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Lesson 4
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DEB STENARD’S LESSON 4: THE HORROR PLOT
WHAT I LEARNED FROM DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT IS:
Just start writing. Allow the work to just flow. Get it down now. There are a lot of mistakes and crazy sentences in my outline, because I just wanted to get it down. But by doing it this way, I can see the structure and I know where I have to go
ACT 1- SET UP FOR HORROR
ATMOSPHERE OF EVIL ESTABLISHED:
A weird local is hunting in the woods with night vision goggles. He finds a den of baby raccoons and is in the act of taken them out of the nest when the mother attacks him with savage ferocity. The raccoon is foaming at the mouth as it bites the hunter over and over again. He finally manages to kill it. He takes it home, cooks it and eats it. The bite marks from the animal appear red and infected.
CONNECT WITH THE CHARACTERS:
Billionaire Developer orders his second-in-command to get two young women from the company to accompany the two men on a weekend at
the new development before it is open to the public.
THE CHARACTERS ARE WARNED NOT TO DO IT:
After being stopped by al yokel deputy before driving up to the hotel, the group are warned that a local man is angry at the fence that was built around the development because it cuts off access to his family lands. The Billionaire hires the yokel to be the Security Guard for the weekend.
DENIAL OF HORROR:
The Second-in-Command says the ancestral land was legally taken by eminent domain and the angry local has no recourse except to take the billionaire to court- for the next 50 years. The angry local suddenly appears in front of their car, acting odd. His eyes roll in his head, and he drools. He demands the fence be taken down, screaming that the mere presence of a fence on the mountain is an insult, and the Billionaire and his hotel are an anathema to God. The group laughs at him and drive on.
SAFETY TAKEN AWAY:
When they get to the hotel, they realize that the gate cannot be closed, because the final code has not been loaded. Even though a giant iron fence with spikes on it, surrounds the property, they can either leave the gate open or shut it manually and contact someone to come fix the code and then open the gate. The Billionaire says to leave the gate open. They can call someone to come up and fix the electronics when they get to the hotel. Inside, they meet the Concierge, who will be their private servant for the weekend. She tells them that something is wrong with the private cell tower and there is no phone or internet service.
MONSTER: NATURE OF THE BEAST
After dropping off their bags, they go for exploring around the grounds.
They find a wolf hole- a pit trap with sharpened sticks in the bottom and in the pit is the electronic specialist who was supposed to add the code to lock the gate. He is very dead.
ACT 2 – THE POINT OF NO RETURN
ISOLATED/TRAPPED/ABDUCTED
After finding the dead man, the group wants to leave, but when they get to the gate, they find they are locked in. The Billionaire orders the local deputy to climb the fence and go for help.
ONE OF US IS KILLED –
While trying to climb the fence, the deputy is hit by an arrow from a crossbow and impales himself on the fence and dies. The group race back to the hotel and lock themselves in.
MIDPOINT: THE MONSTER IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT!
FULL PURSUIT BY THE KILLER
The Concierge tries to take charge, because she has been at the hotel for weeks and knows all the nooks and crannies. But the Billionaire and his Second-in-Command refuse to let an old woman be in control.
The Concierge grabs the girls and takes them to a place of safety. The two men feel two against one is good odds, so they make plans to hunt the killer and they head to the kitchen to look for weapons.
TERRORIZED
The two men out of their depth. The second-in-Command tries to fight off the Killer but hasn’t got the strength to hold him off. The Billionaire runs away to leave the second-in-command to his fate. The Killer forces his head into a boiling hot fry-o-later..
ACT 3- FULL OUT HORROR
FIGHT TO THE DEATH-
The Billionaire stumbles through the hotel, trying to escape the killer.
He is found by the Concierge, who drags him into the safe room where she is hiding with the girls. The Billionaire wants to go to the woods, because he thinks they’ll have a better chance to get away down the mountain. He convinces the one of the girls to go with him by promising her money if they manage to escape.
HYSTERIA- The Billionaire and one girl try to leave. They are sneaking through the hotel, when the girl is grabbed from behind, not by the killer, but by the second-in-command, dying in excruciating pain from his burns. The girls has a panic attack. She grabs a (HEAVY OBJECT NOT SURE WHAT!) and beats the burned man to death with it. He dies and she is sobbing. The Billionaire tries to shut her up, but the killer stumbles upon to them and bites the girl in the throat to make her stop screaming. The Billionaire falls into the koi pond in the middle of the lobby. The sight of water causes the Killer to foam uncontrollably at the mouth and run away. The Billionaire runs back to the Concierge and the last girl and tells them what happened.
THE THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH-
The Concierge realizes that the killer is suffering from Rabies and probably doesn’t have long to live, since he is exhibiting symptoms of hydrophobia and hallucinations. The Concierge and the girl decide to set a fire and hope that the authorities will see it and come up to put it out. They grab anything burnable from the hotel and pile it in the driveway and set it on fire. They soon hear helicopters coming to check out the flames. The Billionaire is furious that the women are burning priceless works of art. He grabs a water hose and attempts to put the fire out. The killer appears from hiding, grabs the Billionaire and throws him into the bonfire.
DEATH RETURNS TO TAKE ONE MORE-
The Concierge turns the water full on to the Killer, which causes him to foam at the mouth and die.
The helicopters circle the fire and see the last girl attempting to throw the Killer’s body onto the fire to make sure he is dead. The authorities, not knowing what she is trying to do, shoot her and she falls into the fire with the killer.
RESOLUTION-
The Concierge is the only one left. She is leaving with the few belongings. She is heading for the police car waiting to drive her away. She hears a strange noise. She turns to see another raccoon lurching towards her, stiff gate and foaming at the mouth. She screams.
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Frank’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s probably not the best plan to try to visualize the whole movie up front. It’s equivalent to writing sequentially and can get you stuck. This is a very useful exercise to put the essentials of the story in a framework and make sure nothing is missed.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established: Crime scene investigators at the site of the monster’s spouse’s grisly murder, “This sort of thing just doesn’t happen around here”
Connect with the characters: Reporter doing a story on a blizzard happening at the ski resort on the first day of Spring, showing all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making such a brief piece
The characters are warned not to do it: Resort director has sent the rest of the staff home, exasperated that the news crew and a couple of guests insist on riding out the storm
Denial of Horror: The building is warm and there are plenty of emergency supplies, what could go wrong?
Safety taken away: The resort director is the first to vanish, and he’s the one who knew where everything was
Monster: The nature of the beast: We see the resort director bound and gagged in another building, left bare-footed just in case they manage to somehow break their bondsACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: It becomes clear that no one is going outdoors, and it probably isn’t even safe to leave the main room, and the producer starts to lose it
One of us killed: The sycophantic intern turns out to be too annoying to live, abducted and soon the body is displayed, producer finishes losing itMIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Full pursuit by the killer: Questionable decision to scatter around the resort’s main building and hide, cameraman unaccounted for during abductions, rebel plots own escape, complainer (rebel’s love interest) abducted and killed out from under everyone’s noses
Terrorized: Cameraman’s attempt to rig the security cameras only results in finding the complainer’s body, then the cameras go out, more fleeingACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death: Reporter fights off the monster (monster is saving the reporter for last)
Hysteria: Producer has gotten dangerously unstable, so has cameraman is his own loner way, once producer manages to be quiet then no one hears him ever again as he’s abducted
The thrilling escape from death: Monster foils rebel’s escape plan but rebel isn’t killed, cameraman has extended cat-and-mouse pursuit with the monster, but obviously the monster ultimately prevails
Death returns to take one or more: Monster finally takes the reporter and lets the reporter see the rescuers approach before finishing the kill
Resolution: Rebel happens upon the resort director just as rescuers reach the resort, of course the monster is nowhere to be found -
Sunil Pappu’s Horror Plot
“What I learned doing this assignment is…how to create a basic horror plot and learnt the importance of each act in the structure”.
4-ACT STRUCTURE:
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
• Atmosphere of Evil established: shops inside the mega mall are destroyed and lie derelict and desolate.
• Connect with the characters: teenage twin boys play blindfolded with their younger sister in a dilapidated play area.
• The characters are warned not to do it: teenage boy disagrees with his father that his girlfriend is dead and wants to call her
• Denial of Horror: he tricks his twin brother into hiding a smartphone for him.
• Safety taken away: teenage boy finds the smartphone in the restroom cubicle and turns it on.
• Monster: The nature of the beast: he tries calling his girlfriend on the smartphone in the bathroom cubicle, but he gets devoured by the Detectors.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
• Isolated: cars with corpses pile up outside the mall on the streets, the father drags the batteries from the cars to the generator room to power up the heaters, the mother takes a bath in the tub; the surviving blind twin son feels guilty for surviving and shares a strained relationship with his dad.
• Trapped: blind boy forgets his blindfold and meets the Detector, but it gets distracted and flees when he shines the infrared light sensor of his walker
• Abducted (Scapegoat): he finds a paint shop and brings black paint to create a lightproof dark room for their family meetings, he and his sister finish painting the dark room, but they need to test it; his sister sacrifices her pet hamster blindfolded in a darkened box, they place it in the darkroom and remove its blindfold and wait for the Detector to turn up, their black paint works.
• One of us killed (grieve for lost son): they hold their first family meeting and see each other; father and mother get their alone time to grieve for their lost twin son after 100 days.
• MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought: creatures climb onto mobile towers on the mall roof and hang out at night.
ACT 3 – ALL IN LOST
• Full pursuit by the killer: the blind boy protects his baby sister who loves playing games and during hide and seek she peeps from her blindfold and the Detector appears.
• Terrorized: the blind boy protects his sister using his infrared sensor to drive it away but drops the sensor and mistakenly kicks it off the floor trying to retrieve it; they hide behind a chandelier that reflects light and confuses the Detector.
ACT 4 — FULL OUT HORROR
• Fight to the death: Mother hears her daughter’s screams and removes her blindfold to sacrifice herself fighting the Detector to save the kids.
• Hysteria: Kids swing down the floor and the blind boy drives the showroom car blindfolded to their dad up the ramp. Losing his mother, he needs to mend his relationship with his dad to work together.
