Voices From The Static: Writing and Submitting An Analog Horror Script For Twisted50

Analog horror is one of the most exciting recent evolutions within the genre.  Gemini Entertainment’s World’s Weirdest Animals is one of the most unnerving videos I have seen for years. Kane Pixel’s Oldest View series combines ancient mythology with shopping malls in photorealistic animation to brilliant effect. These independent artists have built a new horror aesthetic online, and are perfect examples of how to use the internet as a storytelling tool, and build a community of engaged fans in the millions.  They are a sinister pre-HD world of shaky video camera footage, fuzzy sound, and uncanny monsters hidden within late 20th century life is. Once you start watching you, will never look at VHS training videos or similar kipple from the past few decades in the same way again. 

So when Twisted50 asked for zero budget analog horror scripts, this was something that shot to the top of my to do list. The strict limitation of a two-page length achievable on a shoestring was tricky, but in the end such tights boundaries helped spark a script idea. Plus the genre suits the low-key necessity of the instructions. You do not want your analog horror looking too slick.

I put my concept together, focusing on the effectiveness of sound, and using a location available in a dozen different places in any urban city. All the props could be handmade with minimal costs, and with a cast of two, one of whom would do the camerawork, this was a horror short that was at least plausible.  

A few days after submission I received a message asking to meet to discuss this further. Even a two-page script can have so many possible avenues of interpretation, and over Zoom it was great to unpack some of the ideas within the short to see how they could be expanded on.

Regardless of the outcome, one of the best things about Twisted50 is that there are other ways to get involved outside of the main competition itself. And of course, there’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in the eerie world of analog horror.