Reader Question: Does the pandemic alter how and what stories we write?

Quarantine Screenplays: Not about a quarantine, but written during a quarantine.

A question from reader David McGorman:

Scott, this is one related to Film Industry.

I’m not sure if you’ve covered anything re. this over the past couple of months, but it’s been something on my mind the past few weeks. Should we now be reconsidering what we write, or have written, with COVID-19 in mind? I’m not suggesting all stories now focus on a family in quarantine — nobody wants that — but with social distancing, among the other obstacles the virus poses to shooting films/tv, should we look to adjust our stories or stay true to what made them worth writing to begin with?

In fact, I did write an article on the subject three months ago. I’m reprinting it, then adding a few more thoughts at the end.

A thought experiment. What if in response to the COVID-19 virus crisis, the shelter in place edict not only spreads to cities throughout the world, but stays in place for weeks, maybe even months?

How would this impact filmmakers? For example, here is a list of things a person can do when in this type of social quarantine, five types of “essential activities”:

• Engaging in or performing tasks essential to health and safety, or to the health and safety of family/household members. This includes pets. Examples include picking up medicine, visiting a doctor or getting supplies to work from home.
• Obtaining necessary supplies or to deliver supplies to others. Things like groceries count here.
• Going for a run, hike, or other outdoor activity, as long as proper social distancing is observed.
• To care for a family member or pet in another household
• To perform work at an essential business (see below) or perform minimum basic operations

So screenwriters, what if in conceptualizing and crafting a story, you were limited to these type of outdoor activities? How could you use them in a script to open up your story beyond the boundaries of your characters’ home?

On the other hand, given the restrictions on movement outside, perhaps it’s time to bring back the Contained Thriller:

What are some of the common elements of a contained thriller? Obviously the contained part is key. If one of our goals as writers is to lock a Protagonist in a circumstance, what better way than to — literally — lock them to a specific location. The suffocating closeness of the locale can prove claustrophobic for a moviegoer. Combine that with a Nemesis figure who knows the ins and outs of the location, then you up the underdog status for the Protagonist.

Maybe a Found Footage project:

First, the very idea of the central conceit — found footage — can translate into low budget filmmaking. If the audience is expecting to see raw footage, then filmmakers can embrace that and cut costs at the same time.

Second, viewers seem to be drawn to found footage movies because they create a heightened sense of reality making the viewing experience that much more realistic and visceral.

How about a movie which takes place entirely on a computer screen:

Or how about a movie with two people having dinner together:

Here’s the thing about writers: We have imaginations. The fact most of us are stuck inside lends itself to those powerful words: What. If.

What better time to ponder potential story concepts which lend themselves to the limitations we have in personal mobility than now?

I guarantee you there will be some amazing stories which emerge during this crisis from the minds of screenwriters and filmmakers. Not movies about quarantines… who would want to see THAT after having lived in one for months on end.

No, I mean quarantine movies as in stories which lean into the physical restrictions of where characters can go and what characters can do.

Put on your thinking cap, writers! I know I am.

In 2012, Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel put out this ‘trailer’ for a movie called Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse:

That led to a contained apocalypse comedy This is the End:

Here’s your chance. What will be YOUR quarantine movie (again, not about the quarantine, but responding to the limitations of the whole ‘shelter in place’ thing).

A thought occurred to me: What if we considered the spec script deals which have been reported thus far in 2020. Here is the list:

1. Title: The Pinkerton Logline: Described as a supernatural western with a revenge element. Writer: Daniel Casey Genre: Supernatural Western Management: Writ Large Buyer: Warner Bros. Date: 3/4/2020. Notes: J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot to produce.

2. Title: Murder In The White House Logline: The President is murdered during a private dinner at the White House and a female Secret Service agent has until morning to discover which guest is the killer before a peace agreement fails and leads to war. Writer: Jonathan Stokes Genre: Mystery Thriller Management: Management SGC Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 3/9/2020. Notes: Preemptive deal. Mid-six against seven-figures.

3. Title: 16 States Logline: Road trip during a zombie pandemic. Writers: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra Genre: Horror Thriller. Management: N/A Agency: N/A Buyers: Lionsgate Date: 4/10/2020. Notes: Deal was part of an auction. Fede Alvarez attached to direct.

4. Title: The Aliens Are Stealing Our Weed Logline: Two hapless pot growers who, after their entire crop of weed inexplicably goes missing, uncover an alien conspiracy to steal the planet’s marijuana supply. Writer: Ryan Firpo Genre: Comedy Agency: UTA Management: LBI Entertainment Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 4/29/2020.

5. Title: Untitled Beck & Woods Logline: N/A Writers: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, Genre: Science Fiction Agency: ICM Partners Management: Anonymous Content Buyer: Sony Pictures. Date: 5/3/2020. Notes: Deal was made in a “competitive situation.” Beck and Woods will also direct the movie.

6. Title: 2084 Logline: Described as being a spiritual sister to ‘1984’ Writer: Mattson Tomlin Genre: Science Fiction Drama Management: Grandview Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 5/5/2020. Notes: Deal was made in a “competitive situation.”

7. Title: Here Comes the Flood Logline: An elevated, character-driven love-story heist movie, with the heist playing out in increments.Writer: Simon Kinberg Genre: Heist Agency: CAA Buyer: Netflix Date: 5/8/2020. Notes: Auction netted a reported seven-figure deal.

8. Title: Flight Logline: A contained thriller set on an international flight. Writer: Miles Chapman Genre: Thriller Management: The Gotham Group Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 5/20/2020.

9. Title: The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever Logline: A single dad and NASA physicist discovers a black hole that will strike earth in a matter of days. The problem is that no one, including his colleagues at NASA, believes him. The one person that trusts him is his 10-year-old daughter, but that bond is now being threatened by a different force. Eric finds himself trying to save both his relationship with Marie and a populace unwilling to heed his warnings of the impending disaster. Writer: Daniel H. Wilson Genre: Science Fiction Management: Circle of Confusion Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 5/27/2020. Notes: Several bidders were chasing the spec, including Amblin, J.J. Abrams, Sony and MGM, before Paramount eventually landed it.

One obvious impact the pandemic has had is to depress the already weak spec script market although it is encouraging to see the major studios, especially Paramount, acquiring original material. Also, some of these deals involved multiple bidders, also encouraging. It reinforces the assumption that a great script will find a home.

In terms of the original question, are there any trends we can see in this set of projects? For example, I’m surprised there is only one comedy deal. I would have thought buyers would be looking for movies which make audiences laugh, giving them some welcome relief from such a gloomy world.

Indeed, the other eight projects on the whole offer a pretty dark set of storylines. Maybe the suits are thinking post-pandemic movies will need to reflect the dangers and insecurities of our times.

Granted, we don’t know when movie production will really kick into gear and it normally takes 18 months to 3 years from script acquisition to theatrical release, so who knows what shape society will be like then?

However, the script acquisition and development process does not happen in a vacuum, these deals are being made in the here and now, and one has to figure that the executives are acutely aware of the zeitgeist.

If I were to be writing a spec feature now (I’m not, I’m currently writing a book, then plan on taking on a novel) and I put on my producer’s hat, I’d probably write a comedy. I just think people will not only want to laugh, they will need to, stories to balance out the bleakness of our times.

The other thought I have: stories which offer hope. I know when I click through social media and stumble on something that reminds me there are way more good people than bad people, I am inclined nowadays to watch or read those stories.

There are going to be a lot of changes in the way Hollywood operates, but one thing is for sure: The need for great storytellers and compelling stories is not going away. If anything, writers may become even more valuable in an era when content creation is king.