So I’m starting a new screenplay gig and am supposed to write a story about Bigfoot. I was handed about 20 pages of script and told to finish it. The movie is called the trail and its going to be starring Gene Farber. I’m definitely going for a man vs nature + the supernatural and looking for any info anyone might be willing to share here with me. I’m an occult expert yet cryptozoological studies are my weakest link.
Any input fact wise or even story ideas you want to throw my way would be greatly appreciated.
Some concepts I’m rolling around are
Bigfoot is an alien,
From another dimension,
Simply evolved hidden from mankind for millennium, or it all turns out to be a hoax in the end. Yeah seriously this thing doesn’t even have an end yet, that’s how little I have to work with here.
The story starts out based on true events, a man goes camping in the woods wakes up to find that someone had haphazardly taken a bunch of photos on his camera. The disturbing part is that the photos were of him sleeping in his tent…
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Have you taken a look at some native American legends that involve this creature for inspiration?
I can’t remember what tribe specifically but if memory serves me then legends about it exist. Perhaps you can find some good inspiration there.
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That’s a great idea! Thanks for your help! Cheers!
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yeah indeed native cultures got alot about creatures like bigfood shapeshifters and shit like that the hopies apaches navajos got alot
greetings
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I know a few snippets that may be interesting.
A native american skinwalker is known as a Naagloshi and is often thought of as a medicine man who committed cannibalism/violence on his family or tribe for power.
According to one story, Bigfeet(foot, footses?) are fiercely private, and not friendly by nature. They could be reasoned with and communicated with, but good luck.
[Maybe sasquatch are primal beings akin to jotun or rokkr plot twist?!]
Hellhound lore states that they often travel along roadways, finding lost souls to drag them where they need to go. Maybe your protagonist is a lost soul of sorts, and attracts the attention of a hellhound embodied by a big dog/pack of them hounding him no matter how he fights back or how many times he escapes. My puns are always intended btw. Theyve been said to have the ability to mimic human voice, and sometimes take human shape.
How dyou feel about fae, spriggans and hostile plants?
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Okay, some ganja-inspired musings…so the bigfoots are not actually bigfoots, but really the last remnant of the red haired giant race stomped out by the clovis people. They are hairy, wild, huge, and wear furs, so they look like a bigfoot. Since they are humanoid they have higher-than-animal intelligence and an ability to use tools…which is how the photos got taken.
Multiple investigators researching hundreds of sightings, two big fuckin’ feet…and gingers. It is a horror classic.
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Haha man you are definitely in for a lot of research. The great thing is every culture has a different idea of “The Bigfoot’ so there is a lot to work with and implement into your screenplay.
Some tribes see it as a “Big Brother” or “The Big Man”, a teacher, guardian of the forest they inhabit. The Sioux call him “Chiye- tanka”, which means Big Elder Brother. Usually there very private beings, not ones to want to be seen and interact with humans, but they do have a level of intelligence that is even more advanced that at first thought. Animals with human intelligence to keep it short.
Other tribes though see it as a an evil and malevolent being. A cannibal or a trickster. One that leads children and adults to their deaths by playing tricks on them, or just outright killing them. One specific “Bigfoot: is the Stick Indians. The tribes (The Lummi is one, can’t remember the other) believe them to basically be a literally tribe of “Bigfoot”. And they are known to not be friendly to humans at all, and extremely dangerous. Kidnapping children to eat them, kidnapping human women to have sex with them. They also have supernatural powers like the ability to paralyze and hypnotize their prey. Will make you basically go insane. They do it by whistles and different sounds, that would lead unsuspecting people deeper into the brush, eventually leading them to get lost and then it’s a wrap for that person lol
I would say check out the Northwest Pacific tribes a ton for information. But do you want your idea of Bigfoot in the screenplay to be a more malevolent, violent creature or a guardian, protector of the forest type?
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I believe actually many different native American tribes describe this creature dating back a thousand years. So there should be plenty of information around. YouTube hosts several documentary programs which might be useful too. Don’t ask me how do I know about stuff. 
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Honestly I like your ideas. Except the part of Bigfoot being a hoax. That just seems weak to me everytime I watch a movie and you don’t get to see at least a glimpse of the action/thriller vibe kinda sucks. Examples the Blair witch project. Never saw a witch. And cloverfield only seeing a portion of the monster.
I think maybe the alien idea might be a good point or a science experiment gone wrong by fusing a man and silver back gorilla. Sounds interesting though. Can’t wait to watch it!
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Handed a script to finish? What do you do for work and can I have a job? Lol. @AdamThoth
The way you make the script sounds so far would imply to me there is a level of modern day knowledge with the pictures being of him sleeping. What about an occultist who is a wendigo. This individual had to develop the camper`s fear before he can consume him appears like a large beast. He distorts his reality of the woods.
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Ha ha ha what kind of job would you like? I am looking for a new writers assistant since my last one went off to try to produce his own movies. He actually had written some good stuff.
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Ahh I am probably over stepping lol I write some, just finished a very short story and starting a new one. I’ve been wanting to write some occult stories, based off my dreams I have had.
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Well Pm me if you want to be my writers assistant you make 10% of my income from projects. So if I make 80k on this you would make 8k
This here helps with the alien question for your research, but also covers some doomsday material as well as anthropological information. (They’re not Australopithecus for example. Think later.)
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Also, on the Eastern coast there’s a tale of a man a few generations ago that spent the night with a family. He was amazed they wove baskets in the fashion of the old people - which isn’t the kind of wicker baskets you see coming out of New England. The tribes - mine included - learned that from the colonists. There was an older way, and apparently the hairy buggers were doing that.
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Also, cool beans on the scriptwriting btw. Almost jealous - but the truth is I’d rather be acting from the script not writing it. 
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I might be able to help make that happen for you, send me a portfolio or something and i can definitely put in a good word with the director and producer as well as the casting director. Let’s see what you got.
Well, sure! Why not. And thank you! 
I’ll PM you all the goods.
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