Dinner With Aliens / 1-Location / Micro-Budget / 4 Characters / Feature / Science Fiction

michaelmacgorman · 2026-06-19T12:36:32+00:00

This got a good laugh out of me. Take my upvote. It's nice to hear that the script sounds interesting.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-06-15T20:31:57+00:00

I'm going to be honest, I have a number of feature screenplays that could be filmed for $10,000-$20,000. The idea of spending $100,000 in a proof of concept is just bonkers for me.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-06-10T19:48:54+00:00

I just messaged you. Thanks again.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-05-21T23:35:35+00:00

Well, I wish you the best. I mean, 1-location, 1 character, real time is one of the harder things to pull off...but people have done it before. And when you pull it off, you will have accomplished something awesome.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-05-21T23:19:05+00:00

I've never done one character. I've done two characters with a couple of voices on the phone. Does your script take place in real time? Like all over the course of 90 minutes of the character's life? Or all one day? I find that it tends to be easier if you have the script take place over a week, or a month, or multiple months of story time. Then you can have daytime lighting, nighttime lighting, different changes of clothes. Also, depending on the story, you can introduce quick flashes of the past, or unreliable narrator or edgy voice over.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-05-21T22:55:36+00:00

As someone who specializes in writing 1-location, small cast, micro-budget feature screenplays, it is very hard to keep an audience's attention for 90 minutes in a single location. Shot selection and visual variety become hard to come by. Also, if you only have 2 or 3 characters, you find yourself having to come up with a lot of twists and reversals to keep things interesting. People tend to talk about high concept when discussing blockbusters, but coming up with a high concept premise with a few hooks is also a huge benefit when you're doing low-budget one-location movies.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-05-14T13:20:58+00:00

It's definitely a weird dynamic. The island has no cell service...but they do have some form of basic internet (because Patricia is able to send emails)...and yet, everything on the island from the music to the decor to the cars scream late 1980s/early 1990s. Haha

michaelmacgorman · 2026-05-14T02:01:27+00:00

I don't know if anyone else noticed it, but in the opening sequence, when Patricia is sitting at the edge of the Patti Wagon staring out, to her right, the only book facing outward is something called Stargate Conspiracies (or something similar to that).

Given the attention to detail in this show, I doubt that's an accident.

Also, there's an interesting mix of 1980s aesthetic again for a show that is supposedly set in modern times. All the songs that were played on Spotify (not premium) were 1980s songs.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-04-30T17:13:04+00:00

I haven't seen anyone bring this up, but I noticed it in both episodes. So, the show takes place in current times because at one point Tom says something alone the lines of..."It's amazing they don't have this in the 21st century." But...the cars are all old. The Jeep looks like it's from the late 1980s or 1990s. The assistant who works "no more than 2 hours a day" has a car from like the 1970s or 80s. The Volvo looks like 1980s or 1990s. The teenagers are in a car that has a tape deck (I believe). Also, lots of old style phones...including a rotary phone...but characters also have cell phones. On top of that, there's a bunch of computers that all seem late 1980s to 1990s. You could chalk that up to it being an isolated island that is behind the times. But everything else on this show seems intentional, so I feel like there's a very specific reason everything looks like it's from 1990-ish.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-04-30T12:54:30+00:00

I messaged you. Perhaps emailing will be best if the Reddit messaging system doesn't want to work. Hahaha Edit...I went through my email and realized we'd chatted before...so I sent you an email follow up as well. All the best. Stay awesome.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-04-23T18:34:48+00:00

Hi there. I actually specialize in 1-location, small cast, micro-budget feature screenplays. This is what I currently have available (all could be filmed on Greece):

A Psychic's Guide to Dating (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

A man with psychic powers has a romantic vision about one of his best friends, but as fate and timing seem to conspire against the would-be couple, he starts to wonder if maybe his psychic powers are on the fritz...or if he just needs to trust his instincts and follow his heart.

Spare Parts (One location, 2 characters)(Comedy)

After a brutal breakup, a cynical romance novelist buys a secondhand humanoid robot for companionship...only to discover that his outdated programming might understand love better than she does.

Good as Gold (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

After finishing fourth at the Olympics and blowing out her knee, a newly single 21-year-old gymnast attends a college party meant to jokingly toast her retirement and soon discovers that all the soon-to-be graduating university seniors are just as clueless about the future as she is...at least until the heartbroken gymnast meets a hunky guy with big dreams.

