The Rec Hall Basement
A kitchen table conversation amongst friends about converting an old recreation hall basement into an arts space turns chaotic and hopeful, but an unseen presence outside hints at deeper, unsettling truths.
# The Rec Hall Basement
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A pragmatic teenager helps his friends plan the revitalization of a derelict community space, but his growing paranoia about a mysterious truck parked nearby suggests a sinister, external threat is lurking just beneath the surface of their hopeful project.
## Themes
* **Hope vs. Dread:** The vibrant, creative energy of planning a new future for a forgotten space is constantly undermined by a quiet, creeping sense of external menace.
* **The Past Haunting the Present:** The derelict basement is not the only thing with a dark history; an unspoken threat from the community's past looms just out of sight, threatening to resurface.
* **Creativity as Reclamation:** The act of dreaming, sketching, and planning is a powerful attempt to reclaim a physical space from decay and a community's spirit from apathy.
* **Unseen Threats:** The true danger is not the tangible decay of the basement, but the ambiguous, unknown human element that watches from a distance, representing the vulnerability of idyllic small-town life.
## Stakes
The group's dream of creating a safe, creative community space is threatened by a lurking, unseen danger that could shatter not only their project but their very sense of security.
## Synopsis
In the humid summer kitchen of their mentor, MRS. BATTISTE, three teenagers—EDMUND, SAGE, and MATEO—are brainstorming ideas to renovate the derelict basement of the old community recreation hall. While the energetic Mateo complains theatrically about the basement's horror-movie vibe and the artistic Sage sees it as a "grimy canvas," the pragmatic Edmund is distracted and anxious. His focus is fixed on a beat-up green Ford Ranger parked on the gravel shoulder outside, a vehicle he’s seen lurking in the same spot for days.
The conversation builds from practical concerns about dampness and structural integrity to a firestorm of creative passion. Fueled by Mrs. Battiste's encouragement, the teens' cynicism gives way to genuine excitement. They envision repurposing old wrestling mats for soundproofing, installing rustic gallery walls, and creating a vibrant hub for art and music. As Sage sketches furiously and Mateo imagines murals and grand opening events, the project transforms from a pipe dream into a tangible, shared vision. Edmund, the group’s anchor, finds himself swept up in the energy, pushing aside his unease to focus on budgets and logistics.
Just as the creative fervor reaches its peak, a shadow falls across the window. Edmund's head snaps up. A faint, metallic clang echoes from outside, near where the truck was parked. The optimistic bubble bursts for him, and the excited chatter around the table suddenly sounds frantic and desperate. A profound, unseasonable chill runs down his spine. His gaze locks with Mrs. Battiste's across the table. For a fleeting instant, the fierce hope in her eyes is replaced by a flicker of something much older and darker—a shared, silent acknowledgment that the threat Edmund senses is real, and she has been aware of it all along.
## Character Breakdown
* **EDMUND (17):** The protagonist. Anxious, observant, and pragmatic. He is the group's anchor, always considering the practicalities and potential pitfalls. He internalizes his anxiety, which manifests as a hyper-awareness of his surroundings, making him the first to sense the encroaching danger.
* **Psychological Arc:** **Start:** A practical, slightly detached planner, annoyed by his own anxiety and his distraction with the mysterious truck. **End:** His anxiety is validated, transforming into a chilling certainty that a real, external threat looms over their hopeful project, forcing him into a state of isolated hyper-vigilance.
* **SAGE (17):** The artistic visionary. Witty, with a self-deprecating shell that protects a fiercely creative and optimistic core. She has the ability to see potential and beauty where others see only decay.
* **MATEO (18):** The energetic hype-man. Boisterous, dramatic, and full of infectious enthusiasm. He provides both comedic relief and the emotional fuel that drives the group's brainstorming.
* **MRS. BATTISTE (60s):** The wise mentor. A benevolent but sharp figure who acts as the project's guide. She projects an aura of encouragement and hope, but beneath it lies a deep, weary knowledge of the town's darker undercurrents.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE KITCHEN TABLE:** In Mrs. Battiste's warm kitchen, Sage and Mateo debate the "vibe" of the derelict rec hall basement—a forgotten, creepy space.
