Normally a documentary filmmaker, Melanie Ansley became interested in the horror genre when attending a film studies class showcasing the likes of the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Halloween (1978). After watching The Ring (2002), she realized that she really wanted to make a horror film of her own. Two months later, she had completed her screenplay for Watch Me.
The genesis of the film's idea came from an urban myth of snuff DVDs making their way into Australia via backpackers returning from Japan and Korea.
To bone up on the horror genre, Melanie Ansley and her co-writer Sam Voutas watched endless horror movies, mainly Spanish thrillers and many from Dario Argento's oeuvre.
When Melanie Ansley came across Melbourne band Jericho, Preuss and Huf, she knew that she had found the musicians she needed for her own film. She was particularly impressed when she learned that they had access to a llama farm, cowbells and a chainsaw.