[Ryan Benson]

Ryan’s Character Journey Track
What I learned from this assignment is that it is important that all characters have appropriate traits and character change over the course of the story. I only had two main characters that I think are worthy of this whole exercise, but I can see how I can apply this in general to other characters to make them feel more fleshed out and interesting.
Cas (Protagonist)
A. What is their Character Profile?
1. Role: Leader
2. Traits: Intense and angry about his place in the world. He wants to fit in, but at the same time wants to be seen. Sort of an Underground Man.
3. Fears: Being useless or common.
4. Wants/Needs: He wants to achieve and help. He craves excitement away from the mundane. His need is to stop the monsters and help his neighborhood.
5. Likability / Rooting factors: Is somewhat of an everyman though he desperately thinks he isn’t. Encounters identifiable domestic annoyance. In the end, he never gives up and comes to appreciate family.
6. How they react under stress: Cas goes into overdrive. Single minded and needs to check boxes on his way to finish the job.
7. Relationship with other characters: Cas has love/loyalty/responsibility to his family and friends but is not fulfilled by them. Though caring, he is somewhat dismissive of others. Tries to be friendly but doesn’t always know how.
B. What is their Character Journey for this story?
1. Character Intro: Fired from job he collects his belongings. Goes home in a trance almost to loving family. Shortly thereafter his fridge dies starting his stress of suburban life.
2. Denial: Sees some strange happening in neighbor’s yard. Dismisses it along with the first murder as just freak stuff or accident. Though as stupid stresses mount, he goes to give the murder more credence.
3. Their reaction at first horror: Goes into action. Pursues surveillance.
4. Relation to group after first horror: Tries to take charge but is dismissed by everyone (except Aisha) as even wife is sort of upset with him.
5. How they fight back: Warns neighborhood. Figures out silver kills the monsters. Devises a strategy.
6. End Point: Kids able to fight the two active monsters with the silver and Cas’s advice. Aisha comes in to help, and Cas realizes the large guy with masks needs to be unmasked.
7. What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience? Cas’s persistence and drive is what led to him to survive past the blind luck of being unseen by the monsters. Also, he needed the help of others and to teach others instead of just thinking he is the one to do it.

2. Build those Character Journeys into your outline.
Aisha
A. What is their Character Profile?
1. Role: Rescuer/Introvert Loner
2. Traits: Sarcastic. Seems confident but is self-conscious about her lack of career success. Seems like a slacker with slight goth. She is intrigued with Cas and like him, she is looking for fulfillment.
3. Fears: Being judged. Not being enough so she acts like things aren’t important. Afraid to show she cares.
4. Wants/Needs: She wants to enjoy life with fulfillment and to have people (her family) not look down on her. She needs connection and purpose.
5. Likability / Rooting factors: Sort of cool. Helpful and loyal to Cas.
6. How they react under stress: Excited and enthusiastic until scared when the monster is after her and it gets real.
7. Relationship with other characters: Sarcastic but not cruel. A voyeur of the neighbors where she is like Cas in thinking she is more informed/conscious.
B. What is their Character Journey for this story?
1. Character Intro: Appears on back of motorcycle driven by a jerk guy she is ‘dating.’ Makes out with guy and takes him inside after smiling and giving peace sign to Cas and Alfonso who are talking in their yards.
2. Denial: First thinks Cas is crazy but interesting. However, Cas ends up convincing her of the monsters’ existence. Before this she tells him he better be careful, everyone will think he’s guilty.
3. Their reaction at first horror: Disbelief but humors Cas until he brings her around.
4. Relation to group after first horror: Supportive of Cas but knows he looks crazy. Not openly supportive of him in front of others.
5. How they fight back: Helps Cas with surveillance. Aisha is the first person to actually hurt the monsters when she hits them with the silver object after Cas is completely useless in his attack on the monsters.
6. End Point: She is now serious and totally out of slacker mode as family is targeted. Had become slightly more serious when they targeted her, but now more for family. She helps to stop and injure the small monster after she returns from her parents’ house being destroyed.
7. What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?: Persistence helps. You should help to prove your worth instead of having to hide it under fake disinterest.

