THE CONJURING BY HAYES BROTHERS [outline]

Interesting movie. Followed the ghost hunters and the family with the haunted house almost equally which was a cool angle.

Lessons and outline on the next page...

LESSONS: 
​- SIMPLICITY was key in this story as it has been in the other haunted house movies I have watched...
- BASIC STORY: Family moves in. Family gets spooked. House gets checked out by ghost hunters. Research on property conducted. Demon gets closer. Climactic sequence where demon is bested. 
- This story had a cool added element of "trying to get Church involved and failing" but that was just extra texture. 
- INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT between husband and wife once again played a solid role in keeping things interesting in the first act.
- BONUS: The marital conflict was explained by the ghost hunters. "Demons want you to be against each other to create more tension to feed off of in the house." 
- EXPLANATIONS OF LITTLE THINGS ARE GREAT. Here's something lots of these movies have. If there's something interesting or a little different that has an EXPLANATION it's rewarding to the reader/viewer. [explanation of marital discord above is great example of this.]
- Question for us... How closely can we follow this structure if we do not have any "ghost hunters enter the picture" part of the story? Would be great to find a haunted house movie where people deal with the problem themselves rather than calling in the professionals. 
- KIDS IN HORROR MOVIES: Used here to show when scary things happen and to demonstrate fear that is unencombered by adult pride or ego. Kids are SO HELPFUL for that reason, especially in the first half of the movie as adults are getting their heads around the supernatural. Kids are also a VERY HELPFUL way to create stakes in a horror movie. If a kid is in danger then the danger is REAL. 
- ANIMALS IN HORROR MOVIES. Same as kids in many ways. If animals are getting fucked with or if animals are scared that gives the adults in the movie permission to say "OK this is real." Animals and kids used in this way give the audience permission to believe as well.
- NON-BELIEVERS are also used well in this movie. Bruce the Cop is a tough guy. Immediately established as a "non-believer" [actual term] by Ed and Lo's assistant. This is SO INTERESTING and SMART. As soon as Roger is convinced that the ghosts are real [and no non-believers are left in the main cast] the cop arrives and needs to be convinced. This is great for two reasons: 1) Watching Bruce get convinced is it's own little story with a beginning/middle/end. It adds momentum to act 2A. 2) Bruce's ultimate convincing provides a powerful shot of "OH FUCK" before the third act begins. If this guy is spooked, the audience should be REALLY, REALLY SCARED [doesn't matter that we were all scared already, this is a way to continue to up that suspense/tensions even after it's already been established that the house was haunted as fuck.]

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED: 

1. CREEPY BIBLE QUOTE
2. THE FOLLOWING IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY
3. 1800S. Judson rides horse toward house with crying baby. Follows a creepy woman into a barn. Gets hit with a shovel.
4. CUT TO 19712. ROGER pulls up to the same house in a station wagon. Family is CAROLYN, ANDREA and CINDY.
5. FAMILY AT HOUSE OPENING SEQUENCE. Kids look around. Normal but weird stuff starts to happen. Teen Andrea thinks someone is whispering her voice and she finds a creepy cat. Wife Carolyn thinks she hears footsteps. And the dog won’t come inside. Parents shake it off and get flirty.
6. ESTABLISHING OF HOUSE.
Clouds have moved in, swallowing any illumination from the moon and stars, giving the house an ill-boding presence. The frogs have stopped, replaced by a lingering, unholy silence.


NOTE: Using an establishing shot like above helps keep the ominous vibe going and passes time well. V creepy and spooky.


7. HOUSE. THE NEXT MORNING.
- clock set to 5:15 which is the same time from the creepy 1800s opening
- kid says room smelled like something died but smell went away
- dog found dead


8. ED AND LORRAINE PROFESSOR SCENE. Talking about fear to college class. These are supernatural investigators and their assistant, JEROME.


9. HOUSE. Plumber says septic has to be replaced. Roger reveals he might be getting fired.


10. GARDEN CREEPY ESTABLISHING SHOT


11. HOUSE SEQUENCE.
- Andrea sees cat but then can’t find it
- Andrea asks mom Carolyn to lay with her
- LATER. Carrie hears scratching. Goes downstairs. Sees not human nor animal eyes. Gets scared.
- LATER. Roger looks down there with his gun. Finds nothing. Thinks they’re all just struggling to adjust.


12. BACK WITH ED AND LORRAINE. In the house of a young couple. They’re scared but the experts prove it’s just a radiator sound.


13. ED AND LORRAINE’S HOUSE. See them at home. Sweet couple with sweet daughter and an older mom there.


14. HOUSE.
- Roger takes a job driving to Florida. yells at Carrie for spooking everyone. Sees creepy shit but ignores it. Goes off to drive his truck to Florida.
- Cindy sees ghost woman over mom and sister. Screams. Cut to Church…


15. CHURCH.
- Father Jordan calls Ed and Lorrainne


16. ED AND LORRAINE GO TO HOUSE.
- at their house they talk about they don’t want to do this job much longer. this will be last job then they’ll discuss.
- pull up. Lorraine catches that bad vibe.
- Lorraine goes in basement. Sees flashes of lots of horrible shit.
- Family to Lorraine. Birds keep dying. Clocks set to 5:15. Hmmm…
- Lorraine outside. Gets a flash of JUDSON bashed in on the ground.
- In the barn… More scary shit.
- LATER. They tell the family that this house featured lots of satanic worship once. They should find faith. Ghost hunters hope church sanctions exorcism. But it all takes time.


