Selma Ahmed
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Selma’s Level 3 Horror Emotion Scene
What I have learned is that it is very difficult to buildup to make these scenes the most frightening. Also, I have found that in order to make the emotions work, I have had to change the plot – which can only be a good thing.
EXT: PENDLE HILL – NIGHT
Martha scrambles upward, toward the top of Pendle hill, tries
not to be seen, falls over, grazes her knees.
She catches up to see Elizabeth dragging screaming Jenny
across the brambles, thorns, roughage.
JENNY
No!, Please don’t. Please. Please,
No!
Elisabeth and Jenny disappear over the summit. Silence.
Martha hurries.
MARTHA
(crying, whispers)
Jenny!
Jenny screams (O/S).
Martha hurries to reach the top.MARTHA (CONT’D)
(gasps)
Oh my God!
EXT: PENDLE HILL – NIGHT (CONT.)
Moments before sunrise ahead, Looming ahead are nine nooses
from which eight of the Pendle accused hang dead.
Elizabeth, holding struggling Jenny, stands before an empty
noose, Jenny whimpers, terrified.
ELIZABETH
Tis time. I will rise from the
embers and free mine soul from
damnation!
She begins to tie the noose around Jenny’s neck, starts to
squeeze it tight. Jenny struggles for breath.
Martha races out, surprises Elizabeth, pushing her to the
ground, away from the noose. Elizabeth looks toward the sun
breaking through the horizon.
ELIZABETH (CONT’D)ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
NO!
2.
Martha takes a rock, throws it at Elizabeth’s head. Elizabeth
laughs, but her form begins to look shadowy as the sun begins
its rise.
Elizabeth returns to the noose, holds up Jenny with one hand.
Martha screams, jumps on Elizabeth, attempts to strangle her.
Jenny falls to the ground.
Elizabeth takes Martha by the throat, and with a flint,
concealed in her cloak, stabs her. Martha falls to the
ground, bleeding. Jenny looks horrified.
MARTHA
(screams)
RUN!
Elizabeth turns, anguished, to see Jenny undoing the noose.
She runs toward Jenny. -
Selma: Level 2 Horror Emotion scene.
I am really sorry to be late…my husband had a motorcycle accident…
What I have learned…
It was really difficult to get back into the work as I lost the momentum but working through the three emotions gave the scene clarity – and focus. I really hope that you will read this!
INT: GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Angel shuffles tarot cards.
TONY
This is fucking ridiculous!
ANGEL
(panic)
Sh! You don’t understand what we’re messing with.
TONY
Your fucking nuts!
Angel picks out a card, GASPS.
The “Devil” card is revealed, and DARKNESS: a power cut.
TONY
That’s all we need.
Tony takes phone out of his pocket, no signal.
TONY
FUCK!
GRANDMOTHER
You need your mouth washed out with soap. Stop with your swearing and get the lights on, will you?
Tearful Martha enters with a lit candle, lights more candles.
GRANDMOTHER
Give me a candle.
MARTHA
It’s dangerous.
Places candle on table next to her, continues to light candles.
Grandmother takes the candle.
ANGEL
Don’t you see —
MANY VOICES WHISPERING can be heard. Everyone freezes.
Jenny looks out of the window: lights flicker on Pendle hill. Suddenly…
Elizabeth SCREAMS, her horrific face is in full view out side of the window.
Jenny SCREAMS in terror, backs into Tony’s arms. He looks out of the window. Nothing. Pendle Hill is dark.
ANGEL
What did you see?
KNOCKING at the door.
ANGEL
(whisper)
Don’t open it!
BANGING at the door.
GRANDMOTHER
I’ve had enough of these pranks. I’M CALLING THE POLICE.
Wheels herself to the front door.
ANGEL
No, don’t!
GRANDMOTHER
Your sacked!
Grandmother opens the door.
A cloaked figure stands at the door, a foot away.
GRANDMOTHER
Who are you? What do you want?
The figure stands.
GRANDMOTHER
Get off my property.
Everyone watches as she wheels herself forward.
GRANDMOTHER
I know you…
The candle falls on her blanket, she is in flames.
Grandmother screams in agony, Tony, Martha, Angel try to stop the fire but it is too fast, too powerful, the cloaked figure disappears in the smoke. -
SELMA’S LEVEL 1 HORROR EMOTION SCENE
What I have learned. … It might not be a polished scene but
it wasn’t as difficult to write as expected as there were
already so many things in place. It was an unexpected
experience for me!!!