[Ryan Benson]

Ryan’s Monster Reveal Track
What I learned from this assignment is that it is so important to make sure the viewer is interested in the monster. This also has to be a mystery the viewer is desperate to solve so they keep watching the movie, wanting more and more.
Powers: Seemingly invulnerable. Super strength/speed. They seem to disappear at drop of a hat.
Limitations: Can’t attack or even see Cas. Geographically stuck in the neighborhood/housing development.
Weaknesses: Iron. Cas?
Plan/Purpose/Appetite: Unknown at first but it is to sow chaos in the neighborhood. Perhaps to get everyone to leave.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
• Atmosphere of Evil established: A random neighbor is being chased about their house. The monsters/spirits are shown in silhouette. Cas (protagonist) returns home after losing his job and sees cop car and ambulance at the neighbor’s house but doesn’t think much of it.
Monster Reveal: This shows the violence they are capable of and their silhouettes.
• Connect with the characters: Cas talks to coworker before he leaves job for final time. Then dejected Cas talks to neighbor/friend, Alfonso, as he parks car. Talk about the cop car and comment to Alfonso that good to have some excitement. Cas talking to wife. Cas also tries to bond with other men in the neighborhood but is too different though we find some neighborhood gossip and how the murder is viewed.
We see Aisha first appearance by driving by and parking at parents’ house. She is on the back of a motorcycle with a douchey guy who she kisses before going into house.
• The characters are warned not to do it.: Cas’s wife tells him to focus on finding new job or house project because he gets weird when bored or unfulfilled.
Police warn Cas after he starts noticing monsters involved with trouble in neighborhood. He is sad as his water heater busts causing mundane trouble. Cas seems a bit obsessed and even calls police about them.
Monster Reveal: Cas sees them in neighbors’ yards and sees them down a tree and some more destructive things to the yards.
Aisha warns him people will think he’s crazy. Then becomes worried about Cas’s life as she sees he might not be crazy. She also brings him to an old lady on the street for information (I need to think on this more, as well as mythology/origin of the monsters).
Monster Reveal: Old woman talks about something like this happening once before. Decades ago when there was a disturbance in people moving in. The attacks happened to new and old residents but played down then so as to not mess with property value. But old woman says that the monsters never came around her house. Turns out her house is full of old tiffany silver objects like photo frames, jewelry, candle stick holders, knives, etc and the silver will later be revealed as a weakness of the monsters. Cas questions if they were ghosts of slaves, then guesses native Americans, before the old woman says it was the ghosts of themselves…
Cas also goes to church with his family and talks to the pastor after.
• Denial of Horror: Aisha and everyone else at first think Cas is weird or bored. Cas is in denial that the monsters or his behavior can actually hurt him (he is right they can’t hurt him physically but can hurt him indirectly by hurting those he loves). He wants excitement. Cas goes on job interviews but fails as he is too eager.
• Safety taken away: Cas falls from roof when spying (almost is impaled like the first death). Another neighbor is murdered on walk, but coyotes are blamed.
Monster Reveal: This shows firsthand how murderous they can be. The little one slashes dog (though it lives) and the middle bandaged one rips the man to pieces.
• Monster: The nature of the beast.: Yet another neighbor dies, and Cas gives chase (slower because of injury) after the spirits through the neighborhood after witnessing it through window. Cas breaks in but is incapable of stopping them. (Maybe Aisha comes too and hits them with the silver object in the home).
Monster Reveal: This reveals the weakness is silver. Maybe Cas go back to old woman and ask for some items but she refuses with a gun. Aisha could go back off screen and secure some silver after Cas buys some up.
It is a young yuppie couple whose bodies are not found. Police and others think they might be traveling. The guy is part of group Cas talks to at the beginning where Cas isn’t fitting in. Maybe this guy is new but already more accepted. People think Cas is jealous.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: Cas is arrested and though he is freed, he can no longer count on police. His wife is angry as well, and Cas fails at another interview but this time it is through lack of interest. Aisha, though not that religious anymore, takes Cas to a Hindu temple in hopes of finding answers.
• One of us killed: Alfonso is killed and found by Cas. Alfonso’s wife yells at Cass and blames him, because she knows he had to have some involvement.
Monster Reveal: This drawn out and more graphic death shows their true power.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
• Full pursuit by the killer: Wife is angry at Cas because he spends a bunch of money on silver items, “No smelting into bullets! No time for it!” Monsters target Aisha, and Cas is unable to stop it as the spirits ignore him and seem to not even register him physically. Aisha is able to attack monsters with the silver items.
• Terrorized: How will they keep Aisha safe if they come back? Cas called away for a job interview.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
• Fight to the death: Cas and Aisha run about the neighborhood wearing people of the spirits and stopping their murders (like dropping a tree or other ‘accidents’). Spirits seem to get frustrated. Spirits turn and charge at Aisha again, chasing her to her house. She goes in and gets her family out. House explodes!!! Luckily Aisha got out.
• Hysteria: Cas is tired, quiet, and scared. He is starting to realize it’s not all fun and games. Aisha is loud and goes to her shed.
• The thrilling escape from death: Now the spirits go to Cas’s house. They can’t hurt him, but they sure can attack his family! Cas must tell family how to kill spirits and bestows all his knowledge onto his kids so they can do the job.
• Death returns to take one or more.: They kill or exorcise the large spirit(s).
Monster Reveal: They attack the monsters with the silver items and finally get them down all through the advice Cas has learned throughout the movie. They hurt the monster bad but did they kill them? Nope! The monsters just keep coming. No hope. Until Cas realizes the large blacked out monster has never made a move to hurt anyone.
The kids remove the mask or eye covering of the large blacked out monster and he attacks the bandaged medium one and allows the small one to be killed. Then realize they didn’t see the small, most evil, spirit! It goes to kill Cas’s wife, but Aisha returns to kill it!
• Resolution: Aisha and family are rebuilding home, but she is going to move out, though not with the jerk guy she was dating. Cas appreciates his family and his life, taking on the role of homemaker and trying to do online work. I wanted to also do some sort of teaser with the spirits returning, like maybe a new group of neighbors moves into the homes of those that were killed?

