Shootin' The Shorts
Shootin' The Shorts is run by J.E. Clarke a longtime prolific screenwriter who loves to give others a little boost in the marketplace by highlighting why she believes their short script may stand out. She brings with her a loyal band of readers who share the same compassionate attitude who have joined her cause as it's grown and grown to connect writers with filmmakers on a monthly basis. Now it finds a home here on Script Revolution.
This is all about highlighting what makes a script great by focusing on the positives. You'll find no negative criticism or lists of issues here. Submitting a short script for consideration couldn't be easier, simply scroll down to the bottom of your script edit page and tick the "Submit to Shootin' The Shorts" checkbox. Please note; it takes time to get through all submissions, everything is subjective, and we're by no means saying these are the best short scripts on Script Revolution, they are simply the ones that have found an admirer within this section - CJ
Zombie Romance - What Would YOU Do For Love?
ZOMBIE ROMANCE
On the eve of a zombie apocalypse, a young wife has to make a life or death choice in the name of love.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the horror staple of Zombies has reached saturation point and that our appetite and continuing hunger for the lumbering, rampaging, bloodthirsty undead has waned.
Future Box Office however, tells a different story.
There are some twenty Zombie horror flicks already slated for 2018/19 with titles such as The Cured, Little Monsters, Cargo, Patient Zero, An Accidental Zombie (Named Ted), Breathers, and Inherit The Earth, to name just some of the titles already released or awaiting release. These movies have big-name stars attached: Lupita Nyong’o, Ellen Page, Martin Freeman, Stanley Tucci, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Brad Pitt is returning in the sequel to World War Z 2, and the original cast of Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Jesse Eisennberg make their return in Zombieland 2.
Chances are if you’re reading this blog you fancy yourself as the next George Romero, Jennifer Kent, Mike Flanagan, Julia Ducournau, or James Wan. You want to make a short film with maximum impact, which means you need good material with broad audience appeal.
Want something with a little horror, a little romance, and a good dose of humour? Not to mention blood, gore, and a decent dose of foreboding and suspense? Oksana Shafetova’s (aka Miranda Grey's), Zombie Romance, has all these ingredients and more.
We open on Barbara, a young woman lying on a bed in a darkened room. Anyone who’s ever suffered a migraine knows the benefits of quiet and darkness. Only trouble is there’s some weird screaming and carrying on going on outside Barbara’s bedroom window. Rest and recuperation is not going according to plan.
We hear the fumbling of the key in the lock of the front door. Thank God, her loving husband Harry, is home. He can take Max, the dog, out for a walk. He might even be able to explain the weird auditory hallucinations Barbara is hearing from outside.
Maybe it’s all in her head.
Or maybe it isn’t...
One thing’s for sure. The words: ‘for better or worse’ and ‘in sickness and health’, are just about to be sorely tested.
Filmmakers: Zombie Romance is a killer script. One you’ll be dying to get your hands on. There’ll be a lot of clamouring for this one, so best set yourself apart from the hordes and get on it fast.
Contained Horror. One location, two leads, a mutt, minimal SFX, Zombie makeup…
And you’re set to go.
About the writer: Oksana Shafetova has always been fascinated with storytelling, but discovered her inner voice only a couple years ago. Graduated as an editor, she has worked in the fields of journalism and video game narrative, until she finally found her true passion in script writing. Oksana gets inspiration from cinematography, and empathizes with an audience to think up riveting plot twists in her own works. She currently lives with her husband, an illustrator, in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The Script
About The Reviewer
L.Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently...Read more
About The Writer
Miranda Grey (Oksana Shafetova) has always been fascinated with storytelling, but discovered her inner voice only a couple years ago. Graduated as an editor, she has worked in the fields of journalism and video game narrative, until she finally found her true passion in script writing. Miranda...Read more
At Attention - When Nature Calls, You Salute!
At Attention
On a forest trek, a young man discovers that some of the finer things in life can present themselves unexpectedly.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a lady or a man. When you’ve got to go, you have no choice!