INT: GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE – KITCHEN – DAY
Martha places a candle on a birthday cake which reads, “Happy
90th Birthday to a beloved mother and grandmother.” Jenny
races inside with the branch of blackthorn.
MARTHA
Jenny! Don’t run, you’re going to
make me have an accident.
Martha takes a sip from a half filled glass of red wine.
JENNY
(excited)
Oh! Are we giving her the cake now?
MARTHA
Get that out of the kitchen —
you’re making a mess!
JENNY
Angel’s going to talk to the
witches as part of Grandma’s
present and this will help her!
Waves it in the air, makes SPOOKY NOISES.
MARTHA
Help? Oh God, that’s bloody
nonsense. Get rid of it.
Jenny places berries from the branch onto the cake.
MARTHA (CONT’D)
JENNY!
— A hiss of a noise echoes, “JENNY”…
Jenny looks at Martha, who has not heard the sound,
surprised. She looks around, tries to figure out where it
came from.
2.
A gust of wind forces the back door open and the branch flies
out of the room, startles Jenny and Martha.
MARTHA (CONT’D)
What the hell was that?
Martha closes the door.
MARTHA (CONT’D)
Can’t you even close a door
properly?
JENNY
But I did…
Martha finishes off the wine, takes a deep breath, picks up
the cake.
MARTHA
Ok, we’d better take this in before
anything else happens.
Jenny looks out of the window, uncertain. Watches the branch
blown by the wind in the darkening sky. -
Selma’s Horror Outline Version 1
What have I learned… Another very difficult exercise where I chopped and changed things to try to make an outline that makes sense. However, I haven’t been able to make the outline concise….It is still not quite right and its confusing but I hope I am getting there!
ACT 1
INT – COURTROOM — DAY
1612. Courtroom. 9-year-old Jennet denounces her family as witches. Her mother, Elizabeth screams to Jennet to take back her accusations as she is taken out of the courtroom.
INT – LIVING ROOM — DAY
2024, early evening: 90th birthday party of the Grandmother. Grandmother is the matriarch. The house is hers, old house on the land given to the nine-year-old Jennet in 1612 … Grandmother is in a wheelchair enjoying the attention, ordering people around. Angel her minder and is sitting by the grandmother attending to her needs. Gets up, leaves room.
EXT – FRONT GARDEN — DAY
House is isolated and lonely. Angel stands outside with Tony, having a cigarette break. Big garden, blackthorn tree, Pond close by… and a alittle bit of flirting between them. She has a crush on him. His daughter, nine-year-old Jenny comes outside and spoils their fun, tries to brings a branch of rowan into the house. Tony tells her off. Angel explains what it is…
INT – LIVING ROOM — DAY
Grandmother recounts the story of Elizabeth’s hanging. Angel, the Grandmother’s carer plays around with witchcraft and reawakens Elizabeth’s spirit.
Martha, (daughter) is in the kitchen, making the finishing touches to the cake, lots of activity, chaotic but she is calm, takes it in her stride, drinks wine. Sees something unsettling, brushes it off. Jenny is in the kitchen with her mother – being very distracting.
Fourteen-year-old Richard plays a prank and disappears. He is being silly, making a mockery of witchcraft. things moving, the air changing, sound of wailing/ crying occurs. The group think Richard is joking with the group.
Richard reappears and the Grandmother is about to blow out the candles.
Window opens, gust of wind blows everything about. Jenny can see something outside the window. She is the only one who can see the witch, a cloaked figure.
There is a message from the witch: she wants the nine-year-old daughter and will let the others live. The group don’t believe it. The group think it is a prank.
Richard disappears.
Martha understands something is not right. But she focuses her attention on finding her son, doesn’t believe it is connected to the witch.
Knock at the door.
1st Act turning point: Masked stranger at the door, behind the stranger, Richard is hung from the gallows…
EXT – FRONT GARDEN — NIGHT
Richard is dead. They go out to investigate, but they can’t touch him – its like an electrical current preventing them.
INT – LIVING ROOM — NIGHT
Martha is devastated that her son is dead. Tony tries to call the police. All phones are down. There is no internet.
