Lance Adams
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What I learned is that I hope we learn more about suspense and techniques to build suspense. The cat jumping out of the bathroom or throwing a cat at a character has long been a trope in horror movies and I’m glad that we will be talking about the different levels of fear.
INT. DARK APARTMENT – DAY
Light barely peeks through the blinds. Stacks of newspapers and mail sit on the coffee table.
Empty beer cans litter the floor.
Piles of clothing sit stacked on the couch.
An old dust covered TV sits across from the couch.
MARSHALL, a corpse sits in a leather reclining chair. Marshall wears a work shirt and work pants despite having retired twenty years prior to his death.
His body sits upright in the chair with his chin resting on his chest as though he’s sleeping.
The skin looks dark, wrinkled and peeled back as though he’s been partially mummified.
His hands look like claws resting on the leather arms.
The carcass of what looks like it was once a dog lay on the old area rug next to him.
The sound of a door opening down the hallway filters into the room.
A column of light enters the room from the hallway.
The light falls on Marshall.
The air is fetid and dank. Dust particulates hang in the light.
Two people enter the apartment and their footsteps creak on the hallway floor.
BETTY (O.S.)
Oh my God!
Marshall’s head rises from his chest. The hollow eyes staring at the intruders.
OPENING CREDITS.
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Lance’s Horror Outline
What I learned is that by going through the different tracks, the horror track, the character track, etc. You can ensure that your story has the hallmarks of the horror genre. I’ve used a number of different tools to develop a story idea and nowadays I like to use the story circle to break my story. With this method and overall track you create the building blocks you will need to properly outline your script.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
PROLOGUE
INT. MARSHALL’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Opening scene / prologue two people enter the apartment where Marshall’s corpse sits in his chair. Marshall has been dead for an extended period of time before being discovered. The apartment is dirty and run down with a lot of junk covering the coffee table and the rest of the room as though it hasn’t been taken care of for the last several years. Marshall’s body has been decayed while resting in the room.
INT. CONDO – DAY
Nathan and Hailey, two newlyweds move into their new condo which used to be Marshall’s apartment. During the move, Nathan gets injured. While treating Nathan in the bathroom, Hailey has a vision of the decayed corpse of Marshall in the mirror’s reflection. She looks up and it’s just Nathan.
The apartment looks bright and clean at a stark contrast to when Marshall’s body was discovered. Nathan and Hailey have moved into the new home and made it their own.
INT. DINING ROOM – NIGHT
They have their friends Vanessa and Everett as dinner guests in their new home. Vanessa warns Hailey that she feels something in their home. A presence.
During dinner, Vanessa’s boyfriend Everett proposes a toast. They all raise their glasses when Vanessa accidentally drops her wine glass shattering it on the floor. She felt the evil spirit.
After the dinner is over, Hailey and Nathan deny that anything is wrong.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
Hailey then begins to have misgivings about their new home when she starts to experience paranormal activity.
Marshall’s spirit hovers over Nathan’s body, watching him sleep. Hailey wakes from a nightmare and no one is there.
The next day, Hailey believes there is something wrong with their new home. Nathan continues to deny anything is wrong.
Marshall is able to take control of Nathan’s body.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
INT. CONDO – DAY
Hailey starts to notice that Nathan’s personality has changed. He acts different from what she is used to. She doesn’t realize at that he has been possessed.
INT. BATHROOM – DAY
Hailey finds out that they are pregnant.
INT. CONDO – DAY
Nathan (controlled by Marshal) starts to become abusive.
Hailey isn’t sure what’s going on but she thinks it’s just nerves moving into a new place. She tries to justify and excuse the behavior. She decides to not tell him about the pregnancy.
INT. BAR – NIGHT
Hailey finds Nathan at a bar playing pool and drinking. He lights up a cigarette (he never smoked before) and is kicked out for smoking. Nathan yells at Hailey and tells her to go home.
