to perform surgery on your own child
Watching your child die
Losing a limb
Having your chest ripped open
Eaten alive
Hacked apart by a macheteGetting cut
What was safe becomes a tomb/A safe space is also a coffin
Covered in mucus
Unable to see
A lack of options
You never had a choice
People turned into monsters
The way you came is the most dangerous way going back
You can’t run away
Hiding from the monster
Fighting against yours or your loved one’s horrific demise
Dilemma – kill an innocent or be killed
Follow orders that boil down to “die by my hand or theirs”
Abusing another person or your own child
Losing rationality
Trying to hold onto rationality so your loved one can scream and panic
Your child can’t run anymore
Your child is difficult and impedes your ability to get away
Your child recklessly embraces the monster
Your child cares more about saving the monsters than letting you protect him from them.
Losing your eyes
Having your leg broken
Forced to consume poison that may kill you
Receiving burns or chemical burns
Shooting the head doesn’t do anything (you have to hit the throat)
Facing a headless corpse
The monster uses its host’s own broken bones like shivs
Having your skull chewed on
Being torn limb from limb
“broken on The Wheel” sort of tortureHousehold pet tries to kill and eat you
Baby/newborn tries to kill and eat you
Having to be very still and quiet
When what you made doesn’t work at the exact time you REALLY need it to
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.Horror Situation: Exterminators try to kill father and son
Reaction – Fight: Father kills exterminator with a baseball bat/nailer invention to the head
Horror Situation: Son coughs up blood, and the seems of his mouth start to part
Reaction – Try to solve it: Father crafts a breathing tool with a stove pot, some siren wrap, and water
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. <div>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.
Horror Situation: Son’s difficult nature prevents Father from getting to safety
Reaction – Denial: Father tries to play to son’s needs instead of getting out of there
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.Horror Situation: Saying goodbye to a loved one/keeping a loved one from safety
Reaction – Denial: Compromised Loved one is brought into safety anyway
Horror Situation: Loved one coughs and vomits blood before his mouth splits open
Reaction – Try to Solve the problem: Doctor tries to administer a lethal dose to kill loved one
Horror Situation: Watching your child die
Reaction – Fight: Parent fights doctor to prevent them from killing their child
Safety taken away – Sully doesn’t make it to the bunker in time.Horror situation: Trapped on the outside looking in.
Reaction – Denial: Sully punches the door, breaking his hand.
Horror situation: Broken hand
Reaction – Try to solve it: wrap it up and use it as little as possible
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.Horror situation: worms pursue father and son
Reaction – Escape: Sully carries Isaiah with his one good arm
Horror situation: Hiding from the monster
Reaction – Try to solve it: Son throws a pot to distract the worm
Reaction – Escape: Stranger makes a break for it
Horror Situation: worm forces its way down stranger’s throat, turning him into a monster
Reaction – Fight: other stranger goes after monster and tries to cripple it
Horror Situation: Monster uses broken limbs like shivs and stabs the other stranger eating him
Reaction – Escape: Father and son use the moment to escape and lock the monster inside the apartment
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.Horror Situation: Father and son’s savior starts turning into a monster/asks to have father and son kill her
Reaction – Try to solve it/Fight: Father pushes son aside and injects savior with lethal injection
Horror Situation: Holy man is forced by the state to kill a mutineer or be killed by the state.
Reaction – Escape: Holy man kills another
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 hostsHorror Situation: Isaiah is locked in a closet
Reaction – Escape/Try to solve it: Isaiah breaks out of the closet with some items on hand and an understanding of basic mechanics.
Horror Situation: Sully has to travel through a nest of monsters
Reaction – Fight/Try to solve it: Sully runs through the nest after dowsing himself with an alkaline substance, something established earlier that the monsters stay away from.
Horror Situation: Sully finds the bunker, but it’s filled with monsters and there’s no way out.
Reaction – Fight: Sully fights for his life with the weapons on hand. It’s one against a hundred
Horror Situation: Not all the monsters are equal. Some have taken children and newborns as hosts.
Reaction – Escape: Sully can’t bring himself to kill a child, even when it’s actually a monster.
Terrorized – Isaiah makes it out of his confinement and saves Sully, but gets infected in the process.Horror Situation: Isaiah has to go through the same monster nest when it’s swarming.
Reaction – Try to solve it: Isaiah makes some notes and uses his knowledge of the monsters to travel safely.
Horror Situation: Sully and Isaiah are being pursued, and Sully is hysterical while Isaiah wants to argue.
Reaction – Denial: Sully shoves Isaiah down the walkway.
Horror Situation: Isaiah lands in a part of the nest that infects him.
Reaction – Escape: Sully picks him up and takes him back to safety.
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.Horror Situation: Everything, Everywhere is trying to kill Sully and Isaiah, including the people coming to get rid of the aliens.
Reaction – Escape/Hide: Sully and Isaiah hide before running to a medical bay.
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.Horror Situation: Aliens tear into the chest of an exterminator
Reaction – Escape: Other exterminators flee in terror, only to be eaten.
The thrilling escape from death – Sully and Isaiah work together and are able to extract the worm.Horror Situation: Sully’s child is infected and will die in minutes.
