Hello all, Simon from the UK here.
Since my last intro, I have been concentrating on low budget features as a way of breaking into the industry.
Murder Mysteries mainly, featuring Abagail Evens as the lead detective. I have six of those now, plus a new screenplay called SOLAN, which, whilst a murder/mystery, has no detectives at all, just a Film Director, his cast and a murderer amongst them.
I have a horror/slasher feature series too, inspired by H H Holmes which I am having fun writing as well. Two features down, and three more in draft/notes.
I am talking/working with one Producer who likes my work and I am hoping, fingers crossed, that we might make at least one feature this year. SOLAN was a bespoke script I wrote after a conversation with him, so maybe that one.
I will keep you all posted.
Simon
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Welcome to the community Simon, this is all really exciting! Definitely keep the community updated.
Hey Simon Hartwell! Glad to have you here. I've definitely seen an uptick in low-budget thrillers (almost like a throw-back to 'Fatal Attraction') but on networks/platforms that are known for low-budget romcoms. Feels like they're both still getting made but there's a rise in those sexy thrillers, probably thanks to writers like Colleen Hoover. Feels like a space you might be able to play in. Of all your projects, which one are you the most excited about?
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Hi Simon, low-budget thrillers are an excellent way to break in (the saying less is more certainly applies here). I also would love to hear more about that slasher series you're working (they're back in style again and I love slasher movies, so it's about time).
Writing low-budget features is a great way to break into the industry, Simon Hartwell. I didn't know that starting out. I wrote big-budget movies. I've been thinking about writing micro-budget feature scripts lately. Scripts under $100,000.
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Emily J It feels a bit like choosing ones favorite child but I would say SOLAN I think because, whilst it is a murder mystery, there's no detective. Set years after the death of a Director, a new Director plans to film those last few days with the very people present. As they run through the table read, we see the events playout as they did 20yrs ago and the reveal that there is a killer amongst them.
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Molly Peck Many thanks. Certainly will do.
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Samuel Lebow Hi. I wanted to write something more akin to what I grew up watching. The 80s slasher/horror and, inspired by H H Holmes, America's first serial killer, I wrote H&H Holmes: Revenge. Sparked by the wrongful imprisonment and death of their father, slumbering evil awakens within descendants Henrietta and Howard as they seek revenge on the people who put their father in jail. The first movie is a "Cluedo styled setting and murder abounds. The second in the franchise continues the revenge, only there are several others included as the evil takes hold and takes place within a hotel, adapted for murder. I'm working on the third which takes place in London and the five features I have in mind ends with the pair creating their own business: Murder Most Macabre. Which of course opens the doors wide open for more features to come. Oh, and there's a detective on their tail, one they enjoy playing cat and mouse with.
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Maurice Vaughan I too started out with big budgets features and whilst had some interest failed to progress beyond that. Then I was told, as an unknown, I was more likely to break into the industry with a low budget indie movie so I started writing contained movies such as Revenge and Solan.
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Cool, Simon Hartwell. Contained scripts are hot. Almost all of my scripts are Contained. Writing Contained scripts is difficult sometimes though. I don't have the luxury of different locations, set pieces, etc.
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Emily J a Producer that has been reading all my Low Budget scripts just read my lasted; The Affair and thought that it was " Fantastic" and my "Best Yet" so a new contender for favourite. :-)