EXT. BAR – NIGHT
Shelly, a woman from the bar comes out to join Nathan for a smoke. They end up going back to her place.
INT. SHELLY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Marshall (controlling Nathan’s body) kills Shelly.
INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT
Hailey tries to reconnect with Nathan. She makes a special meal for him. They seem to reconnect and have a good time together.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
That night, Nathan (controlled by Marshall) tries to have sex with Hailey. She doesn’t appreciate his approach.
Nathan (controlled by Marshall) sexually assaults her. “What’s wrong? I thought we’re married.”
INT. BATHROOM – NIGHT
Hailey leaves the bedroom after he is done and hides in the bathroom.
INT. CONDO – NIGHT
Marshall continues to torment Hailey.
Horrified by what happened the night before and Nathan’s behavior, she leaves. She still doesn’t know that Nathan has been possessed.
INT. VANESSA AND EVERETT’S APARTMENT – DAY
Hailey goes to stay with Vanessa and Everett. She doesn’t understand why Nathan did it but she doesn’t want to be around him. She tells them that she is pregnant.
INT. CONDO – NIGHT
Nathan’s body begins to decay because of the possession. Marshall pulls off one of Nathan’s fingernails as the fingertips are turning black.
Marshall rages that this body is starting to decay. He starts to tear up the apartment.
INT. CONDO – DAY
Hailey returns to the condo to get some more of her belongings with Vanessa’s help. The condo is torn up.
Nathan looks really sick. He tries to apologize.
Hailey starts to reconcile and Vanessa interjects.
Marshall rages at them. they leave.
EXT. VANESSA AND EVERETT’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Marshall (possessing Nathan) shows up at Vanessa and Everett’s home where Hailey is hiding out. Everett tries to keep Marshall from getting inside. Marshall stabs Everett.
Vanessa and Hailey hide while they call the police.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
INT. VANESSA AND EVERETT’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Vanessa and Hailey must fight Marshall (who is controlling Nathan) or be killed.
Marshall is knocked out.
Hailey and Vanessa flee. On the run, they call the police.
Nathan was not found in the home.
INT. CONDO – DAY
Hailey and Vanessa return to Hailey’s condo. They perform a spell from the Key of Solomon to free Nathan from Marshall’s spirit.
Final battle with Marshall and end.
Putting together the pieces – Hailey and Vanessa go back to the condo and cast a spell to remove Marshall’s spirit from Nathan’s body.
Marshall is an evil force which cannot be killed. He’s just waiting for one more trick to play.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by Lance Adams.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by
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Lance’s Character Journey Track
What I learned from this assignment is that idea / scene generation is key. Any way that you can gather scene ideas can help you in later stages. Also, this exercise and our other assignments have helped to navigate the different elements of writing a horror screenplay.
I still like to keep the outline loose for Act Two, Part Two and the third act, but these assignments have been challenging me to think more about the end.
Hailey – Rescuer
Role: Rescuer / Survivor – the lead protagonist
Traits: Romantic, a free thinker, but also pragmatic.
Fears: Domestic / sexual abuse / the dark / scary movies
Wants/Needs: She wants to start a family with Nathan. She needs to learn more about herself.
Likability / Rooting factors: Kind / giving / loyal
How they react under stress: She runs. If she can’t run, she’ll fight
Relationship with other characters: Married to Nathan who in the beginning of the movie is the innocent.
Hailey’s Character Journey
Character Intro: Hailey and Nathan move into their new home – a condo which used to be an apartment building. Hailey starts setting up their new home / nesting.
Denial: Despite her own misgivings and the warning from her friend Vanessa, she puts those thoughts aside and tries to make a home with Nathan.
Their reaction at first horror: Hailey dismisses the visions she sees.
Relation to group after first horror: She reaches out to Vanessa for help.
How they fight back: She tries to cast a spell to remove the evil spirit from Nathan.
End Point: She decides she needs a new start and moves into a new apartment.
