Horror Film
 

Hi Ewerybody.

I am new to this place, but I really like it.

I will ask you a couple of questions about shooting Feature Films. I am working, with my friend, on making our first feature in DV( Sony Pd150).
It is going to be an experimental Horror-film, called NIGHTMARES.
I would like to ask you guys and girls, if there is any advice you could give me about shooting , lighting and editing. Maybe something you have experienced yourselves?
Any answer will be appreciated.

Watch all the horror films you can get your hands on... Get the really good ones, the really sucky one, the ones from the 1950's, the ones they show on MST3K. Examine what you like and don't like about each one - Lighting, camera angle, etc.

Then study on how to emulate those shots. Look at all of the films today that are using shots similar or a direct rip-off of other films.

And finally... write the best damn horror story you can. Story is everything, all that stuff I mentioned above is just extra.

There is no one way to do it -- there are so many different styles, an andless variety. I think Stephen said it best, the story is everything.

Thanks guys.

Yeah I know story is important, as a matter a fact I just found the right story yesterday. I was up until ca. 2pm, just writing the story down( not the script).
I am very happy about the story and I am looking forward to write the script.

Your shooting/lighting/editing style should be based somewhat on the subject matter. Now that you've got the story idea on paper, start thinking about different visuals to go along with those ideas. As you write your script, jot down any ideas that come to mind.

The tone of the story will help dictate the look and feel of the movie. Take your time with this and let us know how things are going for you.

Good luck!

Yeah I know that all the technical stuff has a lot to say.
I have actually allready thought a great deal about it and when I know the house as I do( the house is the only location in the film) I have a great opprtunity to go around in the hose and plan shots.
I will let you know how it is going.

I was actually just wandering about something: Are any of you editing in Final Cut Pro? (because I am) and are you having any advice at achieving the "Film Look" in that program???

I use FCP all the time. You might want to try the Instant Sex look and see if that does anything for you.

Your alternative is to keep bugging Red Giant about making their Magic Bullet Suite work in FCP.

I may be stupid...what is the Instant Sex Look??

Duplicate your video layer. Change the Transfer Mode of the upper layer to Overlay, Screen, Add, etc. Change Opacity to taste.

You might want to look at DVfilm Maker which is an adaptive deinterlacer which will turn your 60i footage into pseudo-30p. You can download a free trial at their website. It runs as a little standalone program, not an FCP plug in however.

Also, you might want to search the forums here for Martin Munthe. He is a frequent poster who has done some really handsome horror film work using the PD-150.

I have already tried it at home( sex-look) and it worked fine, and combined with great lighting it works fantastic. I am starting on my script today...

Remember story first, then storyboard.

Don`t worry. I have used a lot of hours finding just the rigth story and location. Filmmakers are first of storytellers...At least in my oppinion.

I was wondering if any in this forum have been making a horrorfilm...short or feature? I would like to hear your stories about cameras, filters light and so on.
Any answer will be highly appreciated.

Hej Christian.

I've shot a feature horror film using the PD150, an Optex anamorphic converter, a red head kit and a four bank. I think we had a few cheap construction lights for exterior night shots as well. There's a trailer at www.campslaughter.com and links to some images below.

The film was edited in FCP. We did all the color correction and grading in FCP using the plugins from Digital Film Tools. It was all deinterlaced in AE using Magic Bullet.

All the sound editing and ADR was done in FCP4 (using Voice Over) as well as the final sound mix in 5.1 surround. I use Aurora Igniter X for video and a Motu 828 8 channel audio outboard for sound. We use a lot of third party plugins for both video and audio...

Hils,

Oh. Forgot.

The PD150 we use is fitted with a Chroziel matte box system. I never diffuse DV but I do use grads to bring down bright skies an stuff like that. A clear protective glas filter is also a good idea to have when a shoot involves a few special effects. We had two kinds of mount on the shoot. A very good (and expensive) Cartoni tripod and fluid head and an E-Track (a mono rail system that's supported by two tripods - it can go in and out of cars)...

This E-Track sounds cool. Any sites were one can read more about it maybe?

And what's happening with the Camp Slaughter release? Will it be out on dvd by the end of the year (in Sweden)?

Yes. Story is everything, always. Followed by the right talent (just because they're your buddy doesn't make them right for the part) and the composition and direction help. ;)

Without knowing exactly what you are writing; think of the scariest movies. At least in my mind, I think of:

Halloween (The original)
Friday the 13th (The original)
The Fog
Carrie
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (The original)
The Excorcist
The Shining
Night of the Living Dead
CUJO

Movies of recent years just haven't scared me. Maybe I'm older (as the above films reflect my age and era) but I still enjoy being spooked. "SIGNS" and "The 6th Sense" had some good jumps.

