[John Amato]

What I learned: The assignment clarifies monsters, horror situations, and how and why they kill. I will know more as I finish the assignment.

John’s Monster model.

A: Harry and Charlie

Powers: Psychopaths who will murder, lie, and deceive.

Limitations: Human beings. Ego driven.

Weaknesses: Arrogance and unpreparedness

Plan/Purpose/Appetite: They want to create a supernatural spectacle to become famous and will stop at nothing.

B: Nerd Jerry:

Power: Turned into an evil spirit. Possessions. Electrokinesis, Biokinesis, passes through innate and living objects. Very strong.

Limitations: The ghost is bound to the area where it was created. It can be harmed by particular objects—salt and salt water, holy water, and iron. Rituals. Spells

Plan/Purpose/Appetite: To enact vengeance on those who killed him, turning him into an angry entity. To escape its location into society.

Act 1

Ghost is not revealed yet.

Foreshadowing as clues

After their botched ghost fraud fails, Harry and Charlie are furious with the crew. They decide to create their own ghost through rituals, and the team becomes wary. They produce an old book that Charlie procured off the dark web.

1st Act turning point:

Harry and Charlie repeatedly stab Nerd Jerry, the video tech, to death in the haunted school.

Demand: Terror

1st half of 2nd Act: The monster is present

Harry and Charlie are revealed as human monsters. After they perform a blood ritual, an apparition appears over the dead body. It is confused and harmless.

Demand: DIscovery and curiosity

Midpoint: Monster is worse than we thought

Through interactions with Harry and Charlie and a weirded-out team, the ghost begins to change. Its face slowly deteriorates into a monstrous visage. It yells and rips into Charlie’s body. Then, it rips out, spraying blood and guts everywhere.

Demand: Terror

A central character has been killed.

2nd half of 2nd act:

Monster pursuing/attacking characters

As the team runs out of the office and into the corridor after Charlie has been savagely murdered, the Ghost comes up through the floor and eviscerates Belch from his feet upward through the floor while the team is running away.

Demand: terror and confusion.

Delivering clues with each attack:

Harry, Sheila, Jessica, and Jackson hide in another room. Harry explains that he has a few things to slow down the entity. He takes holy water from his backpack. He explains that he and Charlie came prepared in case something actually happened.

The ghost enters the office, and Harry douses it with holy water. It screams as smoke rises from his burning face. It disappears.

Monster pursuing: As the group heads towards a possible escape, Sheila taps Jessica on the shoulder, and when Jess turns to her, her eyes roll back in her head, and she starts strangling her. Jackson hits her with the camera, and she falls to the floor. Sheila starts writhing in a fit. She stops, and the ghost materializes out of her body and rips her tongue out.

3rd Act:

Characters solve the puzzle and fight back,

The remaining members head for Nerd Jerry’s dead body to salt and burn it. As they head into the room where the body lies, the ghost transports in front of Jackson and laughs. Jackson has an iron cross that Harry gave him and starts whipping it into the ghost. It forces the ghost to back up, “What the fuck is this?" Jackson swings it again, but the ghost catches his arm and rips it out of the socket. Blood spews out like a fire hydrant. He screams as the ghost smiles.

Demand terror and hysteria.

Harry pours a ring of salt around the dead body. Jessica steps into the circle with him. The ghost cannot pass the salt. Jessica is yelling at him to hurry up. The ghost curses and tries to break the salt barrier. Harry pours lighter fluid over the body and sets it on fire. The ghost laughs at his former body, which is burning. Suddenly, the ghost started to shake, looking confused. “What the fuck?” As the flames engulf the dead body, Nerd Jerry's ghost face contorts, screams, and then disappears. Jessica hugs Harry. They leave the circle of salt as the dead body smolders.

Demand: Relief.

Jessica retrieves the backpack with the camera that still has the film of the rise of Nerd Jerry. Sheila hobbles into the room. Blood is dripping from her mouth, but she’s alive.
“Oh, my God.” They both rush to her. Sheila leans on Harry. "We’ve got to get her to a doctor. Get the camera, and let’s get the fuck out of here. I got her. You get the camera."

Jessica turns around, grabs the camera, and spins toward Harry and Sheila. "Got it," she says. . She stops. Sheila is strangling and lifting Harry off the ground. “That was a nice parlor trick.” Harry’s eyes are bulging from fear. “You shouldn’t believe everything you read.”

Jessica runs towards possessed Sheila and hits her with the camera. With her other hand Sheila slaps Jessica across the face knocking her to the ground.
Sheila smiles and breaks Harry’s neck.

Resolution.