Angel realises that this is Elizabeth’s doing, Jennet’s mother… she thinks she can help through her own brand of witchcraft. Jenny is terrified. Doesn’t understand as her parents shield her, protect her. Tony argues against this, he is angry.
Act 2
INT – LIVING ROOM — NIGHT
Tony continues to rage. Angel tries to reverse what has happened with her cards, with spells. Trying to figure out how to destroy Elizabeth. It just makes the witch more powerful and angry.
The house is surrounded by invisible forces. There is a power cut. Darkness.
Candles lit. Jenny hears whispers. Looks out of the window. Sees the cloaked figure. Cloaked figure comes closer. Jenny closes the curtain quickly, terrified.
The grandmother is furious, defiant. Opens the front door. The moment she is outside, it’s over…Gust of wind– all the candles go out apart from one that flies on the grandmother and she burns to death. It happens so fast – everyone watches horrified.
Martha realises that the witch cannot come inside. Nobody believes her. Martha finds the reason why – there was much happiness in the house… Elizabeth is an unhappy mother, jealous of the happy family, distressed that she was wronged. Tony doesn’t care about this…he is furious with what’s going on and how they are being intimidated.
EXT – FRONT GARDEN — NIGHT
He goes out with a kitchen knife to kill the cloaked figure. Elizabeth finally shows herself and catches Tony by surprise and draws and quarters him.
Everyone is horrified. Angel runs out to try to save him…using spells…she is drowned in the pond – the witch says, if she is indeed a witch she will not drown…
INT – BEDROOM — NIGHT
Martha, uses matches to see, and Jenny hide in the house…but they know that the witch will do all she can to make them leave the house.
Act 3
INT – BEDROOM — NIGHT
The house is infested with spiders, forcing Martha and Jenny out of the house. They are now so vulnerable, petrified.
EXT – GARDEN — NIGHT
Martha realises that they have to kill the witch somehow, giving her a witch’s death. But how… ?Jenny remembers the rowan.
They somehow find their way toward the bushes for protection, but don’t make it.
The witch finds them. As the Witch holds on to Jenny, Martha tries to burn her, to strangle her
…and they get transported to 1612.
EXT – LANCASTER, GALLOWS HILL — DAY
1612 We can see the nine Pendle accused on Gallows hill. The real Elisabeth is taken to the noose.
Martha and Jenny watch in horror. Elizabeth cries out to her daughter, Jennet to tell the truth. It’s heart-breaking – and we feel empathy for her. Suddenly, the witch Elizabeth is pulling at Jenny – and there is a race to replace the real Elizabeth with Jenny.
The two mothers fight it out. Time is running out…the real Elizabeth must be hung.
The witch kills Martha, strangled just in that moment that Elizabeth is hung – and so it is too late for Elizabeth… the witch fades into thin air as Jenny return to the present.
EXT – GARDEN — NIGHT
In the present. Jenny is alone in the house.
She has turned into a witch…and wants to revenge on Elizabeth’s soul… -
Selma: Character Journey Track
What I have learned… yet again, I find myself amazed at how wrong my original choices were and how I amend, adapt, replace in order for the story to work – according to the model. And it’s all the better for it as it is really making the end product the real deal!!
It has taken me some time to do this, apologies for being behind.HORROR CHARACTER PROFILE
