Scrabble Milkshake Zombies(working title)

Runtime: 8-10 minutes

Synopsis:Our main character, in an attempt to liven up the party he is hosting, makes milkshakes for his guests, however in doing so, he sets in motion the events which forces himself and his creepy friend into preventing a zombie apocalypse by killing their now zombified friends.

Style:Takes a lot of cues from the movie, Shaun of the Dead (required watching)). Lots of camera movements to transition. Add camera movement to the action rather than having a static camera for each shot.

Characters: #1: The host of the party. Just wants to throw a good party. Very good at Scrabble. He is the only character interested in the Scrabble game (similar to the struggle Nate and Luke face when trying to play a game of Scrabble as we are far superior at the game therefore ostracizing the rest of the competitors). Not the fighting type, he has to accept his role and chooses to fight.

#2: Creepy, hard to read guy at first. Ready for a zombie apocalypse or really any end of the world scenario. The guy at parties who sits in the corner and people-watches. The kind of guy who lingers. Monotone, dull voice in the beginning.

Zombies (guests): I am thinking about 6 zombies, no more than that. Makeup: black around the eyes and jaw line, white in the face, fake blood accents.

Shooting Schedule:5:00-7:30: Shoot all the scenes with only #1 & #2 which includes: kitchen scenes, quick cuts, and

the outdoor preparation scenes (start with the kitchen scenes then move to the outdoor scenes, as the lighting will be better outside closer to sunset)

7:00-7:30: Zombies and make-up helpers arrive. Pizza arrives. 7:30-9:00: Luke explains how the night is gonna shake out to everyone then we film the few shots

where the guests are not zombified then we break out and have the makeup done9:00-Finish: Film all the stuff with zombies and then apply the makeup to #2 and film the final scene

with the two playing scrabble

Props:Wiffleball Bat Black & White Costume Make-up Fake Blood ScrabbleDrinks Milkshake Ingredients Dictionary BlenderFoot Stoll for Board Tray Toxic Milk Label Airsoft Pistol

Trailer:Slowly zooming into a shot of a scrabble board (single light shining down on the board – light is flicking on and off) with tense music. Loud scream. A bloody hand slams onto the board sending pieces flying. Title displays. Pixar’s “Up” style music plays.

Music Style:High contrast. Cut between tense high strings with happy-go-lucky music. Opera music for slow-mo.

Working Shotlist:1. Close up of Scrabble board. Zoom out to find bored

group of friends gathered around the board playing. Pan up to #1 (the protagonist and host of the party) with a worried look - the look a host has when he or she knows their gathering is not going well. #1 finishes playing a lengthy word on the board identifying him as clearly the one in favor of playing this game despite his guests’ hatred of Scrabble similar to Nate and Luke’s plight.

#1: “Who wants a milkshake!?”Group: “Uhhhahahahahahhahahaaa…”

#1 gets up and passes the frame in the foreground toward the kitchen

a. Words on board foreshadow future eventsb. End Transition: Character wipe screenc. The sound of the group of friends acknowledging wanting milkshakes sounds strangely

similar to zombie moan used later in the film (more foreshadowing)d. This camera angle and movement will be used several times later in the movie for

comedic effect (See Scenes 6 & 9)

2. Quick cuts of the preparation of milkshakes by #1 – similar to the shots used in the beginning of “Fabulous”

a. Grabbing milk from fridgeb. Scooping ice creamc. Turning on blenderd. Squeezing chocolate syrupe. Pouring into cupsf. Etc…

3. Shot in front of #1 preparing milkshakes with a slow ominous pan. #1 begins to turn around to get something from the fridge.

a. Sound: Increasingly loud strings = tensei. Use the sound of the blender – fade up

sound in postb. End Transition: Cut right as #1 is turning

4. Side angle wide of #1 being startled by his creepy friend #2.

#1: (reaction)#2: “Where is your bathroom at?”#1: “Around the corner and down the hall

man, jeez!”

#1 points out the bathroom and continues milkshake production

a. Extra: Get over the shoulder dialogue as well as the wide to have options in the edit and to get quality audio of dialogue

b. Continue with quick cuts from scene 2 after this scene to finish off milkshake production

5. Focus in on foreground – shot of #1 taking milkshakes to guests in living room. Slow pan to reveal the accidental usage of toxic ingredients (i.e. expired milk) in the milkshakes.

a. The pan happens across the kitchen counter with the counter in focus and #1 walking in background out of focus.

