American Die

When a genius professor tries to save the world from impending disaster, she must first set aside personal grief, find her missing family, and uncover the true extent of the threat to the human race. Only to discover that the world has been deceived on an unimaginable scale. She realises that only she holds the key to saving humanity, if she can only stay alive long enough to complete her lifetimes work...

  • Darren White
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    Action, Adventure, Horror, sci-fi
  • Number of Pages:
    106
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Orange / Pathe Screenwriting Competition
    London
    June 1, 1999
    Long Shortlisted
Writer Biography - Darren White

"The details of my life are quite inconsequential." Dr Evil

Wanting to know about a writer because you like their work, is a little like wanting to know about a duck because you like paté.

Darren White is a British writer. He lives in the South East with his wife and daughter. Raised in the heart of Robin Hood country, he read Computer Science at University in Sheffield. In 1999 his screenplay for "glorious" was long short-listed in the Orange / Pathé screen writing competition. His short story collection "Memes of Loss and Devotion" is currently available from Amazon, rated 4+.

He is a Chartered Information Technology Professional, a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society and an Incorporated Engineer. He currently manages projects. He has an interest in popular physics, molecular biology, astro physics, technology and computing. He knows just enough to type the right words into Google.

He has lived.

All he has ever wanted to do is entertain. Oh, and own a kidney shaped dance floor.

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Writer Statement

21st Nov 2017 www.wescreenplay.com:
Voice (99 percentile)
American Die makes a strong statement through its religious and capitalistic themes, paired with a brutal story of the apocalypse. The imagery is striking, and the set pieces often have great visceral effect. The opening images introduce us to a wide-scale apocalypse in a gruesome, tangible way.

The first act establishes clear traits. Giving the characters a specific occasion that brings them together is smart; it allows us to acquaint ourselves with the cast’s backstories before the horror comes in.

The script’s imagery is striking, particularly in its thematic details. The <redacted> are a unique and disturbing human note. Implicating <redacted> in the villainy makes
a strong statement. The post-apocalyptic state of violence offers a good human antagonist.

American Die is full of compelling themes and disturbing apocalyptic imagery.

Oct 2017 www.wescreenplay.com:
Characterization (90 percentile)
Concept (98 percentile)
Format (99 percentile)
Voice (91 percentile)

AMERICAN DIE has a number of strong and compelling pieces and concepts. The themes are interesting, and the allegorical aspects of the story are very good. The <redacted> imagery used throughout the story brings about an extra layer of depth in the script to make it feel much more meaningful than the prototypical story.

Professor Eve is a likable, relatable character. She’s a family-first type, and her loved ones are her driving force. This works well. The connection she has with Lizzie is built well, and seeing them torn apart on multiple occasions feels significant. The way she handles herself when they find James feels directly connected to how things <redacted>, even without that being mentioned in any way – that’s very good writing. Her determination comes across well on the page, and that’s important.

There are a lot of strong pieces here. This is mixed well with a lot of good questions about humanity. The dialogue works. There are some clever and funny lines, and it avoids feeling unnatural. The concept is really great.

CONCEPT –The conceptual ideas within here of an <redacted> exploration of the <redacted> and all of that are two steps above.

CASTABILITY – Eve could draw a big name, and there are a number of smaller roles that could attract talent.

There is a lot to like here, and there’s a great deal of potential (This is not said lightly). This is not an easy script to write... the ideas are there. It’s just a very ambitious project. But that’s a good thing."

Jan 2017 @watchmoviesfree via http://FilmFreeway.com "great world building and a very consistent sense of tone. You painted a very engaging picture of the world slowly starting to crumble", "nice attention to detail with the specifics of the outbreak like how the military responded, what viruses mutated together etc." & "a masterful sense of tone".

July 2016 www.wescreenplay.com "You’re off to a good start, and it’s clear that you’re a talented writer".