How do you keep contained movies engaging?
Contained Thrillers seem to be a genre that never goes out of fashion. But being contained is not just limited to thrillers. It's a way of telling stories on a lower budget, regardless of genre. So - while allegedly easier to make / get made - limiting a story to a single location also limits the tools that maintain an audience's interest. Changing audience or character point of view, intercutting between locations or characters are all much harder (if not impossible) in contained films. So how do good contained films hook their audience and keep them?
In unravelling this locked room mystery, Stu & Chas look at three scripts form different genres: LOCKE - a drama; THE ONE I LOVE - a romcom or psychological thriller depending if you're Chas or Stu; and EVERLY - an exploitation action movie. They also discuss films including BURIED, PHONE BOOTH, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, CUBE & CUBE 2, INFINITE MAN and BOXING DAY.
EPISODE LINKS

Locke by Steven Knight (Script)

YouTube: Locke - Trailer
The Q&A Podcast: Steven Knight - Pawn Sacrifice Q&A


The One I Love by Justin Lader (IMDB)

Watch on Netflix (US) and on Stan (Australia)


Everly screenplay by Yalo Hannon, story by Joe Lynch & Yale Hannon (IMDB)

YouTube: Everly - Official Trailer #1
The Movie Crypt with Adam Green & Joe Lynch
Chicks Who Script: Ep 25 - Brett Hedblom and the Skinny on Producing 


Boxing Day (IMDB)

YouTube: Boxing Day - Trailer
Boxing Day - Watch on iTunes


The Infinte Man (IMDB)

YouTube: The Infinite Man - Trailer
The Infinite Man - Watch on iTunes


YouTube: Buried - Trailer
YouTube: Phone Booth - Trailer
YouTube: the Disappearance of Alice Creed - Trailer
YouTube: Cube - Trailer & Cube 2: Hypercube - Trailer
ScriptShadow - GSU!!! (Goal, Stakes, Ugency)
Wikipedia: Pathetic Fallacy & LiteraryDevices.Net: Pathetic Fallacy
The Guardian: Covenhithe (short story) by China Miéville
Draft Zero: DZ-05: Shifting audience point of view and heightened emotions

BACKMATTER

Grant Nebel on Story Intensity Over Time  & Forms of Storytelling on Television
Pete's Blog: A Thousand Men : TV for Writers
The Screen Director Podcast produced by Ben Mizzi

Writing Predestination - The Spierig Brothers
Corrie Chen on Bloomers
Julietta Boscolo on Love Child
Tommy Schlamme (The West Wing, Manhattan) interviewed by DZ's very own Stu Willis


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