The Old Wing's Grip
Two exhausted medical residents, Lindsay and Sam, prepare a photography exhibit to cope with the stresses of their hospital work in Northwestern Ontario, but soon discover a sinister, unexplained pattern linking their photos to mysterious patient deteriorations in the hospital’s old wing.
# The Old Wing's Grip
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
Two overworked medical residents discover a deadly, unseen phenomenon in their hospital's old wing that is only visible through their camera lenses, forcing them to use an art project as a cover to prove the threat is real before it claims another life.
## Themes
* **Science vs. The Supernatural:** The core tension between empirical data and evidence that defies rational explanation, forcing characters trained in logic to confront the unbelievable.
* **The Unseen Burden of Care:** Explores how the immense psychological pressure and trauma of medical work can blur the lines between exhaustion, grief, and paranoia.
* **Art as a Diagnostic Tool:** The concept of an artistic medium—photography—revealing a truth that scientific instruments cannot, challenging conventional methods of observation and diagnosis.
* **Institutional Inertia:** The struggle to address a problem that doesn't fit within established protocols, highlighting the dangers of dismissing anomalies as "background noise."
## Stakes
The lives of future patients are at risk, as are Lindsay and Sam's medical careers and their own sanity if they fail to prove the existence of the malevolent entity in the old wing.
## Synopsis
In the sterile, fluorescent-lit lounge of a remote hospital, two sleep-deprived medical residents, LINDSAY HAYES and SAM CHEN, review photos for their small photography club exhibit. Lindsay is troubled by a recurring visual anomaly—a faint, ripple-like distortion—that appears only in photos taken in the hospital's old wing. While Sam dismisses it as a camera glitch, Lindsay connects the distortion to a disturbing pattern: three patients have recently died from sudden, inexplicable, and wildly different ailments after spending time in those specific rooms.
Sam, the pragmatist, tries to ground Lindsay in science, attributing her theory to burnout and grief. But Lindsay presents compelling evidence: the photographic distortion is localized exclusively to the rooms where the victims were treated—Recovery Bay Three and Rooms 104 and 217. Her argument, combined with Sam’s own unsettling memories of the old wing, begins to crack his skepticism.
They agree to use their upcoming photo exhibit, "A Glimpse Beyond the Veil," as a cover for a clandestine investigation. Their mission is to systematically photograph the "hot spots," hoping to capture definitive proof of what Lindsay calls the "unseen patient"—a non-physical entity that seems to amplify or trigger latent illnesses in vulnerable patients. As they map out the locations and cross-reference patient files, they find a chilling note about a previous patient feeling the "warmth being sucked out of the room."
Their theoretical investigation is violently interrupted when a "Code Blue" is announced over the hospital intercom. The emergency is in Room 104, one of the primary locations on their list. The abstract threat is now an active crisis. Realizing something is happening at that very moment, Lindsay grabs her professional camera and races towards the room, determined to capture the entity, while Sam runs to assist with the medical emergency.
## Character Breakdown
* **DR. LINDSAY HAYES (28):** An observant, intuitive, and tenacious medical resident, driven by a deep-seated need for answers. She is exhausted but her sharp mind refuses to dismiss anomalies. The recent patient losses weigh heavily on her, pushing her to look beyond conventional diagnoses.
* **Psychological Arc:**
* **State at start:** Haunted by patient deaths and plagued by self-doubt, Lindsay suspects a connection but fears her exhaustion is making her see patterns where none exist. She is hesitant and searching for validation.
* **State at end:** Her suspicion hardens into a grim, terrifying conviction. She transitions from a state of questioning uncertainty to one of proactive, desperate action, willing to risk her career and reputation to confront the unknown threat head-on.
* **DR. SAM CHEN (29):** A pragmatic, good-humored, and grounded resident who uses levity to cope with the daily stress of the job. He is a loyal friend to Lindsay but is firmly rooted in scientific evidence and logic, making him the initial skeptic. Beneath his easy-going exterior is the same weariness and dedication as Lindsay.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE FLAWED PHOTO:** In the residents' lounge, Sam shows Lindsay his latest photos. She fixates on one of the old wing's recovery bays, pointing out a subtle, ripple-like distortion in the image that Sam dismisses as a technical flaw.
