This film is all about women in horror! From behind the camera to in front to (always overlooked) in the audience. But no matter what gender you identify as, no matter who you are, this film has something for everyone. Because that’s what film should be. For everyone.

Once upon a time... 

...there was a little girl named Clara and her parents loved her very much. Her mother doted on her and her father treated her as his little princess, but things were not as they appeared...

 

 

One fateful Christmas morning, Clara receives a pair of beautiful porcelain dolls, a soldier and ballerina. Clara slowly begins to lose control of herself, acting out in ways neither she nor her parents understand.

 

 

Her parents frantic attempts to help only push Clara further into the dolls cold porcelain embrace. As Clara's world unravels she is left with one question, whether to fight her demons or dance with them.

 

 

Finally, their world shatters forever...

Proof of Concept

Below is a short film the Director previously shot called Dollhouse. It was shot on 16mm film on the Aaton XTR with all sound recorded in post. This two minute film showcases all of the elements that will be amplified in Dance of the Porcelain Demons. The dolls in this piece were played by professional ballet dancers, as they will be for the higher budget iteration. The masks will be replaced by amazing prosthetics that make the dolls come alive and the location will be a castle!

 

The Passion Behind The Project

What I think this project is really about, is women in horror. Behind the camera many of our crew are women, including our Writer/Director and many other prominent heads of department. This is the time to bring new voices into the industry that have fought for years to be heard.

 

In front of the camera it’s so important to have female characters that are real and flawed. Right now there’s such a push from executives in Hollywood to do girl power movies. Dear Hollywood, we don’t just want to see women as heroes, we want to see them as PEOPLE! This film deals with the struggles of a little girl and brings to light subjects that are not easily discussed.

 

 

Finally, women as an audience are completely ignored for horror, which flys in the face of demographics and marketing research which shows that the majority of audience members for many current horror films were young women. Many people have a deeply misconstrued notion of horror as a genre and our goal is to help change that for the better, by giving horror meaning and style. This film and the short were originally inspired by a Thomas Gainsborough painting in The National Gallery in London and feature a pair of incredible professional ballet dancers who will be playing the dolls that come to life.

 

 

This film has something for everyone. Because that’s what film should be. For everyone. Making a film isn’t easy or cheap, but the final product will be something awesome and tangible that can be kept forever. Thank you all so much for your time, support, and, if you can, funds. If this film can inspire even one little girl or boy, for that matter, then it’s all worth it.

Writer/Director Cat Watson is currently completing her MA Filmmaking degree at The London Film School. Originally from Washington D.C., Cat has made a name for herself working in every department in every part of the entertainment industry from advertising to music video to live event to short and feature film. She has worked with celebrities such as Orlando Bloom and Charlie Sheen. Now she has set her sights on becoming a strong female horror director beginning with this amazing short.

 

Director of Photography Anthony has always loved films, since being captivated by the tales of Disney as a child, he has enjoyed the visual format of storytelling and the freedom that comes with it. He originally wanted to become a screenwriter, though after graduating with a First from Southbank University in (BA Hons) Digital Filmmaking, he fell in love with the technical and practical aspects of filmmaking. He then continued his education at The London Film School where he realised that Cinematography was what he really loved when it came to the filmmaking process. The intricacies, detail and creativity needed to bring a story to life and do it justice through the different visual means while working together with the Director and crew is what filmmaking is.

Support Us

We need you to share this campaign, our website, and our social media with all your friends and family! No really! Sharing this campaign and our social media drives up awareness for the project and shows that we're worth it to film festivals, which we are!

 

Frankly Hollywood has decided and is continuing to decide that horror is a boys club. We need your help to prove that they are dead wrong. Together we can show them that they can't put us into boxes based on outdated labels. We need to remind them that film is an art form and art can't be forced into one particular formula. 

 

The support we've seen already for this project and the incredible warmth and talent of the crew already working on the film shows just how amazing this project can be. This isn't a campaign where we ask for money and disappear, WE WANT YOU! We want you as part of our crew and have designed our rewards to make sure YOU get the chance to be involved! This isn't any one person's film, this is bigger than that.