Writing and Selling Thriller Screenplays

Writing and Selling Thriller Screenplays has the lowdown not only on getting your thriller feature script on the page, but getting it in front of producers and investors. From premise to resolution, Lucy V. Hay guides you through the craft of thriller writing, citing classic thrillers such as Psycho, The Shining, The Sixth Sense and Fatal Attraction and lesser-known gems like Red Eye, Desperate Measures, Impostor and Deviation. The book also considers how the screenplay might be sold to investors, looking at high concept ideas, pitching, packaging and the realities of film finance. Lucy V. Hay asks: what is flight vs. fight? What is the difference between horror and thriller? What are the different sub genres of thriller? What part do actors play in film finance? How can limited locations create new opportunities in storytelling and financing? Why is the lone protagonist so in demand? Why are female characters so popular in thriller? And much, much more...

Auteur

By Lucy V. Hay

Résumé
Writing and Selling Thriller Screenplays has the lowdown on how to get your thriller feature script on to the page, and how to get it in front of producers and investors. First published in 2013, this new edition offers an all-new resources section and a host of new case studies that map the considerable changes of the past decade. With marketplace disruptors such as Netflix and the first phases of The Marvel Cinematic Universe leaving their mark, new opportunities have been created for screenwriters and filmmakers who are keen to get their stories in front of industry professionals. This time around, Lucy V Hay doesn't just guide you through the writing of movies, but spec TV pilots too. Putting iconic, mixed-genre projects under the microscope -such as Stranger Things (horror thriller), Brooklyn 99 (comedy thriller) and Lost (sci fi thriller) - she considers what writers can learn from these shows. She also argues that the lone protagonist in a thriller has had its day and looks at how the genre is moving into a space beyond 'The Hero's Journey'. Case studies to support this include The Hunger Games, Captain Marvel, Iron Man and many more. Finally, the book considers how the screenplay might be sold to investors, exploring high concept ideas, pitching, packaging and the realities of film finance - all updated for the 2020s - and lays out alternative routes to sales and production, including transmedia such as novels and adaptation, and immersive storytelling online.