Martha
1. Role RESCUER: generic mother figure who must save her daughter from hanging in place of Elizabeth, the witch.
2. Traits (main characteristics): organiser, kind, worrier,
3. Fears (Primal fears): losing her family, loneliness
4. Wants/Needs (main motivations):wants excitement, wants her family to do well.
5. Likability / Rooting factors: willing to do everything for her family, including giving up her life.
6. How they react under stress Takes charge. Confront it head on.
7. Relationship with other characters: abit of a mother hen
Angel
1. Role out of control: thinks she can lend her expertise about witch craft to save the situation.
2. Traits (main characteristics): kind, confident, risk taker, wants to help.
3. Fears (Primal fears): not doing her job properly.
4. Wants/Needs (main motivations): wants excitement, wants her family to do well, wants a husband and children.
5. Likability / Rooting factors: she is endearing, but abit dotty.
6. How they react under stress: believes she has the answers, underestimates the situation.
7. Relationship with other characters: well liked, trusted.
Jenny
1. Role: Innocent. The witch wants her.
2. Traits: overwhelmed, terrified.
3. Fears: losing her mummy
4. Wants/Needs: safety
5. Likability / Rooting factors: her innocence.
6. How they react under stress: listens to her mother. Takes risks for survival.
7. Relationship with other characters: she is the favourite, adored by all.Grandmother
1. Role: Leader.
2. Traits: sharp, still has her wits about her, but her body is failing her.
3. Fears: death.
4. Wants/Needs: needs to be looked after, needs to retain her dignity.
5. Likability / Rooting factors: the stories she knows, her family, her age – 90.
6. How they react under stress: Takes charge.
7. Relationship with other characters: everything gravitates around her.
Tony:
1. Role: complainer.
2. Traits: relaxed, calm, controlled, hands on, charismatic, thinks he’s right, rational.
3. Fears: looking foolish.
4. Wants/Needs : to have a good time, wants adventure.
5. Likability / Rooting factors: cares about his family, wants to do the right thing.
6. How they react under stress: Takes charge.
7. Relationship with other characters: fits in for an easy life.
THE CHARACTER JOURNEY
EACH CHARACTER
1. Character Intro: Martha
Martha is in the kitchen, making the finishing touches to the cake, lots of activity, abit chaotic but she is calm, takes it in her stride, drinks wine. Sees something unsettling, brushes it off.
2. Denial:
This character understands something is not right. But she focus her attention on finding her son, doesn’t believe it is connected to the witch.
3. Their reaction at first horror:
Doesn’t understand why he would ‘kill’ himself.
4. Relation to group after first horror:
Devastated that her son is dead. Doesn’t take charge, tries to figure out what has happened.
5. How they fight back:
She hides – until Angel figures out that the only way she can die is through strangulation/hanging…then tries to trap her.
6. End Point:
The witch kills her and she is able to save her daughter and destroy the witch.
7. What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?
Jenny survives – and realises she has powers.
1. Character Intro: Angel
Angel is sitting by the grandmother attending to her needs, drinks herbal tea.
2. Denial:
this character is just up with the fairies! Really naïve, disbelieves the clues.
3. Their reaction at first horror:
Thinks she can help through her own brand of witchcraft.
4. Relation to group after first horror:
Wants to help, supportive, tries to comfort and be strong for everyone.
5. How they fight back:
She hides, uses her brand of amateur witchcraft which obviously does not work. Works out how to get the witch defeated – tries to trap her but is killed.
6. End Point:
The witch kills her.
7. What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?
Martha and Jenny are more vulnerable.
1. Character Intro: Jenny
Nine-year-old Jenny is in her own bubble – in the kitchen with her mother being very distracting. We see how close she is to her mother.
2. Denial:
Jenny is terrified. Doesn’t understand as her parents shield her, protect her.
3. Their reaction at first horror:
Petrified, hides.
4. Relation to group after first horror:
She is the child, sticks close to her mother.
5. How they fight back:
Only at the end does she fight back, defiant and angry, finally realising her own power against evil.
6. End Point:
She returns to the present – her mother has saved her, and she has realised that she has dark powers …
7. What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?
Jenny survives – ready to take revenge.
1. Character Intro: Grandmother
Grandmother is the matriarch. Celebrating her 90th birthday. The house is hers, old house on the land given to the nine year old Jennet who denounced her family in 1612. She is in a wheelchair enjoying the attention, ordering people around.
2. Denial:
Doesn’t register the sinister element of the moment,
3. Their reaction at first horror:
Slightly annoyed that her day has been hijacked. Very self-centred. .
4. Relation to group after first horror:
Out of touch, powerless, vulnerable. Tries to get everyone to protect her. Incites fear.
5. How they fight back:
Strategy. She cannot hide.
6. End Point:
The witch burns her to death.
7. What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?
Everyone understands that the witch means business and will try to kill everyone.
1. Character Intro: Tony
Tony is enjoying the day, full of bravado, relaxed, drinking.
2. Denial:
He is shocked but tries to be the leader, calm and strong in the situation. Has no idea of anything sinister.
3. Their reaction at first horror:
Refuses to accept that anything supernatural is occurring and because of this, acts foolishly, tries to attack the monster.
4. Relation to group after first horror:
Leads/argues. Causes issues as he doesn’t believe there is a witch. The others try to persuade him of the dangers.
5. How they fight back:
Tries to trap the witch, outsmart her.
