The plot itself follows the basic structure of the synopsis I wrote earlier, with some modified parts.
In the script, there are some parts that are almost entirely action-based, and some parts that are almost entirely dialogue. This creates a feeling of almost two separate films in one, which links to the main character's sense of detachment.
Also, although it was initially a mistake, I decided to keep the idea of none of the characters having names, as this also creates a sense of mystery and strangeness. This has been used in quite a few things I have encountered, such as a book called 'The Moth Diaries', which features a similar plot involving a narrator slowly losing grip of their sanity and believing supernatural events are taking place. The book is in the form of the narrator's diary, and although the reader is told some of the narrator's deepest thoughts and feelings, they are never told the narrator's name. I felt that this is an effective way of creating a sense of mystery and unease, as it makes things less certain.
Another minor inspiration is behind the voiceover at the start of the film. Originally, it was going to be a sequence of events rather like a montage, with no dialogue. However I felt that this was a bit lacking as an opening, as there was no dialogue or real way of drawing the audience into the film. I also felt that the script was not able to show a lot of what I was originally trying to convey, such as the idea of nightmares blending into reality. However, an inspiration came to me while I was thinking about this. I was listening to a CD called 'Nightmare Anatomy' by the band Aiden. On the last song, there is a hidden track that is the singer talking about nightmares. This gave me an idea of making the main character have a monologue at the start talking about nightmares. This has significance in my film because it creates an atmosphere from the beginning, and also hints at the main character already having mental 'demons' to deal with before they start to believe that they are being haunted by the ghost of their friend, if they are already preoccupied with nightmares. It also gives the audience something to listen to at the start and take interest in before the proper dialogue starts. This will help draw the audience's attention to the film.
In order to create the monologue, I did some research on both the beliefs and facts behind nightmares, which I hope will make the voiceover seem more authentic, as if the main character has actually experienced nightmares and also done some research on them as well.
Script
Start in the main character's living room. Slow pan across the darkened room, to the main character lying on the floor, looking scared and upset. Voices can be heard whispering unintelligibly, as well as other strange noises. Main character closes their eyes tight in fear. Cut to black.
The light is tinted blue. The main character is walking in a cemetery. They seem to be a little nervous. As they walk, noises begin to become audible. They are like whispering voices, but they cannot be understood. The main character seems to hear these and, becomes more uneasy. Sudden cut to black, but the voices continue.
Cut to the main character’s room as they wake up. The voices disappear after a couple of seconds.
Main character (voiceover): (Semi-monotone.) What do you dream of? What do you see when you close your eyes? (Pause) Nightmares. A morbid oppression during sleep. Terrifying dreams. They can occur at any time, but they are more common just before waking, and after traumatic events. The subconscious mind creates a world full of fear and the dreamer is helpless. This carries on into waking hours. Often the dreamer is at first disorientated and can suffer from momentary amnesia. People used to believe nightmares were the work of demons that fed on the energy of humans, eventually killing them. (Pause) They can be linked to a variety of other mental problems. In some cases, nightmares require treatment. Reluctance and refusal to sleep can be a side effect of repeated nightmares. (Pause. The next few sentences are said with growing emotion, almost anger.) Buried emotions. Anxiety. Stress. Bereavement. Guilt. Hatred. The desire to hurt others. (Pause. When the main character speaks again, they are back to a semi-monotone.) Depending on the trigger, anything can happen in a nightmare. Inability to breathe is common, as is getting lost. Or maybe death, pain, or simply the knowledge that something is in the shadows, waiting for you. (Pause) Like that dream where you fall. Once you're over the edge, there's no way back.
These events happen during the voiceover: The main character is walking along a street. They start to hear faint whispering and other strange noises. They begin to look uneasy, but carry on walking.
The cemetery again, the light once again tinted blue. This time, the whispers and other noises can be heard straight away. The main character starts to walk faster through the cemetery, as if trying to escape something. They turn a corner, and suddenly stop. Cut to a point of view shot of someone walking towards the main character. Then back to a shot of the main character standing still. A hand reaches out towards the main character, stained with blood from the wrist trickling downwards. The whispering voices and noises grow louder, and the hand grabs onto the main character's wrist. Blood runs down where the hand is holding the main character's wrist.
Cut to the main character waking up on a chair in their house. A nearby clock shows the time as early in the morning. The DVD menu of a horror film is playing on the television. The noises can still be heard as the main character looks at their wrist as if checking for blood. There is none. The noises and whispers stop.
***
The main character's house. The main character picks up the phone and dials a number.
Main character: Hi. It's me. Uh… yeah. Are you busy today? (Pause) No, not really. I just really need someone to talk to. It's kind of important.
The main character's living room. The main character is with their friend.
Main Character: I don't know how to say this. But it's going to drive me mad if I don't tell someone.
Friend: What is it?
Main Character: I keep on hearing… something. I think it's her.
Friend: That's not funny.
Main Character: You think I'd joke about something like that? I'm serious! Every time I wake up I can hear these voices and I know it's her. And I've been having dreams where - (Pause) You don't believe me. I'm not lying!
Friend: I'm not saying you're lying… but I don't think she's trying to speak to you either. She's gone. Look, maybe you should have a break. This was her house as well. Maybe you just need some time away.
