HOME MADE HORRORA Participatory Video-Clip Reality Seriesfor Ages 8-12

"Show a kid a horror movie, and you'll entertain him for an hour. Teach him how to make a horror movie, and you'll fascinate him for a lifetime."

Remember when you were a child and locked yourself in your room, determined to create an artistic masterpiece with crayons and paint? Remember emerging triumphantly, and receiving rave reviews from your parents and siblings?

Home Made Horror is a half-hour television show that taps into kids’ natural enthusiasm for creating things and showing them off. Only instead of crayon drawings, it’s videos. And not just any videos. Ghoulish, gross, bloody, scary, funny, monstrous, horror videos – the kind that kids are naturally drawn to make.

Home Made Horror is designed to showcase their creativity, educate them about the art and science of movie making, and show how storytelling skills can help them in all areas of their life.

Two young teenagers -- one boy and one girl -- host the show. They sit on director’s chairs in front of a “green-screen” on a soundstage set. The “green-screen” is used as an example of simple movie-making technology, and to inject some humor into the show through the use of interesting and sometimes inappropriate backdrops. (For example, when Boy Host says, “I don’t like roller-coasters,” we can put a roller-coaster ride on the blue screen background.)

The show is made up of two parts:

Home made science fiction videos. Funny, gross, and gory scenes from kids’ home movies are the main features of the program. Prizes (software, creativity-related technology, trips to Hollywood, etc.) will be awarded to the best video. Voting will be done via the internet.

Interviews with film professionals. Film directors and special effects and make-up artists will share their experience, tips, and techniques.

Home Made Horror has a very simple concept, yet taps into the very powerful motivation that kids have to show off. This connection between the show and its viewers is a double-edged sword: while we may enjoy powerful ratings (as kids tune in to see if their video is being shown), we have an important responsibility to always have a positive attitude towards submitted work. In other words, America’s Funniest Home Videos can get away with making rude comments, we cannot.

This would be the perfect show for Apple computer to underwrite, since Apple’s imovie software is revolutionizing the way kids create.


LICENSING POTENTIAL

While this is not a typical character-based show, a few powerful categories of products would be appropriate for a licensing program.

We will also be on the lookout for potential commercial concepts from among the videos submitted by kids. There may be a breakout monster character lurking about!

Camera, computer, and other imaging equipment. Hardware and software manufacturers are obvious choices to boast the Home Made Horror seal of approval.

Books. A line of “how-to” books would be a natural fit with the show.

Clothing. Halloween costumes and casual clothing could carry gross-out horror images (T-shirts