6. End Point:
The witch kills him in a truly gruesome manner
7. What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?
Terrifies – but the others realise that the witch kills using the ways ‘witches’ were executed. -
Selma: Monster Reveal Track
What I have learned…I found the information being given to the audience so difficult, such a struggle, but I know that ultimately it will make or break my script… I also kept fining myself making changes in the story to make the monster’s impact more powerful.
1. Who is your monster and what is their terror?
1. MONSTER:
Think about who your monster is in the END OF THE MOVIE and answer these questions:
Who or what the is the monster?
What are its powers? Elizabeth has the ability to travel through time and space. She has witch powers.What are its limitations? Her purpose is flawed. She is evil, not good and Martha is good. When Martha recognises this, she is able to challenge Elizabeth at her own game: good with evil.
What are its weaknesses? Jennet, the daughter who denounced her. It hurts her to the core of her being that her own daughter did this. Martha calls on Jennet’s spirit to save her daughter.
What is its Plan/Purpose/Appetite? Elizabeth wants to change history. She sees herself as a victim of injustice and wishes to change historical events. She is misguided as she is truly evil, she believes she is innocent.
Who or what the monster is: Elizabeth was one of the Pendle witches, hung in Lancashire, England 1612, denounced by her own daughter. She feels she been wronged. She is still stupefied that her very own child would do that to her – and watch her hanged. Jennet showed no mercy. Now it’s time for payback.
2. SEQUENCE:
Create an order that the information will be delivered to the audience.
Start at the beginning with us knowing nothing about the monster and end with us knowing enough to stop or destroy the monster. There will be some clues that obviously go in front of others. But some clues could actually be anywhere in the script.
Just pick some kind of order and list them. You can change the order at any time.
Opening/prologue: Start the mystery of the monster by showing us the result of their violence.
1. Reveal 1 Angel gives Grandmother a relic a piece of wood from one of the Pendle hanging poles she picked up as a birthday present, celebrating the grandmother’s ancestry. The Grandmother tells the story of the Pendle witches and, along with the piece of wood, Angel talks about being a ‘wood witch,’ brings out her tarot card etc… Elizabeth is awakened.2. Richard plays a convincing prank on the group.
During 1st Act: Foreshadowing as clues
3. Reveal 2 But…some sort of mysterious force…things moving, the air changing, sound of crying occurs. The group think Richard is joking with the group.
4. Martha finds clues around the house which she finds worrying.
5. Power cut. Candles lit.
6. Reveal 3 Sinister force with a message given that the group will be spared if Jenny is sacrificed.
7. Richard messes around outside and thinks a prank is being played on him as the witch reveals herself.
8. Reveal 4 Richard is dead, hung in his bedroom…
1st Act turning point: Characters are locked into horror
9. Doors are locked, telephones don’t work.
• 1st half of 2nd Act: The monster is present, but hidden
10. Reveal 5 Angel tries to reverse what has happened with her cards, with spells. Trying to figure out how to destroy Elizabeth. It just makes the witch more powerful and angry.
11. Midpoint: Monster is worse than we thought:
12. Reveal 6 Jenny is almost caught ( but the witch couldn’t go through with transporting her into 1612…)
2nd half of 2nd Act: Monster pursuing / attacking characters, delivering clues with each attack13. Clue that this is an unhappy mother, jealous of the happy family, distressed that she was wronged.
ACT 2
14. 14. Reveal 6 Grandmother. Burnt to death (foreshadows the only way Elizabeth can be killed).
15.
16. Tony tries to kill the witch head on, is caught and tied down onto the kitchen table.
17. Martha tries to reason with the witch.
18. 2nd half of 2nd Act: Monster pursuing / attacking characters, delivering clues with each attack
19.
20. Reveal 6: Martha realises the witch can’t take Jenny without her mother:
21. Midpoint: Witch tortures Tony Drawing and quartering.
22. There is a struggle and Angel tries to save Martha and Jenny using her ‘witch powers’ which obviously don’t work. Is beheaded.
23. Martha and Jenny huddle together, hiding.
ACT 3
Characters solve the puzzle and fight back, apparently killing monster
24. Full pursuit by the killer: The witch is after the child, tries to kill the mother.
25. Reveal 7 The witch finds them. They Fight to the death. Martha tries to burn her
26.
