Sunday, August 22, 2010

Making A Living With Horror Movies

By Adriana Noton

It is odd, is it not, how popular horror movies have always been? This means odd considering the fact that fear is not usually a very pleasant state of mind to be in outside of the theater. It is a survival mechanism, and a primal one at that, yet people like to pull the trigger on it in groups and even when they are home alone.

Think about what kind of movie most would like to take a date to. Sure, the romantic comedy is the staple fare, but it is the scary flick that will get those two sitting all snuggly close and holding on to each other. And everybody just likes to be frightened when there is no real danger involved. It is like a roller coaster ride, fear without real fate involved.

If someone is a real big fan of the genre, like so many folks are, they will probably get to the point when they wonder why they could not do it themselves. Why not get into the film business on their own? It is totally possible, and guess what? Scary B-films are a good way to get a foot in the door in this business. Many very successful careers have been started in his very way.

They know that there is money to be made scaring the pants off of people. So do the directors and producers of such fare. So how could a person actually make a living doing the same thing themselves? To begin, they could try for a job on a set. The thing about many scary movies is that they are on such a low budget that they are an easy way to get an entry-level film gig.

Perhaps a makeup artist could use some help with all of that fake blood getting splashed all over the set. At the very least they will need someone to help clean it up. And those makeup people need a break too, so if that is what you are into, think about doing ghouls, ghosts, and creepy things. Many very famous makeup artists started out doing cheap B-films in their hungrier days.

And what about writing a script? It seems that a writer could distill the essence of every great scary film into a simple formula. It could probably be described in about four sentences. And that right there is the seed for a new film script. Just add in some new characters and locations and it may actually be on to something big. Again, all famous film folk started in the same basic way.

If there is acting involved, the same principle applies. If one can scream while being eaten by a zombie, they could be in the cast. The initial roles, like in all genres, will be miniscule, but it is a start. Building a reel and a reputation are vital in this business, and going with the fright fest has been a great launching pad for many big names.

The bottom line is that low budget films need low budget help. But that low budget has been known to turn into big bucks when the quirky little horror movies become box office bonanzas or video smashes. The world of movie making is hard to crack, but these types of films are a great tool to try with. - 40727

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