• The thrilling escape from death: Dad locks themselves inside the dark room but the corner allows light in from a crack, the Detector enters the darkened storeroom, it’s a lens store with sunglasses shattered on the floor, the boy finds a magnifying glass and uses it to beam the infrared light into the Detector’s enormous eyes. The father has his shotgun ready.
• Death returns to take one or more: The Detector’s eyes explode, and it collapses but rises again and this time the dad shoots it dead with his shotgun.
• Resolution: More creatures arrive, Dad reloads while son grabs more infrared pens, and younger sister points a walking stick with an infrared sensor like a gun.
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darryl’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is that I need a better outline to get from Act I to Act III. I know how I want it to end. I just don’t know how I am going to get there yet.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
· Atmosphere of Evil established
I’m torn between a girl crying, then pleading, then screaming in terror over black OR a youngish girl playing with friends in the backyard when she, through some contrivance, inadvertently stumbles upon the buried body of another girl who looks very much like her.
· Connect with the characters
We meet Petra as a young girl and her terrible father.
· The characters are warned not to do it.
Her father could warn her not to meddle in other people’s business or perhaps locals warn her not to enter forbidden areas when traveling.
· Denial of Horror
There’s no way her father could possibly be living abroad because he’s dead.
· Safety taken away
Petra thought there’s no safer place from her father than the other side of the world when she meets her father’s doppelganger.
· Monster: The nature of the beast.
Inevitable flashbacks to Petra’s horrible childhood unless I can think of a better way to do it.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
· Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
Petra cannot leave the country perhaps due to committing a crime while on foreign soil.
· One of us killed
No one is killed.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
· Full pursuit by the killer
I haven’t worked out the mid point yet. Does Petra get what the revenge she wants? Does Petra get away from the doppelganger?
· Terrorized
If Petra gets the revenge she wants, then she terrorizes the doppelganger of her father. Or does the mere sight of her father’s doppelganger causes her to go insane. Authorities search for Petra leaving her desperate.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
· Fight to the death
Petra and the doppelganger fight.
· Hysteria
Petra loses all sense of reality.
· The thrilling escape from death
Perhaps the doppelganger convinces Petra that he knows of somewhere safe where she could get away.
· Death returns to take one or more.
Not sure yet.
· Resolution
Petra is tied to a hospital bed in a decommissioned hospital in an overgrown compound. She screams for help but no one can hear her. We don’t know if she dies so the myth could feasibly live on.
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Tony J’s BLOODSTREAM: HORROR PLOT
What I learned is making the characters feel personal to the audience establishes a relationship. There are phases to storytelling that need to make sense in order to set up great conflict. When you think it’s over it isn’t. It’s a process like building blocks.
ACT 1 SET UP FOR HORROR
· ATMOSPHERE OF EVIL ESTABLISHED:
The Opening scene cuts between the two settings. The lone person reading a eulogy at a wake service at a funeral parlor then cut to a dead body, drained of blood and prune like in appearance, being dragged away by its leg from a group of 6-8 empty surgical type bondage chairs. The person reading the eulogy is the dressed the same as the body being dragged. It’s the same person.
· CONNECT WITH THE CHARACTERS:
Each group member has overcome stage four colon cancer and is considering four week long follow up treatment at a special after care facility that has been established by the vampire high council on health and welfare of humans. Each group member is trying to decide whether they should enroll despite rumors of malicious occurrences happening to patients who have been there before. The facility aftercare programs successfully treat thousands of cancers survivors worldwide annually.
· CHARACTERS ARE WARNED NOT TO DO IT:
Each group member, mostly strangers, is warned by friends, loved ones, and intuition, not to sign on for this luxurious aftercare program no matter how good it sounds. There is a new drug crisis reported daily on the news and is hitting the world on a global scale affecting humans in ways never seen before. There is a rumor that this facility has something to do with it and has been the object of speculation and investigation.
· DENIAL OF HORROR:
Each group member meets in private with an assigned aftercare treatment representative and insures them there will be no cost/fee and that it will be like a vacation resort and that, despite the rumors, they are guaranteed safety, security, and a warm caring environment.
· SAFETY TAKEN AWAY:
The first real indication of something bad is going to happen occurs to each group member individually after the second week of treatment. The elevator they normally use to go to the tenth floor stops on floor six and thereby forced off the elevator to an adjoining building’s bridge detour and have to take a different elevator. Things really become harry when after pressing the up button it takes them straight down to an unlit, seemingly unsafe garage level.
· MONSTER:
Not the monster but the monster’s assistant chopping off body parts from the body that we saw dragged away in the opening scene.
ACT 2 – THE POINT OF NO RETURN
· ISOLATED/TRAPPED/ABDUCTDED:
Each group member awakes in turn to discover they are in a dungeon type basement strapped to medical procedure type chairs and cannot move head to toe. They discover each other and the surroundings and begin the hallucinations back and forth from the basement to the funeral parlor. The discoveries continue until the monster begins to make mistakes. The group notices that the hallucinations happen in two phases. The first phase has the group returning to find the eulogy speaker asleep or unconscious and after returning the second time the eulogy reader is missing and or replaced with a new captive.
· ONE OF US IS KILLED:
During one of the group’s funeral parlor hallucinations one or two of the members snap out of the dream and is secretly conscious during what takes place in the basement dungeon. They see the monster in action. The monster and his assistant unbind the eulogy reader, near death from blood loss, from the chair. The lead monster/vampire sinks his teeth into the neck of the victim, killing him for sure. The monster assistant drags the body away into the cutting room. The two secretly conscious group members who are playing unconscious can hear the monster’s assistant mutilating the corpse and eating the remains. The two group members are sitting across from each other witnessing the murder.
MIDPOINT—THE MONSTER IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT
· FULL PURSUIT BY THE MONSTER:
The monster hears a slight cough. After realizing that he may have exposed himself to a few group members he attempts to figure out who the culprit is before the return buzzer sounds and the hallucination wears off and becoming exposed to the group. The monster fails. The buzzer sounds. The monster then decides to speed up the hallucination phase and move onto a newer group.
· TERRORIZED:
The two secretly conscious group members are terrified at what they witnessed and aren’t sure if they should tell the rest of the group what they witnessed. They eventually tell the group. NOTE: The monster’s assistant is falling in love with one of the group and is what is causing the mistakes with the early wake ups.
ACT 3 – FULL OUT HORROR
· FIGHT TO THE DEATH:
The potion begins to lose its power over the group and one by one they are able to free themselves from the restraints. One or two try to free the others while a few selfishly takes off for what they think is freedom only to become lost and hunted in the monster’s house of horrors.
· HYSTERIA:
As they become free they become hysterical, screaming, yelling for help, crying to be freed next. Trying to decide if they should run, free the others, play possum or try and fight the monster and the assistant.
THE THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH
· One or two of the group are caught and returned to the chairs. One or two others from the group are killed by the monster. Chase scenes throughout the house. The doorbell rings. At the door is Detective Riley.
DEATH RETURNS TO TAKE ONE OR MORE
· Just as they thought they were free and clear of the monster and are about to walk out the door to freedom they wake up at the funeral parlor however short one group member who escaped. It isn’t over.
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Frances Williams Horror Plot,
Wgat ILearned doing this Assignment is How to build an outline for your movie ,
Atmosphere of Evil
Agroup of Scientists journey to a remote part of the Works looking for list Artifacts if an ancient civilization.
The Characters are Warned Not to Go
They are warned of sn ancient curse that befalls anyone ygst enters sacred ground.
Denial of Horror
The men denounce the curse as foklore and asure everyone that they are okay
Safety is taken away
The only road back to the mainland is washed away in a mudslide.
Monster – The Nature of the Beast
Act 2 – The Point of No Return
Isolated/Trapped/Abducted
A rain storm washed away the only road leading to safety
One of Us is Killed
One if the Scientist after finding an artifact is killed by a swarm of Bees
MidpToint – The Monster is Worse than we Though
Terrorized
The Group has entered full terror, they are being chased, attacked and killed.
Hysteria
With the nen being attacked one by one from an unseen terror they began screaming and crying and shaking
Act 3
Full pursuit by the Monster
Jake fights off the Beast as his colleagues are killed one by one
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Brian G. Walsh’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is that creating the outline on short notice can be difficult but it is also fun. I had to change things several times even though this is a quick brainstorm and I know it will change again before the outline is finalized.
ACT 1
Atmosphere of Evil established: Surveillance footage of last year’s purging.
Connect with the characters: Family shown interacting, having dinner, and so on.
Denial of Horror: James assures his family that they are totally safe.
Safety taken away: Charlie disarms the security systems and lets in the Stranger. Henry shoots at James, allowing the stranger to escape into the house.
The characters are warned not to do it: The leader of the gang warns the Sanders to give up the Stranger or they will break into the house and purge on them.
Monster – The nature of the beast: With one shooting inside the house, the stranger loose, and the Purge gang stationed outside the house, the Purge has come to the Sanders home.
ACT 2
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: The power is shut off. The house surrounded by the gang. James and Mary hunting for the Stranger in the dark, not knowing if he is a killer.
One of us killed: Gang Leader shoots own friend.
MIDPOINT – The monster is worse than we thought: Stranger takes Zoey hostage.
Terrorized: James and family deal with trying to subdue and restrain the Stranger so they can give him up, horrifying themselves.
ACT 3
Full pursuit by the killer: Purger freaks break into the house and look for them.
Fight to the death: Charlie and Mary are nearly killed. James kills a bunch, but is then stabbed by the Gang Leader.
The thrilling escape from death: Zoey shoots Gang Leader. Neighbors kill the other Purger freaks. Everything seems okay until…
Hysteria: The Neighbors announce they are going to Purge the family!
Death returns to take one or more: Stranger shoots one of the neighbors and rescues the family.
