Initial Narrative

 

Today my group mate Khadeeja showed us the story line she came up with for our Film opening sequence. This is the draft she showed us:

"The Reflection"

Setting: A modern apartment bathroom, sleek yet slightly disheveled, with dim lighting casting eerie shadows.

Characters:

A person: returning home after a long day, feeling exhausted and a bit uneasy.

The Entity: An unseen presence that manifests in the reflection.

Scene Description:

The camera opens with the hallway of the hotel and cuts to the person opening their apartment door while entering. 

Then shot of the person from a high angle above the door entering their small, cluttered bathroom, the faint sounds of the city filtering in through the window. They drops their bag on the counter and turns on the faucet, splashing their face with cold water to shake off the weariness of the day.

The person(muttering to themself):

"Just a quick wash and then bed…"

As the water runs, they glances into the mirror, wiping the steam away with their hand. The reflection reveals their tired face, but something feels off. The room is quiet, except for the sound of the water.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement catches their eye in the mirror, an unsettling shadow darting behind them. They spins around, but the bathroom is empty.

The person(nervously):

"Hello?"

There’s no response, just the sound of the running water. They shake their head, trying to dismiss their unease, and turns back to the mirror to splash more water on their face.

As the person leans forward, the reflection in the mirror shifts unexpectedly, showing a dark figure standing just behind them. The persons heart races as they spins around again, but the bathroom is still empty.

The person(breathless):

"This is ridiculous…"

They take a deep breath, trying to calm themself, and starts to dry their face with a towel. Just as the person turns back to the mirror one last time, the figure is there again, closer this time, its eyes wide and hollow, mouth opening in a silent scream.

JUMP SCARE: The bathroom light flickers violently, and, in a heartbeat, the shadow lunges toward her through the reflection with a terrifying shriek. The lights go out completely, plunging the room into darkness.

CUT TO BLACK:

The sound of The person gasping/the entity's wisper fills the silence, followed by the sound of the faucet still running. After a moment, the lights flicker back on, illuminating the empty bathroom. The person is gone, and the mirror is now perfectly still, reflecting only the quiet room.

FADE OUT as the camera zooms in on the mirror, hinting at the lingering presence of the entity that has claimed The person then cuts to a missing person report, leaving the audience in shock and suspense, eager to uncover the fate of the protagonist.

This jump scare setup builds tension through subtle hints and visual cues, culminating in a shocking moment that leaves the audience breathless and curious about what comes next.