CHARLESTON, Ill. – What’s your favorite scary movie?

For roommates Derek Clem and Scott Aigner, the answer was written in fake blood and man-made intestines staining their clothes in their movie.

Clem and Aigner, both Eastern Illinois University graduate students, received the chance to star in their own, personally designed, horror-slasher scene, making fake death a reality at Eastern’s Tarble Arts Center in Charleston.

Chicago-based Death By Design Co., stalked Charleston recently, offering individuals the chance to take part in their own death scene of chaotic, horrific, disgusting fun. The company “provides a humorous encounter with death through extreme situations and stunning visuals.”

Aigner and Clem, who both enjoy horror movies, thought it would be interesting to die on film.

Aigner said starring in his own horror movie is “something I’ve always wanted to do.” He added, “I like how fantastical (horror movies) can be.”

“It’s another way of self-expression,” Clem added.

The death scenes were part of the installation/exhibition/performance titled “Death By Design Co., Stalks Charleston: Postmodern Meets Post-mortem.”

Michael Watts, director of the Tarble Arts Center, said the purpose of the center’s eGallery is to allow for different, contemporary forms of art, and Death By Design fit that standard.

“It’s just like any other art form. It helps us realize things in our world and see how maybe other people deal with those issues or questions.

Those issues may arise and make us think about who we are and our society,” he said.

Watts encountered a worm during his death scene. He described the scenes as approaching traumatic events but still being able to find humor in them.

Full of creative, and often gory, ideas, Death By Design’s creators Teena McClelland and Michelle Maynard of Chicago began their company from the idea that “everyone wants to be the person who dies” in horror flicks.

While making her own horror movie, “Throb,” Maynard came across numerous people willing to be in the movie as long as they got to die.

“That’s the person everyone remembers. That’s what everyone talks about,” Maynard said.

“It kind of started with dying in a movie,” McClelland said. “We talked about other people maybe (would) like to see this, and yes, it seems like perhaps they would.” The idea of starring people in their own horror movie then came into play.

The company takes care of putting together the set, props (including weapons and faux corpses), makeup, costumes, clean up and all sorts of gooey substances for effects of blood, venom and guts.

They offer clients a DVD of their edited death scene that also contains behind-the-scenes footage and a slideshow of still images.

The menu of death scenes at the Tarble included “Killer Clown,” “The Creeping Slime” and “The Dead Don’t Stay Buried.”

Both filmmakers have said reactions concerning their business have varied from “eww to wow,” and that mainly art venues have sought the company out to share their bloodshed business venture.

“I think contemporary art’s definition has expanded quite a bit,” McClelland said. “So I think we’re on the right path to making it be some sort of art form.”