Where horror meets kink—design your fear. This class will not be recorded. When: Saturday, July 25th, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time Where: Online, Zoom Ticket Link: https://forbiddentickets.com/events/black-thorn/47d11f517d Fetlife Event: https://fetlife.com/events/2026/07/25/fear-by-design-crafting-cinematic-horror-scenes-with-intention-with-vahavta-0cjhej People who enjoy slasher films, art-house thrillers, or creature features are all going to love different movies for different reasons — and they likely are going to be most driven by different kinds of fear play, too! But no matter the subgenre, great horror directors know something that any kinkster could lean into, too: fear isn't some kind of vague magic that only appears when the moment is right. It's a physiological response that can be engineered through light, blocking, sound, and timing, just like in the movies. Fear By Design focuses on the craft of fear play by drawing on the aesthetics and effects used in horror, aiming to equip you with the practical skills to create a narrative arc, select and deploy tools of immersion with intention, and build (and release) tension at the pacing which serves your scene best. Rather than working from abstract examples, participants are encouraged to bring real ideas to work through together—a play concept you've been sitting on, or even a favorite horror movie or subgenre you know you'd love to adapt into some kind of scene (even if you're yet not sure what that might look like). Join vahavta for an entertaining class and leave with a practical set of techniques you can use to design and develop fear within your scenes, along with some cool new knowledge about what some of your favorite horror films are really doing. For those in need of financial support, reach out to Jez (kinkaware@gmail.com) to submit a request for a scholarship ticket. About vahavta vahavta is a kink writer and educator with a particular passion for risk-aware practices, personal agency, and the validity of all consensual desires. With over a decade of lived experience in 24/7 CNC-based Total Power Exchange—and even longer bottoming for emotional S/m and edge play—vahavta is the creator of the "Submission Beyond Limits" workbook for s-types as well as the Risk Evaluation Database (RED), and she is proud to have taught her classes for international communities both online and off. vahavta is disabled and femme, and believes in approaching kink with a firm understanding of intersectional context. As an educator, she aims to give honest and risk-aware information that applies to the realities of human behavior, focusing largely on the "how" and asking people to consider their personal capabilities, interests, and readiness. She contributes regularly to kink blogs and her own Fetlife writing index—much of which can also be found on her website at loves putting words together, watching her most romantic nightmares come true, and doing whatever her 50-lb lapdog wants. In all aspects of her life, she strives to be a work in progress. Read more about vahavta here! https://kinkbeyondlimits.com/