What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience? Sometimes the scariest person is the one you live with.
Nathan – Innocent
Role: Innocent / Victim – supporting lead / becomes the antagonist when possessed
Traits: Driven / motivated / selfish / loves Hailey to a fault / avoids alcohol and drugs
Fears: Losing control / ending up like his grandfather
Wants/Needs: Gunning for a new promotion at work / needs the feeling of support from Hailey
Likability / Rooting factors: He loves Hailey. He fights for causes he believes in.
How they react under stress: He will fight to protect his family / Hailey. He hunkers down under stress.
Relationship with other characters: Married to Hailey.
Nathan’s Character Journey
Character Intro: Carrying furniture into the condo, he gets injured.
Denial: He wakes up feeling something pressing against his chest and shakes it off thinking it’s something he ate.
Their reaction at first horror: He tries to get away.
Relation to group after first horror: Under the control of Marshall, his personality changes and he starts abusing Hailey.
How they fight back: He prays for help.
End Point: He has his body back, but he’s injured physically and emotionally.
What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience? You can’t protect the ones you love from yourself.
Vanessa – Moral One
Role: Moral one / Victim
Traits: Can sense spirits / auras / kind / very pragmatic
Fears: Ghosts / spirits
Wants/Needs: Wants to go on vacation
Likability / Rooting factors: Doesn’t take any nonsense. Good friend
How they react under stress: She’s a fighter
Relationship with other characters: Friend of Vanessa
Character Journey
Character Intro: Vanessa is introduced during a small housewarming party at Nathan and Hailey’s new condo
Denial: She doesn’t deny that she feels something wrong in the new home.
Their reaction at first horror: She feels uncomfortable / she wants to leave.
Relation to group after first horror: She’s worried about Nathan and Hailey
How they fight back: She helps Hailey exorcise the evil spirit
End Point:
What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?
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Lance’s Monster Reveal Track:
What I learned this lesson is that certain things are starting to click. I think we’re being given some useful tools and I look forward to trying these techniques out with a couple other story ideas.
I’ve always had a hard time delving into the rules of the monster and I think these lessons are helping.
Opening / Prologue:
Demand – Curiosity – Two people enter a dilapidated apartment. The apartment looks like a hoarder lived there with garbage everywhere. The room looks dark.
Monster Reveal – Marshall’s corpse is found in the middle of the apartment. It looks like he died there years before. The head of the corpse seems to move.
During 1st Act:
Demand – Characters trying to figure out the mystery. There is something strange about Hailey and Nathan’s new condo. They recently married and this is their first home.
Monster Reveal – Hailey sees an image of Marshall (the dead man) in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. When she turns around, she sees her husband Nathan standing there.
1st Act Turning Point
Demand – Conflict – Hailey’s friend Vanessa feels something strange in the condo. This leads to conflict between Hailey and Nathan. Nathan is dismissive.
Monster Reveal – Marshall takes control of Nathan’s body.
1st half of 2nd Act:
Demand – Conflict – Nathan starts acting strangely. He starts drinking and smoking. Hailey never saw him act like this before they were married.
Monster Reveal – Marshall hurts someone at a local bar.
Midpoint:
Demand – Curiosity – Hailey tries to reconnect with Nathan. She wonders if she did something wrong or if he has misgivings about being married.
Monster Reveal – Marshall uses Nathan’s body to sexually assault Hailey.
2nd half of 2nd Act:
Demand – Terror – horrified by what happened between her new husband and herself, Hailey leaves their condo to stay with her friend. She doesn’t know yet that Nathan has been possessed.
Monster Reveal – Marshall shows up at Vanessa’s and Everett’s home. Marshall kills Vanessa’s boyfriend Everett.
3rd Act:
Demand – Discovery – Hailey and Vanessa realize that Nathan’s body has been possessed by an evil spirit.
Monster Reveal – Marshall attack Vanessa and Hailey but they are able to subdue him.
