Screenwriting : The Challenge: When does a 'Contained Thriller' become too claustrophobic? by Salisu Abdullahi

Hi, Salisu Abdullahi. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Introduce Yourself Lounge to the Screenwriting Lounge since it's about screenwriting. You can talk about this in your introduction post, but you need to introduce/reintroduce yourself to the community. You could check out other posts in the Introduce Yourself Lounge to get ideas for your introduction post. Let me know if you have any questions.

Phone Booth is one of my favorite Contained Thrillers. It's a unique Contained Thriller because it's in a phone booth and everyone's watching the protagonist.

"At what point does a limited setting stop serving the story and start feeling repetitive or claustrophobic for the audience?" A Contained Thriller can start feeling repetitive and bore the reader/audience. I like to add exterior shots of the location and add exterior scenes so the story doesn't feel repetitive. I also like to have the protagonist/characters leave the house, building, etc. to go outside sometimes, like at the midpoint of the script.

"What's the smallest space you've successfully used for a full feature-length script, and how did you keep the visual variety and tension high?" I've set a script in a room (can't remember if it was a bedroom or living room). I keep the visual variety high by using objects and giving the monster/antagonist an unique appearance and outfit. I keep the tension high by adding conflict, dilemmas, stakes, a ticking clock, and twists.

Good question. Just watched 'The Long Walk' which translated into 'The Long Watch'. At some point - the walking and talking go to be too much for me. Perhaps aim for 75 pages and find a few side locations to mix it up!

"Hi Stephen,

That is a great point about The Long Watch (or The Long Walk). You nailed it—that feeling of the setting becoming repetitive is exactly what I'm trying to avoid with The Venice Glass House.

I absolutely agree that the solution is to aim for a tighter page count and find those strategic side locations to maintain variety. I'm taking your advice to heart!

I noticed you have fantastic credits, especially on thrillers like October Burn and your production work on A&E and PBS. As a writer/producer with a discerning eye for story and production, I'd love to hear your thoughts on my specific logline for The Venice Glass House—it's a contained thriller that I've designed for the micro-budget space, keeping production logistics in mind.

Would you be open to a quick Direct Message exchange or an email to see if there's any creative synergy between what I'm writing and the kind of high-impact, independent work you produce?"

I know this is a little off-topic, but ep. 5 of All Her Fault, which I saw last night, is an example of how a screenwriter can use the midpoint of a series to really confine the action and concentrate on character dynamics - has anyone seen it? - it's intense! - and the screenwriting (Megan Gallagher?)—in this episode especially—is top class...

"Hi Michael,

That's a fantastic, insightful point! I haven't seen All Her Fault yet, but your comment on using the midpoint of a series to confine the action and concentrate on character dynamics is brilliant. It perfectly summarizes how a contained space must serve the internal drama, not just the external plot.

In writing The Venice Glass House, my goal is to let the tight setting crank up the pressure on the protagonist's emotional and psychological state.

As a fellow novelist and writer, I'd truly value your perspective on story structure. Would you be open to a quick Direct Message exchange or an email to talk more about how a contained thriller can best maximize character stakes?

Best,

Salisu"