The origins of 'The Harrowed Man'...

While I'm on the subject of the film script I'm trying to write (of which I will post a snippet from the WIP treatment later this week!), and of  other horror films, I guess I should talk a bit about where my idea came from.

As derivative as it might seem, I actually got the idea after watching a horror film. But my idea didn't stem from a desire to homage this film, neither was it because it had short comings I felt could be done better (the latter couldn't be further from the truth).

I should start by talking about a Spanish horror called [*rec]. It's probably their equivalent of '28 Days Later', a reporter and camera man filming a fly-on-the-wall documentary about a local fire station accompany a fire crew to a call-out at a block of flats, where an old lady has become distressed. When they get there, turns out there's a rage-zombie virus, the building is quarantined and no one is allowed out.

It's all good, bloody zombie movie fun, with a couple of solid shocks thrown in.

Manuela Velasco as Angela Vidal, the film's heroine.  She's had a bad night, and it's about to get worse...

However, at the end of the film - and I'm going to keep things vague here for those who have not seen the film (which you should go remedy as soon as possible!) - it takes a turn which I was not expecting, and actually succeeds in going to a darker and more frightening place.

Without going in to too much detail, there was something in the final act which pretty much freaked me out - a combination of the performance of an actor with a very unique physical appearance, prosthetic make up, a smidgeon of VFX, intense acting, and the way that scene was shot.

I could have done with some of this after watching [*rec]...

Now, I'm not usually bothered by Horror films. They're either good, bloody fun (c.f. any good Zombie movie), or they annoy the hell out of me with their insistence of having the protagonists do really STUPID and ILLOGICAL things that put them in danger, just to keep the plot going. There aren't many horror films which have actually disturbed or frightened me.

But the end of [*rec] did this.

For the next few nights, I either had to sleep with the light on, or I kept waking up, trying to stop the images which had disturbed me from playing over in my mind.

This carried on until 5 days after seeing the film, I watched the 'making of' documentary, and finally saw the reality of how the film makers achieved this scene which had freaked me out so much.

Anyway, a few days later, I was thinking about my reaction to [*rec], and to be honest, I felt pretty stupid. Why was I so disturbed by a silly film? There are worse things in real life, more terrifying realities, that should scare me.

So I began to think about what that worst thing would be for me; I was less than 6 months married at that point, with a 20 month old toddler. Losing my wife and child would be a far more horrific prospect than any fabricated monster from the imagination of a movie maker. How much more terrible would that also be if somehow it were my fault?

Somehow, at that point, the nightmarish thought of being responsible in some way for the death of the two people that mattered most to me, and the disturbing imagery form the finale of [*rec], merged in my mind, and the vague outline of 'The Harrowed Man' formed.

And it's stayed in my mind for four years now, gathering more details each time I've thought about it.

So, now I just need to write the thing, and finally get this 'Harrowed Man' out of my head. Then maybe he can freak out some other people, just as I was disturbed by the end of [*rec]...

Film Writing For Idiots (i.e. Me)

Well, I've actually done some writing, shock horror! But before I share any of that, I figured it worth mentioning first some details about the process of film writing. Despite the fact that I know nothing about screen writing, I have done extensive research (!) so I feel like I have somewhere to start from when it comes to writing this film script.

It seems that the normal approach is to firstly write a Treatment - this is basically a detailed synopsis/summary of the entirety of the film, describing scene by scene what happens, with some dialogue where it fits. Some people think this should be about three paragraphs long, others as long as 6 pages - I'm aiming for at most 3 sides of A4 in length.

Before I do that I'm going to try and write a really rough 2-3 paragraph outline as the basis which I'll bulk out as I write. Hopefully it'll help me bridge the gaps which currently exist between some of the scenes as I currently imagine them in my head!

Once I'm happy with the treatment, I'll start on the script proper. But that'll mean even more extensive research, so that's a little way off yet.

I'll post an excerpt of what I'm writing soon...

So, about that Film Script...

Yeah, what about that then...

Would you believe that, although this idea has been floating around in my head for 4 years now, this is the first time I've ever written (well, typed) any of it down? Here it is then.

At the moment, the working title is 'The Harrowed Man'.

It is about someone who loses their wife and 4 year old child in a car crash, which he survived. Whilst struggling to carry on with his life, coping with his grief and a creeping feeling of guilt that he survived when they did not, he begins to be haunted by a terrifying figure. This figure not only feeds the man's feelings of guilt, but it also physically attacks him, each encounter more dangerous than the last.

With the support of his sister, and a grief counsellor (who believe that the man's injuries from these attacks are self afflicted), he realises he must confront this figure, in order to overcome his grief and guilt.

