22.10.09 - Creating a Concept

To begin creating a concept for a new slasher horror film, we sat down in our team and produced a brainstorm containing ideas on what we wanted to include based on our research so far e.g. what conventions could we use, develop or challenge. The brainstorm is split into five areas: location, plot, victims, killer and technical aspects, organizing our ideas more effectively. Our initial idea was that our killer could be a female getting revenge for a rape case that happened to her in the past. We then were reminded that the brief asks the plot to be suitable for 15 and over therefore this subject would be too strong for the target audience. The film also needs to be appealing to ‘creative and aspiring’ adults therefore we looked towards more intelligent historical themes such as iconic deaths in history. Execution and hanging came to our attention and thought the killer could a woman who was hung on a London location e.g. Hampstead Heath which will also be a close location to film. We can also use the local colleges as a base for our main characters, attracting a teenage audience.

 Eventually, we decided that the killer would be a woman who was hung on the heath after being accused of being a witch and the victims would be college students at one of the local schools and somehow get involved with the witch. The film’s USP is that it takes place on Hampstead Heath and the characters are from London colleges unlike the vast majority of slasher horror which are made and set in the US.

 Following this, we decided that the teaser trailer would provide a back-story, providing information on the witch in the form of a tour on Highgate Cemetery. This initial idea as well as plot and characters will be finalised in more detail at a later date.