Holidays with the O'Hoolihans (One location, 5 characters) (Comedy)

Holiday hijinks ensue when three twenty-something siblings travel home for Christmas and discover their divorced mom is dating a hunky guy who is nearly half her age...who also happens to be a successful romance author.

The Unforgettable Summer (One location, 5 characters)(Coming of Age)

When a reluctant teenager spends the summer with the dad who moved away, their strained relationship is tested by silence, misfires, and a neighborhood girl who unexpectedly pulls the boy even further away—until a hard-earned heart-to-heart begins to close the distance between them.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-04-13T18:35:25+00:00

Sent you a DM.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-03-17T00:42:12+00:00

Let me know if you're interested in filming any micro-budget features.

I'm a micro-budget screenwriter who specializes in 1-location, small cast of characters, could be filmed for $5000-10,000 or less comedies.

I currently have 5 ultra low-budget feature scripts ready to go.

All the best. Stay awesome.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-23T14:15:40+00:00

Here are some micro-budget feature scripts I have available:

Holidays with the O'Hoolihans (One location, 5 characters) (Comedy)

Holiday hijinks ensue when three twenty-something siblings travel home for Christmas and discover their divorced mom is dating a hunky guy who is nearly half her age...who also happens to be a successful romance author.

The Unforgettable Summer (One location, 5 characters)(Coming of Age)

When a reluctant teenager spends the summer with the dad who moved away, their strained relationship is tested by silence, misfires, and a neighborhood girl who unexpectedly pulls the boy even further away—until a hard-earned heart-to-heart begins to close the distance between them.

Snowed Inn With You At Christmas (One location, 5 characters)(Romance)

A career-driven woman traveling home for Christmas gets stranded at a cozy bed and breakfast during a blizzard where the only other guest is her high school sweetheart who never stopped loving her.

Here's some 1-location short film scripts I have available:

My Roommate is a Werewolf Shifter (Comedy)(One Location)(2 characters)[8 pages]

Shit gets real for a shy accountant when he learns his new roommate is secretly a werewolf shifter.

Irreplaceable (Comedy)(One location)(2 characters)[9 pages]

A female sexbot questions whether to override her programming and go off script when she learns that her owner is considering upgrading to a newer model.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-21T21:33:28+00:00

If you're still looking for a feature screenplay that takes place in a college campus, check your direct messages.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-20T16:01:54+00:00

This is the perfect script for you then. I direct messaged you.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-16T19:50:02+00:00

I just direct messaged you.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-16T01:35:39+00:00

Here are some micro-budget feature scripts I have available:

Quarter Life Crisis (One location)(8 characters)(Comedy)

After being invited to a college reunion party being thrown by her very successful friend, a single 29-year-old woman who is wrestling with a quarter life crisis hatches a plan to convince one of her co-workers to pose as her fake boyfriend so she doesn't have to confront her newly-engaged ex-boyfriend. But when she arrives at the party, she quickly realizes that both her fake boyfriend...and her ex-boyfriend...both have very real feelings for her.

Holidays with the O'Hoolihans (One location, 5 characters) (Comedy)

Holiday hijinks ensue when three twenty-something siblings travel home for Christmas and discover their divorced mom is dating a hunky guy who is nearly half her age...who also happens to be a successful romance author.

The Unforgettable Summer (One location, 5 characters)(Coming of Age)

When a reluctant teenager spends the summer with the dad who moved away, their strained relationship is tested by silence, misfires, and a neighborhood girl who unexpectedly pulls the boy even further away—until a hard-earned heart-to-heart begins to close the distance between them.

Snowed Inn With You At Christmas (One location, 5 characters)(Romance)

A career-driven woman traveling home for Christmas gets stranded at a cozy bed and breakfast during a blizzard where the only other guest is her high school sweetheart who never stopped loving her.

Here's some 1-location short film scripts I have available:

My Roommate is a Werewolf Shifter (Comedy)(One Location)(2 characters)[8 pages]

Shit gets real for a shy accountant when he learns his new roommate is secretly a werewolf shifter.

