{"id":1898,"date":"2025-12-18T00:55:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T00:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/?p=1898"},"modified":"2026-03-30T12:21:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T19:21:01","slug":"dead-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/2025\/12\/18\/dead-air\/","title":{"rendered":"Dead Air"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Logline: A 1980s radio DJ with a compulsive gambling problem faces a supernatural force that preys on his callers\u2019 vulnerabilities, forcing him to confront his darkest guilt.<\/p>\n

Page Count: 7<\/p>\n

Genre: Thriller, Horror, Dark Comedy<\/p>\n

Cast Breakdown:
\nROBBIE ROURKE (30s, M): A charismatic late-night radio host who gives romantic advice on air while privately unraveling under a compulsive gambling addiction and the guilt of his failed marriage.
\nTHE MONSTER (M): A supernatural entity that feeds on vulnerability and emotional pain; taunting, calculated, and predatory.
\nHEATHER (16, F): A heartbroken teenager whose fear of being alone makes her the Monster\u2019s first target.
\nDANIEL (22, M): A cocky but deeply insecure young man addicted to cheap attachments and emotional games, masking his loneliness with arrogance.
\nPATRICIA (40s, F): A quietly heartbroken, emotionally numb woman trapped in a loveless marriage, longing to be seen yet resigned to the fact that she never will be.
\nEARL (50s, M): A hollow, weary caller who recognizes his internal pain and the danger at hand, attempting to warn Robbie before it\u2019s too late.
\nSHARON (30s, F): Robbie\u2019s ex-wife and the love of his life; a kind, loving woman who was pushed beyond her breaking point.
\nTODD (18, M): A nervous, timid intern, often on the receiving end of Robbie\u2019s emotional outbursts.<\/p>\n

Location:
\nNote: All INT. Locations should be dressed to resemble the 1980s
\n<\/i>INT. RADIO BOOTH
\nINT. HEATHER\u2019S BEDROOM
\nINT. DANIEL\u2019S ROOM
\nINT. KITCHEN
\nINT. LIVING ROOM
\nINT.\/EXT. DEAD AIR (Black Void)<\/p>\n

SFX \/ Stunts \/ Cheats:
\nSFX<\/span>
\nHeavy use of radio and TV static, signal distortion, feedback, and dead-air tones
\nPhone audio effects: line clicks, beeps, ringing, abrupt call drops
\nEQ plugin (post production) to simulate phone-line audio quality
\nEnvironmental Audio Cues: wind howling, low hums, flickering electrical buzz
\nImplied injury effects: gasps and sudden thuds (bodily or environmental, off-screen)
\nMonster Effects: low growls, breathing, and distorted vocal processing (pitch-shifting, reverb, delay)
\nThe Void: reverb and echo effects on laughter, dialogue, and memory playback
\nSTUNTS<\/span>
\nActor reaction-based scares only (no physical violence shown on-screen)
\nImplied off-screen attacks achieved through sound design, cutaways, practical lighting effects and performance
\nNo fight choreography or hazardous physical stunts required
\nSafe actor blocking for moments of sudden movement, including:
\nDoor rattling
\nBeing \u201cpulled\u201d backward, achieved through close-up framing and sudden cutaways
\nCHEATS
\n<\/span>Monster:
\nShadow POV of the Monster achieved through lighting, negative fill, low-angle\/POV camera placement, sound design, and silhouette
\nOPTIONAL MONSTER POV TREATMENT: distorted color, vignetting, or partial blurring to suggest the Monster\u2019s perspective
\nMonster Reveal achieved through lighting and practical costume elements
\nLIGHTING
\n<\/span>Flickering lights achieved through dimmers, strobe lights, and\/or practical flickering light fixtures
\nRed glow from the \u201cON AIR\u201d sign intensified using practical red lighting and\/or color gels
\nPhone panel lights created practically or with VFX
\nBLACK VOID (DEAD AIR):
\n<\/span>Dead Air Void created using a black backdrop, practical set (i.e. blackbox theater), or green screen, alongside controlled lighting and sound design
\nTelevision memory sequences can be pre-shot insert footage or footage captured in a plain\/undressed existing location, then degraded and distorted in post-production as needed
\nVisual effects used for television playback elements and the Monster\u2019s physical distortion within the black void.
\nOTHER
\n<\/span>All violence is implied and conveyed through lighting and sound design, keeping production safe
\nIf unable to do practically, utilize post-produduction VFX for lighting, distortion, and Television effects<\/p>\n<\/header>\n

\n

Credit:
Written by Lily Andrews and Madisyn Macgregor<\/p>\n

Contact Info: landrews@chapman.edu,\u00a0<\/span>macgregor@chapman.edu<\/p>\n

Read here: Dead-Air<\/a><\/p>\n<\/header>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Logline: A 1980s radio DJ with a compulsive gambling problem faces a supernatural force that preys on his callers\u2019 vulnerabilities, forcing him to confront his darkest guilt. Page Count: 7 Genre: Thriller, Horror, Dark Comedy Cast Breakdown: ROBBIE ROURKE (30s,Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,14,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-10-pages","category-comedy","category-thriller"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1898\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.chapman.edu\/scriptbank\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}