Producing

One of the biggest problems I see in modern thrillers:

Too many antagonists exist only to generate plot.

They kill.

Manipulate.

Threaten.

Disappear.

But they rarely feel psychologically alive.

And without psychological coherence, suspense becomes mechanical.

What makes a powerful psychological thriller antagonist is not violence. It is emotional logic.

The audience does not need to agree with the antagonist.

But they must understand:

- why he thinks this way

- what emotional wound shaped him

- what fear drives him underneath the control

Because understanding destabilizes moral certainty.

And psychological thrillers thrive on destabilization.

While writing Yohana’s World, I became deeply interested in the psychology of invisibility.

What happens when someone grows up emotionally unchosen?

Not physically abandoned necessarily, but psychologically side-lined.

That emotional break became the core engine behind the antagonist.

His greatest fear is not death.

It is irrelevance. Being forgotten. Unseen. Emotionally erased.

And that fear transforms into a need for:

- recognition

- control

- dominance

- emotional leverage

What fascinated me most was this:

He is not pursuing power because he enjoys cruelty. He is pursuing power because it makes him feel emotionally real.

That distinction changes how audiences experience him.

A psychologically layered antagonist is rarely chaotic externally.

Usually the opposite.

They are:

- composed

- strategic

- intelligent

- emotionally restrained

Which makes the moments where the mask slips incredibly powerful.

Another thing I explored heavily was the idea that antagonists often function as shadow selves of the protagonist.

Yohana and the antagonist share the same emotional wound: abandonment.

But they evolve differently.

Yohana internalizes pain.

He externalizes it.

Yohana withdraws emotionally.

He demands recognition.

Yohana protects imagination.

He protects ego.

That divergence becomes the philosophical core of the story.

The conflict stops being:

“Who wins?”

And becomes:

“What emotional philosophy survives?”

Read the full article complementing this post: https://blog.yohanasworld.com/psychological-thriller-antagonist/

Learn more about Yohana’s World and register your interest on: https://yohanasworld.com/

Read the first 21 pages of the screenplay here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l1P1dKHB_XoqHUJ55vh-m-2F4PE9oHcL/view

I don't know who is good at forecasting anything. There may be tons of people who do a great job, and I do not avail myself of their info.

Maybe this writer is incredibly insightful or a complete moron; I can't vouch for him.

But IF this analysis is even halfway accurate, there are tons of what I consider to be positive implications for new content going forward. It may take a while for studio heads to identify and understand, but this article makes a compelling case that they had better start figuring it out soon.

https://fortune.com/2026/05/09/the-devil-wears-prada-2-hollywood-future-...

Hi everyone,

I’m a UK-based screenwriter currently developing a slate of interconnected psychological thriller projects under the Nocturnis banner, beginning with a contained prison-based series called Fugue.

A lot of my work explores identity erosion, institutional systems, trauma and psychological contagion through grounded character-led genre storytelling.

At the moment, I’m trying to better understand how emerging writers meaningfully connect with producers/development teams working within darker prestige television in the UK space only.

I’d genuinely love to hear from producers and development creatives about:

* pathways that proved useful

* labs/schemes worth keeping an eye on

* networking approaches that actually feel human

* or how people began building long-term creative relationships in this industry

Not pitching material here — more looking to learn, connect, and better understand the ecosystem around psychologically driven TV.

Thanks everyone.

if a company put my movie through VFX productions to bring my story to life and I go by another Company to get it produced Would it be cool if I work with that company?

Hey Producers,

Heading to Cannes tomorrow, and before I go, I wanted to drop a question in here that I think will spark some really valuable conversation.

For those of you who've been producing for a while, what's a piece of advice from another producer that genuinely changed how you work? Could be about packaging, financing, talent, post-production, distribution, festival strategy, dealing with notes, anything.

And for the producers earlier in their journey, what's a question you'd love to ask a more experienced producer if you had the chance?

Producing can feel isolating, especially when you're juggling a million moving pieces. But this Lounge is full of folks at every stage of the journey, and there's so much wisdom in this room.

Drop your stories, advice, or questions below!

Hey Producers Lounge!

I'm Tuesday Lewis-Harris — and while many of you may already know me as an educator here on Stage 32, I wanted to take a moment to properly introduce myself on a more personal level! I recently created my own personal account on the platform and I am so excited to step into the community in a new way.

I'm a producer, actress, writer, and entertainment entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in film and television. Among my credits, I had the privilege of developing On a Wing and a Prayer for MGM/Amazon Studios with Autumn Bailey Entertainment, which landed #1 during its first week. My producing work includes The First Noelle, which landed at #2 on BET+, and Billy Knight, starring Al Pacino and Charlie Heaton — coming this fall!

I'm in a season of reconnecting and realigning, and part of that journey is getting more intentional about the relationships I'm building in this industry. I would love to meet more colleagues in the producing space — people I can mingle with, learn from, and collaborate with. I've poured a lot into teaching here, and now I'm ready to pour into community too.

If you're in the producing space, let's connect! Drop a comment and say hello — I'd love to get to know you.

— Tuesday Lewis-Harris Lewis & Harris Productions

Genuine question for the writers and other creatives here:

When you think about bringing a producer onto your project, what are you practically looking for?

• Creative input?

• Help with packaging?

• Strategy on where it fits in the market?

• Other?

I think expectations can vary a lot, and I’m always interested in how people approach that collaboration.

Also helpful context for me as I continue taking on new material. If you are looking for detailed feedback on a script or pitch, I do take on a limited number of projects at a time. Happy to connect.

As creatives who also produce, we’re constantly walking a line between emotional investment and practical decision‑making. Some days it feels effortless, and other days it’s a real negotiation with ourselves.

I’m curious how you handle it:

When you’re producing something you also helped shape creatively, what helps you stay objective?

Is it time away from the script, trusted collaborators, market research, or something else entirely?

We're partnering with the owner of the bar hosting our Stage 32 Cannes pop-up on something genuinely special. Starting Tuesday, he's publishing a free 12-part series on the real history of Cannes — not the glamour reel, but the story behind why it was built, what it disrupted, and why it remains the most important film market in the world.

If you care about the industry you're trying to break into, understanding Cannes at this level gives you context that most filmmakers and writers never take the time to get. It's the kind of foundation that changes how you talk about the industry — in a pitch, in a room, anywhere it matters.

Subscribe free here — takes 30 seconds: https://substack.com/@cannesrevisited

Once you're in, let us know in the comments — and if you know anyone who loves film history, send it their way.

I am going to be upfront: producing is not my primary world — I am a cinematographer with about a decade of credits across shorts and documentary features, and I am an ASC Masterclass graduate. But I am now writing my first narrative feature, and I want to approach it intelligently from the start.

I have a loose first draft at about 70 pages. The bones are there,e but I still have significant work to do -- deepening the character arcs, developing the relationships, and strengthening the premise.

The goal is to write something worth a producer's attention -- a script strong enough to attract the right producer, who can then find the right director and the resources to make it properly. Ideally, I would love to be trusted with the DP role on the project, and directing or producing are not where I want to live, so I would rather hand those reins to those who do them well.

My current rough projection puts the budget somewhere in the $3-5 million range, though I expect that number to evolve with the script. North Carolina is the natural location for this story, and the state has meaningful production incentives and a growing infrastructure to support it.

What makes a script worth a serious producer's time at the development stage? And how do writer-DPs typically navigate staying involved creatively once a director is attached?

Anyone going to be in Cannes next week?

If so, let's make sure we meet and discuss prospective projects.

I'll be there from the 13th to 18th May.