Reaction – Try to solve it: Sully works with his son to extract the eggs before they hatch.
Death returns to take one or more. – The exterminators are about to execute both Sully and Isaiah, but…Horror Situation: The exterminators trap Sully in the medical bay and are going to kill both him and his son.
Reaction – Fight: Sully reveals the spy’s documents showing the state’s involvement with the worms.
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> -
Alfred’s Horror Situation Track
What I learned – Its making me look at different angles of the idea I had and adding more to it. I tend to focus on the horror and forget about the reaction to the horror.
ACT 1
*Atmosphere of Evil Established – The neighbor’s boy is grabbed by the creature.
*Horror Situation – Door to door evangelists summon the creature that grabs the boy.
*Reaction – Tries to escape.
*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 claims to have seen the monster. Gabriel tells him there are no monsters.
*Safety Taken Away – After another child is grabbed the concerned parents go to the police. They police are no help.
*Horror Situation – Not Knowing who is possessed. The police offer no help because they are controlled by the creature.
*Reaction – Gabriel tries to solve why the police are acting weird.
*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 checks on a family and comes face to face with the creature.
*Horror Situation – Face to face with the creature.
*Reaction – Gabriel runs out of the house.
ACT 2 – POINT OF NO RETURN
*Isolated/Trapped/Abducted – Eboni is grabbed
*Horror Situation – Gabriel’s daughter is kidnapped.
*Reaction – Gabriel and Sierra go looking for her.
*One of Us Is Killed – Sara is killed.
*Horror Situation – Sara sees her abducted daughter and goes to her. She’s lured into a trap.
*Character Death – She’s torn apart and devoured.
MIDPOINT – THE MONSTER IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT
*Full Pursuit By Killer – Dominated Adults, controlled but the creature, chase the group.
*Horror Situation – Our group find out the whole town is controlled by the creature. They are attacked and chased.
*Reaction – Our group escape.
*Terrorize – The group sees how deep the conspiracy goes.
ACT 3 FULL OUT TERROR
*Fight to the Death – Group heads for where they think the kids are being held.
*Horror Situation – walking into a trap. All but Gabriel, Sierra and Omar are killed.
*Reaction – Hide. They witness their friends being killed.
*Hysteria – Creature and dominated town bear down on them.
*Thrilling Escape From Death – Gabriel, Sierra and Omar free Eboni.
Horror Situation – They come face to face with the monster.
Reaction – Fight and Escape.
*Death Returns to Take One – Omar revealed to be working with the creature and is killed.
*Resolution – Gabriel, Sierra and Eboni escape the town and come to the next town…that’s also dominated by the creature.
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Lance’s Horror Situation Track
What I learned is that brainstorming horror situations can be helpful when crafting a horror script. Brainstorming and idea generation continues to be a valuable tool. If you don’t have enough horror situations, the story may read more like a drama.
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.
Horror Situation: Two people find a corpse
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.
Horror Situation: Nathan gets injured during the move in.
Hailey feels a strange presence.
Reaction: Hailey helps Nathan clean the injury.
Denial of horror: Hailey shrugs off the feelings.
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.
Horror situation: Vanessa feels the evil presence in the home.
Reaction: Denial: Hailey stills shrugs it off.
Denial of Horror
Hailey and Nathan deny that anything is wrong.
Horror situation: Hailey then begins to have misgivings about their new home when she starts to experience paranormal activity.
Reaction: Nathan continues to deny anything is wrong.
Safety taken away
Marshall watches while the couple sleeps from the shadows.
Horror situation: The evil spirit watches Nathan and Hailey
Reaction: Hailey wakes up and tries to shake off the feeling.
Monster: The nature of the beast.
Horror Situation: Marshall takes over Nathan’s body.
Reaction: Denial – Hailey is unaware that anything is wrong.
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.
Horror Situation: Nathan (controlled by Marshal) starts to become abusive.
Reaction: Denial – Hailey isn’t sure what’s going on but she thinks it’s just nerves moving into a new place. She tries to justify and excuse the behavior.
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.
Horror Situation: Nathan isn’t acting like himself anymore.
Reaction: Try to Solve it – Hailey tries to reconnect with Nathan. She doesn’t understand why he seems so different and she wants to get closer to him.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Horror situation: Marshall (possessing Nathan) rapes Hailey.
Reaction: Escape – Hailey leaves their home and goes to stay with Vanessa and Everett. She doesn’t understand why Nathan did it but she doesn’t want to be around him.
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.
Horror situation: Nathan’s body starts to fall apart.
Reaction: Fight – Marshall rages that this body is starting to decay. He starts to tear up the apartment.
Horror situation: Hailey returns home. She finds Nathan sick and their apartment torn up.
Reaction: Try to Solve it: Hailey tries to help Nathan (he is temporarily in control of his own body).
Terrorized
Marshall (possessing Nathan) shows up at Vanessa and Everett’s home where Hailey is hiding out. Marshall attacks Everett.
Horror situation: After the fall out with Nathan, Hailey is back at Vanessa and Everett’s home. Nathan comes knocking. Everett tells him to leave. Nathan (controlled by Marshall) stabs Everett.
