Possible titles:
"Imaginary"
"Figment" (This could be singular in the beginning fade-in/out where the letters need a little "oomph" to show. At the ending credits it could return and be "Figment" that fades into the plural "Figments" with the s finally appearing)
Find a thesaurus and look for alternatives to "Made Up"
Opening credits:
Cartoon drawing of the opening scene - translate a frame grabbed from video into charcoal drawing or watercolor painted look in muted tones. Only movement is:
1. Titles that need to fade-in & fade-out in a dreamy sort of way. To convey the idea of imaginary scene or that we're in some state between dream & reality.
2. Not fully defined shapes in the woods & trees, and along the shoreline. Perhaps simply distortions of the region they occupy. Kept subtle, they should never be overtly obvious. Should provide a sense of "something there, no, I must have imagined it".
3. Maybe flashlight beam "circle" trained on the movement areas - revealing there's nothing there.
Scene 1:
Evening light (balance boat interior lights with exterior so beach is visible - maybe even see campfire and campsite)
Scene fades in from opening credits drawing into exactly the same view, but now it's live video and the colors and movement come to life.
From the water, oblique look at the starboard side of Favorite, water trickling out from doing the dishes and we hear a mix of waves lapping at the chine & clink of dishes being washed. Maybe even the weather radio forecast voice? Scene background is the campsite just above the beach. Fire going, two guys moving about the site.
Camera moves from outside through open window into the interior as Eric is finishing up the last few dinner dishes.
He packs some fresh beer bottles & an unopened bag of chips into a small bag (backpack?) and heads out of the cabin. We're left with a fleeting view that includes the dishes drying and see they are only the settings for one person.
Scene 2:
Exterior of Favorite as Eric jumps into the dingy and heads to shore. Only one kayak on the top deck.
Scene 3:
We move with him and see the campsite over his shoulder with his two camping buddies - Tim & David
Scene 4:
Eric comes ashore and clambers up the beach. Multiple angles, coming ashore, grabbing the bag 'O goodies, pulling the boat above the tideline. Needs a wide shot showing no footprints until Eric leaves a set as he heads into camp. We hear Tim & David's voices, but can't make out the conversation details.
Scene 5:
Campsite with a coleman stove on a picnic table to one side and a single folding camp chair on the other. Tent nearby with a lantern to light the area. Dolly the camera, following Eric's arrival, over the tent so we can see interior - only one sleeping bag laid out.
We pick up in the middle of David & Tim having a conversation about spooky woods experiences.
Camera moves over the table as Eric arrives and sets the chips and two beers out for Tim & David. Linger over the scene to register where the items are placed on the picnic table as Eric passes and sits in the lone camp chair. We're looking over the picnic table now and between & over the shoulders of Tim & David to see Eric face on.
Eric jumps into the conversation - he knows what they were talking about, as though he'd heard this one before.
Dialog:
Eric: (As he approaches camp) "Hey guys, the dishes are done and the boat is good for the night"
Tim & David: "Cool, thanks" "He'll do the breakfast dishes" (each volunteering the other)
Eric: "I brought you bums some beer & chips for dessert - you owe me."
(after sitting down) "So, which spook story were you guys on about this time?"
Tim: "Things that go bump in the night."
David: "Or just how the woods can become spooky when night falls"
(We hear Tim & David's voices in the appropriate left/right channel predominately)
Tim: "You know, when this wide open space around your campsite closes in and anything just out of reach of the fire light becomes menacing"
Eric: "Ah, I hear ya. I've been chased off an island by those fears before"
David: "Tell us about it, we have time"
Eric: "Well, let's see. it was a bunch of years ago, but it's still pretty clear in my head…
Scene 6:
Fade into the past to Friday Harbor marina where Young Eric is pulling away from the dock. We see he's got some gear bags stowed between the seats as he heads toward San Juan Channel.
Scene 7:
View looking back into Friday Harbor from San Juan Channel as Young Eric makes a wide turn toward the north. Young Eric pulls closer (during the turn) and passes close to camera as he heads north. Camera follows him passing and we see him pull away from us up the channel. Long enough that we see the size of the area he's crossing - wind in his face, waves, action.
Voice-over:
Eric: I was running a skiff from Friday harbor to Bellingham. I'd left late in the afternoon and planned on spending the night along the way on one of the island parks along the route. You know, Jones or Sucia or Matia are all great places to spend the night. Besides It's a long way to go in a small boat, and I didn't want to do it all in one day. Whatever the reason, I like those islands and I thought it'd be nice to see sunset & sunrise out there again."
"Being the anti-social type that I was.. "
Tim or David (or both?) " huh ..still are"
Scene 9: Flash forward to present day as the three argue about Eric's personality faults. Good natured ribbing ensues (needs dialog?)
Dialog:
David: "Remember how we had to invite ourselves along on this trip?"
Tim: "You've been a hermit as long as I can remember."
Eric: "Shut up you guys, you want me to tell the freaking story, or what?"
David: "Sure - where was this again?"
Eric: "Hand me that placemat (chart), and I'll show you." (More ribbing between David & Tim at Eric's expense)
Eric: (Exasperated) "Never mind, I got it" (Eric reaches for the chart - since neither Tim or David can actually hand it to him - figments, remember?)
