Searching — Reformatting a Thriller

From the first frame of Searching to the last, everything the audience sees happens on a computer or phone screen. While the plot of Searching is fairly conventional, this storytelling approach is used to enhance the mystery and elevates the film to a nail-biting thriller. This video dissects how the screenwriters made the film emotionally compelling by ensuring the designing principle, theme, and story were perfectly in sync. It investigates how they adjusted traditional screenplay format to convey a plot that takes place entirely on screens. And explores how they took something as simple as typing a text message and used it to reveal character.