Jessica is petrified and motionless on the floor. Sheila gently places Harry’s body on the ground. “But some things were true in the book.”

Sheila’s body shakes, and blood drips from her eyes, mouth, nose, and armpits. She collapses.

Ghost Jerry enters Harry’s body and carefully reanimates it, unbreaking his neck and taking possession. It rises. Jessica is wide-eyed. Nerd ghost JerryHarry slowly gets up, pale. It walks to the end of the room, eyes Jessica the whole way, and picks up the camera, making sure the hard drive is intact.

It smiles at Sheila. “I was always jealous of Harry’s good looks and how he was able to land someone as beautiful as you. So now I have him. Feels great, don’t you agree?” She remains silent. “I said don’t you agree?”

.Jessica nods her head. "It is true. I was bound here in my spiritual phase. Not anymore.” Nerd ghost Jerry Harry throws her a key to the door. Jessica grabs them looking dumbfounded. “Let’s get out here; we’re gonna be famous.”

It gives her a menacing stare, and she quickly gets off the ground. "Jessica, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Don’t you agree?":

She’s terrified but nods in agreement. They head for the exit.

(I have a few questions. How do I get in touch with you?)

• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by  John Amato.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by  John Amato.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by  John Amato.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by  John Amato.

[John Amato]

John’s Character Death Trap

What I learned: It’s a lot of fun to design character deaths, but also how each one influences and unlocks the next one and the overall structure of the movie. It also gave me new plot ideas.

Death #1 Nerd Jerry: Stabbed repeatedly. Harry and Charlie used him as their talisman to create a ghost. …

Innocent one

Why: Starts the horror

How: Betrayed

Death #2 Charlie: Ghost rips through his body, and he is exsanguinated. (Twist since he is the main leader) One doing everything right. The monster makes a decision and blames him for Nerd Jerry’s death. …

Why: Tells the audience anyone can be killed at any time.

How: Blindsided

Death #3 Belch: His body gets eviscerated from his feet upward through the floor.

Random

Why: Kind of an idiot.

How: Escape attempt takes him into it.

Death #4 Jackson: He tries to fight the ghost, but gets arm ripped off, bleeds to death (McGuffin for the ceremony)

Why: A character flaw. Too proud.

How: Charges blindly into action

Death #5 Shelia: Tongue ripped out. We think she’s dead, but she comes back

(Could have been a final girl)

Why: increases horror

How: Back into it.

Death #6 Harry: Neck broken. (Psycho leader. A twist in the story. His body becomes a meat puppet that allows Ghost Nerd Jerry to escape the place he is bound to)

Leader and most potent in the group.

Why: The monster made the decision.

How: Surprised.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 4 weeks ago by  John Amato.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 4 weeks ago by  John Amato.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 4 weeks ago by  John Amato.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 4 weeks ago by  John Amato.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 4 weeks ago by  John Amato.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 4 weeks ago by  John Amato.

[John Amato]

Hi Cheryl, how do we contact you if we have some questions?
Thanks.

[John Amato]

What I learned: Since I had no script, just an idea, this lesson made the idea become a story as I developed it. Setting up these situations and reactions has given me a better road map.

ACT 1 Set up for horror

A ghost-hunting team tells the audience they are on the trail of a supernatural entity in an abandoned school. It’s dark, and the audience believes it’s real until it’s revealed they were perpetrating a hoax, and it comes crashing down on the team.

Reaction: Harry and Charlie are furious with the crew.

• Connect with the characters

At an apartment, Harry and Charlie recruit a new ghost-hunting team along with Nerd Jerry, the video editor whiz, to investigate a haunted house with a streaming deal on the line. This time, they will use an old book of spells and rituals they discovered to help the process along.

Denial of Horror: The new team laughs about the book and the idea that they could conjure a ghost. Harry and Charlie have a private conversation to decide how to create a ghost. The topic of murder comes up again. They choose the nerd video editor because he has no family, and they don't like him. "If we do this right, nothing will go wrong."

• Safety Taken Away:

Ghost hunter teams enter the haunted school when their cell phones don't receive reception and the equipment gets wonky. They want to leave, but Harry has the only key to the entrance.

Kidnapped:

In essence, the ghost-hunting team has been lied to. Harry and Charlie have kidnapped them.

Horror Situation: Harry and Charlie take out the spell book and begin chanting.

Reaction: The team is angry that they are being forced to stay but agrees to give it a go since they are there.

Horror Situation: After Harry and Charlie finish a spell, they hear a noise, and the second cameraman steps through a floorboard, slightly hurting his leg.