Resolution: When Grace grabs for the gun, Mary slams it into her nose. The Purge ends, and everyone parts ways.EXAMPLE: THE PURGE
ACT 1
Atmosphere of Evil established: Raleigh’s JAG attorney tells him he’s being transported to a hearing in one hour. Raleigh watches a TV news report by his ex-wife about a minor earthquake that hit Raleigh’s hometown. Footage of old mine behind Denise Washington. Flashback: Raleigh dragging the ancient sealed coffin into the mine. While being transported, Raleigh has a flashback of Denise telling him she hates him and won’t be the mother of the child of a murderer. Raleigh feigns a heart attack, overpowers his guard escort and escapes. He doesn’t kill them, even though one of them tries to kill him. He takes the gun, punches the guard out and cuffs both escorts to the rear bumper of the vehicle. Raleigh takes the key and removes his handcuffs, then uses the guard’s gun to shoot the ankle bracelet off, wounding himself in the process.
Connect with the characters: Raleigh’s best friend, his daughter and Deputy Christine Diamond at diner. Kids sometimes play near the mine, but it was sealed off a long time ago.
Denial of Horror: Haven’t had any deaths around here since Raleigh murdered Arnold Fanning.
Safety taken away: Raleigh forces the sealed mine entrance open and disappears inside. His ex-wife, Denise Washington, sees him and takes out her cellphone.
The characters are warned not to do it: When they learn Raleigh was headed for their town, the retired sheriff warns the current sheriff not to send anyone into the mine. If Raleigh Douglass did go inside, there’s no way he can get out. Just post deputies at the entrance and wait him out.
Monster – The nature of the beast: The coffin has been exposed from the quake, revealed to have been sealed behind a wall of dirt. There is a warning etched into the top of the coffin.
ACT 2
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: Denise’s online post goes viral. The sheriff sends his deputies to the mine. Randolph Marshall sees the online post, gets in his pickup truck and drives off. The sheriff assigns a deputy to watch Raleigh’s ex-wife and calls the retired sheriff and asks him to watch Raleigh’s best friend. Stopped by a collapsed wall, Raleigh digs it out, climbs through the opening. Marshall arrives and enters the mine. He follows Raleigh. Cops arrive and notice the stolen army vehicle and Marshall’s car. The seal on the mine entrance has been broken. Deputy Taylor goes inside and orders Deputy Johnson to guard the entrance and call the sheriff.
One of us killed: Raleigh finds the coffin and drags it out from the wall. Marshall watches from behind cover. Raleigh struggles to open it. He hears Taylor calling out for his surrender. He detours and hides. Marshall runs to the coffin, forces it open to reveal the corpse of Priest-Exorcist Bartholomew Keene. He wears a black, double-breasted cassock, black gown and black cap. Marshall removes the huge cross from the corpse’s chest. The long-dead priest’s eyes open wide. He seizes Marshall by the throat with one hand and lifts him off his feet. Marshall’s eyes, ears, nose and mouth spew flames as he struggles to get free. The priest drops the corpse to the ground on top of the cross, concealing it. At the police station, Knickerbocker tells the sheriff not to send anyone into the mine. He recalls what Raleigh said when he confessed to killing Arnold Fanning: that Fanning had made a pact with the devil and was about to release a horde of demons being held prisoner. The sheriff tells Knickerbocker he must be going senile if he believes garbage like that. He tells the junior deputy to go into the mine as soon as the rest of the deputies arrive.
MIDPOINT – The monster is worse than we thought: The priest senses Raleigh, sniffs the air and breathes in deep, satisfied. It identifies the vulnerability: guilt. It calls Raleigh’s name and his sin. Taylor hears the collection of voices calling Raleigh’s name and confronts the priest. The priest seizes the deputy, who fires every bullet into him. The priest kills the deputy the same way, then returns to the pursuit of Raleigh.
Terrorized: James and family deal with trying to subdue and restrain the Stranger so they can give him up, horrifying themselves. Christine and two other deputies arrive. She, Taylor and Oak go inside. She orders young Deputy Johnson to stay on guard at the entrance. Johnson argues that the sheriff told him to go inside, but Oak tells Johnson he can do that after he grows up. They find the dead deputy. Oak tells Christine he’s going to kill Raleigh the moment he sees him. Christine tells him to look at the corpse. What could Raleigh have done to leave marks like that? Hugh says it doesn’t matter, he agrees with Oak. Kill Raleigh on sight. They each take a separate trail. Christine finds Raleigh, tells him he’s lucky she caught him but that she wants to shoot him herself. The priest slowly walks up behind her. Raleigh moves but Christine aims her gun and tells him to freeze. He tells her it’s behind her but she doesn’t believe him. The priest gets close. Raleigh charges and Christine shoots, grazing him. She is spun around as the priest lunges for her. He misses and falls. She stares at the priest in horror. The priest’s eyes burn with fire. His fingertips glow. Raleigh grabs her gun and empties it into the priest. The voices chuckle. The priest struggles to its feet, groaning under the weight of the fallen angel spirits inside it.
ACT 3
Full pursuit by the killer: Raleigh and Christine are on the run. Christine almost can’t believe what she saw, but knows Raleigh told the truth. He tells her he doesn’t know how to kill it, but there was a cross on top of the priest’s body that acted as a power lock. It was put there with an ancient prayer to confine the fallen angels to dwell within the dead priest’s incorruptible body until the Day of Judgment.
Fight to the death: Oak finds Deputy Taylor’s body and fumes. He hears running and hides. When Christine and Raleigh arrive, he barrels into them. He lifts Raleigh off his feet and holds him up against the wall, strangling him. Christine tries to stop him, but he swats her away with one hand, sending her sprawling. He punches Raleigh repeatedly. Christine takes Oak’s gun from his holster and presses it into his back, orders him to release Raleigh. Oak calls her a whore and swears he’ll kill her, too. The demon voices call out to Christine about something from her past, to Raleigh about his past, and finally to Oak about something he is ashamed of. Oak is enraged and demands for whoever is talking to come out and face him. The priest shows himself.
The thrilling escape from death: The priest kills Oak but blocks their escape. Raleigh and Christine retreat deeper into the mine with the priest in pursuit. Backing them against the wall, Christine trips over Marshall’s body, revealing the tip of the cross. Raleigh uses it to immobilize the priest. He hands it to Christine, then drags the priest’s body back to the coffin and shoves him inside. All the while the collection of voices, alternately threatens and pleads for release. Christine places the cross on top of the body. She and Raleigh push the coffin into a new hole opened by the quake. They shovel dirt on it.
Hysteria: Arnold Fanning blocks their escape. He is alive, or is he?
Death returns to take one or more: Knickerbocker shoots Fanning and rescues Raleigh and Christine. This proves Raleigh didn’t kill Fanning. Knickerbocker will testify to that. Raleigh wants to run because he doesn’t trust the courts but Christine and Knickerbocker convince him to play it their way.
Resolution: The three depart the mine to make their report. Denise Washington is there with a TV news crew. The mine entrance collapses. Inside the mine, the “dead” Arnold Fanning rises. He sniffs the air and calls out the name of the long-dead priest, then recites the priest’s sin of pride in believing he was as powerful as Jesus and could imprison fallen angels the same way Christ did.
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Brian King’s Horror Plot
Lessons Learned from This Assignment: “Just write” without worrying about perfection. Focus on the assignment and move forward. Embrace change in the story and strive to create an action hero with a clear goal to defeat the monster. Find a specific goal for the monster (a little closer in this assignment. Although it was challenging for someone like me who seeks perfection, to “just write,” I wasn’t afraid to experiment and take some writing risks. Big baby steps for me.
Act 1 – Set up for Horror:
The atmosphere of Evil: In a prologue, the hero witnesses her mother being struck by a speeding car. Questions arise about the circumstances: Was she drugged, hypnotized, insane, or trying to kill herself? Did a fight with the father contribute to her death?
Connecting with the Characters: The daughter/townspeople prepare for the mother’s funeral. Later, those who attended the funeral will die, suggesting a curse on the funeral home. A townsperson dies at the funeral, who happens to be the father of the daughter’s soon-to-be boyfriend.
Warning Signs Ignored: The characters who go to the funeral are advised against attending due to its association with suicide. However, they disregard the warning.
Denial of Horror: Overwhelmed by grief, the daughter has a breakdown and relives the traumatic event of her mother’s death. She impulsively runs into the path of an oncoming car.
Safety taken away / shattered: A therapist suspects the daughter attempted suicide, attributing it to her grief. Townspeople believe that evil has infiltrated the funeral home.
Monster Revealed: A townsperson uncovers disturbing details about the father’s dark past (he violated corpses and grave robbed leading to his being kicked out of mortuary school, but because this reveal was delivered by the town’s conspiracy theorist, no one believes that about such a nice mortician.
Act 2 – Point of No Return:
Isolation / Trapped / Abduction: The daughter develops agoraphobia and refuses to leave the house.
The daughter finds an ally: “The boyfriend,” whose father died at the funeral, daughter implores the daughter to make funeral arrangements. The daughter has a glimmer of hope that she’s going to be okay but then glimpses someone who appears to be the boyfriend’s deceased father wandering the graveyard, leading others to question her mental state.
Disturbing Discoveries: With the boyfriend’s assistance, the daughter finds body parts in garbage bags and uncovers her father’s secret lab, akin to a dungeon.
Another Victim Falls: Another attendee of her mother’s funeral dies. The father performs mortician duties, but the deceased individual is later seen wandering the town.
Midpoint: The Monster’s True Nature:
Revelations: The daughter learns that her father murdered her mother for the inheritance, which she has inherited entirely. She also discovers that her father plans to kill her to claim the inheritance and continue his experiments on zombies.
Hallucinations: The daughter witnesses her mother roaming the mortuary, but nobody believes her. The father has an affair with a townsperson whom he manipulates to resemble the dead mother, tormenting the daughter.
Chased by the Killer: Max, father’s assistant, robs graves. The Daughter realizes that one of the bodies Max handles is connected to her father’s gruesome experiments.
Terrorized: The father subdues the daughter with drugs, rendering her helpless.
Act 3 – Full-On Horror:
Fight for Survival: The boyfriend helps the daughter escape but loses his life in the process.
Disturbing Revelation: Father is a zombie seeking a cure for his condition.
Thrilling Escape: The daughter musters the courage to flee from the mortuary.
Death’s Return: The daughter is captured by Max and brought back to the mortuary.
Unspeakable Tragedy: The daughter endures a horrifying assault (rape) at the hands of Max.
Nine months later, the daughter gives birth to a human-zombie hybrid.
