Making a low budget horror film is a great way for an aspiring filmmaker
to gain experience. Depending on the film's distribution, it may also
be a way to get noticed by a producer with deep pockets and powerful
contacts in Hollywood.
Instructions
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1
Figure out what kind of budget you have to work with, and
plan your film around it. Decisions must made early on regarding what
type of horror film you can afford to make. Above all, do a high
estimate of costs to avoid going over budget.
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2
Find a good script that you can work with, or write one
yourself. A decent script is the backbone of any film, and this is no
exception with horror movies. You can spend all your time on blood and
gore, but without a good plot and believable characters your audience
won't care. Keep your locations to a minimum, and make sure you have
access to locations. Get creative, and avoid the typical clichés found
in the horror genre.
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3
Cast your film according to the script you have chosen. If
you've decided to make a campy, cheesy horror film, grab any actors who
are willing to follow you on this journey for little to no pay. However,
if you've chosen the high-concept horror script that depends on quality
actors, then take the time (and what money you can afford) to nab the
best actors you can find.
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4
Purchase or rent a decent video camera that you are
comfortable using. Some great horror movies have been shot on video
instead of film, which is far more expensive. Research all of the
cameras that are in your budget, and be sure to account for all of the
filming situations called for in your script such as low lighting or
wide angle shots.
Back in the days of "Clerks" and "Reservoir Dogs," all action was
shot on film and if you lived in places like Boise, Idaho, you were
screwed because no one rented pro-level cameras. But now, almost every
small-budget indie film is being shot on handheld digital hi-fi
cameras-you can get a great rig at your local electronics store-you
don't even have to rent them anymore, you can just buy them. The other
advantage to digital is no traditional film, and you can ask any film
producer and they'll agree, film will drain your budget almost
immediately.
With digital, you can shoot and erase whenever you want.
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5
Gather the materials needed for your special effects and
make-up. Fake blood is easy to make with most recipes that you'll find
on the Internet consisting of food coloring and corn syrup. Get creative
with your effects, like using ground beef to simulate mutilated flesh
or condoms full of fake blood to simulate intestines and entrails.
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6
Storyboard your film, and create a feasible shooting
schedule that works for your cast and crew. Many horror movies are set
at night so you need to account for some late night shooting schedules.
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7
Edit your film using one of the computer-based editing
programs out on the market today. Make sure to set the tone of your
horror film during the editing process.
If the indie film you produced was shot on film (and if you're a
smart producer, it was), you don't even need to rent an editing bay. If
you have a good computer (it has to be a Mac in this case), you can load
it with Apple's Final Cut Pro. You'll be able to professionally edit
your film with synched sound and everything--it's an amazing program.
It's a little difficult to learn at first, but if you can master it,
you're in business. It's also expensive and if you don't have a Mac, you
can rent a editing suite with a Final Cut Pro rig and rent by the hour,
day or week.