Thesis Statement

Despite romance as a genre having a larger emphasis on formula than most others, it still is a genre ripe with variety and intrigue, with countless novels, films, TV shows, manga, and webcomics finding massive success despite all of them featuring tropes and story beats such as the meetcute, third-act-breakup, and a happily ever after. The nature of my research centers on the romance genre and how it can work alongside any genre while still adhering to specific plot beats. The result is a romantic horror-comedy that still adheres to all the necessary conventions required for a successful romance.

Welcome to the Supernaturals Club is a TV pilot script for a romantic-horror drama series. The pilot follows Nash Nowell, a high school student currently coping with grief, trauma, and loneliness, following the horrific death of his father. When he finds out he has the ability to see ghosts, he is roped into joining a school club consisting of Wendy, a people-pleasing ghost, Ava, an irritable empath, and Harmony, a spaced-out alien. Throughout the pilot, he slowly learns to come out of his shell while getting to know the other club members, and eventually must take the first step in overcoming his trauma by putting his life on the line during a dangerous encounter with a poltergeist.

Welcome to the Supernaturals Club follows numerous beats from the romance genre, such as an opening framing device that promises a happy ending, a third-act breakup where the characters are pushed to their emotional limits, and a love triangle set up between Nash, Wendy, and Ava. I have also integrated influence from other genres like the existential horror of I Saw the TV Glow and The Amazing Digital Circus, the snappy comedy of Edgar Wright and Team Four Star, and even the strategic battles of shonen anime like Naruto and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The final product is a tapestry woven from a wide variety of works, tones, and structures.