Reaction: Vanessa and Hailey hide while they call the police.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death
Vanessa and Hailey must fight Marshall (who is controlling Nathan) or be killed.
Horror Situation: Marshall find Vanessa and Hailey
Reaction: Vanessa and Hailey fight Marshall
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Scott Kaplan’s Horror Situation Track
What I learned doing this assignment is: After brainstorming 20-50 potential horror situations, I determined the following work best for my plot:
STEP 2:
A. Isolated:
–Trapped (lockdown)
–Being lured into danger [(by cult…delivers victims to…
–Forces of nature (the undead spirits]
B. Pursue Situations:
—No Escape…route has been cut off due to lockdown (cult/sheriff).
C. Torture:
–Transformed into something else (Spirits…rotting and decayed…Original settlers)
(Cult possessed…black eyes)
D. Tormented:
–Possessed
–Friends in danger
E. Paranoia:
–The group has been infiltrated
F. Spooky
–Can’t see (fog, underwater-canals). Victims dragged down
G. Deceptive
–Lured into horror/working with someone who becomes evil (Piper)
Step 3: Add a Reaction:
Isolated: Try to solve it…Max enlists aid of Shwin (descendent of original settlers)
Pursued Situations: Hide (because there is no escape)
Torture: Escape attempt fails
Tormented: Fight—>Victim(s) killed
Paranoia: Denial
Spooky: Fight
Deceptive: Isolated/pursued situations/paranoia
DAY 5 OUTLINE
ACT 1:
Atmosphere of Evil Established:
Fog rises from the canals…cult’s eyes turn black, hence summoning the tortured spirits religated to the Indian burial ground…to kill innocent victims.
Horror Situation: Handyman Pat is lured to the sewers; sharp claws reach up, drag him down to the depths of the bottom.
Reaction-Escape: Neighbors hear screams, as Pat is dragged…disappears.
Horror Situation: Townies watch as limbs are thrown back up onto Seminole Street. Some recognize the hand of Pat because it has his signature tattoo.
Denial of Horror: The town’s sheriff 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: Every neighbor within the two square miles of this town is terrified that they will be next.
Horror Situation: Impending doom
Reaction: Townies (led by Max), have a meeting, trying to figure out a way to prevail and survive.
ACT 2—The Point Of No Return
Isolated/Trapped/Abducted : Claustraphobic atmosphere, lockdown creates paranoia.
Horror Situation: The ‘Rescuers’ are dissipating, killed off, one by one.
Reaction: They break into three groups(paired off).
Horror Situation : All but two are dazed and confused, unable to think clearly with the fog and tide rolling in on Seminole Street.
Reaction : Members of the Rescuers attempt to close off the sewers/canals to no avail.
Horror Situation : Native American Spirits finally decipher that it was the Ancestors of the Cult who ‘buried them alive.’ Shwin(descendent of original settlers) informs the ‘undead ghosts’ buried alive, centuries ago. Seminole Street splits open, freeing the Native Americans… to show them (IMAGES of decaying flesh). They rise up to kill the remaining members of the cult whom enslavened them for 154 years!
Balance and equilibrium is restored in the small community.
Character Death : Max tries to save Shwin, only to realize that she, too, is amongst “the undead.” She can now rest in peace… along with all of her Tribal Ancestors.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by Scott Kaplan.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by
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Brandon’s Horror Situation Track
What I learned: Horror labels are very useful when determining the right balance of horror situations.
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.
Horror Situation: Patriots pursued by an unstoppable killing machine.
Reaction: Fight – The Patriots are no cowards. But they’re also no match against this terribly adept soldier.
• 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.
Horror Situation: Gross-out — The Hessian head twitches for a half-second, letting a loose eyeball to fall down its cheek.
Reaction: Denial – Rich eccentric thought he saw something, tapping on the glass, but ultimately dismisses it and walks away.
• 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.
Horror Situation: Pursued by a demonic horse.
Reaction: Escape – Newt flees but trips in the mud, almost sealing his fate.
• 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.
Horror Situation: Lured into danger – kids think it’s a bucolic country schoolhouse kind of like the gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretal.
Reaction: Denial. The kids think the schoolmaster is part of the revolutionary war enactment to take place the next day. But notice his clothing is a bit off the timeline.
• 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?
Horror Situation: Lost and trapped in the woods.
Reaction: Escape. They run around in circles but can only return to the schoolhouse.
• Monster: The nature of the beast. When they return to the schoolhouse, it’s completely transformed to a dilapidated, creepy structure. 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.
Horror Situation: Terrifying vision.
Reaction: Denial – Lacy and Julian debate until schoolmaster returns, further clarifying.
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, taking it to the original battlefield, and destroying it– the only way to kill HH once and for all. When they hear a horse approach in the distance, the schoolmaster locks them in. We discover Ichabod Crane (Red Herring) owes the horseman heads in order to be ‘released.’
Horror Situation: Trapped in the schoolhouse
Reaction: The kids try to escape by trying to kick down door then bust chairs through windows as hooves outside become louder and louder.
• One of us killed – Owen is the first one decapitated. The rest finally escape the schoolhouse.
