The document discusses a student film project focusing on the supernatural horror genre. It will tell the story of two pairs of sisters - Emily and Elizabeth in the past, and Alice and Kate in the present - who experience strange and frightening events in the same house where a cult ritual went wrong years ago, causing Emily to become possessed by a spirit. The film aims to include common supernatural conventions to appeal to its target 18-35 year old audience who enjoy supernatural horrors for their fear of the unknown. Location filming will take place both in the haunted house and in surrounding forest areas.
2. The genre we have chosen for our project is
Supernatural.
Supernatural horror films often feature ghosts and spirits
at the centre of their narratives. Furthermore other
extraordinary phenomena such as miracles, curses or
strange ‘going’s on’ could also feature. Common
conventions in supernatural films are mediums, séances,
flashbacks of past lives or events and sometimes a
possessed person more often than not a child. It can be
argued that horrors featuring a supernatural presence
can often be scarier than others because the villain is not
always mortal or visible to the characters.
3. We selected this genre because we would be able to
create a more realistic feel to our narrative which
would be tough if we for example chose the
physiological genre as the narrative would need to be
deeper and more thought out. The slasher genre also
did not appeal to us because we do not prefer the
false sense of horror that the masked villain creates. If
we were to choose this horror genre we would need to
have many actors which would make it harder to keep
the whole project organized.
4. Target Audience Profile
Gender: Both female and male
Age: 18-35
The target audience has a particular interest in Supernatural
horrors because they believe they can be scarier than the
other genres due to its fear of the unknown and elements of
twisted reality.
Some of their favourite films include: The Ring, Silent Hill, The
Sixth Sense. They enjoy these films because they all share
similar narrative elements that thrill in similar ways. For
example, they all feature possessed or disturbed children that
have become this way due to a otherworldly curses or spirits.
5. The audience would enjoy seeing our film because it would
feature similar element as their other favourite films. I would
also fulfill their need for a classic supernatural conventions like
demons and exorcisms.
Our narrative:
Our film is set in a small town where there lived two sisters aged
9 (Emily) and 13(Elizabeth). These girls were part of a family
that followed an ancient cult and after the family tried to
include the younger sister in one of their rituals, she became
possessed by a spirit from their beliefs. Whilst Elizabeth was
trying to save her younger sister Emily, she was killed.
Eventually, after realizing what the cult has done, the parents
move away and leave Emily behind. She is never seen again.
6. Many years later, another family moves into the house where
Emily and Elizabeth once lived. The family includes a young
mother and her two daughters aged 10(Alice) and 18(Kate).
As their new life arises in this small town, it is clear that
something is not quite right in their new home. Alice is the
first to realize strange occurrences within the home. When
Alice eventually succumbs to the darkness of that dwells in
the house, Kate attempts to save her sister.
Only time will tell if they will share the same fate.
7. Location Ideas:
Most of the film, will be set in the house some places in the local
town. Other parts will be set in forest areas.
Key Characters:
Emily & Elizabeth (past sisters)
Alice & Kate (present sisters)
Priest (Father Michael)
Companion/Kate’s sidekick (Kevin)
(names pending)
8. Poster and Magazine Cover:
For the poster we wanted to do a close up shot of an arm coming
out of darkness which is holding a rosary. The arm will be
scratched and covered in blood. The whole piece will have a
red tint.
We have two ideas for the magazine cover:
1. We have the character Emily, standing behind a tree so that
only half of her is visible.
2. We have both pairs of sisters in the shot. The older sisters are
standing behind their younger sisters with their hands on their
shoulders.