One thing that’ll help your screenplay stand out is the location. Think of a unique location for your script.
Examples: Action movie at a car wash, Comedy movie in a cornfield, Thriller movie in an art gallery, Crime movie at a video game studio, RomCom movie in a junkyard.
Same thing for TV shows, web-series, books, etc.
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Agreed Maurice Vaughan! It'll set your movie apart, give it a vibe and a feel, and add an extra layer to the visual element of the film.
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Great points, Nick Phillips! I like to look at photos online and videos (like location tours) for unique location ideas.
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Agree. As location I have often used a mental hospital. A place everyone knows but few have seen. Has worked fine. I have also used the academic research world as a location, because that is where I have my background, and others like it.
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I haven't written a script that takes place in a mental hospital, Göran Johansson. If I do write one, I'll try to focus on different aspects of the hospital so my script will stand out from other scripts and movies that take place in mental hospitals.
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"It's like Speed 2, but with a bus instead of a boat"
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Horror movie at a children's play place
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Göran Johansson I shot a film at an abandoned mental hospital a long time ago and man was it creepy! I've also produced a TV series which shot at an abandoned prison, also extremely unsettling. Horror movies always take you to the most glamorous places! : )
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Good point @Maurice Also if can only get free locations think of the most unlikely thing that would happen there. An interesting prop or focal point is also a cool idea in one/few location low budgets.
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Great advice, Debbie Croysdale! I search online for props and try to build stories around them.