Class of 18: A Feature Screenplay

Author:

Forge, Lex

Area of Honors:

Film Production

Degree:

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type:

Thesis

Thesis Supervisors:

Rod Bingaman, Thesis Supervisor
Rod Bingaman, Thesis Honors Advisor
Maura Shea, Faculty Reader

Keywords:

Screenplay
Film
Narrative
Screenwriting
Feature
Horror
Comedy
Slasher
Movie

Abstract:

Class of 18 is a feature-length horror comedy screenplay. Inspired by classics of the genre like Scream and The Shining, this screenplay looks at the equally terrifying horrors of teenagerdom. Taking place at a high school reunion, it pokes fun at the lingering effects of old insecurities and social hierarchies long after graduation. It begs the question of whether we can ever truly mature from the people we were in high school? With comedic dialogue and jabs at horror movie tropes, this screenplay is above all else an entertaining genre parody. Writing this screenplay was without a doubt my most challenging creative undertaking to date. Through numerous outlines, mental breakdowns, and rewrites, I clawed my way to the current draft. While Class of 18 will likely continue to see changes in the coming year, I have achieved what I set out to do: complete a feature-length screenplay. In the process, I learned an incredible amount about the challenges unique to this art form. I have a much greater appreciation for the plotting intricacies that writers slave over to tie a story together in a neat little package. While initially it seemed like just getting to 90 pages would be the greatest battle, I now realize that it’s far more impressive to condense all your ideas to that many pages. The following is the culmination of all I’ve learned at Penn State and my sincerest effort to join my filmmaking heroes.