sub genres

Existential Cinema: How Do You Write an Existential Film?

November 2, 2026March 22, 2023 by Industrial Scripts

For the most part, cinema is a form of entertainment. But this is not to say that films cannot and should not concern themselves with some of the more serious aspects of life. It doesn’t get much more serious than existentialism. And an existential film, whilst often tricky to define, can be one of the most powerful ways to get an audience to muse on themes of life, death and existence. So how do you begin to filter such a

The KEY Elements to Workplace Dystopias in Film and TV

November 2, 2026March 6, 2023 by Industrial Scripts

Over the last few years, there has been a rise in the number of workplace dystopias in film and TV. But what are the essential elements of these stories? And why do writers return to the format again and again? We take a look at the key parts of workplace dystopias in film and TV, their context, inspiration and resonance. Table of ContentsThe Rate Race on Film – What is a Workplace Dystopia?A Brief History of the WorkplaceSeverance – a

How Do You Write GOOD Parody in Film and TV?

November 2, 2026February 7, 2023 by Industrial Scripts

Parodies can contain a multitude of differences across a multitude of genres. So how do you even approach writing a tricky and difficult-to-define subgenre? In short, you must try to understand the nuances of parody and the nuances of what you’re parodying before trying to write parody in your screenplay. So in this article, we’ll break down some of the ways that parody can form in film and TV in order to better understand how you can realize it in

The KEY Building Blocks to Writing a GOOD Romantic Comedy

November 2, 2026November 23, 2022 by Industrial Scripts

Crazy, Stupid Love, Writing Romantic Comedy

The romantic comedy goes all the way back to Shakespeare, with plays such as Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream being full of love triangles and comic misunderstandings. If done right, writing romantic comedy can be a surefire way to crowd-please both critically and commercially. It’s a genre that has evolved through time but has remained extremely popular with audiences and the box office. Although sometimes reduced to cliche, romantic comedies, at their core, are about happiness and

The Viking Movie: 10 Elements to Writing This Powerful Sub Genre

November 2, 2026October 6, 2022 by Industrial Scripts

In many ways, the Viking movie is a sub-genre as old as the cinematic form itself. And Vikings have certainly been an integral part of folklore and storytelling for centuries. However, the Viking movie seems to have found new life in recent years. Not only that but Viking tropes find their way into movies and TV shows that have another primary genre, such as the Thor series. So how can you weave Viking elements into a screenplay? What do you

The Comedy Horror Movie: The KEYS to Both Laughs and Scares

November 2, 2026September 30, 2022 by Industrial Scripts

Washington Irving’s short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been cited as “the first great comedy horror story”, as readers were made to “laugh one moment and scream the next”. This is, in essence, what comedy horror movies are all about. We’ve all been in that situation where our friend is describing something awful…and yet our first instinct is to laugh. Is that because we’re horrible people? No! We tried not to laugh, after all. So why do we?

The 10 KEY Building Blocks to Writing Revenge Stories

November 2, 2026September 27, 2022 by Industrial Scripts

Revenge stories are a popular sub-genre almost guaranteed to satisfy an audience. They’re typically a visceral and cathartic response to injustice and consequently something that elicits easy emotion. We love to follow a journey of change and retribution and revenge stories provide us with these essential elements. Writing revenge – defined as the action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrongdoing suffered at their hands – can be particularly fun, dark, and, as with writing

What is Magical Realism? The KEY Steps to Using it in Screenwriting

November 2, 2026July 5, 2022 by Industrial Scripts

Table of ContentsWhat is Magical Realism?The History of Magical RealismOriginsMagical Realism in LiteratureMagical Realism in FilmFantasy Versus Magical Realism Three Key Elements of a Magical Realism Film1. The Real-World Setting How Does the Setting Reflect the Story and its Themes?2. Mythology, Folklore and or Historical Influence How Do Myths and Folktales Inform Magical Realism?3. Underlying Social or Political CommentaryHow Does the Underlying Social and Political Commentary Impact Films?The Six Key Steps to Writing the Magical Realism Genre1. Read and Research Current

The 13 Key Elements of a Slasher Movie with 10 Slasher Movie Examples

November 2, 2026September 8, 2021 by Industrial Scripts

The slasher movie sub-genre could be considered one of the most controversial sub-genres in cinema. With its stark violence, it’s often the subject of discussions around the effect of slasher films on society at large. These films burrow into our deepest fears and take hold of the wider imagination. They provide some of cinema’s most iconic moments and some of its most terrifying. And they hold a unique place in their ability to scare and shock. But how do you

How to BEGIN Writing a Fantasy Script: 7 Great Ways into the Fantasy Genre

November 2, 2026April 21, 2021 by Industrial Scripts

Fantasy Genre - Fantasy Script, Game of Thrones

At some point, we have all delved into the fantasy genre, whether that is through books, TV shows or movies. It’s a genre with a wealth of scope, opportunities and precedents. So much so that beginning a fantasy script can seem like a gargantuan task involving world-building, unique character work and vast imagination overall. Typically, the fantasy genre is associated with dragons, wizards and quests to fight evil. Though this does relate to the fantasy genre, there is so much

Genre Mashup: 10 Vital Steps to Nailing a Mix of Genres in Your Screenplay

November 2, 2026November 20, 2020 by Industrial Scripts

Genre mashups, also known as cross-genres or hybrid genres, are commonly found in many art forms – film, music or literature. It’s when an artist combines two or more genres in which elements from each are blended into a cohesive piece. Star Wars, Parasite, The Blues Brothers, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, 13 Going on 30. What do these very different movies have in common? They’re all genre mashups. From romantic comedies to sci-fi adventure, the technique of combining genres has