27. …but she gets caught in her burning gown as they get transported to 1612.
28. The thrilling escape from death: they are alive in 1612.
29. We can see the nine Pendle accused on Gallows hill. The real Elisabeth is taken to the noose.
30. Martha and Jenny watch in horror.
31. Reveal 8: Elizabeth cries out to her daughter to tell the truth. It’s heart-breaking – and we feel empathy for her. Suddenly, Elizabeth the witch is pulling at Jenny – and there is a race to replace the real Elizabeth with Jenny.
32. The two mothers fight it out. Time is running out…the real Elizabeth must be hung.
33. Reveal 9 Martha dies, strangled just in that moment that Elizabeth is hung – and Jenny disappears, returning to the present.: Martha seems to have kill the witch but has to die in the process.
Resolution: Survivors live…but somehow, the monster is still alive for the sequel
34. In the present. Jenny is alone in the house.
35. She has turned into a witch…and wants to revenge on Elizabeth’s soul… -
Selma’s Character Death Track
What I learned doing this assignment is the emphasis on death/ methods of death drives the plot forward, adding the depth to the storyline.
Character Death 1: Richard. Death by hanging.
Why? It starts to increase the horror (they made a bad decision, didn’t take the witch seriously) He was a practical joker so there is confusion and added shock and horror when he is killed. …Because the monster made the decision.
• How? Sacrificed / Surprised / blindsidedCharacter Death 2: Grandmother. Burning to death (birthday candles).
Why? (moral reason) She is the matriarch; she has carried on Jennet’s ancestral line (the child who denounced her family as witches). …Because the monster made the decision.
• How? Surprised / blindsidedCharacter Death 3: Tony. Drawing and quartering.
Why? (character flaw; moral) He has the capacity of continuing the ancestral line with Martha. He is also a flirt, and a ‘know it all.’ …Because the monster made the decision.
• How? Charge blindly into actionCharacter Death 4: Angel. Beheaded.
Why? (made a bad decision) She tries to help, to save the others. …Because the monster made the decision.
• How? Escape attempt takes them into itCharacter Death 5: Martha. strangled.
Why? (made a bad decision) The witch is stronger than her. But ultimately her death saves her daughter.
• How? Attempt something that fails -
Selma’s Horror Situation Track
What have I learned…so much! This exercise was so difficult – situation and reaction made me think about the storyline in more depth..I certainly feel I have a long way to go yet something is coming together and it is a very exciting process.
(Mother is called Martha; daughter is Jenny)
ACT 1
Atmosphere of Evil established:
Connect with the characters: 90th birthday party of the grandmother where the wood is presented to the grandmother and she recounts the story.
The awakening of the witch – through a piece of wood from one of the hanging poles from the hanging of the Pendle witches in1612.
Horror situation
Environment changing around you
Reaction
A. Denial Richard plays a prank and disappears and this distracts from the sinister reality that is closing in on the group.
Horror situation
Forced into a dangerous environment
Reaction
A. Denial Richard reveals himself.
Denial of Horror: No idea of the horror to come even though strange things appear to happen. Richard disappears again. The group think it is another prank. But it isn’t. Martha feels that something is not right.
Horror situation
Lost; kidnapped
Reaction B. Try to solve it: Martha looks for Richard.
Safety taken away: a power cut, Julie is concerned but everyone is merry, drunk.
Horror situation
No escape or their escape route has been cut offReaction Panic from some, unconcern from others.
A. Denial – some of the group just don’t believe anything is wrong.
B. Try to solve it – Martha runs around, desperate.
Horror situation
Forces of nature Window opens, gust of wind blows everything about.
Reaction
Jenny can see something outside the window.
Horror situation
The only one who sees the monster.
Reaction
Jenny is terrified, doesn’t understand.
The characters are warned not to do it: the witch makes it clear that she wants the nine-year-old daughter and will let the others live. She tells the group. They don’t believe it – they think it is part of Richard’s prank. But Martha and grandmother who are alarmed.
Knock at the door.
Horror situation
Menacing Stranger at the door
Environment changing around you
Reaction
Monster – The nature of the beast: behind the stranger, Richard is hung from the gallows
Horror situation
See another killed
Richard is dead.
Reaction C. Hide D. Escape
The group are horrified, shocked
ACT 2
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: door slams shut. The house surrounded by invisible forces. They have to figure out a way to destroy the monster.
