Research - Script Research

     Writing a script will be one of the most challenging parts of this project. Today during class my partners and I researched  what goes into creating a good script in general, and specifically what questions do you have to ask yourself. 

My last blog post went into detail about what sets psychological thrillers apart from other movies and I am soooooo glad I did that basic research because it made this part of the process so much easier for myself! 

Psychological Core

Before we can start writing, we need to decide what internal conflict our character will have. Down bellow are examples of a few different types of specific psychological core themes that we could choose from: 

• Fear of being watched

• Guilt over a past decision

• Obsession with control

• Loss of identity or memory

• Distrust of one’s own mind

These themes are all very different and it seems overwhelming to have to pick a topic out of these options. To help myself and my group to focus while researching and not go down a rabbit hole, I asked myself these questions. 

• What fear, flaw, or trauma drives my main character?

• What does my character BELIEVE that might be wrong?

• What inner conflict will worsen as the story progresses?

Creating Characters

Although we have not written the script or actually brought characters to life yet, it is important that we built an IMPERFECT protagonist. The success of our psychological thriller relies on how imperfect our main character is, and how that can create suspensive within our audience. 

Here are a few examples of common imperfections of psychosocial thriller main characters:

• A secret or suppressed memory

• A reason the audience might doubt their perspective

• A strong desire that could become destructive

• A mental vulnerability (anxiety, paranoia, trauma, grief, denial)

It is important to note that characters usually have a mix of multiple of these imperfections which makes the character have more depth for the audience to experience. 

Opening Scene Notes 

Once I got home, I started watching the opening clips of some common psychological thrillers and I made small notes of what should be done or what is important to emphasize during the beginning of the clips. 

After watching these clips I did research to what a poor intro of a psychological thriller would be and also took the key points of what we should NOT do. 

During our opening we should avoid:

• Overexplaining backstory

• Starting with extreme action

• Clear answers too early

Location

The last thing I wanted to clearly talk about was the location and color theme of phycological thrillers 

Common choices of where the film takes place:

• Isolated homes or apartments 

• Hospitals, schools, or workplaces - usually abandoned 

• Small towns with hidden and scary histories 

• Everyday locations that feel “off” or "odd"

The setting should be sure to:

• Reflect the protagonist’s mental state

• Feel claustrophobic, controlled, or unreliably safe