Ever hear about tarantism? It was once thought to be a disease brought on by a tarantula bite and caused sudden urges to dance. Symptoms included headache, giddiness, breathlessness, fainting, trembling, twitching, appetite loss, general soreness, and delusions. Dancing was also the only remedy to the disease. Many "victims" believed they had been infected from those who had been bitten, or from simply brushing against a spider. All that was needed to "reactivate" the venom was to hear the strains of certain music being played to cure those who had already been bitten. Reportedly, many cried or laughed themselves to death. Tarantism was also mostly shown in mentally disturbed females. It's believed now that the disease was made up because the church forbid dancing.

I'm trying to apply this concept to a modern setting, preferably about a teenage girl (convenience in casting). I'm aiming it towards a dark comedy/quirky kind of feel. Think Charlie Kaufman or Wes Anderson, but I don't want to mimic their style. That's just the feel I'm going after. And I'd like to try to fit it somewhere around 10 to 12 minutes long.

I have a few ideas, but no real story. I want a tarantism support group where a little dance number starts. I don't want it to revolve around a love story, but I thought 2 people dancing to remedy their depression would be a good way to help them fall in love, so that might work in the story. Naturally, I'm cutting out some details about tarantism so that it works as a film idea. But that's all I have. I got some ideas, but no real story.

I see alot of people posting and asking for help on writing scripts, so I understand that this may be an annoyance. But I'd really like to get this film made, and I hope that anyone reading this can pitch in some story ideas to guide me through the writing process. The more thrown out to me the better. Maybe I can mix and mash in some to make it great in the end.

I'm primarily a director (I know everyone thinks they are), and I've made several successful and popular films for my High School filmmaking class which I plan to send to SF.com. I was nominated best director at my school, and I'm confident that I can pull off this idea and transform it into a great film with some help.

Thanks.

Thanks for the idea!

Welcome Alex

Sounds fascinating. What a weird thing!

Proceed, I hope you're joking. Stealing an idea you read off of a forum would be ethically and morally wrong.

Hahaha of course I was joking. I just like to keep my ideas to myself. Good luck with your film though.

Ah good

And, about ideas.... hmm.... it's just such a weird concept that I can't think of much. It could be incredibly funny though. I think it should have lots of strange little moments, sort of like Napoleon Dynamite (not the style necessarily, but the little almost skits), and bunch of really weird, but very believable characters.

I thought "tarantism" was the affliction which compels many student filmmakers to copy the work of Quentin Tarantino.

Seriously, though, tarantism sounds like it would make a great film. What you've got thus far, a support group for tarantism victims, seems promising.

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the affliction which compels many student filmmakers to copy the work of Quentin Tarantino.

That was my first thought as well!

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That was my first thought as well!

haha, I too thought it was a disease, but one where people rip off everything they have, except i just assumed it was named after QT