Horror situation
Can not breathe
Reaction B. Try to solve it
They try to survive
Horror situation
Everyone is in danger
One of us killed: grandmother is killed, suffocated.
Horror situation
Reaction
See another killed
Reaction D. Escape
The group try to get away.
MIDPOINT
Full pursuit by the killer: The witch kills everyone apart from Martha and Jenny.
Horror situation
Face to face with the monster
Monster trying to get to you
Friends in danger
Attacked or chased
Reaction
C. Hide D. Escape
Terrorized: Martha tries to save herself and her daughter – and trying to figure out how she can destroy the witch.
Horror situation
Monster trying to get to you
Lured into the horror
Reaction C. Hide The witch finds them.
ACT 3
Full pursuit by the killer: The witch is after the Jenny, tries to kill Martha.
Reaction E. Fight
Fight to the death: They hide, looks like they will succeed – witch transports the child but the mother holds on and gets through too.
Horror situation
Lured into the horror
Martha is transformed into something else –she has witchlike powers
Horror situation
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Reaction E. Fight The thrilling escape from death: they are alive in 1612.
Horror situation
Forced into a dangerous environment
Reaction E. Fight
Hysteria: The two mothers fight it out.Horror situation
• Injured, wounded, or debilitated
• Reaction
• E. Fight
• Death returns to take one or more: the mother gets her daughter back into the present.
Horror situation
• Trapped
• Reaction E. Fight
Resolution: mother seems to kill the witch but has to die in the process.
In the end though, the witch has managed to survive… -
What I learned…I found this very difficult. I sort of froze which is why I am late. The plot points are different to how I imagined the story to be – but I followed the instructions and it took the story in a different direction.
ACT 1
• Atmosphere of Evil established: the awakening of the witch – through a piece of wood from one of the hanging poles from the hanging of the Pendle witches in1612.
• Connect with the characters: 90th birthday party of the grandmother where the wood is presented to the grandmother and she recounts the story.
• Denial of Horror: No idea of the horror to come even though strange things appear to happen. Richard disappears. The group think it is a prank.
• Safety taken away: a power cut.
• The characters are warned not to do it: the witch makes it clear that she wants the nine-year-old daughter and will let the others live. The group don’t believe it.
• Monster – The nature of the beast: Richard is dead.
ACT 2
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: doors are locked. The house surrounded by invisible forces. They have to figure out a way to destroy the monster.
• One of us killed: grandmother is killed.
MIDPOINT
Full pursuit by the killer:
The witch kills everyone apart from mother and daughter.
Terrorized:
It’s about the mother trying to save herself and her daughter – and trying to figure out how she can destroy the witch.ACT 3
• Full pursuit by the killer: The witch is after the child, tries to kill the mother.
• Fight to the death: They hide, looks like they will succeed – witch transports the child but the mother holds on and gets through too.
• The thrilling escape from death: they are alive in 1612.
• Hysteria: The two mothers fight it out.
• Death returns to take one or more: the mother gets her daughter back into the present.
• Resolution: mother seems to kill the witch but has to die in the process. In the end though, the witch has managed to survive… -
Selma’s Characters for Horror
What have I learned is that there are groupings of characters that fit neatly into categories. Once I realised what mine was, I remembered horror films with similar groupings…
Concept/mock logline: In 2024, Julie Device, a single mother of two, faces a terrifying ordeal when Elizabeth Device, who was hanged for witchcraft in Lancashire, England, in 1612, returns seeking vengeance on her descendants. Julie must fight to save herself and her children from Elizabeth’s horrifying retribution.1. SELECT THE GROUP
C. SOCIAL GROUP: Family2. DYING PATTERNS
B. The characters experience the terror and survive together, but one or two die.
3. WHO IS GOING TO EXPERIENCE THIS HORROR?
LEADER: Grandmother – matriarch of the family; brings out the relic that bring Elizabeth, the witch, to life — so a poetic victim.
RESCUER: Grandmother’s daughter, Julie, generic mother figure who must save her family, save her daughter from being transported to 1612.
MORAL ONE: Julie’s son, Richard, resourceful, inventive, he is the second victim.
Love interest: Richard’s girlfriend.
