Spooks! - An Imaginary Movie

This is a hobby project in musical composition. I've often dreamed of composing a soundtrack score for a movie, and since that's not likely to happen in real life, I've written a basic outline for an imaginary movie for which I can write my soundtrack. This isn't a real script, since it's pretty bare-bones and missing a lot of what it would take to be a real movie. But that's O.K. because it's just an imaginary movie, after all. A lot of dialog is in the form of filler that just says "blah, blah, blah", indicating some kind of typical conversational character development or plot exposition.

The story is just a rough outline to fill in the blank spaces between musical cues. There's enough of the story line and narrative description to give the music a context, but this project is not really about the movie, but about the music. Each place where you see a "LISTEN" button you can click to hear the music for the scene described for that piece of music. Each main character in the movie has their own theme, and depending on the mood and context, that theme will be expressed in different ways.

This is a work in progress, begun on October 14, 2007. I will update this page as the story and the music evolve.

The music is being written and performed with the music notation software Noteworthy Composer and the instrument sounds are created by the software synthesizer, Garritan Personal Orchestra.

A Romantic comedy with a touch of the supernatural.

Successful young writer Brian Appleby moves to the small New England town of Dawn Ridge in search of a new home and a quiet retreat for his work. Attractive real estate agent Miriam Parsons finds him what she thinks will be the ideal old fixer-upper. But when Brian moves in he discovers, to his dismay, that the house is haunted, and nobody will believe him, least of all Miss Parsons, whose father, the local minister, doesn't hold with such supernatural nonsense. Ridding his house of the bothersome, prankster ghosts turns out to be more than bargained for, and convincing the lovely Miss Parsons that he hasn't lost his mind is even more challenging. Hijinx and romance ensue.

Spooks!
A Haunting Romantic Comedy
Script and Music Copyright 2007 by Gary Shannon

Opening Credit Cue:

(Written Oct. 13-14, 2007) 00:00 - 00:12 Cue for studio logo "Make Believe Productions presents" 00:12 - 00:37 Scene opens on a run down old "haunted house", opening credits superimposed. 00:37 - 01:04 Credits continue - Camera pans to show a neat little New England village down the hill from the haunted house. Establishing shots of the village, people walking around, a few cars, normal village life on a Sunday. 01:04 - 01:17 Credits continue - Cut back to haunted house. Strange goings-on. 01:17 - 01:37 Back to normal village life. - Credits continue. 01:37 - 02:05 Dolly to church steps as congregation is leaving the church. Fade music for opening dialog introducing Miss Miriam Parsons and her father, the Reverend Doctor Jake Parsons.

REV. PARSONS Blah, blah, blah. MIRIAM Blah, blah, blah. Great sermon Pop. Well, I've gotta run. I'm supposed to be meeting a new client, some big shot writer from New York, thinks he wants to live here. REV. PARSONS Blah, blah, blah. Just what we need. More city folk bringing their fancy ways to our quiet little town. Blah, blah, blah. MIRIAM (Walking to her car) Oh, don't be such a sour puss, Pop. He might turn out to be a nice fellow. REV. PARSONS Hrrmmmmph! Miriam flashes a brilliant smile and gets into her car that sports a prominent "Parsons' Real Estate" logo on the side doors. Exterior day: Brian Appleby, a clean-cut young man in casual, almost sloppy, attire, steps out of the local boarding house and onto the sidewalk. He takes a deep breath, obviously enjoying the country air. He glances at his watch, then up and down the street. He's waiting for someone, but he's relaxed and doesn't seem at all impatient, so he strolls across the street to the city park.

A Walk in the Park (Brian's Theme):

(Written Oct. 15, 2007) 00:00 - 00:30 - A jaunty rendition of Brian's theme accompanies him on his leisurely stroll across the street and into the park.

Miriam's car pulls up in front of the boarding house. She gets out and heads inside. A few seconds later she comes back out and heads across the street to the park, looking for her new client, whom she has never met before.

