Ravensbourne students bring suspense screenplay to life in new film competition
Publication date:
Ravensbourne University London students have helped transform a winning screenplay into a fully produced short film as part of the inaugural London Suspense Screenwriting Competition.
This industry-led initiative is designed to give emerging filmmakers industry experience across the production process.
Created by Ravensbourne BA (Hons) Editing and Post Production course leader Greg Loftin and Sessional Lecturer/Technical Tutor Lee McQueen, the competition challenged writers to create a suspense film following a unique set of creative constraints: five minutes maximum runtime, four characters maximum, three locations, two minutes without dialogue and one complete story.
The winning script, Wrap It Up by Charlie LaCour, was developed to final production in just three months, with Ravensbourne students working alongside industry professionals across writing, production, editing, sound, visual effects and post-production.
Film competition poster
Lee quote
This really has been a passion project for me and Greg, but the idea itself acted as a lightning rod for attracting industry talent, sponsors and students to work together to create some amazing professional work for film festivals and resources for the University”
Film competition
The project was delivered as part of Ravensbourne’s Careers Lab and Work Based Learning programme, giving students the opportunity to experience professional environments and develop skills that reflect the realities of the screen industries.
Production took place at Twickenham Studios, where students worked alongside professional crew members including director Zak Harney, sound designer Tim Burns and specialists from Wash and COVERT.
Industry partners supporting the project included 22 Summers, Honorary Doctorate Idris Elba’s production company, which judged the competition, provided feedback on shortlisted scripts and joined the final event to celebrate the winners.
Additional support came from Final Draft, Backstage, Mandy, Entertainment Partners and Cineworld, who helped provide students with access to industry-standard tools and a premiere screening experience.
Wrap It Up premiered at Cineworld at The O2 on June 8 as part of a special screening event celebrating the project’s journey.
The evening also featured the premiere of Ghost Notes, a pilot project created with Ravensbourne graduates and current students, alongside a behind-the-scenes film exploring the making of Wrap It Up.
The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring Charlie LaCour, representatives from 22 Summers, cinematographer Josh Birch and editor Nathan Baker, exploring the creative process behind the film.
The completed film will now enter the short film festival circuit, while the project’s production materials and camera rushes will be used as learning resources for future Ravensbourne students.
Building the future of screen storytelling
The success of the first London Suspense Screenwriting Competition has led to plans to expand the initiative into a wider film festival, showcasing new suspense films created using the same creative framework.
The festival would bring together emerging filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences to celebrate concise storytelling and new approaches to suspense filmmaking.
Through initiatives like this, Ravensbourne students are able to collaborate with industry professionals, creating work that reflects the challenges and opportunities of the film sector.
Find out more about opportunities at Ravensbourne University London and discover how our students are gaining experience in the creative industries.