Resolution:
Demand – Putting together the pieces – Hailey and Vanessa go back to the condo and cast a spell to remove Marshall’s spirit from Nathan’s body.
Monster Reveal – Marshall is an evil force which cannot be killed. He’s just waiting for one more trick to play.
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Lance’s Character Death Track
What I learned is it is important to plan out the deaths in your screenplay. An important horror genre convention is death. Sometimes when a character is particularly annoying, we want to see them die.
I feel like this assignment is on the other end of the spectrum compared to Assignment 4 when we discussed the dying pattern. In lesson four, we learned about the different dying patterns of a horror movie. For some reason, I feel like this lesson leans towards increasing the body count. In my script I was planning on only 1 – 2 deaths.
Character Death 1: Marshall
Why: Marshall dies before the movie begins and his death is the impetus for the story to begin.
How: He dies alone in his apartment of apparent natural causes, however his body isn’t found until it has already begun to decompose.
Character Death 2: Shelly
Why: Shelly is killed by Marshall who is in control of Nathan’s body. Marshall meets Shelly at a bar. When his advances are rebuffed, he ends up killing her.
How: Marshall strangles her to death in her apartment.
Character Death 3: Everett
Why: Everett is trying to protect his girlfriend Vanessa and their friend Hailey. Marshall is trying to get to Hailey and Everett stops him.
How: Marshall stabs Everett.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by Lance Adams.
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This reply was modified 3 years ago by
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Lance’s Horror Situation Track
What I learned is that brainstorming horror situations can be helpful when crafting a horror script. Brainstorming and idea generation continues to be a valuable tool. If you don’t have enough horror situations, the story may read more like a drama.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established
In the opening scene / prologue two people enter the apartment where Marshall’s corpse sits in his chair. Marshall has been dead for an extended period of time before being discovered. The apartment is dirty and run down with a lot of junk covering the coffee table and the rest of the room as though it hasn’t been taken care of for the last several years. Marshall’s body has been decayed while resting in the room.
Horror Situation: Two people find a corpse
Connect with the characters
Nathan and Hailey, two newlyweds move into their new condo which used to be Marshall’s apartment. The apartment looks bright and clean at a stark contrast to when Marshall’s body was discovered.
They prepare to have dinner guests at their new home.
Horror Situation: Nathan gets injured during the move in.
Hailey feels a strange presence.
Reaction: Hailey helps Nathan clean the injury.
Denial of horror: Hailey shrugs off the feelings.
The characters are warned not to do it.
Hailey’s friend Vanessa warns her that she feels something in their home. A presence.
During dinner, Vanessa’s boyfriend Everett proposes a toast. They all raise their glasses when Vanessa accidentally drops her wine glass shattering it on the floor. She felt a presence.
Horror situation: Vanessa feels the evil presence in the home.
Reaction: Denial: Hailey stills shrugs it off.
Denial of Horror
Hailey and Nathan deny that anything is wrong.
Horror situation: Hailey then begins to have misgivings about their new home when she starts to experience paranormal activity.
Reaction: Nathan continues to deny anything is wrong.
Safety taken away
Marshall watches while the couple sleeps from the shadows.
Horror situation: The evil spirit watches Nathan and Hailey
Reaction: Hailey wakes up and tries to shake off the feeling.
Monster: The nature of the beast.
Horror Situation: Marshall takes over Nathan’s body.
Reaction: Denial – Hailey is unaware that anything is wrong.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
Hailey starts to notice that Nathan’s personality has changed. He acts different from what she is used to. She doesn’t realize at that he has been possessed.
Hailey finds out that they are pregnant.
Horror Situation: Nathan (controlled by Marshal) starts to become abusive.
Reaction: Denial – Hailey isn’t sure what’s going on but she thinks it’s just nerves moving into a new place. She tries to justify and excuse the behavior.
One of us killed
Hailey finds Nathan at a bar playing pool and drinking. He lights up a cigarette (he never smoked before) and is kicked out for smoking.