Horror Situation: Owen bashes open a window with his leg when HH grabs it.
Reaction: Fight – When Owen swings a crowbar around there is no head. First reveal of the monster. From a distance, kids watch as Owen is decapitated.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought! Monster is set loose on Sleepy Hollow and seems unstoppable!
• 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.
Horror Situation: Can’t see – fog is thick while flashing ghostly images of patriots dying and the sounds of their horrific deaths on the battlefield surround.
Reaction: Flee and hide. The kids learn that HH cannot cross the bridge into town for some unknown reason.
Horror Situation: Menacing Stranger – As the kids find their escape, they run into the rich eccentric. He relays that HH cannot cross the bridge without his head.
Reaction: Trying to solve it – the rich eccentric saves himself by telling HH he has what he wants – his original head. HH takes the eccentric hostage.
• 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.
Horror Situation: Race against time. Kids must get to the head before HH does.
Reaction: Escape – But spirits from the Revolutionary war stand in the way.
Horror Situation: HH finds more victims and decapitates without prejudice.
Reaction: In denial, local villagers lose their heads. Foolishly, some try to fight.
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.
Horror Situation: The HH appears just as the kids retrieve the head.
Reaction: Hide. They try to hide in the eccentric’s basement.
• Hysteria- The horseman strikes in rich eccentric’s basement full of antiquities which looks more like a revolutionary war wax museum.
Horror Situation: Confusion. Wax figures look like the real deal to both HH and kids.
Reaction: Escape. Kids can only escape by placing one of their jackets on a wax dummy and trap the horseman inside the basement.
The thrilling escape from death – The horseman pursues the kids through a labyrinth of Revolutionary-era tunnels while the kids take his head to the original battlefield where they must destroy it.
Horror Situation: Darkness through the tunnels. Can’t see. Sounds of both redcoats and patriots dying in the dark.
Reaction: Escape – Kids finally escape from the tunnels.
• Death returns to take one or more. The kids must take the horseman’s head to the edge of the bridge to finally destroy the specter entirely.
Horror Situation: Pursuit of the horseman on his demonic steed.
Reaction: Escape. Kids are not fast enough. HH easily catches up, loping off more heads.
• Resolution – The kids barely make it past the bridge to the original battlefield but 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 taking on the new role.
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Marc Koenig’s Horror situation track
What I learned doing this assignment is to fill the outline as much as possible with horror moments, and find a way to make it escalate, while keeping the story flowing and coherent.
ACT 1 - SET UP FOR HORROR
The atmosphere of Evil established
A female archeologist excavates a skeleton tied up with chains, surrounded by remains of people who suffered violent deaths.
Horror situation – paranoia: something terrible happened in ancient times. Is the threat still hiding somewhere?
Reaction – denial: the archeologist manipulates the body like an artifact, unaware of its potential dangerousness.
A mysterious metallic stone is found amalgamated with the body’s bones. The archeologist sends it to her sister who works in a special lab. Her boyfriend touches the body. He feels a sting on his finger. Later, he catches a fever.
Horror situation – doing sthg forbidden: the boyfriend touches the dead body.
Reaction – denial: he thinks a skeleton can’t be dangerous.
Reaction – denial: she doesn’t think the gem can be a threat.
As she drives her boyfriend to the hospital, he gets mad and bites her. The car falls into a ravine and blows up.
Horror situation – face to face with monster: the boyfriend becomes a mindless killer.
Reaction – escape: she panics and throws the car into a ravine.
Connect with the characters
Scott and Jennifer get married and enjoy the party with their team of scientists. She receives a call telling her that her sister died. Later, she receives the stone by post, with a letter from her sister. Scott and Jennifer decide to analyze the mineral.
Horror situation – walking into a trap: they bring the stone to the lab.
Reaction – denial: nobody is worried about the unknown nature of the mineral.
The characters are warned not to do it
The stone turns out to be an unknown metal. Jennifer decides to conduct tests on it against the will of her boss, Sally. But the stone blows up in millions of tiny spines that hit Jennifer all over her body, eyes, and hands, up to her brain and lungs as she breathes the air full of sharp prickles.
Horror situation – sthg forbidden: she makes a series of tests without enough precautions.
Horror situation – injured: Jennifer feels as if she had thousands of darts under her skin.
Reaction – escape: she tries to escape the room but falls on the floor, getting more stings and knocking herself out.
Denial of Horror
Sally locks the door where Jennifer lies, due to a brief rise in radioactivity. They all think the accident is due to the machines, not to the stone. Irina overrides Sally’s order. She puts on a protection suit and saves Jennifer.
Horror situation – Injured: Jennifer has been badly wounded.
Reaction – try to solve: they bring Jennifer to the medical room.
Horror situation – impending doom: Jennifer carries mysterious spines that have been absorbed by her skin.
Reaction – denial: the group doesn’t think Jennifer is a threat.
Safety taken away
The lethal agent, whatever it is, is being released in a locked-up compound.
Monster
The unknown metal.
ACT 2 - THE POINT OF NO RETURN
The group thinks that the stone has been destroyed and that the danger is gone.