Meet Peter: a young man with dreams of the great outdoors. When At Attention opens, Peter’s wandering the forest like a weekend warrior. Moments later… nature calls.
Ever the polite city denizen, Peter heads for privacy in the undergrowth. But as he – and the audience –soon find out, our protagonist is far from alone.
Enter the Narrator: a mysterious gentleman’s gentleman “exuding nobility and bearing a contagious smile.” Wearing white gloves, he waves happily to Peter and points out a spotless urinal at his side.
In the woods?!? How? Why?!?
NARRATOR
I thought to whistle, but didn't want to disturb his privacy.
Oh, Peter’s disturbed all right!
He quick-zips, embarrassed at his predicament. The narrator beckons. Peter, alarmed, sneaks a look back the way he came.
Concern overridden by curiosity, Peter tiptoes over. The Narrator – well, narrates – along the way.
NARRATOR
He was, by far, my favorite of that year.
The narrator offers the urinal. Classical music plays to set the mood.
NARRATOR
Just good ol’ customer service….They all need a little encouragement.
So he says internally, all the while beckoning Peter to venture closer… even patting him on the back.
In every genre of film, mysteries like “what’s in the world’s happening” and “will he, or won’t he?” reign above all. And so it is with this short.
Who is this classy, calm professional with no earthly want or need? Will Peter conduct business-as-usual and give in to his urinal’s Siren song?
Clocking in just over three pages, Matthew Portman’s At Attention is a brilliant surrealist comedy. Questions fly. Time does, too. And you’ll have a constant smile on your face throughout.
If you’re a director looking for a Yorgos Lanthimos style short for the festival circuit, you’ll love At Attention. And for anyone seeking guaranteed laughs, this script won’t “miss the mark” or disappoint!
The Script
About The Reviewer
By day a 3d visualiser, by night an aspiring screenwriter.
My work varies from dramatic feature films, to surreal comedy shorts, with a little bit of television work thrown into the mix. My goal is to have work produced by the right team for the individual script, if you think that's...Read more
About The Writer
Next Stop, Salvation... Maybe
Next Stop, Salvation
A supply run turns deadly for a group of commuters when they encounter a monstrous storm.
The key to persuasive world building is to start with a snapshot: a pinhole view into a slither of a different world. This minute morsel of another existence offers a taste of something much larger and alluring. It leaves the audience or reader yearning to learn more. See more. Experience more. Which is why Warren Duncan’s Next Stop, Salvation short is compelling to its core.
Starting with the opening description, you’re immediately immersed in a future world, bereft of life and hope. The very definition of a nightmarish, dystopian landscape:
A gas mask sits propped on top of (Mac’s) head, ready for immediate use.
He stares vacantly out over an arid wasteland. Red dirt covers everything for as far as the eye can see.
It’s as if even the light itself is tinted red.
The aptly named Mac drives a rickety ‘heavily fortified’ school bus through a vermillion-hued city, characterized by dust and destruction. His task appears to be the pick-up of a few solitary humans to bring them back ‘home’. Wherever home is.
The first passenger he picks up is Linden: a woman in her 30s who’s been scavenging for supplies. It also becomes clear through their initial taut exchange that Mac and Linden are romantically entwined.
She flings her arms around him, pulls him in tight.
MAC
I missed you.
LINDEN
Me too.
MAC
How’s it go?
Linden releases him, removes the backpack, and opens it.
It’s filled to the brim with medical supplies.
LINDEN
Prosperous day, indeed.
Following his brief reunion with Linden, Mac picks up the twins, Cody and Kane, in their mid-20s. Both weighed down by items they’ve foraged and armed with rifles. All three passengers are in equal parts exhausted, relieved and fearful.
When a frenzied ‘operator’ sends a distorted transmission to Mac via his CB, warning of an impending storm, we witness the true extent of dread this unseen evil entity elicits from the human survivors.
OPERATOR (V.O.)
Mac - - massive – your way –
He lifts the receiver.
Linden, Cody, and Kane all lean forward to listen in.
MAC
Say again, not received.
