Lynne in "Alice and the Mystery Box"

Muninn · Post by **Muninn** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:37 pm

I started experimenting with greenscreens around the start of the lockdown in April - my first project was to make a story with Lynne. The finished job was actually posted elsewhere, and I completely forgot to post it up on TDF!

Thought I should rectify this, especially seen as though the sequel is in preparation!

So here is Lynne's first "feature film" - "Alice and the Mystery Box"! It's a story in five acts, so I will post a new act or two every couple of days, because I like the suspense

Hope you enjoy it, it's our first big budget motion(less) picture, we had a budget of several million dozen pounds, most of which went on Lynne's dress!

As usual, you can click the images to see them full size, some are better resolution than others - it depends on the quality of the background image that I found or took from my own archives.

So, popcorn ready... no throwing it around at the back please!

~~~~

Meet Alice. She's no ordinary young woman, but that's no bad thing:

As a baby, she was abandoned, and was taken in by the mysterious Doctor Bogenbroom. He raised her in his own home, an old mansion out in the remote countryside.

When she turned 18, Alice was given her own house on the grounds - a quaint turreted gatehouse. She's lived there ever since, but still visits the mansion often. Not all was rosy though.

A couple of years ago, she had a nasty accident out horse riding. Battered and bruised, she damaged her hand. The hospital patched her up, but they said she would never be able to use it properly again. She's still very self-conscious about it.

One day, she made her regular visit to the mansion, where she would have lunch with the Doctor. After dinner, they started discussing her hand:

"I really do wish something could be done, I'm really self-conscious about it!" exclaimed Alice.
"Yes, I know it is causing you problems" said the Doctor. "I think there might just be a solution though. It won't be easy though!"
"So long as I can have two good hands again, I'll do anything!"
"Well... you'll need to find an old wooden box. I've left it somewhere in the old part of the house. I don't really know where as it was a long time ago. Find that box, and I might be able to help you."

(Follow Alice's adventure in Act II, coming soon!)

carlys_guy · Post by **carlys_guy** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:56 pm

oh goody we remember this from the UK site good thing we had some snacks handy.

carlys_guy

Post by **Alexandra** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 4:57 pm

Cool film, I need to follow this.

justintime · Post by **justintime** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 5:06 pm

Yes great story line. Well done

Dewyn · Post by **Dewyn** » Wed Sep 02, 2020 5:46 pm

Very good start !

Can't wait to see the rest of the story.

Muninn · Post by **Muninn** » Thu Sep 03, 2020 4:34 pm

Thank you all, glad you're liking it! Time for Act 2... I'll have to split it into two posts as otherwise the forum software gets upset...

~~~~~~~~~

Alice knew she had to explore the lesser used, and often derelict parts of the mansion... but where to start? She wandered around the outside of the buildings, looking for an interesting way in:

"Ha! I should tell Doc that I found his car. He said he forgot where he parked it, and that was 10 years ago. Oops! Anyway, this way I think."

"This door looks promising. I don't think I've ever been in here before"

Alice started to work her way around the maze of dark and dusty rooms. "I didn't know we had a snooker table. Looks like someone has been playing on it recently though. Strange."

"How on earth do we need a SECOND library in this place... the other one is massive already! Some interesting looking books, I might have to take another look later!"

"And of course, no library should be complete without a secret door behind some shelves..."

Muninn · Post by **Muninn** » Thu Sep 03, 2020 4:35 pm

The secret door led to some stairs, and she went down into the cellars of the mansion:

Alice heard some movement in a side room. On investigation it turned out to be someone familiar - the Groundskeeper! "What are you doing down here?" she asked. "I also keep an eye on the dungeons" said the Groundskeeper. "I didn't know we had any dungeons! Very well, I'll leave you to it then!".

Having found nothing in the cellars, Alice returned upstairs. "I really don't know where this box could be! Perhaps I need to go to the top floor?"

"I reckon this corridor needs a lick of fresh paint! Hmm, what's in this room... looks like a store room of some sort."

Alice started searching through the attic room. Something down in a corner caught her eye: "This must be it!" Brushing off a dusty wooden box, she made her way out of the room, and somewhere where she could take a better look.

