A romantic spring break getaway turns sinister as unexpected visitors join the party in a high-tech house that no one can escape.
#Slaughterhouse – A home-invasion horror feature with a modern twist
If you love Slashers from the 70’s, 80s, and 90’s, modern Home-Invasion flicks, or Indie Horror films please join us now to help make this thrilling (and intense) horror film.
WELCOME TO THE #SLAUGHTERHOUSE …
#Slaughterhouse – is a high-quality independent horror film, directed and produced by Dino Maglaris. It is his second feature film and follow-up to Cabin Crew.
THE PLOT
What happens when the security of your home can be controlled with your smart device? What happens when that gets into the wrong hands?
When Bob wants to impress new girlfriend Trixie, he invites her to a romantic getaway at his parent’s ultra modern cabin. Trixie would rather have fun with her friends, who she secretly invites to join the party. The spring breakers’ fun quickly turns sinister as their friend turns up dead, and they take to Bob’s smart house for protection. What they don’t know is that they may be inadvertently locking themselves and the killers surrounding them in a fight to the death high-tech, cage match.
MAKING THIS UNIQUE FILM
Malgaris speaks about what Horror means to him: “Honestly, I love movies and when I feel like I have a great story and a strong idea on how to visually tell that story, I need to see that movie. I feel like I have been unknowingly preparing for this film since I recorded over some lame home movies of a family vacation to make my very first horror film. Initially I was captivated by the idea of hashtagers and millennials, like myself, becoming the inmates of a house controlled by escaped inmates of the bughouse. Then as I was reading the script, everything started to come together very quickly. Casting was a blast, because right away I knew who would play the lead roles and who would be in contention for the supporting roles. I kept imagining filming in this voyeuristic way, using a lot of foreground interference in the wide and medium shots. It doesn’t stop there either, everything from camera movement to color grade all seemed to drop into place. So we have a kick ass story, with a unique way to tell it, and amazing cast and crew who are going to bring it to life with an immense amount of energy.”
THE LOCATION
Top: Just some of the fun to be had in the Slaughterhouse.
Location Location Location! It still haunts my dreams, growing up in a family of restauranteurs I heard a lot about the importance of location in terms of driving a successful business. Now, part of that is due to foot traffic, which doesn’t apply in our case but the other part of that which does apply is what a specific place does to one’s mood.
Location is extremely important to a story and I think it is one of the things that unfortunately gets left by the wayside in the independent film world because we simply can’t afford the perfect location all the time for our story. I do think good indie filmmakers do a fabulous job of turning imperfect locations great by adjusting how they shoot things and just being super creative outside the box thinkers. Due to a fabulous couple donating us their home for two weeks, we have the luxury of shooting this script in the perfect tech mansion that actually functions like the tech mansion we have in our story. This will allow us to be more creative with our shots, and tell our story in the best possible way.
Set around the city of Austin, Texas; #Slaughterhouse ties into some of the most classic tropes of the various sub-genres we’re mixing together. There are shades of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Die Hard, and even Panic Room.
When most non-locals think of Texas, they think of sagebrush, tumbleweeds, and desert. These are the comments I hear a lot from producers shooting in Austin talking about all the time. They go on a location scout and come back saying “it just doesn’t look like Texas” and my thought is always “but it IS Texas, so shoot it in all it’s beauty!” Anyway, that is a hot button for me, the nuts and bolts is that we are shooting a story that takes place in Texas, in Texas and its green and beautiful in the hill country and that’s how we are showing it. I don’t need to show you cats and sagebrushes for you feel like you are in Texas. P.S. I love Texas.
Bottom: Deep in the green hills of southwestern Austin, the “Slaughterhouse” awaits its guests.
MEET OUR TEAM
Dino Maglaris – Director | Producer
Dino Maglaris spent the better part of his early years in the midwest. His beloved home town of Galena, Illinois (population 3,600) was the sight of many long nights binge watching movies both at the local theater and at home with friends. After realizing his passion was in filmmaking while attending the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Dino packed his bags and moved to Austin, Texas to pursue a career in the film industry. This is where I stop pretending that I am established enough to have someone else write my bio for me. There is a great chance you haven’t made it this far, but if you have then… hello, and thank you. I decided to move to Austin to pursue film instead of going to LA or NY, well because cities of that size scare the hell out of me. When I got to Austin, I worked in any capacity on any film set that would have me and often times, it was for free. Since then, I’ve spent the better part of a decade establishing myself in the Austin film community and produced over a dozen short films, commercials, and a feature film that I wrote and directed. I learned a lot about filmmaking and myself on that set, but most importantly I realized that this is what I am going to do for the rest of my life. below: Maglaris consults with producer, Chad Charnas.