Reaction: The group begins to feel apprehensive, but Harry and Charlie assure them it was just an accident.

Horror situation: the team enters the huge principal’s office, and their lights go out. We hear moaning coming from above them. A light flashes by them, and Sheila screams.

Reaction: The team is getting very scared now.

Horror Situation: Harry and Charlie knew the Book of Spells was a ruse to entice the group to join, and they murdered Nerd Jerry. They stab him repeatedly; "this is the only surefire way to create a ghost of boys and girls." Charlie takes a gun out and points it at the team. Harry’s lips are covered in blood when he smiles.

Reaction: The team is freaked out. Crying, yelling, and shock overtake them. Jackson loses it and refuses to accept what just happened.

Monster: The Nature of the Beast:

Harry and Charlie are psychopathic killers.

Reaction – Jessica smiles, Sheila feints, and the rest cower in terror.

ACT 2 – The Point of No Return.

• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted

The team is locked in the principal’s office by Harry and Charlie and the dead Nerd Jerry.

Horror Situation: Harry and Charlie light candles around Nerd Jerry’s body and perform an actual ritual. They threaten the team that one of them will be next if this doesn’t work.

Reaction: Kevin, the second cameraman, tries to leave and starts banging at the door. Charlie clubs him on the head with the butt of his gun. “None of that,” Harry says.

Horror Situation: The candles around Nerd Jerry’s body blow out. The temperature drops in the office.

Reaction: Harry and Charlie get excited.

Horror situation:. Harry takes his knife and threatens Jackson, the cameraman, to keep filming. “This is it.”

Reaction: Harry is in awe. The team is scared.

Horror Situation: An apparition appears above Nerd Jerry’s body. The floor holding it collapses, and it falls to the next floor.

Reaction: Harry and Charlie are in awe. The team is in disbelief.

One of us is killed:

The ghost looks like a confused Nerd Jerry. His face slowly deteriorates into a monstrous visage. It yells and rips into Charlie’s body. Charlie is stunned, not sure what happened when he dies. “What the fuck, Harry? Ghost Nerd Jerry rips out from his body, spraying blood and guts everywhere.

Reaction: The team is paralyzed with fear. Harry’s face has intestines, and he says, “Far out.”

Midpoint:

Full Pursuit by Killer:

Harry unlocks the doors, and they all run out of the office. We hear a horrible gurgling sound, and screams echo and trail behind them.

Terrorized:

The ghost can travel through solid forms, walls, chairs, closets, and audio and video equipment. It also has a foul mouth and taunts the rest of the team.

Reaction: Panic and disbelief fill the group. Harry is frightened but also elated that he created a ghost and has it on film.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

• Fight to the death

Horror Situation: The ghost rips through the floor and enters Belch‘s feet as he’s running, eviscerating his legs as it moves up his body.

Reaction: Belch watches his legs crumble underneath him. His top half hits the floor, and his eyes are wide open, and he screams, unable to get a word out. Ghost Nerd Jerry flees.

• Hysteria: The ghost hunter group sees Belch’s body torn. WTF panic sets in. Harry grabs Jessica around the waist and pulls her towards the staircase. The others follow.

Horror Situation:

Ghost Nerd Jerry comes through the door separating the staircase, grabs Jackson’s arm, and rips it off. Blood shoots out everywhere, covering Sheila, who freezes and then retches.

Reaction: Jessica faints for a minute, but Harry slaps her face. Ghost Nerd Jerry is laughing manically,

Horror Situation: The Ghost Nerd Jerry slowly floats/creeps towards the half-crazed Sheila, who is on the floor covered in blood in shock. She sees it coming but can’t move or scream. Ghost Nerd Jerry, says, "Poor Sheila, cat got your tongue? And rips her tongue out of her mouth.

Reaction: Jessica screams. Harry pushes her into a classroom where Nerd Jerry’s body has fallen.

• The thrilling escape from death

Harry and Charlie discovered that if they salt the dead body and burn it, it should destroy the evil apparition if they had succeeded. Harry pulls Jessica near the dead body. He pulls off his backpack and produces salt, lighter fluid, and a torch.

Horror Situation: As Harry covers the dead body with salt, Ghost Nerd Jerry appears in the doorway, watching and mocking him.

Reaction: Panic. Jessica is yelling at Harry to hurry up. Harry can't light the torch.

Horror Situation: Harry puts all the lighter fluid on the body and lights it up with the torch. Nerd Ghost Jerry cackles at their failure, but as the flames engulf the dead body, Ghost Nerd Jerry looks confused, screams then disappears.

Reaction: Jessica and Harry are relieved.

Death returns to Take on more.

