‘No Connection’ Film Pitch

By Jordan Upton

Defining the genre

Thriller Horror

Action

Crime DramaSci-fi

AdventureComedy

FantasyRomance

Film-noirMystery

PsychologicalKiller

Monster

Slasher

Science FictionAlienTrue Stories

Philosophical

War

Sports FilmsMagical

Slapstick

Satirical

Artistic

Historical

Revenge

Dark Comedy

MotivationalPolice

Fighting

Futuristic

Forbidden romance

Romantic Comedy

Political

Disaster

Crime-Thriller

Western

Super-Hero

Live-action Scripted

Spy films

Why I chose Horror I chose horror because I am a devoted fan of the genre and appreciate when horror is done right and I believe I know what makes a great horror film.

I think that the horror genre has took a substantial drop in quality with modern horror films poor use of editing and camera work. It seems as if Hollywood studios make low quality horror films on small budgets and they do well at the box office which is why there is so many horror releases now yet rarely any good ones.

A break in the trend of poor horror films in my opinion are: It follows, The Babadook, The conjuring and insidious.

I intend to make a quality horror film that uses all aspects of film making correctly to make a quality end product.

The main influence of my film is ‘It follows’ I believe that the film did everything right and is not just a great horror film but a great film in general, from the cinematography to the score I will pay homage to this within my film.

Horror ConventionsThe conventions of horror are arguably the most clear and present in comparison to other genres.

Although the conventions are clear such as dim lighting, a suspenseful soundtrack, and blood and gore conveying real fear within a horror film is particularly difficult.

It is easy to over do the conventions of horror and cross the line of ridiculousness, this is why I believe the majority of horror films released in recent years all follow a simple narrative and structure with stereotypical characters and cheap jump scares throughout.

The horror genre has obvious conventions but I believe they allow vast room for creativity. Each sub-genre of horror has its own conventions in terms of the stereotypical characters, the style of filming, and the narrative structure. For example building suspense carefully not creating ‘false-scares’, making sure the audience is scared at the right moments for the right reasons and have a developed story and characters beyond that.

INSPIRATION

Sub-Genres: Psychological horror• Often focuses on everyday life, often more of a ‘real’ story or are ‘based on true events’ which

makes the audience think more about the film if the events are ‘real’.

• If the audience recognises realism within a story the fear conveyed by the film is so much more disturbing.

• Explores the evil prominent in normal society.

• A certain subtlety is common within psychological horror as if the audience notices something in a particular shot without it being forced in their face it adds a deeper sense of fear.

• On the same factor of subtly the antagonist or thing we as an audience are afraid of can be unclear or left unknown, this makes us think more about the antagonist, its capabilities or if its even real in some cases.

• A convention of this genre be a ‘curse’ or affliction that the main character becomes aware of and that awareness makes it more apparent, this could be passed onto people carrying on the horror. For example the ring watching the videotape, or in paranormal activity the more they talk about the demons the larger mark they leave.

• The killer may appear normal adding a layer of discomfort as its not what the viewer expects.

• Usually less mindless killing and more calculated and precise, for example the killer in se7en basing his killings on the seven deadly sins.

Sub-genres: Paranormal HorrorExamples:

• The spirit/ghost/demon may be a curse that can be passed on• Each paranormal films antagonists characteristics aren’t set in stone they can break away

from the normal as they are not human.• The setting is usually a house where characters start to notice things gradually provoking

spirits.• Paranormal films can be made on a very low budget as sometimes the ‘ghost’ is never

seen, its presence is merely suggested through moving objects, doors opening, and noises.

• There will often be a character in paranormal films that is a expert in dealing with ghosts and is better equipped to the situation then the main characters.

• Jump scares are almost a guarantee in paranormal horror, a character will usually be carrying out a everyday tasks but a combination of camera work, sound effects and possibly dialogue will build suspense where there is no real fear.

• For example: A character will be making some food they need to get something from a cupboard in another room, hear a noise, ask ‘who's there?’ the music will become louder and the camera will cut to the cupboard then back to a close up of the characters worried face then a pet will jump out of the cupboard.

• This is a ‘cheap’ tactic used mainly in this type of horror, it is easy to do and a good way to make the audience feel scared but in reality jump scares just ruin suspense as the audience suspects it and then when you need to convey real fear the scare factor isn’t there.

Sub-Genres: Slasher• Stereotypical characters victim often being a

vulnerable innocent teen girl.• Teenage cast in general for examples films such

as ‘Scream’ or ‘Nightmare on elm street’.• The antagonist is often unknown, this is can be

because of a mask or dim lighting.• The Killers motives might not be clear to the

audience which adds a element of fear because the murders are pointless, without motives the victims are random so it could be anyone.