Main Character: You think I'm crazy. Or lying. But I'm not. I can hear her voice but I can't tell what she's saying! Please believe me.
(Pause)
Friend: Have you visited her recently? Maybe if you just went to see her, it'd make you feel better.
Main Character: Yeah. I'll do that.
Friend: It'll be alright. Really. It looks bad now, but things will get better. And it wasn't your fault.
***
The cemetery. The main character is holding some flowers, and they are walking along the path looking uneasy. As they walk, they start to look around as if they can hear things. The shot changes to what seems like a point of view shot of someone a little way off, hiding. A hand can be seen, seeming to belong to the person the point of view shot is from. It is unnaturally pale and something resembling blood can be seen on it. The main character doesn't seem to be aware of this, but they stop and turn back anyway, looking scared.
***
The main character's house. The flowers from the cemetery scene can be seen. The main character is playing music, and gradually, strange noises start to become audible over the music. The main character seems not to notice at first, but starts to act as if there is someone else in the room.
Main character: (In a friendly way) Don't you have something better to do? (Pause) No, I'm fine. Really. I promise I'm not going crazy or anything. I've been to the doctor's. They said that it's just stress. If it happens again, they'll run tests, but it's probably just too much work and horror films and not enough sleep. But- (Stops talking.)
(Across the room there is a person. They are in shadow, but they are clearly there. They start to walk towards the main character. The main character seems frozen with fear for a moment. Then the camera shot goes back to the place where the other person was standing. There is no one there.)
The friend is at home and the phone rings. They pick it up.
Friend: Hello? (Pause) Hey, slow down! What's happening?
Main character: I saw her! I saw her, I'm not lying.
Friend: Saw who?
Main character: Her. I saw her. In this house. I know she was here! It's getting worse. I keep on hearing her, and it's getting louder and louder but it's never clearer. It's like she's too far away to hear. You have to believe me.
Friend: (Angrily) So what happens if I do believe you? Do we have some happy little reunion séance? A Ouija board party? It's just not going to happen! She's gone, and that's final. It doesn't matter how or where it happened, but it has. (Pause, as if something really bad has been said.) I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that. But I miss her too, and I feel bad about what happened just as much as you. But you've got to move on. Promise you'll do that.
Main character: But she won't let it happen… I keep hearing things, and I know it's her. And now I'm seeing her too. I don't know what's happening. She won't let me move on.
(Pause)
Friend: Look, I don't think there's a way I can ask this that won't make me sound horrible. But have you… have you been remembering to take your medication? Maybe you should tell your doctor.
(The main character puts down the phone angrily.)
Main character: I'm not crazy. Something's happening. (Looks around as if the shadowy person will return.) What do you want?
***
The main character is walking along the same street as the beginning monologue. The noises and whispering are clearly audible from the start. The main character is obviously able to hear them and is uncomfortable. Suddenly, they stop walking. The camera pans to a person standing further down the street. The noises and whispering become louder. Then the other person walks away. The main character runs after them, but when they turn the corner, the other person is gone.
***
The main character is in their house watching television, and they seem unnerved. The light is dim and tinged a green/blue. The whispers start up again, growing in volume and a tapping can be heard as well. The main character looks up as if someone is upstairs, and then shake their head. The noises continue, and eventually they go upstairs to where there is a closed door.
Main Character: Is that you?
They stand and look at the door in front of them as if it is something horrific. They half reach out to open it, then they stop.
Main Character: Why won't you leave me alone? (The whispering grows louder, and is joined by several other noises. The main character grows increasingly scared and starts to knock on the door more and more urgently.) What do you want with me? Why won't you just leave me alone? (Starts to hit the door.) What do you want? (Pause. The main character suddenly seems confused and worried as opposed to angry.) Are-are you alright? Open the door. I'm sorry. I just want to talk to you. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. (The main character waits, then tries to open the door. They push it open. A person is in the other room, facing away from the main character. They are slumped awkwardly. Cut to a close up of the other person's bloodied wrist with more blood nearby. The main character backs away, horrified.) No… no… no! This isn't real! Stop it! Why can't you just leave me alone?!
The main character runs away, and they start to throw things around in anger (the photograph frame, the flowers, and few other things). Eventually, they sit on the floor fearful and upset, muttering to themselves. The whispering sounds continue, but quieter and more menacing, the tapping and scraping sounds still audible. Cut to the person in the other room. The bloodied hand and wrist is paler and more dead-looking. It twitches and moves as if the owner has just woken up.
Cut to the friend. They are in their own house. They seem to be uneasy. After a while, they pick up the phone and dial.
Cut to main character's house. The lights are still dark. The telephone is ringing. The furniture it is placed on is almost spotlighted in the gloom. There is a medicine bottle next to the telephone. The camera pans away. The photograph of the main character and the other person is visible. The glass on the frame is broken. The flowers the main character had at the cemetery are on the floor. These items also seem spotlighted. The camera reaches the main character, who is lying on the floor, seemingly in a pool of dim light. The whispering voices can still be heard. The main character seems to almost be falling asleep. Then they seem to notice something. A person is seen walking across the room. They go to the main character, and the whispers and noises fade as they do so. They reach out to the main character. Their skin is pale and dead-looking, and there is a cut on the wrist.
Dead person: It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry. (Pause) I missed you.
No comments:
Post a Comment