2. **THE GREEN TRUCK:** Edmund, the pragmatist, is distracted by a beat-up green Ford Ranger parked outside, a recurring, unsettling sight that puts him on edge.
3. **THE DREAM UNFOLDS:** Mrs. Battiste steers the conversation towards potential. The group's energy shifts from the basement's problems (damp, smell) to creative solutions, with Sage sketching furiously.
4. **PRACTICALITY VS. PASSION:** Edmund tries to ground the conversation with talk of budgets and building codes, while Mateo and Sage's ideas become more ambitious (murals, open mic nights, a logo).
5. **A SPARK OF HOPE:** The energy peaks. The four are united in a shared, vibrant vision, their voices overlapping with excitement. The project feels real and within their grasp.
6. **THE SHADOW FALLS:** A shadow passes the window. Edmund hears a distant metallic clang from the direction of the truck. The atmosphere shifts instantly for him.
7. **THE UNDERCURRENT:** The group's excited chatter now sounds frantic and hollow in Edmund's ears. He feels a profound, unseasonable chill as dread sets in.
8. **A SHARED FEAR:** Edmund's gaze meets Mrs. Battiste's. Her hopeful expression falters, replaced by a flicker of deep-seated fear. A silent, terrifying understanding passes between them: the threat is real, and she knows it too.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual style will contrast the warm, lived-in nostalgia of Mrs. Battiste's kitchen with the harsh, unsettling reality of the world outside. The interior scenes will be shot with a soft, natural light, emphasizing the worn wood textures and the intimacy of the group. This warmth will be pierced by the overexposed, glaring sunlight from the window, which frames the ominous green truck. The camera will be handheld and fluid during the brainstorming sessions to capture the chaotic energy, but will shift to still, locked-off, and isolating shots when focusing on Edmund's perspective to build a sense of dread and paranoia.
The tone is a slow-burn, atmospheric thriller grounded in a coming-of-age drama. It begins with a feeling of hopeful, creative ambition and steadily builds a quiet, creeping dread that culminates in a moment of chilling realization. The horror is psychological and suggestive, rooted in the unknown rather than the explicit. Tonal comparisons align with the quiet, observational dread of **It Follows**, the small-town secrets of **Winter's Bone**, and the atmospheric, character-driven mystery of an anthology series like **Tales from the Loop**.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A pragmatic teenager helps his friends plan the revitalization of a derelict community space, but his growing paranoia about a mysterious truck parked nearby suggests a sinister, external threat is lurking just beneath the surface of their hopeful project.
## Themes
* **Hope vs. Dread:** The vibrant, creative energy of planning a new future for a forgotten space is constantly undermined by a quiet, creeping sense of external menace.
* **The Past Haunting the Present:** The derelict basement is not the only thing with a dark history; an unspoken threat from the community's past looms just out of sight, threatening to resurface.
* **Creativity as Reclamation:** The act of dreaming, sketching, and planning is a powerful attempt to reclaim a physical space from decay and a community's spirit from apathy.
* **Unseen Threats:** The true danger is not the tangible decay of the basement, but the ambiguous, unknown human element that watches from a distance, representing the vulnerability of idyllic small-town life.
## Stakes
The group's dream of creating a safe, creative community space is threatened by a lurking, unseen danger that could shatter not only their project but their very sense of security.
## Synopsis
In the humid summer kitchen of their mentor, MRS. BATTISTE, three teenagers—EDMUND, SAGE, and MATEO—are brainstorming ideas to renovate the derelict basement of the old community recreation hall. While the energetic Mateo complains theatrically about the basement's horror-movie vibe and the artistic Sage sees it as a "grimy canvas," the pragmatic Edmund is distracted and anxious. His focus is fixed on a beat-up green Ford Ranger parked on the gravel shoulder outside, a vehicle he’s seen lurking in the same spot for days.
The conversation builds from practical concerns about dampness and structural integrity to a firestorm of creative passion. Fueled by Mrs. Battiste's encouragement, the teens' cynicism gives way to genuine excitement. They envision repurposing old wrestling mats for soundproofing, installing rustic gallery walls, and creating a vibrant hub for art and music. As Sage sketches furiously and Mateo imagines murals and grand opening events, the project transforms from a pipe dream into a tangible, shared vision. Edmund, the group’s anchor, finds himself swept up in the energy, pushing aside his unease to focus on budgets and logistics.