But this figure is not merely trying to hurt the man - it wants to make him remember things he has suppressed from his memory...

Well, that's the bones of it. At the moment I have the opening, a few scenes, and I know how it will end. It's just working out how to make the transition from scene to scene. Also, as if that wasn't enough, the final act is non-existent in my head at the moment.

Seeing as this will fit in to the horror/ghosty-story genre, I'm trying really hard to avoid all the clichés that go with it. None of that 'OMG! it's behind you!' jump scares. No shadowy figures suddenly flashing across door ways. No self-levitating objects.

"Sorry, what did you say? 'Boo'?  Oh, yeah.  Right.  Whatever...."

So, basically, none of the 'scares' from any ghost-related horror of the last few years - Paranormal Activity, Sinister, Woman in Black, Mama - all that stuff that mainly relies on making people jump. I think horror should create a growing feeling of unease, take you to a place that is bleak and unrelenting - and then leave you feeling as though a bit of a malaise has settled on your soul. My favourite horror works - not just cinema, but books and graphic novels - all do that. Also, if it has some genuinely disturbing, freaky imagery that keeps you awake for a few nights, then that also helps...

I shall leave you with that thought, till my next post, pleasant dreams..! :p

This is my blog. Though there are many like it, this one is mine.

This week, I will turn 36 years old.

So perhaps I feel some impending mid-life crisis, or maybe it's that underlying feeling that I really should have decided what I want to be doing with my life by now; either way I've been thinking lately about how it is less than 5 years until I am 40 years old, which is a surreal and occasionally scary thought.

With this milestone bearing down on me like an extinction-level sized Asteroid in a Michael Bay movie, I've been thinking that I haven't achieved some of the creative accomplishments I've thought about over the last 10 or so years. I've a number of thoughts and ideas I've toyed with over the years, and since my ill-considered forays in to music writing faded away a decade ago, I've not made anything of all my other ideas. Also, I think I'm way past taking my professional life seriously, but I don't think it would hurt to start doing so at this stage of my life.

 

Look, a completely unsubtle visual metaphor!  Michael Bay would be proud.

So, I feel now is the time to make a stand, to pull my finger out, and actually start, y'know, doing something. I am starting this blog as a declaration of intent, and a way of tracking (and sharing) my progress.

And here it is - these are the Things That I Am Going To Do Before I Am Forty: 

1) Write a film script.

2) Write... something else.

3) Improve my career prospects.

4) Buy a house.

So that's my big announcement - nothing exciting, but something to work from. Guess I should explain why I've chosen these things:

1) Write a film script: I have had many writing ideas over the years - novels, comics, erotic fiction (okay, maybe not so much the latter!). Nothing ever comes of these as the ideas are usually too vague, or not simply good enough, to make anything with. But I've an idea, something that popped in to my head four years ago now, which has stuck with me and has grown - and I might actually be able to do something with...

This idea is for a film, which I would describe as a Psychological Horror - slash - Ghost story. I'll share further details in due course, but I'll start writing this first - simply because, as stated, it's the most complete in my head at the moment (not that it's anywhere actually near actually being complete, but I hope that makes sense!). It may never be sent to film producers, and even if it does there'll be a million-to-one chance it could get made - but just getting it out of my head and writing the thing should be cathartic and worthwhile experience.

2) Write... something else: exactly as it says. If/when I finish the script, I'll write something else. It could be a novel, a comic - hey, I'm even warming to the Erotic Fiction idea! Seriously, if you've never read 50 Shades, how hard can it be to write something of that... questionable quality..?

3) Improve my career prospects: Sometimes I can't help but feel that my degree has been a bit of a chocolate teapot, and as I seem to have stumbled in to a Stats-Database related post, perhaps I should do a course of some description to get an actual qualification relevant to one or more of the software packages I use? Not exactly exciting, but hey, I'm almost Forty, from what I understand at that age sensible is the new exciting. Or something...

4) Buy a house: as above, not exciting, but sensible. Having drifted through various voluntary sector posts during my 20's, once I'd done the grown-up thing of marriage-kids-employment I realised quickly that making a positive contribution to the world doesn't necessarily mean you're getting a decent financial foundation for your future in return. But that's probably my own fault more than anything. So I intend to do something about this, and start being, like, all growed-up and saving money and investing and crap like that.

Yeah, sorry, this isn't very exciting - I promise the rest of this blog will be about more interesting stuff like what I'm writing and that kind of thing.

But there it is anyway, I've pinned my colours to the mast, set out my charter, and all sorts of other clichés - this is what I intend to achieve. And you lucky people get to read all about it. How I spoil you!

Until next time...