• The location is likely to be a quiet suburban town, this setting is effective for slasher films as it’s a place you consider to be safe in and yet this killer is violated that safe space.

• A feature of the location may be a lack of authority, police are usually inexperienced as its not a area prone to murders and parents are rarely shown on screen and if they are its very briefly.

The film may include romances between characters, these romances lead to separation from a group which is when the antagonist strikes.

The narrative structure is usually as follows:• Equilibrium• Disruption• Characters recognising the problem and coming

together• A situation where the characters meet• Separation of characters• Chase scenes with creative killing methods• A return to normality in the end of the film with

little to no characters left alive.

No connection: Narrative

The story is based around small town girl Olivia Hutcherson she’s bored of her small village and seeking excitement but is bound by the classic teenage problems of having little money to go out, not being able to drive and not being old enough to get into clubs.

None of her friends live in her village so she feels isolated from the rest of her friends and social group so her phone is her only connection/ escape from the dull reality of her lonely home life.

The character decides that social networking is not enough excitement for one day and decides to walk the dog.

Olivia ventures down into the quarry on the outskirts of her village, the quarry is known to be deserted and empty so it’s the perfect place for dog walkers as dogs can run free.

As she makes her way further into the quarry she starts to become disconnected from the rest of the world as she loses phone signal whilst talking to a friend.

She starts to notice just how strange of a place the quarry really is and discovers a man made structures woven out of trees.

This prompts the decision to head home but she has become lost in the maze of dead trees and chalky holes.

Trying to find a way out she stops focusing on the dog and this causes her to lose him.

She manages to get phone signal and informs her mum of the situation and that she has lost the dog.

She continues the search and in doing so she calls out to him and is answered by a disturbing voice.

Olivia is then terrified she runs away and try's to call her mother but the signal has been lost.

At this point she is deep into the quarry and the daylight is disappearing.

She is desperately trying to find her dog and a way out she is sees a person in the distance and calls for help only to find that its not a person.

No connection: Character analysis/Breakdown

Writing the lead character (Olivia) as female is obviously representative of the genre, but the character is not meant to be vulnerable and helpless even though she is helpless in certain points of the film she is meant to be portrayed as a fighter a strong character that doesn’t quit.

Olivia finds herself in this situation that keeps getting worse as the film progresses and this theme of isolation becomes increasingly apparent. The character of Olivia has features that fit into a stereotypical teen, for example, her lack of interest, boredom, search for excitement and careless attitude.

Olivia Hutcherson (Played by Livv Robertson)

Jane Hutcherson (Played by Kim Upton)

Cooper the Dog

Jane is a loving mother that feels sorry for Olivia as doesn’t get to see her friends often. She suggests Olivia walks the dog and works a reason to walk the dog in the first place. Introducing the audience to Olivia’s home life with her mum makes them recognise she has a family who care about her so that character development will make them care about her and want her to get home safe.

The dog plays a large role in the film and works as a companion to the main character. Although the dog has no way of communicated properly he has a large influence on the story and pets in films automatically have a sense of innocence and audiences usually care about them immediately. The dog going missing is Olivia’s only reason for staying in the strange and disturbing quarry as the dog is part of the family and the victim of the dangerous creature.

Jack Thompson (Olivia’s Friend)

Jacks a friend of Olivia’s asking her to go to a house party that they aren’t invited to being a bad influence. The character is alone for the majority of the film so by communicating with people through phone calls allows character development and more substance of story to make it more interesting watch for the viewer.

No Connection: SettingThe setting of a horror film is crucial and I am convinced the quarry is the perfect setting to convey so much to the audience. Themes of isolation, abandonment, and the idea of being imprisoned in this whole in the ground yet its one big open space.The trees and chalky earth create a bleak and dreary setting, the fact that there is no buildings anywhere to be scene and the entrance to the quarry is a long winding road that leads to nowhere.The place is a spooky setting since it’s far away from any actual roads, there is never any people down there so shots wont be ruined.

No connection: Target audienceMarketing films the right target audience is crucial when marketing a film, if it isn’t done correctly the wrong people may go and see your film and not enjoy it if the film is aimed at mature adults and teenagers go and see it then it might not be deemed a success at the box office let alone in terms of reviews.The trailer and poster of the film as well as all other promotion play a huge role into who your targeting to advertise the film to.No Connections MarketingNo Connection is mainly marketed towards teenagers and young adults, having a female teenage lead that audience will relate to the character the most if they share common interests or there lives are comparable in some way.Also the increasingly popular style of film with all teenage cast that have great success in cinemas, film franchises such as Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, although these films are more action based in terms of genre the audience would be similar for a horror film as well especially if the age rating was 15.Horror films in general require a mature audience for obvious reasons but although the films primary target audience is teenagers I as a director hope the film can entertain and be enjoyed by adults of all ages.