Just as the creative fervor reaches its peak, a shadow falls across the window. Edmund's head snaps up. A faint, metallic clang echoes from outside, near where the truck was parked. The optimistic bubble bursts for him, and the excited chatter around the table suddenly sounds frantic and desperate. A profound, unseasonable chill runs down his spine. His gaze locks with Mrs. Battiste's across the table. For a fleeting instant, the fierce hope in her eyes is replaced by a flicker of something much older and darker—a shared, silent acknowledgment that the threat Edmund senses is real, and she has been aware of it all along.
## Character Breakdown
* **EDMUND (17):** The protagonist. Anxious, observant, and pragmatic. He is the group's anchor, always considering the practicalities and potential pitfalls. He internalizes his anxiety, which manifests as a hyper-awareness of his surroundings, making him the first to sense the encroaching danger.
* **Psychological Arc:** **Start:** A practical, slightly detached planner, annoyed by his own anxiety and his distraction with the mysterious truck. **End:** His anxiety is validated, transforming into a chilling certainty that a real, external threat looms over their hopeful project, forcing him into a state of isolated hyper-vigilance.
* **SAGE (17):** The artistic visionary. Witty, with a self-deprecating shell that protects a fiercely creative and optimistic core. She has the ability to see potential and beauty where others see only decay.
* **MATEO (18):** The energetic hype-man. Boisterous, dramatic, and full of infectious enthusiasm. He provides both comedic relief and the emotional fuel that drives the group's brainstorming.
* **MRS. BATTISTE (60s):** The wise mentor. A benevolent but sharp figure who acts as the project's guide. She projects an aura of encouragement and hope, but beneath it lies a deep, weary knowledge of the town's darker undercurrents.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE KITCHEN TABLE:** In Mrs. Battiste's warm kitchen, Sage and Mateo debate the "vibe" of the derelict rec hall basement—a forgotten, creepy space.
2. **THE GREEN TRUCK:** Edmund, the pragmatist, is distracted by a beat-up green Ford Ranger parked outside, a recurring, unsettling sight that puts him on edge.
3. **THE DREAM UNFOLDS:** Mrs. Battiste steers the conversation towards potential. The group's energy shifts from the basement's problems (damp, smell) to creative solutions, with Sage sketching furiously.
4. **PRACTICALITY VS. PASSION:** Edmund tries to ground the conversation with talk of budgets and building codes, while Mateo and Sage's ideas become more ambitious (murals, open mic nights, a logo).
5. **A SPARK OF HOPE:** The energy peaks. The four are united in a shared, vibrant vision, their voices overlapping with excitement. The project feels real and within their grasp.
6. **THE SHADOW FALLS:** A shadow passes the window. Edmund hears a distant metallic clang from the direction of the truck. The atmosphere shifts instantly for him.
7. **THE UNDERCURRENT:** The group's excited chatter now sounds frantic and hollow in Edmund's ears. He feels a profound, unseasonable chill as dread sets in.
8. **A SHARED FEAR:** Edmund's gaze meets Mrs. Battiste's. Her hopeful expression falters, replaced by a flicker of deep-seated fear. A silent, terrifying understanding passes between them: the threat is real, and she knows it too.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual style will contrast the warm, lived-in nostalgia of Mrs. Battiste's kitchen with the harsh, unsettling reality of the world outside. The interior scenes will be shot with a soft, natural light, emphasizing the worn wood textures and the intimacy of the group. This warmth will be pierced by the overexposed, glaring sunlight from the window, which frames the ominous green truck. The camera will be handheld and fluid during the brainstorming sessions to capture the chaotic energy, but will shift to still, locked-off, and isolating shots when focusing on Edmund's perspective to build a sense of dread and paranoia.
The tone is a slow-burn, atmospheric thriller grounded in a coming-of-age drama. It begins with a feeling of hopeful, creative ambition and steadily builds a quiet, creeping dread that culminates in a moment of chilling realization. The horror is psychological and suggestive, rooted in the unknown rather than the explicit. Tonal comparisons align with the quiet, observational dread of **It Follows**, the small-town secrets of **Winter's Bone**, and the atmospheric, character-driven mystery of an anthology series like **Tales from the Loop**.