Slaughterhouse was our attempt at a truly British horror. We wanted to show a totally original view of the country, an England that is warped, subverted, exaggerated but almost recognisable in its view of dilapidated farms, barren farmland and xenophobic locals. Taking inspiration from Brit horror, and films like Straw Dogs that are set in a British location, we looked to works ranging from the likes of 28 Days Later, by Danny Boyle (from which we derived a lot of the film's shooting style), The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General.
The writer, Matt Graham, and I were particularly interested in comparing the much dwelt-upon fanaticism of militant Islamic fundamentalists with prejudice and nationalism at home - and so we created a ferocious band of Christian cultists as our main group of villains.
To achieve an immediate, intense and dirty feel, we used a mid-range HD camera which gave us plenty of grain and consequently a gritty look - a direct influence from Danny Boyle and Anthony Dodd Mantle's photography on 28 Day's Later. At the same time, to retain that cinematic quality, we used a movie-tube device to attach prime lenses to our camera. The movie-tube being used in conjunction with our predominantly hand-held shooting style presented its own set of challenges for the camera-crew who performed admirably under very hard conditions.
Our art department, headed by Anna Lavelle, worked excellently in creating an image of former, old-english, spleandour and respectability in the old, derelict, ruins of a large and imposing farmhouse - now ransacked by the religious hordes. Director of Photography, Vincenzo Condorelli, lit the farmhouse beautifully, after we discussed at great length how to utilise all the nooks and crannies, shadows and dark rooms of the old, rambling, farmhouse.
The ultimate goal of course was to make something exciting, entertaining, stimulating and above all enjoyable for the audience. Intense action sequences, a powerful dramatic core and interesting and colourful characters all combined to make a compelling, fast-paced and stylish film. The underlying tale of vengeance added to the satisfaction of seeing the protagonist wreak havoc on the evil cultists with a double-barreled shot-gun.
Working with an excellent cast of dedicated and incredibly talented actors and an impressively skilled and hard-working crew has led to a film that showcases a great example of independent, micro-budget, filmmaking.