17. MOTEL. Ed and Lorraine talk.
- Play back interview from house
- Carolyn’s voice didn’t record…


18. HOUSE.
- Cindy sees a creepy boy


19. MOTEL.
- Recorder clicks on and wakes them up
- Empty space where Carrie’s voice should be is replaced by creepy whispers
- their clock is now also stuck on 5:15


20. TOWN GENERAL STORE.
- Ed and Lorraine review documents to try to learn about history of house


21. HOUSE.
- Husband Roger gets home and is pissed to learn about Ed and Lorraine


22. GEN. STORE. Lorraine finds info…
- Original owner was married to descendant of the first woman hung during witch trials
- Killed baby. Hung self.
- Lots of people died or killed themselves at this house or on parts of the property that have since been parcelled out


23. BACK AT HOUSE.
- Ed and Lorraine show up with a cop and assistant Jerome
- LATER. Ed and cop take readings in barn as Roger works on truck. Roger almost gets crushed but thinks it’s shoddy equipment.
- Lorraine bonds with Andrea. Ed is like…why are you getting so close? (compromises their immunity to the ghosts.) She says shes’ fine.
-ED and Lorraine enter basement after door opens creepy. Door slams in his face.
- 1:33 AM - Bruce the Disbelieving Cop agrees to a reading. Lorraine does not get the ‘mystery item in dad’s casket’ right. Hmm…


24. DAY TWO
- Chill vibe as they start the day
- Ed and Roger bond over the truck in the barn
- Weird thing… Lorraine spots Carolyn coming up from the basement. What’s up with that?
- NOTE: Carolyn emerging from basement begins this sequence. So even though it has a chill vibe it’s very ominous. The question “WTF is up with Carrie?” moves through this section and creates suspense.
- Bruce Cop has creep out in kitchen
- METER goes crazy and photos start popping
- find trap door
- lorraine enters and sees scary lady
- says we have to get her out of here


25. OUTSIDE HOUSE.
- Lorraine heads into voices in bushes.
- finds her OWN DAUGHTER dead (supernatural vision)
- runs inside and calls. daughter is fine.
- Ed warns lorraine… don’t give this thing more power than it has.


MEANWHILE
Ed develops photos with Jerome in the bathroom
They find a figure on the staircase


26. PHOTO REVIEW
- dead kid scared of
- BETHSHEBA THE WITCH


27. LATER
Andrea is attacked.
pulled everyewhere by her hair


28. LATER
- They all leave for a hotel
- Time to present photos to church and get exorcist
- Lorraine has odd encounter with Carolyn who seems spooky and vacant


29. CHURCH
- Priest agrees to forward footage to arch bishop
- then Ed and Lo go home to see their kid


30. SIX DAYS LATER
- Roger meets Ed at diner. WTF is taking Vatican so long!? Says Carrie is losing it
- Carolyn buys JUST NEEDLES at a knitting shop
- ST. PAT’S IN NYC… Ed can’t get info. Calls Lo to say he’ll be home soon.


MEANWHILE
- Lo’s daughter JUDY gets package at home.
- Judy finds SLINKY from Carrie’s house in yard…
- Judy finds chickens dead in the hen house
- LATER Lo thinks she sees a ghost in HER house. It’s not there in ther light…
- BETHSHEBA turns up in Lo’s bed
- PARKING LOT. Photo of Judy has white eyes on dashboard. Runs to call Lo.
- ED comes home. Yells at Lorraine for letting the being in and getting too close.
- BRUCE THE COP’S HOUSE. Agrees to do something on phone with Jerome.
- 5:15 AM. Jerome gets in massive accident on the highway.


31. ED AND LO’S HOUSE:
Learn Jerome is dead
Leap into action
Gonna get exoricsm
Going to help these people.
Begin climactic sequecne


32. CAR
Lo realizes…
The witch possesses mothers to get them to sacrifice their kids


33. CHURCH OFFICE
- Church refuses exorcism b/c kids are not baptized.
- Priest encourages Ed and Lo to do it themselves


34. MOTEL
- Carrie begins “kill kid” attempts (Roger already knocked out and bloody)
- Cindy is like wtf are you OK mom?
- We see Carolyn’s eyes are dark and soulless
- They get in the car
- Ed gets call from Roger and Roger is filled in on crazy Carrie


35. HOUSE
- Carrie tries to kill kids in basement
- Roger arrives in his truck
- Bruch rushes there in his cop car
- Rush into house…
- Carrie is trying to kill daughter. Roger has gun pointed at Carrie.
- Roger is willing to kill Carrie to save daughter.
- They convince Roger not to kill Carrie
- Ed and Lo begin exorcism w/ holy water
- Crazy shit happens sequence
- Carrie goes limp then coughs back to life
- Ed and Lo did it
- “Still feel like quitting?” “Not yet.”


The Perron family left the house that day, and never returned. They relocated to Oregon, where they haven’t had anymore encounters. Shortly after their move, the house was purchased by an anonymous buyer, whom Ed and Lorraine believe was the Catholic Church. The Warrens went on to investigate over eight thousand cases, and to this day, Ed is the only non-ordained Demonologist ever recognized by the Vatican. It was one year later that the Warren’s were called to Amityville










NOTE: The husband thinks this is silly. There’s lot of good conflict in act one. Then he goes away which paves the way for the ghost hunters. Great way to get conflict early and then get it out of the way when it’s time for the scary shit to kick in.


Also love how we get to see the ghost hunters before they go to the haunted house. Good touch.


Also: this is a family in financial hardship. We don’t have to see them talk about the inability to move. We see them not have money. See husband lose job. See him take a struggle gig to make ends meat. See the house break and need repairs. So there’s such an easy answer for “why don’t they move?” it’s barely a question worth asking.


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