The horror continues… as the father leaves town with the baby. (NOW I’M CREEPED OUT).
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Chuck Czech’s Horror Plot
In this assignment I learned that defining plot points according to horror conventions offers the opportunities to flesh out characters and clarify the stakes. Up to this point I didn’t have a prologue or an Act 3, but the horror conventions helped to flesh out these portions of the script.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established
In a prologue from 1905, a trio of teenage girls are stalked and killed by a stranger who, at the moment of attack, reveals a demonic face.
Connect with the characters
Cold case investigator KAY LUND befriends college student BECCA LEAKS, who has the ability to disappear into an adjoining dimension whenever she feels pressure. Kay enlists Becca to explore this supernatural realm (called the World Between) to find hidden clues related to unsolved crimes Kay believes have supernatural origins.
Kay conducts her business from the Sheriff Department’s Cold Case Room, where we see her interacting with Becca and the other investigators CAM DRURY and LT SORENSON. The locations where Becca uncovers evidence also become group activity sites where all law enforcement characters are present.
When dealing with characters from Kay’s personal life – her kids, neighbor CHERYL and aggressive ex-husband MITCH — we see them assembled at Kay’s duplex home, as well as a scene inside her SUV on the way to school.
The characters are warned not to do it
Becca’s anthropology professor, GLENN GEISSLER, explains to Kay the concept of alternate realities, which is common to many cultures, but he cautions her to take the subject seriously and not dive in too quickly.
Denial of Horror
Cam scoffs at Kay’s insistence that 150 years of crimes are connected, but he goes along with her investigation because he’s attracted to her.
Safety taken away
Under Kay’s guidance, Becca begins searching the World Between for clues hidden from the naked eye. While in the World Between, Becca is on her own and vulnerable to whatever’s in there. She uncovers evidence of various ugly crimes committed through the years but not what they’re looking for. On a personal note, Mitch serves Kay with court papers challenging custody of the kids.
Monster: The nature of the beast.
As Kay and Becca begin their investigation, the DEMON possesses a local man, a MACHINIST, and begins hunting for its first victim in a new cycle of murders.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
Kay and Becca develop a way to communicate through police transceivers while the latter explores the World Between. Becca follows the Demon’s trail and witnesses it select a victim. She tries to intervene but touching the Demon causes intense pain.
One of us killed
As the Demon (possessing the Machinist) closes in on its First Victim, a CREEP wants the Victim for himself and tries to intimidate the Machinist. The Creep is killed in a gruesome manner and his body is disposed into a sewer.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
The Demon/Machinist kills its first victim of the cycle and buries the body in a secret gravesite. Becca senses this violence and collapses, suggesting a growing connection between the Demon and Becca.
Full pursuit by the killer
Kay and Becca track the Demon as it stalks its second victim; they come to realize they have no way to stop the demon.
Terrorized
They discover the Demon’s secret gravesite but are too late — the Second Victim lies in a grave. They also find scores of bodies collected over a decades-long reign of terror.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death
The Demon, knowing he’s being trailed, turns the tables and begins chasing Becca through the World Between; when Becca phases back to the real world, the demon-possessed Machinist catches her and assaults her.
Hysteria
Becca quits the investigation and tries to heal in her family home miles away; but through her connection with the Demon, she senses that the final victim in the cycle will be Kay’s daughter Rudy.
The thrilling escape from death
The Demon stalks Rudy, killing Cheryl and wounding Mitch. The Demon is ready to kill Kay too, but Becca arrives just in time to kill the Machinist. In the struggle, Becca is wounded and then dies.
Death returns to take one or more.
When all seems resolved, the Demon possesses Mitch, who attacks Kay and Rudy; but Becca’s soul revives inside the World Between and attacks the Demon, forcing it to relinquish control of Mitch and flee back to the underworld.
Resolution
News reports describe the numerous funerals following the recovery of the long-lost bodies; but Kay, her children, Cam and Sorenson attend a small funeral service for Becca who they know will always be with them.
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My Horror Plot (but it could change)
Act One
Atmosphere of Evil: Sarah is haunted by a traumatic event from her past where she was wronged and seeks revenge.
Connect with the characters: Humiliated and traumatized by what took place Sarah seeks out a woman who is rumored to be a witch.
The characters are warned not to do this: The witch warns Sarah of the price she will have to pay for revenge.
Denial of horror: Sarah wants to get revenge no matter what the cost is to herself.
Safety taken away: Sarah has doubts about the witch’s motives but can’t stop what is coming.
Monster the nature of the beast: The vengeance demon is unleashed.
Act 2 The point of no return
Isolated: Sarah’s tormentors are trapped in the maze with the demon.
Trapped: Sarah finds out about the Witch’s past and realizes she was just a pawn in her revenge plot.
Abducted: Not sure how I’m going to handle this beat so I will fill it in later.
One of us killed: Sarahs little brother is killed by the Demon.
Midpoint: Sarah decides she must kill the witch.
Act 3
Full pursuit by the killer: the demon is killing people who are trapped in the maze.
Terrorized: Sarah finds a spell to turn herself into a demon and fight the vengeance demon and destroy the witch.
Act 4
Fight to the death: Sarah, now a demon battles the other demon.
Hysteria: Sarah is killed (seemingly, and the witch puts the demon back in the book she conjured him from.
The thrilling escape. After the demon is out of the picture Sarah sneaks up on the witch and slits her throat.
Death returns to take one more: A parent of one of the tormentors shoots and kills Sarah.
Resolution: A town shattered by what has happened tries to pick up the pieces and move on.
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Michelle’s Horror Plot
I learned to keep the outline simple. Details in my head will eventually make it to paper.
ACT 1 – SET UP FOR HORROR
· Atmosphere of Evil established: Reunited friends play a deadly game of truth or dare.
· Connect with the characters: Evelyn’s life before reunion
· The characters are warned not to do it: Evelyn to sister, later, Mother to Evelyn
· Denial of Horror: Evelyn assures leaving is safe even though sister never returned.
· Safety taken away: stripped of possessions and communication on arrival
· Monster, the nature of the beast: Pastor assigns survivability on arrival.
ACT 2 – THE POINT OF NO RETURN
· Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: individuals isolated in powerless, remote lodging
· One of us killed: Monster kills Luke.
MIDPOINT – The monster is worse than we thought!
· Terrorized: Killing spree. Individuals fight for group survival then their own.
ACT 3 – FULL OUT HORROR
· Full pursuit by the killer: Monster takes killing spree on the road, pursuing Evelyn.
· Fight to the death: Evelyn stumbles upon Sara. Maddock re-appears and kills Sara.
· Hysteria: Maddock is in cahoots with monster training Pastor. Pastor and monster join Maddock.
· Death returns to take one or more: Evelyn kills Maddock.
· The thrilling escape from death: Sister saves Evelyn, killing Pastor. Fleeing Evelyn kills monster.
· Resolution: Evelyn makes it to a boat.
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Budinscak Horror Plot
The Horror Plot Track
Day 4
What I learned doing this assignment is…
o How to put the story together
o This exercise provided the basis for the script
o Building the outline is key
Act 1 – Set Up For Horror
Atmosphere of Evil established:
Vicki, the Protagonist, is chased down a dark tunnel by an unseen pursuer. She stumbles, then passes out at the feet of a robotic animal.
Connect with the Characters:
Vicki, a rookie Forest Ranger, feels her way through her job. She’s new, a bit unsure, a little clumsy and an ardent animal lover.
The characters are warned not to do it:
The Commander and his men enter the tunnel armed to the teeth when a soldier issues the warning.
Denial of Horror:
Onsite management makes overtures to the Commander of an alien presence. He scoffs while his men brandish their special weapons. The Commander will make everything disappear by the end of the day, “No one will know we were ever here.’
Safety taken away:
The Commander kills an employee loyal to the Site Ops Manager. They’re also the only person familiar with all the facility’s various accesses.
Monster – the nature of the beast:
Two soldiers search for their comrade and find pieces of his body. The onsite team reveals ‘prisoners’ and present their plan for elimination to the Commander.
Act 2 – The Point of No Return
Isolated/Trapped/Abducted:
Cameras shut down, infrared sensors malfunction. No cell phones, internet’s down. The lights go out.
One of us is killed:
A soldier tasked with retrieving additional special armaments brings a robotic animal for an escort. Neither returns.
Midpoint – The Monster is worse than we thought
Full pursuit by the killer:
Vicki is captured and restrained.
Terrorized:
Vicki escapes and frees the prisoners.
The Site Ops Manager (SOM) releases hi-tech ‘toys’ to hunt down escaped prisoners.
The monster is on a search and destroy mission of the Commander and his team.
Act 3 – Full Out Horror
Fight to the death:
The prisoners try to stay ahead of the SOM’s drones and robots
Hysteria:
The SOM draws his gun and shoots animals. Vicki protectively wraps her body around a small animal. Vicki is shot and dies.
The thrilling escape from death:
An alien reveals itself and shares/sends part of itself to Vicki in the way of a mist – it revives her. Vicki is able to separate her spirit from her flesh/body. Her spirit seeks revenge.
Death returns to take one or more:
Vicki’s animal spirit devours a soldier and the drone pilot. The alien stops her from killing the Commander.
Resolution:
The alien rescues his comrade, they bring the Commander with them – he’s their food – and in a flash, they’re gone. ‘No one will know we were ever here.’
Vicki is a new person with distinct changes to her appearance, her walk, posture, how she carries herself – Vicki has a whole new attitude. She shows how she can separate her spirit from herself. Vicki promises to be the voice for all animals. She’s traveling around the region, coming to an area near you.
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What I learned: to write an outline without getting too stuck in little details, and, also, to keep moving forward.
The atmosphere of evil, connections with characters, and are warned not to do it are all established by rumor and conversation in the first scene.
The horror is denied when the lockdown ended, and their safety is shown to be taken away when the lockdown begins.
The way of the beast: The monster a) kills a teacher and takes their form or b) grabs the curious student 12.
Act II
Isolated/Trapped/Abducted: A snowstorm begins or increases in intensity, and their teacher or friend is taken.
One of us killed: The teacher dies.
