Pitch ideas for slasher film

1. THE PITCH
Josie:The sub-genre we have chosentoworkwithis Slasher,due to its prevalencewithinthe world
of modernhorror,andthe solidcodesandconventionsthatappearineveryfilm.WithinSlasher
movies,there are alwaysarchetypesthata filmmakerfollows;young,attractive,high-school
students,engaginginhedonisticactivitieslike drinking,drugtakingandhaving sex.There ismore
commonlythannot,a Final girl,atrope that has beenemployedwithincountlessSlashers,for
instance Cabin in theWoods,Halloween,Friday the 13th and A Nightmareon Elm’sStreet, to name a
few.OftenSlashersare criticisedforbeingmisogynistic,butthe continueduse of the Final Girl
heroine beingleftalivechallengesthistheory;oftenshe isstrong,virtuousandindependent,not
takingpart inthe illicitactivitiesof herpeers.Drawingonthe archetypesof the Slashersub-genre,in
our filmwe will have heavystereotypeslike the popularcouple,the promiscuousblondegirl who
getskilledfirst,herjock-type brawnyboyfriend,the stoner,the geek,andthe Final Girl.
Changeslide
Lauren: We are aimingourmediatextstoa specifictargetaudience.The demographicage bracket
of ouraudience is15-25 yearolds,as it isprimarilyyoungadultsandteenswhoenjoyhorrorfilms,
due to theirthrill-seekingattitudes,desirestotry somethingnew andpushthe boundariesof what
theycan watch and experience.Ourtargetaudience will be astereotypical representationof
teenagerswhoenjoypartakinginthe same illicitactivitiesthatmanyteenvictimsinSlasherflicksdo-
drug taking,alcohol,havingsex etc.Inregardstogender,normallyhorrorfilmsattractan almost
evensplitof male andfemale.However,famousslasherssuchas The TexasChainsaw Massacre are
favouredmore byboys,whoare stereotypicallymore thrill-seeking‘adrenaline-junkies’.
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Nattaya: Here we can see some inspirationalcamerashotsthatwe will be implementingortaking
inspirationfromwithinourowntrailer.These shotsare easilyrecognisable fromiconicslasher
moviesoverthe lastfewdecades,classicshotsthatuse effectivecodesandconventionstoinstill
fearin the audience.Forinstance,the low angle mid-close upshotof ScreamkillerGhostface is
easilyrecognisable fromthe mise-en-scene andcamerashot.The low angle to place the villainina
positionof powerandthe victimasweakand helpless,the close upinsertshotof the knife,etc.
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As seenonthissecondslide,the shotof the twopeople inthe tentisan inspirational shotwe will
similarlyrecreate inourowntrailer.The ideaof the ‘popular’couple abouttohave sex withthe
victimcreepinguponthem,an ominousslow zoominwiththeirsilhouettesandsubsequentlythe
killer’soutlined,the victimsunaware of hispresence.Thisisaclassicand well usednarrative shot
employedinteenslasherflicks.
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2. (watch trailers)
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Josie:Most of our inspirationwastakenfromiconicslasherhorrors,suchas Scream,I know what
you did last summer,Cabin in the woods,Friday the13th and Halloween.We have taken
conventional narrativeelementsof the filmsandincorporatedthemintoourtrailer,suchasthe
teenage characters,whoare veryvulnerable andsusceptible todangerfrombeingsorecklessand
careless
In regardsto the narrative structure of our horror film, itwill follow the same basicconventional
narrative of a slasher,mainlytakinginspirationfromthe acclaimedslasher Friday the13th.
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(Read out slide on Inspirational Director)
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Nattaya: Costume andprops:
● Followingthe typical conventionsandiconographyof horrorclichesintermsof costumes
linkingtothe basisof the character. The firstgirl to be killedwill follow the conventionof
beingpromiscuous,where she dressesratherprovocativelytoreallyportrayherpersonality.
- Shortskirt/shorts,skimpyshirt(low cut),blonde.
● The Final Girl will be instark contrast to the FirstGirl,inregards to costume- she isdressed
casuallyandplainly,coveredup.Thislinkstothe classical ideaof Slasher’scarryinganold-
fashionedmoral messageof the ‘virginsurvives’,the one characterwhomaintainsher
innocence andmoralsdoesn'tdie.
● Mise-en-scene hastypical conventionstothe narrative asthe victimsare innocentteenagers
theywouldbe wearinglightercoloursfortheircostume.
● Weaponof choice is an axe whichisconventional asitreoccursthroughoutthe film,andhas
a symboliclinktothe killerwhichissignificantindifferentiatinghimapartfromthe victims.
But it isalsosignificantasthe weaponof choice islinkedtothe saidkiller
● Mask- somethingsimple andplainbutisexpressionlesssoitseemsmore sinisterasthe
killersemotionscan’tbe conveyedthroughthe maskmakingthemappearlessempathic,
sympatheticandemotionless.The eyeswill alsobe coveredbythe maskwhichisvital as
eyesare the windowtothe soul and havinghiseyescoveredcouldmeanthe killerisnot
humanin termsof hisemotions.
● Tents,disposable BBQ,deckchairs,lamps,blankets,pillows.

