Just the Two of Us (and a Genre Shift)

After filming our preliminary, our group went through a bit of a creative breakup. Fatima and Aleena felt their ideas were heading in a different direction from mine and Aisha’s, so we had the classic "it's not you, it's the concept" moment and split into two groups. If you’re wondering—yes, we’re still friends, and yes, we still sit next to each other. 

With just the two of us now, the workload naturally doubled. Aisha and I decided to divide the tasks based on our strengths and interests. Aisha, being a passionate media enthusiast, took charge of the mood board, storyboard, script, logline, and idea development. She was kind enough to take on the logline after I struggled with it (thank you Aisha).

Aisha channeling her inner ghost 👻

After the preliminary, we both felt the need to shift our direction. Our first idea was rooted in the coming-of-age genre, but we quickly realised that our natural storytelling tendencies leaned darker. Lighthearted narratives just didn’t feel authentic for us. While brainstorming over time—and with some accidental inspiration from spending time with friends—we watched the short horror film Makr, which sparked the idea for our current horror concept.

(Insert photo of Aisha here)

We were drawn to themes of black magic, possession, and isolation. We wanted to disturb the audience subtly, using minimal dialogue, subtext, and slow-building tension. For inspiration, we looked to Siccin for the supernatural/black magic elements, and Evil Dead Rise for the unnervingly “nice” possessed character that influenced how we developed Rian.

Why Horror?

Our chosen genre is psychological horror, which aligns with our personal interests and creative instincts. We aim to unsettle the audience emotionally and mentally, rather than relying on jump scares or gore. Our film opening uses symbolic imagery, eerie atmosphere, and a slow-burn style to create tension and unease.

Target Audience:

The audience for the horror genre typically includes:

• Young adults aged 15–30

• Viewers who enjoy atmospheric, symbolic, and character-driven horror

• Fans of unsettling stories that explore themes like mental instability, family secrets, and moral ambiguity

Our opening has been written with this audience in mind. The story subtly touches on hidden horror, emotional trauma, and isolation through a cinematic style that’s quiet but disturbing. The minimal dialogue, eerie visuals, and uncomfortable interactions all contribute to the tension we want our audience to feel.