Generating Ideas and Group

    Initially, I had wanted to work with the editor from my first film, Sophie for the foundation portfolio, and create a horror film. She was reluctant as she wanted to create a rom-com for hers, but after some convincing, she agreed to work with me. Unfortunately, she quickly backed out of the project. During that brief period we were partners though, she helped me recognize the importance of making representation a priority within my film - something that was not exactly front of mind previously. I was unsure of how to approach representation within my film though as I did not want to unintentionally do something incorrectly.

    After Sophie and I working together fell through I was weary of working with others, but I soon started working in a group with Bella (the cinematographer from my previous film), Gabby, and Luise. Not only does this unburden me from taking on all roles in the film's production, but it also gives me the perfect way - in an informed and authentic manner - to include representation, as Luise and Gabby are both Hispanic. With the combination of the horror genre and Hispanic culture, the possibilities were endless.

    I began the brainstorming process, putting the prompt "List me 10 ideas for a horror/thriller movie that centers around a major part of Mexican culture in south Florida," into ChatGPT. I regenerated the prompt a few times, getting over 100 ideas.

    I reviewed the results I got, and began narrowing them down, eliminating ones I disliked, were repetitive, or would be impossible to make (due to budget, location, etc.). After doing so I narrowed it down to the following seven options:

 

1.     "La Llorona's Curse": A young couple moves into a new home in South Florida, only to be plagued by strange occurrences and nightmares involving the ghost of La Llorona, who they soon learn is seeking revenge for past injustice.

2.     "The Return of the Raza Unida": A young woman in South Florida is haunted by the ghost of a long-dead member of a radical Chicano political group who died violently in the 1970s, and soon discovers that the ghost is seeking revenge for past injustices.

 

3.     "The Noche de los Muertos Vivientes" - A group of friends become trapped in a small town during the Noche de los Muertos Vivientes, a night when the dead come back to life.

 

4.     "The Nahual" - A man is possessed by a nahual, a shape-shifting creature, and must confront the dark spirit before it destroys him and those he loves.

 

5.     "La Flor de la Muerte" - A young girl discovers a mysterious flower that is said to bring death to those who possess it, and must confront the dark powers behind the deadly blooms.

6.    "La Calavera: The Skull of Death" - A family inherits an old mansion in South Florida, only to discover that it is haunted by a vengeful spirit known as La Calavera, who seeks to collect the skulls of her victims.

7.    "Dia de los Muertos Horror" - A family's celebration of the Day of the Dead takes a dark turn when they discover that the spirits of their deceased loved ones have been possessed by a malevolent force.

Of these seven my favorites were "La Llorona's Curse," "La Flor de la Muerte," and "The Nahual." Nearly all of these ideas have a deep and rich history to draw from. Though some would say that going in with ideas like this is putting the cart ahead of the horse, I believe that going in with ideas gives us an advantage as we can more thoughtfully cater our research to these ideas. Thus, instead of wasting time engaging in aimless research, we can speed up the process by looking for the information we need.