Horror Film : An information how to make it. If you read the tittle above, you will be want to know how to make an horror film. check out this information carefully, you will know how an horror film has made. Enjoy your read.
Definition
What the horror films are ?According to some resources about the definition of horror films, horror films are movies that strive to elicit the emotions of fear, horror and terror from viewers. Their plots frequently involve themes of death, the supernatural or mental illness. Early horror movies are largely based on classic literature of the gothic/horror genre, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. An horror films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films effectively center on the dark side of life, the forbidden, and strange and alarming events. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears: our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our revulsions, our terror of the unknown, our fear of death and dismemberment, loss of identity, or fear of sexuality. Horror films are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. Or, with the other simple words, an horror film is a movie dominated by elements of horror that frighten and/or shock the audience.
History of Horror films
Horror movies have long served both purposes. They deliver thrills by the hearseload, as well as telling us stories of the dark, forbidden side of life (and death) - cautionary tales for grown ups. They also provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of their time. Nosferatu (1922) is not simply a tale of vampirism, but offers heart-rending images of a town beleaguered by premature and random deaths, echoes of the Great War and the Great Flu Epidemic fatalities. At the other end of the century Blade (1998) is not just a tale of vampirism either, but reflects a fear of the powerful yet irresponsible elements in society, echoes down the corridor indeed of the seemingly impunitive behaviour of those at the top. Each generation gets the horror films it deserves, and one of the more fascinating aspects of the study of the genre is the changing nature of the monsters who present a threat. In the early 1940s, a world living under the shadow of Hitler's predatory tendencies identified a part-man, part-wolf as their boogeyman, whose bestial nature caused him to tear apart those who crossed his path. In the 1990s however, there was no need for a part wolf component: Jonathan Doe (Se7en 1994) and Hannibal Lecter (Manhunter 1986, Silence of the Lambs 1991, Hannibal 2001) were entirely human in their calculated and stylised killing methods.
The first horror movies are surreal, dark pieces, owing their visual appearance to the expressionist painters and their narrative style to the stories played out by the Grand Guignol Theatre Company. Darkness and shadows, such important features of modern horror, were impossible to show on the film stock available at the time, so the sequences, for example in Nosferatu, where we see a vampire leaping amongst gravestones in what appears to be broad daylight, seem doubly surreal to us now. And here are some of classic horror movie that ever had :
1. The Golem (1915/1920)
There were several versions of this, dubbed 'the first monster movie'. Paul Wegener directed and starred in the screen version of the Jewish legend, set in medieval Prague. A Golem (a solidly built clay man) is fashioned to save the ghetto, but when his job is done he refuses to cease existing, and runs amok through expressionist sets, eventually to be confronted and defeated by a little girl. The legend influenced Mary Shelley during her creation of a monster a century earlier, and a decade or so later, the cinematic golem influenced Whale's and Karloff's depiction of a false creation lumbering menacingly through the streets. In Jewish folklore, a golem(גולם; English pronunciation: /ˈɡoʊləm/ GOH-ləm) is an animated being created entirely from inanimate matter. In modern Hebrew the word golem literally means "rock," but can also mean "fool," "dumb," or even "stupid." The name appears to derive from the word gelem (גלם), which means "raw material. Alternatively, some sources indicate that it is a corruption of the Hebrew go′al 'enu (גואלנו) our redeemer or our avenger. The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th century chief rabbi of Prague.
2.The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1919)
Often cited as the 'granddaddy of all horror films', this is an eerie exploration of the mind of a madman, pitting an evil doctor against a hero falsely incarcerated in a lunatic asylum. Through a clever framing device the audience is never quite clear on who is mad and who is sane, and viewing the film's skewed take on reality is a disturbing experience, heightened by the jagged asymmetry of the mise en scene. Although modern viewers might find the pace slow, with long takes and little cutting between scenes, "The Cabinet..." is stylish, imaginative, and never less than haunting.
3. Nosferatu(1922)
Photo courtesy : www.horrorfilmhistory.com
Nosferatu is the very first vampire movie, baldly plagiarising the Dracula story to present Count Orlok, the grotesquely made-up 'Max Schreck', curling his long fingernails round the limbs of a series of hapless victims. Described as the vampire movie that actually believes in vampires, Nosferatu gives us a far more frightening bloodsucker than any of its successors; Shreck is simply inhuman. Murnau demonstrated an early mastery over light and shadow which was to distinguish his subsequent work in Hollywood, such as Sunrise (1927), as well as sheer inventiveness with the photographic image, in the microscope sequences and the stop motion special effects. He also clashed with Bram Stoker's widow over the rights to the Dracula story, which had proved very popular as a stageplay. He changed the names of the central characters, but did not alter the story, and the subsequent legal wrangling meant that prints of the movie were destroyed, Murnau lost control of the film, and it is only recently that a version approximating to the original has become available to the viewing public.
