Magpie is a published 4.52 minute cinematic proof of concept that explores evolving ideas in feminist horror. Created as a research artefact to test themes, tone, and creative strategies for a longer form project, it builds on the critical discourse of The Unlit and interrogates the representation of female agency within genre storytelling. Set in a rural domestic space, Magpie centres a female protagonist experiencing the haunting residue of trauma, reframing horror tropes through a lens of emotional realism and narrative restraint. The piece was developed for festival and marketplace exposure, but also as part of a larger research trajectory leading into Masters level study.<p></p>
NTRO Output Category
- Original Creative Work : Other
Place
Melbourne, AustraliaMedium
Audio visual recording and pitch deck (Proof of concept short film)Research Statement
Magpie is a practice led screenwork developed to expand feminist approaches to horror cinema. The project explores how horror can function as a space to reflect female subjectivity and resistance, with a focus on tone, aesthetic tension, and emotional resonance. Building on insights from The Unlit, it asks: how can women be repositioned as powerful agents within a genre that has historically rendered them as victims or supernatural devices?
As an experimental artefact, Magpie contributes to feminist horror by trialling narrative structure, performance style, and atmosphere to privilege emotional complexity over genre convention. The film subverts familiar tropes, there is no pursuer, no male threat yet the piece remains charged with dread and ambiguity. Its contribution lies in its capacity to test and model early stage storytelling techniques that challenge patriarchal norms, both in development practice and cinematic form.
Magpie was presented at the 2023 Cannes Film Market and MIFF 37ºSouth Market as a tool to generate interest and test project viability within an international industry setting. Feedback from screen professionals confirmed the strength of its visual tone and thematic clarity. The work has also been published on KWFilms website and used in university teaching as a model for concept development. It demonstrates how short-form creative outputs can operate as both research experiments and tools for professional and academic engagement.Size or Duration of Work
4 mins 52 sec
