Slenderman.

My group and I have started to think in detail about the narrative of our horror trailer. We have decided as a collective that we want to make a horror film based around a myth, similar to the Blair Witch Project. This is because the film was a huge success despite its small budget and lack of famous actors and we can easily use similar camera techniques as the ones seen in the film to great effect. We have decided to base our movie on a German myth called 'Slenderman', a tall, faceless man who hunts and abducts those who know of his existence.

The Slenderman myth has become increasingly popular within the media over the last year, with the release of a game and several websites dedicated to it. It is especially popular with teens, which is one of the main reasons we chose to use it, as this is the audience we will be aiming our trailer at.

The Slenderman game is probably the biggest reason for the recent surge in popularity for the myth. The aim of the game is to walk around the woods and collect 8 hidden notes whilst avoiding Slenderman. If he catches you, the game is over. All your character has to help them see in the dark is a lantern, which eventually will go out, increasing the chances of Slenderman catching you. The limited vision coupled with the deep, droning music creates huge tension and the game has become extremely popular due to its fear factor.

Screenshot from the game

Notes from the game

Video of gameplay. 

After researching and watching footage of the game, we have been able to take away a few interesting concepts that we think will make our trailer very effective. 

First of all, light is a big part of the slenderman myth, as it is the one thing that will keep him away. We can play on this in our trailer, using the dark as a tool to create fear. We could possibly use black screens and focus on using music and sounds to create tension.  In the game, the character is given a lantern in order to light their way, which will eventually go out. In our trailer we want to include a similar idea, but instead of a lantern, have our characters use matches, which could be even more effective, as matches go out very quickly. 

This is a documentary that conveys the Slenderman myth as true and presents evidence to prove that he exists. It is yet another internet sensation that has recently hightened interest in the Slenderman myth. The documentary explains Slenderman in great detail which will be very useful for us, as we can derive information from it that will be useful to use in our trailer.