Patrick Melton
Screenwriter
From LAFS graduate to co-writer of the Saw franchise and The Collector — building box-office gold with writing partner Marcus Dunstan.
5+
Saw Franchise Films
#1
Box Office Opens
Project
Greenlight Winner
$500M+
Franchise Revenue
The Origin
Patrick Melton came to The Los Angeles Film School with a passion for screenwriting and a love for genre films. At LAFS, he developed the craft of building tension on the page — the art of constructing scenes that would keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
It was at LAFS that Patrick met his writing partner, Marcus Dunstan. The two discovered a shared sensibility for horror and a complementary approach to screenwriting — Marcus bringing visceral intensity, Patrick bringing structural precision.
Together, they entered and won Project Greenlight Season 3 — the reality competition created by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon that greenlit their first feature film, Feast. The win launched a writing partnership that would define the next decade of their careers.
Patrick went on to co-write four consecutive Saw films — Saw IV through Saw 3D — and co-create The Collector franchise, building a body of work with multiple box-office #1 openings.
"The best horror scripts are about something real. The scares are just the delivery system for the truth underneath."
— Patrick Melton · Screenwriter
The Journey
LAFS Years
LA Film School
Studied screenwriting at The Los Angeles Film School, where he met writing partner Marcus Dunstan.
2005
Project Greenlight Winner
Won Project Greenlight Season 3 with writing partner Marcus Dunstan, also an LAFS alum — greenlighting their first feature.
2006
Feast — Feature Debut
Co-wrote Feast, the creature feature born from Project Greenlight, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
2007–2010
Saw Franchise Screenwriter
Co-wrote Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3D — four consecutive films in one of horror's most successful franchises.
2009–2012
The Collector Franchise
Co-created The Collector (2009) and The Collection (2012) — an original horror franchise with Marcus Dunstan.
2010s–Present
Continued Screenwriting Career
Continues to write for film and television, building on a legacy of genre success.
Achievements
Project Greenlight Winner
Won Project Greenlight Season 3 with writing partner Marcus Dunstan, also an LAFS alum — launching their screenwriting careers.
Saw Franchise Co-Writer
Co-wrote Saw IV, V, VI, and Saw 3D — four consecutive films in the Saw franchise, one of horror's biggest franchises.
The Collector Franchise Co-Creator
Co-created The Collector and The Collection — an original horror franchise with Marcus Dunstan.
Multiple Box-Office #1 Debuts
Multiple films he co-wrote debuted at #1 at the box office — box-office gold in the horror genre.
Genre Screenwriting Specialist
Built a career as one of Hollywood's go-to screenwriters for horror and genre films.
Notable Credits
Key Collaborators
Marcus Dunstan
Writing Partner
LAFS alum · Saw franchise co-writer
Ben Affleck
Producer
Project Greenlight / Feast
Matt Damon
Producer
Project Greenlight / Feast
Gallery
Patrick Melton — Screenwriter
The Legacy
Patrick Melton's partnership with fellow LAFS alum Marcus Dunstan produced one of the most successful horror writing careers of the past two decades. From their Project Greenlight win through four Saw films and The Collector franchise, their box-office #1 openings prove that the creative partnerships forged at The Los Angeles Film School can scale to the highest levels of the industry. Patrick's structural precision as a screenwriter remains the backbone of some of horror's most successful franchise entries.
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