I usually have my main story beats outlined (before I start writing) which allows me the freedom to come up with all kinds of cool stuff for how things happen (because what happens is already figured out). On a slasher story you have: 1) Slasher's motivation and back story mystery elements that must be uncovered by the characters before they become victims (Jason is really his mom getting revenge) (Freddy was murdered by the parents in the neighborhood when they discovered he was a pedophile). There is always a mystery that must be solved. 2) The Final Girl who is usually going from wallflower to kick ass as her character arc, but this also usually includes coming into her own in romantic relationships as well. The other way this can work is having her romantic world fall apart - in BLACK CHRISTMAS (original) she no longer trusts her boyfriend and beats him to death with a firepoker... only to discover he's not the killer and actually was very trustworthy. 3) Like the Final Girl and her love interest, there is an overall theme that connects the characters - usually through their relationships. So the good films in this subgenre look at human relationships while slicing up the cast... and nice dramatic moments where these elements are explored. "Trust's a tough thing to come by these days." 4) Slicing up the cast: the killer always has a signature weapon, and much creativity is going to be used when coming up with the "kills" - we want things that we haven't seen before. It's not just a chainsaw, it's how it is used. I crewed on a friend's pocket change slasher film where he had a victim sliced in half vertically and one sliced in half horizontally, because he hadn't seen that in a film. So you need to come up with great "kills" that people will talk about later. 5) Scenes that build suspense or dread - I'm watching all of the old Corman Poe films for my blog, and it's fascinating what they could do with no money and a spooky stairway leading down into a crypt. Lots of "build" in these scenes. Here's a blog entry I did on building dread and suspense in the movie LEOPARD MAN - http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2015/04/creating-suspense-dread-leopard... And here's a blog entry I did on THE THING Prequel - the section on DIABOLIQUE near the end is all about how to shoot a horror scene: http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2011/12/thing-prequel-and-suspense.html 6) Because it isn't scary when someone we don't know gets killed, it's important to flesh out all of your characters and make them real characters - people with hopes and dreams and lives to live... who get brutally killed with a spork. 7) Think of locations as characters, too - this has to do with those crypts at the bottom of the dark, spooky stairways. How is this location unique and spooky? That friend's no budget slasher film was shot in a closed down slaughterhouse with all kinds of fun equipment on hand. When there are meat hooks on tracks on the ceiling of every room, that can freak out the audience even when nothing else is happening. So how is your location adding to the story? Hope that jogs some ideas.
Register / Log In
Thanks I am in the middle of a slsher film script and cannot come up with any ideas
I'm stuck on a few things too. Driving me mad. Feeling inept. Sometimes one just needs a break to refresh the brain.
1 person likes this
I usually have my main story beats outlined (before I start writing) which allows me the freedom to come up with all kinds of cool stuff for how things happen (because what happens is already figured out). On a slasher story you have: 1) Slasher's motivation and back story mystery elements that must be uncovered by the characters before they become victims (Jason is really his mom getting revenge) (Freddy was murdered by the parents in the neighborhood when they discovered he was a pedophile). There is always a mystery that must be solved. 2) The Final Girl who is usually going from wallflower to kick ass as her character arc, but this also usually includes coming into her own in romantic relationships as well. The other way this can work is having her romantic world fall apart - in BLACK CHRISTMAS (original) she no longer trusts her boyfriend and beats him to death with a firepoker... only to discover he's not the killer and actually was very trustworthy. 3) Like the Final Girl and her love interest, there is an overall theme that connects the characters - usually through their relationships. So the good films in this subgenre look at human relationships while slicing up the cast... and nice dramatic moments where these elements are explored. "Trust's a tough thing to come by these days." 4) Slicing up the cast: the killer always has a signature weapon, and much creativity is going to be used when coming up with the "kills" - we want things that we haven't seen before. It's not just a chainsaw, it's how it is used. I crewed on a friend's pocket change slasher film where he had a victim sliced in half vertically and one sliced in half horizontally, because he hadn't seen that in a film. So you need to come up with great "kills" that people will talk about later. 5) Scenes that build suspense or dread - I'm watching all of the old Corman Poe films for my blog, and it's fascinating what they could do with no money and a spooky stairway leading down into a crypt. Lots of "build" in these scenes. Here's a blog entry I did on building dread and suspense in the movie LEOPARD MAN - http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2015/04/creating-suspense-dread-leopard... And here's a blog entry I did on THE THING Prequel - the section on DIABOLIQUE near the end is all about how to shoot a horror scene: http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2011/12/thing-prequel-and-suspense.html 6) Because it isn't scary when someone we don't know gets killed, it's important to flesh out all of your characters and make them real characters - people with hopes and dreams and lives to live... who get brutally killed with a spork. 7) Think of locations as characters, too - this has to do with those crypts at the bottom of the dark, spooky stairways. How is this location unique and spooky? That friend's no budget slasher film was shot in a closed down slaughterhouse with all kinds of fun equipment on hand. When there are meat hooks on tracks on the ceiling of every room, that can freak out the audience even when nothing else is happening. So how is your location adding to the story? Hope that jogs some ideas.
1 person likes this
Cherie, don't believe in "stuck" - drop me a line and we can brainstorm, or let me make the odd suggestion, happy to help, kid.
1 person likes this
Ta Chanel.
Too many ideas! Not enough execution... for me.
1 person likes this
Great points from @William.
Thanks