GHOST REPORT
A Young psychic investigator and her cousin investigate ghostly events but instead uncover fun facts about Ireland’s history and culture.
‘GHOST REPORT - FEATURING STORM WEATHERSPOON’
15x11’. Thrills, chills, mystery, and comedy, with just a touch of edu-tainment!
STORM WEATHERSPOON (17) is a sixth-year senior school student. She is also desperate to become an internet sensation. As a first step, Storm has created her own YouTube-style channel and can’t wait to get millions of ‘followers’ and ‘likes’. Her show is called ‘Ghost Report’. In it, Storm investigates various paranormal sightings. She’s assisted by doting neighbour, JAXON CATHCART (12), who does most of the filming and running around despite being terrified of spooks. He’d run through a brick wall for Storm (though actually only ghosts can do that!)
In the process of solving the other-worldly mystery at the heart of each funny, involving, adventure, Storm and Jaxon come to learn a little about Irish art, history and culture. ‘Ghost Report’ will look and feel like it’s been filmed ‘live’ on location by the kids themselves, utilizing the familiar tropes of the many existing ghost-hunting shows in order to give an authentic but comic feel to the action. The mystery at the heart of each episode will be an enjoyable puzzle complete with a telling resolution and comic pay-off.
LOGLINE:
A young psychic investigator and her neighbour investigate ghostly events and uncover fun characters and events from Ireland's history and culture.
TYPICAL EPISODE STRUCTURE:
1. Very short opening titles: E.I.1 presents: ‘Ghost Report with Storm Weatherspoon’.
2. Storm gets a call from a friend, or member of the public on the ‘Ghost Report’ hotline. Often this comes at an inconvenient moment when she is looking and acting nothing like a budding TV presenter. Despite this, Storm is always excited at obtaining a lead for a story. Once she has all the details and the location of the psychic event, she summons her cousin Jaxon with another call.
3. Storm and Jaxon travel to the location via the beat-up old van Storm just got as her 17th birthday present. On their way to the location, and while being filmed by Jaxon, Storm briefs us about where they are headed and what the problem is. It could be anything from an old portrait painting that is weeping, to an ice-cold draught on a staircase, or a penny-farthing whose wheels turn of their own accord. The spookier the subject, the more Jaxon now wishes he hadn’t agreed to help. Storm tells him it’s too late to back out now – Ghost Report’s viewers want answers!
4. The team arrive at a historic location. The series will mostly be located in rural Ireland - fascinating places slightly off the beaten track. Now they’re on the ground, the situation seems even more threatening and spooky than it first sounded. Jaxon is now all for leaving. Storm is even more fascinated. We explore the location. Hand-held cameras and torches, entering the unknown…
5. The guest ghost appears! Storm makes contact. The ‘ghost’ or spectre will be played by a different guest actor each week. Subtle CGI will enhance the unearthly atmosphere. The ghost will usually be an artist, or scientist, or historical figure.
6. Storm asks for permission to keep filming. The ghost agrees, signing the contract in dust on a window ledge, or with a leaky old quill pen.
As they film, Storm and the ghost get chatting. Usually the ghost has a problem or issue that requires a solution. Jaxon is a very practical kid, so often he’s the one who can help even though he’s usually terrified. As Storm and the Ghost chat, we tour the location and learn all about it, and/or the life of the ghost concerned. They are fun and fascinating facts.
7. Once the Ghost issue is solved, the Ghost vanishes. Storm and Jaxon head back towards the van. They discuss how to edit the show and what viewing figures they might get, and occasionally Storm gets viewer feedback. Sometimes Storm’s mum rings to ask where she is and Storm snaps at Jaxon to stop filming. The filming ends abruptly and not very slickly.
CHARACTERS (3 per episode):
STORM WEATHERSPOON (17)
Storm is young, enthusiastic and super-keen to become a major tv presenter and film maker in L.A. Her estranged mum is weirdly unsupportive of these ambitions.
Ever since she was a small kid, Storm has been interested in ghosts and psychic phenomena. She’s not frightened of the world beyond - she just wants to understand and to help. She started filming stuff on her phone when she was just 10, and hit on the idea for Ghost Report after a friend saw a dude in 19th century get-up cycling outside her house. Now the idea has become reality and Storm couldn’t be happier.
Storm usually imagines some dark, gothic explanation for the paranormal event but on arrival it’s invariably something more benign. Luckily Storm is kindly, and her nephew Jaxon is a good listener, so together these skills help the duo get to the root cause of the haunting while at the same time learning more about Ireland’s past.
Even though still in year 6, Storm imagines herself as the perfect presenter, ready to make the next career leap onto a major documentary show and then feature films, but in reality, she’s still some way from being a pro. We see endearing comic glimpses that she’s an amateur and this is only going out on a tiny internet channel.
Though we rarely glimpse her private life, she lives in a caravan on her uncle’s holiday camp, mainly surviving on miso soup and Pringles.
JAXON CATHCART (12)
Jaxon is excited to be helping Storm on her show. Technically he’s quite smart and he does all the filming. Even though he only uses an HD mobile phone, Jaxon knows lots of tricks to make things look good. He has lights and filters and can also edit and add music.
For Jaxon the major downside is that he isn’t anywhere near as gung-ho as his cousin about seeing spooky ghosts. But on the other hand, his more level-headed approach often helps them get to the heart of the problem.
Though we don’t never it, Jaxon helps out at his dad’s holiday camp when he’s not at school, which is how he and Storm first came to team up.
GUEST GHOST (usually 100 years plus!)
One ghost will appear in each episode. They will tell us the story of the historical location, or describe the painting or music they themselves created. They always have a reason for appearing - something that needs the assistance of The Ghost Report team. They make eccentric, funny, knowledgeable guides to the past.
VISUAL STYLE:
The show is filmed hand-held documentary style but with a second fixed camera so sometimes we see Jaxon even though he is filming. This 2nd camera can be either an in-car camera in Storm’s van, or CCTV footage from the location the Ghost Report Team are visiting.
Discreet CGI will enhance both the ghosts and the locations.