[Suzanne Thomas Thomas]

Suzanne’s Horror Plot:
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” This is helping me create the skeletal structure for my full script as I have been getting hung up on filling in the gaps along the story.
ASSIGNMENT
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-isolated area passed through during walk home from school
• Connect with the characters-kids/bullies walking in group chatting about the day at school
• The characters are warned not to do it.-Moral character tries to appeal to group to reconsider plans to taunt boy
• Denial of Horror-Leader tries to assure group that it will be just some harmless teasing
• Safety taken away-Boy bullied visually makes note of the group members
• Monster: The nature of the beast.-All the anger withheld from years of intimidation and abuse from his father has awoken a vengeful demon.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted-Victim is in a fairly desolate building after a therapy session ends, putting him in a vulnerable position.
• One of us killed-unnamed male 1 meets his demise based on his worst fear (to be chosen soon)
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
• Full pursuit by the killer-After the second group member is targeted, the remaining members start to question the connection
• Terrorized-The fear and anxiety of the remaining group member starts to amplify and get the best of them.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
• Fight to the death-The original leader of the group is taken down
• Hysteria: The need to understand what the group shares in common (as to why they are being targeted).
• The thrilling escape from death-Using her resources, the Rescuer manages to use her wits to survive and tell the tale
• Death returns to take one or more.-Just when it seems that the spree has stopped, vengeance is taken out on the empathetic female.
• Resolution-As Rescuer realizes who is responsible, she knows that she has to find him before he finds her

[Suzanne Thomas Thomas]

Suzanne’s Characters for Horror:

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” The biggest takeaway for me would be categorization techniques, especially when it comes to personalization of the victims/survivors of the group. Very helpful in determining the personalities of the characters targeted by the monster.
1. Tell us your Concept and the Group you have chosen. Lead character/Monster bullied by a group of classmates festers over lifetime about plotting revenge towards these 5-6 individuals; Social Group-Classmates
2. Tell us the Dying Pattern of this movie. A: 5-6 being targeted one by one
3. Give us an Identity and a sentence for each character that makes up your group. LEADER, RESCUER, MORAL ONE, COMPLAINER, OUT OF CONTROL, THE CARRIER
Unnamed Male 1: Leader-Group seems to follow his direction based off of his status/popularity at school, even if they have doubts.
Unnamed Male 2: Out Of Control/Obnoxious-Group already deems him the wildcard as you never know what he will do or suggest and accepts his behavior.
Unnamed Male 3: Complainer-Always seems to have issue with decisions made or directions considered within group; always wants to disagree with the majority.
Unnamed Female 1: Moral One-She always looks at each decision with a moral compass and tends to operate with empathy.
Unnamed Female 2: Rescuer-She is level headed and tends to strategize her directions; strong willed and determined to survive.

Example: Leader: Without much consideration, Mike sets a direction, then inspires or pushes the group to go there. Hopefully, he guesses the right direction.
4. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” See above.

[Suzanne Thomas Thomas]

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” A new way to create the biographical background and makeup of my character/monster.

1. Tell us what or who your monster is. A bitter revenge seeking machine for those that hurt him at his must vulnerable time-childhood.
2. Give us a few sentences for each of the following for your monster:
• Their Terror: Whatever the individual’s most crippling fear or thing that frightens them (i.e. trapped in an elevator and unable to get out).
• Their Mystery: How does this individual know me and know my innermost secret?
• Their Fear Provoking Appearance: Completely inconspicuous-looks like your everyday average man (think Dahmer).
• Their Rules: He has studied his targets and has infiltrated their inner circle via group therapy sessions they attend.
• Their Mythology: Begins when character was a young boy (loner, gangly, hearing aid/hearing issues) and is taunted and assaulted while walking home. The event has shaped who he became and fueled his drive for revenge, to right the wrong committed to him.

Bear with me-trying to get caught up-many family issues occurring this past weekend and taking up a lot of my time. I appreciate the patience as I catch up.

[Suzanne Thomas Thomas]

“What I learned doing this assignment is…? To be able to discern the key elements of a horror film to maximize the emotional and physical effect on the viewer. This in turn makes your writing more focused and polished.

The film I watched was Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”:
• Title / Concept: The Birds/Birds arrive in Bodega Bay following the arrival of a new visitor to attack its residents.
• Terrorize The Characters: Residents are attacked who are with or associated with this visitor
• Isolation: Victims are attacked in a phone booth, in an attic, in a boat
• Death: If you are in the pathway of the birds you are at risk of being killed
• Monster/Villain: Multiple species of birds
• High Tension: Birds dive-bombing people at any given time, open area nowhere to hide, trapped in an attic with access to the outdoor
• Departure from Reality: Hundreds of birds slowly gather on a playground to attack the children as they exit the school; In the attic where tons of birds attack Melanie and she is unable to open the door to escape; leaving the house to flee the area as hundreds of birds are all over the ground and house
• Moral Statement: Not everyone is welcome in a small town.

Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great horror film? It had no music in it with the exception of the song sung by the children at the school. The soundtrack was literally the birds crowing/cawing etc. making it so eerie throughout the film.

With your concept, fill in each of these Conventions for your story.
• Concept: Beware of who you decide to bully
• Terrorize The Characters: The taunters get a taste of their own medicine in the most effective way-through their worst fears
• Isolation: An elevator, a car sinking in water, room with bugs/bees, etc.
• Death: Each individual’s biggest fear/phobia happening to the extreme
• Monster/Villain: Scorned outcast bullied relentlessly by peers and seeking the ultimate revenge
• High Tension: Does anyone know your worst fear/phobia
• Departure from Reality: The odds of someone being able to track down these particular individuals and getting this intimate of access to get this information out of them would be highly unlikely
• Moral Statement: Think twice before you decide to degrade or demean someone-you may regret it for the rest of your life.

This is my submission for Lesson #1. I will get the other lessons caught up on Saturday (October 12, 2024). Sorry for the delay in submission-a lot going on with my family this week.

[Suzanne Thomas Thomas]

1. Name? Suzanne
2. How many scripts you’ve written? This will be my first full script. Previously only written sections for classes taken.
3. What you hope to get out of the class? A fleshed out script of an idea I have wanted to work on for years.
4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you? I hold 6 degrees including a BA in Interdisciplinary Film Studies and an MA in Communication with an Emphasis in Media Arts.

[Suzanne Thomas Thomas]

Hello everyone!

Looking forward to this course and the content and hopefully finally bringing my idea to life! I agree to the confidentiality agreement of this course.

Suzanne

• This reply was modified 9 months, 3 weeks ago by  Suzanne Thomas Thomas.