MADE on the SMELL of an OILY RAG
January 22nd 2007 23:45
Almost as a rule, horror films work best on smaller budgets. But there are some key factors that need to be in place way before the cameras start rolling. In fact, way before even pre-production begins.
The director needs to be confident and assured. He/she needs to have a firm understanding of the story and themes and what the tone and texture of the film will be like (ie the visual style and the mood and atmosphere). The movie doesn’t necessarily have to be completely story-boarded, although this can help in a possible funding process immeasurably.
A solid script is a great start. Something the director knows like the back of his/her hand. Even better would be that the director has written the screenplay themselves, or at least co-written it. It prevents personality clashes during principal photography.
There are several important capacities that need to be filled by people with enthusiasm, dedication, ingenuity, and efficiency. The director needs a production manager/co-ordinator, cinematographer/camera-assistant, special effects team (stunts, pyrotechnics, SFX make-up, etc), art department (props, costumes, set decoration, etc), and most importantly, a continuity person (script supervisor), because more often than not on shoe-string budgets the filming of shots and scenes is all over the shop and can become an absolute nightmare for continuity (believe me, I’ve been there several times!)
And then there are the warm props: the actors. This is crucial also. It is too easy to cast based on looks (and whether or not the actor will take their clothes off for that all-important nude scene). A couple of matinee idols and busty bimbos prancing around the set, fluffing their lines, and giving pained expressions an effective and remarkable horror movie does not make.
You need to audition. You need to have the actors read the script. And read the script again. And read it again once more … with feeling. The director needs to be utterly convinced that the actors can exhibit absolute terror, can look genuinely repulsed, and can express authentically those moments of utter dread, confusion and panic. Then confirm that they scrub up okay in front of the camera, and finally, check to see they’re competent enough to learn and deliver a handful of dialogue lines (you’d be surprised).
If you’re not tying yourself down to a couple of interiors for the entire shoot (like Saw for example), then make sure you find some shit-hot locations drenched in atmosphere and isolated and protected enough to be able to shoot all night long in without interruptions.
Make sure your special effects team is really on the money (even though there isn’t any to give them). These are the people who need to be sharing your passion from the get-go. You’d be amazed at what can be achieved with little money, but buckets of ingenuity.
Looks like you might be ready to start painting the town red.
For your edification here are some film budget stats (keep in mind the dates of production and the film's end result).
George Romero made Night of the Living Dead over a six month period in 1967 for an estimated $US114,000. It eventually grossed $30,000,000.
Don Coscarelli made Phantasm at age 23 (apparently shot in one month - November 1977) for an estimated $US300,000. Not only did he write, produce and direct, but he also shot and cut the film too (and his mother did the costume and make-up). It made him over ten million bucks initially.
John Carpenter made Halloween for an estimated $US325,000 (eight week shoot, mid-1978). He wrote, co-produced, directed and composed the legendary music. The movie was the most successful independent film for many years.
Sam Raimi made The Evil Dead for an estimated $US350,000. Filmed between November 1979 and January 1980, it wasn’t released for another two years (it didn’t get to New Zealand until 1984). The brilliant special effects work was done using basic household materials (including porridge!). Initially made nearly ten million bucks in return.
John McNaughton made Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer for an estimated $US111,000 in 1985. It played a film festival in 1986, but didn’t receive proper theatrical distribution until 1990.
I worked on Peter Jackson’s Braindead in 1991. The budget was around $NZ3,000,000. It was shot in Super-16mm (like the above films except for Halloween and Phantasm which were shot on 35mm).
James Wan and Leigh Whannell initially filmed one scene themselves from their screenplay to Saw and sold it (to US financers) on the basis of that one scene. It was eventually made for $US1,200,000.
Obviously there are countless horrors being made for much, much, much less than any of the movies I’ve mentioned (the Troma schlock flicks for example), but the above movies have flair, style, gusto and chutzpah!
Many of the uber-low budget movies never see the light of day, others manage a straight-to-video distribution (and die a horrible death), and the odd lucky bastard horror flick gets seen by the right person with contacts, gets picked up for theatrical distribution, and the rest is history.
Pray for that odd lucky bastard.
* the image on this page was taken from the following wikipedia page: Bolex
| 114 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Comment by Adrienne
Celebrity Fox
Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Psycho cost less than a million back in the day.
Any chance to plug my fave modern horror Lucky McKee's May, which only cost $500,000.....and Neil Marshal's Dog Soldiers was pretty cheap, but then again The Descent only cost 3.5 Million.
Don Coscarelli's Bubba Ho Tep was a million even and though its not glossy, damn if it isnt entertaining.
Cronenburg's Shivers cost 179, 000, thats a shit load of fright for your buck.
Would you call Cube a horror film, because it cost about $300,000 and uses the money well.
Fun looking at what a good filmmaker can get for limited bucks
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
If they just throw a cool-mil at you, you've got the freedom to do what you'd like!
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
yes I know ... doh! I knew someone would mention that one straight out. My brother pointed out that glaring oversight after I told him about the post ...
The Blair Witch Project definitely has to be one of the cheapest ever, for principal photography and editing costs ...
Thanks JD for those other notable absences from my post ... Actually I didn't know about Invasion costing so little ... apparently $US417,000 back in 1955.
Cronenberg's Shivers cost $CAN179,000 (estimated).back in 1974.
Psycho actually cost over $US800,000 back in 1960.
Cibby,
totally right! There are some exceptional cases of non-horror movies with uber-low budgets and brilliant filmmaking .. ever heard of New Yorker Nick Gomez' Laws of Gravity?
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
may I borrow May?
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD