Grave revengeA Screenplay by DRAGO Ghosts? Sibling Rivalry gone to far? Please let me know what you think! To do: Realistic dialogue/reactions Nathaniel scene (mentor? Format Editing Character arcs and consistency Character driven plot Grave Revenge written by Kai Etringer Month day, year 2. INT. JACK'S HOUSE - NIGHT We see a closed door. Then we see JACK, sleeping. He is dreaming. He starts twitching then thrashing, as if he’s possessed. (ghost technique) Jessica is sleeping in the same bed, in the same spot. JESSICA (TIRED, JUST WOKE UP, SITTING UP. SHE FLICKERS IN AND OUT):) Bro what are you doing!? It’s three freaking seventeen in the morning! (looking at BEDSIDE CLOCK as she talks). Wait, (ghost imagery pauses) why are you holding a ROPE? No! STO-(ghost imagery returns. She isn’t there. The rope is.) Audio and ghost mode cut abruptly. Jack wakes with a start. Then, at the same time he does, we notice some of Jessica’s HAIR on the bed. INT. JACK'S HOUSE - MORNING It is morning. There is no hair. Jack does do a brief inspection. We then see the door (open) Looking over Jack's shoulder, we see a view of his phone screen. The four friends are texting each other. Texts from the previous night are (actually enter them in the night before): Yesterday, 10:36 PM JACK (texting) Good night guys LARK (texting) zZ emoji LINSEY (texting) Night 3. JACK (texting) Hey guys wanna come explore in the woods tomorrow and stay the night? LARK (texting): Ya, totally! LINSEY (texting): Ya? MAC (texting): Sure Today, 8:54 AM JACK (text it then delete it when part way through the last word. You decide not to because you don’t want to seem weak.): Guys I had this super scary dream last night! JACK (texting really slowly!): Hey guys hurry up! INT PEOPLES HOUSES - DAY Yawning/stretching montage (MAC stretching/ yawning in bed (raise your arms over your head), lark getting cereal, and linsey (close up) putting her shoes on (everyone but Jack) CLOSE UP OF JACKS PHONE MAC (texting): See you in 5 LARK (texting): Coming 4. LINSEY (texting): Jeez I just got up! I’m not a coffee addict like the rest of you! INT. STREET - DAY (Filmed from the back of a slow moving car, head on, IN FRONT of them (scene four) They ride their bikes there Lark and Linsey merge on to the same road (riding bikes). Shortly after they merge with Mac. CUT TO: FROM THE BACK. (SCENE FIVE) They arrive together at Jacks front door. He opens the door when the ring the doorbell, and his dog is standing next to him. Jack just got a new house and they plan on going and exploring the woods. JACK (yawning): Guys do you still want to go up there? LARK (mimicking Linsey): Ugh I’m so tired I feel dead! LINSEY: Ya, ya, lets go! JACK: Race ya! THE CAMERA FOLLOWS THE THREE UNTIL IT IS INLINE WITH THE BACK OF THE HOUSE, THEN STOPS (SCENE 6) Jack shuts the door and goes to the other side of the house. The other three run with their bikes around the house to the back, leaning them against the wall of the house. 5. They arrive at the back FAR SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE WOODS. (SCENE 7) MAC What do you think’ll be up there? LINSEY: Ya do you think we’ll find something cool? Like that one time we found an old tree house! JACK: Oh guys, no going in the basement. The guy I bought it from says there’s a ghost down there. MAC Oh come on, you don’t seriously believe in that stuff, do you man? The camera follows them up the hill, from behind. Make up your own conversation. CUT TO: THE CAMERA IS FOLLOWING THEM (SCENE 8) This is where they find the skeleton. MAC (walking in front): Guys come look at this. JACK: What is it? They all gather around it. CUT TO:CAMERA CIRCLES AROUND THEM (SCENE 9) MAC It’s, like, a wooden box. Let's dig it up! They crouch down and start digging with their hands. CUT TO:SIDE SHOT OF BOTH (SCENE 10) MAC Hey Jack, do you have a shovel? JACK: Ya, I think so. I’ll go grab them. 6. He starts walking down the hill. Cuts to when they all have shovels (scene 10) LINSEY: What do you think’s inside? MAC Well judging by the shape the wood’s in, it’s probably at least ten years old, non-treated to. It could be a time capsule? LINSEY: Maybe someone buried their pet in here. Maybe we shouldn’t open it… LARK (teasing, not in a mean way): Hey guys, did you hear about the murder that happened and they didn’t find the body? I think we can make the papers! (chuckles) JACK: Shut up! (not aggressive, a kind of shy shut up, goes down at the end) Cut to: Birds Eye view (drone) (scene 11) They are pulling the box out now. It does not look like a coffin (it’s an improvised one so they don’t recognize it). MAC Hey pass the shovel LARK Here ya go JACK: No I can do it. Lark passes him the shovel, and Jack smashes the old rusty lock on the box. While he sets the shovel down Mac takes the lid off the box. CUT TO:THE CAMERA IS INSIDE THE BOX, LOOKING UP.(SCENE 12) Inside is a skeleton (not in one piece) (irl it’s a life size fake one), and a bunch of dirt 7. They all jerk back (based on your character make up your own surprised reactions). Jack is the most scared of all. He acts super scared for the rest of the scene in the woods. BIRDSEYE VIEW LINSEY: What the heck is that! CUT TO:OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF LINSEY/HER PHONE She fumbles to pull out her phone and drops it. PORTRAIT SHOT OF MAC MAC Someone call the police, we gotta report this to someone! LINSEY: I’ll do it PAN FROM LARK TO JACK LARK (gets a text takes out her phone and looks at it): Guys wait. Look at this Hand it to Jack BIRDSEYE VIEW JACK (reading, panicky): Guys, wait don't call! Look at this. Shows everyone the text LINSEY: It says ‘Do not turn her into the police, we are watching.’ They all get texts saying “I know where you are”. They take out their phones. 8. LINSEY: Guys… MAC I think we all got it Jack sighs super nervously (some frowning, some wide-eyed) There is stunned silence JACK: Guys, we should forget about the whole thing, let’s clean it up. MAC Wait, doesn’t the FBI have witness protection services and stuff? This is big, whoever did this could hurt other people! They consider what he just said Over the shoulder view of the image, and also some sort of sharp sound They all get a text of them through a scope (turns out to be a filter, later in the film they learn that). They look at each other and start cleaning up. CUT TO:FROM BEHIND NATHANIEL The four friends are running back from the woods. Nathaniel (following) walks towards them casually, gatorade in hand. He laughs at their expressions (not in a creepy way, just thinking they’re playing games). NATHANIEL: Hey Jack (shake hands) I’m Nathaniel. Remember me? JACK: Ya, can I help you? 9. NATHANIEL: Oh, I was just stopping by to make sure this place is working out for you. So as a matter of fact, is there anything I can do for you? JACK: No, I think we’re good. Do you know if anyone’s ever died here? NATHANIEL (laughing at the randomness of the question): No, I don’t believe so. Why? JACK: Oh, never mind. Thanks for the offer. NATHANIEL: Any time. Glad this place is working for ya. They all hurry inside, Nathaniel continues walking down the sidewalk. Fade into blackness. CUT TO:VIEW FROM BEHIND THE COUCH, ALL 3 HEADS IN VIEW. Everyone is on the couch watching a movie except Mac. They are all still visibly on edge, especially Jack. They are watching a ghost scene in Star Wars. JACK: Oh no, why do there have to be ghosts? LINSEY (shouting, making Jack start): Hey Mac, where are you?! CUT TO:(AT THE SAME TIME AS LINSEY’S LINE) FOLLOWING MAC. MAC (hurrying, excited, pauses the movie when he walks in, to the protests of the others): Guys I found her diary! CUT TO:HEADSHOT OF JACK 10. JACK (stammering): Wait, wow, how- CUT TO:LOW ANGLED SHOT, 5-6 FEET AWAY IN THE DIRECTION MAC CAME FROM. Everyone stands and starts to come over to look, they form a rough circle CUT TO:OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF THE PERSON OPPOSITE MAC (FOCUSED ON MAC) MAC (still excited): So I thought, if I were gonna be killed I’d leave some evidence, right! I obviously watch to many crime shows as my hunch was wrong, but I was looking around in your room (looking at Jack), mostly on that bookshelf you’re gonna throw out. And that’s where I found it! Through a window JACK: Okay read it outloud. MAC Well there’s a lot of it and I showed you as soon as I found it so I didn’t look yet, but if there’s anything relevant, it will probably be in the end. (reading, but it’s Jessica’s voice) “July 6, 2008, My brother looks worse every day. I found some needles in his room -- I think he’s starting to hallucinate because he’s going crazy about ghosts, he’s been going out constantly and coming back drunk. I’m really worried about him.” (they look at each other) “July 7, 2008, some strange men have been coming into the house with him late at night. I accidentally walked in on them talking and he hit me�"hard. I’m scared. July 16, 2008, They have been over for the last 8 days! I miss mom and dad, they wouldn’t let this happen. I haven't been able to write, I don’t trust them and I don’t want them to have you. 11. LINSEY: Are we gonna die? Mac starts to say something but Jack quickly speaks over him JACK (faked conviction): W-w-we’ll all be alright. MAC So what now? LARK We should just pretend nothing happened. LINSEY: Ya MAC Well, we should all go to sleep. It will help us think in the morning. Lark’s right, we shouldn’t investigate unless we know we won’t be caught. I want to look at the diary more tomorrow though. There’s no way anyone could monitor that! JACK: Wait, Mac could it be Nathaniel, you know the guy who talked to us earlier? He owned this place before us….He seemed to nice to do something like that... MAC Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but great idea, I’ll look into it! LARK Mac… LINSEY: Ya Mac, don’t get us killed please MAC Don’t worry, I’ll be careful 12. CUT TO:INSIDE THE ROOM NOW. HAPPY-ISH MOOD (MUSIC). LARK Okay guys, there’s nothing we can do now, so we should just relax. Let’s play a game or tell some jokes. I have one: A guys finds a rare shell on the beach, you could say he was shell shocked. (I made that up on the spot:)) MAC (laughing): I would tell you guys a joke too, but all the good ones argon (starts giggling). Noone gets it MAC Get it, argon is an Element! LINSEY: Thanks you guys. If this is the last time we see each other it’s been great knowing you. They do a secret handshake. CUT TO:DIAGONALLY LOOKING OUT THE DOOR Jack is saying goodbye to them (it’s the next morning) and they are walking out of the door. Just as Lark passes through she says discreetly to Jack LARK That was pretty scary, huh. Do you want us to stay over, you know, it’ll be less scary if we stick together? JACK (this hurts her feelings. He doesn’t try to): I don’t need you, I’m not scared. I’ll be fine. Lark turns around, hurt, and walks away briskly. 13. JACK: (after a few seconds) Lark I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. (While it is genuine, he gets no response). The next day; it is 12. PM CUT TO:OVER THE SHOULDER MOM (texting): Hey Jack I forgot about a work trip I have, so I’m not gonna be home until tomorrow. You can get some dinner from (restaurant). Don’t forget to tuck in your little sister and give her medicine in the morning. It’s really important so don’t forget. (sister not pictured). View of the clock: 7:56 PM Floor shot following Jack’s feet. He is walking to the bathroom. He walks in and shuts the door on the camera. Weird mirror technique: Two separate recordings by a camera in the exact same spot (don’t move it inbetween). There is a mirror on one half. It is a composite scene. Both individual scenes are cropped. CUT TO: FROM THE WALL OF THE BATHROOM Jack is looking into the mirror. His reflection fades and Jessica’s reflection fades in to replace it. Switch back and forth between that and Nathaniel chopping up Jessica (be quite the whole time, creepy, and crazy. Also very important: You have a gatorade bottle (partly full) in your hand. When you start chopping, it is by your feet), with Jessica’s voice over it the whole time. How to do the chopping scene: Have someone lying on the ground (have makeup or something on to look dead) and someone standing in front of them with an axe. Then cut and the next shot should be the same but zoomed it. The person is no longer there, but there pants are (filled with a stick wrapped in cloth and a container of fake blood). The person that chops up the “leg”. 14. Jessica(pause after each sentence): (sing song) Helo. It’s been a while. (slowly smiles (creepily). During this part he chops her up) I will get you back brother. (Now just show the fake blood running down the ground). I’ll get my revenge on you. CUT TO:VIEW OF THE CLOCK: 10:33 PM CUT TO:WINDOW SHOT OF JACK, ZOOMING IN. Jack is reading a book. He puts it down on a bedside table, takes off his glasses, and turns to the side to put them on the table. CUT TO:FACING THE DRESSER (WHICH IS IN FRONT OF THE BED) A barbie doll is on it CUT TO:NEXT TO THE ALMOST FRONT OF THE BED, ANGLED TOWARDS JACKS FACE WITH A CLOCK IN VIEW (10:35) Jack looks away, and back again, with the camera angle flipping (being mirror imaged). He does it twice more. On the second to last time the doll is hanging from a rope, and on the last time there is nothing there but dirt (zoom). This is describing an editing technique (I made it up:)) to make ghosts, You