Horror Situation: Nathan isn’t acting like himself anymore.
Reaction: Try to Solve it – Hailey tries to reconnect with Nathan. She doesn’t understand why he seems so different and she wants to get closer to him.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Horror situation: Marshall (possessing Nathan) rapes Hailey.
Reaction: Escape – Hailey leaves their home and goes to stay with Vanessa and Everett. She doesn’t understand why Nathan did it but she doesn’t want to be around him.
Full pursuit by the killer
Nathan’s body begins to decay because of the possession. Marshall pulls off one of Nathan’s fingernails as the fingertips are turning black.
Marshall continues to torment Hailey.
She leaves.
Horror situation: Nathan’s body starts to fall apart.
Reaction: Fight – Marshall rages that this body is starting to decay. He starts to tear up the apartment.
Horror situation: Hailey returns home. She finds Nathan sick and their apartment torn up.
Reaction: Try to Solve it: Hailey tries to help Nathan (he is temporarily in control of his own body).
Terrorized
Marshall (possessing Nathan) shows up at Vanessa and Everett’s home where Hailey is hiding out. Marshall attacks Everett.
Horror situation: After the fall out with Nathan, Hailey is back at Vanessa and Everett’s home. Nathan comes knocking. Everett tells him to leave. Nathan (controlled by Marshall) stabs Everett.
Reaction: Vanessa and Hailey hide while they call the police.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death
Vanessa and Hailey must fight Marshall (who is controlling Nathan) or be killed.
Horror Situation: Marshall find Vanessa and Hailey
Reaction: Vanessa and Hailey fight Marshall
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Lance’s Horror Plot for The Possessed
What I learned from this assignment is that this kind of outline reminds me of Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat. Recently, when I’ve outlined I would outline the first Act, the first half of Act Two, up to the Midpoint. I might have some ideas about the ending, but I prefer to outline the second half when I’ve written my script up to the midpoint.
I’m interested in seeing how this all plays out because I don’t know what I have until I start to write scenes. That’s why I like to outline up to the Midpoint and then start outlining the second half when I’ve written up to the Midpoint. I have to admit, I think this shows in what I’m turning in today.
Create your plot.
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
In the opening scene / prologue two people enter the apartment where Marshall’s corpse sits in his chair. Marshall has been dead for an extended period of time before being discovered. The apartment is dirty and run down with a lot of junk covering the coffee table and the rest of the room as though it hasn’t been taken care of for the last several years. Marshall’s body has been decayed while resting in the room.
Connect with the characters
Nathan and Hailey, two newlyweds move into their new condo which used to be Marshall’s apartment. The apartment looks bright and clean at a stark contrast to when Marshall’s body was discovered.
They prepare to have dinner guests at their new home.
The characters are warned not to do it.
Hailey’s friend Vanessa warns her that she feels something in their home. A presence.
During dinner, Vanessa’s boyfriend Everett proposes a toast. They all raise their glasses when Vanessa accidentally drops her wine glass shattering it on the floor. She felt a presence.
Denial of Horror
Hailey and Nathan deny that anything is wrong.
Hailey then begins to have misgivings about their new home when she starts to experience paranormal activity.
Nathan continues to deny anything is wrong.
Safety taken away
Marshall watches while the couple sleeps from the shadows.
Monster: The nature of the beast.
Marshall is able to take over Nathan’s body.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
Hailey starts to notice that Nathan’s personality has changed. He acts different from what she is used to. She doesn’t realize at that he has been possessed.
Hailey finds out that they are pregnant.
One of us killed
Hailey finds Nathan at a bar playing pool and drinking. He lights up a cigarette (he never smoked before) and is kicked out for smoking.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Marshall (possessing Nathan) rapes Hailey.
Full pursuit by the killer
Nathan’s body begins to decay because of the possession. Marshall pulls off one of Nathan’s fingernails as the fingertips are turning black.
