Wow, lots of images come to mind after reading this. First of all, I know somebody in Texas who shoots hogs from helicopters! I think that could be an interesting scene or sequence for you. Imagine the father becoming so desperate that he hires a helicopter crew. This costs a lot of money, and that could be some drama in your story. I doubt they would fly at night, so they probably would never encounter Patrick as he wanders in his strange state. But perhaps the crew is frustrated they never see any hogs during the day, so they actually decide to fly at night. They see a human running around and report it, but they never realize it was Patrick.
I like the other possibilities with traps, etc. I could see part of the intrigue with this movie as being from the father's and sister's POV, just as much as Patrick's POV. Each sequence builds on the previous one, and the plans get more and more elaborate to solve this mystery.
For Patrick, remember the notes I gave you after your 1-page synopsis. Is there some thematic connection between Patrick's nightwalking and the crops and animals?
Also, how did his mom die? Might be interesting if her death is somehow related to the farm. Either an accident with a machine, killed by an animal, cancer caused by pesticides?
I like the other possibilities with traps, etc. I could see part of the intrigue with this movie as being from the father's and sister's POV, just as much as Patrick's POV. Each sequence builds on the previous one, and the plans get more and more elaborate to solve this mystery.
For Patrick, remember the notes I gave you after your 1-page synopsis. Is there some thematic connection between Patrick's nightwalking and the crops and animals?
Also, how did his mom die? Might be interesting if her death is somehow related to the farm. Either an accident with a machine, killed by an animal, cancer caused by pesticides?