How to Make a Low Budget Horror Film

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

1. • 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.
     
   • 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.
     
   • 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.
     
   • 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.
     
   • 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.
     
   • 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.
     
   • 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.
     

How to Write a Horror Movie Script

You've watched every lame horror movie ever written. Now you're sure you can write the next horror story that will have Wes Craven knocking at your door. Horror movies may share many of the same elements, but writing the right script around them can be a difficult challenge. Here are a few tips on how to get started.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Choose a theme for the movie. It could be a classic good versus evil thriller, or you could be just wanting to kill as many characters as possible.
     
   • 2
     Pick a setting for the movie. Get creative: Don't go with the cliched abandoned house or campground. Try something never used before like a kindergarten class or an animal hospital--the more offbeat the better.
     
   • 3
     Choose the villain or monster. A supernatural creature like a vampire or wolfman is an option, but if you want your script to shine, go with something never used before. Think Stephen King--he's the master of creating villians out of thin air.
     
   • 4
     Decide how the monster will be destroyed. Make sure the heroes don't discover it until the end of the script. Or maybe the monster won't be destroyed at all. What's most important is getting the major plot points picked out so you can build off them.
     
   • 5
     Write an outline of the story. Starting from the end and going backward may work best, since the climax makes or breaks the story. Be sure to include plot twists, usually around a third and two-thirds of the way along. But remember, when you're in the process of writing the script, don't be afraid to veer off your outline. A good writer will know where to edit themselves as well as break away from their original idea.
     
   • 6
     Write the full script without stopping, don't worry if you think it's good or not. Getting your first draft on paper is what you want to do at this point. At that point, read it and tinker with it, adding whatever else you think is needed and removing what isn't.
     
   • 7
     Have a couple friends read the script and return it to you with their notes. Make sure you tell them you want them to be brutally honest. If their notes are good, work them into another rewrite. Remember, any great script will go through many revisions, it's all part of the process.
     

How to Get a Horror Novel Published

“It was a dark and stormy night …” So what’s next? Now that you have written the great American horror novel, how can you share your brilliance with your soon-to-be adoring fans? Getting a horror novel published, especially if it is your very first work, can be difficult and time-consuming, but the satisfaction you get from that one acceptance letter will make it all worth it. Ready to take the next step to literary greatness? Here’s how.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Have more than an idea. Some writers don’t want to put in the time without having some kind of commitment, and even though publishers want you to be open to the idea of altering your manuscript, they do want you to have a word count and storyline well established before you submit a query. Only the very best, most well-established writers can pitch an idea, so if you aren’t Stephen King, have your novel 99 percent done before submitting your queries.
     
   • 2
     Get some credits to your name. Publishers want to know that you have an audience, and have had some quality writing already acknowledged. You don’t have to have a full-fledged novel completed and already published to get your new deal cemented, but be sure to submit some short stories or other articles to other publishers and get your self some “tear sheets” before pitching your novel. Having your work already in print tells an editor that you are a quality writer who can fulfill the requirements of a novel manuscript.
   • 3
     Be flexible. If this is your first novel, consider publishing it (and maintaining copyrights) in an online or traditional horror magazine. Submit it to contests or even publish it yourself. Getting some credentials is important, and creating relationships in the industry by submitting to smaller venues will help you in the future.
     
   • 4
     Write a great query letter. Much like a resume, your query letter is your introduction to an agent or publisher, and you want to make sure it’s a great start. I suggest beginning your query letter with a riveting excerpt (about one paragraph) from your novel before going into all the nitty-gritty details a publisher needs.
     
   • 5
     Find the right publisher. You don’t want to create a bad reputation for yourself by following the “shotgun” method of submissions. Try to send your material to the right publishers so you don't waste the time of editors who aren't relevant to your style of writing. Go to a bookstore, find books that are similar to yours and make note of their publisher. Pick up The Writer’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents and look up the horror-book genre for other publishers who may be interested in seeing your work.
     
   • 6
     Once you have done your homework, send your query letters (with the requested chapters) to the relevant publishers or agents. Keep track of who you are sending to, and be sure to tell publishers whether you are making multiple submissions or sending the manuscript solely to them. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and be sure to follow publishers' submission policies--to the letter!
     

How to Write a Horror Story

Horror stories have interested people from the beginning of time, which is also about how long they've been around. Writing horror stories can be fun and takes some work, but it's worth it once you have let your imagination run wild. Some writers have to begin with a title, but it isn't necessary. Here are some steps for writing your horror story.

1. Prepare to Write Your Horror Story

   • 1
     Decide on the plot of the story. Read a variety of horror stories by a wide variety of writers to get ideas on more common horror plots, then decide if you want to go the more traditional route or come up with something completely new. You can also use the plot of a nightmare you've had.
     
   • 2
     Decide on the location of the story. A key tip in writing is to write what you know. Use a location that is familiar to you. If you have stayed in one and have vivid memories of it, set your story there. You could also set the story in an office like the one where you work. Being familiar with your setting will make the story more real and believable to the reader.
     
   • 3
     Decide on the number and types of characters that will be in the story. It's fun to base characters on people you know or have known. Be creative and make characters who have similar expressions or appearance to people in your life or combine two or three people's characteristics into a character in your story.
     

   Develop Plot for Your Horror Story

   • 4
     Determine the main action of the story. Will there be an accident, a murder, a suicide or some other tragedy? Will there be a run-in with zombies, ghosts, a deranged killer, a possessed animal or a demonic child? Or will you come up with something completely unique, an idea no one has ever tried?
     
   • 5
     Decide if the story takes place in the city, country or some other location. Popular horror settings are abandoned warehouses, lake cabins, parking garages, dark houses when a storm has knocked out power, or even on an old farm. The setting is usually dark to allow for plenty of things to "go bump in the night."
     
   • 6
     Resolve your story with a strong ending. Will the main character be a hero and save a few other characters from death? Will the whole thing be a nightmare that goes away in the morning? Will the horror revolve around a spell that once broken in the end also ends the horror? While you should be creative with the ending, it still needs to make sense to be satisfying to the reader.
     

   How to Develop Characters for a Horror Story

   • 7
     Determine the gender of your characters, giving first and last names to each character. Try not to name characters after people you know or other real people. Make a list of first names and another list of last names, then match them up to see what names sound good and are easy or fun to say and read.
     
   • 8
     Decide on where each character lives. All the characters don't have to be from the same area where the story takes place. Make them seem real to the reader by placing characters in logical settings. Or put a twist to your character's surroundings. For instance, you would normally think of an old woman with lots of cats living in a little old run-down house; put her into a high-rise luxury apartment in the middle of a bustling city instead to add mystery and intrigue to your story.
     
   • 9
     Develop a background of each character. Have a variety of occupations to make the story more interesting. Again, use something familiar to you so you can write in detail about the kinds of things they do. Call on your own background or do casual interviews with friends in researching interesting backgrounds you can use.
     
   • 10
     Draw out a relationship map for the characters, determining whether they are single, married or divorced and how their relationships tie them together. This is most easily done by mapping it out on a poster board or a white board much like you would draw a family tree or organizational chart for a company. Doing this will help you keep it straight, too. The last thing you want to do is confuse the reader by getting the relationships mixed up. A white board allows you to make changes; just make sure your story reflects those changes if you make them mid-writing.