[Ryan Benson]

Ryan’s Character Death Track
What I learned about in this assignment is that I can’t just kill a person off to make the stakes higher or that’s what the horror audience would expect. There is definitely a why and how. I think a few of my deaths may need to be combined or redesigned.
• Character Death 1 and maybe 1a:
• Why: This is to increase horror. A man (or man and woman) dashes about his house. The monsters/spirits are seen in silhouette.
• How: He is killed offscreen by trying to rush at the horror. She tries to escape and ends up falling out window or off roof to his death. The three monsters (still obscured or not fully shown) gaze down at the broken body impaled on a fence.
• Character Death 2:
• Why: A man makes a bad decision of going out after everyone else was worried about a murderer. Maybe walking his dog. He says he’s not going to be scared by the police or media or etc.
• How: Quiet but hears something. Ends up blindsided. The small monster slashes at him with her razor finger nails but is finally killed when the middle sized one with the bandaged face and business suit ends up tearing him apart.
• Character Death 3:
• Why: There is a moral reason here as the guy here was mean to Cas when he tried to bond with the neighborhood guys.
• How: Cas is watching them through the window and tries to get there in time. The small, vicious spirit claws over and over as the bandaged one holds him.
• Character Death 4:
• Why: Killing of Alfonso.
• How: Again, Cas tries to arrive in time but no avail. The small, vicious spirit claws but then as they get away. The spirit then flicks fingers causing cuts to appear on the victim. She continues doing it as the man screams and then until he’s a bloody mess.

[Ryan Benson]

Ryan’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is I really need to figure out the ebbs and flows of a horror script. I thought I had the story planned out pretty well, but this showed me I needed to do some more thinking to do. Also, I had traveled and fallen behind, and was going to skip this to go to the next assignment but saw this is one of the MOST important assignments. I might skip next one and then go back in the end.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
• Atmosphere of Evil established: A random neighbor is being chased about their house. The monsters/spirits are shown in silhouette. Cas (protagonist) returns home after losing his job and sees cop car at the neighbor’s house but doesn’t think much of it.
• Connect with the characters: Cas talks to coworker before he leaves job for final time. Then dejected Cas talks to neighbor/friend, Alfonso, as he parks car. Talk about the cop car and comment to Alfonso that good to have some excitement. Cas talking to wife. Cas also tries to bond with other men in the neighborhood but is too different though we find some neighborhood gossip and how the murder is viewed.
We see Aisha first appearance by driving by and parking at parents’ house. She is on the back of a motorcycle with a douchey guy who she kisses before going into house.
• The characters are warned not to do it.: Cas’s wife tells him to focus on finding new job or house project because he gets weird when bored or unfulfilled.
Police warn Cas after he starts noticing monsters involved with trouble in neighborhood. Aisha warns him people will think he’s crazy. Then becomes worried about Cas’s life as she sees he might not be crazy. She also brings him to an old lady on the street for information (I need to think on this more, as well as mythology/origin of the monsters).
• Denial of Horror: Aisha and everyone else at first think Cas is weird or bored. Cas is in denial that the monsters or his behavior can actually hurt him (he is right they can’t hurt him physically but can hurt him indirectly by hurting those he loves). He wants excitement. Cas goes on interviews but fails as he is too eager.
• Safety taken away: Cas falls from roof when spying. Another neighbor is murdered on walk, but coyotes are blamed.
• Monster: The nature of the beast.: Yet another neighbor dies, and Cas gives chase after the spirits through the neighborhood after witnessing it through window. It is a young yuppie couple whose bodies are not found. Police and others think they might be traveling.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: Cas is arrested and though he is freed, he can no longer count on police. His wife is angry as well, and Cas fails at another interview but this time it is through lack of interest.
• One of us killed: Alfonso is killed and found by Cas. Alfonso’s wife yells at Cass and blames him, because she knows he had to have some involvement.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
• Full pursuit by the killer: Monsters target Aisha, and Cas is unable to stop it as the spirits ignore him and seem to not even register him physically. Aisha is able to attack monsters with the item they found (need to see why it hurts. Maybe iron? Silver?)
• Terrorized: How will they keep Aisha safe if they come back? Cas called away for a job interview.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
• Fight to the death: Cas and Aisha run about the neighborhood wearing people of the spirits and stopping their murders (like dropping a tree or other ‘accidents’). Spirits seem to get frustrated. Spirits turn and charge at Aisha again, chasing her to her house. She goes in and gets her family out. House explodes!!! Luckily Aisha got out.
• Hysteria: Cas is tried, quiet, and scared. He is starting to realize it’s not all fun and games. Aisha is loud and goes to her shed.
• The thrilling escape from death: Now the spirits go to Cas’s house. They can’t hurt him, but they sure can attack his family! Cas must tell family how to kill spirits and bestows all his knowledge onto his kids so they can do the job.
• Death returns to take one or more.: They kill or exorcise the large spirit. Then realize they didn’t see the small most evil spirit! It goes to kill Cas’s wife, but Aisha returns to kill it!
• Resolution: Aisha and family are rebuilding home, but she is going to move out, though not with the jerk guy she was dating. Cas appreciates his family and his life, taking on the role of homemaker and trying to do online work. I wanted to also do some sort of teaser with the spirits returning, like maybe a new group of neighbors moves into the homes of those that were killed?