Midpoint
Full Pursuit: characters don’t know who to trust; the monster takes form after form.
Terrorized: Because the characters do not know who to trust, their relationships fracture, causing them to split up.
Act III
The fight to the death:
1) The villain (posing as character 14, 4’s crush) calls for help. 4 helps beat up the people attacking the doppelgänger. Then, the athletic 7 convinces 4 to switch sides, causing them both to be massacred.
2) They battle the villain, and manage to tie them up, but they shift into a more narrow form, allowing them to slip out of their bonds, and grab character 8, siphoning their energy. Character 1 stabs the monster, subduing them, (but not before they release extra stored electricity causing 1 to fly across the room) [dead? injured?].
Escape from death
a) 2 has to identify their friend from the doppelgänger. Once he does, 2 frees herself, and they try to trap them under some object.
b) The doppelgänger nearly catches them, but 1 is able to pick the lock just in time revealing 13’s hidden corpse, killed by loss of electrical current.
c) 1, 2, and 8, make their way to a classroom where they see the villain interrogating character 6. They both siphon electricity to torture character 6 whom character 2 likes, and when they notice the students standing outside, they drop the lifeless body of 6 and then pursue the others.
d) The monster chases them outside, where they are greeted by freezing conditions.
Death Returns to take one more: They kill 8 after slipping from their bonds and possibly character 4.
Hysteria: The doppelgänger kills the person 2 likes in front of them, and then pursues them.
Resolution: They make their way through the storm to find a police barricade, where they explain the situation, though the police don’t believe them.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by Robert Lee.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by
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Marissa’s Horror Plot
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established – Grandmother dies of a seizure in her home. It’s a stormy night. Windows are open. White curtains. <div>
Connect with the characters – Family wakes the next day and gets ready for the day. They receive a phone message about the death. They pack and begin their journey to their grandmother’s home.
The characters are warned not to do it. – On the way, Adaire the protagonist, sees a woman glide down the road and gets into an accident.
Denial of Horror – Everest, her husband, tells her she’s just mourning.Safety taken away – Once at the house, there is a destructive storm that takes out the electricity.
Monster:
The nature of the beast. – Aunt Lizzy gives the children a small doll/idol she finds to sooth them. She releases the teraphim.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – The family is now isolated in the house, with the teraphim (adversary), and a raging storm flooding the roads. They are trapped and isolated.
One of us killed. – Everest disappears in the house and is never found.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Full pursuit by the killer – to retrieve the teraphim and get revenge on Adair (who is the reincarnate of Rachel) by destroying her and everyone she loves.
Terrorized – Everyone in the house is terrified with no clue as to where Everest went. The children are petrified and continue to clutch onto the teraphim for support. This exacerbates the adversary. Lizzy, Adair, and Raif have a light source, a way to see. But the structure of the walls and doors seems to be changing. They lose their whereabouts and find themselves in a blinding maze.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death – they lose the children. The children separate. Only the cries are heard. there is very little visibility. The adults try to stay together and find the missing children. Raif wants to separate and look, Adair wants Everest, Lizzy wants to find the girls and stay together. The storm creeps inside and the house has turned upside down. We see Poppy elevate and spin in the air. Her clothes are ripped off and she is skinned in real time. The entire house sees. The teraphims float to the ground. Adair slowly realizes the culprit. (still figuring this out). She turns on Soonae, who is traumatized by the sacrifice of Poppy. Adair goes to attack and is stopped by Raif. He reasons with Adair. (still figuring this out) A hail invades the house and the family come together. The idols are flaming hot.The thrilling escape from death – Adair realizes the Adversary is there for her and she sacrifices herself. She self-immolates with the teraphim. House returns to normal as her flames drown. Lizzy, Raif, and Soonae escape the burning home.
Death returns to take one or more. – the teraphim are immune to the fire.
Resolution – We see the family slowly recover at the hospital. One of the workers inform Soonae that “this statue” was found amongst the rubble. It is one of the teraphim.
</div>
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Barb’s Horror Plot
ACT 1
Atmosphere of Evil – staff find the rest of their friends brutally murdered by an inmate. Docot harms suspect.
Connect: All characters introduced on the bus tour.
Warned: by both bus driver and by the caretaker
Denial: the museum is closed so no one else there.
Safety taken away: caretaker took their cell phones so no calls can be made. They are scared by some prank set-ups.
ACT 2
Isolated/trapped: they are locked in overnight until7am with no cell phones but do have a walkie talkie, but Charlie hordes it since he paid for them to get in and then they split up in the vast building.
One killed: Charlie is killed but no one believes it b/c his body is gone and murder site cleaned up. So they are sitting ducks not knowing.
MIDPOINT – the killer is stealthy and fast and has the upper hand using weapons in the museum. The guests have no defense and are not all even believing there is a killer out there. They are sitting ducks with no real knowledge they need to go on the defense and try to get out of the building or band together. They keep wandering off looking for others and get themselves killed.
Full pursuit: the killer starts to murder people in two’s now and comes at them fast and relentlessly.
Terrorized: some finally fully understand that there is a killer. Most thought people were exploring and the girl who committed suicide did just commit suicide.
ACT 3
Taylor and Barb realize there is a killer after seeing brutal death and are trying to escape. They are covered by the killers and one shoots Barb, who falls and seems dead.
Hysteria: Moments of it since act 2, but here Barb is determined to save Tyler. He has some hysteria being strapped down on the table about to be lobotomized.
Escape of death: Barb, Taylor and friend do kill the twins and escape outside.
Death returns: while calling the police the caretaker sneaks up behind with a sword and swings.
Resolution: left open…. but it looks like at least one of them is dead.
I learned how to plot out each act in succession with appropriate horror plot points.
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Susan’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is that I have to keep reminding myself that nothing is set in stone. I usually spend weeks, months, on outlines–not one day!
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established: During the family reunion, some of
the kids break away and talk together. Wilhelmina starts daring Michael
about going to a closed beach they’ve been forbidden to enter. <div>Connect with the characters: As they discuss the beach and hang out,
their characters come out.<div><div>
The characters are warned not to do it: Gerald warns the others that
he knew someone who went there and never returned.Denial of Horror: Riled by Wihelmina and Michael, the rest of them
mock Gerald and head off toward the beach.Safety taken away: As the group starts playing tag and enjoying
themselves, Gerald feels foolish and heads off on a walk by himself. Wihelmina
spots blackberry vines and leads Michael to them, eating away. Younger
brother Ralph tries to tag along, but Michael sends him back to the group.
Michael tackles her, and, as they roll around, they fall into a trap. Ralph,
who had been spying on them, sees this and runs to get Gerald. As Ralph
crosses the group….Monster: The nature of the beast. … he is swept up with the rest
of the kids by a net that covers the entire area, under the sand. The kids
are hanging, suspended above the beach, airlifted and moving fast out of
sight. Gerald runs to follow them and stumbles upon W and M, trapped and
unable to leave.ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – Gerald sees where they are being
taken and runs back to rescue W and M. </div>One of us killed – One falls out of the net and smashes on the
rocks.<div>
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Full pursuit by the killer – G, W, and M, determined to rescue their
younger brother, finds where they are taken and tries to figure out how to
rescue their family, while witnessing the torture inflicted on them. </div><div>Terrorized – They explore the entire dungeon, and find rooms where
other types of torture are going on, all by the same fuzzy masked men, who
try to capture them as well.ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death W fights with one of the monsters, and dies
bleeding to death. </div>Hysteria – Michael cannot breathe from terror and hides, watching from
afar.The thrilling escape from death – Gerald is able to rescue Ralph by
taking his place in the cellDeath returns to take one or more. Gerald succumbs to the torture
and dies.Resolution – Gerald receives the respect from Michael (his older
brother) that he has yearned for all his life.</div></div>
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Wade Jehowski’s Lesson 4: The Horror Plot
What I learned is that i need to invest an identity for the survivors and victims.
ACT 1
-Atmosphere of Evil established
Flashback of young boy witnessing his siblings being slain by their parents. The survivor was the oldest brother to five younger brothers.
-Connect with the characters
The group, most don’t know each other, are put together to Swamp a Canoe for their Canoeing Merit Badge). Each of the main characters have their own attributes to the success of swamping a canoe. At first they are annoyed with each other, but then get to become somewhat trustful of each other after they successfully complete their task. Noah is the high school Eagle Scout who volunteers during the summer for a paycheck.
They are running late for dinner at the mess hall and are forced to sit next to each other for dinner. We learn about them.
We also learn about personalities during their walk to the mess hall.
We are introduced to one of the few females at the camp. She is in high school and works in the mess hall for a summer job.
We are introduced to the “monster” who is serving up food. He has a distinctive scar on his left cheek. He is very kind to the staffers and campers as he serves them.
We learn about each of the main group throughout dinner. The Eagle Scout is looking around for his little brother.
-The Characters are warned not to do it
The camp alarm goes off.
We find out that someone was stabbed to death in their tent.
The group is warned not to leave the Mess Hall, but are persuaded by Noah to look for his brother.
-Denial of horror
The camper who was murdered is the younger brother of Noah. The group sees him being carted into an ambulance.
-Safety taken away
It’s nighttime and the campers are going to their separate Troops. Noah Is sick to his stomach about his brother and has to vomit. While he is vomiting, Peter wanders to pee off the trail.
The crew waits for him and sees Peter being suffocated while being picked up off the ground. The “monster” is very powerful. They’re too scared to attack the “monster” and feel very sheepish. This is where they agree to help each other if anything like this happens again.
-Monster: The Nature of the beast
We see the “monster” drag the body and open up a camouflaged hatch and descend. It’s a bit foggy. We see the “monster” prop up the lifeless body in a chair and start a home video on the television.
ACT 2
Isolated/Trapped/Abducted
The group walks back in disgust with themselves that they didn’t attack the “Monster”. They bicker and blame each other. They go back to the Mess Hall and are greeted by two interrogators (Male and Female) and the people who run the Scout Camp. They tell their story and are sequestered in separate rooms. There is a brief scene of each of the group members being asked various questions.
