the FILMMAKING I assignment was to create a short film for halloween. ours turned out the best thanks to a great crew, some very photogenic locations, and a score provided by trent reznor & atticus ross courtesy of the GHOSTS I-IV creative commons copyright license. here is the spooky lil script.

FADE IN:

EXT. SMALL TOWN BACKYARD - NIGHT

A Halloween party... sort of. Firepit. Lanterns. A table scattered with bottles of alcohol and soda. Red party cups abound. Preppy college students mill about, chatting, low-key. No one wears a costume and there are no decorations.

DAVID enters the yard from the side. He takes the party in for a moment, clearly a little nervous/lost.

LISA and MATT, a couple, see him first.

LISA
Hey! New kid! David, right? William invited you? I'm Lisa, it's so nice to meet you. This is Matt.

MATT
(somewhat chilly)
David. C'mon over.

Lisa and Matt motion David to the firepit. Seated and standing around the circular pit are JAMES and CATHERINE (another couple), and BETH (single). At the opening of the pit, in a wheelchair, sits WILLIAM. Lisa and Matt take their places in the circle. David sits down beside Beth, not thrilled to be the center of attention.

WILLIAM
Glad you made it, buddy. Everyone, David.

Introductions are exchanged. While this happens, William holds up TWO FINGERS and a red party cup is handed to him. He hands it to David.

WILLIAM
His family moved here from... where was it again?

DAVID
Seattle. And not really "family" or anything, it's just me and my mom.

CATHERINE
Just you and your mom? She's not married?

DAVID
Divorced. One of the shittier kinds. She -- we're both kind of looking forward to a fresh start.

BETH
(all smiles)
You'll definitely find that here in Mount Cover.

David, with a little help from Beth's charm, begins to look at ease.

CUT TO:

EXT. SMALL TOWN BACKYARD - NIGHT

The group is upbeat. David is likely a bit tipsy, his first drink finished. The small talk continues. William observes.

CATHERINE
...we all live a little longer around here. I think it's the air.

JAMES
Small town living. Can't beat it.

DAVID
Well, speaking of that, I have to ask. Why no costumes? Why no decorations? The whole town is empty. It's--

David glances at his watch.

DAVID
(cont'd)
--Halloween! We should be in ridiculous costumes, surrounded by skeletons and black cats! Spiders and bats! You're missing the best holiday of the year, guys.

MATT
We don't really believe in that sort of thing.

LISA
Hush! I wouldn't say that, it's--

BETH
It's just not a tradition around here. I guess it never really caught on?

DAVID
Wow. Autumn without Halloween. It's like The Beatles without George. Or weekdays without weed.

The group laughs. William holds up ONE FINGER. Another red cup is handed to him. This one is marked with a CRUCIFIX-LIKE SYMBOL. He holds onto it.

LISA
It's not so bad. Our dental hygiene is off the charts.

CATHERINE
And speaking for women, it's nice to not be freezing cold in those ridiculous, skimpy costumes they make for us.

JAMES
Whoa, whoa, now let's not rush to judgment...

Everyone laughs again. Beth moves closer to David, their shoulders making contact. William hands David the marked cup.

BETH
Why do you like Halloween so much, David?

DAVID
I don't know. It's about more than the costumes and candy. It's an important day. When you're a kid, you're terrified of the monsters in the dark, but Halloween, it... it makes you realize that the monsters aren't real. You can touch the darkness and still be safe.

David sips his drink.

BETH
But what if the monsters are real, David?

DAVID
I... what?

David begins to wobble. His vision blurs. He looks at his cup and notices the marking. He looks up at the group, stumbling backwards. Everyone stares at him, calmly, coldly.

DAVID
(cont'd)
You...

David collapses.

CUT TO:

EXT. FIELD - NIGHT

David wakes up. He can't move. He's tied to a post in a clearing, on his knees, arms behind his back. His mouth is gagged. He struggles. William approaches the post.

WILLIAM
I wouldn't bother, David. There's no getting out of this. I'm sorry. I would have loved for it to go the other way. But I just don't think you're going to fit in here.

William wheels around David, grabbing his face and lifting it up so that they make eye contact.

WILLIAM
(cont'd)
I don't want you to worry. You won't be leaving anything behind. Your mom, the Elders already had a "get-to-know-you" party for her. I guess she didn't fit in either.

David yells into his gag and tries to lunge at William.

WILLIAM
(cont'd)
Shh, shh. Think of it as an honor. You get to be part of something much greater than yourself. This is your becoming. You're paving the way for His return.

William backs away so David can see. One by one, from darkness, the rest of the group enters the clearing. They are dressed in black, each holding a small blade. Their voices are hypnotic, almost as if possessed. They look to the sky, to the stars, to David. They move in the darkness as if filled with warm light.

LISA
Can you hear it, David?

MATT
The sky. It's screaming.

JAMES
I hear the trumpets, I hear the pipers.

CATHERINE
A million angels singing.

LISA
The Man-Jesus is coming back.

MATT
To claim his empty throne.

JAMES
To tear all of this down.

CATHERINE
And build another one.

WILLIAM
Now you know what this is all about, David. Now you know exactly what you are.

William backs away as Beth -- with her own small blade -- approaches David, much closer than the rest of the group. She brushes his cheek with her hand.

BETH
You were right. It is an important day.

Just as David manages to shake his gag off, the group closes in. As the darkness envelops him, he screams.

FADE OUT.

2014.10.31