TODAY'S NUGGET: Buried (2010) - Writing for $5k Budget; "Shake the Box"

[Quick Summary: Paul Conroy, a contracted truck driver, wakes up buried in Iraq in a coffin with a flashlight, cell phone and zippo lighter.]

Though the decision to keep the whole story in a box was financially driven, I think it was smart because it does set this script apart.*

But how do you keep the tension rising inside a box?

There's plenty of psychological conflict (his wife, mom w/dementia, firing from job, helpless negotiators) and external conflict (snake invading, claustrophobia, heat).

But the one thing I had not thought of was to physically Shake the Box. 

The writer chose to shake the box with an aerial attack, which does a few things:
- It causes a crack to the coffin, allowing in sand, thus increasing the jeopardy.
- It sets up a pay off.  The attack scene (below) occurs on p. 64 (setup), but it does not register with Paul what it means until p. 73 (payoff).
- Paul must interact with his environment and stay active.
- It adds to the oppressive environment and unseen exterior forces which are key for horror.

Here's the scene (p. 63):

The cell phone service begins to cut out. Suddenly, the coffin begins to vibrate slightly, dropping sand granules through the crack and onto the wood bottom, followed by the faint sound of an explosion.

Within seconds, the explosions grow louder and more proximate. The vibrations becomes so intense that it violently shakes Paul around the coffin.

The sound of jet plane engines are heard coming from above, flying by as the massive explosions continue.

Sand seeps in through the crack between the top and sides of the coffin as it shakes. Paul does his best to brace himself, but the bombardment is far too powerful.

A large crack forms in the wooden cover to the coffin, spanning almost its entire length. Sand immediately pours through the concave shaped crack, seeping in onto Paul like an hourglass.

Fearing that the top of the coffin may collapse under the immense pressure from the sand above, Paul positions himself underneath it and presses with all his might. He grunts and screams loudly, using what little strength he has left to keep the top from caving. 

The shaking soon stops, though the steady flow of sand continues.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: I like that this story beat is not just a momentary scare, but sets up a situation with real dire consequences.

Buried (2010)
by Chris Sparling

*The writer explains here: "By this point, however, I began to realize that my financially-driven decision is what actually made the movie more interesting creatively, and this is why I pushed to keep the movie in the box for its duration — in spite of now having the money to shoot the other side of the phone conversations. Thankfully, the producers and the director (Rodrigo Cortes) who came on board all felt the same way as I did, as did Ryan Reynolds."