-One of us is killed
Peter being killed is maybe considered ACT 2 instead of ACT 1
MIDPOINT
-Full Pursuit by the Killer
The “group” leaves the Mess Hall. They go back to the death scene and look around. Hannah joins them. She has a crush on Noah and vice versa.
-Terrorized
The group is slowly taken out by the “Monster”. We always see the “Monster” drag the body into his camouflaged bunker.
ACT 3
-Fight to the Death
Adam and Hannah is ultimately the last survivors. They fight the “Monster” diligently but Adam dies. The “Monster” leaves Hannah wounded, but does not kill her. She questions his motives.
-Hysteria
The “Monster” is walking by the different Troop Campgrounds. He is normal looking besides the scar and is trusted. We see a microcosm of Adult leaders in a panic. They have knives, axes, etc. nearby.
-The Thrilling Escape from Death
I’m still working on these logistics.
-Death returns to take one or more
There is a scene where “Monster” is beaten with a log. His face is smashed. He feels the scar on his left cheek and gets up.
-Resolution
The final scene is the “Monster”, whose face has more scars, serving food at a different Boy Scout summer camp.
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LESSON 4: THE HORROR PLOT TRACK
What i learned doing this assignment is : I keep coming back to this outline and tweaking it to keep up with modifications I made in lessons down the line.
ASSIGNMENT
Create your plot.
Concept:
1. Knowing your concept, fill in one or two sentences for each of the plot points.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
• Atmosphere of Evil established: The killer is shown chopping off a woman’s head with an axe as her ‘time is up’.
• Connect with the characters: Laura gets a divorce from Adam because he has no time for her and she met someone more caring through friends. After a bitter divorce, Laura celebrates with her friends and tells them she’s getting away for a few days.
• The characters are warned not to do it: 1. Adam warns her in the coutroom that she shouldn’t celebrate too soon.
• Denial of Horror: Laura answers that she’s earned it .
• Safety taken away: Laura experiences doors closing, strange notes, voices at night.
• Monster: The nature of the beast: Laura and her friends are tied up, in separate rooms and a menacing figure in a mask visits them all. They are told that they will die.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: Laura and the group are trapped in an unknown home in dark rooms.
• One of us killed: Emma is brutally killed by the masked figure while everyone is forced to watch on screens.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought! After watching Emma be killed, the group is told that their time will come – their fate is in their hands. They can escape, or nominate another person to die. They choose escape.
• Full pursuit by the killer: The killer starts pursuing the group across teh estate as they try to escape.
• Terrorized: The group starts dying, one-by-one.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
• Fight to the death: The group lures and ambushes the killer and think he’s dead.
· The thrilling escape from death: The killer is not dead, but is again stabbed by Laura and left for dead. The group tries to escape…
• Hysteria: They run into the traps and snares that are set all over the estate. More people die.
• Death returns to take one or more: The killer is not dead! He starts hunting them down.
• Resolution: Laura lures the killer back into the house and then Scott, her new fiancee, returns to rescue her and sacrifices himself to make sure the killer is dead. The killer is dead…is he?
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Lesson 4: The Horror Plot Track
Subject Line:(Huey J. Williams) Horror Plot
What I Learned:
Its fun and not so difficult to create Horror Stories.
The Atmosphere of Evil-
A forest near a lake illuminated by a full moon, the sounds of desperate
HISSING, an injured WOLF GROWL, QUICK THUMPING HITTING THE GROUND, slithers
threw the bush in hot pursuit of a eight POINT BUCK. The Buck shrieks in
pain when he is captured, bones CRUNCHING, then forest goes silent, an SCREECH
OWL SHRIEKS, as he watches from a tree.
Dust, a Motorhome with the Group pulls up, stops to a sign that reads
“Black Forest, keep out”
ALDEN
Keep out, my Dad and I have spent many hunting
seasons here, we’ve captured some of the bigest
bucks in the region, perfect dear hunting.
ASHLEY
Ok, lets go home, I don’t feel like getting shot
with rock salt. Do you remember what happend when
we raided that cherry orchard last sumer.
CORY
It’s probably a prank, pay it no mind, we’re here
lets go camping.
CATE
Well, lets go home. Cory, you think everythings a
prank.
GRAM
Lets go for it, what do we have to loose, all they
can do is kick us out, if they find us.
ZOEY
Cate, I agree, I don’t like going to stange places
uninvited, especially in the woods. Its no telling
what we my find, or run into, there could be GHOSTS,
MONSTERS, maybe even a MAD KILLER.
Everyone in the motorhome starts laughing.
ALDEN
Then it’s settled!
They continue to the camp sight by the lake.
ACT 2 – THE POINT OF NO RETURN
The Group set up their tents near the lake and prepare for bed(Isolated)
Gram decides to go for a jog, his nightly routine, on his way back from
the run he notices the motor home is smoking.
The Group jumps into action putting out the electrical fire.(Trapped)
ASHLEY
Now we’re trapped out in the middle of nowhere,
what’s next, someone gets lost, or maybe killed.
ALDEN
Ashley, don’t be such a baby.
They put the fire out and return to their tents, lights out and all is
quiet. Cory agrees to fix the electrical problem in the morning.
Suddenly, there is a loud HISSIN followed by a SICK WOLF HOWL!
Everybody jumps out of bed.
EVERYBODY
What was that! What the hell was that!
Shad begins barking and groweling, then he runs out the tent in hot pursuit
into the woods after the Thingamajig.
Alden grabs his rifle and follows shad and tries to catch up into the woods…
Everyone in the camp, Ashley, Cory, Cate, Zoey, except for Gram are gathered
together in terror huging each other, when Alden returns with only Shad’s Tags
and some of his fur. Alden hugs Ashley almost in tears.
ALDEN
Shad is gone, all I found was his tages, and
fur scattered all over the ground.
GRAM
Shad was an excellent hunter, I bet he went out fighting.
ALDEN
Something very strange happened,
while I gathered Shads things, I fealt like
I was being watched by something hiding in the
bushes. I couldn’t see it but it was there
watching me. I kept my rifle ready as I left.
The Group hugs each other tighter as the terror chills their bones.
GRAM
Alden, how many extra guns did you bring?
ALDEN
The hand guns on me, and one other hand gun and
another rifle in the motorhome.
GRAM
I think we should leave the tents set up, but
everyone sleep in the motorhome tonight.
ALDEN
I agree.
The Group make their way into the motorhome and bed down for the night.
Zoey tries to make a call home on her cell phone, no signal.
ZOEY
There’s no signal out here, I can’t make a call,
now we’re really screwed. Gram if anything happens
to me, I’ll, I’ll, you better protect me.
GRAM
As long as you’re with me love, I’m your
Superman, you know that.
Gram, and Alden armed decides to share watch duty for the night.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
The Thingamajig enters the camp, checking the tents, then it jumps on the
motorhome HISSING, HOWLING LIKE AN INJURED WOLF, shaking things up.
Zoey, Ashley, Cate begin SCREAMING!
Alden, Gram, Cory, go into action each armed, they make their way out of the
motorhome they get their first look at the Thingamajig, and begin SHOOTING.
They make multiple hits, but it doesn’t kill it, as it runs away into the
darkness.
Alden, Gram, Cory are sweating, knees kocking, wide eyeed and they can’t believe
what they just saw.
GRAM
Lets not tell the Girls about this, not
just yet.
ALDEN
Agreed, they will for sure become hysterical,
we have to come up with a way to kill this
Thingamajig, what ever it is.
CORY
It looked hungry, its either us or it, the
Thingamajig, that’s a good name for it.
That’s what it looks like a Thingamajig.
We learned something about it tonight,
bullets won’t kill it, mybe fire will.
Alden, Gram, Cory head back into the motorhome, they have some explaining to do
but they don’t go so well.
ALDEN
I wish I had a better way to tell you this,
but we are being hunted, by something we have
named the Thingamajig. We promise you, it will
be taken care of, web have a plan.
Later that evening the Thingamajig strikes again this time the Girls get a look
at it.
Ashley, Cate, Zoey become hysterical, crying, sweating, one of them soil herselves.
ACT 3 – FULL OUT HORROR
Alden, Gram, Cory fights the Thingamajig off with fire, (molotov cocktails), but not
before it grabs Gram and takes him away into the forest.
Alden and Cory follow Gram and the Thingamajig to it’s hideout.
Just as the Thingamajig begins making a meal of Gram, Alden and Cory bomb it with
molotov cocktails setting refuge a blase, it falls to the ground as it burns.
The Thingamajig rise and runs towards Alden, and Cory, they fire several shots at, it
falls and dies…
Alden and Cory make their way back to the motorhome, together with Ashley, Cate, Zoey
they hike their way out to the main road where they hitch-hike back to town for help…
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Assignment Four: Debbera’s Horror Plot
What I learned from this lesson is that the questions help stimulate the “little grey cells”.
1. Act 1
a. Atmosphere of Evil established: Flashback of cousins in bedroom. They have been sent to bed but instead of going to sleep they are being raucous, pillow fighting, giggling, jumping from bed to bed. Their uncle comes in and admonishes them. He tells them the story about the Green Man comes after naughty boys and girls. After the uncle leaves the room, the kids hear a noise at the window. They squeal thinking it’s the Green Man and cover their heads. They settle down for the night. Unobserved the shadow of a menacing Green Man appears at the window. He peers through the bedroom window at the kids.
b. Connect with the characters: Present day: Two of the cousins have volunteered to drive. They gather at the meeting place and load up the vehicles.
c. Denial of Horror: They chat and begin to reminisce about the time their uncle scared them as kids with talk of a Green Man. They discount the danger. All but one (Bryant) believes it was their uncle pretending to be the Green Man. He thinks it might have been real because as a kid, he saw the shadow at the window.
d. Safety taken away: They arrive safely and are greeted by their uncle. Over dinner they remind him of the Green Man story he told them as kids. They confront him to confess that he pretended to be the Green Man. He denies it. They all have a good laugh.
e. The characters are warned not to do it: The uncle proclaims they have nothing to worry about because they are no longer children. Elsewhere an irresponsible camper fails to completely put out their campfire. Later a brush fire breaks out. It spreads overnight into an out-of-control wildfire.
f. Monster: A strange phenomena goes unwitnessed. A row of trees threatened by the growing fire mysteriously moves. Elsewhere in the area, campers have sightings of the Green Man. Some campers have horrific encounters with the Green Man. Locations of the sightings/encounters get closer and closer to the area where the uncle’s cabin is located. The Green Man arrives at the uncle’s cabin.