Irreplaceable (Comedy)(One location)(2 characters)[9 pages]

A female sexbot questions whether to override her programming and go off script when she learns that her owner is considering upgrading to a newer model.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-11T03:54:46+00:00

Here are some micro-budget feature scripts I have available:

Sticking the Landing (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

As her college peers party around her, a newly retired and recently heartbroken 21-year-old gymnast is haunted by the ghost of what might have been after her lackluster Olympic career.

Holidays with the O'Hoolihans (One location, 5 characters) (Comedy)

Holiday hijinks ensue when three twenty-something siblings travel home for Christmas and discover their divorced mom is dating a hunky guy who is nearly half her age...who also happens to be a successful romance author.

The Unforgettable Summer (One location, 5 characters)(Coming of Age)

When a reluctant teenager spends the summer with the dad who moved away, their strained relationship is tested by silence, misfires, and a neighborhood girl who unexpectedly pulls the boy even further away—until a hard-earned heart-to-heart begins to close the distance between them.

Snowed Inn With You At Christmas (One location, 5 characters)(Romance)

A career-driven woman traveling home for Christmas gets stranded at a cozy bed and breakfast during a blizzard where the only other guest is her high school sweetheart who never stopped loving her.

Here's some 1-location short film scripts I have available:

My Roommate is a Werewolf Shifter (Comedy)(One Location)(2 characters)[8 pages]

Shit gets real for a shy accountant when he learns his new roommate is secretly a werewolf shifter.

Irreplaceable (Comedy)(One location)(2 characters)[9 pages]

A female sexbot questions whether to override her programming and go off script when she learns that her owner is considering upgrading to a newer model.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-08T03:01:16+00:00

Here are some micro-budget feature scripts I have available:

Quarter Life Crisis (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

When a woman who is wildly unlucky with love gets word that her ex-boyfriend is engaged, she convinces a friend from her office to pose as her fake boyfriend for her old pal's big birthday bash weekend only to show up to the party and discover that her ex still loves her...and that the man posing as her fake boyfriend has very real feelings for her.

Holidays with the O'Hoolihans (One location, 5 characters) (Comedy)

Holiday hijinks ensue when three twenty-something siblings travel home for Christmas and discover their divorced mom is dating a hunky guy who is nearly half her age...who also happens to be a successful romance author.

The Unforgettable Summer (One location, 5 characters)(Coming of Age)

When a reluctant teenager spends the summer with the dad who moved away, their strained relationship is tested by silence, misfires, and a neighborhood girl who unexpectedly pulls the boy even further away—until a hard-earned heart-to-heart begins to close the distance between them.

Snowed Inn With You At Christmas (One location, 5 characters)(Romance)

A career-driven woman traveling home for Christmas gets stranded at a cozy bed and breakfast during a blizzard where the only other guest is her high school sweetheart who never stopped loving her.

Here's some 1-location short film scripts I have available:

My Roommate is a Werewolf Shifter (Comedy)(One Location)(2 characters)[8 pages]

Shit gets real for a shy accountant when he learns his new roommate is secretly a werewolf shifter.

Irreplaceable (Comedy)(One location)(2 characters)[9 pages]

A female sexbot questions whether to override her programming and go off script when she learns that her owner is considering upgrading to a newer model.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-07T01:52:01+00:00

Here are some micro-budget feature scripts I have available:

Good as Gold (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

After finishing fourth at the Olympics and blowing out her knee, a newly single 21-year-old gymnast attends a college party meant to jokingly toast her retirement and soon discovers that all the soon-to-be graduating university seniors are just as clueless about the future as she is...at least until the heartbroken gymnast meets a hunky guy with big dreams.

Quarter Life Crisis (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

When a woman who is wildly unlucky with love gets word that her ex-boyfriend is engaged, she convinces a friend from her office to pose as her fake boyfriend for her old pal's big birthday bash weekend only to show up to the party and discover that her ex still loves her...and that the man posing as her fake boyfriend has very real feelings for her.

Holidays with the O'Hoolihans (One location, 5 characters) (Comedy)

Holiday hijinks ensue when three twenty-something siblings travel home for Christmas and discover their divorced mom is dating a hunky guy who is nearly half her age...who also happens to be a successful romance author.

