Case Study #3: The CW's "13: Fear Is Real" Launch Spot

Mission: Create an original spot for a top-secret reality show
Challenge: Limited budget and no access to series footage

Creating a spine-tingling spot to launch Sam Raimi's new CW horror reality show 13: Fear is Real was a scream. Since the show was top-secret, we had to scare your socks off without showing any of its actual footage. With the goal of roping in horror movie fans, our challenge was to reference all the tried-and-true slasher film traditions on a very limited budget – without resorting to cliché.

With our budgetary constraints, we planned for a single night of shooting in a location where we could use a variety of dark, creepy areas. We needed to work efficiently to get the most use of all the different locations we needed. Shooting overnight at the height of summer put further pressure on the already challenging schedule. With meticulous pre-planning, our small, agile crew was able to resolve effects problems creatively, practically and inexpensively.

Back in the studio, we cut the footage together in classic horror movie style. The fear became "real" with the creation of an inspired audio design.