Genre & Stage · SHORT
Horror / Thriller Teaser
Masterclass structure for supernatural, slasher, or psychological thriller openers. Focuses on sensory dread, quiet buildup, isolation, and shocking release.
Page 1 — Starter PreviewCourier Prime 12pt
HIGH-TENSION COLD OPEN
INT. ISOLATED FARMHOUSE - NIGHT
Outside, wind HOWLS across empty cornfields. Inside, CLARA (19) sits at a kitchen table, humming to a record playing on her phone.
A heavy THUD echoes from the floorboards directly above her head.
CLARA
(calling up)
Dad? Is that you?
No response. Only the wind. Then her phone screen goes DEAD.
INT. SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Clara’s flashlight beam cuts through the dark. At the end of the hall, a bedroom door sits slightly ajar.
Structural Beats Included in this Template
- False Sense of Security: Ordinary evening activity (p. 1)
- Subtle Intrusion: Audio or visual anomaly (p. 2)
- Isolation Realization: Communication cut off (p. 3)
- Escalation: Creeping confrontation (p. 4)
- The Shock / Title Card (p. 5)