We're so glad A24 exists. The production company has platformed some amazing directors over the years and released diabolical horror, creative drama and comedy, and some films that exist outside genre conventions.There's definitely a "feel" to many of the company's works, to the point that editors can recut trailers as A24 horror films, usually under the umbrella term of "elevated horror." Lucas Alpay is a fiction writer and film fan, and he recently turned his expertise toward understanding why A24 films work so well with audiences, particularly when it comes to horror and thriller projects.Alpay identified five storytelling techniques that A24 commonly uses in its films, some of which also occur in best-selling novels. Check out his video here. - YouTube www.youtube.com Slow-Burn Pacing and Anticipatory AnxietyGood storytelling does not require constant action. If you're writing horror, you don't need jump scares every five minutes or plot twists at every act break. "This is where most writers completely shoot themselves in the foot," Alpay says. Alpay argues A24 does the opposite, building dread gradually rather than delivering instant payoffs. The approach taps into what psychologists call "anticipatory anxiety.""Your brain is literally more terrified of what might happen than what actually does," Alpay says.If you use constant action and endless tension, the audience starts to feel desensitized to it all, and you lose any impact you might have had. As a storyteller, you need to create hills and valleys, buildups and releases. And you don't want to start at 11 in...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today