Initial Ideas

We initially came up with three main ideas and a few themes and elements we were sure we wanted to use as shown above and explained in detail below.

First the themes and elements we wanted to use:

• We wanted to keep characters to a minimum as there are only two of us in the group so it is easier to keep the whole thing as simple as possible for ease. We thought 2 or 3 boys and 2 girls as the main characters, which would be around 15-17 as to relate to the target audience. If we needed any other extras they would only be small parts so this would not be difficult.
• We were hoping to create a psychological horror which would make people think and the trailer would leave them wondering what had happened and wanting to know what was to come next. We wanted the mood of it to be very sinister, creepy and mysterious, but also we wanted it to be relatable for the target audience.

First Idea: Reality TV Show

• We came up with the idea of a reality tv show where contestants were asked to spend a certain amount of time e.g. one night/day, in a creepy or haunted place, such as an abandoned house or school.
• The wanted to incorporate clowns into this as clowns can have both positive and negative connotations.
• This would be relatable as reality shows are very popular within our target audience.
• There would be a twist to the show which would fit in with the psychological horror genre.

Second Idea: Road Trip

• Our second idea was a road trip which goes wrong, e.g. the car breaks down and would end up in the middle of nowhere and come across an abandoned house or such like.
• We could incorporate good locations into this such as lots of open roads and empty land - this would be easy living in a rural area. Although, it would mean having to travel further which was not much of an option for us.
• We also felt this idea gave us lots of chances for effective camera shots and angles.
• The target audience would have to be raised a bit as the characters would have to be older and able to drive - this also posed a problem for us as there are only few people at college who drive and were willing to be in the film.

Third Idea: Camping/Local myths

• Thirdly we came up with the idea of a local myth which only few people believe, and when people go to search for it something goes horribly wrong.
• We thought that we could use a group of school kids (keeping in with the target audience) who were fascinated by this local myth about some "monsters" or something similair, they then go on a camping trek to find it, some sceptical, some convinced. Then one goes missing.
• We would be able to use local locations to us including our school.
• We decided it would be effective if we used handheld camera for some of this, as if the kids were making a vlog - again, relatable for the target audience.
• We could also incorporate a game of truth or dare at the camping trip, a character could be dared to run into the forest with no torch, and then doesn't come back - again, truth or dare would be relatable for target audience.