COMPLAINER: Julie’s boyfriend – doesn’t believe what’s going on, he creates / alleviates some Horror situations
OUT OF CONTROL: Julie’s friend who has a plan that makes things worse
Innocent/ Sacrificial lamb/carrier: Jenny: The witch is after her… -
I found this assignment difficult and I am late in submitting – sorry. I learned alot. Firstly, I had a sort of writer’s block…but then I found that working through the points helped me clarify alot in my head about who and what and why my monster is…1. TERROR
• How does the monster terrorize?
Elizabeth the witch-mother, takes revenge on her last remaining family members attempting to kill them all. The objective is to isolate the nine-year-old daughter, to change history by taking her back to 1612 .
• How does the monster pursue?
Elizabeth pursues through witchcraft; sound of ropes, the wind, sound of a noose being tightened, sounds of screaming.
• How does the monster isolate?
Traps victims when they are alone; in darkness, when they are vulnerable.
• What is the terrible thing they do?
Kills the victim – but makes them feel it, experience the air being sucked out of them.
• How does the monster cause death?
Mostly through suffocation, strangulation, sucks the air out of rooms, has people trapped in small spaces, unable to get out, decapitation, buried alive –all simulating her own death by hanging in 1612 –- where her hanging was prolonged by the executioner so she wouldn’t die quickly…she does the same – in different ways.
• What makes this inescapable?
Elizabeth is a witch. Humans are no match to the supernatural.
2. MYSTERY
She was a mother who had been hurt/ betrayed by her own daughter: behind the anger is hurt – why did her nine year old daughter denounce her and her family?
3. FEAR PROVOKING APPEARANCE — The Many Faces of Fear
A noose can be seen or a rope that becomes a noose.
Elizabeth looks like as she did before she died, wearing the clothing of 1612. When her face is revealed, it shows the agony of her final moments – her neck is lacerated
4. RULES
Elizabeth targets her last remaining family members and family circle to cause suffering, to wipe them out – to isolate the girl and take her back to 1612. She needs to kills Jenny’s mother in order to do this – she does everything to cause her to attempt to kill herself (but the mother is indestructible because she discovers she has witch powers).
5. MYTHOLOGY
‘The trials of the Pendle witches in 1612 are among the most famous witch trials in English history, and some of the best recorded of the 17th century. The twelve accused lived in the area surrounding Pendle Hill in Lancashire, and were charged with the murders of ten people by the use of witchcraft.’ Wikipedia -
‘The Fog’ (1980) Horror Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment is… that the conventions of horror film should be easily identifiable and that all the components listed should have a clear answer that fits in with these conventions or rules.Concept:
A. Monster: Ghosts of an entire crew of a ship bringing gold to Antonio Bay who were murdered by Antonio Bay’s ‘founding fathers’ one hundred years ago.
B. Terror: A fog brings the ghosts on the centenary who kill any inhabitant of Antonio Bay.
C. Environment: Antonio Bay at midnight
D. Victims: anyone, but in particular, the ancestors of the original inhabitants.TERRORIZE THE CHARACTERS: A lighted fog moves quickly through the Bay bringing to life the angry crew of ghosts with swords and hooks who kill off the inhabitants
ISOLATION: The Bay is isolated and the fog destroys all communication and electricity, moving through the night
DEATH: The deaths are horrible and violent, stabbing and using hooks.
MONSTER: Ghosts of an entire crew of a ship bringing gold to Antonio Bay who were murdered by Antonio Bay’s ‘founding fathers’ one hundred years ago.
HIGH TENSION: The main character, a radio presenter who works in the lighthouse, tries to escape the ghosts by climbing to the top of the lighthouse. She is almost killed as the fog envelops everything, eventually entering the church where Rev. Malone has discovered that his grandfather stole the gold. Once the gold is returned, the ghosts stop, but they return to kill Rev. Malone.
DEPARTURE FROM REALITY: Strange things happen on the centenary; a fog that appears from nowhere, ghosts killing people…
MORAL STATEMENT: The sins of one’s ancestors will return for justice. One can never truly escape and should live a pure life, as justice is inescapable. -
Selma Karayalcin
I agree to the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement -
Hello, I’m Selma. I live in Cyprus – I am an English teacher during the day and screenwriter at night! I have written 5 scripts and 1 short. I have had an idea for a while which seems to fit in as a horror script. I’m excited to learn how to write a script that will hopefully be marketable.