Alexa Ramirez – Producer
Alexa Gabrielle Ramirez is an independent producer and actress that also works in the non-profit world. She holds a position in Development at the Austin Film Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports independent film and the filmmakers that create them. Having worked the non-profit sector, and for a film organization no less, she has a unique insight into how to gain the most for her contributors and how to work within budgetary constraints. Post-graduation from the University of Texas at Austin with a focus in cultural studies and psychology, Alexa attained a certification in Production Technology from ACC. Her student film ATX / SATX was selected for the school’s “Best of” Showcase, which premiered at SXSW 2015. Alexa started out working as a multimedia editor for internationally acclaimed photographer Gray Hawn, who has photographed the likes of the Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly), Farah Fawcett, and international diplomats, including former President Jimmy Carter. She then moved on to co-produce the TV pilot Media Mavericks, working under Missing Hill Productions, which is intended for release on KLRU. Alexa’s current list of projects include the surreal comedy short film BUNNY & NON-BUNNYNESS, which will have its world premiere at the 2016 Marfa Film Festival before continuing on the festival circuit, and the horror genre feature #SLAUGHTERHOUSE, which is currently in pre-production and set to be released this Halloween 2016.
Derek Mungor – Producer
Derek Mungor is an independent filmmaker currently residing in Austin, TX. He attended an accelerated Bachelor Degree Program to major in film. Derek received an award for perfect attendance and was chosen as the writer, director, and editor of the Degree Film Project. After college, Derek spent the next 5+ years in the Chicago TV & Commercial Industry as a freelance editor and project manager. There, he lead creative campaigns for major companies including, but not limited to: Lipton, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Sears, Whole Foods, & Discovery Channel.
Derek’s directorial debut, DESOLATION WILDERNESS, is a surrealistic feature film that was produced over the summer of 2009. The film was released in October 2011 to positive critical reception. His follow-up directorial effort, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, has garnered attention at Cannes, Berlin, and the American Film Market. His other works include a number of commercials, short films, and television episodes.
Derek has spent the last 3+ years in Film and Television Digital Distribution working with entertainment clients including Lionsgate, Paramount, William Morris Endeavor, Disney, and more. He along with Dino Maglaris and Chad Charnas founded B | Movie Studios in the spring of 2016. Derek is serving as producer on the upcoming feature, #Slaughterhouse.
Chad Charnas – Producer
Chad Charnas, a Chicago native, started a business career in Galena, Illinois. There he opened his first restaurant and eventually grew that business to six locations in four different states. During his ten year stretch of managing day-to-day operations, Chad still found time to pursue his creative writing endeavors.
In 2008, he decided to pursue a career in film, completed his first feature screenplay, and moved to North Austin* with his wife and two children. Chad’s passion as an entrepreneur has transferred seamlessly into film producing. Chad is a graduate of Dov Simen’s Film School, Master Alumni of Jill Chamberlain’s Screen Play Workshop, and is a standing judge for the Austin Film Festival.
Chad served as Executive Producer on Dino Maglaris’s 2014 feature film debut, Cabin Crew. Cabin Crew, an action thriller about a group of wanna be outlaws bent on saving their friend’s life retreat to a family cabin after a bank heist and soon discover that when it comes to crime, they should leave it to the professionals – the police. The film starred Austin Amelio of AMC’s smash hit The Walking Dead and David Harrod Jr. who has been cast as Festus in the upcoming #Slaughterhouse.
*By “North Austin” we really mean that he lives in Cedar Park, Texas which is fifteen miles from Austin. He just thinks it sounds more cool if says he lives in Austin.
