Joseph's ghost wants to run it back

After going back and forth between comedy, action, and everything in between… I’ve officially decided my genre. I’m doing a psychological thriller for my short film. Key word right there, "short film", I decided on the Short Film Package!! It was going to be easier for me to think of a solid idea compared to thinking of a movie idea, then think about key elements for the two DIFFERENT trailers, so overall, it was easier, anddd I have an idea on what I want to do, (stay tuned for that!).

Shocking? Not really.

I tried to brainstorm comedy ideas, they were ok I guess. I tried action. Cool in theory, stressful in actual developing. But every time I sat down to actually think, the ideas that came naturally were deeper, more emotional, and slightly concerning. So instead of fighting it, I’m embracing it!!

Psychological thrillers focus less on physical action and more on what’s happening inside the character’s mind. It’s about tension, paranoia, and identity, so basically making the audience question what’s real. That’s what I love, I love when a story makes you uncomfortable without even showing anything extreme and you want to know what's coming next.

I watched a YouTube video breaking down psychological thriller techniques, and it really emphasized how important mood, sound, and pacing are. It’s about cutting at the right moment and making the audience feel like something is off, even if they can’t explain why.

I also read an Article explaining what defines a psychological thriller, and here are some key characteristics that stood out to me:

1. Complex characters with internal struggles

2. Twists or unreliable perspectives

3. Emotional intensity

4. Suspense built through psychology rather than action

And that’s when it clicked.

This genre actually works perfectly for a short film. I don’t need crazy locations or big action scenes, I need strong storytelling, and good dialogue. Also, if we’re being honest, I connect to this genre the most. I like writing stories that are considered "different" and make people really start thinking, I want my story to have real emotions and make audiences connect with it. So instead of forcing myself into a genre that is cool but hard to execute, I’m choosing the genre that naturally sparks creativity for me. And since I’m doing the short film option, I can really dive into the character’s mind and build something serious and thought provoking.