One of us killed
In the medical room, Jennifer slaughters the medic and drinks his blood. She eats metal pieces and broken glass as well.
Horror situation – physically tortured: she cuts and bleeds him alive.
The crew watches the scene on video cameras, horrified.
Horror situation – see another killed: The victim is bled out.
Horror situation – unknown motive: Jennifer’s behavior makes no sense.
Reaction: the group wants to call for rescue.
Isolated / Trapped
Phone lines have been cut off, and Jennifer hides between them and the way out.
Horror situation – trapped: they can’t call for backup, nor reach the exit.
Reaction – try to solve it: Trevor locks up the lab to prevent Jennifer from going out.
Horror situation – Isolated: They are completely locked up in the lab.
Reaction – try to solve: Scott, Irina, and Julia go chase Jennifer, while Sally, Bill, and Trevor go through Jennifer’s sister’s files and photos to try to understand what happened.
What the files show and suggest is terrifying.
Horror situation – suspecting contamination: Bill believes that Jennifer was contaminated by a virus.
Reaction – try to solve it: Bill suggests putting Jennifer in quarantine.
Horror situation – internal conflict: The group divides: preserving Jennifer’s life or eliminating her as a threat.
The chasing group of three is attacked by Jennifer. Scott lets Irina be wounded because he can’t hurt his wife. Julia has no mercy.
Horror situation: face to face with the monster. They fight against Jennifer.
Reaction-fight: Julia tries to kill Jennifer, while Scott and Irina try to neutralize Jennifer without injuring her.
Jennifer spits out to Julia’s face. The two others end up neutralizing Jennifer. They don’t notice what happened to Julia who feels pain in her eyes.
Horror situation – Impending doom: is Julia contaminated as well?
They put Jennifer through a scanner. They observe the spines migrating to her brain and other vital organs. They see that she ate metallic objects and glass. A nucleus develops inside her liver.
Horror situation – forces of nature: They face the unknown. A mineral parasite.
Reaction – denial: Trevor thinks it is nanotechnology from a foreign country.
In the bathroom, Julia sees in the mirror spines burrowing inside her eyes.
Horror situation – something inside your body: Julia feels the spines moving inside her head up to her brain.
Reaction – denial: Julia gets hysterical in the bathroom.
Scott rushes to help Julia. He breaks the door.
Horror situation – transformed: Julia becomes a savage killer too.
Horror situation – friends in danger: Julia cuts John’s throat and butchers him.
Horror situation – dilemma: Do they have to risk being killed or contaminated to save John?
Reaction – escape: Bill and Trevor run away.
Reaction – fight: Scott and Irina try to stop her.
Reaction – hide: Sally takes shelter behind furniture.
Trevor locks the door behind them.
Horror situation – no escape: Scott and Irina are locked up inside the room with Julia in a fury, who turns against them.
Horror situation – monster trying to get you: Julia tries to kill them.
Reaction – fight: Irina and Scott join forces to dodge and counter Julia’s attacks. Sally is badly wounded.
Julia gives up trying to kill them and frees Jennifer.
Horror situation – threatened: fighting against these two furies is impossible.
Reaction – escape: Sally, Scott, and Irina break out from the room.
MIDPOINT
Full pursuit by the killer
The group joins again and shelters in a room.
Horror situation – internal conflict: Irina jumps on Trevor. Bill blames Irina’s initial lack of judgment.
Sally and Scott calm them down and together, they elaborate a plan to neutralize both women.
Reaction – try to solve: Sally and Trevor want to keep them isolated.
Reaction – try to solve: Scott and Irina want to find a cure.
Reaction – fight: Bill intends to kill them both.
The monster is worse than we thought!
Trevor unexpectedly gathers weapons for all of them.
Horror situation – paranoia: The four other survivors wonder how he got guns.
Horror situation – face to face: Scott and Trevor think they catch Julia in a trap but she sets them up.
Reaction – fight: Scott and Trevor fight against Julia.
Julia kills Trevor and bleeds him.
Horror situation – dilemma: Trevor begs Scott to help him.
Reaction: Scott escapes, not willing to risk his life for Trevor.
Sally and Irina are attacked by Jennifer. Bill escapes. Irina hides in a storeroom. Jennifer pukes a piece of metal inside the room and locks the door.
Horror situation – tricked: Jennifer locks Irina up with a seed.
Horror situation – monster approaching: the seed starts to quiver and crack.
Reaction – try to solve: Irina finds a thick glass jar, grabs the seed, and throws it inside. As she closes the top, it blows up. She is safe. For now.
Horror situation – torture: Irina watches Jennifer bleeding Sally.
Scott comes back, holding Trevor’s body. He confronts Jennifer who runs away.
ACT 3 - FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death
Horror situation – trap: Scott and Irina answer a call on Trevor’s phone and find out that he is a CIA agent, that he called for backup, and ordered them to capture Jennifer and kill all members of the lab.
The commando breaks into the lab. They find Julia and shoot her. But when they lean over her agonizing body, she spits spines on the face of two soldiers.
Horror situation – deceptive: soldiers walked into a trap. Now some of them are infected.
