Last Friday was my last day of high
school. Now I’m not getting all sentimental about it yet, I’ve been thinking
about my favorite moments at Hawken these past few years. Academically, what
comes to mind is my Independent Study intensive this past Fall when, if you all
remember, I was posting on the blog 3 to 4 times a day.
For those of you who are unfamiliar
with Hawken’s wacky schedule, an intensive is a three-week period where we
focus on one single class. The month or so between Thanksgiving and Christmas,
I focused on screenwriting.
Since then, I haven’t been able to
do as much screenwriting as I have wanted to. I can’t even use homework as an
excuse; being a second semester senior, homework wasn’t exactly a huge time
consumer.
Finally, my English teacher gave me
an excuse to start writing again. For my final project in a class where we
studied the “lost generation” writers, I wrote the first few scenes of a script
based off of the great horror writer: Alfred Hitchcock.
Although he’s most famous for the
movies he produced later in his career, such as Psycho, Hitchcock actually made his first horror film in 1927, in
the midst of the silent movie era. The film was called The Lodger, and it was about this infamous serial killer, The
Avenger, who was killing beautiful blonde women all across New York City. As a
part of my research, I watched this film before I started writing, and love it
(despite the lack of sound and color). It definitely made me consider trying to
write a horror script, and now that I’m done with high school, I actually have
the time! Or maybe have a Hitchcock marathon? (With blog posts of course!) The
opportunities are endless.
So here is my attempt to mimic the
greatest horror writer of all time. Definitely big shoes to fill!! Here goes
nothing…
INSPIRED BY HITCHCOCK’S THE LODGER
EXT. NEW YORK CITY – NIGHT
SCREAMING BYSTANDERS point
at a WOMAN falling from a very tall skyscraper on 42nd Street. THE
WOMAN lands on the sidewalk and A CROWD forms around her, horrified. SHE has
blonde short hair and is wearing a long puffy coat.
ZOOM IN: ONE MAN takes out
his cellphone and dials 9-1-1. His hands are shaking as he talks to the police.
FADE OUT.
INT. NYPD OFFICE – NIGHT
OFFICER DEREK is sitting
at his desk, on the phone. HE is a fat man with greasy dark hair.
The office is busy; SOME
OFFICERS are carrying paperwork, OTHERS are sitting at their desks, on the
phone.
OFFICER DEREK suddenly
stands, still talking into his phone.
FADE OUT.
TEXT appears on the
screen. It reads:
“WE’RE ON OUR WAY.”
EXT. 42ND STREET – NIGHT
CROWD is still surrounding
THE WOMAN. Blue and red lights FLASH in the background, and a series of POLICE
CARS AND AMBULANCES pull up. THE POLICE MEN get out of THEIR CARS and break up
THE CROWD.
ZOOM IN: THE WOMAN is on
the ground, unconscious. OFFICER DEREK takes her pulse, pressing two fingers on
her wrist. He stands up.
FADE OUT.
TEXT appears on the
screen. It reads:
“SHE’S DEAD.”
INTERCUT-
THE CROWD is distraught.
ZOOM IN: ONE BYSTANDER
starts to cry; looks away.
ZOOM OUT: OFFICER DEREK
sees a NOTE tied around THE WOMAN’S neck. He picks it up and reads it.
ZOOM IN: OFFICER DEREK
holds THE NOTE close to his face. It reads:
HELLO OFFICER DEREK. SINCERELY, THE AVENGER
ZOOM OUT: OFFICER DEREK
stands up. HE shushes THE CRYING BYSTANDER. THE OTHER OFFICERS attempt to push
back THE CROWD. OFFICER DEREK YELLS and THE OTHER OFFICERS turn to face him.
FADE OUT.
TEXT appears on the
screen. It reads:
“SHE’S BEEN MURDERED.”
INT. LOCAL NEWSPAPER OFFICE – DAY
THE ROOM is crowded with
cubicles and JOURNALISTS typing furiously at their desks.
ZOOM IN: ARTHUR JENKINS
sits in his cubicle. HE is on the edge of his seat, deep in his work. HE is
very skinny and balding.
ARTHUR’S P.O.V.: A BLANK
WORD DOCUMENT is pulled up on ARTHUR’S COMPUTER SCREEN. ARTHUR begins typing
furiously. The screen reads:
A TRAGIC EVENT OCCURRED LAST NIGHT ON 42ND
STREET AT 8:28 P.M. RAMONA BENTLEY, ONE OF OUR VERY OWN HERE AT THE NEW YORKER,
WAS THROWN FROM THE ROOF OF OUR OFFICE BUILDING. LAST NIGHT, NEW YORK’S
INFAMOUS SERIAL KILLER, THE AVENGER, TOOK HIS NEXT VICTIM...
FADE OUT.
EXT. 42ND STREET – DAY
OFFICER DEREK steps under
yellow caution tape and inspects the crime scene. HE looks at the chalk outline
of RAMONA still on the sidewalk. Next, HE looks up and sees A STREET VENDOR
selling hot dogs on the sidewalk. OFFICER DEREK walks up to THE MAN and his hot
dog cart.
FADE OUT.
TEXT appears on the
screen. It reads:
“HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING UNUSUAL HERE THESE PAST FEW
DAYS?
INTERCUT—
ZOOM IN: THE STREET VENDOR
punches something into the register. HE looks up.
FADE OUT.
TEXT appears on the
screen. It reads:
“OTHER THAN A WOMAN FALLING FROM THE SKY?”
INTERCUT—
A GROUP OF BUSINESS MEN
line up behind OFFICER DEREK. HE continues talking to THE STREET VENDOR, and
THE BUSINESS MEN start tapping their feet. Annoyed, OFFICER DEREK turns around
and shoos them away. THE STREET VENDOR looks upset.
OFFICER DEREK asks a
question and looks at THE STREET VENDOR. THE STREET VENDOR points to his hotdogs,
and OFFICER DEREK knows HE has to buy one before THE MAN will talk. After he
hands THE STREET VENDOR a five-dollar bill, THE MAN smiles and starts talking.
FADE OUT.
TEXT appears on the
screen. It reads:
“A MAN WITH A WRAPPED UP FACE AND A LONG TRENCHCOAT
ENTERED THE BUILDING AROUND NOON, AND I HAVEN’T SEEN HIM SINCE.”
INTERCUT—
OFFICER DEREK points to
the skyscraper directly behind him, and THE STREET VENDOR nods. OFFICER DEREK
shakes THE MAN’S hand and smiles. HE starts to walk away, but THE STREET VENDOR
calls him back, and OFFICER DEREK turns around.
FADE OUT.
TEXT appears on the
screen.
“BUY A HOTDOG FIRST.”
INTERCUT—
OFFICER DEREK begrudgingly
takes out his wallet and hands THE STREET VENDOR another five-dollar bill. THE
STREET VENDOR smiles again.
FADE OUT.
TEXT appears on the
screen. It reads:
“BEFORE HE WENT INSIDE, HE WAS TALKING TO THE WOMAN
WHO FELL FROM THE SKY. I COULDN’T HEAR THEM, BUT IT LOOKED LIKE THEY KNEW EACH
OTHER...”
INTERCUT—
OFFICER DEREK is
perplexed. HE thanks THE STREET VENDOR one last time and walks back over to the
yellow caution tape.
MOVIES WATCHED: 20
SCREENPLAY PAGES WRITTEN: 48
NOVEL PAGES WRITTEN: 76
PAGES LEFT IN FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: 336