2. Act 2
a. Isolate/Trapped/Abducted: The uncle and cousins learn about the fires and discover that they are trapped in the area. Their immediate area is not threatened but exits are cut off due to the fires. The cabin is multilevel with a basement. It is beautifully decorated and landscaped with lots of plants and greenery inside and out. It has a pool and boat dock.
b. One of us is killed: The power goes out. The uncle is killed while outside the cabin trying to restore power.
MIDPOINT—The Monster is worse than we thought.
c. Full pursuit by the monster: The Green Man captures Junior and Hazel, his girlfriend. They were trying to go to the next cabin for help. They are wrapped in leaves and dragged deeper into the forest.
d. Terrorized: The Green Man begins to terrorize the cousins. He enters the cabin and pursues the remaining cousins. They learn he can materialize from any form of plant life.
3. Act 3—Full Out Horror
a. Fight to the Death: The Green Man entraps and pursues the cousins through the cabin.
b. Hysteria: Capturing them one by one. He shoots twig arrows, snags them with shooting vines and wraps them up in leaves.
c. The thrilling escape from death: The Green Man chases, wounds and captures them until all but two are left. The remaining two work as a pair to free those that have been captured. They fight the Green Man with an axe and chain saw. They use garden shears to cut off the vines and leaves. They find and rescue their cousins one by one. They wound him and he retreats into the forest.
d. Death returns to take one or more: The cousins realize that they have yet to find Junior and Hazel. They form a search party to go find them. They find them and, on the way back to the cabin, they encounter a recovered monster who kills Bryant. Bryant sacrifices himself to save the others. He threatens him with fire but is overpowered.
e. Resolution: The remaining cousins take their uncle’s boat and head down the river until they reach a safe place and are found by firefighters fighting the fire.
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Pete’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is that things will change.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established: Baby shower for Rachel. Tarot card reader and palmist tells her that she has no lifelines in either palm. She pulls the Tower, Death, Devil cards and says something awful is about to happen to her.
Connect with the characters: Cian, Rachel’s drunken husband, crashes the baby shower and tells everyone to get out.
The characters are warned not to do it: Rachel tells Cian about the fortune teller. He doesn’t believe that shite and doesn’t want Em filling her head with that nonsense. Rachel asks if he can go to the doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Cian is passed out on the coach.
Denial of Horror: OBGYN: Rachel’s baby is dead according to the ultrasound, but she must carry it to term for her own safety.
Safety taken away: While stopped at a petrol station, she’s attacked by woman brandishing a knife and her dead baby is cut from her womb! Rachel is left to bleed out and she dies. She has an out of body experience where she sees a vision of the Virgin Mary.
Monster: The nature of the beast: Rachel survives, but experiences terrifying visions. With the help of her parish, Father Flynn, she decides to spend time with a convent of nuns who run a parental bereavement group. Cian who demands that she stay home.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: The Sisters of the First Miracle are a cloistered convent, so no visitors or mobile devices allowed!
The healing circle proves to be a place where all the mothers share their grief. Each performs their own symbolic burial ritual for her dead baby. The rituals bring all the women peace and closure. But not for Rachel who thinks she can hear her baby crying.
Rachel has another Marian dream at home. This time it’s not the Virgin Mary but a visage of a women who is both beautiful and terrible to behold holding her dead baby.
In the healing circle, Rachel confesses that Cian’s physical abuse led to all their babies dying in the womb. Celeste warns she will only know peace when she breaks free.
Rachel is demonically attacked – the sisters lay hands on her for healing. One sister speaks in a strange tongue. While the nuns touch her body, Rachel begins to levitate off her bed!
Rachel finds a phone and calls Em. She tells her of the miraculous things happening to her. She says she feels safe with the sisters and strong enough to leave Cian. One of the sisters insists that Rachel hang up the phone.
Em gets in a yelling match with the nun and cusses her out! The sister warns her to keep a civil tongue in her head.
One of us killed: That night Em has a convulsion, swallows her tongue and chokes to death.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Full pursuit by the killer: Father Flynn visits and shares the news of Em’s death. Rachel attempts to leave the convent, but Mother Superior locks her in her room.
Father Flynn objects, but Mother Superior warns him that sending Rachel home would mean another beating or worse at the hands of Cian.
That night after dinner, Rachel watches the nuns during their evening vespers and notices that they perform the sign of the cross upside down. Sister Celeste tells Rachel that women played a huge part in the first century church and their voices were suppressed by men.
Mother Superior Celeste claims an alternate gospel of Jesus life written by Mary Magdalene. It states that Jesus first miracle was raising a stillborn baby from the dead, not turning water into wine! That’s why the order is called Sisters of The First Miracle. They operate outside the auspices of the Catholic Church.
Terrorized: Cops show up at the convent to do a welfare check on Rachel. The cops ask her if she’s being harmed. Cian is there and convinces a buddy detective to remove Rachel for her own good. Cian grabs her belongings, and they drive off into the night.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
The sisters perform a bizarre incantation.
Cian assaults Rachel! But this time, doppelgangers of the sisters (bilocation) are there to defend her. Cian is killed in a most horrible manner.
Rachel drives back to the convent and can’t find anyone. She sees a fire deep in the forest and the sound of chanting in an unfamiliar language (Enochian tongues)
Fight to the death: Rachel follows the voices. The Sisters are dressed in white robes and standing in a pit in front of an effigy of a woman is Mother Superior Celeste. The Black Mass is in honor of Lilith the first wife of Adam!
The sisters drop their robes, and the chanting becomes more intense. Rachel is given unholy communion. She is offered up to Lilith, but not as a sacrifice. Instead, she is venerated by the Coven as blessed among women!
Hysteria: Rachel goes into a trance. She levitates upside with her arms outstretched and her legs together. She bleeds from scratch marks on her back, her hands, feet and vaginal area. REVERSE STIGMATA!
The thrilling escape from death: Father Flynn tries to interfere stop the witches’ Black Mass, but he too is dispatched in a horrible way.
Death returns to take one or more: The woman who attacked Rachel at the petrol station appears holding her dead baby. Celeste asks Rachel to be the mother of the new god. She takes the baby and puts its lips to a superfluous breast she has grown. The baby starts to suckle, literally draining the life from Rachel.
Resolution: The soul of Lilith has been transferred to the stillborn baby and the sisters of The First Miracle rejoice!
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Joyce’s Horror Plot structure lesson 4
WIL: I have to listen to my own ideas at first to get an outline and not second guess them.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>4-ACT STRUCTURE:
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
<b class=””>• Atmosphere of Evil established: An invitation to return to home town, but it is edged in black.
• Connect with the characters: <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>A mysterious app signature shows up on phone and computer. Yearbook staff on ten years ago all receive them.
• The characters are warned not to do it: Principal speaks and warns not to go to old school. They go on a tour, but they don’t leave.
• Denial of Horror: they search for damning yearbooks, find one with horrific picture of killing. Someone is playing a joke.
<b class=””>• Safety taken away: Janitor in boiler room is suspicious.
<b class=””>ACT 2
Separate and search for yearbooks.
Find one killed like a picture.
MIDPOINT
Full pursuit: One is attacked , but monster is not finished and leaves, She is badly hurt.
Terrorized, men go after the janitor.
<b style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>ACT 3- FULL OUT HORROR
• Monster: Kills janitor. He kills any who are alone and leaves a picture.
Pro tries to hide with one who is wounded.
Others are trapped. Two plot to burn down the school.
Monster stops them and killes them.
ACT 4
Pro excapes with wounded friend. Slips away to go home. Sees husband with another woman and goes back. She sets fire to the building. The monster burns. His son emeges from the smoke. He holds a yearbook.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Joyce Davidson.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by
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What I learned doing this assignment is if I outline correct the plot will have no holes.
1. Knowing your concept, fill in one or two sentences for each of the plot points.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established:
This is in the prologue. When Sara’s mother is killed.
Connect with the characters:
We meet the James and John John, after we met Mr. Burns and his brother working for Mr. Hughmont.
The characters are warned not to do it:
The priest will tell Mr. Burns it’s not his problem.
Denial of Horror:
John John denies that the new teacher was in town the day his old teacher was killed.
Safety taken away:
Miss M. becomes the new teacher, and Sara visits the superintendent and he kills his family and himself.
Monster: The nature of the beast:
John John has a vision and gets second sight by removing his . We see a prositute killed for her blood.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted:
John John is isolated in the Asylum. James is isolated in that he knows something is wrong.
One of us killed: Erik Johnsen is found dead after he ran away from the schoolhouse.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!:
The medical workers can shapeshift, The Sheriff and the Judge agree about sacrifices.
Full pursuit by the killer:
This is when Sara speaks to James that the Devil is smoking.
Terrorized: James has a vision of the devil in his bedroom. The vision smiles and read James thoughts.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death: James fights against Miss Mapletree with help of Mr. Burns.
Hysteria:
James learns his parents are part of the plot, and that he will be given a harvest authority.
The thrilling escape from death:
James survives her attack and claims she won him over.
Death returns to take one or more:
Maybe John Johns parents will be killed for the cult.
Resolution: James accepts his authority and walks downtown with his parents and Carrie. He sees what most don’t because he is one of them.
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Atmosphere of Evil – death of Frances and birth of Claire by emergency C
Characters- Frances -19- Stan’s pregnant mistress whom he murders in a jealous rage and now returns looking for justice.
Stan – local detective/ lawyer who is now running for Ill. District Attorney and starts seeing various domestic violence abusers dying and strange ways and finally realizes that Fran is after him.
Martin – Stan’s police partner, a gay man who has not officially come out in this town, but it’s known. He doesn’t want to make an issue of it. He loved Fran as a friend and suspected problems with Stan and would encourage Fran to leave him. He knew Stan had a temper, but never believed Stan actually killed her until he finds proof at the end. Stan kills him for fear that Martin will expose him.