I think a good scary movie lies in what we might call "a sense of reality". The films listed above all take place in real places with "what could actually happen". No, I'm not saying ZOMBIES and DEAD PIRATES can actually happen, what I am saying is:

One can actually imagine being stalked by a homicidal maniac.

One can actually imagine being trapped in a house.

One can actually imagine being isolated in a hotel, while being stalked by a homicidal maniac, while being trapped.

One can actually imagine the fear of 'Fog' and the unknown.

One can actually imagine their child's head spinning around while jamming the crucifix in... oh, sorry.

I think for me, a scary film has to have some kind of "Oh my god, what if that really happended." feel. I think thre is more a fear of "Not knowing" what it is, than seeing some CGI spectacle.

Think Jamie Lee Curtis attempting to hide in the closet, only to have Micheal Myers busting through the wooden blinds; the hanging lightbulb swinging madly.

Think Pyscho. Think after seeing that and trying to take a shower with those damn flimsy shower curtains that you know he's coming to get you.

Gotta build suspense. Gotta use those clever close-up camera angles that gives one the sense of paranoia in not being able to 'see what's coming'.

Anyway, thats my take and I love the horror genre.

Yah I think you have a very good point. My story is one that is nothing like what i have ever seen before...that is partly why I am so happy about it.

And to you Martin Munthe:

I really like what i have seen of your film. It looks pretty scary to me, and it is a great trailer. I really admire your technical-skills and I would love to get my hands on a copy of it. Very good job!

Martin,

I looked at those tripods. Whoa.

Did you really need that kind of tripod? The things can support an 80 lb camera.

C.

We'll be releasing the film on DVD very shortly. It will be available on Amazon.

Corey: Yes. And if I could afford it I'd get a bigger one with a worral head. If your into a professional result don't go with cheap DV tripods. Fluid heads is a must. The grip stuff can never get to solid. A Panther dolly doesn't have a lot of weight because the film cameras are heavy. It has a lot of weight to make a solid movement with a minimum of jerkiness. The same goes for tripods. For my next project I'm planning on using the Techno Crane (http://www.kandl.co.jp/jp/tokki/techno/) with a small DV camera for a few shots.

The best way to make DV feel like a consumer format is to not expose correctly and put the camera on an inexpensive tripod or handholding it with your right hand wrist as support in stead of using a hand held rig.

Filters
 

Martin,

I am going to shoot a horror film in the summer, it's winter up here soon and that's not in the script. So, I ask the question:

I like the look of the pictures you have there. What kinds of filters did you use with your matte box?

Thanks

Just finished shooting horror flick, it's a 20 min. short. It's called the dinner party, as the whole idea on this one was not to show the blood and guts as is usually shown. This one is a dinner table talk that goes around the table giving you the chance to name the killer that is killing the people. The hook on this one is that the guest of honor is the dinner for the next dinner party.

Awesome cast as there where many from the Chicago film community that came together on this one. I do love the beginning as the cook of the dinner is chopping the meat with a meat cleaver while the title rolls on by…but the ending will have the meat of the “Guest of Honor” being slapped down on white paper and being folded up while you see the credits rolling on by.

Martin:

I've joked about the day I see a DV camera on a Technocrane--damn, sounds like you're going to beat me to it! Can you imagine a downsized version of that technology, adapted for cameras under 10 lbs? Could be pretty wild...

I was on a shoot two summers ago and my camera was mounted on a PanaVision crane. The sucker was renting out for 4,000 a day and the director got it for 2,000. The shoots where great as he knew what he wanted yet the camera was DV all the way. Panasonic DVC200.

Cory: I used a clear glass and an ND grad.

Charles: A Technocrane Mini is an excellent idea. Let's all breath down the Technocrane guys necks about it. If Stedicam could do it -- they can do it.

I'm sure all those DV cranes on the market are a lot of fun but when did you last "boom pan" on a shoot? Really? I haven't tried the Jimmy Triangle with the wire driven budget hot head. Have to check it out.

Speaking of cranes; Technocrane in all honor -- nothing really compares to being on the platform with the camera. I always prefer those cranes to anything else. Operating from up there beats anything IMHO.

<<<-- Originally posted by Martin Munthe : Hej Christian.

I've shot a feature horror film using the PD150, an Optex anamorphic converter, a red head kit and a four bank. I think we had a few cheap construction lights for exterior night shots as well. There's a trailer at www.campslaughter.com and links to some images below.