have the camera in a fixed spot, it is vital that it is not moved Film two scenes The ghostly one should have (in this case) different things on the furniture to indicate that it was Jessica’s room The ghostly one is made partially translucent and super imposed across the other. Flashed This describes stabbing scenes Have a clean pen or other sharpish object in someone's mouth. The stabber pulls it out quickly, in a stab like arc Play the video backwards CUT TO:MOVING DOWN THE HALLWAY TO JACKS ROOM (CUT) CUT TO:ON JACKS BED FACING THE DRESSER (DOLLY ZOOM) 15. Jessica is there (ghost technique), standing in front of the dresser. She is wearing a dark dress, and there is a fan (out of view) fluttering the bottom. She is confused (she woke up from the dead after ten years). She thinks Jack is her brother. JESSICA: Why did I die? (quite, calm, then with the next phrase turning scary, threatening, rasping, quiete, etc.) It’s almost time. (Screams and telekinetically whips stuff off the furniture (using strings). Disappeared, along with ghost effect). Jack is super pale and shocked. Facing the bed at an angle, stuffed animal in view Lindsey's house. Lindsey gets in bed. There is a stuffed animal by her bed, facing away from her. She turns her head away from the stuffed animal and rubs her face tiredly. Facing Linsey, stuffed animal out of view Same camera view as before. Now named view 1 She turns back, the stuffed animal is facing her. Linsey is creeped out. She moves the stuffed animal back, but shrugs it off as her seeing things. CUT TO:SHOULDER SHOT OF LINSEY Linsey is scared and her parents aren't home so she’s going to her friends house. She is walking around the side of the house, phone (off) in hand. Her path is lit by lights on the house. 16. Cut to Jessica (no ghost mode). Low angle shot, moving with her as she moves forward Stumbling (on the back of the house, headed for the corner Linsey is). CUT TO:LINSEY (SAME VIEW) CUT TO:JESSICA (SAME VIEW) CUT TO:FACING TOWARD THE CORNER OF THE HOUSE (SYMMETRIC) Very quickly, Jessica grabs Linsey (Jessica is expecting it, Linsey is not). CUT TO:ALMOST FLAT GROUND SHOT Linsey’s phone falls on the ground, (turned on). On it says: “Hey Jack I’m really scared and my parents aren’t home. I’m gonna come over to your place. Okay? (Not delivered). CUT TO:ALMOST BIRDSEYE SHOT OF LINSEY Hanging (and swinging) upside down from a rope tied to a tree (she is dead). In Jack’s room. Camera is pointing straight at him from above the middle of the dresser. JACK: Hey Siri, how do I protect against ghosts? Close up of his screen which displays this page: http://www.destinationamerica.com/thehauntist/how-to-protect-your-home-from-evil-spirits-using-salt/ Back to original view Jack (very carefully, cautiously) gets out of bed. Being as quiet as he can, he tiptoes and opens the door. The camera pans to follow him. Shaky handheld camera following him getting salt and coming back. When there is a doorway, the shot is from the other side facing perpendicular to the doorway. Then he puts it by windows and doors, and filling plastic bags with it and putting them in his pockets. 17. View of the clock: 3:17 AM Birds Eye view of the house, high up, fog (if possible) JESSICA (V.O.): I’m sorry about earlier. Come down here and I’ll show you how to help me (she totally is not and will not) FADE OUT: The camera (and Jack as it is a perspective shot) looking through the door, which is barely cracked open. View of Jack in the same position but from through the window behind him if there is one, otherwise just behind him. Handheld camera, over the shoulder Jack is walking down the stairs to the creepy basement. The camera stops at the bottom but Jack doesn’t. (at the bottom there is a carpet or some other type of portable ground coverage) CUT TO:ON THE GROUND, ANGLED TOWARDS THE BACK OF JACKS HEAD. IT STARTS TILTING (THE CAMERA ANGLE) There is fog on the edges of the ground, and he is using the flashlight app on his phone to light the way. There is a balloon in the far right bottom corner. JACK: Hello? JESSICA (sing song, from the end of the passage): Over here. Just as he is starting to backup, Mac calls. 