About B | Movie Studios:
B | Movie Studios is new venture located in Austin, TX that attempts to give fans of horror, science fiction, action, and comedy a taste of both the familiar and unusual via Theatrical, DVD and VOD releases. Carefully curated titles and original productions make up the initial slate of films offered, with a strong focus on unique genre-oriented stories that are both provocative and entertaining. Following the summer release of YOU ARE NOT ALONE comes B | Movie Studio’s first original production, #SLAUGHTERHOUSE, in time for Halloween 2016.
Clifton Stokes – VFX Artist & Supervisor
Clifton Stokes is a creatively gifted visual effects artist who served 4 years in the USMC in order to pay for his Art School and was the first to graduate in his major from AI. Right after graduation he worked for multiple clients such as Verizon, Chubbies, Rooster Teeth, and many others before making his commute to LA. When first entering LA he did the opening episode to Robot Chicken Season 7 Godzilla Vs Jason, and soon after made the majority of the UI’s in the New Stop Motion Comedy Super Mansion. Currently Clifton is a compositor and Matte painter for the History channel doing various series such as The End, Deep Time History, and Codes and Conspiracies. He also is an accomplished athlete that plays Rugby and is currently producing a short web series called the Chronic Dead. In his free time, Clifton enjoys surfing on the beach during the summer and snowboarding in Big Bear during the winter. He also has has a tortoise named Turbo who he takes out on long hikes and occasionally brings him on set.
Roxanne McDanel – Special Makeup FX Artist
Having a lifetime love of films, Roxanne attended UT Austin where she received her degree with Honors in Radio, Television & Film focusing on media studies. While in College, she worked part time as a makeup artist, which she quickly realized was her passion. After graduating she began working in the film industry doing beauty makeup. Roxanne quickly grew in experience and expanded her knowledge base to include special fx makeup. In her four years of film experience she has worked across the country in Los Angeles, Texas, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Her work has been seen on Lifetime TV, the UpNetwork, and ShortsHD.
Edwin Wise – Special Makeup FX Artist
Edwin Wise has a decade and a half experience producing Special Makeup FX and props for live haunts and films in Texas. He led the FX lab for Scare for a Cure, honing his skills and exploring new ways to create immersive realities. His skill set and proficiencies include: sculpting, prosthetics, trauma and horror makeup, masks, molding and casting, lifecasting, materials development (making some of the finest blood and slime around), faux painting, prop making, mechanical systems, flame effects, pneumatics, electronics and microcontrollers, robotics, software development, and so forth. Edwin Wise is known for his work on Last Girl Standing (2015), Wartorn (2015) and Extinction Event (2014).
Josh Vinyard – Stunt Coordinator / Actor
Josh Vinyard is known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), The Left Overs, Gotham, The Finest Hours (2016), and The Magicians (2015).
THE REWARDS
Ah yes, now to the really good stuff, the rewards! The #Slaughtercrew’s goal was to create interesting and desirable rewards for every budget. For our campaign, every dollar counts.
Making an independent feature film can be brutal. Big or small, film productions with all of their moving parts, have their own unique challenges. We want to make sure our sets, equipment, locations, props, etc. are the best they can possibly be so that what you see and hear on screen looks as good as the classics immortalized on your shelf. The #Slaughtercrew along with our producing partners have contingency plans in place to minimize risk and maximize use of funds without the slightest compromise to quality, and I have done this in several ways:
1. The film, while expansive in scope, takes place primarily in one house. So taking that into consideration, there is a built in efficiency to the production. What we cannot shoot in that primary location will be shot in the very controlled environment of a soundstage on Austin Studios.
2. There are a limited number of overall leading characters in this film, which also adds efficiency to the production, and makes the viewer more likely to identify with one in particular. When the partygoers get taken out one by one, you’ll want to make sure you picked the right one to root for.
3. The special makeup, other practical, and visual effects used in this film, will be largely engineered and executed by friends and associates in the Austin area. These top-level talents will be producing some really fantastic (& disgusting) gags. BBQ anyone?
4. As a group, we have a substantial experience and understanding of not only the filmmaking process, but genre films as well. We have an ambitious, yet realistic schedule of work, time frames, and budgets.
In summary, if the Kickstarter campaign succeeds, the film #Slaughterhouse, will be made and all rewards will be delivered fully and on a timely basis.
Thank you again for your support! Take the time to look at the other fantastic kickstarter campaigns going on right now.
-Dino Maglaris