Short Film Plot - 'Mans Best Friend'
Mans Best Friend. short film premise (running time: approx 1 min 45 seconds)
An alternative cinematic medium to present this short film in (other than live action,) is stop motion; using a style similar to that of studio 'Laika' (the developer of films such as Coraline, the Boxtrolls and Paranorman).
The short would open with a long shot of a park/forest path at night, this would provide a sense of scale as the main (unnamed) character enters the scene walking his dog (, the dog's breed isn't overly important however the species should be anything larger than a Labrador). The male figure continues down this path with the camera behind him still watching from a distance; the only truly notable source of colour and tone within this scene should be the figure's torch light (,using this item as a creative medium, we should be able to create a variety of imposing, alien shadows which will help to convey a constant sense of unease). After the 30 second mark on the short, the dog suddenly becomes tense and begins focusing intently upon something ahead, still hidden to the figure and the viewer as the torch light doesn't reach far enough and partially blocks areas of the screen due to intense lighting contrast (,relative light pollution). The main purpose of this scene is to instil a sense of dread within the viewer which is in turn personified within the main figure as he grows visually unsettled, flashing his torch across the path ahead in the hopes of identifying any kind of recognisable shape or movement.
After this scene is dragged out (for effect) for at least another 15-25 seconds, the dog suddenly breaks free of the owners grasp, bolting forward along with its leash still attached to its neck as it barks and quickly vanishes into the darkness; the main figure proceeds to follow his dog, running after it as fast as he can to no avail. Now visually and audibly out of breath, the main figure slumps over as the camera shows him at a medium shot, to be now off the path and in a slightly more aesthetically chaotic area, with plants and trees blocking almost every angle, conveying the idea of a sinister, organic cage. Suddenly a nearby bush, begins to shake and is quickly illuminated by the torch as the figure appears to be genuinely unsettled, after a dramatic moment of silence (to build tension) a freakishly large hand shoots outward towards the figure and with inhuman strength and speed, pulls him out of sight. This is proceeded by a moment of silence which is interrupted by a strange gnawing sound; the dog reappears, emerging from the still illuminated bush, holding a bloodied human femur between his jaws. Immediately after this reveal, the light cuts out with an audible 'click' accompanying it (so as to suggest it was turned off rather than simply running out of power).
Personally I would love to see this short realised as I feel like it possesses elements of both horror and comedy without being immature and relying overly on jump scares to produce a sense of value.
An alternative cinematic medium to present this short film in (other than live action,) is stop motion; using a style similar to that of studio 'Laika' (the developer of films such as Coraline, the Boxtrolls and Paranorman).
The short would open with a long shot of a park/forest path at night, this would provide a sense of scale as the main (unnamed) character enters the scene walking his dog (, the dog's breed isn't overly important however the species should be anything larger than a Labrador). The male figure continues down this path with the camera behind him still watching from a distance; the only truly notable source of colour and tone within this scene should be the figure's torch light (,using this item as a creative medium, we should be able to create a variety of imposing, alien shadows which will help to convey a constant sense of unease). After the 30 second mark on the short, the dog suddenly becomes tense and begins focusing intently upon something ahead, still hidden to the figure and the viewer as the torch light doesn't reach far enough and partially blocks areas of the screen due to intense lighting contrast (,relative light pollution). The main purpose of this scene is to instil a sense of dread within the viewer which is in turn personified within the main figure as he grows visually unsettled, flashing his torch across the path ahead in the hopes of identifying any kind of recognisable shape or movement.
After this scene is dragged out (for effect) for at least another 15-25 seconds, the dog suddenly breaks free of the owners grasp, bolting forward along with its leash still attached to its neck as it barks and quickly vanishes into the darkness; the main figure proceeds to follow his dog, running after it as fast as he can to no avail. Now visually and audibly out of breath, the main figure slumps over as the camera shows him at a medium shot, to be now off the path and in a slightly more aesthetically chaotic area, with plants and trees blocking almost every angle, conveying the idea of a sinister, organic cage. Suddenly a nearby bush, begins to shake and is quickly illuminated by the torch as the figure appears to be genuinely unsettled, after a dramatic moment of silence (to build tension) a freakishly large hand shoots outward towards the figure and with inhuman strength and speed, pulls him out of sight. This is proceeded by a moment of silence which is interrupted by a strange gnawing sound; the dog reappears, emerging from the still illuminated bush, holding a bloodied human femur between his jaws. Immediately after this reveal, the light cuts out with an audible 'click' accompanying it (so as to suggest it was turned off rather than simply running out of power).
Personally I would love to see this short realised as I feel like it possesses elements of both horror and comedy without being immature and relying overly on jump scares to produce a sense of value.
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