OPERATOR (V.O.)
The storm’s coming! They’re coming!
Mac throws the receiver down.
LINDEN
Mac? What storm?
MAC
I didn’t want to worry you. It’s ok, I’ve got this.
Kane stands up.
KANE
You’ve got this? They’re fucking coming for us, we’re screwed.
What follows the storm is a nightmarish horror, one that’s presumably responsible for the devastated world in which they now live. Or, we should say… survive?
Their only hope is to make it through this storm to reach salvation. But at what cost?!?
Warren Duncan’s imaginative short will leave you at the edge of your seat wanting to both read more and hide behind a pillow simultaneously.
It’s the perfect proof-of-concept story for directors and producers looking to stretch their skills in VFX and world building production design. Likewise, if you’re looking for a story that emulates the vision and style of such greats as John Carpenter and George Miller, this script might just be your Salvation, too!
The Script
About The Reviewer
Jeremy Storey, originally hails from the United Kingdom, but now resides in Seattle, WA. He first discovered the joys of writing at school, penning short stories and collaborating on comic books with his friends. Coming from a writerly family, it was clearly in his DNA to tell stories. However,...Read more
About The Writer
I am an aspiring screenwriter from Australia.
I have had multiple shorts produced and currently have several on option.
I typically enjoy writing horror, thriller, and drama scripts.
Please feel free to contact me at warren_duncan@...Read more
Sweet as a Nut: A Tale to Sink Your Teeth Into
SWEET AS A NUT
A timid man has an interesting conversation with the owner of London sweetshop,
who isn't all that he seems.
Imagine - if you can - shopping in London. You walk into a sweet shop (‘candy store’ or ‘confectionary’, in Uncle Sam’s English), and the proprietor happens to be either Hatchet Harry or Bricktop. Would be a bit of an unsettling surprise, right?
Well, if you’re still reading this review, that means you immediately recognized the iconic character names above, having played key roles in two early Guy Ritchie movies: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
This also means you have a fondness for such movies and will surely want to know more about Jay Creek’s deeply devilish and sardonic, ‘Sweet As A Nut’.
If you still have no idea what I’m harping on about, but remain out of morbid curiosity… then you probably have nothing better to do. So feel free to tag along!
Meet Tom: in his early-forties, out shopping along one of London’s many bustling high-streets. Or as colloquially described in this story:
Grey. Dour. Colder than a witch’s tit. This is a London street at its finest.
While out and about, Tom discovers ‘Sweet as a Nut’, a distinctively old-fashioned and warmly idiosyncratic sweet shop that stands out amongst a row of non-descript, banal stores on the high-street.
Intrigued, Tom ventures inside to find a beautifully preserved, Victorian-style confectionary. Understandably, everything about this venerable setting takes Tom’s breath away. Which makes it all-the-more disconcerting when his fanciful reverie is smashed to smithereens when interrupted by a man behind the counter;
A gravelly, Cockney bark cuts his reverence in half.
HARRY
What the fuck do you want?
Harry is not Willy Wonka.
No, Harry is an intimidating ‘towering hulk of a man’ with the demeanor and general looks of a classic cockney East London gangster. In short… not someone you mess around with.
Squirming, and slowly dissolving into a puddle of befuddlement and dread, Tom spends the next few agonizing minutes vacillating between ordering what he wants versus what Harry tells him to buy.
TOM
Ahem. Can I please have some lemon sherberts?
Harry looks down at Tom.
HARRY
Lemon Sherbets?
TOM
Uh, yes please.
HARRY
Lemon, fuckin’ sherbets?!
What follows is a rather uncomfortable exchange in which Harry insists Tom check out a variety of other options... ones that may or may not be legal. Which leaves poor Tom flummoxed and beside himself.
Like Tom, the audience for this film will be excitedly disoriented and baffled by the end.
And that’s the appealing point of Sweet as a Nut. Not everything or everyone is what or whom they appear to be. Choc-full of succulent surprises and tasty twists, this script is much akin to Mr. Gump’s enduring box of chocolates:
You never know what you might get, but you know it’ll taste good.
