T.A. Lancaster

Screenwriting

Oh, the Horror...

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As I mention elsewhere, I love horror films, which is one reason my solo screenplays tend to be in that genre.

Another important reason is that horror movies can often be made cheaply, which puts them within reach of independent filmmakers. That's a good thing, whether I'm producing the movie myself or selling the script to someone else.

As a filmmaker, my first narrative feature-length film was Shooting April, a found-footage thriller about a psychotic playboy who manipulates his friends into taking part in a brutal crime. My production partner and I designed the film to be shot for next to nothing, which is the main reason the movie got made at all. I've always kept that project in mind during the screenwriting process. Budget matters, and that starts with the script.

I've written screenplays in other genres, too, but since most of those have been collaborations, I haven't included them in my portfolio.

Screenwriting Samples

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The Keeper

The premise for this screenplay evolved from an idea further down this page called The Shadow of Thoth. In that story, the main character is an ancient Egyptian with the ability to control time. Just after beginning the screenplay, I was connected with a production company looking for horror scripts, so I decided to change the premise: what if it wasn't an ancient Egyptian who could control time, but a modern-day serial killer?

To appeal to that production company's audience, The Keeper is geared toward the young-adult demographic. It blends psychological horror with high-concept suspense, tapping into the fear of powerlessness and touching on themes of isolation, found family, resilience, and sacrifice.

Click below to read an excerpt from The Keeper.

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Evil Dark

This is a Southern Gothic horror story, as well as a shameless homage to movies I loved when I was younger: particularly The Exorcist and The Ring.

When a teenage girl moves from California to her family's ancestral home in the South, she discovers that her bloodline is steeped in cruelty. As her younger sister falls into demonic possession rooted in the sins of their forefathers, she must confront her family's past and unravel the ugly truth of her ancestry.

While this is standard horror fare in many ways, it's also a metaphorical exploration of the weight of inherited sin, and of the burden we hand down to subsequent generations.

Click below to read an excerpt from Evil Dark.

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Shadow of Thoth

This is the unfinished story from which The Keeper evolved (as explained above). It is an action-adventure horror reminiscent of Anne Rice's version of The Mummy (a.k.a. Ramses the Damned). So not really a horror movie, but genre-adjacent.

In ancient Egypt, a soldier with the power to control time is betrayed by Pharaoh Sneferu, sealed alive in a pyramid alongside the princess he loves. Four thousand years later, in 1923, the tomb is unsealed and the ancient warrior emerges into the modern world, haunted by loss and pursued by those who would exploit his mythic power.

The story explores the corruption of power, the tragedy of loyalty betrayed, and the haunting consequences of the passage of time. It also has the potential to be a visual feast full of eerie tableaux and operatic violence.

Click below to read an excerpt from Shadow of Thoth.

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Lost Art

And now for something completely different.

Lost Art is a quiet, character-driven short about two strangers from different generations who find an unexpected connection in a world too busy to notice. No evil spirits or serial killers in this one–just a meaningful moment in the lives of two people.

I wrote this in a single evening as part of a project for one of my writing groups. The prompt was to explore the erosion of face-to-face connections in a hyper-digital world.

Click below to read the entire seven-page screenplay.

Thanks!

Thank you for your interest in my work. If you'd like to get in touch with me, you can contact me here.