The ultimate slasher film you might miss out on
Starting with the fictional Camp Miasma in 1980, this horror franchise has enjoyed a lengthy run. It spawned numerous sequels, arcade games, board games, and a wide array of merchandise, from alarm clocks and lunch boxes to Halloween costumes and action figures. Its popularity even led to knockoff costumes appearing in party stores. For decades, the franchise had a significant, though gradually fading, influence on the horror genre. If Camp Miasma sounds unfamiliar, that’s because it’s not real; it’s the centerpiece of *Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma*, the latest film from the director known for *I Saw the TV Glow*.
To make Camp Miasma feel authentic—a saga about a character named Little Death who haunts a summer camp—the production team crafted a wealth of props that illustrated the franchise’s fictional history. “We could have easily spent three years just creating items for Camp Miasma if that had been the directive,” says production designer Matt Hyland.
*Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* follows Kris (Hannah Einbinder), an aspiring director who gets the green light to reboot the long-dormant Camp Miasma series. Before diving in, she seeks out Billy (Gillian Anderson), the final girl from the original film, who has lived in seclusion for decades. Kris attempts to persuade Billy to join the project, leading them on a personal journey filled with discussions about sex, slasher films, and KFC.
The film quickly establishes the history of Camp Miasma during its opening credits. Through vintage movie posters, VHS tapes, toys, photographs, and even film reviews, viewers learn how the series transitioned from a box office hit to a string of direct-to-video releases over 30 years. These artifacts serve as a powerful storytelling tool, though their creation was anything but quick.
The design team dedicated significant time to research, examining existing slasher franchises like *Friday the 13th*, *Sleepaway Camp*, *A Nightmare on Elm Street*, and *Halloween* to capture their visual essence and cultural impact. They then compiled a historical document, guided by the script, detailing the timeline of Camp Miasma: release dates, directors, audience reception, and merchandise. Collaborating closely with the director, they identified the specific items needed to tell this story. “We locked ourselves in a room with Jane and the cinematographer, mapping out each sequence beat by beat, with every beat corresponding to an object we needed to create,” explains Brandon Tonner-Connolly, the film’s other production designer.
While many items appear on screen for only a moment, the effort behind them was substantial. For example, the Camp Miasma board game is fully playable, complete with instructions. Even seemingly simple elements like VHS boxes and movie posters required meticulous attention: the team had to design them to include details like production companies and taglines. This level of authenticity was crucial, even for objects that would only be briefly visible.
“You can’t make decisions based solely on screentime,” Hyland notes. “If it’s a board game, we’re going to create a real board game, even if it’s on screen for just half a second. It’s a resource challenge, and we have to prioritize. But Jane’s enthusiasm and creativity kept us motivated; we wanted to keep producing and brainstorming until time ran out.”
The meticulous detail also served to honor the fans. “Jane has such a dedicated following that you know people will pause the movie to read the reviews or the board game instructions,” Tonner-Connolly adds. This meant ensuring consistency; for instance, they created multiple lunch box designs that varied to reflect their hypothetical release years, like 1983 versus 1997.
While capturing the details was essential, the designers aimed not to replicate existing designs exactly but to evoke the essence of the memories associated with those films. According to Tonner-Connolly, this approach mirrors the one used in *I Saw the TV Glow*, which also drew on nostalgic elements from ’90s dramas. “We could technically replicate these classic slasher movies, but we’re more interested in the fragmented memories of childhood and how they’re remembered or misremembered,” he explains. “We wanted to tap into those emotions and create something new.”
This blend of detail and emotional depth allows the film to convey Camp Miasma’s decades-long history through just a few snapshots, grounding the narrative in a sense of reality before it ventures into more fantastical territory. “It’s challenging to convince an audience that this entity has been part of the cultural conversation for the last 30 years,” Hyland remarks. “People can quickly sense when something feels fake.”
*Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* hits theaters on August 7th.