This sly short is ideal material for the filmmaker experimenting with various narrative styles. And: specifically appealing to those who want to emulate the eccentric directing panache of Guy Ritchie and Edgar Wright.
Invariably, what you’ll produce will be… well, ‘sweet as a nut’!
The Script
About The Reviewer
Jeremy Storey, originally hails from the United Kingdom, but now resides in Seattle, WA. He first discovered the joys of writing at school, penning short stories and collaborating on comic books with his friends. Coming from a writerly family, it was clearly in his DNA to tell stories. However,...Read more
About The Writer
Hello, I'm Jay.
I'm a screenwriter from England, who writes sweary comedies.
Since I was young, I've been a writer, making comic books with friends and writing stories. I'm also a photographer, specialising in documentary and sports reportage.
Below is a list of relevant...Read more
All Things Blue - Truth Has Its Own Color
All Things Blue
A fleeting moment of friendship leads a lonely young girl to a devastating truth.
In an everyday neighborhood - could be yours - there is danger. And it could come from a myriad of sources: a stranger, an errant vehicle or something as simple as a scraped knee.
But for six-year-old Iza and her mother Adel, something fierce hides among the clouds. Something ready to pounce at any moment. It keeps them indoors glued to the radio, with a heavy supply of bottled water and rations at the ready.
Adel says it’s a Dragon, with claws like icicles and eyes big enough to see anything that moves. That’s why Daddy had to go away and fight it. And this is what Iza believes.
But we know better.
The tension is palpable as Adel struggles about her day, keeping up this charade. Something’s got to give, and it will happen sooner rather than later.
Stifled by being locked away from the world, Iza roams outside to a park across the street. There, she befriends a neighborhood boy, Ted, who’s not much older but a world wiser. He, too, has grown tired of hiding indoors.
And for this one fleeting moment, they get to be kids again. Laughing. Giddy. Too lost in the moment to worry, they cheerfully take turns pushing one another on a roundabout.
It’s short-lived.
For as the Air Raid sirens scream in the distance, the children shoot a glance upwards to see the contrails of a warplane streaming across the sky. This is Iza’s Dragon. But Ted knows the truth.
And so does Adel.
A coming of age tale at its core, screenwriter Steve Miles has weaved a heart wrenching narrative of a parent living in fear of the inevitable, coupled with the innocence of childhood on the verge of being lost forever.
If you’re a filmmaker and you know your stuff, this is one you can read with your eyes closed. A festival ringer. A calling card of the highest order.
The blueprint is meticulously laid out for you here. Two easy locations, and three good actors working on a small budget. Do this story justice, and it’ll do the same for you.
The Script
About The Reviewer
A writer since 13, I began screenwriting four years ago as a more direct outlet for my creativity. Since then, I've had two short scripts produced, and two more optioned. My writing style is subtle and understated, yet powerful in its emotional simplicity. I'm currently collaborating...Read more
About The Writer
Started writing scripts around five years ago after realising his social life was vastly overrated. Enjoys writing in a variety of genres but leans toward raw, grittier characters and the worlds they inhabit - from the deadly serious to the darkly comic. Drinks coffee, owns an unhealthy amount...Read more
Exchange Student - One Travel Ban That *Should* Be Enforced...
EXCHANGE STUDENT
A cocky college student investigating a dimensional portal encounters an unexpected surprise.
Rob Barkan knows horror. As readers of his other scripts know: if one’s tastes run toward intelligent, unique tales that make one’s blood run cold, Barkan’s your demon… er, your man.
The same mind that brought you Eddie Whorl and Deathlife now conjures up a blend of horror mythology and 2018 relationship woes. The name of this terror tale - Exchange Student: a short that takes readers on a trip to “Parts” unknown.
The titular hero of our story? Will: a college student that’s seen… better days. With his relationship with girlfriend Rachel on the rocks, Will’s started cutting classes – taking up bizarre extra curricular activities instead.