Hysteria
Horror situation: out of the frying pan into the fire: The three survivors run from Jennifer and the commando.
Until the soldiers start shooting at each other.
Horror situation – trap: New seeds released by Jennifer blow up inside rooms where soldiers get in.
Horror situation: the commando is lured into the horror. There are more monsters now than survivors.
Reaction – fight: everybody shoots everywhere in total anarchy.
The thrilling escape from death
Scott and Irina find Bill hidden in a closet. Irina asks him to help them destroy the whole place and everyone inside by overheating an energy plant prototype. It will raise the temperature to thousands of degrees and melt everything, including the deadly mineral.
Horror situation – character’s refusal: too much scared, Bill refuses to move.
Reaction – fight: Irina forces Bill to help them.
Death returns to take one or more
The three survivors struggle to make their way to the prototype. They cross Jennifer’s path again. Her appearance has become terrifying.
Horror situation – face to face: Jennifer is stronger. Scott fights against her while protecting himself from the spines she throws.
Horror situation – dilemma: Can he kill his wife?
Reaction – fight: Scott kills Jennifer with a grenade.
Horror situation – contaminated: Scott was hit by several spines.
Horror situation – monster approaching: contaminated soldiers walk in.
Reaction – fight: Scott helps Irina and Bill reach the exit and asks her to kill him before he turns evil. He leads Irina and Bill to an evacuation duct they didn’t know about.
Horror situation – friend becomes evil: Scott turns evil.
Reaction – fight: Irina reluctantly kills him.
Horror situation – tricked: As they get outside the lab just on time, Irina recognizes a symptom of contamination on Bill.
Reaction – fight: She struggles against him but loses and gets knocked out.
Just before he bleeds her, he gets shot. Armed mercenaries take Irina to a chopper. They speak Russian.
Resolution
Irina is detained in a secret military compound in Russia. She is interrogated about what went wrong in her mission and where are the plans of the prototype.
Horror situation – trap: she learns that they brought Bill’s body for an autopsy.
Horror situation – lured into the horror again: lights turn red and a loud alarm blares.
Irina replies in Russian «big mistake.»
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Mark Veau
What I learned from this lesson is – we have a lot of action in this story and this lesson helps keep everything organized.
“Attack of the Killer Refrigerator 2” Lesson 5: Horror Situation Track
Step 1: Potential Horror Situations
A. ISOLATED SITUATIONS
• Lost
• Trapped
• Shackled
• Being lured into danger
• Forces of Nature
B. PURSUED SITUATIONS
• Attack & Chased
• Forced into a Dangerous Environment
• Impending Doom
• No Escape
• Monster Approaching
• Monster Trying to Get You
• Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire
C. TORTURE SITUATIONS
• Injured/Wounded/Debilitated
• See Another Killed
• Transformed Into Something Else (Zombie, Rotting Monster)
• Physically Tortured
• Mentally Tortured
D. TORMENTED SITUATIONS
• Tricked
• Friends In Danger
E. PARANOIA SITUATIONS
• Internal Conflict in the Group
F. SPOOKY SITUATIONS
• Slimed (Fridge Drool)
• Fall Through the Floor (Dumbwaiter Shaft in our case)
• Injured/Wounded/Debilitated
• Threatened
• Face to Face with the Monster
• Can’t See (Darkness, Smoke, Pandemonium)
• Environment Changing Around You
G. DECEPTIVE SITUATIONS
• Walking into a Trap
• Lured into the Horror
Step 2: Determine Which Work For Your Plot
Out of the seven listed Situation Categories, all of the compiled lists are vital to the plot and are used on-purpose with plausibility within the story. Every bit of the above are essential to the narrative.
Step 3: Add a Reaction
A. ISOLATED SITUATIONS
LOST – Victims lost in the mansion attempting to ESCAPE. Fred, Samantha and Derek lost in the mansion’s basement (Refrigerator’s lair) HIDE, ESCAPE and FIGHT.
TRAPPED – All victims and subsequent survivors are trapped in the mansion via the Refrigerator’s hold on the electrical grid and its hold on all possible exits as a means of escape by freezing all windows and doors completely shut. Fred tries to SOLVE IT while working with the final surviving group to HIDE, ESCAPE and FIGHT.
SHACKLED – In our case, by being restrained by the army of Zombie Guards (regurgitated souls of the Refrigerator’s victims) for Fred and Samantha. ESCAPE and FIGHT.
BEING LURED INTO DANGER – When Eric’s Head emerges and becomes the Refrigerator’s head and voice, he tricks the survivors by imitating Eric (before his death) into thinking he needs help after the first major battle. The group: DENIAL. TRIES TO SOLVE IT. ESCAPING.
FORCES OF NATURE – Without forces of nature, the Refrigerator wouldn’t be able to trap the mansion full of teenagers inside by freezing all of the windows and doors shut. All of the cast (and ensemble cast) try to ESCAPE it.
B. PURSUED SITUATIONS
ATTACKED & CHASED – This applies to ALL characters, as the whole massive lot of them, partying in the mansion, are attacked and chased throughout. ESCAPE and FIGHT.
