Direct your own horror movie?

gerarda

Hi all,
My first post here - Has anyone her ever attempted to make there own horror movie or a tribute to a classic? How did it go? I would love to give this a try (as an actor).

spooky donkey

cant say I have,,,

redbaron_99

It's something that some friends and I have been considering for a couple of years. We have scripts, experience and the know how. It's just a matter of finding the time and the money.

gerarda

Thanks for the reply, I'm a big fan of the Halloween movies (not Rob Zombie!) and have experience playing Michael Myers. Would love to do a remake.

Caveat_

It is something I would love to do too. Horror is definitely a genre that can be done on the cheap.

redbaron_99

Caveat_ wrote: »

It is something I would love to do too. Horror is definitely a genre that can be done on the cheap.

cheap is good. cheap looking is not usually so good.:pac:

Caveat_

redbaron_99 wrote: »

cheap is good. cheap looking is not usually so good.:pac:

True, and the "found footage" from a handycam has been done to death. Forgive the pun .

There is still scope for good horror to be done cheaply and look ok. I am a fan of less is more, in movies. I don't need to see it, I just need to know it's there.

redbaron_99

Caveat_ wrote: »

True, and the "found footage" from a handycam has been done to death. Forgive the pun .

There is still scope for good horror to be done cheaply and look ok. I am a fan of less is more, in movies. I don't need to see it, I just need to know it's there.

Less is definitely more when it comes to horror movies. I meant a budget is needed to get the right type of actor and some decent crew.

Caveat_

Paying actors and crew would need a decent budget alright.
There is plenty of talent that would work for the experience though. If big costs could be kept to equipment rental and editing, it would be interesting to surmise on what the baseline of cost would be.

redbaron_99

Probably best to try a short movie.. not as much pressure in producing something that is 15 mins, instead of a feature length

gerarda

Let me know if you have any idea's. I'm six and a half foot tall and as previously said a huge fan of the Halloween series (the good one). I have some experience playing Micheal Myers that went down an absolute scream. There is some online footage of what I was involved in if anyone wants to see it, just to add I would not be expecting to be paid for this - I just want to put my idea out there and meet up with anyone who was interested in having a go?

Thanks
Ger

Ciaran_B

There’s a Scottish horror film called The House of Him that was made for less than a grand that’s picking up some interesting reviews. Most of the parts are played by friends of relatives of the writer/director and it’s set in a single location – but a feature on the ultra-cheap can definitely be done.

Ring4Fea

Yes.

The problem is 2fold: budget but also finding female performers that don't loathe horror/bother 2 realize that slasher and giallo gave jack **** to do with horror (**** YOU wolf crapcreek and hostel you are NOT horror films).

redbaron_99

Ring4Fea wrote: »

Yes.

The problem is 2fold: budget but also finding female performers that don't loathe horror/bother 2 realize that slasher and giallo gave jack **** to do with horror (**** YOU wolf crapcreek and hostel you are NOT horror films).

Yes, I think you're right here. There's too many people who can't differentiate between slasher and horror.

A good horror is 99% psychological. 1% gore.
That way the gore is so much more affecting.

Geekness1234

redbaron_99 wrote: »

Yes, I think you're right here. There's too many people who can't differentiate between slasher and horror.

A good horror is 99% psychological. 1% gore.
That way the gore is so much more affecting.

That's quite true, I thought "30 Days of Night" had a great psychological undertone to it (if memory serves) but was ruined by the 6000 litres of blood they felt compelled to use.

redbaron_99

Geekness1234 wrote: »

That's quite true, I thought "30 Days of Night" had a great psychological undertone to it (if memory serves) but was ruined by the 6000 litres of blood they felt compelled to use.

Yeah. I think Hollywood execs insist on dumbing movies down to appeal to the masses who are... well... dumb.

It's usually what you don't see that is scarier than what you see every ten seconds.
Take Alien for example. The alien is hardly on screen until the final scene, nothing more than a few glimpses. Yet it is the greatest sci-fi horror ever made.
It's the suspense that gets to you, not the big scary monster.

Ring4Fea

And also take Cry of the Banshee with Lance Henrikson. But take an anti nausea pill and a demerol before you take it. Chuckle/harrumph

Ring4Fea

It must be said though that if the marketing of a film promises a big scary monster it must provide a big scary monster.

redbaron_99

Ring4Fea wrote: »

And also take Cry of the Banshee with Lance Henrikson. But take an anti nausea pill and a demerol before you take it. Chuckle/harrumph

He starred in Scream of the Banshee.

Cry of the Banshee was Vincent Price movie from the early 70s.

Sorry for being so picky. :pac:

redbaron_99

Ring4Fea wrote: »

It must be said though that if the marketing of a film promises a big scary monster it must provide a big scary monster.

True. But no need to go over the top with showing the monster. one scene is enough.

Night of the Demon (1957) for example. It's a bit dated now, but it's an absolute classic horror. The director had intended never to show the demon itself. It was on insistence from the studio that they included one shot of the monster. The movie never needed the monster.

The Changeling (1980) is one of the best examples. It's a very eerie haunted house movie and still scares the bejaysus out of me now. Yet you never really see anything.

Ring4Fea

And when a Prodco asked me for a VERY SCARY, and "celtic", I submitted a 13 page treatment upon request to a trio of execs at a prodco which has made films with Ledger and Malkovitch, a horror story involving pre Christian beliefs and people from The Ring of Kerry, They complained "this is too horrific. Also, no offense, but it's. .. too Irish."

Ring4Fea

Please be picky. I love picky. I am normally the epitome of picky but the damnnnnnn mobile phone woke me up 5 hrs early because someone had programmed an alert for my birthday.

