Behind the Curtain
Behind the Curtain
Voice to Those that Make the Stuffs
Voice to Those that Make the Stuffs
The spotlight is bright, but what happens behind the scenes? Your task is to write a script, screenplay, or play that explores the messy, chaotic, and often ugly side of creative work—whether it’s a disastrous movie production, a cursed Broadway play, a crumbling animation studio, or a doomed writer’s room.
This is not the polished, glamorous side of entertainment. This is missed deadlines, broken egos, clashing personalities, and creative disasters. Maybe the star of the show is spiraling. Maybe the director is losing control. Maybe the entire production is built on lies, and it’s all about to come crashing down.
Whatever you choose, let the audience see the drama behind the drama.
Set the Stage – Are we in a Hollywood film set? A Broadway rehearsal? A tiny game studio rushing to finish a broken game? A struggling novelist’s writing group?
Clashing Egos – Creative people rarely agree. Let personalities explode, alliances form and break, and ridiculous arguments spiral into chaos.
Pressure Cooker Tension – Time is running out. Something is going wrong. The production is at risk, and the people behind it are barely holding it together.
Brutal Honesty or Dark Comedy? – Your story can be sharp and satirical (*think Birdman or The Player), painfully real (*think Tick, Tick... Boom!), or absurdly funny (*think Noises Off!).
Who is really in charge—and who thinks they’re in charge?
What is falling apart? A performance? A script? A relationship? The entire production?
Is your story a slow unraveling, or does everything explode all at once?
What does this story say about art, fame, or the cost of creativity?
Birdman (2014, Film) – A washed-up actor clings to relevance while his Broadway show spirals into chaos.
Noises Off (Play/Film) – A comedy about a stage play where everything that can go wrong, does.
The Player (1992, Film) – A dark Hollywood satire about the ruthless politics behind movie-making.
BoJack Horseman: “Filbert” Arc (TV Series) – A brutally honest take on toxic productions and the mental toll of the entertainment industry.
Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021, Film) – A semi-autobiographical look at the anxiety of being a struggling artist running out of time.