FORCED INTO A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT – The mere emergence of the Refrigerator and its rampage makes the entire mansion a dangerous environment. Every square foot. Top to bottom. Characters’ reactions: DENIAL. TRY TO SOLVE IT. HIDE. ESCAPE. FIGHT
IMPENDING DOOM – Felt by all inside the mansion, especially for the small band of survivors who exhibit all five of the trait reactions: DENIAL. TRY TO SOLVE IT. HIDE. ESCAPE. FIGHT
NO ESCAPE – The same as impending doom: Felt by all inside the mansion, especially for the small band of survivors who exhibit all five of the trait reactions: DENIAL. TRY TO SOLVE IT. HIDE. ESCAPE. FIGHT
MONSTER APPROACHING – There are numerous instances of this happening throughout. The characters of course immediately try to ESCAPE. There is a reaction that we use that wasn’t listed under any of the situation categories, REASON with the metal beast. A group of toga-clad GOTHS try this reaction in a deciple-like manner, bowing and pledging their allegiance to this dark force – to no avail of course. It’s a bit of humor in the horrific world engulfing the screen.
MONSTER TRYING TO GET YOU – Again, many instances of this as well throughout. It’s a constant TRY TO SOLVE IT, HIDE, ESCAPE, FIGHT for all.
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE – We take this great old proverb literally – this perfectly describes Fred, Samantha and Derek being forced into the dark, cavernous, spooky basement – the Refrigerator’s lair – from the upper floors, more specifically the kitchen, where under the direction of the Refrigerator, they are attacked by every appliance and “flying in formation” pots and pans that inflict tremendous pain and torture on the survivors. ESCAPE. FIGHT.
C. TORTURE SITUATIONS
INJURED/WOUNDED/DEBILITATED – Many, many of all three on many bodies that lay writhing in pain before being swallowed up by the Refrigerator’s massive jaws. The step before being turned into one of the Refrigerator’s Zombies by being processed through the evil appliance’s gullet and electrical field. It’s another try to ESCAPE and FIGHT response, but at his point it’s too late.
SEE ANOTHER KILLED – This happens all the time as dozens of characters are mowed down in front of each other by the Refrigerator’s arsenal of shark-like teeth and weapons. Some try to FIGHT (futile). All try to ESCAPE.
TRANSFORMED INTO SOMETHING ELSE (ZOMBIE, ROTTING MONSTER) – All of the Refrigerator’s victims are indeed transformed into Zombies, doomed to guard the mansion’s electrical room and power flowing from the street to the breaker box. The gruesome transformation is torture until the full-fledge zombie effect takes hold of their mangled bodies. At this point it is over for them. There is NO ESCAPE. There is NO FIGHT left. They only exist now to serve the Refrigerator – nothing else.
PHYSICALLY TORTURED – The Refrigerator does like to play sometimes before he kills. He will bite off a limb or slice you bad, before killing you. He commands and controls EVERYTHING to inflict the maximum amount of physical pain possible. ESCAPE and FIGHT are the characters’ only options.
MENTALLY TORTURED – Ditto physically tortured. This especially happens when the Refrigerator sprouts Eric’s Head and now has a voice. TRY TO SOLVE IT, HIDE, ESCAPE and FIGHT are again the characters’ only options.
D. TORMENTED SITUATIONS
TRICKED – The Refrigerator tries to trick the survivors by using Eric’s Head and Voice to lure them. The survivors’ initial reaction is to TRY TO SOLVE IT.
FRIENDS IN DANGER – Even though many groups of friends are in constant danger as they are slaughtered and hunted throughout the mansion, this especially applies to Fred and his relationship with Samantha, his love interest. HIDE, FIGHT and ESCAPE together with her is Fred’s goal.
E. PARANOIA SITUATIONS
INTERNAL CONFLICT IN THE GROUP – This is the overriding theme for the survivors as they consist of Fred, his sister Molly, his love interest Samantha, Samantha’s “boyfriend” Derek, Fred’s arch rival, Derek’s right hand man, Nick and Fred’s best friend Patel “Slasher” Slasherelli. They are always in conflict… especially under these dire circumstances. TRY TO SOLVE their differences and come together as a team to FIGHT and ESCAPE is the only way to survive.
F. SPOOKY SITUATIONS
SLIMED – The Refrigerator’s Drool “slimes” a lot of its victims in the process of being eaten. Attempt to FIGHT and ESCAPE.
FALL THROUGH THE FLOOR – In our case… it’s a fall through the mansion’s dumbwaiter shaft for Derek that deposits him in the Refrigerator’s lair – the scary, dark, ominous and massive mansion basement. TRY TO SOLVE IT, HIDE, FIGHT and ESCAPE for him and the survivors who follow him there.
INJURED/WOUNDED/DEBILITATED – Applies to many characters but especially to Fred’s sister, Molly. She is tormented, terrorized and wounded relentlessly. HIDE, ESCAPE and FIGHT are her only options despite her wounds.
THREATENED – All characters are threatened but none more than Fred and Samantha, especially when they’re trapped in the basement. TRY TO SOLVE IT, HIDE, FIGHT and ESCAPE are the only options to survive.