Marshall continues to torment Hailey.
She leaves.
Terrorized
Marshall (possessing Nathan) shows up at Vanessa and Everett’s home where Hailey is hiding out. Marshall attacks Everett.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death
Vanessa and Hailey must fight Marshall (who is controlling Nathan) or be killed.
Hysteria
Marshall is knocked out.
The thrilling escape from death
Hailey and Vanessa flee. On the run, they call the police.
Death returns to take one or more.
Nathan was not found in the home.
Resolution
Hailey and Vanessa return to Hailey’s condo. They perform a spell from the Key of Solomon to free Nathan from Marshall’s spirit.
Final battle with Marshall and end.
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Lance’s Characters for Horror
What I learned from this assignment is an interesting array of universal characters. I’m used to thinking Protagonist, antagonist, and love interest but this lesson brought a lot more character archetypes to consider.
Tell us your Concept and the Group you have chosen.
A malevolent spirit has taken over Nathan’s body and it threatens to harm and kill Nathan’s wife Hailey and their friends.
Social group – Nathan and Hailey and their friends.
2. Tell us the Dying Pattern of this movie.
Dying Pattern B: Hailey experiences terror and survives. Her husband may die and one or two of their friends will die.
3. Give us an Identity and a sentence for each character that makes up your group.
Rescuer: Hailey tries to save her husband when she understands what is really going on.
Innocent: Nathan’s body has been taken over by a spiteful phantom who takes pleasure in other’s pain.
Moral One: Hailey’s friend Vanessa tries to help her get free of Nathan and when they realize what is happening, she tries to help save Nathan.
Sacrificial Lamb: Rita, a woman Marshal meets while in control of Nathan. Marshall obtains the unrealized desires he had for Hailey on Rita.
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Lance’s Malevolent spirit – Marshall
What I learned doing this assignment is I’ve always had trouble with the rules of the monster and I’ve love to read other resources of the rules and mythologies of different monsters.
Tell us what or who your monster is.
Marshall was a retiree who lived in the building for most of his adult life. He was malicious in life. It was some time after he died before his body was found. His spirit has lingered in the apartment since his death.
2. Give us a few sentences for each of the following for your monster:
Their Terror:
Marshall is able to inhabit Nathan’s body and control him. While he does so, he abuses and terrifies Nathan’s wife Hailey. At first she doesn’t know what is going on, it’s only later that she realizes her husband has been possessed. At the same time, Nathan’s body gets sick and his body starts to deteriorate.
Their Mystery:
Hailey must find a way to free Nathan from Marshall’s possession or they could both die.
Their Fear Provoking Appearance:
Marshall’s body began to decompose before he was finally found. The decayed vision of his face appears to those who are psychically sensitive.
When Marshall takes control of Nathan’s body, it creates the fear of someone who used to be known. Hailey loves Nathan and to see him act the way he does and do the things he starts to do is horrifying.
Their Rules:
Marshall wants to live again. He loves living again even though he didn’t appreciate his life at the end.
Marshall’s possession is slowly killing Nathan. He denies it at first, but ultimately wants to find a way to stay in control of the body without dying.
Hailey recognizes that Nathan is sick and she wants to find a way to free her husband from the malevolent spirit.
Their Mythology:
Marshall died with deep and powerful rage. His spirit unsettled, he is not ready to leave the world. He wants to have fun and that leads to the death and destruction of others around him.
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Day 1 / Lesson 1 Assignment – Analyze a HORROR movie to discover how the conventions were expressed.
What I learned from this assignment is the importance of craft. If the screenwriter doesn’t have a basic understanding of plot / conflict / story and character, they won’t be able to tell an affective story in the horror genre. I feel that because of the bad wrap horror often gets, we should work that much harder to tell strong stories. Having two characters bitch and complain and resorting to bitching and complaining for every scene is not an interesting way to show conflict. Twists and turns are not interesting if there are no clues about what is really happening. The twist at the end of The Sixth Sense worked because the film left breadcrumbs during the course of the movie.
