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1. FMP 2
Research
By Ben Brown

2. Audience
My production is aimed at people who enjoy watching traditional horror/slasher films and
have a familiarity with the typical troupes and familiar themes of these films. This
demographic is particularly young with 66% of people in Generation Z saying that they
looked at a horror/slasher film in the last 6 to 12 months with 45% of older age groups
saying they watched a horror/slasher film in the previous 6 to 12 months. (Statista: TV,
Films and Video: October 2022) Also, Horror/Slasher films are the third most popular film
category after comedy and action (Halloween horror: Feeding audiences' appetites for
cheap and bloody thrills, Chris Arkenberg Deloitte Insights, 2022) and much cheaper to
produce with the typical action film costing $100 million to produce and market (Nashville
Film Institute, "How much does it cost to make a movie 2022") compared to $20 million or
less for a typical horror or slasher film. (Alex Huntsberger "Horror films cost very little to
make, and they make a lot of money" OppU March 18, 2021) From 2010 to 2020, thrillers,
crime and horror earned an estimated $120 billion at the box office (Demeter "Which
movie genres earned the most at the box office between 1980 and 2020?") and with the
rise of streaming services and release of films in theatres at the same time as service such
as Netflix, producers need to retain and engage audiences at a cheaper cost. In terms of
return on investment, horror films top the list with 13 of the top 30 most profitable films
since 2010 with the top five films in horror having a ROI of 2000% (every $10 put into the
move would get a $200 profit) compared to 1200% for comedy. (NPR: Planet Money:
Horror is the Best Deal in Hollywood 2015). Horror films and in particular slashers appeal
to a younger audience, usually under 25 as this group seeks to feel scared or a sense of
panic set in a familiar place like a suburb, but in-reality remain safe more so than older
audiences (https://saraevening2media.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/audience-
research.png).

3. Audience
This Generation Z group identify with the difficult situation, fears, and
desire to combat social conformity that is included in typical slasher
films and the characters in these films are also often younger people.
(Prevalence of Individuality and Conformity as Behavioral Traits Among
Generation Z: by Jane Castillo ISSUU Ioer International Multidisciplinary
Research Journal 2021) This under 25 demographic spend most of their
spare time online using the internet 25 hours a week, reading books
and watching films and TV shows online. This group also use social
media as their main past time with 91% of the group using social media
daily (The Modern British Teenagers Life [tv.english.club]). More than
65% of Generation Z use platforms to communicate, build relationships
shop and get information and check on friends and family and 50% of
Generation Z see social media as the only place that they can be
themselves and make their lives appear more exciting than they are (A
magazine: the Impact of Social Media on Generation Z's mental health
by Fernanda Pasetti Bordin October 2022). However social media can
lead to feelings of isolation, cyberbullying, loss of privacy and the
creation of unrealistic expectations or unachievable standards in terms
of beauty, achievement and appearance (Ibid: October 2022)
Generation Z aspire to be socially accepted and to find their social
place increasingly seek escapism and identify with the characters and
themes of the typical Slasher genre. (Generation Z is Extremely Online
by Ellyn Briggs: December 12, 2022) My production will tap into this
group's love and knowledge of the genre and display it as a typical
public service announcement of how to avoid death in a typical Slasher
film.

4. Market and existing
products
Parodies of slasher movie troupes are common in today's films
with movies such as Scary Movie and Freaky all representing a
trend of slasher films presenting the genre as comedy and making
light of the typical conventions. For example, the Scary Movie
franchise parodies Scream with characters killing people while
wearing a Ghostface mask and a reference to I Know What You
Did Last Summer in a scene where Cindy and her crew hit a man
with their car on an isolated road and then throw him from a pier
although he is still alive. (Vulture: Every Movie Spoofed in the
Scary Movie Franchise by Adam K. Raymond 2013). In social
media there are many parodies of the Slasher movie genre such
as the Sensible Horror Film by "Pixelspersecond" which depicts
what happens in a traditional horror movie if smart characters
who make good decisions and have critical thinking are depicted
in these troupes. (Trend Hunter: The Sensible Horror Film is
Realistic by Laura McQuarrie October 2013). It depicts a
cheerleader asking a friend if he wants to join in a trip to an
abandoned mental asylum with a Ouija board and he simply
declines. These parodies are made by film production companies
and independent YouTube content creators and typically portray
gruesome situations in a believable lighthearted way.

5. Market and existing
products
I plan to present my idea as a mock public service announcement. This
fits well with the theme because, in the UK, public service
announcements were produced by the Central Office of Information
(COI) starting in the early 1970s (the same period as the early Slasher
films). These public service films were influenced by horror films and
were made by people who were aspiring horror filmmakers. (Sight and
Sound: The Lost Art of the British Public Information Film by Robert
Hanks 2020). For example, Apache in 1977 a series of school children
met gory ends as victims of accidents on a farm such as being crushed
by a tractor or drowning in pits. (BFI National Film Archive: Apache).
The public service announcements share the characteristics of the
horror films such as gruesome violence, jump scares, lonely settings,
and internal voice monologues. I plan to appeal to todays under 25
age group with the gory troupes of today's slasher film parodies and
to an older demographic who were under 25 in the 1970's, 1980's and
1990's with the nostalgic public service announcements of this
period.