Jessica is hugging Harry tightly. “You did it.” “Damn, right.” As they kiss, Harry’s body starts shaking. Jessica is thrown away, and Ghost Nerd Jerry lifts Harry in the air by his neck. He kills him and gently places his body on the ground.

Reaction: Jessica is petrified and motionless.

Horror situation: Ghost Nerd Jerry enters Harry’s body, reanimates it, and takes possession. It rises. Ghost Nerd Jerry Harry slowly gets up, pale. It walks to the end of the room, picks up the camera that had filmed much of the carnage, and sees that the hard drive is intact. He smiles at Sheila. "I was always jealous of Harry’s good looks, so now I have them. Feels great, too, don’t you agree? She nods her head. Ghost Nerd Jerry Harry throws her a key to the door. “Let’s get out here; we’re gonna be famous.”

(Sorry, I'm way behind because of work, but I'll do my best to keep up.)

• This reply was modified 9 months ago by  John Amato.

[John Amato]

"What I learned doing this assignment is…?"

(Sorry I'm late. I write about politics for work, and it's been crazy busy :-))

I found these sections extremely helpful since I’m writing this idea on the fly. They forced me to think about the original idea differently with definite beats. It inspired me to come up with different ideas than I started with, which I will hopefully incorporate.

ACT 1 Set Up for Horror

• Atmosphere of Evil established

Ghost Hunters lead us down a dark corridor or an abandoned and burned-out school. They had their EV readers out, lights on, and cameras rolling as they headed to the principal’s office. They enter the office, and suddenly, the temperature drops, and then they hear a noise in the corner. “You see that? It’s the school town devil!” There is a slight shimmer of light in the corner. As they get closer, the cameraman trips over a cable, knocking wires holding up the fake apparition they were using to fool their audience to come crashing down on the heads of the Ghost Hunters, exposing their ruse.

• Connect with the characters

At an apartment, the ghost-hunting team is watching a video from the debacle they just had. In the discussions, they laugh, joke, and get upset about what happened, which deepens their connections.

• The characters are warned not to do it.

Harry and Charlie have an old book about ghosts and the supernatural and discuss how they could create a ghost, film it, and become famous. However, the discussion turns dark when Harry discusses murder. The other team members are outraged at the suggestion. Harry makes believe he was joking.

• Denial of Horror

Harry and Charlie have a private conversation to decide how to create a ghost. The topic of murder comes up again. They choose the nerd video editor because he has no family, and they don't like him. "If we do this right, nothing will go wrong."

• Safety taken away

The ghost-hunting team returns to the dilapidated school and attempts to conjure a ghost using rituals from the book. Harry locks them in when they become disillusioned and refuses to let anyone leave until they find the ghost.

Monster: The nature of the beast

The ghost hasn’t been created yet, but we see the monster within Harry and Charlie.

ACT 2 THE POINT OF NO RETURN

• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted

The rest of the ghost-hunting team realizes they are trapped. They also realize that the hosts are planning to murder one of them.

• One of us killed
Harry and Charlie viciously stab the nerd over and over again while the rest of the team looks on in shock.

The monster is worse than we thought!

• Full pursuit by the killer

The team is forced to film the nerd's dead body while Harry and Charlie perform another ritual. Suddenly, an apparition appears above the nerd. They quickly learn that the ghost is vicious and looking for revenge.

• Terrorized

The ghost can travel through solid forms, walls, chairs, closets, and audio and video equipment. It also has a foul mouth and taunts the rest of the team.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

• Fight to the death

The ghost kills one of them in front of the whole group.

• Hysteria

The ghost hunter group runs wildly through the school, desperately looking for a way out.

• The thrilling escape from death

Harry and Charlie discover that if they salt the dead body and burn it, it should destroy the evil apparition. As they burn the body, the ghost dematerializes. The group takes a few beats to relax and think they are saved.

• Death returns to take one or more.

Harry, Charlie, and Shelia (who still have the camera) are the group's surviving members. They have reached the entrance. Suddenly, the ghost inhabits Charlie’s body and blasts out of it, ripping it apart and spraying blood, organs, and viscous fluids upon them.

Resolution:

The ghost taunts Harry and then breaks his neck. Sheila crouches on the floor, crying. The ghost smiles at her, then turns to Harry’s body and possesses it. The body slowly gets up, pale. It walks to the end of the room, picks up the camera, and sees that the hard drive is intact. He smiles at Sheila. I was always jealous of Harry’s good looks so now I have it.. The ghost throws her the key to the door. “Let’s get out here; we’ll be famous.”

• This reply was modified 9 months ago by  John Amato.