2. Movie I watched:
Title / Concept: Aftermath – A couple move into the home where the previous owners fell victim to a murder suicide.
Terrorize The Characters: The movie presents as a haunted house / paranormal story with spooky sounds, a dog who seems to feel something in the house, and illness befalling the protagonist and dog.
Isolation: They moved into this new home and feel stuck due to the mortgage.
Death: The previous owners fell victim to an apparent murder suicide. The sister gets sucked into the closet and killed. The couple’s dog dies.
Monster/Villain: Spirits? An intruder? We find out that the final monster is someone who has been hiding in a secret room in the house.
High Tension: A spirit or someone continues to terrorize the couple.
Departure from Reality: For much of the movie it plays like a paranormal horror movie.
Moral Statement: Don’t buy homes on the cheap. Couples / relationships either come together or move apart.
3. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great horror film? Unfortunately, this was not a great horror movie. Within the first five minutes I felt I was going to be in for a bumpy ride. There was a lack of craft from a production standpoint in the first act. Poor sync between the picture and audio. There was also a fair amount of poor dialogue. The movie tries to present a series of twists and turns through the course of the narrative but it ends up feeling muddled. In many of the scenes characters turn into ultimate jerks to convey a sense of conflict. But these scenes play poorly. Why would the characters stay in the scene when the people they talk to continuously make them miserable?
4. With your concept, fill in each of these Conventions for your story.
The Possessed by Lance Adams
Concept: A recently married couple struggle to survive after one of them is possessed by a malevolent spirit.
Terrorize The Characters: Hailey, the wife hears and sees strange things in the condo, including the image of someone she doesn’t recognize. Nathan, the husband falls ill and his health deteriorates through the course of the movie while he is taken over by the evil spirit.
Isolation: They live in a condo where someone died years before. The husband is being controlled by the spirit and the wife doesn’t want to leave her husband.
Death: Marshall / the previous tenant died in their home. The husband (controlled by Marshall) becomes violent and threatens Hailey.
Monster/Villain: Marshall – an evil spirit.
High Tension: Nathan feels himself becoming sicker. Meanwhile, Marshall is able to control his body. Marshall becomes increasingly violent.
Departure from Reality: There are paranormal elements – change in temperature (getting colder), illness as Nathan’s body is taken over, spirit possession.
Moral Statement: What are you willing to go through to save the one you love? How do we really know who we are or who is the real person we’re with in a relationship?
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This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Lance Adams.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by
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The Possessed
Logline: A woman struggles to save her husband when he is possessed by a malevolent spirit.
A. Monster:
Marshall Allen Dean, the malevolent spirit.
B. Terror:
Marshall takes control of Nathan’s body and starts terrorizing Nathan’s wife, Hailey
C. Environment:
A condo which used to be Marshall’s apartment where he died.
D. Victims:
Nathan (the possessed), Hailey (his wife), and their friends Vanessa and Everett
Primal Fears:
Fear of the dark
Fear of psychopaths
Fear of pain or torture
Fear of death
Fear that something terrible will happen
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Lance Eliot Adams
I agree to the terms of this release form.
GROUP RELEASE FORM
As a member of this group, I agree to the following:
1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.
2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.
I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.
3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.
4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.
5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.
6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.
This completes the Group Release Form for the class.
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Hi, I’m Lance. A writer / director living in Chicago.
I’ve written over half a dozen feature film screenplays. Last year, I co-wrote a high concept comedy which has been submitted to Nichols Fellowship, Slamdance, and the Austin Film Festival. I also wrote two horror thriller feature screenplays last year. I also wrote about a dozen horror short screenplays of varying lengths.
I look forward to seeing your take on the horror genre.
I’ve made over 20 short films (mostly comedy, improv, drama, and documentary) in Chicago and I’m hoping to go into production again this year with a few horror film screenplays.