Sub-genre Research
Real life paranormal
As our groups decided to make an OTS for a paranormal film, we decided to look at real life examples of paranormal experiences as inspiration for our plot line.
Anneliese Michel
In 1968, at the age of 16, Anneliese Michel began suffering from convulsions. By 1973, Anneliese had developed such a strong psychosis that she would hallucinate while praying, see demon faces throughout the day and hear voices declaring that she was damned. She would also make what were described as "demon faces," rip her clothes off, eat coal, and lick up her own urine. In addition, she became completely intolerant of religious symbols and could not partake of holy water. For a majority of the time Anneliese was experiencing these psychoses, she was committed to a psychiatric hospital which prescribed her a variety of drugs, none of which seemed to help.
The Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean in which a number of aircraft and surface vessels have disappeared. Some people have claimed that these disappearances fall beyond the boundaries of human error or acts of nature. Some of these disappearances have been attributed to the paranormal, a suspension of the laws of physics, or activity by extraterrestrial beings by popular culture. Though a substantial documentation exists showing numerous incidents to have been inaccurately reported or embellished by later authors, many have remained unexplained despite considerable investigation.
The Midnight Man
This game was used as a ritual to summon The Midnight Man to punish rule breakers in Pagan religions long ago and people looking for a thrill have also taken part in it. Their goal was to avoid the midnight man at all costs. They were able to move through the house to avoid him. They could tell if he was near; their candle would go out, it would get chilly, they could hear a low whisper, and he would appear in front of you. They must relight the candle within 10 seconds. If not, they had to put down a circle of salt around themselves and stay inside the circle from 12:01am to 3:33am. If they are still alive at 3:33am, they've won. If not, they'd be tortured, sometimes to death, until 3:33am.
Paranormal in films
We also decided to look at some paranormal experienced that have been adapted or portrayed through films. We wanted to see what kinda things would be too difficult for us to create in a convincing manner and what also looked simple and would be good to try and recreate for our opening title sequence. We were also hoping for some kinda inspiration for our own plot line.
The Woman IN Black - 2012
In an Edwardian era British village, three little girls walk trance-like to a window and jump to their deaths, watched by a veiled "Woman in Black".
In the House, Arthur is distracted by odd noises, and the appearance of the "Woman in Black". He hears sounds on the marshes of a carriage in distress and a screaming child, but sees nobody. As he reports the accident to police, three children enter the station. Two boys carry their ill sister Victoria, who dies in Arthur's arms. The locals blame the death on Arthur seeing "The Woman" in black.
That night, Sam reveals he and wife Elisabeth lost their young son to drowning. Elisabeth believes the boy speaks through her. Onto the table, she carves a figure hanging from a beam, before Sam sedates her.
The locked nursery door swings open, and the knocking sound of an empty rocker lures Arthur inside. The Woman in Black appears hanging from a roof beam. He runs outside to find Sam. Back in town, Mr Jerome's house is burning, his daughter Lucy having set fire to herself under the influence of the Woman.
The next night, waiting for the train to London, Arthur sees the Woman on the other side of the platform while Joseph walks entranced on the tracks towards an oncoming train. Arthur leaps onto the tracks to save Joseph, while Sam sees the Woman and dead children's faces in the train windows.
In the House, Arthur is distracted by odd noises, and the appearance of the "Woman in Black". He hears sounds on the marshes of a carriage in distress and a screaming child, but sees nobody. As he reports the accident to police, three children enter the station. Two boys carry their ill sister Victoria, who dies in Arthur's arms. The locals blame the death on Arthur seeing "The Woman" in black.
That night, Sam reveals he and wife Elisabeth lost their young son to drowning. Elisabeth believes the boy speaks through her. Onto the table, she carves a figure hanging from a beam, before Sam sedates her.
The locked nursery door swings open, and the knocking sound of an empty rocker lures Arthur inside. The Woman in Black appears hanging from a roof beam. He runs outside to find Sam. Back in town, Mr Jerome's house is burning, his daughter Lucy having set fire to herself under the influence of the Woman.
The next night, waiting for the train to London, Arthur sees the Woman on the other side of the platform while Joseph walks entranced on the tracks towards an oncoming train. Arthur leaps onto the tracks to save Joseph, while Sam sees the Woman and dead children's faces in the train windows.
Sinister - 2012
The film opens with a scene depicting a family of four standing beneath a tree with hoods over their heads and nooses around their necks. An unseen figure saws through a limb acting as a counterweight, causing their deaths by hanging.
Months later, Ellison Oswalt, moves into the murdered family's home with his wife and their two children, Ashley, a gifted artist who is allowed to paint on her walls, Trevor, who begins experiencing strange nightmares.. Only Ellison is aware that the house they are moving into was the crime scene. Ellison intends to use the murders as the basis for his new book, and hopes that his research will turn up the fate of the family's fifth member, a 10 year old girl named Stephanie who disappeared following the murders.
Ellison finds a box in the attic that contains a projector and several reels of footage that are each labeled as innocent home movies. Watching the films, Ellison discovers that they are actually movies depicting families being murdered in various ways: being drowned in their pool, being burnt to death in a car, being run over by a lawn mower, having their throats slit in bed, and the hanging that opened the movie. The drowning film proves especially disturbing for Ellison after he notices the face of a demonic figure watching the drownings from the bottom of the pool. Ellison eventually finds the figure observing the murders in each of the films, along with a strange painted symbol; inspecting the lid of the box containing the films, Ellison discovers childish drawings depicting the murders, along with crude sketches of the demonic figure, identified as "Mr. Boogie."
Ellison discovers that the murders depicted in the films took place at different times, beginning in the 1960s, and in different cities across the country. He also learns that the families were all drugged before being killed; and that a child from each family went missing following every murder.
Months later, Ellison Oswalt, moves into the murdered family's home with his wife and their two children, Ashley, a gifted artist who is allowed to paint on her walls, Trevor, who begins experiencing strange nightmares.. Only Ellison is aware that the house they are moving into was the crime scene. Ellison intends to use the murders as the basis for his new book, and hopes that his research will turn up the fate of the family's fifth member, a 10 year old girl named Stephanie who disappeared following the murders.
Ellison finds a box in the attic that contains a projector and several reels of footage that are each labeled as innocent home movies. Watching the films, Ellison discovers that they are actually movies depicting families being murdered in various ways: being drowned in their pool, being burnt to death in a car, being run over by a lawn mower, having their throats slit in bed, and the hanging that opened the movie. The drowning film proves especially disturbing for Ellison after he notices the face of a demonic figure watching the drownings from the bottom of the pool. Ellison eventually finds the figure observing the murders in each of the films, along with a strange painted symbol; inspecting the lid of the box containing the films, Ellison discovers childish drawings depicting the murders, along with crude sketches of the demonic figure, identified as "Mr. Boogie."
Ellison discovers that the murders depicted in the films took place at different times, beginning in the 1960s, and in different cities across the country. He also learns that the families were all drugged before being killed; and that a child from each family went missing following every murder.
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