We’re not talking basket weaving here. Will’s interest is in the occult. Recently, he’s stumbled upon ancient texts which hint at a tie between Native American and Spanish history… and the Cthulu mythos itself!
Rachel’s not returning Will’s calls. Left with nothing else to do, Will ventures into the nearby Utah wilderness to explore other worlds - armed with only his smartphone, and tasty “bait”:
Will pops the Tupperware lid. Discards it. Sits on the ground. Studies what's in the container.
A raw beef heart.
Will sets the container down.
The portal opens. Beyond it, a strange shadowy landscape.
Will stands up. Reaches for the beef heart with his gaze fixed on the portal.
WILL
Trick or treat, fuckers.
A disturbance at the portal. A creature not of this world crawls through, bear-sized. It's covered in reptilian scales. Tentacles propel it forward. A cluster of ebony arachnid eyes glisten under the starlight.
The walking nightmare tests the gravel under it. Stops. Senses Will.
Will sucks in a breath. Slowly stands. Squeezes the beef heart like his life depends on it.
Which it does.
Fans of horror might THINK they know what comes next.. but don’t. As with other terror tales from the mind of Rob Barkan, Exchange Student’s conclusion distorts one’s expectations of reality in disturbing (yet strangely satisfying) ways. Because Will thinks he’s done his homework… but in addition to a passport, there are some travel requirements he’s missed!
Are you a visually oriented director that’s evolved beyond jump scares? If you seek a memorable, buzz-inducing gem - Exchange Student is a trip into horror you just can’t miss.
The Script
About The Reviewer
By day a 3d visualiser, by night an aspiring screenwriter.
My work varies from dramatic feature films, to surreal comedy shorts, with a little bit of television work thrown into the mix. My goal is to have work produced by the right team for the individual script, if you think that's...Read more
About The Writer
I've been writing horror, fantasy and science fiction since the age of seven. I've placed several short tales in small press and online magazines like Lovecraft's Weird Mysteries, Dark Planet and Strange Fire. A more extensive collection appeared on my award-winning Deathlife Gravesite. I've...Read more
Rebecca's Blue Sky - When Clouds Turn Dark
REBECCA’S BLUE SKY
A troubled young woman believes she's carrying the baby of the Devil.
In today’s market, a drama needs to cut far more than skin deep to leave a genuine, lasting impression. Step forward Steven Clark; an author with an exceptional talent for telling tales. His latest effort - Rebecca’s Blue Sky - does all that... and more.
The pulsing heart of this story: the relationship between Steve and pregnant girlfriend Rebecca. Even though he knows the child she carries isn't his, the young man cares for Rebecca deeply, anyway. She's confided in Steve about the horrific crime she endured. All he wants to do these days is stay by her side and soothe her pain.
But as the pregnancy and their relationship grow, it becomes quickly apparent Rebecca hasn't told her boyfriend everything. Hidden are evil, dark and damaging memories - eating at her fragile mind.
Rebecca's messed up, and it shows. Incapable of intimacy with Steve, Rebecca instead spends her days visiting a mysterious headstone in a graveyard. Exponentially, her erratic behavior grows. When she accuses a random stranger of a heinous act, Steve beats him up. But when he discovers the man is innocent, loyal Steve finally starts to pull away:
EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE - LATER
Steve sits at one end of a picnic table. He’s pissed. Rebecca sits at the other end. A car passes.
REBECCA
It looked like him.
Steve takes a drag of his smoke, but doesn’t speak.
REBECCA
I swear to God I thought it was him.
STEVE
All right!
INT. PICK-UP TRUCK - NIGHT
Steve turns on a flashlight. It illuminates his thin, anxious face as he ruminates about what he’s going to do.
EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT
A symphony of crickets in the dusk light. The beam from the flashlight wanders across the headstones.
There’s a small marker with a bouquet of flowers resting at its base. He shines the light on it.
What he finds leaves Steve lost and confused. After all the lies he's heard, how can he stay with Rebecca any longer? But if he packs his bags and hits the road, will losing Steve be Rebecca's final straw? Can she fight her demons all alone?