2. **THE PATTERN:** Lindsay connects the photo's location to three recent, inexplicable patient deaths. She posits that the distortion is a recurring anomaly linked to a malevolent presence in the old wing.
3. **THE SKEPTIC:** Sam pushes back, arguing Lindsay is connecting unrelated tragedies due to stress and grief. He insists there must be a logical, scientific explanation for the deaths and the photo glitches.
4. **THE EVIDENCE:** Lindsay proves the distortion is localized *only* to the specific rooms where the victims were treated. The pattern is too precise to be a coincidence. Sam’s skepticism begins to crack.
5. **THE PLAN:** Lindsay proposes they use their photo exhibit as a cover to investigate. They will systematically photograph the rooms, treating it as an art project to document the "unseen burdens" of the hospital, while secretly hunting for evidence.
6. **THE TURNING POINT:** A reluctant Sam agrees. While reviewing old patient files on a tablet, he finds a nurse's note describing an "extreme, localized chill" in one of the target rooms. The tablet screen flickers as a low, resonant hum echoes through the hospital.
7. **THE CALL:** A "Code Blue" is announced over the intercom for Room 104—a key location on their list. The theoretical horror becomes an immediate crisis. Lindsay grabs her camera and runs to the room, determined to get a shot of the entity in the act.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual style will be grounded and clinical, emphasizing the stark contrast between the sterile, brightly-lit modern sections of the hospital and the decaying, shadow-filled old wing. The lighting will be harsh and institutional, creating a sense of exposure and unease. The camera work will be largely handheld and observational, giving a sense of documentary realism that makes the supernatural elements more jarring. The "distortion" itself will be a subtle, in-camera effect—a slight warping of light, like heat haze or water in the air—making the threat feel physical and real.
**Tone:** A slow-burn psychological thriller blended with grounded, clinical horror. The atmosphere is one of creeping dread, paranoia, and intellectual terror, focusing on the psychological toll of confronting an unexplainable phenomenon in a place dedicated to logic and reason. The tone aligns with the tech-adjacent horror of *Black Mirror*, the institutional dread of Lars von Trier's *The Kingdom*, and the chilling atmosphere of *Session 9*.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
Two overworked medical residents discover a deadly, unseen phenomenon in their hospital's old wing that is only visible through their camera lenses, forcing them to use an art project as a cover to prove the threat is real before it claims another life.
## Themes
* **Science vs. The Supernatural:** The core tension between empirical data and evidence that defies rational explanation, forcing characters trained in logic to confront the unbelievable.
* **The Unseen Burden of Care:** Explores how the immense psychological pressure and trauma of medical work can blur the lines between exhaustion, grief, and paranoia.
* **Art as a Diagnostic Tool:** The concept of an artistic medium—photography—revealing a truth that scientific instruments cannot, challenging conventional methods of observation and diagnosis.
* **Institutional Inertia:** The struggle to address a problem that doesn't fit within established protocols, highlighting the dangers of dismissing anomalies as "background noise."
## Stakes
The lives of future patients are at risk, as are Lindsay and Sam's medical careers and their own sanity if they fail to prove the existence of the malevolent entity in the old wing.
## Synopsis
In the sterile, fluorescent-lit lounge of a remote hospital, two sleep-deprived medical residents, LINDSAY HAYES and SAM CHEN, review photos for their small photography club exhibit. Lindsay is troubled by a recurring visual anomaly—a faint, ripple-like distortion—that appears only in photos taken in the hospital's old wing. While Sam dismisses it as a camera glitch, Lindsay connects the distortion to a disturbing pattern: three patients have recently died from sudden, inexplicable, and wildly different ailments after spending time in those specific rooms.
Sam, the pragmatist, tries to ground Lindsay in science, attributing her theory to burnout and grief. But Lindsay presents compelling evidence: the photographic distortion is localized exclusively to the rooms where the victims were treated—Recovery Bay Three and Rooms 104 and 217. Her argument, combined with Sam’s own unsettling memories of the old wing, begins to crack his skepticism.
