The Haunted Spotting Notes – Oliver Patrice Weder

David’s introduction:

traditional ghost story western civilisation

someone seeking redemption / release of their own

tragedy

girl who has suffered injustices, is trapped by what’s happened to her (trapped
underground)
Is now trapped as a ghost in the house.

Father daughter story - abuse type story. Tragedy between those two.

She regrets what’s going on. Opposite of what the father daughter could be.

Horror story, people should be scared.

Haunted House movie.

Big thing are the sounds of the house!! Frightening. Musically silence!

Director is happy with most entry points of music.

Triangle from CH as the major theme.

The Cundring - throughout the rest of the film

23 scadoo (band) - unsettling music

Director is open about having voices in the opening score.

Loves underscores and drones.

David likes the idea of being unconventional, maybe put a music somewhere
completely ‘random’ where the story actually leads to ‘nothing’, catch the
audience on the wrong foot so to speak!

M01
Opening 01.00.00 - …?

Have a sense Emma Lee waking up from a dream. Voices are blurred
Starting with deep reverb?

01.02.10

some slight ominous feel, but not as obvious as on the temp (opening theme could
continue)

01.02.50

music fade out as on temp (doesn’t really want music in this following scene)

M02

01.03.21.23 - to around 01.04.26

wants music here and mislead the audience. subtle start.

she’s got a good soul and is kind. give the impression that she bonds with the guy.
Pathos for each other. two lost characters - a father daughter theme.

this should be a bonding scene introducing a growing relationship between the two.

M03

01.05.31 - 1.06.43

MX in. dropping back into her internal perspective.

Slightly ominous. (wandering through the corridor of her own house).

Wants the audience to feel uneasy. looks like she’s wandering down slightly
reflectively.

1.06.43 come out. silence! want to hear the emptiness of the room - awkwardness.

leave silence

M04

01.07.20.13
on the door slam!

it’s the first reminder, it’s a horror movie

go spooky and unsettling - it’s a ghost there clearly!

coming out around 01.08.00 or keeping it all the way through until getting back into
the house.
he likes the emptiness though. could also come out 01.09.14

maybe 2 versions?

M05

01.09.24

bare in mind it’s the first time she does the job!

behind the door is a guy she might have to wash etc. or do an unease practice!
dealing with someone else physical disabilities.

it’s more a case of trepidation - a character that she hasn’t had any interaction, he’s
in coma and she is not looking forward to encounter that.

don’t give a sense that he’s a scary figure - she wants to build a relationship with
him.

he feels betrayed by his daughter who doesn’t come to see him anymore. give a
sense that they are two lost characters that begin to bond.

come out at around 01.09.51? leave it empty on her introduction as an option….

if not, start make the music more subtle - bonding scene!

come out at 01.10.25 fade out when she closes shutter

M06

01.10.46.20

when she turns her head - suspense!

fade out 01.11.03 so you can get a ‘tic-toc’ of the grandfathers clock.

(no music where current temp track is after the above scene)
M07 - sting on door opening

01.13.44.02

no crush there!

just unsettling sound

coming out 01.13.57

M07 alt (other option: mx come in when she wants to call her dad, drousy music,
then stop when door opens!)

M08

01.14.00 coming in. temp music is too heavy. still spooky but more subtle.
ignore the door, don’t make such a huge thing about it, she’s ignoring it.

come out around 01.14.30 (last hit) and tail off

he doesn’t want music on tea making obviously, but likes those sounds.

M09

01.15.57

when she touches him, re occurring scene of them bonding.

initial lullaby (main theme)! slightly nostalgic.

her thinking: his life is tragic, photos of him when he was strong and bold and alive.
pathos.

M09 alternative start

01.16.54
initial lullaby when she looks at photos! slightly nostalgic.
she starts to see him as a human being! nostalgia. tinged with sadness. he had a full
happy life and now he has fallen ill - tragic!
mx dips in and out - keep it low!

01.18.33 when she picks up the picture of Arthur and the ‘daughter’, go along with
the music!

(she believes is her redemption - get him and his daughter to bond, in that way she
redeems herself!)