Claire – the child of Stan and Frances – having been born by emergency c-section and adopted out, starts hearing the voice of the killer and seeing visions of her mother’s murder. She’s determined to find out about her biological parents as well as her mom’s murder.
Victoria Rose – Fran’s sister who tries to help her new niece.
Albert and Miriam Rose – Fran’s strict parents and her father who is an abuser. And is murdered by the ghost.
Act2 – Arriving in this small town, there is a snow storm that blocks the roads in and out of town so that no one can go in or out of town. They are isolated.
Stan attends the death of a man known to be an abuser and sees that it is not something that would have happened naturally. He wants to blame the wife but she has a full alibi.
Mid point – Several ghostly attempts on Stan’s life. Fran wants him to apologize but he refuses to admit he did anything wrong with Fran. She pulls him under the water since he tried to drown her, but then lets him go. It frightens him but he refuses to acknowledge there is anything supernatural happening even as he sees more people dying.
Act 3- More frightening events attack Stan as Claire continues to investigate and goes to the prison to find the man who Stan claims killed Fran. Ron is murdered on Stan’s order to keep him from talking about the bribe….and Fran exposes the written checks to Martin who realizes now that his partner is the killer.
Stan escapes from death more time.
But then sees Fran as he corners and is about to silence Claire, who has realized who he is….and walks backward falling out of the second story and impaled on the fence.
As he’s dying, he whispers – Forgive me.
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Plot track:
ACT 1: The Setup for Horror
Atmosphere of Evil Established:
The movie opens at the MS-13 ‘Destroyer House’ in West Texas, a grisly crime scene where gang members are found slaughtered in an occult ritualistic manner. Bodies are zipped into body bags and loaded into vans.
Connect with the Characters:
Carlos “the Scorpion” Rodriguez and his wife, Maria, attend the gang members’ funeral. Sheriff Johnson interrogates Carlos about the murders, but Father Diego intervenes, offering Carlos a mysterious job driving a body across Texas in the vintage hearse known as the ‘Meat Wagon.’
Denial of Horror:
Despite warnings from Maria about the hearse being a bad omen, Carlos accepts the job from Father Diego, who reveals the hearse’s dark history of carrying the souls of murderers and predators. An act he uses to drum up business!
Safety Taken Away:
Carlos discovers a vintage coin with a Satanic engraving inside the hearse, signaling its sinister nature. Despite Maria’s concerns, Carlos sets off on his journey, haunted by the feeling that he’s not alone with the coffin in the back.
ACT 2: The Point of No Return
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted:
Sheriff Johnson runs Carlos off the road, interrogating him about the murders before pistol-whipping him and leaving him concussed in a ditch.
One of Us is Killed:
Alone on the desolate highway, Carlos tries to call for help but finds himself isolated without cell reception.
MIDPOINT: The Monster is Worse Than We Thought
Terrorized:
Carlos begins to see dead people along the highway and hears haunting voices from the hearse’s radio. He feels haunted by his past as the Scorpion.
Full Pursuit by the Killer:
The Meat Wagon speeds uncontrollably, pursued by Sheriff Johnson. Carlos realizes the hearse is possessed by an evil force. He has no control!
ACT 3: Full Out Horror
Fight to the Death:
Carlos faces a deadly confrontation with Sheriff Johnson, with the hearse speeding towards a collision course. This time though the state trooper realizes that no one is driving hearse!
Seeing his own death, the Sheriff rolls his cruiser and dies.
The Thrilling Escape from Death:
Carlos still trapped in the speeding hearse, is relieved that he is no longer being chased. He calls Maria. The reception is choppy. Maria is crying hysterically asking him why won’t he leave her alone? The call is cut.
Carlos hears Father Diego’s voice on the radio. Next he is floating above his own body in the morgue as the priest performs an arcane ritual on Carlos’ body.
Hysteria:
Carlos realizes he is DEAD!
Carlos awakens in the coffin, his lips sewn shut, realizing he’s trapped in the hearse’s infernal cycle. The priest tells him that sometimes ‘you have to go to hell before you get to heaven…’
Death Returns to Take One or More:
The hearse bursts into flames, consuming Carlos’s body but marking his resurrection on the third day.
ACT 4: Resolution
Resolution:
Carlos’s funeral is held, but he rises from the dead as the new driver of the Meat Wagon, destined to ferry souls to their final judgment.
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Outline 1: Expanded Version
ACT 1: The Setup for Horror
Atmosphere of Evil Established: The movie opens with a local legend about the ‘Meat Wagon,’ a haunted hearse seen only on the night before Day of the Dead, ferrying souls of the damned to Hell. Local folklore whispers of its malevolent nature, with tales of screams echoing from within its dark interior.
Connect with the Characters: Carlos attends the funeral of his dead posse, plagued by guilt for leading them to their fate. Father Diego, a mysterious figure with deep ties to the occult, offers him a job driving a body across Texas by dawn. Father Diego is not what he seems, harboring his own dark secrets and a connection to the hearse’s sinister past.
Denial of Horror: Despite reservations, Carlos accepts, haunted by the legend of the Meat Wagon. He finds a Satanic coin inside the hearse, a symbol of its unholy origins. As he embarks on his journey, the hearse seems to pulsate with an otherworldly energy, drawing him deeper into its grip.
ACT 2: The Point of No Return
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: Sheriff Johnson ambushes Carlos, blaming him for the murders. Injured and alone, Carlos tries to call Maria, unaware he’s already dead. The hearse becomes his prison, its doors refusing to open as if guided by an unseen force.
One of Us is Killed: Carlos begins seeing visions of his dead posse, tormented by their accusing stares. He also has a premonition of a bald gangster with an upside-down cross tattoo coming for him. The hearse becomes a vessel for these spectral apparitions, its interior morphing into a nightmarish realm of twisted memories and vengeful spirits.
MIDPOINT: The Monster is Worse Than We Thought
Terrorized: Carlos realizes the hearse is possessed, unable to control its acceleration. He calls Maria, but she’s horrified to hear from her dead husband. Meanwhile, the Meat Wagon pursues Sheriff Johnson. The hearse becomes an extension of Carlos’s guilt and fear, its presence looming over him like a specter of death.
Full Pursuit by the Killer: Carlos confronts Sheriff Johnson, who meets a grisly end. Carlos awakens in the morgue, witnessing Father Diego perform an eerie ritual on his corpse. The hearse becomes a conduit for Father Diego’s dark magic, its demonic influence growing stronger with each passing moment.
ACT 3: Full Out Horror
Fight to the Death: Carlos awakens in the coffin, realizing he’s dead. Father Diego reveals they’re both trapped souls. The hearse bursts into flames, consuming Carlos’s body. The hearse becomes a gateway to the underworld, its fiery inferno devouring all who dare to cross its path.
The Thrilling Escape from Death: Carlos rises from the dead, destined to drive the Meat Wagon as penance. Father Diego’s unnaturally long life hints at the hearse’s sinister nature. The hearse becomes a harbinger of doom, its dark presence lingering in the shadows, forever bound to the souls it claims.
ACT 4: Resolution
Resolution: Carlos embraces his role as the new driver of the Meat Wagon, haunted by the realization of his eternal damnation. As the hearse fades into the night, the cycle of darkness continues. The hearse becomes a symbol of mankind’s darkest impulses, forever roaming the highways in search of new victims to claim.
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ACT 1
• Atmosphere of Evil established: Body bag delivered to a Texas morgue.
• Connect with the characters: Carlos is an ex-gangster working for the priest/undertaker who practices dark magic. He’s Father Diego’s protégé.
• Denial of Horror: Father Diego tells Carlos to drive a body across Texas overnight – on Day of the Dead. The old priest gives Carlos a 1930s ‘Hobo Coin’ a talisman of great power.
• Safety taken away: Once on the road, Carlos’ cell connection becomes spotty, and his GPS goes haywire. It starts to storm.
• The characters are warned not to do it: Carlos manages to call his wife, Dani. She begs him to come home – she doesn’t like this job. But Carlos knows they need the extra money that comes with these overnight deliveries.
• Monster – The nature of the beast: The storm lashes the desert. Carlos’ hearse is the only vehicle on the highway, until he notices headlights in his rearview mirror. Carlos comes to a fork in the road. Without his GPS he is lost. He flips the Hobo Coin – it lands with the side with a grinning skull side up. Chaos it is. Carlos turns left. He hears something come from the back of the hearse…
ACT 2
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: The headlights get closer. Carlos speeds up but can’t shake the vehicle behind him. Carlos slows to let the car pass. Instead, it rams him! Carlos guns the engine but the car matches his speed. Side-by-side now, Carlos can see his pursuer – it’s a vintage hearse with NO DRIVER.
• One of us killed: Carlos is in full panic mode manages to outrun the Meat Wagon. The torrential rain clouds his vision; he sees a dead person standing in the middle of the highway, he swerves to avoid the corpse and rolls the hearse.
MIDPOINT – The monster is worse than we thought: The Meat Wagon has trapped him.
• Terrorized: Carlos wakes up inside a coffin! He tries to scream, but something prevents him from opening his mouth. He tries his cell phone but has no bars. He is a prisoner.
ACT 3
• Full pursuit by the killer: Carlos tries desperately to call for help, but whoever is driving the hearse pays him no heed. He kicks at coffin lid.
• Fight to the death: Carlos tries to phone Dani. His call connects with her but the reception is poor. The call breaks up and Dani is sobbing hysterically. Why won’t he leave them alone? She cuts the call.
• The thrilling escape from death: Carlos accidently FaceTime’s the old priest. Instead of talking directly to Carlos, the old man is performing a ritual on a dead body… It’s Carlos’ body with the telltale ‘Y’ scar on the chest and lips sewn shut. He traces his fingers over his lips and realizes he’s dead!
• Hysteria: Carlos tries one last time to free himself from the coffin and succeeds! He is hurtling down the highway to hell in the old hearse – no one is driving!
• Death returns to take one or more: Carlos assumes control. He brings the Meat Wagon to a screeching halt. He looks in his rearview mirror – approaching the hearse from all sides are all his victims from his life of crime! Carlos screams.
• Resolution: A body is delivered to the old priest at the morgue – it turns out the body belongs to Carlos!
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