I don't need an alert for my birthday. I need a Gaelic pagan matchmaker for my birthday. Worst goddammmmn birthday in the Irish world. Day after St Padraig's. NO ONE shows up with THAT hangover to a birthday.

Ring4Fea

Cry of the Banshee was also a hellish disappointment but Nigjt of the Demon aka Curse of the Demon (full unabridged version) IS a masterpiece and similar to Eyes Without a Face.

Ring4Fea

The Changeling is an excellent recco. I have exhorted over 70 would be horror mavens to not only watch, but emotionally absorb that film.

Ring4Fea

And this thread and the replies are truly a grande and magnanimous birthday gift on a day otherwise... [censored due to unacceptable content]

redbaron_99

Ring4Fea wrote: »

And when a Prodco asked me for a VERY SCARY, and "celtic", I submitted a 13 page treatment upon request to a trio of execs at a prodco which has made films with Ledger and Malkovitch, a horror story involving pre Christian beliefs and people from The Ring of Kerry, They complained "this is too horrific. Also, no offense, but it's. .. too Irish."

Yeah, I can kinda see their point. Although it's very tempting to write stories based in Ireland, it is very limited market, and can scare off execs who are focused on the global market.

How did you get to pitch to execs?
Just curious.
I'm a professional writer myself, but my bag is novels. Always curious about how to get the ear of production companies.

Ring4Fea

Intellectually I mostly agree but Hollywoodenhead afflicted the world with "Roar" after Braveheart made $$. So my heart cannot concede the point.

Then again 5his is why kickstarter and indigogo were formed. Mayhaps we should broach those here as they are merely a new form of the Hammer Studios presale method except cutting out the distribution middle man.

As for 5he exec thing I've been a satirist for a Manhattan publisher and illustrated for some Hugo and Nebula award winners which opens doors.

redbaron_99

Ring4Fea wrote: »

Intellectually I mostly agree but Hollywoodenhead afflicted the world with "Roar" after Braveheart made $$. So my heart cannot concede the point.

Then again 5his is why kickstarter and indigogo were formed. Mayhaps we should broach those here as they are merely a new form of the Hammer Studios presale method except cutting out the distribution middle man.

As for 5he exec thing I've been a satirist for a Manhattan publisher and illustrated for some Hugo and Nebula award winners which opens doors.

Yeah, every war movie since Braveheart has had "the speech" before the charge. It's awful how predictable it's all become.

I might have a bash at the screenwriting some day. Still working my way through a publishing contract at the moment, though.
Strangely enough, I've also done illustrations for publishing companies.... are you my long lost evil twin or something??? :pac:

Ring4Fea

Depends on your definition of Evil.

48 hrs ago an actress asked me what play I thought 2 be the best comedy. My answer was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?". Without crossing boundaries we might discuss asking Female Irish Thespians to join this thread and broach pari passu contracts. Meanwhile I invoke the name of the master-of-mood and t he doyen of dark - yet - colorful, Mario Bava, and "Baron Blood".

Ring4Fea

gerarda wrote: »

Hi all,
My first post here - Has anyone her ever attempted to make there own horror movie or a tribute to a classic? How did it go? I would love to give this a try (as an actor).

Okay. So how many friends do you feel you have for a crowdfunding campaign if the writing is in place?

Can you find a Kat Dennings type and a Tamsin Grieg type and a Karen Black type and a NeNe Leakes type to balance out you and other incredibly talented young Shapers of the Bardic Boards?

Caveat_

Ring4Fea wrote: »

The Changeling is an excellent recco. I have exhorted over 70 would be horror mavens to not only watch, but emotionally absorb that film.

In my top ten movies for sure. Loved the lead character.

Ring4Fea

It's hard to fail to appreciate the Great George C.

Ring4Fea

Budget stuff I had to have for a potential investor then retrofitted for crowdfunding:


The average of USA min.Wage and Australian min.Wage is about $11 per hr. People should get for a film what they can earn at KFC or pulling taps at a pub.

2 male leads and 3 female leads plus one monster and a secondary pivotal character role = 7 roles @ $11 p.hr

Usind a Coscarelli/Will Castle/Romero 1968/Corman/Coffin Joe schedule, one can assume 500 hrs of combined work for the main cast. $5ooo USD or AUSD.

storyboarding is a $250,000 per anmum job in Hollywood so the storyboard artist gets paid too, or the director gets paid for this work if he/she does them (unless they provide boring as batsh1t Daria talking heads and simple 2 shot crap then they get nothing for being indolent and untalented). This work for a visually rich horror film vs. slackersh1te is about 30 frames per day (more if detail is paltry and mood is missing). A 90 minute film can expect around 630 frames/screens minimum so $2400.

700 hrs for the director = $7700

We are now at over $15000.

Patrick Woodroffe / Drew Struzan style poster / DVD cover = $2000 (as per the docco on how Hammer sold their horror and sci fi films ; the posters were used for the purposes of pre sale to get the budget 4 the film's production).

We are now at 17k.

Decent script= @ least $1000 for a 30 minute or less film. $3000 min for 90 minute film. We'll say $2k.

Editing : if 1960s precepts of "get it in one" are used then editing can be 200 hrs or less so $2200.

Junkyard Dog making sure every vain iPhone bunny gets off his/her twitterfeed and gets back on set ready to get the shot and get her line right, and stop other cheddar-dongs from taking advantage of the hard workers making the film, $900.

Low level prosthetic make up and SFX type costumes if necessary = $2000

We are above $24k for those integral things before aught else.

Oh wait - it just took me 2 hrs to compose and edit and post this, so add $22! *light hearted chuckle*