Generate Script ideas for a scripted element of a media product (P2)

 

Explanation of idea:

An idea I came up a while ago in a previous unit is: In the suburbs, convicts have escaped the local prison; he goes to barricade his house in the off chance the convict comes to his house. Richard (protagonist) hears a window smash. His suspicions are correct that it is a convict. Has to protect his family. It is a slasher. 

Narrative Conventions of Horror Movies:

• Mise-en-scene - dark and places that are abandoned and isolated
• Props - knives, axes and chainsaws as well as supernatural features such as castles, graveyards and haunted houses.
• Colours - black, red, brow, grey 
• Close-ups - convey tenseness and people being scared
• Wide shots - shows isolation
• High pitch sound - creates sense of alarm
• Fast pace cuts - makes audience distressed, builds tension

Expanding Conventions:

• Mise-en-scene - dark house, not abandoned but family feels isolated. Dark furniture but still able to see 
• Wide shots - wide shots of rooms to display how big the house is but a small family; will be easy for the convict to sneak around
• Close-up - zooms on protagonist's face creating tension, as well as objects.
• High pitch sounds - screeches of doors, knocking on windows
• Fast pace cuts - cutting from different parts of the house and people

Develop Concept:

Four-step concept - Family sees convict's escaped on TV; they don't think anything of it however they do lock their doors and windows. Next, they see someone walking slowly past their house glancing towards it - they could put this down to someone having a nightly stroll, taking a look at surrounding houses but they still feel skeptical. They then hear a knock on the window but don't see anyone; put it down to wind making something hit it but they don't know it is actually the convict. Finally, a window breaks with the convict breaking in and trying to kill the family. Makes this undeniable that there is a huge problem and needs to be sorted.

Three-Act Structure:

Act 1:

• Starts in the day and family is happy, going about their day until the evening when they see the news and the convict has escaped. They go to sleep until they start to hear things and see someone outside their house. Eventually, the antagonist breaks in so the family hides.

Act 2:

• The protagonist confronts antagonist and fights him. It becomes a battle and there are times where they lose each other, sneaking around. 

Act 3:

• The family must be protected by the protagonist. Finally, the protagonist kills villain. He got some wounds of his own and the sun rises. Police and ambulance come, tending to the hero and taking villain away. Family being traumatised, move to another location starting over.

I want to script act 3 as I believe it is the best to do. My synopsis: 

The father tackles the convict, trading blows and gaining wounds as the rest of the family calls the police. Brutally, the protagonist gathers objects to hit the villain with. The fight ends with the hero killing the villain in cold blood, trying to protect his family. He is unfazed and exhausted at what has happened that night. The police arrive, questioning the family and detaining the father until they realised it was self defence. He is taken to hospital then the family decide to move on with their lives in a new city.