01.19.30 music comes out as she gets up and starts leaving the room

M10

01.20.49

subtle tension

01.22.27
when she looks at the curtain she realises that something is behind it. The music
could highlight that there is something behind - don’t over do it! maybe the music
hangs there (drops slightly).

01.23.02
moment of slight wonderment, it’s a ball room! maybe hint on that within the music,
it’s a magical moment!?

option 1 - maybe drop out after the magical moment (could deflate the tension
slightly)

01.23.16 silence….

(or try coming in on the magical moment and then keep tension)

lead audience onto something wrong here….?

Sting needed here: 01.24.10.05 (music might have gone off beforehand, I think
David likes the idea of having music out on the chandelier, and then have a creek
and a subtle sting)

or: have music slightly after, a little hint!

if we have music all the way through, come out at 01.24.27

M11
01.24.48
Starting going up the stairs.

don’t point out any moments as of yet. keep underscoring

01.26.03.23 sting here - someone’s under the duvet!

the music dips a little bit around 01.26.19

keep the music unsettling in the girls room too. ignore the icons (go with instincts).

01.28.10.10 false alarm highlight (light sound) when she shines on the door. (she
hears something just before that!)

01.28.30 - she says ‘hello’ —> here it could be great to stop just before.

then hold off the music

01.28.38 come back in as she starts walking

01.28.50 more tension

release tension on 01.29.22 and music comes out

M12 - sting

01.30.40.12 When ghost appears on picture - possibly a heavy one?

have mx / fx staying there until she says ‘hello’.

has she seen a ghost or is it all in her head?

01.30.47 come out

M13

01.31.24.14 over the shoulder shot, build up so the audience thinks there is
something behind the corner and then behind the door!

01.32.00 when she sits down have the music out!

M14
01.33.02.11 Mr C is out of his bed! have a sting there and then tension. It’s a kind of
a turning point.

01.33.12.22 come out there!

no music on 1.33.45

M15

01.33.57.22 after door closes, bring in sting with her panic! (refer to temp music)

she is claustrophobic (she is reacting against being trapped underground, that’s why
she over reacts).

when outside, have music calming down!

as she walks into the house, the music stops, with classic door closing at
01.34.45.15

M16

01.35.23.16 have a sting on scary moment

sting ‘tails out’ and moves into the pathos music: 01.35.37 after ‘let’s go back to bed’
(two broken individuals being thrown together, quite sad)

father daughter music.

01.36.28 music needs to change after he says ‘her’ - ghost music again! subtle hint
on when she’s turning her head as a start of ghost music.

01.36.49.13 she looks back to the door, more tension again as she realises there
must be someone.

01.37.31 the piano: how are we tackling this? music out before, after or with the
piano?

watch temp music here, David likes it, but the music is too heavy.

very subtle. highlight the piano on 01.39.06

01.39.26 highlight duvet a little.

build up tension.

01.40.09 chair

01.40.40 scream, there’s a slight pause - ramp up music from the initial ghost scare
over that pause and have it going throughout the running. (make the cue faster than
it actually is through the music)

01.40.52 switch to tense music (there’s still a sense that it could be psychological).

01.41.14.07 music out

M17

01.41.32 when bag drops, timing of temp music is good. unsettling underscore
(believes bag is dropped by the nurse)

01.42.35 getting more tense as she finds out that Mr. C might know what’s going on.

she is piecing things together! she is beginning to see a reason. someone has been
trying to ‘call out’ the ghost. she
starts to realise mr. C knows more about this, has seen the ghost, it’s not
psychological. uneasy at all times.

01.44.10.16 something significant is taking place - the door is open!!!

01.45.41 music out

M18

01.46.20.06 bring different mx in for when she goes up the stairs

try stopping music here: 01.47.24

M19

01.48.14 mx in just before ghost appears in mirror

01.48.29.18 sting on the actual hand

afterwards a ‘running’ music

01.48.45 music fades out to let room for the footsteps

M20

start very subtly (like temp) at 01.49.06.00

mx out 01.49.58.09

M21
01.50.08.00 arthur’s bed is empty, sting! (just a little modulation!)

high intensity underneath his screams (temp isn’t too bad!)

