WINNING COMEDY SHORT SCREENPLAY – MARRIAGE COUNSELING 101, by Mark Engberg

Winning Screenplay – MARRIAGE COUNSELING Written by Mark Engberg CAST LIST: NARRATOR – Becky Shrimpton WOMAN – Cassandra Guthrie MAN – John Marcucci

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Horror, Comedy

“Romancing the Stone” meets “Friday the 13th.”

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

“Marriage Counseling 101” is about couple fighting in public. Some people can’t handle it and seek privacy before the argument gets out of hand. Some people could care less about the embarrassment. But innocent bystanders are the ones who seem to suffer the most.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Due to the amount of dialogue, Comedy. But it could easily be a horror story if the characters didn’t speak.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

It’s an easy and inexpensive location that would only require three actors (2 speaking) and a brief CGI special effect for the ending. As far as content goes, it maintains Irony in that it analyzes social boundaries among hysteria.

How would you describe this script in two words?

Black comedy.

What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Jaws

How long have you been working on this screenplay?

About 4 weeks.

How many stories have you written?

This is probably my 12th or 13th short film script. i’ve written a feature and am working on an animated feature.

What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

“Mother” by Pink Floyd.

What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

A friend of mine in New York hired me to write this story for him, wanting something that was like “Romancing the Stone” with a “Friday the 13th” ending. I wanted the story to be about a couple trying to save their marriage despite their inability to agree on anything. There was a ton of comic potential in the premise. The tricky part was the scary ending.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I love so many forms of media. Literature, music, art, theater, movies, cable TV (which let’s face it, has gotten much better than anyone expected). But I’m most passionate about raising my three boys with my hardworking wife.

*****

Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com

Editor: John Johnson

Camera Operator: Kierston Drier

Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne

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