They agree to use their upcoming photo exhibit, "A Glimpse Beyond the Veil," as a cover for a clandestine investigation. Their mission is to systematically photograph the "hot spots," hoping to capture definitive proof of what Lindsay calls the "unseen patient"—a non-physical entity that seems to amplify or trigger latent illnesses in vulnerable patients. As they map out the locations and cross-reference patient files, they find a chilling note about a previous patient feeling the "warmth being sucked out of the room."
Their theoretical investigation is violently interrupted when a "Code Blue" is announced over the hospital intercom. The emergency is in Room 104, one of the primary locations on their list. The abstract threat is now an active crisis. Realizing something is happening at that very moment, Lindsay grabs her professional camera and races towards the room, determined to capture the entity, while Sam runs to assist with the medical emergency.
## Character Breakdown
* **DR. LINDSAY HAYES (28):** An observant, intuitive, and tenacious medical resident, driven by a deep-seated need for answers. She is exhausted but her sharp mind refuses to dismiss anomalies. The recent patient losses weigh heavily on her, pushing her to look beyond conventional diagnoses.
* **Psychological Arc:**
* **State at start:** Haunted by patient deaths and plagued by self-doubt, Lindsay suspects a connection but fears her exhaustion is making her see patterns where none exist. She is hesitant and searching for validation.
* **State at end:** Her suspicion hardens into a grim, terrifying conviction. She transitions from a state of questioning uncertainty to one of proactive, desperate action, willing to risk her career and reputation to confront the unknown threat head-on.
* **DR. SAM CHEN (29):** A pragmatic, good-humored, and grounded resident who uses levity to cope with the daily stress of the job. He is a loyal friend to Lindsay but is firmly rooted in scientific evidence and logic, making him the initial skeptic. Beneath his easy-going exterior is the same weariness and dedication as Lindsay.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE FLAWED PHOTO:** In the residents' lounge, Sam shows Lindsay his latest photos. She fixates on one of the old wing's recovery bays, pointing out a subtle, ripple-like distortion in the image that Sam dismisses as a technical flaw.
2. **THE PATTERN:** Lindsay connects the photo's location to three recent, inexplicable patient deaths. She posits that the distortion is a recurring anomaly linked to a malevolent presence in the old wing.
3. **THE SKEPTIC:** Sam pushes back, arguing Lindsay is connecting unrelated tragedies due to stress and grief. He insists there must be a logical, scientific explanation for the deaths and the photo glitches.
4. **THE EVIDENCE:** Lindsay proves the distortion is localized *only* to the specific rooms where the victims were treated. The pattern is too precise to be a coincidence. Sam’s skepticism begins to crack.
5. **THE PLAN:** Lindsay proposes they use their photo exhibit as a cover to investigate. They will systematically photograph the rooms, treating it as an art project to document the "unseen burdens" of the hospital, while secretly hunting for evidence.
6. **THE TURNING POINT:** A reluctant Sam agrees. While reviewing old patient files on a tablet, he finds a nurse's note describing an "extreme, localized chill" in one of the target rooms. The tablet screen flickers as a low, resonant hum echoes through the hospital.
7. **THE CALL:** A "Code Blue" is announced over the intercom for Room 104—a key location on their list. The theoretical horror becomes an immediate crisis. Lindsay grabs her camera and runs to the room, determined to get a shot of the entity in the act.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual style will be grounded and clinical, emphasizing the stark contrast between the sterile, brightly-lit modern sections of the hospital and the decaying, shadow-filled old wing. The lighting will be harsh and institutional, creating a sense of exposure and unease. The camera work will be largely handheld and observational, giving a sense of documentary realism that makes the supernatural elements more jarring. The "distortion" itself will be a subtle, in-camera effect—a slight warping of light, like heat haze or water in the air—making the threat feel physical and real.
**Tone:** A slow-burn psychological thriller blended with grounded, clinical horror. The atmosphere is one of creeping dread, paranoia, and intellectual terror, focusing on the psychological toll of confronting an unexplainable phenomenon in a place dedicated to logic and reason. The tone aligns with the tech-adjacent horror of *Black Mirror*, the institutional dread of Lars von Trier's *The Kingdom*, and the chilling atmosphere of *Session 9*.