30 seconds | 16:9 | live-action supernatural horror drama
Fictional dramatization. Documentary-style visual realism.
SETTING
An isolated old farmhouse surrounded by dense forest and fields.
Time: late afternoon transitioning into night.
Weather: overcast, cold and slightly windy.
Aged wooden exterior, neglected rooms, narrow staircase, old family photographs, dusty furniture, dim corridors and a locked basement door.
Natural environmental activity, distant wind, creaking wood and subtle household sounds.
CHARACTERS
A young couple in their early 30s and their 8-year-old daughter.
Maintain consistent faces, clothing, hairstyle, physical appearance and character identities throughout the sequence.
Human behaviour remains grounded and restrained.
STORY
00–04s — ARRIVAL
Wide observational shot establishing the isolated farmhouse.
The family carries boxes from their vehicle toward the front door.
The daughter stops and looks toward an upstairs window.
The parents continue walking, unaware.
Natural wind moves the trees and clothing.
04–08s — THE HOUSE
Handheld perspective follows the family through the dusty interior.
The father explores the living room while the mother opens curtains.
The daughter quietly looks toward the staircase.
A faint creaking sound comes from upstairs.
She asks, “Is someone up there?”
Her parents dismiss it as the old house settling.
08–12s — THE FIRST SIGN
The family moves through the hallway.
The daughter suddenly stops.
At the far end of the corridor, a bedroom door slowly moves open by itself.
The parents turn toward it.
The camera operator hesitates and slowly approaches.
The room appears completely empty.
Avoid exaggerated supernatural movement.
12–16s — NIGHT
Cut to the farmhouse after dark.
The family is preparing for bed.
The daughter suddenly looks toward the hallway.
A faint silhouette appears at the far end for only a moment before disappearing when the mother looks.
The daughter quietly says, “She's there again.”
The parents exchange an uneasy glance.
16–20s — THE FOOTSTEPS
Handheld camera follows the father through the dark hallway.
Slow footsteps can be heard above him.
He looks toward the staircase.
The footsteps stop.
He cautiously climbs the stairs.
The camera follows behind with natural handheld movement.
A bedroom door at the end of the hallway is slightly open.
20–24s — THE LOCKED ROOM
The father discovers the daughter standing outside a locked basement door.
She is completely still.
She quietly says, “She told me not to open it.”
The father looks at the door.
The handle slowly moves from the other side.
The camera operator instinctively steps backward.
24–28s — THE BASEMENT
The door suddenly opens slightly.
Cold darkness fills the doorway.
The mother grabs her daughter and pulls her backward.
A faint female voice comes from inside the basement.
The camera struggles to maintain focus in the darkness.
No visible monster.
No graphic violence.
28–30s — FINAL REVEAL
Camera remains in the hallway.
The family backs away from the basement.
The daughter suddenly looks past her parents toward the upstairs landing.
A pale female figure is standing silently at the top of the stairs.
Nobody notices her.
The camera slowly turns toward the figure.
The image abruptly cuts to black.
CAMERA
Grounded supernatural-documentary cinematography.
Mix:
wide environmental coverage
medium handheld following shots
brief close reaction shots
slow observational hallway perspectives
Natural handheld instability.
Realistic operator movement.
Plausible camera positions.
Autofocus hunting in darkness.
Small framing corrections.
Natural motion blur.
No impossible camera movement.
No floating camera.
No excessive slow motion.
No polished Hollywood horror cinematography.
LIGHTING
Lighting originates from practical and environmental sources.
Natural overcast daylight during arrival.
Warm household lamps and weak practical lighting after dark.
Natural exposure changes when moving between illuminated rooms and dark hallways.
Deep but detailed shadows.
Realistic highlight roll-off.
No artificial rim lighting.
No supernatural glow.
PHYSICS
Real gravity and momentum.
Feet maintain contact with floors and stairs.
Furniture has believable weight.
Doors move through physical hinges.
Curtains respond to airflow.
Dust reacts naturally to footsteps.
Clothing responds to movement and wind.
Wood, doors and floorboards behave realistically.
No floating objects.
No impossible movement.
No exaggerated supernatural physics.
HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Restrained, believable fear.
Quiet breathing.
Small eye movements.
Hesitation before entering dark spaces.
Natural glances toward unexplained sounds.
Parents instinctively protect their daughter.
The daughter behaves frightened but not theatrically possessed.
No screaming without cause.
No exaggerated facial expressions.
No heroic behavior.
No theatrical horror acting.
AUDIO
Natural farmhouse ambience.
Wind through trees.
Distant insects.
Wood creaking.
Footsteps on wooden floors.
Floorboards reacting under weight.
Quiet household sounds.
Distant birds during daylight.
Low nighttime ambience.
Soft breathing.
Subtle door movement.
Faint footsteps upstairs.
A barely audible female voice from the basement.
No music.
No jump-scare sound effects.
No oversized Hollywood trailer effects.
No artificial bass drops.
VISUAL CHARACTER
Photorealistic live-action footage.
Observational supernatural-documentary character.
Natural skin texture.
Realistic fabric and materials.
Authentic old farmhouse textures.
Subtle sensor noise.
Natural motion blur.
Imperfect handheld framing.
Practical lighting.
Atmospheric darkness.
The supernatural presence should feel physically present within an otherwise completely realistic environment.
Avoid:
video-game aesthetics
CGI appearance
excessive HDR
oversaturated colors
floating ghosts
transparent cartoon-like spirits
monster faces
excessive visual effects
impossible physics
perfectly choreographed movement
beauty-filter faces
graphic gore
cheap jump scares
Hollywood-style supernatural spectacle
CONTINUITY
Maintain character identity, clothing, farmhouse layout, furniture, lighting and environmental conditions between shots.
Preserve geographic orientation and screen direction.
Maintain the same staircase, hallway, bedroom door and basement door throughout the sequence.
Every action begins from the physical state established by the previous shot.
The supernatural presence remains subtle until the final reveal.
The final female figure must visually match the supernatural presence implied earlier in the story.
End on unresolved supernatural tension rather than explaining what the entity is.