6. Production
I plan to make a short slasher film, but in the style of a Public Service
Announcement film (as made by the Central Office of Information). Both
slasher films and COI public information films began in the 1970s and many of
the people who worked on the COI films were influenced by slasher films and
aspired to make them- there for, putting the two together will hopefully make
for a good combination. The style of the film will be a spoof "How to Survive a
Homicidal Slasher" Information Film. The film will start as if it's a real slasher
film with the victim being hunted by the murderer. This section of the film
will include the recognisable slasher tropes like; twilight or night-time setting,
isolated house/building, masked assailant, gory kill. I will then use voice over
and screen text in the style of a Public Information Film to tell the audience
not to fall into the traps of a slasher and to instead follow some simple rules
to survive, then presenting a series of scenarios (for example; NOT splitting
up with your friends, NOT going towards a creepy lonely location where
something horrible is happening etc).

7. Production
I need to scout a good location in which to set the action. I
plan to perhaps use a holiday lodge as many slasher films
have been set in "lonely cabins". This will enable me to
get good exterior shots and believable interiors. I aim to
film at dusk as I want the atmosphere of night-time, but I
don’t have a lot of lighting so real night-time filming may
not work. I plan to practice filming in different lighting
scenarios and see which works best. I plan to use a lot of
point of view camera shots as this is a common trope in
the slasher where victims are often observed, seemingly
by the murderer, through windows etc. I will also use
zoom shots to revile terror and moving shots during tense
chase scenes. Of course, no slasher is complete without
gory physical effects. I plan to investigate how best to
achieve these in my film by getting advice from college
theatre make up tutors also internet tutorials. One of my
major problems is casting. In order to make use of the
very limited cast I have available to me I will carefully
construct the script so that the fewest actors are needed
and make use of strategies like reverse shots, filming from
behind using offscreen sound effects etc. I have taken
inspiration from the 1949 film Kind Hearts and Coronets,
directed by Robert Hammer. In this film Alec Guinness
plays notable members of the D'Ascoyne family. I plan to
use the same actor in multiple scenarios with a small
supporting cast. I think this will create the tone of the
spoof and add to the humour. To give the film the feeling
of a PSA Public Service Announcement, I will use an
authoritative voice over and on-screen instructive text, I
will also use the slogan "Stay Alert- Don't get Hurt".

8. Topic
I have three questions to research the answers to - which will help me in my project and develop my
idea; what are the horror/slasher stereotypes?, how to make horror visual effects (lighting, make up etc)?,
how will I make my project in the style of COI public safety announcements?
What are the horror/slasher stereotypes?
The Harbinger: Usually an old person who warns the protagonist about a dangerous slasher.
The Pawn: A soon to be victim who accidently starts the night of blood shed.
High School Jock: Always one of the first to die.
The Sceptic: A victim who tries to find rational explanations for the scary things going on and only accept
the reality of the slasher when they are about to die.
The Token: Usually a person of colour or ethnic minority who usually dies first (horror/slasher films have
long been seen as racist for this trope).
Smart Kid: Always getting picked by the group and also one of the first to die.
Bad Girl: Rebellious and sexually active, often the killer's number one victim.
The Authority Figure: Characters range from the Hunter who spent a long time wanting to kill the slasher
because they wronged them in the past or the Cop who usually dies shortly after they arrive at the
slaughter site or shows up too late.
The Final Girl: The most iconic of the victims is the well behaved virgin of the group who gains masculine
traits after going through a traumatic experience and fights the killer, surviving to the end.
The Slasher: Usually wears a scary mask and wields a melee weapon where they spend the majority of the
movie stalking the sexually active teens, killing them off one by one.

9. Topic
How to make horror visual effects (lighting, make up etc)
Darker lighting will help with creating an atmosphere of terror and suspense. The antagonist,
in particular, must be presented in dark lighting to show their menace. The victims and final
girl etc, can be presented in brighter light to show they are the "good" characters. Costume
can also help with this – the antagonist should be presented in dark clothes, with a mask so
the audience sees the killer as emotionless and allows them to use their imagination and
project their worst fears onto his potential appearance. The "good characters" can be
presented in lighter coloured, more everyday clothes to make the audience identify with
them.
There are several ideas for the making of gory effects – you can make fake blood with corn
syrup, make fake wounds with glue and toilet paper, make severed limbs by putting a
silicone cast over one of your limbs and painting it red and you can make exploding heads by
using a green screen and a balloon filled with lots of fake blood. I plan to ask the Stage Make
Up course tutors at York College for help with this.
What is then style of COI Public Service Announcements
The Central Office of Information started making a range of public service films to be shown
in schools in the 1970s. They were very well funded, but did not have to adhere to film
classification restrictions. The film makers at the COI were very influenced by horror films
and many aspired to be horror film makers. As a result of this, the films were very gruesome,
featuring many injuries and deaths. The films usually feature a voice over narration, often by
the film's protagonists, telling their story and pointing out where they have gone wrong and
how the audience can avoid their mistakes. The films often feature slow, monotonous
keyboard music and they use on screen text, giving statistics and also a slogan (as a take
away for the audience).