Surprise Party

A man eager to connect with his new girlfriend's friends attends their annual "surprise party".

FILM 729 - Directing for Film and TV - Final Project A five-minute horror short about social desperation and belonging that takes place at night in the bathroom, hallway, and living room of a small house. Synopsis: At a house party, Brad (early 20s) admonishes himself in the bathroom after apparently making a comment that upset the party's host. A knock at the door summons him out into a hallway where Claire (late 20s) asks if he is okay and assures him that his comment "about Cody" wasn't rude. She admits that throwing "a surprise party for a friend who died from being surprised at a surprise party" is weird and kind of dark, but tells him that she is glad he came. They kiss. Brad is put at ease. The pair join the party in the living room, where hostess Sophie (late 20s) announces that Cody "texted her" that he is "on his way up." The room settles in anticipation. Brad asks Claire a clarifying question but she coldly shushes him as the lights go out. They wait silently in the dark for a while before we hear an elevator ding and footsteps approaching the front door. As the door opens, Brad stands up and shouts "Surprise!", only to find that he is suddenly, inexplicably alone. A layer of fog and a supernatural pink/red glow penetrate the room. Brad, paralyzed with disbelief, is unable to pull his eyes away as Cody, phantasmic/rotting/dead, emerges through the fog. Cody's rotten fingers hold Brad's eyes open as the pink glow washes over him, building toward a bright white crescendo. Brad falls to his knees, upon which the room instantly shifts back to normal. The party continues, with guests chatting in corners and carrying on as though nothing happened, simply ignoring Brad who remains kneeling on the floor, by all appearances brain dead. THE END. Script Length: 4 & 3/8 pages Projected Runtime: 4-6 min Camera/Lighting Package: Intermediate Shoot Length: 2 days (more like 1 & 1/2) Biggest Challenges: We will need 8-12 extras to play guests at the party. Lighting will be heavily stylized for Scene 4, depicting a ghost world/other plane of existence, otherwise lighting/prod design will be straightforward and simple. SFX HMU will be needed Scene 4 for 1 character (Cody), who is depicted as an oily + rotting ghost Heavy/controlled fog needed for Scene 4 (Set Dressing)