• Work
  • Writing
  • Films
  • About
  • Marglish
  • Imagination for Hire . xyz
  • The Phoenix Effect Series

Margaret M MacDonald

Imagination for Hire

  • Work
  • Writing
  • Films
  • About
  • Marglish
  • Imagination for Hire . xyz
  • The Phoenix Effect Series

The Phoenix Effect

Novel Series with Roan & Weatherford Publishing - Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The Phoenix Effect began as a multi-award-winning feature screenplay and has evolved into an expansive, decades-spanning novel series about love, loyalty, and a world divided. Set against the backdrop of a dystopian otherworld, the story follows a cast of bold, irreverent leaders who rise in a time of chaos and dares to ask what we lose when we trade humanity for immortality.

The Phoenix Effect Part II

Novel Series with Roan & Weatherford Publishing - Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The Phoenix Effect began as a multi-award-winning feature screenplay and has evolved into an expansive, decades-spanning novel series about love, loyalty, and a world divided. Set against the backdrop of a dystopian otherworld, the story follows a cast of bold, irreverent leaders who rise in a time of chaos and dares to ask what we lose when we trade humanity for immortality.

The Phoenix Effect Part III

Novel Series with Roan & Weatherford Publishing - Sci-Fi/Fantasy

The Phoenix Effect began as a multi-award-winning feature screenplay and has evolved into an expansive, decades-spanning novel series about love, loyalty, and a world divided. Set against the backdrop of a dystopian otherworld, the story follows a cast of bold, irreverent leaders who rise in a time of chaos and dares to ask what we lose when we trade humanity for immortality.

The Pool

A creepy experience I had during an afternoon swim became the inspiration for this one woman short thriller film.

The Bridge

This location, however ordinary it may seem to those who traverse it every day, had such a grand scale and sense of possibility that it set my imagination on overdrive and inspired this story.

The Lift

The third of final instalment of my one-woman thriller shorts.

KABOOM

What is KABOOM? All you need to know about the wacky sci-fi, comedy, action, adventure, anthology currently in development with Imagination for Hire and Dramatic Orangutan

Rest Stop

Anthology Series - 30 min Screenplays - Magical Realism

Capturing the feeling of wonder, mystery and amusement you can only experience at a unique roadside landmark, REST STOP is an exploration of the altered perspectives one discovers when they take the time to journey down the scenic route.

#1 at the Apocalypse Box Office

Feature Screenplay & Proof of Concept - an uplifting dystopian dramedy

Scenes from a critically acclaimed, multi-award placing feature screenplay, offering a unique and uplifting take on the run of the mill dsytopian visions. This world features an ensemble of lovable and compelling characters in a comedic story with a few dramatic twists. #1 is a testament to our need to create. Even after the end of the world, art will still be around to encourage and inspire us.

#1 the Short Film

This short proof-of-concept film and scene from the feature screenplay #1 at the Apocalypse Box Office were made to capture both the comedic and serious side of this coming of age, dystopian dramedy. Everything was filmed on location in the historic mining town of Hill End, New South Wales, Australia.

Through Door 108

Taking advantage of the vertical format, Through Door 108 pays homage to our social media fascination with watching humans be the odd creatures that we are.

The Hive

Feature Screenplay - Horror/Comedy/Adventure

Tremors in the tropics! With a diverse ensemble, a stunning location, and a contemporary take on the classic undefeatable monster, THE HIVE is my homage to great genre cocktails and the best fun fright films.

Dream States

Feature Screenplay - Sci-Fi/Thriller

What if your dreams could predict your future? This surrealistic story immerses audiences in the dreamscapes of a promising young scholar, whose life pursuit has been to reveal the true purpose of our dreams. But trouble looms when she agrees to be the subject of her mentor's enigmatic sleep experiment. A story that explores mind over matter and the strength buried deep in our subconscious.

The Search

Feature Screenplay and Award Winning Novel - Adventure

Who wouldn’t want to follow the adventures of someone who is honest, unabashed, a bit rough around the edges and keeps her extraordinary abilities entirely under wraps. She could be some kind of super hero, but chooses as ordinary a life as she can manage. She's Indiana Jones without the gumption, Lara Croft without the charming accent and physical prowess, and this is just one of her many adventures.

The Writer

This quirky comedy/horror short was created as an opportunity to showcase the talent of the handful of emerging filmmakers who loaned their skills to the film. Shot over two days in my apartment in Sydney, The Writer features some great special effects, highly stylized cinematography and design, big comedic performances, sumptuous sound design, and a score that contains a happy blend of classic horror and retro comedy. Shooting on my iPhone not only made for easy access to the camera throughout planning, but also made it possible to shoot tricky angles from tight spots. The Writer brought together a very small crew of dedicated filmmakers who each put their all into the production. The result is a snappy, stylish, short that packs in a lot of fun and fright. I hope audiences enjoy watching The Writer as much as I enjoyed making it.

