Trapped in a basement after an apocalyptic earthquake, a grieving wife fights off a horde of parasitic monsters, unaware that her God-fearing husband has already decided her fate.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Geoff Mays
Caroline: Hannah Ehman
Parker: Sean Ballantyne
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
“Consumed” is a marital drama wrapped in an apocalyptic sci-fi cloak. Think “Kramer Vs. Kramer Vs. The Walking Dead”. The story has its fair share of scares and gore, but in the end, it’s about how difficult marriage can be when two people grow apart. Especially if one of them has become a religious nut-case.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Definitely science fiction and horror, with a little bit of action and mystery thrown in for good measure. But the heart is a classic husband and wife drama.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
There are three unique things about my screenplay. Firstly, it features only two people (well, three if you count the last few pages). Secondly, it all takes place in one location, the basement of a collapsed building. Thirdly, and most importantly, it’s told in real time. With the right team handling its execution, “Consumed” would be an amazing theatrical experience.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
“Gut punching.”
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”. When I worked at my friend’s comic book store (the legendary Parts Unknown in Greensboro, NC), we had a TV in the back for showing genre cartoons and movies. I got into a habit of watching “Roger Rabbit”, sometimes just a chunk, during every shift I was working. That was probably three times a week, for about two years… do the math! It’s not my favorite movie of all time, but even after all that viewing, it’s still fun to watch.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
The first version took about five months. And then the revisions were usually many months apart, but completed fairly quickly.
7. How many stories have you written?
As of now, I’ve got ten completed screenplays under my belt. Eight of them written solely by me, two of them were completed with a friend.
8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
My friend, the producer Curt Chatham, told me that a new screenwriter usually doesn’t break in with a $200 million VFX-heavy script. He told me to make it as a small as possible. If I could write something with two people in a room, something cost efficient, that would be optimal. The nanosecond he told me this, the scenario popped into my head. And off I went.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
It was very difficult finding the rhythm. Just two people, in one room, in real time? That’s not easy to make interesting. I had to not only find the right spots in which to place some action, or a struggle, or a threat, but I had to make sure the dialog wasn’t lame too.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
My pets. Physical media. My long-suffering wife Suzie. Sushi. Comic books. Hiking. Cherry soda. Preventing democracy from dying.
11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
Horror Underground has been around a while, and they’ve received lots of positive feedback on FilmFreeway. The festival seems to really care about the people making the art that they submit. As for the feedback, it was very thorough and well-presented. My scripts aren’t written in stone yet… If someone has a good idea or critique that will make them better, I’m all ears!
Festival Reviews 