Project:
The Pumpkin Smasher
Original Children's Book Logline:
Two days before Halloween, the towns-folk of Cranbury awaken to find all their pumpkins have been smashed.
The story:
The story follows Mrs. Patchett, a black elementary school teacher in a predominantly white town in new England in the 1970's.
She struggles with her new job as teacher and managing two particularly challenging twins from the Turner family.
The whole town devises ways to address the pumpkin smasher and ultimately have to decide whether or not to cancel Halloween.
She struggles with her new job as teacher and managing two particularly challenging twins from the Turner family.
The whole town devises ways to address the pumpkin smasher and ultimately have to decide whether or not to cancel Halloween.
In the children's book, Small sentences are loaded with potential meaning that could stir suspense.
communities coming together to solve problems, facing racial tension, forgiving reputations and obtaining second chances are central themes of empathy within the story.
Exploring SCEne Opportunities:
⛤ Police chase
⛤ One of the twins has a crush on a boy (maybe he passes a note in class? Maybe that twin says: "Can you even tell me apart from my sister?" And he has an answer that shows he is actually attentive to her as a person. ("Of course I can. You always wrap your napkin in a triangle, your sister doesn't do that." something like that?). That makes her feel special. Maybe the feeling of wanting to be special/seen is actually a big part of the story (which is perhaps why they do the whole pumpkin smashing/witch trick in the first place?)
⛤ Other twin gets jealous and frustrated with other twin's love interest
⛤ Jealous twin goes out into woods and finds a clue/gets an idea while she is alone
⛤ Police officer with wife & kid, just moved to the town
⛤ Town hall meeting (chaotic, people talking, etc)
⛤ Morning discovery of pumpkins smashed (walking outside the next morning, seeing one pumpkin, then another - a crane shot or drone shot of more and more pumpkins smashed all the way down the street)
⛤ What is a good story without some suspects? Maybe there's a mean bully who is a suspect?
⛤ Maybe there's an old man who is a suspect? (I'm thinking an old dude who lives on the edge of town who walks around with a pitchfork and quietly stands in the back of the town hall meeting?)
⛤ Does someone accuse the police officer of actually being the pumpkin smasher? Do they accuse him because he is new to the town and not well known? That would be wild. Maybe his wife doesn't know who to believe? Maybe they think he made it up and let the perpetrator get away?
⛤ Twins tell the story of the witch at the end
Genres, Style + Structure:
A theme that conveys the bizarre situation the town finds itself it as they attempt to maintain normalcy amid an unknown threat is "Danse Macabre" - chosen to describe the tone because of the fantasy, mischief and child-like thrill of halloween.
An epic sense of mystery should be captured in the moments where the townspeople are on edge and trying not to admit to it. It's themes like this one from "The Incredible" at 0:58 that bring those nervous feelings out, along with the palpable feeling of the chill fall wind and rustling leaves.
Sizzle Reel:
(Forthcoming)
The investment:
Budget:
🎃 Actors
🎃 Wardrobe
🎃 location
🎃 props
🎃 pumpkins
MArketplace:
Fairy tales, Films and TV all seem to be based on the idea that children should not wonder off alone. This is the exact issue that an entire town struggles to cope with as a third Halloween of smashed pumpkins draws near.