18. JACK: (to Mac) I think there is a ghost or something! I think it’s gonna kill me CUT TO:ROOF SHOT, A CAR DRIVES INTO THE DRIVEWAY. Nathaniel gets out. CUT TO:(SAME VIEW) MAC Jack you know those don’t exist, but there’s no time for that I gotta tell you something, it’s super important. Are you listening? JACK: Ya, hurry though. MAC Okay, so I was looking at the photo, and the scope is just a filter! And- JACK: Is this important, cause I’m being haunted right now! MAC Trust me! Okay so I found her name in the diary. It’s Jessica, and get this, you were right. She has a brother called Nathaniel. I looked both of them up on Deep Background, and her brother was linked to the murder of a family except the husband, who died just before that in a car crash. (Following dialogue continues, but it cuts to Nathaniel walking towards the door, carrying a gun) MAC (CONT’D, V.O.) Apparently he said it was a ghost who killed them, not him, so he and his accomplices got off as clinically insane. JACK: Oh my god I think you’re right, it is Nathaniel! (End cut scene) Some hair falls on Jack. He looks up 19. CUT TO:PERSPECTIVE SHOT OF DOLLS The ceiling is covered in barbie dolls. He screams and recoils. Back to long shot MAC Jack! Are you alright? What happ- JACK: I think there actually is a ghost here. Doorbell rings MAC Are you expecting anyone?! Cut to Nathaniel getting the key from under the flower pot and walking in. JACK: NO! Quiet I need to think! Ow! Why is that balloon shrinking? I think it’s because the pressure’s rising, my ears are popping! Why the heck is it rising?! MAC JUST GET OUT. It’s him! I’ll come over right now! (hangs up) JACK (muttering to himself) The filter, he didn’t have a way to actually stop us. He probably just watched us. (end cutscene) The camera starts tilting crazily JACK: The ghost… (the ballon reinflates). JACK: Oh no…. (Blood colored ectoplasm starts seeping at him. Jack reaches in his pockets for the salt, it’s not there. 20. (Jessica’s voice speaks, but without a source). JESSICA (V.O.) Hahahahahaha (make your own laugh) The camera slowly rises (staying pointed at Jacks face) and starts moving towards him jerkily. (heavy breathing). Jack turns around. Jessica (gripping a pen in her right hand) runs right through him (ghost effect). (Camera cuts, now it is on the ceiling in between them) They both turn around and she stops being a ghost. JESSICA (has weird eyes, we could use contacts or something else): Where is he? JACK: He is coming. CUT TO OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF NATHANIEL HURRYING DOWN THE STAIRS JACK (CONT’D, V.O.) He’s gonna kill me. Please don’t kill me I didn’t kill you! CUT TO SHOULDER SHOT OF JESSICA. Jessica twirls around and grabs Nathaniel by the neck, then stabs him in the mouth with the pen (using the previously shown technique. For this you will: Quickly take the pen out of Jacks mouth, then take your hand off of his throat (be gentle, let me know if you’re not comfortable with this.) When you fall, you will have fake blood in your mouth which you will spill). Cuts to ground level, view of nathaniel collapsing (even though this will be a kai’s house it will have the same carpet or whatever to make it seem like the same place. If the walls are a different color have the body block them in this shot) He collapses, gasping, she lets him fall. Jack jumps back, in shock. 21. On his chest (so it moves with breathing) looking up at Jessica JESSICA: Now you know how I felt. But... (voice cracking) Why? CUT TO:BACK TO FLOOR VIEW (SAME CARPET AND STUFF) NATHANIEL (remember you’re dying, blood is coming out of your mouth) They were going to enslave your soul. It would have been worse than death. I’m sorry. But try and be a little grateful, would you, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’m sorry… and I’m sorry about chopping you up. I was so high.(turning to Jack) And I came here to protect you from her. All the ghosts I’ve ever seen are like mindless killing machines. And right before I did it, when I said I didn’t need you? I was just scared. I’m so sorry... (dead). CUT TO:FROM ACROSS THE ROOM Jack is curled up on the couch. The door opens (the camera stays the same) and Mac and Lark come running in. LARK (still hurt): Why did we even come over here, he’s fine. MAC What happened? Are you hurt, why is there blood on your boots? I swear if... JACK: I’m fine, Lark look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I was just really frickin’ scared. (to Mac) I don’t know what happened… 22. LARK (forgiving) That’s alright, I guess we were both scared MAC Guys this can wait, Jack have you seen Linsey? She hasn’t answered our texts. I don’t know how she could be asleep after yesterday? THE END
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