Making Movie for Class - Writers Forum

Godfather · 02-28-2008, 08:48 PM

My Class has decided to make a movie, a short one, since only we will do it. Being the most creative ( Writing a Novel last year) I was assigned to do the Script.

We came up with a topic, from a book that my friend brought. Its gonna be about...

ZOMBIES!!!1!!

But, its going to also have some comedy/spoof. I can't think of anything, I haven't seen any Zombie movies in my life...so I need some help.

I did think of something however, like this:

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Storm, is a geeky kid who, with some peers, go to Zachary Ombie High. He is picked on constantly by Miguel and Alex and Miguel's girlfriend, Elizabeth. He has only one 'friend' in the school, a guy who doesn't seem to fit in anywhere, Bobby Fin.

To Storm's dismay, Bobby decides to join with Miguel and his friends and picks on Storm. Alone and battered by betrayal, he concocts a vapor which can turn people into the living dead within an hour. He hides the antidotes and injects himself with some.

The next day, as they sit in class, Storm's devious plan starts to work, poisoning the entire school. His teacher quickly tells them to jump out the window and into safety, saving only Miguel, Bobby, Alex, Elizabeth, their teacher, and Storm.

Storm realizes that his plan has backfired, and they are soon surrounded by Zombies. They seek refuge in a nearby park, where Miguel calls for help(Only to find out that everything around is tainted) and get guns and ammunition from the nearby police station.

Storm watches as his teacher is ripped to shreds, and realizes that he made a mistake by doing this. He tells the others(Who almost kill him), and then he tells them that he can save them if he gets the antidote and transfers it into a vapor, curing everyone.

They leave their refuge, closely followed by the Zombies, and make his house a fortress as he transfers the antidote. After a hellish night, they leave through the storm shelter which leads them back to the old school.

Bobby sacrifices himself to save the others, bitten before he could get the antidote. He tries to tell the others he is alright, when he turns into a Zombie.

Storm risks his life by attacking the zombie 1v1 with only a hammer. He starts to open the antidote capsules, until finally Bobby is the only Zombie left. Storm pushes him off the top edge of the building, into the chasm below, not before falling with him...

The next day they mourn his death, but to their surprise, they find only one body at the bottom of the chasm, and footsteps leading to the nearby city....

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Good?

I think it isn't that good, but it could work. Thats only my opinion. Maybe I could make Storm more evil, or something...

Guitar_chick133 · 02-29-2008, 08:32 AM

well, it's a start.

just to let you know, this is just my opinion and you don't have to use any of what i tell you.

okay first off i was wondering how the main character could become a zombie if he took the antidote to keep from becoming a zombie?

anyway, you could have the people talk about how there was a news story about a crazy man who was biting people and there is a roumor that he's a zombie. the main character, the tourmented made fun of kid, maybe he tries to get into the cool group, by saying he knows where the zombie is ( the local hospital) and he can get them in to see it. there could be someone who is convinced it's just a guy with a bad case of rabies. so they go sneek in to see him during lunch and one gets bitten,then the rest of the day is filled with people turning into zombies and he is stuck with the people who tourmented him trying to survive.

the thing with the guns though, for a school thing, not a very good idea. you could find some kind of humorus way to "kill" the zombies ( i.e. with records in "shaun of the dead" LOL) or just random stuff they find ( it is on a school campus right?) they could end up trapped in the gym, or not whatever. anyway, if you want to have a happy ending some zombie movies say that if you kill the one who was infected first then you can save them all. so you could not kill anyone, just run away alot ( if they are slow moving zombies) and find a way to kill the guy at the hospital.

Wallmaker · 02-29-2008, 09:34 AM

What I think Guitar Chick touched on is Storm's motives. Her suggestion is one where Storm and the cool kids get into a situation with reprecussions none of them could imagine. This makes us, as viewers, forgive Storm for the accidently epidemic.

IF... however Storm gets mad and intentionally creates this Zombie making drug in his bathtub or whatever and then unleases it at school...then you have a person who is knowingly attacking his school and killing his classmates. It's much harder for us to forgive Storm for what he's doing, isn't it? I'd say Storm already is a villian.

Guns. Oh. Where do I start? I'm not sure what your city ordinance is, but where I live you have to file extra paperwork on filming with guns. And if you don't and the police show up, you're in big trouble. Especially if they think you've got real guns. Someone could get hurt. If this is your house, backyard, and these are toy guns, you might be able to get away with it.
Talk to your teacher about what permits, especially for the guns, he/she will need to secure for you.

If not, consider what Guitar Chick is saying, killing using creative methods!

Well, I do love a good Zombie story, so post some here when you have something!

Cheers,
Kay

Godfather · 03-04-2008, 10:32 AM

Alright, we might go with Guitar's Idea. Also, I'm switching my main characters around, Storm will be a minor character. By guns, I meant like, spray mainted airsoft/BB guns, maybe a water gun with the water died a sickly red.

GridCanal · 03-04-2008, 12:24 PM

You need to Dawn of the Dead or a good classic zombie movie first. Dawn of the Dead is suppose to be a horror movie, but I found it hilarious due to the outdated "special effects" and fake blood. It takes place in a mall, and for some reason, that just adds to its sense of comedy. Have some sort of parody of it.

Guitar_chick133 · 03-04-2008, 09:16 PM

^^^ they're talking about the original Dawn of the dead not the remake that was relesed here recently. that version sevearly disturbed me, not the movie it self but the special fetures on the DVD where you see the news broadcast they played in the movie on the T.V. but the whole thing and a video made from the gunshop owners point of veiw. *shudders*

Erik Buchanan · 03-05-2008, 10:03 AM

Definitely leave out the guns. It's too problematic and you'll flunk your project just for having the guns in it, depending on the teacher. Also, someone might see them and freak, and then you get to explain things to the cops.

My suggestions; feel free to take or leave as you like:

Since the antidote works as a vapor, have it be a vapor that works by contact with skin, rather than inhaling. That way, it will work as a liquid, so your super-soaker filled with stuff now becomes the prime weapon and your characters show how great they are by not killing people (hokey, I know, but teachers like that sort of stuff). Make it green or purple or some other non-blood color. That also adds to the comedic element. Use a washable dye so it comes out of clothes, lockers, etc. making for easy clean up.

Don't actually show people getting eaten, it looks fake when done cheap, and you don't have the money to do it right. Have the eating hidden by bodies in the way, or happening just off camera. A spray of blood on the wall or a pool of it oozing across the floor combined with screaming, crunching and gurgling sounds works wonders for creeping people out, because they can't see what is happening and their imagination does the work for them.

Have fun, and we'll look forward to hearing more about it.