[Ryan Benson]

Ryan’s Characters for Horror
What I learned doing this assignment is that there are set types of characters that the audience expects and these are there for a reason. It helped me to see several of my characters and groups fit into these groups and there are others I have to further tailor.

1. Tell us your Concept and the Group you have chosen.–Concept–A newly unemployed man named Cas, sees a horror in his surburban neighborhood, but is literally incapable of stopping the horror in front of him. Family and neighbors begin to question his sanity. My group is a social group of neighbors. However the two main characters are outsiders in that group.

2. Tell us the Dying Pattern of this movie.—B. The characters experience the terror and survive together, but one or two die.

3. Give us an Identity and a sentence for each character that makes up your group.
Leader: Cas- protagonist. Newly unemployed family man who is the only one who can see the spirits but cannot affect them in any way. Nevertheless, he does not give up.

Rescuer/Introvert Loner: Aisha- twenty something woman who lives with her parents. Seems a bit aimless but also wise or at least more confident than Cas. Becomes interested in Cas’s behavior and then forms a friendship.
Sacrificial Lamb: Alberto -One neighbor Cas is friends with at beginning. He is among the first that is murdered by the spirits.

Lover: Cas’s wife- She puts up with Cas’s ‘craziness’ for a while but then starts to tire of his antics as they begin to cast suspicion on him as the neighborhood killer. Later she is threatened by the spirits at the end. The spirits finally involve Cas’s life, but he is still powerless.

Innocent: Cas’s children- threatened by the spirits at the end. The spirits finally involve Cas’s life, but he is still powerless.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by  Ryan Benson.

[Ryan Benson]

The biggest thing I learned from this assignment is that there are several different areas of depth that you have to give your monster. The five different parts of a monster really got me thinking about how scary or compelling my villains actually are. It showed me the limitations of what I have created and what I need to further develop.

1. Tell us what or who your monster is. Two evil spirits that appear in the form of a small girl/boy with long hair. They wear a smock or hospital gown and a leather mask that is blank (no eye or mouth holes) made of several different sections held together with twine. The second spirit is a large lumbering brute. Face almost a blur. Not sure of the clothes but dark in color.

2. Give us a few sentences for each of the following for your monster:
• Their Terror: The twin spirits cause destruction and bad luck throughout the neighborhood. They show up without warning but so far only the protagonist is able to see them. The small child spirit kills with its razor sharp nails (I have also been toying with the idea that it just moves its fingers in a slash motion and the person or thing has the slash marks as if the spirit has telekinetic abilities). Most people dismiss it as something that won’t happen to them or just try to tough it out in the neighborhood because they do not want to leave their suburban enclave.

• Their Mystery: Why do the spirits do what they do? Why do they pick the houses they target? How can they be stopped?