(we don’t know but actually he is switching the lights off)
then ease out, it isn’t that fast afterwards. it’s almost a dream like stage she’s in.
it’s quite unstable! Deepling unsettling – house is breathing (alien like). Low level
reverb ambient sound!

keep music going 1.50.55 - slightly surreal keep music going.

01.51.05.16 after the second fit make music more intense: but focus on her, she’s
panicking, pace picks up!!!

(similar music as when she was trapped in the cupboard)

keep tempo up!

01.52.08 he starts calming down, calm down music too (maybe the bonding
theme!?)

01.52.35 music tails off

M22
01.53.04 (she hears footsteps!)

→ music in straight after, creeping in, when the camera is back on her

01.53.21.08 MX in

needs to be subtle tension.

01.54.30 – keep music going (temp track stops though)

she's convinced there's a ghost in there and wants to sort her.

01.55.40 she's calming him, maybe imply it in the music.

It's the end part, never let the tension release now!
She's seeing the ghost, it's always present.

01.56.10 coming out / ease out

M23
01.56.10 she takes the decision of going into the cult again – the table is a threat!!!

01.57.27 mx comes out / have a sustained reverb sound (as if we hold our breath to
listen out for an answer)

M24
01.57.39.19 as she opens the door – she's looking for the ghost

sting when the ghost comes in: 01.58.36.15

music intensifies afterward when she's running

when light switch goes off → tension music, floor creeks

and then go into a chase sequence with another sting when ghost appears:
01.59.04.13

(David talks about unearthly screams, very unsettling stuff!!!)

(he likes the temp here Davis says)

01.59.34.06 after she says 'leave us alone' mx out

M25
01.59.40.02 sting on the door and go into a tense underscore.

Unsettling and scary (keep same mood, don't introduce something running as they
are running)

02.01.28 introduce a moment of 'aha, there's a door!'

(likes the temp there – unsettling)

don't do anything distinct as door opens, just deepen the tension

02.03.00.12 there is no way out, she realises, sting?!

02.03.31.09 when she looks at floor board, keep the same music but drop it to allow
the footsteps to be heard
(temp is pretty good David says)

02.04.30 she hears the footsteps approaching and they disappear again. (have
music reverb there or drop out?)
give the option of stoping

M26
start 02.05.17.05 when she tries to grab the handle then realises there's no handle
and starts panicking

build up towards her screaming 'Arthur' 02.05.23 and stop there (just before she
screams)

option:

out at 02.06.12. ish

M27
02.07.03 as she rises mx in:

ominous – low notes, deeply unsettling build up to that moment

(here we are in the darkest place of the supernatural)
she's about to go to the scariest thing!!!!!

before she pulls the cover back – moment of silence!! 02.08.02

big shock on revelation (BH pshycho reference here)

keep tension high
and another shock on the ghost

→ expression of the 'ghost' is that the real carer sees the body for the first time.
(so Emma Lee has opened the door for the 'ghost)

(after that David likes the temp!)

02.09.06 pull the music down but keep tension on

(sfx of a child's voice)

02.09.18 mx out! When she sees the tape recorder

M28
02.09.23.02 sting when Arthur grabs her!
Chase music keep high tension
when she's hiding, keep the music in!

Another sting on 02.10.06.13 when he grabs her

bring mx down when he hits the bottom of the stairs – the struggle is gone, but the
tension is still there (the 'ghost' is still there).

We want the audience to think he is going to grab her.

Then on 02.10.44.11 introduce chase music again

Sting when the ghost comes out at 02.10.54.17 (references to Psycho again)
she is literally shitting her self now!

(he likes the temp there, it's unsettling and disturbing)

still building and the tension is high – 'ghost' shows here that she is dead!!!
it's very disturbing!!!!!! she is dead!!! it needs to be horrifying.

The music has got to tell that it's the big revelation for her, the horror is real!!!!!

mx out at 02.11.41.03, let reverb tail hang over

(it's not supernatural anymore, it's a personal tragedy!!! horror is more personal)

M29
closing theme (lullaby) at 02.11.46.03, where the temp starts

and going through the credit