The film was edited in FCP. We did all the color correction and grading in FCP using the plugins from Digital Film Tools. It was all deinterlaced in AE using Magic Bullet.

All the sound editing and ADR was done in FCP4 (using Voice Over) as well as the final sound mix in 5.1 surround. I use Aurora Igniter X for video and a Motu 828 8 channel audio outboard for sound. We use a lot of third party plugins for both video and audio...

Hils, -->>>

How much ADR did you do (%) and how was your experience? Wasn't it difficult to make it sound right and do you have som tips as far as ADR is concerned?

Hilsen Jonas.

Jonas,

we did 100% ADR. Yes it's very hard to get it to sound right. In fact it was so hard I wouldn't do it again on our limited budget. We do ADR the traditional way of looping where the actor is repeating the original sound recording over and over again. One of the tougher things is to make it sound right in the mix keeping the "sound" of the different locations.

Martin, I was curious, why did you have to do 100% ADR?

Martin, what did you mean by "boom pan" exactly?

As far rideable vs remote heads...it depends, for me. Shooting film I know I will have a more dependable image in the viewfinder than from the tap (check this out; the second item was entirely due to not seeing the reflections during a Technocrane shot, and not having time to walk the route to avoid this--bums me out to this day!), but this is not the case with video, where I'd much rather look at a monitor than the viewfinder. Also I like that a remote head/arm setup can maneuver quicker and allow for more extreme moves if required, can be built out longer (LOVE the Strada crane) and in the case of the Techno, is faster to reconfigure a given shot.

That said, I do like being at the same vantage point ofthe camera, and some of the remote head consoles don't have the best operating feel (slushy or with too much resistance to the wheels). And it can be very pleasant to escape the chatter at ground level.

I guess I'm mixed on the subject--lots of factors!

p.s. Martin, I don't know if you caught this thread and the accompanying article, but I think you might enjoy it.

Hi Ewerybody...

I just thought I would tell you about my "horrorfilm-situation", right now.

Actually it is very bad. I havent`finished the script and it is very hard finding time to shoot it, BUT I am working on some other projects...

First of all I am working on a war/horror-short. I am making it with a lot of other poeple and it is to be finished in april.
Second I will start shooting another short with one of my friends, next weekend.

and finally, and also the project I am looking most forward to... My first real atempt at making a personal(non-journalistic) documentary... It is going to be shot on mini-dv and super 8mm. and I am looking forward to it.

Well I just wanted to tell you all what I have been doing and that your advice and help is precious to me..

Thank you all very very much...

Hope I'm not too late with this...
 

There is a book you must read "Screenplay" by Syd Field. It's a "quick and dirty" guide to screen writing.

Befor I got into film/video, back when I was a gentle soul, I wanted to be a writer. I read a ton of poetry, ton of novels, ton of plays. I was a method actor, and lived for Shakespeare (The greatest writer in the Englis language.) I stuidied this stuff.

I knew nothing.

Read Syd's book.

Next to adult (dirty) films, horror is the most demanding, because it is so easy to get it wrong.

Writing the screenplay will take several months. Don't get discouraged.

Speaking of books (Love how these topics go all over the place) I read

Myth and the Movies by Stuart Voytilla


A very cool read. Enlightnening.

Glen Gipson: We where out shooting mostly in a forrest with a big bad diesel generator. Not good for audio. That's why the 100% ADR. I'd rather record audio on location but we couldn't afford the super quiet generators on this shoot.

Charles: "Boom pan" is (at leat to me) is when your camera is locked to the crane/jib and can't pan (only tilt). The "arm" will do the panning for you wich is not that sexy really. It kind of breathes "low budget". Hope I make sense.

I'm probably reluctant to remote operation because there aren't any good operators around my part of the world. I'm sure I'd have a completely different opinion if I was working in LA.

Great article. Can't stop drooling...

I'm curious if there are any lighting books geared specifically to lighting for suspense and/or horror.

Or any books on lighting setups that have a chapter on the subject of horror lighting.

-D.

I wouldn't really trust such a book. I don't think you can attach a type of lighting to a specific genre. Cinematography shouldn't be too gimmicky. If it is - it's not scary. Look at The Excorcist. It uses a lot of broad soft light. Nothing like Jason X. And nothing like The Blair Witch Project. They have nothing in common and yet they are all horror movies. If there are to many gimmicks in cinematography you loose the element of surprise. Imagine that in a horror movie - absolutely fatal to the storytelling.

It's better to study dramatic lighting and use your own head to create the visual look of the film. I'd suggest John Altons Painting With Light.