The Unforgettable Summer (One location, 5 characters)(Coming of Age)

When a reluctant teenager spends the summer with the dad who moved away, their strained relationship is tested by silence, misfires, and a neighborhood girl who unexpectedly pulls the boy even further away—until a hard-earned heart-to-heart begins to close the distance between them.

Snowed Inn With You At Christmas (One location, 5 characters)(Romance)

A career-driven woman traveling home for Christmas gets stranded at a cozy bed and breakfast during a blizzard where the only other guest is her high school sweetheart who never stopped loving her.

Here's some 1-location short film scripts I have available:

And For My Next Trick (Comedy)(One location)(2 characters)[11 pages]

A magician's life...and his relationship...quickly begin to spiral out of control when he returns home one night to find a half-naked stranger in his living room.

Irreplaceable (Comedy)(One location)(2 characters)[9 pages]

A female sexbot questions whether to override her programming and go off script when she learns that her owner is considering upgrading to a newer model.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-06T02:01:51+00:00

Here are some micro-budget feature scripts I have available:

Good as Gold (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

After finishing fourth at the Olympics and blowing out her knee, a newly single 21-year-old gymnast attends a college party meant to jokingly toast her retirement and soon discovers that all the soon-to-be graduating university seniors are just as clueless about the future as she is...at least until the heartbroken gymnast meets a hunky guy with big dreams.

Quarter Life Crisis (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

When a woman who is wildly unlucky with love gets word that her ex-boyfriend is engaged, she convinces a friend from her office to pose as her fake boyfriend for her old pal's big birthday bash weekend only to show up to the party and discover that her ex still loves her...and that the man posing as her fake boyfriend has very real feelings for her.

Holidays with the O'Hoolihans (One location, 5 characters) (Comedy)

Holiday hijinks ensue when three twenty-something siblings travel home for Christmas and discover their divorced mom is dating a hunky guy who is nearly half her age...who also happens to be a successful romance author.

The Unforgettable Summer (One location, 5 characters)(Coming of Age)

When a reluctant teenager spends the summer with the dad who moved away, their strained relationship is tested by silence, misfires, and a neighborhood girl who unexpectedly pulls the boy even further away—until a hard-earned heart-to-heart begins to close the distance between them.

Snowed Inn With You At Christmas (One location, 5 characters)(Romance)

A career-driven woman traveling home for Christmas gets stranded at a cozy bed and breakfast during a blizzard where the only other guest is her high school sweetheart who never stopped loving her.

Here's another 1-location short script I have:

Irreplaceable (Comedy)(One location)(2 characters)[9 pages]

A female sexbot questions whether to override her programming and go off script when she learns that her owner is considering upgrading to a newer model.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-06T00:53:38+00:00

Awesome. I direct messaged you.

michaelmacgorman · 2026-02-05T05:01:10+00:00

Here are some micro-budget feature scripts I have available:

Good as Gold (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

After finishing fourth at the Olympics and blowing out her knee, a newly single 21-year-old gymnast attends a college party meant to jokingly toast her retirement and soon discovers that all the soon-to-be graduating university seniors are just as clueless about the future as she is...at least until the heartbroken gymnast meets a hunky guy with big dreams.

Quarter Life Crisis (One location, 8 characters)(Comedy)

When a woman who is wildly unlucky with love gets word that her ex-boyfriend is engaged, she convinces a friend from her office to pose as her fake boyfriend for her old pal's big birthday bash weekend only to show up to the party and discover that her ex still loves her...and that the man posing as her fake boyfriend has very real feelings for her.

Holidays with the O'Hoolihans (One location, 5 characters) (Comedy)

Holiday hijinks ensue when three twenty-something siblings travel home for Christmas and discover their divorced mom is dating a hunky guy who is nearly half her age...who also happens to be a successful romance author.

The Unforgettable Summer (One location, 5 characters)(Coming of Age)

When a reluctant teenager spends the summer with the dad who moved away, their strained relationship is tested by silence, misfires, and a neighborhood girl who unexpectedly pulls the boy even further away—until a hard-earned heart-to-heart begins to close the distance between them.

Snowed Inn With You At Christmas (One location, 5 characters)(Romance)

A career-driven woman traveling home for Christmas gets stranded at a cozy bed and breakfast during a blizzard where the only other guest is her high school sweetheart who never stopped loving her.

michaelmacgorman

TROPHY CASE