1. By Chelsie Brandrick
1
A TROUBLESOME GIRL
Written by
Chelsie Brandrick
February 20, 2016
DRAFT
Chelsie.Brandrick@AOL.com
2. By Chelsie Brandrick
2
Characters
Ellie Slater – Young, a detective, acts anxious, friendly but
keeps to herself. Wears a white shirt, black trench coat and
boots and dark trousers.
Murderer – Mysterious, experienced and strong. Wears dark
clothing and a hood.
Victim – Middle aged. Quiet. A writer/journalist who is
writing a story about Ellie Slater, a story that Ellie can’t
let get published.
Chief Superintendent Matthews – Friendly, hard working, in
control, professional and helpful.
Locations
Woodlands – Dunstall Forest.
Police Station – Burton Upon Trent Police Station
Car Park – New Street Car Park
Car – BMW 3 Series
Road Before Woodlands – Dunstall Road
Props
Victims books X2
Phone
Case File
Notepad with a page of writing and pen
Police tape
Chalk to mark out the body
Police number markers
3. By Chelsie Brandrick
3
FADE IN:
1. INT. WOODLAND. DAY.
Modern day. Late afternoon/Early evening. Fades in to a dark
empty forest. A murderer is on top of her next victim -
straddling and strangling her on the forest floor. The victim
is fighting for her life, screaming and shouting for help -
only echo’s reply to the girl’s pleas. After a fair struggle
the victim dies and the murderer gets up, she walks over to
look at the victim’s belongings, there’s a notepad, pen and
the book ‘a troublesome girl’. The murderer approaches the
notepad and rips the pages of writing out of it, folds the
pages in half and then walks away and disappears into the
trees.
FILMING NOTES: During the struggle until the victim dies
the camera is the murderers POV. Mid shot once the victim
is dead, the camera pans over the victims body to their
belongings. Focuses on the victim’s notepad as she rips
the pages out. Extreme close up of the ripped out pages
in the notepad, which will pan into an Extreme close up
of the murderers feet walking away.
EDITING NOTES: Screams will start out loud and after a
few will echo out and be muted and muffled.
2. INT. OUTSIDE A POLICE STATION. DAY.
Afternoon. Burton Police Station. Detective Slater is wearing
a white shirt and black trench as she exits the police
station. It’s a dull and overcast afternoon; Slater exits the
police station and is beginning to walk away.
4. By Chelsie Brandrick
4
FILMING NOTES: Long shot of Slater from back view exiting
the police station doors. Mid shot of Slater with the
police sign in the background walking to the car park.
EDITING NOTES: Switch the two shots to give the
impression that the camera has followed her.
3. INT. CAR PARK. DAY.
Slater walks towards her car. She fumbles in her pocket and
retrieves her car key and unlocks her car from afar. She opens
the door and as she gets in her phone rings.
SLATER jumps slightly as if awoken from a trance and answers
it.
CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT (V.O)
Detective Slater, It’s chief superintendent Matthews. Have you
got the case file I left for you?
SLATER
Erm yes sir, I just picked it up. I’m going to look at it now.
CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT (V.O)
It’s new – happened last night. A dog walker phoned it in. It
looks like it’s a new killer; we haven’t had a murder quite
like this. The victim was strangled and she put up quite a
fight. Read the file and go out to the scene.
SLATER
Okay Sir, I’m on it. I’ll give it a read and go check it out.
SLATER hangs up the phone. She is intrigued so opens the case
file and begins to read it. She examines the file, then writes
5. By Chelsie Brandrick
5
down the address of the crime scene, closes the case file and
throws it on top other junk she has on the passenger seat.
Slater starts the ignition, puts her seatbelt on and looks
behind her to start reversing out of the car parking space.
FILMING NOTES: Long shot of Slater walking towards her
car and unlocking it. Close up of the cars lights
flashing when unlocked. Mid shot/Close Up Variations
inside the car in the passenger seat as Slater gets in
and during the phone call. Mid/long shot from the outside
of the car to show it reverse and pull off.
EDITING NOTES: Join the unlocking shots together in a
swift motion. Unlocking sound effect needed. Switch up
the shots whilst Slater is on the phone to keep the
viewer engaged. Chief Superintendent’s voice is going to
be voiced over.
4. INT. INSIDE SLATERS CAR. DAY.
Slater drives into the countryside to the scene of the crime.
FILMING NOTES: Mid POV shot inside the car. Mid shot
looking out of the windscreen and slowly pans to the
passengers seat. The book from the murderer collected is
in her passenger seat, it’s only slightly visible
underneath the case file. Include a Variety of shots of
Slater in the car, get creative and test when shooting.
EDITING NOTES: Input radio music and the sound of
traffic.
5. EXT. ROAD OUTSIDE THE WOODLAND. DAY.
Slater gets out of the car, closes the door and looks around
her. She seems agitated and slightly on edge as she clenches
6. By Chelsie Brandrick
6
her jaw. She walks towards a gate in the centre of a hedge and
opens the gate.
FILMING NOTES: Mid shot from the opposite side of the
car, of Slater getting out of the car and walking towards
the gate. Camera pans following in one swift shot/take.
EDITING NOTES: Input a traffic sound effect.
6. INT. WOODLAND. DAY.
Dark, poorly lit woodland. Slater walks into the woods and is
immediately greeted by the police tape. She ducks under it and
walks up to the crime scene. A body is marked out in chalk,
there are multiple marks on the ground and the victim’s
belongings all have police markers by them. Slater kneels down
by the log the victim would have been sat on by her belongings
and closes her eyes trying to envision what has happened.
The victim is sitting on a log writing in a notepad with her
back to the murderer. The murderer comes up behind her, chokes
her, slams her to the ground then straddles her all in one
swift move. The murderer then strangles her; the victim is
struggling and screaming for help. Slater looks at the second
marker by some marks in the ground. She then pictures the
victim trying to free herself by kicking her feet. Slater
finally looks at where the body is marked out and closes her
eyes one last time. She see’s the victim inhaling for a final
time, before choking and dying. The murderer then looks around
her and then sharply to the right when she hears a twig snap.
Slater is revealed as the murderer and looks extremely scared
thinking someone witnessed her committing the crime.
FILMING NOTES: Mid shot walking into the woods and
towards the crime scene, and whilst Slater is looking at
the crime. Murderers POV shot during the crime and
7. By Chelsie Brandrick
7
Victims POV showing hands and feet (anything that doesn’t
point to who the murderer is but adds tension). Extreme
close up when the victim kicks her feet. Murderers POV
shot when the victim takes her last breath and dies.
Camera will then pan over the victims still face, to her
belongings like her notepad and book near the log. Then
the camera will pan around like if the murderer is
looking up around her. As a twig snaps the camera will be
a close up on the murderers face as she whips round
frightened listening as she thinks someone may have seen
her crime.
EDITING NOTES: Victims screams will start out loud and
after a few will echo out and be muted. Whilst the camera
is panning over the victims face the mood is eerie and
quiet to show that the victim is dead. When the twig
snaps (as if someone saw her do it) the two shots will
join whilst the snap is sounding. Slow down the speed of
the murderer looking at the end – initial turn is fast
and then it goes slow to show she is panicked and
frightened. Music that builds right up until the last
second.
FADE OUT.
END