How to Make An Horror Film
If you're one of an amateur movie maker who have been interesting to an horror film and want to make a good one, some of these tips and steps may help you :
STEPS :
- Get a scary idea for the movie. But make it original.
- Add scary and scratchy, eerily atmospheric music for suspense.
- Add scary, screechy music for when something surprising happens.
- Have a scary killer/ monster/whatever. (For some reason killers/monsters that don't talk are scarier than ones who do) Make sure their motive is simple (revenge/insanity is good)
- Make something completely ordinary the center of the drama (paper bag, telephone, toilet, doorbell, TV, videotape). If you do it well, it will be scary!
- Have a plot twist (at the end or middle end).
- Add good effects (if the blood looks like ketchup you're not going to scare anyone!) If you choose to go with effects...that is. Its proven that a sudden moment of suspense without graphic bloody violence is more scary because the watcher's imagination finds the scariest possible outcome that they personally can imagine... much scarier than even a realistic gore fest... think De Niro's Hide and Seek... Scary because of the suspense, not because of the blood, or the realism of said blood.
- make sure you use good effects. if you want to make magic balls, fire, explosion etc. use effects lab pro!
And here are some tips for your consideration to make an horror film :
Reality over Fantasy
While a successful horror film must necessarily demand a suspension of belief, going too far will invariably result in diminishing returns. After all, if anything and everything is possible then why should the audience be wary of the unexpected? Hellraiser will always remain a cinematic benchmark by virtue of Clive Barker’s imagination and stylish execution, but the shocks rarely transcend its own grotesquery and sadism. The antagonists, being visually fantastical and other-worldly, succeed in repulsing but never tap into our primordial fears of the unknown and unexplained.
Less is More and Silence is Golden
It is an oft quoted cliché that what is left to the viewers’ imagination is more appalling than what is actually shown. While strict adherence to this can just result in laziness there is an element of truth at its core. Witnessing Fulci and Romero’s zombies emasculate and disembowel an array of human prey has the power to launch a succession of gag reflexes but is it any worse than watching a particularly graphic hospital drama? Equally when a Freddy Kreuger character wisecracks his way through a vicious attack the intensity of the horror is subdued. After all, if a monster is in a chatty mood we can easily imagine talking our way out of the predicament.
Plot is Still Vital
The element missing from the vast majority of horror films churned out over the years is an engaging story. Directors from the Eli Roth school of film seem to think that all that is necessary to create dread and tension is a succession of grisly deaths and the occasional POV camera shot. Of course no one expects the same level of multi-layered narratives from a slasher as they would from The Kite Runner but without any twists or suspense to suck the viewer in how are they supposed to care enough to be scared? Without a plot to draw one in it becomes all too easy to drift off before the real scares come. Naturally it is possible to go too far in the opposite direction.
Paradigm
It is insulting to fans of the genre to suggest that this is an exhaustive or even accurate recipe with which to produce their favourite staple. However if filmmakers could at least dedicate an iota of their time and budget to investigating what makes a successful horror film and what makes a lame duck then we might be spared a potential Freddy Vs Jason Vs Killer Tomato.
And how about the equipment ?
The necessary equipment for any film, be it a short or a feature, can actually be procured at a low price. You will need the following:
1. Camera - The Cannon XL1-s is a 3CCD digital camera that has an interchangeable lens system. It is not the latest in Canon's innovation, but it is affordable (about $3,000) and is still the better than any other brand. You can rent it for about $195. per day.
2. Camera mounts - use a tripod for static (still shots) and a wheelchair or a home made dolly for moving shots
3. Audio system - The Canon XL1-S has an external mike output for SLR and 1/4 inch feeds. This means that you can connect any microphone to it and record audio straight to the camera. Plug headphones into the camera's 1/4 inch output to hear the sound quality as you record. Get a unidirectional mike at Radio Shack for about $20. This will pick up the sound where you point it and no where else.
4. Lighting - This is not crucial if your script matches your budget. Shoot in the daytime with an overcast sky. If shooting at night, or indoors. Buy simple flood lights at the hardware store and diffuse them by reflecting them off of bed sheets or the ceiling. Digital video differs from film in that it will not detect a change in the lighting as the bulb heats up. This allows the digital film maker to use floods and work lights.
5. Editing - A digital capture card and software can be purchased at any computer store for about $80. This will allow you to capture your footage and edit it. You will need a fire wire cable (IEE 1394) to plug your camera into your PC.
So, Does these article had helped you? I hope so. Now, be prepared for your preparation to make a good horror movie. hope it will given you a good result cause Practise makes perfect, Isn't It ?.
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