• Their Fear Provoking Appearance: The child (still unsure if boy or girl or just keep ambiguous) has a hospital gown, no shoes, long hair, and a pale leather mask that is made of different sections held together with twine. In between the pieces you can see the disfigured, bloody, burnt(?) facial flesh. The large guy spirit is less clear to me. Dark clothing with a dark mask and spiky dark hair poking out of the back.

• Their Rules: Monsters keep going and seem unstoppable. The protagonist is the only one who seems to see or care to stop them, but he is completely invisible to them. He can’t touch them or stop them, but they ignore him in every way.

• Their Mythology: This is what I have been struggling with. I think for the most part I’m going to have them be very mysterious and motiveless. Part of the script will have to do with the protagonist and the woman that helps him trying to find out about the sprits, particularly how to get them to stop their increasingly murderous rampage.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by  Ryan Benson.

[Ryan Benson]

What I learned doing this assignment is how a horror story can be broken down into these different conventions. From watching a movie with a similar setting to my own story, I have been able to see how I can fit these conventions into my own work.

Watch the movie and as you do, note its conventions.
• Title / Concept: Fright Night (original) A vampire moves in next door to a highschooler (Charlie) in a suburban neighborhood.
• Terrorize The Characters: There is a vampire loose in the neighborhood! Charlie is scared and does several questionable things to try to stop the vampire. Of course, no one believes him until too late.
• Isolation: No one believes Charlie about the vampire. Later his best friend is also turned into a vampire and the neighbor seduces Charlie’s girlfriend. This movie is a lot like Rear Window where a person knows there is a murderer, but no one believes him.
• Death: Murder by vampire. The vampire even threatens to kill Charlie after Charlie goes to the police telling them that the vampire is responsible for several missing woman.
• Monster/Villain: A smart, charming, attractive vampire that has charmed everyone, even Charlie’s Mom and girlfriend.
• High Tension: Vampire threatens to kill him that night. Mother has already invited the vampire in so he can enter at will. He also has to save his girlfriend as time is running out on her becoming a vamp or dead.
• Departure from Reality: Vampire doing vampire things!
• Moral Statement: Look through the façade of an interesting and smiling face. Don’t be afraid of trying to do what’s right even if everyone thinks the opposite of you. Another interpretation could be to be wary of strangers or someone different or new moving into your world, though I hope its not this.
3. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great horror film? I think a lot of what I liked about this movie is that it is fairly relatable, and I often wondered what I would do if put in the same situation as Charlie. I know there aren’t vampires but everyone throughout their life, especially as a kid, had a weird neighbor or house they worried about.
4. With your concept, fill in each of these Conventions for your story.
• Concept: A newly unemployed guy (need a name!) in a suburban neighborhood sees a horror in the neighborhood, but is literally incapable of stopping the horror in front of him. Family and neighbors begin to question his sanity.
• Terrorize The Characters: Property damage, injuries, and even murders occur in the quiet neighborhood. The protagonist is able to see the evil spirits, but somehow always seems to avoid the worst of the damage while incurring mundane costs like paying thousands for a destroyed fence. This changes when they finally target, not him, but his family. There is also a twenty something year old woman who becomes intrigued with the goings on and the protagonist’s behavior.
• Isolation: Like Fright Night, no one believes him as to the cause of bad luck in the neighborhood and even began to suspect him.
• Death: Two evil spirits (at least), cause mayhem, injury, and death.
• Monster/Villain: Twin spirits, one a child and one a hulking mess. Attack the inhabitants of the neighborhood but are largely invisible or overlooked by everyone except the protagonist.
• High Tension: Protagonist knows more problems will happen, but there is no way to stop it.
• Departure from Reality: Spirits are after his neighborhood and protagonist is after the spirits!
• Moral Statement: If you feel helpless to help or make a difference, try to teach or influence others, especially your children. Also, he is unemployed, so society treats him as unimportant.

[Ryan Benson]

Ryan Benson
“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.

[Ryan Benson]

Hi Everyone!

I am happy to be here and can’t wait to learn and improve my writing.

1. Name?
Ryan B.

2. How many scripts you’ve written?
I have written 4 scripts but none over 30 pages. I have written a lot of short stories and have about 10 of them published.

3. What you hope to get out of the class?
I hope to finish a feature film length screenplay. I have written many horror stories, but I also want to learn all the little tricks to make a horror screenplay marketable.

4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you?
This is probably not that unique but I loved creative writing and home movie making until I went for something more practical in college and ended up in the world of science and academia for over a decade, before going back to what actually makes me happy.