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When the Sky Goes Red

Two amateur technicians are sent to maintain lights that ward off monsters, only to abandon their final test to see the sun for the very first time
Submitted by: Cobden High School
Genre: Horror • Sci-Fi • Thriller
Shooting Location: Acres Green, CO
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Screenplay Synopsis:
In a frozen wasteland lit by lamps at night, and a blood red sun in the day, August and Charlie are training to work as technicians for an underground bunker system. Their task is very simple on paper: travel a set trail while activating street lamps meant to keep monsters away from the bunkers. They’ve been trained for this. Tested for this. Consumed so much material that promises safety, purpose, and the comforting lie that any of their work here matters. Tonight is most definitely different. It’s their final assessment- the last trial before they’re considered fully qualified. But very soon into the night everything starts to feel off. The radios become unresponsive, the wind is worse than expected, and paths leave them lost. And Charlie, usually bright and easily excitable, suddenly starts to feel strange. He’s pale, unfocused- like something inside of him wants out. Still, as determined as ever, August wants to move. He wants to end this trial and he wants to do it with Charlie. Even when it’s apparent that witnessing the end of this test isn’t in the cards, the pair continue on, chasing that small promise the sky makes when the darkness lifts. They want to see the sun. But as dawn approaches, what should have been a moment of triumph and accomplishment is something else entirely.
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Director's statement:

When the Sky Goes Red has been a passion project of mine for a while. This is one of the first scripts I have ever written to completion, and even if it isn’t the best I am still proud of myself. Usually all of my creative ideas are left to simmer in my brain for too long, and I overthink, which leads to me getting burnt out and abandoning projects. But something about this particular story made me want to continue. At its very core this story is about grief. It’s the tragedy that is making plans, or a promise with someone that will never get to experience in time. I myself have a very sour relationship with grief- one that I’ve been working on for the past year. Losing a friend is a weird feeling to unpack, and watching others grieve isn’t a great feeling either. I did my very best to convey the emotions I have felt in my own experiences in my own unique way, which has now culminated into this short film script. August does everything he can to drag Charlie forward, to reach that goal they had made together, but in the end Charlie knew he’d never get to enjoy it without hurting him, leading to the ending. Despite the sadness that this is all built on, there are so many things I love about this world I’ve made in my mind. It’s a bit vague, but I like it that way. It's a sandbox of endless possibilities for perhaps many stories, or maybe just this one. I am admittedly not the best with the written word, but if you were to ask me about it to my face I wouldn’t be able to shut up. I am very passionate about this story. I am constantly thinking of what the rest of the world looks like in comparison to this place. And don’t even get me started on how the sun works. Is any of it scientifically accurate? Totally not. But is it sick? Yes, I’d say so. The one thing I hope above everything else has to be for you, the reader, to at least be mildly entertained. It would make me smile.

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