3. Lauren: Characters:
● Group of 5 teenagersgoona campingholiday.
● Charactersconsistof a promiscuouscharacter(firstgirl),A final girl,A jock/athlete,astoner
and a geek.
● It will beginwithanestablishingshotof the charactersinthe car where theyare introduced
and an equilibriumisbuilt;anestablishingtrackingshot(bydrone?) followingthe caralonga
country/woodedroad,asthe teensgoto theirdestination.
● A shotinside the car will be agroup midshotof all the friendsinthe car, talkingtoeach
otherand revealingthe expositionof where they’re goingandwhatthey’re doing,
introducingthe relationshipsbetweeneachcharacterandthe dynamicof the group.
● As the groupsettle intothe camp,theymake a fire where eachpersonbeginstellingan
urban legend.Thiswill be alongshotof the campfire andeveryone aroundit,contrasting
chiaroscurolightingbetweenthe brightlightsof the fire onthe teensandthe impenetrable
darknessof the surroundingwoods- veryatmospheric.
● Thisis where acharacter introducesthe historical contextof the campsite.We will then
create a montage editrevealingaflashbackof the historical eventinwhichthe characters
are describingintheirurbanlegend.
● As the nightendseachof the characters take shelterintheirtentswhere the killerwhohas
beenstalkingthemforquite sometime.The killerappearsandhuntseachof the characters
downone by one like classicslasherconventions.
● Afterthe firstkillingof the popularguyisshowninthe tent,montage editingisemployed
followingthe chaoticandviolenteventsthatfollow throughoutthe film- lotsof fast-paced
cuts and insertshotsof the weapon,the killer’sface,bloodsplattering,victimsrunning
away,etc.
● We will includeastingat the endof the trailer,afterthe name of the movie andrelease date
isshown- POV shotof victim,heavybreathinginbackground,andthe killer'sface (withmask
and blood) suddenlypopsupintoshot,thusleavingthe audience onajumpscare.
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Josie:Setting:
The group of teenswill be campinginanisolatedwoodlandsetting. We have chosentobase our
trailerinthe woodsat nightbecause theyare verydark, desolate andhaunting.The darknessand
lack of visibilitywill make the charactersdistortedandcreate the assumptionthatthe woodsare
endless,allowingthe characterstoeasilystrayandget lost.The shadowsinthe distance will create
the illusionthatsomeoneiswatchingthemmakingthe atmosphere eerie andunnerving,
heighteningthe audience'sfear- thisenigmacode isoftenemployedwithinslasherstoadda new
layerof scare factor. The woodsat nightare commonlyassociatedwith mysteryanddangerandthe
large,tall treeswill make the woodsseemthreateningandominous.The woodsare alsoveryquiet

4. whichwill allowustoeffectivelyuse silencetobuildtensionandintensifythe diegeticsoundssuch
as twigsbreaking,fastpacedfootstepsandbreathing,andanimalsandcreaturesinthe distance.
Otherslashersthatuse the woodsas the main settingincludeCabinInThe Woods,FridayThe 13th,
Wrong Turn, The Evil Deadand The Blair WitchProject.
Colne ValleyRegional:
● Ruislipwoods
● RuislipGarden
● RuislipLido
● DenhamCountryPark