Meeting Brian (Miriam's Theme):

(Written Oct. 15, 2007) 00:00 - 00:33 Miriam's theme accompanies her on her journey until she approaches the stranger she assumes must be her new client. 00:33 - 00:36 Last chord fades with dialog over.

MIRIAM (Approaching Brian) Mr. Appleby, I presume? BRIAN That's me. You must be Mrs. Parsons. MIRIAM That's MISS Parsons. But you can call me Miriam. Blah, Blah Blah. BRIAN Lovely town, blah, blah, blah. You told me on the phone you'd found the perfect place for me. blah, blah, blah. MIRIAM You did say you wanted a fixer-upper, right? BRIAN Blah, blah, blah. (Brags about his handyman skills) Blah, blah blah. (He really likes Miriam, and tries to make a good first impression.) MIRIAM Well then, shall we go have a look. Cut to exterior day: The haunted house as the car pulls up in front and they get out and walk up to the house.

Stranger at the Door:

(Written Oct. 17, 2007) 00:00 - 00:20 - A variation on the opening Spooks theme plays under the scene and dialog. 00:20 - 00:33 - Spook's POV (below) from inside the house. at 00:30 the window cracks.

BRIAN Blah, blah, blah. (He likes the house) Blah, blah, blah. (It has a lot of potential, real character, etc. etc.) MIRIAM I was worried it might be a little too, well, rough. POV: From inside the house through the lace curtains as they approach. Music playing under the dialog changes at 0:20 to angry spooks. BRIAN (Heard through the window) Blah, blah, blah. No, it's perfect Blah, blah blah. Just the kind of place I was looking for. Blah, blah, blah. As Brian speaks his line, the window we are looking through cracks. The spooks are angry. There's a stranger at the door. (Oct. 16 2007) BRIAN Did you see that. The window just cracked. Maybe the foundation is settling. MIRIAM (Pulls a folder from her case) Well I have the complete inspection report. The foundation is sound and everything checks out structurally. But there is a long list of minor repairs. Shall we take a look inside?. (More brief scenes and dialog inside the house as he decides to buy it and signs the paperwork.) Exterior Day: Clear and sunny, The moving van is pulling away from the house and Brian is carrying a box in from his car. Miriam drives up and gets out carrying a small package.

Moving Day: (Yet to be written, target length: 50 seconds) Introduces the "Love Theme", but just in a friendly, getting- to-know-you way. Nothing mushy. Yet. 00:00 - 00:35 - Plays behind scene. 00:35 - 00:50 - Fades as Miriam walks up to the porch with her small package. Continues quietly under the dialog for 15 seconds until they enter the house.

MIRIAM Welcome to the neighborhood Mr. Appleby. BRIAN Please, call me Brian. What's in the box? MIRIAM The traditional house warming gift, fresh apple pie. BRIAN Ooo, sounds wonderful. Come on in and I'll put on some coffee. They enter the house, screen door clattering shut behind them. (Oct. 17 2007) There follows a series of shots showing the two characters, sitting among the unpacked moving boxes, having pie and coffee, chatting amiably and just getting know each other. Interspersed are some ghost POV shots from an adjoining room. In a real movie this would be dialog to establish character backgrounds, etc., but for my purposes, it just serves as an excuse to write a cue that lasts more than half a minute.

Apple Pie and Coffee: (Yet to be written, target length: 2:30) Alternates the "Love Theme" with a new ghost theme that will later belong to Marvin, one of the three ghosts that inhabit the house. The alternation picks up in pace until the climax when a box in the next room comes crashing down. 00:00 - 01:00 - Love theme played under dialog. 01:00 - 01:20 - Marvin's theme, Ghost POV. Dialog in distant background. 01:20 - 01:40 - In the room. Love theme under dialog. 01:40 - 01:50 - Marvin' theme. Ghost POV. 01:50 - 02:00 - In the room. Love theme under dialog. 02:00 - 02:10 - Marvin's theme. Ghost POV 02:10 - 02:15 - Love theme 02:15 - 02:20 - Marvin's theme 02:20 - 02:25 - Love theme 02:25 - 02:30 - Marvin's theme and climax as box crashes down at 02:30