Screenwriting : Horror vs Suspense by Charles V Abela

Suspense is often most associated as a sub-genre within mysteries and thrillers. It's really an element to stories, not a genre of them.

Good one.Travis Seppala I am trying to see how different / difficult a suspense movie is from a horror movie. I suspect the former would be a more cleverly laid out plot.

I've rarely encountered "suspense" discussed as a genre. To me, it's an element that can appear in any genre, including dramas. I hear people discuss "thrillers" as a genre though, and that's the genre most closely associated with suspense, I'd say. Action too, come to think of it. As far as clever plotting goes, I don't think that belongs more to any one genre unless it's mysteries.

Horror is more about fear and danger, and suspense is more about excitement/nervousness that you have when you're waiting for something to happen, Charles V Abela.

Maurice Vaughan Got it. Suspense is like waiting for somebody to read my script. :)

Eric Christopherson Absolutely.

Haha Great one, Charles V Abela! Horror movies and shows can have suspense. Thriller movies and shows can too.

Maurice Vaughan Do you think there could be a market for, or at minimum good interest, if one develops a suspense movie that happens with 2 actors always in a single room?

Second question, what budget would you say this would entail?

There's a big market for that kind of script, Charles V Abela. It's a micro-budget contained script. A lot of producers and directors search for micro-budget contained scripts because they're so cheap to make.

I think it's a case of the market and artists creating what they can afford, Mike Childress. I don’t think "if you build it they will come" works. You gotta build it and market it.

Alfred Hitchcock was in my opinion the master of suspense. There was a tad horror in his film The Birds.

It would be more story specific. Horror is generally understood to be suspenseful. (the more the better.) It could be a suspense horror, an action horror, etc. Hypenate sub-genres are less preferable to the market than a straight genre label.

Maurice Vaughan I know nothing about micro-budgets. That would be between $100K to $500K or less?

To me, one thing seems to be too true. Horror movies are for the young ones. I fail to believe how a horror movie can be frightening to a grown-up audience. But suspense is. Hence the differentiation in my mind between Horror and Suspense. Horror is suited more for the younger audience, while Suspense is suited for the young and old (not those with a heart condition.)

Mike Childress Thank you Mike. This is a world of excesses. With a lot of hard work and real hunger for some success and people doubling up on roles, I am sure that it good be done for much less. Assuming one of them knows where the money is... Anyway it was a fleeting thought. I can at best write it and location would be 2 dark rooms and 2 unknown actors. Maybe too simplistic. I would say the script would prove to be a challenge, by that I mean the concept.

Different people have different opinions about what micro-budget is, Charles V Abela. I consider micro-budget anything under $1MM. $50k-$100k is the sweet spot in my opinion. If you can write a script in the $50k-$100k range, you'll be able to pitch it to tons of producers and directors.

Suspense is just an ingredient in a horror. Always great to have those anxiety inducing moments to stir up fear and terror in your audiences

Maurice Vaughan This is intriguing. Upfront, I am not in the funding business or act as an investor. Simply, I could write the script and work the script over as much as possible but I will not invest... apart from time. The returns would be for the filmmaker/studio to keep - all the benefits that can be generated with no returns to me i.e. zero. Is there life in such an approach?

Mike Childress Spot on thinking. I concur. Because of the lack of success I have enjoyed so far with this pastime of screenwriting, where contacts are ample only if they feel there is something in it for them, I tend to stick with your approach "So I am writing whatever the F I want." No plagiarizing intended.

That would be worked out in the contract, Charles V Abela. Some screenwriters get a piece of the profits. I'm not sure how often that is though.

In reality, what profit is a $100K suspense/horror movie expected to turn for the investor to be satisfied... and how often does it happen?

I'm not sure, Charles V Abela. That's a great question for the Producing Lounge though. www.stage32.com/lounge/producing

Dan MaxXx Sounds too good to be true. But I am sure it does happen. Many others followed his lead?