The Well

Feature Screenplay - Drama

A coming of age story with a supernatural twist. A tale about the burden of an unspoken desire. This story crosses the world, taking our ensemble of young friends from an exotic tropical paradise to the streets of New York city. Their wishes will bring sudden, unexpected changes, and test the bonds of friendship and family.

One Summer's Night

Feature Screenplay - Ensemble, Comedy

A fun, fast-paced and sharp-tongued, contemporary take on William Shakespeare's beloved "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Turning his characters old fashioned frustrations into relatable modern melodramas, this contained comedic romp features fun and unexpected twists on classic scenarios of misunderstanding and mischief. Expect the unexpected, including some female competition for the compelling character Puck.

Sonnet 23

Made for the non-for-profit organization New York Shakespeare Exchange for their Sonnet Project International. This interpretation of William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 23, filmed over one day, showcases the eclectic environments around Sydney’s iconic harbor as part of a charming love story.

Necrophyte

Limited Series - 1 hr Screenplays - Sci-Fi/Crime Drama

What if zombieism was a disease of the poor? In a city divided by the haves and have nots, it's easy for the rich to deny the epidemic, but their marginally law abiding mayor must come to terms with it when a zombie bite leaves him with just six days to find, not only a cure, but the cause. Assisted by a street-smart runaway with a G.I. Jane attitude, he must unravel the mystery before his hunger takes over.

I'll Be There

Feature in Development with Radioactive Pictures - Drama

One year after the accidental death of his brother and still haunted by the ghosts of his past, pro surfer Paul refuses to go back into competition. But a coincidental meeting with Lily, a mysterious and effervescent free spirit, soon sees him back on tour, taking chances, and sharing a mixed bag of adventures with his oldest friends.

Experiments

I enjoy finding new and unconventional ways to tell stories. Taking advantage of the technology we now have at our fingertips, I’m trying to discover and capture as many unique stories as I can. These are a few of my favorites.

Disassembly Required

Feature Screenplay Written with Ethan Marrell - Action/Comedy

A contained and comedic homage to the great action films of the 80s and 90s. A classic maverick hero faces a nearly undefeatable enemy inside the iconic, blue and yellow, big-box furniture shop. Just imagine meatball explosions, furniture mountains and an epic chase through the self-serve furniture aisles, infused with unique humor. This is not covered by the return policy.

Enter Sanctum

Feature in Post-Production with Amazing People Pictures - Sci-Fi/Thriller

In a bleak future where only those with wealth can afford to live in a clean environment, an exclusive complex is built on the foundations of an old mental asylum. The new residents soon find themselves suffering from the same mental maladies that once plagued the former occupants, as the kind caretaker becomes the sadistic doctor that once tortured them all.

Director's Reel

I love the process of taking a film from page to screen. Amazing things happen when a group of creative minds come together. Watching actors breathe life into characters, seeing the world through the eye of a cinematographer, discovering the unique gifts that each creative contributes along the way, even improvising when things don’t go according to plan, creating something new and unexpected, it’s all absolute magic. I feel privileged every time I get the opportunity to experience it.

Marty

Feature Screenplay - Drama - Story by Keir Beck

This personal drama explores the mindset of those who are at their darkest, encouraging people to talk about the often feared topic of suicide. Taciturn Marty learns how to overcome the ghosts of his own past as he figures out how to connect with Jake when he is as at his loneliest.

The Phoenix Effect

— view —

Phoenix Full Base Art.jpg

The Phoenix Effect Part II

— view —

Regeneration Full Background.jpg

The Phoenix Effect Part III

— view —

Pursuing Echoes Cover Art.jpg

The Pool

— view —

The Pool_Looking.jpg

The Bridge

— view —

Dancing.jpg

The Lift

— view —

The%2BLift_Worried.jpg

KABOOM

— view —

Logo_02.png

Rest Stop

— view —

Rest+Stop+Icon.jpg

#1 at the Apocalypse Box Office

— view —

No1.jpg

#1 the Short Film

— view —

Battery3.png

Through Door 108

— view —

Door+108+Dark+Still.jpg

The Hive

— view —

HIVE new image.jpg

Dream States

— view —

DreamStates.jpg

The Search

— view —

Image.jpg

The Writer

— view —

Vengance.jpg

The Well

— view —

TheWell.jpg

One Summer's Night

— view —

OneSummerImage2.jpg

Sonnet 23

— view —

Sonnet 23 Opera House.png

Necrophyte

— view —

Necrophyte Icon.jpg

I'll Be There

— view —

dominiqueb.jpg

Experiments

— view —

Hanging.jpg

Disassembly Required

— view —

ikea-copy_1200xx3600-2025-0-188.jpg

Enter Sanctum

— view —

MarketingPoster.jpg

Director's Reel

— view —

Sonnet 23 Opera Lights.png

Marty

— view —

ReflectionsPoster.jpg