THORSTEN SCHADE
 Thorsten Schade
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Germany, in a town called Herten, near Cologne. Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel? My wife and I got our first dog eight years ago. Our Norfolk Terrier, Murphy, is a real treasure. He enriches our lives and is a lovely little chap. One day he was hiding behind a sheer curtain in our flat. I had to laugh because of course you could still see him. But it also looked a bit creepy and reminded me of Hitchcock's Psycho, like Norman Bates behind the shower curtain. I took a picture and that's when I had the idea for "When JIM met TIM". - A man with a dog phobia is given the worst therapy animal imaginable: an ancient dog demon. - As a filmmaker, I decided to turn it into a screenplay. How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN? I spent seven months writing “When JIM met TIM”, including two bouts of writer's block. I took a risk and wrote without an outline beforehand. I wanted my imagination to be free when writing and not predetermined. Of course, I had a rough idea of the story, but not how it would end, for example. Writing a screenplay like that can be risky—you can crash and burn. You don't have a net (outline) to catch you. As I said, twice I didn't know what to do next and had a block. But the risk worked out. I think the script lives and breathes and the award at The Wiki and the good review prove that. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer? To make a feature film from my script. “The Invitation”, my horror short film, won 209 international awards over four years. Six of them in Hollywood. I would like to continue this great success with "When JIM met TIM". I love telling stories that entertain, surprise, and emotionally engage the audience—but always with a unique twist. I enjoy playing with genre expectations without falling into clichés. My films and screenplays are never just about thrills or laughs; they also explore human relationships, fears, and emotions beneath the surface. With "When JIM met TIM," I blend horror and comedy because I’m fascinated by the interplay of fear and laughter. I look for those moments when the audience is scared but then immediately laughs, almost as a reflex to release the tension. It’s a fine balance, and I love crafting scenes that walk that tightrope. Was your entry at The Wiki Screenplay Contest a full script or “the first ten pages”? Why did you make that choice? My submission was “full script”. Of course, the first ten pages reveal a lot about the quality of a book and might have been enough to rate it. But I thought, if I'm going to submit, then completely. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show...and why? Oh, there's a lot. Highlights include Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, The Exorcist, The Shining, Star Wars, Indiana Jones. I think the lasting impact of these works speaks for itself. What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? The script should meet the formalities, structure and formatting. You should also know how to dramaturgically structure a story. You should read the dialogue out loud and ask yourself if it sounds natural. And you shouldn't expect yourself to reinvent the wheel. There is no story that has not been told in human history, around campfires, in books and films. It's the mixture that counts, like a cocktail. You mix well-known story elements together and get something new. Horror-comedy speaks to me because it merges two extreme emotions—fear and laughter—both of which are instinctive and uncontrollable. You can grip the audience with fear and then break the tension with humor, all within the same scene. That kind of storytelling keeps people engaged and makes the experience unforgettable. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? I'm currently looking for a film producer for my screenplay "When JIM met TIM". This is proving difficult because without an agent it's hard to get in touch with the people responsible. So I'm also looking for an agency. That takes time. And I also work as an actor for various formats. https://filmfreeway.com/ThorstenSchade https://www.instagram.com/thorsten_schade1910/ |
