Unlocking the 'Backrooms': A Filmmaker's Guide 🎬

Plus IP for screenwriters, how to write a lovable rogue + more!

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June 9, 2026 1:01pm EDT

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June 9, 2026

Inspiration for your screenwriting week

How 'Backrooms' Turned a Creepypasta into a Box Office Smash

In 1999, a great marketing campaign that incorporated mystery and folklore turned the found-footage film The Blair Witch Project into a massive box-office hit. Unlike today, in the early days of the internet, it was hard to tell what was real and what was fake… okay, maybe that’s still going on.

The internet has always been a breeding ground for modern folklore, and few phenomena capture that better than creepypasta. Welcome to the world of digital storytelling, where short stories posted on forums and message boards evolve into sophisticated folklore and horror stories.

That leads us to The Backrooms, a concept that transformed a single unsettling image into a vast collaborative horror universe filled with yellow hallways, buzzing fluorescent lights, and a sense of isolation. The Backrooms leans into the fear of being trapped in a place that feels both familiar and disturbing.

We break down how the feature film Backrooms became a box office sensation and what it means for filmmakers adapting creepypasta for the big screen.

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5 Lovable Rogue Movie Characters (And How to Write One)

The “loveable rogue” character is a mainstay of adventure storytelling. This charismatic archetype, often with a mysterious past, is known to act criminally out of self-interest. Screen legends like Humphrey Bogart and Clint Eastwood made their names in such roles, but as is the case in Casablanca (1942) and A Fistful of Dollars (1964), the characters’ hearts often win out over their hardened cynicism.

When applied in a supporting role, the way George Lucas used Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), a good, lovable rogue can inject a fresh energy into your story. This character serves as a foil to your protagonist, throws curveballs that send the plot in exciting directions, and often has the audience questioning their loyalty until the final beat.

If your screenplay could use a loveable rogue supporting character, here are five great examples to study.

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What exactly is IP?

One of the most common terms screenwriters will come across throughout their career is IP.

“It’s hard to sell spec scripts right now because Hollywood wants IP.”

“Do you have any IP-based scripts?”

“We’re looking for a screenwriter to adapt an IP project.”

So what exactly is IP? And what does it mean to screenwriters and their careers? With those questions in mind, here we break down what IP is and why Hollywood values it so much.

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Tips and tricks

There's still time to enter Big Break 2026!

The Extended Deadline is June 29, 2026. Don't miss your last chance to enter this year's contest. Enter your Film, TV or Short film script for a chance to share over $80,000 in prizes. Winners and finalists have signed with agents and managers, sold and optioned scripts, and been staffed in TV writers' rooms. Is this the year for YOUR Big Break?