6. Close up of Scrabble board. Zoom out to find the party arguing over the legitimacy of a word. #1 hands everyone a milkshake which calms them down for the time being. #1 explains that he has a dictionary in the kitchen and then returns to the kitchen passing the frame in the foreground to find said dictionary.

a. Start Transition: Character wipe b. End Transition: Camera turnc. Same angle and camera movement as scene 1:

setting up that next time we get a shot at this angle – something will be different

7. Slowly zooming in as #1 walks into frame searching through the kitchen drawers for a dictionary. Continue slowly zooming in until #1 finds the dictionary and #1’s head takes up the frame as he turns around to be surprised by #2 again.

a. Extra: Get some POV creeper shots like they do in horror movies from the perspective of someone peeking around corners at #1

b. The camera lingers on #1’s reaction and doesn’t show what scares him as it would be implied by the extra shot that it was another person presumably creepy friend #2.

8. Side angle wide of #1 finishing his reaction to creepy #2 surprising him again.

#1: (frustrated)#2: “What are you looking for?”#1: Lifts dictionary into frame, “A dictionary,”

#1 then hits #2 over the head with the dictionary and walks off telling #2 to grab the other milkshakes

a. Extra: Get solo front dialogue shots (Wes Anderson style)

9. Close up of Scrabble board, this time the board is a mess with pieces scattered everywhere and no signs of people still gathered around. Zoom out to find #1 standing in shock at his party guests scattered around the room in a zombie like state. #2 walks into frame completely oblivious to what going on as he is solely focused on not dropping the tray of milkshakes.

#2: “What’s wrong?” #1: slowly points to the zombie hoard#2: “Holy Shhhhhh…!!!!”

At that moment the tray of milkshakes #2 is holding drops to the ground in a loud “BANG!” muting the end of the implied curse word. Upon this sudden noise, all the zombie friends turn their heads in unison toward #1 & #2. The zombies begin moving towards #1 & #2 as they storm out of frame into the kitchen.

a. Start Transition: Character wipe screenb. End Transition: Camera turns upc. This is the payoff for the camera structure of scenes 1 & 6 d. Extra: get individual shots of certain zombies around the living room doing zombie

things

10. Side angle wide of #1 & #2 freaking out as the hoard slowly approaches in the background. While freaking out, #1 in a panic throws the dictionary in an attempt to slow the progressing hoard. Obviously this doesn’t work.

#1: (panic)#2: slaps #1 and gets in his face saying things like – “Get a hold of yourself” - #2 then tells #1 – “Now help me grab this table!”

a. This marks the change in #2’s character from a character which we thought was a creep but turns out to be well prepared for the zombie apocalypse. Sets him up to be the leader going forward with #1 being an emotional wreck at causing this mess.

b. The whole time this scene is going on, the zombies are slowly inching forward, out of focus in the background

c. Start Transition: Camera turns up

11. Close focus on table’s edge as #2’s hand grabs the table to move it in front of the hallway with zombies moving towards them out of focus in the background

a. Foreground in focus

12. Shot behind the zombie hoard – POV shot of zombies closing in on #1 & #2 as they set up the table to block access in the background

a. Background in focus

13. Side of building wide - #1 & #2 burst through as the door swings open. #2 leans on the door to rest as #1 bends over to catch his breath (#1 maybe pukes)

#2: “Come on. Let’s go.”#1: “Go where?” (complaining)#2: slaps #1 again – “I got a plan” – walks off toward the front of the house#1: mumbling to self – “Stop slapping me”

a. Sound: Hear zombie moaning when door opens and quiet it when door closes

14. Quick shots of #1 & #2 preparing for battle similar to montage in scene 2 in the style of Shaun of the Dead

a. Grabbing a knifeb. Grabbing a batc. #1 puking again?d. #2 slapping #1 again

15. Zooming in shot of hand grabbing a gun from a car. Zoom out to find #2 readying the gun and then tosses it over to #1 as the camera pans over to follow the gun.

a. End Transition: Cut right before #1 catches the gun

16. Entire dialogue scene shot with the characters perfectly in frame cutting between the dialogue (Wes Anderson style). This will maximize the sound quality and give the scene a stylized look. Characters square to camera. #1 clumsily catches the gun.

