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OREM — A supernatural thriller produced and headlined by women is on its way to New York.
Orem filmmaker Vanessa Winter’s “Devil’s Got My Back” was recently selected as one of 59 projects chosen for the independent pilot competition at the New York Television Festival that runs from July 14-19.
The New York Television Festival started in 2005 and emphasizes networking between content creators, networks, studios, production companies and other television industry playmakers.
Although the show's pilot is finished, Winter said she is still in the pitching process, hoping to get picked up by a network. And the New York competition is one step along the way.
The pilot for "Devil's Got My Back" was shot in Utah, Winter said. The show is designed to be a one-hour supernatural drama series, she said.
“It started from this idea of ‘What if your superpower came because you were haunted?’” Winter said. “It kind of came from these supernatural forces.”
"Devil's Got My Back" is set in a near future where paranormal phenomena are common and accepted in society.
The show’s main character is Ryann Fawn, who is played by actress Melanie Stone. The actress shares a love of the supernatural with Winter, and helped formulate the series, Winter said.
Fawn is haunted by a mysterious demon that incinerates anything that threatens or gets close to her. She is forced into a secluded life and vows to use the demon’s powers to exact revenge against the people responsible for her twin brother’s death.
A government agency known as the Paranormal Protection Agency takes an interest in Fawn’s abilities. The agency, which is tasked with combating the paranormal demons that exist in the world, believes Fawn’s superpowers could help them fight off other demons.
The show is centered around a female main character and was created by two women. Because of this, Winter said it’s crucial that women continue being involved in the project.
“It’s important to me that the cast is at least ... an even ratio split between men and women,” she said.
Female directors making genre films, including horror, aren’t as common in the industry, Winter said. But, there are more women consuming horror than men in terms of ticket sales, Winter said. It’s key to show the fan base characters that are similar to them, created by people who are similar, she said.
“I definitely think that validates the idea of more horror female creators," Winter said. "It makes sense.”