As is true of all Clark's work, Rebecca’s Blue Sky is written with impeccable style, pacing, and characterization that will linger long in your mind. This subject's no easy read - but this short's a work of painful art, nonetheless.
If you’re looking for a poignant drama for your next project, then make sure to read Blue Sky. This one will make you option it... and cry.
The Script
About The Reviewer
By day a 3d visualiser, by night an aspiring screenwriter.
My work varies from dramatic feature films, to surreal comedy shorts, with a little bit of television work thrown into the mix. My goal is to have work produced by the right team for the individual script, if you think that's...Read more
About The Writer
A writer since 13, I began screenwriting four years ago as a more direct outlet for my creativity. Since then, I've had two short scripts produced, and two more optioned. My writing style is subtle and understated, yet powerful in its emotional simplicity. I'm currently collaborating...Read more
Rebecca's Blue Sky - When Clouds Turn Dark
REBECCA’S BLUE SKY
A troubled young woman believes she's carrying the baby of the Devil.
In today’s market, a drama needs to cut deep to leave a lasting, genuine impression. Step forward Steven Clark; an author with an exceptional talent for telling any tale. His latest effort - Rebecca’s Blue Sky - does just that... and more.
The pulsing heart of this story: the relationship between Steve and pregnant girlfriend Rebecca. Even though he knows the child she carries isn't his, the young man cares for her deeply, anyway. Rebecca's confided in Steve about the horrific crime she endured. All Steve wants to do is stay by her side and ease her pain.
But as her pregnancy and their relationship grow, it quickly becomes apparent Rebecca hasn't told her boyfriend everything. Things that could be eating at her fragile mind.
Rebecca's messed up, and it shows. Incapable of intimacy with Steve, Rebecca instead spends her time visiting a mysterious headstone in a graveyard. Over time, her erratic behavior grows. When she accuses a random stranger of a heinous act, Steve beats him up. But when he finds the man is innocent, loyal Steve begins to pull away:
EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE - LATER
Steve sits at one end of a picnic table. He’s pissed. Rebecca sits at the other end. A car passes.
REBECCA
It looked like him.
Steve takes a drag of his smoke, but doesn’t speak.
REBECCA
I swear to God I thought it was him.
STEVE
All right!
INT. PICK-UP TRUCK - NIGHT
Steve turns on a flashlight. It illuminates his thin, anxious face as he ruminates about what he’s going to do.
EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT
A symphony of crickets in the dusk light. The beam from the flashlight wanders across the headstones.
There’s a small marker with a bouquet of flowers resting at its base. He shines the light on it.
What he finds leaves Steve confused and lost. After all the lies he's heard, how can he stay with Rebecca any longer? But if Steve packs his bags, will losing him be Rebecca's final straw? Can she fight her demons alone?
As is common with Steve Clark's work, Rebecca’s Blue Sky is written with impeccable style, pacing, and characterization that will linger long in your mind. This subject's no easy read - but this short is masterful art, nonetheless.
If you’re looking for a poignant drama for your next project, then make sure to read Blue Sky. This one will make you option it... and cry.
The Script
About The Reviewer
By day a 3d visualiser, by night an aspiring screenwriter.
My work varies from dramatic feature films, to surreal comedy shorts, with a little bit of television work thrown into the mix. My goal is to have work produced by the right team for the individual script, if you think that's...Read more
About The Writer
A writer since 13, I began screenwriting four years ago as a more direct outlet for my creativity. Since then, I've had two short scripts produced, and two more optioned. My writing style is subtle and understated, yet powerful in its emotional simplicity. I'm currently collaborating...Read more
Creak and Shriek: Some evils do more than bump in the night....
CREAK & SHRIEK
An eight-year-old boy struggles for answers when his
horror sound effects record starts playing on its own in the middle of the night.
Don’t be scared.
Be terrified.
Today is a very special day. Today is Noah’s 8th birthday.
And while the party may not have gone to plan and Mom’s deep into her evening tipple, Noah’s holding up; distracted by his brand new ‘Scary Sounds of the Night’ sound effects record.
