Film Idea : Treatment

I have been paired with a group to create a Short Film.

The Short film that we have chosen will be a Homedy (Horror/ Comedy) film.

Attached Below is TREATMENT for the story that we have decided to move forward with.

HI - JYNXED

A treatment by Remi Bashua, Matthew Ocampo, OluSegun Musitafa

The scene is set on a College campus. SOMMERSVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY —- SUNRISE. It is the first day of school, students begin rushing to their classes. At the center of the action, a group of 3 college students who are each in their senior year. ERIC is a tall black student. 22 years of age, dribbles a basketball. LUIKAY, Asian, on the opposite side of him; is a tall, awkward & lanky 21 year old. At the center between Eric and Luikay is TREVOR. 

The students are discussing the dread of the first day of school and how they wish the summer wasn’t over. They are making their way to their first class of the day, which they each agreed to take together. They arrive at the classroom and upon entering they lock eyes with a creepy teacher who is just staring at them.  The classroom is completely empty, much to the chagrin of the students. The professor breaks the awkward silence and introduces himself as Professor HAMMOCK. He settles the students down and begins his lecture.

At least 10 minutes in, the students become unsettled. According to an online roster that they viewed when actively registering for the class, the seats listed 1 available. The class total listed 19 seats. There should be 19 students. The classroom contains no one but the professor and the 3 uncomfortable students. They finally get the gall to ask the professor why the class is empty. He reassures the student that they are indeed in the right class and that they should not worry about any delinquent students but themselves. The professor states that the students who did not show up will be failed and then proceeds to threaten the group of men that if they dropped the class, they would be failed too. 

He drops a bomb on the students that the psychology class is a prerequisite for graduation and that he was the only professor in that department. The students look at each other baffled. They now start the semester with drama. They are stuck in a class with no students which in itself is sketchy, and the creepiest teacher on the planet. 

The students exit the class upon completion, fuming and trying to rationalize why they have to end their senior year with such a psycho for a teacher. It is almost as if he is getting a twisted enjoyment at the student’ situation. 

THE NEXT DAY. SOMMERSVILLE UNIVERSITY —- AFTERNOON. The group of students meet up at their usual spot and exchange ideas on how they could escape the class, with a clearly strange professor. Perhaps that is why no one has enrolled in the class. Luikay, the smarts of the group states he did research and found that the professor gives a 99.9 % fail rate. Much to the dismay and shock of Eric and Trevor. What could be so hard about PSYCHOLOGY? 

THE DAY AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL —- SUNRISE. 

The students meet up together and discuss the madness of their new situation, as they make their way to class. The sweat dripping from their pores as they prepare to enter Professor Hammocks classroom. Anticipating the worst. They open the door and find the class is STILL empty. There are no students but them, and the professor is nowhere to be found. There is a walkie talkie on the table and instructions for the students to “SIT” written on the chalkboard. The students, naturally sit. 5 minutes pass and just as they are about to leave, a voice from the walkie talkie yells at the students to sit back down. The students jump in concert. Did they just hear a voice come from the walkie talkie. The voice bellows and the sinister voice comes into concentration. It is the professor. 

He explains to the students that EVERYTHING they will experience in the class is psychology. They will be put through unorthodox situation where they will have to think outside the norm, outside the box if they ever want to pass his class. Professor Hammock explains the students first assignment which separates the students from one another. It is after those private sessions that the students are now truly terrified. None in the group wish to disclose what they went through. Curtis suggests that his life is over, and Trevor suggests that the students drop out. The optimistic nerd of the group then makes a suggestion that just might save them. They could “skip” class and venture off into the WOODS. 

There is a solemn silence among the group. Curtis is the first to back out of the suggestion. Luikay makes his case that while the woods has a polarizing history, it offers their only escape. Their only resolution to the problem which is professor hammock. There is a rumor that their is a hidden treasure deep within the woods. They can use at least half of that money to bribe the professor to pass them! Curtis inserts that Lucky is crazy and states that the woods are also rumored to be a forbidden area where SEVERAL children have gone missing. The Police won't even enter the area to investigate. After arguing amongst themselves, they each finally agree to venture into the woods and skip their next class day in search of the treasure. 

FRIDAY. THE WOODS OF DENIAL —- AFTERNOON. 

The group of students meet up and finally summon the courage to walk. As they begin their journey.. through the woods…