FACE TO FACE WITH THE MONSTER – What could be more terrifying than seeing one of your classmates became the rotten and grotesque face and voice of this evil appliance? Many victims come face to face with the monster, but it really impacts Fred and Samantha the most during the final battle scene in the basement. FIGHT and ESCAPE are the only final options.
CAN’T SEE – There are several instances of the Refrigerator manipulating characters’ sight lines with smoke and fire, dry ice-like fog, the pandemonium it creates, light and darkness. ESCAPE to survive and fight again is the only option.
ENVIRONMENT CHANGING AROUND YOU – With the Refrigerator’s lock down grip on the mansion and its electrical grid, it turns the massive house into a different environment depending on what floor you’re on. The top floor is ice cold (freezer). The lower floors mimic the Refrigerator’s main compartment. The scary, dark, ominous and massive mansion’s basement (crisper). HIDE, ESCAPE and FIGHT.
G. DECEPTIVE SITUATIONS
WALKING INTO A TRAP – When the final four survivors enter the mansion’s basement, they are literally walking into the Refrigerator’s lair – the entire basement becomes the Refrigerator’s trap, especially the electrical room – guarded by the Fridge’s Zombie Army. The whole basement is a deceptive situation. TRY TO SOLVE IT, HIDE, FIGHT and ESCAPE are the only survivor goals.
LURED INTO THE HORROR – The Refrigerator uses this technique when Eric’s Head tries to entice the survivors to emerge from hiding. TRY TO SOLVE IT, HIDE, FIGHT and ESCAPE are the only survivor goals as they were with the walking into a trap deceptive situation.
DAY 5 OUTLINE: ACT 1
Atmosphere of Evil Established: Scenes of kills from the original “Attack of the Killer Refrigerator” are presented on a laptop screen.
Horror Situation: Screams and Scenes of Death in the jaws of the metal beast!
Reaction – Rewind. Stop. Fast forward. Stop. Rewind. Stop. Fast forward. Zoom in. ESCAPE.
Connect with the Characters : Immediately from the laptop screen revealing all main characters in a high school classroom and subsequent school hallway at the characters’ lockers.
Derek (antagonist) warns, then assaults Fred (protagonist) not to interfere with him. Molly, Fred’s older sister warns him not to interfere with her big party at their house this weekend when their parents are away.
Safety Taken Away: When the Refrigerator gets plugged in at Molly’s party all hell breaks loose.
Horror Situation: The emergence of the terrifying metal monster with big shark-like teeth.
Reaction: HIDE, ESCAPE and FIGHT for all of the terrified high schoolers partying in the mansion.
All victims and subsequent survivors are trapped in the mansion via the Refrigerator’s hold on the electrical grid and its hold on all possible exits as a means of escape by freezing all windows and doors completely shut.
Fred tries to SOLVE IT while working with the final surviving group to HIDE, ESCAPE and FIGHT.
INTERNAL CONFLICT IN THE GROUP – This is the overriding theme for the survivors as they consist of Fred, his sister Molly, his love interest Samantha, Samantha’s “boyfriend” Derek, Fred’s arch rival, Derek’s right hand man, Nick and Fred’s best friend Patel “Slasher” Slasherelli. They are always in conflict… especially under these dire circumstances. TRY TO SOLVE their differences and come together as a team to FIGHT and ESCAPE is the only way to survive.
CAN’T SEE – There are several instances of the Refrigerator manipulating characters’ sight lines with smoke and fire, dry ice-like fog, the pandemonium it creates, light and darkness. ESCAPE to survive and fight again is the only option.
TRANSFORMED INTO SOMETHING ELSE (ZOMBIE, ROTTING MONSTER) – All of the Refrigerator’s victims are indeed transformed into Zombies, doomed to guard the mansion’s electrical room and power flowing from the street to the breaker box. The gruesome transformation is torture until the full-fledge zombie effect takes hold of their mangled bodies. At this point it is over for them. There is NO ESCAPE. There is NO FIGHT left. They only exist now to serve the Refrigerator – nothing else.
DAY 5 OUTLINE: ACT 2
ENVIRONMENT CHANGING AROUND YOU – With the Refrigerator’s lock down grip on the mansion and its electrical grid, it turns the massive house into a different environment depending on what floor you’re on. The top floor is ice cold (freezer). The lower floors mimic the Refrigerator’s main compartment. The scary, dark, ominous and massive mansion’s basement (crisper). HIDE, ESCAPE and FIGHT.
FACE TO FACE WITH THE MONSTER – What could be more terrifying than seeing one of your classmates became the rotten and grotesque face and voice of this evil appliance? Many victims come face to face with the monster, but it really impacts Fred and Samantha the most during the final battle scene in the basement. FIGHT and ESCAPE are the only final options.
SLIMED – The Refrigerator’s Drool “slimes” a lot of its victims in the process of being eaten. Attempt to FIGHT and ESCAPE.
PHYSICALLY TORTURED – The Refrigerator does like to play sometimes before he kills. He will bite off a limb or slice you bad, before killing you. He commands and controls EVERYTHING to inflict the maximum amount of physical pain possible. ESCAPE and FIGHT are the characters’ only options.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by Mark Veau.
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