It’s an odd gift, but then Auntie W. is a far cry from normality. She’s the distant kind of aunt that talks to skunks and lives alone in the woods. The kind that always forgets a birthday… until now.
MOM (O.S.)
Gonna give yourself nightmares, kid.
A heart beats on the sound effects record: lub-dub, lub-dub.
Noah's mom stands just out of view in the doorway.
He turns off the record player, letting it groan to a stop.
MOM (O.S.)
I don't know why you'd wanna listen to that.
It's hell's soundtrack.
Howling winds and pounding hearts are one thing, but groaning ghouls prove too much and a spooked Noah calls it a night. Maybe Mom was right; why would anyone want to listen to a soundtrack filled with such horrors?
Better yet, what type of person would send such a gift?
As it turns out, the crazy type with a grudge that lives alone in the woods on a homegrown daisy diet. Scary Sounds of the Night is a recording of an entirely different kind. The kind you can’t just turn off.
The kind that knows your name…
Rob Herzog’s Creak and Shriek delivers a strikingly simple yet effective horror short. Two characters, one room and some well placed sound FX could bring this horror short to the screen with the minimum of budget. Any filmmaker looking to get their hands on a fun Twilight Zone style chiller would be remiss not to check this out.
The Script
About The Reviewer
Started writing scripts around five years ago after realising his social life was vastly overrated. Enjoys writing in a variety of genres but leans toward raw, grittier characters and the worlds they inhabit - from the deadly serious to the darkly comic. Drinks coffee, owns an unhealthy amount...Read more
About The Writer
My chief talent isn’t writing, it’s being afraid.
As a kid, I freaked out about spontaneous human combustion, killer bees, and the prospect of a bathtub shark attack. And the 3,600 miles between me and the Loch Ness Monster wasn’t nearly enough.
All of this youthful anxiety...Read more
Photos - Get the Picture?
PHOTOS
A Polaroid camera takes disturbing pictures as a couple begins to fade out of existence.
A finely tuned horror doesn’t need extensive props or convoluted story lines to conjure up evil scares. In fact, a stripped back tale often offers even more intrigue and terror - when executed just the right way!
Michael H. Good has created just such a script in Photos; a five page short that keeps the reader hooked by utilising classic horror beats, laced liberally with confusion and fear.
We open with two teens, Veronica and Zoe. When we first encounter these lovers, they share a private moment of passion in a romantic candle lit room. After the girls finally break from their embrace, Veronica drags the final "character" in this piece out from under the bed: her old Polaroid camera.
Though initially confused by the antique machine, Zoe proceeds to take selfies. The flash blinds the girls, causing a few seconds of searing pain to their eyes. But it's ultimately the strange photographs the camera produces which allude to a more sinister concern.
Veronica trains the camera at Zoe. She smiles.
SNAP. Zoe shrugs her eyes from the light.
ZOE
My eyes.
The photo bursts out of the camera. Veronica blows, then wiggles the photo. She inspects the photo.
VERONICA
Your hand is missing.
She throws the picture to her lap. Zoe looks.
ZOE
What kind of camera is this again?
VERONICA
Maybe it’s over-exposed. Let me snap a few again.
Just as a horror writer is challenged in how they approach a piece of work, producers and directors are equally so.
Photos gives horror film makers more than just a compelling story to work with - but also visual set pieces loaded with tons of potential. At five pages, this short script's is an effortless little read, one that can be "developed" like an old photo - into a directing gem!
The Script
About The Reviewer
By day a 3d visualiser, by night an aspiring screenwriter.
My work varies from dramatic feature films, to surreal comedy shorts, with a little bit of television work thrown into the mix. My goal is to have work produced by the right team for the individual script, if you think that's...Read more
About The Writer
Michael Good is an aspiring writer who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hopefully, one day to see his name on the big screen. Started in writing in 2011 when his mother had cancer. Started writing again in 2015 and never stopped. Written a few screenplays and pilots. Horror, sci-fi, drama, thriller,...Read more
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