#1: “Whoa…Whoa…Hold up. What’s the gun for?”#2: “Do you want to be the cause of the zombie apocalypse?”#1: “Well no, but they are our friends, we can’t just kill them.”#2: “Those things aren’t your friends anymore plus your ‘friends’ didn’t seem to appreciate the lovely dinner party you were throwing”

#1 turns around to talk to himself with the camera looking down as to be in his thought bubble. Get the audio in post of the conversation in his head as the scene will play out with narration overtop of the visuals of #1 looking up in thought. His thoughts basically some up his frustration with his friends’ lack of gratitude for all the work he put into this party. In his mind this justifies killing his now zombified friends (I know this is ridiculous but it’s funny to me). From a low angle looking up (Michael Bay shot), #1 turns around saying

#1: “Ok, Let’s do this thing!”

#1 then attempts to cock the gun, however the ammo clip flies out onto the ground. #1 reacts.

17. Continue the quick cuts of the two finishing preparing for battle

a. #1 picking up the ammo clipb. #1 properly loading weaponc. Door knob turn

18. Shot from inside the house looking at the front door as it burst open and #1 and #2 step through prepared for war. The camera zooms in to meet the two’s eyes sneering at the zombies on the other end of the house.

a. Improvise badass lines here (Nate)

19. Zoomed in shot of the zombies as they turn their heads to see the new commotion. Zoom out quickly to meet #1 and #2 standing ready for battle. Zombie hoard begin to approach and cut as #1 and #2 turn to each other.

a. Zoomed in shot is between #1 and #2 so when we zoom out, #1 and #2 are standing in the foreground of the frame

20. Front shot of the #1 and #2 turning to each other and then giving each other a ‘Community’ style handshake.

21. Fight scene – Still need to flesh this out entirely, I have some ideas but would depend on location in order to finalize. (2 vs. 6)

a. Knife throw saveb. Teamworkc. Flying tackle

Skip to Ending

22. #1 and #2 have successfully taken out the zombie invasion, so they think. #2 goes to grab his coat from the closet. He is distracted but a conversation with #1. Shot looking towards the living room to the side of the closet as #2 walks over and opens the door. #2 continues the conversation until he turns to the closet, the camera follows to meet one last imposing zombie which tackles #2 to the ground

a. Sound: Get good zombie snarl sound as well as a good yell from #2 as it will lead us into the slow-mo shots to follow.

23. Enter slow-mo finale using IPhone 6. Shot of #1 looking away from the action in the foreground as #1 is overtaken by the zombie in the background. #1 begins to react in slow motion hearing the scream, he begins to turn around.

a. Music: As the slow-mo starts, an opera/gospel style song begins to play

24. Get a slow-mo shot of #1 finishing turning and reacting with a loud “NOOOOOOO” from the opposite direction. #1 then begins moving forward to save his friend.

25. Get slow-mo shot of the zombie tackling #2 to the ground

26. Slow-mo shot isolated on #2’s face as the zombie takes a big chunk of flesh out of his neck.

27. Slow-mo shot of zombie dripping blood as it eats #2’s flesh. The shot is positioned from #2’s perspective looking up at the zombie. #1 slowly comes into frame wielding a bat and begins to swing for the zombies head. The speed slowly increases until its normal speed by the time the bat makes contact with the zombies head. The head goes flying off screen

a. Extra: Get shot of hand (#1) reaching for bat on his way to deal with the situation

28. #1 drops to his knees and cradles the dying #2 in his final moments. Dialogue between them ending with #2 telling #1 to come close but death comes too quick, but not quick enough for #1 to lean closer in for #2 to attempt to slap him in the face one last time. Cut to a wide of #1 screaming in pain with his head towards the sky.

a. End Transition: Fade to Black

29. Fade in from black to a close up of the Scrabble board. Zoom out to find #1 and a now zombified #2 attempting to play Scrabble. #1 is playing for the both of them – he just wants to play so bad that he is willing to play himself. On #2’s ‘turn’, he slams the board tossing pieces everywhere. #1 hangs his head. THE END. Credits roll.

a. Start Transition: Fade in from black