[John Amato]

What did I learn?

Taking the time to create rich characters is pivotal to making the horror element thrive. I hadn’t thought much about the different patterns they fall into..

1. Tell us your Concept and the Group you have chosen.

An amateur ghost hunter team is trying to become famous enough to get a network show, and they don’t mind using props to up the scare level.

2. Tell us the Dying Pattern of this movie.

6-8 people working on the show. Commit a heinous act. Almost everyone dies.

3. Give us an Identity and a sentence for each character that makes up your group.

Harry: Ghost hunter: He is the frontman. He is in great shape, attractive, and intelligent, but he has a psychopathic edge.

Charlie is a co-host. His family has money. He is not as bright as Harry, but he is in sync with Harry’s vision as they try to manipulate their viewers.

Jackson: The cameraman with an ego who wants to be a real director.

Kevin: The second cameraman. He's quiet, does what he is told, and wants to fit in.

Jessica: Charlie’s girlfriend who scouts locations, does social media and PR, is very attractive, and may be having an affair with Harry.

Sheila: She runs the lighting. She comes from an abusive family dynamic. She is a bit overweight and kind but not confident.

Belch: He runs the sound and always does dumb things he thinks are funny.

Nerd: Video tech. He has pale skin, is overweight, is shy, and is very smart underneath his shyness, but he is teased the most.
(I may cut the characters down)

• This reply was modified 9 months, 1 week ago by  John Amato.

[John Amato]

What I learned doing the assignment: Since I'm creating the monster and the story as I do this assignment, I'm finding it a lot of fun to work out who and what the monster is and does. It fires my creative juices.. 🙂 These rules make it easier to create.

Tell us what or who your monster is. A nerdy tech editor becomes the sacrifice and is tortured and murdered by the Ghost Hunter crew to become a ghost for their program., However, he becomes a vengeful ghost. Also, the team that murders him are human monsters that set the stage for their own peril.

2. Give us a few sentences for each of the following for your monster:

• Their Terror: Ghost seeks revenge against all those who killed him. He will not stop until he has it.

• Their Mystery: How to find a way to kill a ghost or escape the location it is tied to.

• Their Fear-Provoking Appearance: The ghost's face deteriorates as he kills and covers himself in the blood and guts of his victims. He makes jokes and licks and loves their taste in his mouth.

• Their Rules: The ghost travels through solid objects in the house, tech equipment, and the human body.

• Their Mythology: Ghost can’t leave the space it is tethered to but has an ulterior motive the crew doesn't understand. It wants to be attractive.

• This reply was modified 9 months, 1 week ago by  John Amato.

[John Amato]

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”

I decided to start with a fresh idea and develop it in class. Analyzing “Talk To Me” highlighted the importance of creating a simple story that makes sense from beginning to end and has practical low-budget effects without relying on jump scares and gore alone.

• Title: “Talk To Me”
• Terrorize The Characters: Characters are murdered and possessed; Dreams bleed into reality, causing suicides and mutilations.
• Isolation: Bedrooms, bathrooms, hospital, small house party, sleeping, alone dreams.
• Death: Scissors, knives, self-mutilation, strangulation, jumping from embankments.
• Monster/Villain: Dead demonic spirits channeled by the dead hand of Satanic medium.
• High Tension: Hallucinations caused by demons resulting in possessions. Addicted to euphoria. Betrayal.
Departure from Reality: Allowing oneself to be repeatedly possessed by dead spirits for fun.
• Moral Statement: Don’t break the rules. Also, like drinking, underage possession is terrible for your health. 🙂

Is there anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great horror film?

The opening premise was original and scary and made for a fun adventure right to the end.

—

My Concept: Smart Horror "

"Ghastly” or How to make a ghost

Terrorize the Characters: Flailing ghost hunters turn on a staff member in an old, dilapidated house. Unforeseen consequences result for the crew. Others are tricked and then trapped in a faux haunted house to be picked off and possessed.

Death: I’m still fleshing this out. Torture and murder results in future eviscerations, hanging, stabbing, choking, and possession

Monster/Villain: Ghost-hunting YouTube duo plus an angry dead spirit.

High Tension: Nerd video editor is trapped and murdered. A faux haunted house becomes a real one. Friends turn on each other.

Departure from Reality: Ghost hunters don’t kill to create a ghost for fame and celebrity.

Moral Statement: Getting what you wish for (like fame) doesn’t always turn out as you imagined.

• This reply was modified 9 months, 1 week ago by  John Amato.

[John Amato]

I agree to abide by this agreement.

[John Amato]

Thanks so much.
So do I!!