Finally, I'm somewhere safe where I can get this box opened. I really want to know what's inside.

Oh no, it's locked! But I know where the key might be... back to the drawing room!

~~~

Find out what's inside the box in Act 3, coming up (hopefully) tomorrow!

DG · Post by DG » Thu Sep 03, 2020 5:32 pm

How exciting and creative! I will be keeping an eye on this thread for new content! I absolutely love stories!

Muninn · Post by **Muninn** » Thu Sep 03, 2020 5:50 pm

Glad you're enjoying it Docsgirl! It was a story I had lined up in my head when I inherited the box, i just needed the time to put it into action - the lockdown was very useful!

I do have a sequel that I'm working out at the moment, but without spoiling anything I've added a large degree of complexity to the next one!

HornedPear · Post by **HornedPear** » Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:06 pm

Great story, I'm very interested to find out what happens. Also, great job with the composites, must have been a ton of work creating all of those.

Leather by Lee · Post by **Leather by Lee** » Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:10 pm

Do not open that box. It might be a Mimic or Pandora's box.

Muninn · Post by **Muninn** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 1:04 pm

HornedPear wrote:Great story, I'm very interested to find out what happens. Also, great job with the composites, must have been a ton of work creating all of those.

Thanks, I treated myself to some background screens (including a greenscreen) and some light boxes a few months back, based on some of the excellent composites I see on here. Been a bit of a learning curve - not to mention that that dress is very shiny! - but there's a lot of progress from the early stuff to what I do now. As for time, I think I spent a couple of weekends and a lot of evenings taking the photos and processing them.

I might show a bit of "behind the scenes" after I've posted the whole story

Leather by Lee wrote:Do not open that box. It might be a Mimic or Pandora's box.

It seems like Alice may be the type who likes to live life dangerously! We shall see in the next Act, later this evening...

Muninn · Post by **Muninn** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:43 pm

Here comes Act III! (in two posts again)

~~~~

Eventually, Alice makes her way out of the abandoned part of the house, and back to the warmth and safety of the drawing room.

"Well I'm finally back somewhere less creepy and cobwebby. Now, to get the box unlocked. Good thing I knew where all the random old keys are kept."

"This one should do it..." The lock clicks open. "Better go and grab a chair, it's probably safer if there's any surprises!"

"Right, here goes..." The hinges on the box creak as Alice opens it:

"It looks like an old writing box, very nice. Smells a bit strange. Hmmm... there's a compartment here where all the writing equipment goes - let's have a look..."

"A hand! What the...!"

"Eek! I'm sure it just moved!"

The hand stretches, letting out a yawn, and a sign. Alice screams, then passes out for a moment!

(continued in next post... what a good place for a mid-act cliffhanger!

)

Muninn · Post by **Muninn** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:46 pm

Act III Part 2:

~~~~

When Alice comes to, the hand has settled down, waiting for her. "Who... are you?" the hand asks.
"I'm Alice, and I was told to look for the box that you were in".
"Oh! So you are the one I've been waiting for all these years!"

The hand explains: "You see, I was created by the owner of the house many years ago. Sadly, when he animated me, I became a bit of a handful! So he locked me away, with the promise that I could come back out when someone has a use for me - and I'm guessing that someone must be you?"
"Yes, my hand was damaged many years ago, and I'd love to get it working again, but the doctor says it is impossible."
"Well, you are in luck. If the old man is still around, he will know how to make everything right"
"That's great! You've even got the same nails as I have! But, you're a little pale..."
"Well, wouldn't you be after 100 years in a box? I'm cold too. That looks like a warm and cosy place..." The hand jumps up...

...and dives into Alice's dress! Alice squeals - and somehow manages to get the hand back onto the box.

Alice regains her composure. "Now look here, Hand. There's going to be a few ground rules if we are going to get along, okay?"
"Yes, fine. Just don't lock me back in there again, please?"
"I won't... is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Well, I am a bit hungry..."

"Okay, so silly question. What do hands eat?"
"Duh, finger food!!!" The hand bursts into laughter...

... and falls backwards into the box, the lid slamming shut on top of him. "Urgh, got a right one here. Best take him over to the old man and see what I should do".

~~~~
Stay tuned for Act IV tomorrow!