Eric: (pointing to chart) "Start hear, go past Jones"
Scene 8:
Flash-back to Young Eric heading past Jones Island - seeing boats in the harbor. (Maybe overlay of navigation chart showing progress - possibles are the GPS on favorite with its active direction pointer, or the GPS-NavX on Dad's laptop - both make good visuals of direction and charting)
Voice-over:
Eric: "Where was I - oh, being the anti-social type I WAS I wanted to find a place to that I'd have all to MYSELF. Jones was out, as there were too many boats in the harbor. So I kept going to Sucia. And anyway, Jones is a short hop from Friday Harbor and Sucia is closer to half way home."
Eric: "As I got closer to Sucia I could see that, damn!, it too was pretty popular that weekend, and I really wanted it all to myself."
Scene 10:
Flash back to the story and Young Eric now passing Sucia with more boats seen anchored.
Dialog:
Eric: "As I was SAYING, I was really hoping to have whatever campsite I found all to myself. There's just something nice about not sharing a pristine place with anyone else sometimes."
David: "Anti-social…"
Tim: "...Hermit"
Scene 11:
View from Young Eric's skiff as heads along the south shore of Matia. We're close in on him now to see his expression - expectation of what he might find when coming around the point and seeing if "his" spot is already taken, or is available to him. Maybe even shot from in the skiff with him.
As the little cove is revealed and Young Eric sees it's un-occupied we watch him light up with a fist pump and exclamation.
Dialog: "Yes! it's all mine" (We're seeing Young Eric say this, but it's Old Eric's voice we here in the voice over)
Scene 12:
Young Eric slows the skiff and starts the turn into the cove at Matia.
Scene 13:
Pull away for a long shot of Young Eric making this same turn with Lummi, Clark & Barnes islands, and perhaps Mt Baker in the background - depending on appropriate angles.
Scene 14:
Now at Turn Island (Matia being off limits to people now) shot from high in the trees looking down at the shoreline as Young Eric comes ashore to scout for a campsite.
(Not sure if it's worth the effort to do the clothesline thing off the anchor - may take too much time? Maybe authentic is the right thing to do anyway?)
(Tim's idea of seeing the anchor drop from a watery vantage point is a good one though - figure out the timing of things here and how much effort is involved in the actual implementation of dropping anchor and still getting to shore smoothly)
Scene 15:
From behind Young Eric as he comes ashore and hops out of the skiff. Doing some stretching & limbering up after the long trip.
Scene 16:
Grabbing gear and heading up the bluff to find a campsite.
Time to talk about sound. (Probably should have earlier, but it came to me now)
Dialog:
From here, until return to present day, there's no voice over - we're fully into the original story here - Old Eric's voice would distract from that.
Scene 17:
Young Eric setting up the tent, rolling out sleeping bag, rummaging around his day pack for something to eat. Light getting fainter outside as night falls.
Scene 18:
Inside the tent now, and Young Eric starts feeling uneasy. Pause in his munching to pay attention to outside the tent. Not hearing anything, he returns to his snacks. Uneasy feeling again, this time enough that he grabs his flashlight and peeks out the tent flap to look around. Longer quiet spell this time while he fully takes in his surroundings.
Not satisfied, he steps out of the tent, shines the flashlight around and listens intently.
Scene 19:
Shrugging off the feeling, he wanders down to the beach to check on the boat for the night. We see him scan the shoreline, watching for movement, and listening for anything out of place.
Not seeing anything, he heads back to the tent and, from outside the tent, pulls out his unfinished snacks.
Scene 20:
Startled now he whirls around to find, nothing. Scanning the area, a bit alarmed this time, he again doesn't see anything. He asks, half-heartedly, "who's there?". No one answers.
He heads up the trail into the woods a short way. Not finding anything close to camp, he gets bolder and follows the trail deeper into the woods. Stopping to listen carefully and scan the area.
Not being successful at flushing the culprit, he calls out more boldly: "who's there?!" "Hello?!" Not getting a response, he shrugs off the feeling as he scans the area again - flashlight penetrating the darkness.
Mustering some courage, he turns his back on the woods and starts the walk back to camp.Something brings the fear back full-force and he's off on a run back to his tent. Running stokes his fear, and it takes over now. Racing into camp, he tears down the tent, not bothering to remove the contents first. Frantically packing and scanning the area around camp, he bundles it all up and races down to the boat. Throwing the heap in, he whirls to face the woods again and casts his light about. Calming slightly at not seeing anything, he turns and pushes off the beach and into the boat. His heartbeat slows as he settled into the boat and gets anchor up and motor started.
Being fully dark now, he has to rely on his flashlight to help him out of the cove and around to the populated end of the island.
Scene 21:
Young Eric pulls between other boats anchored for the night and drops his own anchor. With the motor off he tidies up the mess of tent, sleeping bag, and backpack of clothes and snacks. Laying out the mat pad and sleeping bag in the bottom of the skiff, he settles in for a night of sleeping in the boat.
Scene 22:
Back to present day with Old Eric, Tim & David.
Tim & David are quiet for a minute - as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. They look at each other and then stumble over each other with indignant questions:
Tim: So, that's it?
David: There was nothing there?
Tim: You imagined the whole thing?
Old Eric: Yep - I never saw or heard anything. My fears took me over and kicked me off the island. It was an imaginary bogeyman, or something.
David: Imaginary bogeyman. You imagined the whole thing?
Old Eric: Getting cranky at his story's reception: "Hey, at least my friends are real".
Camera pulls back and we see David & Tim are missing from the scene. Old Eric continues to talk to his "friends" as if they're still there. "Don't tell me you've never had an experience you couldn't explain? Something that, at the very least, caused a tickle to run up your spine? Common, you guys believe in paranormal, don't you? Or at least, abnormal?
Camera continues to pull back as Old Eric talks to the empty campsite - clearly believing he's not alone.
